What We Did This Summer

We had a packed summer.  We hit amusement parks, waded in rivers, visited family in Pittsburgh, danced at outdoor concerts, went to the zoo, ran around the playground, watched fireworks and shopped at farmer's markets.  Sounds busy enough, right?  Well, on top of all of that we also had three major life changes in our household.

At the beginning of the summer Uncle Daniel moved in with us, mid-summer Zoe was born, and to round out the summer we moved to a new apartment.  All three of these are good things that will have a lasting positive impact on our family - but also come with some big adjustments.  We've been in constant (and major) transition for months.

I know I've certainly felt the stress of it all weighing on me - I can't even imagine being two years old and having all this change swirling around me.  Overall, Leo has been a champ through it all - but there has also been some evidence of the toll it's taking on him showing in his behavior.  Just like in the first couple weeks after Zoe's birth, now that we are in the throes of the post-move madness he is having trouble processing his emotions.

I'm trying to remember that he is dealing with a lot - and so am I.  I know my patience has been thin - and that he needs me to be patient and understanding more than ever.  It's a tight spot.  I do think that we are both trying out hardest to muddle through these transitions.  jb and Zoe (and Uncle Daniel, too) are of course dealing with the same changes - but Leo seems to be hit the hardest by it all.

Of course he had already "bounced back" from Zoe's introduction to our family before the move - and she's only a couple months old.  So I think that's a good sign that he's pretty resilient.  We've prioritized unpacking and setting up his room and the rooms where he spends the most time - and slowly the rest will be settled in.  Our new normal will turn into just plain old normal.  Until then, we are going to keep putting our best foot forward for each other.