April was a bit of a whirlwind for us. A good whirlwind, but still. It went by quickly and slowly all at the same time. Those first couple weeks of Nolan's life we were running on pure adrenaline. It really is true that each day and week gets easier but it's also easy to get lost in the will-my-life-EVER-feel-normal-again?! haze.

Now that we're in week four, I've hit the how-is-my-baby-this-big-already?! cliché. Having a newborn really is so bittersweet. You live to see them develop and grow but you also simultaneously miss their tininess from just a week ago.

Oh, how life has changed. I think we're in for the ride of our lives. :)

In other news, I have a couple small goals for this month while I continue to enjoy maternity leave and soak up every minute with little Nolan. Cheers to spring and all the beautiful weather and blooms that come with it!

May Goals

Finish On Becoming Baby Wise by Robert Bucknam and Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
File our personal photos on a new external hard drive
Design and order one of our annual photo albums
Update client galleries on Pixieset
Order and mail Nolan's birth announcements
Take Nolan on his first road trip! Nathan's sister gets married in Indiana in a week!

There's this tree right at the edge of our front yard that seems to keep me in tune with the seasons. In the spring, it's gorgeous. Lots of pretty white flowers everywhere. I know it's officially spring when I see that thing in bloom. And I think (I think!) spring is finally here in Cleveland, Ohio, because that tree is snow white. Finally! Better late than never, right?

For me, spring brings the start of wedding season, and I dive headfirst into BUSY this month. I will be the first to admit to you that when I see all those days on my calendar marked with meetings and weddings and sessions, I get overwhelmed. I'm 100% goals oriented and deadline driven, but I tend to forget to take things one day at a time.

I was recently listening to this podcast and was struck by the idea of slowing down to gain more. Seems counterproductive, right? Wrong! Erin Loechner told Jess Lively that she walks to do errands instead of drives (I'm SO guilty of jumping in the car to go down the block. It's embarrassing!) and sometimes hand washes her clothes, and by doing these things--taking time to savor each task and be more hands on in life--she's fully aware and appreciative of each responsibility, no matter how mundane. And then she's more productive when she's working. Wow. I needed to hear that at the start of busy season! And you know what? I think I'll walk to the coffee shop today and enjoy the flowering trees. :)

May Goals

Finish The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind and read Animal Dreams
Plant our garden (lots of flowers and herbs this year!)
Finish our living room mantel design
Host our annual family cookout
Go on at least two bike rides
Put together a Summer Fun list with Nathan
CANCEL our cable for the summer (yes, we still have cable! Contemplating getting rid of it completely ...)
Shoot six weddings and have two of them + two April weddings fully edited by the time June rolls around
Keep my Inbox below 15 at the end of each workday