The Move

A week ago, with tears and anticipation, we made our move from Pennsylvania to Pheonix, Arizona.

After a whirlwind three weeks of packing, we bid adieu to our earthly possessions as they began their trek across the country.  My first tears were shed by surprise as I rocked Grayson to sleep in our cribless home.  The bare pink walls we painted before Ava was born.  We brought both our kids here from the hospital, greeted by these walls, driven in the car we had just sold.  Saying goodbye to all that is familiar except each other.

Our empty living room.

A teary goodbye photo on our front porch.

We spent Monday through Thursday at Blair's parents' house and cherished time with family before our flight on Friday morning.  Each goodbye felt so bittersweet.

We are so grateful not only for the breadth and depth of relationships we've been so blessed to have but dare I say I'm grateful for the chance to say goodbye?  To say all the things that don't get said on a daily basis.  Thank you for loving my children.  Thank you for your generosity, your friendship, your example.  Your love.  I am not happy to leave but my heart has never been so warmed than to remember, hear and voice my appreciation for all of the people who have become so dear to me and my family.

The plane flight was all but seamless.  We woke the kids when it was still dark and had boarded the plane before breakfast.  Grayson barely napped all day and Ava fell asleep for half an hour on the way from the airport to our new house but both were such troopers.  Thankfully my mom traveled with us so we had an extra pair of priceless hands on the flight and one less person to say goodbye to!

Our new home is more than we could have asked for.  A beautiful kitchen, plenty of space, a gorgeous back yard and large patio.  Palm trees.  Once again, God provided so bountifully for us!  A week in I still have a lot of organizing to do but we are so grateful for this beautiful home in such a great area.  We can walk to Walmart and a whole handful of other places and there is no shortage of adventure for the kids in this cactus-filled land.

Our house!

Our neighborhood.

"Welcome!"

My beautiful kitchen.  I am so thankful for it!

Our backyard view from the patio, looking 

toward the fire pit (this photo doesn't do it justice).

Ava playing under the bean tree in the backyard.

Within an hour of our arrival here there was a swarm of people knocking on our door, coming to help unpack the truck and play with our kids, bringing toilet paper and bottled water and detergent.  We felt so welcomed to this warm (hot) community of believers.  God has continued to confirm for us that he has prepared a place for us here, not only physically but emotionally and spiritually.  It was neat to introduce my mom to Christ's Church of the Valley on Sunday morning, to see it through her eyes and to be reminded of how much we already love the people there and the work that God is doing.

I love it here.  To keep it short and sweet.  Even after this short time I'm starting to fall in love with the landscape and the adventure that is present in a backyard of rocks, cactuses, new birds and lizards.  It isn't familiar here but it feels like home.  It is new but comfortable.  The constant sun keeps my spirits high even on the days where I've felt overwhelmed by tantrums and boxes.  I love the palm tree lined streets, the architecture, the mountains.  It happened so fast I barely remember how we got here but I'm grateful to be a part of this community and excited to continue this sweaty, dirty adventure with my little family.

Grayson: 7 Months

He's growing and changing!  I remember loving this age with Ava and the second time around did not disappoint.  Grayson has become, dare I say, quite the easy baby.  He is a charmer, a laid back, happy and smiley boy who loves people, activity, being startled and bouncing around wildly.

A few days ago we started him on solids and he surprisingly isn't a huge fan!  He is constantly grabbing at my food and practicing chewing and licking but hasn't enjoyed the taste or texture of rice cereal or squash.

That said, he looooves his high chair and being a part of the action.

He's nursing better these days, thankfully.  Though he is still an ultra-fast eater and I have to work to get him to finish, he will at least now let me hold him in a cradle position again and is less easily distracted.

Though he's still not sitting unattended, he is a champion spinner and scoocher!  I've witnessed him with both knees tucked under his belly and am fully imagining him crawling before he sits up on his own.

Grayson isn't the consistent sleeper that Ava was but I might prefer his method.  He is napping three times a day, usually once for almost three hours, the second for 1 1/2 - 2 hours and the third for closer to 30-45 minutes.  However, if we go out during nap time he remains pleasant and is pretty good about making up that nap with a longer one later in the day.  He is a delight and has been such a champ through all of our travels.

Still swaddled, still with the pacifier.

Wearing 9 month clothes and some 12 months, size 3 diapers.

 Before leaving for Arizona I attempted to shift his schedule so the time change wouldn't hit us (me) like a ton of bricks.  I successfully inched his morning feeding from 7am to 8:30am, but then he started sleeping through the night and thus waking at 6:30am again as his body wished.  After a week of that I decided to feed him during the night again--backwards, I know, but it allowed me more control over his schedule and wake up time during the move.  I again got him waking around 8am before we left last Friday.  Each day after our arrival he woke later than the day before and this morning both kids woke at 7:15am (10:15am east coast time)!

More to come on the details of our move but he has adjusted beautifully and is enjoying our new home.  He loves watching his sister bounce off the walls, entertains himself well and is an absolute joy.