Moving on . . . and how to deal with it

On Wednesday, July 14, we left Memphis, Tennessee.

The car was packed, Toy Story was in the DVD player, Ruthie was already drowsy from the Dramamine, and Clint and I were trying to stay focused on the drive ahead . . . and not what we were leaving behind.

And that is what we've been trying to do since that day. Stay focused on what is ahead. But I have to be honest -- it has been difficult. This opportunity to move to Chicago came up only a few weeks ago, and I took about 3 seconds to consider not jumping on it. Clint voiced a few concerns, and I hushed him. I knew making a transition this major wouldn't be easy, but it would all work itself out. The pros would outweigh the cons.

But I have to be honest with myself and take off the rose-colored glasses for just a second. This. Is. Hard. Most of our friends and family are within a few hours of Memphis. I had a great job. Mimi was happy in preschool. I am very pregnant. We had a great house that was convenient to everything (and didn't require unpacking). We know Memphis like the back of our hands. I need to take a minute to acknowledge these things.

It would have been easy -- way too easy -- to stay in Memphis. But we would have been restless and wondering "what if?" forever. I don't regret the move, and I don't think Clint does either. We've just been so busy getting settled that I haven't taken the time to deal with all this change and accept that I'm scared . . . because I am. But I need to understand that it's okay to be nervous and scared with all this change. Who wouldn't be? I need to dive in head-first, make some mistakes, and learn as I go. So as all this changing and learning and growing is going on, I plan to try my best to keep track of what I've learned.

Lesson #1: Do not try to get everything accomplished in one day. We have signed a 2-year lease, which means I have, well, 2 years to get things accomplished.

Lesson #2: Wear comfortable shoes and watch out for bumps in the sidewalk. I have serious bruises on a couple of toes on my right foot. It's too painful to even recount what happened.

Lesson #3: Put Ruthie on a serious leash/collar so she doesn't get loose at a very busy intersection, snap at in innocent bystander, run in and out of traffic, and take what seems like hours to catch while said bystander is cussing me. All while this very pregnant girl is running around crying and using sailor-language herself. Not very pretty.

Lesson #4: Ask for help. Let people open the door for me. Let someone else pick up heavy boxes. In other words, don't forget I am 35 weeks pregnant.

Lesson #5: Take advantage of advice from other local moms. I have been trying to pick up suggestions from other moms at the playground and have learned about an indoor playground, music classes, libraries, and the really cheap toddler classes offered at the park across the street. This week I plan to do some research and figure out what Mimi and I can get involved in. I HAVE to get involved soon. I've also gotten a couple of numbers of good sitters. Score.

Lesson #6: "If you are the mother of young children and have a spotless house, then you are not a very good mother." Thank you, Ann.

So enough of the seriousness and time for some photos. First of all, when we arrived to our new home it was completely empty. Of course Mimi thought it was so cool to be able to run around and scream. By the way, when we left Memphis we took her by the house one last time to let her say goodbye. I thought this might be sad for her, but she was so excited by all the open space that she just ran in circles and yelled to hear her echo. Finally she did stop by where the TV once stood and asked, "Where Yo Gabba Gabba?" I explained it was on the moving truck and that was all she needed. Anyway, here she is with my dad waiting on the moving truck to arrive.

And lets talk about the moving truck for a minute. It was manned by the two best movers ever -- Theodus and Jarrell. They did an awesome job of getting everything loaded in Memphis but really won my respect with all the challenges they faced in Chicago. They had to "create" a parking spot on a very busy street, carry all of our things down a narrow, gravel alley, and then lug it all up 3 flights of stairs. And Jarrell did a great job of bringing me a stool every now and then and telling me to sit down. God bless them.

Unpacking was quite an ordeal since I guess everyone was relying on me to know where things should go. Of course, I wanted them to get my blessing before putting anything anywhere, and we all know how awful I am at making decisions. But most items have a home now, and I have only five boxes left to unpack (and they are probably full of things that can go in the dumpster). And the unpacking process isn't easy when I can't pick up heavy items and have this big belly in the way.

Mom and Dad left that weekend, and Clint began work in his new office on Monday. His commute was a little longer than normal, but I think he enjoys being in the middle of downtown and being able to meet clients for lunch rather than just talking with them over the phone. And I also began my first day at my new job -- Stay at Home Mom. I set my expectations for myself way too high on this one for my first week on the job. I truly thought I was going to be able to get soooo much accomplished -- unpack all the boxes, clean the entire house, get all the laundry finished, sew some things for Mack, research the area, AND teach Mimi to be the smartest toddler in the world. Let's say I failed miserably at most of these things. Of course, Mimi is the smartest toddler in the world, which is why I couldn't get any of these other items checked off the list -- she requires way too much attention. So here she is eating her breakfast on our first day at home together. At least I remembered to feed her. Two points for me. Mimi is in love with the new place. Most of all, she is obsessed with the stairs. She has never lived in a home with stairs (neither have I, for that matter), and she is fascinated by how she can sit at the top and look down to see the rest of the downstairs. I complain about all the stairs, but she L-O-V-E-S them. Guess I need to learn to have her attitude.And here she is with her new blanket that we have named "Big Baby." Mimi has two small "lovies" she calls "Babies," and I found this large one at a local children's store that I just had to have for Mack. As soon as Mimi saw it, she shrieked with delight and has been dragging it around with her and sleeping with it. We also call it "Mack's baby," but I'm not sure he'll ever lay a hand on it.At night we say our prayers with Mimi, and we rattle off everything we are thankful for: Poppaw, Bebe, Top, Shug, Yo Gabba Gabba, the park, blocks. Whatever, I just roll with it. A couple of nights ago I let her know we also need to pray for baby Mack as he's growing in Mommy's tummy. At the end of me saying the prayer, Mimi then adds to the list in case there is anything I've forgotten, and that night she said "Thank God Mack and T Bone." What? "and Cleo and Clippard." Oh my. Mimi watches Clifford the Big Red Dog, and there is a dog named Mack. She totally thinks her new little brother is the gray dog from Clifford. Oh well.

So maybe the stairs is Mimi's new favorite place, but here is mine:It is so exciting to be able to stand in the kitchen and see the TV and the beautiful view out the windows. Although I loved the house in Memphis, I was always wanting to knock the walls out of the kitchen. And, yes, I did make the breakfast on that plate on a weekday morning. Hooray for me!

So maybe Clint's new favorite place may be looking out his office window at this view. I think it's pretty cool . . . and so does Mimi.Actually, she thought the entire building was pretty cool. We went on a Sunday when no one was around so she could run wild, which is what she does best.Here's another favorite place: Felger Park. It is absolutely fantastic for toddlers, and I have tried to take Mimi every day since we've lived here. Thank goodness it's only a block away. Mimi and I are trying to be adventurous and explore the neighborhood a little each day. Every store and restaurant is uber-kid-friendly, so I have no problem going in places with her by myself. We stopped at a deli for dessert one afternoon, and she spent about 45 minutes playing with a wooden dollhouse that was in the middle of restaurant.

I am excited about this week and am going to force myself to take it slower. Oh, and I am calling a sitter from the list a mom at the park gave me. Clint and I need a lunch date soon.