Tag: Parenthood

2021 Wins and 2022 Plans

- Alexis 3 Comments
Photo of the author standing on a sidewalk, smiling
Photo by Jessica Scheuer

New Year’s Eve has always been one of my favorite holidays. The changing of the calendar year is a perfect time to reflect on what has been and set my sights on what could be.

I don’t know about you, but 2021 was a tough year for me. It feels like a blur, or a continuation of the weird time-warp that began in March 2020. I spent much of this year just doing my best to make it through one day at a time. But looking back at the year in the aggregate, here are some of the things I accomplished in 2021:

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What Do I Need to Know Right Now? What Else is Possible?

- Alexis Leave a comment
Photo of a young child seated and looking at a book, photographed from behind through the bars of a baby gate.

As I write this, my household is once again in quarantine because my son was exposed to COVID at daycare. When I got the news on Friday, a sense of dread came over me as I anticipated what the coming week would look like, working from home with a one year old and a three year old.

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Mother’s Day Reflections

- Alexis 4 Comments

As I write this on the evening of Mother’s Day 2021, I sit perched on a barstool overlooking my messy kitchen and cluttered family room. I am tired but mostly content. I was determined to spend the day enjoying time with my family rather than tidying up and doing laundry or yardwork or the other chores that tend to fill my weekends. I slept in this morning, which was lovely, although it would probably take a solid year of late mornings to put a dent in the sleep deficit I’ve accumulated over the past few years.

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Preparing for Life as a Working Mother of Two

- Alexis Leave a comment
My son modeling his new spaceship backpack

This is my last week of maternity leave. I don’t plan on having any more kids, so heading back to work on Monday marks the end of the newborn season of my life. I had anticipated having children for a long time, and after I had my son, I’d looked forward to experiencing a second pregnancy and birth, and to welcoming a daughter. I have my ideal family now, but it’s a little bittersweet to think that I won’t be doing it all again.

As hard as it will be to leave my baby on Monday, I’m eager for something of a return to normalcy. I’m not sure what normalcy even means in 2020, but maternity leave can feel like a pause in life, and I think I’m ready to hit play again.

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