To say that motherhood hit me like a ton of bricks is an understatement. As all of you experienced mamas out there already know, life changes pretty much overnight when you have your first child. From the big things like keeping a tiny human alive (NBD) and functioning without sleep – to the little things like TV habits, never drinking your coffee while it’s still hot, and the sock pile (those baby socks!). Everything changes. As a new mom to a curious, wide-eyed 5-month old boy who came into the world on Christmas Eve and has hardly slept since, I’m learning as I go and trying to figure out my new normal.
Though I grew up in Connecticut (Hartford County), I lived and worked in New York City for most of my adult life before moving back to Connecticut three and a half years ago when my husband changed jobs. We chose Norwalk as home base as it’s a convenient midpoint for our daily commutes in opposite directions, and – best of all – it’s on the shore. My happy place. After over a decade of city living, being able to go for a walk or run on the beach after work and spending summer weekends with our toes in the sand has been life altering and I wish we’d made the move sooner.
This summer is going to look a little different, though. Instead of relaxing in the sand reading magazines on my iPad, I’ll be trying to keep my son from eating sand, slathering his skin with baby-safe sunblock, and attempting to fence him in under a shaded canopy. As a family, we’ll be exploring many of the kid-friendly activities that Fairfield County has to offer. I’ll also be back at work after my maternity leave, balancing a demanding career in international education and a lengthy commute to/from the city with the most important job of them all – motherhood. Everything’s changed and I’m looking forward to sharing the exciting firsts and challenges ahead with FCMB readers!
