Almost a year ago my family and I left home in Connecticut to quarantine in California.

It was a polarizing choice; one that we struggled to make. Some disagreed. Others applauded it. But ultimately it was a legal one, and we travelled in the safest way possible; for the sake of our family.

It didn’t take long before a NYT reporter, and former classmate of mine, blasted me and my choices all over her page.

It’s no secret {or surprise} that over the last six plus years my body has changed quite a bit. I was 29 when I began fertility treatments for our first baby, and it didn’t take long before the hormone injections, pills and the immense amount of stress began to make some unwanted alterations to my body.

I gained a significant amount of weight with Maddie- several pounds before she was even conceived- and it took roughly seventeen months after she was born before I felt truly comfortable in my body again.

Just in time for us to begin fertility treatments for baby number two.

Dear Lila Lee.

You, my love, turn 18 months old tomorrow. How? Since entering motherhood some five years ago I’ve become all too familiar with the fact that time is a thief. But this past year she’s been especially artful in her craft- the start of the pandemic feeling both like yesterday and a lifetime away; creating a cruel time warp that still has us reeling.

By far the most frequently asked question I get these days is, “Why the move to South Carolina?”

It’s taken me a while to sit down and put our story into words- the last several months depleting me of the energy and emotional bandwidth to put such a huge decision into a post.

But we’re unpacked. We’re settled. We have a routine and the few fears I did have are now assuaged. We feel truly at home.

And I’ve had some time to reflect on the last seven months.

So here it is:

Ah, it's the magical mystery kind

Ah, must be a lie

Bye bye to the too good to be true kind of love

Oh, I could die

Oh now I can die

We chose this as our wedding song after a fast and furious love affair. It felt fitting and I adored the beat. We didn’t realize at the time it was about tripping, but I guess the whirlwind we were in sort of felt that way, too.

The last week has been strange.

I’ve intentionally avoided writing about it- I’m not a medical professional, or an expert in public health or policy. Or, anything, really.

I’ve been confused by the incredible discrepancy between how our friends and neighbors have interpreted the best course of action: some have vowed to only leave home when absolutely necessary while others are sharing pictures on airplanes to vacations with their children.

You guys: this sweet little cherub is six months old today, and I honestly cannot believe it.

It’s such a strange dichotomy: to feel so strongly that this tiny person was always meant for us, while formerly having succumbed to the notion that she may never come. As a result, there were moments, at first, where I couldn’t believe she was here. That she was ours. That after everything, after she decided to grow in my belly; that she came so effortlessly.

I’ve spent most of my life trying to be a smaller size. Thankfully, it never really got out of hand- aside from a few absurd crash diets in my high school and college years. But shrinking was always on my mind. I didn’t run to release endorphins. I didn’t spin to gain muscle. I didn’t eat greens or fruits or vegetables for nutrients. Being skinnier was always the goal.

Lila Lee turned five months old yesterday, and I can honestly say that I think we’ve officially found our stride as a family of four.

It was no easy feat; much more difficult than I had imagined. Maybe because there are four-plus years between our girls; maybe because I had resigned myself to the idea that we would have only one; maybe because she was a very, very welcome surprise.

I think one of the questions I’m most commonly asked is what advice I would give to those facing infertility.

I discuss my own journey with infertility, as well as my advice, and what NOT to say here; but this only gives one side of the story- my perspective, as a woman trying to conceive.

Happy first Monday of 2020! The holidays are officially over, and we’re easing back into the swing of things over here. This sweet babe turned four months old today, and I can’t believe how quickly time seems to have flown by. While the first few months were filled with that newborn fog, we are now in that sweet phase where life begins to settle; where sleep isn’t so scarce, and our new normal is beginning to feel, well, a little more normal.

Last week, on Christmas night, I laid in bed- with a belly full of wine and food; a house overcome by ripped-open boxes and toys and clutter; and two happy, sleeping babies in the rooms next to me. And instead of staying up late to clean and organize and tidy, I instead cozied up with Netflix and a peppermint cookie, and scrolled through Instagram.

Casually popped a bottle of bubbly, in this super low-key look, on the coldest day of the year to celebrate the beginning of a brand new decade. Luckily it only took about five minutes because Julia and I were freezing our booties off. Especially when my hands were covered in all the champs. Boy, the things we do for the blogs.

2019- what a year you have been. I would have to say, of all my years you’ve been the most unexpected yet.

I started it off coming to terms with the idea that our little family was complete- that Maddie was enough, and that after all the trying and ups and downs, we were whole. And then, after cleaning out baby closets and feeling content, we found out we would be welcoming another beautiful being into the fold- our Lila Lee.

Today marks three whole months with this sweet little cherub, and I can’t believe there was ever a time without her here.

It feels like only yesterday I took a pregnancy test on what felt like a hunch, only to read that miraculous “+.”

Tomorrow morning I’ll be 3-5.

In terms of birthdays, it’s not a particularly monumental one. It’s not a new decade for me; I don’t get any new privileges or accolades. But it’s a birthday I feel super comfortable with; and am happy to welcome.

I’m now officially in my mid-30’s; which in many ways has been my favorite chapter yet.