Life Lately: September 2021
Our family at The Knob in Falmouth, early summer 2021.
The past few months have been an absolute whirlwind. Between moving from an apartment into a new house, navigating the third trimester of pregnancy, having a busy (and for quite a while, sick) toddler, and working full-time: it has been a lot to navigate and (attempt to!) balance.
Yet, here we are in mid-September, and I’m finally finding a moment to sit down and reflect. This is partially because I am on bed-rest, so the “sitting down” part isn’t so much a choice. More so, there is something about the change in seasons - both on the calendar and in life - that always feels like an important moment to both reflect and look forward.
At the beginning of the year, I loved spending time each month to do a round-up of Seven “Random” Things. The process forced me to think about what was on my mind, where I had been, and where I wanted to go next. Then in May/June, I went through a really fun process of creating my 101 in 1001 list - mapping out the 101 things I most want to accomplish in the next ~2.75 years. Now here I am, thinking broadly about my “Life Lately” and am eager to use the writing process to step into the reflection moment.
Moving: In late June, we packed up our two-bedroom apartment and moved into a house. As expected, buying in this market was intense. While I’m so grateful to have found our home, it was a fast, competitive, and very different process than when we first moved from NYC to CT a few years ago. I don’t feel completely settled yet, but we are certainly getting there and I’m giving myself permission to take things slow as I create the home of my dreams. I am also thinking a lot about community - while we are so much closer to our family, I am eager to meet local friends and feel like we belong. With time and intention, I know this will happen.
Third Trimester: This has been a very different pregnancy from my first. While that one was not easy by any stretch, this one is significantly more challenging. I am so grateful for the gift of bringing this little boy into the world, but whew - I’m ready to get to the “end”. Being forced to rest has been a lesson in listening to my body (and my doctor!), letting lots of things go, and leaning into simply being. I find myself defaulting to “wishing away” the time, but I then remind myself that these difficult moments are still special, so I’m trying to hold on and make the most of every moment.
101 in 1001: One of the guiding forces of the past few months has been my 101 list. I find a list of “goals” to be very grounding for me, and allow me to focus on what is most important to me. So far, I have accomplished five!
While not complete by any stretch, I have so far read 11 books (my goal is 101). I have really leaned into light summer reading recently, and it’s been helpful for my mental health and spirit. Highlights so far were Golden Girl, Beach Read, and most recently, The Four Winds.
✔ Hosting 4th of July in our backyard: We have been exceptionally isolated during the pandemic, and continue to be. We were gifted with a beautiful day that allowed us to be outside by the pool with a few of our relatives, and it was so lovely. I truly miss hosting, and can’t wait to have many parties in the future when it’s safe to do so. Until then, I’ll hold on to the memory of this day and anticipate what is to come in the future.
✔ Move into our new home: See above! This was a big one.
✔ Re-paint the kitchen cabinets: I love our new house, but I did not love the dark kitchen. We had to really prioritize which projects we could take on this year to stay within our budget, and I’m so glad we did this one. Having a bright kitchen has brought me a lot of joy, and I can’t wait to fully get back to cooking in the coming months!
✔ Re-design katehayes.co: If you haven’t been here in a while, you might notice that the website looks different - and I’m loving it! It was time for a refresh, and while I’d love to hire someone to make it really beautiful, I’m proud of where it is right now.
✔ Send “we’ve moved cards”: I love receiving “snail mail”, and always look for any excuse to send letters out, hoping others feel the same. I prioritized sending out little notes to our nearest and dearest, and it felt lovely to connect in that way this summer.
Looking Ahead: As I reflect on what’s next, I know there are big changes coming. In less than two weeks, we’ll have a little boy joining us to complete our family. Like this pregnancy, I know that the fourth trimester will feel so very different this time: we are in a new state, we have a toddler, and given the ongoing pandemic, we will continue to be isolated and without many of the support systems we had the first time. But, as I remind myself on a daily basis - different does not need to mean worse. Instead of dreading the next few months, I’m trying to lean into the little things - that added up, are exactly what create a life well lived. I hope to lean more into my writing and find new ways to meaningfully gather other moms online (and ultimately in-person). I will make more progress on my 101 list, and treasure the sweet moments as a family of four. And most importantly, I will give myself grace, space, and time to just be. I hope you’ll do the same for yourself, wherever you are in life right now.
Until next time, take great care.
