Today we are celebrating a milestone for our family – this is the 1st anniversary of leaving my full-time job to become a Stay-At-Home-Mom. What a year it has been!

First, I’d like to share a photo from the first official day at home with Charlie.

We started the day with a trip to Wal-mart, and Charlie was stung in the lip by a hornet while I was loading bags into the car. AUGH!

Thankfully it was not foreshadowing. Because I’ve kept a detailed calendar, I’ve been able to go back to remember some of the highlights since last October.

- John started a new job that afforded us the opportunity for me to stay at home with Charlie.
- Charlie and I spent the first couple of months at home figuring our new life out. We didn’t do much more than play, run errands and make trips to LaGrange. I began to really delve into the world of Positive Discipline which I still use every day. Although John didn’t have the experience that I did with children before Charlie, he has learned all that I know in a short span of time (is that a surprise???).
- We did the holiday thing, during which Charlie spent several days with John’s parents while I took my parents along to one of my BFF’s weddings. It was the longest John and I have been away from him to this day.
- John started our family blog!
- I murdered my knee and ankle right before my 30th birthday during Toddler Gymnastics, and Charlie broke his foot on the playground right before his 2nd birthday. (So far so good with John – his birthday is next Tuesday! ***KNOCK ON WOOD***)
- We met some Objectivist friends that we have been following for a long time, (Hi, Jenn and Kelly and families!). John introduced me to Jenn’s blog years ago, where I first learned of Positive Discipline and more about Objectivism.
- I joined the MOMS Club! Our world has opened exponentially thanks to this wonderful group. We’ve made friends that live within a couple of miles from our house (a first since we’ve been out of LaGrange) and have had tons of experiences that we wouldn’t have ever had without it.
- Charlie just started a 2 half-day preschool program while I work (very) part-time. He is really enjoying it, and I’m enjoying having a block of time to actually get some stuff done!
- I am a stronger person than I was a year ago. I’ve dealt with the most difficult mental health problems of my life, but have grown and become better because of it.
- John is the BEST father ever! (I’ve been dying to say that in a post, and he always makes me delete it.)

Charlie amazes and inspires us every day. It is difficult to put to words how much it means to be able to be at home with him and do what I’ve always dreamed of. I knew my whole life that I wanted to be a Mom and stay home with my kids, but I never knew just how great it would be. Even the most difficult and challenging days are better than the best days doing anything else. This is probably the 30th time I’ve said that in a post, but it is SO TRUE!!! I could go through all the clichés of parenthood and I agree with every single one. (You’ve never loved anyone like you love your kids; Time flies; They grow up so fast; This is only a stage; My children make me want to be a better person; etc.)

I look forward to another awesome year.

Filed under: Family