Changes...

"Babies change everything."
"Life is going to be different after baby."
"Enjoy it now, it won't be the same after she arrives."

Yes, I heard those sayings (and many other versions) a million times when we first found out we were pregnant with sweet Nora. There are LOTS of things that have changed: we are a family of 3 now...we have another human and all her tiny human daily things to throw into the mix. There are definitely things that I miss about life before her - I don't deny that - but there are some amazing things I've gained in my life as well. I wanted to take a few minutes to actually record the things I miss (and new things to love) in this moment...for I'm sure in a few years, I will forget I even missed those things. And the list of things I love will only continue to grow as Nora becomes more mobile and active in our lives.

I miss...
Sleeping in. No matter what day of the week.
Sleeping through the night.
Intramural sports.
Sitting at a coffee shop for hours working on my blog or just reading.
Running into the gas station "real quick".
Doing ANYTHING "real quick".
Carrying a tiny clutch purse.
Making dinner plans with friends after 7pm.
Eating all of my meals at the temperature they were supposed to be eaten.
Having a regular workout routine.
Escalators.
Adult conversations that aren't about baby's schedule/poop/sleeping/toys/etc.
Running errands at any time of the day, not working around nap time.
Running more than 2 errands in one day.
Date night all the time.

New things to love...
Having a "Mary Poppins" mom bag that is capable of carrying EVERYTHING.
Early morning smiles and and snuggles.
Never doing my errands alone.
Always having a walking/running buddy.
People letting you cut them in line because you have a stroller.
People offering to hold the door for you.
Watching cartoons and kid movies.
Smiles from strangers.
Mommy groups with "mom" talk with others that can relate to the craziness of babies.
Tiny clothes making laundry easier.
Tiny everything.
An excuse to go to Target AT LEAST once a week!
Taking a selfie isn't as creepy.
Talking with Chaz about family trips for the future.
An excuse to wear workout clothes every day.

Life (so far) As A Balto Girl...

I've blinked and 7 weeks have passed since moving to Baltimore. What's happened in the last 7 weeks? Instead of typing out all the stories, I'll just bullet point the major happenings:

• UNPACKED!
• Unpacking only took a few days, it took weeks to get things on the wall
• Broke down a MILLION boxes for recycling
• Sold our kitchen table because it was too big for our place
• Almost got scammed by a loser on Craigslist
• Reported said loser to Pay Pal
• FINALLY ordered a new table - wont arrive until August 9th...so we eat in the living room in our arm chairs every meal.
• Got super creative with closets and storage spaces - thanks Pinterest.
• Still trying to figure out what to do with our patio furniture...it's too big for our patio! :(
• Got organized
• Changed address with every major credit card, bank, insurance, etc.
• Transferred/set up all utilities
• Attempted to file a report about my horrible movers with the BBB
• If you haven't read the story of my horrible moving experience, head over to my Facebook page and read the craziness. I was never reimbursed for ANY damages.
• STILL dealing with Comcast being a crazy, stupid company and attempting to bill us $400+ for our first month
• Wedding, graduation, baby presents for friends in all stages of life
• Joined Crossfit Harbor East
• First week at CFHE, I was running to the gym, tripped on the horrible sidewalks of Baltimore and fell - still have a scar.
• Matched my pre-baby power clean PR - 165#
• First workout with deadlifts since hurting my back right before we moved
• Did Eva for the first time ever
• 5# away from pre-baby body weight! :) Almost ALL of my clothes fit!
• New Friends!
• Mom and Jeff came to visit
• Went to Fort McHenry for a very touristy tour
• Explored Fells Point
• Took a ride on the water taxi
• Walked WAY too much
• Celebrated Father's Day with blue crabs
• Celebrated Chaz's FIRST Father's Day!! 
• Drank Resurrection at Annabell Lee
• Learned where the Greyhound station is...and got lost.
• Kelsey came to visit
• Ate at Holy Crepe!! :)
• Ate at Mama's
• Worked out at Crossfit Harbor East (twice!)
• Went to the Fell's Farmers Market
• Had quality best friend chats on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
• Celebrated July 4th
• Holiday WOD at Crossfit Harbor East
• Took my first and ONLY nap since moving here
• Nora's first experience of a pool!
• First fireworks in Baltimore
• Went to Florida to visit my brother, sister-in-law and niece
• Nora played in the sand for the first time ever
• First trip to the beach where I didn't get burned
• 4 plane rides later, I'll never have a layover with a baby again! 
• Walked multiple miles in the train area of ATL airport to keep Nora sleeping
• Missed Baltimore and realized it was starting to feel like "home"
• Got home and realized I needed a vacation from my vacation
• Joined a Facebook group for 2014 Baltimore new mom's
• Walks by the water
• Play dates in the park
• Lunches to explore new restaurants
• Nora's first Mother Goose story time
• New Friends!
• Enjoyed being a Stay at Home Mom:
• Watched Nora roll over for the first time
• Nora outgrew her swaddle sack and is a tummy sleeper
• She LOVES to go on walks
• She now HATES to ride in the car
• She's knows the ring of a FaceTime call with Grammy daily
• Morning smiles and snuggles are the BEST
• Bath time is her favorite part of the day
• What's a sleep routine?!?!
• And the random things...
• Explored lots of new restaurants
• Walked LOTS of miles
• Gotten 2 parking tickets - you have to move your car atleast once a week...street cleaning
• Ran with the BOB for the first time
• Been through a LOT of sunscreen
• My first attempt at Paleo Crab Cakes - definitely needs work to be Baltimore worthy
• Cooked at home atleast 3x a week!
• Read a book: The 4:8 Principle
• Pop into random Open House's in the area just to be nosey
• Play with our cousins - Mikey, AvaMae and Scarlett.
• Hang with Tillman/Jozefiaks - enjoying having aunts/uncles close!
• Watched North Point Online weekly
• Watched 4 seasons of Sister Wives and 2 seasons of Sherlock Holmes
• Weekly phone dates with friends to catch up on life
• Spent quality time with my husband and best friend!! :)
• Learned to LOVE our new city!