And just like that, we’re nearly done with 2024 and we’re coming up on one year of having a baby! It’s wild to see how much life has changed in meaningful ways (where we live, how we spend our time), while also staying the same in important ways too (my work, hobbies, and friends). You can check out my other life recaps here.
In baby world, there have been such big developments! He’s walking, he’s feeding himself, he’s babbling away. It’s amazing to watch and brings joy to our family. We celebrated Independence Day, have gone to many playgrounds, and we even did a mother/son date at the Met. He started school four days a week and that transition has been mostly smooth, though the last month our house has been plagued by sickness. Everyone says he’s building up his immune system, so I’m holding on to that hope!
I’ve been able to spend time with friends, though I still feel like I’m trying to find a good rhythm with seeing them as much as I would like to. Chrystalla had her baby shower, Christina came out for a day in the suburbs, and Casey did a day in the office with me. There have been other visits, like seeing Sheetal in the city and Ally coming for a sleepover, but I’ve been remembering less and less to take out my camera!
In work world, I’ve been in the city a ton which makes me happy and fulfilled. There has been a lot of activity and some days feel like I’m moving at a manic speed. Despite this, I’m in the best mental shape around work than I’ve ever been in. I’m managing pressure and worry in a way that’s surprising myself and I attribute it to a few months of mental coaching that I went through, as well as a meditation and productivity practice that I’ve been implementing…and the fact that I have less time to mull things over because there’s always something to do to take care of the baby and our home. More to come on this in a future post.
If you’ve been around since my college days, you may know that I believe personal branding and getting press for your work is a key way to stand out and find new opportunities. I had a goal of being on the home page of my college, TCNJ, and accomplished that in my senior year (you can see the screenshot in my 2016 recap). This quarter I was featured in the TCNJ magazine, in print and online! I was so excited to share more about the work I do, and have a photo shoot (by Peter Murphy) in the city 🙂 You can read the article here.
I mentioned in my last life recap that I’ve taken up tennis again, and I’m still going strong. Joe has been taking lessons too, and it’s great to see the progress we’re both making. I’ve also continued to read during any free moment I have, so you can expect another quarterly reading update soon.
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