I can hardly believe how long I’ve been absent from here, and how much has happened in my time away.

Our trip to Italy was incredible, so much so that, even after three weeks, we still wished we’d had more time (details to come).  On the day that we left for our trip, we walked a few blocks down the street and signed a lease on a new apartment in a new building in our neighborhood—a decision that we had only begun seriously investigating with the arrival of our lease renewal a few days earlier.  We moved about a month after we returned home.  A week after the move, Chris’ grandmother—the most selfless, kind-hearted person I’ve ever known—passed away.

It’s been a lot.

But one of the very biggest happenings has been less obvious.  It’s still not something that many people know or that anyone at this point would readily guess.

Sometime in early February or so, Chris and I will be adding a furless baby to our family.

We’re very excited.  The timing feels perfect and, though you can never totally prepare for this sort of life change, we couldn’t be more ready. 

So far being pregnant has been wonderfully weird, especially during these early months where any signs of pregnancy are limited to how you feel and only a handful of people know.  Even now, almost a week into my second trimester, I feel like I’m in a sort of limbo.  I’ve gotten past that awful feeling of being so nauseated that I want to crawl out of my skin and constantly feeling so tired I can hardly move; I’ve since graduated to frequently feeling so tired I can hardly move.  Aside from that, however, not much is happening.  I have yet to gain a pound and I still don’t have even the beginnings of a bump.  My body is doing this incredible thing—growing a human being!—that I have absolutely no control over, that I can’t yet see or feel, but that I’m aware of every second of every day.  Like I said, wonderfully weird.

I am so looking forward to everything yet to come: the belly, the movement, and being able to share those more tangible things with Chris.  I cannot wait to experience labor and birth—the very things that my female body was designed for—and to meet our little guy or gal.

We’re currently finishing our unpacking and I’m still battling fatique, but I’ll try to be back sooner rather than later with some tidbits from Italy.  Forewarning: there will be lots and lots of fabulous gluten-free pizza.  Also, our new kitchen has only just reached workable status, so hopefully I’ll have some new recipes for you after I get back into the groove turning out a few basics.

And, of course, you can now expect the occasional baby update as well.