Welcome to Charm City

When I first announced that Jon and I would be picking up our family and moving to Baltimore, Maryland I made a promise to my friends and family. I promised I would update my blog regularly so they could still feel like a part of our everyday lives, and mostly, so they wouldn't feel as though they missed out on watching Owen grow up. Alas, we have been in Baltimore for exactly one month already and I have failed miserably at updating this poor, forgotten blog, so please bare with me as I collect my barrings and remember how to write.

Getting out here was no easy task. Owen and I lived without Jon for 3 months -- and let me tell you -- it was 3 of the worst months of my life. Kudos to all the single and military moms out there who manage to hold a full time job, keep a clean house, and raise a well-balanced child. I don't know how you do it as I was ready to throw in the towel after 2 weeks. It has never been more apparent that Owen is a Daddy's Boy. I could not keep him happy. He and I spent most evenings crying together at the dinner table. He cried because he missed his father. I cried because I missed my best friend and was forced to live with an unhappy 1 year old who didn't know how to do anything but cry. Just saying this probably makes me a crummy mother, but Owen and I, we spent so much time together in those 3 months in which we wanted to be with someone else that I think we STILL need some time apart. We love each other very much, we both just needed more Jon in our lives and less Owen or Mama.

But, it is over. We are here. We have been here since July 1st. Owen has been reunited with his daddy and I have been reunited with my husband and best friend. I think we could live in a tiny, run down shack with a leaky roof and only stale bread to eat and life would be better than ever just because we're all together again. As it is though, we live in a really awesome apartment with a wonderful yard to go cruising in the Cozy Coup, a pool, a playground, and a cool home office where I get to work in my pajamas every day. We're within walking distance to everything we need (in fact I still have Ohio gas in my car) and...wait for it...10 minutes from IKEA! That alone, my friends, should be illegal. All material things aside though, we are so truly happy. We are more of a family unit than we have been since the day Owen was born. Life seems to have slowed down enough for us to actually enjoy it. I don't feel like we're scrambling to do a million things at once anymore. I finally feel as though we're free to take a lazy Saturday and spend the day watching episodes of The Wire if we so choose, because by golly, whatever needs done can wait until tomorrow. I had very little doubt of that from the time Jon was offered the promotion, and even if there were a lot of doubt most of it would have disappeared with the freakish way things kept falling into place and making a 350 mile move so easy. But now -- now that we've been here -- I can say with absolutely no doubt whatsoever -- this is where we are supposed to be. I miss my family. I miss my friends. I miss little bits and pieces of Ohio, but this is where we belong. I -- the worry wort, queen of the grass is always greener, and pessimistic perfectionist -- am at peace.

Lots of wonderful things have happened in the last month and I hope to be able to fill you in on all of it as well as keep you updated on everything else as it happens, but for now, let me leave you with a few photos of my growing boy. He and I may be at odds occasionally, but he still melts my heart: