Thanksgiving weekend: London turned 8 months old, we celebrated Thanksgiving with my family (all of us together!), did late night Black Friday shopping, cut down a tree, and decorated the house for Christmas. In other words, packing everything possible into the fewest hours possible, in true Buck & Sarah fashion.

London update:

• She is soooo on the verge of walking. She’s taken single steps here and there, regularly walks along the edges of furniture, and has started pushing walker toys. She’s always on the move, and has this adorable, janky little crawl that always makes me laugh.
• She love singing, music, dancing, twirling, and being upside down. Crazy little one.
• Still teething hard. It’s so hard to see her in pain, and I’m praying those little buggers pop through SOON!!
• She’s started talking, sort of! “HI” was her first word (because we say that to her ALL. THE. TIME.) She also says Mama, Dada, “Ga” (and I think that means Gus!), and “nanananananana” for no (usually when she’s in her carseat and wants to get out).
• She knows the FaceTime ringtone, and LOVES to chat with my parents (Grandy & Pops) and Aunt Amie.
• She’s still a solid napper— and usually gives us 12-13 hours at night. Blesssssssss.

Do you see that side eye?!?!??? She cracks me up!!

Motherhood updated:

November was one of the hardest months of my life. I had more meltdowns, more “what the heck am I doing” moments, and more fuzzy-brained disconnectedness than I ever remember, ever. I’m fairly certain that 65% of that is end-of-wedding-season intensity, another 20% is end-of-nursing-hormones-gone-wild intensity, and the other 15% was harsh, unwelcome reality. I currently have far more work than I have hours in which to do it, far more questions than I have answers, and far more goals than I know what to do with… and the ever-present question, should these goals exist, or should I set them aside?

Remember when I said I have no answers? Yeah.

We’re headed into more husband-on-travel days before Christmas break comes, and I’m bound and determined to find ways to celebrate every day this month, with or without Buck, in spite of my work load. I want to look back at this first Christmas season of motherhood with fondness, not regret. Any suggestions on how to make that happen? I’m all ears!

Oh, and Buck and I quit sugar the day after Thanksgiving… indefinitely (and most certainly through the holidays!), so a holiday treat isn’t a way I can celebrate!

Buck and I are doing a night away once he’s back in the country (can. not. wait.), then we’re cramming all of our favorite Christmas traditions into a flurry of a few days before we leave to spend Christmas and New Years in South Carolina with family & friends— family for Christmas, friends for New Years. We’re planning to leave London with the grandparents for a day while we’re away and work on 2017 planning. (If ever there was a way to my heart, just invite me to sit at a coffee shop and write plans and create spreadsheets for an afternoon. It’s the fastest way for me to fall in love. True story.) All in all, it will be such sweet, sweet, precious time away, and I’m already excited to come home refreshed and ready to work on my own 2017 plans for business.

See more of London’s updates here!