New Chapter

So wow, I've underestimated how stressful this past week was going to be. It felt like the craziness and stress just went on...and on...and on and that we were on survival mode. Going all day with everything else and trying to entertain Ethan. Then wanting to crash at night, only to be up on a rotating shift with Gavin. On top of that, I had a horrible cold and completely lost my voice. It was awful! Never mind having time for the two of us to connect. I was at my breaking point and just lost it. I think we were just ready to get out of there.

Anyway, the flights went extremely well. Both of the boys did great: Ethan was entertained by his Wipe Clean Letters book that Brian's aunt got for him (Thanks Diane!) and Gavin slept through everything. And my Moby Wrap baby carrier was an absolute life saver. Don't know how we would have gotten through the airports & planes without it. Nevertheless, I still couldn't help but feel anxious because you just never how it's going to go, especially knowing Ethan was going to miss his nap. But thankfully the excitement kept him going at least until we got in the car and then he completely zonked out.

We arrived at the house soon after my parents did and Kaika was SOOO happy to see us. Unfortunately, we walked in only to find the entire place absolutely filthy. Not exactly what I was expecting after a long trip. So much for relaxing. The four of us ended up spending the next day deep cleaning and only getting the kitchen done because that's how gross it was. As it turned out the previous renters had hired cleaners that never showed up and never cleaned. So our landlord sent over a carpet cleaner and maids to finish cleaning the rest of it. We had a really short window to get everything done before the moving truck comes. But you know what, God knew the timing of it all because He worked it out down to the details.

Well now that our stuff are here and we're mostly unpacked, it's starting to feel more like home. My parents have been amazing at helping us with whatever we need. I don't think this move would have been as possible without them. As for Fairfax itself, Brian and I absolutely loved it!!! We have the best of both world, urban living with a woodsy feel (with all the trees). It's such a diverse place and there are all kind of restaurants. You name it, we have it! I must say, the most surprising thing is how friendly everyone is. I was expecting to encounter a lot of rude, city folks but so far the people we met have been great. Even the DMV people, which says a lot! I'm also surprised at how many free parkings there are around here which is really nice. Yesterday, we took a trip to the DC National Mall to see the Cherry Blossoms.  It took about 45 minutes to get down there: 15 mins. drive, then 30 mins. on the train, which wasn't too bad at all. It was both of the boys first time on the train and Ethan had a blast. I'm super excited of all the options and things to do!

Emotionally, I'm feeling a lot more stable. Sleep and health wise I'm starting to come out of the "fog." My parents will be leaving on Saturday and Brian starts work on Monday and I'm hoping to get the rest of us on some sort of routine and normality. Well that's all the update for now.