>>>written on thanksgiving 2016.
this morning, at each of my morning wake up calls 1am, 4am and 7am, i woke up extra grateful.
as 2016 nears its close and so many of the unknowns have come to positive fruition, my heart is full.
oh, what a year. a timeline recap of the highlights.
we started 2016 backpacking in costa rica for two months (december & january). early in our trip we stumbled upon a beach town and community that welcomed us with open arms and stayed put. we made friends (dan & laura) that turned into our costa rican roommates. we practiced yoga every single day. we surfed. we never missed a sunset. we sang along to live music sung by new friends every single night. we soaked up the sun, the dust and laid in the sand. we were truly the very best versions of ourselves.
on february 1, we returned to the states and i dove head first into my new role as owner/partner of Blind Society. it was a constant emotional swing between feeling like i was “faking it ’till i make it” and “i’ve totally got this.” being a business owner is no joke, but it’s been one of the best opportunities and rewarding decisions i’ve ever made. there’s immense pressure and responsibility, but it comes with the freedom for danny and i to live the lifestyle we want.
one friday night in the middle of march i peed on a pregnancy stick — positive. i was overwhelmed, freaked out and couldn’t wrap my head around our life with a baby. at first, i was focused on all the wrong things. sure, a family was always part of our plan, but i always had a reason why we needed to wait just a little bit longer. the timing of the news was not part of my grand plan and threw me for a loop. but, like everyone says, you’re never really ready and sometimes just need to be pushed.
in april we flew to california for a four-day schramm family yosemite hiking adventure. on our second night, while having dinner at the Majestic Yosemite Restaurant, danny (nervously) thanked my parents for an awesome trip and pulled out the cheesy “Grandma & Grandpa” keychains we bought at the Fresno airport as “momentos”. it took a few seconds before their eyes got wide and they screamed REALLY?! it was a moment none of us will ever forget. at 13 weeks pregnant and battling legit morning sickness, i hiked yosemite for four days. for father’s day, i made my dad a home video of our trip – watch here.
by late spring, we realized that i’d be a high-risk pregnancy and extra precautions would need to take place to ensure a healthy baby. i was forced to sloooow down. hunter and i logged some serious hours on our couch.
we spent the month of july fulfilling a goal/dream to escape the miserable heat of the arizona summer. on july 1, we loaded up hunter and the prius and headed west. for a month, we called a beach bungalow on 17th street in manhattan beach, california “home.” i worked virtually, danny surfed, we spent tons of time with our california friends/family, my belly grew and we daydreamed of the california life that could be.
upon our return in august (and after a bicycle accident), i was put on bed rest. basically my worst nightmare, but just the first of a lifelong of sacrifices i’d make for our “human baby” (what we called the baby in the belly). i became intimately acquainted with the chaise lounge of our new couch, while everyone around me rallied together to adjust and cover for me. my work team handled everything in-person, danny did literally everything around the house and friends brought girl’s night – and weekend – to me. despite having our annual college girl’s trip planned for new mexico, everyone cancelled and rearranged travel plans to come to phoenix so i could join! one of the most incredible gifts of friendship i’ve ever received.
in september i turned 33. by this time, i really enjoyed being pregnant. i loved my growing bump and feeling the babe move and hiccup (lots). i was in awe watching my belly and love grow for this tiny ting. without realizing it, i constantly rubbed and talked to my human baby. i was still nervous, but started really looking forward to the next chapter.
on a super warm october 1st, a bunch of wonderful women gathered to shower me and tiny ting with love. my dear friend rachel – an event/wedding planner extraordinaire – hosted the most gorgeous bohemian baby shower there ever was. me and baby-to-be were spoiled and overwhelmed by the amount of support and love surrounding us. the following rainy morning, i woke up and the tears just flowed. tears of joy and gratitude.
about five days later, on thursday morning, i woke up with different tears… it was a full-blown meltdown. our little house was filled with baby stuff, but my OCD-self didn’t feel the least bit organized or ready. nesting is a real and powerful thing. to ease my freakout, danny said he’d drop everything (again, i was on bedrest and couldn’t do anything for myself), and get us totally organized and take my orders from the couch. by sunday morning, october 9th, i sighed a sigh of relief. as we sat and ate pancakes, i told danny i finally felt ready-ish. i painted my nails & toes. i took a long shower. i shaved. and that night, while i was lying on the couch – my water broke. i was 33.5 weeks pregnant. crazy how your body just knows.
on october 12, 2016, with danny by my side, i delivered a baby girl. clementine cora bockting was born at 6:29PM weighing 5 pounds 2 ounces and was 18″ long.
after just 11 days in the NICU, on sunday, october 23rd, clementine was ready to come home. when our nurse told us to bring our carseat in, danny tracked down a doctor to make sure she was ready. they assured us she was doing great and was ready. we did the 90-minute car seat test and danny was a nervous wreck about it, but off we went and the real adventure began. we will be forever grateful for the NICU nurses and our 24/7 crash course in parenting. we learned a TON from those nurses and went home feeling semi-confident and with a baby on a consistent schedule which was fantastic for our sanity.
for thanksgiving, clementine went on her first mini road trip to tucson and we realized that babies have a lot of gear! we got to surprise grandma peggy with her great-granddaughter and the bocktings got to spend their first dose of QT with the little miss.
for christmas, we went to san diego so clementine could spend her first christmas at my childhood home enjoying the traditions i love so much. she was obviously the star of the show the entire week we were home. beyond christmas fun, clementine went to the beach for her first time.
while we were in california, a bunch of our dear friends got to meet the little miss for their first time.
we closed out 2016 being evacuated from our home for mold. a huge pain in the ass, sure. but after a wild year of tension around the world, and in our country in particular, it was a giant, in-our-face reminder that people are good. and we’re damn fortunate to be surrounded by so many loving, gracious and generous people that we can lean on in a moment’s notice. we’ve got each other, a healthy babe, a roof over our heads (although not our own at the moment), and nothing but hope for a wonderful year ahead.