29.

I am 29 years old.

Yikes, man.

Obviously I do not think 29 is OLD. And all my friends over 30: I do not think you are old. 29 is just a weird milestone. The beginning of the end of my 20s.

I truly never thought I would make it to 29. Sorry to be morbid, but I have had dreams my entire life that I would die in a car crash when I was 27. Then, someone actually did crash in to me when I was 27. Needless to say, I was shaken up for the next two months of my life, until I turned 28. But from there it was like... What now? I seriously had never been able to picture my life past that point.

And on top of it, my life is nothing like what I thought it would be like. I am living in Florida, not NYC. I have a baby, not three giant dogs. I am a stay at home mom, not a top psychologist (or a rock star! Jk jk.).

This all just feels so foreign to me.

But foreign is not a bad thing. Now that I have had a week to process the fact that I am 29, I feel pretty good about it. Atlas is a piece of work, but he has made my life complete. I get no sleep, I am a zombie who can barely hold conversations, and everyone I come in to contact with probably thinks I'm high, but that's okay. I can honestly say I love my life and have a lot to live for, which I never felt before. Maybe that is why 29 doesn't feel as bad or scary as I thought it would.

Not only am I 29, but Atlas is 8 months old. HO. LY. EFF. That is ridiculous.

He is a little terror. All he wants to do is stand and climb on everything. Toys, the crib, the shelves, the dresser, people... you name it, he will climb it. He has been doing well allergy-wise and has not had any issues with me reintroducing foods so far! All I have left are egg, soy, and dairy. I CAN SEE THE LIGHT! We are working on upping his solid food intake. He has been refusing solids for the past couple weeks, but as of two days ago, we figured out the issue: He just wants to feed himself. As soon as I handed over the spoon, boom. Problem solved. Except you can probably imagine the mess an 8-month-old makes with a spoon and bowl full of pureed squash... So on to baby food pouches and finger foods we go. He is a pro at drinking from his straw cup now, too, unless he gets the urge to teethe on the straw. He STILL has no teeth.

We had a nice Easter, despite being far away from our family. Atlas got some toys and books from the Easter Bunny (who is a total creep, so no, Atlas did not visit him in the mall). Eric got some candy and a new card game. I got new shoes and some allergen-free chocolate and ice cream in the freezer (smart Bunny). We went to Ben's parents' house with him and Kristin to celebrate with their family, and it was a fun time. Atlas was smiley, Chloe was a good helper with Atlas, Kristin and Jessica have cute baby bumps. It just felt like a really nice day with Florida fam. Everyone was considerate and made things I could eat! It was amazing.

Atlas went in a swimming pool for the first time and loved it! He sat in a little float while Chloe made him laugh, and I enjoyed soaking up the sun for the first time in forever. We have a pool in our neighborhood. I am going to start taking Atlas a few times a week to break up the monotony of Starbucks and Target. Maybe I will even get wild and BRING MY LATTE TO THE POOL!

Besides celebrations and milestones and gradually expanding my diet, I am looking forward to my parents coming to visit on Mother's Day. I feel like kind of a dick, because as I got older, Mother's Day took a back seat to whatever drama I had going on in my life. Now that I am a mom, I feel how important it is to acknowledge and thank moms for sacrificing so much to raise their children. Stay at home moms sacrifice some adult interaction and possibly their passion. Working moms sacrifice time with their kids to support their families. All moms sacrifice sleep! Ha.

He loves Baby Simba

Doing lots of standing and very little sleeping over the past couple weeks...

Atlas hadn't been to Loggerhead Marinelife Center since he was three weeks old! I remember being so nervous to take him out. It was our first "big" outing. This time, he loved looking at the turtles.

Allergy testing. He was a champ and barely cried. He just wanted to move around!

That's a snuggly T. Rex if I ever saw one...

Out and about on a Sunday afternoon

My first beer in 5 months, and it was SO. GOOD.

Family time is the best 

More standing...

Dino SNORE? I don't think he's doing much snoring in that crib...

How cute is this?

Hanging out with Max! So cute!

Daddy time!

Very tired, but very happy to be spending time with my boy on my birthday.

Atlas FINALLY went to sleep, and Eric cooked me a delicious birthday dinner :)

Cheers!

29 started off pretty amazingly <3

A coffee thermos with Starbucks and Sephora gift cards, flowers, and a tequila card? Yes.

I HAD WAITED SO LONG FOR THIS DAY. It was heavenly.

Happy boy at his doctor appointment

If you ever want to occupy your baby while you get things done, throw them in their cage- I mean, crib- with a bunch of stuffed animals.

Atlas likes bubbles more than instruments. He chased them around the room during music class.

Kisses. Very wet kisses.

I would look at myself all day, too, if I was that cute. And if I had shark pajamas.

It is very rare that I put the TV on to distract him, but when I do, he loves Little Einsteins! And I love the classical music theme of the show. :)

Easter Egg dying

The Easter Bunny felt like you can never have too many books.

Climbing on Dad

Atlas's first time in a pool!

He was unsure about the water at first, but Chloe showed him how fun it is! He LOVED her float. I got one for us so I can take him to our pool now. :)

I don't know what it is about that banana, but babies love it!

It finally clicked in his head that he can go INSIDE THE BOX. Mind blown.

He still prefers to climb on top of it though, because he is a wild monkey boy.

I got this shirt, The Beatles shirt, and a Ninja Turtle shirt when I found out I was pregnant. I can't believe they fit him already. Time is going by way too quickly.

Atlas gets a little overwhelmed sometimes in music class, but when the drums are out, he is in his element!