Hello, Friends. It’s been a while. Over a year actually. You probably thought I forgot about you or joined a convent or perhaps had my entire world flipped upside down. Oh, that last thing actually happened.

When I say everything changed, I mean literally everything changed. (Except my name, so maybe not literally everything.) As I type this I am pumping (as in for breast milk), sitting on a bed with mismatched sheets in a half-furnished bedroom in a house that my husband and I own in freaking Alaska. Oh and next door to this half-furnished bedroom is a nursery with mint walls and a nearly eight month-old baby girl who is snoozing away. And, if you can believe it, she’s mine. I mean, I grew her and gave birth to her so I am pretty sure she is mine.

Wait, how did this happen?
Good question. Here’s a quick rundown for you:

• January 2013 – My husband and I found out we were expecting a baby and I hovered on the verge of a psychotic break. It was not part of the plan, you see. I affectionately called her Creature.
• May 2013 – Husband received an offer to join a practice in Anchorage, Alaska. My super zen pregnancy hormones and I thought it sounded like a fun adventure.
• June 2013 – We bought a house in Anchorage, Alaska while still living in Annapolis, Maryland. It was a new home and we proceeded to pick everything out via internet. This was an unwise decision.
• September 2013 – I stopped working at my amazing job in Baltimore to prepare for the babe, who ended up being eight days late.
• October 2013 – Little Waverley Marcella graced us with her presence (i.e., was violently yanked out of my abdomen following 20 hours of labor). We decided this was a great time to move (it wasn’t) and packed up our lovely little life in Annapolis to drive across the country with a newborn. And Charlie, obviously.
• November 2013 – We took pause in Oregon for several weeks while living with my sister and her family. This was bliss. We spent time with family and friends who all took such good care of us. I miss this time dearly.
• December 2013 – We arrived in Alaska (perfect timing since it was the beginning of winter and right before the holidays) and lived with Nate’s brother and his family for two weeks while our house was being finished. This time was also blissful. It was like a vacation spending time with them and being loved on with delicious meals. (Can we move back in, guys?)

Wait, that means you’ve been living in Alaska for five months. Why haven’t you been blogging?
Well, honestly, I was a little overwhelmed with life. I was learning how to take care of a newborn, trying to unpack and set-up a house, and begin a new life in a foreign land. I could hardly comprehend the turn my life had taken let alone put it out there on the internet for all to see, read, and judge. Just when I thought I was ready to get back at it my family experienced an immense tragedy and I went back to Oregon for over two months.

So why did you stop blogging when you were pregnant?
Well, if you’ve ever had something major happen that was unplanned and surprising, you know it can throw you through quite the loop. I became very private about my pregnancy and did not feel like discussing it in public. More to come on that later though. I also had such raging morning sickness and was so exhausted I could not manage anything more than going to work and being at home. Creating delicious recipes and documenting them is difficult when 90% of food is vomit-inducing.

Coolio. Welcome back.
Hey thanks! Just putting these words down on paper is soothing. My fingers are a little jittery, which is either due to the high of writing again or the eight cups of coffee I’ve consumed today. Regardless, pearls on a string is back but I have to warn you she’s going to be different. There will be baby pictures, my thoughts on baby gear, and acclimating to life with a baby. So, be prepared for my ups and downs as a new parent and a new Alaskan. Thank you to those of you who continued commenting, emailing, and asking if I planned to get back to blogging. It truly warms my heart. And now the baby is up and crying.

Like I said, everything has changed.