I write this morning from my favorite cafe in Washington, D.C. From my paint spattered bench, I see late rush hour cars whirl by on Florida Avenue and friends laughing over lattes in to go mugs. I hear the pitter patter of sea salt hail hit the windows and grey pavers outside, inside the steady whirring of the milk frother and fervent rock music.  The patrons of this fine establishment are a mix of individuals at laptops/ipads/notebooks who appear to be working and intimate gatherings of friends.  6 months ago could I have imagined that such a scene even existed in my own backyard?

What a wonderful joy these past 5 months have been.  Yesterday I was looking through photos from when Hetta was born.  She was so little laying there on my belly still tinged with the blue-purple tones of first life.  Just a handful of months later, she can pull her feet into her mouth, roll easily – and with speed! – from her tummy to her back, hold her head with ease, grab objects like her jingling hungry caterpillar and mirrored sunshine with precise movement, pull herself up to a stand with little support from mom and dad’s hands, and show a preference for toys like Monkey Girl and Duffy Bear.  So much growth in such a short time!

And she’s not the only one growing.  Her parents have taken their partnership to whole new levels.  Gooooooooo TEAMWORK!  We’ve managed a new routine for those nights when Hetta is up every couple of hours (oh, to be a teething baby!).  We’ve had our first baby-less date (Colin surprised me with a ski trip – which really warrants its own write up!).  We’ve even learned how to create little “home dates” when Hetta is napping – anything from making nice dinners to taking a bath together – so that we have time to appreciate one another and not just as “mom” and “dad.” We’ve also learned to take time for ourselves – this month Colin went away on his annual “man-cation” with his high school pals and I had my first dinner out with my best bud since middle school.  It’s good to lift my head out from the sand and reengage with the world!

Looking at those images of our first moments as a new family, I also realized how much our girl’s personality was already shining through.  After those first cries of breathing in life, she lay peacefully with her mom.  She kept her eyes open, very alert to her new surroundings.  And she began giving us smiles even during that first day.  All indications of the happy baby our girl has since shown herself to be.  She soaks in her surroundings in a quiet, mild-mannered way.  She is free with her smiles, especially around friends and family.  She likes to be held and enjoys her independent time much more if you are watching her as she wiggles and squirms around the floor.  She’s a good napper and has just started to sleep during the day in her own room.  (Her mom is still working up the courage to move her there at night!)  She’s an easy traveller – city buses, cars, metro, planes, strollers, baby carriers are all second nature to her at this point – and she seems to really like being out and about.  (Keep her at home for a couple days in a row and she’ll let me know she’s ready to leave!)  She loves to look at patterns like the plates on the wall at Grandma and Grandpa Phillips wall.  She doesn’t cry when we put a cup full of water over her head at bathtime.

Today Henrietta is with her awesome daycare provider, Ms. Donna.  (I am so grateful for Ms. Donna!).  Hetta is there about two days a week right now and has made good friends there.  When I left her this morning Juliette, a couple months her senior, was demonstrating that she can sit up on her own.  Very impressive.  Hetta, as babies are wont to do, started to mimic her.  I am shocked to see her hold herself up before wobbles set in and she lurches forward, steadied by Ms. Donna’s open arms.  I walk out the door with my heart aching to leave her and full to see her there.

My solo days have been a slow unfolding.  They started with an ever growing laundry list of to dos.  It was the outpouring of a once organized person’s backlog of ignored chores, unscheduled appointments, and lost inspirations.  At first every item crossed off the list was filled by at least two more.  Then an even exchange.  And finally one day, I felt a sense of ease.  I was no longer playing catch up.  I could think about how I wanted to fill that space.  Such peace and joy!

I could start to think about family fun – going to the swimming pool, meeting the manatees at the Cincinnati zoo with Grandma, the national art gallery, Hawaii (yup – we are headed there next month!).  I could begin to catch up with friends and family.  This weekend I had my first night out with my dear friend while Colin stayed home with our girl.  I started training along with my hubby for a half-marathon.  This weekend you could have seen Colin pushing Hetta in her stroller past the White House as we completed our 5 mile Saturday run.  Running on my own has been a chance to reconnect to my body post-pregnancy.  I notice that it feels nice and odd not to be carrying my baby.

And I could start to play with what I wanted my new normal to be.  I find my alone time is spent writing, coaching, designing, inventing.  (And yeah, often doing some laundry too.)  I appreciate this independence.  It is hard to leave Hetta, but easier because it I find so much joy in what I am doing on my own.  And because these short breaks away make me so much more appreciative of the time we are spending together.  I am much less distracted when she and I are together, able to fully enjoy lying down on the floor to look up at stories with her or take a walk with her dog brothers in tow.

Crawling into bed last night, the close of Hetta’s 5 month birthday, I started to crunch some numbers in my head.  “Colin, next month Hetta will be half a year old.  That means, we’ll only have 35 more chunks of time like that before she turns 18 years old.  Just over a calendar month’s worth of 6 months.  It seems like so long, but already I can see how the time will just fly by.”

The days are long, but the years are fast.  Isn’t that how the saying goes?  I suppose we’ll just have to keep soaking in each moment as it passes, enjoying what’s offered with joy and gratitude.