Looking back on 2018….
I think this may have been the best year of my life thus far. On January 8, during the Alabama-Georgia national championship game halftime, I took a pregnancy test. I was nervous because Alabama was behind, and I had an extra test available…. it was positive. I was pregnant! We went out to buy a set of two tests after Alabama pulled out an amazing win (ushering in the age of Tua!) Those two tests were also positive. It was real.
Vonn Thomas Heptinstall arrived 8 months later, on September 4. The first month for me was a sleep-deprived, swollen-all-over blur, but once I felt better after my c-section and V started sleeping 6-8 hours overnight, we settled into a great routine. I have been exclusively pumping for V for more than 100 days now. Nursing directly hasn’t worked out for us, but the Spectra S1 has been wonderful. I can’t recommend it enough.
In October, I sold my reliable “Point A to Point B” 2010 Nissan Versa hatchback and went car shopping. I needed something bigger and safer for Baby V. Ultimately we found an awesome navy blue VW Passat that blew me away in the test drive. And she was mine, and her name is Greta.
Also in October, we realized that we could think about the possibility of buying a house. Initially we wanted to buy around February 2019, but as things go, we started attending open houses and met our awesome Realtor, Lori Paul, with Keller Williams Realty. We nearly put an offer in on a house in McCalla, Alabama, but decided to keep looking… and we found our home in Alabaster! We closed December 14 and here we are painting and prepping to move in this week. We will celebrate Christmas in our new home.
On the career front, I celebrated 2 years with Hearst Television in October. I couldn’t be more grateful for Hearst now offering FULLY PAID maternity leave. And I am grateful for the support of my Digital Strategy team as I became a mom. I also have a handful of freelance writing and marketing clients that I work with. All found me via Twitter or LinkedIn.
2018: So very GRATEFUL.
Digital Kristen 