The Garlic Diaries

Food and Life with a Punch of Flavor

  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Life
    • Marriage
    • Parenting
    • Meal Plans
    • Random
  • Contact Me

Back in Business!

September 25, 2017 by Annie Chesson 6 Comments

OH MY GOSH. It’s been years since we’ve chatted. Okay months, but it feels like years. This is the longest I’ve gone without blogging since I started! So let’s sit down, grab a cup of coffee (preferably Pumpkin Spice since it is now September/Fall/the best time of year EVA), maybe a cookie or five, and catch up. The first and most glaringly important thing to update you on is our brand new, painfully cute baby boy. I’m not totally sure how I’m going to not post ten million pictures of him in this post, but Ima do my best.

Introducing, to the blogging world, Ford Taylor Chesson! He was born on July 19th a little after 5:00 am and weighed 8 lbs 4 oz. Our birth story isn’t super dramatic or exciting – I had contractions for about 8 hours before I got the epidural, and then it was smooooooooth sailing for the last few hours. Can I please find whoever invented the epidural and give them a massive high five, an even bigger hug, and a lifetime supply of frozen lasagnas? Epidurals = BAE.

Those are both pictures from his newborn shoot, so he was only a little 2 week old nugget at the time. Here are some more recent pictures (he’s about 10 weeks old now):

That last one cracks me up. The potential captions are endless.

Isn’t he freakin’ precious?? Anyway, that’s the main thing that’s been new with me – #momlifeyo. I absolutely love it. It’s exhausting, exciting, hard, amazing, scary, and wonderful all at the same time. Seth deployed when Ford was about 7 weeks old, so that has made the whole new parenting thing a little more challenging. It is definitely a 24 hour job, and some days I feel like I need a break more than others, but even on the harder days, there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing.

Some things are a liiiiittle lower on my spectrum of fun-ness, i.e. blowout diapers, getting peed on, getting puked on, middle of the night wake-ups, MOM GUILT (he has a flat spot on his head aaaaand I’m convinced 80% of the day that I’m probably doing something wrong and hindering his development in one way or another). Side note on flat head: we had a doctors appointment today and he says it’s all good, just to increase tummy time a little bit each day. Which Ford will be excited about…FALSE – he hates tummy time with a burning passion.

The things that are higher on my spectrum of fun-ness: watching him cheese super hard at ceiling fans, putting adorable clothes on him (the cute baby clothes at Target empty my bank account like once a week #strug), cuddles…so many cuddles, making him smile, did I mention cuddles? Speaking of cuddles, they come with lots of Netflix binge watching. Stranger Things? SO GOOD. Blacklist? AMAZING. If anyone has any awesome binge-watching-while-baby-cuddling suggestions, I’m all ears.

Bottom line: he has completely stolen our hearts, and our lives have become ten times more full since he entered the world and changed everything.

Other less important bottom line: I am essentially responsible for 50% of Amazon’s income now that I have a baby and buy EVERYTHING. What happened. Sometimes I don’t even know what I’m about to open when a package comes to the door because I order so many things. Confessions…DON’T JUDGE ME.

Blogging while being a mom is going to be a whole new challenge and adventure, but we are going to figure it out, people, because there’s no way I’m giving up hangin’ out with you every week. Right now I have an awesome nanny that comes 3 days a week for 3 hours so I can cook/photograph for the blog, and I’m just going to have to fit the writing in when I can throughout other times of the day.

Like right now, for example. While I am writing this, Ford is laying on a boppy pillow next to me, transitioning between crying and cracking up at the ceiling fan…endless entertainment can be found in the ceiling fan. You would think someone is on the ceiling singing and dancing.

I’m trying to think of what else is new that I can update you on. I mentioned that Seth deployed in early September – BOO, Army. Boo. We’re getting through alright, though. It’s easier and harder this time around with a baby. Easier because I stay very busy and always have company 😀. Harder because I know Seth is missing out on so much more this time. And I know he’s heartbroken to be missing such a big chunk of Ford’s first year. Overall I’d definitely say the second deployment is easier since you know what to expect and you’ve been there before.

The other important new thing to discuss: IT’S FALL. Yaasssssssssss bring on all the fallness: the pumpkins, the cozy food, the hot coffee, the decorations, the crisp weather, the leaves, I WANT IT ALL. I love fall – totes favorite season, which you have heard me rant about plenty of times if you’ve been a follower for a while. I’ve been cooking away the last couple of weeks, building up a little stockpile of recipes to post so that I can get ahead, and they are all wonderfully fall-y and delicious. So put your Fall pants on people (is that a thing? It should be) and get strapped in for some Fall goodness.

I don’t want to give too many spoilers, but there has definitely been some stews/chilis/fall themed hummuses (word?) happenin all up in ma’ kitchen, and it has been glorious. So stay tuned for some food, yo.

I have missed you all SO VERY MUCH and I am super excited to get back to blogging! I loved every second of my maternity leave, but I’m ready to get crackin’ again over in my little corner of the internet. See you on Wednesday, friends!

 

Pin It

Filed Under: Extras, Parenting Tagged With: babies, extras, life, newborns

« Maternity Leave!
Chipotle Chicken Chili »

Want posts delivered directly to your inbox? Subscribe to The Garlic Diaries today!

Comments

  1. Landon says

    January 31, 2018 at 9:56 am

    I just found your blog this morning through a list that Rally (werally.com) sent out in an email that included 16 Rotisserie Chicken Recipes That Make for Fast and Easy Meals that featured your BLT Chicken Salad Stuffed Avocados. I just wanted to say that I love your blog already! Your recipes look amazing & you photograph them so well. I can’t wait to try them all!

    Also, congratulations to your family on your beautiful baby boy! He is so precious. That last picture could be captioned a million ways, but what came to mind at first glance was – they’ll smell that in 3…. 2…. 1…. ;)

    Reply
    • Annie Chesson says

      January 31, 2018 at 11:53 am

      Aw, thank you so much Landon!! That makes my day! Haha – perfect caption :).

      Reply
  2. MARCELLA says

    October 5, 2017 at 8:17 pm

    Oh my gosh!!! SO GLAD you’re back. So basically I’ve never… and I mean NEVER, subscribed to a blog before. But I totally found myself reading your blog non-stop – and literally each week when I make our my family’s food menu, you’re nearly every recipe. Your name is almost sacred in my house. Haha. You saved my husband from disgusting non-stop chicken stir fry during our 21 Day Fix phase. (bless you!). Sooooo… when you took your maternity leave I was devastated. It’s been repeat favorite Annie recipes for weeks around here. Although as a mom of 3 kids myself, I totally get it! But I was seriously checking your blog 3 times a week to see when you were back in business. SO GLAD YOU’RE BACK! Tonight I finally admitted my dependence on your amaze-balls food skills and subscribed to the blog. We love you lady! Thanks for being awesome at food (especially the lower carb, healthy, 21 Day Fix type Recipes – hint, hint). In summary, you, yes you my Midwest stranger-friend are the BOMB.com! Nuff said! Blog on, woman!

    Reply
    • Annie Chesson says

      October 6, 2017 at 7:19 pm

      This is by far my favorite comment I’ve ever received on the blog! You just made my whole night! I can be your favorite blogger and you can be my favorite reader ;).

      Reply
  3. Rachel says

    September 26, 2017 at 7:04 am

    You’re amazing and I’m so proud of you! I can’t wait for all the delicious fall recipes ……and baby photos!!!!!!!

    Reply
    • Annie Chesson says

      September 26, 2017 at 7:47 am

      Thanks Rachel!! Oh yeah, strap in for some baby pics 😉.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Search

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Annie Chesson
I am a passionate Christian, wife, cooking addict, and mom to the two sweetest boys in the world! Join me in my journey to create delicious, flavorful food. More About Me...

Subscribe to The Garlic Diaries

view my food post on usrg.com

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress