~Hello Fall~

For the majority of my life, I have associated the Tuesday after Labor Day as the 'official' start of fall.  While I'm still usually wearing shorts, and sweating to death (as I did this morning at 645 trekking across the parking lot in the cool but humid DC air), Tuesday after Labor Day was usually the day I went back to school.  In fact, my four siblings started school today, and I may of gotten a little weepy seeing the first day of school pictures of them on Facebook.  

We have had a great summer.  A summer where I can look back and say we did things we wanted to do, celebrated our friends and family's triumphs, and enjoyed our time as a family.  We worked hard.  We made changes to our home, decided to stay a while, and started prepping for big family changes this fall.  We took Rowen to the beach.  We found out baby #2 is a boy.  And Rowen, he has grown so much in these short summer months, and the 'baby' that he was in June seems almost a distant memory.  

And while I usually mourn the end of summer, and the loss of the long lazy days, this year I am eagerly anticipating fall.  Again it may partially be do to my over abundant pregnant lady hot flashes. This fall, probably more than any other will be a season of change for us.  We have spent the last few weeks making major progress in the preparation for little brother, whether it was moving rooms or purging lots of clutter.  We are so close to being 'done' that we can taste it, and in a few weeks I think we will be finished.  From that point on, our time will be focused on enjoying our time as a family of three.  Enjoying these last few months with Rowen while I can still remember what it is like to have one little boy running and babbling around my house instead of two.  

And towards the end of the fall season, that quickly rolls into the holiday season (yes I think Christmas is an actual season), we will meet little brother.  While I'm trying to be patient, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I can't wait to meet him, see if he is another mini Rudy, and watch his older brother love on him.  I may drag my feet and whine about still having eleven weeks to go, but I know that all too quickly these weeks will fly by, and so will fall.  

Will we be able to look back on this fall and say, 'We did everything we wanted to do', I'm not entirely sure.  But we will do a lot-like go to the pumpkin patch, trick or treat, play in the leaves, and maybe experience Rowen's first 'real' snow.  And at the end of Fall 2012, we will have grown, and will be a family of four.

So goodbye Summer 2012, you were a good one.  And hello Fall 2012!