2016: Year in Review
2016 was a crazy year for the Anstey family, to say the least. We started the year off in Oakland, knowing that Mitch had accepted a job at Davidson College and we would be moving to North Carolina in the summer. This reality cast a shadow on much of the year, if I'm being honest. Every time we went somewhere or saw some friends in the Bay, it left a feeling of sadness like it might be the last time. It was especially hard telling our nanny, Norma, about the move, since she had no idea Mitch had been interviewing for jobs, unlike our friends. There were lots of tears then and later, when we said good-bye in June. There were many tears when we said good-bye to our dear friends in California, especially after sharing our last dinner as CA residents with Kathy, John, Orelia, and Bennett. I guess after 8 years for me, and 12 years for Mitch, the Bay Area had really become a beloved place we called home.
Once we moved to Davidson, it took a while to get used to our new town, and honestly, we're still getting used to it. That's totally normal. While we miss the Bay Area and our friends, we're lucky to have made some new friends that we regularly get-together with. We've traded hour long commutes for a 5 minute one (20 minutes if Mitch walks; an hour if I go into downtown Charlotte, which I only do once a week). We loved our cozy little home in Oakland, but we know the boys are much happier in their 3800 sq ft "palace" with multiple play zones and a huge outdoor space. We were sad to part with Norma, but we love our new nanny, Monica, and so does everyone who meets her when she's with the boys. We still keep in touch with Norma over text and the occasional FaceTime too. When we were in California, the grandparents were only able to come see the babies once since it's a bigger time commitment and expense to fly across the country. Now that we're in Davidson, each set of grandparents has been down to see the boys at least twice, which is great! Overall, Davidson is and will be a great place to raise our family, even if it means giving up some of our California faves.
Noah and Micah sure changed over 2016. When the year started, neither boy was crawling yet. Heck, they had just learned to sit up on their own! Now, we have to spunky, happy boys running around, laughing their heads off as they play together. They've always liked getting fresh air and playing outside, but playing outside has evolved from sitting in a portable playpen with balls to running with push cars, kicking balls like soccer players, and exploring interesting trees, bushes, and leaf piles. Walks around the neighborhood are no longer just us pushing them in the double stroller; now, the whole family walks on our own two feet, sometimes with the boys taking their push cars along for fun. They still like going in their stroller too, and sitting back to relax. We're lucky, since some of our friends say their toddlers had a switch go off that made them hate being in the stroller. Of course, we've always been lucky with Noah and Micah, our happy boys (who sleep well). :)
2017 will be a fun year as the boys continue to develop. They've been learning new words in English and Spanish, including body parts. They also really love their stuffed animals now and will hold them and give them kisses. It's basically the cutest thing in the world. Micah has also started to say "poo poo" when he's about to do a #2, so we're planning to do some day-time potty training in the summer with the help of Monica! We've bought a potty book and potty already in preparation.
And now, some photos from 2016. :)
Once we moved to Davidson, it took a while to get used to our new town, and honestly, we're still getting used to it. That's totally normal. While we miss the Bay Area and our friends, we're lucky to have made some new friends that we regularly get-together with. We've traded hour long commutes for a 5 minute one (20 minutes if Mitch walks; an hour if I go into downtown Charlotte, which I only do once a week). We loved our cozy little home in Oakland, but we know the boys are much happier in their 3800 sq ft "palace" with multiple play zones and a huge outdoor space. We were sad to part with Norma, but we love our new nanny, Monica, and so does everyone who meets her when she's with the boys. We still keep in touch with Norma over text and the occasional FaceTime too. When we were in California, the grandparents were only able to come see the babies once since it's a bigger time commitment and expense to fly across the country. Now that we're in Davidson, each set of grandparents has been down to see the boys at least twice, which is great! Overall, Davidson is and will be a great place to raise our family, even if it means giving up some of our California faves.
Noah and Micah sure changed over 2016. When the year started, neither boy was crawling yet. Heck, they had just learned to sit up on their own! Now, we have to spunky, happy boys running around, laughing their heads off as they play together. They've always liked getting fresh air and playing outside, but playing outside has evolved from sitting in a portable playpen with balls to running with push cars, kicking balls like soccer players, and exploring interesting trees, bushes, and leaf piles. Walks around the neighborhood are no longer just us pushing them in the double stroller; now, the whole family walks on our own two feet, sometimes with the boys taking their push cars along for fun. They still like going in their stroller too, and sitting back to relax. We're lucky, since some of our friends say their toddlers had a switch go off that made them hate being in the stroller. Of course, we've always been lucky with Noah and Micah, our happy boys (who sleep well). :)
2017 will be a fun year as the boys continue to develop. They've been learning new words in English and Spanish, including body parts. They also really love their stuffed animals now and will hold them and give them kisses. It's basically the cutest thing in the world. Micah has also started to say "poo poo" when he's about to do a #2, so we're planning to do some day-time potty training in the summer with the help of Monica! We've bought a potty book and potty already in preparation.
And now, some photos from 2016. :)
We love and miss you guys so much! We can't wait to see your Davidson home one day!
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