2005 was probably the most difficult year of Mommy’s life, with extreme high points and low points. In January, Mommy learned she was expecting Austen but was soon diagnosed with a pregnancy-related blood sugar problem. In March, Mommy lost her mom to a sudden, devastating illness – diagnosis and final stages of the cancer all took place within weeks of telling Grandma Judi about the pregnancy. As Mommy explained to her novel-writing friends online, “In February, my mom was playing tennis and conducting orchestras; a month later she was gone.” On top of that, Mommy had a scary, difficult pregnancy which included twice weekly doctor appointments and constant nausea. All the while, Mommy and Daddy were spending almost every weekend hard at work doing the numbers and making decisions involving the purchase and construction of a new house in New Jersey – all so baby would have plenty of space. Austen’s birth in September was a high point. Mommy really lucked out in her last minute decision to go to St. Peter’s Hospital in New Jersey. In the final months of 2005, Mommy has been more tired than she’s ever been before – even more so than when teaching Contemporary Civilization at Columbia College. It’s been an enormous learning process trying to care for a demanding baby non-stop – especially after never having been alone with a newborn for even a few hours before Austen.
Below is Austen posing with the “You Are My Sunshine” pillow that Mommy got for Grandma Judi when she became ill. Notice Austen has a matching pillow saying “‘lil sunshine.” (This photo is from Austen’s very first trip to the Famous Farm on December 12, 2005)