Whoop. Christmas has come and gone, so consider this a New Year’s greeting.
Every year we sit down to reflect on the year, we think it’s gone faster than the year before. And every year, I write some nonsense about it being the “best year yet.” But life is just getting better.
NO REALLY! I promise.
2023 started off with lots of fun celebrations as we prepared for the arrival of Baby E, as he was known at the time. (It’s so odd to even write this thinking of a time before him!) We were showered with love by friends, family and coworkers; we took a baby class to get the 101 on birth and keeping a child alive; we packed our freezer full of meals and baby’s room full of diapers. We snuck away for one last vacation with the family celebrating Sue, Cathy and Nic’s birthdays and mini babymoon.
Enter: the month of April when our lives changed completely (for the better). Oliver Klaus Enerson was born on April 27 at 12:53 p.m. “Oliver” because it was quite literally the only name we could agree on; “Klaus” because we read somewhere that it is derived from Niklaus / Nicolas and wanted a K to follow a family tradition. We call him Ollie, sometimes Oliver, other times just O. As many of you know, we kept his gender a surprise until birth and it was the best decision because the delivery room was such a fun shock for both of us meeting our son.
The first few weeks of newborn life were slow, snuggly and HARD. Every day felt like it was broken up into a 3-hour marathon in between feedings. The nights were long and we slept in shifts. We learned diapers aren’t really that bad when it’s your own kid, and baby cuddles really do live up to the hype. Slowly but surely, Oliver figured out his days from his nights and we watched him go through so many phases and grow like crazy! Shout out to our parents who helped SO much in the beginning and continue to provide care for our little dude on Fridays.
My maternity leave was about 4 months long which fell right over the summer months and was the best time of my life. On the hard days, I was doing 6 loads of laundry from my (very cute) reflux-y baby. On the good days, I was sitting outside in my backyard listening to him coo and watching him smile. Lucky for me, there were many, many good days. We liked the newborn stage, but NOTHING compares to seeing smiles and hearing giggles we have now.
In July, we gambled with driving hours with a baby, and took our first family vacation as a family of three. Our final destination was Kitchener, Ontario to celebrate the Visschers’ wedding, but decided to take the scenic route to Canada, with stops in Green Bay to see friends as well as Mackinac Island and the UP to explore the Lake Michigan coastline. Ollie handled it like a champ but appreciated the stops we made to stretch, play and eat. On this trip, we also gave Ollie a taste of camping and he did GREAT, so he’s definitely our kid.
In August, we got to be part of the most anticipated celebration of the year! My brother Evan and new sister-in-law Erin had their wedding on the most beautiful day at Red Barn Farm in Northfield. I’ve considered Erin part of our family for years, so this celebration was just to seal the deal. There is something incredibly special about watching your little brother/best friend grow up and find the love of his life, and even more special to see their love radiate throughout all of their friends and family. So thankful for those memories and for you two!
Nic’s year was filled with so many memories, but becoming a Dad and being the role model he wants for Oliver defined his year. He leaned into his fears – for the fear of God’s almighty love and power should be driving us to action. He continued playing hockey multiple times per week, attempted his first Murphy Challenge (1 mile run, 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 squats, and ending with a 1 mile run), biked to work (when the weather was nice), and completed the Filthy 50 gravel bike race in Lanesboro with friends. Nic also got to take paternity leave this year which centered on long walks and introducing O to dad’s favorite music. He came away with a newfound appreciation for stay-at-home moms and their daycare providers… so much time in the day but very little getting done beyond bottles, laundry, and diaper changes.
My year was consumed with stepping into my new role in motherhood. The other day, someone asked me what my hobby was right now and I said, “breastfeeding.” The transition back to work in August was hard, but it got easier and easier to find a rhythm (thanks to the best coworkers in the world) and I learned to give myself grace. I still reserve some special days off I can spend with O, just the two of us, which helps a lot… and I continue to coach because it helps give me something fun to do for ME. Navigating all this has been hard, but worth it. At the end of this year, I can proudly say I’m 8 months into breastfeeding, a few months into coaching my second year with Armstrong Dance Team, and back into the swing of things at work. And of course, I’m deep into planning many trips and adventures for next year (because some hobbies will never die).
This year, we also started the tradition of hosting Sunday Dinners (at noon) at our house, which mostly just consists of Nic cooking, babies playing, watching football, and sharing in fellowship with friends and neighbors. If you’re reading this, consider this your invitation for the future!
Parenting has been our highlight of the year and has taught us so much – about ourselves, about each other and about our marriage. If I could go back to April, I’d remind myself that time is the greatest gift and life goes way too fast. Every phase, cry or sickness with Ollie seemed like it would never end in the moment, but it’d always fade away quickly. We used to have SO much time before kids. What did we do with it all? I still don’t know.
So, we’re wishing you the gift of time this year. Quality time with your friends, family and community; time spent chasing your dreams and doing what you love. We are so incredibly thankful for you.
Cheers to another year!
Nic, Rachel, Oliver and Nordy
Enerson Adventures 