The Emotions of Moving with a Toddler

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Apartment living is so convenient! No yard work, there’s a handyman on call, no shoveling the snow, etc. I love it. But it was time to make that leap, really set some roots, and invest in a house. OYE! How adult, #amiright?! Moving sucks. Something I wasn’t expecting was the emotions of moving into a home. More specifically the emotions of moving with a toddler. There are plenty of articles, tips, tricks, etc. out there to help you prepare and plan for moving with a toddler. That’s not exactly what I am here to talk about though. There’s nothing that prepares you for the unexpected roller coaster of setting roots, but I’ll do my best!

Home is where your heart is

family first home

Remember when I wrote about finding the perfect house? Well, we found it, and pretty quickly. It’s fantastic; we were so lucky! This current house market is insane! When we went to see this house, it felt so welcoming. This was ours. This is where we’d all grow together.

Yes, any place you live is home. Each place has so many memories. I will always remember the day we brought our baby home. Walking through those doors and saying, “You’re home!” And in the blink of an eye, she was mobile, toys and more were everywhere. She owned that place. That apartment will forever hold a special place in our hearts because it was her first home. It’s where she took her first steps, said her first words, had her first blow out, etc.! I swear, parts of the carpet might have permanently stained with spaghetti sauce and embedded with Cheerios. 

toddler moving

As the apartment got emptier and emptier, things got more emotional. My husband did a lot of that moving himself (bless him), and on that last day I made sure that we went to say our “goodbyes.” It was so weird seeing our apartment empty. All of those “firsts” started running through my mind. Isabella, oblivious to what this moment meant, ran around the place, enjoying the extra space. We said “goodbye” to each empty room and closed the door. And with that a new, metaphorical door opened; one filled with a whole bunch of more “firsts.”

Dreams of the future

There are days when I can’t shut my brain off thinking about what the future holds in our home. It is exciting and overwhelming! Basically anything that we do, I think “oh my gosh, it’s our first (insert whatever we are doing here)!!!!” Some days it’s, “oh my gosh, she will (something that will happen some time down the road) here!!!”  The moments are priceless. The visions are endless.

Someone should really warn you about these emotions. Oh wait, that’s what I am doing…you’re welcome! I am here to tell you it happens but I really have no advice for how to handle it. Because sometimes I am just a big mess about it too! You just have to ride the wave, all while making sure you aren’t missing the moments. I toe that line often; immersed in the emotion of what is happening all while thinking of the next thing. We all need to make sure we slow down. Relish, but don’t jump too far ahead because that moment you are thinking of will be here before you know it.

Seriously, who knew how emotionally exhausting moving would be!? Physical exhaustion is nothing compared to the work your mind does. Have you moved with a toddler? Tell me about your emotional roller coaster so that I know I’m not alone!

 

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Lydia Guillory
Lydia grew up in a small town in northwest Ohio. She traded in that small town for another small town when she went to college at Ohio University in Athens, and majored in magazine journalism. Much like any Bobcat you will meet, Lydia had the time of her life at OU! It is also where she met her husband, Deon. He is basically her polar opposite but he keeps her balanced and sane, and he’s been keeping up with her since 2007! They got married August 2015. Lydia became a mom in October 2016! She is the perfect mix of her parents: a chatterbox with a bit of sass like her mom, and at times relaxed and quiet like her dad. Watching Isabella grow, learn, and experience things for the first time has been some of the coolest things about being a mom. Full disclosure: Lydia wasn’t exactly thrilled to find out they were going to move to Columbus when Deon got a new job in 2012. She was excited for his new opportunity, but Columbus just seemed too big; after all, she is “just a small town girl.” It took some time but Lydia came around! She enjoys exploring even more now that she has Isabella. She is always looking to see what is happening around the city that is kid friendly. When Lydia isn’t working at her job in marketing, she enjoys getting her nails done, taking Isabella to different parks, relaxing watching The Golden Girls, attending WWE wrestling events, and browsing through social media. You can find her posting stories and pictures of Isabella on Facebook, and Instagram. On Twitter you’ll find her tweeting about WWE wrestling, and trying to get The Rock to notice her (he has already tweeted her a few times in the past!) WWE is a common interest for her and her husband and they have attended many events in Ohio. They even made a trip to Texas in 2016 to attend the grandest stage of them all... WRESTLEMANIA! Lydia is excited to share her stories, and experiences as a first time mom with you. She knows she will learn a lot from everyone and hopes her stories can help others.