Reflecting on 2021.

Okay, didn’t I literally just hit “publish” on my year in review for 2020? How are we closing the book on 2021 already? (Ahem, since I’m finishing this post well into January, the book has been closed for about a week. Whoops.)

Twenty twenty-one was one of the most challenging years of my life, truth be told, but it was also incredibly rewarding and beautiful and life-giving. And unlike 2020, it went by in a blink.

Here are the moments that defined my year:

I put aside my nutrition consulting business and joined forces with Amanda from the Hormone Healing RD.

You may or may not have noticed that my nutrition consulting website is now offline, and that’s because I stopped taking clients of my own at the beginning of the year. (I’ll be moving most of the content to this site eventually, and making a separate wellness section for those of you interested in reading about health!) As sad as I was to say goodbye to With Candor Wellness, working with a team is where I thrive—and when the opportunity to join Hormone Healing RD presented itself, it felt like divine providence.

Amanda Montalvo is a women’s health dietitian who specializes in hormones, metabolic function, and hair mineral testing. I found her through Instagram—if you don’t already follow her, you totally should!—and began working with her personally when Jude was about 6 months old to support my thyroid. She’s a wealth of knowledge, and something of a trailblazer in the wellness space, which made it all the more exciting when she hired me on as her Clinical Nutrition Assistant. My tasks run the gamut from social media management and newsletter writing to interpreting functional lab test results and building online course presentations. We even started a podcast together (see more on this below)!

January will mark a whole year of being on her team, and it’s been an incredible learning experience thus far. Not to mention a ton of fun. We somehow managed to sneak away for two separate “work” weekends this year—first in Wimberley and then in McKinney—which were really more like mini vacations.

I underwent my second gum graft surgery.

Not altogether noteworthy, but it happened and I’m glad it’s over. Sucks to have receding gums! (My first graft was in 2017, and I’m hoping this one was my last.)

My blog got a much needed makeover.

This humble little blog of mine got a new home and design last year, thanks to Meagen of Forth and Wild Studio, and I’m still obsessed with it. I’ve been known to get bored with my blog design and tinker with it often, but I don’t think I’ll tire of this one anytime soon. It’s simple and timeless, and feels very much like me.

Baby #2 was on her way.

After miscarrying in October of 2020, we didn’t have high hopes to see the pink double lines again so soon. But lo and behold, God had different plans: By mid-January, we were expecting our rainbow baby! In March, genetic testing confirmed that we were having a girl, which surprised me; for some reason, I thought we were going to have another boy! Jude’s sister was on her way, and our lives were about to change drastically once again.

I spent three-fourths of 2021 growing a baby, so I guess you could say that this pregnancy pretty much dominated my year. Not a negative, as I generally enjoy being pregnant.

We survived winter storm Uri and the Texas power crisis.

Valentine’s Day was interesting, to say the least. At first, the winter wonderland was a welcome change of scenery: Jude loved playing in the snow, and we got a kick out of witnessing his thrill. But as the temperature continued to drop—getting down to a frigid 10 degrees on the coldest day—shit hit the fan in our poorly-prepared state. Everyone we knew in DFW and Houston experienced sporadic or complete power loss, and most households went without water as well or had flooding due to busted pipes. Talk about a nightmare.

Our electricity was on and off for a few days, and we didn’t have any hot water for about 48 hours. That was the extent of the catastrophe for us, more of an inconvenience than anything. The terrible things I saw on social media—like ceilings collapsing in on themselves and personal belongings floating through flooded hallways—absolutely broke my heart and made me appreciate just how lucky we were to have gotten through this freak winter storm unscathed. Sadly, I know of less fortunate folks that are still recovering.

What’s crazy to me (but shouldn’t be by now) is that, less than a week later, it was 60 degrees outside and sunny. See the comparison below, taken only several days apart:

I saw a therapist for the first time ever.

There were some major feelings of anxiety cropping up around certain areas of my life that I wanted to work through in 2021, and I figured I should give therapy a go. So I took to the interwebs and found an amazing Catholic therapist in Coppell who agreed to meet with me in person once a week. Even though she made me feel comfortable right off the bat, after five or six sessions, it occurred to me that I was paying someone a lot of money to do what my closest girlfriends and I do for each other for free: listen, empathize, relate, repeat.

I totally understand why so many people swear by professional counseling, but I ultimately decided that—as nice as it was to be able to talk openly and honestly about my personal struggles—our (expensive) time together wasn’t really providing much in the way of long-term solutions. I will say, though, I’m glad to have this resource in my back pocket in case I want to try again someday.

We traveled to Rayne twice in the spring and then again in the summer.

It’s always a good time when we’re able to make the six-hour trek to our family farm (which is really 7-8 hours with a stop or two for food, exercise, and diaper changes) so that we can catch up with my huge extended family. Every moment is a party; even out in the middle of nowhere, there’s no such thing as a quiet day in Rayne.

We love it, Jude in particular. He loves it so much, in fact, that he happily spent a whole week and a half there again by himself in October. It was his first time going anywhere overnight without us, but you’d have never guessed! There were zero bouts of homesickness, according to Kacki and Pappy, who kept him super busy. The boy was living his best life mowing their lawn and riding on the “big tractor” with Pap as often as he could. This picture perfectly sums up his stay:

Jude paid his first visit to the emergency room.

On Easter Sunday, no less! It was only for a minor cut in the crease of his thumb—zero stitches required, thank goodness—an injury he got from running around outside with a small metal table, in typical Jude-like fashion. Hardly a huge deal, but after being in the car for hours (driving back from Rayne), all three of us were very tired and grumpy by this point. Luckily, the clinic was empty and it didn’t take long to get him properly bandaged up before heading home. Kid was a trooper through the whole ordeal. (Me and Scott, less so.)

We ate a LOT of sourdough-crusted pizza.

I’m the girl who kept a sourdough starter alive just to make pizza once a week. No bread, no baked goods—just pizza on repeat. Scott was 100% on board with this plan, so it became our Friday night ritual.

If you want the crust recipe, Amanda’s is my go-to. As for pizza toppings, this arugula tomato cheese pizza by Half-Baked Harvest was my favorite.

This year, my goal is to finally try my hand at baking actual bread!

Jude started part-time daycare (and loved it).

Not gonna lie, so did Mama. Once April hit and our energetic 18-month old had dropped his second nap, I quickly realized that working from home with a budding toddler just wasn’t gonna happen without help.

We originally planned on hiring a nanny, but when we heard that Jude’s neighbor and bestie, Bennett, was enrolling in a nearby daycare (and that they were offering a huge discount!), we immediately set up an in-person tour and registered him for the following Monday. For three days a week from 8:30am to 12:30pm, Jude went to “school” while I worked from a coffee shop—a lovely arrangement that benefitted the both of us. An extrovert to the nth degree, it took no time at all for him to grow attached to his teachers and look forward to playing with his classmates. Plus, it was amazing as parents to see how much he was learning and growing over time.

If it weren’t for the frequent illnesses (#iykyk), we wouldn’t have taken him out. But with a vulnerable baby coming right before the start of flu season, we decided to play it safe and remove him from his class in August. He did end up “graduating” from his toddler program with Bennett, though, and the director ensured us he was always welcome back.

Since then, we’ve been using a sitter (that we found on Care.com) who is great with Jude and watches him a few hours a week while I tend to Ayla, catch up on household chores, and dabble in work. My official maternity leave ends this week, though, and we’re not sure if we’ll resume daycare in 2022 or not—but fingers crossed things work out the way they’re supposed to!

We booked a babymoon to the Riviera Maya, but opted for a staycation in Grapevine instead.

This is probably my biggest regret of 2021. Not that our time spent in Grapevine wasn’t lovely, but the one thing my pregnant self craved most was sun, sand, and sea. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t have cancelled our romantic Mexican getaway. We did it to be cautious around Covid, both for our sakes and Jude’s, but after talking to a number of neighbors and friends who have safely traveled to one of Mexico’s pristine beaches since then, it sounds like we majorly missed out. You live, you learn!

Scott and I got #vaccinated.

I am not anti-vaxx by any means, but I’ll admit I had some questions about the mRNA vaccines when they first became available. I wanted to know exactly how they worked, if they were truly effective, and what could possibly go wrong—you know, all of the questions that naturally come to anyone with a brain. I can’t tell you how many hours I spent researching, discussing, and contemplating the choice to get vaccinated, but Scott and I ultimately decided to do it for the safety of our daughter. I was terrified of what might happen to our unborn baby if I came down with Covid while pregnant, and the anxiety of not being “protected” seemed far worse than any side effects from the jab itself. Thankfully, my reaction to both shots were typical—injection site pain, lethargy, body aches (specifically in my legs), overall feeling of blah—and Scott didn’t experience any side effects at all.

I’m going to get flack for saying this, but if I’m being completely honest, my skepticism surrounding the safety of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines has since grown. I am all for trusting the science, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that the science is being skewed to push a specific agenda. For example, a number of serious adverse reactions were/are not being accurately reported and disclosed to the public—here’s just one of many sad cases—and without accurate data, how is anyone supposed to make an informed decision? Whether that’s the fault of pharma, big tech, the media, or the government, I’m not completely sure; but my guess is that all four are partially to blame for ushering in this new age of censorship and suppression.

Here’s the thing: I don’t care if we’re talking about vaccines or something else, I 100% believe in informed consent when it comes to healthcare, and the “information” that’s being widely shared across the globe right now is suspiciously one-sided—unless you take a closer look. There’s just too much shady stuff going down, and it seems less and less like science by the day and more like manipulation. But I’m getting carried away, y’all; that’s a topic for another day!

Even with most of our family members and friends fully vaccinated, Covid continued to run rampant. It’s all around us still, 730 days into this freaking pandemic. And, like everyone else, I’m so over it.

All that said, do I regret getting the vaccine? No, and I pray I never do. I still think, for many people, it’s going to prove to be more helpful than harmful. But each person should be allowed to make that decision for themselves without coercion or pressure. I don’t support vaccine mandates, and until I know more (of the truth), I won’t be getting a booster.

I read 11 books total.

Not bad! My top picks were The Guest List by Lucy Foley and The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother by Heng Ou.

Scott’s family was our refuge.

I know I’ve said this before, but I seriously have the best in-laws, and the fact that they’re all in Dallas makes me eternally grateful. Not only do Mimi and Papa routinely take Jude so that Scott and I can have a break, but we often get together to share meals, have playdates, celebrate birthdays and holidays, and just hang out! Life with family around is simply better.

I co-hosted a women’s health podcast.

In June, Amanda and I put out our first season of the Are You Menstrual? Podcast, a podcast on all things women’s health! Each episode is based on a different topic, ranging from period pain to PCOS, in which we share our own perspectives using nutrition, female physiology, and metabolic health. We wanted a way to help women wade through conflicting health information and empower them on their healing journey, and it turned out to be a huge success. So far, the podcast has had 140,000 downloads! If you’re someone who struggles with symptoms or just wants to learn more about their body, I hope you’ll give it a listen.

There were tons of play dates at the park.

I mean, tons. We’ve been to every park in Frisco multiple times. Such is life with a toddler, am I right?

We also kept things exciting with impromptu trips to the aquarium, zoo, splash pad, and trampoline gym! Jude’s days as an only child were numbered, and we wanted to spend as much quality time with him as we could before he became a big bro.

We welcomed two new nephews, one in June and one in August.

Our families are a-growin’! Jax and Bryce have already made our world a thousand times brighter, and I can’t wait to see the relationship between Jude and his two younger (boy) cousins flourish. They’re gonna be obsessed with each other, I just know it!

I chopped my hair.

Something I’ve been wanting to do for ages, and it felt so good. Of course, short hair never lasts long on me—I’m already bored with it and growing it out again (to Scott’s relief)!

Scott started working for another company.

After five years of being a Program Manager for an IT company, he’s now trying his hand at technology consulting. So far, so good.

**We finished watching Friends and Schitt’s Creek.**

Two very different sitcoms, both iconic for their time. Friends was funny, but David Rose is my everything.

Other shows I said farewell to this year: Vampire Diaries (finally!), The Haunting of Hill House (perfect for October), Younger (so fun), Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (do not recommend), and The Bold Type (my ultimate guilty pleasure).

My soul sisters and I reunited after almost two years apart.

Kristen moved to Germany three Decembers ago, and until Jane’s baptism party this past summer, we hadn’t even met each other’s babies! It's surreal seeing my childhood best friends as parents, but it's also an incredible thing to witness. Our lives are constantly evolving, seemingly at a faster pace than ever, yet there's a comfort in knowing that even when our kids are 30 and long gone—living their own lives and having their own kids—we'll still be the same us, as if no time has passed at all.

I joined a moms’ group at my church.

I’ve been looking for a community like this ever since we moved to Frisco in 2016, and unbeknownst to me, it was right under my nose the whole time. They coordinate monthly meetings, bible studies, playdates for the kids, girls’ nights out, and more. I joined right before Ayla was born, so I haven’t been as active as I would like, but the events that I have been able to attend have been life-giving—and the moms I’ve met so far are welcoming and wonderful. Turns out, one of them even went to Texas A&M with Scott and is friends with many of his old college buds!

I really want to get more involved in 2022, because I’ve found that I’m my most fulfilled self when I regularly lean on like-minded women for support. And as a new mother of two, I need as much support as I can get.

My cul-de-sac ladies continued to bring me so much joy.

I mentioned in this post that one of the things I was proudest of in 2020 was starting a book club for the women on my cul-de-sac. While we managed to read a few books this year, the real magic came in the way of conversation and connection. Anytime I need a hand (or a glass of wine), these girls got my back. All I have to do is step outside my front door. Case in point: A highlight of my year was the surprise baby sprinkle they threw for me in August! They are a true godsend.

Ayla Maren was born in late September.

Obviously the best thing to come out of 2021 was our Ayla girl! She arrived fast and furious a few minutes after midnight on September 29th, and we’ve been head-over-heels ever since. (You can read her birth story here!)

Her first few months earthside were so sweet. We’ve utilized more of an attachment-style parenting method with her, which has looked like almost round-the-clock nursing, cuddling, and contact napping—perfect for the cozy winter months. Now that’s she’s a little older, and I’ll be working from home, my goal is to settle into more of a structured routine soon (and maybe get my side of the bed back at night). I can already tell that her personality is completely different than Jude’s, which will make for an interesting family dynamic in the future.

Our family of four dressed up as Cruella, Jasper, and their pups for Halloween.

I had to give this a mention, because—as much as I obsess over Halloween—it’s actually unlike me to go all out on costumes. But we did it big this year, and I was so glad we did! Guess you could say I was feeling inspired, and I owe it to Disney’s new live-action film Cruella (my favorite flick of ‘21).

Here’s a professional photo of us taken at Our Well House’s fall festival, in which we were the only ones dressed up. Definitely made me feel like Playboy Bunny Elle Woods at the casual house party. LOL.

We took the kiddos trick-or-treating around our neighborhood with Scott’s family on Halloween night, and for only his second time, Jude was a natural! He insisted on grabbing fistfuls of candy at every doorstep and going back for seconds and thirds. By the end of the night, he had filled up his bucket to the brim. I thought I adored this spooky holiday before, but Halloween with kids is a hoot.

I turned 30(!), Jude turned two, and Scott turned 34—all in a span of a couple months.

Back-to-back birthdays for the win! We have a lot to celebrate in the fall, and this year especially, my heart was so full from September through November. We toasted to our 6th wedding anniversary, my 30th birthday, and Scott’s 34th birthday on three separate occasions at our newly discovered Frisco haunt: J. Theodore Restaurant, and its sister 1920s-style speakeasy, Rare Books Bar. My dad and siblings joined us to celebrate Scott's birthday while my mom and godmother stayed home with the babes, and this was one of my most cherished memories of 2021.

It’s hard to believe that my firstborn is two! With my mom’s help, we hosted Jude’s construction-themed birthday party in our backyard, where our closest friends and family members showed up to mingle over Chick-fil-A nuggs and cupcakes, and shower the Judebug with attention. Even suffering from a cold, our little guy did not let anything slow him down: He played outside for four hours straight and stuffed his face with cake like a true birthday boy. (Fortunately for us, his nap that afternoon was also epic.)

My family came to town twice, to meet Ayla and again to celebrate her baptism.

These two fall weekends had to be the most memorable of the year for me. The first visit included a surprise visit from my oldest brother, a morning at the pumpkin patch (our first outing with Ayla), afternoon drinks at Union Bear Brewing Co., and Scott’s crawfish étouffée.

We didn’t travel to Rayne for the holidays this year, so having my fam in Dallas again for a short stint between Thanksgiving and Christmas was such a welcome blessing. Aside from Ayla’s baptism and after-party, we ate gumbo, watched the LSU vs A&M football game, and held a contest for best spiked eggnog (Jason and my dad tied).

Another holiday-related note: I watched Love Hard on Netflix recently and really enjoyed it! Normally I can’t stand cheesy Christmas rom-coms, but this one was just so cute and funny. I think I’ll add it to my annual rotation of December movies.

I learned what it takes to be a mom of two.

Needless to say, I’m still learning. (And failing. And learning some more.) Truthfully, every day of being a mother of multiples is a new lesson in patience, sacrifice, and letting go of perfection. This whole experience has reinforced what I already knew to be true about mothers: that they are insanely amazing—superheroes, really—and deserve every ounce of our respect. I’m convinced that parenting littles is the hardest thing I’ll ever do, and I’m both humbled and grateful that God entrusted me with two precious human beings of my own to raise, care for, and love unconditionally. It truly is a wild ride, and I’m here for it.

Twenty twenty-two, you won’t be a cakewalk. But you might just be the year I come into my own—as wife, mom, and woman-in-progress.

Enjoy this recap? Revisit my reflection on 2020.