A recap series intro, and an answer to "Why are the Trapps in Texas?"

I realize that my lack of posting leaves quite a few questions lingering for the two of you readers left around here ;) For example, wasn't the wedding a year ago? And what about the bridal shower, bachelorette party and honeymoon? How did the pregnancy go? The baby shower was tea party themed, right? And weren't we in three different weddings in less than two months, spanning three different states? Didn't I promise to write Fiona's birth story soon? Yes, that's all true. And I need to write about all of those events.

...but can I just post a picture of my sweet baby instead? No?



I'm kidding of course. This blog is my family's record of our memories and milestones, and I know that I need to write these things for posterity's sake, even if I'm doing it a year too late. I may have to do generalized recaps instead of the detailed stories I wanted to tell, but life with an infant demands flexibility.

Let's get started in a random place, just to get the ball rolling. The most commonly asked question from friends and family is "What the heck are you guys doing in Texas?"

The answer is simple; we followed a job. Brian transitioned out of the active duty ranks of the Coast Guard, and we both spent the months leading up to Fiona's birth in a frantic hunt for work. At the time, I was spending my third trimester working my first government job for a fabulous boss, a former classmate of mine from grad school. Brian used a head hunter, who sent him to interviews in every random industry you could imagine.

One of those interviews led Brian to an interview in a suburb north of Dallas, with a company called Georgia-Pacific. A regional manager in the company's corrugated division wanted to start a leadership development program for young former military officers, since he himself graduated from Westpoint. Brian was selected in April, started in May, and signed the lease on our new rental home in June.



Needles to say, it was a whirlwind. We flew to Texas when Fiona was exactly two weeks old, and our house was still filled with unpacked boxes. We spent a brutal summer cooped up in the house to shield Fiona's poor sensitive skin from the 100+ degree heat, which lasted for over 40 days. I went from enjoying a professional work environment to being a full-time stay at home mom, and the transition was not easy. Brian works anywhere between 10-14 hours a day, and I spend a lot of time alone with Fiona. It has been HARD.

I joined a mom's group on Meetup.com, but the group only meets in the mornings. Since Brian's hours vary between noon - midnight, it doesn't seem fair to take Fiona away from him during the few hours he's actually home. While we've met some wonderful people here, our schedule simply doesn't work to accommodate a social life for me outside of the home.

On a lighter note, this is all temporary. Brian's program has him rotating into a new production facility each year for three years, so in 2012 and 2013 we will be living in new locations anyway. Our hope is to be in Nashville and Buffalo for the next two assignments, but it will all depend on the jobs available - much like the military.

I will be back with a separate post about my first impressions of Texas, including my first experience at a megachurch and the depressing monolith that is suburban sprawl, but that will have to wait for another night. Au revoir, darling friends.