Good Morning, wonderful readers!

An Exciting New Chapter: Our Family is Growing!

For the past 15 weeks, I’ve been holding onto a beautiful, life-changing secret, and today, I couldn’t be more thrilled to finally share it with all of you. Our little family is about to get a whole lot bigger and even more joyful!

Yes, it’s true! Our sweet boy, Will, is going to be a big brother! Our family of three is joyfully preparing to become a family of four, with our newest little one expected to arrive in February. We are absolutely overjoyed and brimming with excitement as we anticipate this incredible new chapter in our lives. The thought of welcoming another tiny member into our home fills our hearts with immense happiness and a sense of wonder.

Navigating the First Trimester: A Journey of Highs and Lows

I am currently about 15 weeks along and feeling absolutely fantastic, which is a tremendous relief and a cause for celebration! The first trimester, as many of you who have experienced pregnancy know firsthand, can be a challenging rollercoaster of emotions and significant physical changes. While I’ve been incredibly fortunate to largely avoid the dreaded morning sickness that affects so many expectant mothers, my body has its own unique way of signalling the incredible work it’s doing behind the scenes: extreme exhaustion. This wasn’t just feeling a bit tired; it was a profound, bone-deep weariness that made even the simplest daily tasks feel monumental and utterly overwhelming.

This time around, the typical first-trimester fatigue was significantly compounded by a major lifestyle shift that occurred almost simultaneously with discovering my pregnancy. The very week I received the wonderful news, my daily commute transformed from a pleasant and manageable 15-minute drive to a grueling 45-minute journey, often stretching to an hour or more during peak traffic. Juggling the demands of a full-time job with a significantly longer commute, all while battling intense first-trimester exhaustion, certainly tested my resilience and energy levels to their limits. It felt like I was constantly running on fumes, dedicating every ounce of my physical and mental energy to simply making it through each day.

Beyond the pervasive fatigue, I also experienced a host of peculiar food aversions throughout the entire first trimester. Suddenly, many of my go-to healthy meals and long-time favorite ingredients became utterly unappetizing. The mere thought of cooking chicken or even preparing a simple, crisp salad would often make me feel nauseous and completely lose my appetite. There were countless evenings when I simply couldn’t bring myself to step into the kitchen, opting instead for whatever bland, comforting foods my body could tolerate – often toast, plain pasta, or just a bowl of cereal. It was a stark contrast to my usual passionate love for cooking and enthusiastically exploring new recipes and flavors.

Needless to say, reaching the second trimester has been an absolute breath of fresh air. The energy has gradually returned, the food aversions are slowly but surely fading into memory, and I’m finally beginning to feel much more like my usual, vibrant self again. This “honeymoon phase” of pregnancy truly lives up to its name, allowing me to fully embrace the joy, excitement, and anticipation of growing our family without the constant battle against debilitating fatigue and nausea. It’s a truly wonderful feeling to finally have the physical and mental capacity to not only tackle daily life with renewed vigor but also to start actively dreaming, planning, and preparing for our little one’s arrival in a more hands-on way.

Balancing A Cedar Spoon with New Beginnings

If you’ve noticed a slight decrease in the frequency of new recipes and engaging posts on A Cedar Spoon over the past few months, now you understand the heartfelt reason why! It has been genuinely disappointing and, at times, difficult for me to have to take a step back from a platform I pour so much love, creativity, and energy into. My blog, A Cedar Spoon, is far more than just a collection of delicious recipes; it’s a cherished creative outlet, a vibrant community, and a personal space where I share my deep passion for food, cooking, and family life with all of you.

However, during those challenging and often overwhelming first few months of pregnancy, my primary focus absolutely had to be on my health, my baby’s development, and simply making it through each full day of work, especially with that significantly extended commute. It was a tough but necessary decision to prioritize rest, self-care, and the well-being of our growing family over my usual meticulous blogging schedule. My body was working tirelessly behind the scenes to nurture new life, and I had to listen intently to its signals and demands, even if it meant temporarily scaling back on my online presence.

I’m incredibly grateful for your understanding, patience, and continued support during this quieter period. As I enthusiastically enter the second trimester with renewed energy and a clearer head, my sincere hope is to gradually ramp up my kitchen activity, rediscover my culinary spark, and bring you a fresh wave of delicious, inspiring recipes and engaging content that you’ve come to expect from A Cedar Spoon. I’m excited to get back to sharing my love for food with you all!

Interestingly, this baby already has a very distinct and delightful palate! Throughout the first trimester, when almost nothing sounded appealing or palatable, Italian dishes were often the only thing that truly satisfied my intense cravings and brought a smile to my face. So, you might just see a delightful surge of comforting pasta dishes, savory pizzas, rich risottos, and other authentic Italian-inspired comfort foods popping up on the blog in the coming months. Can you really blame this little one for having such excellent, discerning taste? I certainly can’t! It’s been a fun and unexpected culinary journey trying to adapt my usual cooking style to accommodate these specific cravings, and I’m genuinely excited to share those delicious discoveries and new favorite recipes with all of you.

I promise to keep you updated on our exciting journey and share more behind-the-scenes glimpses as we eagerly prepare for our new arrival. A Cedar Spoon will continue to be a trusted source of inspiration for your kitchen, evolving organically as our family grows and our culinary adventures expand to include new tastes and experiences. Thank you for being part of this wonderful community!

Anticipating Fall Flavors and Cherished Family Moments

In other exciting news that’s just around the corner and fills me with joy, I’m absolutely thrilled that autumn is almost here! Fall brings with it an unparalleled sense of coziness, cherished traditions, and an abundance of my absolute favorite seasonal ingredients. I can hardly wait to dive back into the kitchen with renewed enthusiasm and start whipping up all things pumpkin, apple, and a wide array of comforting, heartwarming dishes that truly nourish the body and soul.

Think rich, hearty stews simmering on the stovetop, aromatic baked goods filling the house with their sweet scents, spiced drinks warming us from the inside out, and nourishing casseroles perfect for crisp evenings – the kind of wholesome, soul-satisfying food that effortlessly brings families and friends together around the dining table. Fall is inherently a season of harvest, quiet reflection, and a natural preparation for the colder months ahead, and its distinctive flavors and ingredients perfectly complement the nesting instincts that beautifully emerge during pregnancy. I envision sharing many new recipes that celebrate these seasonal delights, from classic, flaky apple pies and moist pumpkin breads to innovative twists on autumnal vegetables and comforting, creamy soups that are absolutely perfect for chilly evenings by the fire.

This year, fall feels even more profoundly special and meaningful as we eagerly prepare to welcome a new family member into our lives. It’s a precious time to savor these remaining moments as a close-knit family of three, create new and lasting traditions, and build excitement and anticipation for our February arrival. We’re already thinking and talking with Will about how he will wholeheartedly embrace his important role as a big brother, sharing stories and preparing him for the wonderful, joyful changes ahead. Seeing his growing excitement and sweet curiosity adds yet another layer of profound happiness to this already incredible journey.

Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for being such a wonderful, understanding, and incredibly supportive community. Your kind messages, thoughtful comments, and continued engagement mean the world to me and fuel my passion. Stay tuned for many more exciting updates, more delicious and inspiring recipes, and more glimpses into our beautiful, expanding family adventure!

Julia