Reflection 38: Seasons of Closeness and Change

Parenting moves in seasons.

Lately, we have been in one that feels both beautiful and stretching at the same time.

We have noticed a shift in our son. He has become more clingy, more aware of when we leave, and more sensitive to changes in our routine. And if I am being honest, I think a lot of that connects to changes we made over the past several months.

When I switched jobs back in October, everything shifted. My schedule changed. I started leaving earlier and getting home later. I was no longer able to pick him up from daycare as often, and the time we had together in the evenings became more limited.

For the first couple years of his life, I was his person. We had built a strong bond through daily routines, play, and just being together. So when that suddenly changed, even if it was necessary, it impacted him.

And I can feel it.

At the same time, something else has been happening. He has grown closer to Kierston in a really beautiful way. During pregnancy, she did not always have the energy to engage with him the way she wanted to, so naturally he leaned more on me. Now, that bond between them is growing stronger, and I am truly grateful for that.

But transitions are not always easy.

They affect children more deeply than we sometimes realize. Stability matters. Consistency matters. And when routines shift, even for good reasons, there is often an adjustment period that comes with it.

This season has stretched us in other ways too.

Right now, we are all sharing a room. Sleep is not always great. There are interruptions, little feet kicking in the night, and early wake ups that come whether we are ready or not. It was not the original plan, but it became a practical choice.

Do we prioritize perfect routines, or do we prioritize rest and closeness in a season that already feels full?

So we adjusted.

Some nights are frustrating. Some mornings feel exhausting. And yes, it has stretched our marriage in certain ways, especially when it comes to rest, time together, and just having space.

But there is another side to it.

There is something deeply comforting about the closeness. About knowing our children feel safe enough to be near us. About seeing their dependence, not as an inconvenience, but as a reflection of trust.

In a season where we do not always get as much time together during the day, even that closeness at night feels like a small gift.

We are also learning to be more intentional with our time.

We have started creating space for our marriage again, including attending a retreat and talking about ways to consistently invest in our relationship. One idea we have been considering is allowing our kids to spend a weekend with their grandparents each month. Not just to give us time to reconnect, but to help our children build strong relationships with them too.

Those are relationships that matter.

I look back on my own childhood and remember how meaningful that time with my grandparents was. Those moments shaped me in ways I did not fully understand at the time. And I want that for our kids too.

Every season asks something different of us.

Right now, this one is asking for flexibility. It is asking for sacrifice. It is asking for patience.

It is asking us to let go of what we thought things would look like and embrace what God has placed in front of us instead.

Because life rarely unfolds exactly how we planned.

But God is still present in the middle of it.

He is in the long nights.
He is in the shifting routines.
He is in the moments of exhaustion and the moments of unexpected joy.

Parenting is not about getting everything perfectly right. It is about showing up, adjusting when needed, and continuing to trust that God is working through every season.

So we pivot.
We adjust.
We keep praying.

And we trust that even in the stretching, God is shaping our family into something stronger than we could have planned on our own.