I think everyone would agree that January felt like the longest month ever. Health My year started off with a nasty bout of mastitis and I ended up in the... The post Letter from TeriLyn – January 2025 appeared first on TeriLyn Adams.

I think everyone would agree that January felt like the longest month ever.

Health

My year started off with a nasty bout of mastitis and I ended up in the emergency room on New Year’s Eve. NYE is definitely overrated, but spending it at the hospital is definitely not recommended. Once I got that under control, I was still dealing with breast pain. I had my annual mammogram scheduled, and that came back abnormal, so I went for more testing–which included a 3D mammogram and ultrasound. My breast tissue is extremely dense, so they recommended a breast MRI, which I still haven’t had.

They think the pain is just muscle tightness from breastfeeding and being so tense when dealing with pain during mastitis, but they want to be certain. The dumbest thing I could do is ignore pain and not have additional testing to rule things out since if something is wrong, it’s very wrong. Our insurance is terrible so the tests are adding up, but I’d rather have peace of mind.

I also saw my rheumatologist in January for a follow-up, and additional testing showed that I don’t have lupus. I do still have elevated autoimmune markers, but my symptoms are under control since cutting out gluten, so he said we’ll just monitor things, and if I have another crazy flare, we’ll dig into some things then.

In terms of working out, I’m hardly running simply because I don’t feel like it, but I’m enjoying strength training, pilates and the peloton. 30-minute workouts are my jam lately.

Family

We celebrated Charles’ first birthday at the end of January! I swear the first year of his life went by a lot faster than Thomas’. I think partially because life is just busier with two kids but also because it felt a lot easier in many ways than it did with Thomas (mostly because Charles sleeps so much better), and time flies when you’re having more fun. He’s not a perfect sleeper (he still wakes up 2-3 times a night), but he almost always falls asleep on his own. I’m so thankful for Molly from Sleep Shore – I’ve worked with her for 3 years, and the peace of mind it gives me to have a sleep consultant in my back pocket is huge. (Literally in my back pocket – she does text support for previous sleep training clients.)

The other thing that’s been on my mind a lot is returning to counseling. I’ve alluded to it quite a bit but haven’t ever shared the whole story, and I’m not sure I ever will, but the short of it is that I almost died after having Charles. I went to counseling for trauma the first few months after I got home and felt like I was in a good place, but after mastitis landed me back in the hospital, I realized I’m still not where I want to be, mentally. I had a PTSD episode (which hadn’t happened in a while), and there are also things I avoid because I’m scared or because I physically can’t make myself do it (like touching the robe I was wearing in the hospital). So, I’m going to make an appointment with my therapist and resume counseling.

One thing that I’ve realized I think about over and over is how thankful I am that I am Charles’ safe place. When he falls asleep on me or reaches for me, I am overwhelmed with gratitude that I’m here and that I’m his safe place (it’s odd, but that’s the term that just comes to mind). He’s definitely a daddy’s boy (he says dada all day long but still won’t say momma, rude), but something about the way he curls up on me after nursing reminds me of how I felt when they gave him back to me after my surgery in the hospital. And I think what I really am feeling is that he is my safe space. Thomas is my safe space. Motherhood is my safe space.

I love working, like really really love it. But I want to make sure I prioritize time to be fully present as a mom because these years are so fleeting. As much as I love our nanny and am beyond thankful for her (she is truly part of the family), I don’t want to feel like she gets to make all the memories with the boys. It’s such a tricky balance. But part of the reason I wanted to work for myself in the first place was the flexibility to spend time with my family, and I don’t feel like I’ve been prioritizing that. So I need to.

I also want to focus on spending more time with friends and family. Part of the reason I feel like we are supposed to live in Winston (vs. moving to Boone) is because of the very close network we have here. I need to not take it for granted, especially since Thomas LOVES his cousins and Charles LOVES my brother.

On a lighter note, the weather is going to be gorgeous in the next few weeks, and I want to get out and enjoy it with the boys!! With the goal in mind of spending intentional time with the boys, I closed my computer and took Thomas to the golf course yesterday since Tommy was out there with his dad. It was short-lived but special. I’m so happy he’s starting to love golf again.

Work

January is always a slow month for work, and it feels especially jarring after the craziness of Q4. But I still had a couple of fun partnerships!

• Lands End – their towels are LEGIT. Tommy and I both I like them better than the pricier ones we have, which I can’t believe.
• Colleen Rothschild — still the GOAT.
• Newa – I liked it a lot but I’m not confident it’s breastfeeding safe so I’m holding off on using it more often.

While sponsored posts were light, I did get some really fun products gifted to me. These were my favorites!

• Boden – you can see the cardigans they sent here, here and here.
• Nuuds – their loungewear is unreal – see my review here.
• Tuckernuck Jelly Sandals – I’ll be curious to see how easily I can style them!
• Lilly Pulitzer – are they making a comeback?? I used to love it when Tommy and I started dating.
• Bose – I picked out these earbuds to see if I like them since I don’t use noise-cancelling headphones that often.
• Larroude – I absolutely love their ballet flats and boots. This is the pair I chose from the most recent gifting.
• Skinny Confidential – It has a gross name, but I love this tool they sent.
• Omika — the dress they sent is GORGEOUS.
• Pistola denim — they’re sending pink jeans – I can’t wait!!!
• Good American – Sadly the pairs I got were NOT flattering.
• Ring Concierge – I feel so legit that they reached out. The hoops I got are UNREAL.
• Mejuri – always a dream partnership, and the pieces they sent this time are so pretty. Sneak peek here! (And my full Mejuri review is here.)

Okay, both boys are up, so I had better run! (I’ve been up since 4 am but hey, at least I fell asleep at 9 last night. I was exhausted! Now that Charles is eating solids, I’ve started taking this CBD at night again, and I seem to be sleeping deeper, which is great.)

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