As you know, towards the end of August we were counting the minutes until our baby arrived. Thankfully, our little one, Dahlia, arrived on August 31, 2021. She is a beautiful, healthy baby girl and she has completely changed our world.
Meet Dahlia
Let us formally introduce you to Dahlia. She was born 7 lbs. 14 oz. at 8:54 p.m. on August 31. From the moment we met her, she amazed us both.
Of course, there have been plenty of ups and downs. Labor was not easy. I was technically in labor a little over 32 hours and in the hospital four days. Breastfeeding was extremely difficult and caused me a great deal of anxiety. We’ve had to address the cost of formula, find a formula that sits well with her, pacifier or no pacifier, swing or no swing, and the list of decisions and concerns goes on. But, from what I understand, that’s parenthood. We are just along for the ride!
Right now, she is a little over two months old and sleeps really well. Both of us are adjusting to our new lives as parents who work from home. Kids change your life in so many amazing ways. Of course, I went through the life-changing experience of giving birth, but we have also brought a life into this world who is so special to us both. Neither of us knew we could love anyone as much as we love our little girl. As we look to what’s next for us, she is at the center of every decision, every move we are making.
What This Means For Our Debt Free Journey
Preparing for Dahlia’s arrival was our main focus throughout 2021. We’ve been stocking up on things, saving money, and paying for medical care to get her here safely. All of our prep work paid off well. We have been prepared for just about everything that has been thrown our way since she arrived. As far as our debt freedom journey goes, it is still slow moving. However, our journey has a whole new meaning now.
Now, our debt-free journey is about providing a more financially stable environment for our child, something we both lacked growing up. It gives us a new sense of purpose and more urgency behind paying down and paying off our debts. At the beginning of the year, we will be shifting our focus to paying off large sums on our car loan. After that, we will focus the efforts on student loans and small debts. That is our plan for now. The sooner we are debt-free the sooner we are able to look at buying a home and building the life we picture for our family.
To me, this is the magic of the debt-free community. Everyone has their reasons behind their journey. Some people want to be financially free, others want to avoid hardship (because they’ve been there), and people like us want to build a positive, health environment for their families.
What is the reason you decided to pursue debt freedom?
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