Happy Valentine's from the Priest Family!

Happy Valentine’s Day, friends! 

We hope this note finds you well and surrounded by love. It’s been quite the year for our family, full of growth, adventure, and a whole lot of chaos (mostly the good kind!). I guess we just do Valentine’s Day notes instead of New Year's notes, and we’re okay with that. :) 

We started the year getting to know the first wonderful new addition to the family: Diggory (aka Digs), the cuddliest, single-blue-eyed German Shepherd super-mutt rescue you ever did see. Between puppy training, keeping up with Zephyr (now 3!), finishing our home renovation (finally!), and preparing for baby #2, the first few months of the year were a whirlwind. Just two weeks before the big arrival, Zephyr decided to put our parenting resilience to the test with a trifecta of impetigo, hand-foot-and-mouth, and a perforated eardrum. As always, his comedic timing is impeccable.

On April 1st (no joke!), we welcomed Halcyon “Halcie” Yvie Priest into the world. She arrived perfectly healthy at 8 lbs 14 oz, but Miranda had a uterine rupture that led to an unexpected eight-day hospital stay. That full story is here if you want all the messy details. The silver lining? Her last day in the hospital coincided with the total solar eclipse, a truly magical moment after an extremely challenging week for everyone. With the love and support of family, and Alex’s heroic family management, she made a full recovery within a month.

Halcyon—named for the Greek myth of the kingfisher bird that calms the wind over the seas—has lived up to her name beautifully. She is the happiest, sweetest, most delightfully squishable baby. We spent the summer soaking her in and introducing her around here in Austin as Miranda’s strength came back.

For the month of September, we took both kids on a month-long adventure across Europe, and while we were nervous, it was a dreamy trip. We biked through Copenhagen and spent hours riding the pirate ship ride at Tivoli. We went boating down Amsterdam’s canals, explored the Antwerp zoo and food scene (The Jane is one of our all-time favorite restaurants now), and wandered Budapest (a hidden gem!). We danced all night at our friends’ wedding in Tuscany, and we ended the trip on the Thames in London. Zeph is a loving and benevolent big brother, and both kids proved to be surprisingly adaptable travelers. 

This fall, Alex co-founded a new aerospace business with one of his oldest friends—more on that in next year’s update! These kids are changing so fast, but as of today, Hal is crawling, has three teeth and two bulgy gums, and is babbling up a storm. Zeph is in daycare at our amazing Jewish Community Center, and he loves dance parties, snacks, and "Miss Polly Had a Dolly" (iykyk). Beyond our growing family, we’ve deepened our love for Austin’s music and food scenes and the amazing people that make this place feel truly like home. 

As always, if there’s anything we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to call on us. And if you’re ever passing through or wanting to plan a trip to Austin, let us know—we’d love to see you!

Wishing you all a Valentine’s Day filled with joy, warmth, and plenty of chocolate.

With love,
Miranda, Alex, Zephyr, Halcyon & Digs

P.S. Miranda wrote out her pregnancy tips here, and we've listed out some of our favorite kiddo products here. Feel free to share with anyone you think might benefit!