Saturday, December 31, 2011

A recap of 2011

I can't believe 2011 is drawing to a close.

And I know I say it every year, but, wow, what a year. I think it's important, especially as I get older, to take a second to look back on the year. To be grateful for what we were given, to realize we made it through the tough times, and to be able to look forward at what's to come.

So here's goes our 2011 recap:

JANUARY

January literally started with a bang for us. Not only was I a bridesmaid in one of my best friends wedding on New Years Day, it was also the first time S and I stayed an entire night away from L. He stayed with my parents and we got a hotel room so we could stay out late and party with friends and not have to worry about what time we were getting home. We missed him, but I think it was a much needed night out for mommy and daddy, where we got to remember who we were before kids.


January was also the month we really started "trying" to give L a sibling!

FEBRUARY

February is a good month for me, not only is it Valentine's Day (And I don't care what anyone says, I love that commercialized, sappy holiday) but it is also my birthday. And this year, the day before I rang in 27, we found out we were expecting out second little monkey. Talk about an amazing birthday gift!


In February I also cut my hair and got bangs, for the first time since about 7th grade. I kind of really liked then, but the upkeep was a bit to much for me! And my little L just kept getting bigger and bigger and sweeter and sweeter!


MARCH

March was a big month, we took a trip to to my hometown of Reno, NV. It was freezing, but seeing Lake Tahoe surrounded by snow and watching L playing all bundled up in the yard I grew up playing in was very special for me.




I also got to catch up with old friends who I don't see nearly often enough. Best Friends. The kind of friends that you can not see for several years, but you can pick up right where you left off. I love these girls!


March also marked L's first haircut. This was a bittersweet moment for me. Special because it shows what a big boy he's becoming, and incredibly hard for the same reason. But he needed it. The child's hair was getting out of control!


March was also when we announced our pregnancy to family and friends. I'm actually amazed that I lasted that long, since I am a horrible secret keeper!

APRIL

In April my sister came out to visit with her husband and two beautiful boys. L loves his cousins and I love watching them all play together. Makes me wish more than anything we all lived close. And, amazingly, my sister told us on this trip that she was also pregnant, expecting her third child, and that our due dates were only two days apart!


April also got us out of the first trimester, thus marking the end of  morning sickness!


And lastly in April, S and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary!!!!


MAY

In May the baby bump started to really show and I celebrated my second Mother's Day!



JUNE

June brought in the hot Phoenix weather, and I realized how much more miserable being pregnant in the summer is when you have a toddler to chase around! Time at the splash pads helped ease the heat, even though L wasn't totally sure about the whole thing.



In June L also fully realized that he loves our animals. And that love hasn't faded, they are his best friends, even if they aren't always as down to play as he is!



We celebrated Father's Day for S, and it gave me a day to really reflect on how lucky I am to be married to a man who is such an amazing father!


And the high point of June was diffidently that we found out that baby #2 was a BOY!!!!!


JULY

In July we escaped the heat by heading down to California to visit my in-laws. S got to surf and take L to the ocean, and mommy got to take some time to relax. Good times had by all!




Also, S rang in the big 27!


AUGUST

August is when it really hit me that I wouldn't be going back to work, and I couldn't have been happier! I knew that I had made the right decision and I was loving staying home with L!

The big event in August was changing L's room to his big boy room and moving his nursery furniture into L2's room!  I was worried L might have some trouble adjusting, but he was fine with all his new furniture and he even helped Daddy put it all together!



 August also marked 30 weeks and the third trimester, and I was starting to be sick of being pregnant!



SEPTEMBER

In September my baby boy turned two. I still can't believe it. Because we were only about 6 weeks away from baby #2's arrival I had no energy to do a big party for L so we did a small gathering of a few friends.


 
My incredibly talented friend Ali also did an amazing maternity/family shoot for us we were thrilled with how the pictures turned out! (Although, really? Look how HUGE I am!!!!)




OCTOBER







NOVEMBER

November was a harder month as we settled into life as a family of four and I came to accept the reality that L2 probably was not going to be able to breastfeed. Devastating, but we kept moving forward and at the end of a hard month celebrated our first Thanksgiving with L2.



DECEMBER

December is usually my favorite month of the year, and this year did not disappoint me! We took our first trip as a family of four to California for S's family's annual Christmas party. It was good to see family and old friends and L got spoiled by his grandparents, aunts and uncles.








And now here we are, December 31st, 2011. I am excited to see what 2012 is going to bring us. S and I will both have our 10 year high school reunions (What?!!? How old does that make me feel!) I'm excited to see L2 grow and change and I'm excited not to be pregnant for an entire year!

Good things are coming, I can feel it! So Happy New Year to you and your families!!!!

Christmas Recap

The Christmas decorations have all been packed away, the Christmas music station has been removed from my radio favorites, the eggnog is gone, and the only rememants of the holiday are the still burning Christmas scented candles and the stray bow or scrap of wrapping paper I still keep stumbling upon.

Christmas is so momentous and special and amazing for me, and for a few days after I always feel a bit of a let down. A bit of sadness that it is over. But then I feel ready and renewed. I like getting the house back to it's normal state and getting us back into our daily routine. I get excited for the New Year and all the hope and promise that it will bring.

But, let's go back to Christmas for this post. I haven't posted anything since Christmas Eve, when we were busy putting together L's big tool bench gift.

Seeing this face, when he walked into the room and saw it in the corner for him, made my entire Christmas. It made me realize that this is really what it's all about.






Needless to say, the tool bench was an even bigger hit then I could have hoped for. He freaking loves it. But he also enjoyed all his other presents, and he helped all of us open ours too.





And when all was said and done our house looked like a tornado had gone through it and we had a baby passed out in all the mess.



 (L2 looks super pissed in this picture, but I swear he had a good Christmas too!)

And mommy got super spoiled this Christmas. Actually, one of the reasons it has taken me a few days to post about Christmas is because I have been so busy playing with my Christmas gifts!


So, until next year, we say "Goodbye" to Christmas. But, we have an amazing New Year to look forward to!