SWW

Today is my first SWW of 2013 and after a couple week break I have a lot to say So What to!

 

So what if:

 

-We still have our tree up. We took off the decorations (except for the lights) so that's progress I guess.

 

-I'm completely exhausted from my "vacation" last week. Between Christmas and prepping for Hunters party I'm wiped. Work would have been more relaxing.

 

-I'm a bit excited to be back at work today. I love my child but staying home with him wears me out. Stay-at-home mom material I am not.

 

-I was in bed by 10pm on New Years Eve. Hunter was up bright and early at 6am ready for the day so I was glad I didn't stay up past midnight. Watching the ball drop ain't all the exciting to me.

 

-I'm very happy that most of the guests to Hunters party aren't on Pinterest or read blogs because I looked like a creative genius with my food and decorations.

 

-The amount of toys in my living room right now is causing me massive anxiety. I need some toy storage ASAP.

 

-I don't have any real New Years resolutions. I think they are pretty silly, if you want to change yourself just do it, don't wait until Jan 1st to do it. Too much pressure.

 

-I snickered at the news of Kim Kardashian being pregnant. 1. why would you willingly reproduce with Kanye West? 2. Could you really not wait until you're officially divorced from your husband of 72 days before getting knocked up by another douchebag? 3. Why to upstage poor Jessica Simpson.

 

Happy New Year! 

Another year in the books

Well it's the last day of 2012 and this year has probably been one of the quickest of my life. It's true what they say about having a baby...the days are long but the years are short. I'm not going to do an official 2012 recap because well...I don't have the time or frankly the motivation. That's the beauty of the archives.

If I had to sum up 2012 though, it would be the year of the baby. When I look back on this year as a whole I will think about how it was Hunters first year of life and my first year as a mother. Everything else that happened this year, to be honest, is a blur. I don't know if that's good or not.

The cool thing about having a New Years baby is that even though he's only one year old, as of tomorrow he will have been alive during 3 different years already. Granted he only got to experience a day and a half of 2011 but it still counts right? This year will most definitely be remembered as one of the most challenging, exhausting and happiest of my life. In fact the past two years have been fantastic, which scares me a bit, with every high there has to eventually come a low. But I'm hoping the low won't be 2013 and we'll continue to have our health and happiness through the new year. The past few years have been busy with getting married, buying a house, getting a dog, pregnancy and having a baby. I'm actually really hoping for no major life events in 2013. I just want to enjoy my little family and savor every moment.

And as for what my plans are this New Years? Well I can tell you it won't be anything as exciting or scary as last year when I spent midnight on New Years Eve in the NICU with my day old son. Though he's still my cutest NYE date ever (sorry Kristian).

After an exhausting week of FIVE Christmas celebrations and Hunters birthday party (which was far more work than I anticipated) and staying up late to watch the Redskins beat the Cowgirls I'm actually planning to be in bed early tonight. Yes I'm old and lame and perfectly okay with that!

Happy New Year Everyone!

To my son on his Birthday

My Dearest Hunter,

Today you turn one years old. Everyday for the past 365 days, I have held you in my arms, covered you in kisses, told I love you and thanked God for you. I still so clearly remember the details of your birth-day, from the nervous excitement we felt on the drive to the hospital to the moment I woke up after you were born and saw your sweet face. Even though your birth did not go quite as I had hoped or expected at the end of the day I had a beautiful, healthy baby boy and that's what I remind myself of when I start to feel sad about missing your first few moments of life.

The past year has been the most challenging, exhausting, life-changing, rewarding and happiest year of my life. You have brought so much joy into our lives and it's hard to believe there was ever a time when I didn't know your face. Today brings so many mixed emotions; sadness that your days of being an infant are over, excitement to see what's in store for the future and relief that we survived the first year and with very few major issues.

You are by far the best thing I've ever created and I'm so grateful that God chose me to be your mommy because being able to call myself your mother is my greatest honor. Growing up, I used to try to envision what my future child would look like or act like but I never could have dreamed up a son better than you. You truly have made my dreams come true.

Right now you are too young to understand just how much I love you but one of my many hopes for you and your future are that you one day get to know the love a parent feels for a child. Please always know, that no matter what the future holds, no matter how many times we may scold you for doing something you shouldn't, or tell you that you can't stay out past curfew, or that you really do need to eat your vegetables that we are doing it out of love. Because, my sweet boy, we do love you completely and unconditionally in a way that only a parent can love a child.

So today at 4:51pm, the exact moment one year ago that you entered this world, I plan to hold you in my arms and kiss you and tell you how much I love you, that same way I have everyday of your life.

Happy Birthday Hunter Kristian.

 I love you to the moon....

and back.

It was a Very Merry Christmas

We had a very busy and very merry Christmas starting Sunday night. Fortunately we were all feeling better by Sunday (though I felt a little sick Monday morning again).

Sunday night Kristian's best friend Kevin, who was in town visiting from Texas, came over with his new girlfriend and his son Parker. Parker and Hunter share a birthday and are exactly 4 years apart in age. It was the first time they were meeting and they had a great time playing cars together. I loved watching Kristian watch his and his best friend's son playing together for the first time. It was a very sweet moment.

On Monday (Christmas Eve) we took Hunter to daycare for a few hours so that we could wrap gifts. Since we were sick over the weekend we still had all of our presents to wrap and even with the two of us it took 3 hours. We then picked Hunter up around 2pm and got dressed to head over to my sister-in-laws house for dinner and gift exchanging. 

In front of our tree before we left. 

My Santa baby

I think he spotted some food. He has that determined look on his face. 

Our first Christmas as a family.

Our 5th Christmas together.

His first gift from Aunt Michelle was a hit. 

We had a great time with my inlaws and we all got some really nice presents. Hunter fell asleep on the way home and the next morning woke up to find that Santa had visited. 

He didn't really get the whole opening presents thing but it was still a lot of fun. I think next year he'll be more excited. 

Trying to catch bubbles for the first time (you can't see the bubbles in the picture)

Santa thought I was a very good girl and brought me some blue topaz earrings (Hunters birthstone) and a Michael Kors purse. And some other odds and ends.

We then got Hunter ready for Christmas lunch at our house with my mom, brother and his girlfriend. 

Hunter trying to walk. He can take about 2 steps before diving into me.

Unfortunately I was so busy playing hostess that I completely spaced on taking pictures with my family. I was so pissed when I realized this after I left, I even thought of having my mom come back the next day to stage some pictures. I guess for once I was just living in the moment and enjoying myself rather than trying to take a bunch of pictures. 

After my family left we headed to Kristian's parents house to see some of his extended family and celebrate for the 4th time in two days. Hunter did pretty well considering how busy we were running around. 

Hunter is wearing one of Kristians sweaters from when he was a baby. 

Last year at Christmas I was a day away from my due date, HUGE, uncomfortable and anxiously awaiting Hunters arrival. This year I am busy chasing around my almost toddler and preparing for his first birthday. 

It's amazing the difference a year can make. 

From My Family to Yours

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Sickmas

Well the nasty stomach bug that seems to be going around has finally struck our house in full force. Gotta love daycare germs. Thursday morning I went into Hunters room to find he had thrown up all over his crib and slept in it. Yet he never cried. So at 5:45am I was stripping his sheets and took him into the shower with me to clean him up. About five minutes after I got him out of the shower he had one of the nastiest poops ever. I decided I would just keep him home since I knew if I took him to daycare I would have to come pick him up early.

He had another few bad poops and not much of an appetite but other than that he was fine. Friday morning I woke up feeling awful. I took Hunter to daycare in the hopes he would be okay and I would be able to rest at home. Unfortunately he was still having ass explosions and I had to pick him up only an hour later. **Half of his class was out sick. Thankfully Kristian was able to come home early to watch Hunter while I went back and forth between the bed and the bathroom. It was a pretty miserable day.

I finally started to feel better around dinnertime and went to bed early. Around 1am I woke up to hear Kristian in the bathroom puking. He continued to throw up every half hour or so until morning. He definitely had it the worst and I kept telling him that I wanted to take him to the hospital. He finally started to feel a little better this morning and was able to actually keep some liquids down for a few hours at a time. I'm still not feeling 100% but definitely better than yesterday. I'm just praying that this nasty bug runs it's course and is gone by Monday when we have to go to my Sister-in-Law's house for Christmas Eve. I don't want Hunters first Christmas ruined by this mess.

SWW

This week I'm saying SO What if:

 

-I increased the amount of money I spent on the gift cards for Hunters daycare teachers after the school shooting tragedy. These women not only watch my child for 40 hours a week but I know without a doubt in my mind they would risk their lives to protect his. I just wish I could have given them more.

 

-I was a little bummed when I got my first post pregnancy period this weekend. Not getting my period was definitely one of the benefits of breastfeeding and I was not looking forward to it's return after almost two years. The cramps were definitely worse than I remembered.

 

-The So What I just posted was TMI.

 

-I haven't wrapped any Christmas gifts yet. I plan to do that all on Monday while Hunter is at daycare.

 

-I kinda want to stay home with Hunter and Kristian on Friday just in case the world does actually end I would rather be with them than at work.

 

-I'm disappointed we haven't gotten more Christmas cards this year. I love getting fun mail instead of bills.

 

-I can't wait for Hunter to start walking (he's SO close) just so that I don't have to carry him all the time. He's freaking heavy.