So Long, 2011

Looking back it’s been a fun year in which we got to do a lot of exploring of the U.S. and just had enjoyed the time we had at home.  So, I chose a random spattering of pictures from this past year that helps sum it up.

January brought cold temps and swans!

Our first Valentine’s as a married couple

Went to lots of a museums this year!

Began creating family traditions like our weekend breakfasts among scavenger hunts and other things.

Went on our awesome honeymoon road trip to places like:

Oh, and celebrated our 1 Year Anniversary!

Josh always knows what to get a girl for special occasions. 😉

Saw a lot of cool classic cars.

Spectacular sunrises!

Did a few more weekend trips as the year began winding down.

Took a walk on the beach in California in November…

But by far, the biggest adventure of all was started this year, and what that was when we decided to start our family.

Looking forward to an amazing 2012 with some really big adventures ahead!

Week 22

More than halfway there and while the belly is definitely expanding (my belly button is now an outie), there isn’t much to report in the way of baby news.  Aside from heartburn now and then things are good, and once the new year rolls in we should have much more time on our hands to ready the nursery and ourselves for baby.  I’ve been getting more movement, but Baby Boy seems to be fairly mellow like his dad, which might explain why I don’t feel him too often yet.

 

It’s been a busy week with lots of baking, and family and fun.

 

We also put together the Hogwarts Castle this weekend – yay Legos!

We also found the best toy for the cats…

Which succeeded in tuckering them out entirely for the rest of the day.

Uzi has however figured out the little red light comes from the machine, and now rather than chasing the shiny light on the floor, goes straight for the source.  Oh well, we tried. :p

And now I’m just sad that the weekend is winding down and it’s back to work tomorrow.  Guess I shall go make the most of the rest of the evening in the meantime!

Week 21

This week we went and checked out our first hospital… we haven’t quite decided where we want labor to take place, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be switching to midwife care soon – as soon as I pick a midwife group I like, which includes the birthing center they’re affiliated with.  Otherwise it’s been a fairly uneventful week overall.

 

This Winter has been very weird so far, though. We went and picked up a chest freezer and had to use Josh’s convertible to drive it home… with the top down.  This time last year there’s no way we could have done that, but today was actually really nice – 45 degrees.  I’ve never wanted snow so much, if only to make things look prettier.  Oh well, I can just pretend that it’s snowy outside while I sit down with a slice of yummy banana bread.

Week 20

I think this is the first time I’ve actually felt like I’m glowing. Going to our ultrasound and discovering we’re having a BOY was incredibly exciting. It’s amazing being able to see so much on the ultrasounds, and I’m in awe of this tiny little person growing inside me. It’s such a huge responsibility that we’ve been given, and it certainly changes your perspective on things.

 

In other events, Josh and I got dressed up this weekend for my office’s party. I was just happy to find a cute maternity dress for $50 that didn’t have weird ruffles or gathered fabric in odd places.

I am also officially done with this semester of school, and looking forward to taking the next semester off. Sure, it means I won’t graduate as soon, but it’s more important to me that I have plenty of time to focus on the baby and getting prepared as well having “me” time so I can become more physically and mentally ready without worrying about assignments and finals. I know having a baby is going to make it that much harder to finish school, but eventually I’ll get there, even if I have to take a year off before heading back.

Plus, these guys have been very needy, and I know that adding a family member won’t be easy on them, so I’m looking forward to having more time to snuggle up with the cats and a book these cold winter months ahead. While my mood is better, I know there’s the possibility of a lot of ups and downs ahead, and what better remedy is there than the soothing sound of a purring cat? 🙂

Week 19

Well, here we are – almost halfway there and in just a few days we’ll know what to call the belly, but we’re keeping the name a secret for a while, so it’ll be Baby Boy or Baby Girl to everyone else. :p

 

Pregnancy has been pretty good so far… once we got out of the first trimester I stopped getting nauseous and got some of my energy back, which was nice. I am, however, starting to already feel a little off-balance, which probably isn’t good considering how clumsy I am on a normal basis.  While this time of year is normally a little difficult for me mentally, baby hormones haven’t been helping, so I’ve been feeling a bit more down and out than normal.  It definitely helps having Josh be so excited for the holidays and decorating, though. The cheerful glow of twinkle lights have made things seem a little less dark, and I’m hoping all of the crazy hormones will even out a bit and I’ll be my old self again.