Saturday, December 31, 2016

Happy New Year! (almost)

2016. What a year. For so many it was a year of loss, fear, illness and struggle. It is a scary time in our world, and we were not immune to personal struggle. Making it here, together and with a smile on our face, makes me all the more grateful for what I have been given. This has been hands down the most rewarding - and challenging - year of my life. I can only hope that 2017 will bring double the laughs, half the tears, triple the sleep, all of the wine and at least the same amount of love. I am forever thankful for the gift of my little family. Cheers to 2017 and all that it may bring! 


Thursday, December 29, 2016

Hadley's First Christmas!

It seems like I just celebrated Christmas while super pregnant - waddling around, stuffing my face and looking forward to our Peanut's arrival the next month. Fast forward a year and we celebrated our first Christmas as family of three! In an effort to get into the holiday spirit, I made sure Hadley wore some of the cute outfits she has from her godmother. I just love this one and she got so many compliments on the leggings and vest.


Hadley also got to experience her first snow (and negative zero temps!) She was not too sure how she felt about the snow, but I'm sure she will love it when she's a bit older.


Even though she is still young, I wanted to make sure that she had the chance to meet Santa. We went to a local mall that has a Dreamworks Dreamplace experience. She was a bit young to appreciate the fanfare, but it was fun. She wasn't too sure about Santa, but ended up letting him hold her hand before waving frantically and saying "bye" in an effort to leave!



This year we decided to travel to Charleston, SC to celebrate with Jason's family. We haven't been back to Charleston since moving nearly 4 years ago and it was so fun to go back for a visit. My in-laws are great hosts and were sweet to invite my parents who came for a few days as well. I was so happy to have both sets of grandparents with us!




I was nervous about traveling with Hadley now that she is mobile, but she was a perfect passenger. We left early and had minimal layover times both going and coming and that seemed to help. She seemed to enjoy watching all of the people in the airports and she slept through almost every flight.


Jason's dad and Trudy always go all out on Christmas and this year was no exception. We enjoyed many wonderful home cooked meals, many bottles of wine and lots of fun and conversation. We spent the weekend in our pajamas relaxing and watching movies. The weather was beautiful and it was nice to leave behind the freezing temps for the sunshine and 70 degree days. Having the grandparents around was a nice treat and Jas and I got a little time together just the two of us, and I enjoyed a few naps with the baby that made me wish I was on maternity leave again!















We are now back at home and trying - somewhat unsuccessfully at the moment - to settle back into our routine. Hadley is back in school and I working remotely while Jas enjoys a few more days of PTO (and hopefully gets going on his Honey-Do list!)

We are so lucky to have spent the holidays with our families and I am looking forward to another long weekend ringing in the New Year with my loves!


11 Months!

How are we only a month away from this precious little one turning 1? I cannot believe it and may or may not have cried while starting to plan her first birthday party.

Hadley turned 11 months old on December 22nd. On this same date in 2010, I went on my first and only blind date. Little did I know that six years later we would be celebrating 11 months with our little lady and looking forward to our first Christmas as a family of three. This was a month of firsts for Haddie Bear - first tooth (finally - she has two!) first ear infection, first time playing in the snow and her first trip to South Carolina.



It was a difficult month for many reasons, but this little one served as a constant reminder of what's really important. Everyday I am thankful for her sweet nature and all that she teaches me! We love our little Peanut.

10 Months and Thanksgiving

Thanks to an insanely chaotic holiday season, I am embarrassingly behind in updating the blog. I am going to consolidate recent events into a  few new posts and I'm hoping to get back on track updating more regularly now that things are beginning to settle down. 

In November, Hadley was 10 months old and we celebrated our first Thanksgiving as a family of three. My parents came into town and we spent the weekend with my sister and her family. It was a great time! 

At 10 months, Hadley is still the happiest baby in the world and she doesn't let her old man hair or gummy mouth get her down. She is talking a lot saying Mama, Dada, no and hi. She waves goodbye and blows kisses. We have made a game out of trying to find something she won't eat, but we are losing. This month alone she ate - and enjoyed - quinoa meatloaf, hot sauce, blue cheese, shrimp, olives and asparagus soup. She loves her school, being outside and playing with her cousins. 




This year, we hosted Thanksgiving at our house. Jason and Justin cooked an amazing dinner of homemade dishes - prime rib, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy. It is so nice to have a few chefs in the family and the meal was delicious as always!




When my parents visited, they brought along rocking chairs for Sadie Kay and Hadley from their great-grandfather. He has given rocking chairs to every child and grandchild in the family and they are all unique. The girls loved them! 



Also in November, we celebrated Sadie Kay's first birthday. I can't believe it's already been a year since this sweet little spitfire came into the family. She is such a love bug and always smiling and ready for a cuddle. I am so grateful to be here to watch her grow up! 


After Thanksgiving things took a little turn and the baby came down with what we first thought was a bad cold. Little did we know this would lead to two doctors visits, an antibiotic and nearly three weeks of illness for the entire family...


Some of the other random photos from the month:
I love this bow! 

Thanksgiving Party at Hadley's school

A picture taken by Hadley's teacher - she looks like Harry Potter! 

This sweet face is one you make while pretending not to poop while sitting on your toy box...