Year in Review

So a lot has happened in the last year~ My husband and I bought our first home and had our first child and I turned 30.  Because of this, and because of that lack of writing in my journal during that time, and because I'm feeling a wee bit sentimental about all of these goings on, I'd like to start off with a little "year in review".  Mostly for my own enjoyment, but hey, if you're interested too, read on.

29th birthday
We went on several waterfall hikes, had a delicious picnic complete with pot-de-creme, and celebrated being about halfway through my pregnancy

October New England trip
A pre-house and pre-baby trip for the two (3) of us.....mostly focused on food, of course.  Specifically lobster, cheese, maple syrup, and fine local dining a la Hen of the Wood, the Skinny Pancake, Brewster Fish House, etc.  Some of the highlights (aside from all that food): giant rooster statue (and mountains and trees) were climbed, old barns explored, roads travelled, factories toured, bikes ridden, a George Michael vs. Elton John "clash of the titans" show taken in in Portland, yurt slept in, coasts and waterfalls and sunsets gazed upon....... ah, yes~ a fine vacation indeed.

Closing on the house
Yikes! It took way less time than we expected and then suddenly, we were officially on that road to "grown-up-hood" (the bun in the oven already had us on that path too, I suppose), and oh yes, spending money on fixing things.  Lots of money.  Lots of things.  This will continue for quite a while I'm afraid.

Leaving work
My 5 years at the Montessori school came to an end (for now anyway) with last year's Holiday Break....it was a bittersweet goodbye, but I think I'll end up back there in some capacity one day. Perhaps doing a work-trade for tuition!

Moving in
We had the luxury of moving in slowly, over about 2 months- I HIGHLY recommend doing it this way if you can swing it.  Especially if you find yourself to be 8 months pregnant at the time.  And especially if you are trying to do it right in the middle of an unusually snowy and frigid Winter.  Our first official night at the new place was December 30th, and then I bravely slept in my own home all by myself like a big girl on the 31st, while Mike was working. It only took a few days to get acclimated and really feel like I was home...

Welcome, Claire!
At 5:04AM on January 30th, a beautiful day full of blizzards and full moons (okay, only one of each), we met our little Claire Annelise.  She slipped out into this amazing world into a pool of warm water and  her papa's loving arms.  We began our new life as a threesome and learned about a whole new kind of love, LOVE!  This latest chapter has rocked our world in every way, and there is still so very much to learn.

Getting into the swing of this mama thing
So after a few months of kinda-sorta feeling like I was floating/drowning/sleep-walking through my world as I tried to "figure out" my new role, something clicked.  Okay, maybe a few things clicked.  One, that there is NO SUCH THING as the perfect mother.  What a liberating concept to behold.  Two, that I didn't need to worry about things so much because hey, we were making it just fine, after all.  And about a thousand other things as well.  Oh yes, and when someone who is pregnant asks me what it's like, I think I may just expand a little beyond the standard "Oh, it's the hardest but most rewarding thing you'll ever do" (picture it being said with an overly sweet smile, of course) because I find that line so very very unhelpful.  Are we that afraid of opening up a bit and being vulnerable?  It's hard.  Having a first baby is a difficult and wearing time and if we started to really talk about it to each other maybe more new moms wouldn't feel so bad when they find themselves a couple weeks postpartum and crying in their breakfast because they just don't know what else to do with themselves.  Of course it's rewarding, of course it's all worth it..... we know that!  What we need to share with each other are all the OTHER parts.  When you are in those early days of sleep deprivation, it feels like forever.  But now, as we enter our tenth month as a family, I can see how it really flew by.  Yes, it does go by so very fast.  And yes, that is a cliche.  But cliches become cliches because they are true, after all~ because that is how the world works and person after person makes the same observation.  There's nothing wrong with cliches.  And yep, she's growing like a weed, my wee little babe.

Happy 30th~ SURPRISE!
And so my thirtieth year came to an end with a surprise party thrown by my love~ one so very well executed, I must say.  Though it could be that I'm a bit oblivious, too.  No, I think he's just that good.  Anyway~ it was a beautiful day filled with good food, good music, great people, and plenty of sunshine.   What a year.

In closing, my list of 30 things I'm grateful for, created on my 30th birthday~

my marriage to the love of my life

our sweet, healthy baby girl and for all that she is teaching me, every day

my parents, for so very much

music

the sound of rain

sunshine

having found our home

the process of making it really ours

chocolate, preferably dark, with nuts

honey bees

good food (mmmm fresh bread, mangos, cheese...)

living in a place I love, surrounded by mountains

salty ocean air

Earl Grey with Lavender tea

my kind and loving friends

handwritten letters

my health, of course 

my damn cat

the way Wolfie gets excited to see me

Pandora stations (minus the commercials)

Van Morrison (yes, he gets special mention beyond "music" and "Pandora")

space to garden 

beer, particularly the good local ones (of which we have oh so many)

memories, memories, memories

singing birds

our woodstove

Mike for splitting ALL the wood that feeds it!

Mike for so many other things, every day...

my lovely neighbors

my Mamatime group

and oh my, couldn't I just go on and on......

and another year began.....