reflecting...

I can't say I remember ever really making new years resolutions...I don't think I've really been one to do any amount of serious intentional reflecting back on the previous year...and I can't remember actually writing down specific, measurable goals for the coming year.  But this year will be different.

In the past few days I've read a couple of posts from people doing exactly this and I've felt quite challenged to follow in their footsteps.

When I googled "new years reflection questions" I found a number of lists of questions, and here are some of my reflections...

Photo Credit

What was the single best thing that happened this past year?
Becoming a mom to an amazing little girl whom I love more than I dreamed possible

What was an unexpected joy this past year?
Our post-hockey getaway to Cuba, just Justin and I...enjoyed the 30+ degree heat at 28 weeks pregnant :)
Having my parents surprisingly move to Medicine Hat this fall

What was an unexpected obstacle?
I don't know if is exactly an obstacle but an unexpected difficulty was definitely the feelings of frustration at feeling so "stupid" when it came to being pregnant and the thought of becoming a mom. I'm a "frame of reference" kind of girl, I function much better in a situation where I have a frame of reference for what I'm about to do...and no such thing exists for first time mothers. But thanks to my close girlfriends who answered more questions than any human ever should have to and their wise advice, I faced our baby's arrival with confidence ;) and they were totally right...the instincts do come exactly when you need them!

Pick three words to describe 2012:
Anticipation :: Instincts :: Joy

What were the best books you read this year?
For a girl who grew up a ferocious reader, I'm sad to say I read very few books this year...emphasis on the very. This is one of my goals for 2013, to read one fiction and one non-fiction book a month. Next year I want to have a list from which to choose to answer this question!

With whom were your most valuable relationships?
I think the most significant growth in a relationship, other than with my husband, was with my sister. We've always shared a close relationship, but our friendship took a wonderful turn this year to something more special than ever. To say she has been supportive would be the understatement of the  decade...she loves my daughter almost as much as I do and looks out for the well being of my little family in a way that is truly heaven sent.

In what way(s) did you grow physically?
Lol, well I expanded quite nicely to look like I had a very large basketball under my shirt :) and then I deflated and ended the year smaller than I'd started it!

What are you most grateful for as you look back on 2012?
An amazing husband who has become a phenomenal father before my eyes
A beautiful pair of hazel eyes gazing up at me after I feed her, and the irresistible smile that follows
A house that is truly my home, full of love, and a haven for me and my little family
For all the experiences, both the wonderful and the difficult, that have made me a stronger person and  have enabled me to walk into 2013 a richer and fuller person than I was in 2012

four months later...

From our first night cuddling together, I knew that I wanted to leave my daughter a written piece of my heart specifically of our first year together. At some point I will hand write these letters for her, and she will have a small glimpse into what I was thinking and feeling.

It feels like she has changed so much this month, she will be five months old in just less than a week but here's my musings from month four...


Well Pumpkin you are four months old...and I'm afraid what they say is true: time is moving much  too
fast and you are a mirror of your daddy and me.  So many times I look at your little face or see your mannerisms and think to myself  "I must be looking in the mirror!"  You are an amazing little girl, so strong, already very determined and you light up every room you are carried into. We are so grateful that you just go with the flow, you can be passed around the room or the rink and you just smile and settle into the arms that are holding you. You are happy, incredibly healthy (we love the rolls on your wrists, knees, ankles...) and we couldn't be more grateful that you are ours...Here's a peek into what your little world looks like:

• You love your bath...you kick and splash and gleefully play for as long as we let you stay in the water...and you like the water nice and warm just like your momma! Bath time is your special time with your daddy, he does a much better job of playing than I do, and my favorite sound of the day is hearing yours and your daddy's laughter coming from the bathroom each evening. 
• You are not interested whatsoever in taking a bottle...getting lunch from anywhere but me is not an option in your mind!
• Getting enough sleep is crucial to us seeing your joyful smile :)  You had a few days in a row where you were not interested in napping during the day and our happy girl seemed to have taken a vacation...a few days of concentrated routine and intentional napping opportunities for you made all the difference in the world!  We were grateful to see your smile return :)
• You have started to giggle, not just a "breathy" laugh but actual eye squinty belly giggles and when you start we laugh right along with you and don't want you to stop!
• You've become quite the drooler...the front of your shirt is often wet no matter how much we wipe your chin :) You are an expert bubble blower and practice often lol!
• If anything is close to your mouth and you can get your hands on it, it goes straight into your mouth! You love to wrap your pudgy little fingers around ours and chomp down on our finger with your gums...we won't be surprised if a tooth pops through at some point in the near future...
• You love to be held... This might be one of my favorite aspects of this stage.  Sure you have moments where you like to just be on your own and be able to kick and stretch out, but you have many moments where you are so incredibly content to just be held...a fussy moment can dissipate almost in an instant when I pick you up and hold you close. Even though those preceding moments can sometimes leave me a tad frazzled, my heart settles and finds its calm when I feel you relax in my arms.

Every day you open our hearts a little more to love in a new way we didn't know possible...we are forever changed because of you, and we wouldn't have it any other way...

to my little girl...

My Little Miss,

As we sit here in the light of the Christmas tree together in the stillness of the fading afternoon, my heart is totally overflowing...as I gaze down on your peaceful little face I can't help but feel such overwhelming gratefulness that your daddy and I have been entrusted with your life.  You have no idea how much we love you, how you melt my heart each and every day with that bright smile in your eyes and your toothless little grin that is so incredibly contagious.  Just a short time ago we held you for the first time, and today my arms ache to hold you if they've been empty for more than just a few hours...

At this point in your journey you have no issues with sleeping when we put you in your bed at night, but you aren't so interested in staying asleep during the day when try to put you down. You will however stay sound asleep if you are being held.  I determined early on that I was going to treasure every moment I could with you, that I wouldn't wish away today for the days when you were older and could do this or that, but to seize every moment I could, and today is another reminder to do just that.  Yes, there is laundry to be done, carpets to be vacuumed and other housework that could be done, but those things will always be there...you won't always lay in my arms this way, I know there will come a time when you will be quite content to do this sleep thing on your own...and so for today I choose to forget everything else that could be done.  I choose to sit here in the stillness and hold you close...I choose to kiss your chubby cheeks and stroke your little fingers while trying to memorize every detail of your beautiful face.

I know time goes by way too fast and someday, much sooner than I will want, you won't be quite this little, and so for today this our moment is just you and me...

The Hook Family Smiles...

I love getting Andrea's call in the fall asking if I will take their family photos!  I've had the privilege of capturing their smiles and their boys' personalities for four years now and I think I have more fun with them each and every year :)  I took a peek back through some of our shots from past years and had to smile at how their boys have grown into quite the young men...and Brent and Andrea just keep looking better and better!  Here's a peek into our photos from this year...

ready to welcome her home...

When we found out we were expecting, there was little question for either of us as to whether we wanted to know if we would be welcoming a little miss or mister - we wanted to know! One of my major reasons for wanting to know was that I really wanted to create a gender specific nursery, a space that would be created just for her. I remember growing up how much my room meant to me... It was the one place that was mine, my haven and quiet place. Now I know that our little miss isn't going to notice the fabrics in her duvet cover or the fabulous shelf her Daddy built just for her when she comes home, but nonetheless it was important to us that right from the beginning, this space was created with heaps of love just for her... And I'm so happy with what we have created together. I love the fact that this room is not just my creation but the creative product of both Justin and myself. We have both spent hours looking at furniture and fabric and actually putting all the pieces together...and we couldnt be happier with the results!

We welcome you to our little miss's nursery...

We fell in love with this wall art the moment we put it up...I think it gets cuter every time I look at it :)
One of our goals was to create a space that she could grow into, I think with these fabrics we succeeded.
I love how the crib skirt and duvet cover turned out...exactly how I had them pictured!

The mobile actually came with a red cover but red didn't exactly fit with our color scheme,
so a quick switch to a bit of left over pink fabric and it was perfect!
The rocking horse actually belonged to Justin's mom when she was a child and fits in just nicely :)

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of my mom rocking me and so nursery would not have been complete without a rocking chair...I'm sure there will be many hours spent loving our little monkey in this chair...
We knew we wanted a shelf in her room and Justin created this perfect display shelf out of old barn wood
and it couldn't be more perfect...

We knew these monkey bookends would be a perfect accent on her shelf the moment we saw them!
And of course a few Curious George books and childhood classics were perfect to display with them :)
I loved the idea of curtains in her room, but wanted something custom...
so a pair of IKEA curtains with a bit of co-ordinating fabric added to them fit the bill perfectly

a little rounder...

Someone asked me the other day if I still had a blog...I answered yes but had to admit that it has been FAR too long since I had posted anything. Today I was thinking about it again and figured in light of the pending major life change that we are anxiously awaiting, that today was a good a day as any to start hammering away at the keyboard :) Life has changed a little since the last time I posted here a little over 6 months ago...or should I say I've changed a little lol!

I'm a little rounder out front, am moving at less than my usual brisk pace and have pretty much lost all ability to bend at the waist :) Back in November we found out that we were expecting and we couldn't have been more excited! We spent the next several weeks planning how we would spring the news on each of our families and sharing the news was a whole heap of fun :)

We have been very blessed with a relatively easy pregnancy and I've been very healthy for the most part (with the exception of the first trimester lol... That was kinda rough, but so much easier after that!) and now here we are literally days away from our little monkey's arrival... I officially finished work yesterday and now it's just nesting and a waiting game. We are definitely more than anxious to meet our little miss and be able to hold her in our arms...the next several days feel like they can't pass fast enough:)

A few shots of the growing basketball lol!

Week 13, 20 and 28

Week 26, 34 and my hubby and I at week 36

Me today at 38.5 weeks :)

I Do :: Drew & Arianne

Drew and Arianne ventured off to Vegas to say their "I do"s" but didn't want to miss out on a party to celebrate with their friends and family here at home.  This meant Arianne got to do something that not a lot of brides get to: she was able to wear her dress twice!  (I might be just a tad jealous lol!)   We had a great afternoon together and their wedding party was hilarious - it was hard to get a serious shot with those guys around lol!

Congratulations Drew & Arianne... may you enjoy a lifetime of love and laughter...