2013 In Review

The fact that it's December 30th just blows my mind! I feel like I was just sitting here typing a 2012 recap as a blushing newlywed full of excitement for the coming year. And here we are at the very end of that year. 2013 was a fabulous year but it was also filled with its share of anxiety, sadness, worry and grieving. 

I started off the year with loads of excitement for being a newlywed. Husband & I chatted about all the fun things we wanted to do. We had a {week long} 1st anniversary trip planned to the very same beach we spent our honeymoon on. We where excited to finish our home, sell it and purchase another. We where excited to purchase a new truck. We where looking forward to being spontaneous, free and doing all the fun things newlyweds did. What we didn't know is as we chatted about all of this there was a tiny being growing inside my belly...one we wouldn't know about for weeks and weeks to come but one that would greatly change {for the better} our plans for the coming year. 

December 2012 went out with a bang. We where busy settling into life as newlyweds. We enjoyed Christmas with both our families and soaked up time with all of our loved ones. We where working like mad and having fun. The week of Christmas I wasn't feeling quite so great but chalked it up to nasty germs floating around, being tired from working 5+ days a week & the go-go-go of the holiday season. New Years Eve came and we had plans to head to a friends house. It was going to be a quite night of friends, drinks & hot tub soaking. I worked until 4pm, came home, showered & got ready to go. I sat down on the coach to watch a little tv before we went as we didn't have to be there until sometime around 8pm and woke up hours later feeling like total junk. I was lightheaded, nausea and beyond exhausted. I text my friend Andrea to let her know that we weren't coming as I'd suddenly come down with what I thought was the flu. I spent New Years Day cuddled up on the coach feeling like death as well leading to a very lame New Years Eve recap. Happy 2013 to me! 

The 3rd of January I had a 8 hour meeting at work to become stroke certified. I dragged myself outta bed that morning and headed to the meeting. It was all I could do to keep myself awake. Left the meeting, headed home and crawled into bed for the night. The next week went along with me not feeling the greatest. My body ached, I was nauseous each morning and constantly felt like I was going to pass out. It wasn't until January 10th that the thought of a growing little bean popped into my head and I took a pregnancy test. And much to my surprise: 

We had positive test after positive test. I didn't have the flu. I wasn't knocking death's door. I didn't have some rare life long sinus issue. I was pregnant. There was a bean growing in my belly. 

After telling my husband and our family I began to document the weekly bumps. Husband and I decided to keep things on the "DL" until about week 12. I've always been a cautious person and felt that announcing too soon would just put a jinx on it. Keeping our little one a secret was the hardest thing we have EVER done! I knew our parents, siblings and friends would be so excited to hear and it was SO hard not to tell them every time we saw them! We finally told our parents and siblings at week 10 after my first doctor's appointment. After having some fabulous photos taken by Whitney of Whit Meza Photography we announced to the rest of the world on Valentine's Day 2013.   

March brought loads of baby talk. Husband and I where still trying to adjust to the news that we where going to be parents...FAR sooner than ever expected. While I'd always wanted to be a mommy it was hard for me to suddenly face the fact that it wasn't just about me and my husband anymore. The trips we had planned where canceled as baby was due August 24th and our flight to Mexico was set to leave just three weeks later. No beuno. Though I was THRILLED about our little bean realizing that we wouldn't be chilling on the sand drinks in hand for our 1st anniversary was a big pill to swallow. We celebrated my fathers birthday in March as well with a laid back dinner and gift opening...small, quite and relaxed is just how we do things. I also faced loads of trying situations at work which really had me questioning my strength. Husband and I celebrated six months of marriage and I talked with you ladies about what I had learned in those six months. 

In April bump continued to grow and grow though most people didn't really start noticing it until about halfway through the month. I however definitely felt a difference! Luckily, I still fit in my regular pants and most of my regular shirts though so there was that. April 1st was our second ultrasound when we where able to see our little bean once again and find out that we where having a little boy! Though I had big plans, I spent about a week of April on the couch as I was sick...no voice, tired as all get out, miserable kinda sick. Steve actually took off work to be home with me because I couldn't move. 

May brought a new change around Life's A Dance as well as an ever growing baby bump. We spent a weekend up North and attended the wedding of some dear friends. Steve and I fell in love with a house that we wanted to buy badly, did some landscaping on our current house and enjoyed some bonfires with friends. 

June was an exciting month! My mom & sister hosted my baby shower which was wonderful! We attended a wedding for one of my husband's cousins and celebrated Steve's first father's day. Husband and I also celebrated our five year date-aversary on the 28th of June! I also talked about how important it is to live life fully as sometimes it's taken far too soon.

July was a month of all things baby! The month started with the kick off of a two month Etsy baby giveaway extravaganza & my sister's birthday! I had so much fun bringing attention to so many wonderful Etsy shops out there! I'm looking forward to my next series already! We took maternity photos with the lovely Whitney of Whit Meza Photography {part one and part two} and spent a Saturday morning learning all about labor, delivery & basic baby stuff at our baby class. Husband wasn't excited about baby class but totally lucked out when none of the videos where working. No birth videos for him! We went camping overnight with a couple friends in which I learned camping at 34 weeks pregnant is exhausting! Especially in 90+ degree heat! We really started kicking things off with our home business-Advocare as well!

And then there was August-quite possibly my favorite month of 2013! I kept up with the bumpdates as the bump grew & grew & grew! We celebrated my brothers and my mom's birthday where I played kickball with a big ole' belly! Four days before my due date husband and I decided it was time to act on something we'd been talking about forever...redoing our living room! We tore out the carpet, floor boards and replaced them and then painted and installed new carpet. It was beyond exhausting but I was so glad to have it done before baby! 40 Weeks rolled around and I was still pregnant so at 40 weeks 4 days we induced and welcomed our precious baby into the world! His birthday was by far the best day of my life and sharing one of his 1st photos with all of you was so exciting! 

September flew right by! I captured Garrett's updates and shared them all with you {Week one, two and three} It seems like when you have a baby times goes by ten times faster than before! Though our 1st anniversary weekend didn't contain a beach or glasses full of tequila it was wonderful and relaxing all on it's own. We went out to dinner and spent the time together, as a family. I shared Garrett's birth story as a way to forever remember all the little details {Part one, two and three}

In October we celebrated my husbands birthday by going out to eat. We had Garrett's newborn photos taken once his jaundice faded a bit and he celebrated his first holiday-Halloween!

November brought a Packer party with friends, Thanksgiving {in which I had to work} and my 25th birthday! All the while Garrett continued to grow and grow making me wish he'd stay a little baby forever! It also brought an end to my twelve week maternity leave. I also talked about how it's alright to be 100% unique and how sometimes we all feel down. I also shared five things you might not have known about me. 

And that brings us to December-the very last of 2013. I decked the halls, wrapped lovely gifts and listened to Christmas tunes all while trying to make everything seem okay. Inside I think I was battling a bout of postpartum depression {more about that coming later in 2014}. I hid it from most everyone and tried my best to be my usual upbeat self...it wasn't until my mom mentioned it to me that I really took some steps back and opened up a bit about it. Meanwhile my precious baby turned four months old, I shared our first Christmas card as family of three and we did a little catching up. We took Garrett Toys for Tots shopping, baked a few Christmas goodies {including this treat which has become tradition} and celebrated Garrett's first Christmas!

2013 made us a family of three & brought more blessings than we ever imagined!