Christmas Card Time With Shutterfly!!!

I love pictures...it's plain to see from this blog that I've become a bit obsessed with taking photos. Jani even plays with my old Minnie Mouse camera from when I was little. Not surprising that I love making Christmas cards each year. I love sorting through them online, picking one out that perfectly matches our outfits and conveys the holiday message I'm trying to express. For the first 4 years of our marriage, it was just Doug and I on the card. The first year, a picture from our honeymoon. The next year, a picture of us in front of the tree in our new house. After that, a picture at my parent's home. The fourth year, a carefully posed picture...both of us hiding the fact that we were disappointed there was no baby or pregnant belly in the picture. But then last year...Jani...wrapped in Christmas lights :) Our own little Christmas blessing. This year? What will our Christmas card look like? You can bet my baby girl's smiling face will be front and center. I love that about Christmas cards. They express the happiness of life....everything we are so thankful for during the most wonderful time of the year.Along with giving Christmas cards, I love giving gifts. I seriously considering gift tags. How awesome are these?! I love them :) I've also been contemplating a way to document my year. I've been doing photo books and love having them at home but I think I need something to stare at while I'm working. A personalized calendar is at the top of my list. What are your Christmas card plans? Want some free cards? Check it out!!

Create a photo slideshow

The Big One

One year ago we were blessed with a baby girl. I never knew how much I could love one little person. When she laughs, we laugh. When she cries, I am brought to tears. We love being her parents and have enjoyed every minute of the last 365 days. Thanks you Jani Sue for bringing so much joy into our lives!!

Cake and birthday pics to come!!

Thoughts on 1 Year

We are just days away from Jani's 1st birthday and I can hardly believe it. I seriously feel like we just brought her home. I drove in the driveway the other day and was walking up the front steps. The crisp air, the leaves....everything brought back the moment that we drove up to the house and brought her in for the first time. I remember struggling to climb up the two steps to the front door...the pain of labor taking it's toll. I remember shielding the car seat, not wanting the wind to catch her or the sun to get in her eyes. I remember stepping through the front door, waves of emotion coming over me - fear, excitement, sadness, happiness...all wrapped up in one tiny little blanket. The last 12 months have literally flown by. It's such a cliche statement but it's true. It has been one heck of a year and I have learned and experienced more than I ever thought possible. Here are just a few of them...
1. Labor is hard but recovering is harder. They don't tell you about what happens to your body after the baby comes out. I am not going to elaborate...I don't need to relive those memories.
2. Breastfeeding is hard but so worth it. I wasn't so sure about the breastfeeding thing. I have to admit that the whole concept freaked me out at first. I'm not sure if I was afraid I'd do it wrong or what. I just didn't think I'd be able to do it. I got it in my head approaching her birth, though, that I would do it and that I would try my hardest to get to a year. I knew with working this would prove difficult. Pumping is not fun. It's time-consuming and stressful, not to mention you feel like a cow. But I did it. I have made it to a year. I have spent countless hours attached to either my child or my pump and I think I deserve something. I'll be doing some online shopping to determine what said reward will be :)
3. Babies change everything. They change your social life, your marriage, your career, your priorities. Personally, I think every one of these changes has made my life better.
4. I appreciate my mom more than ever. In the first days of Jani's life, my mom stayed with us. She was an angel. She cooked, cleaned, and took care of her baby...me :) She took care of Jani too. Throughout the year, my mom and I have had so much fun with our girl. Grandma Jani and Baby Jani sure do love spending days together! She continues to take care of both of us...answering countless questions and dropping everything to babysit for us. We will never be able to thank her enough!
5. Babies come with a lot of stuff. Pre-Jani I thought our house was busting at the seams. Now I think we've busted and then some. Babies have so much stuff....and half of it you don't need! Jani's favorite toys are a wooden spoon and a muffin tin. She could play with them all day long!
6. Your senses go into overdrive. I've always been a sensitive person in terms of smelling things, hearing things, etc. With Jani, though, these have developed ten-fold. I can hear her crying a mile away. I practically smell a dirty diaper before it happens. It's weird how in-tune you become to their needs. I believe the term is "maternal instinct".
7. Being a mommy is hard. But it's oh so worth it.

Go Panthers!

Tomorrow is UNI Homecoming...we will be celebrating J's birthday with a tailgate. What did I look like last year at Homecoming???

After...

This has been a long time coming. I have been meaning to get after pics of the bathroom up and we finally got it done tonight. As promised...

My new washer and dryer....love them! Laundry is now fun!

This is the custom shelf they built me. It's on rollers so I can pull it out when I need it to fold laundry, set a basket there, etc. It's such a fun feature!

This is our new bookshelf that is actually a secret door....

That leads to our utilities!