2011

2011

in pictures

2011 was an amazing year for my family.

A year full changes of learning to be a new family of 3.

January

In January we took our first family vacation. We went down south to Gatlinburg, TN. My family has always loved Tennessee and I have been there many times in my life. It was an amazing feeling to be able to take my child and share some of my favorite places and experiences with her there. It was the first time babygirl rode in her big girl stroller not in the carseat hookon. You can read here, here, and here some of the posts I wrote while on that vacation.

February

In February babygirl was 5 months old. She was a whopping 22 lbs already. Even though most breastfeeding women wait until 6 months to start baby food, I felt that she was definitely ready. This was a picture from the first week of her being on baby food. She loved it! We actually only fed her baby food for about 2 months and then we just started giving her what we ate for dinner and such. She was such a big girl and grew up so fast! Here is a sweet post from February.

March

In March, hubby and I were able to celebrate our birthdays with our amazing child. Babygirl spent most of the month in the exersaucer bouncing and spinning away. She loved that thing! It was definitely a great investment. Babygirl and I made it a full 6 months of breastfeeding. Originally I set a goal for myself to get to 2 weeks and then it'd be cake. Then once 2 weeks went by I set the goal of 6 months. We met that goal and surpassed it. I ranted about breastfeeding/formula feeding here. Also here is a post about trying to capture as many mom/baby moments as possible.

April

This photo of babygirl is one of my favorites. I caught such a silly smile when she was opening her Easter basket. It was fun to take her in her beautiful Easter dress to church and then to see her grandparents. When I dress my girl up, I go all out. =) At this point she was wearing 9 and 12 month clothing. My girl never stopped growing! The whole year she was above the 95% at the Dr. office. She started sleeping 7-9 hour stretches at night. And to wrap up April, This day was a very important one to always remember.

May

May marked my very first physical Mother's Day. This was such a big and emotional day for me. Here is an emotional post I wrote regarding my day. In my master bathroom sets pictures of my angel babies and dried flowers that remind me of them every day. Babygirl attempted to learn to crawl in May but never got around to it. She decided to be a late bloomer, but that was okay with me. Anything to keep her small for a little while longer. 

June

Most of June was spent in a swimming pool. It was hot here! Whether it was in my parent's pool or babygirl swimming in her small wading pool from her Nana&Grandpa. This crazy girl loved that thing and would swim naked in it in the yard. At times would refuse to get out! I was half-tempted to put it in the living room to let her swim. ;) Link to first Father's Day post here. 

July

July was an amazing month for babygirl and I! While Daddy went away to Army training for 3 weeks, she and I were invited to Myrtle Beach for 9 days with my parents and brother. This was one of my favorite vacations ever! The only bad part was that hubby wasn't there. Lily and I had an amazing time at the beach! Of course we got the hilarious photos of her seeing and eating sand for the first time. After her love for swimming I knew she would love the ocean. She would just sit at the edge of the water with my for a long time. We would watch the waves crash and then come and lap up around us. We spent July 4 on the beach and took our shoes off, wading in the waves while watching amazing fireworks go off all around us. Also in July, babygirl decided it would be the perfect time to start crawling the very day that Daddy got on his plane to leave. By the time he came home she was pulling herself up on furniture and walking along it. Also, if there are any links you MUST have a look at, it is this one. While in Myrtle Beach my brother and I had an amazingly fun Trash the Dress shoot.

August

In August I began obsessing over Lily's first birthday. From Pinterest to scoping out local party shops, I was doing my research to celebrate the year of life that my family was blessed with. In August, babygirl had her first trip to the zoo due to our very cheap zoo coupons. Otherwise we probably wouldn't have gone until she was older and really really enjoyed it. She loved it though at just 11 months. She pointed to a lot of the animals when she spotted them in their pens. 

September

In September we mourned the 10 year anniversary of the attack on the Twin Towers. I wrote a very emotional post here about how it affected me and my family. I participated in my first race. I ran 4 miles with my dad and my pregnant sister. My other sister, brother and mom also ran it together. My awesome new nephew was born a little fighter. After spending just a few short weeks in the NICU after being born early he was able to come home. And of COURSE I am not forgetting the biggest event of 2011's September! Lily Abrielle's first birthday! Of course after all of my planning it poured at her outdoor party so we were all forced inside which was a bummer considering there were over 40 people at the party.

October

October went by in a flash. Just like every other month of this year. It was filled with lots of family member's birthdays. Lily started fighting recurrent ear infections that started right after her birthday. My poor girl was on antibiotic after antibiotic. Babygirl also had her first trick-or-treat experience. We spent the first part going around my sister's neighborhood with her and my niece, then headed to a local shopping strip to finish up there. She had a lot of fun with her cousin. I spent time in October remembering to be thankful for every moment with my daughter. link She is such a joy in my life and I took a moment to pause and remember to enjoy the little things in life.

November

November is always a great month for me! The end of the month kicks off our holiday festivities. The night before Thanksgiving we headed downtown to the Fantasy of Lights. We spent Thanksgiving with both of our familes and had a great time. I started to realize that hubby won't be around for all of the holidays next year so I wanted to make the most of the end of this year.

In November, I remembered my precious sleeping angel baby and wrote a letter to express my thoughts. I'll never forget my precious angels even though I keep all the thoughts of them to myself.

We finished a huge project in our home by installing our new wood floors. That was a huge relief. My house has never felt nicer and cleaner. I still can't get over the huge change it brought to us.  

December

December always brings much excitement around here. This year especially. It was SO fun to see babygirl enjoy the holiday season. She participated in a lot of our traditions and it made me see the holidays through a whole new lens by being a mom and seeing the excitement and anticipation on my child's face. From baking, to advent calendars and presents, Lily was enjoying every minute. I was busy soaking up every second of her that I could. My family was truly blessed this December.

We are SO excited to see what the new year holds.

2012 shows a lot of promise.

We have many plans and expectations in the coming year.

I pray blessings, safety and good fortune for my husband and child. I hope 2012 is the best yet.