See you later 2011

2011 sure was a big year for us with lots of twists and turns. SO many big, life changing events happened. Some exciting, some scary but over all AMAZING!

January

In January we started planning for Baby Lawless, and I tried not to throw up everything (when I ate or drank) that I consumed.

Jeremy's sister Sarah got married!

(Sarah's wedding, I was 10 weeks)

February

Jeremy turned 27 I also got into a car accident and because of said car accident we got to see our first glimpse of Baby L in an ultrasound. (at our doctors office they usually don't do the first ultrasound until closer to 18-19 weeks...bogus!)

(12 weeks)

March

We told the last of our friends we were expecting. I also turned the BIG 2-5!

April

We went for a 3-D ultrasound and got to see Baby L clear as day enjoying his/her self in my belly! (At the time we had decided not to find out baby L's gender.)

I celebrated being half way through the pregancy (20 weeks) which meant half way until we met our baby and found out the gender! (or so we thought!)

We celebrated my birthday by going with our friends to Florida and enjoying our first time in Miami.

On this trip is also when I "popped" and when we came home I had to buy maternity clothes!

We started Baby L's baby registry!

May

I celebrated mothers day with my mom and with Jeremy.

Then unexpectedly the VERY early arrival of baby L who we then found out was a girl who we names Princess Olivia Adele. (Birth Story)

That night we found out she had functioning kidneys when the nurses from the NICU called and let us know she had her first bowel movement. (and we haven't taken those poopy diapers forgranted since!)

June

We spent this month praying that our baby would live, our 2 year wedding anniversary came and went, we celebrated Jeremy's first fathers day and Olivia turned one month old.

July

We celebrated Olivia and had her baby shower. Olivia turned 2 months old!

August

The month we had been waiting for! Olivia came home after spending 80 days in the NICU! Olivia also had her final eye appointment where we found out she had grown out of her prematurity and they wouldn't have to be checked for a whole year! This was the month of her due date and she also turned 3 months old! We also did her first photos on her due date!

September

We enjoyed having our baby home and got into our routine. We took our first trip to the U.P. and visited my brother and his family and celebrated Cain's first birthday! This month was kind of scary as well because we had problems with Olivia gaining weight. We also were having issues with her pedi. Her weight and pedi issues were resolved this month and then she started growing like a weed!

October

The month I went back to work :( Olivia went to her friend Ryann's 2nd birthday party and also went to her first CMU Homecoming! (Go! Fire up Chips!) We also took Olivia to the pumpkin patch for the first time and she enjoyed her first halloween!

November

Jeremy and I celebrated being together for 7 years! Our niece Natalie was born. Olivia found her hands! We planned our first family vacation and celebrated Olivia's 6 month birthday. Olivia started eating baby food and on the 29th Olivia said "mama" for the first time! We celebrated her first Thanksgiving (& black friday!) :)

December

LOTS of first's!! We took our first family vacation. Took Olivia for the first time on an airplane, to the zoo, pool, and beach! Olivia rolled over from tummy to back! We celebrated her first Hanukkah and Christmas and now her first New Years!

This year has had many challenges, ups and downs but most of all we learned a lot!

I wouldn't change anything we went through. Everything that happened with Olivia brought Jeremy and I even closer together (if possible). I learned to TRUELY believe in G-D and that everything really does happen for a reason. I learned what it means to be a great mother and HOW to be a great mother. I am not perfect and I am still learning every day! I learned not to let what others say upset me and what it really means to be an advocate for my child. I learned who my true friends are and who I could really trust and confide in.

In 2012 I really do not have any "resolutions." Last year my resolution was to be the best mother possible. At the time I thought I knew what that meant but now that I AM a mother to me it means giving my child my time, my attention, my love, an inflated ego (this child thinks she is the smartest, most beautiful, most funny, etc. def MY FAULT!), my knowledge, to be silly, to teach her, to play with her, wake up in the middle of the night just to stare at her sleeping, to take too many pictures, to write to her, to enjoy the "little moments," to make special memories WITH her, to show her new things, kiss her boo boos, let her play in the bath tub long after she is all clean, let her help me pick out her clothes and outfits, let her make "noise," let her make a mess, and give her the BEST life POSSIBLE.

I am so lucky that I was able to create this special human being with a man that I can not even put into words how much I love. He works so hard for our family and is the best father! Sometimes dads get the shaft in the giving credit department but I can honestly say that he puts in the time with her, changes just as many poopy diapers, and loves it just as much as I do. He may forget to bring the diaper bag, not always put her socks and pants back on her in the middle of the night, not always change the diaper genie and forget to refill her diapers on the changing table, but I know he tries to do the best he can. I always ask him what his favorite part of being a parent is and he says EVERYTHING. I know he is being honest because I can see it. The way he looks at Olivia and the way she looks at him, melts my heart, brings tears to my eyes and puts a smile on my face.

I look forward to what 2012 brings and continue my resolution of being the best mother possible (& hopefully this is the year I win the lottery so Jeremy and I can quit our jobs and spend every second at home, playing with our beautiful princess!) :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR! :)