December (in pictures)

I am about to post my "2011: Year In Review" Q+A and thought I'd at least start with sharing some fun pictures from this past "holiday season".  To me, pics are WAY more fun to look at than reading a bunch of words about the past year of my life :)

  With the help of Mrs. Claus and a candy cane, Mia finally agreed to sit on Santa's lap...then proceeded to tell him she wanted "big girl" toys and a baby for Xmas

Free sleigh rides in Saint Anthony Park with mommy and daughter besties

Nate and I made homemade ice cream for our aunt/uncle/extended family gift this year...chocolate, strawberry and cinnamon :)  Mia "helped out" by washing some dishes with her mouth.

Took Mia to the 8th floor Macy's display as well as watched the Holidazzle Parade for the first time this year. She refused to wear her mittens outside and demanded animal crackers instead...eh, battle I didn't feel the need to pick that night :)

The above and below two pics are Mia learning how to wrestle, fly like an airplane and do the "People's Elbow" with her beloved, Koko...she LOVED this!

After learning how to do a "flip" with Koko...taaaa-daahhhh!

Mia with her brand new cousin, Eleanor....so proud of her cousin :)

Mia figuring out her nuts and bolts gift from Koko...she loved to help him at the shop this past year

had to take off her dress to get down and dirty with her tools

ahhhh, snuggle time with Koko and G

With cousin Ellie and auntie Rah-Rah

For Xmas at my parent's house, Mia had to play with and use everything she got IMMEDIATELY, especially this baby cradle and blanket

Feeding her new favorite doll she ultimately named Kayla

Requested cuddle time with Nana Kathy...she loved this

One of Mia's gifts from Santa was face paint (or face crayons)...they continue to be a huge hit

Soooo excited to be a cat/clown

Mia continuing to rack in the gifts this year...her new hat from Nantucket :)

annnnnndddd...no gift giving celebration can be complete without girly, sparkly, smelly lotion 

No, our entire December was NOT just about exchanging gifts; however, unfortunately, that happened to be the majority of the pictures we ultimately took...it is what it is.  It has taken SEVERAL years and the convenient excuse of being very pregnant, but we were very successful this year in limiting our daily events and activities during the holiday season.  Although we are very social people and love to try and "fit in" as much as possible, we decided to only have ONE event or gathering per day that we committed to.  In the end, this worked out wonderfully for us and I'm pleased that we did this....if nothing else, to support our collective sanity and coveted naps.  We'll see how we keep this up with two kids over the next few years.  K...now on to the crazy long and somewhat obnoxious post reflecting on 2011.

Bye bye 2011....hello unknown

Fine, fine, I'll do it....do a post reviewing 2011 like everyone else in the world.  I suppose it will be easy because the "questions" are already prepared and I hope there is much less thinking involved.  And away we go....


1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
A couple of travel firsts include going to Aruba and FINALLY going to Canada (Montreal).  We also flew with a young child for the first time.  Had our first attempts at formerly meal planning.  Went to pre-natal yoga for the first time.  Actually paid money for pedi/manis (other than doing this once for my wedding over 5 years ago).  I am also learning how to use an iPhone for the first time this year...I've been holding out and avoiding it for a long time :)  I'm grasping at straws here because there weren't many "firsts" that are significantly monumental that I think of.


2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't do new year's resolutions, I think they are lame and don't set people up for success.


3. Did anyone close to you have a child?
Um....everyone.  I think that at least someone from my close circle of friends has been pregnant for the past few years.  I have to say that the most exciting birth of this year has been my very first niece, Eleanor.  I am so lucky to have such an amazing BIL and SIL and now, a new 2 month old niece!!!!  In just a few weeks, I'll get to do the same for them with the birth of their first nephew! :)


4. Did anyone close to you die?
Knock on wood....I've had a pretty good streak these past few years without any close family or friend deaths.  I have found myself having interesting reactions to deaths of people that were not close to me.  An old colleague of mine lost her husband at a very young age and another former colleague recently had a stillborn baby (we were very close together in our due dates).  Although I had not seen or worked with either of these women in several years, I did feel a lot of sadness loss for them and their families.


5. Where did you travel? 
Travel has always been a HUGE value of mine and luckily I found a husband that mirrors my need to explore the world and indulge in the luxury of travel.  We started off 2011 with an in-law trip to Chicago for back to back Weezer shows.  In February, we rented an amazing house in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico with our neighbors who also have a toddler girl and are also pregnant with a boy due early 2012.  In April, we rented another private home in Aruba with Nate's family for what would be our last warm weather "beach" vacation before getting pregnant.  The plan was for my sister-in-law and I to "whoop it up" knowing we both had plans to extend our families soon after the trip....whoops...turns out she was about 9 weeks pregnant when we were there and was SICK AS A DOG the entire time there. Oh well, maybe next time.  The last trip was in October for a "babymoon" to Montreal, Canada with Nate.  Needless to say, we have been spoiled this past year and have certainly made it a priority to travel as much as possible.  Sprinkled throughout the summer were plenty of trips to multiple cabins as well.  


6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
A healthy baby boy, more patience and the improved ability to let things go.


7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory?
Funny enough, I do NOT remember the date....but I'd have to say the day I found out that I was having another baby!


8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? 
Still loving my job after a year is a big accomplishment for me.  I tend to get bored and move on with jobs after a couple of years and so far, I am seeing myself staying in my current position for the foreseeable future :)  I suppose I should throw something in about my parenting skillz or the fact that I got pregnant again RIGHT AWAY....so there you go: I think I have achieved some awesome parenting skillz and achieved the goal of getting pregnant when I wanted to.


 9. What was your biggest failure? 
I don't document personal failures....mainly because they don't exist.  Ha!!! 


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Since I am applying for short term disability this next month, I supposed I should claim my pregnancy as an illness...I know it's a stretch, but that's all I got.  In honesty, my pregnancy has been smooth sailing compared to what I have heard or witnessed from other people.  I have been tired and achy but nothing anywhere near to morning sickness or nausea.


11. What was the best thing you bought?
Although this first year has essentially been free, the best thing we have bought has been a "membership" to Amazon Prime.  I LOVE IT!  I can't live without it...I highly recommend checking it out if you have no idea what I am talking about.  I also love our new back deck patio furniture and am very excited to use it again this spring/summer and fall.


12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Mia's...because overall, she is a wonderful child, has caused us very little stress and really does not give us much to complain about at all.  Our families...because they have constantly been supportive to us as a couple and as parents continually offering to watch and take care of Mia so we can have alone time individually or as a couple.  My close friends...because without them, my life would just plain suck and be unbearably boring.  Nate...because he continues to put up with me and support us in many many ways.


13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? 
Weird question....I can't think of anyone..I try not to surround myself with people like this.


14. Where did most of your money go? 
Same old, same old.....mortgage, day care, groceries and general bills.  We did spend a significant amount of money this year on traveling, but to us...it is essential and absolutely worth it.


15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Vacations, traveling, the anticipation of having a second child, having a niece, successfully transitioning our daughter into her big girl room/big girl bed/eliminating her Nuk and working towards potty training.  I also get very excited about many of Mia's milestones and her developing new skills and character traits...she is so funny!


16. What song will always remind you of 2011? 
Even though I can no longer tolerate them...that damn Pumped Up Kicks song and anything by Adele seems to on replay on most stations.  Otherwise, I have been getting very attached to Holocene by Bon Iver...for some reason it makes me emotional and has somehow become the song that reminds me of the baby boy growing in my belly....it's going to be like "our song".  No rhyme or reason...it just is. 


17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder?b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer? 
a) A little bit of both actually....depends on the day.  I get happy when I think about all of our accomplishments, passions and abilities to make things happen but also find myself getting sad about knowing that "this is it" when it comes to pregnancies, kids, etc.  The thought of never having a one day old baby again makes me sad...but I will get over that REAL quick I imagine :)  b) Fatter (now as I am almost 37 weeks pregnant) but overall...I maintained my weight almost to the pound for the majority of the year. c) Richer :)  I settled in to my new job this year and made more than I have in the past few years and am so lucky to also only be working 80% of the time with my Mondays off and leaving at 3pm on Fridays.  Nate continues to be the breadwinner not only through his "real" job but with his side jobs of photography and now a new venture which taps in to many of his skills and passions....we are so fortunate and thankful.


18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Random, but I wish I would have gone skiing this past year and maybe done more outdoor stuff like biking and sledding since I can't do it now.  I would have liked to do more reading, yoga and baking as well.  And flossing.


19. What do you wish you’d done less of? 
Overindulging in sweets, drinking pop, complaining, nit-picking and worrying about robbers breaking in to our house at night.


20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Done and done!  We limited ourselves to one "event" or gathering per day whether it was over the actual weekend of Xmas or some other day.  I am so happy we did this.  We all were more able to be fully "present" at each gathering, fit in naps and go to bed at reasonable times....it was great.


21. Did you fall in love in 2011? 
Eh, I'm sure I'm supposed to say something nice about Mia, Nate and the growing boy in my belly...but I don't really feel like I've fallen in love with anyone new this year...maybe that's not the point.  Either way, we'll just say no for now :)


22. What was your favorite TV program?
How does one pick?!  Dexter, So You Think You Can Dance, Californication, United States of Tara, Mad Men, Modern Family.  My favorite tv program is DVR :)


23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hate is a strong word.  No, I do not.


24. What was the best book you read?
Eh, I wish I would have read more this past year.  Unfortunately, nothing really stands out from this past year but I hope to get back in to reading over my maternity leave...we'll see how that goes.


25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
What does this mean?  Band I figured out I enjoyed or some random musical talent of my own?  I don't get it, I'm bored with this question. :)


26. What did you want and get? 
Pregnant


27. What did you want and not get? 
A gift certificate for a massage for Xmas....not like that'll stop me from scheduling an appointment though, hehehe :)


28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Yikes, too many to choose from!  Don't know where to being...so I'm just not going to.


29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 
I turned 32 on May 9th and I believe I had just recently found out I was pregnant...so that was fun and also sucked at the same time :)  I can not recall what I did for my birthday...it seems like forever ago.  I'll blame this one on pregnancy memory loss.


30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
How realistic does this need to be?  Traveling the world with all of my close friends and family, winning the lottery, having 365 nights of glorious rejuvenating sleep, being able to sleep in 365 days of the year, free day care, unlimited supply of ice cream delivered to my house each week, a sexy male cook and masseuse with incredible hands...oh I could keep going with this one :)


31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Sporadic depending on the mood and occasion, un-inventive, safe but always including dangle earrings.


32. What kept you sane? 
My friends, family, health and access to snacks. :)


33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? 
Ryan Gossling


34. What political issue stirred you the most? 
The fact that political issues continue to "stir" people up....stirs me up.


35. Who did you miss? 
My friends from London and China...in general, my friends that I do not get to see as much as I'd like to because of where we happen to live.


36. Who was the best new person you met? 
The new babies that have been born this past year....including but not limited to: Camden, Sam, Alice, Ellen, Eleanor...


37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
-Aim for progress, not perfection.
-Reasons are rarely limited to an "either/or"...it's usually a "both/and".
-No one gets to make you feel______(fill in the blank) without your permission.
-It should be completely acceptable and encouraged for people to "cool off" before attempting any type of productive conversation that might be stemming from stress, anxiety or frustration.


OMG that took FOREVER!  If you didn't notice, I got WAY too bored doing this.  I don't think I'll be doing this again next year...at least not with 37 questions!

No, I'm not psychotic...I'm just 35 weeks pregnant

Please tell me this is not some crazy manifestation of psychosis...but I have been having SUPER weird dreams lately about my pregnancy.  This happened while I was pregnant with Mia as well and I remember hearing similar tales of bizarre dreams other moms have had....I'm not the only one, right?  I'll share with you a few of my dreams so you get a sense of the crazy that is in my brain.

Most crazy dream during my pregnancy with Mia:
Whooooo-weeeee, brace yourself.  Essentially, I dreamt that I basically gave birth to a clean white baby goat.  I held this goat as if it were a "real baby" and nursed it...yup, I nursed the goat.  This goat would only nurse from one side and I recall being frustrated about this.  In the frustration, I looked away from the goat to collect my thoughts and calm myself down.  By the time I looked back down at the goat, it had switched into one of those flesh colored troll dolls with the stand up hot pink hair that you see on casino billboards.  I think by that point, the craziness of the dream allowed me to wake up...thank GAWD!

Most bizarre dream I've had during my current pregnancy:
Seriously folks, I can't make this shit up.  Okay, so I probably had about 5 intense and vivid dreams last night ranging from a wacko pregnancy/birth/delivery scare to me somehow slip-n-sliding down an escalator of a shopping mall with Chinese school kids, while being chased and hunted by drug dealers.  Yeah.  So, the pregnancy dream portion...I dreamt that I was starting to feel some intense movement (from the baby) in my belly and I can only describe it as somewhat Pac-Man style in nature where the baby was CONSTANTLY moving back and forth and back and forth up and down across my belly...AND, you could see it happening...in detail.  I remember looking at my stomach actually seeing the baby scurry across my belly as if he was in some video game.  Then, the baby grew larger (kind of like how Pac Man gets energy and new powers once he eats the fruit).  Here is where it gets way weird...if it wasn't that way already :)  This baby grew to be essentially life sized as a 3mo old...but was still in my belly...and I could still SEE him.  I could basically see every single detail of this baby's facial features, fingers, belly, toes, etc as if I was looking at him through some flesh colored Saran Wrap. I rushed myself to the hospital to check this out and was admitted right away.  Then, in similar form as my other dreams...this kid shifted in to being a puppy dog....still same sized, still in my belly, still able to see this puppy's features like looking through Saran Wrap.  This is a bit nasty but then puppy got sick and threw up...and you could see it but not feel it because the puppy was still in my belly.  This caused some concern for the doctors and I had an emergency C-section and was later presented with a beautiful healthy, fluffy cute little puppy.  Then I woke up.  I know, right?

The moral of this story is to NOT eat a huge bowl of Capn Crunch at 9pm on a "school night" while also watching an intense episode of Breaking Bad.

From those days to these days..

It has become more and more of a realization for me lately that I am about to become a "new mom" again in less than 2 months.  Several months ago, an old friend of mine wrote a blog about reminiscing about the "good ole days" when we didn't have a care in the world, no responsibilities and could basically do whatever we wanted with little consequences....AKA college and then living abroad :)   There is something about being pregnant that seems to stir up old memories or dreams of my bachelorette-hood and life without obligations or responsibilities; this happened for me when I was pregnant with Mia as well.  I don't like to read in to dreams too much but maybe some of these desires to "go back" in time are because it is more and more apparent that I have chosen (with 100% confidence and excitement) to be a parent for the rest of my life; whereas before, I thrived in the unknown, the risks, the spontaneity, the constant changes and to be honest...the selfishness.

Those days:  I went to class with cash in my pocket to meet my friends at the bar for 4:00 happy hour.
These days:  I immediately leave work most days at 4:00pm to pick my wonderful daughter up at day care and haven't had a good stiff drink since mid-late April.

Those days:  I would pull all nighters to study for a test or get a paper done...sometimes with the assistance (distraction) of friends, music, wine or an outing to Perkins at 2am.
These days:  I plan ahead, make lists, meal plan, get caught up on CEUs months before the deadline and you will almost NEVER catch me awake past 10:00pm.

Those day:  I went to Madison, WI for the legendary Halloween parties dressed as a "Naughty Catholic School Girl" in a skirt that was meant to be for a 7 year old.
These days:  I leave a lame bowl of candy on our porch, take my daughter out in her cupcake costume for a bit and tuck her in between 7-8pm.

Those days:  When living abroad, I would "pop on over" to Paris, Spain, Ireland, etc. for a fun weekend away on a moments notice.
These days:  I schedule and book trips at least 7-10 months in advance to ensure appropriate day care, funding and time off from work.

Those days:  I felt sexy going out in leopard print tight pants, black boots and a skanky tight black top the required no bra.
These days:  I'm feeling pretty hot if I actually shower, shave, put on make up and wear dangle earrings.

Those days:  I was pleased when I made a "home cooked meal" for myself at least once a week.
These days:  I am pleased when I go out to eat once a week.

Those days:  I flirted with and kissed lots of guys because it was fun and "what you did" in college and in your 20s.
These days:  Me flirting with my husband consists of me getting a baby sitter to watch our daughter for the night.

Those days:  I loved playing poker, drinking games and dancing with my friends at the bar.
These days:  I love playing with Mia, watching her learn new skills and dancing with her to her favorite songs in the living room.

Those days:  I wore sexy undies and cute clothes for when I knew I was meeting up with a guy
These days:  I can't even see the underwear I have on because my pregnant belly is so huge.

Those days:  I spent my money on traveling, clothes, gas money to visit friends and "going out".
These days:  I spend my money on groceries, day care, bills, a mortgage and meeting every one's basic needs.

Those days:  I got excited about eventually growing up, getting a job, marrying the man of my dreams and having kids some day.
These days:  I have my health, a job I love and think I am good at, have been happily married for over 5 years to my high school sweetheart, and have one of the best kids I can imagine with another one to arrive late next month.

Reminiscing about old boyfriends, trips, parties, etc is always fun for me and brings a smile to my face.  But those smiles don't come close to the belly laughter and tears of joy I have experiences these past few years becoming a wife and mother.  I certainly have had the best of "both worlds" and am grateful for that.

A Time for Thanks

I had mild contractions on a continual basis for three days prior to Thanksgiving.  I was hyper-altert and sensitive to this because a family member of ours had JUST been put on modified bed rest a couple days before and we are only 2 weeks apart.  I was getting a bit worried and ended up calling the after hours midwife hotline and requested a last minute appointment at my local clinic.  I was hooked up to the monitor for about 40 min, tests we done and results were given....everything was just fine.  Whew!  The recommendations were to lay low, take it easy and try to relax and hydrate as much as possible over the holiday weekend.  This was welcomed advice and I took it to heart.

A few of the late fall and Thanksgiving "lay low" events have included a leisurely gathering of friends and family at my parent's house for turkey day, the making of Mia's first ginger bread house, decorating our home and mini fake Xmas tree and a casual morning trip to the Children's Museum.  Here are some highlights and a couple videos for your viewing pleasure :)

Mia kissing her pseudo (not blood related) cousin, Cole at Thanksgiving...

he's an older man who just turned 3

He's SOOOO playing the shy hard to get card...it's working

alright Mia, we get it...enough already

helping me decorate the tree, this did not last long and she got bored right away...maybe next year

getting her apron/smock on before making her 1st ginger bread house

such focus...for those 10 seconds at least

This is Frosty...ANY snowman is Frosty, and he is her favorite part of her house.

She still stops and talks to him on occasion.

 

This is a very brief video from our recent Sunday morning at the Children's Museum with our "cat", Mia

I have so incredibly much to be thankful for, it's not even funny.  Although I believe everyone is entitled to a bitch and moan session once in a while, I truly have very little in my life to legitimately complain about.  Here is a small sample list of some things I am thankful for this year: having Mondays off from work, a new appreciation for Caribou, Starbucks and neighborhood coffee shops, donuts and pastries, meal planning, a 2-3 car garage, a split level 3 bedroom home, an emotionally and financially supportive husband, a funny and full of character daughter, date nights, multiple family and friends willing to watch Mia on any given day or weekend, the desire to travel and the determination to make it happen, this MacBook Air, ice cold water, butter finger blizzards, sweets, carbs, prenatal yoga classes, heated seats in one of our cars, a job that challenges me and makes me laugh, my hand held scotch-brite scrubber so I dont ever have to actually touch the nasty wet food that collects on various dishes, chap stick, white noise, DVR, monthly girl's night dinner, massages, neighbors/friends/family, and most importantly...my own continued health and the health of my family.

(The husband is working on updating Mia's ginger bread making video....I'll add that later when it's ready)

Babymoon to Montreal

Months ago, when Nate and I learned that we had a healthy growing baby on the way, we decided we better take this opportunity to plan and enjoy what could be the last "couple trip" in a long time :)  I wanted to plan a location that wouldn't be heavily focused on wineries, breweries or anything related to drinking and I also wanted to choose a time of the year when I wouldn't be "too pregnant" and uncomfortable.  With that, we narrowed it down to Montreal in late Sept/early October considering neither one of us had never been to Canada before!  We have always been so blessed to have multiple local family members always eagerly waiting for opportunities to babysit Mia and this was no exception.  Mia was able to have 4 fun-filled days with her grandparents and had an absolute blast while Mommy and Daddy did the same...

Indulging in two of my most favorite things during this pregnancy: People magazine and a "coffee treat"

Our first stop in Montreal for lunch, a cute little cafe with the most amazing food

a ham and cheese crepe, salad, veggie soup and fresh baked bread, mmmmmm

Unfortunately, Day 1 was the ONLY day with sun and minimal clouds
but our stroll around town was beautiful

the obligatory baby bump shot on our babymoon

an artist in "old town"

pedestrian cobble stoned streets in old town+walking distance from our hotel=AMAZING

pics of Montreal's Notre Dame Cathedral

local stained glass art in the subway station



We took a visit to Montreal's Biodome which was a multi-acre multi-ecosystem indoor "zoo"...very cool and full of fun animals to see...

this penguin type thing was going bonkers...it kept swimming in circles, diving down, spinning and flopping out of the water like mad

bobcat chillin

If you dont know already, I grew up dancing and acting and used to be active in multiple dance and theater classes roughly between 3-19 yrs old.  Growing up with me and eventually marrying me, Nate has become very appreciative of dance and theater and actually enjoys going to shows with me.  I took it upon myself to book us some tickets to a show and we were pleasantly surprised not only with the show itself, but the venue.   

Nate got a good shot of a couple walking outside the theater

another obligatory pic on our trip

A MUST DO when in Montreal: visit to Fairmount Bagel Factory....line was 20 min long out the door but it was well worth it

Notre Dame beauty during a cold and rainy day

After our tour around Notre Dame, we took an afternoon indulgence break at the cupcake across the street:  two red velvet cupcakes, strawberry vanilla gelato and cafe mocha....glorious

In spite of it being a rainy day, we knew we had to make the best of our last day in Montreal.  We had "leftover" passes to the Montreal Insectarium and surrounding Olympic sites from our already purchased package deal when we went to the Biodome.  So that's what we did...looked at bugs and then walked through some funny yet beautiful Chinese and botanical gardens.

collage of bugs :)

outside a Chinese art and tea house in the gardens

entering the bonsai part of the garden

me, winning first place...I know...dorky

After a chilly morning walking around outside, we needed to re-fuel and found this amazing cafe with the most amazing food including hot apple cider, bloody marys, crepes galore, etc.  Here is a pic of my absolutely wonderful french onion soup and the apple/maple syrup/brie cheese crepe we shared..OMG, heaven.

Our last night out, we decided to really go all out and make reservations at a fancy shmancy steak place.  Here we were all dressed up and wanting someone to take our pic, so we asked a lady in our hotel lobby to take our picture for us.  At the time, we weren't really aware that she had been drinking a bit and did not know how to use a camera...oh no.  Sure enough, she got some blurry shots of us and then proceeded to drop our DSLR on the marble floor of our hotel.  Yup, that happened.  It bounced twice and Nate dove to catch it...but it was too late.  The lens had been broken and we were essentially unable to use any sort of auto-focus.  Thank GAWD for insurance and the fact that it was our last night out.  Oh well, worse things could happen.  

Last shot before camera fell :(

our steak (before)

our steak (during)

open kitchen and cool spiral staircase

Even though 85% of our time in Montreal was cold and rainy while it is was warm and sunny in MN, we had a blast and would definitely return in the future.  It is amazing to have something so close to the  "European feel" just a couple of flight hours away.  I now can proudly say that I have been to Canada and have the stamp in my passport to prove it.  This was a great babymoon location and I'd for sure recommend it to others looking for that one last trip before their own babies come :)