The Difference a Year Makes

I can't believe today is the last day of 2012. It has gone by so fast.

2012 was by far the most exciting year of my life. The previous years, with all their life changes, were nothing in comparison to 2012. I started the year off a new mom with a 6 week old baby and lots of challenges. And I stand here, at the end of the year, a mom of a toddler with a little bit of experience behind me.

So many changes in 2012 and so many hardships. My patience, resolve, strength and love were all tested at their maximum. We went through a lot in those first months with Molly, a time I will never forget because of what we survived as a family. Lots of milestones were met, pictures taken and memories made. And I am excited about 2013 as we explore what amazing things she has in store for us as she grows into toddlerhood.

I will always look back on 2012 as a year of victory.



What a different a year makes.

And in true New Year fashion, a bit of a recap of 2012.

January - Adjusting to life with a baby

February- A Love Story

March- Our first A Day in the Life

April- Bring on solids!

May- Surviving Colic

June- Being a Work from Home Mom

July- Bumps and Bruises

August- Leaving Baby Behind

September- Vacation!!

October- Coming to Terms

November- We have a ONE year old

December- Merry Christmas


Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas Eve

Its been a wonderful few days of being back home in Oklahoma City with my family. I love staying with my parents because that means I have baby back-up which always leads to naps. Oh how I LOVE naps.

Most of the time we have just been lazing around and enjoying time together. Lots of eating, playing games and catching up. But we did take some time to get out for some holiday fun!

Downtown in December in OKC has become a very big deal in recent years and with the opening of a new park and skyscraper came new activities. Look at those pine cones, beautiful!

 









We hit up our friends annual Festivus party. Ugly sweater style.

 

And now we are prepping to have all our family over for Christmas Eve dinner. This year has been so much fun with Molly. This time last year I was bouncing her on a yoga ball and thinking I would never enjoy Christmas again. So glad those things actually do pass.

Tomorrow we are expecting snow. A white Christmas! And Molly's first snow. The holidays can be so magical. We hope everybody has a wonderful holiday.

Merry Christmas all! Love, The Vincents.

Simple Weekend

After the events of Friday I wanted a simple weekend with family and friends. I wanted to cherish what is important to us and get in quality time with the people I love. So we kept it simple.

A little visit to Santa to commemorate Molly's 2nd Christmas. (she was not a big fan of Santa)



Two trips to the park complete with her new found love of the slides!






Holiday date night out to a few Christmas parties.

And a late night of baking with a good friend.



Simple and perfect.

Tis the Season

We are in full on Christmas mode around these parts. Our live tree is up and decorated, our house is adorned with lights and yard ornaments, and every nook and cranny of our main living spaces has something to celebrate the season.

Last year was Molly's first Christmas but she was just a few weeks old and had absolutely no clue about anything, let alone the holidays. And this year she still doesn't understand a whole lot but she is curious enough and mobile enough to make it fun!

I have been thinking about and pinning things that could be traditions for us to start. I have lots of traditions from my family growing up but I want to start things just the 3 of us. I have yet to come up with anything that is just ours. So we are celebrating with the good ol stuff.

The tree! Complete with soft animal ornaments at her level that she is free to take off the tree.



And our favorite ornament...



We also started Elf on the Shelf this year. While Molly doesn't understand the rules yet she does have fun finding her and pointing at her, yelling dat dat dat!



We even wrote our very first letter to Santa. I had to help translate. I wasn't sure if Santa can read toddler writing.



And hosted our first holiday hot chocolate and cookies playdate.



This year is a little different than last year. So much has changed. And its making it all the more fun!



I am going to keep working on new traditions but in the meantime we are going to enjoy the ones we have already. Tis the season!

Sick Baby.

Yesterday morning was business as usual. I was up, coffee in hand watching Good Morning America and waiting for Molly to get up. I even had a delicious breakfast waiting on her.

Little did I know what was about to happen. The calm before the storm if you will.

I went in to get Molly up, we needed to get going to make our Kindermusik class. When I opened up her blinds and looked in her crib something was different than usual. There was throw up. Everywhere. Appears as though she threw up sometime in the morning and then proceeded to roll around in it. Alright, fun Thursday ahead!

I was hoping it was just a fluke thing so I went ahead and put her in her highchair to eat breakfast. She ate some but nothing like normal. But she didn't throw up. So we finished and jumped in the car to go to music class. About a mile into our car ride she started throwing up again. Dangit! This wasn't just a fluke. This was a stomach virus.

The next 24 hours have been a combination of a happy baby, a tired baby and a pukey baby. She can't seem to keep much down. And she won't drink the Pedialyte. 

While I like the extra cuddles I am getting, I just want her to feel better.

Hoping it passes today. We are supposed to see Santa tomorrow!

Her First Year: A Video

As part of my reflection on Molly's first year and a way to remember all of her milestones I created a video. It took me about a month to compile it all together and I cried every single time I worked on it. And I still get teary eyed as I watch it now. I wanted something special to have and watch as the years go on. Something to capture all the little moments of this first year. It has been an amazing journey and this video does a pretty good job of summing it up.

Its a little long (I had trouble editing it down) so you can just watch pieces of it, but I thought I would share with my readers who have been on the journey with us.

To Molly, on her first birthday, with love.


Molly: The First Year from ChasingHallie on Vimeo.