Happy New Year!

Listen up! Natalie would like to tell you her hopes and dreams for the new year:



She's been doing a lot of cooing and gaga-ing for us this week. This little one really enjoys hearing her voice, and so do we! It's so fun to listen to the new sounds she's discovering she can make.

We spent New Year's Eve with our friends' sweet 7-month old son, Everett. He's twice Natalie's size and I wish we'd taken a picture of them together to show the size difference. He was so funny and really loved to laugh. Every time I said "woof, woof" to him, he would just fall out laughing. I look forward to making little Natalie laugh like that!

2010 was certainly a year of "firsts" for us as we went through pregnancy and then welcomed Natalie Elise into the world. It's crazy to think that I was pregnant for most of the year... from February all the way to November! Some days it seemed like I'd been pregnant forever, and now I have a hard time remembering feeling so totally different, with my big belly poking out further and further each day. I was so aware of my own body all that time, and now some days I barely remember to feed myself; I'm so focused on Natalie and ensuring that I meet her needs. My world truly revolves around her and I understand now how special it is to be a mama.

2011 will bring many firsts, too, as Natalie grows and develops new skills and personality. She'll be two months old on January 6th, and soon enough it will be November and she'll be turning one year old! It'll go by in such a hurry. Sometimes I find myself thinking, "I can't wait until she starts talking" or "I can't wait until she fits into that cute dress". At times like those I have to remind myself to sloooow down and take this adventure one milestone, one day, one breath at a time. An experience as amazing as this should be savored.