It’s time for my favourite post of the year! The one where I look back on the past year and reflect on all of the best moments. As always, let’s break it down into major events and minor joys.
Major Events
It’s no surprise that the biggest events of the year all have one thing in common… a new baby!
Pregnancy
On the very first day of 2019, we found out that we were expecting! It was a New Year like no other and it took me a while to really believe it was true.
Once we were ready, planning ways to share the news with family and friends was so much fun. Then, feeling those first little flutters in my tummy was indescribable. I was super excited to find out we were having a girl, and putting together a room for her was a wonderful adventure. Pregnancy wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but I think it was beautiful nonetheless.
If you haven’t already, you can read all about my experience here.
Babymoon
Andrew and I usually do a trip for our anniversary each July, but I wasn’t sure I would be up for travelling at almost 8 months pregnant, so we went early. We travelled to Miami Beach for a few days over the March Break, and it was so nice to soak up some warm sunshine!
Spring breakers made the beach a little wild, but our hotel was far enough removed from the action. It had its own rooftop pool, and a neat little vegan place nearby, which we visited too many times to count. From pancakes and coffee in the morning to fancy pizzas and ice cream in the evening, we had our fair share of tasty food!
Labour & Delivery
I never got around to sharing the full birth story on here, so if you’re interested, I’ll write a quick summary now. Of course, feel free to skip ahead, if it’s not your thing.
My water broke in the front seat of my sister’s car after spending the afternoon at the beach and grabbing some ice cream. It was a week and a half before my due date, and given that I was expecting contractions to happen first, I was completely caught off guard.
When we arrived home, Andrew was on a work call and tried to shoo me away until it was done. I persisted, and once he realized what was going on, he quickly hung up, and said, “Now?? But I just ordered a pizza!”
Our bags weren’t packed and the laundry wasn’t done, so we ran around a little frantically getting ready to go to the hospital. My sister went to pick up the pizza, and came back to drive us.
The whole ordeal was just so funny – we couldn’t stop laughing!
After being checked at the hospital, I was told to walk around the building for a couple hours to see if things would progress. Still no contractions, as far as I could tell. We were given a room and told that I would be induced in the morning, if nothing happened overnight.
A couple hours later, with Andrew asleep in a chair, the contractions came on strong. Since I was told to watch for a pattern, I kept my eye on the clock, and it wasn’t long before I paged the nurse. The first time she came, she simply told me to try and get some sleep. Yeah, right.
Shortly after, I paged again and we were moved to a delivery room. On the way over, I was offered an epidural, since the doctor was currently on the floor. I declined, given that it felt too early, and I wanted to try other strategies first.
Long story short, after one shot of Gravol mixed with morphine and an hour in the jacuzzi, I was ready to push. Only another hour later, and our beautiful little miracle was welcomed into the world!
Parenthood
Since I recently wrote about becoming a mom, there’s not much to add here. But I will say that our lives have been forever changed.
You don’t know the true meaning of 24/7 until you become a parent. This round-the-clock job stretches you until you feel like you have nothing left to give, but then somehow, you do.
And it’s not only the stretching of you as an individual, but your relationships, too. Sometimes you can’t help but wonder, if you’re strong enough to withstand the pressure.
On a more positive note, though, a baby also makes you appreciate all the little things in life that you used to take for granted. Like the sunlight coming in through the window, or the sweet sound of the rain. When your baby experiences things for the first time, it’s like seeing the world with fresh eyes.
It’s been a true joy watching this little person discover the world, and I cannot wait to see her grow.
Minor Joys
Here’s a list of the smaller moments that made me smile.
- Sharing my artistic talents with students.
- Coffee runs and lunch dates with my grade partner.
- Our school trips to Snow Valley & Scenic Caves.
- Feeling those sweet baby kicks each day.
- Sharing the joy with family and friends at our baby showers.
- Shopping at IKEA and putting together the nursery.
- A sweet little birthday date at the drive-in theatre.
- Watching students graduate and celebrating their successes.
- A beautiful backyard wedding and a night at Blue Mountain.
- Finding a new church to attend.
- Hanging out at the beach with my sister.
- The sweet labour + delivery nurses at the hospital.
- Having friends and family come to meet our baby.
- Our annual apple picking adventure.
- Attending my sister-in-law’s wedding.
- Seeing baby smile for the first time, and hearing her little giggles.
- A holiday baking day with family on both sides.
- Designing a personalized ornament for baby’s first Christmas.
- A mini Christmas photoshoot at the tree farm.
- Hosting our niece’s dino-unicorn themed birthday party.
- Watching baby experience the joy of Christmas for the first time.
- Realizing how much love and support I have around me.
Well, that’s it! Thanks for following along this year, despite the shortage of posts. Here’s to a fresh start in a whole new decade!