Bliss In Imperfection: 2011, a pictoral year in review

Last Year I did this same post. I had to because when I went to write about 2010, the only things that I could think of were family tragedies, illnesses and the babies we kept on miscarrying. Laying the year out in pictures, reminded me of how much happiness was embedded in the sadness. Ironic how pictures can do that. We don't normally capture the sad times in pictures, I guess for good reason.

Well, I'm so grateful to say that I could write an infinite amount on how awesome 2011 was for our family. I am not even sure the pictures will capture the happiness enough. You'll notice a lack of photos in the earlier months, because even though I was happy, I was way under the weather with morning sickness and fatique and pretty much did nothing but jump on the hamster wheel and pray I didn't fall asleep and fall off! I can honestly say that this was definitly the best year of my life. I pray I will have more years just like this, even though I know it surely will be dispersed amoungst years similar to 2010. Once in a while we are lucky enough to have a good day, month and in my case even a year. In times of struggle, I try to remember that we are lucky enough to be given the gift of another day.

In January Paul and I were homebodies. He was still recovering from surgery and getting ready to head back to work. We both ended up really sick for the first time in 12 years together. It was strange to be curled up on the couch loving each other as much as we loved our puffs plus and nyquil.
After Paul recovered from having back to back surgeries, January became the month of new life. This was the month we finally conceived our sticky baby! Sammy what a dream! You were well worth the flu, the double kidney infection and antibiotics from hell. Note to self, never take antibiotics without also taking a probiotics and buying stock in fage greek yogurt.

See what I mean, I was SICK! UGH, at least I have my cute furbabies (I have three, but one cat doesn't like to be caught near the dog).

February started off fantastic! On 2.3.11 I saw two pink lines:

I doubted I was pregnant, but took a test anyways because I wanted to be sure I could drink on superbowl! Yea to finally not being able to have a drink!

About two weeks later, we had an amazing time at the beach. I was just newly pregnant, a few days away from hearing our baby's heartbeat for the first time. What a wonderful tranquil place to be when you are starting to get morning sickness.

This picture cracks me up because Paul didn't realize he wasn't supposed to be in it!

March:
The birth of our niece Grace Elizabeth! What a miracle baby, born at 38 weeks weighing just 4.4 lbs due to IUGR.

Unfortunately, I don't have many pictures of the next few months because I was holed up inside trying to survive a 16 week bout with horrible morning (evening) sickness and fatigue. About all I can say for our family in March is Bailey got his first bath at barks and bubbles thanks to an awesome groupon ($10!):

In April, it was pretty much the same as March, I dragged my butt out of bed to go to work, dragged it home to sit on the couch, puke, then to bed by 8pm. I did go to the outlets with my friend Kari who unlike me was excited to help me get some maternity clothes.

We did enjoy some pretty flowers in our front yard:

In May: I finally saw the light of day, FINALLY! I think the last three months were the hardest physically that I'd ever gone through. Growing a human is no joke! In what felt like our first time out since Novemeber without illness and work stress lingering. Our marriage really struggled during this time and it was great when I finally was able to live again. We had the best time taking Bailey to the Reston Pet Fiesta and then to my best friend's sons birthday. It was a glorious day. Paul and I finally connected again and how awesome is that! Sometimes you just need to get out and have a couples day, you really remember that your spouse is your best friend.

Here is Bailey, cooling off in the fountain at reston town center!

A few days later on my mom's birthday, we found our baby, would be baby Sammy! Confimration of what my heart was saying, baby was a boy!

Feeling better couldn't have come soon enough because we had lots to do.
My sister in laws wedding in cocoa beach

Laura, my childhood best friend's wedding whom I had the privledge of doing her flowers and making her desserts.

In June: Michelle, my other childhood best friend's wedding in miami, FL (we made this trip into our fantastic babymoon).

While we were there, just 1 day after our 7th wedding anniversary, our newest nephew William was born on father's day.
In July: The birth of our newest niece Lana

We also had our maternity pictures taken. I bought an awesome groupon for brooke bready photography and because I had $60 in groupon bucks these awesome photos were only $30!

In Aug: We finally laid low this month. I did a ton of nesting and hanging around the house. I was also crazy busy this month at work. We went for our annual gypsy kings concert with our awesome neighbors:

We had a scare on the last day of August that brought me closer than I ever want to get to the NICU. I was sent to L&D with contractions 1-2 minutes apart. Sammy was only 34 weeks baked! Ugh, that is one scare I never want to experience again. Thank God I had chosen an amazing OB practice (Dr. Hodges at fair ridge OBGYN, you are my hero).

In Sept: So much fun stuff like our baby shower!

In Oct: Well, you already know what happened in Oct!

In the two weeks before Sam arrived we packed about 8 years worth of dates into two weekends! I so looking forward to going on fun dates like that again! We went to eastern market in DC, went to Clifton Day, ate out a ton. Apparently, it was so much fun that we forgot to take pictures whomp, whomp..fail. Here is the last picture of me pregnant (39.3 weeks). Thanks Stephanie for taking this awesome photo, I treasure it!

In Nov: Preparing for our first thanksgiving with just me and Paul and Sam. It was so weird not to be with our family, but nice too! I have no clue where the pictures are. Sammy woke up just as we sat down for dinner (at 2pm what we thought would be his nap time, ay yi yi) this is the closest I could find:

In Dec: Baby's first christmas! Need I say more?! I also had an awesome birthday. According to the mayans this could be my last! I may never turn 30! I'm sure me and my family will be better off in heaven anyways.