2010: A summary

This year was a busy and exciting year. So much has changed!

It started in January with me being sick. It never fails, I have been sick the past two years, so it seems as if that is a tradition that I like to carry on. We rang in the new year with friends (well we left early, that's how sick I was) and I barely had a speaking voice. At this point in time I was avoiding taking a pregnancy test just cause I knew if I did, it would be negative and my cycle would start. Later on in that first week I would give in and take one, then schedule my first doctors appointment where we got our first ultrasound! Towards the end of January we announced our pregnancy to our families, who were more than excited.

February was cold and bleak as usual, and I spent most of my time dealing with the fatigue that comes with the first trimester. Husband would yell at me for sitting under the electric blanket with it too warm stating I was going to "cook the baby". Pearl was my cuddle buddy though! This was also the month that my Granddaddy had a stroke and his and my Grandmother's health took a turn for the worse. It was the beginning of a looooong year for them, namely Granddaddy.

March was the usual March, coming in like a lion and out like a lamb. I was so grateful to see the beginnings of springtime. At the end of Feb and beginning of March, Chris and I took what will probably be a last flight to Vegas for a while where we caught the Nascar race. It was awesome, I distinctly remember being 14 weeks pregnant and enjoying the buffets! (Especially since this was before heartburn arrived!) At this time I just had a tiny little bump of a baby in there.

April brought about our gender ultrasound on Good Friday, and it couldn't arrive soon enough! So many people nowadays are doing the surprise thing. I commend them for that but I am a PLANNER and could not have tolerated waiting until August to find out. Ridic! On Good Friday we found out we were having a BOY! We couldn't stop smiling. This month also brought about my birthday and the beginning stages of planning for a BOY's nursery! We went to visit my Grandmother at one point, can't remember if it was March or April. We took her to lunch for some yummy potato soup at Charleston's and it was there that she promptly got out her checkbook and gave us (well, me, because husband was working) a 'gift' for the baby. So selfless and so sweet, that was her nature.

May was a fairly relaxed month. We continued baby planning and picking out names. Ordered nursery furniture. Our worlds were rocked severely at the end of May when my Grandmother went in for a simple heart procedure and came out okay, but then didn't make it after complications during recovery. I was 28 weeks at that time, and very saddened by the loss of a precious Grandmother and yet amazed at the same time. Amazed at how much my life has changed and grown since spending summers crafting, swimming and learning board games with her. She was a big part of what shaped me into who I am today and I probably wouldn't be doing the job I am doing today if it weren't for her.

With June came more preparing for baby, and having the first of many showers. This shower was thrown by my mother-in-law and was a joint shower for me and my sister-in-law who was due five days before me. (so cool, right?) I really enjoyed sharing our pregnancies together and it is fun having the same age baby as well! Towards the end of this month Husband and I took a quick little getaway trip to Branson for a weekend. I was right about 30 weeks pregnant. The trip was nice because we got to spend some time to ourselves and explore a new town. We did PLENTY of shopping for Baby C and finally found that waffle maker Husband was holding out on finding. (He's picky, it has to cook four waffles and the squares in the waffle have to be a certain size. What a nut!) Husband insisted on going to Silver Dollar City, and I agreed just to appease him. I surprised myself by throughly enjoying the time there despite the heat. I enjoyed watching the craftsmen and watching husband ride the rides. He's like a little kid sometimes! I remember getting horrible sleep there in the bed that wasn't my own.

July brought about more baby showers. At this point I had three more to go, I had a work shower, Husband's work shower and then a friends shower. I was more than blessed at each of the showers and got TONS of stuff for Little C. I am still amazed at how many clothes and items he got at these showers! Both work places were SUPER generous and then for the friends shower I had people driving up from Texas to see me. At this time it was starting to get unbearably hot, and it didn't help having a little heater attached to me!

The beginning of August was exciting because my brother was on leave so my brother and sister-in-law got to see me huge and swollen. It was getting excruciatingly hot and it was getting increasingly harder to get around. Work was tough as my patients always wanted to go outside yet the doctors kept advising me against going outside in the 100+ heat. (I did it anyways and drank lots of water!) Sleep was horrible as I had to wake every few hours to use the restroom or I had to wake up completely to roll. Everything was such an effort! (But soooo-o worth it) Finally, at the end of August Little C arrived to bless our lives. He came quietly and quickly, I still can't believe after 40 weeks of preparing how quickly he entered and just settled right in, as if he was always there!

September was spent getting acquainted to Camden and learning what life was like with a baby. In the first five days home from the hospital we ventured out, going to Target and the grocery store or picking things up at Babies R Us, and we really enjoyed the company of Husband who got to take that first week off with us. After that first week when Husband returned to work, Camden and I spent lots of time in the house together. It took a month or so before I was comfortable carting him around on my own to run multiple errands, without Husband to assist! Toward the end of September we took Camden to meet my Granddaddy. Camden was a fabulous baby and it was lots of fun to hang out with Granddaddy and see his place as well as go to his picnic they were having at the facility where he lives.

October was my last full month of maternity leave. Camden of course was busy growing like a weed! This month was baby's first Halloween and he was the cutest monkey on the block. The weather started cooling off so we had to cut back on our daily walks with Pearl. The time change definitely put a damper on that come early November. :(

November was Husband and I's 4th anniversary, I had to return to work on the 8th and then we celebrated Camden's first Thanksgiving. Such a busy month this was, attempting to get back into the swing of all things working and baby. I found this to be exceptionally hard when you are sleep deprived, somehow we made it through. The first day of leaving him at daycare was incredibly hard. I remember telling myself I wasn't gonna cry, as I was going to come back and visit him on my lunch. Ha! I was doing pretty good until one of the workers made a comment "oh, you are doing so well!" and then came the waterworks! This was also the same day my car rolled over to 100,000 miles, which I had been waiting for all.year.long. but completely missed it due to mommy meltdown. :) At Camden's first Thanksgiving we got to meet family for the first time, (my cousins and their children), and enjoy each others company in OKC. Granddaddy got to have some special conversations with Camden and it was great to have him there.

December brought about lots of sickness in our household. From head colds to stomach bugs (that were just horrendous), we spent the better part of the month all stopped up, Camden included. Our first Christmas was on the 18th and was with Granddaddy and my cousins that included a few new sets of cousins that Camden had yet to meet. It was pretty exciting to see them and catch up! It was amazing to celebrate our first Christmas with Camden. We went to three different Great Grandparent's houses, plus two Grandparent's houses and did Christmas with all of them! We were blessed with lots of presents, conversations and cuddles and it was truly a magical experience. I feel like December just flew by, and now we are already moving on to 2011. I find "twenty eleven" hard to say, as it takes more work to roll off the tongue. But, I guess I better get used to it, because here it comes!

Here's to a hard yet fantastic year. Despite the hardships my heart still manages to overflow with joy.

And to all my readers, may your 2011 be just as joyous!

Happy New Year!!!