Wishing You a Happy, Safe & Healthy New Year

As I reflect on the past year, I cannot believe how much we have been blessed. A new house, a baby on the way and great health -- there is never a day that goes by that my husband and I don't realize how lucky we are.

I am so grateful that I have a husband who is my true soulmate. He gets me in every aspect of life and loves me for it. I am so proud that my daughter gets to grow up with a true role model as a father. My husband supports me in every decision I make. He knows just how to get me riled up and bring me down to earth again. Everything - our children, our home, our families, our personalities stem from a part of us - I couldn't imagine anyone else I want to share it all with. Having my husband become a father in 2010 will be amazing to watch as his bond with his daughter continues to grow, even now inside my belly.

Our goal of buying a house this year was attainable after last year's unemployment and money woes. I guess I never expected life to creep up on us so quickly! Even though everything in my life is planned (if you know me, you should know that by now!) sometimes it takes my breath away knowing that all of these wonderful things are happening to us all at once. How did I get so lucky? Obviously things don't happen like magic - there have been bumps in the road, but I don't view them as so. They are bumps on the way to a perfect paved road ahead. Everything happens for a reason - I am a TRUE believer in that. Everything in my life has shown me so. The houses we lost or walked away from weren't really "our" houses in the end. I will always remember that Thursday afternoon, seeing a "too good to be true" house showing up in my house search results. The huge yard, big kitchen, the cranberry red door.....I swooned. We made an appointment to see it the next day and just one day after that, put a bid on it. I will leave the rest of the boring details out, but we have been happy (and busy!) ever since making it our own since September of 2009. Just one month earlier I had found out we were expecting.

I always knew I wanted to have children - but I never imagined how much this experience would mean to me. Let me just warn you by saying, I am one of those pregnant women who love their pregnancy. No, I never had morning sickness, or nausea or the unexplainable tiredness. (For those of you who are groaning already, feel free to wish me all of the aforementioned symptoms on my next pregnancy.) I never saw myself "glow", but my friends and coworkers just recently have been telling me this.
After a scare around 12 weeks along, life meant something different to me. It was precious, something to cherish. No longer was it my own life that mattered - it was my child's. Once I learned everything was right in the world and with my pregnancy, (thank God) I looked forward to bonding more with Sprout (what Sophie was before we knew she was a girl).
The moment I found out I was having a daughter was indescribable. I closed my eyes and said to myself, I am going to have a daughter. I could feel everything that I had hoped for my children come alive in Sophie. At that moment, she was no longer "it" -- she was a teeny version of me. I feel so blessed to be having a girl. I think about all the hopes and dreams I have for her and all of the fun, exciting shopping trips with my mini me. Life since then just seems to get better (is it possible?!) and Sophie is already a part of everyday life and routines. In just 3 1/2 short months (about 106 days) we will become a true family and I can not wait to lay eyes upon my sweet daughter.

I'm welcoming 2010 with open arms in anticipation of Sophie's birth, friend's weddings, a new niece/nephew and much more quality time with those I love. And, oh yeah....to have a sip of alcohol...to be exact -- a pomegranate martini......So, here's to a prosperous, healthy and safe New Years filled with amazing life experiences that make you proud of who you are and who you will become.