Forever Growing: out with 2012 in with 2013

i'm finding it so hard to believe that 2012 is over. i can remember last new years eve so vividly. after getting engaged in november and finding out we were pregnant a month later i was so excited for what was to come in 2012, but also really very nervous.

i never in my wildest dreams could have imagined what a year of ups and downs 2012 would be, and even still it has been the best year of my life, hands down.

january

i had just found out that i was pregnant, but i wasn't even showing. it hardly felt real. i took about 10 pregnancy tests to make sure i hadn't gotten a false positive (is that even possible?) Beau and i got married at the courthouse on the 27th.

february

we celebrated our first valentines day together by baking and decorating a cake. it was perfect because i had no desire to go out considering i was exhausted with growing a baby and all.

march

the only thing i can remember from this month is the deathly stomach virus i caught from the little guy i was a nanny for. so not fun, especially when pregnant.

april

we celebrated easter at my parents house and went on our "honeymoon" to jeep beach in daytona, fl.

may

my was my first mother's day, our church wedding, and my 21st birthday. obviously i didn't celebrate the way most 21 year olds do... instead we bought a vacuum! i also totaled my car this month in my 4th accident since getting pregnant and was forced to stop working.

june

june was Beau's turn to celebrate. he turned 21 and had his first father's day. we were house sitting for my uncle at the time, so parents had a little party for him once we got home!

july

oh what a surprise this month was! my baby shower was at the beginning of the month and then we had a couple labor scares, but i was sure i wasn't going to actually give birth until my due date (aug. 21st) or later. boy was i wrong. Owen had his own plan. on july 25th at 10am my contractions started. at 10:30am my water broke and i was at the hospital at 11:30am. O arrived into this world after just four pushes, at 4:12pm.

august

this month flew by as i learned the joys and difficulties of being a new mother. we struggled with breast feeding and jaundus and all kinds of things that seemed like they'd never get better. but before we knew it O was gaining weight like a champ and it all of a sudden felt like i'd been a mother my whole life.

september

being stuck in a basement apartment with a newborn who mostly slept all day was really lonely so, even though our lease wasn't up until november, we decided to move out of our apartment and into my parent's basement 2 months early. O's great grandmother (my paternal grand mother) traveled all the way from ireland to meet her first great grandchild. this is also the month i began this wondeful blogging journey.

october

this month O was baptised and we had a big reception at my parent's house. we also went to the pumpkin patch and apple orchard before O's first halloween.

november

in november Beau started his job with the police department. it was such a huge answer to prayers for him to get his dream job as a police officer and the increase in pay that came along with it. and we of course had a wonderful thanksgiving at my uncle's house.

december

this has been a huge month for O developmentally. he has become much more comfortable on his stomach, rolls over more easily, and has even started sitting on his own. we had such a fantastic christmas with lots of family.