Every year I do a "short" Year-In-Review post, recapping what happened over the last 12 months, mostly in photos. It was a pretty big year, to say the least. Just to warn you, it's pretty baby-heavy.
January
We spent New Year's Eve in Minnesota after Troy and Becky's wedding. I have to say, Central Time New Year's is pretty lame. We watched the Ball drop at 11pm, Chicago's lame-attempt at a countdown, and were in bed pretty soon after that.
When we got back to New York, I organized a little birthday celebration for myself with my favorite people and my favorite food, CHEESE!
Chris even found a giant Swiss Cake Roll for my birthday cake!
The Belly grew and grew . . .
24 weeks
26 weeks
And we started working on the Baby room!
I also spent two weekends taking a Doula training course. After some upsetting changes at work, I decided to take the next step. I've been thinking about becoming a Doula for a long time, and I felt like I was ready to try to make it happen. After the training was over, I was probably the most prepared pregnant lady ever to give birth, but I also knew I wasn't quite ready to make the Doula thing a reality just yet. I have a few years to get certified for my class to still count, so talk to me again next year and we'll see where I am.
February
The Belly started taking over!
28 Weeks
29 Weeks
30 weeks
31 weeks
Beth came down and we painted the Baby room! It came out so good!
March
Belly-Tastic!
32 weeks
33 weeks
34 weeks
35 weeks
Something I've always wanted to do, a maternity photo shoot. Janna from Capture Our Moments Photography was awesome!
Baby Shower #1 at my Mom's
We also worked out the practical things for this child!
April
The last few belly shots!
36 weeks
37 weeks (and in labor, btw)
I went into labor on Sunday April 10. Rowan was born on April 11, 2011, 3:54am at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital's Birthing Center.
6 pounds, 4 ounces
19 inches long
Go here to read the entire Birth Story.
After that, pretty much everything was about the baby.
Happy Easter!
May
Had my first Mother's Day breakfast in bed.
Great Nana
Happy Memorial Day!
June
Chris had his first Father's Day. His gift -- sleeping in!
I went back to work at the end of June, which means Rowan started day care.
First Day of School!
Everyone was glad to see me back at the office!
July
July 2 was Gipper's 2nd birthday with us (8 years old!)
Happy Birthday Gipper!
On the 4th, we celebrated America's birthday!
Happy 4th of July!
And also Daddy's Birthday!
August
At the end of August, New York City experienced it first real hurricane in a long time, Hurricane Irene. We bought lots of bottled water (and froze a big jug in the freezer to keep the breastmilk cold in case the power went out!) and hunkered down in our apartment.
Watching the rain start!
The worst of it in our neighborhood
Tropical Storm Rowan!
September
We headed up to Massachusetts for Nana's annual Labor Day party.
October
We welcomed Fall at the local farm museum! Pumpkin patches and apple pie!
We headed up to MA again for Beth's Halloween party. Unfortunately, we got stuck in a Snowstorm instead! We ended up camping out at Chris's parents' house and never got to the Halloween party.
Snow and Foliage!
Baby got his first sled right, and his first taste of snow.
When we got back home, of course the snow was gone. On Halloween Day, the daycare had a Halloween party and parade.
That night, the dog park had a party too!
Baby dressed as a football and the whole family joined in.
November
Baby's first Thanksgiving!
Chris and I also went to our 10 year High School Reunion!
December
Everyone was so excited for Baby's first Christmas! Gramma Jan sent us home with a bag full of Advent presents.
Chris gave me my present a little early -- a date night and The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center!
I took about 187 pictures of the baby under the Christmas Tree. It took that many, plus a little photoshopping, to get this year's Holiday Card.
We spent Christmas Eve at Mom and Dad Chamberland's.
And we spent Christmas Morning at Mom and Dad Hartford's.
Plans for New Year's Eve include takeout hamburgers, milkshakes, a Big Bang Theory marathon, and MAYBE staying up to see the ball drop.
Happy New Year!
