First Steps

This past Friday marked a major milestone for our little one, she started walking! She had taken her first real steps on the weekend before Christmas but was still content crawling to make her way around. She started in the toddler classroom at daycare last Tuesday and that's all it took, four days and she's a walker :) As with all milestones, it's a bittersweet for the mama. I'm so excited that she's growing and learning but these are her first real independent steps into this crazy, beautiful world. I smile at her confidence in her new found abilities and I hope that she'll always have that confidence, never doubting her ability to overcome new obstacles. For there will be many in this life as we all know. It's amazing how much my one year old can teach me as I watch her try to navigate obstacles like a toy or something in her path. She pauses, assesses what she needs to do and then takes tiny sidesteps around it. Other times she feels she can just plow over it. Sometimes she's successful and other times she trips but she keeps getting back up! She reminds me that life is the same way, sometimes you need to pause and assess, and other times you need to take the chance to just plow ahead. You may stumble but don't let it keep you from getting back up! I'm so lucky to have such a wise toddler! Wisdom beyond her year :)

Resolution 1

With the start of a new year many people try to make resolutions of things to change. Sure, there are those that will say, "don't wait until the new year, make changes as they come", but sometimes it's the ending of one thing and the start of another that may cause the pause and reevaluation. The last half of last year, I must admit, I was down about the monotony of my job and its restrictions on my ability to enjoy home life, i.e. time with my little one, my husband, the dog or visiting the fam. Weekdays and nights of rushing through routines sometimes makes a perceived rut seem deeper. But with many of the sad events that came last year I have (once again) realized that we have to make the most of every moment, no matter how busy or tired one may be. Even the moments when I'm trying to finish cleaning the bottles, the baby's in her high chair kicking and screaming because she hasn't had a nap and just wants food, the husband has the music playing in the background while he makes dinner and the dog is under heel in the kitchen hoping something will fall to the floor. So one of my resolutions for the new year is to take each day as it comes, not to stress the little things. Only 5 days into the new year, I feel like I'm doing pretty good with it. At work this week, with the attorney that drives me nuts I've been making an effort, when he starts getting on my nerves to stop rolling my eyes (hard as it may be) and look at my little girl's picture, smile and carry on with my work. Yes, it may be hard to maintain some days but the intention is there.

That's all for now. I'll be back with more resolutions this week.

2013

Another year gone! They go so fast! This year has seen much happiness with it's share of disappointment. Like every year I try to take it in stride. Our baby girl has turned 1! and with each day she adds so many smiles to our lives. My little nephew has turned 2 and is talking up a storm and learning so quickly! And there is also the long road ahead for my mother-in-law who's cancer diagnosis on 12/12/12 makes us take stock of what we have.

With many of the sad events of 2013 we must be sure to take each day as it comes and try not to worry about the trials that may be up ahead. I take a line, slightly modified, from one of my favorite movies A Knight's Tale, Hope guides us, it's what gets us through the day and especially the night. May each day be filled with hope. Hope for the coming day, week, month and year. Hope that each moment will be as happy as the next. It is with hope that I wish you a Happy New Year :)