Things I've Learned In My Two Years of Being a Parent

What can I say about time and kids that doesn't sound dumb and cliche? Nothing that hasn't been said before, so all I'll say is: GAH! TWO YEARS! That baby I gave birth to isn't a baby anymore, but a walking talking bundle of energy that doesn't nap and has learned that how to open & close doors. Which, by the way, is terrifying.

Since his birthday I have had the chance to reflect on all the things that have changed. Not just basic things like his height or weight, but the less noticeable things. Things like:

- I'm not surprised or upset when I'm at work and find snot, avocado, and juice on my clothes.

- Dry shampoo and Downy Wrinkler Releaser are the two most used items in my house.

- My little independent spirit just isn't going to want to snuggle when I want to snuggle (or ever) and that is okay.

- Sometimes the plain no-seam nylon panties are just as sexy as the lacy satin panties.

- Spoiling my appetite with Girl Scout cookies while cooking the family dinner is totally a thing that happens.

Most of all I am in awe with the amount of love I have for this sweet boy. Honestly I have no idea how he fills my hearts up more each day. There are times my breath catches in my chest and my heart clinches and stops, and I am almost completely overwhelmed. It is a scary and wonderful feeling. One I look forward to feeling again and again as he keeps growing.

How I'm Coping With My Toddler Weaning Himself Off Of Naps

It's hard to believe Dean will be two years old in March. My little baby is no longer a baby but a full-blown little man who runs around all day, playing, dancing, talking, and has even started to sing a little bit. He has a strong will of what he wants to do, when he's going to do it, who he's going to do it with, and where it is going to happen. Is that common for toddlers?

My parents often talk about how "busy" he is. He is always doing something. If he's not playing trucks, he's playing trains, blocks, ball, sweeping, vacuuming, reading books, telling stories to his stuffed animals, running around, eating, or any number of other things... that are not sleeping. Over the last few months he has weaned himself almost completely off naps. For some reason I pictured him napping once a day for another year or so. I'm not quite ready for this change.

Nap time was the time I set aside for myself to work out and catch up on a few things that were easiest to do when Dean isn't around. For the last year I was able to do Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred dvd two to three times a week. I'm not trying to get shredded, no no no, but I want to build a bit of muscle and loose that stubborn tummy of mine. Now that Dean has stopped napping I'm finding it hard to work that 20 minutes elsewhere into my day. I would do it while he's awake but his love for playing with weights is not helpful to my workout routine.

Luckily the lack of naps don't effect him much. He's not often cranky. I think it's because he gets about 10-12 hours of sleep a night. (The last few nights it's been 14 hours, which leads me to think there's a growth spurt in the future.) There is a point everyday in the afternoon where he does slow down and he'll zone out watching an episode of Thomas the Train or Daniel Tiger, and then he's back up and running again. I figure as long as he doesn't get nasty there's no need to have him nap. That being said, I've now lost the time I used for certain things.

The day I took these pictures we went to two parks in hopes I could wear him out enough to take a nap. We left the second park more energized than when we arrived, I'm sure of it! I was so bummed that day because I had put off a few things that week and was just waiting for him to nap so I could get them done. That day I learned I can't rely on nap time any more and I need to start figuring out a way to get stuff done (especially working out). Laundry, which is difficult because he is the Destroyer of Piles, I now either pile up on the bed and do it before bed with Aaron's help, or I'll put the baby gate up in the hallway and sit on the floor on one side and do it while he's playing toys on the other. Crafting I push back until he's in bed for the night.

Over the last few weeks I've been showing signs of Postpartum Distress, which are making this transition more difficult than I'd like. Things as simple as me showering, getting ready in the morning, and running errands are now incredibly stressful. My body deals with these high levels of anxiety by detaching myself from the situation and slowing me down, almost paralyzing me. Aaron and I are working together to get me through this, and his support has been wonderful. He helps me fold laundry or plays with Dean when he gets home from work so I can have "me" time or do whatever I needed to do without a toddler underfoot.

One good thing to come out of Dean's lack of naps is he wants to cuddle with me in the morning. He has never been a cuddler, but for some reason he wants to sit on my lap in the morning while he watches his morning episode of "Thomas and Friends" of "Daniel Tiger". I don't care how starving I am in the morning, I will sit there with him leaning against me as long as he sits there. Yesterday he even put his arm across my body while he was sitting with me. I teared up because he just doesn't do that. I guess I can handle getting less work done if that means I can cuddle with my baby. I gotta stop calling him my "baby". He's not a baby anymore. But he will forever be my baby so I can't help it.

Do you mama's have any advice or ideas on how to get things done with a little one running around. How do you keep them from getting into your work? What are your best tricks?

In Which the Feeling Is Real

Next month Aaron and I will be celebrating 14 years since our first date. I remember the rain. I remember the kiss.

14 years together, nine years of marriage, four trips over seas, one baby... we're still going strong. That strength has been tested and reinforced.

I was writing in my journal in bed tonight, and I started thinking about love and that feeling you get when a guy looks at you with a particular look in his eye. The one that makes you weak in the knees, wanting more (and then some). The look you want your partner to give you every day of your life. I feel fortunate to have a husband who delivers this sort of look. I don't apologize for loving this, because I love it.

As if by some divine intervention Aaron woke up and smiled at me, pulled me close and kissed me. Yuna's "Favourite Thing" was playing in the background. The feeling of swooning had never been more real to me.

Even after all this time he can still make me feel like I've been swept off my feet. That I'm the only woman in the world he sees. That nothing else in the world matters but us.

My sincerest hope is that I give him the same feelings. That he knows there is no other man for me. That I treasure these 14 years together and know we'll grow stronger with each passing year.

•

Now that I've written this all down and my heart has stopped palpatating like crazy from the near romance movie experience I'm going to go to bed.  Sweet dreams! <3

Naps

 Today Was a day of naps.  Dean napped because he's a toddler.  I napped because I have a sinus infection.  The best part was we napped together.  Snuggled on the couch.  Watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood.  Regardless of the fact that I can hardly breathe and the ridiculous amount of snot, life was grand today. <3

~ Sarah

Mama's I Have To Tell You Something - You Are Doing Great

I could tell you this to your face, but you're not here. You're at your house, or in your car, at t-ball practice, waiting in line at the grocery store, at work, or any number of other places.

I'm going to write this down for you to read because the baby is sleeping so we should be quiet, or you're away from your computer, on the phone, running after the kid(s), probably doing lots of things at once, and I really just want to get my words right.

You are doing great.



Let me repeat that. You are doing great.

I mean it. You are doing a fantastic job. You are a great mama to your baby/babies. I don't know when it was the last time you heard that (hopefully recently), but I really want you to know that truth.

That truth that whatever it is you are doing, you're doing a fine job at it. You are doing your best. Raising kids is hard. You are giving it everything you've got and doing it with all your heart. These precious little guys don't come with a manual, and each one is different, so really a manual probably wouldn't do much good, haha!

Don't worry if you turned Jake and the Neverland Pirates or Octonauts on for a while just so you could get some work done. You are not ignoring your baby. It's ok if you closed the door when you went to the bathroom, or let baby cry in the crib for a few extra minutes. It's acceptable to want (and have) a few minutes alone to breathe. Don't worry that you bought another container of Gerber Cheese Puffs so the little guy could make it through Target without fussing, or gave in to another nursing session. You are doing just fine, your baby is just fine, and you both are going to be fine.

Us mama's are told we should raise our kids are certain way, discipline them a certain way, when to stop nursing, how much weight we should have lost already, what foods we and our kids should be eating, what we should be doing with every minute of our day. We're told this from so many different people, from so many different directions, before we know it, we start questioning our decisions and our ability to be a good mother and to do a good job raising our kiddo's. I don't like having to question every decision I make. I want to be confident in myself and to know that certain things work for me and my family, and that makes it ok. I want you to have confidence too!

We can only really do what we are able to do, and we do that with every ounce of love, every fiber in our being. That is good enough.

What works for some people might not work for you, or for me. It might take a while, and multiple tries, but we'll figure out what does work eventually. If nursing a few extra months works for you, then do it. If letting your baby "cry-it-out" isn't working for you, don't do it. Did you put the baby-gate up in the bathroom to contain the babe while you did your hair and makeup this morning? Cool, I did too. It worked and I feel pretty darn good about myself today. Hopefully you do as well.

If you are struggling know you are not alone. I am here, as well as lots of other mama's who are going through (or have gone through) the same thing. Let's come together as mama's to support each other when things get cray-cray. I'm not here to judge, just love. So keep up the great work, mama. I love you.

P.S. You should 100% absolutely buy those shorts you've been eyeing. It's summertime and it's hot, and don't you dare think you shouldn't buy them because you don't think you'll look good in them. My dear, you will rock those shorts! And if some idiot thinks otherwise, they are an I D I O T so don't you worry about them. Also, YOU WILL ROCK THEM!

8 years 1 month and 1 day ago

I can't believe I never posted this. Oh my gosh. Seriously. This was kinda a big deal. I meant to post this September 6th but spaced it. Better late than never, right?


So September 6th was our 8th wedding anniversary. It's crazy to think we tied the knot so long ago! Crazy and wonderful. We actually got married at the court house but we had a beautiful and large reception once we got back from our honeymoon. This picture was taken then.

My dress was made in 1977 and was everything I didn't want in a dress~ cream colored, flowered lace, sleeves, and empire waist. I found it at a dress fair to raise money for cancer. There was a huge shared dressing room, where a handful of other girls were trying on dresses too. When my sister zipped this one up it felt like the world went silent and everyone in the room looked at me and all nodded at once. This. was. THE. dress. It was perfect.

Aaron and I have known each other since the fourth grade. He's known me (and loved me) from the time I wore my hair in a sideways pony tale, rocked neon leggins like it was nobody's business, tied my shirts to one side, only watched the Disney Channel and PBS, had terrrrrrrible acne, was convinced our dad's were "men in black" instead of nuclear engineers... clear through an unfortunate bitchy phase, came to my senses, decided to work 3 jobs during one summer, and getting super lazy. He's seen and loved me through my best and worst times.

He truly is my best friend and the perfect fit for my life. One true love. Sparkles, fireworks, butterflies, light headed-ness, weak knees~ the whole shebang.


For the first time in what feels like a life time, I dressed up to go out to dinner with him. He likes my hair in a ponytail, so I made it a special ponytail. What is that hair style called again? It has a name but I can't remember.


We went to Casa Mia, a favorite little Italian place of ours. Our server surprised us with ice cream when we told her it was our anniversary. No picture would be 100% complete without some form of hand sign from Aaron. This time it was an upside down "west-side" sign. What is that? "Married-side"?



We're not perfect people, but I couldn't be without him. He's the best husband and best daddy. I'm excited to spend forever after with him. ♥♥♥

Third Grade

While cleaning out my closet yesterday, I found something that was very precious to me as a child.

My teacher had us make a Memory Book over Christmas and Spring breaks.  I don't know whatever happened to the Christmas one, but I found this one and it brought back a flood of memories.

This is me with my favorite stuffed animal at the time.  I still have this teddy bear in my pet net hanging in my bedroom.  I was all about the tie dye and neon back then.

Some things never change.  My favorite subject is still space.  In fact, in a few weeks we're going to see a lecture from Niel deGrasse Tyson.  (Omgee I'm so excited!!)

Can't fathon which book I was refering to with "horse".  "101 Dalmatians" I remember playing at recess because I had that entire movie memorized.  One thing I forgot that I wish I remembered was our school trip to the OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry).  It was easily the best school field trip I went on. Too bad I can't recall much of it.  Every time we drive through Portland I tell Aaron (and anyone else in the car) I went there, lol!

Well there's a little snippet of my past.  Hope you enjoyed it!  What are some of your favorite things from elementary school?  Do you remember?  <3

Quiet Time

It's been said that the first two months of a babies life is the hardest for the parents.  We have been so blessed with our baby boy and this wasn't the case for us.  The past two months, however, have been a challenge.

Working full time, trying to keep a breastfeeding & pumping schedule, general stress, hormones, and PPD have weighed down on me pretty heavy.  Impatience, frustration, mixed signals were running rampant.  After some long talks, tears, hugs and kisses We have straightened out pretty much all of the wrinkles that have been givin us problems.  It feels great!

Having such a solid partner in this wild new world of parenting eases and comforts my heart.  I can look past the troubles and see peace.  Peace in my heart knowing that I am exactly where I want to be and where I'm meant to be.  I am at peace knowing that despite the challenges life has thrown at us, this house is full of love, and we can overcome anything.

It makes me all warm inside.  Just so nice and cozy.  So much so, I think I'll join my guys in a little shut eye.  Here's to a peaceful (and restful) nap.  <3

Confessions & Obsessions

There have been a few things that I have been thinking on a lot lately that I feel like sharing. Maybe it'll help me get over some of it, get you hyped about some of it, and the rest we'll just laugh at together. When I hopped onto Blogger this morning I was so happy to see that Jess from Jeans and a Tiara posted a post similar to this one yesterday. So I'm not the only one here who's got something she wants to get off her chest. ;D


First off... this baby. I love him. I'm obsessed with him. I want to spend every waking hour with him. And then during all the sleeping hours we'll snuggle. I might have mentioned this in my last post. He's just so great! He spent this morning not nursing but looking at me and laughing and talking. Gah! Love it! Being a mom is so awesome!

I've been spending my spare time the last few days making custom t shirts for myself, using freezer paper and soft fabric paint. It's so much fun and so easy! I've made three so far.


I'm still figuring things out: like how to to position them well (so far they are great attention-getters for my boobs)(which I'm totally "meh" about because my boobs are lopsided right now thanks to the baby), how thick I should make the stencils, and getting them on straight (so far their all slightly slanted one way or the other). It's a lot of fun and I'm enjoying thrifting shirts to make personal ones. The first and third shirts are inspired by my favorite Japanese wrestler, Shinsuke Nakamura. The second shirt is the Final Fantasy XI town in-game my character is from.


This is a face I've been making a lot to myself lately because of my unending desire for Cheetos and homemade crispy chocolate chip cookies. I want to eat them. All of them. Not necessarily together. But I'm weak and I can't just have one. I want them all. Then there's the new drink at Starbuck's I'm hooked on~ ice coffee w/soy and the dark caramel sauce. Seriously, just hook an IV up to me please and keep that stuff coming!

A couple days ago I kinda spammed my feed with pictures and a video from the movie Austenland. As if I wasn't already a huge fan of Jane Austen, and anything (and everything!) JA related, this movie made me even more so. My Tumblr feed is flooded with all things Austenland, but mostly of Mr. Nobley. Colin Firth is amazing and all, but JJ Feild takes the cake. Easily.


Seriously. Cake. He's got it all. Hmm? What is that you just said, little voice inside my head?

*ahem* Well anyways. If you don't like swooning definitely don't go check my Tumblr feed. I might have spent way too long just now liking, reposting, and saving a bajillion pictures and gifs.

Now the little voice inside my head is telling me to stop wasting time and get back to work. Boo. Ok we'll pick this up another day.

Happy Wednesday friends!!

Her + Him

Two days ago was me and Aaron's 147 month anniversary. That's right, we still celebrate our first date 12 years, three months and two days ago. I remember standing outside his car, in the light rain, holding hands, and him kissing me and me smiling up at him. While I don't remember where we went or what we did that night, I remember that kiss. It's the first thing that pops into my mind when I think of the 17th and wish him a happy anniversary.

The picture above is us in Tokyo two February's ago. I believe that's the night we arrived and in front of the kaminarimon, these beautiful gates that lead to the temple we stayed two blocks from. Anyways, in the spirit of our anniversary and Valentine's day which just happened, I thought I'd share some of the things that we love. Meaningful things and silly things. I got the idea from Cara who got the idea from Harley and Jane.

her: back rubs
him: back tickles

her: little spoon
him: big spoon

her: edges of brownies
him: brownies with ice cream

her: iced soy hazelnut macchiato
him: iced green tea not sweetened

her: American Apparel zip ups
him: American Apparel zip ups

her: toms
him: sneakers

her: laundry
him: vacuum

her: In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
him: Two-headed Boy

her: Seattle Mariner's
him: Seattle Mariner's

her: oldest of three
him: youngest of two

her: Yui
him: Azunyan

her: black mage
him: dragoon

her: alphabetizing
him: straightening

her: cesar salad extra croutons
him: spinach no dressing

her: amber
him: IPA

her: raspberries
him: blueberries

her: Marie's Habenero
him: Dave's Insanity

her: cassette tapes
him: vinyl

BEING CONFIDENT

It seems like such a simple statement~ be confident. Like it's something that should come as easy to us as breathing. To some people it may be, but for most I imagine, it's more of a struggle. Maybe it's not a struggle, maybe it's not just as easy. Or maybe it's more than a struggle, it's an uphill battle. Regardless of where you feel you may fit in there, self confidence is a process, not a destination.

Let me say that again~ self confidence is a process, not a destination.

There will always be good days and bad days. There will always be people who like you and those who don't. There will always be *something* that can keep you from feeling your absolute, beautiful, lovely best. But remember there is no finish line~ there is no end of day ruling that says "ok you've filled your confidence quota, you are now free to live the rest of your life fully confident in yourself, your beauty, your abilities, etc". No, there's not. There is only you and the choices you make for yourself.

Will you choose to do what makes you happy? Will you choose to withhold happiness from yourself because of what someone else thinks or says? Will you choose to allow yourself to be ruled by what others tell you about yourself, or what you think they may think about you? Will you choose to not give those dumb people another moment of your time?

What is your answer? I know mine. Even though I have the answer that doesn't mean it's an easy one to make happen. That's why being confident is a process. It will take time to get comfortable with yourself enough to allow change to happen to become more confident. Change to allow yourself to be you, to do nothing but stay home in pj's and watch all of the silly shows, to post lots selfies, to just be still and do nothing but be yourself, to break out of whatever routines/lifestyles that are holding on to you. You can make that change!

How do you start this process? I think for everyone it's different. For me, it's being beating over the head again and again with words from ladies like Gina, Stephanie Marie, Amy Morby (who's self-love blog doesn't exist anymore, sadly), and Lucy who's video I've posted on just about every social media site I'm on today. Their words touch me in a way that pushes me forward more than just sitting here thinking and typing about it. Maybe their words can touch you too.

I hope that if you are feeling not very confident about yourself, or start to feel down on yourself, you can find inspiration from any one of these ladies to remind you you are beautiful, wonderful, perfect, and an important part of this world. At the very least, please check out this little video of Lucy's.

Nostalgia

I was always a very sentimental kid. All my toys and other possessions had feelings and I took special care not to hurt any of them. Garage sales always made me sad because I had to say good bye to parts of me. Even if these things were items from the frontroom or kitchen. Little me would think "I remember watching my favorite movies on that couch" or "I helped Mom make tons of cookies and cakes from that bowl". Every aspect of my life meant something to me, and my attachment to it was strong. Fast forward a few decades, I'm still pretty sentimental. Definitely not to the extent I once was, but I do have a tendency to get sad when I take things to Goodwill and get super ecstatic when I find cassette tapes or vinyls of albums I used to listen to with my parents.

Nesting has hit me and Aaron pretty hard, and we've spend the last week or so slowly going through our place and purging all completely unnecessary stuff. (I say completely unnecessary because there's plenty of things we cannot get rid of because we're so attached we can't get rid of it.) We've been able to make a lot of room for all the baby stuff we have and will be getting in the next few months which feels awesome. Aaron took some time off of work a few times this week to clean house and put together the baby baby and changing table. He even rearranged our entire bedroom by himself to make room for them. (I'm such a lucky lady to have a guy who will take off from work to vacuum, wash dishes, and get our place ready for our baby!) We still have a lot of work to do, but I'm so happy with what we have done so far~


We had a little surprise at our appointment with our midwife this week. She went over our ultrasound with us and everything was great, the only thing that stood out to her was that the hospital estimated Dean's due date was March 19th which is 16 days sooner than his original due date. Apparently guessing due dates after 20 weeks is like a shot in the dark, and since our ultrasound was at 22 weeks, our midwife isn't worried at all. She's not changing our plans, because since we're doing a natural birth, Dean will come whenever he comes so a estimated due date is just that~ estimated. This is what probably put us into high gear nesting mode. The thought of meeting our little baby two weeks sooner than we anticipated is exciting!

I'm not in a rush to get this baby out of me though, in fact, I want him to take his time, and grow, and come when he's ready. I'll suck it up if I have to because it's best for him. And let me tell you, he is g r o w i n g! Yesterday at Fred Meyers this nice grandma asked me how many days until I'm due, and my father in law accused me (jokingly) of stealing his basketballs under my jacket. I must be getting really big! I mean I totally feel big, but I must really be looking it now. It makes sense since I can feel practically every little move Dean makes, he hasn't dropped at all, and I'm eating like a hobbit. Breakfast, second breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner, supper, elevensies...

Anyways, this baby of mine is something new and exciting and I can't wait until he gets hold enough for me to share some of my favorite old things with him. Things like toys I bought him that were the same Fisher Price toys I had when I was little, hand me down blankets and stuff animals that were mine and my Dad's, and movies that watched over and over when I was young. There are quite a few movies that I connected with when I was younger and never could get rid of or have gone out of my way to find new copies of. A few examples are these:


Sure, it's going to be a few years before these will be relevant to Dean, but in the mean time this pile of movies makes me so gosh darn happy! There's a few titles I still want to get my hands on, but there's plenty of time. A few key titles that I'm excited to own are Sleeping Beauty, Newsies, 101 Dalmations, The Parent Trap, Babar the Movie, and King George and the Ducky. To be honest though, all the titles there are great and I'm sure Dean will enjoy them just as much as I did.

One of the next little bits of nostalgia I want to collect are the "Little Golden Books". Luckily a bunch of the ones I read in the past have been reprinted so not all of them ones I want to find will be super hard to find. They even made one for Disney's Frozen which I'm now determined to buy next time I go to Safeway.

Is there anything in particular about your youth that you are super nostalgic and super sentimental about?

My Baby Bump Part 2

My first update about my growing baby bump was three months ago. I can hardly believe it! That was so long ago! I've grown so much since then. Dean is making sure I feel every move of his now, haha!


Week 18


Week 20


Week 22


Week 24


Week 26


Week 28


Week 29 ~ This week


Jeez, I sure do wear a lot of blue, gray, and black. Oh well, haha! This whole pregnancy I've made it a point to not give in to any laziness as far as my appearance goes. Well, I did give in to leggings and a hoodie at work once, and I haven't shaved in a few days, but other than that I've made sure to make myself a priority. Just because my body is going crazy making a baby, that doesn't mean I can't still take pride in myself. I'm worth it! (I'm also the face of my store so I need to be presentable) d^_^b

13 Things I'm Happy About

It's Monday, and it's such a good day. Why's that? No reason in particular, other than because I said so. Which is a pretty darn good reason in my opinion. Why NOT have a good Monday?! There's so many things to be happy about! That's why I decided to blog about what makes me happy today.

Are you ready?

1. I get to wake up and spend every day with this guy

2. My new mousse and curling iron make getting ready in the morning so much faster and easier.
3. I can't wait to work more on this bolero. Have absolutely no idea what I'm going to wear with it, but I really can't wait to wear it!
4. Before I started that I knitted myself a new beanie (shown below).

5. Hazelnut Macchiatos are back on the menu at Starbucks. It's easily the best tasting soy latte you can get!
6. I sent out little packages to both my little sisters, and to a friend who's currently living in Japan.
7. These are the hats I knitted for Matt. They're so bright and happy! They're for his all time fave group AKB48, which is also a group Aaron and I enjoy a ton. The group is made up of 48 girls and then into 4 teams. I made him a hat for each team.

8. I just hit third trimester and I'm feeling great! And I feel like I look great. My body is still foreign and weird and I'm not 100% used to it (at all) but I can say I'm not unhappy when I see my reflection. #selflove!!

9. My little guy was kicking my side while I was taking those pictures. I love how he's been so active lately! He's been a little boxing fiend the past few days. He's growing a lot right now and it's just so great!
10. Rinoa has been hanging out a lot with me lately while I'm on the couch, and I can't wait to come home tonight and snuggle with her. (I have no idea what she was glaring at in this pic but I looked up from knitting and saw her like this so I just HAD to snap a picture lol!)

11. Every time we go to Atomic Ale for dinner they make me an extra special hot chocolate. They're so nice!

12. Excited for a double date on Friday (probably to Atomic) so I have good company and yummy hot chocolate to look forward too.
13. Going to work is something I get to do, as opposed to have to do. I'm so lucky to be doing what I want for a living. It makes every day I work that much easier and more fun.
What are you happy about today? Let me know!! ♥

Owari - The End

You guys, this year is finally over. I'm typically not one to wish for anything to just be over but this year- I'm so glad it's over. It wasn't a bad year by any means, no no no. It was a great year! So many wonderful, amazing, thrilling, life changing, and awesome things happened this year. It was in fact, probably one of my fave (if not my fave) year of all time!

Here are a few highlights for me:

First thing I did was release a super cute knitting cowl pattern~ Etna.


Aaron and I went to Osaka Japan for my birthday and and saw my fave Japanese wrestler live:


We found out we were having a baby!


I have enjoyed my growing belly:


Released another cowl pattern~ Mina:


Aaron and I celebrated our 12th anniversary and went to a Nine Inch Nails concert:


We found out we were going to have a baby boy in April:


And opened up an Etsy shop~ TheFoxShop:


Tons of things happened in between~ Rinoa turned 12, went to Bumbershoot Music Festival, worked a butt-ton, hosted lots of fun events at the store, got a bunch of knitting done... I mean it's been a great and full year! 2014 has a lot in store for us, and I'm excited to welcome and embrace it all.

Lastly, I want to say thank you to every single reader~ Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog. Thank you for taking time and leaving me comments. Your words and thoughts are super encouraging to me and I love reading them. ♥

Happy New Year everyone!!!