New Year musings

I am not usually a New Year's resolution type of person. I try and make new goals and work on them whenever I get fired up about them during the year. But this holiday does mark a few little milestones for our family, and those are always fun to reminisce about. So while everyone else looks forward, I chose to look back just for fun!

Seven years ago-

Christopher and I met at the Liberty Bowl in 2001. We were both in the marching band, and I happened to sit next to him on the bus ride to our Graceland tour. We hung out the rest of the trip, playing air hockey at Dave and Buster's, wandering up and down Beale Street (where the one and only picture of us was taken, crappy as it may be) and then sitting next to each other on the plane ride home, New Year's Eve. I remember we celebrated the countdown twice because we were flying across the country and it caught up to us in two time zones.

It's amazing how time flies by. I can hardly remember what life was like without Christopher- he truly is the other half to my soul in so many ways, and I am so grateful that I was late getting on the bus that day! What a random moment to make such a good team. I feel truly blessed to be in a marriage with someone who is just as devoted to making everything work as I am, because that has made all the difference.

Three years ago-

Three years ago, I was due with our first child on February 1st. We flew to Ohio for Christmas, since I figured it would be our last chance without dragging kids and half the universe with us. My work had been chaotic that year, and I had set aside the first two weeks in January to set up things for my replacement and get things together for the baby. I had multiple people tell me they wanted to throw us a shower as soon as the holidays were over, so the only little clothes I had were the four pieces that my mom and I got over the Christmas break. We flew home on New Year's Day, pulled in the driveway at 1 am, unpacked a handful of things, and climbed into bed.

The next morning, my water broke at 9am.

I spent the first two hours on the phone, trying to sort out what on earth we should do- calling the midwife and my Hypnobirthing instructor to find out what was going on, calling a half a dozen people in my school to tell them I was never coming to work again, despite school starting back the next day, etc. The funniest call was to my mother, who thought I was just calling say I made it home okay. I calmly told her about the flight, and what time we got home and everything. And then a pause. "So, my water broke this morning . . ." "WHAT!!"

That is the part I remember every year on this day- the shock. I had not gotten in the mindset to have a baby yet- we were having a baby, but it was always so far off in my mind in comparison to the hectic job I had. And then, suddenly, there he was in my arms. We have truly fallen in love with this guy since that day, but what a day that was!