A Year Ago...and Some Pics!

It's always fascinating to me when I can look back and know exactly where I was and what I was doing a year earlier.  I don't know why I find it so interesting, but I always have.  This weekend is an interesting case, for many reasons.  A year ago this weekend was St. Patrick's Day.  Last year it fell on Saturday, this year it falls on Sunday.  That Saturday was a fun day.  First of all, it was 70 degrees!  That began a long span of amazingly warm weather.  It was so nice, and I'm dying for a span of weather even a little bit like that while I'm off on maternity leave.  The boys went out to the city's St. Patrick's Day parade with the Knighthawks contingent, and I headed out with my cousin Lori and her friend Mandy to Babies 'R' Us to help Mandy with her baby registry.

Helping with her registry was a lot of fun, and it was a nice preview for when I finally got to browse baby gear for myself again.  The trip brought back a lot of memories, and got me excited to do it all over again.  Of course, at the time we were in the midst of our fertility concerns so I wasn't sure how it was all going to play out.  I was so happy for all of the people we saw in the store that day, but there was a little tinge of worry that we might not find ourselves back in that position as soon as we hoped.  But for one day it was fun to celebrate with someone and be the voice of experience.

Here we are a year later.  The baby we were shopping for will be a year old in a couple more months.  And, of course, not only did I get pregnant, but our baby is already a month old!  It's quite a shift in the matter of a year, and I am so grateful that we were able to make it happen that quickly.  I got to do a mini-registry of my own a few months ago, and while it didn't really get used for much more than organizing my own wants and needs, it was a fun little project to do, particularly in light of having helped with that registry a year ago.  It was a pleasant reminder of the excitement of a first baby, and it made me that much more thankful to be able to do it again the second time around.

That day stands out in my mind as a great day, thanks to the fun we had and the gorgeous weather we came back out into.  Hard to believe it was a year ago already, but what a year it has been!

And now, as promised, a few photos.  I got a bit behind, but here are the highlights of the last couple weeks.  We spend a lot of time hanging out on the couch, in case you couldn't tell...

Wide awake and content!

Sleepy boy...

One of my favorites so far...

And finally, my favorite outtake from the one month photo shoot--prior to his wardrobe change due to a massive blowout!  Look at that pouty bottom lip!

Grandma is here today to keep us company (Grandpa is sick), and Jacob and I will be heading out to the Knighthawks game tonight for a little mother-son time.  I'm currently trying to figure out the best way to ensure Carter will be well-fed while we're gone, and ensure that I'm not going to feel like my chest is going to explode by the time we get back.  It should be interesting, but it's a good exercise in adapting to our new existence and giving me a little freedom where I can get it.  Tomorrow we're off to Buffalo for Craig's mom's birthday, which will be Carter's first road trip and the first time he'll meet most of that side of the family.  It should be fun, but wish us luck in packing up for the day.  Traveling with a baby again is going to take some getting used to!  Happy weekend, everyone :)