Year In The Life #31 - Happy New Year!

First, I think it's appropriate to send you all back here, one year ago today.  Click it and see what you think.

Well, I didn't keep one of my resolutions (ok, I still have about 13 days- I can train for a half marathon in 13 days, can't I???), but I kept the other, and I'd say I went above and beyond- maybe to make up for running a total of about 17 times this year.

But just look at our littles! They've grown so much. They were ten weeks old (and I love how I was counting in weeks and days back then) and Caleb was holding his head up so well (and looking pretty happy about it, no?).

I remember that photo from New Year's Eve with Grace- I wanted to fashion her in a bow because we went out for pizza. I love showing my babies off, still do. Whenever we go out, I'm always in a mad dash to try and find the perfect outfits (if I had it my way, they'd be coordinating all the time- not matching, but coordinating. I just love when they look like twinsies). This usually involves me digging through some new clothes, a pile of clean clothes that haven't been folded yet, two drawers, and a closet to try and find something that fits them- picking the perfect outfits out, putting said outfits on each of them and then realizing that one is far too big and the other is incredibly too snug.  Then I start all over again and end up with two totally uncoordinated outfits that at least won't squeeze Caleb's belly too tight and won't leave Grace tripping all over hereself because her pants are too big (there has been a time or two when the clothes are too snug on Grace as well, but I have yet to put anything on Caleb that's too big...he tends to just fill everything out. He's a moose.).

We had a wonderful day yesterday- truly, it was a fantastic New Year's Eve.  I got up probably five times in the middle of the night, one of which was a couple hours long while Grace freaked out whenever I left her room.  I ended up taking my pillow into the nursery and sleeping on the floor for a bit, which worked in the immediate- she fell asleep and I sneaked out.  Of course, ten minutes later she somehow woke up and realized that I left and completely melted down again. oy. But the nanny showed up early and I gave her the monitor and went back to bed around 6:30.  The babies slept until almost 8am because they hardly slept during the night, so I went into work late and stayed in bed until around the same time.

Ben and I both took shorter days at work today, and we even got to have lunch together at one of our favorite restaurants.  I left the office at 3pm so I could come home and start packing up a load of house stuff in my truck.  Ben got home about 15 minutes later and finished up loading  the truck. Then when the babies woke up from their nap, I did my mad dash to find outfits and got them dressed for Nicole's birthday dinner! I packed up stuff for bedtime and we headed out the door by 4:30.  We drove down to Chandler for the umpteenth time this holiday season and got to the Cheesecake Factory only about ten minutes late! The meal was glorious and the babies did awesome. Papa helped me with feeding Caleb and Kate helped Ben entertain and feed Grace!

After dinner, the family helped us unload our truck at the new little house (where we're staying in the interim of selling our house and finding our new house to buy- thank you Nana and Papa for letting us crash at your rental pad!!!) and then we went to Nana and Papa's house for some wine, cheesecake, and just general hang out time.  I brought stuff to put the babies down for bed if we needed to, but we ended up letting them play until we left at around 9:15- they were having a great time and being really good.  We got them in their pj's and then loaded them in the car.  They both passed out on the way home and then woke up when we got them out to go to bed...but they went back to sleep with no trouble!!! Yay!

Ben and I actually stayed up for New Year's Eve because we decided to watch tv and relax a bit.  We turned on the New York ball drop right before midnight and then went straight to bed. It was Ben's night last night, but the babies woke up promptly at 12:30, just when Ben was settling into sleep. Of course.

All in all, I loved our New Year's Eve.  New Year's Day was great, too. We went shopping with the babies and they were fantastic the whole time.  We even got to watch Stanford play in the Rose Bowl!!! What a lovely holiday.  And looking back, how amazing was 2012? 

Let's think about this for a minute.  The Haleys have had some trying times during this year.  We saw a bit of heartache and countless tears when our little man was struggling so badly with his health, and then when we started getting diagnoses and learning about what the future could, or could not, hold for Caleb.  We struggled with a few sicknesses for Grace, too, and we had a lot of childcare drama.  I was on maternity leave for a quarter of the year and then went back to work and left my babies for the first time this year. And the lack of sleep, oh the lack of sleep.  There was a lot of raw emotion in 2012.

Oh but think of all of the beautiful blessings of this past year.  We saw our children learn, grow, develop...thrive.  We witnessed Caleb's first roll, his first babble, his first sitting up, standing up, and crawl! We watched Grace roll, scoot, sit up, pull up, crawl, talk, and walk.  They both are eating like champions and incredibly happy kids.  We found a nanny who loves them and also loves keeping our house clean.  We met incredible daycare workers who cared so much for our kids and wanted nothing but the best for them.  We worked with a pediatrician and a neurologist who saw such hope and life for our son and helped us support him.  We loved our physical therapist and watched Caleb take tremendous leaps in his progress with her help.  We were tested and challenged by our daughter and started to learn the importance of boundaries and trust to help her grow.  We were completely surrounded by giggles, lots and lots of giggles by spirited kids who want nothing more than to be tickled by their daddy and chased by mommy, kids who love laughter and playing and reading and hugging.  They love trying new things and going new places.  We were wrapped in love by our families who have followed along this journey with us, holding our hands, being that sturdy rock for us to lean on when our own legs failed.  They swooped in time and time again to be there when we needed them most!

I can't say that I want a repeat of 2012, but I would be so blessed to see the same kind of miracles, and the same kind of love that this past year brought me. 

2013 will be a year of big change for the Haley family!  Beginning in just a few days, we will leave the house where we first brought our twins home.  We will say good bye to this home filled with an unbelievable amount of memories after only three short years.  We've been through a lot in this place, and it will be hard to drive away.  And then I think of our new beginning.  I think of being closer to my family, finding our perfect home, the place where we can grow together for years, watch our kids grow up and build a lifetime of memories.  This will be the first home that they remember. I'm so excited for this new change!

Of course, after last year's new years resolution momentum, I had to start thinking about what I would look to do in 2013.  I've come up with a few that I think are reasonable- I would hate to put something in front of me that I couldn't achieve.  I will say, however, that they won't be easy because this mama has become stuck in her ways...and a teensy bit lazy about taking care of herself!

So, first, my number one resolution will be to drink water! Yes,  you read that right. I've thought about making a resolution to lose weight, to work out, to run again...but I think what's more important is to start small and make some changes that I'll adopt for the long haul.  Drinking water? Yeah, pretty important. I need to do more of it.  I'll drink 64oz of water every day.  Pretty fun, right? Why don't you join me in this resolution? (For those of you who already rock out your awesome water drinking, don't judge us dehydrated few.  It's not as easy as you might think!)

Second, I want to take the stairs! Start small, right? And that elevator calls to me like you've never heard.  I have excuses upon excuses- usually starting with the fact that I wear heels every day. But there's no reason to avoid the stairs- it's only a flight or two, c'mon Mommy!

Third, I'm going to create a 40 before 40 list this coming year! I turn 30 in April and I'd like to set some goals for myself, and for my family, that we can tackle in the next decade. For 2013, I want to achieve at least four of my 40/40 list goals!

Finally, I want to keep writing.  I will blog every week in 2013.  I know, it's not my daily blogging that some of you have grown accustomed to- but I figure if I give at least one update every week, our friends and family will get to stay in touch with how the littles are doing- watch them grow.  And it will help to ensure that I have all the material I need for that book that I'll write one day. ;) I'll be sure to add a few pictures each time so you can all see how big our kids are getting!

So, what are your resolutions? Start small, don't jump into anything you can't handle or won't sustain...but stretch yourself and start fresh this new year.  Oh, and come back often in 2013 to see our little family.  Send a couple of comments my way so I know you're still reading- remember, they're like little internet hugs!

All of our love to you and a very happy, blessed, and fulfilled new year to you all!

The Haley Family

Caleb and Grace - January 1st, 2012

Caleb - January

Grace - January

Caleb - February

Grace - February

March

April

Caleb - May

Grace - May 

June

Caleb - July

Grace - July

August

Caleb - September

Grace - September

October

November

December 

Caleb - December 31st, 2012

Grace - December 31st, 2012

...

Bye Bye!