The Year of Scarlett - 21 weeks 3 days

A new year, means a new start. 2012 was amazing in that it was the year my baby girl came screaming into this world. That was the best part of the year for certain. However, I spent the vast majority of the year focusing on making everyone around me happy, especially one person in particular. That bit me in the booty.

But now, now it's 2013! A brand spankin' new year. It has been dubbed "The Year of Scarlett". Like the whole Chinese Year thing, but not lol. I spent the last few months of 2012 focused on someone else, trying to pick up the pieces, and far too sad for my own good. Well. I'm so freaking over that. I'm done being sad. It's such a waste of time an energy. I am going to be happy and focus on the squishy ball of happy I'm blessed enough to call my daughter. I guess you can say it's my New Year's resolution. The Year of Scarlett. 365 days focused on that beautiful baby girl and her happiness, as well of mine. And 22 days in, damn it's been good.

Now I know that it would be ignorant to say that I will be happy all 12 months, every single day, every hour. And I'm sure 2013 will have it's sadness, tears and anger. I have a strategy to counteract unnecessary suffering. When I was little my papa taught me how to find beauty in anything. Even something that wasn't innately beautiful had something beautiful about it. It was all a matter of perspective, how you looks at something. Well, that's how I feel about situations that may make me feel sad, angry or just overall upset. I've been practicing turning the situation around and finding the positive instead of focusing on whatever the negative may be. I'm finding that I'm much happier and in a better place overall. I love this new outlook on everything.

So far it's been a wonderful 22 days. A lot of amazing things have already happened and I am so excited to see what the rest of the year is going to bring. I started back at school and it feels great being back. I'm starting to feel like I've gotten into a routine. I like the grind of school. There are some great people in my cohort who have really embraced me and made me feel welcomed. I'm grateful for that seeing as I knew no one walking in. I learned how to start IVs, which is totally badass. Besides school I'm happy being at work. I love the break from reality there, and challenging my mind. Other great things to happen? My good friend Sarah had her son last week, he is a true blessing and I CANNOT wait to get my hands on him. I've also spent a lot of time surrounded by my incredible friends and family. What more could I ask for?

Scarlett continues to thrive. She'll be 5 months this week! She is just this beautiful, vivacious little soul who makes everyone around her smile. She still rarely cries and 99% of the time is smiling and giggling. She's learned how to blow raspberries and will duel you. She also does a darling kissy face. Her feet are her absolute favorite to both play with and suck. We're still working on rolling over, but that huge noggin of hers is hard to move around lol. I love the time I get to spend with her and feel so lucky that 4 days a week its her and I (well...and her dad too). 

I love Friday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesdays. They're the days of the week that I have off and get to dedicate to Scarlett. Our typical day includes us waking up between 8:30-9, she nurses, I eat breakfast, she jumps and then we take our morning naps (oh yes I nap too). One of us gets dressed before noon, we switch off days. Somewhere in there I bathe. We play, visit friends or run errands all afternoon. Then in the evening Matt is here. We play, she takes a bath, nurses and goes to sleep. This is my favorite part of the entire day. Rockin' and readin'. I rock her in my rocker while she nurses and read on my kindle. It reminds me of when I was pregnant, when I would lay in bed and feel her move and tumble around with my arms hugging my belly. It was my selfish pleasure. I got to enjoy her all to myself, it was just her and my time. This is the closest I have to that. She's all snuggled against me, breathing in time, while we rock endlessly in by the kindle glow. I love it, I love every second of it. I think it's because I know it wont last forever.

Since it's getting close to Valentine's Day (one of my favorite holidays solely because of all the pink, hearts and chocolate) and being the beeb's first I'm going balls to the wall. Before she was even born my mom bought this googley eyes V-Day cards for her to send out. So we're doing V-Day cards with pictures of her inside. I did photoshoot one that we're not going to use in the cards, just more for my shits and giggles. The turned out darling, baby girl loves having her pictures taken.

Such a good representation of her

Want a kiss? Drool included!

Yes,  2013 has been good indeed!