So much stuff, So little time

With the house painted and new carpet installed, it was time for something I cringed at the thought of.....MOVING!!!!  Ok, not quite a full move, but during our relationship, I had been under a lease for my own place but had spent virtually all of my time at "his" place.  Now it was time to make it officially "our" place and to blend our stuff together under one roof.  But seriously, I hate moving!  It usually brings out the worst in people and is physically challenging.  But, we managed to keep our humor (and love!) intact by following some of the simple ideas and checklists on Real Simple website. 

http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/moving/plan-relatively-stressless-house-move-10000001059998/index.html

Changing Colors

As our "baby" got older and started walking, and then climbing, she started constantly having bruises on here legs and sometimes her arms.  We realized that hardwood floors were not the way to go!  After much debating and going to stores and bringing home samples of carpet for the family to walk on and touch, we finally scheduled our install date!!  But first, we had to dress up the walls too!  So, in a matter of 3 days we had a brand-new living room! Everything we needed to know to pick out our carpet and also to care for it, we found here:

http://www.carpetbuyershandbook.com/

Leprechauns Age Too

Well, before I knew it, a whole year had passed!!!  My little leprechaun baby (born on St. Patty's Day) was now one!  I tried to make the day special for her and let her enjoy the spotlight.  We decided to throw a Leprechaun Luncheon.  The kids and I brainstormed over different decorations, referring to Pinterest often.  We had multi-colored Gatorade, lucky charms, green beards/buckle hats for dressing up and "gold under the rainbow"-themed candy grab bags.

http://www.pinterest.com/peeteynpeaches/leprechaun-birthday-party/

Fall Family Time

For Mother's Day, I had a photographer that I met off of Craigslist take some multi-generational pics of my daughter, myself and my mom.  They turned out AMAZING!!!  So when it came time for my daughter's 6 month pic (ok, she was 7 1/2 mo), I chose the same photographer and included the family!  This photographer is BRILLIANT!!!!!!!

http://imaginationbyjessicavallia.zenfolio.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/ImaginationbyJessica



Now what to do?

I was instantly thrown into a permanent piece of my new blended family.  But when I got home from the hospital I worried there would be jealousy issues.  Much to my great relief, the older kids adored their baby sister and helped out without question.

http://www.ahaparenting.com/ages-stages/newborns/Help-Sibling-Child-Adjust-New-Baby

Time flies by and stands still all at once!

The first half of my pregnancy flew by.  But once we knew we had a little girl on the way, time seemed to stand still.  Nothing left to look forward to except her arrival into the world.  I did everything I could to be ready, but nothing prepares you for that moment.  With our family, my boyfriend was in the room and our little one's anxious older sisters sat right outside the room, eagerly awaiting her arrival.

http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/labor-and-delivery/landing.aspx

Birthday presents!!

Just short of my 30th birthday, we had a gender reveal/birthday party.  The present I wanted to open the most was the one that would reveal our little baby's gender.  I gathered around the present with the rest of my new family and on 3 we opened the present to reveal numerous pink balloons.  I WAS HAVING A GIRL!  I couldn't have been happier.

http://money.msn.com/saving-money-tips/post--daughters-are-a-bargain-not-necessarily-say-parents

Surprises along the Way

As we settled into the new journey that our life was on, we had a big surprise.  Our blending would be permanent as I found out I was pregnant!  Not knowing what to expect with my first baby, I practically became obsessed with the "What to Expect When You're Expecting" website.

http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/landing-page.aspx

Introducing the Colors

When I met my significant other, we were both in relationships with others.  We quickly became friends.  Within six months, both of our relationships were ending.  A few months later we found ourselves on our first date.  By our third date, the blending had begun as his oldest daughter joined us on our date.  Later that week, I met the younger daughter and son. We all quickly became inseparable.  Within a few months, we were together the majority of the time.  Occasionally, we would disagree, but for the most part, the colors accented each other very well.

Frame of Reference

As time has gone on, I have experienced more and more of life and have continued to find my way.  With each new experience comes the unknown and a lesson to be learned.  The experience that has had the most impact on my life began when I met my significant other in the summer of 2011.  We came from completely different backgrounds and different life lessons, but this summer we will be working towards blending our lives into one.