What a Wonderful Year!

As we say goodbye to 2010, I just have to reflect on some of the most amazing things that happened to our family!
2010 started as a magical year, as we found out on January 11th (on the snowy and icy day that we experienced in January!) that we were having another darling baby girl to add to our family.  Excited doesn't begin to describe how we felt.  A sister for Libby - my dream had come true.  The next five months went by at lightening speed - yet a lot of things happened that are indeed worth mentioning!
In February and March Libby and I headed to SSI to celebrate two wonderful showers for Melissa and Helen.  Melissa was expecting a baby boy and Helen was as well.  I LOVE my nephew Joey and niece Molly, so imagine my happiness at the thought of two more for me to love on their entire lives!  Those two showers were so fun to spoil the moms to be and the babies in their bellies.
On the Libby front, she was beginning to really grow in her language development and was running all over the place, yet still such a big baby girl.  April came, and on April Fool's Day we welcomed Jackson into our family.  He is so adorable and my sister is the type of Mom I pray that I am - just utterly devoted to her son and absolutely in love with him!  So, Libby and I made the trek to be there for his birth, and Libby was not sure what to think of him, making me a bit nervous as I was at the time about 8.5 months pregnant with her sister.  Mid April we got the call that Helen was having her baby boy - so on April 16 we welcomed precious Turner!  Helen is an awesome mom and such a natural.  Such exciting times for the families for sure!  Everyone SO thankful for healthy babies and their moms.
Needless to say, with all of this going on, my own pregnancy was moving along faster than I realized, to be honest.  Libby was growing by leaps and bounds, and right before our eyes.  April just went by probably faster than any time of my life.
May came and so did my contractions!  The little peanut was not wanting to wait much longer, even though my due date wasn't until May 27 with a scheduled c-section of May 21......Mothers Day was May 9th, and my precious Libby spoiled me rotten along with her Daddy that Sunday.  We walked to the park (not the far park, I was not in any condition to move that far!) and Matt made a delicious lunch for me.  I spent the day loving on my baby girl - not knowing that would be our last Sunday as a family of three.  The following Monday I got the news from my Doctor that we'd be having our daughter that Thursday, May 13.  AHH!  That week was spent seriously cuddling with my Libby and preparing for Miss Magpie.   She entered the world with a drama queen mother having anxiety over her health since she was two weeks early (38 weeks) but entered as a perfect, healthy, beautiful angel who we are all in love with!
Libby changed me in ways I never imagined, and Margaret did too.  It's so amazing that the love for a child changes you.  It really does.  But I digress.

May was spent sleeping rarely but lots of smiles and coos that made it all worth it.  Libby adjusted to big sisterhood much better than I anticipated.  I prayed for the transition to be easy for her...and of course we had rough moments (Mommy not operating on four or more hours of sleep every night is not easy) but she manifested into a big girl almost overnight!

In June we went to SSI to see family and spend time with my brother before he left for basic training as he enlisted in the army.  My favorite brother has made us proud (only brother, but even if I had more I do think Garrison would be my favorite).  In July Matt became a Cardiology Fellow, and a magnificent one at that!  His schedule is tough, long hours and much more added responsibility but he handles it all in stride and comes home and is all about his girls!!   In the Fall we enjoyed several games in Athens thanks to Grand'om Marsha!  My maternity leave ended in August...I went to work for one week and we realized it wasn't going to work with me working so after much prayer and spreadsheets we determined I could stay at home with our babies.   So happy with our arrangement!  The girls and I stay busy with music classes, library classes, gymboree and oh so many playdates and walking to the park.  I really do love my role as a "SAHM" and am so thankful that I'm with them while they're so young!

The holidays came and went with family and food and fun.  All in all, what an amazing year.  We have so much to be thankful for.

All of prayers for a wonderful 2011 for everyone out there!