This Moment

Today Anya and I went to babysit Ariana for a few hours. The girls are doing so well with each other. Ariana loves hugging Anya and tries to give her kisses...and Anya just sits there and lets her. It is so sweet! I think they will be great friends!

Anya's First Snow!

Well it's January 12th and the first real snow storm has hit Chicago.  God has blessed us with an amazingly mild winter.  In years past we've already had one or two snow days but we have had nothing but a few flakes up to this point.  God has made each season so beautiful and I am content whether it is snowy and cold or warm and sunny. 

Did it snow where you live?

Even Charlie loves the snow. We call him our snow pup!

10 on 10::January 2012

10 pictures on the 10th day of the month!

{Document a snapshot of your life & find beauty among the ordinary things in your day!}

Happy 10th!  This is something I have been wanting to do for many months now, but always seem to forget halfway through the day on the 10th of the month or I remember that I wanted to do it on the 11th.  But not today.  I practically slept with my Nikon in my hand so I would remember first thing in the morning.

 It's a part of my resolution to blog more and document this life God has so richly blessed me with.  It's amazing how so many great days go unremembered, and this is a way for me to look back and remember even those random days that otherwise would go forgotten. 

This wonderful MILD winter day (low 50s rocks in January!) started at 6:30 when my beautiful baby girl woke up.  It's ok that it was so early because she is practically sleeping through the night!  Plus her adorable smile just about melts my heart (and she gets to see Daddy before he leaves.)

Morning playtime before leaving for Mommy's Bible Study.

Getting ready during Anya's nap for Bible Study.

In the parking lot after we arrived a church.  Looks like it's going to be a beautiful day!

The ladies in my group...a lot of them couldn't make it though:-( 
I'll have to post another pic with all of the ladies another time.

Charlie Bear enjoyed the nice warm day. 

Learning how to be more Generous in life.  Jesus is the ultimate example!

Lunch time= Happy baby!

We had to go for a walk since it was so mild outside.  I kept having to remind myself that it's only January.

My craft in progress...I already made an "X" and an "O". 

Anya just started to get up on all fours!  What an exciting way to end the 10th!  P.S.  Don't you love the leggies my friend Melissa made her????

I hope you had a great 10th! 

New Year's Resolutions

Now that we are coming up on the first weekend in 2012...already, I thought it was about time I list my resolutions for 2012. 

1.)  Live more simply.  The Nilsson household has already cancelled cable, Netflix, and smartphones in order to focus on the things in life that are truly important (and to save some money!) Living simply means living with less and being satisfied with all that I have.  Living simply also means to enjoy the little things in life...watching the birds outside, making homemade bread while wearing my apron, snuggles with Anya, sipping Josh's yummy peppermint mochas (he makes them perfect!)   

2.)  Blog more, facebook less.  I done well with blogging more this year, wouldn't you say?  I do still check facebook from time to time to see updates on my pregnant friends and updates from Cindy.  Journaling on my blog is a wonderful way for me to capture and remember each moment with Anya!

3.)  Less material, more quality time with loves.  This kind of ties in with resolution number one.  I guess I just want to stress that I want to find value in people and relationships, not in what I own or want.  Along with this I plan on shopping a lot less and using my crafty/ creative-side more often!

What are your New Year's resolutions?

This moment...

Dear Anya, Happy Eight Months!

Dear Baby Girl,

How can this be?  You are already eight months old!!!!  This month:

• You started crawling much faster....you're still digging the army crawl but have gotten on all fours a few times so I think that is right around the corner. 

• You have gained more balance when you sit upright.  You will begin to tip backwards and catch yourself with those strong abs of yours...lol!

• You wore your first bow...only for a few minutes because it fell out, but you had one in!  Your hair is really starting to come in.

• You love to be read to, especially when I read you those "touch and feel" books.  Last month you always put the pages in your mouth, you still sometimes do that but not as much.  Daddy even caught you turning the pages in your hard cover color book. 

• You eat almost everything we eat from pesto chicken pasta, to beef stew.  You love to eat food and try new things.  I feed you Cheerios a lot and we say "Cheerio darling"...okay, Mommy is a nerd.  This month you have become more efficient with the pincer grasp and enjoy feeding yourself.  Sometimes we see you using both hands to get food in your mouth.  Hungry baby!

• You have started giving yourself a bottle when we recline you in your high chair.  You are an expert on using the sippy cup, but still occasionally tip it over to bite on the bottom.  I love watching your big cheeks suck in....so adorable!

• You still wake up occasionally at night to nurse, but most of the time you wake up once either really early in the night (11pm) or really early (5am). 

• You love being in the nursery at church and enjoy being held by other people.  You have no stranger or separation anxiety...I pray that that continues! Everytime we pick you up and ask how you did, they always say you are so pleasant and a happy baby. 

• We have begun baby proofing the house...baby gates are up. 

 More interesting facts about you:

• You are very inquisitive, observant, attentive, happy, social, and playful! 
• You love cords, cell phones cameras, the blinds on the back door, Charlie's new duck toy (I try to keep these out of reach)
• You are wearing size 9 months, but most of your outfits are 12 months, but they still seem a little big.  Shoe size is three. 
• Highlights this month were celebrating your first Christmas and seeing Aunt Cindy and Uncle Tony again!
• You can go now without bibs having to be on all the time, unlike when you were younger.  You have been off your reflux medicine for a few months now and you seem to be doing great.  You still get the hiccups from time to time but they don't seem to bother you as much.   
• At this stage you take 2-3 naps per day and the time is always a little different each day depending on when you wake up.  Some days you sleep in the AM for an hour, other days it could be for 2.5-3 hours! The afternoon nap varies just as much.  Every night you go down around 7:00-7:30.  Daddy reads Narnia most nights when he is home. 
• On occasion you will say "Mama", "Hi", and you have even said "Uh, Oh!"
• Most people say you are so big.  They think you are a toddler!  I tell them you are going to be my little model:-)
• I weighed you on our scale at home and you were exactly 20 pounds with diaper on.  Girl, you are growing so fast!

Anya Violet I love you!  You are my little sunshine:-)   Happy 8 months of life!
Mommy
P.S. Here are some more photos from this month:

Dear 2011

Dear 2011,

You have been one of the best years of my life!  With so many exciting new chapters opening.  God has blessed our family tremendously this year.  Here are our most memorable moments from 2011!

January

The year started off with a very busy musical season for Josh ("Wizard of Oz") and me on bedrest by the middle of the month.  I was having contractions and started dilating early so the doctors thought it would be best if I took it easy and rested.  So I stopped teaching and got some much needed naps.  God blessed us with many DJ jobs for the year at our expos.  We were fortunate to work with some awesome couples. 

 February

LET it SNOW!!!!  Us Chicagoians got the blizzard of a lifetime February 2nd!  Everything was shut down and closed for two days.  That never happens in Chicago!  This month I started making Anya's crib bedding.  I was having so much fun getting her nursery ready for her arrival.

 March

As you can see, most of my life at this point and time revolved around the fact that I was pregnant!  I did finish the bedding this month.  Here is the final product!  And my crocuses came up!  I knew Anya would be with us soon when I saw that early sign of spring.  This month Josh and I had our first baby shower thrown by his mom and friends of hers at church.  It was so nice to visit with old friends and be given such nice gifts for Anya!

April

My mom, Katie, and friend Melissa threw me an awesome shower at our community center.  My Aunt, cousins, and their children came from Cincinnati to surprise me....it was so great to see them.

May

The most exciting month this year!  Anya was born May 3rd at 4:44pm.  She is the joy of our life!

At the end of May, Cindy and Tony came in from CT to meet her.  It was fun having our first Harrington-side reunion.  We went to church on Mother's Day when she was only 5 days old. 

June

Josh celebrated his first Father's Day.  We enjoyed a nice morning at church and his parents came over for dinner.  We ate outside on the patio...salmon!!!  This month is very much a blur...as we were totally sleep deprived.  Josh started summer break the second week in June, which helped me out so much.  I started running again 6 weeks post-partum and began Zumba for the summer. 

 July

4th of July weekend we travelled to Cincinnati for a extended family Meet Anya Party!  It was great for everyone to meet her.  Josh and I celebrated our 5th anniversary.  July 25th Josh turned 28 and we celebrated by having family over.  I enjoyed garage sale shopping with my girlfriends a lot this month, and Josh caught up on good books.  We took a day trip to the arboretum for a picnic and some hikes, and went to a pool party.  Josh and I escaped and went downtown to see Beauty and the Beast.  My little beauty at home wore an outfit I got her at a garage sale. 

August

This month can be summed up by saying harvesting.  We made so much with our yummy tomatoes!  Anya started sitting up in her bumbo.  My mom came over a few times to help out with Anya when Josh went back to school at the end of the month.  I like to refer to this month as my official stay at home mommy month!

September

We had our official "kick-off" to fall Labor Day weekend...also my birthday weekend. I turned 27 on September 7, and we went apple picking to celebrate. I was thrilled to have been given Fiestaware!!!!

October

Columbus Day weekend we went back to Cincinnati, because Cindy and Tony moved the KY!  It's so nice to have them closer than CT!  Aunt Cindy loves seeing Anya.  Anya was dedicated October 16th to the Lord.  We also went to the pumpkin patch store, apple cider press farm, and dresses our little Tigger up for Halloween!

November

As I am typing I am just blown away by how quickly a year goes. I'm so glad I am documenting things, or most would be forgotten! We had an Iron Chef party with our Community Group, secret ingredient was Pumpkin.  I won with....Pumpkin Ziti!!! Anya came with Josh and I to Olive Garden and sat in the high chair (a little small for it though). We celebrated Thanksgiving with my parents and Katie for lunch and Josh's cousins for dinner.  Thanksgiving officially kicked off our Christmas season. 

Anya's first time seeing snow...only flakes, nothing stuck.

December

We went with our families to our church's Christmas concert in the beginning of the month.  This month was so fun...as we celebrated Anya's first Christmas!

What a year it has been!  It's amazing to see how much Anya has grown, how much hair she's gotten, and all of the fun she is!  Here's to a great 2012!

Happy New Year!