3x12... and some other stuff

alright, so i don't get blogger of the year award. it's been busy, ok? A LOT going on the last couple of weeks, with the holidays and training a new assistant and trying to finish up 3 photo sessions and getting ready for a baby boy and all.... sorry for my absence friends. here is a (sort of lengthy) update on us:

first, our december 3x12: we come full circle




almost exactly a year ago i posted a similar picture of the three of us lying around in bed on a saturday morning - it was our routine then. and our latest routine nearly mirrors that. only now it's pretty much every morning, not just the weekends. when beth wakes up (still around 6:30am, hardly ever later), she comes and knocks on our door. rarely have either of us gotten up for the day yet, so we let her lay in bed with us, and not long after she'll ask to watch a moomie. translation: movie. so we turn one one for her and let it entertain her for a bit while we get ready for the day, and until it's time to get her dressed for the day. we don't have very many kid movies, so we rotate between about 3 moomies every day. although this last month i did throw charlie brown's christmas into the mix, which was a huge hit. it made me happy. so this is us, typical us, on such a morning. with the holidays and a bit of time off work, we could lay around a little longer than usual, and i could get some decent light in the room. normally it's still dark out when she comes in. (thank goodness we're on the upside of winter solstice!!!). so full circle, yes. for the next 9 days anyway. speaking of....

an update on the little man: we've decided to c-section this kid out. i mean, let's just do this already! after a lot of going back and forth and trying to determine if a VBAC was worth the shot, we think in the long run it will be better to go for the sure shot and cut him out. i really wrestled with this one - for some reason it really weighed on me which route to take. but my dear sister put things in good perspective for me when she said (in summary) that it really doesn't matter how these new lives come into the world, even if we do have this "vision" of what we think it's supposed to be, or has to be. what matters is that we get them here safe and healthy. that's what's really important.... and she's totally right. there are pros and cons to each. but after talking with the doc about it (on many occasion) and seeing the last ultrasound, we decided to just schedule his entrance into the world via c-section and call it a day. so we're meeting with the doc that's going to do it on monday the 9th and will show up for our drive thru baby on.... (drumroll please....) tuesday january 10th!!! no big deal you guys. just another kid i'm responsible for. starting exactly on january 10th. no seriously, i totally got this. GULP. but seriously, so, so very excited for him to come. we focused ourselves this weekend and got a lot checked off the list of things that needed to get done, bought, or ready to go before he enters our lives and humble home. i feel so much less stress about it. i feel ready. just a couple more things to do, but it isn't much, and i would feel comfortable bringing him home right in this moment, where i couldn't have said that just a few days ago. but now i'm ready. we're ready. and so excited. that's nine days away!!!!!!! you and me little man...

so that's the biggest news. there is still so much more to tell about the last couple weeks. but i'll save that for another post - tomorrow perhaps...?

i've also been thinking about what i will bring in with the new year. i did pretty good with last year's list... for now, here is the start to this year's list of resolves:

document more of our regular daily lives. not just the big stuff, the events, but the little things that fill our time and lives. that is, after all, most of who we are.

live with the spirit more present in my life, particularly so that i can be a better wife and mom.

really work on my photography: both my skill set, and as an entrepreneur.

laugh more often and let the little things go. sometimes i get caught up in things that don't matter. this year i'm going to try to keep perspective, and make sure my life and the lives of those involved in mine are better, happier and just, full. that's what matters.

and lastly (for now), work to find that balance between wife, mom, and me. the trickiest one of all i suppose. but oh so necessary. if i feel balanced, i think all the rest of these will fall into place. i'm kind of banking on it.

more pictures and stories from the last two weeks to come....