Warning: Mushiness Ahead.

The end of the year always makes me reflective and 2009 has given me a lot to think about, remember, and be thankful for.

This New Year will also bring a new decade. The past 10 years will probably go down in my personal history as the most eventful of my life. I graduated from high school and college, survived relationships, found best friends in my mother and my sister, learned some very hard lessons, made tough decisions and career changes, loved and lost pets, loved and lost my Aunt Beth, learned who my true friends are, and so on. 10 years ago I didn't know who I was and I was busy trying to impress whomever happened to be popular in that moment.

Today, I love who I have become and where my life has brought me. I must say that this end-of-year reflection is WAY more enjoyable than some of the past. In fact, I think that it may be my favorite year of my life. That's right! 27 has taken the number one spot and it has bumped 20 years old down to the number two spot! It seems fitting that I will end this year and begin the new decade by marrying the love of my life.

There are times when I just want to tell Lexi, "none of this crappy drama that you are going through right now will mean anything in 10 years. You won't even remember it!" It's true that she may not remember the specifics 10 years from now, but this "crappy drama" is an important part of her life. Learning how to handle mean girls, boy issues, and difficult teachers with grace and honesty NOW is what is going to make her a strong and well-rounded individual in adulthood. The fun times in life are fun, but it's the difficult times that shape who we are.

We're looking forward to Kiera's first Christmas! She loves to stare at the Christmas tree lights and to sit in her new Bumbo Chair (shown in the photo above.) For the 1st year in my life I TRULY just want to share time with my friends and family for Christmas. In fact it's been really difficult to do any Christmas shopping when gifts seem to be pretty meaningless this year.

Being a mother has officially made me selfless. I no longer go into a store and look for a shirt for myself... I look for a warm hat for Kiera, a cute jacket for Lexi, or new socks for Jeff. I don't go out for dinner multiple times/week anymore, I gladly base my schedule around Kiera's feedings and look for Lexi's favorite yogurt at the grocery store. It's been the most natural and enjoyable change of my life. I'm genuinely living for my family. And I guess that I'm just realizing (as I write this) that it's possible for Jeff and I to care so much for the girls because we are also meeting each others needs. I'm always thinking of his needs and he's always thinking of mine.... so we don't need to be selfish anymore.

WOW! I almost gagged myself with all of this mushiness, but I can't help it. It's very overwhelming to have this experience for the first time in my life. So I will spare you all anymore sap and just cut to the photos. Thanks for bearing with me!

Lexi, Jeff, and Kiera in Times Square during our Thanksgiving vacation

The cutest 2 month old in Times Square!

Kiera and Mike at our Bachelor / Bachelorette Party

Erica enjoying some Kiera time at the same party

Kiera is either snuggling or sniffing Daddy's armpits

Belly Time!

Catching Up

So much time has passed since my last post, but it just feels like life has been a little hectic these days. Snow has started falling and Jeff's Birthday, Christmas, our wedding, and year-end taxes are ALL within 3 week away. Strap on a 10 week old baby and a business that needs to be run and you have me..... slightly stressed. Of course, it is 3 pm on a blizzardy day and I am writing from the comfort of my pajamas, so it can't be that bad!

There is over a foot of snow on the ground and Jeff, Kiera, and I spent the day in our PJs taking a family nap by the fire. Lexi had a 1/2 day at school and she just got home to enjoy the laziness with us. I guess that you have to seize these opportunities when they present themselves.

Perhaps our biggest news is that we spent Thanksgiving in Virginia with my mom (or as Kiera calls her: "Memere" - which is the French word for Grandma.) The 4 of us piled into the new Suburban and headed on a "13 hour" trek down South. For the record... a 13 hour trip with a baby ends up being more like 16 or 17 hours. We left at 9 pm Friday night and arrived at Mom's at about 1 pm on Saturday. It was all worth it when we got there. Our trip was a nice balance between relaxing around mom's house and shopping/sightseeing in Washington D.C. We stopped in New York City on the way back home and Kiera got her 1st experience in Central Park and Times Square!

As the end of the year approaches I realize what a turning point it has been in my life. I was looking through my journal and I found an entry from New Year's Day of this year. Jeff, Emily, and I spent New Year's Day lounging around the house just laughing and relaxing. We didn't leave the house once but still had the best time. I wrote, "if the rest of the year is as great as today, I am in for a treat." 16 days later, Jeff and I found out that we were going to have a baby! We also managed to get engaged, start a business, have a baby, take multiple trips, and soon get married! 2009 has been my most eventful year to date.

I had so much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for my old family and my new family. Thankful for a stepdaughter I love like my own, so many opportunities to laugh, snowstorms, yummy coffee, sharing a glass of wine with friends, a sister who makes me laugh until I cry, my mom who taught me how to be a mother, everything about Jeff, and every single moment that I have with Kiera. This list could go on for hours, but everything just feels right.

Serena is still living with her mom and isn't interested in seeing us. It makes me so sad that she is missing out on this time with Kiera and the upcoming wedding. It will only happen once in life and it goes by so quickly. I had imagined that our whole family would be present and involved in the wedding, but it doesn't look like that will happen. It isn't easy being a 14 year old girl... I know first hand. We are just trying to trust that it will all work out in the end and that she will get it one day.

Lexi has had a few basketball games and I love to go watch. She is playing on both A team and B team and is doing so well so far. It's so fun to see how she improves from year to year. Kiera also loves to watch her big sister play. I strap her into the front pack for the games, but it isn't long before she makes her way out to play with everyone.

Here are some photos from the past few weeks. As always, I phone pictures come out pretty crappy, but the sentiment behind them is what matters....Enjoy!

Kiera with some of my cousin's children. I guess that makes them 3rd cousins? From left: Ashley, Elijah, Kiera, Caleb

They are trying to look calm but they are terrified of the giant peacock over their heads

Aunt Emo and Kiera - loving life!

Memere has a serious Farmville addiction. This was in the wee hours of the morning when her farm needed emergency fertilization!

Snuggly Snuggly - my favorite part of every day.

Out by the bonfire at Memere's house

Lights Out

Things are changing in the life of Kiera Young and those of us who live with her. We have never really forced a routine or schedule, letting her sleep, wake, and eat whenever she felt like it. I figured that her routine would emerge in time... and it has! I'm beginning to see the morning nap and the afternoon nap and also BEDTIME!!!! Bedtime is my personal favorite because it gives us all a chance to wind down from whatever kind of day we have had. Previously there was no specific end to the day when we could just take breath, have a glass of wine, and talk like adults.

With the bedtime we are finding that it's harder to go out in the evening to social events with friends or dinner. Just tonight, we had to cancel plans with friends because we saw that it was creeping into Kiera's bedtime (7pm) and that we were pushing our luck. By "pushing our luck" I mean that she was screaming her head off. As soon as we got back in the house and had her laying on her sheepskin she was much happier. No one ever said that having a baby meant dinners out and cocktail parties, so we kinda expected that this day would come :) We ended up having a nice night at home eating pizza with Lexi.

We joke that Jeff has a PhD in "swaddling" and that he could go on to teach college courses in the art of the baby swaddle. It is a key part of getting Kiera to sleep at night or to calm down when she's crying. Here is a photo of Jeff's artwork. You will see that Kiera looks like a deer in headlights because she knows that there is no getting out of this one!

On another happy note, Lexi has started basketball practice, which can only mean that basketball GAMES are just around the corner!!! This is by far my favorite school sport to watch and I'll keep everyone updated on her team's success.

We had a great weekend spent with family. Below are some photos of Kiera getting lots of love. We're enjoying every minute with her, but I'm so looking forward to seeing her learn to smile. She is 7 weeks old today :)

Good Work Ethic

Kiera and I attended our 1st Mommy / Baby Playgroup together! It was great to connect with other mom's in the area. I knew just about everyone, but it was nice to meet some new people as well. There were 9 or 10 of us moms... all but one of us with girls! Sherridy brought her newborn son Lucas - what a lucky guy. He will grow up hanging out with all of these cool chicks :)

After the playgroup, Kiera and I headed off to work where Kiera got to watch her mommy run around like a chicken with her head cut off. I knew that it was a little risky to bring her to work when I was the only one there. I hadn't pumped any milk, so I knew that if she got hungry, I could potentially be serving food with a baby latched on (kidding!)

As expected, Kiera woke up wanting to eat at the same time that the rest of Bar Harbor wanted to eat. My friend Holly happened to come in just when I needed her. I was able to feed Kiera and direct Holly in where things were while she took food orders, delivered drinks, and served the food for me. What good timing! Luckily it is a pretty laid back cafe and most people found it more entertaining than annoying.

Long story short.... I learned a lesson and Kiera learned some good work ethic. My parents made me get a job and start paying for many of my own things when I was 14. It was annoying at the time, but now I am grateful that I learned how to work while most kids were busy being lazy all summer.

I hope that Kiera can grow up knowing that it is important to work for what you have and to appreciate what you are given. Maybe I will take her to work more often.... but with a bottle of pumped milk next time! haha

This photo above shows Kiera in a milk coma, after the craziness, at the cafe. She really is such a good girl!

Jeff and I have been a little under the weather the past few days. Nothing serious, but we have just needed some backup. LEXI has come to the rescue on more than one occasion. It's so nice to see how much she cares about Kiera and is willing to help us out when we need it! Here she is giving the baby a bottle for the 1st time.

I love how relaxed Kiera is in this photo.

I Love My Little Pea in the Pod!

What a great weekend! We celebrated Kiera's 1st Halloween by dressing her up as a pea in a pod and taking her on the Hall Quarry Hay Ride that Jeff has been running for the past few years. Unfortunately, she only made it to 2 houses for trick or treating before she decided that she was miserable and wanted out. Luckily we were able to take a few photos before and during her complete meltdown. My cousin Jean made the costume - she is so talented! Sorry Jean, but you may be finding yourself on costume duty for years to come unless you can pawn the task off on Emily or my mom :) We so appreciate the time that you put into making Kiera's first costume.

Halloween is such a special and nostalgic time for Emily and I. Aunt Beth used to throw a big Halloween bash every year, and while we were too young to attend them growing up, we loved her enthusiasm for the holiday. She put her heart and creativity into her costume each year and we like to carry on her spirit for the occasion. Emily is probably one of the most creative people I know and I rely on her every year to help me pull a costume together. This year she did not disappoint! I can honestly say that I am sad at the end of each Halloween when I have to wait an entire year to dress up in one of her designs again.

Here are some photos from this year. Emily is Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Carribean..... obviously. She looks freakishly like him, and it was so cool to see her complete transformation take place. I went as a cave woman - Emily created my dress, club, hair, everything!

It was my very 1st night leaving Kiera at home (aside from one night when I had to go to work for a few hours.) It felt really funny to be away from her, but I appreciated the time and was able to have so much fun! Jeff was amazing and generous, as always, by staying home to take care of her all night. I will post some better photos soon so that everyone can TRULY appreciate how much Emily looked like Jack Sparrow.

Lastly, we went on a LOOOONNNNGGGG walk today with Grammie Di. We started out at Eagle Lake and planned to just turn around after a mile or 2, but ended up walking the 6 mile distance around the lake! My legs feel like they may just fall off. I love that we live in an area with access to a National Park. It is so unbelievably gorgeous!

One of Those Days

Yesterday was one of those days....

You know, the days where you eat breakfast (I'm not proud - it was a reheated piece of pizza) at noon and don't get out of your pajamas until 2:00 and then don't actually do anything productive until 3:30 when your significant other is just getting home from work. These days were an impossibility before I was a mother. Now they seem like a necessity. They happen without any warning. I wake up in the morning with full intentions of doing SOMETHING, but then the hours just slip away as I play with Kiera, try desperately to sneak a shower in somewhere, look for a brief moment to sort laundry, and so on.

I'm pretty hard on myself when it happens because in my pre-mommy world, a non-productive day was the worst day. I was a total go-getter, priding myself on to-do lists and how many items I could cross of in a day. My perspectives and interests have changed, and I am starting to recognize it as a beautiful thing. Now I find myself dreading the day that I actually have to go back to work full-time. I know that I will find a balance between work and family, but for now, there is no balance. I am all family.

Jeff and I took Kiera and Ollie on another walk today. This time around Witch Hole. It was overcast, but the leaves are so beautiful and we had a great time. While we were walking I started to tell Jeff about how odd it feels to have no drive or desire to work. I feel like I could easily spend everyday meeting friends for coffee with Kiera in tow, taking her for long walks, running errands and cleaning the house. As always, he responded by being supportive. He told me that it is ok to feel this way and that I should enjoy every second. It means that I love Kiera and my job as a mommy, and there is nothing wrong with that.

I'm reminded to take one day at a time. I have a tendency to get ahead of myself sometimes, but I just need to focus on RIGHT NOW...

Right now, I am in a loving relationship with an incredible man who supports me in everything that I do. I love his daughters as if they were my own... I share in the excitement of their achievements and the frustration of their silly teenage thought processes. I have a beautiful baby who makes me smile. I want to teach her what it means to have self respect, be considerate, fun, creative, kind, and reliable. I have the ability to lead by example today and everyday. I own a business that is in good hands at the moment, and I can ease myself back into the picture when I'm ready. What more could a girl ask for? Life can be pretty overwhelming, but when you just focus on what is happening today and in this moment it all seems so manageable ... and wonderful.

Here are some photos from our walk around Witch Hole.... I wish that they weren't so pixelated. Maybe it is because they are from my iphone? But you get the idea!

Happy One Month B-Day Kiera!

Wow - I never thought that I would be a "blogger." But now, with the arrival of Kiera, a family of 5, and the start of my own business, it seems like there is more to report and remember. Being a mother has made me  slow down and to appreciate and remember all of the little things.  Hopefully this blog will help me to do just that. Maybe one day Kiera can read it and be reminded of how much we all loved her from the very start. Or maybe Lexi and Serena can look back on it and realize that we did some pretty fun things and weren't the worst and most evil parents in the world after all :)  Just kidding girls.

So here goes nothing...

After the torrential downpour that we had last night, I was surprised to find that today was absolutely beautiful. We ate a yummy meal at Side Street with Lexi and Aunt Emo, which was a perfect start to the day. We had made plans to go to Super Wal Mart, but quickly realized that it just felt WRONG to be in a Wal Mart while the sun was shining, so Jeff and I took Kiera and Ollie on a walk down the Shore Path.  It was a great opportunity to use the new B.O.B stroller that John got us as a gift. I had one of those days where I was just full of gratitude to be living on this incredible island. I mean, people travel from all over the world to see this place and here we are... everyday! Here are a few photos from our walk.

Here you will see that it is daytime, so Kiera is fast asleep :) She needs to get her rest for the party that she will have all night long.

After 40 years of living on MDI, Jeff discovers Balance Rock for the 1st time. 

After our walk, we headed into town to visit our friends at Leary's Landing. 2 of our closest friends, Peter and Christina, own the pub and it is where Jeff and I met, so we have many good memories there. Christina wished Kiera a happy 1 month b-day and they got to snuggle a bit.

This past month with Kiera in our lives has been pretty incredible. I can't believe how quickly it has flown by.  Everyday we learn more about her and what she likes and dislikes. For example, she loves riding in the car or the B.O.B and dozing off.  She also likes to lay in the kitchen on the sheepskin that Memere gave her while we all get ready for dinner. Her favorite thing though is probably taking showers. It is the funniest thing. We put her in her little bath seat on the floor of the shower and she lays there with the water rushing all over her. It's pretty darn cute.

Last night was our first real experience with a sleepless Kiera. Jeff and I had been in a quasi-sleep for hours while Kiera grunted, cried, ate and fussed. I admittedly started to get frustrated. So, I sat up, turned on the light, calmed down and started to feed her. After she was done eating she just relaxed in my arms and started to smile and it made everything else melt away. Tears started streaming down my face. I couldn't help but to cry from complete happiness. Who cares about sleep! I would take a Kiera grin over a night of sleep anytime.

Lexi just came in and effortlessly lulled Kiera to sleep (THANKS LEX!!) and so I am going to take advantage of this time and get some rest myself.