So Long, December!

In December...

We decorated for Advent and celebrated St. Nicholas' feast day. 

We talked with our doctor about what two c-sections means. 

I mailed Christmas cards and did lots of holiday baking, all made possible by my mom visiting for two weeks.

I chatted about what Claire's into at twenty-one months.

I documented what Maggie's like at two months. 

We shared our annual Christmas card. 

My family came to visit for Christmas.

So Long, November!

In November...

I did a little "who it wore it better?" comparison of the girls in a favorite little dress.

Adam's parents came to visit.

I chatted about our attempts to prepare Claire for a sibling.

My sister, Allie, and her roommate, Kailin, came for a quick visit.

Adam's greatly-loved paternal grandfather passed away.

I gushed over Adam's very thoughtful "thanks for having our baby" present.

I spent a lot of time sitting on the couch, reading and feeding a baby.

Maggie was baptized into the Catholic Church. Her godparents, Joe and Alex, came in from Pittsburgh for the occasion.

My dear friend, Abigail, and her daughter, Amelia, came for a visit.

Maggie turned one month old.

I gave you guys the play-by-play of my first day alone with both girls.

We had family pictures taken.

We celebrated a very low-key Thanksgiving.

So Long, October!

In October...

I finished up my series of organizing posts with the kitchen.

I shared some recent Instagram photos and cute videos of Claire.

We hit the town for a before-baby date night and took Claire to the pumpkin patch.

I reflected on what "respect life" month means to me.

I compiled all of my recent apartment pictures into one home tour post.

We found out that Maggie wasn't growing as much as we'd hoped, so our c-section date would have to be pushed up and we had a week to try all the natural induction methods we could think of.

We took Claire to the Seattle Aquarium.

I completed one last sewing project, a doll carrier for Claire.

After a week of attempting to coax Maggie out naturally, I still wasn't dilated at all. 

My sister came to visit for Maggie's birth! For our last weekend as a family of three, we hiked Snoqualmie Falls and helped Claire finger paint our pumpkin.

Maggie arrived and surprised us all by weighing in a full two pounds heavier than all the ultrasounds had estimated.

I shared Maggie's birth story and what a planned c-section is like.

We snapped the last picture for Maggie's weekly bump shots and dressed the girls in matching outfits for the first time.

We continued our Halloween family costume tradition by dressing up as characters from Peanuts.

So Long, September!

In September...

I showed you guys some recent sewing projects.

We made our second annual trip to the state fair.

We finished painting Claire's picnic table and I gave y'all a little tour of the balcony.

I blabbed on and on about wedding registries.

We found out that Maggie is on the small side and started going to lots of extra appointments.

I wrote about Claire at eighteen months.

I continued being very opinionated and chatted about little girl's clothing.

I gave y'all a tour of our living and dining area to talk about toy organization.

I shared our favorite baby gear from twelve to eighteen months.

We just about finished everything on our "before baby" checklist!

So Long, August!

In August...

 I shared some recent photos and videos of our cute offspring.

We finally hung some art above the bed in our room.

We celebrated Claire's feast day.

I hit the thirty weeks pregnant mark.

We got the nursery all ready for two little girls to share.

 I talked about my issues with nursing the first time around and hopes for the second time.

 I made grasshopper pie, tiramisu, and peanut butter chocolate chip banana bread.

We went to the zoo and Snoqualmie Falls with friends.

 I shared my go-to engagement and wedding gifts.

I shared some of my favorite apps for keeping in touch.

We took a spontaneous vacation to Portland over Labor Day weekend.

So Long, July!

In July...

I revisited my resolutions for the first half of the year and made some new ones for the second half.

I realized Adam had already completed his first year of work and chatted a bit about future career plans.

We visited my aunt and cousins in Vancouver over the July 4th long weekend.

Mainly for my own benefit, I wrote about how to take a low-ish stress city vacation with a toddler.

My sister, Allie, came to visit for two weeks and traveled to Vancouver with us.

I documented our "before baby" check list. Lots to do!

In the middle of a very whiny week, I cheered myself up by sharing some favorite links.

We gave our bathroom a little makeover.

I confessed how much of a diaper bag pack-rat I am. 

I shared some easy from-scratch recipes.

We built a shelf in the laundry room and hung some new art in the hallway.

My parents and Scott came to visit for a week before heading back to Shanghai.

In honor of our anniversary, I revealed how we got married in college.

We celebrated our third year of marriage.

So Long, June!

In June...

We gave up the search for rental houses and decided to renew our lease for another year.

We updated the family altar and hung a frame ledge in the dining room.

We celebrated the first anniversary of Claire's baptism.

I reached the halfway-through-pregnancy mark.

We tried to find out if Claire was going to have a brother or sister, but the new baby was very uncooperative.

I wrote about what Claire is like at fifteen months old.

My mom and little brother, Scott, visited from Shanghai for two weeks! The first weekend they were here, we went to Snoqualmie Falls and Pike Place Market.

On our second attempt, we found out that Claire was going to have a little sister!

We decided to name her Margaret Joyce and call her Maggie for short.

The second weekend my mom and brother were here, we went to the Chihuly Museum.

They also watched Claire overnight while we stayed in a hotel.

I did a little round-up of all the holiday cards I made with Claire's hand and foot prints throughout the year.

We finished building our desk!

So Long, May!

In May...

I achieved my goal of documenting our entire life via photo book.

I wrote about how happy and blessed we are to be young parents.

I shared our day-to-day from the past couple weeks, thanks to my Instagram addiction.

I made Claire a rice box, which she is thankfully obsessed with.

I clarified a few things from that post about our experiences as young parents and threw in some videos of our cute little girl.

I rambled about double strollers and pondered cloth diapering two babies.

I made some birthday gifts for a few of Claire's baby friends.

We spent two weeks in Houston to celebrate Aunt Allie's college graduation and Aunt Katie's high school graduation.

We also did some Houston sightseeing at Hermann Park and Bayou Bend.

On our free weekend between graduations, we visited Adam's grandpa outside of New Orleans.

And we got to spend quality time with many, many good friends.

I turned twenty-four. 

I wrote a guest post for my friend, Tess, reflecting on what I wish we knew before getting married.

So Long, April!

In April...

 

Claire made lots and lots of progress in the walking department.

A rough day got a lot better thanks to chocolate chip cookies.

We bought all the supplies to build our new desk, but with morning sickness and a busy month at work, we didn't get much further than that.

We made a trip to the amazingly beautiful tulip festival.

I continued my quest to make better chocolate chip cookies.

We announced a very blessed new addition to our little family!

Because I'm nosy and like to hope others are too, I answered lots of pregnancy questions.

We celebrated Adam's twenty-third birthday.

So Long, March!

In March...

I chatted about organizing photos.

I shared the baby gear we've loved over the past six months.

Claire turned one!

We took Claire's last monthly photo.

My sister, Allison, came to visit for her spring break.

While Allie was visiting, Claire and I accompanied her on a quick trip to Victoria BC.

We threw a small party for Claire's birthday.

I confessed just how much of a scheduled person I am.

I shared the quilt and birthday banner I made from Claire's monthly fabrics.

Claire gave us a glimpse into a day in a toddler's life.

We joyfully celebrated Christ's resurrection on Easter!

So Long, February!

In February...

We celebrated Candlemas. 

We made pelmet box window treatments and steam-cleaned the carpets.

I gave you guys an updated tour of our apartment.

Adam climbed Mount Si with a friend from work.

We went on a pre-Valentine's Day/pre-Lent date!

I memorialized the four-year anniversary of this silly blog.

Claire turned eleven months old.

I chatted up about what makes us feel like good and not-so-good parents.

I complained about how expensive Seattle is and figured out how out our budget percentages measured up.

I shared my favorite cookbooks.

We went to the MOHAI with some new friends and Claire tried spaghetti for the first time.

So Long, January!

 In January...

I made some resolutions for the first half of the year. 

I recapped our Christmas trip to Houston.

I continued chatting way too much about Christmas by sharing some recipes and crafty gifts.

We spent a beautiful Saturday afternoon at the park, where Claire go to try the swings and the slide for the first time.

I confessed my house envy and shared my gratitude for a certain aspect of apartment life.

Claire turned ten months old.

I joined the linen ministry at church.

We visited our friends in Pittsburgh over MLK weekend.

I shared some tips for flying with a mobile baby.

I worked on some little projects around the house in between taking care of the sick members of the family.

So Long, December!

 In December...

We met our goal of finishing our Christmas preparations before Advent began. 

I gave some totally unsolicited marriage advice. 

We hired a babysitter for the first time and went to Adam's company party.

I fulfilled all my wildest dreams by getting an iPhone. 

Claire turned nine months old. 

I shared some recent decorating updates in the living room and the nursery. 

I chatted about Claire's eating habits, since she's been on solid food for three months now.

Per our tradition, we picked an ornament that represented 2012 for us.

We thought about our accomplishments over the past year. 

We celebrated Christmas with our families in Houston. 

So Long, November!

In November...

 

Claire dressed as her patron saint for All Saints Day. 

I got to vote for the very first time.

We finally finished our baby-proofing checklist.

I went to an awesome vocations conference. 

Claire turned eight months old. 

I spent a week giving thanks for a few of our many, many blessings. 

We celebrated Thanksgiving as just our little family of three. 

So Long, October!

In October...

We had lots of visitors. First, Adam's parents and sister, Katie, followed by my Aunt Patty and cousin, Jess. 

We hung some more art in the nursery.  

Claire told you about a day in the life of a baby. 

We covered a wall in our dining room with over four hundred photos.

I eventually got around to ordering our college years photo book. 

We picked out a pumpkin at the pumpkin patch and carved it into a jack-o-moose. 

Claire turned seven months old, got her first tooth, and started scooting. 

We bought a much more baby-friendly gray slipcover for our couch.

I made some spooky stationary for Claire's grandparents and great-grandparents. 

I finally gave y'all the grand tour of our new apartment.

We celebrated Halloween by taking a themed train ride in Snoqualmie and dressing up as a hamburger, ketchup and mustard. 

So Long, September!

In September...

We saw salmon at the locks in Ballard.

I shared Claire's in-progress nursery and a hallway art arrangement. 

I filled you in on the awesomeness of the Root Beer Store. 

We learned the Claire thinks tape is hilarious.

Claire turned six months old.

I chatted far too much about Claire's sleep habits and baby gear.

We made our inaugural visit to the state fair.

Claire tried solid food for the first time.

I got to spend a whole day sans baby doing all my favorite things.

I shared my favorite things at Trader Joe's.

So Long, August!

In August...

I shared our family pictures. 

Claire turned five months old. 

We visited my aunt and cousins in Vancouver. 

Claire finally started taking naps again.

We spent a day exploring Snoqualmie. 

My sister came to visit for two weeks. 

So Long, July!

In July...

I presented you with the worst home tour video in history.

We did some sight-seeing in our new hometown. 

Adam started his first real job. 

We found a new apartment. 

Claire turned four months old. 

My parents and little brother came to visit before moving to China. 

We celebrated our second anniversary.

So Long, June!

In June...

We visited our parents in Houston.

Claire was baptized. 

We visited Adam's grandparents in Louisiana and Florida.

Claire turned three months old. 

I revisited my resolutions for the first half of the year and made some new ones for the second half.

We packed up our first home. 

We moved to Seattle!

So Long, May!

In May...

We had a "family fun" day at the zoo. 

Claire turned two months old. 

We visited my grandma in Ottawa, stopping in Niagara Falls on the way home.

Claire got to meet her first little friends. 

We officially conquered nursing. 

I turned twenty-three.