2009 Year-End Recap

Alright, alright. I know I'm overdue. I've no excuse besides the daily exhaustion of entertaining a two year old while pregnant. Here's a quick recap of October, November, and December.
.

This year, Mira "helped" carve her first pumpkin. She was excited until I asked her to scoop out the insides, and her OCD came into full effect. Although she was willing to try with a spoon, I ended up doing the lion's share.

.

Once the carving was done, Mira was very intrigued with the inside of the pumpkin and spent lots of time with her face glued to the cut-out parts. She also spent plenty of time trying to reassemble the pumpkin like a puzzle.

.

For Halloween, Mira was a ladybug - another perfect costume designed by Grandma B. Trick-or-Treating held new excitement for our little bug, and we spent the evening with our fantastic daycare provider and a few daycare families.

To make Trick-or-Treating with the kids easier, one of the daycare families brought a four-wheeler and hay wagon. Although Mira was excited to go door-to-door, she was afraid that we were abandoning her each time the four-wheeler moved. Cries of "Wait a me!!", followed by very high-pitched wails, were heard throughout the neighborhood. Eventually, Mira decided that riding on the hay wagon was a better deal for her. She was perfectly happy to ride and order Maddy (a very devoted second grader) to get candy for her ("Now dat house, Maddy. Get candy!"). She wound up with more candy than any two year old (and her parents) needs.

.

In November, Ryan's frequent searching of Craigslist paid off, and Mira got a new (to her) swing set for the back yard. Although her playtime was cut short by winter, she certainly enjoyed it while she could, and we look forward to hours of play in the spring - with the addition of an infant swing, of course!
Although our leaf fall and raking was late this year, Mira definitely enjoyed it. She spent the entire sunny afternoon running through and jumping into the leaves. Next year we'll definitely have to get her a rake of her own!

.

Decorating for the holidays brought new joy this year as Mira was more than excited to help. Luckily, Grandma was here to help control the chaos. Each time Mira pulled an ornament out, it was accompanied with a resounding, "Ooooooo!" She seemed so grown up as she got a hook for each ornament and took great care in finding the perfect spot for each one.

.

Thanksgiving and Christmas meant logging lots of miles, as as we travelled to see each set of Grandparents for both holidays. Mira loved spending time with her cousins and with Grandma and Grandpa. We even got to go for a walk in fresh snow, sledding, and foraging for pinecones. A highpoint for Mira was making snow angels for the first time - lots and lots of snow angels!

.

Mira spent some quality time with her cousins over the holidays. While at the Weber Christmas, Cousin Tiffany shyly came up to me and asked if I would come take her picture. She and Mira were perfectly posed in front of the tree, awaiting my services. Mira and Tiffy seem to have a special bond - perhaps it's the closeness in their ages. In fact, as I was posting the above picture, Mira exclaimed, "Ooo! Me wike her!"

.

Mira has grown and changed so much in the past few months. We understand so much more of what she says - often resulting in shock and laughter. Recently, she walked in on me as I was dressing. When she pointed and laughed, I asked what she was laughing about. Without hesitation, she chirped, "You butt big!" While Grandma was here in December, she taught Mira to spell her name. This week, she finally learned to say her name ("Miwa Weba"). In addition, she learned to say both Mom and Dad's first and last names. I realize this is all developmentally appropriate, but we are ridiculously impressed.

.

We are slowly but surely working to help Mira understand that we will soon have a new baby in the family. While she will happily tell you that Mommy has a baby in her tummy, I'm not sure she really understands what that means. I have been amazed at how different this pregnancy has been: I'm showing a lot earlier (and more), and the headaches and round ligament pains are more severe. I find that I'm tired all the time, which presents a challenge in entertaining Miss Mira. We were very excited to find out the sex of the baby at our December appointment, but apparently this little one has a mind of his/her own as those knees were locked, and the ankles were crossed the entire time. We are very determined, though, and will try again in January! As anxious as I am for May and for meeting this little one, I find that I'm nervous about managing two children and giving each of them the love and attention they deserve. Somhow, though, I know that we'll figure it all out.

.

As I reflect back on 2009, I am astounded by how truly blessed we are. A couple of years ago, I couldn't imagine the beautiful family we have today. I am confident that 2010 will only double our blessings!