2024 - there was a redemption arc in this one. A reborn mommy and a last born daughter

That’s a wrap on 2024! If you've been following along at all, you can probably guess that meeting this little darling (seen here at 12 days old) was the ultimate highlight of my year. I still can't believe that I get the privilege of being her mommy. It's crazy to think that I spent the first few months of 2024 trying to get pregnant, and the remaining 9 wishing I wasn't. Being pregnant this time around was a difficult journey, but worth every second. Even though I admittedly didn't love the process, it was an incredibly healing one for me to go through. I needed this. And then once I saw her, well, look at that face. The rest is history.

So what do I hope for in 2025? I have a working list, and sure there are a few of the buzz words and goals people typically put on their bucket and resolution lists. I'd love to shed what's left of the baby weight and put my mental and physical wellness on the priority list again, and I'd like to travel with my family more. I also want to start planning my return to school to complete my Masters, to read more books and carve out more time for hobbies, writing, and friends.

But most of it is much more brass tacks, really. I want to do things that feel meaningful. I want to slow down and connect, and lean into warmth and authenticity. I want to allow more time to laugh, play, and create with my kids and to let them see me at ease with myself. I want to adopt a slow, steady, calm rhythm that defies the societal norms of the rise and grind culture. Maybe this will help them regulate and slow down in their lives too. I was always an anxious kid, and surprise, surprise, I turned into an anxious adult. I don't want that for them.

And lastly, well I just want to enjoy the rollercoaster ride of nurturing this new little lady. Not rushing through it to get to the next stage or wishing it away when its rough, because this season goes by fast enough, and don't I know it. Soon, she'll be six years old and asking me if she can buy a taser on the dark web (there’s an inside joke here that I hope my son sees one day).

It's all small stuff that I'm seeking out this year, but as I grow up alongside my kids, I've come to understand that the small stuff actually tends to be the big stuff.