Well, it is that time of year again. The time to reflect on the past and look forward to what is to come. This will be a two part post. The second part will focus on the year to come. Right now I want to look back at this amazing year.

The year 2007 has seen the Soodz clan live to two different states & two different countries! Plus we have added new members to the family and lost a member. It has been a year of grief and loss, but also a year to celebrate and gains. We have watched our children grow, as we too have gotten older and hopefully a little wiser.

January we were in California, pregnant and happy. Becca and I were adventurous and enjoying time with new friends. We enjoyed trips to Disneyland and the zoo. I was knitting and enjoying time with Marina and Holly. We also welcomed some fellow Canadians to California!

February was a warm month in California. Becca swam in our little yard, in her kiddie pool (something tells me we will NOT be swimming outside in February here in Canada)

March was my baby shower for Ethan, it was so amazing to be surrounded by so many mothers and celebrate. Some of those women I never saw again

April was all about Ethan! He arrived with perfect timing and left us in awe and bliss. J’s Mom stayed with us to help out and we learned how to be a family of four.

May was a flurry of play dates, adventures and visiting. I was trying to experience it all before we left California. My Dad came for a visit and to meet his new Grandson.

June we celebrated Becca’s third birthday early with all her friends. It was a wonderful pool party, perfect celebration of our time in California.

July we arrived in New Mexico. Our stuff did not.

August we went on our first family camping trip. It was so FUN! We adopted Skippy the Alley Cat. I injured my foot pretty badly, then limped to many chiropractor appointments to get back on both feet.

September my Dad came to New Mexico for a visit. We also said good bye to our dear sweet cat, Charisma and watched as Becca’s heart broke. J went for an interview in Nova Scotia for a tenure track professor position.

October was a blur. J was offered a position in Nova Scotia … to start January 2008. Started Packing. We celebrated Ethan’s first Halloween in style. Ethan as a Hot Dog and Becca as a butterfly.

November we continued to prepare for our trek back to Canada. Said our good byes in New Mexico.

December we made it home. Our stuff arrived in tact and on time. Sadly our car has not. It is on a train in Ontario and has been for almost two weeks. ugh. We have enjoyed the snowy walks and adventures with the children. Ethan’s first Christmas ws magical. Becca received a call from Santa and believes in all the magic Christmas has to offer. We even had friends come to visit us in our new home.

We have finally arrived.

We shall begin.

That is a very brief recap of our year … Now for a visual … Happy New Year Everyone …

… into the bathroom after your preschooler has been too quiet. Not only will you discover a flood from the preschooler, somehow the question …

“Honey have you seen the plunger since we moved?”

… follows …

Now my sweet husband is looking to borrow a plunger ….

We are back to unpacking and settling things now that Christmas is over … I miss having time to read blogs and … BLOG :(( Soon … Soon … Still no car and the baby is teething …

Traditionally I have a Christmas Day post …

The day escaped me.

With a whirlwind of wrapping paper, potential choking hazards, calls to family back home, meals, drool and new toys … the day escaped me.

It was a wonderful Christmas. I am glad that Ethan was able to experience his first Christmas in Canada. Becca would have been happy with the first three gifts she opened from us.

(Note to self buy less)

When we found out we would be returning to Canada by Christmas, I was excited that once again we could enjoy Boxing Day holiday and of course sales.

Wait.

NO SALES?

The stores are all closed today as they were yesterday. This is a city that just allowed Sunday shopping last year! Before that … no quickies to Sears for underwear, it had to wait till Monday. I am thankful that there is so much respect for families here. Really I can wait one more day

J & I shared a big present … We purchased a rocker/recliner for the living room. It is a wonderful chair. Something I have longed for since I was pregnant with Becca, but always on the move we could never justify another piece of big furniture to move around. It truly is perfect, for snuggling with the kids, nursing, reading stories, knitting and relaxing.

Becca adores all her presents (phew … am I the only one that frets over presents?) Her Auntie Kristie made her the coolest purse ever! I will have to take pictures! Grandma and Grandpa M gave her a Fur Real … a little Tiger that meows and acts all “real” (and many more books, a Pooh bear etc). It is a huge hit! Las minute I had picked up some Playmobile and Becca loves it. Grandpa R’s present is in transit. The kids are getting Brio train sets!!! Becca loves putting the tracks together and has expressed interest in more tracks for her three engines! There is so much more … Including the umbrella and rain boots, which Becca was “Singing in the Rain”. My in-laws also sent to most amazing sketch of the kids … again must take a picture. It is so beautiful!
I am sure glad it is all over and we can get down to preparing for J starting work and “living” life on the east coast. Maybe just maybe our car will join us at some point
How was your Christmas?

We have been working hard to unpack and organize the apartment. I am desperate to have everything complete and settled before J returns to work. With the holidays right in the middle it makes settling in a challenge, but it is so good to be in Canada for the holidays. Meanwhile, Ethan has started to pull himself to his knees and is crawling around like crazy. Maybe he will be walking by the time Grandma and Auntie Kristie arrive later this winter.

We have all the rooms pretty much done, except for our bedroom. Things are far from being uber organized but I am trying to be ok with that for the moment. Our car is still sitting in Ontario. ugh. Hope to see it come the New Year.

We are all set for Christmas dinner. J carried a turkey home (uphill in the snow … he is so sweet) and we have gathered up all the trimmings. The presents are all wrapped and the stuff for the stockings are ready for the stuffing. I always get so anxious at this time. I am so excited … is it CHRISTMAS yet? Becca is getting really excited too.

I was reading through the archives of Christmas past. Last year she was so excited she woke up many times throughout the night in hopes that it was morning! I am really hoping despite her excitement she can sleep this year! It amazes me how much she has grown over the years. I am so grateful to have this blog and record some of these amazing moments.

We plan on cooking our dinner Christmas eve, then be all sloth like after presents are opened and pick at the leftovers. I so need to get back on track after Christmas with watching what I eat. I have some mighty goals for the upcoming year.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and hope your family is as happy as ours

I have been an avid babywearer since Becca was around three months old. Before that point I carried her everywhere, thinking there had to be a better way. A friend introduced me to a woman that promoted and sold baby ring slings. I was hooked. I could clean our place and wear Becca. I could take her for walks, to the grocery store, the library … any where my heart desired without having to place her somewhere, far away from my heart.

I wore Becca until I was pregnant with Ethan. Then my fear and her growth spurts separated us. Now she gladly walks beside me, holding my hand, never venturing far or running off. I contribute some of that to our closeness.

Ethan is always with us. He is completely part of Becca & I’s daily activities. Ethan gets to experience it all because I wear him, everyday. I cannot imagine any other way to parent them both. I like it. J likes it. Becca likes it and Ethan is content.

The wonderful ladies at ModMum’s approached me to review their cute and stylish baby slings right before we were leaving the US for Canada. ModMums create the pouch style sling, a type that I had shied away from in past. I gladly accepted their sling, thinking it was worth a try.

I am so glad I have a ModMum sling! It was the ONLY baby carrier I packed when we flew here (we did have the Ergo as well for times when J was going to wear Ethan). I use the ModMum sling almost exclusively now. I am so in love! It is simple and easy to use. Quick and smooth to place Ethan in and out of. Oooo and so snug, Ethan adores being all safe and secure inside! I cannot believe that there was a time I did not have this sling! Did I forget to mention how cute it is?!?!? Totally reversible too so you know when you spill something, errr the baby slips something …. hehe! Btw, I realized after these pictures were taken that I was wearing the sling WRONG! If I had taken the time to look at the great instructions on the packaging I would have it right and now wear it correctly. Even brunettes have blond moments … hehe.

I mentioned before that I hesitated because I had avoided this type of sling in the past. I was always a ring sling girl, being that I am all curvy and when breastfeeding I even more curvatious. I figured the non-adjustable sling was not really meant for girls like me. This one fits me and Ethan perfectly! Ethan is a big boy too! I am not sure it would have fit pre-weight loss for me though and I have the largest size available. My only recommendation for these slings is that they would be available to all sizes of women, other than that they are PERFECT for stylish, on the go mom!

I highly recommend the slings from ModMum’s, and would have been happy hold a contest for one, but I am completely unwilling to part with mine However, if you head over to Much More Than a Mom’s blog she has a contest going for a ModMum sling right now!

While you are there, send her many happy, quick, light on the pain labour vibes, Much More Than a Mom is due to have her baby very soon!!!!! So exciting!