2016 in Review

I've done this post every year for the past few years and I always enjoy doing it. Even though we are part of the way through February already, it's always nice to reflect back on the past year. Reading this post for last year makes me sad I didn't keep up with blogging much this past year. I'd love to recap what I did each month like each prior year, but I'm afraid I didn't keep close enough track to do that.



What did you do in 2016 that you'd never done before? 
I took my diet/nutrition seriously and lost a lot of weight. I did the 21 day fix in February and then a round of Whole 30 over the summer. I got back to the weight I was 7 years ago when we got married. Losing all this weight unfortunately ended up in the loss of my wedding ring as it no longer fit my finger and I was still wearing it. Good thing we had insurance and I was able to get a new one, but it was pretty devastating. 
We took a road trip with the kids to North Carolina. We had done vacations, but always flew. This was our first big car trip with all three girls. 

Did you keep your resolutions and will you make more for this year?
I did a great job of trying to get and stay healthier this year. I'm so proud of myself for all of the weight I lost (about 25 pounds) and the shape I'm in. I'm able to run a 5k no problem and with a pretty decent time. Cutting out sugar is a big deal but starches was an even bigger deal. I feel like I got my PCOS under control and learned to listen to my body and how food makes me feel. The Whole 30 was seriously life changing and I'd love to keep up that way of eating as much as possible. I'd also like to make healthier choices regarding exercise and our evening routine. Most nights we don't accomplish much and veg out to the television. It would be nice to spend that time doing more reading or productive tasks. When the weather is nicer it's much easier to feel motivated. I hope to do more running this year and maybe even do a 10k. I also really wish I kept up with this blog better. I'd like to at least do a monthly update post on our lives to have it written down somewhere. Life is so crazy it's hard to find the time though. 

Did anyone close to you give birth?
My friend Michele welcomed a baby boy Benjamin in January. 

Did anyone close to you die?
Luckily, no. 

What countries did you visit?
We stayed in the US but did take a trip to my parent's condo in Florida. It was such a nice trip and we plan to go again this year. Much better than our trip to Mexico the year prior. 

What would you like to have in 2017 that you lacked in 2016?
I would love to lose another 10 pounds and get into the 120's. Taking care of myself and filling my own cup has been so huge for me. W and I struggled some but really communicated well in the end and made some huge realizations. I'd like to make healthier choices that my girls can witness and internalize. 

What dates will be etched upon your memory, and why?
September 3- Lucy and Clara's third ice cream birthday 
October 3- Stella's first Fiesta birthday!
I'm so bad with remembering dates all that's left here is birthdays

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Taking care of myself and putting myself first for the first time in a long time. It felt so great to have "me time" at the gym and put energy and effort into myself, not always just my kids. W really stepped it up to make this happen by watching all three girls most evenings and preparing dinner while I went to the gym. 

What was your biggest failure?
I can't really think of any ways I feel I really failed this past year. W and I struggled with communication, but things are better now and we are seeing eye to eye more consistently. Making time for each other and date nights has made a huge difference. 

Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got food poisoning in the fall and for the first time since having children felt entirely unable to care for them. It was so bad. Other than that, no major illnesses. Clara and Stella both got ear tubes. 

What was the best thing you bought?
We took two amazing vacations this past year that I funded by working part-time. Our first one was to Florida. It was so nice to get away from Central New York in the winter and have some family time. We had a great trip with some super fun beach time. We also took a trip to North Carolina with friends in August. It was so much fun to be at a beach house all week with our family. I hope we can do that again. 

Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage, bills, food, car, endless amounts of cute kid/baby things. I'm pretty sure this will be the case for a while. I discovered a new kids clothing line this year and spent far too much on it. Luckily the resale value is good!

What did you get really excited about? 
Our vacations and family time. Finally succeeding at losing weight and making progress with my endurance and speed with running. I'd love to do a 10k this year.

What songs will always remind you of 2015?
Renegades by X Ambassadors
Send My Love by Adele
Can't Stop the Feeling and Get Back up Again from the Trolls movie

Compared to this time last year are you:
Happier or Sadder? Definitely happier. Putting time and energy into myself has been huge for me. I'm happy with my weight for the first time in a long time and feeling stronger and more confident at the gym. I got a Y membership for Christmas from my FiL and have been going at least a few times a week.  
Thinner or Fatter? Thinner! I weigh less than I did when we got married 7.5 years ago. I think I'm back to my college weight!
Richer or Poorer? Probably the same

What do you wish you'd done more of?
Saving money haha
What do you wish you'd done less of? 
Arguing and fighting with W. Having three young kids is a huge challenge on our marriage. Amazingly enough, cutting out sugar has made us so much nicer to each other, especially in the mornings. We had a tendency to snap at each other from being crashed and notice we both feel so much more even tempered when we don't consume tons of sugar. 

How did you spend Christmas?
We went to Syracuse for church on Christmas Eve with my MiL and then had dinner at my in-laws after. On Christmas morning my in laws came over after we had breakfast and we opened presents and drank bloody marys. We celebrated with my mom at her house about a week prior as they went to Florida for Christmas. My dad came out a week or two after Christmas for the day to celebrate. We never celebrated with my sister :(

What was your favorite TV program?
We watched a bunch of Naked and Afraid. Prior, we had been totally turned off by the title, but once we realized what it was about we watched it a bunch. 
What was your favorite book of the year?
Wish I had gotten to read more. Even though we started book club back up I still haven't gotten to read any of the books. I'm embarrassed to admit that, but it's true. Most nights I fall asleep on the couch watching T. V.

What were your favorite films of the year?
We saw the Trolls movie at the theatre with Lucy and Clara. It was their first time to the movies and so much fun! It was a super cute movie too. 

What's one thing that would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I wish I could contribute more financially but it's worth it to be home rather than working every day. 

What kept you sane?
W and my friends. I love my fertility buddies and that we still get together often. Winter is always tough for friendships as we don't live super close to any of my friends. I guess my phone really keeps me sane because it keeps me in contact with the outside world. I wish I got to see my friends more often, but hopefully that will improve with nicer weather. 

Tell us valuable lessons you learned in 2016:
It's so important to fill your own cup as a mom. I spent so much time filling up everyone else's cup and never really prioritized myself. It's worth it to put yourself first because you are much better able to fill the cups of those around you when you're pouring from a full one. 

Diet is so much more important than exercise when it comes to weight loss. I learned a lot by doing a round of Whole 30. I'd love to complete another round and reap the benefits, it's just so hard in our culture to eat well. PCOS feels like so much less of an issue when I fuel my body with the right foods. I wish I had figured this out sooner. 

15 Months Old posted late

Stella,

Another month has passed and you're another month older. I can't believe what a big girl you are now. You're a little better at listening this month than last, but are still a little wild woman. You are following simple directions more consistently and respond better when we tell you "no". You're repeating a lot but so much is jibber jabber that it's hard to decipher the real words in there. I need to get a video of your "talking" because it's so cute and nearly constant. You have a LOT to say! Your sleeping hasn't improved a ton this month although you had ONE night where you slept all night long and I even had to wake you to nurse before I had to leave that morning. You generally are up once a night, but some nights are worse than others. I was convinced you were cutting your canines on the top earlier this month and then they went away and your crankiness improved, without any new teeth. My new thing is worrying about your bottom tooth. You have 3/4 of your bottom teeth and I recently learned your Aunt Charlotte also doesn't have that tooth. So now I'll worry until it appears...or not. You are going through a huge mama phase and cry a lot of the times I pass you off to others, even Daddy. I had to stop dropping you in the childcare area at the YMCA because they would come get me since you were crying so much. It's a bummer, but I'm hoping a little time will solve that problem and we can try again. Your eating is hit or miss and you still love meat. You love dairy although it definitely makes your reflux worse. With your cold we actually had to increase your reflux meds this month because you seemed uncomfortable a lot and weren't eating as well. You are down to one nap a day and usually nap at the same time as your sisters. You nap anywhere from 2-3 hours most days and I love that down time when everyone is sleeping. It's so nice when the house is so quiet, although it never seems to last long enough. You have such a big personality and add so much to our family. I just love you little Stella.

crazy girl

Looking at the trees at the tree farm

The only Santa she would go near

Not so sure about him...

Accidental twinning with Mama

Christmas Eve 

She wanted to carry her stocking just like her sisters did. 

More twinning 

I'll jump on any breastfeeding bandwagon. These pics were going around social media so I made one for us too. 

Stella 14 Months

It's getting harder and harder to keep up with these posts. Stella turned 14 months old almost 2 weeks ago but better now than never if I'm going to try to keep up.

SO cute!!

Walking out to the car by herself. 

Election day playground fun 

always the center of attention 

So teeny and cute in her dresses!

Babywearing 

She LOVES her Togee

Passed out 

Not so sure of the snow 

Thanksgiving crazies!

So many teeth now

Snoozing and cuddling with her doggie she picked for her birthday 

Christmas pajamas

Big world, little girl 

Getting a smooch from her friend Connor 

Decorating the tree

Little Stella,

You are such a little wild woman. You're in constant motion, even running now to keep up with your big sisters. You say so much and jibber jabber almost non-stop throughout the day. You are repeating and using quite a few words and we can now add pop pop, diaper, poop, sock, sweater, frog, Elmo, Elsa, Olaf, meow, kitty, baa, and I'm back to your repertoire of words. You will try to imitate a lot of words and animal sounds. This past month you nearly doubled the number of teeth you had and went from 4 to 7. Needless to say, sleep wasn't the best. You've also been sick a lot and had a pretty bad cold with lots of coughing. Preschool means your sisters brings home lots of germs. This month you learned how to climb. On to the coffee table to stand up, on to the side table next to the couch, into your box Grandpa Scott made you, on to child sized tables, etc. If I don't watch you at nearly every moment I find you often getting yourself into trouble. It's amazing the difference being mobile (and having big sisters) makes. Your sisters definitely weren't getting into this much trouble at this age. You're getting a little pickier with your eating and just LOVE to feed Togee our dog. She knows it and parks herself right next to your highchair any chance she gets. We've starting having to put her out for meals or you feed her everything. You are still sensitive to dairy and don't do well if you have too much. You still take meds for your reflux as well. We also can't feed the dogs unless you're in your highchair or bed these days since you don't leave them alone. While Togee will still eat that way, I think it scares Pepper away and then he doesn't end up eating. You've had a few good nights of sleep where you were only up once to eat and went right back to sleep, but that's not the norm. I'm hopeful we'll get better sleep when you're not teething or sick. You are beyond exhausting to your mama since you're in constant motion. You're always getting into things or causing trouble, but it's a good thing you're so darn cute. You are the teeniest little walker/runner around. I love putting you in dresses and tights since you're so great at walking. I didn't get to do that with your sisters until they were quite a bit older. You are such an outgoing little girl and are friendly to most people you meet. You weren't super sure of Santa and cried once Clara did, but usually you're great with strangers. I've started leaving you at the childcare spot at the YMCA and you've done really well minus one time where they had to come get me because you were crying. I'm hoping it was just an off day. Most days you only nap once but some days you fall asleep in the morning for a short nap in the car. When you don't take a morning nap you usually have a great 2-3 hour afternoon nap. It's so nice when you sleep at the same time as your sisters and give your mama a break. You're getting so smart and understand so much. You'll point to body parts or family members when asked. I can't believe how big and smart you're getting and how fast time is flying by. I just love you so much and can't imagine our family without you in it. You add so much and are such a little firecracker! I love you my wild child.

Stella's Fiesta

On October 8th we celebrated Stella's first birthday with a fiesta. Since the weather was horrible, we had everyone inside. It was so much fun and such a huge success! We had a lot of friends, delicious food, amazing cake, and margaritas. I'd almost venture to say those were my favorite part. Stella had so much fun playing with her friends and being the social butterfly that she is. She wasn't once overwhelmed or scared with people played with her, picked her up, or sang to her. She dove right into her cake without any hesitation and had a great time eating it. Lucy was a little jealous and pouty, but once she discovered there were also gifts for her she cheered right up. It was such a fun party and although I didn't have as much time to make decorations, everything still looked so great. 

Decorations. We had that old window pane that happened to have 12 spots perfect for her monthly photos

Monthly Photos

She wore a dress my mom brought home from Costa Rica. It was so cute and perfect!

This baby is months younger than her. There was like a day that she was bigger than him. 

Daddy had to hold her back from attacking the candle.  

Yum!

Cake makes everything better!

Welcome to my party!

Opening one of her presents, a Baby Stella doll. 

11 Months Old

Stella,

I can't believe you're 11 months old already. Time is going so fast and it makes me so emotional to think about your first birthday. I can't believe it's been nearly a year since your birth. It's amazing to me how much you have grown and changed in this year. From a squishy little blob, to a walking and talking little girl who is full of personality and spunk. You started walking and taking a single step here and there a little before the start of the month, and then really put steps together the day after your turned eleven months old. You're saying words like doggy, uh-oh, and daddy all spontaneously and with intention. You follow simple directions some of the time, but are understanding so much. You want so badly to keep up with your sisters and will tag right along with most things they do. I'm pretty sure you're convinced you're their triplet. You've finally stopped putting everything into your mouth automatically and we can somewhat trust you in the sandbox. You love playing with the play kitchen and making a mess and have just started in and out type play. we saw the GI Dr about the potato vomiting incidents and he wasn't thrilled with your weight. He wanted me to push more pureed foods and try to add more fat to your diet. I swear, you eat just about anything and everything. I think it's your constant motion that burns so many calories. You love most foods but aren't super impressed by purees. You're finally napping more consistently and falling asleep without us having to rock you. Really pushing a "lovey" on you and encouraging you to snuggle that made a world of difference. Rather than rocking or nursing you to sleep, gently putting you down, and sneaking out of the room we are putting you down drowsy but awake and you generally roll over and snuggle your lovey before falling asleep. I wish you were sleeping through the night, but you still wake two times on average for milk. You're like Lucy in that you rarely wake in a smiley and good mood. You need some time to be grumpy and wake up. You've decided you will no longer keep headbands or bows on your head and rip them off immediately. You don't like to be told "no" or when your sisters take things away from you and you'll get very upset and cry. 

I just can't believe how soon you will be a one year old. You're definitely not my snuggly little baby any more and it makes your mama sad to see how fast you are growing. I can't wait to see all that you will do and see, but I wish it would happen at a slower rate. I think I'd keep you little forever if I could. I love you so big little girl!

Trashing her play kitchen. Always a favorite activity. 

Standing independently 

Waiting to see the pediatrician 

She looked in the mirror and said, "Teta"/Stella

Stuck in the trunk 

When your outfit matches your bed....

Sleeping with her "lovey"

Trying chocolate milk at the state fair 

So much love from her sisters