Has it only been a year. Seems like a lifetime. We began with a couple days hiking with Bailey (and a newly pregnant Kari), we visited Boston and Minneapolis (twice), and we made several stops in Shreveport. And, of course, we added the world’s cutest baby to our family.
This week (two for Maya and Kari) we’ve been visiting Maya’s grandparents, her uncle and several of Kari’s friends in Minneapolis. (that’s her with her new friend Wyatt, above). Preparing for Maya’s second plane ride early tomorrow morning as we head back home; here’s hoping for a sleepy baby come takeoff.
Here’s a quick recap of how we spent 2009.
Happy first birthday Ford: We began with birthday wishes for our nephew Ford, then turning 1, now about to turn 2. Talk about the difference a year makes. That 1-year-old, who we described as “almost walking, almost talking,” seems to have skipped right past walking to running. During our recent time together at Thanksgiving, he was a bundle of energy and fun, but he did slow down just enough to give his new cousin Maya a hug every once in a while.
Palo Duro Canyon: Morning sickness? What morning sickness? Soon after we learned that Kari was pregnant, we headed out to Amarillo for a couple days of hiking some beautiful Texas canyons. We brought Bailey along, or rather, he brought us along as he raced across the red clay on the most exciting couple of days he’s had.
New sod + crazy dog = bad combination: Most of the rest of this list is dominated by that new little girl in our lives, but before there was Maya, there was our first rambunctious little kid, Bailey. You know, the big freight train of a dog who tore out half of the grass in the backyard.
20 weeks pregnant, and she’s getting bigger: A few days after the sonogram, it wasn’t Kari who was getting bigger, it was our little girl.
The nursery is on it’s way: My Dad spent a quick, busy weekend in Fort Worth painting and working on Maya’s nursery.
Our “babymoon”: Nope, I didn’t know what a babymoon was until then either. But we had a ton of fun in Boston, Connecticut and Cape Cod, visiting friends and seeing a part of the country we had never seen before.
Eight months of pregnancy, one blog post: Kari recaps how we found out, each trimester, picking out Maya’s name and more.
Maya’s here!: Maya Makenzie Crane arrived at 3:37pm on September 23, 2009, weighing in at 8 pounds, 14 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches.
The labor story: Kari recaps the labor experience. Word of caution… not for the faint of heart.
Maya’s 1-month checkup: Growing big and tall: So happy to be blessed with a healthy, growing little girl. We were a little worried when the doctor recommended sleep training, but it was well worth it. Now, Maya sleeps 10 hours a night.
Maya’s first month: A video recap: A quick video look back at Maya’s first month on earth.
A Thanksgiving week of firsts: We spent a great Thanksgiving week with family in Fort Worth and in Shreveport. Maya got to meet most of her Shreveport relatives and spend some quality time with Uncle Jeff, Aunt Allison, cousin Ford and Grandad.
Thanks for being a part of our eventful 2009. Here’s to many more great memories for all of us in 2010.
