2013 was a crazy year for our family and a successful year for the site.

Let’s start back in January where all the craziness began when we learned we were expecting baby #5!  I think I am actually still in shock about this life event which is crazy because we’ve already had 4 amazing months with the little guy.

When February arrived, I was still dealing with the shock of the pregnancy while dealing with all of the nausea and exhaustion that came with it, we celebrated Zack turning 14 and we ended the month with a trip to Disney on Ice, 2 littles with influenza, 1 with an ear infection and 1 teenager with a dislocated shoulder and the other with a concussion.

In March, we kissed cable goodbye and said hello to more money in our pockets.  Alexander turned 5 and we celebrated with a trip to Chuck E Cheese and a Power Ranger Party at home. Right before Easter, we made a trip to Sneak-A-Peek, a local ultrasound studio to find out the sex of Baby Peanut. We also made our first official family trip to the National Railroad Museum here in Green Bay to attend The Great Bunny Train.

April came and with it came a stomach bug that kept Alexander home for more than a week, I made it to the half-way point in my pregnancy and Alexander finally started earning his keep around here.  April also brought some scares our way as well when we had an abnormal scan with Peanut.

We kicked off May with the start of our big baby shower event which gave us the chance to check out and share some amazing baby products, we celebrated Alex’s birthday with a delicious new treat, the Fairy Hobmother paid us a visit and left us a little gift.

June welcomed the end Alexander’s first year in school, Zack finished his last year of middle school and Libby was promoted to 8th grade.  With June came another stomach bug amongst the kids after a day of fun along with a little health scare for me.  We celebrated Father’s Day with a trip to Point Beach where the kids enjoyed playing in the sand and Lake Michigan.

When July arrived, we received some amazing news about our little Joey in addition to some awesome pictures of him in utero.  Things got even more exciting a few days later when Alexander learned how to ride his bike without training wheels.   Of course, there was also that day that Alex had his SECOND vasectomy.

August brought Baby Watch 2013.  Since my contractions had started in June and become pretty regular in July, there was A LOT of waiting.  There were a lot of false alarms and we were left feeling very, VERY frustrated.  Then, early on the morning of August 18th, I woke up and my water broke.  2 hours and 44 minutes later, Joey was here!  Needless to say, everything was worth it in the end!

In September the kids returned to school.  Zack started high school, Libby went off to 8th grade and Alexander started full day kindergarten.  Mid-September, we made our way down to Sheboygan where Alex participated in the Legend Larry’s Wing Eating Championship Competition, which of course, he won.  

With October, the cooler weather arrived and thanks to our friends at Pampers, we were able to help out a friend in need.  Zack attended his first Homecoming Dance, we all continued to fall more in love with Joey and I dealt with a little Postpartum Depression and Alex and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary.  On the 25th, Joey underwent surgery to repair his umbilical hernia and it was an absolute success!

When November entered, I finally realized it was time to start preparing for the holidays at home, in addition to my holiday gift guide.  Things got busy around the house and the kids demanded a little more of my time. Joey hit a huge milestone and started laughing and I finally found a moment to share some new pictures of all of the kids.

Before I knew it, December was here and it was time to really get things moving and finish my holiday shopping and plan Ellie’s 2nd birthday.  So Ellie turned 2 and I turned 35 and boom….it was time to enjoy the holidays with the family.

We had a great Christmas and enjoyed our time together and we are looking forward to kicking off the New Year! I’m going to continue enjoying my little vacation and the extra time with the kids.  I’ll see you on the 2nd when the kids head back to school.

I hope you all have a Happy New Year!