Hello everyone and
Happy New Year!
So, as I have done
for the last several years, I thought I would recap the highlights of The
Crawford Life as we end 2016 and enter 2017!! But before we get to the
highlights …
Most importantly, we
are having a baby!!!! Jack is going to be a Big Brother to Aedan Conroy
Crawford, who is set to arrive May 2, 2017! We discovered we were pregnant on
our first family trip to Maine on August 30, 2016. It was so special to be in
such a beautiful place together and discover such fantastic news. We had an
inkling we might be pregnant and bought a few test kits the night before we
checked. I woke very early with excitement hoping that it would be positive.
The test turned positive so quickly I thought there might be something faulty
with the test so I took the other 2 and they turned positive just as quickly as
the first! I cried tears of joy but kept my composure because I wanted to
surprise Shannon with the news. I had dental surgery the week before so when I
came back to bed I asked him to get me some Tylenol and strategically placed
the 3 tests right near the medication. He got right up and I sat in bed so
ecstatic to share this moment and he quietly returned with the pills and
proceeded to get back in to bed. 530 am is very early in The Crawford House so
he was on a mission for those pills and clearly had blinders on. I calmly asked
for some water too and followed him to make sure I could guide him if needed be
but he realized what was going on, saw the tests and burst into tears as he ran
to embrace me! It was such a beautiful moment that I will cherish for the rest
of my life!
Highlights
of The Crawford Life 2016
·
Jack got to see his first live
theatre performance, Daniel Tiger Live in the front row!!
·
We painted the entire first floor,
stairwell and upstairs hallway! We also redid our basement bonus room and
updated Jack to a toddler truck room!
·
We bought our 2nd car a
Honda Odyssey and it was a great decision!
·
Found Jack (and Aedan) a playscape
for the backyard. We disassembled it (with the help of the lovely people we
bought it from), somehow loaded it into a U-Haul van and reassembled in one
day. It was a lot of hard work and even confusing and frustrating at times but
exemplified what a great team my husband and I are together.
·
Tilly had a relapse of her spinal
myletis but is in remission again. We know that Tilly will forever have issues
due to her immune suppression but we are thankful for every day we get to have
her with us! She Linus (who has been with us a year) and Jack are best friends.
It is beautiful to watch them together!
·
We updated our back deck and it was
such a great investment and worth the time and energy!
·
We created our first compost (Shannon
did 99% of the work) and it is great! Just trying to do our part!
·
Sue came for a visit!
·
Jack turned 2 BIG!!!! We spent the
day at the Science Museum and he loved it!!
·
Completed my first big DIY project
for Jack’s 2nd Birthday … A train table where I painted the country
scape from scratch! It is official I have a hobby … I love attempting DIY
Projects!
·
Jack celebrated his 2nd
Birthday with a Minions themed birthday party with amazing family and friends.
Always a reminder of how lucky we are!
·
Uncle Danny & Aunt Lindsay came
to visit for a few days and we got to catch up with Nana and Pop Pop in
Amherst!
·
We drove to Cold Spring, NY for the
day and got to catch up with some great Chicago friends (by way of New Zealand
& England). We got to see the whole Nash Family and met Rosie for the first
time!!
·
We took our first true family
vacation to Wells, ME. We rented our good friends family bungalow and it was
perfection! And, we got to find out we were pregnant!
·
Autumn was overall pretty quiet for us
and being in my first trimester it was amazing to lay low but had such love and
support from my husband, family and friends.
·
Jack is OBSESSED with all things
trucks but is particularly partial to Garbage/Recycle Trucks and Bins. So, Jack
was a garbage man for Halloween with Mommy Recycle Bin, Daddy Compost Bin and
Nana carrying “a bag of trash”. It was so great for us and Jack loved getting
to walk around the neighborhood. Trick or Treat was not a saying he loved
rather he preferred to ask each neighbor for “more please” and for only going
to 8 houses …. This kid made out like a bandit hahahaha! I even made him his
own pull bin!
·
Finished a DIY kitchen for Christmas
for Jack & Aedan. Mom and I found this old 1970’s play kitchen that had a
ton of potential. Dad gave it a new top, 2 new doors and a sink. Mom primed it
and I put all the finishing touches … Black top, spray paint, faux tile and
shelving paper.
·
Finished Shannon’s office. I painted
the walls, his desks and we hung a corkboard and shelves! It used to be my
holiday room but it has been put to much better use as Shannon’s office … NOW
THAT HE IS WORKING FROM HOME FULL TIME!!!!!!!!! One of the best things to
happen to our family this year!!!!
· Found out we were having a boy and decided on the perfect name for our little guy ... Aedan Conroy Crawford.
· Watching Jack already interact with his little brother may be my ultimate highlight! Jack hugs and kisses my belly all the time on his own and has started talking all about "Baby Aedan" ... Makes our hearts swell!!!
·
Completed a weekly news year
resolution of making something new each week! Finished today and it was a great
challenge and I love it
·
Finally, Shannon and I are
celebrating our 4 year wedding Anniversary TODAY! Happy Anniversary my love!!!
Resolutions
·
Concentrate on baking now that I have
some good cooking basics down.
·
Continue to lessen my online time.
·
Work on myself; mind, body and soul.
·
Prep for Baby Aedan and Jack becoming
a Big Brother!! We can’t wait to see the 2 of them together!!!
·
Keep a weekly good happenings jar to
open next New Years Eve!!
Happy New Year
Everyone! I know everyone has talked
about how rough 2016 has been and although there have been moments of undoubted
turbulence … there is always good! Writing this each year is a good reminder
that there are always ups and downs but we always have to be thankful for the
good we are given and our family has been blessed so much good!
May everyone have a
New Year filled with Love, Health & Happiness! Here is to 2017!!!!
Much Love,
Katie, Shannon,
Jack, Aedan, Tilly & Linus
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