In 2.5 months we will have a 1 year old.  Time really does go so quickly. Already I can say that this year has been the best and hardest year of our lives - not only because we are raising a child, but because of the different things we have been allowed to walk through this year (saying goodbye to our church, starting/going to a new church, new city, new community, new responsibilities, etc.)

I spent some time writing out some things from this year, I'm sure if I spent more time I could think of tons and tons more, but here's what first came to mind.

Things I didn't expect:
1. How much I would love Watson.
2. How watching Seth love and care for our baby would make me fall more in love with him as a husband and a daddy.
3. That we would do Baby Led Weaning and LOVE it (I didn't even know what it was!) Nor did I expect him to eat like a teenage boy at the age of 9.5 months.
4. How wonderful the ladies are that God has put into my life - he gave me a community of mommas who I can text late at night, in the middle of the day and practically whenever, who have gone, are going through and will go through different things and God encourages me through those mommas.
5. That Watson would be an excellent napper and sleeper.
6. That my son would be tongue tied and would have trouble eating and gaining weight for the first month of his life.
7. That I would get the honor of raising the happiest baby I've ever met. (Seriously, today he heard thunder for the first time and it made him GIGGLE - who is this kid?)
8. How I could spend hours staring at a child - no matter what he is doing.
9. How strong Watson is... since the second he was pulled out of my womb.
10. How much Seth and I would learn about each other, fight for our family, care for each other and grow together in our faith.
11. That our son would bless so many elderly men and women, a teacher at church and his babysitter.
12. That I would get mastitis and it would be the WORST infection I had ever gotten. #stillhavenightmares

Things I kind of expected but impacted me more than I realized:
1. How much I would miss my family.
2. How much it would build my relationship with my family (specifically my inlaws).
3. How much I would miss my San Angelo community. I knew I would miss family, but a deep longing for the friends and mentors God gave us in San Angelo has deepened when we became parents.
4. The year to be so blurry, so wonderful, and pass too quickly.
5. Losing a daily community of children (students) and parents.
6. That Watson was the perfect name for our little powerful warrior.
7. How hard it would be.
8. How easy and natural it would be.

Things that happened that I expected:
1. How much I love Watson :-)
2. Posting way too many photos.

And here's to 2.5 more months of seeing what else this year has to offer!

P.S. Seth and I celebrated 5 years of marriage recently! :-)



ALSO, dear friends <3 my sweet sister in law Claire had a baby on Friday! Samuel Rawley (goes by Rawley), Watson's newest cousin <3