Hello 2015
Hello and happy new year! I've not been in this space to blog since December 26th, the longest blog break I've taken in years! Crazy! It's nice to be back since blog breaks aren't as fun for me as I guess they should be... I'm always so super eager to get back to blogging! For instance, on Friday I had two lovely things happen in my life. This blog celebrated its 9th anniversary since I've been blogging since January 9, 2006 (read my first post). I seriously can't believe that I'm now into my 10th year and that this time next year, I'll be a blogger for an entire decade. I never imagined this would become a company and a life altering path for me. This fantastic journey has been so rewarding in countless ways but most of all, I'm grateful to you for joining me.
Also on Friday my dear little son turned 11-months-old. It's a very lovely feeling to have a baby, so new and helpless in many ways, and then to watch him grow so beautifully, become strong, handsome, clever, spirited, even develop his own likes and dislikes in mere months. He began crawling at 6 months at top speed, walking at 10 months and he has 6 teeth and is already eating solids (in addition to milk) -- and is in perfect health. He has a beautiful personality too - a real mix of colors - he will definitely grow up to have strong opinions and a love for people - I can clearly see this already.
Our pediatrician told us she is so impressed by him, that even she isn't used to babies his age being so bright and ahead of most other babies. Though, honestly, she could have said nothing and I wouldn't have cared because I'm not invested in making him better than others, I simply want him to follow his own path naturally and on his own terms. Though, of course, being new parents we couldn't help but to feel very pleased to be praised by our doctor for our dedication. This gave us both a very proud parents moment, and when you are so new to parenting, you need those confidence boosters because it's a very unknown and long road to embark on - having a child - and an occasional cheering squad is nice from time-to-time. I'm so happy that all of the love and care we put into our son is paying off like this - with both of us home with him full-time, we may be struggling for work balance and trying to squeeze in everything while he's napping or asleep at night, but it is soooo worth it to see him this healthy and happy. He looks a bit serious in the photo above, he was tired when I shot this on Saturday, but I prefer these quieter moments when he's not clowning around because I love capturing his silence, his beauty, how lost in thought he appears because I feel like I'm catching a glimpse of "future" him and it really warms my heart.
But enough about parenting. How are you? I hope you all had a very restful and joyful holiday season. Ours was such a delight, we spent it with good friends and family and ate far too many of my homemade cookies and cake, but now I'm off of sugar doing a bit of a detox and my energy is coming back again and I feel like I'm getting my mojo back, slowly, after the lag of the holidays, celebrating a little too much, and chasing an 11-month-old who already looks and acts like he's 2 or 3!
It's all so good though - life - and to think that this time last year I was unpacking boxes in this new home with my huge belly and my due date drawing closer and closer. And today I'm talking about my energetic baby who is already walking. Yowser! So much can happen in a single year. In fact, I think that is what my dear little boy has taught me among a slew of other important things - how every moment should be felt and experienced, good and bad, and that so much can change about a person in such a short period of time that nothing is impossible if we will it to be.
Happy 2015 to everyone - I'm so happy to be back to give you another year of (hopefully) happiness, inspiration, creative ideas, support and community.
Love, Holly x
(Photos: Holly Becker for decor8. Please do not use these images without my written consent since they are of my little boy, thank you. Just pop me an email. Thanks!)