Looking back at 2011

Alrighty I know that we're already in 2012 but I decided that I should get down to reflect on how 2011 has been for me (us).

Well, in one word, it has been EPIC. 

"Epic" cos in this year, I went through 9 months of pregnancy, childbirth and became a Mom.

As I look back at my blog entries for the past 12 months, I realized that more than 50% covers my pregnancy and baby! And since Sammy was born I think I have written about nothing except about baby.

Yeah, looks like my blog is fast becoming a baby blog! I can't help but write about him all the time. That's basically what my life is all about these days.

I love cooking but I can't seem to find the time to try our new recipes. My cooking has to be something fast and easy because I'm still breastfeeding and I'm hungry all the time! That means that dinner has to be on the table by 7pm latest, if not my tummy will rumble and put me in the worst of all moods. Plus having a baby means that you could have 30mins to prepare dinner (on good days) and maybe 10 mins max on bad days.

We hardly travelled last year due to obvious reasons but its all worth it having a little bub to call our own.

Yup, so these are the highlights of my past year and the accompanying links.

- March 2011: Official announcement that I'm preggy.

- April 2011: Day trip to Constance, Boden See and bought a new car!

- May 2011: Spending Easter for the first time at the North Sea to visit hubby's extended family

- June 2011: Trip to Singapore with my preggy bump and Babymoon plus pampering in Krabi

- July 2011: My professional pregnancy shots

- August 2011:  Bump Progression, having the most amazing babyshower and last wedding as a family of 2!

- September 2011: Birth of baby Sammy and my birth story

-  October 2011: My ramblings as a new mother and Hubby started his new job

- December 2011: Sammy's professional baby shots and first Christmas a family of 3!

Yup! This is exactly why I keep a blog. So that I can have a recollection of what I have done and its a nice remembrance of how God has sustained and carried me through the ups and downs.

While looking through my entries of pregnancy, I realized that although I had quite a number of "downs" - hayfever, backpain, discomfort etc. God either cured me of the ailments or He gave me enough strength and grace to go through them.

Right now as a new mother, I'm going through a season of really baddddd sleep. Although my baby sleeps through the night, I'm still waking up at night and take ages to fall asleep again. When I wake, I'll be covered in perspiration like I went for a workout! My gynae said its due to hormonal changes and I know that she's right cos I'm also dropping a bit of hair - which is another sign of hormonal change.

However, it has been very tough on my body to have to deal with the constant wake ups for no rhyme of reason. Some women say that once baby sleeps through the night, their sleeping habits go back to what it was like during the pregnancy. And when I took a quick glance at my pregnancy entries, I realized that I did have disrupted sleep then as well.

Whatever it is, I find that I'm yet in another season when I have to pray and trust God for healing in this area. That my body will learn to sleep again and I won't be jolted awake every 2-4 hrs (??!!) In the meantime, I'm taking comfort in the fact that my in-laws can help me every now and then with looking after Sammy when I need to get some eyeshut.

It's also a season when I have to learn to accept myself, (ie. body) with all its good and bad. Good in that I know that this body which God has given me has brought forth life in the form of Sammy. A beautiful, healthy and happy baby. Bad in that I have no idea how my body started tuning itself to this night wake ups. It's not bad if I fall asleep immediately. But I hardly do actually. I take quite some time before I drift off into slumber again.

"Dear Lord, thank you for the past year 2011. I see your hand upon our lives as we entered into new seasons. Motherhood for myself and a new career direction for hubby. I trust you and I know that you are in control. Please grant me a heart of surrender and serenity. That I will stop asking "whys" and rather trust that you hold me in the palm of your hands. That I can rest in the assurance that even if I have so little sleep, I will still have the strength, motivation and most importantly, joy to look after this little boy whom you have given to me. I pray that this season of bad sleep will end soon Lord, cos I'm simply so tired. May the joy of the Lord REALLY be my strength. Help me to learn whatever I need to learn during this season so that this too will pass. In Jesus name I pray, Amen"