Better late than never, right?
2011. What a year this has been. I don't know about anyone else, but I think 2011 was absolutely the fastest year on record. Yes, I know years are made up of 365 (or 366) days, no more no less, but seriously. There was some sort of time warp there somewhere, yes? Maybe it's just me.
If I could wrap up 2011 and smack one tiny little label on it, it would be this: Expect the unexpected. That sounds awfully optimistic, but no- 2011 was both the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Still, I'd do it all over again if I could because while my little family experienced profound loss and went through many trying situations, there was also so much good- and the very best thing of all is that we got through all the hard times together. It would have been infinitely more difficult if Kraig and I weren't a team.
We were ready for a lot of new experiences in 2011. Mostly we were excited to have our first full calendar year in Portland- all four seasons, all the holidays, every. single, day. of 2011 would be in Portland. Fun! We knew Kraig would be promoted soon, we were excited about the new relationships we were forming here in PDX, and we were truly settled in and ready to really put down our roots in 2011.
It started okay with Kraig's promotion, then went downhill fast- my dad died, then the three of us got gastroenteritis followed by influenza, all while I was completely and totally depressed and grieving. I "had" to wean Owen (still kind of miffed about that). January and February were basically awful.
Then in March things finally started to turn around. We had birthday celebrations- mine and Owen's- and we found out we were pregnant. Being pregnant in Portland was positively dreamy. We were so excited when we got the positive test- both about being pregnant AND being able to make the kinds of choices we wanted to make since there are more "natural" options here.
My sister got married which meant we had a little mini-vacation in May. Summer was wonderful- our first in Portland- and Kraig helped open the new store which was very exciting. We had a few visitors this year- Jason in April and the Djupes in August.
Autumn came which meant it was time to buckle down on labor preparations. Fall went by in a blur- first we had the gestational diabetes diagnosis. Then it was Kraig's birthday followed by our anniversary, all the while getting things in order for baby. In November we discovered he was breech, which was extremely stressful. Of course- since he is my baby- he was late. Going post-dates in pregnancy is a trip, even though it happens all the time. I knew to expect it but was still surprised by it. Finally, he arrived quickly and efficiently (good job, D!) Even that was a surprise- though a pleasant one, of course!
It's as if we just couldn't make plans in 2011. There were just so many surprises- good and bad.
As Kraig and I were reflecting on the year, we decided that it was our very best year yet. We also decided that it seems very strange to say that since it was also our hardest year. That is exactly why- we saw that even when something terrible happens we are able to get through it. Kraig was so unbelievably supportive as I grieved my father's death. And while I wouldn't say that my pregnancy was "terrible", I would say that there were aspects that were VERY trying- like the GD, the chronic pelvic and hip pain, and baby being breech. Through all of it Kraig was an amazing support, allowing me to complain as much as needed and also encouraging me to do everything I needed to do in order to be comfortable. He's a sweetheart.
While Kraig had a pretty amazing year at work, it is also pretty stressful with all the promotions and responsibility changes, three new stores- one of those being a very high-profile store. I like to think that I am a support and encouragement for him. I won't speak on his behalf, though ;-)
Of course, Owen is always here to remind us how blessed we are. Now we have Dylan, and oh my do we ever feel honored to be the parents of these two sweet boys. We obviously have a lot to be thankful for.
Kraig summed it up quite nicely when he said "2011 was hard as hell, but it was our best year yet." Cheers.
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