A Year in Review

Where did my little boy go?? He started off the year just barely a one year old...And now he is a full fledged TWO YEAR OLD!! He is no longer a baby...
Well here he through the year, a December picture will soon be posted.

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November



















December

Rejoice!!

This year has definitely FLOWN by. I cannot believe everything that we have done, not done, and still want to do. How OLD we are ALL getting!! Most of all I cannot believe that I am pregnant again!! What are we thinking????

This year has been wonderful. I am in constant amazement at how much happier I am being at home with my Victor, than I was working. When I was pregnant with Victor I used to always think about all the things I was going to have to give up, things that I wish that I had, or all the places that I know Tom and I would have gone if we weren't having kids. But that quickly subsided. Those are now distant memories. I am happy to be in old clothes, old shoes, going to the Oceanside Pier as a vacation! I never thought that I would be. But I think that the less money that you have to spend, the more you appreciate and value the things that you do have and the things around you. This is something that I knew growing up. But it is funny how quickly one can get used to having money to spend. And how hard it is to let it go...Who needs to keep up with the Jones' anyways?

We are the Allen's. And we are expanding! I am so grateful that we have a home to live in, reliable cars, that Tom has a steady job, even if he has had to travel and work late a lot more this year. I am grateful for our families, even if they don't want to come visit us. We always thought that living by the beach we wouldn't have to ask people to come visit us. But unfortunately, we don't get as many visitors as we would like... SOB, SOB. Oh well, we are getting used to that fact also and learning to enjoy our nuclear family time.

We are the Allen's and we do what we can with what we have. We don't NEED to go to the movies, to the Theatre, to ball games, etc to be entertained. We have Victor and we have the beach! Now don't get me wrong, we would still like to do these things, but there is a big difference between NEED and WANT! Now I really do understand what my mom was talking about growing up! Believe me we still WANT many things, but we have, or at least I have, come to appreciate that I have everything that I NEED. I think Tom would beg to differ on this point as I believe that he believes he NEEDS a new laptop, a navigation system, a new IPOD, etc, etc. :)

I don't know what the point of this blog is, except for me to rant a little. Tom says that I am a crazy pregnant woman, but tries to placate me by saying that I am not as crazy this time around as I was the first!! And I must agree, I definitely feel more like myself. More in control. There are still days that I would like to drop Victor off with the first person that I see, and go home and sleep or clean the house. But for the most part, I think I am pretty sane right now! I must say that I am more fearful of having this second child than I was of having my first.

How does one go to the grocery store with two small children? How does one stay SANE with an infant and a crazy active two year old? So just when Tom and I had a good system going with Victor, we are going to have to figure things out with two children. Now we really will need to PLAN things. Now we will probably need a good steady trustworthy babysitter!! Anyone know one? I guess it's a good thing that I am kind of crazy already, that way if I go just a little more crazy it won't be noticeable!

I hope that everyone has figured out who's household they are going to spend these holidays with. The in-laws or your own?? No matter what plans you had, there always seems to be one person who wanted it the other way :) And even if you said before you got married that you would switch years, you know it doesn't exactly work out the way you thought it would. But wherever you end up, make sure to make the most of it, have fun and be happy!! REJOICE!! It is a beautiful time of the year, we are SUPPOSED enjoy ourselves! Go ahead and eat your pie and cookies, worry about it later!!

Victor is now going delirious saying "I want to go down" and telling me to turn off the computer. I suppose if I find the time I can rant more later. In the meantime, you have gotten a little insight into my craziness of late!

We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!