2009 Recap...

Happy New Year!!

Looking back over the past year I am reminded of all the blessings and challenges that we faced and I honestly wouldn't change a thing!  If I had to choose one word to describe our past year it would be: "overflowing."  My heart is overflowing with an abundance of love and indescribable joy from the gifts that I have been given.  Our most precious gift this year came in the form of our sweet Libbi.  She is truly the gift that keeps on giving! ;0)  There is never a dull moment and each new day brings a new awareness and gratitude for the gift that our Savior has given us....no matter how undeserving we are!


Here is a recap of all that 2009 brought to our family....if you make it all the way through...bless you! ;0)
I hope you will feel the same "overflow" of joy that we do each and every time we remember these days!


January
We rang in 2009 in true Tippins' style....picking up takeout, putting on our PJ's, and falling asleep before 9:30pm - ha!  We also enjoyed letting our secret out about having a baby and looked forward to finding out the sex.  We cherished all of our moments together as "just the two of us." I celebrated "Dad's Day" at school and my dad was able to come join us!

February
This was a month I will remember forever....We found out we were having a girl!  We had a "sex reveal party" to celebrate and to let my family know. The shopping officially began and so did the "name dilemma." We celebrated Valentine's Day at my favorite restaraunt.  I gave Jeffrey some Valentine PJ's for/from Libbi.  I thought she would be wearing them on Valentine's Day  2010....little did we know that our girl would have some kind of appetite and she'd be wearing those PJ's less than 6 months later! ;0)

March
We met baby Lily for the first time (and Jeffrey got his first taste of "daddy-hood"). We celebrated Jeffrey's birthday at a Japanese restaurant.  And I remember thinking I was super pregnant at the time - ha!  Little did I know.....    
We also bought Libbi's nursery furniture and started working on her nursery - so fun! I booked Libbi's newborn photos (yes, I did book them waaaay in advance.) We decided on the name Libbi (because we loved it!) and Jane (in honor of my NaNa)....and the monogramming officially began.

April
Spring Break!!!  We went to Hilton Head with some friends and had a great time!  I had my first experience with a maternity bathing suit (and believe me, it was just as glamourous as it sounds...) and enjoyed a week off from school.  We went to Cain and Keila's wedding. I had to take the 4 hour gestational diabetes test (which was negative - thank goodness!)  We went on a (too short) "babymoon" to Fripp Island where the maternity swimsuit made it's second (and FINAL sppearance) and we came back home ready to prepare for our sweet baby girl!!!

May
The end of school....summer!!!  Jeffrey did a lot of traveling this month and I stayed at home overnight for the first time by myself! ;0)  We had a cookout to celebrate Memorial Day and the (unofficial) start of summer. Jeffrey gave me a new camera for my "first" mother's day. I had four AMAZING baby showers and was overwhelmed with the love and generosity that was poured out on our family!  Jeffrey was in two weddings and went to both of them without me, because I was unable to travel. My hands, feet, face, belly, and everything else began to swell. and swell. and swell.  The misery began to set in.

June
I was the size of a house.  I could not move.  I stayed on the couch and felt sorry for myself pretty much every day - ha! ;0)  Jeffrey took great care of me.  We celebrated my dad's birthday...no Libbi.  We celebrated Father's Day....no Libbi.  We celebrated my birthday....no Libbi.  We made two trips to the hospital...no Libbi.  Finally, on the morning of June 22nd we were sent to the hospital and I was induced at 38 weeks.  Our baby girl was born at 10:49pm on June 22, 2009!  Our lives will NEVER be the same!

July
This month was all about learning how to be a family of three.  We spent our days and nights becoming acquainted with our new little blessing.  We had Libbi's newborn photos taken and she was a STAR! We celebrated the Fourth of July at my mom and dad's house (Libbi's first "road trip!") and we were blessed to have lots of friends, family, and good food to support us through this time!

August
School started....without me! Libbi and I enjoyed staying home together each and every day.  And I will always cherish those moments of learning about and loving on my baby girl.  Libbi met a few friends this month for the first time and had some of her very first play dates and lunch dates. We went for Libbi's two month check up and she got her first shots.  She also enjoyed showing off her newly accumulated rolls this month!

September
We went to the beach with my parents for a much needed vacation!  Libbi loved the beach and we loved taking her!  She was a great traveler.  Football season started (yay!) and the Dawgs struggled (boo!) but we still cheered them on. Libbi laughed for the first time! Libbi went to Azalea Gardens to meet Grandad....a moment we will always cherish.

October
I went back to work :(
I survived.  :)
Jeffrey and I celebrated two years of marriage.  Libbi had her first Fall Festival and first Halloween. We went to Drew and Audrey's wedding.  We all met sweet Baby Avery for the first time at our GA Baby (indoor) Tailgate.

November
Grandad came home for his birthday!  We celebrated a week off from school....and Thanksgiving.  My dad had emergency surgery the day before Thanksgiving.  We decorated for Christmas and had good friends over for dinner.  We loved spending Saturdays together as a family.  We went to "A Taste of Suwanee" on one of the few Saturdays that it did not rain.  Libbi cut two teeth.

December
We loved celebrating our first Christmas as a family of three!  We went to the Christmas tree farm to pick out a tree and we had Libbi's picture made with Santa (twice!).  Jeffrey took the day off work so we could spend the day together shopping, visiting Santa, and getting Libbi's 6 month shots.  Libbi had her 6 month photos taken and she didn't feel too photogenic that day! ;0) Libbi had her first taste of rice cereal and celebrated her 1/2 birthday.  Libbi got sick on Christmas =( and we ended up at the doctor the next day.  She had her first ear infections and started her first breathing treatments...

We came full circle by celebrating the New Year (once again) in our PJ's and in bed by 9:30....only this year, we had one extra little face to kiss at midnight!  I pray that our 2010 and yours will overflow with more peace, love, and joy than we could ever imagine! 

Happy New Year!

Ecclesiastes 3:11

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

 

Lamentations 3:22-28

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning;  great is your faithfulness. "