Goodbye 2012

You were good to us!!

Click on the image to enlarge!

Can't wait to see what next year has in store for us!

Have a great New Years and God bless you in 2013!

Love, Maria

Merry Christmas!

Hi,

It's going to be a bit quite around here the next few days.

We're going to celebrate the birth of our Saviour like there's no tomorrow! :)

I'll leave you with this:

Love, Maria

Ten before ten

A little while ago my friend Lydia and her youngest son Myles visited from Canada to meet Micha. We spent a whole week just hanging out, drinking coffee, shopping and basically enjoying each others company and babies.

We also talked about how life changes with a baby, how busy it can get etc. One piece of advice she shared with me, that a friend shared with her, has been so helpful lately. She called it 'ten before ten'.

It's actually pretty simple : Do ten things before 10 a.m. every morning.

That includes: taking a shower, making the bed, bathing the baby, throwing in a load of laundry, feeding the baby, cleaning out the dishwasher etc. But also cleaning the bathroom or washing the windows. You name it, whatever needs doing counts! 

After 10 a.m. no chores need to be done anymore. Except maybe grocery shopping or running some errands.

For me it really helps to be able to relax when Micha goes down for his second nap of the day. During his morning nap I get myself ready for the day and try to do as many chores as I can before he wakes up. Then when he's awake I fold laundry or vacuum while he's playing nearby.

That way when he's ready for his second nap I don't have to worry about doing things around the house and I can just relax. Sometimes I write a blog post or read a book or take a nap (that rarely happens, I'm not much of a napper).

Just me and my boy folding the laundry

Before I tried this method I would always feel a bit guilty whenever I wasn't doing something 'useful', now I do all the 'useful' things in the morning, and in the afternoon I allow myself to kick back and relax.

It sounds so simple but it has really helped me find some balance in being a mother, a wife, taking care of my household and taking care of myself. That last one is pretty important too you know!

I'm so thankful for great friends and good advice, thanks Lyd! 

Do you have any good advice for new moms or have you received helpful advice yourself lately? Please share!

Love, Maria

20 weeks

My head is full of the tragedy that happened in Connecticut. All of those little lives taken away to soon... Even though this horrible event happened an ocean away it's really hit home for me. I look at my precious baby boy and can't imagine the pain and the desperation the parents of the victims are feeling. My heart and my prayers go out to them. 

Dear Micha,

You are twenty weeks old today. I feel like I should stop counting your age in weeks and start counting it in months. You are growing up so fast, I can't believe it. 

The last few days I've been hugging you extra tightly, smothering you with so many kisses, sniffing up all your deliciousness and letting you snuggle up next to me at night without worrying if I'm spoiling you.

I want you to feel how immensely LOVED you are. I could not imagine life without you! 

Your papa loves you so much as well. He mentioned the other day how much he loves our morning snuggles, all three of us in our big bed. I love seeing you two interact with each other, you two have such a special bond! 

We hope you grow up to be a healthy, happy boy, but most of all we hope you will feel and know that you are loved. 

By our imperfect love and by the perfect, amazing love of your mighty God! 

Micha, 

we'll love you forever,

we'll like you for always,

as long as we're living,

our baby you'll be.

Love, Mama

19 weeks

Sweet, smiley Micha boy, you are 19 weeks old today!

We're in the advent weeks leading up to Christmas and it's so special to experience it with you!

Every previous year around Christmas time we would sit in church and listen to the pastor talk about Mary (Maria here in Holland) and Joseph and their baby, I couldn't help but think of my empty womb.

Last year was filled with excitement and expectation, but also with so much fear of losing you early in the pregnancy. We had a scare around this time last year. Luckily we saw your heartbeat flicker on the screen a day later!

And now, now you are here with us, in our arms. All 8.5 kilograms of you! You are our miracle baby!

We thank our Heavenly Father every day for you!

We love you to bits.

Love, Mama

Get your Christmas Crafting on!

Here's a little something from me to you on this Monday afternoon. Think of it as an early Christmas present! 

A 'tutorial' for tree words. Tree words? Why yes, words for in your Christmas tree, it's a miracle!

Image from my Instagram: marianapplug

I bet you'll find similar ideas on Pinterest, but I haven't looked it up so let's just pretend I'm totally original and it's all my idea, mkay? 

I made my words by using some kind of crafting twine with wire in it so you can make shapes with it. 

I have no idea what it's called, but I found mine at a local art supply store.

There you go. Now get your Christmas Crafting on!

You are so welcome!

Love, Maria

p.s. I'd love to hear about your Christmas crafts!

Winter walk - Embrace the Camera 12-6-12

I've never been much of a winter person, and I still love summer best, but there's something about walking around in a white, snowy world. 

It just feels so peaceful and pure and I love it, especially when the sun is shining! 

It makes me feel like breaking out in Christmas Carols! (I won't though, I'll spare you that awfulness ;) )

 And seeing the snow for the first time this winter is even more special when I'm with my little man. It's so fun to see him experiencing things for the first time, it's like I get to see everything with new eyes too! It's actually quite humbling and refreshing!

I can't wait to introduce him to all the fun things winter has to offer!

Love, Maria

Linking up with Emily today!

18 weeks

Oops, it's been a week since I last posted something. 't Was a busy week, this one!

18 weeks old, little man! It's been so much fun to see your personality come out more and more, you LOVE to make people laugh, you are definitely a social little guy!

Last weekend we spent a few days at your Opa and Oma's (grandparents on B.'s side of the fam) place to celebrate Sinterklaas with the whole gang. You loved getting all the attention and only had one (slightly major) breakdown! I was so proud of you for handling the busyness so well! 

Soaking in the love 

Playing with your very first Sinterklaas gift, a Sophie the Giraffe teether, on your Aunt Hanneke's lap

You're going to be so spoiled by your 5! aunties... (And that's not even counting the 6 on my side)

We love you, Micha boy!

Love, Mama