No Resolutions Here

Now is the time that we see all the annual new year resolutions. They all come in many forms. From promises to do this or that. To something we want to live up to for the year. To new habits we're committed to injecting into our lives.

I want this next year to be different. While there are things that I want to change: things I do that I don't want to...or don't do that I want to, that I end up continuing to do; Making a huge deal out of it just because it's a new year, won't necessarily make anything magically happen.

The thing that will make it happen? Accountability. Support from friends. Encouragement. Self-control. Self-discipline. Commitment...commitment to myself, to others, to my Creator.

Over the next year, I will have goals to achieve. I will still be giving updates. I will still be linking up with my sisters weekly over at Must Love God. I will be actively looking for others to join with me in my goals because I know that everything happens more efficiently within a group who has shared interests.

My goals:

• To get back to healthy eating (i.e. back to Paleo)


• To get in better shape and lose the rest of the baby weight


• To become more consistent with my daily Bible study


• To keep a personal journal of the first year of mommy-hood


• To spend as much quality time with my husband and son as possible


• To keep a better/more consistent gratitude list


• To make time for this space of mine here; to connect with all of you more consistently

While these are general for the entire year, I plan to make more specific goals as needed to achieve these over all goals. Those will come in time.

I want to invite you to help me achieve these goals. Please feel free to check in with me over the course of the year. You can do so here, over at either of my Facebook pages, or over on twitter (@AmyMcCollister).

Now, as I promised at the end of my last post...pictures of our newest addition to our house.

Introducing: Andrew

[caption id="attachment_813" align="aligncenter" width="300"] So sleepy[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_814" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Lets box[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_812" align="aligncenter" width="225"] I love you this much[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_811" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Me and my stocking[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_810" align="aligncenter" width="225"] I'm a snuggle monkey[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_809" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I like to try to eat my knuckles[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_808" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Snuggly[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_807" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Auntie B[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_806" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Head over heels in love[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_805" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Daddy's smitten[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_804" align="aligncenter" width="225"] I love my binky[/caption]

Pictures courtesy of my lovely sister...also known as Auntie B. You can find her heart here. Fair warning...she's a little more blunt than I tend to be. :)

Dear Sweet Child

You don't know it yet, but your life has already made such an impact. The crazy part is that it's only been 5 days.

In 5 short days, relationships have healed.
In 5 short days, walls have been demolished.
In 5 short days, love has blossomed.
In 5 short days, your little life has impacted many.

If the first few days of your life have been this amazing, it's going to be amazing to see what the rest of your days will bring about. You're an amazing little guy right now.

For now, we're taking this step by step. Day by day. Minute by minute. This is a new journey. For all of us.

(Pictures coming soon, I promise)

Little Man

Almost through the first week of December 2012. The counting down the days until the due date are over, now we're counting up the days we're going past the dew date. While we know he's coming in his own good time, we're both getting a little anxious to meet our little man.

We were doing fairly well until false labor sent us to the hospital with a false alarm on Monday of last week. We drove home from the hospital a little down and much, much more impatient for the day he does decide to grace our lives with his arrival.

Then we thought for sure, by comments that my doctor had made at my appointment Wednesday of last week, that we were going in the hospital yesterday at least awaiting his arrival if not finally able to meet him. That changed with the last appointment on Monday. She didn't want to higher our risk of any possible complications, which we appreciated.

Then as it turned out, it was better that we weren't going into the hospital yesterday, as it gave us the opportunity to go be with his family in their time of need. So while we did spend our day off together sitting in the waiting room of a hospital, it wasn't for the reason we thought it would be. We wouldn't change the fact that our family was able to say good bye to a family member and not feel torn between being there with him or across town with us.

Andrew knew we needed to be there for our family. As soon as I realized why the "plans" kept falling through, there was this amazing peace that settled in.

As yesterday was our due date, so it's not like we're really far over. However, both the hubs and I are ready to meet our little guy. We know that his arrival will help transform tears of sadness for several people close to us into tears of joy.

We do know we don't have any more than a week. As my doctor has already said she won't let us go past 41 weeks. We have an appointment on Monday if he's still being stubborn and we'll know more from there. So little man, whenever you're ready, we're ready for you. And so is everyone else.