2013: Our Year of Change

It's 2014. Seriously? I'm ready but I loved 2013. Although I will say it was definitely a year of change. Not bad change, just a lot of 'new.'

I'm still amazed that I became a Mom to sweet baby Beckett. Giving birth and just the whole pregnancy experience is something I had to experience to understand. I used to hate when people said that but now I get it - it's surreal.

Sweetest baby girl ever

My baby 

I am shocked that I no longer work at AutoTrader.com. I always thought I'd be a longtimer there and I guess I was, with 8 years, but I never thought in a million years I would quit to stay home and have no income (just writing that gave me a touch of anxiety).

Still keeping up with my amazing team. Not the same, but I'm grateful to still have them in my life!

I'm grateful that I'm now a stay-at-home Mom and get to spend my days with Beckett feeding her all of her meals, playing with her and doing activities, going on playdates, etc. I have met so many new 'mommy friends' and am enjoying my new friendships and getting to see Becks grow up among this awesome group of kiddos. I can assure you had it just been me, I wouldn't have ventured out to the Splashpark, Macy's Pink Pig, Catch Air, and more fun places for the kiddos that I went to with this amazing group of women.

me and BG

Pink Pig Adventure

Catch Air

Zoo with Cousin Dane and Aunt Devon

BG and friends at the Christmas Gift Exchange

New mommy families on Halloween

Mommies and Babies at Ben's First Birthday Party

Friends with Santa

I'm so happy for Austin and his new job. While no longer working at home has been tough (his commute used to be awesome), he's at a great company that he's always respected and he's doing great. I'm so proud of him and how well we're both adjusting to the same-day switch of him going from inside the home to outside and me going from outside to inside!

iPhone shot of Austin heading out for a business trip 

I'm enjoying how much our new gym has become a part of our routine. We love the people there, the infant room staff, the instructors - I have never been in to group fitness but now take at least 4 classes a week and just love it. I definitely credit the gym with helping me lose 22 pounds this year.

No pics of Beckett at the gym, but do have this shot of some treats we made for the Infant Room staff!

I'm getting into baking. I don't know what it is about it but it's very appealing. I don't eat much of the results but enjoy sharing with others! It started with just standard cupcakes, and now i'm branching out and having fun with different liners, frostings and toppings. Am hoping to make all of the food and sweets for Beckett's upcoming first birthday.

I went Paleo, again. I think it also helped me lose the weight. While I'm not 'perfect paleo', or perfect anything for that matter, I do think that the more I focus on meats/vegetables/fruits and the less I focus on grains the better I feel. I found that cheese doesn't bother me - yay!

One of our favorites - a Paleo chili

We finished transforming our home for baby. January brought us the breakdown of the pool table which was shipped to Austin's parents house. This ushered in a new, big to-do: transforming the pool table area into a family room for us and baby. So happy with how it turned out! As well as all of the painting we had done in January. And of course putting the finishing touches on Beckett's nursery!

Beckett's Space!

new family room

I'm loving our new home office. I have already gotten so much done having this single creative space, and it's great that it has a play area for Beckett, too. It's not done as I am still working on an activity/craft area for her when she gets a bit older, but it really came along in 2013 and I'm happy about it.

Need to get some new pics as I've done a bit more since this one was taken, but you get the idea!

I joined Instagram.  At first I didn't get it, but now I love it. It helps me take more pictures because it's so mobile and easy. My new mommy friends talked me into it and I am so happy that I took them up on it (@kellyshawmartin).

My holidays, and football season, were so different but so much better. Getting to experience Memorial Day and Labor Day lake trips with Beckett were so fun, not to mention her first Halloween with friends, her first double family Thanksgiving, her first Christmas - amazing! It was also fun to take her to our alma mater and even into a game thanks to great friends! We have spent so much more time with our families, too, and are currently on our first ski trip with her in Colorado!

Valentine's Day

St. Patrick's Day

Mother's Day

Memorial Day

Labor Day

Football Season

Auburn Homecoming Game - she loved the stadium & the band!

Tailgating with Daddy

Auburn vs. UGA game

Halloween

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Her first flight to Denver for a week in Breckenridge, Colorado over New Year's

I got into making 'holiday food.' Halloween spider dip, Thanksgiving turkey cupcakes, Christmas tree pita appetizers. It's just so cute!

My new favorite Halloween App

Thanksgiving Cupcakes

Christmas Trees

I had fun with Beckett's photo shoots. She started doing photo shoots for Kids II at 3 months old, and did several as well as some fun ones with House of Mia, North American Bear and Mudpie. It really got me out of my comfort zone in terms of taking her out of the house and spending 3 hours on a location where I had to learn to feed her, change her, get her to nap, etc. on the go. I still get nervous when she does one, but it's always fun and I know we'll treasure the ones that gave us pictures (and I'm sure we'll treasure the ones that gave us cash down the road as Beckett already has a little account at Wachovia with her earnings!).

For House of Mia

House of Mia + Sophie & Lili

For North American Bear

I was majorly inspired by David Allen's Getting Things Done. Austin introduced it to me thinking I would like it and boy was he right. It's a great organizational system that I've been slowly implementing all year. I can't wait to finish  getting it into place, probably in January! I need to do a big post on this online + offline system!

I'm loving our neighborhood. I had really never thought much about it before. It was just a place that had our house in it that I had to commute to and from. That may sound bad but I guess I'm just saying I didn't spend much time there. Now I am loving it. The sidewalks have hosted many a stroller walk and the swingset across the street has been used. I have made new friends in the neighborhood and am loving having Sharon and her new baby so close. I can tell the neighborhood is going to be an even bigger part of our lives this year!

Such an amazing year. Looking forward to 2014 - am still working on locking down our 2014 goals - so exciting!