2007

So here I sit on December 31st, 2007 reflecting on a year that brought the highest of highs amongst many a sleepless night. A heard a quote once that has stuck with me - "Some years ask the questions and others answer." This year doesn't really fit that mold. So many prayers have been answered, but so many questions have been asked. I'd live it all over again in a heartbeat. January was full of parties - Merrill's Holiday bash with the fateful trip to R Bar for Fernet shots, then Vegas...oh Vegas. In February the love of my life asked me to marry him and I was at the top of the world. In March we had so much fun planning a classic San Francisco wedding. Then in April we found out that we had been blessed with a child. We were married on a beautiful day in May up in Napa, then I bid farewell to my twenties in June. July brought Grace Mae into our lives and a move to the East Bay. In August came Ivy Nicole and trips to Michigan and LA. The baby and I were showered with love in August and then again in September. October was a month of anticipation and belly painting. Then on November 9th we welcomed our little monkey into our lives. December was a month of ups and downs. Bonding as a family and getting to know our little boy has been wonderful, but saying goodbye to my Grama was not easy.

I'm so thankful for all that we have been blessed with this year and for the loving and supportive family and friends that were there with us along the way. Most of all, I want to thank my husband for the countless gifts that he's gives me on a daily basis...I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Cheers to 2007 - what a year!

He's going to hate this picture...

...but I HAD to do it! I've collected snowmen since I was a little girl and this little outfit was just too perfect to pass by. He's wearing it in one of the pictures on the announcement but I wanted to give you all a better look! I think this might be the cutest snowman in my collection :)

Santa!

This morning we took a trip to the North Pole to meet with Santa. The little man looked so sweet and cozy that Santa decided to close down the workshop for the day and take a little nap with his new buddy. Hopefully this means that baby J is on the "good boys and girls" list for years to come!

Melting our hearts...

Our Monkey has arrived!

D and I are so happy to finally have the little monkey here with us. He was born on November 9th, just before 3am. Here's a picture just minutes after he was born. I look forward to updating this as much as possible (caring for a newborn is time consuming!) so please check back often for pictures of our little guy and fun stories.

Halloween Jack-o-lantern!

I always said if I was pregnant on Halloween that I'd paint my tummy to look like a carved pumpkin - our very own Jack-o-lantern. These were the last pictures I took before he was born...

3D Ultrasound Pictures

Here are a few images from the second 3D ultrasound we had done. The first time we went, September 22nd, the little guy didn't cooperate and all we got was a picture of his ear! The next weekend we went back though on September 29th and got some great shots even though he had his hands and feet in his face a lot. Look at those chubby cheeks!

The Monkey

Here are a couple of the early ultrasound pictures. The first is on Friday, April 13th, which is the first time we saw the little monkey (and confirmed the pregnancy!). The second ones are from May 3rd when I was almost 14 weeks along. We didn't know if there was a little boy or girl in there either time.

The Wedding

Derek and I began planning right away for our big day. After tossing around Monterey and Napa, we ultimately decided on San Francisco. Things quickly fell into place and we had JoePhoto, Grace Cathedral and a reception at The Sir Francis Drake Hotel lined up in no time...the perfect "trifecta." My Mom came into town, helped me pick out my wedding gown, and it was smooth sailing.

In early April a little wrench or shall we say, monkey, was thrown into the plan. We found out I was pregnant on Good Friday and already almost 11 weeks along. Needless to say, we were very surprised. After the initial shock and disbelief wore off the excitement set in and we realized that our plans for a October 27th wedding were not going to be feasible. The little monkey's due date turned out to be November 7th, so we cancelled all exisiting plans and made new ones :) Plan B.

Derek and I were married by Father Steven Strane at 11am on Saturday, May 12th 2007 at Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford, CA (Napa Valley). It was a beautiful day that makes me smile everytime I think back. JoePhoto was there capturing the moments that we will cherish for a lifetime. Here are some of his images which truly speak for themselves....

The Engagement

Wow, seems like it was so long ago, but really it was just back in February...

Derek asked if I could skip my exercise class next Saturday so he could take me on a day trip. I hesitated for a few different reasons, but eventually (thankfully) agreed. We went down to get coffee and a muffin that morning at our favorite local coffee shop and started heading south. We ended up at Monterey Aquarium, a place I've been wanting to go, and Derek's been wanting to take me, since we started dating. We took our time walking through and I took a bazillion pictures of jellyfish and such. He must have been sweating bullets. After that, we went to lunch in Carmel and I will say, he seemed a bit distracted...but I blamed it on the great dane sitting at the table next to us. We had dinner reservations later so had some time on our hands. Derek suggested driving up to Pebble Beach so he could say "HI" to his dad. Michael is Derek's dad and he passed away almost 10 years ago. His ashes are scattered off the 18th green at Pebble. I never got to meet him but have heard so many wonderful stories. We arrived at the golf course, get out of the car, and Derek goes into the backseat to "grab his beanie in case it gets cold." Derek never gets cold. But, clueless me just heads for the pro shop to get some souvenirs. After 20 or so minutes of hemming and hawing over golf shirts...and a call to my Dad (who knew it was "the" day but managed to keep it under wraps), I made the purchases and we headed out to the course. We walked out to the 18th, they were setting up the grandstands for the Pro-Am the next week, and stood there looking out at Monterey Bay. It's such a magical place. Derek asked me to put my bags down, which I of course questioned (what a pain I am!), told me how much he loved me and then...

D - "Tell me you love me."

H - "I love you." (with a big smile)

D - "Tell me you'll spend the rest of your life with me."

H - "Of course..." (now suspicious)

D - "Prove it."

Derek then dropped to his knee and produced the most beautiful engagement ring and asked for my hand in marriage. I, of course, said yes. The rest of the evening involved making phone calls, checking in at Spanish Bay, cocktails (namely dirty martini's) while listening to the bagpiper, dinner at Roy's, champagne and lots of love. I have to give it to Derek - he really surprised me and planned the perfect day. It was so meaningful and fitting to be asked to be a part of the Berry family off the 18th hole at Pebble Beach. Derek wanted his Dad to be a part of us and now that spot is something that I feel a very special bond with along with the rest of his family. I may have never met Michael, but I feel connected. I love that. I love Derek.

Let's Monkey Around!

Well this is my first crack at something like this but I've been wanting to keep better documentation of all the exciting things that 2007 has brought to our lives. So bear with me while I'll begin this journey and hope you enjoy the ride!
I'm going to try to go back and post about the first half of the year but will probably be posting about daily events and such as well. Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for pictures and ramblings.