Christmastime-en photo overload.

Yeah, I took way too many photos this weekend. :D Here you go, enjoy!

Christmas Eve:

{This is a big deal! Ruari NEVER cuddles like this! She'll do anything if you let her play with your phone or remote. So sweet.}

Christmas tree:

{Christmas tree.}

{This is Ruari's favorite ornament to point at on my mom's tree.}

Christmas morning:

Christmas day:

{Family}

{My brother. This is how he always stands at the window.}

I really hope all of you that celebrate Christmas had a lovely weekend!

Can we get a Christmas vote?

Would ya could ya? Vote for me?

Scavenger Hunt Sunday: Christmas style.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas (or a wonderful Saturday if you don't celebrate Christmas). We did! So much fun. I have so many cute baby pictures to share... we'll see if I can get them ready for tomorrow...

1. Family

I didn't take this photo... BUT, it's my family. Look at my baby and hubby! Same smirk as usual. :D Do you like my bra strap? Yeah, me too.

Let's link up for Steppin' Out Saturday! You know, since I did get out of my pajamas. :D

Mike:

Sweater: Banana Republic

Shirt: I have no idea.

Wine: Shingleback. Very tasty.

Ruari:

Sweater: Target

Pants: A Christmas gift from her Grammy. 

Her cute little jeans didn't make it through the day.

Chelsey:

Blouse: Anthroplogie (big surprise).

Earrings: Anthopologie

Bra strap: Calvin Klein

2. Motion Blur

Ruari hasn't really gotten the whole opening presents thing down just yet.... she sort of shakes them (and herself) back and forth.

3. Pretty Package

4. Glow

My mom has a very pretty white Christmas tree. It's so glowy! :D

5. Sparkle

Would ya could ya? Vote for me?

Merry Christmas! Love, The Paper Mama

Have a HAPPY, safe, and LOVELY Christmas... holiday... or whatever 

you celebrate! We'd love a vote if you have a moment on this Christmas day!

Would ya could ya? Vote for me?

One year ago...

Here we are in this photo... Ruari and I one year ago... Strangers really... but, not completely. I felt her kicking and punching in my belly for months. And, here we are one week after a terrible experience trying to get to know each other. I'll be honest with you all: it was hard at first. They had me on so many pain killers and I had lost so much blood that I was numb to everything. I knew she was my baby. I knew I loved her. I knew I didn't EVER want anything horrible to happen to her. But, it was hard.

Mike recently told me that one thing he'll never forget is when I told him (two days after her birth) that I didn't feel like I had a connection with my baby. I had to explain to him that they had me on morphine and a few other mind numbing drugs that I really didn't feel much emotion after her birth. I didn't even cry until our 5th day in the hospital. They stopped the morphine drips and I was "waking up".

But, I obviously did form a very close connection with my baby girl. And, here we are. One year later. I'm alive. My baby girl is alive. We are healthy, happy, and alive. I love life! I've been so worried that this Christmas would be so hard for me... It's not. I'm completely enjoying myself. One year later: I'm doing just fine. Yes, some days are hard. BUT, mostly I'm doing great.

What's REALLY crazy: I ran into one of my surgeons at work today! EXACTLY one year after I left the hospital. Talk about weird.

So much has changed. I've now accepted what happened. I've accepted the fact that it's not safe for me to carry another baby. Surrogacy and adoption are perfectly wonderful.

It's a new year for me. It will be an even better year! My second chance at life. It will be great! I will enjoy it. My family and friends have been so wonderful and supportive. AND, my blogging community has been so amazing and supportive as well. I am so happy I started blogging. Getting my thoughts and worries typed out have been a fantastic form of therapy for me! Thank you for listening! Please PLEASE have an amazing and wonderful holiday weekend. Hug and love your family.

Can we get a vote for our Christmas present?

Would ya could ya? Vote for me?

Tree hunting.

Our little family went tree and ornament hunting this weekend! Mike and I started a tradition 3 years ago. We always go to Sleighbells Farm (it's a sort of year round Christmas shop/tree farm) and choose an ornament that best represents our year. First year: A ring for our engagement... Second year: a just married ornament... Third year: a little photo frame with a picture of my pregnant belly. This year we chose a little bundled baby.

A little family photo. Ruari and Mike make the same smirks!

How much would it suck to have this view everyday? So horrible...

Sooooooo.... we don't actually BUY the trees at Sleighbells... Just the ornaments! The trees are a bit too spendy for us. We always head out to a store to buy our trees. This year we went to Fred Meyer.

Since we're on a budget this year... we were planning to go with the cheapest trees available. Apparently this would be an "Elf Tree". YEEEeeeeah. These trees are tiny! Most are shorter than Ruari!

So, my Mom thought these trees were a bit sad... she offered to help pay for a larger tree. :D We now have a little 4 foot tree on a table. We have to keep it away from the baby that eats EVERY SINGLE THING!!! In fact... one of her favorites are pine needles.

Can Ruari get a vote for our blog?

By the way.... I have the winners for the Holiday Card challenge! I'm working on the post. BUT before I can do that we have to fix a little tie...... There are 4 winners. First, second, third, AND fourth... But, the third and fourth place have tied. I'll be posting a VERY quick poll real soon for a little "vote off".

Would ya could ya? Vote for me?