We've been having so much fun with baby Ian! It's crazy how fast the time goes. He's two and a half months, and it feels both as though he just arrived, and like he's been with us forever. Looking at him today, it's incredible to me how much he's changed from the wrinkly little guy that we brought home from the hospital. I already think of "when he was little" as a time that's in the past. Every day he seems just a tiny bit more grown up: smiling, holding his head up, studying a new toy. I'm trying to savor each of these precious moments, because I know that they, too, will soon be gone. Parenting is such a dichotomy of being excited to see who our children will grow up to be, while at the same time wishing that they would never have to grow up at all. I guess all we can do is cherish the time we have and enjoy it while it lasts. That, and take lots of pictures! Here are some pictures from the photo shoot I did when Ian was 10 days old.

Ian's nursery is FINALLY finished! There were lots of delays and snafus, so I guess it's a good thing we weren't planning on having him sleep there in the beginning. He's been sleeping in a babybay co-sleeper since we brought him home, and I'm not quite ready for him to be out of our room yet, but I'm glad that the room is ready for when that day comes. For now, we use the nursery for changing and rocking, and I sometimes set him down in the crib while I put his laundry away or something like that. He loves this room! Whenever we set him down on the changing pad, he gets super smiley. Since the first couple of weeks, he has loved staring at the frame of the mirror and the shadows on the wall. This is the first time I've gotten to decorate a nursery, and I've had so much fun with it. Below are some before and after pictures, as well as pictures of the work in progress and the finished product. 

I'm getting ready to take down all the Christmas decorations. Hey, this is early for me. Usually I wait until February 2nd...it's the day they used to take down the tree in Germany (at least that's what my Grandma told me). February 2nd is Saint Bridget's day, or Candlemas, in the Catholic tradition, and it's know as Imbolc, the celebration of the goddes Brighid and the beginning of spring, in Pagan tradition. I I always figured that was as good a reason as any to leave the decorations up through dark and dreary January. This year I'm doing it early to make room for baby gear - that stuff takes up a lot of space! 

Anyway, taking down the Christmas stuff made me think that now would be a good time to share some pictures from our visit to one of the Christmas markets in Paris. There are quite a few, scattered throughout the city. About a week before Christmas, and a few days before my mom left, we went to the market at Saint-Germain des Pres, in the sixth arrondissement. It had lots of fun gift ideas, as well as yummy things to eat...we bought a few Christmas presents and got crepes for lunch. It was Ian's first outing, and he did great! I wore him in the Baby K'tan (which I'm really enjoying), and he slept the whole time. There wasn't any snow, but it still felt Christmassy with all the decorated booths. If you're ever in Paris in December, you should definitely check out one of the markets!

This has been an amazing year, with so many new things happening! It's hard to believe that so much could fit into one year. There have certainly been ups and downs, but it's all the good things stand out when I look back at the year. Whether we've been traveling together to new, exciting places, going back "home" to visit all our old friends and family, or just hanging out at home, we've made so many wonderful memories. Sometimes life gets so busy that we can hardly see the journey that we're on, because we're so caught up in the frenzy of the moment. It's nice to look back at the end of a year to see the big picture. I'm sure 2015 will be just as full, with plenty of surprises along the way. I'm so grateful to be able to stay home with Ian this coming year, to soak up every minute of his babyhood, as well as to be here when the girls get home from school. I'm looking forward to enjoying the little moments (and documenting them, of course!), and I can't wait to see what's in store for us. Below are pictures and memories from an incredible 2014. I hope you enjoy my little trip down memory lane!