thinking back

hard to believe how different our lives were last year at this time.  we were spending christmas eve with the mentz family - this year eric will return to ankara for a happy reunion with his family after three months away, just in time for the holidays.  we're so happy they will be together & we'll get to spend some time with him during his visit home.  this year we'll be spending christmas with our other ankara family, the price family, in spain.  it was just two years ago that we last spent christmas together, here in ankara, when we were childless and they only had one little girl.  funny how much those images of baby kathryn remind me of emre - they could be siblings!

last year, not only was the house decorated (still haven't gotten around to hanging so much as a wreath!  but being away for the actual holiday gives me a little excuse, at least), but wow, look at that baby belly i was carrying around!  funny how you so easily forget the aches & pains (and, let's face it, puke) of pregnancy, and replace those memories with the magic of having had your baby with you 24/7, feeling him move constantly inside that belly!

i remember going to the mall every day to walk, to feel better - and hoping that all that walking would coax him out (no such luck - born a week late).  i also remembered this morning as i zipped up my boots that ben was doing that for me last year - i couldn't bend down or reach them.  none of my maternity clothing fit properly (hence the lovely outfits i was coming up with, like the one pictured), and i really just wanted to stay home in my pj's which were at least comfortable.  but what i remember most is the feeling of anticipation, of excitement.  i so enjoyed celebrating christmas, knowing that within a few weeks (or, as it turned out, over a month) i'd be getting the best gift of all.

and here we are, a year later, celebrating emre's first christmas with us!  i'm sure i'll post more on this past year in the coming month leading up to his birthday, but for now i just wanted to bask in the memories of our last christmas as a couple, even though emre was very much WITH us at that point.  such a unique time in our lives, one that we'll always treasure... almost as much as we treasure our little boy!

since i haven't decorated, here are some of my favorite christmas tunes to make up for it (and more here that i posted last year).  they've been playing in our house non-stop this week, much to emre's dancing delight!