2015 Year in Review

I don't know about you, but for me, 2015 flew by. It's New Year's Eve and I've been reflecting on what a year it's been for me! Lots of new memories were made and I'd like to share them with you! 

1. Our first born, Ava, turned 5 years old! She's just the sweetest and has grown like a weed this year! We love her more and more with each day! 

2. I turned 31 and for my birthday, I went to Sweden! It was my first stamp on my passport and first trip out of the country! I had a great time. I can't wait for that second stamp to add for my next trip! 

3. We attended lots of weddings this year. Ava was a flower girl for three weddings and Lily was for two! They had so much fun! We traveled to Annapolis, MD and Atlanta, GA for another. We attended two here at home for our neighbors (Jill & Rob) and my best friend Mandy & Daniel! Lots of love-filled memories! 

4. In honor of my mom, we went up to D.C. to see the Cherry Blossom Festival. It was crazy hectic but also very beautiful. My mom would have loved it. 

5. We found out we were pregnant in March and were so excited! We announced it on mother's day! On Father's day, we found out we were expecting our first little boy! 

6. Ava was in her first recital. They performed a cute Mickey Mouse and birthday cake compilation. She was so cute dressed up in her costume and she did great during her performance, wasn't shy at all! We were very proud of her! 

7. During the summer we made lots of trips to the pool and beach. We got together with friends and even took a small weekend trip to Amelia Island with Noah's cousins, Adam and Hannah. 

8. My best friends and my sister hosted a baby shower in anticipation of our little man's arrival. He was totally spoiled!

9. Ava lost her first tooth! Actually she lost a total of three this year! 

10. Lily visited the dentist for the first time. She did so much better than I would have hoped for! 

11. This fall we had a blast at the pumpkin patch and trick-or-treated with friends. Ava was a minion gal and Lily was a disney princess.

12. Ava entered kindergarten and Lily started pre-k! They both are flourishing at school!

13. Lily turned 4 years old! She is still a little fire cracker and cracks us up all the time. 

14. For Thanksgiving Noah's family all came down or up. We had a great time with everyone here to celebrate! 











15. For Christmas, we traveled to VA to spend it with friends and family. 

16. I think the most significant event of 2015 was the birth of our son, Levi Everett Cruzan. We are so in love with our buddy. The girls are constantly doting on him. He's already celebrated his first Thanksgiving and Christmas. He's been on a couple first road trips too! We are looking forward to more firsts in 2016.

I hope everyone has a fantastic 2016! I cant wait to see what it has in store for our family!

Lily is 4!

Lily turned 4 on Saturday. She is our little firecracker and she keeps us on our toes. It's so fun to see the different personalities that form with each of your children. Lily came out of the womb screaming and it was a very telling indication of what was to come.

She is spunky and she is wild and we love her just the way she is. I can't wait to see what this year will be like with a 4 year old Lily.

This year we just had a little get together with family to celebrate her birthday. She requested a wedding cake (Publix didn't get it though) and we ended up with a regular sheet cake lol. But Lily didn't care.

She is obsessed with these small figurines called Shopkins and has been asking for a whole box. When she opened it up she was so happy. As she was opening up the individual baskets she kept saying, "I don't believe it!" Too cute! 

She's still crying. If this is any indication of her teenage years this momma will not survive. I'm hoping 2016 4 year old Lily will include less crying!

Lily adores her big sister. She wants to do everything with Ava. 

Lily loves to dress up. This get-up was what she wanted to wear to dinner one night. 

  She started 3 year old pre-k this year and I've really seen her grow up. Her teacher tells us she's a great student. I cant believe my baby is 4!

Maternity Session with The Art of Birth

Pregnancy is not glamorous. Morning sickness, stretch marks, insomnia, a million trips to the bath room, back aches, etc. We moms make so many sacrifices and it starts when we start carrying our child. 

But pregnancy is also beautiful. The bond formed is immediate and the I still miss hearing my baby's heart beating and feeling those precious movements inside my belly. Just knowing the miracle of growing a human being is mind-blowing. 

Since this was my last pregnancy, I knew I wanted to document it properly. 

I had the pleasure of working with Dusti Stoneman of The Art of Birth Photography and I was so happy with the photographs she captured. We cut it close because I gave birth to baby Levi only one week after these were taken. 

It was such a great experience. It came with hair and make-up and the session was so relaxed. It was nice to be pampered because the last few weeks of pregnancy we don't feel our prettiest. I was so nervous, but Dusti made me feel completely comfortable.

 "Being a Mother is not about what you gave up to have a child, but what you have gained from having one."