Farewell to 2013

I decided to finish 2013 on a positive note and finish the nursery. Everything is now completed and I am officially ready for our new arrival.

This is a picture of a few of the elements of Sticky's room. My aunt gave me the little tile which I've stuck just near the door. It's a belief I want to instill in Sticky. The toys are all mine from childhood except for Yoda. That's my brother's influence!

The butterflies are above the change table. I want her to be surrounded by colour and movement and appreciate the beauty of these animals. And finally, she now has a menagerie of animals surrounding her cot. She will be surrounded by these animals and we will play games of identifying the animals and the noises they make. Although I'm not sure what noise a turtle makes but we'll figure it out.

I am feeling much more peaceful knowing everything is now complete. The change mat is down, nappies are in their spot and the bassinette is made up. If she arrives tomorrow, I will be able to go to hospital knowing home is ready for her. To be honest, I had been feeling a little anxious that I wasn't ready, just in case she did come early.

I've told her she can some anytime in the new year. Given she's still taking to curling herself up in a ball in one of the corners of my belly, I'm not thinking it's happening anytime soon. She clearly hasn't dropped and she hasn't engaged. She's still moving a fair bit although it is starting to drop off. She is getting bigger and starting to run out of space so it will be interesting to see if she can still squeeze herself into the corner in another week.

So, as we all prepare to say farewell to 2013, it's a time to reflect on another year. I realise that each year is really just like everyone that's gone before it - full of highs and lows. That's the ying and yang of life I guess. I think the only difference is how we handle the highs and lows and trying to handle them better than we did the year before. 

When I think of where I was this time last year, I realise how far I've come. It took me a while to figure out how to handle things but I slowly got there. There were still bumps in the road but at least the duration of each bump became a little less severe as I had the opportunity to practice my new skills. I know I am finishing off the year in a better place then when I started it.

I'm glad I know this as I prepare myself to face the highs and lows 2014 will bring me. It will be one of the most challenging years of my life as I face a brave new world where I am responsible for a new life. But there's something amazing about the thought of a new life. It brings hope, dreams and love and the ability to create someone the world has never seen. And I know the world will be in awe of her because she is coming to do something truly special.

So I hope your 2013 has been one to remember and I hope you can embrace 2014 for all the new and wonderful things it will bring you. There's something truly special about New Years Eve - and I think it's the fact that tomorrow brings a whole new year of possibilities!