I sat here for a long time, looking at a blank document and wondering how exactly to start this post summing up 2022. When I think back on the past 365 days, I remember pure joy, darkness like I've never known, memories that will last a lifetime, and endless challenges. I remember the highest highs and the lowest lows I've ever felt.
2022 will forever be one of my favorite years. It is the year we became parents, when Harrison and I felt our marriage stretch and grow to welcome a new little human, when I realized I was stronger than I knew and weaker than I realized. I've never felt love like I've known this year, sadness like I discovered, or stress of health problems like I experienced. Despite it being one of the most difficult years of my life, I could live in it forever. Let's take a look back on 2022:
January
In January we got snow (!!!), celebrated our baby shower, and worked to finish up the nursery for Baby J.
February
In February, Harrison went on a snow goose hunting trip to Kansas. I thought we'd have nothing to worry about as I was fully expecting to go well past my due date as a first-time mom. Two days into his trip I was being monitored in the maternity ward, where I would spend every day that week. I was diagnosed with preeclampsia and had an induction date set for 2/23. We met our daughter (!!!) on 2/24 and brought home Caroline Miloree on 2/26.
March
March was spent adjusting to being parents and soaking in all the baby snuggles. Caroline took her first trip to the farm and to Clayton, we visited a tulip field, and had two bottle lambs. I would wake up in the middle of the night to feed not just a human baby, but two sheep babies, as well.
April
In April, we celebrated Easter. It was so much fun to put together a little basket for her. We visited college friends' strawberry farm and Caroline had her first tractor ride as we planted soybeans.
May
In May, the garden started producing and I got just a few peony blooms. We went on a small road trip to a couple national parks with a nine-week-old, which was ambitious but so fun. We loved seeing Caroline become more expressive.
June
June was a blur, and I truly don't remember much of it. My postpartum depression was at its worst and I had just gone back to work at the end of May. I spent much of June looking for the good and struggling to find it. We spent lots of time swimming and went to church every Sunday, and I'm so glad those were the activities we managed to complete.
July
July was welcomed spending the Fourth with friends and was spent in the pool and reminiscing on when I found out I was pregnant on 7/5/21. Caroline had her first trip to Emerald Isle.
August
I struggled my way through August, overwhelmed by balancing work and motherhood. We took a girls' trip to the NC mountains, and Caroline met her chickens for the first time and started to discover how much she enjoyed her puppy, Sailor.
September
I'm not sure if it was the changing weather or that I decided on a career change, but September felt lighter. We had our annual dove hunt, I spent lots of time at the county fair, Caroline was baptized, and we celebrated my birthday. We took Caroline to her first NC State game and it was a joy.
October
The end of September and into October took us on Cassie's bachelorette trip. We were supposed to spend all weekend in Charleston, but rerouted to Lake Murray, SC because of Hurricane Ian. Caroline picked out her pumpkin and we went to the State Fair where I introduced her to the Animal Science Club milking booth. We also celebrated Cassie's bridal shower. She dressed up as a chicken for Halloween, and Harrison and I were NC State fans (completely not planned- we just ended up both wearing State shirts!).
November
November was pretty relaxed, enjoying lots of outside time in the cooler weather, stuffing ourselves on Thanksgiving, and playing with our new donkey, Geneva.
December
If the middle of the year was my valley, the beginning and the end were the mountains on either side. We ended off the year on such a high note, even though we had a very sick baby for a little over a week after Cassie & Luke's wedding. Caroline really got into food this month, she learned to clap, and overall she's just learning so much.
This was just an amazing year all around and I am very sad to leave it behind. I learned so much about myself, being a parent (even though I still barely know anything), what makes a strong marriage, and God. God revealed himself to me over and over throughout this year and for that I am so blessed.
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