I'm Ready For You 2012!

I can't believe it's almost 2012. It feels like just yesterday I was pregnant with Alexis and counting down the days till June. Now she's here and 7 months old; we are more than half way to her birthday! Which by the way I am sooooo excited to plan!

A lot of stuff happened in 2011, some good and some bad. Regardless of the bad though, 2011 will forever be the greatest year of my life because I had the privilege of bringing Alexis into this world and I know this world will be a better place because of her.

Alexis already has her little personality and I love it because it reminds me so much of me. I've been calling her Sass Ass #2, I am Sass Ass (thanks to Rachel's wonderful nickname giving skills). I love that I'm sassy I think it's a characteristic that anyone with a strong personality needs to have, and I think Alexis already has it. Which she is going to need to keep all the boys away, that's if daddy doesn't do it for her already :P

Derek and I love to talk about all the fun things we get to do with her and all the things she'll get to participate in. Derek thinks she's going to be soccer-tennis-basketball player lol. I definitely think she's going to be athletically inclined, she may get this athletic gene that Derek has although only men in his family seem to be getting it but from me she'll definitely get that competitive drive. I played just about everything growing up. I played volleyball and basketball for the city league and I did cheerleading in elementary and middle school and finally decided on tennis during high school. I wish football would have been an option but I did get to do some powder puff junior and senior year which was fun. So I know Alexis will be an athlete and even though she's not a little boy I definitely want her to know football, guys adore girls who know football ;)

Aside from sports we've talked a lot about the other things we want her to participate in. Growing up I did everything from school plays, chorus, science club, and running for student council. I loved being so involved in school. I'm excited to get her into ballet classes and maybe even some drama classes, i've heard that those are very good to help kids develop their imagination. I also definitely have high aspirations for her academically. All through elementary and middle school I was always on the honor roll and in advanced classes and through high school taking advanced classes and participating in clubs and sports was so important to me. I'm glad Alexis will be able to look at me as a role model, hopefully, in every aspect of her life but especially when it comes to academics. I can't wait for Derek to go back to school and finish, I want Alexis to see that we are a family that values academics.

It's also important to me that Alexis have a mind of her own. I think most kids now a days have opinions but they're their parents opinions. I'm sure Alexis will be aware of what mine and Derek's opinions are politically and socially and pretty much about anything but I don't want her to take those opinions as her own unless she believes in them. I find that I have little respect for people who have an opinion and when you ask them why, they don't know, and that's usually because it's something they just picked up, a lot of the time from their parents. I want Alexis to be informed and even if her opinions are not the same as mine, I won't care as long as she has a strong conviction for what she feels. One of my professors at the U told us that he brings home different newspapers with the same stories and let's his kids read all of them and form their own opinions; I thought that was such a genius idea because all papers have their biases and I think hearing a story from different angles is the best way to make an informed decision.

I know, she's only 7 months right? But I am a firm believer that forming (good) habits should be started early.

One of the things I'm most excited for is to give Alexis my ring my parents got me when I was a baby. It probably won't fit her until she's 1 maybe 2, I can't really tell just by looking at it. I'm surprised that I still have it, but I am so excited to give it to her and have her pass it down to her little girl, if and when she has one. The ring is yellow gold and it is in the shape of a heart in the front, that's probably where my love for hearts came from. We're going to get it plated white gold, because I dislike yellow gold, and hopefully I can get something written inside even though the band is so small. Here's a picture of the ring. I'm so excited for 2012 to get all of this started.