New Year's Eve countdown

Looking back on 2012, I’ve done a lot of growing—and I’m not just talking about in my midsection. This time last year, husBen and I were taking the scenic route down a winding road of discernment, not even sure we wanted to be parents. We have come a long way down that road of discovery and we could not be more thrilled with where life is calling us next.

While 2012 had some great adventures and special moments, nothing will compare to welcoming our child into the world in 2013. People share with me all the time that having a baby changes your life forever, and truly, I feel ready for that change. I can’t possibly grasp what this means for “life as we know it,” but I cross the threshold into this new season of life with my eyes, arms, heart and soul wide open. I am reminded of those words from the book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament, or Hebrew Bible, which reads, “To everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.” We are beginning a new season—a time to be born and reborn to the joy that life offers us.

As we walk together through these final gestational weeks, I hope husBen and I once again find ourselves on a scenic route—one that offers us moments of connection, glimpses of grace, and an occasion or two to rest and relax. Instead of setting a New Year’s resolution for a year that will certainly have many surprises, I am going to make a January resolution for this upcoming month. I resolve to cherish these fleeting days as a family of two. I will slow down and take in this 8th month. I will spend time with people I love. I will only say, “Yes,” to people and projects that are life-giving. I will go on a date or two with husBen. I will take naps and sing along to my favorite music in the car. I will be free to enjoy life as Lane, before life as Mom begins.

When the countdown starts at midnight, we will be counting from 9. There are only nine weeks left until our due date, and I look forward to soaking up as much joy and delight as possible as we ring in this new year—the year we will become Mom and Dad.