Happy New Year 2014

I would like to thank everyone who has read and contributed to Life with Katie over the past year.  Thank you for coming back! I really appreciate your support.

Everyone in the Katie household has had a lovely Christmas. I won't lie and say it was perfect and that the children behaved themselves wonderfully.  My nose would be the size of our enormous Christmas tree if I did.  The change of routine and excitement is very difficult for Katie particularly and we had lots of difficult situations to navigate along the way.  It has felt like Meltdown City here and Christmas Day was a particular challenge (in oh so many ways that weren't all Katie related).  We've survived and we continue to learn every day though and I feel that we are managing our daily challenges better.  We've had some family time together though which has really made Christmas lovely.  Katie is loving her new Hudl tablet and her scooter and apparently I am the "best mum EVER" for taking her to see Frozen a few days ago.  I will say that we had the most perfect day together which was a lovely change after some of the challenges.  My daughter is wonderful and incredibly funny and it's a shame that sometimes this feels overshadowed by some of the challenges but I kiss her goodnight and wonder at how lovely she is and know that I love her with all my heart.

I think most of the excitement passed Pip by this year.  He's still too young. It took him days to open all his presents but he's loved having new toys to investigate.  His walking has strengthened and he is into absolutely everything!  He is a joy to behold! He's been poorly for the past 4 days with croup and I've hated seeing him so poorly.  He's on the mend now and he is sounding less like Darth Vader and coughing more productively.  He's currently sat opposite me attempting to demolish a piece of French stick and enjoying every mouthful, grinning cheekily at me when I ask him if it's nice.

Most of all I'm delighted to report that my depression has lifted and I am now feeling almost like my old self again.  I feel like I can breathe again and embrace all that 2014 has to offer.  I feel like I have learned some lessons over the past six weeks and will take notice of those lessons.  I have learned that I need to not listen to every sob story that comes my way and to say No to people some of the time. I've also learned to listen to my gut feelings.  I have been too distracted to listen this year and I have missed what it was telling me.  I'm aiming to listen more in the coming year.  I have learned that I can get depressed this time of year and still enjoy Christmas and know that it will end.

We are still waiting to become a legal family.  Our paperwork is now with the courts and we are awaiting a court date. I'm hoping that this will be tied up in January.  It would be so nice to move forwards now, sharing the same name and not having to carry my red book and letter of medical consent everywhere with me.

And as Leo climbs on me to give me a very soggy moggy cuddle (what is it with this rain?) and Pip starts to throw the remains of his lunch on the floor with a very cheeky grin and some very cute baby babble on his lips it just remains for me to wish everyone a Happy New Year and hope that, wherever you are in your adoption journey, 2014 will bring happiness to you.