Farewell, 2012

This is it, my friends. Another year is drawing to a close. Tonight we bid farewell to 2012 and start anew in 2013.

This year has been one that I will not soon forget. It has both flown by in an instant and passed at a snail's pace. The days have seemed long but the months have been so very short. I suppose this is the New Baby Time Warp, but however it may have felt as it was happening, today I am left with the feeling of, "how has 2012 gone by already?"

This year has been one of immense change for us. My life today, on the precipice of 2013, is almost entirely different from what it was as I rang in 2012 one year ago. Last New Year's Eve, I was happily abstaining from champagne for the sake of the baby girl in my belly, as Eric and I rang in the New Year quietly in our Hoboken apartment, with a stop outside at midnight to watch fireworks over the New York skyline. To put it mildly, this New Year's Eve will look a bit different.

Obviously, the most major life-changing event of 2012 was the birth of sweet baby Elizabeth Alice, our dear Ellie. Our lives became entirely new as of 3:27 p.m. on March 29, and since then we have been cherishing every up, every down, every moment of figuring out who we are as parents. Watching Eric as a father has filled my heart with even more love for him than ever before, which was a tall task. As Ellie's mother, I feel so incredibly fulfilled. I feel like this is the life I was meant to live. Motherhood was something I always wanted for myself and now that I'm in the midst of it, it just feels right and I love it so much. Ellie brings us so much joy every day, and I am so, so happy that she is finally here. I just adore our little family.

2012 has brought other changes for us, too, of course. Most notably, we left the NYC area and returned to our roots in Florida. Hand-in-hand with that move, Eric hung up his lawyer hat, saying goodbye to the firm and his law career. (More on that soon!) It still is hard to believe that we have now left behind what were once such defining characteristics of our life together. We're really off to a fresh start this new year.

And 2013 certainly has some exciting things on the horizon for us. For now, we will be enjoying our months in St. Petersburg with our family, and then are excited to move to Jacksonville this summer. We are looking forward to Eric's new career with much anticipation, and can't wait to settle into a routine as a Floridian family. Ellie will celebrate her first birthday in just a few short months, and she is constantly growing and changing and keeping us on our toes. 2013 has much greatness and many new, happy memories in store for us, I just know it.

But all that starts tomorrow. Today, I am spending the day reflecting on where 2012 has brought us and the roads we traveled to get here. I'm remembering the happy times and the challenges, the tears and the laughter. It has been a crazy roller-coaster of a year but we have very much enjoyed the ride.

VIDEO: Our 2012 in pictures

(Music is Idina Menzel's "No Day But Today")

Thank you, friends, for once again sharing our year with us. Thank you for all your kind words and warm wishes as our lives have changed so drastically (and continue to do so!). I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends, such a loving family, good health and oh so much happiness.

Happy New Year, all! I wish nothing but the best for you and yours in 2013.

Signing off for 2012,

Meghan