Tuckernuck Dress | Black Mules

We’re officially reached nine months of pregnancy!

Slowly over these last few weeks of June, I’ve seen my energy levels and productivity slowly come to a halt. My time has been filled with moments of rest, foot elevation – I’ve gone from a size 8 shoe to a size 10 – and nesting.

But, before our baby arrives, I wanted to share my annual birthday recap on the blog. These yearly posts are so special for me to look back on. You can look back here: turning twenty-two, turning twenty-four, turning twenty-five, turning twenty-six, and turning twenty-eight.

Reflection:

Looking back on twenty-eight, I have to say it was one of the best years to date in so many ways. The many facets of my life I’ve broken down below:

Relationship – I got to marry Matt Craig, in my parents’ backyard with our closest family and friends. The October weather was perfect, the foliage was in peak-leaf-peeping and everything went off without a hitch! This led me to officially rebrand as ‘Aubrey Craig,’ something I still feel sentimental about.

Matt and I have been together for nearly 14 years. Even though we haven’t even completed our first year of marriage. So while we’ve always been together, identity-wise we are always so independent of each other – which I think is why our relationship works so well. He’s Matt Craig and I was always a Yandow. But, finally being Matt and Aubrey Craig is something I really enjoy.

Travel– Last year was filled with local travel. Matt and I visited Martha’s Vineyard, Kennebunkport, and Vinalhaven, Maine. My sisters and cousin, Lauren, planned an epic bachelorette party for me with an overnight stay in Newport, Rhode Island. Matt celebrated his bachelor party in Nashville, TN. My mom, sister and I went to Charleston, SC for a long weekend which is always a good idea! We also squeezed in so many concerts.

The biggest thing Matt and I did was finally make it to Paris! The day after our honeymoon we boarded a red-eye to France. I had always dreamed of going to Paris. You can catch up on all of our Paris posts here, here, and here. It was truly a dream come true and also where we got the news that I was expecting!

Pregnancy – My due date is one week away! I have so much more pregnancy information to share with you all soon. I’m hoping our son is going to arrive closer to his due date in order to give me a few days of downtown to pre-plan posts recapping the experience.

When it comes to my pregnancy, I’d say it had been fairly easy. I’d say I had it really easy. The first few weeks were tough, with the nausea and the unknown. These last few weeks have been rough because of my feet and the need to go full-on barefoot in public places. But, overall I’ve had it very easy and we are SO excited to meet this little guy! We are also really excited to finally share our nursery reveal content with you starting next week.

Family – For my family, this was an exciting year! My youngest sister, Tessa, graduated from college! It was very exciting witnessing her graduate, move out and decorate her first place. My sister, Sarah, started a new teaching job in a district she loves and my brother is now a California homeowner, which is mindboggling.

We did receive unforeseen medical news within our family that had us grabbing at straws in February and March. Thanks to the power of prayer, mindfulness, and technology we are on a really good path forward which is exciting, especially with the arrival of a baby boy very soon!

Business – I still surprise myself that I’m able to somewhat balance Mr. Trophy, Aubrey Craig, and New England Interiors – all while watching them uniquely grow. There are months when one might gain more attention than the other. For instance, Mr. Trophy in May and June gets 100% of my focus. Aubrey Craig gets my focus in October and New England Interiors is the big hitter as we approach Christmas.

It’s not perfect – by any means – but it works!

Mr. Trophy has seen a phenomenal year. We’ve grown our team to eight full-time employees and are staffed for me to take a full 12-week maternity leave. A year ago, this opportunity might not have been possible.

I’m so grateful for Mr. Trophy and can’t wait to continue to grow the business while sharing my day-to-day life and moments of New England with you here.

Looking Forward To:

Gosh, there is so much to look forward to.

I’m excited about all the firsts with our baby. From his first holiday season to watching my parents get to be grandparents. But, I’m even looking forward to the small things – like taking him on an evening stroller walk, dressing him up, and watching Matt be the best dad. I’m also looking forward to experiencing the birthing process and whatever that holds for me since it’s so close.

Along with really slowing down this year, I’m looking forward to focusing my time on the task at hand. For example, being super present when I’m at home with the baby vs. when I’m at work with my team. I really want to be where I am fully and not wrapped up in what I ‘should’ be doing or ‘could’ be doing. I’ll admit, I do a lot and I feel guilty a lot about how I divide my time amongst my businesses. So, as my family continues to grow I want to focus less on the guilt I feel around where I’m not and focus more on the joy I feel about where I currently am.

Beyond that, I’m really looking forward to having all my siblings home for a good portion of July! They are all coming back to meet the baby. They’re staying for over a week – which never happens outside of Christmas – so I’m excited to have the gang back together! The emotional support and comic relief I know they will bring during this transitional time into motherhood is an extra blessing.

Wish me luck!