1,000 Posts!

It seems like just yesterday that I started The Niemeyer Nest with my very first post and here I am today at 1,000 posts! Blogging has become so important to me because it is my record of our family life. That's the reason, I started blogging and what keeps me writing even though going to bed often seems like a much better use of my time. The Niemeyer Nest began when Carl and I were planning our move from Charlotte to Nashville. Blogging seemed like an easy way to keep everyone in the loop while living so far away from our family. Grandparents love pictures of their grandchildren! Evie and Henry's grandparents might not see their grandchildren every week but they sure get to see lots of pictures which makes the distance a little more manageable.

It's become much more than a record of family life over the last three years. Sometimes, it serves as an outlet. Something besides being a wife or a mommy. Other days, it's the chance to celebrate being a wife or a mommy. Of course, there are days when my blogging material is something that makes me laugh, personal experience with an amazing product  or an important message to share with others. Sometimes, I have nothing to share and just take some time to catch up all my favorite daily reads.

One of my favorite parts about blogging is the friendships that I have developed with other bloggers. Sometimes, it seems so funny that I have such an interest in reading about other families day to day lives when I do not even know them! That's probably what makes it so enticing. It's the chance to see that whether you live in Canada, Georgia or even across the street - it all comes down to family life and trying to keep a piece of yourself in the midst of  endless dirty diapers, sleepless nights and toddler tantrums.

Taking trips down memory lane always thrill my heart while causing me to wonder where the time has gone. It's bittersweet to reminisce about what we were doing this time last year or how we celebrated Christmas when Evie was a baby. Those moments seem like just yesterday in so many ways. Reading the important details refreshes my memory of our special times as a family.

It's always enlightening to check my stats on Blogger to see who is reading my blog. I am still totally blown away that people take the time to read my story without even knowing me.  It boggles my mind to see which posts receive the most traffic. Sometimes, the posts that you think will grab the most attention end up with disappointing stats but then posts that are quick run-downs are the posts that everyone gravitates towards sending those stats sky-high.

These are the five most popular posts on my blog: Cheekwood Treehouses, Stella and Dot Giveaway, Pinterest Project Perfection, Living Room or Playroom and Entertaining Toddlers. Are these my favorite posts? Of course not, my favorites are the ones about my children because that's why I blog. Not for followers, or comments. Although that makes me feel good that other people want to read what my posts. I blog so that one day when my children are grown that they will have a small glimpse into their childhood. A glimpse that will give them insight into the depth of my love for our family and the chance to see what ordinary days looked like and how we lived life. That's it folks, that is my motivation! Keep reading, I appreciate your emails, comments and conversations more than you know. Blogging has become the new medium for baby books for children all over the world. Pretty powerful, if you stop to think about this amazing gift that we can give our children and ourselves. It's my pleasure to share this amazing, challenging experience of raising a family with other moms in such a meaningful way.