Ashley Darby Reflects on the "Challenges" of 2019: "This Year Was One for the Books"

This year was full of ups and downs for Ashley Darby, but she's thankful for the love and support she received through it all.

The Real Housewives of Potomac mom looked back on 2019 as she got ready to celebrate Christmas and bring on the new year ahead in a post featuring a wonderful yuletide photo of Ashley with husband Michael Darby and baby boy Dean. "This year was one for the books. Thank you for being so wonderful and supportive of our family through it all," Ashley gushed in the post. "Living life in the public comes with its share of challenges, but connecting with good people makes it so worth it. Happy holidays from our family to yours."

This past year seemed to be unlike any other for Ashley as she experienced the highest of highs (the birth of her son Dean in July) and the lowest of lows with drama in her relationships with her friends, her husband, and her father. However, it looks like the Darbys have overcome the challenges of the past year and will be leaving 2019 even stronger.

When the big day finally came on December 25, Ashley wished her fans a merry Christmas with a touching holiday message and another absolutely adorable photo of her son. "Merry Christmas my friends! When Dean looks up like this I know he sees angels," Ashley wrote on Instagram. "May we all feel joy, love and warmth like innocent children, not just today but every day. Love and light."

As 2019 comes to a close, the major milestones are just beginning for little Dean. "Sitting up, eating solids, first tooth in... baby is growing so fast!" Ashley captioned a photo of her almost-6-month-old boy on Instagram on December 30. "Slow down, Tink - Mommy’s not ready."

Watch Ashley open up more about her marriage after becoming a mom, above, and her pregnancy cravings, below.

Pregnant Ashley Darby Eats 2 Boxes of Lucky Charms a Week

Photo: Ashley Darby/Instagram