Happy New Year

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Gave birth to a baby girl/started our expanding family and everything that entails (including being spit up on, peed on, stapled, packed, celebrating every holiday as Baby's 1st XXXX, very few uninterrupted nights of sleep, multiple doctors appointments, etc). Stayed home from work for 3 months - my longest stretch of not working since 1995. Vacationed for 2 weeks in TX in JULY! Joined Stroller Strides. Met several new great mommy friends. Participated in a Murder Mystery dinner. Saw everything single family member of our immediate families. Saw the Cowboys first win in their new stadium!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I didn't make any new years resolutions last year and I don't really have any for this year. In the past my resolution was always to lose weight or eat less chocolate or some other irrelevant "goal". While it is important to be healthy I think that should be the goal - not weight loss specifically but just being healthy. I would like to become a parent that is a little more goofy, a little more talkative, a little more interactive. Don't get me wrong - I am involved but I could seriously spend as much time just staring at her as she spends trying to put a straw into a cup lid. lol. I also want us to take a family vacation, the three of us, before the next little one is born. Probably just the beach for a few days, but something. I also would like to reorganize our house, our closets, our rooms to make more room and not be so cluttered.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?


Some friends of ours from TX had a baby boy a couple weeks after I had Kayla, and a friend from college had a baby girl a couple weeks later. 2010 is going to be the baby producing year with several girls pregnant and due this spring/summer.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank goodness!

5. What countries did you visit?


None.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
I think about the only thing I lacked in 2009 was sleep and I don't see that improving any time in 2010 - maybe 2011. :) I had everything I could have wanted. Well, that's not true, a job closer to home without such a commute would be a very good thing to have, but that means giving up seriously good benefits, but I think spending more time with my baby's would be so worth it!

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 29th - Kayla's birth. I think that's the biggest, and since I have a bad memory I probably won't remember any other dates, just the events. lol.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Making it through 42 hours of labor, a c-section, and the resulting infection! That is quite a feat! Well, and Eric and I lost weight - mine mostly baby weight lost easily through nursing, he lost 20 or so pounds by working hard. Here's hoping we can do it again this year!

9. What was your biggest failure?
I think not trusting more - trusting myself, trusting those close to me.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just that dang c-section and infection. Eric did not have fun playing Dr. Dad the first few weeks of becoming a father for the first time!

11. What was the best thing you bought?
recessed lighting in our living room, dining room, nursery and office. It's so nice to have light!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I think all of us - Eric and I for making it through our first year as parents and Kayla for just being. lol. Everything she does is a celebration! And Eric for losing the weight in the Fall. He exercised and rode his bike a lot to do that and that's definitely worth applauding.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
no idea... I probably blocked it out of my mind if someone did appall or depress me.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage, Eric's truck, Costco (diapers, wipes, formula), Target/Kohls/Carter (baby clothes and other stuffs) and any number of restaurants in a 5 mile radius.

15. What did you get really excited about?
Kayla's birth. Seeing all of our family, sometimes multiple times. Christmas with a new baby and our moms. The murder mystery dinner - I hadn't ever done something like that even though I've wanted to forever!

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Darius Ruckers "Alright" because it said everything I felt this year and "It won't be like this for long" because it was totally our life right now. "Out Last Night" "Chicken Fried" and "Toes in the Sand" just because they were fun to sing to and all about enjoying yourself and your life. And then "Sideways" because there were a couple months were I needed to get sideways! lol. Can you tell I'm into country???

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

– happier or sadder? Happier, definitely.– thinner or fatter? Thinner. Childbirth will do that for you!
– richer or poorer? Richer in regards to investments, poorer in that we're spending more per month on everyday expenses. (taken directly from the lady who originally posted this blog - it was the perfect response.)

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Taken more time off. Keep our house in better shape but that's kinda hard to do with a tornado sweeping through each night. Taken a real vacation.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?


Worrying... stressing... nit picking... all the things that annoy me about myself.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
At home with Eric, Kayla, my mom, Eric's mom, and Eric's brother. There were originally supposed to be a few more people here but I think this actually worked out perfect because our house probably wouldn't have fit any more people or stuff in it on Christmas day. We hung out in the morning, opened presents in the afternoon after my mom got here, had a nice big sweet ham, than played with all our stuff. It was pretty typical, except for that whole waiting until 2pm to open presents.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
all the time with my little girl and my husband and this little family we've created.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Two and Half Men, Big Bang Theory, That's How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family, Community, Greys Anatomy, The Office, Desperate Housewives, Numbers, Glee... amazing I have time for all that. lol

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope. Try not to hate, but still dislike the same people, even though I do say that I hate people a lot - especially slow drivers. But I don't actually hate them - just their actions. lol.

24. What was the best book you read?
hmmm... I've read so many (on the train!) but I think "I'd Trade My Husband for a Housekeeper: Your Marriage After the Baby Carriage". Very eye opening about marriage and family. I need to read it again.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Kids songs. lol. I don't know any words to any of them and really need to learn... quickly!

26. What did you want and get?
A healthy child. That's all I've wanted for years!

27. What did you want and not get?
Sleeeeeeep.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
The only movies I saw this year, that came out this year, were The Proposal, Duplicity, and Up In The Air. We can't get to the movies and I can't hardly sit still long enough to watch one at home. So, um, of those three, I think the Proposal. I'm a sucker for chick flicks.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 29 this year and celebrated at work with a little party and desk wrapping and then came home to have Burger King, birthday hats, a delicious cake, and a beautiful ring. It was a fantastic birthday celebrated with the people I love the most in the world.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
You know what, it was actually pretty satisfying all in all. Sure there were some low points and there were things that didn't go as well as I expected, but in the grand scheme of things everything worked out and I ended the year quite satisfied.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Well, Eric made me pack away my grey maternity pants which were what I lived in for the latter half of 2008, but I still wore the rest of the maternity clothes for a few months, then it was all about trying desperately, though never quite making, back into my old regular clothes. Then at the very end it was all about hiding my newly expanding belly, and that has continued into this year. Maybe next year, when we're done with babies and pregnancies for a while, will let me really dig back into my closet and see all my cute skirts and clothes again!

32. What kept you sane?
Eric's humor. Other mommies. Taking some time for myself. But, really, who said I was sane???

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don't know if they are considered celebrity or public figures but I really fell in love with mom bloggers. I love hearing how other moms are doing things, reading their advice, their struggles, their celebrations, because inevitably they are similar to what I'm going through and it's so helpful to know you are not alone.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?


I wasn't really stirred by much this year, other than the politics going on at work that are messing with my position and salary.

35. Who did you miss?

My family, although I missed them less this year since I actually saw them all. But times like this you realize how nice it'd be to have them around more often.

36. Who was the best new person you met?


My mom friends - Julie, Alicia, Kelly - they are all great girls that have helped to make my year!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I've got a roof over my head, the woman I love laying in my bed, And it's alright, alright with me. I've got shoes under my feet, forever in her eyes staring back at me. And it's alright. I've got all I need and it's alright by me.