Year in Review

We had a huge year. It's time for reflection. I found these questions on someone else's blog.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Went to Australia, got pregnant, bought a new car

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't remember. I always want to lose weight and certainly didn't do that this year. I wanted to get pregnant and did that.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, our close friends A & C gave birth to baby K in April.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nanny, a close family friend who always called me her granddaughter.

5. What places did you visit?
Australia to visit K's godmother in May, CT to visit our friend X for 4th of July, Harpers Ferry in August, TN for a family reunion at Thanksgiving, Deep Creek Lake for our Baby Moon over Christmas. A good year for traveling.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
I got everything I wanted in 2008. I must have been a good girl.

7. What day from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The day we conceived Precious Poo, the day we found out we were pregnant with Precious Poo, every day in our trip to Australia.

8. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
Well, getting pregnant, of course! I'm also very proud that we are so good with our money. In one year we were able to go to Australia, make a baby, and buy a new car, all without going broke.

9. What was your biggest failure? Hmm, I'm not sure.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No specific illness, but the first trimester knocked me out. I basically slept for three months and only recently woke up from the fog. It feels really good to be awake.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Our new car!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
K took such good care of me during the first trimester. She is amazing.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Oh, who knows.

14. Where did most of your money go? Hmm, in order:
Mortgage, taxes, condo fees
New car
Making a baby and making that baby legal
Traveling to Australia

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Getting pregnant, going to Australia, getting a new car, the birth of K

16. What songs will always remind you of 2008?
American Boy by Estelle featuring Kanye West - we heard this constantly in Australia and then downloaded it as soon as we came home and listened to it nonstop for at least two weeks.
Fidelity by Regina Spektor - K likes to sing this to our baby.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
Happier, I guess. We have a pregnancy now, but this time last year we were hopeful, so we were pretty happy then as well.
Fatter. Before I got pregnant in September I was the biggest weight I've ever been, despite a lot of talk of losing weight. Luckily I haven't gained much in the past five months (maybe 4 pounds).
Poorer - we spent a LOT of money this year!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Helped K out more around the house, volunteered more.

20. How did you spend Christmas in 2008? On our baby moon. We woke up early Christmas morning and unwrapped our presents. Then we drove three hours to Deep Creek Lake and had lunch in our beautiful hotel room. We walked around to the lake with our dog, then got in the car and drove around the lake for a few hours. Back home at dark where I made us a nice chili dinner. Then we lit the fire in the fireplace, snuggled up, and enjoyed a Whole Foods fruit tart. It was a wonderful day.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
I fell in love with our baby Precious Poo. I fell in love with our new family definition. I fell in love with K as the mother of our baby.

22. What are your three favourite photos of 2008?
I don't know but I'm sure it's something from our trip to Australia. There are some really cute ones of our dog too. And some great belly shots.

23. What was your favourite TV program? Ugly Betty.

24. What did you do for your birthday in 2008?
It was the big 3-0 and K went all out. My birthday was the Monday after Thanksgiving. The first celebration was the Friday before at a family reunion in TN. My parents threw a surprise birthday party and all of the toddlers jumped out and yelled surprise!

Then on my birthday I had to work but K took the day off. She brought me breakfast in bed. She drove me to work, then came and picked me up for lunch, surprising me with flowers and a balloon. Then she picked me up early from work and we went shopping for maternity clothes and then out to dinner at a little Italian restaurant. Then home for dessert and presents.

My coworkers took me out to lunch at California Pizza Kitchen later in the week. Then on Saturday K threw me a 'Dirty South' birthday party. It was a big year of celebrations!

25. What was the best book you read? I don't remember. I don't read a lot any more, sadly.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? American Boy by Estelle featuring Kanye West.

27. What did you want and get? A baby in my belly, a new car, a flat screen TV for only $400.

28. What did you want and not get? Keyless entry on my new car.

29. What were your favourite three films this year? The Dark Knight was the best. There were some other good ones, but they don't compare to The Dark Knight.

30. Did you make some new friends this year? Hmm, I don't think so. I'll have to work on that.

31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
It was a pretty good year, so I can't say.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Right now I'm wearing maternity clothes that I got from other people that I don't necessarily like but they aren't bad, so I guess my current concept 'other people's fashion'.

33. What kept you sane? K as always.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Prop 8, electing Barack Obama.

35. Who did you miss? We lost our friend P. He just stopped calling. I liked him.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
I'm not sure.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Patience. Trying to make a baby is very emotional, but you have to keep your head and be patient. The month it worked we were so depressed thinking it didn't work, but it did.

Happy new year everyone. I hope 2009 is as good as 2008, or better!