2009

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? Fell in love with a guy named Eli.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I'm not sure I wrote any down. Ironically, the things I mentioned last year made the list this year though (Lose weight, wear more lipstick and accessorize. Seriously? I couldn't accomplish two of those goals? I think that I get a pass on the losing weight thing since I had a BABY.)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Um, me? For all my talk about "if it happens, it happens!" somehow I managed to be very surprised when it happened.

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

5. What countries did you visit? Our only vacation this year was to England. I was glad to go and show Phil around, but it was a bit rushed and stressful. Gray had a hard time with us being gone so that tainted it a bit.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? Last year I wrote: "Some confidence in myself to achieve what I want." This one still holds true. I have a lot of weight to lose, now that I'm done with this whole baby gig. It's not going to just fall off, unfortunately... it's going to take a LOT of work. It needs to happen, though.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? April 1st, the day I found out I was pregnant, and November 30th, the day I met Eli.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Have I mentioned that I had a BABY? Getting through that pregnancy was a big deal for me. I really don't gestate very well.

9. What was your biggest failure? Not getting back to my pre-Gray weight before getting pregnant again really upset me. (However, I am nearly at my pre-Eli weight so I am thankful for small favors!) Again, I was really sad that I didn't enjoy pregnancy the way so many women seem to... it was a miserable, long nine months.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? No.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Our new kitchen! Although we still owe about $10,000 (gasp) on it, it was worth every penny. I looooove it.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? I would have to say my husband's, for putting up with my miserable-ness during my pregnancy. Tied for first place would also be my mom, who came and helped me after I had Eli. I almost kidnapped her and made her stay with us forever.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Hmm. The only thing that comes to mind right now is some people that I work with- I was included on an email I probably was not meant to see and it made me very sad.

14. Where did most of your money go? The kitchen and daycare. Daycare is easily the worst thing about being a parent, for me. It is SO expensive. And stressful.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? The beginning of a new era in our household: being a family of four. It will be really fun to see how the dynamics of our family change as Eli gets older.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? Phish's "Party Time" which Gray thinks is actually "Potty Time."

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder?b) thinner or fatter?c) richer or poorer? Even though this last month has probably been the hardest month of my life, I think I am happier, the same, weight-wise, and probably poorer, considering our kitchen debt.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Exercise. I am also inclined to say "worry less about my to-do lists" but having a to-do list with things to check off makes me feel accomplished, and that makes me feel good about myself. So while it is annoying that I am always looking for stuff to put on my to-do list, I guess it is an okay flaw to have.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Yelling at Gray. Yelling at the dogs. Being short and snappy with my husband. Pregnancy and exhaustion made me pretty short tempered and I'm not proud of how I acted.

20. How did you spend Christmas? My in-laws joined us for the holiday. It was very, very casual this year- we didn't even really sit down to dinner together.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? Yes, I got to meet my Eli. I had no idea that I had always been waiting for this little boy.

22. What was your favorite TV program? Top Chef or The Amazing Race.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? No.

24. What was the best book you read? The newest Diana Gabaldon book.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Gosh, I can't say that I'm listening to anything new. The band that I was going to say apparently made the list for last year so that is a real indication of how little I listen to new music.

26. What did you want and get? A new kitchen and a healthy baby.

27. What did you want and not get? A healthy, fit body I can be proud of.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? The Hangover

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I was 37 and for the life of me, I cannot remember what we did.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? This is where the broken-record-thing really kicks in. Lose weight, exercise, blah blah blah. I need to quit saying it and lamenting about my failures and just f-ing do it. I'm signing up for WW tomorrow, by the way.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Super-ugly maternity wear? I am so happy I'll never have to wear those ugly clothes again.

32. What kept you sane? Chocolate.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Nobody comes to mind...

34. What political issue stirred you the most? Seriously? I don't think I paid attention to much of anything, other than my impending due date.

35. Who did you miss? My mom. Words cannot describe how much I love that woman and how much she means to me. Having her here after I had Eli was so wonderful, and it made me wish they lived closer to us.

36. Who was the best new person you met? My Eli!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. My mom wasn't kidding when she said marriage is hard work, and kids don't make it any easier. I really want to focus on my marriage and remember not to take it or my husband for granted.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. Since I kind of suck at the music thing, I will just quote my favorite song lyric that I hear almost every day from Gray: "Mama, Mama, E, F, G... H, I, J, K...."