2008 in Review

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?Became the mother of two children.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I didn't really make any. I was pregnant so I couldn't really use lose weight as a resolution.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes, my neighbor, Jen had a baby girl, Anna, as did my friend Stephanie, who had Brynlee.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

The only person that I knew personally that died was Mrs. Allen.

5. What countries did you visit?

No over-seas travel for me this year.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

A flat stomach. Okay, I'll even settle for a semi-flat stomach.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

May 14, the day my not-so-little-anymore man-child was born.


April 10, the day I left my 20's forever and joined the "adults" in the 30's.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Having and nursing my son.



9. What was your biggest failure?

My personal blog and LazyMom

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I will forever remember The Great Plague of 2008. It wiped out my entire family for 3 straight weeks.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

New Living Room furniture!!!!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My dad! He retired after 30 years! Congratulations to him!!!!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Politicians!!!!

14. Where did most of your money go?

Bills, bills, and more bills.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

The ease of delivery with Jackson and the simplicity of nursing him for the past 7 months. AND!!!! How quickly I fit into my skinny jeans after having a baby!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

Found, Travis Cotrell (actually the whole cd)

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


a) happier or sadder? Happier
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner
c) richer or poorer? The same

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Blogging

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

Mindless surfing of the internet

20. How did you spend Christmas?

At home, which is where I hope we spend the holiday next year.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?

Absolutely!!!  How could I not?!?!


22. What was your favorite TV program?

Heroes, Eli Stone, Pushing Daisies

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

No.

24. What was the best book you read?

Just one???

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Agustana, Amos Lee

26. What did you want and get?

A perfectly healthy, beautiful baby and new living room furniture

27. What did you want and not get?

Pre-baby skinny

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

Juno (not sure if it came out this year, but I saw it this year)  The Music Man and I watched it the night Jackson was born.  We cuddled together on my hospital bed with the tiny, squishy, bundle of pure bliss slept in our arms.  It was by far the BEST night of 2008 and certainly the BEST movie to watch while laying in a hospital after giving birth.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 30.  I wanted to go to DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival, but it would have been too much walking/waddling for my 9 month pregnant body.  So instead we went to Lancaster.  It was great.  I shopped for the kids (of course! what else does a mom shop for on her birthday?!) We had dinner at the Red Lobster.  A F150 truck fell off a tow truck and smashed my van.  Happy Birthday to me!

  
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

One more day of preschool each week.  Working on that for 2009.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

Same, pregnant or not.

32. What kept you sane?

Jesus, my husband, and my mom.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Will Smith.  He's my best friend, you know.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

The terrifying bias of the media regarding the November elections.  They voted in our new president.

35. Who did you miss?

My brother and his family

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Jackson Warner Ball

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.

"Look cute" when you go out in public.  Your family will thank you, even the little ones.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

I'm Over by Travis Cottrell

"I lived so long in darkness.

 Fighting all I believe.

 I've questioned everything you are.

 But faithful as the morning star you never leave.

Oh, I'm over living life in fear and doubt. 

Oh, I'm over. I won't resist the One I can't live without.

I'm over.

I don't know why you chose me,

Knowing I would be weak.

Just as I am torn apart,

You run to me with open arms and hold me.

Oh, I'm over living life in fear and doubt. 

Oh, I'm over. I won't resist the One I can't live without.

And I know You love me even when it's hard to see.

I'll follow and chose to say I'm over.

You never said it would be easy,

But you promised that you'd stay.

You give me rest.

You will be here with me.

You'll never walk away.

I'm over.

Fighting.

Doubting.

Losing.

Drowning.

Running.

Fearing.

Oh, I'm over living life in fear and doubt. 

Oh, I'm over. I won't resist the One I can't live without.

And I know You love me even when it's hard to see.

I'll follow and chose to say I'm over.

39.  2008 in one word.

Jackson

40. Hope for 2009.

To enjoy each day as it comes.  To live life to its very fullest.  To please my husband.  To embrace the pure bliss that is being a mother.  To be a better person.

Nesting Woes

I might be the only one, but does it freak out anyone else to watch that ticker count me down day in and day out?  I mean... does anyone else realize how fast time goes?  I have a bowling ball in my belly and so much to do.  I have the regular day to day activities and responsibilities to manage.  The overwhelming part is when I think of all that I need to do in order to prepare for this little boy to come.  I have this insane need to re-do our entire house.  (Yeah--like the man-child's going to care what color the bathroom is.)  

I've been in an organizational panic for about a month now.  My kitchen is getting there with the addition of this.  Does anyone else get giddy about a trip to Ikea?  For me it's the kind of store that would be found in heaven, if heaven had Swedish discount stores.  Oh the possibilities!  I just love going to Ikea and imagining the clean lines and organization that can be a part of my world!  It truly is a thrill to this OCD heart of mine!

A couple weeks ago, you may remember my nesting need to add 10,000 square feet of additional storage shelves to Natalie's closest and even to Scott's closet.  The thrill of that change was short lived.  (It is a serious addiction--organization!)

I have slowly been working on the living room.  Second only to the bathroom upstairs, it's the room I feel needs the most work, and unfortunately it's the first room you see when you enter our house as well as being the room we spend the most time in.  This room needs an enema!  I need so many things to make this room feel complete to me (and of course--I'm in a panic to have this all in place by D-day--May 17).   I also need a bottomless checkbook in order to fund all these changes I want.

First and foremost is this and a couple of these or something like it.  Then there's this beast that will finally make spending the extra money for Sunday Ticket worthwhile.  (Can any other wife say amen to that?!)  But that's not all!  Because then I want the tv mounted on the wall and this (or this) to house all the other stuff that my techno-geek husband says we need.  Of course once all of those things are in place, I'll need a new rug, lamps, side tables, accessories, and artwork.  Not to mention window treatments and other organizational items to be found at Ikea!  But that's all pocket change, right!  (I just gave my husband a heart attack when he added everything up.  I'm sorry.)

Then there's the bathroom, the most needed change, but not nearly as costly as the living room and thus much more likely to get done.  We need to put in a shower head in our gigantic garden tub, tile up the walls, rip out the existing stall shower (which is really just a vertical coffin with this growing belly!).  We need to add lighting and a vanity.  Change out the mirror and put down new flooring.  Of course we'll have to paint and buy all new linens, rugs, and accessories.  So see, there really isn't all that much to do here either.  And hey!... we already bought the paint, so we're on our way!  Again, this all needs to be done before baby #2 makes his arrival.  

So this nesting thing that happens when you head into the second half of your pregnancy?  Well, with my firstborn, it manifested itself in organizing my collection of baby clothes and toys.   Perhaps this is why my daughter changes clothes four times a day.  This time around, I'm nesting by wanting to remodel my entire house.  If my nesting needs manifest themselves in my son as they did my daughter then I can look forward to my son helping me to redo the house as often as my whims dictate a change, which I'm finding out is often.  There's just something about owning our own home that frees me up to re-paint four times a year and rearrange the furniture every other week.  

But I guess before I do this big stuff, I need to go through the 10 ginormous bins of baby girl clothes and take them to the consignment shop or sell them on ebay.  I also have 3 bags of things to go to Goodwill.  Half of my pre-pregnancy wardrobe is in a clothes basket in the basement and the other half is still in my drawers and closet.  As I continuously add to my pregnancy wardrobe I'm quickly running out of room, so I need to rectify that.  

Then there's the never-ending laundry that must be done.  It's harder than ever to stay on top of that because I'm limited in how much I can do at one time.  Those darn stairs will be the end of me.  Of that I am sure!

As if all that wasn't enough, I still find that I need to do this and make baby blankets in addition to hoarding diapers and wipes.  Oh and did I mention that I homeschool preschool with my three year old?  And I need to update this, contribute regularly to this, redesign this, and post pictures on here from a year ago.

It's no wonder that most days all I want to do is sit on the couch and stare at the wall.  This is all to overwhelming to actually do any of it.  I think I'd rather just be lazy.  If only I could stop this urgency within me to do all these things today!!!  I think I might soon explode.