2013 in Review

Here's last year's Year in Review

1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before? Felt real labor contractions... other than that I'm drawing a blank... potty trained a toddler? 

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Last year I said "For 2013 I'd like to try to find a moms group to join. I want to save more money and be a more positive person. And I want to be more creative, however that manifests itself." Um, I'm pretty sure I did none of those things. Way to go, Hope! As for 2014, I want to lose weight and be more frugal and save more money. I also want to be nicer to my husband.   

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Me! And a good friend had a baby about 3 weeks before me.

4. Did anyone close to you die? I'm always too superstitious to answer this question before the year ends, but no - thankfully, gratefully - no.

5. Where did you travel? We went to West Virginia for a wedding in June, and Mia and I road tripped to Saratoga Springs to visit a friend in August.

6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013? Last year I said "Another baby, or the prospect of having one." I'm so happy I got what I wished for! In 2014 I want to find our Forever House, specifically one where the floors don't creak and sound doesn't carry like a sonofabitch. Where I can get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night or put in a load of laundry during nap time without worrying I'll wake everyone up. 

7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? February 7 - the day I got a positive pregnancy test. October 12 - my due date. October 21 - Gracie's birthday.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Making it to 9 days past my due date without murdering anyone. Oh, and carrying and birthing a healthy baby.

9. What was your biggest failure? Unfortunately the same thing I said last year, any time I lost my temper with Mia. And anytime I was not very kind to Jeff.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? The whole family got a horrendous stomach bug in February when I was 8 weeks pregnant. And recovering from another csection.

11. What was the best thing you bought? I went a little wild decorating Mia's big girl room, and she loves it so much I'm glad I did.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Seriously all of my family and friends were so very helpful in my last few weeks of pregnancy and after Gracie was born, making us food, watching Mia, etc. It made my heart so full.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? I'm drawing a blank, so I'll leave it, no need thinking up appalling, depressing things for nothing. 

14. Where did most of your money go? The mortgage.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Meeting Gracie and not being pregnant anymore! And my brother and his family moving about 10 minutes away from us. 

16. What song will always remind you of 2013? Probably Katy Perry's Roar because Mia loves it and asks me to play it constantly.
 

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

a) happier or sadder? Happier, I suppose, not that I was at all unhappy last year.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter, ugh
c) richer or poorer? Richer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?  I wish I'd been more frugal and saved more money. 

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? I wish I'd lost my temper less.

20. How did you spend Christmas? We spent Christmas Eve at my brother's house. My parents stayed with us Christmas Eve night and we all had Christmas morning at our house. Then we went to Buffalo to visit the inlaws Christmas afternoon. It was a little too chaotic for me, and Mia did not sleep well or nap and was falling apart by 5pm Christmas, but the whole Christmas season was so fun this year with a toddler beginning to understand what it's all about.

21. Did you fall in love in 2013? Oh yes, with my new little girl.

22. What was your favorite TV program? The Good Wife, Top Chef, Homeland. Jeff and I have just started watching Breaking Bad from the beginning and we're loving it. 

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

24. What was the best book you read? Waiting for Birdy by Catherine Newman and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

25. What was your favorite music? I spent most of the year listening to The Black Keys station on Pandora.

26. What did you want and get? A healthy baby!

27. What did you want and not get? A new living room rug. 

28. What was your favorite film of this year? The only movies I saw in the theater this year were The Heat and Monsters University. The movies I enjoyed most this year were Zero Dark Thirty and The Way, Way Back.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 31. I was 35 weeks pregnant at the time, so no hard partying this year. We went out to breakfast and then my family came over for pizza and cupcakes. My Greek neighbor brought over homemade spanakopita and another neighbor brought a homemade coconut cream pie. They knew the way to a pregnant lady's heart.
 

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, and a baby that didn't require exhausting amounts of bouncing and shushing to fall asleep. 

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013? I started out trying to find cute maternity clothes, then I just wanted shirts that covered my belly and pants that didn't fall down. Now I'm just trying desperately to not look like the frazzled, lumpy mom I feel like inside when I leave the house.

32. What kept you sane? Sunshine.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Joseph Gordon-Levitt

34. What political issue stirred you the most? Healthcare

35. Who did you miss? Anyone I don't see every day. 

36. Who was the best new person you met? Gracie

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.  I'm 99% sure this is my last baby.

2012 in Review

This year felt much quieter than last, so this survey was harder and may seem a little boring, (not that I felt bored for all of 2012) but I still appreciate the reflection. 

1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before? I got a tattoo... and many firsts with Mia: Her first birthday, first time on an airplane, first time at the beach, first haircut, first ER visit, first night away from her. 

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Last year I said, "I don't really think I made any last year. For 2012 I think I'll go on record to say I'd like to be a better friend. I don't think it always comes naturally to me, so I need to try harder. I'd also like to make more friends. Maybe more mommy friends for play dates. And losing this baby belly pooch would be pretty awesome too, but I'm not going to aim too high." I do think I worked on becoming a better friend. I didn't really make any new friends though, maybe some acquaintances to chat with on the playground, but not really friends. And I definitely didn't lose the baby pooch. For 2013 I'd like to try to find a moms group to join. I want to save more money and be a more positive person. And I want to be more creative, however that manifests itself.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Everyone I know. We got a new nephew on March 22nd and a new niece on October 22nd. And two good friends had babies in the spring.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No. Phew.

5. Where did you travel? We went to Sanibel Island, FL in July with my parents. It was an awesome vacation. Other than that we made lots of trips to Buffalo and Syracuse to see family.

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012? Another baby, or the prospect of having one. 

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? March 22 and October 22 (see #3)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I don't think I had one crowning achievement, I just think I'm realizing more and more that I am good at being a stay at home mom, and for now this is the right path for me. I'm also pretty proud of how much I exercised this year. I might be in a rut right now, and I didn't lose a lot of weight, but overall I found some bliss in running in the summer and I found a group exercise class I enjoy. 

9. What was your biggest failure? Anytime I forgot Mia was just a little girl and lost my temper. 

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nope. 

11. What was the best thing you bought? A new dishwasher. It has changed my life, no joke.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? I'll just be sappy and say Mia. She's just so smart and funny and sweet. I'm so proud to be her mom. 

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Mass shooters, I'll just leave it at that. 

14. Where did most of your money go? The mortgage.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Mia's birthday, our vacation to Florida, my 30th birthday

16. What song will always remind you of 2012? Call Me Maybe or Gangam Style, just because they were so prevalent. Or maybe Kenny Chesney's El Cerrito Place because we listened to it a lot and for some reason I feel like it speaks to me.
 

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

a) happier or sadder? About the same.
b) thinner or fatter? About the same.
c) richer or poorer? About the same.
 That's kind of depressing - Ending up in the same place I started!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?  I wish I'd been more frugal and saved more money.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? I wish I'd lost my temper with Mia less. I'm not proud of it, but there it is.

20. How did you spend Christmas? We had our own little Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at our house for the first time which was so simple and relaxing. Then we went to my parents house for Christmas which was not relaxing, but so so wonderful in its own way. 

21. Did you fall in love in 2012? Every year I say, "More and more with my husband and my girl," and that will hold up until the end of time.

22. What was your favorite TV program? The Good Wife, New Girl, Top Chef, Nashville, and Jeff and I are entrenched in the first season of Homeland right now. Can't get enough.

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

24. What was the best book you read? Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? I am not on the cutting edge when it comes to music at all, and did not really diversify my listening any this year.

26. What did you want and get? An awesome 30th birthday. A DSLR camera.

27. What did you want and not get? Pregnant. Oh well, there's always next year. 

28. What was your favorite film of this year? I think I saw even less movies this year than I did last year. Hmm, I enjoyed The Hunger Games.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 30! Jeff surprised me with dinner with family and friends at a fondue restaurant and then had a limo take our friends out so we could pretend we were 21 again. It was so much fun, even if I felt all of my 30 years the next day. 
 

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? If Mia slept past 6 am.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?  I basically just gave up on ever being any kind of clothes horse and decided to create a uniform for myself of jeans and black tops or jeans and cardigans.

32. What kept you sane? Nothing. My anxiety is at an all time high.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I know I'll think of a better answer later, because I'm always exclaiming, "oh, I love him/her!" but for now I'll say Obama, because I heart him as a person. 

34. What political issue stirred you the most? Gun control. Without a doubt.

35. Who did you miss? Every year at Christmastime I miss my Grandfather so so much. And I still miss my family even though they are not that far, I daydream of all of us living down the street from one another. 

36. Who was the best new person you met? My new little neice and nephew. 

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012. That I need 8 hours of sleep a night to be anything resembling my best self. And maybe sometimes I will have to carry on on less than that, but at least I KNOW that about myself.