last day of 2008

yesterday, my friend courtney wrote me an email containing this line:



"It is blowing my mind that tomorrow is the last day of 2008. This has been one crazy-ass year, I must say."



and, tho we email ALL the time, that one line has been going over and over in my head since i read it. and i think it is because it is the truest statement. immediately i responded my agreement with her, but the more i think about what made this year "crazy" i can't believe it, everything that happened, that we did.



so then that leads me into thinking about all we did. ALL we did. there was so much. this past year was definitely one of the most momentous in my life.



and i think at the end of every year, people sort of inventory their year. at how many new years parties tonight will people stand around saying things like-- wow, remember that trip this summer? or-- i can't believe you finally (insert cool topic here)! or-- that was so sad when (insert sad thing here).



but how many people take the time to think about how all that doing made them feel? not me. even this morning, laying in bed before i got up, i was thinking of ALL that we did this year and realized that doing all those things made me feel every possible color of emotion in the emotion-rainbow.



so i think that not only should we look back on all that we accomplished (or didn't accomplish) in this past year, but also how what we did made us feel and affected our lives. in doing that, we can both repeat actions that made us feel great (vacations, children, spending time with certain people) and learn to avoid and break cycles of behaviors/actions that made us feel not-so-great (fighting about (insert stupid thing here), tequila, hanging out with that negatron person, etc... you get the idea).



so, though i am recapping some of my year here, i'm definitely considering what made me happiest in 2008 and planning to repeat and expand some of those things. the rest i am going to try to eliminate or alter. and, of course, i'm sure 2009 will be chock-full of plenty of things that get eliminated in 2010. but if i keep holding onto what makes me happy and taking out the trash, each year will add more and more happy and have less and less trash. right?





2008



january

rang in the new year with dear friends at jo's house. played catch phrase. felt like crap, didn't drink much, drove us home.

new year's day felt like poo, despite the not drinking. weather was amazing, walked around with eric and justin. nearly fainted.

jan 3 at work decided to take pregnancy test while at lunch with rachel. she assured me i was being silly. i needed peace of mind. took test in bathroom at Cosi. test was positive. subsequent five tests were positive.

had engagement party for sarah at our dc apartment. we all went out after. i drank water. ran into a coworker at a bar. thanked god he didn't ask me why i was drinking water.

flew to miami with eric, rented a car and drove to key largo. layed in the sun, swam, enjoyed what might be my last bikini-wearing days. was a bridesmaid in sarah and tim's beautiful wedding.

had dr. appointment. saw and heard baby's heartbeat. cried.



february

missed at flight at bwi to ohio. cried to the airline employee that i was pregnant and i was going to see my grandma (both true). got on another flight for free. threw up on that flight into the barf bag. spent time with family in ohio. got delayed on the flight back home, spent 12 hours in the airport.

finished yoga teacher training.

found our house. started the buying process.



march

told work i was pregnant.

started teaching yoga in old town, above the mindful hands shop.

got in a car accident on the way to baltimore with rachel and jo. we were going to an event sarah's nonprofit was hosting. we were all ok, just banged around.



april

traveled to nc for work.

eric and i had our first anniversary, tho we spent it apart because i was on that work trip and he had to work. i bought him a grill for our new house.

closed on our new house in alexandria.

found out the baby would be born a boy. named him adam. had dinner with dan, lauren, gabi, justin and rachel to celebrate.

registered for baby stuff.



may

traveled to charleston with rachel. spent lots of time outside, layed on the beach. had to dig hole in sand to lay on belly. attended college alumni party.

my dad came to help us do work on our new house.

moved into the new house. cleaned the dc apartment. thought i would die. eric and i did it all ourselves... it was a LONG day.

with my dad, cleared the fence row. helped with as much yard/house work as i could while i still felt good.

people started to stare at my belly and men offered me seats on the train.

celebrated memorial day at the coast guard beach house in nj with tony, andrea and cory.



june

lauren hosted a baby shower for me. it was awesome!

worked on our house, more more more.

dad went home.



july

spent july 4 at dan and lauren's. drank o'doul's. watched the fireworks at the yacht club. eric got off work, unexpectedly.

painted the living room green. painted the baby's room blue. organized and completed the baby's room.

saw a mouse in our house. began attempting to overcome the mouse and all his friends.

traveled to charleston. had the best massage ever. courtney held a baby shower for me there at sunfire grille. it was great! traveled home to my parents'.



august

started to slow down.



september

felt awful, big, heavy, uncomfortable, impatient.

had maternity photos taken.

got in a car accident downtown on my way to work.

started maternity leave on 9/11, my birthday.

went to eric's work with take out for my birthday. he had to work. same day, walked around target, had strong contractions that came and went.

9/12, due date. woke up still pregnant.

9/12, due date, started labor that afternoon. my parents got in the car and drove to va.

9/13 at 9:08pm adam was born. it was hilarious and long and totally worth it. had a spicy chicken sandwich and a strawberry milkshake after, the best meal of my life. fell asleep with the baby in my arms. the nurse scolded me. i was exhausted-- 30 hours of labor.

rachel and justin brought me sangria in the hospital.

cried as eric drove home from the hospital with adam and me. it was the MOST beautiful weather, a perfect day.

mom and dad stayed a week and helped us immensley.

installed new microwave (yes, we're crazy like that.)

dad came back at the end of the month to help us build our deck.

saw allman brothers in the rain with eric. danced outside.

had newborn photos taken.



october

lucas and stephanie came to visit. we went to the wine and balloon festival in va. adam was tiny and still waking up at night.

finished the deck.

mom flew up halloween weekend and went back to sc with dad.

had trick or treaters at our house.

adam smiled for the first time at eric whistling.

made some peace with something and felt lighter.



november

found out we got into the daycare we wanted.

started teaching yoga again.

planted bulbs for the spring.

spent thanksgiving with eric and his family at his parents' house in va.

adam started sleeping all night- 7pm to 7am.

adam had his 2 month appointment and vaccines. he was 60 percentile for height and 90 for weight. we're growing a big boy.



december

took a road trip with adam to sc. visited my parents, lucas and stephanie and friends in cahrleston. co-hosted a baby shower with jobeth for courtney. got to spend some special time with jobeth, whcih was so so wonderful. saw a couple friends i havent' seen in far too long, met one of their children. adorable!

brought otis home to va.

adam started daycare.

i went back to work.

finished my yoga series.

eric and i bought another car, an suv. he picked it out, i love it.

dad had a heart attack.

flew to sc with adam, his first plane trip. he did great. spend christmas at my parents' house with eric, adam, lucas, stephanie, cameran and both my parents.

made eric a shelf with storage jars underneath, made my dad fresh homemade salsa, made mom jewelry, made lucas a wine rack.

eric and i started planning a vacation for 2009. after all thsi in 2008, i'd say we could use one.