Fabulous Miss S.

End of 2008 re-cap, everything you didn't want to know about me

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

I raised a child.  Totally took care of another human being for one whole year. Successfully!

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

I didn't really make any resolutions last year, I had just had a baby and I was too consumed to even think about the year ahead.  I will definitely make some resolutions for the new year and reflect back on the positive things I have done this year. 

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

I gave birth at the end of 2007, does that count?  No one else I know well gave birth in 2008.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Fortunately, no.

5. What countries did you visit?

I hardly traveled outside my county, let alone my state or the country.

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

A stronger relationship with my husband, the kind that comes from getting out of the house, date night and time spent together. Sans child.

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

September 1: I finally reached my pre-baby goal weight.  

December 19: Noah walked for the first time.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Kicking my ass into the best shape of my life.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not giving my marriage enough attention.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I didn't write much about this but postpartum depression was fairly rough and I didn't find my groove as a new mother until Noah was about 9 or 10 months old.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

A pair of Size 6 Levi's jeans because it means I lost the baby weight and more. And finally conquered a few demons standing between me and the exercise machine.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

I really liked Michelle Obama when she gave her speech at the DNC introducing Barack. 

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

The Real Housewives of Orange County.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Gas. Diapers.

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

When my son walked. And each time my husband offered to change the poopy diaper.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

Maroon 5: Won't go home without you

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? EQUAL? (In all fairness, I had just given birth but the depression and sleeplessness was close on my tail.)
b) thinner or fatter? THINNER. Much.
c) richer or poorer? RICHER.

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

Exercise. Spending time with my husband. Getting out of the house sans baby.

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

Eating. Television watching. Complaining. Judging. Worrying.

20. How did you spend Christmas Hanukkah?

With my family at home, casual and all.  Watching Noah get presents and prefer to chew on the ribbon.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?

More and more each day with my son.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

See Q.19, as it is a problem that I cannot choose ONLY ONE.  So: Biggest Loser, Survivor, Big Bang Theory, Real Housewives of Orange County, Top Chef, Re-Runs of ER

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

No.

24. What was the best book you read?

Escape, by Carolyn Jessop

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Sadly, nothing. The same Bruce Springsteen CD has been in my car for 13 months. Oh wait!  David Cook. I do love David Cook!

26. What did you want and get?

A new floor in my kitchen.

27. What did you want and not get?

My entire house painted.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

I am so far behind it isn't funny, but I did see Sex and the City (the movie) and enjoyed it.  And, Babel. Babel was good. 

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

I turned 28. I did nothing and don't even remember how much nothing I did.

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

Not experiencing postpartum depression.

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

Stained T-Shirt

32. What kept you sane?

My Momma-friends and drinks with Debbie.

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

No one.  I really don't get crushes on pop culture figures.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Sarah Palin

35. Who did you miss?

My brother.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Caroline. Elisabeth.  Mary. Jodi. Hilary. Diana. I was really lucky to have recently met some really great ladies who are definitely going to be long-term friends. They have all brought some great and much needed laughter and kindness to my life at a time that I needed it greatly.

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

Put the child to bed earlier than you think, and he'll sleep later than you expect. Usually. Also, I learned to let go of a lot of guilt and anxiety and worry and just be in the moment. 

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

Barry Manilow: Looks like we made it...

Only the good die young

Today marked the five year anniversary of my Grandma's death.

It was easier than the last four years but still I felt a sense of sadness and loss.  I miss her. I think we all do. We talk about her a lot and I think that helps us keep her alive and a part of us in a sense.  I wish she was still here and I wish she could know my son but in this circle of life that we are all apart of it takes a loss to make us focus and appreciate that life is finite and it does end.  And that is okay. 

I lit a Yartzeit candle and took a few extra minutes today to appreciate the multitude of blessings in my life, a great husband, a healthy and beautiful child, a home, my parents, and a life filled with wonderful friends and love.  I held Noah for a few extra minutes tonight.

My Grandma was a great lady.  She wasn't rich. She wasn't beautiful. She didn't make a huge impact on the world but she had a huge impact on our family.  She was honest, humble, funny, curious, and artistic.  She was a simple and nice person.  She lived a life of integrity and kindness.  

Mostly I remember her taking us downtown to the museums. And later, I remember her teaching me how to cook, one phone call at a time.  And then in the end, when I cooked for her and managed appointments and pills, she had humor, humility and grace right up until the end.

February, 2004.
Not to make this about me at all, but, shut up, it IS my blog. Um, DUDE! Five years has been bad to my skin.  My god, I looked so... YOUNG.

* Billy Joel ( And he WAS right. )

Happy & Merry from Fab Miss S. and the Family

Noah's mildly runny nose has worsened to a full-blown snot-dripping whiney non-sleeping mess.  The poor kid. Poor me. No one is sleeping and I am covered in snot.  I need a shower.  I need to sleep. He needs to stay effing asleep tonight.

I hope you are all having a great holiday week!  Thanks for reading and check back soon for a snot update.

Tell me something: What was the best gift you got or gave this year and why?  It can be a huge expensive material-type thing, or a non-tangible full-of-meaning type thing.  I'm curious about how you all spent the Holiday days.

A week in photos

We had a long weekend.  Last week I was stressed out and worried about getting it all done, preparing for Noah's first birthday, making time to be with him, exercising, and going to Marc's holiday party and leaving Noah for the essentially, the first time.  It all worked out mostly and here I am on the other side with pictures to prove we are all here, albeit, sick with a head-coldish-coughing-plague, and living to tell about it, with pictures, because words of type would take too much energy, energy that I need for nose-wiping and baby wrangling.

I ran out Saturday afternoon to get a pedicure before Marc's holiday party.  It's a good thing too, I wore the open toed shoes, not the red ones which are now bigger than they were in the store.

We went to Marc's party which was a good time.  It was nice to get out of the house while wearing eyeliner and not carrying a diaper bag. As you can see below, I went with Option 1. Thanks to all of those who commented and gave me ideas.  I planned to wear a pair of red shoes actually, but when I got home, they were much bigger than they were in the store and I didn't want to be falling out of my shoes all night.

Note: Pretty toes.

I even bought some new make-up and then took this horrifying shot and I had not had anything to drink yet I swear.

 

Caption? 

The next day was Noah's birthday and we had a small little family party with gender-inappropriate cupcakes. Oops.  I blame the food coloring industry because that much red dye should be BLOOD RED, not, hot pink. Oh well, he'll never know. Except for the fact that this photo is saved for all time on the Internet.

My brother even call and said he was going to come over.  I don't  get to see him very often so I was super excited and then super bummed.  He got into a minor car accident on the way over and never got to my house what with the getting the car to the body shop and getting a loaner car and all.  In case you missed that, this is  what happened to him:

His current mode of transportation will be:

 

And finally, what's a birthday without a little blood?  Just after everyone left, Noah's cupcake induced sugar-high led to a minor fall on the stairs where his head hit the banister and left a big 'ole black and blue knot on his forehead.  And then later he fell over a toy and got a bloody nose. 

 

Here's to hoping the rest of the holiday week improves.

Happy Hanukkah