Oh, what a year it has been. To think that this time last year I was still in a panic, trying to figure out if this whole "having a kid" gig was the biggest mistake ever. I was still having to be at Isaiah's beck and call every 2 hours, still getting up at 2:00 am for feedings, still worrying about gas bubbles in his belly, still having to make sure to support his head whenever I held him. Now, I can let the little buggar play with an amazing degree of independence, I can sleep through the night, I deal with super stinky diapers rather than painful gas bubbles, and we swing the stinker upside down to get him giggling! Amazing how much can change in a year. Some things, however, do not change. Every year I try to tune in to watch the ball drop in Times Square. It's always such an iconic symbol for me of the transition to the fresh start of a fresh calendar. So, in the true spirit of the new year, here's what I'm looking forward to in 2009:
Isaiah:
Isaiah:
- Words! He busts out a "Mama," "Dada," and "Hi!" every now and again, but I can't wait to hear actual words. I'm so excited to hear him point to something and ask for it by name. I think I might just break down into hysterics the first time I hear him say "Thank You" or "I love you."
- Personality. He is already such an individual, but I know that he is going to develop into such a little person in the next year. Toddlers develop a sense of self so quickly and it's going to be really cool to watch Isaiah grow into his personality.
Our Family:
- We continue to pray that God will expand our family when he feels the time is right. I am hopeful that we will welcome a new baby in 2009 (or at least early in 2010!) and Isaiah can have a go at being a big brother. If all else fails, we'll probably get a puppy! :-)
- 5 years! That's how long Evan and I will have been married come July of 2009. Hard to believe it has already been that long. Back when we were engaged and Evan was super-broke (he literally had less than $10 in his bank account), he got me a picture frame for a gift with a letter he had written that I wasn't allowed to read until our 5 year wedding anniversary. At the time, it seemed like it was so far away. Evan reminds me of that letter from time to time and admits that he has completely forgotten what it says! So, we'll both be looking forward to removing it from its home in the back of the picture frame that houses our wedding photo and reading what Evan wrote to me. He's such a softie underneath that sarcastic exterior, isn't he??
Our Home:
- The Basement. We are desperately in need of a play room! This became painfully obvious when we unloaded all of Isaiah's birthday and Christmas gifts only to realize that we have nowhere to go with them. The living room is already stuffed with his favorite toys and I had to put many of his gifts into his closet to save until we have room for him to use them. Plus, he's becoming so active now that it is nearly impossible to keep him barricaded in the living room. He just needs more room to roam! That's why the basement really needs to be a priority in 2009. Our plan is to divide up the space into a play room, living area, office/scraproom, and a storage room. Before we get too far into the process, we still need to make sure that we've taken the neccessary steps to prevent any future flooding, like what we experienced this past summer. This will include installing a gutter & eavestrough system on the house. It is a very intimidating project to be sure, so you can imagine my excitement when I caught wind of the tax rebate program that we will be eligible for. We still need to look into more of the details, but we know that we can apply for a first time home buyers tax credit that will give us a $7500 tax rebate when we file our taxes this year. It is basically a no interest loan from the government that we have 15 years to repay and the payments come right off our taxes at the end of the year. Like I said, we have a few more questions to ask of our tax guy before we start doing cartwheels, but I am already thanking God for providing us a with a way to get the basement completed. That money couldn't have shown up at a better time!
Me:
- What would a New Year's reflection be without turning the focus inward and pointing out all your flaws that you want to promise to fix in the coming year? Well, I'm not going to do that. I find myself doing that enough on a regular basis without giving myself an excuse to do so. Instead, I'm just going to say that I am going to make it my goal to be more positive in 2009.....about everything. Money. My weight. My job (or lack thereof). My relationships. It is my hope that this will have a trickle down effect on everything else. I have such a bad habit of finding the negative in things, so it is my prayer that God will help me to find the positive side of EVERYTHING in 2009. He will never do anything to purposefully harm me, so I need to trust that he is watching over me and helping me to grow closer to Him. My mom has this little card box in her bathroom that has been on the same saying for quite some time: "Sometimes God calms the raging seas. Other times, he lets the storm rage and calms his child."
Happy New Year everyone. May your 2009 be blessed.
