Archive for December 2006

So I should probably do some sort of “year end wrap-up” type of post. You know, before 2006 is nothing but a distant memory. I’m kinda sad to see the old year go. After a couple of really, truly rough ones, 2006 was pretty darned decent to us. No one fell and broke anything, no one’s van got smashed up by a drunk driver in the middle of the night, no one needed any sort of emergency surgery (the c-section doesn’t count because it was totally planned). No one suffered any sort of crippling depression, so that’s a bonus.

In fact, good things happened this year. 2006 wasn’t just the absence of bad, it was the presence of good as well. The absence of bad would have been enough to make it a pretty darned good year (at least by comparison), but the good stuff pushes it over into a “Top Ten” sort of year. Harry started first grade and blew my mind away with how grown up he’s getting. He’s so smart, and getting so independent from us. It’s hard to have to let go, little by little. But it does my heart good to see what sort of young man he’s growing up to be. Watching him interact with his little brother is one of those things that will forever be imprinted upon my heart. My little design business blossoming and growing and evolving has been another wonderful thing this year. There are (many) times I get frustrated and burnt-out, but it’s fulfilling in so many other ways. It gives me a fabulous feeling of accomplishment. It’s also been a great year for blogging. I feel my blog has evolved in an amazing way and through it all, I’ve become a better writer. I’ve made a name for myself, even getting a paying gig with 451press. I went to BlogHer and not only learned some great things, but I met some great people as well. I really hope I’ll be able to go this year as well. The sky is the limit, right?

And, of course, this year saw the birth of Liam. I love this baby so much I can’t hardly believe it sometimes. Being a parent for the second time around is so incredible and so different. I find myself enjoying all the little things that I never took time to enjoy the first time around. There are days I feel I could do nothing more than just gaze at Liam adoringly and feel completely fulfilled. I still hate that we were denied our baby for so long, that we lost poor Jackson along the way, that we suffered such pain. But the end result is so much more than worth it. We are so blessed I can’t even find the words to express it all. I feel so much more complete today than I did a year ago, there’s no way I could have predicted I would feel this complete and just… happy.

But don’t let my word convince you. This was printed in my parent’s newspaper this week, the San Jose Mercury News. I thought it was a fantastic summation of a pretty successful year. See if you don’t agree. (read on after the jump) _{(this article is reprinted with no permission whatsoever. That said, please don’t sue me.)}

Filed under Fantabulous-ness |

So yesterday saw the return of two things I hadn’t seen in a while.? One of those things was hemorrhoids.? Something I thought I had left behind with the third trimester of pregnancy.? At least, when I was pregnant, I could understand to some degree why I had them in the first place.? But now?? Why now?? It don’t make no sense.? But I suppose it’s a nice compliment to the intestinal distress I’ve been having of late.? Oh, was that TMI?? Sorry ’bout that.? Maybe I should have warned you.

The second thing to return was my period.? I’d almost forgotten what it was like to have one of those.? It’s a little earlier than I would have expected.? With Harry, I think he was seven to eight months when it returned.? Liam is just shy of six months.? Of course, the pumping is a lot different than the nursing.? And I recently had cut back to an “every four hours” schedule as opposed to “every three hours”.? So while I’m not as baffled as by the return of the ‘rhoids, it is a rather annoying reappearance.? I kid you not, my feminine supplies have dust on them.? The box, of course.

*sigh*

Filed under Peevish |

No, not those kinds of bullets. Not that I haven’t been tempted more than once (or twice) to use an actual bullet on myself or one of my loved ones. In a loving sort of manner, of course. It was an interesting sort of holiday. The sort that can be best summed up with not only a bulleted list of “Things I Know Now/Learned/Wished I Never Knew” and pictures. Because everyone loves pictures, right? Let’s start with the bullets. We don’t want to get too crazy first thing here.

• There are far too many people in San Jose to suit me. And they all, apparently, like to shop at this one particular mall near my parents house. Like, every day. All hours of every day.
• We also, for some reason I’m still unsure of, were at or near this mall on no fewer than five separate occasions. One of those occasions took place on Christmas Eve. I know.
• Also, on a related vein, WHY do they have all the cool/fun/neato restaurants at this mall? Or near the mall? Adjacent to? Because that entire area is now on my list of places I never want to have to be ever again.
• Four children, ages 7, 4, 2 and 5 months are a lot more to deal with than you’d first suspect. Add candy and cookies to that mix and the issues multiply.
• Alcohol, particularly Jose Cuervo’s Gold Margaritas, can be a wonderful thing after the aforementioned children are tucked away in bed.
• Riding the light rail from one end to the other takes FOREVER and is a horrible way to spend the day when Mom has thrown you out so the house cleaners can clean things up. I never care to ride the light rail again as long as I live.
• Despite having packed up virtually everything we own, we still forgot several very important things at home. Of course.

God, I think I could go on and on and on. We had a good time, but it wasn’t without its chaos. Liam is still not well, but he’s better. He doesn’t need as many nebulizer treatments which is good because we don’t have that much albuterol left. My sister and her family are in town for a couple days, so we’re not all back to normal yet. But we’re close and that counts for a lot in my book.

Santa Baby on Christmas Eve - Sitting at the Pope Table at Buca di Beppo

Sunrise on Christmas Morning - Harry got RoboRaptor from Santa

Liam with cool blocks - Sitting in the Sauce, eyeing his new train

Filed under General Snark, Yule Blog |

And, can I just say?? I’m glad it’s over. :lol I know that sounds bad, but it can only get better from here, right?? RIGHT?? I have many pictures to follow and stories to tell, horrors to relive, but for now I just wanted to put up something on my site saying a) I am alive even though I haven’t posted since Friday and b) Merry Christmas to all of you that celebrate it.? I hope you’re having a good time with all your respective families this morning and that there hasn’t been any blood spilt… yet.

Filed under Yule Blog |