2011 in Review

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

I went to a professional conference alone (I normally go with colleagues or take students)...and actually did this twice.  The first was a HUGE deal with big, important people from schools like Harvard and Yale.  And, I didn't make a fool of myself.  In fact, I think that I sounded intelligent in most conversations!  

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

My biggest New Years Resolution was to lose weight...and I started off well.  I will say that at this point, I actually weigh less than I did when I started the year...and I am nearly 23 weeks pregnant.  So, while I didn't hit that goal of losing 30 pounds this year, I have made progress, and will get back at it.  I don't know if I will make New Years Resolutions this year or not.  If I do, I think they will just have to do with loving my family and spending as much time with them and my friends as possible.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

My best friend had a baby girl in April.  Another friend just gave birth to a little boy 10 days ago...he was early and very tiny but is doing amazingly well.  My sister in law also had a baby girl in October--her sixth!  Wowza!  

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Thankfully, no.  It was a quiet year...which my family desperately needed after the last few years we have had.

5. What countries did you visit?

Absolutely none.  Although I did have to fly through Atlanta...and I'm pretty sure that airport can count as it's own country.  

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you didn’t have in 2011?

This is really hard.  I feel like I have so much and have had so many blessings.  I would like to have more time with my family and friends.  As my friends all start their families, it is even harder to make time for each other...but I know how amazing just a little time with them can be.  

I guess that better control of my finances would be another one.  This seems to haunt me from year to year.  

7. What dates from 2011 will be etched upon your memory, and why?

August 7--the day I found out I was going to be a mommy again.  October 24--my 30th birthday.  November 7--the day that it was confirmed that I will be taking on a new job in July 2012 that will utterly change my career and probably in some ways, change my life (and I haven't been able to really talk about it much, but hope that is about to change after the start of the new year).  December 8--the day it was confirmed that baby number 2 is a boy (and appears healthy)

8. What was your biggest achievement of this year?

I guess that I have a personal one and a professional one.  In my personal life, it would be that we decided to have a second child and were able to conceive this little guy.  Professionally, it would be sticking up for myself and asking for what I know I deserve. 

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not getting my finances in order.  And not thoroughly enjoying all of my time with my son.  I love him, but two years old is hard...and sometimes mama is very excited when bedtime rolls around.  

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No. 

11. What was the best thing you bought?

My new iphone (hello love).  Also bought a new car (lower payment, brand new...love it).  

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Probably my husband who put up with my complete neurotic mindset through most of the year--and he didn't kill me (pretty sure he wanted to on multiple occasions).  

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

I can't think of an individual...more like groups of people.  Sometimes students drove me crazy this year.  Celebrities are insane for the most part.  Politicians in general.  The Obama-bashing people who think that the world is coming to an end.  

14. Where did most of your money go?

You know, mortgage, car, diapers (please let me get boy #1 pottytrained before boy #2 arrives).  Probably too many trips to restaurants.  

15. What did you get really excited about?

Learning I was pregnant (though that also scared the crap out of me), my new iphone (yup, I'm pathetic), and the prospect of new job responsibilities.  

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?

Probably something by Adele

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?

I would like to say happier, but I'm probably about the same

Thinner by the scale, fatter by the maternity pants I'm currently sporting

Probably about the same

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

Reading to my son.  Reading for myself.  Gotten more alone time (an hour a week...wow, that would be amazing).  Date nights with my husband (it's only going to get harder as we add to our family, but we really have to make a conscious effort to do this.  We went almost an entire year without a date night (that didn't involve attending a wedding).  

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

Worrying.

20. How will you spend Christmas?

Running all over the place to see family.  But to me, that is Christmas.  

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?

I fell in love with my unborn child.  It is amazing how you can love something so much that you have haven't even met.  

22. What was your favorite TV program?

I watch way too much TV...but my favorites are Dexter (woah season finale last night), Grey's Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother, Glee (I'm still on board), and I recently discovered a love for The Big Bang Theory.  

23. What was the best book you read?

Honestly, I can't even remember.  Which is pathetic.  I have been doing so much research for work that my free time isn't spent reading for fun.  I have big plans to read over the holiday break though!  

24. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I love Adele.  

25. What did you want and get?

Pregnant.  A new car.  An iphone.  

26. What did you want and not get?

For my husband to get a new job with set hours that don't involve working most evenings and weekends. 

27. What was your favorite film of 2011?

Pretty sure that the only movie I saw in theaters was Harry Potter.  We don't get out much.  

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

I turned 30!  And for the first time in two years, I stayed at home alone during the day!  My son went to school that day and I got to enjoy some time at home...got a pedicure...went to lunch with a friend...laid in my bed for an hour.  It was blissful!  I got to have dinner with my family...and then a few days later went out to dinner with some friends.  

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

Honestly, I'm not sure.  

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2011 ?

Ugh.  I have none.  Right now it is "does it fit?  Yes?  Put it on"

31. What kept you sane?

My husband, my friends, my sons hysterical laugh, Dr. Pepper

32. What political issue stirred you the most?

Obviously the economy is on everyone's minds right now.  I have already started to worry about the election next year.  Getting all of our troops out of Iraq this past weekend was great...my "baby" cousin just got home from Iraq and another has been before.  I would really like for our troops in Afghanistan to be removed as well before my cousin is sent there this summer.  Occupy Wall Street has kind of annoyed me more than anything. I get it...but sometimes I just want to tell people to get a job (any job).  I kind of lost it when a local TV station was interviewing one of the "occupiers" and they were complaining about how the only job they could get with their bachelor's degree was working at McDonalds.  Well...work at McDonalds.  My husband has a master's degree and works at a luggage store because he hasn't found a job in his field and he needs to help support our family.  You have to do what you have to do.  It sucks, but sometimes you do it.  (and I completely understand that there are people out there who can't even get jobs at McDonalds...but I think that many people could find SOMETHING if they stopped complaining...or even tried).  Okay, tirade over.  

33. Who did you miss?

I probably miss my best friend the most of all.  Since she had a baby in April, I haven't been able to see her much.  Actually, I haven't been able to see her since June.  Fortunately, we talk via email most days.  But, I still miss her face!  

I'm also missing my grandma terribly.  It hit me early in my pregnancy that my grandma would never meet this baby.  That was devastating to me.  She passed away 10 days after my oldest son was born...but she met him, and held him, and kissed his sweet cheeks.  I won't have that photo with this baby.  I miss her more than I thought...I think part of that has to do with the fact that I didn't properly grieve when she passed away because I was trying to survive with a newborn.  

34. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

That people are generally good and will help out when they can.  That there are always people that have so much less to be thankful for than you do.  

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

I'm going to have to come back to this one...I'm lame and can't think of anything right now.  

30...

So, today I turn 30. I realize that I haven't posted on here in forever, but I want to start again. So, last year, right after i turned 29 I created a 30 before 30 list. I decided that I better update it...I needed to see what I have done this past year. So, here it is:

1. Lose 20 pounds.
Well, I have lost over 10 pounds, but since I am pregnant, I have had to put this goal on hold, but I will start back up after the baby is born in April.
2. Have a weekend getaway with my husband...alone.
This didn't happen.
3. Pay off my remaining credit card debt.
This didn't happen, but I'm working on it.
4. Paint my living room.
Again, hasn't happened...but some other rooms in my house are about to get painted!
5. Exercise three times a week.
This one just makes me laugh
6. Take Jack to the park as often as the weather allows.
Jack loves the park and being outside more than anything in the world, so we go all the time.
7. Read to Jack every night before bed...as many books as he wants.
I would say that books are one of Jack's favorite things. We read all the time...even if I read the same book 10 times in a row. I will read as much as he wants.
8. Be a better wife to my husband. Make sure he knows how wonderful he is every single day.
I think this is something that I will work on every day for the rest of my life. Marriage is hard, but we have to keep working at it.
9. Cook more meals for my family.
Our schedules are crazy, but I cooks when I can and when we are all home. I'm not ashamed to feed Jack a bowl of cereal and fruit for dinner every now and then...he loves it and I love the lack of time spent in the kitchen.
10. Take a week off of work and don't check my email or voice mail the entire week.
HA HA HA HA HA. That is hilarious. Some day this might happen.
11. Finally put all of the photos I have taken and printed of Jack into photo albums.
Again, still working on that.
12. Get one evening with my friends each month.
It didn't happen every month, but it has happened and those days make me very happy.
13. Visit my best friend at her new house for a weekend.
Nope...and this makes me the saddest of everything. I miss her so much.
14. Read one book a month for fun.
I only read five books for fun this year.
15. Clean my office at work and purge all of the old files that are cluttering my life!
HA HA HA HA HA. This is a work in progress.
16. Bake more tasty treats for my family and friends
I have baked a ton of cinnamon rolls, cookies, and banana bread. Looking forward to trying out some new recipes this holiday season.
17. Visit the Missouri History Museum, the St. Louis Art Museum, the Science Center, and the Zoo.
Didn't visit any of these places, but we took Jack to Grant's Farm which he absolutely loved. I hadn't been there since I was a kid, so it was great for me too.
18. Go to Chicago for a fun weekend of shopping and museums.
Nada
19. Go to at least two new restaurants in St. Louis.
I went to Copia Urban winery in February and had the best meal of my life in February. I have been a few other places...and am looking forward to a new restaurant this Saturday for my birthday dinner.
20. Try a new food
I don't know if I tried anything new
21. Publish an article
Done! My article was published in Campus Programming Magazine last spring about Retreat Planning and Officer Transitions for programming boards.
22. Help Ryan get a job that he will love.
Still working on this
23. Run a 5K
Not happening until after baby
24. Get my wisdom teeth taken out (no, this isn't fun...but it needs to be done!)
Was scheduled for this and then got pregnant, so it will wait until after baby
25. Spend more time with my mom and sister
I try to see them at least once a week.
26. Enroll Jack in day care two days a week so that he can socialize with other kids.
Done. He went to day care in February and then moved to the Early Childhood Center on campus in August. He seems to really love it there and I'm so happy that he got in.
27. Be a better friend to the great people in my life
I am in no way a great friend, but I try to be there for the people that I love when they need me. We have had some great highs and some sad lows this year, but I will always love them!
28. Drink more water every day
Continue to work on this. Right now, water makes me gag, so I am drinking more juice then I would like, but it's okay.
29. Make sure Jack feels unconditional love every day of his life
I know that he knows he is loved. I can't even express how much I love this kid. Mommy is his favorite person right now...
30. Find the perfect outfit to wear for my 30th birthday
I feel very pregnant right now...but I found an adorable shirt to wear that I love.

10 Things About Me

Here are 10 things about me that you don't know...and probably didn't want to know!

1. I can pretty much recite every word to the movie "The American President". I can also recite parts of episodes of "The West Wing". I guess I'm an Aaron Sorkin weirdo!

2. I have a major sweet tooth. I love pretty much all sweet things. I also love to bake. If I could, I would open up a bakery...but I don't have the patience or dedication for that!

3. I'm a St. Louis Cardinals fanatic. I usually start to get a twitch for baseball in December and then am in full on withdrawal by February. I can't wait for Jack to start playing little league. His first compound word was baseball...I think it's a sign!

4. I have an illness called Sjogren's Syndrome. It's an autoimmune disorder that affects the moisture producing glands of the body. Mine specifically seems to affect the salutatory glands and the tear ducts. My eyes are often dry and my mouth is dry sometimes. This also causes me to have a ridiculous number of cavities, no matter how much I brush my teeth, floss, etc. Honestly, if I had the money, I would get dental implants because my teeth will be a never ending battle and it would actually be cheaper to just do this. Unfortunately, because I am not independently wealthy, I usually have constant mouth pain that I try to ignore because there is always something going on in there that I can't afford to fix.

5.

2010 in review

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?

I went on vacation with my ENTIRE family. It was the first time that my three siblings, our spouses, kids, and parents had ever all been on vacation together.

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

I don't think that I actually made new year's resolutions last year. I decided that I wouldn't. I'm sure that if I did, it would have been to lose weight and be more financially responsible. Um, those are both big fat failures, so we will just say that I didn't make any.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

I know several people that had babies, but none of my family or close friends. My best friend is expecting a baby in April 2011 and I am SOOOO excited!!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My grandpa passed away in March. I wouldn't say that we were close (he is my step-dad's dad), but he was my grandpa nonetheless. However, I will say that the past few months have left me missing my maternal grandma and grandpa immensely. I think about them every day and wish that they were here.

5. What countries did you visit?

No foreign countries. I took a trip to Boston for work and then went to Alabama (which could technically count as a foreign country) with my family.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you didn’t have in 2010?

I would really like for my husband to get a decent paying full time job.

7. What dates from 2010 will be etched upon your memory, and why?

Probably May 19 because we celebrated Jack's first birthday. October 24 because it was my 29th birthday and I had a great time with ALL of my friends for the first time in quite a while.

8. What was your biggest achievement of this year?

.I honestly can't think of anything great that I did. I guess professionally, we had a great academic year last year. We increased our attendance and the number of events we did.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not being more supportive of my husband when he lost his job and in the eight plus months since then.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nothing major.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

My ipad. I shouldn't have purchased it, but I used the money I received from teaching a class and purchased it. There were absolutely more responsible things I could have done with that money, but I use it every day and my son loves it too!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My husband who took on the role of stay at home dad at the end of March. I would not have the patience to be home with our child every day for months on end. He has so much more patience then I could ever dream of having. I'm so thankful

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

There are quite a few people that I could list here, but I will just say that overall, I think people are good.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Paying bills...mortgage, car, insurance, student loans, etc.

15. What did you get really excited about?

My birthday...because all of my friends came to town to help me celebrate. And Christmas because Jack actually opened his presents this year.

16. What song will always remind you of 2010?

I can't think of one song that will represent this year...

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?

Happier: No. I'm working on it though
Thinner: I am the same
Richer: Absolutely not...my husband lost his job in March! Enough said!

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

Visiting with friends. Making time for myself.

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

Dwelling on all the things I don't have.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

Running around to our families and enjoying time with them.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010?

Still love my husband dearly.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

Glee, Modern Family, anything on ABC Family (because I'm a 13 year old girl at heart), Grey's Anatomy, and I could go on and on and on. I like TV.

23. What was the best book you read?

I can tell you what it wasn't..."Nickel and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich. It's the required reader for the freshman seminar classes at my university. Since I taught a freshman seminar, I had to read it. And it was awful. I felt guilty making the kids read it.

24. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I'm going to say that I love Bruno Mars right now. Tyrone Wells is still at the top of my list.

25. What did you want and get?

An ipad

26. What did you want and not get?

For my husband to get a job

27. What was your favorite film of 2010?

Harry Potter

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

I turned 29 this year and had a great time celebrating with a big group of friends. I loved it...but I did not love how I felt the next day.

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

If my husband had gotten a job.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2010 ?

Oh please. Fashion is not my thing. I would love to be more fashionable, but I'm a mom on a very limited budget!

31. What kept you sane?

Emails from my best friend, my husband, my mom

32. What political issue stirred you the most?

Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The repeal is a definite step in the right direction for equality.

33. Who did you miss?

My grandma and grandpa. They popped into my head almost every day over the past few months.

34. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.

There are always going to be people that are worse off than you. You should be happy for all that you have and not dwell on what you don't have.

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

Just have a little patience....I really wanna start over again.