1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Squeezed a complete human out my body.
2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t remember making one, so I’m going to call that a win.  I think for next year my resolution will be to do the difficult things one has to do as a parent instead of taking the easy way out.  I need to learn to let Miles fail a little.  Perhaps I’ll sleep 8 consecutive hours in 09!
3. did anyone close to you give birth?
Well, yours truly.  My cousin Betsy also had a sweet little girl, and of course the new friends we made through our birth class.
4. did anyone close to you die?
My Granddad died in February.  It was time for him to go.
5. what countries did you visit?
For the first time in probably 10 years, I stayed in the United States for a whole year.  I did go to the Pacific Northwest (Oregon and a tiny smidge of Washington) for the first time, though.
6. what would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
The aforementioned 8 consecutive hours of sleep.
7. what date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Man, this is easy.  Actually it’s kind of a tie between January 6, when my water unceremoniously broke a month ahead of schedule, and January 7, when I met Miles.
8. what was your biggest achievement of the year?
Thus far, Miles is not a sociopath.  Triumph!
9. what was your biggest failure?
One time when Miles was really tiny, I accidentally cut him while trimming his fingernails.  I felt like the worst mommy in the whole world.
10. did you suffer illness or injury?
Really, no.  Recovering from childbirth was a tad challenging, but I wouldn’t really call those issues injuries.  I didn’t have any unexpected complications.
11. what was the best thing you bought?
The Wee Gallery art cards were a real lifesaver for a while there.  I made a mobile out of them and hung them over Miles’s changing table, and they really kept his attention.  Before that he was wigging out during diaper and outfit changes, which happen a lot when a kid is extra oozy in those early months.
12. whose behavior merited celebration?
Oh, there was a lot of applause in our home for Miles’s various accomplishments.  I would also like to publicly thank the American public for electing Mr. Barack Obama.  U.S.A.!  U.S.A.!
13. whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Negative campaigners on all sides.  So gross.
14. where did most of your money go?
Baby accoutrements.
15. what did you get really, really, really excited about?
All of Miles’s little accomplishments:  rolling over, sitting up, standing up against the furniture, saying Ma and Da.

The election.
16. what song(s) will always remind you of 2005?
The various Miles song parodies (“My Girl” with “Miles” substituted, “Islands in the Stream” morphed into “Miles in the Stream”).
17. compared to this time last year, are you
i. happier or sadder?: Both.  I feel both ends of the spectrum more strongly than ever before.
ii. thinner or fatter?: Waaaaay thinner.
iii. richer or poorer?: A bit poorer, since I’m only working half time and we have more expenses, but Denny’s been doing well
18. what do you wish you’d done more of?
Sleeping, duh.
19. what do you wish you’d done less of?
Waking up and checking to make sure Miles was still breathing.  Dumb, but I did it a lot.
20. how did you spend christmas?
Jaunting around the state to various family celebrations.
22. did you fall in love in 2008?
Every single day.
23. what was your favorite TV program?
What’s TV?  Actually, I do manage to watch a little; I’ll vote for House.
24. do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hate is a strong word, but I didn’t know anything about Sarah Palin in 2007, so I guess she was my least favorite person of 08.
25. what was the best book you read?
I’m almost done with Cien años de soledad, and it’s something else.  I also really liked The Time Traveler’s Wife.

26. what was your greatest musical discovery?
I don’t think I really had any.  I didn’t do a lot of recreational music listening, I’m afraid.
(I don’t know what happened to 27 and 28)

29. what did you want and get?
A healthy baby.
30. what did you want and not get?
A natural childbirth experience.
31. what was your favorite film of this year?
I saw three movies this year:  Juno, The Dark Knight, and Milk.  I guess I liked Milk the best.

32. what did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I actually don’t remember.  I turned 31.  Maybe we went out to dinner.
33. what one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
It’s hard to imagine a more satisfying year, really.  Yeah, the sleep thing, but it’s worth it.
34. how would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Jeans (it felt like I was going to be wearing my maternity jeans forever, but fortunately that ended) and a fleece jacket.
35. what kept you sane?
Baby laughter.  Denny being an awesome night-time parent (he’s good in the day, too, but night is when I’m most likely to go insane, and he really steps up at those times).
36. which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Probably my perennial favorite, Angelina Jolie.
37. what political issue stirred you the most?
Election!  Does that count as a political issue?  The Iowa Caucuses were really exciting.  As for specific issues, I guess I followed gay rights the most closely, with the whole Prop 8 debacle.
38. who did you miss?
I miss my coworkers, whom I haven’t seen much since I’ve been working from home.  But I’ll be back at the office soon.
39. who was the best new person you met?
If you don’t know, you haven’t been paying attention.
40. tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Perspective:  find it and use it.
41. quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Miles in the stream
Splashing with his arms
Having so much fun
Like a wiggle worm
Come away with me
To Cannon Beach
And we will splash on each other, oh
Having fun with one another, oh.

–“Miles in the Stream,” lyrics reimagined by Denny Crall

I’ve had a few fun New Year’s Eves in my day, but mostly they’re pretty blah.  It’s always too cold out to do anything really fun, like, you know, watching fireworks on a beach while you drink champagne while wearing a bikini and maybe Snoop Dog is there.

This year promises to be calm, but at least I finally have a good excuse.  Our favorite restaurant is doing a 5-course prix fixe, and they delightfully have a 5:30 seating so we can bring Miles without causing too much distress to ourselves and others.  It’s not as sexy as a dinner closer to the midnight hour, but the food will be great, and I’ll be able to buy a glass of champagne.  My current champagne situation is tricky, because Denny never wants more than half a glass or so, and thus I end up having way too much, because what are you going to do, waste champagne?  That hurts my feelings.

Over the last year I’ve never had more than one or two glasses spaced out over an entire evening, what with the breastfeeding, and frankly I think that’s a better quantity for me anyway.  I’m getting prone to hangovers in my old age.

Once, relatively early in Miles’s life, back during that two-month span when he’d actually take a bottle of previously pumped milk, I decided to get a little wild and have several glasses of wine, then I did a pump-and-dump.  I didn’t like doing that.  For one thing, breast pumps aren’t exactly easy to use under the best of circumstances, and being schnockered doesn’t help (in fun news, my spellcheck recognizes schnockered).  Also, it just felt dirty and wrong to dump the milk down the sink.  If we had a cat, I might have given it to him/her just to see what would happen.  That’s probably illegal, I don’t know.

I’m thinking of my brother and his sports team, who are playing in their first bowl game since he joined the staff.  My parents and aunt and uncle are there in Jacksonville to watch, and I know they’ll have fun.

Anyway, happy New Year, everyone.  Be safe tonight; there will be a lot of drunk drivers on the road.  Please wear a silly hat and take a picture.