Annabelle Speaks

2012

(This list of questions originates with Linda at All & Sundry. Previous years 2010 and 2011.)

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

Had a baby!  He's nice, I think we'll keep him.

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

I am not a resolution kind of person.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?  

Me! Also my good friend from college (who shares a birthday with me) had a baby boy almost two months after me.  Several internet friends also had babies, which is good since this way I have people to talk to on Twitter when I'm up nursing at two in the morning.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Thankfully, no.

5. What countries did you visit? 

None! I rarely travel far, but this year I was more grounded than usual due to the pregnancy-childbirth-new baby cycle.

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

I'm going with the same answer I had last year, the ability to sleep past 4am, oh my hell.

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

July 19th - Simon was born (duh), October 16th - Simon's first day at daycare (sadface)

8. What was your biggest achievement of this year? 

Making it through pregnancy still exercising and eating well, surviving the first five and a half months of motherhood and sleep-deprivation without cracking (much).  Successful breastfeeding.

9. What was your biggest failure?  

I don't know that I have any.  Going back to work has been a struggle, but I wouldn't call it a failure, just hard.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?  

Does childbirth count as injury?  Because OW.  Other than that I've done quite well.

11. What was the best thing you bought? 

The Snoogle.  Stupid name, but it's the only reason I got any sleep in late pregnancy.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My super-genius child, of course. He rolls over! He "talks" at us! He squees and giggles and everything he does is just the best.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

87% of the people featured in stories on the news.

14. Where did most of your money go? 

Baby gear, baby gear, and baby gear.  Simon.

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

Telling everyone that I was pregnant and then giving birth to Simon.  Coolest thing EVER.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?

Hmm.  I'm not sure, I can't think of anything in particular.  I haven't listened to much new music.

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

Happier, about the same, poorer.

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

Snuggled Simon.  I did a ton of sunggling, don't get me wrong, but I always wish for more.

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

I wish I had enough money to work less, but that's not going to happen anytime soon.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

We drove up to Minnesota for a few days before Christmas, then to my aunt and uncle's farm in Wisconsin for Christmas Eve/Day, then back to Minnesota.  It was so much fun to watch my parents and other family and friends interact with Simon.  I so wish we were able to live closer.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?

With Simon, yes.  Love at first sight.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

I watched nearly the entire run of Scrubs while on maternity leave.  Also a lot of Ellen's talk show.

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

I have too short of an attention span to sustain hate.

24. What was the best book you read?

My reading sort of screached to a halt after Simon was born, but I remember liking A Discovery of Witches, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, and What Alice Forgot.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Same as last year: I don't listen to a lot of music, I mostly leave musical discovery up to T.

26. What did you want and get?

A healthy, happy baby.

27. What did you want and not get?

A baby who sleeps.

28. What was your favorite film of 2011?

I...don't think I watched a single movie in 2011.  Huh.

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

I turned 32.  T stayed home from work so I could take a Simon-free nap and we went out to lunch.  Lovely!

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

More sleep.

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

Old Navy Maternity.  Ha.

32. What kept you sane?

Same as 2011:  The friends who live in my computer/email/on Twitter. What did people do before the internet?

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

Same as 2011: Not sure. I can't think of any TV-loves-of-my-life this year.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

The news is depressing and scary, more so since Simon was born.  I try to ignore politics when possible.

35. Who did you miss?

My parents (who live 400 miles away).  Having a baby makes me want them around even more than before, and I missed them a ton before, too.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Simon!

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

Simon has so far mostly taught me to slow down, and to chill out on the multitasking.  It'll get done eventually.  Stop and smell the roses, etc.

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

Who needs sleep?  You're never gonna get it.  Who needs sleep?  Tell me what's that for? Who needs sleep?  Be happy with what you're getting, there's a guy been awake since the second World War.

2011

(This list of questions originates with  Linda at All & Sundry.  My 2010 version is here.)

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

Ran a race!  Actually I ran six races.  One 8K, one 4-mile, and four 5Ks.  I actually started running in late 2010, but didn't run an actual race until April 2011, so we'll count this for this year.  Then I hurt my foot mid July and haven't been able to run much since, even after a cast and a couple months of physical therapy.  SADFACE.

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

I don't typically write out formal New Year's Resolutions, but this time last year I did start working REALLY hard on eating better and exercising, and I kept that up.  I doubt I'll write any specific resolutions for 2012 either.  Odd, with how much I generally like lists, but it just doesn't appeal to me (right now anyway).

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Many internet friends had babies this year, but none of my in-real-life friends did.  There were a couple of engagements though, so yay for them.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Thankfully, no.

5. What countries did you visit?

Ha, no.  2010 was a big year of travel (to domestic locations), so 2011 was more a year of vacations close to home, primarily visiting family.

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

The ability to sleep past 4am, oh my hell.

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

This summer I got to be there when John proposed to my "baby sis" (who is 23 now HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?) and I will never, ever forget that.  I've known Heather and her family since she was a year old and she is as much family to me as my actual family.  The fact that John invited me to be there and included T and I in the celebration after means the world to me.

On October 15th I also got to see another one of my former babysitting charges get married, and I'm quite sure I cried more happy tears that day than I ever have before in my life.  These kids just keep growing up and becoming happy, healthy ADULTS and it BLOWS MY MIND.

8. What was your biggest achievement of this year?

I'm going to go with the running six races thing again (and improving my time with each race), along with joining and continuing to go to my gym for both group fitness classes and personal training sessions.  Before late 2010 when I started running I'd never run a mile straight in my entire life.  I avoided physical activity as much as humanly possible because I decided sometime long ago that I'm just not good at athletic stuff.  Much to my surprise, it turns out I was wrong - I'm actually pretty good at that stuff, or so says my improved-race times and gushing personal trainer.

9. What was your biggest failure?

While I continued to be an exercise rock-star, my healthy eating sort of went away for a large chunk of 2011.  I'm getting back on track (slowly), but my word is that hard.  Exercising is way easier than eating healthy food I don't like.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I hurt my foot in July running and landed myself in a cast followed by a couple months of physical therapy (following the casts on the same foot and physical therapy also in 2009 and 2010).  It still hurts a lot now (along with a hip thing I'm mostly pretending to ignore), but there is nothing more to do short of surgery, and I'm not ready to go there yet.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

My iPad2 and I are BFF.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

T continues to awe her professors at school, even getting invited to present a class presentation at some kind of forum thingy, which was super cool for her.  My dad "retired" and is doing his own consulting thing, and I'm happy to see him so excited about what he is doing.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

All the jackasses who knew what was going on at Penn State and did nothing.  They can all go rot in hell.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Rent and medical expenses, nothing exciting.

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

Getting the okay from all of my various doctors to start trying to have a baby.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?

Colbie Caillat - Brighter Than the Sun.  Though that may just remind me of this month, so that could leak over and remind me of 2012, too.  But it's my favorite song of the moment, and I smile whenever I hear it on the radio.

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

Happier, slightly fatter, slightly poorer.

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

I wish I was able to spend more time with my family, but that is more of a distance-and-money issue than that I didn't make it a priority.  It's just hard to live 400 miles from home, you know?

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

I wish I hadn't wasted so much time/money on physical therapy that didn't really help.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

We drove up to Minnesota to visit my family.  Christmas Eve was spent in Wisconsin at my aunt and uncle's farm, then Christmas mid-morning we drove back to Minnesota, took naps, opened MORE presents, and watched the Packers kick some football ass.  Other than the call for an ambulance for my aunt at 6am on Christmas morning (she is now home from the hospital and fine), it was a lovely, low-key holiday.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?

I've kind of fallen in love with a fuzzy pillowcase I got at Target a few weeks ago, but don't tell my wife.  She might make me share.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

I don't think I have a favorite.  Most of the shows I watch are sort of a way of killing time right now.  I did enjoy The Next Iron Chef, Alphas, and I'm starting to watch and like Haven.  I continue to watch an unreal number of crime-dramas (Rizzoli & Isles, Law & Order reruns, Bones, etc.).

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

Hating is exhausting.  I prefer my rage in small bursts at particular new stories and/or idiotic celebrities (see: Charlie Sheen), but sustained hate is well beyond my attention span.

24. What was the best book you read?

I'm currently reading my 54th book of 2011, which is EXACTLY the same number of books I read each in 2010 and 2009.  I am surprisingly consistent.  By the rankings I put in Goodreadsmy favorites this year were Room, Bag of Bones, and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I don't listen to a lot of music, I mostly leave musical discovery up to T.

26. What did you want and get?

A gym membership, an all-clear from my doctors, and an iPad2 (hey, they can't ALL be healthy things.)

27. What did you want and not get?

An iPhone 4S (I'm waiting for the iPhone 5 hopefully next year.)

28. What was your favorite film of 2011?

The Muppet Movie!!  The Rainbow Connection simply broke me (SOBBING IN THE THEATRE), but I loved the cheesiness and the jokes and the songs and and and...I just really liked it. 

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

I turned 31 and T and I went out to dinner and a movie.  Nothing big, just a low-key evening.  I think I managed to fit in a nap, too, which is very like me.

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

More sleep.  Insomnia mixed with narcolepsy BLOWS, in case I haven't made that clear.

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

Ha.  Um....hey, this looks like it mostly matches?  And is clean?

32. What kept you sane?

The friends who live in my computer/email/on Twitter.  What did people do before the internet?  Also naps help, since I can only sleep during the day.

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

Not sure.  I can't think of any TV-loves-of-my-life this year.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Illinois (where I live) now allows same-sex civil unions, which is a great start.  Maybe someday I'll actually be able to MARRY my wife.  Dream big, I say.

35. Who did you miss?

Alex.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Hmm, I can't think of many new people I met in 2011.  I'll go with everyone I've met at my gym (teachers, trainers, fitness professionals, etc.) since they are so supportive and helpful and lovely.

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

I can totally do that, and it doesn't really matter what "that" is.  I can totally do that.  Run a mile, run five miles, lift weights, take a dance class.  That.  All of that.

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

Right this moment you don't know it
But you're standing prepared
For the advent of all the big stuff
Had you runnin' 'round scared
And because of all that
Life gets simpler in fact

Learn to breathe, when to yield
Find what can be and cannot be healed
On the crest of the wheel - life gets real

Ann Reed - Life Gets Real

Year-In-Review: 2010

I've watched a lot of people do this year-review, and just had to join in.  Thanks to Linda who I believed started it a few years back.

 

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

Flew to Vegas, saw the Grand Canyon, flew to New York for BlogHer, ran a mile without stopping, ran two 5Ks on the treadmill.

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

I don't think I made any last year.  If I did, I don't remember them.  I think for 2011 my resolutions will be to run at least two road races, to continue eating healthy, and to get my blood sugar under control.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Two coworkers and several internet friends.  Even more are pregnant and ready to give birth in 2011!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, thankfully.

5. What countries did you visit?

None.  Several states, but no other countries.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

Better physical health (working on it) and less anxiety (also working on it).

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

September 24th, 2010 - I turned 30 and was diagnosed with diabetes on the same day.  Not my best day ever.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? 

Running.  I've never been a runner, and just a couple of months ago managed to run a full mile without stopping.  That felt HUGE.  In elementary school when we had to run the mile every year I always felt like such a loser for not being able to finish.  My gym teacher, Mr. P., would sit by the side of the track under a shade umbrella with a glass of ice water and yell at us to run faster, and roll his eyes at the few of us who couldn’t finish.  Delightful teacher.

9. What was your biggest failure?

I…don’t really like this question.  Hmm.  I’m nowhere near perfect, but I’m evolving and working on those things, so maybe they are temporary failures?

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I was in physical therapy and in a cast for a while with my heel spur/plantar faciitis issues early in the year, and I was diagnosed with diabetes at the end of September.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

A housekeeper!  I suppose that isn’t so much “bought” as “hired”, but I’m counting it.  I am SO MUCH HAPPIER when I can keep my environment together, and with both T and I being in grad school and working full time it was just not happening without outside help.  Now we keep everything picked up and put away, but someone else comes in every couple of weeks and deals with the deeper cleaning.  Love it.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Nothing comes to mind.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Brett Favre.  OH HOW HE MAKES ME ANGRY.

14. Where did most of your money go?

My grad school classes, T’s grad school classes.  Knowledge is expensive, dude.

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

I was super excited about Blogher in New York in August.  It was SO MUCH FUN to meet so many of my Internet People, and to see a new city.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? 

Right now all I can think of is Rasputin, which was in the Wii game Just Dance 2 and OMG GET THAT SONG OUT OF MY HEAD PLEASE AND THANK YOU.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: 

a) happier or sadder?  Happier!

b) thinner or fatter? Thinner! 

c) richer or poorer?  Probably about the same.

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

I wish I had made more time for cooking and eating healthy food vs sticking to chicken nuggets for the first nine months of the year.

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

See above: chicken nugget eating.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

T and I drove up to Minnesota to spend a week with my parents, and drove with them to Wisconsin to my aunt and uncle’s farm for Christmas Eve.  There were many “Reindeer Games”, including Farkle, Bonkers, and a whole lot of Just Dance 2 on the Wii.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010?

I fell in love with the new bedding we got for our bedroom, and my wife accused me of having an affair with the fuzzy white blanket, but I’m thinking that is possibly not what this question is asking.  But it was my biggest new love-affair of 2010.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

Probably So You Think You Can Dance.  I love that show SO MUCH, and it always makes me cry a couple of times per season.

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

I can’t think of anyone I hate.

24. What was the best book you read?

I’m going to go with a tie between Devil in the White City and The Glass Castle.  I read both of them nearly in one sitting – I just couldn’t put them down.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I’ve been listening to The Bird And The Bee a lot lately.

26. What did you want and get?

A trip to Blogher, a trip to Vegas, an A in all three of my grad school classes this year.

27. What did you want and not get?

A baby.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

We don’t go to movies very often.  I think the only movie I saw in 2010 might have been Harry Potter.  At least that’s the only one I can think of at the moment.

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

I turned 30 this year, and I spent most of the day in hysterical tears after being told I had diabetes and we couldn’t start trying for a baby in October as we had planned.  It was a really, really hard day.

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

A baby.  (I have a bit of a one-track mind, you see.)

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

“Holy shit, it fits!”  I’ve lost a lot of weight lately, and I continue to be amazed at the new, smaller clothes that fit me.

32. What kept you sane?

Cymbalta, my therapist, my friends, and my wife.  Not necessarily in that order.

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

Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz.  I *heart* Bones and Booth.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

I teared up a little when Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was repealed.

35. Who did you miss?

I miss my friends and family who live in Minnesota, since I never get to see them as often as I’d like.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

My friend Jennifer - we have more fun together than is really at all reasonable.

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

I learned that if I keep trying, I CAN make huge changes in my life.  I never believed in myself enough like that before.  I ran a mile!  I lost more than twenty pounds!

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

It was always simple, not hidden hard.  You’ve been pulling at the strings, playing puppeteer for kings and you’ve had enough.  But the search ends here, where the night is totally clear, and your heart is fierce, so now you finally know that you control where you go – you can steer.