Happy New Year

Happy 2009, all!  And thank you to those of you who have told me via phone, or email, or in person, that you read this blog and you enjoy what I have to say.  It motivates me to continue writing.

In this great time of RESOLUTENESS, I creep closer to that certain Life Balance that the media (Oprah, ‘specially) is always talking about.  Balance of work and home, of romance and friendship, of proteins and carbs.  But most importantly, I am working towards a balance of laughter and emotional meltdowns.  You know what really stresses me out?  When I take a moment to relax and page through a magazine, only to feel guilty that today I didn’t cook up a healthy breakfast of egg-whites and spinach with a side of fruit.  I don’t have a cute pair of ankle boots to go with my opaque tights.  I had no idea Rebecca Romijn was pregnant, let alone had twins with Jerry O’Connell!  These are things that most 29-year-old women care about, and put energy towards, right?  Maybe I’m wrong, but the devil on my shoulder won’t let me stop caring about the “shoulds” of keeping my old self around.  Perhaps I was never quite like the girls I read about in Lucky, but I wasn’t picking up Good Housekeeping, either.

Things are going to slip through the cracks, my friends.  I want to shout “Lookie, I’ve got it all under control!”  But who’s listening besides a 4 month old?  So, I’m going to watch more Jon & Kate Plus 8 (in reruns) this month than I’ve cared to watch in the entire past year.  I will cook things in my Crock Pot often.  My joy will come from new places.  It’s a strange thing to observe these changes in myself.  As you can see, I am prone to make fun of it.  I guess I’m finally coming to terms with the fact that I’m a mom.  I love it, and I fight it at the same time.

Little Guy is a complete treasure.  Making him smile and laugh is the absolute highlight of any of our days.  His eyes are still blue, and his hair seems to be growing in darker, but still lighter than mine and not as red as his daddy’s.  He squeals with delight when I get my face very close to his, and then he grabs a small fistful of my hair.  I know I’m going to regret it later, but I let him grab.  I don’t care.  He’s so beautiful I’d let him poke me in the eye if that’s what he felt like.

Hubby and I decided not to buy the baby anything for Christmas.  This will probably be the first & last year we get away with it, and we figured it was okay.  We buy him all kinds of stuff when he needs it.  He’s hooked up.

I made my grandmother a Shutterfly Photo Book and had a duplicate made for my mom & dad.  If you haven’t tried online scrapbooking, Shutterfly is addictive!  I got a really great deal before Christmas.  Keep an eye out for their coupons and discounts, occasionally you can get free items, just for ordering prints.  You won’t be sorry.