Bye Bye 2009

Haven't had a chance to do this until now, but here it is -- the little year ending meme that my friend, Shan (aka The Fairy Blogmother) likes to do...

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
I took pictures of babies that were in no way related to me.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
No. I wanted to make a pie every week. I soon discovered that was a very unhealthy plan. Chalk that one up to the fact I was very pregnant when I made that resolution (a.k.a. Crazy). I do have lots of new ones for this year. They are all much healthier, too.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I did!! Also, a bunch of girls from work did, as well.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. Thank goodness.

5. What countries did you visit?
Are you kidding?

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Oodles and oodles of confidence would be peachy.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 23 - the birth of my third baby girl.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I had another healthy baby despite some pretty serious medical issues (and I think that was partly because I put our lives ahead of work. That sounds completely ridiculous to type it now...but it was something that was strangely, wrongly, foolishly hard to do at the time).

9. What was your biggest failure?
Organizing photos and getting them all backed up. I lost a lot of very important, personal, photographs (including our wedding trip to Jamaica, Jamie's first day of kindergarten, photos of the girls with me the night before the baby was born...etc...) because of my lack of photo organization.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nope. Thank goodness.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
OH!! That is hard! I got a lot of great "stuff" last year. Photography related, I'd say "off-camera flash" was a big one. Personally, I am still in love with my iPhone and now I'm obsessed with the Wii (Fit Plus, and EA Sport Active).

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My two older girls for being the best big sisters a baby could ever, ever, ask for. They LOVE her. She is so lucky.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Jon Gosselin.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage payments, truck payments, groceries, and Rogers.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My baby...and photography.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
"Poker Face". The girls used to sing this and do her little dance moves all the time. I know, completely inappropriate.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer?
Happier (everyone is here and well), Thinner (I've lost all the baby weight), Poorer (Mat. benefits are no longer topped up by my work).

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Napping with the baby.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Getting stressed about things that were not organized. Not that I don't want to get stressed about it this year...but that I want EVERYTHING to BE organized this year.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
With my little family in the morning, and with my extended family in the afternoon.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Yes. With a little girl I met.

22. How many one-night stands?
Well, I never had to spend a whole night standing, but I did spend a few sitting up in a chair...holding the baby...

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Dexter. No contest.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don't hate anyone. But, I'm not a big fan of Jon Gosselin, Tiger Woods, or the Balloon Boy's Dad...that's for sure.

25. What was the best book you read?
"Photo Freedom" by Stacy Julian...I plan to use her organization plan this year and then start scrapbooking!!! Gawd! How long have I been wanting to start Scrapbooking?!?!?! It's just getting annoying at this point, really.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The ukulele. ;-)

27. What did you want and get?
A healthy baby, an iPhone, off-camera flash, a Wii, back into my old pants.

28. What did you want and not get?
Kelly Ripa's body from ordering Physique 57 DVD's.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Oh! Step Brothers! Hahahaha. Funny...I liked that movie so much more than Dave did. It's just full of great lines! And, now that I've seen it...I can do so many more activities!!!!

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I'm pretty sure Davey brought me home some flowers and some Thai food and I spent the evening with my newly expanded little family. It wasn't the big bash that all my friend's had...but it was perfect for me. I turned the big 4-0.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I'd say "more sleep" but, you know, missing sleep because you are up in the middle of the night with your newborn little baby is actually pretty darn fantastic. I miss those middle of the night feedings already. (sniff).

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
"I refuse to buy fat clothes!! I will just wear my scrubs until I can pull my other pants up past my knees!!!"
"They will go up past my knees again one day, right? Right???"

33. What kept you sane?
There wasn't much to go insane about.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Anderson. Hayes. Cooper.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Honestly, I don't think much ever changes...no matter who is elected...but I was very happy with the outcome of the U.S. election.

36. Who did you miss?
I had a good year.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
My baby.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
The little problems will pass. Don't lose sight of what is really important.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"And how you've, how you've grown my little bird...
I'm regretting letting you fly"
-Ingrid Michaelson.