Dreaming.In.Reality

Same questions as 2005 part 1 but updated.

1. What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before?:
The big one? I became a mommy. It’s been a terrifying, rewarding, completely amazing, and total joy of a time.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?:
-lol- Lord have mercy on me, I failed ALL of my dang 2006 goals. Granted, I didn’t have much of a choice being pregnant for most of the year…
2006’s Goals

• I have 50 pounds to lose off this body of mine. No more excuses. Exercising and eating healthy are on the menu.. which will be greatly reduced in terms of what I eat every day. - I gained 25 pounds with my pregnancy, but lost it in 4 weeks post partum. I’m back to needing to ditch the 50.
• Ride Flame more often. I haven’t done this as much as I would have liked to, nor as much as I should have been doing in the past year. - Couldn’t do this either and now it’s a matter of working out a schedule with K so I can get out there a few times a week for a few hours to ride.
• Take a real vacation - the only “vacation” we had this year was driving to Windsor for a baby shower and then driving to Midland to spend time with family after K’s grandfather passed away.
• Continue to grow and expand my photographic horizens. With new equipment and knowledge I have no reasons to why I should not be successful - With limited energy and physical restrictions, I found this year my photography grew stale. I’ve been slowly finding a new flame of passion for it though since browsing through my older stuff and getting some ideas.
• Go to Bevie’s House - I didn’t even see her this year and it makes me terribly sad. I feel better though knowing that she’s been able to spend lots of time with Jay and will be going there again very soon. Hopefully 2007 will bring her to my doorstep so we can have a bit of Bevietime in the house again.
• Complete my photography website - I actually DID this one. Mostly. It’s not perfect, nor by any means final; however iI do have a completed website for my photography.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?:
My friend Sarah had a baby in January. She was the only one of my friends that had a baby this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die?:
Last year I wrote about my cousin

Sadly 2006 proved too much for her weakened state. Leanna left us on Sept 14, a few months shy of her 29th birthday. Kev’s maternal grandfather also passed away in November. I didn’t know him as much as I would have liked to, but he was a good man and will be missed.

5. What countries did you visit?:
Again, the US of A in April.

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?:
A vacation. Motivation to keep at my reclaimation of my physical fitness. Motivation to grow creatively.

7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?:
January 2 - Telling Kevin my peestick was positive
February 14 - Being told that the ambulance was taking Kev to the hospital for suspected heart attack
May 1 - Finding out we were having a boy.
September 3 - My water breaking in the very early morning
September 4 - Hearing my baby cry for the first time
September 14 - My mom calling me to say my grandmother called. I knew right away why.
October 14 - My dad meeting his grandson for the first time
November 1 - My mom meeting her grandson for the first time

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?:
Having a healthy successful pregnancy which in turn gave me a healthy happy baby!

9. What was your biggest failure?:
Letting my photography slide to the sidelines

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?:
I was hospitalized for 4 days in June for a “kidney” infection that in the end turned out to be viral. I suffered through intense hot flashes and chills with insane fever during that time.

11. What was the best thing you bought?:
Probably the swing for the baby. It really saved our sanity.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?:
Kevin’s. At the beginning of the year we were both very scared of what the future would bring us, how a baby would change our lives, our relationship, would we be good parents. Our lives haven’t changed TOO much, our relationship is stronger than ever and Lucien could not have a better Daddy. Kev is so enthusiastic about being a father and he is so loving and patient with the baby. I can’t even describe how amazing it is to watch the two of them together, there are not enough words. And if there were, I probably couldn’t get them all out without crying because I’d be overwhelmed.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?:
Wow I didn’t have to change my answer for this one! –> I will not name names as the consequences of it will only cause pain and hurt. The guilty party will not learn anything from being called on their behaviour, but continue in their ways. They haven’t learned up to this point the results of their actions, I doubt they ever will.

14. Where did most of your money go?:
The baby, groceries, and the horse.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?:
The baby and my egg mcmuffin maker

16. What songs will always remind you of 2006?:
Peacock Tail - Boards of Canada (Discovering the beauty for our son)
Buffalo Nickel - Great Lakes Myth Society (the only song i could think of/remember while in the hospital after Lucien was born)
Skyboat Song - A lullaby I sing to the baby

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i) happier or sadder?: Much much happier
ii) thinner or fatter?: Fatter
iii) richer or poorer?: Richer in friends and family, no less poor than we were before

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?:
Taking photos, walking my dog

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?:
Spending time on the computer

20. How will you be spending Christmas?:
I spent Christmas with family as we usually do. Christmas Eve with Kev’s dad and step-mom and then Christmas Day with his mom and step-dad. My mother joined us this year again, as well as Kev’s brother and his gf.

22. Did you fall in love in 2006?:
I most definately. I never thought I could love anyone else as much as I do my husband, but somehow, this little baby of mine has unlocked a new corner in my heart. It’s so very overwhelming how much I love this kid. Sometimes it scares me.

23. How many one-night stands?:
I avoided standing as much as possible this year

24. What were your favorite TV programs?:
Family Guy, Little Britain, American Dad

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?:
I still really don’t hate anyone, but those I have been liking less and less are sliding down that scale of tolerance more and more.

26. What was the best book you read?:
I didn’t read much this year outside of books on being knocked up and how to get your newborn to sleep. I have a nice list of books to read though, so maybe the library will have some of them for me.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?:
Aimee Mann

28. What did you want and get?:
A baby! and an egg mcmuffin maker

29. What did you want and not get?:
Nothing OMG important, but giftcards to use to print photos for scrapbooking and framing was something I wouldn’t have minded. Then again I really didn’t tell anybody about them *L*

30. What was your favorite film of this year?:
Oh boy, erm… Howl’s moving castle and anything that’s been RiffTrax’d

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?:
I can’t even remember my birthday this year. We went out for food and I know I turned 29

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?:
Again, taking more photos, being creative. It was really the last of my selfish freetime and I feel as if I squandered it

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?:
Fatpants and peasant shirts

34. What kept you sane?:
Kevin

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?:
Bill Murray

36. What political issue stirred you the most?:
I avoided politics last year

37. Who did you miss?:
My parents. I miss them terribly every day

38. Who was the best new person you met?:
I didnt’ really meet anyone new this past year

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006:
I still haven’t learned the lesson of not investing so much of myself into certain situations or people.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
And you make all the rest just an afterthought - Aimee Mann