1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Purchased real estate. We're homeowners now!
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I weakly resolved to lose weight last year, but what I really wanted was to get pregnant and stay that way, which is directly contradictory. The latter happened and instead of losing ANY weight, I've gained about 40 pounds. On the plus side, I do intend to get into shape for real this year, and I'm fairly confident I can lose at least 20 pounds in the first month.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My SIL. (This is UNCHANGED from last year. She had another baby, bless her heart.)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No one already born and close to me has died, but the tragedy of miscarriage struck our family again.
5. What countries did you visit?
Alas, no travels abroad this year. But we did go to Portland, which was a completely new part of this country for me. And the UP is pretty darn close to Canada, so we got around.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
I got what I wanted from last year! Well, the baby is still technically on the way, but her presence is obvious. We also have a house. I'm looking forward to peace and stability in 2010. More materially, I wish for good and affordable home improvements.
7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory?
I really can't think of any. I tried not to focus too much on specific dates and milestones but simply celebrate each day of being pregnant with a healthy baby as a gift.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Besides remaining somewhat sane during early pregnancy and keeping a healthy attitude throughout, I had some moments of personal growth in the professional arena. I feel more and more mature and confident in my church music and piano teaching with each passing year. I'm also proud of our little work-in-progress house.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Sometimes I feel like losing so many students from Spring to Fall was a bit of a failure, but I realize I can't blame myself. My failures usually involve not getting around to something I was hoping to get done and there was PLENTY of that to go around.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Back in March, I had the kind of virus that put me in bed for a week with a fever. A FEVER. I haven't had a fever or an illness that bad since I was kid, if even then. It was just a virus, though, and I did indeed survive. Then I had a nasty cold in May when I was about five weeks pregnant and too nervous to take any effective cold medicine, so that made it less bearable than it would have been. I was healthy as a horse for the following 33 weeks, and now I'm trying to get over a moderate cold before my birthing.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Well, the house probably has to win this one. I have a lot of allowance money saved up since I'm not a natural spender, and I'm trying to figure out how best to spend it. Books? Movies? Games? Clothes/shoes? I'm stumped.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
As always, my family rocks and Erich rocks the absolute most.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The United States Congress wins this distinction.
14. Where did most of your money go?
HOUSE. The house. Our domicile. To every professional who helped us obtain this house. And then more went into the house.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Getting pregnant and each and every time I heard that beautiful heartbeat.
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Um. Probably something by Lady Gaga. That chick is everywhere.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? much, much happier
ii. thinner or fatter? pregnant-er by far (so, fatter)
iii. richer or poorer? more assets, less cash
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Exercise.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Procrastination. That has always been true.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas Eve: two church services where Erich played trumpet and sang in the choir and I simply sat in the pew (weird and amazing), then we had a sleepover at my parents' to try to avoid last year's loneliness. Turns out, our Christmas this year could not possibly have been as bad as last year. Anyway, Christmas Day: church in the morning, back to the parents', big spread of party food for lunch and dinner and relaxing with Christmas movies the rest of the day. We were going to go home but stayed another night because the weather outside was frightful.
Day After Christmas: saw Avatar on IMAX 3-D with some family, which was totally awesome but set me on a pattern of nausea and pre-labor contractions for the rest of the day. Then the whole family met at the parents' for gift exchange and scrumptious dinner.
And just when we thought Christmas was pretty much over, we decided to go see some of the Keller family in Indiana, which turned into a 36-hour succession of meals and fellowship.
22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Again and again with my husband. (Aaaawwwwww....) <--Keeping this piece of sap from last year.
23. How many one-night stands?
I really could just delete this question. But I don't feel like renumbering everything.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
The Office has sadly slipped down the ladder. That show has a shelf life and I think it was achieved sometime last year. Our current favorites are Community (hilarious), 30Rock, Lost, and Mythbusters.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No, hate's not worth the energy.
26. What was the best book you read?
The best non-fiction was The Narcissism Epidemic. The most epic book I read was House of Leaves, which I'm happy that I actually started and finished in 2009 as it required vacations from reading. I re-read the Harry Potter series and still love it. I finally read Animal Farm and 1984, which everyone should read. And I read lots of books on birth and infant care in order to educate myself as much as possible before Lily does all the educating around here.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Can't think of any. I'd like to make some musical discoveries in 2010, whatever that means.
28. What did you want and get?
Rehashing here, but: full-term pregnancy, new house, etc.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Avatar is fresh in my mind since I saw it so recently and it was one of the only movies that I saw in the theater this year. But I really liked it despite a few one-dimensional characters. The overtly environmentalist message I had been warned about didn't end up being too bothersome.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 26 last year. We didn't do much that I can recall, but Erich got me a Nintendo Wii, which left my jaw on the floor for days.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I'm pleased and blessed to be able to say I can't think of anything. There was an obvious answer last year, but I think it's much better to not feel the absence of something that deeply.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Hide the fat, then try to look pregnant and not just fat, then try to cover everything that needs to be covered. Pretty simple.
34. What kept you sane?
Family, vacations, projects, and hearing fetal heartbeats.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Meh.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Wasteful spending that most of the country doesn't even want. Ahem, congress. *eye roll*
37. Who did you miss?
Sometimes it gets hard to live so far away from Erich's immediate family. We spend too much time missing them.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Got another new niece this year, Olivia. She's very chill.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
When you're a homeowner, your priorities for improvements can change at the drop of a hat.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your whole year:
I couldn't possibly. This has been a pivotal year that defies summary.
