Happy New Year!

Welcome to our first post of 2009 (it's a long one...and it's okay if you don't make it through)! We hope you had a fantastic New Year! We were able to enjoy a late night out last night, thanks to my grandmother who came over and sat with the pets and listened for Cate on the monitor (who never made a peep). Once Cate went down last night, we headed over to a party thrown by our friends Emily and Melissa. We enjoyed The Office DVD trivia game and lots of Wii before watching the ball drop and a champagne toast. After arriving home, Eric and I spent some time reflecting on 2008 before bed:
Best thing that happened to us: Cate
Worst thing that happened to us: Two car accidents (neither was our fault) and Eric losing his grandfather
Best Book: A Three Dog Life (Melody) and The Rule of Four (Eric)
Best Music: We both love the Viva La Vida CD from Coldplay
Favorite new local discovery: Findlay Market and our community pool (which we'd never joined before this past summer despite having lived down the street from it for 3 years)

I also spent some time reflecting on last year's resolutions. I'm a big journal-writer, so mine were easily accessible. How'd I do?
1. Lose my pregnancy weight- did and then some, although parts of me are still wobbly and things have definitely been rearranged. I've never been one to obsess over weight or body image though...I'm happy if my clothes fit and I look semi-decent. This one surprised me at how easy it was to do.
2. Start my National Board Certification- didn't do this one. I wanted to, but I needed to figure out how to balance work and being a mom first (which has also been easier than I expected). I did take 3 more credit hours of class this summer though to work on moving up the payscale.
3. Run another marathon- this was totally unrealistic. Nobody told me that nursing a baby and training to run long distances don't mix. 3 or 4 miles was all I could manage before I started to hurt. Oh well..I'm not sad.
4. Find my way as a mom- this one will be a work in progress for the rest of my life. I think the best advice anyone gave me before Cate was that motherhood is about fitting a baby into your lifestyle and not molding your lifestyle to fit the baby. I'm still the same person with the same interests that I was before Cate, but now I do have a daughter and there are parts of me that are different. So far I think I'm doing all right.

And this year's:
1. Start my National Board Certification for real this time. And if it really is not practical, then I'd like to take a few more credit hours of classes.
2. To experiment/learn more about photography. I love my SLR camera and there's just something about real film that is so much fun (but expensive if you're experimenting). I'm looking forward to getting a new digital SLR camera this spring with the extra money I make coaching Power of the Pen at school. My current book of obsession is a photography book: A Year of Mornings 3191 Miles Apart.
3. To shop local more often- I'm all about keeping those small local businesses in business, even if it means paying a few dollars more or making an extra trip to a farmer's market for produce instead of picking it up at the grocery store.
4. To spend less time on the internet. Don't worry, I'll keep the blog updated. And while it's nice to catch up with old friends on Facebook, I simply need to limit myself. By spending less time on the internet I will have more time to play on the floor with Cate, play the Wii, and hang out with Eric)...okay, really not because we're only talking about an extra 15 or so minutes a day here, but it's the thought that counts.

Eric's resolutions:
1. To lose his pregnancy weight...he says this jokingly and he's not overweight by any stretch, but fatherhood has added a couple of pounds he'd like to shed.
2. To work on some new IT certifications, something he's really taken an interest in lately.
3. To continue to read new books (he read a lot last year and wants to keep that momentum going...hmmmm must have something to do with being married to a middle school English teacher...he even read Twilight).

I think Cate resolves to learn how to walk...and maybe talk a little too. And drink from a sippy cup. This morning she enjoyed a special "C" pancake (Daddy got up to make pancakes).
I also hope she resolves to keep her interest in books...not that she knows what a resolution is or anything. She even started out 2009 by "reading" this morning.
2008 was a great year and will be hard to top. But we're looking forward to Cate learning how to walk and do new things, we're looking forward to our friend Emily moving back to Cincinnati after living in London, we're looking forward to the births of several friends' babies, we're looking forward to U2's new album, we're looking forward to our 5th wedding anniversary, we're looking forward to vacationing in Hilton Head, we're looking forward to exploring Atlanta once my parents get settled there, we're looking forward in 2009.

~Melody (with a little help from Eric and Cate) :-)