a MEME (please avoid if feeling sensitive because it really is about me-me)

Shamelessly stolen from Loribeth over at The Road Less Travelled who is one of my favourite bloggers, btw.

I figured I've been gone so long that I probably need to reintroduce myself - what better way than a meme.


1. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I've never done resolutions before but 2011 will be different. I've resolved to lose weight, for one thing. I actually put on weight since Ninja was born and that is abhorrent to me. I've rejoined the gym for the first time since I got pregnant with her - yay and hurray! Will get started - with a personal trainer - next week.

2. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?

Had a baby. A fascinating and labour-intensive (pun intended) experience.
I graduated with my master's degree.
I bleached my teeth for the first time. The pearlies were not so pearly anymore because of my yen for espresso.
Dyed my hair dark because I'm going prematurely grey. Sigh.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

My bff, my brother and sister-in-law, and I discovered that my other brother - who is estranged - had a baby with his now-wife. If I hadn't had Ninja, I would either have moved to New Zealand or jumped off a cliff.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

A good friend of mine died suddenly. Only the good die young.

5. What countries did you visit?

The good ol' USA.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

Energy and good health, a published thesis, and quality time with my DH.

7. What date(s) from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

My daughter's birth day. Also, the day last summer when the 3 of us went swimming in the rain - it was perfect. It was poetry in the water.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Giving birth was a huge accomplishment - labour was worse than anything I could ever have imagined.
Nursing for almost a year now. Wow, what a commitment that is. It's a special bond between Ninja and me and it has taken months and months of hard work to get to this point.
Also, graduating with my master's degree - that was a huge deal to me, as well. I'm from an area that doesn't exactly value post-secondary education (let alone graduate work) and so my act of academia was a revolution/rebellion, of sorts.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Gaining weight.
Not writing.
Not educating myself about babies and sleep before Ninja, the Sleep Atheist, came into my life.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Got mastitis. That was not a picnic. It felt like the worst case of flu ever.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

U2 tickets!!!! Woot!
Christmas presents for Ninja.
Some good nursing bras - pathetic but true.
Also, I bought an e-reader and I like it a lot.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

My own. I basically raised Ninja for the first 6 months of her life - while DH was away for work and while we were living in the middle of a gutted house - and I think I did a great job. Especially considering the fact that Ninja doesn't believe in sleep. Oh, and considering that she went on nursing strike for about 3 or 4 months. And considering that I had a c-section and so had to recover from that, as well. I held it together despite it all and I'm proud of myself for that.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

I was appalled and depressed by the behaviour of the sister-in-law who outed me re: infertility and IVF.
And I agree with Loribeth: "The ignorant commenters on any newspaper column dealing with infertility, who think we should all get over ourselves and 'just adopt.'" Well said.

14. Where did most of your money go?

House renovations, living expenses, and BABY. But it's fun to buy baby stuff, I'm not gonna lie. Especially clothes!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Having a daughter. Boy (haha), was that ever a shock! We were convinced that we were having a boy. We are thrilled to have a little girl. She has my DH's heart by the nards (sorry for the crude wording but it's the truth).

16. What song will always remind you of 2010?

Again, agree with Loribeth: "Waving Flag" by K'naan (sp?). "When I get older, I will be stronger..."
I try to avoid Justin Bieber, that's for sure!

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?

(a) Happy at both times. (b) Definitely fatter and that irks me to no end. (c) Definitely poorer although we have more property now, I guess.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Wrote. Learned more photography skills. Organized my disastrous house. I also wish I had had maternity photos taken.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Argue with DH. We can certainly be the Bickery McBickersons!

20. How did you spend Christmas?

With family. Five gatherings. I hosted one of them.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010?

Yes, with my daughter and again with DH (seeing him with her in her first few days of her life - made me melt).

22. What was your favorite TV program?

The Colbert Report. Also love Jon Stewart, Desperate Housewives, The Tudors, House, The Soup, The Office, Mad Men, 30 Rock, The Bachelor. I don't watch much TV, though. Lately the only show I can keep up with is Desperate Housewives.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you did not hate this time last year?

I'm still ticked off at the SIL who sold me out about infertility and IVF. She has never apologized to me or even bothered to address what happened. I certainly do not hate her - I've always gotten along well with her and she is a good person - but I'm hurt about what she did to me.

24. What was the best book you read?

The Book of Negroes was really good.
Yesterday I read The First Part Last, a young adult book by Angela Johnson. It packed a punch but I don't recommend it for IF'ers (it's about teenagers and pregnancy). Johnson is an outstanding writer, though, of realistic fiction for teens - her prose is touching and poetic. Some of the best books coming out now are 'young adult' picks.
Right now I'm reading A Lesson Before Dying, War and Peace, and The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I'm out of touch with all that, sadly. Have been listening to a lot of CBC Radio One lately. I'm getting into Arcadefire (sp?), though.

26. What did you want and get?

My cherished baby. Wowzers, babies are a ton of work - the accompanying housework is endless - but she is lovely and hilarious.

27. What did you want and not get?

A 'natural' waterbirth at home but I got Ninja and that was all that mattered to me although a comfy (even orgasmic, in the words of Ina May Gaskin) homebirth would have been great. But I'm okay with how things turned out. My midwife is worried that I'll change my mind and get depressed with the turn of events (emergency c-section) but it's been almost a year now and I feel okay.

28. What was your favourite film of this year?

I don't think I've seen a movie this year. No time, plus I'm not really into movies. Although I really wanted to watch SATC - the sequel - but it looks banal.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I don't remember what we did! Nothing, most likely. We were probably busy moving into our new house.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

I wish DH had been present for the first half of Ninja's life. I also wish we weren't doing house renovations. And I wish, as aforementioned, that I'd educated myself on babies and sleep before Ninja arrived - she just won't ever go to bed. It's all too much for me right now.
We'd wanted to try FET this spring but I don't think it'll happen for a while because Ninja is a very spirited and high-needs kid. Every hard-won nap - she'll consent to only 2 per day although I usually try for 3 - takes 40-60 minutes to get started, and often much longer, and she stays asleep for only 10-40 minutes. My life right now centers on getting her some much-needed rest. She'd get shafted if another baby were in the picture. Although who am I kidding?: our chance of success at FET is only 15%, at most. I'm dealing with that, too.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?

I got to wear colour again which made me insanely happy. I found maternity clothes so blah. As soon as I was able, I bought and wore clothes in the most outrageous colours! Other than that, I'm just trying to keep a sense of style. I don't want to get caught in typical 'mom' clothes: high-waisted jeans, teddy bear sweaters, scrunchies, etc.
And it was a year for hairstyle changes. Particularly colour. Man, was I upset when I realized recently that I was going grey - not just a few hairs, either - and that I'd been grey for 3 or 4 months and hadn't had time to notice!

32. What kept you sane?

My daughter's smile.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

George Clooney. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

I was out of the loop although I'm usually very interested in politics. Local politics about breastfeeding and midwifery definitely caught my attention and I got involved in the issues. I'm proud to report that I made a difference.

35. Who did you miss?

My babies who couldn't stay. Also my grandma.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Can't think of anyone off the top of my head. I don't get out of the house much anymore!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.

Life isn't about fairness. Nothing about life is fair. I no longer think 'that's not fair' when I hear about pregnancies and babies. I'm just wistful and envious and then I try not to think about it.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Another one bites the dust, but in a good way!