This Year's Kiss

I am blatantly ripping off Summer who is ripping off Moxie who ripped off someone I don't read (yet, haha; like I need to add another feed to my Bloglines subscriptions) in the idea of posting the first line of the first post of each month of this year.

1. So I finally did it; created the blog. First post ever. I am glad I started this blog. I used to keep journals but have not done so in a long time. A new persona, a new medium. The anonymity yet blatant-ness of the internet is also a very interesting concept.
   
2. We had birth class reunion on tuesday night. This post is one of the first of many where I talk about meeting other moms, making new friends, and forging new relationships. This year has been pretty positive in that respect, looking back and reading my "documentation," surprisingly so.
   
3. This weekend, Mark, the Manling, and I are flying to Vegas. Was it any surprise this trip was a really bad idea? Bad in my estimation because Vegas is not fun with an infant. It was great to see my parents though, and to reconnect with Dave and Natalie!
   
4. My friend J. just sent the Manling a Nosferatu onesie in honor of the times we would watch the movie or have "theme" nights involving vampires. 2006 was the Year of the Babies. 2005, even though the Manling was out in the world for 3 months, was more the Year of Pregnancy. Jessica had her baby this year, and we rekindled our old friendship as well. I believe this month my post-partum depression was pretty much over and done with, but perhaps April.
   
5. So the Manling is an unbelievably seven months old as of this past week. One of many posts where I talk about the kiddo and his amazing milestones and developments. I took pictures probably 330 or more days this year of him. so few are printed, but I look through the collections all the time and remember silly little things he did, firsts that occurred, and tiny little outfits that are way too small. A child's first year is so awesome in the depth and breadth of the changes. Embryology is probably the only thing more intense!
   
6. Mark has recently gotten to join an elite tier, or so I'll describe it, at work where he is next in line to the throne. Oh, the economic pitfalls of being a single-income family. The elite tier was disbanded since then, and Mark is still not promoted. I honestly didn't think he would be after he told his district manager he wanted to stay at his new store through the relocation, which was followed immediately by the holiday shopping season. He told me that a new store is opening up in January 2007, so staffing should be occurring in the next few weeks. I hope and pray that he gets promoted then, or at least by March. We really need the additional money, and Mark deserves some recognition at work, since he gets so little at home, haha. I know I put probably too much pressure on him to be a great husband and father and help me aroubnd the house. I have to say, though, he does a great job. I hope I express it well enough to him.
   
7. I just added a "Ticker" showing how old the Manling is. This hopefully is not a slippery slope where I turn into one of those forum people with a signature that fills up half my monitor per post with vital stats, icons, tickers and the like. I'm thinking this is just showing myself to be a little more blog-savvy. I say that knowing I still haven't figured out how to add pictures to this thing!
   
8. I really feel terrible that I haven't updated this in forever. The beginning of my second baby obsession as well as increased mobility from the Manling. We also went on vaction this month, which I gave only a very cursory recp, totally omitting the Manling's first demolition derby: "Looook oaught!" I keep meaning to go back and fill in some more details, but I just can't make myself do it.
   
9. The Manling reached the eleventh month yesterday. A far cry from the exuberance of April's monthly letter. I was starting to wonder if I was ever going to ovulate again, and was having a really hard time thinking about ending breastfeeding. I'm glad I reached a compromise that I could live with.
   
10. I haven't posted in awhile... obviously. The one and only post for October. And that despite the momentous occasion of the Manling's first Anniversary of Birth. things were looking down. Waaaay down.
    
11. Looking back over the past few weeks, I think my depression was in part caused by the change in seasons, Mark working too much and thus, no personal time for me, and the advent of the Manling's birthday exascerbating my desire for a child because I love him so and want to replicate that feeling. Still depressed, but taking steps to alleviate the causes of it. My doctor telling me I was definitely not ovulating, and then getting bad test results put me into the worst depression I can remember. I am looking forward to getting more tests next month in the hopes that the results will be better, and that I will be that much closer to having a second child.
    
12. I feel like pointing out that I like to name my post subjects with song titles, especially since I haven't been doing shuffle playlists lately. Medical issues and thoughts on the holiday take up much of this month, but despite Mark working more than he did for the relocation project, I am handling it a lot better.

Looking back, the year wasn't all that bad. I have a lot to be thankful for, in the persons of my son and husband, and I'm making and maintaining more friendships.

I'm listening to music on shuffle and Baby I Love You by the Ramones just came on. That was the recessional song at our wedding. It always makes me smile.