New Year, New Goals, New Resolutions

We ushered in 2011 in the quiet of our home, our third quiet New Year's Eve in a row. At least this time it was better than the previous New Year's Eve, where I distinctly remember celebrating the turn of the year on my own with the TV for company as DD and Noey snoozed away. This year, DD and I put Noey to sleep and then we sat around and just talked, about the year that passed and the year that is ahead.

And as it got close to the midnight witching hour, we turned on the TV for the countdown. And just like that, we were into 2011. (Incidentally, I thought the Marina Bay fireworks were pretty amazing and I think I'm going to book us a family staycation next year in one of the hotels in the area, so hopefully we wouldn't be spending another New Year's Eve at home!)

A glass of moscato for each of us -- pseudo-bubbly to celebrate the turn of the year.
I thought this photo is very reflective of the fact that we are, indeed, parents first, wine notwithstanding.

I think the year has been pretty well summarized in my recap of the year, but spending time talking to the husband reminded me that in addition to everything, 2010 was the year where I got a little bit of me back, where DD and I got a semblance of us back. After the craziness of Noey's 1st year that was 2009, last year -- 2010 -- was the year where we got into a groove, things fell into more of a routine, and we were able to step away, if only just a little and if only for short periods of time, from our all-consuming role as parents to an all-consuming Noey and be ourselves for a while. True, we tragically only managed one measly movie date, but we had many more opportunities to just hang out and talk, over lunch and dinner dates, and I needed that.

Looking forward, 2011 promises to be another crazy year as we re-live the newborn madness yet again, this time with Noey in tow. I made a preliminary list of resolutions for the new year -- I blame this on the pregnancy hormones which seem to be triggering off this NEED to make lists and get things checked off. There is so much I want to do -- home learning and activities with Noey, home improvement, try out new recipes and cook better meals for my family, do more to meet up and stay in touch with my friends, do more for charity, improve my spiritual walk, be more involved in church. The list goes on. However, considering the fact that I am likely to be mostly in survival mode for the year, I know this to be wholly unrealistic. As it is, I'm finding it more difficult to do some of these things now when I'm large and unwieldy, and the baby isn't even out yet!

So I think my new year resolution is simply try love more this year.

(1) Love God more through reading His word and keeping His commandments more faithfully;
(2) Love Noey more by making time for him, as well as demonstrating and saying it so that he does not feel displaced or loved any less after his Mei-Mei makes her appearance;
(3) Love our Mei-Mei more by giving her her due attention after she gets here;
(4) Love our families more by showing them due consideration and more patience;
(5) Love DD more by appreciating what he does, showing patience, letting him have his own space, and where possible, making time to spend together;
(6) Love myself more by not being a hero and asking for help when I need it. Also, by not sweating the small stuff.

This is a rather general list but I think at this point, with the unknown looming before us, that's the best I can hope for!

I think this year, this time round we are more mentally prepared than we were when we first had Noey. I know it's going to be tough, but I know it can only get better. I also know that DD and I, we will find our way through it all together and I will emerge with him holding my hand. And that's good enough for me.

Let's get it started!