Not Here

It’s a work in progress, but I’m ready to share.

I’m over here now: sarahviola.org

Out with the Old

It’s a new day, a new year. Last year was the best of my life, and I can’t wait to see how 2009 unfolds. There is so much ahead of us.

As for what’s behind, I borrowed this end-of-year questionnaire from Linda at All & Sundry. It took me a couple days, but it’s a start.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Cooked a full meal for dinner for more than five consecutive days. Oh, and gave birth.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t remember making any resolutions last year, so yeah. Kept them all. I do have a few goals for 2009.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Besides the obvious? My sister-in-law started the trend with beautiful Aisling Elizabeth, my dear friend Beth delivered perfect twin boys James and Jake into heaven, and my favorite Steph was two days ahead of me with her sweet Ivy LaRue.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes.

5. What countries did you visit?
This question makes me feel like an underachiever. I did travel through several counties, if that gets me any kind of award.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Professional, creative fulfillment. And more patience.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory?
The twenty-sixth of February, and the seventeenth of September.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Becoming a mother without completely losing my marbles. The keyword here is completely.

9. What was your biggest failure?
The pressure I put on myself to deliver Asher through my hoohaa, and the self-administered emotional beating when that didn’t happen.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not really. Pregnancy kind of sucked, but that’s not really an injury unless you count the total smackdown on my left hip.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Just one? Our home, with my iPhone riding a close second.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Mark is a rockstar. He was unbelievable as a labor coach, and is an amazing husband, best friend and father.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
John Edwards can suck it. He’s dead to me.

14. Where did most of your money go?
The purchase of our house, new car and c-section. BAMM.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
So many things. Giving birth, seeing some of my favorites in concert, President-elect Obama, my husband’s new job. It has been an unbelievable year.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Falling Slowly by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

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

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish I’d blogged more. So much happened this year that I know I’ll want to remember forever, but I just didn’t have it in me. Here’s to a more blog-productive 2009, eh?

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Uhh. Less complaining, maybe? Here’s to a less complaint-filled…OHRIGHT. WHO AM I KIDDING?

20. How did you spend Christmas?
With the fam.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
More completely than I ever thought I would.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Mad Men, no question. And as always, The Daily Show was pants-peeingly good.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don’t think so.

24. What was the best book you read?
Holy Crap. I can’t think of one book I read this year. I’m so ashamed. SO ASHAMED. May redemption come in the form of a stack of Christmas presents in front of me.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The Swell Season. Last year for Christmas my excellent brother-in-law (Unky Jared) gifted me Once, which changed my world and introduced me to The Frames, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

26. What did you want and get?
A baby. Technically, I wanted that in 2007, but the fruits of my labor (SNORT!) were realized in 2008.

27. What did you want and not get?
Professional, creative fulfillment. And kicky new boots.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Once

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned thirty on November fifth. I started the day by getting horked on by my seven-week-old son, then followed that up with an emergency run to his pediatrician and an unexpected hospital visit. Awesome. My mom was with me the whole day, until my husband came home and my girls brought over pasta and a cake.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A drug-free natural childbirth. Or at least one where the baby didn’t have to make his grand exit through a hole in my abdomen. Still with the self-administered emotional beatings. Oh well.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Does it fit? QUICKBUYITBEFOREMYBELLYGROWS.

32. What kept you sane?
Mark, an unbelievable support system of my family and girlfriends, and as always, music. It was rough there for a while in those early postpartum days.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I’m going to handle this one with two-question approach and break it down like so: Which celebrity did I fancy the most in a naughty way? That kid from Twilight. HAAAA-AAAY. I also enjoy Paul Rudd. Which public figure did I fancy the most in a totally mature, respectable fashion? Barack Obama. Thank you.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The need for socialized health care.

35. Who did you miss?
Our kitty.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Asher, whose pure joy, innocence and trust inspire me every second of every day.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
It’s okay if things don’t happen how you planned for them to happen. It’s okay. Be flexible and forgiving.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I’m going to use Mark’s answer for this one, I’m saving mine for now. The song is Changes Come by Over the Rhine. (If you want to hear it, here’s a cover.)

I wanna have our baby
Somedays I think that maybe
This ol’ world’s too fucked up
For any firstborn son

There is all this untouched beauty
The light the dark both running through me
Is there still redemption for anyone

Jesus come
Turn the world around
Lay my burden down
Turn this world around
Bring the whole thing down
Bring it down

Lasers!

Yesterday afternoon, Asher laughed at me for the first time. (But not the last. OH SNAP!) I can’t remember what I was doing, but he let out that baby laugh that’s not really a laugh, but more of a HAAAARR! if you know what I mean. He did it 4 or 5 more times, and it made my day. I cried, actually.

Anyhoo, I was so excited about that laugh! He’s had the same reaction a few other times with other people, but never with me. It was awesome. Cut to tonight: while I was in the kitchen making dinner, Mark and Asher were hanging out on the couch chatting. And then this happened.

Mark is pretending that the remote is a laser… (beeew!beeew!) and Asher is loving it. Listen to that laugh!