OK 2009, here I come

I must say that 2008 was a pretty good year. We started out the year by finding and buying a great house and moving in February. I decided to go back to work and started in February too. The job is going really well and I am very happy that I made the choice. I found a great day care provider whom Chloe just loves. She is thriving there and learning so much. Craig was thrilled to find out that she can now do a High Five, Low five and a fist bump. It is the cutest thing ever!

On the Chloe front, we are truly blessed that she such a wonderful little person. It seems every day she says something or does something new and I continue to marvel at her. Of course, she is still a toddler which means we have our fair share of meltdowns, timeouts and general naughtiness, but most of the time, I can't help but smile at it. Right now her favorite toys are her wooden puzzles where she is getting quite good at naming all the animals and mimicking their sounds (for the monkey, she goes Oo, Oo, Oo, and scratches under her arms just like a real monkey!). We officially kicked the binky last month and it was a total non-issue. She just decided she didn't need it anymore and it was gone. We have had some recent issues with late night wakings, but most of the time she is putting herself right back to sleep and I have read that it often happens when kids are hitting new milestones, so I guess it is a good thing. She is not a big fan of brushing her teeth, but we try each night and usually can get a quick swipe or two in before she goes banshee on me.

Craig and I have had a pretty good year, although his job has not made me very happy and has caused him so stress. However, with some recent realignments at the office and the fact that he now has a laptop to bring home, he seems to be doing better and has some positive thoughts for the upcoming year. We have both resolved to get more regular exercise and so far it is working. I am trying to continue making healthier dishes and since we both like to eat just about anything, it hasn't been too tough. We have been trying to add to our family without luck this year, but I am staying positive and at least the 'practice' is enjoyable!

We have been blessed to both still have our jobs and able to do well financially, which is really great given how tough things are right now. It doesn't look like we will get much in the way of bonuses this February, but, I am just happy to be able to pay the bills and do OK. Hopefully it will not be decades for this economy to rebound...

Our new year's eve was a really fun time. Chloe spent the night at my parents and Craig and I went to a party at our friends. There were about 12 of our good friends there and tons of food and drink. Best of all, our friend Dave brought his Rockband game and we played it until like 2:30 am! I started doing a little singing, then I tried my hands at guitar and drums. It was such a blast. At one time, we had a whole chick band going and we were rocking out. This is the second year that our friends hosted the party and they do such a great bash. When I picked up Chloe the following morning, she gave me such a big hug--I think she missed me as much as I missed her. I love going out with 'the adults' but when I get my little girl back, I always miss her so much. I am sure there will be a time when she will totally not miss me, but for now, hearing her scream "mommy!" and come running when I got there was the best thing ever.

For for 2009, I hope to get my butt in gear with a healthy exercise routine. I hope all of you have a wonderfully happy and healthy new year too!