Thursday, January 1, 2009

A New Leaf





I have been looking forward to 2009 for a LONG time. I decided to officially declare it to be the "Year of Marianne!" It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? This month I have ambitions to both wean McKenna and to potty train JJ- as soon as I can find at least a few days in a row when I don't have anything going on. Once McKenna is weaned this will be the first time since October of 2004 that I haven't been either trying to get pregnant with someone, been pregnant with someone, or been nursing someone. The idea that I can have my body to myself for a while and the idea of having only one set of diapers to change instead of two thrills me to no end. Also, while I LOVE having a little baby, it is so much work. To me the first year is the most tiring and demanding year. Yes, having a mobile toddler presents it's own set of challenges, but the fun of being able to really interact back and forth and watch a little personality develop outweighs all the toilet paper unraveling, dog food taste tests, and attempts to scale baby gates.

Also, my own personal mantra is, "You can do ANYTHING on 8 hours of sleep!" And while I have a hard time letting a little tiny baby cry to sleep, I have no problem whatsoever letting a toddler do it!

At our house January also brings on another meaning: Tax Season. In years past I have looked at these 4 months with dread. I usually think of long, isolating days by myself with no break from childcare and housework, and an exhausted, worn-out husband that is rarely home. But this year I'm looking forward to it. (Well, not the exhausted husband part.) I think this Christmas really put me over the edge when it comes to all the holiday stress. I feel like I've been running here and there so fast, I haven't had any time to catch my breath. (Or clean my house.) So all I want to do now is be at home, get organized, read some good books, and have a great time with my kids. I'm sure tax season will start to take it's toll around March or so, but I'll deal with that when it gets here. Also, I made a deal with a friend/neighbor who is also a tax widow; we're going to send our children to each other's houses before we get the urge to beat them. :)

6 comments:

Diana said...

Props to declaring 2009 the Year of Marianne! You deserve every moment of alone time you get! I hope that 2009 is the best year yet! Happy New Year!

jamirodana said...

Alright!!!! I'm excited for you to have your "summer of George" for the whole year! WooHoo!
I like the positivity!
We need to hang out more so I can start my 'year' with a bang. I have some potty training to do too. Blah!

Melody said...

Good luck with the potty training! I hope you have a wonderful Year of Marianne- I realized I only have to count back 29 months to include both of my pregnancies. I think I'll take the year off too! :)

Jess said...

I found you! And I'm going to add you to my blog list if you don't mind.
I support all your goals! Let me know if you need help!

Our life 2.0 said...

Hey!! Did you "wait" for James too?! That's great that we're reading it together, I'm on page 150ish... what about you?

Katherine said...

I like your "Year of Marianne"! I think that is a great idea. And, if you ever get bored, come on over because Baylee and I are bored ALL the time!