2008 in review or why I slowly went crazy!

A couple weeks ago Mama Kat’s one of her writing assignments was 2008 in review. This one jumped out at me since 2008 contained so many milestones for me and my family. I started my blog because I had gone through so many life changes at once and wanted to share; little did I know how many more I would go through! I’ll go through month-by-month so maybe you can appreciate some of my stress!

January
Six month’s pregnant I kicked off a significant project at work. I was already huge and it is important to mention our test lab is down two flights of stairs. We ran out of office space and decided to stick our offshore team down there as well. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and ordered to follow a strict diet. I don’t need to mention that I managed to gain a good 30 lbs this month.

February
Q and I visited my parents in Creswell, OR. This was a great trip and the first time Delicate Flower saw me pregnant. (He lives in Reno with his Dad – I don’t know that I have ever made that clear) He was quite weirded out by my pregnancy! Little did I know it would be the last time the four of us were together.

March
The joy of baby showers and gestational diabetes. My diabetes escalated and on top of testing my blood four times a day, I got to give myself shots as well. Do I mention that my project was still going on in the basement? Do you know what it’s like to go up and down stairs while carrying a good 60 extra pounds of baby weight? Oh the horror!

April
Dear dear Monkey entered our life! He was 9lbs 10oz with a personality from his first breath. I took 8 weeks off of work and my mom joined us without a return ticket home!
She proceeded to slowly drive me insane while I wrestled with breastfeeding and packing because the next month….

May
We moved. I do not recommend moving with a three week old. EVER! Not even if it is just across the street. (Which is what we did) Shortly after we moved I learned the awful news that my project had been cancelled and I did not have a long term job to return to.

June
We said goodbye to Mom with some relief. (I try not to beat myself up over this visit. My mom and I generally kept visits to a week for very specific reasons.) After she left my husband and I decided to make things official and had a very quiet ceremony with the Justice of the Peace, Monkey, and Flea. (We are planning a family ceremony in Puerta Vallarta in Oct)

July
Delicate Flower arrived for the summer and became a teenager. Need I say more? My dad(dad number 2) came and visited us for a bit. I hadn’t seen him in five years! Oh and my lay off started. Oh yeah, before I forget, hubby got laid off too! July SUCKED!

August
I turned 37. UGH! But things started to look up as hubby and I both returned to work. (He was only out of work for like 10 days – how does that happen?) I started a new project that should take me through second quarter ’09 and Delicate Flower went back to Reno to start 8th grade. Monkey started daycare and didn’t even cry.

September
Hmmm….what happened in here????? LOL – I think it is in a fog due to lack of sleep. Monkey was barely sleeping. I did come down with an abscess on my throat and was not able to nurse for two weeks. I just couldn’t keep up with pumping at work and was forced to quit nursing all together.

October
My mom died on October 15th from a stroke. She was 54 years old.

November
I think I was completely grief struck as I tried to wade my way through the beginning of the holidays. I think the only thing I remember from this month was I learned to make bread.

December
A visit to my Psychiatrist introduced happy pills and some relief. Delicate Flower joined us for Monkey’s first Christmas. So there you have it! There are lot’s of Monkey milestones, but this post is all about me! (Aren’t they all about me in some way) In retrospect it just seems like a normal year, until I realize how much we crammed in from April – October. I think this year I will try to make life changes balanced! Are you sensing a prequel to resolutions? Well, are you?