Terrifically, choo-choo train-tastically two

Julian turned 2 today! Hard to imagine the condition we all were in two years ago this moment. Our new, still-red wee baby was either feeling he way around a chest in route to a nipple or sleeping, wrapped up like a caterpillar in spring. Ian, Julian and I were alone in the hospital room, watching Patrick Swayze in Red Dawn (I'd never seen it before.), remarkably unfazed by what we'd been through the previous 48 hours.



Fast forward two years. He's still sucking his thumb. We're still wiping his butt after mega poop blowouts. He still finds comfort in the arms of his parents.



But now he's a healthy 2-year-old who loves to run in circles and climb up stairs and crawl on top of bar stools. He'll have what you're having, even if it's a spicy hot habanero brownie from Butters Brownies. He wants to know what you're doing. He copies you, even when you wish he wouldn't. (The F-word has entered his lexicon, but it's just so darn cute when he uses it in context...)



His silliness helps us through the long winter nights at home, when we can't cook without our "counter bird" sitting besides us and bath time turns to bubbly turtle time. He urges us out of bed every morning "Come on, mommy. Chonies, here." He uses words like "chonie" (underpants) and jokes (Knock, knock. Who's there? Chicken pumpkin pizza!) that he gets at school. His amigos are becoming an important part of his life. He tells us when Judy smashes her finger or when they have beans or apples for lunch.

I wonder if parents ever get used to watching their children grow up before their very eyes.

Cool Hand Julian learns to swing

and ride a merry-go-round/carousal.

Christmas 2008: Everything but the snow

We spent a week in Missouri, from the day after Christmas until the day after New Year's. It's always a blessing to get to spend the holidays with family. The three of us celebrated on Christmas morning and then enjoyed an afternoon with Ian's mom and stepdad in Waco. The following day, on the exact anniversary of my moving to Austin, we made our way to Missouri. For the next week, we made food, watched movies and hung out with old friends. Julian and YaYa baked cookies, sang "Jingle Bells" and played in parks. Julian, Aunt Chelsea and Uncle Kenny wrestled for the first time. GaGa taught Julian how to do the "This Little Piggie" toe game. PaPa brought Julian along on emergency trips to the grocery store. No snow, but plenty of good family lovin'.

(If you're not seeing a slideshow of images above, log into your flickr account or add me as a contact. If you're not on flickr, you'll have to start an account, but it's easy.)

Embracing 2008, looking forward to 2009

Props to the hundreds of thousands of bloggers, especially those with children (whom I will NOT automatically call mommy bloggers :)), who can keep up with photos, videos and heck, even posts themselves this time of year. I find myself at the end of the holiday months, the longest and best I've had in years, if not ever. Work simultaneously invigorated and overwhelmed me. We welcomed lots of new friends in a new house. Julian could identify Santa Claus and open presents on his own. Ian and I kept up our positive attitudes and couldn't pinch ourselves enough to make sure all this happy goodness was real and not just some wistful dream from earlier in 2008.



People keep saying what a crappy year 2008 was. It most definitely held unprecedented lows, both personal and economic, but with a new president, a new job, a new partnership, a new home, a new social circle (even for Julian) and a new wardrobe and subsequent quasi-fame, I am having a hard time remembering anything but the good from '08.



In terms of my own person growth and change, 2008 was right up there, if not ahead, of 2001, 2003 and 2006. Look at the hardship and joy suffered in those years: starting college and 9/11, followed by exiting adolescence and living in Spain, then moving to Austin, losing Troy and embracing Julian.



I'm just thankful that this year, like the others, the lemonade we made quenches our thirsty lips.



My hope is that our collective momentum will continue into this new year. 2009, as every year before it, holds countless opportunities for my family and yours, and my wish is that we all greet them with open eyes and a straight head.