Hello 2011

So @knealemann did Big Ideas for 2011 - two days, two posts about what to do in the New Year...the update modern take on resolutions.

Here is my mini list....

Bake bread from scratch
Roast a chicken (get over the ewww factor of dealing with chicken guts)
Be more spontaneous
Do something ridiculous (stolen from Kneale's list)
Be more like teflon and let the negativity slide and not internalize it
Make a difference for someone
Visit old friends
Visit new friends
Make time
Make connections and build on them
Make more time for me
No more guilt for taking 'me' time
Be more patient
Purge - less is more when it comes to 'stuff' (except shoes)
Try 5 new restaurants
When it comes to spending time with family and friends - remember quality over quantity
Listen more - learn something new
Just breathe
Laugh even more
Listen to instinct
Take a chance
Believe in 'yes I can' and go do it

March 10, 2009...Happy New Year!!!!!

Yes, yes...I have the bottle of Baby Duck chilling in the fridge and my party hat and noise makers are on stand by...

It is March 10th and I am finally allowing myself to celebrate New Year's...

Today marks my daughter Isabella's 1st birthday.

Its been quite the year. Long and very trying at times.

Isabella has taken many trips to the Children's Hospital, awful IV attempts, reactions to formulas, long sleepless nights because of stomach pain and teething, food allergies [peas and barley damn you both!], lots of tears and crying...

But we made it...all four of us as a family.

We survived.

And for me that is worth celebrating.

Plus my son, Matteo who turned 3 last month, is now completely toilet trained [day and night], no more soother and we took away the baby monitor from his room....my little man is growing up.

This last year, in retrospect, has gone by really fast...but when you are in the thick of it, you doubt very much you will ever see the end of the tunnel.

But it comes.

So tonight I will raise my glass of Baby Duck and toast the year that was and the year that will be.

Happy Birthday Isabella.

Love you.