Looking back and looking ahead

As I prepare to celebrate Christmas, I’d like to take some time to reflect on the past year. Here are a few of the things I learned in 2008:

•Coffee is a necessity. I never really was a coffee drinker before my son was born. I would drink it occasionally. If I had a sore throat and there was no tea or hot chocolate, then I drink some coffee. Or if it was cold and there were plenty of sugar packets available, then a cup of coffee might be nice. Now, I find coffee is the only thing that can jolt me awake. Now when the caffeinated bitterness hits my tongue, I feel alive and know I can make it through the day.

•Baby formula only looks like milk—don’t drink it. Yes, I tried it. One morning I was desperate for something to put in my liquid energy when I spotted the formula bottle. Well, it looks like milk, so why not? Well, the smell for one thing. How can babies drink that stuff? Now one good whiff, and I start to gag. Don’t try this at home.

•Dogs are great little vacuums. I never have to worry about what’s under Levi’s high chair. The dog takes care of it. In fact, she now knows to lie underneath the chair with her mouth open while he eats. Crumbs never even hit the floor. What a good dog.

•Reading to your baby does make a difference. I started reading to Levi a couple of months before he was born. We read “Goodnight Moon” every night for about a month before he was born. Now, that is his favorite thing to do. He loves story time and prefers books to most of the loud, noisy toys.

•Don’t spend a fortune on children’s clothes or shoes—they will outgrow them fast. Just this past weekend I found out my son’s foot grew a whole size since the day after Thanksgiving. (The poor thing will probably be cursed with huge feet like his mama.) So from now on, we will be visiting the outlet stores to make shoe and clothing purchases—or hitting the clearance racks.

•Giving gifts is more fun than receiving them. If you haven’t learned this yet, you will when you have a child. I would much rather buy my son something he will enjoy. Who would have ever thought a talking red Muppet could be more fun than an iPod touch?

•I learned to like Wonder Pets. The show is like a fungus—it just grows on you.

•Sleep when the baby sleeps. Everyone told me this from the beginning, but I didn’t really listen. When my son was sleeping I’d do some work or do laundry. Not now. A few sleepless nights taught me to take what you can get.

After reflecting on this past year, I’ve decided to make a few resolutions for the next year. They will probably be broken shortly after January, but these are the things I resolve to do:

•To write less about my life. I know everyone is sick of hearing about what I do day in and day out. This last year has been new for me, and I wanted to share those experiences. Next year, I’ll try to venture into new territory and write less about myself.

•To be thankful. Sometimes I get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of every day, I forget to be thankful. I’m not going to wait for 2009 to start this resolution—now is a great time to be thankful.

•Eat healthy foods. I guess I’ll even try some of that stuff on the salad bars that looks like grass. Well, maybe I won’t get too crazy.

•To be cheerful every day. Okay, I am shooting for the moon here. But it’s good to think positive.

As I celebrate the holidays, I would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and happy New Year. Thank you for reading the Beacon.