As you all know, EJ was the highlight of my year. Cognitively I knew that being a parent wouldn’t always be easy but I never knew how sleep deprived I would get. You never catch up. Somehow I got a kid who wakes up at 6 am no matter what. I’ve tried to adjust his schedule but he will not have it. So, I adjust…and complain about it. :-) The redeeming thing is that EJ is a lot of fun in the morning. He loves to snuggle (for a few minutes at least) and it’s great to talk with him over breakfast and put puzzles together.
His vocabulary is developing nicely and he knows many signs which provides a great way to communicate. For example, he lets me know when he is hungry, tired, or needs help. His favorite word continues to be “ball” followed by “balloon,” “Elmo” and “done.”
All images other than personal photos found on Google Images.
A definite highlight this year came when EJ started to hug and kiss. Words can’t adequately express the joy in my heart when he puts his head on my shoulder and gives me a squeeze. His kisses can be pecks or licks but I take what I can get!
This year was very full and fun-packed year for our family:.JPG)
Sports: First baseball season at Nebraska, first football game, lots of making baskets in the Fisher-Price basketball hoop in the family room, swimming all summer, and learning how to run and tackle.
Travel: Lots of trips with the baseball team, trips to Colorado, first trip to the beach, lots of visits from friends and family.
Many firsts: crawling, walking, teething, eating, talking, and a first birthday.
Other fun things: daily bath time, being Nemo for Halloween, watching Uncle Andy’s team play in the NCAA tournament, playing with friends, meeting Sammi the day she was born, playing with all the grandparents and EJ’s dedication ceremony.
While we have a lot of fun memories, 2008 was a trying year for many. Our country's resolve continued to be tested through the collapse of the stock market, never ending political ads/election, the bailout, and High School Musical 3.
On the other hand, Michael Phelps made our summer exciting when he dismantled the Olympic record books, Nebraska beat Colorado in a wild football game, and Madonna is back on the market! We may be in recession but People Magazine subscriptions must be higher than ever. This crazy year made for a lot of media consumption.
Speaking of media, I calculated how many emails I sent and received for the five classes I taught this fall. The number was a staggering 1542. This number didn’t even include personal emails. After setting the calculator down, I was reminded of a Nov 2007 devotion by Renee Miller. She said, “It can simply be too much. Life, that is. Work, people, the media, the noise, the demands, the stress can squeeze out the energy and enthusiasm that should characterize the wonder all around us. We feel life has become like an old, lumpy, overstuffed chair that has long since lost its ability to provide comfort. We search about for an escape, a change, a way to turn the craziness into some semblance of order and peace.”
I can certainly relate to this so I am going to shutdown the laptop, turn off the TV (minus some Christmas-themed movies) and take a break from technology for two weeks! So, minus some Christmas pictures, this will be the last post of the year. You will find me looking for a place for EJ to sled, reading books, baking (maybe), sitting in front of the Christmas tree with hot chocolate and most of all spending time with precious friends and family. May you find some time to do things that fill your heart and make you happy this holiday season!
Thank you to all our friends and family who keep up with the blog. We wish you and your loved ones and very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
1 comment:
What a great post! I loved your picture and the letter. BTW~~HSM3 was a highlight in my year ;-)
I'm so happy EJ has you guys as parents. He's one lucky cutie pie!
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