Time to sum it all up again

(Previous years: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007)

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Had a baby. Paid off a car. Started working for a for-profit company.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make any resolutions last year, and I don't intend to make any this year. Sorry.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A ton of people (plus me, of course). My sister, and a whole bunch of friends. Including several local friends, which means play dates for Callum!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

5. What countries did you visit?
For the first time since I started doing this survey, the answer is none. Damn baby.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
I honestly don't know. 2011 was a pretty perfect year. I can't think of anything we're lacking.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 24, when Callum was born.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Um. Is "having a baby" going to get old by the time we get to the end of this survey? I guess I'd say achieving some balance in my life in terms of raising a happy, well-adjusted baby, enjoying a thriving marriage, and working at a full-time job that I love, all without going crazy.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not working out enough. We actually canceled our gym membership because it was impossible to go. Again, damn baby. Hopefully in 2012 we can figure out some kind of home exercise routine.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Other than a hideous 24-hour stomach bug that all three of us suffered through, plus the miserable cold that I'm currently nursing, no.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our new SUV, I guess.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Torsten's, as usual. Seeing him with Callum just reinforces how great he is, every single day.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Most politicians'.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Our mortgage and childcare.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Oh, you know, having a baby. The usual.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Hush Little Baby, since that's what I sang to Callum all the time when he was an infant.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
b) thinner or fatter?
c) richer or poorer?
a) Happier
b) Thinner (not too difficult to achieve, considering that when I did this survey last year I was about 37 weeks pregnant)
c) Richer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Nothing specific, really. I'm pretty happy with what I did this year.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Stressing about breastfeeding. So not a big deal in the end.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
First we went to Miami Beach for four days, and then we spent a week at my parents' house in North Carolina along with my sister's family. It was great.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
With Callum, for sure.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
House is the only current show we watch. We also went through the full series of The Wire and Boston Legal on DVD this year, and they were both great.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No.

24. What was the best book you read?
I liked The Marriage Plot a lot.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Um. Did I make any musical discoveries this year? Oh dear. I don't think so.

26. What did you want and get?
A baby.

27. What did you want and not get?
New siding for our house. Yes, I know, I'm very domestic.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
I really enjoyed both Contagion and Arthur Christmas.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I can barely remember. I think we went out to dinner at our favorite sushi restaurant, with Callum. I turned 27.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I really can't think of anything. As I've said for the last two years, it was a great year exactly as it was.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
I would go so far as to say that I changed my shirt after approximately 80% of incidents involving Callum spitting up on me.

32. What kept you sane?
My husband and baby.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Stephen Colbert.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The horrifying slate of presidential candidates presented by the GOP. Does that count as a political issue? Also the usual stuff like health care, reproductive rights, gay marriage, etc.

35. Who did you miss?
I'm going to steal my answer from the last two years here: Most of my friends and family, since pretty much all of them live far away now.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Elizabeth (and Eric and Hannah). I mean, unless you count Callum, since we technically met him this year.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
I really can trust my instincts. They almost always lead me in the right direction.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Nope, sorry. I did this last year and I don't think I'll ever have such a strike of inspiration again.

Happy New Year, everybody!