Hoooo, boy. This year. Wow, 2013.

1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before? Gestated, birthed, and cared for a baby. Breastfed that baby. A lot.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? The word for this year was Family and we are plus one for the year. Next year’s word may have to be something a little less ambitious.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? So many! Welcome, welcome to Peyton, Calvin, Sidney, Gabe, Dani, two East Coast Evelyns, and AJ. (I got specific on the Evelyns because there are also two in our Mommy group. Is “Evelyn” this year’s “Amelia”?)

4. Did anyone close to you die? No, but Graham lost an uncle.

5. What places did you visit? Alta Bates Medical Center. Also Nevada.

6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013? Better planning.

7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? My son’s birthday.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I made a person. A big one.

9. What was your biggest failure? I fell prey to all the classic first-timer childbirth blunders. Totally predictable and unfortunate, but not really a “failure.” Spending most of the year pregnant and then navigating the world as a new mom didn’t help rack up a whole of lot of work “successes,” either.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I got a bad cold, but was otherwise fine, apart from major abdominal surgery.

11. What was the best thing you bought? The house. Probably.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Graham’s. Full-time parenting is hard, and our boy is very, very demanding.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Some parts of my post-birth experience were less than ideal. People were involved. People who meant well, in their way. Probably.

14. Where did most of your money go? This goddamn house.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? An opportunity that didn’t pan out as I’d hoped.

16. What song will always remind you of 2013? “Simple Man” by Skynyrd or Shinedown

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Too exhausted to choose.

b) thinner or fatter?  Thinner/considerably less pregnant.

c) richer or poorer? Poorer. Thanks, house!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Writing.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Wondering how to change people.

20. How did you spend Christmas in 2013? Celebrating in our first home with our first kid, with family, and with friends.

21. Did you fall in love in 2013? Yup.

22. What was your favorite TV program? Friends. I marathoned it during cluster feedings. One might say The Show about The People got me through a pretty difficult time. Also Sherlock and Dr. Who.

23. What did you do for your birthday in 2013? Um. Nothing. I was bogged down in baby and didn’t know how to come up for air yet.

24. What was the best book you read? Limits of Power, which may have also been the only non-baby book of the year.

25. What did you want and get? A healthy, interesting kid.

26. What did you want and not get? See #15. Also, sleep.

27. What was your favorite film of this year? We…don’t go to lots of movies, for several reasons. So I’m going to say the RiffTrax showing of Starship Troopers, because that’s all I’ve got. Also, it was great.

28. Did you make some new friends this year? Yes! Thank goodness for mommy support groups.

29.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? A slightly less harrowing birth experience. It was rather run-of-the-mill in its escalations and outcome, but I could’ve done without the epic heartburn.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013? Nonexistent/driven by breastfeeding or pumping needs.

31. What kept you sane? Some might argue that I’m not, exactly. But for the sake of argument, let’s say pedicures.

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? J-Law FTW. Cory Booker still has my attention, too.

33. What political issue stirred you the most? Obamacare. Seriously, y’all. It’s imperfect, but it’s a decent step in the right direction. Eliminating the fear of Bankruptcy by Hospital Bill is critical to keeping this nation alive…literally, but figuratively, as well.

34. Who did you miss? My veteran mommy family/friends (the list is long, but distinguished) and my fellow new mommy family/friends (the list is shorter, but no less distinguished) back east. Also, my brother. Raising our kids this far apart seems weird.

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013. This body is aging and needs care to be well.