Reflecting on 2005
I figure the last day of the year is an appropriate time to look back and reflect. And we can save the resolutions for the first day of the year.

Here's to a year of not drinking Diet Coke. That, in itself, is a huge accomplishment for me. Just wanted to make sure that didn't go unacknowledged.

This year, like a few before, brought many changes for me and my little family. The most substantial being the uneventful and quick birth of our little son. David has brought nothing but joy into our lives. Last year, I wrote that I couldn't remember life before being pregnant. This year, I feel the same way about being a mother. I can't remember what my life was like before I had a little boy to worry about. To be honest, there are moments when I miss the quiet solitude that I imagine my life to have been before we became a family of three. However those moments are always overshadowed by David's laughter and beautiful face. Our tiny family of two became a little family of three in 2005 and that will be with us for the rest of our lives. May each of our children turn out as sweet and joyful as David.

So February brought home our little one. March and April passed like a blur as I figured out how to get David to nurse properly and how to balance my job and my new life. Spring brought new friends thanks to a mom's group. My first group of friends in San Diego. David didn't really like to sleep so we took a lot of walks and read. Jake started preparing the paperwork to finally open his fund. He talked to lawyers, auditors, accountants.

The second set of big changes came in August as Jake formally opened his doors and I decided to start a small business of my own. This meant much more driving for me and I was lucky that the small venture prospered very quickly. David grew up and became even more fun to be around. We all worked and worked some more. He finally figured out how to sleep through the night and forgot about it all over again when the teeth started peeking out. He looked like he was never going to crawl and just when we thought he'd walk instead, he tricked us and started crawling overnight.

As the year came to a close, Jake and I finally fell into a groove and we have figured out how to achieve some sort of balance with our new family setup. I don't know what 2006 is going to bring us but I imagine it won't be as substantial as 2005. Having a baby and starting two businesses is enough activity for several years if you ask me. All I want next year it for us to keep being healthy, for our businesses to be successful (especially Jake's) and for the year to bring a lot of laughter.

So here's to a quiet, peaceful, healthy, happy, and prosperous 2006!

Hallway Fun
I'm not sure what it is about the hallways, but David always seems to be in a great mood when we're walking down the hallway to the elevator or back to our apartment. If Jake's carrying him, he will look at me and giggle and my every mood. Sometimes, he laughs so hard his whole body shakes. Sometimes he laughs in the middle of another laugh. It's really amazingly uplifting. If I'm carrying him, he simply giggles the whole way down the hall.