Goodbye 2008, thanks for having us.

So, the year 2008 is over and now its 2009. If we were using the lunar calendar it would be year 534343434 and an animal…probably a rat. Rats are gross. They have rabies and bite old people.

In 2008, if you didn’t know already, Stella and Xavier were cut out of Anna’s uterus. She tried to push them out her vagina but after 24 hours in labor it wasn’t happening.

Before the kids came along, we planned, planned and planned…preparing the baby room, getting all the crap some mom said we needed in her book and had the whole house painted. I paint like crap so someone else did it. We heard things like, “your life is going to be over” or “you wait, its gonna suck” but that hardly happened.

Things changed, and it was hard, but I never felt like we gave up our lives. Whatever we gave up was worth it. Definitely not like giving up heroin with its endless cold sweats and shaking. Anna even took a guitar class.

In 9 months Stella and Xavier are sleeping through night, moving around a lot, Xavier stands up and walks holding onto the wall (he skipped crawling all together), Stella says,”dada” and “mama” (although I think the sounds are purely coincidental), they eat finger foods, play together and laugh a lot.

They defecate about a ton of green, or orange or brown poo every day and it smells bad. They stopped breastfeeding a few weeks ago (Xavier bit mommy), Stella is growing thick eyebrows like her dad and they still won’t use a sippy cup.

Some things I learned this year:
1. It’s ok to check your email while your baby cries.

2. Everyone has an opinion about how you should raise your kids and what you’re doing wrong. Just use the internet for advice, it's smarter.

3. You do have time to take a shower everyday, even with a newborn or two.

4) Not getting enough sleep will make you think the world is ending.

5) Marketing companies work your insecurities so that you think if you don’t buy this or that toy your baby will grow up stupid, murder someone and end up in jail.

6) I hate it when little girls are called "princess". Stella is a strong, independent little girl that doesn't need someone to save her. She can save herself, thank you very much. You should see how she smacks her brother on the head.

I'm up, I'm up.

Xavier between the gate.

Stella having all that poo washed off.

Stella is all clean and dressed as a monster.

Xavier reading about animals.

They live in their sleepers. It always looks like they just got up but we're just too lazy to dress them. I wear a sleeper just like this except mine has a panel that opens for my butt.