Resolve

It's 2012.
You know, in case you missed that whole New Year's bit.

I, for one, laid on my in-laws' sofa, watched my little one fall asleep on the floor at 20 minutes to midnight, and wondered why I didn't feel anything. I kept hearing Jenny McCarthy say things like, "What will you do to make 2012 the best year ever?" and "People are so full of faith and optimism for the new year!" And I was lethargic from two weeks of whirlwind travel, exhausted from a headache I couldn't shake, and sad that I couldn't think of any resolutions! I usually try to make one or two, but I don't usually stick to them. At the beginning of December, I resolved not to make any resolutions since I knew I just wanted to continue living my life in a forward direction and make the best of the huge changes that are about to come.

And then, I woke up in the middle of the night last night and had to put some resolutions in my notes on my phone. Thank goodness for iPhones, BTW. I have recorded many a baby name in the middle of the night. (Side note: Baby will be referred to as "Bean" through my pregnancy. We will share the gender when we find out, but the name remains confidential until birth!) Anyway, I finally realized that I do have some big things on my mind and for once, my resolutions don't include losing weight.

1. Chase your dreams. When you have a great idea, find a way to make it happen. So what if you don't have any money.
2. Cook good food for cheap. There are way too many resources out there to say it's too expensive to eat healthfully.
3. Make family time quality time. TV isn't quality time together. Spend the very small amount of time that all three people in your house are awake and together by engaging with each other. Try board games, building blocks, legos, acting out books, etc. Reserve movies for rainy weekends.
4. Organize. Recall your pre-mom years and channel that old desire to be color-coded and organized. Just don't put yourself in an anxiety-ridden lifestyle again. That wasn't fun.
5. Really listen when people (especially little people) are talking to you. So often, you think you're listening, but realize after someone completes a sentence or story, you're left wondering exactly what they just said. STOP what you're doing, make eye contact, and really hear what people are saying to you. The only genuine responses come from 100% attention on the current conversation.

What have you resolved to do in 2012?