But even though we weren't feeling 100% festive, I wasn't ready to throw in the towel. I knew if we treated it like any other night, hunkering down in our pj's and taking turns burping our sometimes-fussy little girl, we'd regret it. Because I may have been struggling a bit with my post-baby/post-holiday flushy-push body (having a baby is only half the problem...Christmas cookies did a number on me this year...), and neither one of us exactly had energy to spare, but I still thought it was important to try to keep some aspects of our life constant. Before Piper, we would have gone out and marked the New Year with some sort of fanfare, no matter how small. So I refused to give in to the temptation to be lame. No! We are still young! We are still fun! And I will prove it by putting on too much eye makeup and wearing uncomfortable shoes!
Our friends had invited us for a shin-dig at their house, which was the perfect fun, but low key option, so I dug through my closet to find some sparkly (but forgiving) threads, we packed up a bag of supplies (you know- the New Year's essentials: diapers, frozen breastmilk and Uno), and we were on our way.
And overall, it ended up being a pretty great night. We joined a few couples for some snacks, some drinks (although Dustin and I stuck mainly to soda...we might still be fun, but we weren't willing to take risks when it came to getting home safely at the end of the night) and some games. (Someday I'll teach you the rules to Power Uno. It's a new fav.) Piper was a bit ornery though- if her New Year's resolution was to get a normal sleep schedule, then she was determined to live it up all the way until midnight!- so we had to take turns holding/rocking/feeding/changing her.
It wasn't anything too taxing, but it did remind me that the days of both Dustin and I being fancyfree are pretty much over. We tried to balance party mode and parent mode as much as possible, but still struggled slightly to fully engage in adult conversation and competition.
But Piper was a sweetheart (albeit a very alert sweetheart who didn't want to miss a moment of the fun). She watched the Christmas lights and showed off her new ruffly outfit.
But once Dustin put her in the Baby Bjorn she finally succumbed to the lure of sleep, and we were able to feel a little less divided, and enjoy the last few hours of 2011 as a couple (+ one sleeping lump).
It was definitely a bit of a different type of New Year's celebration than we're used to, but different is the new normal around here. And as we embark on a new year together, I can honestly say that I don't know what to expect, but I'm determined to enjoy the ride.
I have a hard time believing you don't know the boundaries between just the right amount and too much eye make-up, numero uno.
ReplyDeleteNumero dos, we celebrate NYE with one other couple who has a little the same age as our middle little one (still following me here?). We started the tradition when both little ones were still in the womb. Its turned out to be the perfect way to spend that night with friends we love, our kids (even if it does take away from the adult only fun a tad), and good food. We always have a smorgasboard of food. This year we incorporated a little wine and Wii Just Dance 3 into the mix. It's the first time Happy here's had a little too much to drink since the summer of 2008. For realz. The hubby drank soda so I could live it up for a few hours. Apparently his sacrifice was worth it just for the entertainment factor.
Happy New Year, Bowden's! I'm excited just to read about the ride!