December 2021
Oh, December. What a month! I’ve been trying and failing to get things done (including keeping up on this blog — oop) because I’ve been feeling very under the weather. I don’t have Covid, however! Instead, as many of you know (especially if you follow me on social media), I am pregnant! Yay! It’s been mostly throwing up, lots of time in the bathroom, and sleep. Lots and lots of sleep. But Matt and I are happy!! We’ve been trying for about a year, so it’s very exciting to see the hard work pay off.
2021 has been quite the year. I’m happy it’s over, honestly. I believe 2022 will be the best year of the 2020s yet (and not just because I’m expecting). I am truly hoping we can get COVID-19 under control next year and finally be able to live our lives somewhat normally! I want to see more friends this next year, and make this year the best yet for Matt and I as well. Let’s get into it!
Christmas
Christmas was very nice this year. We told the families that there’s a baby on the way, so that hopefully made up for the lack of gifts we couldn’t buy this year! This year, instead of running out of time like we usually do, we ran out of money. What with paying bills, slow traffic at work, and the general cost of living, we just didn’t have any wiggle room in our budget for gift giving. It sucks because I love giving gifts to friends and family, but I’m thankful that everyone understood. After all, Christmas is about getting together and celebrating each other! Gifts are just a fun bonus.
I got a lot of fun and useful things for Christmas this year! Lots of earrings, a reading pillow (for future nursing and maybe even some reading eventually), some books, and lots of clothes that I won’t be able to fit soon, but I’m gonna rock them while I can!!! I’m hoping next year I can return the favor, gift wise.
My Week Off
This December, I had a week off of work. I was supposed to go with Matt’s Halo team to watch them play in North Carolina, but due to a series of unfortunate events, we didn’t end up going. Long story short, one of the teammates called both Matt and I awful names and was just a generally horrible teammate. Before I was brought into it, Matt was willing to bite the bullet and go to the event, but once his teammate called me unrepeatable names, that was it. Matt’s Halo Career Revival was cut short by a shitty teammate and a sponsor who chose time over talent. I know Matt has washed his hands of it, but the petty part of me loves that the team did not so great without Matt there in North Carolina.
Either way, I got a week off! Unfortunately, it was right in the middle of the worst of my morning sickness so I didn’t get anything done. The blog suffered because of it, as did the state of the house. The only thing I got to really do was practice driving (my test is in a week!). One thing I’m thankful for, however, is the time to rest.
I didn’t realize how much I needed to really take care of myself until I had that week off. I have been so exhausted, even before I got pregnant, so being able to take the time to recharge was wonderful. It was the first time I wasn’t happy to be going back to work after time away, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing! It just proved to me how much I really do need to take care of myself everyday.
The First Trimester Sucks
I knew that the first trimester was hard. I’ve heard it from so many people throughout my life. I had no idea how miserable I would feel!! Of course, the overwhelming feeling has been happiness and excitement, but it’s hard to keep it consistent when morning sickness, constipation, exhaustion, and all the other “fun” parts of being newly pregnant come into play.
I constantly feel awful because I’m not doing enough around the house, or for Matt. I sleep all the time, which is fine except I have so much to do! Throwing up has been a normal part of my morning (and sometimes afternoon) for the past month. And don’t get me started on going to the bathroom. It’s been crazy!
The only thing keeping me sane is knowing that my baby is growing big, happy, and healthy inside of me. The symptoms are not great, but they are ultimately wanted because I know it means I’m still with child. I will gladly be uncomfortable if it means I can fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a mom! I figure I’ll be much happier once I’m not throwing up everyday. I’m definitely going to keep y’all posted!!
Music Obsessions
Imma be real: I haven’t really listened to much except my “Top Songs of 2021” playlist on Spotify. I’ve been listening to older music as well, mostly Evanescence and various Disney movie soundtracks. I’ve also been watching God of High School, and the theme song has been stuck in my head for days. I gathered some of my on repeat songs for this months playlist instead of finding new music, so hopefully y’all like it!
Next Year…
I’m honestly looking forward to 2022. Much more than I anticipated!! Along with Baby G, I’m excited to see how the year plays out for my friends and family. It seems like everyone I know is reaching those adult milestones; buying houses, getting married, having kids, the list goes on. It’s been wonderful watching people grow and learn over the last twelve months, and even though I feel like my year was not so great, I’m confident that this coming year will be fruitful for all of us.
The hardest part of leaving this year behind will be entering a new year without my best friend, Damian. We’ve been without him for six months now, but it’s felt like an eternity. I lost a close work friend this year as well, and January will be the anniversary of his death. Knowing that those two men won’t be in my life anymore has been so hard to come to terms with, especially Damian. My baby will never be held by their Uncle Damian, and it really sucks to acknowledge that.
But!! I know that 2022 will be a good year for growth, happiness, and ultimately, becoming the best we can be. I just have a feeling that things will be better this year. Making that happen will be hard, but worth it. I’m ready for a new year!
Thanks for reading, both this post and all the posts this year! I love writing these blogs every Monday (err…every other Monday, it seems), and I love that people enjoy them! Whether it’s a short story, a recipe, or just me speaking into the void, thank you all for being here with me for another year.
If you’d like to keep up with me, follow me on Twitter! I also have a ko-fi for people to leave tips if you’d like! Every dollar goes towards the self publishing of my book (which will hopefully see the light of day next year!). Thanks again y’all!! I’ll see you next year!
