Thankful Tuesdays: Reflecting on 2009

This year has been a year of mixed feelings.  Its the year that baby J came along and changed our lives in countless ways, the year we turned from being a happily married couple, to a pram-pushing, butt-wiping papa and mama (who periodically can be found haunting the baby aisles in NTUC for good diaper deals).  Its the year I took no pay leave from teaching, and transited from teaching 200 over teenage boys a year about the cardiac cycle and how the heart pumps, to teaching a little boy who reads books upside down, and learning how big my heart is when it comes to loving this tiny child.  Its the year I've truly learnt how great a hubby I have, who although has a short temper like me, has infinite patience with our little boy.

Its also the year that a major event occurred in my family that will have implications for years to come.  However, that has taught me, through the anger, tears and frustration, that hopefully, time will be the ointment that heals wounds, but only if applied with lots of prayer, and with the help of our God who heals our hurts and pains.

2009 has also been the year of experiences, from going to Yunnan on a medical mission trip and toting baby J along, to learning how to do fieldwork in animal behaviour.  Its the year I started crafting and sewing.   Its also the year we welcomed a bumper crop of babies among our friends, with 4 baby boys being born just within our bible study group, and the year baby J got baptised...   

Photo courtesy of our fantastic photographer friend, Uncle Monster

Its the year of achievements thanks to God's grace, from being able to breastfeed the boy for almost a year amidst the initial difficulties, to hubby passing his specialist exams and turning registrar.  Its the year I got my driving license, and passed my exams while juggling baby and studies (while hobbling around during lab practicals during my confinement period all wrapped up and smelling of oils, thanks to the post-natal massage).

So if you ask me, 2009 has been a good year.  A year that God has showered blessings on us.  So as we face 2010, with its challenges of parenthood and the prospect of finishing a problem-plagued (thanks to a long overdue permit and well-meaning passerbys who disrupt the studies) dissertation in 4 months, as well as hubby's ANZCA exams, I can only give thanks and trust in God.  And welcome the coming year with open arms, while laughing at the little boy who crawls out of his cot at night, looks for his father, and thumps out a rhythm on his Papa's tummy while cackling with glee at his Papa's mock squeals of pain.

Happy New Year everyone, in advance!

[This will be the last post of the year, as we're busy preparing for our bible study group's annual new year's eve dinner which would be at our place, and packing for our upcoming trip.  We'll be kicking off the new year by  heading to Taiwan to freeze our butts off with our little boy, and posts may be intermittent, depending on the availability of internet!]