One of my favorite games to play during pregnancy and child rearing is “A Year Ago Today, A Year From Now.” I made that name up on the spot. Great, yes? You’d better agree, because I am too tired and pregnant and sore to think any better than that.
I will demonstrate how to play. Let’s say you are not pregnant right now. Assuming current ovulation and a fast conception and also that you are female and of child-bearing age (this game allows all such assumptions), one year from today you could have a 3-month-old baby. A baby who doesn’t even exist as you think about it now! Isn’t that crazy, that you could do that, that you could change your life so much in a year?
I was thinking of this tonight as I was looking at the calendar and realizing that the next time we turn the page, I’ll have a fifth child. One year ago, I wasn’t even pregnant; in fact, I was almost five whole months away from missing my period and taking a pregnancy test. I was still breastfeeding the twins, who hadn’t yet had their first birthdays or started walking; they were still babies. How can things have changed so much in just one year?
One year from now this baby will be about to have his first birthday. He’s not even born yet as I’m typing, but in one year he’ll already be shedding babyishness like summer cat fur.
Hey, this would make a good question for a mini-essay comments section, wouldn’t it? Or you can do your own post and link to it in the comments section. Where were you a year ago, and where do you think you will be a year from now?
A year ago Justin was halfway through graduate school and getting ready to start his summer internship. I was still working for the school system, and was unsure if I would work there the following year or not (I did not). I was not sure what to wear to chaperone a prom, and I was starting a new exercise/diet program to lose weight. I was also battling with trying to like how I look, and struggling with living here, feeling as if I would never find a way to fit. I felt like everything was in limbo. I had quit the pill and was realizing there was something fairly wrong with my uterus.
A year from now? It’s still a huge question mark. We won’t be in this town, but we don’t know where we’re going yet. We’ll have been married almost a year, and hopefully we’ll be gainfully employed and insured and my uterus mystery problem will be fixed or solved or whatever. We might be toying with the idea of starting a family, or I might be facing the fact that we’ll have to look into adoption. I might be in graduate school. I might just be working part-time and painting the other part. I might be working full time. It’s all still blank. But we’ll be together, and I’m counting on a lot of quality couch time with Justin and the pets.
A Year Ago Today I had a 2 month old infant. I was probably nursing or changing a diaper or trying to get him to sleep. What joys of holding that tiny little baby, though. (After holding a 2 month old baby just yesterday, it brought back these memories.) And now he’s just had his first birthday and running around and throwing temper tantrums.
A year from now? Wow, I could be pregnant! From what my husband and I have talked about, I’d definately like to be at least 4-5 months pregnant. Oh, won’t that be fun. Only time will tell. It would be fun to be expecting another baby.
I liked that game, Swistle. Thanks for the happy thoughts.
A year ago I was still considered a newlywed – with no clue that I would be pregnant sometime in October. I was longing and yearning for a baby, but was thinking it would be years away from happening. This time next year we’ll have a 9 month old son! That’s pretty exciting and mind blowing.
You should start a meme with this! Yes! A meme!
I think my life was pretty much the same at about this time last year. How sad that is.
I *love* this game! I have played it only in regard to pregnancies; it would be fun to play it more broadly. I second Theflyingmum: meme!
A year ago I had a four-month-old and was struggling to manage the working mom role with my husband working out of town. I was also high fiving myself for traveling to and from Puerto Rico by myself with the baby to visit my husband who was working down there.
Now I’ve got this working mom thing down… with one kid. Ready to add the second.
One year from now? Like you, this second baby will be nearly a year and probably on the verge of walking. One small thing I hope for, that in a year we’re planning a family vacation. Maybe to the ocean? Because I’d love to take the boys to the ocean.
A year ago, Jim and I were just starting to throw around the idea of trying again to get pregnant. In fact, I distinctly remember realizing that if we were to give it a go in the month of May, it would have to be while on vacation with my in-laws and sister-in-law’s family over Memorial Day weekend. You do what you gotta do! I was still tan from our February trip to Florida, and I was also about thirty pounds lighter than I currently am thanks to the miracle of breastfeeding.
A year from now, our son will be about… what? Eight or nine months? Somewhere in there. He’ll be laughing and really starting to interact with his big sister. Adelay will be closer to three than two, and hopefully potty trained and eating something besides tater tots. I will (please Lord) NOT be pregnant again, and enjoying being a mother of two, which I will hopefully have gotten down to a science by then! And while we’re dreaming, I’ll be tan and thin again, too!
i just might have to post about this! let’s see…a year ago today i was fresh off a cruise ship with my brand new husband as we returned from our honeymoon and we got all cozy and nesting in our home. i also started a new job.
currently: at said job, celebrated one year, contemplating return to school….
a year from now: hope i’m above and beyond said job, still do not want children (just yet) will probably have given in to my hubs wanting a puppy, still will say cheeky things about my inlaws. har har! :)
This makes me a little sad, because we are closing in on the one-year mark of finding out about Harper’s peanut allergy. A year ago we were still blissfully (though dangerously) unaware. I know that her allergy isn’t the end of the world, but it sure has changed the way we navigate through it. Having said that, I feel triumphant that we’ve made it through this year without a) a major allergic incident or b) a complete mental break-down on my part. (Knock on wood.) A year ago I was also finding out that I received the scholarship that has allowed me to be a full time graduate student. Last year at this time, a lot of things were about to change.
Next year at this time Harper will be nearly 3 and 1/2 years old, I will have finished school, and I really hope to be aniticpating another child. I’m really starting to think it’s the right time to get a bun baking.
Good question, Swistle!
http://nevermelts.blogspot.com/2007/05/haha-meme.html
Oh how I love this post!
A year ago I was still almost two months away from having Owen and starting to realize that there really was only one way that he was going to come into this world and trying to come to grips with the idea that I was going to be someone’s mother. There are still days (usually during the times when he’s asleep and looking so peaceful) that I still try to wrap my head around the idea that he’s all ours.
A year from now? Hopefully I will have an almost 4 month old or be very close to the end of another pregnancy.
I know you’re so close to the finish line for being pregnant with this little one and even though I’m not envious of the physical discomfort, I remember and am envious of what that was like and how (sometimes uncomfortably)close the baby was.
A year ago, my husband and I tried to rent a house but were “too late” and someone snagged it right under us. Being desperate to get our family of five out of our townhouse (with two very stinky cats), we decided to “go for it” and start looking for a house–even though neither one of us really wanted to stay in this city. *sigh* And I started getting the itch to start a blog.
A year from now, I hope we’ve finally finished painting my son’s bedroom(!), put on a new roof, and started plans on a new kitchen in our new house. I can also dream that I will have found a part-time job I can do working out of my home so that my life MAYBE won’t be so crazy and stressed and maybe I’ll stop wrecking the mini-van. One can dream, anyway.
No planned pregnancies. Three is enough. I keep reminding myself: three is enough.
OMg, you’re freaking me out. I’ll have to do a post on this now…
http://all-d.blogspot.com/2007/05/swistles-meme.html
I have been enjoying all your answers SO MUCH! My favorites are the “a year from now, maybe pregnant” ones, because those are so exciting.
Theflyingmum and Nowheymama: Okay, let’s meme it! HOW should we meme it? Just the two questions, and then a tag? Or more to it than that?
What a fun thing to delurk on! Last year–I had a 4 month old and a 2 1/2 year old. Now I’m in shock that I have an “almost 4 year old” and a 16 month old. How did they get so big?!? Next year? Probably pregnant with #3 (I really like the 2 year gap.) Idealy, I’d like to be in a new house, but don’t think that’s really going to happen. But who knows, I’ve ended up moving the last 2 times I was pregnant.
One year ago I was 6 months pregnant and just put on bedrest for the duration. Hot & miserable.
Today I have an “energetic” 9 month old. I long for bedrest…
A year from now we’ll be just moved for the final time! Moving to a place we’ll call home (hopefully) for the rest of our lives. I cannot wait.
Fun game! A year ago I was in basically the same situation as now, but AJ was only 1 and three-quarters. He was just learning to run in the backyard as “play.”
Today, he runs all the time.
A year from now, I hope to be… holding a newborn or at least pregnant!… on maternity leave or starting my new life as a part-timer, with Mondays and Fridays off! Hoo-boy!
Oh my this is a real thinker.
Let’s see, a year ago i was still trying to get the hang of this whole mom thing. The girl was two months shy of her 1st birthday. The hubby and I had just decided that we were definetly NOT ready for another baby so our whole 2 year gap plan was out the window. I was still working from home two days a week to cut down on the time the girl had to be in the car, we have quiet the commute each day. The hubby was preparring to take a month of leave from his job so that he and the girl could have some bonding time before her first birthday.
A year from now hopefully we will either have a newborn or be just days away from giving birth. We will hopefully be moveing either closer to our jobs or I will have just left my job to stay home with the kids. The girl will be just shy of her third birhtday (tears come to my eyes at the thought)and will be such a little girl and not my itty bitty baby any more.
Okay I have to go cry now, it doesn’t help that I am at the office, Oh well everyone already thinks i’m a loon =o)
How timely of you, Swistle dear. In a week, I was going to post about my “one year ago.” I found out I was pregnant on May 26th, so my year is almost up.
I think I’ll go ahead and post about it over at my place. Thanks for the great topic!
A year ago…my SIL was moving in with us and starting a period of the most stress ever. We were TTC with no luck until the day that she moved out (seriously).
A year from now…I will have a 3.5 year old and a 1 year old. I want a new SUV, too. Oh yeah, and a wardrobe. Sorry, no more babies from us. DH is getting snipped because I think I have earned the title of World’s Most Suckiest Pregnnt Woman.
I like you, Swistle, you brush aside all that small blog-talk stuff and go right for the big, deep topics. :)
A year ago today I started trying to conceive my first child. I was working for G____ and becoming vaguely aware of my lack of enthusiasm for the job. We were removing wallpaper from our kitchen in an attempt to spruce it up, and it backfired in a big, ugly way.
Today I have a 9.5 month old girl and I’ve quit my job, started my own business. The kitchen is dewallpapered and painted a nice, calming blue.
A year from now I hope to have 2 children and I will have completed my first contract in my own business and will have to decide whether or not to keep the business going or to be a total SAHM. Also we might move to another state, after living in the present state for over a decade. Oh, and, we might have finally sold our house by a year from now too.
I love this stage of my life. So much change! And all good stuff!
oh wait! I miscalculated the years! One year ago I was PREGNANT. Duh. Very miserably pregnant. I was about to have my baby shower on the hottest day of the month. I was painting the baby’s room, not the kitchen.
Oh my goodness. A year ago I was sleeping every night on the couch with my almost 1-month old. My baby boy who wouldn’t sleep anywhere except semi-upright, on his side, on my chest. I think it was to be near the food source. It was an ugly 10 weeks, me without any sleep and my sad, cracking nipples. But I digress.
Looking back, I’m glad we all made it through because our family is so beautiful today with the addition of our little Mason.
A year from now, I’ll be almost done with my second year of teaching. Getting my girl ready for kindergarten round-up. Enrolling her for fall ’08. That’s a little tough to even imagine. And time goes so fast…
Fun game! And great post!!!
“HOW should we meme it? Just the two questions, and then a tag?”
Sure, why not? I like its deceptive simplicity. It doesn’t *look* long or difficult (“Hey, this is just two questions! That’s easy!”) but it can take awhile to answer, and the responses are so interesting!
I don’t think i can play. I don’t have a uterus, and I got a vasectomy.
But a year ago today I was right here. A year from now I could be anywhere my annoying company sends me. Vague enough?
What a nice way for me to delurk.
A year ago, we were contemplating moving or trying to save the house. (We moved.) We were also thinking about maybe trying for baby #2. (Arrived 7 weeks ago. Surprise!) And we were broke. (Still are, actually.)
A year from now, hopefully we’ll be ALOT more solvent. I’d like to have my fancy fancy camera (pipedream, anyone?) We’ll still be in this house in this town, but maybe we’ll have less people living in it. That would be nice. And I’ll probably be chasing two fast little munchkins around. Everything else will probably be the same. Which would be nice, for a change.
Fun game!
A year ago I was thinking my fiance would NEVER propose, and wondering how long I should wait around before cutting my losses and moving on (he was pulling a Chandler Bing on me – “I don’t know if I EVER want to get married” while ring-shopping on the sly, the weirdo almost scared me off altogether.)
A year from now we will have been married for 9 months and hopefully would have purchased a condo.
A year ago, I was pregnant and couldn’t believe that in a year I would be an actual mom of an infant who lives on the outside. Now I have a 7 month old and I can’t believe that in a year she will be walking (!!) and talking (!!) and eating real food. I hope in a year that I feel more settled with the rollercoaster of parenthood, marriage, job, and (hopefully) time for me and less like things are falling through the cracks. But I am confident that as a family we will continue to grow and fill our home with lots of love.