A retrospective of 2011: The Year of Maya

I could give you a million reasons why I haven’t posted in so long, but that doesn’t matter. I’m here now, and that’s what matters, right? 🙂

It’s the last day of the year, and everyone’s been nostalgically posting on their social networking websites about their year, what was good and what wasn’t, what was memorable and what wasn’t (well, though, I suppose, they must have forgotten what wasn’t memorable, by definition… but carrying on…). I thought I’d do my own little retrospective of the year.

Truth is, 2011 was a very, very unremarkable year. There were some changes in my life, but most of them were too personal to blog and too boring for most people to care. And, really, did I mention boring? It was a pretty average year. I didn’t accomplish anything. I didn’t make any life-changing decisions (I think), I didn’t publish a book (:(), I didn’t travel abroad, I didn’t win the lottery, I didn’t… anything. So, when it comes to Barbie, the year was all the same old, all the same school, home, sleep, home, sleep, school, sleep, home, school. You get it.

But, then, there was this ONE, FANTASTIC, life-changing event in my year, and if you know me, you know I just can’t even shut up about it. About her. Maya. My beautiful, bright, lively baby sister. To me, she WAS this year. She was the whole meaning of 2011.

You see, I used to think that at 23, I was too old to have a baby sister. I used to say, “What is my father thinking, having another baby at this point of his life?”. I used to think, I couldn’t possibly love this child like a sibling, because I wouldn’t grow up with her like I did with Nadine and Pedro. I used to think I would be indifferent to this child if she was ever born. How naïve of me. How could I ever be indifferent? How could I not adore her from the time I first laid eyes on her?

Maybe it’s something about babies, the whole thing about humans not eating their newborns, but from the second Maya was born, and I met her, I was putty in her tiny hands. I was madly, completely, overwhelmingly in love, and I knew, that I’d do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING for that child. And I will. I didn’t know, until now, I could love someone this much for just existing. Everyone I love, I love for who they are. For being funny, smart, caring, thoughtful. Even my younger siblings, when they were born, I was so young, I never understood this process of loving. But, with Maya, I love her just for being. She is. And, God, how she is.

She used to be so, so, so tiny.

Maya and I on the first day she was born!

She contorts herself all over when she sleeps.

She makes the funniest faces!!!

Just look at that!!!

She has the biggest cheeks!!!

She's a big reader, like her big sister!!!

She's versatile, too. 🙂

She likes to suck her toes, 'cause fingers are for amateurs.

She makes my life complete.

And, that, was the big thing about 2011. It was the year Maya was born. Next year, I’ll remember little else. In two years, even less. It’ll be just Maya. Always about Maya.

So, readers, I ask you. How was 2011? Did you have a good year? Was it remarkable? What great thing happened? Not so great? What do you expect for 2012? Isn’t Maya the cutest baby EVER??? HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!