Happy New Year!

On our way to an early New Year's Eve dinner (yes, at 6 p.m.) at Campagnola restaurant. One of the best meals we've had...ever!! We were on the couch by 8:30 watching Dick Clark. My, how things have changed. I'm definitely a lot rounder in this photo--and it was taken before we ate! And, no, I didn't cut my hair.

At Vermilion restaurant with my good friend, Melissa, from Atlanta.

A post-Christmas Christmas party hosted by our dear friends, The Krons. The Eternos and Hendons were also there to party it up.

I hosted Christmas Eve dinner at our house, and this was my secret winter salad.

Christmas Eve - our last as a family of two.

Small group Christmas party!!

Happy New Year, everyone! 2008 has a definite air of excitement for me since I can now say that the baby will be born "this year." The time is really flying by. I'm also excited by the possibility of all that may happen this year...things that are yet t be determined. Some of my friends may get married or have babies, family members may experience big life transitions, and some of us may even celebrate significant birthdays, new jobs, and life-altering journeys. I can't wait to see what happens!

While we're all waiting to see where 2008 takes us, enjoy my little holiday photo essay above. Many of you who read my blog are out-of-state or country, so I hope this catches you up on my Chicago holidays.

Just a note on New Year's Eve. It's such an anti-climatic holiday with undue pressure put on the universe to have the best time you can possibly have in one short evening. This year, instead of trying to find something fabulous to do, we took the relaxed approach and simply booked dinner reservations at a local restaurant--Campagnola--for the 6 p.m. seating. I know that's practically the early bird special normally, but the restaurant was packed by 6:30, and it was fun to see a lot of families enjoying the evening together, as well as couples and larger parties. The best part was the meal, which was one of the best we have enjoyed in a very long time. My four courses included spinach salad with warm bacon dressing (read: pancetta), lobster & shrimp risotto, red snapper with creamed leeks and sun-dried tomato tepanade, and blood orange sorbet with Italian cookies. It was so delicious and filling that by the end of the evening I looked like I was carrying twins: one real baby and one food baby. And it was nice to be sitting back on my couch by 8:30 p.m. Happy New Year!