Happy new year!

As always... the Year in Review: 2014

What did you do in 2014 that you'd never done before?
Umm... a whole lotta stuff. Hired a realtor. Went to an open house. Put in an offer on a house. Closed on a house. Moved into a house. Took on a mortgage. Had a positive pregnancy test. Felt a baby kick inside me. Took pre-natal vitamins. Hired a doula. Stayed in a hospital. Delivered a baby. Assembled a fake Christmas tree. Visited Prairie du Chien. Got a smartphone. Spent Christmas someplace other than St. Cloud. Went to a therapist. Paid off my car loan. Had a ring cut off my finger. Cooked Thanksgiving dinner at home. Taught photography. Watched the entire series of 'Weeds'. Bought shoes online. There are more. I've still never mowed a lawn. Maybe in 2015?

Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Here are the goals I set for 2014 and the outcomes...

1. By the end of the year, I'd like Jordan and I to be living in our very own house. 

Check! We put in an offer in January, closed at the end of April and moved in in May. Our little house is cozy and perfect for our family. 

2. By the end of the year, I'd like to be pregnant/have a baby/something like that.

Check again! Noah is the world's best baby. 

3. By the end of the year, I'd like to own a DSLR camera.

Nope, I still wish I had one.

4. By the end of the year, I'd like to establish an exercise routine that I can maintain long-term. 

HA. (Someday... I can still hope)

I feel like I accomplished some pretty life-changing goals in 2014. Let's see... some goals for 2015...

1. Make it to a year giving Noah breastmilk. Or, if that isn't feasible for whatever reason, be okay with it.

2. Reach out for help. Connect with more people. Build our support system and community.

3. Take some kind of vacation with just me and Jordan, even if it's just for a weekend.

4. Get that darn DSLR camera.

Did anyone close to you give birth?

YES! ME! And I have lots of friends and family having babies!

Did anyone close to you die?

I can't think of anyone particularly close to me personally. I have some close friends that were affected by death this year though.

What countries did you visit?

Once again... none. And my passport is still expired. Getting it renewed has been on my to-do list for over a year. I am an accomplished procrastinator.

What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?

2014 was a really fulfilling year for me with lots of grown-up events- I can't say that I wanted for much. I am always trying to work on bettering myself as a person. Now that I'm a parent, I think this will need to be even more of a priority.

What date(s) from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

October 26th- my son's birthday. Awwww.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Buying a house. Creating a child and transitioning into parenthood with my best friend. Those are pretty big deals.

What was your biggest failure?

Well, I think I made it to the gym like two times. But I did go to pre-natal yoga pretty consistently, so I guess that counts for something!

Did you suffer illness or injury?

I've been really lucky to avoid serious illness and injury for quite some time. Having a baby was physically demanding, but I was fortunate to recover quickly and avoid some of the worse symptoms of pregnancy.

What was the best thing you bought?

Hmmm... I'm going to go with the iPhone. The gps directions while driving has been a life-saver.

Whose behavior merited celebration?

Jordan. My emotions this year have really hit some new highs and lows, and he stuck it out like a champ the whole time and didn't even give me too much grief. Also, my mom for coming a couple days after Noah's birth and completely taking care of our nursery. It was like a miracle.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

I hate to say it... but there are some staff members at school that I am consistently less-than-impressed with. Fortunately, I work with enough superstars to balance it out.

Where did most of your money go?

House payments. Baby stuff. Eating out because cooking is about the last thing I want to do now.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?

I feel like there is a pretty obvious trend in my answers here but I was pretty stoked about the house and baby. I was also really, really happy to score tickets to see Book of Mormon this March. Oh, and my friend Lyz is having twins and I'm super excited about that!

What song will always remind you of 2014?

Shake It Off-- This is my new favorite thing.

I'm also All About That Bass.

Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder?

I'm probably happier, but in a totally new way.

ii. thinner or fatter?

Well, I was definitely way fatter while pregnant but I think I'm slowly getting close to my pre-pregnancy weight again.

iii. richer or poorer?

More money, but also more debt so maybe it evens out.

What do you wish you'd done more of?

Taking more pictures of myself during pregnancy.

What do you wish you'd done less of?

Worrying during pregnancy, worrying about school, worrying about Noah.

Did you fall in love in 2014?

I STILL stayed in love, and even doubled it. My heart is very full.

What was your favorite TV program?

I am probably at an all-time low with television watching.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

Nope, I still haven't found anyone really worth hating.

What was the best book you read?

I read way too many pregnancy and baby books, I should have read more for fun.

What was your greatest musical (re)discovery?

I also hardly listened to any music this year. Sad.

What did you want and get?

I'll give you two guesses. :)

What did you want and not get?

I keep meaning to buy an ipad but it hasn't happened yet.

What was your favorite film of this year?

The only movie I really enjoyed in the theatre was Gone Girl. I loved the book and, despite Ben Affleck, thought the movie was a great adaptation.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 32. We went out to dinner with friends at Bluephies, then home for cake that was shaped like a whale. We also had an elective ultrasound a few days before to see more pictures of the baby.

What one thing would have made the year immeasurably more satisfying?

This was a good year. I am satisfied.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?

Maternity. Stretch. Yoga pants. Elastic. 

What political issue stirred you the most?

I managed to avoid all political ads this year by keeping the tv off, and managed to go out and vote just a week after Noah was born and still in the NICU.

Who did you miss?

I'm always missing my friends and family in MN. But we had some visitors this year which was lovely- we're always ready for more!

Who was the best new person you met?

This dude:

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014:

Your whole life can turn upside-down in 30 hours and everything can still turn out alright. Therapy is a good thing. Being a parent is really, really hard- and it's also kind of the best thing ever. I have a very patient husband. Baby brain is a real thing and it's really annoying to deal with. I'm trying to make "Comparison is the thief of joy" my new mantra.

And the real reason you're here... let's see some more baby pictures!

Is this a smile or a scream? I'll never tell.

He loves Calvin and Hobbes.

I pledge to be the best baby.

King Noah.

Was not a fan of the Santa hat...

He loves tummy time!

This is his "Oh no!" face

Our little family.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2015!