2015 and I'm back!

I took a longer than expected holiday vacay from blogging, but it was necessary. The week before Christmas I found myself experiencing just how bad any sickness can be when you're pregnant - and it turns out pregnancy bronchitis is the absolute pits. The week of Christmas we traveled home to South Carolina, and the whirlwind trip left me absolutely exhausted. Major recovery required.

2015 has me thinking a lot about resolutions and goals - like just about every other person on the planet. This year is packed with absolute mayhem for our family - a new baby, new jobs, a probable move, and now a family wedding! With all of that, I found it hard to fathom what my resolutions could possibly be...besides facing all of that without having some sort of colossal meltdown. Bearing this in mind, I've come up with the following....


1. Be mindful of the fact that I am not in control.
Last week my friend Jen posted something on her Instagram that really spoke to me. The quote came from her morning devotional: "Your rest is not to be found in figuring your life out, but in trusting the One who has it all figured out for your good and His glory." The next 12 months are 100% out of my hands. The birth of my child. Who will he be? Will he be a sleeper? Or will he be sick and colicky? You name it, I've been trying to plan for it. The thing is, there really is no way to be prepared, no way to know what life will hold. All I can do is to have faith, and trust in the plan that has already be set in place. (Easier said than done, right?)

2. Learn to enjoy the moment.
I'm so very guilty of constantly looking toward the next thing - the next beach trip, trips home for a wedding, holidays, baby showers. I wake up Monday, thinking about Friday. Counting down to the next weekend, in a sense, wishing away my life. I feel like my pregnancy has flown by, next week I start my third trimester - the last leg. In some ways I find myself wishing away the next 13 weeks to when I can wear my clothes again, love the way my body looks when I pass a mirror, or just have glass of wine (or 4). But lately, I've been encouraging myself to enjoy the sensation of feeling a life inside of me - and being able to calm him by merely touching my stomach. I should enjoy the quiet evenings, and late morning snoozes (I think I'll miss them more than I missed wine over the last 26 weeks). These last few weeks mark a time in my life that I won't really be able to experience ever again - the freedom to pick up and take a trip, or buy myself a new handbag without feeling guilty. I want to soak up every last bit of the next 13 weeks and savor each moment. Once my son is here, life will be irrevocably changed - and I hope I can then remember to savor each memory and milestone, instead of looking forward to when he's able to talk...or use a toilet...or be self sufficient in general :)

3. Be patient.
My greatest flaw (in my opinion) is my inability to handle the frustration that comes my from general impatience. Perhaps this contributes to my constant need to look forward to the next big thing. This year I hope to learn to take a breath, and relax before I respond. I am quick to snap when I'm annoyed - and this year its my goal to stop it. (Perhaps I should have conquered this before I decided to have a child...)

I opted to stop there, because for me, these 3 things are HUGE. I'm hoping that by writing them down, and sending them out into cyber space that I can somehow better hold myself accountable for these goals. Bring it on 2015. :)