2014

1. What did you do in 2014 that you'd never done before? Got pregnant by surprise. Family Vacation to Myrtle Beach. Hosted a First Birthday Party (it was huge). Had a miscarriage. Worked with a contractor on a remodel project instead of doing most of it ourselves. Had our first overnight date in a hotel (since having a child) for our anniversary. Saw my brother get married- I never thought I would see that!! Went to Bud's house without her there, and went into the bedroom where she died and talked about it with her husband and mom. Asked a friend to take a break for a few months, while still knowing we would be able to work it out. Had a child in a school program for 10 hours a week- it changed our lives!

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Last year I wrote that I was going to work on speaking up when I don't agree with things, and to be upfront about my feelings, as well as not being a people pleaser. It's still a work in progress, but I had two big opportunities to put myself and my needs first this year and I'm happy to say that I did it. It was really hard, and I plan to continue this personal growth. For 2015, my goal is to get better about shopping food sales for groceries, meal planning, and building a 'stockpile' of items purchased on sale to eat. It's the main way I think I can help our family next year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? The only new baby this year was Mr. Elijah Nulph. He's a cute one!

4. Did anyone close to you die? I had a miscarriage May 30th. Baby B was as close physically to me as anyone can ever get.

5. What countries did you visit? Again, we stayed in the USA. Bean and I do have a trip planned in February out of the country!

6. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014? Another child. More practice asking for what I need and standing up for myself and setting boundaries, even if it calls for tough situations. I'd also like to read some really great books.

7. What date from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? May 30th because it was the most physically and emotionally painful thing I've ever done.

9. What was your biggest failure? I'm trying to be easier on myself, so I can't think of anything. If I'm being really mean, I would say: my body failing to grow Baby B. Or the one glass of wine, spread out over 5 hours, I had while pregnant at a wedding when we were keeping it a secret.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I started having some issues with my digestion, so I saw a GI doctor who put me on a low FODMAP diet for a few weeks. We figured out I'm lactose intolerant. No big deal- I can take Lactase or avoid dairy. My body also had a hard time recovering from the natural miscarriage, it took a good 6 months to get back to normal after that.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Our Ethan Allen king sized bed. It's awesome and makes us feel so grown up.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Whitney, Elissa, and Anna for being great supporters after my miscarriage. There were so few people who actually called to see how I was doing and listened to my answer instead of wanting to put their own spin on it or try to tell me how to get over it.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? A close family member, and a close friend. But I did draw a line with both of them and one of the two issues will be resolved in the next few weeks.

14. Where did most of your money go? Our Master Bedroom/Bathroom remodel. That was a LOT of money but well worth it!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Painting our hallway! It looks awesome!

16. What song will always remind you of 2014? Amy Winehouse "Valerie"

17. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder? happier :)

ii. thinner or fatter? the same
iii. richer or poorer? the same

18. Is there anything you wish you'd done more of? Walking to the park, yoga, date night with Bean

19. Is there anything you wish you'd done less of? Worrying about how much I'm not working out

20. Where will you be spending the Holidays? Thanksgiving week was spent in Baton Rouge with Bean's family. A few days before Christmas (ending on Christmas Day), we were in Houston. We planned to stay longer but some unforseen problems came up and we felt it was best to come home.

21. Any athletic achievements? nope, I'm not athletic. But I did make it to the SCOPE walk this year and crossed the finish line walking with my daughter.

22. Did you fall in love in 2014? I've spent 10 years in love with my husband, and 7 years married.

23. How many one-night stands? One! With my husband in a hotel room for our anniversary! haha

24. What was your favorite TV program? American Horror Story: Freak Show, all of the same reality TV (Little Couple, Real Housewives, True Tori, Sister Wives, My Five Wives, 90 Day Fiance)

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No, but I have found some boundaries with different people that are important for me to keep. I don't have time to hate people, but I am able to make more time for those who care about me as much as I care about them and let the other ones go.

26. What was the best book you read? Wild. It's in my top 5 favorite books, so I've probably read it before but it really resonated with me this year as I continue working through the grief process for Bud. I also really liked Gone Girl even though it creeped me out!

27. What was your greatest musical discovery? I got really into Amy Winehouse this year. Such a talent, and it got me thinking about how some people have so much to express in life that they burn out so young.

28. What did you want and get? A fancy picnic basket complete with real china, a fitbit, and something I didn't even know I wanted: a DNA kit from Ancestry.com so I can find out where I came from! Bean did an incredible job for Christmas this year. Also, a pair of gorgeous brown cowboy boots with teal stitching for Mother's Day. He's really great at gifts!

29. What did you want and not get? A private reading with Theresa Caputo. (same as last year!)

30. What was your favorite film of this year? This Is Where I Leave You- it was heavier than I thought it would be but really great. We got to see many more movies this year and tried to make sure they were good ones. I also loved Wild. As I write this, I have a big craving to watch Selena again, it's been awhile.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 31, we had a relaxing family dinner (just the 3 of us) at Red Lobster (my choice). Plenty of biscuits, white wine, and a well behaved child- it couldn't be better than that!

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? If I were able to have Baby B grow to full term and give birth to him/her like I planned. Other than that, this year was very satisfying- as soon as we got the hang of Abby being in school, I really had time for myself and it changed everything for me.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014? Stay At Home Mom with hair that's growing longer each month. Boring!

34. What kept you sane? Doing acupuncture, until it got too expensive; the maybe 4 hours a week alone time on the couch (that's out of the total 10 hours, where I spent most of it working or cleaning first, relaxing second).

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Jared Leto. Middle school crush revived! I even started following him on Twitter and Instagram, and I don't even really know how to use either of those things.

36. What political issue stirred you the most? Not sure if it counts as a political issue, but Robin Williams' suicide had lots of people talking. I think he was brave to do what he did. I understand what it feels like to feel completely alone and like nobody understands you. I would never be brave enough to do what he did, and I wholeheartedly disagree with people who say he was a coward for what he did- especially since he loved his children so much.

37. Who did you miss? Bud. Every day.

38. Who was the best new person you met? Another mom friend: Alison Elizabeth, and her daughter Jessica Elizabeth (her husband's name is Ben). We met at library story time, and the fact that we have so many names in common is just crazy! Hoping to grow this friendship in the coming year.

39. Rate this year on a scale of 1-10:  5