Hopes and Plans for 2015

I just can't believe it. 2015! I still remember huddling with a friend with some flashlights for Y2K back in 7th grade, and here I am writing a blog post about my hopes for 2015.

It just goes to show that life really does fly by. 

2014 was a big year. We welcomed our sweet little girl, Victoria Rose, in June. Now as I look to 2015, I can't help but wonder if I will ever have a year as wonderful as this last one. 

So I'm going to take the time to write out some of my hopes, plans, and dreams for the coming year. Of course God always has a way of thumbing his nose at my plans, and I've learned in the past few years to be ok with that. But please tell me I am not the only planner out there who gets excited about the possibilities?

Sleep
This is one hope for early this year, as we will begin some gentle sleep training with Victoria. She is such a light sleeper that I have to begin teaching her to fall asleep by herself in her crib, because she wakes up over and over again if we let her fall asleep in our arms or nursing and try to transfer her into her crib. I've read a half-dozen sleep books and settled on Kim West's method of gentle sleep training in the book Good Night, Sleep Tight. So here's hoping we will all be sleeping better soon!

Move!
We are going to be moving this year, it is just a matter of where and when. The apartment lease for our current 2 bedroom apartment will be up at the end of February, after which we will be paying month to month until we find the right place. This is a very exciting situation, and we are on the lookout for a 3 bedroom+ single family home a bit closer to my husband's work (right now he has a 30 mile commute each way). I cannot wait for this to happen, as we really desire a yard for Victoria and any future children to play in, as well as space for a vegetable garden, and perhaps even a garage.

Brazil
One of our biggest motivators for getting out of debt was the big reward we set for ourselves after accomplishing it: going on a vacation to Brazil. I was an exchange student in Brazil in my late teens for 1 year, and I have not had a chance to go back since. We have mulled over all the possibilities, and will be taking Victoria with us when we go, which should be an adventure in itself (another reason the sleep training needs to happen). We are hoping to go in late Spring, but that will depend on when we move.

Daily Audio Bible
My husband and I listen to the Daily Audio Bible almost every day, and we love it. January 1st they start Genesis 1, Matthew 1, Psalms 1, and Proverbs 1, and by the end of the year they have gone through the entire Bible. Each day the broadcast is about 20 minutes long. We have not been super consistent with listening to it, so our goal is to make it all the way through 2015 without a single missed day. If you'd like to join us, you can get the Daily Audio Bible phone/tablet app, or you can listen online any time of day at their website. Our plan is to listen every evening as a family as part of Victoria's bedtime routine.

Fitness
I know, I know, everyone seems to have a fitness goal resolution, but I am truly serious about this one (everyone says that too...). I have been working to lose my baby weight (which is going way slower than I'd like, as I still have about 5 lbs to reach my pre-pregnancy weight), but more importantly I have been working on fitness. I am definitely in better shape now than I was before I had Victoria. I go to a Les Mills Body Pump class twice a week, and try to do another workout another day per week. My husband also bought me a Les Mills Body Combat home set for Christmas which I am excited to dive into. Where Body Pump is about muscle toning, Body Combat is more focused on coordination and cardio (as well as muscle toning). If you've never looked into Les Mills classes, I highly recommend them. They are fun, and believe me, there are plenty of novices in the classes to make you feel comfortable (although soreness for a day or two afterward is almost guaranteed). My goal for 2015 is to reach my goal weight by my wedding anniversary (March 5th), and continue my Body Pump and Body Combat routine. I am really enjoying the results of feeling strong.

More Babies?
I would love to have more babies, but we leave this in God's hands. Nursing is keeping everything at bay at the moment, but we hope we can give Victoria siblings, so here's hoping!

What are some of the goals you have set for yourself this year? Or what are some of your hopes for 2015?