Back in January, I shared the goals I hoped to accomplish in 2014. And now that 2014 is nearly half way through (seriously, how did that happen?) I figured it was time for an update.
Below, I’ve listed out my 2014 goals in bold type and then my updates for each goal follow. You can also read my original 2014 goals post for more details about each individual goal.
Personal Goals:
1. Be as relaxed and laid back as I can when the new baby comes.
I actually impressed myself with how relaxed I was after Simon was born. To the outside world, I may not have appeared relaxed or stress-free — but compared to my normal very structured self, I rocked this goal!
There were definitely days when Simon, Nora, and I were all crying when Dave got home from school, but for the most part, there were SO many days when I just kicked back, didn’t try to get anything accomplished, took naps on the couch with my kiddos, popped a frozen meal in the oven for dinner, and called it a day.
I didn’t stress over Simon’s “schedule”. I didn’t try to force him to sleep in his crib (although ironically, it’s now his very favorite place to sleep). I didn’t get uptight about when, where, or how to feed him. I just took it one day at a time.
2. Get more sleep.
I was doing SOOOO good at this before Simon was born and even for the first 6-8 weeks after he was born. I was going to bed early with him, sleeping in the twin bed in his room, and sleeping in as long as Nora would let me.
But then the weather started to get warmer and we started doing a bunch of house and yard projects — so now I’ve been staying up WAY too late and getting up WAY too early to pull weeds, water plants, paint the mudroom, spread wood chips, work on blogging stuff, etc. etc.
My plate is full, but it’s full of everything I love to do.
Now that Dave is home from school for the summer, we’ve been trying to get to bed by 10:30 every night — hopefully we can keep each other accountable on this one!
3. Lose my baby weight.
After almost 4 months, I’ve technically lost all the weight if you’re talking about pounds on the scale — but I’m finally starting to understand what my 90-year old grandma meant when she said, “I still weigh the same as I did when I was married, it’s just spread out a little differently now”.
Obviously it took me 9 months to gain the weight, I shouldn’t expect to be back to normal after 15 weeks (at least that ‘s what I’m telling myself!)
Family Goals:
1. Get Nora moved to her upstairs bedroom ASAP.
100% FINISHED!
Here’s her full room tour — and here’s the tour of her closet.
2. Potty train Nora.
Not finished… not even started.
Our plan was to buckle down and potty train her over Dave’s spring break in April. However, she woke up that first morning with a runny nose, a sore throat, a cough… and a urinary tract infection. Of course, Simon got sick the next day and we just decided that it wasn’t worth trying to battle the sicknesses and pee everywhere, so we threw in the towel before we really even gave it a go.
Our new plan is to potty train her over the summer. I’ll let you know how that goes 🙂
3. Create time for just Dave and me.
Dave and I spend A LOT of time together each day (especially now that school is out). However, we hardly spend any time together with no kids around. One of us is usually playing with Nora while the other one is feeding or changing Simon. Then one of us is taking “double duty” with the kids while the other one is running errands, making dinner, mowing the lawn, etc. etc.
Since Nora goes to bed so late, we really don’t even get the late-night hours just to ourselves. And since we are BOTH getting up in the middle of the night with our kids (Dave is in charge of Nora and I’m in charge of Simon) we often don’t even sleep in the same bed. True story my friends.
I realize this is just the season of life that we’re in — and honestly, I think we’re adapting to it pretty well. But I will say that I definitely have not made any progress towards this goal. Maybe once Simon is a bit older, we’ll get a babysitter and go do something other than yard work together 🙂
Financial Goals:
1. Fully fund our retirement accounts (we both have Roth IRAs).
We’re only half way through the year but since we have our IRA contributions automatically withdrawn from our bank account each month, we’re officially half way towards this goal.
2. Pay off 1/3 of our remaining mortgage.
Again, we’re only half way through the year — but we are on track to meet this goal. We’ve already made 3 extra principal-only payments on our mortgage — on top of our regular monthly payments. After we’re finished with all our house and yard projects this summer, we hope to make 2 more principal-only payments on our mortgage before the end of the year — and that should allow us to reach this goal.
Also, just as a note of encouragement to anyone trying to pay off debt… it’s honestly AMAZING how much of a difference even a small principal-only payment can make over the course of your loan. Even if you can make one or two small principal-only payments on your loan each year, it’s SO worth it!
Farmhouse Goals:
1. Get the nursery cleaned up, repainted, set up, and stocked for baby boy.
100% FINISHED — here’s the full tour!
2. Finish the other 1/2 of our landscaping project.
We’ve already done a TON of landscaping this spring and summer — and our hard work is definitely paying off. Our yard is looking the best it’s looked yet. I even saw the previous owners at an antique sale last week — and they kept saying over and over how great the yard looked when they drove past!
We’re taking a bit of a yard work break right now to focus on building the new deck and finishing the mudroom. Of course, we’re still watering all our new plants, weeding our tiny new vegetable garden, and maintaining the lawn… we’re just not doing any more demolition or adding any more plants until we get back from our cottage vacation.
Rest assured my friends, we are still definitely “on track” to share all our before and after pictures this fall!
3. Get a new front door and front picture window.
We haven’t done anything for this yet — mainly because of the new mudroom project (see below).
You can’t tell by looking from the outside — but that new door and new window will make a HUGE difference from the inside. I can’t wait to get them in place – hopefully later this summer or very early fall!
4 . A new mudroom / bathroom and laundry renovation.
As I shared a couple weeks ago, we’re getting a new mudroom! However, it’s not exactly what we thought it would look like — it’s better.
Our mudroom will be MUCH larger than we originally planned — and we won’t be taking over our main floor laundry room to do it. Because of this, we haven’t made any progress with the potential bathroom and laundry room renovations — and honestly, I’m thinking those will probably wait until next year.
Dave and I are 100% OK with this as our new mudroom plan is SO much better. Plus, we’re taking on a deck renovation project that we weren’t planning to do back when I wrote out my 2014 goals.
Business Goals:
As you might remember, I actually didn’t set ANY business goals for myself this year.
I’m at a point where I really can’t take on any other Virtual Assistant clients. I have 4 clients that I work regular hours for each month — and that’s about all I can handle on top of my own blog and my family, housework, yard work, etc.
I’m super happy with where I’m at right now — and although I’m hoping to make a few minor tweaks to my website over the summer, there is nothing major planned as of right now.
So that’s my 2014 goals update — still a lot of things to accomplish, but there’s plenty of time left… right?
How are you doing on your goals for the year?
Kristine says
Gosh, I was looking through your blog today, and this blog post gave me just the motivation I needed! Thank you!
Kristen @ Joyfully Thriving says
Great goal progress, Andrea! I’ve been working at being relaxed and laid-back with the baby (and my schedule) which has been a challenge for my productive, type A personality. But babies are only babies once! I’ve lost my baby weight, too, but have also realized how things “adjust.” Enjoy the rest of your summer with Dave home! I’m certainly enjoying having my husband home, too!
Debby says
Once again, love your post. I remember those days of two little ones at once. My daughters are 22months apart. Now they are 16 and 18 and my husband and I are now moving into another season of life. I think you and Dave are a great couple.Love and communication get you through everything. I remember looking at my husband and saying See you in 10 years. Haha. We got through it together and just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. Now that our girls drive, we have lots of time together alone again. Just like the song, to every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. Keep up the great work Andrea.
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says
I really like that you take the time to set thoughtful, challenging goals, but you aren’t super uptight and stressed about meeting them at any and all costs. You allow for life and relationships to come before crossing items off your list, and I think that’s great. I love Simon and Nora’s rooms, as well as your goals to stay relaxed and trying to get adequate sleep. I think those things help us have better days. We, too, are trying to get the mortgage paid off, but that has proven to be a real challenge in this economy. Thanks for sharing your goals!
Erica says
Doing great! Got two major goals accomplished already this year – to publish my first ebook by my 40th birthday (uploaded it to Amazon about 9 days before my birthday) and to get my back taxes completely paid off – did that a few months ago, now I have an extra $200 a month that I can put towards other things. Good luck with the rest of your goals!
Heart and Haven says
How has Nora adjusted to sleeping in her new room?
We recently added on a loft space/bedroom for the “boy’s room”. I thought my 6 yo daughter would’ve been excited about having her own room. But nope! She’s been sharing a room with her brother (13 mo. older than her) since she was 3 months old. Needless to say, she did not like sleeping by herself….AT ALL. We’ve tried a few things, and it’s getting better: a Hello Kitty alarm clock that has a built-in nite lite and has a radio that she keeps on while she’s sleeping. Also a new bedtime routine we implemented “father/daughter time” where my husband will go upstairs and she’ll read him a book, tell jokes, chat, and just special one-on-one time for about 10 min. That seems to have made the biggest impact so far. My best guess is that it’s some sort of separation anxiety and/or feeling of abandonment that we’re having to help her work through. I’m soooo relieve that it’s finally getting better, and she actually looks forward to her bedtime routine now. It was really difficult going from having a very sweet girl all of a sudden have major melt-downs/temper tantrums bigger than any 2 year old I’ve ever seen, lol. Soon we’ll be transitioning by 2 yo out of the crib in our room to the boy’s room (after next week when the kids are out of school). I’m expecting our 5th child in Aug. and need the crib space! haha. Hopefully this transition will go much smoother 🙂
Kimberley says
I am impressed with your list of goals and how far along you have come in just 6 months! Congrats to you guys!!!
A lot of our goals have changed over the past couple of months due to some life changes. I am now just one week shy of 6 months pregnant but we just recently moved with our 4 year old in tow from Indiana to Texas! HUGE move! We had never been here before but it was the right move to make for my husband’s goal of getting a career started down here. Some of our goals now are finding affordable trustworthy child care for both children, my husband is looking for work and we are now trying to get settled into our apartment!
To say life has been a little crazy for us these past few months would be an understatement!
Andrea says
Thanks Kimberley — and WOW, what a lot of changes for you guys!
Sounds like you have appropriate goals for your season of life — good luck settling into your new home and with the baby on the way!
Debbie says
Andrea, I can definitely see the benefit of setting a goal for the year and I think I will start doing this. However, how do you handle it when you know the goal is not going to be reached? Isn’t it kind of a downer?
Andrea says
Yes Debbie — goals are awesome! You could start right now with a few mid-year goals — or even a goal for the month or week.
As far as when I don’t reach a goal — I have that happen all the time. Like this year, I doubt we’ll get around to doing the laundry room or bathroom off the kitchen because we added the mudroom and the new deck to our project/goals list.
Yes, it’s disappointing to not reach a goal, but ultimately, as long as I’m still moving forward, I’m OK with it.
Kelly says
Due to weird sleeping arrangements, pregnancy, nursing, etc., my husband and I have spent many nights sleeping in separate beds over the past year or so… just want you to know you’re not alone! 🙂
Great progress on the goals, and on setting realistic ones!
I am doing okay on the goals I set in January – though I devoted a lot of time to them, I don’t think I made really great goals – not so measurable/achievable.
We’re expecting a baby in November, so I recently made “goals before baby” and those seem to be a lot better so far… things I can actually cross off the list!
I also plan to start a “things we accomplished” list to write down after the fact, to show progress in things we didn’t necessarily ever record as a goal. 🙂
Andrea says
Thanks Kelly — I’m sure there are actually lots of couples with young children who have weird sleeping arrangements! 🙂
As for your goals… I LOVE the “to-do-before-baby” lists. Here’s my list from before Simon was born. And I frequently make “done lists” — or as you call them “things we accomplished”. It feels so good to look back and see everything you’ve done.
P.S. Contrary to what most people will tell you, I think November is an awesome time to have a baby! Congrats!
Lydia @ five4fivemeals says
I can’t believe 2014 is more than halfway over also! Man, that went by fast. And you’ve handled having two beautifully. It’s tough. My husband went back to work when our youngest was a week old (he worked in the delivery room and from home the whole first week!) and I had NO help. But we made it through.
Also, after two things might not go back to where they were before. Thank heavens for stretchy pants and spanks.
Andrea says
I know, where does the time go.
Dave had 2 days off from school and those were the 2 days I was in the hospital — boo! At least he could be home by 3:30 almost every day — that was a life saver for me. He’s super helpful when he’s home too so I’m VERY thankful for that.
And yes, I have lots of stretchy pants… no spanks (yet) 🙂
Charlene Uchtman says
Just curious as to why you want a new front door and picture window?
Andrea says
Well, aside from being ugly and totally not my style 🙂 … our front door actually opens the wrong way due to all the renovations we’ve done — so we actually NEED a new front door as it’s super awkward to enter our house!
And the window doesn’t open to let the breeze in. Plus, it’s the only window we haven’t replaced in the entire home — so we’d just like a new, energy efficient window that opens to let the lovely breeze in our living room.
Charlene Uchtman says
now I get it!
Sherry says
My youngest is almost 20 but I can remember when we decided to potty train him. It was New Year’s Eve morning and when he got up we put him on the potty and excitedly told him that it was “pee time”. He went a little and we praised him. About 15 minutes later he told us it was pee time again. We put him back on the potty and he went a little. Another fifteen minutes and it was pee time again……..this went on all morning and by the afternoon he was crying when he was saying pee time. It turned out he had a urinary tract infection. The only one he has ever had. However, he was completely potty trained by the end of the day.
Julia K says
Forgive my ignorance here – but what is the yellow and green flag under the US flag in front of your house ?
Non-US poster here 🙂
Great progress on your goals by the way !
Andrea says
It’s the flag for Dave’s school 🙂