The Buerglers

Nathan: Six Months

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Sun, 22 Jan 2017 17:03:00 +0000

Measurements:

Weight: 16lbs 15.5ounces

Length: 27.5 inches

Feeds: nurses 5 times a day; about 10-15 minutes each session.

Diapers: Blueberry Simplex and Smartbottoms
size 3 in disposables

Clothes: 9 mos and 6-12 mos

Shoes: none

Teeth: two bottoms

Firsts & Milestones:

Dec 25 - First Christmas

Dec 30 - Tried carrots

Jan 12 - flu shots + rolled over

Likes:

Thumb

attention from sisters

chewing on anything he can

baths

Disikes:

Tummy time

realizing he's alone

wet diapers

Nathan continues to be a dream baby. He lives by his schedule. I can almost set my watch to it.

7-8 wake + nurse

930 car nap

10:30 nurse

12 cradle nap

2 nurse

3 cradle nap

5 nurse

730 bath

8 nurse and bath

His six month visit didn't go as swimmingly as expected. Nathan still isn't putting a lot of pressure on his feet (a 4 month milestone). His head lag isn't as bad, but it's not where it should be. He also can't sit up as well as he should. He also hadn't rolled over until his exam. We were told he has poor muscle tone and to give him as much tummy and play time as possible. We go back for a check up at seven months.

To say Nathan is easy going is an understatement. He's so chill yet equally engaged. He loves company and attention, but isn't fussy. His demeanor has been my saving grace this Fall.

Evie: Five Years

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Sat, 21 Jan 2017 03:24:00 +0000

Where has the time gone? Our first born is FIVE! One whole hand. Three months late is better than never. We love you sweet Evie Girl!

Weight: 48lbs

Length/Height: 44 inches

Eats: 3 full meals, 1-2 snacks, 10-15oz of water, 5oz of almond milk

Diapers: Pull Ups at Night

Clothes: 6-7 or 7-8

Shoes: 12W

Teeth: All are accounted for, nothing loose yet

Sleep: 8pm-7:30am + a rare, but welcomed car nap every few months

Milestones:

Evie went to PT this year for poor muscle tone and a weak core. A lot of this was due to (but also contributing to) her constipation history. After 4 months of weekly physical therapy and diligently doing her homework, Evie caught up to her peers.

She's been seeing another specialist for her tummy. She's not 100% on her medication, but we haven't had any set backs or any more vomiting or constipation.

Evie can do basic additional and subtraction. She can read and write all her numbers and letters; big and little. She can sound out words and sight read a few dozen words.

With all the potty struggles and some emotional hang ups around being a perfectionist Evie was placed in the young 4s class for this year. However, after a phenomenal summer we just didn't feel right about her class. We talked to her previous teacher and the preschool director and had Evie tested in to the young 5s class. She is second youngest in the class but tested right in the middle of the pack.

Evie had her first dance recital. She did a ballet number. She was GLOWING.

Evie completed her first year of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She's mastered the Grace Before Meals, Glory Be, Our Father, and Hail Mary. She also has a few class prayers for school.

Evie went to Disney World for her 5th birthday and asks weekly when to go back.

Evie is discovering her passions. She loves loves loves to paint and cook. She likes ballet, but hates tap. She's amazing at basketball but doesn't seem to care too much. She also seems to have a science mind and really enjoyed the science camps she went to this summer.

Above all, we are most proud of how sweet and loving Evie is. She absolutely adores Maggie and Nathan. She's quick to help them, hug them, advocate for them, and spend time with them. The bond she has with her siblings brings me to tears.

Likes:

Legos
playing on the playground
riding her scooter
making countdowns, or decorating her "planner"
watercolors, scissors, stickers, beads
playing pretend and dress up
playing Little People with Maggie

Swimming

TV/Movies: My Little Pony, Peg + Cat, Sid the Science Kid, Odd Squad, Magic School Bus, Word Girl, Super Why

food/snacks: trail mix, apples, Goldfish, tacos, pizza, broccoli
books: Naughty Mabel, Amelia Bedelia, I Love You Forever, Peanut Butter and Cupcake, Courdory, Angelina Ballerina

She's a Natural

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 21:09:00 +0000

2017 :: Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 23:22:00 +0000

It's New Year's Resolution time. Regardless of the date on the calendar, I had a crash and burn kind of semester with having a baby in July and starting teaching my own classes in August. It's literally been sink or swim. We've made little concessions over the last few months, that are fine. I mean you gotta do what you gotta do. But they're starting to add up and take a toll on our house, our family life, our health, and our marriage. This week before Christmas and New Year's always seems to be this way for me. We tried Fall and it didn't work so let's try some new things for Spring. Summer is it's own beast.

This week I've been reading Emily Ley's Grace Not Perfection and Eric and I watch Minimalism the new documentary from the guys who write The Minimalists

Both focus on the same thing: simplifying your life to make time and energy for what truly matters.

In our discussions this week, Eric and I have come up with some things that need a face-lift around here and came up with plans of attack. I'll share my ten goals for 2017.

Reorder nutritional supplements. Set out each week. Take in am/pm as directed.
Sunday Prep. Review calendar and budget for the week. Meal plan. Make lunches.
Nightly toy and laundry round up. At 7pm we'll spend 10 minutes cleaning up the downstairs and putting all the laundry in the washer.
Stretch nightly as part of my bedtime routine.
Eat more veggies for lunch. (see#2 for planning)
Have a weekly planning and budget meeting. This is part of #2 but may extend.
Daily transaction check on Mint, desk tidy, and prep for work day. Done immediately after morning pre-school carpool.
Spend one night a week with Eric: game night, talk night, or date night
Maintain grading through out the week so that I can take the weekend off.
Three Pure Barre classes each week. 2 regular PB and 1 Platform (or as best as the schedule works for us that week)

Bonus #11 Blog a little more often ;)

My goals aren't about doing more or accomplishing more. This year they're about streamlining and improving our health, mind, bodies, and spirits so that we have more time to have fun!

What's your 2017 plan?

2016: Best is Yet to Come

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Sun, 01 Jan 2017 02:46:00 +0000

This year was crazy upon crazy. Career changes and a new family member, but my Best is Yet to Come

January

The school year was in full swing. Evie attended four-day threes, and weekly tap/ballet classes. Maggie enjoyed Mom-and-me gymnastics. Elizabeth substitute taught 9th grade Scripture and 10th grade Roman Lit for Kolbe. Eric started seriously training for a Half Ironman. We had a few snow days. We found out Baby Buergler #3 was a boy!

February

Eric took the girls to their annual Chick-fil-a Daddy-Daughter Date Night. Eric rode with Roswell Bikes on Saturdays. Maggie and Elizabeth had the flu. Nannie had emergency surgery. Evie went to the circus with Grandma and G. Daddy. Spike stayed with us for a few weeks. We bought a new-to-us van! Elizabeth made 100 Club at Pure Barre.

March

The month opened with the Presidential Election Primaries. Eric attended Donuts with Dad at Evie's school. We celebrated Easter. Evie did physical therapy for her gross motor delay.

April

Nephew Joey was Baptized. Eric did a sprint triathlon in Athens. Maggie turned 2 and we celebrated with Disney on Ice and a trip to Babyland General. Eric went to New Orleans for his 32nd birthday and Ironman 70.3. Evie started swimming lessons and had her very first dance recital. Katie and Leeann hosted a Baby Shower for Baby Buergler.

May

Elizabeth attended Muffins with Mom with Evie's class. We worked on Disney Trip plans. Elizabeth photographed several baptisms. We took maternity photos. We drove to Watercolor, Florida for a Corsetti Family Beach Vacation.

June

Elizabeth took early maternity leave from Pure Barre and the family joined LifeTime Fitness for the summer. Both girls took swim lessons. We enjoyed many nights swimming as a family. Eric finished building the girls beautiful bunkbeds. Evie went to preschool summer camp and Vacation Bible School. Elizabeth went on modified bedrest until a scheduled induction in July.

July

Eric ran the Peachtree Road Race. Elizabeth was 100% focused on keeping Baby Buergler healthy which included daily visits to the OB or hospital for pre-eclampsia. Nathan arrived, healthy as can be, on July 8th. We adore him. July was full of dance and gymnastics camps for Evie and Maggie. Eric had two full weeks of paternity leave.

August

Nathan was Baptized. Evie enjoyed a few more fun outings before school started. Maggie was home with herpangina. THEN both girls got strep. We missed our August summer camps because of this. Evie and Maggie met their teachers and started school. We decided four days before school started to have Evie tested into start Pre-K5 instead of Pre-K4. Best decision ever. Maggie started two-day twos and loves it. Elizabeth completed teacher training and started her school year. Eric held us all together. Some how we managed a cabin trip and a trip to the Roswell ice cream festival.

September

September brought the beginning of tap/ballet and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for Evie and gymnastics for Maggie. Nathan is awesome at going with the flow. We finalized our Disney Trip plans. We went to the cabin for Sibs Weekend.

October

Eric took the girls to Stone Mountain for our now annual day-cation with the Buerglers. Our crew went to the Pumpkin Patch with SBMG. Maggie had her first ER visit for sticking a bead up her nose. The next day had her second ER visit when she dropped a bench crushing her toe. She spent the next 4 weeks in a cast. Halloween was celebrated at Pap and Nannie's and then quietly at home. The girls passed out their own candy instead of trick-or-treating.

November

Eric and Elizabeth voted in a historic presidential election. Evie turned five with The Best Day Ever! We surprised her with a trip to Disney World. All three kids were incredible on the flights and on the whole trip. They're begging to return. Maggie got her cast off, but struggled with her foot. We had two Thanksgivings with lots of pie. Elizabeth wrapped up photography season.

December

The girls went to the Atlanta Children's Parade. Evie "starred" in her school Christmas Pageant. Eric took a week off from work and was mystery reader for Evie's class. Maggie had an MRI to figure out why her foot and toe are still swollen (no news yet). Eric had a coworker pass away and Elizabeth's beloved high school band director was killed. On an up note: We celebrated Christmas with all the family and the girls were enthralled with the magic of Christmas (but were diligent about remembering Jesus!). Nathan still isn't rolling over or sitting, but he tried a few bites of solid food. We rang in the new year by cleaning out the cabinets (This is life at 34, y'all!).

What was new in 2016?

Nathan! Eric finishing his Ironman 70.3. Maggie mostly potty trained. Evie is learning to read, write, and do crazy math! Elizabeth is teaching two sections of 10th grade Sacraments + Church History.

What stayed the same in 2016?

Eric continued to work full-time in software development. He would like to add that he did not learn as much "technically geeky shit" as last year but "I do have a really awesome Minecraft World" (and there we have it). He goes to CHRP once a month. Elizabeth streamlined life: Mom, photography, on-line teaching. She continues with her girl's bible study. Together we continue with our couple's bible study and involvement at our parish.

What ended in 2016?

Elizabeth "retired" from The Natural Baby.

Where did you travel?

30-A, Highlands, NC, and Orlando, Fl ....and a LOT of hospitals.

Biggest accomplishments?

Elizabeth - Growing photography business almost doubling last year's income; first year teaching
Eric - teaching himself word working and building incredible bunkbeds; PR an Ironman 70.3
Evie - learning to swim; graduating from PT; going poop in the potty
Maggie - starting school; learning to be a big sister; rocking a hot pink cast
Nathan - being born ;)

What would you tell your grandchildren about 2016?

Our first family Disney Trip!

Previous Years: 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015

Nathan: Five Months

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 19:38:00 +0000

Measurements:

Weight: ~16lbs

Length: 27-28 inches

Feeds: nurses 5 times a day; about 15-20 minutes each session.

Diapers: Blueberry Simplex and Smartbottoms
size 3 in disposables

Clothes: 6 mos and 6-9 mos, 9 mos and 6-12 mos

Shoes: none

Teeth: none; those bottom ones will be here soon!

Firsts:

Nov 8 - Celebrated Evie's 5th birthday at Disney
Nov 24 - Thanksgiving
Nov 27 - Full Family Professional Photos
School tours for Evie!

Milestones:

Looks for toys or people

Smiles and laughs

Coos and "talks"

Drools

Loves his thumbs!

Graduated to sleep sack for naps and bed

Sticking to his Moms-on-Call feeding, napping, and sleeping schedule
getting ready for solids!
Lifting his legs up
Getting ready to roll

Likes:

Bath time

Diaper changes

Attention from his family

Floor gym
When the girls play with him on the floor

Dislikes:

Too much Maggie in his face

The cold

When mommy walks away
Being hungry

What they say:

"He looks JUST like Evie"
"he looks JUST like Maggie"
"He's such a long baby!"
"Hasn't he just stollen your heart?"
"He is the sweetest boy"
"Seriously, is he the best baby ever?"

We love our sweet Nathan. I can't imagine not having him in our family. He balances us out so well. He has a sweet disposition and is already so easy going.

Nathan: Four Months

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 21:46:00 +0000

Measurements:

Weight: 15lbs 4oz (52%)

Length: 26.8 inches (94%)

Feeds: nurses 5 times a day; about 20-30 minutes each session.

Diapers: Blueberry Simplex and Smartbottoms
busting out of size 2 in disposables

Clothes: 6 mos and 6-9 mos

Shoes: none

Teeth: none

Firsts:

Oct 31 - Halloween

Nov 6 - Airplane and Bus ride

Nov 7 - trip to Disney World!

Milestones:

Focuses eyes

Smiles

Coos

Drools

Found thumb. Self soothes to sleep.

Graduated to half swaddle for bed (needs his thumb!) and sleep sack for naps

On an awesome feeding schedule (Mom's on Call 12wk old schedule since we won't start solids until 6 months)

Graduated out of Ergo infant insert

Still has a little head lag but is mostly holding his head up

Nathan sleeps through the night and has since about 8ish weeks

Likes:

Bath time

Diaper changes

Attention from his family

Floor gym (reaching for animals!)

Dislikes:

Too much Maggie in his face

The cold

Stop and go traffic

when mommy eats brussel sprouts or broccoli

What they say:

He's becoming his own little person

He's so alert

Is he always this good?

Nathan: One Month

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 02:52:00 +0000

Measurements:

Weight: 9lbs 2oz (39%)

Length: 22.3 inches (83%)

Feeds: nurses 5-6 times a day; 1-2 during the night. He was nursing about 25-30 minutes but is down to about 20-25 each feeding.

Diapers: v2 Tini Tots, v2 Bottom Bumpers Size 1, and newborns in GroVia, Thirisies Blueberry Simplex and Smartbottoms
graduated to size 1 in disposables

Clothes: graduated from newborn to 0-3

Shoes: none

Teeth: none

Firsts:

7/9/16 Came home from the hospital

7/12/16 Pediatrician Visit

7/23/16 Bath at home

7/24/16 Mass (at Transfiguration, celebrated by Fr. Dennis)

7/26/16 Chiropractor visit

Milestones:

Starting to focus eyes

Starting to figure out his hands

So close to a social smile

Nurses like a champ and took to it within a few tries!

Likes:

Being held in the afternoons, usually about 2-5pm (car rides will do!)

Laying on the floor gym with Evie and Maggie

Hanging out in the swing next to Mommy while she works

MAM pacifiers (we tried 3 brands, this is his jam)

Dislikes:

Maggie smothering his face

Being cold / too much air conditioning

Afternoons

Other:

Nathan is our easiest baby yet. I'm not sure if 3rd time is a charm and we're pros now, if I am too busy to tend to his every peep, or if he's really just that good. Or D) All of the above.

He took to nursing quickly and easily. The lactation consultant at the hospital said the third baby is the easiest to nurse, even if you didn't nurse the others. She said you're just so much more confident in your parenting and the babies can sense it. Interesting. Don't get me wrong, those first two weeks are awful and painful, but we've hit our groove now.

Nathan hasn't been much of a pooper. I'm getting worried he's going to have tummy issues like Evie, however the pediatrician keep reassuring us this is normal.

He has been AMAZING at night. Nurse. Burp. Diaper. Swaddle. Sleep. These last few weeks I do believe the girls have been more work at night. Eric and I have kept with our routine that we had for Maggie. I feed and sometimes burp or diaper. Eric swaddles and deals with any rocking or fussing. Eric does an incredible swaddle. It's not even worth it for me to try.

Everyone has been asking what we're going to call him "Nathanael" "Nathan" or "Nate" Our plan has been to call him whatever sticks. So try it out. The girls tend to call him Nate since Nathan is more like Nay-fan. My family that went to Duke calls him Nate James after the assistant basketball coach.

We may also call him Nate-Dawg or Nate Dogg. Apparently there is a rapper? Haha.

What they say:

I forget he's only 4 weeks because you're back at it.

What are you calling him?

You forget how little they are!

How are the girls with him?

Do you like having a boy?

Who does he look like?

So who do YOU think he looks like?

Evie (top) or Maggie(bottom)?

And just for fun: Evie at One Month | Maggie at One Month

Nathan's Birth Story

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 17:40:00 +0000

On Friday June 17, at thirty four and a half weeks I woke up with a migraine, puffy, dizzy and my blood pressure had jumped up 20-25 points over night. I knew the inevitable had happened. Preeclampsia. I called the midwife and they had me come in for a check up, and then they sent me to the hospital for several hours of monitoring and labs. They sent me home that night with orders for modified bedrest and twice a week check ups. On Monday the obstetrician called with my lab results. I had the start of preeclampsia and given my history of having it twice already, would need to be induced at 37 weeks. They sent me in to get steroid shots for the baby incase he needed to be born early.

I stayed on bedrest for the next two weeks and went to the hospital one other time for monitoring. Everything was up and down. Some days I was swollen and dizzy some days I was up doing normal activity just fine. Some days my blood pressure was record low and some days it was in the warning zone. It was strange and baffled my doctors.

At my 36 week check up the obstetrician said I could keep my 37 week induction date or push it back a week. I decided to split the difference and scheduled it for July 7th because my favorite midwife was on call that day. They said since everything was going well because I had been induced twice already with great success, I could call the shots of how I wanted the induction to go.

On July 7th at 8am we arrived at the hospital. The midwife came in to check me. I was 2 cm and 50%. We decided to start a 12 hour dose of Cervidil and see where that took me. At 10am the medicine arrived and the clock started. I had to be on the monitors and on my back for a straight 2 hours. After that I could get up occasionally to use the bathroom.

With both of the girls we started Cervidil at night and then slept through the uneventful hours. This time I laid in bed watching the clock tick. I was showing no signs of contractions so I was able to get up for lunch. After this I took a nap.

Then my mom brought Evie to visit. She and Eric played Mindcraft for about an hour while my mom and I talked.

By now it was about 3 or 4 in the afternoon. I was starting to have very mild, very irregular contractions. I was still able to eat so I had a small dinner. Contractions started picking up and for the next 2-3 hours went from every 13 minutes to every 8 minutes. We called the birth photographer and she arrived around 7pm.

Somewhere during this time the Obstetrician came in to go over the next stage(s) of the induction. She laid out 3-4 different options for me. If things progressed well we could break my water and go. If not, then I'd either need to sleep and try again in the morning, try another dose of Cervidil, try a dose of a similar drug, or start Pitocin. If I hadn't progressed my plan was to start Pitocin. (Something I never thought I'd say, but I was losing the mental game at this pregnancy the last few weeks)

We hung out with the photographer (Lily) watching Family Feud and waiting on the midwife to come in and check on me at 10pm. At 9pm she surprised me with a visit. With contractions at 6-8 minutes apart and picking up in intensity she decided to check me an hour early. While she was checking me her face lit up and said, "Well, you're at 4-5cm and 60%. I'd say let's break your water" --- HECK YES! So she did!

I laid in bed for a half hour maybe but the fluid leaking was getting gross and annoying so I got in the shower. I spent about an hour in the shower and tub doing squats and stretching. Contractions were picking up speed and in intensity. I toweled off and got dressed in what I wanted to wear for active labor and delivery...just a nursing sports bra..and continued to labor walking, squatting, and stretching around the room.

About 11 or so I was ready to get in bed and relax. I knew I still had a good hour or two a head of me and I needed some rest and more importantly to get my mind out of the way and into a good meditative state.

By 11:30 contractions were 4 minutes apart and intensifying. Because I was allowed to labor without the fetal monitors on (they do a fetal heart check every 30 minutes, and then 30 minute strip every 4 hours) I had no idea how far apart or long the contractions were. I had Eric start timing. They were now every three minutes. He watched the clock and would tell me when the next one was coming so I could start deep breathing.

About 1:30-2am I was starting to get really hard strong contractions and a lot of pressure "down there". I knew I needed to poop (actually poop) so I managed a toilet visit. But much like with Maggie's delivery that was all I needed to put me over the edge to the final stages of labor.

The midwife was in the room with me waiting when a nurse came and grabbed her for a few minutes. I was pissed that they left. Little did I know the woman next door was pushing out a boy faster than me. Minutes later the urge to push and full body contractions started. I could barely ask Eric and Lily to get the midwife for me. I just laid in bed trying to push the Call The Nurse button as I was holding back pushing out the baby. I'm not sure if I ever hit the button, managed to talk, or if it was the primal screaming that ensued but soon nurses started arriving and the room preparations were set in motion.

The midwife came in and sat with me while everyone else set up. It was a good distraction. I had to tell Eric to tell me to breathe and relax with each contraction. With Maggie's delivery I had started to fight them at this point by arching my back and it was keeping the baby from dropping. This time I remembered to round my back, but I needed the reminders to RELAX.

I was able to manage the pain and pushing by doing really deep abdominal breathing with each contraction. The "ring of fire" hit more than I remember any of the others and I felt like everything "down there" was tearing in a million pieces. I wanted to push but I could tell I was going to tear if I pushed too hard too fast. I alternated urges with pushing and breathing. This way I could slow things down until I was really, really ready to push. Once I could tell he was right there, I gave it all I had. After two good pushes I hadn't heard from the midwife. I needed to know how far away I was. She said she could see his head. This was the perfect motivation. I locked into a mental focus image (Maggie laughing) and pushed two more times. His head was out. I took a good breather and was so ready to be done that the next contraction I pushed him out.

He was here!!!! Welcome to the world, Nathanael James! Born at 2:42 am, weighing 7lbs 13.6 ounces, measuring 20.5 inches. Our super sweet boy was placed on my chest for lots of snuggles.

Unfortunately, the story doesn't end here. The nurses and midwife prepared me to deliver the placenta and cut the cord. I had Eric take Nathan to snuggle while the nurses finished with all after birth mess and getting me cleaned up. I started bleeding a lot so the nurses suggested we get Nathan on the breast to stabilize my body. He had an incredible rooting reflex from the start. Unfortunately, I was bleeding fast and the breastfeeding wasn't doing enough to help. I was starting to feel faint.

I passed Nathan off to Eric again. We decided that I needed Eric to help me so we sent Nathan over to the nurses to get his vitals checked and cleaned.

Eric went to get some apple juice and crackers and in that amount of time I just about blacked out. I don't remember much other than the nurses yelling something about smelling salts, apple juice, breathing and keeping my eyes open and level. I just wanted to collapse. The called for emergency pitocin and fluids. I had no idea what was going on. I had a shot of pitocin in my thigh and on the other side a nurse was putting in an IV and hanging up the fluid bags.

Eric fed me juice, crackers, chicken broth, and lots and lots of water over the next hour or so. I wanted so badly to hold Nate but I just couldn't. It broke my heart but I was not well.

After the color returned to my face and I felt coherent enough the nurses let me sleep. Eric took Nathan for a few hours and they snuggled. The nurses kept me in labor and delivery for a few more hours. They were afraid to move me and didn't want to pass off my case to the recovery wing just yet.

Around 5 or 6am the nurses came in to run some tests. They told me that I had lost over a 1000ml of blood, twice the normal amount and that I was close to needing a blood transfusion. She told me I would need to eat lots of iron, protein and Vitamin C and drinks 2-3 times the water over the next few weeks to help make a quick recovery.

Once the nurses and Eric said I was looking better, and I felt better I got to snuggle with Nathan again. At the 7am shift change my recovery nurses came in to meet with the delivery nurses so that everyone was on the same page with my situation. They finished cleaning me off and off we went down to recovery. We slept for a few more hours before visitors started arriving.

After the crazy ending to the delivery, recovery went surprisingly well. I was faint for a few hours after, but by dinner time I was feeling pretty well. The next day my blood levels were safe enough for me to go home. Nathan scored well on all of his tests and we were home just after lunch the July 9th.

We are so in love with our little man!

Special thank you to Nile Women's Healthcare and Liliana Leahy Photography and of course, thank you to our parents for all the yummy food and for taking care of our girls while we met our little man.

Little Miss Independent's 4th of July Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 10:07:00 +0000

Last week Evie came to me with this idea for a cake that had a blue corner and some red stripes like "a 'merican flag". She said, "we can use blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries but I don't know how to do the white stuff". I suggested we make a cream cheese frosting. She really liked that idea. She asked me to help her with the cake part since she can't read recipes.

Today I surprised her with all her requested ingredients. This 37 week pregnant mama opted for lemon flavored break and bake sugar cookies.

I taught her how to make cream cheese frosting, which she told me tastes "disgusting and needs more powdered sugar, and maybe Daddy's homemade vanilla".

She asked me to help her wash and cut her fruits. Then she asked me to draw some straight lines so she could line up her fruit stripes. Occationally she'd look up at me and ask, "can I have a taste test of blueberries" -- Little did she know, Mama washed extra fruit just for this.

After she made the square of blueberries, she asked me how to make the stars. I explained a few decoration options but I could tell she wasn't understanding. I said, "Let's go on the computer and see if we can find some ideas." I did a Google Image search for Flag Cakes and her eyes got big. "Oh mommy, they're all just so beautiful." We pointed out the different blueberry options 1) solid blue 2) polka dots lined up 3) polka dots randomly placed and she said, "No, I want to leave my outline square."

Then she went to work on the stripes. She lined up the strawberries, skipped a little space, lined up the raspberries, and so on. Again, "Can I have a little taste test of raspberries?"

As she worked her way down the cake she was humming to herself and just grinning from ear-to-ear. She was so proud of herself.

She came up with this idea entirely on her own. She told me what ingredients to buy and when and how we were going to make it. I just followed her lead. I don't know if she's secretly reading Southern Living or has her own Pinterest account or what, but I could just squeeze her I'm so proud of her. I love watching her explore new interests and talents. She takes after me quite a bit, but I let her be in charge when we're working on activities like this to see where her little mind takes her.

Evie says, "Happy Forff of July"

Beach Trip 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 02:06:00 +0000

Last summer Eric's parents took us on a beach trip down to 30-A. I was blown away. When we first moved to Atlanta everyone talked about Hilton Head being the place to vacation, but after we took a family trip there in high school we were all really disappointed and have never been back. I was skeptical about going to 30-A after all the hype. However, it does NOT disappoint. It's classy and family oriented, but still casual. It's clean. There isn't a chain or hotel to be found along the entire strip. Aaannnnnddddd. Let's talk about it being called the Emerald Coast for a reason. The water is crystal clear and the sand is pure sugar. Now, there are some faults....like sometimes you have to walk over the river and through the woods to get from your house to the beach, but let's not talk about that.

This summer my parents treated my entire family to a trip to 30-A. We rented a huge house. The big cousins got to sleep in a bunk room. Each couple and their baby/infant/toddler had their own room. There was an upstairs and downstairs living room; a dining room, bar, and a gourmet kitchen. It was luxury. We also had access to a resort-like pool with zero entry and a shallow end. Seriously, the kids were exhausted from too much fun by the second day!

The week was not without it's hiccups. Eric woke up the morning of our trip with a stomach virus that lasted a few days into the trip. Just as he was feeling better, Maggie came down with a sinus infection and fever than had her up throwing up mucus one night. And then in the middle of all that, I had some painful swelling in my knee that had signs of a blood clot so Eric and I spent an evening at the ER getting that examined. (Turns out I had just twisted it. Doctor said it's common on the soft sand, especially for preggos).

Other than these minor set backs we had a blast spending the week with my parents, my siblings and their children.

We're already looking forward to next summer's trip with Eric's family!

Bump Update: 33 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 18:58:00 +0000

33 weeks

30 weeks

25 weeks

23 weeks

22 weeks

How far along? 33 weeks

How big is baby? According to The Bump,

He weighs about 4.2 to 5.8 pounds and measures about 17.2 to 18.7 inches. And he may grow up to a full inch this week -- amazing.

Total weight gain? 33 lbs (Maggie - 26lbs, Evie - 40lbs)

Maternity clothes? Oh yes. I am rotating between 2-3 pairs of shorts and a few sundresses. I bought a pair of bright red ankle pants and 2 dressy tops for "going out". As much as I love dresses I just can't sit modestly in a short dress these days.

Stretch marks? Not a single new one this pregnancy!

Belly button? the top part of the circle sticks out, that's it.

Exercise? I was going to Pure Barre 2-3x a week until about 3 weeks ago. They changed the schedule and it just didn't work for us right now so I put my membership on hold until September. I had been walking during the week too, but it's too hot. Once we got back from the beach we joined a big fancy gym with a pool and childcare :) Swimming has been amazing.

Sleep- Hit or miss. Mostly I wake up with one of the girls and then I'm up for 2-3 hours. Not awake enough to do anything but obviously too awake to sleep. That's a dumb sentence. ha.

Movement- Little brother is a dancing fool. He's mostly "activated" by sweets and caffeine. He is head down, left presentation and already descending. Way to go little brother!

Food cravings- Donuts, but nothing really strong. Oh, wait. I really like cold, shredded iceberg lettuce. I know.

Food aversions- Really, I just don't want to eat any more.

What I miss- Energy

What I am looking forward to- Not having to fret about cankles and preeclampsia symptoms appearing. And obviously, meeting our little man!

Milestones- I can't really shave or pick anything up off the floor.

Say What? Still getting a lot of "I hope you're having a boy" comments. But why? WHO CARES? And honestly, I kind of wanted another girl AND I totally love my two girls so I am super offended that you think I NEED a boy for my family to be complete or for me to be satisfied.

Sweet moments: The girls are just SO in love with "Baby Brudder". They beg to come to the midwife with me to hear "Baby Brudder's Heart Beep". They're constantly asking what he's doing. They love to give him kisses. This morning Maggie tried to feed him breakfast through my belly button.

Make room for baby: Eric is still working really hard on the bunkbeds for the girls room. I don't think we're going to move Maggie in with Evie just yet, but he wants to have them done so 1) he's not worrying about it once Brudder comes and 2) he can park his car in the garage again. Clothes are washed. Diapers are stripped/prepped/washed. We need to get the cradle, carseat and pack and play set up but we have a few weeks.

Oh, and THIS:

In my head I had written about going to the hospital because I had a stomach bug so violent that I was actually delirious and it was triggering contractions. Some Zofran and a LOT of water and gatorade and I was good as new in about 48 hours. My stomach muscles hurt for almost a week from throwing up. Crazy.

While we were down at the beach I thought I might have a blood clot in my knee so we went to the ER and they did an ultrasound on it. (While I am slightly a hypochondriac, my family carries a blood clotting disorder gene, plus pregnancy, plus the long car ride....too many risk factors for my comfort level) The doctor said it was good to have it checked out, but I was fine. He said a lot of people get weird inflammation on old injuries when they travel down there because the sand is so fine and difficult to walk on. At least I wasn't alone?

Now for the good news: I've only had little flare ups of anxiety. Nothing lasting more than a day and nothing I can manage without using the techniques from therapy last summer. Hoping for a better post partum situation.

Really good news: I've been seeing two amazing chiropractors (one who has had homebirths!) who have been keeping on top of my diet and exercise in addition to keeping my hips/spine aligned. Their accountability has really helped me stay healthy this pregnancy. They have also recently hired a massage therapist who is certified in pregnancy and thai yoga massage. I was having trouble putting my shorts on and in one visit she worked the ridiculously deep muscle that was causing the pain. I can't wait to see her again next week :)

Even better news: I have had AMAZING blood pressure this pregnancy. I think the lower starting weight, the base line of exercise + REAL exercise during the pregnancy + knowing my inflammatory foods + not working has really helped. I know it's a lot of variables, but whatever, it's working and that's all that matters! We did a baseline of proteins lab at 31 weeks and unless I have symptoms of preeclampsia we don't need to do any more tests. My midwife gave us the green light to retake the waterbirth class (hospital policy) and to start planning for whatever kind of birth plan I want. This is SO unreal!

Just a few weeks left. Hopefully I'll remember to write another Bump Update before brother is here!!!

Pregnancy with Maggie at 33 weeks | Pregnancy with Evie at 33 & 34 weeks

Maggie: Twenty Four Months

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 20:31:00 +0000

Weight: 27-28lbs (75%)

Length: 36.5 in (97%)

Eats: 3 full meals with us, a snack or two if she's hungry, and 8-12 ounces of cows milk (nap and either dinner or bed). She has a sippy of water throughout the day

Diapers: All our favorite OS cloth diapers. Size 5 in disposables (more for the extra absorbency and rise than for fit)

Clothes: We skipped 2ts and went straight to 3ts. She's so tall that she has to wear little shorts under her dresses.

Shoes: 6.5
Sleep: 8pm bedtime, wake up around 7 or 8, one nap around 1:00 (a little earlier if we don't have carpool)

Teeth: Everything she should have by 2!

All The Things:

Maggie couldn't be any more talkative. She's such an extrovert, and I believe she favors her Grandma in her love of a good party and hanging out with family and friends. If we're home for too long Maggie asks to go see friends, go pick up Evie from school, or go to the playground. She loves to be out and about.

Maggie is quite the chatterbox. She'll talk to no one or anyone, just like her Daddy. She can speak in complete sentences, and sometimes put a few sentences together but when she does this she's often so excited that you can only understand a few words at a time. She's very animated in her storytelling, using hand gestures, facial expressions, and voice inflection to get her point across.

While she has an excellent vocabulary, I'd say up in the 75-100 or more range, her speech isn't super clear. Often I am the only one that understands what she's saying, though this is getting better every day.

Maggie is thriving in gymnastics and asks almost every day if we can go to "My 'nastics" and "see my friends". She can almost walk on the balance beam by herself, crawl through a tunnel, jump on a trampoline, do a summersault with minimal help, and makes up little obstacle courses for herself.

She's also SO READY to go to school. She cries most mornings because she wants to go with Evie.

She can sing a few songs almost by herself, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "Head, shoulders, knees and toes", "Hail Mary", "God Our Father", and "Itsy Bitsy Spider"

She can count to at least ten. She does not know her ABCs. She knows her color words but rarely matches them to the correct color.

We've hit the "I survive on air and french fries" stage. This worries us a bit because she doesn't have any baby fat to survive on. We often have to bribe her to eat more protein.

Girl can eat some chocolate. Starting around 9am until after dinner it is a battle wills between Maggie and me over "chocolate raisin" and "emonays" (M&Ms).

She's not as interested in fine motor activities or sitting still like Evie was. She loves to PLAY, jump, run around, or ride bikes. She can spend hours playing house, Little People or dollies. She's very nurturing. She does love to sit an look at books. If we can't find her, she's often up in her rocking chair looking at books.

We had to re-sleep train her around 18 months. She'd been sick and growing and was not sleeping through the night or napping well. We used the Mom's on Call 15 months to 4 years book and within a week or so she was back on track. She's now an AMAZING napper and sleeper.

She had her first real hair cut at the salon. I'd trimmed the ends a few times, but I took her in for a bang trim and to have the back evened up. She's got a bunch of crazy cowlicks like her Daddy that are growing in so the hairdresser didn't want to mess with it too much until it thickens up.

Maggie is such a joyful kid. She wants everyone to be happy and to "feel bedder". She remembers to ask the next day, too! I absolutely adore our one-on-one time

On SAHM Routines

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 16:11:00 +0000

When I first transitioned to being a stay-at-home-mom I feared that I would waste the days away, and while some days this is true, I have found that having a decent routine helps keep peace and order in the house but also increases my productivity.

It has taken me a decade or two to admit that I actually need and thrive on routine. My free spirit didn't want to seem "trapped" or "tied down" - however, sometime at the end of college I learned that a little self discipline goes a long way. When I graduated I was balancing 3 part-time jobs, and later added graduate school into that mix. It wasn't that each day had the same routine, per say, but that each day of the week did and that was enough.

Now that I am home with the girls, we have preschool, I teach an online theology class, workout, and juggle dance/gymnastics/PSR, and a small photography business. It seems like a lot but finding the day-to-day routine and the weekly routine has made everything possible.

So what does our day look like? Well to start with, I have to thank Fr. Dennis, a fellow free-spirit for encouraging finding routine for the sake of my mental health and also my prayer life. He actually just did a podcast on this which inspired this post.

Weekdays:

6:45 - alarm goes off, aim to read Blessed is She daily readings & devotional email, check emails and social media. Delete the junk and mark anything urgent to be replied to later
7:15 - My turn in the shower, get dressed, etc
8:00 - if the girls aren't up yet, wake them up. Evie should be dressed, potty and teeth brushed before she goes down stairs. Eric typically has breakfast & coffee started if not ready.
8:15 - Eric is out the door if he hasn't left already, girls get a TV show if they're ready for the day and breakfast has been eaten.
9:00 - hunt for shoes, make school snacks, load the car
9:15 - depart for pre-school
9:30 - pre-school drop off for Evie
9:45 - Maggie and I run errands, visit the chiropractor/midwife/pediatrician/other appointments, come home clean the house, take her to gymnastics (Thursdays), start laundry, prepare something for the crockpot, have one-on-one time with Maggie, etc
12:15 - load up for preschool pick up
12:30 - pick up Evie
12:45 - lunch for everyone (sometimes out), followed by a nap for Maggie and a movie for Evie

1:30 - I settle in for work time (school, photography, sewing, blogging, etc) and/or one-on-one time with Evie (baking, crafts, make play-doh, etc). Tuesdays this is pushed back due to Evie's ballet

3:30 - if Maggie is still napping I take a nap, read or watch a TV show
4:00 - run any last errands we might need to for the day (read: oh crap we had snack duty tomorrow), on Mondays we leave for PSR
5:00 - Maggie is woken up if she's not already up, girls play in the playroom or on the back patio
5:15 - I get dinner started, often listening to a Podcast
6:00/6:30 - Eric is home just in time for family dinner
7:00 - I leave for Pure Barre/evening meetings/quiet time at Target/reading at a coffee shop. Eric bathes girls and gets them to bed by 8pm. Now that it's light later sometimes we go to the park, on a walk, or ride bikes.

8:30 - we finish up any chores, clean the kitchen
9:00 - Eric and I sit down for a game, TV show, talk about our days, or finish up any hobbies/projects
10/10:30 - Head to bed

Weekends:

Saturdays:

8am family snuggle time
9ish I leave for Pure Barre/photoshoot/Cloth Diaper class, etc or Eric leaves for his cycling club ride
Family Lunch
Eric usually does yard work and I do random stuff. Maggie naps and Evie plays.
Many weekends we then go to a birthday party, out to dinner, or to visit grandparents

Sundays:

Snuggle time
Mass (some weekends)
Eric leaves for adult swim at the pool or I go workout
Whoever is home takes a nap
I sit and plan the week, review with Eric, meal plan
Mass (if we didn't go in the morning)
Out to dinner
Home for bedtime
Eric goes to the grocery store for the week

There you have it. Our super exciting weekly routine. Seriously though, our best weeks follow this pattern. When the girls start to get grumpy or defiant, or if Eric and I find ourselves short with each other, is usually because we've had too much break from the routine and it's time to pull it back in, even if it means saying NO to things...good things! For example, this weekend we had a 1st birthday party. But the girls were absolutely exhausted to the point where Maggie cried for a solid 3 hours. We pulled the plug on the party and put everyone down for a nap. I knew if we didn't set that boundary there'd be hell to pay for the rest of the week. I hated to say NO to the party, but I also have to know my limits and the kids' limits.

The other important thing Eric and I have come to realize is that we often have to tweak the routine, change our chore lists, and re-evaluate our expectations anytime we have a major life event (Eric training for a half Ironman), pregnancy, big illness (a week of the flu!), a newborn, new job, or new school year.

What's your day like?

Bump Update: 21 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 17:48:00 +0000

How far along? 21 weeks and 2 days

How big is baby?

Total weight gain? I had held steady at 10-12 lbs and then this weekend, BOOM, 15 lbs. I'm guessing the cheesecake, waffles, M&Ms, and gummy bears are not helping. Shocked Face Emoji.

Maternity clothes? I *FINALLY* found a bathing suit that will work for this spring and summer. I had to order it from Australia, but it is a cup-sized, underwire nursing and maternity suit. Three cheers for the Australians!

I also bought some Beyond Yoga maternity workout capris. I know it seems weird to buy maternity work out leggings, but as I've said before, I carry my babies so low that I just can't wear any regular pants.

Stretch marks? Nothing new

Belly button? Nothing too weird, yet....

Exercise The last two weeks I've been getting my butt back into gear with walking and Pure Barre. My hips and back thank me.

Sleep With the exception of a little Daylight Saving struggle, I've been sleeping pretty well. I find if I have too much sugar or gluten before bed I have a hard time sleeping.

Movement Finally starting to feel regular movement. Usually hangs out near my left hip, which is where Maggie liked too. This morning I felt him up near my belly button though. Eric still can't feel his kicks from the outside. A few more weeks and I'm sure I'll take to take this all back! haha

Food cravings I wouldn't say I have cravings, per say, I'm just really drawn to chocolate these days...My protein+fruit smoothies usually have a handful of chocolate chips in them

Food aversions I wouldn't say I have any aversions, I would just say I don't want much other than tacos & nachos.

What I miss My joints staying in place. If I carry Maggie for more than 5-10 minutes a day, my right hip pops out of place and hurts like hell until I can get to the chiropractor. Just not worth it.

What I am looking forward to Having a little Sprinkle for baby boy! Also, I am really excited to share his name with everyone. It seems like it's been a secret foreveerrrrrrr. And I am terrible with secrets.

Milestones A lot of "Your belly has popped" or "You're really rounding out" comments. Belly is starting to get in the way of reaching the bottom of the washing machine. oh darn. ;)

Say What? I had someone assume I was due in April or May this afternoon. Same person referred to the pregnancy as "my condition". I have to say, not working in an office with a bunch of forthright curmudgeons has left me with far less humorous stories.

Sweet moments The girls are starting to kiss my belly goodnight, "g'night baby brudder"

Make room for baby: We went to buybuybaby for a shower gift for a friend and found a cute little "coming home" outfit for brother. Before y'all start commenting on it being "Auburn Colors" the first thing Eric said was, "I really wish this was Auburn colors. But it's still really cute".

Also, we bought a VAN!

Oh, and THIS: I've reached the s tage of crazy growing finger nails and arm hair. Does anyone else have this? Or something equally as weird?

Bump Watch: Maggie 21 Weeks | Evie 20 Weeks

We're a Van Fam!

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 14:54:00 +0000

I still can't believe the words I just typed at the post title, "We're a Van Fam!" Seriously. We own a van. Paid in full. It's ours.

We tried to make the CR-V work. We even bought Diono carseats in preparation. However, there were two distinct moments that made us realize we needed something bigger.

First, we realized the girls could hold hand sitting on the two outside seats. What they heck were they going to do to poor baby brother when he sat in the middle rear facing towards them?

Then Eric mentioned the Disney trip and subsequent road trips. He asked where we were going to put all the car trip toys since they usually go in the middle seat.

YIKES!

But we couldn't really afford anything bigger. We did keep an eye on the used car market trying to figure out if maybe we get a full sized SUV. After we saw the price of the SUVs we wanted and the price of the minivans, the van made the most sense long term. We have no idea if we're done having children so the sliding doors, the walk through middle seat, and the storage space PLUS third row seemed the most practical for about the same amount of money.

Money was still an issue.

And then Eric started processing our taxes. We ended up with a larger than expected return. We contemplated taking a vacation to San Diego and Maui, but the timing just wasn't working out. Then we remembered the van.

Oh the van.

It was a done deal. We did some more online shopping, made some phone calls and then headed over to The Street With All The Car Dealers. You know, every town has one.

While we were waiting for them to appraise the CR-V, we took the girls to the back lot to climb through the Odysseys and Siennas. Without even test driving yet, the Odyssey was a perfect fit for us. Unfortunately all 5 of the ones in our price range had SOLD that morning (what?! already!). But they took us out for a test drive in a different model and we were sold. They called around to another lot and had the one we wanted sent over for us.

Eric went over to another dealer to see what their trade in value would be and test drive what they had on their used lots, but this proved to be the best deal.

The next day we were waiting at the lot for our new-to-us van to pull in from the lot transfer. Took the old-gal for a spin, climbed through it a few times and went in to sign on the dotted line!

The girls absolutely love it. Evie tells everyone we meet, including you know people who don't care like the Publix cashier, that "we got a MINI-VAN. IT HAS A BACK ROW"

Having driving base model cars my whole life, the little upgrades of leather seats, XM radio, Bluetooth and a sunroof are just amazing! And OH the extra room.

As much as I hate the stigma of the mad-mom-in-a-minivan, I absolutely adore driving it. I'm actually looking forward to our vacations this summer. No one is going to kick or hit and we have plenty of room for their toys :)

Bump Update: 18 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 13:55:00 +0000

How far along? 18 weeks!

How big is baby? According to The Bump Baby's about 5.6 inches long and about 6.7 ounces now and keeps on growing rapidly. (That's why you're probably feeling so hungry.)

Total weight gain? about 8-10 lbs. It's been a nice slow and steady gain.

Maternity clothes? Yes. Started looking for a maternity swim suit to wear on the boat & to the beach. HOLY HECK. Apparently pregnant women with 36H chest don't get to go swimming. I am going to order this one to try.

Stretch marks? Nothing new. Belly is starting to get itchy though. Time for the Belly Balm.

Belly button? Eh. It's stretched out.

Exercise: I've been sick for about 10 days, but I get to Pure Barre when I can. I took Eric for the Couple's Date night the Friday of Valentine's weekend. It was awesome!!!

Sleep: It's been pretty erratic with being sick (see below), but for the most part pretty good.

Movement: Not much at all. I keep wondering if he's in there. Looking forward to the ultrasound next week!

Food cravings: Not a whole lot, honestly. I've been pretty nauseous with the cold & flu that I've had. I've discovered steal cut oats with sea salt and maple syrup. It seems to satisfy the sweet and salty.

Food aversions: Nothing really. Though I am just tired of eating.

What I miss: Not having restless legs at night.

What I am looking forward to: Seeing baby boy on the ultrasound next week! And the sprinkle my sisters are hosting for me in a few weeks.

Milestones: My belly has firmed up and I am decidedly pregnant looking.

Say What? So far nothing more than the "You're officially a Catholic family with three kids" comments. We have shockingly not received too many questions if we'll have more kids. Maybe folks assume because we have 2 + 1 that we're done?

Sweet moments: Evie loves to kiss my belly and talk to baby brother. The other day we were talking about all the fun things we're going to do at the beach this summer. She asked me if I thought Brother was going to like jumping in the waves (in my belly) with me because he can't build a sand castle. I love how much she gets it!

Make room for baby: My sister, sister-in-law and friend are hosting a little Sprinkle for me in April. We have plenty of hand-me-down clothes, but we'd like some boyish swaddles, burp cloths, and cloth diapers.

Oh, and THIS: So this last week the family had a cold for about 4 or 5 days. Everyone seemed to be feeling better by Tuesday. Wednesday morning I woke up and had the hit-by-a-truck feeling. No something that happens on day 4 of a cold. I took a turn for the worse. I was so dizzy I couldn't move my eyes left or right without feeling faint. Eric called my midwife who sent me to my primary care with the instruction that if they couldn't see me that I needed to go to the ER. Primary care had an opening within the hour so Eric took me in. They ran a few tests. Turns out I had the flu on top of the cold. Thankfully we caught it within the first 24 hours so they were able to give me Tamiflu. However, that first night it gave me wicked insomnia. I felt a surge of energy until 3:30 am and I woke up at 6:30. That next night my grand mother needed emergency surgery at 11pm and I stayed at the hospital until 3am and didn't get home until 4am. Needless to say it's taken me the rest of the week to recover from that sleep deprivation on top of the flu.

Maggie at 17 weeks & 19 weeks | Evie at 18 weeks

Planning our Disney Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 21:36:00 +0000

A few years ago our friends took their daughter to Disney World for a surprise 5th birthday trip and I fell in love with the idea. As we approach Evie's 5th birthday, we've been working tirelessly to plan the perfect birthday princess trip for her special day.

Having grown up a little over an hour from Disney World, my experience and memories of Disney trips are much different than Eric's, which did more of the week long family trip instead of the day trips, like I did.

Fortunately, I was at Disney a few years ago for the Princess Half Marathon so I saw a glimpse of all the changes that have taken place, most notably, the Fast Passes.

My head started spinning then at what the trip planning must be like for a family these days; a far cry from showing up after church on Sunday, sharing a few Mickey shaped treats with 3 other siblings, and watching the evening firework show as we ran to the car as to not get stuck in the mass exodus.

As soon as Eric and I agreed on this trip I began reaching out to friends to find out about using a trip planner vs planning on our own and quickly decided that using a trip planner is the way to go. They're FREE! (Disney pays them) and they have a wealth of knowledge, tips and tricks...and they do the dirty work, like waking up early to make your crazy dinner reservations. Already I've loved our planner's suggestions for planning strategic meal locations and times.

I am feeling so much more organized and at peace our spending so much money on a few days of vacation because I know I have someone who is helping me maximize my budget. I'm sure future trips I'll be able to do this on my own, but I love having a human to talk to and not just rely on all the trip blogs for advice (and I've been doing my share of Disney blog reading!).

Things we've decided:

Staying at Art of Animation in the Little Mermaid rooms (Fall room/dining packages may change thing)
We're bringing my mom to help
We're doing the Dining Plan
We're not bringing cloth diapers
We're not doing Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (I know, I am a terrible mom!)
We are doing 2 days at Magic Kingdom unless Hollywood Studios is done with construction (or we can get extra tickets with the Fall packages)
We're keeping one day open to hang out and enjoy the resorts, recuperate, ride the monorail, etc

Things we're planning but are open to suggestions:

Day 1: Elizabeth, Eric, Evie at Magic Kingdom with birthday dinner at Cinderella's Table
Day 2: whole family birthday brunch at Chef Mickey's, day to play
Day 3: whole family day at Magic Kingdom with lunch at Be Our Guest. Eric and E stay for terrace dessert and fireworks party

I would LOOOOOVEEEE to hear from friends, family, readers --

What's worth carrying around, like autograph books, water bottles, extra snacks, ponchos, etc?
If at any given time you'll have 1, 2, or 3 kids with you (ages at time of travel: Evie [5] Maggie [2] and Brother [3 months]) what would you bring: single stroller with kick-board? side-by-side lay-flat double stroller? toddler Tula, Ergo, Ring Sling, and/or Moby Wrap? Ideally we'd bring them all, but we are fitting 5 of us in a Honda CR-V as it is. (Keep in mind I hate schleping stuff around, like HATE it, but I also don't want to carry crying/lost/whining kids)
If you did Memory Maker Photo Pass did you still bring your DSLR?
If you're not sure from if your kids are going to adore meeting characters or scream at the sight of them, did you book FastPasses for them? Or do you schedule a few character meals and call it a day?
Did your girls dress up in princess costumes? Did the dresses get annoying?
What surprised you the most on the trip?
What about your children surprised you the most on the trip?
What were your favorite places to eat?
Favorite restaurant to celebrate a child's birthday
After all was said and done and you came home, what remains your favorite trip memory?
What do you wish you brought from home or made or bought ahead of time to save money (for example, I hear to bring dollar store glow sticks for the parade)?

TELL ME ALL THE THINGS YOU KNOW!!!

I am in total trip planning mode since our dining reservations are due in a few weeks, with Easter and Spring Break in the meantime. Then we hit end of the school year, beach trip, Baby Brother Arrives, Back to School, and then our Fast Pass selections and final payments are due! Just trying to get my ducks in a row so I can plan in plenty of time to shop/craft/order off Etsy while Evie isn't home, or while she's sleeping.

Okay, and because I'm a little neurotic, but you knew that ;)

In all seriousness, it's so easy to get carried away, and I know that I have already. We're not doing EVERY SINGLE THING this trip because we know we'll have other trips. We also don't want to raise the bar too high or set expectations we won't be able to meet every trip.

You Are Stronger Than You Think - My 100 Pure Barre Class Journey

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Wed, 03 Feb 2016 16:46:00 +0000

It is beyond my wildest dreams that tonight I hit a milestone of 100 Pure Barre classes (at my home studio). I was hoping to have reached this goal about 6 weeks ago, but life happens. And that's the biggest lesson I have learned this year: just because life happens doesn't mean that your fitness routine is toast. Get up and keep trying.

I was 8 months postpartum and really struggling with my back and hips hurting. My chiropractor said my core was probably horribly out of shape from having two kids and not really exercising. She got me back on my feet with a daily walking challenge of one mile, two miles, and then three miles. Once I was able to do that she suggested adding yoga or pilates classes to my weekly regimen to start building my core while protecting my back. I liked those well enough but I was hesitant to invest that kind of money into something I only liked okay. Providence had me leave the Target parking lot via a different exit one day. That's where I discovered the sign for Pure Barre. I wasn't even to the traffic light and I was already asking Siri about Pure Barre. I pulled over and devoured the website. Before I was home I was calling Eric to ask if I could try my first class.

I watched all the what to expect videos on the website, donned the prescribed leggings and fitted top and headed in for my first class. I was greeting with enthusiasm and treated like I was part of a family from the get-go. I had no idea what I was doing, but the instructor kept quietly correcting my form and loudly praising my accomplishments. So refreshing. I loved the personalized attention that was so different than any other group fitness I had participated in before.

Before I left I committed to my first month's package. Each class made me more excited for the next. Something I had never experienced before. I loved that I could wear comfortable workout clothes, that I didn't need a super binding sports bra, and that I didn't need any special shoes. I loved that I left feeling totally and completely worked out, but not out of breath or exhausted. I got the workout high without all the overly gross sweating (don't get me wrong, I certainly sweat!). And best of all I was started to see my body change shape faster than I ever had before.

When I started I couldn't do a full body plank, and could barely manage the 90 second plank series even with modifications. I couldn't do the sit-up series without a ball behind my lower back. And I couldn't do the tricep work with any weights. After a few months (before I got pregnant) I could hold the whole 90 second plank series, I could rock the whole abs series AND boost my heart rate while doing it, and was able to do the entire weight works series with 2 lb weights (the standard at PB) and barely drop my arms. Of course, things are a bit different now that I have a baby belly.

The slow improvements, the welcoming environment, the encouragement, and the Pure Barre Family (they're not kidding, it's a family!) have kept me coming back even after the flu, pulled muscles, and some pregnancy complications. It's also why for the first time in my life I actually sought out a place to workout while on vacation. Pure Barre has become such a part of my life that last spring I went to the Savannah studio, this summer I went to the 30-A studio and the Charleston studio (none of these classes count towards my 100 either!). Normally I'd find any excuse to give up on working out, or throw in the towel at the onset of injury. Not now. Now, I cried when the doctor said I needed to take some time off in early pregnancy while my body was adjusting....BUT MY 99 and 100 classes!!!! They just had to wait.

Besides the 2 pants & dress sizes lost, the firm arms, the definition in my core, and my solid legs, the BEST benefit I've found of my 100+ Pure Barre classes is what they call the "mind + body connection". Through their coaching I've strengthened my mind and willpower. Their motto of "You are stronger than you think" has become my personal mantra. I never thought I could stick with someone or become so confident in myself or my abilities (who knew I could climb Stone Mountain with Maggie on my back and not get super winded?)

Thanks Pure Barre Family. You've really changed me -- mind and body! And thanks to my friends and family who have come to classes with me. And a big thank you to my husband who has encouraged me, come home early from work so I could make a special class or meet a monthly challenge goal, tucked the girls in bed while I was "tucking" at the barre, and pushed me out the door on days when I wanted to give up.

Bump Update: 14 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 17:16:00 +0000

We found out this week that IT'S A BOY!!! I had the Harmony Blood Test done. We have typically declined the genetic testing because we've heard so many horrible stories of false positives; The Harmony test is 92-99% accurate AND it provides the boy/girl chromosomes. We decided to go with it. So YAY! We're having a boy!!!!

How far along? 14 weeks 2 days

How big is baby? At week 14, your baby is 3.4 inches and 1.5 ounces, has almost doubled in weight since last week and keeps on growing.

Total weight gain? about 5 lbs. (down from 2 weeks ago)

Maternity clothes? Yes. I am so glad I bought two new pairs of maternity jeans. My other pairs are a size big AND stretched out. They looked silly.

Stretch marks? Nothing new this pregnancy

Belly button? Flattening out

Exercise I haven't been able to work out the last two weeks because I was having some issues with my hips and low back. Hoping to start back on Saturday.

Sleep 4am is not my friend. I usually wake up starving. I keep a banana on my night stand for when I wake up and need to eat something.

Movement I feel tiny little bumps or kicks here and there, usually after I eat something

Food cravings I was craving ooy-gooy carbs, but one of the doctors I see suggested upping my healthy fat intake and that has helped. Who can say no to extra butter?

Food aversions - as long as I don't let my get self hungry to the point of nauseous, I am fine. The only thing I have struggled to eat is chicken after I have been smelling it cook.

What I miss - Sleeping through the night. But what's new?

What I am looking forward to - I've been super excited to add some boy prints to our cloth diaper collection.

Milestones - Starting to decidedly "show" and not just look thick in the middle

Say What? - "Third baby, you're officially a Catholic family" Funny, yes, but I feel like this is really offensive to some people.

Sweet moments - "Oh mama, baby brother must be growing, you belly is much bigger today" ~ Evie

Make room for baby - Still working on plans for the bunk bed. Eric's been laboring over the design and pricing the supplies. Also excited to have so many nephews to borrow clothes from!

Oh, and THIS: Slowly passing from the extreme exhaustion phase to the EAT ALL THE THINGS phase.

Pregnancy with Evie Week 14 | Pregnancy with Maggie Week 13

Bump Update: 12 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 20:14:00 +0000

How far along? 12 weeks today!

How big is baby? The average fetus at 12 weeks is about 2.1 inches long and .49 ounces. Now that baby's got pretty much all his or her parts, baby's main job is to keep on growing.

Total weight gain? 7lbs, 3 of which were the last week.

Maternity clothes? I found out I was pregnant right at the change of seasons so I just pulled out the maternity clothes instead of my regular fall/winter clothes. I also went to Pea in the Pod to get some new jeans since mine are all too big. I couldn't not take a picture with the fake belly. The nice thing about this pregnancy is my two sisters-in-law are done having kids so they passed along their maternity clothes, and as my sister is done with hers (shes 6 wks post partum) she's passing them over to me too. I have a whole new maternity wardrobe!

Stretch marks? Nothing new

Belly button? I swear, it's almost flat already. What?

Exercise: Midwife said up to 3 times a week, and I've been going to Pure Barre twice a week lately (holidays and sickness slowed me down a bit)

Sleep: I'm about 50/50 on a good night's sleep. I either sleep a solid 8 hours or I'm up several times to pee and have about 2-3 hours where I toss and turn. The afternoon power naps are keeping me alive.

Movement: I really think I felt the baby yesterday, and after seeing how active the baby is on the ultrasound today, I'm sure I did!

Food cravings: Broth based soup, pizza, smoothies, anything in a tortilla, Wendy's Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger Deluxe with no mayo (duh)

Food aversions: Anything super smokey. Tried some ribs the other night at just couldn't do it. Thankfully no smell aversions although occasionally cooking chicken bothers my nose.

What I miss: Nothing really. Ready for the exhaustion phase to pass.

What I am looking forward to: Finding out the sex of the baby so we can work on names!

Milestones: All of our friends and family know about the baby

Say What? So far nothing too obscure. Mostly a lot of questions if we want a boy or a girl. And for wondering minds, I know Eric is very nervous about having a 3rd girl and his sanity, though I think he's an amazing girl-dad. I keep going back and forth. I feel like we know what we're doing with a girl, but a boy would bring a whole new set of adventures.

Sweet moments: The girls got new blankets for Christmas from Santa. Santa left one for the new baby too (mostly because they came in a 3 pack). Every night Evie makes sure the new baby's blanket is in my bed for him/her to snuggle with at night. If I take a nap on the couch I often wake up and she has put the blanket on me.

Make room for baby: Eric has been drawing up some plans for a bunkbed / loft to put in Evie's room so we can move the girls in together.

Oh, and THIS: I went in at 6-7 weeks for an ultrasound. They use this ultrasound to confirm the estimated due date, the only reason I had insisted on it so early was because I was having some pain on my ovary. Turns out I just had some cysts rupture but everything else was fine. Baby measured right on track and the heartbeat sounded good.

At 11.5 weeks I went in for the 12 week blood work and to try to hear the heartbeat on the doppler. The midwife had told me we might not be able to hear it and that it's normal for being only 11.5 weeks so not to worry. But after she tried and tried and couldn't find it my mama heart began to worry. I started second guessing every ache and pain I'd had in the last week. The midwife said since we saw the heartbeat and I hadn't had any fever, spotting or cramping that I was probably fine but that she could schedule me an ultrasound for Wednesday if that'd make me feel better. That was a whole week away and I knew that if I had lost the baby that I'd probably know, or have a good idea, by then anyway, so I declined.

That whole next day my heart was restless but I kept holding these words from the Blessing of Expectant Mother's in my heart,

Lord, we beg you to visit this dwelling, and to drive away from it and from this servant of yours, N, all the enemy's wiles. Let your holy angels be appointed here to keep her and her offspring in peace; and let your blessing ever rest upon her. Save them, almighty God, and grant them your everlasting light; through Christ our Lord. (full text here)

I was begging the Lord to keep me in his peace. Well, that night I received an email from the Pro-Life group at our parish letting us know that a new Pregnancy Aid Center had opened in our area and they were looking for "pregnancy models" to come in for a free ultrasound so the new tech could earn her training hours and they could test the newly donated machine.

Thanks be to God!

I called immediately and heard back Monday morning (today). They could see me in an hour. The moment I walked in I was totally loved on, as were the girls. I told them my story, mostly to let them know I was prepared already for news of a loss, but also just to share how God answers our prayers, even if the answer isn't what we want to hear. My prayer was for peace, and He was providing that for me.

Two seconds into the ultrasound and even my untrained eye could see the beautiful tiny heartbeat, and watched our baby roll over! The techs were amazing in pointing out all the tiny features to the girls. Maggie kept walking around with her shirt up, pointing to her belly that she had a baby too. Haha!

The tech took a while because everything she did her supervisor had to check, so the Clinic director pulled the baby models down off the shelf to show the girls the size of our baby and how big he/she will be at 16 weeks, 22 weeks, and 26 weeks. They were in awe! Maggie didn't want to leave the baby there. It was just her size.

We are truly blessed and looking forward to welcoming a third baby Buergler into the world this summer!

2015: Stop. Wait a minute. Fill my cup put some liquor in it.

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Sun, 03 Jan 2016 21:12:00 +0000

This year lacked an abundance of major milestones, however it was filled with a wholelotta crazy that made for many afternoons having kitchen dance parties to Uptown Funk leaving this Mama ready for Happy Hour the second Daddy came home from work. So here's to 2015, I hope your cup is as full (of liquor) as ours!

January -

With the school year in full swing, we enjoyed much of our daily routine of Evie going to Young 3s, 3 days a week. Maggie and Elizabeth spent 2 mornings a week working at The Natural Baby. Elizabeth started taking classes at Pure Barre. Eric went on the January retreat with Saint Brigid Life Teen and started as a full-time employee for NCR.

February -

Eric and Evie went to their annual Chick-fil-a Daddy-Daughter Date Night. Elizabeth, Evie and Maggie drove to Savannah to meet new baby cousin Ellie and to celebrate Valentine's Day. We had a snow day or two. Elizabeth went on a Lent retreat.

March -

Photography season began for Elizabeth. We introduced the girls to the Stations of the Cross. Elizabeth worked at MommyCon Atlanta. Eric had a few CHRP reunions.

April -

Maggie turned one with a full-blown birthday celebration courtesy of Nana and Grandpa. She also started standing (and jumping). Evie (finally) took interest in using the potty. We spent Easter with both sides of the family. Spring Break included ice skating, boat day, and a Braves Game. Eric turned 31!

May -

Evie wrapped up the school year. Evie finished her year of GymTots with a Gymnastic Jamboree. We celebrated the beautiful weather at the zoo, on the boat, and at Food Truck Alley. The last day of May we drove south to 30-A for some fun in the sun.

June -

The Buergler family beach trip was one for the books. Maggie started climbing stairs and cruising the furniture. Evie went to summer camps at her preschool. Elizabeth, Evie and Maggie were summer regulars at story time, the puppet shows and playgroup. Eric went whitewater rafting with guys from Church and then to Boston for work. The girls had a sleepover weekend at Grandma & G. Daddy's. We had Corsetti Siblings Cabin Weekend.

July -

Eric ran the Peachtree Road Race. Elizabeth went to the Edel Gathering in Charleston, SC. Eric and Elizabeth had too much fun shopping Amazon Prime Day. Evie had VBS and gymnastics camp. The girls had strep (yes, in July). We hosted a gender reveal party for Katie and Sam (it's a boy!)

August -

Another cabin trip for the books. Maggie started walking. Elizabeth photographed a Baptism and Wedding in the same day (oy!). Evie had SporTykes camp and her Ballet/Tap classes started up for the year. We took a family trip with the Buerglers to Beaufort, SC.

September -

Evie started 4-day, "Big Threes" as well as Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Maggie started Me & My Shadow gymnastics classes and started talking. Cousin Eliza was born. Elizabeth began long-term substitute teaching for Kolbe Academy Online and turned 33! Eric spoke at a local chapter of National Charity League. We went to Stone Mountain for the Yellow Daisy Festival.

October -

October was full of rainy days. Eric and Elizabeth took a long weekend trip to Nashville for their 6th anniversary. The girls stayed with Grandma and G.Daddy. The girls visited a pumpkin patch, apple orchard and went on a few hayrides. Grandma and G.Daddy spoiled us with a Day-cation at Stone Mountain. Eric held down the fort while Elizabeth was knee deep in Fall Photography season. We went trick-or-treating with cousins Luke and Eliza.

November -

The girls went with cousins to see Santa. We booked Evie's surprised 5th birthday trip to Disney. Evie turned 4. Elizabeth sponsored cousin Rebecca in Confirmation. We celebrated Thanksgiving with the Corsettis and Sanders; and then went to the casino and to pick out Christmas trees with the Buerglers. Nephew Joey arrived almost a month early. We found out we're expecting Baby Buergler #3!

December -

An ultrasound confirmed that we're having just one Baby in July 2016. The whole family was home sick for a full week with a non-influenza viral infection. We watched most of the classic Christmas movies and introduced the girls to hot chocolate. A mouse ate the interior of Elizabeth and Eric's cars destroying 3 of our 4 carseats. We celebrated Christmas with all the family. Eric and Elizabeth were Godparents to Eliza. We rang in the new year by sleeping 10pm-9am!

What was new in 2015?

2 nieces and a nephew. Elizabeth learned to sew. Eric committed to a half Ironman in 2016 and "learned a lot of technically geeky shit". Maggie started walking and talking. Evie potty trained, learned to dress herself and started ballet/tap.

What stayed the same in 2015?

Eric continued to work full-time in software development. Elizabeth stayed home as the primary caregiver to the girls as well as balancing teaching online, photography, and teaching cloth diaper, essential oil and baby wearing workshops. Together we continued with our couples bible study and our involvement at our parish. Evie continued to LOVE school and dance. Maggie keeps growing like a weed! The girls are sweet as can be and absolutely adore one another.

Where did you travel?

30-A, Highlands NC, Beaufort SC, Charleston SC (elizabeth), Boston MA (eric), Nashville TN, and lots of exploring of around Atlanta

Biggest accomplishments?

Elizabeth - Committing to Pure Barre, taking 95 classes in 2015. Tweaking photography process and earning more in 4th quarter than previous 2.5 years combined.
Eric - Taught himself a few new computer languages. And he would like to add, "I got Elizabeth pregnant and I kept the kids alive"

What would you tell your grandchildren about 2015?

About our first family beach trip!

Previous Years: 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014

Maggie: Eighteen Months

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 16:37:00 +0000

Measurements:

Weight: 26 lbs (66%)

Length: 34.5 in (>97%)

Eats: 3 full meals with us, a snack or two if she's hungry, and 12-16 ounces of cows milk (4 at her naps + 8 a bedtime). She has a sippy of water throughout the day

Diapers: Bum Genius 4.0s & Elementals, Thirsties pockets and AIO, Bottom Bumpers Large, Blueberry Simplex OS and Smart Bottoms. Size 4 in disposables (at night)

Clothes: generous 18-24 months, 24 moths, and 2Ts. She will probably be in 3t before we know it!

Shoes: 6.5
Sleep: 8pm bedtime, wake up around 7 or 8, with two naps one around 11 and one around 2

Teeth: four bottoms; four tops; four molars, and two canine

Firsts:

8/15/15 Started walking about 70% of the day
8/16/15 First trip to the Varsity
8/25/15 Started walking 100% of the day
8/27/15 Started gymnastics
9/9/15 Peed in the potty (just the one time)
9/10/15 said "no, MINE"
9/11/15 Trip to play putt-putt
9/12/15 Trip to Stone Mountain
9/28/15 Dropped iPad on her face and broke her front tooth
10/1/15 Asked to watch TV "shoooooows"
10/8 -10/11 Long weekend at Grandma & G. Daddy's

Milestones:

Maggie was a bit late in walking, about 16 months, but once she got the hang of it, it wasn't long before she was running.

She is quite the chatter box. Her speech isn't as clear as Evie's was, but she has a host of vocabulary words:
mama/mommy
dada/daddy
E-E (Evie)
nana
g'pa (grandpa)
g.dad (g'daddy)
g'ma (grandma)
shooooooooes (shoes)
shoooooooows (show)
Mick-a-mouse (Mickey Mouse)
'ot 'og (hot dog)
'ilk (milk)
'nack (snack)
teet (treat)
wanner (water)
fader, 'on, 'oly 'it (father, son, holy spirit)

Maggie owns the playground. She can climb the steps and go down the slides all by herself!

She's up and down the stairs at home at lightening speed and can safely get on and off all the furniture. We'll even find her standing on the tables (clothing optional).

Likes:

Maggie loves her G. Daddy like something fierce. She talks about him all the time. The moment she sees him, mama and daddy are old news and she's stuck to him like glue.

Cheerios & a "shoooooow" as part of her morning routine

Hanging with the big kids

Swings & slides (which she can do all by herself!)

playing with pens and coloring

figuring out how toys and things work

when we go pick up Evie from school

French Fries!!!!!!

Dislikes:

when mommy or daddy leaves

when we turn off Mick-a-mouse

when she gets in trouble for coloring on the walls

riding in the carseat, Tula, or sitting in the highchair too long (I STUCK!!!)

I wouldn't say she dislikes food, but she's not much of an eater. She eats a variety, but not a lot of quantity.

Other:

Maggie is a super happy kid. Her moods are much more even than Evie's were/are.

Maggie is in to everything. There is no stone unturned. She seems to be respectful in new places, but as I type she's figuring gout how post-it notes work and is sticking them all over herself.

Maggie is not much of a snuggler, but when she needs a hug she'll let you know. She's also very sensitive to other's needs. She will give Evie a hug if she's crying.

Maggie has a series of nicknames that include variations of:

The Jiggy One

Jiggity-Jig

Bugaboo

Buggy

If Maggie had a tagline it would be "I came in like a wrecking ball" - she's nonstop, all day (and night).

Boy do we love this girl!!!

Nashville Anniversary Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 21:42:00 +0000

Eric took two days off from work so with Grandma and G. Daddy in place to watch the girls, Eric and I hit the road early on a Thursday in October Nashville bound. The only two things set on our agenda was that I had to teach my science class, which I do from my laptop, and be at the Grand Ole Opry for a Dave Ramsey event.

We stopped in Chattanooga which is not quite halfway. We walked the city, had lunch, did a little shopping, ate some Moon Pies, and popped into Panera so I could teach and then off we went.

We called the girls since we knew they'd be in bed before we finished with the Dave Ramsey events. They were eating dinner at Chuy's. Ironically enough we were eating dinner at Chuy's in Nashville! (Can't beat the Happy Hour cocktail special and Nacho Car, amiright?)

The Dave Ramsey event was so fun! We've taken the course, taught the course, and lived the course. We really enjoyed seeing him live for the first time. The new retirement guru, Chris Hogan, was there to introduce his new book. He brought up a lot of really neat points. He gave Eric and I a lot of talking points for the weekend.

Eric planned a few surprise activities for the weekend. It takes a lot of trust to have your spouse plan your trip AND pack your clothes (OMG SO STRESSFUL). He did an awesome job. We spent Friday on a long hike around the lake. It was nice to walk and talk, and Eric indulged me taking some photos.

That night we had dinner with some of Eric's high school and college friends that live in town. It was so great to spend the evening with them and the kids!

Saturday Eric planned a Kayaking trip through the city. We only took one phone so he has all the pictures. Again, it was so nice to be outside doing out own thing, enjoying the quiet and each other's company. Eric booked a double kayak, which was perfect since I had a cold for the better part of the weekend. We got to paddle by an old fur trading cave, under some abandoned railroad tracks, and near some shipping ports and then straight into downtown Nashville.

After the kayaking tour we spend the afternoon eating our way through the Nashville farmers market and international food court. OH.MY.YUM.

Eric even found a growler stall at the farmer's market and filled up his growler (which he happened to have in the trunk) to watch the Notre Dame game.

We went back to the hotel so Eric could watch the game. I took a sweet, glorious nap. And then we went out for our anniversary dinner.

So get this, I find this restaurant that has great reviews, beautiful pictures, and a fabulous menu. We show up thinking it's going to be a high-end BBQ joint. Nope. It was bar stools and cafeteria trays. Happy Anniversary, love! HA!

The food was really good and the company even better. In case you can't tell, Eric's brisket sandwich was served on pancake corn bread thingies. Our intention was to go downtown or to The Gulch but after the sun went down it was too cold and we didn't have jackets. Oh well.

Sunday morning we woke up at the crack of dawn. Eric had brought his hand grinder and aeropress so we could have tasty real coffee. Love him.

Again, no jackets and it was 42 degrees out. We went to the mother house for the Sisters of St. Cecilia aka The Nashville Dominicans for Sunday Mass. The sunrise was beautiful and the motherhouse was wrapped in fog as if it were sitting on a cloud in heaven.

This will become a staple on our Nashville visits. Morning prayer and Mass with the sisters was an absolute treasure. There is something so stunning about over a hundred women singing to Our Lord.

After Mass we started the journey home. We took a long lunch at Cracker Barrel. Eric kicked my butt at checkers. Neither of us could remember how to set up the board. We spent a good 10 minutes Googling the directions. Something you think you'd never forget, and then you do. Huh.

And of course, we had to stop at the Lodge Cast Iron Factory store. We stop every trip to or from Nashville. It's all slightly imperfect cast iron for a fraction of the price. The kind of imperfections that you don't even notice. Win! We picked up a few Christmas gifts and settled in for the final trek home.

I absolutely adored this trip. We have been to Nashville so many times that we didn't feel the need to pack the trip full of all the sights. We simply hung out and enjoyed each other's company without the kids. We talked about our retirement goals and what we picture our life to be like in 10, 20, 30+ years. We talked about what we are looking for in education for the girls. We revisited how many children we'd like to have in our family. We revisited our hopes and dreams for our careers and/or jobs. It was just so great to connect. Ah, love that man!

Happy 6 year Anniversary to my one and only! I love you!

A Sprinkle for Leeann

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 20:14:00 +0000

My sister asked me for her Gender Reveal Party pictures today and in doing so I found the pictures from the Sprinkle we threw my sister-in-law this summer. Leeann was expecting her second child, but first daughter. I put together a little sprinkle to shower her with some girly baby things.

I love the literal idea of having sprinkles at a sprinkle, and then Leeann and Dan used Share-A-Coke bottles as their gender and name reveal, it made everything tie together even more.

My sister and I raided our party supply closets and the end-of-summer clearance aisle at Michael's and threw this together in no time.

And to make things even better, Target had some random "mini candies" sale the same week I needed to buy all the toppings.

I found a Wilton pan to make these cookie bowls (75% off at Michaels! holla!). And they were a hit.

Our small, but mighty centerpiece was the family's Share-a-Coke bottles.

Special thanks to my mom who made a double batch of French Vanilla ice cream for the party. And to Trader Joe's for supplying the dairy free ice cream for sweet Evie pie.

We had a fun afternoon with this simple little shower. Katie and I had a fun time putting it together for Leeann. Even if I couldn't keep this little Monkey girl off my back!

The Buerglers

Nathan: Six Months

Measurements:

Firsts & Milestones:

Dec 25 - First Christmas Dec 30 - Tried carrots Jan 12 - flu shots + rolled over

Likes:

Disikes:

Evie: Five Years

Milestones:

Likes:

She's a Natural

2017 :: Goals

2016: Best is Yet to Come

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

What was new in 2016?

What stayed the same in 2016?

What ended in 2016?

Where did you travel?

Biggest accomplishments?

What would you tell your grandchildren about 2016?

Nathan: Five Months

Measurements:

Firsts:

Milestones:

Likes:

Dislikes:

What they say:

Nathan: Four Months

Measurements:

Firsts:

Milestones:

Likes:

Dislikes:

What they say:

Nathan: One Month

Measurements:

Firsts:

Milestones:

Likes:

Dislikes:

Other:

What they say:

So who do YOU think he looks like?

Evie (top) or Maggie(bottom)?

Nathan's Birth Story

Little Miss Independent's 4th of July Cake

Beach Trip 2016

Bump Update: 33 Weeks

Maggie: Twenty Four Months

All The Things:

On SAHM Routines

Weekdays:

Weekends:

Saturdays:

Sundays:

Bump Update: 21 Weeks

We're a Van Fam!

Bump Update: 18 Weeks

Planning our Disney Trip

Things we've decided:

Things we're planning but are open to suggestions:

I would LOOOOOVEEEE to hear from friends, family, readers --

TELL ME ALL THE THINGS YOU KNOW!!!

You Are Stronger Than You Think - My 100 Pure Barre Class Journey

Bump Update: 14 Weeks

Bump Update: 12 Weeks

2015: Stop. Wait a minute. Fill my cup put some liquor in it.

January -

February -

Dec 25 - First Christmas

Dec 30 - Tried carrots

Jan 12 - flu shots + rolled over