For the times they are a-changin'...
These lyrics from Bob Dylan's iconic song have been our theme for the last few months, and in part, they explain the silence here. Some of you wonderful people who follow me on Instagram have an inkling as to these changes, how it has and will affect our travel, our personal lives, our careers, and aspirations, but for those of you courageous people who eschew social media, this recap is for you!
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| "Red White & Due" t-shirt. |
So we had a special (surprise!) announcement to family and friends on Independence Day this year -- we are expecting Gypsy Baby #3! Now that the exhaustion of the first trimester has subsided and the illnesses which plagued us for the first half of the year have given us a reprieve, I'm actually very excited about being outnumbered in a few months! He or she will make their appearance on or around February 1st. We already have babies on Christmas Eve and post-Independence Day, so all bets are on for a Groundhog Day baby. Because, why not?!
(For those of you outside the U.S., Groundhog Day is one of those "holidays" that isn't really a holiday, but more like a tradition. There's a pretty funny Bill Murray movie with the same name, too.)
And yes, if you're vaguely remembering my previous pregnancy announcements and trying to calculate the time between each child, I will have three children aged three and under. Please send wine. And more Disney movies.
We will find out in September if this one will make the guy/gal ratio 2:3 or if the girls will increase our lead to 1:4! I have no guess either way and sincerely just hope for a healthy little one.
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| You can read about my office routine in this post. |
2018 has been quite the year. From weeks and weeks lost to sickness (I'm looking at you, Flu February and Pneumonia May!) to miscellaneous unforeseen expenses, it has been a roller coaster ride. In February, Danny's position and situation at work changed such that he has more responsibilities and more travel obligations. So far in the last three months, he's popped up and over to New York City, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Denver, Boulder, and Washington D.C. with many other trips looming on the horizon, including a few Canada and South America. Unfortunately, there are no fun and games on his trips; he barely has time to get a good skyline photo.
His increased travel has made managing schedules on the home front a little more tricky because he is such an integral part of our routine. He is a full throttle, hands-on dad running at 110% every moment he is home. It is no exaggeration that for both of my girls, I never had to change a diaper in the hospital or at home until they were three weeks or older. He's amazing. So with his absence from home and a few other factors in mind, we've made a decision regarding my career in order to provide more stability for the girls and less stress on our daily routine. After this week, I will no longer be working full-time outside the home.
Hello, stay-at-home momhood!
As much as I love spending time with my girls and have dreamed about being able to stay home with them, the decision to leave my job was painful. I truly love my position, my firm, and my colleagues. If ever there were a time I wanted my cake and to eat it, too, this was it -- to be a full-time stay at home mama and a full-time career woman outside the home.
When I turned in my notice to resign, my boss made an amazing offer that I couldn't refuse. Rather than quitting my job entirely, I will be able to work from home on a part-time basis with my hours of work falling during nap times and in the evening. I am so excited and grateful that I don't have to say goodbye, but can contribute to the company in a way that won't be a detriment to my girls or our family life.
We desperately need a break. Our year has been full of home improvements, illness, family events, and obligations, with only a few day-trips punctuating the schedule. Our one planned mini-getaway was spoiled by the untimely breakdown of our vehicle on the highway, so in many ways, we've been wanting to fast forward to 2019 in hopes of having an actual fun-filled summer then. But before we skip ahead that far, we are looking forward to our not-quite-annual respite in Bavaria. We are just a few weeks away from brats, beer, and a much-needed break.
Traveling with two little ones will be quite the experience! I have lists upon lists upon lists of what needs to be done and packed. We are planning to cram all our gear into one checked luggage, one carry-on, and a diaper bag (in addition to two car seats and one double stroller). I will put my Tetris skills to good use when we finagle all that gear into our VW Golf rental car in Munich! Wish me luck and send me tips. If I'm successful, I'll be sure to post some victory photos on our Instagram. Failure photos would probably be a blurry mess of fury, so those won't sully the internet.
So that's a really brief recap of the last six months with our crew. I would say that not working full-time would allow for more involvement on the blog, but who am I kidding? More often than not, I barely have time to have a sip of coffee when home alone with the girls!
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| Time for an updated family photo in Dinkelsbuehl. |
What's going on in your world?
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