Wednesday, December 11, 2013

3 Months... a little late


Our very smiley Lily is now 3 months old! Yes this was a few days ago but the retail holiday season has kept me crazy. She "talks" all the time, is almost always smiling, and slept 11 hours straight the other night! Mike and I could get used to this. This month Lily saw her first snow and loved it. She laughed out loud for the first time at Mike's office. She rolls over from stomach to back and stands while holding our fingers. Lily has not grown attached to any stuffed animals but always has a blanket in her hands. She is almost sitting up on her own but still needs a little support. Lily is now fully in 3-6 months clothes but can still squeeze into some 0-3 onesies since she is tiny but long. She still fights naps during the day but in the mornings she will remain content while awake hanging out in her crib. Lily enjoyed her first Thanksgiving here in Western PA but we are very excited for her to travel for Christmas so that we can share her with everyone.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Its Been 2 Months!



 What a fantastic two months it has been!





Lily went to way too many soccer games, so many I have lost count. Yesterday she was amazing as we traveled 5 hours to KY for a soccer game and 5 hours back all in 16 or so hours. In her two months of life she has already traveled through four states (PA, OH, WV, & KY) and all in one day. She has started to grab objects more but only when we put them next to her. Lily finally fits in 0-3 onesies but still struggles to keep on 0-3 pants :) Lily got her first pumpkin and took her first trip to a pumpkin patch this month. She was the not-so Sleeping Beauty for her first Halloween and did a great job handing out candy at home. It was a rainy night so she will have to wait until next year to walk around the block.  She smiles daily and a lot. Apparently she is a natural model as well! Look at these pictures! These photos do not do her blue eyes justice but believe me they are gorgeous!

As for the rest of the family...Mike has just finished his soccer season with the college and club league but will continue to coach indoor until the spring season starts. I still have a couple weeks of club soccer and then will start indoor training with that team and begin coaching ODP in January.This week I started to work again at my retail job after taking a break since August. I have also decided to stop pursuing my masters degree after this semester so that I can focus on work and being a mom. On a fun note, I am looking into selling scarves and hats that I crochet maybe at the college near by and possibly online? I am not sure if it will be profitable or not, or if anyone will even buy them but if I keep crocheting for myself and Lily pretty soon the accessories will take over the closet! Look for some samples in the next post :)

I know this is a lot of information but I figured I would jam it all into one since I haven't written in a while. When Mike and I moved into our house in January 2012 I made my own laundry detergent. Last month I finally ran out! It did a great job washing our clothes  for one year and nine months but I have decided to try a new recipe this time. This one includes fabric softeners that the last one didn't and so far I really like it. I also am making homemade baby wipes for Lily because some of the big brand wipes irritate her skin and these wipes are as natural as it gets!

Okay I think that is it! We are very excited as we enter the holiday season with our baby girl and can't wait to visit our family and friends who have not met Lily yet! 






Monday, October 7, 2013

Lily is 1 Month!

Lily Michaella is 1 Month old today. Yes it is only 12:30pm but I have already taken all these pictures of baby girl being 1 Month! We took a quick trip into work and then hit up the grocery store. As you can see she is a very alert little girl and started smiling while awake, consistently yesterday. She loves being out and about with me and likes to look around at everything. It is funny to Mike and I because in comparison to how small she was at birth, she looks so big to us whereas everyone else thinks she is tiny. I am sure she is small, she is only one month old but still.

This pink ruffle outfit is from my good friend Jess and Lily loves it. She is very happy to finally fit in the 0-3 clothes that everyone got her :)

Lily fun facts:
Soccer Games: 9
Sleeps: In her car seat
First Real Smile: 10/6/13



Sunday, September 29, 2013

Lily is 3 Weeks Already!



                           2 Days vs 3 Weeks








                         Lily is getting so big
Lily coming home from the hospital 9/8/13                                        Lily's first time at church 9/29/13

At 3 weeks old Lily is holding her head up very well, loves to explore, sleeps six hours at night which Mike and I really appreciate and is 6lbs 14.5oz and 20.25in long. The doctor said she is still perfect at her last appointment! Hopefully I can keep up with these quick updates so that everyone can see her growing :)








Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Introducing Lily Michaella

Our baby girl, Lily Michaella was born at 12:23am on September 7, 2013 and yes that was her due date! She was 6lbs 7oz and 19in long. She came in a hurry or at least it felt that way at the hospital. So here is how it all went down...

 I had my 39 week appt. on Thursday and got the low down on what happened if I went past my due date, which is the way it was looking. I had cytotec scheduled for Monday and if that didn't work I would be induced on Sept. 13th. My doctor did a procedure in office as well to see if he could get things started without extra medication. The end was in sight and I was so grateful for that.

The next morning I started to feel some cramping and was just overall unhappy and uncomfortable. Against my husband's advisement I went to work knowing that it was going to be a really light day and walked the three blocks there for good measure. Since Mike and I work at the same college I thought being on campus was better than at home alone. My department was in a meeting and wasn't expecting me so I hung out in the Athletic Training room on a yoga ball playing Candy Crush while listening to music on my phone. I was determined to get this baby out by her due date! After the meeting I brought the yoga ball upstairs to my desk and sat on it while counting out tickets for an event. Like I said a super light day for me, especially since I had told them I wasn't coming in. Then Mike and I went to lunch at the school cafeteria and again, I was determined to get this baby out and the abnormal, irregular contractions that had been plaguing me on and off for weeks were still abnormal and irregular. So I ate some jalapenos and I hate jalapenos. Medium salsa is as spicy as I get but the other times I ate those spicy things my contractions did become more regular so I ate nachos with cheese sauce and jalapenos and a chicken sandwich with jalapenos. With 15 minutes left for our lunch break I started having stronger contractions... hallelujah! Mike and I decided he would come home with me and see where things went.

We took many walks around our block and I ate 6 ice pops...yum! By 5:30pm I was ready to call the doctor and go to the hospital, or so I thought. I called and my doctor thought I sounded too calm to be in labor and asked if I just wanted something for the pain. I could come in if I wanted but I didn't get the impression she thought it was the real deal. I hung up the phone, defeated, and ready to lie down to wait for the contractions to die out like they normally did. My wonderful husband wasn't going to let that happen so he let me rest for a little but then we took another walk and he made me some pb&j sandwiches. All this time my contractions were stronger than ever before but still not the 2-3 minute mark the hospital had told me to call at and I still felt as calm as I did before. Finally around 7:30pm I called my doctor again and was going to the hospital.

We got there, got me all hooked up to the machines and waited for the nurse to check me. I had been 2cm dilated for the past 2 weeks so as long as I was at 4cm I was happy. At home when I was discouraged Mike had made my contractions into a game of sorts and told me I was working towards getting 10 points and 10 pts. equaled a baby :) Yea we are weird, so what. The nurse was checking me and said "Oh Sweetie." Our first thought was great, I am still at 2cm but then she said "You are 7cm dilated." I lifted my fists to the sky and said "Mike, 7 points!" and smiled probably the biggest smile ever. I was so proud of myself for getting that dilated by myself at home and it was finally happening. The nurse walked out to the hallway and told the rest of the nurses I was at 7cm and they started rushing everything into the room for delivery. Apparently I really was too calm to be in labor because they were all shocked. The nurses kept telling me that I was doing a great job and I am sure they tell everyone that but apparently while in labor you are supposed to sweat and not be able to talk normally because you are well... in labor. The nurses would laugh because I would have a contraction and then be able to talk like it was a regular conversation immediately after. My mom pointed out to me later that I am a very goal oriented person so I just wanted to know the next step in getting my goal (the baby being born) accomplished and I was good to go. I was admitted at 8:16pm and by 12:23am we had our baby! Even though my doctor tried to talk me out of it, I received my epidural just in time to be dispersed enough to help with the pain and then pushed for an hour and a half. I will say that having Mike and I be the only two people in the room, besides the medical personnel, was perfect for us and he was amazing for me.
Here are some pictures after being moved to the maternity ward. 
We chose the name Lily because Mike wanted something more classic and I wanted something trendy so Lily was a great fit. It is special to me because Lily of the Valley was my Grammy's favorite flower and I miss her very much. Michaella is a name I have always loved and it was a nice "trendy" way to have Mike's name as a part of our first born's name too.

 As you can see our baby girl is just like her name, purity and perfection. She is strong and very active. She was trying to pick her head up at the hospital, being one day old that is pretty impressive. We told her pediatrician that and he just smiled. We could tell he didn't believe us, but then he tested it out himself and he was amazed that with little extra support she could hold her head up. Lily sleeps very well and often. She also already turns side to side in her sleep.


This is my favorite picture from Lily's first week home. At only 4 days old, we traveled with Lily to her first collegiate soccer game. She slept the entire time and looked adorable as we took pictures with her. Welcome to your life as a daughter to two soccer coaches! Since then Lily has been to two more soccer games in her first week home.


The last 9 months were definitely crazy but we are so happy to have Lily Michaella in our lives.

We are so blessed and have been given so much over this time. The gifts, hours of time given and food brought over to us has been more than we ever expected. We are so grateful for everything and can't say thank you enough to everyone for all you have done. Lily is so loved!

Thursday, September 5, 2013

The End is in Sight!

Hopefully that was my last weekly visit to the doctor for Baby Bair! We finally have a timeline of what the next week will look like and I couldn't be happier to know that in 8 short long days, no matter what, our little girl will be in our arms. With the due date being a Saturday it is a little tricky with the scheduling but I think it is for the best! Monday we travel to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning to have a procedure done to hopefully kick start labor. I will be monitored for up to two hours and if nothing starts then sent home. That afternoon we will have an ultrasound done to make sure Baby Bair is still doing okay with fluids and such inside the oven. After that, it is a waiting game until Thursday, my next appt, which is when we will confirm the induction for first thing Friday morning! Although Friday the 13th isn't my first choice for a birthday any day would be great to meet our baby girl.
My custom onesie that I am so proud of and can't wait for her to wear! It's funny because now that my baby hospital bag has been packed for weeks I am rethinking what is in there, with the weather changing and if I should have different outfits/sizes since she might not fit in newborn clothes... Maybe I will distract myself for a couple hours doing baby laundry and picking out new outfits? Here's hoping the next time I post it  is introducing you to Baby Bair and sharing her birth story with you <3

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

The Final Countdown!

It's on! I have 11 days to go but of course that means it could happen tonight or it could happen in 20 days. The unplanability, pretty sure that is not a word, of pregnancy is killing me. For someone who lives on my planner, to do lists and more lists, this situation is killer. Friends and co-workers don't want to make plans or give you more projects to work on because I may not be free tomorrow, but at the same time I might have 2 more weeks!

Working on my graduate classes is a nice break from the unknown but I am trying to think of more I can do to keep my mind off of what could happen. This morning I thought of a novel idea! I am going to make a "Helper Handbook" for the family and friends who are able to come help out after Baby B is born. I made a table of contents so I have a good start. Some new moms and dads probably don't need something like this but our house, pets and streets have some weird schedules so we want people to have something to look at for random but common questions :)

For example:
Baby B pediatrician information
     Random rules for Baby B- no kisses from the pets etc.
Lexie & Ollie's feeding schedule, vet information etc.
Trash/Recycling Day
Street sweeping night, you don't want a silly ticket ;)
Husband's work schedule
Husband's soccer practice/game schedule
List of recipes/food we have on hand- I have a lot of my recipes on Pinterest and not printed out so this will be a great opportunity to print/write out our favorites so everyone can help without being confused about how to make something. I also hope to do a couple freezer meals... but I have been saying that for a while so we shall see if it actually happens!

I'll be sure to post a picture when I'm done. Maybe I will use some cute subway art as the cover?



Oh and in case you were curious, the Reese's Pumpkins can now be found at your local convenience store! I know exciting, especially since its only August 27th. I usually am not a fan of these but since I am pregnant, I am! My brother would be proud because I am pretty sure these are one of his favorite treats along with the Easter egg variety :)


Thursday, August 22, 2013

Food & Fun Finds



 I am so impressed that I have not posted about food until now. Only 16 days until D-Day! Anyway, one of my favorite places to go on Saturday mornings makes creative waffles. They have some "preset" options but then you can always make your own creation. What you see here is a waffle with chopped apples and cinnamon inside and peanut butter, sliced apples and whip cream on top. Let me tell you, it was so yummy! Hopefully I will be able to go again this Saturday>>>> I'll be sure to let you know how it goes :)





Mike and I finally started trying some crockpot/freezer meals. The first one was supposed to be french dip sandwiches but instead we got a round roast that seemed more fitting to be made into an open face sandwich. We used the same ingredients to cook the meat but served it on top of the Italian rolls with mashed potatoes (the store bought kind) the meat and the gravy made in the crockpot. It was so tender and amazing. Definitely recommend it. We also made meatball subs. I got the Italian rolls, sauce and muenster cheese from Costco. The recipe made a bunch and it was delicious.

Before                                        After

 I also got my hair cut! Less time to dry for sure!
Thanks Fantastic Sam's :)

Next are my fun finds!
There was a "block" yard sale a couple of weeks ago so of course we had to go looking to see if there was any good stuff. This is what we found. A mug tree, which I have been scouring the stores for ever since we got married in 2011. I finally got one for only $2! A cute Christmas tree tray with a woven bottom for $.50. I love this because it's not truly Christmasy but instead wintery so I can start using it in November right? Lastly a shelf and hook wall hanging to put in Baby B's room. She already has one with hearts that we repainted pink and I think this one will probably be painted pink as well maybe to hang jackets or wet towels on? 

Lastly, I had to go get some gifts the other day for a special birthday coming up and a baby shower that I am not able to attend. While out I found the next two items. A "Madeline" board book and a "Daddy's Little Girl" plaid blanket.  I used to love Madeline and was so happy to find a board book version to add to Baby B's collection. Now she has this; "Good Night Cape Cod", "Good Night Moon", "Guess How Much I Love You" and "Charlotte's Web." The blanket was super exciting because coming from the East Coast where beaches and sailboats reign I had not gotten a nautical blanket yet for our little girl. Finding this was amazing and I can't wait to use it. So adorable!
'






Friday, August 9, 2013

The Last of the Nursery Crafts

We have finally settled into a rhythm with Mike and I both working at school and of course our schedule changes again in one week! Summertime is nice but so deceiving!

Anyway I have a fun gift to show you. On the left here you will see the wonderful print my friend Rachel made. She is super talented and has her own Etsy shop Writtenforyou with cell phone cases, prints, mattes, cards and is always adding more products. And if any of you like something from the shop use the coupon code FREESHIPPING and receive free domestic shipping on any order. I love my piece of art and think it is so special to have a one of a kind print in our baby girl's room. I am a little obsessed with "floating" frames so that is what I used here. I love the way the color of the room mattes the print.

That was one of the wonderful gifts my friends gave me at our small but amazing baby shower at Olive Garden, yum! So lucky to have a group like them :)
____________________________________________________________________________
On to the craft that I gave a sneak preview to on my last post. I started with all these embroidery hoops, some scrapbook paper (12" x 12"), craft glue and scissors. Overall a super cheap/fast craft that I would recommend to anyone wanting to spruce up a wall; maybe even a dorm because instead of a nail, students could use small command strip hooks to hang them.

                                                        



I honestly didn't end up using the glue because the hoops were holding the paper so well. As you can see in the picture below, I placed the entire scrapbook page on the hoop and then pressed the exterior hoop on top. It took a lot more muscle than I originally thought but it looks really nice when done.


 After I twisted the embroidery notch as tight as possible, I cut off the rest of the paper. I probably left a less than measurable amount of the scrapbook paper on the back side of the hoop, just in case I needed to pull the paper tight again.

Throw this out :)

 Here are my 6 hoops completed. Depending on the wall space or design you want to create you can add more/less or different sizes. 


The finished product! Yes that questionable smiley face is covering up where Baby B's name will go when she arrives. The rest of the nursery is also fully functional now. Clothes are washed/folded or hung up, diapers in the changing table, burp clothes ready to be used and blankets all nestled in a great basket we received at our shower.
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Next post I hope to show you a little of what Mike and I are doing to prepare for Baby B in the way of food for us. I am trying out lots of recipes, mostly crockpot, and maybe even some freezer meals too to see what works best when I plan my huge shopping trip that will hopefully last us a month of meals. Here's hoping!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Lists!.. oh and Wall Art

The last couple of days have been Mike and I just relaxing...finally! We went non stop for a couple weeks leading up to visiting our families and only have a couple weeks of down time before soccer preseason hits.
Us outside our "Date Night Restaurant" on a river in between visiting families.

The scary thing about time to relax is that it allows my brain to think about all that we have coming up and it starts to make lists. Here are some of the things I think I need to worry about::
        1) Graduate Assistant Schedule
             a) On Monday I start working as the assistant to the athletic director for my graduate position. I am working about a month earlier than everyone else so that I can build up time to take off for Baby B. During the school year I need to work 20 hours a week on average. So I hope to work 45 hours or more before my regular start date in mid August.
             b) With that said I need to figure out what type of schedule to work to get those hours around other things going on like; my part-time job, soccer, and making sure I relax just a little bit.
       2) Graduate Courses
           I started two courses in June that are schedule to be completed during the fall semester. Since I am due early September, plan on coaching one team, and have my graduate assistant job I would like to have a jump start on that work so I am at least one month ahead. That way, if something crazy comes up I am covered. Unfortunately, the motivation to get that done has been hard to find.
       3) The Baby B Handbook
           After reading the awesome book It Gets Easier!... And Other Lies We Tell New Mothers by Claudine Wolk I decided I wanted to make a handbook of sorts for when Baby B arrives. (Side note on the book: I highly recommend it for expectant moms who want a blunt, non sugar coated explanation of what in the world really happens from going into labor to the first year of your baby's life.) Anyway the guide will compile all the ideas I found on Pinterest when it comes to sleep training to what kind of schedule we would like to aim for when it comes to feeding because let's be honest, aiming for those types of things is as good as it gets. I also want to create sections for notes. Notes for us on what worked and what didn't, notes for others taking turns taking care of Baby B on when the last time she ate was or how long she slept. With our crazy schedules I think that will be a great way to communicate especially when Mike stays up later with her, he won't have to wake me up to ask when is the next time she should be eating.

I think those are the major things... I am sure I will think of more tonight as I try to fall asleep or when I try to go back to sleep tomorrow morning. The curse of an inconsistent morning schedule where one day you need to be ready by 7:30a and the next at 9a, I am sure it will prepare me for the crazy "schedule" that will start when Baby B is here but for now it's a little annoying.


Oh and here is what Mike and I put together today. 3 of the 4 Canvas pieces for wall art!



Using the same Glidden Barely Blush tester paint as the dresser, I painted the  edges of (3)10x10 canvases. Then I cut out my scrapbook pages to fit the tops of the canvases and glued them on with tacky glue.



Lastly, Mike hung them up on the wall above the changing table in the nursery.
I really like the way they came out and I can't wait to see the 4th one :)

Monday, July 15, 2013

A Crafting Trip: Nursery DIY Preview

This week's work schedule is kind of awesome. I work Monday through Friday but only 4 hour shifts which is really nice for super pregs over here who would rather be sitting at home watching tv. So today I tried to be productive with my short shift and ran some errands afterward and by errands I mean a trip to Michael's. I finally decided what DIY's I want to put in Baby B's room! I always knew the locations 1) over the changing table and 2) over the crib; but I had no idea what to do with all the options Pinterest provides.

The first crafty thing will be a 4 canvas art piece. I got the inspiration from the Newly Woodwards. I don't work with fabric a lot so I chose different scrapbook paper to use on the top of the canvases.

 Yes there are only 3 canvases and 3 scrapbook pages in the picture because the 4th canvas is being painted by my talented sister. I gave her an image, secret!, and I can't wait to see what she does with it. Anyway two of the pages will be glued to the canvas with nothing else on them and one (I think the pink damask) will have Baby B's first initial on it.

The second project was inspired by Aedriel. Again, I don't have fabric scraps laying around or old clothes to cut so I got scrapbook paper! I tried to not duplicate any of the ones I am using from the canvas wall art.

 I am really hoping that when all the paper is put into place that it "goes." I know they seem to work together laid out but I am super visual so I will believe it when the project is complete. If you can't tell I like the preppy style I got going on.
And here are all the hoops I got from Michael's. It was funny because the employee who rang me out asked what the hoops were supposed to be used for. I told her needlepoint but that wasn't what I was using them for and proceeded to show her my Pinterest board :) If any of you want to follow this blog's Pinterest account I have a button on the top right for you to click. Handy right?

Alright time for me to go get some stuff done before bedtime. Night!

Sunday, July 14, 2013

DIY Nursery Part One

Finally my first Ikea Hack project! Usually when I shop at Ikea, we get large items that require very little assembly like a dining room table and chairs. Most other things I get are in the as-is section so they are pre-assembled or they are decorative pieces that do not require any assembly ever! The Ikea Rast dresser was my first major assembly purchase which I didn't realize until I opened the box.

RAST 3 drawer chest IKEA Made of solid wood, which is a durable and warm natural material.For what I needed it was perfect, some small hidden storage for what I have not decided, a space to put bottles during feedings, a lamp and some decorative items. It was also completely unfinished so I had a blank canvas to work with. If you know me, you know that I am creative when I am given options. Coming up with it on my own is a different story.

Okay so my brother-in-law and I put this contraption together in the hallway outside the nursery because we were lazy mostly.


Yes these pictures show it was a little more work than I expected but wait until you see the end result! I also decided to paint/stain the piece after it was assembled which I am so happy about because I can only imagine all of the scratches that might have occurred during construction.

The finished product! I used a dark mahogany wood stain on the exterior sides and bottom, 3 coats. I wanted it super dark to match the other furniture in the room. The paint was Glidden's Barely Blush which I only applied one coat of on the exterior of the drawers (I bought a tintable tester, prime/paint and still had some paint leftover). Lastly, the knobs we picked up from the Habitat from Humanity store earlier that day. The top and bottom 4 are plain brushed bronze and the 2 in the middle have an extra indent around the rim. It has a vintage look I think and I love it! That Beanie Baby was a gift from my mom and there is Baby B's small board book collection. The lamp is another Ikea find in the Emmie Blom shade and the Hemma table lamp base. The total price on this was about $47. Not too shabby :)

The Nursery Part One

Let's be honest. This is what everyone wants to see. The Nursery!!! Our amazing family and friends came over this past weekend to help us paint and assemble the nursery. Basically, I have to get my rear in gear in the craft department to finish this puppy up. Some of it I won't be able to show until after she arrives because it might reveal her name... I haven't decided yet.

Friday night: The hubs and I went to Home Depot to get all the supplies to paint the room and my Ikea hack project (keep reading for more information on that!). Later on Mike's brother and girlfriend, who was my best friend first, just saying, drove from Eastern PA to get the nursery started.

Saturday: The day it got crazy. No lie. We woke up and right away the boys had to go pick up a rocker/glider we were given from my friend who no longer needed it. It fit our decor so I was super pumped. While they did that, my friend and I hit all the cool spots within 10 minutes of my house. A real estate store, a family owned coffee shop and the Habitat for Humanity Restore where we got more than we thought we could ever get accomplished. I didn't even bring a list to keep me on task...oops! The real estate store was a blast. There we bought a Beanie Baby teddy bear, and 2 board books totaling $4.00. Success. Then some coffee, yes I am 32 weeks pregnant and I wanted a toffee nut iced latte, so I got one :) Lastly to the Restore. I was hoping to find some knobs to put on my ikea hack project so I didn't have to use the ones to come in the box, they were boring. Bought 6 knobs for $5 and we were on our way. Before we left, we tried to convince Mike that I needed a new couch set.



He said no, so off we went!

Now comes the craziness! At the end of Saturday this is what the nursery looked like. Notice the amazing Glidden Pistachio Ice Cream color on the wall. Nice work!

The Delta 3 in 1 Crib given to us from Grandma & Grandpa Bair
 
The Summer Infant Combo Changer $21 on clearance. Bargain! 2 drawer organizers from an Ikea set of 6. And a Thirty-One storage bucket given to us from my brother's fiance. The diaper waste basket was given to us by a soccer coach Mike works with.

The rocker/glider given to us from my friend, the fleece blanket was made by one of my co-workers and the white decorative shelving unit from a yard sale for $.50. Yes that is the Beanie Baby from the Real Estate Store too ($1).
 The biggest picture of the room I could get from the door. It has a weird nook where the closet is across from the changing table. Nothing too exciting in there, at least not yet.

Lastly, the aforementioned Ikea Hack project. Psych. This post has been so long that I am going to make a separate one for this awesome project. For now, I love the way it came out and it was well worth the time and effort we put it to it to make it one of a kind for Baby B.



Welcome

Welcome to the homepage of our family! My husband and I have been married for 2.5 years. We met at college and fell in love there. We got married in January 2011 and are "settled" down in Pennsylvania. We are both getting our masters and coaching club soccer. Mike works as an admissions counselor and associate soccer coach at the college level while I work part time.  The most exciting news is we are expecting our first child on September 7, 2013!

I hope to use this blog to keep family and friends updated about our crazy lives. If the online community happens to follow along, that's cool too!

Our passions are God, family, cooking, soccer and our pets! I love to troll Pinterest and recreate fun DIY's for our home. Recently it has been put to good use for Baby B's nursery (post coming soon!). We are also super budget conscious, love using excel to track our spending, and I embarked on the mission of couponing. I do not consider myself to be an extreme couponer but I think I got a good system going.
Who knows what else  might be brought into our lives but there's a snapshot.

Thanks for reading, don't stop!