A Brain Dump (+ Photos!!)

Tomorrow Liam will be 20 weeks – TWENTY WEEKS!! I can’t believe it’s been that long… or that short? I can’t tell just yet ;) So much has happened within these last four plus months and at the same time nothing has happened. I mean, Liam is blowing my mind, and taking care of him is such a joy, but, I know it’s not as exciting to you as it is to me.

Or maybe it is? I don’t know.

So, if you don’t mind, I’m just gonna dump it all out and we’ll take it from there. Thanks.

I’ve started exercising again! A friend gifted me her Kayla Itsines’ BBG workout and  I’ve died about five times now; but it feels good to be exercising again. I can’t do her guides completely (my body is not ready for mountain climbers or burpees) but most of it is pretty doable. I’ve got a looooong way to go.

Will is working from home now and it’s been great. I wasn’t sure it was a good idea at first (I wasn’t sure I had the self-discipline to leave him alone all day), but after seeing how Will and Liam have grown closer because of the extra time Will is spending at home has made it worth it! I have nothing but heart eyes for these two!

I love catching Liam’s silly faces on camera!!

I will forever love Dean Bridge for this view.

I made goat’s milk soap with my friend, Aya, and love it. Everyone’s getting soap for Christmas!

Friends of ours moved back to the States so we bought their tv for dirt cheap. It’s made binging on Suits much more enjoyable. Though, I do have to share it with Will and Liam so they can watch their sports.

Our MC (Missional Community) spent a Sunday at the beach. I wish there were more days like this one during the summer.

I went to a breastfeeding clinic last week and Liam put on a show for the nurses – as in he did his new trick of feeding for only three minutes and crying for the better part of an hour. The midwives confirmed that he is teething and recommended Ashton & Parsons Infants’ Powder; it’s a game changer! He hasn’t put on much weight in the last month so this should help with that.

I was using cloth diapers on Liam but then he started soiling his outfit every time so I went back to paper diapers. I’m hoping he’ll put on some more weight now that he’s eating better so we can go back to cloth. We’re using BumGenius diapers that we inherited from a sweet friend and it’s such a money saver! Honestly, I kinda don’t like using cloth, but I dislike spending the money on paper more – sooooo yeah.

I just bought River Cottage’s Baby & Toddler Cookbook and can’t wait to use it!

I’m on an organising spree so I’ve got Evernote and iBank on my phone – meal planning and budgeting FTW!

I just celebrated my 32nd birthday (woah!!) and it was such a pleasant day. Will was away in Sweden for the weekend so I was happy to have him home. We made a big breakfast, spent 90 minutes looking for a movie to watch on Netflix (as you do), gave Liam a bath, and did a little shopping. It wasn’t much but I loved every minute of it!

28th

Last week we celebrated Will’s 28th birthday at The Sheep Heid Inn, Edinburgh’s oldest pub, for some dinner, drinks, and pub quiz!

Happy Birthday Will!
I’m so grateful you were born and will always be thrilled to celebrate your birth. You mean the world to me!
I love you :)

Birthday Week Blues

I love birthdays. Absolutely love them. Especially my own birthday! This year, however, I was not loving my birthday. As a matter of fact I didn’t even really want to talk about it. I just wanted to skip right over it. What was happening to me? Well, 11 months into living here is when I get my first bout of homesickness. Yep, this was going to be my first birthday without my family (that I can remember). Growing up my family had, and still has, a tradition of waking up the birthday person with balloons, ice cream cake, and their present. It’s amazing! It’s wonderful! It’s the most perfect family tradition! I mean, who wouldn’t want to start their day with cake?
It was a great week nonetheless. We crammed 30 college students into our flat for some chili and we went to a Céilidh! I had fun. I genuinely laughed a lot. But, something was missing. Last year it was Will and San missing and now this year it was my mom and dad. Now I know what I want for my birthday next year: my family all in one place… with me!

Dear Family,

     I love you all so much! Thank you all for your love and support. It has meant the world to me.
Will, You are so wonderful and sweet and kind. I married up.
Mom, Dad, and San. Good Lord, you guys mean the world to me! I can’t mean it enough! Waking up to all of you singing “Happy Birthday” will never get old. Thank you for the best birthday tradition ever!

Forever grateful,

Jackie