{WHW}: Minnesota'ing

Happy Wednesday, and pre-Thanksgiving day, friends!!

I'm back today with my recap of our super fun trip to Minnesota!

This weekend we:

~managed to make our 8:10am flight after MG realized on our drive to the airport that our flight wasn't at 8:30 like he had thought (oops)

~had a successful first flight with Ella. She took two short naps on the plane and only screeched a few times.

~Made it to MN and got picked up by our friends at the airport. We ordered in lunch at their house from our favorite place there--Yum!--and then Michelle and I went to get our nails done while the boys stayed with the kids.

~Ella bear got her first taste of what Winter really feels like

~Ella conked out for bed on east coast time, and then MG, Michelle and I went and had drinks at a speakeasy, and then went out to dinner at Freehouse and Kev joined us later after his team meetings

(the food and drinks were soooooo good)

fried cheese curds and their specialty beer-cocktails

~Woke up Sunday morning to lots of loving from the kids. Ella was definitely a star attraction

~Got ourselves ready for the game and left the little girls at home with their trusted babysitter.

~Got onto the field pre-game and got to see all kinds of players up close and personal, in addition to our traditional photo with Kev before the game

~The game was SO good--and the Vikings put a hurting on the Rams who are also leading their division, so this was a HUGE win!

~Michelle noticed that 3 of the girls from The Bachelor/Bachelor in Paradise were at the game, a few rows in front of us (Lauren, Emily and Haley), and I ended up getting a pic with two of them (the other twin is in the background) #superhighlight

(Lauren complimented the color of my shirt...no big deal lol)

~Tailgated in the players'/coach's parking lot after the game and had celebratory drinks with them as they came out--so so fun!

~Had dinner in at home (Ella tried pieces of pot roast carrots for the first time and was a big fan), and just spent time hanging out until we all crashed for bedtime

~We woke up Monday, had breakfast and then headed to the airport around 10am to catch our flight. Even the second time around, it was easier (we learned from our first mistakes). It also helped that we got upgraded to first class (although I felt that much more nervous when Ella would screech). She was a trooper and napped for an hour and ten minutes of the flight though. 

first class at 6 months...lol

The only glitch we had was that she decided to poop during the final descent, when we couldn't get up to change her. And it leaked through her jammies....so that was a fun clean up after de-planing but we still survived it!

The whole trip was fantastic! It was SO great to see our friends, get to spend quality time with the boys, see a Vikings win, meet the Bachelor girls, and get Ella's first plane ride under our belts! Time went by way too quickly, as it always does when you're with great people and it just makes us wish they lived closer so we could do it more often.

Now it's your turn to share what's hap-"pinning" with you!

{WHW}: Labor Daying

I'm a little late with my weekend recap because well, life. But for what's hap-"pinning" Wednesday I'm recapping our Labor day weekend:

~Got home with Ella and started packing to head up to Philly. Unfortunately, my in-laws came down with some cold/sickness that they were recovering from but we didn't want to risk staying with them, so we had to stay at my two SIL's places. 

~Getting packed up after a full work week (and the idea of being nomads for the weekend) got me into a bit of an anxiety attack because I just feel like I've been going and going non-stop, then the prospect of packing and moving around the whole weekend was just overwhelming to me. We decided to still go up to PA, but to come home Sunday night so we'd have a full day at home.

~We made it up to New Jersey to my SIL's house without any traffic and miss Ella slept the whole ride, and then went down to sleep as soon as we got to their house.

Cooper gets the front seat all to himself these days

~my BIL was having his fantasy football draft and ended up going out with his guy friends and MG got peer pressured into going too, so my SIL and I just stayed home and sat out on the porch drinking wine, eating and catching up until after midnight. We called it #porchtherapy haha

~Saturday morning was super crappy--overcast, cold and rainy. We decided to go to a local indoor farmers market which ended up being kind of a bust because it was insanely crowded barely any room to maneuver a stroller, and no place to sit and eat any of the goodies that they were selling. Boo!

~Early afternoon we packed up and headed to PA to my other SIL's house where we unpacked (again) and just hung out for the afternoon.

~Ella giggled for the first time which was amaaaaaaaaazing! She's done little laughs here and there but the giggle was the best!

~My SIL's friend's surprise party was Saturday night so we got Ella down, my MIL and niece watched Ella (while she slept basically) and we headed out to have some adult time which was so much fun!

~Sunday was a laze around the house kind of morning and then getting ready for a cook out where a ton of people came over. None of which was conducive to a baby napping lol

~Around 7 we packed up the car and baby and made our way home with no traffic and a sleeping baby--got home and put her to bed and she slept until 5 when I fed her and then she went back down until 745. ALLLLLLL the praise hands because mama needed that sleep!

~Monday we ran errands and little miss was so good. She loves looking around at everything even from her car seat in the stroller--she's so alert now that I think everything is super stimulating for her

~Got in some snuggles with Ella bear while she napped in my arms

~MG and I made pesto grilled cheeses for lunch which were heavenly and then we took a walk down/around the lake by our house and picked up a cold brew on the way.

~Ella was super tired around 6 because she didn't get a third nap in for the day so we got her ready for bed early and she was down and out by 6:30pm

It was definitely nice, and much needed, to have a full day at home and to wake up in our own beds instead of spending a good chunk of the day driving and hitting traffic. Thankfully this is a short work week too, so the weekend is that much closer!

Now it's your turn to link up and share what's hap-"pinning" with you!

Wedding Weekend Fun

Could it be that I'm actually posting on a Monday??? I'm not entirely sure how that happened because man, I'm exhausted coming off of our 3rd road trip away with baby! 

MG and I had a wedding on Saturday for one of his friends from HS so we made our way up to PA on Thursday evening during Ella's normal bedtime, and our lady love slept the entire 3 hours!! All the praise hands!

We got there around 10 and promptly put Ella and ourselves to bed. In the morning there was lots of time for snuggles and attention :)

Friday morning we drove over to our friend Kev/Michelle's parents' house (our Minnesota friends) so that we could see them, their 3 kiddos and let them all meet Ella. It was awesome to spend time with them, but about an hour later those 2 were off to celebrate their 10 year anniversary sans kids and we stuck around with their kids playing for a bit.

MG and I eventually made our way to a restaurant nearby to meet up with two other of his best friends--the ones from Charleston with their cute 13 month old, and MG's best friend from NY whose wife is pregnant (we found out the gender at lunch!).

It was great having all of us together, with the kids. The service was super slow, but that just allowed us more time to hang out (and for me to nurse in public--covered--for the second time ever).

That night we headed to my SIL's house so they could see Ella. We ordered dinner in and just hung out for the night--I love the laid back nights where you don't have to DO anything other than spend time together.

Saturday morning was pretty low key and then my other SIL came over with my two nieces, one of whom is 13 and incredible with doing hair and makeup, so she curled my hair for the wedding and did my eye makeup.

Around 3:45 MG and I left to go meet up with our friends before the wedding festivities for a drink. We drove around blasting music and dancing around in the car because....no baby! 

After grabbing a drink we made our way to the wedding/reception at a country club. The views were gorgeous and once the sun set, it was super nice outside. Prime photo taking opportunities ensued.

the pink and green alternating ties was not planned 

The night was full of laughter and fun--I seriously love this group of MG's friends who have become my friends, and really, our family.

I had another "mom" experience when I had to go and find a place to pump during the reception. And I realized that my dress didn't unzip so guess who got to sit with my friend Michelle, with my dress around my shoulders? #thisgirl lol (The things we do to keep our babies alive, amIright?)

After dinner, dancing, photoboothing, and a Dirty Dancing reenactment by my husband and Michelle's husband (no seriously), the night was over all too quickly and we were heading back home to our sleeping baby who was well cared for by my MIL and two SILs while we were gone. Our first time away for more than 2 hours was a complete and total success!

We got home and in bed around midnight and Ella continued to sleep until 6:45...praise Jesus for our good sleeper. We were still exhausted but much less so than we would have been otherwise.

We had breakfast, packed up and hit the road at 10 and our awesome girl slept until the last 20 minutes, during which she was pretty easily calmed. 

We unpacked and lounged around the house, and then visited an open house in our neighborhood to see what updates they'd done, ran some errands and then grabbed Chipotle for dinner because neither of us was in the mood to cook.

So here we are! Another awesome weekend that just makes us wish that these friends all lived closer instead of spread throughout the country. I'm so grateful for these friends that I inherited from my husband because they are seriously some of the best.

The only drawback to this weekend was the fact that I missed my best friend's bachelorette party, but I was there in spirit and am definitely excited for when I get to see her and tackle her in 2 weeks! #loveyougenna (how is it almost august already???)

Hoping your weekend was friend-filled and fantastic, too!

MDW2017: Road Trippin', Car Buyin', Baby Milestones

It's What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday and I'm recapping our Memorial Day weekend which involved our first road trip with a newborn!

MG and I hit the road on Thursday morning after packing the car with every essential we could think of (and then almost forgetting my breast pump--a HUGE oops that would have been!)

Had to stop at a rest stop to feed and change baby which added 40 minutes to our trip.

Got to my in-law's house and within an hour had my SIL and her kids over to finally meet Ella. Then my BIL showed up after work to meet her and immediately jumped into diaper changes. Man it was nice not to change many diapers this weekend haha

Spent the night in with the fam--my oldest niece decided to stay over and help us with the baby in the morning (she's a great kid) and my youngest niece decided that she was the official baby holder of the weekend lol

Friday morning MG and I went for a 45 minute walk while my MIL and niece watched the baby (family is the best), and then in the afternoon we headed over to my SIL's house for pizza and to hang out with my other SIL and her family. Ella wasn't put down for a second that whole night, and we got some great photos.

 

 

Saturday morning MG, my FIL and the nieces and nephew went to iFly which was a present from Christmas. It was SO fun to watch them--and then watching the instructor do all kinds of tricks afterwards. I didn't participate but it was just fun to watch everyone else.

Later that afternoon we went back to my SIL's for a cook out since we were leaving the next day to get home and get settled before MG headed back to work. Ella continued to be spoiled with being held and loved on. She didn't hate it :)

There were definitely tears shed when we left my SIL's house that night--my SIL cried because she was going to miss Ella, and I cried because I was going to miss all of the help haha

Sunday morning we got to sleep in a bit since my MIL woke up with Ella at 5am, we had breakfast and then got ourselves packed up. MG's uncle swung by to drop off a beautiful blanket and puzzle that he had made for Ella with pictures of her and family members. It was really sweet!
We also did a little tummy time session in the morning which was just too cute

We got on the road later than we'd planned on, and ended up having to stop at two rest stops for baby. And we encountered torrential rain twice which was not fun for any of us. But, we survived.

We also realized that both of our cars are not big enough for road trips. We'd been planning on getting a larger car sometime around December, but this prompted us to move that timeline up by a lot of months and MG went and got a Toyota Highlander (the car we'd been researching and planning on--we even went on a test drive when we were in PA. Plus my in-laws have the same car so we knew what we were getting). It's a great car and definitely a lot more space. Of which, I'm sure we will still have no problem filling it up haha.

Monday was a pretty low key day for us--we ran errands and then had a visit from my friend Amanda in the afternoon. Then at night Ella got SUPER fussy...crying and screaming and she's not a crying/screaming baby. It lasted for a while and we were super concerned, but eventually got her to calm down and sleep. And sleep she did--FIVE hours! Then she fed and slept another 4 hours and we  were the ones to wake her up both times.

Ironically her shirt says Super Happy which probably was what jinxed us into having a NOT super happy baby that evening haha

It was a welcome gift after the crying session from the night before. And also the night before her 1 month birthday and MG going back to work. 

We survived the first day back to work--there were definitely tears on everyone's part when he was leaving, but our little 1 month old (seriously how is it a month already) managed with just mommy and Cooper.

So, that's basically our MDW in a nutshell!

Now it's your turn to link up with Jessi and I to share what's hap-"pinning" with you!