Constant Beginnings

We've had a bit of a stressful few weeks. In a rather sudden manner, Chris and I decided to pull Mya out of her preschool and enroll her in a new Montessori that opened around our base. We always wanted her in a Montessori, but it wasn't an option last year. Needless to say, we jumped at the opportunity. That being said, it has placed a burden on us. The hours are shorter, which means we need additional care in the afternoon and we had to revamp our morning routine. We are 1 week into it and the "new" routine is changing once again. Stressful! I can't wait until we are back to the mundane, every day is the same type  life. All that said because I needed to bring the girls to my first OB/nurse appointment. I loaded up the Ipad, Ipods and thought they'd sit contently. Ha. Not so much. I neglected to share with the nurse that we had not told our children about our impending change. Claire watched a movie for a few minutes, then nestled comfortably on my  lap. No...

I am thrilled to share that we are officially beyond the 8 week mark. We are still keeping our news under wraps for fear that history will repeat itself. I am tired, bloated and experiencing some food aversions, but I think the nausea is becoming less frequent and less severe. My food tolerances come and go. I started out craving salads, then began to jive with previous pregnancies and crave sugar/candy, and now I am onto soups and sandwiches. I cannot eat chicken, fish or really much meat at all. The thought alone repulses me. I have only gained a pound or two, but my shorts are fitting and feeling much tighter already. I am really trying to keep my weight gain in check this pregnancy, which will mean working out and eating well. I had been working out 5 days per week prior to becoming pregnant, but then we traveled for 2 weeks and the nausea and exhaustion set in. I have run 2 times since. I have to get back on it as I feel so good when I do it. I bought a heart rate monitor even t...

Mom, Dad and Lauren Old city wall which dates back to the Roman Empire. A Bobby! How cool is that? Big Ben, which was renamed to Elizabeth Tower last year in honor of the Queen's reign. Jackson, Jessica, and Nate in front of Westminster Abbey. Jackson. This adorable kid slept in his stroller like a champ despite the excessive temperatures and craziness around him. Grammy & Jackson. The crew on the River cruise over the Thames. London Bridge. The original London bridge is in the U.S.--Lake Havasu. Tower of London, which was at one time a Palace, Jail and now displays the Crown Jewels--all the crowns/septers from previous kings/queens. Luke and Mya at Wagamama. I didn't find much food that I loved in London, but Wagamama was the best. I enjoyed the Chicken Pad Thai. Mya enjoyed a buffet. Luckily, she has cousins who are sweet enough to accommodate her  begging ways ;) This is what I...

Olivia and Claire in Hamley's. Claire is a miniature version of Olivia. They are quite similar.  I can only hope Claire turns out to be as lovely as Olivia is. She is a great kid. More fun in Hamley's. The largest toy store--7 floors worth. My girls were in LOVE. We see Congratulatory signs and displays like this all over London. Claire and I Cheers with "It's A BOY" ale. Not the greatest beer as it is served slightly warm, but it is all about the experience. We ate at this great little pub. The guys got a tour of the place, which included seeing where the Beatles used to hang out in the basement. How cool is that?

My entire family left Monday after spending two glorious weeks with us. There were 15 of us all together. We LOVED having them with us and miss them so much. We are so glad that they were able to make the trip. While they were here, we spent 6 days in London and 3 days in Paris, then back to Germany. Needless to say, there are a ton of pictures to post. For my own sanity, I am going to break them into numerous posts.  We flew to London on Ryan Air. Jessica, Nate and Jackson were actually delayed, having their initial flight from Montana cancelled. They ended up meeting the rest of us in London at our hotel. We stayed outside of London at the Holiday Inn Express in Sanstead and took the train into the city each day, which was a 35 minute ride. Luke attempted to photobomb every picture. What a bugger! Best buds--Claire and Ava. These two typically have their moments when they are together. This time was different. They were pretty  much best buddies the entire...