Flashback: Easter

I am calling this a flashback, but really this is me attempting to make up for my shitty blogging habits I have had over the past few weeks. You're probably sick of hearing me complain about my black hole of a life right now, but lemme say it once more, this time of year is NUTS anyway, and throw in trying to sell a house is just an all around horrible idea.

Anyway-- we did celebrate Easter, and it was a lot more fun this year with Noelle this age. Not that she wasn't adorable in her little Easter outfit last year, but seeing her collect eggs and get excited was too much fun.

Luke had to work at the ER on Easter Sunday, so we spent a quiet day at home. My mom and dad joined us for a nice dinner later.

However, the highlight of the day was when Noelle and I were at Meijer picking up some items for dinner, and she decided that she would have her first ever GRAND MAUL TEMPER TANTRUM! This child is perfection defined at any other time, especially in public. Not that day, nope. I had a McD Diet Coke (duh), and she decided she wanted a drink. I didn't think that I wanted to start her on Diet Coke at her age, so I didn't let her have any. This provoked her to start arching her back, throwing her head backwards, and screaming at the top of her lungs. Given that it was Easter Sunday, most people were at church, which meant that the store was pretty empty, allowing her screams to echo throughout the entire store...from produce to lawn furniture.

I began sweating and making my way toward the check out as soon as possible. I was even stopped by three different people, offering to "help." I don't know how they could have helped me...but I thought it was sweet to offer.

Anyway, after I got her home and she calmed down, all was well again. We had a nice time, and Luke got to come home and spend the rest of the day with us.

Happy New Year!

I realize that I need to upload some pictures here soon. I also need to do that on my photography blog because...well...it is for my photography, so I need to show some photography. Speaking of that-- I am so happy with the growth of my photography "business." I counted, and I did over 20 photo sessions in about 5 months in 2010. I have already started the new "season" with a great session, and I have several more coming up. Very cool. I love it.

Anyway-- we had the most uneventful New Year's ever. I mean...if it were any more uneventful, we'd be 6 feet under, if you know what I mean. I went to a special New Year's Eve Zumba class, and then I came back, got ready really quickly, and then we went to PF Chang's (my favorite Chinese place!) to celebrate NYE and our 10 year anniversary of being together. We made a reservation, they had our table ready, and we were out of there within an hour. We came back, played with Noelle for a few, put her to bed, then I fell asleep long before midnight. I woke up at about 11:45, just in time to watch the ball drop and then fall back asleep. No parties. No drinking. No screaming at midnight. No noise makers. No silly hats. A part of me missed this...the traditions of NYE past...but a part of me was just fine with spending the evening with my husband and my daughter, safe and sound in our home. Maybe the fact that 2011 was welcomed in quietly and calmly will mean that it will be a quiet and calm year...

Now, on to those resolutions. I make them every year. I break them every year...but I think it's because my motivations are never really whole-hearted. I usually say I want to lose weight...not to be healthier but because I want to look good on a bikini. I usually say I want to save money...not for financial fitness but for something frivolous that I want to buy. This year, I have decided to focus on health and balance...the total picture...taking care of myself so that I can be a better mom, wife, daughter, friend, teacher, person. I think that is all we can hope for at the dawn of a new year.

One resolution I am determined to uphold is eliminating fast food from my diet. This is not only for my health benefit, but also for my financial benefit. Honestly, even commercials for fast food are making my stomach churn. Too much. I am done.

So...you might scoff at my resolutions and think there's no way I will keep them...but I don't care. I will never know unless I try.

A very merry Noelle

With Noelle's very first Christmas now a beautiful memory in our minds, I wanted to take the time to document all that made it special.

I don't think it was a secret that I was feeling the seasonal stress in the days leading up to December 25. We had a lot of places to be, a lot of people to see, a lot of gifts to buy, a lot of things to do, and of course not a lot of time to do any of it in. However, we put our game faces on and took deep breaths as we began our Christmas festivities with Luke's family. Noelle enjoyed opening her first presents and we enjoyed hanging with family. Really nothing can beat just laying around in your sweats and lazily addressing the day's order of events. We ate great food and relaxed and played and watched the loved ones around us.

When actual Christmas came around, we attended Christmas Eve Mass at St. Simon...us with about 4,000 other people. Wow. I have never seen a Christmas Eve Mass this huge. I also have never seen such outfits at church. High heels, lace tights and leggings, short mini skirts...whoa. My royal blue sweater and jeans looked a little frumpy in comparison.

After mass, my parents and brother joined us at our house. For the first time in all of my Christmases, we did not spend the night at my mom and dad's house. This was strange yet nice at the same time. I felt like a true adult, whether that is a good thing or not. We watched Elf and ate yummy food and tucked Noelle in bed for her to have visions of sugar plums dancing in her head. She left a plate of cookies for Santa and wrote a note asking for Peyton Manning to be under her tree.

When she finally fell asleep that night, we tiptoed into the guest room and pulled her pile of Santa presents out to place under the tree. We hung the stocking with goodies inside. We shook our heads in disbelief as we were finally playing the part of Santa for our sweet baby girl. We gave her one last kiss and went to sleep. I could barely sleep because I was so excited for the morning. I watched House Hunters International until I couldn't bear to see one more rich Costa Rican 30 year old buy a summer home at the beach.

On Christmas morning, we were the ones waking Noelle up, excitedly singing her "good morning" song and willing her to wipe the sleep from her eyes so we could open presents. She was very confused and seemingly annoyed with our excitement. I think she would have slept a little later! We gave her a great Christmas breakfast and then encouraged her to tear the paper off the boxes. She wasn't too into it, but once we showed her what she could play with, I think she started to figure out that Christmas was a cool thing! My favorite gift we got her was a Fisher-Price shopping cart that makes noises. She even will push it and take a few steps with it. :-) I also got her a sweet little baby doll named Baby Stella.

When we were finished with our own Christmas, we headed to Muncie to share in the joy with my mom and dad and brother. We opened presents until the afternoon, taking our time, eating breakfast, and allowing Noelle to soak it all in! We had a great time and relished not having to be anywhere or do anything but just exist that day.

My mom and dad did WAY to much for us, as always, and we are still trying to find a place to put everything. Noelle is such a loved little girl-- so blessed in so many ways. I know that many children all over were not given the Christmas that Noelle received at only 9 months old. And, of course we know that Christmas is not about gifts. Christmas is about family, and faith, and love, and hope, and magic, and Jesus's love for all of us.

Christmas doesn't suck. ;-)

I fell down on Black Friday.

Hello. I'm Ashley. I was crazy and shopped from 12 midnight on Friday morning until about 1 p.m. on Friday afternoon. I also fell down and scraped my knees on Black Friday. Which of those two make me more of a dumbass?

I have to say...I had a lot of fun shopping with Elizabeth on Black Friday. We had fun laughing at all the people lined up outside while we waited nice and toasty in the car until the lines dissolved inside. A lot of people were quite negative on Facebook about how they were NOT going to be CRAZY and wait IN LINE outSIDE the DAY after thanksGIVING...they will SAVE their MONEY and not spend it like an IDIOT! (I am using the all caps for dramatic effect, to imitate the dramatic nature of these Facebook postings) I got some good deals, mainly for myself (HA!), and I was able to get some people I love some nice gifts.

I am extremely confident in the gifts I chose this year. I think that everyone will love everything, honestly. This is the first year that I know what I am going to get my parents before about December 21 (because you are the two most difficult humans to buy for- Hi Mom & Dad!). I feel totally in the spirit and am ready to wrap presents and get them under the tree! Luke is going to have a GREAT Christmas, and Noelle's first Christmas will be fabulous, without being overdone. I promise there are still toys at Toys R Us.

So...about the title of this post. At midnight, Old Navy opened, and E and I were approaching the store. We were getting ready to get in line when I stubbed my toe with my big fake Ugg boot on this EXTREMELY HIDDEN AND HARD TO SEE step! I lost all my balance, leaned way forward, I believe I grabbed E's butt for pure survival, and then I bit the dust. It was hilarious. It's a good thing that I absolutely do not care about making an ass of myself because I totally fell down in front of like 300 people waiting in line at Old Navy. A 15 year old brace face girl asked me if I was OK. Seriously.

Black Friday 2010 was amazing. I have the skinned knees to prove it.

Noel/Noelle!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

The house is almost all decorated! We are anxiously awaiting Santa's first trip to our house.

Noelle even has a tree in her room, complete with lights and a pink tree skirt. 

Christmas Crafting: It's a Process

I have decided that I am going to make my own Christmas ornaments this year.
I love crafting. I love Christmas. Why not marry the two? ((here's hoping this marriage doesn't end in a bitter divorce))

I have assembled a list of Christmas ornament crafts that I am going to attempt in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Do you know that Christmas is a mere 70 something days away? Which means that we can officially start decorating in like a month??? This is nuts to me, but I am so looking forward to our first Christmas with the little nugget. She is going to be so amazingly cute this winter. Furry boots, snow hats, crawling around, and most likely destroying any little Christmas craft I actually make.

Oh well. I like a challenge.

Here's my list:
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/cookie-cutter-ornaments?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/christmas-ornaments#slide_24

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/snowy-ornaments?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/christmas-ornaments#slide_23

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/button-wreath-ornament?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/christmas-ornaments#slide_20

http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.3a0656639de62ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=b15dce908332f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&backto=true&backtourl=%2Fphotogallery%2Fchristmas-ornaments

http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.3a0656639de62ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=f35e78e45f405110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&backto=true&backtourl=%2Fphotogallery%2Fchristmas-ornaments

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/beaded-snowflakes?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/christmas-ornaments#slide_25

http://www.marthastewart.com/how-to/glittered-paper-cutouts?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/christmas-ornaments#slide_27

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/3-d-ornament-and-tree-topper?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/christmas-ornaments#slide_30

Happy Easter!

We had a GREAT Easter Weekend! It began with Good Friday, and it was especially "good" because Luke called me to say that he would be coming home early! It was a beautiful day outside, and to be able to enjoy it with my husband and my daughter was just an awesome surprise. I should mention that he pranked me first, calling to say that he unexpectedly had to work the overnight shift that night. He called "April Fool's!" (though a day late) right before I exploded into either a fit of anger or tears. That Luke...

My parents joined us Friday night for some pizza and a little pre-Easter celebration with the baby girl. Noelle is luck to be loved so much!

Saturday morning, we headed out for New Albany with about 10 bags of luggage containing everything Noelle could possibly need...as this weekend was the first weekend away from home. I was nervous for the car ride with Noelle because I hate it when she gets upset and I can't do anything about it. However, she handled it really well and slept for almost the entire ride!

I attended a bridal shower for Luke's cousin, Emily, who is getting married in two weeks. It was fun to take Noelle and introduce her to everyone. She was held and loved on by plenty of people! After the shower, we enjoyed a walk with Seth, Liz, Gus, Sol, and Eric. Gus was determined to push Noelle's big stroller throughout the walk. He did a pretty great job for a 3 year old, though he did get tired and decided that he would rather ride on the shoulders of his mom or dad.

Saturday night was the big Butler game, so we all gathered at Luke's grandma's house to watch. It was a good time, especially because the Bulldogs won! Noelle handled all of the noise and screaming like a champ. I didn't want her to be scared, but she did great!

She did pretty well for her first night away from home...waking up the normal amount of times. When she woke up Sunday morning, it was time for her first Easter! We got her all dressed up and ready for Mass. I was worried she would cry out during an important part of the service, but she again did great. We have such a happy, content baby.

Sunday afternoon brought Easter dinner at Luke's grandma's. We had fun with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins, and the weather was just so awesome. We took Noelle out and laid her on a blanket under an umbrella. She loved it!

Another successful 2 hour drive back, and we were home sweet home!

Me with my little Easter Bunny

Close up of the bunny outfit

Only our 2nd family photo since Noelle was born!

Valentine's Day 2010

I told Luke yesterday that I have officially been pregnant for every holiday except St. Patrick's Day (which is Mar. 17....may or may not still be pregnant), Easter, and Memorial Day. That being said, Valentine's Day is included! Oh well, it's worth it, right?

Luke and I had been planning on having a nice Valentine's Day since it would be our "last" one without children for the rest of our lives. Plans were slightly complicated due to the fact that he had to work call (call = overnight) at Wishard on Valentine's night. We said we weren't doing gifts, just a nice dinner out, but I had to do something special for him.

I went and bought all his favorite treats...mini Pay Day & Snicker bars, trail mix, trail mix bars, nutty bars, and gatorade, and I arranged them in a huge heart on our living room floor. It was cute and he was really touched when he came home to see it! I also gave him some homemade "Preg-O Passes," which are coupons for him to do things such as escape one of my mood swings, refuse one of my ridiculous requests, force feed me vegetables, or make me exercise. He thought they were funny!

I spent actual Valentine's evening with Kelley, whose poor husband works the 2nd shift every night (can't imagine), and we ate pizza, cake, and watched some of the Olympics. It was a lot of fun and great to not be alone!

On the 15th, our "Valentine's Day," we spent the day together running errands and checking things off THE LIST, which now has only a few small items on it! I am really excited! We even turned in a day care application for our unnamed, gender unknown child. In fact, the application said ? Ernstberger. Question Mark Ernstberger....nice. I felt really weird and guilty for turning in an application for day care before my child is even born, but that is the way it works around here, I guess.

We enjoyed a great dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. We were going to go downtown to St. Elmo's, but the weather got crappy (for the 10th time in 10 days), so we stayed on the northside and went to Ruth's Chris at 96th and Keystone. It was wonderful. Luke got New York Strip and I got Ribeye. YUM!

A lot of people have made a point to say on their Facebooks how much they hate Valentine's Day. I don't get that. I get that you don't have to do anything big and special to show someone how much you love them. I get that you should show your love the other days of the year (which I do). I just don't understand the point of hating Valentine's Day. It's a cute, fun holiday that is sweet and a great time to show love to ALL the special people in your life.

At dinner, we tried to think about all of our past Valentine's Days and what we did for each of them. We could only not remember a couple. Given that we have had 9 of them, that's pretty good! It was fun to relive memories, and I can't wait for the Valentine's Days to come with our precious baby, too!

Welcome 2010!

My first post of the new year! I can't believe I have been keeping up with this blog for over a year. It's so cool to look back on things, the good and bad, that I have written about.

We rang in the new year with some friends last night. It was a lot of fun, and I couldn't help but think about how we would be celebrating the new year next year. Will we be home by ourselves with the baby? Will we be at a party while the baby is at a babysitter's? Will we have friends and family at our house? How will life be different a year from now?

I am also thinking about how life is going to be different, starting today. You guessed it folks-- it's RESOLUTION time! Allison calls them goals. Jenn calls them life shifts. I am not sure what mine are called, but I am going to give them an honest try. (Try to keep the "yeah, right's" and "keep dreaming" comments to yourself)

1. School - I have about 10 weeks left of school before I go on leave, and by golly I am going to make the most of them! I will be prepared each week, I will inspire creativity, and I will change some lives! :-) (it's ok, I laughed out loud on that one, too.) No, but seriously, I am going to be prepared for the next day before I leave at night just in case the baby decides to come unexpectedly. (don't get any ideas, Baby.)

2. Health - I want to give birth to this baby 10 lbs (or less) heavier than what I am now. I do not want to gain over 35 lbs with this pregnancy. I have about 10 weeks to go, so that is a pound a week. I know the baby will put on pounds rapidly, and that is fine-- but I don't want anything extra on my butt or on my arms. I went to the gym today to walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes. I ate pretty well today, and I am going to make more of an effort to eat more vegetables and less junk. I obviously have goals for after the baby is born, but I am just going to wait and see before I put those in writing.

3. Money - Luke and I need to adhere to a pretty strict, cash only budget. We need to set money aside for diapers, my insurance increase by switching to the family plan, and daycare. We need to eat out less (started that tonight by making a Rachael Ray turkey shepherd's pie tonight instead of going out) and save some of that money for other things.

4. Personal Growth - I am far from perfect. I will never be. I make mistakes...say and do stupid things. I am far from the best wife, friend, daughter, and sister. I think I lack a maturity level that is becoming more and more necessary. It's time for me to get there. I know that looking into my child's eyes for the first time will help to expedite the process, but I don't want to wait until March for the growth to begin. It needs to start now...in how I handle situations that make me upset, in how I handle jealousy and envy, in how I handle situations that make me uncomfortable....I am 25-- closer to 26...I think it's time. (doesn't mean I can't still laugh at the 1,000 fart noises Abe has on his phone-- somethings are just funny.)

I have more, but those are the biggies. I hope you are able to set some goals and have plans to achieve them, too. Few things are more refreshing than the start of a new year!

Last Post of 2009-- Wow!

I always get so sad on New Year's Eve. I don't know if it has more to do with the fear of the unknown, the letdowns of the past, or the memories of the year that were just too damn good to let go. Maybe it's all three. I just know that my nostalgia goes into overdrive on December 31, and I am usually a hot mess by the end of the night-- emotional and weepy. (( and this year at least I know it won't be alcohol induced! ))

Before I go any further, today, NINE years ago, Luke and I began dating officially! We call this one our High School Anniversary. Happy High School Anniversary, babe!

I can look at my life in segments (I think I have said this before). The time before our miscarriage in September of 2008, the time between September 2008-April 2009, and then the time from April 2009-now.

The time from September 2008-April 2009 can be compared to the feeling of nearly drowning, being sucked under, unable to catch your breath or signal to anyone for help. I spent a good part of those months mad, upset, jealous, and feeling sorry for myself. Two pivotal instances occurred during those months that helped to save us from "drowning." One- on the way back from Bloomington around Valentine's Day with Abe & E, they took the time to have a real conversation with us about our loss of the baby. They asked us how we were honestly doing, and we honestly weren't doing that well. We were able to vent emotions and feelings that we had been holding in for a while. I remember feeling a lot at that time that I couldn't really talk about the miscarriage-- that while people cared, they didn't want to hear about it. I felt like no one could understand. I thought maybe I was being dramatic and I should be over it by then. They helped us to know that they did care...and that they would always care....which was helpful and really instrumental to our healing. I know it helped Luke maybe more than me, because Luke was able to speak openly about this loss without feeling weird or too sensitive or uncomfortable. Luke admires his brothers so much, so I know what it meant for Abel to show such compassion.

That was a turning point for us-- we started looking forward more and looking back less. I set my sights on getting healthier, lost some weight that needed to be lost, and I chopped my hair off by Spring Break. I felt like a new woman!

By April, we were celebrating Luke's birthday, and we got an extra special present...this time from Luke's other brother Seth and his wife, Liz. After leaving our house after celebrating Luke's birthday, they doubled back around and asked us to be Solomon's godparents. Oh...what joy we felt in that moment! For them to trust us with such responsibility--I was just moved beyond measure. Solomon's birth, at first, was bittersweet for me. It represented everything I wasn't going to have (at that time), and I was riddled with guilt that I couldn't stop thinking about my own situation. Holding Solomon, and getting to know him, and loving him...I always felt a bond. When they asked us to be his godparents, it validated that bond for me and helped me to believe that we would someday have the joy of being parents ourselves. Little did we know... :-)

May was stressful in preparation for Luke's board exam, but it also meant the end of school, beginning of summer, and Kiawah was right around the corner. In June, we all headed to South Carolina and enjoyed a blissful week in the sun. It kicked off a great summer, which included my first real bridesmaid opportunity (as MOH in Al's wedding), my first (and last) mountain biking adventure, and lots of other fun memories-- which leads us up to...

THE BABY! I found out around July 12 or so...and waited to tell Luke until July 15-- coincidentally the same day he got his excellent board score. We celebrated a great score, a new baby, my birthday, and our 2 year wedding anniversary all in the same week. Now can you say, "Best week ever!"?

Ever since then, our lives have been taken over by preparing for baby! We have loved every minute of this pregnancy, and now it is 2/3 over! We have stayed busy by teaching, learning, studying, both attending and being attendants in the weddings of friends, watching some good football, taking a mini trip to West Baden and getting massages, staying active (or trying), and celebrating holidays with family and friends through parties and get-togethers.

2009 was a great mix of big events and small moments, all of which helped me (and us) to grow, change, regress, and adapt. 2010--- you have BIG shoes to fill!

Christmas Craziness Comes to an End

Luke and I had a great Christmas celebration. It lasted from Wednesday the 23rd to the 26th, and it was full of family, traveling, gifts, children, good food, and not a lot of sleep. I have been counting down to Christmas since early November, and it just a couple of days, it quickly came to an end. I think this is the first Christmas where I am not that sad, however. I know that a much better gift and celebration are in store in just about 12 weeks (or less!).

We have had the tradition to celebrate our own personal Christmas a couple days before. Luke had an exam on the 23rd in the morning, and then we spent the whole day together. We finished some last minute shopping, ate lunch, and opened our gifts together. We finished the evening with a great dinner at Ruby Tuesday's. I had ribs, and boy did I love them! Luke did really well for me this year. He got me a couple of hats that I asked for, some books, a necklace, and Wii Sports Resort! So fun! :-) I got him his coat back in November, plus some socks and boxers, fleece pants, and a CamelBak water backpack for when he runs or bikes.

We headed to Muncie after dinner to see my family because my brother and his girlfriend surprised my mom by coming in from Missouri. She didn't think they would be able to come until after Christmas, but they surprised her early. We all knew they were coming except her. It was hard to keep the secret, but fun to lie and get her all riled up! :-) We spent the evening playing the Wii, which ended up with me having a sore shoulder and arm for two days because of the sword fighting game.

Thursday was Christmas Eve. It was low-key. Luke and I went to a couple of stores and killed time until we all went to Mass. We ate some good food, watched the traditional Simpsons Christmas and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (like we have EVERY year since I can remember-- still on VHS with original early 90's commercials), and then we all sat down like a nice little family and watched The Hangover! Not exactly your typical family movie. I warned my mom and dad that it was pretty lewd and crude...and I think after the first 50 F-bombs they got used to it and thought it was funny. This has become somewhat of a new tradition, because we watched Step Brothers last year.

Friday was Christmas...and we all, including our baby, were treated very well by Santa. I am overwhelmed at how much "Santa" is able to do for us...we are very lucky. Just a few of our favorite surprises were a GPS, our baby's travel system, the baby's swing, the car seat, and tons of other fun baby stuff.

After my family's Christmas was over, we headed to New Albany to see Luke's huge family for Christmas. There were probably 50 people at his grandma's tiny house on Christmas night, but it was fun and I can't wait to add our little Max or Noelle to the mix next year!

The day after Christmas, we spent it with Seth and Liz and the boys. I love our nephews! They are the cutest! We had so much fun seeing them and their excitement for Christmas. The girls split from the boys, and we did some shopping, eating, and then joined back up with the men for Avatar 3D. I can't believe I went and saw it, but I actually liked it. So there, Luke. You win.

The boys and girls split again and hung out at two different houses. All the aunts and female cousins played games and ate some food while the men and boys played poker. It was awesome to hang out with so many people and laugh so much.

We headed back on Sunday, leaving 45 degree, sunny weather in New Albany and returning to snowy, cold Indy weather. We put away all our gifts and cleaned our house...everything looks great! Mom and Dad brought our big gifts that wouldn't fit in the car down and watched the UNFORTUNATE Colts game with us. I am still reeling at how you can have a chance at history and go undefeated, but yet you think playing it safe and pulling star players out in the 3rd quarter is a good idea. Why are they so worried about injuries? These men are huge. They are strong. They are smart. I don't get it.

Anyway-- that was our Christmas in a nutshell! I hope everyone's was full of love and laughter....and the spirit of Christmas lasts the whole year through!

Playing Catch-Up

I feel like I have been playing catch-up a lot here lately...with my sleep...with my Facebook & Blogging (oh-so-important)...with my work at home...etc. It's been a busy week, between getting everything ready at school for Christmas break, going to my staff Christmas party, the Royerton Christmas Program, and then having Luke's family Christmas all weekend, I feel like I have been running around like a chicken with its head cut off! I am soooo exhausted, but I know that I will have 2 weeks off to catch up my sleep.

We had a great weekend with Luke's family. Because our family is so big and busy, we must do our Christmas not on actual Christmas Day. We hung out, laughed a lot, ate a TON of food, played with our beautiful nephews, built a HUGE snowman, saw Blindside (me) and Avatar (Luke), got some great gifts, and caught up with all the family news. Luke's youngest sister CeCe is heading to Argentina for a whole year on January 4th, so we enjoyed spending time with her. It's insane to think that our child will be 9 months old when she comes home and meets him/her for the first time. It makes me sad, but I know she is doing what she wants to do, and she will have a great experience.

In other news, I hit the 27 week milestone, meaning this is my last official week in the 2nd trimester. I am excited and nervous to begin my 3rd trimester. I can't believe I have been pregnant over 6 months already. The time is flying, and we are getting so close to meeting our precious baby girl or baby boy. I have had 3 girl dreams and Luke has had 2 girl dreams. We joke that if it is a boy, Baby Max is going to come out with his middle finger up because we have said GIRL for so long and called the baby Noelle a lot. I apologize in advance, Son. I just have a really strong feeling.

Speaking of strong feeling, the baby has been a lot more active, kicking and punching harder each day. I can even see my belly move at times, and other people have been able to get a feel for the action (not my mom, however, who hasn't been able to time it just right).

Well, I think that is about it. I am going to rest up for a couple days before the real Christmas madness begins. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I will have my glucose test to see if I am gestational diabetic. Wednesday I finally get my ugly wart removed that I have had on my hand for almost a year. SICK!

Hope everyone is doing well!

Christmas Party!

It's always a blessing to have friends and family in your home around the holidays. On Saturday, I was able to host 8 of my closest friends for a get-together that involved a cookie and gift exchange, lots of food, wine for the non-pregos, and great laughs.

I have been friends with most of these girls since elementary, several were in my wedding. I am proud of our efforts to maintain our bond, even though we have all changed, moved, some have married, some have children...we are different, but we still find a way to keep it all together.

I love these girls (and all my friends-- I hope you know this!)

(pictures later-- the site is acting up)

Black Friday!

Luke and I had a great Thanksgiving with my mom and dad. We ate and then lounged for the rest of the day. It was pretty relaxing.

Mom and I decided to go do some Black Friday Shopping. We really hadn't ever done it before. We had nothing we wanted to be up at 4 a.m. for, but we were out at the mall by 8:30. It was crowded, but nothing compared to the Target parking lot. WOW. With that crowd I would have thought they were giving away free Peyton Mannings. We decided not to even attempt Target.

We hit up Bath and Body Works (which had great sales and coupons) and though the line looked long, we probably only waited 15-20 minutes there. We went to Victoria's Secret, which wasn't bad at all. We also went to Old Navy. We got some GREAT deals there. Old Navy gets the big award of the day for best deals and assortment of sizes, colors, and styles. It wasn't too picked over, the employees were helpful, and you can't beat the prices.

While we were in line, we heard someone say that the line to check out at Kohl's was 2 1/2 hours. There was nothing we really needed there, so we decided this would be our last stop.

The biggest excitement for us came when the power went out! We were standing in Old Navy among hundreds of customers, and the store went dark. The entire mall lost its power. We laughed at first because we thought it was funny. Then the lights just flickered and didn't stay on, so then we started to get a little worried that we did all this shopping for nothing. Within a few minutes, the lights came back on and all was well.

However, when we left and went to find a place to eat for lunch on McGalliard (because there are hardly any restaurants NOT on McGalliard), we noticed all the stoplights were out, and all the restaurants and businesses off the road were dark and had no cars in the lots. Obviously, McGalliard was experiencing a huge power outage during lunchtime of Black Friday. I felt bad for the businesses and restaurants that probably lost of a lot money and potential business.

We ended up going to Scotty's in the village (along with everyone else in Muncie!), but we didn't have to wait too long, and we had some great food! All in all, we were out for about 4 hours, including lunch, and we walked away with some great deals and gifts.

After Luke and I got back to Indy, I had the urge to go back out and do more. I went to the Hamilton Town Center, going back to Bath and Body and Old Navy. Again, the stores seemed like they had PLENTY of merchandise even at 6 p.m. It was kind of nice-- not as crowded, but still all the great deals! I had to go to Target after, and that was just fine, too.

My feet and body held up remarkable well. I wasn't tired, and I stayed up until midnight for the first time in a long time. Woohoo! I can't wait until I have a little one to buy for NEXT Black Friday! :-)

1/2 Way There!

I am 20 weeks this week! This means that I am halfway through the pregnancy. I am not wishing it away though. I know I miss this when it is over. I have been told that by every new mommy. They love their babies, but they miss their bellies (well, their pregnant bellies...I know I will continue to have a belly for a little while after, but it's not the same :-).

Not much to add. There's some stress at school which has caused me to question everything. Ev-er-y-thing. It's a lot of pressure to be a soon-to-mommy, bread-winner, med school wife. I just want to do the right thing for everyone.

I am trying to rely on faith and the encouraging words of others as I prepare to make some tough decisions in the months ahead. This is only the beginning, I know, of the tough decisions...and I know that through it all I must keep my priorities in line and listen to those who have my best interest at heart.

Ambiguously vague enough for ya?

Anyway-- take care, whoever you are, wherever you are.

P.S. Happy Halloween from Juno and Paulie Bleeker.

A Very "Unfourth" Fourth of July

For some, the Fourth of July is the midpoint of summer. For others, it is really when they feel summer is just beginning. For a few (like myself and my fellow teacher peers), it feels like summer is almost over (with teacher report day on August 10!)! Regardless, July 4th is a well-loved and highly anticipated holiday for all (Americans, that is), and it seems people are always scrambling to make plans and have a grand time.

But then...sometimes...Mother Nature interferes. This past July 4th, it rained, was gloomy, and was downright chilly at times. Thankfully, we didn't have any real firm plans...and we especially weren't planning to be on a boat, in water, or outdoors really. Our plan was to head to Muncie to spend time with Luke's family, as Seth and Liz and our awesome nephews, Gus and Sol, were in town. 

We arrived in the afternoon, and despite the dismal weather, spirits were high. We enjoyed some lunch and then decided it would be a perfect day to go to a movie. This is a July 4th First for me...I have never had the desire to see a movie on that day before. But...we had nothing else to do, so the girls (CeCe, Liz, and Elizabeth) and I went to see "The Proposal." I had already seen this with Luke on our date the previous Thursday (he treated me to try and cheer me up after my near-fatal mountain bike injuries), but it was just as cute the 2nd time around!

When it ended, we made a stop at the grocery to pick up some necessities (like ice cream). It was very common to see people in sweatshirts and rain gear. Sweatshirts!? Shouldn't it be like...95 degrees on July 4th? 

Anyway...we ate a nice dinner together and then fought our sleepy, slothful mentalities and made our way to watch Muncie fireworks. Normally, we go to Minnetrista and camp out on the lawn with blankets. However, it was drizzling and just not pleasant, so we had a great idea to go to the...(sorry....it's a secret location that we hope to visit every single year because it was really a great view and not crowded....my lips are sealed!). We made a stop at Starbucks for hot chocolate and coffee beforehand...again...hot chocolate? In July? But it was a nice touch and made for a really cozy July 4th. 

I enjoyed every bit of the holiday, remembering my freedom and how lucky I am to have been born a U.S. Citizen. Even though I wasn't in a swimsuit...or downing beer....or watching my friends attack each other with bottle rockets...I had a great time with family enjoying the true meaning of Independence Day. I hope you did the same!

At our secret fireworks spot waiting for the show!

Easter 2009

We had a pretty great Easter this year. We went down to New Albany on Saturday afternoon and went straight to Seth & Liz's so that we could see the boys. Gus & Sol were looking cute and were excited for Easter! 

We ate dinner and had ice cream at Polly's Freeze. I had a Polly Burger, fries, and a chocolate dipped cone. :-) Yum! It was junk food at its finest....but I didn't care. 

I got to watch "Slumdog Millionaire" finally, which was awesome! It was so moving and poignant...I would like to watch it again so that I can pick up on some things that I missed the first time. I love movies like that that really make you think and open your eyes to a "new world." For example, I will always remember the movie, "Hotel Rwanda" for those very same reasons. 

Today we went to Easter mass at Mt. Saint Francis. I definitely got emotional during the pre-service music...Luke leaned over to me and said he was imagining what our baby would have looked like. It was sweet and sad all the same.

We spent a few hours visiting and catching up with Luke's family, and then we had to take off and head to Indy to meet my parents at our house. It is really important to us that we make efforts to see both families on holidays. Mom & Dad came through with some Cadbury Creme Eggs for me! Yay!

I was able to send my first text since before Ash Wednesday today. It felt good but the last 40 days really told me that I don't need to be tied to my phone and texting all the time. Rather than texting, I know that I can always pick up the phone and TALK to the person....which is something we don't do very often these days as a culture! 

Anyway, enjoy the pictures....

We need to see the Kiawah sun IMMEDIATELY! Look how pale!

Family picture at Grandma's

Two of my favorite girls

Luke finding  his Easter basket hidden in the yard!

Luke and Gus shooting hoops

Valentime's Day

Notice the typo at the top....this is how a lot of my students pronounce "Valentine's Day." I had a lot of fun yesterday asking my boys if they had any "hot dates" planned for the weekend. Most of them just looked at me like I was CRAZY! :-)

Last night Luke and I babysat for Marty and Monica's kids. We had a lot of fun playing with Gwenna, Andrew, and Walt. They made us laugh a lot, especially when they decided to play the Wii. 

This morning my parents came to our house and took us out to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. It was great to catch up and spend time with them. Then Luke and I went to some antique stores in Noblesville. Luke has always wanted to go, so I decided to finally make it happen. We had a lot of fun looking at all the old furniture and collectibles. We weren't looking for anything in particular, but we did end up buying a cabinet that would work really well for a baby changing table! Luke is going to refinish it and it will be great! 

Speaking of babies, our friend Megan just gave birth to her second son, Lachlan. I am going to go see him tomorrow, and I can't wait to meet the little guy! 

Anyway, tonight for our Valentine's Day date, we are going to Buca Di Beppos. It will great food, I'm sure!

I have always been one of those people who really like Valentine's Day. I don't think it is a stupid holiday, and I don't think it means that you only celebrate love for one day a year. I think it is just a great time to show EVERYONE how much you love them. There are so many kinds of love on this earth...family love, romantic love, friendship love, and even love toward strangers just because they are human beings, too. How could anyone despise a holiday dedicated to love??

Have a wonderful day and spread some love around...

CORRECTION: Buca's had a 4 hour wait. No food is worth that!!! So we went to Stefano's instead and enjoyed the dinner. Good times!

Happy New Year!

What a crazy year 2008 was. It had its ups and downs. I always like to reflect back and see how far we've come in 12 months.

We either attended or were a part of five weddings this year. 

We went White Water Rafting in Tennessee, which is something I thought I would never, ever do!

I finished my first year of teaching and Luke finished his first year of med school :-)

We went on our first getaway as a married couple to Chicago and loved every minute of it!

We bought our first home and said goodbye to apartment life forever!

We went to our first Colts game in Lucas Oil Stadium.

We experienced the joy of finding out we were pregnant and the sorrow of losing our first baby.

We shared countless great memories with friends and family...through it all we had a great year! We can't wait for 2009...

We rang in the New Year with a dinner at Champps downtown with friends, and then we headed to Sarah & Ryan Ordo's home for the 2nd year in a row to be with them and Abel & Elizabeth. 

On our way to Champps with friends

E and I waiting for the ball to drop!

A new year's kiss of course!

The following video was too good not to share. We were just a little too excited for the new year... :-) (sorry E!)

Christmas 2008

Oh how much I love Christmas. I love the traditions that my parents keep up, I love the food and family get-togethers, I love the music, I love the decorations, I love the anticipation, and I would be lying if I said that I didn't "like" the presents (both giving and receiving). Ultimately, Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year, and I think I look forward to it now the same as I did when I was little.

As the Ernstbergers get older and more spread apart, we find ourselves scrambling to find a date to hold our family Christmas. We had the Ernstberger Christmas on December 20th-21st, which was a little early, but it was the only time we could all be together in the same place (which is what Christmas is all about anyway, right?)!. I was photographing a wedding on the 20th, so I had to come really late that night, but I was there for the breakfast and gifts the next day. We enjoyed sharing our gift exchange gifts and seeing Gus get into his presents. Christmas truly is wonderful in the eyes of a child. Last year, he was such a little guy....and this year he was so into it!

 

I presented the family with the annual "highlight reel" video of pictures from family events over the past year. It's always fun to take a moment to remember all the wonderful things that happened over the last 12 months. 

A few days later was the real Christmas Eve/Christmas, and I was happy my brother could come home. My parents, Chris, Luke, and I really had a great time catching up, eating, and going to midnight mass together. My parents did WAYYYYYY too much (err...I mean Santa...) for us, and ended up getting us a Wii, Wii Fit, AND Guitar Hero. I was absolutely blown away! We had so much fun playing the Wii (my dad even bowled)! We are soooo thankful for all they do for us.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve PJs (a tradition!)

Christmas night, Luke and I headed to New Albany to see his extended family and grandma. It was wild and chaotic like always, but we enjoyed the annual Nativity play with the little kids. Again, being around kids on Christmas is exciting in and of itself. They are definitely hyper and crazy, but they make you feel young again!

The sky on Christmas night!

Luke posing with Mr. Gus at Grandma's!

We traveled a lot of miles over the last week, but we truly enjoyed every minute of seeing all of our family members and making lots of memories. We are very blessed to have such great people in our lives!