Fall Frolics 2015

We have already established that pregnancy has made me have zero energy to write.  So I am going to take this opportunity to photo dump basically everything we have been up to this fall.  A picture is worth a thousand words, right?  In the past, I would have had a separate post for each of the events pictured below, but let's be honest, that's not happening.

It has been an odd fall here in the Tri-Cities.  At first it was soooooo hot.  Have you noticed there have been no pictures of my garden this year?  That is because it was the most pitiful it has ever been.  Usually, by the time fall rolls around I am collecting the majority of my summer bounty.  No such luck this year.  I had prolific carrots, beets, Swiss chard, and herbs and that is about it.  It finally started to get a little overcast around Halloween, we had a few rain showers, and now it is cold, cold, cold.

So, without further ado, here is what we have been up to this fall!

Baby Shower!!

My amazing bestie, Lauren, along with her mom, Pat, threw me a gorgeous baby shower in September.  She really went all out, especially considering she herself was pregnant with Baby Ramm's bestie.  (She has since given birth to Isaac Peter and I get to meet him next week!)

 As you can see, the weather cooperated and it was a perfect fall morning for an outdoor baby shower brunch.

 We were really spoiled and babykins got lots of awesome swag.

 There were a few baby bellies present that day!  My friend Hailey, on the left, is due basically hours before me.  It has been nice to commiserate with her this entire pregnancy.  The latest complaint we both have, at 36 weeks now, is "What is with all the pelvic pressure?  Are we going into labor?!!"  (We aren't.)

The Best Big Sister was obviously present for the shower.  She was a champ.  I love her.

Pre-Halloween Shenanigans

 Due to Erik's work schedule, many of our pre-Halloween festivities were done the day before Halloween.  But we managed to squeeze in most of the traditional activities.  Like...

 ...carving pumpkins!

 ...and going to the pumpkin patch!

Halloween

The main event was Halloween, and it was by far the most fun Halloween yet.  It was the first year Elliot has been super into it.  We went as a family of pumpkins to a local church Trunk or Treat and really lived it up!

 She was convinced this was THE Ariel, and still talks about meeting her.

That night, after the festivities, Aniiah came over and helped Elliot overcome her trepidation over venturing out in the dark for some good old fashioned Trick or Treating in the neighborhood.  They were SO cute, holding hands and bursting out into song together.

Of course, there is still one of the main events of fall coming up.  Thanksgiving!  And what a time to be pregnant!  Sure, I will have thirds!  Pass more of that pumpkin pie please!  I have every intention of posting about our last holiday as a family of three, but as we have seen, sometimes the best-laid plans and all that...

So the next time you hear from me it will either be accompanied by a pic of me smiling ear to ear, a drumstick in each hand, or beaming with a fresh Rammelsberg in my arms.  Either way, you don't want to miss it.

Happy Fall, Y'all!

#SecondChildProblems

Unfortunately, I believe the title of the post may just be the story of new Baby Ramm's life.

I just counted them, and by this point in my pregnancy with Elliot I had posted a whopping TWELVE times.  Twelve.  I think for this poor kid I did the announcement of his being, and then the next blog post was possibly about Elliot's birthday?  In my defense, when I was blogging about my first pregnancy, I didn't have an Elliot running around being three (hello sass!).  This pregnancy has also just been all around harder.  The first trimester I was sick as a dog on a daily basis, and though it has petered out some, I still have morning sickness every once in a while in the third trimester.  I have also been super exhausted.  I am way more tired this time around.  I think it is maybe because I am older?  Who knows.  At any rate, this pregnancy has made me feel that it is unlikely there will be a Baby Ramm 3 in the future.  (Remind me of this in about a year, when I will start getting ideas.)

Paradoxically, this pregnancy has also seemed fast.  I feel like the months are just flying by.  I can't believe we are almost to the end of September.  Only twelve weeks to go!  And that is IF he stays put until his due date.  We are not ready!!

Anyway, as I alluded to above, my fear is that this new Rammelsberg, though dearly loved, is already experiencing what all second children the world over know to be true: mom and dad are TIRED.  You know that saying, "when you have more children your love doesn't divide, it multiplies"?  If only that were true for energy!  So, in the event that he ever comes across this blog post and decides to read it, I want to at least acknowledge the ways in which he is getting the shaft, in the hopes that he will know I know, that I am sorry, and that I love him very much.

• The nursery is not so much the crown jewel that Elliot's was, as it is the office converted into some kind of space that will fit a crib, a changing table, and a rocking chair.  New coat of paint?  Nope, we're good.
• First Christmas you say?  Well he's going to be somewhere around two weeks old, so I don't think presents will be necessary.
• "Erik, do we need to take a birthing class again?!!" "No, we'll just find something online."
• Oh, I guess we need to figure out where that infant car seat is, maybe give it a wash.
• Speaking of washing, how do you bathe a newborn again?  Or swaddle one?  Or deal with his umbilical cord?!  How did I forget all these things in just three years?!!!!

Le sigh.  I am sure this hashtag will be used frequently as the days and years go by.  We love you baby boy Ramm.  Please don't hold it against us.  Instead, do what all second children the world over do: blame it on your sister.

Peanut Butter & Jelliot

Yay!  Elliot turned 3!  Like a month ago.  And I am just now getting around to posting about it.  Some of you may be saying "I wonder if she is going to get around to sending out thank you notes?"  Funny, I wonder that too!

 

But for now, I am just proud to be doing this.

 

So every year I put a ton of effort into Elliot's birthday and make really cute decorations, and then forget to take pictures of them.  So this year I made sure to capture the little details.  The theme was "Peanut Butter and Jelliot", in honor of Elliot and her favorite sandwich.

 

 

PB&J Skewers

 

Salads

Two kinds of cupcakes, Purple Swirl and PB&J.

You can't be too careful with all those peanut allergies!

 

The goodie bags. (Goodie bag cred to my Mom, who put these together.  Thanks, Mom!)

The banner.  Hands down the most time-consuming element.

 

Paper chain, made with love with the help of Auntie Danielle while she was in town.

 

 

But the thing was, Elliot did not give two shakes about the awesome décor.  All that mattered to her was the BOUNCY HOUSE!

It was quite a bit larger than what we expected from the picture we saw online.  Notice it dominates our real house.  That girl loves to bounce.  And bounce she did from the moment they dropped it off the night before, until they came to pick it up the day after her party.

 

 

We also did the other traditional birthday things, like...

...play with friends,

...blow out birthday candles,

...open presents,

...and pose for the annual birthday doorway shot. (What?  That's not a thing.)

 

After everyone left she jumped some more.  But this time in her underwear.  Ok, ok!  Her diaper. 

("I am going to wear diapers forever!" -Elliot Rammelsberg)

It's a good day if it ends with your hair looking like this.

Good job, parents.  You've made it through another year. 



From "Vegas, Baby!" to Vegas baby...

I guess what happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas!  You could say, we hit the jackpot and didn't even know it until two weeks later!  Are there any other cheesy Vegas-isms I missed.  Probably, but you see what I am doing here (and probably more information than you wanted, haha).

 

We were so pleased to become "Facebook Official" last week in announcing our new addition, but I have been meaning to elaborate a little with a blog post.  I also needed a forum to showcase my "Big Sis" photo shoot shots that didn't make the cut but were still so adorable they had to be seen.  Unfortunately, so far this pregnancy has been rough with round-the-clock morning sickness and intense fatigue that I do not remember having with Elliot.  This makes it difficult to accomplish simple tasks, like brushing my teeth, let alone writing.

 

We are so very excited about this baby.  He or she was a long time coming.  I have shared in previous posts about our struggles to conceive, followed by miscarriage, followed by more struggles to conceive.  There are never guarantees in life, and I know it is still early in the pregnancy (almost to second trimester!) but whatever happens we feel so blessed.  Last night I got to listen to Elliot's sweet voice telling one of her long-winded stories while feeling the first flutters of life in my belly, and felt so much gratitude to God for giving me this life, with my precious babies and amazing husband.  We will always feel grief over the baby we lost, but our rainbow baby (that's what they call babies that come after a miscarriage) has taken some of the sting out.

 

Elliot teeters between being really excited about the baby, to seeming to not really understand what is happening.  I think when we told her she expected the baby to come, like, immediately.  And when it didn't, she kind of lost interest.  She will occasionally make statements that when the baby comes she will be like Elsa, because Elsa is the big sister.  I don't think it has even occurred to her that the baby might be a boy.  Either way, I know she will be an awesome big sis!

 

 

In this one she is touching my belly.  Notice I am already showing...a lot.

An action shot.  She is jumping up and down in this one.

 

Thank you for all the kind words and support on our Facebook post.  Please continue to keep us in your prayers.  I definitely miss the luxury that I enjoyed in my first pregnancy of not worrying about every little ache and pain.  More updates to come in the future!



FREEEEEDDDDOMMMMMM!

 

 

We are debt free.  WE ARE DEBT FREE!!!  This is a momentous occasion.  It has been a long, hard journey, but we are, finally, here.  For the last 32 months we have been busting our behinds, taking extra shifts (Erik), and living on way less than we make to pay off (drum roll please)...$120,023.75!  This was my undergraduate and law school student loans, a small nursing school loan for Erik, and my Honda.  It feels AMAZING, like a huge burden has been lifted off our shoulders. 

 

We wanted to share our story so that everyone knows literally anyone can do this.  Before we started, we were overwhelmed.  The grace periods on my loans were up, we were on a single income because Erik was in nursing school, and it felt like we were barely making ends meet.  On top of all that, Elliot was on the way and we knew I would be taking maternity leave soon with no guarantee Erik would have a job by then.  I was tired of working so hard and making zero traction financially.  Then I remembered our friends, Matt and Hailey, had told us about how they had gotten out of debt by following the Dave Ramsey plan (thanks guys!).  I reminded Erik, and he was completely resistant.  He said Dave Ramsey was a right-wing nut and it sounded like nonsense (without actually knowing what the plan was).  I convinced him to attend the Financial Peace class, and from there he was hooked.  (For the record: Dave is a Christian and he happens to be conservative, whereas we are Christian and tend to lean more liberal in some areas, yet our differences of opinion had no bearing on applying the principles taught in the class.  In other words, the program is not political in any sense.  It does, however, have a basis in Biblical scripture, but will work no matter your religious preferences.)

 

Here is the nutshell version of how it works (this gets detailed and if you are not interested skip down :) ): 

1. Get on a written budget.  This was BY FAR the most important step for us.  We literally have a budget meeting every month where we decide where every dollar goes for the entire month before we spend it.  Sound daunting?  It totally was for the first few months.  But then we got used to it and found our groove, just needing to make minor tweaks each month.

2. Stop using credit cards.  Like ever.  Not even "for emergencies."

3. Create and use an envelope system, where each envelope has a label, like "groceries" or "restaurant", and each envelope has the amount of cash you agreed on in the written budget.  Use until the money is gone or the month is over, whichever comes first. 

4. Follow the Baby Steps:

1. $1000 emergency fund in the bank.
2. Pay off debt following the "Debt Snowball" method:  You list your debts smallest to largest, pay minimum payments on all except the smallest, to which you apply all the money you have designated on your written budget.  Once that one is paid you go to the next smallest, applying the minimum payment PLUS everything you were using to pay the previous debt.  Continue to apply this concept until all debts are gone.  It works.  I promise.
3. Get an emergency fund in place of 3-6 months of expenses.  This is also the place Dave suggests saving for a down payment on a house if you do not already have a house.  This is where we are now!
4. Save for kids' college.
5. Save for retirement.
6. Pay off house early.

Steps 4-6 are done simultaneously.  For a much better and more detailed explanation of how it works check out the website here: http://www.daveramsey.com/home/ and click on "Financial Peace University."

 

Guys, I cannot say enough good things about this.  Not only did it give us a framework for how to get out of debt, it has also provided us with information for how to thrive financially, how to ensure we have enough money to retire with dignity, and how to teach our children to handle money so that they are never in the situation we were in.

 

Now, let me pause here to brag on my husband a little bit.  Although he was initially resistant, once he got on board he was the best partner.  This was primarily my school debt.  But his attitude from the start was that we both benefit from my degrees and when you get married there is no "mine" there is only "ours."  I cannot emphasize enough how good this was for our marriage.  Not that it was rocky or anything before we did this, but there was always a tenseness about money.  Since we started this journey we have not had a single fight about money.  Not even a disagreement.  Keep in mind, for this to work you have to have complete trust in your partner that they will stick to the budget.  My trust in Erik never waivered.  You also have to approach it with grace.  If your partner wants to make adjustments mid-budget to make special purchases possible, accommodations should be made whenever possible and practical.  We extended grace to each other probably almost every month.  I am so proud to be married to my mature, goal-oriented, man.  Rolling up our sleeves and digging ourselves out of this mess together is one of the most powerful things we have experienced. 

 

 



 



So here we are,  cheers-ing to the future (Martinelli's Sparkling Cider, of course ;)).  It has never looked so bright!

Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving

Guys, I'm turning 30 next week.  The big 3-0. 

It is coming, there is nothing I can do to stop it, and honestly, I am ready.  Bring on the adult responsibility, the increase in professional and personal confidence, the saving for retirement...I want it all.  Because the last few years of my twenties have kind of felt like being the 19-year-old home from college, who still has to sit at the kids' table with 8-year-olds at Thanksgiving.  No one takes you seriously in your twenties.  If I had a dime for every age-based rude comment, facial expression, or condescending tone I have heard/seen while in the performance of my job...

So, I have sort of always had a bucket list for things I hoped to accomplish by the time I was 30.  I love my life as it is, but there are some things I would like to accomplish on that list.  It is kind of late now to accomplish them all before I turn 30, so I am going to lay out some intentions for my 30th year, meaning I hope to have them completed by the time I turn 31.  Call them Birthday Resolutions if you want.  These are in no particular order of importance.


1. Get out of debt.
Guys, law school is not cheap.  Neither is college, for that matter.  Oh yeah, let's throw the year I studied abroad on there as well.  Imagine debt-free Erik's surprise upon finding out, after we were married, that I came with a six figure price tag.  Did I forget to mention that, Honey?  We've been working on knocking it out for the last two years, and I am proud to report it is currently under $8,000!!  So we should be free soon.

2. Learn how to put make-up on like an adult.
The tricks I learned from Seventeen Magazine have taken me this far, but I need an update.  I want to be able to wear lipstick without feeling ridiculous.  I want to learn how to apply more than two shades of eye shadow.  I want to know what all the brushes and pencils are for!

3. Shape it up.
Life kind of punched me in the face this last year.  I have been depressed, grieving, and angry at my body.  As a result, there is a little more of me to love than usual.  I have recently begun addressing my grief in a more healthy way, and have gotten back on track with diet and exercise.  I'm not going to say how much I want to lose or how far away I am from that goal, but I intend to be there by March 2016! 

4. Get more sleep.
I average around 5 hours per night, and I have no excuse.  I don't have a newborn, and my two-year-old gets a nightly solid 10, on top of daily 2-3 hour naps.  The goal is 7 hours per night on weeknights, 8 on weekends.

5.  Learn more about photography.
I got an awesome camera for Christmas and discovered I love taking pictures and am decently good at it.  But, to be honest, it is mostly the camera doing the work.  I don't do any of my own adjustments and am not familiar with the terms.  For example, tonight at dinner I confessed to Erik that I don't know what aperture is/does. 

6.  Run at least two 5ks.
Last year I ran my first 5k.  This year I want to run at least two.  It shouldn't be too hard, since I am pretty confident I could run one at this very moment thanks to Goal 3, which I have been working on for a few months.  Bonus points for a 10k.

7. Potty train my stubborn, stubborn child.
If this goal is not completed by the time I am 31 then I give up!  She will simply wear diapers forever.

8.  Buy a house.
Our ability to do this is limited by us finishing Goal 1.  Renting is fine.  I mean, it is pretty sweet to call the landlord when the dishwasher breaks and have him roll in a brand new one the next day without any of my money or effort expended.  But a lot about renting sah-ucks.  I am ready to add "homeowner" alongside mommy, lawyer, and crazy-awesome-settlers-of-catan-player on my "Things That I Am" list.

Ok, that is all I can think of for now.  Some of these seem lofty (I'm looking at you, potty training) and some somewhat frivolous, but I think it is good to have a mix. Meeting the easy goals keeps you motivated for the bigger ones.

Thank you, in advance, for the birthday greetings!  I am looking forward to an awesome birthday weekend because Erik and I are headed to Vegas, baby!  I would tell you to be expecting a post all about our trip in the near future, but you know what they say: What happens in Vegas...