Handling the Holidays Pregnant

Holiday's can be a wonderful and fun time to spend with friends and family, but they can also be a source of stress and exhaustion for even those not pregnant. Thanksgiving happens to be one of my favorite times of year, for many reasons- family, decorations, beginning of the Christmas countdown, and of course number one is all the delicious foods!

This year, Rob and I have taken part in three Thanksgiving's and have played different roles in each. During the first, we hosted a friend's Thanksgiving and were so excited to have many of our closest college friends come in from out of town to eat, catch up, and watch some Michigan football. I cooked the Turkey, stuffing, and made the gravy, while everyone else brought in a lots of the classic dishes to pass. We stayed up late chatting and playing games and can't to do this again next year!

At our family Thanksgivings we played less of a critical role in the baking, making green bean casserole at both and helping with the cooking of the turkey with Rob's family. The best part is the game playing with the different levels of competitiveness, funny answers and responses, and laughs all around. I can't think of anything better than family coming together and making memories, especially during this special time in Rob's and my life.

Here are some tips that helped me get through the Thanksgiving holiday without succumbing to the stresses while being pregnant:

1. Get plenty of sleep the nights prior. If you go into the holidays on little sleep, the small dilemmas and comments will be a much bigger deal than they need to be. 
2. Laugh off the comments about your belly size or eating for two. Comments aren't meant to be mean, just joining in the topic of the little one on the way.
3. Pace yourself! Take breaks in between cooking, eating, and game playing. You deserve some time to put your feet up...and you'll need it so your feet don't swell to the size of the turkey!
4. Dress comfortably or bring another outfit for after eating. You have the perfect excuse to change, you're pregnant for goodness sake! I like to look nice for the beginning and for any pictures, but if you want to enjoy the rest of the evening and not be uncomfortable then bring an outfit of loose clothes for later in the day. 
5. Don't think of the calories, but don't overdo it. If there is any time to indulge in this feast, it is now, but just make sure you aren't gorging yourself. That's not good for you or the baby!

Happy Holidays! 

On a side note, sorry for the delay on Haley's room! Just finishing some details before I post any pictures!

How far along? 31 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 25 lbs 
Maternity clothes? Only my flowy non-maternity shirts can make it over my belly!
Stretch marks? Not yet, but using lotion on my belly to avoid the after effects of the stretching.
Sleep: Starting to wake up more often to use the bathroom. Funny thing is I'm always so thirsty when I wake.
Best moment this week: Both Thanksgivings with family!
Miss Anything? Moving around easily.
Movement: A ton. Haley is definitely a mover and shaker. ;)
Food cravings: Green bean casserole.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Luckily not!
Gender: It's a Girl! <3
Labor Signs: No, but starting to feel Braxton Hicks
Belly Button in or out? In but expanding
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Emotional, cried over a Walking Dead episode a week or two ago...Ha
Weekly Wisdom: Take things slowly and don't overdo it. Even though you want to do everything you could do before your pregnant, don't do things your truly aren't comfortable with, and take breaks to rest!
Looking forward to: Seeing Rob hold Haley!

The Not Top 10 Joys of Pregnancy

Most of my posts have been related to the fun and exciting things relating to my pregnancy. As I hit the 28 week mark and the beginning of my third trimester, I just want to shed some light on some of the things that my not yet pregnant friends have to look forward too! ;)

1. Swollen legs and ankles. My newly purchased over the calf boots have to be worked on to be zipped up. There was no issue at the time of purchase.

2. Back pain. Make sure that you don't find yourself letting your belly slouch out, your lower back won't appreciate it farther into your pregnancy.

3. Bloody nose. Don't be alarmed if you go to blow your nose and blood comes out instead. It's just wonderful. Keep tissues near by.

4. A 9 pm bedtime. I'm not sure if this is a not so much joy or a real joy, but when it hits 9 pm, it is a battle for me to stay awake.

5. Rumbling stomach. I can't go more than 45 minutes before I think about the next time I can eat. Keep snacks in your office drawer before your stomach speaks up.

6. "Charley horses." Occasionally in the middle of the night, I'll forget I'm pregnant and point my toes when stretching. It's immediately followed up with a "charley horse." Keep water by your bed! :)

7. The smallest bladder in the world. I remember one day that I made myself wait an hour between bathroom breaks. That was tough!

Work Snack! Hot chocolate & Nature Valley bar 

8. Not being able to put socks on easily. I can still do it, but let me tell you, it is difficult to bend over the belly to get socks on my feet!

9. Pregnancy brain. For all you out there who doubt this, it does in fact truly exists. Keep a notepad with you and make lists before you head to the grocery store!

10. A lack of gracefulness. With the expanding belly, you really do lose your balance more often. Sadly, I'll admit that I have already fell down on my butt a couple times. Don't worry though, everything was fine...but my pride!

Although these are really some of the more annoying things about pregnancy, this list is all in good fun. If you can manage these few inconveniences, there are plenty of good times along the way (And at the end of 9 months) that make it all worth it. I have been so blessed to have an easy/healthy pregnancy, and I can't believe I only have less than 3 months to go!

Next post will be about Haley's room (Including lots of pictures)! In a couple weeks I'll share the real Top 10 Joys of Pregnancy that I have experienced so far!

How far along? 28 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 22 lbs 
Maternity clothes? Just bought myself a few more basic tops to make it through winter
Stretch marks? Not yet, yay!
Sleep: Been working through some back pains that keep me up, but it's been getting better.
Best moment this week: My second shower and putting together the room!
Miss Anything? Sleeping on my back
Movement: Haley is doing laps and working on her back handsprings in my belly. 
Food cravings: Turkey dinner <3
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not this week :)
Gender: It's a Girl! <3
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Hiding in, trying to get my expanding stomach to forget about it.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: A little emotional...Ha Maybe I should let Rob do this question
Weekly Wisdom: Be so grateful to all the woman in your life that help support you and your family. I couldn't express enough how thankful I am for everyone involved in the baby showers that Rob and I were blessed with! Haley will be loved by so many, and that makes a mother happy! 
Looking forward to: The three thanksgiving meals we have planned this month!

Yuck Glucose Tests!

Update: Passed the 3-Hour Glucose Test meaning NO Gestational Diabetes!

Thank you for all the prayers.

Everyone who knows me, knows that I am a girl who enjoys her candy. Knowing that I am a sweets girl, I thought that I wouldn't have a hard time taking the required glucose test. Oh Haley, was I wrong or what! 

I'll start with the first test. During my last prenatal office visit the nurse informed me that I would have to take a glucose test, between the 26-28 week mark during pregnancy, to check whether or not I had gestational diabetes. Being diagnosed with gestational diabetes, would mean that I will need to be more careful about my diet so that the baby won't be too big when born. I think if Haley is anything like her dad, and makes it close to her actual due date, that no matter if I have gestational diabetes or not, she will be big. But I guess you never know what will happen when you mix someone 5'3" and 6'7"!

The test consists of drinking 50g of glucose and then getting your blood drawn and tested. My doctor's office only had the orange flavor, but assured me no real orange is used since I have a orange allergy. (Weird, I know). I took the drink home, not thinking much of it until I reached the 26 week mark and had my next doctor's visit. 

I woke up early to drink the stuff so that I could get my blood work done before my office visit. Luckily, Rob had already left for work. The first few sips were fine. In fact, I remember thinking, this isn't that bad, it just tastes like sweet Gatorade. Half way through the drink, I was regretting my optimism. Oh and I forgot to mention, you have to drink the whole thing in fifteen minutes. The time limit probably isn't an issue for most people, but for me it was. Getting down to the last few minutes, I still had a bit to go, and when I tried to drink it quicker, the rest ended up in the toilet. YUCK!

At this point getting blood drawn was easy, even with a history of fainting, but for the rest of the day I was pretty sick and extremely nauseous  In fact, it was hard for me to eat much at all. Rob thought the orange flavoring may have played a factor into how sick I got considering I haven't had anything orange since I was a kid. To make things worse, the next day, I received a phone call from the office. I failed...meaning I could possibly have gestational diabetes and that I'd have to endure the 3 hour glucose test. 

At first I thought that every time my blood was drawn that I'd have to drink more glucose, but likely you just have to drink a higher concentration of glucose in the beginning, 100g. This time I had Lemon Lime flavoring based on a friend's recommendation. The test went the same way. First sips fine and then with a third to go the struggle began again. This time only a few sips still ended up in the toilet.  Thank you God, I didn't get nearly as sick! I had to sit in the office for the next three hours, and each hour I felt progressively better instead of worse. 

I'm still waiting on the results of this test but will be sure I let everyone know! 

Prayers for a healthy baby Haley are appreciated!

How far along? 27 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 21 lbs 
Maternity clothes? Trying to avoid buying more! 
Stretch marks? No! Feeling lucky about this!
Sleep: Waking up a little more frequently during the night for no reason
Best moment this week: Having my first shower
Miss Anything? Feeling in shape
Movement: Tons! Haley is really starting to move my belly around!
Food cravings: DQ
Anything making you queasy or sick: Glucose!
Gender: It's a Girl! <3
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Amazingly still in, but stretching out
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Weekly Wisdom: These glucose tests were the only time I ever wished I knew how to take a shot. Women who can do this will probably have more success downing the icky glucose drinks! (However I don't suggest taking up drinking just to make this test easy! :) )
Looking forward to: My second shower! <3 Yay!

And The Winner Is...

HALEY GRACE BOSS

or 

HAILEY GRACE BOSS

Update: We chose Haley Grace

Like the inspiration of framing our baby girl's name!

A lovely name for our beautiful baby girl! I know a lot of people keep the name of their baby a secret until the end, but for me the idea of already having so many people praying about my little one by name sounds just right! 

Rob and I had no difficulty at all in deciding on the name of our little girl. However, we are still caught up on deciding the spelling. I think I have had the same three names picked out for my future children since the beginning of college, 2 girl names and 1 boy name. (Not saying we will have three, but I just wanted to have some options!) Anyways when it came time to talk about the names, I started to bring up additional options. I just felt like that was what I should be doing. Rob was like wait, I thought we already decided the names! After knowing how happy he still was with the names we had come up with, the more we both were confident that Haley/Hailey was our baby girl's name. 

Rob and I have been together so long, it is crazy to think of all our daydreaming and planning finally coming into reality. We had talked about kids and names but now having it all come true, couldn't be a bigger blessing! 

Another cute way to highlight her name

Rob has really been feeling some of Haley's/Hailey's squirming around lately, and that makes me so happy. Finally to be able to share a little bit of what has been going on inside my belly! I love being able to call our little girl by name, and talk to her during the day. Now, don't think I am crazy! Haley/Hailey can already hear me, and the more she learns my voice, the more of a familiar sound it will be for her. (At least that is what I have read/heard...so if that's crazy then okay, maybe that makes me a little crazy too!)

How far along? 21 1/2 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 15 lbs (But honestly haven't weigh myself in awhile!)
Maternity clothes? I don't know if there's going back at this point!
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Still love it, but not so dependent
Best moment this week: Shopping for little girl's clothing with Rob!
Miss Anything? Life has been too great to be missing anything right now!
Movement: Lots...can't wait to start being able to see movements
Food cravings: Carbs and Candy corn
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope :)
Gender: It's a Girl! <3
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Still In!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy 
Weekly Wisdom: Now that I have started to get my energy back, I think it is really important to keep doing fun things with Rob. A lot of things revolve around the baby now, but Rob always deserves my full attention and love! 
Looking forward to: Decorating Haley's/Hailey's room

Our Baby Girl

I can't wait to have a little baby girl! Rob and I found out on August 30, 2012 that our first child will be a sweet, beautiful, precious baby girl...well hopefully all those adjectives will fit!

I'm not sure that I can fully describe the mid-pregnancy ultrasound experience, but I can tell you that it is one of the most incredible things I have witnessed.

We had a great doctor from U-M that walked us through everything that we were seeing. You can see so much growth between your first ultrasound and at the midway mark. We got to see the blood being pumped from the heart throughout the body, ten fingers and ten toes, the round little belly, and button nose. They can tell a great deal about the baby's development so early on nowadays. You can see the different lobes of the brain, the size, the spine, and chambers of the heart. And you can see (the answer to the question everyone's been asking) three little dots or two lines to determine if it is a girl or boy. You really feel like your getting to know your baby already!

Now knowing the sex, Rob and I were finally able to register for our little girl! It was so much fun picking out the little things she will need as she grows up. The only tough thing for us was picking out the bedding! This seems to always be the hold up between us. The same thing happened when we went to register for our wedding. After weeks of research, we were finally able to find something we both liked. Thank goodness!... Hopefully our baby girl with like pink and polka dots!

How far along? 20 1/2 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 15 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes, and just bought a new pair of leggings and jeans!
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Not quite as sleepy as before!
Best moment this week: Finding out the baby's sex
Miss Anything? My flat tummy!
Movement: A ton! Rob has just been able to start to feel the baby move. I even am starting to feel some big movements...almost like she's doing somersaults!
Food cravings: Steak and potatoes...which is back to normal for me :)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really
Have you started to show yet: My bump is starting to pop out... 

Gender: It's a Girl! <3
Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Definitely been more emotional and sensitive these past weeks
Weekly Wisdom: Do something to feel pretty! It gets harder to feel attractive despite what your husband tells you, when your body is undergoing some major changes.
Looking forward to: Collecting more clothing for our baby girl...skipping newborn things though, because she's likely to be bigger if she is anything like her dad! Ha

Heartbeat

Recently I had a doctor's appointment at week 16 1/2. My first of many check-in visits, so I didn't know what to expect. I was not so secretly hoping that I would get another ultrasound and see little baby boss. No such luck, but I did get to hear the heartbeat! It was very strong and fast! (At least compared to mine) The nurse told me that it sounded like I had a very happy baby. How the nurse was able to determine this, I have no idea, but I'd like to think bb (baby boss) is comfy in there.

Since Rob wasn't able to come to this visit, my dad came, waited in the lobby for support, and treated me to some breakfast afterwards. Thanks Dad! Immediately after the visit, I called my husband to tell him about hearing the heartbeat. "That's awesome babe. What did it sound like?" he asked me. I informed him it was just like any heartbeat but faster, but not being able to give him a better answer bugged me all day. By the time I came home after work, I figured out how to explain better. 

Obviously, I needed to impersonate the sound....I tried to add the swooshing sound that came across. I had thought I had done a pretty good job, and mentally patted myself on the back. My husband just stared at me for a little bit..."Our baby sounds like a train?" he said with a grin, while suppressing his chuckle as best he could. Well, I guess he will just have to wait until next time!!

If bb cooperates we should know the sex of by August 30th!

How far along? 17 1/2 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 10 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes, but this cold weather is informing me it's shopping time again!
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: One of my favorite activities
Best moment this week: Hearing the heartbeat
Miss Anything? Biggby's Mocha
Movement: Lots in the last couple of days. I think baby loves dancing because there is always lots of movement during my car ride home!
Food cravings: Still wanting candy corn and candy pumpkins...Couldn't find any at the store the other day. I'm outraged. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not particularly this week
Have you started to show yet: Bump is definitely noticeable now!
Rob's Gender prediction: Boy

My Gender prediction: Girl

Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy but emotional on a dime
Weekly Wisdom: Take a bubble bath! I had the best bath the other day. Totally relaxed me and helped with my back pain. 
Looking forward to: Finding out the sex!

Tape, Paint, Repeat!

16 weeks and counting! Time has been going by so quickly that I am so glad I have a proactive husband who has insisted on painting and starting to set up the baby's room. We spent a lot of time this week picking out paint, moving around furniture, taping, painting, painting more coats, and then resetting up the things we have already for the baby's room.

You might be curious how we decided what color to paint when we don't even know the gender! Well for us it wasn't that hard to come to an agreement. First off, our room was a dark forest green, and we both agreed that this wouldn't work for our newest addition. We opted for a light neutral color, coastal beige to be exact, that would brighten up the room and be calming. All the room's color will come from pictures, wall art, rugs, curtains, bedding, etc. This will hopefully save us down the line from having to paint many times!

I volunteered to do most of the taping, minus the high stuff, since I knew I wouldn't do much of the painting. Let me just tell you, for all those women out there thinking that taping is easy and a good way to get out of having to paint, you're not exactly right! I felt a bit of pressure (self-derived) on making sure the tape was exactly on the edge of the molding. I didn't want it to be my fault if we got paint on the molding or if there was a bunch of color along the edge.

Once taping was done, we moved on to painting the next day. Neither Rob nor I have ever painted before so we were a tad nervous about messing up! I helped do all the edges, that I could reach, and around the door frame, closet, windowsill, and electrical outlets. After that, all the painting was left up to Rob. He did a fantastic job and was such a great sport about it! First coat went up and an hour or so later the second coat went up! And then after reviewing the walls, two-three sides got a third coat. I am so proud of the job we did and I can't wait until we learn what colors we will be accessorizing with!

Make sure you check below for a movement update!

How far along? 16 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 9-10 lbs
Maternity clothes? Of course! Starting to think about picking up some jeans for the fall with this cold weather!
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Can't get enough!
Best moment this week: Seeing all our baby's things in the newly painted room
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything? Soft cheeses!
Movement: I think so! Last night I felt little flutters by my belly button. It was so neat thinking I was feeling our little baby!
Food cravings: String cheese, candy corn and those candy pumpkins
Anything making you queasy or sick: Garbage smells make me sick way easier
Have you started to show yet: Small bump in the belly and my growing bust might be a give away too!
Rob's Gender prediction: Boy

My Gender prediction: Girl

Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Still happy but tired by night
Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy all the tasks about becoming a parent. Painting could have easily been seen as a chore but my husband and I had fun doing it. I don't think I'll ever forget it!
Looking forward to: My doctor's appointment next week. I'm hoping I'll get to see the baby again.

Little Baby Boss & Me

Little Baby Boss at 10 1/2 Weeks

So much has happened since you all have last heard from me: new job, new job for hubby, and a little baby boss inside my belly. That's right... if you haven't heard by now, here it is: Rob and I are expecting our first child! I can't say that I could be any happier!

The story of how I found out is a bit long, but interesting all the same, so I will try to give the short version. Basically my life changed completely in a matter of 48 hours! When Rob got back from Sweden, we decided to start trying to expand our little family. Then, I got a final interview with the University of Michigan, and we decided to stop. I took a test way before my missed period, and it was negative. Later that same week, I got a phone call and was offered the job! An events manager position at the University of Michigan, which is a huge honor to a Maize & Blue fan like me. My husband and I were going out to celebrate over dinner with my parents, and I told him, "You know I am just going to take another test to make sure. So we don't have any surprises down the line." 

And a wonderful surprise it was! But just to make sure I took another test...and then another! Can't be anymore positive! Well, that is until we took another digital test after my missed period. And then it was positive for sure, even for Rob! Our family has been so excited for us, and I was happy to find out that my new Supervisor was equally thrilled for us. 

Currently I am 15 weeks and little baby boss is apparently the size of an orange. I finally have a bump that shows through my tops. I will have lots of baby updates as the weeks go along, that I plan on sharing with all my loved ones who are reading. 

Another blogger did a great job keeping people up to date by answering a few questions weekly, and I have decided to imitate this idea. So here we go...

Announcement at Work

How far along? 15 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 8 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes! Needed to pick up work pants, jean shorts, and some really cute tops. I'm not sure how I will ever go back to having to wear pants with a zipper.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: So incredibly tired by about 9:00pm
Best moment this week: Rob putting together furniture for the baby's room.
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything? Coney dogs, deli fresh sandwiches
Movement: Not yet
Food cravings: Depends on the day
Anything making you queasy or sick: Meat is still on the iffy list
Have you started to show yet: A little bump! :) Finally came in this past week
Rob's Gender prediction: Boy

My Gender prediction: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy but exhausted
Weekly Wisdom: Pamper yourself somehow. My husband treated me to a pedicure and it brighten up my whole week, plus my toes look cute!
Looking forward to: Getting a bigger bump, setting up the baby's room, & finding out the gender! :)

Nässjö Basket in Final Four

This past weekend my husband's professional basketball team in Sweden competed for a spot in the Final Four and battled through a gritty game to come out on top. After a close loss against LF Future in last weekend's match by two points, the Nässjö Highlanders had to beat LF Future by more than two points to advance in the tournament. Still behind with four minutes to go, they were able to rally together for a 90-83 win. Visit Rob's blog for game highlights and more details!

Extremely proud of my husband! Go Nässjö Basket! 

#15 We are all cheering for you!

The team after the big win!

Photo and article clip in the newspaper

Rough Translation: "KFUM Nassjo is ready for the Final Four in Malmo next weekend. But it was a real thriller against Luleå and excitement went on until the end with the KFUM holding over 700 people in the stands. Nassjo was below, 63-72, at the beginning of last period, but accounted for an impressive turnaround and won by 90-83. Nassjo lost by two points in the away game and was forced to win by three."

Red, White, & Blue

Happy Easter everyone! I am officially back in the United States and right back into action. Luckily, adjusting to life in Michigan again has been easier than I had imagine. Although I still struggle with the time difference and find myself siting up around 3:30am wide awake, I can't express how nice it has been to be back in my own home and with friends and family. The only thing that will make it better will be having my husband return, which is only ten days away!

Stepping outside your comfort zone by choice helps you grow as an individual, makes you more independent, and allows you to be ready to handle whatever life throws at you. Sweden was that for me, and I will never forget what I learned and the people I met because of it. They will be friends for a lifetime. During this experience, I also was able to find my voice in writing, and have been working on my first novel. (Mostly just for fun, but watch out for updates!)

That being said, there is definitely something to say about the comfort of being surrounded by the things you are familiar with. I think it might be part of my type A personality, but routine makes me feel at ease. New things and the unexpected are exciting, but it is best to be able to share these moments with friends and family.

My beautiful office

Getting back into working at the office has been more fun than one would think! I know that it sounds like a cliche or a gimmick, but I am someone who loves my job. Although with modern technology the business world is truly flat, I much prefer working in my own office than over a computer and through Skype.

Now that I'm back in town, I can't wait to catch up with my friends, spend time with family, eat my favorite foods, and, I can't forget to mention, shop for sales!

Thanks for everyone's love, support, and prays through this journey. Rob's team continues their post season play with a big win today! Now it is on to the Final Four next weekend! Go Nassjo!

I have many exciting events and opportunities to share throughout the summer and hope to continue to use this blog to keep everyone updated, so keep looking for more upcoming posts!

Keeping everyone up to date on what's going on, on my mind, or in my sights, no matter where I am!

Goodbye Nassjo

I can't believe that my time here in Sweden has almost come to an end. When I first got here, time moved a lot slower. At first I was homesick but as time moved on, I started to love living here with Rob, new friends, and in the new culture we were learning about. Nassjo became a second home and to have to say good bye to this chapter in our lives is a sad thing to do.

Happily, I have been able to fill my last month here with fun events and adventures.

Rob and I were able to take our trip to Rome, and it was everything we could hope for! We had numerous romantic evenings eating multiple courses until we could barely walk to our hotel. Luckily, the place we stayed was a block away from the metro, making trips to Vatican City, the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, the market places and other stops extremely easy to get to. Being able to explore Rome with my husband was a dream come true. Check out my Facebook page for more photos of our trip!

This month we have also been able to spend a good amount of time with friends.

Rob and I even got to see the Hunger Games here in Nassjo with friends. It was funny to see the difference in an opening night event here versus in our hometown in Michigan. In Brighton, the theater was sold out for midnight showings, here we were some of the only people there. Nonetheless, the movie was great and of course the company was even better.

On Saturday, I was able to watch Rob play for one last time while here. I also went to Before Basket at the Hotel with friends where we ate and chatted before the game started. We all then went on to the game, and the team built a commanding lead. Rob had some nice dunks in the game too! The opposing team is from a nearby city so there has always been a rivalry, so at times the game was pretty intense. Afterwards, we all headed out for a great dinner at Matlyckan.

Although I am going back before the playoff games, I am excited to watch their stats online. Let's go Nassjo Highlanders!

In preparing to go home, I know there are many things to be excited for such as seeing our families, being back in our own home, having my own cooking tools, eating American foods, getting back to work, being able to drive, and more. But I must say, I am sad to leave this town behind with new friends, a new routine, walks around the lake, strolling into town everyday, the culture, and the simplicity of our lives here.

I know I will never forget the time that I spent here with Rob. Hopefully in the future, we will be able to come back to Nassjo.

Next Stop...Rome!

This is definitely an exciting post for me...I am happy to share with friends, family, and whoever else might be reading this blog, that Rob and I are heading to Rome this week!

Rob and I have planned a trip to visit Rome from Thursday through Sunday since he doesn't have a game this weekend.

From Sweden the plane ride is only about two hours and costs are considerably less than planning a trip from the States to Rome. I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to visit this magical city for the second time in my life. Thank you Trevi Fountain for helping my coin toss come true!

Trevi Fountain - First time in Rome

Although this is the second visit for me to Rome, this is Rob's first time there, which makes the trip even more exciting for me. It might sound like gushing, but I truly love visiting new places with my husband because he is such a happy person. He loves to see new sights and take in new experiences. Traveling with him is never stressful and always very memorable.

We are going to be staying in a bed and breakfast just outside Vatican City. At this point, we have broken our travels into two main days; one in Vatican City and one for the Colosseum and Ancient Rome surrounding areas. It is hard to say what I am looking forward to the most, but the Colosseum is one of my most anticipated locations. I know that Rob is going to love seeing this and I can't wait to see his face as we walk in!

We have had to save our money, count our pennies, and cut back on groceries, but it is all worth it with this incredible trip planned. I have been counting down the days, and in typical Type A/girly fashion, my outfits have already been planned!

Please let me know if you have any travel tips or recommendations! The city is so majestic that there are always new things to discover!

Can't wait to share with everyone after our trip!

Adventures in February

Hi Everyone! Sorry that I have been lacking in my blogger responsibilities. My time here in Sweden is running out quicker than I ever imagined. In the beginning, I was always thinking, 'I can't believe I am going to be here so long!' Now, I can't stop thinking, 'I can't believe I am heading back to the States so soon!' The time I have spent living here has been amazing, and I will make sure that I keep everyone informed about the last month that I have here!

Before I begin on the month ahead, I want to catch everyone up on the things I've done over the past few weeks!

First, I will start with National Semlor (or Semla) Day. If you follow my husband's blog, he has already told you a little about it, but I need to tell you myself how delicious these treats are! While you were all eating paczki's this year, I feasted on a beautiful pastry with a crispy crust, fluffy baked dough, an almond sweeten custard, piled high wiped cream, and a powder sugar finish. I'd take a semlor over a paczki any day!

Take a look at the cute sign above that was at the register. It asks... How do you want to have your Semla? With traditional wheat dough? With the crispy wienerdeg (A different type of pastry- more like a croissant)? With warm milk in a bowl? With vanilla custard? Well how ever you want it ...

Rob and I have also been enjoying the weather change from blistering cold to pleasantly decent. We had a few snow storms that gave us about a foot of snow and lasted for around a week. With snow on the ground and bitter winds, the weather can be quite nasty. Luckily lately it has climbed into the forties and the snow is almost gone completely!

Rob and I were walking through town one day and despite the melting snow, we came across a snow sculpture competition! It was a lot of fun to see the different creations. There was an announcer there on a speaker system that drew us in, and volunteers that were passing out voter slips. I'm not sure who won the competition, but it was a cool thing to happen upon.  Look at a few of the snow carvings.... (I think the birds were my favorite, but the chess board was kind of clever!)

Just last Friday, I was happily invited to an After Hours event with my friends Paulina and Carolin. They took me out to dinner and then a fashion show event at the Hotel. The Hotel runs a lot of different events that the town really likes to turn out for. The fashion show was pretty packed, and there were even two showings of it. They featured local stores, hair dressers, and citizens as models. It reminded me a lot of some of the events we do in downtown Brighton.

Rob's team has been on an outstanding run in their league, winning games just about every weekend. Rob has really been excelling in basketball, and I couldn't be more proud of him. The team only has three regular season games remaining before they move onto the postseason tournament.

I am so lucky to have gotten the chance to watch him play professional basketball, which has always been his dream. Thank you for all the prayers that everyone has sent our way. This trip wouldn't have been possible without the support of friends, family, and our employer.

• Make sure that you check out his blog at http://robbosslivingthedream.blogspot.com/ to get game recaps and to watch his amazing highlight videos. They really are fun to watch!

And as my days are numbered in Sweden, I'll make sure I give numerous updates on the things going on in Rob and my life! We have some exciting things still ahead of us while we are here...

Something Sweet ♥

Around Valentine's Day it is always important to cherish that someone special that you are with!

My husband is amazing! He is always supportive no matter how insecure I am myself, full of motivation and drive not only for himself but also for me, constantly making me laugh, encouraging, and loving. I thank God everyday for having such a strong man in my life!

Now, just because Valentine's Day is typically reserved for celebrating finding your true love's kiss, doesn't mean that it can't also be about enjoying sweets and chocolates with your girlfriends!

Just in time for the holiday, my girlfriends and I- shout out to Matilda, Pernilla, and Paulina- decided to get together and bake these delicious "After Eight" brownies. Who said you need a man to get your chocolates? Make them yourself! (And you can share them with your man if you're feeling generous!)

This recipe wasn't too difficult to make, but I had to rely on my girls to tell me what to do since the recipe was in Swedish. I was, however, able to make out what the ingredients were in Swedish with little help! A bit of language progress, learned from grocery shopping! I was also able to find the exact recipe in English today but still with the European measurements. Sorry friends in the States, you'll just have to convert!

These brownies are heavenly, with a touch of mint flavor and filled with richness, this sweet dessert is sure to make you fall in love!

One of my favorite parts of the brownies is the perfect chocolate frosting! My boss is a frosting connoisseur and I can't wait to share this one with her! Ingredients listed below:

• 120 g Soft Butter
• 9dl Powder Sugar
• 1 1/2 dl Cocoa of Good Quality
• 2 tsk Vanilla Sugar
• 200 Philadelphia Cream Cheese 

Take my word for it...You are definitely going to want to try this recipe out! Enjoy this sweet treat today! Tomorrow it is back to the gym!