6.16.2012

introducing...

Remember my post about all of the lovely mamas-to-be in my life... 

I am so elated and proud to introduce the first of many little ones in our life in Denver...Gizmo's first friend!

Juliette Jacqueline Schneider
Born at 5:29pm on Friday, June 8th, 2012
Measuring at 7.23 lbs and 21.5 inches

Welcome little Juliette!  You are already so loved!



Your parents, Kyle & Hayley, have so graciously accepted us into their lives and are like family to us in Denver.  It is no little thing to have friends like them and we feel lucky every day that we have them in our lives.  We feel even more lucky that we will be welcoming kids in the same year and you, little girl, are already so special to us.    


Love you guys!




6.13.2012

what's in a name...



Wow!  It is super stressful to choose a name for another human being.  There are so many things you need to think about...


~ does the first name flow with the last name?


~ will my child get made fun of for their name?


~ what will his/her initials be?


~ should we use a family name?


~ is it important to have a certain ethnic origin?


~ how popular is the chosen name?


~ does the name have an 's' on the end?  if so, it will not work. (everyone pronounces Groettum incorrectly like this: gro-tum, which rhymes with scrotum...think about it)


~ do we know someone with that name?


~ what could possible nicknames be?


~ what about middle names?


Obviously, there is no little thing in picking a name for a future child as we have found out.  After searching online, researching in a name book, and vetoing each other's selections, we now have a comprehensive list for both a boy and a girl.  


Now the hard part will be to narrow it down...I think we will wait to do that after our appointment on June 29th when we find out what Gizmo's gender is!  Wish us luck!  


Hopefully, we won't leave Gizmo thinking this...













6.12.2012

camping...

Andy and I LOVE camping and basically anything that involves being outdoors.  That is why when we didn't get out camping once last year, it really made us sad.  It also made us determined to get out this year as much as our schedules allowed.  

Now, our first camping adventure is upon us and I can hardly stand my excitement.  Everything is packed and ready to go.  I love thinking that this will be Gizmo's first camping trip and that there will be many more to come.  

CLARIFICATION: I want to clarify something now, we are not backpacking campers by any means.  We are definitely car campers and bring all of our comforts from home with us to the outdoors.  We used to have ambitions to be backpackers and travel lightly, but then we had way too much fun at REI getting all of the gadgets that are available for camping that make it like your home, but in the outdoors.  We have our technology, a kitchen sink, a table top grill, super thick thermarests, and a tub full of essentials.  


With that in mind...

We headed up to Turquoise Lake, which is right outside of Leadville (about 2 hours from Denver).  There are many campsites on this lake, but we chose May Queen, which was a good combination of tent and RV campers, had super friendly campground hosts fresh on to retirement, and breathtaking views.  


  
Our first night, we settled in and immediately started a fire.  We read books and talked by the flames and then headed in for a good night's rest.  




The next morning, we started that fire right up because it was quite chilly.  We lounged around, made some eats and read some more.  


This trip was definitely about relaxing and unwinding for us.  We didn't plan any hikes or day trips.  We were happy to be together out in nature and be lazy.  I am pretty sure we succeeded with this goal...


We even managed to catch some snapshots of the growing bump (Gizmo's the size of an avocado)!


As it was time to leave on Sunday and head back to Denver, we were wishing we could stay longer (if only the campground had a shower, of course).  But, it only made us anticipate our next camping adventure.  

There are so many little things in camping for us...being in touch with nature, fresh air, quiet, losing track of time and not caring, quality time with each other, a chance to be dirty, opportunities to communicate openly...and the list could go on.  Ultimately, we leave feeling better than when we arrived and we are filled with an appreciation for where we live with an abundance of amazing getaways at our doorstep.  
   

6.06.2012

16 weeks...

This is what 16 weeks looks like...


This week, my new obsessions are...

designing the nursery

researching what to register for

thinking about if Gizmo is a boy or girl

reading the Fifty Shades series

continuing the endless search for the perfect name

being lazy in the morning

eating LOTS of snacks and sometimes two dinners

looking forward to our first camping trip of the season


These are the little things that make me smile currently!