Austin College Girls Reunion Trip

This past weekend was my first overnight away from Emma and I was gone from Friday morning til late Sunday night. My college girlfriends planned a reunion trip to Austin, Texas, and I knew I couldn't miss out on this. There were 15 of us that went (one wasn't able to make it because her husband's cousin was getting married in South Africa so she couldn't pass down her first time to SA and I don't blame her. It's the best!) and we live in 11 different cities (Orlando, New York, DC, Columbia, Nashville, Memphis, Kansas City, LA, Napa, Atlanta, Richmond) so we rarely are all in the same place at the same time. The last time everyone was together was at my wedding 2.5 years ago. This trip was due! Everyone except me flew in on Thursday. We rented a house about 15 minutes outside of Austin in the West Lake Hills area. It wasn't the greatest house but hey we all had somewhere to sleep and get ready. That's all we needed. 

Friday morning I left Atlanta and when I landed I met them at Barton Springs Pool. It's a natural pool next to the big Zilker Park where they have the ACL festival each Fall. It was so pretty (and the water was COLD) and calm. I didn't feel like changing into my suit nevermind getting in the cold water so a few of us just enjoyed sitting along the side. 

From here we headed to the Rainey Street area for some lunch at a BBQ joint. Definitely a hole in the wall type of place. After lunch we walked to Bangers Beergarden for the afternoon. Such a cool place. HUGE tap beer selection and the feel was like a German pub. We really enjoyed hanging out here. The weather was perfect! Since it was a Friday during the day and people are working it wasn't too crowded but we knew the area on Saturday would be. Rainey Street is well known for all their bars. They all have such character and many of them are built out of old homes. Such a cool place because every one was so different! 

We then headed back to the house for everyone to get ready for dinner. Getting 15 girls showered, ready, and out the door by 7pm was interesting but we were ON TIME for dinner. Go us! We went to Gloria's for a Tex Mex dinner. The bottles of wine were half off! At 11 pm the restaurant turns into a Salsa club but we had left by that point. There were some funny experiences at dinner. Just imagine a bachelor party with 26 guys walking in and seeing a group of 15 girls sitting at dinner. Not funny to put in writing but we had a lot of laughs at dinner! 

We went out for some dancing after dinner and had a great time. I haven't been up that late in a VERY long time. So much fun just being with the girls and catching up. 

Saturday morning we were all pretty slow moving. I was definitely the first awake (lets just say my body woke me up desperate for some attention) and so I seized the opportunity to get a shower and get ready before everyone else was trying to do the same. We didn't leave the house until around 12:30pm on Saturday. We headed downtown to find somewhere to eat. We ended up at EasyTiger (German beergarden type restaurant) which was fun. My friends are just so dumb sometimes (in a funny way) and my friend Alex as we were walking to lunch saw a mask store and decided hey lets buy a fish head. Well that fish head was the star of the show the rest of the weekend. Everywhere we went someone put it on and the weird looks we got were priceless (Keep Austin weird? Am I right?). Anyway it was stupid funny and provided me with lots of giggles. 

We went back to Rainey street and went to the Parlor Room and Icenhauser for the afternoon. The weather was perfect for patio sitting. We headed back to the house to get ready for dinner. 

We had reservations for dinner at this tapas place called Odd Duck. We had a 7 course set menu with the most interesting small plates I've ever tasted. Such interesting combos that were SO good. It wasn't tons of food just tastes of each plate. Their cocktails were delicious. I got their barrel aged margarita. OMG so fresh and delicious! We then headed out to East 6th Street for the night. Again the different places have such cool atmospheres. I again headed home with the first crew because this momma can't hang anymore! 

Sunday we were all slow moving again and everyone was leaving for the airport at different times. I was in the last crew to leave so we went to lunch at Matt's Famous Tex Mex (YUM) before heading to the airport. Alex, Kier, Carly, Samantha, and myself were all leaving late afternoon so we all went to the airport together. Carly and I flew out at 4:30pm and I walked into my door right at 9pm. LONG day. 

I had the best weekend with these girls. I may not keep up with all 15 on the regular but when we all get together it's like nothing has changed. We all lived in the same neighborhood (The Station) in Athens our last 2 years of college and I wish at the time I appreciated living within a few feet of all my friends. Since then they have all scattered around the country (some around the world at times) and it's so great when we can get all together. I can't wait til we book another reunion trip (we are thinking an all inclusive next time). They keep me laughing and bring so much joy to my life. These girls are so special to me and I am so thankful they ended up in my pledge class at UGA. 

(A little throwback to our senior spring break in Key West!)

Also can't end this post without a huge shoutout to my wonderful husband. He held down the fort for the weekend and did AWESOME. He was exhausted when I got home but really enjoyed his alone time with Emma. I know she enjoyed it as well. He took her to the Zoo for the first time with my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew. He watched football with friends and then just relaxed all day Sunday at the house. I so appreciate him and his partnership in this journey of parenthood. It takes a team for sure and he is such a great one to share this with. Thank you Tommy. Love you very much! 

Weekend Recap

This past weekend ended up becoming quite a busy one. I feel like I say that often but it just happens. I'm starting with lunchtime on Friday I scooted over to Northside Hospital to meet the newest Harvard. Oh Mae Stanley you are one precious baby girl! I am so excited for Lindsey and Brooks on the arrival of their beautiful, healthy baby girl. She is such a lucky kiddo to have them as parents and to have two big brothers to protect her. Welcome Mae Stanley! 

Friday night we went over to my in-laws to visit with Beth and Danny (they came from Charleston to escape Hurricane Matthew) and Coco and Tpop. We had a nice afternoon just hanging out and dinner on the screened porch. The weather is too beautiful right now to not take advantage of the porch. Emma and I scooted home for her to get to bed. Tommy and I just relaxed the rest of the night. We were both exhausted from him traveling all week and me being on my own. I was WIPED!

Saturday morning we got up and got ready for the day. Tommy ran to Kroger to get burgers/hotdog and fixings for football later while I showered and got ready. We had a shower across the street for our neighbors who are expecting their second baby boy this December. We went for about an hour after Emma ate and before she needed to nap. We came home and Emma went down for her nap and we got ready for visitors for the Auburn game. Emma took a STELLAR 2 hour and 45 minute nap. We watched football, grilled out and enjoyed the company of a bunch of our high school friends.Then later that day we went to the Hartman's with the Burfords for more football and BBQ dinner. I hadn't seen Charlie in forever so it was great to see them and get the kiddos together! 

Sunday morning Emma slept til 7:45! so there was no way we would be ready and out the door to make church by 8:45 so we stayed home and watched it from home. The new pastor was preaching and it was great! I'm excited for him to start in January. Emma took another awesome nap before we headed up to North Georgia to Burt's pumpkin patch with my family for picking out some pumpkins. I always went to Burt's with my family each year growing up and so Bonnie and I want to continue that tradition with our kids. It was a lot of fun having my parents and Nana join as well. The weather was perfect and the kids were in good moods. Burt's was PACKED as always but we got some good pumpkins. When they are a bit older we will wait in the long line for the hayride but for now it didn't really seem worth it. 

From Burt's we drove straight to the Stellings house to catch the second half of the UGA game and to see Andrew Maxey and Christy Reimann one more time before they flew back to West Palm Beach. 

Monday I had the day off school so Emma and I got to enjoy our day. We met my mom with the dogs in the morning at Gold Branch for a nice walk along the Chattahoochee River. The rest of the day consisted of grocery shopping, cooking, and napping. It was a much needed day to get things checked off my to-do list and spend some time with the little one. It's getting harder and harder going to work each day because she is really starting to change so much with her personality and milestones that I feel as though I'm missing so much more than I was when I first came back to work. That is life and I cherish the time I do get with her every afternoon/evening and the weekends. This week is fairly calm. I am hosting Supper Club tonight and then we don't have too much on the agenda for the weekend. 

Emma: 5 month update

Emma 5 Months

We didn't go to the doctor this month so no height and weight updates

Clothes: 6 months

Shoe: Size one

Likes: She loves nothing more than sleeping on her belly. Her naps at home have gotten way more consistent and longer now that she sleeps on her belly. She is becoming way more predictable (I might regret saying that!). She likes food so much that we have been having a hard time at daycare because she is hungry quite often. When she is home with me she is able to last the amount of time between feedings that I was hoping for but we have had to come up with a different plan for daycare. I just have to keep telling myself it's fine if she's not on the perfect schedule at school and that it's OK if it's different at school than at home. She loves attention. She wants to be talked to all day long and looks to make sure you are watching her. She gives me the best hugs and the best smiles. 

Dislikes: She does not like smiling on demand. She's so serious when we are around other people and doesn't smile for everyone else like she does for us. Emma sweetheart everyone wants to see that gummy smile of yours! She still hates the car. Not much has really changed in the dislike column. 

Firsts: This month she really got much better at rolling, especially from back to front. She is most definitely officially a belly sleeper. She gave us the best giggles this month. She went on her first trip to Athens to tailgate for a football game. She went to her first pumpkin patch. 

What is to come: this month we are starting her on solids. With talking with the daycare ladies we think that may be why she is wanting bottles more often is that she needs other stuff in her belly to hold her over so we are starting that this week. I am taking their lead on this since they have dealt with babies way more often than me and her pediatrician said we could start after her last checkup or we could wait until her 6 month appointment. We are starting with rice cereal this week. Hoping for the best! 

Emma we are so blessed by how much fun and how even tempered you are. You sleep every night from when we put you down until we have to wake you up before work (I HATE having to wake her). On the weekends she sleeps until between 7:15-7:45. We start bedtime/bath around 7pm each night and you are in the bed by 7:45/8pm each night so you are such a good sleeper. We count our blessings for this because mommy and daddy love sleep too! We can't wait for your first halloween, first weekend away from mommy (tear for mom) and so much more to come in the next month. We love you to the moon and back sweet girl!