Back in 2015 and 2017, I released posts titled “Ask Ellie” and “Ask Ellie 2.0.” Tons of readers submitted questions, and I answered them in blog posts and videos. Since it’s been a while, I wanted to do another “Ask Ellie” post.
Go ahead and ask questions, about any topic, in the comments section. They can be short-answer questions, like, “What’s your favorite color?” (it’s purple, in case you wanted to know). But they can also be questions that require longer answers. You can also feel free to pose questions to Mr. Handsome.
Merry Christmas to all of my wonderful blog readers! How are you celebrating? What I love about holidays like Christmas, New Year’s, and Easter is that they are celebrated by people across the world, each with their own traditions. It’s just really neat to me to think about millions (if not billions) of folks from different countries and backgrounds, although thousands of miles apart, all focused on the same thing at the same time.
With my due date less than four weeks away, we are nearing the end of this pregnancy journey and are very ready to meet our son. I’m also eager to have labor, delivery, and recovery behind me. Mr. Handsome and I have chosen to deliver our baby at a hospital under the care of a nurse midwife. I have had a few minor complications during pregnancy that likely won’t cause any issues during labor, but in case something comes up, we like the idea of having access to emergency care.
Throughout my pregnancy, countless people have asked if I have had any cravings, and the answer has always been no. With morning sickness, certain foods (like fruit and carbs) have been easier to eat than others, but I haven’t found myself desperately desiring something specific. In the past few days, however, another common pregnancy “phenomenon” has hit me in a big way: Nesting.
The day after Thanksgiving, I jumped in the car at 8am to do a few hours of Black Friday shopping, and the first thing I noticed (aside from the frost on the windshield and the frigid morning air) was that quite a few radio stations had suddenly started playing Christmas music. We still had turkey and stuffing leftovers in the fridge and pie crumbs on the table, but Thanksgiving was over, and Christmas had officially begun.
With 
