Ellie's Life

Church Under Quarantine

March 22, 2020 by 17 Comments

With most churches suspending services and programing due to the coronavirus pandemic, Sunday mornings are now looking very different for our family. But we still want to respect the Lord’s Day and avoid treating it like any other day in quarantine.

This is one of the times when social media and technology actually make life better. Many churches are still broadcasting their sermons online, so you don’t have to miss out on a good message. If your church doesn’t have the capability to stream, there are plenty of podcasts and videos available on the web.

We started the morning with a homemade Sunday brunch and then put on some coffee and headed into the living room for church. (Our current favorite coffee is Espresso d’Oro by Dallmayr.) Mr. Handsome played a few worship songs on the guitar, and even Little Buddy tried to sing along. He provided a resounding chorus of “ba-ba-bas.”

We listened to a podcast sermon by pastor John Piper, which can be found via his ministry website or on the smart phone podcasts app. We highly recommend John Piper’s messages if your church does not broadcast sermons.

How did all of you spend Sunday morning? Let me know in the comments.

Coronavirus Painting Project

March 21, 2020 by 23 Comments

The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the lives of every person in the United States and worldwide. Little Buddy and I have stayed home for four days, and Mr. Handsome has only ventured out when necessary.

While we are cooped up at home, our goal is to check a bunch of projects off our to-do list, and we started with our bedroom (see video below). Since we moved in almost two years ago, I have been looking forward to covering up the beige/tan color with Repose Gray from Sherwin-Williams. When Little Buddy was a few months old, I pained my office the same color and touched up the white trim, and it puts a smile on my face every time I walk through the door.

What are your favorite paint colors? Do you like to keep a home all one color, or do you prefer a different color in each room?

Our First Night Away

March 10, 2020 by 26 Comments

A few weeks ago, Mr. Handsome and I went on our first getaway since having Little Buddy. I didn’t want to go far, and I didn’t want to be away for more than one night. We ended up being gone for 24 hours, and it was the perfect amount of time. I honestly cannot remember ever feeling more relaxed or having more fun.

We put on fancy clothes and headed out for dinner. Just as we were paying for our meal, a dozen older teenagers came into the restaurant and began making a huge racket. Mr. Handsome and I are both very tolerant people, but we felt like their noise level was significantly higher than it should have been, even for their size group. We were glad to be able to leave within a few minutes, but we felt bad for other guests who had just arrived.

That evening, we stayed at a lovely hotel about 25 minutes outside of Nashville. We had hoped to find a place downtown, but the prices made our jaws drop. We’re talking upwards of $300 for one night! So for a third of that, we booked a room that was much nicer than we are accustomed to but didn’t break the bank.

The next morning, we exercised at the hotel gym and then went out for breakfast at First Watch, a restaurant with locations across Nashville. Mr. Handsome took one look at the menu and dubbed it a “millennial restaurant.” Almost every dish contained avocado (which the waitress called “avo”), and the advertised drink was the “blue booster,” a mix of white grape juice, blueberry, lemon, and basil. I rarely order anything more than water, but I decided to splurge, since it was our special getaway. It was delicious.

The food was incredible (see photos). Even Mr. Handsome–or should I say Mr. Eggs and Bacon–agreed. And the total price was no more than one would spend at a place like IHOP. (I love pancakes and have nothing against IHOP, but this place was definitely one step above.)

We spent the rest of the afternoon in Nashville. It was raining, so we walked around Green Hills Mall and saw a move. We tried, for the second time, to see “Knives Out,” but it was full, so we settled for the newest “Star Wars.” I have never been a fan of those movies, but it ended up being pretty good.

Little Buddy was overjoyed to see us when we returned home. “Grandma” (my mother) said he had done well, although she said it was clear that he had missed us. He had refused to sleep in his crib, so he spent the whole night in the guest bed with Grandma. (Our guest bed is only a foot off the ground, so there was no risk of him falling out.)

Our Favorite Sports

August 21, 2019 by 15 Comments

Do you (or did you) play sports? For Mr. Handsome and me, exercise and athletics have always been a big part of our lives. We both grew up playing tennis, although I was more serious about it and made the high school tennis team during my freshman year. The competition was steep, as we had numerous players with state and national rankings, so I didn’t make the team during my sophomore year. For Mr. Handsome, tennis has always been more of a casual sport, but he can still beat me, despite all the lessons I took.

I also played competitive badminton during high school and went further with that than with tennis. Early on in our relationship, I challenged Mr. Handsome to a match. He laughed, picturing a leisurely game of backyard badminton. Let’s just say that it was a bit more fast-paced than he had expected. I’m not one who usually enjoys showing people up, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t get just a tiny bit of satisfaction out of returning his hits with point-ending smashes.

Starting in elementary school, I took karate for five years and was just one stripe shy of my purple belt belt before I had to quite in high school because the classes were taking up too much study time. I also did a lot of downhill skiing, starting at age five.

Now let’s talk about Mr. Handsome. He is way more athletic than I will ever be, which fits because he’s a very manly guy overall. Growing up, he played a handful of sports, including baseball, basketball, and soccer. Then as he entered his teenage years, he decided to focus on basketball and did extremely well on the high school team. (He played one year of football, but that dangerous sport was short-lived, thankfully.) He has also done a decent amount of water sports and is great at wakeboarding.

Both of us make it a point to exercise at least a few times each week, and Mr. Handsome plays basketball when he can. When we get together with his family, it’s really sweet to watch him and his dad and brothers compete. I am convinced that Mr. H is the best player, but I suppose I could be biased.

As far as watching sports, I’m not a huge fan. Mr. Handsome watches some sports on TV, but he would rather be playing the sport or watching live.

Tell me about the sports you enjoy playing and/or watching.

Getting Real About Postpartum Fitness

July 26, 2019 by 49 Comments

I’m approaching seven months postpartum (which means my baby is somehow almost seven months old — where in the world has the time gone?) and have decided that it’s time to be real with y’all about the struggle I’ve had getting my pre-baby body back. I once heard that it takes nine months for your body to make a baby, so you should give your body nine months to bounce back. As much as I hoped that wasn’t true, I am now seeing that it is. And I am also wondering if it might take even longer in my case.

I started exercising after getting the green light from my nurse midwife at six weeks postpartum. I really enjoy the Walk at Home DVDs, which I have mentioned before. Little Buddy and I also love strolling outside when the weather allows. But summer days in Tennessee are almost always sweltering, so it’s nice to have an indoor alternative that is both fun and effective.

To make a long story short, I have a mild diastasis recti, which is very common for women during postpartum recovery. I have invested a lot of time and energy over the past six months into walking and doing ab and core exercises specific to diastasis recti, but the progress has been slow. My abdomen is still distended, and I still look slightly pregnant in some of my clothes. And as much exercising as I’ve been doing, my muscles still get sore quicker than they did pre-pregnancy.

It certainly hasn’t been easy, but I’m determined to press on and keep working at it (with both my walking workouts and moderate ab and core exercises) until I get to the place where I want to be. Can any of you relate? Whether or not it has to do with pregnancy, have you ever struggled with physical fitness?

Paleo Pancake Pix

May 4, 2019 by 51 Comments

Last week, Little Buddy and I were browsing the beautiful aisles of Costco, doing our twice-a-month stock-up. We happened upon a display of Paleo pancake mix and were very intrigued. “There’s no way these can be as good as regular pancakes,” I said aloud to Little Buddy. But I had been thinking about purchasing pancake mix (for the days when I’m craving pancakes but don’t have time to make them homemade), and this was a very large bag for a very reasonable price, so I decided to give it a try. I have also been trying to cut back on my gluten consumption (although not eliminate it completely), due to some health issues.

Fast-forward to this morning. That pancake craving popped up again, so I decided to give this mix a try. I poured a few tablespoons of olive oil into my cast iron skillet and let it heat up for a few minutes. Meanwhile, I added 2% milk to the pancake mix and let it sit for a few minutes to thicken. The instructions on the bag say to add water (since it’s supposed to be lactose free), so keep that in mind of you are going for a truly Paleo experience.

When the pancakes were done cooking, I was shocked at how fluffy and appetizing they looked and tasted. You really couldn’t tell that they were anything but normal (ie grain-filled) pancakes. With a little melted butter and pure maple syrup, my taste buds were quite impressed.

Have I mentioned how much I adore Costco? They have so many items there that speak to my heart…and at fabulous prices to boot. Every shopping trip is an adventure because you never know what you’re going to find. The other day, I bought an adorable summer skort that is both modest and stylish, and it was only $9.99!

I am proud to say that Little Buddy loves Costco, too. He can’t verbalize it yet, but I can see it in his eyes. His carseat takes up half the cart, which sometimes limits what I can buy (I think Mr. Handsome appreciates that), but he loves our Costco outings.

They recently had a massive swing set on display…in the bakery of all places. (I will say that their placement of items doesn’t always make sense.) I could tell that Little Buddy totally wanted it. And Mommy wanted it, too. Now we just have to convince Daddy. Mr. Handsome isn’t a huge fan of swing sets (more on that later).

*This is not a sponsored post, just a message from a die-hard Costco fan. Just ask Mr. Handsome, he will confirm. He isn’t a Costco fan (yet), but he doesn’t mind having a membership because he loves their meat prices, especially on pre-seasoned St Louis-style ribs.

My Valentine’s Gift

February 16, 2019 by 26 Comments

handmade cutting board Two weekends ago during a spell of warm weather, Mr. Handsome headed out the door on a “run.” An hour went by, and he wasn’t back yet, so I texted him. (Unless you’re a marathon runner, no one goes running for a full hour.) He responded saying he had gotten caught up talking to one of our neighbors and was helping him with a project.

This particular neighbor is a hobbyist woodworker, and his home studio makes Mr. Handsome drool. In addition to painting, Mr. Handsome also enjoys woodworking. It has been a hobby of his ever since he made a foosball table and wooden electric guitar 15 years ago in high school shop class.

Now back to my story. As I received that text, I was heading out on a walk with Mr. H Jr. As we passed that particular neighbor’s house, I received another text that read, “I may or may not be working on a surprise for you, so make sure not to stop by the shop.” I later learned that he had wanted to keep this surprise a surprise, but when he saw me walking by, he had to make sure I didn’t decide to come by to see what he was up to. handmade cutting board

With it being just a couple weeks before Valentine’s Day, I had a good feeling he was making me a present. Mr. Handsome always says I’m impossible to surprise, and I guess he’s right. (We still laugh about the time I saw a charge on our credit card from Vera Bradley and was sure that our card had been stolen, only to find out that it was for a wallet that he had bought me for Christmas.) I know some lades absolutely love surprises, but surprises aren’t my love language. (For that, Mr. Handsome is very thankful, since I’ve found out about several of his surprises over the past few years.)

Fast-forward to last weekend, when my mom was babysitting Mr. H Jr while Mr. Handsome and I were out on our first date since my the birth. He carried the gift all the way to the restaurant and presented it to me after we had eaten. It was a handmade cutting board, constructed using dark walnut. Absolutely beautiful! Too beautiful to actually cut anything on. I plan on using it as a serving dish and as a backdrop for my recipe photos.

Birth Story, Part 3

January 28, 2019 by 109 Comments

A few days ago, I shared part two of my birth story. Here is part three…

I pushed for about 30 minutes (three long pushes and then a minute of rest) with only the nurse and midwife and Mr. Handsome in the room. For the final 40 minutes, a few other medical staff arrived, including a nurse who would tend to the baby and a doctor from the same practice that the midwife worked at.

The midwife was very encouraging and continuously told me that everything was going well and that I was doing great. Looking back, however, I have a feeling that the fact that she brought in a doctor at the end meant that she thought there was a decent chance there would be complications. I’m very glad that no one told me that while I was delivering and that I was too out of it to figure it out for myself.

Pushing with an epidural wasn’t too painful, but it was still a lot of work, and there was a lot of pressure. Mr. Handsome held my hand and talked me through each push. I was so grateful that the baby’s vitals remained strong–that was one less thing to worry about. The process was more calm than I had expected, and the midwife and nurse did a great job keeping me relaxed and focused. When the baby finally arrived and I heard his first cry, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Suddenly, all my fears of having a C-section or the baby having to be whisked away to the NICU had melted away. He was big, but he was healthy and happy.

Mr. Handsome cut the cord, and the midwife laid the baby on my chest. After a few minutes, the nurse asked if she could take him over to the scale in the corner to weigh and measure him, and I said yes. Mr. Handsome followed and took pictures. Baby was 8 pounds 12 ounces and measured 21 inches long. Within a couple minutes, he was back with me. It took about an hour for the midwife and doctor to finish stitching. Needless to say, I was very thankful for that epidural! My emotions were a mess, and I bawled the entire time. I tried to focus on the beautiful baby in my arms, but it was difficult not to think about the discomfort that the stitching was causing. …

Birth Story, Part 1

January 17, 2019 by 44 Comments

First off, I want to say thank you for all the support, well wishes, and prayers that you all have provided throughout my pregnancy. Being pregnant was a special time, but I’m so glad to have it all behind me and to have my baby in my arms. Waking up the morning after the birth without feeling nauseous and being able to brush my teeth without gagging was an incredible feeling!

Two weeks ahead of my due date, my blood pressure started creeping up. One week before, I spent a few hours in the hospital on monitors before I was released to go home. A couple days later, it was still high, so the nurse midwife scheduled an induction for the following day. She had also performed an ultrasound to make sure that Baby was doing well (which he was, praise God). The bad news was that he was measuring around 9 lbs, give or take about a pound. All the doctors and nurse midwives at the practice were shocked that I was “hiding” such a large child. I can only imagine how big he would have gotten if he had arrived two weeks overdue!

On the day of the induction, I had to fast starting at 3am, so I woke up and made myself a cheese sandwich. I understand that’s a bit of an odd thing to eat at 3am, but it was all that my tired self could come up with. We arrived at the hospital eight hours later, and the midwife started the induction drugs by 12pm. She started slow because I was only dilated 1 cm at that point. For the rest of the afternoon, my contractions slowly became stronger but were not yet painful, so Mr. Handsome’s mom and sister-in-law kept us distracted with games and conversation. The nurses were very kind and popped in frequently to make sure I was comfortable. I was surprised by all the menial tasks that they were eager to do for us, such as refilling our water bottles, fetching snacks, and re-positioning my pillows. They truly were there to serve their patients, rather than just monitor the medical side of things.

During those initial hours, the most difficult part was not being able to eat anything but clear liquids. By the time the baby arrived, I had fasted for 30 hours! I drank all-natural ginger ale to keep my stomach from becoming queasy and consumed who knows home many cups of Jello and bowls of chicken broth. Throughout the day, I felt my brain slowly becoming foggier, likely a combination of the drugs and a lack of food, so my mother-in-law ran to the store and bought saltine crackers. It wasn’t technically “allowed,” due to the risk of having food in the stomach if a C-section became necessary, but Mr. Handsome agreed that a few crackers wouldn’t hurt. And they really did help a lot!

Around 8pm, the midwife announced that it was time to break my water. At that point, Mr. Handsome was in the waiting room eating pizza that his dad and brother had made, but he rushed in to hold my hand.

To Be Continued…

Baby Handsome Has Arrived!

January 12, 2019 by 127 Comments

We have a baby! Mr. H Jr. arrived safe and sound after a long labor (details coming soon). He was a big boy (8 lbs 12 oz), and we had to stay in the hospital for five days and four nights, but Jesus brought us through, and our baby is healthy and adjusting well.

Aside from the intense pain, the worst part was not being able to eat anything but clear liquids. I had to fast starting nine hours before my induction, so by the time the baby arrived, I was feeling so out of it that I couldn’t think straight. About 10 hours into the labor, I started feeling like I was slowly losing it, which was scary. We eventually decided that “cheating” was better than passing out, so my mother-in-law snuck in some saltine crackers. Mr. Handsome was very strict and only let me eat a few every hour, but it made a big difference in how I felt.

The minute the midwife finished stitching me up and all the nurses had left the room, we called my father-in-law, who had been at my brother-in-law’s house doing some home improvement projects, and he ran to Panera and bought me a sandwich and a bowl of mac n cheese, which I proceeded to stuff in my face as quickly as I could. The feeling of intense exhaustion lingered, but at that point, I had my sweet baby in my arms, and it no longer mattered.