Memories in our Old House

Today is the day! It is the first day we’re spending in our new home and it still feels so surreal. Yesterday as the movers were packing up all of our stuff, I sat in our backyard and wrote down some of my favorite memories from living in our old house. I’m excited for our future but tears streamed down my face as I remembered some truly magical moments in our home.

Bringing Amalia home. This photo was taken a few minutes after we arrived home with our tiny new baby, Amalia Louise. There were always doctors or nurses or family around at the hospital so I had never been alone with her. She had fallen asleep on the drive home and we kept her in the car seat so she wouldn’t wake up. I sat down with a blanket on her glider and just stared at her, terrified that at any second she might stop breathing. Anel went to the car to get the rest of our stuff and I took this picture to remember the moment.

Little did I know that I wouldn’t need the picture, and this memory will forever be imprinted on my brain and heart. I was so scared and excited and had no idea what the future would look like.

Bringing Bootsie home. At my last full-time job, one of the guys in my office had a beautiful blue Pitbull who was pregnant. She had “accidentally” been impregnated by his mom’s German Shepard… or so they said anyway. My coworker showed us a picture of the 11 puppies and even though Anel and I weren’t seriously considering a dog at that time, I teared up and pointed to a tiny little guy cuddling in the crook of his mama’s arm and asked him if I could take him home. A few days later, he brought three puppies into the office in a cardboard box. They were only 4 weeks old and definitely should not have been away from their mom yet but he didn’t know that.

I walked to the box and Boots looked up at me with his big blue eyes (they were blue when he was a puppy) and wouldn’t leave my side all day. Anel came to my office and picked him up. It was all over. A few weeks later, a tiny 8-week-old Bootsie came home with us. He was so nervous in the car that he threw up, but we gave him a ton of love and he quickly felt right at home.

At the time I had just gone through my miscarriages and I was in a really dark place. Boots with his giant personality in a tiny body pulled me out of a hole that I needed to be pulled out of. Our house became our home the day he moved in.

The stork. If you haven’t heard this story on my Instagram yet, settle in. It’s a good one! It was Saturday, July 22nd, 2017. It was 5 days after my due date with Amalia and my doctor wanted to induce me on Monday. Anel and I were eating dinner and I started sobbing because I was so afraid of being induced. I had heard horror stories from friends and for some reason, it was one of my biggest fears surrounding labor.

Anel was saying that he had a feeling that I would go into labor naturally when Boots started barking like crazy. We looked out the back window and (what looked like) a stork was slowly walking across our backyard. We now know that it was a blue heron but we had never seen one before (or since) and it looked exactly like a stork from a storybook.

I started laughing and crying at the same time because I knew it was a sign that everything would be ok and my baby was coming. The next day I went into labor…naturally!

Starting Countdown Fitness. Anel’s dream for the last decade has been to own his own business. In this house we made that happen. We spent hours making plans, creating budgets, and fantasizing about the day when he could have his own studio to train clients. Countdown Fitness was born in these walls. And because of that business, we’re able to move into our dream home! You can read his whole story here.

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Comments

  1. Christine Matusek said:

    Congratulations on everything you’ve accomplished in your old home – wish you lots of love, luck, and happiness in your new home!

    9.9.19 · Reply
  2. Jess Dupont said:

    So exciting for your family on your new adventure! Here’s to so many more new memories!! ❤

    9.9.19 · Reply
  3. Desire Uba said:

    It feels so good to have followed your journey over the past few years. I wish you all the best as you move into your new home.
    Looking forward to more wins for you.

    http://www.desireuba.com.ng

    9.15.19 · Reply