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As we shared a few days ago, our third child is here, and we are thrilled. My last couple months of pregnancy really took a toll on my body, but within a few hours of delivering the baby, I was feeling much better physically than I had in a long time. She was born at 39 weeks and weighed just over 7 lbs. My boys (the second arrived a few days before 39 weeks and the first came just before his due date) were both close to 9 lbs, so this delivery was much easier.

I was mentally prepared for a larger baby, as my provider had told me that while girls can be smaller, that is not true for all women. For that reason–as well as my past problems with blood pressure and the issue we had with our second son being born blue and not breathing–my provider and I decided to do an elective induction at 39 weeks. My first two inductions were very smooth, so choosing this method of delivery brought me a lot of peace. Would you like me to share my birth story?

We wanted to hop on here to announce the arrival of our baby girl! We look forward to sharing more details in the coming days, but for now we are focusing on enjoying the newborn snuggles and adjusting to life as a family of five. I am thankful to be getting more sleep than I was in my third trimester of pregnancy, when discomfort was causing me to wake up almost every hour. Even with nighttime feedings, I feel more refreshed because I am able to sleep longer stretches.

Well it’s safe to say that this Thanksgiving is one for the books, but not in a good way. Mr. Handsome and I were both sick with a bad case of the flu before the holiday even began, and our kids got it, too. The flu “flew” through everyone who had attended a pre-Thanksgiving gathering, and our official Thanksgiving dinner was canceled, as was another family event. Even though things didn’t exactly go as planned, we still have a lot to be thankful for.

How did our U.S. readers celebrate Thanksgiving this year?

From Mr. Handsome:

Both our boys love their little sandbox at home. When we went on our annual beach vacation this spring and they realized that the beach was one giant sandbox, they thought they were in heaven. Who knew you could dig in the sand, roll in the sand, bury feet in the sand, pour sand in your hair, and even try to eat sand?

Sand is excellent for tracking into the rental condo. It really sticks to everything. It is resistant to being sprayed with a hose. It even stays in your hair after a shower. Not to mention that it’s great for climbing into Mommy and Daddy’s bed and leaving a thin film on their sheets.

Hurray for sand!

Ellie did find a great hack for getting sand off of hands and feet. Just keep a container of baby powder (we bought talc-free cornstarch baby powder) in your beach bag, and rub some on your skin when you need to be sand-free. It’s a great trick, but it doesn’t take care of all the sand by any means.

I had a few minutes of free time, which is a rarity for me, so I filmed a quick update video. After you watch it, let me know how your summer has been going.

It was such a typical mom move that all I could do was laugh, despite the annoying inconvenience. It’s just so like a mom to meticulously work to make sure everything is in order and all the ducks are in a line for everyone…except herself. 

That’s how I felt last month when we went on our annual, three-day beach trip. I had a detailed list and was so proud of myself for checking off everything on it. I had snacks, sand toys, beach towels, sunscreen, hats, and sandals, not to mention the many things the kids would need for sleeping. On my list, I had written “bathing suits—2 for boys.” Knowing my kids would likely get covered in sand and that it’s uncomfortable to put on a wet bathing suit, I made sure to bring each of the kids two suits. And knowing that Mr. Handsome would be facilitating more of the sand play, I reminded him to bring two as well. 

The night before we left, as I was packing for myself, I completely forgot to throw in a bathing suit, let alone two. We drove into Florida at 8pm the next day, took a quick walk along the beach, and then went to bed. 

The next morning, I realized my mistake. There aren’t a lot of stores in the area where we were, and let’s be honest, shopping for a bathing suit isn’t usually a “walk in and buy the first one you see” type of experience. There are a lot of different styles and fits, and just because something that says it’s your size doesn’t mean it’s going to work. I don’t usually have much luck with clothing at Walmart, but that was the closest store, so I hopped in the car at 7am, while the rest of the family was still asleep, and made the trek. I took the opportunity to stock up on groceries so we wouldn’t have to waste more time at grocery stores. 

The swim suit section was pretty small, but I thankfully found something that worked. Have you ever forgotten something essential on a trip? Were you able to find a replacement?

Thank you to everyone who has commented on my Ask Ellie 6.0 post with questions. Feel free to keep submitting, but I’m also going to start answering. Here is the first batch. Feel free to weigh in with your own responses in the comments section.

Who does Little Buddy take after in looks? Littlest Buddy?

Little Buddy looks so much like Mr. Handsome (especially the hair) that I sometimes have to do a double take. Everyone says that Littlest Buddy looks like me.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Definitely Hawaii. Someone actually offered Mr. Handsome a temporary job there when we were first married, but when we learned that he would have to get a new license and take a new exam, we decided it wouldn’t be worth it.

Does Mr. Handsome watch sports? Do you?

Mr. Handsome enjoys watching sports, especially basketball and football, but he chooses not to make it a weekly part of his life. He would usually rather be actively doing something, and he also knows that I don’t love watching sports. That being said, he will watch playoffs or other important games. We also don’t have TV service, so we either use our antenna or pay for temporary service.

Growing up, what were your favorite toys? Were you more of a girly girl or a tomboy?

I wasn’t a girly girl, but I also was not a tomboy. I know this might sound cliché, but I really was somewhere in the middle. My favorite toys were my dollhouse, which Little Buddy currently plays with, and my American Girl Doll. I also loved matchbox cars and spent hours making roads out of paper. My brother and I spent a lot of time outside, riding scooters and our petal go-kart (a Kettler Kettcar) and making tracks for our remote control monster trucks in the dirt. 

Have you taken any more yoga classes with goats?

Not since the first time, but I would love to take another class sometime. If you’re scratching your head over this questions, check out my April 2018 post about goat yoga.

Was your family involved in IBLP?

My family was not involved in IBLP, nor was Mr. Handsome’s family. We are not involved as adults, nor do we have plans to be.

I hope my readers are enjoying some warmer weather (unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere, then I suppose it’s winter). We have had a very moderate spring here in Nashville, and I’m loving it.

In honor of the eight-year anniversary of Nashville Wife, which we celebrated in the middle of May, I am asking you all to submit questions for Mr. Handsome and me. What would you like to know about us? Let us know in the comments section, and we will answer them in an upcoming post.