Russo Grandparents Come to Visit!

I'm sitting on our balcony eating lunch, while Mike is running errands and Finn is napping and I'm pretending that my parents aren't on a flight back to the United States. 😢😢😢

I had been counting down the days to my parents visit ever since Finn was born.  Scratch that, ever since they booked the tickets. As excited as I was, I know they were infinitely more excited to meet their first grandchild.

We're all excited to see Nana and Grandpa!

We greeted them at the airport Sunday morning and headed back to our apartment to drop off their bags before heading to a breakfast food festival.  We find that the best thing for guests coming straight from the East Coast to do is to get out and do something for a few hours to beat the jet lag.  It was delicious!! I got a breakfast burrito that I devoured in seconds and Mike had biscuits and gravy that he said might be the best he's ever had.  After breakfast, we came back and everyone napped a little bit and we ended the night with a little barbecue which was delicious.

Nana giving Finn a bottle in preparation for our big outing to the breakfast market

The rest of the week was pretty laid back.  My parents' goal for this trip was mainly to help out and that they did! By this point, Mike and I are pretty capable and have kind of figured out a routine, but it was SO nice to have extra hands to help out.  I had people making me dinner every night.  I got to take a shower that didn't end when Finn started crying. I got to nap anytime I wanted. And maybe most exciting was that Mike and I got to go out just the two of us.  It was everything I dreamed of and more.

It's amazing how much time you can spend just watching a little guy hang out on a play mat or sleep in a swing.  We FaceTimed with both of my brothers and when they asked what we did, we didn't have many answers except "watch Finn" or "take Finn for a walk."  Luckily, my parents had already been to Berlin last fall, so they didn't need to do a lot of sight seeing.  The main attraction was definitely Finnegan. 

My dad has been learning to play the violin, so he couldn't resist bringing his violin to play a few lullabies for Finny.

We did run a few errands, like taking Finn to get his passport picture taken! Cutest passport picture ever!  While I'm sure it doesn't feel like they did that much, it's so nice to have someone to push the stroller, soothe a crying baby, and just do all of the other stuff (clean the kitchen, cook dinner, take out the trash, etc) that is hard when you have a six week old.

Getting your passport picture is exhausting

Finn celebrated his six week birthday with Nana and Grandpa and ever since then has been sleeping for longer amounts of time.  We've even had a few four hour stretches.  Fingers crossed the trend continues!

We did venture out for dinner a few nights.  Pizza on Friday nights is the norm, so we had pizza at the Italian restaurant at the end of the block.  It was the perfect night to sit outside!

And we spent Sunday afternoon doing a (very hot) boat tour on the Spree.  It was a great way to see the city from a different perspective and learn a few new facts.  Finn slept through his first boat tour, but I would expect nothing less.

We ended the week with burgers on the grill at home.  My parents were able to get in some last minute Finnegan snuggles, which was high priority.

Finn cracks me up in this one.  He looks like a little muscle man.

"Hey Nana! Don't leave! I love you!"

We headed to the airport this morning and bid a tearful goodbye.  It's never easy to say goodbye, but I think this time was extra hard. So tonight, as I finish the bottle of wine my mom and I cracked open last night and eye the ice cream my dad bought, I just keep reminding myself we have less than ten weeks left until our next reunion.  

Finn says "Wait! Where did Nana and Grandpa go? I like them!"

Happy Birthday Mom!

I'm writing this post on International Women's Day in preparation for a busy week ahead, but it's fitting because there is no one who embodies everything that is so great about being a woman more than the birthday girl, my mom!

I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be a great mom recently.  I guess being pregnant will do that to you. There are tons of blogs, articles and books about the different ways to excel in motherhood, and while I've been reading them like it's my job, I've come to realize that I have the best resource a phone call away. My mom.   Being so far apart for the past year and a half hasn't been easy and there isn't anyone I miss more than my mom, but it's deepened my appreciation for her as my mom, my friend and a woman. I can't wait to watch her be an incredible grandma to our little guy and continue to be a great mom and friend to me.

Both of my parents exemplified what it means to be a great spouse. I'm sure it wasn't always easy, but they are and always have been the example of what I want my marriage to look like. 

I think my brothers would agree that my mom was a great mom to all three of us.  She set high expectations for all of us, held us accountable for our actions, all while loving us unconditionally.  

One of the greatest gifts my mom ever gave me was her love of horses and animals.  It's so much fun to share that passion with her and watch her love on those big guys as much as I do. 

My mom and dad at the Women's March! I can't think of anyone who embodies what it means to be a woman more than my mom. Girl power all the way!

Happy birthday Mom!

Here's to Strong Women.

Here's to strong women.

May we know them. 

May we be them.

May we raise them. 

Especially thankful to be raised by two supportive parents who never let me think that I was any different or less worthy than my two brothers.  They embody true feminism.

Thankful for all of the men and women around the WORLD who marched yesterday because women's rights are human rights. 

A Week at Home

Whenever I am home, I try to fill the week with plans so that I can see everyone, which makes for a busy and crazy week at home, but it's well worth the hustle and bustle.  This time, it wasn't quite as hectic because I'll be around for longer, but I definitely wasn't just sitting around most of the time.  

Highlights:

Saturday: 

Hanging out with Rachel all day meant trips to Chipotle, Target and 7-11!! All my favorite places! I was in heaven! Chipotle tasted as good as I remembered and a slurpee was the perfect treat on a hot day.

I was so excited my finger got in the way!

Sunday:

We all went over to my grandfather's new apartment and had lunch.  I love his apartment and am a little jealous of how nice his new home is!  It was so comforting to see all of the artwork and furniture from his old house in his apartment.  It made it feel like home almost immediately.  And, his cat Daisy has wasted no time in making herself right at home ;)

Monday:

Ben and I hung out during the day and that night, he decided it was the perfect opportunity to do a notes burning.  It was officially his last day of high school, so he took all of his notes, threw them on the grill and made a big bonfire! We even made s'mores in celebration!

Tuesday:

After a morning of running around all of Hampton Roads, I treated myself to Chick fil a.  Don't worry, their chicken sandwich still tasted delicious :)

That night, I went out the the barn with my mom and got to meet her buddy Sully! He's such a handsome horse and they looked great riding.

Wednesday:

Ben, John Philip and I checked out Top Golf in Virginia Beach.  If you haven't been, GO! It was a ton of fun and you don't have to be a golfer to enjoy it.  Ben's score was about double JP and my score combined, but we still had a ton of fun.  

That night, my parents, Ben, JP, Aunt Mary and Uncle Morgan and I went out for sushi.  Some of us are more experienced sushi eaters than others (and some of us order the fried shrimp and vegetables...), but I think everyone enjoyed it.  

Thursday:

Shopping!! It was so nice to be back with all of my stores and go on a little shopping spree.  After a year of no shopping,  I felt like I deserved a little shopping spree :)

Friday was Ben's graduation, which merits it's own post, but for now, I've got some baby Emma snuggling to do.  :)