My pun-loving self couldn't resist that title. ;) I've always enjoyed the process of setting goals at the beginning of each year, and for the last few years I've put them out there publicly on this blog to keep myself accountable. Does that mean I always accomplish those goals? Nope. But having a vision for where I want the year to go, helps me to make decisions throughout the year...and hopefully gives me a better chance of success. Of course it's hard to know what opportunities or situations will arise (a year is a long time), so sometimes my goals change or get postponed. Last year, two of my goals were to get in shape and to save money for a real estate investment property. Thennn I got pregnant, and we decided to remodel our kitchen. I don't regret either of those decisions one bit, but they definitely derailed my original plans. So guess what? In 2020, I'm re-setting some of the same goals from 2019. We'll see if I can stay on track the second time around!

1. Lose the baby weight: I have now been pregnant three times in the last four years (and nursing babies in between)...so my body has gone through a lot! I've also felt unmotivated to really focus on losing weight in between pregnancies, because I knew we wanted at least three kids and we wanted them close in age. We still might have one more baby, but for the first time I feel like this could be it. And regardless, I'm ready to get serious about losing the weight. I'm tired of feeling fat and out of shape! My plan is to start running again, cut back on sweets and snacks throughout the day, and cook healthier meals for dinner (which would probably be good for our whole family anyways). I don't plan to do anything too drastic since I want to nurse Audrey for a year like I did with my other kids...so I am giving myself nine months to hit my goal weight!

2. Buy our first investment property: There are lots of different things we COULD put our money into, from the stock market, to gold, or even cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. But one form of investment that I've always been interested in is real estate. Historically, the real estate market has been a great way to gain equity and wealth in the long-term, while earning a "passive" income in the short-term. Real estate investing also appeals to me because houses are something I actually understand (bitcoin, not so much). Over the past year, I've been listening to podcasts and audiobooks, reading forums, and trying to learn as much as I can about the basics of investing in rental properties (everything from buying right, to adding value with smart renovations, to selecting good tenants). I am hoping 2020 will be the year we take action and make the leap from learning to actually investing. Of course, one of the biggest hurdles will be finances...so this year, one of the first steps will be figuring out what loans we can be approved for. Visio offers two loan options, and speaking with various lenders will help us get a better idea of what's realistic for us.

3. Travel with our family: It might sound contradictory to goal number two, but our other focus for this year is fun experiences with our family. Looking back on the past decade, we realized that (besides the births of our kids), what really stood out as high points were all the trips we took. So although we want to buckle down and save as much as possible for buying a rental house, we also feel good about spending some money on travel. We may not go on an epic trip around the world, but getting out of Spokane and experiencing new things together always leads to fun memories. It's truly been our experience that we never regret the money we spend on travel, plus we have a ton of credit card points that we've been accumulating so we should be able to travel this year without setting back our savings too much.

This is a collaborative post. All opinions are my own.

When we were in the hospital waiting for Audrey to make her appearance, we watched a lot of HGTV to distract us and pass the time. Love it or List it was on a bunch, and we noticed how often people chose to "love" their homes (I swear, 90% of the time). I think it's because, as you build memories in a home, you become emotionally attached and it's hard to let it go. I notice that myself. Our house is where Ben and I became homeowners for the first time, where Ian has grown up, where we brought Emmett and Audrey home as new babies, where we've hosted friends and family, and where I have so many sweet memories of my kids playing. We've also poured a lot of effort, money, and time into improving the house and making it the way we want. We've made it a home. So of course I'm attached! Even though our house is in a development and not super unique, it's still special and significant to us.

Image source: Pexels

I can easily see how if we'd lived in for longer, and if the property was one-of-a-kind, it would be really hard to let it go. I understand how, if the house no longer fits their needs, people would prefer to do an addition or a major renovation, rather than selling and looking for a bigger house. Probably the most common example is growing a family when you don’t want to move, so you need a new bedroom added onto the house to create space for the new baby. But that's not the only reason why you might want a home extension! If this is something you're seriously considering in 2020, custom home builders will be able to weigh in on what could work well for your specific home...but here are some ideas.

1. An In-Law Unit: Whether you anticipate needing a space for your aging parents to live with you (but still have their own independence), or whether you want a separate unit as a way to bring in rental income from Airbnb or traditional renters, I think an in-law unit is one of the smartest reasons to do a home extension. Typically, this would include a kitchenette and bathroom, along with a bedroom and small living space, so it's not going to be a cheap project...but it would cost a lot less than building a brand new house, and if you decide to rent it out then the monthly cashflow should end up paying for the addition over time.

2. A Home Gym: This might sound like a splurge, but it could end up making sense over time, especially if your family currently pays for expensive gym memberships, if you don't have a gym nearby, or if it takes up a lot of time to drive to the nearest one. With a decent investment in the room and the equipment, you can build your own home gym in your house that's perfectly suited to the way you like to work out.

3. An Added Bathroom: Besides needing another bedroom, an extra bathroom is probably the most common reason why people feel like they need a bigger house. Especially if your home only has one...it's hard to share a single bathroom, especially once you add in kids! By adding on a new bathroom, you can greatly improve your morning routine and add value to the house. Who hasn't dreamed of creating a large and luxurious master bath, complete with a soaker tub, a walk-in shower, and a spacious double vanity?

4. A Swimming Pool. Yes, you did read that correctly! Building an extension on the house for an indoor swimming pool is a way you can add value to your home and make it more fun year-round. A pool is a great way to get a workout and bond as a family! You should always check the local laws to make sure that you’re allowed to have one, that you have enough space for one.

Even if you want to stay in your house forever, it's smart to think about resale. Make sure any home extension you do will improve your house's value, in addition to making your home more enjoyable for you.

December 31st, 2019 was kind of a big deal: New Year's Eve, the last day of the year, the last day of the decade...and the first day we got to hold our baby girl! Audrey Juliette Allen was born at 3:08 in the afternoon, which left just the perfect amount of time for snuggling her skin-to-skin, nursing her for the first time, and cooing over all her cute features (and her full head of hair!), before we got moved to a new room and ordered a huge dinner, in time to watch the fireworks show over downtown Spokane (which was at 9pm for some reason). We had a great view from our hospital room, and it felt like such a special, amazing way to end the decade and celebrate the beginning of Audrey's life. Bringing her home the next day and introducing her to her big brothers was also the very best way to start a new decade. Over the past couple weeks, we've been soaking up life as a family of five and enjoying all the newborn snuggles with Audrey!

I wanted to write down her birth story while it's still fresh in my memory. Fair warning, this post is long and full of details...after all, it's primarily for my future self to look back on. One of my favorite things about this blog is that it's given me a place (and a reason) to record my thoughts and feelings around major life events over the years. It's fun for me to reread those posts and remember so many significant moments like Ian's birth and Emmett's birth...and now, Audrey's!

So, all the details! I had a c-section with Ian and a VBAC with Emmett. For me, the recovery from Emmett's birth was waaaaay easier than my c-section, so I decided to try for another VBAC. I went in thinking that Audrey's birth would be similar to Emmett's, and I felt pretty confident that it would be successful. I knew what to expect this time around, and it had worked for me before. In fact, to be honest I was hoping that Audrey's birth would be even quicker and easier. I have a lot of friends whose second time giving birth went super fast, so when we scheduled the induction for 7am on December 30th, I figured that would be her birthday for sure. Emmett came within 13 hours of being induced, so I expected Audrey to be the same or less. The night before our induction, we kept saying, "by this time tomorrow we'll be holding our daughter!!!" Welllll it didn't exactly go like that.

At the hospital, our morning started off slowly. They got an IV in me and went through all the administrative questions. They did an ultrasound to make sure the baby was still head down (she was), and around 10am they started me on Pitocin. They said once I dilated to a one, they would insert a Cook catheter with a balloon that would continue to dilate my cervix manually. This is basically the same process as I went through with Emmett. But this time, it took me forever to get to a one! Seven hours and multiple cervix checks later, I stillll wasn't even a little bit dilated. I was feeling contractions, but it seemed they weren't doing anything!! Finally, around 6:30pm they were able to put in the Cook catheter. I thought, ok here we go...now things are going to start progressing and it will go fast!

But nope...hours passed, and that balloon still wasn't falling out. The clock hit 11pm and I knew Audrey would not be born on the 30th after all. I kept asking if there was anything I could do to speed things along, and was told that I just had to wait for the contractions to do their thing. Ugh, waiting is the worst! Especially when the thing you're waiting for is out of your control. Ben and I decided that we might as well get some sleep so we'd be rested and have strength for the birth. My contractions were getting more painful, so to make sure I'd be able to sleep through them I decided to get an epidural. I knew I wanted one anyways, and I figured I might as well get that squared away in case things progressed quickly in the night (I was still hopeful they would).

Once you get an epidural you can't get out of bed or eat anything. I thought, perfect, I'm not going to walk around or eat at night anyways...and by morning, I AM SURE this balloon will have fallen out. Well as it turns out, we totally slept through the night (in hindsight, this was a blessing) and in the morning, I was soo discouraged to find that the dang balloon was still firmly in place. I was less confident that this induction was going to work after all...everything was taking so long, and now, I was stuck in bed. The only "good thing" was that I suddenly got really nauseous and threw up, which normally isn't good at all--but the nurses encouraged me that vomiting is a common sign that labor is progressing (I also threw up with Emmett, when things got serious).

And maybe it did mean something, because around noon the balloon finally, FINALLY fell out! They broke my water, and from there things started progressing wayyy more quickly. By 2pm my contractions were strong and painful (even through the epidural), by 2:30 I was at an 8, and soon after that my teeth started chattering and I started feeling like it was time to push. The doctor came in and got all suited up, and within four contractions I pushed her out! The pushing part was sooo much faster and less painful than it was with Emmett. So in the end, that made up for the long build up. And of course, all that really matters is that she was born healthy and without complications!

We were amazed by her thick, black hair and entranced by her sweet, lovely face. She won our hearts over right from the start! Here is one of the first photos I took of Audrey at the hospital. She was 7 lb 5 oz (my biggest baby, believe it or not) and 19.5" long.

Because of influenza season, the hospital was not allowing anyone under 18 in the birth ward, so we decided not to have any visitors in the hospital so we could race through the newborn tests and get home as soon as possible. We missed our boys and were excited to introduce them to their baby sister!

Both Ian and Emmett were soooooo excited to meet her. Emmett kept dancing around saying "BABY!" and Ian announced over and over again, "I love my baby sister!!" Ian proudly presented Audrey with a picture that he had drawn for her, and they both gave her LOTS of gentle kisses. It was super precious and heartwarming. For the most part, they have continued to be sweet and loving since then. Every morning the first thing they want to do is see baby sister, and they both ask to "hold" her as much as I'll let them. Audrey also gets hundreds of kisses from her brothers every day. I am loving it! It's so fun to see our kids' relationships with each other develop.

As for Ben and I, well we are totally smitten with our little girl too. I am pinching myself that we really have a DAUGHTER now!

The first two weeks with Audrey have been pretty great! She's nursing like a champ, and is generally happy and peaceful. Ben's home from work for the month of January, which makes a huge difference. He's been letting me sleep in since I'm up at night feeding her, so I don't feel sleep deprived. And the boys aren't attention deprived because he's here. They are having the best time hanging out with dad and loving on their baby sister! I'm so grateful Ben was able to take this time off!!

So far, we haven't been doing a lot since Audrey was born...just resting at home, going on some small family outings, and having friends come to visit. My friend Corlana took most of these photos when she came over the other day. I'm so thankful she brought her camera with her! The newborn stage is so precious and fleeting. That not-even-a-week-old face and those darling newborn toes!!!! I know they won't keep, so I'm glad they're captured forever in photos.

Welcome to the world, dear Audrey! We love you so much!

This is a collaborative post. All opinions are my own.

I know, I know, we are still in the depths of winter right now, but that doesn't mean we can’t start thinking (and dreaming) about the warmer, sunnier summer months ahead! Maybe you’ll be heading away on vacation for some quality family time ...we’re definitely hoping to! But for the majority of the time, it’ll be about making memories at home, embracing the summer break. Since summer goes hand in hand with hotter weather, keeping comfortable at home is important for enjoying your daily routine. No one likes being hot and sweaty! Here are some suggestions to prepare your home for the summer.

Make your home a comfortable temperature

In the summer, you may spend quite a bit of time at home, so think of ways you can keep your home cool. Investing in an air conditioning unit is an obvious one. If your home already has one but you know it needs a repair, now is a good time to find an ac repair expert. You could also think about installing ceiling fans strategically. There are many sleek, modern, nicely designed ones that won’t detract from your home’s aesthetic.

Focus on your body temperature

Sometimes, it isn’t your surroundings that you need to focus on. Sip cold drinks, stay hydrated, and wear clothing made from breathable material. It will help you to feel more comfortable in the heat and allow you to get on with your plans and routines.

Close the curtains and shades 

Window treatments, whether they are blinds or shades or curtains, are important for energy efficiency and temperature control. Now is a great time to get them in place, if you don’t have them already. Your home can really get heated by the sun shining through the windows, so consider closing window treatments during the brightest parts of the day, especially in rooms like bedrooms that you’re not using during that time anyways. This will make your bedrooms much cooler when you head to bed...an easy and effective way to help you and your kids be comfortable at night!

It may seem like summer is way in the distant future, but preparing now will set you up for success. Your future self will thank you!