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MOTHERHOOD

DANIEL’S BIRTH STORY

  • Mar 2, 2020
DANIEL’S BIRTH STORY

What a journey motherhood has been. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would carry and deliver three babies. After struggling for years with infertility, I was plagued with anxiety and superstition while pregnant with Dannica, only to have a uterine inversion during my delivery where I almost lost my life…(you can read about Dannica’s birth story here).

Following Dannica’s birth, I wasn’t sure I could ever bring myself to have another child. In the end, I knew that I would live in regret if I didn’t try. I’ve always wanted a large family and more importantly, I wanted to give Dannica a sibling. And so we revisited IVF once more. DJ’s pregnancy was an emotional roller coaster from the beginning. At six weeks, I started bleeding. I came home after a morning of running errands because I felt like I was leaking…I hurried to the bathroom and saw the entire toilet bowl filled with bright red blood. I immediately went into my fertility clinic and they saw the source of the hemorrhage. Aside from doing my daily Progesterone shots, they put me on a strict 2 week bedrest. As the technician was wiping my blood off the floor, I broke down and cried because I knew it was over. I just had a late miscarriage right before, and I felt so defeated and crippled. When I went back in for another ultrasound, they found that the source of the bleeding had stopped and clotted. And…they found DJ’s heartbeat. Strong and steady. The nurses, technicians, even my doctor couldn’t believe it.

I thought it would be smooth sailing from there, but at my 20 week anatomy scan, they found that my cervix was too short and soft. They referred me to a neonatologist who then had me come in for weekly ultrasounds. At 24 weeks my neonatologist placed an emergency cerclage so that I wouldn’t deliver him prematurely. You can read about DJ’s birth story here.

We had one embryo left at our IVF clinic. My husband and I have talked and planned and dreamed together about having a little party of a family when we first got married. We didn’t think twice about it and went for another transfer. And after Dannica and DJ’s pregnancy and delivery, I was determined more than ever to just relax and enjoy the journey. And it proved to be my smoothest pregnancy yet. Third time was definitely the charm!

Despite it being my third pregnancy, I carried him the longest, and delivered him just a day shy of 38 weeks. The labor and delivery were so different from my other two. My water broke prematurely with both of my first two pregnancies– so naturally I was mentally preparing myself for another early delivery with my water breaking. For the first time I had my hospital bag packed and ready. I had my mother flown in at 36 weeks because I was already dilated to 1.5 cm. But days went by. And then weeks went by. And–NOTHING!

When I hit 37 weeks, I was going in for Non-Stress Tests every other day because his movements drastically decreased (at one point, I didn’t feel a single movement for over 24 hours). He had been so active my entire pregnancy that I was worried something was wrong…When I saw my doctor at my 38 week check up, we decided to come up with an action plan, and scheduled an induction date and time at my hospital.  I’ve always worried about preterm delivery that I couldn’t believe the position I was in! After my appointment, I took the kids to the museum for a playdate, then to the dentist, and then went out for dinner…basically had a full day before going to bed.

Except I couldn’t sleep because I was cramping. I want to preface this by saying that I never truly felt the onset of early contractions before because my water broke first in my previous two pregnancies–at which point I hurried over to the hospital where I was hooked up to a monitor, and the nurses told me when I was contracting. So I just stayed put, and tossed and turned trying to get some rest. By 1AM, I was in more pain. I decided to pace the room and distract myself (thank you social media and online shopping!!).  I wondered if I was in labor and contemplated calling my physician. But I didn’t want to be “that” patient, and turn into the boy who cried wolf. SO, I moved on to a hot shower. Did not work. I was in more pain than ever, and I then knew…I was definitely in labor.

It was 4:45AM when I left a message with my doctor that I was going to the hospital and woke Dave up (BTW–CAN YOU BELIEVE MY HUSBAND SLEPT THROUGH ALL THIS?!?! For better or for worse, the man can sleep through anything!). I tell Dave, “Babe! It’s time. I’m in labor. Can you text my mom to take care of the kids? Let’s go!”

I hurry downstairs with my hospital bag, and I am waiting and waiting…doing my best to breathe through my contractions. Still no Dave~. I scream, “Dave, we got to go! Where are you?” His response…”I’m brushing my teeth!” I literally thought my eyeballs were going to pop out of my face. Seriously. I yell at him to forget the teeth brushing and that I really needed to get to the hospital.

So now I am in the slowest car ride in the history of car rides ever (who slows down and stops at a yellow light when your wife is in labor? Virtually points an accusatory finger at my husband). We finally roll up into the valet area of the hospital. No one is there and I am in so much pain that I just run out, telling Dave to forget about the car and just leave it there. We hurry up onto the labor and delivery floor, check in, and at the same time my doctor called me back to say that he is on his way.

The nurse comes over to greet me and asks for my name. My response, “I need an epidural!!!!!” She smiles, takes my arm and says, “of course, let’s get you a room first to settle in.” As I’m walking down the LONGEST hallway ever, I ask her repeatedly, “is the anesthesiologist on his way? Because I would really like that epidural. I am in a lot of pain!” She casually turns to another nurse and exclaims, “can you page doctor so and so, because she’s REALLY interested in the epidural.” Even in my mind numbing pain, I could almost feel her eyes roll!

After what felt like a hike up Mount Everest, we finally get to our room. The nurse asks if it’s okay to check my cervix. I nod my consent because I can’t speak at this point. She looks up immediately and goes, “OKAY! SO YOU’RE ALMOST AT 10CM! Were you trying to go for a home birth?” I looked at her like she had three heads because, 1. I had no idea I was that dilated, and 2. what was she doing making casual conversation and cracking jokes?! And then the flurry of activity commenced– the nurses ran in with all the equipments while simultaneously telling me I not to push because my doctor was almost here. Everything afterwards felt like it all took place in a matter of seconds.

A minute later, YES!! The face I wanted to see the most– my doctor walked in!! He checks my cervix and starts to pull out the stirrups. He looks straight at me and ever so calmly says, “Aenny, get ready to push.” Wait…WHAT?!?!?

Me, “Wait. What!? But. Dr. Wester!” Pant, pant, pant, grunt, pant, pant, pant. “But. I. Asked. For. An. Epidural!!!!”

My doctor, “Aenny, there is no time…You can do this. I know you can.”

Me, “nononononono. I REALLY can’t” Pant pant pant. I cross my legs here (now I’m just flat out being a big baby, but totally don’t care–you let go a lot of your dignity when you’re in labor). “I won’t push until I have my epidural.”

My doctor looks at my face. I stare back at him, legs still crossed. He opens his mouth. Closes it. Then says, “Okay. Hang on for a sec.” He hurries out and then comes back in with….TADA!!!!! The anesthesiologist!! Now where was he before?!?!

The anesthesiologist turns to me and says, “we are pressed for time, so I will need your verbal consent for everything.” Here, he asks me a bunch of questions to which I just rapidly fire out a string of yeses. While I was sitting hunched over and doing everything in my power not to move or shake, I could feel my baby moving down the birthing canal…it felt like I was burning up inside out…or being ripped apart. I lie back down and immediately start pushing. And pushing. And pushing.

At this point, I was in so much pain that I was delirious. That’s when Dave looked at me, and I saw the wild excitement all over his face. He says, “Aenny, he’s there! He’s there! You’re so close! So close! Just one more babe. Just one more push. I know you can do this.” And it was exactly what I needed to hear–because…I was GOING to meet my baby!! And I pushed with what I could only describe as a mother’s strength…that out of body, mind over matter kind of strength…and was rewarded with the most beautiful sound known to humankind.

And then, time just stands still. The whole world stands still. There is no greater moment…no greater joy…no greater love story…than the first time you meet your baby and become a mother. You hold this little miracle, and it is like you’re seeing in color for the first time. And for the third time I wonder, how is this kind of love contained? How? What did I do to deserve such a blessing. I had three very different births with all three of my children, but one thing is the same… The tidal wave of wonderment and love and joy is unmatched to any other emotions or memory experienced before.

After coming back down to reality, we were all crying and hugging and laughing at how crazy the whole process was. Dave and I got out of our parked car at 5:08AM and I was holding my son by 6:07AM. I was still wearing the clothes I came in! Dr. Wester was cleaning and wiping the blood off the floor (the nurses told me that he is the only doctor to get on his hands and knees and clean up after his deliveries), and my anesthesiologists told me that he only administered the epidural because he was doing Dr. Wester a favor (normally, he would refuse and say it is too late). I am so forever grateful to my doctor, for making us all feel safe and for bringing my baby into this world, my husband for standing by my side through it all, our parents and friends for stepping in when we were in need, and to my children Dannica, DJ and Bella for being the best children and older siblings a mom could possibly hope for. And thank you God, for you are so marvelous and good when we are so undeserving. Thank you, thank you, and thank you.

All in all, it was my last pregnancy…last time feeling those hiccups and kicks and watching my belly grow. And it was my last labor and delivery. The last time to hold and smell and meet someone I’ve been loving and waiting on so patiently for what feels like my whole life. And it was the most exquisitely beautiful way to close one chapter of my life…before beginning another…

Click on links below for videos:

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EASTER EGG & BASKET GUIDE FOR LITTLES

  • Apr 8, 2019

I love a thoughtfully curated Easter basket, one that is full of items I know my children will need for the Spring (and through the summer). I borrow the tip that many moms use to do their Christmas shopping for their littles (it is so easy to get carried away otherwise), and that is to include something they will need, something they can wear, something they can read, and something they will want. I include one more category to this go-to list, and that is to get something that will inspire them outdoors. So without further ado…here is my Easter Basket Guide for Littles…

FOR THE GIRLS

Click on grey text below for direct links to products.

We are the Gardners

Pink Hunter Boots

Floral Sunglasses

Bunny Umbrella

Wunderkin Fable Bow

Rose & Rex Botanist Set

Cuddle + Kind Chloe the Bunny

FOR THE BOYS

Click on grey text below for direct links to products.

Cuddle + Kind Sebastian the Lamb

Clear Umbrella

Little Blue Truck’s Springtime Book

Wunderkin Bowtie

Baby Aviators

Navy Blue Hunter Boots

Rose & Rex Explorer Play Kit

EASTER EGG FILLER IDEAS!

And finally, I wanted to include some ideas for Easter egg fillers that do not involve SWEETS! And I love that these are all items that kids would absolutely love to receive and actually USE!

EOS Lip Balm

Yoobi Egg Shaped Chalk

Yoobi Egg Eraser Bundle

Easter Egg Stamps

Wunderdough

More ideas: Stickers, washable tattoos and small accessories (rings, bracelets)

EASTER & SPRING BOOK GUIDE FOR LITTLES

  • Apr 7, 2019

There are so many wonderful Easter and spring related books out right now (some are classics, some are new found favorites, and some are spin offs of the famous original book). Here are some of our current favorites that will surely become a household favorite of yours as well. All are linked here as well, simply click on the text in grey 🙂 Happy reading everyone!!

Easter is Coming

Here, a mother tells the story of Easter to her young children.

First Easter

Wonderful book for young children to learn about Easter.

God Gave Us Easter

Papa bear explains lovingly to his little cub the story of Easter.

The Story of the Easter Bunny

Story about how the Easter Bunny came to be.

We are the Gardeners

This book needs no introduction as it is flying off the shelf! Written by none other than Joanna Gaines herself!

The Tiny Seed

A wonderful classic…perfect to read to little ones about the onset of spring.

How to Grow Happiness

The Chung family love any books by Kelly Dipucchio (Antoinette & Gaston). This book is also wonderful and teaches young ones about the hard work that goes into gardening and growing happiness.

Little Blue Truck’s Springtime

Wonderful book for babies and younger toddlers, with lift the flap details.

Princesses Save the World

The sequel to the famous Princess Wears Pants, this one is about how important bees are in pollinating (perfect for Spring)!

The Little Rabbit

We love the Christmas book written by the same author. This one is just as beautifully illustrated. About a little girl and her toy bunny that comes alive~

Too Many Carrots

A bunny loves carrots a little too much, and its friends decides to help!

The Good Egg

The dynamic duo who wrote “The Bad Seed” does it again with this hilariously fun read about an egg that “cracks” under pressure in trying to be too good.

Click Clack Peep

A spinoff of the runaway hit “Click Clack Moo, Cows that Type,” we cannot get enough of its spinoffs. This one is adorable with the rhythmic animal sounds and the little hatched duckling that won’t go to sleep!

MOM LIFE ESSENTIAL | UPPABABY

  • Apr 4, 2019

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of UPPAbaby. The opinions and text are all mine.

The number one question I get asked across the board from new moms and veteran moms alike is–“what is the one thing you can’t live without as a mom,” or asked another way, “if you could purchase just ONE big ticket item before the baby comes, what would it be”? And I don’t even hesitate to answer that it is my UPPAbaby VISTA stroller.

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I am always hesitant to recommend baby products (even those that worked beautifully for me) because all products are really baby dependent…For example, you don’t know if your baby will like a lounger, rocker, bouncer, or a swing (and so it is best to wait and test out the products before committing to them before the baby is born). Additionally, you don’t know if your baby will sleep in a crib, or a bassinet or co-sleep with you. Moreover, even with essentials, you don’t know if your baby will be strictly breastfed, bottle-fed or a mix of both…and even then you have no idea what kind of bottle your baby will take to! You may prefer glass bottles, bottles that ease colic, or bottles that mimic breastfeeding, etc.

There is just ONE exception and that is the stroller. The UPPAbaby VISTA I recommend universally across the board. To expectant first time mothers, to new moms of twins, to moms with a baby and toddler, and even veteran moms with multiple children of varying ages. And that’s because the UPPAbaby VISTA grows with your family. It comes with both a Bassinet and a Toddler Seat that you can switch over to once your baby can sit up and is strong enough to hold his or her head up.

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Toddler seat on upper bracket in forward facing position.

The Bassinet by itself is incredible–super cozy with machine washable lining and an extendable canopy with UV ray protection and an additional mesh netting that fully extends for even more coverage. It also pops out easily with just one click of a button from the stroller frame in case you need to park your stroller but want to keep your baby in the bassinet (for example, many restaurants require you to park strollers out by the entrance). Personally, my daughter was quite colicky when she was born. So for the first six months of her life I used to go on hour long walks with her in her bassinet every single day (the stroller was literally and figuratively a life saver).

And then once she was old enough, we moved her into the Toddler Seat which is already included. And I had a love affair with their Toddler Seat too. You can have the seat front or rear facing, recline all the way back (for when they fall asleep), and also have it completely upright and switch out the handle bars for their snack tray so that they can eat while on the go (UPPAbaby also has the BEST accessories and they have them ALL–everything you could think of, they have). And just like the Bassinet, the Toddler Seat also has a fully extendable canopy and an adjustable foot rest. I mean…It makes ME want to be a kid again just go ride in such comfort!

Toddler seat rear facing on upper adaptor shown above.

And THEN when my son was born, I fell in love with the VISTA even more! You can easily purchase the upper adaptor and the UPPAbaby RumbleSeat to convert the stroller into a DOUBLE STROLLER! I love that even as a double stroller, it takes up no additional footprint (some double strollers are so cumbersome, can’t get through doorways, can’t fit on sidewalks, can’t be maneuvered easily, the list goes on). So I had my son in the Bassinet (or the UPPAbaby MESA carseat–which we also LOVE), and my daughter in the RumbleSeat facing out. This worked out beautifully because that way she can easily step into and out of the seat since it sits lower to the ground too.

Now, my son is 13 months old and my daughter is 3.5 years old. So now in lieu of the Bassinet, I have the Toddler Seat on top for my son facing out (I used to have it face in– looking towards me, but now he enjoys looking out and around), and my daughter continues to sit in the rumble seat below (also looking out). The configurations are endless!!! For example, my friend who has newborn twins uses the double configurations to fit in two car seats or two bassinets (depending on their needs), and it works BEAUTIFULLY.

What next? My husband and I actually love and adore babies and are hoping to add another little baby to the family. And with that, the VISTA will still be there right along side us! UPPAbaby also has a PIGGYBACK that you can clip on to the stroller. So now my daughter can cruise along on the piggyback, my son will move over to the RumbleSeat, and we will bring out our trusty Bassinet again.

But honestly, the moment we became an UPPAbaby family was actually when our stroller broke! We were flying to NYC, and I had gate checked my VISTA. When the crew brought out our stroller, I noticed that they had broken the stroller frame (completely destroyed). I waited in line by the baggage claim, I called the airline company…all to no avail. I was desperate…I cannot live without my stroller. So I filled out the Customer service form on the UPPAbaby website about what happened, and within that very hour, I got an email from a live person. She asked if I had registered my stroller and when I had bought it. I told her I bought it in 2015 (I was pretty sure my warranty had run out too because I bought it such a long time ago), and I told her that I did not register the stroller (I was in a newborn baby crazy phase of no sleep, and the last thing I thought to do was register a stroller). She emailed back right away and after a few additional information and photos, she told me a new stroller frame was being shipped that day and forwarded me the tracking number!! I had a brand new stroller frame in three days!!!

I honestly do not care how wonderful, or how beautiful, or how affordable a product is if the back end/customer service is atrocious. Because you just never ever know what may happen with a product (especially when it relates to your children–you know it will go through some wear and tear :). And I was blown away by the customer service team over at UPPAbaby. I had posted this whole scenario from beginning to end on my Instagram account @aenny04, and I was FLOODED with comments and DMs from other moms on how they ALSO had the most amazing experience with UPPAbaby. One mother messaged me and said that their stroller frame broke while they were at Disney World (they had parked their stroller and when they came back, it was moved elsewhere and broken). She sent in a form (similar to what I did), and they overnighted a brand new stroller frame to her hotel!!

So I cannot cannot cannot recommend the UPPAbaby VISTA enough to all the moms out there. The stroller is like an extension of you…I always say it is only second in line to my husband in terms of how much I rely on it hahaha. And it truly has been the gift that just keeps on giving.

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DJ’S FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY

  • Feb 11, 2019
DJ’S FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY

WELCOME TO CAMP DAVID!

Before I could even fully grasp it, my son turned ONE. The first time I held him, the first smile, the first coo, the first solids, the first tooth, the first sit up, the first crawl, the first hair cut, the first step, and all the other little firsts that make up the first year…the longest year, yet the fastest…the hardest year, yet the happiest…And undoubtedly the most magical and emotional year…

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For DJ’s Dohl* (More on the significance and meaning behind this Korean ceremony/tradition explained below), we wanted to go with a camp/woodland theme party and fell in love with “CAMP DAVID” (also a word play on the presidential retreat). As soon as my husband and I agreed on a theme, I reached out to Hannah Choi from Little Confetti Events to put everything together and Paul Kim over at BOM photography to document everything (he also photographed  my wedding, engagement, maternity, and Dannica’s Dohl). Hannah (from Little Confetti Events) was the mastermind behind my daughter’s Alice in Onederland themed Dohl, and I knew there wasn’t anyone else I wanted to work with (she is brilliant, amazing, creative, detail-oriented, and just all around the best of the best of the BEST). Below are some detail shots of the Dohljanchi table. All sources are listed at end of article.

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These are all different flavored cake pops!! Chocolate teddy bear, red velvet latern, and vanilla tent cake pops.

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KID’S ENTERTAINMENT (Not just for kids!)

It’s important to include entertainment to keep those little ones busy or else you will find your guests leaving before they can even finish their meals. We hired a balloon artist for Dannica’s first birthday party, but we wanted to do something that kids can do all together (but most importantly, not wait in line!). My brilliant Event Planner designed a camp themed Photo Booth station with props and polaroids for children (and adults!!) to take photos, and then make picture frames out of popsicle sticks and stickers to put the polaroid in! We also supplied camp themed coloring pages and crayons and markers.

I love these photos (there’s just something endearing about a crying birthday photo (similar to a crying Santa photo ;)–clearly you can guess which one loves photo booths 🙂

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GUESTBOOK, SEAT ASSIGNMENT & OTHER DETAILS

In lieu of a traditional guestbook, we decided to go with a poster where guests can sign their names on a leaf and place it on a tree branch…I liked the symbolic meaning behind a family tree where each leaf brought together made for a full and lush tree.

For table/seat assignments, I named each table after a major national park (Rocky Mountain, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, etc)–in line with the camp themed party.

We also decided to go for S’mores kit for party favors–the ultimate/quintessential camping snack/dessert 🙂

DOHL & DOHLJABI

Dohl** is a Korean tradition that celebrates a baby’s first birthday. This ceremony blesses the child with a prosperous future and has great significance in Korean culture. The tradition came about because in the past, the death rates for babies were high and many children died before their first birthday. So it was an important milestone for both baby and parents and the whole village used to celebrate by sharing food and wishing for long life and fortune for the baby.

Dohljabi*** The highlight of the dohl is a custom called the dohljabi where the child is placed in front of a table of objects such as string, rice, books, and money. The child is then urged to pick up an object from the table. It is believed the one selected will foretell the child’s future. For example, if they pick up money, they will be wealthy. If the child picks up the thread, it is believed they will live a long life. The types of objects placed on the table for the baby to choose has evolved over time as a reflection of society’s evolving perception of successful occupations (stethoscope for becoming a doctor, gavel for becoming a lawyer, balls for becoming an athlete, and some have included mouse for becoming a computer engineer, legos for becoming an architect, etc).

Guests are asked to guess which object the baby will pick and “bet” by placing a raffle ticket in the basket corresponding to the object. The winner(s) would receive a small prize for guessing correctly. We had DJ “pick” out two objects, and the first one was money, the second was the football–so we are guessing he will hopefully become a “wealthy athlete” :). He mostly cried so much from all the attention and noise from the guests (people get very involved and excited!!), that his sister and I basically handed over whatever object we could grab, and waited to see if he would stop crying hahaha.

CAKE SMASH

We also of course love the more American tradition of a good cake smash session after singing Happy Birthday. We were actually the most excited about this because our daughter really did some damage (practically ate the entire cake) during her cake smash session. But I should have known!!–They have literally been night and day since birth, and DJ was more interested in the tablecloth than his cake!

INVITATIONS

I had DJ’s invitations designed by Jessica from Prop Shop Boutique (click links below for video). I wanted to design an interactive invitation where the tent was tied with twine, and the guest had to untie the twine and open the tent to reveal party details and logistics.

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SOURCES:

Event Planner and Coordinator: Little Confetti Events

Photographer: BOM Photography

Cakes, Cupcakes & Cookies: Sugarsuckle

Cake Pops: Bakes by Marie

Restaurant: TORO

Photo Booth Props (click on individual item for direct link to shop): Tent, Rug, Plus Campfire Kit, Photo Booth Props

Invitations: Prop Shop Boutique

DJ’s Outfit: Suit and shirt is by Janie & Jack, Suspenders by Little Mister Shop, Shoes by The Humble Soles, Bow Tie by Wunderkin, Traditional Hanbok by Hanbok Story

Dannica’s Outfit: Black Eloise Dress by Bonpoint, Shoes by Zara, Bow by Wunderkin, Peach Lace dress by Kadime, Traditional Hanbok and accessories by Hanbok Story

BOOKS TO LOVE

  • Jan 23, 2019

It’s a day dedicated to celebrating all things LOVE, and we couldn’t be more excited! Here are a few of our current and past favorite books that touches upon the importance and meaning of love. (I have also included our favorite books from last year, because books never go out of style 🙂 <3

FOR THE BOOKSHELF – BOOKS ABOUT FEELINGS AND LOVE

WORDS AND YOUR HEART – This is by far my favorite Valentine’s Day book this year and if you don’t have it, it is an absolute must. It is a beautifully written and illustrated book about the power of words, and how we can use them to change the world by changing how people feel about themselves. It is written in a way that really speaks to young children, but really it is a book that everyone can enjoy from ages 3 to 103!

PART OF MY HEART – This book always makes me cry! About motherhood, and how your baby will always be a part of your heart.

HUG MACHINE – I got this for DJ because he is such a hugger and as a boy mom, it really spoke to me 🙂 This is perfect for younger children as well.

LOVE IS – Another absolute favorite!!! This book always without fail makes me tear up. About a little girl who adopts a baby duckling and raises it like her own, only to let it spread its wing and send her off into the big wide world (sound pretty much like motherhood!). BUT it has a very happy ending 🙂 My daughter’s favorite book!

DINOSAUR KISSES – Adorable little book for younger children. My son loves it when I make those silly noises and silly kisses on him.

LOVE MONSTER AND THE LAST CHOCOLATE -A follow up to a classic “The Love Monster” (see below list from last year). It is just as good as the original and also great for younger babes!

I LOVE YOU LITTLE POOKIE – My son LOVES EVERYTHING from the rookie series, so of course we had to get this for Valentine’s Day!

–VALENTINE’S BOOK LIST 2018 EDITION–

The list below is our book list from last year, but we still love and enjoy them just the same!

~LOVE MONSTER– A lonely monster finds love when he least expects it!

~IN MY HEART– All about the different and complex emotions that a child may feel, described in a way that toddlers can relate to and understand.

~PLANT A KISS– simple and timeless tale about love by the famous children’s author Amy Rosenthal.

~LOVE IS A TUTU– an instant classic AND a favorite for any young girls taking their first ballet classes. Dannica loves recognizing all the dance steps and moves.

~LOVE IS A TRUCK– a follow up book to the run away hit “LOVE IS A TUTU”, this book is just as adorable and fun to read!

~THE COLOR MONSTER– a beautiful pop up book that teaches young toddlers all about their feelings in terms of colors. This book is a MUST. It is so beautiful and interactive and toddlers gravitate towards the simple yet effective story line.

THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH

  • Oct 18, 2018
THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH

 

You will never forget your first trip to Disney World. The only trip that can eclipse that, is your first trip to Disney World with your children. I have always loved the wonder and magic of everything Disney, and I have waited three very very very looooooooong years (the age I knew Dannica would get the most out of the park) before vacationing there. And it was worth the wait…It. Was. Perfect.

BEFORE YOU GO

There are a few things that I knew we had to do right away. I call it the Big Three: Cinderella Royal Table (CRT), Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (BBB) and the Perfectly Princess Tea Party (PPP). For descriptions of the activities, you can go visit the official Disney website for additional information. I have also posted videos of all three on my IG page under my highlights and you can check them out here. They are the three activities/experiences that consistently get booked out as soon as reservations open. Some people even book these three experiences even before they book their hotels and flights (yes, it is that competitive to secure). Disney allows you to make advance reservations up to 180 days in advance (IF you are staying at a Disney owned and operated resort, then you can reserve 180 days in advance of the day of arrival AND make up to 10 days of advance dining reservations that same day you call–which means you can conceivably book up to 189 days in advance for CRT & PPP). For BBB, you have to call right at 180 days in advance (they do not accept online reservations). I called right when they opened the reservations and they had one time slot at the Downtown Springs location available (there are two BBB locations, and the one inside Cinderella Castle gets booked more quickly).

Cinderella Royal Table

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique–final transformation with a bit of photo pass magic

Another reservation that is hard to obtain is the early dining reservation because you can enter the park even before it is open to the public (usually at 9AM). There are three options that offer breakfast during these times (as early as 7:55AM!!): CRT, Crystal Palace on Main St. and Be Our Guest at the Beast’s castle. The benefit is that you get to enjoy the park when it is minimally crowded (at times it feels empty)!!! I made an 8AM breakfast reservation at Be Our Guest and I have videos of Dannica running around in front of Cinderella’s castle all by herself. By the time we finished our breakfast and walked out, the Seven Dwarves mine train had a 5 min wait, and all other rides had zero standby wait time. If you have children and wake up at the crack of dawn anyways, this is a great option to start your day! Videos also available under highlights on my IG profile here.

In addition to the big three, I highly recommend making all your dining reservations and Fast Pass selections as soon as possible. Simply download the Disney App onto your phone for fast and easy reservations.

Another purchase that I loved was the Disney Photo Pass. My husband and I are always busy taking photos of the children, that we only have a handful of family photos. It was nice to walk around the park and know that we can snag a family photo at all the iconic spots around the park. In addition, when you go up for your photo, be sure to ask for *EXTRA MAGIC* for your photos. then they’ll add little surprises to your photos that you can view at the end of the day when the upload their photos. And all the flash photos that Disney captures on the bigger rides (like Splash Mountain, Seven Dwarves, Frozen) will automatically be uploaded onto your photo pass as well!

Photopass allows you to take unlimited amount of photos that you can download unlimited number of times! Photographers/automated cameras are stationed throughout the park.

 

One last thing to look into before you leave for your trip is to see if there are any special events going on. Disney is always hosting fun and seasonal parties at their parks and sometimes they require separate tickets. We bought tickets to Mickey’s not-so-scary Halloween Party and absolutely loved it. You can enter the park as early as 4:30 with the special ticket and stay until midnight. The lines were minimal at all the rides (5-30 minute wait times–there are no fast passes available for this special event). Dannica loved the trick or treat stations (obscene amount of treats given out–they literally grab two handfuls and shove them into your basket), and all the famous Disney villains come out for the night! To cap the night off is the Boo To You Parade (which Dannica also LOOOOOOVED), and fireworks! The other special event taking place during our stay was the Food & Wine Festival at Epcot. We definitely ate the best this day–hopping from country to country and sampling all the different kinds of foods.

Boo To You Parade at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

LOGISTICS

When packing for your trip, keep in mind that AMAZON PRIME and INSTACART now both deliver to Walt Disney World resorts. So you can ship diapers, wipes, water, snacks, etc all in advance to your hotel room, and they will be there waiting for you (or you can even request them to bring them to your hotel room once you check in).

Download the Lyft app, because you can then access the *Minnie Vans*–these are special vehicles that are red with white polka dots driven by Disney cast members. They’re a nice alternative to the Disney busses if you’re in a rush to get from one park to another that is not that convenient to get to.

If you have young children, you can either rent strollers in advance from a third party vendor (they will also drop and pick it up from your hotel) or rent one inside the park. We decided to bring our own umbrella stroller for Dannica (we always ergo DJ), and then rent a single stroller for DJ once inside the park (too hot and humid to wear him all day). I decided against bringing our double stroller because it is too cumbersome to quickly collapse when boarding the boat and unwieldy inside the park. We also wanted the option to separate (in case DJ needed a diaper change, or go back to the hotel room and nap, then one parent is stuck with a double stroller). It just gave us the most flexibility this way. One thing I was concerned with was losing our umbrella strollers (they all look alike, the cast members move strollers around constantly, and they’re $$)!! So I printed out a paper that said CHUNG FAMILY with a photo, laminated it, and then zip tied it to my umbrella stroller (just make sure you put it in a place so that the stroller can still collapse). Other moms tied balloons or ribbons onto their strollers for easy spotting.

We decided to stay at the Grand Floridian mostly for ease and convenience–we knew that we would spend a majority of our time over at Magic Kingdom, and they have a monorail and boat that goes back and forth from 7AM to 1AM every single day. It is also where the Perfectly Princess Tea Party is held. Staying at a Disney Resort also offers other benefits–the Magical Express Bus that transports you from and to the airport, they also pick up your checked luggage and deliver them straight to your hotel room (meaning you can skip baggage claim and lugging around heavy suitcases and go straight to your hotel room/park to start your day), and so many more (like the ones mentioned above with Amazon Prime delivery and early dining reservations).

WHILE YOU’RE THERE

While you will do a bulk of your planning and research before you even set foot at Disney, there are things you can do once you are there to make things easier. Everything from here on out is in no particular order of importance.

This is the first time I have heard of Rider Switch–and it is amazing. It is Disney’s system that allows people with small children to take turns riding the bigger rides with height restrictions while the other person wait with the child. You can read all about it here in detail.

Disney has a baby station in every single park. Know where they are/ memorize where they are on the map. They have EVERYTHING a mom may need–from formula, to baby food, to diapers. They have a mini kitchen with microwaves, outlets for breast pumps, private nursing rooms… you name it– they have it.

If you weren’t able to make advance dining reservations (see above), Disney parks have plenty of fast food counters and quick service restaurants. The trick is to ORDER THE FOOD AHEAD OF TIME on the Disney app. Then you can line up separately and just pick up the food and GO!

Photo spots are located all throughout the park. We only went to Epcot and Magic Kingdom so I can’t speak for the other parks, but the photographers were pretty well staffed throughout MK & Epcot. We loved taking advantage of Disney’s photographers because it was the only way to get family photos. I also love taking photos in locations that are not so obvious. The benefit is that there will be far less people crowding in on your photos. For Cinderella’s castle, I prefer the side view of the castle on one of the many bridges that connect the main plaza to Fantasyland/Tomorrowland/Frontierland. Then you are far away enough to get the entire castle in the background with minimal crowd. There are some amazing websites you can read to find all the secret photo spots (you can click here for an article I liked).

On the bridge from Frontierland!

You will also find that it rains a LOT. During our five days at Disney World, it rained all five days, multiple times a day. I packed a box of ponchos and brought two out each day as well as my stroller cover. Another helpful hint is that when you park your stroller to go inside, ALWAYS lower the cover. Stroller parking is usually in an open/exposed area. So you may find that when you walk out from a restaurant or a ride, your stroller is sopping wet because there was yet another downpour. If it isn’t the rain, the sun will also beat down on the seat making it unbearably hot. The bright side to all these frequent downpours is that you will have the perfect lighting for photos right after the rain–that cool but bright daytime light with no harsh shadows!

Off and on downpours–but great lighting for photos 🙂 Bright side to everything!!

While it is easy to mindlessly spend money during your stay (the magic bands make it feel like you’re not spending real money– *yikes*), the two purchases that I found most rewarding were not that expensive! The first was an autograph book for Dannica to bring to all her experiences and character meetings (they sell them EVERYWHERE in all shapes, sizes and colors). It really made it fun for her to collect signatures and also a great souvenir to bring back home. The other purchase I loved were our personalized/embroidered mouse ears–so iconic and simple, and perfect to bring back home because they collapse and are paper light. They sell those at Le Chapeau–located on the right hand side as soon as you enter Magic Kingdom.

We got one for each of our family members <3

All time favorite Disney inspired OOTD

MISC

For more helpful hints and tips, you can visit http://www.mkmamas.com (Magic Kingdom Mamas).

ALL the tips, tricks, advice, must-dos and must-sees were generously shared by amazing fellow moms that I have been fortunate enough to meet on Instagram and Facebook (Wunderkin has a really fun facebook page with a group of moms who really KNOW Disney :). So I want to dedicate this post and give a shout out to all of you!! THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH!!!

And last but not least–because it is the most IMPORTANT of all–just have fun!! No matter what, your kids will LOVE it. No matter what, YOU will love it. And no matter what, at the end of the day, all that matters is that you were all together.

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HALLOWEEN *BOO*KS 2018 EDITION

  • Sep 17, 2018
HALLOWEEN *BOO*KS 2018 EDITION

We have been waiting all year to bust out our Halloween books…I kept telling myself that I will wait until October 1st. But…alas…September 1st rolled around, and we just couldn’t wait a single more day! Last year, I wrote about my singular love for Halloween and that love has only grown once I had children. I love everything about it–the whimsy, the fantasy, the weather, the food, the traditions…what’s not to love about Halloween 🙂 So up went the decorations, out came the books and next week I am going to take the kiddos to the Pumpkin Patch (first trip of maaaaaaaany).

I love prepping Dannica for all things Halloween with books, and wanted to share some of our current favorites (you can find our Halloween book list from last year here–I’ve also included the post at the bottom).

  1. Ghost in the House–A lift the flap book that is also a counting book (both my 7 month old son and my 3 year old daughter love it) and has a fun rhythm to it for reading. We LOVE this book!
  2. The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin–WONDERFUL Halloween book that teaches a valuable lesson about being and loving yourself! A square pumpkin ends up saving all the pumpkins that made fun of him for his odd shape—and in the end differences are embraced and celebrated.
  3. Don’t Push the Button, A Halloween Treat–We love all the Don’t Push the Button books for its fun and interactive nature. This is also a great book for babies! Our son loves it!
  4. Cat’s Night Out–Beautiful illustratimons and a fun counting book.
  5. The Scariest Book Ever–A ghost is too scared to venture out, but reluctantly goes out to keep the reader safe and ends up having a blast!!
  6. How to Make Friends with a Ghost–This is such a sweet book…I even teared up a bit reading it. The little girl does grow up and eventually passes away and turns into a ghost… if it is something you do not want to expose your child to yet, I would wait on this book.
  7. Bonaparte Falls Apart–Such an adorable book about a little skeleton boy who keeps falling apart. This book was perfect for both Halloween and prepping Dannica for her first day of school!
  8. Which Way to Witch School–Dannica loves this book too! Like the book above, it is a bonus for those children just starting school (Dannica started preschool this year and is fascinated by anything school related).

And these books are not pictured, but my daughter is LOVING all the Fancy Nancy Halloween books (especially Nancy’s Ghostly Halloween) and my baby boy is loving all the Sandra Boynton Halloween books! We also cannot leave out our favorites from last year because those are still on repeat around our house–If you haven’t yet, you MUST get “No Such Thing”! I hope some of these books will help your children get excited for all things Halloween as well!

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HALLOWEEN BOOK LIST 2017 EDITION

Dannica has been absorbing like a sponge on all things Halloween. She asks to go to the pumpkin patch on repeat. She loves to yell, “Skulls! Spiders!! Bats!!! Ghosts say BOO!!!!” And her favorite of course, “PUUUUUUUUUUMPKINNNNNNNNS!!!!!” We picked up a bunch of Halloween coloring books and Halloween themed band-aids from the dollar section at Target, and she’s been going through them like there’s no tomorrow. What’s also been on repeat around the house are all her Halloween books! Here are some of our current favorites!!

Little Blue Truck’s Halloween–an absolute must for all the Little Blue Truck fans. This is also a lift-the-flap open book—making it extra fun!
Spookie Pookie–we all are huge fans of anything by Sandra Boynton, and this is no exception.
Gilbert the Ghost–sweet little book about a ghost that doesn’t fit in, but grows up to be the happiest of them all.
Vampirina Ballerina–combines two of my daughter’s favorite things right now!! Halloween AND ballet!!!
Ghosts in the House–a book about a brave little girl who knows a thing or two about dealing with ghosts!
No Such Thing–this is my daughter’s absolute absolute FAVORITE, and has been getting lots of love. It’s especially fun to spot the hidden ghost on each page!
I hope these books get your little ones excited for the big day, and that they will enjoy them for many Halloweens to come!!

DANNICA’S ICE CREAM PARTY!

  • Aug 9, 2018
DANNICA’S ICE CREAM PARTY!

So Dannica turned the BIG 3. And I definitely wanted to make this party special because it was the first time she really understood the concept of birthday parties and the fact that she was turning a whole year older. It is also the first birthday party that they might remember, and the first one that really matters to them.

As with all event planning, the hardest part is settling on a theme. Once you have a theme, you can run with it and Pinterest to your heart’s content. In the end we decided on an ice cream themed birthday party because

  1. Dannica LOVES ice cream!!
  2. Her birthday is in the middle of summer, and it’s been the hottest summer to date in Denver
  3. We wanted a gender neutral theme (because so many of our guests had both boys and girls). My husband and I figured that all the princess, ballerina, and unicorn themed birthday parties can come in the future.
  4. We had a GREAT location in mind that we knew would be perfect for the party size.

Once we had the theme in place and the Ice Cream parlor that we go to every week (we live only a few blocks away) reserved for the day, I went down the inevitable deep and dark Pinterest/Etsy hole. Most of my finds and ideas were from those two sources except for a few exceptions that I sourced from Amazon/Target.

I ordered these adorable invitations from Etsy about two months before the party (video below), and used the invitations and the Ice Cream Parlor as inspiration for the rest of the party in terms of color pantone and vibe.

Decorations:

I then ordered all the decorations about 8 weeks in advance because most of the small shops on Etsy require a long lead time.

I ordered this ten foot balloon garland from Etsy and it came with the balloons, air pump, a vinyl string to attach all balloons to and a detailed instruction sheet. It took me a few hours to make this, the most time consuming part was actually tying the balloon ends.

I ordered the Ice Cream Truck centerpiece off Etsy as well but I saw the exact same one on Amazon! It was very easy to assemble and you didn’t need any tape, glue or scissors!

The sprinkle balloon and the giant 3 balloon I also ordered on Etsy, but I am sure you can get similar ones from Party City and have them blown up there.

Kid’s Entertainment:

For any kids’ parties, it is absolutely essential to provide entertainment for the children. I’ve done everything from balloon artists to music acts to face painting. For this party, I decided to go with arts & crafts and I would say it was the most successful yet out of everything I did because it kept little hands busy at their own pace and they also didn’t have to wait in line for something that only provides a short amount of gratification.

I just bought $1 ice cream themed sticker books and ice cream themed coloring books and then a few ice cream themed play doh all from Amazon. The kids loved playing with their hands and the play doh ended up being the biggest hit!

And of course the main entertainment was the open ice cream bar for both kids and adults to enjoy!

Photo Booth:

I am a huge fan of photo booths. It is a fun way for your guests to be silly and to also go home with some fun photos from the party. I also am a huge fan of creating several interactive stations because it allows people to mix and mingle, and also helps divide the space up so that not everyone is crowded into one area.

I ordered these Ice Cream themed Photo Booth props as a digital download on Etsy. I printed them on heavy cardstock paper and then cut them out (there were detailed instructions on the best way to cut them out). And then I grabbed some wooden disposable chopsticks and krazy glued them to the back. I then got my chalkboards (for instructions), polaroid camera and placed them along the counter.

Party Favors:

I think it is fun to get super creative with party favors. I think of invitations as the sneak peak to a party for guests (it sets the first tone), and party favors as something that they will take away from the party. I found little popsicle boxes and ice cream pints on Etsy that I assembled (fairly easy!). And then I shopped the $1 aisle at Target and also Yoobi (a really fun school supply brand) for ice cream themed party goodies. Dannica’s birthday party is right before kids go back to school, so I thought in addition to party treats, it would be fun for kids to go home with school supplies like popsicle highlighters, ice cream erasers and little markers. For more details on the party favors, I have videos with all details under my highlights on my instagram page @aenny04.

 

I hope this post will provide you with some fun ideas and inspiration for your little ones if you ever plan on throwing an ice cream themed party! We had so much fun with our close family and friends celebrating our little Dannica turning 3!! We are so grateful to everyone who came and showered our baby girl with love and made her day absolutely unforgettable  <3

Product Sources (please click on title for links):

Ice Cream Themed Invitations

Ice Cream Sign

Ice Cream Themed Balloons

Balloon Garland Kit

Ice Cream Truck Centerpiece

Ice Cream Photo Booth Props 

Ice Cream Pints (to put in party favors)

Ice Cream Popsicles (to put in party favors)

Ice Cream Themed Cake: Maggie & Molly’s in Denver, CO

Ice Cream Parlor: Sweet Cooie’s in Denver, CO

All Party Favors: Target

Poloroid camera and inserts: Amazon

Dannica’s Outfit: Dress by Pleiades Designs, bow by Wunderkin Co and shoes were from Old Navy.

 

DJ’S BIRTH STORY

  • Jul 18, 2018
DJ’S BIRTH STORY

It took me close to two years to write down Dannica’s birth story…A huge part of that was because I did not want to relive it. It wasn’t until I was pregnant with DJ and nearing his delivery that I was forced to face my first delivery and come to peace with it. You can read about Dannica’s birth story here. 

After Dannica was born, my husband and I spoke with several different OBGYNS as well as my neonatologist about the uterine inversion. They were all confused because medically, my uterus should not have prolapsed. It was a huge relief to hear this from all the different doctors because that meant that my first delivery was a freak accident in every sense of the word, and they were all confident that I should be able to deliver safely and smoothly for future pregnancies. 

One of the first things I did after I recovered from my delivery was to switch OBGYNs. I did an exit interview with my former clinic where I expressed how I felt and why I was so frustrated over my labor and delivery experience. To which my former doctor said that there isn’t a single doctor who delivers all their patients’ babies. She told me she was only on duty until 5PM and that she had left me in very capable hands. I absolutely understood where she was coming from because you also don’t want an overworked doctor to operate on you. I told her which doctor and clinic I was switching over to. She was then quiet for a moment and said, “well that is the one doctor that I know who has delivered all of his patients’ babies.” And then she admitted that the other partner at the clinic had delivered both her daughters. 

It is strange…She didn’t have to tell me those things for me to know that I was making the right decision in choosing my current doctor. The clinic, the doctor, the whole experience was so different from day one. That is why it is so important to do your homework, and to interview and research the clinics and doctors before settling on one (something that I did not do the first time). My current doctor has seen me for every single appointment throughout my entire pregnancy. Every time I came for a follow-up, it was like picking up exactly where we left off. He knew my medical history inside and out. And he personally did so much research on uterine inversions, it made my husband and I so grateful that our doctor just CARED so much. 

At 37 weeks my neonatologist took out my cerclage (a cerclage is where they surgically suture your cervix shut to prevent preterm delivery). As soon as it was taken out, my current OBGYN, Dr. Wester said that I was 1cm dilated, and that I should prepare myself in case I go into labor soon. So we flew our mother in law out to take care of Dannica once I’m at the hospital. Three days after she flew in, my water broke a little after midnight on Saturday 2/3. So DJ’s birth started very similarly to Dannica’s, but could not have gone more differently. 

It was close to 1AM when I finally got to the hospital. When I told the staff my doctor’s name, they told me that Dr. Wester was already there delivering another patient’s baby! We got to our room, and the nurse told us that Dr. Wester was informed of our arrival and that all precautions were already taken care of and set aside. He had reserved extra bags of blood in case I needed another transfusion, and requested the nurse to put in two PICCs should he need to pump blood into me as quickly as possible. 

Soon after he delivered the other patient’s baby, he came to see us…and he looked so tired… He had already been working all day, delivered a baby, and now it was 2 am. I was nervous he would put me in another doctor’s hands and have history repeat itself… Or have me induced to speed up the labor. But he checked how my cervix was progressing, said everything looked great and said that the baby will come when he is ready and then smiled at me. He left the room at which point I thought he left the hospital to go home and rest before he would be paged. But my nurse told me that he actually was in the hospital bed and waited all night just in case my labor would progress rapidly. 

When it was finally time to push, he was just so patient! I was barely given 30 minutes to push Dannica before they used the forceps. But he just let me take my time, and really coached me push by push all the way through. Before I knew it, I heard my baby cry, and then he was in my arms! The first thing I want to say is that, there is not one single moment in life that will equal (or even come close to) the exhilaration and love that will course through every cell of your body like that moment when you meet and hold your baby for the first time. The second thing is that, each time is just as spectacular as the first birth… that feeling does not diminish in any way. Just like Dannica’s–I felt my whole body, from the tips of my hair to the ends of my toes just freeze and explode. It felt like the whole universe expanded all around me, and at the same time I felt like he and I were the only ones in existence. It felt like all was SILENT, but at the same time explosions were going off left and right, all around us… I wanted to have that moment live on forever and ever. 

When the cloud of exhilaration dissipated, I looked up and saw all the many faces who helped deliver this little miracle to us, and I was just so overwhelmed with so much gratitude. My husband and I looked at our Doctor, and all we could say over and over again was “thank you, thank you, thank you…” 

When things calmed down and my doctor came back to check up on me, I could see the relief in his eyes having safely delivered my baby. I could tell he does not see his profession as a job, nor his clients as patients. He sees us as future mothers to babies who need them, daughters to parents who raised them, and wives to husbands who love them…Not as a job to get done, but a sacred passage that he conducts with the utmost respect and diligence. 

After what happened during Dannica’s birth, I am so blessed to have experienced the labor and delivery I prayed for. 

There are so many people my husband and I want to thank for the birth of our beautiful baby boy. Dr. William Schoolcraft from CCRM who helped me conceive and made it all possible from the beginning. Our neonatologist, Dr. Greg Lindsay from Obstetrix for overseeing my cerclage and helping me carry DJ to 37 weeks. To all the nurses at Rose Medical who helped me recover. To my dear friend Annie Sandhu who introduced me to the wonderful Dr. Robert Wester. And of course, to Dr. Wester himself from Midtown OBGYN. Who took me on as a patient, who was always there for us, who brought our baby safely into the world, and who we now consider a great and forever friend—we owe you a lifetime of gratitude. Thank you from the bottom of all of our hearts.