Hi friends!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted so I wanted to pop in and give some quick updates. I love my blog so much even though maintaining it takes up more time than I seem to have these days, but every time I think about letting it go, I just can’t do it. Life feels pretty routine lately and I doubt anyone is interested in hearing about the monotony of our days, weeks, months, etc. so I haven’t had much to write about–although I have toyed with the idea of doing a day-in-the-life post. What do y’all think?

Anyway, through the monotony, we’ve still had some cool things happen so I’ll share what we’ve been up to lately for those who are interested.

I’ve concluded the final week of practicing gratitude every day this month for National Gratitude Month.

Here’s what I was thankful for:

Day 22: I’m thankful for podcasts. It took me a while to jump onto the bandwagon but now it’s one of my favorite forms of entertainment. I’m realizing I mostly like podcasts that teach me something, but I’m grateful for the variety that’s out there.

Day 23: I’m thankful for candles. Here lately I’ve been lighting a scented candle in my office while I work. The warmth of the flame and the sweet smell of “autumn wreath” have had a very uplifting effect on my mood. I’m grateful for something so simple.

Day 24: I’m thankful for therapy and Xanax. I have a wonderful therapist who does a great job of validating my feelings while helping me to reframe my negative thoughts. Sometimes I just need someone to whom I can unload all of my stress and anxiety, and she helps me figure out how to make it more manageable. And on the days when it is simply too much to handle and none of the reframing, meditation, or grounding works, I can turn to the medication to calm my racing thoughts and pounding heart. I’ll never be ashamed of getting help when and where I need it, and I hope that in sharing my experiences, others will seek help without fear or shame. For this, I am grateful.

Hi, everyone! These last few weeks (months?) have been a bit of a whirlwind with lots of changes and new routines to get used to. I’m here with an update on all of the newness in our lives including a new job, Invisalign, new daycares, and a new furbaby!

Beauty

I cut my hair and I started Invisalign!

You can’t even see them!

In middle school, I wore braces for two and a half years. Over these last few years I could tell that my teeth have been shifting. I was becoming increasingly unhappy with my smile and finally decided to do something about it – Invisalign! I started mid-November and wear a special set of trays for one week and then change to the next special set. Each set applies the right amount of force to move my teeth to where they need to be. I’ll be wearing them for about 9 months, which is a piece of cake compared to the years I spent in metal braces. I’m slowly acclimating to them but the best part is I’ll be done before you know it!

Work

In November, I started a new job at Duke University as a program coordinator for the Center for AIDS Research and I’m housed within the Department of Population Health Sciences. I coordinate the social and behavioral sciences program for investigators who research HIV/AIDS, so I’m still working in the field of sexual health – my passion – but in a slightly different capacity. I’ve been with this job for a little over a month now and I’m loving it so far. My team is amazing, my office is bright and happy, and I really like the work I’m doing it. It was a much needed change of pace and a great step up in my career.

My sweet digs at the new office.

Home & Family

As if a new job and new teeth (sort of) weren’t enough, we decided to move Sebastian to a new daycare and then we adopted another dog!

New School

Santa visited Sebastian at his new school. He was so excited! He told Santa he wanted cars for Christmas.

Seb’s new daycare is about 10 minutes from my new office and I like being so close by in case anything happens. It’s located farther away from our house than his previous daycare (about 20 mins vs. 7 minutes) so we’ve had to create a new morning routine to make sure we’re ready and out the door without being late. It has been worth it, though, because in the short time that he’s been at this new daycare he has flourished! He’s happier, speaking more, and singing songs. At his old daycare, he was having a bathroom “accident” almost every day but at this new daycare he hasn’t had a single one. I had had some suspicions about his former teachers not paying enough attention to the kids and this kind of confirms it. But the important thing is that he’s thriving now!

New Puppy

Meet Milo, our new puppy!

Milo Pilo

He’s a 1.5-year-old Chihuahua mix, and he’s quite the snuggle bug. We adopted him at the beginning of December and fell in love immediately. He’s such a sweet, wiggly little guy and we’re so happy to have him. We had a few early hiccups but he’s settling in quite nicely! We chose his name because we thought it sounded good with our other dog, Mia. Mia and Milo… kind of rolls off the tongue! His full name is Milo Pilo with ‘Pilo’ being a subtle nod to Nick’s and my favorite TV show in the whole world, Parks and Recreation per the clip below…

…and also because we make our dogs’ names rhyme! Chico Antonio, Mia Sophia, and Milo Pilo. It’s just what we do 🙂 I mean, look at how cute they are!

Mia & Milo

Anyway, I think that’s it for now. With the holidays coming up, we’ll be even busier but I have a few things in the works for the new year so I hope you’ll stick with me. Wishing you all the best!

Xo, Nicole

Happy Monday!

It seems a little early for a Life Lately post but I know I’ve been quiet the past few weeks, so I thought this would be a good way to check in. Life has felt both boring and hectic at the same time this whole month. Do you know what I mean? I’ve been really busy with work and family and life and once the day is over, the only energy I have left is reserved for sitting on the couch, binge watching Queer Eye and eating ice cream from the carton. Even though there was a lot going on, it still felt pretty boring because we were in a survival mode of sorts.

via GIPHY

When most people think of October, they picture cool days, fall leaves, hayrides and apple cider, scarves and boots, and, of course, pumpkins! In the South, however, it stays 90 degrees and humid throughout most of the month. But that doesn’t stop us from sweating in our scarves as we roam the pumpkin patch, looking for the perfect gourd.

That’s exactly what we did this weekend! It was hot and humid, and we spent a good amount of time fighting the mosquitoes, but I was determined for Sebastian to paint a pumpkin at one of our local produce stands, Perkins Orchard. [Side note: we bought our Christmas tree here last year and it stayed green and fresh for so much longer than our friends’ trees that ended up getting dry and brittle really early] Despite the heat, we had a good time and got some cute pictures. And I purchased a bag full of produce (apples, avocados, strawberries, peppers, beets, and plums) and a small mum for $20! That’s a sweet deal.