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Our travels / Vietnam

Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City

December 8, 2017

Written by ashleyrespecki

Further Reading...

Istanbul (Turkey Part I)

April 17, 2014

EuroTour: Cinque Terre

January 2, 2017

EuroTour: Amsterdam

July 30, 2016

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EuroTour: Rome

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Vietnam: Hanoi

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Yesterday I celebrated my 34th birthday. 🥳⁣ /

Yesterday I celebrated my 34th birthday. 🥳⁣
//⁣
A decade ago, if you would have said to me: On your 34th birthday, you will have been in DC for almost 10 years and crazy Americans will have just attacked the Capitol, there will be a pandemic and you will have spent almost 10 months mostly isolated in the house you renovated with your husband and pup, you’ll be freshly postpartum with a beautiful three-month-old baby, and—to really sweeten the pot—you’ll have good ol’ mastitis (breast infection for the non-breastfeeding folks out there)...ohhh and you’ll probably be doing this diet reset you love called @whole30 and you won’t be able to have cake or booze to celebrate...⁣
😳⁣
I would have either straight rolllllled with laughter or wondered if you were high as a freaking kite.⁣
🤪⁣
//⁣
But here we are! Still smiling, because we’ll get through all this, right?? I mean, someone’s gotta make the baby giggle...

Today was my first day “back to work” after th

Today was my first day “back to work” after the birth of this cozy little girl—thank goodness for the new home office! Maternity leave was so long and so short all at the same time! I can’t believe it’s over. I’m so grateful to be working from home though—such a huge silver lining of COVID. And I’m so happy @nicholasrespecki has 6 weeks off to spend with Quinn so I can transition with so much ease. ⁣
//⁣
So while there were no tears this morning, no daycare drop off scenario—thank gawd!—I did snuggle this girl extra hard this morning. Change is change and we’ll all be making lots of adjustments over here in the coming months. I mean, we got our first giggle this weekend, and I’m like 95% sure my 3mo old is teething 😫 There’s drool everywhere, she’s eating her hands and has become such a fussy babe, sleeping and nursing are rough, and there are two little white buds under that bottom pink gum 😳 It’s about to get realllll interesting. ⁣
//⁣
Pic 2 is the snuggle position we were in 30min before I started my work day. Now that I think about it, grateful doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt today. 🥰

Three months with this sweet little one. I just ca

Three months with this sweet little one. I just can’t get enough of her. She is my whole world. ⁣
//⁣
Quinn just celebrated her first Christmas and was lucky enough to see some family to celebrate. She even met her great grandparents today. She is getting so strong and so talkative. She still loves her Disney lullabies at nap time, totally digs diaper changes, and is starting to escape from her sleep sack in the mornings. She gets so excited when she’s introduced to new toys and is very into her pacifier right now.⁣
//⁣
What would @nicholasrespecki and I do without this pure JOY in our lives?!

We’re ready and waiting! Bring it on Santa!⁣⠀
//⁣⠀
Merry Christmas Eve to our friends near and far!

Was trying to show you all of my trees in the dini

Was trying to show you all of my trees in the dining room, but peep my two greatest gifts for Christmas already under the tree! They seemed pretty cozy and couldn’t be bothered to be moved for this photo, but I think they’re right where they should be anyways.🎄🎁⁣⠀
//⁣⠀
Mom confession: I didn’t really get Quinn anything for Christmas. The girl is 3mos so it’s not like she’s unwrapping anything...and I was like, why would I wrap something *I* have to unwrap?! Plus my inner minimalist is like, how much does she really need?? I got her a couple things for her stocking and Nick got her Christmas books to read to her, but that’s it! I’m thinking in the new year I’ll subscribe to the @lovevery Montessori play kits so we can get developmental toys we need and control the clutter! Win-win.👏🏻

The stockings are hung, by the chimney with care..

The stockings are hung, by the chimney with care...but I’ve got my own Nick so St. Nick can stay home, especially if he’s showing any COVID symptoms. 😝⁣⠀
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Do y’all think Fauci talked to Santa about how bad all those cookies are for him when he was at the North Pole giving him the vaccine?? And is no one worried about whether or not the elves are vaccinated? I have so many questions...

In a normal year, I’d be so jazzed to sit on the

In a normal year, I’d be so jazzed to sit on the couch for two weeks over this “holiday break”—veg out, watch movies, binge tv shows. But I’ve spent sooo much time on this couch between postpartum days with baby Quinn, and now the winter COVID hibernation of 2020, that it’s making a 14hr flight to Australia sound nice!⁣
//⁣
What are people doing safely when they’re stir crazy and sick of the couch??? We’re already going on hour long walks—what else? ⁣
//⁣
(But for the record, if you have to be on a couch so much, it should be this one. This @crateandbarrel couch has been so good to us. I still can’t believe we moved it from the apartment to this tiny house by ourselves. PIVOT! 😝 Screenshot if you want other sources or follow me 👉🏻@liketoknow.it)

Okay, but like, do I tell him it’s too soon to b

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