This post has been a bit of a surreal one to write. Because, to be honest, I still can’t quite believe where life has us currently.

Nine months ago, we were newly pregnant and over the moon to be expecting a second IVF baby around my birthday at the beginning of May. We were celebrating our 5th anniversary of living in Spain, applying for permanent visas to be able to stay much longer, and looking into purchasing our first home in the city. We found ourselves in such a sweet spot of daily life here in Barcelona surrounded by dear friends (including the cutest little circle of buddies for Teo), fulfilling work we both loved, and a happy return to post-pandemic traveling around Europe.

But shortly thereafter, our hearts broke when our doctor suddenly went quiet during an ultrasound one day. We ended up having a d&c just down the hallway from where we delivered Teo, which was unfortunately followed by months of additional complications, a barrage of doctor’s appointments, some truly awful medications, and ultimately one additional surgery. For months it felt like we were stuck in this frustrating grief time warp, finding it difficult to move forward emotionally while my body was still clinging to the pregnancy physically. Thankfully we eventually made it to the other side of things and were given the green light to continue again with fertility treatments if interested. So after talking with our doctor and giving things a lot of thought, we decided this spring to undergo a second full round of IVF in the hopes of bringing one more babe into our little family. (More on that below.) But in the midst of all of that, life took another sharp left turn that we didn’t see coming…

Our family is now moving back to Kansas City in June. ♡

To say this move is unexpected and bittersweet would be a understatement. I have to admit I’m still working to wrap my mind around it most days, since it’s just such a complete 180 from what we had envisioned for these next few years ahead. But Barclay and I have always said it would likely be our parents’ health that eventually drew us back to the United States. And when things recently took a difficult turn for one of our families, it felt clear to us that we wanted to be back as soon as possible to help. So after taking turns making a number of trips back to the States over the past few months, we now have one-way tickets booked for our entire family in less than two months.

Our days are currently spent swimming in a sea of logistics, trying to piece together the puzzle of an international move with two adults, a toddler, our sweet elderly pup, and all of our belongings. It has been…a lot. (Especially in the midst of IVF plus everything else going on.) But our friends and family back in the States have gone above and beyond to help us sort through various details of getting resettled and have generously welcomed us back with such open arms. And our wonderful crew here in Barcelona has firmly decided it’s not a forever good-bye and that we’re simply going to squeeze in as many good times as possible together here before we leave. So emotions are running high in our home right now, but we’re trying to remind ourselves when logistics get overwhelming that everything will somehow eventually sort itself out, and above all, we are counting ourselves enormously lucky to be surrounded by such a loving crew around the world.

Anyway, clearly, lots to catch up on! So for anyone interested in reading more about the latest chapter of our IVF journey, adventures in purchasing a house (and all the things!) from overseas, plans for our remaining seven weeks here in Europe, plus a special garden update from Mali, here’s the latest and probably final update I’ll probably sharing from here in Barcelona.

Our embryo transfer two weeks ago was such a happy day.

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Happy Friday, everyone! ♡

I realized the other day that it’s been over a year and a half since I’ve done a day in the life post on here…and I kind of miss them! So now that we’re back home in Barcelona and getting settled into our usual routine again, I decided to snap my way through our day yesterday to capture a bit of what life looks like lately with our little guy (who just turned 18 months today, time is flying!).

We’re settling in here for a cozy almost-fall weekend ahead with a few toddler playdates, lunch with some Kansas City friends who are passing through town, maybe a little fall baking, and then I’m excited to dive into this new book. Wherever in the world this finds you today, I hope that you’re all doing well and wish you a lovely and peaceful weekend ahead, xoxo

7:00: Muy buenos días. ♡ An iced latte to start the day, courtesy of my favorite barista.

7:30: Teo’s turn to rise and shine! This busy little dude doesn’t want to stay still for a single photo lately, so my camera roll is full of lots of blurry cuteness right now.

7:45: Quick clean-out-the-fridge egg scramble for our desayuno (and plain scrambled eggs, PB toast and banana for Teo’s).

8:00: He’s now tall enough to press all of the buttons…which means that we occasionally now return to a mysteriously paused laundry cycle an hour later.

8:30: And off they go! Teo just started attending a sweet little Montessori guardería (daycare) last week and, like most daycares here in Spain, they have a lengthy “adaptation” period during which the parents are encouraged to stay with the kids to help ease the transition. So we’re taking turns spending our mornings there with Teo until the teachers think he is ready to stay on his own. (more…)

Happy August, friends!

Teo and I are comin’ to you live kiddie-poolside this morning from our back terrace, where we’ve been splish-splashing around (or as they say in Spanish, chapa chapa) multiple times a day lately to try and beat the heat.

Not gonna lie, our first summer with a toddler here in Barcelona’s beautiful-yet-severly-lacking-in-green-spaces city center has definitely had us missing the grassy backyards and modern playgrounds and easily-accessible swimming pools that we always used to take for granted back in Kansas City. But I feel like we’ve made some good headway in learning the tips and tricks of urban parenting here in Barcelona lately, especially using our new baby bike seat to adventure to more kid-friendly spaces around the city. And we’ve done what the locals do and escaped a few times to the Costa Brava with friends, which is always a welcome breath of fresh air and great chance for kiddos to run wild. There’s no doubt now that our little guy is being raised with very different kinds of summers here than we had in the Midwest growing up. But I have to say, this one overall has been incredibly sweet.

From watching Teo’s sheer delight biting into a fresh peach for the first time as the juice dribbled down his chin, to splashing through the adorable chaos that is baby swimming lessons, to putzing all around Barcelona together with his new patinete (scooter), to playing with countless new friends during our daily playground routes (in baby Spanish, extra cute), to teaching him to build his first tiny sandcastles by the sea…all of the summer toddler “firsts” this year have been even cuter than we had imagined. We’re also now card-carrying zoo members who frequent the Barcelona Zoo multiple times a week, partly because Teo is obsessed with the giraffes and Pedro the Rhinoceros, but mainly because the it’s one of the few shaded green spaces in the city center where kids can run around safely without traffic. And during this year’s record-breaking heat wave, lol, shade is everything.

Another surprise highlight of our summer has been getting to host two guests here in our home from Ukraine — a mother and her 14-year-old daughter — while they have been awaiting paperwork for their temporary protection visas here in Spain. We all knew very little about one another before they arrived. But it turns out that these two couldn’t be more wonderful, and getting to sit around the table together in the evenings and eat together and Google Translate galore and laugh and tell stories and learn more about one another’s lives has just been so special. I’ve especially loved the time we’ve spent together in the kitchen introducing each other to traditional Ukranian dishes (their buckwheat soup is a new fave) and American dishes (the 14-year-old wanted to learn how to make a layer cake, so we decorated one with alllll the sprinkles, which was the literal sweetest). Today we’re all going to have to say goodbye as they bravely take off for the next stage of their journey in Poland. But we are so grateful for this summer together and know for certain that these two will be part of our lives for many years to come.

Anyway, on the traveling note, we’re actually headed to Italy today for the month of August and couldn’t be more excited. But before we leave town, I wanted to pop in with a few updates and just say hello. ♡

Wherever in the world this may find you today, I hope that you’re doing well. And especially during these final days of summertime, I hope that you’re bringing home that extra watermelon, squeezing in a few final swims, lingering in the evening light a bit longer, and saying yes as often as possible to time together with those you love. Life just feels like it’s moving so quickly lately, and the world around us is getting so heavy, and cultivating moments of joy seems increasingly like one of the most helpful, human things we can do right now. So as Mary Oliver says, whenever that joy can be yours, “Don’t Hesitate. Give in to it.”

Wishing you all the end-of-summer joy and sunshine and peaches that you can find today. And without further ado, here’s the latest from our corner of Barcelona.

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Bon día from Barcelona! ♡

I’ve been looking forward to sitting down and writing an update here for ages and somehow kept getting pulled in other directions. (Seems to be the case with most of the things on my to-do list right now while chasing a very cute and very speedy 13-month-old around all day!) But this morning, I’m sitting next to our sunniest window with an iced pink latte in my hand, a snuggly pup in my lap, and Barclay’s out for an adventure with Teo and the pups…so I thought it was time for a chat!

I don’t know about you all, but this spring feels like the first time I’ve been able to get outside and take a deep breath and fully enjoy this beautiful season in years. Two years ago, of course, we were trapped inside our tiny flat all season long during Spain’s strict lockdown. One year ago, we were sleep-deprived zombies navigating life with a newborn during the pandemic. And just one month ago, we found ourselves quarantined yet again after our whole family (and nearly all of our local friends) caught the new subvariant, which hung on for quite some time.

But today, Barclay, Teo and I are all symptom-free and finally back to feeling better. And for the first time in over two years, Spain officially just lifted its mask mandate this past week…which feels downright surreal. People have been extremely diligent here about masking up during the pandemic, so this is literally the first time we’ve been able to go places and actually see people’s faces in what feels like an eternity. It been so refreshing. And while we all obviously still have a long way to go before we’re completely out of the woods with the pandemic, this spring feels like the recharge everyone in Barcelona has been waiting for. So as they say in Spanish, hay que aprovechar…time to take advantage and soak it up!

Our plan for our little familia this season is to do exactly that. We’re actually taking off for Paris tomorrow (our first time there together as a family since we’ve lived in Europe!), then I’ll be heading out on a solo trip to see some dear friends in Bucharest next week (my first time in Romania), followed by a long family trip back to the States in May (we’re changing things up and including a stop at my sister’s in Chicago, which I’m super excited about), then we have a summer full of hosting and adventures around Europe ahead. Our travel-loving hearts couldn’t be more thankful and happy to be getting back out about again. And while we’ve learned over the last year that traveling with a baby is definitely a very different ballgame, we’re pumped to bring our little dude along for the ride too. So excited to have a calendar full of things to look forward to again.

Wherever in the world this may find each of you today, I hope that you are well and that you’re able to soak up a bit of spring sunshine this week. And without further ado, here’s the latest from our little home here in Barcelona.

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Tap tap — is this thing on?

Hi, hello! I’m so sorry that I unexpectedly went MIA here these past few months. I had initially just planned to take the last few weeks of December off from posting while we were traveling back to the States to visit our family. But then one thing after another came up after we made it home — childcare starts and stops, relentless winter colds, website redesign deadlines — and anyway, I feel like I blinked and it’s somehow already February!

I’m happy to say that tomorrow we will officially be getting back into the rhythm of sharing new recipes here again. (So many good ones ready for you this month!) But today, I wanted to pop in first to share a few personal updates here regarding the new year ahead. (more…)

A long (long, long, long) overdue hello from Barcelona! ♡

Can’t believe it has been over half a year since I shared one of these updates. I actually sat down and started writing this post three months ago, back when I was preparing to return to work after maternity leave. But then our life got turned upside down when Teo was unexpectedly admitted to the hospital for a week with — not one, but it turned out — two serious tummy-related issues. And to make a very long story short, we basically ended up spending the rest of our summer in and out of doctor’s offices trying to figure out exactly what was going on and how to help him feel better. It was a hard and exhausting stretch for our little family, watching our brand-new baby get poked and prodded and scanned galore, having to take turns being with him at the hospital because of pandemic rules, all while the three of us were still in the thick of the sleep-deprived new parent fog. But Teo was a brave little campeón (a champ, as the nurses always called him) through it all. And while we have decided to keep his medical details private, I’m so thankful to report that he has now recovered from both issues and is currently doing so, so, so much better. (Big exhale!)

He went from being quite colicky and not feeling well during his pre-hospital months to now being such a smiley and easygoing and happy little camper. And now that his tummy feels better, his appetite has skyrocketed along with his percentiles on the growth charts, and we can’t get enough of those sweet chubby cheeks and ever-multiplying little rolls that are growing by the day. He’s 6.5-months-old now and currently obsessed with broccoli, being outside, trying to pet (more like swat at) our two dogs whenever they come near, reading-slash-trying-to-eat all of his books, “playing” Dad’s ukelele, and charming all of the passersby during our daily strolls around Barcelona. He was decidedly not a fan of sleep until just recently, despite all of the experts’ advice, so there has been a record amount of coffee consumed in our casa these past six months. But we’ve been doing our best to soak up each of these different phases of babyhood with their ups and downs while they last, because what everyone told us is proving bittersweetly true — it really does go SO FAST.

Anyway, I’m finally back to work part time and am slowly — make that, very slowly — getting caught up on things around here. Fall is always my favorite time of year to cook and I have a bunch of cozy new recipes coming your way this month that I think you’re going to love. I also have some long-overdue and incredible updates to share with you about the community garden project that you helped to fund in Mali, so be sure to stay tuned for more news on that coming next week. As for today, though, it’s been forever since I shared with you about our new little family of three. So here’s the latest on life here in Barcelona currently…

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Hi friends! Just wanted to pop in briefly from maternity leave to share an update today, because there’s someone very special I’d love for you to meet…

…our sweet Teo!

Our son, Teo (pronounced the Spanish way, “tay-oh”) Elliott Martin, was born on March 16. And for those of you who have been following our story, I’m thankful to report that the epidural that we had been praying might work despite my back issues (I shared a bit about this in my last post) mercifully took hold on the very first try, which meant that both Barclay and I were able to be there together to hear Teo’s first precious cries and welcome him into the world. Goodness…what a moment.⁣⁣ ♡

After so many ups and downs this pregnancy, we’re still in awe that our little boy is finally here. He’s perfect and healthy and super-snuggly and outrageously cute…and we feel like the luckiest parents in the world. Truly can’t believe how much we love him and how sweet and natural life together as a family of three already feels. We spend a record amount of time each day just staring at him and soaking up his sweet newborn cuddles and showering his yummy cheeks with a million kisses. And we are loving this opportunity to finally learn how to be parents — even sleep-deprived, sore-in-all-the-places (hellooo, postpartum), often-hilariously-trial-and-erroring-our-way-through-each-new-day and all. This tiny little human has captured our hearts in the biggest of ways, and we are just so happy that he’s ours.

Anyway, I can’t wait to share more updates with you once I’m back from maternity leave. But in the meantime, feel free as always to follow along on Instagram for more behind the scenes updates from our lil’ newborn bubble over here. And thank you again for all of the love and prayers and encouragement you’ve been sending our way these past few weeks especially. We feel it and are sending you back so much love from Barcelona today.

Here are a few pics from these first few weeks together with Teo as a family of three! ♡ (more…)

Bon dia from the home stretch of our third trimester here in Barcelona!

I can hardly believe it, but we’re now less than two weeks away from getting to meet our baby boy, which has us feeling all the feels right about now. Timehop actually just reminded me that it was exactly a year ago today that Barclay and I began our first round of IVF, diving into the dizzying new world of injections and procedures and test results galore, in hopes that this science might be the key to helping us finally get pregnant. It’s remarkable to think back over everything that has happened in our little family and in the world in the time since.

What a year this has been. ♡

Well with our little one potentially arriving any day now, I’m getting ready to officially sign off from the blog to begin my maternity leave here shortly. (More on my plans for that below.) But before I do, I’ve realized that I’m long overdue for some behind the scenes updates on here — especially with the community garden project that you all have generously been helping to support in Mali, what life has been like during our third trimester, our plans for giving birth as expats here in Barcelona, plus what’s ahead for Gimme Some Oven during my maternity leave and beyond.

Lots happening lately to share from our little corner of the world lately. So here is the latest!

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7:45am: Buenos días from Barcelona. ♡ Getting a late start to the day today, after not sleeping so well this week. Our lil’ babe has been setting records lately with how many times he wakes me up during the night, which I’m sure is only a very gentle foreshadowing of what’s to come. Still, whew, mornings are pretty groggy right now.

8:00am: We realized just before bed last night that we were out of coffee, so my sweet husband walked across the street to pick us up some flat whites this morning. Still one of my favorite things about living in Europe — little cafés serving good coffee are absolutely everywhere here.

8:15am: Breakfast creature of habit. Love my granola parfaits!

9:00am: Showered, dressed, and ready to start the day with my lil’ buddy. (Who’s not so little anymore — he measured over 4 pounds during our ultrasound on Tuesday!)

9:15am: The view from my new “office.” (more…)

Warm greetings from Barcelona! ♡

I have to admit that I had really (really) been hoping to write this month’s update cozied up in front of a fireplace back in Kansas, where we had planned to spend the month of December home with our families. But, like so many of you, we ended up having to make the hard call to cancel our long-anticipated plane tickets and holiday plans and stay put here instead. Which was totally the right decision. But, sigh, still a hard one. It’s been a year now since we’ve been able to see our families in person, and Barclay and I were so excited for them to finally get to meet their little grand-bun while he’s still in the oven. We feel incredibly fortunate, though, that everyone in our families is currently safe and well. So we’re pivoting 2020-style for the holidays this year, and instead, setting our sights ahead on our next family reunion complete with lots of baby snuggles here in Spain, hopefully as soon as possible after our little guy is born. We can’t wait.

As for now, I’m sitting out on our sunny new terrace here in Barcelona and realize that I have so much to share with you since our last update. Such as…we moved! And we made it through another trimester with our sweet bebé (and learned the gender, in case you missed it above)! And you all not only fully-funded our very special community garden project in Mali this holiday season…but you donated more than TRIPLE the amount that we needed help launch! $26,000 and counting!!!

I’m still completely blown away by your generosity and can’t even begin to tell you how much it means that you have joined in to support this new project. We already have some exciting new updates on the garden construction to share with you below, plus details on where all of the extra funds that you raised will be going, as well as a new video from the garden that I promise will brighten your Monday. So without further ado, here is the latest!

Community Garden Update

First things first…thank you, thank you, THANK YOU. ♡

You guys absolutely knocked our socks off by donating over $26,000 to help launch this very special community garden in Mali, which is extraordinarily generous and over triple the amount that we had hoped to raise for the project!!! In case you missed it, this was the response of the local women in Oulessebougou when we shared the news with them last week that the community garden was officially a go. They were thrilled!⁣

Your donations have allowed us to begin work on the community garden immediately. And I’m happy to report that drilling for the community garden’s brand new well was completed this past week — and it was a huge success! You can watch the full story (and see the local community’s amazing response as the drilling truck pulled into town) in the new 2-minute video update above. In a nutshell, though, the drilling engineers ended up finding even more water below the garden than the initial groundwater tests had predicted. (Which was an amazing surprise; you can never know for certain exactly how much water is available until you officially begin drilling.)  Which means that even more local gardeners and members of the village will have access to clean water year-round. Which is going to make such a difference in this community.

Thanks to your incredible generosity, we are also going to be able to DOUBLE the size of the water tower that will soon be constructed to help store the clean water from the well, which will also help to increase the access to clean water for the neighboring village. And amazingly, your extra donations have also already put us well on our way to being able to fund ANOTHER brand-new community garden in a neighboring village in 2021, which was something that local leaders had hoped to begin in the next year or two but didn’t yet have the budget for. So everyone is incredibly excited and talks have already begun to choose the next site for a garden. More on that to come.

Anyway, lots of amazing work has already happened in the past two weeks (I told you The Wash Project moves quickly!), and we’re receiving exciting new updates daily about the next phase of the garden that is already currently underway. So stay tuned here for more news to come soon. And again, you guys, thank you. It means the world to me to be able to partner on a meaningful project like this with you, and I’m so excited for all of us to follow along and learn more from these amazing women in Mali in the months ahead.

Second Trimester

Here on the home front, Barclay and I are now just a few days away from crossing over into our third trimester with our little rainbow bebé. And in case you missed the mention above, I’m happy to report that… (more…)