Day 14 with Daddy

Day 14 - Go on a mini-vacation
This only ended up being a half day alone with Rebecca because we headed out of town in the afternoon to go to Fredericksburg for a couple of days. This was our anniversary trip to one of our favorite small towns and is one of our go-to spots for a short trip. We both like the food and we usually get some time in walking the main street looking at some of the shops. The place we stayed was a small house behind a single family residence owned by an older German gentleman. He was very nice and made a couple of restaurant recommendations that we included in a busy couple days:
- Got into town in the late afternoon after driving through rain the entire way
- Went to eat at Hilda's for dinner Friday per our host's recommendation
- Got in a little shopping Saturday morning
- Went out to Luckenbach for a little while early Saturday afternoon
- After church, we went for Saturday dinner at the Auslander, where we stuck around for a while to listen to Drew Kennedy play a few songs

- Sunday morning we did a little more shopping before going to the Old German Bakery for lunch (our favorite restaurant in town)
- Stopped by Wildseed Farms on the way out of town to look at the nursery and take some pictures of Baby Girl with the flowers

Overall, it was a great little get-away in which we got quite a bit in.

It's nice to get away every once in a while and recharge the batteries. The most important thing is to make the most of any situation and enjoy the company of each other. I hope you take the time to relax and take a break every now and then realizing that the stress and work of everyday life will still be there when you return.

Day 13 with Daddy

Day 13 - Watch City Council meeting
This one is going to sound really boring and it probably is, but Thursdays are Austin City Council meetings so we spent a lot of the day watching the meeting on tv. I wanted to monitor how the meeting went, be prepared if there are any items that I need to follow up on and ensure I am not out of the loop even if I'm out of the office. There were a few items pulled associated with my boss' departments, but for the most part it seemed to go smoothly.

Government isn't very glamorous, but it is important to be aware so that we elect responsible political leaders to positions of authority and to hold them accountable once they are in office. Your Mommy and I have worked in different levels of government throughout our careers, even though it doesn't mean a lot in the way of money. Even though it can be very frustrating at times to work as a public servant, we consider it important work and get to help others on a daily basis.

Day 12 with Daddy

Day 12 - Meet Mommy for lunch

Wednesday was our 3rd anniversary and in order to celebrate I brought Rebecca downtown so that we could meet Morgan for lunch.

Look at that stylish wedding party

We picked her up at her office and headed to Casa Chapala for their lunch buffet (where I proceeded to eat too much). During lunch we commented on how many nice anniversary notes and congratulations we had already received from friends and family that day. After lunch we headed back to Morgan's office and showed Rebecca to her co-workers who hadn't seen her in about a month. They remarked on how big she is getting and how cute she is. After being passed around for a little while, Rebecca and I headed to City Hall where my coworkers got to see her again and said the same. By late afternoon, Rebecca was worn out and she napped most of the rest of the time until Mommy got home.

We hope you realize just how much love we have in our family. Your Mommy and I reminisce fondly on how we met, our first dates and all of the other events that have brought us to where we are today. We are so excited that now we get to share that love with you. The friendships we have are also very important, and the support and well wishes we receive from them, in addition to the good times we share, are what make our lives so rich.

Day 11 with Daddy

Day 11 - Shop for anniversary gift
This was another day that Rebecca didn't nap more than 5-10 minutes at a time making it difficult to get ready or do things around the house. In the late afternoon she was calm enough that we headed out to pick up a gift for Morgan for our 3 year anniversary. We had agreed to not spend a lot of money on gifts since we've just purchased a vehicle and we have a trip to Fredericksburg scheduled for the upcoming weekend. Since it hasn't been given yet, I won't reveal what it is, but let's say that it does include glass (3rd anniversary modern gift suggestion). Rebecca was pretty tired by that time and she napped most of the trip, stirring only occasionally, although she did wake up as I was checking out prompting compliments from the lady helping us.

Your mommy and I hope that you recognize how much love there is in our family. We are so blessed to have found each other, and we always look back fondly on how great our wedding day was as we got to celebrate our union before God with family and friends.You have been a big part of this last year (and every year coming up) and we are so excited to have you in our growing family.

Day 10 with Daddy

Day 10 - Trip to grocery store

Yes, we had already taken prior trips to the grocery store, but this one was different because of how the rest of the day had gone and that Rebecca stayed awake the entire time. Beginning Sunday evening it seemed that she might have begun teething. We're not seeing any teeth yet, but there are some bumps which could be teeth. She was inconsolable Sunday night and we finally gave her a little bit of Tylenol which soothed her so that she could sleep. This continued early Monday afternoon when she could not be comforted. After a little more Tylenol she did not seem to be in as much pain, but she stayed awake. We really needed some things around the house so I ventured out, and she was actually pretty good even though she was awake the whole time. 

We're going to keep doing our best to help you avoid pain, but no matter how much we do, you will still have to experience discomfort in your life. We pray that those low periods will be short and few, but know that we are always there to help you through those difficult times.

Day 9 with Daddy

Day 9 - Endurance
This one won't be too long of a post because we weren't able to be too active. Baby Girl had a pretty rough night meaning we didn't get to bed until about 1:00 am and she was back up at 3:30 am. That basically ended up being the start of my day. I also had some work to take care of so I was not able to nap when Rebecca did for a half hour or so later in the day. It made for a very long day, and I was thankful when Morgan got home from the office so I could take a little break.

I know I don't appreciate it at the moment I'm rolling out of bed, but I know I will look back fondly on those late nights/early mornings that I've gotten to spend with you. Don't get me wrong, I will still be very thankful the first time you sleep 8 straight hours (so far the most we have gotten is 6.5), but there is something about the late nights that make me realize even more that I am a parent.

Day 8 with Daddy

Day 8 - Watch a Star Trek movie

Yes, this one is dorky. To coincide with the release of the new Star Trek movie, there were a lot of the older movies on tv yesterday. We laid low Thursday after running a couple errands the day before, and I have to watch at least some of those movies when they are on. We ended up watching most of Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan and all of 3: Search for Spock.

Prepare to be shocked, Rebecca. Your dad is a dork. He doesn't have an argument for Star Wars vs. Star Trek because he likes both. There is something about science-fiction which has appealed to me for a while, and it is one of the genres that I first got into when I began reading for fun. I can even pinpoint it to a copy of Arthur C. Clarke's 2010: Odyssey Two that I found at your Great-Grandpa and Grandma Migls' house when I stayed there during the summer. I think it is the concept of going into space and reaching for something which seems so unattainable that is appealing. Even though I don't expect you to be a nerd like me, I hope you find a passion that broadens your perspective and makes you think. 

Day 7 with Daddy

Day 7 - Practice golf
I've got a golf game set up for the upcoming weekend so I wanted to get in a few swings prior to hitting the course. I wasn't sure how well it would turn out taking Rebecca to the driving range so after running an errand in the afternoon, I pulled my clubs out to take a few swings in the backyard. I haven't touched a golf club since before Rebecca was born which is probably the longest I have gone in a year and a half. It felt good to get some swings in and try to knock some of the rust off my swing.

I'm looking forward to the day I can take Rebecca out to the golf course with me. I hope she doesn't pick up my swing because it's pretty awful (better to learn that from her aunt Helice or cousins Brittany or Ashley), but I hope that the game is as relaxing for her and that we get to bond in that way. Who knows? Mommy has expressed an interest in learning to play too, so maybe we'll make it a family outing.

Day 6 with Daddy

Day 6 - Grill
An ideal night out is stepping onto my porch area and grilling up a thick slab of something’s flesh.
                                                                                                                            - Ron Swanson

I did my best to make Ron Swanson proud yesterday. The day before I had picked up a few things at the store to throw on the bbq pit. Late in the afternoon, Baby Girl went down for a nap and I decided to bring the grill out and fire it up. It started out well as long as Rebecca was asleep, and I was able to get the first batch of hamburgers off the grill. She woke up after that which made the rest of the cooking interesting as I rushed back and forth between the baby and the grill. Still the results turned out pretty well and we've got hamburgers, hot dogs and ribs for the rest of the week.

I hope that every now and then you enjoy stepping outside and enjoying the smoke coming off a grill. It can be a relaxing experience in addition to being delicious. I'm also sure you will get to enjoy some good barbecue in your life as both of your grandfathers are pretty good at it.

Day 5 with Daddy

Day 5 - Go to the doctor

Monday was a pretty full day for us. It began with a trip to the doctor where we got lots of good news about Rebecca's growth (almost 10 pounds and a little over 22 inches long) and her health. The doctor is pleased with how she is doing. Unfortunately, it was also the first set of vaccinations so it included a few shots which upset her a little bit. She got over it quickly though as soon as she got her bottle. 

The shots didn't seem to affect her too much the rest of the day so in the late afternoon, we headed to the grocery store for our weekly shopping. I've taken her to the store to pick up one or two things but never while shopping for the entire week. She slept through most of it, but woke up just in time for check-out.

Finally, later that evening, we took advantage of the good weather and enjoyed a picnic with Baby Girl. It was a nice way to end a full day.

I hope you do all that you can to grow up big and healthy. Your mommy and I will continue to do our best to provide for you and help you make good decisions, but eventually it will be up to you to eat healthy, go to the doctor and take the time to relax.

Day 4 with Daddy and a little of the weekend

Day 4 - Clean floors

With two cats in the house, keeping our floors clean is a constant challenge. Thankfully we don't have any carpet or cleaning them would be even tougher, but our floors show when they're dirty easily. It's also one of our least favorite tasks and we've fallen behind a little since Rebecca was born. On Friday afternoon Rebecca went down for a longer nap than usual so I was able to get a few things done around the house including sweeping the floors, mopping the kitchen and starting a load of laundry. It was a nice thing to do for  Mommy heading into Mother's Day weekend.

Sometimes there are going to be things you don't like to do, Rebecca, but it's important to do your part to help out the family. If we all take on some chores, it makes it easier for all of us.

The weekend

On Saturday afternoon we made a little trip down to Gruene where we went to a few shops, hung out at Gruene Hall listening to some music for a while and ate at the Gristmill. Here is a picture.

Day 3 with Daddy

Day 3 - Watch a rain shower
I was planning another activity for the day, but a line of rain showers in the afternoon gave us another opportunity. We sat by the back door as the cloudy sky opened up and some needed rain began to fall. It was just a shower with no thunder and lightning so it wasn't too scary for her. The cats had run inside to avoid the shower (we keep the back door open most of the day) and we all looked outside as the rain fell. I turned on CCR's "Have you ever seen the rain" and took Rebecca closer to the door so that we could smell the freshness and feel the cool breeze of the shower.

I hope you're able to take some time and enjoy some of the amazing creations in this world. It's easy to get caught up in busy schedules and miss the simple things that God blesses us with on a daily basis.

Day 2 with Daddy

Day 2 - Shopping for Mothers' Day

We ventured out by ourselves for the first time on Day 2 and went to look for some gifts for Mothers' Day. Rebecca couldn't have been better as she never fussed and was asleep for part of the time. We picked up a couple things for grandmothers and stopped at HEB to buy a few things for the house as well as some flowers and chocolate for Mommy. 

Rebecca, you come from a long line of amazing mothers. No matter what you do in your life, I hope that you do it with the love and passion that these wonderful women have shown in their lives.

Introducing Rebecca Clare... and Day 1 with Daddy

It's been a great year for us highlighted by the arrival of our beautiful daughter Rebecca Clare on March 11, 2013. Morgan was amazing throughout the labor and did it all natural, which many of the nurses remarked makes her a super-woman (of course I already knew that). I don't know if I realized just how much her arrival would change my life, but I feel so blessed to get to see this baby girl everyday.

We've already had a full 8 weeks since she was born as she has gotten to celebrate Easter with both of our families, was baptized in April and been introduced to many of our friends. Morgan headed back to work this week after her maternity leave, and I am taking about a month off from work to watch Rebecca until she goes to daycare.

During this time I had an idea to try to do something different with Rebecca everyday. It wouldn't necessarily be something big, but I would try to give a little explanation about its meaning. I don't know that she will ever read it or if I'll even think of enough things for every single day, but here goes nothing...

Day 1 - Write thank you notes
I've had a few thank you notes that I needed to finish for gifts that Rebecca had received from family and friends. She has received so many thoughtful and useful gifts that we are overwhelmed by the generosity of those we know. So while Rebecca was napping and content in her bouncer, I was able to complete a few. Morgan is very good at sending thank you notes, but I am not and before we met had only sent them for significant events like graduation gifts. I hope Rebecca has a good sense of appreciation and takes the short amount of time to acknowledge those who are special in her life.

Jumping back in

So it's been a while since the last post. Let's catch up:
- Played in a family golf tournament, celebrated Granny's birthday, and Ashley and Chase got engaged all in the same weekend in August
- Went down to Gruene to see Ward and Kristi get engaged in September
- Closed and moved (with the help of our wonderful parents) into our house in October
- Carved pumpkins for Halloween
- Kicked a field goal Thanksgiving evening
- Went to Vegas for a few days at the end of December (and didn't lose all our money)

And finally in January, we went to the animal shelter and added a couple of new members to the household. Introducing Shawn and Gus. As you can see by the pictures below, they are very energetic.

Shawn

Gus

One year later...

This post is a little long in coming, but it better late than never. This is one of my favorite wedding photos. I can't believe that it has already been a year (well over a year now). The first year of marriage was amazing and I hope that all of the years to come are just as good.

To celebrate our anniversary we decided to head out to Fredricksburg for the weekend. the weekend was such a nice break from our busy month.

Hayden pretending to be serious at our bed and breakfast. The B&B was apparently a getaway of LBJ and that was his favorite chair. So of course Hayden had to sit in the chair and do an impersonation.On our actual anniversary we broke out our wedding cake...err wedding cupcakes. Year old gluten-free cupcakes aren't great, but we had to keep with tradition. Hayden ended up eating most of mine.
One thing that we found out during our trip is that Hayden really likes German food. When you are in Fredericksburg you can eat a lot of it.

Sunday afternoon we drove up to Enchanted Rock and then had a late lunch at Coopers in Llano.
After treking up to the top we decided to find our own way down. Unfortunately, we may have picked the steepest way possible. I'm pretty sure it was about a 65 degree slope for a few hundred feet.
Finally we made it down and took a leisurely stroll around the main loop. After all of that hiking we were ready to dive in to some bbq and head home.

We're homeowners! At least we should be in a couple months...

So it has been a long time since we've posted anything, but we have a pretty good reason. The first part of the summer was full of weekend trips with family and friends. All of the rest of our free time has been spent looking for a place to settle down. It looks like we might have found it.

The future Migl's Nest on Wing Road

We started seriously looking with a realtor about a month ago thinking it would take a while to find a place, but she did a great job of narrowing down our search and showing us properties that matched what we're looking for. The place that we have under contract was on the market a day before we looked at it and was priced well for the neighborhood. She almost did too good of a job because the lease on our apartment goes through October. Luckily, the seller is still looking for a place so he is receptive to delaying the closing which works better for us.

It's in a nice looking neighborhood in southwest Austin so we should have a shorter commute which we both really wanted, and it is move-in ready. Although I'm sure there will still be some posts about some home improvement projects (Morgan is putting together her home binder with paint colors and decorating ideas :)

Birthday Madness

May is full of birthdays in my family- 4 birthdays on my side of the family alone, plus Hayden's birthday, Mother's Day, and our anniversary. So we have been a little busy over the past month.

Lucky Hayden has his birthday two days before our niece Avery's birthday, so he got to go to her Elmo party on his birthday. He even got to wear a party hat and we all sang happy birthday as he blew out the candles on his own cake.Avery wanted to have a Dora and Elmo party, but Elmo won out. Megan made all sorts of decorations for the big day.

All of the kids are getting so big and getting better at hitting the pinata. The girls are still dainty about trying to get the candy out so it took a few rounds of batters.

Gardening - Apartment Style

Since Christmas, Morgan and I have been working on our patio garden and as the weather heats up, we've begun harvesting some of our produce. Some of the smaller things like cilantro and parsley were started from seed and the rest we've been accumulating on trips to Home Depot. The banana peppers have really taken off and we've got a lot of jalapenos. Now if only the birds would stop eating our tomatoes as they turn ripe.

Seriously, if anyone has a good way of keeping birds off tomatoes, let us know. We haven't been able to pick a tomato yet because of the feathered fiends (I like alliteration :).

And since it seems like each of my posts includes some food pictures, here are a couple. The first is a breakfast frittata with bacon and onions based on a recipe from Kitchen Boss (and made with our own parsley :) Breakfast for me during the week is usually only a nutrigrain bar so I look forward to the weekends when there is time to make something more substantial. It was my first time to try it out and turned out really well. So good that I've tried a different variation made with chorizo.

The second featured meal is pretty simple but turned out great. Morgan's parents sent us back with some squash, so I made some chicken and rice to go along with a squash and onion side dish. I wasn't following any recipe, but it turned out really well for a meal I was making on the fly.

Easter Festivities

It's been a while since we put something up, so I'll pick up close to where we left off. Holidays are always busy trying to fit in both sides of our families. Its also busy when I try to bake tons desserts to take to both families. This year I made lemon meringue pie, gluten-free carrot cake cupcakes, and iced sugar cookies. I'm so glad Hayden helped me get everything together and keep some order in our kitchen. Between church, work, and baking, Thursday and Friday were pretty hectic.

Friday night we drove down to Yoakum so we could be there early for Easter. Saturday morning Hayden went off to play golf with his dad, uncle, and cousins. I spent the morning finishing up the icing on the sugar cookies. For once I got to decorate something without trying to meet a deadline. (It was awesome!) Saturday evening meant it was time for the Easter vigil service and then Easter dinner with Hayden's family.

Sunday morning we were treated to a yummy breakfast before we hit the road. Then it was off to New Braunfels for Easter with my family. Between Easter baskets, tons of candy, Easter eggs, and confetti eggs, I think it's safe to say our nieces and nephews like Easter.
Hayden & I helped hide all of the eggs. By hide, we mean throw them out in the grass. Once they get a little bit older we may have some real fun hiding eggs. Connor figured out real soon that some of the eggs had money in them and starting hunting only those eggs-smart kid. Too bad he ended up having to share with everyone else. I think Jake is getting the hang of this Easter egg thing. He definitely got the candy eating part afterwards. The only thing with being the youngest is that your an easier target for the confetti eggs.