After 10 years of writing this blog both for fun and as my full-time job, I am taking my first leave. This week, Jeremy and I are leaving for China, where we will become a family of three on December 4 and stay to finalize papers until mid-December. We will be home in time for Christmas! We are planning to stay in Nashville this year for a low-key first Christmas together and a slow first few months full of creating new routines.
I will be taking the whole month of December off and then working half-days during January and February before returning full-time. I wanted to leave a couple notes here about what to expect and also how to follow our adoption story if you are interested in that.
First of all, don’t worry! Our amazing team has everything under control, and if I didn’t write this post, you might not even have noticed I was gone. Haha! I will have a few blog posts going up in December, but they are all pre-scheduled. Due to travel in China, I will be letting my co-workers respond to comments and help you if you have any questions, whether it’s about a blog post, our beauty box or our app. Our team is truly the best; they are so hard working and I owe them so much for giving me a chance to take a real maternity leave.
We have some exciting things going on in December … here on the blog you’ll have the BIG 12 days of giveaways. Our app, A Color Story, has a really exciting new +pack called Confetti that came out today. Oui Fresh has an incredible beauty box planned for December (like soooo good). Keely will be filling in for me doing unboxings and stories on ABM’s Instagram about the products.
During December my plan is to be offline quite a lot, but I will share quick updates on my personal Instagram account. I may turn off my DMs for a bit, but not forever. We plan to do a bit of cocooning and take things very slow.
Once I return part-time in January, I will share a big recap with you so we can catch up. I will also be updating my family blog which I created so long ago with the anticipation of having kiddos one day. I can’t believe that day is finally here!
Thank you so much for your support throughout our adoption! It means the world to me to know you are cheering us along! I love you all and am so grateful to share this incredible season of life with you. Love, Elsie
Safe travels and I can’t wait to hear about meeting your baby girl for the first time xx
https://dreamofadventures.com/
I am SO excited for you guys! Parenting is challenging but so awesome! I know your little girl is just going to adore you guys. Safe travels and enjoy your time with your new little family of three (or five, including the pups)!
Congratulations elsie!!!
https://thepinkpineappleblog.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-coat-edit.html
With the birth of my son I only planned on a month off too, but ended up taking the full 3. Don’t feel guilty if you need more time -you won’t get it back! We all love and support you and don’t mind if we have to miss you a little longer 🙂
I am so, so excited for you…congrats!!
Congratulations! It’s wonderful to see good news these days. December 4 is a great day to become a family of three! That’s my son’s birthday! He will be 11 this year. Enjoy it all! It passes quickly, but each step has it’s own beauty. Wishing you safe travels. May God bless your family with years of happiness!
Congratulations! I hope you guys take this time to really enjoy all the special moments to come ❤️ Don’t worry about updating your followers, we will still be here when you get back. Safe travels!
So excited for you and Your little family. Nova is going to be the cutest. ❤️
Reading all your posts right now (for the first time) and I can’t express enough my feelings about your adoption story. Such a touching and beautiful event in your life. Congrats from the bottom of my heart to you and your husband. I can’t even imagine how you both feel. Having a baby is wonderful thing and go to adopt a baby and take a trip to faraway country like China is unbelievable! Eventhough I don’t know you, I see you’ll be one great mum.I’m so happy for you two and so excited. Wish you all the best in this world.
So happy for you Elsie & family! I love how you have shared the situation with us and our community is 100% behind you – the space you have created here is so supportive. We can’t wait for you to be back & I’m looking forwards to all of the content in between.
Holly from The Art of Being Holly xo
Dear Elsie,
I am very happy for you and for your new journey as a family. As a new mom myself, I cannot think of a better job than being a mother…even if it is very, very hard and unpaid:-)))
I would definitely take longer maternity leave. The time with your child is so precious and flies by so quickly:-)
But then again, I am from Europe and we have paid maternity leave for a year. I guess mothers in the United States do not always have the choice.
Anyway…love your Blog:-)))
All the best
Laura from Berlin/Germany
Omg, congrats and good luck!
x Mariya
I am so happy for you and Jeremy! Sending prayers for your trip ???? And really take all the time you need offline, to be with your new little family ????
I’m so happy for both of you! I hope you enjoy this incredible time off, getting to know your daughter. Safe travels!
Congratulations to your growing family! Adoption is such a Beautiful Thing!
~Lillian
www.theoccupiedoptimist.com
Enjoy your December! I am so happy for you are Jeremy! Nova is one lucky girl! 🙂
So exciting… All the best !!!
Congratulations! Wishing you a wonderful trip and so much goodness during your family cocooning.
So happy for your family! Enjoy your time getting to know baby Nova!
Good Luck Elsie! You are going to be a great mom!