MinNie Dialogues

 Hey all!  

I am working on updating my blog.

I'm about three months behind if you haven't noticed.

Feeling horrible during pregnancy for months really

did me in, plus having a newborn has been a huge change.

Literally the only thing I do is nurse.

I'm not complaining, but, well...it's all I do.

But my goal is to update and catch up.

For now, an update on baby Minnie, also known as Nielson six:

she arrived safe and sound on January 21st, at 3:21 am

7 pounds 1 ounce, 19 inches, and is beautiful

 and amazing and fussy all at the same time.

Or maybe I forgot what newborns were like?

Or maybe I'm just old and tired.

Whatever it is, I can't wait to share more.

I only take 50,000 photos of her a day,

so buckle up, pretty soon this blog might sound more like

 the MinNie Dialogues.

Christmas Eve 2025

This morning, Claire and Jane taught a Barre class dressed up like 

The Haynes Sisters from White Christmas- Barre3 style!

They even had cute blue feathers in their hair!

Class was in the morning, which is the worst time of day for me, so 

sadly, I didn't even go.  

But I heard it was adorable, and of course, Nate and Ollie went 

with Christian and a few other men/husbands who braved the

mostly female class to spend time with their significant others on Christmas Eve.

Sometimes, to feel like I'm a part of everything I'm missing out on,

I look in on our studio Barre3 security camera.

I took a screenshot of a cute pic of Ollie walking around, helping out

clients, Jane at the front desk, and Claire hugging Nate.

I'm really sad to be missing out on so much.

And will be so excited to be healthy again!

Surprisingly, our favorite Barre3 instructor, Hope, who moved to 

Georgia, who was in town for the holidays,

came to class to say hi, and again, I missed out since

I was home in bed. (Where else would I be?).

I did some picking up around the house while everyone was

at the studio. The house was so magical.

Christmas is so magical!

But, I feel so weak!

Not to be dramatic, but I'm dying.

After the studio was cleaned and locked up for the next couple of days

for the holidays, everyone came home, and the girls and I

made dough for rolls and cookies for later.

Then the girls wrapped some last-minute presents.

Earlier in the week, I ordered a bunch of Enchiladas 

from our friend from Mexico, who owns a food truck.

Christian and I picked them up together and came home

to feed a house of hungry people.

We ate them with Kolfoa, which is 

a popular drink in Slovakia, where Gigs is.

Nate went to the Czech Republic for work earlier in the year and 

was so sweet to buy a bottle for Christmas Eve

and bring to us.

It was gross.

But almost everything is gross to me right now.

We opened our Christmas Eve PJs and

watched a movie upstairs, and tried to put a puzzle together.

My feet hurt.

I got baby girl a dollhouse and asked my favorite son-in-law

to put it together.

This felt so sweet and sentimental for me.

This cute dollhouse will now forever remind me of Nate

on our first Christmas Eve together.

Someday, I bet his babies will play with it, too!

I went to bed just as Jane was giving Claire a

 hair mask in the kitchen sink.

Christian rubbed my legs before bed, and for the first time in our marriage,

we went to bed on Christmas Eve before 11:00.

Like straight to bed.  No wrapping, nothing, just bed.

Thanks to the girls who helped me wrap presents earlier in the week,

 and Claire pretty much shopped and wrapped

completely for all of Lottie's gifts.

This year, I got all my adult children pretty boxes and filled them with

gift cards and little things.

It was simple and easy.

Goodnight!  

Merry Christmas!

Heave Ho!

 

Today I woke up feeling ok! 

It was amazing

It was kind of a Christmas miracle!

We went to the studio to get things set up for our Christmas Eve class

tomorrow, when Claire & Jane together 

will share the mic.

I am still unsuccessful at taking classes.  

All the jumbling around makes the baby and me sick, sick, sick. 

I don't even try anymore.

Then I started to get nauseated, and it was time to feed the baby

but deciding where we wanted to go to lunch took WAY TOO LONG

and as we were driving around, I made Christian

pull over so I could throw up in the bushes at the grocery store parking lot with about 

a million holiday shoppers watching me.

Everyone in the car tried their best to avoid watching me, too.

Christian got out and held my hair back- like he always does

while I heaved.

At this point, I have no shame.

One more month, one more month, one more month.

I kept saying that to myself.

I just wanted to go home, take off my clothes, and crawl into bed.

Elvin Is Back

 

This evening was our Snarrson Christmas party with special guest, Elvin!  
This year, Ollie played Elvin since Gigs is out of the country and 

celebrating Christmas in Slovakia with other missionaries and friends.

I'm happy he gets to have that experience!
Before the party, Jane made my ginger cookies dipped in frosting.  

I just couldn't get myself to make them this year.  Blahhhh barf!

Nate helped with the cookies.
I love Nate.  He's the best son-in-law one could ask for. 

 He's so helpful and good, and he really, 

really loves Claire, which I really, really love.

Elvin was so cute tonight!

I have to say, I did miss Gigs a lot.  

This brought back many memories of us together getting Elvin's costume ready.

Gigs truly embraced the

 Elvin spirit last year and made it his mission to embody 

our Norwegian elf friend

Ollie had big shoes to fill.

We sang songs, danced a little, and of course, Elvin passed out gifts.

Jewelry for the girls and super cool slippers for the boys.

This is one of Nielson's favorite traditions

with some of our favorite people!

Christmas Sunday

Today was Christmas Sunday and "short church," and we only attended 

 Sacrament meeting, and Christian didn't have any meetings.  

Yay!  We stopped by the studio to grab a drink from the bar fridge.

It's been fun decorating the studio for Christmas, 

and I am super bummed I'm not spending more time there.  

I can't put my finger on it, but I physically can't be there.  

It's a pregnant thing.

I've had something like this with each and every pregnancy.

Today at church,

Claire wore Nana Aurora's mink coat to church today, Jane wore

her boots, and I wore pants.

Yeehaw!

No Regrets

This afternoon, we all piled into the car and went to the mall.

My Nies promised me that they'd take care of me because going to the

mall five days before Christmas sounded horrible.

But I also want to be with everyone so badly, I sucked it up and went.  

I tucked a few extra barf bags in my purse and headed out.

It turned out to be so fun, and I was able to buy a few gifts for

each of my kids, which I hadn't been able to do before because I've 

been so sick and super unmotivated.

I got sick a few times and barfed in the mall with about 2000 people bustling by,

sweet Ollie helped me every time by guarding me, 

holding back my hair, taking my barf bag, tying it up, and throwing it away.

He has been sooooo cute.

He's going to be the best husband for some lucky girl.

After we met up with Christian at one of our favorite

pizza places in Apex.  

I was so exhausted, but gobbled down a pizza slice, regretting it

later in the evening.

But NOT regretting going out with my babies!

Nighttime is the best.

We all snuggle together on the couch with a cozy fire, Christmas music

 talking and movie watching.

I think we are officially ready for Christmas!

St. Lucia 2025

This afternoon, Claire and Nate arrived!

They flew into Charlotte and then rented a car and drove home

to Stillestead in the pouring rain! 

(And with a bag of oranges from their backyard!)

Now we're all accounted for.  

Well, except Gigs, who is somewhere in Slovakia, enjoying 

his first Christmas away from home.

(He's doing so good!)

Everyone is settled and ready for lots of family, lots of food,

and lots of sitting around enjoying Christmas.

Tonight, we celebrated St. Lucia.

It's one of our family favorites.

This year was a first; we went out for dinner,

then came home, and had dessert around the table.  

It was super Hygge.

I told the family that I wasn't going to cook much this year.

It makes me feel nauseous, and my legs are starting to swell. 

This is obviously due to my pregnancy, but it's worsened by my burns. 

So, my plan for these last few weeks, 

as I approach the finish line, is to stay off my feet as much as possible.

But the evening was super magical and intimate.

I managed to make my famous liquid gold hot chocolate, 

which is super thick one practically needs a spoon to enjoy it, 

paired with Danishes from our favorite Scandinavian bakery in Chapel Hill.

Lottie was our St. Lucia this year.

A few years ago, I switched our battery-powered lights on Lucia's

garland crown to REAL CANDLES like they do in Sweden.

We sat around the table, with about 100 candles glowing all over the

kitchen and table while

 everyone shared how they felt God's light in their lives.

We sang "In the Bleak Midwinter" and then found and listened to

every single version known on Spotify.

(Kaskade has such a banger version)

I went to bed a happy Mama.