TLFG: 1-7 August 2016

Hello one and all and welcome to the latest edition of TLFG.

It's a big week in London with the EFL, National League, Southern League, Combined Counties and Southern Counties East Leagues all getting started. As an added bonus, it's also the opening round of the FA Cup so if you're thinking of embarking on a 'Road to Wembley' round-by-round odyssey then this is the week to start. 

Aside from these there are also lots of friendlies, several featuring Premier League sides. The pick are the International Champions Cup match between Liverpool and Barcelona on Saturday and the FA Community Shield between Leicester City and Manchester United on Sunday - both are at Wembley, but both are sold out.

Arguably the tie of the round in the FA Cup sees these rivals meet at the oldest ground in London

If all that isn't enough to get you salivating, we've also got the first two games being played by West Ham United at their new London Stadium home. I thought the Europa League match against NK Domzale and the friendly against Juventus would have completely sold out by now but there are still a few tickets available on general sale for the former and at low prices so get involved.

If you'd like to see more than one game in a day, Sunday's midday kick-off between QPR and Leeds United is a fine hors d'oeuvre for the Community Shield (I know at least one TLFG reader combining these two) while you should also just be able to make one of the three FA Cup ties which kick-off at 3pm elsewhere in the capital with Barkingside probably the easiest to get to by public transport.

In other news, preparations for Non-League Day on 3 September are still ongoing. This week I had a meeting with Kick It Out, did a bit of filming for our Tifosy run Prostate Cancer UK fundraiser, discussed merchandise, uploaded a few new games to the match map, heard from some European clubs who want to take part and also got contacted by a journalist at German football magazine '11Freunde' who wants to follow me on the day - it's been a busy time!

As I said, it promises to be quite a week so enjoy yourself and feel free to send your reports, pictures and also any questions if you have any.

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are 90 matches in the London area over the next week as pre-season starts to wind down and the competitive stuff starts to get going.

However, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or venue has been changed - something which often happens at this time of year. Also, please let me know if anything is wrong or missing.

Details on all of this week's games can be found on the following match maps. If you've never used them before, please note that when there is more than one match at a specific ground you'll only be able to see individual match pins if you zoom right in. If you don't, the pins obscure each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll down the list of games on the drop down menu at the top of the map page to make sure you get all the information. Games are listed from top to bottom in date order so Monday's games (yellow pin) will appear first and Sunday's (white pin) last. Games are also ranked in terms of status so the higher the division, the higher up the list they will appear on each day.

Also if you're unfamiliar with the English league structure I indicate the level at which an individual league sits in the national 'pyramid' with the Premier League at the top (Level 1) and various minor leagues at the bottom (Level 10). Typically a top level game will see crowds of anywhere between 20,000-60,000. These figures will gradually decline as you go down the leagues until you get to Levels 8-10 where attendances of 150 or less are most common.

It should also be noted that the top four levels are for fully professional teams. Level 5 has a mixture of professional and semi-professional teams, while Levels 6-10 will see most players paid but it will vary from no more than travel expenses at the bottom, right up to several hundred pounds a week at the top (e.g. clubs in the Conference South).

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures
Red pin - Wednesday fixtures
Purple pin - Thursday fixtures
Black pin - Friday fixtures

WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures

White pin - Sunday fixtures

TLFG DAILY DIGEST

In the following section I list, by day, what are in my opinion the most notable games of the week and give some brief reasons for my choice. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.

Monday 1 August
Hendon v Dagenham & Redbridge @730pm - the Greens continue to bed in at their new home with this friendly against National League opposition from east London
Metropolitan Police v Barnet XI @8pm - the Bees send their youngsters down to Imber Court for another pre-season game 

Tuesday 2 August

Bromley v Crystal Palace @7pm  - fifth-tier club Bromley welcome their Premier League neighbours for this hotly anticipated friendly (tickets must be purchased in advance)
Ryman League Charity Shield @745pm - Hampton & Richmond Borough play host to local rivals Kingstonian at the Beveree
Greenwich Borough v Leyton Orient XI @745pm - the hosts welcomed nearly 800 for the visit of a Millwall XI last week, they'll be hoping for another good turnout here
Tooting & Mitcham United v Crystal Palace U21 @745pm - the Eagles' youngsters play most of their home games at Imperial Fields so it's landlords v tenants
North Greenford United v Hanworth Villa @745pm - the Combined Counties League gets underway on Tuesday night with a handful of games, this one sees recently relegated Greenford welcome Villa who have former QPR and Fulham player Rufus Brevett taking charge of his first game as manager

Wednesday 3 August

Grays Athletic v Tilbury @745pm - two Essex rivals contest the Stan Veness Cup at Aveley's ground
Cray Valley PM v Cray Wanderers @745pm - it's only a friendly but this south-east London derby should still entertain

Thursday 4 August
West Ham United v NK Domzale @745pm - be part of history as the Hammers play the first match at their new home, tickets for this Europa League match are only £15 and are on general sale

Friday 5 August
Fulham v Newcastle United @745pm - the EFL season begins with this televised Championship game at Craven Cottage between two former Premier League teams
Tooting & Mitcham United v Dulwich Hamlet @745pm - if professional football's not for you, these two old non-league rivals enjoy a friendly down south

Saturday 6 August

Friendlies
Liverpool v Barcelona @515pm - the newly created International Champions Cup rolls into London where two of the world's biggest clubs sold out Wembley in two hours
Crystal Palace v Valencia @3pm - if you can't get a ticket for the above, there's another England v Spain match-up at Selhurst Park which also looks very appealing
Watford v Lorient @3pm - the Hornets also welcome European opposition for a final friendly in the form of this French outfit

EFL
Millwall v Oldham Athletic @3pm - the only EFL game taking place in London on Saturday is this League One encounter at the Den

National League
Boreham Wood v Forest Green Rovers @3pm - the National League season starts on Saturday with The Wood welcoming the title favourites in a very tough opener
Bromley v Tranmere Rovers @3pm - the Ravens were London's top ranked non-league club last season and their campaign begins against another team expected to do well
Sutton United v Solihull Moors @3pm - the U's return to the fifth tier for the first time in many years and welcome a side from the Midlands who are also new to this level
Dartford v Wealdstone @3pm - the fine facilities of Princes Park are the setting for this game between sides with realistic play-off ambitions in the National League South

Southern League
Northwood v Ashford Town (Middlesex) @3pm - it's also opening day in the Southern League Division 1 Central where Northwood were our leading local team last season, they begin with this match against newly promoted Ashford

FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
London Bari v Clapton @3pm - arguably the tie of the round is this groundshare derby in Forest Gate with tenants hosting landlords
Wembley v Daventry Town @3pm - if you're going to attempt an FA Cup 'Road to Wembley' what better place to start than Wembley FC who play within sight of the much grander national stadium
Colliers Wood United v AFC Croydon Athletic @3pm - a nice bit of inter-league action between clubs from opposite sides of London's southern hemisphere
Redbridge v Waltham Forest @3pm - two Essex Senior League teams do battle in what is probably fair to call a derby
Edgware Town v Holmer Green @3pm - after reforming in 2014, the Wares won the Spartan South Midlands Division 1 last season and now play their first ever FA Cup tie
Bridon Ropes v Canterbury City @3pm - even more significantly, the Ropes play their first ever FA Cup tie since coming into existence 81 years ago

Sunday 7 August
FA Community Shield @4pm - last season's surprise package Leicester City take on FA Cup winners Manchester United at Wembley in this annual curtain-raiser for the top flight
West Ham United v Juventus @1pm - if you can't make it to the first game at the London Stadium on Thursday then this friendly looks very enticing
Queens Park Rangers v Leeds United @12pm - if you want some competitive football, QPR begin their Championship season against these giants of Yorkshire football
Barkingside v Hadleigh United @3pm - there are three FA Cup ties on Sunday afternoon with this match at Ilford FC's ground the easiest to reach by public transport

GET INVOLVED

If you're going to see a game, whether you're a local or a visitor, please let me know what you've been up to. If you're interested in reviewing a ground within the London area for this blog then get in touch. You might also want to have a go at writing a 'Top Ten' one week. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.

Got any questions about visiting London? Don't hesitate to ask - be they football or more general travel/touristy queries.

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.

A Random Life Update

First and foremost- thanks to everyone who read my massively long, three-part birth story I finally posted. It was truly therapeutic to write it all out and while I wasn't sure at first if I should post it all, I am 100% glad I did. So many of you have had similar experiences or even just an experience that didn't go how you'd hoped and I'm glad we can chat about it! It's great to talk to people who have been through it and together we can hate all those people who get the easiest/best birth stories ever ;) Just joking... mostly.

So since this week was all emotional and heavy I wanted to lighten things up today. It's Friday after all. The last Friday of July and do you know what that signifies?! FOOTBALL STARTS NEXT MONTH!! The past three years I've done a one time only "Football Friday" link-up on my blog, I hope you all are still interested because I want to host that again. It'll be a day to post about anything and everything football... favorite team, memories, tailgate food, fashion, you name it. Anything goes. I'll pick a day soon and be sure to let you know so you can get your posts ready :) Here is last's years to give you an idea of what I posted.

Posting this again in hopes that it will give our guys some luck!

What else is going on? Well, I'm proud to say I've started a photobook for T's first year. I knew if I waited until his first birthday or something it would never get done. And the amount of photos I've taken already is just obscene so it was nice to get a start on that. It's probably going to be my favorite photobook of all time... see below for an example of why.

Facebook/Timehop reminded me this week that it was exactly 2 years ago that I cut and donated 12" of hair! It tempted me to cut mine again, but I can't decide if having short hair with a new baby is a good or bad things- moms?? It's long now which is nice because I can throw it in a ponytail or bun every day (and let's be honest- that's what I have time for) but maybe short hair could be good too because less time washing/drying? These are clearly big decisions for my life right now.

Then the haircut led me to remembering that I have a 30 before 30 list that I should probably revisit. I've crossed off about half of them and a handful of them are still in progress, but I better get on it if I want to come close to finishing them all. I officially have less than 9 months to go- yikes!

This now concludes one of my most random posts ever...but sometimes you just gotta drain dump everything into one post and catch up with life. Happy Friday and happy weekending everyone! :) 

Birth Story {Part Three}

In case you missed them:  Part One // Part Two

At 5:15 P.M. the doctor was back for another check. I was genuinely excited for this check (as uncomfortable as they are- ugh!) because I was so sure we'd be getting close to go time. So when the doctor announced that I hadn't made ANY progress in the past 4 hours I immediately wanted to cry. She said she was going to go look at my other numbers and stats and think about our next plan of action and she'd be back. When she left the room I just remember looking at Jared and fearing the worst.

Sure enough, the doctor was back in about 15 minutes and she said, "I've looked at everything... Even though your contractions look great, what we have at this point is failure to progress. I think the best thing to do now is get this baby out of there. I'm recommending we go ahead with a c-section."

I instantly started shaking my head and pretty much freaking out, there's not really a better way to describe it. I looked at Jared and I think we both just felt completely helpless in that moment. I wanted him to tell me this wasn't happening, and he wanted to fix everything and it just wasn't possible. Jared asked the doctor to give us a couple minutes of privacy which I was so grateful for. When it was just the two of us I clung to him and cried. "I don't want surgery! I should have never been induced!"

Jared prayed over me and just held onto me until I gathered myself a little bit. We were both a wreck at that point; having a major surgery just wasn't on our radar. We already had an induction sprung on us the day before, and now we're headed into a c-section? It just felt like nothing was going right but what other option did we have? We wanted our baby here safe and sound and although it pained me to do so, I knew we just had to trust that this was the right decision.

Suddenly our room was a flurry of activity. Prepping someone for a c-section takes a huge team of people. Jared ran down the hall to let our parents know what was going on while multiple nurses prepped me for surgery. I was still emotional and I remember one nurse in particular wiping my tears for me after she put my surgical hairnet on. She was sweet and tried to comfort me by reminding me that we were getting close to meeting our son. I couldn't wait to meet him, but it was also hard to feel excited in that moment when I was also terrified out of my mind. I didn't know it at the time, but one of the nurses snapped this photo and while terribly unflattering, it sums up how I was feeling in those moments.

Before I knew it I was being wheeled back into surgery. Jared had to wait outside the operating room for a few minutes which definitely felt like forever. The bright lights and the harsh contrast of this room compared to our labor room was almost too much to handle. I was feeling nervous, anxious, a little loopy from whatever medicine they were pumping into me and starting to feel sick to my stomach as well. After they got me on the operating table I remember asking, in practically a whisper, for someone to get me something because I thought I was going to be sick. Without anything in my stomach it wasn't really possible but dry heaving was almost just as bad.

Jared finally joined me and started talking to me immediately. He sat right by my head and held my hand as the team continued to get ready for surgery. I had a minor fever right before surgery so they stuck this weird thermometer sticker on my forehead to keep track of my temperature throughout the process. I was feeling so out of it by the time they started surgery. People were talking to me and I couldn't really focus on what they were saying or asking me. When they did the prick test to make sure I was numb I remember just staring into this woman's face and not knowing what in the world she wanted me to say. I think I just said "what?" over and over again before closing my eyes and fading out for a minute.

The surgery started and I continued to fade in and out, trying to respond to Jared as he talked to me but barely being able to focus. My fever was climbing rapidly which was making me burn through the painkillers much faster than normal. It's normal and even expected that you're going to feel a lot of pressure during a c-section, but at times the pain and pressure was so much that it felt like I was going to come up off the table! Once the doctors realized this, they continually upped the morphine throughout the surgery. If I wasn't loopy to begin with, I certainly was now.

Finally- the doctors just about had him out and they were telling me he was almost here. One of them hollered, "Any final weight guesses, mom and dad?" Somehow I was with it enough to say, "Seven pounds" and before I knew it Tyler was born on Thursday, May 26th at 6:45 P.M. and Jared was telling me, "He's here! He's here!" The nurses took him to be weighed and lo and behold, he weighed seven pounds exactly.

I was still fading in and out but I heard a cry and I heard everyone saying he was perfect. I turned to Jared and randomly said, "Does he have hair?" I'm pretty sure that made Jared chuckle ;) Somehow my camera came into the operating room with us (Zero recollection of how that happened) and a couple nurses did a great job taking photos for us, which I will cherish forever. Everything was such a whirlwind, I'm glad there are photos of the first few moments of our son's life.

Jared got to hold him while they finished surgery and finished putting me back together. I was having some double vision and it was breaking my heart that I couldn't really tell what my baby looked like yet. I kept trying to focus on him but the room was still feeling like one big blur to me. It took a pretty long time to finish up surgery and finally at 7:54 P.M. I got to hold my son for the first time.

It was instant love. All the craziness, all the trauma, all the pain- it was worth it. It truly was. He was here, he was healthy and he was perfect. Thank you God for this blessing! Jared and I just cried happy tears and smiled that our little family was together and everyone was okay. Our hospital stay was longer due to the c-section and the concern about my fever leading to an infection to me and/or Tyler, but thankfully it didn't. We were so excited to leave finally on Sunday and start our new life together.

Birth Story {Part Two}

You can read Part One here if you missed it.

Once we got home Jared and I quickly finished packing our bags. They were mostly ready to go already, but I added a couple more things and tossed in my last-minute items. I had planned on taking at least a few makeup basics with me to the hospital but in our rush I completely forgot those. Let's just say between zero makeup and the trauma I went through- there are no glamorous hospital photos ha!

I had asked the nurse if I could/should eat anything and she suggested something light, since I probably wouldn't be eating much for a long while. They pretty much were preparing me for a looong induction process so I knew I should try to have something before we left. I was only able to eat a piece of toast and a little applesauce, I was too nervous for anything else at that point. We called both of our moms to let them know what was going on. They were just as shocked as we were, but excited nonetheless. We told them not to come to the hospital anytime soon, we knew it would be a long time before any baby came so we said we'd just keep them posted as anything happened.

We finally checked back into the hospital around 9:00 pm and the same nurse we "knew" from earlier was there to take us back to our room. The doctor had originally told us they'd be using Cytotec to start the induction process but when she got into the room she had changed her mind. This is the same doctor who told us we "just need to have this baby" so when she told us she thought we'd try a foley bulb/balloon to induce, I couldn't help but feel like she chose that for fun. Do you know what I mean? Like hey, we haven't done an induction this way in awhile- let's give it a try. But I'm getting off topic now...

The couple of photos/snaps we took before moving rooms.

So the balloon and an IV of fluids started around midnight. Jared and I tried to just settle in and take everything in stride at that point. We knew we had a long road ahead of us so Jared pulled out the cot in the room and we found a movie to put on. Mean Girls was my choice ;) Something light I'd seen hundreds of times and would hopefully take my mind off what was actually going on. We didn't relax long before the nurse came back around 1 a.m. and told us we needed to move rooms. It was a little annoying to get up and haul over to a new room but the new room was much larger and nicer so it all worked out.

Once we settled into the new room, the nurse gave me a one-time "cocktail" of some medicine to help me relax, possibly sleep and overall just be comfortable overnight. They also started a tiny, low dose of Pitocin. They wouldn't up that until the balloon had done it's job and had come out. I was hating all the things that were happening- none of them are ever like I imagined, but at that point Jared and I were doing okay, just getting excited and knowing that our son was on his way into this world!

I dozed in and out all night. It's hard to get rest in the hospital and the nurses were in pretty much every half hour to check my blood pressure, change fluid bags or just see how we were doing. The night nurses were all really sweet though and I was thankful that they tried to be calming and comforting when they'd come in and could see I was half-asleep. We did have an annoying IV that malfunctioned quite a few times over night with a loud, obnoxious beep- so that was frustrating to have to call the nurse each time it happened. So much for a "relaxing" night.

Finally around 8:00 A.M. that dumb balloon was OUT and the doctor was ready to up my pitocin just a tiny bit more. I was so hungry and already tired at this point, but it was setting in that this was the day we were having a baby! Jared and I snapped a few photos, updated our parents as to what was happening (not a lot) and put on another movie. Inside Out was my choice this time- Disney for the win!

A new doctor from the practice was on duty by this point and she came in around 10 A.M. She was much nicer than the previous doctor although it was still a bummer that my actual doctor wasn't there. I know that's always a very real possibility when you go to a practice with multiple doctors, but I was hoping she'd be on-call at some point. Spoiler Alert- Of the FIVE days we were at the hospital, I never once saw/heard from my actual doctor. Instead, this doctor came in and checked me at this point. I was at 4cm which definitely made me feel like things were on the right track.

After the check the doctor decided it was time to break my water which she did... I'll spare the world those details.... but 1. Ouch and 2. Gross. The end.

I think our parents got to the hospital around noon and they came in to see how things were going. I was having contractions at this point but they weren't too painful so we were fine with having some company join us in the room for awhile. We all sat around chatting for a little bit, filling them on the previous night and what all was going on. The nurse brought me a cherry popsicle which was amazing. My body was so low on fuel at this point; I was only allowed sips of water and limited ice chips here and there.

Somewhere between 12:30-1:00 PM my contractions definitely started picking up. They weren't unbearable, but they were coming pretty close together. We timed them for a little bit and realized I was contracting every 2-3 minutes so I wasn't getting much time in between them to relax. The doctor checked me again in this time period and I'd progressed to 5cm. I was so excited that we were halfway there! Things were going how they should be going!

Soon after that check is when I felt the contractions get more painful so we had our parents head down to the waiting room for awhile. I brought up the epidural to Jared and his response was "Really!? You want it now??" He didn't mean it in a negative way, but he later told me he had no idea how much pain I was in at that point because I was handling it so well. Proud moment. Honestly, every contraction I had at that point I just closed my eyes, focused on breathing through it and got really quiet each time.

I figured I'd made it to a 5+ at that point, I'd get the epidural process started so I let our nurse know I was going to want one. She said she'd get the anesthesiologist as soon as they were done with another patient. Nothing about the epidural really scared me, to me it was just another step in the right direction of having this baby! The anesthesiologist came in around 2:30 P.M. and that process was pretty quick and painless. She was sweet and worked quickly to avoid sticking me with a giant needle right in the middle of a contraction. It started working pretty quickly and I got the weird itchy belly reaction and tingly legs/feet but I wasn't completely numb which I thought was a good thing.

The doctor said my contractions were "beautiful" and she didn't feel the need to up my pitocin anymore at that point- yay! Pitocin was never something I wanted so the less of it I needed, the better. The only concern at this point was that Tyler's head wasn't quite in the right position. He was head down, but it was turned just enough that it would affect delivery. They had me lay on my side with a giant "peanut ball" between my legs and said to stay there until the next check to see if we could get him to move.

As uncomfortable as that was, I complied and we found Jurassic World on the TV to try to distract us a little longer. I texted a couple friends to let them know how things were going, Jared updated our family in the waiting room and we just tried to continue to be patient. My mom actually brought me a magazine from the gift shop because I'd told her I was bored. It had been a long, slow process so far and I honestly thought we still had a long night ahead of us. Let's just say, I didn't get to read that magazine...

The Birth Story {Part One}

Here we are almost two months to the day that my son was born. It's taken me a really long time to come to terms with how everything happened, hence the major delay in writing and sharing this series of posts. As difficult as some of this was, I still believe God had his hand upon us and the situation the entire time, and for that I am SO grateful. Having a healthy baby boy is the biggest blessing of all. This is part one of three of my birth story, I've got a lot to say.

______________________________________

It was Wednesday, May 25th and it was just another day at the office. I got in early that morning because my boss was on vacation and things were a little busier than normal. Plus, I had my 37 week appointment that afternoon. I knew I'd be out of the office for an hour or so around lunchtime and didn't want to end up staying late to finish anything else. I work in a small department so I told my one and only coworker for the day that I was headed out and shouldn't be gone too long. He was happy to hold down the fort and off I rushed to the doctor's office. It was only about 20 minutes from my office but between traffic and construction I was definitely pushing it to get there on time for my 1:00 P.M. appointment. 

Last 'official' bump picture I took at 36w in the glamorous stadium bathroom

I made it with about 30 seconds to spare and immediately was called back by a new, unfamiliar nurse. She wasn't mean or anything- but just a little more business-like and not as friendly as some of the other nurses I'd gotten to know over the course of my pregnancy so far. She whisked me back to a room and quickly took my blood pressure which immediately read very high. VERY high. That can happen on occasion for no reason at all, and I did feel a little flustered so she gave me a couple of minutes and then said let's check that again. Checked it again. High, again. Dangit. Now the nurse instructs me to lay down on my side and said she'll be back in five minutes and to just relax.

Relax?! Yeah, right! Laying there on a super uncomfortable doctor's office table I just knew my blood pressure was going to be high no matter what now. I could feel my heart beating fast, I was sweating a little bit and I was just overall nervous that something was majorly wrong. My whole pregnancy was truly smooth sailing and there had been zero health concerns for me or baby the entire time. Why in the world was this happening now?

Sure enough, the third check proved to be high yet again. The numbers had dropped some, but since I was full-term at that point it was enough for a doctor to be concerned I guess. My doctor came in and checked me for progress while discussing the high blood pressure reading. I was only at 1cm, but suddenly I hear the words "send you to triage" come out her mouth. What?! She said I needed to go to the hospital for additional testing since they could give results right away, versus doing bloodwork through their office and waiting a couple of days to find out if there were any reasons to be concerned. Although my doctor remained positive and optimistic that they might not even find anything, she said it was best to find out if we needed to start talking about an induction sooner rather than later.

I left the office in a little bit of a haze and called Jared at work the second I got into my car. He answered quickly (thank goodness- he can't always when he's at work!) and I could barely get any words out when he first answered. I managed to choke out the few details I knew before bursting into tears. Jared immediately told his boss he had to leave and he and I both headed toward the hospital, coming from opposite directions. Jared had a dozen questions and I answered anything I could, but honestly everything still felt so unclear to me. I had no other 'warning signs' or symptoms other than a high blood pressure reading... how was this pointing to an induction?

We arrived at triage around 2:00 p.m.and let them know we were there and got all checked in. They were super busy so there wasn't a room available for us yet. Since I wasn't actively in labor or anything I'm pretty sure I was way down low on their list. They put two different hospital bracelets on me and sent us across the hall to a waiting room. I quickly remembered to text my coworker and let him know sorry, but I wasn't going to make it back today and that I was having additional tests done at the hospital. He wrote back, "No big deal- see you tomorrow." Little did we know...

We sat around in that waiting room for what seemed like forever, but it was probably only about an hour. It was a busy afternoon for babies because the waiting room was packed. I was so nervous about everything and all these people in the waiting room excitedly waiting to go down the hall and see a new baby was stressing me out. Everyone was so talkative and happy and I was just a wreck. This whole thing definitely taught me that I'm terrible in hospitals. Terrible.

Fiiiinally we got called back to a room. Jared had to wait outside for a few minutes while they asked me a few things and then he was allowed to join me. First up? A foley catheter to drain my bladder. Apparently the best way to get a sample but it was so uncomfortable and I just wasn't ready for that, but it happened anyway. Immediately after that is when they decided would be the best time to start monitoring my blood pressure again. After an uncomfortable, unfamiliar procedure let's see how she's doing!

They set it up to take my blood pressure every 20 minutes automatically and the first reading was of course, high. I was trying so hard to just relax and it felt physically impossible. I kept telling myself if I just relaxed, my numbers would come down and they'd let me leave. A nice nurse came in and we realized she knew Jared from childhood! They hadn't talked in over a decade but she was friendly and it felt comforting to know there was a tiny connection there. I was grasping for anything at this point. She took 5 vials of blood from me and said we'd just wait things out until the labs tested them.

It felt like we were waiting around forever in triage until the nurse let us know the results were back from the lab. She said everything looked pretty normal, but we'd have to wait to see the doctor and get her opinion on how to proceed. We asked the nurse what - in her opinion - would happen next. She said with the numbers she saw on the results she figured I'd be sent home with instructions to do a 24-hour urine collection and then follow up with my doctor again.

I was honestly relieved to hear that and Jared and I finally relaxed a little, thinking good news was coming our way. We'd been at the hospital for hours at this point so we started talking about where we were going to grab dinner from when we left. I had decided on Sonic and was going over slushie flavor options when the doctor finally came in.

"So I think we need to have this baby."

Those were her exact words when she walked in.

"Really??" I think that's all I was able to squeak out at first.

She said yes. She felt like my high blood pressure combined with being 37w1d meant we needed to induce me immediately. Jared and I tried to gather our thoughts and we asked a few questions, but we honestly felt like this doctor just wanted to get this show on the road and move onto the next patient. I understand that doctors deliver babies every day and it IS 'just another day at the office' but for first-time parents? Her bedside manners or people skills or whatever you want to call it, just wasn't there.

It was hard to be in that position where you felt like you had no choice but to trust that this doctor was doing the right thing. I truly couldn't wrap my head around the thought that I was about to be induced that night. No one ever wants to have that happen and I always imagined if I were to be induced it would be because I was past-due. The possibility of this happening today had never, ever crossed my mind.

The doctor left us alone for a few minutes and Jared and I talked and prayed about what we needed to do. They wanted me to check in right then and there, but I absolutely couldn't do that. I didn't have my bags with me, the carseat was at home, my cell phone was at 2% battery. We needed to go home first. The pushy doctor was not happy with that either, trying to scare me by saying my high blood pressure could cause a seizure or a stroke if we left and I wasn't being monitored. She told me I should just check in and send Jared home for our stuff- but there was no way I was checking into the hospital alone! In the end, I signed an AMA (Against Medical Advice) form so they'd let us leave and we told them we'd be back within a couple of hours...

Part 2 coming tomorrow!

TLFG: 25-31 July 2016

It's been a steamy old week in London with temperatures of over 30C (approx 90F) on several days.

Such conditions have been great for most spectators but the players must have found the going pretty tough.

I had hoped to catch a game on Monday night on my way back from Ireland but the flight got held up and I missed out. It's a shame because the match between Hendon and QPR's U21s produced a nine-goal thriller which the visitors edged 5-4.

Did you make it to any games? 

Several readers have been in touch saying they've been to various matches which is great to hear. It's also been interesting to learn that several of you have headed beyond the city limits to take in some of the more interesting friendlies a bit further afield. 

With this in mind, I've made a special effort to see what else is on within a 50-60 mile radius of London and there are some really big games this week which you'll find details of below. Some of them are in locations like Brighton which could make for a good day trip or even an overnighter.

There's only six weeks to go!

With only six weeks to go until Non-League Day, the build up is now starting to get serious. This week I've got a meeting with anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out who have become important partners over the last few years. We'll probably discuss which games they'll hope to hold events at on the day so I'm looking forward to making a few recommendations. 

Hopefully I'll get to squeeze a game in this week but it will have to be a midweek one.

Right, I think that's it from me. Have a great week of football watching - once again the schedule is packed and the 'Daily Digest' below doesn't even come close to covering all the good games that are on offer so scour those maps to make sure you don't miss out.

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are nearly 100 matches in the London area over the next week as pre-season starts to get into full swing.

However, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or venue has been changed - something which often happens at this time of year. Also, please let me know if anything is wrong or missing.

Details on all of this week's games can be found on the following match maps. If you've never used them before, please note that when there is more than one match at a specific ground you'll only be able to see individual match pins if you zoom right in. If you don't, the pins obscure each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll down the list of games on the drop down menu at the top of the map page to make sure you get all the information. Games are listed from top to bottom in date order so Monday's games (yellow pin) will appear first and Sunday's (white pin) last. Games are also ranked in terms of status so the higher the division, the higher up the list they will appear on each day.

Also if you're unfamiliar with the English league structure I indicate the level at which an individual league sits in the national 'pyramid' with the Premier League at the top (Level 1) and various minor leagues at the bottom (Level 10). Typically a top level game will see crowds of anywhere between 20,000-60,000. These figures will gradually decline as you go down the leagues until you get to Levels 8-10 where attendances of 150 or less are most common.

It should also be noted that the top four levels are for fully professional teams. Level 5 has a mixture of professional and semi-professional teams, while Levels 6-10 will see most players paid but it will vary from no more than travel expenses at the bottom, right up to several hundred pounds a week at the top (e.g. clubs in the Conference South).

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures
Red pin - Wednesday fixtures
Purple pin - Thursday fixtures
Black pin - Friday fixtures

WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures

White pin - Sunday fixtures

TLFG DAILY DIGEST

In the following section I list, by day, what are in my opinion the most notable games of the week and give some brief reasons for my choice. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.

Monday 25 July
Colchester United v Crystal Palace @7pm - a good chance to see a Premier League side in action not too far outside London
Wingate & Finchley v Maidenhead United @745pm - if you don't want to go that far, the next best option is this friendly in the northern suburbs

Tuesday 26 July

MK Dons v Everton @745pm  - if you're a fan of the Toffees you can catch them at Stadium MK just a short trip north of London
Southend United v Newcastle United @745pm - with the weather set fair, this is a fine chance to catch a decent game and combine it with a trip to the Essex seaside
Cambridge United v Aston Villa @730pm - if the coast isn't for you, enjoy a bit of culture in one of the great seats of English learning before heading to the Abbey Stadium for this
Charlton Athletic v Ipswich Town @745pm - the best option within the M25 sees sides from League One and the Championship do battle
Dagenham & Redbridge v Leyton Orient @745pm - we also have this east London derby to look forward to
Dartford v Gillingham @745pm - talking of derbies, this game between two Kent rivals catches the eye as well

Wednesday 27 July

AFC Wimbledon v Crystal Palace @7pm - the Eagles are in action again but this time it's in a south London derby against the Dons

Thursday 28 July
Harrow Borough v Hemel Hempstead Town @745pm - Boro are averaging four goals a game in pre-season so far but the Tudors, from the National League South, should present a much tougher challenge

Friday 29 July
Reading v Bournemouth @8pm - Jaap Stam's Royals welcome Premier League Bournemouth for a game that could kick-off a great weekend of football watching
Hayes & Yeading United v Hendon @730pm - it is possible that this game could be the first to be played at Hayes' much delayed new ground, check with the club before you travel to confirm this
Chipstead v Crystal Palace U21 @745pm - CANCELLED
Greenwich Borough v Millwall XI @745pm - managed by former Lion Gary Alexander, ambitious Greenwich welcome a side from the Den to their new home

Saturday 30 July
Fulham v Crystal Palace @3pm - the Eagles first XI finish off their week with a trip to Craven Cottage for this derby
Queens Park Rangers v Watford @3pm - just up the road in Shepherd's Bush there's another derby between Championship and Premier League clubs
Millwall v Brentford @3pm - the Lions' Tony Craig enjoys a testimonial against one of his former clubs, it's a London derby too
Charlton Athletic v RKC Waalwijk @3pm - the Addicks welcome Dutch opponents if you fancy something a bit more exotic
Welling United v Bromley @3pm - elsewhere in south-east London we have this derby
Harrow Borough v Wealdstone @3pm - on the north-west side of town it's also the Harrow derby
Clapton v Tower Hamlets @3pm - if you want some competitive football, the Essex Senior League starts on Saturday and this East End derby featuring the support/performance of the Clapton Ultras is the pick for me

Sunday 31 July
Brighton & Hove Albion v Lazio @3pm - head south to the well appointed Amex Stadium to see the promotion seeking Seagulls host one of the big boys of Italian football in arguably the game of the week
Arsenal Ladies v Liverpool Ladies @3pm - back in London, your best option is this Women's Super League game at Boreham Wood

GET INVOLVED

If you're going to see a game, whether you're a local or a visitor, please let me know what you've been up to. If you're interested in reviewing a ground within the London area for this blog then get in touch. You might also want to have a go at writing a 'Top Ten' one week. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.

Got any questions about visiting London? Don't hesitate to ask - be they football or more general travel/touristy queries.

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.

Never Thought I'd...

...Keep up with a blog for five years! That blows my mind. I'm thankful for this little space of mind and the friendships that have grown as a result of this blog. I never could have imagined what this blog would become but I'm glad it's been a pleasant surprise :) I was worried I'd never find time to blog again after T was born, but slowly and surely I'm getting back into the swing of things.

...Be just a few years away from paying off a house at this point in my life. Jared and I (err... Sallie and Perkins?!) are still hanging onto our plan to pay off our mortgage in the near future. I plan to give an actual S/P update soon but we are really rocking our finances this year, despite all the life changes! Make me excited to see what we can continue to accomplish.

...Be watching WWE with Jared. I have never, ever in my life been interested in wrestling but somehow I've been watching it more and more over the past year or so. Jared actually went to high school and played football with Dean Ambrose, so we've been more interested in watching since he continues to grow in popularity. It's pretty surreal to watch someone you actually KNOW become a millionaire and reach that level of stardom. For me? It's surreal that I'm starting to actually know multiple wrestler's names, slogans, etc. 

...Be reading up on fantasy football predictions. I LOVE football, that's no secret, but this year I've got a title to defend. In WON our family league last year, making me the first female to ever do so! And I'm definitely still bragging about it, so I can't fail this year. I am getting a head start on things and cannot wait for the season (real and fantasy!) to start.

...Have a google search history consisting of the things it does. Pretty much anytime I'm up for a 3 A.M. feeding I'm also googling the most random things associated with babies, postpartum 'things' and more. These first couple of months I have constantly searched for everything under the sun. Is this normal? Is that? What should I expect with this? How to do that. You name it- I've googled it.

Fill in the blank for yourself... What's something you never thought you'd be doing? 

Christmas in July

Every July I try to start thinking about Christmas. I know, it's insane... but it helps the holidays be more fun and less stressful come December. I've upped my Swagbucks game so I can stash away some extra cash and giftcards to use for shopping; I bought wrapping paper and bows months ago when I came across some on clearance at a second-hand store. It's fun to sprinkle in the festive fun ahead of time... I'm always on the lookout for a good gift idea too. No reason not to buy something and stash it away if it's the perfect gift for someone!

Jared is an even bigger Christmas fanatic than me, so we thought it would be fun this past weekend to have a Christmas in July date night. At home, of course ;) I have to say, it was quite the success! We'd planned this a week in advance, so we'd agreed to each get each other a small just-for-fun gift of no more than $10. That limit made us get creative and it was fun to have a reason to open gifts from one another.

After dinner and gifts we made some delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Oh my goodness- it had been a really long time since I baked anything and these cookies were dangerously tasty. I refuse to tell you how many I inhaled had. Or maybe I just lost count.

While we munched on cookies, we cranked the Christmas tunes on our record player, lit our best wintery candles and settled in to play a board game. Not just any board game- a Christmas themed one! Someone bought us this game awhile back and I'll admit it's sat in our basement closet for far too long. We finally got it out this weekend though and realized what a fun little game it is. The concept is simple but it was a tricky memory game we actually enjoyed a lot.

We also miiight have shopped around online that night for some items for T's first Christmas! We didn't buy anything, although this outfit and this ornament were super tempting. We'll try to refrain for now ;) My urge to shop has never been stronger since having baby; I think I should hide my debit card for awhile.

In my efforts to finally take some pictures of life NOT involving a baby, I captured our date night pretty well. Except for two minor details... Jared and I. Ha! I don't think we've taken but one photo together in the past two months- we just aren't too glamorous these day. I don't think there are enough Instagram or Snapchat filters in the world to hide the bags under our sleep-deprived eyes!

Start Monday Right

Mondays get a pretty bad reputation. Everyone's back to work, back to the grind and whatever weekend fun you had instantly feels like a lifetime away. I hate that! Even though it's hard to feel upbeat and ready to tackle a new week, Mondays also have a lot of potential. Clean slate, five days to kick butt before you kick back again, right?! Well, usually I save a favorites kind of post for Friday but I thought I'd start the week with a few favorites since I seem to have so many random little tidbits I want to share already!

My last post before I (unexpectedly) had a baby 3 weeks early was about utilizing my crockpot in the summer. I'm finally getting back into the swing of cooking occasionally and we had the tastiest summer dinner over the weekend. Jared grilled up burgers and I made the chili-lime corn on the cob in our crockpot. So easy, delicious and a unique blend of flavors. We'll definitely make it again!

Paper plates for the win!

Jared and I ventured out to a farmer's market over the weekend. We were so proud, getting all three of us dressed and out of the house, had our cash and bags and were excited to walk around and push the stroller. Turns out? It was the world's smallest market. In a gravel parking lot... aka- not real conducive to strollers and definitely not worth the time to get it out. So Jared sat in the car with T and I did a quick swoop to grab the items we'd come intending to buy. We laughed pretty hard at ourselves, but hey- the produce was delicious and we still successfully left the house!

I am getting SO excited for the Summer Olympics. So many sports I love to watch and I won't lie- I'm pretty happy I'll still be on maternity leave for the majority of the games. More time to watch and obsess! And, have you all heard the theme songs for the games, "Rise" yet? I already love Katy Perry so I thought the song was awesome and this video seriously gives me chills. Bring on the Olympics!!

My Etsy shop has a great giveaway and fun new releases this week. If you're a teacher or have teacher friends PLEASE check it out :) Shop here and Instagram with giveaway details here.

Jared and I had a really fun at-home date over the weekend that will get a post of it's own but other than that? It was just a flat-out beautiful weekend over here- even though it's insanely hot out, the skies were blue and the clouds were awesome. I'm ready to tackle a new week with whatever it brings. And with a baby, you never know what that will mean!!

TLFG: 18-24 July 2016

By the time you read this I'll hopefully be in Ireland at one of my wife's relative's wedding.

Hence this is a bit of a rush job ahead of a trip to the airport.

Once again, the amount of games to watch has shot up with almost 100 on offer this week so there's no chance of getting bored.

We don't have any Premier League sides to entertain us but plenty of EFL teams will be giving their players a run out in matches all over the region.

As in previous weeks I've listed a few games just beyond the M25 that look good and are easy to get to but there could be others as I haven't had a chance to thoroughly scour the fixture lists of London's near neighbours.

Right, I think that's all I need to write at this stage - I better go and finish my packing.

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are nearly 100 matches in the London area over the next week as pre-season starts to get into full swing.

However, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or venue has been changed - something which often happens at this time of year. Also, please let me know if anything is wrong or missing.

Details on all of this week's games can be found on the following match maps. If you've never used them before, please note that when there is more than one match at a specific ground you'll only be able to see individual match pins if you zoom right in. If you don't, the pins obscure each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll down the list of games on the drop down menu at the top of the map page to make sure you get all the information. Games are listed from top to bottom in date order so Monday's games (yellow pin) will appear first and Sunday's (white pin) last. Games are also ranked in terms of status so the higher the division, the higher up the list they will appear on each day.

Also if you're unfamiliar with the English league structure I indicate the level at which an individual league sits in the national 'pyramid' with the Premier League at the top (Level 1) and various minor leagues at the bottom (Level 10). Typically a top level game will see crowds of anywhere between 20,000-60,000. These figures will gradually decline as you go down the leagues until you get to Levels 8-10 where attendances of 150 or less are most common.

It should also be noted that the top four levels are for fully professional teams. Level 5 has a mixture of professional and semi-professional teams, while Levels 6-10 will see most players paid but it will vary from no more than travel expenses at the bottom, right up to several hundred pounds a week at the top (e.g. clubs in the Conference South).

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures
Red pin - Wednesday fixtures
Purple pin - Thursday fixtures
Black pin - Friday fixtures

WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures

White pin - Sunday fixtures

TLFG DAILY DIGEST

In the following section I list, by day, what are in my opinion the most notable games of the week and give some brief reasons for my choice. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.

Monday 18 July
Hendon v QPR U21 @7pm - after several years in exile, the Greens are now back in a ground of their own and have made this a 'Pay What You Want Game'

Tuesday 19 July

Fulham v Brighton & Hove Albion @745pm  - two Championship clubs meet at the neutral venue of Aldershot Town
Wycombe Wanderers v Brentford @745pm - another interesting all EFL game as a League Two side hosts a Championship one, again just outside London
Boreham Wood v Luton Town @745pm - National League side Boreham Wood take on their fifth professional club in a little over a week in what can also be classed as a derby
Woking v Leyton Orient @745pm - the O's make the short journey outside London to take on National League opponents
Dartford v Millwall @745pm - the Lions, from League One, continue to do the rounds of the local non-league sides producing some eye-catching derbies in the process

Wednesday 20 July

Kingstonian v Sutton United @745pm - these two were divisional rivals until fairly recently but two promotions for the visitors have propelled them into the fifth tier
Staines Town v QPR U21 @730pm - Rangers' youngsters have a hectic schedule of non-league opposition this week, with Ryman League Staines their latest opponents

Thursday 21 July
Thamesmead Town v Welling United @745pm - a south-east London derby at Bayliss Avenue

Friday 22 July
Wycombe Wanderers v QPR @745pm - the fact Chairboys boss Gareth Ainsworth has played and managed both is just one of a number of things connecting these two clubs as is the A40 road which makes this journey just outside London very straightforward
Enfield Town v Brighton & Hove Albion U21 @730pm - if you want to stay inside the M25 then this is the next best option

Saturday 23 July
Brentford v FC Kiaserslautern @3pm - the Bees host London's first foreign visitors of the summer as this German side come to Griffin Park
AFC Wimbledon v Reading @3pm - the Dons' steady rise up the leagues means there's only one division between these two now
Leyton Orient v Charlton Athletic @3pm - hailing from either side of the Thames on the east side of London, this is very much a derby
Barnet v Gillingham @3pm - Martin Allen's side welcome League One opponents from Kent
Crawley Town v Millwall @3pm - the Lions make the short trip to League Two Crawley which is very close to Gatwick airport if you want to fly in especially
Hendon Invitation Cup from 1pm - the Greens host Carshalton Athletic, Farnborough and Slough Town in a tournament which plays out over the weekend

Sunday 24 July
Hendon Invitation Cup from 1pm - depending on Saturday's results, we'll have a third place play-off and final featuring the teams above
Phoenix Sports v Dartford @2pm - south east London derby
Chelsea Ladies v Doncaster Rovers Belles @2pm - FA Women's Super League action at Staines Town

GET INVOLVED

If you're going to see a game, whether you're a local or a visitor, please let me know what you've been up to. If you're interested in reviewing a ground within the London area for this blog then get in touch. You might also want to have a go at writing a 'Top Ten' one week. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.

Got any questions about visiting London? Don't hesitate to ask - be they football or more general travel/touristy queries.

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.

Friday Favorites: Baby Edition

TGIF! Sure, I'm on maternity leave but that doesn't mean I enjoy weekends any less than I always do. Jared's home from work and there is fun to be had. We are going to attempt a couple outings as a little family this weekend- I will surely be reporting back on how they go. Wish us luck ;)

I wanted to share a few favorite baby items today. When I was pregnant I'd read blog posts about "must-haves" for the first few months and now that I've had a baby I feel the need to share mine. For the most part, Jared and I really tried not to register for an excessive amount of things. Yes, babies naturally come with a lot of stuff, but we really tried to steer clear of non-necessity items that would just be more clutter in our home. I know every mom and baby are different but I enjoyed reading these posts so I figured I'd give my spin on things as well. After seven weeks- here are my current faves!

SummerInfant SwaddleMe Blankets

Our baby is one of the one's who needs to be swaddled to get a good nap in. His crazy little newborn arms and legs just wake him up too much if not. I know a regular blanket could be used to swaddle him but these have been awesome. You wrap him up like a burrito and the velcro tabs keep him snuggled and secure. Some babies hate swaddles, T loves them. Also, they come in a zillion different colors and patterns, they are seriously cute.

Ours in action! Far left: Only 4 days old so the swaddle was definitely too big on him- haha. They work great now though! :)

BabyTracker App - iPhone // Android

I truly don't know how I would ever remember anything without this app. You can keep track of feedings, diapers, sleeping, growth/milestones- just about everything all in one place. I just have the free version, but I think you can pay a few dollars and get even more features. I know there are dozens of baby app's out there, so if you have one you like please shout it out!

White Noise machine by HoMedics

We initially didn't register for this, but it's something we quickly purchased after being at home a couple of weeks. Little man doesn't like to sleep in silence. We used a fan noise to keep him happy and content until we got this bad boy. We went with a cheap one, I know there are much fancier ones out there but this one is working just fine for us. It has 6 sound options and a timer. Simple and gets the job done.

Receiving Blankets
We registered for one 4-pack of these and ended up with probably 10 of them total. I remember thinking we had way too many and we'd never need them all- but I was wrong on this one. I'm glad I didn't return any like I'd considered. They are just useful for everything and it's amazing how quickly T can dirty them up. We have a few different brands but Carter's blankets and this gauzy, nautical one are my favorites.

Hand/Face Wipes by BabyGanics

We were gifted some of these and they have come in handy quite often. I guess you could use a regular baby wipe, but these are more gentle and meant specifically for faces. Helps get off any crusties of the mouth, eyes, nose- you name it! Not that I've gotten out and about that much (ha!) but I do keep a pack of them in the diaper bag too, they are nice to have. PS- also like their hand sanitizer!

Other notable items?

Newborn clothes and newborn diapers. Everyone told us NOT to get much (if any) of these and turns out we needed them a lot. He was born three weeks early, but he still was 7 pounds at birth which isn't that tiny. He was in newborn diapers for about 5 weeks and he's still wearing mostly newborn clothes right now. Just something to keep in mind! Also- I'm Team Pampers in case anyone wanted to know. Is there hashtag for that or anything ;)

So nothing earth-shattering here, but these items have saved our sanity and made the first couple of months a little less hectic. And this concludes my first, "I think I kinda, sorta know a tiny, little bit about caring for my newborn now," post.

Looking Back

A few years back, I was doing a series on my blog of "month's past" and once a month I'd take a look back and see what was going on in life that specific month. I'd look back over a 5-year span and it was always a lot of fun to see what I was up to and how much had changed. Since it's been awhile since I did that (and I have a lot of new readers since then!) I thought I'd continue on. It's amazing how much can change in just a handful of years. Some of these things feel like a lifetime ago!

July 2008

Got to stand by my sister's side and see her marry the guy of her dreams! On a sidenote, I also got the worst case of what I believe was food poisoning about a week before her wedding. That 24 hours could be a post all in itself but I'll spare you ;)

July 2009

Jared won a radio contest and landed us 3-day passes to Kings Island amusement park PLUS Spirit Song, the Christian music festival. Probably one of the BEST weekends of our lives, no joke… it was so much fun! We rode rollercoasters and ate junk food all day and listened to awesome concerts all night.

July 2010

Went to an awesome balloon-glow at a local park for the 4th of July weekend with Jared's family. I can't believe we haven't been back since, it was a great event. I also met up with some of my best college girlfriends for a much-overdue fun day at the outlets. Miss those girls so much!

July 2011

Shot my first gun. In a dress, nonetheless! ;) We were busy enjoying life as newlyweds since we'd just gotten married in May. This whole summer was just so fun, I remember loving every minute of it.

July 2012

Attended my cousin's baby shower just weeks before we'd meet her perfect little man. He was the very first great-grandbaby in the family and we were all SO excited!! This month also marks the month I tried froyo for the first time ever- notable, for sure.

July 2013

Visited a new state- Arkansas! My in-laws lived out here briefly and we were able to make a fun roadtrip out to visit them over the fourth of July weekend. We hit up the craziest antique sales ever, ate the best tomatoes in the country and spent hours out on the lake together.

July 2014

Volunteered at our church and attended as many local festivals as we possibly could. Gimme ALL the fair food!! ;) Man, I am SO ready for some fairs and festivals... something deep-fried is calling my name.

July 2015

Got hooked up with MLB All-Star passes for the Hall of Fame and Celebrity Softball games. Sure it wasn't the big, main event- but we had an absolute blast. I can't turn down a free date night, let's be serious.

July 2016.  And here we are! Seven weeks into this whole parenthood thing. Just taking it one day at a time, one diaper at a time :)

Has July brought any monumental happenings for you in the past few years?