Hey, everyone! It’s been a while. I want to start off by saying thank you so much to everyone who reached out to me after reading my last post. I was touched by all the kind words of support, not only from close friends and family, but also friends I’ve lost touch with over the years. I truly appreciate every single one of you.

The last couple of weeks since then have been a bit lighter: filled with unpacking, building furniture, and generally getting settled in. I finally bought a couple of baby items last week! It feels good to be preparing for our future little one instead of trying just get on our feet.

This past weekend Tom and I had a little getaway. We visited Wicklow Mountains National Park  and Kilkenny Medieval Mile and Castle. We rented a car and Tom attempted driving on the other side of the road for the first time. He has really missed driving since we moved to Dublin and he did a wonderful job. I was trying to hold it together just sitting in the passenger seat!

First we went to Wicklow Mountains National Park where we drove around the whole park and stopped at various spots to see the sights and take pictures. We walked around a bit to get the best views, but I wasn’t feeling up for any real hiking unfortunately. Maybe next trip!

See all of the pictures from our trip to Wicklow National Park!

That night we stayed at The Old Schoolhouse Cottage in the Kilkenny countryside.

This charming refurbished schoolhouse was originally built in 1895! We were greeted by a rainbow when we first arrived and grazing cows as we were leaving. The views were stunning. We ate dinner at a chipper in a small nearby town and spent the evening enjoying each other’s company by a cozy fire.

See all of our pictures from The Old Schoolhouse Cottage.

On Sunday morning we drove to Kilkenny to see our first castle!

Built in 1195 Kilkenny Castle was a focal point of several military attacks, and later, high society. During its time it was refurnished many times and was sold to the public in 1967 for £50 (source). The Office of Public Works painstakingly brought it back to its Victorian heyday, even recreating ornate hand-painted wallpaper in every room.

The surrounding town is a living, breathing medieval village with modern businesses working out of historical buildings. It was absolutely adorable. You could practically feel the history oozing out of every sidewalk and storefront.

See all of our pictures from Kilkenny Castle and Village.

We had a wonderful weekend! It felt good to be able to take some time off from our getting settled checklist and get back to what Tom and I have always loved to do together, jump in a car and explore somewhere new.

In terms of my pregnancy I’m feeling pretty good! I’m 22 weeks along and my nausea is finally starting to subside. Lately, I’m mostly just tired with daily round ligament pain. We had our 20 week ultrasound and both me and the baby are healthy and doing well! Tom got to feel the baby kick of the first time Saturday evening, which only added to the overall special feeling of the whole trip.

Sending lots of love to all of you!