America, Here We Come

3 years ago we made the decision to stay in Europe and move from Italy to Germany. I never could have imagined that just a few years later we would be itching to leave and return to the U.S. Between a rough pregnancy, the COVID-19 pandemic, and some health issues with our daughter — it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows this past year. Thanks to the determination and sacrifices of my husband, Stephen, we are heading to Ft. Carson, Colorado in just a few months. We’re finally moving back to America, y’all!

A Recap of Our Time in Germany

Our time in Germany started off a little rocky. The government housing we were placed in wasn’t up to standards and we had some neighborhood dog issues. The Army permitted us to move to a nicer neighborhood, Netzaberg Community in Eschenbach, where we settled into a newer house with wonderful neighbors. We were happy there for a while until the COVID-19 pandemic hit. What we thought would only last a few months, ended up taking a year of travel, dining out, and enjoying living in a foreign country away from us. Flights were restricted and we went months without seeing our family — in the process missing birthdays, holidays, and births.

Having a Baby Overseas

There were some really special moments during our time in Germany, the best of which was the birth of our first baby. Our daughter, Lillie Belle, was born in May of 2020. (You can read her entire birth story here).

We spent the first few months of her life in lockdown just the 3 of us, mostly only leaving the house for routine wellness checkups. Things became difficult when she was diagnosed with Sandifer’s Syndrome at 4 months old in October 2020. In laymen’s terms, Sandifer’s Syndrome is a condition that involves severe arching of the back, discomfort, vomiting, and slow weight gain coinciding with GERD (severe reflux). She once measured as low as 4% on the WHO growth charts.

We had so many issues getting her appointments with specialists both on and off the military base. Stephen and I felt she wasn’t getting proper care.

It was also incredibly taxing on us and our marriage trying to manage everything without family nearby.

Next Steps: Moving Back to America

After weighing all our options, Stephen decided to further his career and apply for a new specialized unit within the Army. This is a move he’s been talking about since we lived in Italy, so it wasn’t totally off the wall. I am so grateful for the sacrifices he makes for our family.

Lillie and I traveled to the states just prior to NYE and that’s where we have been living for the last month. In just one day of visiting Brenner’s Children’s Hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, we were able to see more professionals and get better advice than we did in 4 months in Germany. She was able to see a hematologist, gastroenterologist, and a nutritionist all within 3 hours. Since that day, she has gained weight beautifully. We saw an increase from 7% to 17% on the growth charts. I have watched her develop and bloom into a much happier baby. All it took was a change in our diets, correct medications, and more family support.

Why Colorado?

We’ve been pining for Colorado because there is a great children’s hospital within 30 minutes of the base and craniosacral therapy (CST) is widely available there. This is a type of physical therapy that Lillie needs to overcome her torticollis and physical trauma from birth. We have some friends currently living there that put Stephen in touch with this new unit. Everything fell into place and he was selected for a great new unit, so we are heading to Ft. Carson which is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The timeline of the exact day we’re moving back to America from Germany hasn’t been solidified yet, but we have high hopes that we’ll be there by summer 2021 at the latest.

Stephen and I are ecstatic at the thought of moving to a place where the sun shines an average of 243 days a year. There are endless mountains around (Pikes Peak, the Rockies, etc.) for hiking, skiing, and all of our favorite outdoor sports. We hope to purchase our first home together and have a place where our family can come and visit — without having to fly 11 hours.

We want to thank everyone who has continued following along, even as my blog morphed from mainly travel guides around Europe to a lifestyle, motherhood & travel around the world blog. Stick around for more to come about moving back to America, adventures from out west, and hopefully a more exciting year than 2020!

P.S. – If you have any must-sees for Colorado or the surrounding areas, please let us know! We’re already building our bucket list.

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