Restful slumber?

Not sure why this is so comfortable, but he slept like this for over an hour.

Before I forget

I'm going to be a little indulgent and tell the story of my labor (of love) for Declan. I usually love to hear friends' tales of birthing their children because through the inevitable similarities each experience is unique and so special. Of course, I know a few people who birth their babies just a little too easily...you know who you are! I'm not jealous. (Yes I am).

On May 4 at 6 am (just around the time Chris's alarm went off for work) I started to feel what I thought might be

contractions. "You thought they were contractions?" you may be asking...."haven't you had a kid already?" Yes, I have. But I swear those early ones aren't so obvious.

Chris got ready for work and I contemplated telling him what I thought was happening. I knew he still had a few things to wrap up at work and I also knew that even if this were the "real deal" it would be a while....so I let him go to work.

I laid in bed for a while, then started to time the pangs. I eventually upgraded them to contractions since they were coming at fairly regular intervals (5-7 minutes apart) and lasting about 45 seconds. At that point, I knew I needed to take a shower and tie up my own loose ends (clean the kitchen, pack Annika's bag and make sure I had everything in my bag).

While I was in the shower, my in-laws called to offer to pick up Annika that morning...she was scheduled to go to their house for the day, and I had already decided I could probably drive (it was fiiine!) but they have a sixth sense, so I gratefully agreed and they said they'd be o

ver in 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, Annika finally woke up and hung out in my room while I got ready. A few minutes before her grandparents arrived, I finally told her: "Sweetie, I have something to tell you....the baby will probably be born today!" She sort of looked up at me, then looked back at the TV. Maybe I wasn't clear?

I finally decided it was time to call Chris. The last two weeks, every time I had called him at work he answered in a slightly panicked voice. So I told him I would text him first with a heads up, then make the call...I did just that. When he answered, I could hear the smile in his voice and he promised to come as soon as possible.

Chris' parents picked up Annika and Chris arrived shortly afterwards. The contractions were getting a little stronger, but sticking around 5-7 minutes apart and lasting between 30-45 seconds. They tell you to call the hospital when you're 5 minutes apart and they last about a minute for at least an hour. Plus, being the second kid, I wasn't in such a rush to get to the hospital. Uncomfortable beds, monitors, poking, prodding... that could wait.

I wanted to be sure that I was in active labor, so Chris and I took a walk in the park. As we neared the end of the walk, it was harder to talk and walk...so I was sure we were getting close. When we got back to the house, the pain increased and I finally said to Chris "it's time to call the hospital." It was about 1 pm.

The hospital agreed to have me come (thanks!) and we packed our bags and left. We got there, were admitted (mid-contractions....a very comfortable experience) and were put into the "observation room" which means "you don't get a room until we're completely sure you're in labor and deserve a real room." The doctor checked me within 20 minutes, and announced I was at 4.5 centimeters. Woo hoo!

When my room was finally ready we got ourselves comfortable. This hospital was built in 2006 so everything was pretty nice. Though I didn't understand the wallpaper. I told everyone that would listen that I would be partaking in an epidural. They all agreed that was fine, but anesthesiologists are busy guys. They offered me a narcotic to "take the edge off" and the nurse who offered it to me said it was like having a pitcher of margaritas. That was definitely a strong selling point, but I also knew that narcotics affect the baby while epidurals do not...so I declined. That was the hardest thing I had to do the whole delivery (just kidding).

Epidural came....for those of you who may remember (and you probably don't, because why would you?) when I had an epidural during Annika's delivery, it didn't work on one side of my body, and I felt the full force of those contractions on one side of my body for much of the labor. I told the anesthesiologist about this, in case they could avoid that this time, and though he sympathized. he didn't think it would happen again. He also said that this time they have a wonderful little button that allows the epidural to get stronger each time you pressed it. AWESOME. I pressed that thing about 30 times.

Unfortunately, the one side pain thing happened again...but this time the nurse suggested that I lay on the "bad" side because gravity often helps with this situation. It did help and for a while, I was quite comfortable. Especially after hitting the button a few times for good measure.

They came to check me again around 6 - about 5 hours since I made it to the labor room. As the doctor put it, "Hopefully this pain has been for something!" Of course we should have known that would curse us. I was still at 4.5.

The doctor then offered me pitocin to "help" me to progress. Again, my ridiculous knowledge of the labor & delivery process (thanks BabyCenter and TLC!) reminded me that pitocin may speed up labor, but also makes the contractions stronger - and more painful. The only reason I would need the labor to speed up would be to avoid a Cinco de Mayo birthday for the little boy...too many visions of college "birthday" parties danced in my head...so though I wanted to avoid that, I didn't want a drug to attain that goal. I declined the pitocin and though the doc clearly disagreed with my decision, she was ok with it, and said they would check me in about an hour to see if I had made any headway...and if not, I may get the drugs anyway.

I was disappointed that things weren't moving so quickly, esp since I was in a decent amount of pain, but doing well enough. However, just like with Annika's delivery, the little guy started to have heart decelerations with each contraction...which can be a sign of stress. The bad news: if that continued, I may need a C-section; the good news: luckily I had declined the pitocin which might have bothered him more since they increase the strength of the contractions...so Jenn: 1; Doctor: 0.

The other thing that was not at all awesome was that the pain on my left side was getting worse, and they wouldn't let me lay on my left side since the baby seemed o do better when I was on the right. It hurt!

They came to check me as promised in about an hour's time, and I made it to...8.5 centimeters! Everyone cheered; I grunted. Pain...was....getting...worse. I kept pressing that button at Chris's urging. It really only helped a little.

In about 20 minutes (it's about 8:15 at this time) I started to feel a lot more pressure. I told my nurse who got the doctor who confirmed I was fully dilated. Wow! This was so much faster than Annika. They are right that the second kid is a lot faster. Unfortunately, he was still having issues with his heart rate, but they kept a close eye on it and let me continue on.

The doctor left so I could start pushing with the nurse. She asked me how long I had pushed with Annika and I said 4 hours...she raised an eyebrow, but just said "OK, we'll see how this one goes." She got me all set up, asked me to push and.....told me to stop! S

he said "Yeah, we'll be getting the doctor right now...he's pretty much here." Again...not at all like my stubborn daughter. A good sign of things to come?...

The doctor came about 10 minutes later. They asked me to push. I did. They said "stop stop!" I guess he was halfway out? Then they asked me to push one more time...and he was here!!! 9:11pm. They plopped him on my belly and he was just beautiful!! Also, I asked to cut the cord (when would I ever get to do that in my life?) and they gave me the scissors and I did. (It was squishy and I was scared I was going to cut him).

Welcome to the world Declan!

But...he wasn't really crying and I knew he had passed some meconium. I realized he had probably swallowed some, and even worse, probably aspirated some...they whisked him away to his little bassinet and I waited.

Chris was with him as the nurse suctioned his little lungs and nose. He wouldn't cry. I could hear them saying his oxygen saturation was lower than they'd like. He tried to cry...it sounded sad. The bassinet was directly in my line of site from my bed and I kept staring at it, willing myself to be calm. And he just wouldn't get loud.

Chris was taking pictures and looking over at me and giving me thumbs up...I make fun of him about that now because at that point, nothing was ok...but he was trying to reassure me. It worked...a little.

Then the nurse finally asked for a doctor from the NICU to come. I could feel the panic welling, but just kept it locked in a box. I was terrified.

Chris told me later that for the first 8-10 minutes, his oxygen sats were 78-82...a healthy baby should get 95-100. My poor sweetie. But the nurse never gave up on him and kept working on him - I could see her calm fear from across the room, but I could also sense that she was willing him to breathe...and just as the doctor arrived, he was up to 100. The doctor reassured us all immediately that he was fine since he was at 100 at that point. He said that his nose would be swollen for a while since she was shoving tubes down it for a while, so he might snort a bit (and did he!) but he was fine. I had never ever been more relieved in my life.

They finally brought him back to me and he was so serene and beautiful. It is true...you have enough room in your heart to love all of your children, and that love is limitless. I can't wait to get to know him better.

Stats:

Length of labor with Annika: 25 hours

Length of labor with Declan: 15 hours

Annika's birth weight: 8 pounds, 1 ounce

Declan's birth weight: 8 pounds, 10 ounces

Annika was born 10 days passed her due date

Declan was born 6 days passed his due date

How much weight Annika lost in her first week: 1+ pounds

How much weight Declan lost in his first week: maybe an ounce?

Day of the week Annika was born: Friday

Day of the week Declan was born: Monday

More cuteness

Annika's big adventure

Big sisterhood.

The short of it: she is loving it. The longer of it: well, not all of the time...

But she can't get enough of him:


If she could hold him all day without him crying, she would do it. But, well, he cries.

My view right now

We're home!

Declan Vaughn Hakes

8 pounds, 10 ounces. 21 inches long. Born at 9:11 pm on May 4.

Going to sleep now.




-- Post From My iPhone

Finally

At the hospital. 4.5 centimeters dilated. Bring it! (and by bring it, I mean the drugs...)



-- Post From My iPhone

Still at home

Still pregnant.

Today

Taking a long walk in the mall. Feel big.

No baby yet.

No...not yet

As an FYI, Annika was 11 days late.

Baby #2's Nursery

Bedding: Courtesy of Migi's "Splash"

Paint color: Courtesy of Benjamin Moore

Crib and other furnishings: Courtesy of Annika

Name: Courtesy of the Baby Name Wizard

Fish theme: Courtesy of Daddy

Boowie the Dog

It's pronounced "boo-wee"...not sure how it's spelled, but I took a chance.

Annika and I have been drawing together all night. She says the animal she wants me to "trace" (i.e. freehand of anything that seems doable on the internet) and she colors. So far, she has colored a butterfly, frog, tapir, dog and is currently working on a kitty cat. Oh - and she wants to be a kitty cat for Halloween this year. She's told us about a thousand times.

Oh - tapir was not a typo.

Non-updates

No baby yet. He is due 4/28 - so it's ok. Originally we had a due date of 4/22, so wanted to clarify any confusion...I am not late (yet). Annika was 10 days late - so I'm actually familiar with that awesome feeling. (Yes, the use of "awesome" was sarcastic).

I feel ok for the most part. Tired (of course), cranky (a little...Chris would say a lot) and a somewhat emotional (I almost cried when reading Annika "Horton Hears a Who"...what a beautiful story!). I have terrible hip pains, usually at night after a long day's work (cleaning, shopping, general merriment). But otherwise...just waiting for the little dude to make his appearance!

Been on maternity leave since last Monday and I am very grateful that I don't have to go to work right now. Getting up every morning on Annika's schedule is rough enough - but for work we'd get up earlier. I'm tired writing this post.

I'll post pictures of the little dude's nursery soon- I think it came out great, but still needs a few more accent pieces. Hopefully I'll have time to get a few before the big day because after that - I don't think I'll care all that much.

64? Nah...96!

One of my most prized possessions when growing up was my box of 64 Crayola crayons. Annika has dozen of drawing utensils, but no box o' 64. I kept trying to remind myself to get her a box, but it continually slipped my mind.

Through the fog, I finally remembered and made good on that promise to myself. We went to the drugstore last night and picked up a box...but well, everything in Annika's life is bigger and better than anything I've ever known, so I opted for the box of 96. Who knew it existed? Oh, and it totally has a built-in sharpener. Genius!

She has really enjoyed - as much as I hoped - and is finding a new interest in coloring. I think the wide array of colors makes any girl happy. Next stop...make-up.

Annika the Builder

Making cupcakes

Thank you, (Great) Aunt Christine, for these amazing cupcakes from Sprinkles!

Who's cute?

That's who!

San Diego is a "wonderful place"

Before we went to Hawaii last year, there was a debacle with an airline going under, and as a result, we were issued vouchers to Southwest Airlines. Just so happens that we don't travel too much and they expire on April 28.

I told Chris to go to Vegas with Uncle Ben, but Chris is way too loyal or something, so he declined. So I said we needed to use them and use them fast....before I expired.

So we went to San Diego the first weekend in February with pretty much the sole goal of going to Legoland. From what I could tell online is that it's pretty geared towards toddlers. And it was. Also, because we are lucky people, it rained that whole weekend...in San Diego. Where it never rains.

We weren't there very long, just for a day, so it was a quick trip - but Annika had the time of her life. The rain turned out to be a blessing of sorts since we hardly ever waited in line and Annika had a stylish rain jacket to keep her dry. We stayed at a really nice hotel where we didn't feel crowded and by the end of the trip, Annika asked "why are we leaving this wonderful place?!"

Ouchies

So, despite the panic in my previous entry, this pregnancy has been smooth sailing. Suffered a touch of morning sickness in the first trimester, some food aversions and narcoleptic tendencies throughout these seven months. But overall, not too bad.

Well, that's not entirely true. Just at the start of my second trimester, I had a reoccurrence of a "soft tissue" injury in my right leg (just under my knee) from when I was running pre-pregnancy. Basically - super bad shin splints. The kind that make you unable to walk. Unfortunately, my lifestyle dictates that I walk. Often.

The pain usually lasts from 1- 2 weeks and is very debilitating. I limp around like an old lady while sitting and standing is excruciating. Sleeping isn't much better. And, not like I have drugs at my disposal. So, the second time it came back, I went to my doctor who basically said I was screwed (paraphrasing) because of my condition, and then suggested a cane. So yes, every other week or so, you'll see a pregnant lady on a cane lumbering towards you. It's just as attractive as it sounds.

Meanwhile, I also have terrible round ligament pain. I had this with Annika, so it doesn't concern me, but in addition to the leg pain it makes me sad. Luckily my body shifts the pain from one area to another, depending on whatever is flaring up so generally only the leg hurts or the round ligament pain does...woo hoo! Not really.

I'm ok with the pain since the kid is healthy and that is what matters (said without a drop of irony). But the whole thing is a bummer when trying to play with Annika, taking a walk or sleep. I swear this isn't a 'pity-me-post' but really just an explanation for if I seem a little grumpy...more than usual at least.

Otherwise, we'll hit the 30-week mark next week. Oh, and I love buying newborn clothes! Damn, they are small.

Don't do that again!

The subject is a message to my unborn son: Don't scare me like that again!

Early last week, I took a routine glucose tolerance test to determine whether I had gestational diabetes. I didn't have it the last time with Annika and I don't have any of the markers commonly associated with a higher risk. Of course, there's a first time for everything so I was nervous about the test.

Of all the things that can go wrong with pregnancy, this one was the one that scared me the most. Now, I know that there are so many others serious things and - knock on wood - we've been blessed not to have to really worry about any of them with both pregnancies. I think that's why I was scared of gestational diabetes - it felt like the one thing I really could have. Not that I had any symptoms or predilections, but well, it just felt real.

The other thing about gestational diabetes is that if it's managed well, everything is very likely to be fine. But as someone who educates herself to the fullest about this thing called pregnancy, I also know there are a lot more risks associated with a pregnancy marked by gestational diabetes. I tend to be "dramatic" (I put that in quotes, because it's not really true) and think about the "worst-case scenarios" and so, I was pretty scared.

I didn't pass the first test. It sucked. I spent 5 days waiting to take the follow-up test. One other wonderful thing about testing for gestational diabetes is that the first test is one hour (you take a super sugary drink and then get your blood tested after an hour to determine how your body processed the sugar) and the second one is three hours. Thank goodness our hospital's lab is open on the weekends. Who has the time for this stuff?

So I went early in the morning by myself to the lab which was ok - I read a book, a magazine and played some games on my iPhone. It was almost relaxing. Again, our health care provider is pretty great and they can usually get results to you within 24 hours (or less) and send them via email! How great is that?

So I checked my email about 400 times yesterday while watching the SuperBowl (Sorry John...but I was rooting for the Cardinals, so though it was an exciting game, it ended in a bummer) and tried to eat healthfully...at a SuperBowl party. Not easy. Sort of a glimpse into my future. (Oh, and I won $155 in a SuperBowl box pool...woo hoo!)

I checked one last time before we went to bed and went to sleep knowing that my fate was sealed and that I had the support of my friends and husband if this were to become real. Chris has been great - agreeing to go on whatever diet they put me on and to encourage us both to eat better...no matter what the results.

Well, the results came back this morning and I passed the test. I can't tell you how relieved I am and how appreciative that this baby boy is so far very healthy. I thank God every day for both of our healthy children and a health scare even as minor as this serves as a reminder of how good we have it. But...baby boy: Don't do this to me again!!!

Preparation

Practice makes perfect!



By the way - Dario is super cute, born on January 7 and has been a great teacher for a soon-to-be-big sister.

Behavior modification

Annika is going through the terrible 3.5's. Now, to put it in context, a terrible Annika isn't so bad...but it is frustrating. The obvious answer might be that she's reacting to the imminent arrival of her baby brother or that she's going through a lot of her own changes that are affecting her behavior. Maybe a combination of both. I'm naive enough to think that the arrival of her baby brother isn't affecting her quite yet...when we talk about him, she is excited and well understands that he'll be limited when first introduced to our family - that he won't be an immediate playmate ready to play in the sandbox or kick the beach ball around the back yard. That said, when we talk about him sometimes, she abruptly will say, "I wish there wasn't a baby brother. I mean it." I know it sounds harsh, but these moments are fleeting and usually prompted by an extended conversation about him...naivete strikes again!

What usually sets her off is simply not getting her way. No, she can't have a piece of candy before dinner. No, she can't stay up passed her bedtime. No she can't watch her TV show. No, Momma is too tired to play dolls right now. She gets frustrated in 1-60 flat and once she teeters off the edge...well, sometimes it takes a while to get her back.

We've been spoiled for too long and there's nothing wrong with a little challenge with our first born. Because even as she frustrates me to no end, she, in the next 5 minutes, will turn and grab my face, lean forward and kiss me proclaiming, "You get one free kiss!" Not too shabby.

Baby's first hot chocolate

Downing her not-too-hot, just right, hot chocolate:



"Uh-oh!" it's (predictably) on her shirt:



And yes, we still call her baby.

Belly pics: 20 weeks and 3.5 years

Jingle bells

Annika and I trimmed the tree on Sunday (after Daddy put it up, vacuumed the carpet of stray needles and hung the lights) and I can say this is the first year she's fully aware of Christmas and its traditions. Uncle Ben brought over an Advent Calendar (which Chris and I never had...so know nothing about, but apparently there's candy involved) and she's already made her first handmade ornament at school.

Trimming the tree was so much fun with her because every ornament would delight her. She'd say "it's so pretty!!!" and ask me every time she hung one if it was in an ok place. You'll note from the picture she was particularly fond of one section of the tree and that is where most of her ornaments were hung.

She is also excited about what she's getting for me and Daddy this year. When I asked her what she wanted to get him, she knew right away. She said, "I want to get him [this]." I said, wow, ok, and then I asked her for more specifics and she knew exactly how she wanted it to be. Chris said he's had similar conversations with her about my present except what she wants to get me and what he thinks she should apparently have led to a disagreement of sorts. I can't wait for the full story...I'm sure the punchline is that she is awesome and adorable.

Baby # 2 continues to grow and so does his mom...just not only in the tummy. But don't judge me!

I'm tired

Might explain the lack of blogging.  Might be a cry for help.  You decide.

Will post real pictures later this week, but please be entertained by what my son should look like right about now...

He started kicking right before Thanksgiving and he pretty much has a go at it all day. He's still a tiny little guy, so I'm a little concerned what I'll be feeling in the next 4 months.

Annika loves to talk to him and is so anxious to feel him kick. I swear to both Annika and Chris that some of his kicks can be felt on the outside, but neither of them have had the patience to wait for it.

Also, the Naming Game is in full force, but so far no luck. I have a frontrunner, but Chris isn't convinced. In the meantime, enjoy some names that made our longer list, but are pretty much done for one reason or another (read: one person liked it and the other one didn't):

Gavin
Augustus
Raphael
Grant
Remington
Kellen
Elias
Maximus

Figure out who proposed which name - could be a fun game!

4/28/09

Many of you know that when we first told Annika that we were expecting, she was absolutely adamant that it would be a 'baby sister.' She said that's what she wanted and she would teach it how to play with her dolls and would feed it a bottle. When pressed as to whether she could accept a a baby brother, she would pause and point at me and say, "You can have the baby brother. I will have the baby sister."

No, we are not having twins but we are having...a baby brother! Chris was convinced it was a girl and I had an inkling it was a boy, but you're never quite prepared for the official unveiling.

Chris and I are very excited, but disappointed for Annika who has become increasingly interested in the baby and had further asserted her insistence that it would be nothing but a girl. In fact, she had a few favorite names - Gabriela and Cutie Pie were her current favorites.

So, with a little trepidation and a lot of fear, we sat her down this evening to break the news. I brought her on my lap as Chris sat across from us and I said, "Baby - we have big news!  We found out if you're having a baby brother or baby sister today."

Annika raised her eyebrows.  "You did?..." she asked.

I said, "Yes!  It's a....baby brother!!!" And with much excitement as I could muster (the trepidation still a factor) I announced the news in a stage whisper with my lips pressed to her little ear.

Annika's face registered the news, and she sat for a second or two thinking about it. Finally, she hopped off the couch and starting jumping up and down, "A baby brother!  A baby brother! Yay yay yay!!!"  With big smiles she ran up and down the room and was genuinely excited about the news.

Chris and I hope that this new baby is as amazing as Annika.  Of course he will be. But wow, with moments like this, I do wonder.

Prayers

Many of you in the LA area - and beyond - know all too well about the Triangle Complex Fire. It's amazing how quickly it's moved and as it drew closer to the place where my parents call home (and I did for 11 years), I watched with trepidation. On Sunday morning, I checked online to discover that my parents' neighborhood had been evacuated.

I called them immediately and they were in a restaurant with my brother and his wife (they live in an area well away from the fire) and seemed a little shell-shocked, but completely safe. They had a hotel room and seemed to be ready for whatever came their way.

I, of course, immediately started crying, which I'm sure is the last thing they needed...but I'm hormonal! Anyway, I held vigil for the rest of the afternoon hoping that the firefighters would do their magic (and magic it is) to keep the fire safely at bay. They have...so far. God bless them.

It appears that we're mostly out of the woods and I say that with hesitation because the winds could change at any time. But it certainly gave me pause about family and possessions and how although I knew my parents were physically safe, to have to face the thought of your home going up in smoke....well, it's a lot. They are just "things" but those "things" are memories and hopes and physical representations of success and a lifetime. I'm so grateful that they have not had to deal with the worse possible outcome and my prayers go out to those who have had to face it. Sometimes life just isn't fair.

I love you Mommy & Daddy! Annika said she was worried about you and was thinking about you. Me too.

P.S. A quick prayer for the Taylors who also were evacuated. Much love to you - sounds like you are also safe, and I will continue to pray that remains the case.

Before & After: Guest Bedroom

The guest bedroom originally doubled as an office and a toy room. And when we had guests, they slept there.  You can imagine the sweeping "edits" we had to do to the room each time we had guests - cleaning up toys and papers and making room for a queen-sized air bed. Good times!

This is what it used to look like:

Now it's a dedicated guest room and I took a chance on the color because well, I don't sleep there!  Also, check out the shutters...part of my "vision."  The color turned out better than I thought and the hardwood floors give it a really nice clean look.  I kinda wish this was my room.

P.S. I know you're all much more interested in "NotAnnika". Don't worry - more to come!  xoxo

NotAnnika

Annika's 3rd Halloween

As promised, pictures of Annika...she requested to be a "nice witch."  Just so happens that the costume at Target is called exactly that. Destiny!

Annika very much enjoyed trick-or-treating, but the real action was back at the house where she gave kids their candy. It was definitely the highlight of her night.

Happy (belated) Halloween!

Before & After: The "Big Room"

Before the remodel, our kitchen had an attached family room that we really used more as a living room.  Our living room, in the front of the house, was bigger and was better suited to our TV and general living space. When the new house was conceived, I was really looking for a way to incorporate the kitchen more in our lifestyle - basically, I needed to be forced to cook. And one way was to have the TV and the life of the house in one room - the "big room."

It's not a novel idea, but was for us. Neither Chris nor I grew up in a house with a combined kitchen/family room, so we looked forward to having it in all one space. The result was the house was pushed out to its side, to make a bigger kitchen and the back of the house was slightly pushed out for our "breakfast nook." (Which is really where our kitchen table is...we don't just eat breakfast there - we eat lunch and dinner, too. :))

Anyway, here's what it looked like before:

Note the upper cabinets over the island that really doesn't allow anyone in the kitchen to interact with the family room. It sorta sucked.

The one thing I loved about the old kitchen space was the flooring - hardwood hickory. LOVED IT. It was what we designed the new kitchen around and I love it just as I did 3 years ago. That was a pleasant. We switched out white appliances for stainless steel, white cabinets and a darker brown island. I also insisted on Caesarstone countertops - though granite can be really beautiful, in all the houses we had toured during last summer when we thought we might move, *everyone* did granite. I also love the matte, smooth look of the one color.

Let me know what you think of the finished product - this is by far my favorite room of the house:









The only issue I have with this room is a lack of color. I only have one wall to add some...so still working on that. Donations welcome. (Just kidding, that would be rude!)

P.S. Halloween pictures of Annika to come....stay tuned.

Before & After: Doors

Our front door was very old, had a 70s style sidelite that had to go (sorry Laura) and it also was held up by tape since it was used to break in many years ago (before Chris and I lived here...and I swear we don't live in the ghetto, just bad luck).  We painted the inside white a while ago, and it looked ok - but needed to be improved.

We actually get a lot of compliments on the new door, and I love it too, but surprises me that others seem to like it...we looked online for weeks and every door seemed sort of stale...boring, etc. I kept coming back to this one - after it was all said & done (ordered online pre-hung, installed by the contractor and stained by the painters) the cost was very fair. We had a larger budget for the door, so to come under was pretty exciting...and very, very rare during this experience.

Doesn't it just say "Welcome to our home"?




Bonus: You can play the "where's Annika" game in the last photo.

Before & After: Annika's Room

Annika's room went away with the demo - the side of the house where her bedroom was turned into a longer hall leading to the extra bathroom and two bedrooms.  It's still a trip when I head out that way as I think "how far does this thing go??" I don't have pictures of the old hall, but please trust that it was much shorter.  This is what it looks like now:

To the far left you see a door to the new bathroom and if you go all the way and turn right, you run into an orange paradise. I have heard horror stories of parents letting their 3 year old select the color for their bedroom, and let me tell you....I understand them. Annika's first choice had been a bright green. And I'm making it sound nice. Then she shifted to purple - which I am not a fan of - then finally orange. Yellow is her favorite color, so I think she wanted a change. A reminder of what her room used to look like (when it was a nursery):



And this is the result of much...orange:





In this last shot, you can look up and see her loft. The loft was a big deal for me - how fun would that be as a kid?? We still have to get the ladder and rail installed, but I think it'll be a while until she ventures up there...it's high.

Before & After: Guest Bathroom

As promised, some photos of the remodel. A quick summary of what we did:

- Every room was touched in some way (new double-pane windows, new baseboards, fresh paint in every room, new carpet and flooring throughout).

- Some more than others (completely remodeled kitchen and family room, new master bathroom, extra bedroom and extra bathroom).

- Exterior lightly touched (new paint, landscaping in progress).

So, without further ado, here's what our previous guest bathroom looked like...you'll note the maroon-ish paint, older looking built-in cabinets and white tile (you can't see):

The older guest bathroom was just a little out of date - I liked the color a lot, but the cabinets were...old.  So, to keep costs (relatively) down and to still get a new look, we bought a pre-made cabinet from Restoration Hardware (we got a great deal, though they have the worst customer service in the world and I will never recommend them to anyone) and matching mirror and medicine cabinet and we designed the bathroom around that. Using the floor tile from the other bathroom and the laundry room, and a different paint, we changed the look:

The result makes it more modern all the way around. Unfortunately, we didn't have the budget to update the shower (simple white tile and weathered glass doors) but we did get a new toilet...I'm sure our guests will enjoy that piece of knowledge.

More to come!

Radio silence

Each year, as summer turns into fall, I get into a little funk. The timing this year was especially bad as we were still working on getting back into our house, work was busy and I haven't been sleeping so well. So mix all that into a little bowl and out pops lack of blog posts.

Now dear (4) readers, I want to assure you that I haven't abandoned you, just went on a little hiatus. We do have some exciting life updates to share and there is lots to report on Annika.

Because I hate to post something without pictures, I'll keep this brief, but here's a start:

- We moved back into the house! Nothing short of a miracle (and a lot of money and time), but we're home. We were soooo lucky to rely on the generosity of my in-laws, but it was time for them to get rid of us and time for us to have more space for Annika's 7,000 toys. Annika loves the house, loves her room and loves all the furniture she can climb on and stain. We love the space, the look of it - all our choices - and the space. This definitely deserves pictures, and I promise an awesome before & after pictorial in the near future.

- Annika is a little girl - NOT A BABY. Annika delights us every day with something witty or just plain ridiculous. She is insistent on getting in and out of the car herself (it's a tall car), eating what she wants (causes me much consternation) and knows the difference between wrong and right (but doesn't always practice that knowledge). She has a tremendous sense of humor, and knows how to deliver a one-liner. One evening not so long ago, Chris was eating some ice cream for dessert. Having recently discovered Jell-O, Annika had already had dessert, and was denied when she asked to "share Daddy's ice cream." I stood my ground (trying to readjust her awful eating habits) and she just stomped around decrying that it "wasn't fair!" I said, that's irrelevant. I finally relented (DON'T JUDGE ME!) and allowed one bite. She said "Just one bite??? Just one??? NO!" I said, one or none. She said "That's impossible." Finally, she ate it, walked around in circles for a bit, ran up to me and with her hands on her hips said, "MOMMA. I DO WHAT I WANT!" Um, excuse me 3-year old? She got a time-out for that one and later apologized for "being rude" but Chris and I couldn't stop laughing. Where does she get this stuff???

More to come...