2010

Wow. 2010 is almost over! Its been...well, really long!
Some years fly by, and others drag on, and this was a drag on kinda year.
Probably mostly due to the pregnancy (which felt like an absolute eternity this time!).

Anyways, here is a quick recap of our year (and I won't even pretend that I could remember all this stuff - I totally had to look through my wall calendar cause my brain cells have slowly turned to mush from 7 weeks of sleepless nights and CONSTANT nursing):

~I started the year with lots of time to catch up on reading books. According to my calendar I was returning library books almost every day and crossing off "must-read" books off my list. I haven't read a book in months....sad.
~I started a ministry at church that paired up women in mentoring relationships. God has blessed me beyond belief through this endeavor.
~I planned a surprise party for my sister in law's birthday that pretty much forced her into hating me for a few weeks. It was horrible, but we did pull off the surprise. I would not do it again, due to the mental anguish that it caused her, me, and her hubby - who never hesitated once to throw me under the bus.
~Rich left little love notes hidden for me everyday leading up to Valentines day...which most likely resulted in the addition of another member of our family.....
~In March we experienced the first bout of pneumonia this family has had - complete with chest x rays and all. It was also the same day that I found out I was pregnant. Good times, good times.

~Rich turned 33, and we celebrated 9 years of marriage, and 14 years of being together. Wow...that's a long time!
~Brynn finished up kindergarten, and we started the summer with our first camping trip at the beach. We got rained out, packed up early and came home....also a first.
~The kids, and a slightly awkwardly pregnant me, took swim lessons at the local pool. Brynn finally passed to the next level...although it may have something to do with the fact that she was too old to be in that beginner class....again.
~We spent some time at Clearlake, and had our first adventure at family camp. Both are filled with great memories because of the time we spent with family.
~Brynn and Cannon had their first experience at VBS. I now see why my mom eagerly awaited that each summer. It was great! Kids had fun, I had only 1 kid at home for a few hours each day.....it was a win-win situation!
~We camped two more times before school started again. Summer was wayyyyyyyy too short for my liking.
~Cannon started Preschool, Brynn started 1st grade (I cried the whole day), Cannon received God, and Brynn was baptized..... all in one short week. Tons of tears on my part, I blame the pregnancy.
~Rich and I had the chance for one last weekend away before Nolan was born, and celebrated with a road trip, 2 nights stay in an amazing hotel, and a lot of laughs with friends.
~October was spent in a mad frenzy finishing all my projects, house "updating" and things that I felt were absolutely necessary to do before I gave birth. The nesting instinct is insane. I can't say that enough.
~Then Nolan was born. Life kinda screeched to a halt, and we holed up in our house for a few weeks just enjoying the fact that my pregnancy was over, our son was finally here, and all was well. Precious friends supplied us with food for over a month, and we enjoyed being a family of 6 to the fullest.

~Christmas came and went, and I survived. Even more, all the gifts that didn't get made were easily replaced by store bought items that the recipients loved. We didn't get a picture with Santa...but we did get a picture in a sleigh at our church's "Christmas Town"...

We didn't make it to many holiday events, and we didn't do all the stuff that I normally associate with Christmas, but we did get the opportunity to play Mary and Joseph in the live nativity at church....

It was different this year, but we had fun anyways.

Now its the day before the New Year. I have 4 children safe and cozy in my warm house. 2 of them have runny noses, but we will survive. My hubby is working, and will hopefully get off a little bit early to relieve me of my "motherly" duties. We will enjoy a dinner, put the kids to bed, probably watch some movie, eat popcorn, share a cocktail or something, and fall into bed a few minutes shy of 12am. I will probably be woken up a few minutes later by a hungry 7 week old baby, who loves to snuggle up next to me in the bed and latch on all night long.

What can I say? My life is a little crazy, a little emotional, a little - no, a lot- tiring...but its the season that I am in, and I am embracing it! I complain, I cry, I get frustrated that my house is never clean. But then again, its full of 4 little ones who make every day an adventure, and a husband who still says that I am beautiful (saggy belly skin, extra hips, and a body that has seen better days and all) and tells me he loves me everyday. Its been a long, long, long year, but I have enjoyed it!

Hello Santa....

Dear Santa,
I would like a zhu zhu pet! And how is Rudolf doing and the other reindeer doing? Is Mrs. Claus busy right now making hot chocolate for you? I remember you were going to give me either a zhu zhu pet or silly bands, because you promised you would give me one of those.
From,
Brynn

Dear Santa,
Hi Santa Claus! Are your Elfs busy, or are they not. I was wondering if you wanted to have a nice vacation but if we say so, its the _____ Family. I was wondering if you would want a present? I love you Santa, and I am the bestest kid. I have been good. I love you Santa!
Love,
Cannon

Dear Santa,
I want to sing Jingle Bells. I want to give you this mouse (holding ornament). I can't say anything else.
Love,
Maeve

Dear Santa,
Grunt, sigh, poop, cry, spit up, cry, sleep.
Love,
Nolan

Dear Santa,
We are eagerly awaiting your arrival here at our house. There are cookies waiting for you, and some carrots for your reindeer. Your elf has done a good job reporting to you everyday about the chaos that happens here with all four of these little ones right? Has he told you about the times that I have responded with love in my voice, as well as the times that I have not lost my temper? I am hoping so....
I think my hubby deserves something extra special this Christmas. He has been an amazing daddy, and an amazing support to me during these last 6 weeks. He comes home from work, takes off his "locksmith" hat, and puts on his "daddy" hat. And he does is willingly!
I don't have much on my list this year. A good nights sleep, maybe a night without an infant in my bed. I don't really need anything, cause I have been blessed this year more than I could ever have ever imagined. I have a favor to ask though...While you and the reindeer are up on the roof, could you just give it a once-over and check to make sure we don't have any leaks?
Thanks much Santa!
Love,
Me

It Figures...

A few days ago, I sat down my youngest son and had a serious talk with him.
Ok, actually, it was in the midst of a diaper change, and since he seemed content to lay there and look cross-eyed at the ceiling, I figured it was as good of time as any to discuss some things.

"Ok Nollie, (my current nickname for him) your first smile is coming soon. You better not just blow it on some random stranger at Target (my current favorite store to shop at since I can buy groceries, cleaning supplies, and EVERYTHING else under the sun....).
Listen here son, I have done the most work thus far to get you here, and I TOTALLY deserve that smile....."

Not more than 2 days later, who does he give not one, but 3 smiles too??? His dad! And who has yet to get a smile out of this little one????? ME!

It figures.....

Freezer Meals

So in my insane nesting state, I had one final thing to do on my list before I could "officially" be ready to have Nolan.
I wanted to make a bunch of meals that I could freeze, and pull out on those nights that are hectic....pretty much every night for the first six months right?
I succeeded in making around 20 meals, but ran out of freezer space, so had to give a few away. No biggie.

My supplies:
My Plan:
My treat and motivation:
My results:
Its a sweet relief to know that my food is taken care of for awhile. Between my very generous friends who are bringing us dinners, and these frozen meals, I will be able to not have to worry about cooking for a while!

Haircuts

I took the kids in a few weeks ago to get haicuts! Both desperately needed it! Brynn has been begging for a short bob ever since she saw one of her 2nd cousins with one. She called it the "Sydney Cut" and she was set on getting it. I was all for short hair on her. No more daily battles to comb it, and given that her hair is thin, it makes it look better too! She has recieved nothing but compliments on the new 'do.


Cannon had a semi mullet going on thanks to my last attempt at cutting it. I asked the stylist ("stylist" might be an overstatement in this case) to leave the length on the top and trim up the sides and the back. Something was lost in translation, and he ended up with a shorter version of what he already had.....sigh. Maybe next time I will just let Rich do it, and save myself the $14.

Twins

This is not my idea.....
My mom bought these outfits, and the girls love it that they match....

Busy, Busy, Busy...

Its been awhile. I feel like I have been swimming against a rip tide for the last 4 weeks.
Don't red-flag me. It's not Post Partum Depression. It's called "I-just-had-my-4th-baby-and-Christmas-is-literally-right-around-the-corner-and-I-am-so-far-behind-that-I-probably-will-never-catch-up" syndrome...
I plan on making a few more gifts, sending out Christmas cards, and hosting a dinner party for our small group. I am insane...I know.

I FINALLY downloaded some more pictures of what has been going on in our life since Nolan was born....


Here is a recap of some of the events in our life for the last 4 weeks:
We were re-admitted to the hospital for a jaundice treatment. I kept my emotions in check while they were telling me the procedure, but lost it as I had to place him in the incubator. The treatment required him to stay in the incubator for 24 hours. He could come out for 30 minutes every 3 hours, to feed, but everything else had to happen in the light booth. I could touch him through the arm holes, change a diaper through the holes, put his binky in, and try to soothe him as well. He really liked the warmth of the tube, but I soooo missed holding him. I did relatively well, and only had one freak out. He was screaming, and I couldn't soothe him, and I begged the nurse to let me hold him to calm him down. They let me, and I comforted him, and wiped my own tears and snot too.
Some of my amazing friends brought me dinner while I stayed there, visited me, and kept me company during the evening. The time actually passed pretty quickly. I got a lot of bible reading done, wrote some thank you cards, and even watched some TV. It was actually like a small vacation, in a weird way. Rich was home with the kids, doing errands, and registering for Paternity Leave. After 24 hours his blood levels had come down, and we were allowed to go home.


We have had an awesome network of friends and family bringing us meals for the last few weeks! (I could totally get used to this...) The food has been yummy, and truly a lifesaver at this time in our lives. In my crazy nesting state I made a huge batch of freezer meals to carry us through on the nights when the little guy is crying, there is homework to be done, and the other two are trying to kill each other over a toy that cant be shared...... I will break into those meals when our meal delivery is done.

We had an amazing Thanksgiving this year. Last year I was dealing with fevers, coughs, oozing eyes, noses and ears (remember H1N1?) so we missed out on any family gathering for Thanksgiving...and Christmas for that matter as it ran its course through all 3 kids.... Anyways, we got to spend this fall holiday with family, the house was decorated, and by the grace of God we have all stayed relatively healthy. (My neurotic use of hand sanitizer, and the daily - if not hourly- reminder to wash hands has done its part...so far...)


Our elf has come back, and one of my favorite things to see is the kids whispering to him their Christmas wishes. They are fully anticipating Christmas this year! We have the daily reminders of this joyful holiday with our Jesse Tree, chocolate Advent Calendars, Noll the Elf, St. Nicks Day, constant Christmas music playing on the radio, and the happily lit Christmas tree in our living room.

I love, love, love this time of year!

1 Month Old

Courtesy of Melody White Studios

The little man is officially a month old today, and I am still in awe that he is here. He probably weighs a little over 9lbs at this point. He has almost gotten in the rhythm of a schedule, but still manages to throw me off when I think that I have it figured out.... already a jokester....

I got our hospital bill yesterday. Apparently its WAY less expensive to have a baby without meds. A third less in fact! Now if they hadn't done up that stupid IV that left me soooo incredibly bruised that even the docs in the Pediatric Unit were shocked by, we could have knocked off a couple hundred more! He does not sleep much...except in the day, when I am holding him, so nights are still really rough. He seems to like the binky, which is fine, except that his coordination of keeping in it place hasn't really developed yet. We have fully embraced the "Family Bed" concept with him. He goes to bed with us, and wakes up with us. I nurse him pretty much throughout the night, but its purely survival mode. What kind of mommy would I be to my other 3, if I was up all night training him to sleep in his own bed? Rich has been an amazing support during these first 4 weeks. He has worn the carpet down in the living room pacing, rocking, bouncing, swaying with Nolan at night so that I can get a few minutes of uninterrupted rest, or even shower. I love my husband!

First Bath....

Sooooooo greasy!

Not quite sure about this whole "bath" thing...

Milk Mustache....


Getting some "sister-love"

Buns

Nothing is cuter to a mom, than her kids buns....

Getting used to Eachother

Our first picture as a family of 6! Wow. Rich looks exhausted, Cannon's hair is out of control, Brynn was about 10 minutes away from throwing up with a super high fever - a total nightmare for me, Maeve looks like she is stuffing food in her mouth, Nolan was crying, and I am just surviving..... I hope this is not a glimpse of what our life will be like the next few months....


Guess who wishes that she could use this swing more often?

And she watches him....just to find out his weaknesses....

What mom?
I didn't poke him in the eye.
I would nnnneeeeevvvvveeeerrr do anything to hurt him.....

A Baby Story

Tuesday night (11/9) I had 5 hours of false labor. 5 stinkin' hours. Contractions every 8-10 minutes apart. When I got up to take a shower, and wake up Rich to let him know that I thought I was in labor, they stopped.
I was sooo disappointed! So on Wed night, when the contractions started again, at the same time (8pm), in the same intervals, I was pretty bummed out. I thought it was false labor again....boy, was I wrong!

At 11:24pm, the contractions changed from "deep breath in, deep breath out" type to "break a sweat and start to moan" type. They also went from 10 minutes to 5 min apart....just like that. I got up to take a shower because lying down wasn't comfortable anymore, and in the duration of a few minutes in the shower, they went from 5 min apart to 3 minutes apart.
Rich got the phone and tried to call Labor and Delivery to ask when we should come in, but due to my unpreparedness, and total belief that I was going to have to be induced, I had failed to write down the number anywhere for him to find.
He called his parents to have them come to our house to watch the kids, and while we waited for his dad, I got myself dressed, had a billion contractions (now 2 minutes apart) and tried not to swear.
Let me preface the rest of this story with some reminders of my past. With Brynn I had a 24+ hour labor and when I went to the hospital at what I thought was my dying point, I was dilated to 2cm. They refused to check me in, and I had to walk the halls for hours to get to a 3. This was already after 8 hours of laboring at home. With Cannon, I once again labored at home for about 7 hours, went to the hospital and they measured me at a 3 or so. With Maeve I was induced, but dilation was slow, and since I was already checked in, meds were available whenever I wanted them. But bottom line, I am a slow dilator, and my labors are long...very long.
So, back to Wed night. When my father in law finally showed up, we loaded (very slowly) my hurting self and a hospital bag into the car and took off. I asked Rich to pray that I would at least be at a 3, but hopefully a 4. He prayed just that, and in silence we drove to the hospital. Every bump and corner in the car hurt, and I had to apologize to Rich for the swear word that came tumbling out on a particularly bad contraction.
Between our house and the hospital the contractions were 2 min apart, and lasting for a minute or more. When we got to the emergency room I had to stop at every row of chairs (keep in mind they are 3 feet apart) for another contraction. You could tell the security guard and the ER attendant were nervous. They called for a wheelchair, which at first I refused, but after not moving more than 5 feet in 5 minutes I accepted. They quickly wheeled me up to Labor and Delivery, with the ER attendant asking if I felt the need to push in the elevator. When I said no, he said quickly, but not quietly, "Thank goodness!". Guess he didn't feel like delivering a baby on the elevator floor....
We got a room, and the nurse took me into the bathroom to ask me a series of questions regarding a history of STD's and if I felt safe in my home with my husband. In my pain numbed mind, all I could think about was the fact that I really, really, really wanted my epidural, and her questions made me laugh out loud.
Rich was finally allowed into the bathroom to help me get into the awesome hospital gown, and I climbed into the oh-so comfy hospital bed begging the nurse for an epidural. She then proceeded to ask me a thousand questions about everything and anything, until I finally asked her to just check me so that I could get the stinkin' epidural. (Pretty much my mind was focused on the epidural at that point...can you tell?)
After what seemed like an eternity, the midwife came in and checked me and much to my surprise, and Rich's and my sister in law who had come to the hospital by this time, I was at 9cm. It was at that point that I lost it....because the dream of my epidural went up in smoke. Apparently they don't let you have it when you are practically crowning.
After 2 failed IV attempts, and a couple contractions, the midwife came in again to ask if i wanted to give a practice push. There are no such things as "practice" pushes for me. Babies tend to come out when I give "practice" pushes, and true to form, on the first push (keep in mind, the midwife was not suited up, the bed was not ready, and the nurse was still entering my info on the computer) Rich said, "Isn't that a head?" Apparently at this point, my sis in law scrambled to find the camera, the midwife started yelling for the birthing tray, and they all asked me to stop and pant.
Uhhhhmmmmmm. That is kinda hard to do when your body is taking over as it does. A minute, and another contraction/push later, (some intense yelling in the room that apparently came from my mouth), and pain like you can't imagine, Nolan Thomas was in my arms. His cord was wrapped around his neck, but loose enough for the midwife to clear it before it did any damage.

4 kids, 4 different experiences entirely! This was my first no meds birth, and it was intense. No one expected it to go that fast. I am glad I got to experience it, but I really don't want to do it again....

Oh, and my orthodontist would be so proud...I totally gave birth wearing my retainer! Probably stopped me from grinding my teeth down to nubs on each contraction....

A Quick Photo Comparison

Most common comments about Nolan......
1. He looks just like Cannon!
and
2. Where does that dark hair come from?
and
3. He looks just like the rest of them!

I had to remind myself of what they all looked like at this point...

Brynn

Cannon

Maeve

Nolan

Our First Week.....

Its been a long week! We were released from Kaiser on Friday morning. Nolan's billirubin levels were high, so he was put on a "Bili-watch" list, and we had to go back to the hospital lab on Saturday, for another heel stick and level check. We got a call Saturday night that his levels were still rising, so we needed to go again Sunday morning for another test. After the test, we had his 2day appointment, in which we were informed that his levels had risen again, and we needed to go immediately check into the hospital for some photo therapy. I managed to keep my emotions in check while they were telling us the treatment process, but somewhere along the way, I lost it. I was so bummed to be back in the hospital. It was really hard for me to hear that I would not be able to hold my newborn except for 30 minute increments every 3 hours. I watched as they put him in the little light booth, covered his eyes with these protective masks, and closed him up. I knew that he was fine, but I just kept thinking that he might be scared, and I couldn't do anything to help him. Needless to say, he did great. I only had one freak out, where I begged the nurse to let me take him out and hold him. He had been frantic, and I couldn't' figure out how to console him, and when I was finally able to hold him, I found out that he had a poopy diaper. It was easily resolved and he was happy once his bum was clean and dry again. We were released Monday, and had to go repeat the blood test once more on Tuesday. Finally, Tuesday night we got the word that his levels were low enough to b considered fine, and we could treat him like a "normal" baby. We are finally home! My house is a mess, my kids are dirty, and dinner is looming in the near future, but I am happy! My family of 6 is all under one roof. We are home!

Nolan

It has taken me a week to get this post up.
I have been a "smidge" busy.
I had a baby.
A boy.
A beautiful, complete, perfectly formed little boy.
He looks a little like Cannon, with dark hair. His eyes might be blue, but they might also be green - we will see. He has big hands, long toes, and perfect lips.
I am in love...once again.

Nolan Thomas
11/11/10
8lbs, 20 inches
2:45am

40 Week Doc Appointment

Had my 40 week appointment yesterday. "Technically" it 40 week and 1 day, since I was one day overdue, but if I dwell too long on that part I get discouraged.
I met with my usual midwife, who claims to be really good at getting things going when need be.
I told her to go for it.
A few minutes later, after some serious manipulations, she got me to a 2.
Yes. A 2.
Story of my life. Ssssssssslllllllllllllllloooooooooooowwwwwwww dilation.

Throughout her exam I had to utilize some serious deep breathing techniques, and my face actually broke out in a cold sweat. It literally felt like she was in there up to her elbow, and was cranking around my tailbone. She was nice enough to give me a break half-way through, and I told her to ignore the tears, and just do what needed to be done.

So, the latest stats:
Baby measures small (whatever......not thinking there is a shred of truth to that statement. This kid is going to come sailing out at 9+ lbs....)
Cervix is mid position (hasn't moved all the way forward yet into "delivery" position).
Cervix is long, and she said she was being generous to give me a 50% effacement status. Generous. Nice.
I am at a 2, which was not the most pleasant cm of dilation I have ever had. I really enjoy the dilation that occurs when I have the epidural and I don't feel any of it....just sayin'.
Baby's head is at -3. For you newbies: this is as far up as it possibly can be, as in, +3 would be a baby practically in my arms, -3 is a baby still comfy, cozy and nowhere near joining us.
I have a non stress test scheduled for Sunday, in which they will hook me up to every machine known to man, monitor baby and me for an hour or so, do an ultrasound to make sure that there is enough fluid to keep baby nice and basted, and check my cervix again. (Note to self: I need to go get a good book to read....)
I can think about scheduling an induction next week, but if all is still fine with baby, they will wait until the 19th.

Let me spell this out. If I am induced on the 19th, I probably won't have the baby until the 20th. (Remember, I am a sllllllloooowwww dilator.) This means that Thanksgiving is 5 days after. Which of course means that Christmas is 1 month after that. I am fine missing the turkey day festivities. I am scared that I will not get everything done for Christmas, and my kids are already writing their wish lists out for Santa. I really, really, really need to get on the ball!

My agenda today will consist of cleaning my house...again, paying the bills, and trying not to lose my temper with the 3 kids in my home whose sole purposes right now are to drive me crazy.
I think I need one more cup of coffee.....

Due Date, Schmoo Date

Today is my second "official" due date.
My first was Friday...which came and went.
My second is today...which I am assuming will go the same way.

I should be used to this.
Its happened 4 times.
Doesn't make it any easier though....

My goals for today:
Fold the 8 baskets of laundry that are piled on the chair in the living room.
Pay the bills.
Survive the day.

33

It's official.
I am 33.

I love, love, love my birthday!
It was different this year, I had some "stuff" on my mind. Like
1) having a baby soon,
2) not having a baby on my birthday, and
3) my "things to do before baby comes" list.

Thankfully, the birthday came and went with out any hitch...except:
1. Brynn came in the room at 6:30am to wake up Rich (who sleeps like a rock) and have him start making breakfast. She had good intentions, but by the time she shook him awake, I was up too....
2. My son laid in the hallway and cried that his legs didn't work and then proceeded to gag until we served him breakfast. He is *slightly* dramatic, and had refused to eat the day before since he didn't like what I had cooked. I had warned him that if he woke me up complaining that his stomach hurt he was going to get in trouble. Hence the "legs" line.
3. My request for a birthday breakfast was for bacon. I (heart) bacon! Rich decided to make orange cinnamon rolls too (sooooooo yummy), but managed to burn those pretty badly. (Don't worry, the bacon was perfect!)

We did really have a great time though! We had a yummy lunch, took a walk, and my mom made one of my favorite traditional German meals for dinner - Rouladen. I spent the day with my husband and family, and Rich took extra pains to make sure that I had some time to relax too! I couldn't have asked for more, it was perfect!

I also got my birthday wish of no baby on my birthday!
(and a new camera!!!)

My view of the ever expanding Baby Bump...

Excuse the shadow....Rich is still learning...

Halloween...

...came and went. Thank goodness. Its not my favorite holiday, but I pasted on a smile for the kids....

The kids and Rich went trick or treating around the block, while I handed out candy to the 16 kids who came to our door. Yeah, 16.
Total disappointment.

The cousins all met up afterwards, and it was a little chaotic due to hubby having to do some last minute locksmith-ing for a lady in need. The night didn't go exactly as planned, but the kids didn't seem to notice, and Rich and I were just grateful when the evening was over.

I think I had a bad attitude.
Oh yeah, maybe its cause I was awake in the middle of the night with some contractions that didn't pan out...

Brynn and her "I am riding a unicorn" costume

Cannon - aka greasy superman. Too funny that the costume is WAY to small for him though!

Maeve - Grumpy bumble bee.

The cousins reunited at the end of the evening. Brynn refused to put her costume back on for the picture....oh well.

39 weeks....but who is counting?

Had yet ANOTHER doc appt today.
Just as I feared (and expected) there has been not a scrap of change between last week and this one in terms of baby making any move to come out.
I, on the other hand, have pretty much finished everything I intended to do before baby comes.
Someones not playing fair here, and it isn't me....

I have big plans this week. I hope to make some frozen meals to pop in the oven so that I don't go insane when I have to cook dinner and Rich is gone at work, and the kids are jumping off the couches, and a baby is screaming somewhere in the distance, and my mascara is running down my face, the dog is barfing cause he got fed by each child once, the house is a disaster, and my armpits stink cause I haven't showered in 3 days......
Breathe, breathe, breathe....

I will attempt to make a few comfort food casseroles, some quick soups, and maybe even a dessert or two. (I just got tired thinking about that.)

Wish me luck!

Christmas

For the sake of not having my kids find out what they are getting for Christmas from me, I posted their gift on the "other" blog.

It took HOURS, and HOURS, and HOURS to do, but I am finally finished.

Originally I thought one busy book, for all 3 to share. Then, when I realized how stinking thick it would be, I had to break it up into 3. This might work in my favor....or it might not. We will see if the "sharing" skills are sharpened, or not through this gift....

Here are pictures if you want to check them out.....

B Line Blog

Nesting....

Ok.
So I went a little crazy there for awhile.
I nested.
Like I have never nested before.
The good news is that I am finally done....sorta.
The bad news is that my "fun savings account" is completely drained and I need to fill it again.

A glimpse into my insanity.....

The Bedroom Project:
The Hallway Project:

(Although it doesn't seem like much, I almost repainted the entire hallway after I patched up all the holes from where all the previous pictures were hung. I wish I was more patient and waited for my hubby to help me hang pictures. It would go a lot quicker, and require a lot less spackle, and touch up paint.)

The "Entryway Project": (it's in quote marks, cause its not really an entry way, just a glorified front door space....)

(The paint on the shelf is never going to dry. Once again, my lack of patience bit me in the butt on that one. 3 coats, in less than 3 hours on a cloudy day....I will never learn from my previous mistakes....)

The Living Room Project:
A "before" shot
And a few "after":


I was soooooooooo excited to work in this room. Our green couches were torn, but still functional, and I slip covered them to get whatever remaining life out of them that I could. Also, I scored a free ladder on Craigslist, painted it, found some wood in my dads barn (yes, you read that right, a barn) and had hubby cut it down to size for the shelves. I love my new cozy, comfy living room. Makes it so much easier to clean a room that you love to be in right????

The Kids/Hall Bathroom Project:



I scored a wall cabinet on clearance and painted our (previously painted white) bathroom cabinet to match. Got some spray paint, a new towel bar, and a new light from Walmart (which I wired and hung myself - thank you very much) , sewed a hooded towel for much anticipated #4, framed out the cheesy 1980's mirror with door casing, and checked that project off my list. Probably the two things that I was most excited about were this little nightlight/air freshener (why do kids bathrooms ALWAYS smell?) and this AMAZING toilet seat with a built in kids potty seat! What can I say, it's the little things that make me happy!!!!

Rich came home and commented that we now needed to paint the walls in the bathroom. Uhmmmmmm, seriously? Don't give me any ideas here, ok?

The "Dining Room" project (and again, its more of a glorified eating nook/computer desk space/place where the kids secretly feed the dog off their plates, but whatever):

A "before" shot. I didn't think to get any of the table and chairs, sorry.

A "midway" shot
An "all done" shot

The picture over the computer desk was a freebie from a garage sale! I love, love, love it! I don't know why. I don't think that it's something that I would normally choose, but for some reason, this one just makes me happy! I recovered the chairs, and scotch guarded them to no end. Since we constantly pull them into the living room for home team and small group, I needed them to tie into the living room as well. A super talented friend helped me out by going with me to choose some of the fabric and nail down what I wanted. (Thanks Kerri!)

The Kitchen Project:
A before shot of a super messy, yet everyday kitchen for me:

The "after" shots, with the help of hubby, and a little too much late-night caffeine induced work





Can you believe those handles are from Target? I have wanted handles on the cabinets for awhile, but have been too scared and money conscious to do it. I found these and we went for it! A few recovered bar stools, a new dry-erase chore chart to inspire my eldest to feed the do, some organizational bins for the kids' homework, and a little editing on my old tin collection, and the kitchen looks pretty spiffy.

And last but not least.....
The Baby Room Project:
This was really a matter of pulling out the bedding set that we have used 3 times before and making sure it was free of poop, spit-up, and booger stains. My "something new" for the room is the little pillow on the chair, and the crib is now ready for a little one to snuggle into with a cozy orange blanket and a nuggy of its very own.

And what did I do with all my sewing crap? Well, I moved it aside next to the crib, and am still furiously sewing until I have to put it away again. Sigh.


So, are you tired yet?
I am.