Emma's surgery (and 39 months)

No worries everyone, we are alive over here! It's been a crazy and full month but I still want to take a pause to jot down a few things about Emma lest you think we fell off the face of the planet. This sweet girl is suddenly into everything and I've learned quickly she cannot be left unattended like my rule-following eldest. When things grow unnaturally quiet, I usually find her sporting a pair of Grandpa's glasses (and saying "Whoa Mom! I'm going downhill!!) or carefully applying my eye make up.....to her upper lip.

But the biggest and most major happening in her life last month (I'm late!) was her nose surgery that took place on November 10th. We knew surgery was in her future at some point in her childhood but the timing depended on a number of variables - how her nose grew, her personality and what kids around her were saying. But it all happened really fast after her 3 year well check up when her pediatrician recommended we go ahead and schedule the procedure. We agreed the timing felt "right" and not 6 weeks later (and a mere 3 days after closing on our new house), she was going under anesthesia.

She was an absolute ROCK STAR and show even the slightest sign of being nervous. In fact, I think we talked it up just so that she was actually excited. Of course Children's is amazing and made sure even Mickey Mouse got an ID bracelet to match. 

They got Emma all situated and let me climb up into bed with her. We got to watch Cars while we were waiting which she thought was pretty cool. And she got to pick her "sleepy" medicine flavor - bubble gum of course!

Man oh man though! Emma did great but I was a mess! I held it together until they put her under. They called it "going to sleep" but it most certainly was more than that. Watching her eyes role back, it almost felt other-wordly and made it seem like my sweet Emma was no longer in her little body. It's an experience I do not care to repeat, that's for sure. I started crying as soon as we left the room and didn't stop until we were told she was in recovery. Thank goodness the surgery didn't last too long!

I was so relieved when they told us she was out and that we could come back and be with her. She was still asleep when we arrived but woke up about 10 minutes later when the nurse was taking off her blood pressure cuff. I was expecting her to be loopy but the first thing she said was "Where is the Cars movie!?" She was thrilled by the fishy crackers and juice and we gave her a couple presents - a stuffed dog and a Veggietales DVD. We were out and on our way via wheelchair shortly after some good vital checks.

We spent the day laying low-ish but it's hard to keep Emma down for long. We were promised a sleepy, loopy girl but what we ended up with was a spirited, energetic 3 year old who didn't even take a nap that afternoon! So we got milkshakes and enjoyed visits from friends and family. I'm pretty sure if you asked Emma, she'd volunteer to do the whole thing again!

A few other things about Emma this month:

-she's been a big "helper" with our remodel

-she's goofy and brings us so much joy (as do her outfits)

-she loves to dress up

-and has a new found interest in gymnastics 

-she remains our biggest snuggler (and Grandpa's too!)

Isla 63 Months

For the first time (maybe ever?) I am an entire month behind in my kiddo blogging. Which is testimony enough to the crazy that was our lives in November and December. Isla continues to thrive at school and comes home surprising us with all she knows every day. Back in November, she got to take Ollie the Otter home for the weekend and show him around. She introduced him to our new house, to her human friend Oliver and even took him to a family birthday party. She got to journal about the adventure when it was all said and done - her love language for sure!

This next shot was a must for the blog: my girls is wearing jeans. JEANS!!! November marked the first month in her history where this became a regular occurrence. Nevermind the reason (that she 2 of her pairs of leggings got hold and had to be tossed and I boxed up her summer dresses so she had no other options....) It's a pretty big deal for the Little Miss.

The other morning, she greeted me at her usual time of about 6:06 AM and told me "I looked in the mirror and did this and it was really cute so I'm going to do this with my head all day." Love her!  

Her other latest and greatest is to ask me to photograph her with various objects. All the time. It usually happens when I tell her she can't have something so she opts to take a picture of it instead. Case point:

And another:

Oh and another:

She is still very into art and it grows more creative by the day.

I find "mail" from her on my bedside table on a regular occurrence and she's doing a really good job of sounding out words. Her future profession though has morphed from artist to a ballerina in the snowflake dance of the shortened (kids) version of the Nutcracker. Guess we better get her back in ballet!

Introducing...OUR House!!

 YOU GUYS!!!!!!

I'm so excited to introduce you to our much-eluded-to-on-social-media-and-everywhere-else home sweet home!!! Let me tell you, the process of getting the keys to this baby was so excruciating and stressful that I don't know if I will ever relive them by writing them down. The short of it is, we came this close to losing both the house AND twelve thousand (yes THOUSAND!!) hard-earned, long-saved for dollars due to an incompetent lender. I also lost 7 pounds in as many days, 2 partial days of work and my sanity (which thankfully I think I found again). So if you've been wondering where we disappeared to the past month, consider yourself informed!

Enough of the drama - let's give you the tour! I must say, it is so exciting to share these pictures with you because the interior of the house no longer looks anything like this. The good shots are borrowed from the original listing and the dark ones were taken by us in a hurry before we started poking holes in the walls. We dove head first and are doing what I call "de-90-fying the house." In plainer English, we are taking the 90's out of it. We have had it in our possession for a mere 16 days and and I can't wait to soon be able show you the "after" photos to see the transformation. But first, the before.

Welcome to our living/dining room area! Through the arch on the right you can see the french doors (well you can really only see one door) to MY office (I called dibs!) and then down the hall to the left of the office, is the powder room and then the kitchen. If you came straight down the stairs and kept going, you'd head out the front door. 

 Here's another view of the living room, looking out toward the front window (lovely, built-in valance, eh?)

 And now the dining room and it's *cough* unique ceiling touches.

A nighttime shot of the office I mentioned. In the daytime hours, it is FLOODED with light.

The downstairs "powder room" which is not going to be altered much during this first phase of remodeling. Dang, someone left the seat up! I blame a male.

 And now the kitchen. To get your bearings, the downstairs has a circular floor plan. The hall to the powder room and office is not pictured but to the left and you can see the dining room chandelier through the door next to the fridge. Alas, the 90s will live on here in for another couple years until we can save up a pretty penny. Hang onto your hats for a big kitchen reveal some year, someday soon. 

 Here is the kitchen eating area with the kitchen in the background. It's important to note here that that wall you see on the left is the wall to the laundry room which literally bumps out about 3 feet into the eating area. Also, just out of the picture (those sneaky real estate photographers!!) is a half wall and post separating (and perfecting caging in the blocking the flow of traffic!) this eating area from the family room. 

 Now we're standing in the kitchen eating area looking into the family room and that half wall is directly to the left, just a hair outside of the scope of this shot.

We almost didn't buy the house because of this little number here: the laundry room. It's placement couldn't have been poorer and though we only had about 10 minutes on Graham's lunch break to tour the entire house when it first listed, I spent about 8 of them standing in the kitchen staring this little room. Even after we made an offer, the wretched laundry room haunted me and made me thing we should bail on the whole thing. 

I'm gonna throw in one of my own pictures so you can get a better idea of how the floor plan really urked me. Here is that half wall and post with the laundry room poking out to the right. If one were to put a table of any size in the eating area, BAM! Goodbye access to the family room.

But I digress....now let me take you upstairs!

There are 4 bedrooms and this first one is going to be Jack's. The kids' rooms are all pretty similar in size and there are hardwoods throughout.

 The kid's and guest bath. Please note the ceiling is also painted this lovely shade of blue!

 I LOVE our master suite! It is situated on the south side of the house and so gets tons of natural light. The entrance to the master bath is not pictured but is off to the right.

 The master bath will someday get a makeover but don't expect to see many changes here during phase 1 of our remodel. You can see the reflection of the entrance to the large walk in closet in the mirror. This is also Jack's temporary resting place whenever we are over there working on the house. Poor kid, he'll have an actual bedroom soon!   

 This photo does not do it justice but this is the bonus room of all bonus rooms! I think it might be around 600 square feet and was a major selling feature for me because, not only is it big enough to hold tons of toys and even a couch and sitting area, but we can also create some sort of guest accommodations in the little alcove there. If anyone has an ingenious idea how I can make it look like there ISN'T a bed in the middle of the bonus room, I'm accepting idea donations. Also not pictured are the two giant double-wide closets to the right. 

 And last but not least, our sweet little deck and backyard. It's large enough to play in and host parties on the deck but hopefully still small enough for us to keep up with without taking over our life. If you look closely you can see a little white porch swing hanging from the eve of the house. :)

For all wondering minds, no we have not yet moved in. We made haste in taking the move-in-ready but dated home to a currently-totally-unlivable-wires-and-nails-everywhere-but-coming-together-beautiful-disaster. Our hope (pipe dream?) is to be in by Christmas but that might have to be a Christmas miracle. Don't spend much time memorizing these pictures I have shared with you - I'm hoping you will hardly recognize the place when we are finished with it. We have made some amazing changes already and I can't wait to share them all with you!! Stay tuned!

Jack 13 Months

It's his golden monthiversary y'all! I don't have a ton of photos to document this milestone as I've traded in the "real" camera for a paintbrush this month. But I did manage to catch a few keepers (sort of) to share.

-biggest news: he FINALLY cut his first 2 teeth (bottom front center) on 11/15

-this explains a LOT

-he's been really cranky since, oh, September

-loves playing with his cousins

 -understanding lots of words: hot, binky, milk, bye bye

-saying more too: up, water, Grandpa

 -fav foods: milk, string cheese, bananas and yogurt (which he wants to feed himself)

-he's a food chucker

-everyday, every meal, all over the floor

 -so yeah, and he LOVES meat

-huge hunks of it

-developing quite the attitude about things and can throw a mighty fit

-hates diaper changes and attempts to fling himself off the changing table

-standing alone for brief periods now (only when he doesn't realize it)

-starting to climb!!!

-stairs included but only 2 so far

-waves bye bye and claps

-can walk hanging on with only one hand now

-this pic is blurry but too adorable to keep to myself

-he's finally big enough to rock his sweet sweater pants!!!

-and his super awesome spikey hair-do

-spends a lot of time napping at the new house while we try and work and sucking on paint brushes and rollers when we aren't looking...

-here he is: his first picture in his future new room!!!

-poor buddy has caught cold after cold

-maybe he's been healthy for 10 days all fall?

-and no, I'm not exaggerating

-despite his illnesses, he remains our sweet, busy, snuggly precious baby boy!