Monday, February 27, 2012

YAY for fun weekends!!!!

Last week is a blur...seriously if you asked me what we did, I would need some time to think about  it. As it is, I looked at my calendar to try and remember because I feel like there was a lot going on.

Of course we had Jakob's surgery earlier in the week. He was back to his normal crazy self the next day, no surprise there LOL

I also took Gavin to an allergist. The last two months he has had either an ear infection or a sinus infection. Meaning he has also been on antibiotics for the last two months, I hate that! And they don't seem to be even helping that much! They asked me many questions and did 20 pricks, 10 on each arm. Thankfully they gave me a script for the numbing cream prior to appointment so that helped with that part. The next part however...not much could help that :-( They did 14 injections of various allergens. Poor kid....I wanted to cry with him. All that just to confirm that he tested moderately allergic to ragweek which would not explain was has been going on because ragweed season here is in the fall. So the doctors suggestion had me laughing. Well I had giggled and felt silly because when one of the doctors came in, he introduced himself as Dr. Van Winkle. I giggled. I mean...really, wouldn't you?! Then the other doctor looked at Gavin's ear (still ear infection after week of meds *sigh*), looked at tonsils and said they were enlarged. He followed this up with, " I am going to have you get a throat xray to take a look at his adenoids." LOL LOL LOL He started to go into an explanation of adenoids, blah blah. I politely explained to him why I started laughing and that I knew all about adenoids! He said sometimes enlarged tonsils are combined with enlarged adenoids which would make sense based on the last couple of months and Gavin is snoring. So I took Gavin a couple days later to get an xray. He was thrilled to be getting and xray! No really...he was so excited!!! He has an alphabet puzzle and each letter has a career attached to it. The "X" is an x-ray technician. So I told him he would get to meet a real live x-ray technician AND get to see a really big camera take pictures of his bones. Oh and let's not forget the office had a cool door he could open and close. He was set! The tech was really nice and let him look around at the equipment, showed him his xray and gave him a sticker. Doesn't get much better than that in Gavin's world :-) I am anxiously waiting for doctor to call and tell me what it showed, so I can go ahead and make appt. with ENT if needed.

Friday night was a big night for me! I went to Target! WOW!! By myself...that's the best part :-) I can remember days, before children, when I would just to Target or any store but Target was best for this and just wander. Browse. Not for anything in particular, just look at things and buy things I do not need:-) I walked around the mall for a bit and then spent some time at Target where I actually bought things I needed!!! And a few I didn't :-) It would have been great except for two things, 1) a glass of wine to go with my browsing would have been great! 2) The screaming kids that were melting down at 9:30p.m. I am completely aware that some kids have later bedtimes and if that works for parents, great! However, if your child is clearly tired and you are at a store, do not expect them to be happy. And please, please for the love do not proceed to yell at them while the child is screaming (on the yucky floor) that you do not understand what is wrong. I would have to guess that the rubbing of the eyes would have been my first clue to their behavior. I walked by 3 parents doing something of this sort. Ok....stepping down off my soapbox.

Saturday was Gavin's first EVER sleep over. Yes you read that correctly...the child is 3.5 y/o and he has never spent a night away from me, ever. I am fully aware that my control issues are coming into play here so no need to point this out! Gavin's aunt has been bugging, eh hem...asking us for a while if he could sleep over at their house. I think two factors finally made me feel better about, 1) We switched him to toddler bed last summer. 2) School. Him being away from me for school has also helped me with my issues. We knew he would have a blast! And of course, he did. He has been talking about it since and asking if today is the next time he can go stay at Ciocia's house :-) We got some sushi take out from Sushi Yama in Middletown, delicious!!! I got a bottle of wine, Marcin got beer and we worked on Gavin's room!!! We listened to some old 90's music (Rumpshaker, Dr. Dre., Cranberries, Poison, etc.), it was great! Marcin put Gavin's full size bed together and the rails. I worked on painting the stripes behind his bed. I am not happy with the shade of brown. I will be redoing that once I get a new brown but over all, I think the stripes turned out great!
We also have some cute construction truck/road way decals for the walls on other side of room. I hope to scan some of his school art this week and frame them for above his bed. I will post more pics once it is completed :-) I would love a couple of book slings but I don't have time to make those darn things! I wonder if someone on Etsy makes them......

Sunday was busy, busy but in a good way! Gavin and I met a friend and her daughter for lunch. Gavin was a little cranky so I didn't get to stay as long as I would have liked, story of my life with 3 little ones but it was still nice to see them. Lunch was yummy, we went to try out Bahama Breeze. Not bad....I saw a lot of frozen drinks in my future for the summer!

We came home and showed Gavin his new room! He liked it but like I said....CRANKY! sheesh, so the excitement was short lived until he woke up and then he was happy again :-) I got some cleaning done, ironing and then got ready for a Mom's night out at Aqua Sol!!! Great company and food, can't beat that!

Now I am excited to finish up Gavin's room so I can paint our master bathroom! It is already painted a light gray but I found a darker shade that I really like! I guess I should probably make sure Marcin likes it also, hehe.

This weekend will also be fun! We are going to Philly to meet some friends for dinner...it has been way too long since we gtg without any children with this group so it will be fun!

Oh and teething with 2 toddlers at same time = no fun, less sleep and cranky people! Jakob is cutting one tooth on the bottom and the way he acts, he is getting all 4 molars at the same time! Lord help us when his molars start coming...and the eye teeth, I shudder to think!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

exhausted!!

I don't know why (ok....I know why but I haven't been any crazier than usual) I am exhausted these past few days! Jakob and I were at the hospital yesterday from 9:30-3:00! His surgery was scheduled at 10:45 and you have to be there and hour earlier. He was done with his surgery by 11:30 but then by the time he settled down and was able to rest, it was 12:30 and he proceeded to nap in my arms (LOVE...even though my arm was completely numb from being asleep but I wouldn't dare move and wake him up!) for two hours! They wouldn't let us leave until he drank something and kept it down.

Monday night, Marcin and I both were a little anxious for Jakob. We, of course, were wondering if we made the right decision by having his adenoids removed. And even on the way to hospital, I was still wondering but I kept telling myself it was just adenoids....it will be ok. We got to the hospital and they started getting Jakob all ready. He was immediatey thrilled with our nurse because she had bubbles. It's the little things :-) He was even more thrilled once they gave him the 'relaxing' nasal drops.....he was so funny!!! Here is a pic of him being goofy...you can see his eyes are all droopy lol

Once the doctor was done with the surgery, he came out to talk to me. This is same doc who did their tubes in September. He said Jakob's adenoids were 'massive.' That was word he used! He also said he was surprised by how large they were...he was not expecting that. Considering this doc is pretty laid back, Jakob's adenoids must have been huge!!! So once he told me that, I felt somewhat relieved that possibly we did make the right decision :-) The ear tubes were inserted fine. He said not to expect to see any significant results for a couple weeks. But when Jakob was sleeping in the recovery room....his breathing was already so quiet. Where as before, I would have continuous heard raspy, loud breathing (think of how your child sounds when they are congested....this is how jakob sounded 75% of the time). Marcin and I thought for sure we were going to have a long night last night because Jakob wasn't feeling so great. But he slept from 7:30-7:30!!! Today, Jakob woke up in a great mood!! He was chasing Gavin around and tackling Kaleb for toys. He doesn't have much an appetite but it seems like his throat is sore so he is milking it and convincing me to feed him only yogurt melts (his favorite!)

Kaleb however....did not sleep all night. I don't know if it his teeth or ear infection but he was up for a half hour last night. It must be serious if it wakes up Kaleb....nothing wakes him up! REALLY hoping it is just teeth but we will just have to keep an eye on him.

Now to somehow convince Gavin to not touch the numbing cream I need to coat his arms with so we can go to the allergist to see what is going on with him. I am being told allergies and ear infections go hand in hand. Gavin has had 3 EI's in the past 2 months, along with sinus infections and constant congestion. *sigh* I am pretty sure I have been to a doctor appointment at least once a week, if not twice, for the past 2 months. Maybe this has something to do with my exhaustion......

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

It's official....

.... I am a true Delawarean, I have an allergist LOL When I moved here (almost 10 years ago...hard to believe it has been that long!) everyone told me I would develop allergies. I didn't believe them, I had never had allergies in my life! And if you have seen the pollen in the southern states in the spring...it is crazy amounts! If that didn't cause me develop allergies, I thought for sure i would be exempt here. HMPH...not so much. I was here for about 2 years and I kept getting congested, head/sinus pressure, etc. All the typical allergy symptoms but I refused to believe it! Eventually I went to my family doc and I tried a few allergy meds and I felt better. I don't understand why allergies are so prevalent here....wetlands, Dupont, Astrazeneca, what?! So for the past 3 months or so, I have been congested (Even while taking my allergy meds....all year long). I figured it was time for me to officially see an allergist and figure out exactly what I am working with here. ugh so annoying...I don't like to take medicines every day. It bugs me. I have to guess the boys will eventually develop these seasonal allergies as well and then they will need meds also. Again, I don't like giving them medicines on a daily basis either. I have not really looked at the research on kids allergy meds and long term side effects.

So while I may be officially a Delawarean due to my allergist.....I can't say I will claim it (no offense to those from Delaware!) I will always be a southern girl at heart, that is my home :-)

It's been the same old craziness at my house :-) I have a new project though and I am excited to have some new to do instead of the daily cleaning/laundry/cook....repeat. We got Gavin's full size mattress over the weekend. We are going to give his room a fresh coat of paint and do a striped accent wall behind his headboard. He is not really into any characters ( like Mickey, Woody or Buzz) so his duvet cover is circles with various shapes inside the circles in the colors of olive Green, light blue, navy and chocolate brown. Honestly, I am glad he is not into characters.....yet. I don't know when that happens in a kids brain but it hasn't occurred in Gavin's yet and I fine with it! lol All he wants is instruments, the child loves instruments!

Kaleb has really been working on some teeth lately, poor guy :-( He just finished with his last molar and I saw a top eye tooth cutting, ouch! The eye teeth were the worst with Gavin and judging from Kaleb whining and constant need to be held lately, I would have to guess it isn't feeling much better for Kaleb :/

Jakob has his surgery Monday. He is getting his ear tubes replaced (the right one fell out a couple months ago) and his adenoids removed. Let's hope this helps with his mouth breathing and constant congestion. He is also getting a 4th tooth on the bottom....he acts like it is  molar but it isn't. I shudder to think how he will be when his molars and eye teeth start coming, yikes! The doctor can't even listen to his heart with a stethoscope without him screaming :-P so dramatic lol

J&K are also going to be evaluated by the Child Development Watch ( speech in Delaware for under 3 y/o). I told myself I wouldn't really start worrying about their speech until they were 18 months but we were at the pediatricians office for someone...we are there so often, I can't remember who and I brought it up. J&K really only have one word :/ They will say 'dada.' In the past week or so, they have added "mama" to the mix. Jakob is pretty good with his sign language. Kaleb made up his own so we understand him, no one else would know what his motions mean :-P By 17 months, Gavin had 8-10 words. I know, I know I shouldn't compare but it is impossible not to. There are things J&K do now that Gavin didn't do until he was much older....I know they all develop differently but I really felt like they ought to have more words by now. They gesture and express loudly their opinions, wants and dislikes. They clearly comprehend things we tell them, listen when they feel like it and are aware of the names of various items. They make alot of word/letter sounds but they can't quite get it out. You would think one of them would have more words than the other but they are on the same page with this one. Which is unusual because someone is usually ahead or doing the opposite with those two :-P So when I expressed my concerns to doc...he agreed with me that while it is not a huge concern at their age, it can't hurt to be proactive and have them evaluated. He also had a good point....he explained that because they aren't using words they will tend to be more physical in their social settings. Instead of using words to express themselves...they will push, shove, throw things, etc. Let's face it....they are boys. Boys are usually physical to begin with so to save my sanity and help them with their speech, they are going to be evaluated in a couple weeks to see if they have any areas of concern. We read to them, repeat what we say, talk to them all the time and the words just aren't there. I would imagine one day we will look back and laugh at this because if they are anything like Gavin.....they aren't going to STOP talking! lol

I took Gavin to Child Find (speech in Delaware for over 3 y/o) this morning because he says a few words like 'wash' 'fish' 'wish,' mostly words that end with 'sh' or 'ch'.....when he says them it sounds different. I wasn't sure if it was a developmental thing that he would outgrow or an issue. Again, I'd rather be proactive :-) y'all know me! A little over the top at times but if I have learned anything, parents intuition (mom's especially) is rarely wrong! So we spent an hour with the speech therapist, super nice! She first did an evaluation with Gavin to talk about various items, sequencing, colors, sounds, situations. etc. That took about 30 minutes for which he sat and listened, which is huge for a 3.5 y/o! Then she went over some pictures so he could say the words. She immediately picked up on my concern. She said that does concern her and based on that it can't hurt to have him see the speech therapist once a week to work on it. She also said (this is my bragging moment!!!!!!) that the first part took so long because he kept answering the questions correct. The more that are answered correct, then you keep going on the eval. She said based on his answers, he was at a 5-6 year old level! HE IS A GENIUS! ;-)

Must get boys up and ready to go to pediatrician.....I know they will be surprised to see me :-P Gavin woke up last night crying that his ear hurts. Last week we were there because he was congested and mild fever, he has ear infection in left ear. He has been on antibiotic since then so I don't know how another one would develop in his right ear but it would make sense based on his behavior lately and how much he has been sleeping :/ I swear they need to just rent a room out to me during the winter months.....over all these nasty germs!!!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

wow....the inheritance of loss

This is a sad post :-( A friend shared this on Facebook and it was as if I could have written the entire post myself but changed all things to reflect the specifics in my life.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/claire-bidwell-smith/the-inheritance-of-loss_b_1253376.html

For those of you that don't know, my mom lost her battle to breast cancer when she was only 33. I was 12. She was diagnosed at age 29. Too young. Due to my family history, I get mammo's every year and after Gavin was born I had genetic testing done because I was terrified I had this gene and it was just waiting to rear its ugly head. I couldn't deal with not knowing...thankfully I do not carry the gene. That is not to say lifestyle or environments won't cause me to have any kind of cancers but at least I knew. It was no longer that irritating thought in back of my mind.

This article was me at 12 years old. My world stopped at age 12. Throughout my life, I have categorized it in 2 sections....before age 12 and after age 12. When big events happen in my life, it does seem like they shouldn't be happening without my mom to be there to guide me and cheer for me. When I graduated high school, college, masters, my wedding, birth of our children, etc. Some days it is very surreal to me that I am living a regular life, going on with my usual routine...even though it has been 22 years since she passed. When I turned 33....it was unreal to finally be the age of my mom when she passed.  It brought me an entirely new perspective on my life, my wonderful husband and children. I cannot imagine knowing that I wouldn't get to grow old with Marcin, watch my kids grow up and meet my grandchildren. I am sure when my boys turn 12, that will also be a day that stands out in my life. To see how young kids really are at 12, regardless of how grown we think we may be:-P My 33rd birthday was a bittersweet day. The paragraph below from the article really hit home for me:

"It was like, without my mother, I couldn't possibly go on. I couldn't grow up, become a woman, do things that she would never know about, go places she'd never been, think things I couldn't tell her. Even right now, there is a part of me that refuses to believe that I am the woman I have become. Except, every so often I catch a glimpse. I see it in a passing glance in the mirror, hear it in an accidental laugh, stifled and throaty, find it in a footstep, an echo in a hallway. Suddenly there are these two parts of me, then and now, staring back at each other, wondering where the other came from."

In retrospect, I (or my guardians) should have sought out counseling after she passed. I did not....thankfully I had amazing family that saw me through it. Supported and tolerated me when I acted out as a teenager (I had my moments!). There are many directions my life could have gone but they someone managed to keep me on the right path. I guess I will learn this as my boys grow up and we try to guide them throughout their lives.

If you have lost a parent or someone close to you, I know you can relate. I think of my mom everyday, she will always be a part of me and as the boys get older they will learn and get to know their grandmother also :-)

Sorry to be sad but I had to share this and get it off my chest :-) ::AAAHHHH::: Feel much better now! thanks for listening!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Why I blog...

Someone asked me this the other day. My main reason for starting a blog last year was to keep a 'journal' of our days (And also it has served as a reminder for me for many things lol). My pregnancy with the twins wasn't the easiest pregnancy but all the same, I regret not keeping a journal for that pregnancy as I did with Gavin's. When I was pregnant with twins, I just felt like I had no time to do this.....little did I know how much time I actually had compared to now, eh. This blog is also my soap box and outlet for joys/happy times/frustrations/difficult days/exciting moments, etc.

Since I started it, I've wanted to print this out and keep it ( I love memories....seriously, I have issues!). Originally I thought I could put it all in a book but then that proved to be too expensive for a nice keepsake book. Then I thought, well I could just print it all out, have it binded at Staples and that should hold it :-) It doesn't need to be anything super special, I just want it on paper so I can have it later to reflect on, to remember these crazy days and maybe one day the boys will want to read it or share it with their significant others or wives.

I love love love love love love love love keepsakes! I am slightly obsessed with them. Last year I started a photobook for each of the kids. In it there are pictures of mainly them, letters from both Marcin and I and this year for Gavin I will add some 'interview' questions. Once J&K get older I will do the same. They also have an email account that I sometimes send funny moments too so I won't forget. I also include these in their photobooks. I have thousands of pictures...I love pictures. If our house were to catch on fire....the first things I would grab are:

1) family
2) fire proof safe box
3) extra hard drive and case of pix CD's

This isn't surprising to me that I am this way, my mom was the same :-P I think she took a picture of me sleeping once a week lol My childhood photo albums are full of pictures of me sleeping :-) I am not a hoarder....I do not like clutter at all. I need things to have their place, so I like my keepsakes to be nicely contained and organized.

That is why this blog is mostly about my family...it is my life right now. The boys....are what I do. It is my job and I like to think I am pretty good at it :-) Lately I keep thinking back to how things were a year ago....they weren't bad but much more crazier than they are now! J&K seem to have grown so much in the last month....they are taller, moved up from 24 months to 2T (kaleb!) and 18 months to 24 months (jakob!). They are such little people, I love it. Gavin amazes me everyday....he is always coming up with new things and new sayings. He has also seemed to get taller the past couple months. Pants that were too big for him around Christmas are suddenly the perfect length.

I look around at my life and I love it, I truly love it. I am so blessed with my family.....its the sort of perspective you can't gain until you get here. There are days I would like just 24 hours of peace when I am not repeating myself for the millionth time to share, cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. But the giggles, laughing at one another, the extra hugs and kisses, Jakob playing his everlasting game of peek a boo behind the wall, Kaleb 'thinking' he is covering his face to play peek a boo and dying laughing after he removes his hands make it all worth while. Just when I think I need to give myself a time out...someone makes me laugh and as Gavin says 'makes it aaaalllllll better!"

I only wish my mom were here....she watches us from above but I know she would have a blast with her grandsons.

So in case you were wondering too....why does she blog? She complains that she doesn't have time but yet she sits with computer and types. This is why...and this is also why my posts are almost always about my sweet boys :-)

 

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

sheesh....remember me?!

Yep I am still here....just MIA for a bit. Just a little busy over here :-) Nothing really exciting to keep us busy, just life and a few doc appts for Jakob. There have been birthday parties, girls nights out, date nights, my dad visited for a WEEK (so fun!), I learned that some summer camps are already registering (its FEBRUARY!), there are lots of house projects I want to get started on, reorganizing my coupon stash, getting back on my diet ( I fell off the wagon for a few days) and reading (my favorite!)

So let's recap....if this blog ends up all over the place, sorry! Bear with me, hehe

Jakob has now seen two ENT docs, a pulmologist and asthma/allergist. The 2nd ENT doc was for a 2nd opinion of removing adenoids. The pulmonologist was to rule that out as well as the asthma./allergist. The pulmonologist was a waste of time...the doctor was awful (as I learned after the fact, hmph). The respiratory therapist there was wonderful and full of information! The doc, not so much. The asthma/allergist doc was great! Very informative, spent about an hour with us. They tested Jakob for 11 things ranging from dogs, cats and some other environmental things. He was negative for them all...for now :-) The doctor did say that Jakob may have some mild asthma symptoms but it is nothing he is overly concerned with at this point. He also thinks removing the adenoids would be good a solution at this point. I feel like I am making a big deal out of this but darn it, I don't want him to have the surgery if it isn't really necessary, ya know? So that is 3 docs who have all agreed on one thing....remove adenoids, replace tubes. So he is scheduled for that Feb. 20. Let's hope that helps :-)

It is not slowing Jakob down one bit though..he jumps right in with Gavin and Kaleb. And he is becoming more assertive. Not sure if this is part of his personality or if he has just discovered it is survival of the fittest around here with 2 brothers....either way he does tolerate someone taking his toy before he is finished with it. And if they do manage to get it from him, he will get it back. Even if he has to run after and tackle the person who took it...he will take them down to the ground and get his toy back lol so cute! Jakob is a huge cuddler...he will run up to hug us or kiss us. He has also become pretty jealous when someone else is sitting with Marcin or I, he will try to push them off or cry until they move or we make room for him :-)

Kaleb has become less assertive. If jakob takes his toy...he just stands there with is bottom lip out, then wales with tears streaming down his face :-P He is such a big teddy bear! His upper body strength is crazy! I am pretty sure he can pull himself up onto anything...including the kitchen chairs which give me a heart attack. But being that this is a novelty for now, he loves to practice it over and over again :-P

Gavin just makes me laugh! He is so funny! Yesterday instead of napping, he and I went to the mall on a quest for my skinny jeans :-) We were at Gap and I told him I needed to go to the dressing room to try on my jeans. We walked in and he exclaims, "THERE IS NO POTTY HERE!?" I explained to him that this wasn't a bathroom and went into the explanation of a dressing room. He was amazed.....by the really tall, cool door that he had to open/close while I tried on clothes. Luckily no one else was trying on clothes. The only way I could get him to listen was to bribe him with a trip to Barnes & Noble (are you thinking how cute it is that he would listen for a book or toy?! Think again.....) so we could go watch the escalators and also ride the escalators up and down. He requested to go up and down 20 times, I told him we would do it 4 times. So we did, he was over the moon excited to watch how it worked AND ride on it. Who needs amusement parks?!?!

I am coming to terms with his going to school 5 half days next week. I am going to miss him and I am really not looking forward to loading everyone up 5 mornings a week but....I will have to do it one day, right!? So I will adjust, as will everyone else. On the positive side, it will help prepare Gavin for kindergarten. I will only have 2 children in the mornings which will be nice and allow us to go to the park and do other social activities (or shopping activities!) with the little guys. And then once we get home, the little guys nap and I can hang out with just Gavin. Sounds good to me! Our trip to the mall yesterday was a success!!! I found not only one but two pair of cute skinny jeans :-D Last week I got a great deal on a pair of boots. Now I just need somewhere to wear them :-) I got a pair that were a little less casual than everyday. I don't think I would wear them everyday...especially with the boys. It takes long enough to get them ready to get out of the door, I would rather slip on a pair of flats and get out the door.

I really slacked off on my coupons the past month or so :-( During the holidays I had a hard time keeping up with organizing them. I still used them but not as well as I had been doing. So last night I spent two hours reorganizing, cutting and getting it all back together. I am ready to start saving again! Now I also know not to get behind because I just don't have time to sit and get all that organized! I also slacked on my diet...I haven't gained but I haven't lost either. I have 9 lbs left to lost....must lose this by first of May. I can do that....if I stick to it. Again....busy and I don't eat *sigh* When will I learn?!

My dad was here all last week...I don't know who enjoyed who more, my dad or the boys having their Pop Pop here?! Kaleb was in heaven! He loves my dad and Marcin's dad...pretty sure those are two of his favorite people! We didn't do to much...there were a couple days of nice weather so we went outside to play, ran some errands, went to chik fil a (Gavin loves to play there!) and the Delaware Childrens Museum while Gavin was at school. Jakob and Kaleb loved it!! I let my membership expire there but I picked it back up because it will be fun for the little guys while Gavin is at school. There is no way I could take all 3 by myself at this point. Two I can handle :-)

With this not so traditional winter weather, I feel like it is spring and as usual, there are many things I want to do around the house!!! We are on the search for a full size mattress for Gavin's room. Which also means I get to redo his room into a not so babyish room!! YAY!!! I love this! We aren't going to do much but it needs a fresh layer of paint, I want to do a striped accent wall to match his duvet cover (That I got at Target on clearance for a steal!!! And it is Dwell studio..I love their bedding, so soft!) Get some new shelving for his walls. I am going to scan some of his pictures he has done at school and frame them for wall decor. Now I just to find the time to do all of this.....Next on my list (not sure about Marcin's hehe) is our master bath. Also want to give it a fresh layer of paint, paint the builder cabinets an espresso brown, put hardware on the cabinets, new lighting fixtures and frame mirror. I would love to find more wall hangings for our room and add some shelving to our closet. One day, we will work on the kitchen! That will require saving some money.....granite counter tops, flush mount sink, new dishwasher, new oven. We discussed granite when the house was being built but the builder wanted too much money for it so we hoped to get around to it later. And of course, a new light for the foyer. I have wanted this since day 1 of signing contract on house. When we purchased our home there was option for a 'brass package' or 'silver package.' I wanted the silver package but was told they no longer did those due to low request. hmph. don't you know a few months later after we moved in a model home was built with the silver package!!!!  I was not happy. So we have an ugly brass builder light fixture in foyer and I hate it. I painted the one in the dining room but I cannot paint the one in foyer.

I am addicted to pinterest. Simple as that.....so many good ideas that I don't have time to do but wishful thinking makes me feel good :-)

So that is us in a nutshell! Gavin is not napping so I better get him downstairs before he wakes up the babies!