Haloween and our 'New' house!

Super late here, but we have been working like crazy on the house. Seems like we always are!

We had a good haloween, Andrew wore his pumpkin, which I had to cut holes in for his legs because he is growing like crazy! We were going to go to the town parade, but it rained. yuck. got a couple pictures anyway. I don't think he loved wearing his pumpkin.

And we have a 'New' house! we didn't do this part ourselves, thank goodness. it looks great, and feels great to be in a house that doesn't look like it is about to be condemned.

Before-back (we put windows and a new door in, so it looks like an explosion)

Before- front

After- front (the door is painted dark blue now, still need to take a pic)

After- back, so much better!

Daddy and Andrew on Haloween

Happy Haloween?

Kitchen!

I hope to post some other rooms soon, but here are before and after pics of our kitchen. Well, it is not totally 'after', we still have to do some final touches. Like paint the build-out for the refrigerator, I will be so happy when it is out of the dining room and you can sit at our table like normal people!

We (mostly Nick) did all the work here. When we moved in, we had grand plans of expanding the kitchen and sunroom (right outside the kitchen), but when it was estimated at 50k-75k, we came up with another plan. I think it turned out great, and is really all the space we need.

Here it is.....

Before, all three sides.

demo!

Progress! Note the cooktop sitting on TOP of the counterless base cabinet. yes, we used it like this for about 3 weeks.

Here we are now! A dishwasher, a garbage disposal and everything! I feel so spoiled!

And here is the buildout for the fridge...we're getting there.

Almost 6 months!

Andrew is almost 6 months old, and the time has flown. We have been crazy busy with the house renovations lately, and I have been bad about my updates here....but we almost have a kitchen!

Will post those pics soon.

Andrew is doing great and is more fun every day. he loves to watch dad work on the house. And even though the doctor said not to start baby food until he is 6mo. because of his milk allergy, we have been sneaking it in. We get awesome veggies from a farm share every week, and I just couldn't wait. So far he has only had butternut squash. At first, the sweet freaked him out because he has been drinking cardboard nutramigin for 4 months, but now he loves it!

Hope to post some kitchen pics soon...we LOVE our new kitchen!

Chewing on catipillar

See my 2 new teeth!

Me and dad in our twin shirts

pondering life on the couch

Our big adventure!

Andrew and I went to visit grandparents in AR and great-gmas in NE. We were gone for two weeks while dad stayed home and worked on the kitchen renovation. poor dad again.

We had a really great time. Andrew saw his first cornfield, and took the longest roadtrip he will probably ever take (from AR to NE)! He was not loving his car seat by the end of the trip.

Thank you to my friends for getting everyone together to meet Andrew!

Andrew with Grandma in my old bath towel...where did mom find this thing!?

At gma & gpas with Aunt Chrissie

Supporting the 'home' team(s).

Holding onto my ears while gpa feeds me

First time to meet great gma! He is looking unsure in the pic, but couldn't get enough of smiling at g-gma.

We had already met this g-gma, but loved the second time too!

Renovations...

Before demo....

after....

Check out the ceiling tile, nice.

So, here is our upstairs right now. Nick and his dad spent all weekend hauling gyp board from a uhaul to the house, but it will look so great when it is done! it used to be paneling, yuck.

ps- don't have a baby and renovate a house at the same time.

Great-Grandma's visit

Andrew met one of his great-grandmas this week! His grandma is here staying with us, and his great-grandma is here staying with my uncle.  We spent the day at uncle Jim's, and Andrew fell asleep in his great-grandma's lap. I think that was his only good nap that day.

Dad stayed home to work on the house...it is needier than Andrew. poor dad.

We are finally in cloth diapers! I ordered these before Andrew was born, and if I wouldn't have, I don't know if I would have done it.  Every time he had a messy one in the disposables, I would think- how in the world am I going to do this. 

He was too small at first and didn't fit in them, but now we are beginning the adventure...and it is really pretty easy!

Cloth diapers are not what they used to be.  Plus, they are SO cute! I got them from a super great seller on Etsy (www.purpleducks.etsy.com).  She let me choose lots of great fabrics, and they are adjustable, so he can wear them until he is out of diapers!

Here he has on his daddy's favorite, the fish.  And a super adorable, if I do say so myself, onsie that I stitched a crab onto. Go Maryland!

the passy

sweet sleepy baby
passy face

'Passy face' is not a cute picture at all, but pretty funny.  Both Nick and I refused a pacifier when we were babies....not Andrew! He loves the thing.

My sister loved her 'passy', wouldn't give it up until she was 3 or 4....looks he might take after aunt Chrissie! 

I also had to include one of him looking adorable.  He passed out asleep during dinner, which he NEVER does! Usually he dominates dinner conversation. 

Celebrating 4 weeks in the ER

Well, the day before Andrew turned 4 weeks old, we ended up spending the night in the ER.  It was no fun at all, most of the trauma were all the tests they had to do on the poor baby.  Turns out he has an allergy to dairy.  I tried cutting dairy out of my diet and that did no good, so with a lot of convincing, he is now enjoying his delicious new (expensive) formula.  

He is a much happier baby now! he fell asleep looking at his butterfly.  

For the first time in a couple weeks, he was acting like he believed the statement on his shirt.

Almost 3 weeks old

It has taken a while to get it together enough to start posting, so here are a few pictures from his first couple weeks in the world. He will be three weeks Monday! All pictures so far are thanks to grandma...

Andrew John

Andrew arrived March 23, 2009, happy and healthy! Here he is with only 4 days of life under his belt, and so smart already....Andrew, where's your ear?