Basement Remodel

A couple of months ago we decided that our living room was being overrun by baby toys and supplies and we were continually tripping over things every time we took a step.  We have a basement in our house, and for the last four years that we have lived here it has been a place where all of our junk collected.  We got motivated to clear out the clutter, sell a bunch of stuff, and finish the basement.  Luckily my dad is the handiest man I know.  He was the mastermind in getting the job done.

Matt and I spent a few days cleaning up and organizing the stuff that we wanted to keep.  I was also able to sell a lot of items on the classifieds we have at work.  My dad helped us plan for the materials we would need as well as what the estimated cost of the job would be.  It's so nice to know someone who can give you the details without having to worry if they are trustworthy or telling the true cost of things.

My dad definitely deserves a shout out on my blog for the time and effort he spent during the past few months on our basement.  He came several days after work.  His job is physically demanding and I'm sure the last thing he felt like doing was working up to 4 more hours.  But he never complained.  And I think he secretly wanted to come over to see Cole so he could brag to my mom :o)  He also worked almost every Saturday for the past few months.  We really appreciate the time and energy that it took to get the basement done.  I also think Matt did a wonderful job of being the apprentice.  When I met Matt he knew nothing about using tools.  But over the years he has gotten better and has learned a lot from my dad.  I know Matt put a lot of pressure on himself when working on our basement.  He wanted things to be perfect because he knew that is how my dad would do it.  He worked very hard a lot of nights after my dad left our house and also on weekends to get the tasks finished.  I think putting so much effort into it has made him take even more pride in the finished product.

Yesterday we got the carpet installed in the basement.  That was the last big step to being able to use the room.  We still have a few minor things that need to be completed, but all in all the room is done!  It looks amazing and we are so excited to be able to take Cole down there to play often.  Last night my parents and my sister and her husband came over to see the basement and to have dinner.  It was so much fun to see their reaction to the space and to be able to sit and relax for a bit after all of the hard work that was put into it.

I am so glad that the painting is done, I think I may have gone over the brick wall a hundred times with a brush.  I am also glad the drywall is done as it was causing some kind of allergic reaction in my eyes. But most of all I'm so glad we will have a place in this house to create fun memories with Cole as he grows.

Thank you sooooo much dad for all of your hard work!  We love you so much.  The room is even more special b/c you built it for us.

Here are the pictures:

Before:

During:

After:

I realized that through all of this process I never got a picture of my dad and Matt together.  Probably because most of the times they were working I was taking care of Cole.  But I do need to get a picture of them together relaxing in the finished space :)  I'll try to get a pic next time dad is over and then post it.

Cole is 6 Months!! (And I'm very behind on posting)

On June 21, Cole turned 6 months old!  I am super late in posting his pictures.  We have been very busy so far this summer.  When I look at Cole's six month pictures I realize just how much he has changed in such a short amount of time.  We love him so much!  We have been truly blessed to have him as our son.  I certainly don't want him to grow up any faster than he already is, but I also can't wait to have so many new experiences with him.

(By the way, this was the first time doing his monthly pictures that Cole was more interested in the bear...I had a hard time getting him to look at me and smile)

Random Happenings

Wow, can you believe it's been 3 weeks since I last posted anything on my blog?  We have been so busy.  Some events are boring and some have been fun.  I'll try to give you the run down of what's been going on.

• Work:  Matt has taken on a new position at work.  This is a position that will set him up nicely for a promotion in the near future.  It's also a great learning opportunity.  But, it's meant that he stays at work until 6-6:30 a lot of nights.  Cole goes to bed around 6:30, so we have been missing out on family time during the week.  And I've been running around like crazy keeping up with Cole and his needs as if I'm a single parent some days. 

• Basement:  We are in the process of finishing our basement.  And when I say "we", I mean my dad is finishing our basement.  Matt has been helping quite a bit too.  And I have also picked up a paintbrush a few times.  I'll save the photos of the before and after for another blog entry since it's not quite done yet.  My dad is an amazing carpenter, electrician, painter, and drywaller :)  We are so lucky to have him help us with this project.  I know I will enjoy hanging out in our basement even more because my dad did the work!  Cole sure has enjoyed the extra time with Grandpa, and Grandma too when she tags along!

• Walking:  When we have enough time in the evenings we like to take a walk around the neighborhood.  Some nights Cole goes with me, and some nights it's just me and Ritz.  I love to walk in the summertime.  Ritz has been getting a lot of exercise checking Cole out and playing with his toys...but a walk is always a good way to calm Ritz down.

Getting ready for a walk

• Birthday:  We celebrated Matt's 31st Birthday on June 14.  Matt and I were able to go out to lunch together, and he chose Meatheads.  Then I cooked dinner for him and also made M & M cookies for dessert at his request.  Cole and I let him open his gifts before dinner, and before Cole had a meltdown and was ready for bed.  We didn't get to celebrate too much since it was the middle of the week, but Father's Day is this weekend, so we will plan to do something fun as a family this weekend.  I know that FlatTop brunch is part of the plan!!  

Smiles for Daddy on his birthday

• Kidneys:  Cole had a doctor appointment in Peoria today to check on his kidneys.  It's hard to believe it's been 3 months since the last visit.  We got good news for the most part.  Nothing has changed, so he does still have reflux in both kidneys, but the good part is that the doctor doesn't think it's too bad and we don't have to go back for another 6 months.  And at that time he thinks it may clear up even more.  We are so lucky that his kidney issues have been minor.  And we are lucky to have such a great Children's hospital so close to home!  

• Food:  Cole has started to eat solid foods.  He LOVES to eat.  We found out today at his weight is 16.3 pounds and he is 27.25 inches long.  Since the end of April, he's gained 2 lb. and grown 3 inches!!  The first food we tried was oatmeal.  I could not feed it to him fast enough, and he was getting pretty mad.  Then we tried avocados next.  The first time he ate them he liked them, but then the second night he was making gagging noises and acting like he was going to throw up every time I put some into his mouth.  It was hilarious.  He's since tried sweet potatoes, butternut squash, acorn squash, peaches, and bananas.  He loves all of them!  He's getting the hang of taking bites and swallowing and then opening his mouth for more.  I love dinnertime with him.  He's just so fun to watch and in between bites he's usually smiling at me.  Enjoy the video of him eating for the first time!  I've been making all of his food (except the oatmeal) myself.  I have really enjoyed doing it and knowing that I'm feeding him as healthy as possible.  It isn't as much work as I thought it would be either.  I found this great website (http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/index.htm) and have been using it for tips and will use it for recipes in the future too.  I have spent about 3 hours total making the food and have probably a months worth in the freezer to pull out and feed him every night.  

Link to the video (since it wasn't working on this page):  Cole's First Time Eating

Frozen homemade baby food

Thanks for still following my blog, even though I have neglected it for a few weeks.  I would like to post more often, but I have a little guy who doesn't yet believe in sleeping through the night...or even close to it.  So I've been trying to either catch a few hours of sleep earlier than usual at night, or I'm picking up from the tornado that goes through my house every day.  Still loving every minute of parenthood and my sweet baby Cole!  Have a great weekend everyone!!