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!!

Central Illinois Honor Flight

The first time I heard about the Central Illinois Honor Flight was at the celebration we had for Braelyn's first birthday.  We asked family members to do something nice for someone else or donate time/money to a good cause.  Braelyn's Uncle Kyle (my brother-in-law) donated money in her name to the Central Illinois Honor Flight organization.  For those who haven't heard about this cause, WW2 Veteran's are flown to Washington D.C. to see the memorials dedicated to the war they fought in.  It's a two day trip to the Nation's Capital, that is of no cost to the Veteran's.  Many WW2 Veteran's have never seen the memorial that was built for them.  This is a wonderful organization that takes great pride in transporting Veteran's to Washington D.C. and helping them to experience the memorial first hand.

A few weeks ago, we found out that Matt's grandfather, Marvin, was asked to be a part of the Central Illinois Honor Flight.  We were so excited that he was going to have this opportunity, as well as blown away that this was a cause that Kyle had donated money to in Braelyn's honor.  How cool is that?  Another awesome thing is that on May 24, 2010 we found out that we were pregnant with Braelyn.  The Honor Flight was set to return to Champaign on May 24.

The road to the airport was lined with 1,000 American Flags

The flight is welcomed home at Willard Airport in Savoy by thousands of people.  People come to recognize and support our Veteran's.  It's such a cool sight to see so many people who take pride in our country.  Since Cole is just a baby, I wasn't able to go welcome home the flight.  But, Matt went, along with his sister and my family was also there.  Matt's grandma and his Great Aunt Love were waiting there too.  I don't think his grandma has been away from his grandpa for two days in a row in a very long time, so she was nervous about him making it home safely and also excited to see him.  Matt's grandparents are in their 90's, and probably about the cutest couple I've ever seen!

I heard the "P" sticker fell off in the wind...  Marvin was a PFC

The flight was scheduled to arrive at 7 p.m.  But after a few hours of waiting around they announced that the plane had some mechanical issues and was delayed leaving Washington D.C.  They said the plane would come in around 10ish.  So Matt and our families decided to wait it out.  But then, they came on again and said that the plane wouldn't leave D.C. until after midnight.  It was chilly and windy outside, so my parents offered for everyone to come back to there house to eat and wait on the plane.  I know that it was a big change in plans for my parents, and Matt and I feel so blessed to have them in our lives because they do nice things for others all the time.  Matt's grandma and Aunt Love would not have been able to wait that long outside, so it was perfect that they could go to my parents and warm up and eat too.  I know that both of our families had a great time talking and waiting.  I'm so glad that they all had that opportunity.  I really wished that I could have been there too...but I had an important job at home taking care of Cole :)

My whole family wearing their Braelyn bracelets

Matt said there was still a decent turn out of people there to greet the plane around 1:30 a.m.  I was disappointed for the Veteran's sake that they could not see the thousands of people who had come out earlier in the evening.  But I am glad that they had some support there to greet them as the de-boarded the plane.  Matt took some video footage of the moment his grandpa got off the plane and it brought tears to my eyes to think that he sacrificed so much for this country and our freedom.  I hope that he knows how much people appreciate him.  It was so sweet to see his grandparents reunited after he got off the plane!

Matt with his Grandma and Great Aunt Love

I couldn't help but to also think about my Grandpa Andy.  He fought in WW2 as well, and would have loved an opportunity to fly out to Washington D.C. to see the monuments.  I wish he was still alive to experience something like this.  My grandpa was in the Navy and he worked on blimps that were flown in the war.  He has some awesome pictures of the blimp hangars.  He was always very proud of the time he served our country.  He shared many stories with us when we were younger and I always loved to hear them.

It is so special to think that Marvin benefited from this once in a lifetime event.  We couldn't be more proud of him and what he's done for our freedom.  I also feel so honored that money was donated to this wonderful cause in Brae's name.  Thanks Kyle!


You can find out more about the Central Illinois Honor Flight here:

http://www.centralillinoishonorflight.org/

Cole is 5 Months Old!

Today my little guy is 5 months old.  I know I say it every month, but it's so hard to believe!  He has just been changing in front of our eyes the last month or so.  He can roll over both ways.  He loves his feet, now that he has found them.  And he's just so smiley and bubbly all the time!  I love his little personality, even when his strong-willed side comes out!  I can't remember my life before him, and I can't picture the rest of my days on Earth without him.  I love you CC!

Ann, this comparison photo is for you...good suggestion! :)

Click on this photo and it'll display larger

Mother's Day 2012

This Mother's Day was really special to me.  It is the first year I have a baby in my ARMS to hug and cuddle.  The last few Mother's Days have been bittersweet.  Mother's Day 2010, I got a call that morning from our embryologist saying that we had two embryos that had fertilized and were waiting for us to finish our IVF cycle.  One of those embryos was Braelyn.  Then Mother's Day 2011, Braelyn wasn't here to celebrate with us that I was a mom, but I was pregnant with Cole.  Fast forward to Mother's Day 2012 and I finally have a baby who is happy and healthy here with me.

First time seeing Braelyn

Matt made the day really special for me.  Cole actually slept in (for the first time ever...) until 8 a.m. So we had a later start to our day than usual.  We went to breakfast at Flattop and it was so good.  I definitely over ate!  We had a couple of errands to run, but I loved every minute of the mundane weekend tasks that we were doing because I had Cole in my arms the entire time.  I refused to push him in the stroller or carry him in his seat because I wanted to be with him as much as possible all day.  He is getting to be a heavy little booger though, my back was hurting by the time we were done at the grocery store :o)

I love this boy so much!

Giving mom some smiles

We came home for a bit to try and get Cole to nap.  He wasn't wanting to nap alone, so I gave in and took one with him.  It felt great to snuggle and hear him breathing next to me.  When we woke up, Matt said he wanted to take us out to Lake Evergreen for a picnic dinner.  Lake Evergreen is special to us because it is where we held Braelyn's funeral.  We like to go out there on special occasions to make it feel like Braelyn is a part of what we are celebrating.  And yesterday, she was a very important part because she is the one who first made me a mama.  This was Cole's first time out to our special spot at the lake too.  He smiled and laughed the whole time!  It was perfect.

Cole's first time to Braelyn's spot at the lake

I am so lucky to have Cole!  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank God for him.  I feel so blessed to have had the experience with Braelyn because I know for a fact that I appreciate Cole even more than ever.  Yesterday it was fun to be celebrated as a mom, but to me, every day is Mother's Day because I LOVE taking care of Cole.

Can't forget my fur baby.  He went along to the lake with us and
was a giant pain, but I love him anyway!

Animal House

I have always LOVED animals.  Growing up I had several pets.  That was one perk of living in the country.  Not only did I have pets, but I would rescue other animals around our property.  If my parents trapped a mouse on sticky paper, I would pry him off and let him go out in the woods behind the house.  I know, you are probably disgusted by that, but I seriously have a soft heart for all things with 4 legs.

Even into adulthood I have had several pets.  Recently, we have had to downsize our furry family.  It's been very hard emotionally to do this.  One of my very good friends adopted our two black cats.  I have had them since they were kittens and I love both of them dearly.  However, they are cats that demand a lot of attention and they were constantly in Cole's face when we brought him home.  They didn't understand boundaries around the baby.  And it was not because they were being mean, they just wanted to love on him.  It broke my heart to have to make the decision to give them up, but I knew deep down it was the right decision.  It was not fair for me to keep pushing them away when I was holding the baby.  They just wanted to cuddle.  I know the home they went to is soooo good for them!  They are getting the love and attention that they deserve to have.  I hope to be able to go and see them sometime soon because I really do miss them.  But it's great to be able to get updates each week from my friend!

Matt and I have also had a pet ferret, named Sid, for the last six years.  Six years is a very long time for a ferret to live. This week we had to make the hard decision to put him to sleep.  He has displayed some behavioral and physical changes over the last few months, but he wasn't dying by any means.  The other night I noticed he was struggling to breathe.  We took him to the emergency vet and they told us that he was experiencing heart failure.  They said there really wasn't anything we could do to help him and the most humane thing to do was to not let him suffer.  I really didn't expect that the end would come that fast!  Sid was a funny little guy who brought us lots of laughs over the years.  I will miss watching him and Ritz wrestle around and his friendly little personality.

We are now down to one cat and one dog in this household.  Fluffy (who is currently not so fluffy...she got a haircut last week) just got declawed this week.  I'm pretty sure she hates us because of all of the traumatic events that have unfolded for her in the last two weeks.  But she won't be scratching anything, and she looks beautiful with her new haircut!  And of course there is Ritz...  he is always such a good dog!  I truly consider Ritz one of my babies.  He's a mama's boy for sure and loves to snuggle while we sit on the couch.  He has handled Cole coming home very well.  He loves to listen to Cole when he "talks" and gives him lots of kisses.  Ritz has been very good about not playing with Cole's toys, as tempting as it is for him.  Overall, the adjustment for him has gone smoother than I thought it would.

I hope that Cole grows up to love animals as much as his daddy and I do.  So far he loves to watch Ritz and Fluffy when they get close to him.  Ritz better watch out, because Cole is getting close to being able to grab his ears!!