tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76168639594183320222024-03-05T17:03:57.257-08:00The Seibert DailyKristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-36967393618637252352016-06-24T11:14:00.001-07:002016-06-27T05:51:36.747-07:00May & June PhotodumpWell I see that a monthly update is too much for me to handle! So go grab a cup of coffee and get comfy... I have a lot to share and a lot to say :) And I like hearing myself talk (and I'm the quiet one of the family! haha!).... so here we go!!<br />
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<b>5/7/16 Weekend: </b>Ross & I have the best group of friends! In May, they planned a winery weekend at the Finger Lakes, and it was our first time being able to go (yay for being closer to home!). So this was also our first weekend away from Claire. The trip was lovely. We rented a beautiful house with our friends with lake views, wined and dined for 3 straight days, and left with our hearts filled! And I only cried once from missing my baby girl.<br />
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Here, I let Claire pick out a new toy for the upcoming roadtrip! (She only had to drive half as far, as we met my parents in NY to watch her.) It's a big deal when I buy her a new toy as I'm very set on the 'minimalist' mindset. But a roadtrip called for a new toy and she loved it :)<br />
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Caption: 'See mom... I buy Claire SOME new toys!' I couldn't pass up a cute owl from the one winery.<br />
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Ross & I at Wagners Winery & Brewery. Ross loved having the option of beer or wine. He goes for beer. I go for wine. We are both happy campers.<br />
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A picture of the whole group! <br />
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Ross & I have perfected feeding Claire during long roadtrips! One of us will jump in the backseat to feed her a bottle while the other continues driving.... it's a win-win because she's buckled in and happy eating, and the other person is buckled in the middle seat, and we don't have to take the time to stop. This is the first time for Ross to take over feeding duties in the car (and he dozed off!) so I had to take a pic! ha!<br />
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<b>5/17/16: </b>Sometimes the simplest toys are the best toys!!<br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6BW8kEh_g-xZjF0d0tRWmhHcDA/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Video</a> <br />
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<b>5/18/16: </b>This particular night, Claire was hilarious. She was purposely putting the burp cloth on her face... I think it was her game of hide-n-seek. And she kept giggling over and over. We finally got one round on camera!!<br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6BW8kEh_g-xRWNLUGJwNGRGU2M/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Video</a><br />
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<b>5/22/16: </b>Ross, Claire & I went to check out this place here in Cleveland called the Holden Arboretum. They have a canvas walk through the trees and a tower that you climb to see out over the trees. It was so much fun!! And we had a gorgeous day for it. I carried Claire in the back-pack which she loves. Afterwards, we had a nice picnic for lunch then headed home :)<br />
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Goofball likes eating the carrier! <br />
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Family selfie!!<br />
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Panoramic Views!! And it's worth mentioning the I carried her up all 202 stairs!!! Ross carried her down. Safe to say I was huffing and puffing when we finally reached the top! <br />
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She loved playing with an empty water bottle during our picnic... again, the simplest toys are the best toys!<br />
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<b>5/23/16: </b>Claire and I love going to our beach, Lake Erie. Did I mention already it's 5 minutes from our house! haha It's not the nicest beach or the 'bluest' water... but it's our beach and we love it! And I'm not even a beach person. Make me drive 8 hours to get to the Atlantic... no way! 5 minutes, sure!! I love our town here in Bay Village!!<br />
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<b>5/26/16:</b> 6-month checkup, all is well! And she was such a champ with the shots this time! I can't get over how much I love these headbands... headbands all the time :)<br />
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<b>5/28/16 Memorial Day weekend: </b>Here was another big event.... our first time camping this season and first time camping with Claire!! Boy, it was work! But I still won't give up camping no matter how much work it is! I love it too much and it brings me too much peace. Hopefully Claire eventually enjoys it as much as Ross & I do! Unfortunately, this time, we got some rain and a TON of mud... so remind me next time to bring tennis shoes or rain boots! whoops.<br />
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Claire's wearing my hoodie while we were stranded under our canopy in the pouring rain. She didn't mind and eventually fell asleep in it!<br />
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She loved the tent too. She eventually slept peacefully at night by stealing my sleeping bag. *sigh*<br />
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Family selfie... <br />
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Girl loves selfies. hahahaha.... <br />
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Aunt Ang and Aunt Kris loved spending time with Claire too!... <br />
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Tent Selfie... <br />
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And finally, a picture of the whole gang before we all departed! (minus Dakota. She hates camping and had had enough! She was sitting by the car waiting to go!)</div>
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Ross took the next day off too to have an extra long holiday weekend so we explored Cleveland a bit. Can you guess whose drink belongs to who?!<br />
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<b>6/2/16: </b>Another beach day! And another selfie. She cracks me up!!!! This was our first and only pic of the day...we're getting too good at this! <br />
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<b>6/3/16: </b>She discovered her tongue! ha!<br />
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This was also an exciting day b/c I received my Welcome Kit for my new job. I'm officially a contractor with eGroup for Southern Nuclear Company!! I sent this selfie to a few of my coworkers who also work through eGroup and said we could now be 'TWINSIES!' hehe<br />
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So basically, I got my old job back as a Project Analyst but as a
contractor since I live out of state. I'm SO happy to be back working
full-time and I think Claire's happy being back in the home daycare she
was at previously with a few other kids. It's good for both of us. I'm
regaining my sanity and independence and she's learning how to make
friends :)<br />
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<b>6/9/16:</b> The tough life of shopping. She fell asleep like this in her stroller.<br />
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<b> 6/10/16:</b> Another giggling video... I can't resist!!!<br />
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<b>6/11/16: </b>Another beach day. This time she discovered sand!<br />
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<b>6/18/16 Weekend: </b>Last weekend, I headed home to Pittsburgh to celebrate one of my best friend's, Steph, on her upcoming wedding! It was her bridal shower and bachelorette party all rolled into one weekend! Everything went off without a hitch and we had a blast!!<br />
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Ross & Claire stayed behind for the weekend, so he ended up spending his first Father's Day watching Claire all by himself. I heard that they had a really good weekend though!.. that may or may not have had something to do with also seeing her grandma (Ross' mom) and her uncle (Ross' brother) for the weekend! I'm sure she was spoiled with attention!!!<br />
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Back to the beginning of the day, Steph's fiance asked for one gift... a chainsaw. And he was ecstatic! priceless!<br />
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Group shot at the shower! </div>
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Steph and her coconut rum punch! Yum!! We ended up having a Makeup-Tutorial party, dinner catered by Mad Mex, then out on the town to a club to dance!<br />
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One more shot before our night out! Let me remind you that we only went OUT at 9:30pm... a time when most of us are in bed! So bets were talked about whether or not we would make it out and not fall asleep beforehand. Answer? We are still young! The evening was a blast and we were up until 3am!! It only took me 5 days to recover from the sleep I lost....<br />
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So worth it!!<br />
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At the club, I'm sad to report that it's evident that I'm a MOM. Every time I saw a girl dressed scandalously, I cried and prayed that Claire would never wear such a thing. "Put some clothes on!" or "Don't dance like that!" I would yell. Oh, these poor poor girls. Have some respect for yourselves. ....What happened to me?!!! I never asked for a daughter and look what it's become of me!!<br />
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At the club!... (what an *awesome* pic of Kris & I, ha!) <br />
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And lastly, a pic of Ross' weekend with Claire! I think Claire loved her daddy-daughter weekend!<br />
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<b>6/24/16: </b>And lastly, because it happened today and I'm still giddy over it... our new fridge!!! Well, sort of. We live in a rental house and the fridge died... so the Landlord went out right away and bought us this shining beauty. I'm giddy over it!! I didn't know if they'd buy something cheap since it is a rental after all... but seriously, I feel like I won the lottery! </div>
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It's so pretty. I pet it and stare at it every time I walk in the room. </div>
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Yes... my name is Kristin and I get giddy over new appliances.</div>
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Ross & I are thinking about re-signing our lease for another year and this def. helps sway the decision! We are just so happy here and are not interested in buying a house yet. And I'll tell ya... it's nice to have a break from home renovations :)</div>
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Well, that is all! I warned you I had a lot to share!</div>
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*Kristin*</div>
Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-73344405927366221602016-05-17T12:43:00.000-07:002016-05-18T07:59:55.443-07:00April Photo DumpHere we are again! Another month has passed since I've last blogged and I don't know where time has gone. It is so fun watching Claire grow and learn new tricks, my oh my, how fast they learn! <br />
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I'll be back soon with another post with some May updates... I have some cute videos :) <br />
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4/1/16: Remember this fb post?? Well yeah, she has maybe only rolled from tummy to back again one other time since then. She hates it! Ugh. I've let her cry it out time and time again, hoping she'll roll over and figure it out again. But geesh. I've given up. I usually end up saving her. She is stubborn. Or lazy. but I can't stand the crying.<br />
Claire = 1, Mom = 0<br />
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4/5/16: Trying out her snowsuit!! haha.... let me explain. I needed a solution for camping and what she would sleep in since she can't sleep in a sleeping bag, I found the perfect solution while spontaneously stopping in at BabyGap with my mother-in-law (just to drool over all the adorable clothes which I refuse to pay their prices for, ho hum). A snowsuit! ...on clearance for $12! Actually, it might be a little too warm... so I also have a lighter alternative. It's a 12-month size... so it's a little big, but if we don't use it for camping, she can use it next winter :) and she loves it!! haha<br />
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Sorry for the video being sideways... <br />
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4/5/16: She still does this a lot... gotta have 2 fingers in her mouth at once!<br />
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4/10/16: Michelle & Luca came to visit us for a few days. Luca loves his Baby Claire time :) Michelle gave us Luca's old bouncer and Claire LOVES it. <strike>Michelle's just trying to clean out her house and clutter up mine!!</strike> *ahem* <br />
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Bff's! <br />
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4/15/16: Trying out my baby carrier with Claire while cooking dinner. She's been in it a few more times since then and she really enjoys it, even falling asleep in it once.<br />
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4/15/16: The week she learned how to scream! Here's a different video than the one I shared on FB. Just some more vocalization :) She's starting to add consenants and will talk up a storm in the back of the car with her toys! Ross & I usually get a good laugh, wondering what it is she's saying...<br />
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I'll share this video since it's not sideways ;)<br />
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4/16/16: "Sorry ma'am, I'm gonna need to see some I.D." Oops. <br />
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4/18/16: Trying out her new bathing suit!! She was only fascinated with the tutu and just wanted to eat it. I guess whatever keeps her entertained, lol. I can't wait to take her to the beach (aka Lake Erie) this summer and to our neighborhood pool! I'm considering baby swimming classes right now and can't decide if it's worth the cost?!<br />
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4/20/16: Looking cool in her new shades. Unfortunately they only stay on for about .7 seconds until she rips them off so she can eat them!<br />
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4/27/16: Some naked time after her bath. Some days we get restless so whatever entertains her, goes.<br />
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4/30/16: Helping to wash the car?! No. Sleeping on the job. Thanks kid.<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-82044276631196037852016-04-05T11:49:00.000-07:002016-04-05T11:49:37.943-07:00March Photo DumpWell here goes my last 30-day dump of photos and catching up :)<br />
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Friday, 3/11/16. Dinner at Outback Steakhouse with Ross for my last day of work at Southern Company... for now!<br />
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Long story short, but back when Ross & I made the decision to move
north, my boss agreed to let me stay on as an employee until after
maternity leave, so I could get my maternity leave benefits. Never in a
million years did I think they would do that for me. But in the long run, they don't typically support employees full-time telecommuting. So basically, they asked me to
resign and come back to work for them as a contractor instead. Sounds like a
great plan to me!! Except for the small print that says 'when an employee
resigns, they must be separated from the company for 90 days.' So that's the story of why I'm home again full time with Claire. Hopefully in June,
when my 90 days is up, I will get to return as a contractor. It would be a dream come true to work from home full time doing a
job I loved. So fingers crossed :) Until then, I'm trying to make the most of my time at home with Claire.</div>
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3/13/16: Claire in her swing. I walk away only to come back and find her flopped over. oops! I've since started buckling her in, haha. </div>
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3/14/16: One of our <strike>weekly</strike> daily(?!) shopping trips to Target. On this day, I found the perfect bunny ears for her Easter photos that we tried out in the store!! Yippee.</div>
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3/24/16: Claire was supposed to help me pack for our Easter weekend to Pgh but she fell asleep on the job. Thanks kid. </div>
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3/26/16: Easter Weekend was a whirlwind for us. We got to see both of our families along with my group of friends <i><b>and </b></i>Ross' group of friends!! It was a great weekend. Claire was a champ through <i>most </i>of it. She had a few meltdowns thanks to not getting enough naps, but for the most part, Ross & I are getting better at knowing when the meltdown will ensue and how to prevent it :) Easter day she was pretty much done with being passed around to people and was pretty cranky all day (except for these morning photos in her Easter dress). I don't blame her though, it was a busy weekend with a lot of new people and not enough time to relax and nap!</div>
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Quick family photo before our Easter day began:<br />
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Photo at my grandma's house for Easter: </div>
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Not often we get a family photo! Next time I'll remind us to not face the sun... Seth was the only one smart enough to cover his eyes! lol<br />
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Testing out Claire's bouncy seat!! haha My MIL bought this for Claire to use Easter weekend but Claire is still just a bit too small/too young for this. So we practiced with Dakota instead :)<br />
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3/28/16... Claire's 4-month checkup. She's 13 lbs. 9 oz. (42nd percentile) and 26" long (95th percentile). She's long and lean :)<br />
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Happy before the shots...<br />
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3/29/16... I have to remind myself that babies can be quite cranky the day after vaccinations. This day was no exception. Geesh.<br />
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And that's my photo dump for March. Hope you enjoyed!<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-25803341982310723102016-02-17T09:27:00.004-08:002016-02-17T11:02:24.575-08:00New RoutinesOh how life has changed (I think I say that every time?!)! Claire is 12 weeks today, I started back to work last week and am working from home again, and Claire is now being watched during the day by a lady down the street. Maybe I'm a bad mom because I really love being back at work and don't feel guilty having someone else watch Claire during the day. Claire's babysitter is also watching 3 boys (a 15 mo. old, and 3 & 4 yo brothers) and I love knowing that Claire will have some playmates! I do miss her though and look forward to 5:00 when I can pick her up! I
think of it as quality time spent with her now as opposed to quantity. And that's what
works best for us right now. <br />
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Anyway, here's a little recap of our past month. I don't post many pics on FB these days, more so from forgetfulness... so here's your dose :)<br />
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1/25/16... Sleeping while I make dinner.<br />
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1/25/16... It was warm and sunny out, so we took a walk to Lake Erie. It's 0.8-miles down the road from where we live! Of course, you put this girl in her carseat, and she falls asleep! The lake was beautiful and half frozen over.<br />
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1/26/16... Claire's 2-month appointment. She was happy the entire time... until they gave her 3 shots. Ouch :( ...11 lbs. 9 oz., 23"<br />
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2/3/16... Sometimes the crying is too much to handle. So instead of consoling her, I take pictures...<br />
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...and then she's happy again playing in her MamaRoo. Talk about mood swings.<br />
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2/4/16... Cuteness overload this day while she was playing. She was all smiles and arms flailing for those toys above her. <br />
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...and of course, trying to eat her hands.<br />
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Last week, I had to fly down to Birmingham to get reinstated at work before I could begin working again after maternity leave. So Ross, Claire and I flew down Wednesday and came back last Saturday. I was all nerves planning for this trip. How would Claire do on the flights? When would I feed her during all of the travel? How do you possibly nurse in public while trying to maintain as much privacy as possible? How would I pump at work? etc. etc. etc. A million thoughts ran through my head and I had Plan B's, C's and more like a maniac. All in all.... the trip couldn't have gone better!!! Once again, Claire proves to us that she is such an easy baby (aside from nighttime fussiness) and goes with the flow. She must take after her dad's laid back personality!<br />
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Ross & I opted not bring the carseat or stroller. I love packing as minimally as possible and with her size, we figured it would be just as easy to carry her through the airport in my wrap, and rent a carseat with the rental car. Best decision ever to not have to lug that stuff (at least for this trip)! I fit all of our items in 2 carry-on suitcases and 2 bags. Go me!<br />
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Claire ended up sleeping on all 4 flights! (2 down to Bhm, 2 back). It couldn't have gone better!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">**Sidenote: Claire slept in the wrap on the first flight.
Apparently this is against FAA regulations to have them in the wrap
during take-off and landing. No one said anything the first flight. So
the other flights she just slept in my arms while I held her.</span> <br />
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One her first flight, the flight attendants and pilot signed a little card for Claire's 'First Flight' that they handed to us when we got off the plane. It was adorable and I can't wait to add it to her babybook!!<br />
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The 2nd flight was the only flight where she was awake for a bit. I played with her rattle with her for 40-minutes. She was all smiles and really trying to eat both of her hands. Guess that's a lot of work because she slept the remainder of the flight :) <br />
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More smiles during her playtime...<br />
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Almost conquered eating both fists...<br />
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Flight #1 coming home. Asleep already! And lucky for us, none of our flights were full so we were able to keep our middle seat empty and spread out a bit :)<br />
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Dressed in her dachshund hoodie and ready to meet my coworkers!! She put on a good show and was all adorable and good and well-mannered. Yay!<br />
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This is how Ross babysits during the day in the hotel while I was at work. I can't blame him, haha.<br />
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Asleep at the restaurant while Ross & I ate dinner. I've decided that hoods with ears are the cutest thing ever! I must buy more!! More.HOODS.WITH.EARS!!!<br />
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Overall the trip went smoothly! Though I did have a few casualties along the way...<br />
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Casualty #1, I left my coat behind on the first flight. Whoops! Good thing I didn't forget the baby *wink wink* A coat can be replaced so I didn't fret too much. Though I did like it :/ darn.<br />
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Casualty #2, left my corporate credit card at the restaurant for dinner the first night in Bhm. Luckily they had it when I called to inquire about it the next day and I swung by to pick it up! *whew* Disaster averted. <br />
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Casualty #3, lost the copy of Claire's birth certificate for our flight coming home. I nicely exclaimed to the Travel Lady at the counter checking us in "You can clearly tell she is under 2 years of age!" but she said is was procedure. Anyway, she let us go without charging us for a ticket, but said we would need the copy next time we fly to Bham or we <i>would </i>be charged for Claire to have seat. Yikes.<br />
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I blame all 3 incidents on my 'Mom Brain.' That's a thing, right?!<br />
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2/15/16... And lastly, I teased Ross that he didn't buy his daughter her first Valentine's flower. So the next day he came home with a flower he received earlier that day at work. Kind of cheating. But whatevs. I'll take it :) And Claire tried to eat it. <br />
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So that's it! I've now officially survived Claire's first 12 weeks. I've heard those first 12 weeks are the toughest (I hope!). It's.ALL.A.BLUR. It's exciting, testing, scary, thrilling, rewarding, and more. All emotions rolled into one. I wouldn't change it for the world. But I can't wait to see what is to come...<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-37240166309031853402016-01-22T12:01:00.002-08:002016-01-22T12:03:19.884-08:00What it's Like...I shared <a href="http://www.babble.com/parenting/constance-hall-viral-facebook-posts/">this article</a> on fb and it really hit home. She could've pulled those words straight from my mouth.<br />
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I've been so blessed to get maternity leave, especially at a time when I had to leave my job and move 800 miles north. My employer was nice enough to realize how hard I had worked the past 3 years and thought I still deserved my benefits. Better yet, my company started dolling out PAID maternity leave this year. So I am forever grateful to have the opportunity to have some time off.<br />
<br />
But aside from that, some days, it's hard. Down.right.hard. It's been 8 weeks now. I go stir crazy during the day. Being home all alone. Going through the same motions with Claire -- feed, play, rest, repeat. Many days it's just feed, play, feed, play with no rest in between. Her schedule is unpredictable. I look forward to 5:00 when Ross gets off of work and I can pass her off. Yes, I feel awful. But I need a break.<br />
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I know he's had a long day at work. Everyday is frustrating for him at a job he's not particularly loving and losing battles left and right with his managers. They are asking more of him than any human could ever accomplish in one week of work. So yes. Ross needs a break too when he walks in that door but I'm turning selfish and resentful. So I hand her off for however long I can. But then she starts crying again. Back to me it is for another feeding.<br />
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I know one day I'll look back and miss this time. But no one prepares you for how lonely it can be. Especially in a town where we haven't made any friends yet where I could just meet someone for a quick lunch, and a quick escape from the monotonous routine.<br />
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I always try to stay optimistic but sometimes it feels good to just throw your hands up in the air and curse out loud. Then cry. Then rationalize a glass of wine at 3:00 in the afternoon...<br />
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*Kristin*<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">**Don't worry, I'll be fine. Just needed to vent! I know many of you can probably relate, and that, right there, is helpful.</span><br />
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<br />Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-62926369159443588432016-01-09T14:55:00.003-08:002016-01-09T14:56:09.854-08:00Claire - 6 Weeks OldBaby Girl is deciding to sleep.all.day today! Not sure if that's a growth spurt, or what's going on, but it's giving this mama a nice break for once! So let's catch up :)<br />
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Claire is 6 weeks now and I'm looking forward to the day that we can have some routine back in our lives. At least a vague, flexible routine. She is still young after all. At Claire's check-up last week, Claire's pediatrician recommended that it might be time to move her into her crib in her nursery. I gladly welcomed the change after realizing these past few weeks just how hard it is to get some good sleep with a newborn in your room! All of their cute little coo's and aah's in their sleep is actually very disrupting, haha. I would wake up to <i>every.tiny.sound</i>. So yes, it was time to move her. Luckily, the transition to her crib went better than expected. (Again, another big milestone that had me greatly worried, showed to be barely a speed bump with our girl!!)<br />
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So her current routine, if any, is that she goes to bed around 11pm every night (I'll work on moving that up a bit, I've tried a few times to put her down earlier without success) and sleeps for about 3-4 hours before waking for a feeding. After that, she'll sleep anywhere from 1-hour increments, to 3-hour increments, until we finally wake up around 9am for the day. Then during the day, it's extremely unpredictable. For instance, on Thursday, she didn't take <u><i>one </i></u>nap!! A few snooze's for 5 or 10 minutes, here and there, but that was it. I was exhausted!! But today? I can't get the girl to stay awake, haha (I'm secretly relishing the break though!). So even though our nighttime routine is slowly forming, I'm hoping over the next week or 2 to figure out her days. Especially since I'll be starting back at work in just a few short weeks.<br />
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I think reaching the 6-week mark is a big milestone for us. I feel like Ross & I are getting the hang of things and questioning ourselves less. Breastfeeding is going great and I'm getting the hang of pumping, when/if to give her a bottle, when to pack one when we're out, and when to stop questioning why she's cluster feeding again!<br />
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Of course, at the end of learning and feeling comfortable with one phase, there's always another to be learned! For instance, how the heck do people go back to work when they have kids?! I think that's why finding a routine is my next challenge. But thank goodness I'll be working from home and have more flexibility than most working moms, which I'm extremely grateful for. Ross & I found a lady just down the street that watches kids out of her home that we're going to use, so hopefully that'll work out. We had a great referral for her and I think she will be much more flexible than a traditional daycare facility. So that's our next phase/hurdle.<br />
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So that about sums it up... life with our girl. Exciting.Exhausting. Love watching her grow!<br />
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Oh, and I finally put her baby book together. It's adorbs! Ask to see it in person sometime :)<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-76528411203441555462015-12-30T11:44:00.002-08:002016-01-01T13:58:14.406-08:00Claire - 1 Month OldI had all good intentions of posting a 1-week post, 2-week post, etc. but life got in the way. So here I am, posting Claire's 1-month update (+5 days :).<br />
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She has been such an easy baby for the most part! She mostly cries when her diaper needs changed or when she's hungry. And she's <u>always </u>hungry. She must get that from me :) I figure if she wants to nurse for comfort or hunger, who am I to say otherwise? Whatever I can do to make the crying stop! Breastfeeding has also been going so well and I know I'm fortunate to be able to say that. She also started to take the occasional bottle last week and got the hang of that real quick! Seriously, every time I prepare myself for a new hurdle and read countless articles on how to prepare for something, she makes it seem like a breeze. She really has been such a blessing!<br />
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She does have the usual nighttime fussiness which can be calmed by nursing and nighttime cluster feeding. But she's just starting sleeping in one 4-hour stretch when she first nods off! It is glorious! And then she goes back to her 2-hour stretches of sleep. But I'll take what I can get.<br />
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She had her 1-month checkup today and did so well! She's now 10.0 lbs, 22" (grew 1.5" since her 1-week appt). And she's finally growing into her head, haha. At her 1-week check-up, her head was in the 92nd percentile, today it is in the 71st.<br />
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Ross & I have had such an easy transition into parenthood thanks to her being such an easy baby. I think the biggest challenge for me is realizing that running out to the store is no easy task any longer! I can't even imagine how people do it with multiple kids. By the time I get her fed and in her carseat, hours have passed. And carrying that carseat is no fun... it's so heavy, only to get heavier. Hmph.<br />
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And lastly, here are a few photos :)<br />
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Claire at 1-week...<br />
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vs today, Claire at 1-month (+5 days)...<br />
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The biggest difference I see from over the last month is that her face has un-scrunched, haha. She is definitely growing fast!! I'm so afraid I'm going to forget these precious moments.<br />
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She's not crazy about her hat today! haha<br />
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Another close-up from today:<br />
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Lastly, my favorite 1-week photo. Who doesn't look adorable in a big bow?! Double-chin and all :)<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-13556415786560224822015-12-04T10:10:00.000-08:002015-12-04T14:32:24.250-08:00Welcome Baby Claire!It's been 9 days since Claire has greeted us and boy, how life has changed!!! It's weird to think that today is actually my due date :) It's amazing how fast time is already flying.<br />
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I thought I'd share Claire's birth story, so I don't forget :)<br />
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<u>Wednesday, 11/25</u><br />
It was the last workday before Thanksgiving break and I wanted to wrap up most of my work items by the end of the day in case maternity leave was coming sooner than I had expected. A few peculiar things had happened with my pregnancy in the middle of the night, so I had a feeling that she was going to be coming that weekend! I even told Ross when he left for work to make sure he brought home anything he would need for the next 2 weeks (as he was going to be taking off time for when she arrived).<br />
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<u></u>So I was trying my best that morning to work and wrap some things up, but at the same time, I was trying to clean my house in preparation for mom, dad, Michelle, Mike & Luca coming to our house for Thanksgiving. Mom was going to bring the turkey and her and Michelle were bringing all the side dishes! I was so excited for them to be coming up and to have a relaxing Thanksgiving meal! Of course, all along, we knew I might go into labor any day so it would be no surprise if we had to cancel.<br />
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After working a bit that morning, I called my dr.'s office to ask them about the peculiar incident in the middle of the night. They told me it was nothing to be concerned about. So I kept working. And cleaning. I was at my dr. appt. just the day before and was only 2.5cm along and 80% effaced, so there was def. progress, but it could still be days or weeks before labor! As the morning progressed, I guess so did my labor! Michelle and I were even joking about me going into labor that day, to which I assured her that I wasn't, and that Thanksgiving was still on! *famous last words*<br />
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Around noon, I called my dr.'s office again. I told them this time that I was leaking pretty steadily (sorry if this is TMI!! haha). I was going through maxi pads like crazy but didn't think much of it. The nurse's response? You need to go to the hospital now and go to Triage on the 3rd floor. *Uh oh* haha So I called Ross at work. Him and I had an agreement for the past week that I would only call him if it was TIME. I would not call for any other reason. So there it was. I called him, and he rushed home. I ran around the house packing last minute things into our hospital bag but I was still under the assumption the hospital would just send me home. After all, I was having no other signs of labor, no contractions, nothing. I even promised Ross McDonalds on the way to the hospital, but we ended up not passing it and I told him we would swing by when they sent us home.<br />
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In the hospital, they checked me, and sure enough, my water had broke! It's not a gush of water like they portray in the movies! Since my water had broke, they wanted to kick start labor with pitocin since the risk of infection goes up with there being no barrier there any longer.<br />
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So this was it!! I had left things unfinished at work and was not mentally prepared to have a baby!! haha<br />
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Here I am before things got real!...<br />
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We checked in to the hospital around 1:00 and had Claire at 9:27pm. The labor went smoothly with no complications. I cried for the epidural pretty much from the beginning. I thought I'd tough it out, but nope, those contractions are no joke and I have no tolerance for pain. Even with the epidural, I was still sobbing in pain between pushes. Luckily, I only pushed for 90 minutes and Claire was born! My doctor and nurse were exceptional and encouraging the whole time! I sobbed even after she was born, thanking the Lord that labor was over. How do people do this multiple times?!! haha<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_BcUltzYrn0lu5DhrNXKFJWj_P8oZKf2dgawFkqcwW5WyOqtc1YQJ_bO0Im2hJ7lSmktMLlCInprVSjf28mJoAF-2Zb_vBLqh8C_zZ1aKuOS4890g7Rs-NKMcnm-7uwTUP5gPgrv38K4/s1600/untitled+%25281+of+1%2529-110b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_BcUltzYrn0lu5DhrNXKFJWj_P8oZKf2dgawFkqcwW5WyOqtc1YQJ_bO0Im2hJ7lSmktMLlCInprVSjf28mJoAF-2Zb_vBLqh8C_zZ1aKuOS4890g7Rs-NKMcnm-7uwTUP5gPgrv38K4/s640/untitled+%25281+of+1%2529-110b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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First family photo... <br />
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It was the most surreal moment, seeing her for the first time. I look back on that day and easily count it as the best day of my life. Claire was born healthy and passed every test with flying colors. She was 8 lbs. 4 oz., 20" and has an exceptionally large head, to which Ross & I already tease her about, haha. Her head is in the 92nd percentile! Claire's pediatrician gave me kudos to pushing this thing out. No wonder I still hurt :(<br />
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What we ever did to deserve such a blessing, I can't even begin to explain.<br />
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My heart be still. To see these two together is more than I can handle...<br />
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Ross has been such a huge help this week! He's done everything from laundry to changing diapers. He has jumped in to help in any way possible and I'm so lucky to have him. We are both obsessed with Claire and can't put her down! (besides right now, when I needed 2 hands to type :P).<br />
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Claire has been the easiest baby so far! She grasped breastfeeding almost immediately and things have been going smoothly ever since! What a relief! And she almost never cries. She really makes us feel like we have this parenting thing down, even though neither of us has any clue as to what we're doing. We just go with the flow and figure things out along the way.<br />
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As for her name, Ross and I really stressed about what to call her. Her nickname 'Baby No Name' was not going to cut it any longer, haha. We had a few contenders, but in the end, I couldn't get Claire out of my head. It's time-tested, vintage and sweet, exactly how I picture her. And not too 'cutesy' for when she's an adult. I had tried Claire Marie (using my middle name) but couldn't get over the fact that when swapped, Marie Claire, is a magazine. I loved the way Elyse sounded, so Claire Elyse it was. Neither name has any meaning, but that's ok. We purposely stayed away from any family names to not offend anyone.<br />
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Friday after Thanksgiving, we were discharged from the hospital. I apologized to every
nurse and doctor in the hospital who had to work on Thanksgiving, haha. But
none of them seemed to mind. I can't brag about the staff at the
hospital enough, they were all so kind and helpful in those painful
recovery hours!<br />
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Here we are heading home....<br />
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Well that was it. The biggest Thanksgiving surprise I ever could imagine! Now to get back to holding my baby before she grows up....<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-37252496688221214452015-11-16T08:00:00.003-08:002015-11-18T05:42:47.361-08:00Baby Girl Nursery Mobile<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Monday! I have a quick project I wanted to share for baby girl's nursery. First and foremost, Ross & I have been really careful to buy only what we need, trying not to get carried away with the craze of baby-galore 'omigod I must buy everything!' extravaganza. Baby stuff accumulates and adds up quickly! So for these frugal, minimalist parents, we've been really conscientious of what to buy and where to save money on. We've also been lucky to get a LOT of <strike>handy </strike>hand me downs (thanks Michelle!) so that's helped us keep costs down as well and we're truly thankful! <br />
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As for baby girl's nursery, we wanted to keep it simple and <b>cost-effective</b>. Ross & I bought her a <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30248575/#">white crib</a> from IKEA (I loved the simplistic design and the pricetag) and bought the <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S39090486/#/S79090205">IKEA Poang rocking chair</a> with footstool as her 'glider' for her room. I couldn't decide on a glider I loved and didn't want to spend the money if I was going to regret the decision. So the $200 pricetag for the IKEA Poang chair was the perfect solution. If it ends up not working out, I can always upgrade to a real glider instead! But so far, I love the Poang chair for what we need.<br />
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As for her dresser, she actually got my old dresser :) Ross came up with the idea of buying him & I new dressers for our master bedroom, since we were using handy-downs that I can't stand and we've never bought us furniture for our bedroom before! I loved the idea and have been bragging on him ever since, haha! Besides, I'm sure baby girl could care less what her dresser looks like... as long as it's functional, which it is. It's just not my taste. So it was a win-win situation!<br />
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Now that the furniture pieces were settled on for the nursery, I wanted to decorate <i>just </i>a little. I guess they call this the 'nesting' phase, haha. I found the cutest Nursery Mobile on <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/230109641/modern-geometric-mobile-baby-mobile?ref=shop_home_active_5">Etsy</a>. But the $40 price tag was a bit steep to me. Especially when it seemed like something I could make.<br />
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Let the crafting begin!<br />
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Here are the supplies I bought from the craft store: some cardstock, some fishing line (from the jewelry making section) and 2 metal rings, also from the jewelry making section that I guess are used for making necklaces:<br />
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Note that I ended up not using the blue polka dot paper. I decided on using the blush pink paper, the silver metallic and the gold/white polka dot paper as my 3 colors :) Here's a close-up of the necklaces I used for my base:<br />
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I stretched the 2 necklaces out to form the base then tied the middle together with wire. It's not perfect, but it'll do :)<br />
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Next, I googled the octagonal and triangular shapes, printed them on the pink card stock, then begun cutting out the shapes and gluing them together.<br />
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I traced the metallic silver paper and gold polka-dot paper and glued those to random sides of the cubes. Here are my 5 shapes with their random colors:<br />
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Lastly, I strung up the shapes to my base, and ta-da... a nursery mobile! For a final total of $10! And a weekend of crafting :)<br />
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It's not perfect, but that's ok with me! I decided to hang it over her changing pad for now with a removable 3M hanger from the ceiling, so it can be moved easily enough if I decide to later hang it over her crib. So that's that! A nursery mobile on a budget :)<br />
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*Kristin*<br />
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Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-60341268296920916252015-11-09T13:57:00.001-08:002015-11-09T14:06:30.706-08:00October RecapCan anyone else keep up with all of the photos they take on their cell phones these days?? I'm falling behind. I finally transferred photos to my computer from my phone and couldn't help but want to share an October recap!<br />
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<i><b>Oct. 2nd</b></i> - we said goodbye to our home in Alabama. The movers came and packed up our house and we made the final trek north. I can't believe this was only a month ago that this happened!!! I feel like we've been living in Cleveland for so much longer!<br />
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<i><b>Oct. 17th</b></i> - Ross' good friend, Christina, got married! The reception was held at the Rivers Club at the Oxford building in downtown Pittsburgh, which was the same building and floor I used to work on when I worked at GVA Oxford 7 years ago! Talk about a trip down memory lane :) Ross took a pic of me in front of my old office too which I need to find and share!<br />
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Does this dress make me look <strike>fat </strike>pregnant?!<br />
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Ross & Jay feeding eachother. Yeah.... I don't ask. I was just told to take the picture...</div>
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Here's *almost* the entire gang of Ross' friends! What a good lookin' group :)<br />
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All in all, it was a great night! And I spent a majority of it at the cookie table. No shame.<br />
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<i><b>October 25th</b></i> - Ross & I snuck in a maternity photoshoot before it was too late! I NEVER hire a photographer, so this was a true splurge for me, but I knew I just couldn't do it myself and I really wanted to capture this phase of life before our next chapter begins! (and a remote & a tripod only go so far!) I shared my favorite pics on facebook and am ecstatic with how they came out! The lady only charged $150 for a one-hour session, and I couldn't believe how many pictures she got in such a short amount of time! And how talented she was! Best money I ever did spend :) I've hired her again for a newborn session and some hospital photos. And THEN I promised Ross that I would stop spending all our money on professional photos and start doing them myself, haha.<br />
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<i><b>October 27th</b></i> - the official closing date on our house in Alabama. All went smoothly, at least I heard. We FedEx'd our portion of papers and didn't hear another word. Another chapter closed!<br />
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<i><b>October 31st</b></i> - Halloween!...<br />
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Ross & I had no special plans for Halloween this year, but Ross' parents decided to come up for the day, so it turned out to a be a fun day of carving pumpkins, handing out candy to trick-or-treaters and Ross trying to scare the trick-or-treaters.<br />
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I picked up a small pumpkin for baby girl, since it was the same size as my belly! <br />
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Ross always wants the largest pumpkin! <br />
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Below - My 'costume' for the year. And Ross' scarecrow costume he wore to scare children. I told him to only scare the older kids, I'm not sure he obeyed :/<br />
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Ross had Halloween music playing in the bushes, him and his dad both dressed up to scare kids, and my MIL, Rose, and I sat inside and handed out candy. It was a really nice evening and we had a good turnout of about 75 trick-or-treaters.<br />
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<i><b>November 7th</b></i> - Mom and dad came up for the day to visit and took us out to lunch. We tried to show them a bit of Cleveland. Mom just wanted to see the water though so we took them to a park up the road from our house and took in the scenery of Lake Erie :)<br />
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I have to say, it is SO nice being able to have day-visitors! And I bet they'll be coming around even more once baby girl comes along. I'm really enjoying it (for now!) and love showing everyone our cute neighborhood and our rental house. I am just so happy and content in this home, I'm counting my blessings that the Lord allowed us this opportunity to rent a 'house' and not be stuck in an apartment (again). I knew I would grow restless immediately if it felt like a 'rental' but our house doesn't. I am so content to not even think of our next step. I'm enjoying where we are right at this moment! And Ross is <u><i>really </i></u>enjoying the fact that we have a landlord to call on when something breaks, haha. It's a <b>welcomed </b>break from the home renovations we're used to! And our landlords, by the way, are awesome. They are a married couple in their mid-30's with 2 young kids and simply outgrew this house. The had trouble selling the house this past year and finally decided to rent it out. They have been so easy and kind to work with anytime something comes up! I think they are just as happy to have someone renting it as we are to not be tied down to a mortgage :)<br />
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As for baby girl updates, Ross & I are anxiously counting down the remaining 4 weeks. I'm getting pretty uncomfortable these days. I'm having trouble sleeping and breathing when I lay down, heartburn, etc. I think now that we're settled in and our lives are calm again, we're ready to just meet her. And hopefully by the time she comes, we'll have thought of a name!! Ross has a few favorites, but I have none :( Ross may get to decide because I just can't think of anything I really like, haha. We'll see. Hopefully once she's born something will click.<br />
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Anyway, it's crazy to me to look back at this month and realize we only settled down in Cleveland a few weeks ago!! I feel like we've been settled for months. I guess my lightning speed unpacking did us some good, ha.<br />
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So for these next few weeks, I'll keep trying to enjoy the rest of this pregnancy and enjoy having Ross all to myself. But omigosh.... I'm so excited to meet our baby girl!!! *squeal*<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-41323206518149227812015-10-20T12:32:00.000-07:002015-10-20T12:32:51.045-07:00Baby ShowerIn September, Mom, Michelle, Betsy, and Rose (my MIL) put together a baby shower for Ross & I! I can finally blog about it now that I have my camera (and the photos) back!<br />
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The shower was absolutely gorgeous and Ross & I had such a great time! The original idea of having a coed shower was due to the fact that we were living away long-distance and only got to visit home and all of friends and family every once in a while. Just <b><i>days </i></b>before I mailed the invites, it was official that Ross & I would be moving to Cleveland in a few short weeks! Talk about some last minute scrambling, haha.<br />
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The day of the shower was beautiful, good thing too since it was at the park! I really wanted something more casual and relaxed than the formal 'ladies-only' baby shower and it was just as I had pictured! It was sunny and perfect fall weather but *windy*... oh the wind!!.... poor mom & michelle didn't get to put out half of the decor they worked so hard on because the wind kept knocking things over.<br />
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I tried my best to get some good photos but didn't get as many as I would've liked! Here's us 3 girls... excuse the 'wind-blown' look :) Hence the reason Michelle and I both wore our hair up that day!<br />
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After about 15 takes, Luca is finally looking in the right direction :) I'm getting my bff, Ang, trained on how to use my camera... she was my pseudo-photographer! haha<br />
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Here are a few shots of the decor... the cookie table (yum!) and some of the prize gift baskets for the winners of the scavenger hunt (created by mom and turned out to be a real success!), a crossword puzzle (thanks to michelle) and some Ross & Kristin Trivia (also thanks to michelle, mom and rose) that even I didn't know all the answers to!! haha <br />
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Before the shower started, my girlfriends surprised me with their gift...<br />
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They actually engraved the back of the wagon with their initials and yes, though they may not technically be my sisters, through 15 years of friendship, they will most certainly be aunts to my baby girl :) I love them dearly and baby girl is going to be so spoiled by them!<br />
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Not sure what the intense conversation is here but this photo makes me laugh.... (dad is laughing in the background too!! haha)...<br />
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Rose, my MIL, brought along <strike>some </strike>way-too-many goodies for the kiddos of the shower. She bought this pinata where you pull one string at a time to finally crack it open. It was more like.... pull every string at once than all the candy jammed the opening. I poked my finger in to fix it and it all came pouring out!!! There was enough candy for 50 kids. literally. But alas, there were only 5 kids old enough for this. Sorry parents!! It was not my idea to load your kids up with sugar before you headed home!! haha but it was all in good fun. I hope.<br />
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Aunt Beth was the only one to remember to get a photo of just Ross & I!! Big failure on my part :/<br />
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And lastly, after the night was over and all was cleaned up, Michelle remembered to grab a photo of the 3 of us siblings! Yay!! <br />
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So after about 5 minutes of this...<br />
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We finally got one....<br />
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I'm not even sure what was so funny :) haha<br />
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The shower was more than I could have ever asked for and I know Mom, Michelle and Betsy spent so much time planning it!! So many people pitched in to help as well and I couldn't have asked for more. It was over the top and we received so many great gifts to help us get ready for Baby Girl!!!<br />
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I'm finally putting the nursery together this week and keep telling Ross I'm gonna go play with all my new toys! They are mine, right?! No? Oh well. I shall adore everything in the meantime until she arrives :)<br />
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Countdown: 6 weeks, 2 days!<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-88043006960543925742015-10-13T10:43:00.001-07:002015-10-13T10:44:37.520-07:00Settling In to 'Normal'Our lives are finally getting back to normal and settling down!!<br />
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I'm sitting here in our rental house... looking around at the last few things that need to be organized. The house is so cozy and our things and furniture fit well! (aside from items placed in the basement for storage :) We had to downsize from our AL house since rent was a bit outrageous here... but it feels good to downsize. Our AL house was half empty anyway, so we didn't have a ton of extra furniture. And it constantly makes us re-evaluate how much we own and what we can do without. I'm always on a 'minimalist mindset' and I love when Ross starts to jump on board! haha<br />
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Back to the 'charm' of the 1920's house... take a look at a few of the original doorknobs we have here, I love them...<br />
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Glass doorknobs make me swoon :) Wouldn't it be funny if they were actually only made to look old?! I tell myself that they are original. They are in rough enough shape for me to think so! <br />
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I also love the original wood floors throughout the house. They have a few scratches and wear-and-tear here and there, but that's all the more reason to love them and imagine who has lived here in the past 90 years. *blush* <br />
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The living room is my favorite room in the house! (I apologize for the cell phone camera quality!)...<br />
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For the first time <u>EVER</u>, I have a fireplace and a mantle to decorate!! I can't wait to decorate it for Christmas. And I don't even know where to start on all of those built-in shelves, I love them but for now, they will sit empty. Ross & I are already looking forward to some cozying up in front of the fireplace this winter and with baby girl here :) It's gonna be a good winter this year.<br />
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So even though I love the charm of the older home, it also has a few quirks that only older homes can have. So maybe it's not our ideal house for the long-term, but for now, I'm loving it and we're comfortable.<br />
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And now... I can finally focus on getting ready for Baby Girl. We're purchasing her crib next weekend and will start putting her room together. Only 8 weeks to go! It's coming fast and we'll <b><i>hopefully </i></b>be ready just in the nick of time :)<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-9711719922545068322015-09-18T11:07:00.000-07:002015-09-18T11:16:17.631-07:00Newbies in Cleveland :)I have to go back and read my old posts to see where I last left off! It's amazing how our lives have changed in just over a month! I can't remember the past 24 hours, let alone the past 2 weeks, but here it goes!...<br />
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Our house in AL is <b><i>*SOLD*</i></b>. The official closing date is not until 10/22, but the inspection period went well and it should be smooth sailing until then.<br />
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Last weekend, Ross & I made the first trek up to Ohio with his car and Dakota. We're currently living out of a hotel in Cleveland until our rental house lease begins (Oct. 1st). It's been the first time in weeks(!!) that I've had enough time to just sit and watch tv. Hotel living really ain't that bad and we'll be out of here in no time :)<br />
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Ross started his job at Alcoa this week. It's been all training and meeting people this week, so not much to report other than he'll have his hands full once he gets in the swing of things! The environment will challenge him in his career but he's so good at what he does, I'm confident he'll do great. And if he doesn't, well heck...we'll just move again! :) #kiddingnotkidding<br />
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Our movers are scheduled to come pack up our house on 10/1 & 10/2, so I'll fly back down to B'ham for the week to oversee that, see my coworkers one last time in the office before completely working remotely, and make the final trek up to OH moving my vehicle this time (Ross will meet me down there to help with the drive). This will be our FINAL farewell to Alabama and the life we made there these past few years. It's always bittersweet to see your house left empty as you drive away but it's hopefully for the better!<br />
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We'll move into our rental house the first weekend of October. Of course, our furniture and belongings will not arrive for another 3-10 business days, but that's expected. Let's hope it's not more than 10 days (movers love to make promises that never keep!). We'll be sleeping on an air mattress until they arrive with our bed. I'll make sure to play up the pregnancy sympathy card while they are packing up the truck :)<br />
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Here's a pic of our rental house that I stole from the internet...<br />
<img alt="557 Glen Park Dr, Bay Village, OH" src="http://p.rdcpix.com/v01/l18394c45-m0xd-w640_h480_q80.jpg" /><br />
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The house *feels* like a rental but I'm sure once I give it a thorough cleaning and get our stuff unpacked, it will feel like home! It's been vacant a few months so it needs some TLC.<br />
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It's the cutest house in an adorable neighborhood with sidewalks and tree-lined streets... I've always envied these cute neighborhoods and thought now would be the time to try one out since we're only renting! It's in the town of Bay Village, OH. Go ahead... google it. I'll wait :) Do you see how close Lake Erie is?!?! I'm picturing strolls around the neighborhood, waving to neighbors, watching the sunset on Lake Erie, etc. I guess maybe after the dead of winter!...<br />
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So now that we're *finally* in the downswing of our chaotic lives, I'm able to focus on Baby Girl. I'm 29 weeks today and feeling good! She's moving a lot more now and I love it! I'm also giving into every dessert temptation I come in contact with, so watch out!!<br />
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This weekend, Ross & I have NO plans. I repeat.... <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">NO plans</u><i style="font-weight: bold;">! </i>I don't even know what to do with that. Ross celebrated his 30th birthday on 9/7 while we were camping over Labor Day weekend with our friends in N.C. but we barely got to celebrate with everything going on and I completely failed as a wife to get him a cool, memorable gift (aside from one little item I bought at the last minute), so we're hoping to get out this weekend and just have fun!<br />
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Next weekend is mine & Ross' baby shower in Pittsburgh! I'm so excited to see all of our family & friends.... but really, what I'm most excited about?! The 2-hour drive to go home!! (as opposed to an 8-hour trek spent flying & on layovers). Yeah, it's dumb... but 2 hours thrills me! :) And I'm sure the shower will be great as well! haha<br />
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So that's it for today :) See most of you next weekend!!<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-73482562682269383762015-09-02T09:57:00.000-07:002015-09-15T12:09:44.680-07:00Before & Afters! (Part 2)<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Welcome back! Let's move on to the rest of the house :) I'll warn that a lot of these are just 'After' pics. For whatever reason, we failed to get some before shots of the hideous pink walls we painted over.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Moving on from the kitchen, we have what we use as our Den:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFj34MYNvpZV4sNWYDdsACszjaCTOHZy7bAZXWbxmWr0-eELDBAo6R_7ZUnwmHgHuM1esqsIYdXN_i9n35nI9QZaMpU5Iwyk6huRwpl_EVryneZ2peC_pGGiLd4MWRSYW_RByEoLHMS_2/s1600/Den2b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFj34MYNvpZV4sNWYDdsACszjaCTOHZy7bAZXWbxmWr0-eELDBAo6R_7ZUnwmHgHuM1esqsIYdXN_i9n35nI9QZaMpU5Iwyk6huRwpl_EVryneZ2peC_pGGiLd4MWRSYW_RByEoLHMS_2/s1600/Den2b.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">As you can see, we never got around to
this redoing this room. This (and one other) room still have popcorn ceilings. I eventually
wanted to paint the wood paneling white, but then again, it felt so home-y as-is :)
I'm curious what the next homeowner's will do with it. The carpet in this room probably also needs to be replaced, but again, that is for the next homeowners to decide.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Stepping into the hallway, we have the main hall bathroom:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9QHWqXfpb-31fiCO1w6DupdIZFlI1LqJZnAMmdGcbOKFe-BqVDdnWDSIQjydwZIfraBmLdBqHXMfXKJTmIRaGkJhGbn1isk7oZLwduLMgzcmWpViAz-NzzQbHH6xuMsQJTqGfPH6xpDc/s1600/Hall+Bath1b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9QHWqXfpb-31fiCO1w6DupdIZFlI1LqJZnAMmdGcbOKFe-BqVDdnWDSIQjydwZIfraBmLdBqHXMfXKJTmIRaGkJhGbn1isk7oZLwduLMgzcmWpViAz-NzzQbHH6xuMsQJTqGfPH6xpDc/s1600/Hall+Bath1b.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">In this bathroom, we removed a very ornate/flowery wallpaper and painted the walls beige (the same beige used in the hallway and spare bedrooms). I also added the frosted window decals so that we didn't need window treatments and still had privacy. Lastly, we installed a new toilet back when we moved in and recently, needed to have a plumber fix the bath/shower fixture (new rough-in for handles and showerhead). I also painted the doors and trim white and gave them new hardware.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Eventually, I would have replaced the flooring and maybe </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">re-purposed</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> the vanity (or at least given it a new top). And replaced that light!!! haha But again, we ran out of time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Moving on to the Master Bedroom:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOZyywCFqovaOhUdZ_3F6ozMJYKvN6_3cTcn0z55IF7k7sd2LRoO4HVwKr21-qR0Q4rJBxhdw5M_SY7IcbD64X0fFybYrwtfoKst46j0SGm5Fr6pHkp9dHcGnwquVkiQK_Hc50GBREAAH/s1600/Master+Bedroom2b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOZyywCFqovaOhUdZ_3F6ozMJYKvN6_3cTcn0z55IF7k7sd2LRoO4HVwKr21-qR0Q4rJBxhdw5M_SY7IcbD64X0fFybYrwtfoKst46j0SGm5Fr6pHkp9dHcGnwquVkiQK_Hc50GBREAAH/s1600/Master+Bedroom2b.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUYeOjQ1e5V-ynz7ctDvXK5qlq7lte4qQziAl5W1hTrirRr6yTWpMuzSdPrTm2sAKJWQrOdqq5z3ARk178qWhcCMQFT-yJBmGNzRkfIuLR6rZu32ND0zwv_nPut6jq9ii2mS-HSeseXuY/s1600/Master+Bedroom1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUYeOjQ1e5V-ynz7ctDvXK5qlq7lte4qQziAl5W1hTrirRr6yTWpMuzSdPrTm2sAKJWQrOdqq5z3ARk178qWhcCMQFT-yJBmGNzRkfIuLR6rZu32ND0zwv_nPut6jq9ii2mS-HSeseXuY/s1600/Master+Bedroom1b.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do!! As well as smooth ceilings, freshly painted white trim, and freshly painted white doors with new hardware. When all is said and done, I repainted 20 interior doors (!!!) in this house from their outdated yellowish white paint to a crisp clean white that matched the new white paint we used on the trim. We also updated all the hardware (hinges & doorknobs) that I bought in bulk online. The white doors made the whole house feel more updated and clean. And I LOVE dark hardware on white doors :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">You can ignore the ugly handy-down dressers... ONE day I will buy us new furniture. *sigh* The fabric headboard I made myself. And lastly, we took down the window treatments and put up white wood blinds that I found at IKEA (they were </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">surprisingly</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> the only ones that would fit the size of our windows).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Attached to our bedroom is a Master Bathroom (though there's nothing Master about it!):</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwW9z5GLFpZW0qpXyiI6i7qP8FMns2TfUDSK-DgfhftUOjO2r1a1E4E0VKJgdkGfXGIE-bvnIZ5oIlryBKzEagdZIdc5i-jFP7sLOhpz_DLPmVZ7nCQ3iW1kGVXA5Cm7cjo-aX3OeTCqr/s1600/Master+Bathroom1b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwW9z5GLFpZW0qpXyiI6i7qP8FMns2TfUDSK-DgfhftUOjO2r1a1E4E0VKJgdkGfXGIE-bvnIZ5oIlryBKzEagdZIdc5i-jFP7sLOhpz_DLPmVZ7nCQ3iW1kGVXA5Cm7cjo-aX3OeTCqr/s1600/Master+Bathroom1b.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">When we moved in, I immediately removed the wallpaper, painted the walls gray, put the frosted decal on the window (not shown) and installed a new medicine cabinet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Moving on to the 2 spare bedrooms across the hallway from our bedroom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Here is the guest bedroom:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjhVJBytYTB5FZXGaCAtTYVvYjrJ6mYX6Ci1oasrDZMf5V7VEKye03oErp0MD0attsN4NDjTHMVOsGc8bHCMZLParSr9UpUBNIOLwr133Yb3jSa9hmRct_aL4a8zAeXq1xWxeO1lwdfuY/s1600/GuestRoom1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjhVJBytYTB5FZXGaCAtTYVvYjrJ6mYX6Ci1oasrDZMf5V7VEKye03oErp0MD0attsN4NDjTHMVOsGc8bHCMZLParSr9UpUBNIOLwr133Yb3jSa9hmRct_aL4a8zAeXq1xWxeO1lwdfuY/s1600/GuestRoom1b.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">And another spare bedroom:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGIQKLgsh6DJ2sKzYJLfUIQX05z1PGsIFS6VKfHH3uojK2nQYzpb9kdnDLFGXLP1UfsYE65-Vcl4vgUGYiRJZjpgMsQUGVzt-3vO1MhyphenhyphenCbMavLRYxAYz5tn-qCIZYMMRa7nXRsMnPUAeF/s1600/Spare+Bedroom1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGIQKLgsh6DJ2sKzYJLfUIQX05z1PGsIFS6VKfHH3uojK2nQYzpb9kdnDLFGXLP1UfsYE65-Vcl4vgUGYiRJZjpgMsQUGVzt-3vO1MhyphenhyphenCbMavLRYxAYz5tn-qCIZYMMRa7nXRsMnPUAeF/s1600/Spare+Bedroom1b.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">In each of these rooms, the walls were <b>pepto-bismol </b>pink and the walls were dirty and filled with nail holes. It took a lot of prep work to get them ready to paint. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">Again, we had to scrape popcorn ceilings in both of these rooms, painted the ceiling white, painted walls the same beige, painted the trim, installed window treatments, and also tackled painting the doors white. What a difference!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">Finally, we have a room upstairs where the previous homeowners converted some attic space into a 4th bedroom and 3rd bath:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">This room we tackled a </span><span style="font-size: 18px;"><b><u>week</u> </b></span><span style="font-size: 18px;">before listing the house! We've never used the bathroom (it's tiny!) and Ross just used this room for storage. It was the same pepto-bismol pink as the other spare rooms and just felt dirty up there. It has walk-in attic access which was really nice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">Don't you just love the avocado green bathroom?! (it looks much better now that the attached bedroom is not pink, ha!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">So we spent a week (on crunch time!) prepping and painting the bedroom & bathroom beige, painting trim white, and painting the remaining interior doors white. This room also remains with popcorn ceilings. There was no way to tackle that in a week before wanting to list the house with all the other last-minute projects we had going on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">So that's it!! This house was mostly cosmetic updates. Sure, we would've tackled a bathroom or two down the road and maybe the kitchen, but in the short-term, it wasn't worth our effort or money. We made some major improvements as well which helped the value of the house (replaced the furnace, updated the breaker box, etc.).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">With this house, we became pros at:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: 18px;">scraping popcorn ceilings (FYI, it's a LOT of work, scrapping, skim-coating, sanding, painting, etc.)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 18px;">painting interior doors (with no brush marks showing :)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 18px;">updating electrical (only Ross)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 18px;">installing crown molding and baseboards</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 18px;">installing plank walls (only me!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 18px;">and other numerous projects. </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">When all is said and done, we'd probably do it all over again. The payoff to us is a house that we can be proud of and bringing a house back up-to-date! We also love tackling a project! What will be next?!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">*Kristin*</span></div>
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Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-37625299401974312252015-09-01T06:59:00.001-07:002015-09-15T12:10:19.891-07:00Before & Afters! (Part 1)I'm so excited to have put together some 'Before' and 'Afters' of our house! I didn't have all the before's, but enough that I can look back on these <i><b>fondly </b></i>and remember all the blood, sweat and tears that went into every room.<br />
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We will have owned this house for 2 years (in Oct. '15) and have accepted an offer on it this week! I'm actually more sad to see it go than I thought I would be, b/c I never loved it. It was't my mid-century style and never could be, but it still had good bones and cleaned up really nicely. The house had a frenzy of showings when it hit the market last week and got a total of 3 offers (one offer which eventually walked, one offer was wayyy too low, and the perfect 3rd offer which we accepted yesterday!).<br />
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Here we go!<br />
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Welcome to our home:<br />
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None of the curb appeal was changed. Just properly maintained :) And Ross got the sidewalk light working again. (We got a LOT of things working again *<i>big disgruntled sigh to previous homeowners</i>*)<br />
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Again, just properly maintained, nothing changed. This backyard is why I love older homes... I can't put a price on mature landscaping and private backyards!<br />
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Walking inside, here is the foyer. Such a small space, but one of my favorite 'Afters.'<br />
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The flooring is just peel-and-stick vinyl. I have a feature plank wall behind the mirror which really gives the space some visual interest in person :) The chandelier was from World Market ($99!! compared to the expensive PB version). And lastly, since all of the walls are painted a clean white, I painted the door black to make it *pop*. I have a new obsession with black interior doors :)<br />
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This is the view you get walking in from the entryway:<br />
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<span id="goog_446626471"></span>The walls were repainted a warm gray, popcorn ceilings scraped smooth and painted white, trim painted, decor added and *boom* what a difference! :)<br />
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Next up, the dining room:<br />
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Again, we painted the walls gray, ceilings smoothed, trim painted, new light fixture. Oh, and we removed the chair rail wainscoting and had a lot of wall patching to do b/c of that. The chandelier I got on clearance for $50 from Lowe's becuase they switched out their display lighting. *Score!*<br />
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Also, all of my window treatments are super cheap. Rods from Walmart and white curtains from IKEA, hemmed to length. I love my frugality :) But also how crisp and clean they look.<br />
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Let's move into the Kitchen:<br />
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This was one of our biggest undertakings. If I could've completely demo'd the kitchen, I would have (b/c honestly, the cabinets are original (from the 70's) and in bad shape, the previous owners put new faces on them to only make them look good. The inside of my cabinets are avocado green and in rough shape!).<br />
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First off, we removed the door leading to the garage on that wall in the right of the picture (behind chandelier) and moved the garage access to the mudroom, where it belongs. Just by closing off the door, the kitchen felt 1000x more home-y. No longer was I looking into the window-pane door to the junk in our garage! I then decided to also plank that wall to give it some visual interest since it's painted white (I'm obsessed with neutral paint right now but using textures instead to give the rooms some interest). Also, a HUGE update was changing out the florescent light to 3 new recessed lights (on a dimmer switch!). It gave the kitchen such a different feeling and WARMTH! I am obsessed with the recessed lighting! Props to Ross for becoming a self-taught electrician these past few years! And with the help of one of his more experienced friends who helped us wire up the 4-way switch.<br />
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Another view of the kitchen and the eat-in kitchen area. The clean white walls made such an improvement. We removed more outdated and dirty wainscoting and chair-rail in the kitchen. There was also a LOT of wall-patching to be done when it came down. That's sort of how the plank wall came to be about... I chose to cover up the ugly wall instead :)<br />
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Ross & I also finished the crown moulding in the kitchen (a feat I'm really proud of us for. Cutting all those angles was quite the learning curve, but now we're pros!). Ross also finished putting up new baseboards and quarter round. All of those finishing touches really brought the kitchen up to the 21st-century without breaking the bank!<br />
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Moving on....<br />
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This is our pantry, that leads into the mudroom, and leads out to the newly installed door to the garage. I'm obsessed with our pantry. It's huge!! It was the old washer/dryer location that we converted into shelving, with the same vinyl flooring from the entryway. I also love the hardware I installed on the bi-fold doors, they reflect nicely off of the black photo frames in that hallway. I sadly put a LOT of <i>obsessive </i>thought into these tiny details :/ But pretty hardware makes this girl happy :)<br />
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In the photos above, the wall on the right of the pic was actually the first plank wall I decided to do about a year ago when Ross was out-of-town one weekend. I didn't tell him what I was up to but it was fun playing with his miter saw and nailgun :) He wasn't sure if he liked it at first, but over time, is really happy with it. And I am absolutely obsessed (hence the 2 additional plank walls down the road)! I also get a lot of compliments on it so it's makes me blush and love them even more :)<br />
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Next up...<br />
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Ok, I lied about the kitchen... the mudroom was DEFINITELY the biggest under-taking. We hired out a plumber back when we bought the house to move the washer/dryer connection from our pantry to this new location. We had no clue what the purpose of this room was previously, but to us, it made sense to turn it into a mudroom/laundry room. This is also where we installed a new (fire-rated) door to the garage. I came up with the layout, w/ a lot of pinterest inspiration! I needed to make sure I made good use of every inch of space in this tiny room and I think I succeeded! I love this room! The cabinet was from walmart.com and we built around it. Ross made me the built-in bench. I just love how the room serves so many functional purposes!! We also hired an electrician when we bought the house to update the breaker box, a much needed update to this house and well worth it.<br />
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That's it for today! The post is already too long, so stay tuned for 'Part 2' of the Before & Afters!<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-67611535439775778432015-08-26T08:13:00.000-07:002015-08-26T12:17:33.065-07:00Secrets, Secrets! Read all about them :)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well I'm ready to spill the beans, even though I haven't gotten a chance to tell all of my coworkers yet (hence the delay of a FB announcement)...<br />
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We are moving to Cleveland, OH!!!<br />
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Let me start from the beginning (I know you're thinking, "yay, another rambling post!") ...<br />
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This summer has been a whirlwind. Lot's of uncertainties at a time when I thought being pregnant was enough on our agenda, God had other plans. In case you hadn't heard the news, US Steel (where Ross works) is doing very poorly, as a whole. Over the course of the spring, Ross had witnessed round after round of layoffs at his workplace. Eventually, we were not surprised when he was dealt the same card. We saw the writing on the wall but were still hopeful at the time that he would be spared. Since June, Ross has been enjoying his 'summer break' (as we call it :) There was a chance he would be recalled, but that never happened and the operations here (and all USS plants nationwide) have only gotten worse. They just recently announced last week the remaining 1,100 layoffs at his plant here in B'ham. The plant is being completely idled for at least a year. And even when they do start-up again next fall, they will only hire back about 200 employees (compared to the 1,500 that worked there earlier this year) (and that 200 does not include Ross' position). Lot's of good people lost their jobs so the whole scenario is really a shame.<br />
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In the meantime, Ross has been job hunting this summer. The big question at first was whether or not we move out of state (since I have a very good job here in B'ham!). Once we learned that I may have the possibility of working from home, the job hunt was wide open. We decided it would be nice to be a <i><u>bit </u></i>closer to home, so he started looking for jobs anywhere on the east coast.<br />
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He actually got a lot of good traction in his job hunt and I was excited to think of our next phase of life (even as it was bittersweet)! He had gotten such invaluable experience at his job here at USS that I really felt like we did what we came here to do, but now it was time to move on.<br />
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As of 2 weeks ago, he accepted a job offer with Alcoa (another Pgh-based company, go figure!) in Cleveland, Ohio! He'll be in the same line of work of Labor Relations. We gave them a start date of 9/14 (which gave us 4 weeks) to give us time to list & sell our house here (another house updated and flipped *sigh*) and get some other kinks sorted out before we move north.<br />
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Our house was officially listed this Monday. It's been on the market for 2 days now and already, we've had 2 showings, and 3 more coming up today! It's getting a lot of good attention so we're hopeful it will sell quickly! The updates we've made to the house really show so even though it plain *sucks* that we've renovated <i><b>another </b></i>house, and are now selling it, we're hopeful to at least make some money off of it. (I'll blog a house post to show you some 'before' and 'afters' so stay stuned!)<br />
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Ross & I are headed up to Cleveland this weekend for a house-hunting trip and to check out the area. We haven't decided yet whether to rent or buy in Cleveland, but hopefully we will have some answers in the next few days. Baby Girl's due date is approaching quickly, so trying to coordinate a timeline for the next 6 months is quite the headache. We'll see what feels best for us and our situation this weekend :)<br />
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And lastly, as far as my job is concerned... it's probably one of the biggest blessings I could have never imagined. I just found out yesterday that my boss has agreed to let me work remotely from home until after maternity leave! And <b style="font-style: italic;">then!,</b> for the long-run, I can come back as a contractor and continue working from home. I'll admit, I never wanted to be a stay-at-home, I love coming to the office and interacting with coworkers on a daily basis, but with our lives about to change with Baby Girl, working from home may be such a huge blessing I didn't even know I needed and/or wanted, so I'm thrilled for the opportunity! (And Ross is thrilled I still have a job, haha)<br />
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Everything is now falling into place. I've prayed more in my life this summer than ever before and relied on my faith more than ever. Strangely enough, Ross & I have felt more calm in this chaos than I think we should've felt. Yes, there were days we were fearful or questioning 'Why?' but we've not been as stressed as I think someone should be in this case. From one of my favorite church sermons we heard at the beginning of summer (perfect timing!) was to live fully in your <b><i>Faith </i></b>so that you can live your life <b><i>Fearlessly</i></b>. I've relied on that so heavily this summer and God has truly taken the brunt of the weight and moved mountains for us.<br />
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In the end, we feel we've done what we came here to do and now it's time to be closer to our family and friends in Pgh. Ross & I are so excited for our next phase of life and I'm so relieved to finally get to share our secret :)<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-42347470403706686152015-07-24T13:00:00.001-07:002015-07-30T06:39:37.233-07:00Gender Reveal PartyI know I already revealed our news on facebook, but I still wanted to document the day of our gender reveal this past weekend. The anticipation of finding out Baby S' gender was so exciting that I'm glad Ross & I didn't do it any other way (and no, we didn't cheat or know anything before the reveal!! We waited patiently!). I was so happy to get to spend the celebration with our family and friends back home :)<br />
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We decided to keep it low key and just invite our families over to mom & dad's house for dinner. (Of course this meant us having to fly home to Pgh, but it was worth it!) My girlfriends and their guys joined in on the fun as well so I was really happy to get to spend the day with my favorite people!!<br />
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Here's Ross & I before the reveal. He kept goofing off. The pics make me laugh :)<br />
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Here's a shot of the whole gang! I asked everyone to wear beads for their vote. You can see it's pretty evenly split, boy vs. girl! I voted 'Girl.' I've always dreamt of having a boy first, but since the day I was pregnant, I had a sneakin' suspicion it was a girl. God has a sense of humor like that... I've learned :) Ross really had no preference or idea either way, but decided to vote against me once I peer-pressured him enough to choose a side!<br />
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My best friend, Ang, and her husband, in the middle, were neutral since they were the 'secret keepers' and in charge of buying the balloons. They did a fantastic job :)<br />
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A few more pics from that day before the reveal...<br />
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Michelle made pink and blue punches. It was adorable, and even more important, both were delicious!!<br />
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After dinner, it was finally time!! I was so nervous! The video I posted on fb perfectly captures how excited we were to find out!! I love it so much and could stare at these pics all day :)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">It's a girl!!!</span></div>
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And yes, both Ross & I are happy to raise her as a tomboy :) (if she agrees!)<br />
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And a few after pics!<br />
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This picture cracks me up... and so perfectly captures us! Ross gets this look a lot when I'm yelling at him :) He popped his balloon from playing with it too roughly! Luckily, we had plenty of extra balloons on hand for photo ops.<br />
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And here we go again! Ross goofing off....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpH2AQNa4ISmkkOTu1JoZAp7NgwCZ931qKr5fALzK2LYKbMx5sh3g2hPACj0fpDq1Nqu7_4_Gzri8gPKnQTZhPQ3WXShiZnvuHNQiwnylUEpMpUNh8sYyQsVEPehIN9FXP83NPuucQpUao/s1600/collage1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpH2AQNa4ISmkkOTu1JoZAp7NgwCZ931qKr5fALzK2LYKbMx5sh3g2hPACj0fpDq1Nqu7_4_Gzri8gPKnQTZhPQ3WXShiZnvuHNQiwnylUEpMpUNh8sYyQsVEPehIN9FXP83NPuucQpUao/s640/collage1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I love these girls more than words can express!!<br />
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I joked with my grandpa that he had the same baby bump that I did :) haha...<br />
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Lastly, a few more pictures of the box! I had to buy and decorate the box the day before and LOVED how it turned out (I was a little nervous it wasn't going to turn out well). My friend at work made me the 'boy or girl?' text from her Silhouette machine and Ross & I cut out the polka dots from scrapbook paper. Ross was also nice enough to help me wrap the box with brown kraft paper to cover all of the logos and give us a clean slate... but don't ask him, he'll deny any involvement in the activity :)<br />
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Love, love, love my box. And then my dad destroyed it afterwards in front of me when the party was over. Rude. I wanted to have a memorial service for it. Too bad Southwest wouldn't just allow me to bring it back home with me on the plane. *sigh* And can we all just take a moment to recognize how gorgeous my parents backyard is?!! I love it back there... and that yard makes an awesome backdrop!!!<br />
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Also a quick pic from the day after with mom and Michelle (and Luca, hehe)....<br />
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So that was it! It was a really special day. And the fact that we're having a girl is finally sinking in. I will love her with my whole heart.... even if she does love dresses and princesses. I might eventually learn to love them too :)<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-79409136826389705912015-07-15T13:38:00.000-07:002015-07-15T13:41:09.008-07:0020-Week Appt.It's official... I have a sealed (aka *stapled shut!*) envelope sitting at home with our baby's gender inside :) I absolutely <b><i>won't </i></b>peak, people don't believe me... but I<i> can't wait </i>for our gender reveal party on Saturday with our families that I absolutely don't want to spoil it for myself! I also want to be surprised. And I've enlisted one of my closest girlfriend's to be the secret keeper and purchase the right balloons for our gender reveal box.<br />
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The appointment this morning was so much fun, seeing Baby S again. I think once we know the gender it will actually feel real to me because I can talk about 'him' or 'her' and not 'it!' Or maybe when I can feel the baby kick, hopefully soon, then it will all sink in.<br />
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I realize I'm halfway through pregnancy now but part of me still feels 'blasé' about the whole thing. It hasn't sunk in yet that I need to start looking at daycares NOW to get on a waiting list, that I need to figure out the classes at our hospital, start adding stuff to our baby registry and figuring out what we need/don't need, that maybe we should start shopping for the nursery. *eek* So many to-do items that I only get overwhelmed and tired out. I guess I should make a to-do list... Or google a list :)<br />
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I'm also excited just to be visiting home this weekend and getting to share this experience with our families and our closest friends. Everyone has been so sweet it truly makes me thankful for the people we have in our lives. And I will definitely be sharing the gender reveal on Facebook, hopefully soon after we find out!<br />
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And as far as picking out names, we haven't discussed it at all. All I know is that I'm going to be the difficult one. I hate every name out there. *sigh* Hopefully pairing it down to a gender will help! We shall see.<br />
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*Kristin*<br />
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Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-4575259033798216152015-06-16T05:59:00.001-07:002015-06-18T08:14:07.812-07:00GrowingA quick pic that I took before work this morning and sent to my girlfriends back home, as they've been asking if I'm showing yet!<br />
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"Dear baby bump, you've officially made it difficult to button pants :) "<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-10512659426648684002015-06-12T09:13:00.001-07:002015-06-15T08:04:20.259-07:0015 WeeksI'm on Week 15 today of pregnancy :) My baby is the size of an apple and about 4" long! That seems huge to me for some reason. I can't feel any movement yet, though I heard with a first pregnancy it'll still be a few weeks.<br />
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A few quick bump pics! Watching my bump grow has been a fun experience. It seems a lot 'rounder' in person, haha<br />
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The nausea has mostly subsided since the 1st trimester ended. I still get kind of queasy at night when thinking about dinner. And I still can't stand eating vegetables :/ Poor baby is getting so much junk food it's ridiculous. I do, however, crave fruit, so I'm been getting my FULL serving of fruit everyday. Maybe that makes up for the lack of veggies?! My dislike towards chocolate & sweets is something I would have never guessed!! I couldn't go a day without sweets before, and now I only crave salty foods. And I still crave cheese. <b>Cheese</b>.<b>all</b>.<b>the</b>.<b>time!</b><br />
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Other than food cravings, I still get hit with exhaustion from time to time. I had really hoped it would subside but some days I just need a nap (which I welcome with open arms since the days of taking naps are short-lived :) I'm trying to continue staying active, working out to stay healthy, and doing some kind of an activity on the weekends with Ross whether it be an easy hike or just some kayaking. Although I can only laugh at myself when I'm out of breath on the shortest walks!<br />
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The mood swings are a whole other post. Though I think they've gotten better, they are wearing me out.<br />
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On a happier note, this week, I've gotten more excited thinking my gender reveal party with mine and Ross' families and my best friends back home in July. Nothing fancy, just a dinner with the fams and a box of balloons to reveal the gender! I've enlisted my best friend, Ang, to buy the 'correct' balloons. She's good at keeping secrets :) Unlike everyone on both sides of our families! haha<br />
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We've also booked flights home in September for a baby shower! No definitive plans yet but a lot of ideas being discussed. Currently leaning towards a picnic at the park. Something casual and fun. I don't want the traditional 'ladies-only' shower so we're doing more of a coed cookout with families and couples! I want to see everyone when I'm home :) Can't wait!<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-43264984656201723042015-05-22T12:45:00.000-07:002015-06-12T09:13:41.063-07:0012 Week Check-upRoss & I got to see Gummy Bear again yesterday at my 12-week check-up! I was really looking forward to it. I think baby is measuring between 2-3" (or the size of a lime) now but it looked huge up on the wide screen tv during the ultrasound. Baby was just laying there, not cooperating for a profile shot. After a few minutes, I was kind of bored. You couldn't make out much of what you were looking at. The ultrasound technician kept prodding, but nada. Until the very end. Just when the technician was wrapping up, baby must've been irritated from all the movement that it started kicking it's legs, moving its arms and then squirming. I squealed!! Ross & I were pretty much in 'awe.' I couldn't believe all the movement and couldn't look away. I can't believe I can't feel anything yet. What an experience!<br />
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It still really hasn't sunk in yet that parenthood is racing around the corner. I'm just now fully embracing the pregnancy now that I can talk about it and want to enjoy <b><i>this </i></b>moment right now :) I get a little freaked out thinking ahead, wondering how I'll ever adjust to sleepless nights, affording daycare when I start back up at work, etc. etc. But then I realize what a blessing and what a JOURNEY this is going to be. And how excited I am to just get to experience this phase of life with Ross. I can't wait. So I remember that even though our life won't be as easy and kicked back as it is now, it's gonna be pretty cool.<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-5666558700542432152015-05-18T07:39:00.000-07:002015-05-19T06:19:38.367-07:00New Chapter & The Big Announcement<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm back!! And for good reason. As most of you (more like the 5 of you that read this :) saw yesterday on Facebook, the secret is finally out :)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCNIcEIRrqD2xvBSbcv1eGV5Fdh3p7VST25uJQ8XdzyaW-xUuuJPXY9nrKMM3XcPBFXk92t7vaXvLbilC_6t7iB2yNEF5RtbSJ8Dmp8-Vl5p2QoHZdb966SeMQgOa1wnDX969JtWOaNyR/s1600/FINAL+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCNIcEIRrqD2xvBSbcv1eGV5Fdh3p7VST25uJQ8XdzyaW-xUuuJPXY9nrKMM3XcPBFXk92t7vaXvLbilC_6t7iB2yNEF5RtbSJ8Dmp8-Vl5p2QoHZdb966SeMQgOa1wnDX969JtWOaNyR/s640/FINAL+(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I can't believe the overwhelming response of everyone that liked/commented on our FB announcement yesterday! It feels SO good to finally let the secret out. At least, as soon as I tell work today :) Then the cat will officially be out of the bag. And I'm starting to show. So better tell them now before they begin to speculate!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had so much fun putting the announcement together and probably got carried away! I finally bought myself a tiny $10 remote for my DSLR so I was able to capture the middle 'family' photo. I had fun getting to test it out :) And my Photoshop skills came in handy for the 1st photo... I mean, did you really think I got Dakota perfectly into position directly behind that sign at the exact right moment?! I should stop spilling my secrets! And the collage was a compromise...</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Ross came up with the 'Baby Toy Tester' caption and I loved that but then I saw the middle family photo on Pinterest and had to have that as well! So I took the 3rd photo to round the collage out and presto... an announcement I love :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On Thursday, I have my 12 week appt. where they'll do another ultrasound and blood work. I'm so excited to see Gummy Bear again! That's our nickname for now... b/c on our very first ultrasound at 9 wks, when they confirmed the pregnancy, it *downright* looked like a gummy bear!... Right?! haha</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HMZnpK6LB3Xge2RbCgbSbpEyLmybn-vCpB6YTW6xvEYBNsQOAAYHgxC-9HlRrroa04PKrADyiqcSzefpKEgT7iTTqocxaukh4OHylVmliHNY-wipN2mOI-v33-SPo9sJDmM_RC24zvnd/s1600/20150430_151213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HMZnpK6LB3Xge2RbCgbSbpEyLmybn-vCpB6YTW6xvEYBNsQOAAYHgxC-9HlRrroa04PKrADyiqcSzefpKEgT7iTTqocxaukh4OHylVmliHNY-wipN2mOI-v33-SPo9sJDmM_RC24zvnd/s400/20150430_151213.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The journey so far has been so exciting! It happened a bit quicker then we expected and it's taken on a life of its own already! It's all we can talk about. We told our families after our first appointment. I was so nervous it was just all in my head at first that I HAD to have the first ultrasound to be sure before revealing the news. Besides, it was kind of fun for Ross & I to have our own little secret between the 2 of us before the chaos set in. The past 7 weeks of nausea and sickness had also pretty much confirmed things before our first appt. Luckily, the sickness is <i>finally </i>getting better. And with the nausea, I've only been able to tolerate certain foods (mostly junk food *sigh*) and the cravings have been unreal. Apparently baby likes CHEESE, anything with cheese, my diet has consisted of cheese pizza, cheesy pastas, cheese anything!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So that's been our exciting chapter these past few weeks. And I have to say, I'm so <i><u>relieved</u> </i>the pestering of starting a family will finally stop. Let me just get up on my soapbox for a sec and declare once and for all that Ross & I were always <i>HAPPY </i>with our current situation. We loved just being the 2 of us and a dog and living in the moment. We never felt pressure to start a family until <i>WE </i>were ready. That's all that mattered to us. And now we are. And we are excited :) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">*Kristin*</span><br />
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After an inspiring message at church, we headed over to our brunch. Apparently the community of Ross Bridge is more than just a golf course and hotel. They even have a planned community, with pools, playgrounds and a small village of stores/shops. If this isn't the definition of "Pleasant-ville" with every bush and tree perfectly manicured, I don't know what is! Just take a look at the perfection as you drive through the neighborhood:<br />
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In the background, you can see a glimpse of the <strike>castle </strike>hotel. Here's a close-up of the hotel:</div>
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Luckily, we did not get lost inside the hotel and found our way to brunch :) The place is massive!</div>
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The brunch was nothing short of perfection. The food was delicious, we had everything from lamb to prime rib, many side dishes, pasta, assorted breads, muffins, and an array of desserts! The only stations we skipped were the salad bar and omelet station (we can make those at home ;) We wanted to make sure we had enough room to try everything, and we certainly did! Ross tried all 12 desserts, haha. We got dessert after every trip up to the buffet. We know how to dine :)<br />
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Here's a few shots we tried to take ourselves:<br />
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We also spent a lot of time outdoors this weekend, cleaning up the yard and planting some container gardens. We bought perennials, hoping <strike>these</strike> <strike>containers will be enjoyed year after year</strike> our dollars will stretch year after year! Ross will help me water and maintain them since he has a much greener thumb than I do. How sweet of him :)<br />
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We bought two hanging flower baskets for the window box which were annuals. I wanted the look of them spilling over the sides and I love how they turned out:<br />
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We're now ready for summer and to get out and enjoy the weather!<br />
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*Kristin*<br />
<br />Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-51120042213786164102014-03-20T07:05:00.000-07:002014-03-20T07:07:32.740-07:00Spring HappeningsLife here is going really well. Ross & I have been here for almost 2 years now and we're <i>finally </i>starting to meet people. Maybe we hold the record for longest time it takes for us to make friends, but I won't fret about it. We were really out of comfort zone when we moved here and it took a deliberate act of joining groups at our church to finally meet people, something we never did in the past in pgh, b/c hey... we had all the friends and hobbies we needed back home! So for us, it was a huge learning curve, especially with both of us being the introverts we are! And finding a church we loved here was just as difficult so I'm happy to be over that road bump.<br />
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I joined 2 small groups at church that meet during the weeknights and I *love* them. It's so nice to get out of the house and mingle with like-minded people. Ross joins me for the one group since it's a marriage small group. It's been great to meet other couples and I've gotten a lot out of the group. It actually ends soon but I'm excited to see what comes next and how I can get more involved with our church and such.<br />
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Besides finally getting involved, the weather here has been warming up and it's glorious! I actually look forward to yard work just so Dakota and I can get some much needed Vitamin D :) I'll admit, it will be extremely hard to go back to a snow climate one day if we ever move back home. I sure don't miss it! And I sure do love the whole city being closed here when we see a few flurries, haha.<br />
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Ross and I are slowly making our house our home. The mudroom is almost complete and I can't wait to share pics!! The progress is slow going on all of our projects but that's only because Ross works so hard during the week, it's hard for him to not want to just relax come Saturday.<br />
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Our jobs are still going really well so we're extremely blessed in that sense. Ross is overly busy at work so I only pray that his workload eases up a bit but other than that, he enjoys what he's doing. Mine is also going well, I'm learning a lot and still love my coworkers.<br />
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Well, I had a feeling 2014 was going to be a great year so I can only hope it continues to go that way. So far, so good :) Now, if only I could recruit my friends and family to move here as well, I sure do miss them......<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616863959418332022.post-51653828294803535862014-02-05T06:51:00.002-08:002014-02-06T06:10:43.842-08:00January RecapWell last time I left off was right after Christmas and time has been flying since.<br />
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Mom & Dad visited us the day after xmas and we took them to New Orleans for their first time. It was a quick trip that was absolutely soaked by rain, but we tried to make the most of it. Our hotel was just 3 blocks outside the French Quarter, but lesson learned, it was too far, especially in the rain! This time, we got to venture out to the Garden District so that was my highlight of our trip!<br />
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About a week or so after the holidays, Ross' mom and brother came to visit us for a week. They lucked out on the week they were here because it was our normal Alabama winter, not too cool and not too warm. The week before I think we all experienced the Deep Freeze weather that hit all of the eastern US, including us! And the week after they left it got unseasonably cold again.<br />
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Then shortly afterwards, which brings us up to last week, we got hit by Snowmaggedon 2014!! ha. I guess that is what people are calling it now :) Ross & I are extremely fortunate that 1) we had a warm office to sleep in that night with coworkers we trust whereas most people were stranded on the highways in their cars 2) we made it home safely the next day while driving past thousands of stranded cars all over the hwys 3) dakota was ok after being in her crate for a straight 28 hours 4) etc. etc. etc. We can count our blessings a thousand times over!<br />
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NOW.... Ross & I are finally settling down and getting back to our normal routine. We took a break from working on the house for awhile but we're slowly making progress again on the mudroom, which Ross promised me back in November would be finished in a few short weeks. haha *famous last words*<br />
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Besides that, the rest of the house just feels overwhelming with everything that's been happening in January. Numerous things around the house have broken, clogged drains (two calls to the plumber & $600 later, it's all fixed), broken garage door, leaking kitchen sink, etc. It's overwhelming and I feel like we can't keep up. We're finally looking into our home warranty because we can't afford anymore fixes. Hopefully they cover a good bit!! I'm so tired of this house already. Next time, I definitely don't plan on renovating. The inspiration is just sucked right out of me!! :( O well. As soon as we finish the mudroom I may (hopefully!) have higher spirits. Deep breath, One project at a time....<br />
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*Kristin*Kristin871http://www.blogger.com/profile/12308411109522571502noreply@blogger.com0