Red, White, and Blue Sign

Since we first began even looking at our new home, MJ referred to it as "red,white,blue sign house".  He's like a little walking advertisement for Remax and readily spots red, white and blue signs all over town now.  Anytime we'd be out and about he'd always want to drive by "red,white, blue sign house".  I think our house will always have that association.  :) 

We closed on the house shortly after returning from our St. Louis trip, and the work began that very same day.  We could see the vision for this house (well, maybe Mat even better than I), but knew it was going to take some work...some major elbow grease and a few projects, but luckily no gutting of any rooms or removing any walls.  We've been in the house almost 3 weeks now and that combined with the couple weeks leading up to it that Mat was here at the new house working mostly while I was at home with the kiddos and packing up our house all myself have lead to one TIRED mama!  Luckily things have calmed down a bit now, but it has definitely been a hard move.  We've moved a lot in our 11 years of marriage, but this one has been the hardest, and I definitely wasn't expecting that to be the case.  Lesson learned:  moving with kids, especially two little ones, and with no family in town, is not for the weak! 

Overall, I'd do it all again, and hopefully I'm still signing that tune in another few months once most of the projects are all complete, but it has definitely kicked my butt, made me feel old, and taken it's toll on all of us!!  So glad the hardest part is behind us.  With that being said, here's a glimpse of the "before" or our new (to us) home and our vision for what it will soon become:

Welcome to our new home!  To come:  new sod, paver sidewalk, and paver flower bed

 It's move in day!  August 18, 2012-So thankful for some friends who loaned us their trailer and 7 college guys who moved us and did an outstanding job!  Not one thing was broken or nicked and they were cheap labor, too.  :)

 

Mat was happy he could sit back a bit and watch the guys do the heavy lifting.  The night before he'd been up until 2AM painting and I'd been up until 2AM packing.  Nothing like pushing it to the very last minute, huh?

 



I've always dreamed of a big front porch and am so excited to now have one.  Can't wait to complete our vision of cleaning and painting the porch and adding some pretty outdoor furniture.  All my pinterest pins for wreaths and decorating will soon becoming in handy!  :)

 



Stairwell leading from the foyer to the upstairs.  Hideous carpet ad pretty bad wallpaper.  All carpet has already been removed and foyer and hallway to be painted this weekend.  "After" pics to come in a couple months when it's all said and done.

 Basement bedroom which will become the guest room.  Vision includes:  removing this awful floor that had water damage (Mat's already removed floor and sub floor, and put in a new sub floor), added carpeting, and new paint

 Basement/guest bath and laundry room.  To be done:  paint

 Basement rec room which is now the playroom.  Vision includes:  new paint (already done) and lots of kid friendly decor

 Backyard AKA lots of weeds:  Vision includes a playground and mulch here

 tearing all of this area out and having a paver patio installed,

 lots of powerwashing, removing this deck, tearing out all sidewalk and weeds, and buidling a paver patio (oh, and that's our garage there in the back...yayyyyy, a garage!!).

 MJ's room-Vision includes:  removing carpet, finishing hardwoods, new paint (all completed)

 Mater bedroom-I know, you're probably gasping at this God awful Oregon trail wallpaper and blue carpet.  Trust me, it was really hard to see past this.  The vision includes:  buh bye wall paper, hello paint, removal of carpet, refinish hardwoods, new window seat cushions, window treatments (paint and floors completed)

 Main bath-Can you tell blue was the popular color in this house?!  Even the mini blinds match the vanities!  Luckily we have two vanities at least and do love all this cabinet space!  The vision includes:  restaining the cabinets a dark espresso color, new granite top vanities and new sinks and fixtures, smaller mirrors ,and new lighting

 Other view of the bathroom-envisioning a new toilet and new window treatments

 Charlotte's room:  Vision includes removing carpet, refinishing hardwoods, removing wallpaper, drywalling in this glass wall area, paint (all complete)

 Kitchen:  Lots and lots of thinking and contemplating has went into this area, but we're pretty confident our new kitchen coming this fall will include:  restained cabinets in a dark espresso color, new stainless steel appliances, granite countertops,new sink, subway style backsplash, new ceramic tile floor, new paint

 Office/family room:  This is an open concept floor plan connecting to the kitchen, therefore we'd like to restain these to match the new kitchen color

 Powder room:  Remove vanity and replace with pedestal sink, new ceramic tile floor, paint

Family Room: Pretty much the one room we're not changing much. We had the carpet cleaned and repainted it.

 

 Dining Room: Refinished wood floors, needs new paint

 Living room:  Remove carpet and refinish hardwoods (done), and new paint

 

Geez, just typing all this makes me realize why I've been so tired lately!  We're making some pretty major transformations in a short amount of time.  I'm thankful for a hubby that doesn't mind painting (lots) and is able to create a vision when I struggle to find the silver lining at times.  We make a pretty good duo when we can muster up enough energy to get things done!  Our goal is to have all major projects complete before the holidays.  Then, I can begin doing some decorating slowly over the next 6 months or so.  Man, do I struggle with patience.  I like to blame Pinterest for making me want to have my home look like it stepped out of Better Homes and Gardens.  I'm coming to terms with the fact that I need to practice patience, budget control, and knowing my own personal limitations.  Over time, this will become the perfect home for our family. 

 

 I can't believe how much it's already changed since we first laid eyes on it!  I can't wait to see our children grow and play in this home.  One of our favorite things is walking right out our front door and taking walks together, and of course stopping by the big playground at our neighborhood school. "After" pics to come later this fall!   

Vacation Wrap Up!

Vacation is starting to seem like a distant memory, so I figured I'd better wrap up the vacation talk before it leaves my mind completely....plus, there's more to update on like our move, Charlotte turning 8 months, MJ starting back to preschool, and mama struggling to keep up with ALL of it!

So, in no particular order, here's some favorite highlights from our wonderful time spend in St. Louis:

 We wrapped up some time at our hotel by Mema and Papa swimming.  This is when MJ discovered that swimming is pretty darn fun!  He started off clinging on to someone for dear life and being a bit whiney.  It didn't take long at all and he was then doing this!  He loved to jump in over and over and over to Mema!  This was the beginning of MJ's love for swimming on our trip. 

Sweet little Charlotte was one tired baby once we made it to Gigi and PopPop's.  She began sleeping on her belly on this trip and would completely konk out!  She started off sleeping in our room in the pack n play, but then we moved it to a spare bedroom and we all slept even better.  She did a good job adjusting to sleeping there!  She is proving to be like her brother in that she won't fall asleep in a stroller or in someone's arms, but put in her in her bed and she's out.  She even got some spoiling on the times when she was challenging to put to sleep, and Gigi was more than happy to rock her...

Gigi must have "the touch" because I don't think Charlotte has fallen asleep like this for me since she was a very tiny baby. 

We'd been in St. Louis only a few days when MJ got his worst "boo boo" yet.  We'd met up with the Grover Family for some playtime at an indoor play center.  When we were leaving, MJ and their little one held hands and started to take off running, but quickly got tangled up and fell.  I didn't see it happen exactly, but I heard MJ's head hit the ground and it was quite hard.  He was pretty upset by it all.  He typically hops up, maybe gets a little cuddle or kiss, and then is right back to playing, but that was definitely not the case this time.  It was obvious that it hurt him and he had a pretty good scratch on his head and cheek.  My mom had actually met us at the play center to pick up the kiddos and take them home for the evening while Mat and I were planning to enjoy a date night.  After some calming and consoling, we thought MJ would be okay and we sent him and Charlee on their way with Gigi.  Unfortunately, we soon learned that MJ was vomiting and falling asleep on the way home, so our date night quickly got nixed and we rushed home to see our boy!  We were so worried about him the whole way home, fearing he had a concussion and thinking we'd be making our first ER trip with him.  Luckily though, he was feeling better, and acting completely fine, even asking for lots of snacks.  After talking to our pediatrician, and a nurse friend, and keeping a close eye on him for awhile, we decided not to take him to the ER.  We kept him up late and then woke him up every few hours to make sure he was doing okay.  By the next morning, we was good as new, with the exception of looking rather battered.  Definitely his first big scare he's given us since birth!

We got to gather at Grandma and Grandpa Immekus' house so they could love on the grandbabies, and Aunt Kris (lover of babies) could meet Charlotte for the first time.  We missed out on seeing them at Easter, so they were the only ones who hadn't got to meet her yet.  MJ loved playing with cousin Samantha!  Can you believe she was the flower girl in our wedding?!?  She wasn't much bigger than MJ at the time and now look at her...soooo beautiful and a sophomore in high school!  She was wonderful with MJ!  If we were in St. Louis, I'd snatch her up as a babysitter any day!

 

 

We visited the Museum of Transportation with my parents.  Right up MJ's alley...nothing but cars and trains!  He was in heaven and didn't even seem to notice the fact that it was 150 degrees!!!  No, seriously there were heat warnings and they closed the place at 1 due to the heat.  I think it was in the low 100's, and of course the majority of stuff you do is outside or in unairconditioned buildings, but we still had a great time!  He loved riding on the train with Gigi and PopPop!  Then, we we walked around and looked at several cars, trucks, and trains.  Then, we had booked an hour play time at their Imagination Station, so he went in there with Gigi and PopPop and was able to play with trains, do an art project, etc.  It's definitely a place we'll be going back to.  Thanks, Groupon for the great deal!  ;) 

 

 



 

 

Of course there was some play time with Grandma and Grandpa Keyes, too!  Grandma made us a wonderful lunch and we were able to visit with them and have them interact with the kids for awhile.  Grandpa Keyes is always sure to have funny little rhymes and what not to do with MJ, and MJ just eats it up!  It usually takes MJ about 2 minutes to warm up to it, and then he asks for more and more the whole time.  It's so cute and a memory I know we'll treasure as he grows older. 

 

 

Just shortly after this, MJ gave us another scare.  Not sure exactly what happened, but somehow as he as rolling around on the floor he cut his head on something...the corner of the chair we think.  Nobody realized he was even hurt until he sat up and there was LOTS of blood dripping down his head!  It was a pretty decent cut, but looked worse than it really was I think.  I thought for sure when I first saw him sit up, it was time for stitches, but it stopped bleeding pretty quickly.  I thought he was bound and determined to visit the ER on this trip, sheesh!! 

 

I was able to get together with all my girlfriends in St. Louis on this trip, which is quite a treat!  I had time with Meg, Mindy, and Stephanie each individually.  Stephanie and I were able to meet up with the little ones.  Since Bennett and Charlotte are just four days apart, it's so neat and special to see them together. We did a little shopping at a Just Between Friends Sale with the babies and then went to lunch, where we also met MJ and my mom who had been seeing a movie.  It will be so special to see our little ones growing up alongside one another!! 

 

 It's not often while in St. Louis that we even have any down time to think about doing something as a family, but this trip was a great balance of time with family, time with friends, and even time on our own.  On one of those days, Mat and I took the kids to the St. Louis Science Center.  We each have memories of going here as kids ourselves, but the last time we'd been together was actually when we were dating, shortly after they'd fixed it up and opened the "new" Science Center.  This place is just awesome, and did I mention free? 

 They have a room for little ones, that does cost a small fee, where you can go in and play for 45 minute increments.  It was amazing!!  Of course MJ was in heaven when he discovered a train table.  We had to encourage him to branch out and try a couple other activities, too.  There were even lots of options for Charlotte to play with, too. 

 One of MJ's fave spots of the whole Science Center was the glass overpass/bridge where you can look at cars.  I remember this overpass as a kid myself, but never did I imagine I'd one day be snapping a pic of my car-loving three year old! 

Always the sign of a great day-knocked out kiddies!  We had such a wonderful time together that day, and it was great to have an indoor activity to do since it was another hot summer day of 100+ temps!

 

 

MJ loved visiting Gigi and Pop Pop's pool!  He gained so much independence in the water during this trip and was swimming around on his own, with the help of his Puddle Jumper!  He also loved playing in the sprinkler in Gigi and PopPop's backyard. 

 

Eventhough it was a month early, I was lucky enough to be able to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday with her.  I planned a surprise luncheon at Hendell's Market for her with some of her closest friends.  She was truly surprised!  It was such a special afternoon spent with some wonderful ladies and celebrating my amazing mom.  Given that she's been through cancer twice, celebrating a healthy mom during this milestone year seemed like quite a HUGE reason to celebrate and be thankful!

The kids also were able to see both grandpas on my side.  It makes me so happy to see them able to love and play with Mat's two grandma's and yet sad that they'll never know my grandmas.  Luckily their grandpas also enjoy loving on them!  We were able to go to Grandpa Fay's for lunch on one of the last days of our trip. 

All in all, this was such a great trip to St. Louis.  We were there long enough to truly enjoy our time and see everyone without it feeling too rushed or overwhelming.  MJ has reached an age where we can get by without a nap a bit more easily and Charlotte can still nap on the go pretty easily, so the day to day running seemed a bit easier this time.  We're so thankful for our many friends and family who make the time to see us and work around our schedule when we come to town.  Dubuque is becoming more and more where we see our family being for the long term, but St. Louis still always feels like "home". 

Meet Me in St. Louie, Meet Me at the Fair!

We recently spent a two week vacation in St. Louis from mid-late July.  It was a wonderful, although very hot, time spent seeing our family and friends!  Our first stop was going straight to Mema and Papa's neck of the woods for the fair.  We drove from Dubuque to their area, in New Florence, and the timing worked out just perfectly because their county fair and parade was beginning that night.  We knew MJ would have a blast at the parade and were looking forward to sharing this time with Mat's folks!

Just a couple years ago, we took MJ to this parade, which was his first parade ever.  This was just a week or two before moving to Dubuque.  That year MJ cried through lots of the loud sirens from the parade and slept through most of the fair. 

My how he's grown since then!!  That year it was even chilly and I had him snuggled under a blanket.  Imagine a chilly July day in St. Louis?!  Crazy!  Fast forward a few years, several degrees, a sibling, and a cousin...

 Three Generations!

Mark (Papa) with his two sons and their children.

 MJ and cousin Lily parade watching

 Charlee hanging out with Mema at the parade

 Mema and her girls!

Thought the fan might help keep those poor red cheeks cool, but instead she thought she'd eat it!

We all enjoyed a great parade together and then walked over to the opening of the fair.  This is the first fair MJ's been to since he's been old enough to enjoy it a bit.  We weren't really sure if he'd ride any rides by himself, but bought the armband (tickets) with hopes that he would.  Our little guy blew us away that night!  Here was his first ride ever...



I never knew watching my son on a ride would make me so sappy!  It's funny how being a mom turns me to complete mush at things I would have never dreamed of.  Seeing MJ enjoy himself that night though was PURE joy.  It brought tears to my eyes to watch him smile and get so excited as he gained his independence and experienced these things for the first night.  Traveling can be rough on a three year old.  Although he gets to have lots of fun and many wonderful experiences, he's away from his sense of normalcy for awhile.  I was so glad we were able to start our trip off with a night focused on him having fun.  He was all smiles!!!  At the end of the night, after the parade and fair, we pulled into our hotel, and before getting out of the car he said "I had a good day."  You did indeed little boy, and that's what it's all about! 

Oh, and Charlotte stayed awake well past her bedtime the entire time we were at the fair.  She was such a good baby and a wonderful little trooper!  Both kiddos konked out at the hotel and Mat and I did as well!

Mizzou-rah!!

Seriously, what's cuter than dressing your baby up in one of your favorite sport's teams gear and taking a zillion pics? 

We're gearing up for Mizzou football!  Beat those Gators!!  ;)  (that's for you Uncle Jeff)

 Let's hear it for Mizzou?

 A little louder, I still can't hear you!

 Contemplating our SEC move

All smiles for the black and gold!  

**Thanks to Aunt Kris for the adorable Mizzou outfits and to Miss Shannon and Makena for letting me borrow the super cute hairbow!

6 Months and 3 Years

Sweet 3 year old MJ reading to little 6 month old Charlotte

At the very end of June, both kiddos were due for pediatrician visits...Charlotte for her 6 month check up and MJ for his 3 year check up.  We scheduled them back to back and geared up for quite a long doctor visit.  Both kids did great! 

Charlotte turned 6 months old on June 23, 2012 (yep, I'm still playing catch-up on the blogs).  She was such a happy, smiley girl that morning when I was taking her pics.  I couldn't believe how big she was looking in these pics! 

Charlotte's 6 month stats were:  18 lbs. (83%)-hadn't gained an ounce since her 4 month visit, 27 inches long (87%), and head circumference was 44 cm. (86%).  They weren't concerned that she hadn't gained anything since her height was still progressing and she obviously is still has plenty of meat on her bones.  ;)  All her percentiles were very consistent and proportioned.  She received 3 vaccines at this appointment, but didn't seem to demonstrate any side effects or reactions this time.  She was a great little patient at her appointment, of course crying for those shots (which mommy hates, too) but stopping immediately when being picked up and cuddled afterwards. 

At 6 months, Charlotte experienced many firsts...

First two teeth arrived together!

First finger food-a Gerber puff

This was her first attempt.  She's now shoveling them in like a pro!

First go with a sippy cup of water

First barrette...quite a big day in the life of a baby girl!  ;)

First time sitting up like a big girl! 

She literally went from showing no interest in sitting up to sitting like a pro in one night!  We'd almost been laughing about it because she really didn't seem interested in trying to sit at all.  When you'd prop her up, she'd just lunge herself backward and seemed more content laying on her back.  Of course one night when I was gone, she decided to put on a show for daddy and sit up!  Since then she's been sitting like a pro. 

Charlotte rolls around quite a bit now.  She's rolling and moving around in her sleep seeming to mostly prefer sleeping on her side or her belly now.  She's still nursing about every 4 hours during the day and eating solids 1-2 x per day as well.  She seems to like most foods that she tries.  Poor thing has had tummy issues since starting solids, so prunes seem to be a frequent food that we have to feed her.  ;)  I'm hoping that this works itself out and we don't have to resort to any medicine in the future.  Charlotte goes to bed at about 7:30 and wakes in the morning also around 7:30.  Unfortunately, in between that time is rather inconsistent.  She wakes up at least once around 4:30AM to eat, but then many nights she's waking up once before then as well, around 1:30AM or so.  I know she doesn't need to eat that often, so I try to calm her and get her back to sleep on her own.  Some nights are more successful than others.  She was such an amazing sleeper so early on at 12 straight hours, so I'm looking forward to the time when we get back to that routine.  She takes two naps during the day.  She seems to be a pretty good sleeper, but doesn't seem to require as much sleep as MJ did at that age. 





Seriously, what's sweeter than a soundly sleeping baby?

Our big 3 year-old checking out the Cars exhibit at Dubuque's River Fest

Our pediatrician suggests doing the 3 year check up closer to 3 1/2 because it's a lengthy appointment and requires quite a bit of cooperation on the part of the little patient, so the older the better.  I think this definitely worked to MJ's advantage.  He did a great job, and this was one of the first times that he hasn't freaked out at the doctor's office.  They made many of the tasks into a game with him, and he was eager to please.  He even thought peeing in a cup was quite the fun task!  Ha! 

MJ's 3 year stats were:  38.25 inches tall (48th %) and 31 lbs. (30%).  His vision and speech were screened as well.  He passed both, but between a little bit of concern on our end and a little bit on their end, we've decided to have his speech reevaluated one more time by Keystone, which are the early learning services offered through the public school system. 

MJ makes us laugh on a daily basis!  He says the funniest things so innocently.  Of course he's three, so he's quite good at testing our patience as well.  When asked to do something, his favorite responses are "maybe tomorrow, soon, and not right now."  Or when you ask him if he'd like to go somewhere, change activities, etc. he likes to rattle back a different order and then finish up with "that a good idea!"  For example:  "MJ, we need to get dressed and eat breakfast."  "Maybe we watch a show, eat breakfast, and then get dressed.  That a good idea!"  I'm telling ya, this kid is quite the negotiator. 

He loves to be on-the-go!  Most days he asks to go "bye-bye".  He likes to keep busy visiting friends, playgrounds, restaurants, etc.  He might be in for a shock once winter approaches and we spend a lot more time indoors again.  He's still a wonderful sleeper at nighttime, typically sleeping 11-12 hours each night.  He's beginning to phase out of naps.  Some days he still naps a couple hours, but the actual act of getting ready for nap time has become quite a struggle.  We're changing up the routine a bit in preparation for a change in schedule once he starts back to preschool this fall, and encouraging him to just have quiet time in his room where we can read books, play quietly, or rest if he feels like it. 

Trains continue to be a favorite of MJ's.  Trains, cars, paint, and this kid is all set!  We've been using a new behavior reward system with him where he earns little pom poms in a bucket for good choices.  When he earns 10, he gets a new little toy.  Of course, he's picked out a new train or car each time. 

I began this summer being diligent about working with MJ on his letters, numbers, and a few first sight words.  He had fun practicing his letter and number of the week in shaving cream!  I love making a plan for working with him.  It brings out the teacher in me of course, and he really thrives with it. I've struggled big time in sticking with it though with all our summer activities, guests, and travels.  I'm hoping once we get settled in our new house, I can get back on the ball with this. 



Practicing sight words with MJ

What an incredible blessing these two healthy children are.  It feels like time is flying by so much more quickly now that I have 2 children.  I still feel like Charlotte should be a newborn.  Days can be challenging and very tiring, but I am so incredibly grateful to be their mommy.  It's not a role that I ever take for granted.  I love watching them grow, develop, and learn.