Water

Plumbing has been a nightmare in our house.  Seriously, it's been awful.  From pinhole leaks, to blown pipes, to fixtures, to toilets, pretty much everything has had some sort of problem.

This week we finally sucked it up and re-piped our house.  It was expensive, loud, and a huge bummer, but it's done.

I don't have a ton to say about the process, primarily because I'm exhausted from two full days in the house with no running water.  

The crew seemed to do a good job and we now have running water at all of the appropriate places in our house and so far no other places, so I suppose we'll call the project a success!  

The Play Room

I am in love with our house's slow but steady evolution into our home.

Today, we will visit the room that should rightly be called "The Dining Room."

"Dinning Room" Today

Only, it's not a dining room.  If I use it's history, I suppose I could more accurately say 'fun room.'  But it currently goes by 'play room.'

When we moved in, or at least when we toured our house, it was a dinning room.

But we quickly decided that we didn't really need a fromal dinning rom.  Our kitchen is huge and we decided it would be a much better place for us to eat.  So we turned it into a Game Room!

We quickly made a few other changes, we tore out the carpet and painted it to be more 'game feeling.'

For a long time, it stayed this way.  It was home to Gavin and my rockband, as well as where I curled up playing elder scroll games during a few very difficult weeks.

Then somebody came along and it took a whole new direction!

Colin needed a place to play and grow and the game room became the play room.

But spending hours and hours in that room, the color really started to wear on me.  It wasn't a play room color, it was too dark and too serious.  So last week we made the latest revision!

 

There are still things we'd like to do, but the color made a huge difference in the feel of the room.

I know this room isn't done with it's evolution.  More than any other room in our house, it will need to grow and change with the needs of our family.  It will probably be a game room again, who knows, maybe it will even be a dining room again one day!

In the meantime, it's host to hours and hours of fun and play.

Date night: Home Edition

We are still faithfully planning and executing our monthly date nights.

January:  Irvine Spectrum.  We were unaware that visiting the Irvine Spectrum on a Friday night, we would be among the oldest people in the crowd.  Since it was my birthday, we bought me a new diaper bag (which I still love) and ate some Japanese food.

February: Brunch @ Coffee, Tea and Tulips.  In February, Gavin researched well reviewed brunch restaurants nearby and we ended up here.  I've walked past it a bunch of times because it's in the Micheal's shopping center.  The food was good, and we had a great time watching the worst rain storm of the season.

March:  Barnes and Noble.  We realized that one of the things we don't ever do anymore is browse.  With a toddler in tow, shopping is more about survival than enjoyment.  Since we are still doing on book club, we thought it would be a nice date to just go and wander around a book store and get ideas and hang out.  Strangely, we didn't buy any books.  I'm sure that's at least partially due to our reliance on e-books and audio books, but we both picked up a few good ideas.

April: Home Date

When I sat down to look at our April Calendar, a date night was looking a little difficult to fit in.  Our normal date night sitter (Grandma) is off on an exotic two week vacation, and we had several NOT date night activities (like doing our taxes and church services) that we were already using a babysitter, so I decided it was time to pull out a home date night.

I decided the key to making a home date night successful was to make sure it didn't feel too ordinary.  For me, that mostly means special music, special lighting, and forgoing our normal evening routines (that's the hardest one!)  It also means setting aside the time beforehand to get things planned and ready.  While it didn't take too long, I think the extra planning helped make it feel like an event instead of just an evening at home. (Although both are nice!)

We fed Colin and put him down and then made our dinner of Salmon and Mashed potatos.  We had a great time cooking and eating together.

The original plan was a movie, but I am self aware enough to realize there was no way I was going to be able to stay awake for a movie, so we played a game instead.  We bought some of our favorite candy and played "Pandemic"  It's a cooperative game and we had a great time.

I am so grateful for the relationship I have with my husband.  Having children, especially the long road to get here, has been challenging on our marriage, and I'm so glad we both still have the love and energy to put in to making this stage of marriage sustainable, but also fun.  I love you, Gavin!

Ladera for Little Guys

When we moved to Ladera, we were often asked how many children we had.  Our answer at the time would be meet with a slightly confused look.... Lots of children live in Ladera.

And now I understand why.  While we fell in love with the open spaces, nearby trails, and varied home arcitecture, there's an entirely different set of benefits for wee ones here that we are just learning about!

Parks, water parks, slides, swings, grassy slopes for rolling and playing... no wonder so many families love it here!

First trip to the Plunge Park

Checking out the fountains with Daddy

Kids pool with mommy

Playing with friends at the water park

Swinging at the Pocket Park

Enjoying the grass and view at our neighborhood park

Last night I enjoyed my first Ladera Summer Concert with Colin.  We've always enjoyed heading out to the park on Friday evenings in the summer to visit with friends and enjoy the nice weather, but it's a whole new experience with babies!

It was so awesome to throw down blankets and visit with friends to the back drop of music and community.  It's not perfect, of course, but I love this neighborhood and I am so glad we have the opportunity to grow our family here!

On the wonderful, maravouls night you were born...

The night Colin was born was magical.  It was also a bit of a blur.  He was born late and after a few moments in my arms was rushed off to NICU.  I was rolled up later to hold the precious miracle I'd waited so long for.

The book "On the Night You Were Born" by Nancy Tillman almost always makes me cry.  When I picture that night, though, it's normally the night we came home from the hospital that I imagine...

After a frantic few days in the hospital, it was dark by the time we were discharged.  We were escorted out by a hospital volunteer.  Colin in a little red wagon, me carefully walking along beside him (I'd escaped the wheel chair by just waving to my discharge nurse as the elevator doors closed on the maternity ward to take me to NICU).  We carefully snapped his car seat into the car.  Gavin played his Rolling Stones lullabies as I gingerly climbed in next to Colin.  The volunteer closed the car door behind me and we were alone as a family for the first time.  I leaned over my son and silent tears slid down my face as we waited at the parking kiosk.  

The very short ride home was uncomfortable, but I was enraptured by Colin.  We pulled onto our street.  I'd never loved our family, my husband, our home or the entry to our house as much as I did on the night.  It had rained just enough to make everything clean and wet and the Christmas lights glistened off the damp pavement and the dewy night air.  It was just foggy enough to give everything a slight of awe and magic.  

As we pulled into our drive way, I noticed the stork and balloons joyful welcoming us home.  The silent tears came faster and a little less silently.  We were welcomed home with love by both sets of grandparents who had light our Christmas tree and dimmed the lights inside perfectly to maintain the magical aura of the evening.  The welcomed us, kissed us and somehow slipped silently out, leaving us a preciously private few moments together as a family.

I rarely post without pictures, and there are pictures of our home coming.  But not a single one can capture even a fraction of the magic of that night.  The moments are etched in my memory and it will always be a particularly cherished moment.

"On the night you were born the moon smiled with such wonder that the stars peaked in to see you and the night wind whispered, Life will never be the same, because there had never been anyone like you ever in the world..."     

A walk in the park

My introduction into motherhood, and even so far into working motherhood, has been surprisingly gentle.  Of course there are sleepless nights, moments of frustration and exhaustion, and typical worries, but overall, things seem to be falling into place perfectly.

And today, motherhood was literally a walk in the park.

With a high of 77 and not a cloud in the sky, it was the prefect day for mommy and baby to enjoy a walk.

Here's to more days just like today.

I agree, mom!