4 months {Cole William}

{Cole William: 4 months}

16 pounds 2 ounces

26 3/4 inches long

Oh Mr. Baby Cole.  (as Jake likes to call you lol) I don't even know where to start with you!  This month has been so so fun.  And a tad bit exhausting.  BUT, we were MUCH healthier this month, so hooray for that! 

• First, we just got back from your doctors appointment and she was seriously floored with how tall you were.  I guess growing almost 5 inches since being born is kind of a big deal?  Even the nurse had trouble weighing you because your legs were hitting the wall and your head was falling off the scale lol  Apparently you're one tall kiddo being in the 97% percentile.  And, she said that may be why sleeping hasn't quite been so great at night....
• And more on that sleeping.  It is SO funny to look back at your brother's monthly blog post because guess what he had trouble with this month?  Rolling over and not sleeping lol  Guess what we're having trouble with right now?  The exact. same. thing.  I guess you guys are brothers ;) However, our doctor also said that you probably are needing more food than Jake did since you are so tall, so I shouldn't expect a great night sleep until 6 months when she said your growing *should* slow down!  So we will see how that goes!
• The doctor also said that we should introduce food into your diet which may help you sleep because, yep, you guessed it.  You're so tall.  So I guess we will be starting it a little earlier?!  I couldn't believe that today at the grocery store I was already picking up oatmeal and sweet potatoes for you!  
• Because of that being tall thing you're rocking out Jake's 9 months clothes.  So maybe you guys will be wearing almost the same size here soon!  I am so excited we can be in t shirts and shorts soon!
• Your tongue is always out when you smile and it's so cute!  
• Similar to your brother, you love sitting up and seeing everything that is going on.  You still love your little floor jungle too because you have nailed grabbing that little parrot hanging there. And you love it when anyone sits by you- we could chat for hours these days :)
• Because of all the sickness last week was the first time I tried putting you in the childcare during a midweek Bible study and that was a huge fail.  I got buzzed within 20 minutes of leaving lol  Let's hope next week goes better :)
• And I am still burning quite the calories getting you to fall asleep.  I swear the low lunges that seem to get you the most tired are giving me quite the toned legs.
• You are sucking your thumb.  And I seriously think it is the CUTEST thing.  I love it.  I don't care if you need braces because of it because, let's be honest, you probably would anyway.
• You love staring at Jake and I even find you laughing at him as you watch him run around.  
• And you still love diaper changes and seem to be most happy when you are naked.  It must be a guy thing ;)

We love you so so much little Cole!  Every month is so fun with you!

House Renovations

This post is a VERY long time coming.  Seeing as we have been in our home for 6 months!  Also, we really haven't made any new changes to our kitchen since November, when Cole was born.  We had people finishing up electric actually while we were in the hospital and when we get home all the big things were complete!  Yes we still have some toe kicks and trim and walls to paint.  And we may add crown molding (the ones we measured don't fit now- apparently our ceiling dips a little!) in the future, but for now it is functional which is WAY more than it was in September when we bought the home.

When we first started looking at homes I ruled out all raised ranches.  I told Dan I didn't like all the steps with kids and anytime he showed me one I told him"no."  But when this one popped up on our radar I fell in love with the cathedral ceilings in the addition they built on so I said I would *look* at it.  Almost every other home in our budget was ok, but we hadn't found the one that we felt we could grow into.  Let's be honest, Chicago is a pretty expensive area and we didn't have a large budget so most of the homes we were looking at were smaller.  However, they were finished.  This one had more space, but was a rental and needed quite a bit of work.  Not just on the inside (kitchen, floors, yellow tubs, etc) but the outside of the home has peeling paint, bricks falling off, and some pretty rough landscaping going on.  We know that every home we purchase will have a list of work that we could do.  So we are just embracing what we have done so far instead of focusing on all the things we would like to do with it in the future.  It's a work in progress :) 

So, here's the major changes we did!  We tore up the carpet and flooring on the main level.  We took down two walls, gutted the kitchen, and moved the dishwasher.  Then we purchased all new appliances and bought our cabinets, sink, and hood from Ikea.  We built them all and installed them ourselves (along with help from family and friends!) which was quite the sanctifying experience but we did it!  Honestly, we could not have done all of this without the help and guidance from our friends and family.  Dan and my dad spent his whole birthday ripping up floors and then my dad spent 12 MORE hours by himself while we celebrated a friends birthday party in the city pulling up every. single. nail from the carpet.  And there were A LOT.  Dan's dad helped us install the cabinets and hood and painted part of our kitchen.  Even my brother helped us assemble some cabinets!  And many of our friends helped us gut the kitchen, install the floors, and invited us over for meals while we lived without a kitchen for two months.  It was quite a two months, but I wouldn't take back anything because I LOVE how it looks.  (even all the heartburn I experienced at 32 weeks from bending over to click our laminate floors in lol) The open concept is wonderful for this stage of life with little kiddos and I love that our bedrooms are on the same floor as well.  (which I never thought I would think that!)  And just this weekend we painted our fireplace white and I LOVE it. 

This home is such a blessing and we are so so thankful that we ended up here!  Yes, there is much more we would like to do, but for now, we have a floor to walk on and a kitchen to eat in and for that we are so thankful :)  So here's the changes we have made!

BEFORE:

 AFTER

Wet Oatmeal Kisses

This morning at Bible study the leader read this poem, and half way through I felt my eyes start to burn and thankfully looked over at my friend (who is 37 weeks pregnant and at the acceptable stage for crying at anything) and discovered I wasn't alone.  Yes, motherhood is hard.  Parenting is hard.  Not getting sleep is hard.  But this is such a short short season of my life and this poem captured it perfectly.  

Wet Oatmeal Kisses

The baby is teething. The children are fighting. Your husband just called and said, “Eat dinner without me.” One of these days you’ll explode and shout to the kids, “Why don’t you grow up and act your age?” And they will.

Or, “You guys get outside and find yourselves something to do. And don’t slam the door!” And they don’t. You’ll straighten their bedrooms all neat and tidy, toys displayed on the shelf, hangers in the closet, animals caged. You’ll yell, “Now I want it to stay this way!” And it will.

You will prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn’t had all the olives picked out and a cake with no finger traces in the icing and you’ll say, “Now THIS is a meal for company.” And you will eat it alone.

You’ll say, “I want complete privacy on the phone. No dancing around, no pantomines, no demolition crews. Silence! Do you hear?” and you’ll have it. No more plastic tablecloths stained with spaghetti, no more anxious nights under a vaporizer tent, no more dandelion bouquets, no more iron-on patches, wet, knotted shoestrings, tight boots, missing mittens, or ponytails falling out.

Imagine, a lipstick with a point, no babysitter, washing clothes only once a week, no parent meetings, carpools, Christmas presents out of toothpicks and paste.

No more wet oatmeal kisses.

No more toothfairy, giggles in the dark, or knees to heal.

Only a voice crying, “Why don’t you grow up?” and the silence echoing,

“I did”

Some new pictures I got printed :)

We threw a shower for a dear friend who is expecting a little baby GIRL!

I can't even handle his little smile!

I love all the guys in my life :)

Jake made this at church and it was the cutest little project I had ever seen!

This is his "I just made purple!" face haha