tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9553738528570203162024-03-05T08:34:54.231-05:00Just Another Day...A Chronicle of Life's Experiences in the Humorous and Sometimes Obstreperous World in Which We Live.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1044125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-33048061157494747742021-10-30T12:09:00.002-04:002021-10-30T12:09:39.180-04:00Chase’s 12th Birthday!<p>We are so blessed to celebrate our Rock Star’s 12th birthday! His actual birthday on Tuesday was chaotic now that he and E are in public school and those mornings are just too crazy early and hectic to attempt birthday pancakes. Plus the fact that 3/5 of the kids are still asleep when we leave for drop-off. LOL!</p><p>We celebrated with family last Sunday, had a birthday dinner at his favorite restaurant (Culver’s!) after Owen’s t-ball game on Tuesday, and extended the festivities to this morning for our traditional birthday pancakes. I think he really enjoyed having a birthday week!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdB240vbC_oLEfx5TkNacEA9wWukTGgsCcaUulPWKpOEF3BLoQWRJPKgKEVmk0O-lrPxQ2L3uC9ayqJW6GbEhqVwKtCqT3CYebHMlfzTc_iymOLKZTxFN3F67MurriC2TxDIQPcV4DkI/s2048/ABCFBA28-DBAD-43B2-A865-3C03E2B085B8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdB240vbC_oLEfx5TkNacEA9wWukTGgsCcaUulPWKpOEF3BLoQWRJPKgKEVmk0O-lrPxQ2L3uC9ayqJW6GbEhqVwKtCqT3CYebHMlfzTc_iymOLKZTxFN3F67MurriC2TxDIQPcV4DkI/s320/ABCFBA28-DBAD-43B2-A865-3C03E2B085B8.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPFyiN7OCmmH9IiUi6wAPvgc-Z_X-yu5gHL6L0Q8pn-pHlpbH4aJ4DsQKsznUJgu530xcD9J78c9djlr3Aa1nGq_nqyEoI2dIn-qnxYQujRVB7d69ov-dHRf2PZtW4W5OnKqLto0A7tc/s2048/357814D3-C4CC-4023-B6AD-403AEE739B4E.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPFyiN7OCmmH9IiUi6wAPvgc-Z_X-yu5gHL6L0Q8pn-pHlpbH4aJ4DsQKsznUJgu530xcD9J78c9djlr3Aa1nGq_nqyEoI2dIn-qnxYQujRVB7d69ov-dHRf2PZtW4W5OnKqLto0A7tc/s320/357814D3-C4CC-4023-B6AD-403AEE739B4E.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvH54Ao30Z3rNNuFBTPr2U36M9DIxb86fS3-aL-EHUOGj6YEkv4f1arpbpLxGdSOwx1mZ2a6OIuRcgoP1_pwdVL2LH7D4tVKkzASbF4ECh0vljTOrwECigw_dU6KtP0mcNGdLsNRbAp8/s2048/1F51BC2A-363E-4B89-8077-566E0064A9E6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvH54Ao30Z3rNNuFBTPr2U36M9DIxb86fS3-aL-EHUOGj6YEkv4f1arpbpLxGdSOwx1mZ2a6OIuRcgoP1_pwdVL2LH7D4tVKkzASbF4ECh0vljTOrwECigw_dU6KtP0mcNGdLsNRbAp8/s320/1F51BC2A-363E-4B89-8077-566E0064A9E6.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_zV94L432fcaHEv2M5jZ4c5-1Cl7vcIrHZbhN7agapX0BwqTKeWkK1WWpMEf1raTlaLt9HfPZlhKPi_OFdT1pyTQMu9Yjqoxhy2wBJ-vNJHJuSnfMiy10-b3RrwBRrdSHY0VshD1rf0/s2048/6FFDE2BC-EA61-447B-9B2E-3564719EE228.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_zV94L432fcaHEv2M5jZ4c5-1Cl7vcIrHZbhN7agapX0BwqTKeWkK1WWpMEf1raTlaLt9HfPZlhKPi_OFdT1pyTQMu9Yjqoxhy2wBJ-vNJHJuSnfMiy10-b3RrwBRrdSHY0VshD1rf0/s320/6FFDE2BC-EA61-447B-9B2E-3564719EE228.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-66958748112479694462020-10-18T11:43:00.002-04:002020-10-18T11:57:57.709-04:00Cinco | 3 Months<p>Y'all, it's hard to keep this blog updated. Sweet Cinco turned 3 months old in September and I still haven't taken his 3-month pictures! He'll be 4 months old in less than a week. I'm telling you... I'm starting to realize there's something to be said about being the youngest of five... I'm going to owe Cinco some apologies when he gets older! LOL!</p><p>Regardless, here's a quick pic of him at 3 months having fun in the bath!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2jB5mJKQLXbohQUVYdjM0QRi_0VTwqkza98Jr-LmUN6OaVp1f0e7mH7-Jp0gOqVHNpLcqHYuzKiBWFh9r4NVpiurdvYW8qFWQTLmoCzo2uknPgkVpGwDIhl3TiHzHEZtoaFu0QScM5g/s720/Cinco_3months.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2jB5mJKQLXbohQUVYdjM0QRi_0VTwqkza98Jr-LmUN6OaVp1f0e7mH7-Jp0gOqVHNpLcqHYuzKiBWFh9r4NVpiurdvYW8qFWQTLmoCzo2uknPgkVpGwDIhl3TiHzHEZtoaFu0QScM5g/w400-h400/Cinco_3months.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Overall things are GOOOOOOOOD with this sweet baby! He's such a champ! He eats about every 3 hours during the day, and usually sleeps for 8 or 9 hours at night. He's so happy and smiley! Our only real struggle is the continued spit up issue, and he's taking Pepcid to help with it. I'm not sure how much it's actually helping, though. I'll talk to his pediatrician at his 4-month well visit later this month to see what else we can do.<div><br /></div><div>A big milestone for this sweet muffin was his first time in the Jumperoo! We bought this for LO 13 years ago... and all of the boys have used it since, too! For the record, his feet do hit the floor... he's just "mid-jump" in this pic with his legs curled up. Hahaha!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOl-Ld_9Yj2P03bapOu627b4UNRI5AsfTW8QP5b58eP9qWsKudAV5fXxBUCXBktqN9gquMvIrNeb_Vttvktr98Tk8og8VGlwxDzwC6WrY5Aq_rVh67PnzV9FGxcqCG1vuJNzBnF_-Y4EQ/s2048/Cincojump+-+1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOl-Ld_9Yj2P03bapOu627b4UNRI5AsfTW8QP5b58eP9qWsKudAV5fXxBUCXBktqN9gquMvIrNeb_Vttvktr98Tk8og8VGlwxDzwC6WrY5Aq_rVh67PnzV9FGxcqCG1vuJNzBnF_-Y4EQ/w480-h640/Cincojump+-+1.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Just for fun, here are the boys in the jumperoo!</div><div><br /></div><div>CHASE:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceM2DVeLwm4_VXxnB8C40ZgPoZgI_rxIyZbuu78dPan1sYfmrorXNpXNf0728iCnb5mEKPkMkfTi7j8OSP3TQymFinlX1RmVjgBCkm8z-NyFZfSJlTs7KCM6y00ErbMkd3LF0i8UO5BA/s1142/Screen+Shot+2020-10-18+at+11.46.36+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1142" data-original-width="1134" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceM2DVeLwm4_VXxnB8C40ZgPoZgI_rxIyZbuu78dPan1sYfmrorXNpXNf0728iCnb5mEKPkMkfTi7j8OSP3TQymFinlX1RmVjgBCkm8z-NyFZfSJlTs7KCM6y00ErbMkd3LF0i8UO5BA/w636-h640/Screen+Shot+2020-10-18+at+11.46.36+AM.png" width="636" /></a></div><div><br /></div>E:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5IjAWa9VmhvJVZvzDMqyijuG70q9Xa63Y5zQcddOZMmQFtvRZtJgzthY5HzIb6WPOXdRPNr8Jufw9SoCYsMKj67ml9YAk3vFAU5iZtjB8KXQ7lMQret9Hxo2m8WTOplGxcYDj0IL-mk/s1274/Screen+Shot+2020-10-18+at+11.52.12+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1274" data-original-width="1182" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5IjAWa9VmhvJVZvzDMqyijuG70q9Xa63Y5zQcddOZMmQFtvRZtJgzthY5HzIb6WPOXdRPNr8Jufw9SoCYsMKj67ml9YAk3vFAU5iZtjB8KXQ7lMQret9Hxo2m8WTOplGxcYDj0IL-mk/w594-h640/Screen+Shot+2020-10-18+at+11.52.12+AM.png" width="594" /></a></div><div><br /></div>SQUISH:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBn2oxyvueMoumAV3RwwlAeFjyRBcrlzFO_PBekku5TqxKsVSEAG-Kx7x9KW1c8qWmFSddskOuhcw_h8SX1aU8J82RHli82ADNJV7-JFxglziYx0GpKZpL0KpdkqiW0IUvHt-BeyZqQWs/s1166/Screen+Shot+2020-10-18+at+11.55.48+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1138" data-original-width="1166" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBn2oxyvueMoumAV3RwwlAeFjyRBcrlzFO_PBekku5TqxKsVSEAG-Kx7x9KW1c8qWmFSddskOuhcw_h8SX1aU8J82RHli82ADNJV7-JFxglziYx0GpKZpL0KpdkqiW0IUvHt-BeyZqQWs/w640-h624/Screen+Shot+2020-10-18+at+11.55.48+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Another fun milestone during month 3 was Cinco's first trip to the beach! We had a blast! I should definitely write a post on that first family trip out of the house since COVID hit!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBndEsKMrS7oHdgmMhrRtxnXsVLtxr3hTm9U7FpBAOzum1PnAxUt_ulRtGwBawQh_NYQ1jrjk3iKdTj1fGOvJJJBSkhkdOJUvoFrqe42M5yC9jR0BEoLREGn5Z2gpH3P5vxZbu7j4v2g/s2048/Cincobeach+-+1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBndEsKMrS7oHdgmMhrRtxnXsVLtxr3hTm9U7FpBAOzum1PnAxUt_ulRtGwBawQh_NYQ1jrjk3iKdTj1fGOvJJJBSkhkdOJUvoFrqe42M5yC9jR0BEoLREGn5Z2gpH3P5vxZbu7j4v2g/w480-h640/Cincobeach+-+1.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>Guess that's it for now! I obviously should start working on his 4 month post sooner than later! LOL!</div><div><br /></div><div>I just love my sweet Cinco! 💙<br /><div><br /></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-46496814057326111902020-08-28T13:00:00.001-04:002020-08-28T13:05:24.889-04:00Cinco | 2 Months<p>My sweet Cinco is officially 2 months old! It's SOOOOO exhausting being SOOOOO adorable!</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ka2z_niUTtyq5SbcSfA0_QaEj_-3-wvvIYQ_YkeJk9on2jG2Xg0PolB6-EdA5C4JX2llFAOWiVI84iHPnwq7UNheqFlpsduIfJA0e_Xzqjz94PTMPuIUMRzAxp3NPdz5gXycVlqVNW8/s1024/LLP_5901.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="697" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ka2z_niUTtyq5SbcSfA0_QaEj_-3-wvvIYQ_YkeJk9on2jG2Xg0PolB6-EdA5C4JX2llFAOWiVI84iHPnwq7UNheqFlpsduIfJA0e_Xzqjz94PTMPuIUMRzAxp3NPdz5gXycVlqVNW8/s600/LLP_5901.jpg" /></a>My apologies for the terrible white balance... I promise he isn't still jaundiced. I accidentally deleted all of my LR presets when trying to clear space on my MBP, and, combined with the forced upgrade to the new version of LR, my editing skills are seriously lacking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHAL2mPWYnRqTyXz0BTL3rSLHV5Wvlv4SzOKODCKswzQWcctAa5R3Ss1r5C1KQaLO-yoOJ2j3tYZ8bv46JLVTcW1mDtMkGCaXZam-v_dAnz1_LppMGHKJ1PGz4jvI9Nrg1mqKkUolcCM/s1024/LLP_5904.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHAL2mPWYnRqTyXz0BTL3rSLHV5Wvlv4SzOKODCKswzQWcctAa5R3Ss1r5C1KQaLO-yoOJ2j3tYZ8bv46JLVTcW1mDtMkGCaXZam-v_dAnz1_LppMGHKJ1PGz4jvI9Nrg1mqKkUolcCM/s600/LLP_5904.jpg" width="600" /></a>I was glad to finally bust out the Nikon to take some proper photos of my sweet munchkin. Too bad I wasn't able to take his 1 month photos last month. Those first four weeks with this guy were especially difficult!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaV2BueiFRp6DV_GAf8grwp_cg2YttYgz9xgcnmO2u6GBS4Lc7GAyG2R9vTbntA_M2YoTf8V5AnPzPhzPs3r59S5CL5uAuf2M9LvvRNGDzme1rEx_-PYA-fWcPc1NaCzrPi1YkwmsQNTk/s1024/LLP_5924.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="716" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaV2BueiFRp6DV_GAf8grwp_cg2YttYgz9xgcnmO2u6GBS4Lc7GAyG2R9vTbntA_M2YoTf8V5AnPzPhzPs3r59S5CL5uAuf2M9LvvRNGDzme1rEx_-PYA-fWcPc1NaCzrPi1YkwmsQNTk/s600/LLP_5924.jpg" /></a>I mean, look at this face. Totes adorbs! I just *assumed* that as my 5th and final kid, he'd be a walk in the park. Us youngest kiddos are the best! But he apparently had other plans...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBkYfdqDHVhV74W7vR7M2uD-faDf9fPbSScddi60HdWAVJ9e4esdsWoX0gauFzSh1wFTzU7ALpqqV1s3wd2dSBuI5CkYIHVg8BLwOoWlLe12GkGgU1IbyRsBe7xdC8e9BD-HG6TjpPSY/s1024/LLP_5939.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="726" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBkYfdqDHVhV74W7vR7M2uD-faDf9fPbSScddi60HdWAVJ9e4esdsWoX0gauFzSh1wFTzU7ALpqqV1s3wd2dSBuI5CkYIHVg8BLwOoWlLe12GkGgU1IbyRsBe7xdC8e9BD-HG6TjpPSY/s600/LLP_5939.jpg" /></a>I really couldn't complain, though. I just couldn't get enough of him! Those sweet toes... chunky thighs... sweet coos... it was all worth it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgePGb1uSr0gMebgAI69mQCYF-ypXkO-k0PEtWNl9_Rg6hkJc7JH_rHTPdaMTR3k0ISAKKWel1qeSJETbmTpM5Yd3PCdAFDu0zQhGzLWO_L4wAzbMe0nwST4aApTqFtA0BVyKXwqUPHuA/s1024/LLP_5944.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgePGb1uSr0gMebgAI69mQCYF-ypXkO-k0PEtWNl9_Rg6hkJc7JH_rHTPdaMTR3k0ISAKKWel1qeSJETbmTpM5Yd3PCdAFDu0zQhGzLWO_L4wAzbMe0nwST4aApTqFtA0BVyKXwqUPHuA/s600/LLP_5944.jpg" width="600" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87t2xm8L2fsYev-rGGNwWm4XKBHotIZrc8Cm58rneis-lgXxQxugfdWAQmyK1HTQRcToQP66HFXk-OE5Hi2vc-bFoSRhBlYiEJbSOxSBeuYQCyyPEMBxhrvhiTdW4ekQMtBuJao_kqJ0/s1024/LLP_5948.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87t2xm8L2fsYev-rGGNwWm4XKBHotIZrc8Cm58rneis-lgXxQxugfdWAQmyK1HTQRcToQP66HFXk-OE5Hi2vc-bFoSRhBlYiEJbSOxSBeuYQCyyPEMBxhrvhiTdW4ekQMtBuJao_kqJ0/s600/LLP_5948.jpg" width="600" /></a>Owl booty, y'all!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSldCjan2WyOiomsr67JbSRUAIrpNuJ5ZquehFccmuTD8F6_hZwcNyOaxB1-wFnfPCboH8HjxvK35LPGnOjFhCnf2Y6b2x2PVvgqlPM5Jzy6kE3FCsSp2Fcq78rvHdMIhJHdN9gGld7w/s1024/LLP_5965.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="599" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSldCjan2WyOiomsr67JbSRUAIrpNuJ5ZquehFccmuTD8F6_hZwcNyOaxB1-wFnfPCboH8HjxvK35LPGnOjFhCnf2Y6b2x2PVvgqlPM5Jzy6kE3FCsSp2Fcq78rvHdMIhJHdN9gGld7w/s600/LLP_5965.jpg" /></a>We've been working a bit on tummy time. It's not his favorite, but he's doing better each time!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXldJoJWfHZMRdYDV25mZrkP66NyqOdX8BLmJwdkDcl1GTRgZILX4PRzOWI5p5A3HYDA9IaKyqYVR2slG2CMHZYtkF-svMGHffRiKyH4Add5i1IeQvG8F8E9U8X-oMN5t_itS99w-INI/s1024/LLP_5971.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXldJoJWfHZMRdYDV25mZrkP66NyqOdX8BLmJwdkDcl1GTRgZILX4PRzOWI5p5A3HYDA9IaKyqYVR2slG2CMHZYtkF-svMGHffRiKyH4Add5i1IeQvG8F8E9U8X-oMN5t_itS99w-INI/s600/LLP_5971.jpg" width="600" /></a>What a wonderful idea to have a photo session literally just a few hours after his 2 month vaccinations! To my surprise, he was simply wonderful. But those poor chunky thighs with their tweety bird bandages!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Please also take note of the gorgeous gray knit blanket... my beloved most favorite aunt on the planet made that for my sweet baby! She's literally the best.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcqkDcLOB67RLYKOKU3pp-IiHHyHFXwz0j5oOxc5S0F2rNTWK3Omtg_EXDZCcdtorlHRC_6nD17fPBRhwegaompMSCwNFUCjEBi7un3jhB-pB-Fve2I7zFqgeQhpcGnJZEhlmfL90dLk/s1024/LLP_5893.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcqkDcLOB67RLYKOKU3pp-IiHHyHFXwz0j5oOxc5S0F2rNTWK3Omtg_EXDZCcdtorlHRC_6nD17fPBRhwegaompMSCwNFUCjEBi7un3jhB-pB-Fve2I7zFqgeQhpcGnJZEhlmfL90dLk/s600/LLP_5893.jpg" width="600" /></a>This journey has been quite difficult with the added stresses and unknowns and inconveniences of COVID-19. Our family has been hunkered down for 168 days and counting... and it's not been fun. But we are doing what we need to do to keep our sweet little family safe and healthy. There's nothing more important! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHEbFYGzwoxGbcOtZH9KzuYFapklL3YFD5PxtUGbRnn3kr5ZEj78KD1HiQJ1y264Td4lmsQ_3cWGvkAJFMSarqhqbqtOMLtiSIHUdwe0n6iz4C1zSDBReenK0osA_bgq3ugLFR5yYxds/s1200/Cinco2months+-+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHEbFYGzwoxGbcOtZH9KzuYFapklL3YFD5PxtUGbRnn3kr5ZEj78KD1HiQJ1y264Td4lmsQ_3cWGvkAJFMSarqhqbqtOMLtiSIHUdwe0n6iz4C1zSDBReenK0osA_bgq3ugLFR5yYxds/s640/Cinco2months+-+1.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Oh, and just for fun... here's a 2 month pic of another one of my boys... any guesses?? Lots of similarities in that sweet face!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcPYUjYFtvnZzd2cIx8VqpF0rF2j2XfWHAY1Da1htfjUyA7qj9uj0TgyZoBUcr26RNIus4SDP5Ad1gn5TbylwSoTnU0bsalpDCUB6pbUm6U8qgqFVBmsDyptZ8paMxzI2FW_JuWezgR0/s1600/2months.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcPYUjYFtvnZzd2cIx8VqpF0rF2j2XfWHAY1Da1htfjUyA7qj9uj0TgyZoBUcr26RNIus4SDP5Ad1gn5TbylwSoTnU0bsalpDCUB6pbUm6U8qgqFVBmsDyptZ8paMxzI2FW_JuWezgR0/s640/2months.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-69134844664584394322020-07-26T13:06:00.001-04:002020-08-28T13:11:05.572-04:00Cinco | 1 Month<p>Sweet Cinco is one month old! Silly mommy was SO exhausted from all of the unexpected doctor visits, appointments, and procedures all over the Upstate that I couldn't pull myself together to grab the Nikon and take proper photos. So here are a few pics of my sweet one month old babe!</p><p>Enjoy!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLoeksGYMxrAscWI5BjnvBE5b3g2hi2hfuVapiOyNOJL_a-GSZEPXfVabmTSSjEDao6MHH3K9zAyrNe193LvYUJy7gECN1Fur3xiYqN-Zwucgit1e9coCaZCyt8XW7BJMYVcdZGntLxqQ/s2048/Cinco1month+-+3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLoeksGYMxrAscWI5BjnvBE5b3g2hi2hfuVapiOyNOJL_a-GSZEPXfVabmTSSjEDao6MHH3K9zAyrNe193LvYUJy7gECN1Fur3xiYqN-Zwucgit1e9coCaZCyt8XW7BJMYVcdZGntLxqQ/s640/Cinco1month+-+3.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldru5AYLkNjJRP378kW8YWKi1BFoJjP88yxkhgU6i6WKkVJqIlkp1QfUGD5H72YhwA90ZxnFzqgkrMtS3FmKUZIHWluzYkcwsK8Hxyi5VLWJRWJOkWZkAInCTJ1emJCm59gc847vTFXA/s2048/Cinco1month+-+2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldru5AYLkNjJRP378kW8YWKi1BFoJjP88yxkhgU6i6WKkVJqIlkp1QfUGD5H72YhwA90ZxnFzqgkrMtS3FmKUZIHWluzYkcwsK8Hxyi5VLWJRWJOkWZkAInCTJ1emJCm59gc847vTFXA/s640/Cinco1month+-+2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuvcPpjHROtjbMKKDuTCb2fqXGZF-MKuoxLnq4jFqExJQLEdqUJA-f3EN967stErpwPpyIb4JLmLWgLR17TcJ59pg9so7mRXwmj0XEfpIgjppi-AUZ-EpmPaOJuNDzqRk8O9lr3HsT64/s2048/Cinco1month+-+1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuvcPpjHROtjbMKKDuTCb2fqXGZF-MKuoxLnq4jFqExJQLEdqUJA-f3EN967stErpwPpyIb4JLmLWgLR17TcJ59pg9so7mRXwmj0XEfpIgjppi-AUZ-EpmPaOJuNDzqRk8O9lr3HsT64/s640/Cinco1month+-+1.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-66351966855296034652020-06-24T22:44:00.004-04:002020-06-25T16:38:51.434-04:00Cinco’s Birth StoryIt’s Cinco’s birth day! We are so excited!<div><br /></div><div>Last night, we enjoyed our final night as a family of 6 by snuggling together in our bed to watch <i>The Floor is Lava</i> on Netflix. It was so great to spend that time together with my crew!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1c99HQTAFszLkaELDykFBSNf8xVvQOfH6" src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1c99HQTAFszLkaELDykFBSNf8xVvQOfH6" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">For starters, this birth story is already unlike my previous four! We were able to sleep in our own bed last night rather than head to the hospital the night before the induction. It was lovely to get about 3 whole hours of sleep in my own bed (LOL!) and shower at home before heading to the hospital.</div><div><br /></div><div>I called L&D at 5:30 AM as instructed, and they asked me to arrive between 6:45-7:00 AM. We are packed and ready to go! My mom (Mona) and her sister (Aunt Jo) will be staying with the kids while we’re in the hospital. We are so thrilled to have them here with us! It’s been a L-O-N-G 103 days of quarantine for the kid, hubs, and I! I’m so glad the kids will have my mom and aunt here to love on them!</div><div><br /></div><div>We have about 45 minutes until we head to the hospital. There’s so much more to come! 💙</div><div><br /></div><div><b>9:15 AM</b> | We arrived at the hospital a little after 7:00 AM, got through the admission process, and settled into our room. My nurse, Jocelyn, has been awesome. She got me hooked up to the IV (only 2 tries!) and was able to get the Pitocin started around 8:20 AM. Dr. French broke my water around 9:00 AM and said I was at 3cm. Got a way to go! My kiddos usually take a good 12 or so hours to debut once the Pit is started, so we’ll see just how late it’ll be before Cinco arrives!</div><div><br /></div><div>Big mama is ready to meet my sweet babe!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1_O8FP_5lrhBC4zY7MbWNgIABy-GxRQKU" src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1_O8FP_5lrhBC4zY7MbWNgIABy-GxRQKU" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><b>12:18 PM</b> | Not much to report! I moved from the bed to the birthing ball and am now settled into a rocking chair. <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; display: inline; font-size: 12pt;">My nurse Jocelyn was placed on another case, and Whitney took over for me. She’s been great! We’ve got my Pitocin up to 10 and I’m still just feeling increasingly mild to moderate contractions. I plan to wait for them to get a bit worse and frequent before pulling the trigger on the epidural. Baby Cinco is handling everything great! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1PJepwxBi7zH9zFr7x1l3cAqzaJ5Y6Lbj" src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1PJepwxBi7zH9zFr7x1l3cAqzaJ5Y6Lbj" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; font-size: 12pt; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><b>1:17 PM</b> | Still not much to report. Contractions are still pretty mild, so they’ve bumped me up to 14 on the Pitocin. I’m hopeful I’ll be feeling ready for that epidural soon because that would = PROGRESS! And I’m ready for some progress... and a Jimmy John’s sandwich! 🤣</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>2:45 PM</b> | Contractions started to increase so I asked for the epidural. The anesthesiologist was next door and was able to come right over once my IV fluids were in. The epidural was probably the most painful one I’ve ever had, but it eventually kicked in and made my life much more enjoyable! Lol!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; display: inline; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="display: inline; font-size: 12pt;">My nurs</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; display: inline; font-size: 12pt;">e, Whitney, checked me after the epidural took effect and said I was at 4cm, 80% effaced, and 0 station. We’ve still got some work to do!</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; display: inline; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">Hubs and I were able to FaceTime with my mom, aunt, and the kids before their quiet time at 2:30 PM, and it was so great to see them! I miss them bunches and can’t wait to bring home baby Cinco tomorrow. 💙</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br /></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><b>5:15 PM</b> | Making progress! Moved up to 6cm. Waiting and praying for a safe arrival SOON!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br /></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><b>5:50 PM</b> | 9cm!!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br /></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><b>10:45 PM</b> | He’s here! So sorry for the lack of updates, but as you can imagine, we’ve been a bit busy! I won’t have an official birth announcement to share until tomorrow as hubs and I are <i>still</i> trying to finalize his name, and we’d like to discuss it with the kids in the morning to make our decision before making anything public. Thank you for being patient with us as we try to soak up every precious moment of this experience for the VERY LAST TIME! 💙</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Baby Cinco</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">June 24, 2020</div><div style="text-align: center;">7:07 PM</div><div style="text-align: center;">8 lbs. 8 oz. • 20 3/4 in.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwjuaQH2bF9GdiBtoax50ZIU73kAUwVQ7qqKD9Dfn8hPPnPZqcjNZpWXtCW2q65P-tbyRmEBQcg1FXaUphLTUfRTaoUc15-PbaYTh6miutOlo2d1LojaYEp-NSfCO0qu3TdaUol3Ln4k/s3388/wyatt_1x1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3388" data-original-width="3388" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwjuaQH2bF9GdiBtoax50ZIU73kAUwVQ7qqKD9Dfn8hPPnPZqcjNZpWXtCW2q65P-tbyRmEBQcg1FXaUphLTUfRTaoUc15-PbaYTh6miutOlo2d1LojaYEp-NSfCO0qu3TdaUol3Ln4k/s320/wyatt_1x1.jpg" /></a></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-11851612943800926572020-06-09T00:28:00.000-04:002020-06-09T00:28:28.119-04:00The One with the Office: Part 1Seems these days there's not much going on around here (I believe we're one of TWO families still in quarantine in our state?), so we keep uncovering projects to keep us busy.<br />
<br />
This project was NOT on the docket pre-baby's arrival. I'm not even sure it was even in the realm of possibility at any point in time. Ever.<br />
<br />
Regardless, it is LONG overdue.<br />
<br />
So we have this office off the main family room. It has a door. I LOVE the door. The door can be closed to hide a multitude of sins. And y'all, there are many multitudes of sins to be hidden in this room!<br />
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To be honest, it started as a workout space. It was the home of our treadmill, bench, and weights. We even had the foam floor tiles protecting the carpet.<br />
<br />
But it was also kind of an office. It's where the modem and router and printers all lived together in harmony.<br />
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And then, because we decided to use our morning room as a morning room and no longer as a homeschool classroom, it also needed to become the staging area for our homeschool books and supplies.<br />
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So, if you're following along, it's a gym/office/classroom room. Essentially, another room in our home with no identity.<br />
<br />
We were okay with it. The kids pretty much trashed it on the regular. I'd get fed up when I would attempt to get something from the printer after tripping over 1,302 things, and force them in there to clean up: art supplies, papers, craft projects, toys, books... you name it, and it was likely in this room!<br />
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I tried to ignore it. That closed door really gave me a lovely sense of joy and allowed my OCD to stay at rest.<br />
<br />
Until one day... one of the (cheap) bookshelves BROKE! All of the stuff on that bookshelf had to find a new home. And by new home, I meant piling it up on the desk, or spilling it into the family room on the sofa table, or just tossing it on the floor anywhere.<br />
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It was bad. Real bad.<br />
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I'm not sure you believe me. Wanna see just how bad it was??<br />
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WARNING: It was BAD.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyJFjFk3LCmEu4z3OM79HaYApH39UbIeNVo9PYpQQNmTLpk6Q27SrJnCxsbvXAPuREViQF-h6ArdP8uJWgc4oJmz3_0wbu7lYuvRf-K_-8qIKyWFDQM830HKIMNe95KG9a2B0svCU57E/s1600/office+-+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyJFjFk3LCmEu4z3OM79HaYApH39UbIeNVo9PYpQQNmTLpk6Q27SrJnCxsbvXAPuREViQF-h6ArdP8uJWgc4oJmz3_0wbu7lYuvRf-K_-8qIKyWFDQM830HKIMNe95KG9a2B0svCU57E/s640/office+-+1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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See?? I told you! You can see the blank wall space to the left... that's where to broken bookshelf once resided. And all the stuff that was on that bookshelf? Now on the desk...</div>
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...and on/below/around/(insert preposition here) the sofa table in the family room:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6vZTXQyTVmfk7cYqoCMZaiz7yMYbRqLRnJnIpJDzejxQHwhzj1wWDztZCEjE-gJGskT45Pf39fI0BMhS0KHCBNkpSzbYiTXQbCj0U3VBAHGN0I6o-nM7f6bTYQ2umFIxmRUV9tvh_iM/s1600/office+-+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6vZTXQyTVmfk7cYqoCMZaiz7yMYbRqLRnJnIpJDzejxQHwhzj1wWDztZCEjE-gJGskT45Pf39fI0BMhS0KHCBNkpSzbYiTXQbCj0U3VBAHGN0I6o-nM7f6bTYQ2umFIxmRUV9tvh_iM/s640/office+-+2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I tried cleaning things up a bit, knowing I probably needed to sort through all.the.things. at some point. It started to look a <i>little </i>better, but this wasn't even .087% of what was in that room!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuoVe7YHaXwjINQryajGcHpSigmMnyROj67uGdtJX4Pbq9t9pxv9q3lLVuTP6B7B7Ns14xoz9no0b5ikUDnkDly30pk8tXCbdQjIdRAa6yLRb8WeyiPKTORbTH_JMAE0rXbWrL6-wbOs/s1600/office+-+3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuoVe7YHaXwjINQryajGcHpSigmMnyROj67uGdtJX4Pbq9t9pxv9q3lLVuTP6B7B7Ns14xoz9no0b5ikUDnkDly30pk8tXCbdQjIdRAa6yLRb8WeyiPKTORbTH_JMAE0rXbWrL6-wbOs/s640/office+-+3.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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See? Even with all the stuff you saw in the family room above, there was still ALL THIS STUFF in the office. And it ALL would need to come out. But my 9-months-pregnant self was just NOT feeling it. Not even a little bit. So I called in the only reinforcements I was able to call: hubs and the kids.</div>
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I excused myself upstairs to take a LONG, hot bath, binged watched a few too many episodes of <i>Home Town, </i>and left hubs and the kids to do all the work. Check out the awesome job they did!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNey5rBELb1NJbZ4QSEvqnKz87VrY9PTnsgnr1T90NU-cnbxYx9XrKSYLNSRoumM-WkbakAwhW5GFZ0Yu4tQvqsUf0dt2LJjVOZfbTN4G3Est32sJrq1G03KP0vjavv7RgNUyJElDVDNE/s1600/office+-+5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNey5rBELb1NJbZ4QSEvqnKz87VrY9PTnsgnr1T90NU-cnbxYx9XrKSYLNSRoumM-WkbakAwhW5GFZ0Yu4tQvqsUf0dt2LJjVOZfbTN4G3Est32sJrq1G03KP0vjavv7RgNUyJElDVDNE/s640/office+-+5.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now, you may be wondering why we felt inclined to empty the ENTIRE room. That's an easy one! Of course we decided to <i>paint </i>the room (our favorite house color: <a href="https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW7015-repose-gray" target="_blank">Repose Gray</a>!), but that's not all! We also decided the office needed its own set of built-ins: bookshelves, cabinets, and a desk!</div>
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Yep. Not even planned, but here we go!</div>
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I started by sketching out the design I wanted for the space. The built-ins would run along the back wall. I wanted the back of the built-ins to be white, so that wall would be painted a semi-gloss white while the other three walls would be gray.</div>
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I wanted an open space in the center for a desk, cabinets and drawers for storage, countertops for the printers, and LOTS and LOTS of bookshelves for all.the.books.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-YjgcKcFZ9zyG6_9Whb4fNM20QtipII2Q-1FWPj3GO9BhqCVOm-N3V5IdhNjT2OVmV05_sVXPJybvLDabri_7hMUVyzyB_sZwHtQraXZgdVj0Xwos58E0aloovza_HVgK4-7kNsHN7w/s1600/office+-+18.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-YjgcKcFZ9zyG6_9Whb4fNM20QtipII2Q-1FWPj3GO9BhqCVOm-N3V5IdhNjT2OVmV05_sVXPJybvLDabri_7hMUVyzyB_sZwHtQraXZgdVj0Xwos58E0aloovza_HVgK4-7kNsHN7w/s640/office+-+18.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It didn't take me too long to put two coats of paint up on these walls since the room is quite smaller than the loft. Hubs has the joyous job of trimming the paint up to the ceilings since 1) I'm terrible at it and 2) I probably shouldn't be on a ladder whilst 9 months pregnant.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsmHxZydE2FfnG1LXX-7Ljf3OuphclKIYtCt5VZ3nLu6hvPrBjVw2T50qrmrfBNm05BFJIZS7acBeAbBfx5IoLgBhyG1YFJLSvyhtF98cTSO4MEjsXWHfFl9mN2XMcFmIJvXCv6s_efQ/s1600/office+-+10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsmHxZydE2FfnG1LXX-7Ljf3OuphclKIYtCt5VZ3nLu6hvPrBjVw2T50qrmrfBNm05BFJIZS7acBeAbBfx5IoLgBhyG1YFJLSvyhtF98cTSO4MEjsXWHfFl9mN2XMcFmIJvXCv6s_efQ/s640/office+-+10.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's kind of hard to tell with the terrible lighting, but the back wall is white!</div>
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I thought about replacing the faux wood blinds with a custom Roman Shade from Home Depot, but I didn't want to wait 4 weeks for it to get here from Vietnam! 😂</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRw225c_0q9iiGrziqgildN1xGonoFARng8vQMqSDiCPc0wFGSQPcxmkjFcZwC5L8twEZPQp7EurkuWBQPjEZp-5LaDHWSOJfvYlBizCVa__S_tUKDbOumV4vzuZztKgug95zgoOi86Wc/s1600/office+-+12.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRw225c_0q9iiGrziqgildN1xGonoFARng8vQMqSDiCPc0wFGSQPcxmkjFcZwC5L8twEZPQp7EurkuWBQPjEZp-5LaDHWSOJfvYlBizCVa__S_tUKDbOumV4vzuZztKgug95zgoOi86Wc/s640/office+-+12.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We picked up two unfinished 24" base cabinets, and two unfinished 18" drawer units from Lowe's, and I got to work painting and sanding.</div>
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This project spilled over into our dining room since we didn't have the space to work inside the office, and I didn't want this mess in the family room.</div>
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Only 3 coats of paint and they are ready for door and drawer pulls!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IUJzdE-doHxa8eHK3VoeDMXJcoSRc5OijInzh-281JHOEos8efjjrjlS3hhZuKzSKwzY32DJr1qs6uWOBugpbQptuOwzp5YydHV7ZrZk2zk-c1HgcSapKBYcqZsKpYQvasrw4mls_cc/s1600/office+-+15.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IUJzdE-doHxa8eHK3VoeDMXJcoSRc5OijInzh-281JHOEos8efjjrjlS3hhZuKzSKwzY32DJr1qs6uWOBugpbQptuOwzp5YydHV7ZrZk2zk-c1HgcSapKBYcqZsKpYQvasrw4mls_cc/s640/office+-+15.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In the meantime, hubs and I discussed the design of the built-in bookshelves, and ultimately decided we wanted the countertops and desktop to be stained just to break up the white and add a little visual interest. I set up in the garage and got to work staining three 2' x 4' boards <a href="https://www.lowes.com/pd/Minwax-Wood-Finish-Oil-Based-Stain-Aged-Barrel-Oil-based-Interior-Stain-Actual-Net-Contents-32-fl-oz/1002600768" target="_blank">Minwax Aged Barrel</a>, the same as we used upstairs in the loft and laundry room. A few coats of stain followed by a few coats of poly, and they were ready!</div>
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We also modified our design a bit once we realized our 35" high cabinets would make for a VERY tall desk! We dropped the center desktop board down in our design to about 28" to make it more user-friendly.</div>
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So far, the cabinets are all painted, and the countertops and desktops are stained and ready to be installed!</div>
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Hubs also added front legs to the desktop. She's looking so pretty! I can't wait to start on the bookshelves! Oh, and have a baby in 15 days. Is it too soon to start packing my hospital bag? 😜</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMPGQwf_hcbC1IJJvaXLodz1QUm9BaeNNDoLOCr6OHh8YNdLFKzSg5DPLzAtDWTSJxLSXNpFjPKjYe-kARpf8N6Jcjzgb5HNr3SPu1wbpxN8KeqJIYph20ThDqJp-ZWv3jGH_sFb0ldo/s1600/office+-+25.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMPGQwf_hcbC1IJJvaXLodz1QUm9BaeNNDoLOCr6OHh8YNdLFKzSg5DPLzAtDWTSJxLSXNpFjPKjYe-kARpf8N6Jcjzgb5HNr3SPu1wbpxN8KeqJIYph20ThDqJp-ZWv3jGH_sFb0ldo/s640/office+-+25.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Stay tuned for Part 2 when I share the amazing transformation that will (hopefully) take place over the next several days!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-57323737797595336932020-06-08T23:03:00.000-04:002020-06-08T23:03:22.733-04:00The One with the Custom DIY Bookshelves: Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Finally! Part 2 of our custom DIY bookshelves! If you missed <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2020/05/the-one-with-custom-diy-bookshelves.html" target="_blank">Part 1, be sure to check it out</a>!</div>
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As I previously shared, this was the state of chaos in our upstairs "play area" -- the room with absolutely no purpose and no idea what it wanted to be when it grew up. Just take a moment and let it all sink in...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwWG3GZfWfuzQWe7fT0W3CmowluBcRC0TheYKTfuDXPYgNcXIwtt-hnV7UJj4kurSTQx-DMgww6Hr-ZhgZ5DW8sFmEPstiY9jcHnDxvsHL-kCqplnmpmIrC9_wYLbrLFmLjySE38FmJM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-06-08+at+10.28.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="1260" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwWG3GZfWfuzQWe7fT0W3CmowluBcRC0TheYKTfuDXPYgNcXIwtt-hnV7UJj4kurSTQx-DMgww6Hr-ZhgZ5DW8sFmEPstiY9jcHnDxvsHL-kCqplnmpmIrC9_wYLbrLFmLjySE38FmJM/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-06-08+at+10.28.34+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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After some major demo, fresh paint, and a little hard labor, we replaced the mess above with these beautiful built-in cabinets. I mean, really. They're SO pretty!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4jcQM-AgJ12ZnipXZwISoDQtvBWgAQc5B_NMaut8U7fxbBfpkR0DPDtp96hE_wt_aTnCIWkvrS1p7qDpokNI_BFRMyhHIziBdKOBlLZi7mjQ2LJBJpa0gyqPmDtAqLxpuBT-CwI71cs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-06-08+at+10.28.48+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="942" data-original-width="1254" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4jcQM-AgJ12ZnipXZwISoDQtvBWgAQc5B_NMaut8U7fxbBfpkR0DPDtp96hE_wt_aTnCIWkvrS1p7qDpokNI_BFRMyhHIziBdKOBlLZi7mjQ2LJBJpa0gyqPmDtAqLxpuBT-CwI71cs/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-06-08+at+10.28.48+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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But alas, our work was far from finished. There was much more work to be done! And by "work," I mean <i>paint.</i> There was a LOT of painting to be done! I don't have any pictures of me crawling around on the floor, 8 months pregnant, painting and sanding and cleaning and repeating this process for all.the.boards., but you can use your imagination. It was... interesting. But I got it done! And then it was time for hubs to get to work!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0hIh5Tg8inf6d44AJhB92K4siqD1dBNBGEkDXQwBdegHKkEtZ1GwKn3NShfu9jYS34taLbggmyqTlZQFmceYzZLm6jfjqZuM-IazO8WvNk9NKPds24ExcyYVa0DpFmDm_PymjMTlqas/s1600/bookshelves%252C+still+-+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0hIh5Tg8inf6d44AJhB92K4siqD1dBNBGEkDXQwBdegHKkEtZ1GwKn3NShfu9jYS34taLbggmyqTlZQFmceYzZLm6jfjqZuM-IazO8WvNk9NKPds24ExcyYVa0DpFmDm_PymjMTlqas/s640/bookshelves%252C+still+-+2.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Through the magic of time-lapse (okay, just regular ol' photos), you can see below the incredible work hubs put into these built-in bookshelves! I didn't take a ton of pics of the details of the process (you can find that by checking out <a href="https://rootsandwingsfurniture.com/blog/builtinbases/" target="_blank">this incredible series of posts</a> from Jeni at <i>Roots & Wings Furniture!), </i>but here's how it looked when he was *almost* finished with the shelves.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuoiI-d9wbi0JJH5moNA4Xp7zKWjirriBO5kY3AyHLvsL2fXs3N_cM_XuIaJwcCWIRsGvwC8fuuelhJ6lAVKp3Ak7xTy-bwjhdMhtrVCmBhRLIToD0FXAXhwWSbvXVVAiJEhmVeANxRAM/s1600/bookshelves%252C+still+-+4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuoiI-d9wbi0JJH5moNA4Xp7zKWjirriBO5kY3AyHLvsL2fXs3N_cM_XuIaJwcCWIRsGvwC8fuuelhJ6lAVKp3Ak7xTy-bwjhdMhtrVCmBhRLIToD0FXAXhwWSbvXVVAiJEhmVeANxRAM/s640/bookshelves%252C+still+-+4.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So much space, right? I LOVE it! After all the shelves were in, we did some touch-up painting on the white shelves with the help of some painter's tape since the back wall is <a href="https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW7015-repose-gray" target="_blank">Repose Gray</a>. Once that was finished, it was time for the vertical trim pieces, the crown moulding up top, and the baseboard along the bottom! Oh, and caulk. LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of caulk! 😳<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-RMiqZloVSOrxUkZvz5XiKenMpFUMVSzWgTLhISiVh_wWTgy6y2H2zdO3ucv4In-dMMw_KSGx3ZugSGg0391DSD_cfg1smjNlEtYz6MmF13J_KLewnIcWu8eTRQCfiiWdFp6aOkNKYOo/s1600/bookshelves%252C+still+-+5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-RMiqZloVSOrxUkZvz5XiKenMpFUMVSzWgTLhISiVh_wWTgy6y2H2zdO3ucv4In-dMMw_KSGx3ZugSGg0391DSD_cfg1smjNlEtYz6MmF13J_KLewnIcWu8eTRQCfiiWdFp6aOkNKYOo/s640/bookshelves%252C+still+-+5.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here she is! Look at all of that space! We have so much room! There's another project we started work on last week that will involve sorting through all of the homeschool books downstairs (that's right -- this pic below doesn't even include our homeschool books!), so I'm certain we'll have more to add to these shelves in the coming weeks. The cabinets are the perfect storage location for all the kids' board/card games.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJY5QqVa13uGofL7DkpdjM6UXGHH97LRxVjtPb993J80vbxSl4WDu4pIQZvVL3FCB-GdrdKuwioJoRuUvopNonGlDGRB0yjLvBBa9VbHuTgElCvE64PfSYp1QbTsC5kshrI9LnshQSpLY/s1600/bookshelves%252C+still+-+6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJY5QqVa13uGofL7DkpdjM6UXGHH97LRxVjtPb993J80vbxSl4WDu4pIQZvVL3FCB-GdrdKuwioJoRuUvopNonGlDGRB0yjLvBBa9VbHuTgElCvE64PfSYp1QbTsC5kshrI9LnshQSpLY/s640/bookshelves%252C+still+-+6.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I couldn't be more thrilled with how beautifully this project turned out! TBH, it actually looks even nicer now than it did when I took this pic last week. I have since purchased a bunch of <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D6MR48H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">these white metal bookends</a> to help the kids organize their books and keep them vertical (for mommy's OCD health). They did a really great job!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEOtBcbSIGD2pi3_2mKNHBSIiK-nizSXw5nfFVHCHnd5U1s-JuJPdAQUbYUJFIsLWoLwwAVSkM_x_XuCTsgo1Dl4JCbedaGL4Jzh-NxF5VoUtwhgNy0biQUDl89ZrYswuH-hdALhsOck/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-06-08+at+10.46.06+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1012" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEOtBcbSIGD2pi3_2mKNHBSIiK-nizSXw5nfFVHCHnd5U1s-JuJPdAQUbYUJFIsLWoLwwAVSkM_x_XuCTsgo1Dl4JCbedaGL4Jzh-NxF5VoUtwhgNy0biQUDl89ZrYswuH-hdALhsOck/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-06-08+at+10.46.06+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Oh -- do you remember the rest of the room? Here's a grungy "before" pic to jog your memory...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSFOYOFKL6nMgsHv4nt5aHujYXn_nnY5FsWwDxH6mxtDduvZ9mhwpJ-0ErZoSNV-7DqWWC_shaDPwUS6jRvhwqyCPgmOWLguqPOryYkfn8UmDJ3WEbsH06LYfp-T2MGtNJPFQj3nfxaU/s1600/bookshelves%252C+still+-+1+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSFOYOFKL6nMgsHv4nt5aHujYXn_nnY5FsWwDxH6mxtDduvZ9mhwpJ-0ErZoSNV-7DqWWC_shaDPwUS6jRvhwqyCPgmOWLguqPOryYkfn8UmDJ3WEbsH06LYfp-T2MGtNJPFQj3nfxaU/s640/bookshelves%252C+still+-+1+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It got a little update, too!<br />
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For starters, I replaced our faux wood blinds with <a href="https://blinds.homedepot.com/p/custom-home-collection-premium-roman-shades/206271781" target="_blank">these gorgeous cordless custom Roman Shades</a> in Bellingham Greystone from Home Depot! They took FOREVER to get here (all the way from Vietnam, promptly followed by a mandatory garage quarantine for several days), but they are absolutely perfect for this play-area-turned-loft space!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBPfhGUPkWequ01tZAdVRxhEaSF-ZiWzHaXne9nuW-cho-53lp_QPr5nmuX6Y6OjlXmzIWPGQH3gJ-vRWSqPHGrKnOKu94ifVtPrZ8DxL9gZdAP_HpKpWeTV6KqHRkv4tzKvl6lkYLds/s1600/bookshelves%252C+still+-+3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBPfhGUPkWequ01tZAdVRxhEaSF-ZiWzHaXne9nuW-cho-53lp_QPr5nmuX6Y6OjlXmzIWPGQH3gJ-vRWSqPHGrKnOKu94ifVtPrZ8DxL9gZdAP_HpKpWeTV6KqHRkv4tzKvl6lkYLds/s640/bookshelves%252C+still+-+3.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Between the windows, we added a custom 2" x 24" shelf I stained to match the shelves in the laundry room. I added a <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Better-Homes-Gardens-Farmhouse-Plank-with-Galvanized-Finish-Wall-Clock/740716015" target="_blank">galvanized clock</a> and a few decor items, and am just smitten with this wall!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hpxj_dsq7hzGtaGJQ9_6uha80vs1sfwjkfGNvkl9YNFkKR9F2_Gc4Hw8LPGEWi3l4VubKY1H-3bvzRwf28xXBGFW1e-Us-PNif-pnJMvn3yEmiP6qNgk3i4bToOz0qWzYvLevKqFBe0/s1600/bookshelves%252C+still+-+8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hpxj_dsq7hzGtaGJQ9_6uha80vs1sfwjkfGNvkl9YNFkKR9F2_Gc4Hw8LPGEWi3l4VubKY1H-3bvzRwf28xXBGFW1e-Us-PNif-pnJMvn3yEmiP6qNgk3i4bToOz0qWzYvLevKqFBe0/s640/bookshelves%252C+still+-+8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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While we'd LOVE to update the furniture in the loft, it just wasn't in the budget. So, I purchased a <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KP2F8CS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">slipcover from Amazon</a>, and added some extra pillows we weren't using that came with our main living room furniture set, and called it done... for now. 😏 I still plan to add some sort of artwork above the couch, and buy a new lamp--and of course remove the can of paint from the floor next to the end table. LOL.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_WwEwtHwzX2w0PyAETFF0mAjtU87N6-wOxIFjjZVIN3cNsOOHbPVdLUDiWEi06FaxBqbU1GCbUGlG6SBrUXF5ZcWOSBU3N9W3pjVfWX9gow_J-Z4QzgnHCyxfuCbxlkgamO1SaFLxzw/s1600/bookshelves%252C+still+-+9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_WwEwtHwzX2w0PyAETFF0mAjtU87N6-wOxIFjjZVIN3cNsOOHbPVdLUDiWEi06FaxBqbU1GCbUGlG6SBrUXF5ZcWOSBU3N9W3pjVfWX9gow_J-Z4QzgnHCyxfuCbxlkgamO1SaFLxzw/s640/bookshelves%252C+still+-+9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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But overall, this new "grown up" loft is FINISHED! I am so thrilled and honestly absolutely LOVE this space now! It's so lovely to sit in here with a book and a cup of sweet tea, with lots of light pouring in through the windows, while I relax and contemplate giving birth in 16 days.<br />
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OH WAIT!<br />
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That's not right at all!<br />
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We're deep into the throes of ANOTHER project with built-in bookshelves, cabinets, drawers, AND a desk in our downstairs office! No time to contemplate labor... I've got more painting to do!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-10526067924734585002020-06-04T00:36:00.002-04:002020-06-04T00:36:36.673-04:00The One with Cinco's Baby ShowerY'all! My beautiful daughter took it upon herself to schedule, plan, and throw a baby shower for her littlest brother! My heart is so full!<br />
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Due to our strict quarantine, we knew the baby shower could only include the six of us. As much as I've longed to celebrate Cinco with our extended family and friends, that just wasn't an option. This is one of many things the COVID-19 pandemic has taken from this experience of being pregnant for the final time. But we are oh so very blessed to be healthy and have each other to love on during this season!<br />
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We picked June 3rd as the date and LO got to work! She picked out the color scheme and decorations, planned and prepared the food, made the cake--complete with <i>homemade buttercream and homemade marshmallow fondant!</i>-- and even planned games as well!<br />
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Here's a pic of my beauty with her incredible<i> (and delicious!) </i>cake creation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJq9ygZyDP46uQeyixWk9KKukR-l6iNHUeBnZdLPWYHXNikGEpfUrerYQ4HzLUw6HBG-SflHVplvlGo5eub_6TNvnM_J2331QPTa8sqBxfeAxd7E8Nu5a8Y2bDl48lz0E6mDRGXaGNUMw/s1600/shower+-+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJq9ygZyDP46uQeyixWk9KKukR-l6iNHUeBnZdLPWYHXNikGEpfUrerYQ4HzLUw6HBG-SflHVplvlGo5eub_6TNvnM_J2331QPTa8sqBxfeAxd7E8Nu5a8Y2bDl48lz0E6mDRGXaGNUMw/s640/shower+-+1.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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She made a white cake with homemade buttercream using one of our favorite recipes, then whipped up marshmallow fondant (SOOOOOO GOOD!) to cover the cake. She also made adorable baby booties accented with gold on top! She was so proud of her creation and she worked so hard on it--with ZERO help from me! It really was delicious! I may or may not have just eaten a second slice before writing this post. 😉</div>
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She put up a few balloons and fun decorations around the house.</div>
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LO and Daddy also grabbed a few beautiful flowers from the front yard. And another pic of that beautiful, delicious cake!</div>
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Check out all of the yummy food LO made!</div>
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It wouldn't be a meal in our home without Hawaiian Rolls. YUM.</div>
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LO also made chocolate-dipped pretzels and strawberries.</div>
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No meal planned by one of my kids would be complete without Cheetos!</div>
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Such a great meal! And delicious party punch, too!</div>
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Let's eat!</div>
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Cheeeeeeeeese!</div>
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E had a big ol' mouthful of food but I took his pic anyway. </div>
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This guy ate a ton of food... including about half a can of Pringles!</div>
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After dinner, our party planner extraordinairre needed a few minutes of downtime to relax. She admitted to me that she had no idea how much work went into planning a party! Bless.</div>
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Oh! I can't forget this cute little four-legged party guest! Sweet Lucy!</div>
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The kids and I enjoyed some fun snaps before playing charades.</div>
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Cake time! This cake was really SO delicious, y'all! And the best part? LO enjoyed making it, and even offered to make Chase's next birthday cake! I may have less baking in my future, which I am willing to embrace because, well, #FIVEKIDS! 😜</div>
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We had such a great time together celebrating Cinco! Here's to 36 weeks down... and only 3 more weeks to go until we meet our sweet boy!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-38879817833975944712020-05-25T23:13:00.000-04:002020-05-25T23:13:30.484-04:00The One with the Laundry Room Reno: Part 3<div style="text-align: justify;">
Welcome to the third and final (and lengthiest!) part of my laundry room renovation! This is the fun post where I share all the little details that made the room come together so well! Be sure to catch <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2020/05/the-one-with-laundry-room-reno-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> and <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2020/05/the-one-with-laundry-room-reno-part-2.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a> if you haven't already. 😉</div>
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Where to begin?</div>
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I started with a Pinterest board for my laundry room reno, which you can see below. This was where all of my ideas came together to create the overall vibe and aesthetic for the laundry room.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFKQRGCYGWWErD2OQ4zMYgPIJMCtFONVpsN1bxuHYVh_ka1rDgL7CrLarBHCMrLpjnzlBlOmiCN8Rs19ZIWlqyJ35B47mRSPE5O68qH0XiCyIpEwjOjy0nxoYugAfaQdCh5vpsbtJVno/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-24+at+7.33.21+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="1600" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFKQRGCYGWWErD2OQ4zMYgPIJMCtFONVpsN1bxuHYVh_ka1rDgL7CrLarBHCMrLpjnzlBlOmiCN8Rs19ZIWlqyJ35B47mRSPE5O68qH0XiCyIpEwjOjy0nxoYugAfaQdCh5vpsbtJVno/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-05-24+at+7.33.21+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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The pin that was my main inspiration was <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B08hL_QHcWK" target="_blank">this one</a> from <i>farmhousejourney</i> on Instagram, with a few modifications to personalize it to my preferences:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrTpKEo8A-EdnaFN7r6zj_Z09cxX4boR3WRHyoX38KGkCUXtkApVpkvIqaYzAvBH1a5ZLBC14X7CB5VE88bJO4BST332jXkuTp4dMYhPBZG0uvOI7tqCBio3ihH4IRNYBHuRdZ8hY1mQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+7.11.00+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1096" data-original-width="866" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrTpKEo8A-EdnaFN7r6zj_Z09cxX4boR3WRHyoX38KGkCUXtkApVpkvIqaYzAvBH1a5ZLBC14X7CB5VE88bJO4BST332jXkuTp4dMYhPBZG0uvOI7tqCBio3ihH4IRNYBHuRdZ8hY1mQ/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+7.11.00+PM.png" width="315" /></a></div>
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For starters, we painted the walls Repose Gray. This is the same color as the rest of the house (with the exception of the bathrooms and bedrooms).</div>
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We purchased two <a href="https://www.lowes.com/pd/Project-Source-15-in-W-x-30-in-H-x-12-in-D-Unfinished-Unfinished-Door-Wall-Stock-Cabinet/50134974" target="_blank">15" x 30" cabinets</a> from Lowe's to hang in the corners above the washer and dryer. I wanted concealed storage to help make everything look clean and uncluttered.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OP8hQFbrZ0q96Thb4nCDJAV1eb7HSGHK2Uk4trYpF49Jt4QW6-TwsVKoCf1GsAZsV0iDV5dR33VW0bNLFAnuyk1QdsGUk3EwnYBqHJEFK31S8grtaHzTrjrVZKVaZMzPm7h6i29nrl0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-24+at+7.36.00+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="448" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OP8hQFbrZ0q96Thb4nCDJAV1eb7HSGHK2Uk4trYpF49Jt4QW6-TwsVKoCf1GsAZsV0iDV5dR33VW0bNLFAnuyk1QdsGUk3EwnYBqHJEFK31S8grtaHzTrjrVZKVaZMzPm7h6i29nrl0/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-24+at+7.36.00+PM.png" width="351" /></a></div>
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I painted the cabinets <i><a href="https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/color-overview/find-your-color/color/2049-70/icing-on-the-cake?color=2049-70" target="_blank">Icing on the Cake</a> </i>by Benjamin Moore. I wanted a super light turquoise that wouldn't fight against the gray walls. The room would need a tiny bit of color, and I think this was exactly what it needed! I was a bit nervous buying paint based solely on the color displayed on my computer screen, but since I refuse to go out shopping, I just kept my fingers crossed that this would work. And it did! YAY!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXH6lJasIqgY2uzGsIpW0yAeABVtu6p9H-va_YjIj9fgxdlpk16I2k8-2UwQKIYs24grlh2KAGZ8IiLF3O-RjUpGSZRH8DQJ21IB_TF0Rh0auWj1amMzCt7mHHN9r6bk9GQI50Tpp-jg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-24+at+7.37.19+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="1118" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXH6lJasIqgY2uzGsIpW0yAeABVtu6p9H-va_YjIj9fgxdlpk16I2k8-2UwQKIYs24grlh2KAGZ8IiLF3O-RjUpGSZRH8DQJ21IB_TF0Rh0auWj1amMzCt7mHHN9r6bk9GQI50Tpp-jg/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-24+at+7.37.19+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I wanted an accent wall behind the washer and dryer, so I went with <a href="https://www.lowes.com/pd/NuWallpaper-Peel-and-Stick-30-75-sq-ft-White-Vinyl-Textured-Wood-3D-Self-Adhesive-Peel-and-Stick-Wallpaper/1000273335" target="_blank">this peel and stick one</a> from Lowe's. It was a breeze to install and looks great!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkvfnpm6MtgABPwTGahiM1aMdhbd1SYVGciTdyVVCnXITE6cd8HlmpwQx8SVNWhfLTLxLUY8dA9t2H7XHVRelRM6RsTpVrXLwWWEokjdmNAsNrQ7mbqJ7h81fYiqVKSescHFBea0Ip3Ck/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-24+at+7.42.35+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1258" data-original-width="1280" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkvfnpm6MtgABPwTGahiM1aMdhbd1SYVGciTdyVVCnXITE6cd8HlmpwQx8SVNWhfLTLxLUY8dA9t2H7XHVRelRM6RsTpVrXLwWWEokjdmNAsNrQ7mbqJ7h81fYiqVKSescHFBea0Ip3Ck/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-24+at+7.42.35+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The cheap-o contractor-grade light fixture was also on my list to replace. See how awful it was before? And how much better it looked after?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhONNOoaTbLpuMsuzV-XnaHPPf2nzrT6pEEQ_T0PsXldfhApQ2NeojXNXCQ5tAWSP4eLj0yP5Yl5_8C41czI8VdpO911bkQUFQavjmXuAkI0MXduzzUCZg6EPOCRigLXcs-L9PNg3Nsgo/s1600/light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1177" data-original-width="1600" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhONNOoaTbLpuMsuzV-XnaHPPf2nzrT6pEEQ_T0PsXldfhApQ2NeojXNXCQ5tAWSP4eLj0yP5Yl5_8C41czI8VdpO911bkQUFQavjmXuAkI0MXduzzUCZg6EPOCRigLXcs-L9PNg3Nsgo/s640/light.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I absolutely loved <a href="https://www.lowes.com/pd/Portfolio-Valdara-14-88-in-Matte-Black-Industrial-Flush-Mount-Light/999919236" target="_blank">the industrial matte black fixture</a> from Lowe's, and it was perfect for the room. It really brightened everything up quite nicely and fit the overall vibe I was going for.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6w5INgFV2D-GAP-H-DIfPGvTk0nbpsQ8oDqxa2tpgN6TgpGZWp2JAEn7p0shl31vZBsgyiTHUWP7OiYh-TRJ02B3wVAYnh22ohjMLCYlwJQS8Iy2IYBdwYTPp4L6Y7gzpUJ-C7nUFdkg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-24+at+7.43.42+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="1292" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6w5INgFV2D-GAP-H-DIfPGvTk0nbpsQ8oDqxa2tpgN6TgpGZWp2JAEn7p0shl31vZBsgyiTHUWP7OiYh-TRJ02B3wVAYnh22ohjMLCYlwJQS8Iy2IYBdwYTPp4L6Y7gzpUJ-C7nUFdkg/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-24+at+7.43.42+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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As you may have discovered in <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2020/05/the-one-with-laundry-room-reno-part-2.html" target="_blank">Part 2 of my laundry room reno</a>, I selected Whirlpool's smart capable 5.3 cu. ft. high efficiency top-load washer and Whirlpool's smart capable 8.8 cu. ft. steam cycle electric dryer, both in chrome shadow. There are TWO main reasons I chose <a href="https://www.whirlpool.com/laundry/see-all.html?plp=WTW8120H%2520WED8120H%253Arelevance%253Acolor%253AC6&plpView=grid" target="_blank">these beauties</a>:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvNE0D6QlzqsWQPE_KgPY-fKNK9sDeXA4JwP0dBUCts5g2qmAR4eqEeYEslTAZlTwmjjwKpv3goXfc47lj0-r6m0NVcw7y7HrB4tG61BdJa9umTeA7Gju5ns3tNqs3BUGlD06-XGg4Jo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+7.43.57+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1166" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvNE0D6QlzqsWQPE_KgPY-fKNK9sDeXA4JwP0dBUCts5g2qmAR4eqEeYEslTAZlTwmjjwKpv3goXfc47lj0-r6m0NVcw7y7HrB4tG61BdJa9umTeA7Gju5ns3tNqs3BUGlD06-XGg4Jo/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+7.43.57+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>Smart Capable. </i></b>In other words, I now have an app on my iPhone that allows me to control my appliances. I love technology, and it was a no-brainer that I'd want this functionality in my new washer and dryer. I get notifications when both finish their cycles, I can restart the dryer with a quick tap, and even assign tasks (via automated text messages) to request hubs or LO move or fold the load. It's brilliant and my life will never be the same!</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><a href="https://www.whirlpool.com/laundry/smart-top-load-washer.html" target="_blank">Load and Go Dispenser</a>. </i></b>Because I'm SUPER <strike>LAZY</strike> EFFICIENT, I wanted my washer to be efficient, too. This incredible dispenser allows me to add enough detergent for 20 loads of laundry at one time, and it automatically dispenses the correct amount for each load. MAJOR WIN!</li>
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The boys are fascinated by the newest additions to the family! They love that they can watch the washer through the window on top.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-zhijjx8fcGG9qvxY9ZybKZzJIKmn_je8_OYm_vct3MKmbkoGYm8wh0ptqoLgnTX79dlzwVztL8jG5me1qt3QQKJoimtEJG9qJLYCn7VsnJVXPX7dL3DIsUY1VB1y-_FLqUA_oxhBiE/s1600/monday+-+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-zhijjx8fcGG9qvxY9ZybKZzJIKmn_je8_OYm_vct3MKmbkoGYm8wh0ptqoLgnTX79dlzwVztL8jG5me1qt3QQKJoimtEJG9qJLYCn7VsnJVXPX7dL3DIsUY1VB1y-_FLqUA_oxhBiE/s640/monday+-+1.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And of course there's a window to watch the dryer... AND A LIGHT! How fun is that?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwU9duP6_6tlTEytnkekIO0klTf50FtI_OtQ2YHqrqW8enZGh4M4hIAefDSPhO4CoujJxddzeyvyDHuYGGd94mNWQWJPN1x3eClEK6HHbYpM95NHEOjL2GO8JeWiGzMITixsBKcKWw_Bs/s1600/monday+-+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwU9duP6_6tlTEytnkekIO0klTf50FtI_OtQ2YHqrqW8enZGh4M4hIAefDSPhO4CoujJxddzeyvyDHuYGGd94mNWQWJPN1x3eClEK6HHbYpM95NHEOjL2GO8JeWiGzMITixsBKcKWw_Bs/s640/monday+-+2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now for my MOST FAVORITE FEATURES in the laundry room (minus the incredible new appliances, of course): NEW SHELVES!</div>
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First up? This custom shelf and hanging rack!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ylOc7gZOcsE97xi1LAmVZbUmhxJYyy4hR8kJA_-psfdfPJ9-EMjeM65IEzdRR_Eqh7zqPo_-_fIbesQuP1VMTn7kB9bRyOHTdEVxVEHXS-hlfIvUeGr-EdHWyQUMTUZNjCNtXZfUAaA/s1600/monday+-+1+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ylOc7gZOcsE97xi1LAmVZbUmhxJYyy4hR8kJA_-psfdfPJ9-EMjeM65IEzdRR_Eqh7zqPo_-_fIbesQuP1VMTn7kB9bRyOHTdEVxVEHXS-hlfIvUeGr-EdHWyQUMTUZNjCNtXZfUAaA/s640/monday+-+1+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I was So.Very.Tired. of the awful white plastic-coated wire shelves in the laundry room. They were ugly, difficult to clean, and things were constantly falling through them. The height wasn't my favorite, either.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">To go with the industrial vibe of my reno, hubs and I bought 2" x 12" by 12' boards. We planned to put one on the wall with the hanging rack, and one over the washer and dryer.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I stained the boards with <a href="https://www.lowes.com/pd/Minwax-Wood-Finish-Oil-Based-Stain-Aged-Barrel-Oil-based-Interior-Stain-Actual-Net-Contents-32-fl-oz/1002600768" target="_blank">Minwax oil-based stain in <i>Aged Barrel</i></a><i>.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9GsCq6YcdnOEQM2WRM5fwef6MSdwMUPEjZnKAHXRM8JDt-DiRBmMu4PWCENCjLu1iEAbkaIZqdiBn1JnJjXEQB309DefzGfog9Wjy6pDSEoKHWBq6c4Yqyh75VMWNBV2Wum0C_Ns8Mg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+8.03.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="774" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9GsCq6YcdnOEQM2WRM5fwef6MSdwMUPEjZnKAHXRM8JDt-DiRBmMu4PWCENCjLu1iEAbkaIZqdiBn1JnJjXEQB309DefzGfog9Wjy6pDSEoKHWBq6c4Yqyh75VMWNBV2Wum0C_Ns8Mg/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+8.03.13+PM.png" width="273" /></a></div>
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Then I bought a zillion pieces of galvanized pipe fittings, flanges, elbows, and more to create a hanging rack attached </div>
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I didn't like the galvanized finish of the pipes, and wanted the hanging rack to match the appliances as much as possible. So I picked up <a href="https://www.lowes.com/pd/Rust-Oleum-Universal-Flat-Antique-Nickel-Metallic-Spray-Paint-and-Primer-In-One-Actual-Net-Contents-11-oz/50147298" target="_blank">Rust-Oleum Flat Metallic spray paint in Antique Nickel</a> and painted all of the pieces before assembling them and attaching them to the wall and shelf.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVP4OkdLK7Ax1eyN_Z8sp2BhD7JpIzQfagIxwMg1uR0-24RyqedfupGJbmvzUqAMkfGZpUp-usvSxNAuyaAFlM6AeguFRKBDRQ8ooE8cj1z-J4OYe4srX7eOvldTfnTPM9rjxT8Ji2608/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+10.35.31+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVP4OkdLK7Ax1eyN_Z8sp2BhD7JpIzQfagIxwMg1uR0-24RyqedfupGJbmvzUqAMkfGZpUp-usvSxNAuyaAFlM6AeguFRKBDRQ8ooE8cj1z-J4OYe4srX7eOvldTfnTPM9rjxT8Ji2608/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+10.35.31+PM.png" width="181" /></a></div>
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We wanted the shelf about 12" from the ceiling, and the pipe was about 4" below then shelf. I absolutely LOVE this shelf and the ton of space the rack provides for our hanging clothes!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbOL1-1FAYSAojuwq1dq5nFuoqOY5hMbGbaH7cz0k2jJ2CwseZjBHYDevQJSuD79CWDpoPma_T06TTjA-vl3-ZXS7pbFJlCi34vvs99uoHTUOlqbHbgMAypCC4q_9YYGUmovu89ZtqqU/s1600/monday+-+2+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbOL1-1FAYSAojuwq1dq5nFuoqOY5hMbGbaH7cz0k2jJ2CwseZjBHYDevQJSuD79CWDpoPma_T06TTjA-vl3-ZXS7pbFJlCi34vvs99uoHTUOlqbHbgMAypCC4q_9YYGUmovu89ZtqqU/s640/monday+-+2+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love how it matches my second favorite shelf -- the one above the washer and dryer!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1IzrNA4KgFpthEO0X9Ay2WU8WT-XBye05GP7RssHaYbFeVuNBOBQtMdwbVtQc6SZit-1pfpLSkWF64ZOAbltJrYq2RiU5epXEERk8vDNhIaysHR68oUbhkD8AElCC9CeIROhrpF4pkU/s1600/tonight+-+1+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1IzrNA4KgFpthEO0X9Ay2WU8WT-XBye05GP7RssHaYbFeVuNBOBQtMdwbVtQc6SZit-1pfpLSkWF64ZOAbltJrYq2RiU5epXEERk8vDNhIaysHR68oUbhkD8AElCC9CeIROhrpF4pkU/s640/tonight+-+1+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My final favorite shelf is the awesome drop-down shelf! If you remember from my "before" pics, we used to have a shelf for folding clothes attached to the wall with chains. It could fold up and out of the way when needed. It was functional, but not the prettiest thing ever.</div>
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See?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOq1MBh8lwzQte6Dx8Hx62HeYtMUwEuRt6KQFDOVEsrh-6wBjrGS8PHBC0h-s4X9sV52FsUmlklD5_j8mUufCaB7l3MAO11-06c8gGH7JLcNr8XIbHugnCHPTxi9-16grn0EbmFJ4MxI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+10.45.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="990" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOq1MBh8lwzQte6Dx8Hx62HeYtMUwEuRt6KQFDOVEsrh-6wBjrGS8PHBC0h-s4X9sV52FsUmlklD5_j8mUufCaB7l3MAO11-06c8gGH7JLcNr8XIbHugnCHPTxi9-16grn0EbmFJ4MxI/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+10.45.05+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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We knew we'd still need space to fold all.the.clothes. when the reno was complete, but we knew there had to be a better way! Hubs found <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B077Z5MNNF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1" target="_blank">these awesome folding shelf brackets</a> on Amazon, and they were the perfect solution!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjq6VynqjEvx6f9I_DcHvFaYgMEZLAV2n5e-T7SSeD1K5P-fQU06mtNxv62s8oLVk9MUjwNlI3yNsr5SVZXPl6hD8Okos9knI2PbmDx5SzMGKv07ho7cXo-Hzcbymprb5HcPx_JXqxrBc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+10.48.10+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1162" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjq6VynqjEvx6f9I_DcHvFaYgMEZLAV2n5e-T7SSeD1K5P-fQU06mtNxv62s8oLVk9MUjwNlI3yNsr5SVZXPl6hD8Okos9knI2PbmDx5SzMGKv07ho7cXo-Hzcbymprb5HcPx_JXqxrBc/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+10.48.10+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I used the same shelf as before, but decided to cover it with the peel and stick wallpaper I used on the accent wall behind the washer and dryer. I think it looks super cute and love that it stores out of the way when not needed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVVtUhBAroZdJaEpSCce_tIB3OVx53OONgO7Uf2ilmODnQit6cHdmfrIXRXmOT3tp-dDT6qrRXsjs4NGtn8uohNHmHXHbr8nwnuzHf6f77rjQEnS390oVbEwptKGi3hy2KxnwzCrqNbM/s1600/monday+-+3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVVtUhBAroZdJaEpSCce_tIB3OVx53OONgO7Uf2ilmODnQit6cHdmfrIXRXmOT3tp-dDT6qrRXsjs4NGtn8uohNHmHXHbr8nwnuzHf6f77rjQEnS390oVbEwptKGi3hy2KxnwzCrqNbM/s640/monday+-+3.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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See how perfectly it shows up when needed? I just love it so much!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhrkjHhNtCMXwBnUvFlIHpnu_FtmT1ZYXMxmcGUsRCSUgtrXNZNhH1phIJ5DoDARg8TPnAaOx4PsDg2szXceF92sQY2zu4k9ezxW3IEr1V9n0tLOegVKlC_ft-n5f-xFTJUbmR0Pn8kk/s1600/monday+-+4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhrkjHhNtCMXwBnUvFlIHpnu_FtmT1ZYXMxmcGUsRCSUgtrXNZNhH1phIJ5DoDARg8TPnAaOx4PsDg2szXceF92sQY2zu4k9ezxW3IEr1V9n0tLOegVKlC_ft-n5f-xFTJUbmR0Pn8kk/s640/monday+-+4.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here are a few links to some of the other fun finds from my new laundry room!<br />
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<a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Lilys-Home-Tabletop-Bedroom-Movement/dp/B07RF2C39Q" target="_blank">Tabletop Clock</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-AgGivXnw75GdbW-s_HdjfQw3nN32oxhrRa5SK8TNJ5ZgbXxj1XFErlTikB7wK-tK1EgJY_dFwYrzQ9ykCJoMVSWrBwZdC9MbUxkeJm9usccBiZG7hXVUkm-vZ_tVew4XAMW6-ohJlI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+11.00.48+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="574" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-AgGivXnw75GdbW-s_HdjfQw3nN32oxhrRa5SK8TNJ5ZgbXxj1XFErlTikB7wK-tK1EgJY_dFwYrzQ9ykCJoMVSWrBwZdC9MbUxkeJm9usccBiZG7hXVUkm-vZ_tVew4XAMW6-ohJlI/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+11.00.48+PM.png" width="241" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://smile.amazon.com/OTTOMANSON-Runner-Rug-20-Gray/dp/B07RYF98W6" target="_blank">Runner Rug</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEqWkekz0fmob_5if6We2Y64JTHRQkchJMkihJWaL7o49OQgt5cq_FWdqDYyoy1vCW_aDtaXdK3aFMU_qz-2IYb55b3DymWN294NiAspzFDb6dYqB6Bvd8vrnmbjk2HagdO-qKT6oNlo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+11.03.02+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="926" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEqWkekz0fmob_5if6We2Y64JTHRQkchJMkihJWaL7o49OQgt5cq_FWdqDYyoy1vCW_aDtaXdK3aFMU_qz-2IYb55b3DymWN294NiAspzFDb6dYqB6Bvd8vrnmbjk2HagdO-qKT6oNlo/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+11.03.02+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.hobbylobby.com/Home-Decor-Frames/Decor-Pillows/Floral-Arrangements/Lambs-Ear-Wreath/p/80919185" target="_blank">Lamb's Ear Wreath</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpukaHxmWf1BghbFEDdRN5iJUk1ZDnPtyOm4gAAkD2cMa0N-HlRqM6vq5-awfFuLPBMNiXKAtkL_dE2U9VBWryreNV8kGlBjtvTt2O7fUu-h9dg3aN_USBnjICh5YYlcAVM_cM4sxy4o/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+11.03.48+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="744" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpukaHxmWf1BghbFEDdRN5iJUk1ZDnPtyOm4gAAkD2cMa0N-HlRqM6vq5-awfFuLPBMNiXKAtkL_dE2U9VBWryreNV8kGlBjtvTt2O7fUu-h9dg3aN_USBnjICh5YYlcAVM_cM4sxy4o/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+11.03.48+PM.png" width="317" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.hobbylobby.com/Home-Decor-Frames/Mirrors-Wall-Decor/Quotes-Wall-Art/Laundry-Co-Metal-Sign/p/80903058" target="_blank">Laundry Co. Metal Sign</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rNwJSuoMccD9UaQxv1Uc9R9lLu5WFxOwyVnx8bl2R8ydarpGgWmxnGWnK13RyeyACNS-E8IsjCM3bWO_CSKYbtt7bEiYlUwmrIbSfUfIL37EZERZ9xg1QmlthPEyIsnM5f_1yAUMkRs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+11.04.38+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="704" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rNwJSuoMccD9UaQxv1Uc9R9lLu5WFxOwyVnx8bl2R8ydarpGgWmxnGWnK13RyeyACNS-E8IsjCM3bWO_CSKYbtt7bEiYlUwmrIbSfUfIL37EZERZ9xg1QmlthPEyIsnM5f_1yAUMkRs/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+11.04.38+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Velener-Potted-Plastic-Bamboo-Leaves/dp/B0768XP26K" target="_blank">Bamboo Plant</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJRB13YMYSxQ_0HRr5u7zcEwj1E8XR4xyxw6Ho4bpUVjGsdPrml2umnJechVUDLZruFsQXH8GbQobQa8HeKP4Nl6_mbxS38DdRoq5P6AbKPYJ_GRE2YRvUgK-b85CuiaryrjsCC9o7eA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+11.05.49+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="886" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJRB13YMYSxQ_0HRr5u7zcEwj1E8XR4xyxw6Ho4bpUVjGsdPrml2umnJechVUDLZruFsQXH8GbQobQa8HeKP4Nl6_mbxS38DdRoq5P6AbKPYJ_GRE2YRvUgK-b85CuiaryrjsCC9o7eA/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+11.05.49+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Stonebriar-Rectangle-Industrial-Centerpiece-Organizer/dp/B01ABI8T3A" target="_blank">Rectangle Serving Tray</a> (to store all the fun pocket finds during laundry day) 😉<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCf6hM25UKjA0d6ZiPaaHe6BIX3AOTrSScj42r12i9gkSybq6nhWyPVn2XZGHeQKRizLKXqlmQoiSsErb3BmJo7mwf_1dYfWNgiWuJ28GPr8I-0L-xW-M4jo1YzpV8t7Cc1WySelqAdCg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+11.07.29+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="1016" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCf6hM25UKjA0d6ZiPaaHe6BIX3AOTrSScj42r12i9gkSybq6nhWyPVn2XZGHeQKRizLKXqlmQoiSsErb3BmJo7mwf_1dYfWNgiWuJ28GPr8I-0L-xW-M4jo1YzpV8t7Cc1WySelqAdCg/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+11.07.29+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
You couldn't see this one in any of the pics, but I bought this magnetic <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Holder-Laundry-J-Saving-Magnetic/dp/B07W4J2FBP" target="_blank">lint bin</a> and attached it on the right side of the dryer for quick and easy disposal of lint!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6D6cz5d1X0QO58kvrKezVycvQMOvZnxoK91MfdBgltlv0bvigNAQ3aPKDO0QyUHnvwMJ6g6n6rNvqYR8zt6qo68vzL69R84VxuvGkzECCLIiCMvZyjvzPLs_Jak15Bb9HfL9Us3icPfA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+11.09.18+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="682" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6D6cz5d1X0QO58kvrKezVycvQMOvZnxoK91MfdBgltlv0bvigNAQ3aPKDO0QyUHnvwMJ6g6n6rNvqYR8zt6qo68vzL69R84VxuvGkzECCLIiCMvZyjvzPLs_Jak15Bb9HfL9Us3icPfA/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+11.09.18+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Endless Love and Laundry Sign (I stained the frame to match the shelves)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-btBSHepo1Cx_iwsOTuYor1clWoBfcD565ArL61g-31dzalCDaGt9eXJllozQ67cKmdseRZMJakJNH6BUv-mEYSXVtyJKqBg6joyxBNzTv06kOaluYx5uhlcwwpn4-7af4hEqRQBkfM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+11.11.01+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="686" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-btBSHepo1Cx_iwsOTuYor1clWoBfcD565ArL61g-31dzalCDaGt9eXJllozQ67cKmdseRZMJakJNH6BUv-mEYSXVtyJKqBg6joyxBNzTv06kOaluYx5uhlcwwpn4-7af4hEqRQBkfM/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-05-25+at+11.11.01+PM.png" width="282" /></a></div>
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WHEW! This was a crazy-long post! Kudos to those of you who made it this far! I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my beautiful new laundry room!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-16872827619128753972020-05-24T18:45:00.000-04:002020-05-25T23:26:11.905-04:00The One with the Laundry Room Reno: Part 2Okay. If you read <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2020/05/the-one-with-laundry-room-reno-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a>, you know that we recently completed a major overhaul to our laundry room, including new paint, a new pocket door, and a super useful laundry basket storage nook.<br />
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There's so much more to share!<br />
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For starters, let's take another look at the BEFORE and AFTER pics:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BDFVHzSXvUjy75GTOkxCoBPvUGKX8nhc0SbC8975LnBRJHwsBo3IIRXNJyNpArS60Xmpy-wYKMUzs_RHfp_LnLhVB43fpDl27sZ3lY1UCB2sAlIJ4ATmzZMNgSEe4MSyJQFHkgW5MY4/s1600/98329552_10223321089881550_7411199900152496128_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BDFVHzSXvUjy75GTOkxCoBPvUGKX8nhc0SbC8975LnBRJHwsBo3IIRXNJyNpArS60Xmpy-wYKMUzs_RHfp_LnLhVB43fpDl27sZ3lY1UCB2sAlIJ4ATmzZMNgSEe4MSyJQFHkgW5MY4/s400/98329552_10223321089881550_7411199900152496128_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJB7lJ8zEtHN4Tpo52hd0NDqf3xUQwzO9HrE5yrBl6v0RTTlzGVTcRbE42hfTD6QJJm7p91nzpQuGrmoNS52U5hLxaDv0lt8IyBVWtZhjTF3UMvf3GDqkV6DBvn_HnQL5uud7UQ5AseU/s1600/97991821_10223321090481565_2022918120263385088_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJB7lJ8zEtHN4Tpo52hd0NDqf3xUQwzO9HrE5yrBl6v0RTTlzGVTcRbE42hfTD6QJJm7p91nzpQuGrmoNS52U5hLxaDv0lt8IyBVWtZhjTF3UMvf3GDqkV6DBvn_HnQL5uud7UQ5AseU/s400/97991821_10223321090481565_2022918120263385088_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Quite a change, yes?<br />
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In my previous post, I shared about the pocket door and laundry basket storage nook. This post will be dedicated to THE TWO BEAUTIFUL APPLIANCES you see in the AFTER pic above! And apparently there will need to be a Part 3 to discuss all the other pretty stuff happening in our renovated laundry room. 💗<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">⚠WARNING⚠: </span></b>There was A LOT OF DRAMA involved in the purchase of our new washer and dryer. Consider yourself warned!<br />
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Okay, so we needed new appliances. Our current washer and dryer were manufactured in 1999. While they are solid workhorses and have been excellent for our family these past many years, now that there are 7 of us, we simply needed more capacity to keep up with all.the.laundry.<br />
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So, over the past 6 weeks, I have ordered <b>FOUR SETS</b> of appliances.<br />
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Yes. <i>FOUR. SETS.</i><br />
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I'm detailing this here for my own sanity purposes. And because it's my blog so I can do what I want. But mostly because I love documenting our family's experiences so we can look back at them here years later.<br />
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On March 30th, I ordered a set of Samsung appliances from Home Depot, to be delivered on April 20th.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKXKSynj5YCf7DdESbTmiUKCJi_RowmRIX9q5njkaukL7na2673o6K15Hd7mWWcZcK7utEh593YTxj1_4MVU4XNSJuVO8UsYY_yVPMrpuqJEuIdDpGo2p4qh3wzZGjLqfsxx4ccFoUTU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-24+at+1.07.36+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="1136" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKXKSynj5YCf7DdESbTmiUKCJi_RowmRIX9q5njkaukL7na2673o6K15Hd7mWWcZcK7utEh593YTxj1_4MVU4XNSJuVO8UsYY_yVPMrpuqJEuIdDpGo2p4qh3wzZGjLqfsxx4ccFoUTU/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-24+at+1.07.36+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
After several <i>weeks</i> of excitement and anticipation, the fact that Home Depot didn't allow returns for appliances had really started to stress me out. I was afraid I wouldn't like something about the Samsung units, but would be stuck with them. So within 72 hours of my scheduled delivery, I canceled my Home Depot order.<br />
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On April 20th, I ordered the same washer and dryer directly from Samsung, since they DID offer a return policy. Yay!<br />
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I sat on that order for a total of TWO DAYS before I canceled it because, after additional research, I found the Samsung washer lacked one of the critical features I wanted: a detergent dispenser that would automatically dispense the right amount of detergent for each load, rather than having to add it each and every time. Yes, #lazy.</div>
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After seemingly endless research, I finally determined Whirlpool made the washer (and dryer!) of my dreams. On May 2nd, I ordered them from Lowe's, since they offer a return policy for appliances. I wasn't too concerned about needing to return them, but since I can't shop in the stores and talk to the sales folks about this large purchase, I just needed the safety net.<br />
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These babies were scheduled for delivery on May 19th. It would be a long 2+ weeks of waiting, but we were in the midst of several of our laundry room projects, so I suspected the time would fly by.<br />
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I was SO excited about the Whirlpool set! So much so, that everything in our laundry room was renovated with those exact machines in mind--from colors, to dimensions, to finishes... EVERYTHING.<br />
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Five days before my scheduled delivery, on May 14th, I contacted Lowe's 800# to confirm they were going to actually INSTALL the appliances, not just deliver them.<br />
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<i>NOTE: At the time, I was working hard to convince myself I'd be okay with a Lowe's employee or two in my house, as long as they were masked and had shoe covers on, because I couldn't imagine hubs and I attempting to deal with moving washers and dryers ourselves up/down a flight of stairs, especially given my condition of being almost 8 months pregnant.</i><br />
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I spoke with a lady named Terry at the call center who insisted I HAD to add additional items to my order if I wanted the appliances installed (hot/cold hoses, dryer steam hose, and dryer vent). Now, I already owned all of these items and they were all in perfect working condition, but I begrudgingly agreed to allow Terry to add these (unnecessary) items to my purchase in order to ensure installation. Of course she stated I could simply return the items to my local Lowe's after the delivery. <i>Thanks for adding an unnecessary trip out of the house during a worldwide pandemic, Terry. </i>However, by adding the items to my order, she essentially CANCELED my original order, and created a NEW order, with a scheduled delivery date of my new appliances now moved out 38 DAYS to JUNE 26TH! 😡 You guys, on that date, I am planning to be discharged from the HOSPITAL after BIRTHING A NEW LIFE.<br />
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After several rounds with her, her inability to connect me to ANY supervisor, several more calls, a few online chats, and multiple calls with the local Lowe's store managers (at two different locations), it was determined there was nothing they could do about my original order. These specific appliances were backordered with Whirlpool. The quickest they could get my order to me was now June 8th... essentially 3 more weeks after my order was originally scheduled to be delivered, and 5 weeks after my original order was placed.<br />
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As you may imagine, my pregnant hormonal self was NOT having any of this! There were more anger and tears than I would care to admit. But in the end, I decided to CANCEL the order completely with Lowe's. I just couldn't even deal with this company any longer, and refused to spend this much money with them. There had to be another way.<br />
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I went back to Whirlpool's site and searched their list of authorized retailers. Best Buy showed the appliances were backordered and completely unavailable to order. Home Depot had them, but said it would be 4+ weeks until delivery. But then, I found a hidden gem in their list of retailers: Ferguson Bath, Kitchen, and Lighting Gallery! Turns out they had a location here in the Upstate! I had never heard of them, but gave them a call with all of my fingers crossed!<br />
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Guess what!? They had both my washer and dryer available in one of their warehouses!! Happy dance!<br />
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I ordered them on Thursday, May 14th, and they were scheduled to arrive FOUR BUSINESS DAYS LATER on Wednesday, May 20th! YAY! This would definitely help us stay on schedule with our renovation, and help us to finish up the job so I could FINALLY focus on preparing for Cinco's arrival in just a few short weeks!<br />
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Without any issue, the appliances arrived as scheduled last Wednesday!<br />
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But, because of our luck, when the delivery driver unboxed the washer... it looked as if it had been mauled by a fork lift!! 😭 See?<br />
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NOTE: I should mention that we sold our washer and dryer last Tuesday, in anticipation of our new ones arriving on Wednesday. So it had already been a few days of no laundry (not good!). I was super bummed with this development in the process.<br />
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Wonderful. So we had no choice but to refuse the washer, and accepted the dryer. However, I was able to call Ferguson and it turned out they had another washer they could send my way! It would be here in TWO business days. YAY!<br />
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The new washer arrived in Greenville bright and early last Friday, May 22nd. I asked if they could PLEASE deliver it the same day since we were headed into a 3-day holiday weekend. Unfortunately, they had several drivers on vacation and couldn't schedule us until<i> the following Tuesday.</i><br />
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Hubs and I decided we didn't want to wait the extra 3 days, so he rented a truck from Home Depot and went to pick it up himself.<br />
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When he arrived, he asked to have the washer unboxed so he could check it for damage before he'd accept it. The guy who was helping him was NOT a warehouse/delivery person, nor apparently skilled with a utility knife (as you'll soon see), but he grabbed a nearby utility knife and went to work.<br />
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He went to work <i style="font-weight: bold;">CUTTING INTO BOTH SIDES AND THE FRONT OF OUR NEW EXPENSIVE WASHING MACHINE WITH THE UTILITY KNIFE. </i>😱😱😱<br />
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As you can imagine, I was NOT thrilled to get this phone call from hubs! And you can CLEARLY see on the image below that the box CLEARLY stated EXACTLY WHERE to cut, towards the BOTTOM of the box, complete with a DOTTED LINE all around all four sides of the box as a helpful guide. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxIOREPwDTHUexQl-6uB2s39YSBZ3Bbao5sc0L0cmLGGgICMJpF9KRQ9JfGQ5WhJNjdGCTILy8d3EriiVVeH69cbVMdBLnKqoYT1QwssE470xVcEU3pU9MyTCLwl2e88VMTUXoV4m2nY/s1600/washer+-+2+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1411" data-original-width="1600" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxIOREPwDTHUexQl-6uB2s39YSBZ3Bbao5sc0L0cmLGGgICMJpF9KRQ9JfGQ5WhJNjdGCTILy8d3EriiVVeH69cbVMdBLnKqoYT1QwssE470xVcEU3pU9MyTCLwl2e88VMTUXoV4m2nY/s400/washer+-+2+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yet this guy cut a good inch or more ABOVE the line, right into our beautiful new appliance. 😭</div>
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It's just never easy, is it?</div>
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I immediately picked up the phone and was on a call for an actual <i>hour and 8 minutes</i> with a rep at Ferguson, during which time hubs was literally just stuck standing around in the warehouse, waiting. I was told there were literally NO managers who could approve a discount on our now damaged appliance. She finally told me the branch manager, Jake, was on vacation, but he would call me when he got to his gate at the airport after reviewing the images and information on our case.</div>
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Um, how long would THAT take??</div>
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Meanwhile, let's remember we're paying for the HD truck by the minute...</div>
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I just can't make this stuff up, folks!</div>
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Let me just end this drama here by saying we eventually accepted the washer, but only after hubs was able to get someone at the Ferguson warehouse to write up a "contract" they both signed, indicating we were expecting a discount to be applied to our purchase once the manager(s) returned to work next week. Their solution had been to just send us home with the damaged washer to use for 2 weeks while we wait for them to have a replacement shipped to us.</div>
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So lugging a washing machine upstairs, using it for 2 weeks, then lugging it back downstairs, only to lug another one back upstairs, after having already moved our existing washer and dryer downstairs, all during a worldwide pandemic when I refused to allow anyone in my home, meaning hubs and I would be responsible for ALL of this appliance moving ourselves... um, NO THANK YOU. I told hubs I'd be happy with a nice discount on our purchase considering it was their mistake. I didn't want to deal with a replacement. So we'll see what they come up with next week when the managers are back.</div>
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Long story already-too-long<i> (sorry!), </i>hubs and I, along with a pivitol furniture dolly, managed to get our new washer and dryer upstairs to the laundry room, despite my being 34 weeks pregnant at the time! I didn't do any super heavy lifting... just some pushing and shimmying.</div>
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END OF (this) DRAMA.</div>
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Now my beautiful new Whirlpool washer and dryer are safely in my beautiful new laundry room! More on the details of the new laundry room coming up in Part 3! And for those of you who read this far, GOOD JOB! You must be super bored with the quarantine to read all about my family's appliance drama. 😉 LOL!</div>
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P.S. If you're really, <i>really</i> bored, check out <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2020/05/the-one-with-laundry-room-reno-part-3.html" target="_blank">Part 3 here</a>!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-44589846158746253302020-05-24T12:01:00.001-04:002020-05-25T23:24:45.468-04:00The One with the Laundry Room Reno: Part 1<div>
There's a LOT to share about the laundry room reno. This is Part 1. <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2020/05/the-one-with-laundry-room-reno-part-2.html" target="_blank">Part 2 can be found here</a>! And <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2020/05/the-one-with-laundry-room-reno-part-3.html" target="_blank">here's Part 3</a>!<br />
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Okay. So pre-quarantine, the hubs and I had a HUGE list of home improvement projects and major renovations we were planning to do this spring before baby Cinco arrives in June.</div>
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The upstairs hallway and loft were to be painted.</div>
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The carpet in the entire house was to be replaced with hardwoods (except in the bedrooms and office).</div>
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The second closet in our master bedroom was to be converted to a bathroom off LO's bedroom.</div>
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The back patio was to be turned into a <a href="https://ezebreezehome.com/" target="_blank">3-season room</a>.</div>
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The upstairs loft was to be converted from a pointless waste of space to a functional room with a wall of built-in bookshelves to solve all of our homeschool book storage woes.</div>
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And the laundry room? Well, it was just supposed to get a nice coat of Repose Gray <a href="https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/SW7015-reposegray/7015" target="_blank">paint</a> to match the rest of the house. 😍</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIrnk1Y9CBbw6ydXQ_5RPaj_7BH5xGe2ublHPykaOglnKiroGtgLaV2rWcKbQtwHDq0Vsl-n1A3CxSyJApLlxuMMSRWJOSdUUlitI5LURsaEDg6L0SXzRkrIZSx2O0ie0NsXNpf28B7Fw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-24+at+10.22.54+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="1350" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIrnk1Y9CBbw6ydXQ_5RPaj_7BH5xGe2ublHPykaOglnKiroGtgLaV2rWcKbQtwHDq0Vsl-n1A3CxSyJApLlxuMMSRWJOSdUUlitI5LURsaEDg6L0SXzRkrIZSx2O0ie0NsXNpf28B7Fw/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-24+at+10.22.54+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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With the onset of COVID-19, we quickly realized our strict quarantine to keep myself, the baby, and our heart warrior, Chase, healthy, we simply couldn't and wouldn't allow contractors to work in our home.</div>
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Good news?</div>
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We could paint the upstairs. We could work on the loft. We would allow the contractor to close in the patio since it's outside.</div>
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Bad news?</div>
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No new flooring. No new bathroom. YET.</div>
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Bonus news?</div>
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We had some extra time on our hands, and decided to tackle the laundry room with more than just a new coat of paint!</div>
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Here's a quick pic of the BEFORE pic. Flat, contractor-grade beige paint, full of scuffs and scratches. Obnoxious wire shelving in awkward places. And sadness. Lots and lots of sadness.</div>
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A quick AFTER pic! So much excitement to share here!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhew5uC1hNTzRt3xnBfHW1t7c8zvcsqphE-ykZw9pARSgB0HCoecnC0fRfIPZXYq8YW-VKNupHXje52lnyXcD4-9kpXM9ta7mI-8FUL8INJqB2_XmZ-EF5UjswM1dv0XQB50SJwGVcBQ5g/s1600/97991821_10223321090481565_2022918120263385088_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhew5uC1hNTzRt3xnBfHW1t7c8zvcsqphE-ykZw9pARSgB0HCoecnC0fRfIPZXYq8YW-VKNupHXje52lnyXcD4-9kpXM9ta7mI-8FUL8INJqB2_XmZ-EF5UjswM1dv0XQB50SJwGVcBQ5g/s400/97991821_10223321090481565_2022918120263385088_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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To truly appreciate the overhaul of this room, you'll need to see more before pics. Let's take a look!<br />
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DISCLAIMER: This room was a MESS! And I didn't even take one hot minute to tidy anything up before taking pics. I wanted to capture this room in all of its awfulness!<br />
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Here's a pic looking into the laundry room. Note the ghetto $12 light fixture that came with the house. And the aforementioned wire shelving. And the door that blocks the entire right side of the room.<br />
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You'll also see a drop-down shelf hubs put in years ago so I'd have a space to put folded clothes. And our lame 3-bin plastic laundry sorter. It wasn't very functional for a family of 7!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpAnrOPBKQ017TOyNuivx65A6i-ilY8AnZ8nd7QB02AIIhe364TnIU5VVtCukngZCEMF2vXV04139JMA4QfHrU1Y4Dv1W0gVPqkmBokL_mNQcou3lcTUvjwi7fy3mUwhKShO6TOWqr10/s1600/loft+-+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpAnrOPBKQ017TOyNuivx65A6i-ilY8AnZ8nd7QB02AIIhe364TnIU5VVtCukngZCEMF2vXV04139JMA4QfHrU1Y4Dv1W0gVPqkmBokL_mNQcou3lcTUvjwi7fy3mUwhKShO6TOWqr10/s400/loft+-+1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Don't forget to check out the floor: the cheap-o vinyl laminate. This didn't get updated simply because the contractors will need to pull up the laundry room floor to access the water lines to run for LO's bathroom (adjacent to the laundry room) eventually, so this floor had to stay--for now.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6q78FFgsLCMXmKu34_nq02i52ETIbZE2R2X5rGoS0gYCstq2JSSrs4VjHXMXg4y5LRKvxnQybUPkg8XtAxhkGeiGD_9CuED3fv1cTE_qZw4qIT2JDl6o-wSR-W2HD4_-c-2aFM6bvFc/s1600/loft+-+4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6q78FFgsLCMXmKu34_nq02i52ETIbZE2R2X5rGoS0gYCstq2JSSrs4VjHXMXg4y5LRKvxnQybUPkg8XtAxhkGeiGD_9CuED3fv1cTE_qZw4qIT2JDl6o-wSR-W2HD4_-c-2aFM6bvFc/s400/loft+-+4.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Then there's this. This is one of the WORST USES OF SPACE in the entire house! For starters, this "nook" is completely hidden by the door when it is open. And you can see sheets on the floor... these typically end up on the floor of the nook, shoved behind the door, often to be forgotten on laundry day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9tzcM2o9F7w6QRPeioioPdIqD9QQMsalTH5hV1eo3hipPSibyZiDz1BVGLObSufN4LH_kzoBvXxcjXCJaYrqa_LJZZyD-iHcqq1RlBBH_F1bBD6lo14ksfRxvh3TEKdXqaY9PT1t9gg/s1600/loft+-+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9tzcM2o9F7w6QRPeioioPdIqD9QQMsalTH5hV1eo3hipPSibyZiDz1BVGLObSufN4LH_kzoBvXxcjXCJaYrqa_LJZZyD-iHcqq1RlBBH_F1bBD6lo14ksfRxvh3TEKdXqaY9PT1t9gg/s400/loft+-+2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Also, board games? Surely the laundry room isn't the most logical location to store board games. But the only other option was the loft, which <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2020/05/the-one-with-custom-diy-bookshelves.html" target="_blank">was a HUGE mess of misused space</a>... though that work-in-progress is improving! I can't wait to share the next phase of the loft's built-in bookshelves here!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilf_5ZfBwMapEHKNivXNLpoRI0dgEwvwfFAddsT_-MORYyLi4JjgNBtuJ1NTV2eZYwuUBfJJ1ECb4nxWUlFTudvdXbXN7WnxdLDDC8qHI2KypyZYh2PCB1wHSY6gM1wQaP84Bnkrb9-qI/s1600/loft+-+3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilf_5ZfBwMapEHKNivXNLpoRI0dgEwvwfFAddsT_-MORYyLi4JjgNBtuJ1NTV2eZYwuUBfJJ1ECb4nxWUlFTudvdXbXN7WnxdLDDC8qHI2KypyZYh2PCB1wHSY6gM1wQaP84Bnkrb9-qI/s400/loft+-+3.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Seriously. These pics are just plain embarrassing! But I needed you to see just how incredibly awful it was in order to truly appreciate the reno!</div>
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The first MAJOR improvement to the laundry room was the addition of a pocket door! Hubs bought a kit and went to work! He was able to reuse the existing door in the pocket frame, so that saved some dough!</div>
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He had to cut out the drywall inside the laundry room to install the track.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvfS2SKbmiExfKfq7Wa1hsWi0TWPEe1LzR9xYAGUQXcL7XWu2VgKjkyKph09PtGEEmMfbaPS62Y0j2WvzyK2hcAvkkTmd2136yRsRxt_NLJtVpjGovFIGhvxUH292UURNpB10PV2-cS8/s1600/loft+-+1+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvfS2SKbmiExfKfq7Wa1hsWi0TWPEe1LzR9xYAGUQXcL7XWu2VgKjkyKph09PtGEEmMfbaPS62Y0j2WvzyK2hcAvkkTmd2136yRsRxt_NLJtVpjGovFIGhvxUH292UURNpB10PV2-cS8/s400/loft+-+1+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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He had to remove the entire door frame as well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK11jPPxRKDwp5Ijg7cX0vasrkL14DoJzqA9iNosY4bM2D_ZE5u77i5Gr3ebalQtCoR9qUS-uRp1RXwH53mCSLyvD5kvrhzvDARQEj-zhjwDTn79tNQrCCNbHeW9nH8uesVL5YJ4z4SaM/s1600/loft+-+2+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK11jPPxRKDwp5Ijg7cX0vasrkL14DoJzqA9iNosY4bM2D_ZE5u77i5Gr3ebalQtCoR9qUS-uRp1RXwH53mCSLyvD5kvrhzvDARQEj-zhjwDTn79tNQrCCNbHeW9nH8uesVL5YJ4z4SaM/s400/loft+-+2+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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And then remove some more of the drywall. I was happy to see none of the drywall in the loft needed to be removed. Hubs did a great job of working this project from the laundry room side!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFsRuUj7vKA_ogbaGNbJz689vcx07oV-2KyRR0HDzeCKoBSrwQa2dBVaCtnxDlIYsoEcozA9Fh1pc78KY_mMAFBt8FzOYdzuChH4mCT6aSfHBsZ_4v-laRsFViZovGTZiA5T-PFV63vU/s1600/loft+-+3+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFsRuUj7vKA_ogbaGNbJz689vcx07oV-2KyRR0HDzeCKoBSrwQa2dBVaCtnxDlIYsoEcozA9Fh1pc78KY_mMAFBt8FzOYdzuChH4mCT6aSfHBsZ_4v-laRsFViZovGTZiA5T-PFV63vU/s400/loft+-+3+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I won't devote a ton of time to the crazy amount of work hubs put into this pocket door, but I will show an "AFTER" pic! Check out that beautiful door frame! Wait until you see how spacious the laundry room is without a big ol' door in the way!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xJZRrKx7QFobADVR91hn2qPVhiPp6a3Va2av8LXJlUOTp_OdiABLndgIiPKV33ef_vyCUMlb3GRSxxg3KC2kAUMFeDZR5VLKOSAms-HL5Q0Vz9dpZgwhikYoCqi0ebM4wcUUUgnJqcg/s1600/loft+-+1+%25282%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xJZRrKx7QFobADVR91hn2qPVhiPp6a3Va2av8LXJlUOTp_OdiABLndgIiPKV33ef_vyCUMlb3GRSxxg3KC2kAUMFeDZR5VLKOSAms-HL5Q0Vz9dpZgwhikYoCqi0ebM4wcUUUgnJqcg/s400/loft+-+1+%25282%2529.jpeg" width="267" /></a></div>
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Now let's take another look at the useless nook that used to be hidden by the door. I have a GRAND PLAN for this space that will revolutionize my laundry life! Check it out:</div>
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As you can see in the pic below, hubs finished the pocket door install, the laundry room has been painted gray, and the nook has been painted a bright white semi-gloss to match the trim.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30R_pUCzGnsWKlWoxskLDOoH8n2hdlBY-zW-EpUziqbfig8kLGnnT6ftI9MeckTaSJXvcBWHsiMe3fgXNfyq6DHLG1yr8c0lGVP-Z1UvB7EAviJ6WVoMGEwxhyjECq_Z5wHUmsXnEn-8/s1600/nook+-+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30R_pUCzGnsWKlWoxskLDOoH8n2hdlBY-zW-EpUziqbfig8kLGnnT6ftI9MeckTaSJXvcBWHsiMe3fgXNfyq6DHLG1yr8c0lGVP-Z1UvB7EAviJ6WVoMGEwxhyjECq_Z5wHUmsXnEn-8/s400/nook+-+2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Next, hubs added six horizontal 1x2s in the nook.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWpjQGqtArOhzeWHDG7_XwGnWJe5U7WrKbayMFmjEAO2iyy6aUpX5xUVKYVKQ6SU4g0IWarkFw9GxQnaZkQbe_Dl6J4OnZH18rAwN5EanppRpxmjdy9wlW23wgdWKt-MTaM4wWHxJllg/s1600/nook+-+4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWpjQGqtArOhzeWHDG7_XwGnWJe5U7WrKbayMFmjEAO2iyy6aUpX5xUVKYVKQ6SU4g0IWarkFw9GxQnaZkQbe_Dl6J4OnZH18rAwN5EanppRpxmjdy9wlW23wgdWKt-MTaM4wWHxJllg/s400/nook+-+4.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I painted the 1x2s white to match!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqx87QvFfBXqLyi0p4h8hslPw0_yVQ_ZNKL9IUHIO5UdKBpXR42TdsSHLc5ninveFcocG2f8naTpMnhoH8EMTAht0-xBqC0eHX5bDRe90LGvuLVFLxOtBu09uFRAZ6mXDzODh6_9zEh4/s1600/nook+-+5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqx87QvFfBXqLyi0p4h8hslPw0_yVQ_ZNKL9IUHIO5UdKBpXR42TdsSHLc5ninveFcocG2f8naTpMnhoH8EMTAht0-xBqC0eHX5bDRe90LGvuLVFLxOtBu09uFRAZ6mXDzODh6_9zEh4/s400/nook+-+5.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Any guesses what we're going for here? If not, check out the image below! I LOVE it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0Cj_OEkUtzT9HRQBmPztFPTdFSfj2DZ-jwtDKLaVmC1VbISt9nDpYhf08f2mnPWcieYtvKW0364BGjCVZGT9DODnbulgneT_3bZZdMDwKnOpw3CYryXJDyhr9yOXA8lLOECQPVVerB8/s1600/nook+-+6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0Cj_OEkUtzT9HRQBmPztFPTdFSfj2DZ-jwtDKLaVmC1VbISt9nDpYhf08f2mnPWcieYtvKW0364BGjCVZGT9DODnbulgneT_3bZZdMDwKnOpw3CYryXJDyhr9yOXA8lLOECQPVVerB8/s400/nook+-+6.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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It's a laundry basket storage nook! This area was sized perfectly for this, and I don't even know what took me so long to make this happen!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjz3T2ssVnZmTXD3QxNY07ZZjcIEMKloJmKF4f4-GpVw6XdQSFlmb57vb7Wp3DVsFVQsmmgdXcKpC5cgJ4kmU_gXaX93W3ITDYHiEdxRDjqRoM7uiOvzuDx-8dhFLBidQn1qt6oFhGl0/s1600/nook+-+7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjz3T2ssVnZmTXD3QxNY07ZZjcIEMKloJmKF4f4-GpVw6XdQSFlmb57vb7Wp3DVsFVQsmmgdXcKpC5cgJ4kmU_gXaX93W3ITDYHiEdxRDjqRoM7uiOvzuDx-8dhFLBidQn1qt6oFhGl0/s400/nook+-+7.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Of course I needed labels for the baskets, so I created (and laminated!) these to help the kids keep track of where everything goes!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80fxDbu0E_VlQBLHwYTVDdKlbr3E2GWY54ViWahB6abXDfpPsMQv9TYz_-ajWZTz2BV6zBK1qg7Q6aAjmQc-cjY4NZAVqB_ixyMXySuc9U9_83TrOPFg8SbkwwAV1oK9xEOjlIbnt0sY/s1600/nook+-+8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80fxDbu0E_VlQBLHwYTVDdKlbr3E2GWY54ViWahB6abXDfpPsMQv9TYz_-ajWZTz2BV6zBK1qg7Q6aAjmQc-cjY4NZAVqB_ixyMXySuc9U9_83TrOPFg8SbkwwAV1oK9xEOjlIbnt0sY/s400/nook+-+8.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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That's better! Six labeled laundry baskets, stored in the nook, off the floor, completely out of the way, and no longer hidden by the laundry room door! SCORE!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVIYJ9VQrr_eM3QpPdURXLk5AOBIVmQf1gxXV0KuCoitIeNvzwQiGulAqnGmoj1yGJ3i52mE8E1LGIgTP7yP1tnSwty76Kyj6WdrLiMwr1EbAqbx6DZ_1tShwxatKuWjNw5Xg660mwps/s1600/nook+-+9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVIYJ9VQrr_eM3QpPdURXLk5AOBIVmQf1gxXV0KuCoitIeNvzwQiGulAqnGmoj1yGJ3i52mE8E1LGIgTP7yP1tnSwty76Kyj6WdrLiMwr1EbAqbx6DZ_1tShwxatKuWjNw5Xg660mwps/s400/nook+-+9.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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What a HUGE difference this made to our laundry room! No more games, puzzles, and miscellaneous junk shoved behind the door in the laundry room! Now it's a functional space that is completely life-changing! No lie!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZyjMpusQObIZTEUGwYFPB_IlqiE8LFoNuXL1NfYVxywORsjVhf4hwIxO9p3dLWm39vW0c2fPnpw4LECnTFFPvzQlYLSsYTfeIN48sNv8fvoPiWTBnuHya6v1ZlWhvPFUY2ci2ABP_00/s1600/nook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1129" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZyjMpusQObIZTEUGwYFPB_IlqiE8LFoNuXL1NfYVxywORsjVhf4hwIxO9p3dLWm39vW0c2fPnpw4LECnTFFPvzQlYLSsYTfeIN48sNv8fvoPiWTBnuHya6v1ZlWhvPFUY2ci2ABP_00/s640/nook.jpg" width="451" /></a></div>
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I have much more to share about this room's transformation, including ALL of the beauty you saw in the "AFTER" pic at the beginning of this post that I didn't even discuss here! <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2020/05/the-one-with-laundry-room-reno-part-2.html" target="_blank">Click here for Part 2</a>! </div>
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Be sure to <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2020/05/the-one-with-laundry-room-reno-part-3.html" target="_blank">check out Part 3</a>!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-83771987816712922522020-05-04T23:59:00.000-04:002020-05-05T01:12:38.546-04:00First Day of School // 2020Happy First Day of School!<br />
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Yes, I realize it's May 4th. And no, I'm not crazy. 😉<br />
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See, we finished our 180th day of our 2019-2020 school year last Wednesday.<br />
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We took Thursday off for <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2020/04/es-7th-birthday.html" target="_blank">E's 7th birthday</a>.<br />
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We took Friday off for our summer break. HAHAHAHAHA! 😂😂😂<br />
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And we started our 2020-2021 school year today (Monday)!<br />
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I had already <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2019/06/first-day-of-school-2019.html" target="_blank">scheduled our current school year to end the last week of April</a>. Then we were going to take the month of May off to enjoy all.the.summer.fun while the public schools were still in session, and start back with our new school year the first week of June. This is what we did last year, and it worked well for us! It allowed us to have lots of downtime and flexibility in our year.<br />
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But then COVID-19 happened.<br />
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Plans changed.<br />
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I didn't see any reason to finish up our school year and take the month of May off only to sit around the house and stare at each other, as we've been doing so very well for the past two months during quarantine.<br />
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So we all decided it just made more sense to roll right into our 2020-2021 school year this week... after a 5-day weekend/summer break - LOL!<br />
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The good thing is we're pretty much just continuing with all of our current subjects through the summer, so I haven't been in a major rush to nail down our "official" curricula for the new year. We had planned to join an Upstate area co-op this fall, but those plans are currently way up in the air as our family's health and safety may mean we buckle down for another year together at home on our own, especially with a new baby due in 7 weeks! I'm TOTALLY on board with that game plan, but will continue to seek the Lord's direction in this decision. Until then, let's move forward with our new school year!<br />
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Check out these beautiful kiddos! They are my 3/5 of my heart! 💖<br />
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My sweet LO is in 8th grade. EIGHTH GRADE, y'all! I'm so proud of her and can't wait to see the growth she has this year!</div>
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We are shifting gears BIG TIME as she will be taking several honors courses this year for high school credits. It will be a whole new world for her as the requirements and obligations for her academically will increase dramatically this year. I'm confident she's up for the challenge, though!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5s8hLl5eaVH0bsRqmmd5iwET1zvVFSKQe_gXqF0jLmmvQfLvcjuYAGebPGT7dE7vve2rKN1JQOqOUcHHnjyO4NHdIU0Xw0_XYRs48gN_vtB5vusNdJaixFHmut90xd1fKgo7CzW-yrc/s1600/2020-2021-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5s8hLl5eaVH0bsRqmmd5iwET1zvVFSKQe_gXqF0jLmmvQfLvcjuYAGebPGT7dE7vve2rKN1JQOqOUcHHnjyO4NHdIU0Xw0_XYRs48gN_vtB5vusNdJaixFHmut90xd1fKgo7CzW-yrc/s640/2020-2021-6.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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Then there's this guy. My 5th grader! Chase could not BE more ready for his final year of elementary studies! I'll digest the fact that he'll be starting middle school next year MUCH later.</div>
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Chase had a great year in 4th, and I have big expectations for his 5th grade year! He's super strong in Math and his English skills have grown so much this year. His cursive handwriting is lightyears above his print handwriting (I tell him this all the time - LOL!). He LOVES drawing and writing/illustrating comics. He still has aspirations to be a professional gamer when he grows up.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOgBFpE69E10URGa4nsNvs7j6WGajLJ4iQLbhcw4819rVRFoHro5Mx8d36M-jtFDw0FyGRRSplC22bzW7aTYMpT9B2-Y5Xr31lvqJf4XvBbaSZklQyDRko-YUmRZS8O_nWjcX1Wuaak0/s1600/2020-2021-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOgBFpE69E10URGa4nsNvs7j6WGajLJ4iQLbhcw4819rVRFoHro5Mx8d36M-jtFDw0FyGRRSplC22bzW7aTYMpT9B2-Y5Xr31lvqJf4XvBbaSZklQyDRko-YUmRZS8O_nWjcX1Wuaak0/s640/2020-2021-4.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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Look at this cute face! E's in 2nd grade and I'm so excited for him!</div>
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I mean, really, I just love this cutie-pie! He's grown SO MUCH over the past year, and I know he's going to continue to thrive in 2nd grade! He is a reading machine, has THE MOST impressive handwriting, his math skills are off-the-chart, and he is always wanting to do his very best work. It's such a joy to watch him learn!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUb9FYWBlVnK2sgfA5gspaM-K9m9cTyAe1QtV1PSnJNEtW1HtsNPsH6PrfhsUrwYzdg3IBQwyeToeTGM_Rv9J5BTnedsD2iP-kiWA7jTOVUbQeer-KImikBiuxcj17pOz_VrpWM6Em-Q/s1600/2020-2021-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUb9FYWBlVnK2sgfA5gspaM-K9m9cTyAe1QtV1PSnJNEtW1HtsNPsH6PrfhsUrwYzdg3IBQwyeToeTGM_Rv9J5BTnedsD2iP-kiWA7jTOVUbQeer-KImikBiuxcj17pOz_VrpWM6Em-Q/s640/2020-2021-2.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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Oh - let's not forget the (current) youngest and soon-to-be big brother, Squish, who will be turning THREE in less than 40 days! I just love these crazies and the incredible family God's blessed me with!</div>
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And they're not weird at all.</div>
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Okay, 2020-2021 school year... Let's Do This! 💙</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-4383043025645631952020-05-04T15:18:00.001-04:002020-05-04T15:28:29.480-04:00The One with the Custom DIY Bookshelves: Part 1We have this room upstairs. The floor plan classifies it as a loft; however, we have yet to formally utilize this room as for any purpose whatsoever in the 8+ years we've lived in our home. It eventually turned into a play area of sorts, if "play area" is defined as a dumping ground for all of our kids' stuff!<br />
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I eventually realized that BOOKS are one of the biggest culprits of clutter in our home, so I decided to add bookshelves for storage, thinking somehow this would magically clean up the space and make it functional.<br />
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Unfortunately, that was NOT the case.<br />
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For starters, I purchased cheap $30 bookshelves. They look cheaper than they cost. And the shelves didn't do such a great job at holding books--the ONE thing they were designed to do!--and eventually started sagging in the middle.<br />
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I also added two cube storage units, one of which I had the hubs hang on the wall, and it created a sort of "entertainment center" with all the books, toys, and the TV.<br />
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But y'all. It was a breeding ground for JANKY CLUTTER. And it drove. me. crazy.<br />
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About a month ago, I called a family meeting in this cluttered space and put everyone to work! We took EVERYTHING off the shelves, sorted through the books (lots to donate, and several that were falling apart we needed to toss), put all the game consoles away (we've had a glorious lockdown of zero electronics for the past several months--I highly recommend it!), threw out trash, organized DVDs, and basically anything and everything necessary to finally organize this space once and for all!<br />
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Don't just take my word for it, though. I've got PICTURES! Check out this "Before" photo of these messy bookshelves I speak of:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YM2vWnrCmfzm2_4mLLwxv6sBV6zPOANXPqL9KpcgtMNWHCrx0-WO1rpTndwpVBx00ruNrEjsQvmSkQ3vHV3GXP8OuQeMJENCXvKB7gq5VBd2cqxHaVVnCeKOo0QY6VwTGcHYQep0xmg/s1600/bookshelves+-+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YM2vWnrCmfzm2_4mLLwxv6sBV6zPOANXPqL9KpcgtMNWHCrx0-WO1rpTndwpVBx00ruNrEjsQvmSkQ3vHV3GXP8OuQeMJENCXvKB7gq5VBd2cqxHaVVnCeKOo0QY6VwTGcHYQep0xmg/s640/bookshelves+-+1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Awful, right? Told ya so!</div>
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It was SO bad. But wait! There's an "After" pic, too! Check it out:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdQ-x3lIYvuUYfS8RLJPOXOptivnKgtUQKqNb9V86gFSOYVlRPDdEY0vuHfWQ6EdjqzESIw7i-946fC1dX6jWlXEGX0iyHtgJTH0x4RJHcQ3o4fCD-ZpYSC1fLVfM8nzVrMYEXdkk10c/s1600/bookshelves+-+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdQ-x3lIYvuUYfS8RLJPOXOptivnKgtUQKqNb9V86gFSOYVlRPDdEY0vuHfWQ6EdjqzESIw7i-946fC1dX6jWlXEGX0iyHtgJTH0x4RJHcQ3o4fCD-ZpYSC1fLVfM8nzVrMYEXdkk10c/s640/bookshelves+-+2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That's better, isn't it?</div>
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Ugh. Not really.</div>
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It just still didn't look right.</div>
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Here's the deal. We're starting our 7th year of homeschooling. As such, we have a TON of books that need a home. And we will continually be adding more books to our collection. And they won't be going anywhere for the next 18+ years. So I decided I wanted a more permanent space to store our books.</div>
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Side note: We also needed a storage solution for the kids' games. They were stored behind the door in our laundry room. Not the most useful space/location, and also in need of an overhaul (exciting blog post coming soon!). Pardon my embarrassment at sharing the following image:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNByhGTtTZuMA0jhNp4ys5WPHcXnAZBTwkm4UPzUTsCgERWgImDkME0jSZYBX80mKLRro9yNunxgCXIkBFTTzgB7WmN-NHjmbp89U3UG3pVem7gWrADjUEe5eUqrZtEsSm985ois2f8QI/s1600/bookshelves+-+1+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNByhGTtTZuMA0jhNp4ys5WPHcXnAZBTwkm4UPzUTsCgERWgImDkME0jSZYBX80mKLRro9yNunxgCXIkBFTTzgB7WmN-NHjmbp89U3UG3pVem7gWrADjUEe5eUqrZtEsSm985ois2f8QI/s640/bookshelves+-+1+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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See what I mean? Lots of stuff in lots of places that all needed a permanent, <i>organized </i>home!</div>
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I scoured the interwebs and found <a href="https://rootsandwingsfurniture.com/blog/builtinbases/" target="_blank">exactly what I wanted to do</a> with the loft space. Check out that link from Jeni at Roots & Wings Furniture! We needed a built-in bookshelf for the books, with cabinets for the games (and other stuff that needed hidden storage)! And this DIY link had the perfect step-by-step instructions to give me the confidence that hubs and I could knock this out ourselves. This would be the perfect, permanent solution! It would also help define this space upstairs (more on that later).</div>
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Now the fun begins!</div>
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We moved ALL of the books and games into our master bedroom, which basically emptied the entire wall. We removed the bookshelves and cube storage units.</div>
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Now, we had previously painted the entire downstairs <a href="https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/SW7015-reposegray/7015" target="_blank">Repose Gray</a> by Sherwin-Williams. I LOVE this gray!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qNVDD5ks56LfqHl7wimaZguq2Gsd-NjL5pTy4STPm2xvbJsrFdeXDHtiUh6-nqcQFV2RnvPNOKt5KgHHnoWzuLQOecwRPshxBJkSYIXv96rLgPbqZKhJw86j21yENkgiU4Jor2eL8yk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-04+at+10.04.43+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="1216" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qNVDD5ks56LfqHl7wimaZguq2Gsd-NjL5pTy4STPm2xvbJsrFdeXDHtiUh6-nqcQFV2RnvPNOKt5KgHHnoWzuLQOecwRPshxBJkSYIXv96rLgPbqZKhJw86j21yENkgiU4Jor2eL8yk/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-04+at+10.04.43+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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We always planned to paint the upstairs as well... it just hadn't happened yet.</div>
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Well, it was time! We knocked out the entire upstairs, which really was just a hallway and the loft. It went pretty quickly, and I LOVED how nice it looked with clean, freshly-painted walls. Here's a little mid-progress peek:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cLNauR6BDJGJqdRbnw0zOItM4kxs0YPVAbNQQCNA1NgBmxuF6RqAN6vP2md9uJ5XGvzSnU5chQwG-940VdJjFkd1Pe1HkoU6r-7zyQcXvWs_HmY0vOxCeUdJcwdVvykyr1yQ9WmfZ5I/s1600/bookshelves+-+3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cLNauR6BDJGJqdRbnw0zOItM4kxs0YPVAbNQQCNA1NgBmxuF6RqAN6vP2md9uJ5XGvzSnU5chQwG-940VdJjFkd1Pe1HkoU6r-7zyQcXvWs_HmY0vOxCeUdJcwdVvykyr1yQ9WmfZ5I/s640/bookshelves+-+3.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once the walls were painted, it was time to start planning our new built-in bookshelves. We had 120" of space to work with. We had originally planned to do one cabinet in the center with shelves above it, and full shelves on either side. I really wanted the <i>bookshelf</i> storage. But because of the width of our space and the width of the cabinets and 100 other reasons, we ultimately decided to do cabinets along the entire width of the wall. Here is a mock-up of our design:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSqZcxcRq7ANwqNkGMT8fGTzmNDZbpDB4xVRkzWiLzNnPRyYkxfJzJECXP6MHLzP5KtD8hkYBRIW5Nhkqap0XVGWWKdmwUhT9xePAllbPxkEvuS9pw_SUaJcjD9l6l-egq4WfT0Iw9Vs/s1600/bookshelves+-+4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1597" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSqZcxcRq7ANwqNkGMT8fGTzmNDZbpDB4xVRkzWiLzNnPRyYkxfJzJECXP6MHLzP5KtD8hkYBRIW5Nhkqap0XVGWWKdmwUhT9xePAllbPxkEvuS9pw_SUaJcjD9l6l-egq4WfT0Iw9Vs/s640/bookshelves+-+4.jpeg" width="638" /></a></div>
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Jeni recommended Lowe's cabinets over Home Depot's, so I put together the world's hugest Lowe's order and set it up for truck delivery. On Saturday, April 25th, the Lowe's truck arrived and the nicest fella unloaded our goodies!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-asrtwzmUbnzkoIIswzUnvPRxgYbEwlOqt2im9IuvpgMHXEV9a3s0r9_dSGmkypUbVhBd29YVqRwesHG3okw2zE2wkXFjJiYc2IiYfviwoerVYtD4y0x1DF2t198LLxjeYim8eFf9ZSU/s1600/bookshelves+-+5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-asrtwzmUbnzkoIIswzUnvPRxgYbEwlOqt2im9IuvpgMHXEV9a3s0r9_dSGmkypUbVhBd29YVqRwesHG3okw2zE2wkXFjJiYc2IiYfviwoerVYtD4y0x1DF2t198LLxjeYim8eFf9ZSU/s640/bookshelves+-+5.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And we had a LOT of goodies! LOL!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxa2yHJW308mJaVRZz59RQ63oMcZxFtIJVgDCg4XJuDhdOhwrsnccVZDaL3OS93hnbQycEs0LklcppZDKBCyEoFO0ZmchWiZYMSb-N-w16Nb8R2B7lSg4y9AofPDzwYNS-e_STUC7kNY/s1600/bookshelves+-+6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxa2yHJW308mJaVRZz59RQ63oMcZxFtIJVgDCg4XJuDhdOhwrsnccVZDaL3OS93hnbQycEs0LklcppZDKBCyEoFO0ZmchWiZYMSb-N-w16Nb8R2B7lSg4y9AofPDzwYNS-e_STUC7kNY/s640/bookshelves+-+6.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Meanwhile, the loft was all kinds of ready for this exciting endeavor! Don't the painted walls look so pretty?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5o0F_Fr-T7ePQ4GLmWeIAcXKsfZomzGss3jVbYgArTaZ0q5tW5tyt6CUJYUPAJHZouixrsE3ChU_lTqOB2VC8zzeZLiyjYqjoA6NmfPbKVnBqxHUd6vG1Jr2bIopWevwg9kByQ64mlU/s1600/bookshelves+-+7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5o0F_Fr-T7ePQ4GLmWeIAcXKsfZomzGss3jVbYgArTaZ0q5tW5tyt6CUJYUPAJHZouixrsE3ChU_lTqOB2VC8zzeZLiyjYqjoA6NmfPbKVnBqxHUd6vG1Jr2bIopWevwg9kByQ64mlU/s640/bookshelves+-+7.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Up first? I wanted to prep and paint my cabinets. We purchased four <a href="https://www.lowes.com/pd/Project-Source-30-in-W-x-30-in-H-x-12-in-D-Unfinished-Unfinished-Door-Wall-Stock-Cabinet/50134946" target="_blank">30" wall cabinets</a> and I wanted to get them painted before installation. This worked out well considering I had hubs working hard on installing a pocket door in the laundry room (more on that later!). While he finished up that project, I was prepping for this one. I used <a href="https://www.lowes.com/pd/Valspar-2000-Semi-Gloss-High-Hide-White-Interior-Paint-Actual-Net-Contents-128-fl-oz/3057211" target="_blank">Valspar 2000 semi-gloss high hide white interior paint</a>. It worked like a charm! I made sure to add <a href="https://www.lowes.com/pd/Flood-Floetrol-Interior-Exterior-Paint-Conditioner-Actual-Net-Contents-32-fl-oz/3376244" target="_blank">Flood Floetrol paint conditioner</a> to help ensure the paint settled nicely without any brush or roller marks. And it did! :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOombgPQs1Owd0XXIlGXyGdRlhwluZ8cIC2aJDoHXN3PF0hAC65KZRLZhLF5wuQz7fF27hXeTv1OQ6twZeclDcIT7-MnkrmMJxvytMZcJqULFcb4K723_lNxKQgUMPzSJlTsFU-c4fUWQ/s1600/bookshelves+-+8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOombgPQs1Owd0XXIlGXyGdRlhwluZ8cIC2aJDoHXN3PF0hAC65KZRLZhLF5wuQz7fF27hXeTv1OQ6twZeclDcIT7-MnkrmMJxvytMZcJqULFcb4K723_lNxKQgUMPzSJlTsFU-c4fUWQ/s640/bookshelves+-+8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I wanted these to look NICE, so I sanded them with 120 grit sandpaper, cleaned them, painted them, sanded them with 180, cleaned them, painted them, sanded them with 220, and cleaned them. It was a lengthy process, but worth it in the end because they turned out lovely!</div>
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Here's a mid-progress pic after just one coat of paint:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuwfICeCNO8N-9Jv_2ihsdEwcbAWMpbR7R1LF4OICg35-q6Z8YPROd4Yse0I_P7Sge694iYyq4GZoXnXeWnohqELBrYeWSAOvG83ilpqgjTHnO0JXYdLlPt8JW1Og2CF72aTd3Z1dxpA/s1600/bookshelves+-+9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuwfICeCNO8N-9Jv_2ihsdEwcbAWMpbR7R1LF4OICg35-q6Z8YPROd4Yse0I_P7Sge694iYyq4GZoXnXeWnohqELBrYeWSAOvG83ilpqgjTHnO0JXYdLlPt8JW1Og2CF72aTd3Z1dxpA/s640/bookshelves+-+9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I followed the same process with the doors. It was a lengthy process over several days. Eight cabinet doors times three coats of paint and three sandings and three cleanings... and that was just for the inside of the doors! I then repeated the same process with the outside. And let's all remember the fact that all of this is taking place while 31 weeks pregnant!</div>
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Here are a few pics of the progress with the doors over several days:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mRPtfvW1BVjVGMGUqGxLCf4OOHdoE8WMjz3VAJT3pzC5QW868KXoPKsEXn6eaRM3lb-tamc2kJ-ge7Vry_27_Y3w5CoThAW1GSVAI7aYtXImDLbw22kTnyJBF8OYMlBTz849-exDhVM/s1600/bookshelves+-+10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mRPtfvW1BVjVGMGUqGxLCf4OOHdoE8WMjz3VAJT3pzC5QW868KXoPKsEXn6eaRM3lb-tamc2kJ-ge7Vry_27_Y3w5CoThAW1GSVAI7aYtXImDLbw22kTnyJBF8OYMlBTz849-exDhVM/s640/bookshelves+-+10.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbacdn8tfiGhuYXUQr3graz1Aqc0zopUe60_AaXPez4B6UVv9Vt1hEpPFT3dzCGH5PASwILDTkINLVTFGBNcBLduZAaVBlJwYyZ0GY1TBxQAYT-YcfweiPDTii0cOsIpVZsEpyng0vqKg/s1600/bookshelves+-+11.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbacdn8tfiGhuYXUQr3graz1Aqc0zopUe60_AaXPez4B6UVv9Vt1hEpPFT3dzCGH5PASwILDTkINLVTFGBNcBLduZAaVBlJwYyZ0GY1TBxQAYT-YcfweiPDTii0cOsIpVZsEpyng0vqKg/s640/bookshelves+-+11.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipz-ByXK113rrt8eRo2nAUkb8ilqllwHeehwfVLugRjRXmvtMrDkcqAY3hDvQVhgpMJk-_rQXAIh2lQq5j6JAHiYpU2sbF1pqLYa-RzZIw2eBz9hWFNYbE-uFvs4nGUGbRjcxsm7DBkRs/s1600/bookshelves+-+12.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipz-ByXK113rrt8eRo2nAUkb8ilqllwHeehwfVLugRjRXmvtMrDkcqAY3hDvQVhgpMJk-_rQXAIh2lQq5j6JAHiYpU2sbF1pqLYa-RzZIw2eBz9hWFNYbE-uFvs4nGUGbRjcxsm7DBkRs/s640/bookshelves+-+12.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Look at that beautiful, semi-glossy sheen! I'm in LOVE!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWM5cNqspqs0MQMcTy-UvEzCwayEl7_EMly_DHk2jtCskk7yh2oRw0BHMgbY4FqnSpkn8WuZ74yYZ3jeSkGsKY2tBDWBM7vdHM5mm_CGbF1QpqarwM3oyDYqmB0H9n2Ee00aDShWNHM0U/s1600/bookshelves+-+13.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWM5cNqspqs0MQMcTy-UvEzCwayEl7_EMly_DHk2jtCskk7yh2oRw0BHMgbY4FqnSpkn8WuZ74yYZ3jeSkGsKY2tBDWBM7vdHM5mm_CGbF1QpqarwM3oyDYqmB0H9n2Ee00aDShWNHM0U/s640/bookshelves+-+13.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I spent some time researching whether or not to put a top coat on the cabinets. Everything I read indicated that using polyurethane over bright white paint would cause the finish to yellow. I did NOT want that to happen! But in a house with 5 young kids, I was worried about the finish holding up over the years ahead. I spoke to a friend of mine with connections to a cabinetmaker, and she confirmed for me that as long as there is a smooth finish, the wood is protected. Honestly, I'm pretty confident it will hold up just fine! So no topcoat here!</div>
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Hubs finally got a break in his laundry room project, and was ready to join me in working on the bookshelves. YAY!</div>
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For starters, he removed the baseboard on the walls, and cut out the carpet and padding:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGG5KcQ9JV1hMv-XgeGQaDin9WpKwSaSKv4lM6WGXUWTpEkEPvoHRNzEb8m9Uh7y3d5JIACxjWEHycZlqo__K4BFhHYEaHr5PFg_D7-KNdBhFczWVsSfoDLBkJfwWRC05Isp6SAV71ChA/s1600/bookshelves+-+14.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGG5KcQ9JV1hMv-XgeGQaDin9WpKwSaSKv4lM6WGXUWTpEkEPvoHRNzEb8m9Uh7y3d5JIACxjWEHycZlqo__K4BFhHYEaHr5PFg_D7-KNdBhFczWVsSfoDLBkJfwWRC05Isp6SAV71ChA/s640/bookshelves+-+14.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Next, he framed the base of the structure with 2x4s. This is because we chose wall cabinets, as they are only 12" deep, but they don't have a kick plate/base. We wanted to raise them off the floor, and also wanted to have room to put the baseboard back in front of the cabinets when we were done.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GGi4udT0INC5rl16zCjpRS-XV4oLf8BvFV5OzBGpTOJl2rr4dZ5gAZHkSd2DZS8KHQIEaRhFkjOQ4YSTUTqcC0dsgEhmm8NFghCOr4Ds5I2toWGXOHYqmOmvkmFhevrjRMAZtBcQLZo/s1600/bookshelves+-+16.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GGi4udT0INC5rl16zCjpRS-XV4oLf8BvFV5OzBGpTOJl2rr4dZ5gAZHkSd2DZS8KHQIEaRhFkjOQ4YSTUTqcC0dsgEhmm8NFghCOr4Ds5I2toWGXOHYqmOmvkmFhevrjRMAZtBcQLZo/s640/bookshelves+-+16.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Next, hubs installed the cabinets by screwing them into the studs in the back wall and also into the next cabinet. He was super creative with this step, and managed to put the screws in places that would eventually be covered by other parts of the built-ins. He REALLY doesn't want anyone seeing any screws or nails, which will add to the overall beauty of the finished product!</div>
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Don't they look great all officially installed?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73hPzw0KkPVt21enZ51dzEdc02UonxPEsTLpNLE0sUv5Y0Vl4nbvN8-Ya4nutQaikKtFPM7T2KO-PFoiWrofuzTVeMQPTOgAATYqPjoLyucUNJ93jJL2K1YoIN0Jvd1aNwmxewhkecGc/s1600/bookshelves+-+19.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73hPzw0KkPVt21enZ51dzEdc02UonxPEsTLpNLE0sUv5Y0Vl4nbvN8-Ya4nutQaikKtFPM7T2KO-PFoiWrofuzTVeMQPTOgAATYqPjoLyucUNJ93jJL2K1YoIN0Jvd1aNwmxewhkecGc/s640/bookshelves+-+19.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I should mention that we have an outlet on this wall, so hubs cut out the back panel of the third cabinet (seen in the photo above) to allow access to the outlet. Not sure if/when/how we'll need it, but it's there if we ever do.</div>
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Next up, it was time to prep the 1x12 and 1x2 that would be placed on top of the cabinets. I had some of the cutest helpers around with this step! (Note: These pics were taken before hubs installed the cabinets, which is why there isn't a cut-out for the outlet.)</div>
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Now it was time to install the shelf on the cabinets!</div>
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Again, hubs positioned the nails in places that will be hidden. Yay! We placed a 1x2 against the wall, and put a 1x12 next to it. This made a nice little lip to overhang the cabinets.</div>
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Next up? Time to put those beautiful doors in place! I added <a href="https://www.lowes.com/pd/Brainerd-Ethan-10-Pack-3-in-Center-to-Center-Satin-Nickel-Arch-Handle-Cabinet-Door-Pull/1000309737" target="_blank">these simple cabinet door pulls</a> and absolutely love them!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XzJFbkV6-OH_Z9Lu3RWcXrZbN2b81u2YURV-CqkwTRmNEcGuDOhgGvU0POrwTgcP5M0pqf_nxnnQYJeamSLG6xkuTYPZ7PRk5FaNam8hQy5rXJLWACHxx9uHrSnt6XDZ9cViHehfeR8/s1600/C2BE7739-8897-4ED2-BF2E-6DC4011E9D43.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XzJFbkV6-OH_Z9Lu3RWcXrZbN2b81u2YURV-CqkwTRmNEcGuDOhgGvU0POrwTgcP5M0pqf_nxnnQYJeamSLG6xkuTYPZ7PRk5FaNam8hQy5rXJLWACHxx9uHrSnt6XDZ9cViHehfeR8/s640/C2BE7739-8897-4ED2-BF2E-6DC4011E9D43.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I’ll let hubs do all the tiny tweaks to ensure the individual cabinet doors are at the right height and have the right distance between them, but overall I think they look great!!</div>
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Since this post is already 12,000,000 words long, I’ll end this for now and write another one for the next step: adding the bookshelves! I love how well it’s coming together!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-70488826393530514092020-04-30T23:45:00.000-04:002020-04-30T23:45:48.555-04:00E's 7th Birthday!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My sweet boy turned 7 today! It was a pretty epic day, quarantine notwithstanding. 😉 It was a fun Ninja-themed day filled with food, fun, and family! From breakfast pancakes and Ninja swords, to Papa John's pizza and drones! He planned the entire day, and we had so much fun!</div>
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It was a little different opening gifts, but we FaceTimed with each of the sweet family members who sent our birthday boy a gift so they could watch his excitement as he opened it! He loved the attention, and I think we all enjoyed getting to see faces that live outside our four walls! Mona and Aunt Jo even stopped by (to deliver a certain 12yo addict more yarn from Hobby Lobby) and it was so lovely to talk to them through the front window! 💙</div>
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Here are a few pics from our day!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8NKbNDSmfcNdTdliX7IFQGR0iK_Dm2srEixlpN-mJ1ud40W7okTjxTE0DvbIxSx4QWc9DwcW2gaLAfx94Dxzcega8gurVo5AJnyHmRq9wSqN24mxRTlMJ-Se0do87Hr_6ru2BofLUh8/s1600/E%2527s7th+-+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8NKbNDSmfcNdTdliX7IFQGR0iK_Dm2srEixlpN-mJ1ud40W7okTjxTE0DvbIxSx4QWc9DwcW2gaLAfx94Dxzcega8gurVo5AJnyHmRq9wSqN24mxRTlMJ-Se0do87Hr_6ru2BofLUh8/s640/E%2527s7th+-+1.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-64738891662391502552020-04-07T16:08:00.000-04:002020-04-07T16:08:02.250-04:00COVID-19 + Math = PerspectiveY'all should be worried. This self-proclaimed "word girl" is doing "math numbers" for a minute. See what the coronapocalypse has done to me? Be very afraid.<br />
<br />
Check out this website: <a href="http://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america">http://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america</a>. This site shows <span style="font-family: inherit;">the COVID-19 death projections by August 4, 2020, assuming full social distancing through May 2020, for the United States. Another almost 8 weeks of social distancing? Yes, y'all, we can do that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So this website estimates <b>81,766 </b>deaths caused by COVID-19 in the United States. According to worldometers.info (however reliable that site is, though it is likely a very close estimation), the population of the United States is currently estimated at 330,552,344. Let's see how this looks when you make it all math-y:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
81,766/330,552,344 = 0.000247<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And if I'm able to go one step further, and put my mad 4th grade math skills to work by converting my answer from a decimal to a percentage, the result is 0.0247%. That's significantly less than 1/4 of 1%.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So if my math is correct, it <span style="font-family: inherit;">tells me that significantly less than approximately 1/4 of 1% of Americans are projected to die from COVID-19.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">While EVERY death is a HUGE and UNIMAGINABLE loss of someone's parent, child, grandparent, friend, neighbor, or co-worker, that number gives this entire pandemic a little bit of perspective to me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Based on the media hype, it feels like we've been thrown into the midst of a pandemic close or equal to the most devastating pandemic ever recorded: The Spanish Flu of 1918.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Wikipedia estimates over 675,000 deaths in the United States from The Spanish Flu.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We're talking significantly less than 1/4 of 1% of Americans. We can probably agree that while the loss of 81,766 lives is incredibly devastating, it's not the same as losing 675,000+.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
Even if we look at the highest point in the shaded area of uncertainty in the graph provided, we're still looking at a <i>very</i> small number:<br />
<br />
136,401/330,552,344 = 0.000412<br />
<br />
That's 0.00412%.<br />
<br />
Y'all, I KNOW this pandemic is BAD. I know there are hotspots all over our country that are experiencing death and devastation the likes of which have never been seen before in our lifetimes.<br />
<br />
But<b><i> significantly less than 1/4 of 1%?</i></b><br />
<br />
I guess what I'm saying is that I'm tired of living in a world overshadowed by fear, worry, and concern. Especially considering I will be 28 weeks pregnant tomorrow, and I have to take on the added anxiety that comes with bringing a new life into this world at such a chaotic time as this. But it was so nice for my non-math self to experience a tiny breath of fresh air from realizing we're talking about significantly less than 1/4 of 1% of our country's population succumbing to COVID-19.<br />
<br />
Let's take a quick peek at the math for my home state of South Carolina, shall we?<br />
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See <a href="http://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america/south-carolina">http://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america/south-carolina</a>.<br />
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The site estimates 442 South Carolinians will die from COVID-19.<br />
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There are an estimated 5,210,095 people currently residing in South Carolina.<br />
<br />
That math?<br />
<br />
442/5,210,095 = 0.000084<br />
<br />
That is a whopping 0.0084%.<br />
<br />
And the worst-case scenario projections?<br />
<br />
645/5,210,095 = 0.000123
<br />
<br />
That's 0.0123%.<br />
<br />
I can barely even comprehend numbers this small.<br />
<br />
You guys.<br />
<br />
I'm not saying that COVID-19 isn't bad.<br />
<br />
I'm not saying that the loss of lives is inconsequential.<br />
<br />
I'm not saying there won't be a "second wave" or more that will result in a greater loss.<br />
<br />
I'm not saying these projections are fact or reality or 100% to be expected.<br />
<br />
I'm not saying the difficulties we all are experiencing right now should be shrugged off.<br />
<br />
I'm saying we can be encouraged.<br />
<br />
I'm saying we can get through this.<br />
<br />
I'm saying we can try to look for the good in the midst of so.much.bad.<br />
<br />
I'm saying we can get through this by the grace of God! He knows the numbers. He knows His plans. He knows when our lives will return to some semblance of normal.<br />
<br />
We can hang in there.<br />
<br />
We can follow the directives to keep our families safe... our neighbors safe... our communities safe... and our country safe.<br />
<br />
I hope this has been somewhat encouraging to you!<br />
<br />
I also want to take a moment to say that I simply do not have the words to adequately express my gratitude to the individuals across our country and across the globe working hard on the front lines -- putting their own lives at risk -- in fighting this undetectable, invisible enemy and saving countless lives. There truly are no words to properly express how much you mean to us all, and how grateful we all are for the work you are doing. God bless you and keep you safe!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-14946142087778630252020-04-03T15:30:00.002-04:002020-04-03T15:30:14.306-04:00Squish's Big Day!Here in the midst of coronapocalypse, I thought it would be nice to share some fun news to take my mind off everything going on in the world right now.<br />
<br />
So last Saturday, our sweet little Squish had a big day! He {finally} transitioned from a crib to a toddler bed! This sweet boy will be 3 in about 10 weeks, and while he was fine in the crib for the most part, there had been a few instances where he found his way OUT of the crib. Most recently, about a week ago, we heard a loud T-H-U-D during afternoon rest time, followed by Squish casually walking out of his room and heading downstairs. We thought it was hilarious, and while we were super grateful he must have stuck the landing, we figured it was about time to get him transitioned to a toddler bed.<br />
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My mommy heart was dreading it just a little bit. Squish has been our littlest baby for so long! But alas, with his little brother's pending arrival in less than 12 weeks (!!!), I begrudgingly decided it was time to start referring to him as my "big boy" instead of my baby. *cue tears*<br />
<br />
When I went upstairs last Saturday to get him up following nap time, I was armed with a set of 1,382 different sizes of allen/hex wrenches, prepared to remove the four screws that held the front panel of his crib. He sat in his bed and was all kinds of curious as to what I was up to. I managed to successfully remove the screws, and then we counted to three! Check out the video below. Please note the insanely adorable sound he makes when the front panel is first removed. LOVE.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fClgUlyW568" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
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((Please disregard the missing section of wall paper on the wall behind his bed and the fact that his crib was in the center of his room. He pulled off little sections of the paper when his crib was against the wall, so hubs cut out a large rectangular section to replace it. That will be done... eventually.))<br />
<br />
Squish was super excited about the new bed situation! He loved the freedom to get up and down as many zillion times as he wanted. I did put up a white mesh panel that covers 3/4 of the side so he wouldn't fall out of bed at night. Here he was the first night at bedtime. He couldn't be more proud of his big boy bed!<br />
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And get this, y'all: he didn't make One. Single. Attempt. to come out of his room after we put him down for the night. Not one. He played in his bed, and I'm not even sure he got out of it at all that first night. And apparently it was a great situation for him because he slept very well. In fact, he was still out cold at 9:21 AM the next morning!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrRV5Z361TdSxyWa40YknSfm0xx4QuNW9fRRP2qveEfOGnxbbA0mqT_Ychb5kPR4FAUEqicbabA6JGEUzqJKft9SqwO3dm_B89SCFQ2kGC3llzk1cuW4ld52MdqHFUY3_VAgAboH0itw/s1600/IMG_3393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1183" data-original-width="1600" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrRV5Z361TdSxyWa40YknSfm0xx4QuNW9fRRP2qveEfOGnxbbA0mqT_Ychb5kPR4FAUEqicbabA6JGEUzqJKft9SqwO3dm_B89SCFQ2kGC3llzk1cuW4ld52MdqHFUY3_VAgAboH0itw/s640/IMG_3393.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The rest of the week has been just as awesome! In fact, after rest time, he will wait for hubs or I to talk to him through the monitor to give him the a-okay to open the door and leave his room. How courteous, amiright? And most mornings he just chills in his bed until we either come up to get him, or tell him to come downstairs through the monitor. This kid is winning, y'all!<br />
<br />
I just love this crazy sweet boy of mine, and I'm so proud of how well he's been doing with his new bed! He loves to play with his cars (and shoes in the closet) during his afternoon rest times, so he pretty much no longer takes any sort of nap in the afternoons. He might be a little bit more grouchy than usual by bedtime (aren't we all?), but it doesn't matter to me! He goes down each night so well and sleeps so soundly!<br />
<br />
I'm glad we were able to make this happen now so he has a good three months to settle into this routine. Once Cinco arrives, things will change up again as we add a crib to their bedroom and start (eventually) making preparations to welcome our newest and final family member!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-15004744677751267712020-04-01T20:11:00.000-04:002020-04-01T20:11:16.021-04:0027 WeeksYesterday, I had to venture out of the comfort and safety of my home quarantine to go to an appointment with my high-risk perinatologist. I <i>really</i> didn't want to go, but I knew I had to. It was necessary for myself and for Cinco. I was scheduled to have a growth ultrasound, a consultation with my diabetic nurse, and a visit with my favorite maternal-fetal medicine specialist, Dr. G.<br />
<br />
I want to take a moment to note that this is my fourth pregnancy that has included visits to the MFM office. It all started with <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2009/06/diagnosis_22.html" target="_blank">Chase's heart defect diagnosis back in 2009</a>, and we continued to be followed with each subsequent pregnancy with E, Squish, and now Cinco, as high-risk pregnancies seem to be my jam. However, <span style="font-weight: bold;"><i><span style="color: red;">this was the FIRST TIME I wasn't able to have my husband by my side</span></i></span><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: red;">.</span> </i>That's a pretty big deal, y'all! For starters, we didn't want to risk having anyone in our home to keep the kids while we were at the appointment, but even if we did, the doctor's office was not permitting <b>ANY</b> visitors with patients. Our hands were tied. It was disappointing and very different for sure, but I understand and appreciate the logic. And to be honest, my heart was breaking at the thought of not having my spouse there with me had this been my very first appointment and I was about to find out the details of a possible defect in my unborn child. I can imagine there are mothers-to-be in this exact position right now, and it breaks my heart just thinking of them experiencing that life-altering news all alone. My prayers are with these precious mamas and the journey ahead.<br />
<br />
I was quite anxious to leave the house, and even more so to head to a medical office. The MFM office had me call them when I arrived, and wait in my car. I appreciated this so much! They came out to my car and took my temperature with a contactless device, handed me a check-in questionnaire to fill out, and asked me to call them when I was finished. Then they came out to my car to take me directly into my exam room. I should add that on Monday, my aunt was super awesome to drop an N95 mask in my mailbox that my mom gave to her, which apparently came from my brother-in-law (thanks, y'all!). I put it on in the car when I arrived for my appointment, and left on for the duration of my 2.5 hour visit. It was terribly uncomfortable, and quite unfashionable, but it provided me with added peace of mind for which I was quite grateful! I was cautious not to touch any part of my face, not to touch anything in the office unnecessarily, to sanitize my hands at every opportunity, and just make smart, healthy overall decisions as much as possible. I felt terrible that the nurses were jealous of my N95 masks as they all were wearing the typical disposable paper masks, which really don't provide them with much protection, especially when they're around so many different patients each day.<br />
<br />
The diabetic nurse met with me first, and overall she was very pleased with my numbers. Not unlike previous pregnancies, I find myself checking my blood sugar with finger sticks 4+ times per day, and dosing two different insulin medications anywhere from 2 to 5 times per day in my stomach. That's a lot of poking, folks! But it seems to be keeping my levels where they need to be, which keeps both Cinco and I safe, so I'm happy about that!<br />
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After the nurse left, the ultrasound tech came to take me back for the u/s. Cinco cooperated quite nicely! We got a few precious pics of his adorable profile -- check out that sweet little button nose!<br />
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His growth measurements literally came in at 26w6d, which was <i>exactly </i>how far along I was yesterday! One of the biggest concerns with gestational diabetes is that the baby will grow too big, but for now, he's sitting at a perfect 2<i>ish</i> pounds (I forgot to write down the exact number -- hubs usually handles all.things.numbers. 😔). In addition to the growth measurements, Dr. G wanted to check the position of the placenta. At my previous ultrasound, they noticed the placenta was located right next to the cervix. Obviously placenta over the cervix would result in a C-section delivery, which I would very much like to avoid. Based on the ultrasound yesterday, the placenta was moving <i>away </i>from the cervix as the baby has grown, which was exactly what I had been praying for! Praise the Lord! I'm so grateful He hears our prayers in the midst of all that is going on in the world today. He is so good!<br />
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After the ultrasound, they took me back to my exam room to meet with the doctor. He was pleased with everything, and said he wished all of his high-risk patients were like me! LOL! While I have several reasons that cause me to fall into the <i>high-risk</i> category (old lady age, gestational diabetes, overweight, autoimmune disease), I am managing to maintain all of the risks well... at least so far! Dr. G was especially awesome because he wanted to eliminate the extra visits between his office and my OB's office, and we basically made the decision for me to continue to be seen exclusively at his office, eliminating the additional appointments with my OB. I will see him again in 3 weeks around 30 weeks, and then again around 33 weeks. Once I'm at 34 weeks, I'll likely start weekly appointments for growth ultrasounds and NSTs.<br />
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As for baby preparations at home, I haven't even started, y'all. 😳 Hubs and I had originally thought about closing in our upstairs loft and turning it into a 5th bedroom. This would allow us to put Chase in that room, move Squish into E's room, and leave the nursery for Cinco. However, we recently switched up our plans and are now planning to keep Chase and E in their room, keep the upstairs loft open, and put baby Cinco in the same room as Squish. I'm a little nervous about this because we've NEVER put a baby in a shared room. If you've successfully done this at some point with your kids, PLEASE send me some encouragement that it's going to work and it's going to be okay! All tips and suggestions are welcome! That said, I have no clue what I'm going to do with this combined room. Squish is in a toddler bed now (as of earlier this week!), and Cinco will obviously be in a crib. They will share a dresser and the closet. I have no idea how to decorate the room, what bedding to make/buy/use for Cinco, etc. I don't think I've ever felt this behind with preparing for a baby's arrival! There are only about 12 weeks left, so I'd better start figuring things out soon! Send virtual help and hugs my way, y'all!<br />
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Thanks for reading along with me on our journey! I'm grateful to the family and friends who have remembered us in prayer as I am dealing with pregnancy and a pending delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is scary territory that I've never found myself in before now. I'm praying for the health and safety of my sweet baby during this scary time, and would covet your prayers as well.<br />
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Hugs, all!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-67083616614378420382020-02-25T18:31:00.000-05:002020-02-26T12:42:23.519-05:00The One Where I VentLast summer, I shared <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2019/07/the-one-with-unexpected-turn-of-events.html" target="_blank">a lengthy, detailed, and honest post</a> concerning our family's last-minute, unexpected, unplanned decision NOT to return to Classical Conversations (CC) for the 2019-2020 school year. You can check out that post using the link provided for a refresher if need be. There were a LOT of reasons but TL;DR: a lot of it came down to finances compounded with my availability to teach my own children at home vs. spending tons of time prepping to tutor other people's children.<br />
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Let me say this was 110% the RIGHT DECISION for our family and I couldn't be more grateful that the Lord has placed us on the path He currently has us on.<br />
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But let me take a moment to retrace my steps back to 2016 -- the year my oldest child began the Essentials program with CC.<br />
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According to CC's website, "the <a href="https://www.classicalconversations.com/essentials/" target="_blank">Essentials of the English Language program</a> is<b> a complete language arts program</b> that takes students beyond the worksheet. Essentials teaches students how to analyze sentence construction thoughtfully. <i><b>The result is strong language construction and usage skills, both written and oral."</b></i><br />
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On <a href="https://members.classicalconversations.com/classical/programs/essentials" target="_blank">another CC website</a>, under Essentials FAQs, the question is posed, <i>"Do I need to supplement with an additional language arts program?"</i><br />
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The response from CC states, "The Essentials program offers <b>a complete language arts program.</b> The Essentials of the English Language Guide provides a comprehensive grammar program complete with English grammar, spelling, and punctuation rules. Our writing curriculum teaches the skills needed to write strong paragraphs and essays. <b>There should be no need to have an additional Language Arts program."</b><br />
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This program was marketed to 4th through 6th grade students, and I was ecstatic that LO was going to learn so much! Here's an infographic from CC's website touting all that Essentials students would be learning:<br />
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Doesn't that sound simply incredible??<br />
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It did to me. And I enrolled LO in Essentials back in 2016 without any real research and without analyzing the program in any way, other than the information that CC provided to me. TBH, I wasn't even able to get my hands on the materials I would be teaching my daughter until a few weeks before the class began, and I had already paid enrollment fees and tuition earlier in the year that were all non-refundable. [<i>Side note: This is something I still have such a hard time understanding. What homeschooling parent would purchase curriculum for their child WITHOUT first laying eyes on the materials?? This same issue would present itself year after year had we decided to continue with CC's Challenge program through middle and high school. You're told to just "trust the system" -- but I have a hard time trusting a system that isn't open and forthcoming with the information it decided you will be teaching your child!]</i><br />
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Back to 2016... LO did amazing her first year! I was so proud and impressed by all that she was digesting and memorizing and learning! The program is designed to be repeated for all three grades (4th - 6th), so it wasn't expected that they "get everything" the first year... they would have two more years to soak it all up.<br />
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In 2017, we continued with the Essentials program, but LO and I did it together one-on-one at home instead of with our community since we had the joy of welcoming Squish the summer before the school year began, and I just didn't want too much on my plate at that time. LO <i>thrived</i> with Essentials at home! She continued to master chart after chart and regurgitate all of the information I requested from her. I was so pleased with all she was learning, and was 100% confident she was being exposed to ALL of the English grammar and writing skills necessary for 5th grade students.<br />
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In 2018, for LO's third and final tour, I actually tutored one of the Essentials classes at our community. I jumped in with both feet and was so excited to see how LO would be challenged in her final year!<br />
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Y'all, she blew.me.away. with her incredible knowledge, memory, and skills! She could diagram a sentence like it was her job! There were several times during tutor prep at home that I would have to ask <i>her</i> to help <i>me</i> prepare my lesson for the class! She really got it, y'all. ALL of it. And then some!<br />
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In fact, it was both hilarious and (mostly) frustrating when I would ask questions during my class, only to have a handful of students raise their hands to answer my question all with the same response: "LO knows the answer!" They all thought it was SO funny because honestly, she pretty much DID know the answer every single time! And while this seemed fantastic, on the inside I was beginning to feel very concerned.<br />
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This program was designed to take three years. What happens if a student masters it in just two years? As a tutor, my job was to teach ALL of my students, but those first year 4th graders mostly stared at me like deer in headlights, while most of my third year 6th graders were BORED. My LO was absolutely BORED OUT OF HER MIND. Y'all, I paid money to enroll her in the class, purchased the necessary materials, and even spent hours preparing to tutor each week, and my daughter was <b><i>BORED OUT OF HER MIND</i></b> the entire time. Looking back now, I see that her last year of Essentials was a total waste of both time and money.<br />
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But it gets worse.<br />
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As I prepared to homeschool this year, 100% on our own with the complete 🎉freedom🎉 to review and select curricula that is best suited to each of my children, I ended up putting LO in a 9th grade English course. This was based off her performance in Essentials, coupled with my review of the curriculum, and how much of it LO already covered in the previous three years during Essentials.<br />
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This year started off great for LO! She was excelling in her 9th grade English course, as well as in all of her other courses. We were running full steam ahead in English through the first several chapters.<br />
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Then things started breaking down...<br />
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I started realizing she didn't have the grasp of the knowledge I expected her to have.<br />
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She was struggling with very basic English grammar concepts.<br />
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I was shocked to discover how much she was lacking as we worked together one-on-one with her English curriculum.<br />
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I used every tool available to me from the curriculum company.<br />
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Review pages.<br />
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Concept reinforcements.<br />
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Pretests.<br />
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Teaching helps.<br />
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Nothing I used seemed to make the information click for LO. It was a struggle, and I was heartbroken that my daughter (and I!) had such a false confidence in her skills thanks to her three years in Essentials.<br />
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This past weekend, I decided to have LO complete the <a href="https://www.acediagnostictest.com/" target="_blank">Accelerated Christian Education diagnostic test</a> for English to discover the learning gaps she was wrestling with. This would allow me to use PACE's (Packets of Accelerated Christian Education) specific to each of her learning gaps to help get her up to grade level in English.<br />
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She completed the assessment today and I was floored to discover she has learning gaps in both 4th and 6th grades. In fact, she had failed one PACE at the 4th grade level, and five PACEs at the 6th grade level (there are 12 PACEs per grade).<br />
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I was completely devastated to discover just how bad her knowledge of English grammar actually was! She was nowhere near as "advanced" in her English skills as I had previously thought. I feel like I failed her by putting her into a program back in 2016 without asking a single question or making any attempt to investigate whether or not it would meet the necessary requirements that <i>span</i> <i>over three grade levels. </i>I feel like I failed her by keeping continuing to use a curriculum for three years that she had clearly mastered after two, rather than putting her into a more thorough, complete English grammar curriculum.<br />
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So after I spent several hours today feeling sorry for myself and feeling such regret for the schooling decisions I've made for my children in the past, I took a few minutes to thank the Lord that He led us away from that path and into the real world where I have complete and total control as the parent of my children to determine what is best for each of them, rather than putting them into a box and "trusting the system" that IMO has done nothing to earn that level of trust with my children's educations.<br />
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I shared my frustrations today with fellow homeschoolers, several of whom have previously used CC and/or are currently enrolled in CC, and I was again shocked at what I discovered.<br />
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We were NOT the only ones finding these HUGE gaps in CC's Essentials program. In fact, comment after comment after comment only supported my discovery that Essentials is NOT a complete program and WILL likely leave your child with several learning gaps unless you supplement it significantly at home (which, if you're paying hundreds of dollars for a program, you'd expect it not to require supplementation to keep your child at grade level).<br />
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Check out a few of the responses I received:<br />
<blockquote>
<i>"I had a similar experience with my son. He completed 2 years of essentials and was always the kid with his hand up. He knew a lot of his charts as well. I switched to well-ordered language and he has struggled with some concepts for sure. I realized that he had just learned to anticipate the likely answer for the sentences in the EEL because they were all so predictable based on the lesson. WOL throws in a mixture of sentences from all they have covered which forces you to really know your stuff. WOL also has the kids answer why each word is what it is and identify what it’s modifying while they analyze the sentences. He couldn’t do that easily at all. He’s doing well now but I realized how those contrived sentences based strictly on the lesson didn’t help him to really understand parts of speech and sentence analysis."</i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>"We have to test yearly in MN as a requirement to homeschool. We did First Language Lessons for 1st and 2nd grade then Rod & Staff for 3rd and 4th grade. I did only Essentials for 5th grade and noticed a drop in her score for English. So for 6th grade I went back to Rod & Staff. I get the diagramming and classifications, but they really have no practice for things like prepositions, etc."</i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>"We discovered some major gaps with my middle child after 2 years in essentials...she has really struggled with very basic mechanics like where to put commas, which words to capitalize, etc. We have been working on catching her up all year, but I believe she is still behind where she would have been if I had rejected the essentials hype..."</i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>"My daughter had major gaps. She took the Stanford 10 after 2 years in Essentials. While she placed far above grade level in almost every subject, she placed below level in grammar...I was pretty surprised and disappointed."</i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>"The punctuation and capitalization rules are almost non existent in EEL. Spelling is there but in an afterthought sort of way. I feel like they do an abysmal job teaching about parts of speech and what they actually do. I tutored EEL two years, and had never covered a noun clause at all or verbals in depth until we switched programs this year. Some of the charts are useful, but I don’t think they provide real practical application of knowledge."</i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>"How do you have a 3 year grammar program that’s going to cost somewhere in the ballpark of $1,500 that doesn’t cover punctuation and capitalization, and also doesn’t cover more advanced grammar topics? It blows my mind."</i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>"I agree, there is a lot missing. It is not complete and we have had to fill many holes. It wastes so much time over 3 years."</i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>"Gosh, I could be writing this! My Challenge A student is dissatisfied with Challenge and we will be likely making a change next year. I have been in Essentials for 5 years and I do not love it. I am seeing a lot of gaps based on standardized testing."</i></blockquote>
<blockquote style="font-style: italic;">
"I am not surprised. It never felt like enough regular practice to me and lacked in many ways. We did another Grammar curriculum the entire time we did Essentials.
It’s kind of humorous that so many parents stick with it for the price.
The included spelling stunk, so I substituted that with another curriculum.
The included editing stunk, so I substituted it with something else.
The 5 sentences were not enough realistic practice, so I added another curriculum on top of it.
The skills (prepositions, types of nouns/verbs, etc.) practice was not existent, so I added that.
At the end of the day, what was I even paying for?"</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Essentials is basic and not thorough."</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"After 7 years of CC (including Essentials for years) this is our first year out. It’s been a MAJOR gap-filling season for my 14 and 16 year olds."</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"I feel vindicated for not buying into EEL. I enrolled my younger child in essentials only for IEW. Knowing how successful Rod & Staff English was for my older child, I stuck with that curriculum for my younger child. CC leaders didn’t agree with my decision, but I’m extremely grateful I had a strong English grammar program and didn’t rely on essentials. When I directed Challenge, it was apparent that many of the kids who had taken essentials struggled with capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.
One of my biggest gripes, though, is that English grammar is a necessary subject for many years, not just during 4th-6th grades."</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"I agree 100%. Essentials should be called “non-essential details.” My kids seemed to gain everything BUT the essentials."</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"This is one of my biggest pet peeves about Essentials. There is just not enough practice work for the student. And not enough detailed rules regarding punctuation and capitalization - never mind all the various parts of speech and usage. We have used Abeka since about second grade (now in 8th and 10th), and my kids consistently make errors (and they're fairly bright), so I know they need to keep at it. Essentials just doesn't cut it. At all."</i></blockquote>
Wow.<br />
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If my experience alone doesn't communicate the inadequacies of the Essentials program, these comments from other Essentials families surely do!<br />
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At the end of the day, after discovering these unexpected weaknesses in my daughter, I'm SUPER disappointed in myself and feel like I let my children down by putting them through CC for four years. However, I also still believe it was God who led us to make the decision to join CC back in 2015, so I know all of the experiences we've had have been part of His will for our family. And that gives me peace.<br />
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I also have peace knowing that <b>God is still in control, </b>and He is going to lead us to the next step in the path of His will as we make decisions for our upcoming 2020-2021 school year. There are SO. MANY. OPTIONS. for educating children at home, and I am certain He will lead us to the right fit for us during this season of our home education journey.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-84321423593100697312020-02-22T18:49:00.000-05:002020-02-22T18:49:23.283-05:00The One with the Fractured Clavicle??It’s been an interesting week around here, y’all! We’ve had an ER visit for one kid, a head cold for over 2 weeks that just.won’t.quit. for me, and a canceled family vacation for all of us.<br />
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Wednesday afternoon, while I was at work, sweet little Squish walked behind Chase when he was on the swing in the backyard and was thrown into the ground. With quite a bit of force, as one might expect. He cried a bunch, hubs took care of him, and we were keeping an eye on him. He refused to use his right side well into the evening on Wednesday, wouldn’t let us pick him up under his arms, and was extra clingy and whiny, again, as you’d expect after such an injury. He didn't have a fever, but you could tell he wasn't himself.<br />
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Thursday was more of the same thing. He seemed to improve a bit with a rotation of Tylenol and Advil, but he would just let his right arm hang at his side, doing everything with his non-dominant left hand.<br />
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On Friday, when he was still refusing to use his right arm, I took a closer look. I carefully tried moving his hand, then bending his wrist, then his elbow... all was fine. But when I tried to move his arm in a way that required the use of his shoulder, he wanted nothing to do with it, and was in obvious pain.<br />
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I looked at his shoulders and was surprised at what I saw:<br />
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His right shoulder was clearly lower than his left shoulder. Also, his right shoulder blade looked quite a bit lower than the left side. I was immediately concerned he had dislocated his shoulder considering the impact of hitting the ground with such force. #majormomfail<br />
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Hubs was working from home Friday, so my mom come over to keep the older 3 while we took Squish to the ER. We considered the nearby urgent care center, but our expectation was that if he had in fact dislocated his shoulder, it would result in a trip to the ER anyway in order to have a pediatric orthopedic doctor sedate him to put the shoulder back in place.<br />
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Thankfully, overall, the trip was uneventful. Squish was such a trooper as we waited to be seen at the ER.<br />
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He’s using his left hand to color here. My poor sweet babe!<br />
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It wasn’t long at all before we were called back. He was such a trooper and was charming both of the lovely nurses.<br />
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They got us settled into a room to wait on the ER doctor to see him.<br />
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Again, Squish was such a trooper! He had to put on a tiny little hospital gown, and was just so patient throughout the whole process. He really had a hard time doing things with just one hand, so daddy had to help him drink his water. LOL!<br />
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An intern came in to examine him, and it was the most movement I've seen from Squish's right arm without him complaining at all! There was even a tiny "pop" as he manipulated his arm and shoulder for a few minutes. I was surprised Squish didn't wince in pain, but I don't doubt it was just because someone <i>other than </i>mommy + daddy were doing it. He may or may not work us over a tiny little bit since he is (currently) our youngest and most spoiled babe. ;)<br />
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Thankfully, he eventually figured out how to make that sippy cup work with just the one functioning arm! LOL!<br />
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Eventually, the resident came by to see him and evaluate him. He said he'd like to order a few x-rays to see what's going on. He didn't think anything was broken or dislocated, but wanted to rule it out regardless.<br />
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A few minutes later, a nice nurse from pediatric radiology came by to take us for his x-rays. He started out pretty cooperative, which was nice. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to stay in the room with him due to my being 21 weeks pregnant, so I had to step out and leave daddy in charge.<br />
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I will say it was absolutely HEARTBREAKING to stand on the other side of that door and hear my sweet baby crying as they had to move him and force him into (likely painful) positions in order to get the images they needed to diagnose him. I was grateful daddy was with him, but there's nothing like a mama's sweet hugs and caresses when undergoing uncomfortable procedures. I was about in tears before they finally opened the door seemingly ages later for me to come in and rescue my sweet Squish.<br />
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We went back to his room and waited for the doctors to read the scans and give us the diagnosis. This actually happened a LOT quicker than I had expected! They came in to tell us Squish had a fracture in his clavicle (collar bone).<br />
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Apparently, this was one of the better bones to break because they told us they fully expect it to heal on its own with NO intervention. So no sling, cast, surgery... nada!<br />
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Praise the Lord!<br />
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It really was such a relief to know he wouldn't have to be put under anesthesia or have any complex procedures performed on him. It was further heartbreaking to realize he'd been suffering with a broken bone for 2 days, but the fact that they didn't do anything about it made me feel a little better. The same things we'd been doing -- letting him self-manage the use of his arm/shoulder, keeping up a Tylenol/Advil regimen, making sure he takes it easy in order to eliminate the possibility of injuring it further -- that was basically all they told us to do! What a relief!!<br />
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Now, the worst part of all of this (if you ask the older 3), is that we had to cancel the vacation we had scheduled to Great Wolf Lodge!<br />
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Hubs and I had been planning it for a while, and we told the kids about it two weeks ago, so they've been counting down the days until we were to leave, which was supposed to be bright and early TOMORROW morning! They weren't too excited about the delay, but I promised we would reschedule as soon as we possibly could (and we did!).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-72013322464485668082020-02-11T17:21:00.000-05:002020-03-27T17:02:33.511-04:0020 Weeks!This afternoon, we had our 20-week full anatomy ultrasound for baby #5 to make sure everything looked good. Our ultrasound tech was awesome and talked us through everything. Praise the Lord!!! Everything. looked. perfect. And it was SUCH a relief to see that healthy, four-chamber heart with my own eyes!<br />
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We're having a HEALTHY baby boy, y'all!!!<br />
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For fun comparisons, check out my <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2017/02/20-weeks.html" target="_blank">20-week post when I was pregnant with Squish</a> and my <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2017/02/20-weeks.html" target="_blank">20-week post with E</a>!<br />
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It was so good to see baby Cinco and get a healthy report. It gives me such peace of mind! I know God is creating the perfect little finale for our family, and I can't wait to meet him!<br />
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TBH, there was one little thing the tech noticed during the ultrasound. She was worried the placenta was covering the cervix. This would be problematic and, if it were the case, would force me to have a c-section. She took a closer look and, thankfully, it appears the placenta is <i>right at the very edge</i> of the cervix. This was a HUGE relief! The expectation is that it will continue to move further away as the pregnancy progresses. We'll definitely have to keep an eye on it, but I will be praying fervently that it continues to move away and doesn't impact the delivery.<br />
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My gestational diabetes is nicely under control with a basal dose of insulin each morning. While it is likely we will need to add a second dose at night, I'm totally fine with this treatment. Insulin helps me balance things nicely so I'm not limited to only meat and cheese and eggs for 3 meals per day! LOL!<br />
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Thanks again to everyone for praying for our sweet Cinco today. We are so grateful and thankful for the love and support of our family and friends!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-12562396574236751762020-02-08T12:42:00.000-05:002020-02-08T12:51:45.981-05:0019 WeeksHere we are, approaching the half-way point of my pregnancy with Cinco, and I haven't really discussed much about it here on the blog since my <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2019/12/12-weeks.html" target="_blank">12 Week post</a>. So, I figured it was about time for me to post a little pregnancy update.<br />
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I'm 19w4d today and am feeling pretty good overall! Check out that mango-sized baby bump!<br />
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This pregnancy has been rather uneventful, with the exception of what I'm about to share below.<br />
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For starters, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes... again. This is my 3rd time with GD. My doctor prescribed insulin already... when I was 18 weeks. So a minimum of 4 finger pokes per day to check my blood sugar, and one shot of insulin each morning (likely increasing to a second shot in the evenings as well starting next week). For another 21 weeks. Good times, friends!<br />
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Let's go back to October 2019, a few weeks before I found out we were expecting... I started experiencing arrhythmias. Like, a <i>lot</i> of them. I had never had them before, so it was slightly unnerving to suddenly experience an onset of funky heart rhythms. I had actually even googled to see if arrhythmias were a sign of early pregnancy, since we were hoping for #5 at the time.<br />
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Fast-forward a bit, and we're happily expecting our last baby in July 2020. However, the arrhythmias continued to get stronger and more frequent. I'd speculate maybe 40-60 per day. Definitely more than enough to get your attention. I was concerned, but not terribly worried, until I started feeling lightheaded at times. In fact, I vividly recall the first Sunday in January when I was playing the piano for my church, and I literally felt like I was going to fall backwards off the bench at any time during both of our morning services! It was SO scary and unnerving! I was having a hard time catching my breath as well, and it was after that morning that I decided to talk to my doctor.<br />
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At my 16 week OB appointment in January, I discussed my concerns with my doctor. He suggested I completely eliminate caffeine and try to reduce stress. One of those things I could easily do. The stress part though? There was a lot going on. Homeschooling. Starting a part-time job. The unexpected death of a dear friend from high school. A house to run. Kids to feed. So.Many.Obligations. Reducing stress just wasn't something I could easily do.<br />
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While I did notice an improvement in the frequency of the arrhythmias after eliminating caffeine, they were still a significant issue. My OB decided to refer me to a Cardiologist, who I saw at the end of January.<br />
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The Cardiologist ordered a full workup, including an EKG and an Echocardiogram. He also had me wear a holter monitor for a week so we could track when the issues occurred and how often they were happening. I saw him yesterday for the Echo and to remove to holter monitor. I don't see the Cardiologist again for the results of my tests until the first week of March. I'm trying to be patient and not allow the stress and anxiety to worsen my symptoms. I trust God that everything will be fine, and that perhaps the arrhythmias are just a side-effect of being 100 years old and pregnant. 😂 Well, that combined with already having 4 crazy kids at home, plus homeschooling, plus working, plus... well, you get it. We all have to deal with all.the.things. in our lives, so this isn't anything new!<br />
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In the meantime, we have our 20 week full anatomy scan this Tuesday, February 11th. Please be praying along with us that everything with baby Cinco will be healthy! It was at this same anatomy scan appointment with Chase that we first discovered his congenital heart defect, so I won't even pretend that I'm not nervous and sightly apprehensive about this appointment. In the end, I fully trust in God's plan for my sweet family and know He will take care of us. I have been meditating over Matthew 6:25-34 concerning this anatomy scan next week and will continue to do so as God reveals His will in our lives.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-31089144785743044082020-02-01T12:04:00.002-05:002020-02-01T12:04:36.390-05:00The One with the Potty (Again)Earlier this week, on Thursday, January 31, 2020, we officially began ATTEMPT #2 to potty train Squish. I spent some time here on my blog, reading through past posts about potty training the first 3 kids, and had a tiny bit of hope that maybe--just maybe!--we would find success this time with Squish. We tried for the first time about 6 weeks ago and he just wasn't having it. Surely he's ready now that he's 2 1/2, right??<br />
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I'm not so sure.<br />
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It's been a rough few days, y'all. It just hasn't seemed to "click" as well as it did with LO, Chase, and E. And we've been doing all of the same things: 24/7 access to the potty, an endless sippy cup of chocolate milk, unfettered access to electronics... all the things that worked in the past haven't quite seemed to work with sweet Squish.<br />
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Don't get me wrong--he's had a few successes on the potty. But those have been somewhat outnumbered by the accidents that have occurred elsewhere in the house. I typically like to potty train for the first few days with NOTHING on the bottom half, but that's proving to be difficult. We've got a pre-teen daughter and a dog: both reasons why it's not so great for a little guy to be strutting around half nakey.<br />
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I can't decide if I want to call it quits (again) or see it through for a few more days. I feel like the signs are there... I'm just waiting to see if/when it all "clicks" for him. Please pray for patience! I don't want to scar the boy with my irritability caused by having 3 other kids to care for, homeschooling, working part-time, and being 18 weeks pregnant with baby #5! There are a lot of stresses happening these days, and I really want this process to be as comfortable for Squish as possible. Lord help us!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-18020808564050644082020-01-03T14:36:00.000-05:002020-01-03T14:36:12.299-05:00Cardiology UpdateThis morning Chase had a routine checkup with his cardiologist. We'd been keeping an eye on his tricuspid valve regurgitation at prior appointments, but overall anticipated a straightforward appointment today.<br />
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We began with the typical height and weight measurements, followed by blood pressure readings on all four limbs, an EKG, and an O2 check. Everything was looking fine until we checked his oxygen saturation reading. For some reason, it never climbed any higher than 92-93. In the past, Chase has usually had sats around 97-99, so this was quite a bit lower than we anticipated.<br />
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We went back for the scheduled echo to check heart function and get pics for the cardiologist. Chase was a happy camper watching Cartoon Network during the echo (we NEVER watch this channel/programming at home so of course he was glued in LOL!).<br />
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I was surprised/concerned when the cardiologist, Dr. H, came into the echo room as this has never happened before. He requested the tech obtain specific views of Chase's LPA (left pulmonary artery), aortic arch, and of course tricuspid valve.<br />
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When the tech finished with what he thought the doctor needed, he left to go ask Dr. H to come back in to take a look to ensure he had everything he needed. Only Dr. H was with another patient, so our tech brought a second tech in (presumably more experienced) to double-check his work. She worked for a bit, then sent the first tech to find Dr. H. The cardiologist came in a second time and sat down at the echo machine (also never happened before). Dr. H looked around and was able to see most of what he wanted to see. Chase was such a trooper considering the echo took so much longer than usual!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. H performing Chase's echo</td></tr>
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Once the echo was complete, we went back to the exam room to discuss Dr. H's findings. Ultimately everything looked great -- heart function, tricuspid valve, LPA, liver, etc. However, Dr. H suspects that Chase may have a few collateral vessels that have formed, which would account for the decrease in oxygen saturation. His plan is for us to monitor Chase's O2 at home over the next 2 to 3 weeks to see if he holds around 92 or continues to slowly decrease. If it holds or continues to decrease, we will likely head to MUSC in Charleston for a heart catheterization.<br />
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This wasn't exactly the news we were hoping for, but we're grateful to find what we did so we can address it before it becomes a bigger problem. Please keep Chase in your prayers over the next few months as we make decisions about our next steps. If he's going to need a heart cath, we would definitely like to do it before Cinco makes his arrival. I'm trying not to stress out over what will unfold in the next few months. I know God has a perfect plan for this perfect boy of mine, and I fully trust Him!
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For the first time in as long as I can recall, Dr. H wanted to draw some labs on Chase to check blood count, heart function, etc. So we left his office and had Chase's blood drawn at LabCorp. Y'all. He was NOT a fan. He got crazy worked up about it when I just explained to him what we needed to do. I felt awful. When it finally came time to have it done, I walked him through everything as best as I could and tried to settle him down. Bless his heart. This kid, who's been through three heart surgeries, countless heart caths, and a slew other procedures, flipped a major nut about one tiny little blood draw. Ultimately, he did great and they were able to get three vials for the tests Dr. H ordered. We finally we ready to head home, but not before a not-so-quick trip to Chick-fil-A during the lunch rush on a crazy rainy day! LOL!<br />
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Thanks for following along on Chase's heart journey and keeping our family in your prayers. Hugs to all!<br />
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<blockquote>
<i>"The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -- Philippians 5b-7</i></blockquote>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-59219990088648296682019-12-31T10:17:00.001-05:002019-12-31T10:17:54.317-05:00Welcome Home, Lucy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
((Still playing catch up with the blog, y'all))</div>
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On November 19th, we surprised the kids with an early Christmas gift surprise by placing a single wrapped gift with a question mark label on it under the empty Christmas tree. They were perplexed to say the least. See?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nJwKZfgV-eJicC_D8qZEzkRuZgq7OUNu9VWUt0tgTtzpMOUYrE4Pgn9Ou6hN9HhSWwuxLS_8sPfilSIc-MT0ct_E7nSkML8l6NPoZGfHlvfTjjxswEQVAmqtjpnDWbs-O8fONoRdUxU/s1600/76640101_10221320182060105_2401867963872313344_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1568" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nJwKZfgV-eJicC_D8qZEzkRuZgq7OUNu9VWUt0tgTtzpMOUYrE4Pgn9Ou6hN9HhSWwuxLS_8sPfilSIc-MT0ct_E7nSkML8l6NPoZGfHlvfTjjxswEQVAmqtjpnDWbs-O8fONoRdUxU/s640/76640101_10221320182060105_2401867963872313344_o.jpg" width="586" /></a></div>
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Can you just take another look at Squish's face? Literally the best. 😂</div>
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We gave them the option of opening the gift or not, and not surprisingly, they all agreed to go for it!</div>
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Inside they found... a book on beagle puppies! I also included a flyer with our new pup's info on it for them, too!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppRjTfpqz5JCYGHWJObULBIHw0mL8ypmy0fTiEfDYNCIJFtE0Xo6YlzvJyNqehTLvkh-2o5blJITkrXRsoOi45rTksQkG0J_7WP8FchL3BbL6NyYn4CBd8-LCUzuUc-lSl8xqzEhELmQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-12-31+at+9.43.50+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1192" data-original-width="922" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppRjTfpqz5JCYGHWJObULBIHw0mL8ypmy0fTiEfDYNCIJFtE0Xo6YlzvJyNqehTLvkh-2o5blJITkrXRsoOi45rTksQkG0J_7WP8FchL3BbL6NyYn4CBd8-LCUzuUc-lSl8xqzEhELmQ/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-12-31+at+9.43.50+AM.png" width="494" /></a></div>
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Here's the big moment on video:</div>
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So on Saturday, November 30th (the day after <a href="http://www.mom2lo.com/2019/12/the-one-where-we-tell-kids.html" target="_blank">we informed the kids they would be getting a new sibling</a>!), we loaded up the kids in the Suburban, temporarily dubbed the<i> "Christmas Express,"</i> and hit the road. The kids each had a Christmas gift bag in their seats stocked full with Christmas coloring books, candy, popcorn, activities, and more. They also each had a cup of hot chocolate in their cupholders, a Christmas movies was queued up in the DVD player, and I even went so far as to (gag) put reindeer antlers and a red nose on the Suburban (TEMPORARILY).</div>
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Now we were ready to hit the road! Destination? North Carolina. More specifically: Shiloh Farm! We were surprising the kids with a MAJOR Christmas gift a few weeks early... their very own beagle puppy!</div>
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They were all instantly in love the second they met her!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzeDc7q4Q4DOexKwxgP4FsW32NIcuCOmqiz5J7AW9QzxBhlibyaEoXpwXuwUVyjPmDfgcEgqcUDPZgWLJGth9uFsnhYsAcYXru6UsATZb2R36auVpX43GSYOaDaRUCvDYlqchqk-sOf3Y/s1600/Lucy+-+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzeDc7q4Q4DOexKwxgP4FsW32NIcuCOmqiz5J7AW9QzxBhlibyaEoXpwXuwUVyjPmDfgcEgqcUDPZgWLJGth9uFsnhYsAcYXru6UsATZb2R36auVpX43GSYOaDaRUCvDYlqchqk-sOf3Y/s640/Lucy+-+1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Somehow they were all able to come to agreement rather quickly that her name should be Lucy. Her middle name is Opal. Our last name starts with L, and they purposely chose Opal for her middle name so her initials would be LOL. Aren't they crazy? They thought Opal would be a good fit because she was born in October, and opal is the birthstone for October.</div>
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She was so tiny!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQJaV4PVkpzm4_cmPblD_8LXEgdSlGOKt5iPLYpqsZVIqnh3M8M00b2upwyYISxLxViVCBPrmrLz8TIJWtEwSXsYvno8YZrFJwmevdJ8co6DilwGIp0FvltmRPxxssFi8GAMr7Hnzzpg/s1600/Lucy+-+1+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQJaV4PVkpzm4_cmPblD_8LXEgdSlGOKt5iPLYpqsZVIqnh3M8M00b2upwyYISxLxViVCBPrmrLz8TIJWtEwSXsYvno8YZrFJwmevdJ8co6DilwGIp0FvltmRPxxssFi8GAMr7Hnzzpg/s640/Lucy+-+1+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The kids settled in with her at home in no time flat! They loved watching her sleep.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVs4tAOER_NEJn804D1fogTj7nUG_MueEjgelKXvJ-HVL5difu-ePcBEbg7rDFXZsGPfm1fkfJBfjI_nH_z5A0quHnAEcjCUyglgovlJ2v0H8KMlpmTt4Cw7HzltrslGhXYTYBlnPXsbk/s1600/Lucy+-+1+%25282%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVs4tAOER_NEJn804D1fogTj7nUG_MueEjgelKXvJ-HVL5difu-ePcBEbg7rDFXZsGPfm1fkfJBfjI_nH_z5A0quHnAEcjCUyglgovlJ2v0H8KMlpmTt4Cw7HzltrslGhXYTYBlnPXsbk/s640/Lucy+-+1+%25282%2529.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd78DgHJ98YpzwNt0KXfzlJbgbjXSg-0F0pdzgNSSNGV8DhSepV5-5oQfNUQtEBP80BKuMIRMBPnS39pLVoqV5eXAVSOWgNQQ-a6fnm9o4LiyGPnCPalXKUxbX10jNfm3lsKg20F9fZLY/s1600/Lucy+-+1+%25283%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd78DgHJ98YpzwNt0KXfzlJbgbjXSg-0F0pdzgNSSNGV8DhSepV5-5oQfNUQtEBP80BKuMIRMBPnS39pLVoqV5eXAVSOWgNQQ-a6fnm9o4LiyGPnCPalXKUxbX10jNfm3lsKg20F9fZLY/s640/Lucy+-+1+%25283%2529.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_-ZYYy-pIlvFkRPGWZMo_4RGkqhzai5Skz08Lel-pzeIBc79jLF2rIPnRKy0xWxS8YerT3vvtgn2C0BZ3l9iq9Rr5CvvbhasL-cUx4BgqH1r7oD4_adDNS07_AQNEAgw0ClpPboIgE8/s1600/Lucy+-+1+%25284%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_-ZYYy-pIlvFkRPGWZMo_4RGkqhzai5Skz08Lel-pzeIBc79jLF2rIPnRKy0xWxS8YerT3vvtgn2C0BZ3l9iq9Rr5CvvbhasL-cUx4BgqH1r7oD4_adDNS07_AQNEAgw0ClpPboIgE8/s640/Lucy+-+1+%25284%2529.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tlaopvpLN1fPi3O3CQ2TQIsSkcsrdBRE_FwtqVUto2G6dvdVjImYhNgw6taCVNPwBwHP5307DN9SdZ_cwVoYxFAXhXgn6BzDgWdzVQb2Fdbe-wTWIGRo7BHylGZCSEsHWOubPrtGMgE/s1600/Lucy+-+2+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tlaopvpLN1fPi3O3CQ2TQIsSkcsrdBRE_FwtqVUto2G6dvdVjImYhNgw6taCVNPwBwHP5307DN9SdZ_cwVoYxFAXhXgn6BzDgWdzVQb2Fdbe-wTWIGRo7BHylGZCSEsHWOubPrtGMgE/s640/Lucy+-+2+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Without a doubt, Lucy prefers Chase's "nap lap" over all others. She will curl up with him and take the best naps!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYTt-9pkehHmOBRmP8jAIssa92VGb0CqZsRG5F4gCCf8OAx2ebxEPJhEvOqU4CuX8yftbVXbuBi-Qn0GARM1Abu_8l2RCB2BFRY22eP35ILKGQ8OHXOMjG2J9pdgoSOfRQ8JnuJk2k_M/s1600/Lucy+-+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYTt-9pkehHmOBRmP8jAIssa92VGb0CqZsRG5F4gCCf8OAx2ebxEPJhEvOqU4CuX8yftbVXbuBi-Qn0GARM1Abu_8l2RCB2BFRY22eP35ILKGQ8OHXOMjG2J9pdgoSOfRQ8JnuJk2k_M/s640/Lucy+-+2.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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LO has been the best mama to her sweet Lucy. I love watching her take care of her little four-legged baby.</div>
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As you might have noticed, one of her favorite activities her first month or so with us was SLEEPING. She slept all.the.time. And she still sleeps a good bit! She stays in her crate at night and when we're gone, she loves running and playing in the backyard, and she's so great in playing with the kids inside. She's really been a wonderful addition to our family! The kids all love her so much, and though I'm not much of a pet person, I've been pleased at how well the kids have taken care of everything (with help from hubs): feeding, bathing, picking up poop, cleaning up inside messes, keeping little toys/choking hazards picked up and out of her reach, etc. Lucy has been a wonderful addition to our family!</div>
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Welcome home, Lucy!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955373852857020316.post-12538950920073860382019-12-30T15:33:00.000-05:002019-12-30T15:39:56.438-05:00The (LONG) One with the Gender RevealLet's talk GENDER, folks!<br />
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I know what you may likely be thinking... it's too early for gender! And typically that might be true. We didn't find out until our 20 week ultrasounds with the first four kiddos, so this is definitely new for me!<br />
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So here's the deal: I'm older than dirt. And as a <i>pregnant geriatric,</i> I have slightly more concern this time around when it comes to the baby's health. Hubs and I discussed and decided to have a non-invasive pregnancy test (NIPT), the <a href="https://www.natera.com/panorama-test" target="_blank">Natera Panorama</a>. This simple blood test is a screening test for the most common genetic conditions. This test also happens to include the baby's gender. While we weren't choosing to do the test for the gender reveal, we did feel it would be in our best interest to know if the baby had any issues so we could best prepare for his/her arrival.<br />
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I had the test drawn on 12/12/2019. I was hopeful to have the results back by the time I went to my first appointment with the perinatologist on 12/23/2019 for a nuchal translucency ultrasound, which would also screen the baby for potential chromosomal defects. My grand plan was to collect all of the information I could possibly get my hands on to ensure (as best as I could) that the baby was healthy before making an official announcement to family and friends. And believe it or not, everything came together (almost) perfectly!<br />
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The morning of my ultrasound, I called my OB's office and left a message to inquire if my Panorama NIPT results were in yet. I was super stoked to get a call back a few hours later to tell me my results were in, and the BEST NEWS EVER was that the screening returned LOW RISK for potential defects! This meant < 1/10,000 y'all! It was such a relief! Not a full guarantee, of course, but a relief nonetheless.<br />
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Later that afternoon was my first full workup with the perinatologist, including the nuchal translucency ultrasound. Everything went well during the ultrasound and we were able to see our sweet little guy or gal! The doctor informed us that everything looked great! The measurements looked great and further indicated our baby's health. Hubs and I will remain "cautiously optimistic" until we have the full anatomy scan at 20 weeks to check baby's heart, etc., but for now, we felt confident that we were ready to share our exciting news!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNB98_WfUCxJMbOK_Y_5CU-MSePHSmFdo9Zgzm9E4i_ludTnk6245Uar8k9Qs3IBj9HO9glxwR3QZnorimAD7BnNFNFY8JABOOEsAR88jmO7eSZ7QZ5gFZ1FcAV6p4dCPWiyfceJzJ9Ro/s1600/DEC23_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="1280" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNB98_WfUCxJMbOK_Y_5CU-MSePHSmFdo9Zgzm9E4i_ludTnk6245Uar8k9Qs3IBj9HO9glxwR3QZnorimAD7BnNFNFY8JABOOEsAR88jmO7eSZ7QZ5gFZ1FcAV6p4dCPWiyfceJzJ9Ro/s640/DEC23_0008.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The next step of my plan involved picking up an envelope at my OB's office with the baby's gender written inside. I had planned to order 6 gender reveal cupcakes from Lowes Foods that afternoon to pick up on Christmas Eve. I wanted to line the kids up at the table on Christmas Day after they opened all their gifts and have them all take a huge bite to see which color was inside to indicate boy or girl. I picked up the envelope, and decided I'd call Lowes to place the order over the phone, so I'd just need to run in real quick to drop off the envelope.<br />
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This is when my perfect plan was foiled!<br />
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The lovely ladies at the Lowes bakery informed me they already had too many cupcake orders and couldn't fill mine. I asked a few follow-up questions, and the phone was handed off to the bakery manager. I told her I only needed 6 gender reveal cupcakes, and she proceeded to inform me that <i>THEY CANNOT PUT ANYTHING INSIDE THE CUPCAKES.</i><br />
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Y'all.<br />
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Have you heard of Pinterest? There's like a gazillion ways you can stuff stuff inside of cupcakes! And all I wanted was just a little shmooze of pink or blue frosting!<br />
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Anywho, they straight up refused and I was left scrambling. Hubs tried to fix the situation by offering Publix or Bi-Lo cupcakes as a second option, which I vehemently refused. My plan revolved around <i>Lowes Foods </i>cupcakes.<br />
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Fast-forward a bit to later that evening. We took the kids to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants for dinner. I began sharing The Great Cupcake Ordeal of 2019 with them, and they were terribly disappointed. If you think I like cupcakes (and basically every dessert imaginable), you should meet my kids. They LIVE for sweets. #momwin 😳<br />
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When I mentioned I had the envelope in my purse, the kids all said they wanted to go ahead and open it. Right there. While waiting on our dinner. At Anita's. And I couldn't help but oblige!<br />
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It wasn't "my" plan. And I hadn't had time yet to come up with a Plan B. But seeing the excitement on my kids' faces was all I needed. The most important thing about my original plan was that it would be the 6 of us together. Just us. No fancy gender reveal party, folks. Just my sweet fam finding out together. And wouldn't you know it -- my sweet fam was gathered around that table stuffing our faces with chips and salsa. It really couldn't have been more perfect!<br />
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Before opening the envelope, I polled the family to ask what they <i>thought</i> it would be (not necessarily what they <i>wanted</i> it to be). Here are the results:<br />
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Mommy: Boy<br />
Daddy: Girl<br />
LO: Boy<br />
Chase: Girl<br />
E: Boy<br />
O: ???<br />
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Without further ado, check out this little video for our big reveal for baby #5!</div>
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Hahahahaha!! Poor Chase!!! 🤣<br />
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Here’s the official proof!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxOGD9fm3FZ05tDBvbRyqz6c6tMvUYgyD_d-DmdNvFjSiwLw5ZHCktdjfjpvDEXbV6LwmJvgdQ0skAj6ehVp219GQfzWSeLuINuTu1eu8KbNzChpQKgj9utXsWoRbncKsvSwu9Pf9rPk/s1600/4B1B3C48-E9E8-43B3-8E37-F4812B9DBD6F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1424" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxOGD9fm3FZ05tDBvbRyqz6c6tMvUYgyD_d-DmdNvFjSiwLw5ZHCktdjfjpvDEXbV6LwmJvgdQ0skAj6ehVp219GQfzWSeLuINuTu1eu8KbNzChpQKgj9utXsWoRbncKsvSwu9Pf9rPk/s640/4B1B3C48-E9E8-43B3-8E37-F4812B9DBD6F.jpeg" width="568" /></a></div>
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After we found out the gender on 12/23, we told our families we were expecting on 12/24, and then shared the gender with them two days later on 12/26. What a whirlwind of Christmas and new baby excitement!!!<br />
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We can’t wait to welcome little <b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">boy</span></b> Cinco in 2020!<br />
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