Just in time!

Glad we got moved into our new house when we did. In the past couple of weeks, we just knew I wouldn't make my due date! 100% natural childbirth, and we're so pleased and excited to introduce to you our new son!

Owen Robert
8/30/10 - 2:32 p.m.
8 lbs. 12 oz.
22 inches

Everyone is doing great!

Isaac and baby's room rearrange

Ok, we don't have Isaac's headboard yet, but his big boy bed arrived. We put on the sheets that he picked out {sports - surprise, surprise}, and he has happily slept in his bed for three full nights. We are on night #4. He loves it, we love it, and I think we did a good job re-arranging the cozy room. :)

Oops - Thursday Deals - 8/26/2010

I completely spaced Thursday deals this week - so here they are {a couple of days late!}

1. Design your meal at the Qdoba website, and you'll get a high value coupon to print. Currently, there are three different ones printing - B1G1 FREE, FREE entree with drink purchase, or 50% off your order. Nice!

2. FREE sample of the Aveeno Nourish Hair Care line here + get a coupon!

3. FREE sample of Breathe Right's new Extra Nasal strips here. Good for the snorers in the family

4. If you are a Sam's Club member, you can get a FREE sample of Pampers Dry Max Diapers here {sizes 3,4,5}.

5. Pampers Gift to Grow Members can get 25 points total with these three coupon codes: CAREFORNEWBORNS, GTG5FREEPTS0810, GTGCOUPONPOINTS

6. Ladies, FREE sample of U by Kotex here.

7. FREE sample of the new Cheetos Mighty Zingers here.

Helicopters and airplanes

Isaac loooooves helicopters and airplanes right now. I'm really not into getting him all of that modern stuff with the obnoxious noises and loud colors. Instead I'm thinking of getting him this one. But, I already have his birthday present and his big brother present for when he comes to the hospital to meet Donut. So, I guess I'll just have to dream about how much he'll love this until Christmas!

Well groomed

In the past week, all of us have gotten hair cuts, including Sophie. We all need to look our best for little Donut's arrival. Sophie also got her teeth cleaned. I didn't want her stinky breath all over the new babe. She's like a brand new pup!

Aren't her bows cute?

House Tour: Isaac and baby's room

Well, for now it's still just Isaac's room. We officially ordered him a "big boy bed" late last week, so the arrangement of the room will change {another post for another day} and part of the reason we haven't put much on the walls just yet. The new paint is appearing blue {partially because of the rug}, but it's more of a nice warm gray. It'll be really cozy when there are two kids in there, but I just love all of the natural light that comes in during the day - such a happy, warm place. Isaac's room is actually one of Blake's favorites in the whole house.

Things we did:
1. Re-finish floor
2. Replace windows
3. Paint {walls and ceiling!}
4. Add one outlet
5. Replace window treatments
6. Remove old light and add ceiling fan

Before

After

A little fun

And maybe a little crazy. :) I met someone that I only knew through the computer earlier this week. We both belong to a charting/pregnancy/mommy internet forum, and were members of the same small buddy group {there were only about 6 of us total, and 4 of us remain} so we've been "talking" quite often since I found out I was pregnant with Isaac {circa January 2008}, and have kept in touch via the forum and other networking sites. She happened to be going to a family reunion in the Midwest, and detoured about a half hour out of her way on her return trip to meet us for lunch. It was SO great to meet her in person. I really felt like we were old friends and it wasn't our first time meeting at all. Our two boys got along too - they're both October 2008 babies, after all. Two peas in a pod. There were lots of hugs, lots of "you look just like your picture"and "you are just as nice in person", and just generally catching up type talk. I loved every minute. This whole rendezvous made my week.

Thursday Deals - 8/19/10

1. Walgreen's is offering 7 days of Deals here. Today's deal is a FREE 5x7 Folded Card.

2. Girls - FREE sample of Tena Serenity Pads here and FREE sample of Playtex Sport here.

3. If you're into crafting - make sure you print this 40% off coupon to Michael's!

4. Free E-cookbook by Mr. Food all about grilling out here.

5. $3 off your $10+ purchase at TGIFridays with this coupon. Expires 8/25/10

6. August 26-29, head on over to the Gap with this coupon to save 30% off your purchase, with 5% going back to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. {Thanks Jen!}

House Tour: Kitchen

Our kitchen re-do quickly became the, "well, we're already doing this, so what's the big deal if we do this too?" room. I'm happy with how it turned out though. Here's the rundown:

1. New appliances
2. Replace cabinet door
3. Take old pantry out of garage, cut down to create cabinet and more counter space by fridge {Thank heavens for handy uncles!}
4. New countertops
5. New undermount sink
6. New faucet
7. New garbage disposal - because we couldn't detach the other one from the old sink {too much silicone gel used in the previous do-it-yourself project.}
8. Replace all electrical outlets and switches
9. Add outlet by the new cabinet/counter by fridge
10. New paint!
11. Remove breadbox
12. Take down shelf-y thing by the window and above the door to the kitchen {I don't think you can see either of those}.
13. Clean and decorate a little :)
14. Sand and re-finish floor
15. Shorten cabinets above microwave by about 6" so that the unit is flush with the cabinets and not hanging below! {Again, thanks to a handy uncle!}

Still on my to-do list: replace cabinet hardware, but that can wait for now. Ta-Da!!!! :)

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After

Hula

Uncle Brian and Aunt Jenna brought Isaac this outfit from Hawaii nearly a year ago. It finally fits. He loves it so much, I had a hard time catching a decent picture. He was just dancing around like a mad man!


PS: If you're bored {or even if you're not!}, play Donut's baby pool game here. I'm thinking of a prize for the winner.

Bathroom

I know I said I wouldn't get around to posting the before/after pics of our house until next week. But, I realized this morning that our bathroom is actually completely finished {minus the minor paint touch up that you can't see}, and I can't do the weeding of my garden that I wanted to do because it's raining. So, photo/explanation tour....begin!

Things we did to the bathroom {Because you can't see all of the big changes from one photo, and I didn't take pictures of everything in the beginning}:
1. New paint - the wall behind the toilet/cabinet/sink was green, now it's white
2. Replace old, painted medicine cabinet {which also involved added new dry wall to cover the hole in the wall}.
3. Replace painted 1975-looking bulbed light fixture {which also involved moving the light higher, and patching in with dry wall}.
4. Remove giant white cabinet to open it up and create more space, only to discover bolt holes, non-textured wall {NOT matching the rest of the rest of the bathroom}, and trim removal.
5. Call in the plaster guy to match the funky wall texture
6. New sink, medicine cabinets, and toilet seat
7. Master craftsman, Dad, moves trim over from behind our new sink to fill in missing trim hole that was behind giant white cabinet.
8. Same master craftsman re-wired and switched out light switches.

Before

After {sorry the lighting sucks!}

Thursday Deals - 8/12/10

Our house is finally coming together, so hoping to take you on a before and after photo tour next week! Yippeee!!!!

1. FREE sample of the all natural Miracle Skin Transformer here. Sounds interesting for wrinkles and such!

2. $5 off $15 at T.G.I.Fridays with this coupon. Valid through 8/18/10, and as always, read the fine print. :)

3. Buy one Starbucks doubleshot energy + coffee and get a 2nd one FREE with the printable coupon link here.

4. FREE sample of Post-it Durable Tabs and Label Pads here.

5. Get your Home Made Simple coupon booklet with $35+ in savings here!

Bugged

I knew part of moving into an older house was the inevitable entrance of bugs. I've killed beetles, flies, mosquitoes and a bunch of other creepy crawlers inside the house, but nothing could have prepared me for this. As we were playing/unpacking in the basement, Isaac looked up at the light and exclaimed, "Spider!" To which I replied, "Oh, that's not a spiiiiii......Oh GROSS!"

Sick. Sick. Sick. Blake wanted to be brave by opening the light and killing it. I voted to just let it be. It'll die on its own eventually, right?

See 22 months

Just a picture and a video of Isaac. He was really decent at saying he was 21-months-0ld {see here}, so I was concerned that he'd have trouble switching to 22-months old. Sounds like it won't be a problem after all. :)

Love him!

22 months and a big day

Today was a big day.

Isaac is 22 months old. Soon, he'll be a big brother. I can't believe it. Where has all of the time with my little baby gone? I forgot to take a picture of him today, so I'll do that tomorrow.

Also, huge congrats to my buddy Matt and his new wife Angie! And also to my cousin Tracy and her new husband Dustin! So happy for all of you! I forgot to take pictures at the wedding too. Looks like an all-around forgetful day for me!

Thursday Deals - 8/5/10

Happy August! We're officially in our new place. We had a rough first night, trying to sleep through the trains, but everyone tells me we won't notice them in a short amount of time. Here's hoping! I want my full nights of sleep again before Donut arrives. :)

1. FREE sample of Earth's Best infant Formula here.

2. If you don't like to take Vitamins in pill form, get a FREE sample of Nature's Bounty Adult Gummies here.

3. Get $10 off a purchase of $10 or more at JCPenney with coupon code TEN2YOU.

4. Get your FREE sample of Post-it's new SUPER STICKY notes here. Plus, print your coupon for $1 off! Everyone needs more post-its!

5. Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft are celebrating Friends and Family day now through August 8. Get 30% off with this printable coupon!

Pretty distractions

I like to look at pretty ideas for decorating to free my mind of the clutter that is currently our new house. Everything is coming along, and I'm looking forward to actually living there this week!

Currently on my mind: something nice, to sit on the sofa table in the entry area, with a purple hydrangea theme {I'm LOVING purple hydrangeas lately!}, or purplish flowers, to pull a little punch of the purple in the curtains and pillows to the other side of the room. The trick is tying the decor into our more modern, clean lines but still adding a little charm back into our already charming house.

Which idea do you like best {all of these are either silk flowers or preserved and dried}? Poll to your right. :) Thanks!

#1 - arranged in a clear, modern vase

#2 - just like this!

#3 - Not a hydrangea, but I still like it!

P.S. - I purchased two of the #3 pillows, and have decided I'll add to the collection as I see fit. The seller of the pillows is actually going to mirror the Damask emblem on the second pillow, so it'll be on the opposite side. I really, REALLY loved #5, but it's sold, and #2 is just a bit too expensive for me at the moment. Come on Clearance!