Topping It Off

In continuation of our kitchen project (which we've talked about here and here) our next step was cabinet fronts and countertops. Believe me when I say that there is nothing simple about the initial process of building the cabinets. Now of course, it's doable with patience but it's not simple. Thankfully, Ikea gives some relief towards the end and makes the process of hanging and installing fronts very simple. It's almost a click-in system, with few screws for support, which at this point in the project was very welcome. Nothing like an easy finish. 

You can see above where we were after the first day of installation. By the end of the next working day we had closing doors and drawers. We waited to put the pulls on for quite a while because we couldn't decide exactly where we wanted them, decisions decisions. 

The next step was the countertop. It was a bit scary to start cutting because we had a certain amount of space to cover and only so much countertop. At first we were going to join the corner by butting one piece up to another. My Dad mentioned that because of the wood grain we wouldn't be pleased with that and so we changed our minds to the angled corner cut you can see below. In order to make sure we did everything correctly, we used some 1/4" plywood to create templates that we could lay on top of the cabinets to ensure we were making correct cuts! Way better to make a mistake on a $10 slice of plywood than a $100 slice of butcher block. Practice makes perfect after all. 

   

Hunter and I watched through the window with Star Wars characters cheering on my Dad and Rob as they made the scary cuts. Always best for me to stay away during these moments, I tend to be a gasper when things can go wrong. Of course they made all the right measurements with the help of their template. With all the pieces cut, they were laid out, screwed in from the underneath and glued together at seams.

 

Once all the counters were secured we moved onto giving them a finish. We did quite a bit of research about this. We had to decide if we wanted this to be a true working butcher block or just in appearance alone. We liked the idea of a full seal which would remove our ability to stain or make water rings on our new surface but a lot of the products that we found and read about weren't food safe. While that might work for some people, we were not comfortable with a non-food-safe surface in the kitchen especially when the kiddos are involved. We ended up conditioning our butcher block counters instead of sealing them; this is something that we have to do once in a while but it's no harder than applying lotion after a shower. It makes the counters resistant and water pools on top instead of soaking right in BUT rings and marks do form. Thankfully most of those marks are easily removed with a light hand sand (read: wiping counters with sandpaper) and another coat of conditioner. While making our choice we read that wood, because it is porous, will eventually "fill up" with the conditioner and actually become waterproof like butcher blocks in butcher shops used to! We liked the idea that it wouldn't be such virgin wood forever and it wouldn't only get prettier as the time went on. 

At this point we were so pleased to have a most of a kitchen again. We still had finishing touches on the cabinets in the form of finishing sides (above cooktop and in corner) and adding pulls but the overall feeling was beginning to come together. It was so nice to have a sink on the main floor again - it's amazing how much you can miss that! 

My Dad was so helpful during the countertop process, he's awesome and teaches us so much! Hunter also LOVES when my Dad comes over - he gets to have a bit of play time in his work truck and spend time with his Buppa!

Up next is flooring! Stay tuned!

#littleray has a nursery

Our Christmas break was full of fun and family and productivity this year! It was so nice to have a whole week home with Rob and our little guy. Although we took turns being sick throughout the week we still enjoyed plenty of time with our families celebrating Christ's birth, a wedding, and the new year! 

Last night we finished littleray's nursery. It's a great feeling to walk by and see it completed. We are ready for him any time now! We can't believe that the time has come so quickly and we are in the final weeks of eagerly awaiting his arrival. 

This space came together just as we had imagined it would and we love it! 

We talked in a previous post about our ideas and color scheme but we still weren't sure where everything would end up and how it would come together. We changed a couple of our original ideas, but that's par for the course whenever we decorate a room!

First of all, let me say that painting with such a dark color of green is a bit scary! It ended up looking lush and lovely but it required two (thick) coats and after the first coat I was, admittedly, shaking in my slippers. It's weird to see that intense color rolled onto a white wall! I almost shied away but I'm glad I rolled with it (pun intended!)

The dark green adds a nice intensity to the room that is otherwise pretty light and bright. I decided to keep the branch hanging lighter so that it would pop off the wall. By using a yarn with variation in color I was able to keep it looking a little more "natural"; I chose to leave the bottom uneven for the same reason. We know that it might not be able to live above the crib forever - once littleray has grabby hands - but for now it creates a pretty and rustic picture! 

  

Opposite the crib are littleray's cabinet and changing table. We are thankful that we can use these pieces for little clothes and baby items and keep the small closet for toys and older boy clothing storage. It's nice to have all the little clothes kept behind closed doors and in drawers because even though they are caaaaaute, they can tend to look a bit messy. 

   

We wanted the room to holler 'boy' while still holding to our neutral tone from our first son's room. By mixing hard and soft patterns with warm and cool tones, I think we accomplished our goal. This fun yellow/lime chair adds brightness to this windowed cubby along the same wall as the crib and it's oh-so-comfy! We opted for soft watercolors paired with a heavy metallic arrow so neither would feel too prominent. The top watercolor will have littleray's name once he is born, but for now it will be blank until we make our announcement! 

   

On the other side of the crib, across the room from the comfy chair, there are cute little stuffed animal mounts alongside our favorite saying. Our first son has this saying in his room too and we thought it was perfect to have both our boys know that we love them to the moon and back! The wall mounted animals are from target's fall collection, I think I ended up grabbing them for less than $5 each on sale which is always a perk when decorating a room! You can see above that there is also a mounted stuffed bear near the comfy chair in the picture above, I thought they were too sweet to pass up!

We decided to skip the mountain shelf that we mentioned in our ideas post. It would have lived where the watercolors are now so we thought it would get a little crowded and displace already existing items. Didn't seem worth it to make something from scratch when we already had the goods to fill the space. We are also waiting on the crib skirt to be delivered (thank you amazon!) and then we will be 100% done with this room. We are so thankful for the generosity and love people have shown for this baby boy already, we all can't wait to meet him!! 

SHOP THIS ROOM:

{Paint} Glidden Universal Grey and Hunter Green

{Crib Sheets} Target

{Crib Skirt} Dwell Studio

{Pillows} Tootie and Tallulah's

{Rug} Home Goods

{Grey Handled Baskets} Home Goods

{Grey Geometric Baskets} Target

{Watercolor Prints} Home Goods

{Metallic Arrow} Home Goods

{Bear Head Mount} Target Similar Product 

{Love You To Moon and Back} Tootie and Tallulah's

{Crib/Changing Table/Dresser/Shelving} Bellini (Ours are secondhand but the company makes other beautiful pieces!)

*This post includes affiliate links. We were not paid to say anything nice about these products we just like these things and want you to know where you can get them too! 

I get by with a little help

Friday was not a great day for me and baby. The day seemed to go on and on and our precious boy would not nap. Our boy is as sweet as they come but even he reached his limit around 12pm and the rest of the day was a disaster. I don't know if it was a lack of patience on my part but for some reason I was easily frustrated and brought to tears. In my mind I knew that tears were useless and that bad days happen, but in the middle of it I couldn't hold them back. These are the days I am glad our son will never remember!

When Rob came home that night I was more relieved than ever before. He took our son from my arms and let me gather myself, shower and hit refresh on a rough day.

Saturday and Sunday were wonderful days, completely opposite from Friday. Though we did nothing out of the ordinary, Rob gave me a ton of help (he's always super helpful but he was more amazing than ever this weekend) and I was even able to be out and about for almost three hours alone. I laughed whenever our son would fall asleep with ease as Rob put him down and I jokingly deemed that he had "the touch"! Even though I was kidding I realized that I had something to learn from my wonderful husband.

Rob rarely gets truly overwhelmed. It's such a gift for someone like me who can sometimes feel like I'm teetering on the edge of an emotional cliff. He keeps me sound.

When Monday came and Rob went back to work I decided that in his absence I would "channel him!"  I rocked our son, breathing evenly and calmly, thinking "What would Rob do?" (Maybe I should get bracelets made! HA) That night when I told him about my successful day he laughed. He thought it was a funny way to help me but he was happy that he did; I was too!!

I'm so thankful for my husband. He helps me in ways that he doesn't even know and boy is it nice to have him in this parenting adventure with me!

Mommy Moments: Turn my way

Baby R is four months old now! Four joyous months have passed since this girl became a momma and it has been wonderful!

Our sweet boy changes on a daily basis! He is in a new size of clothing, he reaches for things, he plays with toys, he's found and chews on his feet, and he smiles incessantly!

-------------------------------------------------

In the past couple weeks Baby R has started to really recognize his daddy and me. When we walk into a room, he turns his head toward us and lights up with a sweet smile! When I get home from work I love seeing his face crinkle up as I say hello to him! There is such pure joy in that smile and when it is directed solely at me, there in lies a Mommy Moment. I am treated by the joys of these Moments that even on those hard days (yes, they do happen) I can rest in the knowledge that I am the only momma Baby R is looking for and I am completely capable of taking care of his needs.

Parenting Favorites!

1. Fisher-Price Newborn Rock 'n Play:

We received this portable bassinet as a gift from Rob's Aunt and Oma. We hadn't registered for it but it ended up being our most used item in the first 6 weeks of Baby Rebhan's life! It's so light weight, folds down to almost nothing so it's easy to store when not in use and it was perfect to keep our new baby propped up while he slept. Ours didn't have any noise or vibration but some do. This is a new baby MUST HAVE in our book! 

   

2. Fisher-Price Infant to Toddler Rocker:

This transition rocker was another gift that we did not register for but are so happy that we received (thanks Meaghan and Abby)! The base can either be stationary or a rocker, the back adjusts to become a seat for toddlers and the entertainment bar is removable. Our son enjoyed the seat when it was just a rocker but now that he can pay attention to and marvel at the swinging objects, he finds this seat to be a blast! It's perfect for the kitchen when I'm cooking because it keeps him entertained for quite some time! It's also a really nice size for our small home! 

   

3. Carter's Sherpa Hooded Jacket and Baby Gap Bike Onesie:

These gifts aren't necessarily must-haves, but they both made Rob and I melt the first time Baby Rebhan wore them! The Carter's bear hoodie is so soft and cuddly and the ears are so precious. Baby R wore this for the first time on our way home from the hospital (thank you Hawkins)!

   

The Baby Gap Bike onesie is my favorite full outfit on our boy. It's made of such cozy soft cotton and it's a perfect fit on our little man. Every time he wears it I text our neighbors a picture of him in it (they bought it for him); i'm so smitten with him in these duds! 

   

4. Summer Infant Swaddle Me:

Rob calls these the auto-swaddle! When Baby R was very little I would swaddle him with his Aden and Anais swaddling blankets, but as he got stronger he was able to break free almost every time we wrapped him up. Rob never really got the hang of the blanket swaddle so he would always use the Summer Infant swaddles. Once we realized he wasn't able to escape from the velcro swaddles we switched over full time. They are such a help for a squirmy baby; he sleeps so well in them! Plus look at that cute little tooshie while he cuddles with his Grandma!! 

   

5. Aden and Anais Burpy Bibs:

I can't remember if we registered for these but if we didn't, I'm sure happy we got a couple! These are burp cloth/bib combos. The cloth is shaped kind of like a kidney bean so it fits perfectly over our shoulders for burping and it also has a snap on it for use as a bib! They are cute, offer full coverage, and are super absorbent.

   

+ 1. Little Remedies Little Noses Saline Drops/Spray:

This is an extra item on our favorites list today! Our neighbors had a little boy three months before our son was born! He is such a cutie, isn't he!? I asked her what their most surprising favorite baby item has been and she told me about these Saline Nose Drops. She said that they are a perfect replacement for the snot bulbs (they creep us out) and seem to be more effective anyway! We are so grateful to have neighbors going through first time parenthood with us, we can't wait until our boys are friends!! 

   

bittersweet feelings

Yesterday, while cleaning around the house, I looked into our son's closet and realized that he has grown out of all his newborn clothes. Some he grew out of quickly, others he was still able to wear around his skinny waist but now he looks like he's waiting for a flood! Seeing as though he's almost 3 months, I decided that it was time to retire all the itty bitty clothes and move fully into 0-3 months. Yes, our baby is a long skinny dude!! 

Packing up his coming home outfit, his first Christmas onesie and many other outfits he wore to experience "firsts" had me feeling some seriously bittersweet feelings. As his mom, I burst with pride with every ounce he gains and every developmental milestone he hits or surpasses, but every day that he grows and learns something new is a day closer to exiting babyhood.

I know we still have a long ways to go before it is over but every single day with our boy is a beginning and an end; there in lies the bittersweet feeling. Thankfully the beginnings are so exciting and breathtaking, yet another great design in God's plan of motherhood!!

Many experienced moms have told me that even though some days can be bittersweet, the best is yet to come. Even after just 12 weeks, I completely believe them! 

   

Do you wanna see the nursery??

Before we even found out I was pregnant, I had visions of what I hoped our little one’s nursery would eventually look like. I had the Pinterest board and the sketches; essentially just a dream of what a sweet baby’s nursery could be even when he was no more than a prayer. When we found out that we were officially going to be parents in the Spring of 2014 my dreaming turned into planning: weeding through the pins, picking out paint, and making decisions that would make our sweet boy’s nursery a comforting space just for him. 

The vision was to have grey walls, white wainscoting, natural wood accents, with orange detailing scattered throughout. Thankfully, that is exactly what we ended up with! We mixed modern furniture with rustic accents and simple solids with bold patterns. We wanted some interest without the room feeling too busy because before we know it our little boy will have toys strewn about and that will be busy enough!  

Rob and I had such a blast taking my sketches (which at one point were taped all over the nursery door!) and making them into reality. We built the side table for the glider, re-crafted the floating shelf, installed the new closet system, and made the wooden arrows above the crib. We had so much fun working on these projects knowing that they were for our little boy!

     

All the furniture was either imagined and made by Rob and I or was handed down from our childhood bedrooms. The white crib and glider (though reupholstered) were Lindsey's as a girl and the chest of drawers was Rob's. We are so thankful for our awesome Moms (and Dads) who took such care of these pieces for so long! 

   

This nursery has turned out to be my favorite room in the house for two reasons: it came out exactly how we imagined it would and it's our son's room. We are so thankful that our prayers were answered and he is now here with us! It's an amazing feeling to love someone so deeply that you haven't even met yet, I wanted things to be perfect for him. It struck me that as we were building a place for our son, so is Christ preparing a home for us in Heaven (John 14:1-7). Heaven: how much cooler is that!

Currently, Baby Rebhan (only one week old in the picture above) doesn't sleep in his nursery overnight but we spend time in there every day and we love to rock together in the glider. As I type, our son is smiling and cooing while he sleeps in his bassinet in our bedroom. We aren't sure when the final transition will happen but we are so thrilled that he has such a cozy space to call his. 

Where is it from??

>>> Area Rug: Home Goods

>>> Toy Basket: TJMaxx

>>> Fox and Alphabet Pillow: Tootie and Tallulah's

>>> Sheepskin Rug: IKEA

>>> Crib Sheets: Target

>>> Bedskirt: BuyBuyBaby

>>> Love You To The Moon and Back art: Tootie and Tallulah's

>>> White Frames: Target

If I missed anything, or you have any other questions feel free to comment below or send us an email!! 

Mommy moments

Feeling like a Mother happened immediately. The day our son was born I knew I would love him forever. These first eight and a half weeks have been increasingly amazing and the love I feel for this boy is deeper and stronger than I ever felt possible: I could burst! Motherhood was a natural transition, definitely one that came with new responsibilities including diaper changes, nap schedules and feedings, but it was natural. Being a Mommy is different though, it’s a whole new level of love that I didn't think possible. 

God had a grand plan when he orchestrated the change a woman feels when she becomes a mother and I am so thankful for that. I think he gave us the ability to respond to our baby’s needs without batting an eye and at the perfect moments He rewards us with the "Mommy moments." Those moments, the few I’ve had so far, are the most precious gifts I’ve ever received.

The sweetness of having our son look me in the eyes for the first time, really noticing and reacting to me (for more than two seconds), with a smile across his perfect mouth made me feel like a Mommy through and through. I was communicating with my son and he was understanding. The first time he turned his head towards the sound of my voice I was amazed. I thank God every day for each little “Mommy moment!” 

I fall asleep every night looking forward to the next day with my boy. Each day is better than the last.

changing as a family of three

Our son, was born in late November and we have had such a joyful 7.5 weeks with our sweet boy!

It is an amazing thing to be a new mom. I learn things about our new family, my sweet son and myself every single day. I have learned what grace and patience feel like when there is no forethought behind giving or receiving either one. I have realized that I am now filled with such pride and joy when someone shows love to my son and coos over him. Becoming a mom is immediate: physically our son came into the world at 5:03am and at the same moment he leaped into my heart.

My days are now filled with cuddles, feedings, diaper changes, laundry and gazing at our baby's sweet expressions. Eventually I will get back to days that don't include hours of Netflix, late night feedings and "first time" outings as a mommy/baby duo; but for now I am happily settled in these early days of scrambling for the camera every time a smile crosses my son's face and waiting for his first giggle and not wanting to miss any of it.

We are exceptionally happy as a family of three.

Previously, this blog was all about the DIY projects that Rob and I have taken on in our new home. We have enjoyed all the projects that we have done so far and documenting them has been a great way for us to share some tips while having a place to keep memories of our first house! Now we have new memories to add, to remember, and some that we will want to share with those of you that want to know what's happening in our little family. So this blog is changing, we are no longer just renovating our home but our whole life and we are learning fun tidbits and sharing along the way.