Christian at 18 months

Our sweet, loving, funny, littlest boy.

 

We love you more than you could ever imagine. You were the missing puzzle to our family and we are all so glad that you are ours. Christian baby, This last year and a half have been so wonderful with you. You have grown so much. You can say quite a few words and you sound like you are ready to start talking. You love to eat just about anything, fruits, veggies, sweet, sour, everything. Bedtime is still a breeze with you and you sleep through the night most nights. We're still breastfeeding and I honestly don't see any signs of it ending if it's all up to you. 

Holding the title of the littlest means nothing to you. You are fearless and love to do whatever your brothers or cousins do. If we'd let you you would get on a scooter or bike that's twice your size. You love to run after them and cry for them to take you with them outside and in their rooms when they are playing video games. I love the bond you all have.  I have enjoyed being home with you sweet boy and watching you grow. 

 

We love you x infinity.

Powder Room Reveal

Here you have it, friends. Our modern farmhouse-ish powder room. Since there’s no window here I intended to keep it light with paint and decor. I craved adding a wallpaper wall behind the sink but Jamil never worked with wallpaper so he couldn’t do it for us. I was going to attempt doing it myself and of course, my wallpaper took longer than expected to get in and he needed to finish the bathroom because he was booked for other jobs. We didn’t install it after he was done because the room is very tiny, and the vanity and toilet are in my way, so it’ll be that much more challenging to get it done now. But to be honest, I’m just intimidated by the wallpaper hence why I haven’t done it myself yet. Maybe I’ll build up some courage this year and do it but for now, the walls are pretty plain. We shall see.

 

As I looked for inspiration for this room, I fell in love with cement countertops. I wanted to try it for this room before we do it for a bigger project. Again, Jamil had never done that either, but he gave it a try. The way he did it was a bit different from the way I had researched it and the final look didn’t come out as I expected. I think it should have been left drying a few more days or the vibration part of the process could have been more but to be honest, the way it turns out goes with the “look” I was going for. A mix of a modern farmhouse, rustic, and industrial. I didn’t get a chance to take pics before he added the sink but here’s a closer look. 

Vanity, sink, and toilet is from Home Depot. The faucet I found on amazon and I am completely in love with it. I couldn’t have found a better one. The vanity light, towel holder, and toilet paper holder are also from amazon. The mirror is from Hobby Lobby. The shelves are from Michaels. 

We ended up spending a lot more than we anticipated for the complete project, but the final result was worth it and we have peace of mind knowing that the beams are good now. I also must add that we probably saved some money by going with Jamil rather than hiring a big company for all the extra fees. Thank goodness for the Jamil’s everywhere 😁. 

Over the summer, this little guy was being super fuzzy because he needed a nap but the heat and probably the humidity were making him feel uncomfortable. His bathroom was occupied and the so was the kitchen sink, and the other bathrooms have stand up showers. So we headed over to the powder room and he went to town! He loved it, I got to snap some pretty cool and memorable pictures, and then he went down for a long nap. We all won!

Bathroom Reno

            (This was how the bathroom looked like prior to us moving in)

This little space was once a spacious bathroom with a stand-up shower with access from the formal living area and a bedroom. On the first look, you could tell that it needed major updates for our liking. It wasn’t until we moved in that we realized how uncomfortable the shower and sink were. The shower was literally a cube with barely any space to turn. The sink was so low it felt it was for either a small child or an elderly. And don’t get me started on the toilet. Again, super low and to make matters worse every time you flushed it the water would come out of the sides on the bottom. 

The bedroom with access to this bathroom was for our oldest son and he’s currently 5’10 so that sink was way too low for him and the shower was just uncomfortable. He never really complained but I could only imagine. 

Since moving in I insisted that we needed to remodel that bathroom, but I wanted to do it the right way. Once and done. Not just a paint job. The sink and toilet needed to be replaced and if we were doing that we might as well do the shower too right. The flooring was a little unusual as well and not leveled. The entire bathroom really needed to be gutted out in my opinion and hubby was not about it. Not right after moving in and having to deal with a roof leak and water damaged floor. 

Fast forward to springtime when we decided to update the fireplace and replace the trimming in our formal living room. We decided to go ahead and renovate the said bathroom. Originally the plan was simply to update everything. Then we decided to close off the entrance from our sons’ room by adding a wall giving him a walk-in closet and having only an entrance from the living room. 

(Powder room side)

Jamil, my hubby stepdad and the person who takes all the credit for the labor in our home projects suggested that we split the bathroom into a powder room and still have a full bathroom for our son. We liked the idea. I had my doubts because my son is, well he’s a messy teenager. I didn’t trust him to be responsible enough to be in charge of his own bathroom. Except that he would still be using the shower in the original plans and at least this way if his bathroom was messy it wouldn’t scare off our visitors. So, we went with option 2. 

This is when all the headaches started. Obviously, floors had to be removed to re-arrange water lines and drainage pipes and what did we find? Rotted beams 😩. This home was built in the 70s. The sellers were the original owners and they added two extensions to the house. This bathroom was part of one of those extensions therefore there should have been no reason to have rotted beams. But alas, it was what it was at that point. We had to reinforce the beams and replace wall support that started to grow mold, etc.  Which also meant bye-bye budget. 

(Son's room side)

Several weeks later the bathroom was divided, the dry walk was up, and it was time for what I call the pretty phase part one. 

Check back in for the reveal coming up next. 

(This was how the bathroom looked like prior to us moving in)

Adrian is 8!

Our sweet curly hair boy is 8 y'all!

 

Oh Adrian, you are growing into quite the handsome boy. You are full of love and live. You are the best brother to both of your bothers. You have the most caring and honest heart, with the wildest imagination and the most amazing life goals. You are super independent and are thriving at this virtual learning gig. Math and library are your favorite subjects. I remember your kindergarten days and all the times your dad and I got called  into the office at pickup because you were such a naughty boy and I won't lie. I worried, I worried what elementary school would be like with you but you have grown so much! You are so helpful and caring towards your friends. You are still somewhat of a picky eater but sure enjoy to eat, especially breakfast. Like your big brother, you are a boy of many traits. From sports, to video games, riding bikes and your Quad. And let me not get started on how much of a lover boy you are. It's cute now, but boy oh boy will we have our hands full with you.   

Happy 8th birthday my handsome son. I pray continued blessings over you and a lifetime of happiness, courage, peace, and good health. May God bless you always!

Word of the year: Confidence

2021, the year of continued hope, confidence, and courage. 

2020 was an interesting year. Ending my nursing career at the hospital where I had been at for over 12 years, to being quarantined and adjusting to being a full-time stay at home mommy, to being at my heaviest ever while not pregnant, and being worried, scared, and full of uncertainties for the year ahead. It was a combination of so many different emotions. However, we made it! I am thankful that my little family and extended family had no health issues related to Covid-19 (as far as we are concerned), we didn't suffer financial struggle, and we were able to get together several times throughout the year. This year taught me the importance of family and close friends. 

So, I entered 2021 with a grateful heart for all the good I had experienced even while in the middle of a pandemic. At the same time, 2020 will be the year I remember as the year of testimonies. Although I haven't set goals/resolutions in several years now, this year I want to work on being more carefree, not caring about what others think, practicing self-care, being more present at the moment while worrying less about the future, and overcoming my fears. This brings me to my word of the year. Confidence. 

Confidence, defined as "a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities."

Of course, I value myself, yet it doesn't change the fact the situations over the years, including 2020, have affected that confidence. Therefore, my goal for the year is to be mindful of my abilities and qualities as a woman, wife, mother, nurse, daughter, sister, and friend. I can not predict what this year has in store for us. And I know that not stressing too much about it will be a challenge, but I am determined to turn the page, have faith, and trust God.

Wishing you all a very joyful and prosperous New Year!

Past Words of the Year:
2015 Grace
2016 Faith
2017 Healing 
2018 Patience

2019 Joy

2020 Hope