bathroom renovation

When we moved in four and a half years ago, the bathroom was at the top of my list to update and since it's our only bathroom, it was important to me that we enjoy the space that we have.  Thankfully this summer was finally the summer to accomplish it! We initially went into it with plans to update the fixtures, paint, change the lighting and to tile the floor and shower. We got the quotes for tiling and it was in the ballpark that we were expecting so we moved forward with the project.

We planned the start of the project to coincide with our camping trip since our tiler is also a really close friend. While we were away we didn't have any cell signal so we were blissfully unaware of the state of our bathroom. However, when we got signal back we were greeted with a few texts about bumps in the road...

While they were demolishing the bathroom (removing the bathtub surround and removing the old floor and subfloor) they unearthed some plumbing issues. Eric (our tiler) had a plumber friend come to take a look and he didn't come back with good news. Our house was built in 1942 and the plumbing doesn't seem to have been updated in the mean time. So our quick, moderately easy bathroom update turned into a much larger scale project; along with updating our bathroom esthetically, we had our house entirely re-plumbed and had a new water heater installed.

We had one week without any use of the bathroom and about 4 days with only a working toilet, remember we only have ONE bathroom. Alex stayed at our house since he had to go to work and "roughed it", while Margo and I stayed at my very gracious parent's house. After the plumbing was taken care of, Eric came back in and finished the tile work and we were able to finally finish the renovation!

We are so happy with the outcome and even though the size of our 33 square foot bathroom didn't change, it feels much brighter, open and dare I say bigger?! Even though re-plumbing is about as exciting as getting a new roof (read: not exciting at all), I'm glad that it's done and that we don't have to worry about our pipes. So, with no further ado the before and after pictures of our bathroom!!

Before

 After

Sources:
Tiler: Eric at Sticks n Stones 
Plumbers: Tony & Josh at Crafton Plumbing 
Pedestal Sink- 1 // 2
Cabinet
Mirror
Paint- Valspar Dark Kettle Black
Light
Print
Shower Head
Hand towel, soap, basket, shower curtain- Homegoods
Subway tile- Rittenhouse Square Field Tile 3x6 (white glaze)
Floor tile- Carrera Hex mosaic (Bianco Gioia Nantes)

Cardinals Game

Ethan's 8th birthday usually falls around Memorial Day, so this year Jared, Becky & kids decided to come to our neck of the woods to celebrate him. They surprised him for his birthday with Cardinals tickets and a weekend in the city. They came down Sunday morning and went out to lunch and the zoo. Alex, Margo and I met them at their hotel, after the zoo, to swim with the kids. Margo was pretty hesitant in the water, but finally warmed up to the idea as we were about to leave. Don't worry though, she'll have plenty more opportunities to swim this summer. 

After swimming, we cleaned up and went to dinner at Pi for some pizza. Margo got to stay up way later than she ever has before and did great. She was only restless for a few minutes while we waiting (an eternity) for our pizzas. 

The next day (Monday) was the day of the game, so we left Margo with Grandma Sue for the day and met Jared, Becky, Ethan and my dad at the stadium. (Nora and Atley got to play with Libby's girls and had a far better time with them than they would've at the game.) 

The sun was high and hot, but we had a pretty steady breeze, so breaking my "no day game" rule wasn't too bad. The Cardinals didn't win, but it was a fun day and game. Ethan had a great birthday weekend and when I asked him what his favorite part of the weekend was, he replied, "opening my presents and getting the surprise of going to a baseball game!" 

I'm so thankful that the Collier's let us crash their birthday/Memorial Day weekend, we had a great time. But, I'm even more thankful for the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedom that we often take for granted.  I am humbled and thankful to come from a family with many servicemen and to know the sacrifices that they have made to protect our country. 

Happy 8th Birthday Ethan!

margo: fifteen months

The last month flew by and it's crazy to think that we now officially have a walking, almost running little baby girl. She talks, walks, and dances through the day and is for the most part really happy (she has her moments, but don't we all?!). We went to the doctor for her 15 month well child visit and she weighs 23lbs (61%ile), is 29 inches long (17%ile) and her head is FINALLY on the growth charts in the 7%ile at 44cm!! She has 6 fully erupted teeth and her maxillary lateral incisors are starting to poke through.

Thankfully May was much more restful than April and we didn't sleep anywhere but in our own beds. We met friends at the park and splash pad, shopped with Grandma Terri and had low key days at home. As much as we love to be on the go, there is something nice about being home and I think Margo feels the same way.

Margo has officially dropped her morning nap and is now sleeping from 7p to between 7:30/8:30am. Then we eat breakfast, run errands, meet with friends or just play at home until lunch at around 11:45ish and then she goes down for her nap around 12:45pm and sleeps until between 3 and 4pm. She's ready to eat dinner like clockwork at 5:15pm and then bed at 7pm. I know that she is subject to change, but she's pretty consistent and her being predictable makes my life a bit easier. With that said, we've been known to veer off schedule and have some adventures in the city and Margo does really well with those too!

Struggling with teething, on a Monday no less...

Mother's Day with the babe who made me a mama

I'm starting in a tennis league next week, so Margo goes to the courts with us while I practice

Fun at the park

She woke up so happy to find her "baby" after nap

Picnic in Forest Park

Patiently waiting until a reasonable hour to go to bed after her 15mo shots (Moana was the answer)

happy mother's day

At lunch Alex and I were trying to remember what Margo was doing last year, my first Mother's Day, and it continuously blows our minds to see how much and quickly she is growing, learning and changing. I know it sounds cliche, but I am just so thankful and blessed to be her mama. I cannot imagine a world that doesn't have Margo in it and I am just so happy that I get to be her mom.

I'm sure this could stir some controversy, but my mom is the best in the world. She is kind, patient, generous and selfless to name a few of her many, many positive attributes. My mom and dad have modeled parenthood and marriage in such a healthy, God honoring way and I admire them so much. I still have so much to learn from my mama, especially since Margo is getting older and leaving me scratching my head more and more... Thank you, mom for being the best. I love you and don't know what I'd do without you!

I'm also so thankful for Alex's mom, Sue. Without her Alex wouldn't be the gentle, loving, determined, hard working, steadfast man that he is. She is such an important part of our lives and I love that Margo gets to check in on Grandma Sue and Daddy at work from time to time. It has been such fun having his parents live in our neighborhood and I am so thankful for all that they do for us! Happy Mother's Day Sue, we love you!!