| bondurant_m's profileLife of a HomemakerPhotosBlogLists |  Tools  Help |
|
June 25 Front Yard Fun!Our plan this last weekend was to build our patio, but the front yard drew all the attention instead...So, we dug out the front yard (which was actually 90% weeds), laid bricks under the fence (so we don't have to mow up to the edge) tilled up the ground, leveled it out, added sand and rolled out the SOD. Viola! The fence is also part of our addition, it just didn't happend this weekend! The very first pic is when we bought the house last summer! May 29 still hereWhen I came to check my blog, I honestly wouldn't have been suprised if my site had expired since it's been so long since I've visited/added anything. The last few months have been keeping me busy. I now have a two year old little man and 9mth old crawler (also a boy). They are quite the pair and rarely give me a quiet moment...oh the joy's of little men!
We have also been making more and more improvements on our home. The fence finally got finished (well, almost), and now we are in process of growing grass in our back yard and will soon be working on the rest of the lanscaping as well. Just in time for summer (at least Oregon's summer : ) I AM going to take pics and post them as we progress, but then after that I might just be too busy enjoying our yard...we'll see (he-he) Well, I hope you are blessed again and again.
Mommy Mel January 07 Holiday CheerIt has been over a month since I've posted. Life has been busy and fun in the mean-time and my boys are growing so much!
We had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. We went home (just a few hours away) and spent time with both our
cherrished families. My fathers birthday was on Christmas eve and he is now boasting that he is able to buy both a senior meal and a kids meal when they go out (He is now 55 and my youngest sibling is 6!)!!!
This year was a bit different for my parents since none of us that are gone were able to spend Christmas day at the house. They still had a full house, mind you. The six siblings that aren't married were home, but for our family, that is rather small.
My dad mentioned that everyone actually had a spot to sit and my 14 yr old sister said it was the first year she got to sit on the couch for "presents" (We all get together and open gifts, in-turn, one at a time)
Our Christmas day we spent at my husbands home with his family
and it was the first year Justus really was able to understand and enjoy opening gifts.
He was perfectly satisfied with just one gift, but got many more than just that.
I was even thinking in the future we might just save some of the gifts and keep them for "rewards"
and let him open them as he helps out or is good!
We know it is only beginning and we certainly want to emphasize Christ's birth
far more than receiving/wanting gifts. But it is seeming to be a little
harder than it sounds.
I suppose we have a many more years to practice it,
even for ourselves.
Besides that, we are all well and settling in for our raining winters. Gabriel is growing, growing, growing and
such a happy little soul. He smiles and giggles almost constantly and is such a chubby chunk. (nothing like Justus-my skinny baby)
I'll try to post family pics soon to share. Until I find my next chance to blog. Many Blessings to all!
Melody October 01 twinkle toesI promised a blog friend
I would post this picture of a card
I received for little Gabriel...so here it is.
Soooo Precious! September 20 Three Weeks AlreadyOur little man is going to be 3 weeks old tomorrow....My, how fast time goes by! It always seems to drag on when it’s the end of the pregnancy and then when they are born, you wonder where it all went!!! He is still just a little angel...nursing, sleeping, and observing life. Our eldest is doing much better as well. He seems quite intrigued with our new addition and enjoys talking to him and especially rubbing his soft little head. It is too cute!!! I am feeling wonderful and just feel continually blessed with my little family. Last night we all went to the University of Portland volleyball game and cheered away. Justus was especially entertaining...he was walking up and down the rows yelling when everyone else yelled and clapping when they clapped. I think he had a blast! It was a fun reminder of our college days as well watching the college students cheer and goof around...and we’re not really that old yet either! Aahhhhh, memories! My latest infatuation...besides my wonderful husband and two charming little men is making my own nursing bras!!! I got a chance to spend some time with my sister-in-law while my husband was in San Fransisco and her husband (my brother) was on a rafting trip and she showed me how to engineer my very own, attractive, comfortable and yes, afordable nursing bra...and it was so simple too.
Step 1: find a bra that fits you well...we prefer ones that are not just beige or white, like all the boring nursing bras out there and we often look for them at places like Ross ($5 for a good bra is more my price than 30+)
Step 2: buy nursing bra clasps online (web address below), or just take them off of an old nursing bra you don’t like. That has been my method so far : )
Step 3:Cut the strap right above the cup and attach bottom clasp to cup and top clasp to the strap
Step 4: Attach a 5/8” thick piece of matching elastic to the slat on top clasp and to the bra just under your armpit or at the side seem to hold the strap on when clasp is undone.
Step 5: Enjoy your new nursing bra!!! I have already made two of them and am going to attempt converting a tank top with built in bra into a nursing tank as well. Such fun!!!
clasps 30cents each but only in white: http://www.sewsassy.com/BraProducts/nursingbraclasps.html clasps $2 each in white, clear and black: www.bramakers.com (under bra hardware) September 03 Birthday for Gabriel ChristopherWe welcomed Gabriel Christopher Bondurant to our family Thursday morning at 1:42am. He was 7lbs 15oz, and 20 ½” long. A handsome man indeed!!! My labor this time was completely different than my first. With the weather being so warm lately, I looked at the weather forecast the following Friday and decided Wednesday would be perfect (It was suppose to rain!) My water broke at 6:30 on Wednesday morning!!! My contractions were pretty spread out, but strong. My mom drove in around noon and we just got things ready and relaxed while we waited for things to really pick up. My husband came home around 6:30, we ate dinner, watched part of a movie and decided around 10 to go to bed and rest. Finally, around 11pm or so I woke up my mom and husband and decided we were getting close. Then just after a few hours of “hard” labor and only 4 pushes we had a beautiful baby boy!!! It was truly a different experience knowing what to expect and being better prepared for the difficult parts. Our older son, Justus, was woken up by the excitement and came in to meet his little brother. He is still trying to figure out just how to handle our new addition, but I think he’ll make a great big brother! We celebrated that evening (after getting some good rest) with Birthday brownies and Tillamook’s Vanilla Ice-cream. Yum-yum!
Oh...I’m being summoned to feed little Gabriel. Enjoy our pics! There should be more to come. : ) August 30 New Pics & A Pitty PartyI just downloaded some new pictures off of my camera onto the computer and wanted to share them. First I must comment that I used to think that kids picked up their habits from their parents in one form or another...but I’m rethinking my philosophy. For instance, there is a photo of my son leisurely eating his oatmeal with one foot nonchalantly atop the table. I promise my husband and I don’t do this!!! (Though a friend suggested that maybe my husband Does do it when I’m not looking) The other picture, of him in the car seat, was taken after he figured out he wasn’t getting his way...so, this was his designated spot for the pity party. Not much room for anyone else to join, but cute!!!! August 28 One Man's Treasure...Another Mans TrashMy husband and I are learning that we do not always see eye to eye with our 1year old on what is valuable and invaluable. Just recently our son has become quite infatuated with the kitchen garbage. He has decided that some items we put in there do not belong and that other items we would prefer to keep certainly do go in!
Usually it is harmless stuff that gets taken out (i.e. empty popcorn bag, plastic bag, apple core) and relatively harmless items put in (toy balls, dish scraper, pen). However, yesterday we realized our problem is more serious than we thought. My husband, a brilliant engineer by-the-way, is currently working on a building that is under construction and is often required to where safety glasses. Since he already wears glasses it is a bit of a nuisance to remember contacts and such, so his company bought him a pair of prescription safety glasses that he was just able to pick up this weekend. Unfortunately, in our purely selfish attempt to sleep in an extra 30 minutes on Sunday we sent Justus off into the house to play. We were both amazed at how quiet he was while he played and that he didn’t seem bothered that we were still in bed. (He usually stands by the bed and either hits us in the face or whines mercilessly until we’re forced to get up). We reveled in our sleepy ignorance for another half hour or longer but quickly discovered the source of Justus’ quietness when we entered the kitchen. Half of the garbage contents were strewn around the kitchen. The dish soap, sponges and other “under-the-kitchen-sink” items were scattered about and our son was proud of it!!! So, in a hurry to get breakfast made and head out the door for church I quickly tossed the garbage back where it belonged and the other items under the sink. Later however, my husband couldn’t find his safety-glasses case and one of the attachments that went with it. We searched high and low and couldn’t seem to figure out where our son had put them until my husband remembered the Scene of the Morning Crime....And where else did he find them, but in the garbage can...under an entire days worth of garbage. And it wasn’t all the dry kind of garbage either. So, we’ve discovered first hand that one man’s treasure is certainly another man (or child’s) trash and that we are finally going to go buy the little child-proof cupboard clips we thought we could get away with not having! Lesson learned! August 24 Almost There! We didn't get so far on our fence project this weekend...however, we DO have all the posts set and in the ground. Now about the part that acutally makes it a fence...I think my husband is going to work on that this coming weekend (Hopefully). There are certainly no guarantees...but it will get finished eventually. I think he was a little overwhellmed and exhausted once he realized what it really entailed (I know I was!) We were blessed with a little extra help when my husbands parents showed up on Saturday and willingly pitched in. His mom graciously helped me prime all the pickets (about 100 of them). One of these days I'll realize that it's okay to have limits when you are nearly 9 months pregnant and have a 14 month old to take care of...One of these days (lol) : )
Well, I had my last prenatal appointment (fingers crossed) yesterday. Baby and I are growing just fine and getting much closer. I measured 38cm (2 bigger than when I delivered my son) and have gained a total of 26lbs...all in the belly!!! The babies head has dropped since my last appointment and the little heartbeat is as good as ever. A few months back I was beginning to get somewhat nervous about "birthing" again. Our first experience went well and had "textbook" written all over it (minus the extended pushing stage), but I certainly remember how much work it was. Our childbirth classes were amazing and couldn't have done a better job at preparing us for a completely natural delivery...but it did require a lot of concentration and effort. However, my husband and I have been rereading some of the books/curriculum that we read before our first birth and oddly enough, the closer we get, the more at ease I am about the whole thing (isn't it normally the other way?). I wouldn't mind a slightly smaller baby this time (Justus was a grand 9lbs even), but it it's not, I'm sure we'll do fine. Besides I've heard the second often comes faster and a little easier. I'm also getting very excited to meet our new one and find out who our next little adventure will be!
I already have two precious outfits ready for the birth. One in pink and the other in blue. I also have the dresser set up with all the onesies, diapers and receiving blankets to last us a while. I have to admit I am amazed at how small everything is. It wasn't that long ago Justus was that small but I just can't picture it looking at the teeny diapers and shirts. We've even taken out the standard closet that was in the room and custom made one complete with built-in changing table, infant size rods and shelves to organize everything. The last thing on my to-do list is the cradle bedding. I suppose I should get working on that, especially if the baby comes as soon as I want it to! : )
Well, I'm off to the sewing machine! August 19 Fenced In!Our weekend project today is building a fence!!! When we first moved my father-in-law suggested we build a fence around our front yard...for appearance purposes (he's a lanscape architect). I, am not the biggest fan of front yard fences to tell the truth. We live in the neighborhood of chain-link fences with an occasional picket fence, neither of which I am entirely fond of (if you have one, and like it, please don't be offended...it's just my personal taste). However, after the last few months of living here and having my son perfectly mobile we can't let him outside without close supervision, which is not always convenient or possible. And he LOVES to play outside! So, after deciding that it was neccessary to concede and build a front-yard fence I figured I'd find one I liked on the internet, so what did I find....
Probably the most elaborate, expensive fence I could have! Who knew? I guess that's why it looked so nice in the picture(lol). So, my husband was patient with me as we spent 2hrs in Home Depot last night picking out the boards and hardware we needed. Oy! So now we are cutting boards and digging holes for the posts. Our goal is to have it done this weekend...wish us luck!
I just know it will be such a relief to let our little guy out in the yard and know that he's safe. Well, I'm back to work, my husband is almost done setting up his Christmas present he hasn't been able to use until now (a new saw), and I have priming and painting to do! Happy weekend.
Oh...and we only have a few weeks left until the baby arrives!!!
August 07 Ahh Personality!!!I enjoy being a mom and since my son was born I have been anxious to see how his personality would develop...and each day it is becoming much more clear! At the beginning we assumed he was more like my husband: laidback, easygoing and mellow. However, I’m beginning to think some of my genes are taking over (from my younger days of course : )
Justus has started a new habit of walking into the next room, waving his arms and letting out short bursts of frustrated screams then turning around and coming back “normal” whenever we scold him or say his name in a serious tone. Each time he does it, it reminds me of the scene from “Ever After” (Cinderella story with Drew Barrymore) when the snobby sister is having lunch with her mother and the queen and gets mad so she walks away screaming and flailing her arms in a very childish temper tantrum, then returns calmly and says, “It was a bee!” Justus’ rendition is quite similar.
The other “personality” development we’ve seen is a very deliberate, over-exaggerated pouty face if he thinks he’s in trouble. Sometimes he’ll try to sneak a tear in and cry a little...but it always goes away remarkably quickly and is replaced with a smile, and then he’ll try to do the same thing again almost immediately with blue eyes that say, “But I’m so cute, are you sure you won’t let me do it?” And then there is the almost irresistable “please” for things he shouldn’t have (ice-cream, doritos, markers, glasses, etc). To make communicating a little easier until he’s able to talk we’ve taught him baby-sign, which began with learning “please”. It took him a while to catch on, but once he figured out he gets what he wants when he signs it he does it all the time...and sometimes for five minutes straight even after we don’t let him have the coveted item. Sometimes I want to give in just because he is being such a polite gentleman and looks sooooo cute with his chubby hands rubbing over his chest, and sometimes I do, but only sometimes ; ) July 27 A SuccessAnniversaries are fun!!! My husband charmed me yesterday morning with a bouquet of flowers in bed! (He was going to make me breakfast, but he slept in : ) Flowers works!) Then after my husband got off work we took a picnic basket with a blanket and chairs to see a movie in a nearby park. For dinner we stopped at New Seasons market and loaded our picnic basket with lasagna, gourmet salad, sparkling strawberry cider and raspberry poppy seed cake! Yum-yum-yum!
The temperature was perfect and we enjoyed our dinner while watching the movie... “The Return of Zorro” (what’s not romantic about Antonio Banderez and Catherine Zeta Jones sword fighting? : )
It was great though, and even our little guy did fine at home with my younger sister. Always a relief when leaving your baby!
So, it all worked out great, even though my husband later admitted he was hoping I would forget so he could surprise me (How sweet!) However, this morning has been a disaster so far. First it began with me setting my son on the toilet so I could put my hair up, and he fell off and hit the back of his head on the tub. I thought he was going to have a concussion for a little while since he cried himself to sleep only 5 minutes after it happened. To my relief he only slept for a few minutes and then woke up with a smile. phew! Then, as I was pulling my Dutch Puff (which turned out more like a Dutch Flat) out of the oven for breakfast, I burned my hand soo bad it started blistering immediately. Then, not only a few minutes later I grabbed the same pan with my OTHER hand and burned it too...though not nearly as bad. And all this before 10am!!! Let’s just pray we make it through the rest of the day unscathed. Yikes! July 25 Heat waveToday I woke up to the delightful news that today is predicted to be 10degrees cooler than yesterday!!! Oh the relief. I have to admit that I am an Oregon Coast Native through and through and when the heat rises above 90 it's just a little too hot for me.
We spent our morning yesterday tracking down my sister who lives in a complex with a pool. She...had abandoned her place to visit with a friend that had air conditioning...who happily invited us over as well...and then we all sat outside!!! How ironic is that?
So, on my way home I stopped to buy a kiddie pool to put in our back yard. Just a few days too late!!! Everyone else in Portland had the same idea, just a few days earlier than I did. So, when I looked out my window this morning and saw clouds, it brought me genuine relief. I almost packed up yesterday and headed to the coast where my parents live, just to avoid it all together. I'm sure my husband is glad I didn't...(I think he likes me : )
Which reminds me (actually, a card from my inlaws reminded me--thanks Peggy!), that our 3rd anniversary is tomorrow. How could I forget!? I remembered a month ago about our anniversary, but in the midst of last week...camping, birthdays, packing, coming home and laundry etc, I completely forgot!!! So now I must come up with a quick, though thoughtful, plan. It really is quite embarrassing. I'll have to give an update on how it all pans out. I hope I'm not the only one whose done this after only 3 years!!! July 17 I Have ReturnedI have been temporarily in the land of projects...my only explaination to not even visiting the world of blogs for over an entire month! There have been curtains to make, appliances to install, rugs to pick out, organizing to do and of course shopping, shopping shopping, for just the right thing at a not-so-outrageous price (thankyou for Craigslist!) Overall our little home is coming together and I'm moving back into a routine which frees up my time a little better (though I should be starting dinner right now!)
Since I've been away our darling little man has turned 1yr old, gotten 4 new teeth, and began walking! How fun is that? It is quite the show to watch him meandor through the house and to make laps through the kitchen, the hall, the livingroom and into the kitchen again...all with such a triumphant smile upon his little face! It sure is fun to be a parent!
Which brings me to the proclamation that we are now 32wks along and well! My nickname these days should be the Watermelon Bandit due to the fact that my babies only stick out right in front and leave everything else the same...making me look suspiciously like I've stuffed a watermelon under my shirt and put a maternity shirt on. I should post pictures one of these days, but I'm amazed at how quickly it has gone by being occupied with another baby in the mean time. I am looking forward to having a precious new born around again and am looking forward to nursing ( I had to wean Justus about 5mths into my pregnancy because of a low supply : ( .
I am off to fix dinner. We're barbequeing tonight with some friends and I'm going to try a new recipe. Wish me luck!!!
Have a wonderful week!!! June 05 HomeWe did it!!! Our house finally closed, we moved in, are almost completely unpacked and I'm exhausted!!! We are still happy about our choice and haven't had any buyer's remorse! The first week was much like camping because we still hadn't gotten our appliances and with Monday being a holiday we weren't able to get our gas (hot water and heat) and internet set up until late in the week. We did manage to survive with our small camping cooler and the bar-b-que, though I was relieved to have a refrigerator and stove when they finally arrived!!!
I threw away (well, recycled) all the boxes and packing paper we used knowing we are going to be here for a while and aren't going to be moving in the next year. What a relief!!! It's still taking some time to organize and figure out just how I want things, but it's certainly coming along and it's beginning to feel like home. The hardest part is deciding which ideas are realistic and of the ones that are, where to start. We've always rented places that didn't allow us to paint or really do much at all, so I think my imagination of the possibilities is getting a little out of hand. It sure is fun though!
I'm off to bed now. I have noticed I need just a little more energy these days and I don't always plan accordingly. May 20 Buyer BewareIt has now been over a full week since we were scheduled to close on our house and we have yet to be the owners!!!
My husband and I, like many "good first-time home buyers" made sure to be pre-approved for a loan long before we knew we would be buying. However, at just the last minute, we found a "better" deal. A loan specifically for first-time home buyers in our state...The interest rate was a full percent lower than our previous one and we qualified! What a deal! The only catch was that we had already made the offer on our house and had a little under four weeks until closing. A tight time frame, but certainly not impossible and they guaranteed they would "try their best!"
Well, I'm not sure their best is quite up to parr. We are now going into our second week of extentions and all we have is the same story, "We'll definitely have the docs out by..." Well, we've heard that for about two weeks. Then on top of the whole matter, the agent working our loan switched banks in the middle of the process and since nobody else in the office could do this specific loan, she had to "carry" the papers with her to her new job-oh dear!
It certainly all seems ironic since my husband and I are currently taking a financial class and the author has brought to our attention some interesting insights...especially about banks and loans. Every other store we go into (i.e. furniture store, appliance store, car lot, you name it) we are on our guard the moment the ambitious looking sales man walks our way and often reply, "Oh, we're just looking," which actually means, we don't want to be pressured into buying something just because you make more money off of it! However, we walk into a bank and we beg and plead for them to "sell" us their product, trying everything we can to convince them that we deserve it...and the result: They are making big bucks, we are all in debt, and then on top of it, their service is usually less than commendable because in the long run people will always "need" money they don't have!!! What's wrong with this picture?! Too much, so I won't elaborate.
However, in the mean-time we have our current house through the end of May so we're not out of a place to stay. Also, the seller is being patient with the whole process and hasn't dropped us or penalized us for extending the contract, and...we are all happy, healthy and well. What else can you ask for......so, we might as well enjoy the sunny weather, sing a happier tune, and Oh...not recommend our lender to any of our friends! Oy! May 05 Up-up we GoI have been a little busier than usual getting ready for our move....that is aproaching rapidly!!!! So, yesterday morning I blocked my son out of the kitchen so I could finish cleaning up without him trying to eat my dirt pile or climb up my legs. He often plays on his own while I'm cleaning, and the downstairs is pretty safe for him, so I didn't think anything of it. I heard him pattin' around and playing in our entry way but after a while it sounded pretty faint so I went out to see what he was up to....and my little 10 month old was not in sight!!! Quite confused, but not panicked (the options were few) I headed upstairs and sure enough found my little man grinning ear to ear in our bathroom at the top of the stairs...
Now, I figured a simple warning would have been nice...but considering the fact that my son had never even climbed up one single stair before and now he'd climbed them all caught me off guard. Now every time I even run up stairs to grab something and come back down, there he is, half way up the stairs...with a smile to melt it all! Now, we just have to teach him how to come down safely...luckily, there are no stairs in our new house. That will at least save me a week or two of who-knows-what!!!  Oh BOY!!!!April 24 So Here We Go AgainWell, it's that time again...and I don't mean when the flowers are blossoming and it's almost summer : ) (Though that is here too!). For me, it's time to start packing my "regular" clothes away and pulling out my maternity clothes once again! With my first, it was time to BUY an entire new wardrobe, but this time I actually have one to start with...which means it can only get bigger!!! Of course, at this stage I still feel "cute" and all the maternity clothes make me say "ahhh" and smile, and I'm happy to get rid of (for now anyway), my other clothes that were getting boring.
I know from experience that around month 8 and 9, when absolutely nothing fits and I'm constantly pulling my shirt down so as not to show my stretch marks, I will think differently about this "new" wardrobe, but I'm going to enjoy it now and think about that...well, when it happens, and no sooner!!!
Now for the due date...it happens to be a "due month" just about. I was, and still am, nursing my first son so we don't have any day to gauge it off of. So, we're just planning for the fall, August/September!!! I'm just happy we are going to be moved and hopefully settled in by the time the baby arrives. : ) April 14 So It Seems To BeWell, it looks like we're in it for good with our house buying proposal...which is good of course! We just had the inspections yesterday, are having a sewer scope done on Monday and then the negotiating begins......
Fortunately there wasn't anything serious found during the ispection (which is what we hoped), a pest problem in the crawl space, a furnace that needs to be serviced and other minor things. This is all quite new to us, so we didn't know where to start, but our realtor is great and helping us decide what to ask for and what to leave alone. And then, I guess we give them the money and the house is ours!!! We are scheduled to close on May 12th, which is just about a month away. It's very exciting, yet very unreal just now. I'm still trying to grasp the fact that I can actually paint if I want to, build a porch if I want to, lanscape how I like and anything else we decide.
It's much more exciting than renting, but at the same time, quite the responsibility. However, I think we're READY!!!
So HERE WE GO!!! April 10 Isn't it Ironic, Don't you think?As I posted in an earlier blog, my husband and I are in the market to buy a house. This is our first home so I don't know if this is common or not, but do you ever feel like that first house, or second house you looked at was really the one you wanted...if only you knew at the time? Well, it was day two of our official house hunting and we viewed a home that my husband instantly got excited about. I wasn't too keen on it because it was new (i.e. boring), didn't have a private backyard (neighbors on all sides with second story views into it), and I didn't particularly like the kitchen setup either. However, after looking at more homes it began looking better and better until we were seriously considering making an offer. The house had been on the market for 3months (a looooonnng time around here) so instead of being urgent about it I just emailed our realtor and asked if we had a few days to figure our loan out or if we needed to move on it fast? Ironically, before she was able to respond the house was sale pending and off the market....Just like that!
So, we continued to look, all the while lamenting our failure to act. Soon enough though we found a house that suited us well enough, but with the other one in the back of our minds. What's done is done! So, just yesterday we made an offer on our little bungalow home and sure enough, it was accepted! Yikes! This is just a little scary...So, today I was checking my emails and I automatically recieve emails from our realtor of houses that are new on the market that match our search criteria...and what do you think I saw?! ....................
You guessed it, THE OTHER HOUSE WAS BACK ON THE MARKET!!!!!
So, does anyone else find that strange. It goes off the market the day we seriously verbalize making an offer...and then falls through and returns the DAY AFTER we make an offer and it's accepted!!!! Our only conclusion, is that, for some reason or another (quite unbeknownst to us) that house was DEFINATELY not meant for us. So, is it Ironic...I certainly DON'T think!!!
p.s. If you want to see photos of our "soon to be" home, just click on the HOUSE album on my pictures : ) |
|
|
