AFS Bathroom remodel update (slow and steady wins the race, right?)

AFS here!  just checking in after a few days of silence.  I only have a few days left of maternity leave, so I am busy cuddling sweet Vivi and trying to get a few things done before I go back to work.

Remember back in the beginning of NOVEMBER when I posted about our bathroom remodel?  Welllll, it is still going on.  We are in the home stretch.  For all you runners out there, I like to think that we are at mile 20 of a 26 mile marathon.  Only 6 miles to go, but from what I hear those are the hardest.

So far, we have done the following:

• completely demo'd the bathroom
• removed the subfloor and replaced floor supports
• installed new shower plumbing
• put in new subfloor, drywall and concrete backer board
• put in a new tub
• put in a new vinyl window
• closed up weird jack and jill type entry into the man room (now the bathroom only has access from the master bedroom)
• installed new glass tile in shower and new ceramic floor tile
• installed new toilet and vanity
• painted walls
• installed new crown molding and shoe molding

So what's left to do?

• install lighting and vent fan
• touch up paint on walls and crown molding
• paint the vinyl window trim
• install shower and regular bathroom fixtures (toilet paper holder, towel rack, etc).
• install glass shower door

It has been an exhausting process, especially with a newborn, but we are almost there.  The Knight is amazing, and has done almost all the work himself.  Since I was either in the late stages of carrying Vivi or recovering from my c-section, my contributions have been solely idea/consultation and design.  I LOVE our shower tile - a little jewelry for the tiny shower packs a lot of punch!  

Enough blabbering.  Here's what you really want to see...pictures!  

So far, our bathroom has gone from this (bye-bye ugly pinky/taupe sink, tub, and vanity made for oompa loompas):

and this

to this 

and this!

To the Tortoise and the Tile,

Spring's here - top 5 fave frocks!

I don't know about you, but spring is here in Memphis!  In February.  Cuh-razy.

The recent departure of Miss Vivi from my belly and the beautiful days makes me want to run through a field of wild flowers, long tresses flowing, while wearing a gorgeous spring dress.  I don't know where the nearest field of wildflowers is, and if I found one, I'd probably have a serious allergy attack.  Constant sneezing and a red, runny nose don't really fit in my fantasy picture, so I'm just going to have to settle for the frock. :)

In no particular order, here are my top 5 fave frocks of the season:
Lilly's Felicity Dress:

Garnet Hill's Scoop-Neck Lace Dress:

Modcloth's Brand New Diary Dress:

Anthropologie's Sincerely Paris Halter Dress: 

Last, but definitely not least - Fossil's Ginger Dress (my absolute favorite!)

feeling fiesty and frock-ified,

Vivi's Baby Dedication

Vivienne's Baby Dedication at our church was yesterday.  My parents and youngest brother came from Tulsa for the dedication.  It was so nice to see them, even it it was for a quick visit.  Our church hosts a breakfast for the families, and a professional photographer takes portraits of the family as a keepsake of the day.  These pictures are ones that my mother took behind the photographer (which is why we aren't looking at the camera), but it is so nice to have our entire family captured - and all clothed!  I have to say, I was quite proud of the fact that we all made it to church on time and all dressed as I had hoped we would be.  It probably would not have been possible without the help of my parents though!  

We think that Vivi has reflux.  We are going to the doctor today to find out.  She spits up a ton after every meal and then throughout the next couple of hours, arches her back and cries in pain, chokes when she's eating and spitting up, and seems to want to eat/comfort nurse all the time.  We didn't have to deal with this with Coco, so I'm not really sure if reflux is the culprit, but it makes us SO sad to see this sweet face curl her bottom lip and wail in pain.  

Vivi is 6 weeks old on Wednesday.  She is starting to smile and coo a lot, and had really great head control.  My favorite thing about her is the way she grunts and sighs when she's eating.  I think she gets her love for food from her mama.  :)  She prefers sleeping on her side (think that is more reflux stuff), and does not like to be put down.  

Her sister is still obsessed with her, and has become quite the helper to me.  

Lately, C has been quick to bring me a burp cloth every time V cries.  This is not something I've asked her to do or anything, but I love that she wants to help with V is unhappy.  She loves to hold her, and a lot of times she will crawl on the activity mat and lay alongside V and make funny faces at her.  I really adore those moments.

C has been sick, too, but just with a cold.  We are really enjoying this age, although it is trying at times.  She will often repeat what we say and mimic what we do.  At Christmas, we caught her dropping her paci and then using her toes to pick it up, just like her daddy does (he has the craziest monkey toes).  Lately, she has been all about the dance moves, especially if Justin Timberlake is one.  That is my kinda girl!

(making pancakes with mama, while sister and daddy snooze)

I go back to work in one month.  I am pretty bummed to have to leave Vivi behind, and we are switching daycares.  I know that is going to be hard on Coco, but there is no place for Vivi at the current place, and the place we are going to is almost 1/2 the price.  

Lately, it is easier to make stuff at home than go shopping, so I made a few baby gifts for some people at church.  Nothing super creative, but I still like making little happies when I can squeeze in a few minutes. I know - the tie onesies are SO etsy 2010, but I don't care - they are still so cute!

The Knight has been amazing since Vivi's birth.  Lately, I have been feeling a little depressed.  I'm exhausted, tired of trying to console V, I have only left the house 3 times without a baby or toddler since her birth (hard to do when you are nursing), and my body is starting to plateau in recovery and fitness.  I felt this way (at about this same time) with C, so I know it will pass, but to cheer me up, he had these delivered to the house a couple of days ago!  They smell amazing - hyacinth is my favorite.  :)

Hope you are all having a fabulous Monday!  I am trying to leave each day with thankfulness and gusto...just like this little munchkin.  

inspiration everywhere, 

Update on the AFS household

Vivienne is 5 weeks old, and the AFS household is adjusting to having an additional member of the family!  I won't lie - we are tired, our house is dirty, and I face going back to work in one month.  I really have no idea how that is going to happen.  The first 6 weeks were the toughest with C, and that is proving to be true with V also.  I guess it is probably tough on her, too...she went from this wonderful, warm cacoon where she ate all the time and no one made her take a bath, poked her (C's favorite thing to do), or go through multiple changes of clothing a day.  I'd probably cry too.

One very positive thing is that I have lost all of my baby weight, and am fitting back into some of my nonmaternity clothes.  Yippee!  This isn't a great picture, but here is my post-baby belly (2-3 weeks out).  It is even flatter now, but still not back to how it was BTBOBB (before the birth of both babies):

A lot of people have asked me how V and C compare in looks.  One day, during the MANY nursing sessions with V (she has got to be going through a growth spurt or something), I made these comparison collages in Picasa.  Generally, I think they favor one another, but C has my fingers, dimples and eyes, and V has my eyes, eyebrows, and chins (yes, I said chins).  Everything else belongs to their daddy. That's cool with me - I chose his looks, not mine. :)

Hope you are all doing okay, too!  I keep rereading my early posts about when C was this age.  Knowing that we survived the first few months with her keeps me going, but, oh, how I want to enjoy this sweet age while actually getting sleep!

zzzzzzzzzzzs and more zzzzzzzzzzzzzzs,

Vivi's Sweet Garden Pink and Green Nursery

I blogged a lot more when I was planning C's nursery (you can find my original design here and the end result here), but with V, we were in such a whirlwind, her nursery didn't really come together until the very end of my pregnancy. Thankfully, the Knight's sister was kind enough to let us borrow her crib, we used the dresser that was already in the room for a changing table, and everything else was repurposed from other rooms in the house.

Regardless of the timing, I am quite pleased with how her room turned out.  We turned our favorite guest bedroom into her room, but kept the bed in there.  With as many guests (and family members) as we have, we can easily move her into a pack-n-play or bassinet when company comes and still have to extra beds for guests to sleep.

The artwork was made by a wonderful artist in Memphis (find her Etsy shop here).  Vivienne's name is spelled out on the banner.

 A few of Vivi's treasures...tiny, handmade baby shoes, a bank that was her daddy's, and vases for flowers:

 Love her mobile - ribbon and fabric birds!

 We have ordered an apple green recliner/rocker, but this will do until it arrives!

 A nice room shot - it is hard to get it all in an iPhone photo!

Flowers for her room from the Knight sent the day before she was born: 

 Coco playing peek-a-boo with her little sister:

sisters and secrets,