42 hours, 45 minutes and 12 seconds

Until we close on our new house.... but really, I'm not counting ;) I remember being crazy-excited to be home owners for the first time, but for some reason this time around its all magnified. Maybe it's because we are very proud of our purchase and all the hard work it took to get this house? Maybe it's because it's not really about us anymore.  The decision to buy this house was driven so much by our little girl, and the future of our family.  Maybe it's because this house has a lot of reno possibilities and ways that we can make it really us. At least that gets me really excited :) Lastly, I think it's the space, the flow and the character of the new house, and that fact that it soon will all be ours! I can (still) hardly believe that we are moving into this house. So with all the excitement, jitters and anxiety that I am feeling, I'm feeling even more blessed.

Since it's so close to the highway and not really out of the way, I have made numerous drivebys over the last few weeks. So many so, the neighbors might be ready to call the police to report the grey Acadia creeping up the street :) The trees have grown in a little and the house looks so cute, nestled along the street.

 

Brian and I have both have Friday off, so once we get the keys on Wednesday night, it is on! Those that know me well, know that I am planning on painting most of the rooms, all the trim, ripping out the wallpaper, moving in and decorating fully over this long weekend, and next weekend. So weeknights, early mornings, and these weekends will be very busy. In my head, it seems doable, but I realize I'm probably being too optimistic. I'm not good at waiting, taking time to see if I like it, sleeping on it, or anything like that. Since its been someone elses home for more than 40 years, I want to jump and make it smell like us, look like us and feel like us as soon as we can. Not for anyone else but us, because then it'll feel like home sweet home and we can relax and enjoy.

 

Stay tuned for pictures and wish us luck! Hope you all have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Recent steals

Since we've been living in New Canaan over the last 5 weeks, I have hit up 2 different tag sale type events in town and scored big! The first, was our first weekend in town. I was going to grab coffee early Saturday morning when I saw our church was having a tag sale. I normally would just drive by, especially since Q was along for the ride, but I decided to stop in.  The tag sale was for a local Boy Scout troop and it was taking place in the church gymnasium. The gym was mostly filled to the brim with knick knacks and chotchkis.  There were a few lamps, rugs and kitchen chairs.  But I hardly noticed these things because as soon as I walked in, I saw this chair:

I didn't even think it was for sale because it was so nice, and the only really nice piece in the room. I'm not wild about the print, but it is super comfy and we have the perfect corner just calling for it, in our new house. For $50, it was a no-brainer! So my coffee run, cost me a little more than the normal $6 but I'd say it was worth it :) 

Last weekend was New Canaan's Annual May Fair. They bring in probably 10 - 15 different large carnival rides for kids of all ages, have lots of food tents and in the church gymnasium, yet again, another tag sale! My mom and I got up there first thing in the morning to check it out. We don't really need much for the new house, but I was hoping I might find a new dresser for our MBR. Instead, I found this huge, beautiful craftsman style hutch, and I fell in love...

It was the day before Mother's Day, and this was the LAST thing I should be spending money on before moving into our new house. But, she was just too pretty to pass up. So I basically begged and pleaded with Brian through texts (while he was at the gym!) - please?! please?! And he agreed. What do you think would be a steal for a huge hutch like this?? It was marked for $550 but I asked what they'd take for it. $400? Uh, YES, DEAL!  I am SO excited to move in and put this in our dining room - it is beyond PERFECT!

This is the overstuffed chair and we got along with our new sofas for our living room. 

Doesn't it just scream, get cozy and lay down, or what?! LOVE!

Our sweet pea is 18 months!!

Time is flying, plain and simple.  I started this posted on May 1st, and now it's already the middle of May. Since moving in with my family, we are getting to spend at least 1 more hour a day with M.  That extra time together with her, and as a family, has been SO nice!

I never, in 1 million years thought that I could love someone as much as I love my little munchkin.  I was overcome with emotion at her birth, and with each passing day, that love has grown into something so special. Being a mom, but not just any mom, her mom, is the best.thing.ever.  Just when I think her age is so fun, she changes a little and it gets better! 

Madelyn's 18 month, has brought more words and singing, a love of trucks/cars and balls, LOTS of hugs and kisses, walking up small steps by herself, a feisty independence, and last but not least, some tantrums :) Madelyn doesn't mind getting dirty, but when she's had enough, she'll tell you she's dirty and ready for washa-washa. One of the neatest things M has caught on to, singing.  I vividly remember listening to Raffi as a kid, so his songs often come to mind when she and I are playing/singing. One day I started signing "Baby Beluga" to M, and i swear, within a day or two, she was singing it herself (even in her sleep!)When she spots an iPad, she'll say "baby beluga?!" Because she wants to watch the video. On the same note, one night on the way home from daycare, I turned up Mumford and Sons "I Will Wait" and belted out my version.  Sure enough, the next time M was in the car with me and it came on, there was a murmur from the back seat... "Ah-wil-way, ah-wil-way" I couldn't believe it, she was literally "singing" the song, in tune. She's definitely our little girl :) 

As we get ready for phase 2 of our move, I am really looking forward to getting settled into our new home with our little family. This will be the home that Madelyn will remember growing up in, and making memories in. I can't wait for the summer, playing in our new yard, taking M to town for doughnut outings, walks through town, trips to the park and more. So far, this age has really been a blast, but I know it'll keep getting better and better!

Some recent pics of our little love!

Adjusting...

We have been living with my parents and Sara, for 2 weeks. We officially closed on our house on Friday, April 19th but we moved in here the week before.  I'm pretty proud of  Brian and I that we moved our 3 bedroom house and 2 car garage, essentially all by ourselves, over 2 weeks. We took each room apart one by one, packed about 25 boxes at night after work and on the weekends and then loaded the POD. We got the largest POD and still had about 3 or 4 car loads of stuff that we've crammed into nooks in my parents basement and garage.  All in all, it was an insane 2 weeks but we managed to handle it all without asking for too much help. We felt since we'd need help on the other end of the move, we'd do our best to do it all on the first end. Don't want to burden people too munch, since we're new to town and everything ;) 

The first week here was tough. Brian and I spent a few nights going back up to the house to clean and make sure it was all clean and poor Madelyn and Quigley were SO confused. I got "home" from work and the first thing Madelyn said to me was "Mommy, home?" the way she often does when I arrive at the end of the day. She knows the drill. I broke down in tears because I wasn't picking her up to take her back to her home... right now, we don't have a home. We were so caught up in getting the house ready, packing, and cleaning

that I'm embarrassed to say, I hadn't thought about how hard this would be on Madelyn and Quigley. I felt like such a bad mommy. I sort of thought it would be easy at her age to move and she wouldn't be sad about not being in that house anymore. Then I read some stuff online about how change, i.e. moving, and how it is hardest on toddlers.  They are creatures of habit, especially at a  young age. I know this because Madelyn from day 1 has responded well to a routine. She likes to know what is going on and anticipating what is next.  So, I should have realized that this would be just as much an adjustment for us as it would be for her. It's up to us to make this transitional time as smooth as possible. Because in another month, we'll be moving again. 

For Brian and I, the transition has been great. We're 1/3 of the way there, with 4 weeks to go and it's been a refreshing change.  The biggest change is our commutes are about 30 minutes.  So rather than spending 3 hours in the car a day, we are each spending about 1hr. Madelyn hasn't been sleeping as well here, so she's waking up anywhere from 5:30 - 6am (compared to 7ish). That means that on average we've been spending about 3 hours with her each morning - and that is HUGE! I feel like the 3 of us have spent more time together in the last 2 weeks than in the last 2 months. It feels that different, and its wonderful :) I also can't tell you the last time I got gas, which is such a treat. I was filling up every 4 days, and I think it's been about 8 or 9 days and I still have a 1/4 tank. Woo - hoo!

I realize my parents and Sara might have a different view of things.  Their lives have been turned upside down since 2 more adults, a rambunctious toddler and spunky dog moved in. I think 6 weeks is the perfect amount of time, hopefully they'll still like us by the time we're ready to move again.  We plan to ask them for help moving AND painting, and we need to still be on their good side! :) 

Hope you all are well! Cheers! 

17 months/phone picture dump!

How on Earth is our baby 17 months?! As we've taught Madelyn to say - Momma mia! Holy moly! I knew the second year would be a totally different experience than the first, but I definitely didnt understand, how. The last two months specifically, have brought the most changes in our little munchkin and we are really enjoying this stage.

Madelyn starting saying words kind of early, and by 13 months was starting to communicate with us. Gradually she felt more comfortable with talking and added even more words. Now, she talks nonstop. She says "thank you Mommy" when I feed her, or give her a toy to play with and when we sneeze, right on cue she blurts out "bless u". When she's tired, she lets us know she's ready for bed by saying "nigh-nigh" and when she's hungry "num-num." She calls everyone by their name, and just yesterday learned Auntie's name was Sara. So now it's not just Auntie, but "Auntie Sa-wra"which is just the cutest. Every little word she says is the best sound, even when it's a nonstop ramble for hours :)

Madelyn spent months crawling before really exploring walking. Like flipping a switch, suddenly she was walking pretty well. Now she walks and/or runs, she never.stops.moving. I'm so glad the weather is getting warmer because she LOVES being outside.  It'll be great for her to be out in the fresh air exerting all her energy!

The other big change in Miss M is her abundance of affection! She still doesn't like being coddled, cradled or rocked, but the kisses, hugs and "I wuv you's" more than make up for it.  Actually, she just started saying I love you last week. I couldn't wait to hear her say the words, and lucky-Auntie was the first one that she said it to! She looked up at her after she put her in her crib for a nap.  Later that night, I got one too :) melt.my.heart

Until I upload our real photos, here are some pics from phone from the last few weeks!!

Back in the groove!

Last week was a rough week, and I'm happy to feel like we are back in the grove.  People often joke that they need a vacation when the are just back from one.  After that re-entry, that's just how I was feeling!

The night before our flight to Florida, I snuck into the doctors office at the last minute to get M checked out. She had a little fever and her appetite wasn't great. Sure enough, double ear infection. The poor girl has the best temperament, it's not until she spikes a fever that we know something is up! Anyway, amoxicillin again for 10 days (she took it a month ago for strep), and... we were off to Florida.

The last night in Florida we were celebrating Gramma's birthday. Before dinner we took her temp and it was 101.5. Hmm Teething? She was acting fine and with 5 days of meds in her, we didn't think too much about it. We gave her some Tylenol and put her to bed. The next morning, she had a couple little bumps on her wrist and one on her belly.  As we were getting ready to leave, I joked with Brian, she can't possibly have chicken pox, right? By the time we got off the plane in NY, she had red bumps and blotches on her face, arms and legs. We essentially went right from the airport to the doctors office.

Turns out, our little one was having an allergic reaction to the amoxicillin. Well, thats better than the chicken pox! I think 5-10% kids have the problem, and the doctor was pretty nonchalant about it. We were to give her Benadryl as needed to help with itching. We went to my parents for dinner and M was her normal self running around chatting and playing.

The 4 following days were insane. The reaction intensified tenfold and we either called or saw a doctor each day. Monday she was cranky and not eating, and Tuesday she was so swollen and lethargic, I was sure a trip to the emergency room was in order. She had a fever of 104 that just wouldn't subside and she was so swollen she couldn't move her wrists or ankles. The poor munchkin was so uncomfortable, her clothes hurt her and she couldn't sleep. Needless to say we were barely sleeping too!

Thankfully, we didn't have to go to the hospital and it did clear up. Little by little the swelling went down, she was drinking and eating little bites and acting more herself. The doctors called it a very impressive reaction. I'd call it a very scary few days.  Tylenol, Advil and Benadryl didn't help, we just had to cuddle and love her and pray that it would pass soon.

Brian and I couldn't take time off of work, so Madelyn spent the days with Mimi and Auntie.  Thank God for their support. There is nothing worse than when your baby is sick, especially the way Madelyn was feeling last week and feeling helpless. All day long i thought about her and checked in on her. But she was in the best hands with nurse 1 and 2. We can't thank them enough for all they do!

So, we had a great weekend and spent time getting ready for our move. finally, since being back from vacation, we are back in the grove :) We're more than halfway to this weekend too. Yippe! Happy Hump Day!

disconnected

Lately, things have been catching up with me and I've been feeling disconnected. A lot has changed since I took my new job in October.  One of the biggest challenges is not having access to phone, email or internet during the day. In a society that is obsessed with social media, the internet and quick and easy communication, I'm no different than the next in my dependence on it.  At my last job, I was in a position where I had freedom, and in an environment where I got to see my hubby all day long. It was a pretty sweet deal.  Communicating and keeping up, was so easy. I emailed my mom maybe 2 - 3 times a day, and often checked in with friends via emails during the day. I could check the weather, the news, blogs, pinterest, facebook... I was up on everything.

Imagine if you didn't have your cell phone, email OR any internet access all (work)day long? Would your day be any different? My days fly by because I am busy working non-stop., sometimes I don't notice it. Other times, like when Madelyn is sick, or we are trying to sell and buy a house at the same time, I am completely helpless as everything goes on without me. If I'm feeling daring, I'll sneak my cell phone into my pocket when I go to the bathroom. I'll then proceed to hide in there for a few minutes longer than normal to peak at emails and see if I have a text from Brian or my mom.

Madelyn and I usually get home around 6:30 or 7:00pm. By the time she eats and goes down, then I make dinner and we eat, it's suddenly 8:30. Most nights I could crawl in bed then, but with a full tummy, I resist. Instead, this is my time to zone out for a bit. Maybe a little tv, but more often then not, this is when I do my best to catch up. I try to catch up on news, blogs, emails, bills, or chats with my mom and Brian. Unfortunately, an hour or so just isn't enough time. So, I'm behind. I feel like a hampster on a wheel, running and trying to catch up.

So, to my friends who I haven't been very good at keeping up with - I'm sorry! I'm trying, and once the house chaos quiets down a little bit, it'll be even easier.

Hope you are all doing well! TGIT :)