Bathroom Facelift - You look 20 Years Younger!

A couple of posts ago, I mentioned that we decided to give our guest bathroom a cosmetic face lift. We (and by we, I mean Mike) started by tearing out all of the old fixtures from the bathroom, including the lighting, the fan, all of the hardware, the medicine cabinet, the glass shower doors, and the vanity. The project ended up being a lot more work than anticipated, but Mike still managed to get it done in about a week.

We decided to keep the original pedestal sink, mainly for budget reasons. A new vanity may be installed sometime in the future, but for now we are so happy with the upgrades. Coordinating towels and wall art are the final touches left at this point. Hopefully we will have that done in the next few weeks.

In the meantime, here are a few before, during, and after pictures of the bathroom.

Before - This was when we first looked at the house & it was still "staged"

Painting is complete, all fixtures removed, except for the shower & tub hardware.

The toilet tank removed, medicine cabinet gone, and vanity pulled out and in storage (a.k.a., the guest room!)

All fixtures and hardware installed, along with our new shower curtain! The light above the shower is also a fan - and it is so quiet!

The finished product, including new fixtures in the shower and a curved shower curtain rod, to give our guests a little extra space!

The few things that I really love about our "new" bathroom are the double towel bar, the oval medicine cabinet (see below), and the tub sans the gold-trimmed glass shower doors. What with a baby on the way, I just couldn't see navigating bath time with a big glass door blocking access to the tub!

The medicine cabinet - the inner oval that you see is from the flash! Interior of the cabinet has a ton of great space - for all your toiletry needs!

Drumroll Please . . .

Mike and I are so happy to announce that we are expecting our first child in July of this year! Our little Kennedy baby is due July 23 - just a few days before Mike's bday! 2008 was our year of loss, and we are hoping with all our hearts and souls that 2009 will be a year of life, tiny clothes, endless diaper changes, and sleepless nights!

I just entered the second trimester, so I made it through our milestones of loss with a healthy little bun baking away! I was sick and tired for much of the first trimester, and now I am starting to enjoy the "honeymoon" phase of pregnancy. Over the last couple of weeks I have enjoyed a significant decrease in my symptoms, which I am thankful for! My energy levels are also much higher. Which reminds me - remember that big gap of time that I didn't post??? Well, I was stuck on the couch with sheer exhaustion and pure yuckiness! So, now that I have some energy back, I am also returning to many of the activities that I was enjoying prior to the beginning of the pg.

We have a wonderful OB, who has been very supportive during these first anxiety-filled months. The last time I had an appointment was just over a week ago, at 12 weeks. We saw the baby and got to hear a strong, clear heartbeat!

So, here are a few early belly shots for your viewing pleasure:

12 weeks, 2 days

13 weeks, 3 days

Please keep us in your hearts, thoughts, prayers - or whatever it is that you believe in! I will keep posting updates as the weeks continue on and my belly continues to grow!

Redondo Family Pictures

Mike and I spent Christmas and New Years in Southern California, visiting my family. My brother and his family were out from Vermont, bringing the whole family together. The last time we were all together was for our wedding - over eighteen months ago!

We spent part of our time in Simi Valley, and part of the time in San Diego, where my sister lives. While we were in San Diego, we had family pictures taken in La Jolla.

I took a peek at the slide show in "preview" mode, and for some reason the pictures are a bit off center. I am not quite sure how to fix it, so I apologize! To see the picture on Webshots, simply click on it during the slide show. You should be able to see the full picture, not all funny off center! Enjoy!



Family Photo 2008

Home Improvement

Our little house was in great shape when we bought it. Although it was originally built in the mid 1950s, previous owners had done a lot of upgrades in the late eighties, early nineties. So, the house has many comforts, but some of the design is a bit dated. The bathrooms are the two rooms that really scream 1989, so we decided to change things around a bit.

A full bathroom remodel is out of our budget right now, so we are going for the next best thing: cosmetic upgrades. Mike started work on the guest bathroom this week. He tore out all of the existing fixtures, including the vanity. The towel bars and the sliding glass shower doors are all gone - thank goodness! What really dated the bathroom were the gold fixtures - so just having all the gold removed from the room makes it that much easier on the eyes.

He is working on painting the room, in a chocolate brown. We thought it was going to be a bit milkier, but the end result is quite pretty. I am hoping that with new lighting, possibly a new vanity, and brushed chrome fixtures, the bathroom will be sufficiently spruced up. I will post pictures once I have a few to post!

I am still here!

Wow, has it really been over a month since my last post?? I think that I am nearing the 2-month mark, actually!! It has been a busy holiday season, with trips to Simi Valley and San Diego. I have a bunch of pictures to post, and hopefully will get to that in the next week! I am still catching up from being gone for a little more than a week - both at home and at work.

The big news around town is that we got a Wii and a Wii Fit for Christmas. I have a few games that I've played and I love it! The Wii Fit is a kick in the pants, and gets me moving! I am trying to get in some activity each day - I guess a resolution of sorts.

Stay tuned for some more pics in the coming weeks!

Are you a follower?

In the spirit of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, I thought I'd post today about the Follow gadget on this here blog. I have to admit, I got the idea from the blog of my highschool friend, Jon.

So, feel free to sign up as a follower of this here blog - it is on the right-hand sidebar. Check it out!

Tuesday, November 4th - I Thougth of You

I crawled out of bed,
ready and eager for an early morning walk
(I thought of you)

I drank a warm cup of tea
after casting my vote
(I thought of you)

I drove into work,
finding comfort in my morning commute
(I thought of you)

I listened and learned,
building skills to help others in need
(I thought of you)

I prepared dinner,
chatting with Daddy as I sautéed and chopped the chicken
(I thought of you)

I watched as officials counted votes,
witnessing history as my heart filled with hope and joy
(I thought of you)

Would my belly still be full with baby?
Would my heart ache with impatience for your arrival?
Would you already be here, cuddled in my arms?
Who would you have looked like?
Would you have smelled like fresh-baked cookies?

Little one,

These are the things I wondered today; on the day you were due to come into this world.
These are the thoughts I had as I pushed through my day. You are my precious bean that stayed with us for only 6 weeks. Some people would dismiss that short of time, but I remember seeing your little heart beat. Thank you for sharing that with Daddy & me. We both were so excited that day. I sent pictures to the whole family. Everyone was so happy for us, and we all couldn’t wait to meet you. For reasons beyond my understanding this just wasn’t going to be our time for meeting you, though. I know you are with us, and I know that someday, we will snuggle you and love you the way we imagined.

All my love,

Mommy