The House

The house is finally finish and the renters are moved in. Its crazy how much work we put into that place. Glad its over but sad we don't get to live in it. Here are some before, during, and after picture of the different rooms in the house.

We will start with the master bedroom:

This is the original picture of the master bedroom window. 

We decided to take out the window on the left of for more wall space and furnisher space. 

So here we put in new windows and covered up the other window.

Next the mud and texture guy came and covered the patch work up. 

Then came a little paint.

Finally the finish product of the wall with new carpet in the room. 

Next in the master we redid the closet space:

This is the master closet and access to the attic. 

Covering up the whole and putting the attic entrance in the hallway with a pull down latter. 

Old mirrors 

New mirrors

New closet organizers as well.

The hallway is next:

 The whole for the attic entrance.

                        All refinished

Another hallway with the old doors and the casing torn off                  All new doors, casing, fresh paint


NEXT the living room: this room is where most of the work happened!

The before picture of the living room. 

The during picture.....

The after picture of the living room.

Here are some more picture of the living room just different angles.

Ok I am breaking this blog post up into two different posts b/c its getting too long and too many pictures.

6 Months

Tate is 6 months now which is crazy. I still feel like I just had him not that long ago. Guess its time to get my but into shape and stop making excuses for myself, my baby is 6 months now! Tate is doing so much better in his carseat. Car ride and enjoyable again, yay! Tate went swimming for the first time a couple weekends ago and he just loved it. He just learned to splash in the bath tub a couple night Before that, so he was splashing up a storm in the hot tub. We took him in my parents big tub one time but this time he got to go swimming with a bunch of his cousins. We loved it and he didn't mind all the other kids splashing and making lots of noise. He actually loves the entertainment. He just started to roll over a couple days ago consistently. The other morning I got him out of his crib and he was on his tummy. I am glad he is rolling over I felt like it took a long time but k ow he is just all over the place. he loves to stand up and hold on to things. He also loves to walk around. I will hold his arms up and he will start walking around fhe room to a toy he want or something. when he is on his tummy he rotates around in a circle. He might be crawling soon or he could skip the crawling and just start walking, haha. He has started this new "hammer fight" thing as Norris calls it. He grabs both hands together and bring it to his mouth and back down. He will do it over and over again. It's pretty cute. He is sleeping in his crib for naps now and i am super excited about it. Some days he gots down easy and others he doesn't at all. It's a hit or miss. He also has learned how to shake things. He will grab a toy and throw his hand up in the air and back down again. He hits himself in the face all the time now. HE will do it with or without a toy. Especially when feeding he squirms and wiggle and throws his arms everywhere. He is a wild child. He need entertainment all the time and he is smart too. Still love outside and the water. Oh he love to watch the cars drive by. He could do it for hours. Tate still wakes up 2-3 time (sometimes more) to eat at night. Oh I can't wait for the day when he sleep all through the night. When Tate was 2 months old he slept through the night for a good month to a month and a half then teething kicked in by three months and no more sleeping through the night. He just wake up out of habit I think. I just feed him b/c it's fast, easy, and less crying. We all get more sleep if I just feed him. I seriously need to sleep train him though. We I get my husband back and the house is all done then I will. Tate went to the beach the other day and he is so funny. He wanted to sit on the sand so I let him and he starts to grab the sand and run it through his fingers for a while than he bends over and tries to eat it. I keep pulling him back so he doesn't eat it but he is so persistent that I just thought what the heck. Let him try it, he will realize its gross to eat. Haha not the case he didn't care at all. He loved it. He just played in the sand and tried to bite the it every once in a while. I took him down to the water and he was just stomping away in the wet sand. He is going to love the beach just like his parents. Tate just stared teething again. He get pretty fussy for a couple days striaght and has a hard time taking naps throughout the day. When he eats he swallows a ton of air b/c his mouth hurt and he can't suck very good or efficiently. He also get a pretty upset tummy a d just wants to be held by mom all day long. He spits up and has different poops. He had a hard time sleep at night as well and doesn't take his binki very well. He also get a stuff noise and talks a lot plus grunting a ton. Poor guy teething is hard for him. I try all types of things to help him like oils, teething tablets, wet rags, the nuby, chew toys, cuddling, and feeding more often. Things work better then other at different times. We just get through it the best we can. I wonder which teeth he his working on and will pop up next. Oh Tate got to hang out with his buddy Jaden Jensen the other day and it was fun. He also gets to me his 10 days apart buddy, Dax Lee, in a couple of days. Exciting! Tate started eating baby food. About a week ago I started feeding him brown rice cereal and he got the hang of it after 2 or 3 times. So last night I just gave him homemade carrot mush. Yummy! He seemed to do good with it. Next is sweet potatoes after a couple more nights of carrots.

House update: should be done by the beginning of May. It's been a long process and a ton of work but it will be worth it and its going to look amazing/ brand new.

6 Month Pictures

Sitting up

Holding himself up

Tate loves to stand and chew on things. 

The House!

Well some of you know and some of you dont know that we bought a house in Valencia and we are fixing it up to rent out for a little until we are ready to move into it. What a process. We thought alright we will get in there and do certain things on it to fix it up but as we all now fixer-uper's are always more work and money then thought. I am so thankful Norris does what he does b/c we would be up a creek. Norris goes to work all day and then normally goes straight over to the house and works on it till like 8pm and then comes home showers and goes to bed. We havent seen much of him lately but it will be all worth it. I am grateful he is such a hard working. He is doing so much of the work which helps with the cost. He has strips pretty much the hold house, replaces every door and window, done all the electrical, put new lights in every bedroom, hallway, and kitchen, strips the kitchen cabinet down and sanded. put in a new slider, re-doing the trim on the outside of the house. CRAZY I have been running around picking out carpet, paint, backsplash, granite, appliances, and sanding down the kitchen cabinets as well. I will be glad when its over and we have our life back and i have my husband back.

So glad my parents are here to help with Tate b/c i would go crazy. Well if you know of anyone that is looking to rent out a house starting in March for 2,300 a month. 1,400 sqft 4 bedroom 2 bath in Valencia off McBean let me know:) 

The front of the house getting a face lift.

New kitchen window and slider.

These pictures are from the first day of demo work!

Major work in the living room

Norris showing off the new lights and doors he put in. 

5 Months

So Tate is 5 months old now and he is a ball of fire. Every day he seems to get a little more active. He is learning to do more things every couple of days it seems. He is starting to jump out of my arms now. He leaps for things that I am holding now so I have to be careful when holding him with one arm now. He is starting to lean side to side when laying on the floor and looking for things or trying to grab a toy. No rolling over yet. He is slowly learning how to put his pacifier back in and then let go of it so he can suck on it. Before he would pull it out when he would fine it in his mouth. He has learned how to blow bubbles and he talks a ton.
 The other night I finally made him laugh out loud by doing something funny. I try all the time and he cracks a smile and giggles if he tickle him but I haven't done something that has made him bust up until the other night. Norris was holding him and I was leave the room for a sec and I turned around fast and through my hands on the bed and scared Tate. Then he started to laugh. I did it again and again and he just kept going. I was loving every minute of it.
He is getting better a naps. I try to put him down at 10am and 2pm and one more hour nap later in the day and bed time is around 8. The past couple of days he has been talking 2 hour naps which as been so so so nice. He has been happier and I have too. He has never has been a long napper, 30 minutes to 45 minutes is typical for him. I hope he continues this trend. He is napping in his swing with his stuffed elephant, swaddled, with the noise maker on loud,  his face covered, and him grunting. It's a process so hopefully we will get into the crib for naps but for now I am so happy he is taking longer naps. I have been trying to get him to fall asleep without his pacifier b/c when it falls out he wakes up looking for it and crying. It's going better then I though. He seems to be sleeping better. He still wakes up two times a night to feed. Hopefully soon. He teething seems to come and go, some days are worse than others. When his teeth hurt he is a pill and very needy for me. I feel bad for his month but I hope teething ends sooner then later.
He eats way better than he use to. He is faster and I don't have to stand or feed in the bathroom with the water running anymore. I can just sit in my rocking chair or out and about and feed for 5 minutes both side then burp him at the end and be done:) he also go every three hours now:) so nice.
Tate is a ball of fire like a said before. He is very unpredictable, for example I would leave him for 2 hours one day and he would be perfect and a couple days later same thing but he would be horrible. It's hard to leave him b/c I never know how it's going to go. Tate is not a self soother. We have tried to get him to learn how to sleep on his own and nope. We have tried lots of different stuff. He only wants me to put him to sleep and nurse right before hand with him be swaddled and music and a noise maker. So annoying. Haha we have tired the cry it out method and not for him either. He is one stubborn dude. He cried for two hours straight and didn't just cry himself to sleep. Hopefully he will learn soon. I would love to just put him in his crib and say goodnight. Tate loves to be held. I will try to put him down to go to the bathroom and he gets so mad. He has always wanted to be held even when he was just born, he is getting a little better where he entertains himself for a little at a times but he loves touch. If Tate doesn't like something he will let u know right away. He isn't patient a when he is hungry I am way better off feeding him right away. He is draining at times but he has plenty of great quality about him too. I just want to remember his personality and how hard he is at times. He loves to be outside and loves to cuddle with mommy. Tate is aleays making crazy faces and tries so hard to figure things put. i can tell he just wants to do what mom and dad are doing. He smiles lots and makes us laugh. He has a huge personality and he has taught me so much patience. I am so glad I am able to stay home with him and learn all his likes and dislikes so that we can best met his needs. I love watching him grow and figure new things out.
So Tate is just about 13 lbs now and had his first tooth start to break through the skin yesterday. I though he was sick with a cold b/c he wasn't sleeping well, was all congested, kept itching his noise, and coughing. Plus Norris and I caught a little something so i just natural though he had a little something like the rest of us. Then yesterday Norris came home for lunch and was playing with him which i was making lunch and he said hey look i see i tooth coming through. I said no way and sure enough there it was, his front bottom tooth. All i have to say is FINALLY. I seriously feel like he has been teething for two months already. I wouldn't be surprised if more popped up soon. Tate is starting to get to tall for his 3 month old pjs now. I have to get him into 6 month pjs now and i am thinking we might switch to size 2 diapers soon, we will see. My baby is growing and he cant wait till he can move around. I know he will be so much happier. He gets so frustrated when he cant get something he wants. Love my baby! Also ignore all spelling and grammar mistakes. I did not edit my blog, not enough time! He are some pictures!

Standing tall on his own with a little help from the rocking chair:)

Blowing bubbles

Likes tummy time a little more now

I just love that blank look on his face.

He is trying to move around! 

So upset b/c his mouth hurts:(

Post-pregnancy & Tate is 4 Months

So life is good. Tate is getting older and it is getting a little better. I wanted to write a little about some post-pregnancy things that were a surprise to me. First off having a baby was A LOT harder then i imagined even with an epidural and second off I seriously want to shave my head at times b/c i am so sick of my hair falling out! IT IS EVERYWHERE! I try hard to brush my hair and keep it off the ground but nope! Its all over me, Tate, Tate's blankets, the bathroom, the kitchen, our bed, my pillow, the carpet! Seriously it needs to stop.

    I wasnt expecting to hold on to so much weight after pregnancy too. Everyone said oh you are planning on breastfeeding oh good it will melt off. Well people nope, not here! Still have a good amount of weight to lose. I know as soon as I hit the gym again it will help but doing little stuff on my own with workout videos and walks/ runs arent cutting it. I dont eat like a pig either. I dont say oh i am breastfeeding i can eat whatever i want. I feel i am careful and i have started to cut out sweets. It probably was the holidays to many sweets laying around.

    Also I didnt expect for Tate to be so attached to me. It is good dont get me wrong but it makes it hard to leave him b/c sometimes he is ok and other times he only wants me. Also I feel bad for Norris too. He just wants Tate to love and play with him like he does to me but nope. Sometimes he is ok and other times he just looks for me.

    I had No Idea how hard breastfeeding would be at first. Oh my gosh those first 2 weeks were so hard. I dreaded every time I would have to feed. It took a lot for Tate and I both to get use to it but I think now it is way better. I actually enjoy it sometimes (not in the middle of the night when i am dead tired).

   I didnt realize that it would go quickly. During that first month it is really hard and I thought oh my gosh what did i get myself into. I thought I was going to be stuck like this forever, stuck in a rocking chair breastfeeding at all hours but it goes by quick and they get old and a little easier.

   I didn't realize that all of my thoughts and everything i do basically is for my baby. It consumes you. I hear Tate cry in my sleep. Its like second nature to just get up and get him where as Norris is dead asleep and doesnt wake up. I think about him all the time and i cant imagine moms that have to leave there babies and worry about them while they are away.

   Another thing was i did not think recovery after the baby would be so freaking hard. I had a hard time. I dont think i was being a baby but maybe. Well I had somethings go wrong that could have been prevented in my opinion but it is what it is (dumb doctor). It was very hard and i was very sore for a long time. I cant imagine recovery after a c-section.

  I really do enjoy motherhood it just has it hardships that people tend to skip over and only talk about the good. I guess its good people do that b/c it would scare girls out of having a baby. I guess i didnt realize how hard it would be and it has made me appreciate mother so much more. Now on to some better news

Tate is 4 months old now and he is just so cute! He seems to be much happier now and seems to be doing better with his carseat! Thank goodness. Well he went to the doctor a week and a half ago and he was 11lbs 7oz but now he is closer to 12 lbs as of Friday. He was in the 3rd percentile for weight and 50th percentile for heights (almost 25 in. tall) and head circumference. He is a healthy boy. He hasnt gotten his shots yet. I am waiting till 6 months till he is a little older.I am not against vaccination or anything.  I feel that they are so tiny and there bodies are still so premature that they need time to develop and grow before injecting them with vaccination. He still loves water and is still teething. No teeth have popped up yet but he is working on it. Some nights are bad and others are good. Last week he was waking up all through the night like 5-7 times. IT was hard but he is doing better this week so far. He is happy when he has me and i am playing with him. He needs constant attention. He loves chewing on anything and everything. He is starting to eyeball food. I am not sure if he knows it is food or if he just wants to still it in is month. I am hoping to wait till 6 month to give him food. Only moms milk for now. He loves to play with toys which i didnt expect. He loves being outside and watching the cars go by. He loves when there is a lot going around. He is very aware of his surroundings and is happy watching everyone else. He likes to watch Baby Einstein in his little bumbo seat. I put him in that and turn the show on and i can get ready without him screaming at me:) Tate is so cute when he giggles. He doesnt do it all the time like once a day for about a min or two, sometimes longer. He has a big gummy smile that i love. Well got to go and shower! later!

 Too cute!

Standing all big for a sec.

I am going to fight u! haha

Tate and the things he likes to do. Play with his Elephant, play with Gpa, & Take showers! 

Go Lakers!

Tate loves to go on hikes with his cousins:)

Tate is Three Months

So tate is three months now. He is getting so big and more alert. I dont have much time to write this b/c he hasnt been napping or sleeping that good for the past two days. Not 100% sure why but i think it could be teething.

     Well he loves to be with mom and snuggle with me, he likes my hair lots, he loves baths and showers with dad, he eats about every two hours during the day and sleeps from 11pm to 6am mostly every night unless he isnt feeling well (like last night), He is about 11lbs (small guys I know), He drools lots and likes to chew on just about anything. Everyone always thing he is hungry but nope just fed him most of the time. He found his fits about two weeks ago and I was so happy. He love to stand up nice and tall. He gets all stiff and throws out his arms. He loves his swing, bouncer, and crib but most of all he loves moms arms! He likes to sit up so we got him a Bumbo and he likes sitting in it for about 5-10mins and thats it. Its nice b/c I but him in it on top on the counter and make lunch and he just watches me. He loves it when u stick out ur tongue out at him. He smiles almost every time. He loves to rub heads with someone, especially if they have hair that tickles him. He loves to watch TV (scary i know). I loves to be outside and feel the wind on his face. He doesnt even mind the sun brightly shining.

     He hasnt rolled over yet, doesnt like tummy time, doesn't like to be alone, doesn't like dad scruffy face, doesnt like to be bothered AT ALL while eating, doesnt use his forearms yet, he doesnt really have hair (only in the very back), He doesnt like to work hard for his milk. He gets very impatient if the let-down takes any time at all. He hates to be burped and hates to be swaddled at first but he loves to be all cozy and tight which he sleeps so we have to swaddle him. HE HATES HIS CARSEAT!!! oh no fun going anywhere with him. If he isnt sleepy he screams the whole time. He has lots of different cries/screams at that point. He doesnt like walks if he is in his carseat/stroller but if he is facing forward strapped to me or held he his ok.

     He is now in a size one diaper now and i had to put away his newborn clothes. He grew out of them about two weeks ago and is now wearing more and more three month stuff. The three month pants don't really fit him. He has a small waist like his dad. He takes a bottle which is nice but its lots of work pumping every morning. He eats only mommies milk. He doesnt eat well if I dont eat constantly throughout the day. It makes a difference. Its hard b/c I am not hungry all the time. I always have to be snacking on something.

So my baby is a little odd b/c he loves water, like LOVES it. When he is crying and we cant get him to stop we go into the bathroom and we run the sink water and he stops almost every time. Its very soothing to him. If he is having a hard time eating I go into the bathroom, run the water and fed him and he does fine. Crazy boy. I think he loves the sound of the water and looking at the water. I also think he likes the sound of the echo in the bathroom and looking in mirror.

 So tall!

Yup I was sticking my tongue out at him to make him smile:) 

Not sure about this.

Tired of taking pics.

After eating in his cute church outfit thanks to aunt brittany.

His Bumbo, He loves sitting up like a big boy. 

  I Love all the little things he does. He has so much personality already! I love watching him grow each day and i am so glad i get to stay home each day and take care of him, even though some days are hard.

Update on the month of November!

Went out to dinner for Norris B-day with my family and Steve and Hannah and there baby Oliva. After we walked over to the festival of trees where Duran was working and got us in for free.  

Every Year the week of Thanksgiving Saugus high school basketball has there alumni game. It is where all the old player are welcome to come back and play the varsity team of that year. I have gone one year in the past and I was able to go this year. It was fun to go and see old high school friends. Most of them freaked out that I had a kid. haha. It was also the first time i had worked out since having the baby. So i wasn't sure how i would do but i did just fine running up and down the court. So much fun. I love playing basketball. It is great exercise and fun. 

Thanksgiving with my small but growing family:) 

 Celebrating Norris b-day again but with his family. His sister, Vanessa, made this awesome cookie dough cake that I found on Pinterest. It was so good and nice of her to make it:) We eat great food that night too. Fun to have everyone there. 

Came home from shopping with my mom from Back Friday and look what I found. Both of them watching TV cuddling in the warm bed. 

Uncle Duran playing with Tate. Super cute!

Tate isnt in this picture but he was there. It was Tate's first hike. We had fun hiking Towsely. We did the 5 mile hike. Its pretty much half way up and other other half down. Norris carried Tate the hold time and he just slept. He loves to be rocked! Rossi, Nixon, Ashton, Lincoln, Rocky, Sierra, Lucy, Tate Rich, Sophi, Norris, Brianna, and I went on the hike. 

Tate Milk Drunk! 

I got to see Elana, my foster sister, at Duran's wedding reception. I haven't seen her in like forever, at least 2 years. It was great to reunite.