Home projects...

So we have finally entered the world of home projects in the past couple of weeks and I think are reminding ourselves to a certain extent of why we haven't embarked on this journey before now ;) Nothing is ever done, there is always something else to do!We just started working on things in small doses...seems like that works the best for us. We have gotten some good Saturdays in, but most of the work has occurred in the evenings or Wed/Fri afternoons when Rob is home. One evening we took off wallpaper in the girls room and then just primed over the places where the wall paper had taken the paint off the wall. The major project that Rob has been working on has been the kitchen. When finally deciding that we needed to paint the cabinets ourselves, we got some advice as to how to go about it from the local paint store in town and Rob set to it. I think this has been one of the most frustrating projects for him...I try hard not to give my opinion unless asked for it b/c the primer and paint smell so strongly this is really not a job I can contribute much to at this point. I trust him...he is pretty particular about detail etc, but the primer has been hard to work with and he even had a day where the girls and i were gone to work on them and something pretty big went wrong and he was forced to sand out a lot of the work he had done that day. Just seems to be a long and tedious project, maybe that is why it was going to cost so much to have someone else do it for us!However, he has been a REAL trouper! Working on it whenever he can and just sticking to it to make it look the best that he can! I really appreciate the hard work that he has been putting into our projects to try to get as much done as we can before the baby comes. I think we are both to the point too where we would just really like our kitchen back...drawers and cupboards have both been out for a while now and yeah, stuff needs to be put away and have a definite home again for everyone's sanity.Gracie loves to help! Loves to be right there in the action with Daddy seeing what she can do and observing and overseeing what needs to happen next. She was so thrilled to know that Daddy thought she was the "Boss" and just as much in charge of decisions as daddy!Here she is shaking up the paint for her bedroom....the colors are up on the wall, they are growing on me...the pictures don't do them justice...to be continued my thoughts on this ;)However one Friday morning when I wasn't feeling the greatest I headed back to bed with the intention of sleeping no more than an hour and then getting up and finishing the painting in their room. I sacked out for well over two hours and woke to find that Rob and Gracie had dug in on my painting and were almost done with the main wall that I had started. Such hard, servant hearted workers! Love it!Gracie with the paint that Daddy dabbed on her face...she was thrilled that it ended up being in the shape of a heart, yet eager at the same time to wash it off! Helping Daddy get duck tape ready to hang up the tarps in the kitchen...Karys is quite the helper as well, but has a much shorter attention span and would rather help me make a lunch she is able to eat than mess with many of the little jobs. She is getting pretty good at spreading peanut butter and yes...she is still a PBJ freak!Just needing to get a little taste in and take a break from the task at hand ;)She also does a great job of keeping Maggie entertained so she doesn't lick the paint up...took her to the bathroom to read her a story.She is such a crack up and a busy body...worried she is going to be like me and love to start things but never be focused long enough to see each task through to completion!
Not sure I like the lighting at all in this pic, things look really bluish toned and almost really bold, but thought I would post it anyway to show the general concept of the stripes. Definitely not convinced I like the orange and pink next to each other, but can probably cope in order to not have to do the entire thing over again!!!

Playtime with Kennedy and Isaiah Adams (3/26)

We called over to the Fernstrum's house on Thursday morning to see how Rachel was feeling and to see if Kennedy wanted to go to Babygarten with us. I was very surprised to hear Rachel's mom answer the phone. I knew that Rachel had been feeling some contractions, etc. but John was even at our house past 11 the night before and hadn't mentioned anything about things progressing. However, they had been and they headed into the hospital about 2 am. Kennedy came to the library with us to go to Babygarten and to just hang out and play/colorKennedy making a Beautiful picture!Karys Joy was excited to color piglet...And Gracie would only let me take her picture if I held the camera upside down and took it....so I had to flip this around ;)Sure enough, while we were at the library Isaiah Adams Fernstrum entered the world!!! 8lbs 5 oz (exactly what Karys weighed) and 21 inches long...KJ was 21 1/2 ;) He had slightly tan skin and a full head of dark hair!!! Not what you expect from a Fernstrum baby at all ;) Just look at little miss Kennedy!Ang had the GREAT idea of bringing a little gift for the kids...Kennedy is as girly as they get so we got a little Cinderella dress up kit for her! She was in awe, but LOVED it!Ang, Rachel, and I with Baby Isaiah...wow! I am the only pregnant one left...was feeling pretty overwhelmed this day with the realization the my time is coming next. I think for so long I looked at my friends as a group of pregnant friends. Well over the past month I have watched that group transition into a group of young moms...crazy to think! Must have had myself convinced this pregnant state was permanent....glad that is not true either though I think ;) There is a reason it is only a season!Rachel is SUCH a good mom! She has gone from having 0 kids to 4 now in the past 3 years...I learn so much from watching her parent! She is so patient, but even more than that she truly seeks to know the hearts of her kids and love them specifically in that way...she is amazing and it will be fun to watch her do the same with Isaiah! I loved taking pictures of this little guy! He is such a good baby and a little cuddle bug ;)

29 Weeks...a lot of sisterly love! (3/22)

When we were getting ready to take another belly picture Gracie was very eager to be in the picture with me as well. She has been so into feeling the baby move and listening to her heartbeat on a little fetal monitor that my sister gave me for Christmas. So far the baby has been face up, head down inside my tummy so it is kind of hard to hear due to the fact that her heartbeat is so far back against my back...but Gracie and I sit and try to listen nonetheless ;) I am so excited to watch the girls transition into the sister role yet another time, not just loving each other in the ways that they do but also sharing that love/bond with another. They are all going to be so close in age that I pray for their differences, I really feel like those are the things that balance my sisters and I out so well...yet I also pray for their similarities-the ability to enjoy the same things, bond in conversation, complete each others thoughts and sentences. Having sisters has been one of the biggest joys and blessings God has placed in my life and I pray that one day my girls will sit back and express the same thanks and gratitude to God for that amazing gift!I get told almost daily, "Mommy, your belly is getting so big! That is so good, b/c that means Baby is growing!" I smile in my head, but don't deny having the thought...yeah and she is not the only one who is growing and expanding!She loves to feel the kicking and the movement and also listen and just touch my belly...just watching them respond throughout this pregnancy to all the changes we have seen already brings me SO much joy!We love you baby! Kisses from both of your sisters, we can't wait to meet you....but as Gracie says, "Sorry you need to come after my birthday." And it is true! As much as I am entering that slightly uncomfortable stage I am definitely not ready for her to make her way out yet...cook a little longer sweet girl ;)On her tippy toes to give sissy a kiss...they always whisper and kiss smack dab on the belly button!
I love this! Full on kiss a hand on either side...reminds me of when she grabs your face and turns you right towards her to listen intently to her!