What Tile, Where, and How Much?

That is what I want to know.

Yep, the remodel, folks, is here. It's epic in our world. I feel like it should be henceforth referred to as "The Remodel." It deserves capitalization and quotation marks. That's how overwhelmed I am--haha.

You can expect, for the next few months, periodic posts about construction, design, and decor this and that. And this is my first.

Friends, I need your help. We're tiling the bathrooms. And I've learned it's cheaper to buy tile in bulk--the bigger the better. So, from a design standpoint, do you want every bathroom in your house to have the same tile, and thus the same overall color scheme? Or can you have grey tile in the master and tan/beige tile in the guest bathrooms? I just don't know what to do. What are the rules for this?

The Baby Monitor

You know, if I were to launch a magazine for parents of infants, I'd name it The Baby Monitor. Great idea, right? Hmmm . . . except it'd have a short life with readers. While people are always having babies, those babies turn into toddlers, tots, and teens fast. So maybe this should be more a book idea rather than a magazine . . . . I'll keep thinking. :-)

But this post isn't about lofty editorial grandeurs; it's about the whole new wide world of life with a baby monitor.

Since Anna now snoozes in a room on the other side of our abode, a monitor is now a necessity. We actually received one as a gift--even registered for it, if I remember correctly when Anna entered our lives. Yet, when Anna's room was next door to ours, with a shared door no less, a monitor wasn't needed. I heard her loud and clear. Thus, the monitor was traded in for diapers I'm sure.

Thanks to all my Facebook pals who chimed in the baby monitor selection process. We settled on the Motorola Remote Wireless Video. LOVE. IT. We haven't had a problem with static/interference at all.

The best part of the monitor?

Learning about all the antics are daughter is performing in her crib after we turn out the lights and close the door. Mmhmm. And all this time, we thought the silence meant she was resting. Sure, there have been two or three times so far, either during a nap or bedtime, that she has gone right to sleep; but we discovered that is not her usual. Oh no, she's balling up her blanket and moving it all around her bed. She's hiding her paci in her blanket and then finding it and then hiding it and then finding it, all the while with this adorable, mischievous smile on her face. She's standing up, pointing across the room, pretending and whispering. She's waving at the ceiling fan. She's sticking her feet and hands out the crib slats in great fun. She's dancing. She putting her paci to her ear to make an important phone call. And this and more she does until after a few minutes--sometimes 1 hour--she lays down and goes to sleep. That little, darling rascal.

Starring Anna Zane

These videos were taken a few weeks back but still capture our cuties in all her silliness and sweetness. Because they are so large, you'll need to click the links for all the Anna fun.

If you want to see Anna in her darling bathing suit, click here. 

And if you want to see the most adorable girl ever, click here.

Anna LOVES The Fresh Beat Band. I'd saved a bit of the show so we could video her dancing. Click here to see her mega moves.

A lady, you know, always carries her purse and accessorizes to the tee, even when riding a horse. See what I mean?

This one is mama's favorite. Love. that. girl. Click here. 

And a last one for the road . . . 

Catching Up Crazies

Where to even start?

The main thing on the Youree brain is the upcoming remodel start. We're less than a month from the hoopla commencing. Whew, what a lot of work and we've not even demo-ed a thing! Of course, in classic timing, our air conditioner in the main part of the house went out. The original unit in the front part of the house is now working overtime to cool the whole house, thanks to ceiling fans and stationary fans throughout. Imagine our electric bill. 

Anna is a trooper through it all. She's growing faster than I can comprehend. At her 15 month appointment, she was 24 pounds; but I swear she feels more like 50 when you pick her up. :-) Climbing is a new pastime she's trying to master. Walking and running is old news now. She loves necklaces and looking at herself in the mirror . . . and hugging baby dolls and pushing them around in her toy stroller. Dancing is still a favorite, especially to The Fresh Beat Band, her t.v. drug of choice. I lie not; the girl is fanatical about this show. I see live concerts and pop candy music in our future.

Just this week, I got a shock when I discovered a molar completely through in her mouth! I had no idea she was cutting a tooth back there. She's also cutting one on the bottom front. This may have something to do with--at least it didn't help--her head cold she's been fighting for six days. We ended up at the doctor yesterday. Thankfully, her blood work showed a viral illness and nothing bacterial. So we avoided antibiotics. That's all we'd need is ANOTHER medicine to give this poor girl. Not that she hates meds. She smiles when she sees the syringe coming. Grape flavor--it's her favorite.

And that's all I can post tonight. Friends, I'm tired.

Mama catching a pretty girl in her dress before church. 

Mama and Anna at the Hope Cottage picnic in May.

All the Hope babies!

Remember in previous posts when we've mentioned Anna seems to be a fan of boys? The picnic proved our theory yet again. We made friends with a new fella. They were both really interested in the other.

Cutest little backside on the planet!

Plagues: An Update

And they keep on comin'.

While it wasn't water turning red, a nice brown spot, a.k.a. water stain, formed yesterday on the guest bathroom ceiling, which explained why the door suddenly stopped shutting on Thursday. A trip to the attic revealed a leaking air conditioner. The even better news came when the repairman said the best fix was an entire new system.

We've known for some time now that our museum-ready ac unit was on its way out, but we've nursed and nurtured it along to last until the construction started on the remodel. And we're only five weeks away--sigh. Here's to hoping our second unit can withstand the double duty!

Heaven help us. I think I need to call a priest.

Mother's Day 2012

This year I don't have any cute pre-church pics of Anna and me because her daddy was on call this year and the Sunday morning mommy-and-me routine is fairly chaotic. (Take that, doctor's wife wannabe. Ha.) But please know, especially you, Dr. Youree, that I am in no way complaining about Mother's Day 2012. The day was great for me: a sweet card from my sweetie, a surprise lunch visit from my man, a short but satisfying nap, and a fantastic dinner and swim thanks to the Carpenter clan.  And don't forget the simple joys of life with Anna Zane.

Just like everyone else, Mother's Day prompts me to think about those maternal figures in my story. . . you know, someone like the most important woman in my life. And who is that lady on my lofty pedestal?

My mother?

My grandmother?

My sister?

My best friend?

My mentor?

No, none of those, although I love each one.

The most special woman I know is a Dallas mother who made a special choice so that I could love a special girl. She gave me the gift of motherhood. And she is the mother I most admire. She chose life for that baby girl in her womb. Analyzing her circumstances and coming to grips with a difficult reality, she made a brave decision to choose a better life for Anna. Self-less, not selfish, friends . . . a birthmother who sacrificed so much to do what was best for my baby. I love her forever for that.

Plague Outbreak at the Youree Residence

Boils. Dead rodents. Fleas. Fungus. Boxes.

Like the famed Old Testament story, we seem plagued with less-than-stellar infestations and maladies of late. Let me explain.

Boils. I have more than 20 mosquito bites covering my body, which were placed there by--apparently--the mother of all insects.

Dead rodents. Our neighborhood opossum went on to his "eternal reward" under our deck. This occurred sometime in the last 7-10 days. We began seeing flies hovering around the back door, and then we smelled it on Thursday. After two hours of removing and replacing boards from the deck today, the Moses-esque hero from Cridder Critters found the rotting rodent and removed it.

Fleas. (Ew--how I wish I wasn't typing news of this reality.) The aforementioned opossum was, of course, the carrier of seemingly MILLIONS of fleas, who are now frantically trying to find a new host. Our deck and back yard is infested . . . as in horror-film infested. Take a step on the deck or yard, and you, my friend, have multiple fleas on you. We've had a few inside too, but we've vacuumed like crazy and have stopped using the back door/yard since determining the source. The pest control fella from Zap Exterminating was scheduled to arrive today at 3:00, but he was unable to purchase enough treatment materials. Bless his heart, he drove to Dallas this evening to secure the chemicals. We hope he can treat the yard and house tomorrow, but with a heavy chance for rain, I'm not getting too optimistic. In that case, Wednesday can not get here fast enough.

Fungus. While Anna's scalp is practically back to normal, we are still stripping her bed linens daily, taking oral medications, and washing in special shampoo to keep that invasive ringworm fungus away for good.

Boxes. And yes, all of this is happening while we are attempting to pack up the house into four stacks: garage, storage, apartment, and yard sale. Like the Israelites, I have hope, faith, and an idea about the Promised Land; but I can't seem to get out of dodge.

Pharaoh, please, let the people go.