Basement remodel

For those of you who have followed a while, we "finished" one end of the daylight basement a few years back.  We dedicated a space for my "stamp studio" and gained the extra bedroom space.  Well, we are at it again!  This time I had to give up space though... my stamp room is no more...

Since just after Christmas I've been slowly (but steadily) clearing out the "office" which was a catch all (and our main downstairs closet) and my craft space.  Now, pretty much all of the stuff has been removed.  A lot went into storage in the attic, but I did a major purge as well.  An entire Envoy full went to Goodwill (every seat but mine and Wes' was stuffed!  I couldn't see out any widow other than mine and the windshield!) and I've taken a few loads to our drop off at the dump too.  I was sort of sad to see my craft stuff boxed up, but honestly I just don't have time right now for stamping... and we really do need more living space! 

The plan is to remove the spiral staircase, and add a staircase into the old kitchen pantry/closet.  You will go down into the front half of the current garage which will become a "den" and then turn backwards towards our room and come back into the "basement" passing by the bedroom we will add a bathroom and then where the spiral and office are now we will add a second bedroom.  This will allow Wes and the new baby a room, and Bill and I can go back to only sharing with each other!  I'm really looking forward to having dedicated "little" kid space (and getting toys out of my living room!) and a bathroom I don't have to climb two stories to get to!  It took a while to get here- I know it's going to be a lot of time and money, but it will be so worth it in the end. 

I'm happy that the "big" kids can all keep their rooms- I wasn't too excited about asking any of them to share with a little kid (or 2!)... I think the disruption of a new baby will be enough for everyone!  So, check back for updates as construction begins.

More Big News

Bill and I are happy to report that the Houston clan will once more be growing by one... we expect a new baby in late June or early July! 

My due date is July 3rd, so that makes us just shy of 17 weeks along.  I will have another section, and it will likely be scheduled for the end of June once I hit 39 weeks.  For now everyone is happy and excited.  I'm not so sure that Wes is going to make a great big Brother at first.  Sharing me with baby Nic is hard... it foreshadows some trauma for me.  We will work on talking about it, and preparing him as best we can...  we shall see.  Maybe he will surprise me!  The older kids just found out last week, and I think they are all happy... at least they say so!  Obviously a new baby is change for everyone, but they seem excited!  Savanna really wants a girl, but Olivia and Billy think another to add to our "cluster" of baby boys would be good.  We will be thrilled with healthy either way! 

The pregnancy started off rough for me.  Things happened a lot faster than I anticipated and I found myself sort of shocked and sick all of a sudden!  I was so terribly ill... it made for a very unhappy fall and early winter.  For 8-10 weeks I was sick all the time.  I am shocked the kids never suspected.  For a month or so I barely got off the couch!  I did 1 "big" thing a day (M-W-F cleaned the big barn) and then that was all I could muster.  I threw up 4 or 5 times a day at some points.  It was really awful and so different from Wes' pregnancy.  I guess I was better than I thought at hiding it, since the big kids never knew.  I managed to ride in the final hunts and limp through the holidays, but boy was it rough.  I'm so much better now, and only mildly queasy now and then.  Fheww. 

We have a few more weeks and then will have another ultra sound.  I will be glad to know the gender, I am in major shopping mode, but I "won't" let myself buy anything until we know.  So, for now I torture myself and widow shop!  I am so excited, Wes seems like such a big kid all of a sudden... a new baby will be so fun!  The new one and Krista and Brad's baby will be 4ish months apart, it will be so fun to have them grow up along side one another! 

Wes is Two

I really wanted to do a picture with Wes and his bear today... but after an exhaustive search the bear remains elusive... I fear in one of our clean outs he may have accidentally gone into a "donate" bag... I seriously looked everywhere today.  Sniff.  I'm pretty sad, but we will manage!

We got this fun candle from my Aunt Nancy- its marked with the years (up until 21!) and meant to be burned on the birthday to mark the passing of another year.  We did it on the night of his birthday last year, and burned it down past the 2 tonight.  It's a fun way to keep track, and I'm glad to have it as a new tradition!

ps. for Wes' birthday I got pink eye.  Happy birthday to me!

pss. Happy birthday to my Mom- I fear she will be overshadowed by Mr. Wes... today is her day too!

Wes' 2nd B-day: Party!!

Westley turns 2 tomorrow, and while it is a holiday, we opted to have his party today.  I was afraid that after the mild winter we have been having we would suddenly get slammed with snow or something- but despite being very cold and blustery we made out with a "nice" day!  I think this is going to be an issue with his January birthday... I'll always be worried of a snow storm!

 We had planned a farm animal theme... I think trucks or dinosaurs would have been his choice had I asked, but I wanted one more year of "cute" before I have to do transformers and construction equipment!  Mom made the invites for me since the craft space has mostly been packed away with plans of a basement remodel.  They were very cute and we carried the barnyard theme into the decor today!  I had ordered some adorable cups and plates online- and got 2 great balloons- a cow and pig!  Wes' cake took me longer than I anticipated and I had to call Mom over early to help with the other food and decorations... but I think it came out pretty cute.  Wes watched me most of the morning and kept saying "an-muls!"

 Billy used his helicopter to fly in a birthday banner-it was very sweet~

 Kelly and Sam come up from Mass, it was very sweet of her to drive all this way on such a cold day.  Wes wasn't very good at sharing with Sam (embarrassing so, since Sam was so good at his birthday a few weeks ago!) but they did seem to enjoy each other a bit.  Nic and Kaleb and Jayson also came; so while it was a small crowd we still filled up the house!  Mom-Mom was here, as well as Wes' Poppie and Grandma Beth.  He got spoiled with lots of great gifts.

Grandma Houston had left her present so Wes got to open that too!  It was a nice day, with fun family and friends... we had no meltdowns (except for Wes telling Nic to go home!)  It is so hard to believe that 2 years ago I was laboring, so anxious to meet my little one.  I can;t imagine life without him now... in fact, I wonder sometimes what we did before him!  He brings so much joy and laughter to the house... Happy Birthday my Sweet Boy!

A Rough Week for Billy

Sunday night Billy told me his eye was hurting, and it was pretty red... I told him we would see what it was like in the morning.  Well, time to get ready for school on Monday and it was "gooped" shut and totally bloodshot and his face around it was red and sore looking too.  So, we ran right down to the clinic and had him checked out.  I was pretty sure it was pink eye... and yup, sure enough they took one look and said I was right.  So, no school yesterday... then this am he comes down and says "we forgot to do my other eye..." Well, we didn't treat the unaffected eye.  I guess that was a bad decision since the left eye was glued shut this morning, and he is home for another day!  Drops and hand washing, new pillow cases... sigh.  Thankfully he isn't *sick* so has been pretty helpful, but man oh man... what a week for this poor guy!

And Then There Was One

Billy is learning the hard lesson of pet ownership today.  There has been much wailing, many tears shed and he is down to one rat.  Sadly, one of my fears for rat ownership has come true.  Last night, "Science" (or "Twizzler") the lighter grey rat on the left was "gotten" by one of the cats.  To make matters worse, the cage door seems to have been left latched open.  Now, I had worried about our cats (Peanut in particular is a good huntress) but after all his research he was convinced they could coexist.  I guess, we all knew it is was a possibility but it hasn't made it any easier for anyone!  Billy had/has been very responsible, he knew what he needed to do to care for his critters.  This is partially why we agreed to the gift in the first place... so I know this was a genuine accident.  He is nine, and painfully self aware... he messed up.  It has been a long hard day (and a tearful night as he awoke to the incident in his room) its been very difficult watching him go thru this.  I kept him home, he would have been useless at school; he was really a wreck.  He is sad to have lost a beloved pet, and terribly upset at himself.  Guilt in a young boy is a miserable thing!  He is sure that he has learned a "life lesson he won't ever forget!" and poor "Science" won't be forgotten either~ He is trying to focus on "Sneezy" and working thru the loss, sadness and guilt.  I'm trying to focus on him; helping as best I can... reminding him that "no, it wouldn't have been better just to have gotten toys on Christmas."  Sigh.  What a way to rip a Mama's heart to bits...

Also, bless his heart Bill dealt with the poor creature, and took care of all the midnight wailing... the girls got little sleep, but Wes and I cozy in the basement were spared the brunt of it all!      

My Gift or Finally

Wanna see my Christmas gift?!

Well, actually, it was NOT a Christmas gift. 

But, it counted for a Christmas gift anyhow...

I am now sportin' on my left hand this beautiful ring!  Who would have thought, that after almost 8 years together (almost 7 living here) Bill would have changed his mind!  I was pretty sure that being married didn't matter to me... but I do admit that at play groups and story hours I often find myself looking at other women's hands...

Christmas Eve, as we were getting ready for Santa Bill paused the TV and wandered out of the room.  He came back with a box, and pretty quickly I surmised what might be in there...  "I didn't want this to be a Christmas gift" he said.  "It's much more than that" 

I opened the box, and stammered something about it being beautiful and thank you, and such... and then he did have to say "Yes, It's an engagement ring!"  I wasn't going to assume, but it sure did look that way to me.  So, it may be another 8ish years until it finally happens, but for now... I'll just wear the ring!

(for those who care about these things- it's a 3/4 carat marquis cut, yellow diamond set in yellow gold)

and, what is it about getting a new ring that suddenly makes you knuckles fat and hairy?!