Kitchen Remodel: Week 7 FINAL WEEK!

Alleluia... at 7:34 AM and 46 full days later, we had a six hundred pound island maple counter (no joke) and cabinet doors.

That same day, we had Bruce hanging our lights!

It was time to bring out the champagne....

Can you believe just forty six nights ago, we were doing this?

Now with the Perkins and the Boerckels. in town from Austin, we toasted the island.

 Even in very impromptu and last minute get togethers, on the very first night, the island served the purpose I always had for it, in my head. It's the hub of the house.

 Big enough to not have to hear any part of the conversation these three might have been having...

 But small enough for the six of us to be in the same conversation when need be.

 Wow... I remember when it was just the six of us, slightly over five, years ago!!!

Blake and I were so thrilled to get to celebrate such a great night with you all.

Kitchen Remodel: Week 6 Wrap Up

This was the week after Thanksgiving and the name of the game this week, was waiting. We waited nearly all week for the tile to come in from California and of course with the holidays, it was even slower than they thought. In the mean time, Carter watched Bruce the electrician hard at work.

The good news this week, was Hank arrived with the inserts for most of the cabinets. We love all the pull outs!

Storage, storage and more storage. Hank kept saying this was the coolest island he had EVER built simply because of how much stuff was in it.

Our new pantry is taking form.

Finally towards the end of thew week the tile arrived and was layed. The tone of the gray was perfect.

The tile arriving just a week late did slow us down simply because it was better to get tile in, grouted and sealed before we had the eight new appliances delivered and installed.

This was the first and only week I was very frustrated with the whole process. In hind-sight, it wasn't too bad, but in the moment six weeks in without a kitchen and now SMACK in the middle of the holidays, I was SO READY to be D.O.N.E.

New Orleans For Danielle

Blake and I jumped on a flight to New Orleans to see my half-sister, Danielle, play basketball during her freshman year at Tulane University. She started her career as a Green Wave hot and hasn't cooled off. Between basketball games, we ate our way through New Orleans. I forgot how unique and great that city is... so much amazing food and so little time.

Some of our favorite meals from this trip: Everything at hole in the wall Fisherman's Cove Harbor including the best oysters of the half shell Blake and I have had in over five years, late night dinner at Bourbon Street's Le Bayou including Laura's shrimp, grits and green tomato specialty, Up town's Camella's with the line out the door. Luce avocado and fried oyster sandwich and Louisiana local amber beer.



One of my favorite memories of walking through a gorgeous and silent Tulane campus during the holidays. Only in New Orleans would you look up at one of the amazing tree canopies and see this.

Laura, Blake and I had a wonderful morning exploring Royal, Bourbon and Canal Street including the French Quarter.

But forget all the divine food and amazing sights to see, we were there for one thing or person that is! DANIELLE!

Danielle's beloved long board she zooms around campus on.

I love this story with this little girl, Summer. Her grandfather randomly has season tickets to all Tulane games and her mom brought her a game a couple of weeks ago. For some reason, Summer fell in love watching Danielle play and has been to every home game since. They have no ties to Tulane or the basketball team. Her mom even told me that they are going to fly to Memphis for Danielle's opening conference game next weekend just to watch her play. (Apparently, Miss Summer's grandfather is very high up with United Airlines so Summer will get to see Danielle as much as she wants!) ;)

Carter's Milestones - 2011 (4 years old)

Carter's 2011 Milestones

At 4.5 years, started playing in Under 7 Soccer League at school with all five, six & seven year olds. Scored the very first goal of the season for his team in GAME 2 (Blake coaching) - 4 yrs. & 9 months



He wrote and spelled ALL by himself - COW, CAT, MOM & other words - 4 years & 8 months


Started new school with Ms. Erika, Ms. Andrea and Ms. Lindsey.... doing so well, coming home every day telling me cool things he is learnind and experiences he is having. - (May 2011 - 4.5 yrs)


He is very interested in addition. He is constantly asking what 7 + 5 is as an example. Ordered some Kindergarden workbooks to start using with him at home - 4 yrs 4 mo


LEARNING: I am really focusing on phonics with Carter. He confidently knows all 26 sounds of the letters when he visually sees a letter - 4 yrs & 4 mo


Exploring new school for Carter for Pre-K, researching Montessori as possible option - 4 yrs 3 monhts


STAGE: In the last 2 weeks, he has started really testing us and becoming more aggressive with his arms swinging them all around. He is not listening as well as he usually does. It seems like we are constantly having to discipline him by sending him to his room, take away his favorite toys or send him to bed early. Don't know what is going on but noticing it at school, with Addie, us and even with sweet neighborhood friends like Barrett last Friday. Really trying to figure out what we need to do to get over this stage as quickly as possible. - 4 yrs & 3 months


First visit to Magik Theater to see "If You Give A Pig A Party," with mommy, Aunt Julie, Uncle Sean, M&M. He absolutely LOVED it and it was SO MUCH fun! - Just over 4 years


STAGE: Just over 4 years and LOVES to spend 45 minutes at night "talking about his day." He asks all kinds of amazing questions and looks forward to it every night.


MEDICAL:Rubbing ears during dinner last night, mentioned throat hurt. Woke up with 102 temp, took right into ped to find POSITIVE STREP test (2nd one, 1st in Dec '10.) Doctor said he is at most common age for it & and usually peaks at 5 and 6 yrs old. First time he has acted pitifully sick. Just wants to climb in his own bed and sleep. So sad. Started 10 days OMNICEF. - 4 years & 2 mo


VERY SENSITIVE STAGE - Right at 4 years old. Busts out crying if I gently kneel down next to him tonight and said I was disappointed in he and Addie when they didn't listen when asked them to get out of the office (seconds before part of the glass computer desk fell and shattered into a million pieces!) (Also busted out crying today when his teachers told me he had 2 time outs at school for not listening and I told him that he couldn't eat his marshmellow snowman?!?!?" - 4 years EXACTLY (Dec 18, 2010) 

Addison - Milestones in 2011 (2.5-3.5 years old)

2011 Highlights: (Descending Order)

For the last 6 months, every single night, as we close the door, Addie sweetly say, "Night Night Sleep Good Sleep Tight, I love you!" (Identical wording every single night) - 3.5 years old


LOVES putting on little dance shows for us each day. She LOVES her own little CD player she got for Christmas and constantly has different music on. She has really great hand and arm movements, very elegant. She still loves Wild Kratts.Such a fantastic age for her. Only one or so melt down a week when tired or if not feeling well. (3 1/2 years)


MEDICAL: After 3 weeks of cough (See 3rd previous comment below) we tool her to Allergist for follow up. Mr. Dunab (NP) said it isn't allergies but rather a SINUS INFECTION since nasal cavities were very inflamed. He said typically an allergy induced cough will be equal at day and night if the allergy is to outside plants and trees. SINUS infections, even if they don't include colored snot, are much worse at night. Ears and throat looked perfect though. He said we were doing the right thing being aggressive with the asthma treatments. He RX'd 14 days of Augmenton and a probiotic (Chewable acidophyllis? doesn't have milk protein) and Orapred - liquid steroid which we opted not to give her since her cough over the last 2 nights hasn't been bad. - 40 months


Stage: Noticing even more of emotional maturity this week: Haven't had an melt downs in several weeks and going to bed much easier, even if she isn't very tired. TONIGHT, she was putting her PJ's on and I started to help her pull it over her head when she was struggling. She started to yell at me, "NO MOM... I CAN...." and then suddenly stopped and said, "I'm sorry Mom, I didn't mean to yell at you." I was blown away. - 40 months


FAVORITES right now: PLAYING with her brother (for sure #1,) coloring and drawing and Smokey. (She really only plays with babies a couple of times a week now) - 40 months


MEDICAL: About three weeks ago - Sept 1 (right around first major cool front of the year) Addie suddenly started having constant, clear runny nose, much more sneezing and over the next 2-3 weeks has developed the horrible night time cough. Last night (8.18.11) it was constant all night. In the last month we changed the Zyrtec back to 2.5 mL 2X a day instead of 1X we had changed to two months ago. We have increased the rescue Albuteral that was hardly ever used to at least 2X to 3X a day in hopes of preventing the cough. Continuing the Flovent morning and night of one puff. Had to give her small amount of Delsum tonight. Continuing the Fluticasone Propionate nose spray and upped it to 1 puff in each nostril 2X a day in the last week to help control symptoms. We do hear occasional cough even during daytime but not as bad as at night. Scheduled Allergist follow up for this Wed. - 40 months


Started new school at JCC with Ms. Jennifer and thriving - 37 months


Her Favorite Movie: Free Willy 2 and she just saw the first one and was in love! - 37 months


MEDICAL: Slight change in allergy routine: Adding on 1 puff of Omnaris nose spray in efforts to take away Singulair for 1-2 weeks, then going to change Advair to Flovent, eventually down from 2 puffs 2X/day to 1 puff 2X/day, if she does well, we can try to move Zyrtec dose to QD at night to prevent coughing. - 36 months (Update July 1, 2011 - very successful with Omnaris and taking Singulair completely off-no coughing at all. Then successfully changed Advair to Flovent since their are so severe side effects of keeping kids on Advair long term. No increased coughing or congestion with this change in over 3 weeks now. However, insurance no covering Omnaris so we are having to go through generic nose spray first and will start that this week.)


MEDICAL: 3 Year Well Visit: WEIGHT - 32 lbs, 37 inches tall. Dr. Jacobson said "off the chart developmentally across all 5 areas and speaking on a 4.5 year level." Got 2 shots, screamed for about 2 minutes until she saw she could pick out a Belle sticker. - 36 months


ROUTINE: Tonight, while laying in bed with her telling her goodnight, she started going on about her day in such detail. Who exactly she played dolls with, how she gave them milk but the baby didn't drink it, how she has a pretend camera at school and she took pictures of Ella M. and Ella P. hugging and then went around and took pics of all her other friends (I don't know where she gets this from. :)) Amazing detail from her days at school - 35 months


FIRST CRUSH: Matteo, Carter's classmate. It is so weird how she just knows instinctfully how to flirt with him - (35 months)


Funny Story: First "french kiss" with Jack Putnicki at BIGZ. The 2 were out in the yard playing. Addie was 20 feet from Jack and stuck her tongue out at him and smiled. He stuck his out at her and she back at him all the while, walking towards each other until both their tongues were touching 2-3 times. Tables of people laughing at the 2 year soap opera going on. As I was walking over to break it up, a lady said, "Your son is cute, what a lady's man!" I said, "Not so much... the little GIRL is mine!!!" It was too funny - 35 months old (April 2011)


MEDICAL: 2nd day at Disney, clear runny nose started with nothing else (allergies from everything beautiful blooming in FL and everyone else hit with them too!) When we got home a week later, a night time cough started suddenly sounding like a seal. Gave her last dose of steroid and started Albuteral breathing treatments 2X/day for 3-4 days and then 1X a day for 4 more days. Cough only bad at night for 1st couple of hours after going to bed. Oak pollen counts at EXTREME high levels this exact week. Now is fine. - 34 1/2 months (mid march 11)


MEDICAL: Cough, congestion and runny nose slowly returned and 3 days later 102 temp for 3 days (home from daycare.) Didn't complain of throat or anything else bothering her but cough was the worse ever keeping her up at night and nap. Took to doctor on Thurs. AM and throat looked bad, started on 10 days Augmenton. I think it is a classic case of viral RSV spreading rampant around daycare & with Addie's increased risk of respiratory problems and asthma she wasn't able to fight it- 34 months


Stage: Addie at an incredible age. For the past week, acting so mature and wants to do nothing but sit in her new office desk in our office and COLOR, play with stickers and tape. Loves making cards for any and everyone. She even got in trouble for not wanting to go to the bathroom before going to bed the other night. We left her in her bedroom to cry it out as normal and after 10 seconds of loud screaming... SILENCE. We walked in and she was laying in bed. She had gotten control of tantrum and calmed herself down instantly. We were so PROUD of her and showered her with praise. - 33 months


MEDICAL:After 10 days of bad nasal congestion, got 103 temp for 3 days, visit to doctor ruled out strep, ears were clear. (Her left tube was gone, right one still in in place.) RX'd cough, congestion, runny nose medicine to help with HORRIBLE night time cough. Good news was asthma stayed in check during all this. Dr. Jacobson thinks maybe flu or was Adenovirus - 32.5 months UPDATE 5 Days Later - Cough got worse Wednesday and became more consistent, temp came back Thursday at noon. Took back to Dr. J on Friday to find a POSITIVE strep this time. Rx'd Azithromycin for 5 days, Opapred (Steroid dissolvable tablet for 5 days,) along with 4X/day Albuteral breathing treatment for a few days.


Very first REAL movie in a movie theater - Disney's "Tangled." She sat and watched the entire thing and loved it! - 33 months


Stage - Besides the issues unwinding and going to bed although she still has NOT GOTTEN OUT OF BED at all, she has been at a very even keel stage (for the most part.) She tests us by trying to throw a fit when she wants something but as long as I stay consistent and distract her quickly, there have been no major tantrums. (This is what made the 2 week Christmas break with all of us home so nice this year!) - 32 months


New Phrases To Remember: "Just one second..." "I have an idea. My idea is..." "Mom, I want to fold your hair." I love when she says the world SCARF! It is the only word that took me FOREVER to understand. She can't say the "SC" and it is so precious to hear her adamantly try and say it. - 32 months


Funny Story - Blake and the kids were on a quick HEB run and the checkout lady said to Addie, "Wow... your curls are beautiful!" Addie looked straight at her and said, "I get them from my mommy!" I had been having MANY conversations with her over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays when I was wearing my hair curly much more about how amazing her curls are and how lucky she is to have them! Amazing what a 2 year old soaks up! - 32 months


Health Update - Mid December, after Perkins family came down with 3 hour stomach bug, Addie got it and threw up for 2 hours straight the same night as Jack. But was fine the next day. - 31 months Besides that, she has had no sickness where she has had to go to the doctor since July 2010 (6 month record for Addie!)


Had 2-3 nights in a row waking up around 1AM with nightmares (one night she told Blake her big Euro sham was attacking her.) We can't tell if she is fully awake or not. (We stopped allowing her to watch MONSTERS INC (even though it is the CUTEST movie ever.) - 32 months

Loves Disney movies now - Beauty and The Beast and Monsters Inc (Will watch an entire 85 minute movie.) She loves BOLT (anything with dogs still.) - 32 months

The Amazing Race: $300 at stake!

Meme is so good at being creative and if you remember we started a Thanksgiving tradition of the Newly Wed game a few weeks back. Over Christmas, we had a TEN stop Amazing Race style scavenger hunt through San Antonio that involved everything from skateboarding, dancing for neighbors, runs through HEB, TARGET and THE DOLLAR STORE, taking pictures of strangers in front of Lowe's, standing like a flamingo's in some stranger's home in Stone Oak, doing cartwheels in someone else's yard and Whataburger runs, just to name a few....

It was so much fun and the competitive juices really came out. With our twenty minute "San Antonio resident delay, our family came in second when we crossed the finish line at The Hardburger Dog Park!

Thanks Meme for such a fun event!

Giving out the first clue.

The Nash Family - The Before.

The Brown family ready to roll!

For the first task, the women had to skateboard around the block and their foot could not come off the board or you had to start at the beginning.

The second task involved our wonderful neighbors across the street. Each family had to go in one at a time and complete tasks like dressing up and singing certain songs.

One task involved getting a random couple to pose for a picture in front of Lowe's. Coincidentally, I think I went to elementary or middle school with this guy and had the hugest crush on him a million years ago. Kinda funny!



There were multiple puzzles along the way we had to finish in order to get the next place.



Way up in Stone Oak, Blake had to find some stranger's yard and take a picture standing like a flamingo.

In front of this fence, I had to do a cartwheel.

The race finished and we enjoyed a gorgeous morning at the park complete with a picnic lunch!

Christmas Afternoon: Ya-Ya's and Grandpa's

Addie unwrapping her annual Frog Prince from mommy.

Carter was so excited to give me the present he had picked out for me.

Then, the whole family came outside to see what Santa had left for Carter in his stocking... a Mentos/Coke explosion kit. Uncle Sean taking the lead....