You're Doing Okay Mom

Warning: You may need tissues. I did. Each time I've watched this video so far.

Scott showed me this video the other day and it cannot sum up the last two and a half months more perfectly. Motherhood has been a roller coaster of emotions in the best way possible and I'm so grateful to share my first Mother's Day with Beckett and Scott.

It's a video that Johnson & Johnson made (looks like it's actually from 2012) but considering Mother's Day is Sunday, it's perfect timing to watch now.

I think moms of all ages can appreciate this but it especially struck a cord with me as a new mommy. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

Beckett's Second Month

I'm a little delayed in posting 2 month pics but I constantly have my hands full with the little guy. He's actually 2 and half months old now so these pics are from the last 6-8 weeks. He's currently napping in his swing so I thought I'd share some quick pics. It's a race against the clock!

Beckett has really developed a personality in the last couple weeks and it's been amazing. He's smiling, cooing and making all kinds of fun faces at us. He's keeping up with his growth still way above average for his age. He's so strong and can hold his head up and sit with support. He still adores his activity mat, looking in the mirror and walking around the house with us. And bath time is still his favorite thing ever! We look forward to it each day. 

Thinking "photos again?!"

Love those thighs!

My cutie!

Yeah two months!

Chilling in his PJs.

Catching some air in tummy time.

Tummy time with Rocco.

Making cute noises!

Thinking about smiling here.

First trendy brunch at Summer House Santa Monica with Nick and Lizzy.

Hanging with the ladies at Half Acre.

Half Acre with Daddy.

He loves looking at Daddy and smiles when he sees him!

That face!

Hanging with Daddy

Chilling at home

His shirt says "Seriously Handsome" :-)

Zombie Dust keg tapping

SMILES!!

Easter Sunday.

Bath time!!

Visiting work with Mommy! He slept through the entire visit.

His face is this one...I die!

The Power of Paint: Kitchen Before & Afters

Making the kitchen feel like us had been our largest project to date. We were lucky because it wasn't in bad shape when we closed on the house - everything worked - but it just wasn't our style. Here's the before:

So much oak.

The only item that needed to be done was to refinish the hardwood floors in here. I don't think they'd been refinished in the entire lifespan of the house. You can't really tell from the pics above but there were spots so worn down that the finish was gone. We ended up replacing them because they were engineered hardwood (and not refinish-able...learned a good lesson there) and love the look of them now. We painted the cabinets and replaced the hardware as well. It's so light and bright in the kitchen! We did this project ourselves and it was a labor of love. It took about two weeks including paint curing time. The majority of the work was done in 2-3 hours bursts on the weekends and after work. Our diligence totally paid off though and the finish is durable and, dare I say, semi-professional! We also put in a stainless steel sink and new faucet.

When we had our first floor repainted, the kitchen got a new color too. The blue is so fresh and I think the cabinets really pop now. The old chandelier hit Craigslist and we added a new fixture that is not only brighter, but lower profile. It works a lot better in the space and it's now centered above the kitchen table.

We have plans to update all the appliances to stainless steel this summer. We've only replaced the dishwasher so far and already the stainless on that side of the kitchen blends SO much better with the cabinets, hardware and overall feel. Down the line, I'd love to try my hand at a DIY backsplash and maybe under cabinet task lighting. All in due time. :-)