Home Tour..Before Reno

Here are the before picture's of what the house we live in now use to look like. I love a good before and after comparison and making two separate posts was the easiest way to show you the whole house since there are so many pictures! We are still working on a few things so as soon as those are finished I will be posting the after pictures! My husband does a great job, I cannot wait to show you! Enjoy these pictures! It is hard to believe people picked out these all colors and décor. Needless to say, it is not my taste! I also forgot to take pictures before the demo started, but I still caught it pretty early!





View from the front door- living room



View from dining room

View from the living room into the dining room and kitchen

Dining room



Kitchen

Stairwell

Hallway to bedrooms (left side: bathroom, master right side from back: Zetta's room, office)



Main level bathroom..pigs, really!?

Main level bathroom

Zetta's bedroom

Zetta's bedroom again

Office



Master bedroom(the paint was like this!)



Master bedroom again

Half bath in master bedroom

Downstairs bathroom(this was only a stall shower)

Downstairs bedroom

Downstairs bedroom again

Downstairs kitchen area?(right off the stairwell)

again (leads into laundry room)

Downstairs living room(view from bathroom/bedroom hall)

Downstairs living room again(view from bottom of the stairs)

Laundry room (sorry it's blurry)

Laundry room storage area

Under the garage, which is now a media room(right off the kitchen area)

Media room/ Extra bedroom again

Zetta Mae's first year in review...

I figured since I didn't blog at all through Zetta's first year of life I would do a highlight post of things that I felt were important and things I would want to remember!

November 2012:
-Our big girl was born on the 14th of the month. Weighing in at 9 pounds 2 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long! She was born at 2:06am after being in labor since 11am on the 13th :)
-She had her first Thanksgiving!
December 2012:
-First Christmas
-Her first big outing was to one of Pete's friends weddings, Gabe Baugh in mid December. Everyone LOVED seeing her. :)
January 2013:
-She took her first big trip and plane ride to Denver, Colorado for vacation with my mom's side of the family. She was a perfect baby the whole trip!
-She met her Aunt Ashley for the first time!
-I went back to work the week we got back from vacation. Pete or myself would watch her in the morning then Janet (my MIL) keeps her Tuesday and Friday afternoons and my mom watches her Monday and Thursday afternoons. We are EXTREMELY blessed with the help our families give to us. They do so much for us and we are so, so thankful for them.
-Because I went back to work Zetta also had her first bottle! I would breastfeed her in the morning before I left, then she would get a bottle at 10, I would come home and feed her at lunch at 12, and then was off by 4 and usually would feed her that feeding or sometimes she would get a bottle if I was running late or she needed it a few minutes early. :) Then I would feed her two more times before bed time. She was sleeping from about 10pm-7pm starting around 5 weeks (which would have been  in December) so I got to drop the night feeding pretty quickly! Praise the Lord for that!!
February 2013:
-Zetta was becoming a rock star at tummy time was rolling over both ways!! Big girl!!!
March 2013:
-She dropped her 10pm feeding on her own and was sleeping from about 8pm-7am.
-She started sitting up supported by her boppy pillow. She really enjoyed being upright!
-I took a one of the most fun photo shoots of her. Pearls, pearls, and more pearls..and not to mention those baby blue eyes!
-Daddy went on vacation to one of his best friends weddings for four days. I can't believe how much we missed him! I am getting tears in my eyes just thinking about it! This trip made me so incredibly thankful for an extremely involved and supportive husband. I could not have asked for a better partner to go through the journey of parenthood with.
-Zetta had her first Easter
April 2013:
-We took a trip to the beach with our dear friends Megan and Eric. We drove through the night so the trip went pretty smooth. Defiantly had to make longer, more frequent stops than we planned on but, luckily we were on no time schedule so it was no big deal...learning to go with the flowww
-She got her first tooth!! Her second one was just a few days behind. Her little bottom two. Made that smile even cuter!
-She also started sitting up with no support. Big girl!
-Biggest news of the month-we found out you were getting a new cousin!! JD and Emily are pregnant!! We could not be more excited.
-6 month stats: 16 pounds 13 ounces and 26 inches long. Perfectly healthy baby!
May 2013:
-Zetta was army crawling and could get anywhere she wanted to go! We have a curious girl that does NOT like to be left alone. :)
-We introduced a few solid foods. Rice cereal, banana, sweet potato, and avocado.
June 2013:
-She sat in a high chair for the first time at daddy's favorite restaurant, HuHot.
-She also was holding her bottle on her own. We would lay her in her boppy pillow on the floor and she could feed herself! This was a sad milestone for me, but pretty convenient if I do say so myself!!
-Zetta met her best friend Mila for the first time! They are 10 weeks apart and going to be the best of friends!
-She also was starting to pull up on furniture.
-We swam for the first time at Eesie and Poppie's house. No surprise that she loves the water!
-By the end of the month she was picking up cheerios on her own
-She started standing up in her crib! Time to move the mattress down a level!
July 2013:
-First 4th of July
-She also got her first little bruise on her forehead. :(
-We found out that Zetta was going to be a big sister!
-We also found out more exciting news, that baby Tanner is a GIRL!!!!! So many fun times ahead!
-Was exclusively bottle fed(breastmilk) because I was trying to pump as much as I could to try not to lose my supply.

August 2013:
-Has a love for baby rice cakes and any fruit!
-She is eating like a champ. The only thing she really doesn't like is squash.
-We moved into our new house at the end of the month.
-Her top two teeth started working their way through!
-My milk supply was slowly going away. We introduced formula. She took 2 breastmilk bottles and 2 formula bottles. HARD for this mama. (This topic deserves its own post in itself.)
September 2013:
-Loves black beans!!!
-We make it public news that she is going to be a big sister!! (Due March 29th) She is beyond excited! ;)
-Standing up and letting go of furniture and playing with whatever is in her hands.
October 2013:
-Started taking steps here and there. I think the most she took at one time was 8. She still prefers to crawl though, she is just too fast to give it up yet!
-We introduced yogurt, cheese, and eggs. She did well with all. Praise the Lord!
-The next tooth on each side of her bottoms started poking through. One is completely visible and the other is close!
November 2013:
-Our big girl turned ONE!
-She is officially walking everywhere
-Zetta Mae is such a talker! She never stops jabbering!

Zetta Mae, you have been the best blessing to your daddy and I. We just sit and stare at you, asking each other how we got so lucky. You are the most easy going, loving baby. Your first year of life just flew by and I am sure time isn't going to slow down anytime soon. We love you so much and can't wait for the years to come.

Zetta's Monthly Pictures

Zetta Mae's birth story

I wrote this post when Zetta was 10 weeks old. I figured this was a post I would want to look back on even if I posted it a year after it was written. :)
Disclaimer: This is going to be long and more information than some people really want to read, so don't say I didn't warn you! ;)

I went in for my 40 week doctor appointment on Tuesday, November 13th at 8:00am. Since it was my due date, it is procedure to have an ultrasound to check fluid levels, size, etc. Just to make sure that the baby isn't too big. Pete and I both guessed she was around the 7 pound mark, but boy we were wrong! The ultrasound tech goes well, my guess is 10.4! I was in shock! We went and met the doctor and before she got all the way in the door she said "girl, you have a big, big baby!" ha! Told me I had to go to the hospital to get induced in case they were a pound off in the other direction, making her 11.4. Since she was measuring so big she told me that I could go try to have her vaginally or could choose a c-section and have her right away. I was totally against being induced until they told me I had no choice, so I really wanted to try to have her vaginally. I am not someone who just gives up before I even try something. Therefore, we headed to the hospital, got checked in and pitocin going by 11am. Around 1pm they came in and checked me, I was at 5cm (I was 4cm and 80%-90% effaced for weeks), I told them to go ahead and break my water. After that I could start to feel the contractions. My mom, sister, and her kids were all in the room hanging out. I decided after about 30 minutes, they needed to get out. I could really start to feel the contractions and I HATED the feeling of my water continuously breaking. Hated. I think that is what frustrated me the most. Around 4pm I decided that I wanted to get my epidural. Side note: I was really going to try to go without unless I had to be induced, then I knew the long, drawn out pain wasn't going to be something I could handle. The epidural was easy  and nothing like I was expecting. I could still lift my legs, move around in bed, etc. I had heard so many horror stories I was nervous, but it was nothing but a good experience for me. I was so hungry I was mad, but they wouldn't let me eat anything. So once I got comfortable I took a nap for a few hours. Around 8pm they came in and checked me and I was 10cm and fully effaced but I just didn't feel an extreme pressure to push. Don't get me wrong, I could feel "the pressure" every contraction, but no where close to the point where I thought I could get her out. We hung out until about midnight and then the nurses came in and said okay, we're doing this..let's go. I was like alrighty then...
So I started pushing 3x every contraction (2 minutes apart). The nurses were so great. I am not kidding, they were go encouraging and really excited because they thought they were going to deliver the biggest baby ever! By the time I started to push I was the talk of the floor and my baby according to them, was going to be over 11 pounds! They warned me that I probably wasn't going to be able to get her past my pelvis because she was so big, but I was determined NOT to have a section!!! I continued to push like it was nobodies business every 2 minutes. Pete was right there and so encouraging the whole time. Pushing wasn't a super hard thing for me. I mean it wasn't the easiest thing I have ever done, but it wasn't the hardest either. I mean, I apologized to Pete halfway through because he wasn't involved enough and I felt bad that there wasn't more that he could do. Between every contraction we (nurses included) were watching TV and just talking about different things. I could feel every contraction coming, and I knew when it was time for me to push. They called doctor Cugini around 1:45am and I had our sweet girl at 2:06am. It was so surreal, I could not believe I had just had a baby!!! They threw her up on my chest and I seriously think I was in shock. I was so tired, and SOO incredibly hungry I was delirious, yet so happy that I did it and I proved to myself and everyone else that big baby or not, it was possible. They took her over to the little table in the room and cleaned her off, weighed her, etc. She was 9 pounds, 2 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long!! She scored a 9 and a 10 on her APGAR and ate like a champ. She instantly latched on and nursed like a queen. Then the nurses reminded us that she didn't have a name! Ha. I looked at Pete and told him to choose. :) He said " I mean, I think it has to be Zetta Mae." I could not be happier with the choice! He had his mom and Wes come in first, since it was their first grand baby and my family came in shortly after! Everyone  got to quickly meet her and then they all went home! It was almost 4am by this point! Pete went with Zetta while she got her bath and I tried to eat my amazing Caesar salad that my awesome MIL went to get for me. I was literally falling asleep while I was eating it, so I just went to sleep. Pete and Zetta came back shortly after and the nurses had to come in at 6am and wake us all up because it was time to feed.  She latched on like a champ again! After that, I got up took a shower and had a full day of guest!
 I could not be happier with the way things turned out! It was NOTHING like how I wanted the birth to go, but I knew that was going to happen. :) Doesn't it to everyone?! The main thing is we had a beautiful, healthly baby girl and that's all I can ask for!

What we're up to...

Let me catch you up to speed on where our lives are right now! We moved into our new house over the summer. It is the last house on a quiet, dead end street and we love it! We renovated this one more to our taste than any in the past. It was a fun process, but a bit more stressful than usual considering we are planning on making this our home for a few years! Which who knows if that is even true. If we find something else that we like more, than I am sure we will move but, right now I am just enjoying this house and all it has to offer! Zetta got a major upgrade in floor space in her room, so that is a plus. The minus for her now though, is she get's to share it with her baby sister! There is another room upstairs right next to her's that Pete is currently using as his office that we could make a nursery if we wanted to, but I loved sharing a room with my sister when I was younger and I also really like having Pete's office upstairs. I don't know why, but I feel like if he moved it down to one of the bedroom's in the basement I wouldn't see him as much! So ridiculous, but oh well. We will see how it works out and if we need to make a change, we will! So onto the topic of baby sister! Can you believe it? We are going to two babies, 16 months apart! We knew after we had Zetta that we were going to just let it all be in God's timing on when we were going to have another child and boy, did he surprise us! We just thought since I was breastfeeding and it took us over a year to get pregnant with Zetta it wouldn't be too soon. Which some days I think that 16 months apart isn't too soon but, then others, I selfishly don't want to give up my undivided attention on my first baby just quite yet. With all that being said, we are extremely excited that we are having another girl and know it's going to have it's challenges, but nothing that we can't handle!
I started working full time when Zetta turned 10 weeks old. I started out at a rehab facility being a technintion and really enjoyed the people and interacting with patients all day long. When I was two weeks into that job, a lady I use to babysit for called and said that she was good friends with the owner of LeBounce (a local bounce house in our area) and that I would be perfect for the job! I went and applied, and ended up getting the job! I put my two weeks in at my brand new job (oops) and worked 2 jobs for the next two weeks. It was an incredibly stressful time for me. Not only was I adjusting to motherhood and all that comes with it(pumping at work, waking in the middle of the night, etc, etc), I was working 2 full time jobs. This was my first full time job since college to begin with, so it was just a hard time. Anyone who has made that transition from college student to 40 hours a week job, knows how much of a shock that adjustment is. I truly do not think I am use to it yet!..someday! Since I started at LeBounce in February, there has been a lot of changes there, and all for the better of course. There was 2  facilities under the name LeBounce, and as of November 1st we separated the two facilities, and I work at a place called "Orange Monkey"! It is still a kids entertainment type place, just bigger and better(I will do a whole post on what I do exactly at another time)! Life as a manager has it's challenges but, is also rewarding!
Pete is still flipping foreclosure's and becoming quite the stud if I do say so myself! He has been lucky enough to buy, flip, and sell at a pretty good pace, so he only has about two or three houses he is working on at one time. He also has one rental property(3 separate units though) through his business that he manages and we have two personal rentals that he takes care of as well! He is extremely busy but you would never know it! He is the most calm spirited guy! God knew exactly what he was doing when he put us together! I need someone like him to keep me from going insane!! That is the basics of where we are now! I am hoping to get before and after pictures of our house uploaded soon, I am so pleased with the outcome and can't wait to share!

And we're back for another dramatic season..The Bachelor!

Are you as excited as me about the new season of the Bachelor!?!? I was not a huge fan of Juan Pablo last season, but I defiantly like the Bachelor more than the Bachelorette, so I am excited..bring on the drama! Ha! I have an amazing group of girls that I watch with every week. It is so fun to make time to get together during the week, even if it is for a silly reality tv show! It is going to be interesting this season though, considering I am going to have a new baby halfway through the season. I think I will be hosting quite a bit this year! I am the only one with a little one, so it is just easier for everyone to come to me :) Plus, I love having people over to my house! We have the basement finished now too, so there is a cozy room for us all to hangout and watch together! Can't wait to recap each week with you all!! Cheers to ANOTHER season! It will probably be "the most dramatic season yet"! (I feel like Chris Harrison says that at least once every episode!)

2014...Let's do this!

Well, it is a new year so what better time to start blogging again then at the beginning of a year! Ever since Zetta was born (over a year ago!) the months would roll by and I would be mad at myself for not doing a monthly post for her. Mainly for me to look back on and know when each milestone happened, because it is impossible to remember all the details! So, this year I am determined to stick with it and have a place to look back and cherish our family..especially because we are expanding again! That's correct, for those of you who don't know, I am pregnant again! It was a surprise for sure, but we couldn't feel more blessed. I will do a whole post about baby number two soon. There is a lot I need to catch up on and I still have at least five post in my drafts that I wanted to post before Zetta was born and just didn't. I am excited to start this journey again and can't wait to get started! Check back in often because I promise I will be updating! And please stick with me as I play catch up and post a few post that are extremely out of date, but I want to have them to look back on, so I am going to post them anyways!