Lucy's Room!!

Once we moved Ruby out of her crib, we had always planned on moving her into the "Ladybug Room" with Hattie and moving Lucy into the now empty nursery. It was a big spring for Lucy, as she celebrated her First Communion and 8th birthday only a few weeks apart. As her "combined" gift from us, we promised to get her into her new and improved "big kid" room by summer. We started Memorial Day weekend, and she was able to spend her first night in there later that week. We have been putting the finishing touches on it since, and finally thought it was "done" enough to share some photos! Lucy is SO PROUD of this space. She chose the paint colors and helped me refinish a garage sale dresser and night stand. She spends quite a bit of time in here and has done a really great job of keeping it clean and organized so far! She was so open to anything, just no "pink or purple." I think we did a great job of capturing  her personality in here. She may now have the smallest bedroom in the house, but she's so darn proud of it!

(Authors Note: Don't be too disgusted by the burnt orange carpet. It's original to the house. All upstairs carpet was meant to be replaced earlier this year... but, well, we got a furnace instead. Next year. Next year.)

 BEFORE... so long, farm animals! 

 AFTER: Hello, big girl room!

 The world UGLIEST garage sale dresser got a make-over!

I found that car mirror in a shop in Door County last year and HAD to have it for Lucy's room... It's been hiding in the basement for almost a year!

Crib-Less

I haven't blogged in nearly a year. 

Life's been busy. Good, but busy. 

Today, however, was a turning point in the Salmon house. As of this evening, we are now a "crib- free" household. This is a day I have been dreading for a very long time. I love babies. I love that having a crib in my house meant there was still a "baby" in our home. For over 10 years, we have had our crib up for someone to sleep in... or in anticipation of someone to sleep in, and it has warmed my heart in ways that I can't begin to describe in words. Over the years, too, I've learned that there are two types of moms in this world: the type that can't wait for all of the baby stuff to be "done" and packed away and are eager and excited for the next stage of life... and the moms like me... who are truly devastated to let go of this stage of parenthood.  

Alas, I knew this day was coming. Dan and I had made a promise to Lucy that she would get her own room as a combination birthday/First Communion gift from us, with the understanding that the switch-a-roo would be completed sometime over the summer (which, if you're reading between the lines, just means I could drag my feet and delay the inevitable for a bit longer) On the afternoon of Ruby's second birthday earlier this month, she made her first crib escape during naptime. And a few more attempts after that. Which (grrrr) hurried the process along a little faster than I had hoped. 

 ...and so it begins...

We marked this past Memorial Day weekend to get the bulk of the work completed. We had furniture to assemble, walls to paint, carpets to clean, and curtains to hang (look for more details on the new room in a separate blog post coming soon) so when I heard a banging and clanking coming from the room early Saturday morning, I shouldn't have been quite so taken aback to see Dan tearing down trim and moving furniture. 

But I was. 

And I was not happy. 

I cried. 

A lot. 

And I think poor Dan didn't know what he had done. He was simply starting a job that needed to get finished. What he didn't realize was that I needed a moment. One more minute to stand in the doorway and take it all in. One more moment to relive laying each of my sweet baby girls to bed for the first time in that crib. One more glance to say good-bye to all of the silly farm animals gracing the wallpaper border that we painstakingly put 3/4 of the way up the wall instead of the at the top so that the babies could see the animals while we got them dressed. One more bit to remember the excitement and anticipation of preparing that bed for the first... the second... then third... and fourth little ones that we were bringing into our family. Washing the bedding. Moving the mattress waaaaay back up to the top. Hanging the mobile. Anxiously waiting for the next new bundle that was going to call this bed home. I remember how exciting it was to go shopping for the nursery furniture and how carefully we chose *just* the right bedding... something gender neutral that we could use for all the babies we would be blessed with down the road (but man, if I had known then that I was going to have four girls, I would have picked much differently!!!!) I remember all of this... like it was yesterday. That crib, the bedding, the wallpaper... it all symbolizes this incredible feeling of love and excitement and anticipation of watching our family grow and change... and while I know our family is complete, turning this page and starting a new chapter has been a bit.... sad. 

Sigh. In hindsight, he did me a huge favor. It was like ripping a bandage off. It really did sting in that second, but it forced me to move on and get the ball rolling... I cried a bit more when the silly wallpaper border came down (in one easy piece, thankgoodnessforsmallfavors) and Dan made sure to put a piece of it aside to save. 

I still get teary-eyed looking at this stupid wallpaper. Will this ever end? 

The entire process took a few days longer than we anticipated, and Ruby has still been sleeping in her crib each night in the middle of the torn up bedroom. I have worked hard the past two days (as hard as one can while single handedly trying to keep a puppy and two year old out of trouble) to finish up as much as I can, promising Lucy that she would FOR SURE be in her new room by her birthday this Sunday. Tonight was the night! While Lucy's room still needs a few finishing touches, everything was in order enough for them each to sleep in their own beds... in their own rooms. After a single reminder to get back into her "big girl" bed, Ruby fell asleep quickly and painlessly. Fingers are crossed that she stays there all night!

Fast asleep in her big girl bed! 

 Over the weekend, both my mom and my mother-in-law said the same thing to me, reminding me to look forward to all the happiness the new space was going to bring Lucy, instead of all the sadness it was bringing me... and they couldn't have been more right.  Lucy was ECSTATIC to curl up in her brand new bed in her very. own. room. I am certain she'll have some very sweet dreams in there tonight! I can't wait to share some photos of her new space with you very soon!

Sum Sum Summah Time!

Whew! We are more than halfway through the summer, and I haven't blogged at ALL! We have been so busy. For the first time in... well, a long time, we are truly enjoying summer- throwing all schedules out the window and just livin' life. If something comes up, naps go out the window. Hattie does pretty well (as long as we don't miss too many days in a row) and Ruby adapts by sneaking teeny naps in her carseat driving from one adventure to the next! 

Parties, swimming, art camp, cello lessons (for Maggie), park visits, movies, bowling, tie-dying, sleepovers, trips to Door County, art projects, more swimming, board games, more parties, puzzles, more parks, rummage sales, bike rides, storytime at the library, Tae Kwon Do classes (for ALL the Salmon ladies- even mom!), baseball games.... we are tired.... but have another 6 weeks of summer left to enjoy!

While I mourn having a baby in the house, I truly think this is God's way of showing me what great adventures we have to look forward to as the girls get older!

 First Brewers game for the girls! We made it until the 7th inning!

 Maggie bridged from Brownie to Jr. Girl Scout!

 Tae Kwon Do- Hattie was quite the fierce little warrior!

 More Tae Kwon Do

 Gorgeous summer sunset!

 Ruby has found that she LOVES the park swings...

 Volunteering with the big girls at Feed My Starving Children. 

An INCREDIBLE experience that left quite the impression!

 Shoe shopping?

 4th of July parade. It was hot. Ruby was tired. 

 Another gorgeous sunset... while watching the Kenosha Kingfish play!

Hattie experienced the ice cream truck for the first time!

 Got all fancy and traveled to Evanston for cousin Dylan's baptism

 A super fun visit from our cousins from Chicago!

 Ruby has her first Oreo...

 Strawberry picking!

 One of MANY afternoons spent in the pool out back!

 We were blessed to spend the 4th of July in Door County

 We found this inchworm on our beach towel!

 Egg Harbor parade

 Celebrating Papa's 69th birthday in Door County

 Visiting a one room schoolhouse in Ephraim, WI

 Ruby taste-testing pizza dough

More swinging...

 Different day... different park. 

Art projects!

Time to "Lego" of six... and celebrate seven!

This past Saturday, our Lucy Elizabeth celebrated her 7th birthday with her first ever "friend" party. She wanted to include her entire class, so she was adamant about a theme that both the girls and the boys would enjoy. It didn't take much to come up with a Lego theme...as they are one of Lucy's favorite things! Invitations were sent home with all 20 of her classmates, and in a brainless "mom" moment, I included a "Regrets Only" line instead of an "RSVP" line. Duh. I knew of one little girl that was unable to come, but still had absolutely no idea of how many to expect, so... better safe than sorry, we planned optimistically for 18... which was awesome, because SIXTEEN kids showed up! Oh, and did I mention it was raining? So I had all SIXTEEN (actually 18 including Lucy and Maggie) in my kitchen and family room. Plus the five moms who decided to hang out. It was... crowded. 

As the kids came in, they were directed to a table to decorate a "Lego head" to be used for a later activity. These turned out so cute! I love that one little girl turned the "knob" on the top of his head into a bun of hair! Then, the kids were able to pick a Lego (OK- cheap knock-off but still Lego compatible!) car kit to assemble. When they were finished, we had a racing ramp set up for them to take turns racing their creations. We also had a table in the porch set up with the girls' Lego collection for a "free build" type space. This was, by far, the most popular. Pretty certain a few pieces walked out with the kids, but it was certainly worth it! They had so much fun! We used the aforementioned Lego heads for a game of "Pin the Head on the Lego Man," played a few rounds of "Don't Eat Pete!" (a fun game I found on Pinterest) and even bashed open a homemade Lego Head pinata (my first... and last.... attempt at pinata making, by the way) We ended the party with gift opening, cupcakes (topped with more of those knock-off Lego figures) and juice boxes. 

Overall, it was a huge hit. The kids seemed to really enjoy themselves, regardless of the cramped spaces and profuse sweating (mostly by me.) Everyone had a blast, and Lucy, our beloved happy-go-lucky-stuck-in-the-middle-child, wore an ear to ear grin the entire time and loved that it was all about her for a change...exactly what SHOULD happen on your birthday! 

(Unfortunately, there are no photos of many of the activities- as I won't share pictures of other people's children on my personal blog. Just trust me when I say a talented pinata maker I am NOT) 

 Did you know there is this cool block candy that you can actually BUILD with? So expensive... but so awesome. 

 Yes. These are felt Lego masks. Yes. I made all of them.And, I thought they were so fun I made a few extras. 

 My birthday girl...waiting for her guests to arrive!

 Lego goody bags- full of block candy, Lego masks, a Lego word search and maze, and room for pinata candy, the vehicles they built, and the Lego figure from their cupcakes!

 Scrap wood makes an awesome makeshift racing ramp!

 Design your own Lego figure!

 I drew all these faces on the plates we were going to use for cupcakes. Then decided cupcakes didn't need plates and these would make better decorations. 

 Cupcakes and (Lego wrapped) juice boxes!

 See? You can't even tell they aren't "real" Lego figures, can you? 

A few hours before the party started, I decided she needed a Lego shirt. $3 yellow Hobby Lobby t-shirt + paint pen = PERFECT!

Smile!

Today Hattie went to the dentist. While this typically might not be a "blog worthy" event, after today's visit, I just HAD to share. 

Rewind. This time last year. Dentist appointment for all the big girls. Hattie's first scheduled dental visit. It was a hot mess. While the two oldest LOVE our dentist and get really excited to go for their cleanings, to say Hattie was terribly apprehensive would be a gross understatement. Thank goodness for an amazing dentist and patient and caring staff (if you need proof, check out this blog post here) Essentially, we got as far as getting Hattie into the exam chair (flanked by her 2 big sisters) before we called it a day. 

Fast forward a year (don't judge... between a new baby, Dan's new job, and change of insurance, we went a bit longer than normal between appointments). It was time to try again. Early in the week, I told Hattie she had a dentist appointment. I was quickly met with teary eyes and "I don't waaaannnnttt to go!" I had my work cut out for me. We read "Going to the Dentist" books. We talked about what was going to happen and what flavor polish she'd choose. We guessed how many teeth they were going to count. We speculated about the toys in the dentist's "treasure chest." I even *may* have bribed her with the promise of a "whirring" (battery operated) FROZEN toothbrush. 

So- this is what transpired. 

My 4 year old was a dental ROCKSTAR today. Like, I wondered if I was in some parallel universe. It went freakishly well and I was so. darn. proud. After some initial hesitation, she warmed up and everything went off without a hitch. She smiled. She talked. She laughed. And... she got a "whirring" FROZEN toothbrush. 

Here she is... ready to go... but still a bit uncertain...

But THIS was by far my favorite part. Waiting to meet Gramma and Papa for lunch after her appointment, I let her sit in the front of the van with me. She promptly pulled down the mirror and could not stop admiring her "shiny" teeth!

Bye, bye Baby

I just put my baby to bed. For the last time. 

Tomorrow my last baby will wake up... as a toddler. 

For an entire year, I have tried to dig my heels in, forcing time to SLOOOOW down and truly experience every moment with my sweet Ruby. I am so very, very grateful to be able to be home with her this year and have the opportunity to really savor every precious moment of her baby-ness... and to be the one to put her down for a nap. And to be the one to greet her when she wakes up from that nap. And to watch her pinch for another Cheerio. And to play Patty-Cake and sing "You Are My Sunshine." But, alas, the day has come. While she won't know the difference tomorrow, I will. She will no longer be an infant. Sigh. 

 I love being a mom. I love being a mom of babies. My heart is heavy knowing the days of sleeping babies on my chest, dimpled fingers, and Baby Magic are coming to an end... far, far sooner and faster than I ever wished. While I love watching my girls grow and learn and sing and dance and dream and become these amazingly awesome... people, I'm having a really hard time turning this page and starting this new chapter. I know some moms can't WAIT for their kids to grow and be independent and do fun thing... and stuff like getting rid of their infant tub or transitioning to a new carseat or disassembling their cribs are just new, exciting parts of the journey. But I'm not one of those moms. Each milestone, while exciting in it's own way, frays the edges of my heart just a little bit. 

So, tonight, while I nursed and rocked my INFANT daughter, I cried. I'm crying now again as I type this. Life is good. I just wish it would slow down a little bit.