What We've Been Up to this Summer

Since the summer started, Dave has been working on different house projects. It started as stripping the paint from the exterior trim. Then, he thought he would strip the interior trim at the same time. No problem.... right??? For a couple of weeks, he's been using a chemical stripper. This involves painting a thick citrus goop to the trim, waiting 30 minutes, scrapping as much paint off, and then doing it again until all the paint comes off. No fun, and it's super messy and smelly. Everything has to be done outside where it's hot and yucky. This was going to be an entire summer project not to mention the fact that everything has to be sanded, primed, and painted/stained. This was going to be the worst summer project ever..... until our new gadget arrived today. The Silent Paint Remover is EVERYTHING it claims to be. From the first moment he used it, the paint has just been melting off the trim. This brick-like thing has super hot light bulbs in it. You place the brick over the paint in question, flip the switch, leave it there for 30 seconds, take it off, and scrape all the paint right off in one pull. Awesome. It's really amazing, and it's completely worth every penny!!!!
Now that he has all this new found time, Dave can focus on all the other projects he has going on. This is the new dishwasher we got yesterday from Sears. It was originally $500, but we got it for $200. Someone ordered it online, had it shipped to the store, and then cancelled their order. It had not been out of the box. Totally sweet Whirlpool :)
This next weekend, Dave is going to sand and stain the hardwood floor in the living room. Yeah, that's just one more project on his list.
Oh, and before he can finish the floors, he has to put down about 20 sq. feet of new hardwood where the old stuff had been cut up for the vent and older electric boxes. You know, these minor things....
The banister is going to be lots of fun to strip paint from. Better with the SPR, but still... no fun... I found a good idea in a decorating magazine that might make it easier. They just stripped the handrail and finished the hardwood on the steps. I think we're going to do that, too. I can't wait to see how great our house is going to look at the end of the summer. I really hope it will all get done..... however, Dave still has two whole months to work on things :) Hooray for summer!!!
Gwen has been a total trooper about the whole thing. We just keep relocating her play area downstairs. I've been trying to get her outside more often. Speaking of going outside, I got Gwen's first birthday present: the Little Tikes Swing Along Castle. Originally $120, but got it off Craigslist for $20 from a person here in Newark. SOOOOO excited to get it, and she just loves it. Here is a picture of it in the backyard :)))
We also took a trip to Utica's Velvet Ice Cream Factory. It was a nice little day trip for Gwen. Plus, she got to end the day with her very own first ice cream cone. She loved it!!!! I think we might just be starting bad habits..... Gwen's a great baby :)

Back From Destin

We're back!!!! It was soooo hot and humid down there. You have to jump in the water just to get away from it. Gwen did great in the water, but she didn't really enjoy the waves in the ocean. She was "swimming" with Dave. Dave would hold tummy so she was "floating" in the water, and she would kick her feet and hands. At times, she would actually put her face in the water. I can't wait to see how she does as she gets older. She's definitely our little sea monkey!!!

We went on a dolphin boat ride, and Dave and I snapped a couple pictures of her enjoying the speed of the boat.

SOOOO sweet! Dave kept holding her up so she felt like she was flying :) I just sat there having horrible visions of her falling out of his hands. Mommies are so paranoid....

This was Dave's favorite picture from the bunch. He just thinks that serious face is hilarious!

My little pumpkin! She's so darn cute, and she was just soooo good the whole time. She hasn't been feeling too well for the past couple of days. She might have an ear ache, so we'll be taking her to the doctor in the morning if things don't improve. Our sweet baby!!!

I'm in the middle of watching MTV's Real Life right now, and I'm all sobby. The newest episode is about two girls who place their babies up for adoption. You can watch it here, but just be aware that it's like 45 minutes long and will make you cry so much. I've only ever known the adoptive parent side of things, and it was just heartbreaking to see things from the birth parent perspective. I could never make that decision in a million years. Just thinking about placing my little pumpkin up for adoption makes me want to go snuggle her right now and tell her that I'll never let her go. However, I know how badly I want to give her the world, so I could understand why a birth parent would want to place their child with another family that could give her everything that she needs. It's watching things like this show that remind me again and again while everyone should be chaste. It's totally worth saving myself the heartache of potentially having to give my babies up for adoption. So hard. I'm so glad that I've never had to even remotely think about anyone else raising my baby. In fact, we are the only ones that get to influence her in her young life as we both get to be with her 24 hours a day. What a blessing!

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

We just got done watching it, and it was SOOOOO good!  I just love the whole concept of it.  It was so interesting to watch and also to imagine what you would do if it were your own life.  Fabulous movie!  It makes me want to go cuddle Gwen really bad, but she's sleeping.  I wonder if it would be okay to go get her out of her bed at midnight to snuggle with me.  Is it selfish to get her out of bed just to snuggle :)

I thought I should make a list of all the new things that Gwen has been doing this past week just so I don't forget:

- Her second tooth has come in on the bottom right.  Teething has been okay.  She definitely gets a mild fever with runny nose.  She's pretty miserable until she cuts that tooth, but then she is fine.

-  She's been cruising around the furniture pretty well.  She's also stood up for the third time this week on her own.  She just all the sudden decides to just stand up, and then she just sits down like nothing happened.

- She found a baby doll at a consignment shop this past weekend, and she takes it everywhere.  No matter how she's feeling, her face just completely lights up when she gets her baby doll.  She likes to "kiss" her and pat her on the back.  She's totally loving her baby the way that Dave and I love her.  It's so sweet to see such compassion so early in her little life.  Sweet girl!

- Speaking of her baby doll, she's been pushing around her baby stroller without anyone's help.  It was only a couple of weeks ago that I had to help her with the stroller since it would go faster than she could walk.

- Gwen's completely eating table foods now.  She's just not that interested in nursing, even in the morning and at night.  She's almost completely weaned all by herself.  Trust me, if it were completely up to me, I would still be nursing her.

- She had her first sippy cup of milk today, and she loved it.  I don't think I'll ever give her formula again because she never actually drinks it.  She gets a sip of it, and she lets it just dribble out of her mouth.  I can't believe she eats everything that we eat.  She even ate the spicy taco beef soup I made last week without any tummy trouble.  Crazy!

- Gwen loves to talk.  She is always talking to herself, talking to Dave and I, or singing along with her toys.  Her babbling is usually bababa, mamama, dadada, or shrieking with joy.  We're not sure if it counts as her first word yet, but she definitely says mamama over and over again while we're laying down for naps.  She's so smart!

I'm sure I'll think of more as I'm going to bed.  I just can't believe how quickly she's growing up.  In two weeks, she'll be ten months.  That's TWO digits!  Oh man, that's crazy...

Home Sweet Home

Gwen does such a good job traveling that I have no problem going down to my parent's house for the weekend if need be.  I just put her in the car right before nap time, and she just sleeps for the whole 2 and a half hour trip.  It's so great.  While there, we don't really stick to any routine.  Since they don't get to see her as often, I'm not going to be a stickler about making sure that she goes down for a nap all the time.  Eventually, all of this craziness just gets to her.  On Monday, she was up at 7.  Then, we went to my sister's house for flower shopping, lunch, and hanging out.  We went back to my parent's house where she slept for maybe 20 minutes before deciding she just wanted to come out and play.  I made a big dinner while she was playing, and we went to my other sister's house to eat it.  We came back and my other sister and her kids came over to see Gwen and me.  Then, dad played with her, and she was just not sleepy.  She didn't conk out until 1030 that night.  When she did, she just crashed:

Poor girl, but she was just so sweet the entire time despite the lack of sleep.  Best. Baby. Ever.  I love that little girl -- I hope they are all that good.  I'm just so glad to be home and getting back on schedule.  There's nothing more wonderful than a baby who still takes two naps a day!