She's Here!

We just came home from the hosopital a few hours ago, and one of my first priorities is blogging! I'll post the whole story and all the pictures later, but for now let me just introduce Caitlin Clair Barlow. We are so excited to have her here - what a blessing for our family!

7 year old philosophy

Joshua:

"Mom, I know why you have all your babies around holidays. I was your Christmas present, Andrew is your Easter egg, and this baby is your firecracker!"

Master suite part 2

It feels so good to finally say: "It is FINISHED!!!" For the past four months I have been almost single-handedly finishing the basement. It was a HUGE undertaking, and one that required me to expand my skills in ways I never thought I could. Thanks to numerous how-to books and the expertise of friends and families who's brains I picked endlessly, I managed to complete plumbing, electrical, duct work, wall board, tile, refinishing, windowsill, trim, cement board, faucets, mirror doors, light fixtures, vent fan, closet organizer, spray gun texturing, painting, and of course - moving in. This is a picture of my project file. I kept track of virtually everything, because I am just that kind of compulsive person. I also kept a detailed budget and tracked every penny that went into the project. I'm proud to say that we ended up about $1.23 under budget when all was said and done.

This is the room as you enter. It's already cluttered, but in a couple of months when we move baby to the nursery things will be a little roomier and I can focus on actually "decorating." Til then, it is still wonderfully functional. I'm looking forward to having everything I need for night time changing, feeding, and bathrooming in the same place.

Mike and I both wanted to have mirror doors on the closet. Nine years of marriage, and this is the first time we have had a full length mirror in the house. It is so nice to be able to see the whole picture when I look in the mirror! Plus it makes the room feel much larger and spacious.

Instead of installing a traditional shelf and rod I bought a closet organizer. I love having the extra shelf space and three hanging rods. It was a pain to install, but well worth the effort, and surprisingly cheaper than the shelf and rod option.

As much as the kids love the new room, they understand that it's a place for Mom and Dad to relax and be alone if need be. Our own space!

And on to the bathroom... Who knew such a small little room could be so much work? The bane of my spring has been TILE. Everything else was fairly easy for me - I managed to figure out things, or learn things as I went, or just plain logic things out. But tile, OH. It is definitely one of the hardest things I've ever tackled. Having said that, it sure looks nice. Now that it is done I just love the look of it. It was the cheapest alternative for the tub surround surprisingly, which is one reason I resigned myself to it. But if I can ever avoid laying tile in the future, I will!

Now caulk, that I can say I am now a pro at. Give me a can of caulk and a project to seal up and I'm a happy camper.

I'm rambling on like I did this entire project alone. Not so by a long shot. Michael has been so helpful - especially this last month when my energy started to wane. He helped install the tub, install the flooring, install the toilet. He fixed the vanity when it wouldn't fit to our plumbing and rebuilt the drawers. Mike also helped hang the wallboard and install the trim. Thanks honey for lending your muscles when I was tired, and your shoulder when I was frustrated!

I saved a good chunk of money by buying this vanity on KSL. $40 versus $400. It's a little yellow on top, but with a new faucet and refinished wood, it works like a charm and looks pretty good too. Thanks to Carrie, Dad, and Jan for transporting it from Nephi to Hyrum.

Now that this mega project is wrapped up, we can officially say that the house is finished. We can also say that the yard is finished. And all that work in just six years. It's nice to have it done and to know that we haven't acquired any extra debt to do it. I don't know if we will recoup all of our investment if we end up selling, but it sure is nice to have everything done. It's nice to have the space. It's nice to have the skills. I wonder how long it will take till we get antsy for a new project....I'm pretty sure it won't be for a while because this has worn me out! But it is done, and now we can focus on baby. Yeah!

The End is coming

I'm officially sick of being pregnant. I understand that I have to be careful in the way that I express that emotion, because I do have a number of dear friends who have a hard time holding onto babies or getting pregnant in the first place. So let me preface my complaints with this: I am so grateful for my healthy body that can do this so efficiently. I'm so excited to have my little girl. I'm glad to be a strong healthy woman.

Now let me gripe: Braxton Hicks Suck! I had them all day long yesterday - every five to ten minutes. Usually this would scare me into thinking I was in labor, but I've done this enough times now to know my body. This is just how the last couple weeks go. My muscles were contracting so much and for so long yesterday that I lost three pounds just from the exertion. I slept like a rock though.

Next item of gripage: my doctor looked at me and paused at our last appointment and pointedly asked me if I felt that this baby was bigger or smaller than the boys had been. I told him I felt bigger, even though I don't look it. I told him both the boys weighed in at 7 lbs even. He shook his head and said, "Oh, she's going to be bigger than that." It may have just been an off-handed comment to him, but I'm thoroughly freaked out. I'm sure he wasn't thinking about pushing that out of a 10 cm hole when he said it.

Last gripe for today: I need good distractions from wanting to go into labor now. Joshua came 9 days early. Andrew came16 days early. I can't seem to stop myself from hoping for a trend there - I'm constantly nagging myself with the though: maybe today....maybe tomorrow.... I just know with my luck and impatience I'll end up going til my due date. Even I admit it would serve me right. But distractions do help. Jon and Isaac have been visiting for the weekend - thank goodness. That keeps my mind off it a little.

Okay, I'm done griping. Now for the philosophical moment of the day: I honestly believe that love grows through sacrifice and service. The more you serve someone the deeper you learn to love them. Maybe this is why the love that a mother feels for her children can be the strongest known in this life short of our Savior's and Heavenly Father's love. I gripe about contractions, but when I feel that little foot nudging my hand my heart swells and I know I would do anything for the health and benefit of this child, just like I do every day for my other children. In this I find true joy. Sacrifice honestly does brings forth the blessings of heaven.

Book Review - The Help

I just finished reading what has become one of my favorite books of all time. Katheryn Stockett's "The Help" is a beautifully written novel based in Mississippi during the 1960's. The Civil rights movement is in full swing, and the story tells an intimate tale about some of the women - black and white- who are tangled up in the middle of it. It is a story about the writing of a controversial book consisting of stories about black maids and the white families they serve. I enjoyed getting to know the chacters and feeling the perspectives of These women of the south. If you have a chance, pick up "The Help" at your local library. It's a good read, and a beautiful picture of a slice of American history.

Oh Dear....

Well, we have managed to inherit something that we have no clue about. That's right, we are now "boat people". Tony and Shelly graciously offered us this boat which they no longer want. Tonight we went out to Shelly's parents house and picked it up, towed it home, and stepped back to scratch our heads. We don't know the first thing about boats. I think it works, but I'm not even sure how to go about getting it tuned up or tested out.

That being said, the few times I've been boating I have absolutely enjoyed it and I've always had a secret wish to be a boat owner. So maybe something will come of this if we can get over the learning curve.

The boat is a Hydro Swift Mercruiser - with a big motor. That's about all I can tell about it. The interior is a mess and the seats are falling apart. There is no windsheild. But there are two sets of skis and some life vests, and the hull looks sound.

If you have any general boat knowledge, please feel free to leave it in the comments for us. We need to glean every little tidbit we can about our newly inherited hobby.