Seriously.

Seriously.

This kid never ceases to amaze me! I was putting him to bed last night, and after story time, we said our prayers and it was time for lights out. I think I thought I heard him say paci, so I asked him if he wanted his paci, and he -- very much matter-of-factly -- said, "No."

And that was it.

He went to bed like it was nothing, and I don't recall much (if any) crying/whining. He slept through the night with no trouble whatsoever. I just can't believe it! I always think things are gonna be so difficult, but my kids always surprise me in such wonderful ways! I'm so very proud of Chase and cannot believe he kicked the paci habit so quickly and willingly. GO CHASE!!!! :)

A little house update... I had the pleasure of giving a tour of the house to my mom, grandparents and in-laws this morning after LO's chapel performance at school (which was sooooo cute, btw!). I think they all liked it almost as much as hubs and I do! :)

There are still a few little patches and minor to-do's remaining, but for the most part, the house is move-in ready (2 weeks, 4 days and counting!). When I walked into the kitchen, I was surprised to see a range was sitting there, ready to be installed. Only one minor little issue... it's not the range we ordered.

Here's the beautiful GE Cafe' dual-fuel range I am anxiously awaiting:

However, this is what was sitting in my kitchen:

Ooops! Good thing hubs has our weekly update call with our PM today! Haha! :)

Oh, and DUH. Guess what we just realized? Here's our microwave that was installed about 2 weeks ago:

Notice what that little logo on the bottom left says? The little GE symbol? With the word "PROFILE" written after it. Yep! They installed the wrong microwave, too! How in the world did I miss that?! Luckily our PM is aware of it and will be getting the right one in soon.

It should look like this:

It's kind of important to me that the red GE Cafe' logo matches on the microwave and range. ;)

And on a backsplash-related note... I've emailed the manufacturer of my dream tile (in Italy) to find additional tile stores in a 5-state radius who sell my tile to do some price checking to see if it's possible to get a better deal than what we were quoted at the tile shop I had been working with. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but not holding my breath. I can't imagine we'll get some crazy-amazing deal on such an amazing product, but I'm gonna do what I can regardless. I've got calls in to a tile store in Charlotte, NC and one in Charleston, SC. Here's hoping!!!

Since our PM accidentally had the 4-inch granite backsplash installed (even though we asked him not to), we're going to leave it in to buy us some time to figure out the backsplash deal rather than have him rip it out. This KILLS me to no end (you don't even know!), but it's what we need to do. At the house earlier today, my mom said that hubs' passion for all things home security is equal to my passion for my kitchen backsplash. She couldn't have been more correct! If you know my husband, you'll now have at least a teeny, tiny idea of how important this backsplash is to me. I can't explain it. It doesn't make sense. I shouldn't be THAT attached to having backsplash installed. But I think at the end of the day, I see it as the glue that pulls my entire kitchen together and makes it all make sense and makes it all so much more beautiful. Grrrrrrr! Why can't I make myself not care so much about this!?

((sigh))

Project Paci: Done-zo... And a Backsplash Update!

Just a quick update today to say that we are pretty much done with Project Paci. The kid is amazing. Yesterday when I put him down for his nap (with his snipped paci), he handed it back to me. No kidding. I still don't think he LOVES the idea of being without it, but he still has his little Angel Dear monkeys to keep him company at night, so he's dealing. I remember after LO gave up her paci that she didn't sleep as long or hard as she did with the paci, but that doesn't appear to be the case with Chase (at least not yet). He is such a total Rock Star and I am completely in awe of him!

On a TOTALLY unrelated note... I took my kitchen measurements to the sales rep at the tile store where I had found the beautiful, gorgeous, backsplash-of-my-dreams so we could figure out exactly how much material we'll need and what the final cost would be. Keep in mind, I (for one reason or another) was estimating about 20 sq. ft. of wall that would require tile for our backsplash. For the record, I took all the measurements myself but didn't bother to do the math (length x height stuff from jr. high) because I don't do math. So imagine my surprise when the nice lady did the math for me, and it turned out to be 39 sq. ft.!!! Yes, folks, that's DOUBLE what I was expecting/budgeting. But it gets worse. The beautiful 8x24 porcelain tiles are just under $10 each. And the teeny, tiny, straw-sized 7"x1/8" quarter round bullnose edge pieces? Also $10 each. PLEASE tell me how that makes sense. And let's just top if off by saying the even teenier, tinier, like smaller-than-my-thumbnail cornice piece that finishes off the 90 degree angle? ALSO $10 BUCKS EACH.

As you can imagine, I left the tile store with one heck of a case of sticker shock! It's insane when you're expecting to pay a certain amount and it turns out to be almost FOUR TIMES AS MUCH!!!! For the love of all things holy, I don't know what I'm gonna do. We definitely didn't budget that much for durn backsplash tiles, and it kills me that the ONLY solution I've found that I truly love has turned out to be so expensive. Do you have any idea how long and how hard I've been searching for our backsplash? After the meeting with the tile rep, I came home and Googled the crap out of it all over again, as well as made a few phone calls to local retailers, only to find NOTHING even close to what I'd want. I felt such relief when I finally made the decision on the 8x24 tiles and now I'm back to square one! It's not fair!!!

My good friend told me that if it's what I really like, and there's nothing out there that even comes close to it, that I need to Just Do It. I mean, really, I'm gonna be spending a LOT LOT LOT of time in that kitchen, and if I end up with some cheap-y crap in there that I don't truly love, it's gonna kill me every time I walk in the room (figuratively, not literally of course). She is truly very wise.

Let's just look at it one more time. Just... so... beautiful...

Just for the record, I want to acknowledge that finding the right backsplash tile is NOT a huge deal, and that I'm VERY aware that there are much bigger, much more important things happening across the world and in the lives of people everywhere that ARE a big deal -- life and death kinds of things. I guess I wonder if sometimes my readers think I'm just a big complainer/whiner who doesn't recognize that I don't truly have "REAL" problems when it comes to choosing backsplashes or having orange kitchen floors. I know these little details are minor and insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but, this is my blog -- my outlet -- and it's where I share my joys and triumphs, frustrations and disappointments, and everything in between. So with the house building stuff, I totally get that I might come across as "diva-y" or high-maintenance or obnoxious, and I'm truly sorry if any of you are thinking that when you read my blog. But this is OUR once-in-a-lifetime journey and I want to remember every detail along the way.

Thanks for understanding! :)

Project Paci: Night #1

Chase has two pacis. An orange one and a blue one. He only gets them at nap time and at bedtime. And at any doctor's appointments that involve echos or vaccines. Lately he's been wanting to keep the paci after nap time and wander around the house with it in his mouth, or he'll ask for it mid-morning when he'd not even due for a nap. I had previously planned to rid him of the paci in December, but didn't quite get around to it with the other things on our plate at that time. Fast-forward to yesterday: I was ready to give it a go!

It was about time for bed, and Chase was sitting on my lap on the couch. My mom (aka "Mona") was leaving after dropping off some soup for her sickly daughter when I gave Chase his orange paci, complete with the very tip of it snipped off (thus causing it to lose suction).

Here's his take on his first experience with his "new" paci (pardon all the chatter in the background):



Just a few seconds later... (again, please pardon the background discussion with LO and trying to get her to listen to her daddy and not get in the way of my filming, etc.). ;)



Tell me, don't you just love the way he keeps chewing on the paci, taking it out, looking it over, sticking his finger in it, and overall being puzzled by the events? And I about DIED laughing when he gave it back to me and asked for his "blue paci" -- which had already been snipped as well. Haha!

We put him to bed as usual, and he kept the paci in during story time (mostly by chomping his teeth down on it instead of sucking on it), and he was of course over by his door, talking/whining/crying under the door within 2 minutes of turning out the light and closing his door. We pretty much ignored him and -- believe it or not -- he was totally quiet after a mere 5-10 minutes.

Unbelievable!!!

I'm so proud of him! The best part is that he slept through the ENTIRE NIGHT without getting up or crying once, and he slept in this morning until after 8AM! WOOT!!!!!

So proud of my little guy! Can't wait to see how he handles nap time this afternoon, and whether or not tonight will be as easy as last night was. Overall I'm extremely impressed! This boy NEVER ceases to amaze me!!!

Way to go, Chase!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. On a completely unrelated note... I think potty training is just around the corner! Of course I'll wait until we're comfortably settled into our new home before starting, but I expect we'll give it a go over the summer. Yay!!!

"Orange" You Glad We're Keeping Our Kitchen Floor?

Well, we met with our PM, a second Ryan PM, two reps from the flooring company and an Armstrong flooring rep at the house Friday afternoon to take a look at the kitchen floor. Whew!

I'll be honest -- it was a tough meeting.

Basically imagine 5 professional construction/management men telling you you're crazy and that your floor is, in fact, exact production quality and that there is nothing wrong with it and that it matches the sample you were provided with perfectly. Then imagine you try to stand firm and explain that the sample you were provided showed NONE of the orange/peach undertones and certainly didn't contain entire sections of orangey squares, only to be told that it "depends on the light" in the room, or whether there are "shadows," or that once you "install your window treatments and put a table in your morning room" (which we are NOT planning to do as the morning room will be a sort of downstairs play area for a bit, thankyouverymuch), then you'll see a true reflection of the floor and the "tones you have a problem with" will be reduced.

Blah, blah, blah.

I don't see almost completely orange squares here. Do you?

Our PM asked me what solution we were after, so I mentioned what was the first of two options: credit us back the additional $1,200 we paid to upgrade to a floor we are not happy with (which he immediately interjected that apparently the floor must not bother us that much if we're willing to live with it and we were just after a financial adjustment -- wha??!), THEN I proceeded to mention the other option (that I only mentioned second because I thought the first option would be the easiest on THEM) would be to replace the floor. The team of guys, one of which at one point mentioned how they all met together BEFORE the meeting with us to ensure they were all on the same page (gee. thanks.), begrudgingly mentioned that, although it is NOT standard protocol and would be a  ONE-TIME thing, then something or other mumbled about a first-born child, agreed to let us select a new vinyl flooring in the same pricing level. Our PM was sure to speak up that, although our closing isn't scheduled until March 19th, he has several additional deadlines prior to that day that we're not aware of, basically confirming that yes, this is a HUGE inconvenience to ALL of those involved.

((sigh))

After the meeting was over, hubs and I headed over to the flooring company to scope out the available options. I was already pretty sure that there wasn't going to be anything that would jump out at me as "The One." When we went through this process back in December, I distinctly remember complete dissatisfaction at the poor choices and lack of variety we had to choose from. So, after dragging two kids out in the pouring rain and fumbling through the samples, I decided it was NOT worth it to me to change the flooring simply because the only options we could change to were completely hideous. Seriously. They were all dark, or really small 8x8 squares, or PINK (yes, pink), or otherwise just not even close to what we want. For the record, it really SUCKS having your hands tied and only being able to choose from samples that NVR allows the flooring company to show us, rather than the BILLIONS of actual flooring options available in the world today. Totally sucks.

I guess the team of guys should be pretty happy that we're not making more work for them or causing delays. I still hate the fact that my kitchen floor has OBVIOUS sections of mostly-orange squares that we paid additional money for, but we did all we could do, and honestly, we plan to rip the floor up in a year or two to put in actual tile anyway (we had originally planned to keep the vinyl for about 5 or so years since we ended up paying for the upgrade).

Oh, well. Honestly this is a pretty minor thing. At the end of the day, the Ryan team did the right thing by allowing us to select a new floor, but I still do NOT care for how it was handled or how we were treated during that meeting.

On a happier note, check out the latest pic of the house now that the landscaping and sod is complete. So pretty!

Just Some Stuff

So Chase had his Synagis injections yesterday (to protect him from severe complications should he get RSV... again) and he did AMAZING! For the first time EVER, he stuck his little hand out and ASKED for the pulse ox! Obviously he didn't "ask" for the pulse ox, but put his hand out and motioned for it. It was insane! He also stood on the "big boy" scale for his weight AND height -- without crying or complaining! He let them do the cool forehead temp thingy and within seconds we were on our way to the exam room to wait for the shots. I've never seen him cooperate like that at a medical appointment -- EVER! Yay, Chase!

Here's hoping he keeps that mojo for today. We're heading to Charleston for a follow-up appointment with the ENT who put his tubes in last year. It's just a standard 6-month follow-up and I'm not expecting anything weird. I've had him at the pediatrician's office like 3 times over the past 3-4 weeks for a horrid cough, so his ears have been checked several times recently and both tubes are (supposedly) still in place. It's crazy to spend about 8 hours in the car for what will hopefully be a one hour appointment, but we trust the folks at MUSC and are happy to spend a day to ensure the best care for our Rock Star! :)

We're starting to get things together for our big move next month. I packed up about 1/4 of the house about a month ago, but haven't made much headway since. I've been spending a lot of time (other than being sick for the past 2 weeks) doing a lot of online shopping for some of the essentials we'll need in the new house. Hubs found a great deal on a sweet new belt-drive garage door, which he'll have the pleasure of installing after we move in. I've spent 13,402,109 hours researching BLINDS for the house, and am beyond ecstatic to report that I am *this close* to finally placing my order for privacy blinds for all 18 windows in the new house from blindschalet.com. They have a Buy 3 Get 1 Free deal (no limit!) AND 30% off every order AND free shipping, so that is a win-win-win in my book! Of course I've also spent waaaaaay too much time on the kitchen backsplash, but as you know I think I'm finally pretty set on my selection for that (FINALLY). We also need to pick out some new fans for the great room, master bedroom, study and loft, some mini-pendant lights for over the kitchen island, drawer pulls for the kitchen and bathrooms and a few other incidentals.

The house should essentially be completed this week. Can you even believe that?! We stopped by last night and all of the flooring is in. I don't think there's much left to do except some touch-ups here and there. I took a few pics, but I'll warn you they are pretty bad because it was pretty late/dark last night.

Our master bedroom:

The upstairs landing/hallway (I was standing in the loft):

The master bathroom:

Finally... carpeted stairs! That makes climbing upstairs much easier on this little guy (who apparently loves sneaking into my photos):

A pic of the kitchen. The microwave and dishwasher are installed. I assume the range (woot!) and refrigerator will be in later this week. Oh, and we have a meeting at the house on Friday with our PM and the flooring rep from Armstrong to discuss our orange floor. Cross your fingers for us, but I'm not holding my breath that they'll do anything to make it right. :(

The great room. Honestly, it's not this yellow in real life:

Here's the entryway along with the living room/dining room:

A close-up of the hardwood floor at the entry:

I told you the pics were awful, right? Regardless, the house is beautiful and we absolutely love it! It's so hard to believe it's essentially DONE! The landscaping guys will be out today and tomorrow to fully sod the front/side/back yard and do a little landscaping number along the house, as well as plant a little tree in the front. I can't wait to see what it looks like when it's finished and we don't have a red clay/dirt yard anymore! Haha!

Guess that's it for now!

Backsplash

Have you ever selected a backsplash for your kitchen? I haven't. At least not until now, that is. I wouldn't have ever guessed it would be so terribly difficult to make what one would think would be a pretty straightforward decision! But I feel like the entire look/feel of the kitchen will be based solely on the backsplash I choose, and that is a LOT of pressure!

For example, I can't pick out the mini-pendant lights that we'll put over the kitchen island until AFTER the backsplash is selected. If I were to go with a white backsplash as I had originally thought I would, then my pendants would need to be white. However, if I go with a cream/beige color (as I'm currently leaning towards), then my pendant lights would need to match. I never thought so much would be riding on the simple decision of selecting our kitchen backsplash.

So the past several weeks I've been mulling over what I think I want. As far as material, I had initially thought of stainless steel to give the kitchen the "commercial/industrial" look I wanted. But then the thought of a stainless backsplash competing with all of the stainless appliances seemed waaaaaay to overwhelming, and I didn't want the backsplash competing with the appliances. I want the backsplash to be muted/quiet -- NOT a focal point -- so the appliances and dark cabinets have a sort of "pop" (if that makes sense). So once I decided against a stainless steel backsplash, the only other option I wanted to consider was glass.

Don't get me wrong -- I looked into other materials, but nothing seemed as simple, easy to care for and beautiful as glass. I've been ordering samples from online retailers and visiting every local tile store I could find, but still was unable to find "The One" I wanted for my kitchen. Until yesterday...

I went into another local tile store and met a super sweet young lady who was very knowledgable and very interested in helping me find exactly what I was looking for. When she first suggested these new, HUGE porcelain tiles, I wasn't at all on board. I had been thinking of something larger than a typical 3x6 subway tile -- perhaps 4x12 or 6x12 -- but the 8x24 tile she busted out was not at all something I thought I'd want. Until I thought about it more and tried to imagine what it would look like.

Here are some pics from the company's website that shows these ginormous 8x24 tiles used as a kitchen backsplash. They are beautiful!

These first ones are (I think) the exact color mine would be. Only I'm pretty sure with the space I have between my cabinets and counter, I'd only have room for 2 rows of tiles, not 3:

Here's another example using different colors of tiles. I love the simplicity, clean lines and soft reflection (similar to glass):

One more pic -- if you imagine the 3 rows of darker tiles on the top are actually cabinets, then you'd have a pretty decent example of what it'd look like in my kitchen:

So the color of this pic is totally off (I blame bad lighting and my iPhone 4 camera... can't wait to upgrade to a 4S!), but here's a sample of our granite with one of the actual porcelain tiles. I promise the color matches very nicely, and gives a warm tone without being too gold-y:

So I'm curious what you guys think! I love the larger tiles because it means less grout lines, which means less "busy-ness" -- which is exactly what I'm after. I can't even tell you what a relief it is to finally be this close to making a decision on the backsplash! YAY!!!!!!

Drumroll, Please...

Our granite went in earlier today and I could hardly wait to check it out! I held my breath as I walked into the kitchen, but thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't color correct any of these images, so what you see is what I saw. There was some natural light coming from the morning room windows, and the recessed lighting was on overhead.

Here's the wall that will eventually have the refrigerator and stove:

The entire kitchen (along with the rogue dishwasher off to the side, waiting to be installed):

Another angle:

Obviously not a pic of granite, but I was super excited to see our GE Cafe' microwave was installed. You should see it in real life... it's kinda high, but we were totally expecting that. I find it slightly comical, but definitely something we'll get used to rather quickly I'm sure. ;)

Here's a pic of the granite on the gourmet island. No scary "vein" running throughout, and no visible seams. Win-Win!

Here's the area near the sink/bar. It's crazy how busy the granite countertops are compared to the laminate counters we're used to in our current home. I'm sure this'll be a quick adjustment, too. :)

A close-up of my granite, Santa Cecilia.

Overall I was very pleased with the look of the kitchen now that the cabinets and granite (and some appliances) are installed. It's definitely coming along and I think I like it! The only thing I was a little disappointed by was that the granite guy installed the 4-inch backsplash that we specifically requested NOT be installed (since we're planning on a glass tile backsplash instead). It's no biggie -- they can remove it and patch the walls. I haven't mentioned too much about the drama with the kitchen floor or the drama with the alarm company charging us for work that wasn't completed, but let's just say we've added the backsplash miscommunication to the list of issues that we're currently working through. Thankfully we haven't hit any major roadblocks along this journey (so far). I don't mind working through these kinds of things.

So, what do YOU think? Did I make the right choice? I think so... And ultimately I guess it doesn't matter 'cause there's no going back now! Haha! ;)

Sickness and Flooring

I dragged my sick, tired self stopped by the house yesterday with the kiddos to check on the progress since it's been FIVE WHOLE DAYS since I've been by there. We had a busy weekend, and I've been sick since Sunday. No fun.

So let me back up to yesterday morning. I started off with a quick trip to the grocery store with Chase, during which he coughed (a horrible sounding cough -- enough so that our cashier asked if he had asthma) the entire time. This then prompted a last-minute sick visit for Chase at his pediatrician to puh-leaze get to the bottom of his obnoxious, irritating cough. The poor kid! It's been awful all. day. long. and of course even worse at night.

Doc's prognosis?

Probably just allergies.

Gee. Thanks.

Chase just finished up 10 days of Amoxicillin but he went ahead an prescribed another round of antibiotics, this time some Augmentin, just to be sure we're getting rid of anything that might need to be rid of. But we'll be trying some Zyrtec (allergies) for a day or two to see if that helps; if not, on to Round 2 of antibiotics!

Anywho, after the morning grocery store run, followed by the trip to Chase's pediatrician, we were off to get LO from school, then to stop by the house to check progress, then off to an impromptu doctor's appointment (with two kids past due for naps, I might add) for mommy's sore throat and obnoxious cough.

Almost two hours, a blood draw, a throat swab, a steroid shot, a declined chest x-ray and a strep throat diagnosis later, we were FINALLY on our way home with late afternoon NAPS (prescribed by mommy) for ALL THREE of us.

It was a glorious nap. And about 7 hours later, that steroid shot started to kick in and I finally started to feel some relief late last night. Joy!

Now to revisit the stop by the house to check progress. I was stoked to see all of our doorknobs were installed--including the front door--which worried me that we would soon be locked out and impromptu trips wouldn't be possible. But hubs checked with our PM and the house is only locked at night, although we can get a key if needed. Yay!

So nice, shiny, nickel doorknobs everywhere -- woot! Also, the resilient/vinyl flooring was installed in the kitchen, pantry, morning room, powder room and mudroom downstairs. It was mostly covered with cardboard to keep it protected, but I was able to get a shot of it.

After looking over these pics with hubs and comparing them to the actual flooring we selected for the kitchen, I'm not so sure it's what we ordered and/or were expecting. Here's a pic of our selection from the Armstrong flooring website. See?

Not sure it's just the lighting. Seems the floor they installed has a LOT more orange-y/peach-y tones in it than what I was expecting. Of course we'll get to the bottom of this, but my biggest fear is that the flooring IS right and it just happens to look THAT different than the sample we selected it from. See how unorange-y/unpeach-y it looked in the flooring showroom?

Weird. The one I thought we selected was a very soft beige-y/creamy/off-white-ish tone and I really liked it. ((sigh))

Moving on... The master bathroom was completely tiled! This includes the garden tub, shower with bench and flooring.

There will be a glass wall separating the shower from the tub, and another glass wall in front with the door to the shower. Can't wait to see it all together!

Guess that's the latest update for now. Thanks for following along with us on this exciting journey. It's fun for me to share our progress with you guys and I hope it's not been too boring for you!

I'll keep you posted about the kitchen flooring, of course... ;)

A Belated Valentine's Post

I fully realize Valentine's Day was yesterday, but since I had to work last night, and since I've been sicker than a dog for the past few days, I decided the family would celebrate Valentine's Day today (assuming I feel well enough to conquer below). That's just how we roll.

So I thought I'd share a little peek at what Valentine's Day dinner looks like around these parts. Hubs and I have never been ones to go out to dinner to celebrate holidays like this. We have no desire to fight the crowds and aren't keen on waiting forever for a coveted table for two. Instead, we like to celebrate with a delicious meal at home.

While we will be dining together as a family tonight (before opening gifts!), I'll be honest and tell ya there's slim to no chance that the kids will enjoy any of the menu I have planned, except dessert, of course. The kiddos will probably enjoy some fine dining that includes a pb&j or grilled cheese, fresh fruit and yogurt.

But for hubs and I, well, we will be dining on this tonight:

Yum.

And for those who are interested, here are the links to the recipes I'll be using:

• Stuffed Mushrooms
• Peppercorn-Crusted Steak
• Twice Baked Potatoes
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

Here's hoping I can muster up the strength to hit the grocery store with two kids and find the time to get all of this done by tonight!

Happy belated Valentine's Day, hubs (and the rest of y'all)!

Valentines Time!

LO and I worked on her valentines for her K4 class a few weeks ago with one of her friends from school. I really LOVE how they turned out and am so grateful for the awesome idea from Pinterest!

Here's the picture I used:

And here's a ((horrible)) pic of her valentine with the Tootsie Roll pop attached!

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!!

Some Recent Happenings

Lots of cool stuff happened at the house last week! I thought I'd compile all of those happenings into one blog update. Read on!

Our back patio was poured last Wednesday. We chose to have it extended the length of the house so we'll have enough room for the patio table and chairs, gas grill and several of the kids' toys. We'll have big plans for this space... eventually.

Our driveway and sidewalk were poured last Wednesday as well! Yay!

The fireplace granite, mantle and trim. Done!

The master bathroom vanity. I LOVE the contrast of my espresso vanity with the white marble counter and sink. The floor plan actually calls for dual sinks, but hubs and I have never been ones to fight over sink space. We preferred having the extra counter space for all of our junk instead. ;)

The master bedroom. All of the window trim, baseboard and doors were finished on Thursday throughout the entire house, and all of the walls and ceilings have been painted as well.

Here's the laundry room door and one of the bedroom doors. I wasn't expecting the laundry room door to be different than the ones in the rest of the house, but I don't think I care (unless it results in minimal soundproofing, in which case we'll have issues). ;)

The bedroom over the garage -- probably Chase's. I didn't take pics of the other bedrooms or the loft. Or the kitchen, now that I think about it. Or the great room or morning room. What a random update this is turning out to be.

Our attic stairs were installed, too! Told ya -- random!

The handrails for the stairs are also in -- just need to be stained.

Our front door received its first coat of paint, and the post on the porch was finally added. I'm hoping they plan to paint it white because I'm not sure that taupe-y color matches anything... ;)

Our granite vendor was at the house on Friday when I stopped by to take some of these pics. He was measuring for the countertops, which should be going in THIS WEEK!!! The flooring should start this week, too! Should start to see some big changes in the days ahead! Woot!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!

I thought I'd share one of LO's latest masterpieces with you guys today. It's our family portrait!

Oh, and obviously she wrote HER name above her picture, not LO. ;)

Granite and Cabinets

As promised, I have a little update on the house for y'all today.

You may remember Monday's post about a little granite issue we were having. Well, we met with our PM Tuesday morning and he brought samples of both granite options for us to make a final decision. Here's what they looked like:

Santa Cecilia (LEFT), Giallo Napoleano (RIGHT)

After waaaaay more debate than one would think necessary, hubs and I decided to revert to our first choice that we selected initially, the Santa Cecilia. While I liked that the Giallo Napoleano's "blotches" were more spread out, appearing less "busy" than the Santa Cecilia, I couldn't get over the orangey/peachy/gold tones in the Giallo Napoleano. I will mention that our PM gave me something new to worry about though: veins. He said sometimes the Santa Cecilia has a huge rust-colored vein running across the entire slab, most noticeable on large island countertops (such as the one we'll have in our kitchen). So I've officially started holding my breath over the "vein" issue. We should have the granite installed in the next week or two, so here's hoping!

OH! And a special shout out to my Facebook friends and Twitter followers who shared their opinion on which granite they liked best. Y'all set my mind at ease knowing you all preferred the Santa Cecilia since it just so happened to be the one I had chosen!

Okay, so I'll warn you now about this next "issue" with the house: hubs and I are ridiculously anal and obnoxious. No surprise there, right? So we saw our garage door had been installed Monday evening. Notice anything strange about it? Take a good look:

PUH-LEAZE tell me you saw it.

Did ya?

No?

Look again...

Are you looking?

Did ya see it??

OhMyHeavens. I can't get over the fact that the garage door handle is NOT CENTERED on the garage door! Who does that!? It looks like they were supposed to cut the door down the middle and use it as a single-car garage door. WHY oh WHY wouldn't the handle be in the CENTER of the door like God intended??? I know it seems VERY nitpick-y, but seriously folks, we'll be using this garage door EVERY DAY for the next 30 years!!!! The worst part is that we have yet to see ANY garage door with this issue in ANY of the Ryan communities we've been to. What gives? Waiting to hear back from the PM on this one.

On a brighter note, our kitchen cabinets were installed earlier this week! Yay!

So exciting!!!

What's up next? The interior doors and trim were put up yesterday and will be finished today, then they'll start painting the final coat of paint inside the house. Next week we should see flooring start to go in! Fun!