"Mommy, I Need You"

My little baby girl is almost 4 years old.  But for another month, she is still 3.  A fully toilet-trained 3-year old that still needs a little help cleaning up herself after having used the toilet.  In this house we currently live in, I have tried to teach her to use the upstairs bathroom so that I don't have to run downstairs to help her.  Doesn't always happen but this house is small enough that I can hear her no matter which bathroom she uses. 

Not quite the same story at the new house.  At the new house, we have only one toilet working right now.  It is upstairs in the kid's bathroom.  It is in the second half of the kid's bathroom so it is behind 2 closed doors.  Most of the work we are doing right now is happening on the main floor of the house.  But this new house is much bigger than the old house and her voice is much quieter behind 2 closed doors and up a long flight of stairs and down a hall.  I don't always hear her when she calls.  But what has surprised me more than anything is how she refuses to ask her daddy for help.  I find it amusing some of the time, annoying other times and downright confusing the rest of the time.

Before we had the toilet installed in the new house, we had to use the toilet in the house trailer.  That caused a huge problem because there was no way I could hear her calling from inside a completely different building.  She learned to tell me she needed to use the bathroom so I could go with her.  However, there were numerous occasions when she didn't tell me she had to use the washroom and so her siblings would come tell me she was calling for me so I would arrive to help her, often finding her in tears.  I would apologize profusely and hold her close, assuring her I loved her, even if I didn't come right away.

One day I was cutting stone with the wet tile saw.  It makes a lot of noise so I was wearing ear protection.  I have a hard enough time hearing the kids right next to me when I am using noisy tools, never mind the one calling from the upstairs bathroom behind 2 closed doors.  And the whole time I was working on the stone, Jay was working in the laundry room doing some quiet thing.  Ari knew all this.  She knew what we were doing and where we were working but she still insisted on calling for me.  Eventually Pepe, my 9-year old, told me that Ari had been calling "for like 5 minutes already".  Oh, did I feel bad.  I asked Jay to go help her and, of course, she was crying that I never came.  She felt abandoned.  And I felt incompetent, like I had failed her.  I was certainly annoyed that time. 

This past week I had to leave the house to go get something - I was gone for probably 5 minutes or a little more.  As soon as I walk back in the house, I hear Ari calling for my help.   I was completely bewildered.  I wasn't even in the house and she was calling for me.  She didn't once think I wasn't going to come.  She didn't once consider calling her daddy.  She just kept calling and calling, even though I wasn't even in the house.  Jay was in the kitchen, working quietly.  I was mostly bewildered that time with a bit of amusement and annoyance thrown in.  It really spoke to my heart - this little girl NEEDS her mom.  Her dad won't do.  Her sisters or brothers won't do.  Only her mom can fulfill that place in her heart.  She needs help, she calls her mom, no questions asked.  And, in her mind, her mom always comes, no matter if her mom is at the top of the ladder wearing eye and ear protection nailing together a coffered ceiling while her dad is in the room next to her - no matter if her mom isn't even in the area - her mom always comes.  I let her down frequently.  I don't always hear her.  She has cried many tears because I don't always come immediately.  How it does my heart good to know that she still calls for me, even after failing her so often.

But is it also a fantastic reminder that I can always call on my Heavenly Father and he always hears.  His ears are never covered.  The noise around him is not so great that he cannot hear me.  My cries are never too faint for him to hear.  He never steps out of the house or out of my life.  He always hears when I call and comes immediately. 

Psalm 18:6 says 

"But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears."

Throughout this building process, many trials have come our way.  Things have been hard.  Roadblocks have been thrown in our path.  More so lately it seems that it takes more from us to finish this work, finish this house.  But I am so thankful that through it all, no matter where we are or what happens, no matter how loud the noise is around us, we can call on our Father to help us and he always hears our cries.  He always comes and helps us, no matter what.  And that is a promise I will hold firm to as we continue on this journey.  And maybe, just maybe, Ari will remember that she can call on her daddy for help, too!

Sneak Peek - The Kitchen

This week work continued in the kitchen.  The double crown was installed as well as the light valance.  I also worked on the countertops more getting them closer to being sealed.  But work on the countertop was paused so I could tile the backsplash!  So here are a few pictures of the kitchen so far.  Certainly still work to be done but getting closer!  I also painted various other areas of the house and Jason started installing flooring in the pantry.  The hearth is complete on the fireplace so I will show you the end result next week.  Without any further ado, here are kitchen pictures so far!  Let me know what you think.

Before

Backsplash behind stove

 

All of these pictures are of the uppers right now as the lower cabinets are still without their doors/drawers until the countertops are finished.  I am certainly loving it so far!  It is a dream coming true!  (And I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures - I forgot my camera at home so these are done with Jay's cell.  With the huge blizzard we had last night, I knew I wouldn't get back there today to take better pics.)

Sneak Peek - The Livingroom

As we get closer to finishing each room, I will give you a sneak peek!  No, this room is not complete since there is still no flooring or baseboards, some of the casings are still missing and the hearth is yet to be tiled BUT it is close and looking sooooo good.  Hard to believe this is my house.  I mean, really?  The house I own could possibly look this classy?  I am still in a bit of shock and each day I still stand and look into the room with a slight smile of amazement on my face!  Next week, I just may show you a photo of the kitchen!  :)



BEFORE - September 15, 2012

AFTER A BIT OF WORK - January 4, 2013

I Need Your Opinion, Please!

So I have this posted on my personal FB page but I thought I would share it with you here, too.  I have a little dilemma.  I am trying to figure out if it looks better to have only dark tiles on my hearth (both the top and the front) or if I should paint the front of the hearth white and leave the top with the dark tile.  I have the room a little more "finished" to help figure things out (I laid out a bunch of our absolutely gorgeous flooring and I stuck some baseboards in place BUT the actual baseboards will be taller and more detailed).  Which look do you prefer?  All dark or white?  Please, do tell!

Progress is Happening

I know.  It has been WEEKS since any update.  But it is not because we stopped working.  We have been working almost every single day, all through Christmas "break".  In fact, I even did a little work on Christmas Day.  Gasp!  The only full days off we had were the Sundays and the 26th, which had a family gathering plopped right in the middle of it and went on all day.  All the other days saw us working madly.  See, we really, really, REALLY want to move in at the end of January and our list is still super long.  Sometimes it is discouraging to see what is all left.  Sometimes it is encouraging.  Nonetheless, each day the house looks a little less like a construction site and a little more like a home.  A finished home.  And we have already checked 7 things off the list this week (which really doesn't bode well since we need to finish 40 each week but it sure makes us feel good since some weeks saw us finishing 7 things in 6 days instead of 2)Oh, and the fact that Jason's manager at the hog barns quit and is done throws another wrench into the "finish quickly" plans.  He is at the house this week but cannot promise to be there at all next week since he needs to work at the hog barns.  Yeah.  Whatever.  It will get done when it gets done, right?

I truly do intend to update each of the weeks leading up to today but in the meantime I will leave you with a few teaser photos to show you how things are shaping up.  I think it is coming together so nicely!


coffered ceiling and mantle all painted white



stonework on fireplace surround - I did it all myself!



one of two aqua rooms in the house - laundry room is coming together nicely



mudroom concrete floor is stained and sealed and the walls are all painted

There is much work that has been completed since these photos were taken but I will leave that for another day.  Now at least you can see what has taken a little bit of our time.  And, if you enjoy checking out our progress, please comment and let me know!!  I love reading the comments but get a little disappointed when the only comments showing up are spam!  :)

The meds are working, Praise the Lord!!

We knew this day was coming for several weeks now but it didn't make it any easier to endure.  This was the day we took all 5 kids into the children's heart center for testing.  AJ needed to be retested to see if his meds were working and the rest of the kids needed to be tested to see if they also carry the same heart condition AJ does.  When we arrived at just after 12:45pm, the kids all removed their coats and boots and were immediately weighed.  Then the 2 little girls came with me while they had their ECG.  They have never had any testing like this done so they were mighty apprehensive.  Telling them they were just going to have stickers all over their tummy didn't seem to help but once Ali had her test done, Ari was quick to follow.  After all, she watched Ali and saw she did fine so it was okay for her as well.  While the little girls were having their ECGs, the older 3 were off with Jay for echo cardiograms (ultrasounds of their hearts).  They were great for their tests.  After all, all you do is lie on your side and have some goop smooshed on your chest.  She rubs a wand all over your heart area and you can watch and listen to your heart - quite fascinating, really.  When they were done, it was time for AJ to have his stress test.  Since he has done this before, it was simple, really.  Lie down, hook up all the wire, run on the treadmill, endure the speed and incline changes for 11 minutes and you are done!  Well, we were thrilled to see that he was able to go for twice as long on the treadmill before his heart started showing dangerous and abnormal heart rhythms.  That means his beta-blocker medication is working and we are so thankful for that!  Praise Jesus!  Once he was done, it was Pepe's turn.  He was not so excited.  Stoic.  Serious.  No fun.  Just get it over with.  He ran.  He stopped at just shy of 7 minutes, complaining his legs hurt.  I was a bit disappointed in him quitting but they were able to get the results they needed.  Perfectly normal!  Thank you, Lord!  Then it was RJ's turn.  She was looking forward to this for so long.  She was sooo excited about running on the treadmill.  So, they hooked her up and eventually, after a very long wait, she was able to hop on the treadmill.  She only lasted just over 7 minutes before she asked to stop but the technician said it is hard for little kids (RJ is 6) to run coordinated on an inclined treadmill.  But she did enough to get normal test results so we are super thrilled about that, too!   While the older 3 were on the treadmill, the younger 2 were off for their echo cardiograms.  But Ali did not like it one little bit.  Jay had to lie down right behind her on the bed so the test could be done.  It was but she wasn't happy about it.  Ari was much better, a little more adventurous than Ali.  Then, after everyone was tested, AJ was hooked up to the holter monitor, which is a portable ECG that monitors him for the next 24 hours.  He has a bunch of wires stuck to him with lots of tape holding it all in place so it is rather uncomfortable but he is a trooper.  I promised Lego when he is done!  :)  Then we sat for what seemed like forever to hear all the results.  It was tiring watching one staff member after another leaving at the end of the day and we were still there.  Finally, it was just our family and our doctor left.  And then he told us all the good news.  AJ's meds are working.  Pepe and RJ have normal test results.  Ari and Ali, though, because they are too young for the treadmill, will have to have a holter monitor test at some time in the future to rule out any heart condition.  But their tests were also normal (which, incidentally, doesn't mean much since AJ also has normal ECG results and a normal echo cardiogram.  That is why the holter and/or stress test is so important.).  So, that was all good.  Now on to the next steps.  Jay and I must be tested.  We need to go to our family doctor and explain what is happening with AJ and request testing for ourselves.  AJ will fly to another province to have an MRI of his heart in the new year.  This is another test the doctor is expecting to have normal results.  That is the funny thing about this rare heart condition, called CPVT.  Most resting results are normal.  The heart muscle itself is also normal.  It is just an inability of the heart's electrical system to handle adrenaline so it runs into problems with exercise or emotionally-induced stress.  Once the MRI is completed, AJ will go for genetics testing to see if they can identify the gene causing the CPVT.  In 40%-60% of the cases, they cannot identify the gene but they can some of the time.  If they can, then we know for certain he has CPVT and the rest of the family can also be tested so we would know with certainty who has it and who doesn't.  If the gene cannot be identified, a couple of other invasive tests can be performed to solidify a diagnosis of CPVT.  Since those tests are not mandatory and since they are full of risks, we are inclined to not do them.  It is not that important to us that we have a certain 100% diagnosis of CPVT if it means AJ's life is at risk.  We know that the meds are working and we trust the doctor.  He is one of only 9 specialists in the country and the only one in our province that knows and understands this relatively new and rare condition.  With all the research we have done (which isn't hard to do since there is not that much written about it - remember, new and rare) we know that this is what AJ has.  It fits every description to a tee.  So, for now the AED stays with us until the medication controls it perfectly or until they implant an internal defibrillator.  Whatever the case, we are thankful for today's results and were so glad to leave the clinic 4 1/2 long hours after we arrived.

Owner Building a Home - Week 29 - Flooring Continues, Fireplace Surround, Coffered Ceiling

This past week has been a mixed bag of emotions for me.  I made a list of all the things we need to do before we can move in the house.  It is almost 200 items long and that is only the ones I remembered.  Each day I have added one or two things I forgot.  It is good to have a list so that I can stay focused, see what needs to be done and get it done.  But it can be overwhelming to see all that is yet to be completed and it makes me think we will NEVER move in.  We will but probably not this year.  Maybe mid-January?

Since the septic field was installed last week, the top priority was installing a toilet in the house.  Jay worked on that first thing on Monday and, let me tell you, going upstairs to the bathroom instead of across the yard to an unheated building is soooo nice.  We appreciate our toilet very much!  :)

This week we installed floor heat pipe in the mudroom/laundry room/Jay's bathroom area to prepare for the heated concrete floor.  Jay and Mr.W had marked out the lines earlier so we just needed to follow the rather faded pencils lines.  Jay and I worked on laying the lines together and there was NO ARGUING!!  See, miracles do happen!  :)  We layed out the 1/2" pipe and used talon pipe clamps for PEX pipes to nail it to the wooden subfloor.  Jay held the pipe while I nailed the clamps in place.

The next day we poured the concrete floor.  It was a very wet mixture so it practically flowed in place.  It is only 1 1/2" thick so we made sure there was super plasticizer and fiber mesh in the mix since we weren't adding any rebar.  It took many hours before it cured.

While the concrete was curing and Mr.W was babysitting it, Jay and I went to the city to pick up our new stove that was now ready.  I bought this stove from the same business where I bought our full fridge/full freezer.  This company specializes in scratch and dent Electrolux and Frigidaire products.  This stove had a dented door so they replaced the door with a brand new one even before they let me buy it.  This is a completely brand new stove but I only paid 43% of full retail value!  A huge savings for what I hope is a fantastic Electrolux Dual-Fuel stove.  Since we already borrowed a truck to get the stove, we "quickly" made a stop to the newest IKEA in Canada, just 30 minutes from our house.  The store has only been open 1 week so it was busy but not insane.  I practically had to wear blinders as I walked through because we were on a strict timeline and I needed to get to the kitchen cabinetry.  We were picking up the cabinets for our laundry room and some for in the pantry.  We also picked up some butcher block counters for in the laundry room.  By the time we had everything we came for, the cabinets and the stove, the back of the truck was full.  My next trip to IKEA better be more leisurely.  But even if it isn't, IKEA is here to stay and we no longer need to travel 7 hours into another country to get to the next closest store.  Jay even said we can go there as a family to eat in the restaurant ANYTIME we want.  And that is a quote I will hold him to.

My focus this week has been to finish grinding/polishing the counter tops.  The island is complete and ready for the sealant.  The perimeter counters need a few more hours of work but they are close.  However, since the saw was set up in the living room next to the kitchen and all the MDF being cut was making scads of dust, the counter tops will be finished next week.  Hopefully.

Mr.W started the actual work on the fireplace surround and mantle this week.  This project he has done completely on his own with only our input for design ideas.  I am okay with that.  He has finished the MDF portion of the surround and next week will work on adding all the 1/2 rounds and 1/4 rounds, crown and panel moulding needed to finish it off.  Then I get to paint it! 

Mr.W also got Jay and I started on the coffered ceiling in the living room.  He did a bit of the work with us to show us how to do it then left us to work on it alone.  Once again, we were able to work together well without arguing.  Maybe after almost 30 weeks of working on the house, we can finally work together like mature adults, showing the same respect to each other as we do to others?  Only time will tell.  We have completed all the MDF portion of the ceiling and now just need to add the panel mouldings.  It is looking sooo good!


First, you add the MDF to make the sides.



You work your way around the room adding all the sides, gluing and nailing each piece.



After you have added the sides and the bottoms, you start adding 2" stripss on the top and bottom of the sides to add more detail, which actually mimics the detail on the fireplace.

The bottom 2" strip overlaps the bottom of the box by 1/2" adding more dimension and interest.



Once the 2" strips are complete, you add other pieces at the ends and in the center of each side to add further interest, mimicking the fireplace surround yet again. 



I also started painting in the office.  The paint looks so good with the lights I installed last week (though Jay laments that with those pendant lights, he cannot play volleyball in the office!).

And I was also able to finish filling all the holes in the base/case in RJ's room, sand it all and caulk where needed (which was everywhere).  I have never caulked before so with 2 instructions foremost in my mind - a small hole and push the gun - I am getting the hang of it.  I will have many more feet to practice on.  Her room is now ready for the final coat of paint on the baseboards/casings (which should be a quick thing to do) and her room is DONE!  I will wait to do that final coat until I have a few more rooms ready as well.

I am so thankful for a day of rest.  With all the work on the coffered ceiling, my triceps as super sore and in need of rest.  And now my blog is up-to-date!  :)