Sunday, January 27, 2013

Thursday, January 17, 2013

the big construction post

We moved into our new house on March 30 and began the process to remodel as soon as we could.  This took a lot longer than expected because after choosing a contractor, working with them to develop plans and submitting the plans to our HOA and the city, we found out we would not be able to follow through with our plans to expand the house into the backyard because of a city ordinance. Since the house is in a flood plane, no new houses or structural add-ons can be built at the existing level of our house.  They have to be 10 inches above flood plane.  Our home is 20 inches below, so our add-on would have to be 30 inches higher than the existing foundation; the equivalent of 5 steps.  This was not going to work for multiple reasons so all original plans were scrapped.  The plans we came up with and finally completed are still a big improvement on the original house, but not ideal in several ways.  The house is quite dark since we had to get rid of a lot of windows on the North/back side of the house, the laundry room is a bit smaller than what I had envisioned, and our master bedroom/bathroom is a bit awkwardly set up in my opinion.  To see the original house pics, click here.

We started construction on July 11 and were told it would be a 4-6 week project.  It ended up taking 4.5 months.  This was a horrible experience, everything that could go wrong did and even though most things were fixed, there are several things that are not up to our expectations and were not executed according to our communications with the contractor.

This is how we lived for the bulk of the time.  Plastic separated us from the work and the kitchen was fully functional (fridge was moved into the eating nook).
Photobucket

We moved our breakfast table into the space between the dining room and living room.
Photobucket

This is the partial wall they had to remove.  It housed the fridge, water heater (moved to attic) and inadequate washer/dryer closet.  It separated the kitchen from a useless area with fireplace, previously used as an office.
Photobucket

They removed the chimney and windows.
Photobucket

Here the entire wall is ripped out.
Photobucket

We extended the roof to create a covered porch.
Photobucket

IJ wanted desperately to help.
Photobucket

The new window and door from the laundry room are in and the door to the kitchen was moved over.
Photobucket

We went into the bathroom one day to see these 2 large cuts from the guys cutting through from the other side of the wall (new laundry room).  This continued to happen to this section of wall at least 5 more times.  I was actually glad, because I hated this nook in the wall and wanted to change the grey paint that definitely didn't match the tan tiles.  They agreed to do both these things after chopping up the wall.
Photobucket

And the completed work...

This is the new laundry room, built in the space where the fireplace was.  It has a door leading out to the back porch.  The flooring is a natural linoleum product in a black, grey and white pattern.
Photobucket

Changes in the kitchen include the addition of an island, the fridge moved (from the partial wall taken down) into the place of the former very small pantry with new cabinets above and a more than double the former size pantry by the back door.  Across from the pantry is the new 1/2 bathroom.
Photobucket

Photobucket

The other side of the new opened up kitchen/breakfast area is our new built in desk and cabinets.  A doorway was closed behind the right side of this area in order to have enough room for storage.
Photobucket

This is the new 1/2 bath by the back door.
Photobucket

Photobucket

The living room remains the same.  The doorway behind IJ is now the only opening to the hallway.
Photobucket

Photobucket

We still need a chandelier for the dining room.  The original one is now above the breakfast table because it didn't work with a round table.
Photobucket

The kids' bathroom was included in the construction because we had all the old pipes replaced underground during this process.  Since they had to tear up the floor a bit we also had them move the toilet away from the wall because it was incorrectly positioned before.  Luckily we had extra tiles to replace those broken.  As stated earlier, we also had them repair the cut up drywall and cover over the nook.  We changed the grey to a light and bright green.
Photobucket

Photobucket

Our master bedroom and bathroom was completely torn out to reconfigure and attempt to create adequate closet space which was desperately lacking in the original room (original plans were to create a large walk in closet).  In this picture, the door on the left is the entrance to the room and the door on the right leads to the bathroom.
Photobucket

These windows face a very private side yard.  We haven't decided how to treat them yet.  At some point I'd like to put in some attractive plants to climb the fence a bit because the view is ugly.
Photobucket

On the right is one of the 2 sets of closet doors along that wall.  We have an entire wall of double closet rods with just a two foot section of single rod space. 
Photobucket

This is the master bath.  The counters are a sparkly black recycled composite material. 
Photobucket

This is the entrance to the shower.  It is a large rectangle, about the size of a standard tub.  I chose a black pebble floor and grey/silver slate for the walls and bathroom floor.
Photobucket

Once the construction company left we had someone put in a brick pave stone porch floor.  I went with a dark grey stone, of course.
 photo 2012-11-17_13-15-16_445_zpsa673c466.jpg

We left a small unpaved area between the porch and driveway where we will put in a garden.
Photobucket

Monday, January 7, 2013

ZJ is 15 months old!

Photobucket
1.6.13

ZJ has added a few words this month.  She says "hi" now and says some version of "ball" and "baby" since we've worked on those.  I ask her if she wants mama milk when she wants to breastfeed and I've gotten her to answer by saying "mama."  She will now come up to me and start chanting "mama mama my" when she wants milk.  She has finally started pointing this month and usually says "buh" as she points at things.  She is at the stage where she is starting to understand a lot and respond to our words.  Her new dancing style is to take lots of tiny steps while walking in circles, which she'll do on command.  She's decided she no longer needs to get down from a few places backwards and will now sit on the edge and slide off, landing on her feet.  I introduced water to her in a straw cup and she figured it out right away.  She thinks it's the funnest thing ever to drink out of it, chew on it and spill it.

ZJ loves to sit and dig in dirt or mulch.  Luckily she has begun bringing me things she finds on the floor or ground instead of putting everything in her mouth.

ZJ finally has her own bed.  We have a twin size, organic mattress on the floor in her room and she now takes her daily nap there. 

ZJ's four molars are just starting to come in.  A couple have broken through her gums and they look painful.

Her sleeping schedule has remained about the same.  She still wakes several times through the evening but is sleeping better during the first part of the night and still waking frequently during the early morning hours.  ZJ was sick twice this month.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

December 2012 Pics

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

IJ was alone for a moment in the tub after his haircut. In that time he got out of the tub, put the razor blade onto the razor and gave himself another haircut.
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

IJ got a ukulele for Hanukkah.
Photobucket

IJ now has a doll house to play with at preschool and really likes it.
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

IJ and ZJ got a play stove and some pots and pans for cooking.
Photobucket

Photobucket

ZJ has some long lashes.
Photobucket

I guess IJ got used to hearing "we don't eat turkey" during thanksgiving because he was making odd gestures in front of this turkey and said he was spitting it out because he didn't eat it.
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

ZJ, in the table at her great grandmother's house.
Photobucket

IJ got a super hero cape for Hanukkah.
Photobucket

Photobucket

This is ZJ's first nap in her new bed.
Photobucket

I gave ZJ a cup to drink out of for the first time. She mastered this straw cup of water after a couple of minutes exploring it.
Photobucket