Looking into Miles' room from the bathroom.

Miles' room. We tore out the closet and used some space from the new bathroom to make a larger one. Then we sealed off the entry that was going into the master to make the space more usable.

The beginnings of a new bathroom.

James painstakingly scratching off the hideos texture on the wall. It took forever!

My new closet! It is awesome.

The bathtub! Now all we needed was running water....that took a while.

Stairs that didn't seem to want to break beneath your feet.

James and his Dad starting to put in the kitchen cabinets.

James tiling the kitchen.

The beginning of the bathroom sinks.

The beginning of the rooftop deck.

And finally our view from the rooftop deck....hey there Philly :)

We love our house, and it makes it even more special that we put so much work into it. Sometimes I wish that things were more perfect, but its pretty amazing what we accomplished. I think this is my longest post ever, but if you are dying to see more pics, just click on "The Remodel"

Simple Pleasures....

So I got tagged by my friend Joy...sneaky sneaky Joy. I am supposed to name some of my simple pleasures. This was a tough one for some reason but here goes....
1. New Socks. (James just got some from my sister and I got to wear them first because I love it so much)
2. Fresh baked bread, probably since my mother spoiled me :)
3. Watermelon
4. A shower
5. Excercising
6. Chatting with my mom on the phone
7. Snuggling with James
8. When Miles sits in my lap and lets me read to him
There you go! I would love to see all of your simple pleasures.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is my Dad's birthday. He is the best Dad ever, and I love him so so much!!!! Any of you that know him, know that he is fabulous. And for those of you that don't....here are some of my favorite things about my dad.
....he taught us how to shoot a bow and arrow in the backyard
....playing football in the pool with a greased watermelon
....his crows feet always look bright white compared to his tan skin (since he smiles so often)
....he came to my cheerleading competitions in high school
....how nervous he always made the boys that came to the house
....he would take us fishing in the "creek" in Novato
....his four letter word is "stupid"
....he once bought an entire shopping cart full of candy bars (a dream come true for any kid)
....he drove all the way from SLC to Santa Barbara with me when I left for college
....he gets things done right away (no procrastinating for my Dad)
....his never ending sweet tooth (that I inherited from him)
I think I could go on forever, but I won't. As I have had Miles I realize how much parenting is a sacrifice and how you can't describe the love that a parent has for a child. It has make me appreciate so much more my own parents. And seeing my Dad playing with Miles, getting down on his hands and knees to entice him to wrestle, just reminds me more of all the fun and joy my Dad has given me.

Some First Steps

James has been taking Miles to the park a lot lately since it has been so nice. There is a lot more room for him to stretch his legs without grabbing for a piece of furniture. On Saturday Miles spent almost two hours at the park with James while I threw a baby shower for a friend. When he got home he was standing on the couch and shocked me when he just left the couch and walked right to me. I made him do it over and over and finally told James to get the camera. I am sure it will be no time until he is running!

Bite Marks

Miles is such a happy kid. Here is is after just waking up from a nap. I don't hear him cry, I usually hear him squeal in delight or blabber to himself.
 
This is what he is doing while he waits for us to get him....
 
Yep, those are bite marks. He is personalizing his crib by biting off the finish. I wish I could make him stop, I am sure its not the best of habits.
 

Friday Flashback!

when we first moved to Philadelphia. We took a trip out to see my Grandma Checchio in New Jersey. It was so fun to see my "East Coast Family". I wish I had known how much easier it was to go and visit before I had Miles. I would have gone a lot more. Hopefully I will get to see them all again soon!
 
Here am I with my Uncle Guy. The Youngest of the Checchio boys.
 
His wife Diane and daughter Stephanie and James.
 
Me and my Uncle Greg.
 
Me, Stephanie and Vanessa.

The Phone Saga

Hip Hip Hooray for my sister Amy! I have been having so much trouble with phones lately. James left my charger in the hospital when I had Miles, and they didn't make one anymore for that phone, so I started using an old phone of James'. That one died after Miles got his hands (well his mouth) on it, and so we got me a new phone. Then Miles got a hold of that one too and I have been able to receive calls, but not talk back to anyone! It has been so frustrating! So my sister Amy sent me an old phone of hers to use. Unfortunately that phone was not compatible with my SIM card, but her charger worked for my original phone! Yeah! I can actually talk to people again.
To sing my sister's praises even more, I opened up the box and not only did it have the phone in it, but it had 3 shirts for me and a pair of capris, 3 shirts for James and some argyle socks, and an outfit for Miles. She is so generous and sweet, and I love her so much! We have all been sporting our new threads all week. Thanks again Amy!
 

Little Red Shoes

My Mom got these adorable little red Nikes for Miles. I love that they are red, becuase that makes me think of my Mom even more. I think for a few years there, the only shoes she would buy were red.
 
Miles doesn't love trying to get them on, and they are a little big so sometimes his heel slips out, but he is getting better and better about walking around in them. (He needs something on those feet when we go to the park)Thanks Mom!