Bathroom Redo

About 3 weeks ago, we started our DIY Bathroom makeover.  Craig did all of the work, and I made most of the decisions and chased the kids while he worked.  I am so proud of what he did and how it turned out.  I'm also so glad it's done.  Three weeks of all of us sharing the small master bathroom was a little long...  I so wish we would have done it years ago.  The room feels bigger, brighter, and happier.  The sad part is I don't have any recent "before pictures".  These are from before we bought the house, but the only thing different  for the last 6 years was the blue towels and seat cover. 

So, you can see it was a darker olive green/brown color with vinyl floors and laminate countertops.  All of the fixtures were write with chrome.  

So, I came home from work one day to find my vinyl floors were ripped out and being prepped for new ceramic tile.  We had been talking about starting this project soon, but one day Craig started.  We were shooting to have it done by November 1st, and we are actually ahead of schedule minus a few minor details.  Here's the new tile.  Similar color to the vinyl, but a little more interesting (and clean!).  It has grey and tan swirls on a white background.  

One of the hardest parts for me is always choosing the paint color.  After 6 samples from Lowe's, we settled on Grand Hotel Mackinac Blue from Valspar.  This photo is slightly more green than real life, but it's close. We also replaced the toilet with this HUGE one from Kohler.  The box said "Bold. Power." ha!  It's much bigger and taller than the old one, but so far nobody has fallen off or in, so I think we're good!  

It's hard to take pictures with a cell phone of light figures, but here's the new one!  It's brushed nickel with frosted glass.  The previous was chrome with naked light bulbs that did nothing but collect and burn dust.  This is a great improvement.  

And now, the pièce de résistance, the counter-top!!!  We definitely upgraded here!  We went with a Onyx top from Lowe's in the color Keystone with a gloss finish.  I LOVE IT!  It's sink is seamlessly inlayed in the counter-top, which make it is easier to clean.  We also went with the widespread faucet in brushed nickel with two handles which is easier for the kids to operate and for me to clean.  We added hardware to the existing vanity to change it up a bit.  We also upgraded the towel ring to brushed nickle and electrical reciprocals to white. 

My mom redid her bathrooms last year, and she used hooks instead of towel bars.  I loved this idea, so I did the same here.  I think it's great for bathrooms that have more than one person using them daily.  You get more space for towels!  I think it's also going to be easier for Delaney to use when she's done with the hooded towels.  I also love my shower curtain.  I looked EVERYWHERE for something I liked that "wasn't crazy or floral" that Craig approved.  This Kate Spade curtain I found on eBay was the perfect fit!  We also upgraded to a curved shower curtain rod, so even the shower itself feels bigger.  We upgraded the trim kit and shower head to brushed nickel, but kept the existing fiberglass shower.  We just gave it a good cleaning with some WD-40 (who knew?) and a power brush with some Soft Scrub.

We added a couple decorative shelves over the toilet for some balance.  I'm still working on the other decorative elements.  I have now added a clock and a picture frame to the shelves.  I'm planning to get a little plant and then some wall art for over the towel hooks.  We also are going to frame the mirror.  It's actually glued to the wall, so we couldn't just take it down and replace it.  We're going to dress it up a bit though!  

I'm so happy with how it turned out!  Thanks Craig for all your hard work!  I'm so lucky to have a handy husband!  

Cooper-10 Months

Cooper is officially 10 months old!?!  I'm not sure where the last 10 months have gone, but they have flown by.  This picture captures the essence of Cooper pretty well.  He's a silly, little spitfire full of smiles.  At 10 months, I think he might be starting to grow just a little bit.  He's weighing about 18lbs and a few ounces.  I think he's probably 29 or 30 inches long...I haven't officially measured him.  The 9 month clothes are finally fitting better than the 6 months, and we're finishing up the last of the size 2 diapers.

He has also been sleeping a bit better lately too.  For the last few days he's been waking up between 5:30 or 6 for breakfast, and then going back to bed until after 8.  Makes for a long day for me, but he seems happy.  Since his new favorite thing is to pull up and stand, this has made bedtime lots of fun.  He loves to stand up in his crib and peak out the door.  He's so proud of himself!  It's adorable (naughty), but adorable.

Cooper wants to be a big kid.  He could care less about bottles or baby food.  He wants the real stuff.  He doesn't like everything I give him, but he wants it.  He is at the stage of if you're eating something, you better expect to share.  He also tries to do things like big kids...standing, walking, climbing, etc.  He can't wait to grow up.  He is walking a few steps here and then (holding onto something, of course).  I expect he'll be walking well before his birthday, but we'll see.

He still only have 2 teeth.  I swear my kids are the slowest teethers on the planet.  They seem to be bothering him a bit more these days.  I hope that means we're getting closer to them actually coming in.  Poor kid has been dealing with them for months.

I think he's on the verge of dancing.  I've caught him rocking and bouncing to the beat when something is playing.  I can't wait for him to have a big dance party with his big sister.  He also seems to be asking for a set of drums for Christmas (don't get any ideas, grandparents!), as he is always drumming on something.

He's still looking for trouble.  Recent favorites have been outlets, power cords, and dog bowls.  He thinks he's very funny when he gets busted (except when Delaney is doing the busting).  He gets himself stuck in small spaces, and just gets mad.  He goes over things rather than around them...this includes toys, pillows, Daddies, and books. Speaking of Daddy, Cooper has become a bit of a Daddy's boy here recently.  It's so fun to watch.  He thinks Daddy is pretty funny!

Cooper seems to be getting louder, crazier, and more funny the older he gets.  His little personality and smile are such a blessing!  We love him to pieces.