Bathroom Renovation - Before and Demo

The long awaited bathroom renovation started this week!

Here are the before photos from when we moved into the house:

This bathroom is HUGE. Obnoxiously huge. It is larger than an apartment bedroom. It is only slightly smaller than my studio apartment when I first moved to Brooklyn! The tub is oversized, the vanity is oversized, and the square footage is entirely unnecessary for a bathroom. And it wasn't in good shape. It was dated looking. The toilet was gross. One of the sinks was discolored and scratched all over. The faucets were janky. The counter was stained and the base was pretty beat up. The shower seemed usable but needed new grout and the pan was stained as well. It was probably the moldy lemon of the house in terms of condition. 

 

We used the bathroom for a little over two months before I noticed water damage on the ceiling in the dining room directly below the location of the shower drain. We called a plumber immediately. He came and looked at it and told me it wasn't a plumbing issue but the shower shouldn't be used and would need to be replaced. Whether there was a crack in the drain, the water was coming from loose grout, whatever...it was clear that water was accumulating under the shower pan. So we stopped using the shower that day and called for a bathroom renovation place to come give us a quote. 

As Murphy's Law would have it, the exact week we got a quote for the bathroom was the same time we discovered we'd need to replace the furnace. We couldn't afford to do both at the same time. So we got the furnace replaced and Dan and I just started using the kid's bathroom to shower. PERKS OF HAVING TWO BATHROOMS!!!! I was bummed to put the bathroom on hold but man alive it was $$$.

So we waited. The only real "work" we did in the bathroom since moving in was replacing the faucets and taking down the old dark blinds. We did the faucets the first month we moved in and we put up light filtering roller shades several months later. I had lots of ideas for making other improvements but those didn't make sense to do before the shower was fixed.

In the spring we called a different bathroom renovation place to come and give us a quote. We talked to the guy about what we could do about removing the tub but not necessarily replacing it. It didn't make sense to me to fix only the shower and have an otherwise mis-matched bathroom. I wanted to modernize it all at the same time. We decided we could spruce up the vanity ourselves. Get the sinks replaced and have someone else replace the floor and toilet. The bathroom renovators would demo the shower and tub and install a new standing shower. 

We decided to go for it and put in a down payment. 

THAT SAME NIGHT, we found out we'd have to replace the A/C. Murphy's Law in action again. For anyone out there who doesn't believe in acknowledging worst case scenarios or negative outcomes...what do you have to say about that? 

But, we'd already put in the down payment and the bathroom needed to be done. So, you pay for both and pinch in other places.

Photos before the renovation. Sorry for the photo quality. It is either blindingly bright in here or dark. This was about middle.

Yesterday they came and gutted the shower and tub and installed the new shower. The bathroom will still be relatively unusable for some time since the shower door has to be measured after install and takes a few weeks to arrive. Additionally, we have exposed sub-floor and drywall where the tub used to be. Here we are today. 

Weekending it

Who knew New Jersey had so many fun and amazing train adventures for our train loving Kip??

This weekend Mandy found a place running train rides on the weekend and we happened to catch one of the rare occasions they had the steam engine running! Dreams come true!

It was REALLY hot out and the old passenger cars were not air conditioned so we got the old school travel experience, covered in soot and all! It was 95 degrees in those old cars.

It was a short 20 minute ride from Flemington to Ringoes. We got out and looked in the gift shop and then hopped back on the train back to Flemington. Ivy fell asleep on the way back and managed a successful car seat transfer. Despite the heat, it was a really fun experience. 

Life Lately

I feel like I haven't posted much of substance lately or shared much of what is going on with life. So, just a little recap today.

We've lived in our home for nearly a year! Such a wild year at that. We had to make several unexpected home improvements that have taken huge bites out of our financial apple. Awe, the woes of home ownership. 

This year, we replaced the furnace, the air conditioner, and are in the process of replacing the two HUGE picture windows above our door and stairs. One window is blown (causes discoloration) and the other has a leak in it. I'm hoping this upgrade will help with temperature control on the second floor. We get lovely direct sunlight which fills the house with beautiful light...and heat. Anyways, we ordered the windows but delays will push their install until likely October. 

We are also about to jump into a main bathroom renovation. A more detailed post on that is upcoming but basically the shower in Dan and my bathroom has been out of commission since a couple of months after we moved it. Holy wow, bathroom renovations are pricey. We are doing it piece meal very slowly (obviously it's been nearly a year without the shower) but maybe in another year it will be done? Demo starts next week. 

Fortunately, the HOA took care of some improvements this year. We had the roof replaced, they power washed the siding, and just last week we got a stair rail added to our front stoop. 

The next project is giving the front door a fresh coat of paint and add a kick plate. 

Life is moving on from the pandemic over here which is a conflicting feeling for me as it still feels very much like a problem, particularly for little kids. Anyways, I have to return to working in the office beginning mid-August. I have very mixed feelings about it and I'm nervous about the commute and missing the kids. Ivy and I have had every single day of her life together and she isn't weaned yet. I know it will be fine and we will get through, however rocky it may be. I'm just tired of the constant need to adjust routine. 

 

Kip is VERY anxious about the start of school. We all know he will love it once he gets started but in his mind, it feels scary. Any time we talk about it he insists he is NOT going and lists a number of reasons why. We are trying to do some prep with reading books about school but it's not helping. For some reason he thinks he needs to know everything in order to go to school and we can't seem to help him understand that you go to school TO learn things. Tips?

Several weeks ago an old friend who I used to be very close to lost her one month old son to SIDS. It is devastating. I feel so much sadness for her and also guilt. I have two healthy babies and she struggled to get pregnant with one, just to lose him so soon. I'll never understand why such tragedies happen.

Lastly, Grandpa is still in the hospital which is stressful. Please continue to pray for answers and some encouragement for Grandma during this hard time. 

We are all balancing a lot and still trying to enjoy summer, get things done, keep our heads above water and make it through each day.

Festive Baby

Just a happy little festive photo progression to share today. Hopefully it takes your mind off of anything unsettling happening in your life right now, if only for a moment or two.

Such a happy little girl. She is so close to walking these days and saying a few words!! It's true what they say, boys progress more quickly in gross motor skills and girls take the lead in social skills. I wonder if she will be a non-stop chatter box?

Weekending it

Dan is home!!! It was the longest he and I have been away from each other since our marriage and the longest for the kids as well. Fortunately, it went pretty fast and painless on our end and we are glad that Dan was able to be of help to his parents. Please continue to send good thoughts and prayers to Grandpa as he is still in the hospital.

Mandy and I survived the weekend with the kids and even managed some adventuring. We took them to the pool on Friday afternoon which was a big hit with Kip and the goldfish snacks were the highlight for Ivy. 

On Saturday we took them to the train playground which we hadn't been to in awhile. No one is ever at that park so that's not so bad from my perspective. We found some Italian ice treats on the way home and then dealt with rolling overtired, hangry meltdowns from Kip the rest of the night. 

On Sunday Dan was back and took charge of the kids so Mandy and I could get out of the house and get a break. Dan is the great regulator of this family so we definitely missed his balancing presence.

And now it's just another week and another race to the weekend. A lot of big transitions are fast approaching so I'm getting worried and annoyed about that. I have to return to working in the office part time starting mid-August, just after Kip's birthday. And then we've got the start of Pre-k in the beginning of September. Yikes!

Life these days feels like just as soon as we get adjusted, the tides change and we've got to pivot again. It's exhausting. I suppose life has always been that way but this past year was rocky with transitions and managing those planned or unplanned changes with kids makes it tough.

Baby's First Cheeseburger

Okay, so technically this wasn't Ivy's first cheeseburger but it was the first time we gave her the whole burger bun situation instead of just pieces. I wanted to share these here in a quick sequence to capture her enthusiasm for the experience! And she's always loved fries, so those snaps are no surprise.

Then and Now

Now that Ivy has made one trip around the sun, we can start collecting obligatory holiday photos of the kids in cute clothes for comparisons.

THEN:

NOW:

Weekending it

Dan is still in Kansas helping out with his Dad in the hospital. Please continue to offer-up good thoughts and prayers for Grandpa and hopefully some answers for what has been bothering him. I'm very grateful Dan was able to fly out and be there. Although we really miss him here I know he is needed more there for however long that may be. 

Mandy, the kids, and I did our best to survive the long weekend. Fortunately, the weather was in our favor. Perfect summer days, not too hot but just right. We went on a lot of walks while Kip scootered or rode his trike. A lot of outdoor play in the driveway and playground as well. Truly, Kip's behavior is best when we run his energy into the ground outside. I'm so grateful for where we are living this summer knowing how much more convenient and comfortable we are taking the kids out and just having space for them to be outside easily.

We didn't do anything special to celebrate the 4th. Obviously we didn't do any fireworks but we heard plenty of them throughout the night. 

Today was my first truly solo day with the kids. I took the day off of work with Dan gone and Mandy started her first full day with the new family she is now nannying for. I was worried about the solo juggle since I've had so little practice since March 2020, the last time Kip and I had our solo Mondays together. This was my first full day with just me and the two of them. Isn't that crazy?! Ivy is nearly 14 months old and this was the first time I was at home "without" help for an extended period of time. Feeling really blessed by this past year despite all the awful causes for the circumstances we find ourselves in now. And deeply grateful for Mandy, as her living with us made the decision about Dan going back to Kansas for a bit really easy. She's always ready to step in and she and I can really partner well together when a situation calls for it.