Settling In

We've taken our time decorating our new apartment. Wait, it's been 6 months, so maybe it's not new anymore?

Anyway.

Here are some before and after shots. We're still tweaking, but are overall very happy with the changes.

Hallway before. Note the "art" yours truly created by tracing napkin rings to try to match Lucia's baby bedding. It looks so much nicer from afar. Ahem.

Hallway after. There are some fun things mixed in there too. We're waiting to go to IKEA again to get more frames to complete it. But it's a good start.

Living Room Before. We went back and forth on what to put here. We thought about some artwork from Overstock, then a gorgeous picture of the Bay Bridge. But we just couldn't agree on what to get, and we didn't want anything that was glaring or expensive. 

We ended up stealing this idea from Young House Love (I'm too tired to link -- google Ribba Young House Love if you're interested)

Yeah yeah, we know they're crooked. But getting the colors right was a HUGE accomplishment. Originally we started out with red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, purple. It was awful. Then we tried another shade of green. Then another shade of red. Then navy instead of purple. Then I had an idea to make it a little less shouty I AM COLORFUL so I bought tan squares, and one of them is lighter than the other. And I found another green that actually has some shimmer to it. We kept the reds close to the lampshade color, and now, finally, I'm happy with it. There was an instant calm once we got those cool colors out. Phew. 

The Living Room curtains before. Cheap, cheap IKEA sheers. They were amazing at our last place. Notsomuch at the new place. Related: anyone want some IKEA sheers? 

So Nina and I found these on sale and bought em. We headed to Target for a new curtain rod too (one that didn't cost $5.99 IKEA I love you/hate you). I wanted a dark bronze; most of our furniture in here is dark wood. I also wanted white, but Nina talked me out of it; she said it would be too overwhelming. So we settled for off-white silk. Ta-da.  Also, I'm toying with the idea of dying those white pillows (IKEA linen covers) lime green. Hmm. Maybe. I'll wait for my mom to come to town to decide. 

Lucia's room before. There's an adorable pic of her and Danny but the dark wood in there just wasn't doing it for me. Her furniture is all white and with the orange rocker and giant green sofabed, it just wasn't working. 

On my zillionth trip to Michaels to get paper squares for the living room art above, I saw these letters and was psyched. 

I've wanted letters for her name for forever, but they're always so insanely overpriced. These were $2.50 each. Freaking sweet. When my mom comes to town, I'm going to buy something to frame the letters and then adhere them to a bright fabric. I have some other ideas for stuff in there, but I gotta be patient. We've also added some hello, custom artwork from the very talented friend Jenny Commins. She came to visit in March and brought that. It's so very special and adorable. 

We also got new bedroom curtains to cheer it up in there, and organized our photo wall: we had kinda haphazardly thrown pictures up on the wall. I took down all the silver framed ones and put up only the dark wood ones (our bedroom furniture is dark wood). 

I also took down some other pictures out of black and white frames and bought mats for pictures of Lucia from when she was a wee lassie. Those went in the bathroom, which is otherwise super boring decor. White waffle weave shower curtain; tan bathmats. Zzzzzzzzz. We also added a black and white of us on our wedding day. 

We're still missing art on one wall, and we're going to put a shot of the Hansens' Coffee sign in the kitchen. It's a work in progress, but we're psyched with the progress we've made. 

Bye Bye

Bye Ninny. We miss you already. I've been sad today wishing you were here. Lucia burst in the door and said HI NINNY! 

We love you lots. 

Got beans?

Resolution

We'll spare you the photos, but we were relieved yesterday when my MIL, while changing Lucia's diaper, called out: No need to look for the earring any longer. There it was, post, earring back and pearl earring still perfectly in tact, in a pile of poo. Nina disinfected it and put it in her ear. Now those earrings will always be really special. 

That One Time Lucia Ate An Earring

Lucia came into kitchen last night with something in her mouth to show Ninny (my mother in law) and Pete. Pete immediately asked, "What do you have in your month?" She opened her mouth, and out came one pearl earring. Where's the other one, we asked her: "I ate it." 

Yeah, sure you did. So we looked all around the apartment and couldn't find it anywhere, so we started to wonder. We asked her what she did with the other earring: "I ate it." 

Sigh. I called Kaiser, they connected to Poison Control and basically said as long as she doesn't seem like she's in distress, she's fine (thanks for that illuminating advice), but to bring her in today. 

We called our daycare provider, who said she would save Lucia's diapers so we could uh, look for the earring. Pete and Ninny took Lucia to the doctor today who pushed for an x-ray, but then agreed that if we don't see it by tomorrow, to bring her in for an x-ray. Related: how do you give a 2 year old an x-ray? I am not on board with the extra radiation, but if it's stuck in there I guess we'll have to have a look. 

Tonight we pushed the hummus and raisins, but we also asked her a few more questions about the earring. Since she confidently told our daycare provider and the doctor that she in fact ate the earring, we wondered if she was just basking in the attention of it (something her mother would never, ever do). We asked her if she was hiding the earring. She nodded yes. We asked, where are you hiding it? She opened her mouth and pointed to her tongue. 

Yep. She ate it. We hope the whole thing is resolved by tomorrow. Now I guess we'll have a story of that one time when Lucia ate an earring. 

Before I forget

I have to write these down before I forget:

• Lucia sings London Bridge (no, not the Fergie version). Here are her lyrics: Mondon Bridge if fawing down fawing down fawing down, Mondon Bridge is fawing down, My Bear Lady. 
• When she sees something or hears us trying to find something (be it in the car or around the apartment), she exclaims: DER LIT IS! This is a Norwegian-English hybrid: Der = There. We have no idea where she picked up LIT, but it means IT. She's trying to say THERE IT IS! It's hysterical. 
• Yesterday Nina asked if Lucia if she was her little princess and Lucia thought about it for a moment, then said no, I don't want to be a princess. I want to be Lucia. 
• Pineapple = Pah-dusa. We have no idea where this came from, since pineapple in Norwegian is ananas. 
• Rah-rock = when we rock her to sleep. Lately she only wants Daddy to rah-rock. Mommy will not do. Mommy does not like this arrangement. 
• The other day we were driving along, not particularly fast, but Lucia announced "Mommy you are driving too fast. Slow down." Um, ok?
• We taught her how to tell secrets at dinner; she watched Farfar tell me a secret and then mimicked him. She gestures to me to come closer, then mouths the words (barely audibly), be-ah, be-ah, be-ah). I act surprised every time. Last night she said over and over again after I told her a secret, WEALLY MOMMY?? WEALLY??

I'm sure Pete has some others to add. She's talking a lot, and singing even more. Hilarious. 

My Mom

I overheard a woman talking about her mom last night at the gym. Apparently her mom runs marathons, and she was going on and on about how amazing she was and how she often goes running with her mom. Her friend seemed really impressed. 

I wanted to pipe up and say, marathons? Ha. My mom buried her first husband and her first born daughter and continues to approach life with grace, humor and gratitude. You want to know amazing? That's what my mom is. Marathons? HA. That's easy. You train, you run. My mom and our family never had the luxury of training for our adversities; it was pressing on in the moment. 

And I think that's the thing that my mom is most known for. Her tenacity. As morbid and cloudy as it sounds; my mom's strength of character through heartbreakingly adverse times is well, unbelievable. She's taught me to always, ALWAYS, look at things with perspective. Always have faith that God is with you, knows you and has your back (even in the darkest of times). 

She's taught me to pick myself back up when I get knocked down, and get back at it. You don't question the why me or how or IF you should recalibrate, you do it. Put your head down and get back to work. It's a strength that has buoyed me through tough times. When I became a mother, I realized how incredibly hard it must have been for her, so many times, to keep going and better -- not be bitter or broken. You know that parable about having boiling water change you?  My mom embodies that story. She didn't have a choice; it's what she did and a true testament to her strength that that was the path she chose for her, for our family. 

And that loyalty to fiercely defend her? That's something she has also taught me. Fiercely defend the loyalty of those closest to you. And her mom taught her. It's how we do things. 

Happy Mother's Day Mom. I couldn't love you or appreciate you more. 

Something

We're not sure what to call this video. Whirling Dervish? Her "Lucia" doll goes with her dollhouse, and she's been obsessed with it since the Easter Bunny brought it. We also have a new bed for her dollhouse where Mommy/Daddy sleep, so we can teach her to concept of shhhh being quiet in the morning.

Special morning

Saw this one Monday morning at the local gas station. According to the owner the car was the winning prize in a lottery by a British noodle company and was given "special treatment". The original motor died a few years back and the owner replaced it with an american V8.