The Nelson Narrative

So it's kids' rooms this week at Kelly's Korner Home Tours.  Unfortunately, we haven't finished the girls' room make-over.  We recently transitioned from toddler beds to twins.  I would have loved to get bunk beds to save space, but the twin beds were given to us by friends of Paul's parents so we're making do.  They were wood-colored (oak, maybe?) so we painted them white.  It was challenging to figure out how to arrange their furniture because of the alcove/nook thingie on one side.  I couldn't do the obvious two beds perpedicular to the wall with a nightstand in between configuration, so I had to compromise. There are lots of finishing touches still to be done.  We need to replace their dresser, get a nightstand, put up a shelf (ledge) or two and some wall art, and curtains.  We're also going to paint.  I've had my heart set on purple for a long time, which is why I chose this bedding with some purple but not too much, but now...

I didn't have a blog 5 years ago when I first got pregnant with the girls, so I have no real record of  my pregnancy, other than a few ultrasound pics and a few notes jotted down in a pregnancy journal I barely used.  So, in honor of the 5th anniversary of conceiving, my pregnancy and their birth, I will periodically blog about it over the next 8 months. 5 years ago this week, I was in that agonizing 2 Week Wait (2WW).  I had just had my transfer the previous Saturday.  I was told bedrest wasn't necessary, but I did take it easy the first few days.  I can't remember the exact days, but I think around 4 or 5 days later I had some cramping.  I wanted to be all excited, thinking that it was implantation, but I didn't want to get my hopes up so I told myself that it could be, but it also could just be my good 'ol endometriosis cruely messing with me.  So when I did feel crampy, I didn't think much about it. I also was having to get up several time...

Today is the 5-year anniversary of my embryo transfer!  5 years ago today I became pregnant with my girls (I wrote about it in more detail a few years ago).  It was a Saturday that year, also. Olivia and Kayley at 3 days post conception (wish I knew which one was which): And Olivia and Kayley 5 years later: That photo is actually a few weeks old.  I tried to take one for today and this is what I ended up with: {Sigh}

We've had a super fun last few days.  Wednesday afternoon the girls were playing at their water table in the driveway, when they decided to get their swimsuits on and have me spray them with the hose (we have drainage issues in our backyard so running through the sprinkler was not an option, and I need Paul to help me set up our new pool).  We saw their friend who lives a few houses down outside and invited her over to join us.  A little while later, another neighbor girl came and joined us also.  All four of them played together all afternoon, at our house for awhile and then at neighbor's house. Yesterday was another beautiful day, and we had a mom's group playdate (hosted by the same mom and friend whose house they played at Wednesday) at Kelsey Creek Park/Farm.  There were lots of farm animals and the girls loved seeing them all.  After looking at all the animals, we played on the playground for awhile, then went home for lunch...

I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner again for her Friday home tours.  The room of the day is dining rooms. Our downstairs in really open, with the entry, dining and living area basically all one, big room.  When you walk in the front door, the dining is to the right and the living to the left.  I think our dining room is kind of ugly.  I never have the table dressed up with a runner, etc., because it's always in the way when the kids want to color or play with playdoh or whatever.  It's our only eating/table space in the house, other than the bar, so we use it all the time an it just isn't practical to dress it all up. Still want curtains for that window Looking in from the living room (with Kayley in the foreground).  Isn't that basket of coloring books/crayons/playdoh stuff next to the sideboard attractive?  Also notice the plastic protector thingie under the table for when the girls spill their milk/throw their spaghetti (w...

We spent Father's Day weekend at the ocean (Westport) with grandma, grandpa and aunt Cheryl, who came on Sunday.  It was cold and rainy much of the time but we managed to walk to the beach several times and walk around the town. We swam a lot, which the girls loved.  They tried going without arm floaties for the first time and did really well.  They really love to jump in, especially Kayley, and will do it over and over and over. 2012 2010 We flew a kite and found lots of sand dollars. And when it was too rainy to go outside, Olivia built a fort. The weather wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't that great at home, either, and it was still nice to get away for a few days.

Last summer a friend of mine introduced me to this cool park on Mercer Island.  When we went, we only played at the swimming beach and never explored the rest of the park or played on the playground.  So yesterday, we finally went back with a picnic lunch and checked out some more of the park (there's still another section we didn't get to, so maybe next time).  The playground was really cool with all sorts of nooks and cranies, and old-fashioned metal slides and ladders.  They girls loved it. View from our picnic spot A pyramid with slides on the other side Lake Washington beyond Chair swings--never seen these before I-90 bridge over Lake Washington Trail along the lake leading to the swimming beach Should have brought swimsuits.  They were SO sandy and wet coming home.