The Red Bat Photo Shoot

Look out bushes cause here I come!

Kobi playing pic-a-boo with the flower that magically appeared on his baseball bat. Hmmm...

Behind bars at the age of 2. What can I say, shouldn't have wreaked the bushes. LOL!

A Quick Kobi Fix!

Has it really been this long?! Oh my! Here is a quick "Kobi Fix" for you guys and I promise to have pictures posted ASAP! LOL! (Also see "Before & After" post below) Here is the scoop on whats been happening in our home. Kobi has had his 2 year check-up (yeah its a little late) and we have got some skin issues! Just last Monday we saw the worst allergist I have ever met in my life (actually it was the only allergist I have ever met) and Kobi was tested for every food group and some other things. This woman was unbelievable but that in itself is a whole other story! Now since the day Kobi was placed in our arms his beautiful skin has been transformed from a flawless complexion to a splotchy, eczema stricken, scarred, bumpy mess followed by pigment loss. So since I have seen several pediatricians (that give me know answers) in allergist was next on the list. I swear to God this child's skin reacts to certain foods and soaps. If he even eats applesauce the next day he has chicken pox ("looking bumps") on his body. I wash all of his clothes in Seventh Generation detergent for babies (use no dryer sheets on anything) and even Dreft is to rough a detergent to use. So last Monday Kobi was tested for every food group, etc and get this the doctor says he's fine, no allergies! I looked at the woman, covered Kobi's ears and said "Lady I don't make this shit up! There is something wreaking my kids skin!" To which she says nothing that requires an epi pen. Now in my blonde head I'm thinking "Yes I know because I feed him...!!!! But you mean to tell me that the bumps that appear after he eats an orange is not related?" Her answer was they could be related but his throat isn't going to close up, now anymore questions? Ughh!!! So in an attempt to diagnose my own kid how many of you have ever had Tinea Versicolor and severe eczema? I treat one and it makes the other look worse. Lovely cycle! Kobi is scheduled to have some blood work done to rule out Vitiligo along with testing for anemia and when those test results come back with no true information just like everything else then I guess I will start buying "miracle creams" off the internet! So any advice is greatly welcomed in this department. I know for a fact that Kobi has a form of Eczema (and no I have never been told that he does but its obvious that he must, however he never itch's or complains about it) and that there must be some product (from Canada/ Mexico) somewhere that helps get rid of the redness/ Eczema. I've tried everything! ADVICE PLEASE! My last resort is the dermatologist because I truly believe these issues are diet related. Now that everyone is updated I better get a move on in the picture department! :)

Bathroom Before & After

Kobi's bathroom is almost finished! With the exception of quarter round molding and accessories I can say I'm somewhat happy with the finished product! As most of you know I had no desire to spend any kind of real money on baby mans bathroom. Quite frankly I just don't know how long we will stay in this house as I feel like the walls are already closing in on me:) So here is the run down on my expenses. Now remember this was my "Design on a Dime" bathroom. LOL!

1. New peel in stick floors~$30 Home Depot

2. New toilet (since I cracked the tank putting the old one back in place and hey it was ugly anyway) ~$300 screw up. Home Depot

3. Paint~ $35 Walmart (for walls & ceiling)

4. Paint for cabinet~ $18 Rust-Oleum. This went on well (thin but that was a good thing. I used gray primmer then high gloss black)

5. New mirror~ $60 (Yes! Only $60 bucks at Home Goods... Rock On!)

6. New lights~ $275 Home Depot Expo

7. New ceiling fan/ light~ $80 Home Depot

8. New faucet~ $80 + $119 (Note to self... check how many holes are actually drilled in the sink if you are not replacing the counter top before you purchase a way cool bamboo style faucet on Overstock.com that requires only one hole and get this you have two! LOL! Its fine I needed another faucet for the basement bathroom anyway:)

9. Two shower curtains~ $50 total on clearance at Bed Bath and Beyond (I used one to make the curtain)

10. Curtain Tie Backs~ $6 Again on clearance at Bed Bath & Beyond that I used like a "curtain rod" to make a swag

11. New Shower Curtain Rod~ $15 Home Goods strikes again!

12. New Bath Mat~ $12 You guessed it... Home goods!

13. New knobs~ $15 Home Depot Expo

So that puts me out roughly (Drum Roll Please!) $976.00

Under a grand "Woo Hoo" and no more ugly blue and white floors!

DC Zoo & Metro Too!

Kobi had his first train ride on Sunday. Ahhh... public transportation. LOL! He did awesome! I had forgotten how loud the Metro was and that it goes through tunnels but nothing seemed to scare Kobi so all was good:)

As soon as the train started his face had the biggest smile. It was the cutest thing just to watch his facial expressions the entire ride.

Once at the DC Zoo we hit the Asia Trail first.

When Kobi saw the panda bear he screamed "Look Panda Drinking His Nay-Nay!" (Milk, which is not how any of my Mandarin teachers have spelled it in English but this is how I read it and so this is how I write it... sorry I'm "phonetics" challenged :) Some Chinese people standing by started laughing.

It was really neat to watch the panda's. They play just like children! These must have been young ones.


The red pandas were Kobi's favorite and so he now has a new stuffed one that he affectionately named Home Depot. With the addition of the new red panda we now have a bedtime ritual. Kobi's beloved Ber-miss-son, Benjamin and now Home Depot must be tucked under the sheets every night before bed. There's one more giant panda that has been named get this... Pickles. However Pickles isn't cool enough to get covers like the rest of Kobi's buddies. Sorry Pickles, apparently your not in Kobi's posses. LOL!

After Zoo time we hopped over to Auntie Cassie's house (Sherry's sister) for a much needed pool dip. Sunday was hot! I just love this picture of Kobi hugging one of his favorite cousins Courtney. You can tell he just doesn't want to let go.

To the Beach!

Delaware bound and sun lotioned up! A couple days ago we made our way over the border:)

I must have taken at least 300 pictures in 3 days so to not bore everyone I put them in video form with music.

I was so proud of Kobi this trip. For the first time he slept in a big boy bed. Actually a queen size bed but you get the point:) I was so worried that I would wake up to a wandering toddler that was playing with knives in the kitchen or pushing buttons on the hot tub outside but nope, to my surprise baby Kobi actually stayed put in his bed and hollered for us in the morning to come and get him. I think a big boy bed is in the near future now! It was so wonderful to see his face light up the moment he saw the ocean and I think because of this trip he has a true grasp on all the days of the week. One week before we actually left he would say "Goin to the beach now?" to which I'd say "On Saturday baby, today

is ____". Would you believe during our ride to Delaware he could recite all the days of the week. Matt and I were shocked! Such a smarty!

Now is it just me or where did the summer go?

Before Bed

Look at that smile. Its so angelic, sweet, innocent...until he knows your taking a picture of him then you have this. (Photo below) That's OK. I smile with every face he makes... especially the silly ones:)The sky was beautiful tonight.After park time we headed over to our garden. Look at all those tomatoes Kobi grew! Now daddy go make some salsa... yum!I'm loving everyones recommendations for the bathroom so please keep them coming:) So far I have painted the ceiling, trim, drawers (black), purchased new mirror, ceiling light/fan and chrome knobs for the cabinet. Thanks to Janalee's advice for the "little boy aiming problems" I have held off on ordering the linen like wall paper. LOL! I never even thought of that:) And will hopefully have finished pictures up soon along with my new pant recommendations! For the meantime here's pics of an "all natural" Kobi... look no hair gel! LOL!

Noodles, Pools and Tiles

Now you know why Kobi is fed naked. I'll get the hose :)

On Sunday we took full advantage of Aunt Cassie's pool. Her whole fam was away on a mini vacation so we totally broke through the gate, stole some towels, splashed around and soaked up some sun! Thanks Auntie Cassie! (Now if your wondering how you didn't know about this well daddy and mama meticulously put the pool cover back on, pushed all the million tiny pebbles Kobi was playing with back in to the flowerbeds where they belonged and left as soon as we heard sirens. Hehe! We probably should have told those neighbors of yours who we were:)

SO THANKS FOR LETTING US USE THE POOL!!

Next comes the tiles. I am ashamed to even show this picture. LOL! Below is how Kobi's bathroom looked. Now before you say OMG there is spackle all over the walls, why is the toilet and tub beige when the floor is clearly white and blue and could it be any more stark. Well let me tell you I am trying to rectify this problem. This is one of those rooms when we bought our foreclosed home in 2002 that was first on the "To-Do List" but sadly has been overlooked for years (mainly because the rest of the house was this sad on move in day as well). Plus I am attempting this room unassisted. Yep people wish me luck! I am such a HGTV addict that after watching all those design shows I've gone completely nuts and said "Screw it!" I can do this stuff myself just like those people on Design to Sell! LOL! So I went to Home Depot bought a box of Traffic Master Original press on tiles in beige slate, ripped off the quarter round molding, put the toilet in a different room and just started slapping new tiles down on the ugly vinyl floor.Oh my goodness! It was sooooo easy! I can not believe that I waited this long to do this and it really looks like real tiles (until you step on it) but you know what I mean. Plus get this... the box of tiles only cost $30! So Kobi's bathroom has become my Design on a Dime bathroom. Hehe! (***Yes where the cabinet meets the tile still needs moulding***) Next I will be changing the faucet to the "bamboo" inspired one that I found at Overstock.com , changing the knobs to silver and painting the blah, blah cabinet black to match Kobi's furniture. I think on the walls I will try a linen wall paper and I have got to find a cool mirror to replace the builders grade oh so chic humongous one. The 80's light fixture I have already ripped out and replaced with this one pictured below. I must say the Home Depot Expo had beautiful lighting and that's where I snagged this one. (The last picture really doesn't show it to well so go here to see it more clearly)

So noodles, pool, tile all in 2 days time. Been a little busy but in a good way. Now if anyone has any bathroom suggestions I'm all ears. As you can plainly see I've got an ugly room on my hands that needs "beautifying". LOL!