Before. . .

After. . .

Little by little we're slowly making the house our own. The previous owners really did a wonderful job of laying a beautiful foundation for us to build upon. All we have really had to do is small tweaks - some fresh paint here, a new mirror or light fixture there, and things are beginning to become what we had imagined. The livingroom has already gone through several iterations; during the summer we swapped out the two couches for a sectional (craiglist find - the Ikea Karlstad, but with a new white cover which we dyed cream by submerging in a giant vat of coffee in our bathtub, and with new hardware store furniture legs which we stained), and then the most recent change was painting it a cream color (Cottage White by Behr), moving things around to make room for the wooding burning stove that we're planning on having installed (also a craigslist find), and swapping out the rug for this beautiful wool braided rug (also, you guessed it, a craigslist find!) We were on the hunt specifically for a braided rug, and we were fortunate enough to find this Capel rug on craigslist, almost like new, and which retails for over a 1,000 dollars for. . . drumroll. . . 80 bucks! We have really great luck on craigslist!

Things we still have planned for this room: changing the cream couch cover to something a little darker (the cream has proved way too hard to keep clean), hanging pictures so that the walls aren't so bare, and installing a 2.5 foot tall reclaimed barnwood wall along the bottom of the wall (the wood  is already purchased and is also in the garage, with the wood stove). We're excited! 

P.s. Indy is hanging out under the couch because there's a giant heating vent under there. Daddy taught her that trick!

Can you tell which is which?

To be fair, Tennyson (on the right) is probably about 2 or 3 months older than Indigo was when her picture was taken. I love to compare their differences and similarities. I also think this photo is a very good representation of their personalities so far; Indy's expression is closed and skeptical, with a just a hint of scowl, while Tenny's expression is more open and good-natured, ready to break out into a gummy grin at any moment. Overall Indigo was a more "difficult" baby than Tenny, though I say that, truthfully, without even a sigh - we'd all prefer the "easy" baby, just as we'd all prefer no weeds in our garden and for that ring of dried milk on the bottom shelf of the fridge to just disappear on its own, but a baby is a baby is a wonderful baby. Sure there were moments where I buried my face in a pillow, but sometimes when every single parenting meme bemoans the 3 am wakeup and involves a glass of wine at noon, I find myself thinking but wait, I like being a parent. I understand that it's parents' way of connecting with each other through commiseration, and a little commiserating can go a long way in lifting our spirits when we're feeling a little discouraged. I also understand how it is funny. Believe me, I laugh at the memes, statuses and stories and even add my own, but I worry about contributing to our culture's stigma against having children. Perhaps people are just trying to shed light on the "reality" of parenting, but I don't really think parenting is in danger of being romanticized; almost everyone I know sees children as a burden and parenthood as an imposition on your life, to be avoided at all costs. Much to my sadness, it's a sentiment that seems as prevalent in the church as in the culture at large. The reason for the stigma is multi-faceted: we emphasize and exalt the individual and their personal goals, and we live in a convenience-culture where we want everything just how we want it with as little work as possible. Let's be honest, we've gone a little soft. Most of us (myself included) haven't had to work until sundown and then get up before the sun to go out and milk the cow. We've spent the last 100 or more years trying to make things as easy as possible, but we're no happier for it. Perhaps half the pleasure was in the hard work, the process? Perhaps most things worth doing have their fair share of difficulty. Parenting certainly does, and it's a unique and great responsibility (a whole human life!), but it's also rewarding, and dare I say it, downright fun. It is a worthwhile pursuit (understatement), it's better than freedom (whatever that means), and very full of joy, and I accept the hard work that can be a part of it as I accept that it is a part of all of life. I love my "easy" baby, and I love my "difficult" baby, and I'll love all the (God-willing) future babies, whatever their disposition, for a baby is a baby is a wonderful baby!