It has been far too long since a general life/house/baby update, and we’re sharing it all today on the vlog! Watch below:
We booked our babymoon in the Grand Cayman months ago when we were sure we’d be all settled into the new house… of course that didn’t work out, and it actually ended up pretty poorly timed with so much going on at both houses that we couldn’t be there to oversee. But that didn’t stop us from fully enjoying the last hoorah before we become a family of 3…
We snorkeled with sea turtles and swam with stingrays, long walks and naps on the beach and fancy sunset dinners. It was filled with special moments and I’m so glad we took the time to escape normal life for eight days and collect these memories.
This week marks my third trimester, and I’m really starting to feel pregnant now. Walking up steps and lifting/bending have become a bit of a challenge, and my days of strenuous DIYing are on hold. I’m coming to the realization that we won’t have the Riverside Retreat ready to rent AND the Heights House fully situated before baby arrives—even if we were both functioning at full capacity.
Nevertheless, I’ve been planning and scheduling upcoming projects at the Riverside Retreat, including the bathroom which is under construction this very second. Our handyman began demolition while we were on our babymoon, completely gutting it and opening a wall to the master bedroom, where we’ll be adding a second (tiny) bathroom and closet.
Same angle from before we left:
Demolition took longer than expected, made worse by the fact that many of the joists were rotted and had to be replaced (not surprised) and a concrete post poured to keep the corner of the shower from caving in.
We also found the original 50’s cast iron plumbing, which we’ll likely need to replace. I’ll share more details + photos in another post soon (hopefully next week!) along with my design/floor plans for converting this bathroom into two.
The Heights House was supposed to be move-in ready by the time we returned from our trip… but in keeping with the series of setbacks that has been 2019, it was NOT ready and we were relegated to sleep in a bathroom-less, torn apart house (our contractor left all the doors open so everything including our sheets and dishes were covered in dust). And I’m at the have-to-pee-every-2-hour stage of pregnancy so repeatedly fumbling my way through a dark house search of a pee bucket was not how I thought I’d spend my first night back.
But it’s all just a distant memory now… because we’re IN THE NEW HOUSE!
We packed a truckload with just the essentials and finally settled in around midnight on Monday—certainly a Memorial day to remember! There are painters and AC guys and electricians coming in and out as I type this on our mattress on the floor, as there’s still a handful of finishing touches to complete.
We have no furniture apart from our bed (everything is staying at the Riverside Retreat) and it will be a slow process to furnish and finish this house over time—I’m guessing at least a year. This is not another temporary home for us, so we want to take our time and fill it with things we love.
I’ll be sharing a complete move-in day tour on the blog next week, so you definitely won’t want to miss that! I also have all the details on our faux wood beams coming soon (hopefully this week) and more updates on the Riverside Retreat bathrooms as they progress.
I’d like to think that these last few months are as hectic as it will get, but somehow I don’t think life slows down once you become parents 😉 I’ll just enjoy the short bursts of sleep I get now, and remind myself to appreciate how far we’ve come in a year!
Lots more on the way,
Diana says
Such a sweet hard working loving couple! Love seeing all your renos. We are completely remodeling our master bathroom ourselves. Used to love diy. Not so much anymore. Now I love watching other people do it! Lol
Amy J says
Will you please do a post with details about your Grand Cayman vacation? I would love to hear where you stayed, excursions, food and etc. It’s on my list of vacation spots.
Nadine says
Wow – the things we take for granted – like a working bathroom. Glad you were able to move in to your new home. Even without furnishings, the house is gorgeous. Such a great place to come home to.
Jenna Sue says
It’s such a luxury going from a bucket to a brand new bathroom! 😀
Vanessa says
Years ago I read a quote by . . .? I can’t remember now. But it was, “We erase our landscape, then erase it again.” For some reason that stuck with me. And looking at your little shack, erased in favor of the beautiful home you (and many others) have created, well it just popped into my head again.
Now go lay down.
Jenna Sue says
<3
Cheryl says
It’s wonderful seeing all of your progress, but take care of yourself first! You are an amazing couple!
Jenna Sue says
Thank you Cheryl — trying my best to balance DIY vs downtime! It’s a never ending cycle ?
Mara SMITH says
Jenna, you are glowing. You’re a pretty woman, but pregnancy makes you look even more beautiful!
Jenna Sue says
Aww that is so sweet of you to say Mara! It really means a lot 🙂
Nidsa says
Thanks for sharing this journey, the good, the bad and ugly of renovations. We have had similar circumstances and I was not mentally ready for it. I wish to have known you then, it would have helped me put things in perspective. Congratulations! Everything is coming along beautifully! ❤️
Jenna Sue says
Thank you Nidsa! Big renovations are never easy and I still don’t feel prepared sometimes, even after 10+ years of this!
Kelly says
Hello down the road from Jacksonville! Such beautiful progress! I can’t wait to see the final versions of each house but I know I’m enjoying the play-by-play, as rough as it may be! Question- did you decide not to paint the arches on the exterior windows black? I might have missed that post but I remember you talking about (and sampling) painting one of the stucco arches black to mimic an arched window?
Jenna Sue says
Hey Kelly! We are still painting the arches — I was waiting on the painters to finish the trim first (not realizing they’d wait until the VERY end) so as soon as we get some free time between moving we’ll get up there and finish 🙂
Kelly Gates says
Ahh makes perfect sense!! It’s so simple but it blew my mind when you first mentioned it. Such an easy way to elevate a look. Goodness I love your work… I make my husband look at all of your projects and even he is always so into them! If you ever want to do a project in Jacksonville I’d be the first to volunteer our home! Thanks for representing our state so well in the blogosphere!
Christy says
Ha! I have been wondering the SAME thing 🙂 It looks so amazing Jenna! No apologies needed. You are knocking it out of the park. I can’t believe all you have accomplished WHILE being prego. You should definitely take advantage of some sponsorship to help get that beautiful home furnished. They should be knocking at your door. I love that you don’t crazy with that kind of stuff, but hey, it works. I have copy cat’d lots of your projects, because it is so good! Nice work to both of you! What a dream come true 🙂 So happy for you.
Jenna Sue says
Appreciate the kind words, Christy! And glad you’ve been able to get some use out of my tutorials 🙂
Shauna says
Looking fantastic, so much progress on so many fronts.
Hatching a baby under any circumstances is quite a project; you two are really pulling off all of this so beautifully!
Jenna Sue says
Appreciate the support Shauna! <3
Arli says
It’s all looking so good! Glad you are in the new house with a functional bathroom! What a beautiful home.
Are there any other big projects left in the Riverside house other than the bathrooms? Will it be ready to rent after they’re done?
Jenna Sue says
Thanks Arli! Apart from the bathrooms we still have to do the kitchen (complete gut remodel), two bedrooms, and most of the downstairs/bonus room area. We’ve got our work cut out for us!