DIY Coffee Table Makeover

Since we moved into our house almost 4 years ago, we've had the coffee table I grew up with (above). It's a hexagon shape, which fit nicely along the curves of our sectional couch. However, the legs were wobbly and would occasionally fall off when Molly laid down or rolled over into them. I'd always planned to replace this table eventually, but it was never high on my priority list of home projects. That is until Nora started pulling up.

When the table was in my parents' house and I was in elementary school, my toddling cousin who was just learning to walk toddled toward and then fell into one of the corners, splitting open the skin on his cheekbone just below his eye. It was this experience that made it so important that we get a new table as soon as Nora started standing. 

A round table seemed like the logical solution, and it would fit nicely with the sectional. There are plenty of round coffee tables out there, but I didn't want the "mass-produced" look. I had seen a wooden cable spool used as a coffee table on Pinterest and I couldn't get it out of my head. I had no idea where to find one, so I started looking around online. Most of the ones I could find on eBay or Etsy are only available for local pickup and, of course, they're not around here. So, as I started reading some blogs and forums I discovered a lady who had gotten one for free from Lowe's. I could barely get there fast enough.

When I went down the electric aisle, I found just the size I was looking for. It was a little taller than I needed, but the perfect circumference. There was a bit of cable left on it and after offering to buy the remaining cable in order to get the spool, the store clerk said he would just remove the cable and I could have the spool - for free! I almost died right there in the aisle. I could feel the excitement and wonder sparkling in my eyes when I turned to him and sheepishly said "I can have it?" I couldn't believe it was that easy! He seemed bewildered as to why I would want something so commonplace (in his world), so I explained my project. 

Once I got the spool home, it sat like this for a few days while I decided how I was going to refinish it. I didn't like the new wood look, but I didn't want to stain it either. I finally decided on a tea stain using a tea base followed by a steel wool and vinegar solution. This ends up giving the wood an aged look, as if it has been weathered for years. There are about a million online tutorials that tell you how to do this, and I read several before starting, but here is a simple one I referred back to a couple of times: http://www.instructables.com/id/tea-staining/. It's a really easy process.

After cutting the spool down to size and staining it, the most difficult part of the whole thing was putting it back together! It turns out the center is not just one cylinder of wood pieces, it's several individual pieces that have to fit in a groove on the insides of both end pieces. Needless to say, the rebuilding part took some patience, but we did it. Check out the finished product:

10 Months

Nora is 10 months old! Double digits! I can't believe how big she's getting - and so fast. She's a very busy little girl and has not only mastered crawling in the last month, but has also already started pulling up to her knees. She'll be running before we know it.

She finally moved into size 9-month clothes (she's still so tiny!) and is eating up a storm. She loves to jump in her jumper and we recently discovered she likes watching Sesame Street. A new fun game we stumbled upon is pulling the baggies out of the box. This keeps her occupied for a good few minutes, which is impressive these days!

watching Sesame Street

She recently began refusing to have a bow in her hair, which is sad for me. I still attempt to put them in and she immediately pulls them out. It's unfortunate timing since her hair is getting long enough to hang in her face. Maybe we'll be getting some bangs soon :)

Soon it will be time to start planning Nora's first birthday party. I really can't believe how fast this year has gone. Until next time, I'll leave you with these pretty blue eyes:

Nora's Hemangioma

It's been about six months since we started using Timolol drops on Nora's hemangioma (the red spot on her forehead that is basically a cluster of small blood vessels), a treatment option given to us by her dermatologist. Though hemangiomas will involute (go away) on their own, the process can be slow, and we were looking for a non-invasive way to speed up the process. The use of Timolol to treat hemangiomas is a new method that has few studies to offer much in the way of expected outcomes. Timolol is traditionally a beta blocker eye drop used to treat glaucoma; however, it has recently been shown to dramatically speed up the involution of hemangiomas.

When given our options for Nora's treatment, we chose Timolol because it has virtually no side effects (unlike the by-mouth prescription) and it would not be painful for her (like the laser or surgical removal treatments). Since her hemangioma is only cosmetic, we decided on this course of action. We've been very happy with the rate at which it has shrunk the size of the hemangioma and drained the color.

Most hemangiomas begin the involution process on their own when the child is around six months old. For this reason, Nora's pediatrician is skeptical of the effectiveness of the Timolol versus her body's natural reaction to the spot, but we believe the drops have helped immensely (and so does the dermatologist). Many people we've talked to who are familiar with hemangiomas say that it is normal for them to be virtually gone by about age 3-5. At the rate Nora's is disappearing, I'm confident hers will be unnoticeable long before then.

While I was self-conscious of Nora's hemangioma when she was first born, I rarely notice it anymore. We didn't choose to treat it because we were embarrassed by it; we have always believed she is a beautiful baby and we just want the rest of the world to be able to look past that spot and see how pretty she is, too. It's funny now when we're out places and people ask what happened to her head. I like to see them squirm when I tell them she was born with the spot - it's akin to asking someone who isn't pregnant when she's due :)

I'm not getting paid by Timolol to write this blog post, but I do hope that other parents stumble upon it who are looking for hemangioma treatments for their little ones. Clearly, I believe in the stuff!

9 months

Happy 9 months to our sweet baby girl! She has done lots of developing over the last month and is becoming so much fun! She can sit up very well and is beginning to crawl. She can get just about anywhere she wants to go by army crawling/dragging herself around, but she hasn't quite figured out about using her knees yet. Every time I get her up from a nap she's on her knees just rocking away, but as soon as she decides to go somewhere she lays back on her belly again and pulls herself forward with her arms. It won't be long before we're chasing her all over the place!

At her 9-month checkup, Nora weighed in at 14.9 ounces and 26.5 inches long. She's still tiny (the adjusted growth chart for if she had been born full-term puts her in the 8th percentile for weight and 50th percentile for length) but very healthy and strong. She's just a long and skinny girl!

Lately, she's been enjoying playing more independently on the floor and jumping in her door jumper, which she is finally tall enough to use! 

On her 9-month birthday, we left town for Nora's first ski trip to see her Papa (Levi's dad). The baby snowsuit we got her is incredibly cute. Here are a couple of pictures from her first hike:

False alarm on the teeth I mentioned she was getting last month. There were a couple of white spots on her gums for a couple of weeks, but they never materialized into teeth and are now gone. The pediatrician confirmed that there are no teeth in sight. He said he wouldn't be surprised if she were 14 months old before she got any teeth since she was so early. That's fine with me - let's put off the fussiness and drool as long as possible!

Nora continues to surprise us with how good of a sleeper she is. Most nights she sleeps 13-14 hours and often we have to check to make sure she is still breathing! We're trying to enjoy this because we're convinced we won't have the same luck with future kids.

Nora has such a sweet spirit and is developing a cute personality. I can't wait to see what kind of little person she becomes!

Nora's First Christmas

Better late than never, right?

8 months

Nora was 8 months old yesterday! She's growing and changing so quickly these days as she takes everything in and learns about her world. She is a very busy little girl, always wanting to be on the move. She has started creeping/crawling, so she can roll, scoot and wiggle to just about wherever she wants to go. Soon enough she'll figure out how to use her knees and then we'll all be on the move around here! 

She has started eating baby food regularly (more than the trial one or two bites per day of last month) and carrots are her favorite. She ate a whole container of them the other night! She especially likes to eat while we are, and she loves to gum on bagels and other hard breads since she has two teeth trying to come in.

Here are some other firsts of the last month:

first cold :(

first Thanksgiving

first Christmas tree decorating (she wanted to eat the ornaments)

first ice/snow storm - bundle up!

first blow-dried hair

working on hand-eye-mouth coordination with some blueberry puffs

New Favorite Recipes

I don't have much to update you on, but I have been trying some new recipes lately and wanted to share my favorites.

Ranch Chicken

I halved this recipe, but below is the full version. I served this with mashed potatoes - classic comfort food.

Ingredients:

1 cup corn flakes, finely crushed (I used french fried onions instead)

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 packet ranch dressing mix
8 boneless chicken breasts, cut in half
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix corn flakes, cheese, and dressing mix together in a bowl until blended.  Dip thawed chicken in butter, then roll in corn flake mixture. Place coated chicken in 9"x13" greased baking pan. Bake for about 45 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Source

AND

Brown Sugar Soy Sauce Salmon
I served this with long grain and wild rice and broccoli. The fish was super moist! YUM!

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds salmon fillets

• lemon pepper to taste

• garlic powder to taste

• salt to taste

• ⅓ cup soy sauce

• ⅓ cup brown sugar

• ⅓ cup water

• ¼ cup vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.
2. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag, pour soy sauce mixture over fish, seal, and turn to coat.Marinate for at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat grill for medium heat.
4. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
5. Or
6. Wrap it in foil and bake at 425° for approx. 15 minutes.

Source

I have more new recipes on my menu list for this week and, with the impending snow storm, I should have plenty of time in hibernation to make them! I'll let you know if I find any more keepers. Enjoy!