Thanks for all the kind words on Teddy’s arrival last week. We’re home now and settling into life as parents to a newborn again (anyone have tips for getting one to sleep between the hours of 10pm and 4am?), so we’ll definitely be on a lighter schedule, but one project that we rushed to check off the to-do list around 48 hours before Teddy was born was finally sealing our kitchen’s recently Ardexed counters.
We’ve shared a few other “how to seal” tutorials (like this one about de-hazing & sealing tile, this one about sealing grout, and this one about sealing cork) so here’s what we settled on for protecting our Ardex counters.
We read a bunch of the-sealing-step-could-make-or-break-them posts when it comes to Adrex, so we resisted the urge to rush into anything, and we used some of your input on our March 24th post to help select which sealers to research a little more and eventually track down (we had to order one from Amazon). In the end, our method of choice was two coats of 511 Impregnator Sealer which we bought from Amazon followed by three coats of Safecoat Acrylacq which we had on hand from ordering it previously (those are affiliate links).
The Impregnator’s job was to seal the concrete – against staining and moisture absorption – and it was very easy to apply. The water-like consistency made it easy to spread, so I poured a bit in a bowl and then brushed it onto the clean concrete surface liberally.
The instructions say to wipe off any excess after a few minutes, but I found most of mine absorbed into the concrete pretty quickly. But as a shameless rule follower, I wiped nonetheless. It looks darker and splotchier than it did after it dried in this picture (since it was mid application) but after it all soaked in it was pretty much back to its original color.
We applied that twice (24 hours apart) and then gave that last coat 24 hours to cure before moving on to the last step, which was top-sealing with the Acrylacq. The great thing about using Safecoat as a top-coat in a kitchen environment is that it’s non-toxic and 100% food-safe. This would also seal the counter against stains and moisture (liquid would bead up on the surface instead of absorbing and making rings) and create a nice polished look that’s protective against chipping or scratching. I went rogue with this stuff and just poured a small puddle onto the surface and spread that thinly across the counters with a brush.
We use Acrylacq a lot, so we’re familiar with it (I’m no longer alarmed by the blue-ish tint that it puts on the surface while it’s still wet).
We applied a second and then a third coat of the Acrylacq, just to be safe (letting it dry about 12 hours between each one). Then we let it cure for three full days before putting anything on it, even though it was dry to the touch much sooner than that. Although the Acrylacq was just a “satin” finish, it made the surface significantly glossier than the chalky finish the original Ardex had left. I realize that sounds like I was disappointed, but it’s great.
Not only does the glossier finish make it feel more like a shiny stone countertop (and less like a chalky DIY job) it also protects the counters much more from spills/stains. No longer do drips leave longstanding discolorations on the surface (picture water soaking into a concrete walkway outside and looking dark for hours). Now spills and splatters just bead up and can be wiped away without any trace.
We also read that some sealers show a lot of scratches, but so far we haven’t had any show up, even after cooking some big family meals and sliding some heavy dishes around to serve things. So it seems as if this mix of sealers yields a nice stone-like look that’s food-safe, scratch-resistant, and makes liquids bead up instead penetrating – at least so far.
My only complaint about our sealing results is that the glossier finish makes it slightly easier to see imperfections in the counter’s surface, namely areas where I should’ve sanded things a bit smoother during the Ardex application step (just like how glossy paint will accentuate imperfections in walls, this follows the same principle). Sherry is quicker to embrace these imperfections as par for the concrete counter course (“they’re supposed to look like that”) but the perfectionist in me just sees areas that I could have smoothed out a little more before sealing. Either way we’re both ecstatic to finally have everything back on our counters and be able to use our kitchen again like normal people. And it’s definitely a huge step up from the old yellow laminate that we had before.
Note: There have been people who’ve asked if we’d like to paint those bottom cabinets now that the counters are done, which is always a possibility, but for now we’re a lot more distracted by things like that faux brick linoleum flooring – so that’s at the top of our list.
There are still some things I’d like to improve about my Ardex-ing technique (namely sanding more smoothly) but generally I’m really happy with how it all turned out. Especially how the sealing step turned it into a much more finished feeling surface.
Aside from a few the-family-is-in-town-to-meet-a-new-baby meals, we haven’t used the kitchen like crazy yet, so we’ll definitely keep you posted on how it wears. Whether stains get through and we get scratches galore, or things stay pretty darn similar to how they look now, we’ll definitely share some updated detail shots in a few months time.
UPDATE: We shared how the counters are holding up here for ya!
Has anyone else used the same mix of sealers? Or had good (or bad) luck with another combo? Feel free to share those details here for anyone who might be tackling this soon. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a photo comparison that a bunch of you guys have requested. Here’s Teddy at four days old:
And here’s Clara’s when she was around three weeks old in the same pose. They seem to have identical (extra long) fingers and toes, the same invisible blonde eyebrows, and the same tiny little chin – but Clara had a lot less hair. This Clara picture and this Teddy picture are probably the closest comparison so far (in real life we think they look related – but not quite like twins).
Now about those tips for getting a newborn to sleep between the hours of 10pm and 4am. We’re all ears…
Tara S says
The counters look awesome. I wish I could convince my husband that we should do this. We are saving money to do a big renovation of the kitchen but it will be a few years. He’s not big on the “phase 1” improvements, hehehe.
Teddy is so precious. Congrats again. I know a lot of people are giving you great advice. I’m sure a lot of it you have either tried or have heard before. I just wanted to say that I can totally relate. My daughter was very similar to Clara. We were super lucky. When my son came along I totally felt like a first-time parent again. Things that simply worked for Grace, did not even come close to working for Jasper. I know over time you will figure out what works for Teddy. Jasper is almost 2 and to this day he is has never been as good as a sleeper as Grace. (Sorry!) She just slept like a rock. Jasper does like to snuggle a lot more than Grace ever did so I come to acknowledge that that’s a huge bonus. Good luck!!
Elise says
Our first born had to have everything completely dark and silent to sleep. So when number two came along we did the same thing, her room was pitch black and absolutely quiet. Well baby #2 would sleep like an angel all day and then be up constantly at night. Turns out she found noise and light soothing, so we left a lamp on and played classical music all night long. She slept so much better that way. Then gradually we turned down the volume on the music and moved the lamp further away from her bassinet, until eventually we were able to have no music and just a night light for her. So my best advice is, don’t get stuck on what you did for baby #1, because #2 will have a mind of his/her own!
Sarah says
As a pediatrician, I would never recommend that parents put baby in a car seat to sleep. A baby can stop breathing this way because of the angling of the car seat can cause airway compromise. A new infant should be waking up every 2-3 hours, especially during the night because they are night feeders. If you really would like a rocker type sleeper, I would recommend something like the rock and sleeper because the angling is at 45 degrees and less likely to cause airway compromise.
I would recommend that you ask your pediatrician for advice if you guys have any concerns because sometimes there are things that are not obvious to the general population that may be actually harmful to a new baby.
Christy Niebaum says
No impregnator jokes? Really? Is it just me? Oh, I forgot. I’m five. Seriously looks fantastic, though!
I’m trying to think back to the couple of months we spent as zombies right after our daughter was born. It took us maybe 2 weeks to help her figure out her days and nights (but even then, there were at least a couple of night feedings). We transitioned her from our room to her own crib after a week, tried to keep her room as dark as possible at night time, and got her on a feeding schedule ASAP (easier said than done). Best of luck, Petersiks!
Brooke says
Oh my goodness. I admit I skimmed through the first paragraph about the details and read “The Impregnator’s job was to…” and totally thought John’s new nickname was The Impregnator! Uh…..yeah. I was slightly squicked out for a second before I re-read things properly. Ha!
As far as sleep, I’m no help. My 7 month old still wakes up every 2 hours or less to eat, just like my first. Good luck getting rest!
megan says
My blog readers recommended the miracle blanket. We started with that and transitioned into the the wombie. We also added white noise music. This was for baby #3. Wish I had known of these things for baby #1. Best of luck. I really, really like the wombie—it seems to fight that startle reflex and is still flexible so they can move. We would put him in there and nurse him and then lay him down. Magic!
megan says
Oh–forgot the link: https://www.woombie.com/
Dana@chocolateandsunshine says
First of all — a big congrats on your adorable little baby boy!
Glad you are double-checking all of the correct means to sealing your countertops. I sealed my granite countertop once and then forgot. I now have a few stains on it from one of those vintage scales as I didn’t know it rusted underneath. Duh! So, good to be aware of what goes on top of your counters.
Try to get some sleep.
Emily says
We followed the book On Becoming Baby Wise. We just had our 3rd baby, she’s been sleeping through the nights since 4 weeks. Might just be her personality or maybe we just know what we are doing now!
Katie says
Congratulations!! Teddy’s pix remind me of when our kids were little. Time flies! Try this to help Teddy sleep. When you go to bed lay on one of his blankets. When you get up with him take that blanket with you. When you finish feeding/burping/changing him, wrap him up in that blanket. It’s warm and it smells like you. It worked like a charm on our son.
LisaM says
Thinking your ‘About’ column will now need a happy update for some reason!!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! Can’t wait to get to that!
xo
s
Ruthanne says
Great ideas here. Weissbluth’s Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child was fabulous and my girls continue to love sleep and their beds. Dark room, quiet, low if any light for night time feeds, no talking to send the message that it’s not wake up time. Blessings to your new family as you settle in and get to know each other.
Mary K says
Fisher Price Rock n Play and Miracle Blanket (swaddle) combination. It works like magic. Run don’t walk to Buy Buy Baby with 20% coupons to purchase both. RNP is also excellent for travel and moving upstairs to downstairs.
Megan says
Lots of people have said it already–the Rock and Play. We got one when my oldest was 5 weeks and he started sleeping through the night by 7 weeks. We started my daughter out in the Rock and Play, and she has slept through the night since she was 3 weeks old. I also swaddle in the Rock and Play. It is amazing!
Janice says
Yes I thought straight away…electric swing. Works wonders! xx
Janice says
Oh and white noise and darkness!
Olivia says
You guys are on name berry!!!! So happy to see sweet baby Teddy arrived safely and everyone is doing well. I cant believe how happy I am for a family that I dont even know :)
http://nameberry.com/blog/little-ladies-gents-names-william-willa-winston-and-pearl
YoungHouseLove says
Isn’t that crazy?! Thanks for the link!
xo
s
Jenny Nance says
Am I the only one that thought John was referring to himself when he said “The Impregnator’s job is to…”. Definitely was confused for a good 10 seconds before I re-read the name of the product.
Liz says
LOVE those counters! You guys always have me second guessing your decorating choices, and then everything comes together and looks fab.
As for the sleeping baby–I co-slept with my babies because otherwise I got no sleep. It helped that my youngest was always on the boob anyway, so I didn’t have to go anywhere :P
Amy says
Gosh, you probably have a lot of advice to look through, but I’ll add mine to the mix anyway- mainly because wow, it would have been good to have this resource when we had newborns! We have three little ones at home and the same things worked for all 3. 1. They slept in a swing. That’s what saved our sanity. We made sure they spent plenty of time out of the swing when they were awake, and of course if we were awake, they were held. 2. Did not engage. Yes, we took care of their needs at night, but very quietly and with no vocals. We only kept a dim light on and never spoke to them or turned lights up. This seemed to signal to them that they were cared for,and received the touch they needed, but they wouldn’t be receiving visual or audial stimulation during those hours. They sorted out their days and nights quickly after that. Teddy is beautiful!
myamogabi says
love the Teddy and Clara pictures! Simply adorable! Hope you are getting some sleep!
Chantelle says
Am I the only one who skim read and briefly thought the “Impregnator” was John and not a sealant?! Sorry if that’s inappropriate, but I honestly thought it was just an odd joke you guys made in the last days of pregnancy!
Anyhoo, as for getting a newborn to sleep, I wholeheartedly second what others have said about lots of natural light in the day and dark in the night while Teddy sorts our his circadian rhythms. You might want to let him have his day naps in the living room for a while to differentiate. Also walks outside during his brief awake time may help, and keeping the house dimly lit (lamps only) once night falls even when he’s awake also reinforces the difference.
I personally wouldn’t wake him during day naps though (a suggestion above). Newborns simply need lots of sleep and at that age, plenty of day sleep won’t stop him from sleeping at night too. You only need to wake him if you’re really concerned that he needs to feed. Sleep begets sleep has always held true around here!
We’ve never really needed a rock ‘n play or other sleeping spaces but what have helped us are:
– rocking or patting to sleep. A child nurse warned us that this could take up to 40 minutes (so don’t give up!) but 20 was more usual (and by the time our son was out of the newborn stage we barely had to do it at all – at least until the 8 month sleep regression!)
– white noise. We just use a free iphone app.
– swaddling. We LOVED swaddling. Sometimes after a firm swaddle from his dad, our son would sleep for hours (granted he was a few weeks older than Teddy!) and we came to joke that my husband has “trapped him in sleep” with his “dark arts of swaddlng”.
Sandie says
He’s gorgeous! Definately second swaddling, routine and not letting him sleep too long in the day. And patience. I have 5, the last three triplets, it often takes a while for babies to adjust. I remember reading that all the motion of the mother moving around during the day lulls them to sleep more during the day before they are born, and be more awake during the night, when you are resting. That’s why babies like rocking :) Now you need just need to encourage more sleep at night by making it quiet and boring, and swaddling. And not letting sleep go on too long during the day. I bet you guys know all this already! I think we all do the same kind of things.
Erin Ramsey says
You will try all of these things and in the end Teddy will decide how he likes to sleep. Tried Rock n Play, don’t believe is sound machines… They become dependent in it and you’ll be stuck forever carrying that thing where ever you go. I have a 3 yr old and 14 mo old. I have followed the book healthy sleep habits happy child by Marc weissbluth. I’m going back to it today as my 3 yr has been climbing in bed with us in the middle of the night. Adain and Anais swaddled cloths work great. Make sure you get the big ones… Target sells them, but they seem to be smaller. Boutique stores have the big ones.
Btw… Love your site! My hubby is crazy DIYer, about t finish our basement for my mother! The kids are pretty excited..
jen says
I have a 13 month old and your newborn is giving me baby fever.
I agree with RNP, my daughter slept in it until she started sitting and she slept like a dream.
karen @ Sugar Nest says
Love to you all and Congratulations on the sweet new baby!! Clara will be a wonderful big sister!
karen
Lisa says
Congrats on a beautiful baby boy. And very nice looking counter tops. Our sleeping trick? Snug swaddle and a mechanical swing. For 4 months actually. And oddly enough both kids seem to have turned out fine!
Linda Adams says
Beautiful baby boy! Congratulations!
Ter'e Crow Lindsay says
Baby fussiness????? GRANDMA is the cure. LOL.
I will come to VA and rock Little Teddy, anytime.
Mimi says
First, congratulations on your new son. He is a beautiful addition to your precious family.
I have been reading your blog for a while and enjoy it very much but have never commented. Thank you for sharing your lives and your excellent DIY experience!
Your post on getting a baby to sleep at night took me right back to 32 years ago. You’ve gotten plenty of great suggestions, so I thought I would share a funny story. My husband was an intern when our daughter was born and put in some crazy hours, so I tried to do more of the heavy lifting at night. However, her night time wakefulness was quickly wearing me out. One evening we decided he would take the 1st shift and wake me up so I could take the 2nd shift. I awakened suddenly at 4 am, distressed to realize she had kept him awake and he would get so little sleep before going to work the next day. I fed her and we all slept a couple of hours. I felt guilty all the next day. It wasn’t until the next evening that the truth came out. She had fallen asleep much earlier, but my husband had stayed up to finish watching “The Green Slime”! Night time TV offerings were much more limited in those days, but we still laugh about “The Green Slime.” Good luck and I hope you get some much needed sleep!
Deborah HH says
Your counters are beautiful.
Your baby is beautiful.
In my experience, newborns need to be fed a little more often than what is generally recommended. Then burped and burped, again. Ditto on swadding.
Andrea says
Congrats! Teddy is so adorable :) Quick question re sealing counters: would you recommend using Safecoat in addition to 511 Impregnator sealant for granite counters too? I was planning on only using the 511, but have never sealed counters before, so I’m curious to hear your thoughts!
YoungHouseLove says
I don’t think Safecoat would be good for granite (for that I’d use something specifically meant for granite on the label). I think Home Depot and Lowe’s both have some options that call out granite on the packaging so you know they’re meant for it. Good luck!
xo
s
Amanda says
Congrats to you three! We are not a rock-n-play family…I feared the transition out of it! For us co-sleeping and side-lying nursing at night was the best solution. And, most importantly, reminding yourselves this will not last forever! Happy, sleepy days. Xo ps we love our concrete countertops too!
Jacie says
My little one is now 1 and I read that limiting the duration of naps during the day helps them sleep better at night. It worked for our Luke! We let him take AS MANY naps during the day but we never let him sleep for more than 2 hours at a time. Before we knew it he was giving us longer and longer stretches at night!
Annie says
Baby sleep has to be one of the hardest parts of parenting. Tuck this recommendation away: http://www.bigskylullaby.com She’s located in Montana but it doesn’t matter since everything is over the phone. She is helping us sleep train our 8 month old because we were getting up every 2 hours and had been doing it for 4 months.
Hopefully you’ll settle into a good sleep routine without a lot of stress but just in case you hit a desperation point, save that link! Worth every penny.
Katie says
I had one that came fully alert at night. Over time (a few weeks) he got better by doing all the things I’m sure you’re doing. The thing that helped US the most was just mentally preparing for one of us to plan on being awake all night. We split the night into two shifts, 8-2, 2-8 and just hung out with him on the couch when he was so alert (because nothing we did the first few days made a difference and it was no fun making 10,000 trips back to the crib to see why he wasn’t sleeping) Once we embraced it and planned on it, it seemed to take all the stress away and before we knew it he was not awake all.night.long and we even missed those long quiet hours with him.
Elaine says
Congrats on the new addition! He is so sweet! I love the comparison pictures.
Lyndsay says
Great picture of John and the kids! John and baby Teddy both have more hair! :) And can I just say, John has gotten more handsome, hasn’t he? ;)
Lilah says
The counter tops look great. As for getting them to sleep, my now 8 month old son was a huge fan of the teeny bassinette that was part of the pack and play when he was a really new little guy. He just felt more cuddled and slept better that way, I guess. My daughter, who is almost 4, was a fan of the pack and play too. She just slept on the raised floor part, but it’s still a lot smaller than a crib. They spend so much time all squished up in mama’s belly that they seem to want a very small space to sleep in when they are tiny. Other than that, just hold on. That newborn sleep schedule doesn’t last forever (even though it feels like it does). And we transitioned both our kids to cribs at around six weeks and they are both outstanding night sleepers.
Erin says
I glanced at this post before reading it through. I saw the phrase, “The impregnator’s job was to seal the concrete,” with a photo of John sealing the concrete under it. I thought that was a new (fitting) nickname.
Leigh says
I also agree with the rock n play!
One sleep method we used from 3 months (but wish we’d discovered sooner!) was the NAPS plan by Dr. Polly Moore-it was a lifesaver in setting a schedule! There is a section on CIO which we ignored but the basic concept is that new babies need to nap every 1.5 hours and the more they nap, the better they sleep at night. My son is almost two and I still use it to some degree.
Congratulations guys-Teddy is beautiful!
marjorie says
where do i get this sealer? home depot, amazon?i’ll google it ha!
side note.
i recommend, no HIGHLY recommend, a chiropractor. i always take my newbornss to get adjusted(as well as myself) post partum. so research and get one who knows babies. i have my amazing one but i’m states away so i have no other recommendations for you. and start with a routine right off. what him up in the morning when you want him to have a waking hour and play and talk to him more often during the day.
marjorie says
also, where did you get that radio? and i think you guys should stencil your kitchen floor. or even just paint it for the “phase one” thing
YoungHouseLove says
That’s by Tivoli (got it through Joss & Main a while back).
xo
s
Heidi says
Wow! Love the way they turned out! Do you know if it would work to do this finish in a bathroom? Every time I read one of your posts on this project, I get more and more tempted to try it in our main floor bathroom.
YoungHouseLove says
I think it would be great! Just be sure to seal them well and reseal whenever you feel like moisture is getting through.
xo
s
Kristi Valentini says
I don’t know if someone has already suggested this, because you have a zillion comments, but here’s what I would try to get my little bundle to sleep more at night:
1. Tight swaddle if your baby seems to like it (We got the swaddles with velcro so it’s super easy. Our first baby loved it, our second baby would fight her way out of it to have her arms up by her head. Every kid is different!).
2. A fan for white noise.
3. When Teddy wakes up to feed, do not talk to him or make eye contact. Keep the lights as dim as possible. Just change his diaper and feed him. They usually fall asleep during the feeding part and then you just put them back to bed. The key part is not engaging whatsoever at night (again, no eye contact and no talking is key!). It should be all business, no play.
4. We used a pacifier too after a certain point in time when we weren’t worried about nipple confusion. So, if in putting the baby back into the crib/bassinet/etc. he rouses, I would stick the pacifier in at that time so he can suck himself back to sleep. It’s just such a comfort to them. But, obviously, he would need to already be used to the pacifier and like it before you try giving it to him at night.
5. During the day, I would make sure he gets plenty of sunlight and is talked to and played with to try to set his internal clock.
That’s all I can think of right now. Good luck with getting some Z’s. It will happen at some point! Congratulations too – makes me want to have another one.
Mary moo says
rock n play and cosleeping were livesavers (and still is)
learn to nurse sidelaying – why get up if you don’t have to! Despite our best efforts babies will sleep (or not)on their own terms. Roll with it.
Jenni says
I was just skimming through the article at first and I thought you gave John a new nickname “the Impregnator”!
Star says
DREAM FEED! The books “The Baby Whisperer” and “Babywise” cover this and saved our tired little newborn-parent lives. The best tip? Dream feed your baby around 11pm, before you go to sleep. Don’t wake the baby all the way, just quietly feed him and put him back down. This will help you avoid the 4am feeding and get to sleep until 6 or 7! Buy the books or just google it.
Laura says
Hi, in terms of you brick vinyl flooring, we painted ours and it turned out great. Went from ugly dark brown to grey and burgundy stripes. :) It’s help up well after 6 mos.
-Laura
Carla says
The counters sealed to a nice color.
About the sheen, I think it’s really going to bother you over time, as it would me. Have you experimented with wet sanding using a high grit sand paper?
Wet sanding can smooth them even more and dull in a very attractive way the sheen. When I painted our walls in our 1965 home, the eggshell sheen emphasized the imperfections and was really quite aggravating. So I redid them with flat paint, and now they’re gorgeous.
I’ll never use anything but flat on these walls again. I’m not a fan of shiny surfaces, since they show absolutely everything. It’s distracting and makes me feel kind of sweaty and on edge, and I don’t like how my attention is constantly drawn to the imperfections.
So just a thought, something to experiment with.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Carla! We both really prefer the satin sheen from the sealer over the chalky surface that we had before. It feels a lot more stone-like and polished, even if we see the imperfections of the concrete a bit more (that’s part of the charm I think!). So that concession is a fair trade for us over the dry, unfinished feeling it had before.
xo
s
Kelly says
my first baby was like yours…slept great. second one was much tougher bc she didnt take a pacifier and was colicky. I too like the reassurance of the angelcare monitor (if you’re using it again). So right from the start, we used her crib. She would wake alot, but then we got the crib wedge so we could incline her, and still use angelcare. http://www.amazon.com/Dexbaby-Safe-Universal-Wedge-White/dp/B004Y3FLE4/ref=sr_1_6?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1398184832&sr=1-6
it helped but still colicky. Then..we found out about infant probiotics and it helped tremendously!! do some research of your own, but we use the gerber soothe drops everyday and now she sleeps 8-7 and only wakes for one 10 minute nursing session. and she is no longer using the incline, now that the belly is soothed! Good luck!