Company lunch

At the beginning of the week there was an email about a company lunch on Wednesday. My mind of course went to "ut-oh... lay-offs!"

Instead, when they announced for everyone to head to "Strategy" this afternoon, the room was decorated in balloons & streamers with diaper cakes and wrapped presents for the 4 pregnant ladies in the office! How cool! I wanted to cry!! I got a cute little yellow hippo bath toy with a yellow ribbon wrapped diaper tower, the cutest little footed tan onesie that is made to look like a rabbit, with a hood & ears and a little cotton tail! & let's not forget the "Baby Owners Manual" book. PLUS....A Maclaren Umbrella Stroller in charcoal gray! This little baby is going to buggy around in style!

What a nice thoughtful surprise!

 (Tracy knew so that's why she looks so cute! I am glad I wore my GOOD Tye-dye!!)

 Left to Right: Amber: due in September, Amy: due in May, Yours truly: due in June, and Tracy: due in April

27 Week Check-Up

Today was a great check-up. We REALLY liked this doctor. I would have to say, so far, she was my favorite. She measured my belly from Pubic bone to top of Uterus and I am measuring 28 inches! The baby is right on size-wise with how far along I am. Got to hear the rapid heartbeat again. So cool, and so much easier to locate the bigger I get:) It was 140+. My blood pressure was great! (Mine tends to be pretty low) so this time was higher than last time by just a little but she said it creeps up in the 3rd Trimester. The 3rd Trimester... I just had to say that again, Wholy Moly, the time is flying by!!

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Week 27 rounds the bend! Here is my big, green belly!

Here is Mike's first corned beef made at home.

Burger & Fries

This is a fresh burger, courtesy of Kai, courtesy of her cow, Robert, whom I photographed last summer. As much as I had originally been slightly emotional about taking a package of meat home that was actually labeled "Robert" and placing it in my freezer for future cooking, I have to say, this, by far, was the best burger we had ever tasted. We even cooked it on the George Foreman.

Thank you Robert, for the world's best cheeseburger known thus far to my stomach. Served on toasted italian bread with spicy mustard, mayo, american & swiss cheese with fries (home made, of course!)

Wednesday Nursery Progress

Jeff & Butch were at it again. The framing for the bathroom and new entryway has begun!

Delicious dinner is served as usual

This was my craving last week. I had gotten out of the gym and thought, ummm. Boneless Rib-Eye with sauteed mushrooms, rice pilaf, fresh green beans and tomato & mozz. salad- & It, as usual, as is all of the cooking in our house, was delicious!!

Tuesday Nusery Progress

Plumbing is hooked up! Pitch was made possible by building up the floor that the toilet will sit on just ever so slightly. The bathroom size and shape has been determined.

Monday Nursery Progress

 Monday was off to a tough start plumbing wise. Our house isn't exactly new (1947) and it's not exactly level either. Getting the proper pitch for the pipe that comes from the toilet was a task.

Pretty Girl

This is Lily. Sarah and John call her "the bean." She is cute and attentive and just like a little person and I wish her and Stella could hang out more often because I can just picture the kind of conversations they would have together!

I am hungry...

Which makes me think of this delicious Roast Beef dinner Mike made over the weekend. He cooked mushrooms and onions along with the roast. Ummm. And, while eating our delicious dinner I remembered that growing up I really didn't care for a nice roast...or mashed potatoes, or gravy....and then I remembered that I didn't care for much when it came to food as a child or teen. And what is sad about that is that we always had 'good home cooked meals'. I never knew the words Chef Boyardee or Ramen until I went to College and saw what my friends were eating. We NEVER had a frozen TV dinner, mashed potatoes made from powder & water or meals that came from a box or a can.
Instead, we had meatloaf or homemade fettucine noodles with pasta sauce from our garden's tomatoes and still... I would refuse to eat those things. I would sit at that table all night staring at my full plate of food.

Let me get back on track... My point is, later in life all of that changed and now I will pretty much try any type of food. From Pheasant to Wild Boar (delicious). In fact, if we could be, if life would allow us to be, I bet Mike and I could be a pair of really great "foodies." We could just watch cooking shows on end, try new dishes daily, take pictures of food and just eat and eat and eat. All the time.

That's not my point. My point is, Mike is an INCREDIBLE cook & I just wish we could run a restaurant and forget all this crap. Again. Not my point!

My POINT IS, I hope our child is brave from day one. I hope he or she will be open to the new tastes of every good, home-cooked meal and not be nearly as stubborn or unwilling as I was.

Please excuse my messy kitchen...

Our friend Jeff, who made our custom cabinets put up these shelves yesterday around the kitchen window. Please excuse the mess. Mike is going to do the clear coat of Polyeurathane tonight so hopefully tomorrow I can start arranging my things and getting everything off of my counter tops..for good! I promise to put up a better, cleaner picture once I get organized!

Week 25+

Wholy Belly! The difference in just two weeks is mind-blowing. We had to remove our featherbed from on top of our "California King" Mattress. I was sinking in too far to be able to roll off comfortably for my 2-3 nightly pee breaks!

(Mike would have to give my back a push for a head start on my rolling off the bed!!)

Just another of the many adjustments we've had to make- getting used to our mattress again before we found the loving comfort of a featherbed!

What a MESS!

So as usual we decided to throw a wrench in our nursery plans by the idea of adding a full bathroom to the nursery itself rather than the hall closet 1/2 bath idea that we have now deemed too small. Not only does this mean all new plumbing & electrical, but it means removing another wall and putting in a new doorway. So... what once was a big closet will now be a bigger bathroom. I came home yesterday to find the flooring wripped up and a wall removed where our new "doorway" will be. The "Plumber/ Electrician" aka our friend Butch was over at 8 this morning to take measurements for the piping that will get installed this week.

One day... at a time.

But as you will see from the photos, Stella is wondering WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON??

This is part of the ceiling of the hallway and what WAS the outer wall to the nursery to your right.

This is also the Chimney that foiled our 1/2 bath plans from the closet on the left!

 

Looking straight across from the orange lights is where the original doorway brought you into the room and the closet was, that is no longer. This is where the full bath will be-

The new doorway into the nursery will be parallel to the doorway we are looking into, which will be our new bedroom. The picture to the right is a view from "our bedroom" into the nursery which will eventually be the new entrance.

 & now. for some deep breathing exercises!!