31 weeks...

How far along are you? 31 Weeks!

Total Weight gain/loss? Well, even after way too many cookies and fantastic food over the holidays, I'm still at the same weight based on my home scale! 

Stretch marks? Nope:)

Baby Movement? I think he's flipped as the kicks have moved from high to down low.  He needs to flip back soon! 

Best moment this week? Sharing with the families over the holidays and having the little man kick on demand for just about everyone.

Food Cravings? Nothing really.  I always really want sweets but have been good at keeping those to a minimum.

Belly button in or out? Yea, still in but just barely.  I really don't think it's going anywhere any time soon unless little man has an enormous growth spurt.

Milestones? Nothing big the week really.  Little man is in for a growth spurt over the next few weeks (at least according to the bump.com)  He's something like 3.5 lbs now (4 navel oranges!)
 
Weekly Wisdom?   Pepcid is your friend...

Overdue reno update...

Since we managed to get back to a mostly working kitchen, the reno has slowed down (well, that and the fact that the holidays are here and our weekends have been taken up in preparation for all that - oh and I'm in my third trimester and so tired that i'm not pushing DH to do things because it requires me to help:) ).

That said, we have made some progress and learned a few lessons along the way!  We have full electrical, a fully working stove (oven and all), door handles, a microwave, and a new 24x30 in cabinet. For your reading (and learning) pleasure - here's what we learned:

1. Word to the wise - test one under cabinet light before you install them all.  Thankfully we did this because we found that we hated how it looked. The light is just the wrong color, even with warm florescent bulbs.  We're going to grab a halogen light this week and try that to see what we like better.

2.  When planning the kitchen, pay close attention to the microwave set up (if you have an over the range micro).  We just went with what the Ikea designer told us and ended up with a cabinet that was 6 inches too short to support our micro.  After weeks of deliberations, frustrations and design ideas (which included bolting it to the side cabinets, using 7in toggle bolts and a jiggy rigged cover panel) I finally figured out that if we just had a 24" cabinet instead of an 18" cabinet we'd be home free, so off to Ikea was trekked.  Brought the cabinet home, assembled and within the evening had a working, mounted microwave (and additional cabinet space to boot!).

3.  Drawers are the shiznit!  We decided to replace all of our big open cabinets that were impossible to organize with drawer cabinets!  We have 30", 24", and 15" drawers and they're awesome!  The one closest to the stove holds all of our pots and pans (that's the heavy duty 30" drawer bank).  The one next to it holds snacks, bread, etc... The pantry by the fridge has pull out shelves for can goods and the like and our garbage can is now in a pull out too so Macie can't get into it!  Lastly we replaced our one blind corner with an awesome shelving system that pulls out and then extends so that you can get to the very very back.  Before I'd have to crawl in on my hands and knees to get that stuff!  Overall we're very very happy with our design decisions in this kitchen.  Everything is so much more functional that it was before!  The extra cabinet space doesn't hurt either!

Here's a pic of the recently hung microwave!

And what's a reno blog post without "The List"  - now updated and reorganized!


- install under cabinet lighting
- new backsplash needs installed
- whole kitchen needs painted
- purchase and hang new curtains (color dependent on the walls)
- clean up the mess!
- new cabinets need installed (70%)
- install temp sink and plumbing
- install door fronts, hardware, drawers (50%)
- remove and purchase new dishwasher
- new countertop needs ordered (and then installed)
- permanent plumbing needs installed

- finish the electrical for the heated floors

- scrub every surface in the rest of the house and clear it of dust 
- sand and prime the new wall board where the pantry came out
- install new light switch for under cabinet lighting - run the line too
- buy the remaining handles and install them (all the uppers are handle-less right now)

- install outlets for microwave
- install plinth and filler wood

- install microwave

Holiday Family....

For the shutterbugs we are I'm super surprised we don't have more pictures from this past weekend than we do...I guess everyone was so preoccupied with having fun and just being with one another that no one bothered to pick up the camera.  I believe we had every intention of taking some pics but just never got around to it.

I did get two that I'd like to share - one of my brother and I. I post this because it's rare to get both of us in a picture together.  It has to be some sort of national holiday (or a wedding) for that to happen.  You must excuse my rough look!  He was getting ready to leave and I was just hopping out of the shower so I threw on clothes and ran down to say good bye.  No make up, no chance to do my hair - just a fresh and clean rugged me!

And this one of my mom needs explained I think:)  She was trying to talk to Bigfoot to get him to kick her and it just made me laugh.  No, I'm not holding her head to my belly - she put it there voluntarily.  She really wanted him to wake up and give her a good boot!  Alas, her plans were spoiled, he was fast asleep in my belly and not reacting to anything from the outside world (although she has felt him a number of times so all's not lost - heck, he kicked on command for most of the weekend for anyone that wanted to feel it so I guess he just needed a break).

Overall it was a fantastic holiday with the families.  Even the hairy drive from one side of PA to the other was okay because it meant that we got to spend time with both sides of the family.  It's strange to think that this is our last Christmas as just us.  Next year we'll have an almost 9 month old little man joining us!

First Taste of Parenthood...

So, this past weekend I got my first taste of what early parenthood will likely be. However, I didn't experience this with a baby - no..that would have been too easy.  I had this experience with a 75lb Boxer Pup named Buckley (so no shushing, swaying, swaddling, or any of the other s's here)!

My brother (Buckley's owner) was working the night shift on Christmas eve and his girlfriend was at her parents house with lots of kids and what not so Buckley could not stay there.  Since J would come to my parents house on Christmas morning, it was appropriate that Buckley stay with them (where the rest of us were). 

Since there were three dogs at the house (mom and dads, ours, and buckley) we had them all crated in different rooms.  Buckley was in the living room and was the first to realize we were home after church.  Dad took him out one last time and then put him back in the crate for the night.  The problem is, Buckley doesn't like the crate (not one bit) and he proceeded to wail and bash himself against the crate as soon as we left the room.

Well, we all went to bed while Buckley cried.  I figured he'd cry it out and be done with it (Macie's like that sometimes - if you just ignore it she stops).  The hours pass and Buckley continues to wail.  He'd cry and pound on the crate for 20 odd min and then stop for 20 min.  Pound for 20 and stop for 20 and the cycle continued for hours.  During all of this, I'm trying my best to sleep (DH was out like a light thanks to NyQuil - boo!) but just felt awful that he was so upset (so awful that it was making me nauseous to the point I considered getting up to vomit).  Finally, around 4am I couldn't take it anymore and decided to go down with him and see if sleeping by him would make a difference.

I curled up on the couch next to his crate and stuck my fingers thru the holes to let him know I was there.  He quieted down but only for a few min.  I could hear him getting worked up again (he's a short nosed dog so when he's stressed he snorts and breaths really fast and it's super super loud!  I thought he was going to hyperventilate himself.)  So, it appeared the proxmity was not working so I decided to pull him out of the crate and try to get him to lay down and snuggle.  Yea, I want to see you force a 75lb down to lay down and then try to snuggle with him - all while protecting the protruding baby belly!.

Anyways, long story short, nothing was working.  I contemplated calling J at work to see if his voice could calm the pup but refrained (I did text him and ask if there was anything I could do to make B feel better).  DH even came down to see where I'd gone and offered to stay with the pup instead (but I was so awake that it didn't matter - told him to go back to bed because one of us needs to be coherent in the AM:) ).  Finally, I remembered that my bro always laid on the couch with Buckley watching TV.  So i figured, what the heck, it's worth a try.  I leashed him up and led him into the TV room where he promptly laid down and waited for me to turn on the TV.  Little stinker!

At this point I was wide awake. Since I wasn't sleeping and Buckley wanted the TV on, I rented UP (why did no one tell me that it was a sad movie - exhausted pregnant women should not watch it - i was sobbing like crazy thru the entire first half).  Anyways, I digress.  At some point we both fell asleep and managed to get some rest.  My mom finally woke around 7am and took over watching B.  My brother showed up from work around 8 and safe to say, B was a happy pup!  He missed his daddy like crazy.

The rest of the day was a bit of a blur because I was so tired - now I totally understand why new parents sometimes resort to coffee to keep going.  A day without caffeine or sleep was brutal! However, we made it thru and are still alive to tell the tale so...

I just kept thinking that this would be so much easier if this was a baby.  I could at least pick it up and comfort it....you just couldn't do that with Buckley as he's far too big!

Merry Christmas...

This year has been a fantastic year for our family - continued health of everyone, my dads latest tests coming back negative (i think we can say he's cured now!), a wonderful trip overseas and of course finding out that we're going to become parents shortly into the new year just to name a few of the many highlights!

I hope that everyone uses this time to be extra thankful of the wonderful things in our lives and to not forget about those that may not be as fortunate and pray for them.  Also, don't limit yourself to only thinking about it at this time of year but to continually be thankful for the good and great things in your life.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and for those that don't observe either of those - Happy Festivus!

30 Weeks...

How far along are you? 30 Weeks!

Total Weight gain/loss? Well, hoping my home scale is right and if so, I'm managed to hold back the tsunami that was my weight:) Depending on clothing etc...I'm either exactly the same as last week or down a lb or two!  I'm sure that it has to do with me putting a stop to the gallon of apple juice every few days and my wicked Panera Broccoli and Cheese soup craving (that I indulged way too many times in one week prior to the weight explosion) or the fact that we can now cook at home rather than eat out every meal....whatever it was, I'll keep it up and my my docs happy:)

Stretch marks? Nope:)

Baby Movement? He's in a rolly polly phase right now....not a ton of hard kicks but rather lots of rolls and pushes.  I think I can actually feel body parts now too....like a few nights ago when i layed down, the right side of my belly was deflated while the left side had a huge lump.  I started to feel around and figured out that it was little man just hanging out over there...not sure if I've got a head or a butt up top but based on the movements and his little kicks I'm betting it's his butt.


Best moment this week? Being able to sit back and just watch my belly groove on it's own.  I love putting my hand down and feeling him move underneath it


Food Cravings? Thankfully nothing big this week....again alot of it has to do with what I see around me and on TV.

Belly button in or out? I don't think it will ever flatten out completely.  It will likely pop from an innie to an outtie in the next few weeks.

Milestones? Hitting 30 weeks! I only have ~10 weeks left in this pregnancy.  I can still remember when I was only 10 weeks in and couldn't believe that I had a full 30 weeks left to go...now that's flip flopped and I'm really ready for him to get here soon!
 
Weekly Wisdom?   I'm wisdom-less this week!

Okay, looking really rugged today....caught the hubby's cold:(

Homemade maternity shots...

So, our friend Kim at Good Things to Come Photography is going to do a full set of maternity shots with us this coming week but DH has the photo bug too and wanted to try his hand at a few shots.  I'd just gotten back from a meeting and as such had done my hair and make-up so I obliged!

He took about 100 shots and I picked the few that I liked the most and played with them in Lightroom.  They're heavily processed but I like them that way:)

Beware - these are bare belly shots and I'm just now realizing how big that bare belly is getting! Yikes!:)

Enjoy:

Now I can't wait to see what Kim will do (and to be able to include DH in a few of the shots!).

Shot at 29 weeks even...

29 Weeks...

How far along are you? 29 Weeks

Total Weight gain/loss? I'm actually keeping track now on my home scale and have been watching my sugar intake so hopefully I can quell the tide that is my weight these days!

Stretch marks? Nope:)

Baby Movement? Yup, we played a game of kick the remote the other day.  I'd put it on my belly and he'd kick it off:) 

Best moment this week? Best moment has to be sunday night when DH started talking to my belly and made the little man move!


Food Cravings? Still sweets which is hard because it's likely the source of my recent weight gain.

Belly button in or out? There's a tiny innie lip left, after a big meal or if I push my gut out it's just about disappears and becomes flat!

Milestones? Crib is together and the car seat is here.  We have our birthing class and CPR class scheduled and my shower:)  Plus we have our maternity pics scheduled (thanks Kim!)   Holy cow - we're having a baby in like 2 or so months!
 
Weekly Wisdom?   Don't worry about what your hubs says when you bring 4 more pillows to bed than you normally do.  Anything to help you get comfy is fair game at this point!

I'll even indulge you folks with a frontal shot:)

And we have a nursery...

Kind of...

We finally (actually - I finally) cleaned out DH's office (sorry honey) and started to turn it into our nursery.  This meant finding a home for all the stuff that lived in that room including his computer. Thankfully, a little thoughtful rearrangement of the guest room and relocation of some furniture yielded a new spot for his set up.

Once that was cleared I managed to get the crib assembled and just stuck the bedding in place for now (i'll have to remove it to get the mattress in once we have that).  We have the Babi Italia Eastside Classic crib from BRU - it's beautiful (thanks mom and dad:) )

And best yet, with all that work, the crib box is now out of my office! horray!

Now, you all know me and lists so here's the list for the baby's room:
- arrange a time with my bro to get the mural painted (if not, paint the walls)
- find black out curtains and install them
- get changing table and assemble
- find glider/rocker, order, assemble as needed
- buy closet system for little mans closet and install
- paint said closet interior prior to shelving install
- find plush rug for him to play on and put it in the room (keep dog from claiming it as hers)
- install wall shelves for his little woodland creatures
- wash bedding
- install mattress
- find and purchase new tall lamp for the room (it has no installed lights, all light is provided by lamps)
- call HVAC guy to figure out why there's little to no flow from the furnace in that room (baby needs to stay warm!)
- organize, organize, organize...

That's what I can think of off the top of my head....I'm sure there'll be more as his birthday approaches!

Riding in style...

This past week has been like Christmas early in the Kloep house!  All the presents I ordered on Amazon arrived as did our little man's new ride - well, not ride but what will allow him to ride with us for all those visits to the grandparents that we forsee in his future:)

I found out a few weeks ago that BRU stopped carrying the car seat that I wanted and was really bummed because I LOVED the color (I tend to like obnoxious colors for some reason). I figured it would be perfect for our little man as well as our next child if she ended up being a girl. Anyways, you could no longer get it off our registry and the in-store quantities were very limited so of course I started to panic! I just had to have this seat and just knew they were sold out everywhere and I'd have to go find another seat that I loved just as much and know that would never happen and so on and so on... (okay, tad irrational because who in their right mind would want a lime green car seat other than me but hey, that's how my brain works these days). 

So, because I couldn't wait and I couldn't take the chance of losing this lovely seat, I scoured the internet and found one that actually saved me $50 from what I would have spent at BRU!:)  Introducing the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP 30/30 Car Seat in Cedro!

And of course I had to strap the teddy bear in to give it a whirl!

Who turned up the heat?

So I've read in all my books that it would happen at some point and up till now I've been pretty lucky with my symptoms but as of a few days ago it feels like someone has turned my internal thermometer all the way up to boil!  Hooowee! What a feeling!

It's hovering just around freezing outside and I walked around outside with just a long sleeved shirt and a heavy sweater.  Normally  I'd be in a parka, heavy gloves, a hat and a scarf!  DH even remarked how warm by tootsies were last night (which NEVER happens since I have permanent icebergs attached to the bottoms of my legs - even in summer). 


Heck, you know somethings up when the guy at Starbucks (and most of the people in line) gave me the side eye when I requested an Iced Chai rather than a nice hot steaming chai.  He even repeated my order just to make sure he heard me right - ICED?! 

I'm just glad it's freezing outside and not 100 degrees because for now I'm quite comfy with the extra heat:)

The List Updated...

Knocked a few more things off the list in the past few days....most notably the underfloor heat is installed and wired and actually working:)  It's going to take a few hours to prime the slab but once that's up to temp it should be pretty easy to keep those floors at a nice even temp that will keep our toes toasty.  I just wish we could have done this throughout the downstairs without costing an arm and a leg.  Oh well, at least we are heating the coldest surface in the house:)

I've added a few things to the list too...most of it's finish stuff now (nitty gritty little things) but for the most part, a bulk of the kitchen is DONE! wahooooo....It's such a pleasure to cook in there now!

The list:

- install plinth and filler wood
- buy the remaining handles and install them (all the uppers are handle-less right now)
- install outlets for microwave
- install microwave
- sand and prime the new wall board where the pantry came out
- install new light switch for under cabinet lighting - run the line too

- install under cabinet lighting

- new backsplash needs installed
- whole kitchen needs painted
- purchase and hang new curtains (color dependent on the walls)
- clean up the mess!
- new cabinets need installed (70%)
- install temp sink and plumbing
- install door fronts, hardware, drawers (50%)
- remove and purchase new dishwasher
- new countertop needs ordered (and then installed)
- permanent plumbing needs installed

- finish the electrical for the heated floors

- scrub every surface in the rest of the house and clear it of dust

28 weeks...

How far along are you? 28 Weeks

Total Weight gain/loss? um...the cream cheese caught up with me!  There was a significant jump in the dr's scale which invoked a bit of scolding from both the nurse and the doc.  All in all I'm still only about 25 or 26 odd lbs up total (counting my shoes and sweater which are like 2 lbs combined! haha).  Doc said if I can keep it to 1/2 lb/week from here on out he'll get off my case...haha...my apple juice addiction may prevent that.

Stretch marks? Nope:)

Baby Movement? Lots - I can sit here with my hand on my belly and feel him moving back and forth. 

Best moment this week? Passing my glucose tolerance test - no 3hr for me!!!

Food Cravings? Anything sweet - mostly Nerds and tangy/sugary things like that.  For once I'm not at all wanting chocolate - that's a travesty!

Belly button in or out? There's a tiny innie lip left, after a big meal or if I push my gut out it's just about disappears and becomes flat!

Milestones? Sames as my best moment - passing my GD test.  Oh and dropping securely into the third trimester!
 
Weekly Wisdom?   Stop and take time to savor the little things - like little one kicking or flipping around in there.  Try and mark that memory in your head because soon enough he'll be here and you'll miss those little private moments between the two of you (of course to be replaces with a whole new set of moments but still...it's going to be different) 


This weeks pics - at different zoom levels:)

Baby update...

Seems my last few posts have been reno related and not related to little big foot (my mothers temporary name for our yet unnamed child).  That's really because there's not much to report outside of our weekly belly posts.  Little man is growing and stretching and just humming along nicely.

I had my glucose tolerance test this past Thursday and will hopefully find out tomorrow if I passed it.  While not horrible (the glucola was not really that bad), I dont want to have to sit for the 3 hour one because while some get to do it at the hospital where there's a giftshop to occupy you, I get to do mine in the Quest offices. Which, contrary to popular belief, are not exactly the most thrilling or entertaining places to sit for 3 hours.  I can do without losing that 3 hours of my life - thankyouverymuch!

I did go to see a daycare this week and loved it!  I'd been thinking that we'd just put bigfoot into a center that's on the way to DH's office but it was sooooo expensive!  I'd always gone to home daycare's as a child and had very positive experiences so I thought it was worth a shot to look for one for bigfoot.  I found a wonderful woman who's licensed by the state of VA, has had great reviews from the inspectors, and also lives like 10 min away so I decided to meet her.  Thankfully she has room for an infant in the May time frame and it's by far less expensive than any other I've seen recently.

I think that's it for now:) Tomorrow is my next Dr's appt and I think that that point I start into the two week appts - we're getting close now!!

The weekend edition - reno style....

Lots of progress this weekend but it didn't start out that way! First of all - we're back to a functional kitchen!  Whoo... I'm still missing electricity to my stove so I'm still using a lighter to light it and there's no oven but we do have a brand spankin new dishwasher, double bowl sink, running water, drainage and granite countertops!  It's amazing how useful countertops are...haha...I can actually prepare a meal without having to balance all the ingredients on the cabinet frame! Ah - luxury!

Any who, I said our weekend out started out progress challenged so I should elaborate.  After the granite was installed on Friday, we were told not to attach the plumbing until Saturday - okay fine, that's easy.  Well, come Saturday, the plumbing was NOT easy!  The sink we had installed had two new features that our old one didn't - a double bowl that was xtra deep.  One of those alone would have been easy to handle but both really thru us for a loop.  We spent the day at Home Depot (actually, over the course of the day visited both depots in the area as well as Lowes amid a raging snow storm - fun stuff! I did get a milk shake out of it though) and three trips later were still no closer to having plumbing in that we were in the AM.  It was rounding midnight and though we had three or four near solutions, the final one still eluded us by 1/8th of an inch!

I convinced DH that a nights sleep would be useful and we'll start fresh in the AM when the stores were open and the weather had cleared some (or at least the ice was gone from the roads).  Well, he's a miracle worker because during my AM trip to Costco and Kohls he figured the sucker out - without any further trips to the hardware stores!  I came back to a fully working sink and a new dishwasher full of dishes humming along in it's first ever cycle.  Ah....victory!

The kitchen looks great and we're so happy with the granite we chose.  Now we just need to decide on a backsplash and get it installed along with the lighting.  Babysteps:)

Here's one pic - excuse the construction material around and the gaping hole where the micro should be - we still haven't figured out what to do there.  I want a new one but DH is content to keep the old one.

I can hear him downstairs now trying to get the handles on the cabinets.  With full overlay, there's no lip to grab to open the drawers so with a countertop it's rather difficult to get into them.  You can to pull from the bottom or open up the lower drawers to get to the uppers.

Anywho...now that we're this far, we can start working on the baby's room!  I finally cleaned out the dresser that we're going to be using for him.  Now to get it out of the guest room and move mark's new desk in there so we can start cleaning out the office!  Woohoo...bigfoot might actually have somewhere to sleep by the time he's born!

Can I keep a schedule or what!

Here's the loose schedule I threw out there when we started this reno:

This week - grout, build and hang cabinets around fridge, move fridge back into place
Next weekend - wedding - no work
Oct 24th - finish removing pantry (the demo has started!), remove two stand alone cabinets there so we can move the stove outta the way. Empty the rest of the cabinets
Oct 31 - Cabinet building party! Mom and Dad Kloep will be in town to help build cabinets. Im hoping we can remove the base cabinets and tile where we need to under the cabinets. We will be sinkless from here on out...this will be interesting - that may be the first base the goes back in - at least temporarily
Week of Nov 2 - grout remaining tiles and seal everything
Nov 7 - Mom and Dad King are in town to help hang cabinets - our goal is to get the tops in, the bases will be a bonus.
Nov 14 - Courtney is in town - no kitchen work (and I sure as heck hope I can get the rest of the house in shape, it has really gone to hell lately...
Nov 21 - Likely be finishing putting in the bases and plywood the countertop so we have something to work on until the countertop is ordered. Need to buy a new dishwasher in here somewhere....
Nov 28 - Turkey Day Weekend - No work
Dec 5 - Hopefully, if all else is on schedule we'll be putting the cabinet fronts, drawers, and hardware on! And can start the countertop search and ordering process...
Dec 12 - Fudge week....as I'm positive we'll not make all the progress we need to:)
Dec 19 - Maybe have counter tops in!

and as of today, Dec 3rd we're ahead of schedule (and right on budget!)!  The dishwasher was delivered and will be installed tonight, all the drawer fronts are on (and have been for a while now), the plinths are installed, and the granite comes tomorrow!!!:)  Here we'll be on Dec 4th where we thought we'd be on Dec 19th and aside from a small bit of plumbing to be finished on Saturday likely, we'll be back to a functional kitchen!!

We're going to pick up the lighting for under the cabinets this weekend and finally decide what to do with the microwave (put the old one back up or get a new one - i'm leaning towards new...).  That way DH can finish the electrical and I can have my stove back (right now we only have the top because it has an electric starter which makes the oven useless without electricity).

I'm debating on whether to take pics this weekend and show you all or not.  I'm thinking a big reveal may be in order but we'll see.  Depends on how quickly we can get to the backsplash:)  See, once the counter top is in and the electrical is finished, we have a baby's room to work on!  The backsplash and painting may have to wait.

Anywho...I can't believe we're almost there! This didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would but it certainly was more work than I thought:)

Free pass...

I agree with a fellow blogger that all pregnant women should get a free pass in December.  Between the baby and Christmas (and our reno), I can't focus on anything else including work!

All I want to do is play on eBay, Target, amazon, or other shopping websites of choice or sit here and dream of what his nursery is going to be and how I'm going to get better organized eventually.

Work is calling and I'll succumb for sure as I'd like to keep my job:) but I definitely still think there should be a free pass for pregnant women during the holidays.

A new favorite pasttime...

A few weeks ago little man was just getting strong enough to make his kicks visible from outside my belly.  I remember laying on the bed in my NYC hotel room and watching my belly dance around as he practiced his karate moves.  Since then his movements have become stronger and he's grown quite a bit so now, not only do I get to see kicks and jabs but entire body movements as he shifts from one side to the other. Plus, when he thumps, the entire belly moves, not just the one little place he hit - he knocked the remote off the top of my belly the other day!

Evenings and early mornings seem to be his play time so last night I took a break from our reno and instead grabbed a couple of pillows and got settled on the couch for the evening show.  Lying there, belly bare, I could see him kicking and grooving.  He'd shift from one side to the other (what an odd feeling!) and then start kicking again.  At one point he flipped entirely and his high thumps were replaced with a butt and some punches to my lower back (thanks kiddo!).  DH even had a chance to put his hands on my belly and get punched a few times - it's still so wild to think about - there's a baby in there! 

We had some fun with him while he was active.  I'd poke or move my belly and he'd respond with a kick or jab of his own.  I'd rub my hands over my belly and he'd move away from them.  I need to try the cold soda can trick once he gets a little bigger (putting a cold soda can over the area where he is should make him move to try to get away from the cold.  Someone told me it's a great way to get them out of your ribs or other internal organs when they've nestled into an uncomfy spot).  I definitely have a new favorite past time:)

All in all the show lasted about 40 min and then he went back to sleep (I'm assuming).  He's up and moving again this AM but sadly I have to work so I can't lay back and enjoy the show :( 

27 weeks....

How far along are you? 27 Weeks

Total Weight gain/loss? so the Wii Fit told me I'm obese with a BMI of 25 haha...I wish I could tell it I was pregnant.  If it was right, I'm up 25 odd lbs (but in my defense, that was after turkey day which adds an unnecessary 10 lbs to anyone's scale!)

Stretch marks? Nope:)

Baby Movement? This week it's been more rolling and shifting positions more than anything.  He really doesn't like it when I lean forward when I'm sitting.

Best moment this week? Spending the holidays with the family and marveling in the amazement that is my little nephews.


Food Cravings? Creme Cheese - I ate about a block of it over the holiday - oi!

Belly button in or out? Still in but barely

Milestones? Well, depending on what book you look at, I'm moving into my third trimester now.  Little man will start to really pack on the pounds at something like .5lbs a week now!  He's the size of an eggplant!
 
Weekly Wisdom?   Avoid water, spicy food, bending over, orange juice, tomato based foods or sitting idle after a large meal if you want to avoid acid reflux!  Rolaids soft chews or Pepcid will be your new best friend

Reno Update...

Yes, there is a slight update on the reno progress:)  This week we managed to get some of the side panels up to see what they looked like which was great!  Everything is starting to fall together. 

The biggest accomplishment this week was finally purchasing the dishwasher!  We figured we'd wait for the black friday sales to see if we could score a great deal.  Well, we got a deal but not one of black friday caliber - oh well.  None the less we're happy with our new dishwashwer which should be here no later than Dec 5 (but i'm hoping and praying that it arrives sooner!)

Isn't she pretty:)  She's a Bosch 24 in built in beauty with hidden controls to keep little fingers from getting into trouble!

We also purchased our faucet - the Delta Leland series with a pull out head and the magnetic latch to keep it in.  We're super excited!  Now we just need to get the last panels in and we're ready for granite on Friday!

Here's the list - not a ton of progress but  some....

The list:

- new cabinets need installed (70%)
- install temp sink and plumbing
- install door fronts, hardware, drawers (50%)
- install plinth and filler wood
- remove and purchase new dishwasher
- new countertop needs ordered (and then installed)
- permanent plumbing needs installed
- new backsplash needs installed
- whole kitchen needs painted
- install new light switch for under cabinet lighting - run the line too 

- install under cabinet lighting

- finish the electrical for the heated floors

- scrub every surface in the rest of the house and clear it of dust

They say the darndest things..

We had the pleasure of spending the last few days with our nephews K and B who are 4 and 2.5 respectively.  They are quite the handful and we're definitely in for something with our little man once he gets older but oh wow - these guys are amazing!:)  Not only are they hilarious and full of life and energy - they say the most histerical things!  Just a sampling of the last 2 hours with them (mostly said by little K since I'm still learning to decipher little B's ramblings)

"I'm in chip heaven" said by little K as he consumes his 10th handful of tortilla chips

"You're my butt microphone Macie!" said by little K as he whips our poor Vizsla around by the tail singing "oh yea baby - my heart starts pumping".  Oh Macie has no idea what she's in for!

"I told you I was the fastest boy around" to DH during our after Turkey Day walk after trying to out run him and the dog.

There are so many more and I have to keep writing them down because it's moments like this that will get us thru the screaming, sleepless nights, and stress of our little mans early years.

Pregnancy Brain...

Call it stress, call it hormones, whatever it is - pregnancy brain is finally setting in!

Case in point, I always forget to put the top down on the washer so the clothes never actually get washed.  I'll come down to check on it and find that things are still sitting there soaking. Oh well, that's been happening for a while now.  Well today it went to a whole new level - not only did I forget to put the top down but i forgot to put in detergent and turn the stinkin thing on!  I'm sitting here happily typing away thinking my clothes are getting washed when in fact they are sitting in a dry wash tub with no soap....oh boy.  Time to start leaving post it's around to remind myself (a habit that I've always had).

Stock tip to anyone that reads this - buy stock in 3M because I'm about to go buy out all the stores in the area of their post-its.

A little bit of growth...

So...um yea.. there's been a bit of growth:) The progression below is 14,20,and 26 weeks respectively. Not a huge change between 14 and 20 - mostly bloat changes but 20 to 26 - whoa!

26 Weeks....

How far along are you? 26 Weeks

Total Weight gain/loss? um...turkey day is this week, can we just pretend to ignore the scale?

Stretch marks? Nope:)

Baby Movement? he goes thru spurts. There'll be a day or two when I don't feel him much followed by a few days of gangbuster movements!

Best moment this week? DH finally felt the little man!  We were laying in bed after I got home and Hans (the babe) was kicking furiously so I pulled DH's hand over to the belly and he finally got to feel it!  He was funny.  He was like "if I can feel this, then you really must feel like he's punching his way out!" - yes dear, that's about how it feels sometimes.  

Food Cravings? Nothing really substantial lately.  I have yet to have the overwhelming feeling that I just must have something....i was always craving prone to begin with.


Belly button in or out? Still in but barely

Milestones? Well, this happened a few weeks ago but I finally had to take off my wedding band and e-ring.  They were starting to get really tight and I didn't want to take a chance of them getting started.  The baby bedding arrived this week too!
 
Weekly Wisdom?   Don't over do it.  I used to know what my body could handle activity wise but I'm finding myself getting really run down and tired to the point where I'm starting to get sick. I need to remember that I am carrying a child and not my normal go-go-go self. 




I'm looking progressively tired in this pics - time to figure out how to get more sleep!:)

Reno Progress...

So get out the popcorn!  Here comes another thrilling installation of renovation nation...

We made great progress!  We spent yesterday picking out and then ordering granite (among other things house but non kitchen related).  We picked something called Labrador Black which is a pretty consistent black granite with warm amber undertones (as warm as you can make black I supposed).  They did the digital template that evening and we expect sign off tomorrow on the design so that we can have it installed Dec 4!!

Today we went to two - yes, TWO - Ikeas in order to find everything we needed.  As it turned out, our normal Ikea was rearranging their warehouse and it went on 4 days longer than it was supposed to (or than what they had on their website) and we couldn't get what we needed from them.  So, since we have to have it prior to the granite going in, that meant we had to drive to the other Ikea - 40 min away - to get what we needed. We're fortunate to live smack in middle of two Ikeas (read: equa-distant) but going from one to the other is a bit of a haul.  We did get to see the monuments downtown on our trip though - haha.

Another pre-requ of the granite install is to have the dishwasher purchased and installed prior.  Since DH has a volleyball game tomorrow and we're leaving for the family on wed, we have Tuesday to find, purchase, and arrange install prior to the Dec 4 granite guys!

Ah....we're soooooo close to having a fully working kitchen again!  We still have a ways to go even after the countertops go in but we'll have counterspace and a brand new sink/faucet!

No pictures this time as there's not a ton of change (the cabinets have fronts but..)

The list:
- new cabinets need installed (70%)
- install temp sink and plumbing
- install door fronts, hardware, drawers (50%)
- install plinth and filler wood
- remove and purchase new dishwasher
- new countertop needs ordered (and then installed)
- permanent plumbing needs installed
- new backsplash needs installed
- whole kitchen needs painted
- install new light switch for under cabinet lighting - run the line too 

- install under cabinet lighting

- finish the electrical for the heated floors

- scrub every surface in the rest of the house and clear it of dust

25 weeks...

I'm finally done traveling I think so that's a great thing! Traveling while pregnant is a challenge.  It's not so much the getting around part because walking/flying/etc are no problem.  Its the eating situation.  It's just so hard to eat well while away from home when your only option is to eat out.  I tried really hard to eat fruit etc for breakfast but lunch and dinner were always out somewhere and I always paid for it later - Rolaids Soft Chews are my newest best friend!

How far along are you? 25 Weeks (and a few days - thank you work travel!)

Total Weight gain/loss? pretending not to notice...

Stretch marks? Nope:)

Baby Movement? Kunfu fighter for sure

Best moment this week? Chivalry is not dead! Maybe not a "best moment" but definitely a sweet surprise.  I was using mass transit while I was in San Fran and had more than one occasion where a gentleman gave up his seat on the crowded bus or train to allow front heavy me to have a seat.  

Food Cravings? Still have an apple/apple juice thing going on (which is good because apple juice is not as acidic as OJ which causes all sorts of pain!)

Belly button in or out? Still in but stretching

Milestones? Well, we're past viability and the babe is about 1.5 lbs now!  He looks like a little doll (or so the books say)
 
Weekly Wisdom?   Get your fiber! haha...and water for sure!  The body functions much better when you get plenty of both!

Excuse how exhausted I look.  It was my first day in SFO and I was spent!

Woodland Creatures...

Welcome the new additions to the yet-to-be-started nursery!  I found them at Target today and they'll be perfect in the little man's room as decoration (up high on a shelf so he can't get them when he gets bigger!).  They match the bedding I picked out last week and are just too adorable to pass up.

Weekend Update...

So this weekend we had friends in town and didn't make much progress but there was some:)  This past week we finally got a sink in with real drainage so we can stop using the downstairs powder room.  We also got the rest of the bottoms and the last top cabinet in.  Lastly I started installing the fronts to what cabinets I could.  It's finally starting to shape up like a kitchen! 

This week is a business trip for me again but I'm leaving instructions:)  We should try to get the electrical done, or at least to a point where we can cap what's live and turn the power back on so I can use my oven again!

This coming weekend we'll hunt for granite, a dishwasher and a microwave.  Hopefully we can schedule the template guy to come prior to turkey day which means we'll have a countertop by the first or second week of dec (which means we'll have a fully functioning kitchen again!).

Once we get the counter top in, we can divide our time between the nursery and the kitchen.  It's about time!  The crib is here and hanging out in my office until we get the other room emptied (thank Ryan for helping to carry it up the stairs!)

The list:
- new cabinets need installed (70%)
- install temp sink and plumbing
- install door fronts, hardware, drawers (50%)
- install plinth and filler wood
- remove and purchase new dishwasher
- new countertop needs ordered (and then installed)
- permanent plumbing needs installed
- new backsplash needs installed
- whole kitchen needs painted

- install new light switch for under cabinet lighting - run the line too 
- install under cabinet lighting

- finish the electrical for the heated floors

- scrub every surface in the rest of the house and clear it of dust

This all ends in a baby...

oh boy!  Someone mentioned this on a chat board I frequent and it made me think - this 9 months of waiting, writing, and preparing will all end in a baby!  A live little human being that is wholly dependent on DH and I - and a boy no less (i've already got enough worries line up for the next 20 years)!

I've been having these moment more and more frequently. I'll be doing something and realize that it just won't be the same when little man arrives.  Not that it's a bad thing, don't get me wrong we're super excited and I really can't wait but it's all still surreal.  I really don't think it will hit me until we're walking in the front door with our new little human and then wondering what the heck we got ourselves into!

Take yesterday for example.  DH and I had a late night and ended up sleeping in later in the AM.  Laying there, semi awake, I realized that our days of sleeping in (or getting any type of restful sleep) are numbered! Or when I was taking a shower.  I spent 15 min in there - after I'd washed my hair and what not - just standing under the water as it fell around me and I realized that come March, showers that last longer than 5 min will be a luxury.  Walking the dog, making dinner, even my work day will be different when our little dude shows is pretty face. 

But you know what?  I'm perfectly at ease with that (okay, not perfectly, but I'll adjust).  We've had our time to do what we what, when we want etc.  It's time now to show our little one how great the world is what what cool things there are to be had and done. It does scare the bejezzus out of me that he'll actually grow up and go thru those lovely teen years but it also excites me to see what he becomes and what kind of man he'll be.

I'm sure every parent-to-be has these fears and I'm almost positive that they've figured they're way thru it.  I'm also positive that I'm in (we're in :) ) for 50+ years of worry, excitement, joy, sorrow, love and laughter and I'm okay with that:)

..No, I'm better thank okay....I'm ecstatic!

24 weeks...

How far along are you? 24 Weeks

Total Weight gain/loss? um...ya...up 17lbs so far.  Doc was surprised at the jump, hopefully it's because little man had a growth spurt and not all the Halloween candy I ate - ack!

Stretch marks? Nope:)

Baby Movement? Yup, all the time - karate chops and ninja rolls

Best moment this week? Lots of fun things this week.  1. My mom felt the baby kick!  Sad that DH hasn't yet but I dont know that he knows exactly what he's feeling even if he did feel little man kick.  He can see the belly rock and roll all the time now.  2. Bean has a nick name now too - Hans:)  3. I ordered little man's crib (see in previous post)

Food Cravings? Apples!

Belly button in or out? Still in but stretching

Milestones? I'm now into my last 1/3 of the second trimester.  Little man will start packing on the pounds over the next few weeks (as will mamma i'm sure:( )
 
Weekly Wisdom?   Yes, aches and pains are normal and no, you're not a baby for complaining about them:)


I feel like there's not a ton of change in the pics but as I look at them side by side there's more volume in the belly if you get what I mean.  He's starting to spread out more to the sides than to the front.

No piggy flu here...

Docs had a few shots left of the H1N1 vaccine so now I'm immune (supposedly) from the piggy flu! Yay!  I can go to Cali next week and not worry as much:)

Nursery....

So, even with the kitchen reno going on, I need to start thinking about the baby's nursery (I mean, we're almost 6 months along after all, this baby is coming whether we like it or not!).  I've been looking for bedding for a while now and am so fickle! I've fallen in love with no less than 2 sets :(  Although I think though that I've finally made up my mind (and need to stop looking at bedding for fear of falling in love again).

My brother is going to do a mural on the wall that coordinates with the bedding and the latest stuff that I've picked out will give him lots of options I hope.  Here's what we're looking at:

It's called Enchanted Hollow from Eddie Bauer.  I saw it at Baby Depot and just fell in love (again:) ).  It's has all the outdoorsy elements we wanted for our little man including a cute little fox, hedgehog, and owls!  I just can't get over the cute little animals on the quilt!  I figured he'd do a forest theme on the walls or something..we'll see once he gets painting.  It should also work for a little girl if we happen to luck out with child #2 down the road.

We also ordered the crib this weekend from Babies R Us.  Mom and I felt bad, the guy at the store was helpful but didn't get to reap the commission reward because they didn't have the crib in stock and advised us to order it on line (which was actually better for us but I still felt bad).

Here's the crib we bought:

It's the Babi Italia Classic Eastside crib.  I really went back and forth between a sleigh type crib, one with a higher back, and this one.  In the end I liked the simplicity and build of this one and how it can be either masculine or feminine depending on the bedding. Plus, even with the mattress down in the lower positions, I can still reach in and put the baby down (yes, i tried this in the store, with my pretend baby!)  I need to find a changing table to match it but can do that in my own time.  Those you don't have to order way out in advance.

The last thing we'll need for the nursery is the rocking chair.  I really don't want a glider but that seems to be all they sell.  DH and I talked about a poang chair from Ikea in leather so it's easy to clean but then I sat in this baby:

It's the Rock-A-Bye chair from BRU in chocolate chenelle. It goes against just about everything i said i wanted in a chair (rocker, simple, washable, cheap) but it's so squishy and comfy and not only rocks but swivels that I think I must have it! There's an ottoman that goes along that will be necessary too but for now I'm concentrating on the chair.  The seat is deep but not too deep so I can still reach the floor comfortably with my feet so when I'm nursing I can use my knees to prop things up.  Now I just need to raise the $350 that it costs (not including the ottoman!).  Ack - such a lovely chair at such an unlovely price.

Anyways, we've not started to assemble any of this yet. I still need to get DH's computer out of the baby's room and into my loft office but that's an entirely new project that requires the purchase of matching desks and a bookshelf (because the loft is exposed and I'm OCD about matching, we can't just put any ole desk out there next to my existing desk).  I may need to just give up and deal with that later - we'll see:)

...Maybe we'll have this done before he gets here (note to baby - please take your full time cooking, no month early surprises here please)

With a little helps from our friends...

and family...:)  we've made great progress in our kitchen reno!  This weekend mom and dad king arrived with Tucker so everyone was entertained:)  Dad and Mark spent friday finishing the dry wall and running electrical, saturday the two of them managed to get all of our top cabinets hung and even started on the bottoms! It's really starting to look like a kitchen now!

Here's the list as we stand today:

- new cabinets need installed (70%)
- install temp sink and plumbing
- install door fronts, hardware, drawers (30%)
- install plinth and filler wood
- remove and purchase new dishwasher
- new countertop needs ordered (and then installed)
- permanent plumbing needs installed
- new backsplash needs installed
- whole kitchen needs painted

- install new light switch for under cabinet lighting - run the line too 
- install under cabinet lighting

- finish the electrical for the heated floors

- scrub every surface in the rest of the house and clear it of dust 

- dry wall the new pantry area so we can hang cabinets

- build cabinets

- seal the floor

- replace valves on copper under the sink so things actually shut off 

- run to Ikea to pick up missing pieces

- fix the fridge cabinet spacing

- old vinyl tile flooring (all three layers) needs removed (25% done)
- new travertine flooring needs installed (80%)
- possible new under floor heating to be installed with the floor (that is if we dont need a new circut run for it)
- temporary kitchen needs assembled outside so we can do dishes and eat (not necessary - we're working around it)
- need to fill the propane tank so we can actually eat once the stove is disconnected
- cabinets need emptied
- cabinets need removed (80% - still have a few uppers in there)
- old built in pantry needs demoed
- light switch needs moved (not necessary)

DH is tired for sure and I'm sure my dad is too.  Mom and I spent most of the weekend making sure they were well fed and caffeinated and did some shopping for baby!  Next weekend we have friends in town and will likely take a break but are hoping that we can get the rest of the bases in this week so we have all the boxes in and ready to go.

It's really starting to shape up now, I'm soo excited!!

Reason # 212 of why i love my dog...

It's not that she uses pillows like a human or insists on laying on a blanket or a pillow even when she's on a comfy soft futon mattress or the fact that she's a complete goof and totally gaga for tennis balls, it's that she knows when something's wrong with one of us!

Today was a challenging day at work for me. Being away for a few days at a trade show left me very very behind in my work (even though I worked overtime prior to leaving to try to make up for it...). Lots of decisions were made and things were changed and I had to catch up and adjust to all of it (nothing bad, just different). Combine that with non stop meetings, exhaustion, hormones, and a barking dog - well, suffice to say, I totally lost it - utter melt down in the middle of the work day (thank goodness I work from home!).  

Part of it was the four legged furry ones fault and I yelled at her for that (out of frustration and having nowhere else to displace my feelings - which I feel totally bad for) but after the tears started, she hopped down from her perch and crawled into my lap to love me as if to say, "It's okay mom - I'm sorry, don't cry".  A few wet Willys later she had me cracking up and the tears had vanished!

Having her here during those stressful times has really helped!  Things start to get crazy and I simply walk over to her for a quick cuddle.  She never turns me away and is always happy to oblige with a sniff or a kiss and it makes the world feel right again. 

If I have this much love for a non-biological critter I can only imagine what I'm going to feel when this little man shows up!

23 weeks...a little late....

How far along are you? 23 Weeks (and a few days by now)

Total Weight gain/loss? haven't looked since last week.  Hopefully all the walking and standing around for the trade show counteracted the great food we had in NYC!

Stretch marks? Nope:)

Baby Movement? He's definitely got a pattern now - which unfortunately tends to be late night and wee early morning...but it's still fun.  His kicks are getting harder and just this week I saw my belly move when he kicked it!

Best moment this week? DH saw the baby kick last night.  He's yet to feel it but did see my entire belly rock and roll when little man laid a karate chop to my belly button!

Food Cravings? My cravings have to do with what i see around me - nothing yet that I can't live without thought.

Belly button in or out? Still in but stretching

Milestones? I'm almost 2/3's of the way thru my second tri - ahhh!!!
 
Weekly Wisdom?   Everyone will tell you your bigger or smaller than you should be at this time of your pregnancy - don't listen to them:) You're perfectly on target for you!


And here's the belly shot from my lovely hotel room in NYC wearing our orange trade show shirts and looking much like a pumpkin:)

Reno Progress....

So, this past weekend we were up to the usual - renovation!  This time we had some help from mom and dad kloep!  We hosted a cabinet building party which was a smashing success!  Not only did we get all the cabinets built in record time but we removed all the remaining cabinets and microwave - now we have a completely non functional kitchen.  Well, okay, not completely but with no micro or sink things are pretty limited (thankfully I'll be NYC this week  - poor DH has to fend for himself).

Here's the list as we stand today:

- old vinyl tile flooring (all three layers) needs removed (25% done)
- new travertine flooring needs installed (80%)
- possible new under floor heating to be installed with the floor (that is if we dont need a new circut run for it)
- temporary kitchen needs assembled outside so we can do dishes and eat (not necessary - we're working around it)
- need to fill the propane tank so we can actually eat once the stove is disconnected
- cabinets need emptied
- cabinets need removed (80% - still have a few uppers in there)
- old built in pantry needs demoed
- light switch needs moved (not necessary)
- new cabinets need installed (25%)
- new countertop needs ordered (and then installed)
- new backsplash needs installed
- whole kitchen needs painted
- remove and purchase new dishwasher

- install new light switch for under cabinet lighting - run the line too

- dry wall the new pantry area so we can hang cabinets

- build cabinets

- seal the floor

- finish the electrical for the heated floors

- replace valves on copper under the sink so things actually shut off

- install door fronts, hardware, drawers

- run to Ikea to pick up missing pieces

- run to the dump with large truck full of debris

- fix the fridge cabinet spacing
 
This coming weekend we're hanging cabinets!  DH has Wednesday off so he's going to run electrical for the under cabinet lights and finish the last little bit of floor tile and get the walls ready for hanging!  Mom and Dad King will be here to help out and hopefully by the time they leave, we'll have the boxes on the walls and can start putting shelves and faces on!  If we're lucky we can get a temporary sink hooked up and be almost back to normal!

I took a few pics that I have to get off the computer...maybe later this week...