A "House-iversary"

It's officially been one year since we bought our house! Wow, time does fly! I can't believe how quickly this last year has gone by. It seems like just yesterday we were sanding and staining the banister and painting the walls. Well one year later and we're still at it...

(laundry room in progress)

We have several more projects that need I want to be done before baby girl gets here AND before I even start on her room - hey, I don't want to be preoccupied! (yeah, that's it...or maybe it's because I can't decide on a fabric! grrr) These are the things that are currently on my Bri's to do list:

• paint laundry room and add beadboard
• hang chandelier & accessories in dining room (after possibly re-painting it...sorry babe!)
• finish the DIY media niche
• paint upstairs bathroom and add board and batten
• paint upstairs guest room (so mom has a place to sleep when baby girl gets here) and move furniture into room
• finish the wall art for the entry
• re-organize downstairs guest room
• THEN, start on the nursery

Lofty goals eh? Really it's not extremely difficult work, mostly just tiring and messy. LOTS of painting still to be done along with little bitty projects here and there. Anyone interested in painting?! Hehe. I'll have to call my dr. and see if it's ok if I help with some of the painting...otherwise, poor Bri. I'll try to keep you updated on the progress we make with our projects. My dad is letting us "borrow" a bunch of his tools this weekend (table saw here I come!) so we'll have no excuses to not finish. Lots of pictures and hopefully some really fun before & afters...stay tuned!

Anyway, after taking yet another trip to the home improvement store tonight we had ourselves a little treat!

Oh yea, we took advantage of 31 cent scoop night at BR...fo' sho'

It's Still Daylight??

I'm sitting at home at 6:28pm and it's still daylight outside. Wait, what are you talking about?! 

(Oh, thaaat's what the neighborhood looks like during the day) 

 

For the last few years I have been working a split shift...going in to work in the morning, having the afternoon off, then teaching a class at night. It was cool when it was just me, then when it was me and Bri it was still ok because we lived close so I wasn't home too late. Well, now that we commute to work (grrr) and I'm preggo working a split hasn't exactly been ideal. I had been getting home around 9:45pm...yes I said pm...which meant I always got home when it was already dark, never sat down to dinner with Bri, or even got to enjoy the sunset. Now please don't take my whining explaining the wrong way. I'm not complaining, just telling it like it is. I have been fortunate to only work 4 days a week this year, so it's kind of made up for being home so late.

Anyway, I'm rambling. The reason I am at home during daylight hours is because my dr. "recommended" that I work less hours during the day. And since my school is closing in June and I won't need all my sick hours for maternity leave, I'm using them now and not teaching my night class for the rest of the school year. That means I will be home much earlier. Like today. So I took advantage of this new found time.

I got to go on a walk with my husband...

AND sit down to a home cooked meal (of Chicken Parmigiana) with him...one of his favorites!

And now I know what it's like to be home (at a normal hour) during the week. This might take some getting used to! Notice I said might :)

Anticipation

For a couple of weeks, B has been really anxious about feeling the baby move. I have been able to really feel her for about a month and I think he was feeling a little left out. Every time she would kick, I would put his hand to my belly in hopes of him sharing the excitement. We even tried laying on the bed with his face to my belly (we heard faces are more sensitive than hands) to see if that worked. No luck. All the websites (shhh, don't tell my doc that we were looking at pregnancy related items on the Internet...he won't be happy!) said we still had a few more weeks before the dads were really able to feel the baby move. So we just waited and he kept asking, "What does it feel like?" or "Does it hurt when she kicks/moves?" I knew he just couldn't wait!

Well last night (during one of her more active times-11:30pmish-yes, I know I'm in trouble if she keeps up this pattern) B finally got to feel his baby girl move!! Yay! I was in bed and he was getting ready for bed and she was just movin' and groovin' which makes me laugh a little...not sure why. Anyway, he comes running and lays down with his face on my belly and we just wait. Sure enough, a few minutes later, she said "hello" to her daddy by kicking him in the head. He just looked at me and said, "Was that her?" Umm yeah, unless there's something else in there I don't know about. Hehe. It was so precious to see how excited he was to be able to finally "share" in the experience with me. He was able to feel her a few more times before she decided she had enough of playing and calmed down a little but to see him so excited was such a treasure! ♥ it!

here he is waiting to feel her...

Be still my heart.

A Few More Choices...

I was hoping to reveal the before/after photos of this dresser I told you about, but apparently there was a mix up in the knobs I ordered. As B was putting them on the dresser he says to me, "Did you only order 8 knobs?" "Yeah, aren't there 4 drawers?!" "Uh, no, there are 5." Duh, maybe I should have counted them. Oh well, I'll reveal it soon, I promise! Instead, you get to hear updates about the nursery! FUN!!

Remember this post where I rambled talked about the different fabrics I could use for baby girl's room? Well, my other swatches came in today and I'm in luuuurrrve. I can't decide which one I like the best! I'll definitely have to put them all together then narrow it down to a top three and maybe take a vote on here. I'll let you peeps help me decide. Although that might be giving up too much for a control freak like myself...hmm maybe I'll just let you know what I decide when it's all done!

I have a few more ideas that I'm itching to try out in her room and I can't wait to get started. First step is picking the fabric since it will be the jumping of point. Ok, lady, just make a decision already!

We've been working on a few other projects around the house (which I'll show you soon) so we've been busy. Trying to do it on a tight budget has proved to be interesting. Helps us be creative though, right? That's what I keep trying to tell myself anyway...

I ♥ Reading

I got a fun surprise at work today. E stopped by (well, she was in the area) to drop off all these goodies for me!! *sigh* Aren't they just beautiful?!

How can you NOT be so excited for me? I have always loved reading and if a book is good enough I can usually get through it in a couple of days...much to B's surprise. Sample conversation:

B: You're already on chapter 20? Didn't you just start that book this morning??

Me: Yeah, so? You know I love to read!!

B: Do you read all the words or just skim the pages?

Me: What are you talking about? Of course I read all the words!

B: Can I time you? (sometimes he says, Can I watch? or sometimes he just stares)

Me: No, that's weird.

Gotta love him! So anyway, thanks E for all my books. I'll pass them along when I'm done with them (yes, Care I'll send some your way too!) Isn't it fantastic to have friends who like to read as much as you do so you can share books?! Sweet! These all look like winners which means that I'll probably get caught up in them. So, if I miss a few blog posts here and there or don't answer emails, you know why! 

Just kidding.

Play Ball!

It's Spring which means baseball season is upon us. Now for those of you who know my husband well at all, you know about his love obsession with the game! He doesn't necessarily have a "favorite" team...he just likes to watch any game that's on. As he tells it, he is a fan of the game, not the team. He does have a few players here and there that he keeps his eye on but for the most part, he doesn't discriminate if there's baseball on TV. So what that means for me is that starting in April until October, there is baseball on our TV all.the.time. When we got married, he stopped pursuing baseball professionally but I knew he would never stop playing the game. It's a good thing I like sports right?! And it's a good thing he plays the right sport seeing as he married into a baseball loving obsessed family. Anyway, I digress.

Here's where we were this morning, bright and early...

I try to be a good wifey and go to most of his games but lately that hasn't been the case, so I manned up and went along to his 9am (grrr) game! I told him I'd try to go to as many games as I can before I get too far along in this pregnancy. Last thing I wanna be doing is baking sitting in the sun while 9 months pregnant! Anyway, if you're ever in the mood to watch a game, let us know. He plays pretty much every Sunday!

OH, and here's what I got to finish while he watched (yet another) game on TV after dinner:

I guess baseball season is good for both of us! :)

Should Have Written It Down

Today I had plans to visit friends who just bought a house in Temecula (sooo happy for them!). Since it's only about 15 minutes down the freeway I thought I'd do some errands then stop by and say hi. Well, the only two errands on my list today were the post office (to mail off some onesies I just finished) and Joann's (to pick up some new fabric). Simple enough right? Ha! First stop, post office. In, out, easy, done. Next is Joann's...

I get to Joann's to find out they are having a 40% off sale on their fabrics - score! Now, as I walk in, there is something nagging me at the back of my mind...something I told myself to remember when I got there. Should have written it down, preggo. As I begin browsing fabrics and putting way too many things in my cart, I can hear over the intercom the numbers being called for people who are getting their fabric cut. "Number 3, now serving customer #3 at the cutting table..." Not thinking anything of it, I continue to look at throw fabric in my cart. Mind you, there's that nagging in the back of my mind again. What was I supposed to remember??

I finish hoarding choosing fabrics and make my way to the cutting table. Hmm, there seems to be a lot of people waiting. Nagging again. I glance at my number...40...what the?! I look up to see that they are currently helping customer #6!! Are you kidding me right now?! THEN IT HITS ME...that nagging in the back of my mind. I was supposed to take a number right when I got there then start browsing for what I needed! This Joann's is notorious for being sloooow at the cutting counter. Should have written it down, preggo. Ugh. Now what? Am I really gonna wait for another 34 people to be called?? I wander the store for a while to kill time but realize that I am putting even more crap stuff into my cart because I might need it soon. So I walk back to the cutting counter and wait. And wait. And wait. I think I waited almost 45 minutes. No joke! It was definitely a lesson in patience. Not one that I hope to repeat any time soon.

Here's the fabric I waited all afternoon for:

Here are some of the latest onesies I made:

Should have written it down, preggo.

Picking Just One!

So I've been trying to find a jumping off point for baby girl's room. I ordered a few fabric swatches online from this great site a few days ago and they just came in. There are two (so far) that I am reaaally lovin...

Problem is, I just found a few more from Sew,Mama,Sew (yes I ordered more) that I really like too! I could go in so many different directions with this room. Too many choices...I might have a hard time picking just one! Ok, maybe more than one because you must have coordinating fabrics :)

On a related note, had a visit to Dr. C today and baby girl is doing just fine!

Procrastination = My Middle Name

Yes, I am a full blown procrastinator! I've tried to change my ways, tried to be more on top of things, and in many cases I've succeeded. I like to be early, I plan things in advance, I always start projects full steam ahead. But somewhere in the middle, I run out of that steam. Especially when it comes to things I am so not interested in! Need an example? Ok, here's one for you...

I have a project due on May 3. You might be thinking, "hey that's no big deal, it's still a few weeks away" and you would be right. However, this project was originally due in January (yes, I postponed it). It's the final step before I can receive the credential I've been working on but for some reason I am just not motivated to finish it! Perhaps it could be the lack of job staring me in the face?! This project includes putting together a portfolio, a 5 page paper, and a power point presentation. Not too bad right? Guess how much of it I have completed so far? None?? We have a winner!! Oh and on top of that I have to do a different 6 page paper on a book I was supposed to have read. It's a make up assignment for missing class for being sick leaving early on our cruise. Oops.

Here's the book I'm supposed to read:

Think maybe "procrastination" might be #8? :)

Week 22: Just Past Halfway

So according to one of my books, I am officially into my 6th month! According to a different book, I was into my 6th month at week 21. Seriously, these book editors need to get together and get.on.the.same.page! How frustrating is it to read one thing in one book and something different in another book. Ugh. Almost makes me want to stop reading them...almost. Well regardless of what month I'm in, I am 22 weeks in and slightly more than halfway. Yes, I know I have so much more to come...everyone keeps telling me that...but I'm going to enjoy my milestone anyway. So, at 22 weeks I:

• Have gained 4lbs so far (although after this vacation that might no longer be the case!)
• Started feeling baby girl moving around A LOT more
• Don't really have any cravings or weird requests (much to B's relief!)
• Don't get as much sleep as I would like due to the tossing and turning at night
• Am feeling pretty good

This pregnancy has been smooth sailing so far and we pray daily that it will continue throughout. Here's to the second half! Oh, thanks for all the birthday wishes yesterday...it was a good day! ♥

Don't mind the messy hair (yes, I do own a brush). It was late and I was heading to bed right after this...

Happy (Belated) Anniversary!

We were technically on vacation when we celebrated our anniversary, but I thought I'd do a post since B doesn't get much "face time" on here :) So here are a few of my favorite pictures of B that show who he is:

Quiet, yet always thinking....

   A leader...who checks to make sure I'm ok...

Loves his food...any and all kinds...

An athlete through and through (with a passion for baseball!).

Gentle, kind, and sensitive...who will make an amazing father...

Can hang with the guys...

Or with the girls.

He is often silly...

and adventurous,

and not too serious,

yet focused and determined. Definitely a hard worker.

Who accepts the challenges of life...even when it knocks him down...

Not to mention handsome...

...and charming

 
Who always makes me laugh and knows how to have fun...

Who loves me just as I am...

My best friend. 

I ♥ you! 

We're Baaaaack!

Yes, I know you've missed us terribly huh? Don't worry, I haven't abandoned you...we just got back from our babymoon last night. Our plane landed at 9:30pm, then we had to wait forever for our bags, then navigate the zoo airport traffic (LAX). THEN, we still had to drive a good 90 minutes to get home. Whose genius idea was that? Unfortunately I can't blame anyone but myself. I thought "oh if we get home later that means we'll have more time in Hawaii on our last day." NOT! I totally forgot to factor in the time change so when I thought I had "all day" I really only had a few hours in the morning. Ah, live and learn.

Anyway, it's good to be home. We had a great time in Hawaii visiting family and friends and just getting away. It was B's first time so we got to do a few "touristy" things as well as "local" things. My family threw me a small surprise baby shower which was so sweet! Baby girl scored some cuuute things! Whenever we go on vacation I usually give B the camera and let him go to town. He loves taking pictures of pretty much anything. I always laugh when we get home and I upload the pictures to see some of the surprises he has on there. Believe me, some are very random!

Here are a few highlights from our trip...don't worry, I won't make you suffer through all of our photos...you might die from boredom!

And here are a few "randoms" that B took:

His obsession with animals (and signs)? Who knows?!