I've been sick this past week, whupped by a beast of a "hed-ghold" as it is pronounced with copious cotton lodged in your sinuses. Thank goodness it has moved on to dominate other minions. B avoided the onslaught by trying out some Zycam (of the nasal swab variety). And it worked!!! He took it at the very first sign of a sniffle and managed to have a week without the misery. Maybe the pillow baffle he built in bed helped keep the germs on my side as well.
Actual postings with photos to follow soon...
And to A and C: looking forward to the Second Annual Groundhog Day Tuber Brunch! Got our invite today in the mail.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Mudroom tile-FINISHED!
Okay, so here's what the mudroom looked like the night we finished tiling:
...and yes, that's me cleaning up after grouting. Please ignore the perpetual anarchy of junk that has taken over the back yard.
So it is now finished. Here is what it looks like all cleaned and with three coats of sealer:
It's so beautiful even the cat likes hanging out in the room. I forsee many afternoons in the future that the cat will spend dozing on the windowsill, his belly warmed by the sun.
...and yes, that's me cleaning up after grouting. Please ignore the perpetual anarchy of junk that has taken over the back yard.
So it is now finished. Here is what it looks like all cleaned and with three coats of sealer:
It's so beautiful even the cat likes hanging out in the room. I forsee many afternoons in the future that the cat will spend dozing on the windowsill, his belly warmed by the sun.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Prediction
How can I predict that this weekend is going to be hard on the hubby? First, he came home at 5:30pm, after starting his day at 5:00am and went to bed. Second, he is still crashed out at 10:00pm in work clothes, including his tool belt with attached leatherman. Third, I just noticed that there are currently four Full Throttles in the fridge. On Friday night.
This has been a long week for a variety of reasons. Let's hope the weekend offers some small chance to take a deep breath and just Be. If only for a little while.
This has been a long week for a variety of reasons. Let's hope the weekend offers some small chance to take a deep breath and just Be. If only for a little while.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Good heart
I heard the heartbeat through the little fetascope this morning. With no searching. Somehow I just knew where the little one was, knew he or she was turned inward so the back was pressed onto the outside of my stomach.
And there it was.
Keep going, little heart. Just 21 more weeks 'til we meet you, hold you, kiss your little head and begin to tell you all about us, as you begin to tell us all about you.
And there it was.
Keep going, little heart. Just 21 more weeks 'til we meet you, hold you, kiss your little head and begin to tell you all about us, as you begin to tell us all about you.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Cabinetry!
THERE ARE CABINETS IN MY KITCHEN!!!
B started building the cabinets for the kitchen this weekend. Here's the beginnings of the pantry made out of melamine board.
He used a prefabricated board with predrilled holes as a template to set the drill pattern so we would have fully adjustable shelves all the way up.
The pantry in place:
The final cabinets installed:
There is an additional small one above the pantry and tall ones above the fridge surround. We designed the surround to accommodate a larger fridge if we ever need to upgrade. B thought about building a skinny cabinet that could be knocked down if necessary, but there really isn't enough space to bother. He'll center the fridge we have and add some trim around the sides to hide the empty space. B wants to run cork up the side of the fridge surround to post stuff.
Next step now that the carcases are complete is to build the fronts out of mdf. Then they get primed and painted. Once he's done building the rest, we'll order the doors for the whole kitchen.
I can't tell you how exciting this is. We started this process in June, and now the end is in sight. Sigh. Cheers to that!
B started building the cabinets for the kitchen this weekend. Here's the beginnings of the pantry made out of melamine board.
He used a prefabricated board with predrilled holes as a template to set the drill pattern so we would have fully adjustable shelves all the way up.
The pantry in place:
The final cabinets installed:
There is an additional small one above the pantry and tall ones above the fridge surround. We designed the surround to accommodate a larger fridge if we ever need to upgrade. B thought about building a skinny cabinet that could be knocked down if necessary, but there really isn't enough space to bother. He'll center the fridge we have and add some trim around the sides to hide the empty space. B wants to run cork up the side of the fridge surround to post stuff.Next step now that the carcases are complete is to build the fronts out of mdf. Then they get primed and painted. Once he's done building the rest, we'll order the doors for the whole kitchen.
I can't tell you how exciting this is. We started this process in June, and now the end is in sight. Sigh. Cheers to that!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Christmas Puzzle
Solution of B's Puzzle:
Two Opening Night tickets for Wicked!
It opened last night.
It was heaven. We got dressed up, B in his three-piece suit and dress shoes. The performance was awesome, the sets were awesome, the music was awesome...
We even ran into friends during intermission and got to catch up!
The best Christmas present ever.
Two Opening Night tickets for Wicked!
It opened last night.
It was heaven. We got dressed up, B in his three-piece suit and dress shoes. The performance was awesome, the sets were awesome, the music was awesome...
We even ran into friends during intermission and got to catch up!
The best Christmas present ever.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Little starling
One last quick post...
I felt the baby move for the first time while driving up to Y-town. The first little flutter. The Quickening is making things real for me. This little starling growing in there is taking a big step forward and beginning to make his or her presence known.
We had or last Dr. appointment this week; B met me at the office. Everything is great. The bloodwork was fine, blood pressure was great, and I've only gained 6 lbs so far. So far. We listened with the doppler and B heard the heartbeat for the first time. I watched his face as the Dr. struggled to keep it focused. This little one, just like his or her older brother, hates the doppler, thumps and kicks and moves away almost as soon as the Dr. tracks the heartbeat down. B smiled a peaceful smile I haven't seen in a long time.
It will be the last time we use the doppler for a while. In another week or two the little starling will be big enough that a fetascope will do the job just fine, that we will be able to hear heartsounds without the aid of invasive (albeit helpful) scientific technology. So, on to a fetascope! I have one on loan and spend a bit of time each night searching for the next big milestone on the way to holding this baby in my arms.
Soon I'll be able to discern the whoosh and thump of my own maternal pulse to the thin, quick, ga-gung-ga-gung-ga-gung sounds of a brand new heart.
I felt the baby move for the first time while driving up to Y-town. The first little flutter. The Quickening is making things real for me. This little starling growing in there is taking a big step forward and beginning to make his or her presence known.
We had or last Dr. appointment this week; B met me at the office. Everything is great. The bloodwork was fine, blood pressure was great, and I've only gained 6 lbs so far. So far. We listened with the doppler and B heard the heartbeat for the first time. I watched his face as the Dr. struggled to keep it focused. This little one, just like his or her older brother, hates the doppler, thumps and kicks and moves away almost as soon as the Dr. tracks the heartbeat down. B smiled a peaceful smile I haven't seen in a long time.
It will be the last time we use the doppler for a while. In another week or two the little starling will be big enough that a fetascope will do the job just fine, that we will be able to hear heartsounds without the aid of invasive (albeit helpful) scientific technology. So, on to a fetascope! I have one on loan and spend a bit of time each night searching for the next big milestone on the way to holding this baby in my arms.
Soon I'll be able to discern the whoosh and thump of my own maternal pulse to the thin, quick, ga-gung-ga-gung-ga-gung sounds of a brand new heart.
Mudroom tile
We got the mudroom and landing to the basement tiled this past weekend. We used the same slate that we used in the basement, and repeated the same pattern.
The landing:
B laid a plywood subfloor over the crappy one that was there. We also needed to raise up the floor a bit to be the same height as the stairs and to fit under the new side door.
Then he cut a sheet of hardibacker to fit, and screwed it into place.
Then comes the tile. And let me tell you what a pain it is to get the angles correct in such a confined area. No picnic.
But hey, it looks great, right?
And the mudroom looks even better. Just don't mind the dirt.
The next step is to wash them all another couple of times, seal the stone, then grout the joints with a medium gray grout, wash them another half-dozen times, then reseal the whole area with more sealant.
Sigh. Okay, I'm sore and worn thin from the weekend. Reading about what still needs to get done before we can declare the project over is making me even more tired than I am.
Bedtime.
The landing:
B laid a plywood subfloor over the crappy one that was there. We also needed to raise up the floor a bit to be the same height as the stairs and to fit under the new side door.
Then he cut a sheet of hardibacker to fit, and screwed it into place.
Then comes the tile. And let me tell you what a pain it is to get the angles correct in such a confined area. No picnic.But hey, it looks great, right?
And the mudroom looks even better. Just don't mind the dirt.
The next step is to wash them all another couple of times, seal the stone, then grout the joints with a medium gray grout, wash them another half-dozen times, then reseal the whole area with more sealant.Sigh. Okay, I'm sore and worn thin from the weekend. Reading about what still needs to get done before we can declare the project over is making me even more tired than I am.
Bedtime.
Holidaze
Sheesh, it's already the 7th of January. The time has really flown. We spent Christmas with B's family in Y-town, and had a great time.
Christmas eve Pop, S and B slaved over putting together this massive dollhouse for Mc. Unfortunately one wall was missing when they went to assemble it the evening before, and of course there were no replacements in stock within a 50 mile radius. And it's not like a Dollhouse will operate with just two walls. That third one is kind of critical. So, instead of disappointing a little three-year old girl on Christmas morning, S bought a sheet of thin mdf, and B cut a replacement side. Then the three of them spent two to three hours assembling it.
What an undertaking. Thank goodness for power tools or they would have been there all night. The little angle wrench they "provide" just didn't cut it. And here are the guys, showing off a job well done.
It felt like home, with the bathroom remodel on the main floor going on while we were there. B helped Pop get it done, just in time for company. And I got to do some great shopping. I can't find a store here in Cinci that rivals Jimmy's Italian Specialties... it's so small they don't even have a website. But they DO have italian greens, homemade pasta, imported cheeses, candies, and other decadent delights. All the food there puts anything we have down here to shame. TO SHAME!!!
Christmas day was great. We ate a lot (homemade spaghetti sauce and wedding soup, cavatelli, turkey, Aunt C's fabulous cookies and desserts, the whole nine yards), visited a bunch more, and opened some great gifts.
B's gift to me: a bunch of words and pictures attached to random items... let's see if you can puzzle it out:
words/numbers: 4, - Mr. , 2.
pictures: a snapshot of a chess knight, Mr. Ed, a candle wick, a cop writing a ticket, a door opening.
Figured it out yet?
Oh, and A and I got fuzzy lined Crocs. Hands down the ugliest yet coziest slippers there are.
New Year's Eve we made an attempt to stay up 'til midnight, but threw in the towel by 10:30 or so. To be fair, we were up by 5am the next morning, climbing back on the home renovation horse.
Yes, this massive horse. We've rounded the bend, now. Just five months until the new arrival. Just five months to put everything to rights. It feels like the pressure just got turned up a notch.
Christmas eve Pop, S and B slaved over putting together this massive dollhouse for Mc. Unfortunately one wall was missing when they went to assemble it the evening before, and of course there were no replacements in stock within a 50 mile radius. And it's not like a Dollhouse will operate with just two walls. That third one is kind of critical. So, instead of disappointing a little three-year old girl on Christmas morning, S bought a sheet of thin mdf, and B cut a replacement side. Then the three of them spent two to three hours assembling it.
What an undertaking. Thank goodness for power tools or they would have been there all night. The little angle wrench they "provide" just didn't cut it. And here are the guys, showing off a job well done.It felt like home, with the bathroom remodel on the main floor going on while we were there. B helped Pop get it done, just in time for company. And I got to do some great shopping. I can't find a store here in Cinci that rivals Jimmy's Italian Specialties... it's so small they don't even have a website. But they DO have italian greens, homemade pasta, imported cheeses, candies, and other decadent delights. All the food there puts anything we have down here to shame. TO SHAME!!!
Christmas day was great. We ate a lot (homemade spaghetti sauce and wedding soup, cavatelli, turkey, Aunt C's fabulous cookies and desserts, the whole nine yards), visited a bunch more, and opened some great gifts.
B's gift to me: a bunch of words and pictures attached to random items... let's see if you can puzzle it out:words/numbers: 4, - Mr. , 2.
pictures: a snapshot of a chess knight, Mr. Ed, a candle wick, a cop writing a ticket, a door opening.
Figured it out yet?
Oh, and A and I got fuzzy lined Crocs. Hands down the ugliest yet coziest slippers there are.New Year's Eve we made an attempt to stay up 'til midnight, but threw in the towel by 10:30 or so. To be fair, we were up by 5am the next morning, climbing back on the home renovation horse.
Yes, this massive horse. We've rounded the bend, now. Just five months until the new arrival. Just five months to put everything to rights. It feels like the pressure just got turned up a notch.
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