Home Remodel

I am not sure if our home remodel can actually be called a remodel because it's mostly cosmetic things we are doing. We aren't adding a room on or ripping anything out (much). For the sake of convenience, that is what I am calling it.

I need to give a disclaimer here. I am not handy, nor is Jason. That being said, we have hired a contractor, who happens to be our uncle, to do the job. We know it will be done correctly with less heartache that way.

Here are some pictures of our house currently. These are real life pictures (all of them before Jack came along) of our small house.

This is our living room/computer nook area. Since we only have two bedrooms, Jason's computer has been relocated to our main living area. Not ideal, but this is exactly why we are remodeling: To sell and buy a new house!

What is changing? In this room, as well as both bedrooms and the hallway, that lovely Berber carpet is coming up. Ripped to shreds. Since we have a cat with a sensitive stomach (the Tabby in the picture ironically) who pukes all the time and a toddler who throws food, the carpet is looking rather dingy. In it's place, we are having new laminate flooring put down. There is hardwood under the carpet, but unless we wanted to add several thousand dollars to the price of our remodel, we went with laminate. If the new sellers want to refinsh the floor, great.
Here is the gorgeous floor that is going in.
Formica Flooring, Cordelia series, Sierra Oak.

The major work is being done on our lovely (puke!) bathroom. Since we have moved in, I have absolutely loathed the bathroom. You will understand why. What you can't see in this picture is that ugly burgundy tile is throughout the entire bathroom. On all the walls, in the shower......well, everwhere. The contractor is ripping it all out. We have considered painting it, however, the previous homeowners did a terrible job at grouting. The grout lines are uneven, overlap the actual tiles, and just looks plain bad. So out the tile comes. New dry wall will be going up on the walls, and in the shower is going lovely, neutral new tile.


Not sure why these pictures are showing up so tiny. Harumph. The tile is Florida Tile in Soul Spirit Pearl. They are 20x20 tiles so it won't take very many to cover the shower.

Next up is our kitchen, which is not horrible. It just needs some minor fixes.
What is changing? The older laminate countertop and backsplash are being removed. We didn't want to buy granite because let's face it. In a house this small, most buyers would not expect granite. Instead, new laminate is going in.

Formica brand laminate in Ivory Kashmere.
Next up is the backsplash. Currently, there is a laminate backsplash that matches the countertop which we both hate. It's ugly and impractical. So here is what we chose. I need to state that in our haste of choosing products, I forgot to write down the color samples. They have them on file at the store, but I didn't write them down. I am pretty sure it's this pattern. It might be the lighter one. Hmmmmm.



Daltile Stone Radiance in Mushoom blend. I love it! It has a mix of glass and stone and I think it's gorgeous.

Using such neutral products throughout the house allows us or the new homeowners to paint with either neutral or colors. It gives us a lot of options when it comes to paint. We aren't going to repaint Jack's room or our room but the main living area, the bathroom and kitchen will need to be painted.

This is not the entire list of what the contractor is doing. He is also ripping out the wall heater in our living room since we haven't used it in years and it's ugly. He is also going to replace all the moulding in the house with new Colonial moulding.

We are also going to do some projects ourselves: New lighting in a lot of the rooms, new paint on the kitchen cabinets, new hardware on the kitchen cabinets and obviously, since our carpet is being removed, we will need rugs in the living room and bedrooms.

The only downside to all of this is that it requires us to literally move out of our house for three weeks. That means we have to rent a POD, pack everything up and move. Since I love my in-laws, that is where we will be staying. I hope to God that we don't all drive each other nuts.

History Repeats Itself

Early in the week, I started feeling like something could be wrong. I was feeling "off". Although I had a doctor's appointment on Monday, I called on Thursday and asked if I could come in to the office and leave a sample.

My lower back was aching so bad, which is very unusual for me. One day of lower back pain is one thing, but four days in a row is not normal. Plus, I had cramps in my abdomen and pressure in my bladder region. These are the exact same symptoms I had when I was 15 weeks pregnant with Jack and it turned out to be a UTI.

Guess what? I am almost 15 weeks pregnant. Me thinks this is not a coincidence. Something must be up with my anatomy for this to happen twice. I checked my blog history to find out exactly when it happened the last time, and I found this. Wow. Same exact symptoms, same time frame. Ironic no?

I am on medication now for a confirmed UTI. Quite a bad one too so I am glad I went in. My doctor wants me to come back in a week to make sure I am better and check to make sure it hasn't moved to my kidneys. Apparently it can be very serious if it does. I am not worried though. I doubt it will morph into a kidney infection when I am on antibiotics.

I wonder what other symptoms/conditions/issues are going to repeat themselves this time? Heartburn? Terrible hip pain (God, I hope not)? Swelling? Pregnancy carpal tunnel?

Eeesh, fun times I have in store.

Blabbermouth

I thought it would be fun to start tracking all the words that Jack can say. I am going to put a log on the side of my blog and below is the start of it, along with the pronunciation of things. I am considering it a word if he can't say it completely right but he uses it consistently and knows the meaning.

Car = Cah (like the Boston accent with this one?)
Bye bye = Buh buh
Dog = Daw
Momma
Dadda
Nana
Banana = Noh noh
Duck = Duh
Bubbles = Bubbahs
Bath = Baaa
Please = Ease
Kitty = Key
Mickey = Key
What's that? = Dat

I am sure I will be adding more words very soon. His favorite thing to say right now is bye bye. He says it to everyone for every reason complete with the hand wave. It's too stinkin' cute.

Mediterranean Pasta

This is a recipe that isn't really a recipe. I made it up one day when I was craving pasta and didn't really have sauce or the traditional toppings. I whipped this up for lunch yesterday and boy was it good! If you are not a tuna fan, you can probably leave it out or substitute some type of bean (white or even kidney). Even better if you top this with Feta cheese. Sadly, I didn't have any but Parmesan was rather tasty instead.

Mediterranean Pasta

Pasta of your choice - ziti, penne, or even fussili
can of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz). You can use fresh if you have them, which I didn't
can of tuna drained and flaked
heaping tablespoon of capers
Kalamata olives, 1/4 cup sliced
Italian seasoning
oregano
cayenne pepper for heat
olive oil
parmesan or Feta cheese

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain.

2. While the pasta is cooking, add a tablespoon of olive oil to a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the tuna, diced tomatoes (slightly drained) and the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until heated through.

3. Toss with the pasta and top with cheese.



Jack even approved! I was rather shocked considering he is picky. He ate everything but the olives. He even picked the capers up one by one and chowed down. Surprise!

What's In Your Fridge?

I copied this idea from Meredith's blog. I think it's fun, but my fridge is nowhere near as neat and clean as her's is.

The condiment door. What a disaster, but honestly? Who's looks very nice? If your's does, I think you are lying.

First shelf: Butter, eggs, sour cream

Second shelf: Pickles, ketchup, lemon juice, taco sauce, two different kinds of olives, relish.

Compartment to the right: That huge tub is full of sauce packets from various fast food restaurants. My husband insists on keeping them. Don't tell him that I periodically throw a bunch away. Three different kinds of all fruit jam, mustard and a tube of tomato paste.

Compartment underneath: Tub of garlic, jar of capers, breadcrumbs, shakey cheese (Parmesan in a tub, ick), and peanut butter.

Bottom shelf: Two kinds of coffee creamer, banana liquer, maple syrup from Maine (yum), mudslide mix, mayo and Ceaser salad dressing.

The main door. Don't worry about our lack of fruits and veggies. Our fruit stored in our fruit basket near the pantry along with onions, tomatoes and those other things that don't get refrigerated. I also have a stock pile of frozen veggies in the freezer. I don't cook often enough during the week to use up fresh vegetables fast enough.



Top shelf: Barbeque sauce holder and various sauces. Leftovers from Popeye's chicken (Jason loves that place), almond butter, fresh salsa and a huge container of hot sausage from Costco. The other side holds our two kinds of milk (whole for Jack and 1% for me and Jason) as well as our Brita pitcher and the rest of a can of cat food.

Second shelf: Leftover green beans, leftover spaghetti sauce and leftover fried chicken. The other side holds some tortillas and leftover chicken parmesan. I baked a huge batch for dinner and some for Jason's lunch.

Third shelf: Our salad spinner full of lettuce, Jack's yogurt, Jason's yogurt, a ready-to-use pie crust, hummus, mandarin oranges and leftover taco meat from burrito night. Our meat drawer holds various meats and cheeses. The freezer holds most of our meat (chicken, ground beef, steak, pork chops). I pull them out when I am ready to use them.

Bottom drawers: One side holds Jason's beer and a bag of baby carrots. The other side holds the containers of juice that don't have another space. Apple juice and pineapple orange, both for the boy.

What do you have in your fridge? How often do you clean it? I try to make a habit of cleaning it out every other week before I go grocery shopping. That way I know what I have on-hand and know what I need to shop efficiently.

12 Week Check Up

It's only two weeks late right? Due to scheduling issues on my part and on the doctor's, I had my 12 week appointment today. I am 14 weeks tomorrow. Oh well!

This is probably the appointment that I like the least. The pap smear (ugh) and all the poking and prodding just aren't very fun. I did get to hear our wee one's heartbeat on the doppler, so that was very nice. It was a healthy 158 bpm.

I talked to my doctor about his thoughts on a VBAC and he is about 50/50 in favor. It obviously depends on the situation and the reason that the mother had a c-section the last time. Based on the fact that I didn't progress much more than 5 centimeters after 12 hours and Jack was in a funky position, I am not a good candidate. If I had a c-section because of a breech situation or had a previous successful vaginal delivery, he would be more in favor. He also explained the risk of uterine rupture is fairly low (about 1 or 2 out of 100 births) but it does happen. Plus, I would have to deliver at a different hospital in case of any issues with the baby. So, it looks like I will be having a repeat c-section. I am not thrilled but then I want my baby to be healthy.

He also discussed having my tubes tied after two babies, which I am not thrilled with either. I am toying with the idea of having one more but Jason thinks he is done with two. We shall see.

All in all, it was a good appointment. The fact that we have our 20 week ultrasound scheduled now is pretty scary! That means I will be halfway through at that point!

Blog Change Up

It's been three years since I started this blog (and even longer that I started my cooking blog) and it's time for a change.

I do plan on using this blog primarily to talk about my kids, but I want to add in some personal elements as well such as recipes, changes going on in my life and our upcoming house remodel. It's time that I talk about stuff other than pregnancy and Jack. I need another outlet and place to update.

I haven't mastered how to change the title of my blog, so it will probably remain the same. I will update the tag line and the About Me section so readers aren't totally confused. Not that I have a ton of readers anyways!

I will be taking down my cooking blog which I haven't updated in well over a year. I might decide to link it for the historical stuff, but I plan to use THIS blog to add recipes if I feel inclined. I love to cook and want to cook and bake more. It's easier now that I have a toddler and not such a needy baby - although that is changing soon too!

If you are currently a reader, I hope you will stick around through these changes. As always, I value your comments so if there is something you want to see, let me know! If you hate something, let me know that too.

Enjoy the new changes!

Differences - This Time

Now that I am expecting baby number two, I have already told myself that I am going to do things a lot differently this time. Of course, we learned a lot with Jack and I plan to use those experiences this time around.

* We use disposables with Jack. The thought of cloth diapering when I was pregnant skeeved me out. After all, I didn't want to have to touch poop or clean diapers. Ew! After about a week, that issue was no longer an issue. Poop no longer bothered me. This time, we are going to try cloth diapers. I say try because I might find it too cumbersome or time consuming with a toddler and a newborn. BUT, we will try. I have already purchased two covers and am on the lookout for the inserts I want (hey, Rebecca, get on that new Etsy project for me ; ) ).

* I plan on breastfeeding this time around. I did with Jack as well, but it was so stressful with his reflux and not knowing how to suck. I spent many days crying and stressing out. My supply suffered, I suffered, my husband suffered, and I feel that might be the root cause of my PPD. I refuse to let others dictate how I should feed my baby. Again, I will try, but I am not going to go through that heartache again. I know many people that formula fed right off the bat and their babies are perfectly fine!

* I WILL RELAX. This is a big one for me. I was so unable to relax and enjoy Jack's newborn stage and as a result, I have forgotten so much. This time, I will not freak out over every little thing. After all, I have been through most of it before so I know what to expect. I was unable to sleep or eat because I would freak out if my child made any little sound. I was afraid to take a shower in case Jack would wake up and cry for a millisecond. I know now that if this one cries, it's okay. I can finish my shower (as long as it's quick) or finish my sandwich without having heart palpitations.

* We will start this one on a sleep routine right away. Not RIGHT away, but within three of four months. I will try and not rock this baby to sleep every night. Yes, rocking is okay, but after a year of struggles with nap and sleeping at night, I realize that not allowing Jack to go to sleep drowsy on his own really had an effect. At 17 months he still does not sleep through the night. I will be brushing up on The No Cry Sleep Solution and reading what to do for small babies. I won't resort to cry it out, don't worry. He/she will be way too young for that. We will be putting he/she down drowsy and allow them to figure out what night night time means.

* I will let people help. This was hard for me. I am such a control freak that I didn't allow myself any time to just sit back and hold my baby. If someone was over to visit or help, I would take the opportunity to do laundry or fix them a drink. This time, the tables will be turned folks. If you come over to visit, yes, you can hold the baby, but be expected to help me out too. After all, I just had a baby. And if someone asks, YES, I can use some help. Bring over a meal, come watch the baby so I can take a nap. I wish I had taken advantage of this last time when people offered.

* I refuse to obsess over my pregnancy weight. When I was pregnant the last time, I would get upset at the doctors office on the scale. I would get upset if I gained too much. I am overweight to begin with and shouldn't be gaining all that much weight. But you know what? Jack was healthy and I lost all that weight almost immediately. I am standing backwards on the scale so I can't see my weight and I will eat what I want when I want it. Granted, this is not an excuse to go crazy, but I won't kick myself if I eat a damn cookie. Since I don't feel well most of the time anyways, this won't be too hard. I am lucky if I get three meals in during the day since I feel like I could throw up at any time. Plus, most foods don't sound good, so my caloric intake is pretty limited to what sounds good at the time. Last night, it was root beer. Seriously. I could have just drank a glass of root beer for dinner. Healthy right?

I know that it is likely that I will think of more things, and I also might change my mind on some of these tactics. After all, I am a pregnant woman who has a hard time making up her mind in the first place.

Dark Place

I know I have so much to be thankful for lately (new job, new baby, good health, etc.) but I am very down. I have been in this dark place for a couple of weeks and I am not seeing an end in sight. I have been taking my Celexa religiously, but something just isn't right. It's probably the lack of counseling. Since I started my new job, I haven't been able to see my counselor Lindsay. I need to go back, I know this, but it's hard to justify being gone from work, a new job, for over an hour every Wednesday.

I have absolutely no motivation. The only thing that I can get in gear about is taking care of Jack. I sometimes do it half-heartedly. Don't worry, he isn't lacking or being neglected in any way. It's the energy level. I just don't have any right now to keep up with such a busy boy. I force myself to take him out on walks, to outings and on much needed errands.

I will be in Denver next week for work and I am not sure if this will give me a good time for reflection, or if it's going to hinder my mood.

I wish I could say what is going on in our house. It's nothing earth shattering, I just don't want to talk about it right now. I will get through it, but it's clear I need more help.

I honestly hope I can bring myself out of this dark place that I am in. It's not healthy for me or the baby that I have growing.

Sorry, I Lied

This post won't be full of pictures sorry. I didn't take very many due to the fact that I was chasing a busy toddler and he doesn't generally hold still. We had a great weekend though.

Saturday was spent at the zoo with Julie and her little boy (he is smart and cute by the way). Jack conked out towards lunchtime, so I thought it was smart to get him home and down for a nap. We had a great time, but Jack was scared of the dinosaur exhibit. I don't blame him. They were pretty scary making those loud roars and such. We didn't get ice cream with Daddy like I wanted to because the boy (both of them actually) were pretty fussy. After a quick trip to the store for Drumsticks, all was well. Jack had a mini Drumstick, but he isn't the ice cream type.

Sunday was awesome. Seriously. Morning nap lasted an hour and a half. After a filling lunch, instead of going shopping like I had planned (boring!), Jack and I went to family swim at a local pool. I had chosen that pool because it had a kiddie area complete with fountains and a very shallow area. Oh dear. I could not drag my son out of that pool. He was fearless! He was jumping all over in the water, running as fast as he could, getting his head wet, playing in the fountains and the best part? He wanted to go on the waterslide over and over. We went on that waterslide about four times. And it was not dangerous, so my new wee one is perfectly safe. After tuckering the boy out, he had an afternoon nap of two hours. Yeehaw! It was heaven. I even had a little catnap myself.

Monday was cleaning up day and just being lazy for the most part. I did sneak in a fun trip to a playground where Jack spent his time picking up sticks and rocks and running in the grass. A man with his son commented "Boy, he sure is busy". People don't seem to believe how active he is until they see him in action. I hate fireworks and Jason had to work so we didn't have any real 4th festivities. He was dressed in patriotic gear, but that's about it.

This was a good weekend. Of course, there were times that I wanted to pull my hair out proving my theory that I would make a terrible stay-at-home mom. I do enjoy when he goes down for a nap so I can actually breathe. My friend Jenn over at PDX Momma says it best. They get into shit that they shouldn't and it just gets tiring. You can only say so many times "Jack, please don't play in the cat's water bowl" or "Jack, be gentle with the kitty" or "Honey, you shouldn't climb on the coffee table. You could fall and get hurt" or "Let's not push buttons on Daddy's computer". Seriously, the child is busy and I get tired. If that makes me a bad mom, so be it.

I hope everyone had a great 4th and got some rest! I sure didn't get much but that is okay in my book.

Busy Weekend

This weekend, although we won't really be celebrating the 4th (Jason works and I hate fireworks), we do have other things planned.

Saturday
The zoo with Julie and her son
Go get ice cream with Daddy

Sunday
The mall so I can get some fat pants (aka maternity pants)
Church and time with Nana if they don't go to the boat

Monday
The park, a walk, or whatever fun strikes us. I would take Jack to the pool if they weren't all closed for the holiday.

Since I haven't posted a ton of pictures on this blog, I am going to make a point to take a lot of pictures this weekend so I have a fun post next week.