Pre-Thanksgiving!

I swear, for a "blogger," I'm not very disciplined. I'm working on it, though :) 

Aside from feeling like the earth spins on its axis way more quickly than a full 24 hours each rotation, life is pretty good. Thanksgiving wasn't too shabby, despite the fact that I've got this bundle of joy growing inside me, and no loving hubby to share it with right now. (I'm not looking for sympathy, I'm just stating how I feel in a matter-of-fact kind of way). 

Well, my brother and I started a new tradition- at least I'd love to think it's a new tradition- of going to a particular restaurant the week of Thanksgiving to gorge on something other than casseroles and pies. This particular restaurant is a haven for shameless gluttony on some of the world's most unhealthy foods. It's actually been featured on Man vs Food but I'll let you figure out what menu item scored its place on the show ;) It's a lovely hole in the wall restaurant/bar called The Vortex. It's really a great place to take anyone who may be new to the area, or driving through, looking for a cool spot in the city to be with other Atlantans. 

Below is a pic of my brother and myself just as dinner was served!

Anyway, we had a great time just hanging out in the city, decompressing from day-to-day duties. 

On this day, I was 23 weeks and 3 days pregnant. I'm still chugging along and getting bigger each day, it seems. My sleep patterns have changed- I now wake up at 6 AM most days- and my back is feeling pretty weak due to the position of my stomach. The flutters in my lower abdomen have progressed to what feels like a tiny something rolling around in my stomach, right at my belly button! Sometimes it gives me a sinking stomach feeling, and other times I'm just taken aback by how much force this little girl already has!! I sure hope she keeps it up (although sometimes I could really use her activity during the day, and not as I'm trying to sleep, haha!). I'll take what I can get! 

This is what I looked like, pre-gorging. Unfortunately, I don't have an "after" pic, but there's a huge difference when I eat!

Anyway, I just wanted to do a quick cap from this night while I had the energy... I've been doing dishes for over an hour, cleaned the dried up paint out of the sink in the downstairs 1/2 bath (finally) and emptied out waste baskets, along with lighting a lovely candle from Kirkland's! After a little bit of work today and coming home to clean, I'm pooped once again! I think it's time to call it a night. 

Until soon! 

Progress in the Home

Oh goodness. Where to begin? 

I researched how women get that "nesting" bug in pregnancy, when it usually occurs, and what forms it usually takes. I learned a good bit! Apparently, if you're later in your pregnancy- like towards the tail end- "nesting" can actually be a sign that you are about to go into labor. (Part of me thinks this is silly, because if you're at the tail end of your pregnancy, that's enough of a sign you're about to go into labor). But all in all, women at any stage of pregnancy can be stricken with this nesting bug! And it can take many forms like cleaning baseboards and organizing, to an extreme of rearranging furniture and remodeling the home (or at least finding a need to). 

Well, my friends, I have the latter. I have never been more motivated to get this house in shape! I have been inspired to do so many things with it, and have accomplished a good bit in the past two weeks (thanks to family and friends!). 

As I mentioned in a much earlier post, we had ripped up our carpet and been living with concrete floors in our living room. It looked like we were in the middle of construction for 4 months, but prior to that, it looked worse because our carpets were so ragged and torn. So, we decided to get more wood floors in place of the carpet but agreed to take some time with picking everything out and paying for such a big project. I'm so happy to say that they are finally done!! 

Our awesome floors and sweet little Weezy Weez!

So, this is a picture of the foyer leading into the living room, with 2 different brands and colors of floors, matched as well as we could possibly match them (considering the floors in the foyer were discontinued). 

Because they don't jump out as being very different, fortunately, the space feels much larger and warmer than carpet and concrete! 

Another task has been painting. I had a painting party with a couple of friends, Mom, and my brother, and we accomplished quite a bit! But second coats are necessary and my mom is the bomb at trimming the walls with her steady hands, so we just take it week by week and when she gets in town she does trim so I can roll! 

This is just a snippet of the colors that are going into the foyer and living room. The foyer is a "Lyndhurst Timber" and the living room is a couple of shades lighter, called "Lyndhurst Beige." 

I went darker in the foyer because of the chair rails. I figured it's safe to be a little more dramatic there, and then lighten it up a couple of shades in the living room, since it's a much larger space! I look forward to completing the foyer with a few pictures (I don't know of what, just yet) and maybe a long console table to the left, centered on the wall. 

I just wanted to show a pic of the fireplace because the color of the walls kind of bounces off the fireplace better than in the other pictures. My next (surprisingly cheap!) project is to put up crown molding in the living room that matches the foyer. I have matched the trim paint at Lowe's and I'm just ready to make the living room look polished! I have no idea when that will be, but I'm so thankful that it's a really affordable project!

Ha! And this last pic just cracks me up. Mom visited last night and a good portion of today, with the intention of painting. What's funny is that she saw the condition of the windows- cobwebs, trapped flies, dust, hair- and she suggested we just clean for a bit. Hey, I'm not going to turn down help with cleaning, and I humbly admit, there are things I miss and/or just prioritize differently with my schedule. She cleaned and steamed floors, I did 2 loads of dishes, and then she did a bit of trim work while I helped sweep and dust. By the time she had to head home, I was bouncing off the walls, feeling so good about the house! It smelled so fresh, the dogs were super tired from playing outside, so I wasn't distracted by them. I just decided it was time to go through the fridge and take yet another humble look at the food that had gone bad, and the many poor fruits and veggies I didn't get to in time. I sure learned my lesson this week! 

After I took everything out, cleaned each shelf and drawer individually, and placed things in an orderly fashion, I just had a moment to my dorky self that I just really wanted to remember. So I grabbed the camera once more. 

Anyway, I could go on and on. This Monday, painting should be complete. This includes the kitchen, which I will take more photos of once it's finished! 

In addition to this week, I will be going through a lot of clothes and items in our bedroom and garage and donating them. I just want to get all of this crummy clutter out of the house before I'm too big to comfortably tackle this stuff, or simply before my daughter arrives and has her own belongings taking up space (which I have to admit, I'm more than happy to give up!). 

Anyone else feel the same as I do about getting the house completely ready for the future and all it brings? It's an overwhelming, lovely feeling. I could nest forever. 

Where is the time going? And what am I doing with it?

Ahhhh, Sweet November. 

Wait, What?! It's November already?!

Yep... it is indeed. And I've gone way too long without posting on here. But, that's going to change. I've got more ideas and more energy to boot! So what's been happening since my last entry? Below is a list of my main schedule, and what keeps me so out of the loop these days: 

Working. I work between 4-5 days a week, unless I've requested time off for any particular reason. I really enjoy work right now, and as long as I feel good, don't push myself so hard that I get sick, and keep a level head (despite fluctuating hormones, and my overall forgetfulness), I'm going to keep working. However, because I work in a restaurant, it means that I give up nights of family dinners with my in-laws and weekends of pumpkin patches and yard-sales because those are our peak hours. Oh, and Thanksgiving and Christmas are work days, as well, but I feel like I work with another family, so all is good!

House work. It sounds silly as much as I talk about house work and the things that I do around here. Some days really are better than others in regards to how much I actually get done. (For instance: I can sweep, mop, dust, and clean the shower, but the dishes are still piling up, and the laundry still sits in a heaping pile at the bottom of my closet!). I have been picking out paint samples, putting them up on the walls and living with them, trying to see which ones I love. I've priced the cost of replacing baseboards for when the floors get replaced (tomorrow!!!), and I've looked at ways to make the bathrooms and bedrooms way more organized and efficient for future guests- especially guests who plan on helping me at the tail-end of this pregnancy and/or when Anneliese arrives. Not to mention, the regular upkeep of a 4 bedroom house with 2 1/2 baths is really overwhelming right now. I am getting really close to getting it all just as it should be, though. 

Socializing. Between grabbing lunch or dinner with friends, having friends over (only the good ones who don't mind my house in its condition, haha!), and even trying to tutor one day a week, I stay busy on my 2-3 days off each week! I try my best to put myself out there and just go out in town, even if it's by myself, just to run into people that I know, and make a connection each day. In 4 days, Justin will have been gone 2 months now. It's still going well on my end, but I have to say, it's only because I make plans. There's only so much you can watch on Hulu before you just break down and need a personal connection with another human. Oh! And some days Justin catches me on chat, and we talk for an hour or so. Everything stops when I see him online. If I had plans to wax my eyebrows before work, it goes down the drain :) I don't answer my phone or get out of bed. I just lay there and chat with him until he says he has to go. 

Doctor Visits. Okay, so this doesn't really take up much of my time. I just threw it in there because I happen to have 2 this month. The 20 week check-up went as well as it could have with what Anneliese would show us. But there were still some measurements that needed to be taken which simply weren't going to happen that day. So, I'm scheduled to go back on Nov. 8 to hopefully get the rest of them. Thankfully, I feel her moving really well this week, and by the way it feels, I am convinced she's doing somersaults 24/7. So I'm hoping we can get her to do a LOT more on the ultrasound this next Thursday! I was reassured by a friend that it's really common to have to come back for additional measurements, and my doc said nothing jumped out at him as abnormal, he just needed to see more. 

Pinning. I now admit that I have a Pinterest addiction. I have been using Pinterest for quite some time now, but I have just carelessly pinned outfits and decor that I really love as inspiration with no direction. Anneliese's arrival honestly gives me tons of direction! It may sound silly, but I know that lots of baby things will be taken care of by my mom, in-laws, friends, and family. I already have 7 boxes of beautiful clothes for her. I have no idea when she will have the time to wear all of it! So, I'm relaxed about her needs as of right now. I really think that I'll be happy to shop for her after the baby shower. That way, I can hunker down and really focus on getting things that were missed, just before she gets here. Plus, I still have a ton of ideas for her room, which are all just budding at the moment. So Pinterest has really helped me with other things, like making my own laundry detergent (in another post!), shower cleaner, wreaths, and all of those simple organizational tips that I'm now really interested in using! I've even been so excited, I've reorganized my boards. It's ridiculous. But it certainly helps me feel a little more squared away with future projects and getting things done before motherhood :) 

Anyway, I have many more topics I'd like to touch on, whether it's today or tomorrow, or whenever. Stay tuned for my cleaning recipes, updated floors (!!!), painted walls, and my review and experience with prenatal yoga :) 

Until Soon.