Thursday, August 28, 2014

A Comedy of Errors

The remodeling process of our guest bathroom has taken months longer than we ever thought it would.  In comparison, our half bath was a two week project of evenings and weekends.

When we first started, we decided to donate most everything to the Resale Store.   However, that plan changed very quickly when Justin realized that the shower surround was going to have to be chopped up just to get it out of the house. That easy demo took twice as long.
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Onto the new bathtub!  Turns out the original shower surround was smaller than a new standard tub.  So out came the hall closet and in went a new, smaller, linen closet in the bathroom.  That was extra supplies and time to frame and drywall it in.
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L - closet demo  R - new tub and footing put in

To save some of our time and to hopefully play catch up, we hired out the drywall taping, muding and texturing.  The one week estimate took almost three and we are still patching areas in the linen closet they missed.
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The tile for the floor was a cinch.  We used the same tile as our half bath and Justin used grout instead of thin set on half of the floor tile by mistake.  Whoops!  So we decided to wait a few extra days before starting any other work to make sure the mistake wouldn't have any long term effects. (This really is a funny story.  He told me repeatedly that he needed to go buy grout.  He comes home with a HUGE bucket and the next evening he's asking me where he put his grout - it was right where he left it.  On the bathroom floor.  Justin realized he was saying grout but meant thinset.  I laughed.  He's cute ;) )
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Thankfully we found out we could salvage our cabinets by sanding them down and staining them.  Score!  We have to purchase new door and drawer fronts, but in the grand scheme of things this is a blessing.

The toilet.  Oh, the toilet.  That was a fun day.  The night before our yard sale we realized the new toilet is too big and we have to exchange it.  Fortunately, it's just a quick trip to Home Depot in the morning.  Unfortunately, I have to stay home to set up the yard sale and the toilet that we found on killer sale is cheaper than the one we end up exchanging it for.  I had to run inside at one point to help Justin tighten screws so water didn't end up in the bathroom.
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New toilet that FITS!

Our counter top was easy for us to pick out, but when we webt to pick it up when we were ready for it, Lowe's was out of stock.  After a few weeks of checking back, and then a few weeks more(!!),  still no product in the size we needed - but the longer length had come it!  We were thankful that Lowe's was willing to sell us the longer piece for the 6 ft price.
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With a new counter top comes new sinks (and our yellow ones had long been donated).  Only silly us!  When picking out our new sink, we didn't even think to look at the faucets!  When we moved in, Justin put new faucets in the guest bath right away and we planned on keeping them with our new sinks.  However, since we picked out square sinks with three individual holes, our combined set wasn't going to work.  At 9 PM one evening we ran to Home Depot to find a new faucet so we could have a working sink when we had guests that weekend.
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The new faucets.  Swoon worthy.  I want these sinks and faucets in our bath now too

In anticipation of our guest coming, we had planned on getting the shower tiled beforehand.  Irony of ironies, Home Depot was mysteriously out of the bull-nose pieces we needed.  Even the employee was confused because her system was saying they should have around 115 pieces in stock.  An order was placed to transfer from another store and we planned on having our guest use our bathroom to shower.  No big deal, right?  Until the tile doesn't come in!  When we check back, they have to REORDER the tile since the original order was cancelled.  7 day delay is now past two weeks.  delay item 8

But wait! There's more!!

Then we have our back splash.  Long story short - bad communication between employees at the store put us without back splash and now we have to go back and pick out new.  What's a few more weeks at this point?
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And the biggest sideline of all?  Our beautiful mirror that will now need to be replaced.  I wanted to frame the mirror in with white trim, which seemed easy enough.  When we went to the store to buy our supplies, we talked to an employee about our plan to glue the mirror to the wall.  Justin showed him the adhesive he had and asked if it would work on mirrors.  The employee said 'Yup, will work great.'.  Whomp, whomp, whomp.  The glue is eating the back of the mirror and we are debating taking it down now, or waiting until after the bathroom is finished and baby has come to tackle it.  (I'm leaning towards taking it down later)
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Thankfully we are just rolling with the punches.  We have two other bathrooms that are functioning just fine and we don't NEED this bathroom to work until middle of October.   We have plans to finish the shower tiling in the evenings and one weekend day.  Once the rest of the tile shows up we are hopeful it won't take long to finish.  I'm now expecting the worst to happen and we are getting a chuckle out of every mishap.  


Love,
Laura

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

25 Weeks



How far along:  25 weeks

Baby size:  Baby weighs a pound and half and is about the size of a rutabaga or head of cauliflower

Baby's progress:  Baby is growing more hair and beginning to put on some fat.

Weight gain:   2 pounds over pre-pregnancy weight!  

Stretch marks:  Still in the clear.  I've started adding Burt's Bees vitamin E oil at night too.

Sleep: This week has been iffy.  I can't seem to stay in a deep sleep all night.  But I'm still waking up relatively rested, so I'm going to count it as a win for now.

Gender: Check back in December!

Movement:  Big movements!  It's fun to watch my stomach jump with a kick or punch from baby.

Best moment this week:  Figuring out that all of those consistent 'little kicks' for the past few weeks have actually been hiccups!  I laughed for a good 10 minutes when it dawned on me that the small consistent 'kicks' I had been feeling every once in a while were just a bit TOO consistent.

Looking forward to: This weekend.  Long weekend + babymoon = happy Wigen's.

Food cravings: Not really.  But I'm really wanting a salad today....

Belly Button - In or Out:  In, but it's doing this half in/half out thingy at the top of my belly button.  Justin gets a kick out of seeing my belly button these days.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Random nausea.  Nothing strong enough to get me sick, but enough to keep my appetite at bay when it hits.  Thankfully its only showing up once or twice a week for short periods of time.

Wedding Rings - On or Off:  On. Thankfully we never got it re-sized and it's a touch loose.  

Labor signs: No and I'm hoping they stay away for at least the next 12 weeks.

What I miss:  Fall Beer:  Pumpkin beer, Oktoberfest, Dark Ale's, Cider.  YUMMO.  I think I'll be buying some near the end of fall to keep on had once baby arrives.....

Symptoms: I had my glucose test this morning.  It wasn't nearly as horrible as I had been warned.  It tasted like flat orange crush and I didn't have a horrible reaction.  Fingers crossed I passed!

Workouts: This past week I've been slacking on the workout. :(  And my lower back is letting me know.  

Things that suck:  My need to slow down and take it easier.  So frustrating when my To Do list is a mile long.

Things that don't suck:  All of the baby's movements during the day.  So fun!!


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Friday, August 22, 2014

Oh Hey! Confessional Friday

-One-
I received my first ever 'pay it forward' at Starbucks.  I've bought drinks for other patrons before, but never have I ever had one bought for me.  Not only did I pay it forward for the vehicle behind me, it lifted up my whole attitude all day.  I was already in a good mood and nothing could bring me down after that!  It's true what they say - happiness is contagious!

-Two-
The weather is predicted to be 60 and rainy on Saturday.  I'm thinking that's perfect baking weather.......
This recipe is at the top of my list:


-Three-
With all of this stalling in projects going on at the house, it's been hard to stay motivated and keep going.  So I contacted my bestie to start gearing up for the baby shower.  Nothing says motivation like inviting women over to your house in two months!  

-Four-
I confess, I caved and used my PayPal gift card to buy lots of sale items from Bath and Body Works.  Even though we are headed on our babymoon with plans to do some major shopping for the house......

-Five-
I confess I'm on a huge closet purge.  I stumbled across the Un-Fancy blog and her Capsule Wardrobe Planner.  I struggled for years to find my style and now that I've found it, I've struggled to get my closet to line up with what I like.  I figure now's the time to get rid of what I never really wear so when I'm shopping with a post-baby body I can fill in what I really need!

Linking up with September F A R M and A Blonde Ambition today!








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Thursday, August 21, 2014

15 Minute Easy Dinner!

I'm trying to work my way through my Eat, Drink and Be Merry Pinterest Board.  Justin and I need a few more meals to add to our rotation during the week and now that I have my appetite (kinda) back, it's been fun to experiment with new dishes.

This week I made Creamy Balsamic Chicken and it was a hit!  Definitely going to add it to our keeper list.

You need:
chicken tender or chicken breasts cut up - 1 lb
Seasoning of your choice - I used salt, pepper, thyme and a dash of garlic
1 jar Alfredo sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar



Season the chicken and toss it in a pan to brown it.

Set the browned chicken aside and lower the heat.  Pour in the Alfredo sauce and balsamic vinegar and stir on low heat until mixed.  Then add the chicken back in and cover.

Serve with pasta, rice or steamed veggies!

Even my picky husband cleaned his plate :)


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Wednesday, August 20, 2014

24 weeks



How far along:  24 weeks

Baby size:  A cantaloupe!  Or as long as an ear of corn.

Baby's progress:  Baby is beginning to fill out and their features are becoming more defined.

Weight gain:   1 pound over pre-pregnancy weight!  I am SO excited that I've finally hit some consistent weight gain.  

Stretch marks:  Still in the clear.  I've started adding Burt's Bees vitamin E oil at night too.

Sleep: Still doing well.  I very rarely wake up for potty breaks at night, but I can't sleep past 7 AM anymore!  I have to go to the bathroom by then.

Gender: Check back in December!

Movement:  Big movements!  It's fun to watch my stomach jump with a kick or punch from baby.

Best moment this week:  In all honesty - my 2 hour nap on Sunday :)

Looking forward to: Our upcoming babymoon!!  It's going to be a quick, fast trip.  With all of the hard work Justin has been doing at home, he deserves this more than me.

Food cravings: There is nothing that I HAVE to have this VERY minute.  I keep waiting for an insane craving to hit.  I still lean towards salty food and salads.

Belly Button - In or Out:  In, but much shallower.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Not really.  My appetite is still small so I try to eat what I'm hungry for as soon as I want it.

Wedding Rings - On or Off:  On. Thankfully we never got it re-sized and it's a touch loose.  

Labor signs: No and I'm hoping they stay away for at least the next 13 weeks.

What I miss:  Nothing really.  I feel great, my mood is upbeat and I'm loving being pregnant.

Symptoms: This big bump!  I keep forgetting that it's there and I'm running into things!

Workouts: Still walking every day and squeezing in a routine in the evenings.  I hope when it cools off some more Justin and I can get back into some (easy) hiking.

Things that suck:  My need to slow down.  We have so much going on, I want to help out more!

Things that don't suck:  My mood (still upbeat and happy!!) and laying in bed with Justin listening to him talk to the baby.  Melt my heart.  I didn't know I could love him this much.

And a fun comparison:


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Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Pregnancy Workout

Since finding out we were pregnant (yes Mila Kunis, I said WE) I amped up my workouts at home.  Before I would head to the gym every once in a while for a Body Pump class or Booty Barre or even Spinning.  I never did anything consistently like I did when I lived in Nebraska.  Once that positive sign showed up on that stick, I pulled out my free weights and started researching at home fitness routines.

I still head to the gym every once in a while to use the treadmill or elliptical and then do my routine, but I love knowing that I can bust out 30 minutes of sweat drenching weights at home and then shower and crawl right into bed :)

Most of my inspiration comes from Pinterest (shocker, I know) and I attribute my lack of weight gain and my upbeat attitude to my new fitness routine.  There is also a 1.5 mile loop we walk at work.  This summer we've only been able to go in the mornings, but we'll add the afternoons back this fall.  And we don't just walk, we power walk.  The out of breath, sweating, burning thighs kind of walk.  These walks have kept the traditional hip/tailbone/round ligament pain to a minimum.   Honestly, most times I start to feel any discomfort I will knock out a few squats and lunges in my office and BAM, pain is gone.

Here are my top routines that I use:

c/o Pinterest

c/o Pinterest

c/o Pinterest

I'm not a doctor and you should check with yours before starting any workout routine.

Taking care of me and my body has been a high priority with this pregnancy.  It's my personal opinion that 'eating for two' is just an excuse to stuff your face with junk food and not feel guilty.  I know that the better I eat and the more I move, the better I feel.  The better I feel - the better the baby feels!

What workouts did you do during pregnancy?

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Monday, August 18, 2014

Weekend Happenings

Thanks to my wild hair and posting lava rock free online a few weeks ago, we ended up doing yard work again all weekend.  We did have plans to go boating with friends on Saturday, but the temperatures were nice and cool (70's are cool when you are used to 90's) on Saturday so we stayed home.

We've had three different groups come out to haul our lava rock away.  The first group targeted one teeny tiny section in the back yard.  The second group took the top layer off most of the back yard gardens and a few of the front.  The third group?  They cleaned us out!!

Empty of lava rock!!

After the first two groups came and went, we thought that we could just leave the gardens as is this fall and redo the borders and mulch next spring.  But after the last group came through?  Now we have to get down to business.  Justin started on the front corner garden bed this weekend while I finished some hedging and weeding in back yard.

Back fence - before and mostly after

Back tree was so overgrown!
Along our back fence we plan to plant some evergreen trees to provide us with more privacy.  This week we'll dig up the remainder of the grasses and let the lava rock group come back over the weekend to clean that garden out.  Also our back tree was so overgrown, the back gardens around it are too, but we plan to transplant some of the lily's to a different area and fill the fence with a nice hedge.


Justin was a beast this weekend.  I'm so impressed with how hard he works. Saturday he chainsawed under the evergreen to 1. clean out for the lava rock group and 2. match our big evergreen.  Then he hauled it off to the dump and went to Home Depot to pick up our new border for the side garden.  Sunday he dug a new trench, pulled up all of the old brick, dug up the plants and started putting the border down.  Sunday, I took a two hour nap :)  

The hardest part of being pregnant is my inability to work as hard as I used too.  I get worn down quicker and need a longer time to recoup.  Justin has been amazing and makes sure that I am drinking plenty of water and taking lots of breaks.  I felt so awesome on Saturday that I just kept 'go-go-going' and then paid for it on Sunday.

All in all it was a productive weekend.  And we have a few more to go.....

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Friday, August 15, 2014

Friday Five

-One-
I confess I've been afraid to talk about it - as in I may Jinx myself - but being pregnant has been awesome.  I was just telling someone that it's been a 'piece of cake'.  No crazy cravings, hormone swings, pains, etc.  I'm loving every minute.

-Two-
Babymoon is BOOKED!  I cannot wait for all of the restaurants.  Food is more important than shopping these days.  Haha!

-Three-
I confess that I should have had my hair done at the end of July.  But I'm trying to squeeze another month out of my roots/highlights so I'm not trying to figure out how to learn life with a newborn and worry about my hair.

-Four-
A "cold" front has rolled through!  Temps in the high 70's feels like fall compared to the high 90's.  And I'm loving it :)  Time for leggings and boots! (almost)

Hello bump!


-Five-
Justin and I are in childbirth classes now.  We really should be going in November at the next session, but there is no way this preggo mama is missing football.  We just reached the cutoff for this current session and only one couple is due after us.  When I told Justin last night that I signed us up early so we could enjoy football season to the fullest, he busted up laughing.  Priorities people!










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Thursday, August 14, 2014

Some quick home updates

We are in the midst of a few projects.  While we are waiting on back ordered pieces for one area, we move into the next, and so on and so on and so on.  We are hoping that all of the remaining bathroom items will be here so we can finish by the end of this month.

Bath cabinets and counter tops!

Painting Trim and building the crib

I won't do a nursery reveal until after the baby arrives - mostly because I'm waiting to order some wall art and decor until after we know if it's a boy or girl!  So far the room is ready minus the glider and decor.  Furniture - check, rug - check, clothes/blankets/diapers - check.  But only for the first few weeks ;)

The guest bath has been trucking along.  With my mom's visit we installed a sink for her so the bathroom would be fully functional (minus the shower).  Now we've taken the sink back out so we can do the back splash, fix a few mistakes on the wall from fitting the counter top in, and then re install both sinks.  Right now the bull nose tile we've ordered has been back ordered.  We were expecting it a while ago, but it keeps pushing the project back another week.  We also ordered the back splash and shelf insert tile this week, so that won't arrive for a while longer.

What does that leave us to do in the mean time?  Start more trim projects!!  My bestie will be holding my baby shower at my house this fall and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have all of the trim done in the main rooms.   Considering it takes 5 minutes to paint 4 pieces of trim and let them dry, I'm sure we'll have some more photos for you soon!

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Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Guest Bath Cabinetry

When we started our guest bath remodel we had planned to gut everything and start from scratch.  However...(in a remodel, there is ALWAYS a however)...our cabinets were a custom build.  We could not find any stock cabinets at Home Depot or Lowe's that would fit the space and accommodate two sinks.  The doors and drawer fronts of the custom cabinets were laminate and I was in the mindset the whole she-bang was laminate as well.  When Justin removed the cabinets to the garage and took all the drawers out and doors off, he was pleasantly surprised to find we could salvage the main cabinets!  Some good sanding and staining were all they needed - but we needed to find new doors and drawer fronts.  Since we are dealing with custom cabinets, we cannot use stock fronts.  Our cabinets are a bit shorter than standard, so the hunt was on!

And now - the photo dump:

After sanding
Hard at work
First coat.  So light!
Getting darker.  Still nervous they won't be dark enough.
Finally installing!!

Countertop is Belanger Laminate from Lowe's

First sink in.







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23 Weeks



How far along:  23 weeks

Baby size:  A large mango - over 11 inches and 1 pound

Baby's progress:  Baby is listening and reacting to sounds.  Baby's movements can be seen moving my stomach

Weight gain:   1 pound

Stretch marks:  Many prayers these stay away.  I'm still in LOVE with my Mama Bee's.  

Sleep: Over the past week I've started to wake up a few times during the night.  I'm able to fall back asleep but I'm having a hard time sleeping past 7AM.

Gender: Check back in December!

Movement:  Big movements!  Justin can feel most everything now and even big movements can be seen under my clothes.

Best moment this week: Decorating and organizing the nursery!  Its so nice to look in the door and see the room mostly ready for the baby.  

Looking forward to: Our upcoming babymoon :)

Food cravings: There is nothing that I HAVE to have this VERY minute.  I keep waiting for an insane craving to hit.  I still lean towards salty food and salads.

Belly Button - In or Out:  In, but much shallower.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  The smell of cooking meat is still putting me off. 

Wedding Rings - On or Off:  On. Thankfully we never got it re-sized and it's a touch loose.  

Labor signs: No and I'm hoping they stay away for at least the next 14 weeks.

What I miss:  Nothing really.  I feel great, my mood is upbeat and I'm loving being pregnant.

Symptoms: This big bump!  I keep forgetting that it's there and I'm running into things!

Workouts: Walks at work and home in the evenings and home workouts with weights.

Things that suck:  Tears.  My mom leaving and Robin Williams passing away the same day made for a wet Monday evening.

Things that don't suck:  My mood!  Happiness is contagious, which makes me happier every day!

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Monday, August 11, 2014

Weekend Wrap Up

My mom came to town for three whole days of uninterrupted girl time.  It's a sad morning today :(

I failed in not taking a single picture because I wanted to stay in the moment and soak up every minute with my mom.  I know that she'll be back up after the baby is born.  That's MONTHS away!  Not soon enough!!!

We shopped, scoured sale racks, napped, and shopped some more.  Justin played tour guide on Sunday and drove us all over town to see some typical 'Helena' sites.

We all sat on the couches in our living room and talked for hours.  Bedtime was consistently late and lots of Red Vines were eaten.



Living so far away can be hard.


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