8/30/13

August recap

Books read:
Insurgent by Veronica Roth (in progress)

Movies watched at home:
21 and Over
Zero Dark Thirty
Shaun of the Dead

Movies watched in the theatre:
The World's End

On TV:
Dexter
Breaking Bad
Under the Dome
Wilfred

Restaurants Visited:
Moonlight Bay (in Crosslake)
Manhattan Beach Club (in Crosslake)
India Palace
Barley Johns
Burger Jones
Izzy's Ice Cream

Shopping:
Bought a few things for baby, some more maternity clothes for me, nothing too major.

Other adventures of the month:
Spent a weekend in Crosslake with Praise Project, visited the Minnesota State Fair

Baby stuff:
25 weeks as of this post, baby is the size of a head of cauliflower, starting to feel much more movement.
Slowly starting to register for items, got shower dates on the calendar, registered for all of our needed classes, pre-registered at the hospital for delivery.  Continuing to mostly crave meat and about once a week a strong craving for ice cream.

8/29/13

A room with a view

So at long last, this weekend we are FINALLY replacing our front window.  This project has been in the works for almost three years.  THREE years.  I know, why did it take so long?

It all started when we painted the living room in 2010.  When we got to the portion under the window, we noticed some water damage and realized - crap, these windows leak.  It makes sense, they're old, and while that pop out style is cute, they just don't seal well.  They've always been rather drafty.

 For that moment, we just cleaned the wall mess up as best as we could, painted and left it alone.  We had bigger fish to fry in finishing the bar and other things that year and it kind of was forgotten for a little bit.  The winter that followed was a doozy as I'm sure many remember, but we sealed up the window with plastic and have done so each winter since, so that has helped minimize further damage.

2011 was just a bad year over all, hot in the summer, stressful at work and we just didn't take on any home projects.  And then I don't know what our problem was last year either, but it just didn't get done.  Maybe because of the sheer curtains I just kept ignoring that there was an issue because you really couldn't see it.  Or maybe we were just lazy.  It's probably the latter.

This winter we finally started talking about replacing it again when I started noticing more water leaking in more than just the one spot when I put up the Christmas tree.  I realized this was the year it just needed to happen.  So, my dad helped us take measurements and shop around a bit over the winter and into the spring, and in July we finally ordered a nice picture window with two double hung side windows that was delivered to us in the beginning of this month.  Then we just needed to find a free weekend to do the install - hah, free weekend?  What's that?

Seriously, this coming weekend was the first stretch with nothing going on we had so we jumped on it.  It's going to be hot, but it's going to get done.  No excuses.  Nate, my dad, my father-in-law and two very good family friends will be doing all of the work bright and early Saturday morning.  Old window out, new window in.  Best case scenario, everything goes well and they're done with the big work by early afternoon.  Worst case scenario...well, my dad has some back up plans, let's just say that.  But I'm staying optimistic this will go well.

In preparation, Nate and my dad took down some of the drywall around the window inside the house.  This stuff will be replaced and sadly I will have to paint again - but at least I still have a couple of gallons of the paint left from that 2010 project!  We will also put up new curtains - or maybe blinds - and the room will look completely different.  I am so excited for modern windows.  The cats will be able to sit in the windows and look outside too, they're going to love it.

I am really looking forward to the whole thing just being DONE too.  It's kind of all consuming.  My husband, God love him, can only really focus on one project at a time - so I'm glad this will be over so we can get back to this other big project - you know, planning for baby's arrival?  One day at a time, we will get there!

8/22/13

He deserves a metal


I need to just take a second and talk about how awesome this man up here is.  My wonderful husband - he seriously deserves a metal for all he's done for me so far in this pregnancy.  

I'm blessed to have been feeling good physically - but there are days where mentally and emotionally it just hasn't been all that great.  Let's just say some days my hormones are like PMS on steroids - and it is SO out of my control which I dislike.  And he puts up with it all.  I know at times I haven't been easy to live with - and yet he doesn't complain one bit.

Instead, he just hugs me when I need it, backs off if I want space and does his best to keep me in good spirits and laughing.  He seems to know just the right thing I need even before I do - something he was good at even before I was pregnant, but he's been doing awesomely with now.  And he's pretty much figured out if all else fails, the answer is ice cream.

He cooks us dinner pretty much every night now.  On days I'm in a good place/mood (and there have been many, don't get me wrong) I help him.  I joke that he's the chef and I'm the sous chef.  Other days if I'm just tired or not in the mood, he just cooks and I keep him company.  On rare days I don't even want to do that, he doesn't complain if I just sit in the living room playing Candy Crush.  It isn't the worst case scenario for him, he loves to cook and experiment with recipes.  Sure it might mean we eat a little later, but I always have a snack when I get home from work so it isn't so bad.

Another thing I appreciate so much is that while this baby has become a big part of our daily life - he also works hard to not treat me differently.  We talk about other things, we keep up with our regular activities - he treats me like ME.  He doesn't treat me like an invalid.  I have come across a few others who treat pregnancy like it's a disease or a condition.  I'm not an egg, I won't break.  I am not going to do something stupid and harm my baby, but I don't have to live in a bubble.  He doesn't make me feel like I'm in a bubble. He keeps things pretty much business as usual.

Last night I was tired and cranky and getting ready to go to bed and kind of grumbling as I got off the couch.  He came over and jokingly said "are you ok?  Do you need my help?  Do you need to eat for three? (the whole "you're eating for two" thing is a pet peeve of mine)"  And I just started laughing because it was all so tongue and cheek.  He just knows the right things to say and when and I just love him for it.

So anyway, he just deserves a shout out and a metal, I kid not.  I know if we can get through this together, we're going to get through parenthood together too.  He's a rockstar.

8/14/13

Craziness

So we're about to embark on another extended weekend getaway.  It's our annual cabin trip with Praise Project and I'm really looking forward to it.  For once it sounds like we should have outstanding weather.  I suppose that is the difference by going one month earlier than normal!

Next week will be another short one so we can go to the Minnesota State Fair.

But then that's it.  No more time off save for a few doctor's appointments and holidays until the baby comes.  It's almost a little surreal.

It also brings to the forefront just how much I still need to get done.  Especially knowing we're past the halfway point now.

We have registered for our classes and I even got myself pre-registered at the hospital for the delivery - so those are big things that are done.

But we need to complete a registry.  We need to finish cleaning up that room.  I really want to de-clutter the house some more because Lord knows I won't want to do it after he arrives!

And there are other things looming - installing a window, repainting a wall in our living room, planning and throwing Oktoberfest....

I want to make sure too that Nate and I are taking time for the two of us as much as possible while we still can.  We were doing a pretty good job earlier this summer, but we're falling off a little bit as other things have been getting in the way.  Much of it has been good.  But I just don't want to get to December and wish we'd done more.

So, that's where we are.  I think this weekend will be good.  I think we need a little time to re-energize and just kind of forget about the other things right now.  And then we'll be more focused and ready to take it on when we get back.  It'll be on like Donkey Kong.