Three Years and a Final Frontier

It's been 3 years today since we closed on our house. I remember being in TOTAL panic mode, wondering how in the world we were ever going to make mortgage payments. This was the biggest investment I'd ever jumped into and I was hyperventilating for days prior to signing the papers. But we have now made it through 3 years of payments, including adding on a home equity loan so that we could do the basement. And not a-one has been late. I'm so proud of us!


In the course of those 3 years, I have hemmed and hawed over paint colors and slowly, I have made my mark on every room. I'm not one to move into a new space and paint every surface immediately. It takes me awhile to decide how I want a room to look and feel- decorating comes about as naturally to me as ice skating- incredibly slowly and with much pain and agony. Over the last few weeks, we took on the final frontier of the rooms- the first floor bathroom. Heinous is the only way that I can describe that room. Why would anyone choose beige tiles to go with white fixtures and a white tile floor? Why would they choose cheap and crappy tiles that crack? Why would someone strip off wallpaper, not clean the backing off the wall very well, and then paint purple over that, only to see the paint start to streak down the walls due to the poor cleaning job? Why would someone choose a light fixture and a faucet that are brushed nickel to go with the very large chrome mirror that's fixed into the wall? So many bad choices and so little money to do much to it. So, short of us gutting the bathroom (not an option right now), we did what we could: sanded the walls, primed the ceiling and walls so that the wallpaper backing wouldn't bleed through and create more streaks in the paint, painted a muted beige color to go with the tiles, hung a new shower rod and curtain. While it's still the same ugly tile and vanity, it feels at least fresh in there and I no longer feel like I am being attacked by a purple waterfall while getting ready in the morning. Our next step is to get rid of the hideous metal ultra-mini-blinds with the rust all over them. So, for about $75, our bathroom is as good as we can get it...for now, that is.


And might I add that Benjamin Moore's Aura paint is the greatest thing I have discovered yet at our local hardware store. It goes on like yogurt, is so easy to trim with, doesn't splatter at all, dries quickly, and has low VOC. What's not to love? And even better, I know that I'm helping out my local hardware store by shopping there instead of Home Depot. The guys and one gal at the store know me by name, know which project I'm working on and are so knowledgeable about everything in their store (let's compare that to the pissy employees who have blown me off at Home Depot and who act like I am ruining their day by dragging them away from their computer to get some questions answered).

Good intentions

I always have such great intentions of writing long essays here, but rarely do I get around to it. When I'm cleaning or cooking, I create blog updates in my head. The problem is that they never really make it out of my head and onto the screen.
Here's a great example: 2 weekends ago, Snugs and I went to the cabin with my parents for a wintery weekend. I've been meaning to write about it since we got back...and I have yet to do it. I feel a bit sheepish writing about it so long after the fact, but I've promised myself that I WILL do it.
On another delayed note, my appt this past Mon with the midwife went well. There was a student midwife working with her (from the U)- she was fantastic. They both were. I've gained 3 lbs, which makes 6 total. I was feeling as proud as a peacock until she informed me that she'd like me to gain 35 lbs TOTAL, since I started on the low side. I all but fell off the chair when she told me that. I'm hoping that the next 29 lbs are easier to put on than the last 6. And they clarified the "soft cheese" question for me- yes, it's ok to eat it as long as it's pasteurized. Which is good news, since I've been eating it for the last 18 weeks, even without their blessing.
Will write the cabin synopsis soon.

Eat more!

I was at the midwife yesterday for a quick check as I was spotting the night before. And because I'm concerned that I am hardly growing. I'm almost 16 weeks and all of my regular clothes still fit! The baby is fine, but the midwife informed me that I've only gained 3 lbs and while it's not too concerning yet, they'd like me to have gained 10 lbs total by 20 weeks. So, I'm supposed to eat more (apparently she didn't get the memo that I was voted "biggest eater" in my senior class in high school). I feel like I am eating all of the time, I am obsessed with anything dairy, I eat meat, I eat a very balanced diet. However, I think it's time to keep more high protein snacks around. I get so hungry so suddenly that it's hard to think about preparing something- I just need good food to be at hand and ready to go.
I think I will be off to the library today to find some good books on nutrition and pregnancy.
On a different food note, I was talking with Papa Behr yesterday and he informed me that he's ordering seeds for the spring already and that he found some heirloom tomatoes that he'd like to try this year! Yipppeee!! They are one of my favorite things to pick up from the farmer's market in the summer. If they were more readily available this year, I'd be eating them every day. The idea that he's thinking about seed orders already gives me hope that winter will be over one of these months and we can start dreaming about fresh foods again. This also means that I am going to start planning my summer months that I'll have off work and what things I want to learn from my mom this year- canning, making jam, etc. I think I can only pick a few things, as I'll have a wee one to tote with me. But what a perfect opportunity to spend more time with Mama Behr and finally have a summer off in which to learn these things!

Bun

The Luckiest

I got home from my 12 hr shift at midnight last night. Typically after working an evening shift, I sneak upstairs to see if Snugs is still awake, but he's usually sacked out, since he gets up at 6:30 or so for work. But last night he was awake, watching a movie on his laptop to keep him awake long enough to see me. I wasn't ready to fall asleep yet, but wanted to be warm, so I crawled in next to him to claim a few minutes of catching up on our days before he fell asleep. In lying there talking to him, I was reminded of how lucky I am to be with him. I wonder how I got the best that there is. He is the sweetest, most thoughtful, funniest man that I know and I don't think that I marvel at that fact often enough. Here are the two things he said that made me realize that I am the luckiest: 1) When I asked him to throw stuff in the laundry, as I was going to start wash today, he told me he'd already started it. 2) When I left for work yesterday, I had just started to put plastic over our ancient and drafty windows upstairs. He had finished putting up the plastic last night and when I asked if he was all done up there, he said, "no, I saved the blow-drying for you, as I know that's your favorite part". (sniff) He truly is the greatest! He remembers those little details, he sometimes reads my mind and starts things before I do (even when we haven't talked all day due to work!).

Did I mention my birthday? He surprised me with a plane ticket to Florida for Jan, so Little Sis and I can fly down to meet up with our parents for a few days- he said he remembered how much fun she and I had down there 4 years ago with my parents and their friends and he wanted to make sure I had that opportunity again.

I am grateful...today, tomorrow and hopefully every day.

One Tough Bird

Note to self: if you buy a "stewing chicken" it is literally just for that...stewing. It means it's going to be a tough old chicken that makes great stock and that's it. I had bought a stewing chicken and some chicken thighs to cook up for stock and then use the meat in soups. However, I discovered that the meat from the stewing chicken couldn't even be pulled from the bone, whereas with the separate thighs that I bought, the meat just fell right off the bone. So, lesson learned: stew with it, don't try to eat it.

How to...

How to see your normally very mellow husband hit the roof....send your less-than-three-year-old TV to the repair shop (trying to support local businesses and fix the TV rather than just buy a new one like they told us at Best Buy), wait almost 3 (yes, 3!!) months to get it back, then turn it on only to see that the "bowing out" of the screen is now "bowing in" and after 1.5 hrs of watching it, it shut itself off again. So, in essence, NOTHING got fixed!!! $144 and 3 months and that's what we got?!??!! I though Snugs was going to blow a gasket.