Kitchen Details

Finalized the cabinets on Friday - man was that a headache! Would help if I wasn't so picky about symmetry, balance, details, but they are too expensive not to obsess over plans. Signing contract and ordering cabinets and windows tomorrow morning. They are handling the framing, installation of windows, doors, cabs, floors, and finish, and overall hand-holding, but I get to man the clipboard, phone, and calendar. So much for my relaxed 3rd trimester...Think we are shying away from stainless counters for ease of installation in a kitchen with no right angles (making it flush with the wall - stainless doesn't exactly bend) and fabricators in Spokane, Portland, and Seattle, and timing. Looking at a counter product called Richlite that is recycled paper pulp and resin. Our dear friend Hal Schafer has been installing it for a few years and loves it - functions and mills like a hardwood - occasional oiling and light sanding if you do something really egregious to it. A-1 loves it. From a tactile standpoint, it feels very nice. Is close to bulletproof. 

Bought some fun stuff for the Little Man. Found this sweet shop (Bootyland) on Capitol Hill in Seattle and the owner gave me Diaper 101 and the lowdown on baby slings (I am going to continue to wear this kid - don't see myself plunking him down in a bed and wandering off too much - he'll pretty much be an extension of me). Diapers are pretty revolutionary now. I'll have to show you. The 'plastic pants' are polar fleece, the actual diapers are organic cotton and hemp, and no pins - just velcro! Jess, they had all sorts of infant monkey wear at Old Navy that I think would have walked out the door with Aunt Jess had you been there - got him a great hat to keep the sun out of his eyes and a very soft chocolate brown hooded sweatshirt - I think I am starting to get into this...

Baby Shower Booty

Here is a shot of our temporary kitchen while ours is under construction. Joe's office hosted a baby shower lunch for us was really nice. We received 3 receiving blankets, a burping cloth, 2 pr overalls (short and long), 1 pr socks, 2 t-shirts, diapers, 3 short-sleeved onesies, 3 long-sleeved w/ footsie onesies, a t-shirt/shorts outfit, Curious George 'Opposites' hardboard book (don't know what the term for this is - I call them teething books), gift certificate to go toward purchase of baby jogger, and a non-mechanical food mill. It was SUPER nice and sunny today. Painted some more window trim in the office and hauled more kitchen to the storage unit. Talked to my dad this morning - they sold the sailboat and bought an airplane. I think my dad wants to own one of every guy toy before he dies.

Operation Mason Street Baby Boom begins

So, a few months ago I was wishing that Carter and Rebecca would decide to have a child so I would have a fun mom to hang with. Guess who is 3-months pregnant?? Crazy, huh. We'll have 3 kidlets all born within half a year within half a block.

They are giving us a shower at Joe's office tomorrow at lunch. I am going to wear my stylin' tights and lacy shirt I bought in Italy and the brown COOL-ottes my friend Jessica bought me.

Have been painting my studio the last 2 days (wearing the uber-respirator, don't worry) and am getting really excited about finishing it. Boy did my lower back hurt like hell this afternoon. Good thing I have to get decked out tomorrow and can't be the pregnant laborer.

Rollin' down the undies

Sitting in the back yard in the sun with my big belly this weekend felt SOOOO good it certainly made me wish I was in Hawaii swimming around all bulbous with the sea turtles. You know, I am so big now that my undies roll down into a little belt around my waistline under the little man. Is that funny or what???!!!

Sunshine in B'ham

It was warm (relative term) and sunny here today, too. Joe mowed the yard for the first time this year and I dug everything out of the raised bed and covered it with chicken wire so it doesn't become an instant litter box.  Took out the dead wood from the grapevine from last year. Felt SOOOO good to be outside in the sun. I am up to 126#! This baby is so growing. We heard his heartbeat with my heartbeat overlayed yesterday - our own little rhythm section. Nope, no definitive name for Little Man. I still like Robert Dylan Oliver Bennett and am waiting for Joe to come up with something better. So many names I don't like.

Waddling around in the Spring

It is trying really hard to be spring here today. We did the vertical ascent of the arboretum yesterday afternoon and I couldn't believe how much of a difference 10# makes in my stamina and the way I walk. Definitaly a waddle. I feel for larger people, girl. We have an appt this afternoon with the midwife - just routine checkup. I have everything prepped so we can make phad thai for dinner and am getting ready to make black sticky rice for desert. I am so freaked out about the prospect of not having a kitchen for 2 or 3 mos. Don't know how we will be functioning the few weeks after baby arrives, but if we are up to it, we get first dibs on you two. It might be difficult to sleep in a shoebox with a crying baby. We'll play it by ear.

Olympic Gymnast Baby

Yep, you'll both get to see the little man when he is brand new! Last night I was sitting in bed indian-style and he kicked me so hard I caught my breath - you could see my belly jump where he hit it. I sat there with my shirt pulled up for half an hour and watched my entire belly move. It is the weirdest thing! It totally made me cry. Can't imagine what he is doing in there to initiate so much movement, but I was envisioning Olympic gymnastics.