Not a Mommy Blog

I haven't quite figured out a way to write this in a blog, so I've been putting it off for the last week. Well, here goes. I'm pregnant. Yes, it was planned :) I think a lot of folks didn't know that Kevin and I had this planned for a while, we tend to like to keep things rather close. But this conversation started about two and a half years ago, when we decided that yes we would eventually try to have children. Then after that conversation we decided when. And well, the summer of 2016 came around and well... So all of this to say that our lives will change in a very wonderful, drastic, amazing, frightening, beautiful, and OMG way around the end of next May when we can welcome our little one into the world. We refer to her as Baby B (and yes, her because according to the bloodtest results, we're having a girl. Eeeeeeeee!!!)

Shelly Tambo: Sassy 90s style and singing mom

And I'm just going to say this now: this will not become a mommy blog. This will be just one part of my blog because I'm still a PhD student, I'm still renovating my house, I'm still a runner, I'm still a whole host of other things. Plus, I feel like I'd have to know a lot more to write about pregnancy. I haven't visited any mommy blogs since I got pregnant, nor have I read any books about being pregnant. I have a little app on my phone where I can keep track of things like my sleep, my exercise, taking vitamins, etc. and it gives me little updates, little snippets every day that I can look at. My favorite part about this app is that at the start of each week it tells me how big Baby B is. Right now she's the size of a beet. And that is about the right amount of information, because when I read too much I tend to get anxious, which I'm sure is opposite from most people. Although, there is never reading too much for school, I admit, and not reading in that part of my life does make me anxious. I prefer to just take it day by day on things like this, and it's doing me just fine. Best of all, I'm still running, and on Thanksgiving ran a pretty steady 5K, averaging about 9:30 a mile, which is way faster than I usually run. It must have been the crowds on the Turkey Trot that kept me moving so fast. Anyway, I'm feeling good!

So yes, I never thought I'd move to Michigan, and now, never thought I'd have a child born in Michigan. And that is indeed what is happening and it's quite exciting to say the least. The funny thing is, when I found out, all I could think of was Shelly Tambo from Northern Exposure, a show I used to love to watch, and the episode where she got "preggers" and is compelled to only sing rather than speak. I'll try not to break out in song when I'm trying to say something, but I can't make any promises.

Another Three Weeks Goes By... and Kitchen

It has been a long three weeks. I have been traveling a lot, I'm behind on my emails, I have papers and other things to submit, I am shifting some research because of the election, and I haven't written a blog post. (I am finally up to speed on the latest season of Project Runway, however, because priorities). So to get back into the swing of blogging, I'll write about what I love to write about, home improvement, and save some of my more thoughtful posts for next time.

We decided to go for it and redo the kitchen. This was on our hit list since we purchased the house, but kind of hummed and hawed over when exactly to do it. Well, we just decided, now or never. So we spent one weekend about a month ago tearing down the partition wall. Taking that down was like a breath of fresh air, and suddenly we could see from one end of the house to another, and light poured in from the kitchen side all the way through to the backyard. It was glorious. Next, we tackled the floor, and removed all the gross tile that had been laid in the kitchen, and also along the entry-way. A while back I chipped out some of the tile in the entry-way closet, thinking that there was probably hardwood floors under there. Sure enough, as we went through and removed it. there be hardwood floors. Why anyone would cover up hardwoods is beyond me. And not just cover them up, but completely hide them with the cheapest, most hideous tile around. Well, that cheap hideous tile is gone! This past weekend, between writing a paper and finding some down time, we finished sanding the thin-set off the hardwoods, and Kevin started blocking in where the new kitchen peninsula will go. It's all very exciting! Here are some pics.

We found some pretty cool 1956 wallpaper under the beadboard of the partition wall. And yes, we still
have not replaced the gross 1980s chandelier. Soon.

Pretty much the way we live now. One set of cabinets is still in place to hold the sink.

Last Post About the Bathroom

This will likely be the last post about the bathroom remodel. It is a happy occasion, because it means, at least, all of the things we had planned for that room are finished. I can remember way back, when we first started the journey of remodeling the bathroom. How we thought it might be pretty easy. Then we had to tear out all the tile and discovered concrete and wire behind there. Then mold. Then a rotten subfloor. And we gutted the whole room and bathed behind sheets of plastic for 5 months. Sigh. But today folks, I can say our bathroom is FINISHED. The last thing to do in there was put in a vent fan. It has been installed. Now we take showers with added light, and less condensation. It's amazing. Up next: Kitchen. Yes, it's happening. In fact, the kitchen remodel has already started. But before I post about the kitchen, I wanted to pay my last respects to a final blog post about the bathroom remodel.