wednesday

Well, the time is nearing that Baby W will make his or her grand entrance. The time has gone SO fast, which I'm sure many of you can relate to. I am scheduled to be induced on Wednesday evening and, of course, am a little worried about it. Just like the whole insulin ordeal that I experienced, induction can come with it's own risks. While I don't want this to turn into another insulin-type struggle, I'm also fully aware that I'm willing to do whatever is best for the baby (as I sit here drinking a cup of coffee). I do have an appointment scheduled with my OB for Wednesday morning and am hoping that I've made enough progress that she will say "let's give it a few days and see where you are rather than inducing tonight". Maybe I should give her this script? I am praying that baby will come on his or her own time rather than have to be induced. So far, this is really not a high-risk pregnancy so it wouldn't hurt if I went past my due date by a little bit. I may be singing a different tune if I make it to 42 weeks, however!! May sound less like "let baby come when baby is ready" and more like "GET THIS BABY OUT OF ME!!!!". So, please just pray that, well...just pray really. God knows what He's doing and I trust that.

Psalm 139:13-16 (The Message)

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.

Beautiful, huh?

On other notes: the house is less in disarray,although I left dirty dishes in the sink last night. Lots of them. Which probably means baby will come today :) Baby stuff is in baby's room rather than stuffed in the corner of the dining room. Curtains are hung in our bedroom...curtains that my mother and I made last weekend together. That weekend will be a very precious memory to me---I can't wait to teach my own daughter (or son) to sew, cook, bake, etc. Hopefully my child will be more willing to learn at a young age, unlike myself who avoided instruction in household tasks at all cost as a young girl! I have been thinking a LOT about traditions lately. I was listening to K-Love yesterday morning and they were talking about back-to-school traditions that families have. I can't wait to begin traditions with my children! What traditions do you have in your family? Please share! One that sticks out to me is our birthday candle tradition. From as young as I can remember, no matter who's birthday it was, everyone got to blow out the candles on the birthday cake. We'd start with the birthday person and then pass the cake around the table, lighting the candles and then blowing them out one by one. I don't particularly remember if we made a wish for ourself or the birthday person. I'd like to think it was for the birthday person, but that is unlikely :) My co-workers have traditions about birthdays that I can't wait to do. Maybe Dannon will comment on this post and share about the birthday outfits?

I sat in my rocking chair last night reading a baby book to the baby "I Already Know I Love You" by Billy Crystal. "I'm waiting to show you everything. hear your giggles and your sighs. see butterflies and monkeys. and clowns who cross their eyes."

Can't hardly wait, baby W, can't hardly wait.

Love, Mommy

new kitchen!!

Alright, the big reveal! We decided to go much bolder with the main color than I had posted about previously. From teepee brown to ORANGE! It is much different than the pictures I posted before, but I really do love it. Jason and his mom worked SO hard all weekend while I stayed at a friend's house and away from the fumes. I called on Sunday to say I was coming home and Jason informed me that the house was not "extreme home makeover ready" and that I had to find something to occupy my time until they were ready for me. He called a few hours later and said I could come home but that he wanted to do the whole "move that bus" routine. So, I came home, was blindfolded, and guided into the kitchen. The transformation is amazing. The color combination to me is a cross between modern and a throw-back to the '80s, although Jason and his mom disagree and think the combo is very modern. Either way, I really love it. What do you think? OH, and the part that I loved the best that I thought would have to wait until much later: chalkboard paint on the doors. Jason went to Home Depot and found that they have chalkboard paint that you can tint in 12 different colors and he found a dark brown that goes with the brown that's on the backs of the cabinets. He went further than that and even painted the back door with the blackboard paint for "Baby W", as he stated. So sweet. I couldn't truly comprehend how much work went into the kitchen until I saw the pictures Jason took of the "in progress" work. Let's just say the house was a disaster and I was exhausted just looking at the pictures. I am truly blessed. So, here it is...the big reveal!

A reminder of the kitchen before:




And now...

it's a...

Just kidding! Gotta keep you all on your toes, though, since Baby W could come ANY TIME now. Mean, I know, but I'm so very pregnant and feeling slightly onery today! And, for those that want to know, I am at a 1 (I'll leave it at that).

Let's see...what's going on. Other than nesting (my poor desk at work didn't even see it coming). I'm spending the weekend with a good friend while Jason and his mom work on the house (yet again). Kitchen is being painted as planned this weekend. Jason spent all last night priming the walls and ceiling. I'm so blessed by all their hard work! We are mostly sticking with the theme I posted about last but the colors have changed a bit: burnt orange walls, antique white cabinet/door fronts and trim, and a chocolate brown on the backs of the cabinets (just a touch, not a lot will be chocolate brown). Then I'll still do the blackboard doors and other touches I talked about. Hope it turns out well! That's a LOT of color.

My mom is coming for tonight and we'll spend all day tomorrow sewing curtains for our bedroom. I'm excited as this is my first official sewing (pause for Braxton Hicks..............................................breathing.........................
.....................................................................................
.......breathing..................................................) project. I have 11 yards of twill white fabric and pretty wide slate blue ribbon for accents. Sew much going on....badum ching. Thank you ladies and gentlemen, I'll be here all night (unless my water breaks then I'm outta here!)

Then girl's night tomorrow night with two good friends which I'm very overly excited about! I know what you're thinking...Michelle overly excited about something? Hard to believe, I know!

But what I'm REALLY excited about, you ask? Jason chose Red Lobster for his birthday dinner. Crab legs, cheddar biscuits, no mess in the kitchen...THAT SOUND FABULOUS!!

OH, I almost forgot! I get to see my sister and her family for the first time in 8 years today. She lives abroad (aka Wisconsin) and I haven't seen her since she and her husband got married. They're only stopping by for a short visit but it will be nice to see them nonetheless.

And, just a special treat for Dannon:
() count: 6
But they were all so important!

That's all for now...maybe some pictures of the kitchen will come on Monday...stay tuned!

Kitchen Idea!

Finally! I have an idea for the kitchen (thanks to HGTV's Rate My Space). Yes, Dannon, I just used more parentheses (just for you). Anyways, I found a kitchen idea that really inspired me. I will include some pictures to give you all a better idea of what I'm talking about/describing.

Walls: Teepee Brown by Behr

Doors, trim, cabinets: white/off white/antique white (not sure yet)

Door to downstairs (as seen below): paint inside with black chalkboard paint so we can leave messages, write menus, to-do lists, grocery lists, etc.

Decorations: black and white pictures of family cooking together, family dinners, family gatherings, etc. We will have to take pictures but I already have one that I really love of my father and great uncle which I will also post below. Very family oriented, which I think is what inspired me the most.

Also, I like the idea of decorating somehow with family recipes like in one of the picture below.

I also like the black sign over the door that has the family name.

Ok, so here's the before picture of the kitchen:



Pictures of the kitchen on Rate My Space that inspired me:







Here's the picture of my great uncle and father that I love so much:



Also, I love this picture of my grandparents farm house that I'd like to incorporate somewhere (I actually have a version of this picture without the cars that I may use instead):



So...there it is. Let me know what you all think and if you have any ideas or inspirations that come from this. One thought I had was either doing all white cabinets or doing white on the upper cabinets and black on the lower cabinets. Just a thought! May be too much. I think we're going to leave two of the cabinets without doors like Mendy mentioned to display our dishes and glasses. Isn't this fun!!

37 weeks

So, I was reading my friend Heather's blog and was looking at some of the blogs she follows and saw that there was one friend that hadn't blogged in 4 weeks...then I realized that friend was, in fact, moi. I had promised pictures from the baby shower back in June and I still haven't put them on my computer so you may just have to imagine in your head...not too hard to do really...friends, family, balloons, yummy cake, punch, lots of baby gift bags...you know, a baby shower!

It's not like I've been busy or anything, people! What, you ask, have I been up to? Growing a baby, staying in hotel rooms, lots and lots of doctor appointments, water aerobics, and getting my nails done...it's hard work, I tell ya! Jason and his mom have been working like crazy to get our bedroom and the kitchen painted before baby gets here. The bedroom is about 90% finished but there is now a lovely new crack in the ceiling from the guys doing a roof inspection on our house. Wonderful. Just want Jason asked for. NOT (great, now I'm acting like an 8th grader from the early 1990's). Sheesh. Now, where was I? Oh, yes, the house. Last weekend I stayed in a hotel by myself while Jason and his mom painted. Apparently, I've watched far too many scary movies because it was...well, scary. At one point, I was walking down the hallway, saw a flickering light, and then twins ran by. (Think: The Shining). I nearly pee'd myself (ok, maybe just a little---I'm pregnant, give me a break!!) So, I left with a bedroom that looked like this:



And returned to a bedroom that looks like this:




Don't you just love the change?? I am in love with the color. My sister thought this was the baby's room and wondered if we knew something (gender-wise) that we were trying to hint at. Much to everyone's disappointment, we do not know the gender AND this is not the baby's room. We will be in this room and baby will be in our room. I will post a picture of the baby's room once the furniture arrives (let's hope it's within the next few weeks!!). Talk about down to the wire!!

So, over the next few weeks, Jason's going to be working on the kitchen. Here's a before picture (we have already sanded and refinished the floors so they look more like the bedroom pictures above):



Any ideas are welcome! We cannot for the life of us think of colors for the kitchen. We are painting walls, cabinets, and trim (and will eventually replace the backsplash and countertops, too). Bring 'em on!!

Baby News: baby is growing and moving and shaking! Can't wait to meet him or her. Jason and I washed all of the baby clothes over the weekend. I had NO IDEA how time-consuming it is to fold all of those little clothes. Hopefully, wrinkly baby clothes are in next season. What else??? Oh, the car seat is installed (hey, I have a picture of that!):



I have to give props to my co-worker, Dannon, for helping me install the car seat...basically, I just held the manual while she quickly installed it. :)

On an end note, Dannon showed me this hysterical wedding video. I've never posted a video so if it doesn't work, just go to www.youtube.com and type in JK Wedding Entrance Dance. This is just the greatest video ever! Hope you can find time to watch it. Later!

Kansas City Farmer's Market

Well, Jason and I ventured on our FINAL out-of-town adventure we will ever take as non-parents! It was quite an emotion-filled weekend of family, friends, Baby Shower, lots of yummy food, and the Kansas City Farmer's Market. I will post pictures and stories from the Baby Shower in my next post as all of those pictures are on my camera and have not been uploaded yet. Although it was SOOO hot outside, most of the family wanted to go to the Kansas City Farmer's Market because...well, because it's just that awesome. Something about the KC Farmer's Market reminds me of traveling to another country. Crowded aisles, the variety of produce, friendly people, little shops, "meat" products...it is just one of my favorite places to go and, should we ever move to KC, I'm already planning to get a second job to support my farmer's market addiction. I sampled lots of food, although my dad has always warned against it due to "not knowing who has touched the food before me". I told him I'm not a germapobe (sp?) and that really got my mom going. I guess she thinks I am quite the germaphobe. I said, "How can I be something I can't even spell" and proceeded to lick the bottom of her shoe. Just kidding, although that did just make me laugh out loud!! :)

So, the pictures that follow are all from the KC Farmer's Market (I was going to label them all but I can't figure out how to make the wording line-up with the pics so I'm just posting them all---some are produce pictures from the market, some are street performers, and some are family pictures).

The night before, we all decided we would not shower before going to the market because we'd sweat a LOT and need to shower again. So, I woke up, threw on some clothes, and ran downstairs for breakfast. Since the bathroom was being shared by 3 other people, I used the restroom in the lobby of the hotel. Apparently, I took the idea of not getting ready to a whole new level (as you can tell by the hair). Although it's not a pretty picture, it made me laugh so I thought (for your enjoyment) I would share :)
















































That's all for now! I have some REALLY funny stories to share about the Baby Shower and will do that later this week.

friday picture puzzle

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