tell me that didn't just happen

i had another coffee episode this morning and yes, it involved a white shirt that i had never worn before... i really should make sure my coffee cup lid is on tight before drinking... anyway, i did cry but only for a second and then decided to try and wash out the stain and then dry it with my hairdryer... it's not perfect, but i refused to change my shirt so that's my story... =p

the contractor is moving-along and said he'd be done today - i told eric that made me uncomfortable since he still had to paint, install the sink, light, toilet, shower door, and seal the edges around the tub... eric also had a chat with him about working past 9:00 - that's just not working and maybe if he started before 10:00 - that wouldn't be the case... anyhoo, we'll see how things look tonight but it appears things could be done by this weekend... i'll need one day just to clean and that involves wiping down the walls, the floor, and furniture... =(

kitchen update: i've gotten all but one estimate back and hope to make a decision by the end of this week... we decided that it made more sense to get the countertop done first, then do the floor and paint... have i mentioned my goal is to have this all done by 7/31 - eric's 40th birthday party? yea, call me crazy... =)

went to the gym yesterday and had a good treadmill workout... today will be weights... =)

lunch today will be a salad with romaine from our garden, dried cranberries, granny smith apple, walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, and homemade balsamic vinaigrette... yummy... =)

happy tuesday...

tired of peeing downstairs

wow, i didn't realize that it had been almost a week since i last posted... the bathroom remodel is going slower than expected - the tile was put down on friday and then the grout on saturday... that's it for weekend work and i'm a bit unhappy about that, so eric's going to talk to the guy tonight and see what's going on... i would hope it's done by this coming weekend since i'd like to get the house back in-shape before we move onto the kitchen... it's also becoming more annoying during the night when i have to pee since our other bathroom is downstairs... =(

we've decided to do a tile floor since we already have wood in the LR and DR - adding yet another kind/color in the kitchen wouldn't look as nice (all 3 rooms are next to each other)... the guy already gave us a price for laying the tile (we'd buy the supplies again) and he said it wouldn't take longer than a week (removal of old floor, new subfloor, lay the tile, grout, and then seal)... as for the countertops - i'm going with a black granite and have contacted about 6 companies for estimates (go me!)... still waiting on 2 more quotes and then we'll be able to make a decision and maybe get the ball rolling next week... exciting indeed!

i'm also getting my antique couch and chair redone for the LR... unfortunately, this will not be a cheap job but it was my great aunt's (mom's side) and i've been told, in so many words, that i can't get rid of it... even though i can probably buy 5 new pieces for the same cost - it's nice to have something that's been passed-down and hopefully enjoyed for many years to come...

my mom and i did some thrift-store shopping saturday, and also hit kohl's and lowe's... she is not the best person to go maternity clothes shopping with because everytime i'd say i didn't like a shirt or dress - she'd get mad... i know that i need to dress differently now, but that doesn't mean i have to wear something that's ugly... meanwhile, my sister sent me a package with some baby clothes and 3, very cute maternity shirts - i told her that i wished mom had the same taste as she did... =)

well, work has been quiet and i'm going to take advantage of the boss being out and hit the gym late today... i had a great spin class on saturday too - she really kicked our butts!

happy monday...

that looks like sh*t

yesterday ended better than it started, but that wasn't without another breakdown once i got home... eric was like, "before you go into the bathroom, i just want you to know that i want ramiro to fix some things"... great... i knew one of the corner, horizontal seams was a bit large, but seeing it grouted made it stand out even more... it looks horrible and very unprofessional, and with the darker glass tile - it was very obvious that it's wrong... i laid on the bed cried... then i got myelf cleaned-up and went to home depot to buy paint, a wall register cover, and some light switches - spending money always makes me feel better (insert sarcasm)... when i got back - eric called the guy and told him how unhappy we were and that he needs to figure out how to fix it... i have just enough glass tile for him to redo that wall, if needed and hopefully he can make it right... my whole issue is that i refuse to pay someone, a lot of money, especially if they say tile is their expertise... to be continued... 

the rest of my evening was okay - we watched 'aliens' for a while, had leftover chicken enchiladas for dinner, and then i went to bed... feeling better today, thank goodness, and we have plans to hit both home depot AND lowes after work... lets hope they have, what we need, in-stock...

happy tuesday...

p.s. no gym yesterday but i WILL be going today... must stay active!

my morning

so i go to put-on a skirt that i had picked-out to wear today, and it doesn't fit... so i found another one that DID fit, then had to find another shirt to go with it... fine, okay... i do my usual morning routine and as i'm going to fill-up my coffee cup for the car - low and behold, eric had already done so... but i didn't know this and scalding coffee goes all over me, the counter, and the kitchen floor... not a pretty sight... so, while he's cleaning up the mess - i change into yet another outfit (which is #3) and wait for the coffee to finish brewing...

once everything is okay - we hit the road and what happens less than a mile away from the house? i go to take a sip of my coffee, and it spills down the front of my very new, very cute, and very ivory shirt... we turn around and i start crying... more like bawling because i'm so pissed-off and frustrated and get this, pregnant... we run back into the house, i find yet another shirt (#4), fix my makeup, and then because we had to turn-around - i told eric to drop me off at the metro station... which means - i never got my goddamn coffee!

this morning totally, utterly, and completly sucked, and i'm really not liking this new, emotional jodi... and this was my second meltdown in 3 days... =(

on friday night - we headed to lowe's to pick-up some things i had ordered online, as well as buy supplies so the guy can start on the bathroom saturday morning... we find the wainscotting, and the trim, and the shower tile, etc., but when i go to pick-up my items - they tell me they don't have the porcelain knobs... these knobs were impossible to find (in chrome) and i never received a message or phonecall saying they weren't in-stock, so i was a bit upset... and started crying in the store... and i cried all the way home... and because we were running so late - eric had to cancel plans with a friend and was sort-of pissed off (even though i told him the bathroom remodel should trump hanging out with friends)... it was not a good evening... =(

thankfully, the rest of the weekend was better... the contractor made great progress on the bathroom and finished the shower tile yesterday (see pic)... we took a truck-load of materials to the dump and finally found 12" x 12" white, ceramic tile for the floor (very hard to find since it's not a standard color these days)... we also decided to guy a dual-flush toilet (like they had in france) and will gain some space since they are much narrower in size... yay! =)

knob update: i found them in-stock, at another lowes, so we picked them up on saturday night (9:40 to be exact)... they are perfect! =)

yesterday - i picked cherries and blueberries with my mom, went to the grocery store, found some storage containers at homegoods, and finished the laundry... it feels like i didn't have a real weekend, but such is life...

happy monday... 

6 really means 9

man am i sleepy... the contractor was supposed to be at our house at 6:00am, but i told eric that will never happen... and it didn't... so we're leaving early and meeting him after work instead... thanks, buddy... they made HUGE progress on the bathroom yesterday - like the whole thing is gutted and ready to go (i will post photos later)... eric and i have to run to lowes to pick-up some stuff that i ordered (new vanity light and shower fixture) as well as look at their tile, sinks, paint, and toilets... who knew it would be this much work, but honestly - i love it... though i had originally wanted brushed nickel fixtures - i have swapped to chrome because the cross-bar porcelain handles for the shower are very hard to find in a dull finish... such is life...

last night my friend, daisy, and i went to the melting pot for dinner... that place just rocks and that's all i have to say... we had the usual 4-courses: cheese, salad, entree, and dessert - they even stuck a candle in the cheesecake since i had told them it was her birthday... and to top the evening off, i got a coupon for a free chocolate fondue! excellent! =)

no time for the gym today (leaving early), but am going to spin class tomorrow... =)

oh, and on the weight front - i'm down a pound this week (no, i'm not trying to lose weight)... so my total pregnancy gain so far is --> 14 pounds... =)

as for the weekend - my laundry list is long, but it's manageable and hopefully we can work around the whole bathroom thing... i'd like to go pick some sour cherries and blueberries with my mom and we HAVE to get our honeymoon photos posted online... it's been almost a month and no progess has been made... and no progress on my wedding album either, but that's another story... ;)

hope you have a great weekend! =)

yes, this is me

i know these photos aren't very flattering or show that much, but they are the most recent ones i have (this morning actually)... this is one of the dresses that i bought at kohls a few months back, before i was really showing - now, it's pretty obvious and i hope i can wear it a few more times before it gets too small (it's a size large)... my pantyhose, on the other hand, are definitely too small and aren't that comfortable - they may be coming-off later today... as for my weight - i forgot to do it this morning so i'll have to do it tomorrow instead - lets hope i didn't gain another magic 5-pounds... =)

since the bathroom demolition begins tomorrow - i was busy last night cleaning out the closet and trying to find a place for everything... we also have to put up the door to the basement (since that's where the kitties will be living during the day) and move some furniture in the LR... i also need to order the wall cabinet today and see if i can find anymore faucets that have the white, porcelain handles (that say hot and cold)... if any of you know a good website, please pass it along... =)

everyday when i get home, there's been a package for me... i ordered some new workout gear that will fit my ever-expanding belly and keep me motivated to workout (great sale at hanes.com)... i also got the nursery bedding which is just adorable - i will have some decisions to make about how to paint the walls since the blue in the bedding is almost the same as the blue i want for the bathroom... call me crazy, but i can't have the same color in 2 different rooms so i'm not sure what to do... i could always do brown on the bottom, but then it would be the same as our DR... ugh... any suggestions?

and on the food front - i've been doing pretty well i think... eric made beer can chicken last night and it came out fabulous (see below)! i also made smashed potatoes with that buttermilk dressing i made the other night and roasted veggies... talk about yummy! =)

happy hump day!

so much for progress

the good: had a great workout - did the elliptical for 45-minutes (intervals) and burned 500 calories... =)

the bad: went to a new fro-yo place where it's self-serve with over 12 flavors, a ton of toppings (frozenyo), and it's sold by weight... and it was VERY yummy... =(

are you kidding?

happy sunday! our plans for making beer-can chicken for dinner were foiled when i took the chicken out of the fridge and realized it was still frozen... ugh, i hate when that happens... it doesn't help that i spent the whole afternoon in the kitchen prepping things for the week and was looking forward to eric handling dinner, but alas - we'll be having it another night instead... i'm still roasting veggies, but will making a salad and bought a baguette while at the store and some goat cheese... just hate when you're REALLY looking forward to something and then it doesn't pan-out... =(

on a more positive note - i DID get my ass to the gym yesterday for spinning... =)

we've also hired the guy that painted our house to redo our bathroom (he actually specializes in tile)... it won't be cheap, unfortunately, since he said it's better to redo all the walls so everything's even - who knows what things look like under the tile... they will start demolition on thursday so i'll make sure and take progress pics... =)

i've also been getting estimates on having my great aunt's couch & chair redone... it's in pretty good shape considering how old it is, but the fabric is outdated and the springs are going... i called another place yesterday and it ends up that the owner knew my dad and remembers us coming in to the shop when i was little... talk about a small world! i do too actually, so we had a nice conversation - i emailed him some pictures so hopefully his price will be cheaper than the first one i got... i know reupholstery is expensive, but damn - buying something new would be cheaper! =(

sounds like we have a lot going on and yes, i agree... i told eric that regardless if we spend money now (before the baby) or after - we're still going to spend money... i think getting some of the bigger stuff done this summer will be great because then it will be less to worry about this winter... and if eric does find a job in pittsburgh in the next year or so - we'll have less to redo before putting the house on the market... i WOULD also like to enjoy the new bathroom and kitchen while i can... =)

well, that's about it for me - hope you're having a great weekend!

i'll take that, oh and that, and...

if you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that i'm a fan of kohls and tend to do a lot of my shopping there (plus they're always having a sale or sending me coupons)... slickdeals.net had a 30% code today, so i hopped onto their site and managed to score some great deals... i picked-up a few dresses (3:4 were under $10), some shirts, a pair of shorts, and some polos for eric... grand total was $135 for 14 items = $9.65 each... not bad, not bad at all... =)

my doctor's appointment went well yesterday, though my cholesterol is high (he says because of being pregnant) and my vitamin D was on the low side... i'll be taking a supplement along with my prenatal and some extra folic acid... i've gained 20-pounds since my last physical (may '09) but most of that is baby, and he said i should be aiming for 2-pounds a month at this point... i've already gained more than half of what the target-weight gain is (20-25 pounds) so i need to be careful and make sure i keep exercising... he also proceeded to tell me that he's known women who have gained 100+ pounds and to me, that's just not right nor healthy... my blood pressure and sugar-levels were perfect so all-in-all, not a bad appointment...=)

after i left, i headed straight for the gym and did 45-minutes on the elliptical... then went to baja fresh where i got a chicken salad with the sour cream and guacamole on the side... i had no intention of eating the fried shell, but they are too damn good and i ate the whole thing... next time, i'm ordering it sans-shell... =(

tomorrow is a busy one - spin class, then haircut, then back home so the guy can finish a few things around the house... eric is taking his exam (been in training all week) and will be gone for most of the day - i've barely seen him this week since he gets home late every night... sunday, we have plans to go through our trip pictures and finally get them posted - sounds like it will be rainy, so that will be the perfect thing to work on...

hope you have a great weekend... =)

decisions

i have one more doctor appointment today and that's it for the week (annual physical)... hopefully my bloodwork results will look good and i'll get another "thumbs-up" for the year, minus the whole being pregnant thing... will have to ask what my weight was, should be interesting if not down right depressing... anyhoo...

i did NOT go to the gym yesterday - my quads are extremely sore from the workout on tuesday, but i will be going after my appointment today... may check and see if the gym has a class later, but a nice walk outside could be in order since it's gorgeous out there... doing well with food and have used 'lose it' every day this week... =)

i've been working on registry lists - more like putting items on there even though I need to go to an actual store and make sure I like what i've chosen (so hard to tell what the actual color is, ya know?)... since amazon.com seems to be much cheaper that target, i am doing both so that way - people will have options... i've also researched cribs, strollers, and pack-n-plays on consumer reports and that helped a lot in my decision... ironically, the crib and dresser that i liked was one of the highest rated so i'm happy with my decision - see below for what i've been looking at recently... =)

are any of you watching this season of next food network star? i forgot to set my DVR on sunday night, but was happy to see they replayed it last night ... aria seems to be kicking-ass so far and she's definitely got great presence on camera... who do you like so far?

happy thursday...

small world

as far as my diet goes, i'm not eating bad things (really)... and yes, we really indulged on vacation - bread, cheese, pate, dessert, soda - so i know some of that 10 pounds is from that... generally, i eat very well during the day - cottage cheese & fruit, salads, apple, etc. - but have been slacking on the exercise... that is being remedied and i'm going to start weighing myself once a week again (which i haven't been) so that will help keep me on track... our garden has been doing well with lettuce and soon the tomatoes and peppers will be coming-in too, and hopefully beans and peas... i'm not a huge sweets person (thank god) so there haven't been containers of ice cream or stashes of chocolate around the house... no strange/bad cravings yet, but maybe that will change - who knows... i appreciate the concern though! =)

this morning i had my monthly blood test and it came out fine... as i was sitting in the room, waiting for the results, in walks my old doctor whom i haven't seen in years... she mysteriously left my primary care's office a few years back and i never knew what happened - she said things were just getting weird/bad there and she decided to find something else... i really do miss her - she was the type that would sit and talk to you, for as long as you needed, and that was nice... my current doctor is good, but it's a man and it's just - well, different... anyway, i hope to see her next month when i go back...

i haven't really started on the nursery yet, but know that has to start sometime this summer... currently, eric uses it for his office and dressing area since there's no room in our bedroom for any more furniture (and the closets are tiny)... he still may have to share the room, but that's okay - it's not like i'm going to be hanging up baby clothes... i have been researching cribs/dressers and while i was on target.com - i found this utterly adorable bed set... it also has curtains, decals, a mobile, and wall art so it may be just what i'm looking for - cute, right? i can stick to a neutral wall and then use the other colors as accents - very exciting! i may order the bedding to see if it looks as good in person as it does online - i may hate it, who knows... =)

went to the gym last night after work (yay me) and did 45-minutes on the treadmill... i even did hills and felt pretty good... today is weights and speaking of, i need to find a new routine before i head down there...

happy tuesday...

OMG

I GAINED 10 POUNDS THIS MONTH! HOLY SH*T! even though i didn't weigh myself before we left, please tell me some of that was from our honeymoon... ugh, i'm not handling this whole "gain weight while pregnant" thing... and yes, i know it's temporary but when you've been struggling to lose weight, for what seems like your whole adult life, this is just plain hard... it's hard seeing my body get bigger, instead of smaller... it's hard putting on clothes that fit 2 weeks ago and now suddenly, they don't... it's hard to not eat because i feel like i'm starving the baby... please tell me this is normal and that i'm not crazy and that all pregnant women go through this? =(

besides gaining a lot of weight (gulp), the sonogram went well and the doctor said everything looked great and that i'm measuring perfectly... he said that i should start to feel movement too, but more of a "flutter/flicker" type thing and mostly at night or in the morning when i'm bed... i AM very thankful that things have been going so well, and hope i don't sound ungrateful or anything because i'm not... =)

our weekend was good, but very busy... we hit some yard sales on saturday then went to a friend of mine's post-wedding party downtown... this was the first time that most of my friends had seen me since we told them the "news" so it was fun catching-up and getting advice from the experienced moms... eric spent the rest of the day working on the bike (all the tins were repainted) and i spent a few hours packing up clothes, doing laundry, cleaning, and going to the store... yesterday, we put in my mom's a/c and then had dinner w/eric's brother - finally got to meet their new dogs, sparky and buster... all in all, it was a great weekend... =)

this week is busy for me - lots of doctor appointments and i'm sure work will pick-up again... i MUST keep to my workout schedule and go every day this week - there's no excuse and i can't keep putting it off... i came in late today and would normally skip going after work, but there's no reason why i should... it's good for me, it's good for the baby, and that's all that i should be focusing on from here on out... i just can't understand why it's so hard (minus the fact i've gained so much weight)... maybe that's it...

well, enough of my rambling... hope your monday is going well...

week is flying by

eric and i are still recuperating from the trip so we've been going to bed pretty early every night... i make a list of 'things to do', but by the time we get home, have dinner, and make lunche for the next day - i'm pooped... i had plenty'o energy on vacation so i can't blame the baby, so hopefully the jet-lag will end soon... needless to say - there has been no progress made on the photos... sorry! =(

exercise news: i HAVE been to the gym this week and am proud to say that i went both yesterday (30-min treadmill) and today (30-min elliptical)... since i'm basically carting around 20 extra pounds (gain + baby), i can really feel it so i'm taking it easy until i get more energy... i will need to get back into weights soon as well since i'm feeling like a big blob and don't like how my arms/legs have been looking... and since my eating has been less than desirable, i've reinstalled 'lose it' on my iphone and will start tracking again (i have it set to 'maintain weight')... god knows how much i gained on vacation and i'm scared to step on the scale... =(

house news: the house was painted while we were gone and it looks great - i will post before/after shots soon... the guy needs to come back and finish the front door and we're also going to talk to him about redoing the upstairs bathroom... i have some money coming from my dad (not much) so i plan on using that for some house-related things and baby furniture... i've been looking at glass tile online and have come to realize that it would be way too expensive to do the whole tub/shower, but maybe as just one row would be nice... i'm digging this color combo right now but will have to see it in person (i ordered a sample today)... i've also been looking at faucets, sinks, lights, and cabinets, and getting a rough estimate on each... just call me mrs. bob villa...  =)

work news: things have been quiet this week, both of my coworkers are on vacation so it's just me and the boss... there was an announcement while i was gone, from the president, that we are going 'business casual' mon - fri for the rest of the summer... while we still can't wear jeans, it's better than nothing and i couldn't be happier... =)

hope you're having a good week...

happy thursday...

Bonjour!

Sorry I haven't posted, but yes - I'm back and we had an amazing time in France... Can't wait to go back and the sooner the better! I took over 1,100 photos and Eric about half that, so who knows when I'll have something to show you guys... I'm still catching-up with stuff around here and at work, plus I've been starting to really feel pregnant and am having a hard time adjusting (I feel HUGE!)... More on that later...

I'll write soon, promise! =)