Can I scream now?

Because I kinda wanna scream.

So, after not being able to get in touch with my GC since last Monday, I finally hear back from him this morning.  I figured that everyone is taking a nice little vaca with the holidays, but dammit to hell just take the 30 seconds to respond to a text or email!  The biggest question I needed an answer to was regarding whether or not I needed to push back the girl who was set up to do the antiquing on the kitchen cabinets Thursday.  All I needed was a yes or no.  We went by the house yesterday and found no paint.  I went ahead and told her it was highly doubtful that the house would be ready for Thursday.  Turns out that I was correct.

We are waiting on the trim carpenter to come back to run all of the base boards and trim up to the cabinets.  Apparently, he's been "very busy" and is supposed to be coming to do our work on Friday.  The painter is supposed to start a week from today, and that will take all week.  So, assuming all of that goes down as it should, my antiquing lady should be able to get in on Saturday, the 11th at the earliest.

At this point, I am completely exhausted with the house.  Breaking our budget has become inevitable; it seems.  We have been saving as much as possible, and at this point are praying that everything works out.  There are a few items that I am waiting on for updating the budget (i.e. lighting fixtures, possible changes from cash payment).  Plus, I've developed a super nice sinus drip and head cold.  If you run into me over the next week, watch out! ;)

But, hey.  At least our cabinets look beautiful:



Stove side of the kitchen

 

Sink/dishwasher side of kitchen

Damn you Starbucks!

I should probably just stay away - it would be for the better.  Every.single.time that I go to Starbucks and someone pays for my drink or I pay for someone else, I have a terrible day.  So, I am interested to see how today will go since the girl at the window didn't charge me for my tea since they were out of the cinnamon roll I wanted.  Maybe in some weird Twilight Zone, that means I will have the best day of my life.  A girl can dream, right?

This morning I realized how negative I have been lately.  As much as I try to not be downtrodden in front of Ethan, I know he can sense it.  Yesterday, I finally hit a wall.  This morning, I got up and decided that things just cannot stay like this for me any longer.  It's not healthy for me and Liam, Michael or Ethan.  I prayed about it on the way in to work and just asked for guidance.  At this point, that's all I can do.  God works in funny ways.  You keep trying to control things and pushing yourself to limits, and He just sits back and lets you do it until you finally collapse and realize that He is all you need.  Thankfully, I'm there now.  Yesterday, I finally collapsed and today I am asking that He point me in the right direction and lead our family.  Why is it that I get to these points?  Why can't I just continue to let Him lead us?  Because I am so stubborn - and that's the damn truth.  As things progressively get more beautiful and wonderful, I try to control them and manipulate them into better when all I should do is sit back and enjoy what God has in store for us.  I am not perfect at all, and times like this serve as a very humble reminder.

I went to yoga at lunch, and it's amazing how much better I feel.  I got to release some tension and just laugh.  Laughter is such an amazing medicine.

Good news on the house: The last of the cabinets are being installed as I type!  The locks will be on the doors this weekend, and the painter is scheduled to start Monday!! WOOHOO!  The master shower is done, the tub backsplash will be completed shortly, and the kitchen backsplash has been measured for.  Check out the progress we've been making:


Loving our brick!

Back patio

Master Shower (upper half)

Master Shower (lower half)

 

Slowly, but surely

This kid must think I am some sort of pinball machine.  He could care less about what time of the day or night it is - he likes to party ALL the time.  This morning was the first time that I recall his antics waking me up, though!

Updates on the house...
- My tile guy sent me a text on Monday to see if we had picked up the tile.  W. T. F.  Nope!  Sure haven't!  Thought that was your job!  So, guess what Michael and I got to do at 8:30 Monday night after we put Ethan down (with my parents at home, of course)?  Deliver the tile that Michael had to run over to the flooring store and pick up!  Let me say that tile is heavy and a Matrix was not designed to carry it.  I was absolutely nervous the entire time we had possession of the tile.  Thankfully, we made it there and back with no issues.  The next afternoon, he got started and worked until late.  The shower should be finished by Saturday.
- Our cabinet man had installed more cabinets, which was awesome to see when we dropped the tile.  He is supposed to be installing more over the few days.  I believe we just have the island/lowers in kitchen, mantle, master closet and some doors left.  Fingers crossed that maybe we can schedule paint for next week!!
- Yesterday, I met with the lighting fixtures guy.  He gave me a couple of catalogs to go through, and last night Michael and I did just that.  We agreed on pretty much everything, so that was a breeze.  Now, I just need to schedule a walk-thru with him to make sure we get noted what we will need - and get a price.
- Speaking of prices... I had a small freak-out yesterday over the budget.  I asked our GC to meet with me at some point this week to go over the invoices with me.  According to my budget spreadsheet, I haven't paid for a few things but I know that can't be right.  I think what has happened on a few lines is that I received an invoice or two that had two or more budget items on it, and I did not separate it properly for my spreadsheet.  I need some help decoding the invoices to make sure I know who I have paid and haven't - and, where we really have busted the budget.

I'm telling you...building a house is stressful.  Staying on budget, not letting people screw you, making decisions to upgrade certain things, etc. is unbelievably stressful.  I am hoping that after I sit with Dustin and get everything straight, that we will be able to better plan for the rest of the items.  We can make some cuts on things like fixtures and landscaping - those we can always come back to later.  But, then you have the driveway yet to be poured that you are basically at their mercy on pricing.  Oh, and the remaining brick for the lip of the driveway and outdoor kitchen.  So, yeah.  Stressful.

I take my PHR test on Tuesday.  Can you sense the excitement?  I will be going through the online modules to check where I'm at over the next couple of days.  Then, I plan to brush up on my weak areas the couple of days leading up to the test.  Say a prayer for me!

1 holiday down...

So, turns out that our tile had not been ordered.  And, with the Thanksgiving holiday, it took a few days extra to arrive.  Supposedly, it was delivered yesterday afternoon and picked up this morning.  Fingers crossed that maybe we'll get our shower and tub backsplash done for the weekend - and maybe some more cabinets!  We did get a load of cabinets in last week, and I took some pictures but will wait to post when they're more complete.  We still need to decide on landscaping and light fixtures...

As far as physically, I am feeling more and more beat down every day.  I don't know what to do to make it better.  My HR class finished Tuesday night and I will test on the 17th.  My hope is that once the stress of the test is gone, I'll start to feel more upbeat.

I know that part of it is the holiday season and where we are right now.  I feel like a turd to complain, but emotionally, I feel out of place.  For the first time in our marriage, Michael and I don't have a "home" of our own for our little family.  We are so grateful and fortunate that my parents have space for us to stay during this transition time.  I just didn't realize how the holidays would affect me here at the end.  Throw in a nice serving of pregnancy hormones and you get a barrel of fun!  Michael is a trooper and more supportive than I could ever give him credit for.  I am truly blessed.

With the pregnancy, I'm still cruising along - which I am EXTREMELY grateful for.  My biggest hope for this (and any other) pregnancy is to be as uneventful as possible.  However, little Liam Edward is quite the mover and shaker!  He definitely likes to utilize all of his allotted space for activities.  And, by activities, I mean kickball and/or soccer.  Maybe we'll have two little NFL kickers!

Hopefully, I'll have more updates after the weekend. :)

Rainbows & butterflies

...building a house is neither of these.

So, we've had "relatively" smooth sailing so far - no huge hiccups.  It only makes sense that we're starting to hit a few here towards the end, right?  I say hiccups, but they're more like annoyances.

Three weeks ago, we selected the tile for our shower and backsplashes.  This week, my GC asked me if they were ordered.  My first thought was, "Um...whert?"  See, when we picked it out, they explained to us that they would get our measurements from the guy doing the work - who they have on file.  Then, either they would get back to us on a price, or he would include it in his estimate for us - either way we were fine.  I sent a text to our guy that same night and told him where we were and that they would be needing/getting the measurements from him.  Well, after Dustin contacted me, I immediately called the tile store.  Of course, I had to leave a message with our sales rep - who did not call me back.  I tried again this morning, and after a brief "on hold" stint, she answered.  I still don't know if it's been ordered or not.  So, I reached back out to Dustin and our tiling guy to let them know.  So, here we are.  Our tile guy is going to contact our sales rep (well, his sales rep - she is the one who manages his account).  The rep also said she would contact him and get back to me before the end of the day.  She tried to say that they may have the measurements, but not placed the order yet - it's on her "task list".  WTF?!  We did our part THREE WEEKS ago!!  Is that not ample time to get measurements and place an order?!  Wow.

Moving on... Our first load of cabinets was supposed to go in after lunch today.  I'm going to assume that may not happen with Mother Nature's shitty attitude.  We're supposed to have rain until around midnight tonight.  UGH.  But, hey!  What's one more day or so, right?  And, guess what else can't get finished in the rain?  The brick.  Yep, yep....the back, outdoor kitchen, and one side of the house is not fully complete.  I knew building into the cold, wet winter and around the holidays was going to bite us in the asses.

Of course, the weather is supposed to be damn near perfect for Thanksgiving and the weekend!  I guess them's the breaks!

The important stuff (house post)

An event from this morning reminded me of why certain things are important when it comes to trying to build a house on your own.

Let me preface this by saying... Michael and I started out on this journey with little to no clue on what to expect.  I have the benefit of working for a very successful residential construction company.  If we did not have my connections, I can assure you that we would not be going this route.  We have learned SO MUCH and are willing to share our story with anyone (hence, this blog), but I have to say that I could not imagine anyone doing this based off of our "advice" alone (hence, this post).

First and foremost, find yourself a good, well-connected General Contractor.  When I say "good" I also mean that this person is not an asshole.  You want someone who will get the job done without burning their bridges over it.  I was lucky to pretty much have the pick of the litter on Superintendents, and I asked opinions before reaching out to one.  I mentioned our GC's name at the permit office and the lady behind the counter could not stop talking about how nice he is, and how he never made them feel like they were dumb when they called with questions. This has paid off immensely in a few areas.

This brings me to another cost-cutting measure - pay cash when possible.  BUT, always get an invoice.  You do not want to run the risk of a vendor coming back to say that you never paid them.  I keep the receipts for our cash withdrawals and staple them to the invoice.  I also keep a detailed "active budget" in excel, and make notes on how each item/service was paid.  It might sound like a pain in the ass, but the real pain will come when that $10k invoice that you paid cash on is landing you in court for supposed "non-payment".  Just for good measure, I keep every invoice (cash paid or not), mark when I paid and how it was paid.

If something doesn't look right, whether it's an invoice or something on/in/with the house, always ask.  I have "run the risk of looking stupid" on several occasions.  I could care less if I look dumb - we want this house to be well made with everything we are paying for done correctly.  Also, do not get in a hurry.  In the grand scheme of things, two weeks ain't shit.  I would rather wait now to have exactly what we want.  We will be in this house for years, and this moment in time will seem like the blink of an eye.

Get multiple bids.  We were fortunate enough that our GC has worked with several vendors and knew who to use on most areas.  However, we did have to get a few bids on brick laying.  This takes time - again, do not rush.  We waited an extra week or so to get the bids and then make a decision.  Cheapest is not always better.  Again, this is where having a good GC comes into play.  They should be familiar with the market and fair prices.  You get what you pay for, and when it comes to building a house, you don't want to cheap out of everything.  However, don't let yourself get taken to the cleaners either.

You can never have too many electrical outlets or too much lighting (inside or outside).  Electrical work is one of those things that you want to have nailed down before the sheetrock goes up.  If you even THINK you might want an extra outlet or light here, maybe a speaker there, DO IT NOW.  Do not wait.  It will be two or three times the cost to do it once those walls are up.

And, finally (for now), if you think of something and think it's too late, still ask.  I didn't ask certain questions to the guy who built the only other house like ours until I "thought" it might be too late.  Even then, I went to our GC with my ideas and advice, and we were able to get those items taken care of.  Pretty much until the sheetrock goes up, anything can be adjusted.

These are just a few items right off the top of my head - and this is assuming you have your plans and budget in hand.

It's a babeh....!

You know what I love?  Red Raspberry Leaf tea.  I can have roughly a glass or so a day right now, and then I can drink it pretty much all day towards the end of the 3rd trimester.  It's not the tastiest tea I've ever had, but it's a really nice herbal tea - and I cold steep it to make sure it's never bitter.  I've been drinking a crapton more tea in general.  Almost every morning I've been getting a passion tea at Starbucks.  A random mix-up on my usual iced tea shaker now has me addicted to the hot version.

So, I guess that's enough about tea.

I'm sure you're probably curious about what we're having since I mentioned it on the last post.  I think it's safe to release the news on here..........

 

I get teary every time I think or say "my boys".  Michael has visions of running and playing ball with his boys - and this Momma could not be more ready to watch that.  He and Ethan will be best little buds - when they're not fighting! ;)  Plus, I love that they will be able to bunk up later if we did want to go for a third.  We wouldn't move any of the babies to the 4th bedroom across the house until years down the road.  Michael's mancave is safe for now.

 

Updates with the house:

The brick layers have started working, and we have interior doors!  Woohoo!  So, the trim guys will do everything they can until the brick and cabinets are done. 

 

 

And, just when I thought I was done with paint... I get the estimate! If you've been following along or have spoken to me in the past month or two, you know how much I despise paint selections at this point in time. Well, I finally got everything selected - walls, trim, cabinets, ceilings, etc. And, then I get hit with the cost of all of those different color selections. Wow wow we-wa... I basically doubled my budget. So, back to the drawing board!! What I decided was the make the ceilings, cabinets and trim color the same. I am requesting a quote on what the cost will be for keeping my island a different color - the number will determine the outcome. I also cut out four room colors. I tried to be smart about them, and hopefully that will pay off. I still have to get an estimate from the girl who would/will be doing the antiquing in the kitchen. Hopefully, that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg!

I think we decided on granite, too. Let's just hope the sticker shock isn't as much as the paint!
 

Mommy brain

I am so out of it.  Our financing woes might have just been lessened.  DSLD brought mortgage and title in house under the same name.  I am so used to thinking about those being reserved for DSLD houses only, but they are totally not.  They can offer the same deal we were looking at with GMFS, but I might get a nice break on the closing costs!  Halle-lur-ya!

Bad news (but not really), we might not be seeing our cabinets go in until next week.  No biggie - paint should getting done and the brick layers will be starting this week!  I finally decided on a color - Benjamin Moore Seashell for all the cabinets.  We'll be doing a glaze for the kitchen, so that will differentiate it from the living room.  The other rooms are spaced enough so that it won't look so exactly the same everywhere.  But, the truth is.... I am just tired of looking at paint.  If I was a better planner, I would have been scoping out paint at other people's houses for years now.  Instead, I'm flying by the seat of my pants and praying I don't end up with a mismatched house!  But, I know it will be easier to change them later with the neutral color on them now.  I'm hoping to have some new progress pictures to post later this week or early next to show some visible changes.  Today, I am meeting with Dustin to decide on the trim carpentry - shelving in the pantry/closets, closet rods, etc.

In other news, Ethan finally spilled the beans on the baby!  I am going to wait just a little longer before I go all "social media" with it because I want to make sure all of the family we want to tell personally has received the news.  So, I will probably reveal BOY or GIRL in my next post. :)

20 weeks & I'm exhausted!

So, Mommy has already hit the "I get winded easily" point - or maybe I've just had a few rough days.  This does not give me the warm and fuzzies about the next 20 weeks!  Oh yeah, I've crossed the halfway mark [little pregnant dance]!  Because of everything being all packed up, I haven't been able to compare this pregnancy to Ethan's as much.  I do have my past blog posts to refer back to, so that has helped a little.

At this point with Ethan, I had gained about 3lbs.  I also weighed 20lbs less than I do now.  So far with this pregnancy, I've gained 1 pound.  I am more than ok with that considering that I'm already starting ahead of the weight game.  Being part of the Expecting Success study has made me feel better about where I am.  According to their prediction chart, I should have gained at least 3-4lbs more, but my nutritionist keeps telling me that I am still in a great spot.  Bottom line - I'm not worried.  This baby will grow how it sees fit.

I will say that I have definitely noticed that I carry this baby MUCH lower than Ethan.  Most of my pictures from Ethan's pregnancy show me carrying him much higher.  With this one, I feel like the baby is nestling right above my bladder - and I do mean that I feel it; literally.  I'll have to get Michael to take a picture of me in the same dress from this time with Ethan to get a better comparison.

Moving on to the house... We have picked shower and backsplash tile!  Woohoo!  And, I received a text that our wood beam is up:


It came from an old cotton mill in Alabama.

We can stain it darker, which is what Michael really wants.  It has a lot of character and nifty markings that I want to preserve as much as possible, though.  Two rows of brick will go in the space above it from the kitchen side.  I think it looks pretty freaking sweet, and gives our house a little something extra unique.

The sheetrock will be complete Tuesday - textured and ready for paint.  I spoke to the lady I would like to have antique the kitchen cabinets, and she'll come out to look and give us a price as soon as the cabinets are in.

And, now we've hit the point where we need to start considering our permanent financing options as well as insurance.  Dum, dum, DUM....  Turns out that it's expensive no matter which way you turn it.  Be forewarned - if you build your own house, it is freaking expensive before, during and wrapping up, but it is worth it.  Part of our problem is that we're not first time homebuyers, and we're not selling our first house.  100% financing options don't really exist for people like us.  So, we're looking at a couple of different options that will get us to where we want/need to be.  Yes, we will have to come out of pocket even more money, but we do plan on staying in this house for the long haul.

Which brings me to my next topic... Christmas.  Michael and I decided that we are not going to do gifts this year.  We are making our ways around to each family "group" to let them know to please not do for us since we won't be participating in that aspect.  We feel like this is the perfect opportunity to take a step away from the materialistic side of the holidays and try to refocus on the "true meaning of Christmas".  We have no idea what our funds will look like next month as we wrap up the house, and I have no idea when I would even have time to shop or where to store gifts, etc. etc. etc.  This option just made sense for us.  We haven't decided what we're going to do for Ethan, because we do want to keep the magic and sparkle there for him.  I guess that will mostly depend on our funds and where we are at that time.

So, next week we will possibly be looking at more complete house.  Once the painting is started and the cabinets are going in, that's really going to shape things up.  CANNOT.WAIT!

Moving right along...

We passed all of our inspections so far (framing, electric, plumbing, etc)!  Yay!  Sheetrock was dropped Tuesday afternoon, and the insulation will go in Friday.  That means they will start hanging the sheetrock next week, and will likely take all week.  Once that's finished, Mr. Ricky can start installing the cabinets.  Which means I need to pick the freaking cabinet colors pronto.  MOOR PAINTZ!!!11!!1!!

The front and back doors are in:

And, now I need to start thinking about granite again.  We had only decided on the kitchen and master bathroom before we started building, but now I've been questioning it with the paint colors.  We also need to decide on the spare bathrooms, mud area and outdoor kitchen granite.

I went ahead and placed the order on the kitchen appliances minus the ice machine.  That baby was just rocking our budget a little harder than Michael was willing to do.  But, he also put off the hood over the grill outside - which is more of a necessity than my ice.  Both will be revisited when we get to the end.

Sheetrock EVERYWHEREZ!

Once the sheetrock is up, it's going to really start coming together.  Oh, and the brick on the outside, of course. :)

Excitement!

We have secured a doula!!  I am beyond excited.  With this and the birth photographer, I already feel set to deliver this baby.

Also, today, we purchased our outdoor kitchen grill and storage:

Michael is so excited - it is pretty adorable.  We decided on the cabinets with the drawer space to go below the grill, and then just an access door under the sink.  We won't have space for much more storage since the refrigerator space will take up a chunk of the other side.  The only items that will really stay out there are his grill tools in the drawer and then the cleaning supplies & rags in the cabinet.

This past weekend, the floors were scored and stained:

 

 

They've been covered and protected, so now it's just a waiting game.  Once the house is complete and move-in ready, they'll come back to do the apoxy finish - which will make it more clear and super shiny.  Like this:

We should have the exterior doors installed this week, and the mantle redone for that brick lip.  The fireplace was already sitting there when I went by yesterday.  Cabinets are being measured for this week (possibly started, too).  Sheetrock is being dropped tomorrow.  So many exciting things!!  Next on our list is selecting tile for the master shower and master tub & kitchen backsplashes.  Woot woot!

Gas, electric or both?

Yesterday was a busy day!  I pretty much picked out the kitchen appliances.  Now, I'm just waiting on a spec sheet with prices.  Eek!  Michael may have not been thinking right when he let me go by myself!

I selected a gas range, vent (to be hidden in the bell hood), ice machine, and dishwasher.  The two things I was looking for in the dishwasher were NO buttons on the outside (Ethan LOVES to play with the dishwasher knobs and buttons - as I'm sure this kid will) and a powerful clean.  The dishwasher in our old house sucks.  Yes, I know that you should rinse dishes off before you put them through the wash, but I would almost have to completely clean them before running.  I want a GREAT dishwasher.  That was easy (& affordable) enough, as was the vent for the range.  The ice machine stole my heart.  I want pellet ice - no ifs, ands or buts!  The one they carry was also the one in their break room.  It is glorious!  I might be more excited about that then the kick-ass "professional" range.  The one I am looking at is a 36" Wolf gas range with four burners and a built-in griddle (I love my dad's). 

Loving the "signature" red knobs

I would love to bump up to a 48" which would give me six burners and a built-in griddle, but that adds over 3k to the price tag.  Ouch.  Just bumping from a 36" gas to a 36" dual (gas top/electric oven) is right under a $3,500 addition to the price.  I have always liked my electric stove just fine at the old house, but I also come from a long line of "gas is always best" when talking about kitchen appliances.  Decisions, decisions...

Afterwards, we met with Clif's mom's boyfriend who has a cabinet business.  This is one area that we're deviating from DSLD's subcontractors.  We've seen Mr. Rickie's work, and know he produces a beautiful, well-made product.  And, he's fricking awesome.

So, the roof is up, vents for the stove & grill and exterior doors go in today; and we're set for the scoring/staining of the concrete this weekend!  Whoop, whoop!  Next, we need to pick tile for the kitchen & tub backsplashes and the shower.  Oh, and I just got a call from the sheetrock peeps - they're delivering next week. o_0  Shit keeps getting' real, y'all.

Cutting it close...

I asked our GC if we'd still be in for Christmas with the items we added today.  He said, "It'll be cutting it close."  But, we'd rather have our house with everything we want (that we can think of) a few days/weeks late, than to have it with our wish list incomplete just because of time.
Basically, we added a shit-ton of outlets, added can lights in the bedrooms and changed the mantle in the living room to something more like this:

We think it will work better for the stained concrete than granite.

Today and tomorrow, they're adding the shingles to the roof.  Tomorrow, the doors and windows will be dropped; and, this weekend, our floors will be done (minus the apoxy finish at the end)!  At some point this week, brick will be dropped and they'll start working on that in the mix.  On our end, we need to pick out our appliances (like yesterday).  Tomorrow afternoon, we're meeting with our cabinet man.  Oh, and I realized that I need to pick out our color/faux finish for all of the cabinets... Ugh!  I thought I was done with paint!

Moving on to more fun and exciting news... We got to see the baby yesterday!  And, we found out what we're having!

This one might have my nose. ;)

We're not sharing the news quite yet.  Michael wants to keep it a secret just a little longer.  Similar to when we had Ethan and no one knew for two hours, he wants to simmer and enjoy these moments of "our little secret" for a while.  We've already told Ethan, so maybe he'll be the ones to spill the beans. :)  But, just know that we are very excited and can't wait for Ethan to meet baby!  We've been having all kinds of fun daydreams about being in the new house with Ethan and baby, watching them grow up.  It's kind of crazy to think that in a little over 4 months, we'll be parents of two beautiful children!

HR class tonight - and, I am so glad this thing is halfway over.  Not that I am unhappy to be taking it for the wealth of information, but it's a serious PITA to attend with everything going on right now.  Did I mention that I got cornered to work one of the booths at the fair this weekend for the Early Learning Center?  As if I didn't have enough on my plate! :P

Changes

I'm sure that someone is going to hit me or I'm just going to hit myself before this building process is over.  I contacted my GC for the 2nd time this week regarding electrical work.  The first time was simply a miscommunication from our original discussions of the electrical plans.  Michael wanted internet to be hardwired everywhere there is a cable outlet, which it had not been when we stopped in this week.  No problem.  But, today... I decided I wanted to add all of these other electrical outlets and ideas.  Obviously, I'm probably adding to our price for the electrician, but I'd rather do it now that try to figure it out later.

Basically, I want an outlet in every room's closet.  I was reading about how helpful that can be for cordless vacuums or charging phones out of the way, or anything that might need to be plugged up and out of sight.  And, outlets in the eaves outside the house for easy Christmas decorating,  I also want all of the outside lights to be connected to a master switch in the master bedroom.  If we hear something going on outside, we can immediately flip a switch without having to run across the house.  The last thing would be for the outside outlets to be connected to a switch in the main entrance.  That way there's no having to set a timer or walking around to every outlet and plugging those Christmas lights in.  Just flip a switch, and voila!

So, yeah...  Hopefully, those are the last items as far as electrical goes.

Yesterday, we had our first sit-down look at cabinets.  We pretty much need to make a decision by this afternoon to stay on schedule.  We're waiting on two estimates, and then we'll go from there.  Monday, we are doing our walk for the floors, and those will be worked on next weekend.  I think the roof is the current project (well...and, the electrical still!).  The air conditioning system is in place as of this week, too.  Every time we go out there, something new has happened!  We are staying pretty darn excited! :)  Oh, and we FINALLY made our final decisions on paint.  I am pretty stoked about that!!  I think the palette we chose is going to flow very well and be absolutely perfect.  I haven't had any thoughts about crazy patterns or anything like that in the nursery.  It's important to me that it be something we can live with for more than several years.  With the stripes in Ethan's old room, I knew that we'd be painting again relatively soon (if we stayed in that house).  Thankfully, our renters love the paint and have a baby about a year younger than Ethan.  I was seriously going to cry over all that work we put into it if they asked us to paint over it!

I have been feeling noticeably more calm over the last few days.  I'm pretty sure I can pinpoint it on a few things.  I cut back at my weekend job a good bit.  That has definitely made me feel more in control of this crazy life right now.  The house is coming along at a quick, but comfortable pace - with very few hiccups.  I've been staying consistent with yoga - which I have been using as my "me" time during the week.  And, we are now almost 18 weeks!  This pregnancy is close to halfway over!  How crazy is that?!  I've been feeling the baby roll around every once in a while.  That's pretty sweet.  My little mango. :)

I probably won't post any new pictures of the house until there is a noticeable change (ie. sheet rock).  I don't want to bombard my blog with pictures that look the same - except one might have some wires in it.  Hopefully, I'll have a new picture of the baby to post soon! :)

Letters to Ethan & baby

Sometimes, my children, you are put into situations to learn life lessons.  Most of the time, these lessons are not pleasant.  They are not something you appreciate at the time, but they mold your character and you learn to appreciate them later.  I want to share an experience from this morning that, in the grand scheme of life, was not a huge life lesson.  However, it made me think about situations you might go through that may seem insignificant to others, but can help to make you a better person.

My morning started off like any other - lots of kisses and giggles, and wishings of a "good day" to each other.  I headed out on my daily commute to work, and decided to stop at Starbucks for a morning drink.  I was waiting for my turn to enter the drive-thru when a black GMC truck driven by a young man pulled in front of me.  He came from the other direction, saw me and still decided that he should be next in line.  In that moment, I was pretty annoyed, even angry.  How inconsiderate of him; how selfish of him!  The line was not a quick one, so I had a few minutes to sit and stew over this jerk in front of me who obviously thought that he was so much more important and his time more precious.  Right before I approached the window to pay, I had a thought - "If I was a better person, I would turn this situation around and pay for the customer behind me."  Honestly, it was just a thought and I did not have any real intention of doing it.  But, once I got to the window, my mind was changed.  I told the cashier to let them know I had been cut in line by the person in front of me, but instead of letting it ruin my day, I wanted to make theirs.  The guy looked pretty surprised and was very thankful to me for doing something so nice.  It made me feel a little better at the time, although I was still pretty annoyed by the guy in the black truck.

Honestly, I have no idea if I "made the day" of the person behind me.  And, I have no clue if the guy in the black truck gave a second thought to his rude actions this morning.  What I do know is that I did something kind for someone else, even when it was not what I wanted to do.  Sometimes, in life, that is exactly what you will be faced with - and sometimes, on a much grander scale.  You may have a boss who treats you like dirt, but that doesn't mean that you treat your coworkers or subordinates in that same manner.  There may be someone at school who is ruthless and cruel to you, but do not let that harden your kind and gentle heart.  I will be frank and honest - there are some pretty ugly, nasty adults AND children in this world.  Being the bigger person will probably not make you feel any better about someone being mean to you - just like paying for the person  behind me did not make me forget or stop being angry about the guy cutting in front of me.  What you are doing, though, is perpetuating kindness to others.  What might seems small to you, could potentially reach tens or even hundreds of others if you live that way every day.  What if the person behind me AND the guy at the window decide that because of what they witnessed through me, they should do something nice for someone else today as well?  If everyone did that just based on one person's random act of kindness, the world would be a much sweeter place.

What I want you to remember from all of this is that while you are small, you can still have such a huge impact on the world just by how you live and react to each situation in your life.  I love you both so very much, and no matter how mean and ugly the world seems, you are better than that.  Always know that your heart and soul are better than that, and hold yourself to that standard. <3

Hiccups

And, it's framed!



It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

So, it pretty much looks like a house.  That's awesome.  Last week, I went over our electrical plan with our "acting" General Contractor.  Michael and I went over the plans and made sure that we were on the same page with where all of the cable/drops would be, as well as speakers.  The next step will be finding a sound system for the house.  Basically, we want to be able to switch from the TV to iPod seamlessly, and adjust what speakers are playing in what rooms.  Shouldn't be too hard, right?
They also started to install the plumbing.  Saturday, we saw the shower/tub combos were already put in, as well as the plumbing and gas lines started.  At some point this week or weekend, we'll finalize the concrete stains and designs. The master tub will take about two weeks to come in, and then that will be installed.   However, we have run into our first problem... On our visit, we noticed that the master tub space looks like a standard 5' length.  We tried to measure it by our wingspans (since your wingspan is relatively close to your height for most people), and I could touch both sides of the framing boards.  Our plans clearly call for a 66" tub space, and, dammit, that's what we're getting.  We can't return the tub!  I emailed our GC about it and he said that he and the plumber noticed that on Friday and that the framer is coming back to correct.  All DSLD houses have the standard 5' - there's not an upgrade option on that item.  So, he probably just assumed the same for our house - which he shouldn't have done, but it was an honest mistake.  I just hope that the correcting of this issue does not interfere with our completion date.

Our paint colors needed to be picked like yesterday.  We went to the Sherwin Williams in Denham to try to take care of that about two weeks ago.  It was a total disaster.  All they had were a few tri-fold brochures - no catalogues.  We picked up a few swatches, and were able to at least decide on our front door stain and shutter colors.  I grabbed a few home idea magazines at Home Depot, so hopefully we'll get inspired by those.  Must complete the rest of this task TODAY.

I am pretty excited on the baby front!  I booked our birth photographer and had my first prenatal massage last week!  Paris Parker has this fabulous spa series package.  You get six 1-hour services for $300.  Since I had a nice sized gift card from my birthday to use, I figured this would be the perfect way to use it.  I will literally get at least one massage per month from now until March, when the baby is due.  Hopefully, between that and prenatal yoga 2-3 times a week, I am super set for a fabulous pregnancy and delivery. ;)

Ethan started sleeping in a toddler bed two nights ago.  I thought we were going to be dealing with a lot of up and down all night because he's never had the opportunity to get out of bed and play before.  However, he stayed down both nights!  I watched him toss and turn a few times on the monitor last night, but he stayed in bed asleep.  We might have a slight problem in the mornings though.  Michael got up this morning and heard Ethan waking up.  He went to walk across the house to his room, and Ethan met him in the kitchen!  We've known that he knows how to open doors, but just didn't think that he would crawl out of bed and open the door immediately.  I just figured he might find his toys on the floor and start playing!  Opps!  But, at least we know he's ready for that transition once we're in the house.  We will need to start thinking about either another crib (since Ethan's bed converts to a toddler and then full bed), or picking a toddler bed out for Ethan.

Tubs, fixtures and FRAMING! Oh my!

Ermahgerd!

Yeah, so... We're framing.  I guess you could say it's getting pretty serious.

Now that everything is moving along, we're starting to get behind.  Uhm, how did this happen?  No clue!  So, today, we picked out our tub (a story all on its own), toilets, kitchen & bath fixtures, sinks, etc. etc.  It actually went a lot smoother than I would have anticipated!  Part of the reason is that she had the list from the other house similar to ours.  So, we picked everything that we loved and when it came to "Hmmm...I don't know..", we went with their picks.  Can I just say that I am already in love with my kitchen and master bathroom?  The story with the tub is that we had to place a special order for the tub since Michael wanted a larger than standard size.  I knew the rough additional cost that it was going to be, but was hoping to skip that part with Michael around.  I've been keeping track of our budget and knew that the tub would be fine.  If you know Michael, you know how cheap he is.  With this house, he hasn't been nearly as bad because we do want the best.  Sooo....I pretty much let him pick the tub.  Then she tells us the cost and reminds us that it's a special order.  Michael asks what the difference in that and the standard size (basically the garden tubs in all DSLD houses).  The answer... about $900.  I thought Michael was about to shomit.  So, I reminded him about how we were saving so much on the flooring budget with the stained concrete and that opened up the budget for other items , including the tub.  He proceeded to give me the stank eye on anything else I loved that was more than standard (not by any obscene amount!).  Sorry, dude!  My kitchen and bathroom are going to be awesome! ;)

We have our next prenatal appointment on Monday, and it should be fairly uneventful.  I do have to get more blood work done (Yippee! /sarcasm) since the baby wouldn't cooperate on a couple of positions at the ultrasound to get the measurements they needed.  Apparently, they can do a blood test for what was missed.

We've been listening to the baby's heartbeat with Ethan.  He is so sweet about it.  He sits there and listens to it and smiles.  The other night, he kept trying to find "his baby" with the doppler on his belly.  So.stinking.cute.  Oh, and I think he has a girlfriend at school.  o_0  He ALWAYS talks about Tessa.  I mean, seriously.  Anytime someone mentions school, he immediately starts jabbering about Tessa!  I asked his teacher if she noticed anything, and she said that they sit across from each other at the table, so he is looking right at her when they're coloring or working on anything.  And, I noticed when I pick him up, he naps next to her.  This "Tessa infatuation" is pretty adorable.

So, minus the craziness at work, it's been a pretty good week.  They should wrap up framing on Wednesday (granted this damn storm in the gulf will stay away), and the plumbing guy will start working on his part Thursday.  Oh, and we should be deciding on our stained concrete colors/pattern/etc!  Woohoo!

Insurance & Med-free Birth

With all of the crazy fun going on with Obamacare, I felt like this would be the appropriate time to share my fun insurance story from this morning!

I have BCBS of Louisiana.  It's a high deductible plan, which means that pretty much every single thing you can go to the doctor for is subject to that deductible first.  BCSB won't pay for anything until the deductible is met.  So, I decided to call them with a couple of questions this morning.  I realize that my policy could change for 1/1, but it might also stay the same.  As a former Girl Scout, I try to always be prepared.

So, my questions were regarding coverage/reimbursement for doula services and a breast pump.  Now, I still have my breast pump from Ethan, but on the chance that it craps out on me, I'd like to know that I won't have to come out of pocket another $250-300.  I even had a CPT code ready for them.  The lady was nice enough, although she had obviously never even heard of a doula before.  I explained that I knew this would be something I would pay for and then submit a claim, but I didn't want to waste any one's time if it wasn't going to at least be applied towards my deductible.  She comes back and tells me that the doula services are not covered at all, and that breast pumps are covered under the following:
- maximum $40 reimbursement for a manual pump that can be purchased at your local drugstore
- electric breast pumps must be purchased at a DME facility and will be subject to your deductible
- hospital-grade pumps will only be reimbursed if your physician has called ahead and obtained an authorization

Meh.  I get the breast pump part and can deal with it.  But, the denial of the doula service really annoys me.  The whole point of having a doula is to manage your pain through labor and delivery.  What I am trying to accomplish would save at least a thousand dollars for BCBS.  I had an epidural for Ethan.  The epidural and anesthetist fee that my insurance paid was around $1500-2000.  I'm asking for them to give me credit or pay a portion of $700.  Sounds like a bargain to me!  Yes, I could still end up with an epi, or even a C-section.  But, the doula services are designed to help avoid that.

So, why do I want to (try to) go natural?  A few reasons...
- When I had Ethan, I made it to 8 cm before I got the epidural.  Had I known how far I was (they checked me after), I might have changed my mind.  I was right there.
- The pure euphoria that (according to women who have been there) washes over you immediately following is something I want to experience.  Yes, it was amazing with Ethan; and no, I wouldn't give anything back.  But, I would like to try to experience this birth in a different way.
- The recovery (again, according to women who have been there) is MUCH smoother than with an epi or section.
- I DO NOT want to have another catheter.  I think that was a large part of the reason I felt like my bladder was going to fall out of my urethra for months.

There are downfalls as well.  If I were to be cut this time, there would be no anesthesia down there.  I've heard that is excruciating.  Thankfully, I did not need to be with Ethan, but that doesn't mean jack for this pregnancy.  One thing I am doing to assist in that area is squatting.  That is one of the best ways to prepare your body for childbirth.  Many women who go med-free even give birth in that position.  It opens your hips up and gives the baby plenty of space to squeeze through.  Studies have shown that women are more likely to tear or need to be cut when giving birth on their back.

But, enough of all that.  I am still educating myself and trying to use my time wisely to make sure know all of my options.  Having been through this before is super helpful, though.  I feel like my expectations are set at a more "real" standard because I know how my body acted for the last go 'round.  However, when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth, always expect the unexpected. ;)

It's a SLAB!

We have a slab!  Woohoo!

Is it just me, or does it look kinda small?

We are so excited!  Unfortunately, we didn't make it out there in time to do our hand prints on the back patio.  I dug our names out the best I could.

CHEESE!

 

And, now we're waiting on the framing materials to drop this week.  After that, they have 8 days to finish framing.  Then, it will really start to look like a house!

That brings me back to my previous bitching about the rain.  Seriously dude?  GFY.  But, we're still on track to be in the house before Christmas.  Even if we don't get the keys until the night before.  We will sleep on air mattresses, but we will be in our house for Christmas.  It will be glorious.

I was thinking about it last night.  Every time we came across something in our old house that we weren't happy with, the standard response was, "In the next house, we will [insert corrected annoyance/awesome updated item from old house here]."  Now, everything we want, we'll be doing to this house.  I'm sure that once we're in, we'll find things we want to change at some point.  But, there won't be this waiting game attached to it.  THIS is the house we want to raise our family in, that we want to STAY in for many, many years if not the rest of our lives.  So, if I say I want to plant fruit trees, Michael can't tell me that we'll do it in the next house because he doesn't want to waste the time or money on the house we're not staying in. ;)  CANNOT.WAIT!

And, I've started looking into digging the pool at the same time or right after the house is finished.  Crazy much?  It's a stretch, but we'll see.

So, ready for some baby talk?  I'm 15 weeks and still feel like my energy is gone.  I'm going to blame it on the rain.  Seems like a sound reason since the rain is interfering with the house, which means it's interfering with my happiness on some level.  I feel like I'm in a funk.  I am super overwhelmed with work, the HR class, the PHR test in December, working the weekends....I need to get away for a few days and recoup.  But, we're getting into the holidays, and there is SO MUCH going on right now.  Typically, October and November are my absolute favorite months.  The weather is gorgeous and I have so many great memories during those months.  I did request off for our anniversary weekend, so I am praying that MAYBE we can go somewhere for a couple of days.  Seriously, I might lose my shit soon if I don't catch a solid break.

Remind me again why the hell I took on so much at one time?  Oh yeah, because I am the dumbz.

Rain, rain stay away!

Seriously.  You're pissing me off.

Tuesday, they started to dig the footings for our slab since Monday was still too wet to do shit.  Then, yesterday, they laid the moisture barrier and starting with the metal wires.  I think that might continue through today.  If the rain stays away for the next several days, we should be able to pour the slab TOMORROW!!  Yippee!!!  Then it can sit over the weekend with HOPEFULLY no rain as well!  So far, weather.com is telling me that we are clear.  However, weather.com is also an overly anxious bitch, so we'll see.  I think as long as we get everything done before it rains, and then cover it, we'll be alright - especially if the rain will hold off until Sunday.

Oh, and, yesterday morning I almost poured coffee creamer into my Diet Dr. Pepper.  I might be losing it.

Yes, please, judge my caffeine intake.  I have significantly cut back since I learned I was pregnant.  I allow myself one or two servings of a caffeinated beverage per day, at most.  Honestly, it's almost laughable the difference in this pregnancy and Ethan.  I wouldn't even smell fresh deli meat with Ethan.  With this kid, I have a turkey sandwich about two or three times a week.  This pregnancy has been different in so many ways.  The fact that I was so nauseous during the first trimester was fairly different.  With Ethan, I was super tired and then I caught the flu, so that's not quite the same.  My hair, skin and nails look like shit.  I do not feel glowing and gorgeous like I did with Ethan.  I will be semi-shocked if this baby doesn't turn out to be a girl.  And, when it does turn out to be a girl, I'll be sure to remind her of the hell she put me through before she even graced the world with her presence. ;)

But, seriously...  I am super excited for this new kid.  I thought I would wonder how I could love this one the same or as much as I love Ethan, but that feeling has not crossed me yet.  Ethan loves to hug and kiss my belly and say "baby!".  He loves to see pictures of other babies and give his little cousin, Aly, kisses.  I think he's going to be a great big brother.  That, more than my reactions to this upgrade to our family, has been on my mind.  I just want Ethan to understand that we love him just as much, if not more, than we ever have with this new addition.  This baby isn't taking away from the love we have for him - it's making our family more complete.

Shifting from sappy to weird...  I had a vivid dream last night.  I was playing softball with some friends (one from high school that I haven't seen since my wedding) in a field that was set up behind my aunt's house.  All of a sudden, we had multiple tornadoes hitting.  I watched one pick up an SUV and slam it into the ground in a burst of flames and debris.  I remember going inside my parents' house and Michael telling me that Ethan was sleeping just before he woke up screaming.  I remember his scream being more like a newborn baby than a toddler.  After that, I woke up.  Dreaming about tornadoes (supposedly) means that you are feeling overwhelmed and out of control, this also includes general stress and huge changes in your life.  I'd say that's pretty accurate.  Between working two jobs with very few days off, building a house, living with my parents, renting our first home together out, being pregnant, starting a night class every Tuesday to pass my PHR certification, Ethan starting school, etc. etc. etc.... Yeah, I'm starting to feel it.  The problem is there is only one of those that I could possibly let go of right now.  I don't really want to quit my second job, though.  It's rough to get motivated to drive out there for each shift, but I do have fun while I'm there.  But, then I come home and see what I've been missing out on my only possible two days off and it makes me really sad...  I want to be that person that can handle it all, but it is starting to shift away from that.  It's not about "doing it all", but more about just drinking in this short amount of time I have with my babies still being babies.  I'm not sure what my next move is or when it will be.  I just pray that I make the right decisions before I hit a breaking point.

Am I annoying yet?

'Cause I'm starting to feel like I am!

Yes, I am very excited about our house.  And, yes, I am very excited about this beautiful little life we are adding to our family.  I also understand how incredibly annoying that can be for some people - which is why I'm blogging about it rather than turning my Facebook page into a smorgasbord of "OMGHOUSE!!" and "AHHHBABEH!!".

So, anyway.  OMGHOUSE!  I went by there yesterday, as is becoming my daily ritual... And, we had the rough-in plumbing!!!

So, next will be electrical, the grating and moisture barrier.  Then we can pour the slab!  I am praying this rain stays away or is just light this weekend.  Obviously, they can't install anything if it's raining on them.  Even if it just rained this afternoon or tomorrow, that would be better for a dry Monday.  Can you tell that I am anxious to get this slab poured?

Ethan had picture day yesterday.  I sent him in a white polo and prayed that pictures were the first item of the day.  As I expected, that white shirt was almost tan when I picked him up. :)  I love that he gets so much outside play time there.  That child would live outside if he could.  He is a boy through and through.

Speaking of boys... I had a dream last night that I could feel the baby move, and even Michael could feel it.  I remember at some point in the dream that I was told it was boy, but I don't remember who told me.  In the dream, I had mixed feelings about it because I was positive it was a girl at that point.  It's funny to think about it because I would be thrilled to have another little boy.  Ethan is awesome and super easy.  Not that another boy would automatically be easy, but they don't need the matching bows and shoes to go with their outfit.  I can be in a hurry and throw Ethan into whatever is clean. Haha!  But, I would also love a little girl.  As corny as some people think it sounds, I just want a healthy baby.

Until next time, which is hopefully soon (the more I blog, the more shit is getting done!)!! ;)

House, Ultrasound & CLASS?!

I feel like I'm in this weird time "twilight zone".  Tomorrow marks three weeks since we closed on our loan and purchased our lot.  While I feel like we're moving at a snail's pace, driving by the lot paints a different picture.



More than just a big dirt pile now!

The forming of the slab has been set and everything will be ready for pouring next week.  I never realized what all goes into a slab before you actually haul the concrete out there.  There's the termite treatment, plumbing, some electrical, inspections, etc. etc.  It's a much more involved process than I previously thought.  That being said, I've been very anxious to get the slab poured, because that will signal the first draw on our loan!  Woohoo!  We've come out of pocket roughly $8k, and it would be nice to pay our savings back.  That is one thing that we never really looked into before we changed gears to building our own house - how much money we needed in our back pockets to get started.  I am SO GLAD that we were just blindly and madly saving as much as we could because it has really helped.  The bank needs to know that you can afford the project that you are starting.  They do so much paperwork to prove that, but then, it takes even more money to get the project off the ground before the bank hands over a dime.  I've been keeping detailed spreadsheets of our house budget and the money we've pulled out of savings that will need to be paid back to us.  These items include:

- elevation certificates (proposed & actual)
- General Liability/Builder's Risk insurance & temporary flood insurance
- building permit
- slab survey (for the first draw to be completed), property markers
- dirt/clay for the slab to be built on

There are also closing costs associated with how much the bank decides you will come out of pocket based on the budget to build the house that you sent them versus 80% of the appraised value that they find.  We also elected to make some last minute plan changes, which cost some money.  And, we found our front door, and put a deposit on that.  Oh, and we had to set up a rental service for a port-o-potty for the workers. :)

Once the slab is poured and the framing goes up, we'll do a walk for our stained concrete designs.  We are also getting ready to take a trip to decide on our tub and plumbing fixtures.  Of course we selected a tub size that needs to be special ordered.  Go figure!  The turn around is only two weeks, so that won't be terrible - but, I'd rather get that out of the way.  Then, we'll need to schedule a time to check out paint and make those decisions.  Obviously, the easiest thing to do would be select one color for the entire house - not going to happen.  I'm sure that will take up the better part of a Saturday morning!
-------------------------------------

Moving on to the babeh!  Baby Hathcox #2 is growing quite nicely and we have finally entered the second trimester.  I am praying that the nausea and fatigue finally start to subside.  It has been exhausting!  My skin and hair have not been as healthy as they were when I was pregnant for Ethan.  I've been craving fruit and sweets like mad.  Red meat as the main part of a meal has been a big turn-off.  Smells really get to me - and, I can smell EVERYTHING.  I've definitely been more stressed this time around because of the new house, working weekends at Lush and living with the folks.  Otherwise, it's been a pretty nice pregnancy. ;)

Last week, we had an ultrasound!  Baby was a serious wiggle worm!

It's a babeh!

I'm pretty upset that I can't find my doppler to listen to the heartbeat.  I know it's around, but just not sure if it's around the storage facility or the house apartment.  I went ahead and ordered another one.  I used to listen to Ethan almost every night - especially if it was a rough day.  Plus, when the other one turns up, I'm sure there will be another pregnant friend who would love to use it.

I was also informed that BRCC has an ultrasound program and they do free ultrasounds.  I wouldn't be too terribly interested, but I would like to have one at 16 or 17 weeks if I didn't have to pay for it.  They grow so much during this time, and the next time we'll be scheduled to see him or her is at 20 weeks.

Speaking of BRCC, I started my PHR certification course this week.  It's once a week for 12 weeks.  ZOMJesus, it's a lot of information.  Six thick workbooks that will take us 2 weeks at a time to get through, plus the reading material, plus the online modules and e-flashcards on our phones.  Yeah.  I better pass this freaking test. Lol  After I got home at 9:20, I realized how draining Tuesdays are going to be.  I will go straight from work to class for three hours.  This old lady is used to a 9:30-10pm bedtime.  It took me about an hour to unwind after I got home.  I was dragging ASS the next morning.  I just keep reminding myself that it is totally worth it to be PHR certified. :)

So, that's pretty much it for now.  I should probably blog more often since I tend to have A LOT to say when I do get around to it!  And, hopefully some of this house jabber can or will be helpful to someone out there now or in the future.

All the things!

That pretty much sums up the last few days!

We are FINALLY going to closing on our construction loan and purchasing our lot today!  This has been a long two months in the making, and everything has finally settled into place (knock on wood!).  We have patiently waited for my company to take ownership of the lot (part of a larger trade) and now we get to buy it from them!  Woohoo!

We have been getting everything prepared that we could in advance for this build.  We already have the building permits, our GC has ordered for Demco to set up the pole, the property markers are being placed today, and.....yesterday, we put the deposit down for our front door!  We had a good idea of what we wanted and were fortunate enough to find it.  They will deliver the door once we get to that point in the building process.  Monday, we picked out our brick and granite.  Yesterday, I sat down the guy who drew the plans originally and we made some (last minute) changes to the house:

- Changed the front elevation from stucco to all brick
- Adjusted the master bath to get six more inches of length for the tub (we're bath people)
- Added a place for a refrigerator in the outdoor kitchen
- Added a drop table to the island in the kitchen
- Replaced the microwave with an ice maker (it was below the counter on the island - easy placement for little fingers to press buttons)
- Added outlets in the floor in the living room
- Added a pot filler at the stove
- Added a gas drop to the outdoor kitchen (it was set up for propane tanks)

Next week, we are meeting up with a guy who specializes in stained concrete.  We have some ideas on what we would like to see in person - including the following:



Faux wood stained concrete in the living room

A design in the entrance

 

There are SO many things you can do with stained concrete.  And, the maintenance is so much lower than with wood or even carpet.

On a "sad mommy" note... We went to Ethan's open house last night - he starts MDO next week.  I was so amazed at how organized it is.  They have everything set up like a classroom.  Of course with two year olds, there is more flexibility since most are coming from a "stay at home" environment and not a daycare.  I am so excited to see how Ethan is going to flourish!  They have picture day in a few weeks, and have a field trip of sorts every month.  Plus, they go to chapel once a month - which I really like.  It makes me sad to see him grow up, but it is very exciting at the same time.

All of this going on really makes me excited for March.  I am anxious to be in our new home with our two beautiful babies.  I dream about those magical 12 weeks where I get to play "Stay-at-Home Mommy" and just enjoy the two of them.  I can't wait! :)

Prenatal Yoga

Why didn't I do this with Ethan?!  Who knows.

So, about a month ago, I researched prenatal yoga in the area.  I found two studios in Denham Springs that offer classes.  One was in the middle of a transition of owners and the other was right down the road from work.  They offer a class on Wednesday at noon, so I decided to sneak away from my desk and go try it out at lunch that week.  I absolutely fell in love.  It gave me an hour away everything and focus on me and baby.  I immediately grabbed the STEAL they had on Groupon and have been going regularly for the past four weeks.

What I love is that it's a small class - usually me and one other girl, but last week another two ladies tried it out (and, it was still an intimate class).  We start each class with a little recap of something good and bad that happened with us and baby over the last week.  Then, we move into the stretching.  We do some strengthening moves, including kegals, and then use the last 5 minutes or so of class to meditate.  After class, I grab a soup and salad from the DeAngelo's across the street and then come back to work feeling balanced and happy.  With the regular stresses of work and the bigger stresses of building a house, I need this time away (albeit brief).

I'm super excited to be able to FINALLY go to their Saturday class this week.  I have a video at home somewhere that I could use, but I don't really have a nice quiet place to do it at the house.  I wish I did because I would do it every.single.day.  When we finally get to move into the new house, I'll have that space for the final months of this pregnancy - which will probably be when I need it the most!