We're Stuff-Free!

Well, not really. But we're getting there.

Hubbyhubs and I are fans of two gurus ... Dave Ramsey and David Allen. Dave Ramsey advocates being debt-free, and we're working on that (we just have some stubborn student loans). When you are truly debt-free, you get to call Dave Ramsey's radio show and yell "WE'RE DEBT-FREE!" We are looking forward to that. David Allen shares methods for getting rid of all the "stuff" in your life -- emails cluttering your in-box, to-do lists stashed in every pocket, and that nagging feeling of not quite being in control of all of the tasks you have to take care of. Both men share the philosophy that if you would only take the time to plan, and to grow up, the results will be worth it. So, along those lines, we've been working on getting rid of "stuff" in our apartment. We also need to make room for baby.

In order to more promptly rid ourselves of stuff, we've been using freecycle. I'm a huge fan. So far, we've unloaded my bike (which was later stolen from the new owner. bastards), my desk, my desktop computer (sans hard drive), the speakers from my computer, a huge stack of towels, a slipcover for a couch I no longer own, and a light fixture we bought, decided not to use, and didn't return in time. Yesterday, we finally got rid of the shelves that had been in the guest room forever. Feels good to be getting rid of our stuff! So, now we just need a radio show that we can call to say, "WE'RE STUFF-FREE!"

some things are not hereditary

I will never understand how my grandmother, God rest her soul, endured her first three pregnancies. Her first she carried while a million miles from home, 20 yrs old, a newlywed in a strange country (the Philippines). The entirety of her second she carried while a prisoner of war, in an internment camp, while chasing her toddler. The third pregnancy began in the camp (while chasing both children), survived a starvation period wherein she was making bread out of laundry starch, journeyed home, and concluded in New York. Knowing her, she never breathed a word of complaint to her husband, and never faltered in keeping up her energy or her smile, even while she vomited a very expensive turkey dinner upon hearing that other prisoners had killed and eaten a cat for Christmas.

I'm having trouble getting through ten-hour days at my desk in my air-conditioned office, writing motions, making phone calls, and talking to old ladies. Clearly I'm not made from the same stuff she was.

I swear I love my job ...

I really do. But I'm having one of those days. Boss is freaking out about something that has been discussed and settled fourteen times ... clients are needing even more hand-holding than usual. The days are slipping by and the work is piling up, and I'm freaking out about getting everything wrapped up in the next ten weeks. Doesn't help that the baby kept me up kicking all night last night ... and when she wasn't kicking, I was getting the worst cramps in my calves, which also woke me up. I am tired of being pregnant and I still have a ways to go. I want a drink, and my mommy. And a day off.

A non-baby post

...that is still sort of a baby post. As I mentioned earlier in the "expanding" post, I've been feeling a little bit unattractive lately. This is particularly dangerous, and hubbyhubs can testify ... a furniture salesman flirted with me and I spent six times what I planned to spend. Anyway, I bought a new lipstick a few weeks ago and it's really helped. I actually feel somewhat pretty! I'm a huge fan of Mac Slimshine lipsticks -- they are shiny like gloss, but have a real color like lipstick, and they don't get sticky. Huge, huge fan. [Slimshine in Scant]

Mirror, mirror, on the wall ...

What do you think of this for the nursery? At $55, I think it's a good deal ...

I'm expanding

I had trouble pulling my pants up this morning ... my maternity pants. I am not amused.

More Nursery Stuff

Sorry if this is boring ... it's all I got. I picked out a few accent pieces to go with the furniture and whatnot. The crib bedding will be neutral (ecru, ivory), but I want to add a few of these things:


There is, of course, a whole crib bedding set in that pattern, but it's crazy expensive, so I'm going to go with the accent pieces. I won't be putting the blankets and pillows in the crib, but will put a couple on the sofabed and one on the chair, and see how it looks from there.

Baby's room also has a closet with sliding doors, but the doors are obnoxious and annoying, so I am going to replace them, I think with this curtain:

It is a shower curtain, but with the rod inside the closet, I think it will look fine. It's fabric, not plastic, don't worry. I might get another one and use it for the window on the opposite wall. We shall see.

Thoughts?

So, I had a dream last night that I was entertaining a toddler, and she kept on kicking me in the stomach. I woke up to realize that of course I was being kicked -- hard! -- by my own little munchkin. Let's hope this is not the beginning of bad sleep. I'm tired enough as it is!

I am feeling somewhat huge, and it feels like it happened overnight. I went from having a cute round little belly to carrying a pumpkin with me. I am going to try not to whine too much over the next 12 (well, 10-14) weeks, but no promises.

And Baby Makes Three!

I know I am the world's worst blogger.  I'm sorry.  I'm not even going to commit right now to blogging again, but I thought I would start today.  

As you can tell from the subject (and as all of my 3 readers know), we're expecting a baby!  I'm 28 weeks pregnant, due on October 11.  Thank God I've been feeling really good.  The first 12 weeks or so were rough -- a lot of nausea and just unending fatigue -- but I've felt pretty much like a rock star ever since.  Somewhere around 24 weeks my belly started really becoming cumbersome, and now that I am starting the third trimester I am really feeling the extra weight and the extra size!  But all in all, no complaints.  We are really excited to meet our baby girl, whom we call, for now, Cloetus the Foetus.  Hubby Hubs and I have decided on a name, but we're going to keep it between us until she's born.  

So, in anticipation of her arrival, we've started the job of turning the guest room into a nursery.  I have never been much of a decorator, and no magic mommy genes have changed that thus far.  But I've found some great inspiration rooms online, and we are slowly but surely getting there.  I like this room. 

 That's basically the style I am going for, sort of a feminine vintage.  The room is currently painted "creamy praline," which is sort of a candlelight color, and I think we are going to leave it.  Actually, it's really very close to the background color of this blog.  Here's what we have so far: 

The Crib (to be delivered next weekend):    

We are going to keep the same dresser we've had (which I scored for $89 at Salvation Army in 2003).  I am toying with the idea of painting it white, but I'm not really sure about that.  You can sort of see the wall color in the background.  

What do you think? Should I leave it that color or try to match it to the crib? One of my favorite things about this arrangement is the way the wicker design on the crib matches the design on the cabinets of the dresser. I think they are going to look great together!

Of course, since we live in 1,200 square feet, the baby's room still has to function as a guest room.  The inlaws and outlaws visit often enough, so we've purchased a sofabed to go in the baby's room (and baby will stay in a pack n' play in our room during those visits). 

This is what we got:

It's shown in beige, but we got it in sand, the color shown in the rocker below, which we also bought:  

I really hope it all comes together, and that it isn't too crowded in the room. I think with some throw pillows on the couch and the rocker, I'll be able to pull it all together. I hope so, anyway. I want it to look like a sweet little nursery, not like a jumble of furniture. Now that I say that, I'm leaning more and more toward painting the dresser to match the crib. I don't know.

For the walls, I'm thinking of scanning, enlarging, and framing illustrations from The Bumper Book, which has been a favorite in my family since my mom was a little girl.  

Here are some examples: 

And of course, a few other classics, not from the bumper book, such as:

Anyway, that's about where I am. I need to pick out crib bedding, curtains, and maybe a rug or something. I'd love to hear from you, if you have some help or advice to offer!


Life otherwise is pretty normal. I have been with my "new" firm for over eight months, and I really love it, still. Of course, like any job, there are drawbacks, but for the most part it's been really rewarding and educational. I feel valued there and I enjoy the work.

Hubbyhubs has a transition on the horizon.  After about a year and a half with a very promising company that ultimately disappointed him, he's joining a different operation and is very excited about it.  He'll be starting in early August, and we're thrilled!  

Not much else to report ... thanks for reading!  

Marital Bliss

Tonight I made my Extra Special Meatloaf ... some broccoli on the side, some salad to start, and some Fat Bastard Shiraz to go with it. What a wonderful night and a wonderful meal with my wonderful husband. He loves the meatloaf (and so do I). We had some jazz playing while we ate, and our wedding song came on at the end. Yes, we got up and danced in the living room. And now he's cleaning the kitchen. Yes, I married the best man ever. Don't tell him I said that -- gotta keep his self-esteem low so I can retain the upper hand.

I'm back, I think.

I've decided to start blogging again.  I never really decided to stop, but had a very busy Fall.  Right after my last post, I got a job interview with an estate planning firm in my neighborhood.  I was skeptical -- thought it would be a mom and pop operation -- but thought I would check it out.  I came away from my first interview extremely impressed with the firm and hoping for a second interview.  Well, I got the second interview, and I got the job!  The next few weeks at my old job were pretty busy, tying up loose ends and preparing to leave.  So, that didn't leave too much time for blogging.  I did take a couple weeks off between the old job and the new, and spent plenty of time catching up on my rest and my housekeeping (too much of the former and not enough of the latter).  

The new job has been wonderful.  I've been there for just about two months and it's going swimmingly.  I don't miss the action of litigation at all, but I do miss writing, so I'm happy to be blogging again.  I've caught on pretty quickly to the basics of estate planning and estate administration.  I love (LOVE) working with elderly clients and being able to help people through difficult situations.  My coworkers are all pretty cool, and my boss is both a terrific lawyer and a tremendous entrepreneur.  All in all, I am extremely satisfied with the new job.  Of course, it has its ups and downs, as any job does, but my stress level is comfortably low.  I leave by 7pm no matter what, and nobody calls or emails me after hours.  Life is good. 

Life at home continues to be wonderful.  It's hard to believe that we have been married for seven months already!  There really is nothing like it.  I love absolutely everything about being married.  We're still working on a system for keeping our house clean, but we've got our budget down to a science, and I've been doing pretty well with meal planning.  Now that I walk to and from work (did I mention that part?) I am able to ease up on the planning a little bit and shop for fresh ingredients on the way home.  I cook probably 4 or 5 nights in an average week, and I love having more time for that now.  Like I said, life is good. 

We were with my family for Thanksgiving, and with hubbhub's family for Christmas.  It was my first Christmas away from home, but it was nice, and quiet, and calm.  Of course I got sick on our last  night there (still fighting it off), but I am so glad we went.  I am also glad to hear that the mayor of Seattle has decided that he will authorize the salting of roads during the next snow storm.  Duh. 

I can't think of too many other updates.  I discovered that my love for good scotch extends to scotch cocktails -- particularly, the Rusty Nail.  Give it a try -- you can thank me later.