the renovation : chaos and a doorway

Our home is chaos, and has been for the past four weeks.

Even as I type there is some sort of very loud power-tool whirring in the hallway upstairs.  If my babies remain asleep it will be a miracle.

All the renovation chaos/mess has had me quite creatively sapped.  Having dust everywhere from contractors boring holes through three layers of brick, cutting through both drywall and concrete walls, and 150 years worth of yuckiness from the attic/ceiling dropping down into the all the upstairs bedrooms frankly has this blogger feeling a little beaten down and feeling like I am in survival mode.

They tell you kitchen renovations are the worst, but I will contend after having gone through both (a kitchen reno twice) that having the ductwork completely redone for your HVAC system is a million times worse.  Particularly when you are living in the house and stay at home all day with two little ones.    Basically every room has been invaded at least twenty times.   They have been on the roof pounding, in the attic, in the basement.  No room is safe from this project - from noise or dust.

The baby has had to nap in three different rooms to avoid noise and contractors walking through her room (it is a pass-thru at the moment) and the toddler has had a lot of noise going on right outside his bedroom door during most nap times.

I have a permanent twitch from this issue alone, and I am vigilant about protecting the kids schedule/naps.

We have also been without a washer and dryer for about a month since our former laundry room has been a work zone -- we had to unhook and rewire/reroute electric and plumbing (which is still not done.)  Therefore, we have been doing laundry at the laundromat or at other people's houses.  Kinda inconvenient, but thankful for those folks that helped us out.

A month of this - I am surprised I am still (somewhat) sane.  My psyche does not do well with lack of privacy, lack of peace, and overall lack of control.

But one exciting thing has come out of this...the 'dream home' which was once two separate units is now, officially, one home!

Here is me, not even trying to hide my excitement about this doorway...

Hoping your lives are all peaceful and dust-free!
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preggo vlogs #7,#8 and #9

Wow.  Kind of forgot about documenting my pregnancy on video, er,  Photobooth.

But did a new one recently so I will now play catch-up and share the last three.

Here is 'the one where it is new year's eve and I'm having a wild night...with elmo' - aka 19 weeks.  I seem pretty happy in this video, and like I can move around pretty easily.  Wow - those were the days!  (Now I am in the waddling hippo stage, where I make old lady noises when I sit down or stand up.)



Here is 'the one where I am all by myself...and loving it.'  This is at 23 weeks.  Wow, that feels like forever ago.  I like how I think I look really big here.  That always amazes me.  When you are pregnant you always think your bump looks big, no matter what week you are in...until you get bigger and then you look back and rolls your eyes at your younger self for saying your bump looks huge.  'Cause it doesn't.   But I digress.



And finally, the present.  'The one where there may be construction workers thinking I am crazy' - 34 weeks. Ignore my messy, wet hair.



I am now off to get the kiddo up from his nap so we can meet up with Hubby for a Friday Ikea date - YAY!  We are going to get Cormac's 'big boy bed' and cubby bookcase and who knows what else.  Thank God for two SUVs.

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one year ago : we were in t-shirts!

When I look at my iPhoto "last twelve months" folder and this video comes up from almost exactly a year ago, it makes me want to cry - a little.

The weather last winter was warm.  We were in T-shirts in March.  We were jovial and lighthearted!  We were running with the running stroller every day.  A rainy day didn't get us down.  No way - we were lovin' life!

Lately it has been gloomy, rainy, snowy, cold, blech...every day.

{well....the weekend was 70 degrees and beautiful. a teaser...today - snow again!!!?!?!}

Spring, where are you!?!?!  This isn't Minnesota.  I feel a little cheated.  I moved "South" for a reason.  Well, and my hubby.  :D

Hope it is getting warmer where you are!

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one year ago : not even a crawler

I came across this video yesterday and my heart melted.  Of course, I've been crying about pretty much everything lately.



Almost exactly a year ago my little boy was only a baby.  An not-yet-crawling, quiet, but ever-curious version of his now-toddler self, dragging his little legs around.  I cannot believe how much changes in just one year.  I cannot believe I will have another one of these precious, chunky little six-month-olds in the not so far off future.

I had my first Braxton-Hicks contractions this week.

It's getting real, folks.

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preggo vlogs #5 and #6

Another two installments of preggo vlogs - weeks 13 and 17 (I don't do them every week...just when I think of it!)

This is the 'one where I growl like a bear' - week 13 when I talk about gender {ignore what I say though...we are NOT finding out the gender ahead of time!!!} and also get sidetracked by my sweet son and various animal noises....

And week 17, the 'one where I look like my mom, and it freaks me out' and I talk about all the lovely things you should enjoy while pregnant.  Or not pregnant.  :)

Ultrasound tomorrow!

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preggo vlogs #3 and #4

Another two installments of vlogs!  
Please keep in mind that I am not a professional vlogger, clearly.  (Is there such a thing???)
I don't "dress up" for these, and sometimes I don't do my hair.  I do not plan out what I am going to say.  I just talk.  I try to stay on topic.  I try not forget what I am talking about.  Enjoy!

This vlog was filmed at 10 weeks along.  That seems like forever ago.
It is the 'one where I speak of my mental state' - or how depression can be affected by pregnancy.  I even made it sepia-toned to make it look more sad.  Just kidding.  I was trying to distract from my pasty pale skin!



This is the 'one where my scarf takes over my life' - at 12 weeks, when things start to look a little brighter!

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preggo vlogs #1 and #2

This pregnancy I decided to do some video journals along with my normal weekly written journal {which I am sharing on the blog, in paraphrased form, every four weeks of my pregnancy through our 'bump-dates.'}

Keep in mind I feel much more natural writing my feelings, rather than speaking them.  However, I thought this might help you get to know me a little better, make me seem more like a "real" person behind the words that I write.

Or maybe it is just super awkward???  I don't feel awkward filming these at all, but it is always strange to see yourself on film and hear your own voice.  I never realized what it might be like conversing with myself.  I have determined four things about the experience:

1) My eyes bug out a lot.  I knew this, but actually seeing it is rather funny to me.
2) I say "um" and "so" and "just being honest" and "anyways" a lot.
3) I am pale.  Not the pretty pale, either.  The ghostly, pallid pale.
4) I have difficulty saying the word "vlog." It is a tricky one.

This is the 'one where I just found out I am pregnant' and I try to articulate my mixed feelings about that.  As I mentioned, I am not fantastic at articulating my thoughts orally, but hopefully this message comes across:  I am a little freaked out.  In a good way.  I think.  :D

Also, enjoy how I explain how a person gets pregnant - I'm sure you needed to know.  ;)



And here is the 'one where my toddler tries to kill me with a screwdriver.'  Sorry, you have to wait for the end to see that...or just skip to the end.  I also chat a bit about my birth plan.

Almost the weekend -- hurrah!  

We'll be on vacay next week.  The destination was supposed to be a surprise to me, but my MIL spilled the beans!  

I'll share with you soon!

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