Ed/Bump Update - Week 22

Much less to report this week, but that by no means speaks to the awesomeness of this week. Mom is visiting, we finished our move, we've unpacked and set up our home, and Ed starts his new series of outpatient treatments and therapies today! He's doing OK, about the same, no progress since he's come home, more of a holding pattern. Nothing is worse though, thank goodness. We're both interested to see how this new routine develops, and happy to not have it put off any further for fear of any additional relapses. From here on out I think we both expect things to level out, so there will be shorter updates about Ed's condition unless anything new pops up. He is eternally grateful for all the support and kind words... it's all still such an adjustment, but everyone's kindness has made it much, much easier. 

The new place is fantastic. Much more room and much more functional for Ed and myself. It gets the most wonderful afternoon sun - I wish I had taken pictures of that but we'll have to settle for the rush job I did with pictures this morning. I've been swimming almost everyday in the pool here. They have a lap lane set up which I adore, and it's been nice to get some exercise again. I've essentially done nothing since I found out I was pregnant, in part because there was no time because Ed got sick immediately and also because I can be pretty darn lazy. Anyways, it's great here. Still have to clean up the old place and turn in our keys... I'll miss being so close to psycho donuts, downtown Campbell, my prenatal yoga/massage/birthing class place... but that's ok. They're not that far of a drive at all.

Mom showing off at my request

Having mom around is always wonderful, decorating and rearranging things, cooking up a storm. I do feel like my thinking is a bit more muddled lately so she and Ed are keeping me on the straight and narrow with plans and projects. Though they do indulge me sometimes, check out these cabinet doors we scored at Ikea! We're gonna paint them my favorite intense red and hang them in the nursery. Wouldn't it be cute if they framed some wall decal like window shutters? 

Mom got to meet our midwife too, which I feel really good about because Mom will essentially be our doula on the big day of baby's birth.

I wrote a ton last week so that's enough for this week. Here are some pictures of our place!

Our new Salvation Army couch, really quite the steal.

You may have noticed these guys on the couch. My first toys for the baby! Baby may be terrified of them but I kiiiiiinda love them.

Living room is still coming together... that pile of DVDs will end up on an Ikea Lack shelf, that looks just like the bookshelves, on the wall above the TV.

Also a work in progress, but coming together!

Another Ikea steal. What can I say? I love birch effect wood and lingonberries. Couldn't resist!

Kitchen is a bit smaller but we're making it work

The cats playing bed warmers on the extended futon in the guest room.

The start of the nursery! I know it's a little all over the place, but you can kinda see the bones. I love those primary colors and crazy prints. Saying I shun pastels is an understatement.

Partial shot of our patio set up, way more room for growing things and even spending some time outside. I see a grill in our future!

And now, the all important baby update time!

How far along? 22 weeks

How Big Is Baby? A spaghetti squash (I have one on my counter currently and that seems enormous to me)

Sleep: Getting more regular... nothing unusual here these days.

Best moment this week: Having our big '20 week' check up at the Dr.'s! Everything is progressing normally. And baby is moving all about, doing it's thing.

Movement: While I felt movement the other day, it's been quieter since then. I can't wait for the days when baby is karate chopping me in the ribs. I can still feel the squirming, but I like the punches and kicks much better at this point. Ed even got to feel a little fluttering, but I think he'll really enjoy the movement in a few weeks.

Symptoms: Low blood pressure apparently? Who knew! I always thought pregnancy did the opposite to you but I guess not. I get a little dizzy, but no where near as much as I did in the first couple months. 

Food cravings/aversions: Chocolate milkshakes. I realized I've actually been craving these pretty frequently this pregnancy but it's hard to say if it's more frequent than my usual ice cream cravings. Bring on the frosties!

Gender: No confirmation from the Dr appt unfortunately. My uncle keeps asking if we're going to name the baby Tom or Tomissina... we'll take them both under consideration :)

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss: Wine. This week I'm missing wine really hardcore. Mom and Ed had a bottle of barbera that I wanted to wrestle from them. Smelled so delicious. I may or may not breathe heavily over Ed's glasses of wine or bottles of beer...

What I am looking forward to: Everything progressing like so, and once again, Christmas! I know, I shouldn't rush the seasons, but it's hard not to when the decorations are up at stores and even IKEA is in on it. I caved when I saw these adorable mushroom ornaments that fit with my rustic Christmas preferences:

Funny moment of the week: Our first outing to our new grocery store we were waiting in line. The cashier asked Ed what happened to him and told Ed to 'make it a good story.' So Ed went into detail about how he chased down and fought off some guys pursuing me, to protect my honor. He's a good one, that man. :)

Labor Signs: Ha.

Weekly Wisdom: I said it last week so this may be a cop out, but once again, people can be amazing. I don't know what we would have done without all of Ed's coworkers helping us move and without family to help us pack and then set up our home. I personally don't think it lessens a thank you if you say it multiple times, so once again. Thank you all!  

Milestones: Seeing our little human looking like a real little human and less like a goofy bean, and setting up our new home. Such a comforting time.

Ed/Bump Update - Week 21

Sorry for the delay this week! Yesterday was a big unpacking/resting day after the move on Monday. It has been a crazy week! Sorry in advance for rambling to follow, there's just a lot to catch up on!

Ed's home! We busted him out of rehab...

All the ladies at rehab celebrating Ed's birthday!

There was even a Tesla that had come to see him off!

Ed's still doing well, but now the gains he makes are smaller and more to do with 'normalizing' and refining his movements. We're still setting up his outpatient treatments and rehab, which is a huge pain to track people down. Ed mentioned how easy it is for them (insurance, rehab, Dr's) to not feel the urgency he feels as the one who has his health on the line, when he's struggling to get anything scheduled. But he's doing alright. Trying hard to manage his energy despite all the draws on it these days.

His birthday was Saturday and it was a brilliant day. We hitched a ride into Campbell and did some light walking around the Oktoberfest celebration for lunch. For dinner we treated ourselves to a night out at Liquid Bread Gastropub. We did the restaurant week tasting menu. It was about... 50% successful... but after talking about it with Ed, it sort of reaffirmed that we don't just like stuff because it's fancy or weird. We like things that actually taste good and some of this just... didn't.

Preparing for Ed's birthday dinner... somehow we missed the chance to get a picture with Ed... oops! :)

Shiitake mushrooms, brussels sprouts, barley, sprouts and balsamic vinaigrette - I liked this one well enough

Beer soup with cheese, potatoes... something or other. I did not like this. Ed seemed to think it was alright.

Looooved this. Pork chop with turnips, some greens I can't remember and huge serving of salt. 

Sweetbreads with shishito peppers and squid ink spaghetti. The spaghetti was delicious, the rest was eh.

Delicious warm green tea cake with green tea whipped cream and a cranberry relish? I could have eaten 4 of these.

Strawberry pudding with a little piece of almond toffee on top. Not my bag baby. Ed thought it was alright though.

After dinner we decided to go all out and get a hotel room in San Jose for the night. Nothing crazy, just a nice room to have a night away. I'm pretty sure we still ended up asleep at 10:30pm. But not before we ordered room service for dessert! A glass of wine for Ed, a chocolate milkshake for me, and some milk and cookies courtesy of the hotel to celebrate Ed's birthday. It was a really nice calm night. :)

The view from our room

To start of this week, we officially had the first half of our move to the new apartment. I will post pictures, hopefully in a week or two, of a more organized place. We're living 80% out of box/off the floor. The first half of the move went SO QUICKLY. A bunch of Ed's coworkers showed up on their lunch break on Monday and moved a huge amount of our stuff. They all kept complimenting how packed we were, but really we owed that to Dad and Debbie who came last weekend to help us compress everything. Ed and I were shocked at how much got moved over. I've been all weepy thinking about all the help. So thankful.

Also our new apartment is wonderful. Any guests that come will have a great upstairs suite all to themselves - as long as they don't mind some baby stuff around them! I can't wait to show you guys pictures, I'm really happy with this place. If you'd like our new address, just text email or comment on here and I will reach out to you with our new information!

Now baby stuff!

All dressed up for Ed's birthday dinner :)

How far along? 21 weeks

How Big Is Baby? A carrot

Sleep: Had a really good night last night, but it's been rough what with all the juggling involved with moving and other stressful things, like settling Ed's outpatient care. Hopefully last night was the start of a good series of restful nights.

Best moment this week: Ed's coworkers and Dad and Debbie helping us through the first part of the move to our new place. Y'all remember how awful I said our move INTO the Campbell apartment was... I swore I would never do it again. Thank god for all those lovely people. In fact, they are so lovely they are coming back on Saturday to help us move the big furniture. To say we're grateful is a huge understatement.

Movement: FINALLY! I mean, I've felt the fluttering, but this morning I actually felt the first big stretch where I could feel the alien pressing on both sides of my tummy at the same time. Followed up by more stretches in all directions :) Apparently we're both big fans of morning stretches. Omi would be proud!

Symptoms: Things have really settled in general. Still having back problems, but how can I explain, it's aggravated by the baby but not because of the baby. I've always had low back issues. Moving and unpacking doesn't help either. But I'm getting it treated and it's helping. 

Food cravings/aversions: Everything seems pretty normal... Pumpkin pie? Pretty much all fall/winter food makes me stop in my tracks. Pumpkin pie, apple pie, chili, roast turkey, cornbread, butternut squash soup, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, peppermint hot chocolate.... the list goes on and on and on!

Gender: Pretty sure it's decided on something in there! Can't wait for it to let us know what :)

Belly Button in or out? In. Ed noted how taut the area is looking though... I know I'm halfway though but I'm still surprised it's so filled out.

What I miss: Not too much really. Feeling pretty good these days. Carolyne says I'm probably nesting now, so I'm content to just unpack and decorate and set up shop in our new home.

What I am looking forward to: More days like these, where things seem to fall into place. AND my mom coming to town tonight! I'm hoping now that Ed is home we can do some fun things and she'll get a chance to meet our new midwife. Should be a really good visit to tie things up and tide us over until our trip back East for Christmas!

Funny moment of the week: It's never quite that funny when we're in the midst of it, but packing up the cats for travel is always amusing. I try to separate them and put them in without the other seeing what's up. This time I did Leo first, and then left him in a room while I went to attend to Rosie. When I came back he was (still in the bag) clear across the room, upside down, with the bag all twisted around him. He does not like travel! Poor babies. They love the new apartment though. Carpeted stairs to fly up and down and more sunlight to sleep in during the afternoons. :)

Labor Signs: Ha.

Weekly Wisdom: People can be WONDERFUL. And with no reward. Although one could argue having Ed back at work is a reward, but people (read: coworkers and family) can be jaw droppingly wonderful.  

Milestones: Moving into our new apartment, the place baby will call his or her first home! And my cute little niece just finished her first month of sleep depriving Ck and Joe :) Look at that face!!!

Oh Emilia, you are a sweetie!

A little announcement!

It's been a quiet week, but I've got a little announcement (no. not pregnant!).

Plans are in the works for visits back to MD. We'll be in the area the week of May 20th bouncing around visiting family and friends. I'll also be making a quick visit to MD again early in June for Ck's baby stuffs. I'm pretty pumped to see everyone. Especially because it looks like we'll be extending our stay out here for a bit longer everyone.

They are thrilled!

I know, I know, the last time we all talked I said we would be back on the East Coast at the end of summer. and that was the plan. But some hard to turn down offers came up and now we're looking at another year or two out here. Everything is good and we're very excited. Clearly, Apple just doesn't want to let a good thing go - a sentiment I can fully understand. Just think, it gives you all another two years to come visit and enjoy the California life for a little while! And it gives me more time to try to convince Ed how convenient a visit to Hawaii would be from here... I kid, I kid... mostly. :)

Now, with that announcement out of the way, I can fill you in on the week. We've got ballroom dancing classes lined up again and just like before, I'm pretty excited. Fingers crossed it doesn't get canceled due to low enrollment again!

Training is going according to plan. I did 9 miles this past Sunday. Never in my life would I have imagined being able to run 9 miles. Of course I don't think it's running, I would say it's more like jogging. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Tirade time!

I have to remind myself of the above sentiment so often. There's nothing wrong with how fast I'm running. I go as fast as I can but that doesn't stop me or others from judging my pace as being 'embarrassingly slow.' No, no one has ever said that to my face, but friends and family have said that about themselves and when I read that on Facebook or Fitocracy it completely gets under my skin. They aren't just saying 'this was a bad run.' They say running an 11 or 12 min mile is bad and embarrassing. Those are verbatim the words they use.

Here's the thing. My average pace, on my really long runs, is an 11 to 11:30 mile. Other runs my miles are 10:30, some are 9:30, and I even eeked out a 9 min mile the other day. You may think that's really slow, you may laugh, but I'm working damn hard. My heart rate hovers around 180 the whole run, I can't talk during the run, and hey, you know, I've lost just about 15 pounds so far since I really got serious about running and dieting in February. I feel very proud of my progress. But I still get these bouts of intense shame about my pace. When I see someone say how embarrassing that time is, it makes me despair. I know it's not about me and it's each person's own battle. I just think it's one thing to say, hey, this was a really bad run for me, and another thing to say a certain pace is embarrassing or shameful. It's a really small thing, but you never know who is reading your words and taking inspiration or taking discouragement.

End of tirade!

On a lighter note (get it? get it?) check out my tan line from my running capris! Sexy right?

Easter was quiet and wonderful. Ed made the most delicious leg of lamb and we celebrated the end of Walking Dead and the start of Game of Thrones with two donuts from Psycho Donuts. We have a TON of leftovers and the one person in Ed's office who is always giving us leftovers (I was eager to reciprocate) is out of the office. Of course. Looks like all lamb dinners this week!

I finished two books, Requiem and May I Be Happy? which I both recommend if you enjoyed the Hunger Games series and Eat Pray Love respectively. 

 

I'm trying to rekindle my reading passion but I haven't found a book that really speaks to me since reading Where'd You Go Bernadette? I know I'll find something out there! I'm keeping my eyes open and dragging my feet through some other books in the meantime.

Reverb12 Days 1-4

I knoooow I said these would be shorter but well.... I had to play catch up! I swear I'll be better about posting smaller things. I swear :)

For the month of December I'm following a prompt-a-day format that I found on a blog I thoroughly enjoy, Tenaciously Yours. Explanation of #Reverb12 can be found here.

Dec 1st: Where it began: Review and reflect – how did 2012 begin for you? Tell us how the year kicked off; start your renewal by beginning again.

This year was a crazy one. Ultimately, it was my big 'year of accomplishment.' I ran a 10k, a 12k, explored California more (Monterey, Yosemite, L.A.), planned a wedding, traveled out of the country, got into weight lifting, read almost 60 books! (I'm only at 52 now I think but fingers crossed I can squeeze in the rest before the year is out) I started out this year so strong, running daily. I was so sure I couldn't run. I 'knew' I couldn't stay on a strict diet. I never thought I could press 220 lbs with my legs! But I did all of them. I felt strong and felt like a new person. Looking back over my posts from the beginning of the year, I just swelled with pride. It gives me a sense of faith, that I can do things, that I am capable and powerful. Lately I have not been feeling very much of that at all, so taking the time to look over where I was is very inspiring. I think I'll take a little of that drive from the start of the year and apply it to the closing of this year.

Dec 2nd: Help: Asking for help can be the hardest thing we ever do. When and how did you ask for help? Alternatively, did someone ask you for help and how did it play out?

Without help, this would not have been my 'year of accomplishment.' Ed was behind me all the way with my running. Suggesting training tips, making plans for me, running like a real slow poke to keep pace with me. 

My friends and family made my wedding happen. Plain and simple. Without them, the wedding just would not have come together. I am eternally indebted to you all for that. You made our wedding happen. You can take credit for that for the rest of your days. Christmas presents? Birthday presents? Forget them. You made our wedding happen so that is gift enough. At least for a little while.... kidding! :) 

It is humbling to show people how desperately you need them. And to tell them how thankful you are. I really love sending thank you notes now but on some level I worry that it's so mandated by manners that people don't take them seriously. I've received my fair share of cards from people that seem to be writing meaningless nothings just to show good form. At the same time, my H.S. boyfriend's older sister helped me get ready for my prom. She took me to the salon and drove me around to get ready, it was wonderful. But later she complained that I hadn't seemed grateful enough. I had thanked her and had an amazing day (I even went back to the same salon for my second prom, and I still have the lip gloss she bought me to this very day - I know, gross, I should probably throw it out now due to expiration, but it's so pretty!). I wish I had given her a card in retrospect, something tangible for her to see my gratitude. In summation, if you have any doubt about how thankful I am for all the help you may have provided me.... don't. I think about these things for years and years and years. When did I go to that prom? 2004. 8 years ago. 8 years ago and I am still grateful and wishing I could express it better. I will be thinking of your help for just as long!

Dec 3rd: Beautiful Things: What brought beauty into your life this year? Was it a tangible thing or something intangible? Tell us about it in detail.

This is a little too easy, but the wedding brought beauty into my life. Tangible and intangible. The obvious beauty of the day itself, the bits and pieces that added up to a wonderful day. The amazingly perfect cake and cake toppers (made moments before the reception). The bunting. The beautiful bridesmaids. My beautiful dresses. But... more beautiful than all of the pieces, was how close I was able to be with everyone. I haven't spent so much time with my family in ages and it was wonderful. Seeing family that I have not seen in years, and for some, I may sadly not see again. Spending time with people who matter deeply to me. You don't realize how much you miss it until it's back in your life again. Something as simple as getting together for SpaWorld or my amazing bachelorette party at a ropes course or chatting while we arranged flowers... Just being able to talk to and touch and be close to people you cherish is it's own kind of beauty. One of my favorite moments was when we were all dancing at the reception and it was all ages and groups and everyone was together and happy. Watching Omi get down with everyone. It's so sappy I know, and it's embarrassing that it makes me tear up thinking about it now, but, that is what beauty is for me. It's the overwhelming love I feel surrounded by people I care about, all happy, all goofy, all undone, all at the same moment. 

(Boy that reminds me I need to post part 2 of my wedding day! Oops! Hm, that sure won't be a short post. Guess I won't be able to keep my promise! Maybe next week...)

Dec 4th:  Place: What places anchored you this year? Or were you in search of new places and spaces to call your own and call home? Describe the place you love and why it means so much to you.

This is our second year out here in California... We moved on our own into a new, much smaller apartment. I do miss our townhouse... I miss our garden space and the lush, pebbled courtyard. I loved running through the grid of the neighborhoods training for races. I miss being squished between two grocery stores, so easily accessible. I miss downtown Mountain View and it's little strip of awesome restaurants and stores, the wine shop styled like a train station next to the actual Caltrain stop. 

I find myself exploring houses for sale in Maryland, imagining our options... Could we live out in the middle of nowhere on a beautiful yellow Victorian house with a chicken coop and raised beds in the garden.... or a mid-century ranch style home closer to civilization, without much of that space to play outside but maybe closer to the pool and park and playgrounds... or a townhouse (blech). I've seen some beautiful town homes and not minded living in them, but I so badly want that outdoor space to grow plants and animals. It's funny, all of the things I love about our homes in Mountain View, Campbell, Reston and Alexandria, involve things that I don't even think of when imagining my future home. The store probably won't be a block away. There's no such thing as a late night run for In & Out or Taco Bell if you're living in the country. I told Ed once that I'd like my neighbors to be within running distances because if ever get attacked by a pack of roving murders a la The Strangers I'll have a fighting chance. Theoretically.

That being said, I'm enjoying our apartment. I'm glad we downsized, knowing we will have to move again (and it will be a much bigger deal this next time). Downtown Campbell is really nice, and we've found some amazing places to eat and explore. The Los Gatos Trail is nice to run on and because I'm running the same way every time it helps me see how my training is going. It takes some effort and reminding on my part to stop and enjoy the moment. I loved Christmastime out here last year and was surprised how quickly it went by. I'm determined to enjoy it this year knowing it's probably our last in California. It's just too easy to let the current moment slip away, planning for a future that I could never and should never predict.

"Is it just madness keeping us afloat?"

We survived moving. I think maybe yesterday or the day before was the first day we woke up and did not feel agonizing pain. Look, no one likes moving, so we all know I've nothing new to say on the matter and can let that go. However. I would like to say, I never truly hated moving before this last one. Let's start with this idea:

If you have not moved with only one other person helping, you have no idea what I'm talking about. You can say, oh yes, moving is awful, it's so hard and it's terrible. No. If you've even had one extra set of hands helping you move, it is nothing like what we did. Nothing. Three people is heaven compared to two people. More than one person helping you? Moving suddenly becomes as awesome as Ron Swanson. It was certainly a lesson in how far you can push your body. It took us 6 1/2 hours to load the truck. Short break for lunch. Another almost 7 hours to unpack the truck. Ed was the true work horse, carrying dressers, bookshelves, massive boxes, all on his own. On the pack up, my job was to just keep moving stuff out of the house. On the unpack, my job was to get it up the stairs to our apartment. You know your body is telling you it has had enough when it doesn't hurt to carry the massive box up the stairs, but it hurts like hell when you're walking back down the steps for the next box.

Bye evil squirrels who napped in this tree

Bye lovely patio and courtyard

I'll miss all the space...

Seeya Solano!

Biggest blisters I have ever seen. Bruises and cuts everywhere. Lower limbs completely frozen stiff. My face maintained it's reddish, sunburn-like flush for 3 days after. I was grumpypants. It's a miracle I did not lose my mind on Ed, but boy was I close. Especially when we started moving in and our downstairs neighbor came out to smoke a total of 10 cigarettes during the whole process. Honestly, I say this all the time to Ed, but who smokes anymore?! And this guy has a toddler and a baby on the way! I'm always shocked when I see people smoke now. I was really surprised when Will McAvoy smoked in an episode of Newsroom. I'm aware a huge part of the world still smokes and I've never smoked myself so I know that's why I don't understand. Two things always surprise me: 1. People who consistently drink Soda (with every meal, or even one can daily - instead of having soda as an occasional dessert or a random craving) and 2. People who smoke. I'm no saint. I drink. I eat poorly. I don't exercise. But for whatever reason those two listed habits always surprise me when I encounter them. Anyways, I was on the brink of losing my mind when this man came out to smoke because our apartment has no air conditioning so we have to keep our windows open. In my broken down state I was imagining a year spent with all of our things smelling of smoke and it wafting in the window all day and night. Awful. Tears were shed. Everything seemed to be the worst. We had clearly made a terrible, horrible life choice. The world was ending. But then we finished moving and we put ourselves to bed after taking what can only be called the greatest shower I have ever had in the history of time, and things started to seem a little bit better.

Le Sigh

This was after some serious clearing. It was much worse.

It's been a couple days and it has been just fine. The cats adjusted within minutes - although Leo did break out of the window and prance around the courtyard at 11:30pm. They also enjoy the ridiculous number of cats living here that are chatty and friendly. See below. Almost everything is unpacked and in it's rightful place. The study is the last bastion of the boxed things. I think I'll be leaving that for post-wedding/honeymoon activity.

We had a nice conversation, until Rosie showed up and scared him off.

The area is really nice. We had an amazing Turkish dinner the other day and tonight we'll be taking advantage of the Whole Foods that is 3 minutes from us. Downtown Campbell is an historic area, and they seem to try hard to provide it's residents with activities. In October we're flying back to Blacksburg, VA for an Oktoberfest at Mountain Lake Hotel (where Dirty Dancing was filmed) and the weekend after that we'll be having an Oktoberfest celebration here in Campbell with a 5k fun run. They have lots of community recreational activities (Why, hello sewing class and mountain survival hike...), big Christmas celebrations.... I'm looking forward to all of it. All in all, it's not so bad being back in an apartment, and we couldn't have found a better area.

In terms of everything else? We fly back tomorrow!!!! I cannot believe a year of planning and living out here in California has flown by so quickly. The wedding is in one week, and it looks like everything might work out! It does not appear to be a disaster! :) I'm as shocked as you are, believe me. Once again, I can only say thank you, thank you, thank you, to the bridal party, to my family, to Ed's family, and everyone that has worked so hard to make this happen and will work so hard to see it go off without a hitch next weekend. I'm eternally grateful and I will never be able to repay you. Well, maybe Ck and Kate when it comes to their weddings :) See you guys soon!

"WeeeEEEeee are never ever ever..."

Well. Talk about an epic fail of follow through. I know, I know, I said I would get pictures up... I'm just the worst at follow through in case you haven't noticed. It will happen.. but probably not for awhile. But! But! Don't leave me dear reader, because the next time I post it will be about our new apartment. And after that, (even more thrilling) I will be posting about my wedding! And then the honeymoon in the Grenadines. And I honestly could not show my face on this blog if I posted about any of those three events without pictures. That would be truly shameful.

The townhouse is currently in a state I would call warehouse chic. Boxes everything, shelving dismantled, Spackle on the walls, barren bookcases, everything in a state of disarray. I know it has to be this way, but man do I hate it. I'm not the cleanest, or most orderly person in the world, but I like for my home to have a lived in look. A well-loved look. Worn in rugs and furniture, flowers, lots of light, library books, sleeping cats, and produce on the counter. Chaos and cardboard do not evoke this feeling. I'm ready to get on with the move. I'm currently reading the book I won, Happier At Home by Gretchen Rubin, and I'm reminded of her statement that "the days are long but the years are short." I feel as if it was just yesterday we were packing up our things to make our cross country trip, saying goodbye to everyone for a bit. But these handful of days before the weekend feel interminable. Just have to keep it all in perspective...

I've started exploring the possibility of doing my own happiness project. The idea intrigued me when I read the book, but for whatever reason I didn't feel ready. Reading the second book I feel more prepared to take on a little life change. Particularly one that isn't revolving around my weight. I'm fed up with that battle - maybe that's just my recent success talking though. Who just bought her first pair of skinny jeans in a size 14? This gal! That may sound big to some, but that's a size smaller than I've been wearing for the past two, gosh, maybe even 3 years.

My first task is to come up with some resolutions... I've got a couple ideas so far to share with you guys:
-Have greater faith in my abilities and dreams
-Be a better friend
-Be a better daughter & granddaughter
-Be more adventurous
-Be more playful, less dire and critical
-Be more energetic
-Be more productive, waste less time
-Be more loving with Ed
-Be more fastidious with our home

Those are some of the big ones. Now I have to work on assigning tasks that fall under each resolution so I can make a chart and check off my progress. Rubin points out that it's much easier to track your progress when you have specific tasks instead of the general "be more playful." For instance, that could be broken up into:
1. Dance for 5 minutes
2. Play with the cats for 5 minutes every day
3. Tell Ed a cheesy joke every day
4. Do a somersault once a day. <--(Learn something new everyday, had no idea that's how you spell somersault. Always thought it was summersault...)

Any suggestions for tasks? I'm all ears. I'll share more of my happiness project as it develops.

In the meantime I'll be reading Happier At Home, and Feast for Crows (fiiiiiinally!) and putting the final touches on my warehouse chic home theme.


P.S.  I don't know what is wrong with me but I cannot stop listening to Taylor Swift's new song. It makes me feel like I'm 13 again! :)

"West bound and rolling taking refuge in the roads"

Boy, is moving the worst or what? About a week ago I was thinking, you know it'll be good to move. To get rid of some stuff, and explore a new area out here. But then I pulled down all of our cardboard boxes from storage. I taped up a couple boxes and started throwing things in. About 15 minutes in I remember oh yes, that's right, moving is the worst.

Thankfully, a cross country moves requires you to become more organized than you ever thought you would have to be, so I can count on my boxes being appropriately labeled for each room. We haven't accumulated too much "stuff" but we have acquired a new futon and a rocking chair (Thanks Dad and Debbie!). Oh and the outside table Ed built. And the potato plant frame. Hmm, maybe we have accumulated some stuff...

We live about a block from the Good Will and I anticipate dumping a huge amount of stuff over there. We've got some great quality things that we just never use. I'm even debating donating all my music books and DVDs... I love them dearly and do look at them every 6mo. or so... but does that make them worth lugging around? We've got at least two more moves ahead of us... possibly more. Moving just makes me want to shrug off all the stuff, pack a duffle bag and go. I never buy books anymore thanks to my Kindle and the library. I love books. I love the feel of books, but they just aren't practical to buy. There's no space for them. They are costly. They are damn heavy to move. Of course I'd be lost without a good library.

I would like to get a fancy version of Jane Eyre someday, and I already own Goodnight Opus and The Giving Tree for my future children... I don't need much more than that. And I'm not sure that the thinking of, 'maybe I'll hold onto it because I'll soon have a house to permanently store it in' will lead me to a non-cluttered, lean-home future. (This being the extreme ideal) ... (Or not quite as related, this woman. I'd quite like to be her and have that amazing garden - this particular blog post was hilarious)

Packing has also made me realize that I need to get wedding stuff done and shipped ASAP. Because, like so many other things, I decided to conveniently forget that the wedding is not on this coast. So alllllll this great stuff I've been working on needs to be packed and shipped by oh, let's say this week? *panic* I've been in full wedding mode for the past weekend and pretty much every day this week. I returned all my library books whether I had started them, was close to finishing or hadn't even cracked them, because let's be honest, I'm not getting any reading done from now until I take my first step off the plane onto Palm Island.

And working out? What's that? That doesn't happen around these parts anymore. On the bright side, I am hardly eating due to activities and stress. So it all balances out. Plus, I count watching the Olympics as mild exercise since I freak out when the competitions get tense - even when I have very little idea what's going on other than someone is close to glory or disaster.

Funny (and a little bit sad) story. In my exploring things to pack or toss, I found some at home waxing kits I had never been brave enough to try. Lord knows what overcame me but I decided I should test it out so I could hold onto them or trash them. So. I figured ok, let's try the leg. That skins gotta be pretty tough and simple to do. And it was simple. And honestly not all that painful. I think it's similar to the difference between the pain you feel when you brush out a knot in your hair. It is much more painful to have another person brush out the knot. So having myself rip off a waxed on strip wasn't too painful.

At first.

Because after that... it was immediately like Steve Carell in 40-Year-Old Virgin when he's walking home after the waxing incident. And that was pretty unnerving and very unsexy.

So. My verdict is that waxing anything is the worst and I'll just avoid that for the rest of my life. Don't think I'm missing out there.