Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

If it's not one thing, it's another... My excitement over our floor tile was short lived on Friday when I inspected it and realized it wasn't laid well. You can see what all of the spacing should look like in my last post.

Here's where two sheets meet and there was a little too much space left in between (least of my concerns):

These two sheets were laid so close that the tiles are actually touching:

When the tiles are laid correctly, they should form diagonal lines like these:

Some areas of ours look like this, instead:

I called our contractor & he's coming to look at them on Monday, but so far, he seems to agree (based on the pictures) that these need to be ripped up and done again. The problem is that we don't have any extra tile-- these were kind of expensive and we only ordered what we needed. Additionally, they were special order (typically taking 5-10 business days to get here) but we paid $150 extra to have them sent two day air to get them here when the contractors said they needed them.

So frustrating!!!

Progress...Finally!!

Remember, way back in December when I posted about our home troubles, specifically the mess of the pipe that burst in our bathroom?

Well, the reason that there's been no update in 10 weeks, is because there's been no progress until this week. And, while I shouldn't complain because we are lucky that we have two tiny bathrooms in our 1928 house (many people don't!) this was the only bathroom with a shower, which means that for 10 weeks we've been taking baths in our cast iron pedestal tub every day and washing our hair in the kitchen sink. The tub is a great for the historical integrity of the house, but OMG I do not want to use it every day.

In a previous post, I mentioned that insurance was not going to cover our issue and that we may have to clean out our 401k to get the money to pay for the damage. We were freaking out.

Then, the best thing that could have possibly happened, happened. I was asleep one night when Rob came running into the bedroom yelling about a leak in the bathroom. We opened the door to find water pouring out of the faucet into the tub, overflowing onto the floor which was several inches deep at that point. It was incredibly bizarre-- the water was OFF! Anyway, we took a lot of pictures that night, called the insurance company again to file another claim & this time, they ruled it as sudden and accidental damage.
Covered.

So, they sent out people to rip out the walls and rip up the floor. Then they set up huge dryers and heaters to start drying the water. And it stayed that way for about 3 weeks:



Once everything was dried out, we were ready to start reconstructing the bathroom-- only, the insurance company decided to take their sweet time in getting the settlement finished and our check issued. So, we've just been waiting. And waiting. And waiting. We finally got the check this week and the work started back up.

The drywall is finished, we have a new light fixture installed, the tile surround behind the tub is done and the floors were tiled this morning!!

We picked white subway tile for the walls (sorry the pic looks so dark):


and white penny tile for the floor with a light silvery gray grout (will be lighter when it dries):


I think that the tile is a nod to the 20's style, but still very clean and versatile. We like simple cottage style. Thinking about painting the walls a very pale silvery blue, but haven't decided yet. If you have any ideas, let me know.

We have the plumber coming out on Monday to install the valves for the sink and toilet, then the shower hardware will be added, the new pedestal sink will be installed, the old toilet will be reset, the walls will be painted and our new medicine cabinet will be hung. It's looking like everything might be done by next Wednesday. I'm counting down the days!!

I'll be sure to post complete before and after pictures once everything is finished!

11 weeks

11 weeks! "Morning" sickness is mostly a thing of the past, but fatigue is still my constant companion. I'm hoping to turn the corner soon-- I can tell a difference from a few weeks ago, but I'm not back to normal yet... whatever that is.

This week, baby is 2 inches long, about the size of a sugar packet:

And looks like this (Check out those knees and ears!):

Baking Baby Blakely

"All of your baby's vital organs are now formed and functioning, so the risk of defects decreases this week as your baby becomes less susceptible to outside influences. Phew! Other exciting developments include:

Baby's ears are assuming their proper place this week and the fingernail and toenail beds are beginning to form. Your little "pumpkin head" really lives up to his nickname as his head is nearly as big as the rest of his body.

While testes or ovaries are completely formed now, don't start decorating the nursery. You won't be able to see your baby's gender for a few more weeks yet.

Your baby is really on the move now. In an ultrasound you might be able to see your little acrobat flailing his or her arms and legs and doing somersaults worthy of Cirque du Soleil. You still won't be able to feel any movement, so if you feel something "kick" in there, it's probably gas.

In the next nine weeks, your baby will increase 30 times in weight and almost triple in length. You might feel like you're increasing 30 times in weight at this point, too, but we can assure you're not—because, honey, you ain't seen nothin' yet!

Your baby now weighs a third of an ounce, about the same as two small, Starbucks-sized packets of sugar, is about 2 inches long, the length of one of those sugar packets. Isn't that sweet?"

Just because it's funny...

...and everyone could use a little "That's What She Said" joke on a Monday morning.

(Thanks to Katie for tweeting last week!)

Swoon

This weekend marks the first purchase for Baby Blakely!

(Well, other than the things that were purchased before the baby was conceived.)

The Pottery Barn Bassinet has always been on my "Must Have For Baby" List. I know that we won't be able to use it for long, but we have to have something for the baby to sleep in next to our bed for a while (we will not be co-sleeping) and it can conveniently be wheeled into other rooms when needed. Craigslist came through for me again!

I took advantage of Old Navy's maternity sale last week and bought my first pair of maternity jeans. I'm in heaven.

I'm certainly not ready for full panel maternity pants, but my regular jeans are getting too snug, so these are perfect. (I bought a pair of regular jeans in a larger size, thinking that this was the solution, but they are so big that I have to use the Belly Band to keep them up.) The elastic waist lets me buy my normal size, but still allows some room for my expanding belly. I don't think they'll work late in pregnancy, but they are awesome now and should work for quite a while.

Even though strangers can't tell that I'm pregnant yet, I can tell all sorts of changes are happening-- Rob can tell, too. The other day when I was taking a bath after work, he came in to talk to me. He looked at my body and said, "Hon, you're becoming a mommy."

It's still a little hard to believe.

How to Make a Pregnant Woman Cry.

Seriously. I'm a freaking mess everytime I watch it.

10 Weeks

10 weeks!

The best part about being 10 weeks is that everyone keeps telling me that I'm in the home stretch of my fatigue and food aversions. "Morning" sickness seems to be getting better as long as I don't let my tummy get empty. I'm just ready for food to start tasting good again.

Just because I can't get enough of it, check out this great ultrasound video of a 10 week old dancing baby/escape artist.

This week, baby is the size of a Brazil nut:

And looks similar to last week...with the addition of elbows!!

Baking Baby Blakely

"By the end of Week 10, your baby graduates from embryo to fetus, which literally means "little one." It also translates to "I'm just going to keep getting bigger and bigger and so are you!"
Other highlights this week:

Your baby has finally morphed from a little tadpole into, well, a baby. Not only is the face more human-like, but that unflattering "tail" (really just the developing spinal cord) has disappeared, fusing into the spinal column.

Your baby now has discernible fingers and toes, which will explain the steady stream of kicks and punches you'll feel down the line.

Junior's skeleton is starting to grow and harden. The ears are beginning to take shape and the eyelids are no longer transparent. Tooth buds are forming, although your baby won't get any teeth until six or seven (or eight or nine or 10) months after birth.

Baby's brain will make an incredible 25,000 new neurons every minute this week. While you may feel like you're losing as many as he's gaining, we can assure you it's not permanent. "Pregnancy brain," like nausea and bloating, is a temporary symptom that soon shall pass. (And then you'll get "Mommy brain," but we won't go there now.)

If your baby is a boy, he's started producing that macho hormone testosterone. And whether your baby is a boy or a girl, the kidneys are creating copious amounts of urine. Lucky for you, you won't have to change a diaper for another 30 weeks.

Baby weighs only 4 grams and measures 1½ inches, about the size of a mondo Brazil nut."