The Last Hurrah and The Home Stretch

     I had my Week 37 doctor's appointment today. I am 37 weeks and 4 days into what some (mainly me) consider to be the World's Longest Pregnancy. I feel more like an elephant than a human (their gestation periods are 22 months). However, Junior has finally decided to make something happen, as I am 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. It's better than nothing! Still having serious concerns about his size, as again today the doctor kept indicating that he's a big baby. Yay for Junior, boo for me!
     The nursery is now 100% finished. There's not anything else we have to do/add/purchase (no more "have to's" but there are still some "want to's" left at Pottery Barn Kids!) To show off the final touch, here's a quick look:

                                                  ...and the close-up...

                                                         close-up...

     This dying with tea project turned out 100x better than I thought it might! It was actually fun, too. I used plain ole' Lipton...

...and dumped 10 tea bags into a paint tray (after dealing with the nursery walls we had plenty of those just lying around in the garage).

     Given that the paper the copies of these prints was on was just regular copy paper weight, I ignored any and all directions advising me to let it soak for 30-45 minutes. I spread each sheet into the tray and used a wooden spoon to make sure all the edges were covered in tea....then took them out about 6-7 minutes later. I laid them on the back side of a cookie sheet in the oven at 185 degrees, and just kept an eye on them. When they were 95% dry, I popped them out and let them finish air-drying on the dining room table. It was PERFECT! They look antique, and coupled with the great matting and framing that Hobby Lobby and I were able to pull off, the prints look deceptively super-expensive. Here's a before-and-after shot:

     I left Miss Jemima Puddle-Duck off my little boy's walls as I was afraid she may be just a tad bit too girly. Thoughts?? Mr. Wonderful, of course, agreed with me.
     Moving on...
     Saturday morning I woke up to Ming, our Siamese, howling his head off and racing wildly around the house for no apparent reason. And it wouldn't stop. I was still in bed, trying to wake up gradually and praying his attack on my eardrums would call a cease-fire, but to no avail. Finally I threw back the covers, hopped in the shower and when Mr. Wonderful asked me what I was doing, I said "I'm getting out of this house." I assured him he was welcome to come with me or stay, and although he'd had a late night the night before with his fantasy football draft (don't get me started--many of you are already aware of my opinion of all things football) he hopped in the car with me, and we drove to Weston, MO. I like Weston. It's microscopically small, and you can literally run from one end of it to the other in about 2 minutes. However, it happens to be the home of my favorite wine winery, Pirtle's. It's in an old church, and although the steps leading up to the front door were a challenge for someone in my condition, the wine at the end of the tunnel is worth it!

                              Mr. Wonderful, after having purchased 2 bottles of Mellow Red...just for me!
     This place is so fantastic. Inside is ongoing wine tasting all day long, AND--drum roll--you can order a picnic lunch and eat under the arbor in the shade to the left of where you see Mr. Wonderful now:

     A lunch basket nets you a hot-out-of-the-oven loaf of french bread, cheese, sausage, fruit...and wine. The picture's a little dimly lit, but under the awning are tables and chairs. Very pleasant way to spend your afternoon!
     After Pirtle's, we parked in front of a historic bed-and-breakfast we once hit up on a Friday night. I vaguely remember the room, but the breakfast the next morning is permanently etched on my brain. Wow. Unforgettable eats!

     We then walked the rest of the way into town, where I unabashedly dragged Mr. Wonderful into a dozen shops, most of them containing antiques, before we stopped at a tea room for lunch. Weston may be tiny, but they have crammed it full of so many wonderful things I love--amazing wine, amazing food and antiques! This was officially my last hurrah before Junior, and I was grateful for every minute of it, as "the home stretch" is turning out to be the most difficult. 
     Thank you, my friends and family, for reading my blog. Even though we're so far apart, it's truly a comfort to know that my loved ones read up on my silly little adventures. Soon, I'll have to begin a chapter on "Adventures In Diapering", as not being that coordinated, I always fear I will diaper my son's head rather than his behind!

Finished Projects

     Having taken a few weeks off from blogging has been a wise decision. There are so many things that are "new" to me now. For one, I had crazy intense and consistent contractions for 51 hours straight two weeks ago, so my physical therapy has been cancelled. This was done in an effort to make me "do nothing but rest" so Junior isn't tempted to make his debut too early, but that's awfully difficult for me to do. I can't lay around all day--that would really get me down! (pardon the pun!)

                          I need to start hiding the camera from Mr. Wonderful before I take a nap...

     Secondly, the nursery is completely finished--except for one last project. Earlier today I went to Office Max and, I'm sure, annoyed the guy who helped me no end.

   
     I am thisclose to being officially Petered out (Peter Rabitt-ed out??). But regardless, I had no artwork for Junior's room. Not a bit. Even though we painted the walls a neutral color and did nothing fancy to them in anticipation of moving (which is still on, by the way!) I can't let his walls sit naked like they are. So I marked the pictures in this book that I wanted blown up:

     I currently have 11"x14" and 16"x20" color prints ready to go up on the walls, as soon as I tackle one last thing: dying the prints in a big vat of tea. They are sparkly bright white at the moment, and I want them to look aged, so this afternoon I'm brewing a pot of tea, throwing in about 10 tea bags, and soaking each print in tea for about 45 minutes apiece. Wish me luck! I would hate to have to go back to Office Max and harass the same little guy again if I screw up on this dye-job!

                        The semi-finished product...rug, cushions, end table and everything!


One shock I had for the day that I think I'm still reeling from is the cost to get these prints (all 4 were blown up beautifully at Office Max for only $7.50) matted and framed at Hobby Lobby. I have known framing was expensive since I was really little. My Gran used to embroider the fanciest, most beautiful work, and she'd take me with her to have it framed.  But I wasn't prepared for today. I only had 4 prints, and they were not being custom-framed (I purchased ready-made frames at 50% off). The mats I purchased did have to be cut to fit the frame, but...$176.00 later (yes, you read that correctly) I am convinced that something somewhere went horribly wrong. They didn't even frame them for me, as I have to dye them myself first! So unfortunately I will be marching back in there tomorrow, receipt in hand, to have some of the charges on the receipt explained to me...slowly and carefully!


     In other news, Mr. Wonderful has installed the car seat! It's ready to go, and it feels so strange to be riding around with an empty car seat in the back, but when this child makes his appearance, I want to be ready! I played candid camera and caught not only Mr. Wonderful wrestling the car seat into place but his favorite assistant, supervising. I'm afraid he was convinced he was going to be taken "bye-bye" any second in this shot.

     

     Difficult to believe there's going to be a little man riding in there soon...very soon. Which brings me to my last bit of news: When having our last sonogram on Monday, we learned that although Junior gives no indication of wanting to come out anytime soon, he isn't exactly....well, small. In fact, he is currently already the size of a healthy newborn baby, and he has 4 more weeks to go. Doc estimated he could be around 9.6 lbs at birth. Oh and he has a big head, according to the sonographer. For the very first time, inducing and c-sections were brought up. It was interesting to see him on-screen again. He has chub-tastic cheeks and thick hair standing up on the top of his head. In fact, he looked pretty darn cute. He's just BIG. While I'm so happy to hear that my son is super-healthy it's a little daunting when your doc says the following:

"I wouldn't buy any newborn diapers if I were you."
"Don't worry--we can always get big babies out."
"You're going to want that epidural."
   
     This was just a sampling, but there was quite a bit of nervous laughter going on during the appointment--mostly mine. I tend to crack bad jokes when I'm nervous, and nobody laughs harder at them than I do.
     So all this being said, I enjoyed my blogging break, am excited to tackle the first few days of motherhood and to share our progress!

So, tell me: How much did you weigh when you were born?

Stick A Fork In Me...

     Currently Kansas City is on its third straight week of a heat wave. And by that, I mean the temperature appears to sit at 107 degrees every single day. There was one day--a Sunday--whose first half only made it up to 85, and that was a welcome break...until noon, when the heat cranked right back up again. This was what I had to look at while making dinner this evening:

     Despite what the clock says (anyone know how to reset these things??) it was actually 10 minutes till 6 p.m., and only a few minutes before, the temperature had read 108.5. I'm sorry, but in my book that means it's 109 stinkin' degrees outside and way too hot for anything...except this:

     Wow, this was good! I found the prettiest little seedless watermelon at the grocery store this afternoon. Nothing in the world seemed as appealing as watermelon with the temperature the way it is. And may I just say??--YUMMY! It hit the spot. I'm amazed that I chose such a perfect melon, because I honestly don't know what I'm doing in that department. I remember my grandpa knocking on melons and listening to their tone when I was a kid but I don't think I've perfected his method.  I did manage to gross out Mr. Wonderful a little bit because apparently here in the midwest they don't put salt on their watermelon...but I do. :) It is, in fact, the only thing I ever salt, as I am somewhat turned off by the white grainy substance most of the time. The fun part was when Mr. Wonderful and I, watermelon juice running down our chins (and in my case, my arm!) shared a big sloppy watermelon kiss right there in the kitchen.

     Having taken in two big slabs of watermelon, I felt better, but am still discouraged by this heat. Yesterday I was running errands and the heat really got to me. I came home and was dragging around the house trying to accomplish some things when I sporadically burst into tears--really over nothing. Totally the heat. So these days I have to plan any errands or activities around the highest temperatures of the day, if possible. But it doesn't leave me much time--it's still in the 90's when I go to bed at night! We've stocked our freezer with Edy's Real Fruit Bars (these are fantastic--try the coconut) for weeks now, too. Those seem to cool me down--but only for the 5 minutes it takes me to eat one. 

Tell me: What's your favorite way to beat the heat?

Starting Over

     

     Well, congratulations to the person or persons who sneaked in and bought the house we went to put an offer on yesterday right out from under us. I am finding it difficult to remain positive this morning, and am beginning to think it is going to require a Chai tea and a little shopping. You see, this house had it all, and not one of them up to this point had. They'd all had most, but not all. It's a tricky thing to find a house in the right neigborhood that has the following:

Older home charm (prior to 1950) This one was built in 1927

Details (trim, built-ins, glass doorknobs, etc.) Tons of glass doorknobs, and a laundry chute

3 bedrooms AND a space for Mr. Wonderful's office--yep, this one had a large office space

An up-to-date kitchen--beautiful granite countertops, amazing cabinets, farmhouse sink

A working (by this I mean big enough stalls with garage door openers) two-car garage--yep, check!

A decent backyard for our dog, Tyson--smaller, but perfect

A foyer (I have a dislike for opening the front door of a home and finding myself in the middle of  the living room)--this entryway was huge...I was picturing a large oriental rug just inside the door...

     So, as I write this morning I am mentally saying goodbye to the house I was just sure we would be moving into here in a month or two. I've also invested a little time in some prayer...mostly along the lines of "Ok, God--what is it? Where is it? When is it?" which may not seem clear to Oz readers, but God knows what I mean. :)

     I am going to trust in God and our tireless realtor Michelle to find the house that we are actually meant to move into, as it is now clear that this one (above) was not it. Back to the drawing board!

Practical Vs. Emotional

     As many of you know, Mr. Wonderful and I have been wanting to buy our first home for quite some time now. We've looked at countless houses in various neighborhoods for ages, and our realtor Michelle, patient and amazing as she is, has developed the knack for knowing what we'll like and what we won't right away. You see, I am drawn to certain types of houses...and it's entirely an emotional connection. Turns out, I'm not alone! According to International Communications Research, the following are true when it comes to gender and home-buying:

• The majority of women said that they had made up their minds the day they viewed the property for the first time, as opposed to men who needed two to three visits to decide.
• Women prefer living closer to their extended family as opposed to being near work.  Men would prefer a shorter commute to work.

Similarities of the sexes would include:

• Security or lack of security would be a deal breaker for both sexes.  Home security is one of the fastest growing businesses.
• Spare rooms would be used by both sexes as an additional bedroom, office/study or family room/den.  Although most men in the study would prefer the spare room be used as a "man cave" for recreational purposes.
• Couples say that neither sex "wears the pants" in the family in terms of making financial decisions.  Mutual decisions of this magnitude are important to both sexes.

     All that being said, I'm fortunate that my husband lets my penchant for glass doorknobs, leaded pane windows, stained glass and elaborate wood trim carry some weight. Because here's the honest truth: I want to fall in love with a house. I want it to be a passionate, romantic relationship that begins the instant I set foot inside. Like a man, the ideal house for me would be charming, well-established (read: old, although Mr. Wonderful is 2 years my junior), interesting, let you have room to grow and....overly practical need not apply! Aesthetics are going to win out for me every time. The only place I encourage a house to be practical is the kitchen--practically overflowing with stainless steel appliances, that is. The bathroom wins extra points if there's a claw-foot or free-standing tub. 

     Welcome to the world of real estate as I know it in Kansas City. It is quite clearly divided in the simplest of ways--by the state line. (Kansas vs. Missouri). Currently we reside in Kansas. Homes here are practical, not old (by that I mean you don't come across homes that are older than the 1950's), you can get more space for your buck, and the further south you go in the county, the newer the houses get...and the more my interest wanes. Houses begin to look alike...a-line roofs and various shades of beige and taupe. 

     In Kansas City, Missouri on the other hand, you have homes from the late 1800's and up...but not too far up...to the 1950's. These houses are loaded with details from a long-ago era that make my imagination race when I'm walking around from room to room. It becomes easy to imagine (in the oldest of these) that I'm Scarlett O'Hara--albeit sadly misplaced in the midwest, and in those from the 1940's that I'm a housewife waiting for my man to come home from the war, and in those from the 20's I imagine my 1921 Victrola playing in the living room while Mr. Wonderful and I slow-dance to "Moonlight Serenade", our wedding song.  We do this now, on occasion, only our current rental house is the same age as me and has about as much romance and character as a slug. 

                                                 There I am, racing down the driveway at Tara...

     The only issue with these exciting homes in Kansas City, MO is neighborhood. Plenty of times I have found myself impressed with a 1920's bungalow or a 1940's colonial, and already begun to imagine myself living there...when somebody (usually Mr. Wonderful) points out the nearness of a crime-ridden neighborhood, intersection, etc. And he is right. And I, romantic as I am when it comes to real-estate, begin to look at these houses with new eyes--eyes that see me at home alone some evening in my cute bungalow when somebody decides to break in. And--POOF! The romance is gone, and so am I--onto the next house, in a different neighborhood. After all, we may have a big dog, but his teeth aren't as sharp as they used to be!

     Having gone through this rigamarole off and on for years now, we have finally decided on a neighborhood. No hesitations, no niggling doubts--nothing but enthusiasm for the future and a desire to make it happen! And not that it helps, but Junior is due to arrive within 45 days...!

So while I'm not likely to end up with something along the lines of Tara, I'll be absolutely thrilled to end up dancing with Mr. Wonderful in a Tudor from the 20's. :)

So, tell me: When making a large purchase decision, what's your approach? Practical or emotional?

Rounding Up the Puzzle Pieces

     I have decided that, even though we aren't decorating Junior's first room full-on like we will when we move, getting everything together for a nursery is exactly like working on a jigsaw puzzle. Especially if you go the route we are, which does not involve a cookie cutter Pottery Barn Kids layout. I had decided, after initially registering for everything Pottery Barn, that since I wanted a vintage Peter Rabbit look, that the furniture should be vintage as well. Here we are a few months later, and the only new thing in Junior's room is the crib. But it looks vintage.

The only thing I knew when I started the process was that I wanted an iron crib. These just spoke to me. What they said usually was "I know we're nowhere near your price range but don't you just love us??" One of the major reasons I love this crib? There is no flat ledge around the edge to help this guy jump into it...

He may look docile here (stretched out on Mr. Wonderful's legs) but he is possibly the most active cat I've ever known. He is always busy doing something.
     So having got the crib sorted out, thanks to Granddad (my dad), we were on to the dresser/changing table.

I estimate this dresser to be from the 1890's to the early 1900's. See the knobs? Here's a close-up:

Obviously these didn't come with the dresser...I'll say it again--eBay is a vast wealth of all things Peter Rabbit!
     Then we added the rocker, and today, my friends, was the day I finally found the material to have cushions made for it...for less than half the original cost I thought I'd be paying. Score! It's a solid blue, the color of Peter Rabbit's jacket, and the cushions will incorporate white grosgrain ribbon ties at the top and base of the chair. I'm hopeful they'll be done by the time Junior arrives but according to the estimate on the invoice, baby and cushions are currently neck and neck!

     Since I am not revealing Junior's real name until after he gets here (for those of you I haven't blabbed to already), I am dying to show you the clock we're going to hang over the bookcase we have yet to purchase...but can't, as it has his name printed on the face of the clock (a Peter Rabbit clock, of course). Today I purchased a metal floor lamp from the 1940's (the second newest thing going into the temporary nursery) but I intend to paint it green and maybe stencil it before it makes its debut on The Oz Search.
We're down to a table, rug and bookcase! (I dread the rug--they're priiiiiceeeey!)
     So far, an antique mall here in town has outfitted our entire nursery (except for the crib). I can't say enough good things about this place:

Nellie & Nicco's. They have the good stuff--truly. You don't have to dig, you don't have to view items with one eye closed in the hopes that improves their appearance--these are really great finds. The people there are super helpful (and delivery is cheap!) I'll be hitting this place up for years to come--they are just my style!

So, tell me: When you decorate a room or maybe even your entire home, do you have a go-to shop to pick up the necessities?

Ah, Monday...Here You Are Again

     This never happens to me, but I actually had a Saturday where I felt bored for a period of time. Sure, I could've done  a couple of little household tasks that needed doing but that seemed about as appealing as putting an olive in my mouth.

     I found myself, unfortunately, relying on my husband to entertain me. ME--an only child, relying on someone else for entertainment. We're supposed to be a little more self-reliant and self-entertaining than that! Poor Mr. Wonderful--nothing he suggested sounded worth getting off the couch for. Finally, as a last straw and last ditch effort to get out of the house...we ran errands. Exciting? Nope. But it got me off my rear end.
     Sunday went by in a blur--we did join our church, and Mr. Wonderful is getting baptized soon! That was exciting. Other than a nap and attending our niece's 2nd birthday, there was nothing else going on. We keep trying to hang onto our interest in True Blood on Sunday nights but it's fading fast. Anyone else think this season is duller than dishwater?? Anyone else wanting to fast-forward to other shows on the horizon? Boardwalk Empire? Walking Dead? Anybody?
     All that being said, I woke up this Monday morning with a purpose, and found myself, due to technical difficulties, unable to accomplish what I'd had in mind. It brought on a case of the Mondays fast, and here I am now wishing for Tuesday because well...today feels like a bust already. I am seriously lacking the motivation I need to tackle any nagging little to-do's now. And I envy these guys, because they just seem happy to be here:

So, tell me: How do you get back on track when your plans get derailed?