Wham! Bam! Thank You Ma'am!

My husband rocks.  He seriously and unequivocally rocks.



As proof, I present our bathroom.  Yes, it is still a work in progress.  However, I cannot contain how giddy I am with how far it has come in such a short time.

Before:

Aren't those just beautiful aqua green tiles?  And that tub just screams relax away all of your worries.  *side eye*  I do not know how anyone actually lived with that bathroom.

First...

GOOD-BYE  ugly tile!

Then...

GOOD RIDDANCE drywall and subflooring lacking in moisture barriers!
(And no more green floor tile!)

Next...

Reinforce structural.  Replace crap plumbing with copper.  Add in a deep 18' inches of soaking tub.  *swoon*

And again...

What is that stuff?  Is that actual moisture and mold resistant backing?  Insanity!
(And yes, my hunky husband usually works shirtless.  It is a rough life.)

Finally...

Glorious, clean white tile.  All cut and laid by hunky husband. 

Unbelievable...

New mosaic tile floor.  It took Aut a whopping 3 hours to lay the floor.  *insert wide-eyed look*

Almost there...

All of the tile still needs to be grouted.  The bottom half of the wall will have beadboard.  Obviously, we still need to install the pedestal sink and toilet.  The window will be replaced eventually. 

Here is a bit of inspiration to leave you with an idea of the final product.

False Alarm #1

So I am sure that there will be more to come over the next 6 or so weeks. (SIX WEEKS?!  WHAT?! WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?!...  Okay, back to my actual post.)  However, this first alarm provided me with much amusement.  Aut, not so much.

We were sleeping away like normal on Sunday night.  And by normal, I mean that I woke up at least 3 times that night.  At least once was to use the bathroom.  Then there were the times I woke up because I had to roll over to my other side due to losing all feeling in one of my hands.  Yes, this is my current 'normal.'

Suddenly, I was screaming in pain.  Excruciating, make your eyes burn pain.  Aut lept out of bed.  I kept saying "I have to stand up, but it hurts too much."  Aut is hurriedly putting his clothes on.  I am continuing to scream in pain.  He makes his way over to my side of the bed to help me stand up.  All the while, he is muttering about how we don't have our bags packed, the carseat isn't installed and the house isn't ready.  As soon as he helps me out of bed, I start stretching out my calf.

Sweet relief. 

This would be when he realizes that I am not in labor.  That my knotted calf muscles are the source of my pain.

I peacefully went right back to sleep.  Aut's adrenaline was pumping too hard and he was up for the next 2 hours before the alarm went off.  I figure that I am going to get more sleepless nights in our future, so it is all fair. 

I guess we should get those bags packed and that carseat installed.

At least we HAVE our carseat.  Right?

And maybe ALL of this baby crap should be moved over to the new house...

On the house front, we are moving in two weeks.  That will leave us with 4 weeks to spare before Mr. Man's due date, but a mere 1 week before I am considered 'full-term.'

Oh, Hello Stranger(S?)

Why yes, I am still alive despite my MIA blogging status.

It seems that when I made my June goal to blog every single day, I had no idea how much I would suck at it.  Normally when I set a goal for myself, I do everything to reach it...even if I procrastinate until midnight before getting it done.  This time, I have no idea what happened.

Or maybe I do.

It seems that remodeling a house and being pregnant leaves one very tired.  It seems that when one has a spare moment, ones does not get to her blog.  It seems that forming coherent thoughts becomes difficult after painting a room, growing a baby, de-ivy-ing a flower bed, et cetera. 

I truly had the best of intentions.  I thought "Score!  I will track our remodeling progress.  I will keep a record of all of the crazy things I try out in the kitchen.  I will have a place to vent/moan/scream/rejoice about the roller coaster that is being pregnant."  Instead, I took a lot of naps.  And they were glorious.     

The good news is that my part of the remodeling is winding down.  We planned it so that my 'tasks' would be finished as my belly became less manageable.  My to-do list mainly consists of decorating rooms as they are finished.  It is not quite the manual labor I had been doing before, so I should be blogging more regularly. 

The other good news is that I have been taking pictures all along.  At some point you will get an overwhelming amount of before, during and after pictures.  You have been warned. 

I will leave you with a teaser. 

The Master Bedroom

Walls Painted: Check!
New Floors: Check!
Baseboard installed: Check!
Trim Painted: Check!
Window Coverings: Half Check  - bamboo blinds will be installed behind the drapes

To Do:

Light Fixture... and then,


MOVE ALL OF OUR CRAP IN!


And a little bit of my love...

Klaus cuddling up on Aut during our nightly drive from the current house to our new one <3

Home Inspiration - Mr. Man's Room

Once we found out that we would be expecting our 1st human child, I went to work searching for the perfect bedding.  I found girl bedding right away.  It was green with touches of pink.  It had a bird and leaf pattern, leaving it girly without being in your face.  Finding boy bedding was another issue.  I searched and searched and searched.  Everything was trucks, planes or jungle themed.  None of them struck a cord with me.  Until...

Why yes, that IS Dr. Seuss bedding, courtesy of Pottery Barn.  It warmed the cockles of my cold, educational heart.  Cheery and whimsical, every bit of it screamed BUY me.  So I did.

The sheets are sprinkled with all of my favorite characters.  The bumper bold in color.

However such bold bedding left a big question mark when it came to the walls.  While I liked the idea in the main nursery picture, it wouldn't last beyond his early years.  I wanted a color that will grow with him.  Enter...

I consider this to be a bold neutral.  In person, it looks more khaki.  Then again, I am not sure what 'Warm Caramel' would look like on a wall.  I prefer to keep caramel in my mouth.


My palette inspiration is more 'man' than 'little boy.'  I feel like this will balance the whimsy of the bedding.

I start painting tomorrow!!!  Wish me luck!

Weekend #1 DOWN!

Dirty Old House: 0
Overly, Confident DIYers: 7!

This weekend revolved around our new house.  Shocking.  I know.

Aut was pessimistic about what we would accomplish.  I was somehow not.  Maybe this is because I am mainly filling the role of Project Manager.  Aut got to play day laborer/hired help.  He was wary that we would be able to prime the entire interior of the house by the weekend's end.  I told him that we had to do it to stay on schedule.  It was the most important step in moving forward.  We needed to prime before any colors could go on the walls.  We need color on the walls before we rip out the carpet.  We need to rip out the carpet before we can deal with our flooring issues.  You see the dilemma.  As the Project Manager, I insisted that we would get it done.  

My Laborer

I was also wearing a mask.  You can see all of the paint particles being refracted by the flash.

I got to say a big fat "I TOLD YOU SO" when the entire house was primed by Saturday night.  He was happily eating his former worries and accepted defeat with grace.  As part of his reward, he was able to sleep in on Sunday morning.  This may mean more to him than any paycheck. 


In other non-related news, I had my first 'awkward' tummy encounter.  And it came from a family member.  Yesterday was Aut's Grammy's birthday.  Aut's mother is one of six and everyone still lives in the area.  This means that family gatherings are far from small events.  One of Aut's aunts is...  a little loopy.  Immediately after our arrival, she had her hands on my belly.  She, then, bent down to kiss it.  She kept muttering something about being excited for us and how huge I have gotten.  The gathering continued.  Kids playing the backyard.  Adults drinking adult beverages.  Family mingling and catching up.  Every time she saw me, she HAD to touch my belly.  I could be passing by on one of my many trips to the bathroom and she would have to touch my belly.  I could be mid conversation with someone else and she would just rest her hand on my belly.

What made this even more awkward is that she was not doing this to my sister-in-law, who is also very pregnant.  I was the target for all of the belly touching.  Um, okay.

As she was saying good-bye to me, she started rubbing my belly again and asked "This isn't weird, is it?  Me touching your belly."  NOW YOU ASK?  And what am I supposed to say?  "Yes, it is incredibly awkward that you must do it every time I so much as breath."

Margaritas

I wish!  Sigh.  Sadly, no margaritas for me this summer.  No refreshing, citrus drink on the rocks with a salt rimmed glass.  No instant vacation in a cup. 

Instead, this past week has taken me to another Margarita-ville.  It started with a recipe that was passed on to me as a suggestion for BBQ fare.  Margarita Cake.  *LIGHT BULB* I can merge my love of margaritas AND cake into one tasty delicacy.  And I can even partake in its deliciousness.  Sign me up for one slice, or maybe five.

Here the recipe as it was provided to me:
Cake
1 box lemon cake mix
1 package instant lemon pudding
1/3 cup oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup margarita mix

Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup margarita mix

1. Preheat oven at 325 and grease and flour a 9x13 pan
2. Mix all ingredients until well blended
3. Pour batter into pan and bake for 40-45 minutes
4. Whisk together sifted powdered sugar and margarita mix
5. After baking, let cake cool for 10 minutes
6. Pour glaze over the top of cake

I changed it up a little bit.  I used two 9" rounds.  This changed the baking time to about 30 minutes.  I also iced the bottom layer with buttercream and then sprinkled a layer of green sugar crystals.  After putting the top layer on, I dirty iced the entire cake with buttercream.  I let the cake set in the fridge for 2 hours.  Finally, I poured the glaze on top. 

A couple of crumbs and some glaze is all that was left at the end of the BBQ.  I guess that means it was a hit.  I'm thinking I might try making a strawberry daiquiri cake next.  

Later in the week, I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner and saw the margarita mix taunting me in the fridge.  Why hello, K.  How are you?  Don't you wish you could have me with the Patron that is in the freeze?  Wouldn't it feel fabulous to sit out on your porch with me in a salt-rimmed glass?  
This got me thinking.  What other food items could I join with my margarita mix?  I looked in the fresh drawer.  Red peppers? Check.  Lettuce?  Check.  Garlic?  Check.  Ground beef? Check.

Welcome to the birth of Margarita beef tacos.  

Ingredients for Beef Filling
1 lb. ground beef (or turkey)
2 tbsp minced garlic
3/4 c margarita mix
1 shot Patron Tequila
Taco seasoning

Taco Toppings
Sliced red peppers
Chopped lettuce
Shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream

1. Saute garlic in large skillet.
2. Add ground beef.  Cook until half-way browned.
3. Pour in 1/2 cup margarita mix and 1 shot tequila.
4. Continue to cook until beef is browned.
5. Add taco seasoning to taste.  I only sprinkled a little bit.
6. Let simmer until all of the liquid has cooked off.  Then, add last 1/4 cup margarita mix.
7. Continue to simmer until all of the liquid has cooked off.  Remove from heat.

We are a flour tortilla household, so I warmed those in the oven towards the end.  (Well, Aut likes hard shell tacos, but I never think to buy them.  Plus I like whole wheat tortillas.)  While the beef was cooking, I prepped our toppings.

It turned out to be a fairly good experiment.  The meat was very moist and had a bit of a tang to it.  The tacos seemed more like 'summer' because they weren't as overpowering as regular taco meat.  I even topped off dinner with a faux-margarita - OJ and margarita mix poured over ice in a salt-rimmed glass.  Summer drink, I may have found you yet. 
 

Mutley Joy

The Mutleys are over the moon with their new backyard.

Our current house has a HUGE backyard.  However, it is not fenced in.  We fenced in a small area for them, but it is not very hospitable to grass.  They also have free range of the screen porch.  This is not enough.  While Klaus enjoys digging in the dirt and rolling around, Zoe is a designer-mutt princess.  She spent the 1st year of her life living in Los Angeles.  Then, I adopted her and we lived in an apartment.  While she got at least 3 miles of walks every day, she was still an indoor dog.  From there, we moved to a townhouse (and gained a man.)  She had a small backyard, but there was no grass.  She has always spent a ton of time indoors, and now turns her nose up at being outside.  (Yet, if you let her go at the lake, she couldn't be happier.  She runs up and down canyons like a pro.  She wades through water and dirt like it is in her blood.)  She will whine and whine and whine.  I am sure our neighbors think that she is being tortured every time she is put outside for more than 30 minutes. 

Today, we brought the Mutleys with us to our new house.  Neither one of them made a peep the entire 9 hours we were there.  At one point it was so quiet that we thought that they might have escaped.  Nope.  They were happily lounging in the shade.  Klaus has already claimed the back stoop as his spot.  Forcing you to push him out of the way to even walk outside.  Zoe roamed through the overgrown ivy.  Klaus rolled in the grass.  They both wore happy, doggy smiles.  

Because they are just too cute when they cuddle with me on the couch.

Wow!

We took possession of our new house last night.  We got the keys at 6:30pm.  By 7:00pm Aut had already started taking apart the kitchen.

Good riddance drop ceiling!

By close of today, all of the rooms are prepped for the white base coat.  All windows have been cleaned.  All window hardwear removed.  All plate covers are in the trash, along with all of the doorknobs.  All closets are wiped down.  Every ceiling has been dusted and washed.

The kitchen is...    I'll just let the before and current pictures speak for themselves.

The previous owners/occupants were definitely 'creative' in wiring.  They had installed 4 outdoor overhead lights in the drop ceiling.  These lights were wired to outlets.  See those GIANT white cables?  Yes, they used those to wire the outlets.  And they all went to different spots around the kitchen.  Oh, the unknown joys of a fixer-upper. 

All of this in only 5 working hours.  It will probably be the last time we are ahead of schedule in this whole process, but we are feeling damn good!

Tummy Thursday!

I just now had Aut take my picture because we didn't settle in until late tonight  We were a little busy PICKING UP THE KEYS TO OUR NEW HOUSE!  Then, we went out for dinner to celebrate.

But here I am:
26 weeks and 5 days pregnant
13 weeks and 2 days until I am due
And very, very tired (I think that morning pictures might leave me looking a little more refreshed.)

Creaky Joints

I knew that pregnancy would make my already creaky joints worse.  But...  damn.

I had ACL reconstruction 11 years ago, following a soccer injury.  Then, I re-injured it 2 years later.  This was followed by several inconclusive MRIs.  I've known for some time that I will need to have arthroscopic surgery to detect what is wrong.  And I've been delaying it because I didn't have the time or the right insurance.  All of that procrastinating is biting me in the ass.  My knee likes to randomly swell up these days.  It likes to get stiff and refuse to bend without excruciating pain.  Today is one of those days.  I shake my fist at you, knee.  *Grrrrr!*

To add to my joint issues, I have 'multidirectional instability.'  In layman's terms, this means that I can dislocate my shoulder without pain.  Normally, I get into the gym enough to keep my shoulder in check.  Lately, not so much.  I've been having nightmares that my shoulder dislocates while carrying Mr. Man.  I gently shake my fist at you, shoulder.  *Grrrrr!*

Related to my 'MDI,' supposedly the ratio of elastin to collagen is off in my ligaments.  I have more elastin and less collagen than the normal person.  When I am not pregnant, my hips randomly pop out of joint while I am walking.  My thumbs can bend to lay flat on my wrists.  My knees and elbows hyperextend.  Let's add in the wonderful, pregnancy hormone relaxin.  This equals tons of fun for me.  My already loose joints are a free for all.  I shake my loose fist at you, joints.  *Grrrrr!*

Now, you may be thinking 'How did this old, wimpy lady even get pregnant?'
Currently, I am thinking 'How am I going to get through these last 3 months with the fewest amount of injuries?'

June Challenge

I have decided that I need to blog more.  And to do so, I need to be accountable.  What better way than challenging myself to blog EVERY DAY in June!  Plus now that I have written it, now that it is out there, I have to do it.  Darn it.  Why did I write that?  What was I thinking?  Grrrr to self.   

In order to meet this challenge, I have decided to try to organize my imperfect blog by the days of the week.

• Mondays will be Weekend Recaps, where I will hopefully entertain you with some random story from my weekend or bore you with the mundane details.
• Tuesdays will be Home Inspiration, where I will share the inspirations for our remodeling projects.
• Wednesdays will be Wednesday Ramblings, where I will let my mind take you where it wants.  
• Thursdays will be Tummy Thursdays (and then later, Mr. Man Modeling.)
• Fridays will be Project Progression, where I will track our remodeling progress.    
• Saturdays will be Mutley Madness, where I will gush, or rant, about our hairy children. 
• Sundays will be for New Recipes.  (Do I really need to explain this one?)

Here's to hoping this doesn't crash and burn.  And if it does, then that's too bad.  Don't say I didn't warn you. 

Ahhh, Life.

You know when you feel that certain contentment.  That feeling like life is not only everything you thought it could be, but more.  I am there.  We are there.

It is strange to think that just a year ago we were newly engaged, planning our wedding, house hunting, planning our move from San Diego, and our future family was just a hope.  Now, we are poised to have everything we wanted, everything we planned for.  Is life this good?  Is life this kind?

For today, yes.  Simply yes.  Resoundingly yes.

I cannot find the perfect word for this feeling.  It is so much more than love, than happiness, than joy.  It is a feeling of fulfillment but more.  It is a feeling of overwhelming gratitude but more.  It is just more.

I know that life will throw some bumps our way.  I know that the perfect life comes with its share of tribulations.  I know that there will be days I take our blessings for granted or not be able to see them as clearly as I do now.  But to be here, in the now, in this feeling, it is amazing.  I am going to savor every second. 

SOLD!

Let this serve as your warning about all of the house blog posts to come.


We are set to close in two weeks. 

Fancy seeing you here.

Yes, I was missing.  No, I was not held captive by our two Mutleys.  I am still getting into the habit of blogging.  I think I am having issues because I am not quite sure where I am taking this blog.  My life is going in so many different directions that it is hard to focus on any singular aspect.  Then again, isn't that just life?

I know that I don't want to be a pregnant attention hoar.  While I love, love, love that I am on this pregnancy journey, it does not define me.  

I know that I love ranting about the stupid people I encounter.  However, due to the above situation, I am becoming somewhat of an optimist.  *looking around*  Good!  No one needs to know that. 

I know that I could blog about my attempts at cooking.  (Last night's creation was delicious.  BBQ meatloaf muffins.)  Yet, this would require me to use or create recipes when I cook.  Generally, I look in the fridge or freezer and just make it up as I go along.  

I know that I could sympathize with all of the other people out there trying to buy a house right now.  But some days it is just too stressful to think about, let alone type about for every single blog post.


Today though...


Today could be a good house day.  Today, our offer could be accepted.  Today could mean the end of looking on Redfin multiple times a day.  Obsess much?  Today could mean no longer spending our weekends at open houses or stalking realtors.  Today could mean that we will have OUR first house 45 days from now (a whole 64 days before Mr. Man is due!!!) Today could mean that I can do some real gardening this summer.  Today could mean that we can spend our weekends refinishing wood floors, painting walls and creating my walk-in-closet, complete with chandelier. 

Or today could be just another day and another house letdown.

But until that happens, I am going to revel in the possibilities of today.  I am going to scheme up paint combinations for the exterior of our cute little, cottage-esqe house.  I am going to research flooring options.  I might even swing by Ikea to browse and lust a little.  More than anything though, I am going to dream about Mr. Man's nursery.

I am going to cross my fingers, say a little prayer, and remind myself that we put in the offer that we were most comfortable with.

Oh, and that perfect, first house that I am trying to not get hung up on...

 

   

Seriously?! No, really. Seriously!

Our recent travels have confirmed many of my recurring thoughts.  Common courtesy has gone out the window.  On every leg of our trip, we encountered rudeness layered upon rudeness.  It ranged from a bit of inconsideration to blatant disregard for others.

#1 - Airplane Etiquette
Yes, you paid for a seat on the plane.  A is singular.  With this one seat comes a button that you can use to expand your seat's space.  One would think that you would consider the person behind you for one moment before cranking it back as far as it can go.  One would think that if the person behind you was obviously pregnant, you might consider that said person is short on space to begin with.  Well, one would think this.  However, the four different people in front of me did not.  In fact, every single one of them put the seat all the way back as soon as possible.  To add to the crap, every single one was a bouncer.  You know the person that has to pretend their seat is a bouncy house.  It was made just for them to jump into when sitting down or wrestle around on while sitting.   The bouncy house effect left my knees just a bit bruised and my eyes very tired from constantly being aroused from sleep. 

When you are sitting behind someone, you do not get to use their seat as your personal hand rest.  I am not quite sure what possessed you to think that MY seat was the best place to put your hand for 80% of the flight.  I am also wondering how you did not get it when I kept glaring back at you.  I thought you might have gotten the hint when your hand kept hitting my head or when you pulled my hair.  I guess you left your sign at home.

Running into someone requires a simple sorry.  Then again, almost every person who ran into me was too cushy to have felt it.  Don't worry.  I apologized for you.  

#2 - Public Transportation Etiquette
Let's get back to that one seat concept.  You are one person.  You get one seat.  You do not get to sprawl across two seats because your pants are too far down your ass.  This is made even better when the train is crowded and people are holding onto the bars.

It is only trumped by you looking directly at a very pregnant woman and doing nothing.  Then again, nobody else did anything either.  Everyone with a seat let several elderly women stand and try to balance while holding a bar for dear life.  If I had a seat, I would have given it to any one of them. 

Repeat the apologetic bump.  Use it.  Love it.  Live it. 

#3 - Pregnancy Related Idiocy
Random lady on the plane, thanks for asking if my water just broke.  I was merely standing up after sitting on a plane for 3 hours.  So yes, my back hurt and I winced getting up.  I didn't feel bad at all when I responded, "Well, considering I am only halfway there, I hope not." and you got a pained look on your face.  I don't know you.  Why would you comment on something so personal?  

Don't touch people you don't know.  My body, my belly.  Your body, your belly.  I doubt you would like me touching your belly.  In fact, you looked somewhat hurt when I stopped you from touching my belly.  Go back to kindergarten and learn about boundaries.

Yes, I am pre-boarding.  Why are you pre-boarding?  You do not look disabled at all.  Oh, it's your husband.  He doesn't look disabled either.  Then again,  I wouldn't be rude enough to actually ask you if you were pre-boarding with a snotty look on my face or try to look at your boarding documentation to check your status.  I certainly wouldn't be rude enough to cut in line because I think that I am more important than you.  I do not care that you are pre-boarding.  It is none of my f-ing business.  Just like my pre-boarding is none of your f-ing business.  And cutting in front of the two women in wheelchairs was super klassy. 

Traveling just reinforced how much people can suck and how much I want to tell them that they do.
 

Wednesday's Musings

Wednesdays bring about a bit of random. 

Locals keep telling me that we are having an off spring.  It is not normally this overcast or rainy.  That is what they kept saying this winter as well.  Color me not fooled.  As long as it is not freezing and I don't have to shovel my walkway, all is good in my world.  Yes, it is a huge change from sun-drenched San Diego.  However, the change brings optimism in odd ways.  Your body and mind get some time to reset.  Nights are perfect for crackling fires and cuddling with sweethearts.  Plus when the clouds part, it does feel like everything is renewing.  Flowers trace the path of my daily dog walks, and can be enjoyed with a daily dose of claritin.  I haven't had to touch the roses in our backyard (major bonus for my black thumb) and yet, they continue to bloom.  Our orange trees are bountiful, almost too much so. There is magic in this soil.  Hopefully, whatever house we buy has the same magic.  Or comes with a gardener. 


I am finally not 'fat.'  I'm talking about those weekly pictures you see almost every pregnant woman take. Yes, I took them.  No, I did not like them.  I shared them with friends.  Everyone made the nice comments about how great I looked.  Blah, blah, blah was all I heard.  I just saw my previously tight abs disappearing.  I understand that pregnancy is a wonderful thing.  I know that I am so ridiculously lucky to be where I am at.  However, all of this knowing and understanding did not help me about feeling fat.  I joked that I looked like I got married and let myself go.  Really, I was insecure.  Am I really this vain?  Am I really this tied to the way I look?  Apparently so.  Then last night happened.  My husband took his regular role as photographer and I stripped down to my sports bra.  For once, I looked at the pictures and smiled.  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I have finally started feeling the baby in the last week.  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my belly is actually protruding out.  Whatever it is, THANK YOU.  Here I am, 19 weeks and counting.  Grow baby, grow.  

*Sidenote:  Huge bonus of getting 'fat' ~ my boobs are bigger than I ever thought they would be.  They are going to give me the best cleavage ever this weekend.

Where to begin...

Here's my little introduction into the blogging world. I am sure that the millions of you reading this are thrilled. *insert sarcasm*

I am still not convinced about this blogging thing, but why not. Someone told me that she would love to read my thoughts. Supposedly, I am funny and have lots to say. I guess I'll let you be the judge of that. *cue crickets*

I am a late-20's or so woman who is on this crazy, little path called life. I thought I had my life all planned out years ago because you know everything when you are 19. This isn't quite what I had planned, but it is oh, so very much better.

Where I thought I would be:
-Married for about 4 years
-A couple of kids
-Living in Southern California
-Working in the medical field

Where I am:
-Newlywed. Or am I? How long do you stay a newlywed?
-Expecting our first child in early September. I cannot imagine being on this journey any earlier. What was I thinking?
-Living in Northern California. Might as well be a different state. Strangely, it is me. Since moving here, I feel like I put on an old, comfy t-shirt. That one you've had for 10+ years but will never part with because it is worn in all the right places.
-Trained in education but unemployed and overqualified

There are certain aspects that turned out just as I had dreamed. I am married to a man who gets me more than I get myself most days. He knows me in a way that is comforting and exhilarating all at once. We are on our way to owning our first home. This needs its own post, which is sure to come in the future. We have some of the greatest family and friends in the whole world. While they may drive us crazy at times, they have our best interest at heart. Please remind me of this in the future when I want to pull my hair out. Plus we are already the parents to two furbabies, Klaus and Zoe. You will hear too much about them. They provide me with amusement, love, comfort and a little test of patience daily.

Speaking of the dogs, it is time for them to drag me around the block.