Construction Update

As I type, the electrician is upstairs working on putting in outlets and lightswitches and running cable. Things have been moving along really fast and by the time I come home with the baby, I think we’ll be at least 95% done. I’m not sure about the painting, and I doubt the siding will be stained and put up, but for the most part the shed dormer will be close to complete. We have to get our carpet order in, too. I think that’s what we might be doing today. Sometimes I feel a little weird talking to people about this project because it’s pretty extensive and, honestly, expensive (even though we got an excellent quote). Then again, we don’t carry credit card debt, we own our cars, and are responsible spenders. In this day and age, as we’ve learned, that’s pretty rare. I always wonder why people don’t look into debt consolidation to help them manage their finances better. Back when we owned our first home, we rolled the rest of my student loans and what we owed on one car at the time into a home equity line of credit. It made life much easier for us (not to mention that then the interest was tax-deductible!). I guess not everyone wants to deal with banks and whatnot, I don’t know. Anyway, sorry for the tangent. I’m just so happy with the way work is progressing and can’t wait until it’s all finished and I can start decorating!

Cutting the Cord

The TV cord, that is. Within the next week or two we are going to cancel our DirecTV subscription. It’s something we’ve been talking about for a couple months and really, there are many better ways to spend $60 per month. Granted, I will miss the infomercials for the latest and greatest products, the lawyer ads for people who have experienced ill side effects from various medications or those trying to gather together people who are undergoing Mesothelioma treatment so they can put together a class-action law suit. OK, perhaps I won’t. I am wondering how the boys will adjust. Most of the time the TV is just background noise — noise I’d love to do without! And with it being summer, they will probably be doing a lot of playing outside. The only tough part of the day will be in the early morning when they wake up. Hopefully we’ll be able to make due with DVDs. It’ll be better for everyone in the long run.

39 Weeks!

Tomorrow I at will be at the 39 week mark! Hard to believe that I just a few days left in my last pregnancy (sniff!). I have no idea what life with three kids will be like — crazy, I’m sure, though I remember when I was pregnant with Jake and we started to look at life insurance leads. It made everything suddenly feel so much more “real” you know? Luckily, now we are seasoned parents and much more relaxed about pretty much everything. Heck, we don’t even have the infant seat in the car yet! It’s good though. It’s been nice to not be stressed out about things. Now we just have to wait a few more days

Almost a Year

A year ago we were slightly disappointed that our goal of closing the store we owned by Memorial Day was not going to be met. It was frustrating because we were so ready to just get out of the retail business. Luckily, it would happen soon enough and we closed the deal on June 13th. We haven’t been back since, though I’m really curious to check it out. I know that the new owner had a lot of changes in mind. For example, whereas we used a very basic cash register and inputted prices the old-fashioned way, he had researched POS systems and wanted to have a computer-based inventory. I also have heard that he got rid of a lot of the popular items we carried, which is surprising. I guess his goal was to make the shop more boutique-y, which is all well and good, but it was a neighborhood shop, so it’s not necessarily something I think would work. But I am probably wrong, LOL! At any rate, the last year has been so much less stressful not having the business. I’m glad we did it; we learned a lot. But I’m not in a rush to be a retail business owner again.

House Progress

We are on Day 10 of our latest home improvement project - we’re having a shed dormer put on the back of our Cape and rennovating the upstairs. Things are going incredibly well! I am just thrilled with the progress and excellent workmanship. Check out a couple photos. Here is the back of our house before:

And as of last night:

How amazing is that? In just 10 days, no less! With the baby coming in two weeks we will be able to really enjoy the extra space. I’m so looking forward to a relaxing summer spent at home. One of these summers we really will get down to N.C. like I’ve been talking about forever. But there’s no use for us to look at Outer Banks rentals this years because obviously we have a few other things going on, LOL! It’s so worth it though. I am a happy, happy lady!

Thrifty Afternoon

This afternoon we decided to head over to the giant flea market over at the fairgrounds. They have two of these flea markets a year — one in the spring and one in the fall. This is the type of flea market that sells pretty much everything, not just antiques. If you’re looking for socks or knock-off purses, you’ll find it. If you’re looking for bathroom vanities or zero radius sinks, you’ll find it. If you’re looking for Pyrex or old furniture, you’ll find it. I don’t always have great luck at flea markets, even though I always hope to find amazing deals. Today I just came away with a sweet little baby dress, and then I let Jake pick out a new Goosebumps book. Still, it was fun to look around. I saw some lovely enamelware (too bad it was so much money!). If only I had a bottomless wallet!

I Need Some Good TV

I don’t watch a lot of TV, really. I mean, I watch “Hardball” and “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” but I don’t know if those really count. I’m not a fan of shows like “Lost” and “American Idol” makes my ears bleed. (How can people still watch that crap year after year? It’s karaoke! And the people on it suck!). I guess the only popular show that I watch with any regularity is “The Office” and I believe that the season finale is tonight. I could really go for a new round of Top Chef right about now. I know Drew hates it, but it’s my guilty pleasure. I especially love the episodes when they do “restaurant wars.” Imagine how stressful (and yet exciting!) it is to put together a restaurant in such a short time period — deciding on a theme, a menu, shopping for food and wholesale housewares. But I know I’m out of luck on that wish.

Looks like I’ll be falling back on some DVD sets that we’ve accumulated. It’s about time we watch some of them, so that’s a good thing. And then we might just get rid of satellite TV altogether. I mean, you can watch a lot of shows online now for free. Saving nearly $60 a month would certainly be nice.

But then again, so would some interesting television programming…

Sick Again

I am so tired of this. I don’t know if it’s yet another cold, or the result of allergies, but my sinuses are full, my nose is alternately stuffed or runny, and I’m coughing up a storm. The coughing is the worst — I could deal with sinus pressure, but all the goop that is in my chest is making me miserable. It could be worse, though. I mean, I could have something like mesothelioma. Thank God I don’t! I just hope this is short-lived. Between the discomfort of late pregnancy and the inconveniences of living in a house where a major renovation is going on, I just don’t have the energy to deal with being sick. Maybe my OB will give me some advice at my check-up. Let’s hope so.

One Month Away!

Q: What’s an even faster way to lose 10 pounds that relying on weight loss pills?
A: Having a baby!

LOL, that’s right. My c-section is only a month away. I can’t believe it! We have a lot to do in the next month, but luckily I know that a newborn really doesn’t need too much right away. My weight gain hasn’t been bad so far (I think 21 pounds), and I am hoping to keep it around 25 pounds. If this baby nurses as well as Noah did, then the rest of the baby weight should melt right off, assuming I eat healthy (which shouldn’t be a problem). I am eager to see my feet again. Things are so much more difficult with the extra weight, but at least it’s for a good reason