Basement update:and other various updates

We are so pleased with the progress so far!!! They aren't finishing on friday but expect to be done by monday (which actually works better because I'll be sleeping in prep for my weekend of work!! It's amazing to see the basement transform!!! I can't wait to set up Max's playroom down there!!!

Standing in front of "tv" looking at half wall/exercise/home office area.

Standing in front of "tv"/sump pump closet looking towards other half wall/towards MK office (which is just storage now)

Standing in craft area looking at TV wall/sump pump closet. (short horizontal piece of wood is what the TV will be mounted on).

Jason standing on new carpet that they've begun laying (1 foot tiles back with rubber to have some give, but super easy to remove for shop vac-ing water or rearranging for wear). You can also see the start of the crown molding and the painted black out ceiling!

Standing at bottom of steps looking towards finished portion. Half wall, sump pump closet, tv wall, Max's play area etc.

I'm 32 weeks today or tomorrow (it changes sometime over the weekend). Each day that goes by I get more excited about getting closer to term (or at least Max's D day!!). I'm still pumping water until I get nauseated and trying to rest.

There are updated pictures on Max's Blog if you'd like to see the big boy!! We're hoping to get lots accomplished over the next two weeks, getting the basesment more set up and livable so we can spend time down there!!! I'm also hoping to stock the freezer of various meals (I'll definitely post that progress when I do it). And of course B's nursery needs done!! Yikes!!!
Thanks for checking in on us!!!

another weekend done.....

I feel kind of bad about that last post-I seemed pretty whiney. I can't believe how busy we were this weekend at work...and I actually made it through the weekend okay!! Everything that seemed to go wrong did- but I did okay!!! I drank a ton of water...seriously- so much water. I still had some cramping but for the most part I felt alright. I still can't believe I'm 31 weeks pregnant. It was a full moon last night...I was convinced I'd either have a gazillion codes or I'd go into labor!!! I only had 1 code and no baby yet!! Our NICU is full so I'd like to avoid it if possible!!! Haha!!

We're really gonna try to get lots done this week. Jason's work schedule is mon, wed, fri this week so we don't get our special three days off together- but we do have our work cut out for us. We are hoping the basement gets finished by friday...eek!!! I'm so excited!!! I also would like to get the guest room emptied so we can start on B's nursery and start turning Max's room into his special Big Boy Room!!!

Basement Renovations Day 4 and various updates

It's going great!!! It looks really neat but I fear pictures wouldn't do it justice.

I wasn't however prepared for the annoyance home renovation would provide. People constantly in and out of the house, the noise, and the smells!!! The workers are completely professional and very nice. We spent the day away yesterday as they were painting the black out ceiling. I still have a headache though. All the products they use though for the walls are metal (metal studs and frames for the walls-no wood). You can imagine how loud it is!!!

I know it will all be worth it in the end!!!

I had my appointment with the OB yesterday and everything looks great!! I'm not progressing (as I was worried I had been). She does want me to call though if the cramping continues and becomes regular at all (even 10 minute intervals)...ack!!! That freaks me out!!!

Little Max is doing great with the renovations too. I was afraid the sounds would freak him out...that kid has no awareness of his surroundings. He has just been playing like nothing is different!!! Maybe he'll be this adaptable when B comes home!!! Let's hope!!!

Basement Renovation Day 1

I know I've blogged alot today...but I'm busying myself while I'm watching TV. Today is the first day of Basement Renovation!!! (woot woot)!!!

I worked all night last night and we decided that maybe it would be best if I stayed at the house today instead of going to mom's to sleep as originally planned. I knew I'd be afraid sleeping in my closed off bedroom while these men were working in the basement-so I'm laying on the couch-well, right now I'm sitting on the couch watching my DVR'd shows from late last week and weekend. I'm very sleepy and hoped to try to catnap some on the couch. However, today is "framing day" they're framing all the walls. Framing involves hammering and drilling and also cutting metal (I think those are the sounds I hear!!).

I hoping to get pictures to post of the progress....

Basement Renovation Before Pictures

Warning-it's cleared out but we have alot of stuff storing....

The view of the sump pump (that will be cornered in)

Turn directly around and this is the next picture:
This is the "finished MK office" nothing will change about it but it's storage for all our stuff right now. To the right in this picture is our downstairs pantry-the 2 freezers, our cabinet for overflow, the wine rack, etc.Still standing in the same place but turning halfway to see the steps going up and the part that will be walled off unfinished portion of the basement.

This is standing in front of the sump pump looking at the long corridor that will be finished. The part closest to the camera will be living/play area, then the middle section will be exercise area and the back will be home office/craft/scrapbooking!!

This is the back portion (imagin standing in the craft area) and looking at the part that will be walled off and unfinished. It will be our seasonal storage.

This is looking at the furnace with the area from the previous picture showing in the background. The walled off portion will include the furnace.

For some reason this picture is in here 3 times and I can't get rid of it. Any other time I delete pictures I want!!!!

This pic is standing in the "craft area" looking towards the playroom/sump pump (which will be closeted off). Picture a big screen tv mounted on that far wall (it was our big black friday find!!!)

I don't know...it's just another picture of our crap..er I mean stuff!!!

Monday is the big day. I'm so freaking excited!!! I can't wait to see how it is. It's really tough to envision what the final product will be like. And we will have a long road of setting it up even after it's finished. But we're excited to have a place for Max to play that is safe and we'll be able to set up the rest of it the way we want!!!

Where does the time go???

Wow-the 20th of January already!!!? We've spent every waking moment in the basement this month (after of course that stomach bug ravaged through our home). I say waking moments because-well, I like to nap.

Max does great in his pack n play while we're working down there and I actually think we're making excellent headway. My mom has helped immensely!!! I think we're almost ready for the renovation to begin in February!!! (I'm going to post before pictures as well as the progress...I can't wait).

I'm 28 weeks 2 days pregnant. Max arrived at 35 weeks. I'm freaking out!!! We do not have alot of time. As soon as the basement renovation starts then we'll start clearing out the guest room as we prepare to Max into his big boy room!!! We have ordered his crib (it'll be just like his old crib and it converts into a toddler bed and full size bed) and it should be ready very soon. It feels like we have a ton of projects but we're in stand still right now until the basement starts...that is our first priority. I'm of course hoping we get Max moved so we can clean the nursery and have it ready for B-but if not, we can use the pack n play for B to sleep in for a bit.

In anticipation of Jason cutting back his hours to stay at home (so we don't need day care or our inlaws) I've been really looking for ideas for budgeting and saving money!! One thing we decided to try today was CVS. I've found many great blogs where these amazing women play the "CVS game". I guess you can use CVS to really help out your grocery budget. Many of the items they have you can purchase with dollars off and get "extra care bucks" back. I'm gonna post tomorrow (hopefully) about our first purchases. You can essentially walk out of there with a bag full of goods for nearly nothing out of pocket!! And it's a way to stockpile toiletries and supplies that we normally buy at Sam's Club (and I'm finding that is not the cheapest place for some items). I really hope we can cut back our grocery budget via the items we normally buy at Sam's. I'm also reorganizing my coupon binder and I hope to post pics of that soon too!! I'm excited because I think I have my friend Erin (Stella's mom) on board with this frugality stuff. I'm eager to see how it works for us!!!

OOOOh- and Max is walking. Yup. All over the place. More than crawling now. He's been taking steps since before Christmas but chose to crawl. Now he's just so stinking proud of himself and walks all over!!

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There are some things I want to blog about and I'm gonna put them here for when I have writers block.
Pregancy finds this time around
Freezer cooking
CVS
Coupons
Current reads (blogs and books)

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More as time allows....man it feels like we're busy!!

Chalk mat tutorial

I just didn't want to lose this so I thought I'd post it!!! These are so cute. Once I get the basement finished and have a craft area-I want to start making these!!!

First I gather the following items:

Chalk cloth
Fabric for dinner mat side
elastic
thread
eyelet kit
ribbon
scissors

First I measure out the size of the place mat I want on the chalk mat and fabric. (Hint: Make sure the chalk mat is about 1- 2 inches shorter than the fabric. I usually use a template of a placemat that I have laying around. I think they are about 17X10 or something like that

Then, I cut it out the template from the chalk cloth and fabric.

With wrong sides togehter, I fold the fabric 2 times to give a nice finished look on the chalk mat side and I pin it.

The next step before sewing is to put about 1-1/2 of elastic on the bottom right side of the mat (underneath the fabric) so when you sew it it will be sewn in.

After pinning the fabric, I then sew all away around the chalk mat.

The last step is to use the eyelet kit and I usually put it on the opposite side of the elastic.

Viola! Your done!

I'm sick.....

This isn't directly pregnancy related-except I think the pregnancy may have exacerbated it!! I have a cold that may actually just be allergies. Darn Ohio Indian Summer!!! It was 70s all week and I think whatever has me allergic was in full affect!!! Plus we're working on that basement (we need space, remember?) and well basements are damp and dusty. So I have no voice and a horrible cough!!! Luckily, my husband and son don't have it which has convinced me even more that it's allergies. My problem is that I just can't get enough sleep to get over this. When I lay down I cough. I hack. I don't sleep!!!!

Pray that I can get over this. I work all weekend!! Ugh....


And I'm patiently waiting an update on my BFF Kara...she's being induced today....and we're eager to find out if Kid L is a bouncing baby boy or girl!!!

Early Morning....

Between my cold, the anxiety of the election, and going to bed at 9pm, I woke up this morning at 4!!! Grrrr....doesn't my body know I need sleep to get over this cold and take care of both Baby B and Mr Max!!! So I laid in bed a while, then decided to look at our budget, then decided to work in the basement. We're having an estimate next week for finishing our basement and we have lots of work to do down there before it's fit to have someone look at it. So just this morning I've added 1 large garbage bag of trash and emptied 2 clothes baskets. Yay!!!! I'm wanting some starbucks but their website doesn't have information about store hours on it...what kind of website is that!!!!??? So I'll go back to sorting some more and maybe head out about 6 or so. Surely they're open by then, don't ya think!!!?