I wasn't going to do this but...

I'm not a big fan of the "belly shot";

it makes me super uncomfortable and 

personally, I think it's kind of creepy.

But yesterday I went dress shopping for

the umpteenth time in an effort to find

the perfect frock for the wedding of the century

that is taking place at this amazing venue:

Glengorm Castle, Isle of Mull

It was an effort to find a dress that fit my

pregnant self: I'm almost 5 months and have

gained just enough weight that I'm in between

normal sizes yet not quite ready for maternity.

But yesterday, I got lucky at Macy's.

I found the PERFECT dress - it's absolutely

adorable and looks like a dress I would wear 

if I weren't preggers, not one that I had to settle for

because I have a cantaloupe sized lump protruding 

from my abdomen.  And guess what?  It wasn't the

only dress that looked good on me! I actually found 4 dresses 

and had to make a choice; who would've thought

a pregnant gal on a budget would have options

this late in the game?  I chose a raw silk INC dress because 

it is just so me - a real party dress - and it was on sale! 

I'll post a pic of it after I wear it 

on the wedding day but circling back, here's a

pic of me in one of the three dresses I didn't buy.

Despite those white legs and cankles, I looked kinda sexy; 

the rouching really showed off the baby bump but 

the best thing about it was its size: not a maternity 4, 

but a real dress size 4! (which, I'll admit, 

is not the same as a Banana Republic size 4 but hey, 

I need to feel good about these 15 pounds I've gained!)

I am a believer in tight fitting clothing during 

pregnancy; oversized clothes, in my opinion, 

only make a pregnant lady look fat and I ain't down with that!

Only two more days until we hop the pond! 

Tomorrow I'll post a semi-kitchen reveal but I need to run - 

Pinkerton keeps walking across the baby and I need to get moving!

Take a Hike - Hoboken Style

My bloggy friend Ashley has been posting some pretty

impressive pics of her Alaskan hikes, so I thought

I would reciprocate with a few pics of my morning

walks for fitness; I like to call it Hiking, Hoboken Style:

My favorite place to walk in Hoboken is on the campus

of Stevens Institute; it definitely has the best view in the 

Mile Square City.  This pic shows lower Manhattan on the left,

and Jersey City Waterfront on the right. Wanna know

one of the reasons we won't be leaving Hoboken anytime soon?

Matty works in one of the buildings on the right. 'Nuff said.

Look, Ma - trees! I know, who would've thunk it here in 

the big city, eh?  This pic is of all of lower Manhattan.  For 

those of you not familiar with NYC, that's just a small portion 

of the city.  Where the building flatten out is probably around

the 20's and 30's; moving left off the pic, Midtown begins.

Ah, Midtown! Yep, that's the Empire State Building;

it's the highest building in the pic. Pretty cool,

but personally, if you're traveling to NYC, I suggest

skipping the Empire State and heading instead to the

30 Rock Building at Rockefeller Center: its views are 

360 degrees; Empire State's are not.

This morning, this cruise ship pulled up anchor and

departed from its dock somewhere around 50th Street.

It's surprising how fast those big ships move; I had a hard time
getting a decent picture using my antique iPhone.

Here's another peek of Empire State and Stevens Campus.

I like walking here because it reminds me a lot of 

Bucknell, where I went to college: like BU, Stevens is very
green, has  traditional brick-and-ivy buildings, and
has a fab quad with a really cool statue:

(not my pic, obviously)

Unfortunately, Stevens Campus is one of the smallest,

teensiest campuses I've ever been on, so I usually walk

up one side of the quad and then turn around and walk

down the other, which is barely enough to
satisfy my daily dose of nostalgia.

In just a few days, I'll be walking for fitness on
the Isle of Mull and then a few days after that,
on the Isle of Skye! I'm looking forward to those
walks and to those posts; I hope you are, too!

Restoring Order

My life is getting back in order!

Today our marble countertops were installed

and they are simply gorgeous.  As a matter of fact,

you may not want to be my friend once you see

them because you'll be sick with envy.  

Here's a quick sneak peak:

(I'm not quite ready for the big reveal; be patient)

While the installation crew was here,

one laughed maniacally in to his cell phone,

another sat outside on the steps "watching"

the truck, one actually worked on the installation,

and one, unknown, pissed all over my bathroom 

floor and left the seat up. Other than that, 

they were most enjoyable and did a great job.

While they enjoyed their shenanigans,

I spent my time outside painting cabinet doors,

before returning indoors to restore order to my abode;

I managed to get a lot accomplished today.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

(see Bebe's little pink Converse? Her dad

 is really excited about buying her sneakers)

Check in later this week for the big reveal!

Dirty Jerz

 New Jersey is toxic and I'm afraid it's going to kill my baby.

Now, it's no big secret that New Jersey and I have 

a love/hate relationship; since moving here a decade ago, 

my stress levels have increased as much as 

my cost of living: both have grown exponentially.

I want my daughter to grow up footloose and Prada free

but at the same time, I want her to have tennis lessons 

and a pony.  And yes, I also want her to spend 

part of her summers here because the stories my college 

roommate told of her summers are ones 

I want my daughter to replicate as her own.

The other portions of Bebe's summers will be spent

with us, traveling the world and visiting 

family in Great Britain, of course.

Her Scottish aunties and godmother will just eat her up.

But will all that be possible if we remain in New Jersey?

Will we be able to afford a lifestyle that affords our

daughter a life of humble privilege? Or will I end up

with an entitled Sammi the Sweetheart on my hands?

I worry about the life I'm bringing BeBe in to

and struggle daily with how it's going to affect her.

Traffic, pollution, lack of open space, poor air quality,

tens of thousands of pounds of chromium buried 

under golf courses and residential communities,

 political corruption and the fear that the educational

system is going to collapse under the weight of Trenton

are just a sampling of issues I have with the Garden State.

I'm not saying that I want to raise my daughter 

far from the madding crowd, either.  I've grown

accustomed to city life and enjoy many of its perks.

I just wish that NYC's urban planners of old would have

taken some time to think about the rest of us to come.

Would it have been so difficult to follow models

across the pond?  In 15 minutes, one can leave London

and be in a lovely village along a gorgeous river, 

resplendent with swans and long boats, waterside

pubs and gorgeous walking paths: 

a true respite from city life.

A place a child can grow up not knowing 

there even is a city within stones' throw.

A place with fabulous train lines that would

allow a child to never experience the 

death threats of the NJ Turnpike.

Those places exist.

I know, I've been there.

WOO HOO!

Have you ever quit your job, packed up your life and moved from, oh, let's say somewhere like Ohio to somewhere like Alaska? Have you done it without another job lined up, just hoping for the best?

Well, my bloggy BFF did just that a month or so ago when she left the teaching/coaching position she adored to move to where her hubby matched and would begin his residency.

It wasn't a culture shock for this couple, as both grew up in Alaska, but for Ashley it was, in my opinion, an admirable, ballsy move. Leaving a job you enjoy and an environment in which you are respected is tough, particularly when you have nothing lined up but hope; I know, I did it a decade ago when I left Pennsylvania and moved to Staten Island. I got very lucky when, after scouring the Internet for positions and sending out many, many resumes, I was offered my current position at the first interview.

Yesterday I found out that I'm not the only one with a lil bit o'luck on my side -Ashley got lucky, too! Now, let me make this clear: the only reason this gal needed any luck at all is because of the job market. Apparently, all of Anchorage is umbrellaed under one giant district and English positions were severely limited.

But I wasn't worried because this girl is a peach: she's smart, engaging, enthusiastic, caring, and dedicated. Obviously, the interview committee recognized a prize when it saw one because yesterday she was offered a position teaching 8th grade English.

I'm so happy for her! As a gal who is about to experience a pregnant pause in my teaching career, I'm thrilled that my bloggy BFF will be able to keep me current on our discipline.

Alaska may be quite a trek from Hoboken, but my gal Ash is only an email away!

Congratulations, Ashley! I'm so happy for you!

Training Through Britain

My summertime would not be complete without a series of train travels in Britain and this summer is no exception.

This is the start of my second decade of traveling in Scotland, so I am accustomed to life on the rails. This trip, I'm doing something new: I'm taking the train from Kings Cross to Glasgow - hopefully from Platform 9 3/4! I suppose because we're only going to be in London for 24 hours, it would have made more sense to fly straight to Glasgow from Newark but I couldn't miss an opportunity to see my lovely friends Yolandie and Cliff, so we're flying to London to attend the opening of their new bistro.  The following day, we'll board the train to Glasgow, where Bebe's godmother, Karen, will collect us and take us back to Shotlinn, her family's dairy farm.

The next day, the three of us will depart via Land Rover to Oban, where we'll catch a ferry to the Isle of Mull to attend the fairy tale wedding of my friend Lynsey.  The day after the wedding, we'll be up VERY bright and early (due to our poor planning ) to catch the return ferry to the mainland.  Needless to say, we're not looking forward to that wake up call but fortunately, since I can't drink at the reception, it won't be too terribly bad... well, at least not for me.

The ferry from Mull back to Oban is a 45 minute journey and I'm really hoping the ferry's kitchen serves bacon butties; the Mallaig - Armadale crossing only serves them in the winter, so it's been a while since I've feasted on one of those healthy treats. If all goes well, Karen will then shuttle us to the train at Crianlarich, where Matty and I (along with, no doubt, a dozen midgie-bite covered German adventure scouts) will, hopefully, make the 10:21 departure to Mallaig. That train stops in the outdoors capital of the UK, Fort Wililam, home to Ben Nevis, one of Britain's highest peaks. It then resumes its journey along was recently voted the world's most scenic train journey or as we Harry Potter fans think of it as, the way to Hogwarts.

Upon arrival in that tiny fishing village, Matty and I will race to catch the ferry over the sea to Skye, where we'll be met by my godparents at the pier.  Thankfully, my godmother already sent us ferry tickets so we will be able to skip the queue at the sales office and head straight to the ship.  This is a short crossing, only 20 minutes, and deposits us on the island right next to this happening hot spot!

The train travel to Skye is always one of the highlights of the entire trip because it's one of the few times in my year that I'm forced just to sit, read, look, enjoy, and relax.  I have issues with relaxing - I don't really know how to, do you?

I'm so excited to share this journey with my Matty and of course, with Bebe, who travels to Skye for the first time this summer; next year, instead of experiencing it from an internal perspective, she'll get to be an active part of it and that is going to be trippy in itself!

Book Review: Red Hook Road

RED HOOK ROAD

As lyrical as a sonata, Ayelet Waldman’s follow-up novel to

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits

explores the aftermath of a family tragedy.

Set on the coast of Maine over the course of four summers,

Red Hook Road tells the story of two families,

the Tetherlys and the Copakens,

and of the ways in which their lives are unraveled 

and stitched togetherby misfortune,
by good intentions and failure, 

and by love and calamity. A marriage collapses under 

the strain of a daughter’s death; two bereaved 

siblings find comfort in one another; and an 

adopted young girl breathes new life into her family

with her prodigious talent for the violin.

As she writes with obvious affection for these 

unforgettable characters, Ayelet Waldman skillfully interweaves 

life’s finer pleasures —music and literature—

with the more mundane joys of living. 

Within these resonant pages, a vase filled with wildflowers 

or a cold beer on a hot summer day serve as constant reminders 

that it’s often the little things that make life so precious.

- Taken from www.ayeletwaldman.com

I spent a day last week reading this novel and loved it - 

loved, loved, LOVED it.  There's something 

about Waldman's prose that is lyrical and easy, 

making it the perfect summer read, 

but more impressive is how she crafts that prose 

to reveal a subject matter that, in the wrong hands,

could be the antithesis of summertime but 

somehow ends up full of light and hope. 

The characters are rich and full; there is one that 

represents each of us in some way, large or small.

My favorite character in the novel is the state of 

Maine and Waldman's first hand knowledge of it 

reveals its beauty and complications honestly.

As many of you know, I'm a long time Waldman fan 

so I pre-ordered this novel so that it arrived 

on the date of release and also because I got a 

nice little discount for doing so. 

Go buy this book and don't complain; so many 

of my friends have no problem going out on 

the town and spending $12 for a single martini 

(and believe me, they don't just drink one) but they

gasp at the thought of purchasing a book at full price.

First of all, that logic makes me crazy.  

Secondly, anyone still paying full price 

for anything needs schooled. Head over to 

Amazon.com or BN.com and buy this book; 

you'll pay under $20 for it and 

not only will you have something tangible, 

you'll also get a free trip to Maine.

If you enjoy podcasts, head over here 

and listen to this one (click on the word "Listen", 

located on the upper left hand side 

of the page, under the word "Home").  

The host's voice is a bit much,

but Waldman's, like her writing, is gorgeous.

For S.I.F. and All of My Pregnant Readers...

Dear fellow moms-to-be:

If any of you are able to put on a pair of heels and dance 

around like this at 38 weeks pregnant,

I may resign as your friend.  

Not only was I born hapless

 in the choreographed routine department, 

now at 17 weeks, I've grown out of all of my heels! 

Seriously - I tried on my wedding shoes today

and my heel stuck out, like, an inch and a half!

Now, don't get the wrong impression, 

I may feel like a brick house but I've only gained around 

12 pounds in my 17 weeks - yes, I know that's a lot but

 considering my diet used to consist of Starbucks, gummy candy

and wine (calm down, I'm exaggerating, I ate cereal, too), 

once I started to eat three meals a day, 

the weight gain was a no brainer.

But to gain it all in my FEET?  

Ugh.  Shoes are expensive!

So ladies, there's no way I'll be dancing in heels at 38 weeks; 

not only will I probably be confined to a rubber room by then, 

hell, I'll have to go to a cross dresser 

supply store to find a pair of heels to fit me!  

Which is why if any of you are gettin' jiggy wit it 

during the home stretch, just keep it to yourself!

Love,

Ali

It's Getting Bigger...

Each day, my stomach gets bigger,

and I'm not going to lie, it's freaking me out. 

It's causing a few issues, such as wardrobe 

malfunctions and sleep deprivation, but it's not 

the only one causing problems.  

Bebe LaPointe is a bit of a troublemaker, too.  

She really enjoys resting on or against my

bladder; if she's not pressing on it, then

she's pushing some other organ up against it,

which means I am up at least 4 times a night

going to the bathroom.  It's not so bad during 

the day; I guess she's a night owl like her grandfather.

Blogosphere, We Have Appliances!

Oh yes, it's all coming together now.

The fridge has arrived and it fits - after a

few last minute (frustrating and expensive) adjustments.

Isn't it shiny?  That's right - we're living like

grown ups now.  We decided to forego cabinet space 

(six inches) to gain food storage. I mean, those

bottles of formula and containers of home made

baby food are going to need a home, right?

Speaking of home made baby food, it will

be a while before I'm preparing it on this 

kick ass beast so until then, it's going to get a workout

heating up frozen pizzas and an occasional home made 

meatloaf or lasagna.  That is until I make it to Costco

to buy this and every other book Bethenny Frankel has written.

Yeah, I have a summer girl crush on her; it's 

impossible not to when she's having one hormonal 

meltdown after another on national television.  I get it.

My own meltdowns will be fewer and farther

between now that I have this brand spankin' new dishwasher.

Isn't it pretty? Although it's the odd man out with its Frigidaire

label, we made sure its handle and sheen matched those

of the Samsung appliances, so that all three can play nicely.

In a few weeks, we just may have a finished kitchen,

just in time for us to skip the country and for our

pal Erik to move in and enjoy it!

Happening Hot Spot

Now, you may not believe me but this

is one of the most happening hot spots 

in Armadale, Isle of Skye. It's a restaurant 

called The Shed and it serves foods fresh

from the island: Mallaig haddock caught right

near the pier that The Shed resides on, locally

grown veg, including clover and edible flowers, 

scallops, smoked trout, and lovely prawns.

And then there are the desserts.

There's nothing like warm sticky toffee pudding 

topped with the best ice cream in the world.

The proprietor of The Shed is one of my

godmother's best friends, Ann MacPhail, 

and her three gorgeous daughters, Emily, Becky,
and Victoria, take turns helping her out.

A decade ago when Victoria was just a wee girl,

perhaps ten years old, she took me horseback 

riding and grilled me on all things American,

particularly her obsession with WWF.

The Shed only seats 10 people at a time and 

when I'm on the island, my godparents assemble

a cast of characters, use their pull with the

owners, and we take over The Shed.

It's a BYOB, so everyone brings a

bottle of wine or a few cans of beer and we feast.
Once Ann and the girls finish preparing our
delicious meals in the smallest kitchen known
to man, and are done serving them in an
equally tight dining room, they come out from behind
the counters and join in on the conversation.

Sometimes, in the early morning (well, not

too early since the altitude of Skye is

VERY conducive to sleeping in) I'll get up

and walk the three miles down to the pier

along the sea road for a gorgeous caramel latte,

 lower Skye's answer to Starbucks and an excellent one at that.

In a few short weeks, I'll be back on Skye, ready
to cram into the dining room and walk the sea road once again.
Summers on Skye are the epitome of perfection.
If you ever want to join me, let me know;
Ann can usually manage to slide in another chair or two
because on Skye, there's always room for a few more.

Walking the World

I used to spend my summers hiking the hills, dales, 

lochsides and coastlines of Great Britain.  

I've walked the West Highland Way,

 the Three Dales Way, the Cornwall Coastal Path,

The Pembrokeshire Coastal Path in Wales, and 

of course all over the Isle of Skye.

And I've done most of that walking with 

my favorite Scots, The Walking Girls:

This is me and Abs in Wales, trying to piece the map back 

together after tearing it apart for easier carrying.

See that bottom marker on the fence post?  It shows someone 

falling head first off the cliff.  Here's a pic of me trying to replicate it.

This is us at the Minack Theater in Cornwall.  If you 

haven't heard of it, go to the link.  It's breathtaking.

Lakes in Scotland are called lochs, except for 

this one, which is where the lovely Abbie was married.

Here we are hiking the day before the reception.

Did you know that the Giant's Causeway, about an hours drive

from Belfast, is in Great Britain?  Some people don't.  

This is my salute to Northern Ireland - love it there! 

When you're pregnant, people LOVE to tell you how

your life is going to change dramatically and you'll no

longer be able to do the things you once did.

"Hiking in the UK? With a baby?  

Ha! Good luck with that", is one such comment

I've heard, in addition to "A Girls walking holidays?  

When you're married with a baby?  

You can forget about that!" is another.

Well, screw that - babies change lives but 

they don't change people.  I know who I am

and what I will sacrifice and what I won't.

My time with my girls is a won't.

No worries - there's enough of us Walking Girls

that we can take turns strapping on the Bjorn.

BeBe will adore the views, particularly 

ones like this:

Wild horses won't drag us away from the world.  

Instead, we are super excited to view it with them.

Fallout

No, this isn't a scene from an episode of Hoarders.

This is a scene from my temporary reality, 

what I like to call Kitchen Remodel Fallout.

And it's killing me.

For the past two days, I've been on couch arrest,

thanks to my husband who is convinced that

I'm "overdoing" it.  What can I say?

He's right; as I've mentioned numerous times,

I'm not good at being pregnant but I'm even 

worse at being on couch arrest.  Particularly now 

that my once ordered home is in a 

state of turmoil and confusion. 

This is not how I live and having to sit

and view it from the couch while 

under strict orders not to get up 

and organize it is torture.

Which is why yesterday, 

when I read about this treat

on my bestest bloggy friend's post, 

I confronted my jailor upon his 

return from work and demanded 

some release time. Thankfully, he complied.

Oh, love!

Thanks for giving me something to live for, Ash!

Ps. Ya know how everyone says that one of 

the best parts of pregnancy is that the prenatals

will make your nails grow like mad? 

Well, check out that thumbnail, baby;

anxious, much?

Ups and Downs

Pregnancy is hard.

To be honest, it's really hard for me to get my mind off of all that can go wrong.  Every time I have a strange feeling in my abdominal area, I'm convinced it's the beginning of the end.  Every time I go to the bathroom, I hold my breathe and say a prayer before checking to see if things are normal or if there are any warning signs.  Every time I eat something on the "don't eat" list, I'm convinced I've cursed my baby.

Going through the CVS was tough stuff but I was hoping that once I got the results, I would be able to proceed with a bit of joy.  That was quickly stunted when I started to have strange discharge and became convinced that Bebe was in danger.  I called the doctor on that one and was told it was no biggie, that it was normal, and that the baby was fine; that was confirmed on Tuesday when I had an appointment and heard the heartbeat.

That little beating is a miraculous sound and it filled me with serenity and confidence... for about 48 hours.

Today, I kind of over did it: I was outside on my feet in the heat refinishing cabinets for about 4 hours or so, then returned indoors and emptied out all of the remaining kitchen cabinets, which took another 2 hours.  I admit I was exhausted but feeling pretty good until I finished and went to use the bathroom and then have a shower.

That's when I noticed I was bleeding.

It wasn't heavy and it wasn't pure blood - it was mixed with whitish discharge (which is the normal part) - but it was totally alarming and immediately stopped my heart.  I got in the shower to calm down and cool off and then called the doctor.

I highly recommend making friends with an Ob-Gyn if you plan on having children - like BEST friends.  That way, when you call with an issue, he or she will truly care about it and do everything with his or her power to get to the bottom of the problem and give you peace of mind.  Because that's not how it works when your doctors have NO vested interest in you.

And I'm not blaming them - they are busy people who see tons of patients and honestly, don't know me from Eve.  It's just the nature of the beast when you live in one of the most overpopulated states.

When the doctor finally called me back, she was pretty cool and clinical and said to stay off my feet and if it continued or increased, to call the office in the morning and they would get me in to see me.  She wasn't concerned because there was no cramping and because I explained the circumstances of my day.

I, on the other hand, am a freakin' lunatic right now and am convinced that I have done something to harm my baby, that it's all my fault, that I suck as a mother already, and that if there is a "worst" thing that can happen, it will absolutely happen to me.

So here I sit on the couch with my feet up while my husband forces a smile, caters to me and attempts to act as though he is 100% confident that the baby is just fine.  I'm sure that while he's over there sanding down the kitchen wall, he's just as nervous as I am.

Or maybe I'm just a freak.  Let's hope...

Take the Indoors Out

HGTV_2075
Originally uploaded by CO Coccia

I love summertime and this year because I'm pregnant and unmotivated, I'm particularly thankful for its arrival.

Ya'll know how much I love HGTV and lately, it's been on in the background at least six to eight hours a day. Consider it market research for my kitchen remodel: I need to know what buyers are interested in so that when we outgrow our place, we can sell it for top dolla, dolla bills, yo.

The problem is, I've got work to do refinishing cabinets but a). the heat is not enticing me to hop out on to the deck and get to work and b). I can't see the TV from the deck.

There's nothing I can do about the heat except suck it up however I might be able to re-position the television so I can view it from the veranda while sanding cabinet doors. That will be my Thursday project, I think.

I bought all of the paint for the kitchen today; Benjamin Moore carries a line called Natura and supposedly, it's fairly safe for pregnant women, which is awesome, since I don't want Bebe getting high in utero.

There's nothing that bores me more than someone who's stoned.

Out of Place

I'm sitting here on the couch watching my dinner spin round and round in the microwave.

Because it's in the living room and not in the kitchen where it belongs.

Needless to say, this makes me VERY uncomfortable but I'm going to tough it out.

I understand that many people deal with makeshift kitchens during their remodeling but I don't know if those people share my issues.

It makes me really uncomfortable when things are where they don't belong: underwear on the side of the road, a child's sock in a mall parking lot, microwaves in the living room.

But I can do this.

I

Can

Do

This.

On a brighter note, I heard the baby's heartbeat today and am thrilled that Bebe is still alive and kickin'. I figure I can maybe enjoy a few days of expectant mother bliss before I'm once again convinced that she's gone silent.

Nesting

We have begun to prepare the nest for Bebe LaPointe and it's an absolute disaster area:

We've been without a working oven since the great spatchcocking incident of Thanksgiving '09 (thanks, Martha Stewart).  We knew we would eventually renovate the kitchen, so we didn't go out and buy a new one because we wanted to wait until we were ready to buy all new appliances and update the kitchen from top to bottom.

Well, that time is finally upon us.  Lowes usually offers 10% off of all appliances over $400 over Fourth of July weekend and this year, they offered 20% off of Whirlpool ones.  Fortunately, I had the foresight to acquire an additional 10% off coupon that could be used on top of that sale so Saturday morning we went to Lowes in North Bergen (which is an urban district and thus charges only 3.5% sales tax) and purchased new stainless steel appliances (a must in Hoboken for re-sale): a new French door refrigerator, a glass top range, an above the range microwave, and a new dishwasher.  Of course, we didn't buy a single Whirlpool appliance, even though I went in there with the model numbers of the four I was determined to purchase but we got great deals on Samsung and Frigidaire.

We then went to the stone yard and chose our countertops - thank GOD we only have 30 square feet to cover because stone is expensive!  I knew what I wanted when we went into the show room but I was open to other options.  Once we were in the yard looking at the slabs, my original choice was confirmed and that was that!  I think our salesperson was impressed with my decision making ability; what can I say, I know what I like and I know what sucks.

Sunday morning, Matt went to Home Depot and bought a hand truck and by noontime, the grease covered oven range was on the curb marked "free" and five minutes after that, it was gone.  He is such a champ - he thoroughly cleaned the empty space and got to work ripping off the old laminate countertops and hauling them to the curb.  I finished reading about Haimish Macbeth's latest adventures in the new M.C. Beaton mystery.  Pregnancy does have its advantages, I guess.

Today, Matt went back to Lowes and Home Depot and I trekked up to Washington Street to the paint shop to check out colors for the cabinets and walls.  Thankfully, Benjamin Moore offers little $3 sample pots of the exact colors I was looking for, so I purchased some of those and returned to Headquarters to experiment with cabinet finishes.  In between layering colors and attempting antique faux finishes in the 97 degree heat, I dunked my head under the bathroom spigot.  When Matt returned, he got to work on installing the kitchen floor and I returned to the couch and an afternoon/early evening of HGTV.

It's all coming together, so tune in for updates!

Confessions

I hate being pregnant.

Yep, that's right: if you know what's good for you, please don't ask to see my belly and don't even consider touching it. Don't ask how much weight I've gained or get all gooey on me with talk of spontaneous overflows of maternal feeling. I may hurl on you.

Don't tell me that I am radiating a glow of motherhood and have never looked better because I'll know you're lying. I am fat, uncomfortable, and in the midst of a major fashion crisis: the trifecta of a visual holocaust.

And please, don't go on about how much you loved being pregnant, roll your eyes while I'm complaining, or sigh that I need to "calm down and enjoy this special time".  Instead, take a good look at my hands and notice how my nails are bitten to the quick and put two and two together: you expect me to calm down when wine and Xanax are no longer options? Ha!

Don't get me wrong - I'm thrilled that we are having a baby. I adore little Bebe LaPointe, despite the fact that she's only the size of a navel orange and seems to spend most of her time resting on my bladder. I have no doubt that I'll be a good mother and honestly, I'm not worried about anything post-birth.

Because luck is not my middle name, I inherited a healthy dose of my mother's worrisome nature in addition to an extreme overload of my father's pessimism. Combined, those two traits make for one anxious pregnancy.

Which is why I spend all of my waking hours praying that her heart is still beating while convinced that it's not.

Ugh. Only 25 more weeks to go...

Just the Two of Us

Me and my Matty

Photos by Celine Marie Photography

One of my favorite bloggers, Aura Joon, has topped herself again 

with a beautiful post written about her and her adorable husband.

I have written before about how much I adore her blog; 

through her chosen subject matter, words, and images, 

she always manages to evoke feelings of 

warmth, humility, gratitude, graciousness, and love.

This particular post struck a chord with me since 

in a few short months, I will no longer be part of a two 

but will instead become a three.

Check it out here and if you don't read her regularly, make her a

part of your blog roll.  She is the real deal and I think if I 

could be someone for a day and Ellen DeGeneres wasn't available, 

I would be Aura Joon.

Ps. Did I mention her totally adorable husband?  I did?  Oh, yeah... 

well, he's just a tiny, tiny reason why I would choose to be her... lol.

Time is on My Side... or Is It?

I announced my pregnancy via Facebook this week and was a bit overwhelmed by the number of people who commented on the post - pregnancy announcements totally trump birthdays in terms of number of comments left on your page!

A friend from high school who is a mother of multiples, a college professor and a writer, too, commented that she was looking forward to my upcoming blogs and was interested in seeing how motherhood affects my writing in terms of whether or not I'll have the time or the energy.

She's the definition of a go-getter and it's apparent that she works very, very hard to balance her home and work life. I admire her ability to juggle motherhood while teaching in a tenure track position at a prestigious university (one that that requires her to research, write and publish regularly!). Plus, from what I've read on her Facebook page, she even manages time for a social life and enjoys time with friends and family!

For the past twenty years, my time has pretty much been my own but that's all going to change in December and honestly, I'm looking forward to that change (it is, after all, why I'm enduring all of these miserable changes to my body that pregnancy has forced on me - although I look forward to motherhood, I HATE being pregnant).  But just because I'm looking forward to it doesn't mean that I'm not scared out of my mind, too.  Aren't all first time mothers-to-be?

Fortunately, my husband kicks ass - he's awesome and that's not an exaggeration.  He's one of the few people in my life who anticipates my moods and runs interference before I even have a chance to recognize them.  He'll be scooping that crying baby out of my arms and urging me to go sit at the keyboard and "relax" (Matty is big on "relaxing"; I, on the other hand, am not familiar with that term...).

So, with the help and advice of good friends and family, I think I'll make it through and hopefully, I'll manage to get time on my side, too!