Beginnings of a Nursery

We have the beginnings of Lou-lu's nursery!! Alix and I painted the wall a light bluish (slight aqua-y) color and now we've started to add accents of lime green and orange (in the shelves, knobs, throws, etc.) We haven't put anything much up yet, but our plan is to get to that next week during Spring Break. The fabric you see on the dresser will hopefully (with the help of Gammy...she's the best ;) become the crib skirt, and we have some matching curtains...or will they be valances??? Maybe when we meet the little one and know if Lou-lu is a she, or he, so we can add some more gender specific colors--both pink and darker blue are in the fabrics/pictures. But for now, hopefully it's a fairly gender neutral kind of space...yet fun and colorful!

One of my most favorite parts so far is the knobs we painted and put on Alix's 11 year-old dresser. The dresser looked pretty dingy before...it's been through a lot...but it's truly amazing how a little color can bring life back into something. Another favorite...our recliner/rocker...doesn't it look comfy?! Since the room is teeny-tiny (8x10) my parents were kind enough to buy baby lou-lu a great rocker/recliner which will save us having to have an glider and ottoman, not to mention looks like real furniture so we can use it after the baby's room! As for the rest...can you say, "Ikea"? Yes, this room is mostly courtesy of Ikea...so bright and fun...I love that place!

It's off to a good start...if I do say so myself ;) Look for pictures of the final space next week!

25 week belly...sooooooo big.

Ugh, it just keeps getting bigger!!! I have 15w to go...I may burst before I get there :( I went to Dr. appt last week and found out that I'm measuring 1 week ahead, so here's hoping by next appt. it's 2 weeks and I can end this whole thing a little early ;) In a couple of weeks we go back for another ultra sound and the whole gestational diabetes screening...fun, fun!!

Blue is unisex, right?!

Steve went out of town, so Alix and I decided to get crazy and do some nursery painting. Our nursery will be far from traditional with lots of bright colors. Our walls are getting painted a light aquaish-blue (which Alix thinks is too boy-y...although when asked what color she would like her room painted next, her answer is, "blue" ;) And there will be lime green and orange paint accents... with lots of other colors in the bedding. Anyway,that's the long version of me saying... the painting has begun!! One wall done and 3 to go (a big fat pregnant lady and a 10 year old can only move so fast you know.) Here are the first pix of baby Lou-lu's soon to be new digs.


Alix on roller duty

You can't read it in the picture, but Alix painted, "by your big sis Alix" on the wall.


Danger--middle heavy lady on a ladder trying to paint up high...watch out below!!

"Soul Fluffer"

At my dad's retirement the other night, we ran into an old family friend whose daughter I had gone to HS with. She was the kind of girl that should've been born in the 60's...she was extremely popular...a friend to everyone...an intellectual...sporty...a real role model when it came to being your own self...a great friend...an INDIVIDUAL (which is sometimes hard to find in HS.) Anyway, her dad said that she was living in Sedona. I asked what she was doing there and he replied, "she's a SOUL FLUFFER". I chuckled. He said for a "small fee"...which didn't sound so small, she would do things like go out to the red rocks and do a private meditation for you...you know, fluff your soul when it seemed that it was a little deflated. Well, first off I thought...I love that term...i need to find a way to work that into my life! Secondly, I thought, "That is not something I would be good at." I wish I was always the sunny side up kind of gal, but most of the time I'd probaby be better at soul stomping than soul fluffing. Still it seemed like the kind of job my friend would be awesome at...and once again I was amazed at what an individual she has remained throughout the years. I guess I was jealous...a bit. My life sometimes seem so "normal", so "run of the mill", and although I am extremely happy at this moment, I do often wonder why it is so easy for some to find, and live, their individuality...while for me it seems like such an ongoing struggle. Well, I guess as long as it remains a struggle and I do not give up creating who I am that all is not lost.

Retirement!!

I wish I was talking about my own, but no such luck. This week my dad retires...it was a long time coming and he is finally taking the plunge to stay home full time with my mom. Watch out world! He deserves it though, so I am glad the day has finally come when he can play golf full time without resorting to calling it a "business meeting."

Seriously though, I admire my pops for numerous reasons...one of which is the great work ethic and ambition he has (and has tried to instill in me.) A man from truly humble beginnings, he was the first person in his family to go to college...and then to graduate school! But he didn't stop there... he went on to become a city planner and hold senior level positions in local government. I still have found memories of taking the bus downtown St. Paul for lunch with Dad and being in awe of City Hall and captivated by the gentle kind nature of Mayor Latimer when he popped in to say hi as I visited my dad's office. When I was little it seemed like such an important place to be, such important people to be surrounded by, and such an important job to hold...and it was. For these were the jobs that built connections as well as an ambition for even great accomplishments. In the end he ended up working at Piper Jaffrey where he was managing director in the public finance group. For 10 years he has specialized in special tax and revenue supported financings for governmental units, special purpose developments and nonprofit organizations (can you tell I stole that from their website--I have no idea what that actually means ;) And through it all...his probably greatest accomplishment was never losing sight of his family. For despite his busy schedule and many obligations, I can't recall him ever missing one of my sporting events, or not being there for a family function. It is from Piper Jaffrey that he will retire this week. They are losing a dedicated worker, a role model, and a great man!! Lucky for me I am not losing anything...quite the opposite. If anything I am gaining more time with a great man--my dad!

OK, enough (and no, I am not just sucking up b/c I will need a sitter very soon ;) I truly admire my dad's accomplishments. But more importantly I truly admire the man he is today...and always has been. I wish him the best on this new adventure called retirement and know he will tackle it with the same vigor he did his numerous jobs the past 40 years.

Congrats Dad!!

OK...this is the only picture I have of my dad on my work computer. He looks pretty good, but if you could just imagine I'm not there I would greatly appreciate it!

24w down...and counting

I have been pregnant for longer than winter has been around...and that seems like forever! To top it off...my stomach is huge, my feet hurt when I wear my heeled boots all day (and they aren't even tall heels), apparently I breathe heavy and am ginormous (info that I learned thanks to my big sis Amy)...and I have 16 weeks left to go. I guess I'll just keep in mind that very soon good things are on the way... it's suppose to be in the 40's next week, spring break is coming soon, summer vacation is right around the corner, and to top it off in 16weeks I'll have a precious little one in my arms.


What is happening to baby Lou-lu:
Fetal development in pregnancy week 24:fetus in sixth month This is another big week for your magical growing baby! Just take a look at the checklist for this week: 1) ears: done; 2) fingernails: done; 3) (if you have a boy) testicles: taking their 3-4 day trip from the abdominal wall to the scrotum; and 4) lungs walls: secreting “surfactant”. What’s that? Well, surfactant is sort of what it sounds like: a surface-activated fat whose main purpose is to assist the your baby's little lungs during inflation (as in, filling with air, not getting more expensive). Just in case you’re curious, your submerged baby is still breathing in amniotic fluid, preparing and rehearsing the lungs an oxygen-filled life outside the womb. By the end of this week, your child will be weighing around 2 lbs and 14 inches long. Your cutie-patootie may even be a little more plump, but isn't anywhere near their full baby-fatted cute-self. Most of the “filling out” is coming up in that long awaited (and slightly dreaded?) third trimester. Woo-hoo! Get ready!

My first NEW car

So, a mere 35 years into my life I have bought (ok, Steve and I have bought) my (ok, our)first truly new car! Sure I've had "new to me" cars, but this is the first one that has 0 miles on it and is all mine (ok, and Steve's ;) I don't know why that excites me, since I know it just depreciates as soon as it is driven off the lot, but yet it does. I guess it's like the passing of some life milestone that I can now check off my list.

Anyway, after weeks and weeks of looking and changing our minds and rethinking and looking--mitsubishi outlander...santa fe...crv...forester...crv...outlander...ugh...we ended up right where we first started, looking at a Subaru Forester. We kept getting drawn back to the more car-like feel and well-known reputation, but we were ultimately sucked in with the affordable price-tag. We were thrilled that they had decided to come up with a newly restyled model for '09 and were looking to get rid of the '08's in a hurry. Sure that meant we didn't end up with the color we wanted (*sigh* no silver left in stock and no more orders going out), but we gladly traded the color choice for killer financing for the term of our loan and huge rebate...not to mention the rear cargo mat we made them thow in for Dino ;) Quite a deal that left our monthly payments at a price we could not only afford, but that were thrilled with! If there is one thing my parents have taught me well (and I think Steve would say the same for his parents), it is that practicality is the best bet in the long run...and this car was truly the most practical(albeit not the fanciest)of our choices. Thanks mom and dad (and Ed and Sharron), it is lesson that is sure to treat us right throughout our lives.

The Passing of a Generation

It is always hard when a family member passes away. It is somewhat easier when you are thankful that it was a quick passing with much less suffering than can sometimes be the case when a prolonged cancer illness is involved. So, I have mixed emotions as I talk about the death and remember the life of my Grandma Bellus. Although we were never close, as is often the case when you live in different states and get to visit a relative once a year (at most), I always held a strong admiration for the woman she was. I won't go as far as to say that we shared much in common, different generations often do not, but I do like to think we shared one thing...being a strong woman. I will remember Grandma Bellus as... a strong personality...a war veteran...a mother if 4, grandmother to 11 (hope I am counting correctly!), and great grandmother to 2.5...a widow who survived, and more importantly continued to thrive, for many many years after the death of her husband...a clog dancer...an active woman. I am so very grateful to have had the opportunity to share so many moments with her. She will be missed.