12 more days, but who's counting...

I'm realizing I have been quite out of touch with our blog. Dave's written the last few entries, and it's been ages since I've written. This is partly due to the fact that our newest family member is about to arrive soon. Actually it could be any day now, but we'll see. Ben was a couple weeks late, and this one could be as well. I went to the DR this morning and all is well. The heartbeat is strong, and there were no concerns from the DR or myself. So, it's now all a waiting game.

In the meantime we/I have been "nesting," although it feels a lot more like DIY than nesting. For those of you who never had the privilege of visiting our bathroom (loo), you didn't miss much. To describe it is quite challenging, but there was an overwhelming sense of pink, and I mean pepto bismol pink. All four walls and the entire ceiling were painted this "lovely" color. We did not have a shower, just a tub, and our sink was a "lovely" cream and gold glittery swirly design, with gold door pulls. The previous owners had even painted the back of the original wooden doors pink. It made me sick, literally. Well, now it is no longer pink, but blue and white, which is much brighter and fresher. We did remove all the plastic, pink tiles which lined our walls and didn't even match the wall's pepto bismol color. Instead we put up white wainscoating and painted the remainder of the walls blue. We now have a fully functioning shower, complete with a lovely curved shower rod, which makes it all roomy. I'll have to take some photos and post them. Too bad I don't think I have any before shots, for the full effect. So the bathroom is basically done. There are a few minor things to do, but no remaining LARGE projects.

On top of that, we have also been redecorating our kitchen, which is quite retro, but I don't know if you can call it retro when it's all the original 1950s decor. The linoleum is an undescribable design with oranges, olive greens, mustard yellows and cream colors throughout it's cubic patterns. The original stove is in great condition, but still that 1950s golden color. So, now we have painted our previously mustard yellow walls and ceiling a more oatmeally color with a quail egg color to trim out the rest of the room. The flooring and stove still remain the same, for now, but aren't quite such the centerpieces of the room that they once were. It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do! It's also amazing how simply painting the ceiling a different color than the walls can dramatically change the feel of a room.

Besides that, we've just been doing the odd jobs around the house, replacing light switch covers where there hadn't been any for a while, washing the house with a powerwasher, clearing out the basement from yet more of the previous owners "collections", and replacing blinds/curtains. All in all we've been busy here.

Ben is growing like a weed and each day I see him I still can't fully grasp the fact that he's not my baby anymore, but my/our little boy. He really has such a growing personality at the moment. For those of you who don't know, we have been teaching him basic sign language, and I am floored by how well he can communicate with us, even though he only verbally says about 2 words, dog and hot. I've often wondered if teaching him sign has held him back verbally, but the benefits have been so great, plus I know he'll speak understandable words when he's ready. He's such a great kid. I am cherishing every moment with him recently, as I know that at any time they may be our last moments as purely mommy and Benny. So, this past weekend we rode over to Sewickley for our final mommy/Benny date. The Ultimate Pastry Shop was where we chose to pick our breakfast and the scones were lovely - raisin, peach, and cinammon. Then we headed over to Starbucks for a drink to accompany our scones, and finally we ended with a big, long walk through Sewickley, stopping to see the farmer's market and the lovely houses. Plus I was hoping gravity might kick in and start labor, but no such thing.

We'll keep you posted on our newest arrival when he gets here, but for now keep praying all goes well and that little guy comes on his own accord. Thanks.