Home Sweat (and Sweet) Home

As promised...here are some "before" and "after" photos of our condo. We are finally feeling settled. We still need to post some of the guest bathroom, front and back patio areas, and the rest of the master bedroom. But until then...these photos should hold you over :)

And a BIG shout out to our parents for ALL their help! (and it was a lot!)

Living Room Before:


After:


Living Room Before:


After (with Robin's pregnant belly):




Kitchen Before:


Kitchen After:


Kitchen Before:


Kitchen After:


Dining Area Before:


Dining Area After:


Nursery Before:


Nursery After (better pictures to come...you don't see the cute chandelier and the frames don't have pictures of baby yet):





Guest Room Before:


Guest Room After:


Master Bedroom Before:


Master Bedroom After:



Master Bathroom Before:


Master Bathroom After (new lighting not installed yet):


Half Bathroom Before:


Half Bathroom After (painted in Gaucamole):

My world - Upside down

Cody and I have been living out of boxes and in filth for at least a month. We purchased a condo and closed escrow on May 2nd, and have been painting, cleaning, digging, weeding, shopping, moving, and hanging - all tasks I hate (well I do like, ok fine - love shopping...but these Lowes and Home Depot purchases aren't the kind of shopping I like). I think I've blogged about being a lazy lady in my heart and in practice...and no worries folks, I'm still that lazy girl. But since this condo will be my home for the next 3 to 5 years, I've been much more involved and active in the home improvement tasks than I or my doctor would like. I've been on an unknown labor deadline and things need to get done before my world is turned upside down. I certainly will need a nice home to adjust motherhood. Luckily, we have made some real progress thanks to lots of help.

Well, I'm 38 weeks as of yesterday. All along I was just trying to hold baby in until 25 weeks, because if Michelle Duggar can have a kid survive at that gestational age, so could I. And then I was trying to get the baby to 3 pounds. And then my goal was to make it to the mark when my niece Caroline was born. And now I'm just shocked that I'm 38 weeks. I guess I'm a "plan for the worst case and hope for the best" kind of girl...so I was planning on an early delivery all along.

My doctor says I'm boring though. He says everything looks good every appointment, but I can't help but have anxiety about what is to come. I know women give birth all over the world in crazy numbers daily. I also know that every human on this earth had to have been birthed at some point or another - and some to wimpier women than me. BUT - this primary fact barely eases my anxiety. Because lets face it people, pain is looming and possible complications can still be forthcoming. And why shouldn't they be looming for me when they happen to so many good people everyday.

Once I have this baby in my arms - I'm sure I'll worry about SIDS and other non-norm situations. And although I worry for these occurrences, I know, I know, that worrying doesn't help anything. Robin - the care free, who cares girl - still exists, until her mind wonders to labor and motherhood. And I hope that I laugh about my worries in time to come. But until then...I just trust that if something goes terribly wrong and there are complications, that A. I've planned for them and B. it's what is meant to be.

OK now...I feel a bit less anxious than I did before I wrote this post. I'll be sure to update this blog soon with condo "before" and "after" photos as well as this stinkin' cute nursery. Life has been crazy, its crazy that there is a baby ready to pop out of me, and it's even crazier that Cody and I are around the corner from real, legit parenthood.

Cody, btw, is as calm as humanly possible. He's such a rock star! Here are some more photos of yours truly. Lookin' large and well, large. The feet are now sausages. And I can only wear rubber flip flops. Strangers think they are my best friend too. My doctor says its because a pregnant woman embodies "hope." I think it's because people like the basketball look I've got goin' on. It makes them feel petite and small. Who knows. But lets just say that I can't run an errand without numerous people touching and conversing with me about everything baby. Good thing I don't have tactile issues.

36.5 Weeks


37.5 Weeks


38 Weeks


And the sausages...notice the indention caused by my rubber flip flops!

Leaving Arkansas...

At the end of March, Cody and I made the long drive back to California. Our time in Arkansas had come to an end and the store, California Yogurt Company, was left in good hands. I was excited to leave and get settled back here in my home state, but I'd be a liar if I didn't admit a pain in me as I crossed over the state line from Arkansas to Texas. Arkansas is most beautiful in the Spring when we left. The drive through southern Arkansas was so breathtaking and then we crossed into Texas and I instantly missed all those trees I'd loved for the past year.

Everyone can admit that the summer and even winter in Arkansas is pretty nasty. The summers are too humid. You sweat and sweat and sweat. The winters are cold, but without all the constant pretty white snow to make the outdoors look good. There is just brown, dead grass staring at you through the window most winter days. Summer is green and lush to the eye and winter does have some snow, but both seasons are pretty undesirable. But, BUT(!), the fall and spring make up for those bad winter and summer days. The color from the blossoms on the trees and bushes, and the temperatures, and fall colors are just grand. Trust me on this point. They don't call it the natural state for nothing.

Plus, the people of Conway, AR are some of the friendliest you'll ever meet. Real southern manners. And I liked living in the bible belt, I love the religious climate and interest. And Conway is a college town times three which makes it awesome times three.

But it was time to leave and get settled in a condo before baby arrived. So we left and made our way back home to CA. But not without some drama and El Paso, TX time.

Drama: Before leaving Conway, our friend Kevin told me that my front tires were pretty worn. I kind of ignored his comment, knowing that all my tires were basically one year old and that two of which had been replaced in the past 2 months (thanks to bad drivers and a minor collision). So clearly, my tires shouldn't be bald. But, as we were planning on leaving El Paso after a lovely mini-visit, something (aka The Spirit) prompted me to check my front tire. I was stunned at what I discovered. My left front tire was completely bald. Like all the metal wires of the tire were protruding. And it looked like it could pop at any minute. Mind you that I had driven 14+ hours the previous day at 70-85 mph speeds. Talk about being protected on that drive! So after discovering this massive problem, Cody and I spent some extra time in El Paso buying a used tire and getting my alignment fixed by some very nice and helpful men. Good thing Cody speaks Spanish...and good thing El Paso is right on the border because the time and material was inexpensive! I kept thinking the whole day at how blessed I was to be inspired to check my tire. Who knows what kind of disaster can befall you when your tire blows at 80 mph with a truck not too far behind you.

El Paso: I am such a discoverer...I love walking around and experiencing new places. I'll admit that the natural landscape of El Paso is ugly desert - not the St. George or Phoenix type of desert - but the nasty, ugly type of desert found in far east side California. That being said, I loved the town of El Paso. It had a lot of Mexican charm and fun architecture. Plus, as I said earlier, it has nice, helpful, Spanish-speaking men.

Here are a few pictures of downtown El Paso. I hate that I didn't take a picture of the "barely there" tire:

She's a brick...

HOUSE...

literally. I am. On Sunday a month ago, a lady at church said, "Oh, are you getting excited? Any day now, right?" To which I politely said, "No. Not even close. I still have two months."

At target about 9 weeks ago a lady said, "Oh, you look like you are registering for a baby. When are you due?" I said, "In late June." The lady looked stunned, "Are you having twins?" I replied, "No - there's just one big baby in there." To which she noded her head signifying she agreed.

These two interactions illustrate how awesome it is to be with child. People at church and on outings used to comment on how cute I was. Now I just get comments on how big I am. I must admit that I hate the transition from cute to big. I'm swollen and uncomfortable. My wedding ring no longer fits and my feet have looked real nasty big at times. I can't pick stuff up or lotion my legs anymore. I get tired so easily and I wonder how I can possibly last 4 more weeks.

My feet hurt a lot and the other day while buying stuff at Lowes for the condo, I sat right down on the floor of the lighting aisle to give them a break. It was either sit on the nasty dirty cement floor or start crying. Cody went to go check on something, and the next thing I hear is a motorized cart coming down my aisle. I look to get ready to move for the person and realize it is Cody who went to go get me one for the rest of the visit. At the time, I couldn't think of anything else he had done for me in the past as thoughtful as that. He saved me.

Backing up with the beep, beep, beep was a little embarrassing though. But who cares.

I'm ready to be done with pregnancy, but not ready for this baby to pop out of me. I think it's safe to say I'm a bit apprehensive about birthing a child, and then having to raise it. I've had enough nightmares about forgetting I have a child or forgetting I need to feed it that it's safe to say my confidence in my mothering skills is not quite stable yet. I get that the kid will cry so I don't have the opportunity to forget I'm a mother and have to feed, burp, change, and bathe it, but my nightmares seem so real.

Belly Shots Section (for you Shaunna):

I've tried to be good at taking pictures, but these are all I have. You still can see the progression. These pictures make me laugh, especially the picture with me in the striped shirt which is particularly unattractive. And the arched back I have doesn't make the belly look any smaller.

14 Weeks


20 weeks


22 weeks




28 weeks


30 weeks (My smile wasn't cooperating)



32 weeks



34 weeks


And our most recent shot from today at 36 weeks: