Paint II

Paint I

Done and done

Louis Auto Glass brought us six new windows today. They look excellent. Very clean. Would our old windows look better if we washed them once in a while?

Instantly noticeable is the reduced noise. Electric can be a bit of a busy street. These new windows block it out almost completely. Nice.

So the window project is done. Mostly because I didn't have anything to do with it. Except paying.

Since I had to stay home from work to let the window guys in, I:

• Made Erin breakfast
• Took Brindzi for a run
• Went grocery shopping
  
• Did laundry
• Thought about chocolate chip cookies (this happens multiple times, every day)
  
• Played Tichu online
• Had a peanut butter banana sandwich for lunch
• Cleaned the litter box
• Called the accountant
• Called the insurance company
• And:

My best project helper Paul came over and we turned this:

Into this:

So the threshold project is done, mostly thanks to Paul and his table saw, router, and compressed air nail gun.

I'm so used to project not being done, it's kind of odd when they get finished. The stairwell room, while certainly not close to being done, is close to being painted, after which it will look much more done. Of course, now Erin wants me to build an entire closet in the baby room. Good thing I know nothing about building closets. Paul?

Vitamin D

Adam and I got outside for some Vitamin D this weekend. It was/is a gorgeous February weekend and it was a LONG weekend, which is even better.

Adam down at Clayton Beach. It wasn't exactly warm though.

But that didn't bother Brindzi. She was just excited to be outside playing in the water and mud.

Then yesterday we headed up to Mt. Baker, along with everyone else in Western WA, to play in the snow. The views were amazing. It was warm enough, while working, to snowshoe in just a shirt, no hat, no gloves.

We hiked up to Artist Point with Becky and Kevin. The two pregnant ladies took up the rear. We got views down into Skagit County and what we assume is Baker Lake.

Supposedly this is a lucky tree. So said the lady on skis who insisted we get a picture with the lucky tree.

And of course the beautiful dome of Mt. Baker. Wow!

And here is our obligatory group photo with lucky tree. It was a pretty amazing day to get some sunshine, exercise, and fun.

Although today is just as nice, we have too many things to do around the house today. Like finish sheet-rocking, cleaning the sheet rock mess, and possibly some gardening. But we did get to sleep in today. Yahoo!

Flutters

I was 20 weeks last Monday. Wow, how time is flying by! In the last few weeks I have had some definite movement, or flutters (quickening) by the baby even on the outside of my belly. Of course it stops moving every time I try to get Adam to feel it. The small flutters have been happening for a while now, since about 17 weeks but the past two weeks it was very obvious. It was moving around a lot, which is fun to feel and realize something really is growing inside of me:-) People are finally seeing that I am pregnant. Must be those new maternity clothes.

I had my 20 week mid-wife appointment last week. I had a lot of questions for her regarding this diet she has put me on. At the last appointment she said I needed to be on a low carb diet to keep my blood pressure down. Or at least that is what I thought. I had some high blood pressure after I got out of college, my doctor felt it was mostly "white coat" syndrome so we started taking it at home and I lost a bunch of weight. Those both helped and I haven't had a high reading since around 2004. But my mid-wife is really worried about that. Also because my weight was higher than it should making me more at risk for gestational diabetes. So she explained that her low carb diet is more for keeping my weight gain down, reducing my risk of developing gestational diabetes, which is all related and connected to also keeping my blood pressure down. It seems complicated but she said this is what all mid-wives and OB's are doing with high risk patients now. She is trying to be preventative, the role of the mid-wife, instead of having to have medical interventions that I don't want. My goal is to gain as little weight as possible and so far I am doing well. I didn't gain any weight between this last appointment and the one before, even though my body is obviously changing. My total weight gain has been 8 pounds and I am 21 weeks (5+ months). I am committed to trying to do my best, to have the least amount of interventions so I can give birth naturally at the Birth Center.

So I am trying to be really good and eat my low carb diet and exercise as much as I can. Adam and I have been walking after work 3-4 times a week and trying to get out each weekend for some longer exercise either skiing or longer walks. I am also doing Prenatal yoga, which has been really fun.

I have been to 2 yoga classes so far. It's been fun to be in a room full of pregnant women. The class is 10 weeks long, each week representing a phase of the 10 months of pregnancy. My friend Becky is also doing it with me.

The other big news is that we got a KING size bed. More room for me to stretch out and get comfortable, room for Gryffin, Adam, and the baby!