La Casa del Grieves

Because having a baby isn't enough change/chaos/craziness in one year, R and I are also in the process of building our first house.  Though we've been making daily weekly trips to the lot for about two months, we've only had photo worthy trips for about the last two weeks.  When we moved a year ago, we knew we wanted to buy a house eventually, but never in a million years did we think we'd be building a house.  I mean, we can't even decide where to go to dinner on a Friday night; how are we supposed to make all the decisions necessary to build a house?!?  Ha!  Needless to say there is a bit of a story to how this Casa Del Grieves came to be....

R and I began our internet search of homes well before we ever left KC.  That 'dream search' continued through last December when we actually started thinking seriously about buying a house.  After lots of looking we found one we loved and put an offer on it   However, it wasn't meant to be.

After a bit more looking with no luck, we decided 'why not just call the builder of the first house and ask him to build another one like it??'  And, that's what we did. 

So off we went on our venture to build a house.  We already knew we loved the floors, cabinets, countertops, fixtures and everything else I didn't want to have to make decisions about.  After meeting with the builder and making a few minor changes, we were set!

 Our lot sits up on a hill with a cul-de-sac at each end of the street.  Perfect for riding bikes?  I think so!  Though we are in an established neighborhood, our road was not actually in.  How long does it take a city to pour a road?  Way too long if you ask me. 

 After weeks of waiting, the road is finally in!  We can now see our lot....and measure boundaries and easements for future reference :)  I'm not kidding when I say there is a geometric diagram to accompany these pictures.  It has labelled hypotenuses (hypoteni??) and everything.  And, I'm pretty sure we used the Pythagorean theorem at some point. 

 After another wait, we finally, finally have a basement!!  It's funny how excited you can get about a giant hole in the ground.  I told R if I wasn't 8 months pregnant, we would have brought a tent out here and 'camped' in our new house.  Haha. 

 Though this entire city seems to be windy ALL of the time, I think we'll get some especially strong winds up on our hill.  That's okay.  Like I said, this city is windy no matter where you are.  We are also in the direct flight path to the airport so many of our 'field trips' have included R staring up at the sky watching planes come in.   

 Last week they poured the footings and then the walls.  It's actually starting to look like a house!  Hopefully by the beginning of next week they'll be ready to frame.  They seem to be making good progress and the weather has been very cooperative (knock on wood).  We'll keep our fingers crossed that the process continues to go smoothly.  We are expected to close at the end of September or beginning of October.  And, oh yeah, our current lease is up September 28th.  Awesome :)

This will be our evening view from the rocking chairs on our front porch.  Along with the wind, this city has the most beautiful sunsets ever.  This one doesn't even begin to compare with some of the evening skies we've seen in the last year.  I love it. 

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It's Thursday, so we can't have a post without a baby update...Here you go!

How far along: 38 weeks

Size of Baby G:  Big enough.  

Body changes:  My hips are starting to hurt at night.  How do you have a charlie-horse in your hip?  

Sleep: Excellento. 
Best moment this week every day:  Going to the pool to swim laps float.  
Movement: Last week when I said he was slowing down a little bit, he was just tricking me.  He still kicks and flips and flops all over the place.  I think maybe he's turning a bit because he can now reach all of my ribs - not just my right side.   
Food Cravings Aversions:  Anything hot. 
What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach and wearing my normal clothes. 
Milestones:  Baby is progressing - cervix is thinning out and we've passed 2 centimeters.  We have also passed the two week countdown to the due date! 

Thank you for all of the texts, emails and prayers as we enter the final stretch.  We keep telling Baby G that he is very, very loved by lots and lots of people!

Survival Kits

In honor of Mother's and Father's Day, the grandparents received a 'survival kit' to prepare for Baby G.  Of course, some of these items were inspired by Pinterest (what isn't these days??) but they were put together just for Baby G's grandmas and grandpas.

Baby G is very, very lucky to have two grandmas who love him so much.  He is not even here yet, but they love him and spoil him just like veteran grandmas.  They seem to be naturals!  They both giggle like little girls when we talk about his arrival.  I am so excited for these two wonderful ladies to be a huge part of my little boy's life.

Grandma Survival Kit:

- Diapers

- Wipes

- Burp Cloths

- Receiving blanket

- Lotion and Body Wash

- Wash rag

- CD (Baby's First Hymns and Lullabyes by Jim Brickman)

- Aspirin (for Grandma....but that probably should have been in Grandpa's kit)

Have you ever seen a grandpa more prepared to tackle feeding, burping, bathing and diaper changing?  Baby G is equally lucky to have these two men in his life.  They will be excellent role models for him.  I couldn't pick two better grandpas to teach my son all about being a boy and growing up to be a man just like them. 

Grandpa Diaper Duty Kit:

- Rubber Gloves

- Mask

- Clothes Pin

- Tongs

- PeePee TeePee

- Diapers

- Wipes

- Hand Sanitizer

- Bib

- Burp Cloth 

- Wash Rag

- Johnson & Johnson Travel Kit (soap, lotion, powder, booty cream)

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This week's update:

How far along: 37 weeks

Size of Baby G:  "He's not a real big baby,"  said my OB-GYN. 

Body changes:  Starting to feel some more Braxton Hicks contractions every once in a while.

Sleep: Peachy.
Best moment this week: Spending time with my hubby.  I kind of like him. 
Movement: I think he's running out of room because he's starting to slow down a little bit. 
Food Cravings:  Slush...nothing new there.
What I miss: Being able to do yoga (and tying my shoes) without my belly getting in the way.
Milestones:  Baby is still head down and I'm dilated to about 1.5 cm.  Oh boy. 

On the Big Stage

If you know me well, you know that dance has been a huge part of my life since the age of four.  I grew up dancing at The Dance Factory in Topeka, KS and spent the better part of my teenage years at the studio.  Some of my best friends to this day are friends I made at The Dance Factory.

For those of you who are dancers, you understand the magical freedom that dance brings.  Dance is more than coordination and sequins.  It is about being able to transcend the normalcy (and sometimes ugliness) of everyday life.  It is about expressing yourself in ways that words never could.  And it is about discovering who you are and who you want to be whether it's in a tiny studio or on a big stage.  I grew up idolizing the older dancers, loving the friends I danced with and (hopefully) inspiring the dancers who followed me.  Last weekend all of us were on the stage together for The Dance Factory's 32nd anniversary.

All 110 of us!

Tarah said it best when she commented that "Dance is what brought us together, but it's not really about the dancing."  Touche.  People do not pay hundreds of dollars to drive and fly from all over the country to dance in an alumni reunion.  In fact, many of them are dancing professionally all over the country, so I'm pretty sure they don't need to come back to Topeka, KS just to dance.  We all came back because The Dance Factory made us the people we are today and we wanted to taste that again, if even for a short time. 

I'm the one with my hands in the air.

This weekend was especially important to me because it was our little Bambino's first dance recital.  And he was AMAZING...if I do say so myself :)  He really was a trooper through 6 hours of rehearsal and two performances.  Honestly, I am so blessed to be in my 8th month of pregnancy and still have the ability and energy to do the things I want to do.

The preggos took a picture....while everyone else did crunches.

This about sums it up.

On top of the dancing, our little family enjoyed post-performance dinner with our friends and their families.  We also hit up Gage Park to introduce the next generation to the stone animals and, of course, the train.  R and I reflected on how cool Gage Park really is.  We are super stoked to get to enjoy all of the memories of our childhood once Baby G is here.  Having a baby makes so many fun things socially acceptable again (i.e. swings, slides, baby water parks, etc).

First of family pic outside of TPAC

Finally, my parents surprised me with these beautiful earrings before Saturday night's performance.  My dad gave these to my mom a month before I was born and now they have passed them down to Baby G and me a month before he arrives.  I don't have a lot of keepsakes, but I do have a sentimental streak in me and this gift was a really special one.

 

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And for this week's update:

How far along: 36 weeks

Size of Baby G:  Some kind of large melon....does it really matter anymore?

Body changes:  Had my first 'check' at the doctor this week.  Baby is head down.  Yay!!!

Sleep: I have about 1 rough night per week.  I'd say that's not so bad. 
Best moment this week:  Getting to dance with my baby in the recital!
Movement: The doctor showed us where baby's spine and butt are.  He sure likes to shake that little booty!
Food Cravings:  Peaches, slush and ice water. (This really has nothing to do with the fact that I'm pregnant....I love these three things every summer!)
What I miss:  Being able to lay out at the pool....on my stomach.
Milestones: Began our weekly doctor's appointments to check the little man's progress.  Also, the nursery is D.O.N.E.  Grandma Peej made the crib skirt and bumper.  I'd live here...wouldn't you?!?

SUMMER IS HERE!

Summer makes me happy more than any other time of year.  I love the sun, the water, the free time, the little cutie-patooties in swimming suits, the heat (yes, the heat), my hubby's shortened hours, and everything else really.  I cannot think of a single thing I do not love about summer. 

I have come to the end of my first week of summer, and my very first week of summer as a 'stay at home.'  (R says until we have a kid I'm not a 'stay-at-home mom' just a 'stay-at-home').  Don't be confused, I have not permanently become a stay-at-home; it's just for the summer.  This is my first summer not coaching swim team, teaching swimming lessons or taking grad classes.  I hardly know what to do with myself.  Don't get me wrong, I love having free time to do what I want, when I want, but I do not like being bored and I do not handle nothingness very well.  So, here's what I've been up to...

- Morning Yoga at Orange Sky Yoga studio - this is the closest thing I've found to the amazing Jennifer Shelton in Overland Park.  (If you live in Johnson County and haven't taken one of Jennifer's yoga classes you are missing out.  Big time).
- Lap swimming at City Park Pool-  Have I mentioned how much I love being in the water?  Yeah, I thought so.  These days, this is the one thing I can do and kinda, sorta forget that I'm a million months pregnant. 
- Organizing/finishing Baby G's nursery.  Our glider came yesterday and it is beautiful!  I had no idea how real it would become when we simply added a chair to a room.  However, every time I walk by I get a little giddy that I will soon be sitting in that chair with our little man. 
- Target - ahh, Target.  Most days I love you.  Yesterday I hated you, but only because I was there to buy all of the things I will need post-labor.  And by post-labor I don't mean cutesie baby things. 
- Food - I love having the time to search for new recipes and the time to wander aimlessly around the grocery store until I find the random ingredients I need.  (Or 10 extra minutes to figure out how to work the containers in the bulk food aisle.)  This week I made Bravo's Meditteranean Pasta (my favorite), Unforked's "Hale the Kale" salad (success!!) and "Kale Chips" (failure).  The hubby made some uh-mazing steaks too.  And I mean uh-mazing.  Next week I will be making homemade granola and maybe some Funfetti cookies.  Yum yum.
- Blogs - aside from my friends' blogs which I stalk daily....here are my new found loves.  http://www.styleberryblog.com/ and http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/  Ali, at gimmesomeoven, is going to be the inspiration for every recipe I try this summer. 
- Photography - I am bound and determined to learn how to use my camera in manual mode.  Still working on this one. 

Finally, this weekend I will spend most of my time at TPAC in rehearsal or performing in The Dance Factory's dance recital.  That's right - it's an alumni reunion and 110 of us will be gracing the stage...and dancing.  That will certainly get its own post.  Because it is, of course, Baby G's first (and, according to his dad, only) dance recital!

If you're lucky I'll come back and add pictures.  In the meantime, here are this weeks stats:

How far along: 35 weeks

Size of Baby G:  A honeydew (a giant honeydew, if you ask me) 

Body changes:  I dunno... I try not to think about it. 

Sleep: No complaints!
Best moment this week:  Ryan getting to see and feel Baby G 'stick out' of my stomach.  Not just jump or kick, but 'stick out.'  So weird!
Movement: See 'Best moment.'
Food Cravings:  Slush and ice water.
What I miss:  Wearing a two-piece.  Ha!
Milestones: Nursery is pretty much done (will get the bumper and crib skirt this weekend!)

Birthing Class 101

R and I attended our 'baby class' yesterday at the hospital.  It was 6 hours of deep breathing, contraction timing, labor videos, and a maternity floor tour.  Here's a summary:

- We're going to need a U-Haul to get to the hospital with all of the recommended items:  a birthing ball, cooler, pillows, 'focus' items from the nursery, change of clothes for mom, change of clothes for dad, CD of relaxing music, your own pillow case, yoga mat, etc.
- R got lots of practice on his massaging and relaxation techniques - something I will let him continue to work on for the next 5 weeks.  :)
- Out of 14 couples, we probably weren't the most mature ones there.  We  weren't the youngest either.
-  They still use the 'hee hee hoo' breathing method.  R was better at it than I was- I just laughed.
- The 'maternity ward' is like a 5 star spa complete with a hot tub in every room, room service and a full size bed.
- R votes for an epidural.  K votes for sneaking in snacks when the nurses aren't looking.  Different priorities?!?
- I have a strong aversion towards the use of a vacuum or forceps (aka salad tossers).  
- R's number one coping/distraction mechanism = humor.  Let's hope I still think he's funny 6 hours into labor. 
- R has decided if he can make it through the contractions, he'll be good to go.  However, during delivery, his biological curiosity will draw him down toward the doctor or he'll be passed out cold on the floor.  Either way, he'll be utterly useless to me. 
- Just kidding on the last one, he has been and will continue to be a great coach.  I have no worries.


Quote of the day:  "Pictures fill dads' pockets where their money used to be."
Question of the day:  "What happens if you go into labor during game day traffic?"  Luckily, that won't affect us, but that guy definitely thinks like my husband :)

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This picture has nothing to do with this post, but every post needs a pic, right?  Plus, this is the perfect representation of what a wonderful dad R is going to be.  Our good friends from Emporia were in town for a baseball tourney.  Their boys adore R and he was a champ with their newest addition too.  So blessed to have this family in our lives!

 
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How far along: 34 weeks

Size of Baby G:  Almost 5 pounds (on average) 

Body changes:  The awful pain in my upper back has moved to my ribs, but it's still only when I sit.  

Sleep: Wonderful - my alarm clock is on a 3 month break!

Best moment this week:  In true summer fashion, I spent the week coaching swim team (filling in for a friend).  Little kids + Swimming pools = My dream job.

Movement: Baby G has developed hiccups...at least once a day.  They say that's a good sign of lung development!

Food Cravings:  Lemonade and pink lemonade.  (Update:  Mama made me a batch of summer slush and I wasn't disappointed)

What I miss:  My regular clothes.
Milestones: Baby class complete - we're ready to do this thing!