Baby Room Redesign

After all the talk about what I planned to do in the baby room, and it's all changed again. Some parties related to me were not on board with my neutral palette, and therefore I was convinced to do a color. Much of the house is being reworked to indeed utilize a much more neutral color scheme, since I think it makes the clutter seem less offensive and obvious. It also soothes me more.














I have provided a few pics of what the room looked like prior to our "Easy" renovation of this teeny room.

It has been a long road preparing for getting the baby's room together:
1. I spent five hours clearing all the shelves of boxes, paper, crafts, glue nails, and markers.
2. I spent two hours sifting through old crap and trashing
3. Trent lifted all the boxes to the third floor, where they now happily live in the middle of the room.
4. I spent three hours clearing the closet where the happy boxes are supposed to be moving to get them out of the way. Problem is, I have already had to go into those boxes for assorted holiday trimmings and projects, so this home will be a nightmare for me to get to anything. Alas, we have no choice.
5. Trent spent six hours steaming sawgrass wallpaper off the two walls with paper in there.
6. I spent 30 minutes trash talking while he did the above.
7. My parents came over the course of three days to remove the remaining wallpaper, sand and prep the walls for paint, remove mollies, clean windowsills and gross stuff, and begin painting.
8. Trent and my parents worked most of the day last Sunday painting the ceiling and trim. Lyla and I painted a city on the walls that haven't received real wall paint yet. I spilled all over the floor. Lyla spilled nothing.
9. Trent took piles of bags of old clothes from the third floor to goodwill to make room for the happy boxes that need to go in the closet that is still 1/4 full of junk that I can't clean because of the window air conditioner blocking the way.
10. I prayed to the heavens to give me the patience and strength to deal with the fact that there is never anywhere to put things in our house.

Outstanding Items
1. Prime all walls in nursery.
2. Paint all walls in nursery.
3. Set-up nursery with crib, dresser, and awesome wood angel wings I found at shop in Baltimore.
4. Purchase window treatments, new crib skirt (linen), rug, and fun endings to decor for the nursery.
5. Take air conditioners down to the basement, so I can re-add clear out basement to my 40 before list.
6. Clean out remaining junk in third floor closet.
7. Add happy boxes to closet.
8. Pray again.

I'll post work in progress pics as I remember to take them...

Reality Check

I woke up yesterday with some major pressure on the pelvis. The last week has produced increased discomfort and pressure on lots of stuff. I constantly feel like I have a bladder infection because this child's head rests right on my bladder. I go 100 times a day, with a little squirt each time. I can never believe it because it feel like I have to go so badly. Normally, I don't make time to go to the bathroom. It's some odd laziness I have about leaving my desk and walking to the bathroom. It seems so far, it will take so long to waddle there, pull everything down, pee, scrub up, return to my desk, etc. But now, I've wasted at least 15 minutes a day in there.

The short of it is, the pressure has been building, and to be gross, the nether regions have been swelling. Of course, my borderline mute doctor who never says more than five words to me every appointment just said it's normal, which is her stock response to everything. She has never, in the last 4.5 years I've been going to her said anything else, elaborated once on any question I've asked her, or provided any level of support in any way. I stay with her because everyone raves what a great doctor she is, and to be honest, she gave me the best possible scar outcome from a c-section. There's barely anything there. And frankly, maybe it's better to not hear all the detailed explanations of things. I just get my Labcorp blood request and go on my merry way.

Even though the swelling "down there" is indeed normal, what I didn't know, and what I found out yesterday is that it's a cyst full of fluid that can be helped just a bit with a good old fashioned sitz bath. Can't wait to do that. I thought I was off the hook from these since I did not give birth vaginally, but ladies, ahem, and gentlemen, I look like I have one ball down there. Something needs to be done. So, looks like I won't be spaing it up this weekend, just sitzing. It's kind of like kibitzing, you just do it with you and the toilet bowl.

Again, this is all sideways of what happened. The longer I sat at my desk, the worse the pain got, and I felt like I could barely sit any longer. So, I just decided to call the doctor's office to see if it was normal pain/discomfort. I was expecting them to tell me to come into the office today to check things out, but they called me back to say that the doctor on call said to come to Labor and Delivery as soon as I could. This definitely surprised me, and made me a little worried that there was a small chance the baby could be born (last night). I called Trent, and we decided it was best to have him drive me, just in case. We talked the whole way up about how little we had prepared for the arrival of the baby, and decided that this would be our wake up call to get some things in order. Have a car seat at the ready, diapers, wipes, burp clothes, rockers, etc. That was, if the kid wasn't coming, and we didn't have to send my parents or someone else to make an ER trip to Babies R Us.

The ten mile walk though GBMC to Labor and Delivery actually eased the pain a bit. Even though I constantly felt like I had a rod wedged up my butt. I was waiting for them to tell me I just had to fart, and that I should eat beans or brussel sprouts and they'd see me in a week. They didn't do that. They hooked me up and monitored me for about 30 minutes. The buxom nurse practitioner who gave Trent quite a boob show gave me an internal, and casually discussed the soft cervix and how she was touching the head. Of the baby, not Trent's you know what. She didn't go that far. Geez. Dirty birds.
My translation to that was: this kid is all about being in the birth position. What's up with that with two months to go? She better find her way back up into a neutral position, because we are not trying to have her early. After the exam, and some prodding by the doctor too, it seems it's all good. No labor, no infection that they know of, no farts. They said it's her head being right in there, and the stretching of my c-section scar causing some excess pain and pressure.
Relief for now. I haven't even started xmas shopping, how stressful would that have been?

All night was a little uncomfortable, but I fell asleep super early, in the middle of the Ravens/Falcons debacle in fact. Probably best I slept through that.

I feel better today, and was able to easily attend Lyla's parent/teacher conference at school. Teacher loves Lyla, thank goodness.

All's well that ends well.

A Must See?

I haven't wanted to see a movie in about two years. In fact I'm trying to jar my memory to even remember what movie it was I last wanted to see. I think it might have been "An Education" which I wanted to see, but ended up seeing many months later via rental on iTunes on a flight. That may have also been the last good movie I have seen, and I saw that about a year ago. Although, I did catch The American President late one night two weeks ago. Who doesn't love that flick?

I'm a big Hemingway fan, so when I saw that one of his works, "The Garden of Eden" which was published posthumously about twenty years after his death (he never finished it), I was very intrigued to see how they would handle it.

I normally cringe at anything with Mena Suvari, but her role in this looks pretty decent and mature. I have included the trailer, but I am definitely making some kind of appointment to see this. I have actually not read this book, but started it about ten years ago while I was on a Hemingway kick. I never finished. Kindle, get ready to get rekindled by my cold hand.

10 Fall Essentials Under $200

Since, I cannot wear normal clothes, and I dream of the day I can EVER wear a mini skirt, I continue to dream on behalf of others. I have been obsessing about fall clothes lately, and since it has become increasingly difficult to buy anything for less than $200, I decided to make a list of my top 10. A few of them, I have actually purchased as well!

#1 The marled lambswool après cardigan from J. Crew for $135
I bought this sweater because my big-ass belly can just hang out from within those flaps without a care in the world. The vest underneath? Uh, I don't think so skinny girl.

#2 Rachel Zoe Slouchy Square Hobo from QVC for $38.68. Yes, you read that correctly! Don't pay attention to the fact that it is made of 100% PVC please. It might ruin the enjoyment of this bag.

#3 Pins and Needles Puff Sleeve Faux Fur Coat from Urban Outfitters for $168. I was NOT into UO for a very long time, but they have come back with some very cool stuff the last six months. I have bought quite a lot from their extremely reasonably priced lines lately. I also love a fur coat, always have. My godmother used to give me her daughter's hand-me-down fur rabbit clothes as a kid. I rocked those furs like I was the muse of J. Mendel.


#4 The Charleen flat at Sam Edelman avail at Nordtrom for $49.90
I like Sam Edelman shoes because they are cute, decently made, comfy, and cheap. These flats, available in six colors (not all at Nordstrom) are very classic, but of the moment as well. You can opt for a neutral pair, but I just love the magenta ones.

#5 Ruffle t-shirt dress by Free People for $128.
If I were a rail, I would wear this with black tights and boots in a second. You could also layer it with a funky henley underneath, and one of my fur vests or coats over top. Even a big scarf would look good with it. I fantasize about the ease of wearing something like this, but alas, it is reserved for toothpicks, not I.

#6 Last Dance Dotted Dress at Madewell for $178.
I am loving just about everything at J. Crew's little sister this season, and this perfect dress is nor exception. It's a fantastic out to dinner option, or a dress down with denim option with a cool, vibrant-hued tight. I want it, I want it, I want it.

#7 The Long ruffle skirt from Talbots for $199
This is a quintessential Jen item. I have always been a sucker for a long skirt, and add ruffles to it, and I
m first in line. I have not yet bought this given my current shape, but I'm scared to wait thinking they may not have it later in the season. Also, can you believe it's Talbots? I just received their new catalog, and there were several things like this (minus that weird turtleneck and mom jeans) and this, that I think I want as well.

#8 Kim Skinny Jeans by DL1961 at ShopBop for $158. I will never buy these jeans because my ass will never been, and I don't even think was born this small. However, the rinse is divine, and the cuff makes it for me. I love a cuffed skinny jean.

#9 Brynn Skinny Cargo Pant from Delia's for $49.50
Yes, the cargo is back and has been reinvented. While I prefer the ones on Madewell.com, I didn't want to dupe, and I had to find them at a good price, so I went to my old reliable tween source, Delia's. Girls, remember to order larger since this store carries Junior sizing. I like this pair because they can still be cute or sexy. Throw on a sky high Jimmy Choo like these, which I am waiting to buy for myself as a push gift, and a flowing top with a black leather mini jacket over, and you're ready for anything.

#10 Leather Mini from the Gap for $228.00.
I know this goes over the limit, but if you buy it with the ruffle blouse for just $59.50, the look will be worth it. This ensemble looks just great in this pic, all put together, however, this girl is a model, so reality check this outfit. The sweater may be hideous, and Gap sweaters on the whole are crap, so buyer beware. Without the sweater this look could seem forced, so you might have to grab an understated fur vest, a long tuxedo jacket in a neutral color, or bag the shirt to wear with faded skinny jeans and flats, then add a boatneck blouse in cream and some flat brown boots to set off the leather skirt. Regardless, the skirt is very versatile, as you can see by my comments above.