I won't take no LÖVA for an answer!

The vision for the baby's room demands a giant leaf. So when I went to IKEA last week with Sam to get one, I was alarmed that they were out of stock and didn't think more were coming in. The woman even told me they could not be ordered online. I came home and placed and order for one online, thinking that IKEA person was dumb. A few days later I received and email saying, they were out of stock too. Apparently that chick wasn't dumb after all.
So this morning, I called and sat on swedish-hold for a while for my backorder, and placed it. Nothing is going to get in the way of me and my big leaf!

I hope you all have your crackers ready...

...because it's cheez time!
I've compiled a list of baby songs that if mixed tapes were still in vogue, I would make a baby Thayer mix tape.
Daughters- John Mayer
Danny's Song- Kenny Loggins(I know it's about a boy, who cares)
Isn't She Lovely- Stevie Wonder
Arms Wide Open- Creed (yeah I know, Creed sucks, just go with it)
Tupelo Honey- Van Morrison

And these soundbites keep running through my mind:
Raising Arizona
Planes Trains and Automobiles
(sorry, that site doesn't like linking to their wav.'s so you just gotta click the quote called "Short")

Family photos, fresh from my inbox!

I can't believe all these family members were ever in our house at the same time. This must have been one of those times they told me to go out and play. Key figures of the Blaylock family, all on (or near) our couch, incredible!
Anybody catch that ram shaped lamp on the table? Wow Mom, where in the hell did that come from? Rams, Monets, and geometric couches, it's all good, it's the 80's. 

This looks like it could be the first day of school photo. Sandi, if that's you on the left, that's some funny hair. 

This one's a little more dramatic. It looks like one of my aunts is pinching my dad in frustration and the other is wearing a devilish grin about it. Phil must have wanted to go to school too. 

Say your prayers, weedies.

I remember one time my mom got ahold of a electric shrub trimmer, which I think she might have stolen from a neighbor. She spent like a whole day hacking up all the hedges, trees and bushes around the yard, they were practically bald by the time she was done. I think the event was spurred by some pent up aggression mixed with a comment from a nosy landlord.
Now, we don't have a landlord and I don't know how much anger I had bottled, but I sure did hack up the yard today with our brand new edger/trimmer, and it made me think of Gwynn. We only have a "scissor cutter" lawnmower. Yeah like the kind donald duck would use to cut his lawn. It works pretty good, but edge the lawn, it does not. Nor does it cut the really long stuff. Enter the trimmer.
It was great. The sensation was very similar to the successful sound a vaccuum makes when it sucks up a lot of dirt. I must have looked super sexy out there, pregnant with giant chemistry lab goggles and a power tool.

Rocker part two

...and now the excting conclusion to my rocker decision:
old timey.
Kevin already knows my true motive for this rocking chair-- I wanted two for the front porch. This way I get my overpriced rocking chair and the desire to buy me one is satisfied. I don't know why this didn't occur to me earlier.
We'll see if it works!

today's progress photos

Here is one side of the room, where you can see on the right will be the door to the bathroom and the other doorway for the closet. 

And here is what used to be two closets, one in the hall and one in our room. Now, bigger room! 

Chihu-achunds can't resist a giant pile of warm laundry! 

flummoxed

Kevin's mom said that she wanted the family (meaning his family) to go in on a rocker/glider for me and the baby. This item had not crossed my mind. At first I kind of fought the idea internally, all the while smiling and nodding at her suggestion.
Then I resolved to find one that isn't hideous, as I feel most are. Gliders always looked convalesent like some sort of orthopedic support chair for moms. I did find chairs like this that are closer to my style than this caca.
However, as you might have noticed, the good ones are way more $$$. I'm not sure if I should tell her that I only want the good kind or just to say, "that's okay, I don't need one."
Hmm.
Plus, even the "good ones" aren't my style. I mean honestly I wish this chair came in a glider.
Maybe it'll all work out and the family won't agree on a date for the shower, and I can avoid this whole issue...and get a car seat like I need. :)

Happy Summer to you

Anyone hear about this? Holey moley.

I've got to share, though few probably want to hear it. I've got 'fat feet' and I'm not happy about it. There are certain conditions I thought young (ordinarily)thin women didn't get. Apparently during pregnancy, all bets are off. It's humbling in a way, I think back to all those times when someone told me their ankles and feet were swollen and hurt. And I'd think "oh sucks to be you"--- now look at me.

Inking Day

Don't be fooled by Allison's body language, I wasn't holding a gun at her, just the camera! 

And now if you look closer, I wasn't supposed to be in there at all 

Propane and poop, bad combo? Guess again!

Two words: Incinerating Toilet

to market, to market

Way way way way back when Aurora worked as a checker at Tom Thumb, I remember she came home and talked about how funny it was to see what people bought or the combination of items and what that said about them. I always think about that when I go to the grocery store. I beam proudly down at the rubber conveyor belt when I have a pile of whole grains, organic produce and yogurt. Surely this shows that I'm a well adjusted person. And I also feel like a total weirdo when, like this afternoon, I buy 4 limes and a cheese slicer. The larger part of the story is I did have a few normal items to buy 25 minutes earlier: milk, bread, cheese, tomatoes and chicken, which I bought. Then I got home, realized I forgot limes, drove to a different grocery store (yes, to avoid shame), bagged my limes and suddenly remembered that I broke the cheese slicer and needed to puruse the "Bake Time" aisle for a new one.
And that is how that happened.
I was also on the lookout for potential molesters on my two grocery trips. My afternoon of TV was all about molesters for some reason: news blurb before Dr. Phil, Oprah, and then the actual news. What I gathered from this afternoons stories is that the number one sign of a molester is bad hair. The guy in line in front of me with a toussled comb-over and the out-dated glasses, surely a molester. The checker who was a little too old to be a checker, fumbled nervously, and didn't smile, also a potential suspect.
My mantra: Beware, and be ready to kick the groin!

It's Allison's Song!

If you haven't heard it, here are the lyrics
It's great...except that whole Ohio thing...nevermind that.
Request it from your local radio station!

This used to be a plot of dirt

It's not crystal clear what's goin on here from the photo, I know. It's an aerial shot of the soon to be toilet room, which I like to call the "water closet." 

This one makes more sense. The camera is looking out of our walk in closet into the bathroom. The tub will be straight ahead, vanity on the left, toilet room on the right. 

A link worth clicking

Kevin recently got a sausage maker attatchment for our kitchenaid mixer. Yep, Kevin's gonna be making sausage, and that in itself is entertaining. But even better I found these guys and their sausage site while looking for recipes.
Would you trust anyone else to make your cured meats? No, big fat guys with creative facial hair are the authority of sausage as far as I'm concerned. And look, they have the site to prove it.

"she's turning into a blueberry...

...it always happens, they always turn into blueberries" -Willy Wonka

Man, okay I'm now in third trimester land, also known as "help, I can't get off the floor" mode. The Venus of Villendorf joke is becoming more real.
(ow! I cut my finger making dinner and I'm keep forgetting not to type with it! dangit!)
We've made lots of progress on the new bathroom addition, pictures to follow soon. We've got walls and roof beams. We almost bought the tub and the shower head and faucet today but a couple of factors are holding off the final purchase until Monday. We do however have the lights and the sink faucets ready to install. We also went today to Organized Living, which is a close cousin to The Container Store, but not quite as big. We got our closet quote there and that was fun. Why is organizing fun?
It was the errands that drove the point home that I'm carrying around a constant backpack backwards, or Kris Kros style, if you will. Well and also, I can't quite bend over anymore. Good thing I rarely employ shoelaces, they would just be untied.