Sunday, July 12, 2009

Belly update + house update

Here's my belleh in the final stretch! Before you make any, ahem, comments with words like "huge" or whatever, you may want to refer back to this post. [Smiles.] Still feeling [mostly] great, though I have my first "discomfort" related to pregnancy, which I am diagnosing myself, because, you know, Google qualifies us all to be doctors! I think I have pregnancy-related carpal tunnel. Bizarre. The last week-ish, my hands have been going numb while I sleep; I wake up to numb, painful hands! It sucks. Just one at a time, depending which side I'm sleeping on, so I'd roll over and then wake a short time later with the other hand numb and painful. And even while I'm not sleeping, my right hand is feeling week and less mobile than usual. Anyway, a quick Google search of "numb hands/sleep/pregnancy" turns up a bajillion hits that suggest that pregnancy-related swelling (which I don't have too badly, though my rings have been snug) puts pressure on the median nerve running through the carpal tunnel. Suck! I slept in a wrist brace last night and had no problems.

Speaking of sleeping and last night, we camped out in the living room. The downstairs being (halleluja!) finished but still empty o' furniture, and the upstairs bedroom still needing painting, we brought in the sofa bed and made a little camp in the living room. Leroy loved it, because the sofa bed is much lower to the ground than our bed, and he could snuggle right up alongside it and practically feel like he was in bed with us (Leroy is not a bed dog; not a furniture dog in any way. He's spoiled as heck, but not in that way.)

So, a few floor pictures! Not super-exciting, since the rooms are all empty, but exciting for us:

The living room before with the red walls (which we painted 7 years ago and have loved, but just felt the need for change) and the shockingly unbeautiful fir floors, which had probably never been refinished since they were first installed in 1924:
The living room this morning, post camp-out, with Leroy showing his tolerance (and even enjoyment) of having the bed made over him. The new wall color is Eastern Amber by Behr. Love it.
This is how bad the floor was in places before:
And how lovely after:
Like honey. [Happy sigh.]

And here's the sanding man:

So, that's all to show right now. The bathroom is finished too and I love it so much I just want to stand in it and admire it, but no pics yet. Nursery = almost painted. Bedroom = almost begun. So. Still much to do. Better go get started!

Hope all's well! Cheers. And if there are any emails I haven't responded to, I apologize, but I will! I promise!

26 comments:

Q said...

You are gorgeous! What a (*checks approved vocabulary*) magnificent belly! It's even more lovely than your new floors. Be sure to post pictures of your whole house once you're done.

Anonymous said...

You look beautiful! Glowing and healthy...sorry about the carpal tunnel sounds as if you're moving in the right direction with it though.

Love the new color and the floors look beautiful and baby ready.

Debbie Barr said...

Yay! Pregnant women are always so cute, yourself included. I love the braided pigtails.

Your house looks lovely! I always admire people who are brave enough to do cool colors in their house. Can't wait to see more photos!

Charlotte said...

I love love love how beautiful wooden floors like this are right after they've been sanded...The first thing we did was to rip up all the nailed down nasty rugness and sand ours. The man we hired for the first two rooms said he wouldn't come back for more unless we paid double, because there was so much varnish on them that the sandpaper costs ate up his profit...

Here is a useful hint: if you make a dent (as opposed to a scratch) in a wooden floor, apparently it will pop out again if you put a wet towel over it and iron it. But somehow I haven't gotten around to ironing the floors yet, so I don't know if it actually works. However,I find it comforting to think that someday I can fix the many dents...don't let you baby play with a heavy metal jingle ball.

I'll be thinking of you as you enter the home stretch (no pun intended, it just came of its own accord).

Tinker said...

You & the Professor look beautiful together! And the house looks gorgeous too - kudos to Jim (I've been working on ours a little at a time for what seems like eons and they still aren't done! Good thing you had Jim working on your floors and not me -- the Professor might be in school by the time they were finished!) Love how the honey colored walls look with the red curtains and the new floors.
p.s. I had the carpal tunnel-thingy happen with Bonnie and the hand braces helped - so did sleeping propped almost sitting up on the bed (which I did for acid reflux reasons, but it helped with the carpal tunnel too :). The symptoms went away right after she was born - don't know if that's any consolation right now - but I hope it helps a little!

Enna Isilee said...

Aw! You're so cute! And gorgeous floors/walls! We recently did that to our kitchen. Our walls are about the same color, and our floor is a deep chocolate brown.

Heather said...

Whoa Lady! I cannot handle that much pregnant beauty all at once! The pink braids are the living end (what? is this not the fifties?)

I had the carpal tunnel too while enceinte (French for pregnant!) It was painful and yucky but the wrist brace helped.

Your floors look magnificent! Like brand new. Good show Jim!

Snort! Leroy looks like a little kid playing possum under the covers!

Deirdre said...

Love the floor - so pretty - and the walls too. The color is very much like our dining room walls. The Professor is coming home to a well-loved nest. And you, Miss Mommy, are glowingly gorgeous.

Janet said...

What a joyous time - even with the carpal tunnel. Enjoy all the sensations, the nesting seems to be in full force.

As to bellies, I remember mine made a great shelf. When you walk do you move it side to side, up and down or back and forth? ;) Silly I know, but I liked to mix it up when I was preggers.

K said...

You look so beautiful! I love your belly!

By the way, I had that same thing with my hands feeling numb when I woke up at the end of my pregnancy. I never thought of looking it up, which is strange, because I love an excuse to just google stuff.

Have fun with your house project. Redecorating is always such fun!

Vijaya said...

You look fabulous! When I was pregnat, I could rest my teacup on my belly. I'm short so my belly was sticking waaay out there. People always asked me if I had two in there.

Home stretch is wonderful ... preparing, nesting, reading and writing.

So, so happy for you.

ps: I don't know if you remember me, but I met you at the SCBWI conference during drinks ... the short, shy Indian woman. I've been reading your helpful posts on writing and marveling at your writing journey and now the best journey of all -- mothering -- so swallowed my shyness to post here. So thank you and Congratulations. Before you know it, you'll be holding your darling little Professor. Blessings.

Amber Lough said...

I love that you're make your cute house even cuter. It must feel GREAT to get all of this stuff done. You'll be enjoying it soon enough from the couch as you sit and nurse the babe.

We, on the other hand, are preparing for yet ANOTHER move.

Christine Fletcher said...

Beautiful! You and house both. Kudos on the accomplishments!

Cuppa Jolie said...

Oh my! The house looks bee-ooo-timus! So nice...such a huge job. Isn't it amazing how much determination and drive you have that last month?

And you look ridculously adorable and gorgeous.

If you have a chance to catch a movie before Professor arrives, you might get a kick out of Away We Go!

The Art of Kim Kincaid said...

Just discovered your book and am so enjoying it. I reward myself at the end of the day with a chapter...or two. I'm also enjoying your website and blog. Must return often.
My daughter woke up one morning during her last month of pregnancy with Bell's Palsy. One side of her face would not work (rather entertaining). It all disappeared after her delivery. Weird. Babys can block nerves and wreck havoc to his/her host. It's all worth it though. All the best to you with your house and your babe. And thanks again for a wonderful place to land and be inspired.

Sarah said...

Just think, there's a whole, complete little person rolled up in there. My little man is almost six months old and I still wonder HOW he fit in there (I was a size 6 before and 8 after! The physics of it all escape me.) Your numbness is probably from blood rerouting to your little one. I had all sorts of weird issues like that.

Love love love!!! the colors you chose! *puppydog eyes for a better shot of those lovely curtains*

Shelli (srjohannes) said...

you are in the home stretch :)

Amber said...

You look AHHdorable. ;)

Love the floor. Love it.

;)

~Molly~ said...

I cannot WAIT til the Professor gets here!! Meanwhile, continue to look amazing. LOVE the floors and especially the wall color.

We are in the process of painting the kitchen/dining area of our home and have chosen a bright olive green for the kitchen, a banana pepper bright for above the cabinets, and a medium teal for the dining room. Now I want to add some gold in there too!LOL

Lisa Schroeder said...

I've never heard of pregnancy induced carpal tunnel??? Hope it doesn't continue the rest of the time.

And that new wall color is GORGEOUS!

vanityblogger said...

You make me want a cute belleh of my own. What if that became the trend, the new desirable state of beautiful being. If we all went around wanting to look like prego women, wearing fake bellies, rather than plastic surgery and fake tans. Sounds awesome.

Liana said...

Laini, you look beautiful and healthy and "great with child," - just perfect! :)
I hope your hand discomfort is short-lived. I had no idea that could be a side-effect of pregnancy!

Oh and congrats on the continuing beautifying of you home! :)

myrna said...

Beautiful.

Katie Anderson said...

well, you look beautiful! You should have been one of those pregnancy models. seriously. You're glowing!

And I love the newly revised house :-) Complete with professional sandman. I wish my hubby would do big ol' projects like that. Way to go Jim!

Camille said...

You are so lovely. The house is looking beautiful. Thank you for sharing the paint color. I continue to stare at my walls and mutter, "light honey color."

Gwen said...

Love both of your posts about pregnancy manners. I was appalled at how many total strangers, male and female, felt totally fine with coming up to me and PATTING MY BELLY!

Hopefully, only people you know and love are doing that to you!

I have loved your work for years, first saw it at the Saturday Market. I am very happy for you, and hope that the heat wave ends before you go into labor!