DONE!

The painters came this weekend and save buying accessories (wall decor, curtains and a tiny table/chairs) the kitchen is done!

I can pick 'em

I picked a color called "stem green" for the kitchen walls. My mom and I were at Williams Sonoma this week and they had a similar colored spatula so I got it. Turns out it is really as identical as could be and they have a whole line of things in that color - including le creuset cookware and kitchen aid stuff. Too bad we don't need any of it and I am not a huge fan of le creuset (too heavy and too expensive). However I did get the mixing bowls and all the spatulas! Apparently I have high class color preferences.


We are waiting for the painters to show up. Hopefully I will have final pictures on Monday!!

That explains it.

So, miracle of miracles the interior is done! The good carpenters came today and fixed all our last minute things indoors. yipee...They still have to insulate some in our crawl space, which they would have done today save the unwelcome discovery of like a bizillion bees in that space. They took it upon themselves to spray the living daylights out of the area. (No worries about the baby, we can't smell it in the house) They plan on coming to finish that tomorrow.

We also found out about the contractor. Apparently he got a job at a rival company and when he gave his 2 weeks notice at his old job they didn't accept it and asked him to leave! That is why there was no appropriate transition etc. He was nice enough to call today to apologize and explain. This makes WAY more sense.

Once the painting is done, I will post more pics!

interesting development....

This may explain a lot. Our main point of contact for the kitchen, who ran one of the company's two storefronts, apparently is "no longer with the company.' He had worked for them for like 15 years so this is a bit shocking, especially because we only learned of it when Steve called to leave a message and noticed the answering machine had a different message. The company's owner returned our call and said he would be our point of contact and would review our final punch list and get back to us. Yikes, given the suddenness and lack of handover, I suspect he was fired. Not entirely sure why - he was a bit ditsy, but did know his stuff and after that long, one has to wonder. Glad our kitchen is 99% done.

Long time no post..

I was waiting to post "final" pictures of the kitchen. Sadly, it STILL isn't 100% done. We do now have all the doors installed, but are missing a few door pulls. There are a few other odds and ends for them to do. This was supposed to be done last Saturday but the contractor's car broke down (which I believe as it has seen better days). I guess with the holiday week they didn't get to us. We still owe them money for the final items, but I am thinking the amount isn't enough to push them that fast:(

The good news is now that it is functional we are very pleased and though, as is to be expected, there are a few small things we would do differently, it works for us far better than the old kitchen.

Now we really really need to finalize a paint color for both rooms!

He's Here

Jack Robertson
9lbs 6.8oz, 21 3/4 inches





Coming Soon....
Jack's Blog

And I thought the kitchen progress was slow...

I have no labor signs at all, so most likely I will make it to the induction scheduled for this week. I call on Wednesday to find out what time that evening I should come in, and will be given a preparatory treatment that evening for the induction drugs on Thursday. I am very much hoping that the hospital isn't super super busy and they have to reschedule (which is not common, but does happen apparently). Of course I truly have my fingers crossed that I go into labor naturally before then.

In more productive news, thanks almost entirely to Steve we got around 85% of our stuff clean and back into the kitchen yesterday! Thank goodness....

Before & After!!!

Ok, so it isn't 100% done, but close enough for this.
Now on to finalizing paint colors and cleaning the dining room..

Still here...

Both the kitchen guys and me!

The kitchen guys should be 98% done today! All the carpentry/touch up work is slated for completion. After that we are just waiting for 2 missing doors, some shelves, the toilet seat and a part for the bathroom sink. So the contractors will be in here next week at some point for an hour or so.

Baby and I are doing fine, I was monitored this morning to check the baby. During this they simultaneously monitor contractions, or in my case, lack of contractions.

I will try to post kitchen pics tomorrow...

Giant Feet

I had an ultrasound yesterday to check the baby's position since the OB and I thought he may have turned sideways. Luckily, he didn't and is head down as he should be. It was nice for Steve and I too see the little guy again.

This confirmed without an inkling of a doubt that he is indeed a he - though we are saving that picture to annoy him as a teenager. We also confirmed that he has huge feet, like both his parents. The nurse doing the scan seemed a little taken aback by the size of the feet so I guess it wasn't just our impression. You can be a judge...




The foot is the oblong light spot at the bottom of the image, you can also see the leg going up the image towards the top.

Looks like if I don't go into labor on my own, I will be induced on the 14th, so at longest we have 7 more nights of sleep.

Food milestone...

Well, I didn't get a picture, but Steve actually cooked dinner in our kitchen tonight. Sadly, that doesn't mean it is all done, but the appliances now all work so we tried out the range. It boils water for pasta just fine:)

Nothing to report...

For those wondering, our lack of an update is not because Lauren is in labor. I am still here, feeling pretty good and we are both hoping our kitchen is done soon.

We went to see Knocked Up on Saturday. I was hoping for my water to break or something during the movie, as it clearly would make a memorable story. Alas, it was not to be. However, the movie was worth it, we both found it extremely funny.

Status Report

Updated 4:00 Friday..notice nothing has changed since 1:00 PM on Thurs - though the plumber did show up for 1.5 hours this morning...

Done:
Fridge in place and working w/ power but no water it seems-- (need to check on that)
Dishwasher in the room
Range in place and working
Glass installed in the 2 cabinets with glass fronts
Reordered cabinet and door have arrived

Still to do:
Install last 2 cabinets
Install microwave (after adjusting the vent)
Once the prior 2 are done, install the crown molding above those 2 cabinets
Install and hook up toilet
Intall bathroom sink, faucet, then hook up to water
install toilet seat
Install backsplash on bathroom sink
Install bathroom mirror, hardware
Install footboard at base of all cabinets
Install & hook/up under cabinet lights
Finish off last of outlets
Finish off outlet for dishwasher
Hook up dishwasher to water
Hook up radiators

I am starting to get very impatient and am not at all convinced they will be done by Friday. I will not be amused if all our dishes are still on the dining room floor when we come home with a baby.

Happy Birthday!

We went out to explore the Arlington "res" this morning instead of doing chores (and because it is such a nice day). It turns out it has a 1 mile walking path around the reservoir and a small beach run by the town. You need passes to use the beach in season, but they do provide lifeguards, bathrooms and also a small playground. It is no Lake Michigan but not bad for 1.5 miles from our house...

After a couple of false install dates... flooring...

The floor is in and we are very, very pleased. The wood brings some color to the room and warms it up nicely (as we had hoped).

My last “Case of the Mondays”

In honor of Office Space being on Comedy Central last night I thought I would take a second and reflect on my last Monday at work (at least for awhile!) I have mixed feelings about leaving. For many months I was extremely excited at the prospect of no more deadlines, fewer off-the-wall requests from bosses, and less time spent in traffic. Making my own schedule (ok the baby will make my schedule) seemed somehow a nice change of pace, even if it wasn’t going to be stress-free or relaxing.

However, the closer it comes the more I realize I will miss my amazing, caring coworkers and being lucky enough to work in Harvard Square. I took a walk around the block to enjoy some fresh air this morning before heading into the overly-fluorescent bulbs of the office (another thing I won’t miss) and took these 2 pictures. Though I rarely have enough time to enjoy the views and atmosphere during the work day, it really is a pretty amazing place to work. What makes this somewhat easier is the prospect my organization is about to undergo a major change resulting in different staffing and likely a major move out of the Square WAY out into the suburbs. I actually hesitate to use the word “suburb” as it is that far out. I most likely wouldn’t have considered staying given that daunting potential commute, but regardless I am approaching the end of an era.

Of course what is to come promises to be more unpredictable, more exciting yet at times even more routine, and will push me in ways I haven't been challenged before.

Ok, well no floors

BUT, we do have counters installed!






The plumber should be here Monday to hook up the sink/fridge. The floor should be delivered any day (the contractor has been bugging them regularly and they are dragging their feet apparently). Then it has to "season" for 2-3 days before being installed, apparently. Hopefully that means the floor can be done this week. I am hoping that the week of Memorial Day it will be all done.

This week, besides the counters, all the trim around the doors and windows was installed. Other than that we are waiting on the floors and the replacement cabinet to show up so the final touches can be done in the area above/next to the range.

Kitchen Pics to Come Next weekend

We are getting our floors AND our counters this week! Too much excitement. There will be a grand reveal of the almost finished kitchen next weekend.

In the last week our cabinets got hardware (brushed satin pulls), the trim/molding was put up around the doors and windows and all the cabinets we have are installed. (One had to be sent back and a replacement has been ordered.)

More Kitchen & Nursery Updates

Sorry for the bad lighting -- but you can see most of the high cabinets, the vent for the range and the bottom cabinet doors are up on this wall.

The molding is up and doors are on for this side!


The bathroom - the mirror still needs to go on the wall cabinet (duh) and the bottom cabinet door isn't in yet either...



And the glider was delivered for the nursery - it is so comfy!

Couldn’t ask for a better place to work!

My office threw me a shower today and besides being very generous, they showed remarkable thought and creativity.

In addition to the assortment of outfits, books, toys and other such things they got me an adorable cake of my favorite flavors from where our wedding cake came . A few months ago I had a discussion about local bakeries and wedding cakes with a coworker who remembered. Luckily she ordered plenty and my office is health conscious so Steve and I will be eating it all weekend!

One of my other coworkers is extremely creative. She actually appeared on an HGTV show called “crafters across America” showing off greeting cards she makes. She made me the tee-shirt below.

For those that don’t immediately get it, check out or corporate logo below!