Snowpocalypse II/Snowmageddon/Snowmygod 2010

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few days, you've probably heard that we had a few snow flurries around here this weekend. And by "snow flurries," I mean the cold wrath of Mother Nature descended upon us with all her might. As northerners who typically scoff at a Mid-Atlantic excuse for a "snow storm," this one had us shaking our heads in disbelief.



Andy took a few pictures in the midst of the story. The next two were taken on Saturday.




After the weather cleared, we decided to take a walk on Sunday morning to survey the damage. What we saw was as impressive as it was beautiful.


The look on Harry's face captures his response to all the snow. I think he's worried that things won't go back to normal.

Wires were down all over the place (as were branches, and trees). We were lucky to escape such troubles, and we were both grateful to have made the effort to get that old tree in front of our house removed this summer.



View towards S. Fairfax from the corner of Franklin and S. Royal (our house is on the corner at the top of this hill).


Franklin Street at S. Fairfax (our house is about 25 feet to the right of where I was standing when I took this picture). Neither of our cars are buried in this row, but this picture captures the sheer volume of snow. I was actually a little impressed with how quickly and how well the roads were plowed this time around. It would seem that the folks in Northern Virginia learned a thing or two after the big storm in December.


While Andy was busy digging out our cars, I took Harry out back to see how he'd react to a romp in the snow. Poor guy... the snow was too deep for him to move much, though he gave it a good try. This is him realizing snow up to his neck = cold and difficult to move around in = no fun.

90 Days = 3 months = Parenthood

27 Weeks, 1 Day (And Andy wonders why I don't like taking these pictures...)

I looked at the calendar today, and noting that it's the 25th, had a moment of panic reflection as I realized that my due date is exactly 3 months away. 90 days and counting. Seems like yesterday we were dumbfounded by the positive pregnancy test... and only hours later, similarly struck dumb by the knowledge that we were having a girl. (On a related note, my "mother's intuition" clearly needs fine tuning as I definitely, utterly, and completely thought we were having a boy.)

From Andy's recent posts, you might gather that I've slipped into nesting mode. He politely calls it "settling back into the house," but I'm here to label it by its true name: full-scale nesting. Andy's been a good sport, in many cases equally eager to get things done around the house, but I know he's had to keep a sense of humor about it at times... like when I decide I'm tired of looking at a cluttered room and grab a trash bag and a recycle bin and go nuts ridding our house of anything that isn't firmly secured in place. What can I say? At times I just. can't. stand. it. anymore. Normally I'm not bad at compromising with my husband the pack rat, but these days...

I'm feeling bigger every day. I find myself out of breath after walking the dog for 10 minutes. Getting up out of a chair, or standing up after sitting or kneeling on the floor is no longer a feat I can accomplish easily alone. It's a bizarre feeling for someone who has always considered herself athletic and generally fit. Add to that a baby who already likes to kick/punch in uncomfortable places and you've got a recipe for some discomfort (and yes, pregnancy veterans, I know it will get a lot worse). Speaking of baby movement, while I agree that it is an amazing feeling and certainly not like anything else I'll ever experience, I have to also admit that it can be terribly distracting and even uncomfortable at times. Particularly when she decides it's time to practice her tap dancing moves on my bladder.

It all adds up to the growing (literally) reality that we're rolling downhill towards parenthood. Next up is childbirth classes (every Tuesday night in February), and then infant care and breast feeding classes. Soon enough the baby's furniture will arrive and her room will be completely set up. And then it will be time to actually give birth (not sure I'm ready to think or talk about that yet).

Only 90 days. Wow. Let the countdown begin.

Step by step...

Inch by inch we're turning our house back into a home. We were finally able to move the TV out of our bedroom and into a new built-in entertainment center/bookshelf downstairs.

Before.

During.
And after.

The whole process took awhile. We were originally supposed to have this in by the New Year, but thanks to the massive snow storm and the extreme crookedness of our house (it took the carpenter two full days a week apart to install it), it was almost a month late. At least it's in now though.

We also were finally able to regain the fireplace in the bedroom. Since construction began way back when, the fireplace had the cat's litter box instead of nice, comforting fires (trying to combine the two would have been bad so we opted to forego fires for awhile).

The screen and fireplace tools are much nicer to look at than a litter box.

We were also able to begin putting artwork up in the baby's room. Well, sorta. This is the little alcove that is technically part of the room but separated by a small wall. As you can see it is what we have left of an office.

The artwork is a piece by Romero Britto. We were introduced to his work on the cruise we took back in the spring. Since then we've been waiting to a) get the piece framed, and b) get it displayed. We have to wait until the furniture arrives before putting any other artwork up in the baby's room. We're not quite sure where everything is going to go right now. Hopefully we'll figure it out soon!

Round Two

Eternal gluttons for punishment, we went back to Great Beginnings to provide our own economic stimulus to the state of Maryland. Once again we had a really successful (but draining) trip. We now have (ordered) a crib, dresser, glider, and a bunch of other smaller things.

Ze crib. Don't worry, we won't put the wheels on it.

Ze dresser.

And, the glider (we're getting it in a different color and without the ottoman).

We also started to get the room together a little bit.

This is what it looked like on Friday.

And this is what it looks like today. We were busy.

Busy weekend

Last weekend my mom was in town. We took full advantage of her knowledge of baby stuff and went shopping! (It actually was kind of exciting to start getting some of the more major things.)

First stop was IKEA for a rug. In addition to getting a rug for the baby's room, the trip also served as an introduction to the whole Ikea experience for my mom. The main comment from her throughout was "wow". Even having been relatively desensitized to IKEA, it is quite a lot to take in.

From IKEA it was on to Great Beginnings in Gaithersburg, MD. For those not in the know, Great Beginnings is a huge (think large Best Buy store sized), locally owned, baby store. They have nearly everything you could want or need. Even though we received a huge amount of stuff from the baby shower in Maine (I don't think we'll need to buy any pink clothing for awhile), there were/are still a few minor things we needed to buy... like a car seat... or stroller.

Thankfully, not only is Great Beginnings a huge, local store, it was also having a 20% off sale on everything (minus furniture)! (For those of you in the DC area who need baby stuff, the 20% off sale goes through the 17th) Needless to say, we did our part to help the local economy.

For a stroller we finally decided on the UPPAbaby Vista. We did a ton of research on strollers, checked out all the top contenders, and this one was definitely our favorite. The above photo is roughly the same color, but the one we're getting isn't as dark. This stroller is pretty cool. It comes with the bassinet at no extra charge, the main seat can face either front or back, and the tires are filled foam so they'll never go flat. As weird as it sounds, we're actually pretty excited to get to use it. It'll also be interesting to see how Harry adapts to the stroller on walks.

As for the car seat, we went with what seems to be the industry standard: the Graco SnugRide. Unfortunately or not, we were kinda forced to go with the pink version (the Juliette style to be exact). I guess this will just help others identify that yes, she is actually a girl and limit the number of "what a handsome boy" comments when she's really little.

While at the store we also did some reconnaissance on cribs, dressers, and gliders. We'll likely be headed back this weekend to start the ball rolling on those items.

One other thing about Great Beginnings. The staff is awesome. Everyone we spoke with really knew what they were talking about and took the time to explain things and answer all of our questions. We highly recommend them.

All in all it was a huge success. I'd like to thank my mom for helping us in all ways and putting up with the craziness that is shopping for baby items.

Everything we got this weekend and from the baby shower is still in the living room, but will hopefully move its way up to the baby's room this week. Right now we have painters in their doing a (hopefully) beautiful job of finishing off the trim. Once they're done we should be able to start putting the room together.

2009 Year in Review

This was quite an eventful year for us. It started out... actually I don't really remember how it started. I know there were many discussions with the architect and potential contractors. Eventually it turned into contract negotiations (I think it was a good thing the contractor asked if we were both lawyers) and frantic packing. Then, in the end of April the fun began. Below are a few shots of what the house looked like before.

The house was a pretty blah grey color with an obnoxiously red door. The other major outside difference in the front is the massive tree.

All I can say about the back is thank God the slope is gone. The slope was the little half bath/laundry room/storage area/utility room that, in addition to be extremely cramped, had one end of the floor about three - four inches lower than it should be.

Umm... blame the clutter on the fact we were in the middle of packing frantically.

Once the construction started it didn't take long for drastic changes to occur.

Remember the slope? This is what it looked like after one day of work.

For the next few months things are a bit hazy. All we really remember is eating pizza, pet hair, construction dust, and more pet hair. Eventually though, we were able to emerge from our one room apartment to this:

Having our kitchen back in working order was a huge relief. I would say it was the happiest part of the year, and it was for awhile, but then we found out Katie is pregnant. For those who don't know already (not really sure where you've been) she's due in late April/early May. Since finding out the good news the fall was a whirl-wind of researching baby stuff, trying to get the house and animals ready for the new addition, and generally freaking out. I mean preparing ourselves mentally.

The end of the year saw the largest snow storm in Alexandria since the 1930s. In all, about 20 inches of snow fell. The streets were pretty well deserted except for people pulling sleds or walking their dogs.

Looking back on it, it was quite a hectic year. Over the past two years we've attempted just about every thing that could test a relationship (planning a wedding, buying a house, remodeling a house, international travel) and come through relatively unscathed. I'm sure 2010 will bring its own set of tests (like parenting) and honestly, I couldn't be happier.

Blizzard of '09

Sometime before 10pm on Friday the snow started. Sometime after 10pm on Saturday it stopped... at least 17 inches later (possibly up to 20).




By 8am on Saturday morning we had about 7 inches.




When we took the pup out again at 4pm it was up to 16 inches.







Harry wasn't too sure what to make of the snow. He was freaked out and excited to play at the same time. This led to him randomly charging ahead which caused some issues as we tried to keep up through the piles of snow.



Every once and awhile Harry would go into a sit, as if to say "If I sit I usually get a treat. So I'm sitting, can we go in? Or at least make this white stuff go away?"

You'll notice we were walking in the middle of the street. No, we haven't forgotten what our parents taught us. It's just that the street was the only place where the snow wasn't knee high. Even there though, all the streets looked like this:



On the plus side, the house looked good.







The old windows also provided many an icicle and frosty window pane.

Daddy-Proof

Though we've been warned to avoid buying baby clothes... at least until after baby shower(s)... we really can't help ourselves (okay, so maybe it's mostly my weakness). Now that we know we're having a girl, it's hard to resist all the adorable little girl clothes. We are trying to avoid pink as much as possible, but it's difficult.

Today, while out conducting product research on such items as carseats, strollers, and nursery furniture, we came across a onesie that our little girl just has to have.





:oP Before anyone gets the wrong impression, this purchase was mostly Andy's idea...

Still here

So it's been awhile since we posted anything. Overall not much has changed. We're still about 90% moved back into the house. The baby's room still needs to be painted (any offers?) so we can have a place to put her stuff. That's right, I said her. We found out last week that we'll be having a little girl! It's so much nicer to know as now we can start buy some more specific things (not that we'd actually bought anything before). Don't worry though, we're not going overboard on pink; in fact, we're trying to ensure she has a broader exposure to colors than just pink. Katie is starting to show and has felt the baby kick a little bit. All of this is helping the impending change sink in more and more for me. With any luck I'll be able to feel her little legs too in a little while.

Quiz

Is Harry:

a) Excited that the construction is done?
b) Thrilled with the news that he's going to have another sibling?
c) Psyched to be celebrating his 6th birthday?
d) Pumped to go out for sniffing and bathroom relief?
OR
e) All of the above.

You decide.

Done

We've actually been done with the construction for about two weeks. Now comes the hard part: moving back in. We've made a few trips to the storage unit and retrieved most of our kitchen stuff so no more pizza and takeout for us! (okay, so that's not true, we got pizza the other night) It's been an interesting process trying to figure out where everything is going to go in the new kitchen and then making sure it's all clean (I think we've run about 7 or 8 dishwasher loads in the past 24 hours). Overall though its been a good process and we've been able to actually use the kitchen (I can smell the fresh baked bread right now).

The other hard part is deciding what to do with the kid's room. Right now it's not painted or used for much more than a place to put boxes. Obviously this will have to change soon.

Someday we'll get around to taking and posting some pics of the new, lived-in space.

Cooking Up Our Next Project

Two Years

As one major chapter of our life comes to a close, and we embark on a new chapter, it seems appropriate to reflect on the vows we made to each other two years ago today.

Andy's vows to Katie:

Katie,
You are everything I could ask for
In a friend, a woman, and a wife.
You are my best friend and the love of my life.

I promise to be there to celebrate your successes
To laugh with you in times of joy
And comfort you in times of sorrow.

I will encourage and support you,
Honor and love you.
I will respect our differences
And do my part to work through
All our challenges.

Katie, as I stand here before you
In front of our friends and family
Know this:
You have my heart,
You have my soul,
I will be yours and stand by you through eternity.
You are my love.

I love you.

Katie's vows to Andy:

Andy, I knew from the moment we met that you were important to me. It wasn't long after we met that I realized you were my best friend. I spoke and you listened; I laughed, and you laughed with me; I cried and you supported me. From the earliest days of our friendship, I was never afraid to share my deepest thoughts and feelings with you, because I knew that would be there for me, no matter what. And that trust has never faltered.

As our relationship developed, I discovered that you are not only my best friend, but the love of my life. And I stand here before you today, Andy, because I am the happiest -- the luckiest -- woman in the whole world, because I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you.

I promise to stand beside you in moments of joy and moments of pain, to be your pillar of support as you have always been for me.

I promise to take care of you in sickness and in health, to never leave your side in times of weakness.

I promise to be the best mother I can be to our children. I want to nurture in them all the qualities that I admire and adore in you.

I promise to be faithful to you and honest with you. There is nothing in this world worth risking the trust that we have in each other.

I promise to be your best friend. Always. I promise to love, honor and respect you even when we disagree, because that is what best friends do.

I promise to be your partner in all things, large and small. Apart we can succeed, but together we cannot fail. Together anything and everything is possible.

I love you with all of my heart, Andrew Magoun. Today and every day for the rest of our lives.

We've enjoyed quite the adventurous and challenging two years (new house, major renovation); here's hoping the next chapter brings is as much fun.

Nickels and Dimes

As the project draws to a close (well, hopefully) our experience is taking a turn for the worse. It seems every time we turn around there's some other little thing that needs to be fixed. Of course this doesn't come cheap and somehow a) isn't the contractor's fault and b) wasn't anticipated by them in the beginning. As you can imagine our frustration level is rising constantly.

Right now the inside is probably 95% complete but we still can't fully move in (and let the animals have free range of the house) because the contractor still needs access to the back of the house. This is just mildly annoying until added with the removal of any protection for our floors this afternoon. Why they would leave our floors unprotected when we've repeatedly expressed our keen interest in keeping them undamaged is beyond me. More and more it seems as they don't really care about what our final impression is.

On that cheery note, here are some pictures of the kitchen.

Despite some initial issues with the shipping of the tile, we think it turned out pretty well.

Rising from the Ashes (er, Constuction Dust)

This week brought some major changes. On Tuesday, after several delays, we finally have a functioning boiler/water heater/space-age thingy. Obviously, we have yet to test the heating capabilities but the water heater gets a big thumbs up. Maybe it's the fact that I don't hear well, but I'm amazed at how quiet it is running; and, once we have those cabinet doors installed, I doubt I'll even remember that it's there (Andy says he can hear it, but I figure I'll be spending the most time in the kitchen anyway ;o) ).

Also on Tuesday, our countertops were installed along with about half of the appliances. I'm salivating over the new rangetop and can't wait to try it out. I have a list of recipes I want to try ASAP. Hopefully I won't go bonkers and try them all at once.

The painters were here today to finish painting downstairs and it looks GREAT! Andy and I limited ourselves to the historic colors in the Benjamin Moore collection (about 300 choices vs. about 5000), and I'm really happy with the way things turned out.

And finally, the siding guys have been here for the past few days, pounding away. The BAR mandated that as much of the original siding as possible must be saved, so they have the undesirable task of pulling off the sub-standard siding, and piecing in new stuff. On the front, this meant loosing about 90% of the original. Our house looked pretty bad for about 24 hours there. We've got paint swatches for the exterior up on the house, so we're taking the weekend to figure out which one to use. Tough call.

A few pictures of the emerging kitchen:









Sadly, it was not all good news this week as we hit some major snags with the tile we selected for the backsplash. We're still trying to iron things out, but I'm hopeful that we'll be able to salvage the situation and move forward.