Basement before and after...

As long as we're waiting for a little someone to arrive, figured I'd post photos of our other summer project - we finally finished the basement redo and have been enjoying hunkering downstairs and watching movies now that the rain started and its dark so early.

Before/during:

The dumpster arrived sometime in July and was out there until October

Basement as demo started

Carpet, drywall, crazy lath and plaster ceiling texture gone...

Suspended ceiling, closet, carpet, all sorts of other junk removed from other parts of basement. This was a bedroom and still is. We made the window to Ashley's left there a bigger egress window. 

Channel dug for new plumbing for bathroom. This was entry to laundry room, now its a bathroom.

New plumbing, electrical, framing, insulation, drywall in process....

Getting there. New lighting in, paint, trim, etc.

Most of it done, minus clean up, carpet, touch up, etc.

And, after:

Part of guest room

Other part of guest room, with egress window

New bathroom (toilet and other stuff to the right and behind me). Its tiny, but guests can at least have their own bed and bath downstairs. Mom will get to use it next when she gets here next week!

Pool table/bar room looking into fireplace room

Looking from fireplace room upstairs

Fireplace/tv room

Still need a decent tv stand and other furniture, but its coming together. Just in time to watch movies downstairs this winter and have room for guests after baby gets here : )

Past couple weeks

The past couple weeks of taking it easy, enjoying fall and the extra time to work on the house and little projects has been so nice....

Took this photo from our driveway on my way to the bus stop one morning. It has been such a pretty fall here.

Took this one a couple weeks ago on a walk with Carmen

Our Japanese maples were really bright this year. Leaves are almost gone already!

For my birthday a couple weekends ago, we went to Hood River to shop a bit, eat lunch, go for a hike (photos are on the other camera, haven't unloaded them yet...). Ashley made a nice bday dinner.  

This last weekend we went out to one of our favorite restaurants for a possibly last-date-for-a-while on Friday, had a huge "friend's Thanksgiving" at our friend Michelle's on Saturday, on Sunday Ashley put new brakes on his truck. Checking things off the pre-baby to do list...

I did a bunch of shopping and cooking for the friend's Thanksgiving meal, and made and canned pear chutney with pears from a neighbor's tree.

We also got some awesome mail last week - a hand knit hat and booties set from some family friends of Fritz and Susanne's (made from yarn they spun from their own alpacas!).
Our friend Amanda also made us an adorable quilt (the one on the bottom), Becky made the green one at the top, and my friend Michelle made a cute fabric banner for the baby room. Had to get a photo of all the pretty handmade gifts! 

And the sweaters and baby quilt I made for baby O. Can't wait to see if the sweaters actually fit him or not. They seem way too small...

And a belly photo - 39 weeks!

Finally feel like we're getting prepared

After a few weekends of sticking around the house to work on projects, get organized,  and pick up this-es and thats, I'm finally feeling like we're getting close to ready. We've both kicked our colds and had a great weekend around home getting organized. AND I didn't have the baby this week and will hit 37 weeks on Tuesday, so all is great here : )

Friday we went for a walk with Carmen and grabbed a bite to eat outside near our house (I keep thinking "maybe this is our last meal out together before baby?"). 

Saturday, a cleaner came to scrub the house top to bottom and help get rid of all the construction dust. It was freaking awesome. A girl could get used to that every week. : )

And even BETTER is that Evelyn came down Saturday morning and helped out so so so much. We organized the storage area in the basement (its been driving me NUTS) and set up the guest bed in the basement. We grabbed lunch on Hawthorne, walked around and did some shopping, came home and worked on some last bits, and then hung out chatting. Before we knew it it was 8:30. Ashley and Evelyn opened some more wine and she decided to spend the night so we ordered take out, ate and caught up some more.

She shoved off Sunday a.m. (so freaking nice of her to come down on a gorgeous fall day to help clean our basement, seriously) and Ashley and I wrapped up some more thises and thats around the house today. Getting as ready as we'll ever be!

I finally took some photos this week of the rocker Mom and Dad bought us and some other misc baby stuff around here - 

Here's the rocker by the window! And a little baby quilt I made with leftover fabric from the quilt I made when Macy was born. Just finished it a couple weeks ago - was so glad to get that done.

Baby corner in our bedroom - just a shelf, the rocker, dresser/changing table. We still need to get the "real" bedroom set up on the main floor. We'll get there. This is all we need for now : )

Baby books! 

Each of my girlfriends brought a bead to the brunch a couple weekends ago. Each friend said why they chose that bead and said a blessing or good wish for the baby. Michelle made them into a dream catcher for the baby : )

Carmen is cuddled up in the other quilt I just finished - this one from fabric I bought with Becky when she was out visiting almost exactly a year ago when she was 6 months pregnant with Leo. I figured if I didn't use that fabric to make a blanket now, I probably wouldn't for a long time. It has been on my to do list for a while and feels great to have it done! I haven't been able to sleep much, so have been working on this in the early mornings when I'm up.

36 weeks! Getting close...

A girls' day to prepare for baby

 A couple weekends ago, Jami and Michelle planned a girls' day as a shower for baby O. We started by meeting a group of about 13 or so of my girlfriends for brunch near our house (I had blackberry creamcheese stuffed french toast. So so so getting that again, I've been thinking about it constantly : )

We drank coffee, ate good food, opened some gifts, and each friend brought a bead and blessing and Michelle made a really neat dream catcher for the baby with each of their beads on it. It was such a nice morning.

After brunch, a smaller group of us - Jami (and her 4 month old Arlo), Michelle, Heather and I - all headed up to Mt. Hood to go apple picking at an orchard, have a picnic and enjoy the gorgeous fall day. We came home with tons of apples, cider, honey and other goodies. Bryce (Heather's husband and Ashley's good childhood friend) came over to our house afterward and we all went out to dinner. All in all, such a fun, beautiful fall day....

Jami with Arlo and Michelle at the orchard

Heather, Michelle and Jami picking apples

Michelle with smiley Arlo. SO CUTE! 

Heather took this photo. Beautiful day with great views of Mt. Hood! 

I've made two apple pies since : )

Last week was the rough one, with Ashley's skin surgery and both of us with horrible colds. We laid low as much as possible and still got lots done this last weekend. Bryce came over to help Ashley with some stuff in the basement (which is wrapping up - touch up paint today!) and we're getting all sorts of stuff organized and ready. Getting excited!

Wisconsin, Part 2.3: Shower after party ; )

I was so glad Morgan, Brooke and Macy were at Mom's to keep us cheerful after everyone left when the shower was over!

Mom gave Macy a bath with the rubber duckies

Ashley, the girls and Leo laughed at goofy videos on Morgan's ipad

The girls talked to their cousin 

The next morning, Macy tried on my prom princess dress from Deb's prom! Look familiar? Also reminds me of trying dresses on at the farm : )

Getting ready to leave that morning was HARD! One last photo with Mom before we headed to Heather's and Mom and Charlie headed to the farm

Ashley gets in some final running around the yard with the girls. Gorgeous day.

Grammy with Morgan, Brooke and Macy! I love this photo.

We headed to Heather's after this to hang out for a bit before catching our plane. It was a gorgeous fall day and it was so nice to hang out and lay low before our travels back.

THANK YOU everyone for everything while we were back. Such a great trip - miss everyone and can't believe how different things will be next time we see each other! XO

Wisconsin, Part 2.1: Shower at Mom's

Saturday of course was the shower! So many adorable touches - thank you so much Mom, Deb and Heather for all your work...

The guys heading out the door to make themselves scarce

Super cute favors

Blue punch

Such cute and yummy cake! Great choice

I loved how into all the gifts the girls were. Reminded me of my wedding shower, so stinkin sweet.

Horrible picture of me, but LOVE the sweater from Mim!

Again, horrible picture of me, but so many cute things to open : )

Kashton, such a boy!!

Can't believe they made it all the way from Montana. Reminds me of our wedding where there are so many people to talk to but so little time!

I love this photo : )

And this one!

It was so overwhelming to not have seen everyone in so long, but to get such an outpouring of support and generosity in such a short amount of time. Fritz and Susanne of course had to leave shortly after the shower ended as well, so it was a bit of a quick goodbye after such a great trip - its always so hard to say bye, and so much will change by the time we see them next! I was a weepy emotional mess after everyone left, but  was so so so glad Morgan, Brooke and Macy were there to be their bouncy energetic selves that night - we had so much fun with them and Mom. Also, Morgan took a lot of these photos with Mom's camera, so maybe you've all seen most of these already.

More photos of the shower "after party" to come : ) 

HUGE THANK YOU again Mom, Deb and Heather for all your work to make that such a nice day!! And Deb, I LOVE the album, thank you so much.

xo