Christmas 2010

So I pulled out the Christmas decor that I have been hauling around with me for years, 4-5 apartments and never actually getting a place to put them up. I go out every year after christmas and buy a little bit each year. So it was like Christmas all over again pulling out the decor I've never used. And I got a tree! Which I think is just a bit enormous for my living room - which I was not even considering when I bought it. Then of course the trial of the lights....and as Stephanie found out, these new 'warm' and 'cool' white lights are slightly weird. Both of them actually. I was thinking the warm was the equivalent of the old-school ones but no. So that is my tree for now. I really dig the star. 10.00 at Wal-mart. I really love Christmas but am kind of bummed that I really don't have any Christmas music to play since my laptop broke with all my music on it....but I fill the void. It will be a sad day this year since I can't go to Washington, but I am excited at the same time to play Santa Claus to me and my Erick. In fact, santa bought me a purse yesterday :D Although I think Santa Claus should have maybe let me in on how expensive filling a stocking can be....I don't think I was prepared.

34 weeks...

So I think I took these pictures at 34 weeks....which was last week. Things are going great. Getting uncomfortable after I eat and definitely more tired in the evening. Trying to keep up the motivation to get stuff done around the house but mostly don't want to. I got to go to Alabama for Thanksgiving and see my 1-week old niece and it helped alot to talk to my sister-in-law and mom about how they handled pregnancy and birth. I - cross your fingers - think i will be more like them than most of the people i've spoken with. Which is to say instead of freaking out and thinking everything is going to be horribly painful and dramatic, I know there are those out there that handle it well. Not to say the drama queens don't. i'm just saying. But I reserve all rights to whatever the hell i want when the time comes. Just saying.

31 Weeks - and finally feeling pregnant

So in trying to be comparative with my sister-in-law, I thought i should post pictures of my belly at 28 weeks. That was 3 weeks ago. But it would have been cool. So here is me at 31 weeks (on Monday) and no i don't know how to put cool writing on the pics like Stephanie. In fact, the more I share in my families blogs, the less inclined to blog I get because I get depressed at how much better bloggers they are than me. But Whatev. I took these this morning, no i did not put any makeup on, I think we are lucky I combed my hair? which may or may not have made a difference.....

Here I am striking the classic 'pregnant pose'. I used to think it was because women's back hurt and they couldn't stand any other way. I now know its just because there is no waist to put your hand on. And i'm trying to define the front of the belly so you know where it stops...


I can say I now feel pregnant, but I had no clue what I really looked like until I saw these pictures....most people still freak out when I tell them I'm 7 1/2 months along....but now I think they are just blind.


Front shot- probably why I was dillusional about my size...this is what I see everyday and I think 'Eh, still about the same.'


Slightly angled shot....and I'm pushing it out here just so you know. Seriously.

And this was all after I had to scrounge up my camera manual to figure out to use the self-timer...so that is why it looks like a 3 foot 6 person is taking these pictures.

Drum Roll Please.......

So I"m so excited to finally be able to show the fruits of my labors....however I sorely lack comparative fotos from how it was before. My laptop died and with it all evidence....So for those who don't know, you may simply think 'Eh, it's cool'. But for those who know...IT'S AWESOME.
This is when I very first moved....

This is after I scraped the majority of the paint, texturing, and wallpaper off the red wall....You can see there is still some wallpaper on the top.....

Hmmm so i'm sure you are all assuming this all occurred over a short period of time....not sure why, but i'm assuming. From first scrape, to the pics below where they are scraped, patched, sanded and primed was probably 2 months? I'm sure my Dad thinks this would have been the perfect place to stop....all white:D

And here is the final product.....With a little Sweet Pumpkin Spice Wallflower in the background, it feels absolutely homey.

TO MY SISTER

AHHHHH I recant what i said - words matter!! you have to explain what each of those random pictures are....but i must say, that lamp is absolutely FABULOUS! I almost want to put it on my blog just to claim i've seen it. And why can't I post comments on your blog!? THis is ludicrous and a completely inefficient way to communicate. Maybe you'll see this. maybe you won't.

100 lbs - give or take a baby

ahhhh i just wrote a whole blog post and then somehow erased it! So I will try to be as eloquent as i was -- -but you know the patience to recreate the brilliance is short. So in short - in November 2009 I had gastric bypass surgery. And by June 2010 I had lost 100 lbs. and gone from a size 20 to a size 11. Which was kind of funny how that went because I had lost 60 lbs before I even starting changing sizes. I guess the body just takes to catch up. But by the time the changes were noticeable, the baby business came along and the weight stuff became a slight non-issue for a while. But I thought i would share what I can....i don't have alot of photos of me now and considering i'm 5 months prego and only getting bigger, I put what i've got. i'm about a size 12 now with my waist slowllllllllllllly making its way out. anyways. since i'm scared to move this post to the top and lose it again - the pics are first and i 'm sure most can tell which are the before and which are the afters! if not - please ask someoen else becuase i'm slightly intolerant of stupid questions.

But I will say this - I feel awesome, my health is awesome, I can run 30 minutes straight and probably more if my gym time was longer. Some personal health issues have been aleviated and i'm so happy i did this. And since this is my personal blog i figure I can put my own opinion on here. If you are addicted to food, can't or won't lose all the weight on your own, do what is best for you. You are the only person that matters and you and your health are worth it. I am very blessed to have had the opportunity/insurance/doctors/and support to be successful and very happy. And only getting bigger with my little Cabezon:D

My New Project

So the greatest but not necessarily latest thing in my life is these beautiful ultrasounds....or more specifically the baby in the ultrasounds:D. He is a little boy and I can only imagine he will look exactly like his daddy - the good-looking guy in the picture below, Erick Cortez. And for now, the baby with what I bet will be a huge head, is Dominick Cortez. For now. Who knows. I am 20 weeks on monday and just barely starting to show. still not really in clothes, but my waist is getting thick and the baby is almost to my belly button. I, and we, are very excited and hoping to feel more pregnant every day - i've had a great go of it, no sickness, just fatigue. Anyways. Due date is around the second week in January and i'm anxious as all get out to see him. Wish us luck and health :D

Tuscan Dining

So I will let the pictures tell most of the story -- but here is my 95% finished dining room. I'm actually quite excited how it turned out. Although you can't see the texturing in the pictures, I personally applied a italian-like texturing that turned out awesome. The table is in shipment from WA....so it will not be usable for a while....not that i cook much now anyways....

BW

So I want to share on my new favorite spa treatment. The Brazilian Wax. Yes, I know many of you may, WHAT? or WTF as misty likes to spout, but yes. I have survived my first Brazilian wax and i must say, I'm a fan. Now since it may not be something some or any of you are familiar with, let me just say No, it is not my favorite as in 'Ooooh what a great spa and facial treatment' favorite. But in exceeding of expectations and results, I must say Yes to Brazilian Waxes. Thank you to my friend Nicole for talking me through the experience and giving me the expectation of greatness that pushed me to jump. Now, if by favorite some of you are thinking ' Oh that must means it didn't hurt'. no my naive followers, the actual process was slightly uncomfortable if never really painful.....BUTTTTTTT the AFTERMATH was what I would call shockingly tortuous. As I thought she was about to put another strip of wax on near the end, I double over it shrieking burning pain of the alcohol!!! that she had just dumped on me. And by dumped, i mean gently wiped. But seriously. What they don't tell you. But i am here to tell you. Waxing- yes. Alcohol -Never ever ever.

Only for you Sunshine....

I really couldn't think of anything to say. Seriously. 15 minues. Nothing.

So i've been getting hassle for not posting lately. people seem to think that i have house busines going on that i'm not sharing.....not the case. i haven't really don't anything since the purple room. i have done more 'demo' on the dining room. which means i spent a month scraping the wallpaper-textured-painted wall crap off the walls. then i did nothign for a month. well i did but that is for another day. nothing on the house. so i washed the walls, patched the plaster and just caulked the window/door frames adn primed the walls this weekend. i'm almost ready for the texture. so i'm excited to have a dining room soon. anyways..... the house is nice. had a bit of a leakage problem.....now i'm deciding central air may be a necessity possibly by next year....so just livin the dream....

One down.....

One room down!! i'm also noticing my camera has a mark on the lense it appears.....anyways. So we - me and my free labor Luis - finished the guest room today. It has been like 3 weeks or more in the making......refer to previous posts for the wallpaper removal nastiness. So here is what you can see of the finished product. It rocks quite frankly.

Home Renovation and Demolition. Really just Demolition

Here are some updates on the house. I've finally got some momentum on the house - mostly in the downward destruction direction. say that 3 times fast.. anyways. problem is 1) demo is cheaper than re-no and 2) I'm pretty clueless on some of the things that needs to be done but i'm learning as I go. I'll try to explain whats been done so far. And yes, the bathroom is still in its original state of disarray from the previous post.

This is the guest bedroom. Estupidos that lived here before painted over 2 layers of wallpaper that had started to lift in places. So I had to strip it. Seriously sucks. And if it looks like I have free labor, I do.



This is a different room - probably will be mine. There of course was a wallpaper border that was painted over that was lifting. Ugggh.




Here is me prepping the room...lots of dust

These ones are the 2 storage rooms that are in the basement. Looks like the constructed this random wall, that doesn't even reach the other wall...one room had shelves, the other was just empty. So I took my new hammer (the previous one's head kept falling off) and went to town. I even got blisters. I felt very SheRa-ish.