our house in the middle of our street...

or rather lane, since that is technically what we live on.
yes, you read correctly.  the day we feared would never come is here.  on march 30th we officially closed on our house.  and after a weekend of slaving away with a paintbrush to cover every last inch of hideous paint (haha just kidding we didn't end up painting, some much more talented and more importantly quick, people painted for us) we moved everything in.  i'd like to say that two weeks later everything is in its rightful place but...then i'd be lying to you.  it's not quite so easy when both adults are working, one of which is weeks away from popping out a baby, and the only other person living in the house is just 4 years old.
we have, however, managed to complete the entire main level of the house.  it's both a blessing and a curse.  because while it's great to have everything put away and sorted, it makes it that much more tempting to just sit downstairs and watch TV or something else rather than tackle the mess upstairs.
i will admit that today, since i was off from work, i was able to finally finish mary's room (for the most part).  she was off playing with some neighbors which allowed me to actually go through her things without her wanting to stop and play with everything.
so while we're not quite finished, we won't leave you empty handed...or rather lacking of pictures.  without further ado, may we present some before and afters of our downstairs.

BEFORE

AFTER

brent took the pictures, which is why mary and i make an appearance in some.  and while i am sitting down on the couch, apparently all lazy like, i promise that's not the case.  it was close to mary's bedtime, and i had already put in a great deal of work (remember how i'm pregnant and shouldn't overexert myself?).

which brings me to an update on the pregnancy.  with just a little over two weeks until the official due date, brent and i have finally settled down on a name.  you can ask, but i can't guarantee i'll share it...we've had several issues with naming this baby and i don't want to jinx what we've picked out.  so it'll be a great mystery/surprise for all of you.  mwahahaha.

my official last day of work before i go out on leave is THIS TUESDAY AND ADSKFAPF;OJEFK I'M SO EXCITED CAN YOU TELL?! it's gonna be great.  you can all anticipate a greater volume of posts to this blog (i know what you're thinking.  "i'll believe it when i see it."  but i swear. it's gonna happen). especially as everything gets settled and baby girl finally gets here.  the photo opportunities between big and little sister are endless.  and i, for one, am super excited for the possibilities.

lastly, in case you're wondering how i look, all "pleasantly pregnant" (as a woman at mary's preschool called me) here's a pic: