The Big Reveal

At the end of September, Chris and I painted the walls in the baby's room, which led to a discussion about replacing the carpet in the baby's room, which led to a discussion about replacing the carpet in the entire house, which led to a discussion about replacing the kitchen flooring, which led to a discussion about replacing the kitchen cabinets, which led to this:

That's my kitchen about two weeks into a remodel project that involved:

1. Removing a wall between the kitchen and dining room;
2. Removing a load bearing wall between the dining room and living room and replacing it with a support beam inside the attic; 
3. Closing in a door that provided access to the kitchen from the carport; 
4. Adding a door that provides access to the kitchen from the laundry room and carport; 
5. Moving the dryer vent and electrical to make room for a new door in the laundry room;
6. Replacing wood paneling in the dining room with sheetrock; 
7. Adding a gas line in the kitchen to connect a gas cooktop;
8. Moving electrical and water lines to a new location for the refrigerator;
9. Replacing the cabinets, countertops, backsplash, sink, faucet, vent hood, cooktop, and microwave in the kitchen;
10. Installing a stackable washing machine and dryer in the laundry room; 
11. Replacing all flooring in the kitchen, dining room, living room, hallway, and hall closet; 
12. Wiring and installing recessed lights in the kitchen and dining room; and
13. Installing a new light fixture in the dining room.

While this list represents a thorough outline of major work done on the Sias house, it does not include the hiccups that are bound to accumulate during a remodel project.  The more serious "hiccups" started with the general contractor's failure to obtain the required permit and escalated into a battle with incompetent painters and several random holes in our new sheet rock in search of a mysterious gas leak.    

Also, note that the extensive list of work above does not include replacing the carpet in the baby's room, the impetus for our major remodel project.  After expending large amounts of energy and money on the rest of the house, Chris and I drew the line at replacing the carpet in the baby's room.  Because the baby's room was the only empty room in the house throughout our project, it became a staging and storage area for work taking place in the rest of the house.  As a result, the baby's room went through various stages that rendered any ideas of replacing the carpet utterly unthinkable:

The last bit of major work was completed on December 18, although minor touch-ups continued through December 22.  By December 24, I had almost everything back in place and had even managed to hang a few Christmas decorations.  On December 25, Chris was the recipient of a generous Christmas gift, a new TV.  By December 26, my living room was filled with dust and there were new holes in the wall to make room for wall mounts, plugs, switches, and hidden electrical wires.  Three days later, on December 30, all work was finally complete.

Are you dying to see pictures of the newly remodeled Sias house?  You are in luck because I have plenty of them.  Before I post pictures of the finished project, however, pictures of my house pre-construction are mandatory.

Looking into the kitchen from the far end of
the dining room.

The kitchen with the old door from the carport located
to the left of the stove.

Looking into the dining room from the kitchen.
Note the walls separating the two rooms, as well as
the wall on the right side of the dining room separating
the dining room and living rom.

Looking into the dining room from the kitchen.

The living room.

I could post several in-between pictures showing various stages of exposed framing and wires, half-finished cabinetry, and the like.  No one really enjoys the in-between stages, however, including the homeowners living through it.  Those weeks are weeks I would like to completely erase from my memory.  So, I'll just skip straight to the big reveal!!!!

The finished kitchen! 

No walls between the kitchen and dining room!

Looking at the dining room from the back of
the kitchen.  This flooring continues into
the living room and hall as well.

The new door leading from the laundry room
into the kitchen.  I love the little hidden cabinet
by the door!

My new light fixture and the recessed lights.
I love it!

No more walls between the kitchen, living room, and
dining room.

The living room feels soooo much bigger! 

I love that the new light fixture is visible from all three rooms!

Now that the house is back in order, I can finally focus on finishing the baby's room.  Only five more weeks, give or take an unknown amount of time, until baby Sias enters the world.

Doug's New Bed

I previously wrote about Doug's murphy bed.  He still has a murphy bed.  He also has a new bed.  My mom helped me sew some curtains the weekend after Christmas.  I learned a lot about sewing and finally felt confident to attempt my own sewing project, albeit on a much smaller scale.  I think Doug's new bed turned out awesome, and he seems to like it as well.

My boys sleeping on New Year's Eve.

Pregnancy Progress - Week 35

If my due date is accurate and I carry baby Sias for 40 weeks, I have five weeks until D-day.  Here's what's been going on in Kim's pregnant world.

Pregnancy changed around week 30.  It was around this time that casual coworkers and even a few strangers began asking questions about my due date and the baby's gender.  I finally looked round enough in the right places for people to be certain that I am pregnant.

At 20 weeks

At 23 weeks

At 30 weeks

At 31 weeks

At 34 weeks

It was also around 30 weeks that I realized sooner, rather than later, I will meet baby Sias.  This caused two reactions.  First, I felt a sudden urge to "get things in order," which mostly caused anxiety given the state of chaos at home due to a major renovation project.  Second, the thought of losing the constant connection between my baby and I made me sad.  Part of me did not, and still does not, want baby Sias to come out.  I want baby Sias to stay inside me, constantly connected to me, a part of me.  I like feeling baby Sias move inside me.  I like knowing that baby Sias is warm and cozy.  I like that baby Sias is all mine, only mine.  When I finally admitted my feelings to Chris, he lovingly called it a mother's bond.  I like Chris's label better than my labels of over-protectiveness, anxiety, and selfishness.

At week 32, Chris and I saw baby Sias inside my womb in 3-D.  I never planned on paying the extra money for a 3-D sonogram because honestly, 3-D photos of babies in the womb are simultaneously real enough and distorted enough to look pretty darn creepy.  My doctor, however, does a sonogram at each visit and is able to switch easily to 3-D mode.  While I still maintain that 3-D photos have a serious creepy factor to them, watching my baby move in 3-D was entirely different.  Chris and I watched baby Sias open and close his/her tiny mouth, stick out his/her little tongue, and scrunch his/her little face.  Seeing baby Sias move in 3-D, and seeing Chris' excitement as a result, made me excited about meeting baby Sias in a few weeks, even if part of me is still a little sad that I will lose the constant connection I've come to love.

As with most pregnancies, the last few weeks of my pregnancy have been marked by increased physical discomfort, difficulty sleeping, and random emotional instability (i.e. crying).  This week I had dream that I forgot to breast feed my baby for a several days, as if my body and a newborn baby would silently and painlessly allow me to go days without breast feeding my baby.  Instead of focusing on these things, however, I am focused on enjoying the exciting side of a first pregnancy.  It's fun watching my stomach move uncontrollably, planning for the unexpected, and being the recipient of endless attention and special treatment.  This is the part of pregnancy I want to remember, and the part of pregnancy I know I will miss in just a few short weeks.

Baby Shower

At the beginning of my third trimester, I traveled to Fort Worth for a baby shower hosted by my sisters-in-law.  It was a beautiful shower, and I was so honored to have so many of my close friends and relatives in attendance.  My paternal grandma, who lives in Seattle, surprised me by coming as well, which was definitely the highlight of the day.  I love my grandma, and I love surprises.

My grandma and Mimi

My beautiful mom, a grandma-to-be

Silly games.

Allt the lovely ladies

The gracious hosts - my sisters-in-law

My sister-in-law has a beautiful house

High school pals

Lovely, lovely, lovely

I love this picture of Mimi and Riley, my cousin's daughter.

The grandmas and grandma-to-be

Heather wanted to take her first picture with the baby

Tia Esperanza about to determine the baby's gender

My cousins.

I came back to the Valley full of gratitude and appreciation for the women in my life, and a carload of goodies.

November 13, 2003

Eleven years ago today, I was standing in a parking lot near the tennis courts at UTA after a long day on campus.   Chris was standing very close to me, trying to sneak a goodnight kiss, when he asked me a very important question.  Actually, he first asked, "Can I ask you a question?"  This made me nervous about the question to follow, but I gave permission to proceed.  Chris then asked me if he could introduce me to people as his girlfriend.  Of course I said yes - I had pursued Chris for weeks hoping for this moment!  I had no idea, however, that I would be with him eleven years later, that we would move across Texas together, or that I would carry his baby someday.  Instead, I was content to be his girlfriend.  It was a good day, and the beginning of eleven good years.          

Pregnancy Progress

I'm in week 24 now.  I began to look pregnant, as opposed to chunky, around week 22.  My stomach is now protruding nicely and people have started to touch my belly.  My mom and I went shopping for maternity clothes two weeks ago and now I wear maternity clothes most of the time I'm not lounging around the house.

I felt the baby move for the first time while Chris and I were in Hawaii.  It was so different than anything I'd ever felt before that I stopped what I was doing to focus on this new experience.  Now, I feel the baby's movements daily, especially after I eat and when I'm not moving a lot.   Last week I saw the baby move for the first time when a particularly strong movement caused a quick rise and fall in my stomach.

At week 20, Chris went to my prenatal appointment with me because I was scheduled for a sonogram.  We saw our little baby, who no longer looks like a blob, move around in my stomach.  It was so neat to see the details, like tiny fingers, four sections of the heart, and spinal bones.

So far I have experienced several normal pregnancy symptoms, although not all at one time or in abundance.  It's been more of a random sampling of nausea, thirst, congestion, increased acne (darn hormones), elevated body temperature, hip and back pain, round ligament pain, leg cramps, indigestion, a heightened sense of smell, sleeplessness, and dizziness when I don't eat regularly enough.  I'll stop there for the sake of decency.

Despite all the side affects of being pregnant, I suspect that I will miss some aspects of being pregnant after this is all over.  People treat me so nicely, are genuinely interested in my well-being, and insist on doing things for me.  As excited as I am to meet my baby, I'm trying to enjoy these few months as much as possible.

The Clock is Ticking

There's nothing like the upcoming birth of your first child to motivate you to check a few things off your to-do list.  One of the first things Chris and I did after the doctor confirmed my pregnancy was book plane tickets to Hawaii.  Chris always wanted to visit Hawaii, and I'm always eager for a vacation.  We spent a lovely week on the island of Kauai with our friends Benji and Kynndra.

I tried not to let my emerging baby bump stop me from enjoying the beach, a choppy boat ride, and a long, rainy hike through the Alakai Swamp, even if it meant the only place to use the restroom was the middle of a boardwalk surrounded by soggy marsh.   While hiking, Benji thought it was funny to hide in the thick foliage along the trail so that he could scare me when I passed by.  In the end, the joke was on him because I unknowingly stopped for an emergency bathroom break right in front of one of his hiding spots.  That was the last time Benji tried to scare me.      

Chris @ Hanalei Bay

Haena Beach.

Alakai Swamp/

Poipu Beach.

NaPali Coast Boat Rid.

Poipu Sunrise.

Quuen's Pond.

Swamp, swamp, swamp.

We rented a beautiful little guest house on a mountainside and a four-wheel-drive jeep.  We flew over the island in a helicopter, where Chris I had front row seats.  We swam in the clear ocean, drove through mud puddles, and explored the mountains and valleys.  Chris and I had dinner with a former school mate of mine.  It really was a lovely vacation.

Muddy jeep, muddy Kim. 

Wailua Falls. 

Helicopter Ride.

Waimea Canyon.

Kalalau Valley.

In the mountains at Kokee State Park.

Burger stop.

Our last day on the island was a roller coaster ride.   In the morning, we visited a church near our guest house and enjoyed potluck under huge trees.  Chris and I drove over a long stretch of deep potholes disguised as a road to explore one final beach.  We even arrived at the airport in time to stop for dinner at a nearby restaurant.  

Toward the end of our meal, Chris realized he left a an envelope of cash at the guest house, which was about 20 minutes from the airport.  We had a little over an hour until our flight left, and we still had to return our rented jeep.  To Chris, this meant he had just enough time to drive to the guest house, grab the cash, drive back to the airport, return the rental car, dash through security, and board the plane.  So, in a matter of minutes, the last hour of our vacation became the most stressful hour of the whole trip.  While Chris drove to the guesthouse, I checked our bags and printed our boarding passes, which easier said than done when one passenger is absent and unable to present his driver's license himself.  Then I waited, and waited, and waited.  I had a some slow minutes to think about our honeymoon seven years earlier, when Chris left me at the airport to return to our cabin and retrieve our forgotten camera.  Chris didn't make it back to the airport on time, and I flew home from my honeymoon solo.  

As I was waiting for Chris again seven years later, Benji called from the terminal and advised that boarding had started.  I continued to wait.  Finally, Chris came running around the corner.  We zipped through security and one final agricultural check (Praise God!) and made it to the terminal just in time to board the plane.  Chris and I were going home together this time, and with at least five minutes to spare.

The expected arrival of a baby also prompted Chris and I to begin preparing a nursery.  This, I believe, was expected.  What was not expected was how painting a nursery led to conversations about new carpet, which led to the eventual demolition of our kitchen.

Day one of the renovation.

Remodeling the kitchen is something Chris and I intended to do since we purchased our house, but it took preparing a nursery to actually make it happen.  Ironically, all nursery progress has ceased because the nursery is now serving as storage and a makeshift kitchen.  Better now than never.

  

Doug's Bed

I do not call Doug's bed a drawer.  I call it a murphy bed.

Doug likes his murphy bed.  

In Memoriam

Over the last few months, Chris and I have experienced the loss of two grandparents.  In May,  Chris' paternal grandmother, Grandma Cuca, passed away.  The week prior to her death, Grandma Cuca traveled to Chihuahua on her own.  A few days later, she suffered a heart attack from which she was unable to recover.  To say that the sudden turn of events was a shock would be an understatement.

When Chris learned that Grandma Cuca was not expected to recover, he caught the first flight to El Paso.  I mean that literally.  I came home from work to see Chris walking out the front door with a backpack.  Chris asked me to drive him to the airport, where he bought a ticket at the ticket counter and then boarded a plane 45 minutes later.  Praise God that Chris and I were able to afford a last minute plane ticket because Chris was able to spend some valuable time with Grandma Cuca while she was still alert, just days before she passed.

Grandma Cuca at my wedding.

Grandma Cuca was a very special person.  Although she lived by herself, people were constantly visiting her.  She was funny and mischievous.  While in law school, I flew to El Paso by myself for a job interview.  I stayed with Grandma Cuca.  She cooked for me, sent food home with me, and even volunteered my services to drive a neighbor to the pharmacy.

Here is a video Chris and his relatives made several years ago for a surprise birthday party for Grandma Cuca, which will show you just how much she was loved.

This past week, my paternal grandfather passed away.  Grandpa's health had been declining for a while.  Last fall, I told Chris that I wanted to help fly my grandparents down for Christmas because I suspected that Grandpa may not be able to travel long distances much longer.  Two months later, my grandparents were at our home for several days over Christmas.  Praise God for impressing on me the need to make a special effort to spend Christmas with Grandpa.

Grandpa was a tall man.  For as long as I can remember, he always wore black SAS shoes and a fanny pack.  More than once he explained to me that he prefers a fanny pack because it holds a lot, is easy to access, and protects his valuables from pick-pockets.  He had a coin purse that fanned open with one simple touch, which always amazed me a child.  When I was young and would hurt myself or get upset about something, he would always say, "It'll all be over before you get married."  Always.

Grandpa working in his office,
One of my favorite pictures of Grandpa.

Grandpa was infamous among my family for taking pictures, which was a tedious task at times.  Sometimes, when I have attempted to improve positioning, postures, or background while taking pictures with my siblings or other relatives in my dad's family, my family has jokingly cried, "Okay, Grandpa," or "Come on, Grandpa."  I consider these comments a compliment.

One of Grandpa's favorite pictures of the Texas cousins,
taken by none other than himself.

When I started college at UTA, a public university, Grandpa sent me a letter.  My grandparents have sent me hundreds of cards and postcards, but they are always in Grandma's handwriting.  Grandpa always received honorary mention at the end of these notes, which Grandma signed with the customary, "Love, Grandma and Grandpa."  The letter I received when I started college was in Grandpa's handwriting and was signed simply, "Grandpa."  This letter was from Grandpa.  In the letter, Grandpa warned me about dating non-Adventist boys.  He advised me not to date non-Adventist boys casually because what I might intend to be just one or two dates could easily turn into something much more serious.  I appreciated the letter but didn't give it much thought as I had no intention to get married anytime soon.  Little did I know that I would meet a very special young man while I was attending UTA and that what started as a simple friendship would be a marriage, a family, and a life ten years later.  Most find it ironic that out of the 30,000 students attending UTA, I found and married one of the few Adventist men on campus.  I know, however, that it was not irony.  It was God's answer to Grandpa's prayers for me to find the right partner.

Some of the memories I treasure most about Grandpa date to the summer of 2009, when I spent ten weeks interning in Seattle.  I spent a lot of time with my grandparents over that summer and came to know my grandparents in a way I never would have otherwise.  Grandpa drove me all over the Seattle area that summer, with Grandma and I as happy passengers.  Ever since that summer, I maintained a close relationship with my grandparents, calling them regularly.  At the conclusion of all of my conversations with Grandpa, he prayed with me.  The last time Grandpa spoke to me was right after he learned I am pregnant with what will be his second great grandchild.  He was unable to talk very long, but he made sure to pray for me and my baby.

Grandpa and I in Wenatchee, Washington; Summer 2009.

Last week I spoke to Grandpa for the last time and as hard as it was, it was an honor to pray for him.  Although I know Grandpa is now resting in Jesus, waiting for his beloved Savior to say, "Well done my good and faithful servant," it won't be easy to start receiving notes from Grandma, in Grandma's handwriting, signed simply, "Love, Grandma."  

Interestingly, my Grandpa knew Chris' Grandma Cuca long before Chris and I ever met.  My Grandpa worked for the Adventist church in El Paso many years ago, where Grandma Cuca lived.  During this time, Grandpa officiated over the wedding of one of Grandma Cuca's children, Chris' aunt Rosie and Uncle Tony.  Grandpa also worked with Grandma Cuca because she was the treasurer at her church.  Grandpa told me that Grandma Cuca was one of the best church treasurers he ever worked with.  Several years after my grandparents had left Texas, Chris and I happened to meet at UTA without any knowledge that our families already knew each other.  Some meetings are truly the work of God.

Small Surprises

Life as a Sias documents some of the biggest moments in my life: marriage, graduations, several moves, several vacations, adopting Doug, and buying a house.  This post marks the beginning of a new volume.

Okay, so maybe this is the prologue to a soon-to-arrive volume.  Either way, things are going to change a lot in the Sias house.

Chris and I shared the news with our families first.  We took our parents and siblings out to dinner.  At the end of the meal, the waitress passed out fortune cookies with these messages inside:

It's a good things I'm actually pregnant, or else this would have been a very awkward way to end dinner.

I've spent the last two weeks sharing the news with friends and family.  This has been particularly exciting because there is no company that allows you to buy a dozen customized fortune cookies.  The minimum order is 50.    

After having announced my pregnancy to several people, I feel qualified to write a frequently asked questions section to answer all of the questions burning at the tip of your tongue.  Here it goes, in no particular order.

Q:  What is your due date:

A:  February 6, 2014.

Q:  How do you feel?

A:  Thirsty and tired.

Q:  Have you been nauseous? 

A: Yes, but not too much. 

Q: How long until you learn the gender?

A: Approximately 26 weeks, or when the baby is born

Q: How can you wait until the birth to know the gender?????

A: Chris and I both like surprises. 

Q:  But how will you prepare without knowing the gender?????

A:  I believe labor and delivery is the same regardless of the gender.  Also, last I checked, baby boys and baby girls have the same basic needs. 

Q: Do you like yellow?

A: I do now that I know it looks fabulous with grey.  Take that as a hint. 

Q:  Have you thought about a name?

A: Of course, but remember that Chris and I like surprises, so this means that the names will remain a secret as well.

Q: Names?  Are you having twins?

A: No, but we need to pick a girl's name and a boy's name.  That's how you prepare for a gender reveal party that takes place at delivery.

Q:  What are you going to do with your car, the little convertible Cadillac that seats two?

A:  Enjoy the heck out of it for now!  

Q: What about Doug?

A: I'm fairly certain he has absolutely no idea what I mean when I pat my tummy and tell him I'm pregnant. 

Q: Will you keep working?

A: Wow, what a great question.  If only I had a short answer appropriate for the FAQ format.  

Q: Are you excited?

A: Excited is an understatement.  I am so incredibly happy I could die, but I won't because I am growing another human. 

Q: Are you going on a baby moon?

A:  Yes I am.  Hawaii, here I come!