Returning to work? When the hell did that happen?

So - I'm sitting here in wrist braces and a baby wrap with a snuggly, wiggly little baby inside.  She is waking up off and on and reminds me how quickly I need to get stuff done when she's sleeping - because she could be awake and hungry at any moment.  I am trying my hardest to fully appreciate these moments - because in less than 2 weeks I return to the work world again.  

I think like any new mom, I have very mixed emotions about this return. I won't be able to sleep in until 8am and wake up to my smiling baby girl.  But, at the same time, I'll be back in Adult-land - speaking and thinking like a grown-up, not cooing and wiping spit-up.  I am nervous about this return.  I'm much heavier than when I got pregnant - so clothing options may have me returning to maternity clothes (ugh).  I will be commuting from my home north of Denver to the "Tech Center" which is south of town (ugh).  The client and project sound very promising - and it is actual Change work - just like I've always wanted.  So...we'll see. I'm cautiously optimistic, excited twinged with sadness...it is somewhat like that feeling I had when I'd return to school after a holiday or summer break - but this time it's somewhat less jubliant.  

I really enjoy the questions from people asking "Oh, are you returning to work?" as if this is a choice I have.  Yes - I'm going back.  Not exactly a choice right now.  After a move, maternity leave and all of the joys of homeownership (the most recent joy being termites....eeeeek) - I really have to return to work.  I don't know what I'd be doing if I did have more of a choice - yes I'd still go back- but would I be trying to do something part time?  Humm...not sure.  

I'm incredibly lucky that my little Ada-Ruth will be cared for by people who care about her.  I know this makes it easier.  Mom will be here a couple days a week.  John will be here on Fridays (or Mondays?)  and it looks like our doula Abby will care for Ada-Ruth a couple days a week as well.  We are blessed to have options.

I have so much I need to do - write thank-yous (it's embarassing at this point how far behind and how many we need to write), start yoga again, finish organizing the home office, finish appealing the insurance company, lose 50 lbs, understand taxes, write my birth story...it's overwhelming.  And, not all of it will be finished when I return to work.  This is a good lesson in letting go and non-attachment.  I wish I could delay a return to work (and stop Ada-Ruth from growing so quickly) until just a couple of those were finished and put to rest.  But - well - I can't.  I have felt myself get a touch panicky recently - and I'm just having to let it go.  Ok- I'm not the best at writing thank-yous.  Emily Post would make an example out of me.  There are people who write thank-yous as soon as they recieve gifts.  Yes- they're superior letter writers - but I have to let go the feeling that they're better than me.  They're human, too.  Right?  I can't let unwritten thank-yous keep me up at night- especially when my baby girl is sleeping!  

I don't know.  I don't have answers.  I just have a lot of rambling observations and questions.  Yeesh.

We have a winner!

Hello, Folks!

Quick status to bring everyone up to date:
-We drove from Chicago to Colorado
-We arrived safely with few mishaps
-We are staying in a Residence in here in Longmont
-We found a house
-We found a place to deliver our baby
-We're doing pretty o.k.

So, this afternoon, John and I just threw all caution to the wind...and closed on a house here in Longmont, CO. We may take possession tonight or tomorrow...but without furniture until Monday. No phone until next Thursday. But we have electric, gas, trash, recycling, water and sewage set and ready to go tomorrow.

So- we're pretty excited here in Longmont. The above picture is our new kitchen. I'll probably be posting more photos soon.

As for settling into Colorado - it takes about 15 minutes to drive around our new town...probably less time than it took me to drive around Roger's Park. There is one movie theater, no Whole Foods, a handful of Pedi/Mani shops...and thank god there is a Chili's. And, it now has our home - Villa S-W West.

We hope everyone is doing well. We'll be sending out address and phone info soon!

Huge...tracts of land

Hello there.

Here's how things are shaping up...

John and I will be on a househunting trip next week. We'll be looking at Longmont. Keep fingers crossed.

We had an openhouse and were underwhelmed by the number of visitors. The weather wasn't that great...and I don't think people are in an open-house sort of mood these days. Keep fingers crossed.

I am growing along with the baby. Stretch marks have begun to appear with a vengeance. I am also being kicked a lot.

John is moving to CO at the end of the month. My ma is coming to stay with me to make sure I keep eating and maybe to help me pack (?) and do things around the condo as we prepare to move west.

And, lastly, seems as if there will be a baby shower thrown for the baby and myself August 2nd, as well as a "Going away" party...should be a good time. I'm pretty excited for the festivities. Sad to be leaving. We won't be outta here until probably August 7th - when the movers load up our stuff.

Crazy how fast it is all moving...

So this is 30

For the past few years, when people ask me what I do for a living, I reply that I am a Change Management professional. Personally, this is a good thing- because this year is now officially the year of "Change." During the course of this year, I'm weathering a ton of changes - from changes as small as new glasses to changes as large as becoming a mother (look out October!). And last Friday, I marked "Turning 30" off my change list. I am officially 30.

With this latest change, I thought a new title would be appropriate for the blog - something that better reflects where I am right now in my personal life. Little Miss Pregnant seemed to capture it best - especially with the rate my belly is growing these days.

The past week has been a great one. As announced, the 30th birthday was celebrated at Moody's Pub. I had a great time celebrating - the highlight was when my "table" (which took up half the restaurant) began serenading me with "Happy Birthday" and it caused the entire restaurant to sing along. That, my friends, was pretty cool. I took a few polaroids of the event, and fewer digital pics...but I'll try to scan and upload on my flickr - you may have to check back later. Thanks to everyone who showed and we missed those of you who weren't able to make it.

Also on my Birthday: John's new job was confirmed. It still has to be rubber-stamped by the powers that be in Alberquerque...but John is employed in Colorado! Yea! Now we have to sell the condo...and, fitting of the busy day, we had our 1st showing on my Birthday. No call backs yet...but we're forumlating a new strategy for the MLS. I'm planning on surviving yet one more Chicago summer and heading to CO sometime in August...and I'm very hopeful our Condo sale will fall in line with this plan. Again- keep your fingers crossed.

So - in the parade of "things to do before I leave Chicago" we went to the Chicago Botanic Garden this past weekend and had a great time walking and gathering inspiration for future gardens. We still need to hit up the Chicago Architecture Boat Tour, Taliesin East, the Shedd...maybe even the Leather Museum. Who knows. Let me know if you have suggestions.

One step closer....

Just keep sending your good vibes, positive thoughts & prayers... we're one step closer to Colorado.

And the ClearBlue Easy said...

I have mentally composed this email a half dozen times, but finally today - 6 months from the predicted "due date" I am finally writing to share our big news...John and I are expecting a baby on or around October 28th, 2008! So...I am officially preggo, knocked up, with child, in the family way, the bun is in the oven and we are proud parents-to-be.

So I figure the best way to tell everyone (pardon the mass email) how we're doing is to answer commonly asked questions...and here goes:

Q: How are you feeling?
A: All said and done, I am feeling great. I get tired. I get very cranky and light headed if I haven't eaten. However, I have been thankfully free of morning sickness, I've just had all day nausea especially when I don't eat. I feel very lucky and am trying not to take it for granted.

Q: Was it planned?
A: Yes, John and I decided to start in January of this year. We maybe didn't realize it would go so quickly. Again- we feel very blessed.

Q: Are you showing?
A: I was showing in week 8. I had to buy all new pants. It's been...an interesting time for me clothing wise. I'm now wearing 100% maternity clothing. (Hint for the Ladies- getting pregnant is a good way to get a whole new wardrobe if you're tired with your current clothing choices...)

Q: Are you still moving to Colorado? (Alternative Question: What? You're moving to Colorado?!?!)
A: Yep! We are still planning on packing up and heading west...sometime this year...before the baby is born. We just have to sell the Condo. So, there are a few things we have to do...and we both understand how bad the market is. We're staying very optimistic and positive. We are planning to relocate to a town somewhere between Denver and Boulder. (That's about all I can say w/o getting too emotional...I'm very happy to move back to CO...VERY sad to leave my Chicago...)

Q: So, do you have jobs for when you move?
A: Yes and no. John has a few good leads on fire jobs and so we're staying positive. I will be able to transfer to Denver with my company - so I'm very excited to have that opportunity.

Q: Do you know if it is a boy or a girl?
A: While I have a feeling for what the baby is...as far as sonograms - it is a bit to early to know. I'm only 13.5 weeks/3 months into this process. Week 20 seems to be the magical time when many questions can be answered. However, John does not want to find out while I do. So, I am going to respect my husband's crazy desire to be surprised and not find out.

Q: Have you seen/heard the baby yet?
A: I have had 3 sonograms and have heard the baby through a doppler heart monitor. The first sonogram was waaay too early to see the baby. The second one at 8 weeks revealed a cross between a tadpole and a baby. The last one at 12 weeks was amazing. We got to see the baby jumping and moving around. It also looked more human. The baby moved and jumped so much the technician got a bit frustrated. John and I both noted that this is obviously our child - stubborn and a pain in the ass...but very cute. The sonogram tech wished us much luck in the future.

Q: Have you felt the baby yet?
A: Again, it is too "early" but I have begun to feel the "gas bubbles" that is supposedly the baby kicking and moving around. Sometimes it wakes me up. I think it is an active little buggar.

Q: Any names picked out?
A: Yep - we have names for both a boy and a girl. Right now we call the baby either "Baby" or "Chaz" (ok John calls the baby Chaz) but no other nicknames have surfaced yet.

Q: Any weird cravings?
A: The weirdest things for me is I am hungry in the middle of the night - so I usually have a bowl of cereal around 2am. Otherwise, desire for food has just intensified (Especially for milk, red meat, all kinds of fruit and cherry-flavored candy). The only aversion so far is chicken- but that's not consistent.

Q: Are you excited?
A: EXTREMELY!

Q: Is John excited?
A: Yes - of course John is excited. He is also being a very supportive husband and is being very nice to me. He makes me pancakes or cheeseburgers, tells me I look beautiful and not fat, he's reading parenting books and he even brings me candy when I ask him to.

Q: What about your parents/John's parents - are they excited?
A: This is perhaps the funniest question of them all because the answer is also "of course." My mom has recently emailed indicating pictures and news of the baby is now more important than news about us. My mother-in-law has sent me some great maternity clothing and fun books. My dad carries a laminated copy of the 1st sonogram picture in his wallet. My father-in-law is refinishing a high chair and sent us news of this invention...just in case it is a boy. So, yes, each of them is excited.

Q: Do the dogs know?
A: I think they know something is up. They are both very sweet with me - Tycho (the boxer) is extra cuddly with me these days. Sometimes he rests his head on my tummy. It is very endearing.

I think I've exhausted most of the frequently asked questions. My apologies for not getting out the word quicker and for not being able to tell all of you individually. I do hope this email finds each of you well and enjoying the spring time.

Much love,
Kimberly, John & Future Baby Southern-Weber

Extreme Home Makeover, Chez S-W Edition

We're nearing completion of the changes to the condo. It's our own little version of my Reality TV guilty pleasure. Below I've posted some pics of the before and after - I think we've made some great changes to the place and I hope it sells quickly and for our desired price! My fingers are crossed.

Kitchen - Before
This was previously my most used/least enjoyed room. It was cramped and very closed it. It took no time for the room to overheat and then no one wanted to hang with me. When we moved in the appliances were caked with some unknown brown gummy substance, left behind by the previous owners for our enjoyment. I used lots of elbow grease in cleaning it - but it never felt like mine.

View from the entrance:


View from the door:


Kitchen - After
Now this room I can't get enough of. I'd move the bed in here if it could fit a California King. We replaced the wall with a breakfast bar, installed new granite countertops, bought all new GE Stainless Steel Appliances anout the wall and removed a pocket door, replaceWe replaced the crappy counters with black granite, painted it a lovely green. The opened wall has completely changed the feel of the kitchen. No more overheating, and it now flows with the rest of the condo. I am typing this from the breakfast bar- which is a convenient place to work or eat all of my meals.

View from the breakfast bar:


View from the door (we're waiting for cabinet doors under the breakfast bar):


View of the Fridge/Oven:


And then the Master Bathroom...

Master Bath - Before:
This bathroom was the epitome of an "eye sore." The color was overwhelmingly bad. While it was original tile from the 50's...the salmon pink was just not cutting it. The vanity had been "updated" probably in the 70's...it didn't quite match the tile and was generally awful. Look for yourself...


The vanity was slightly newer than the tile, but probably more hideous.


Master Bath - After:
We love subway tile. So we replaced the 50's salmon pink with a cleaner look of white subway tile. We changed the vanity and updated the cabinets adding more storage space..and overall I am quite happy with how this bathroom turned out. Now we just need to get new towels.

View from the door:



New cabinets!


Lovely vanity with the apron front sink...



So there you have it people. We have redone our kitchen and bath. Now we need to box up a lot of crap we don't use, clean the condo and finally put it on the market. Keep your fingers crossed...I'll try to keep you posted on the progress.

Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes

Hi. I realize that no one will really be reading this because I haven't updated since June. Embarrassing. So, I will write to my imaginary audience, much like I used to DJ for an imaginary audience when I was a college radio DJ at Drake. However, we were not radio DJs because our station was on the TV...and hence why no one listened to us...it's not like we were VJs playing videos...and no one wants to turn on the TV to listen to college...um...radio.

Anyway, there are a lot of changes going on in my life...and I thought I might as well record them somewhere...I hope you (imaginary audience) are sitting down. And that you have provisions...this is a long post.

Here goes...

a) "Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes" is how I entitled my farewell email when I left the big bad Big 5 consulting firm (Big A) and started working for the big bad MRO supplier company (Big G). I may steal it again as I'm leaving the big bad MRO supplier company for a small, hopefully good local consulting firm (Smallish S). I start October 1...but that doesn't mean I'm not spending time reading up on my new client- located in downtown Chicago!

b) John and I have decided to move. We've chosen the Boulder, CO area. John has an interview the first couple weeks in October...and knock on wood he will knock them dead...or better put knock socks off...or something. Regardless, next spring we'll be loading up our possessions and dogs...after having successfully sold the condo (hopeful thinking)...and we will go west. This will hopefully lead to much less stress and much more time at home...

3) Eventually, I will be going back to school...probably Law School. I went to the LSAC Forum this week - a college fair for Law Schools (on crack). It was crazy. People in suits, resumes flying, bullshit all over and a general feeling of pandemonium. I start my LSAT class on September 29th (2 days before I begin a new job...can I do it all?? Stay tuned and be patient..I'll probably post again in Septovember.

iv) John "went green" and bought a Prius. Wheee. The car is completely silent, doesn't need a key and shifts thru a joystick. It's crazy. I have also ordered a new car...I don't know quite what we're thinking...except both of our cars needed to be replaced. My therapist told me not to worry...just to think "it's ok...the money will be there."

e) Tycho has mange again. He also has an ear infection. We medicate twice a day which is lovely. He's also managed to eat half of a rotisserie chicken, a slab of french Boucheron goat cheese (with plastic wrap) and half of my lemon meringue tart (that happened tonight. i am still bitter).

f) Ella is a trooper. She is fine.

g) The fish are not so fine. Only Hari (the celestial) survives. I lost Steve Zizzou & Lil Elvis/Pricilla back in August (fittingly Lil Elvis died on the 30th anniversary of the King's passing). Yesterday, Pabst went to join her fellow goldies. Hari was lonely, so we brought home Mr Sprinkles...Sprink is a calico fantail. We're letting the big tank sit empty for a while...then we'll probably get some neons and other less emotionally involved fish. Don't laugh...goldfish are really...personable.

8) I think that is all the news that is fit to type. Except maybe I could talk about all the time I'm spending on celebrity gossip sites...or conspiracy theory sites...but I don't need your pity.

8.5b) I won a gift basket this weekend when I was at Ravinia with my darling hubby and my dear friends Chandra & Venus to celebrate Chandra's birthday and see the beautiful and talented Emmy Lou Harris. There was a raffle sponsored by a new Westin that just opened in the area...I signed up...and won a Heavenly Robe, 2 Heavenly towels and some Heavenly bath product. Heavenly! The Starwood gods shone upon me. I am most excited for the robe. (again, I need no pity).

Thanks for listening. Until Octobuary...