And a year later....

(Here's a silly pic of us at a friend's birthday bash in August. I was trying to get that runway model face down....not so good, huh?)

Well it's obvious that this didn't become what I had hoped it would. It's been over a year since I posted anything. YIKES!! The great thing is that no one really knows this blog even exists, but that's going to be changing, like everything else in our life, now that we have our first kiddo on the way. Yes...you read that correctly.....Brandon and I are going to have a baby. I'm about 7 weeks along.

We had talked about keeping it quiet until the first trimester under our belt, but it just became too hard to hide the changes in my bad habits.....you all know what those are. Anyway...I'm feeling fine and so far no real morning sickness or nausea issues. I found out that easy pregnancies are status quo for the Edgerly women (mom's side of the family) so my chances of going through this with no real complications is pretty high. = )

My OBGYN of 14 years, who I love dearly, no longer delivers babies....total bummer.....but I met with her this month to confirm my positive home test results and she's referred me to a gal that she thinks is just my style....laid back with a sense of humor. My first appointment with Dr. Melissa Guzman Winn is 11/14. I'll be about 9 1/2 weeks when I see her.....so don't be expecting any scanned photos of the ultrasound posted here on 11/15. It's just going to be the initial blood tests, etc to ensure that I don't have diseases.

Since I'm here, I guess I should update everyone on the house renovations which were the main topic of conversation in the previous posts.....we haven't done much cosmetic work over the last year, but did replace our HVAC system (A/C and heater), overhauled the duct system (which was a total mess and caused the guys working on it to cuss profusely for days), and got the house weatherized including solar screens on all our windows this past spring. It was a pricey project, but the City of Austin has a rebate program and we were able to offset approximately 30% of the total cost. The timing couldn't have been better for completing the work since Austin had the hottest summer in I think over 50 years...? Anyway, the days of the house being the same temp as the backyard are over.....We're now cool in the summer and set to be snugly in the winter!

We also had the exterior painted on my old house in South Austin. I had the colors picked out for years, and was lucky enough to get the approval of the HOA to go for it.....so we did and we couldn't be happier with the results. It's gone from looking like a run-down military house to looking like a beach side cottage. We still want to put up some white shutters around the front windows and re-design the front flower bed, but other than those small projects...you can almost hear the waves hitting the shore. Here's a pic:

So what's on our agenda now besides growing this little one? We just got a bid to have all of the sheet rock in our house repaired and/or replaced so that I can finally start painting the interior. The previous owners taped and painted the walls without floating them and we've got cracks, visible seams, and hanging tape in almost every room of the house. ARRRGH!! After that, it's all about getting the kitchen and bathrooms remodeled, new flooring in the bedrooms and finished garage, new coat of paint on the exterior, and some curb appeal work and then we're putting the house up for sale. YEAH!!!! I've been doing a little research on where the best public schools are in town, and we've already come to some agreement on which of those areas will work for us....so now it's all about getting the work done, the kid born, and the house sold. Easy cheesy, right?

That's it for today, folks. Glad you checked in! I promise to do a better job of keeping the masses updated on things.....especially this kiddo. Cheers!!

And the Sears saga continues...

It’s been awhile since my last post, but don’t think the reason is that I haven’t been busy and there isn’t anything to write about…..it’s actually the polar opposite. YIKES!!!! I'll start out with the most important warning of the day and try to catch up in later posts.

For those that weren’t convinced about Sears in my previous post, let me plead with you one more time and ask that you STAY AWAY from that company. I've been fighting them for my own money for 4 full weeks and I'm pretty sure this story isn't going to have a happy ending….not when SEARS is a player, folks. They are currently denying a $27.05 charge that is clearly labeled on my statement as SEARS. Imagine that! Their claim is that they never charged my card for that amount even as I sit on the phone staring at the darn thing on my statement. At this point, I can't even believe that this company is still in business.

I will be fighting back through my card carrier, but it appears that they have so many hoops in their dispute process...when it's all over a done with, I'm not even sure the trouble will even be worth the $27, but it's the principle of the thing, right?

My advice to all of you, if you were seduced by this pathetic company in the past, it’s not too late to turn into the light my little Carol Annes…..take out those Sears cards and destroy them and never look back.

Home Improvement News...

There is lots to say today....mostly foul language directed at Sears.com, but I really should allow myself to cool down on that one before I catch you up. Let's stay focused on the good news...our new flooring!!! After months of research, phone calls, and a few heated debates we decided on the brand and color of laminate flooring we're going to use in the house. We chose the Kronotex brand from Lowe's in Rain Forest Mahogany. The best part of the whole order was that there was a Labor Day sale on all special order flooring and we saved 20%!! We still have the underlayment and trim to purchase, but the tough part is over and our marriage survived. HA! For those that may be in the market, I did lots of research and according to Consumer Reports, Armstrong and Kronotex laminate are the top two brands to consider. I had originally chosen the Dupont Real Touch Elite from HomeDepot, but Consumer Reports rated the brand poorly in the 'Wear' and 'Dents' categories. Mohawk was another brand we checked in on, but it did not score well overall either. Lowe's should be calling us next Thursday to discuss pick up and delivery options. I've got my fingers crossed that all will go well....with the luck I've had lately.....I'm definitely nervous. Keep your fingers crossed for us.