Yeah...We Really Class Up the Neighborhood

As you can see, we've taken the home renovations up a notch:


Of course, K is ecstatic with this development and the fact that the partition/temporary wall will be built tomorrow to separate the kitchen project from the rest of the house - less dust and less mopping the floors every @%!@# day! The neighbors...perhaps not so much! But, we did hide it in the back and are very (very!) hopeful that it stays relatively under the radar given the coming week of 100 degree temps.

Speaking of the impending heat wave - what a perfect time to get into the swing of 10-12 workmen in the house at once! Yes, tomorrow marks the start of carpenter crew to layout and frame the new kitchen walls, floors and ceilings - including steel beams. We also have the plumbers coming to reroute all the radiator pipes that must now be moved to accommodate said steel beams (naturally) and to also replace all the plumbing for our retro-chic 1935 guest bathroom (yes, of course, original pipes!) now that they are exposed through the open kitchen ceiling. Finally, J is scraping the last section of canvas-over-plaster on the first floor (the hallway stairs) in preparation for the plasterer who should be here tomorrow to do the final wall repairs. Fun times here at the Money Pit.

It was a productive weekend (was there a holiday or something?!?) - we also repainted the 1st floor radiator covers:


Hung the curtains and set up the playroom:






And...we did find some time to relax. We had a very nice dinner on Friday night complete with some excellent mojitos for J (thanks so much - we're buying next time!) and we saw K's brother and his family and K's Dad on Saturday for a pre-holiday BBQ.

Here's the "only three weeks left" photo of Pipsqueak - the person on the right is NOT pregnant and shall remain nameless to protect his identity. ;-)


Class-ily,
K&J

"I don't think I'm emotionally prepared for this house..."

Yes, that was the saying of the day - stated by a contractor (plasterer for the 1st floor) that left after one hour. Never to be seen again. Not expected to return. Another one bites the dust...

Still, time and progress marches on. We're within a month of Pipsqueak's anticipated arrival and trying to really push on the 1st floor plaster repair work so we can be painting as soon as possible.

The kitchen is a whole/hole other story, but our carpenter assures us that he will be here and framing out all the new structural walls on Tuesday. Of course, he also keeps telling us that this job will take him and his crew "two weeks." Money Pit anyone???

Here are some continued progress pics of the 3rd floor:

Pipsqueak's room


Playroom


Playroom - note the big red chair and matching little red recliner...this was K's chair as a baby (can't believe I ever FIT in that thing!?!)

Also, here are some shots of the new ceiling/drywall and plaster work on the 1st floor - we're hearing that crew will be done by Friday ("one week"...the Money Pit divided by two!)



(Tuscany's inspecting the handiwork!)

Wish us luck as J heads off to Philadelphia Licenses & Inspections (known as "L&I") tomorrow to officially get our building permit for the kitchen. It's a labyrinthine building, office and process - one from which he may never return! Fingers and toes are all crossed.

In Pipsqueak news - we're getting closer and closer and prepping for Pip's arrival. K&J took an infant CPR class (thanks to J's Mom for teaching it for us!) and are now on a weekly doctor visit rotation. Everything looks great and is tracking exactly on time...so, we'll see if Pipsqueak cooperates with the renovation timelines and due date or if he/she has other plans. Lots of dancing around lately (especially when we went to go see Dreamgirls - Pips LOVES 60s girl groups and R&B apparently!), so it seems like he/she is getting anxious to meet us and all of you, too.

Less than a Month-ily,
K&J

Operation: First Floor

Well, here we go - the 1st floor is all ready for full-scale demo, which begins in earnest tomorrow. (We're in the home stretch - 2 months and change!) This past week focused on cutting all of the remaining old wiring out of the basement (no more knob & tube - YEAH!) - which yielded a mound of old wire about 4' high and 3' wide (thanks for your help, M!). This weekend was spent doing more work and unpacking on the 2nd floor, setting up the nursery and running a LOT of errands (K was out of town on Thurs/Fri and will be out of town next weekend, so we had to catch up and get J ready-to-go when it comes to materials).

First, here's an "awwww" shot for you - Pipsqueak's room is coming together!


Pipsqueak seems to know that he/she will be joining us shortly and is making his/her presence REALLY felt - we're talking full-out dancing, kicking, poking and even our first case of the hiccups! At least now he/she will have a place to sleep (pleeeaaaase be a good sleeper!)

Since we've been working on the 2nd floor and unpacking/reorganizing, it's in a bit of disarray - hey, progress can be messy, right?!?

So, instead, feast your eyes on some BEFORE shots of the 1st floor before the sledgehammer goes to the kitchen tomorrow:
Center Hallway:


Dining Room (note the fridge):


Billiards Room:


Living Room (aka the supplies storehouse):


Butler's Pantry (will soon be part of the kitchen):


And, the ultimate prize - our lovely current kitchen:




Destruction Imminent,
K&J