Slow-Goin'

Well, it's taking what feels like months and months (yet only weeks and weeks) but last night we finally finished putting up the doors to the newly painted, upper right side of the kitchen.  It's really looking so good and that looking good part is the sole motivation right now for me to sit on my pregnant bum and start sanding down the entire lower half of the room...today.     

I know I've unloaded our plans about the void above the stove in the past but just because it was probably months ago, here they are again.  First, here's what used to be:

Here's what is now, after Anthony took out the vent hood (craigslisting shortly), removed the cabinet doors, took out the bottom shelf of the cabinet, and of course after I painted every part that will show once it's donzo:

Our cabinets, put in in the 80's, were actually built in place so there wasn't a whole cabinet to just unscrew and remove.  The sides of the cabinet that was were also the sides of the two cabinets on either side and the shelf was made from a sturdy piece of wood that was wedged in and rested on two routed out ledges.  Our lives would probably be a little less crazy if all we had to do was take out an old cabinet and rebuild it to the new dimensions but cest la vie.  Because of this whole scenario, here's what we're doing instead of simply putting in a new cabinet (thanks to pixlr.com and my mean photo-altering skillz):

What you will see is a new shelf installed that will support the new above-the-range microwave (currently sitting on the floor in the twin's future nursery), and then an open space above where I plan to store cookbooks and some decor and maybe even add a little touch light for ambiance...because who doesn't want a little mood lighting above their stove, right?...

So anyway, that's the plan Stan.  As I sit here, all comfy and cozy on the couch, my dearest is working on the shelf and I feel the urge to help so up I go.  I hope to have an entire, newly painted kitchen to show you next week...but don't hold your breath.  Pregnancy has turned me from the hare I used to be to zee turtle.  However, I WILL have progress to show at least!  Stay tuned!

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P.S.  I had my first dream about birthing the twins last night.  I was in my current state of progression - 21 weeks - and they were born via a form of c-section called a reversal (of course I totally made that up while dreaming...which is actually pretty impressive), I felt incredibly normal and pain-free after, and, the kicker, they were the size of five month olds, dressed in pink, and with as much dark brown, curly hair as their daddy has...am I crazy in wishing maybe this could be real?  :)