The baby will be here between Thanksgiving & Christmas. LOL That's how much we've narrowed it down! Seriously, the new date is November 25th, but my last 3 have all been 2-3 weeks overdue, so I honestly don't expect this one until mid-December. We had an original due date of December 15th, but that isn't lining up with how big I'm measuring, the baby's length..etc. So, we think that back at the first of March when I had the miscariage, that it was possibly twins...and I only lost one. My midwife says that there is no way to know for sure (I refuse any invasive tests beyond ultrasound), so we'll just see when this one decides to pop out. If it's earlier, then we know. The only thing we know for sure is that it doesn't have a winkie. LOL It'll be my luck that I'll carry PAST Christmas....I seem to have the gestation period of an elephant. UGH. LOL Okay...was that TMI?? :O)

I LOVE that table too! It's been in my family for years. Here's a picture of me (left) and my sister sitting on it back around 1967. Right now I have the table in my basement with my popcorn machine on it....not exactly where it deserves to be. So Maybe I will put that table back in the kitchen.....in loving memory of my wonderful mom and dad!!! I wish I could respond to each of you....such great comments and advice. I have decided not to do the travertine mosaic. It was a gut instinct and you guys helped me make that decision. I just love the colors in it. I have always admired Marmoleum....and that was my first thought for this kitchen last year when I started gathering ideas. I have several samples I purchased from them still at my house. Oldbat2be, I love, love, love the concrete tiles you suggested! I quick ballpark is around $2300 for the kitchen area. I wonder what freight would cost to Ohio from California with such heavy boxes. LWO, I LOVE the Luxetile as well! The Cuban Heritage cement tiles are my favorite. I may have to look in to these cement tiles. (see link below) I love the vintage patterns...and the one I picked as my favorite seems to have some eggplant color in it....I have some eggplant colors in the adjacent living room. hosenemesis...we are putting the Fridgidaire 1955 range on Craigslist. It works fine and the porcelain finish is still perfect! Such a quality product to last this long! However,...the oven might need calibration/servicing...and one knob (broken, we have it still) needs to be fixed and put back on. If you are anywhere near Ohio and no one wants to buy it....it's yours if you come get it! :-) Alexx, I got the bowl and towel at a local antique store. I got the vintage spice jars on Etsy.com after seeing them here in someones kitchen on GW. Angie, your checkerboard and herringbone floors look great!!!! I wonder why some hate their floors and other say they're easy to maintain. Brand? Type? So, either: -keep original wood floor if in good shape -If in good shape but stained...maybe do a painted wood floor (checkerboard?) -consider marmoleum again -consider concrete tiles Anything else out there that's "old house appropriate" that I've not heard of?? Thanks everybody!!! Kompy Here is a link that might be useful: Cuban tile on LuxeTile I like best!

When a kitten or cat that has never made a "mistake" of that sort suddenly pees on a bed, you need to think, "There must be something wrong." You are right to first consider what recent changes in its life could be upsetting it. So, in addition to litter and food, which you note haven't changed, please check the following list. (1) If none of the following questions make you think Yes and you can't think of any other relevant changes, then you should get the kitten to a vet soon because it could have a health condition that is causing the problem. For instance, a cat with a urinary infection will experience a stinging sensation when it pees, and it could blame the place it pees in for the pain, which could lead it to try out other locations. (2) Has some new, possibly unpleasant to a cat, fragrance appeared in its surroundings? There are odors that people love, but that could upset a cat. (Citrus scent is one, and there are others.) (3) Has a new person or pet joined the family? Is there anyone in the family that might be annoying the cat? (For instance, a young child might just be "playing" with it, but to the cat, those attentions could be upsetting.) Has a family member that the cat is fond of moved away (child gone to college, for instance)? The presence of a "new" cat may also upset the current resident cat, leading to bad behavior for a while. I have even known nervous humans to cause a kitten to pee in the wrong places: A 3-month old kitten went to a new home where it was the only pet; but the owners--a young couple--were away for most of the day, and when the kitten peed in a corner somewhere (in its original home, it had never once made a mistake), they made a great fuss. Pretty soon it was peeing here and there in the apartment, but not in its litter box. Finally, they called the breeder of the kitten, who told them to get it checked by the vet. The vet scolded them for scolding the kitten and said they should act very calm and if they caught it in the act, simply put it in the litter box and tell it pleasantly that that was the right place. Overnight, the kitten stopped peeing inappropriately and never did it again. (4) Do you wash or shampoo the cat? (Unlike dogs, cats wash themselves so well that most can go all their lives without a human doing it for them, and they still smell good! [A male, un-neutered cat may be an exception to this, as they sometimes like to use their urine to declare their territories to other males, and it has a strong odor.]) A cat should only be washed when it has gotten into a harmful substance, or too much of even something not harmful, which the cat can't wash off with its own tongue. Being bathed is very upsetting to most cats. I hope one of these suggestions will turn out to be helpful to you. As I wrote about the female cat that started peeing on a silk comforter after I got married, this problem can generally can be fixed, although perhaps not "overnight." Don't feel too upset and don't give up. A cat, even when a tiny kitten, is programmed to do its business in the same place all the time and that is what it would prefer. Most never make a mistake their whole lives unless senility or illness confuses them, so it is very likely that your kitten will not make a regular habit of peeing on the bed. However, do make sure that you thoroughly wash the bedding and/or use some enzymatic pet scent remover to get rid of any lingering scent that would tell the kitten, "Yes, this smells of your urine, so it's the right place to go."

Let me just echo what melsouth said above. I was quoted an upcharge by one cabinet maker for painted white, but in our current new house the price was the same for stained or painted white from a different cabinetmaker. Perhaps you can get an estimate from another shop. It also bothers me that your cabinet maker is trying to discourage you from using white since he prefers stained. He should NOT be doing that. In a previous home, I let myself be pressured to do some things by the cabinet maker and always regretted those choices since I really preferred other things, but felt I had to go with his recommendations. As others have said, you're stronger than you even realize after sustaining the loss of your husband. It's natural to struggle with decisions following that...and sometimes I've found just getting a bit older can make decision making (particularly so many at the same time) more likely to be overwhelming. Just take them one at a time, and it will get done. My sincere sympathy over your loss, and I hope you'll still find the joy in each new day you have. Regarding appliances--if YOU like white cabinets and choose that, you can go with either white or stainless. With cherry, IMHO stainless would look best. We went with stainless in this house with white cabinets because I didn't care for the appearance of big white refrigerators. But we chose the stainless look frig that doesn't show fingerprints. I've found that the stainless undermount sink I thought I'd hate, is actually less work than my previous white one. As with so many things, in the long run, it will work out. Just take it one step at a time. Keep us posted. You have so many friends here ready to help you.