Build-a-Bathroom Day 4-5

Somewhere along this project I lost track of days; I suspect that most of the work to support and level the tub I wrote about yesterday actually happened on Day 4. All I can say is that we had several days of tub trauma which seem to have blended together. Nevertheless, things continue to move forward. Here's where we're at:

• tweaked the tub leveling. It's DONE! 
• figured out placement of the shower fixtures and recessed niches (to hold shampoo etc.). In our original plan, the niches were set in the wall directly opposite the shower head. Once we opened up the wall and realized the wall behind the shower was completely open, it seemed crazy to rip apart the back wall (there was a stud going smack down the middle of where the niches were supposed to go and we already were nervous about moving studs from this exterior wall) when the front one was all ready to go. 
• framed the aforementioned niches (12 inches wide, 3 inches deep and 14 or 6 inches high)

• framed out the bath/shower plumbing and started installing it  

This stuff doesn't translate well to photographs; I guess what's most important is that we see progress and that keeps us forging ahead. Tomorrow, once the plumbing is done, we can test it and put water in the tub. After all the headaches caused by that tub this week, it feels like a pretty big milestone to us. Hooray!