I've decided. Because being without our lovely wireless Internet and catching glimpses on my phone is not the same.
We are STILL moving and will probably be moving for weeks to come. I'd estimate we have about 75% of our stuff at our new home. But little things that we need to pack remain at our old house, things that we don't need but, boy, do we miss when we realize it's not here! Off the top of my head: our cutting board; soy sauce; muffin tins; Pine Sol; Windex; fax/printer paper; things like those.
Oh, and Happy Tax Day! On that note, the note of things that take your money or cause you to be broke, our first mortgage payment is on May 1. Oh dear!
As for everything else ... well, our one year anniversary is tomorrow. Wow, it's been a year. So much has happened, though, it feels to me that it's been longer. We aren't doing anything at all fancy. I requested that, instead of buying a gift, we have a very nice dinner out and he give me a sincerely written (not written on the way home in traffic!) card. As for my gift to him, I wish I could have taken him on a trip. Or even treat him to just a weekend getaway. But we need the weekends to continue to move. And we aren't comfortable spending that much money until we see if our budgeting goes according to plan and find out if we have as much as we estimated after bills. What to do, what to do.
He's not a spa guy (I've tried, ladies, oh lawdee how I've tried!) but I do know The Man needs a massage with the kind of work he does and the extreme stress he's been under lately.
If you read my blog at all you know I LOVE spas and I truly believe massages are sacred. So I certainly have reservations about places that give me the impression of a factory churning out massages. OF COURSE it has to be a good massage. But I'm also very much about the ambiance, the relaxation and basically, basking in the massage after glow glory.
Quite a few people I know have been singing the praises of Massage Envy. From what those folks have said, ME sounds like it's a great place to get a massage. But what about all the other aspects I love so much about spas? I am a big fan of Yelp so I checked out the reviews of the local Massage Envy. They had overall great reviews and many people recommended the same therapists. They also had great things to say about the location.
While I will probably always love spas, ME sounds like the kind of place The Man would enjoy. He thinks the prices spas charge are ridiculous and he is very uncomfortable trying to relax among strangers. Besides, ME prices are pretty fantastic! I booked a 60 minute massage for him and a prenatal massage for me for the price a 60 minute massage for ONE would cost. I think he will appreciate getting all his knots and kinks worked out, especially after the stressful week he's has so far. And I will certainly benefit from a good massage - my first prenatal one!
It's not a trip to Hawaii. Hell, it's not even a trip to Monterey! But, over all, I think it's a very nice way to celebrate our very first anniversary - in our first home together, with our two pups, and a bun in the oven. And it is better than a trip to, say, Reno :)
Um, hopefully I didn't offend anyone with the Reno comment!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Thursday, April 09, 2009
The day we found out
Written 2/7/09 at 8:43pm
I wish it was something a lot more interesting and exciting. But truth be told, I was bored. It was a lazy day for the both of us and I was done watching my second DVD.
I knew I was supposed to get my period by now and thought, "Well, The Man bought me a pack of pregnancy tests, let's just test one out." I had actually had my blood taken at the doctor's office over a week ago and, among the many tests was a pregnancy one, and it was negative. But maybe it was too early so why not try again. Plus, I was bored.
I peed on a stick and automatically saw the dark pink line. Then, something different happened (I had used this kind of test a few years ago when I had a scare so I knew what a negative was supposed to look like) but this one, the one that I just tinkled on, had a faint pink line next to the dark pink line.
What. The. Hell. What does that mean? I can't be semi pregnant. What does a faint line mean? The illustration on the directions show two clearly dark lines. In black and white. F*ckers.
You know, I had imagined a romantic way of telling The Man. When we were just talking about getting pregnant, I imagined that when I found out, I would take The Man to a nice restaurant and, after dinner and before dessert, I would present him with a Happy Father's Day card that would have Future scrawled between Happy and Father. I imagined that I might tear and he would be speechless. And we'd hug and kiss.
Not so much. Ha, not at all. I came out in a sweatshirt and underwear as he was leisurely shopping online and waved a pregnancy test in front of his face and screeched, "What does this mean?" Of course, he had no idea that I was even taking a test. So, upon looking at his face, I screeched, "I was bored and was wondering!" He calmly asked me what the directions said and I told him that they were unclear. So we did what any couple of smart 30 year olds would do. We Googled. I swear I'm not lying when we ended up on a website, http://www.peeonastick.com/ For real.
We read how other women were confused about the strong pink and light pink lines and there were even pictures. They swore that the two lines, despite the difference in darkness, meant that it was positive.
I peed on another stick, just to make sure. Again, one dark, one light.
The Man and I looked back on the box and discovered that it came with one bonus digital pregnancy test. Sweet. I drank two cups of water and waited anxiously for me to be able to pee again.
Fifteen minutes later, I showed The Man the results. Yes. I lined them all up and started laughing. He asked what was so funny and I told him I was nervous. And excited. And holy moly, he was going to be a Daddy!
I think just about every couple names the baby some sickening cute nickname. And we are no different. I'm not different. I was calling the baby, The Bun. And I really, really, really hoped that all would be well and in nine months, I would meet a healthy and beautiful baby. So I changed his/her nickname to Sticky Bun. Because I desperately want this baby to stick around and be born.
We already love you, Sticky Bun.
I strongly recommend to not mess with anything but digital ... those lines will drive you crazy!
I wish it was something a lot more interesting and exciting. But truth be told, I was bored. It was a lazy day for the both of us and I was done watching my second DVD.
I knew I was supposed to get my period by now and thought, "Well, The Man bought me a pack of pregnancy tests, let's just test one out." I had actually had my blood taken at the doctor's office over a week ago and, among the many tests was a pregnancy one, and it was negative. But maybe it was too early so why not try again. Plus, I was bored.
I peed on a stick and automatically saw the dark pink line. Then, something different happened (I had used this kind of test a few years ago when I had a scare so I knew what a negative was supposed to look like) but this one, the one that I just tinkled on, had a faint pink line next to the dark pink line.
What. The. Hell. What does that mean? I can't be semi pregnant. What does a faint line mean? The illustration on the directions show two clearly dark lines. In black and white. F*ckers.
You know, I had imagined a romantic way of telling The Man. When we were just talking about getting pregnant, I imagined that when I found out, I would take The Man to a nice restaurant and, after dinner and before dessert, I would present him with a Happy Father's Day card that would have Future scrawled between Happy and Father. I imagined that I might tear and he would be speechless. And we'd hug and kiss.
Not so much. Ha, not at all. I came out in a sweatshirt and underwear as he was leisurely shopping online and waved a pregnancy test in front of his face and screeched, "What does this mean?" Of course, he had no idea that I was even taking a test. So, upon looking at his face, I screeched, "I was bored and was wondering!" He calmly asked me what the directions said and I told him that they were unclear. So we did what any couple of smart 30 year olds would do. We Googled. I swear I'm not lying when we ended up on a website, http://www.peeonastick.com/ For real.
We read how other women were confused about the strong pink and light pink lines and there were even pictures. They swore that the two lines, despite the difference in darkness, meant that it was positive.
I peed on another stick, just to make sure. Again, one dark, one light.
The Man and I looked back on the box and discovered that it came with one bonus digital pregnancy test. Sweet. I drank two cups of water and waited anxiously for me to be able to pee again.
Fifteen minutes later, I showed The Man the results. Yes. I lined them all up and started laughing. He asked what was so funny and I told him I was nervous. And excited. And holy moly, he was going to be a Daddy!
I think just about every couple names the baby some sickening cute nickname. And we are no different. I'm not different. I was calling the baby, The Bun. And I really, really, really hoped that all would be well and in nine months, I would meet a healthy and beautiful baby. So I changed his/her nickname to Sticky Bun. Because I desperately want this baby to stick around and be born.
We already love you, Sticky Bun.
I strongly recommend to not mess with anything but digital ... those lines will drive you crazy!
Why the house doesn't matter so much ..
Written 2/12/09 at 7:52pm.
When I wrote that I was able to gain some perspective during the two weeks we had to wait on our "dream home", I really meant that I found out I was knocked up. That will give you some perspective!
But in all seriousness, it totally did. My focus of worry (I guess I'm one of those people that always need to fret about something!) was now on Sticky Bun. In the grand scheme of things, who gave a flip about a house?! We're having ourselves a baby!!!!! There aren't enough exclamation points to illustrate how I feel.
It's so funny. Last week, I was sleepless over the house. I wanted it so bad that I was getting up at 1am because I was tossing and turning too much. That house just felt like it was OURS. And while I still do wish we could have gotten it, I'm not pining away for it like a star-crossed lover ;) No, I'm reading Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy (The Man looked on Amazon and he said that the other popular book had reviews that said it told you about every possible thing that could go wrong - perfect to fuel my paranoia.) Sticky Bun is smaller than the end of this period. What a trip.
When I wrote that I was able to gain some perspective during the two weeks we had to wait on our "dream home", I really meant that I found out I was knocked up. That will give you some perspective!
But in all seriousness, it totally did. My focus of worry (I guess I'm one of those people that always need to fret about something!) was now on Sticky Bun. In the grand scheme of things, who gave a flip about a house?! We're having ourselves a baby!!!!! There aren't enough exclamation points to illustrate how I feel.
It's so funny. Last week, I was sleepless over the house. I wanted it so bad that I was getting up at 1am because I was tossing and turning too much. That house just felt like it was OURS. And while I still do wish we could have gotten it, I'm not pining away for it like a star-crossed lover ;) No, I'm reading Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy (The Man looked on Amazon and he said that the other popular book had reviews that said it told you about every possible thing that could go wrong - perfect to fuel my paranoia.) Sticky Bun is smaller than the end of this period. What a trip.
Nauseous ... but not vomiting. Yet.
Written 2/22/09 at 3:25pm.
I thought I was going to be one of the lucky few. Maybe I still am. I've been feeling nauseous since Monday. Certain smells make me want to throw up. But I have yet TO throw up.
I also have to watch what I'm eating. I am letting myself get a little too liberal with food. And man! There are so many times I want to write something on my Facebook status that has to do w/ the pregnancy but then I remind myself, "It's waaaaayyy to early!" And there was a time when I meant to click "Save now" on blogger and accidently pressed "Publish post"! I hoped that no one happened, at that same second, tried to check out my blog. Jeez!
Very interesting for this instant gratification girl. I have to wait until April 8th, the end of my first trimester!
I thought I was going to be one of the lucky few. Maybe I still am. I've been feeling nauseous since Monday. Certain smells make me want to throw up. But I have yet TO throw up.
I also have to watch what I'm eating. I am letting myself get a little too liberal with food. And man! There are so many times I want to write something on my Facebook status that has to do w/ the pregnancy but then I remind myself, "It's waaaaayyy to early!" And there was a time when I meant to click "Save now" on blogger and accidently pressed "Publish post"! I hoped that no one happened, at that same second, tried to check out my blog. Jeez!
Very interesting for this instant gratification girl. I have to wait until April 8th, the end of my first trimester!
7 1/2 - 8 weeks. We're kind of unclear on the situation.
Written 3/4/09 at 8:42pm.
I had my first doctor's appointment this week. It was on an early Monday afternoon so The Man wasn't able to join me.
I was a little nervous. Without being going into detail (because why be morbid?) I was trying not to think of all the things that could be wrong and just hope for the best.
Umm, no one told me about the ultrasound where the doc sticks an apparatus up the hoo-hah. Thanks for the heads up, you mamas.
I saw Sticky Bun's heart beat. Well, more like very quick fluttering. Like hummingbird wings. There on the screen was this bean looking thing with a tiny part that fluttered.
Goodness me, there it is - the heart beat.
I'm supposed to be eight weeks along but my doctor said that Sticky Bun was on the small side so maybe SB was 7 1/2 weeks old. But the doc kept my due date at October 16th. Well, -ish. Some time that week.
I'm always eating. I need to stop. There's no reason I should be gaining weight so early on in the pregnancy! But I've been blessed with sustaining the appetite I usually have right before my period. But IT NEVER ENDS. The crazy appetite of wanting to inhale everything usually went away after my period. But, ah-hmm, no period.
I'm also very, very tired. That's why I mentioned caffeine in a previous blog entry. In addition to have this life grow inside of me, I'm also supposed to swear off of caffeine. Now I am a walking zombie. I swear it feels like I'm wide awake for about two hours of the day and the rest of the time I'm just fighting of sleep. I hope this goes away soon.
Another crazy thing is my eczema has just BLOWN up. It's never been this bad. It's on my ankle, thigh, back, neck, hands, arms, scalp - everywhere. This is probably the most annoying. I itch all the GD time. I am so thankful I am seeing a dermatologist tomorrow. I booked the appointment two weeks ago and tomorrow was the soonest I could see that doc! Every day, all day, I am itchy. My gosh I hope they can treat me.
The last big change is the sickness. I get nauseous first thing in the morning and then again around 8pm until I fall asleep. Too bad it doesn't control my eating issues!
But with all those changes, I'm really excited to be pregnant. It really is possible to love a baby before it's even a full fledged baby. And what I want most, even more than to be slim or sexy, is to have a very healthy and happy baby join our family in seven months. Which is probably very good because I do not see "slim" or "sexy" in the cards.
I had my first doctor's appointment this week. It was on an early Monday afternoon so The Man wasn't able to join me.
I was a little nervous. Without being going into detail (because why be morbid?) I was trying not to think of all the things that could be wrong and just hope for the best.
Umm, no one told me about the ultrasound where the doc sticks an apparatus up the hoo-hah. Thanks for the heads up, you mamas.
I saw Sticky Bun's heart beat. Well, more like very quick fluttering. Like hummingbird wings. There on the screen was this bean looking thing with a tiny part that fluttered.
Goodness me, there it is - the heart beat.
I'm supposed to be eight weeks along but my doctor said that Sticky Bun was on the small side so maybe SB was 7 1/2 weeks old. But the doc kept my due date at October 16th. Well, -ish. Some time that week.
I'm always eating. I need to stop. There's no reason I should be gaining weight so early on in the pregnancy! But I've been blessed with sustaining the appetite I usually have right before my period. But IT NEVER ENDS. The crazy appetite of wanting to inhale everything usually went away after my period. But, ah-hmm, no period.
I'm also very, very tired. That's why I mentioned caffeine in a previous blog entry. In addition to have this life grow inside of me, I'm also supposed to swear off of caffeine. Now I am a walking zombie. I swear it feels like I'm wide awake for about two hours of the day and the rest of the time I'm just fighting of sleep. I hope this goes away soon.
Another crazy thing is my eczema has just BLOWN up. It's never been this bad. It's on my ankle, thigh, back, neck, hands, arms, scalp - everywhere. This is probably the most annoying. I itch all the GD time. I am so thankful I am seeing a dermatologist tomorrow. I booked the appointment two weeks ago and tomorrow was the soonest I could see that doc! Every day, all day, I am itchy. My gosh I hope they can treat me.
The last big change is the sickness. I get nauseous first thing in the morning and then again around 8pm until I fall asleep. Too bad it doesn't control my eating issues!
But with all those changes, I'm really excited to be pregnant. It really is possible to love a baby before it's even a full fledged baby. And what I want most, even more than to be slim or sexy, is to have a very healthy and happy baby join our family in seven months. Which is probably very good because I do not see "slim" or "sexy" in the cards.
Oh baby
Written 3/6/09 at 8:27am.
Saw the dermatologist yesterday. I've gone twice before and let me say it was a very first for me to strip down stark nekkid to show her how bad my eczema has blown up. But I had no shame and was more than willing to oblige. I also brought all the topical creams and ointments I was using on my skin and scalp.
This dermatologist was very nice and sympathetic. I liked her much more than the nazi I saw last time. She congratulated me on being pregnant and then told me that I couldn't have this anti-itch pill because it wasn't good for the baby. Sticky Bun, I love you but damn I'm itchy. Of course, I didn't want to take the pill. She said that she could prescribe a slightly (and when she said slightly, I wondered if she even really meant it) stronger topical cream for me. What's neat is she said she will ask the pharmacy to mix it in with a hypoallergenic lotion so I could slather this stuff on me while hydrating my skin. Bring it! Unfortunately, the pharmacy needs at least 24 hours to do it. DAMN.
So this crazy eczema breakout is not something most pregnant women get. The only thing my doc can think of is that my hormones are a little out of whack (due to the pregnancy) and just activated my skin. There is a pregnancy rash that a lot of women get late in the second trimester or in the third. This is not it. And my goodness I really hope that I'm paying my dues now and that's not something I'll get in a few months!
Unless you've ever had eczema or maybe poison oak, I don't think a person can understand how much itching can drive you crazy. Oh my goodness, I'm ready to set fire to my skin! Of course, not really but I want to so badly. It's on my hands, arms, neck, chest, back, legs and even toes! It's not noticeable unless you really look but I've never had it sprinkled about my body like this.
Oh baby. I still love you. I don't know if I'm going to be one of those mamas that love being pregnant. I want to be. But I'm eating like a heiffer and itching like a I-don't-know-what. Though maybe it's because I wrote it down but I've started to feel nauseous earlier in the day. I didn't eat as much yesterday and even though I hate the feeling of wanting to throw up, I think I needed something to regulate my appetite. I mean, I'm fully prepared that I will gain weight but this is pretty gosh darn early. And probably not healthy for you or me, baby, to get big this early in the game.
I'm thinking about when I have to tell work. At first, I was thinking after my review but I'm thinking that Sticky Bun will be showing in July ... yah, I have no idea what the hell I was thinking. Maybe pregnancy brain? Anyway, I think I'll wait after my first trimester and then talk to HR first, then my boss, then make an email announcement (because I'm hardly ever in the office.)
I'm literally taking baby steps :) Right now, I'm reading about how Sticky Bun is growing and what I should and shouldn't be eating. After my first trimester, I will start let myself think about the nursery and *gasp* baby clothes! But I haven't even looked at maternity clothes yet because I just want to focus all my happy thoughts and energy on Sticky Bun's growth and health.
Saw the dermatologist yesterday. I've gone twice before and let me say it was a very first for me to strip down stark nekkid to show her how bad my eczema has blown up. But I had no shame and was more than willing to oblige. I also brought all the topical creams and ointments I was using on my skin and scalp.
This dermatologist was very nice and sympathetic. I liked her much more than the nazi I saw last time. She congratulated me on being pregnant and then told me that I couldn't have this anti-itch pill because it wasn't good for the baby. Sticky Bun, I love you but damn I'm itchy. Of course, I didn't want to take the pill. She said that she could prescribe a slightly (and when she said slightly, I wondered if she even really meant it) stronger topical cream for me. What's neat is she said she will ask the pharmacy to mix it in with a hypoallergenic lotion so I could slather this stuff on me while hydrating my skin. Bring it! Unfortunately, the pharmacy needs at least 24 hours to do it. DAMN.
So this crazy eczema breakout is not something most pregnant women get. The only thing my doc can think of is that my hormones are a little out of whack (due to the pregnancy) and just activated my skin. There is a pregnancy rash that a lot of women get late in the second trimester or in the third. This is not it. And my goodness I really hope that I'm paying my dues now and that's not something I'll get in a few months!
Unless you've ever had eczema or maybe poison oak, I don't think a person can understand how much itching can drive you crazy. Oh my goodness, I'm ready to set fire to my skin! Of course, not really but I want to so badly. It's on my hands, arms, neck, chest, back, legs and even toes! It's not noticeable unless you really look but I've never had it sprinkled about my body like this.
Oh baby. I still love you. I don't know if I'm going to be one of those mamas that love being pregnant. I want to be. But I'm eating like a heiffer and itching like a I-don't-know-what. Though maybe it's because I wrote it down but I've started to feel nauseous earlier in the day. I didn't eat as much yesterday and even though I hate the feeling of wanting to throw up, I think I needed something to regulate my appetite. I mean, I'm fully prepared that I will gain weight but this is pretty gosh darn early. And probably not healthy for you or me, baby, to get big this early in the game.
I'm thinking about when I have to tell work. At first, I was thinking after my review but I'm thinking that Sticky Bun will be showing in July ... yah, I have no idea what the hell I was thinking. Maybe pregnancy brain? Anyway, I think I'll wait after my first trimester and then talk to HR first, then my boss, then make an email announcement (because I'm hardly ever in the office.)
I'm literally taking baby steps :) Right now, I'm reading about how Sticky Bun is growing and what I should and shouldn't be eating. After my first trimester, I will start let myself think about the nursery and *gasp* baby clothes! But I haven't even looked at maternity clothes yet because I just want to focus all my happy thoughts and energy on Sticky Bun's growth and health.
11 weeks
Written 3/27 at 7:30am.
There are changes that a few people mention but, truly, they aren't really pointed out unless you read the baby book. So let me confirm what you may have already known or tell you stuff that no one has bothered to tell you about the miracle of pregnancy:
1. Energy is ZAPPED. I didn't know how much the baby needed or how much my body needed to whomp up a baby but WOW. I was in bed as much as possible and either trying to sleep or successfully sleeping. If I could have been in bed all day, I would have. And I think I actually did that on the weekends.
But the other part is true. Towards the end of the first trimester (or into the second), your energy does come back. This week I've been staying out of bed until 9:00pm. That is a really big deal for me because just two weeks ago, I was crawling into bed around 4:00pm. I still have a problem waking up early in the morning. I'm hoping that I will be able to get my groove back so I may go back to bootcamp three times a week - I've been going only once or twice.
2. Even though the baby is smaller than the size of my thumb, I have had to pee, sometimes multiple times, in the middle of the night every single night for at least a month. I don't get it. The baby is super small. But pee I must so pee I go. This makes it difficult, unfortunately, to have a restful night's sleep because I often stay up afterwards, pleading with my brain to shut down so I can pass out!
3. This problem probably won't apply to most people but, if you're a person who likes to sleep on your stomach, you're SOL. I thought that it would only be a problem when I had a bulging tummy but I was wrong. It's already incredibly uncomfortable and I'm trying to adjust to sleeping on my back. It's a bit awkward.
4. I already have a hard time fitting into my pants. This surprised and made me ashamed. I have lost two pounds and yet my stomach still hurts when I wear regular pants so I guess it is what it is. I find it odd, though, because it's only 11 weeks and I know the baby is super small. But I am a fan of being comfortable so I bought a couple of maternity pants and I am so thankful! Yes, one pair of jeans (at least the waist) looks like those mama jeans from the 80s with the elastic waist band but whatever! It feels GREAT.
Of course, there are the affects people DO expect like morning sickness. My sister said that I'm very lucky that it's not so bad. I am thankful for this because I have a low tolerance for pain and the nausea I currently experience is just about all I want to handle. Last month, I was nauseous first thing in the morning and then at night, around 8:00pm. Sometimes the morning sickness hits me a little earlier in the evening but I'm able to keep food down. But it was another reason why I laid down a lot - resting kept me from vomiting.
I did throw up a few times. And even though they modified boot camp for me, I threw up a couple of times from the exhaustion. But, as I mentioned, I'm glad it wasn't worse. I've learned that I don't deal well with Mexican food, though, as well as food heavy with onions and/or garlic. I also don't care for fish or meat. It's true when they say that you will develop strong likes and dislikes.
Oh, and the part about the boobs is very true. I yelled bloody murder when the puppies would step on them or leap on me and lean on them. It took all my energy not to slap The Man when he accidently grazed them or bumped into them. My chest was super sensitive. I hated it when we had to do jumping jacks or when I ran without two sports bras. They are starting to hurt less as I end my first trimester (as predicted by the baby book) and I'm so glad!
So there it is. Week 11. I have lots of worries and have gone to the lab several times and have another doctor's appointment. But I pray all the time that our baby is healthy physically and mentally. I know that any uncomfortableness I'm experiencing will be worth it for a healthy baby.
And, hopefully, in a little less than two weeks, we can FINALLY come out of the baby closet!
There are changes that a few people mention but, truly, they aren't really pointed out unless you read the baby book. So let me confirm what you may have already known or tell you stuff that no one has bothered to tell you about the miracle of pregnancy:
1. Energy is ZAPPED. I didn't know how much the baby needed or how much my body needed to whomp up a baby but WOW. I was in bed as much as possible and either trying to sleep or successfully sleeping. If I could have been in bed all day, I would have. And I think I actually did that on the weekends.
But the other part is true. Towards the end of the first trimester (or into the second), your energy does come back. This week I've been staying out of bed until 9:00pm. That is a really big deal for me because just two weeks ago, I was crawling into bed around 4:00pm. I still have a problem waking up early in the morning. I'm hoping that I will be able to get my groove back so I may go back to bootcamp three times a week - I've been going only once or twice.
2. Even though the baby is smaller than the size of my thumb, I have had to pee, sometimes multiple times, in the middle of the night every single night for at least a month. I don't get it. The baby is super small. But pee I must so pee I go. This makes it difficult, unfortunately, to have a restful night's sleep because I often stay up afterwards, pleading with my brain to shut down so I can pass out!
3. This problem probably won't apply to most people but, if you're a person who likes to sleep on your stomach, you're SOL. I thought that it would only be a problem when I had a bulging tummy but I was wrong. It's already incredibly uncomfortable and I'm trying to adjust to sleeping on my back. It's a bit awkward.
4. I already have a hard time fitting into my pants. This surprised and made me ashamed. I have lost two pounds and yet my stomach still hurts when I wear regular pants so I guess it is what it is. I find it odd, though, because it's only 11 weeks and I know the baby is super small. But I am a fan of being comfortable so I bought a couple of maternity pants and I am so thankful! Yes, one pair of jeans (at least the waist) looks like those mama jeans from the 80s with the elastic waist band but whatever! It feels GREAT.
Of course, there are the affects people DO expect like morning sickness. My sister said that I'm very lucky that it's not so bad. I am thankful for this because I have a low tolerance for pain and the nausea I currently experience is just about all I want to handle. Last month, I was nauseous first thing in the morning and then at night, around 8:00pm. Sometimes the morning sickness hits me a little earlier in the evening but I'm able to keep food down. But it was another reason why I laid down a lot - resting kept me from vomiting.
I did throw up a few times. And even though they modified boot camp for me, I threw up a couple of times from the exhaustion. But, as I mentioned, I'm glad it wasn't worse. I've learned that I don't deal well with Mexican food, though, as well as food heavy with onions and/or garlic. I also don't care for fish or meat. It's true when they say that you will develop strong likes and dislikes.
Oh, and the part about the boobs is very true. I yelled bloody murder when the puppies would step on them or leap on me and lean on them. It took all my energy not to slap The Man when he accidently grazed them or bumped into them. My chest was super sensitive. I hated it when we had to do jumping jacks or when I ran without two sports bras. They are starting to hurt less as I end my first trimester (as predicted by the baby book) and I'm so glad!
So there it is. Week 11. I have lots of worries and have gone to the lab several times and have another doctor's appointment. But I pray all the time that our baby is healthy physically and mentally. I know that any uncomfortableness I'm experiencing will be worth it for a healthy baby.
And, hopefully, in a little less than two weeks, we can FINALLY come out of the baby closet!
Hanging out in mama's uterus
Written 4/4/09 at 9:48am
That's what Sticky Bun was doing. The Baby was lying on his/her back, hands behind the head and legs crossed up in the air. I was amazed that my baby looked like a baby (last ultrasound which was actually the first, SB looked like a shrimp.) And I laughed because of course my baby would be just chilling in my tum-tum, hanging out:) I admit, I cried a little because there was MY BABY and this whole experience is actually real. It's also been really trying because I have remained what I call 'conservatively excited.'
This whole time, I've been worried about the mental and physical health of my baby. I have talked to a genetics counselor because of the family history (my brother has autism as well as my cousin.) Granted, there is actually no way to detect autism. But it also made me worry about retardation and other mental problems. I received a call yesterday from the genetics counselor letting me know that my blood work came back negative and I am not a carrier of a special chromosome that could be a cause of a combination of retardation and autism. I am so happy. They stressed that this does not mean that baby is certain to become autistic but it does rule out one possibility. I am very happy about that. It so happened that yesterday was also the day I had my special ultrasound which is supposed to detect any abnormalities and, again, everything looks good. So that's why I cried. Imagine having to hold back your happiness, your excitement, because you weren't sure what was going to happen and you just didn'twant to get your hopes up. I know that moving forward, there are still endless possibilities of harm or poor health but at least I know that at this point, the baby is golden. So so happy.
The Man couldn't come to the last two appointments because of work. I actually didn't mind because I purposely scheduled my appointments during the day because it was most convenient for me (I hate waiting at hospitals and everyone makes appointments after work.) But this last appointment was so awesome, so rewarding. SB was kicking, moving around and even bounced:) I got to watch the baby for 20 minutes while the technician and then the doctor took images. I probably could have watched all day. It was surreal, seeing this little baby so active and I couldn't feel a thing. When I took two images home to show The Man, it just wasn't the same. His experience, while he was happy, just wasn't the same. So I asked him that he come to the next appointment so he can see SB as well as find out with me the gender of our baby. I think that seeing the baby move will be a much better and much more fulfilling experience for him. I can't wait!
That's what Sticky Bun was doing. The Baby was lying on his/her back, hands behind the head and legs crossed up in the air. I was amazed that my baby looked like a baby (last ultrasound which was actually the first, SB looked like a shrimp.) And I laughed because of course my baby would be just chilling in my tum-tum, hanging out:) I admit, I cried a little because there was MY BABY and this whole experience is actually real. It's also been really trying because I have remained what I call 'conservatively excited.'
This whole time, I've been worried about the mental and physical health of my baby. I have talked to a genetics counselor because of the family history (my brother has autism as well as my cousin.) Granted, there is actually no way to detect autism. But it also made me worry about retardation and other mental problems. I received a call yesterday from the genetics counselor letting me know that my blood work came back negative and I am not a carrier of a special chromosome that could be a cause of a combination of retardation and autism. I am so happy. They stressed that this does not mean that baby is certain to become autistic but it does rule out one possibility. I am very happy about that. It so happened that yesterday was also the day I had my special ultrasound which is supposed to detect any abnormalities and, again, everything looks good. So that's why I cried. Imagine having to hold back your happiness, your excitement, because you weren't sure what was going to happen and you just didn'twant to get your hopes up. I know that moving forward, there are still endless possibilities of harm or poor health but at least I know that at this point, the baby is golden. So so happy.
The Man couldn't come to the last two appointments because of work. I actually didn't mind because I purposely scheduled my appointments during the day because it was most convenient for me (I hate waiting at hospitals and everyone makes appointments after work.) But this last appointment was so awesome, so rewarding. SB was kicking, moving around and even bounced:) I got to watch the baby for 20 minutes while the technician and then the doctor took images. I probably could have watched all day. It was surreal, seeing this little baby so active and I couldn't feel a thing. When I took two images home to show The Man, it just wasn't the same. His experience, while he was happy, just wasn't the same. So I asked him that he come to the next appointment so he can see SB as well as find out with me the gender of our baby. I think that seeing the baby move will be a much better and much more fulfilling experience for him. I can't wait!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Oh how I love technology and a teeny tiny update
now I can be even lazier and more disconnected (yet connected?) with the world by being able to Twitter on my blog and have it update my status. YESSSSSSSSSSSSS.
The keys and garage remote are in our hands now :) We have laid down some serious cash for a bedroom set as we designated it our #1 priority since it was preventing us from moving in, like, yesterday. We have very relaxed landlords so we can take our sweet time in moving in. More importantly, we figured out that we have just enough cabinet space that we designate the pantry as the "powder room" for the pups.
Look. We were trying to figure out how we can have them do their deed outside the house. We (okay, I!) am too prissy to have them get dirty in the yard and then come back in. The Man was going to cut through the garage door and we were going to train them to go in a spot in the garage but, during our walk through, we were told that the garage door is a fire retardant door and would greatly slow down a fire in the garage from spreading into the house. The Man did not want to mess with that. We thought, maybe they could go in the laundry room? But that would require them to go upstairs on the nice carpet and Mama Lu ain't havin' none of that.
Then I eyed the pantry. We figured we could put our huge kitchen appliances there for storage as well as cleaning supplies in the room. And the pups have a little room to do their deed in private. (Their set up is similar to a kitty litter box but not quite.) DONE.
So there you have it. Although we are still in desperate need of a dining table, a couch, a couple of plush living room chairs or recliners, an entertainment center and an office desk, we are much more at ease knowing there is a powder room for the pups.
The keys and garage remote are in our hands now :) We have laid down some serious cash for a bedroom set as we designated it our #1 priority since it was preventing us from moving in, like, yesterday. We have very relaxed landlords so we can take our sweet time in moving in. More importantly, we figured out that we have just enough cabinet space that we designate the pantry as the "powder room" for the pups.
Look. We were trying to figure out how we can have them do their deed outside the house. We (okay, I!) am too prissy to have them get dirty in the yard and then come back in. The Man was going to cut through the garage door and we were going to train them to go in a spot in the garage but, during our walk through, we were told that the garage door is a fire retardant door and would greatly slow down a fire in the garage from spreading into the house. The Man did not want to mess with that. We thought, maybe they could go in the laundry room? But that would require them to go upstairs on the nice carpet and Mama Lu ain't havin' none of that.
Then I eyed the pantry. We figured we could put our huge kitchen appliances there for storage as well as cleaning supplies in the room. And the pups have a little room to do their deed in private. (Their set up is similar to a kitty litter box but not quite.) DONE.
So there you have it. Although we are still in desperate need of a dining table, a couch, a couple of plush living room chairs or recliners, an entertainment center and an office desk, we are much more at ease knowing there is a powder room for the pups.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Bye bye savings, future vacations and non fat lattes ...
We are thiiiiiiiis close to closing escrow. It has been an adventure. That's my nice way of saying that certain parts have been a big pain in our asses that had us running around to and fro, ensuring that nothing smacked of efficiency. As a gal who has embraced and owned her Type A personality, inefficiency and redundancy of work drives me BATTY. Anyway, we are poised to be home owners by this weekend. But just as I wrote in a previous entry, nothing is a done deal until the keys are in our hands (wise advice given by a wise sister.)
I am a positive person and determined to adore if not love our new home. I was pleasantly pleased during an exploration to find a bay trail less than 3 minutes driving time (or a long walk from the house.) It actually starts at the salt flats and leads to the bay and eventually the San Mateo bridge. I was so excited because The Man has been wanting a running trail close to the house like when he lived in San Jose. And what a great walk or bike ride for me - it's very breezy and perfect work out weather.
So bye-bye comforts and luxuries. We know that having the house will be worth it but I can't help be a little bittersweet over my break up with spa treatments. And restaurant dining. I'll miss you ...
I am a positive person and determined to adore if not love our new home. I was pleasantly pleased during an exploration to find a bay trail less than 3 minutes driving time (or a long walk from the house.) It actually starts at the salt flats and leads to the bay and eventually the San Mateo bridge. I was so excited because The Man has been wanting a running trail close to the house like when he lived in San Jose. And what a great walk or bike ride for me - it's very breezy and perfect work out weather.
So bye-bye comforts and luxuries. We know that having the house will be worth it but I can't help be a little bittersweet over my break up with spa treatments. And restaurant dining. I'll miss you ...
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
An update
Oh, I have neglected my precious blog! Damn that harlot called Facebook. But it's such instant gratification and low maintenance ... so tempting and such a quick fix.
I haven't had anything to write about lately so I've been avoiding the blog. Then I realized, uh, duh. Yes I do.
People, The Man and I are in escrow.
This is what I wrote to a friend after she found out we were buying a house and was super excited for us:
"We have seen so many homes and my heart has been broken only once by a home :P I learned my lesson after that and don't fall in love with houses anymore! We found this house and put an offer. There are things I love about it - new, good neighborhood, close to my parents, spacious but comfortable enough for me to clean (the older homes we were looking at were a lot bigger and, truthfully, intimidating when I thought about how I would be able to keep it up), tiny yard for us to practice our extremely limited gardening skills, and centrally located in my work territory. The cons are that it's not in our ideal location, it's two story and our preference is one, The Man still has to commute and the land it's on is kind of itty bitty. Oh, and HOA fees! Big boo to that. But we know we are so blessed to even be able to have a first home and know that this will be a great starter home. Hmm, I write that and think I should maybe delete it b/c watch us be there when we retire! Hahaha:) The plan is that we would like to move in 6 years to another city but we'll see. I really like this house and know that we can make it a great home. Especially with personal touches like having beautiful pictures from our wedding displayed!"
Obviously I was writing to our wedding photographer.
We are supposed to have the keys to the house by the end of the month. But Sister warned me not to count anything as a done deal until the keys are actually in our hand. We will also have to cut back quite a bit on luxuries. So if I ask, "Hey! Want to meet for a cup of water?" well, just know that I at least want to see you. We are also wondering how the heck we will furnish the house as it will cause us a pretty penny. Let's be real, thousands of dollars :( So we will definitely have a spacious (bare) home for a while. But by golly, we are going to have a home to call our own very soon. This is the biggest decision we have made since we got married and, oh boy, it's a big one.
I haven't had anything to write about lately so I've been avoiding the blog. Then I realized, uh, duh. Yes I do.
People, The Man and I are in escrow.
This is what I wrote to a friend after she found out we were buying a house and was super excited for us:
"We have seen so many homes and my heart has been broken only once by a home :P I learned my lesson after that and don't fall in love with houses anymore! We found this house and put an offer. There are things I love about it - new, good neighborhood, close to my parents, spacious but comfortable enough for me to clean (the older homes we were looking at were a lot bigger and, truthfully, intimidating when I thought about how I would be able to keep it up), tiny yard for us to practice our extremely limited gardening skills, and centrally located in my work territory. The cons are that it's not in our ideal location, it's two story and our preference is one, The Man still has to commute and the land it's on is kind of itty bitty. Oh, and HOA fees! Big boo to that. But we know we are so blessed to even be able to have a first home and know that this will be a great starter home. Hmm, I write that and think I should maybe delete it b/c watch us be there when we retire! Hahaha:) The plan is that we would like to move in 6 years to another city but we'll see. I really like this house and know that we can make it a great home. Especially with personal touches like having beautiful pictures from our wedding displayed!"
Obviously I was writing to our wedding photographer.
We are supposed to have the keys to the house by the end of the month. But Sister warned me not to count anything as a done deal until the keys are actually in our hand. We will also have to cut back quite a bit on luxuries. So if I ask, "Hey! Want to meet for a cup of water?" well, just know that I at least want to see you. We are also wondering how the heck we will furnish the house as it will cause us a pretty penny. Let's be real, thousands of dollars :( So we will definitely have a spacious (bare) home for a while. But by golly, we are going to have a home to call our own very soon. This is the biggest decision we have made since we got married and, oh boy, it's a big one.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Procrastinating with the best of 'em
I should be cleaning. I am also supposed to see my brother later and take him to my parents' house for dinner.
But I'm on the computer. In my jammies. It has been one of those days! OK, week :)
I was feeling under the weather last week but I think I'm feeling better. Of course, I feel like the loss of one hour is like a kick to the groin! I woke up and it was already 8:30am! Remember, I'm a gal who wakes up at 5:30am on weekdays, 6:30am on weekends. I slept in today and it was entirely too late for my comfort!
So I will shut down as soon as I post this. I will also vow to have a more productive week! Perhaps I am finally over my caffeine withdrawal (I really hope so but I sneak in a cup of green tea here and there when it's been a rough day.) I also hope my eczema meds will ease my crazy break out and that my skin will be back to normal in the days to come. If you have never had your entire body itch like crazy, count yourself lucky. It is incredibly distracting and bad for the ego because there is also a lovely rash that is a result of that terrible itch, then the cause, and then it's just a freakin' horrible ordeal! Anyway, I think it's getting better. Fingers crossed.
But I'm on the computer. In my jammies. It has been one of those days! OK, week :)
I was feeling under the weather last week but I think I'm feeling better. Of course, I feel like the loss of one hour is like a kick to the groin! I woke up and it was already 8:30am! Remember, I'm a gal who wakes up at 5:30am on weekdays, 6:30am on weekends. I slept in today and it was entirely too late for my comfort!
So I will shut down as soon as I post this. I will also vow to have a more productive week! Perhaps I am finally over my caffeine withdrawal (I really hope so but I sneak in a cup of green tea here and there when it's been a rough day.) I also hope my eczema meds will ease my crazy break out and that my skin will be back to normal in the days to come. If you have never had your entire body itch like crazy, count yourself lucky. It is incredibly distracting and bad for the ego because there is also a lovely rash that is a result of that terrible itch, then the cause, and then it's just a freakin' horrible ordeal! Anyway, I think it's getting better. Fingers crossed.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Caffeine cleanse, my ass
I am soooo tired. I did not get head aches like people warned me about but I feel like I need about four naps to get me through the day. What's makes things worse is if I give into the temptation of a nap ... I'm groggy and grumpy the first hour afterwards!
I'm thinking getting rid of caffeine is nonsense. Is it really that bad for me? Eh. Someone give me latte. NOW.
Or maybe I'm getting sick? I swear people are coughing to the left and right of me wherever I go. And being in and out of schools during the week probably doesn't help. Oh lawd. I'm going back to bed.
I'm thinking getting rid of caffeine is nonsense. Is it really that bad for me? Eh. Someone give me latte. NOW.
Or maybe I'm getting sick? I swear people are coughing to the left and right of me wherever I go. And being in and out of schools during the week probably doesn't help. Oh lawd. I'm going back to bed.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Home at last?
Last year, there was a new housing development that The Man and I checked out. It's actually an area that has houses on one side, condominiums on the other side. It's in one of the nicer areas of the city and a still developing community. We couldn't afford the condo last year - what a wake up call that we needed to save! This year, we're actually looking at the houses to see if we can afford one.
It's not our dream home. But I don't mind. Actually, I've had my eye on the condo we couldn't afford last year. I'm okay with not having a yard because I am not blessed with the green thumb like my my father. But The Man, my parents and our realtor are leaning more towards houses. I'm all about what's more affordable, though. *Side note: I should mention that when we were looking at homes out of our price range, it wasn't just our realtor, it was also The Man looking beyond our means! I like our realtor and I know that both of them thought there was no harm. But as someone who can easily get emotionally attached to inanimate objects, I had to put my foot down ;)*
We've been looking at so many houses, townhouses and condominimiums. Sweet jeezus, I'm tired. There are many beautiful homes. We even saw one that was on 2 acres and practically in the woods! And supposedly in our price range. But it was a short sale and the owners received bids more than what they were asking.
Everyone says it's a buyers' market. The thing is, even in the Bay Area, you need to have a certain amount of money to even look at short sale homes. Unless you're willing to look at fixer uppers. Fixer uppers aren't bad, they can actually be pretty great. But although we (OK, HE) have the skill, we just don't have the energy. And it's still a bidding war. Sure, the homes are a lot more reasonable than they were five years ago but it's still pretty high for (kind of) first time buyers.
Back to the house we have our eye on. As I mentioned, it's not our dream home. But it's new and in an area we like in Hayward. It's close by the hospital, very close to a well-to-do neighborhood (so safe and clean), near the San Mateo bridge and close enough to the major freeway. Surprisingly, it was The Man who convinced me we should look in Hayward. I wanted to look in cities like Fremont or Castro Valley. He pointed out, though, that we should be close to my parents so that if they need anything, we're nearby. Also, when we eventually have kids, my parents can be close by to help us. These were all very good points. Plus our money went a bit farther in Hayward than in my preferred cities. We just didn't like what we saw even though they are better cities. I still know, however, that Hayward does not have a good school district and we agreed to either move when we have school-aged children or look into private schools.)
We'll see. We still need to have another meeting to discuss contracts and The Man and I need to know exactly how much we will spending a month to make sure we can afford it. I think I feel comfortable writing about it because I've learned not to fall in love with houses. If we get it (and we've been approved, we just need to make sure we can afford it!) I'll be happy. It's a fantastic starter home and very nice for my little family. If we don't, well, I am a little over-dosed on looking at homes but I guess we would just keep on keepin' on!
It's not our dream home. But I don't mind. Actually, I've had my eye on the condo we couldn't afford last year. I'm okay with not having a yard because I am not blessed with the green thumb like my my father. But The Man, my parents and our realtor are leaning more towards houses. I'm all about what's more affordable, though. *Side note: I should mention that when we were looking at homes out of our price range, it wasn't just our realtor, it was also The Man looking beyond our means! I like our realtor and I know that both of them thought there was no harm. But as someone who can easily get emotionally attached to inanimate objects, I had to put my foot down ;)*
We've been looking at so many houses, townhouses and condominimiums. Sweet jeezus, I'm tired. There are many beautiful homes. We even saw one that was on 2 acres and practically in the woods! And supposedly in our price range. But it was a short sale and the owners received bids more than what they were asking.
Everyone says it's a buyers' market. The thing is, even in the Bay Area, you need to have a certain amount of money to even look at short sale homes. Unless you're willing to look at fixer uppers. Fixer uppers aren't bad, they can actually be pretty great. But although we (OK, HE) have the skill, we just don't have the energy. And it's still a bidding war. Sure, the homes are a lot more reasonable than they were five years ago but it's still pretty high for (kind of) first time buyers.
Back to the house we have our eye on. As I mentioned, it's not our dream home. But it's new and in an area we like in Hayward. It's close by the hospital, very close to a well-to-do neighborhood (so safe and clean), near the San Mateo bridge and close enough to the major freeway. Surprisingly, it was The Man who convinced me we should look in Hayward. I wanted to look in cities like Fremont or Castro Valley. He pointed out, though, that we should be close to my parents so that if they need anything, we're nearby. Also, when we eventually have kids, my parents can be close by to help us. These were all very good points. Plus our money went a bit farther in Hayward than in my preferred cities. We just didn't like what we saw even though they are better cities. I still know, however, that Hayward does not have a good school district and we agreed to either move when we have school-aged children or look into private schools.)
We'll see. We still need to have another meeting to discuss contracts and The Man and I need to know exactly how much we will spending a month to make sure we can afford it. I think I feel comfortable writing about it because I've learned not to fall in love with houses. If we get it (and we've been approved, we just need to make sure we can afford it!) I'll be happy. It's a fantastic starter home and very nice for my little family. If we don't, well, I am a little over-dosed on looking at homes but I guess we would just keep on keepin' on!
Monday, February 16, 2009
I feel like I'm seeing all varieties of homes from "Three Little Pigs"
We saw seven homes w/ our realtor today.
Some people should be slapped for the price they're asking, considering the location and the condition. And we seriously have to STOP seeing homes out of our price range. I don't care if it's only 20k ... it's still 20k!!!! If I don't have it in my back pocket, it's too much to ask on top of our price range.
Oh, what a trying process. I mean, truly, trying to find a home tries my patience. And let me just add that EVERY decent house seems to be a short sale. I HATE A SHORT SALE! It makes no kind of sense. The seller is trying to prevent foreclosure so the seller has a short sale and offers the home for a price lower than what he/she had paid for said house. Of course, because the home is now being offered at a great deal, there are buyers (enter poor young couple like yours truly and The Man.) But ohhh nooo! Just because we are willing to pay the price, doesn't mean that the seller's lender is willing to take the price that the seller offered. So there goes that.
Seems ass backwards to me. Why doesn't the bank just tell the Seller what is the lowest price they're willing to take and then let the Seller try to sell it? I know, the market fluctuates, depends on the person handling the short sale, yadda yadda yadda. Truthfully, it's a bunch of Piko/Pili crap. It stinks, it's messy and it puts me in a bad mood!
But I can finally understand what I couldn't understand before. You homeowners have told me how you ended up with your 4th, 5th, or 6th choice and I couldn't understand how you could get past your first choice. Now I get it. You just have to harden your heart and not fall in love with property. Because that kind of love gets you nothing but heart ache. The house sure has heck doesn't love you back. And the sellers, their realtor and their lender could give two hoots if you love the house. So why go through that kind of pain? We've gotten to point where we have decided that if the place is the kind of home we see ourselves growing old in - fantastic. But if we can only see ourselves there for five years and then selling it for a profit to buy what will hopefully be our forever home - that is just dandy, too.
Some people should be slapped for the price they're asking, considering the location and the condition. And we seriously have to STOP seeing homes out of our price range. I don't care if it's only 20k ... it's still 20k!!!! If I don't have it in my back pocket, it's too much to ask on top of our price range.
Oh, what a trying process. I mean, truly, trying to find a home tries my patience. And let me just add that EVERY decent house seems to be a short sale. I HATE A SHORT SALE! It makes no kind of sense. The seller is trying to prevent foreclosure so the seller has a short sale and offers the home for a price lower than what he/she had paid for said house. Of course, because the home is now being offered at a great deal, there are buyers (enter poor young couple like yours truly and The Man.) But ohhh nooo! Just because we are willing to pay the price, doesn't mean that the seller's lender is willing to take the price that the seller offered. So there goes that.
Seems ass backwards to me. Why doesn't the bank just tell the Seller what is the lowest price they're willing to take and then let the Seller try to sell it? I know, the market fluctuates, depends on the person handling the short sale, yadda yadda yadda. Truthfully, it's a bunch of Piko/Pili crap. It stinks, it's messy and it puts me in a bad mood!
But I can finally understand what I couldn't understand before. You homeowners have told me how you ended up with your 4th, 5th, or 6th choice and I couldn't understand how you could get past your first choice. Now I get it. You just have to harden your heart and not fall in love with property. Because that kind of love gets you nothing but heart ache. The house sure has heck doesn't love you back. And the sellers, their realtor and their lender could give two hoots if you love the house. So why go through that kind of pain? We've gotten to point where we have decided that if the place is the kind of home we see ourselves growing old in - fantastic. But if we can only see ourselves there for five years and then selling it for a profit to buy what will hopefully be our forever home - that is just dandy, too.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
I love this little blog group so much!
You guys have made me laugh with your comments regarding the last post. THANK YOU. I'm seriously okay. It really was a good thing that it was kind of drawn out (two weeks is a long time for Miss Impatient over here!)
We looked at ELEVEN houses today. Just to see our options. And to narrow down which homes we actually wanted to view the interior with our realtor. Truthfully, none were as spectacular as the first house. But you know what? They were less expensive which is something we can certainly be thankful for and happy with!
But let me tell you the gifts Piko and Pili gave us today ...
I scheduled their vet visits today because I figured not a lot of people would be going because it's the weekend and it's Valentine's Day. The Man and I took them for their annual check ups and shots. Afterwards, we decided to look at the homes we found on the internet. We chose 11 to drive past and check out from the car ... just to see.
Well, I know it's not safe but the pups usually ride with us in the front. But they started behaving badly after the third house, whimpering and wiggling and wanting to stick their heads out the window so we put them in the back seat.
On our way to the fifth, The Man glanced back and yelled, "Oh no, Piko!"
She pooped on his baseball hat in the backseat.
He knew it was our fault for not picking up on her whimpering so we couldn't really get mad at her. The Man found the nearest park and I took them for a bathroom break walk while he cleaned the mess. His seats are cloth. The pups and I walked around for five minutes and when we got back to the car, he pretty much cleaned up everything ... it didn't even smell anymore. Great! He said that although it was soft, it was still hard enough to pick up easily. It might be TMI but, I think, an important piece of information nevertheless.
Although we're a bit grossed out, we decided to keep on keepin' on. We were on our way to the next house when I glanced back and BAM! Pili's little body was hunched over and she was in mid-poop in the exact spot where Piko just pooped! I yelled, "Pili's pooping now!" and The Man, shocked that this could happen again, slammed on the brakes. Because it would be our luck, Pili's poop is totally wet and basically a puddle. To make matters worse, because oh yes, they can get worse, she was slipping and sliding on her own poo when he slammed the brakes and tried to get her balance back by stepping all over the backseat.
The Man immediately pulled over and it was now MY turn to clean up the mess. I almost gagged because it was a lot messier and stinkier than Piko's. (The Man got Piko's nastiness in one pick up. I had to use many, many, many napkins and babywipes to pick up her sh*t puddle.) In the meantime, The Man attempted to clean Pili's paws because they were all soiled. They sure taught us a lesson. We went straight home, washed Pili and continued looking out homes without them.
I swear, it was bowel movements galore today. Happy Valentine's Day to us :)
We looked at ELEVEN houses today. Just to see our options. And to narrow down which homes we actually wanted to view the interior with our realtor. Truthfully, none were as spectacular as the first house. But you know what? They were less expensive which is something we can certainly be thankful for and happy with!
But let me tell you the gifts Piko and Pili gave us today ...
I scheduled their vet visits today because I figured not a lot of people would be going because it's the weekend and it's Valentine's Day. The Man and I took them for their annual check ups and shots. Afterwards, we decided to look at the homes we found on the internet. We chose 11 to drive past and check out from the car ... just to see.
Well, I know it's not safe but the pups usually ride with us in the front. But they started behaving badly after the third house, whimpering and wiggling and wanting to stick their heads out the window so we put them in the back seat.
On our way to the fifth, The Man glanced back and yelled, "Oh no, Piko!"
She pooped on his baseball hat in the backseat.
He knew it was our fault for not picking up on her whimpering so we couldn't really get mad at her. The Man found the nearest park and I took them for a bathroom break walk while he cleaned the mess. His seats are cloth. The pups and I walked around for five minutes and when we got back to the car, he pretty much cleaned up everything ... it didn't even smell anymore. Great! He said that although it was soft, it was still hard enough to pick up easily. It might be TMI but, I think, an important piece of information nevertheless.
Although we're a bit grossed out, we decided to keep on keepin' on. We were on our way to the next house when I glanced back and BAM! Pili's little body was hunched over and she was in mid-poop in the exact spot where Piko just pooped! I yelled, "Pili's pooping now!" and The Man, shocked that this could happen again, slammed on the brakes. Because it would be our luck, Pili's poop is totally wet and basically a puddle. To make matters worse, because oh yes, they can get worse, she was slipping and sliding on her own poo when he slammed the brakes and tried to get her balance back by stepping all over the backseat.
The Man immediately pulled over and it was now MY turn to clean up the mess. I almost gagged because it was a lot messier and stinkier than Piko's. (The Man got Piko's nastiness in one pick up. I had to use many, many, many napkins and babywipes to pick up her sh*t puddle.) In the meantime, The Man attempted to clean Pili's paws because they were all soiled. They sure taught us a lesson. We went straight home, washed Pili and continued looking out homes without them.
I swear, it was bowel movements galore today. Happy Valentine's Day to us :)
Thursday, February 12, 2009
The scoop. Finally.
I knows it's silly to fall in love with an inanimate object. But that's kind of what happened when our realtor showed us this house. I don't want to go on and on like a school girl crush so here's some bullet points:
* 4 bedrooms
* 3 bathrooms
* hard wood floors
* wrap around balcony
* view of the bay
* build in 1963
* sleepy and nice little neighborhood in the hills
* needs a bit of work
* seller marked it as pre-foreclosure
* in our price range
The Man and I thought this was a perfect place for us. Fantastic for when we have a growing family, and, when it comes time to take care of my parents, there would be plenty of room. I adored it. It was in our price range! And while it would need a little bit of elbow grease, we would gladly do it because the house was just that awesome.
We put in a bid. And let me just say this ...
I HATE short sales.
We put in what I think was a good bid. Yes, the sellers priced the home a lot lower than what he/she had purchased. We couldn't afford this house if they weren't in pre-foreclosure. But we offered to put down a substantial initial deposit. We also offered $50k more than the final asking price (they lowered it an additional $25k a week after we attended the open house.) Well, after waiting nearly two weeks, we received a counter offer from the seller last night:
* Property sold "as is"
* Buyer shall pay for government requirements and retrofit
* Buyer shall pay $5,000 loss mitigation fee to "Foreclosure Prevention Services" or its assignees
* Seller has until April 10th to make final decision
* Sale price of short sale subject to lender's approval (we knew about this one)
* Sale is subject to tenants' right. Home will not be delivered vacant at close of escrow
* Seller is making multiple counter offers. Acceptance of this counter shall not be binding unless and until it's subsequently re-signed by seller.
We have big problems with just about all of these terms. We will have to pay a few hundred dollars to assess a home that we may not get. We won't know until April if we're owners or not. They can still market the house and accept another bid until April. If we get the house, we can't move in because we will have renters. We'll have to pay an additional 5k. And how much is it going to cost to retrofit the house?! The seller's counter offer blows.
I'm all about instant gratification. It's just who I am. But I believe it's a blessing that we had to wait nearly two weeks because I'm not as desperately in love with the house as I had been a couple of weeks ago. I mean, I was able to gain some perspective. This house is still my favorite and I absolutely would love to live in that house. And, in all honestly, everything else we've seen and continue to see in our price range pales in comparison. It's sad, really. But I also realize that it's JUST a house. And we'll live without it. And, as with everything else in my life, I believe that something better will come along ... a greater plan, perhaps. Of course, I have a hard time believing that something better aesthetically will come our way because, my goodness, this place had a wrap around balcony, a view, a tiny courtyard and hard wood floors! (*Sigh* I really did fall in love with this house.) But everything else in my life has worked out for the better whenever something doesn't end up coming my way. So I'm just going to keep hoping and praying that this isn't any different.
But I mean it when I write that I HATE SHORT SALES. Passionately.
* 4 bedrooms
* 3 bathrooms
* hard wood floors
* wrap around balcony
* view of the bay
* build in 1963
* sleepy and nice little neighborhood in the hills
* needs a bit of work
* seller marked it as pre-foreclosure
* in our price range
The Man and I thought this was a perfect place for us. Fantastic for when we have a growing family, and, when it comes time to take care of my parents, there would be plenty of room. I adored it. It was in our price range! And while it would need a little bit of elbow grease, we would gladly do it because the house was just that awesome.
We put in a bid. And let me just say this ...
I HATE short sales.
We put in what I think was a good bid. Yes, the sellers priced the home a lot lower than what he/she had purchased. We couldn't afford this house if they weren't in pre-foreclosure. But we offered to put down a substantial initial deposit. We also offered $50k more than the final asking price (they lowered it an additional $25k a week after we attended the open house.) Well, after waiting nearly two weeks, we received a counter offer from the seller last night:
* Property sold "as is"
* Buyer shall pay for government requirements and retrofit
* Buyer shall pay $5,000 loss mitigation fee to "Foreclosure Prevention Services" or its assignees
* Seller has until April 10th to make final decision
* Sale price of short sale subject to lender's approval (we knew about this one)
* Sale is subject to tenants' right. Home will not be delivered vacant at close of escrow
* Seller is making multiple counter offers. Acceptance of this counter shall not be binding unless and until it's subsequently re-signed by seller.
We have big problems with just about all of these terms. We will have to pay a few hundred dollars to assess a home that we may not get. We won't know until April if we're owners or not. They can still market the house and accept another bid until April. If we get the house, we can't move in because we will have renters. We'll have to pay an additional 5k. And how much is it going to cost to retrofit the house?! The seller's counter offer blows.
I'm all about instant gratification. It's just who I am. But I believe it's a blessing that we had to wait nearly two weeks because I'm not as desperately in love with the house as I had been a couple of weeks ago. I mean, I was able to gain some perspective. This house is still my favorite and I absolutely would love to live in that house. And, in all honestly, everything else we've seen and continue to see in our price range pales in comparison. It's sad, really. But I also realize that it's JUST a house. And we'll live without it. And, as with everything else in my life, I believe that something better will come along ... a greater plan, perhaps. Of course, I have a hard time believing that something better aesthetically will come our way because, my goodness, this place had a wrap around balcony, a view, a tiny courtyard and hard wood floors! (*Sigh* I really did fall in love with this house.) But everything else in my life has worked out for the better whenever something doesn't end up coming my way. So I'm just going to keep hoping and praying that this isn't any different.
But I mean it when I write that I HATE SHORT SALES. Passionately.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
My allergies are FEROCIOUS!
This will be a quick post because I have to get ready to work out (mind you, I feel obligated because I think I killed every carb in sight with my mouth yesterday.)
I am so sad. The pile of used tissues are getting bigger and bigger each morning. I took the fake allergy medication. Then I took the good stuff - Claritin. Now I'm really going to have to Google Neti Pot (still don't know what the hell that is or what it even looks like.) But I think it won't matter. I wake up having to blow my nose in the middle of the night. The Man tosses in frustration. But I can't help it. I am seriously a snot factory :( It's affecting my sleep, his sleep and I really can't help it! Luckily, he snores like a chainsaw so he can't up and leave me for it ;)
Please, please, please let the weather change soon!
I am so sad. The pile of used tissues are getting bigger and bigger each morning. I took the fake allergy medication. Then I took the good stuff - Claritin. Now I'm really going to have to Google Neti Pot (still don't know what the hell that is or what it even looks like.) But I think it won't matter. I wake up having to blow my nose in the middle of the night. The Man tosses in frustration. But I can't help it. I am seriously a snot factory :( It's affecting my sleep, his sleep and I really can't help it! Luckily, he snores like a chainsaw so he can't up and leave me for it ;)
Please, please, please let the weather change soon!
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Absolutely nothing new to report ...
so let's move on to other things, shall we?
My allergies are so bad that I feel like I'm a foghorn and a snot factory rolled up in one. Very sexy for The Man, let me tell you.
I'm leaving in a little over a week for my first meeting for the leadership conference. Ordinarily, to save money, we are asked to either choose a roommate or let them assign us one. As luck would have it, I don't have a roommate. But I'm also nervous because although I know a couple of people who are also attending, I am not really familiar with anyone.
Admittedly, I am distracted and preoccupied but I'm trying to not let my tedencies for being high strung get the better of me!
Facebook and I are good buddies again. It's nice not having to sensor myself. Maybe it's paranoid of me but I like knowing who all my "friends" are and knowing that they really wish the best for me and aren't judging my every move. It's nice :)
I have a problem with instant gratification and I don't know what to do because I've always been that way! Good thing I married someone who bring me balance.
My allergies are so bad that I feel like I'm a foghorn and a snot factory rolled up in one. Very sexy for The Man, let me tell you.
I'm leaving in a little over a week for my first meeting for the leadership conference. Ordinarily, to save money, we are asked to either choose a roommate or let them assign us one. As luck would have it, I don't have a roommate. But I'm also nervous because although I know a couple of people who are also attending, I am not really familiar with anyone.
Admittedly, I am distracted and preoccupied but I'm trying to not let my tedencies for being high strung get the better of me!
Facebook and I are good buddies again. It's nice not having to sensor myself. Maybe it's paranoid of me but I like knowing who all my "friends" are and knowing that they really wish the best for me and aren't judging my every move. It's nice :)
I have a problem with instant gratification and I don't know what to do because I've always been that way! Good thing I married someone who bring me balance.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Ever wanted something so much ...
you were even too scared to write or talk about it for fear that it might not happen? Or that you will be disappointed and you don't want to have to discuss your disappointment?
I'm not trying to be secretive. It's just that I don't want egg on my face. And I know you really can't have egg on your face if something doesn't pan out and it's not your fault. But still.
So, although I'm being vague, will you send us good luck or well wishes? You don't have to write it down, just think it. Or at the very least, cross your fingers for us!!! I promise I'll reveal after a decision has been made, whether it's good or bad.
I'm not trying to be secretive. It's just that I don't want egg on my face. And I know you really can't have egg on your face if something doesn't pan out and it's not your fault. But still.
So, although I'm being vague, will you send us good luck or well wishes? You don't have to write it down, just think it. Or at the very least, cross your fingers for us!!! I promise I'll reveal after a decision has been made, whether it's good or bad.
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