Wow I've been lazy this year. At least, when it comes to this blog. I have around a third of the posts I did last year. Now that the year is coming to a close, I figured another post is in order.
We finally sold our house. For the next two months, I will be able to look at our bank account and see "paid in full". It's a great feeling, until you realize that I'm going to have another mortgage starting in March. Hmmm, oh well. It's worth it to have a place that's our own. I'm getting more and more excited about it by the day. We have a pre-drywall appointment on Thursday to see the inside of the house and where everything will be. Getting a new house allows you these funny little experiences. You don't get to see underneath the drywall in an older home, unless you do some heft renovations.
Aside from all of our housing plans finally working out, I've been thinking a lot about babies recently. So many new little ones have been entering our world and it's such an exciting time. Things have finally slowed down a bit, as the last baby due of those I know is due in February. I think we may have a lull coming for a year or so :). After all, not too many people want to have babies back to back.
It's strange to think that I had a newborn at this time two years ago and was 7 months pregnant this time one year ago. Then I take a step back and realize how fast that went and that now is the time to enjoy the lovely chaos in my life. After having two for a while, I know I'd love to have more kids (especially after meeting an amazing mother of five, whom I work with). However, I know I'd love for both of my kids to be cognizant of a pregnancy if we have another baby. I'd love them to be able to talk to us about it and, if I'm really lucky, have them help out with a new baby once in a while. I think that would be so cool. But, hey, we all have dreams that don't always work out the way we planned, so we'll see if my little dream happens as such.
In the meantime, it's also hard to believe that Jude's closing in on his first birthday. Unlike with Arabella, that happened fast. He's huge and extremely active and mischievous. He can hold his own while playing with Arabella. Aside from walking and talking, he's so much like his sister. They both love to play and dance and that's what we do all day long. I look forward to him beginning to walk and talk next. I'd say learning, but I think he knows how to do both and just chooses not to. It wouldn't surprise me if he is headstrong like that. Amidst that, I look forward to planning a mini-first birthday for him and seeing him slam into an awesome mini-cake. You should know, that is always the best part of a first birthday. If there's no mess, then how do you know you've had fun?
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
For My Kid's Rooms
I'm getting really psyched about our new house now. The biggest reason, aside from it being ours and not a 30 year old creaky, paper thin walled apartment, is that I get to decorate two kid's rooms. SO EXCITED!
Just for kicks, here are some of the ideas I've been throwing around. For Arabella's room, we'll be going with a Disney Fairies theme. That's easy enough. I'm not too worried about her outgrowing this in 5 years. The base of her room will most likely be a sage green and everything else will be able to be replaced easily. She already has the fairies bedding, so here's what we're looking at getting her next:
Wall decals, a kid's chair, a lamp. She already has a white bed and dresser. It's all coming together in my head where everything should go. We'll see if it all actually happens when we get there.
As for Jude, I'm finally proud to say I have a clear view of what I'd like to do with his room. I played with the idea of a solar system room, but it has evolved into a specific them: Star Wars. Steve has mentioned this many times before but I wasn't on board. I wanted to be sure I could find things that don't look super cheesy or expected. I wanted Jude's room to be cool. Now, I've found some really neat items that I think can accomplish my goal. Here's a look at the items for Jude's potential room:
Toddler Bedding:
Absolutely necessary quotes:
Vader clock:
The wall lightsaber:
Movie poster:
There's quite a bit out there that will be cool without us over doing it. Then there's the thing we really want, but most likely won't get:
That would probably be overkill....but it really is awesome. If we are so lucky to get most of this done soon after we move, I'll be able to get some good pictures up of both rooms. I'm hoping we can get everything I'd like and that everything will come together nicely. We'll soon find out!
Just for kicks, here are some of the ideas I've been throwing around. For Arabella's room, we'll be going with a Disney Fairies theme. That's easy enough. I'm not too worried about her outgrowing this in 5 years. The base of her room will most likely be a sage green and everything else will be able to be replaced easily. She already has the fairies bedding, so here's what we're looking at getting her next:
As for Jude, I'm finally proud to say I have a clear view of what I'd like to do with his room. I played with the idea of a solar system room, but it has evolved into a specific them: Star Wars. Steve has mentioned this many times before but I wasn't on board. I wanted to be sure I could find things that don't look super cheesy or expected. I wanted Jude's room to be cool. Now, I've found some really neat items that I think can accomplish my goal. Here's a look at the items for Jude's potential room:
Toddler Bedding:
Absolutely necessary quotes:
Movie poster:
There's quite a bit out there that will be cool without us over doing it. Then there's the thing we really want, but most likely won't get:
That would probably be overkill....but it really is awesome. If we are so lucky to get most of this done soon after we move, I'll be able to get some good pictures up of both rooms. I'm hoping we can get everything I'd like and that everything will come together nicely. We'll soon find out!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Sooner or Later
SO, we were supposed to close on Thursday this last week. Now did that happen? No. Of course not. That would be far too easy. Now we have a leaky roof to have patched up and then we might possible have our closing scheduled. I wouldn't be so infuriated if this wasn't the buyer's lender's fault. We did everything we're supposed to do, but their laziness has cost us more money. I can safely say that I would prefer not having to sell a house again for a very long time. I know we will, but it doesn't have to be anytime soon.
On the other front, we have completed another step in buying our house. We went to a pre-wiring meeting and to the design center to pick a few things out for the house. That was fun, so to speak. It's neat to pick out some colors and where your wiring will go, but it isn't like going to on a dinner/movie date. Hopefully, this week Steve will have the pre-construction meeting to get a tentative timeline on how things will pan our for our new home. As of right now, the frame for the first level is in and we're well on our way to having a brand new townhouse.
It's been stressful to move. However, there are so many great things that wait for us here. We just have to get over this hurdle and things will start to ease again and we'll be able to relax and enjoy life.
On the other front, we have completed another step in buying our house. We went to a pre-wiring meeting and to the design center to pick a few things out for the house. That was fun, so to speak. It's neat to pick out some colors and where your wiring will go, but it isn't like going to on a dinner/movie date. Hopefully, this week Steve will have the pre-construction meeting to get a tentative timeline on how things will pan our for our new home. As of right now, the frame for the first level is in and we're well on our way to having a brand new townhouse.
It's been stressful to move. However, there are so many great things that wait for us here. We just have to get over this hurdle and things will start to ease again and we'll be able to relax and enjoy life.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Happy Birthday Arabella!
Today is a great day. Two years ago, I gave birth to my sweet girl. It really is hard to believe on some level. I feel like it's been two years, but that's mostly because it's been a long road. We've never had any major, life altering problems with her, but many things have taken quite a bit of work. However, what child ISN'T worth all of your strength and energy for years to come? Not one!
Arabella is my petite ballerina. She's just a sliver bigger than her brother, she has more energy than five toddlers, and she's smarter than Steve and I combined. She hates new foods only to love them three months later. She still wants her bottles, because, damn it, Jude has one too! She sings everything she can remember and she shakes her booty while she does it. She kisses her family and tells us she loves us. She's everything I've ever wanted in life and more. And right now, she's throwing apples on the floor :).
Happy 2nd Birthday, Arabella Nicole!
Arabella is my petite ballerina. She's just a sliver bigger than her brother, she has more energy than five toddlers, and she's smarter than Steve and I combined. She hates new foods only to love them three months later. She still wants her bottles, because, damn it, Jude has one too! She sings everything she can remember and she shakes her booty while she does it. She kisses her family and tells us she loves us. She's everything I've ever wanted in life and more. And right now, she's throwing apples on the floor :).
Happy 2nd Birthday, Arabella Nicole!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Worst Waiting Game Ever
We sold our house. That's definitely exciting. HOWEVER...now we begin one of the most miserable waiting games in the history of mankind. To sell your house, you actually have to close on it to finish the deal. That will not happen for another 30 days (actually, October 27th for us).
There's a number of things that can go wrong in the meantime that can cause the contract to fall apart. We have to have our house inspected. Once that happens, the buyers will create a list of things they want taken care of before the option period is over. That option period is 10 days. Then we have to have an appraisal to ensure that we are selling for what the house is worth. Really, what our house is worth is up for interpretation. The first person might say something and a second person will suggest it's 10K higher or lower than the first person. Either way, whatever the appraiser says can cause things to fall apart. Then there's also the fact that the buyers can just change their minds. Isn't that a bunch of sh......poop?
All in all, things look good. These buyers are getting the house a great price and in great condition. Still, jumping through hoops to be sure the house is acceptable and constantly waiting for update phone calls and emails is not my idea of fun. One thing this does afford us, though, is the opportunity to get serious about where we want to live up here in Maryland. Some of you may know that we have been considering living with Steve's parents. It would help us pay down some debt by having a smaller housing cost and it would help them afford a bigger (IE nicer) house. Our other option is to look at housing in our own price range.
The market here is very different from Texas. You get less house for your money, but there are different amenities that come with a house here, as well. You may be buying a townhouse and it may have smaller rooms in general, but you also tend to get a deck and a basement (many of them actually are finished). There's also more affordable housing on the water, although I'm pretty certain we aren't really interested in living on the water. Also, taxing is different, so while we'll buy a more expensive house, our monthly payments won't change very much. So, tomorrow we will go look at some houses in the area to see if it is worth buying our own house or if we will go forward with living with Steve's parents for a couple of years.
Even still, buying a house here is contingent on closing on our house in Texas. And so, we wait.
There's a number of things that can go wrong in the meantime that can cause the contract to fall apart. We have to have our house inspected. Once that happens, the buyers will create a list of things they want taken care of before the option period is over. That option period is 10 days. Then we have to have an appraisal to ensure that we are selling for what the house is worth. Really, what our house is worth is up for interpretation. The first person might say something and a second person will suggest it's 10K higher or lower than the first person. Either way, whatever the appraiser says can cause things to fall apart. Then there's also the fact that the buyers can just change their minds. Isn't that a bunch of sh......poop?
All in all, things look good. These buyers are getting the house a great price and in great condition. Still, jumping through hoops to be sure the house is acceptable and constantly waiting for update phone calls and emails is not my idea of fun. One thing this does afford us, though, is the opportunity to get serious about where we want to live up here in Maryland. Some of you may know that we have been considering living with Steve's parents. It would help us pay down some debt by having a smaller housing cost and it would help them afford a bigger (IE nicer) house. Our other option is to look at housing in our own price range.
The market here is very different from Texas. You get less house for your money, but there are different amenities that come with a house here, as well. You may be buying a townhouse and it may have smaller rooms in general, but you also tend to get a deck and a basement (many of them actually are finished). There's also more affordable housing on the water, although I'm pretty certain we aren't really interested in living on the water. Also, taxing is different, so while we'll buy a more expensive house, our monthly payments won't change very much. So, tomorrow we will go look at some houses in the area to see if it is worth buying our own house or if we will go forward with living with Steve's parents for a couple of years.
Even still, buying a house here is contingent on closing on our house in Texas. And so, we wait.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
In Maryland
And here we are. We made it to Maryland. I would be more excited if we didn't have an angry neighbor who decided to yell on his phone for an hour last night. Lots of f-bombs. Angry neighbors scare me. Other than that, things are going pretty well. Our apartment is what we need it to be (mostly) for the time being. There are lots of restaurants and shops convenient to us. Things just seem to be in a short driving distance in general and I appreciate that.
One thing that does freak me out though is that the highways are lined with trees. I can't see where I'm going! It's a little unnerving since I don't know where things are yet. I'm sure in a couple months it will be beautiful.
Something else that is fantastic about the area is the temperature. Even when it's warm outside, there's a nice breeze that doesn't just waft more hot air in your face but cools you down a bit. I'm kind of excited to go check out Annapolis because I'm sure there's going to be an even nicer breeze by the water.
It's a little hard to fathom what the coming holidays and events are going to be like in this new area. We have to remain frugal while we're waiting to sell our house because we only have a certain amount that the company will assist with. It's fun experiencing a new area and a new adventure, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared out of my mind right now. The coming months hold a lot of unknowns, but we'll do our best to figure it all out.
One thing that does freak me out though is that the highways are lined with trees. I can't see where I'm going! It's a little unnerving since I don't know where things are yet. I'm sure in a couple months it will be beautiful.
Something else that is fantastic about the area is the temperature. Even when it's warm outside, there's a nice breeze that doesn't just waft more hot air in your face but cools you down a bit. I'm kind of excited to go check out Annapolis because I'm sure there's going to be an even nicer breeze by the water.
It's a little hard to fathom what the coming holidays and events are going to be like in this new area. We have to remain frugal while we're waiting to sell our house because we only have a certain amount that the company will assist with. It's fun experiencing a new area and a new adventure, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared out of my mind right now. The coming months hold a lot of unknowns, but we'll do our best to figure it all out.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Cheers
We're going to move. It's really going to happen. We have expected it was really going to happen but never had anything tangible until now. Within the next week, Steve will be in Maryland and begin to work on his new project and hopefully look for a house or apartment for us. Yes, we also have to sell our house, but I'd rather not think about that. The best we can do there is get our house looking as close to a model home as possible and hope that somebody wants it.
All of that being said, I am guessing that my posts will become sparce after the next few weeks. I'll be visiting my parents for a short time then moving up to Maryland. Once the kids and I get up to Maryland, things are likely to get very busy. I'll be finding new doctors, looking at places (if we haven't chosen one), and figuring out the lay of the land. Also, I get to prepare for winter. A REAL winter! I'm excited and a bit nervous. After all, I've driven in a bit of ice a couple times, but I have no clue what snow will be like. And then there's all the cute winter clothes that I will actually need. I'm sure I'll post about all of that excitement after I get started on it.
In the meantime, here's to Texas. I'm probably not going to miss the state (and who can blame me at this time of year), but I'll miss quite a few people who live here and some of the delicious food that won't be matched (I'll miss you Tex-Mex). And, here's to Maryland. You're bringing me closer to friends I have so missed and will give me an opportunity to live a different kind of life. Cheers!
All of that being said, I am guessing that my posts will become sparce after the next few weeks. I'll be visiting my parents for a short time then moving up to Maryland. Once the kids and I get up to Maryland, things are likely to get very busy. I'll be finding new doctors, looking at places (if we haven't chosen one), and figuring out the lay of the land. Also, I get to prepare for winter. A REAL winter! I'm excited and a bit nervous. After all, I've driven in a bit of ice a couple times, but I have no clue what snow will be like. And then there's all the cute winter clothes that I will actually need. I'm sure I'll post about all of that excitement after I get started on it.
In the meantime, here's to Texas. I'm probably not going to miss the state (and who can blame me at this time of year), but I'll miss quite a few people who live here and some of the delicious food that won't be matched (I'll miss you Tex-Mex). And, here's to Maryland. You're bringing me closer to friends I have so missed and will give me an opportunity to live a different kind of life. Cheers!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Ready or Not
These next two months are going to be very stressful. In the next 48 hours, Steve will receive his start date and we will be able to get in contact with a realtor to get our house on the market. Most likely, Steve will be leaving on August 10th or 11th and will be in Maryland from then on. I get to stay behind for a bit as we try to sell the house. I find this very frightening as I have to watch over my two sweet little monsters. It might not be so bad if I had a near by adult to spend time with but most of my friends and family live at least an hour away. That makes it hard to just get up and go find some good company.
There's also the fact that I have to try to keep this house immaculate while I remain here. Ideally, we will find a townhouse to buy within the first month that Steve is there and, after another month, we will be able to move into it. However, there's never any guarantees that things will work out the way you want. So, I plan on bracing myself for the worst. Even while doing that, though, I plan to keep myself sane by reminding myself that this isn't forever and my situation is not that bad. It isn't. I'm not completely without help, it's just a little ways away. This isn't forever.
I'm glad that we are finally getting close to the end of this journey. I am very much ready to move.
There's also the fact that I have to try to keep this house immaculate while I remain here. Ideally, we will find a townhouse to buy within the first month that Steve is there and, after another month, we will be able to move into it. However, there's never any guarantees that things will work out the way you want. So, I plan on bracing myself for the worst. Even while doing that, though, I plan to keep myself sane by reminding myself that this isn't forever and my situation is not that bad. It isn't. I'm not completely without help, it's just a little ways away. This isn't forever.
I'm glad that we are finally getting close to the end of this journey. I am very much ready to move.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Children's Inspiration
With an impending move ahead, I've been thinking about the (eventual) direction I would want to take with the kid's rooms. Decorating a room just the way you want can be expensive, so these are merely ideas to get me started. I thought I'd share some of my favorite things I've found so far!
For a shared room:
For a room just for Bella:
For a room just for Jude:
I'm really getting into the idea of fantasy and fairy tale themes for the kids. I've always loved anything fantastical, so why not immerse my children in it!
For a shared room:
For a room just for Bella:
For a room just for Jude:
I'm really getting into the idea of fantasy and fairy tale themes for the kids. I've always loved anything fantastical, so why not immerse my children in it!
Make it Work
It's been 6 months since Jude was born, even though it doesn't really seem possible. All along I've been making things work. Feeding two kids at the same time. Getting two kids to sleep at night, at the same time. Getting two kids to take a nap at the same time.....working on that. Keeping a house tidy....really bad at that still. Keeping Steve and I fed. There's always a laundry list of things that need to be done.
I have a problem of making things as simple as possible. Doing the bare minimum, if you will. My goal for the rest of the year is to change that. I want to find a way to make things work without sacrificing the quality of the outcome. Things have been so up in the air for months now with this move looming over our heads that I haven't done much of anything I've intended to do. Now, we're going to move in the next couple of months, and possible again shortly after that if we go find a house. No more waiting. All of the things I've wanted to do, its time to take the steps to make them reality.
I need to start setting my goals and looking at the steps I need to take to attain them. I want a massive white board with sectioned off areas. That would be great :).
I have a problem of making things as simple as possible. Doing the bare minimum, if you will. My goal for the rest of the year is to change that. I want to find a way to make things work without sacrificing the quality of the outcome. Things have been so up in the air for months now with this move looming over our heads that I haven't done much of anything I've intended to do. Now, we're going to move in the next couple of months, and possible again shortly after that if we go find a house. No more waiting. All of the things I've wanted to do, its time to take the steps to make them reality.
I need to start setting my goals and looking at the steps I need to take to attain them. I want a massive white board with sectioned off areas. That would be great :).
