A.'s first Christmas was really nice. My mom, dad, and sister (visiting from Seattle) came over in the morning for the classic Christmas -- stockings, pancake breakfast, lots of presents. A. got more than anyone else, of course. Normally, she's all about ripping and eating paper goods of various types, but we couldn't get her to tear into her presents. Oh well, it meant more presents to open for me.
The day after Christmas, A. was pretty fussy. When we finally get a giggle out of her, what do we see on her bottom gum? Two little white spots! Her first teeth are arriving! Unfortunately, it appears we're in for a long, painful process. The spots have barely gotten larger in the last 3 days, and the poor girl appears to be in pain. At least it comes and goes, so she's not miserable 24/7.
This weekend, before more family visits, JJ and I are going to see three houses. Two of them aren't the specific house we'd like, but the idea is to get a feel for the sort of houses that are in two neighborhoods that are commute-friendly for JJ. If we liked the general feel and layout, we'd keep an eye out in that neighborhood for just the right house. The third house is one that we might be interested in. It's very different from the other two -- those are in newer and fairly homogeneous neighborhoods, whereas this one is older and not in a neighborhood, per se. The things we like are the large yard (.5 to 1 acre) and the smaller town that it's in.
It'll be an interesting comparison between the three. I'll have more details next week.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
She slept through the night!
In the 7 and a half months she's been alive, A. has never slept through the night. She has acid reflux, so before we started treating that with Prevacid she woke from reflux episodes and to eat small, frequent meals to control her symptoms. Once we started treating the reflux, at 5 months, she had established terrible sleeping habits that had her up every 1-2 hours and napping only in her car seat or while being worn.
Since moving to Florida, JJ and I have been working on A.'s sleep. We finally got her napping in her crib, which was fabulous and gave us a lot more freedom.
For her night sleep, we tried all of the gentle methods, but she's too stubborn. We finally turned to Dr. Ferber and his progressive-waiting approach. Night one was terrible, with hour-and-a-half long crying jags and little sleep for any of us. Night two was better, with 10 wakings but only 4 soothings.
Last night, night 3, she finally -- FINALLY -- slept through the night. Into bed at 7pm, up at 5:45am. I'm still having a hard time believing it. We'll see if it holds.
Do you have any idea how amazing it feels to sleep for 8 hours for the first time in more than half a year?!
Since moving to Florida, JJ and I have been working on A.'s sleep. We finally got her napping in her crib, which was fabulous and gave us a lot more freedom.
For her night sleep, we tried all of the gentle methods, but she's too stubborn. We finally turned to Dr. Ferber and his progressive-waiting approach. Night one was terrible, with hour-and-a-half long crying jags and little sleep for any of us. Night two was better, with 10 wakings but only 4 soothings.
Last night, night 3, she finally -- FINALLY -- slept through the night. Into bed at 7pm, up at 5:45am. I'm still having a hard time believing it. We'll see if it holds.
Do you have any idea how amazing it feels to sleep for 8 hours for the first time in more than half a year?!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Lake-neighbors
I kind of love the people in the house across the lake. It's a big two-story house, with a sandy beach built down to the lake, a big dock, and at least one play structure for their many kids.
Nearly every evening, you can head the kids outside playing. They had Christmas lights up -- both on the front of their house AND the lake side -- the day after Thanksgiving. And tonight they set off a not insignificant fireworks display over the lake. Why? I have no idea. But I love it.
Nearly every evening, you can head the kids outside playing. They had Christmas lights up -- both on the front of their house AND the lake side -- the day after Thanksgiving. And tonight they set off a not insignificant fireworks display over the lake. Why? I have no idea. But I love it.
Friday, December 14, 2007
The house-hunt begins
JJ and I had our first meeting with a real estate agent yesterday. Our plan was to watch our income and expenses through December and January to get a better idea of what we could afford, before starting the search in late January or February.
But we've been idly looking at houses online and by driving around, of course, and we found one that looked so promising that we decided to move the timeline up and view the house immediately.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the house didn't live up to what we'd hoped. The neighborhood is great, and I'd love to live there. The yard is pretty nice, but most of the backyard is eaten up by a large lanai and pool. The interior is really the problem. It's very much an entertaining house, with the dining room, living room, and "party room" broken up. The party room takes up the back of the house, and has a wet bar with tap and beer lamp for over a pool table. Upstairs is cramped, and the second and third bedrooms are pretty small.
It's nice to have a starting point, though, a house to compare other houses to. And now that we've met with Maria, our agent, she can start pointing us in the direction of other possibilities. We're in no real rush, so we can take our time, watch the market, and find just the right place.
But we've been idly looking at houses online and by driving around, of course, and we found one that looked so promising that we decided to move the timeline up and view the house immediately.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the house didn't live up to what we'd hoped. The neighborhood is great, and I'd love to live there. The yard is pretty nice, but most of the backyard is eaten up by a large lanai and pool. The interior is really the problem. It's very much an entertaining house, with the dining room, living room, and "party room" broken up. The party room takes up the back of the house, and has a wet bar with tap and beer lamp for over a pool table. Upstairs is cramped, and the second and third bedrooms are pretty small.
It's nice to have a starting point, though, a house to compare other houses to. And now that we've met with Maria, our agent, she can start pointing us in the direction of other possibilities. We're in no real rush, so we can take our time, watch the market, and find just the right place.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Shorts in December
I was excited to leave California and the need to wear jeans and a sweatshirt at all times during the year. I didn't realize that I'd be greeted by unseasonably warm weather in Florida. It's been in the 80s for as long as I can remember; a cold day is a dip to the high 70s. Now, given, even the Floridians are a little taken aback, but the average high is still only about 5 degrees colder than we're seeing!
So it was shorts for me and a onsie and dress for A. as we headed to the Magic Kingdom to watch the taping of the Christmas parade. No, it isn't live. It's taped in early December, and the audience applies to participate, gets into the park early, and has to sit through take after take of each act, looking excited and enthused the whole time.
We didn't officially apply to be in the audience; A., my Mom, and I just showed up intending to try to blend in like my family has in years past. They were a bit stricter about segregating this year, though, so we just sat in some rocking chairs outside one of the stores and watched the taping from a distance.
So it was shorts for me and a onsie and dress for A. as we headed to the Magic Kingdom to watch the taping of the Christmas parade. No, it isn't live. It's taped in early December, and the audience applies to participate, gets into the park early, and has to sit through take after take of each act, looking excited and enthused the whole time.
We didn't officially apply to be in the audience; A., my Mom, and I just showed up intending to try to blend in like my family has in years past. They were a bit stricter about segregating this year, though, so we just sat in some rocking chairs outside one of the stores and watched the taping from a distance.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Crawling, day 3
After almost no crawling on day 2 post-mobility, A. made great strides today. She can now slowly putter around her room, chasing the cat and investigating whatever strikes her fancy. It's so interesting to now see what captures her attention enough to warrant the slow and difficult process of crawling over to it.
This video is of terrible quality, but you can see how she can get a few good moves in before collapsing for a break. Of note is the fact that the room is scattered with her toys, but she heads toward the one thing that's not -- a water spritzer.
This video is of terrible quality, but you can see how she can get a few good moves in before collapsing for a break. Of note is the fact that the room is scattered with her toys, but she heads toward the one thing that's not -- a water spritzer.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Crawling!
A. made huge strides today in her mobility. First thing we noticed was that she was picking a hand up and balancing on three points of contact.
Not an hour later, she picked up a hand, moved a leg, and made a bit of progress. I scooped her up, plopped her in her bedroom, and recorded the video below.
While I was uploading it, she moved from sitting to all fours and crossed about 1.5 or 2 feet to get to my laptop.
Since then, she's been unstoppable. It's not zooming around -- more plodding -- but she's making definite forward progress and is improving every time.
We're in so much trouble now.
Not an hour later, she picked up a hand, moved a leg, and made a bit of progress. I scooped her up, plopped her in her bedroom, and recorded the video below.
While I was uploading it, she moved from sitting to all fours and crossed about 1.5 or 2 feet to get to my laptop.
Since then, she's been unstoppable. It's not zooming around -- more plodding -- but she's making definite forward progress and is improving every time.
We're in so much trouble now.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
"Gated"
This part of Florida seems to be the land of gated housing developments. They have huge, impressive guard shacks or automated gates, and long fences that are stretched across the front of the development and painted to stand out (including a lot of white picket fences).
The amusing part is that these fences often curve around the corner of the development and then... stop. They just end.
"No one may enter here! ... Unless they, you know, walk a bit."
The amusing part is that these fences often curve around the corner of the development and then... stop. They just end.
"No one may enter here! ... Unless they, you know, walk a bit."
Dreams
So even though I'm pretty happy out here, I'm apparently not completely done mourning leaving my job. The last two nights I've had dreams about going back.
Friday, November 23, 2007
First day of work
This week we're finally falling into our pattern for the near future. JJ worked yesterday night (Thanksgiving) and tonight, so he spent today sleeping. That meant that A. and I vacated the premises to give him a nice, quiet house. It wasn't my first day as a stay-at-home mom -- JJ'd spent a week at orientation -- but it's the start of normalcy.
A. and I had a nice day -- we took advantage of a Black Friday sale at a children's resale store to get extra-cheap clothes and a few goodies, helped at the warehouse, took a nap, and went grocery shopping. Being able to pop in to my parents' warehouse to help for a while and being able to steal the bed in their guest room to get A. a nap were fabulous. I'm still getting used to having support on a day-to-day basis, but it's such a relief.
I found myself surprisingly happy and proud as I walked into the grocery store with A. on my hip. I'd expected the worst of being a stay-at-home mom -- feeling lonely, only talking to the baby all day, feeling unfulfilled. So far, none of that has materialized. I love that if A. wants to practice her crawling skills, we can spend an hour hanging out on the bed and playing around. If I feel like I need to be productive, I just pop into the warehouse where my parents get to hold and play with A. and I get to help them in a very tangible way.
It may be a honeymoon period, but so far I'm happier than I thought I'd be.
A. and I had a nice day -- we took advantage of a Black Friday sale at a children's resale store to get extra-cheap clothes and a few goodies, helped at the warehouse, took a nap, and went grocery shopping. Being able to pop in to my parents' warehouse to help for a while and being able to steal the bed in their guest room to get A. a nap were fabulous. I'm still getting used to having support on a day-to-day basis, but it's such a relief.
I found myself surprisingly happy and proud as I walked into the grocery store with A. on my hip. I'd expected the worst of being a stay-at-home mom -- feeling lonely, only talking to the baby all day, feeling unfulfilled. So far, none of that has materialized. I love that if A. wants to practice her crawling skills, we can spend an hour hanging out on the bed and playing around. If I feel like I need to be productive, I just pop into the warehouse where my parents get to hold and play with A. and I get to help them in a very tangible way.
It may be a honeymoon period, but so far I'm happier than I thought I'd be.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Bistro Gourmet McDonald's
One of the side effects of living near a huge tourist town is that every chain you could ever imagine or that ever tried to launch is here somewhere. While coming back from a crafting convention over the weekend, my parents and I stopped at a "Bistro Gourmet McDonald's".
It's a strange marriage. There are two menus -- one with the traditional McDonald's food, and one with sandwiches, paninis, pizza, pasta, and desserts. You can order from either or both, but the Bistro food is made in another kitchen off to the side.
I had the grilled chicken panini -- "Herb marinated and lightly seasoned grilled chicken breast with roasted red peppers, sauteed spinach, and provolone cheese served with a shallot dill sauce on a ciabatta roll". It was surprisingly tasty, even though they pulled a typical McDonald's and forgot the spinach. The panini was cooked really well -- crispy on the outside, soft and warm on the inside -- and the dill sauce was unique and yummy. My mom had the pizza, freshly cooked in the pizza oven. And, of course, you can't resist the siren song of the fries.
It's a strange marriage. There are two menus -- one with the traditional McDonald's food, and one with sandwiches, paninis, pizza, pasta, and desserts. You can order from either or both, but the Bistro food is made in another kitchen off to the side.
I had the grilled chicken panini -- "Herb marinated and lightly seasoned grilled chicken breast with roasted red peppers, sauteed spinach, and provolone cheese served with a shallot dill sauce on a ciabatta roll". It was surprisingly tasty, even though they pulled a typical McDonald's and forgot the spinach. The panini was cooked really well -- crispy on the outside, soft and warm on the inside -- and the dill sauce was unique and yummy. My mom had the pizza, freshly cooked in the pizza oven. And, of course, you can't resist the siren song of the fries.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Moving in!
We're going to spend our first night in the Lake Katherine house tonight. JJ and A. put in some hours at the house today while my Mom and I went to a crafting convention in Orlando. The big job today was moving our things out of my parents' house and into the new place.
I have to admit to mixed feelings about moving out. It'll be nice to have our own stuff and not have to watch our behavior, but I'll really miss there always being people in the house, having grandparents always there more than willing to hold A. while I took a shower or just a break, and sitting around the table after dinner sharing all four of our days.
Still, leaving today wasn't like leaving to go back to the other side of the country. We have firm plans to meet at the local farmer's market tomorrow, and it's always a possibility that we'll just bump into each other at the grocery store or Target.
I've spent a few days my Mom helping out with the mail-order business. A.'s been a great help, too, playing in her Exersaucer and playpen, being carried around, and sleeping in the carrier on my back. It's hard work, but some baby has to do it.
It's been about 3 weeks now. So far, I really like the area and having my family so close. I'm looking forward to seeing how things evolve as we live on our own and settle into a routine.
I have to admit to mixed feelings about moving out. It'll be nice to have our own stuff and not have to watch our behavior, but I'll really miss there always being people in the house, having grandparents always there more than willing to hold A. while I took a shower or just a break, and sitting around the table after dinner sharing all four of our days.
Still, leaving today wasn't like leaving to go back to the other side of the country. We have firm plans to meet at the local farmer's market tomorrow, and it's always a possibility that we'll just bump into each other at the grocery store or Target.
I've spent a few days my Mom helping out with the mail-order business. A.'s been a great help, too, playing in her Exersaucer and playpen, being carried around, and sleeping in the carrier on my back. It's hard work, but some baby has to do it.
It's been about 3 weeks now. So far, I really like the area and having my family so close. I'm looking forward to seeing how things evolve as we live on our own and settle into a routine.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Trying to move in
Our stuff arrived on Monday, and I've been spending the last few days trying to get the house in a good enough state that we can move from my parents' house into the new place. It hasn't been easy; JJ's been at his work orientation normal-person hours (7am to 4pm), so I've had to handle A. and unpack.
Since she doesn't like to be set down, this consists of holding, bouncing, playing, then setting her down for about 5 minutes until she realizes that she's not the center of attention. At which point I'm informed loudly and insistently that this is not an acceptable state of affairs. Back to the holding, bouncing, playing.
A.'s a huge handful these days. She's constantly wiggling, grabbing at everything, eating whatever she can get to her mouth, and generally being a full-time job. I'm so happy to be able to come back to the house and hand her to someone else to hold for a while. And the best part is, my parents are thrilled to see her when I'm most frustrated with her.
Since she doesn't like to be set down, this consists of holding, bouncing, playing, then setting her down for about 5 minutes until she realizes that she's not the center of attention. At which point I'm informed loudly and insistently that this is not an acceptable state of affairs. Back to the holding, bouncing, playing.
A.'s a huge handful these days. She's constantly wiggling, grabbing at everything, eating whatever she can get to her mouth, and generally being a full-time job. I'm so happy to be able to come back to the house and hand her to someone else to hold for a while. And the best part is, my parents are thrilled to see her when I'm most frustrated with her.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Impressions
So what's Clermont like? It's a fairly small town about 15-20 miles from the center of Orlando. It was a very small town until just a few years ago, when the real estate boom reached this far and developments sprang up.
Clermont and Minneola merge together quite a bit, with Clermont spreading east, west, and south, and Minneola to the north. There are two main arteries -- east/west 50 and north/south 27 (both four-lane roads, but not highways). The two intersect very close to downtown Clermont and divide the area into quadrants that I can generalize about.
The south-west quadrant is where the Lake Katherine house is located. It's very residential in general, mostly older and custom-built houses. This area was probably developed earlier than the other quadrants. The landscape is spotted with lakes big and small, and the roads are small and twisty. There's nearly no retail infrastructure, with the nearest grocery store being about 15 minutes from our house. I really like this area, but since the highway leading to Orlando is to the east of Clermont on 50, it's quite a commute for JJ.
The north-west quadrant is dominated by Lake Minneola. It also has older residential communities, but it's not upscale as the SW. There are more cookie-cutter developments than custom-built houses. I'd say this was mostly developed after the SW area. Downtown Clermont is here; it hasn't seen any kind of renaissance yet -- it's pretty empty.
The north-east was probably developed third. It's nearly all fairly recent, cookie-cutter neighborhoods.
And the south-east is still building out. It's very cookie-cutter, copycat houses piled one on top of another. There's more empty space here than other areas.
Retail is concentrated around the main roads, 50 and 27. It's almost exclusively chains -- Target and Walmart, Panera, Friendly's, Long John Silvers, etc. Pretty much everything you may need is here somewhere or will be soon.
My impressions so far are fairly positive. I really like all of the water around here -- it seems like every time you turn a corner, there's another lake. People are much friendlier to strangers than I experienced in California. It's wonderful to have family around, and it seems really great for A.
I think the big negative is the generic nature of many of the stores and subdivisions. Row after row of identical roofs going up a high is pretty depressing. But that's not everywhere, and there still are a few small stores to patronize.
I'm feeling fairly comfortable in the area. I'm really looking forward to getting our stuff (Monday!) and starting to live a normal day-to-day life. I reserve the right to change my opinions after that. :)
Clermont and Minneola merge together quite a bit, with Clermont spreading east, west, and south, and Minneola to the north. There are two main arteries -- east/west 50 and north/south 27 (both four-lane roads, but not highways). The two intersect very close to downtown Clermont and divide the area into quadrants that I can generalize about.
The south-west quadrant is where the Lake Katherine house is located. It's very residential in general, mostly older and custom-built houses. This area was probably developed earlier than the other quadrants. The landscape is spotted with lakes big and small, and the roads are small and twisty. There's nearly no retail infrastructure, with the nearest grocery store being about 15 minutes from our house. I really like this area, but since the highway leading to Orlando is to the east of Clermont on 50, it's quite a commute for JJ.
The north-west quadrant is dominated by Lake Minneola. It also has older residential communities, but it's not upscale as the SW. There are more cookie-cutter developments than custom-built houses. I'd say this was mostly developed after the SW area. Downtown Clermont is here; it hasn't seen any kind of renaissance yet -- it's pretty empty.
The north-east was probably developed third. It's nearly all fairly recent, cookie-cutter neighborhoods.
And the south-east is still building out. It's very cookie-cutter, copycat houses piled one on top of another. There's more empty space here than other areas.
Retail is concentrated around the main roads, 50 and 27. It's almost exclusively chains -- Target and Walmart, Panera, Friendly's, Long John Silvers, etc. Pretty much everything you may need is here somewhere or will be soon.
My impressions so far are fairly positive. I really like all of the water around here -- it seems like every time you turn a corner, there's another lake. People are much friendlier to strangers than I experienced in California. It's wonderful to have family around, and it seems really great for A.
I think the big negative is the generic nature of many of the stores and subdivisions. Row after row of identical roofs going up a high is pretty depressing. But that's not everywhere, and there still are a few small stores to patronize.
I'm feeling fairly comfortable in the area. I'm really looking forward to getting our stuff (Monday!) and starting to live a normal day-to-day life. I reserve the right to change my opinions after that. :)
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Whee
Our first week here, JJ and I traded in our California licenses for our Florida ones. It wasn't because of some time limit in the law or the urgent desire to have yet another bad driver's license photo, but rather so that we could get our Disney Florida resident Annual Passes.
The first Saturday we were here, we went to Epcot to see the Food and Wine Festival with my parents. This week, we went to Epcot again for some lunch and to take A. on her first rides.
Her very first ride was the clamobile ride in The Seas with Nemo and Friends. She seemed to enjoy looking at all of the scenes going by. Then we took her on Journey into Imagination, because she loves her Figment stuffed friends. I'd forgotten, though, that there's a bit of a scary part at the end where the walls blow out with a loud noise, burst of air, and flash of light. She didn't like that one bit.
A.'s going for her own rides. She's managing to get up onto her hands and knees and wobble around a bit, but still no forward progress. Last night she stood up on her own, hanging onto a chair for balance. That seemed to be the best game she'd played in a while.
The first Saturday we were here, we went to Epcot to see the Food and Wine Festival with my parents. This week, we went to Epcot again for some lunch and to take A. on her first rides.
Her very first ride was the clamobile ride in The Seas with Nemo and Friends. She seemed to enjoy looking at all of the scenes going by. Then we took her on Journey into Imagination, because she loves her Figment stuffed friends. I'd forgotten, though, that there's a bit of a scary part at the end where the walls blow out with a loud noise, burst of air, and flash of light. She didn't like that one bit.
A.'s going for her own rides. She's managing to get up onto her hands and knees and wobble around a bit, but still no forward progress. Last night she stood up on her own, hanging onto a chair for balance. That seemed to be the best game she'd played in a while.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
We have the keys!
After a few delays, we finally met up with the leasing agent, did the walk-through, and got the keys to the Lake Katherine house!
The more time we spend there, the more we like the house. The neighborhood is quiet and well-cared for, with lots of trees and grassy lawns. The houses aren't the more recent copy-cat blank boxes, but rather a variety of one- and two-story, stucco and shingle. We were there in the evening, around 5:30pm, and there were lots of individuals and families walking the sidewalks or riding their bikes.
And the lake... It's just a small lake, not connected to the Chain of larger lakes. But it provides an amazing view and is so calming to look out onto. The screened porch (lanai) is huge, and I can see many evenings sitting out there enjoying the weather.
We haven't heard from the moving truck driver, so no idea yet when our stuff will arrive. We symbolically moved in by placing a rug we'd bought in the family room and a telephone on the counter, but we're still living with my parents while we await the truck.
The more time we spend there, the more we like the house. The neighborhood is quiet and well-cared for, with lots of trees and grassy lawns. The houses aren't the more recent copy-cat blank boxes, but rather a variety of one- and two-story, stucco and shingle. We were there in the evening, around 5:30pm, and there were lots of individuals and families walking the sidewalks or riding their bikes.
And the lake... It's just a small lake, not connected to the Chain of larger lakes. But it provides an amazing view and is so calming to look out onto. The screened porch (lanai) is huge, and I can see many evenings sitting out there enjoying the weather.
We haven't heard from the moving truck driver, so no idea yet when our stuff will arrive. We symbolically moved in by placing a rug we'd bought in the family room and a telephone on the counter, but we're still living with my parents while we await the truck.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Nearly mobile
A.'s in a phase of rapid improvement in her motor skills. This afternoon she rolled back-to-front via her left side for the first time, and tonight when she started crying in her crib, JJ found her on her back (we put her to sleep on her stomach). She's also raising her stomach completely off the ground during tummy time, and today she started pushing herself backwards (a precurser to crawling). She appears to be so very close to being mobile -- a significant change in how we interact with her, and a huge step foward. It's all very exciting.
After slacking off on the house search yesterday, we had a burst of activity today. A little before noon we got the call that the Lake Katherine/coupola house will be available for a 7 month lease at the original price, with the option to go month-to-month at the end. That's exactly what we wanted.
The problem is that our stuff could arrive as early as this weekend, and it just takes time to get through all the verification and paperwork for the rental. Even after spending today running around in a bit of a panic to dot all the 'i's and cross all the 't's, it looks like the earliest that we could be in is Monday, and our stuff was projected to arrive this weekend. Luckily, the driver is going to be visiting family in Tampa, and he said that if we needed some extra time, he could do that visit before the delivery, giving us a few more days. I think we can make it all fall into place.
Cross your fingers!
After slacking off on the house search yesterday, we had a burst of activity today. A little before noon we got the call that the Lake Katherine/coupola house will be available for a 7 month lease at the original price, with the option to go month-to-month at the end. That's exactly what we wanted.
The problem is that our stuff could arrive as early as this weekend, and it just takes time to get through all the verification and paperwork for the rental. Even after spending today running around in a bit of a panic to dot all the 'i's and cross all the 't's, it looks like the earliest that we could be in is Monday, and our stuff was projected to arrive this weekend. Luckily, the driver is going to be visiting family in Tampa, and he said that if we needed some extra time, he could do that visit before the delivery, giving us a few more days. I think we can make it all fall into place.
Cross your fingers!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Stormy winds
There's a tropical storm twirling off the Atlantic coast, a few hundred miles from here. Even with the distance, we're feeling the effects. The day has been overcast, with fast-moving clouds, strong winds, and occassional spits of rain. A. got rained on the other day during a downpour when we were leaving Target, and once today when we were visiting a house. It's her first exposure to rain, and she really wasn't sure what to think of it.
We spent the day looking at rental houses. JJ's been sick since our flights out here, so he's had a miserable time. We looked at 5 houses, spread out all over the area and in a big range of rent prices. We found one that has a great monthly price but is fairly generic. Money-wise, it's a great bet, but the place isn't exciting. Then there's the Lake Katherine house, which is just as great in person as in the pictures. I'm trying to negotiate a reasonable price -- still more than we'd hoped to spend, but it's maintainable for a limited time. It's just a great house, and I'm really hoping we can get it.
We spent the day looking at rental houses. JJ's been sick since our flights out here, so he's had a miserable time. We looked at 5 houses, spread out all over the area and in a big range of rent prices. We found one that has a great monthly price but is fairly generic. Money-wise, it's a great bet, but the place isn't exciting. Then there's the Lake Katherine house, which is just as great in person as in the pictures. I'm trying to negotiate a reasonable price -- still more than we'd hoped to spend, but it's maintainable for a limited time. It's just a great house, and I'm really hoping we can get it.
Monday, October 29, 2007
That dreaded day
All things considered, it went well. A. was a little trooper, sleeping easily on the plane and making friends with all the other passengers. The cats freaked out to various degrees, and there was some drama because we had to remove them from their carriers at security and HAND CARRY THEM through the metal detector. Maneuvering all of the bags and life forms we had was very, very tricky and I never want to do it again.
Today was a recovery day, which is good because JJ's feeling pretty sick. A. and I drove around for me to get a feel for the area (and for her to get a nap). The cats are adjusting at their own rates (Gandalf is living under the bed, Chaos is all over the place and making friends with the dog), but they seem to be doing very well.
It hasn't quite hit me yet that we've moved because other than the cats, so far it's very much like a visit with my parents. I think tomorrow, when we visit rental houses, reality will start sinking in.
I'm just so glad the move-day is over forever.
Today was a recovery day, which is good because JJ's feeling pretty sick. A. and I drove around for me to get a feel for the area (and for her to get a nap). The cats are adjusting at their own rates (Gandalf is living under the bed, Chaos is all over the place and making friends with the dog), but they seem to be doing very well.
It hasn't quite hit me yet that we've moved because other than the cats, so far it's very much like a visit with my parents. I think tomorrow, when we visit rental houses, reality will start sinking in.
I'm just so glad the move-day is over forever.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Greetings from hot and humid Florida
Everyone survived. Humans' sanity mostly intact, have yet to check on the cats. More details after we've recovered.
Dread
The packers have come and gone (more on that later) and the movers have come and gone (more on that later, too). Now comes the day that I've dreaded for as long as we've thought about moving - for years - getting all of the lifeforms (two adults, three cats, and a baby) on a flight across the country.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Denial
Denial is the only reason I can imagine that we thought we were anywhere near ready. I'm in a more than mild state of panic right now. A. goes to bed in 60-90 minutes, so only quiet things after that. And the packers show up between 8 and 10am tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Wrapping up
Still no major day-to-day changes. But they've got to start tomorrow, because we found out yesterday that instead of being packed and moved on the same day (Saturday), the packers are coming Friday and the movers on Saturday. So tomorrow we'll have to sort out what we're taking with us and what's going in the CRV, clean out the fridge, and make sure everything's in the right place so that it gets packed in an appropriate box.
We tested a dose of sedative on our very jumpy, formerly stray cat. It didn't seem to do a thing. This flight's going to be a blast, I can tell.
Residence-wise, we decided that we'd really like a 7-month lease in a house. I've been busily contacting various rental agents, but I'm having a bit of trouble finding a place that will go for 7 months. They all want a year. It seems silly to me -- the market is swamped with rentals, why not go for the sure thing for at least a while? Sure, you'll have to find another tenant sooner, but in the meantime you've got us, and there's no guarantee someone else will come along any time soon.
I'm surprise I'm not more worried, moving across the country with no firm place to live. This is the sort of thing that, pre-baby, would have kept me up at night.
We tested a dose of sedative on our very jumpy, formerly stray cat. It didn't seem to do a thing. This flight's going to be a blast, I can tell.
Residence-wise, we decided that we'd really like a 7-month lease in a house. I've been busily contacting various rental agents, but I'm having a bit of trouble finding a place that will go for 7 months. They all want a year. It seems silly to me -- the market is swamped with rentals, why not go for the sure thing for at least a while? Sure, you'll have to find another tenant sooner, but in the meantime you've got us, and there's no guarantee someone else will come along any time soon.
I'm surprise I'm not more worried, moving across the country with no firm place to live. This is the sort of thing that, pre-baby, would have kept me up at night.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Now is the perfect time to panic
We're a week away from finding ourselves in Florida. I'm certain there's more that we need to do than I've thought of. I've started a list -- multiple lists, actually; no one should be surprised by that. I started the list because I was sure there was more to do than I could remember at any given time, but instead, it's showing me that there really isn't.
That's assuming I've really thought of everything. It's hard to be sure that I have, because I don't have a lot of free moments to ponder the move and go over upcoming events in my head. A.'s been extremely demanding lately, reminding us of the time immediately after she was born. Not only is she demanding both of our attention during the day, but sleep is as bad as it's ever been.
We're trying all of the folk remedies for reflux, to little avail. She seems to be trending worse. Do we call our pediatric GI doc for help, even though we'll only be here another week? Or do we wait and try to establish a relationship with a doc in Florida?
I'd like to have a pH probe done; that watches acid levels for 24 hours and is the best way of proving reflux. If she does have reflux, I honestly don't know what else can be done for her. But if she doesn't, that's a significant finding and means we have to go down a completely different path. Her symptoms point to reflux, but it's not definitive.
I never imagined we'd still be dealing with this at 6 months. I haven't slept more than 2 hours at a time in weeks, more than 3 hours in a row in months, and more than 5 hours at a stretch in... I can't even remember how long. No wonder my days all have a fuzzy edge about them.
That's assuming I've really thought of everything. It's hard to be sure that I have, because I don't have a lot of free moments to ponder the move and go over upcoming events in my head. A.'s been extremely demanding lately, reminding us of the time immediately after she was born. Not only is she demanding both of our attention during the day, but sleep is as bad as it's ever been.
We're trying all of the folk remedies for reflux, to little avail. She seems to be trending worse. Do we call our pediatric GI doc for help, even though we'll only be here another week? Or do we wait and try to establish a relationship with a doc in Florida?
I'd like to have a pH probe done; that watches acid levels for 24 hours and is the best way of proving reflux. If she does have reflux, I honestly don't know what else can be done for her. But if she doesn't, that's a significant finding and means we have to go down a completely different path. Her symptoms point to reflux, but it's not definitive.
I never imagined we'd still be dealing with this at 6 months. I haven't slept more than 2 hours at a time in weeks, more than 3 hours in a row in months, and more than 5 hours at a stretch in... I can't even remember how long. No wonder my days all have a fuzzy edge about them.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Cupola-cupola-cupola
JJ and I have decided that we probably can't take another apartment complex, and we'd like more than a few expensive months to scout the area. So we're now leaning toward renting a house for 7-12 months. Luckily, there's a lot of options. I've been scouting various property management websites and craigslist and I'm happy with what I see.
Our favorite we call cupola house. I tried to talk to the agent today, but couldn't get an answer and didn't get a call back.
All wasn't lost, though. A. found the term "cupola" very amusing, and we had a good giggle-fest about it.
Our favorite we call cupola house. I tried to talk to the agent today, but couldn't get an answer and didn't get a call back.
All wasn't lost, though. A. found the term "cupola" very amusing, and we had a good giggle-fest about it.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
No decision
JJ and I haven't made any decision on the lease. In fact, I'd say we're actively avoiding making a decision. I'm not pushing it, because I think JJ needs a few more days distance from leaving his job. I'm a bit ahead of him there; I've had 4 more days to mourn.
The apartment looks no closer to a move. We're only a week and a half away, and I really can't believe that from our day-to-day actions. Little has changed. We're making slow progress on our big list, but other than things being crossed off, I have little to show for it.
I got thrown into a bit of a tizzy because a house that I've lusted after for months just had a $10,000 price drop. I started thinking crazy thoughts about flying to Florida to look at the house, intending that we would buy it and avoid renting at all. But that's really not a reasonable action -- the whole point of renting is to at least give us a chance to get familiar with the area. We'd throw that out the window to buy a house we'd barely seen and that's missing a lot of the things on my house-list. The reason I love the house is the yard. Amazing -- over an acre, waterfront, tons of huge oak trees. But there's no formal dining room in the house, and (according to my parents' advance scouting trip) it doesn't have the greatest layout for family living.
I really shouldn't be expected to make all of these life-altering decisions when A. is still waking me up every hour or two at night. I'm really not thinking terribly straight.
The apartment looks no closer to a move. We're only a week and a half away, and I really can't believe that from our day-to-day actions. Little has changed. We're making slow progress on our big list, but other than things being crossed off, I have little to show for it.
I got thrown into a bit of a tizzy because a house that I've lusted after for months just had a $10,000 price drop. I started thinking crazy thoughts about flying to Florida to look at the house, intending that we would buy it and avoid renting at all. But that's really not a reasonable action -- the whole point of renting is to at least give us a chance to get familiar with the area. We'd throw that out the window to buy a house we'd barely seen and that's missing a lot of the things on my house-list. The reason I love the house is the yard. Amazing -- over an acre, waterfront, tons of huge oak trees. But there's no formal dining room in the house, and (according to my parents' advance scouting trip) it doesn't have the greatest layout for family living.
I really shouldn't be expected to make all of these life-altering decisions when A. is still waking me up every hour or two at night. I'm really not thinking terribly straight.
Monday, October 15, 2007
It begins
The auto transport company picked up our Civic today. It's the first piece of our belongings to head to Florida. The die is cast. Now everything starts clicking into place, one thing following another following another, until we find ourselves in a land of 90-degree October days and non-transplanted palm trees.
JJ's last shift was Sunday night, so we're both shiftless lay-abouts at the moment. From two incomes to homeless jobless bums in two quick weeks. Luckily, that situation will resolve itself within another week. We'll have to make a quick call before our belongings arrive -- a 3-month lease in yet another apartment complex and an immediate house search, or a year-old lease in a rental house that gives ourselves an out in case Florida isn't for us, but means even longer until we're settled.
We're both still too absorbed in leaving our jobs to make a rational decision here, so we're letting it percolate in the back of our minds, taking up valuable cycles.
JJ's last shift was Sunday night, so we're both shiftless lay-abouts at the moment. From two incomes to homeless jobless bums in two quick weeks. Luckily, that situation will resolve itself within another week. We'll have to make a quick call before our belongings arrive -- a 3-month lease in yet another apartment complex and an immediate house search, or a year-old lease in a rental house that gives ourselves an out in case Florida isn't for us, but means even longer until we're settled.
We're both still too absorbed in leaving our jobs to make a rational decision here, so we're letting it percolate in the back of our minds, taking up valuable cycles.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Scratch 'n' dent
Although A. gave us a bit of a scare this morning with a terrible screaming fit after we changed her Ace wrap, the PA at CHO pediatric orthopedics gave her a clean bill of health. Since we got home she's been rolling around and grabbing at things as usual, so it looks like everything's going to be fine from here on out.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Boo-boo baby
This morning, while A. and JJ were having play-quietly-while-mommy-sleeps-in time, A. rolled badly on her shoulder. I woke up to her crying.
The x-rays looked negative at the initial read, but we have to go see an orthopedist with CHO tomorrow. In the meantime, A.'s on Tylenol and has her arm wrapped to her side. She's pretty fussy, but we can still get occasional giggles out of her.
Poor girl. She's taking after her accident-prone mom already.
The x-rays looked negative at the initial read, but we have to go see an orthopedist with CHO tomorrow. In the meantime, A.'s on Tylenol and has her arm wrapped to her side. She's pretty fussy, but we can still get occasional giggles out of her.
Poor girl. She's taking after her accident-prone mom already.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
It was good
If you've got to have a last day, that's the way to do it. I got to see pretty much everyone, express my thanks or appreciation, and reflect on how fabulous it all was.
It's not a place I walk away from lightly.
It's not a place I walk away from lightly.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Friday, October 5, 2007
Preparations
We're only 3 weeks away from the move. Although we've made great progress on the many, many lists that I compulsively keep, it doesn't feel like we're that close.
Our apartment definitely doesn't look like we're that close. The place is in its normal, post-baby disarray. I've made a few small strides, like cleaning out the cabinets and sorting old clothing, but that's all out-of-sight things. The piles of clutter and baby stuff in the living areas make it look like this will never happen.
It's been so helpful to have my parents at the other end of this journey. They've been advance scouts for us, helping us with information about the area as well as the actual move logistics. Making things fall into place has been hard enough, I can't imagine moving to an area where we didn't have local support.
Our apartment definitely doesn't look like we're that close. The place is in its normal, post-baby disarray. I've made a few small strides, like cleaning out the cabinets and sorting old clothing, but that's all out-of-sight things. The piles of clutter and baby stuff in the living areas make it look like this will never happen.
It's been so helpful to have my parents at the other end of this journey. They've been advance scouts for us, helping us with information about the area as well as the actual move logistics. Making things fall into place has been hard enough, I can't imagine moving to an area where we didn't have local support.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Big changes
This blog is intended to chronicle a major change for my family. After nearly 7 years living a continent away from what I still consider my home, we're moving back to the East Coast.
It's a time of mixed feelings. This move will bring us closer to our families, allow us to buy a house, and give me the opportunity to be a full-time mom to our daughter, A. But it also means leaving fabulous jobs for both my husband and I, as well as leaving the area which, although I never came to see as my home, we've spent most of our lives together in.
We fly out in 3 and a half weeks. There's a pile of move logistics that have to be arranged, ends to tie up, and people to see one last time. But I'm spending most of my time trying to wrap my brain around the fact that I'm leaving my job.
It was my first job out of college; I did a not-insignificant amount of growing up while there. It shaped me to a great extent. I've defined myself by my job for many years, because I'm so proud of the company I work for, the work I do, and the people I work with. Losing that big part of my identity is going to take a toll.
Stay-at-home-mom is great, but do diapers and nap times and baby talk compare to down servers and tight deadlines and losing yourself in code? What else will I find to fill that hole?
Well, I've always wanted to try kayaking....
It's a time of mixed feelings. This move will bring us closer to our families, allow us to buy a house, and give me the opportunity to be a full-time mom to our daughter, A. But it also means leaving fabulous jobs for both my husband and I, as well as leaving the area which, although I never came to see as my home, we've spent most of our lives together in.
We fly out in 3 and a half weeks. There's a pile of move logistics that have to be arranged, ends to tie up, and people to see one last time. But I'm spending most of my time trying to wrap my brain around the fact that I'm leaving my job.
It was my first job out of college; I did a not-insignificant amount of growing up while there. It shaped me to a great extent. I've defined myself by my job for many years, because I'm so proud of the company I work for, the work I do, and the people I work with. Losing that big part of my identity is going to take a toll.
Stay-at-home-mom is great, but do diapers and nap times and baby talk compare to down servers and tight deadlines and losing yourself in code? What else will I find to fill that hole?
Well, I've always wanted to try kayaking....
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