{Weight Loss Weigh in: Week 28}

This week has been insane - we have been slowly moving into our new house and I think the stress of it all is driving me crazy (just ask William).  I haven't been a very good homeschool mom either - the kids have only done a few lessons but I will get them all caught up soon but this week has been too crazy.

I went to my doc appointment this week and I liked their scale alot better - it only said I weight 289 - doc i happy with my progress though and I expressed my concerns with not being able to make it all the way into their hospital since I moved a little farther away but he reassured me that the only way I wouldn't be able to is if I broke my water at home and didn't know I was in labor (which I am pretty sure I will know).

Cable man is here hooking up the internet and cable for us. It will be nice to have fast internet again instead of the slow stuff we have been getting via WIFI.

Anywho, here's to praying that next week will be more smoother and I won't be as crazed. Whoever said moving while pregnant was easy never had raging hormones and insane thoughts on how things should and shouldn't be done.

Below is my progress or lack their of:

Current Weight: 292.5 pounds

Weight loss/gain: +1.5 pounds

Total Weight loss: 12.5 pounds 

Weight still to lose: 52.5 pounds to go

{House Hunt ends}

Our house hunt is official over and now WE ARE HOME OWNERS!!!! It took a long hard journey (like 30 or so days) from start to finish but it was bumpy and tons of stressful moments but we are now proud owners of our very own house!!

(picture taken from listing - not taken by me)

We purchased this cute house built in 1920. It has 4 bedrooms and a nice office. It also boasts 2 bathrooms and a large fenced in back yard fully equiped with a patio, area for garden and fully grown grapes. This cute little house sits on a little over a quarter of an acre and is perfect for our little family!

I promise to have some pictures up soon of the inside & outside pictures taken by me but for now this will have to do as I am busy finishing up packing and getting ready for the big move to happen next weekend.

Have I mentioned how excited I am that our house hunt is over and we now have a place to be settled for a long time!! Well I am excited!!! WE ARE HOME OWNERS!!!

{Weight Loss Weigh in: Week 27}

It's been a long week. We did closing on the house we wanted buy on Monday but due to the seller not finishing things it took too many days for us to actually get the keys (those days were stressful), but I didn't let it bring me down too much (well don't ask my realtor as she may say I was a bit manic) and ate healthier meals and tried not to binge out on junk food (which was my desire most of the week - but I resisted). 

So I was surprised to know that I had actually lost weight this week. How awesome is that! MJ has been moving like crazy and I swear she is bruising up every part of my insides before she comes out! I am almost 31 weeks, the time sure has flied by.

The kids start homeschool next week and they are looking forward to it! I promise to have some pics up of the house soon - but mind you it is crazy here so it may be a week or so before it actually happens. Below is my progress:

Current Weight: 291 pounds

Weight loss/gain: -2 pounds

Total Weight loss: 14 pounds 

Weight still to lose: 54 pounds to go

{Packing}

(image found here)

That's right - exactly what the title says - WE'RE PACKING! We put in an offer on a historic 1920's, 5 bedroom home on a nice little street with a nice BIG fenced in yard. If all goes well we will be closing on the 30th of August (ack, that's only days away!) and should be all moved in no later then the 2nd weekend in September!

There have been trials and I do mean trials when trying to get thru the whole home buying experience and it's been no walk in the park. William and I have been more stressed then anything but if it all works out and it's meant to be, very soon I will have a nice little post with pictures of our newly bought house!!

I am looking forward to doing what I want and how we want and paint what we want! The kids are looking forward to running around in a fully fenced yard without listening to me tell them what they can and can't do and where they can't play because there is no fence, (like in our current rental).

So now here we are packing up the things we want to take with us and purging those items that just won't fit or don't want to take with us. It's been a fun and interesting journey to say the least.

(image found here)

I will keep you all posted on our newest venture into becoming home owners (I know our last venture turned into a nightmare and we decided to rent instead but this go around is a bit easier - not by much - but easier). After everything is finalized and it's official I promise to post pictures or our cool "new to us" house!!

{27 weeks}

I can't believe it! I am in the 27th week! By some accounts I am at the end of my 2nd trimester but by others I am in my 3rd trimester - all I know is that I am super happy that we have made it this far, especially  with all the problems with the last pregnancies.


MJ is moving like crazy and she is usually moving most at night, keeping me from sleeping, but I don't mind. William and Ruth both have found ways to wake her in the mornings to get her to move, (they do this by shaking my belly and pushing lightly on my belly button) poor MJ, can't a girl get some peace...lol


Ruth went with me to my latest OB appointment and she loved it! My doctor was hilarious and made her feel apart of the appointment. She was tickled pink that she got to hear the swooshing of MJ's heart, she said it sounded exactly like I told her it would. 


My doctor is happy with my progress and according to his scale (which I love much more then mine) said I am down by 17 lbs!! (WHOO HOO) and my urine wasn't concentrated and was considered "passable", gotta love that! 


We are hoping to find a house to buy before MJ makes her arrival and it's been an interesting and much easier journey. We are super excited to finally be at this step and hope that we can find what we are looking for before MJ gets here. I wanna be all settled before she comes, I am keeping my fingers crossed that it happens the way I want.


The kids are going to start home schooling via the K12 program as of September 1st! They just got all their books and computer and now I need to figure out how to work it all out and how the schedule will be for us and what will work best for us and all the planning and such too...The kids are excited about it and since the computer arrived they are wanting to start now but unfortunately they have to wait.

(image found at pregnancy: mom & baby)

Anywho, enough about that and onto the following, it was taken from Baby center:


This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.


The second trimester is drawing to a close, but as your body gears up for the final lap, you may start noticing some new symptoms. Along with an aching back, for example, you may find that your leg muscles cramp up now and then. They're carrying extra weight, after all, and your expanding uterus is putting pressure on the veins that return blood from your legs to your heart as well as on the nerves leading from your trunk to your legs. Unfortunately, the cramps may get worse as your pregnancy progresses. Leg cramps are more common at night but can also happen during the day. When a cramp strikes, stretching the calf muscle should give you some relief. Straighten your leg and then gently flex your toes back toward your shin. Walking for a few minutes or massaging your calf sometimes helps, too.

It may be the furthest thing from your mind right now, but it's not too soon to think about family planning. You'll want to have made some decisions about postpartum birth control before your baby arrives. If you're considering a tubal ligation, be aware that most states require you to sign a consent form at least 30 days beforehand. So if you'd like the option of having the surgery during your postpartum hospital stay, don't wait too much longer to discuss it with your caregiver. (You can still change your mind later.)

{New House}

I wanted to share a few before snaps of the house - Soon I will have afters posted, but this is the house before all our stuff was brought in. We really do love the space we have now. It's awesome!!! I actually have enough space to entertain!!!! Enjoy!

(front of the house)

(what you see as you walk in the door. The door across the way is the door into our bedroom and there is another door to get to the bath & guest room)

(This is right of the front door. I just love the built-in's! This is going to be our reading area)



(This is directly to the left of the front door. See the arch to the side, that's the front door. I just lvoe the arched windows. We are going to put the tree up in the middle of these windows.)

(This is the view if your back was against the 3 arched windows. You are looking into the diningroom and the kitchen is just past the dining area.)

I will get some pictures up soon of that the house looks like all snazzied up with pictures, furniture and various nicknacks. There is a basement too, where the kids sleep and where William has his media/game room. There is also another kitchen downstairs too as well as the laundry room. It's really amazing just how much space we now have!

{MOVED}

Not knowing if I would have a signal for internet I wrote the following using Microsoft word:

Sunday, November 22, 2009 @ 7:11am

I woke up this morning several times. It’s hard sleeping in a new place for the first time. Every little noise woke me up. Finally I just gave up on sleeping when I looked at my clock for the last time and it was 5:30am. I went to go find a place to put the food that was still in boxes, have I mentioned my whole house is covered in a thick layer of box, and found that it was snowing outside. Soft, fluffy white puffs floating down from the blackness, illuminated only by the security light. It was a nice way to start my day to say the least.

Soon, Ruth was up with me, watching me put away the boxes of food, then Sam & Aaron. I got them each a bowl of Kix and continued to unpack. By this time it was about 6:30 am.

The cats were chasing one another across the wood floors, sliding all over the place and then they would run down the stairs to the basement and then back up again. I think they like the new house.

We didn’t get everything moved yesterday, but we did get a lot. I still have to get the rest out of my storage unit & a few more items that just wouldn’t fit in the Uhaul at Clay’s house. I do, however, have the basics and essentials to get me thru until I can get the rest. Not that there is a whole lot to still get, only 1/3 of what was in our storage is left and odds and ends at the old place…Stuff that can wait until the 1^st or 2^nd or 3^rd of December. It’s not going anywhere.

A few members from the Fruitland ward helped load the Uhaul, but mostly it was all packed up by my brother, Gary, and Uncle Clay before they got there.  On the unloading end there were eight or nine guys here to unload from the Caldwell ward. The unloading didn’t take much time at all. It was amazing how quickly they moved it all in.

My Dad and Clay put together all the beds and the kitchen table, while William and Gary got the “media” room all set up in the basement. I can’t wait to get it all unpacked and the thick layer of box gone and get life back to normal again.

The boys start their first day at their new school tomorrow. They are sooo happy and excited to start their new adventure. It should be loads of fun for them. Well, better get back to packing…

The following was written just now:

Sunday, November 22nd @ 10:40 pm

I decided to see if I could get online while waiting for the cookies to cook in the oven and I guess I do, at least for now, tomorrow, who knows. I accomplished alot today, but it doesn't really feel like it because there seems to be a never ending supply of things that need unpacked.

The boys start school tomorrow and before Aaron went to bed he told me "I am so excited to go to my new school!" and then giggled and then scurried off to bed. Sam fell asleep before dinner and I could only get him to wake up long enough to take a few bites of his food, take a sip of his juice and then he went back to bed and is still there...He woke up really early this morning, poor guy.

The cats are adjusting nicely to our new place. They are just loving it! They are back to their old self's. It's nice to know they are going to be happy here with all this new space to explore and claim as their own.

William is alot happier here too, especially since he has his own space to display all his dragons he has collected over the years. All ready the stresses from discomfort are melting away with every box that gets unpacked, some items haven't seen the light of day since we first moved here and had to keep 'em in storage because we just didn't have the space to display them, now they are slowly being freed into the light!

Anywho, just thought I would update you all, since I have a connection now, tomorrow I may not. I will try and keep you all updated. (pictures to come soon)

Gotta go and check the cookies. Night all!

{Going to be MIA}

The last week or so we have been packing up a storm, preparing for our move this Saturday to our new place. I have been so busy getting the kids registered at their new school, so that they can start on Monday, getting a uhaul and got all the new services turned on at the new place and old service ready for shut off at our old place...with one exception, our internet will not be hooked up until the first of December. We are hoping we can get a signal but more then likely we will have to just wait. I'm kinda bummed about it but happy at the same time, if that's possible, because we will be able to focus more on getting the house ready for all the family we are going to have for Thanksgiving.

My brother, Gary, and his girlfriend, Sarah, have been helping us pack up since Tuesday. It's been nice having them here the past few days. Not only do they help us pack, but keep the kids entertained while I pack, which has helped tremendously, because I don't have kids asking me a million and one questions while trying to pack boxes and they don't get under foot while I move them too.

I am really excited for the move, it's going to be so nice to have all that extra living space. I will upload images once I have the internet back up and running.  I look forward to my return and hope you all have an awesome Thanksgiving!

See you when I get back!!

{Have I mentioned...}

That moving is hard work? Well, it is! But I am loving it! Go figure...I am so excited about our move into our new place...I know we are just renting it but it's going to be soooo nice to have so much more space!

Due to the different configuration of the new livingroom and because our sectional won't fit down the stairs to the familyroom in the basement I have put my sectional on craigslist. I am so excited because it means that I was able to go and pick out a new livingroom set for the new place...Have I mentioned that I am excited!!!

I found out what school the kids will be attending and I think that school will work out for us. They have a pre-1st grade class but it's called K-1. I am feeling sooo good about this move. However, I am going to miss all the wonderful people here who have welcomed us with open arms and befriended us. The ward here is wonderful and it will be missed along with all the wonderful and loving people who go there.

I know this move seems sudden and anyone who knows William and I, know that when we make a decision that it's usually quick and feels right, and this does feel right. I know it's where we are supposed to be. Everyday since we put our deposit down, the feeling just grows stronger and stronger about how right this choice is. It's such a great comfort to know that our choice is right.

I am so grateful and so excited for this move. Packing is going to be a chore but not too hard, I think I have become a better packer with each move we have had. It helps that most of our stuff is in storage, already packed up and ready to go...our boxed stuff has been so lonely spending a whole year packed away in storage because we just didn't have room in the house for it...but now we will have room!

I am super excited to know that I will be able to get cable internet at our new place!!!! Finally I will have fast enough internet that I will be able to watch netflix movies online without it having to "reset my connection because my speed slowed". It's going to be soooo great! Not to mention that I will be able to celebrate Thanksgiving in our new place and have enough room for everyone and not feel so cramped!!! What a great way to kick off our new place with a festive celebration of the holidays!

So here is the rundown...We move in and only have 5 days to get the house ready to celebrate Thanksgiving and then after Thanksgiving we get to set up our Tree and start decorating for Christmas! It's going to be crazy and hectic but it's going to be sooo worth it! I just know it!!!

Sorry for rambling on, but have I mentioned how EXCITED I am!!! If I haven't, I AM EXCITED!!!

{We found a Rental!}

We found a great place to rent in Caldwell. We are so excited. It's bigger and we will have tons of space. The yard isn't as big as we would like, but we have lived in apartments and enjoy going to the local parks with the kids due to not having any yard. This house makes up for it with all the space inside. We knew we wouldn't be able to find everything we wanted, especially since we have cats, (not just one, but two), and it's hard to find a rental that allows cats.

We did compromise on some things, but we didn't have to compromise on indoor space...thank goodness. We hope to move everything in and be all set up before Thanksgiving. We will get the keys on the 15th! We both really like the landlord and just feel really good about it. We know it's the right thing to do and the right place to be...WHOOOO-RAY!!!

When it's right, you just know!

{Life Changes}

I know in my last post I discussed our struggles with trying to find a home to buy, well we decided that this process isn't supposed to be this hard and that it's probably God's way of telling us to stop for now and take a breath and relax. We will resume looking for a home in a year or so. This will give us more time to save up money and pay off more on my student loans.

In the meantime we are going to find a new place to rent. We just need more space to stretch out. We were hoping to find something around where we live now so that the kids could stay in the same school but we are finding that there really isn't anything that fits our needs and those that do are waaaaay more then we are willing to pay in rent at this time, so we are going to look in Nampa, Caldwell, Boise, Meridian and surrounding areas.  On the bright side, in those areas I will be able to get better internet!! I miss having fast internet.

So the search is on for a new Rental...fingers crossed that we find what we want and that we can move in on the first of December. (fingers crossed) If you know of anything in those areas, let me know. I have been scouring the internet and calling on places left and right. I really hope we find something quickly.


On a lighter note, I received an order from a new vendor and they totally ROCKED the images my client choose from her session. I took them to my client this afternoon and she loved them. I was so ecstatic to see the smile on her face as she opened her packages. It was just like Christmas!

{House Hunting}

(image found on photobucket - thought it was fitting)

Who knew that house hunting would be so hard and emotionally draining?  We have looked at tons of houses and really none of them are 100% what we want, with the exception of one, but they raised the price and due to that, it took it out of our price range.

We put in an offer on a home, it's a nice house but would need work to make it more of what we want, which means $$ going into it, but would have to do that anyway with any house we choose. We still have yet to hear back on our offer, so we are assuming that their answer is "no" and moving on, looking and hoping to find a house that will be a good fit for our family...

This process isn't for the faint of heart and if you don't have patience, which lately I just don't have much of, it can be a bit nerve wracking and extremely frustrating and disappointing. I was hoping things would move smoothly but knowing our luck, I knew that may not happen, prayed that it would run smoothly, hoping God would smooth out the wrinkles, but it looks like we need the wrinkles, for some odd reason.

We are praying that we find the right home and are able to claim it as our own and be all settled before my birthday (Dec. 19th), but the way things are looking I just don't see it happening. I just wish this process was a bit more smooth and easier, I am beginning to dislike the hunt. How can anyone call this process fun, it's not! But I do know it's worth it and will be a great investment for our future, knowing that though, doesn't make this anymore fun.