Stuck on you

Miles got into the velcro from my sewing stuff.

Warning: Science Content

I just found out that my nephew won the science fair! He will be going to the city wide science fair next week where they will be judged with his grade and the next grade up! Congrats Justin we are rooting for you!

Progress

Do you know what this is?



If you guessed that it is my china cabinet dangling 3 stories in the air, you guessed right! Go get yourself a cookie!
The specialty company came yesterday and moved the items out that needed to go out the window. They also crated a few items that needed special crates made (including my desk) and disconnected the washer and dryer to prep them for the move. You should see the office now. It looks and feels empty, except of course for the thousands of boxes (of I exaggerate but there are a lot). Of course I had been procrastinating doing the laundry. Then we did something I really wish I had the camera for, we went to the laundry mat. It was kinda fun. We put our laundry basket in the wheelie cart, put him in our laundry basket and pushed him around the laundry mat. It was fun.

For the longest time it felt like this move was ages and ages away. Now we have some progress, it feels real, and it is on top of me! I'm leaving in 3 days. I can't believe it! Three days from now I will no longer live in San Francisco, I will no longer wake up to views of a beautiful hill and trees from the back window, I will no longer be able to see the sun set over the ocean out my front window every day. It is good, and sad too. However, I'm so excited to live closer to my parents again. They can't wait to have Miles close. Jared's parents are great and they live very close too!

Oh, how this move drags on...

and on and on. We have 2 items that will not fit down the stairs of our appartment. When we moved in, they were moved in through the window. Yes, the 3rd story window. On Friday of last week I was looking at the weather forecast. It said rain, rain, rain, and more rain. The company that is supposted to hoist the same items out of the apartment was supposed to call and schedule a time. They did not. This is turning out to be just like when we moved in...and it took 6 weeks for them to move the items into the apartment. Blah! We have 3 different coordinators working for us. You would think that would make it easier. Oh well.

Two quick thoughts

First of all, I was putting Miles down for a nap today when I realized that next week is my last week here. I'm freaking out a little.

Second...



He takes after his dad!

Surprise! Relatives!

Well, it wasn't totally a surprise. I knew they would be coming, just not that soon! Jared's aunt and uncle from Oregon were vacationing near LA and decided to come by for a visit. I was told in the morning that they were near LA and on their way. It took Jared and I about 8 hours to get from SF to LA. I knew it would not take them that long (we had a baby with us after all), however I wasn't expecting them before Miles had his afternoon nap!

I had to get out to mail the property taxes (to send them certified). I needed to leave a bit before 2 so he would be down by 2:30. I had already swept, mopped, and mostly picked up. I didn't pick up after lunch because we had a late one and I needed to go and Miles pulled all the DVD's out of the cabinet while I was getting ready. No big deal. I'll run out, mail the taxes, come back and put him down and pick up those few things. I also had some laundry that needed to go down stairs but I didn't have enough hands to carry it and Miles. It would wait too (in the hallway so I could get it while he was asleep). There is a Starbucks two blocks from the post office, and I have had two gift cards to there in the diaper bag for a year (obviously not a way I treat myself often). I decided to stop in and grab a coffee to have while I was finishing up the house. I get back in the car and start back to the house (about 20 blocks). Then the car starts making a very strange noise. It was like a slapping noise related to the speed that I was traveling. I pulled over to see if it was tire tread or something attached that should be or some such. As I'm getting back in the car, my phone rang. It was Jared's uncle. He was in front of our house. Great.

I don't really know these relatives well. Actually, that is an understatement. I can't remember the last time that I spent time with them, and I've never spent time with them alone. Well, it was only a little after 2, and Jared wasn't set to get off until 5. After that he had an hour drive back to the house. No to mention it was the day after a holiday and it had been raining so traffic was terrible!

Anyway, let's just say that I got to know them a bit better. Let's also say that I have learned if you are expecting anyone, don't leave your house in a state you would be embarrassed for them to walk into. Even if you are not expecting them for another 2 or so hours.

So Busy

We are getting ready for this move and it seems all consuming! At almost every waking moment we are talking about things that need to be done before we leave, things that we need to do when we get there, how we are going to move things, etc. Jared REALLY wants to get a new grill. Specifically
this grill and he has been talking about it nonstop. I don't mind because it means he is excited, but really, I don't have that much to add to a discussion on grills.



Miles is teething again. He is breaking another bottom tooth and it seems to be coming along. It is screwing with his sleep though. Poor kid. He looks so tired.

I'm pretty sad that I have to leave Jared for a week! I'll be with my parents and his parents, and friends, but still. I don't know what to do without him. I think it isn't only because I'll be the only one there to put Miles back to sleep at 2AM, but maybe!



Anyway, so much to do! Talk to you later internets!

Where did you do your Bible study today?

Miles and I went out and he fell asleep in the car on the way home. I'm not very good at transferring him from the car seat to the crib, so if I'm able to I leave him in the car and hang out in the garage.



I folded laundry and did my Bible study too. All while listening to beautiful classical music!

New pics

I have been just typing a lot recently and not posting pics! I didn't even do a picture of the day yesterday for Jared. I was too busy scrubbing baseboards.
Time to rectify that. Here are some we took this weekend at a friend's place. They have a son who is just a couple of months older, but in the interest of internets privacy, he is not in these pictures (although we have some cute ones of him!).



I'll do a picture today for sure and post something for that, but for now that is all I have!

Have a great day! I'm off to scrub cabinets, counters, and the inside of the refrigerator. Try not to be envious.

This month is slipping away!

I'm both grateful and horrified at that! At the end of the month we will be packed up and whisked half way across the country. In the mean time we have to continue to live and keep on schedules created for Miles, take advantage of the time we have left with friends here, plan our move, coordinate the move, and prep our rented home for returning it to the management company. We are pretty sure that they are going to do what they can to keep the deposit. Anyway, that is another post all together! Right now I want to focus my thoughts about things to be done this month. Specifically things to prep the house so that there is as little as possible for Jared and his father to do before setting out on their drive.

I'm working up a to do list by room but the general starting point for each room is as follows:
Remove Art
Patch Walls
Paint Patches
Move Furniture to center
Wash Windows
Scrub Baseboards
Scrub window Sill
Vacuum floors/corners
Sweep
Mop
Polish Floors
Remove Blinds
Wash Blinds
Replace blinds
Second coat Spackle
Second coat paint
This will be difficult to do in the office, but everywhere else I can manage on my own more or less. This will leave very little overall to be done while the movers are here or after they leave. There are 6 main rooms and I hope to hit at least 3 this week and complete their checklists.

Eleven months old

I can't believe that you turned 11 months old yesterday. You have grown so much that you are hardly the same person. You are crawling very well and quickly too. If your father and I don't close the bathroom door, you notice almost immediatly and you are off! You love all the stuff there is to do in there! You also love to climb on things. Anything! Even though you can't get off of the things that you crawl onto. You are starting to understand that Mama and Dada are your parents, now if only you would sleep through the night! We are moving home to Texas soon, and I can't wait to see you playing in the yard and being spoiled by your grandparents. You have come so far, and have so far to go! We love you baby!

How'd you find out?

Swistle is asking how'd you find out (that you were pregnant)? How fun! Lets see...

My husband and I planned on having kids. In fact we had been talking about it a lot! We were doing some long term planning trying to decide when to start trying to get pregnant. We had decided to start tying in about September of 2006. Well, on a Sunday early in June we went 4-wheeling with a friend. It was fun and something I had never done before. While we were out bouncing around I noticed that my chest was very sensitive. I thought about it all day. When we got home I asked Jared to come and chat with me on the bed. I was so nervous. I knew we both wanted this, but were we ready? I said, "what would you say if I told you we were pregnant?" He looked at me and was not sure what to say. I told him that I was a bit late (not much), but that and a funny feeling was about all I had. He said we should go out and get a pregnancy test. we came home with it and he was excited for me to take it, but I was too nervous. I told him I'd do it after dinner, but just before we sat down I knew I couldn't wait. It was a faint positive, but positive. I called the doctor the next morning and got them to schedule a blood test for the following day (Tuesday). That test too came back positive. Then we started getting really excited.

The following Sunday was to be Father's Day. I told Jared that we should send a card to each of our fathers saying Happy Father's Day Grandpa and see who called first. He was not too excited about that idea. We did decide to wait to tell the parents until Sunday. We called his parents but his mom was out. His dad was suspicious of why we wanted to talk to both of them at the same time and guessed. They were very excited though. It went much better when we told my parents. I got both of them on the phone and I said Happy Father's Day, and Jared added Grandpa. My dad was so excited. We managed to wait to tell anyone else until the end of the first trimester.

I don't know how common it is, but my sister said that she knew because her chest was sensitive too.

Out cold!

Works For Me Wednesday - Backwards

This week Shannon has decided that Works For Me Wednesday will be backwards. Bloggers ask questions and the commenter leaves advice.


Here is my question:

We are moving in just a few weeks. We are being moved by my husband's company and they have been generous enough to hire movers for us, so we do not have to pack ourselves. Also, we have decided that Miles and I will fly to Texas (where we are moving to) the day before the packers show up. Both of sets of our parents live there, so Miles and I will stay with them while Jared oversees the packers and then drives to meet us. The flight is about 3.5 hours from CA to TX. We will be staying with parents for about a week, then in our home with minimal furniture (while we do updates) for about two weeks. Any must know advice for the flight or the move with a one year old?

Thanks in advance!

Photo of the day

It's lunch time!


Jared is working again today and I sent this to him. He just replied saying that it looked like someone was having a good time. I do like the idea of sending him a picture.

The weather is really turning here again. We have had so much rain recently. They used that as an excuse for standing us up this weekend when they were supposed to come by and survey the items that have to go out the window. It was not raining in the house! Anyway, hope this storm is not as bad as the one this weekend.

Good Friends

I recently was chatting online with a friend who lives near our old home in Texas. She is looking forward to our return as much as we are I think. We have been friends for over 10 years, but not always great friends. I caught her online and asked about her new years resolutions. She said she didn't really make any. I told her that was good because I made one for her! I told her that when we move back "you and i are going to take a class...you know some kind of fitness-ey thingey." She was so excited. Don't you just love good friends? Ones that will let you drag them into your crazy ideas? I went on to tell her that I thought ballet would be fun, but we had to fund a studio that had adult classes for the coordinated impaired. I took an adult ballet class here in San Francisco before I got pregnant and I told her a bit about it. She is ready to go! I was thinking though that maybe swimming is the way to go. There is a high school between us that has a natatorium and swim teams.





Anyway, other updated on things I was talking about on my goals post...
~I'd also like to make more of my Christmas gifts in 2008. I made reading pillows this year for a couple of people, we did family portraits for our parents/grandparents, and I made biscotti as stocking stuffers. I'd like to make a lot more this year.
~I didn't find the fabric I was looking for at the store the other day. Bummer.
~I think I'm going to follow the Bible study on Engage the Journey '08.
~Jared worked 2 days this week and I only sent the one picture, but he seemed to enjoy the picture of the day. I'm going to have to keep that up.
~Smart Habit Saturday has returned! Yay! I'll be participating, but possibly not until after the move.
~Jared is working on Miles' website now. Yay again!
~Last item, I was talking about home improvements, I can't stop thinking about it. I have measured all the furniture we have here, and saved it online so I can access it before my computer is delivered (I don't have a laptop). I have also drawn out what I think our front room looks like on graph paper and started working on furniture placement. Man, I can't wait. The bad thing is when we move back we have decided to have the movers place basically all of the boxes in that room because we will be doing the floors in the bedrooms and office. That means we have to finish the floors, and unpack those rooms before I can even start really designing that room. Also, we want to redo the floors in there, but we are going to wait a bit (you know, financial strain release time). Oh well, for now I dream. I'll be back first so I want to measure the rooms and draw them all out on graph paper. Maybe I'll post what I come up with.

Wish me luck. First we have to move back and get our things from the moving company!

What a Night!

Wow! We put him in his crib at 10:50 last night and he cried. And he cried. And he cried. At 11:28 he was quiet and we let him be for 10 minutes. He didn't make any noise. At that point we assumed he was asleep and went in to go to bed. Well, he was apparently just taking a break from the crying. He started crying again before I got into bed and it was crying right away. It wasn't like he had to wake up first. So, we left again. This time he was quiet just after midnight and we waited until 12:30 to go in. He was finally asleep and we were able to go to bed too (although Jared kept trying to talk to me). Then at 3:45 he woke up fussing again. I have always brought him in bed when he wakes up around 4 to nurse and cuddle, so I brought him into bed. I didn't really get to sleep before he rain storm hit. I knew we were supposed to get a bad storm, but this has been more than I was expecting. Last night it was so windy that it blew the cover of the back stairs open. Then off the hinges. Then right off the house! That was really loud as you can imagine, and I didn't get back to sleep any time soon! Miles and Jared seemed to sleep well though.

Ferber Anyone?

We have been scraping by in the sleep department recently. But just barely. I have been trying to nurse him to sleep for both naps and bed time. If he doesn't fall asleep, one of us will put him in the sling and bounce him to sleep on the yoga ball. It isn't pretty but it has been working. Last week he would even sleep the 5 hours in a stretch that makes up the elusive "sleeping through the night." After that he will wake a time or two before 4. I'll rub his back and he'll fall asleep within 5 min. Recently that stopped. Tonight we can't even get him to sleep. We have sleep trained him before and it has worked out well. We have half heartedly tried it in the last week or so too. Now he will just stand in his crib and scream. It is heart wrenching. Tonight when we were unable to get him to fall asleep with our regular methods, we ran out of ideas. Right now he is standing up in his crib and screaming. I go in every few minutes and lay him down, rub his back for a bit and leave. This seems to make him more angry though.

This stinks. I'm going to go look at all of the pictures I have of him sleeping and pretend he's doing it now. I hope someone out there is sleeping now.

Goodnight!

Resolutions?

Maybe just Goals (seems less weighty, no?).


I'd really like to sew more this year.
~I was able to basically assemble a baby blanket for Miles. I'd like to finish that very early this year. All I have left to do is finish the binding and quilt it. I have already decided that I'm going to machine bind it. I haven't worked on it since he was born in early February. I have put away all of my sewing stuff until after the move, so I probably won't be able to work on it again until after he is one! That is probably the first thing I will sew.
~I made stockings for everyone in the family a few years ago. Extended family too...I mean EVERYONE. Now there are 2 new babies in the family needing stockings!
~I made a table runner for a Christmas swap this year. I purchased enough fabric to make one for myself and some place mats. I was telling a friend about it, and she said that she wanted a table runner. If I can still find fabric that I like, I'll probably make her one for Christmas this year and make mine too. Here is a pic (not very good though)

~I really want to make a bag from this book Bend-The-Rules Sewing. Ok, a few things from there.

I lost some weight last year and I'd like to keep that off. Possibly even lose 5 more pounds.
~I'd like to sign up for a dance class.
~I'd also like to begin working out regularly.

There are many improvements to the house that we own in Texas that we would like to do this year.
~We are replacing the flooring in the 3 bedrooms and the front formal room. The master bedroom and one of the bedrooms are the most important. This will get rid of all of the carpeting in the house.
~I really want a garden. I'd like to begin it this year. We should be back at a good time. I can get the soil ready before spring and plant then. I'd like a vegetable garden and to work on the landscaping in general.
~Along the same vein, we need to work on the grass in the front and back yards. Our renter has 2 large dogs and they have torn up the back yard pretty badly. The front has always needed work.

I'd also like to begin having a regular Bible study time. I don't have a Bible study book that I'm wanting to go through, so I think that will be the first step.

I also want to participate in Smart Habit Saturday with some regularity this year. How embarrassing, I just looked and there hasn't been one since November 23! I haven't been posting to my blog or reading my regular blogs either. Well, I'm sure Laura will have some again in the new year! I may try to use Joe's Goals too. Not sure on that one.

I need to update Miles' website so there are tabs (or something) for 2008. This has to be done soon.

Oh, I also want to try to email Jared a picture of Miles on most of the days that he is working. Kind of like a photo of the day. I'll let you know how it goes. Here is today's photo...


That seems like plenty. There is so much more that I want to do, but I think I'll overload myself. :)

Happy 2008

Today is the second day in 2008. So far so good! :) We are finally on track to move back home! It is looking like the big day will be February 4, which will put us there in just enough time to celebrate Miles' birthday at home with grandparents et all. We are so excited. We have already given the lady renting our home there notice. We will be giving our management company here notice this week. The movers have been here to inspect the things they will move, and we need to get the specialty company out. When we moved in, they could not get the safe or the china cabinet up the stairs. They had to get a specialty company out to hoist them up and bring them in through the dining room window! The moving coordinator needs to schedule them to come out and survey and move those items and we will be good to go!

What an exciting year we have in store. We'll be moving back home, we'll be around family and friends. We are planning some remodeling of our home there before we get all settled in. Hopefully we will be helping my parents with a bit of a remodel of their own. I'm looking into a couple of things to get involved in when we return. I hope to take a dance class of some sort with a friend. That will be a great way to stay in touch with her, stay in shape, and get out of the house every week. I'm also hoping to become involved in a sewing group. I think I have found a neat place not far from the house to do that.

Here is a brief year in review of photos. Actually it is just one photo from each month.

January



February


March



April


May


June



July

August


September


October


November


December


Nap time is over. Gotta go!