Our house

So I don't know if you know, but we really lucked out on the place we found here. I looked and looked and LOOKED for a reasonably priced apartment and couldn't find anything. I also don't know if you have searched for places to live in California for under $3,000, Yes you read that right, But it is practically impossible. I mean, you have to factor in a whole lot when searching for a place to live, and safety was top on my list, but so was rent. Safety is also not as easy as you might think. But for being the largest suburb in the metropolis, I'd say we got petty lucky as far as safety goes.

We had signed on an apartment, and not two minutes after we did, a friend found a listing for this place on craigslist. It was the SAME price as the dark apartment, with the tiny elevator and creepy murder movie hallway. I didn't believe that was really the price of rent. It was a steal! There was just no way!

We had spent the whole day hopping from one apartment to the next, and I was tired and done. But 

we went right over to look at it, and we were sold. I mean, anything was better than where we had just come from, haha. But I just knew this was as good as it was going to get here, and we needed to jump on it.

We had to make our decision right then, and we decided to go for it. We snatched it out from another couple with two kids, and felt badly about it, knowing that they would probably end up in the apartment with the murder movie hallway now. But we didn't feel badly enough to go somewhere else... I'm sure they found somewhere just fine. ...I hope...

The price of living here is outrageous! To score a place like this for the price that we did is amazing. I'm pretty sure the home had been vacant for quite some time, and wasn't well kept. It has old appliances and smells musty. But I like that musty smell... so I'm happy. It's very beautiful, and we are so thankful to God for leading us to such a nice home.

Now I've just been trying to make it a home. It's hard to make a home in a new place, but as we get more comfortable in the city and meet people, it's starting to get easier. My goal is to meet my neighbors. I think it's good to know your neighbors. And I think its especially good to know them when you share walls with them. Unless they are creepy. Then you should avoid eye contact and try not to do anything that would anger them.

So part of making this place home, is by decorating. Laying a rug, or two, or three, hanging pictures on the walls, clearing the boxes out of the house, and arranging the furniture. This is where I'm having some problems.

I have some projects I want to get done before baby comes. Like painting the TV stand, and setting up the computers somewhere that isn't in the middle of the living room. But the layout of this house is hard to work with. The living room is split. You walk in the front door, and you have 1/2 a room that I have made the more formal room, and then up some stairs is the other 1/2 of the room that I have turned in to the T.V. Room. One wall downstairs has a fire place, and one wall upstairs is one big mirror.

I'll post some pictures later. Here is a picture of the formal room for now.

I'm really not diggin' it. That couch? That piano? Where would you put everything?

I'm too excited to sleep

30 weeks already. I can't believe it.

I remember reading blogs or having friends announce their pregnancies and I felt like the nine months would fly by so quickly!! All of a sudden they would be announcing the birth and I would think, "are you sure? Has it really been nine months, already?"  That is how I feel with my own pregnancy! When I stop and think back six months ago to when I told Michael, it seems like it was so long ago. But when I think of how many weeks I have left, I can't believe I am here already! I am so excited to meet this sweet little baby, I can hardly stand it!

There have been weeks where I've felt like it's taking forever and I just want my little girl to hurry and get here. And then there are days where I think "I only have how many weeks left? But I am not ready!" and then I have a mild panic attack. 

I think the move was a good distraction from counting down the seconds. I've been so busy house hunting, packing, moving and then unpacking, that it's been too crazy to even think about how far along I am! But it's also brought a lot of anxiety and stress. You wouldn't believe the ridiculousness I've been through with doctors and midwives and birth centers and hospitals, oh my! If I sit on hold one more time, I might officially go mad! I never thought it would be so hard to schedule and appointment with an OB/GYN. Seriously California. Not cool.

But now that we are here and I've been trying to find someone to birth this baby, I feel like she will be here way too soon. I need more time! But at the same time I am so ready to have her here, it's like waiting for Christmas! I think I'll be more ready when I know where I'll be birthing and who will be helping me deliver. -Oh the delivery. Oh the pain. Oh my gosh.
Yeah on second thought,  let's keep this baby INside as long as possible.
 Please & thank you.

a little update

It was Mike's birthday this last Friday so  we decided to go out for BBQ. We have both been wanting some good BBQ and were really excited when we saw a joint right up the road from us! It was terrible! Haha! We will never eat there again!

Apparently there aren't any good BBQ places here. We have searched the internet and asked people. Unless you want Chinese BBQ... There is a lot of that! Good thing we got Mike a new Grill for his birthday :) I can't wait to try it out!

^^New Ping Pong paddle = one happy birthday boy^^

We found a grocery store up the road from us that sells really good brownies in their bakery. So after our bad dinner, we went over there and rented an equally bad redbox movie, and then picked up a package of chocolatey good-ness. I'm just glad we got those brownies. After the bad dinner and terrible movie, they saved the night. haha.

We went to Downtown Niles on Saturday and went to all the little antique shops. It was so fun, and to top it off, we shared a delicious banana split to continue the birthday celebrating.

We also picked up these fun buttons. Have you taken a steak break today?

We are slowly figuring out this new city, and trying to make it feel more like home. It's been a hard couple of weeks, but each day gets better and better.

We went in to San Francisco the Saturday before last and froze our tails off! We had so much fun and made our way to Ghirardelli  square for some hot cocoa and a hot fudge brownie. We were so cold, and I kept stopping to rest because of my contractions, and Mike kept telling me "we can just come back later" but NOTHING gets in the way of this mamma and her Ghirardelli! I had my eye on the prize. That Hot Fudge brownie was calling to me and it was totally worth it!

The community here is very different, and the city itself is so different from home, but we are warming up to it. It's going to take some time, and it's hard, but it'll happen. Mike LOVES his job. He's doing really well, and I'm so proud of him!

So there's your update. Sorry it's not more exciting!

baby bump

My sweet husband puts up with me and my crazy ideas. 

I have tried to take pictures of my growing belly every couple of weeks, but they never really turn out. You know, never Pinterest worthy. I always end up looking like a dork. And then crying or getting grumpy. I'm pregnant, okay?! 

I would love to have a professional photographer taking my pictures every week for me, but you know, that's not going to happen. So I have my professional photographer husband doing them for me.   

With my iPhone. 

Oh I love that man. 

I may look like a dork and be in funny poses 99% of the time, but at least I'm getting some pictures. In this particular bunch my hands looked funny and I had a goof face.. this is where a professional would be nice. But I kept the photos anyway, because posed or not, it's fun to see my belly growing with baby girl inside. 

25 weeks