5 months and 5 years now

So much has happened since my last post. As I have found out by experience, a mother's work is more than doubled by adding a second child.

Macy is such a sweet little baby. Her red hair has disappeared (boo!) and is replaced by a whitish peach fuzz. And her eyes are super blue and super huge! She is in the 25th percentile for height and 75th for her weight, making her a chunky kiddo and the exact opposite of her sister (more on that to come). She's quite an agreeable kiddo and loves attention and cuddling. We prayed for a cuddly baby! Downside of that is that Macy really really likes to be held. As her pediatrician says "I really like chocolate cake but that doesn't mean that I get chocolate cake whenever I want it." Hey, at least Macy is built for carrying... My sweet little baby is quite the daredevil. I've only been able to get her really laughing once and that was by chunking her up in the air!!


Haley is in love with her baby sister and the feeling is quite mutual. Nobody can get Macy laughing quite like Haley can! The other night, Macy was "flobbering" on her hands and then touched Haley's face. To my surprise, Haley laughed a belly laugh and let Macy keep "flobbering" all over her!

Her disposition is quite different than Haley's and I can't help but compare and contrast. So I have become the parent I always said I wouldn't be, the kind who tells their first-born "when you were her age..." Yes, again, I am becoming my own mother. But my children are so different is so many ways! I know I'm not alone out there...

Haley has stared 5 day preschool with a new teacher and a new day care teacher too. She doesn't seem to share my fervor for learning, at least not at home. Her teacher says Haley doesn't require much one on one time and is always one of the first ones done with her work. But at home it's a different story. (Yes, Haley has homework in preschool.) But she's adjusting as well as can be expected. At this point, school is more a social event for Haley and she could care less to know the difference between capital and lowercase letters. Sigh... But that's my job as a parent is to figure out how to facilitate these type of learning challenges for the betterment of my child.


Taylor tried out for canine and made it back on the unit. He has a new dog named Bruno. He's kinda intimidating in appearance (except for the floppy ear) and can sure scare ya if he's running at ya. But for the most part, Bruno is a complete lover and even wants to be a house dog. He has no manners at all and doesn't understand why he gets in trouble for jumping on kitchen countertops. It's clear he hasn't been around babies and he'll sneak a lick in on Macy anywhere his mile-long tongue will reach. Can't help but think he's tasting her...
As for me, it's back to the daily grind, except now I add in a stop for Macy when Mom's taxi is making its rounds. I've been busy mostly with work and baby stuff but also with other family stuff and house stuff and, well, life stuff. But life's good. And I'm blessed and happy, though tired.

Cousin Benjamin is sharing his thumb with Macy. Turns out he had hand, foot and mouth disease, but luckily Macy didn't catch it... Kids!

Way behind...

But that's the life of a working mother of two. My Macy has been such a blessing to our family. She's really a good girl most of the time. She likes to smile and wants to laugh, but can't quite figure that out yet. But my sweet girl does have a temper though. Usually centered around food or nap time. She does get fussy because she has reflux-- it burns her little esophagus. Medication does help, but doesn't cure.
Haley has adjusted to life with Macy. H calls M "just dorable." She thinks "dorable" is a noun. She really loves her sister and tries to physically show her with her hugs. We're working on that. I love that Macy is a summer baby. It's really made the family transition easier since Haley doesn't have to be at school at a certain time or at all.
Macy seems to be such a portable baby. She does like to get out and about, but that can be quite challenging with a four year old too. And I'm adjusting to being alone with both girls at night when Taylor's at work. It can be difficult though when her reflux is acting up, but I'm getting it down.
All in all, life's good. Crazy busy but good.

Three weeks today

Things are going well for the most part. Macy is pretty fussy during the day because she has reflux and the acid burns her esophagus. Her naps are interrupted and she's more comfortable with us- ie sleeping on us or with us holding her. I don't want to start that precedence yet though. Macy wants to sleep and doesn't have trouble going to sleep, just staying asleep. It takes several attempts before she actually gets settled for her short naps.

The evenings are particularly rough because Haley is back from school and is jealous of the time spent with Macy, though she really does love her sister. Haley is still transitioning so she's pretty whiny and is not minding very well. Plus, this is Macy's grumpiest time of the day, not to mention it's dinner time too. It's okay with Taylor home because we can divide and conquer, but it's going to be challenging when he goes back to work tomorrow. I've been pretty nervous, but am taking it in stride now. Macy will just have to cry and that will just have to be okay. I remind myself that crying is not a death sentence, even though it sure feels like it sometimes!

I'm going to try to go back to work earlier, perhaps next week if Dr. Locke clears me. Macy will be 4 weeks and I would do a couple of half-days a week to start with. I'm ready to start getting back into the swing of things, but slowly b/c of the physical nature of my work. I've been off of work for 8 or 9 weeks now and I'm ready to do something productive (by society's standards), plus I'm out of my paid time off. We'll see how things go with Taylor back at work, and see what Dr. Locke says too.

Without further hesitation

Macy Faith Welch
May 25, 2010 4:40 p.m.
7 lbs 10 oz
18 1/2 inches

Note: It has taken me at least 6 times sitting down to post before I have been able to complete this. Ahh, Mother of two...

Despite My Best Efforts...

... I am still pregnant. I really wanted Macy to come on 5-20-10, but she had her mind set on other things. I really tried to help her out, literally. I had hardly slept the night before thinking how nice it would be if I could meet her on Thursday. And I woke up ready to start my day.

I helped Haley get ready for school and took her. When I got home, I did dishes and stayed on my feet as much as possible. Then I played my trump card-- I weeded the back yard by hand! That involved squatting, crawling on my hands and knees, bending straight over yada yada. Even though initially the ground was far away, I finally stretched it out. (And as a bonus my torn ab wasn't screaming just yet!) I weeded for two full hours. And no contractions came...

So then I tried some of the "natural" techniques that I had seen online and been recommended. That did give some strong contractions, but they quit as soon as I stopped. By this time I was pretty discouraged. So I tried walking (waddling) to the mailbox. And it's a decent clip away since we're rural. And still nothing.

Next on my agenda was a kids' birthday party. I again tried to stay on my feet most of the time but then my ab, the thickness of thin-shaved deli meat, was beginning to become irritated so I rested some.

In the end, all that I have to say for my efforts is that I lost my mucus plug (eww!). I was pretty excited, but then I called the nurse to see if it was time to check into L&D. Same ol' same ol' "If your contractions are not yet 5 min apart, you're not having bleeding or if your water hasn't broken then it's not yet time." Bummer. And she went on "The mucus plug (eww!) can be lost as early as 32 weeks even in a pregnancy that runs to term." Now more bummed.

I had been having contractions, but hadn't been timing since I was at the party. I only had 2 contractions during the 25 min ride home. Oh, now totally bummed.

I finished the night by reading a chapter in my book and sleeping soundly (something that hadn't happened in 2 days of nervous anticipation). I think the only thing keeping me together at this point is that I have a scheduled induction date in one week. YAY! There is a light at the end of the tunnel! I think...

One of my friends joked the other day that Taylor and I will have gray hair before she's even born. Flash forward 7 years: "Hey Mom and Dad, I have this big project due tomorrow. I forgot about it. Can you help me?" Seems to fit the bill so far.

Still pregnant

Yes, still.

Had another check-up on Tuesday. I'm still at 2 cm and only a little more effaced at 80%. Membranes still intact (ie. my water hasn't broken). So basically no change. We talked about some of my concerns and frustrations and have an induction date set in case she doesn't come before then. We're set for May 28th (at 4 a.m.). That's the Friday before Memorial weekend.

Usually we hit the Frio River for Memorial, but could you imagine me in a bikini floating at 10 months pregnant? HA! That makes me belly laugh! Then I quit because it hurts...

So my last post outlined by increase in activity in hopes to stimulate labor. Somewhere between squats and jumping jacks, lunges and power-walking, my abs decided to revolt. I tried to roll over in bed night before last and was awakened with a sharp stabbing pain in my upper abs (which are now located closer to my earlobes than my navel...). I'm 95% sure I tore that thin piece of meat. And that's persisted for two days now. Fortunately it doesn't hurt with contractions, but it does scream with every other movement.

And I've kissed the floor goodbye. Well, not literally since I can't reach it anymore. Haha! I do have a great assistant who's not usually willing to help, but will agree if the bribe is right. My sweet four year old likes to be "Haley Helper." And her behavior is straightening out. YAY! Funny story- she came home from school the other day and asked "Mommy, what did you do at work today?" I reminded her that I'm not going to be back to work till after Macy is born. Without skipping a beat, Haley says "Well, tell me what you did on the couch today." Wow, called out by a 4 year old!

So that's it. Just more of the waiting game.

Still pregnant

Nothing new. Have had contractions on and off, but nothing significant. I really think that Macy is playing a game of cat and mouse- just a big tease. My next appointment is Tuesday morning. We'll see how it goes, but I'm beginning to have a negative outlook on things.

Decided this weekend to try to help things out with activity. So I started walking long distance. And for some reason, the therapist in me decided it would be a great idea to add some lunges. AHH!!! I'm paying for it today! Thought maybe jumping jacks would help too. The only significant outcome was a hearty belly laugh from my preschooler. Talk about a blow to my ego!

Friday, I managed to make my hair appointment, though I almost missed it (I thought it was 1:30, but really was 11:30). Good thing my awesome hair dresser called because the severe weather hit about 1:00. Good news is that I got my hair done. Bad news is that the baseball game was called off. Haley was disappointed, but didn't throw too much of a fit. So we need to figure out when it's rescheduled.

So that's pretty much it. Of course I have other concerns on my mind, particularly with being off work for so long prior to delivery and also with the false labor of last week. I think his week has been harder than the two weeks of bed rest...

Nothing new

Increasing my activity as tolerated with no real increase in contractions over the past two days. My hair cut got cancelled since my hair dresser got a stomach bug. :( I think its rescheduled for tomorrow.
On a bright note, I took Haley to play in the pool and she loved it! I had "trapped" her with my legs at one point and she looked at me and says with a straight face "Let go of me, you idiot!" Yes, we talked about it... Sad thing is that that is totally my word. OY!
Tomorrow we're supposed to go to the baseball game, but there's a good chance it may be rained out. I hope not, cause that sure would be fun!

False alarm

"You won't be pregnant forever." I think Dr. Locke was reading my mind Tuesday morning. Maybe it was the pained expression on my face or the look of confusion or grave disappointment.

Monday I had been awakened a few times with mild contractions. They increased in frequency and intensity throughout the day. By Monday night, I was nearing tears and the contractions were almost 5 min apart. Taylor was supposed to work, but ended up staying home to take care of me and Haley. I really thought Monday was going to be our night. I had been in contact with my nurse and she made an appt for me first thing Tuesday morning.

After checking me, Dr. Locke found that I was only dilated to 2 cm and no further effaced. So Monday was just a hoax. I was completely prepared to be admitted Tuesday and to meet my Macy. But that's not what God had planned. As I have been telling Haley for months, Macy won't "come out" until God says it's time. Now I'm reminding myself of the same thing.

To prevent labor, it's probably prudent to keep taking it easy. But since I'm at 36 weeks and it is no longer necessary to prevent labor I refuse to take it easy. I miss being a mother and a wife and doing my normal activities. So I have banned bed rest (with my doc's permission) but did agree to rest when necessary.

The hard thing is not knowing what to expect. After Monday, my sis-in-law cancelled her flight down. No point in having an infant with her, unable to go to the hospital when that's exactly where I'm at. I did make an appt to get my hair cut today. At this point, looks like I might make it. :)

So that brings us up to date. Still more waiting. I'm ready to meet this impatient little girl who is keeping me on my toes.

House- we are moved in!

My last house update was about the timing of moving in. Didn't happen that beautiful weekend that we had hoped. Nope. We moved in Tuesday Feb 23. That date is significant for the 8th most snowy day in Midland's history. Yup, pregnant and moving in the snow... OY!
Thanks goodness for family and good friends. They really did the bulk of the moving while I cleaned the apartment and took care of the loose ends. But we made it all out of the the apartment on that day. The paint, literally, wasn't even dry yet at the house. That weekend we emptied out the storage. I had all my things back! Now I had to unpack.
Taylor urged me not to get too crazy and aggressive, that I needed to rest more. But my brain couldn't process that. Except our first apartment, I have never completely unpacked anywhere we've lived. So my brain said that if I didn't unpack, we wouldn't really be staying here. So unpack I did. I had the house completed and ready for visiting right at the first of April. All the while working full-time and being pregnant-fatigued. Whew!
We've got grass planted in the back yard and the pool has survived what the spring season has offered. We're still suffering the dust with our barren landscape and spring winds, but it's getting better.
It's almost as if my house were expecting my prolonged stay and wanted me to finish getting everything ready. So it's completed and I'm happy. We're all moved in! Maybe this week I'll be up to cleaning the house and taking pictures to post... unless Macy makes her debut before then.

Check-Up

So good news last Friday!

I'm a little more effaced, no more dilated and right where I should be for this stage of pregnancy. Effective today I am 36 weeks and coming off bed rest. Sounds easier than what it actually is though. I'm pretty tired after 2 full weeks of very minimal activity.
This weekend we went to a planned family "retreat" at a lodge in San Angelo, with my doctor's permission. It was so peaceful and quiet (minus the three active grandchildren, Haley included). After the busy day on Friday morning (doctor and all..) I was fairly tired by the time I got there but did get to rest. It was pretty nice and an awesome Mother's Day weekend. I liked being able to get outta the house for the first time in 2 weeks!
So now that I'm off bedrest, I can be active to tolerance (though no work). I'm happy that I am allowed to take Haley to and from school and take care of necessary things like my haircut. My list of "do nots" is now a list of "if you cans." YAY!
And my sis-in-law is flying in on Tuesday and I'll be able to pick her up and be able to be active and not so much a bump on a log. Taylor's working his long week, plus doing some other things that will put him out-of-pocket this week and next.
If I go into labor at this point, Macy will come; in other words, Dr. Locke won't stop my labor after 36 weeks. Another milestone passed! I'm having a hard time adjusting from the "don't come" attitude to the "any day" now concept. Hard to believe we're on the cusp of adding my second daughter to the family! YAY!!

Pregnancy to Date

Today I am 35 weeks and 3 days along. Not that I usually count to the day, much less know what week I'm on, but things haven't exactly been normal lately.
I've been on bedrest for going on 13 days now. Yes the dreaded B word. It is hard for me to be still, but a parent does what a parent has to do.
Everything has been right on schedule and right on for our dates. I continued to work and had no trouble doing so, with modifications of course. Then everything changed April 23, a Friday.
During the long walk into work that morning I was having a lot of pressure "down there." My associates were concerned (as was I to a small degree), but I parlayed the inevitable. "I'll be fine. I'm already feeling better just sitting here." And so we agreed that I would take it easy that morning. Fortunately, there wasn't too much work for me that morning. In retrospect, that was definitely a God thing. I carried only 1/3 of the caseload I usually take.
Although I felt better sitting, the pressure returned when I was on my feet working. Not as bad, but still present. I began to become concerned and I confided in my "Grandma Wannabe" colleague my worst fear. Bed rest. I shouldn't have verbalized it because as soon as I did the waterworks began.
I had been in contact with my OB-Gyn nurse that morning. She assured me that as long as I wasn't having contractions I was okay, but I could come get checked if I felt the need. My colleague urged me to go get checked.
I wrapped up the loose ends at work and made plans for in case I didn't come back. And of course that spurred the water works. By then I had rested a good deal and was feeling better. I almost talked myself out of the checkup. But I went anyway.
I was actually worked in pretty quickly and underwent the, ugh, pelvic exam. Soon as Dr. Locke got to his stool. He plainly states "I'm not going to lie. I am concerned. You are 50% effaced, 1 cm dilated, and her head is right there." "You mean you felt her head?" I asked. That's not normal.
At that point I began to become concerned myself and I knew what his next words would be. As my nurse held my hand, Dr. Locke outlined exactly what "modified bedrest" consists of: I can't lay down or sit. I would be off work effective immediately and essentially bound to my own house. No taking Haley to and from school, no lifting her or even bathing her. No more volunteering at church. Taylor would have to take care of my every need. Wow!
In addition, I had to take a shot in the butt. Twice. Once on Friday and then again on Saturday. Haley just reveled in this. Saturday she even got to swab the spot and put on the band-aid. Sunday I let her take off both band-aids. She loved every second of it! The shots were Celestone (I think), a steroid to help mature Macy's lungs in case she came early. Oh, and a prescription of progesterone. That's the hormone responsible for sustaining pregnancy in the first trimester. You know, the one that makes you sleepy and moody and nauseaus and gives you breasts more tender than what the Colonel sells. So I'm back to that again. Good thing is that so far I have had no trouble sleeping through the night, even with a generous day time nap.
So after 12 full days of bed rest I'm surviving on the generosity of those who love me and my growing family. Another coworker of mine (who has first-hand experience on bed rest) brought me library books and her physical presence during a week day visit. A girlfriend brought me movies and came another time just to visit. My mother is always available for whatever I need. She brought some board games and computer games for me. And the mother-in-law has twice brought us a week's worth of food. Taylor is coming home for a quick supper and gets Haley showered and in bed. (Really, we live too far out for him to feasibly come home for supper, but he's worked that out.) My sis-in-law has scheduled a flight down here next week!
Moving forward, if Macy tries to come before 36 weeks, which happens to be Mother's Day, Dr. Locke will try to stop labor, after that it's fair game. Although I'm already tired of bedrest, I sure would like to make 37 1/2 weeks. And perhaps Macy could be born on 5-20-10. Haley's birthday is 10-20-05. Cool, huh? My next doctor's appointment is Friday. We'll see how it goes.
So that's the story so far.


Me, looking my bedrest best. Really, who do I have to impress?

Hot, huh? Uncomfortable- yes!

Larry the Cable Guy

I'ma Back!! That to quote my favorite little Italian, Mario (he's got a brother named Luigi and his own Wii game!)

Okay, so many of this blog's "followers" have expressed concern over lack of updates. Short answer: they're on their way. Reason: D i a l - U p I n t e r n e t . . . SO SLOW!! Being rural, our options are quite limited. But today, we moved back up into the 21st century with high speed internet. Whew! So while I have lots of stories to tell of pregnancy, moving, social activities etc, I will start with today's Cable experience.

So I did some searching for internet providers in my rural area, on dial-up no less, which took about 3 hours- no exaggeration! I determined we had 4 options 1) retain dial-up 2) satellite internet 3) air card and 4) one local high-speed company that serves this area. So my thinking goes like this:

1) dial-up sucks- good thing I don't have high blood pressure during pregnancy cause I woulda gone into labor. I could manage if I had to, but I felt ripped off paying $15 a month

2) satellite internet- my rural neighbors (aka the family also residing on the same half-section of land) have satellite internet. Pros: it works and is faster than dial-up; Cons: it's way expensive and unreliable. Next option please...

3) air card- could work. I have reservations about signal reliability (we had to get a landline b/c of lotsa dropped calls and poor signal strength; once it took me 5 hours to get a text... ugh!). Plus it's pretty expensive if you go over your allotted time. Just not sure that would work as our primary means of internet connectivity.

4) this local company called Ridgewood Cablevision. I had called them early on and just decided to wait and know what our bills looked like before signing up with them. Besides, they only offer internet our area and no cable. But I know Mom and Dad are with them. So another call to Mom to verify that she was happy with their service.

In a nutshell, she tells me that yes, she is very happy with them and is even on a first name basis with two guys named Tom and David. Okay, I am convinced to try it. Dial-up is NOT working for us and Ridgewood is reasonably priced, especially compared to satellite internet.

So I call and get the simple pre-reqs upload/download speeds and they guy verifies that yes this is a lot faster than dialup. I give him my information and we set up an appt for Tuesday at 10 (that was Friday afternoon). After getting the details worked out, I ask for his name. He replies David. So I decide to name drop and mention my mama. He chuckles and says "Well, I do know Charlee and you've got a good Mom." I take the opportunity to third hand compliment their services, as coming from Mom.

So Tuesday rolls around. I'm stoked from the moment I wake up knowing that the cable guy is coming today. Just maybe we can be wireless again and I can work online from the living room! So about 9:55 I hear a car door. A peek out the window shows that it is the cable guy from Ridgewood. He introduces himself, Larry. Yes, Larry the cable guy. hehehe

He hands me some paperwork to fill out. On top is the work order outlining address, phone, services to provide etc. At the bottom in the notes section reads "Charlee Helms daughter." I laughed outloud (good thing I was alone) and immediately called Mom. We shared a good laugh. By 10:35, Larry the Cable guy was all done. He joked "I'm surfing 19-11's right now." Perplexed, I asked if that was good. He shot a look to Taylor and then Taylor chimes in "that's a gun, honey." Oh. So Larry the Cable guy is a gun enthusiast with a sense of humor and is super good at his job.

He finishes up by showing us the upload and download speeds and runs a ping time. I suppose the numbers were good. I'm just a consumer, not really into what all the "megs" and "kilos" mean. But I think that's good. All I know is that this sucker is fast! Just as fast if not faster than our former Suddenlink.. YAY!!

So I was able to talk Taylor into hooking up the wireless router. And now it works!! I am writing from the "comfort" of my recliner chair and my feet are up. So thanks to Larry the Cable guy and Taylor the awesome husband, I am functional again! Welcome to the 21st century! (Just to be ordered to spend all my time at home... another story.)

So look for house and pregnancy updates to come! And pictures, hopefully!

Moving? Think again...

[GRR! My origin text disappeared while I was uploading all my pics!]

So we're not moving in this weekend. The banker was (rightly) worried about the builder, and the builder was (rightly) worried about the bank/paperwork. And then work schedules became inflexible. Tentative closing has been set for Tuesday afternoon. Coincidently, the beautiful weather we've been having will surely change by then. Another "artic front" is supposed to drop temps to low of 26 and high of 40 with chance of rain/wintery mix. Joyful.

After being gone for a week and a half, the builder came back Thursday (the day before our scheduled closing) to break my heart and let me know that we would no way be moving in this weekend. The foreman had busted his rear to try to make it happen, but a few loose ends just couldn't be wrapped up. Thankfully there were workers out there today and we got the game room carpet installed and the painters are coming (AGAIN) to finish touchups.

On the banking side of things, the appraisal came in under value. So my banker (who has been more like a teacher walking us through this whole process), made sure the appraiser had all the valid documents. No luck on that. So banker-man had to re-manipulate the numbers again. So that complication would have kept us from closing Friday anyway.

And then Taylor's sergeant informed Taylor that the days he has asked off and been given off had been rescinded. So even if we did move this weekend, Taylor would be splitting at least half his day with work. On my end of things, Friday would have been a terrible day to miss because we were so crazy busy! It was the busiest day of a very busy week and, frankly, I am exhausted! This weekend off is unexpected but absolutely appreciated.

Cross your fingers that things will actually fall into place this week as (re)scheduled.


The carrige light outside the garage

The lights and mirror trim in the master bath

Two corner shelves and the bench in the master shower

Dual shower heads in the master shower. Notice the decorative accent band

Master vanity- has dual sinks and my air jet tub; countertops are really tall which is good for us tall people!

The awesome light box in the master bedroom- the dual steps give soft ambient lighting- I love it more than I thought I would!

Kids' bath has the same basic stuff (countertops, cabinets and dual shower heads, except we set their hand held head low)

See, it's low- perfect for little people

West side of the front porch with the fence posts being set today

Close up of the front porch lights

East side of the front porch- note the concrete has been poured now; can you imagine sitting and rocking out here?

My fireplace, hearth and the mantle; note the stained concrete floors- my first time to see them was today!

My house- pic taken from the dining area; living area to the left and kitchen to the right; the doorway there leads to my office and the master bed/bath

The dining area- I just LOVE my floors! Except that we had to be on them barefoot today- they are COLD! (Gift ideas- house shoes for everyone!)

Ah, my kitchen as seen from the dining room; the entry way on the right leads directly to the laundry room and a right turn takes you up to the game room

My island with butcher block top

My country cabinetry with tumbled travertine back splash and granite countertops; refridgerator will go in that big open spot. Notice the flat coooktop between the double ovens and frig

My farm house sink! I have wanted one of these for ever I think. I just love it!

Another view of my country kitchen

Taylor posing in the laundry room; half bath is to the right and my utility sink and work area is to the left

Work area of the laundry room

Not so good pic of the game room- carpet being installed; Strange, but I love the smell of newly installed carpet...

Game room lighting- wish I could have gotten a better pic of the pool table light- it's just perfect for the space!

Nearing the end?

More house progress this week, but I'm a slacker on the pics (Sorry!).

Been working with the bank on the final paperwork. My banker is concerned that the house won't be finished when the builder says it will. Funny- the builder is concerned the banker won't have all the paperwork finished when he says it will. So if you ask me, each are in charge of their own destiny. AND- closing has been scheduled for Feb 19. Yup, that's this Friday!! Can't be anymore excited and nervous and skeptical...

Since our house is in the boonies, our cell phone reception is not so bueno. So, I called AT&T to see about a home phone (but primarily internet). They set me up a 4 hour window to wait for the AT&T guy. And wait I did- for 4 1/2 hours! AT&T was a complete no call, no show. And I waited in my car in the cold, rainy weather. What a waste of my time from work. Well, not completely... I checked out a library book Scream at the Sky and essentially finished it in one day. Taylor thought I was crazy to sit and wait that long. But, really, I got to have some quiet alone time without any pressing issues. Was kinda nice. AT&T ended up coming out to the house (unexpectedly and without our presence necessary) and hooking up the phone line. DSL is a no-go in our neck of the woods- only dial-up. Still working on that one...

The granite has been completed this week and the tile is as far complete as they could go. Plumbers have been in and we got some sinks and toilets and fixtures and my bathtub hooked up. Electricians have begun their necessary work as well. It's pretty exciting to see all the progress and know that (hopefully) within one week we will be sleeping in our house.

All in all, the process of building has gone smoothly. Now that we're nearing the end though, I think the stressors are getting to Taylor and I. There's the concerns of what gets done inside and outside of the contract, and our list of things yet to be done. AHHH!! Phone, internet, TV, driveways, our new bedroom furniture, Haley's new bedroom furniture, moving, paperwork, payment amounts, closing on time, getting my new cookware and silverware, bedding,, chest freezer, TV(s), Macy's things... AAAHHHH!! Don't remind me...

Really though, this whole home building process has been a test of faith. Not just spiritual faith, but in the all around sense of the word. That's why Taylor and I have agreed that Macy's middle name shall be Faith. The significance of the word spiritually and "real world" just caps exactly what the last few months have been for us. Plus, Haley is Grace and now we will have our Faith. I think it's fitting and significant.

With any luck, the next time you hear from me will be several weeks from now, as I will be so super busy unpacking (I'm forbidden from actually moving...) and settling in that blogging will be on the back burner. I will begin boxing up the apartment Monday and Tuesday (T works). Wednesday I have a committee meeting and then back to boxing Thursday (T works some more). We should complete the walk-through and closing on Friday (according to schedule) and begin wrapping up loose ends and non-heavy moving (like our food). Tay's determined we're renting a U-Haul so we don't have to make multiple trips with a stock trailer. So we'll load up the apartment Saturday and hopefully also empty out storage that day as well. Yeah, our plate is full.

I may be calling on some of my girlfriends to help me unpack and decorate the house... FYI

Wish us luck!

Hunt for a bargain

I'm getting wiser in my old age. Buying something expensive on a whim doesn't excite me any more. Knowing that we were going to put a flat screen over the mantle in our new living room, I have been researching TV prices for literally months now.

I found that we needed a plasma (vs LCD or LED) for the wide viewing angle. We measured the hearth and figured that anything 42-50" would fit best and give us the TV viewing experience in our living/dining/kitchen great room area.

So I turn to Consumer Reports-- unbiased reviews on real products. Samsung and Panasonic are the leaders in the areas in which we were looking. Samsung is not quite so friendly on the pocket-book, so Panasonic it is. More research for model (I'm talking hours spent looking and researching) and I determine that the Panasonic TC-P50S1 is the one for us.

I found the P50S1 at Sears-in stock and on ~30% sale. Taylor was skeptical that we had to space to store a TV in our mini-apartment. So I called Sears and talked to the head electronics dude. He said that the sale was going for another 2 weeks and that he doubted that he would sell out of that specific model. So I/we waited (despite my gut feeling...).

When it was time to go buy the TV, it was all out of stock, un-order-able, and they wouldn't sell us the floor model. (Take note that January is the end of the model year for TVs and people take advantage of low TV prices just before the Super Bowl.) The electronics guy called around and found the same TV in Big Spring for another $200 off!! Guess who drove to Big Spring that night?!?

It took forever to gas up and get refreshments, but we arrived at the Big Spring Sears at 7:10 last Friday. And Sears closed at 7 p.m. GRR!! But we made a little road trip of it and ate at Cowboys- a steak house in Big Spring. The had a chicken-fried rib eye! (My stomach is shrinking as Macy grows, so I didn't try it.)

The next morning (Saturday) I broke free from the family and did some house item hunting (Haley's new furniture and two rugs). Then we made a family road trip to Big Spring- again. I'd like to say that they had my TV and we went home happy, end of story. But no...

Instead of the P50S1, it was the P50X1. Uhh... the big difference is that the X is 720p v the 1080p of the S1. (Side note- knowing your stuff prevents "surprises" in the store.) The S1 was already sold out. Taylor and waffled in the store b/c we really wanted the S1, but knew it was going to be a hard find anywhere local. I knew that even though it was a 720p, the X1 is still a great product with little difference vs the 1080p S1 set.

So we bought the X1 new in the box and took it home that day. I did more researching later and found that the S1 is apparently all sold out anywhere except E-bay (and those prices were not reasonable!). We're happy as can be because we got a great TV on an awesome sale (~40% off)! Can't wait to get it all put up!

MORAL OF THE STORY:

He who has the most knowledge wins.

Latest House Progress

Without further delay, here's the latest on the house. We should be able to move in sometime in the third week of February. It's longer than we were told and longer than we expected, but I suppose that's part of the pitfall of building during the dead of winter. We've got our time line in place, but that could be delayed again by the weather. This week, the septic should have been started. Builder says its too hard to excavate a hold the size septic tank with a backhoe when it rained 2" in 2 weeks... Hmm... Makes sense I suppose.

I absolutely love my closet and the height of the counter tops and my farmhouse sink and the beautiful full stone fire place... I love the game room on it's own merits, plus Haley thinks its the coolest thing ever. One of the things I'm most excited about is the heated swimming pool. It's supposed to be swimmable year-round!

Last weekend I was able to get a lot of leg work for the house completed. Several furniture stores were having sales. I went to Ashley's and found a rug- it was the floor model so I got it at a good discount, plus it's in good condition. Carter's is having a moving sale and I found a complete solid pine captain's bed set (with a desk, mirror, chair, and dresser) and a beautiful girly soft gray rug for Haley at a real bargain. I'm tellin' ya-- I don't pay retail for anything big! And we got our new flat screen TV (fun story-- needs to be a separate post!).

I will post the latest house pics, but know that the house has already evolved since these were taken. I think I'd drive myself crazy if I stayed right on top of it.

The back porch: the "nook" part of the porch is full stone. The wall under the balcony is brick. The black tarp to the R of the pic is the pool template.

The front of my beautiful house. Look closely- the window sills aren't complete here (are now) and the temporary posts are now square cedar. Haven't looked yet this week, but it should be rocked ~3 ft high up the posts. Front porch has not been poured yet.

This is the notch-out for the farm house sink. By now the cabinets are stained a rustic green and lacquered. It's possible that the countertops have been installed and that the tile back splash is also up.

My beautiful rock fireplace. I love the raised hearth and the rounded corners (especially with a new baby on the way). Our flat screen will be on the mantle which will be a cedar plank. I love the detail-- the brickers saved the best fossilized pieces for here. I love it! The walls should be painted by this weekend when we go look.

Ah, the pool- installed just before a good-ol West Texas spring wind storm! It's now all the way full and has cool-coat decking around it. This pic is taken from the balcony-- the edge of the pool is far enough away from the balcony that children (and drunk "boys") won't be tempted to jump in. (The balcony now has concrete poured but we're still waiting for the railing to be installed.)

Sugar and Spice

Our "big" appointment was this past Friday and my little darlin' was all too cooperative. I sent out a text to announce our gender:

Roses are red
Violets are blue
We already have one girl
Now we'll have two!

That's right! My dear husband is preparing for an estrogen ride to last 20+ years! Jokingly, he's turning to hard liquor to cope.

Though I had hoped for a little boy, we're both all too excited for another little girl. There's something comforting in knowing what to expect. I've had people ask if we're disappointed. My reply is how can you be disappointed with a miracle of God?

Cute thing is that Haley had prayed fervently "Thank you for my baby brudder" over and over before we even starting trying to become pregnant. But after we were pregnant, she switched her tune and spoke of the baby being a girl over 80% of the time. Funny how God has that connection with children. The Bible does say do not hinder a child in their seeking Him and to come to Him with the faith of a little child. I just love it!

The morning of the ultrasound, I asked Haley what we should name the baby. She didn't like my choices, but gave a couple of other options: "Spotted horsie" or "Strange lookin.'" (I didn't have the heart to tell her that this baby would look a lot like her...) We did bring the big sister to the appointment. Her favorite part was to see and hear the heart beat (a healthy 146 bpm).

When Taylor's grandmother passed away when I was 7 months pregnant with Haley, I really wanted to honor her by passing on her middle name- May. But we were set on Haley and knew that Grandmother really liked Grace. So we kept with that. Now that this is a baby girl, we will use May somehow. We're 90% set on Macy. But we have no clue on a middle name. Perhaps something one syllable with a long "A" vowel- just like in Haley Grace. We'll see what we come up with.

There's been lotsa progress on the house with posts and pics to come, but enough for right now-- I gotta prop my swollen feet now!