So far everything is going pretty smooth with the house selling. We are really trying not to get excited yet. I was able to get out of Jury duty....it was WAAAAYYY to easy. I figured that I would need to know the closing date and send a letter with copies of real estate forms and what not, because you know jury duty is SERIOUS....right? Well I called a phone number told the nice lady on the other end the situation "We have got an offer on our house, are waiting to close within weeks, but I won't know the closing date until 5 days before, and I will be moving to another county".....she asked for my juror ID # and seconds later she said "OK your excused". I was really prepared to go in and serve my time. Heck I actually wanted to serve, however I really really really didn't want to screw up this closing. Next time Uncle Sam... I promise. We went and looked at the new house yesterday to get some measurements. One of the things we will have to get is blinds and appliances. Luckily a local store is having a good sale this week on window treatments so we might just go ahead and get them. We can always take them back if everything falls through. Appliances we are still wavering between searching Craigslist and buying new. We walked Daniel around the neighborhood and showed him all of the playgrounds. There is a school a couple of blocks away with 2 play areas and another playground in another direction....oh and did I mention the paved nature trail that is in the community......oh I need to stop talking about it all I get waaaay to excited! Unfortunately I kind of wanted to meet some people specifically those with kids Daniels age and thought we might see some people around. But it was during a possible nap time and it was raining earlier in the day so we didn't see many kids out. Belle will have a neighbor a yappy little dog, we didn't see him but sure could hear him. Oh we also will need to install a fence at some point, Luckily the neighbors already put one up so we only have to do half of the yard:-)
The big problem we are attempting to figure out is how to be out of "here" but not in "there" before closing. We are pretty sure we will rent a POD so we can just pack at our own pace and store the stuff until we move in. No big deal, but I would like to start packing like NOW but we don't know how long it is until we close. The worst case scenario is that it all falls through, after that is it will take some more months to close. But by far the BEST news...the absolutely FANTASTIC news is.....we CAN'T have anymore showings! Our realtor told Chad a few weeks ago that "Oh you will still have to do showings for a while" We took that to mean just about until closing, we have even had a showing since. However last week they called to schedule one and I said "sure", only to find out hours later (and after the house was ready) we couldn't have one anyway because we were "pending". Confused....yes (we had already had one since we were "pending")....happy WHOOOHOOOO! And yes the house is now a mess and I don't give a crap!
I used to "wear" Daniel in a sling all the time. I LOVED it. However with Matthew, I am not finding it as adaptable. Mostly its because I don't walk with him as much (I used to walk from parking garage to daycare 3xs a week when Daniel was a baby). Maybe if he wasn't using a Daniel hand me down he would like it more:-) So here you go Matthew, Mommy is trying:
On the move....maybe....possibly....hopefully......
So we have held off "officially" announcing this for over a week now....... We finally got an offer. Since we are working with a builder we have more room for loss. In a sense we are selling our house to the builder, they sell the house to a buyer and we buy a new house from the builder. The upside is since the builder is really the seller, we don't have much say in the whole negotiation process.....that is also the downside. Its hard to have to wait while two other groups of people decide your fate. Anyway the offer was accepted. Then we had an inspection. I could go into the details about the inspection process....but....its not really worth it. We weren't there for it (I don't think many people stay for it) but I later found clothes off of one rack in my closet on the floor. I know several other items in the house that were moved around that had nothing to do with the inspection. It was annoying, but it didn't really matter because we were in the next step of this whole process and that is all that mattered. So the inspection came back stating that the roof needed to be replaced. So after some more negotiations (that we tried to stay out of) another deal was reached. Today someone came by to do the appraisal. We have been trying to stay positive about this, but not let our hopes get to high either. I am expecting it all to fall through at any moment.... just so I am not disappointed if it does. I guess that is kind of a negative viewpoint, but I have gotten my hopes up before and the falls afterward are the worst. So I really wanted to hold off on formally announcing this fantastic news until today. What is different about today? Oh this is good.....I LOVE irony. Today in the mail....I got.... a JURY SUMMONS! You see when we move (we have a house picked out from above mentioned builder) we will be in a different county. So technically if I am moved in a month, I am no longer a resident of the court I would be serving jury duty in and wouldn't qualify to serve. To me this seemed like just the right kind of monkey wrench in to complicate the whole moving process. I asked our realtor when he thinks we would close "oh anywhere from 28 to 35 days" I laughed and told him that I had a Jury Summons for July 23, so that is the day I would bet we would have the closing scheduled for. He laughed and said we could work it out. Chad asked "What happens if we have to close on that day or all else fails?" I told him I will go to the closing and then to jail....very thankfully;-) So........OMG we got an offer!!!!!!!!!!! Oh and no I didn't pee myself, it was really hot when we got the news and I was dehydrated;-) I'll post updates as much as possible, but I am trying to keep it all business as usual until we really have the final details.
So I thought I ordered Chad's gift far enough in advance of Father's day. But I didn't it took over a week to get here.....from the other side of the state. However I didn't inquire how long it would take (and I guess it was sent to someone who sent it to me). I wanted it to be the first thing Chad saw when he woke up Sunday morning like the Godfather horse scene. Instead he saw it when he came home on Wednesday. He has always wanted one of these, its now off my list of "When I can't think of anything I can get Chad get him x" list.
So its funny when I complain about Matthew being fussy. Because I know his "fussy" moments are nothing compared to what Daniel's fussy moments were at the same age and a its minor league compared to the 2 year old fussy moments. So even though I know in comparison he is fine....I still complain. Lately he hasn't been sleeping well as he used to even during the day, and he just doesn't seem as happy. He has always (yeah at 4 months old "always" sounds silly) been a good sleeper. However lately he has been waking up at 3 or 4 and every hour after that. VERY HUNGRY....... Well last night Chad asked "should we give him some of the rice again"....for some reason I forgot we had started to give it to him and stopped because he had a rash. Now I was 99.98% sure the rash was from the heat. I wanted to wait until it cleared anyway just to be sure. It cleared but I just forgot to start it up again. It was after a blissful 6.5 hours of sleep did I remember that when we started to give him the rice he slept better. I kind of slapped my forehead in duh moment this morning...."so all this time he was 'fussy'.....cause he just wanted some cereal?" With Daniel we waited longer to even start the cereals. However I was practically counting the hours until the 4 month mark so I could start with Matthew.....he is hungry. Geez how could I forget that?
Father's day is hard for me this year. The first Father's day after my dad died was hard; the first after Daniel was born was also hard. Other years in between have not been as hard, but this year is difficult again. However as much as I miss him I want to focus on the 2 fathers in my life. First my husband/soul mate/partner/best friend Chad. He is truly a great father. I find it so weird when people say a guy is a great dad because "he even changes diapers". Changing diapers is not what makes someone a great dad. A great dad will eat dinner with one hand while holding a child on his lap with the other just so mommy can eat in peace. A great dad will get up at any time during the night to help a little one get back to sleep no matter how long it takes. A great dad stops whatever project he is working to allow his child to help, no matter how much longer it takes. A great dad has the patience to discipline a child without losing his temper. A great dad does all these things and much, much, much more. Chad is a great dad, and I have been proud of him every day he has been one. The other father in my life is my Father-in-Law, Dan. He has been one of the most important people in my sons’ lives. There is just a special and beautiful bond between him and Daniel. Papa is always on Daniel's mind, and it’s apparent that Dan thinks about Daniel all the time as well. I cherish each time they are together and I know Dan does as well. Dan has very much become like a dad to me. He is there to listen to us when we feel like our world is upside down. He gets angry with us when we feel there is injustice done. He loves all Detroit sports and Stanley cup wins make his day. He knows who is pitching well for the Tigers, who needs to start doing better on the Pistons, and well he still has hopes for the Lions. Dan is a big guy, with a big heart and one day my son will just realize how lucky he is to be named after him.
So, as you may have guessed Friday was a "bad day" for me. It happens. In some ways I would love to go into details about what exactly happend. However I would rather drop it since it was the sum of many things and the one thing that just topped it all off was so minor it's just dumb to admit I was upset by it. The weekend made up for it. I was happy to see one of the rosebushes I transplanted from my mom's old house had bloomed (the other 2 I planted had died last year, and my in-laws have taken great care of another). Daniel helped Chad mow the lawn and some other lawn work. Other than a quick trip to the Flint area we just spent time hanging around the house (when we didn't have to be out for showings). Daniel is really getting back into a good routine. Currently part of his bedtime routine is to watch Milo and Otis. Its a cute movie, and I just about have it memorized. Although I could watch it a million more times if it means no fighting at bedtime. Matthew is moving along, he rolled over for the first time memorial day weekend. He has done it a few times since. However he is more concerned about perfecting his stand up routine. He loves to tell jokes. He is all "blah blah blah....babble coo coo blah.....ha ha ha ha aha aha" I need to get him set up with a Google account so he can join his brother and dog in blogging. I think he has some funny stories to share. Below are a few pictures that I want to share. Mostly because they remind me that even with everything going on, there is time to stop, smell the roses and enjoy time with family.....or something poetic like that:-)
I have a post I keep wanting to post regarding the whole "selling our house" thing as well as other updates but I find it extremely difficult to write without dissolving into a bitter self loathing rant. So instead bullets:-)
We went to my mom's for Memorial day weekend, soon after that Daniel ran away and instead we had this devil child living (who also went by the name Daniel....and sometimes "little bastard" with us for about 2 months....which is odd considering Memorial day was only 2 weeks ago;-)
Although Daniel is back he has been staying up late every night (even past my bedtime)....bonus for him....he saw the Wings win the Stanley cup
We went camping with Chad's family. It was nice especially considering his sister set up our tent before we got there (THANKS KELLY!:-).....however we never really quite got a chance to relax because of the aforementioned Devil boy.....so we really just ended up coming home aggravated.
Did I mention the DETROIT RED WINGS WON THE STANLEY CUP?
I have a "real" office that overlooks heart plaza (a window seat even)...where I could be watching the parade for the Wings (they won the Stanley cup you know:-)......however I am working from home...in the heat with no air.
It got hot.....finally....but man is it HOT!
My garden is just about complete. I think I may want to rearrange things but nothing else new for vegetables....maybe a few flowers if I see some on clearance.
Strawberries are in, and Daniel had the first 2 yesterday...snatching them right out of the garden himself.
Our neighbors decided to not even try and sell their home...instead they just up and moved (well they had renters for a few months)......I can look online and see they haven't paid winter taxes so we suspect they are in happy in a new home out west and are no longer paying the mortgage on the one here......
must not dissolve into rant......must not dissolve into rant......happy thoughts happy thoughts.
While camping we saw quite a few other Brittneys ( the type of dog we have). Some Brittneys don't really look like Belle, but 2 of them did. One was even taller and slightly broader in the shoulders than her.....they were all very....Brittney-like in their manner:-) We wanted to get a group picture than realized it would be impossible without photo shop and lots of tranquilizers.
We had a showing yesterday and when I got back I realized I left the sponge I used to clean the bathroom sitting on the edge of the tub behind the curtain. Before I knew it Daniel picked it up and put it away for me. How bad is it that a toddler not only knows that the sponge doesn't belong out, but also where to put it? But it was just further proof that my sweet little helper is back....I missed him.
Also isn't it ridiculous the following conversation went on in my head upon seeing said sponge "OMG what if the buyers SAW....THAT?!" "Oh self, who cares at this point the other houses they are looking at are probably 4 bedroom 2 bath homes that are bank owned you don't have a chance anyway ... let it go"
happy thoughts happy thoughts happy thoughts
Hey the RED WINGS WON THE STANLEY CUP!
I started giving Matthew solid foods (rice cereal)...I waited a bit longer with Daniel, however Matthew lately can't seem to get enough to eat. But now his face has broken out and he cant keep his hands away (like he is itching).....Could he be allergic? Also it could be this heat.....did I mention its HOT?
Well that is all for now. I really do have some other things I have been meaning to post. Specifically more on a topic starts with a "F" and ends in "closure"....(not that we are there) and other "options" you can say we have. Mostly I want to post a FAQ, since after 2 years we still get "I don't understand why you guys don't just......(fill in the blank)"....even close friends and family still have an opinion and believe we haven't explored every option. But.....I will continue to think happy thoughts until I am out of this self loathing funk:-)
I have a good friends/coworker Jeff who was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation. As often is the case it took a long time to diagnose. Below is a description of what it is:
Chiari malformations (CMs) are defects in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance, and creates pressure on the cerebellum and brainstem which may block the flow of cerebrospinal fluid to and from the brain. The condition was first identified by German pathologist, Professor Hans Chiari, in the 1890's who categorized the CMs in order of severity: types I, II, III, and IV. The cause of Chiari I malformations are unknown but scientists believe it is either a congenital condition caused by exposure to harmful substances during fetal development or that it could be a genetic condition as it may appear in more than one member of a family The symptoms usually appear during adolescence or early adulthood and can include severe head and neck pain, vertigo, muscle weakness, balance problems, blurred or double vision, difficulty swallowing and sleep apnea.
He has become associated with the group called Wishes and Rainbows. Their mission is:
Chiari and Syringomyelia are two neurological
disorders that can make day-to-day living challenging,
even when properly diagnosed and treated.
When these conditions are misdiagnosed and untreated, the challenges can be overwhelming. With your support, we can help individuals with these conditions learn to manage their health more effectively and live a better life
After hearing what Jeff had to go through to reach this diagnosis and what he continues to go through to get treatment I honestly didn't think it could get worse. However I started to read the stories of those younger than him. Its heartbreaking to read some of these stories of young children and teens who have been going through this. Michigan has declared September 2008, as Chiari Malformation Awareness Month in Michigan. Other states are doing the same. You can go to the Wishes and Rainbow site to donate. Or stay tuned I hope to have more fundraising information in the future.
About me, my family, my job.....everything sorta.....
About Me
Name: DDK23
Location: Southeastern, Michigan, United States
I am the mother of 2 wonderful boys. In addition to the job of mom, I am an actual work at home mom. I telecommute 40+ hours a week. Still trying to learn how to juggle.
