Easter-ish

I'm here to report on our Easter weekend.
Thanks to John, Eli and John's parents Frank & Harriet, we spent a weekend near B/CS* at a their ranch trying to contain ourselves in the wide open spaces. One thing we didn't count on was the weather - rainy and cold - nor did we count on Steven coming down with a terrible case of the flu (maybe someone won't scoff at a seasonal flu shot next year, eh?). By Saturday afternoon, Steven was knocking on Death's door.
We were there mostly to see our great friends, but we did manage to see the most adorable calves ever. I'm a Utah girl. I grew up in Cache Valley where cheese factories thrived. Cows were commonplace and never once did I consider them cute.

But come on....they are so sweet and innocent! And some were only 2 weeks old.

Bradley & Emmy "helping" Uncle John start a fire.
John, why do you look like someone I don't want to meet in a dark alley?

Emmy with hail in her hair. So much for warm spring-time weather or starting a fire.

So, because Steven was near death, we didn't attend church Sunday (I didn't want to go to some random church alone with the kids). So Easter wasn't celebrated how it should be. However the lesser important, worldly, and much more secular-pleasing celebrations did take place. The Easter egg hunt went off without a hitch and we all got intoxicated with plenty of chocolate and sugar. And what more could my children ask for?
Oh, and, stupid Mommy forgot her camera. Thanks to Elizabeth for all the photos seen here. You're a lifesaver!

Open-Toed Season

It's officially white pants, spring colors, open-toe shoe season now that Easter has passed. I only know this because my grandmother (who wrote textbooks on fashion and design) ingrained it into my head. There's just something maddening about people wearing these items at the wrong time. Though I must admit, living in a warm climate like Texas does merit some breaking of the flip-flop rule. Yet if one must break the rule, the must do it right. As for the beginning of this marvelous season, there is something I must get off my chest. You must be good at wearing open-toed shoes. So, here's the pledge:

The Open Toed Shoe Pledge

As a member of the Cute Girl Sisterhood, I pledge to follow the Rules when wearing sandals and other open-toe shoes:

I promise to always wear sandals that fit. My toes will not hang over and touch the ground, nor will my heels spill over the backs. And the sides and tops of my feet will not pudge out between the straps.

I will go polish-free or vow to keep the polish fresh, intact and chip-free. I will not cheat and just touch up my big toe.

I will sand down any mounds of skin before they turn hard and yellow.

I will shave the hairs off my big toe.

I won't wear pantyhose even if my misinformed girlfriend, coworker, mother, sister tells me the toe seam really will stay under my toes if I tuck it there.

If a strap breaks, I won't duct-tape, pin, glue or tuck it back into place hoping it will stay put. I will get my shoe fixed or toss it.

I will not live in corn denial; rather I will lean on my good friend Dr. Scholl's if my feet need him.

I will resist the urge to buy jelly shoes at Payless for the low, low price of $4.99 even if my feet are small enough to fit into the kids' sizes. This is out of concern for my safety, and the safety of others. No one can walk properly when standing in a pool of sweat and I would hate to take someone down with me as I fall and break my ankle.

I will take my toe ring off toward the end of the day if my toes swell and begin to look like Vienna sausages.

I will be brutally honest with my girlfriend/sister/coworker when she asks me if her feet are too ugly to wear sandals. Someone has to tell her that her toes are as long as my fingers and no sandal makes creepy feet look good.

I will promise if I wear flip flops that I will ensure that they are actually flip and flop, making the correct noise while walking and I will swear NOT to slide or drag my feet while wearing them.

I will promise to go to my local nail salon at least once per season and have a real pedicure (they are about $35 and worth EVERY penny).

I will promise to throw away any white/off-white sandals that show signs of wear... nothing is tackier than dirty white sandals.

Phew, there, I've done it. Now you may bring on the sandals.....that is, unless your feet look like this.

Good Friday

Aren't all Fridays pretty good?
Today's especially good (not only for Christian reasons). We're going out of town to our friend's ranch near B/CS. It should be a great getaway. Blogging won't happen for a few days because of it. No phone, no tv, no internet, nothing. I can't wait! Exploring, cooking, relaxing, chasing the cows, and best of all (at least for the kids) getting absolutely filthy in all the dust and dirt.

Proud Parent Syndrome

Even though we've moved, we still applied to elementary schools in H* in case we were to stay there. Most local residents received their admission/rejection letters on Saturday, but because our mail had to be forwarded, we didn't find out until today.
In January, I voluntarily had Bradley tested to see if he qualified for local vanguard (gifted and talented) programs. I hate admitting this because I hate being that parent that thinks their child is brilliant (because - let's face it - EVERY mother thinks her child is brilliant). We happened to be out of town the weekend he tested so our friends made sure he was at the right place at the right time to make sure he was tested. They told us he didn't last too long in the testing area - which I had heard meant the test-taker usually hadn't done well. They had either become bored and requested to leave or the test-giver had realized this may be a waste of every one's time and sent them out.
Well.
As I was flipping through the envelopes, we were interested to learn where he had been accepted to and where he hadn't when I came upon a Vanguard school. He had been accepted. I thought, 'Hmmm. That's funny. That would mean he had to do well on his testing scores.' My little monkey did VERY well and I can't keep it all to myself. I'm so very proud of him! And after my April Fool entry, you can all see he didn't get it from his mother.
Though he occasionally does that something or other that makes me second guess these scores, I get to know that someone else thinks my monkey is as smart as I do.
YAY, Bradley!

Village of 100 People

My MIL just sent me a website. Instead of huge statistics and percentages, it reduces the world's population to a village of 100 people. Here are the results. The demographics would come out something like this:

• 60 Asians
• 12 Europeans
• 5 US Americans and Canadians
• 8 Latin Americans
• 14 Africans

Want more?

• 49 would be female
• 51 would be male
• 82 would be non-white
• 18 white
• 5 would control 32% of the entire world's wealth (they'd all be US citizens)
• 80 would live in substandard housing
• 24 would not have electricity (and of the 76% that do, most would only use it for light at night)
• 67 would be unable to read
• 1 (only one!) would have a college education
• 50 would be malnourished and 1 dying of starvation
• 33 would be without access to a safe water supply
• 1 would have HIV
• 1 near death
• 2 near birth
• 7 people would have access to the Internet

Wow, do I feel like a minority!

The site had only a couple of other things on it that were interesting. If you want to see it, you can check it out here.

Visitors Welcome

We had our first official visitors from out of town this evening. This seems to be a rarity for our family. We haven't had too many visitors since we've lived in TX, but for the next two to three months, we have more weekends planned for visits from out-of-towners than we had the entire time we were in H* town. It could be that we finally have room to put visitors up comfortably, I'm not sure. I do know that I'm super excited that Travis and Jenny stopped by and had dinner with us tonight and more dinners are to come with always-welcome visitors.
Travis, we just need to make sure we reciprocate and come see you in FL!

The April Fool

I'm SOOOO proud of myself (um, there's some sarcastic undertone you'll need to insert there)!

When we first moved in, Bradley and I noticed the sprayer attached to our kitchen sink. We didn't have one in our last apartment and we both decided right then that we were going to implement that into our April Fool's joke on Steven. What can I say? We think ahead.

This morning, I used one of Emmy's clear rubber bands to tie the handle down.

Then I told Steven to make sure to start the dishes.

Why I thought this was so funny, I don't really know. Here's the sad part. I set up the sting, walked over to clean Emmy up from breakfast, came back to the sink and turned on the faucet to rinse off her bib. Literally I walked from setting up the faucet, over to Emmy, and back to the sink. Not a very bright girl, am I? I was completely wet, as was the floor, and Steven was on his way downstairs. I quickly dried off the floor and Bradley and I cuddled up on the family room couch under a blanket (to cover the giant wet mark on my stomach) trying to muffle our giggles at what had just happened and what was about to happen.

So after all that was said and done, Steven did get pranked (yay, at least I was a small success), but I was the April Fool. All of the sudden I have a hankering to watch The April Fools. I'm a sucker for the old ones.

Case of the Uglies

I'm feeling ugly-pregnant at this point. I get HUGE! Tara is my empathizer (though I never remember her getting this big - she just tells me she does....either way, it's nice to know there's someone else out there). It happens early on in my pregnancy, so at 6 months, I was looking pretty pregnant. People would always acuse me of being pregnant with twins or say things like "Girrrrl, you'll never make it 'til May." Ugh. So at this point, I truly only comfortable in jammies/warm-ups.
My last hi-light job was not very good, so I'm hoping to get these roots fixed before we begin having visitors. This isn't helping my self-esteem. I might just be ready to whack my hair all off.
I get a mild case of malasma at the end of my pregnancies, so my skin looks a little not-so-glowing. Why don't we go ahead and chalk that up there.
And I need a pedicure. Mostly because I can't reach my toes.
I have 7 weeks to go. I think I can. I think I can. My neighbor was induced today (2 1/2 weeks early) and I'm insanely jealous.
I get weekly updates on the developmental stage of my baby from a website called babycenter. This is the "picture" of what I'm supposed to look like. I don't look like this.

Suburban Savings

Yesterday I received our new renter's insurance policy with the changes regarding our move. When I called to make the changes, I figured we should probably double our assets. So, with doubling our assets and moving into a home rather than being in a tiny apartment, I thought my premiums would sky rocket. In fact my agent "guess-timated" that it would possibly more than double. Yesterday with the policy came a refund check in the mail. My premiums have been lowered! I LOVE this kind of news.
So with that news, I quickly called my car insurance company to ask them about any changes. It, too, was lowered by over $60 a year. Woo-hoo! I guess there are perks to suburbia. And all this time I thought I'd hate it. Hmmm, what to do with this extra cash just burning a hole in my pocket.....that huge outlet mall nearby looks awfully inviting.

Rain Rain Rain

Today it's raining. We've been stuck inside all day long. The kids have been watching cartoons, snacking, and playing random games with each other while I've finished the organization of our house (sometimes it's a pain to figure out where you want everything to go!). The rain in R* isn't like the rain in H*. Even though we're under a flood watch, I giggle at the thought of this kind of water being any sort of threat. When you have lived in a place where "torrential rain" and "monsoon season" actually mean something, I will never underestimate driving around in REAL rain.
PS I've been walking around all day singing Winnie the Pooh's: Rain Rain Rain Came Down Down Down. Ha! Now it's in your head, too.

Piano

Today I'm grateful to my parents for allowing me to take music lessons growing up. Money wasn't always flowing freely in my parent's home and practicing wasn't always my favorite activity, but for 9 years I took lessons from a woman who I still turn to for musical advice (I will always love & appreciate you, Cathy).
Occasionally I would feel overwhelmed when asked to play the organ at church. I'm just not good at it. I have a hard time figuring out the foot pedals. I've had a few lessons on how to play the organ, but no where near enough to play it with any sort of proficiency. I'm sure to the untrained ear, it sounds just fine, but to my ear, I'm rather embarrassed.
Today, one pianist was gone and the person conducting the meeting was looking around frantically and finally asked aloud, "there wouldn't happen to be a new person that can play?" I offered and realized how much I've missed having a piano in my life.
For a while, while we were in H*, one of Steven's classmates let me borrow her small keyboard (pictured above) which was received graciously because before that, I was using Bradley's toy keyboard (pictured below) to figure out choir music for ward and stake choir.
Steven took these pictures took these pictures when I was trying to figure out which Beethoven piece to use for our Stake's Easter program last year. He thought it was sadly funny.
Let's just say I hope a piano will be one of our first big purchases...right after a house, car, etc, etc....

Rounding Out

I need to stop wearing horizontal stripes at this point in my pregnancy. I'm beginning to look like a walking advertisement for a well known telephone company.

Role Reversal? Nah.

Let me paint a picture.

Steven is thoroughly excited about our newly acquired yard work and has been outside every night until dark doing various things. The only thing is that it's been rainy here and his only work gloves are leather and he's been slow to want to get them wet. I told him to feel free to use mine, as they are cotton.......but they are pink.

Two nights ago, while he was out weeding, I thought I should start on dinner. I decided to grill up some hamburgers. So I was in the backyard on our porch grilling away in Steven's grilling apron. Our house in on a slight hill so you could see me on our back porch from the sidewalk/road.

A couple happened to be walking by that evening while I was in the backyard grilling in my husband's apron and Steven was in the front yard pulling weeds donning my pink gardening gloves. I can only imagine what was going through their heads.

Has my working and him being a stay-at-home dad really changed us that much? I guess you could say we aren't your typical couple from the 1950's.

Book Worming

Last night Bradley and I finished reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (#1). I can't believe he stuck with it. It definitely took us a whole lot longer than it took me by myself, but he'd bring it to me nightly and we'd read a small section of each chapter. He'd laugh at all the right places and ask me why certain parts of the movie weren't in the book. He's so observant. We'll see how #2 comes along. He's my little HP fan. We both can't wait for this summer! Keep 'em coming Rowling.

As for me, I finished listening to Life of Pi. It had been a book club choice months ago and I couldn't get past the beginning. There was lots of philosophy and I found it a little dry. Jenny and Chris talked me into listening to it. They both said it was much better. So I did it. I listened to it as I drove to and from work. It was excellent. I would also recommend listening to it rather than reading it. Yann Martel, the author, is the reader and he is SO entertaining. His accents are believable and he does a wonderful job bringing the story to life.

Settled but NOT Settling

All is well! We finally got internet yesterday, so I'm back. We are settled in and loving every minute of it. I can't keep the kids in the house to save my life. It's definitely a dream come true to finally have a house with a fenced-in backyard.

It's been an easy transition - especially since Steven didn't have to begin work until yesterday. We are all but unpacked. I must admit I had a hard time at church. I was looking around the congregation and thought 'wow, everyone is white.' I immediately (and to my huge surprise) missed the character of my old ward. Yes, its "character" meant I had to give rides every Sunday and have slightly more responsibility/callings within my ward, but it still had character. In the middle of Sacrament, Bradley looked up at me - his eyes brimming with tears - and said, "Can't we just go to our old church?" That did it for me. I couldn't stop the flow of tears for about 10 minutes. I assured Steven we were okay but I'm sure he was a little distraught at his son and wife sobbing. But we sure missed all our friends. It also didn't help that one of us is pregnant and the other is a very sensitive 5 year old.

The lack of character was made up with everyone's warm hospitality. We were welcomed with open arms. Teresa and her family had us over for lunch on Sunday. My kids were in heaven in there home - not to mention their ever-entertaining backyard and puppy. Thanks for the hook-up, Tara.

Besides our ten minutes of home-sickness, we have been blissfully happy. With all the stuff there is to do here, we are debating whether or not to even bother finding Bradley a school until next fall. We'll see.

The Move

WE MADE IT!

After a couple sad farwells and a few doctor stresses, we took off this morning just before noon.

Yesterday 3 amazing women showed up and packed up every little thing in my house in under 3 hours. It would have easily taken me 3 days. It was worth every penny (even though Steven's new job is paying them, not me, I would have definitely done it)! Especially since I'm pregnant, packing just sounded dreadful.

Today, 3 wonderful men - from the same company - came and loaded up the truck in about 3 hours, drove to our new home, and unloaded it in an hour and a half. AWESOME!

What wasn't so awesome was that our water had been turned on yesterday, then turned back off because after they watched the meter, they realized somewhere in the house water was runnning and they are required to turn it off for fear of water damage to the house. So - no running water.

Also, the electricity guy showed up earlier this week to turn on our power and he needed access to our house. So - no electricity.

To make a long story short - we're in a hotel tonight.

PS Congrats to Emma & Aaron, Julia & Devin, and Melissa & Dave. Like any of us doubted you would match.

Wills and Such

It wasn't until after I was pregnant with Emmy that we purchased life insurance. What's even more terrible than waiting until after we had children to purchase life insurance was that it wasn't until last night that we signed an official will. So, our wonderful friends came over for a "Will Signing Party". (We had to cheer it up somehow - I mean, come on, we're discussing imminent death. )
Our great friend, John, also comes with this great perk where he turns into a lawyer for us and one who's willing to hook us up big-time! He and his wife Eli showed up late last night with Chris and Jenny (we needed witnesses for the signing) for the ordeal.
I can't explain the sense of relief that came with the signing. I love knowing that our children will be taken care of how we want them to be. It's also reassuring that they'll be with people we want them to be with if anything was to happen to Steven and me.
Though some of it was a little more complicated than "everything goes to the kids and the kids go to so-and-so" it was well worth it all. I would highly recommend everyone doing it. The weight is now off our shoulders and Steven and I can definitely sleep easier. Thanks a million John. We owe you big!

The ABCs of Me

* ACCENT: Redneck, UT w/ a slight Texan flare

* BEST FRIEND: Steven

* CHORE I DON'T CARE FOR: Cleaning Shower/Tub & putting laundry away.

* DOG OR CAT: Dog - I'm thinking a yellow lab or retriever....

* ESSENTIAL ELECTRONICS: Computer (internet)

* FAVORITE SALAD DRESSING: Brianna's Poppyseed - mmmmm.

* GOLD OR SILVER: Gold

* HANDBAG OF CHOICE: My Ninewest!

* INDULGENCE: Pedicures

* JOB TITLE: Wife of one, Mother of 2 1/2, Maid, Cook, Driver, Financial Planner, etc. etc.

* KIDS: Bradley - 5, Emmy - 2 1/2, monkey #3 - 7 months and counting.

* LATEST PERSONAL PURCHASE: Dinner with the hubby.

* MOST FREQUENTLY CRAVED SNACK: Diet Coke

* NAIL POLISH OF CHOICE: Some obnoxious bright pinksih-red for my toes, and french-tipped nails.

* OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAYS: Babies, gall bladder removal.

* PHOBIAS: Heights and things with eight legs.

* QUOTE: "Well-behaved women rarely make history." -Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.

* REASON TO SMILE: I'm going to be in a house soon.

* SIBLINGS: Kristen, Ryan, Scott, Holly & Karrie

* TIME I RISE IN THE MORNING: usually 7-7:30ish....lately 4 am.

* UNKNOWN FACT ABOUT ME: I have anxiety attacks when I'm pregnant.

* VEGETABLE I REFUSE TO EAT: Brussle sprouts.

* WORST HABIT: Chewing on the inside of my cheek - gross, I know. It's nervous thing. Oh - and being pregnant - make that VERY PREGNANT - during major moves.

* X-RAYS: Teeth and left foot (for a surgery)

* YUMMY FOOD I MAKE: I love my pumpkin roll, chicken pot pie, and I'm really good at ordering take-out.

* ZOO ANIMAL I MOST LIKE: Orangutan.

Farewells

Things are wrapping up as we are getting ready to leave. My last day of work is on Tuesday. Women are packing up our home on Wednesday and the movers come on Thursday. I'm getting a little nervous that we've forgotten something.

This past weekend my dear and very thoughtful friends, Ali and Tara, threw Steven and I a little farewell party. In the invitation they also thought they'd throw in the fact that we were having our third baby and "practical" gifts could be used. I'm a long standing aponent of 2nd+ baby showers - they've always driven me nuts. But I have to admit that the gifts were wonderful to get and so very thoughtgul. The presents are appreciated and were very practical. I don't think I'll need to buy wipes for at least 6 months. I love it! Thanks to all!

Here are some pics from the party. I'm sure the people in them are grateful to know that I've posted these. Oh well, that's what they get for being supportive.

Bon Voyage.

Moonbeam

In the mornings, Emmy will finish her cold cereal, tip the remaining milk still in the bowl slightly to one side and say,

"Look, Mom, it's a moon."

Fighting Siblings

I don't know if it's the 900 square feet that we are living in, or the boxes we are all maneuvering around, but our space - or lack thereof - is getting to all of us. Luckily, we're moving. Until then I'm hoping to get a few words of advice form those who've gone before me.
Bradley and Emmy are just about ready to kill each other. Our plans were to keep them together sharing a room so the baby could have its own room. Now I'm not so sure. Maybe the baby should just go with whomever is the same gender. Part of me thinks, they need to work out their issues, but the other part of me doesn't want to deal with it and thinks it would minimize their fighting.
What would you do?

Presidential Candiate

Audra had a blog that inspired this one...Here's a take on the 2008 presidential race. There's no doubt that history is in the making. We may have either the first Black president, the first Woman president or the first Mormon president. Why not kill three birds with on stone: elect Gladys Knight and call it a day?

Thanks for the email, Terica.

Did someone invite Hitchcock?

Winter must be coming to a close.

In the past three weeks I haven't been able drive downtown without seeing tens of thousands of birds. They line uo all along the power lines looking rather magnificent and formidable. H* does fall along the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. You see over 600 species of birds here, so while I should be feeling lucky, I feel like my eyes are going to be pecked out. The skies seem heavy and overwhelmed with these countless blackbirds.

Little fast fact: The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail runs along 500 miles of the Texas coastline from Beaumont to the Rio Grande Valley. A true avian treat awaits you at the Texas coast: from Whooping Cranes to Black-Chinned Hummingbirds, from Painted Buntings to Magnificent Frigatebirds, Royal Terns, American Oystercatchers, ducks, hawks, Piping Plovers plus several hundred other species. This dons from being a SIL to two who LOVE to go birding.

But last summer grackles (the really large, black crow-looking bird) were attacking people downtown. So while they look really impressive, I think I'll keep my distance. The next time you drive around this city at dusk, look up. You can't miss them.

Is this a random blog for me, or what?

Birthday Boy Guilt

Bradley's 5th birthday was yesterday. It wasn't bad enough that by Wednesday he was still giving me his invitation list to his "Harry Potter Party", but we also told him that his last day of school was going to be Friday, the 2nd - devastation wreaked havoc on him.
As the guilt began to really take toll on me, I was finding myself buying EVERYTHING on that boy's list. I had to remain under control. Instead, I tweaked our own plans to make him feel like everything we were doing that weekend was for him.
Friday we picked him up from school and drove straight to our new destination to look for a place to live. We told him that for his birthday, we were going to stay in a hotel and going to find our family a new house and we really needed his help with the decision. I didn't pack all his presents thinking we'd get home in time, but we didn't make it back until after 11 pm last night. He did help with the decisions:

• we ended up getting his house with stairs.....I don't know about this
• he chose every restaurant we ate at.....I can't look at another french fry
• we went bowling after we filled out our applications.....watching a pregnant woman bowl has to be pretty comical

Yet we drove those two kids around for hours! Late last night, he did get to "open" his big present. He finally got a new bike. That kid has lived in an apartment his whole life (more guilt) and I couldn't wait to get him a toy that required a sidewalk or yard or something we have avoided because we didn't have a house.
Today - again, out of guilt - we're going to re-celebrate with cake and ice cream, more gifts to be unwrapped, and he and daddy get to be men and assemble his new toy - that he can't truly use for another two weeks - will the guilt ever go away??? I think so, he has his sweet, new, red bike - just what he asked for.

Okay, okay, here's some pics of the new pad. We're very, very, very excited about it. But I'm going to continue to act obtuse and nonchalant like it isn't a big deal. Here's a picture of the backyard.
And just across the street is the community pool. Yes, this will come in handy for a pregnant gal in the summer time- which lasts 6-9 months in Texas.
Mabybe that will tempt someone for a visit? Perhaps.

Moving Decisions

I "slept in" until 4:40 this morning. That's pretty good, right? The thoughts of living in a house finally are making me restless. I'm giddy. I wake up and can't stop thinking about stuff like:

• one or two story (one! I'm currently not handling my four flights - once or twice a day - very well)
• schools (Emma, I need that website link you use to check out schools)
• movers (can't they pay us the difference between the moving bids and what we could do it for? we could do it for under $300 and bids are coming in at $1750!)
• quitting (I'm sooooo ready to be done yesterday)
• explaining the bad side to Bradley (not so giddy - he's going to be sad to leave his school/friends)
• rent or buy (I can't imagine buying)
• what to do to thank everyone who's been so great to us (any suggestions - you're probably on the list ; )

I've been bothering the people I know who work(ed) in the public school system for a long time. I'm loving their advice. They are mentioning things to me that I would never have considered or thought of. Hopefully the research will pay off. As for house hunting: we'll try and check it out this weekend - so if you have advice - freely give it!

The Search is Over

We have a job.

The contract will come today in the mail. We are so excited and happy about this we've both had perma-grin since yesterday afternoon when the numbers were finalized. I can't believe it's all over.

Steven will be working for a large cardiologist group but under only one doctor. There are lots of perks to this but mostly better benefits because it's a big group, but he'll only have to answer to one person - not 4+ pushy doctors. The pay is going to be great and we'll be living in a small town just outside one of the major cities in TX. So the cost of living will continue to be rather cheap, but we'll have the access I was hoping for to a big city. (I'm a little ambiguous about the exact location because I've inherited my father's paranoia and seen one too many episodes of Law & Order... if you want to know exactly where, call/email me.)

We're not sure when we're moving (most likely within a few weeks). We're not sure if we're buying or renting (if you have advice about this, freely give it). We're not sure about lots of stuff. This weekend we'll try and make a trip there to look around. And for those of you asking yourself, "what in the world are they doing moving so far along in a pregnancy?" ....well, this is nothing compared to my last one. Thanks to my church family (Audra was bombarded with questions from me), we successfully moved when I was 38 weeks along.

Thanks to all who've been praying for us and wishing us luck through this. Especially those who didn't want this sort of outcome - you know who you are - whether it was because we'll still be far away or because once we move then we'll be far away. You're support is the most appreciated and noticed.

PS It would benefit me greatly as to not have you guess which one of us is the kitten/pig. Remember - I'm pregnant. Just keep it to yourself and out loud say, "those are really cute pictures."

License Schmicense

We finally swallowed the jagged little pill that we may have to stay in Texas a little longer than we had planned. It's jagged because of the distance between us and all of our family.
More often than not, we were being turned down from jobs because we didn't have licensure to practice medicine in any of the states that we were applying to. We felt the obvious course of action was to first get the job, then apply for the license (mostly because it's kind of an expensive process and why have more than one license?). Not so. Employers want you to be ready to work ASAP - go figure.
On Tuesday this week we finally submitted our papers to become licensed in TX. There were several problems with this because:
1. In TX, paperwork needs to be submitted 30 days before the medical board meets.
2. The medical board meets quarterly (the next one being in early-March)
This means we were already too late to apply for the March meeting. We called to find out the timeline of things and they told us they were "back-logged" and "not to expect it for 60-90 days."
3. We overnighted it with lots of hope - overnighting requires signature confirmation
4. We mailed it to a PO box
Hopefully I don't have to explain this dilemma to you. When we checked the tracking number the next day, it said they tried to deliver it at 7 am with no success and they would try again the following day then send it back in 5 days if it hadn't been picked up ....we were annoyed that the mail carrier just didn't send it back right then.
Yesterday, Steven got an email from TX Medical Board saying his licensure was complete and would be reviewed by the board next Friday, the 2nd. They had only received his paperwork by yesterday! We were under the impression it would be 60-90 days for temporary licensure and up to 120 for the actual license. WE'RE EMPLOYABLE!
We were ecstatic! We were all running around the hotel (we were interviewing in Tyler at the time of the email) screaming with excitement - mostly because we had a great offer pending on licensure. All I can say is this was such a huge blessing for our family. Someone's watching out for us, that's for sure.

As for the 4 am postings, I wake up between 3:30 and 5 unable to sleep. I begin to think about various things which then causes stress and anxiety - so to avoid that, I wake up and am productive in other ways until I think I'll be able to get back to sleep. A little advice for anyone else with the same problem....a warm bath is always a good move.

Sweet Success

It's ironic how my last entrance said I had all this time, but I haven't made any entrances for nearly a week. We've been busy traveling again for various interviews...all in Texas, if you're wondering.
Steven is my (and all my girlfriend's) new hero. Emmy's stubbornness only shined through when I got home last Saturday from our day away. She decided to have an accident. And two days ago when our baby-sitter got to our house so we could leave for an overnight trip. Emmy walked into her room and did it then, too. Besides that, we've had total success. She did both (if you know what I mean) on the first day. This is quite a change for us. Bradley took months (I'm talking almost a year) to have the "courage" to do the deuce on the potty.
We knew she was potty-trained when we put a diaper on her for bed-time and after about an hour of tossing and turning, she came out to watch TV with me. After a few minutes she looked at me and said, "potty?" I didn't have to prompt her or ask her and she had a perfect reason not to - the diaper was already on. YEE-HAW!
This picture captures Emmy's diva-esque triumph. I would have posted an un-cropped photo, but it was just a little on the weird side.
Steven IS for hire. You just probably can't afford him - even if it did only take him 5 hours (what is up with that?). Thank You is sooooo inadequate right now.

The Princess & the Potty

Steven's taking on the dubious task of potty-training Emmy. My very intelligent and successful SIL has managed to use the book Potty Train in Less Than a Day. I used the same book when training Bradley and 4 months later, he was trained -mostly. Let's just say I didn't follow the book's outline and I didn't do every step they told me to.
I've been using the excuse 'we're moving soon, so I don't want her to regress with change'. And I've been saying it for months. Even if we did move this week, my energy level is starting to diminish with the pregnancy. That girl is SO needing to be trained. But she's such a stubborn little diva that I've been hesitant (note the game board I found online is very appropriate for this child). Steven, being my adorable stay-at-home daddy, was willing to re-read the book and -- get this -- take detailed notes.
Today's the day. He's prepped with all of his needs and Bradley and I are leaving for the day to go to a birthday party and to run various errands so there are no distractions. Wish Steven luck. Oh, how I love that man.

A Break

A break was finally given to me when a student came to the office to do her externship. Phew! I've given her lots of the busy work (like verifying insurance), so now I can do my job of recredentialing for providers and putting out other small fires for the doctors office. Most importantly, I don't get home quite so exhausted and I now have time to blog! I was going crazy at work. My to-do box was piling higher and higher while my done box was looking very meager.

This job/move thing is really starting to get to us. Steven finally admitted that he's feeling anxiety about the whole situation. If you don't know Steven, he's the kind of guy that NEVER feels real stress. I feel so bad for him. I can' t imagine the pressure he feels right now.
I know we'll end up in the place that "we're meant to be". I know it sounds so cliche, but I know that place is out there and our family will be happy wherever it is. I just wish it would show itself to us sooner rather than later. I have a baby coming for crying out loud!

Money is Wicked...

....especially when it's scarce.

I recently found out that my health insurance these past two months has mistakenly put me under the wrong plan -- a plan that my doctor doesn't take. Lovely. This not only comes during the mid-pregnancy ultrasound ($235), but I have a thyroid condition that requires lab work every 4 weeks that costs about $200 each time. Not to mention the $80 check-ups that have come up twice now in those two months.
Babies are awfully expensive when you don't have insurance. I'm praying that there is retro-eligiblity....especially since it was THEIR FAULT! Ugh. I think I'm feeling picked on.

Oh ya, we had to replace the axle on the Carolla last week. Can you say, "cha-ching"?

Decisions

To keep people abreast of the situation (since lots are asking), the Oregon job didn't work out. After all the money that was spent on us to fly out there and the googling that took place over us during interviews, they decided to go with another candidate that WASN'T a new grad - nice. Hey, it was a free trip, right?
I've decided that like the famous sentiment on making money, in the job market you need experience to get experience. For Steven's job market, that's true everywhere in the country BUT H*! So, we decided that come March 1, we stop looking for jobs elsewhere - with the intention of trying to move a little closer to family - and take that: great pay, great experience, career boosting job in the medical center in a city where the cost of living is better than nearly everywhere in the country. I know it sounds like stupidity that we're moving away from a place that sounds so great - especially since I'm pregnant and we already have a great OB/Gyn here. It's just that we've been looking forward to a new scene for our family. Since we began our grad school experience here, we knew this was a temporary stop for our family. I think it's just in our heads that a move to a new city is the obvious next step.If H* continues to be our home, we'll see if a move only a mere few miles away (we'll have to move into a house before the next one is born) will bring that new-scene feeling to us . I get the feeling that come August, it won't. But while "weather amnesia" (what happens in H* during winter) is in effect, I'm okay with the thoughts of staying.

The Resting Weary

Emmy, like Bradley and most other children, has this capability to sleep anywhere. These past 3-4 days, she's been sleeping 9 hours a night and taking 4 or 5 hour naps during the day. Can you say 'growth spurt'?

Here's an illustration from last fall.

Home Ownership

Why I'm scared out of my mind to be a home-owner.
These leaks and cracks (4 total) came after that last ice storm that came through H*. We're on the top floor, so when the roof doesn't hold up, neither does our ceiling.

A lovely bowl that caught it all (er, at least most of it). I will say it was awfully nice to call our office and the maintenance team was up on the roof by the next day - it's all fixed. Throwing our money away while renting is occasionally worth the hassle-free upkeep. I don't have to clean my carpets, mow the lawn, fix leaky faucets, paint my walls, climb up on my roof - three stories up. Some things are just out of my league.