When there is nothing urgent to do at the office, or when I don't have a full day of work ahead of me, I sometimes linger around my apartment in the morning with Timmy. He's been so much fun lately and he's always in his best moods right when he wakes up. So today we snuggled a little bit, ate waffles together and sang silly songs that he makes up while getting dressed. We left the apartment at 7:40am and I dropped him off at daycare on the way to work.
Every morning he takes off running the minute we enter the building, racing to give his teacher a hug and kiss. He talks about his teachers and the hugs and kisses he is going to give them all weekend and then takes it very seriously Monday-Friday. After completing his affection duty, he happily says goodbye to me, gives me a wet kiss and says "I love you, Mom."
How can the day not be good when it starts that way?
I left his daycare at 7:55am. Sat in traffic almost the entire way to work. Pulled into my parking spot at 8:50. Looked on the floor in front of the passenger seat and realized my work laptop wasn't there. Oh shit, realized that I had left it in a hidden corner of the living room, which is why PJO hadn't seen it and taken it to my car like he usually does in the mornings. Gave up on the day. Put my key right back in the ignition and drove home. Pulled into my garage at 9:30. Promptly changed into shorts and a t-shirt and mentally prepared to work from my bed all day. Lamented the fact that I could have easily skipped the 1 hour of getting ready and the near-2 hours of driving and been in the same spot as I was now in.
But what can you do?
Our landlord emailed us last weekend informing us that he is raising the rent. I wanted to respond that we're great tenants, he should just be glad to have us because we take care of his place, we pay on time every single month, no one complains about us and we fix things that need repair without bothering him. I wanted to say, screw you, we're moving out and you can deal with finding a new tenant and eat those months of your mortgage while you have an empty apartment. But the truth is, we can't move. We won't know until the end of the year if we're even staying in LA or moving to the 'burbs (if my firm ever lets me transfer) and we're not going to move only to potentially have to move again in 6 months. And the truth is, even with the rent increase, we probably still pay below-market for LA and it would be pretty damn difficult to find a cheaper option. Plus, really, we need more space and just can't justify spending X% more on rent until we absolutely have to. So we sucked it up, agreed to pay the additional monthly rent and asked him to fix a few annoying things in the apartment since we knew he'd do it right now.
What can you do?
Showing posts with label Apartment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Apartment. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
A good fence = great neighbors
I need to build a fence, so to speak.
Reason #951,768 why I hate living in an apartment:
Last night we were giving Timmy a bath when I noticed that my shirt smelled like smoke. Given that I had just changed out of my work clothes and into a clean shirt, folded in my drawer, I thought this was odd. After inspecting the dryer, the kitchen, our bedroom and closet, I discovered the source. Our next door neighbors were on their balcony (which is adjacent to ours) smoking cigarettes. Now we like to keep our windows and doors open (with screens) year round pretty much so we don't have to use A/C. But the smoke was traveling through our vents, all the way to the opposite end of the apartment (to Timmy's room).
We asked them to please stop smoking out there and shut our door. I think they did, but it happens all the time. Is it wrong of me to be annoyed that they would smoke out there? On the one hand, if I were a smoker, I would probably feel entitled to smoke on my own balcony. But on the other hand, it's SOOO invasive of everyone else's lives. Nevermind the fact that I have asthma and a young child, I find the smell of smoke disgusting and I find it a problem if I can't ever open my windows, not to mention enjoy being out on my own balcony. At first, I thought asking them to smoke inside their own apartment might solve the problem, but now I wonder if it would still get through the vents.
I long for the day where the only people in my "air space" are people in my house, where I don't hear parties and screeching cars at all hours of the night, where the building fire alarms don't go off during nap time, and where my morning trek to the car doesn't involve elevators. I love my little community but I could not be more ready to escape apartment living.
Does anyone out there with better manners and/or more patience have advice on how to handle situations with neighbors like this one?
Reason #951,768 why I hate living in an apartment:
Last night we were giving Timmy a bath when I noticed that my shirt smelled like smoke. Given that I had just changed out of my work clothes and into a clean shirt, folded in my drawer, I thought this was odd. After inspecting the dryer, the kitchen, our bedroom and closet, I discovered the source. Our next door neighbors were on their balcony (which is adjacent to ours) smoking cigarettes. Now we like to keep our windows and doors open (with screens) year round pretty much so we don't have to use A/C. But the smoke was traveling through our vents, all the way to the opposite end of the apartment (to Timmy's room).
We asked them to please stop smoking out there and shut our door. I think they did, but it happens all the time. Is it wrong of me to be annoyed that they would smoke out there? On the one hand, if I were a smoker, I would probably feel entitled to smoke on my own balcony. But on the other hand, it's SOOO invasive of everyone else's lives. Nevermind the fact that I have asthma and a young child, I find the smell of smoke disgusting and I find it a problem if I can't ever open my windows, not to mention enjoy being out on my own balcony. At first, I thought asking them to smoke inside their own apartment might solve the problem, but now I wonder if it would still get through the vents.
I long for the day where the only people in my "air space" are people in my house, where I don't hear parties and screeching cars at all hours of the night, where the building fire alarms don't go off during nap time, and where my morning trek to the car doesn't involve elevators. I love my little community but I could not be more ready to escape apartment living.
Does anyone out there with better manners and/or more patience have advice on how to handle situations with neighbors like this one?
Monday, June 28, 2010
Space is at a premium
Since we decided to stay in LA, I have been throwing out and donating old stuff, organizing what we are keeping to better utilize the minimal space we have and trying to consolidate/label stuff in our little storage space above our parking spots. Our storage units (2 of them) are probably the size of big freezers that hold ice cream sandwiches near checkout at Quicki-marts. About 65% of their contents are baby-related. The problem is, they're jam-packed and we keep generating more stuff for storage as Timmy outgrows another round of clothes or toys or accessories. Luckily, my mom just got a storage unit for some of my grandma's furniture she inherited that she hasn't made room for yet, and offered some space to me. Some space. Here's my problem:
These are the clothes that Timmy has outgrown in his short 18 months here on Earth. Just the clothes. I also have stored in our garage his infant swing and bouncer, exerSaucer, Baby Einstein floor gym, bumbo seat, boppy, and pack 'n play. There are things that I would love to store if I had plenty of space because we never use them anymore, like the giant glider and ottoman in his room or some more old toys or one of my two giant strollers, or his high chair when he moves on to a booster seat soon.
Everything I'm saving is something that I will probably want to use again whenever we have another baby. I also am saving a few things just for Timmy, keepsakes like his baptismal outfit and hospital blanket. I'm definitely starting to feel like the stuff I own owns me, but I can't bring myself to get rid of any of it. Then I start to wonder how long it will take to reach the point where it's cheaper to buy new stuff for the next baby than to pay to store our old stuff.
Ahh the joys of Apartment living!
These are the clothes that Timmy has outgrown in his short 18 months here on Earth. Just the clothes. I also have stored in our garage his infant swing and bouncer, exerSaucer, Baby Einstein floor gym, bumbo seat, boppy, and pack 'n play. There are things that I would love to store if I had plenty of space because we never use them anymore, like the giant glider and ottoman in his room or some more old toys or one of my two giant strollers, or his high chair when he moves on to a booster seat soon.
Everything I'm saving is something that I will probably want to use again whenever we have another baby. I also am saving a few things just for Timmy, keepsakes like his baptismal outfit and hospital blanket. I'm definitely starting to feel like the stuff I own owns me, but I can't bring myself to get rid of any of it. Then I start to wonder how long it will take to reach the point where it's cheaper to buy new stuff for the next baby than to pay to store our old stuff.
Ahh the joys of Apartment living!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
You know that story? Where the boy keeps saying "WOLF!!!" and at first people care and stuff, but then eventually they stop because he was always full of shit and then when there is really NO ONE who gives a f*ck anymore, a WOLF appears out of nowhere. That kid probably died a gruesome death, and absent that part, I sort of feel like the boy who cried wolf. I'm the girl who cried "move."
The move to suburbia has been momentarily/temporarily/maybe permanently(?) tabled. Once we realized it would be a very poor financial decision for us to buy a starter home, the allure was greatly diminished. We stepped back and asked why were moving to rent a place that we would most likely move out of in a year and would result in a 3 1/2 hour daily commute for me. Timmy is not in school yet, so things like great schools and lots of families just don't matter as much right now as they will in a few years. It would be nice to be closer to family, but they're only an hour away.
PJO still likes the resume builder and experience that his job provides, so he is going to keep doing his commute for as long as he can. It's not pleasant, but it's not terrible either (at least not by LA standards). My commute will be 30-45 minutes each way, much more doable given my unpredictable hours.
There is also the fact that I wasn't feeling quite ready to leave this place. I've started building some great friendships here and have really grown to love the mom's group in my neighborhood. We recently set up a babysitting swap, which is pretty much the best thing I've ever thought of. How long would it take me to make new friends that I trust enough to get free babysitting out of the deal?! (mostly joking). I didn't feel ready to leave behind my favorite farmers' markets and restaurants or find new doctors and grocery stores.
The plan now is to send Timmy to a daycare close by (the first one I ever toured and loved), then have a babysitter who will pick him up and bring him home most days. Hopefully one or both of us can make it home by 7 to give him dinner and a bath and put him to bed. If and when my firm decides to transfer me to the office in suburbia, we'll decide whether to make the big move or do something else.
The way things have been going, this could all change in a month. But I'm excited about this for a few reasons: 1) I don't have to pack and move this summer. 2) I don't have to worry about taking the train to work/being stranded in downtown LA after a late night or being too far away from Timmy to get to him in an emergency. 3) I can finally finish decorating our apartment now that I know we'll be here for at least a little bit longer to enjoy it. I had a blissful day Wednesday throwing out old stuff, organizing things to put in storage and containing Timmy's little toys in cubicle bins so I won't keep tripping on matchbox cars everywhere.
To quote one of my favorite commercials: "Things are looking up!"
The move to suburbia has been momentarily/temporarily/maybe permanently(?) tabled. Once we realized it would be a very poor financial decision for us to buy a starter home, the allure was greatly diminished. We stepped back and asked why were moving to rent a place that we would most likely move out of in a year and would result in a 3 1/2 hour daily commute for me. Timmy is not in school yet, so things like great schools and lots of families just don't matter as much right now as they will in a few years. It would be nice to be closer to family, but they're only an hour away.
PJO still likes the resume builder and experience that his job provides, so he is going to keep doing his commute for as long as he can. It's not pleasant, but it's not terrible either (at least not by LA standards). My commute will be 30-45 minutes each way, much more doable given my unpredictable hours.
There is also the fact that I wasn't feeling quite ready to leave this place. I've started building some great friendships here and have really grown to love the mom's group in my neighborhood. We recently set up a babysitting swap, which is pretty much the best thing I've ever thought of. How long would it take me to make new friends that I trust enough to get free babysitting out of the deal?! (mostly joking). I didn't feel ready to leave behind my favorite farmers' markets and restaurants or find new doctors and grocery stores.
The plan now is to send Timmy to a daycare close by (the first one I ever toured and loved), then have a babysitter who will pick him up and bring him home most days. Hopefully one or both of us can make it home by 7 to give him dinner and a bath and put him to bed. If and when my firm decides to transfer me to the office in suburbia, we'll decide whether to make the big move or do something else.
The way things have been going, this could all change in a month. But I'm excited about this for a few reasons: 1) I don't have to pack and move this summer. 2) I don't have to worry about taking the train to work/being stranded in downtown LA after a late night or being too far away from Timmy to get to him in an emergency. 3) I can finally finish decorating our apartment now that I know we'll be here for at least a little bit longer to enjoy it. I had a blissful day Wednesday throwing out old stuff, organizing things to put in storage and containing Timmy's little toys in cubicle bins so I won't keep tripping on matchbox cars everywhere.
To quote one of my favorite commercials: "Things are looking up!"
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wannabe Backyardigan
I wish I had a backyard for Timmy to run around naked in. He got a bad case of diaper rash this week and I had to let him roam naked and free in my apartment to allow his chafed butt to air out. He's acquainted with the potty enough that he'll sit on his little one and giggle, but unaware enough that he'll stand up and pee on the floor next to the potty, point and laugh. Good times.
Oh well, at least it made for some cute pictures.
He was actually much happier than he looks here.
Hmm, photographic evidence....
Let me see...
Ah ha! Here we go...
Eating food with the forbidden adult fork (albeit plastic):
Oh well, at least it made for some cute pictures.
He was actually much happier than he looks here.
Hmm, photographic evidence....
Let me see...
Ah ha! Here we go...
Eating food with the forbidden adult fork (albeit plastic):
Monday, June 7, 2010
Limbo extended
With the exception of 1, every August 1st for the last 5 years, I've moved to a new apartment. The four years before that I moved into a new dorm room each August. Soon PJO and I will make our 4th move in 5 years. Our first was a cross-country move with two cats but little furniture. Since then, we have accumulated more stuff, most notably a baby and all of his accoutrements.
I thought that in moving to suburbia, we would finally settle down, buy a house and stay put for several years. As it turns out, our desire to be free of a landlord is pretty much the only thing that supports a decision to buy. The combination of student loan debt and our plans to expand our family in the next few years make buying a starter home a waste of money.
So most likely, we will rent again. It's a little disappointing, but I'm trying to think of the perks...flexibility over the next few years and the ability to greatly accelerate paying off my loans. At this rate, I'll be happy if we feel settled by the time Timmy starts Kindergarten, which I guess is what matters anyway.
I thought that in moving to suburbia, we would finally settle down, buy a house and stay put for several years. As it turns out, our desire to be free of a landlord is pretty much the only thing that supports a decision to buy. The combination of student loan debt and our plans to expand our family in the next few years make buying a starter home a waste of money.
So most likely, we will rent again. It's a little disappointing, but I'm trying to think of the perks...flexibility over the next few years and the ability to greatly accelerate paying off my loans. At this rate, I'll be happy if we feel settled by the time Timmy starts Kindergarten, which I guess is what matters anyway.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
First Comes Love, Then Comes...?
One of my best friends and the maid of honor at my wedding called yesterday to tell me that she is planning on moving in with her boyfriend. She wanted advice from someone who was neither her parents nor her boyfriend about the pros and cons. I think I was picked because all turned out well after I lived with PJO prior to being engaged and married.
She struggled with feeling like she was a fairly traditional girl (who certainly has traditional parents) but at the same time feeling like co-habitating was the next natural step. They have discussed marriage quite a bit and both want that, just not right now. She also wondered if moving in with him would just cause him to delay proposing until much further down the road...you know, why buy the cow if you can get the milk for free?
I told her that I honestly can't believe some people get married without having lived together first. It seems to me like the best way to know if you'll be compatible living with someone for the rest of your life is to just do it for a little while. The most in love and perfect couple can make horrible roommates, which would make marriage hard, especially in the beginning.
Living together exposes weird idiosyncrasies and helps a couple work out the kinks of sharing a home before the wedding, when just adjusting to newlywed status can be a little stressful in itself. PJO was fully exposed to my OCD before saying "I do" so after carrying me over the threshold (again), he knew right away to use the pink sponge for dishes and the yellow sponge for counter tops.
Obviously if the relationship is not solid enough to withstand marriage, it would be nice to know that before the wedding. Living together can help sort out those relationships from the real thing. But at the same time, a successful test run can really give you peace of mind on the big day that you're making a good decision and help you just enjoy the day instead of paying any attention to the nerves and anxiety.
As a practical matter, usually moving in together happens at the point in the relationship where you are basically living together anyway. Every night is spent together, in one place or another. So why not cut down expenses and pay for one apartment? Why not save time and avoid commuting from one to the other?
Now that I've been happily married for a few years, I look back and wonder how different our lives would be if we hadn't moved in together when we were dating. It's hard to say, because we moved to CA from NYC before getting engaged. Maybe it was the right order for PJO and I, despite being non-traditional. Maybe it was "right" because it's what almost all of our friends did and it seemed normal. Perhaps PJO and I should just consider ourselves lucky that despite living together, we wound up happily married.
She struggled with feeling like she was a fairly traditional girl (who certainly has traditional parents) but at the same time feeling like co-habitating was the next natural step. They have discussed marriage quite a bit and both want that, just not right now. She also wondered if moving in with him would just cause him to delay proposing until much further down the road...you know, why buy the cow if you can get the milk for free?
I told her that I honestly can't believe some people get married without having lived together first. It seems to me like the best way to know if you'll be compatible living with someone for the rest of your life is to just do it for a little while. The most in love and perfect couple can make horrible roommates, which would make marriage hard, especially in the beginning.
Living together exposes weird idiosyncrasies and helps a couple work out the kinks of sharing a home before the wedding, when just adjusting to newlywed status can be a little stressful in itself. PJO was fully exposed to my OCD before saying "I do" so after carrying me over the threshold (again), he knew right away to use the pink sponge for dishes and the yellow sponge for counter tops.
Obviously if the relationship is not solid enough to withstand marriage, it would be nice to know that before the wedding. Living together can help sort out those relationships from the real thing. But at the same time, a successful test run can really give you peace of mind on the big day that you're making a good decision and help you just enjoy the day instead of paying any attention to the nerves and anxiety.
As a practical matter, usually moving in together happens at the point in the relationship where you are basically living together anyway. Every night is spent together, in one place or another. So why not cut down expenses and pay for one apartment? Why not save time and avoid commuting from one to the other?
Now that I've been happily married for a few years, I look back and wonder how different our lives would be if we hadn't moved in together when we were dating. It's hard to say, because we moved to CA from NYC before getting engaged. Maybe it was the right order for PJO and I, despite being non-traditional. Maybe it was "right" because it's what almost all of our friends did and it seemed normal. Perhaps PJO and I should just consider ourselves lucky that despite living together, we wound up happily married.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Big Weekend Plans
"Well, um, actually a pretty nice little Saturday, we're going to go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath, & Beyond, I don't know, I don't know if we'll have enough time."
Built-in shelves now grace our media niche. A potted herb garden now sits atop our balcony ledge. Exciting things, thanks to home depot. We'll save Bed Bath & Beyond for next weekend.
Built-in shelves now grace our media niche. A potted herb garden now sits atop our balcony ledge. Exciting things, thanks to home depot. We'll save Bed Bath & Beyond for next weekend.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
You Know What They Say...
Time flies when you're having fun...
I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted. I thought that after the bar, I would be all caught up on the happenings of the internet within a week. As it turns out, everyday life has gotten in the way of those plans.
The moving day itself was surprisingly smooth. I am SOOOO glad we hired movers, it made the day infinitely easier. The following five days I didn't have internet, but I honestly didn't even miss it. I was too busy unpacking, organizing and checking out our new 'hood. Once I did get internet back, I found it really hard to set aside time to be at my computer. There are at least two hours during the day and 3 hours at night where I can get stuff done while Timmy sleeps. All of that time was spent setting up our new place, making food, showering, etc...
This week, I am sort of settling into a routine, and I imagine it's similar to what life will actually be like for the next year.
Basically, I play with Timmy, run errands, cook, clean, go for walks, feed him and then hang out with PJO for a few hours at night before going to bed. The biggest difference I notice in my day-to-day is cooking a lot more. This week, I've already made stuffed peppers, chicken tamales, corn cake, Antipasto pasta salad, Roast Chicken, and asparagus and apples for Timmy.
It hasn't hit me that I will not be going to school or starting a job anytime soon. Taking the Bar made me want to start working now. I really am excited to be a lawyer. I am finally at a place where I know I'll be ok leaving Timmy and going to work during the day. I don't feel like a new mom anymore and it seems like it's time to move on with my life as a wife, mother, friend and lawyer, all in balance with each other. I love Timmy more and more every day, but having a well-rounded life makes me feel like a better mom and a happier person.
Normally, I wouldn't actually post this boring, rambling post, but since it's been over a week, I'll publish it and then write something more interesting tomorrow.
Lastly, the little guy, happy in our new place:
I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted. I thought that after the bar, I would be all caught up on the happenings of the internet within a week. As it turns out, everyday life has gotten in the way of those plans.
The moving day itself was surprisingly smooth. I am SOOOO glad we hired movers, it made the day infinitely easier. The following five days I didn't have internet, but I honestly didn't even miss it. I was too busy unpacking, organizing and checking out our new 'hood. Once I did get internet back, I found it really hard to set aside time to be at my computer. There are at least two hours during the day and 3 hours at night where I can get stuff done while Timmy sleeps. All of that time was spent setting up our new place, making food, showering, etc...
This week, I am sort of settling into a routine, and I imagine it's similar to what life will actually be like for the next year.
Basically, I play with Timmy, run errands, cook, clean, go for walks, feed him and then hang out with PJO for a few hours at night before going to bed. The biggest difference I notice in my day-to-day is cooking a lot more. This week, I've already made stuffed peppers, chicken tamales, corn cake, Antipasto pasta salad, Roast Chicken, and asparagus and apples for Timmy.
It hasn't hit me that I will not be going to school or starting a job anytime soon. Taking the Bar made me want to start working now. I really am excited to be a lawyer. I am finally at a place where I know I'll be ok leaving Timmy and going to work during the day. I don't feel like a new mom anymore and it seems like it's time to move on with my life as a wife, mother, friend and lawyer, all in balance with each other. I love Timmy more and more every day, but having a well-rounded life makes me feel like a better mom and a happier person.
Normally, I wouldn't actually post this boring, rambling post, but since it's been over a week, I'll publish it and then write something more interesting tomorrow.
Lastly, the little guy, happy in our new place:
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Gooooooooood Ideeeeea?!*
Imagine this scenario: you're studying for the Bar exam, entering the final 4 weeks before the 3 worst days of the year. You are substantially behind thanks to A) a baby who won't eat without a boob and doesn't really want to sleep all that much either, as well as B) a lack of motivation. You know that since it's July now, you should really focus on studying and eliminate all distractions from your life as much as possible. Well, maybe after the 4th of July.
What do you do?
How about sign a new lease and move two days after the Bar exam? How about that? The Bar is July 28th through 30th. Our tentative move-in date is August 1st. Last year we moved around the same time and it wasn't exactly easy (I was preggers, it was the morning after I finished my Summer Associate Job and a few days before the MPRE), but I know this will be much harder, if not completely foolish.
We have a lot more stuff (thanks to a fat baby) and we're moving a little further away. Plus, um, I don't really have time to pack.
But it will work out just fine, I'm sure, and I'm super excited about our new place. And hopefully this new place will be the last one we rent!
So if any of you have any tips on making a move easier or somehow fitting it in with Bar studying, let me know!
*This phrase may be totally lost on those of you outside of CA - the BarBri instructor for Performance Tests says this incessantly and it gets old after about 5 minutes. Nonetheless, it becomes a part of every CA lawyer's lexicon even if inadvertently or unwillingly.
What do you do?
How about sign a new lease and move two days after the Bar exam? How about that? The Bar is July 28th through 30th. Our tentative move-in date is August 1st. Last year we moved around the same time and it wasn't exactly easy (I was preggers, it was the morning after I finished my Summer Associate Job and a few days before the MPRE), but I know this will be much harder, if not completely foolish.
We have a lot more stuff (thanks to a fat baby) and we're moving a little further away. Plus, um, I don't really have time to pack.
But it will work out just fine, I'm sure, and I'm super excited about our new place. And hopefully this new place will be the last one we rent!
So if any of you have any tips on making a move easier or somehow fitting it in with Bar studying, let me know!
*This phrase may be totally lost on those of you outside of CA - the BarBri instructor for Performance Tests says this incessantly and it gets old after about 5 minutes. Nonetheless, it becomes a part of every CA lawyer's lexicon even if inadvertently or unwillingly.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Timmy's First Room
Our lease is up August 1st. While I don't plan on moving out the day after the Bar exam, we are starting to look at new places for rent. While there are a lot of things I would change about this apartment if I could, I am starting to realize that it is still going to be sad when we leave here, whenever that may be. This is the place where I spent my last year in law school, where I went into labor and where we brought home our first born. This is where we learned the lessons of first-time parenting and the joys of babies.
One of the things I do love about this apartment is the nursery. It was fun to decorate it and get it ready for his arrival. My pregnancy didn't seem like it was really going to end in a baby being born until we had a little place set up just for him.
He slept in his crib starting when we brought him home from the hospital and we do a lot of playing and reading books in there now.
Changing table / dresser
He LOVES looking at the pictures here. The grandparents, mom and dad, but mostly the picture of himself:
An antique music box from my mom that she got when she was pregnant with me:
One of the things I do love about this apartment is the nursery. It was fun to decorate it and get it ready for his arrival. My pregnancy didn't seem like it was really going to end in a baby being born until we had a little place set up just for him.
He slept in his crib starting when we brought him home from the hospital and we do a lot of playing and reading books in there now.
Changing table / dresser
He LOVES looking at the pictures here. The grandparents, mom and dad, but mostly the picture of himself:
An antique music box from my mom that she got when she was pregnant with me:
Monday, June 1, 2009
Holding Pattern
That might not be the right way to describe my life right now, but it is good enough to give you the basic idea. I haven't found the time to blog lately, and this doesn't seem too tragic since there really isn't that much going on.
The 30-second summary is that my nanny started last Wednesday and today was my first real day of studying while she was here. Of course I got much less done than I thought I would and I'm decently behind the paced schedule. I know it's possible to catch up but I just can't devote my full attention to it yet... PJO is taking a big test on Saturday so until that is over, I have to pick up a little slack around here.
I could wax poetic for multiple entries on my renewed love affair with Trader Joe's and how that will be the answer to significantly reducing our monthly grocery bill.
I'm also pretty excited about our new savings account at SmartyPig. While our savings is an emergency fund right now, we're really saving up for a down payment on a house. We're shooting for 15-20% since mortgage insurance is a bitch, which means that right now our projected completion of our savings goal is in 2040. Awesome. So maybe we'll have a house by the time we're grandparents.
This brings up the big thing that's been our minds but not in our conversation until after this CFA exam... possibly moving after the Bar. Since I won't be working until at least October 2010, I told PJO that next year is his big chance to try living somewhere new if he really wants to. It would be very difficult to justify looking for two jobs in a new city unless we had to, but if he could find a job somewhere new, why not give it a try for a year? We really would like to be settled in one place once our kid(s) are in school, so this upcoming year may realistically be one of our last chances to really try a new city.
This little (and expensive) apartment is becoming claustrophobic... Jumping over an exersaucer, stroller, high chair and coffee table to get from one side of the room to another is exhausting. 500 more square feet would be amazing, a backyard or a garage would just be delightful. I'm not sure I'm willing to wait 6 or 7 years to be able to afford an actual house with a yard in Los Angeles. So we've been talking about moving somewhere more affordable. You know, where you can get a house on a plot of land for less than $1,000,000. Geez, so much to ask, I know.
The plan is for PJO to look for jobs after his test is over, and if he finds something we'll move and try it out. If he doesn't, we'll stay. It takes a lot of restraint to not search for homes on zillow.com all day long, especially when the alternative is studying for the Bar.
Someday soon I'll find the time to write about the doubts and fears that have been plaguing me regarding being a working mom now that I'm only spending a couple hours per day with my baby.
Someday soon I'll find the time to review the iPod Bar Bri program and how it's working so far.
Someday soon I'll find the time to talk about the recent additions to our baby gear and how freaking big and old my 5 month old child is. And how I can't believe he's not a newborn anymore. And how I am amazed every day at how much I love being his mom. And how I could never imagine spending all day with a baby before and now I'm quite sad when I go several hours without him.
Someday I'll find the time to complain about the lack of consistent sleep and how I'm still swaddling my 21 pound baby and how I had to teach him to drink from a sippy cup this week so the nanny could avoid starving him.
But for now, you just get the boring non-update on my life. Sorry!
ok, also a couple pictures:
The 30-second summary is that my nanny started last Wednesday and today was my first real day of studying while she was here. Of course I got much less done than I thought I would and I'm decently behind the paced schedule. I know it's possible to catch up but I just can't devote my full attention to it yet... PJO is taking a big test on Saturday so until that is over, I have to pick up a little slack around here.
I could wax poetic for multiple entries on my renewed love affair with Trader Joe's and how that will be the answer to significantly reducing our monthly grocery bill.
I'm also pretty excited about our new savings account at SmartyPig. While our savings is an emergency fund right now, we're really saving up for a down payment on a house. We're shooting for 15-20% since mortgage insurance is a bitch, which means that right now our projected completion of our savings goal is in 2040. Awesome. So maybe we'll have a house by the time we're grandparents.
This brings up the big thing that's been our minds but not in our conversation until after this CFA exam... possibly moving after the Bar. Since I won't be working until at least October 2010, I told PJO that next year is his big chance to try living somewhere new if he really wants to. It would be very difficult to justify looking for two jobs in a new city unless we had to, but if he could find a job somewhere new, why not give it a try for a year? We really would like to be settled in one place once our kid(s) are in school, so this upcoming year may realistically be one of our last chances to really try a new city.
This little (and expensive) apartment is becoming claustrophobic... Jumping over an exersaucer, stroller, high chair and coffee table to get from one side of the room to another is exhausting. 500 more square feet would be amazing, a backyard or a garage would just be delightful. I'm not sure I'm willing to wait 6 or 7 years to be able to afford an actual house with a yard in Los Angeles. So we've been talking about moving somewhere more affordable. You know, where you can get a house on a plot of land for less than $1,000,000. Geez, so much to ask, I know.
The plan is for PJO to look for jobs after his test is over, and if he finds something we'll move and try it out. If he doesn't, we'll stay. It takes a lot of restraint to not search for homes on zillow.com all day long, especially when the alternative is studying for the Bar.
Someday soon I'll find the time to write about the doubts and fears that have been plaguing me regarding being a working mom now that I'm only spending a couple hours per day with my baby.
Someday soon I'll find the time to review the iPod Bar Bri program and how it's working so far.
Someday soon I'll find the time to talk about the recent additions to our baby gear and how freaking big and old my 5 month old child is. And how I can't believe he's not a newborn anymore. And how I am amazed every day at how much I love being his mom. And how I could never imagine spending all day with a baby before and now I'm quite sad when I go several hours without him.
Someday I'll find the time to complain about the lack of consistent sleep and how I'm still swaddling my 21 pound baby and how I had to teach him to drink from a sippy cup this week so the nanny could avoid starving him.
But for now, you just get the boring non-update on my life. Sorry!
ok, also a couple pictures:
Sunday, May 3, 2009
F is for Fun...and Finals ... and Failing
I have a remedies final tomorrow. I seriously might be less prepared for it than I was for the two classes I took pass-fail. I read for class once this semester, paid attention in class for probably a total of 70 minutes and have only barely made it through reading someone else's outline once. So studying for this final exam is a bit of a challenge. But since I started knowing so little, I feel like my study time is actually very productive because learning even the most basic rules and cases is making leaps and bounds.
The hard part? Surprisingly, it's not finding the motivation. I really wish I could have studied more for this class (although I don't really regret not paying attention all semester). It's finding uninterrupted study time.
I learned pretty early on in the semester that it's damn near impossible to study when I'm alone with Timmy, even if he takes a little nap. This is shocking to Timmy!
PJO has been on Timmy duty this weekend so I could study, but it's not like I can just disappear to school all day for 12 hours. I have to feed him or pump every few hours. This makes school a non-option and the local library pretty unappealing. In our little apartment, there isn't a designated spot to do any work, so I made one.
My mom has a little card table that is about 4 feet by a foot and a half... just small enough to fit in a spot in our bedroom between my side of the bed and the wall. I took one of the chairs for our kitchen table and made myself a nice little desk. I have enough room for all my outlines and practice exams and it has a good view (well, it has a window).
Between the hour it takes for me to be awake, pumping or nursing several times a day and eating myself, my study time is cut down a lot. But at least I'm getting lots of help from the cats! (They go crazy when the windows are open because they can hear and see the birds outside)
So what does Timmy think of my chances on the Remedies exam?
The hard part? Surprisingly, it's not finding the motivation. I really wish I could have studied more for this class (although I don't really regret not paying attention all semester). It's finding uninterrupted study time.
I learned pretty early on in the semester that it's damn near impossible to study when I'm alone with Timmy, even if he takes a little nap. This is shocking to Timmy!
PJO has been on Timmy duty this weekend so I could study, but it's not like I can just disappear to school all day for 12 hours. I have to feed him or pump every few hours. This makes school a non-option and the local library pretty unappealing. In our little apartment, there isn't a designated spot to do any work, so I made one.
My mom has a little card table that is about 4 feet by a foot and a half... just small enough to fit in a spot in our bedroom between my side of the bed and the wall. I took one of the chairs for our kitchen table and made myself a nice little desk. I have enough room for all my outlines and practice exams and it has a good view (well, it has a window).
Between the hour it takes for me to be awake, pumping or nursing several times a day and eating myself, my study time is cut down a lot. But at least I'm getting lots of help from the cats! (They go crazy when the windows are open because they can hear and see the birds outside)
So what does Timmy think of my chances on the Remedies exam?
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Christmas - Light
I love the holidays. The time leading up to Christmas is almost better than the day itself. I love listening to Christmas music non-stop, wearing my Ho-Ho-Ho fleece pajama pants much more than is appropriate, watching Home Alone, Charlie Brown's Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street. I love decorating the Christmas tree, baking cookies, and putting up the stockings. I love dressing up on Christmas eve and going to Midnight Mass (that's the Catholic in me). I love shopping for presents and wrapping them, mailing out Christmas cards and distributing a little homemade treat to the neighbors. And I love that feeling of unbridled excitement when I try to fall asleep on Christmas eve and how I still wake up completely happy every Christmas morning.
Maybe I like all of this anticipation more than the actual day because the actual day was different every year for me growing up ... some years we celebrated at home, some years we traveled to my Grandma's house in Iowa, some years we took a vacation. PJO is one of those people whose family has done the exact same thing his whole life and he loves it. His extended family always comes to his house for a HUGE dinner. Presents are opened in the morning, but right after that's over, everyone cleans and cooks to prepare for the 25-35 guests. In his family, it's all about the actual day... more specifically, the dinner.
This year, Christmas will be different for both of us. PJO won't be at home for the first time in his life, and something about the fact that I'm 9 months pregnant is killing my drive to fully indulge in the holiday spirit. Our little apartment has been decorated, but it's like we're playing house because nothing really fits. We shoved our kitchen table against the wall to make room for our tree to be squeezed between the couch and china cabinet. We don't have a fireplace, so our stockings are hanging from the console table.
Because I ran out of stuff to do on my to-do list, I decided to make Christmas cookies yesterday... I might have gone a little overboard.
But I had to make something to put on the plate PJO and I made at Color Me Mine last year:
I have to say, all of this preparation and anticipation for Christmas isn't quite the same this year. Maybe it's because I'm actually waiting for something more exciting than Christmas. Maybe it's because I know we won't actually be doing anything too exciting on Christmas day itself. (I mean, really, what do you plan for the day before your due date?! Both traveling to family and hosting family sound kind of terrible) I wanted our first Christmas together on our own to be romantic and special, but Christmas is definitely taking a backseat this year.
I know at least two members of my family who are happy about that:
Maybe I like all of this anticipation more than the actual day because the actual day was different every year for me growing up ... some years we celebrated at home, some years we traveled to my Grandma's house in Iowa, some years we took a vacation. PJO is one of those people whose family has done the exact same thing his whole life and he loves it. His extended family always comes to his house for a HUGE dinner. Presents are opened in the morning, but right after that's over, everyone cleans and cooks to prepare for the 25-35 guests. In his family, it's all about the actual day... more specifically, the dinner.
This year, Christmas will be different for both of us. PJO won't be at home for the first time in his life, and something about the fact that I'm 9 months pregnant is killing my drive to fully indulge in the holiday spirit. Our little apartment has been decorated, but it's like we're playing house because nothing really fits. We shoved our kitchen table against the wall to make room for our tree to be squeezed between the couch and china cabinet. We don't have a fireplace, so our stockings are hanging from the console table.
Because I ran out of stuff to do on my to-do list, I decided to make Christmas cookies yesterday... I might have gone a little overboard.
But I had to make something to put on the plate PJO and I made at Color Me Mine last year:
I have to say, all of this preparation and anticipation for Christmas isn't quite the same this year. Maybe it's because I'm actually waiting for something more exciting than Christmas. Maybe it's because I know we won't actually be doing anything too exciting on Christmas day itself. (I mean, really, what do you plan for the day before your due date?! Both traveling to family and hosting family sound kind of terrible) I wanted our first Christmas together on our own to be romantic and special, but Christmas is definitely taking a backseat this year.
I know at least two members of my family who are happy about that:
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Cacophony of Noises From Apartment Neighbors
When you live in an apartment building, you are aware of the privacy you surrender. Often you overhear other people's conversations, the low rumbling of their water running, the murmur of their T.V., and the buzzer on their dryer going off. You likewise try to remember that they can hear the same noises coming from your apartment, and inevitably fail until the moment right after you've done or said something you wish could remain private.
Anyway, I understand this and (sort of) accept it.
If I didn't care about the noise, I would leave my windows open all day long, year round and never use the air conditioning because I prefer a natural breeze to re-circulated air. Last night we left the windows open, and it was a perfect 70 degrees in our bedroom. I fell asleep to almost complete quiet. And then...
One of our neighbors started having the loudest and wildest sex I have ever heard. I can usually sleep through anything, but this jolted me awake. I mean, at first it sounded like I was watching that scene from When Harry Met Sally at full volume in my bedroom. Except it went on for like 25 minutes and at times was so cheesy it made me laugh in my sleepy stupor. This was at 12:30am on a Monday night. AND AGAIN at 9:15am. I'm not mad ... it's hard to be mad when someone out there is having that great of sex, whatever time it happens to be at. It's more like I'm incredulous as to WHO is having this sex. I mean, maybe I'm just a big prude, but this sounded like unbelievable sex for so late on a MONDAY, and then who is still home at 9:15 in the morning on a Tuesday for round 2? I don't think any college students live in our building, or else I could easily dismiss that one.
The weirdest part about all of this is that these are not the noises I had already become accustomed to and annoyed at in this apartment.
There are several people near us with small children, and I think some of them are at home with a nanny during the day. A nanny who, apparently, lets them scream at the top of their lungs for hours on end without calming them down. And then there are the kids who wake up singing/shouting the ABCs at 7:00am on Saturday mornings.
There are also a TON of young professionals living here, and no one gets cell phone reception in their apartment. Thus, lots of telephone calls take place on balconies in the courtyard, which our apartment faces. I hear a lot of Drs./residents(?) and lawyers talking about work to (presumably) colleagues.
So, our apartment building is some weird mixture of sexual exhibitionists, screaming children and young professionals. I wish these people would keep their windows shut, but you can't really demand that. If I feel particularly vengeful, I can leave our windows open after Uno is born, but that would probably just bring on a wrath that I can't even imagine. So I guess air-conditioning it is.
Anyway, I understand this and (sort of) accept it.
If I didn't care about the noise, I would leave my windows open all day long, year round and never use the air conditioning because I prefer a natural breeze to re-circulated air. Last night we left the windows open, and it was a perfect 70 degrees in our bedroom. I fell asleep to almost complete quiet. And then...
One of our neighbors started having the loudest and wildest sex I have ever heard. I can usually sleep through anything, but this jolted me awake. I mean, at first it sounded like I was watching that scene from When Harry Met Sally at full volume in my bedroom. Except it went on for like 25 minutes and at times was so cheesy it made me laugh in my sleepy stupor. This was at 12:30am on a Monday night. AND AGAIN at 9:15am. I'm not mad ... it's hard to be mad when someone out there is having that great of sex, whatever time it happens to be at. It's more like I'm incredulous as to WHO is having this sex. I mean, maybe I'm just a big prude, but this sounded like unbelievable sex for so late on a MONDAY, and then who is still home at 9:15 in the morning on a Tuesday for round 2? I don't think any college students live in our building, or else I could easily dismiss that one.
The weirdest part about all of this is that these are not the noises I had already become accustomed to and annoyed at in this apartment.
There are several people near us with small children, and I think some of them are at home with a nanny during the day. A nanny who, apparently, lets them scream at the top of their lungs for hours on end without calming them down. And then there are the kids who wake up singing/shouting the ABCs at 7:00am on Saturday mornings.
There are also a TON of young professionals living here, and no one gets cell phone reception in their apartment. Thus, lots of telephone calls take place on balconies in the courtyard, which our apartment faces. I hear a lot of Drs./residents(?) and lawyers talking about work to (presumably) colleagues.
So, our apartment building is some weird mixture of sexual exhibitionists, screaming children and young professionals. I wish these people would keep their windows shut, but you can't really demand that. If I feel particularly vengeful, I can leave our windows open after Uno is born, but that would probably just bring on a wrath that I can't even imagine. So I guess air-conditioning it is.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Home Improvement
PJO (and I, sort of) recently refurbished our bedroom furniture. We didn't want to buy a real bedroom set yet because we can't afford it and we're not living in the place we want to stay long enough to know what to get for a permanent set. So, I thought we could buy cheaper furniture and stain it all to match. He had bought a dresser when we moved out to California two years earlier from this place that is a discount store which makes pretty generic looking stuff from real wood. It's not the best craftsmanship, but so far it seems sturdy and looks decent. Plus, it is very reasonably priced. So I decided to get a dresser and nightstand in a matching style to his dresser.
PJO's dresser was finished in a fairly light stain and I wanted to end up with dark cherry or mahogany stain, so I ordered mine unfinished. That meant that we had to sand down PJO's dresser and then stain all three and put a protective coat on them. Needless to say, it was a lot more work than we anticipated.
Here are my nightstand and dresser before we started, and the little helper (Furious George) who had to crawl in EVERY drawer space after we pulled out the drawer from the dresser.
It ended up taking several coats of stain, plus two (or three? I can't remember) coats of polyurethane. It took a week to dry and even then, we were afraid to put it on the carpet, hence, the cardboard and plastic underneath the furniture once it was on the carpet.
Overall, I'm pretty proud of ourselves! They aren't perfect, but they look pretty good (especially without the light of the flash on them) and we didn't waste a ton of money on furniture that we don't really need. My husband is so handy! ;)
PJO's dresser was finished in a fairly light stain and I wanted to end up with dark cherry or mahogany stain, so I ordered mine unfinished. That meant that we had to sand down PJO's dresser and then stain all three and put a protective coat on them. Needless to say, it was a lot more work than we anticipated.
Here are my nightstand and dresser before we started, and the little helper (Furious George) who had to crawl in EVERY drawer space after we pulled out the drawer from the dresser.
It ended up taking several coats of stain, plus two (or three? I can't remember) coats of polyurethane. It took a week to dry and even then, we were afraid to put it on the carpet, hence, the cardboard and plastic underneath the furniture once it was on the carpet.
Overall, I'm pretty proud of ourselves! They aren't perfect, but they look pretty good (especially without the light of the flash on them) and we didn't waste a ton of money on furniture that we don't really need. My husband is so handy! ;)
Foundation for a Nursery
This past weekend, we finished unpacking the apartment. Well, really we had finished that a while ago, but we had a second bedroom full of all the crap that we couldn't find a place for (or just hadn't tried to put away yet) but couldn't face throwing away. After strategically stuffing the closet in the second bedroom and our bedroom as well as throwing out some stuff, we finally had cleared out the room.
PJO and I were eager to change this room from "useless second bedroom" to nursery. In part, this was because we are excited to set it up and prepare for our baby. (Perhaps in bigger) part, it was because we weren't sure how long we would be able to keep this room clear of clutter.
At Home Depot, we selected a gallon of Fresh Aire paint in the color closest to the nursery theme we settled on, "Endless Rain." From the moment we started taping the walls and putting down the canvas floor covering until we had finished painting, only a few hours had elapsed. It was fun (except for wearing those masks) and I think it turned out pretty well.
It's funny ... I can totally picture the room as a nursery now that it's painted, but I still can't really believe that the nursery will be in OUR apartment, sandwiched right in between OUR bedroom and living room. Surprisingly, I don't feel that much urgency to buy the furniture that will go in the nursery to complete it yet*, but it is really nice to start letting myself get used to the idea that in a matter of months, we're going to have a family in our little apartment!
*This may not be surprising to anyone else; after all, I still have almost 4 months to go until my due date. I'm not saying I'm rational or normal, I'm just saying I'm a type-A planner type who usually likes to do everything as far in advance as possible. I justified painting so early by convincing myself that (a) it's better to do anything involving physical work earlier rather than later, (b) I will have more time for this fun stuff in the beginning of the semester, and (c) it's better to make sure all the fumes from painting have plenty of time to dissipate before a baby is sleeping in that room. There isn't really a similar justification for doing anything further, except possibly to train my cats to stay out of the crib ;)
PJO and I were eager to change this room from "useless second bedroom" to nursery. In part, this was because we are excited to set it up and prepare for our baby. (Perhaps in bigger) part, it was because we weren't sure how long we would be able to keep this room clear of clutter.
At Home Depot, we selected a gallon of Fresh Aire paint in the color closest to the nursery theme we settled on, "Endless Rain." From the moment we started taping the walls and putting down the canvas floor covering until we had finished painting, only a few hours had elapsed. It was fun (except for wearing those masks) and I think it turned out pretty well.
It's funny ... I can totally picture the room as a nursery now that it's painted, but I still can't really believe that the nursery will be in OUR apartment, sandwiched right in between OUR bedroom and living room. Surprisingly, I don't feel that much urgency to buy the furniture that will go in the nursery to complete it yet*, but it is really nice to start letting myself get used to the idea that in a matter of months, we're going to have a family in our little apartment!
*This may not be surprising to anyone else; after all, I still have almost 4 months to go until my due date. I'm not saying I'm rational or normal, I'm just saying I'm a type-A planner type who usually likes to do everything as far in advance as possible. I justified painting so early by convincing myself that (a) it's better to do anything involving physical work earlier rather than later, (b) I will have more time for this fun stuff in the beginning of the semester, and (c) it's better to make sure all the fumes from painting have plenty of time to dissipate before a baby is sleeping in that room. There isn't really a similar justification for doing anything further, except possibly to train my cats to stay out of the crib ;)
Friday, September 5, 2008
24 Weeks
Today I am 24 weeks pregnant and I had a doctor's appointment before class ... it was the much-dreaded glucose test. I had heard horror stories about these sickly-sugary liquids that you have to drink on an empty stomach, and fully prepared myself for gagging and an insurmountable crash thereafter. I don't know if the stuff has gotten better, or if my tolerance for sugar is dangerously high, but it wasn't that bad. I had the red/fruit punch flavor, and I refrigerated it prior to drinking. To me, it tasted like a carbonated Hawaiian Punch (are those carbonated?). I got to the doctor's office, they weighed me (I have gained about 9-10 pounds) and they took blood and blood pressure.
Then I met with my doctor. I have no actual complaints (i.e. things that I think are not semi-normal) and had no questions. She asked me if I have been feeling the baby move, and I told her that I have, AND I can actually see him kicking sometimes! (a new development this week). She seemed kind of shocked that I could see it so early, but I have no idea if it's actually early or not. But then she said, "so you're feeling good, not lifting anything too heavy?" Since I was heading to school after, my backpack was in the room at her feet. I looked at it and said "is that heavy?" She pretended to try and pick it up, and then GLARED at me, and said, "MUCH too heavy... You cannot carry that." I really don't think it's heavy, but I am not so stubborn as to continue to carry a backpack (not even that cool anyway) at the risk of having to spend time in the hospital, so I'm going to look into a rolling laptop bag/suitcase this weekend (decidedly less cool than any other option, but then again, I guess being pregnant is not exactly "cool" at law school anyway).
After this, I got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time! I don't know how I missed this earlier, I guess because I always just had ultrasounds, but it was pretty cool. We heard the heartbeat ("a strong, steady 160 bpm") and she said a few of the noises were the baby kicking. She said, "wow, he IS moving a lot!"
So, the appointment was good. It was my first one without PJO, so I'm sad he didn't get to hear the heartbeat, but I guess with so many appointments in our future left, he'll hear it at some point.
Next on my to-do list is schedule tours of the two hospitals to decide on one for delivery (they're about 4 blocks away from each other, both walking distance from my apartment). I guess we'll sign up for a child birth class too, although that does not sound exciting at all. Supposedly my doctor will talk about finding a pediatrician at the next appointment in 3 weeks, so that will be interesting.
I'm already completely behind my school work... not that I really care, although I probably should. Until now, getting the apartment unpacked and organized has completely consumed all my free time and energy. It took longer than it ever has before because we had to wait for furniture to be delivered so we could put stuff away. But now, everything is done except for the nursery. We might actually paint this weekend to get that out of the way. I don't think we'll get any nursery furniture for a while, but it will be nice to be able to just put stuff in there when we feel like buying it, rather than waiting to paint then. My plan was to be on top of school early, so that when I inevitably stop caring closer to the due date, I will still know SOMETHING for the finals. We'll see if I can pull it together this weekend.
Then I met with my doctor. I have no actual complaints (i.e. things that I think are not semi-normal) and had no questions. She asked me if I have been feeling the baby move, and I told her that I have, AND I can actually see him kicking sometimes! (a new development this week). She seemed kind of shocked that I could see it so early, but I have no idea if it's actually early or not. But then she said, "so you're feeling good, not lifting anything too heavy?" Since I was heading to school after, my backpack was in the room at her feet. I looked at it and said "is that heavy?" She pretended to try and pick it up, and then GLARED at me, and said, "MUCH too heavy... You cannot carry that." I really don't think it's heavy, but I am not so stubborn as to continue to carry a backpack (not even that cool anyway) at the risk of having to spend time in the hospital, so I'm going to look into a rolling laptop bag/suitcase this weekend (decidedly less cool than any other option, but then again, I guess being pregnant is not exactly "cool" at law school anyway).
After this, I got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time! I don't know how I missed this earlier, I guess because I always just had ultrasounds, but it was pretty cool. We heard the heartbeat ("a strong, steady 160 bpm") and she said a few of the noises were the baby kicking. She said, "wow, he IS moving a lot!"
So, the appointment was good. It was my first one without PJO, so I'm sad he didn't get to hear the heartbeat, but I guess with so many appointments in our future left, he'll hear it at some point.
Next on my to-do list is schedule tours of the two hospitals to decide on one for delivery (they're about 4 blocks away from each other, both walking distance from my apartment). I guess we'll sign up for a child birth class too, although that does not sound exciting at all. Supposedly my doctor will talk about finding a pediatrician at the next appointment in 3 weeks, so that will be interesting.
I'm already completely behind my school work... not that I really care, although I probably should. Until now, getting the apartment unpacked and organized has completely consumed all my free time and energy. It took longer than it ever has before because we had to wait for furniture to be delivered so we could put stuff away. But now, everything is done except for the nursery. We might actually paint this weekend to get that out of the way. I don't think we'll get any nursery furniture for a while, but it will be nice to be able to just put stuff in there when we feel like buying it, rather than waiting to paint then. My plan was to be on top of school early, so that when I inevitably stop caring closer to the due date, I will still know SOMETHING for the finals. We'll see if I can pull it together this weekend.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Welcome Home
PJO and I moved on Saturday to our new apartment. It was miserable. We thought everything was pretty much packed, but it wasn't. Our last move was cross-country, so literally everything was boxed up, packed up or sold. This time, we moved a mile away, so I guess in the back of our heads, we could always come back for stuff we left behind.
We rented a uhaul truck (14'), hired two guys to help us (PJO) move all our boxes and furniture, and about 8 hours later and two full uhaul trips, we had most of our stuff jammed in the new place. We were tired and sore, frustrated with how long everything took, and STILL had to go back to the old place for about 3 more car loads of stuff.
Everything appears to have made it, but there are frustrating things to deal with here. The air conditioning main vent in our hallway between the living room and bedrooms started leaking (condensation?) about an hour or two after we turned it on. They haven't fixed it yet, so we have buckets underneath. PJO hasn't slept well because it hasn't been cool enough and the loud dripping noises keep him awake and then the cats knock over the buckets. It will be fine soon though.
Everything should come together this week: Our TV and Internet are (officially) being set up tonight, and the giant rug should be here by tomorrow so we can set up our living room. My dresser and nightstand should be delivered by Thursday, so I will be able to put away some clothes.
We leave on Sunday for New Jersey/Hawaii, so we'll have to pack for that. And the MPRE is on Friday, so I'll have to start studying at some point soon. We also need to clean our old place and schedule a move-out inspection before we leave this weekend. We are super excited to be in our new place, but it will be nice when life is a bit more normal... :)
We rented a uhaul truck (14'), hired two guys to help us (PJO) move all our boxes and furniture, and about 8 hours later and two full uhaul trips, we had most of our stuff jammed in the new place. We were tired and sore, frustrated with how long everything took, and STILL had to go back to the old place for about 3 more car loads of stuff.
Everything appears to have made it, but there are frustrating things to deal with here. The air conditioning main vent in our hallway between the living room and bedrooms started leaking (condensation?) about an hour or two after we turned it on. They haven't fixed it yet, so we have buckets underneath. PJO hasn't slept well because it hasn't been cool enough and the loud dripping noises keep him awake and then the cats knock over the buckets. It will be fine soon though.
Everything should come together this week: Our TV and Internet are (officially) being set up tonight, and the giant rug should be here by tomorrow so we can set up our living room. My dresser and nightstand should be delivered by Thursday, so I will be able to put away some clothes.
We leave on Sunday for New Jersey/Hawaii, so we'll have to pack for that. And the MPRE is on Friday, so I'll have to start studying at some point soon. We also need to clean our old place and schedule a move-out inspection before we leave this weekend. We are super excited to be in our new place, but it will be nice when life is a bit more normal... :)
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Rude Awakening
Although we live near the beach (and therefore in a temperate climate with little need to use air conditioning), we often keep the windows shut and the A/C on at night to help us sleep well. We live in an apartment building with 32 units, right next door to another identical building. That's a lot of people that we can hear with open windows.
Last night, PJO said that he hadn't been sleeping that well, and maybe we should try the windows open for a change ... I agreed. So we went to sleep late after another firm dinner. Around 4:30AM we heard screaming; the kind of screaming that can only come from infants. And it just. wouldn't. stop! Our next door neighbor had twins in March, and I guess keeping our window shut has prevented us from hearing them much. So after about 40 minutes of listening to this screaming, I angrily got out of bed, shut all our windows and turned up the A/C. Thoughts of telling our neighbor how rude she was for keeping her windows open with two 4-month old children ran through my head.
Then I realized, OMG. This will be us soon! And not just at 5Am, but multiple other times during the night. I think this realization is what kept me from falling back asleep for about 30 minutes ... what have we gotten ourselves into?!?! Talk about a rude awakening!
Last night, PJO said that he hadn't been sleeping that well, and maybe we should try the windows open for a change ... I agreed. So we went to sleep late after another firm dinner. Around 4:30AM we heard screaming; the kind of screaming that can only come from infants. And it just. wouldn't. stop! Our next door neighbor had twins in March, and I guess keeping our window shut has prevented us from hearing them much. So after about 40 minutes of listening to this screaming, I angrily got out of bed, shut all our windows and turned up the A/C. Thoughts of telling our neighbor how rude she was for keeping her windows open with two 4-month old children ran through my head.
Then I realized, OMG. This will be us soon! And not just at 5Am, but multiple other times during the night. I think this realization is what kept me from falling back asleep for about 30 minutes ... what have we gotten ourselves into?!?! Talk about a rude awakening!
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