Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Jumping the Time Away

The other week I bought a Jumperoo off Craigs List for $30. What a deal! Jillian doesn't care about price but she sure loves to jump! I would post a video but who knows what box I packed the camcorder in. So until I find it, I guess these pics will have to suffice.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Why I Hate Direct TV - Part Deux

Just when I thought that I couldn't harbor any further disgust for Direct TV, they find new ways to completely piss me off. We were scheduled to have the satellite installed on Saturday the 14th. However when the guy walked around with the little meter that tracks signal, he found that we couldn't install the dish anywhere on the house or garage because of all the trees in the way. Instead, he determined that in order to get signal we would need to install the dish on the other side of the property. So Jeramy spent the better part of the next week digging a trench and installing a pole on which we could mount the dish. Here is the photographic proof (that trench goes all the way to the fence in the distance):


The installation was rescheduled for Friday the 20th. The appointment window was scheduled from 8am - 12pm. Of course, the installers did not show up until 4pm. Then they found that they did not have enough cable to get from the house all the way out to the pole we mounted even though the installer who had been out earlier knew exactly where we were installing it. They agreed that they would come out the next morning.

The next morning the installer showed up as planned. Before installing the dish, he asked whether the previous installer had actually climbed up on the roof of the garage to check the signal. Jeramy said no. Guess what? He got signal at the top of the garage and would install the dish there. It turned out that digging the trench was completely unnecessary. We could have gotten satellite a whole week earlier minus a ton of manual labor if the guy had only gotten his lazy ass up a ladder to measure signal. Needless to say we weren't amused.

Today during my lunch I called Direct TV to get my credit for no service from the end of January until the installation. Guess what? They didn't want to extend my credit from the 13th to the 21st. Again I had to spend my hour bitching on the phone until I finally found somebody who could see the logic in giving me a credit considering that (1) we could have had satellite installed on the 13th if their tech wasn't a lazy idiot and (2) Jeramy had to spend many unnecessary hours building a trench.

Unbelievable. They've screwed up so many times that at this point I've accumulated enough credits to get 2 months of free service.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

And it's off the Market

Well that was fast! After putting the house on the market Wednesday night, it had 8 showings and a great turn out at the open house. We got a lowball offer from a younger couple on Friday afternoon and we sent them a counteroffer where we stood firm on our asking price. Since we had priced it below market and there was a lot of traffic we saw no reason to accept a low offer. Well I guess they really liked it, because they found a way to pay the asking price and we signed a final offer tonight. We received another offer today as well, but it wasn't quite as good. Besides, I can relate to a young couple that really loves the house...that was us just seven years ago.

So hopefully things go smoothly and we get through closing in early April!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

It's on the market

I'm happy to report that the old house is officially on the market. Now we just need a buyer. Our realtor actually showed it to one person before it was even listed. The good news is that it made his top two, but the bad news is that he chose the other house. However in my effort to look on the good side, I'm just going to be happy that somebody was actually seriously interested in the house. Perhaps this is a sign that it won't sit too long. Plus all this means that we can finally focus on getting settled in the house we actually live in.

Jillian did not throw up any more after my last post, which is probably because we didn't try to give her any more tylenol. Next time, Dr. M says we might try infants motrin to see if that sits with her belly better. Unfortunately now she has contracted another cold. Since she spends quite a bit of time with her two year old cousin everyday illness is going to be inevitable. I guess we have to build up her immune system sometime, so we might as well get it over with now.

The gal who works in the office next to me at work knit the most beautiful sweater for Jillian. I could only wish that my knitting was as nice as hers, but I lack her extreme attention to detail and determination for perfection. Here is Jillian modeling it:


Also, Jennifer over at Awaiting our First honored me with the Honest Scrap award that recognizes bloggers for great content and design. It was of course very sweet of her since I love reading her blog so much. It's so fun to watch her Julian grow and compare notes!


I'm never very good with awards and meme's and complying with their rules, but I'll try my best on this one. First I'm supposed to honor 7 other blogs (which is always tough because it seems like everybody else has already gotten the award by the time I get around to my post).


  • C at Sunny in Seattle - She is funny in her blog AND in real-life. It doesn't hurt that Danny is adorable.
  • Linda at All and Sundry - I am just one of many readers of this blog. Her take on parenthood is blunt and hilariously honest. Every post leaves me laughing.
  • Kelly at Horses, Cats and Dogs - She has all those animals...seriously! Not to mention a little one on the way. I met her on WebMD message boards back when I began TTC, and her optimistic attitude even when faced with the worst of adveristies never ceases to amaze me.
  • Cece at Child Bearing Hips - I'm pretty sure she might be super woman. She has a newborn AND still finds time to knit. I totally want to be her when I grow up.
  • Tammy at Life, Love and the Pursuit of Normalcy - Another friend I met on the WebMD message boards. It seems like life just keeps handing one obstacle after another to Tam. Through it all I appreciate her sarcasm and sense of humor.
  • Kandi at the Maniacal Mommy - Another Seattle area mom-to-be! I'm a recent follower of hers and for good reason. She's funny (obviously I place a high value on humor) and it is always so fun to hear from other local IF'ers.
  • SE at Riding the Roller Coaster - For her unfailing support and continual efforts to look at the bright side despite the crap handed to her. Like so many facing a tougher road than me, I find her perserverence impressive.
Next I have to share at least 10 honest things about myself (as opposed to all those dishonest things I've been sharing about myself before now???)

1. I started dating Jeramy when I was 16 and wrecked my car by running a red light. As a bonus, he fixed my car.

2. I'm horrible at sports. I hate running, have absolutely no coordination, and am afraid of balls. (e.g. footballs or baseballs people. Get your minds out of the gutter already). My friend Jessie convinced me to play on her soccer team in middle school. I'm pretty sure she regretted that decision.

3. I went to the University of Washington but stayed only long enough to attend class since I was married and lived over an hour away. Luckily my sister, who was not a student there, attended the frat parties. So between the two of us, I think we got college covered.

4. I had the most horribly crooked teeth until my twenties when I finally got braces. It took 5 years and two jaw surgeries to fix them.

5. It's high time I bucked up, improved my eating habits and lost weight. I'm carrying around pregnancy weight on top of I can't get pregnant weight on top of grad school weight.

6. I'm socially inept. I had the hardest time making and keeping friends as a kid, especially in grade school. Even now I owe most of my social life to my husband.

7. I'm an incredibly picky eater. I prefer pizza, macaroni and cheese, pasta and grilled cheese sandwiches. Fruits are in but vegis are out. I eat like a preschooler. Have you ever ordered a beer and then asked for a kids menu? I have.

8. The only video game I was ever very good at is Tetris.

9. I'm a tad obsessed with Pride and Prejudice...the book and the BBC version of the movie. I just can't get enough of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy.

10. I majored in chemistry in college, but it didn't work out as a career. My klutziness is just not compatible with working in a lab. Sulfuric acid burns hurt.

I know it said at least 10, but I'll spare you any further mundane details about me.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Still dealing with fall-out from shots

Jillian either has issues with tylenol or shots or its a combination of both. As I mentioned on Tuesday she vomited several ounces of formula that day after her oral vaccine and a dose of infants tylenol later in the evening. Then the next day she vomited several ounces after my MIL gave her tylenol because she was running a fever of 100 degrees and then she did the same thing for me again that evening. Each time was less than an hour after her last bottle, and while she didn't seem to mind the tylenol immediately after she swallowed that and more came back up. She did keep things down on the dose given before her appointment and the next morning, but in both cases it had been a long time since she'd ate last. She also had tylenol just find after her 2 month shots. Although she has otherwise been her chipper self, I called the doctor seeing as how this was a trend at all. The problem is that it is difficult to tell exactly what might be causing the whole problem. A reaction to the shots? Not tolerating the tylenol? Coming down with something else? Who knows. As long as she seemed to feel okay and the temperature didn't get over 100.4, the doctor said not to worry.

This morning her fever is gone, but our night wasn't exactly fun. She went to sleep at 8:30pm and after a quick paci wake-up around 10pm and woke up hungry at 12:30am. Being the one without a paying job, Jeramy got up with her. At 2:45am, I woke up to hear him pleading with her to fall asleep. I took pity on him having been in that exact situation so many times before, and took over the coaxing baby to sleep duties. I was successful by about 3:15am. Then at 4:30am she woke up again and wouldn't fall back to sleep. By then my alarm clock was about to go off, so I got ready for work while Jeramy fed her a bottle. Everybody was still awake when I left around 5:45am and I think she remained so until Jeramy dropped her off at his mom's at 6:30am to go work on the old house. We went to bed around 9:15pm, so Jeramy is operating on about 5 hours of sleep. I'm doing a little better with about 7 hours of sleep but more wake-ups. Compared to a newborn that's not so bad I guess. It's just that we've gotten used to sleeping again...regression is so hard. I'm sure it's just the shots and being hungry since she puked up half her bottles yesterday, but I can't wait for things to get back to normal. Of course, it seems like normal is relative term these days, as life in the house of still-packed moving boxes seems anything but normal.

Jeramy has gotten a ton done on the house, and it should be listed by next week. The open house is from 1-4pm on the 21st. We joked that we should go and pretend to be interested in the house. We could utter (loudly) phrases like:

"What a brand new roof with a 5 year transferable warranty? Wow!"

"Look at this beautifully remodeled kitchen. So much cabinet space. All of these new appliances stay? Amazing!"

"I can't believe they are selling this house at such a low price. Let's offer over asking price. I'd hate to let such a good deal slip away!".

A bit dishonest, perhaps. But tempting. Very tempting. I pointed out that the other option for a quick sale was offering Jillian with the house. She is awfully cute after all. But after some thought we decided we'd much rather keep her and go bankrupt.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

4 Months Old

On the second Tuesday of February 2008 we saw the heartbeat of that mysterious little being growing inside of me for the very first time. On the second Tuesday of February 2009 was that little being's 4 month check-up. It is amazing how much change one year brings. I know what you're thinking...how can Jillian be 4 months old already? I've witnessed the growth daily, and I'm still shaking my head in amazement.

Getting to the doctor's appointment this afternoon was a bit stressful. I was unexpectedly pulled into an important meeting at work that ran late. So I ended up calling Jeramy to have him meet his mom at the doctor's office for the appointment. I hurried to the bus, was lucky enough to make quick transfers, and arrived in time for her shots. The guilty mom syndrome was a bit overwhelming, but I keep reminding myself that it was completely unnecessary given that Jillian had both her dad and grandma present for the appointment.

Of course what you all want are the stats, so let me appease you:

Height: 25" (75th percentile)
Weight: 15 lbs even (80th percentile)
Head circumference: 17.5" (off the charts)

I was glad to see that her height and weight had evened out. I'd hate to start a body image complex this early, after all. And yes, her head is still huge! Good thing that it is such a cute head that you hardly notice.

She has not rolled over yet, probably due to her intense hatred of tummy time. She has developed a tremendous love of her feet through. She loves to lay on back and grab on to them. She also loves to spit and blow raspberries. I've tried explaining that this is a bit rude, but of course she doesn't listen to me. Apparently she did this throughout the appointment earlier today, which Dr. M found quite amusing.

As usual she was not a big fan of shots, although at least this time we knew to give her tylenol BEFORE the appointment. That seemed to help a bit as she slept on the way home whereas last time she screamed for about an hour. This evening she seemed fine, but she just woke up screaming bloody murder. Thankfully Jeramy managed to calm her down by rocking her and cranking up some My Chemical Romance. That seems to be her favorite band. Well that and her musical seahorse.

I know that a lot of people start solid foods around 4 months, but we're going to wait for a bit. Dr. M usually tells people to wait until teeth have started to come in, and honestly I'm not feeling any big rush to start solids. I also still worry about Jillian and digestion issues. She continues to be a rather gassy baby who spits up a lot, and we're trying a switch to soy formula to see if that helps at all. She also seems to have some difficulty tolerating things she is not used to. She puked up several ounces of formula right after they gave her the oral RSV vaccine today. And this evening she puked up at least a couple ounces after I gave her tylenol.

Jeramy was also laid off last Saturday. We knew this was coming, and honestly we are both happy about this. Both of us have been completely stressed out trying to get the old house on the market, and this will make that much easier to have everything done before the open house our real estate agent has planned for February 21st. The list of out of work Pipefitters is quite a bit longer than when he was laid off in November, but we should be okay for a couple months at least. Plus if it looks like he'll be out for a while there are options in terms of having him travel to work elsewhere, but of course we would like to avoid that if possible. We're pretty lucky in that I have a good job, and when we don't have two mortgages to pay we can reasonably live off my income alone. Right now my mother-in-law is still watching Jillian so that Jeramy can concentrate on the house, but after that's done he'll get to spend more time with Jillian. He already is taking on any night wakings, which I'm already thankful for as she insisted on being awake from 2:30 to 4 last night.

I promise pictures of the new house soon. I would take some now, but honestly it is awfully difficult to see the house with all the boxes still in the way. Unpacking on the weekends has been impossible as that time has been devoted to the other house. Unpacking in the evenings has been impossible because well did I mention that I have a 4 month old? By the time she is asleep at night there are just a few precious moments to unwind before going to bed myself. Jeramy would help more but his time at the new house must be devoted to some very necessary repairs, appliance installation and mouse hunting. That's right, our new place has come with some rather unwanted tenants that we are currently trying to kick out one glue trap at a time.

So in lieu of house pictures here are a couple more of Jillian. You can get a glimpse of the new place in the background of the second pic, and she is awfully cute after all despite her enormous head.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Is that a Light at the end of the Tunnel?

The light is faint, but I'm finally starting to see it. At the old house there is just cleaning left to do and it can go on the market. Our real estate agent is coming tomorrow to do a walk through. At the new house, appliances are being delivered today. Woohoo! We're talking a dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave, washer and dryer. Now if Jillian and I could just get over our colds life would be just grand.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Recent Photos

We may be busy, but I can always find time to take pictures of Jillian...
Hanging out with the little Monkey between bath time and bedtime

Actually enjoying tummy time for once.

Hanging out (and sharing toys) with Dakota

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

So...very...sleepy

After a 5 day "weekend" spent immersed in the manual labor of moving to a new house and getting the old house ready for market, I went back to work today. It felt like a vacation compared to the last few days, and I am exhausted. I told Jeramy last night that the only time I have felt more tired than this was the week Jillian was born. Most of my focus has been on the old house: painting, cleaning and coordinating various contractors. This week the roof is being installed, my friend is painting the final bedroom, carpets are being cleaned, and another friend and I are going to do a deep clean of the whole house. There is still a lot of yard work to be done, but I think it is feasible to have it listed by mid-month. Thank God we have such wonderful friends. As tired as I am, it would be so much worse if it weren't for their help. I just hate how this is all a big game of hurry up and wait. We are doing so much work so very quickly to get the house on the market, and then it will probably sit and sit and sit. I can't watch the news anymore as it just heightens my fears of how long the house will sit even with many amenities, a roof under warranty, and priced slightly below market.

The new place is still full of boxes and given the focus on the old house will remain so for a couple more weeks. I am completely uncomfortable. I have no bed to sleep on as we have a waterbed and it hasn't been set-up yet. Jillian can't sleep in her room yet either as there is a broken window in there. So she and I sleep in the living room in the swing and recliner respectively. Jeramy and the dog have taken up residence on an air mattress in the rather drafty basement. We have no dishwasher, washer, dryer or microwave. Our satellite TV won't be installed until the 14th (again, I hate you Direct TV) so we are using *gasp* an antenna. Just finding clothes to wear each day is seemingly impossible as my entire wardrobe is lying in a heap on the floor of the bedroom closet.

Ugh. I know this is all temporary and a few months from now all will be comfortable and cozy again.