Week 31

It's amazing how different pregnancies can be.  The symptoms, the cravings, the growth...the pain. Oh, the pain.  Even if my tennis partner had not moved away, I would not play this pregnancy.  This week, lower back pain started along with difficulty walking.  Just walking...let alone trying to chase after a yellow ball to slam back over the net.  I have two months left, and this time, I am ready to be at the destination instead of blissfully enjoying the journey.  I don't like admitting this thought, but in truth, when it hurts so much to walk, I'm ready to throw in the towel.  Not being active is not in my blood.
Pushing through the pain isn't an option either, sure I could do it, but it wouldn't be good for Owen.  I know by body is telling me to rest, and I also feel like Owen is lower than Aidan ever was (until the day I went into labor). 
I did find that being in a pool relieves this pain, thanks to my neighbor who let us use hers.  Hmm, too bad I can't work in a pool all day.

How far along: 30 weeks 6 days

How big is baby?: According to the APP, I'm Expecting: Started the Week 31 as the size of a Bunch of Asparagus and is about to be a Bok Choy.

Weight gain?: 1 lb this week, 28 total

Stretch marks?: Counting myself lucky, only the linea nigra and bright, blue veins

Sleep?: Sleep is getting more difficult due to my hips being uncomfortable and the pain around my lower belly.  Once I find a good sleeping position, I usually sleep without waking.  I still find myself on my stomach. 

Best moment?:  Maternity pictures as a FAMILY.  Last time, with AJ's work schedule and the weather, he was never able to participate, so it's nice to have some photos with him.

I also took Aidan to a Touch a Truck event held locally.  While most of time, he was clingy and unsure of everything, he eventually warmed up to touching the trucks and sitting in the seat without me.  He was calling all the heavy equipment "tractors"!  I thought he would enjoy a snow cone, but silly me, what was I thinking?!  He ended up spilling it all over his shirt and dropping the rest on the ground.  He didn't have one bite.





Worst moment?:  Nothing that I recollect...except all the pain I already talked about throughout this post. :)

Food cravings?: I am back to wanting salty foods, and sweets were a turn off...weird.

Symptoms?:  Round Ligament Pain, lower back pain, and pain while walking. Pain

Exercise?: I was limited this week.  I did work out my upper and lower body, but my walking was limited.  In fact, the only walking I did was at work, which was a good bit, but I did not add any recreational miles

Movement?:Owen loves to move around on the right side, especially when I am getting comfortable in bed, he seems to kick, punch and move on the right side.

Belly button?: An outie

What I miss?: Moving without thought and effort.  Seriously, it's an effort to get up, and it's an effort to move.  I did notice that the more I walked, the looser my ligaments seemed, which made walking more comfortable.  But if I walk too much, then I'm sore a few hours later.  Can't win.

Labor signs?:None, though the uncomfortable pain I have felt this week was exactly how I felt the day I went into labor with Aidan.  So how will I know when Owen is ready to come?!  Guess he'll make the discomfort worse, hah.

TMI:  Nothing new this week...

What I'm looking forward to?:Visiting a friend at the beach!! Remember Jen...surely you do, I've blogged about her several times.  Anyway, her husband and her are visiting from Wisconsin, so Aidan and I are going to see them!  I am so excited!  I hope the weather is nice.

Week 30

 30 weeks, so 2.5 months left! 
So I spent a good bit of time organizing Owen's room, which meant running the washer and dyer a lot this weekend!  I hung up and folded clothes for the first 6 months (well size wise).  I had AJ bring down the car seat, the base, and the swing.  In addition, I rewashed all of my cloth diapers, and they are currently sitting in a big pile waiting to be sorted, resized, and stuffed. 
I bought a laundry hamper and new crib sheet....I guess I'm going with a jungle/zoo theme, but not going crazy like I did with the penguins.
I also put aside Owen's coming home outfit so it can easily be found and packed in the hospital bag when the times comes.   Whew, I feel like I accomplished a lot this weekend, now if only I could remember how I had the nursery set up when I had Aidan....so much stuff I need handy!

How far along: 30 weeks 6 days

How big is baby?: According to the APP, I'm Expecting: Started the Week 30 as the size of a Large Cabbage and is about to be a Bunch of Asparagus.

Weight gain?: 1 lb this week, 27 total

Stretch marks?: Counting myself lucky, only the linea nigra and bright, blue veins

Sleep?: I can still sleep on my stomach, though I usually fall asleep on my side and wake up on my stomach.  I am still fortunate to sleep through the night without any need for a bathroom visit.  I drink plenty of water, too.

Best moment?: Finding the countertop that made me really excited and knowing it was the one for me.  Let's just hope the price is right, otherwise, I'm going to have to settle, and the second runner ups aren't even close to competing.  I think it has the right mix of black and brown to bring out the colors in both cabinets we will have in the kitchen along with some other colors to add some flair.  It also matches well with oil rubbed bronze fixtures. 

  Worst moment?: Aidan waking up at 5:30 am two days in a row...we're going to blame the molars we can see coming through.

Food cravings?: Comfort food, but I only had it once this week, otherwise, I stuck to my fruits and veggies, plus loading up on fiber by eating black bean quesadillas.

On Friday, I caved to fried pork, fried squash, homemade macaroni and cheese, and a biscuit.  The green things are broccoli nuggets that I made into muffins.

Symptoms?:  Round Ligament Pain still lingers.

Exercise?: I walked 3+ miles and was at the gym lifting weights 4 days last week.

Movement?: This kid is on the move, much like his big brother.  So does this mean he will be as energetic as Aidan is?!

Belly button?: Still the partial outie. Aidan poked it before I could cut his nails and gave me a nice little cut.  He is obsessed with poking my belly button when he sees it.

What I miss?: The sunshine! Okay, so not pregnancy related, but the weather has been extremely rainy since June, which has given us unusually cool weather.  Being pregnant, a break from the heat is nice, but I do love my sunshine.

Labor signs?:None

TMI:  Nowadays, I wish I could walk around like a sumo wrestler, and people not look at me funny.  Walking like a sumo wrestler would give me some relief.  You see,  I am itchy/sweaty/wet/feel like I was hit with a baseball bat or my butt is on fire or my 'rhoid feels pinched even though I adjusted them.  Fun stuff, right? So if you see me walking like a sumo wrestler, you know I gave up on caring what I looked like.

What I'm looking forward to?: Another quiet weekend at home?!  I don't know, we'll see what trouble Aidan and I get into while AJ works.  Maybe a road trip since we'll have to slow down come August. 

Gifts for Owen!

New Blankets (gifts)

 So many clothes for the first few months!

Pile of Cloth Diapers

Week 29

Bringing boxes down from the attic counts as progress, right?!  I had AJ bring down just a few...or like 10 boxes for me to go through to start prepping the nursery for Owen.  I didn't label all of the boxes very well, so I had to open some of them up and try and guess when Aidan wore the outfit in order to determine what size might be in the container.  I did wash and fold three loads of baby laundry.... I was amazed at how small the outfits were.

I also had to pack away most of my small maternity tops...the ones from last pregnancy aren't fitting so well...they creep up.  But I am not packing them for storage, nope, I am packing them to sell/donate!  Let the purging begin...

How far along: 29 weeks 6 days

How big is baby?: According to the APP, I'm Expecting: Started the Week 29 as the size of a Butternut Squash and is about to be a Large Cabbage.

Weight gain?: 1 lb this week, 26 total

Stretch marks?: Linea nigra and bright, blue veins

Sleep?: Great sleep this week, still sleeping on my stomach some.

Best moment?: I really enjoyed picking out plumbing and electrical fixtures. At first, this seemed like a daunting task, but every thing we get to pick out or decide makes the house feel more real.  I mean, I see pictures, I know we're building, but I still pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.

Trying to pick a roof shingle...

It was also nice (despite some toddler tantrums) to spend a lot of time with Aidan.  One day he even napped for 3 hours and was then very patient while I ran a lot of errands, so I bought him some rewards.  I enjoyed buying him a ball, crayons, and an Elmo DVD...hours of entertainment and one happy boy.

Worst moment?: We experienced an epic toddler tantrum/melt down on July 4th.  Aidan refused to nap and he purposely made himself sick...so what did he do, he napped in the car.

Food cravings?: Just like last week, seafood!  Especially shrimp.

Symptoms?:  Round Ligament Pain - it was worse this week, probably because I was home most of the week with Aidan since his daycare was closed.

Exercise?: I walked 5+ miles and was at the gym lifting weights 2 days last week.

Movement?:Owen has found my rib cage, and apparently how to kick/hit it hard...just like his brother.  Owen moves constantly, at least every hour or so.  I keep waiting for Aidan to be around me to feel Owen kick.

Belly button?: Still the partial outie.

What I miss?: Being able to sit on the floor and not struggle to get up.

Labor signs?:None

TMI: I had to tweak my combination of magnesium again since my regularity went absent.  I thought I had it figured out since I had to add iron to my daily intake.  These issues lead to problems with the 'rhoids too. :/

What I'm looking forward to?: Continuing to organize Owen's nursery and maybe adding a few decorations.  AJ is supposed to go on a fishing trip for a belated birthday celebration since the weather caused a cancellation in June.  So it'll be a quiet weekend at home for us or a simple day trip if we go anywhere.

Picky Toddler, Clever Mom

I know, I have many victories needed before I catch up with my elusive toddler, but they're smart creatures.  So I'll take my one victory and boast about it, while Aidan smiles about his victories to my face several times a day.

Like when he's victorious at nap time, and I drive him around until he falls asleep. Or rock him like he's a newborn until he falls asleep and lay on the couch for two hours while my arms falls asleep with him. Or when I bring Aidan to the bed because I tire of his antics at bedtime...hey, mom needs her sleep, too.

Or when I am so proud of him taking a great nap and cooperating while I run tons of errands that he convinces me I should buy him (yet another) ball.  Then he starts throwing the ball and several others all over the store, where I have to chase after him and the balls.

There are many more victories, but to recount all my defeats will take many pages and probably a very boring read.  I recently thought I lost against Aidan when it came to eating meat, especially chicken.  I had the bright idea to make my own ravioli and to add chicken he refused two nights previous.  I mixed chicken that I chopped up in my food processor with spinach, Italian cheeses, and Italian spices.  Then, using a recipe I found on the lovely internet, I made ravioli pasta dough.

Making the ravioli wasn't time consuming espicially since it yields a lot however, I learned that I should roll it thinner and not be so conservative with the filling.  In addition, I did not like the recipe I used...it called for 2 1/2 cup flour, a pinch of salt and 3 large eggs.  Well, the dough wouldn't even form with three eggs, so I had to add two more.  Since this was my first attempt at making pasta, I didn't want to experiment because I didn't know/understand the effect.  Perhaps that's why my ravoli seemed like it should be rolled thinner.  Who knows, but I'll work on it.

After cooking the ravioli, I topped it with pesto and grated Parmesan cheese.  Aidan happily consumed 5 large raviolis, and I claimed victory.

 My victory dance was short lived, but at least I had the opportunity to notch a 1 on the scoreboard. 

Up, Up and Away!

After signing the last piece of paper to finalize the construction loan, we have officially allowed ourselves to be excited about the house!  But signing that last piece of paper was not without drama or stress.

Three weeks into the construction, we were STILL waiting to finalize the paperwork with the bank...the bank kept messing something up or needing additional information or clarification.  So while we were excited to finally sign the paperwork on June 21st, things did not go as planned.

On Thursday, the closing was moved from 11AM to 1PM, but we were hopeful.  On Friday, as I was running late to closing, AJ called me to tell me that the bank hadn't sent over the paperwork so take my time.  I arrived 15 minutes late...still no word from the bank.  So I went to lunch, constantly checking my phone waiting for AJ to call.  AJ called, only to ask where I chose to go to lunch.  Bummer.  I return to the lawyer's office, and AJ checks in on the bank since he hadn't received a call yet.  Supposedly, the paperwork would be sent over in a few minutes.  Fast forward to 3 PM, AJ receives a call - a computer is down, give them a few more minutes.  At 3:30 PM, the bank told us that we could close at 6:30 PM on Friday.

We left Aiken at 11:45 AM, and the bank wanted us to stick around until nearly 7PM.  This meant I would have to return to Aiken, pick Aidan up and drive him back to the lawyer's office 1.25 hours away.  We would waste 8+ hours if we agreed to the later closing.  Oh, but I had a card to play...I never use the pregnancy card, but hey, this was a desperate situation needing an alternative that fit MY schedule.

So I told AJ, after we were offered the later closing or some time next week, to hand me his phone.  He asked why, and I replied that I was calling the banker back.

So the conversation went something like this:
Diana: <Banker's name>, this is Diana, Willis' wife. I'm not happy.
Banker: Yes m'am?
Diana: I'm pregnant, it's the first day of summer, and it's absolutely gorgeous today.  Instead of enjoying the beautiful weather, I have sat outside of a locked attorney's office for over 3 hours plus I drove an hour and a half.  Now you want me to drive back to Aiken, pick up my toddler, drive him back to sign paperwork that will supposedly be ready by 6:30 PM.
Banker: Well...
Diana: I'll be a hungry irritable pregnant woman, and my toddler will be hungry and full of energy. So this is how it's going to go down.  You're going to pay for the attorney to drive to Aiken either tonight or Monday afternoon.  I don't care what it costs, but I'm tired of the incompetency your bank has displayed during this process over and over again.
Banker: Yes m'am. What time do you want attorney in Aiken on Monday.
Diana: 3 PM
Banker: Where do you want him to meet you.
Diana: My house
Banker: Yes m'am. He'll be there with the paperwork...at no cost to you.
Diana: Thank you.
End of conversation...

We actually signed the paperwork on the back of the attorney's car in a grocery store parking lot.  Our witness was also a paper weight since a storm was quickly moving in.  All we needed to cap our luck was the paperwork to blow into the busy intersection we were parked near. The attorney was pleasant and very understanding; he said he had signed paperwork in odd places, but never on the back of his car in a parking lot! 

The paperwork wasn't without errors...the last name was misspelled for AJ several different ways, but it was spelled perfect for my name.  In addition, the loan amount was higher than what the bank said they would loan us due to the farm "losses".  We were happy to see this, but it was one more thing the bank couldn't do correctly.

With the paperwork signed, we all breathed a sigh of relief...then moved full speed ahead.

We've decided on a stone color and pattern, received another quote on appliances, signed a contract with the cabinet maker, and began the selection for the plumbing & electrical fixtures.  In addition, we had to pick the roof shingles' color and also contracted the cabinet guy to make our front door.

So as the framing crew works to finish out the exterior, the plumber and electrician will work on roughing in their respective trades.  In addition, we will probably see the roof start since all the rainy weather will hamper the construction if we can't get the house dried in.

In the mean time, we'll make more selections such as the marble and quartz countertops, plumbing and electrical fixtures, and possible the color of the shakes, trim and soffit. Lots of color choices.

So 1 month down 7 months to go!

Week 28

70% Complete!! So my appointments went from every 4 weeks to 3 weeks. I still can't believe how quickly this pregnancy is passing.

How far along:28 weeks 6 days

How big is baby?: According to the APP, I'm Expecting: Started the Week 28 as the size of a Iceburg Lettuce and is about to be a Butternut Squash.

Weight gain?: None this week, 25 total

Stretch marks?: Only the Linea nigra, though my veins on the side of my stomach are extremely blue and visible!


Sleep?: Sleeping better than last week, thanks to Aidan figuring out that he doesn't need to be up at 4am.  Although, I have to adjust the thermostat to cooler temperatures because if we are near 70 degrees F, I wake up sweating.

Best moment?: A good friend of mine that I have known since high school was in town this weekend to celebrate her nieces and brother's birthdays.  I always enjoy hanging out at her family's house...always so welcoming.  Of course, Aidan loved their pool.

We also met the closing attorney (on our turf) to finalize the construction loan paperwork.  Full speed ahead on the housing stuff!

Worst moment?: Nothing this week that I can think of...that's good, right?!

Food cravings?: FISH! SHRIMP! Seafood

Symptoms?:  Round Ligament Pain

Exercise?: I walked 3+ miles and was at the gym lifting weights 3 days last week.

Movement?: Lots of movement, sometimes painful kicks or punches.  I can count on Owen being active right at my weekday bedtime.  I keep hoping that Aidan can feel him, but it seems Aidan won't sit still long enough to wait for Owen to kick.

Belly button?: Still the partial outie.

What I miss?: Being able to run.  The round ligament pain definitely prevents me from doing so, but there are days that Aidan doesn't cooperate with getting in the vehicle.  He'll play a game of chase, and I know if I was pregnant, I could easily catch him.  He thinks he's soooooo funny.

Labor signs?:None

TMI: My increased fiber and magnesium intake has returned me to regular...as much as a pregnant woman can be.  Let's hope I don't have to tweak the routine anymore, and what I am taking will keep working.

What I'm looking forward to?: A loooooong weekend.  Aidan's day care is closed for the week of July Forth, so I am taking off Wednesday, and Thursday is a holiday.  So I will have 5 days off...all with Aidan.  Let's hope I can survive the long weekend.

I didn't do much with the nursery this past weekend as I planned, so hopefully Aidan will let me do some preparations over the long weekend.

Bump Progression Week 25 to 28

 

Week 25                  Week 26                  Week 27

 

Week 27

HELLLLLLOOOO Third Trimester! Where did you come from?!  Time is flying by, and as I write this, I realize I have to take my 70% loading pic tomorrow.  Seems crazy.  It feels like there is so much to do when it comes to being prepared for Owen's arrival...most of it involves getting boxes out of the attic.  I have a friend who just had her second baby 4 weeks early, and it made me realize that I probably need to be more prepared.  What if I was faced with the same situation?!

How far along:27 weeks 6 days

How big is baby?: According to the APP, I'm Expecting: Started the Week 27 as the size of a Cauliflower and is about to be a Iceburg Lettuce.

Weight gain?: 1 this week, 25 total. 

Stretch marks?: Only the Linea nigra 


Sleep?: Sleep this week has been awful!  Aidan has been waking early (like 4 am sometimes) and needs help going back to sleep and then is up at 6 am.  But pregnancy hasn't affected my sleep.  Still stomach sleeping as long as Owen lets me.



There's proof I need more sleep:
1. While filling Aidan's pool, I kept wondering why it was taking so long for the water level to rise...until I realized the plug wasn't in.
2. While ordering lunch at a Mexican restuarant where I already say the appetizers menu on the board when waiting to be seated, I ordered something called dirty queso and was disappointed it wasn't a quesadilla when it came out. Um, duh Diana.
3. There was one other moment that occurred, but due to sleep deprivation, I seem to have forgotten the moment.

Best moment?: Visiting with my grandparents in Tybee Island, GA! Memaw celebrated her 73rd birthday, and the weather was fantastic especially for a summer, Southern day.  

Worst moment?: We DID NOT close on the construction loan on Friday as scheduled.  I hate to pull out my mean card and make some hefty demands of the bank.  Let's hope they follow through on their promises come Monday...ya know, since they have been so reliable.  More like consistent.  Consistently late and not proofing the paper work.

Food cravings?: Oranges and orange juice!  Folic acid is good for Owen, too!

Symptoms?:  Hah, if it weren't for my pregnancy app, I would not realize the pressure/pain that I was feeling was Round Ligament Pain, so yeah, I had that for a few weeks.  It says to exercise (but not too much), to sit (but not too much), and to stand and move around (but not too much).  Hmmm, okay, I'll work on the perfect combination.

Exercise?: I walked 5+ miles and was at the gym lifting weights 3 days last week.

Movement?: Lots of movement, sometimes painful kicks or punches.

Belly button?: Still the partial outie.

What I miss?: Putting on shoes without all the effort!  I have to change shoes several times a day at work, and it definitely feels like a production taking off and putting shoes on.

Labor signs?:None

TMI: Slower digestion and adding additional iron to my diet have led to constipation. :/  So I have upped my fiber intake and continue a hire dose of magnesium in hopes that I will find a regular pattern of relief.

What I'm looking forward to?: A weekend at home!  I've been on the go the past few weekends, and I think I'll use this coming weekend to pull stuff out of the attic.  Well, I will have AJ bring it down so I can start washing it and preparing the nursery.

Week 26

How far along:26 weeks 6 days

How big is baby?: According to the APP, I'm Expecting: Started the Week 26 as the size of a Eggplant and is about to be a Cauliflower.

Weight gain?: 1 this week, 24 total. 

Stretch marks?: Only the Linea nigra 


Sleep?: It is becoming increasingly difficult to sleep on my stomach.  I definitely need my body pillow in order to sleep on my side.

Best moment?: Hanging out at the beach with great friends!  The weather was perfect, especially after the hot week we had, and the company was spectacular.

Father's day was also a good time.  Aidan was excited to see Papa and give daddy his cake.  We had a great dinner with my family and then went out to the property to see the house construction.  Aidan did very well at lunch, though at the end, he seemed to have ants in his pants and wanted to climb across the table.

Worst moment?: I carried Aidan a lot on Friday and some on Saturday while running errands, and my body ached!  I felt like waddling like a penguin and walking like a hunchback at the same time.

Food cravings?: Candy corn!  Not a good craving at all, sugary, empty calories.

Symptoms?:  Soreness.  Seriously, this second pregnancy is kicking my butt.  I can't believe last time I was playing tennis.  I don't want to pick anything up from the ground...too much effort.

Exercise?: I walked 4+ miles and had a few body weight exercises I did, but this was a very slack week.

Movement?:Owen kicks and punches, rolls and spins A LOT.  I feel him more consistently.

Belly button?: Still the partial outie.

What I miss?: It's almost summer...hot days, relaxing in the pool...with an ice cold beer.  Oh well, just a few more months.  It's all worth it.

Labor signs?:None

TMI: High temps this week means lots of sweating.  I hate the full panel pants, but the no panel pants/shorts seem to put too much pressure on me.  It just sucks walking at lunch and then having a sticky panel against your stomach for the rest of the day.  That's okay, I slacked off two of the four work days.

What I'm looking forward to?: Celebrating my Memaw's 73rd birthday!

Toddler Transitions

Aidan must have known that AJ and I were working on his room, so while AJ was out of town, he decided to scare me one morning by greeting me at his bedroom door.  Aidan doesn't climb on the couch or much else, so I was shocked to find him at the door - how did he climb out of his crib?!

Anyway, he lit a fire under us, and we quickly finished transforming the office into a toddler room.  I mean, we were almost done, the room only needed a few more things - like paint, steam cleaning the carpet, a ceiling fan, and furniture organized.

We let Aidan in the room when it  was safe for a toddler on Sunday morning.  Then mom and I went to buy a mattress, a pillow and bedding.

 Aidan loves the ducks on the wall and has always wanted to pet them, so he kept going into his room and saying "duck!" and "pet".

 Of course, Aidan was allowed to have Elmo bedding.  I assumed that his love of Elmo would help encourage him to sleep in his bed and feel comfortable.

So we started the transition Sunday night.  It was a painful hour of crying, shhhhing, back rubbing, butt patting, and monitor watching.  Aidan made himself so upset in five minutes that the poor guy threw up.

It's not like we just left the room, no we kissed him goodnight, read him books, told him to go "night night", and then I stayed to rub his back and help ease him to sleep.  I should mention that he was definitely exhausted and had a poor nap, so there was no reason why he shouldn't be tired. 

 But we also couldn't afford to start a bad bedtime habit, so we knew we had to resort to letting Aidan cry it out.  It's not as easy as when he was 6 months because he screams out your name, and it burns your heart.  So when I saw Aidan start to gag himself, I ran to his room, but was too late.  I cleaned up his small mess, gave him some water, then led him to bed.  He drifted off to sleep within 15 minutes of the back/butt patting.  When I went to work the next morning, I cracked the door open so Aidan could run to AJ when he woke.  Well, poor Aidan cried in his bed at 6:30 am for daddy.  Guess he was too scared in his room.

On Monday, Aidan went back and forth between crying at the door and us comforting him.  Finally, at 9:30 PM, AJ held Aidan in his arms in the living room.  Aidan was out in seconds.  On Tuesday morning, I cracked the door open again. At 6 am, he woke up, slammed his door close and ran to AJ, asking for his hand.

On Tuesday, Aidan got sick at daycare and had to go to the doctor.  He had an ear infection and three teeth coming in, so I rocked him to sleep and put him in the toddler bed.  He woke up at 5:45 am, and he picked a great day to wake early since I had training and was going to work late.

On Wednesday, we continued our normal nightly routine and immediately left the room.  Aidan cried a little at the door, then we watched on the monitor as he crawled back into the bed.  He slept in his room until 7am, which is normal pre toddler bed transition.

Thursday was a repeat!  Woohoo.

Friday, we were out of town, but Aidan was not happy about the pack and play arrangements, so I held him until he went to sleep, and we shared a bed.  He didn't move from the spot I laid him in, which is good because I was sleeping right on the edge.

Saturday Aidan required some comforting from daddy...he would not calm down, and he also learned how to open the door knob.  He also did not nap in his room, but he did play for an hour.  I had to lock the door for him to stay in - don't worry, we have a key setting on the frame of the door.  Aidan cried at nap time for a few seconds then decided his quiet time would be spent playing and dumping toys everywhere.

Sunday - We kissed Aidan good night in his bed and left the room.  He cried for twenty seconds at the door, then crawled in his bed.  He must have grabbed an Elmo guitar because we could hear and see the lights over the monitor.  But he stayed in his bed and fell asleep.  I grabbed the guitar an hour later while he was in deep sleep so it wouldn't wake him in the middle of the night if it went off.

I think Aidan has quickly become comfortable with his room and sleeping in the toddler bed.  I do like that when he wakes, he can come running to us.  He doesn't come quietly - he slams the door and then we hear his feet slapping on the hardwood floor.

 In other transitioning news, we had to turn Aidan around in the vehicle.  I wanted to keep Aidan rear facing until he was two, but Aidan outgrew the height requirement and was teetering near the weight limit. He seemed to quickly adjust to forward facing, and now that he can see me drinking water, he asks for my cup. "Mommy, milk."  I hand him his milk, but he says "No, mommy's".  Here's my cup kid, try not to spill it everywhere. 

He has already taken several naps forward facing, so I guess he's not too distracted by what he can see or setting more upright.  I was really hesitant on the whole forward facing situation, and I'm sure I will be weary of having to move him to one of the side seats.  At least I have already read the car and car seat manuals to know what I need to do in a few months. 

Engaging in Risky Business

Not that I have ever watched the movie, Risky Business, but as I was thinking of a blog title, I felt like it was familiar.  A quick google search confirmed my thoughts...

Anyway, you have to wonder what kind of risky business we would engage in seeing how AJ works in Law Enforcement.  If you have been following the blog, you might guess the risky business is house related.  If so, you are 100% correct.

The construction loan was supposed to close by the end of May, then it was pushed out because they misspelled my name and needed me to resign documents I signed back in April, which I had volunteered to wait around in April to sign.  Then they wanted the HUD statement for our land and a letter about our farm expenses.  So we waited and were told we would close by June 7th.  Well....the underwriter is a little backed up so she couldn't process the paperwork in time. Then on June 7th we heard that they were cutting the loan amount because of the farm losses (um, this is mortgage interest and tractor depreciation, both payments are accounted for) - the loan would be for a few dollars over the contract with the builder, thus limiting any additions we might want.

But work began on the house June 3rd.  The house site was scraped to remove the top soil, then the footings were dug and placed, and finally block for the foundation was laid.  All in the first week....and work continued the second week because we are suppose to close by June 14th.

So the next week came, and the builder finished the foundation, we had the surveyor complete the foundation survey, and the builder started and completed the foundation framing.  AJ also picked up lumber from a mill near Savannah, GA, which was used for the foundation framing. Soooo....work progressed, but what about the loan? The builder needs his first draw by June 21st.  We did receive the "good to go" notice on June 14th that we could close, so we are combining the close with the first draw next Friday, June 21st.  The bank couldn't help us cut any closer of a deadline...could they?


In other news, we met with an awesome cabinet builder that beats Lowe's/Home Depot and other builders hands down - quality and price! We are extremely excited about the cabinets.  He gave us a tour inside of his house, and look at the work he does!  These are all hickory cabinets - the main cabinets are left natural while the island is stained an espresso and distressed.  I had originally wanted a deep red cherry wood cabinets, but I was worried with the kitchen being too dark and coordinating too many textures and colors in a small area.  Plus, AJ was in love with the natural hickory cabinets. 

I have also mentioned previously that AJ had picked up our interior columns and beams, but never shared a picture.  I went by the warehouse after meeting with the cabinet guy to scope them out.  They are currently plain, but we will most likely stain them to contrast against the ceiling in the living room, which will be a natural wood.

AJ came across some pecky cypress wood, and this piece below will become the mantle piece.  The cabinet guy we met can plane it and possibly cut some decorative support pieces.  It will also be left natural, but as you can see, it is a darker wood.

So what are the hiccups?

Well last time, we were waiting on the appraisal, negotiating the land from the other bank, and finalizing our bank loan.

So 2/3 of the above is complete.  The appraisal came back, and we have a current loan to value of 80%, thus no PMI!  This is GREAT news. Moreover, due to the appraisal that included the value of the land, the bank who we have a loan with for the land is releasing the 7.22 acres home site FREE AND CLEAR.  No loan attached to it...did I mention the land doubled in value since we bought it.  Talk about a return on an investment!

In order to keep the good news rolling, we need to close on the construction loan, which is scheduled. Thus, we are hoping to see the subflooring go down early this coming week and the beginning of the wall framing.  Meanwhile, AJ and I are scouring the internet for a front door we like to see if the cabinet maker can duplicate what we like within the budget.