Amendment

An update to the last post:

1. I'm adding "Diva" and "Drama Queen" to the list....thanks to Jen for the tip. I'm sure there will be others as we run across them, and I'm already hearing grumbling from people who are looking for these outfits just to spite me. :)
2. I don't really have a problem with "Angel." It's mostly with "Daddy's Little Angel." Though she certainly will be my little angel/brat/mild-mannered-superhero-in-disguise, her clothing shouldn't be designed to compliment me.
3. Also added to the list after perusing some clothing sites: "Born to Shop," "Heartbreaker," "I Make Boys Cry," and "Does my butt look big in this diaper?"
4. Willow seems to be feeling better. I still think something's wrong, but it's definitely not as pronounced as it was, and I'm willing to hope/believe it's something less serious than another back injury. We're still keeping her confined to the living room and taking anti-inflammatories, so hopefully she'll be back at 100% soon.

Homer No More

Well, it looks like we're going to have to come up with a better nickname, because IT'S A GIRL!!! We had our appointment this morning, and everything looks great. We were able to clearly see a diaphragm, a well-formed heart, a solid palate, the appropriate brain formation, and all the necessary limbs. The tech was also positive on the gender, though mistakes have happened before.

To celebrate our healthy little girl, we took an impromptu trip to Babies 'R' Us, where we bought a cute little outfit and added just a couple of things to our registry. We have to take an inventory of what we have left over from Andrew and figure out how much of that stuff is non-gender-specific enough to work for a girl.

Of course, having a girl brings up a whole host of new issues that I haven't had to deal with to this point....I was already avoiding the risque outfits in the store. I know that sounds strange, but why do they make see-through blouses for 3-month olds? A girl will also require some new ground rules, so here's my first attempt:

• No shirts/outfits that say "Princess," "Angel," or "Flirt," even when used in conjunction with "Daddy's little..." or "Mommy's little..."
• Please no Disney princess stuff yet....she'll have plenty of time to destroy her self-image and construct a skewed view of romance and relationships when she's older
• Girls can wear colors other than pink....be creative

That said, we're very excited and have shed our share of tears today....thank you all for caring and we'll keep you updated on her progress.

PS- We somehow find it difficult to go through a whole day with only good news. When we got back to the house after the appointment, Willow was walking with a terrible limp. We took her to the vet and got her checked out, but they were unable to ascertain exactly what was wrong. Of course Willow was acting a bit better when we got there, but the vet was still able to see the limp. She responded well to all of the tests for range of motion, hip/shoulder/tendon issues, etc., and they don't think a cervical X-ray will be able to show much of anything. The options for what's wrong at this point include soft tissue damage (a sprain or strain in a muscle), an arthritis-related deficit, or a new problem with her back (this time in her cervical/neck area). We obviously hope the last one isn't the case, but we'll be keeping a close eye on her. We got some anti-inflammatories and will be keeping Willow inactive for the next seven days. She's currently in a pen in our living room, whining at us to get out....hopefully our concern for her condition will outweigh our sympathy for her pouting.

My Cousin Vinnie

No, it's not just a movie any more. My cousin Vinnie is at UCLA and recently raced in the 2009 UCSD Tritonman Triathlon. It was only his second triathlon, but he had a great race and managed to beat his previous time by a full minute. Here are a series of videos I took during the race.

There are eight that will play in a row:

1. The mass start of all the collegiate men.
2. The first few guys coming out of the water.
3. Vinnie coming out of the water and headed for the bike.
4. Vinnie running his bike out to the course to start the ride.
5. Vinnie riding by after his first of three laps.
6. Vinnie coming in for the bike-to-run transition.
7. Vinnie heading out on the run.
8. Vinnie coming across the finish line

Is It Wednesday Yet?

The ultrasound is tomorrow, and we are both nervous and excited.  We have two doctor's appointments and two meetings with landscapers, so it'll be a busy day.  I'll definitely post tomorrow night, though, to let everyone know about the gender.  Can't wait!

Update

A quick post with the latest on the baby....

Everything's going well so far. We've had one more ultrasound since my last post, and Homer still looks good, though he doesn't seem to like being poked in the head with an ultrasound wand. Here's the picture from that checkup:

This is the first picture we've gotten that's head-on, and it makes the baby look a bit like a Klingon (or an alien). It's perfectly normal....nothing to worry about.

We go in next week (on Wednesday) for our 18-week ultrasound. This is known as the "anatomy" checkup, because almost all of the basics should be developing and can be seen in the scan. They'll be able to check for the major organs and limbs, including the diaphragm. Though we're being cautious with everything about this pregnancy, obviously CDH is foremost in our minds, and we're looking forward to seeing the lungs, heart, and digestive tract where they're supposed to be. There's also a good chance we'll be able to determine the gender, so check back here next Thursday for the news. For those of you that are uncomfortable calling a potential girl Homer, how does Casita ("little house" in Spanish) sound?

On a sad note, my Yia-Yia's best friend passed away last Friday. She was much too young and the circumstances were really unfortunate...she was in the hospital for a broken ankle and deteriorated quickly and unexpectedly. She was always incredibly loving and supportive of her friends and family, and I include myself among the latter. She was asking about D and the baby up to the day she passed away, and we're all going to miss her terribly.

Our Little Tidbit

I mentioned there was a fun tidbit coming along.....here it is!

 

 

I assume that these are somewhat self-explanatory, but here are the details:

• D is currently 12 weeks pregnant, which puts the due date at August 22
• It's too early to know the gender, but so far it seems to be healthy and on-track
• D has been feeling tired and nauseous (mostly at night), but hasn't had any major medical issues
• The timing of this pregnancy was unexpected....though very, very welcome
• We've been slow to publicize our news, as it's still early and we've learned from past experience that anything can happen....we're still being very cautious and trying not to get too excited
• The next step is an anatomy ultrasound at 18 weeks, in late March
• We will be finding out the gender, and we will be telling people
• We will not be telling anyone the name (not that we've decided anything), so don't ask

I've code-named this baby Homer, as we intend to actually bring this one home with us.  I'll probably also default to male pronouns (to go with the name).  However, I can guarantee that won't be the final choice, and I can only hope that the baby doesn't develop a complex if it happens to be a girl.

That's it for now.  I'll provide updates along the way....thanks for reading!

PS- Let me know in the comments if you need an interpretation of either of the sonogram pictures.

Upstairs

I went around and took the rest of the house pictures today. These cover the upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms. Here's a preview:

The pictures have been added at the end of the gallery, so if you've already seen the downstairs, just start in the middle.

More fun tidbits coming soon.

Long-Awaited Pictures

I finally posted some pictures of the house, with all of our stuff in it. I took a bunch of shots this weekend, but still only got to the downstairs, so I'm going to do this in two parts. Here's a link to the first set.

There are captions, but they're mostly self-explanatory. Here's one to get you started:

PS- Keep checking the blog this week. I'll have more pictures and some other fun tidbits.

Shipping!

This blog has been woefully neglected recently, which I plan to rectify shortly.  However, I just want to pass along this bit of information, of which I am very proud.  My book is out!  I REALLY don't expect anybody reading this to buy it....please don't waste your money on something that will serve only as a cure for insomnia....but I think it will be a very valuable resource to our customers.

I've wanted to write a book for as long as I can remember, though I always thought it would be a novel.  I have conceded the fact that I'm not creative enough to come up with a salesworthy fiction plot, but I'm overjoyed that I finally got the opportunity to get something published.

Okay, that's enough self-promotion for one day.  Thanks for listening!

Finally Settled In

Well, I've finally found a few minutes for an update.  The last month has been incredibly busy, but we accomplished a ton:

• The condo is empty, clean, re-carpeted, and generally fixed up.  It's in better shape than it was when we moved in four years ago, and we handed the keys over to our new renters on Monday.
• The new house is done, moved-into, and mostly furnished.  We managed to scrounge up extra furniture from family attics and garages, and it feels like we were at two or three stores a night for two weeks straight, getting everything ready for our first visitors.
• We had 11 people down for a very successful Thanksgiving.  It was a collaborative process....we provided the house and groceries and the family provided the cooking expertise and execution.  It was great to see them and we managed to find room for everyone.
• D's been working full time, then coming home and unpacking/straightening/etc for weeks.  Grades were due on Tuesday so the Thanksgiving weekend contained some serious grading time as well.
• I've been working mostly within an hour's drive of home, so I've been able to contribute at night as well....lots of car trips from the condo to the new house with various boxes of "stuff" (read: crap).
• The book is completely done and has been turned over to production.  We're now starting the marketing phase of the project, where we have to convince people to buy the 960-page technical book we've written about a very specific product.  Fortunately, that doesn't take as much time as writing, so I might start to have some nights free again.

So, the gist is that we're mostly settled and the house is presentable.  The immediate result of that is a gathering this Saturday for the USC-UCLA game on our big new TV (our old one broke two days before we moved).  Anyone reading this blog, living in Southern California, and known to at least one of us is welcome to join in the festivities.  Call us for details.  Speaking of calling, our new neighborhood has very little cell phone reception, so we will be forced to use our home phone more often than we would like.  If you don't have our new number and want it, email me.

I still plan to take pictures (and maybe video) of the new house and post them here, especially now that all the furniture is in.  However, several of our Thanksgiving visitors mentioned that the pictures don't really do it justice, and I tend to agree.  Even after you see the pictures, it's much better to experience it in person.  So, it is at this point that I would like to introduce our new Open Door Policy.

J&D's Open Door Policy

Our new open door policy has its roots in a few key principles:

1. We are lucky enough to have a huge new house, with lots of room for visitors and very few permanent residents (2).
   
2. We love our family and friends, which include those of you that read this blog.
3. We would love for our family and friends to come visit us in this huge new house, and we have both the capacity and the desire to make it happen.

Which brings us to the rules:

1. If you're in the area, stop on by!  It doesn't matter if you've seen the house, not seen the house, or couldn't care less about the house.  We want to see you, so come by and be our guest.
2. It doesn't matter where you live.  If you're in the general area (up to and including all of Southern California), feel free to visit.  Family from Michigan/Iowa/Texas/Alabama/Greece/Italy/elsewhere? In California to spend time with Mickey Mouse at Disneyland?  Come on by! Friends from SD running errands in North County?  Get over here!  Family from LA/OC/NorCal that happen to be driving south?  Keep driving and come see us!
3. We don't need that much notice.  Some of you know that I often work from home, and occasionally I will take conference calls and get some work done in my pajamas on the couch.  That means I need about a 20 minute heads-up (max!) and I'm good to go.  Give us a call and if we're here, you're welcome.
4. Two minutes, two hours, two days.  If you can just stop by and say hi, that's great.  If you can spend some time here, that's even better.  If you need a place to crash for the weekend, absolutely.  If you're one of the people we really like, you can practically move in.  However, be sure you're one of those people before you ask, because kicking you out will just be embarrassing for us both.  :)
5. Bring a friend.  If you have friends or family that are coming with you and that we know (or would want to know), bring them along.  At the moment we can sleep 10-12 comfortably with zero notice and without resorting to couches.  Our room rates are reasonable and you'll find them very competitive with other hotels in the area.  Just kidding!

J&D B&B reserves the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason.  The terms and conditions of this Open Door Policy may change at any time....for instance, when D wakes up tomorrow morning and sees that I've just invited half the nation to come live with us indefinitely.

I don't know if we'll have time to have a formal housewarming get-together before the holidays, but we'd definitely like to have one at some point.  If you can't make it for the USC-UCLA game this Saturday, then start thinking about free weekends in January.

Another Crappy Anniversary

On this not particularly fun day, I'm sticking with the theory that any anniversary, good or bad, is just another day.  Thank you all for your emails and comments.

We're keeping plenty busy with our frantic "pack, move, unpack" cycle repeating itself each day after work.  There are still boxes all over the place, but it's starting to look like a nice home.  I'll post pictures when we're done.

Crazy Busy

Hola!  Apologies for the three-week blog hiatus just as things were getting interesting with the house.  The transaction is complete, we picked up the keys on Wednesday, and we're moving the furniture over on Sunday.  In our spare time, we're packing, moving small stuff, working long hours at our day jobs, finalizing my book for production, updating our utilities, and generally trying to spend any money we have left on various things that will make our lives easier in the new house (big new bed, sheets, towels, etc).  D's been absolutely wonderful and has taken the lead on the packing.  I'm slacking, but trying to tear myself away from the book long enough to help a bit.

It's going to continue to be busy until after Turkey Day, as we have to finish the move, host 11 people for Thanksgiving, prep our condo for tenants, etc.  I don't know when I'll get new pictures up....it probably won't be until after everything is moved in, so don't hold your breath.  When we're all settled, I'll make the big announcement and we'll start planning a housewarming party so that everyone can see the new digs.  Hope everyone out there is doing well; sorry if I've neglected your calls/emails/blogs lately.  I also hope that the fire department is making headway on the fire near my parents' house.

More when I have more time....I promise!

Holy Cow!

I snuck over to the house on Friday to try and peek in the window, expecting that they'd be about halfway through grouting the tile floor. Instead, they were almost completely done with everything, including the carpet!

Except for the refrigerator, the kitchen is totally done - the tile is in and all the hardware is on the cabinets.

The tile runs down the hall from the entryway toward the family room. It's still mostly covered by paper in this shot. The carpet looks different depending on your vantage point and the amount of light it's getting. The stairs look much darker than the dining room in this shot, but it's the exact same color.

D's enjoying the carpet in the family room.

A closer shot of the tile. It has lots of different shades of gray and blue and beige (and more).

Flooring Phase 1

We got to go inside yesterday, so I was able to take some interior pictures. The tile work is just getting started and the carpet is still a few days away, but the linoleum is in place. We decided not to upgrade the bathroom areas and put in tile....who wants to clean grout?

The upstairs guest bathroom.

The master bathroom.

The laundry room (we got to keep the cabinets).

The flooring isn't done here yet, but I wanted to get a shot of the built-in desk and cabinets at the top of the stairs. They're still waiting for hardware, but they look great!

A Yard!

I'm back from a long, boring week in Hawaii (boo!). Lots of work, both with a customer and on the book. We managed to swing by the house on Saturday after I got back.

We have a yard! The landscaping was put in and the fence has been painted, so the front of the house is pretty much exactly like it will be when we move in (aside from the caution tape).

We can't go in because they're preparing the floors for tile and carpet, but I managed to take this picture through the back door. The cabinet facing is on, but there's no hardware yet. All the appliances are also in place.

Another angle on the front. By late next week, all our floors should be in, so I can take more interior pictures.

Countertops and a lonely tree

One last post before I head to Hawaii. There were several updates this week, but even more are coming next week. In about a week and a half, most of the obvious internal work will be done (flooring, cabinet faces, etc). We're still set to close escrow on November 12, after a couple of walkthroughs.

The side fence and gates are done, though they still have to be painted. They've also added a tree to our front yard...a single, lonely tree. They'll add grass and small shrubs around the windows later.

Though the tub still isn't in, the mirrors, lights, and shower door are all set. One of the things I'm most excited about is getting my own medicine cabinet and not having to share with "a girl." I know, cheap thrills, huh?

The countertops are in, and they're beautiful. They're green, but they look almost black until you see them in the light. We love the contrast between the dark granite and the white cabinets.

Here you can see the color a little bit better, along with the range.

The color is even more realistic here. It's made mostly of large green flecks...that's why it's called Verde Butterfly. There are also white, gold, and even red specks throughout, though the white are obviously the most noticeable. The oven and microwave are visible in the background, the dishwasher is still wrapped in plastic in the foreground, and the beautiful white sink continues the dark/light contrast.

Non-House Update

From this blog, it would seem that our lives revolve around our weekly visit to the new house.  While that's certainly one of our more enjoyable activities (just wait until you see this week's pictures!), it's not the only thing we've been doing.

I've been traveling a little more than I did last quarter, and the trips have been a little further than normal.  Though my area is technically the West, and more specifically the Pacific Southwest, it's based on where the company headquarters are, so it doesn't take into account any remote offices.  I took two quick trips to Denver to visit a customer's HQ, then last week went to Minneapolis to visit one of their other offices.  After Minneapolis I hit Waltham, MA for two days, to visit another customer (whose HQ is in SF).  I also took a quick trip out to Honolulu, which sounds fun until you realize it was only for two days.  I left our house at 4:45 on a Monday morning, and got back around midnight the next day.  When I wasn't flying, I was in meetings....ugh.  I have to go back next week for a few days, and it will be just as frustrating this time.  It's no fun seeing the Pacific Ocean from a window and not having any time to walk out to the beach.

D has been busy with school....lots of papers to grade, lots of kids to teach.  Her newspaper kids have put out one paper issue and two online versions.  She has more kids than usual this year...the normal staff for the paper version and a smaller group of younger students that are doing the Web newspaper.  The site is hosted by the American Society of Newspaper Editors; they host hundreds of Web-based papers for high schools all across the country.  On their first "release," D's students had two articles that were chosen for the "National Edition" for their quality and applicability to all high school students.

When we're not working or visiting the house, we're trying to find time for fun.  We made it to a USC game several weeks ago, and went to the So You Think You Can Dance live tour as well.

The book is going well, though I have a lot of work to do this week.  We're at the copyedit stage, which means we have to make sure our copyeditors didn't change any technical details when they did their editing.  I have to get five of my own chapters reviewed by Friday, and review six of someone else's chapters.  Oh boy.

Okay, gotta go....we're going to sign our final paperwork for our flooring, then headed to dinner for my B-day.  Thanks to everyone that's left a comment, sent an email, or written on my wall (though now I'm officially too old for Facebook).  Ta-ta!

It's a Real House!

Well, it's definitely starting to look like a real house...one that could almost be lived in. In the last two weeks, they've done quite a bit of work.

• Everything's been painted
• Bathroom sinks/toilets/faucets/showerheads/medicine cabinets have been installed
• Fireplace is in
• Chandelier is in
• All electrical plates and wall switches are in
• Fence building is in progress
• Water heater is in
• Outdoor lights are in
• The yards have been graded and prepared for planting
  
• We have a doorbell!
• All doors and windows are in and secured....they had to unlock it to let us in

We expect the countertops to go in next.

The bannister looks much better with a coat of paint.

You can see the fence being built along the left, and the dirt has been graded appropriately for gardening.

The fireplace is going to look great with our carpet and tile.

The bathrooms are almost ready to go!

Condo Update

In preparation for moving out and renting our condo (We have renters!), D has been working diligently the last couple of weekends to make sure the backyard is attractive and easy to maintain for the new tenants. She completely re-did all the planters; each of the plants will expand to cover large portions of open area, and the rest is all barked to help cut down on weeds. D worked really hard on it...doesn't everything look great?!

You've heard of Where's Waldo? This is Where's Willow? A side benefit to getting everything cleaned up is that we can let Willow out, until she 1) starts to annoy the rabbit, or 2) finds something to eat that she shouldn't be eating.

House Updates

Another week, another bunch of stuff done on our house!

The rock on the porch area is done, and all of the scaffolding is down from around the house. They're grading the front and back yards to flatten out the dirt and clean up a little from the construction.

The staircase railing and baseboards are in...both still need to be painted, but you can see how cool the stairs are going to look!

Cabinets and sink in the laundry room. We didn't order the upper cabinets (they're optional)....let's hope no one notices the mistake.

A better view of the front, without any heavy machinery in the way. The roof tiles are all up, so the outside is almost done. There will be "shutters" next to the upper windows and they still have to paint under the eaves on the porch, but it's coming along nicely.