July 30, 2012, Jay is back to work!

Well, It is Monday and Jay is back to the grind after a few very busy weeks of moving, dealing with heat and a very quick trip to Louisiana to see family, friends and catch some fish....
Matthew also had a big adventure this morning as I dropped him off at Daycare for half the day. We decided to enroll him now and get him on a routine of going to school half the day so when baby #2 arrives in October Matthew has a schedule and routine that hopefully will be kept and help with the transition of a new arrival....but boy....he did not want out of the car, started screaming/crying big fat tears when I got him inside and was really throwing a fit...too bad they don't have an ipad for him to play with there b/c he was asking for mine this morning immediately after waking up....this kid is already addicted to technology. I know it will take a few days but boy it is tough to leave him so upset and crying at daycare.

So we lost power for a few seconds yesterday and everything came back on except our master bathroom outlets. For the life of me I could not figure out where the GCI reset outlet was, did the circuit breaker switch a few times for almost everything related to upstairs and still no luck...so our handyman came by this morning to put the new screens on the windows that were broken and of course in like 2 seconds he finds the outlet in the hall bathroom, resets it and the outlets work....gosh an hour lost last night trying to figure that out...still can't seem to figure out the huge noise that comes with using the shower or toilet for upstairs but our handyman thinks with the house staying empty for a few months it might just be some water in the line that is trying to work itself out....and the doorbell is broken but it appears it is fixable....the garbage disposal...had paint and other stuff caked in there (so we didn't do it, it was the owner folks who clogged it up) and we are at least able to get that working again....so some minor success....

I also got Jay's bike fixed...he is having issues with gear shifting so I think I need to give him another lesson on how to do the shimano shifters so he doesn't keep getting stuck in the little chain ring up front and in back....and I changed the tube on the front tire and b/c it wasn't holding air and there was a hole in it so score one for me, I can change at least the front wheel tube if a flat tire occurs....if the back tire, call me a cab b/c I am not going to try to get that wheel off the bike much less the tube out. Gotta go check a box downstairs to see if I have more tubes and flat changing tools around as now I am out of tubes in my tri-bag kit and before I got buy more bike gear, I want to take inventory of what I have....Jay's bike probably needs a tune-up so might just have to take it in anyway in a few weeks plus mine but for now it is working and allowing him to ride a bit around here so he can avoid a gym membership. Although we went yesterday and splurged on a spin bike for the house so this way I can get some exercise as well and again, avoid a costly gym membership while preggers and then after the pregnancy for a bit when the new baby is around...then hopefully when we decide to buy and hopefully find a gym close to our new place we can do the gym membership thing....but I am super excited about our new spin bike and know exactly where it will go downstairs in the kitchen area where it is nice and cool....may need to look into getting a few small free weights for Jay so he can do a few other things in addition to cardio...but between walking, running, biking outside and now biking inside I think we have some ability to do workouts at home....

That is about it for us. More to come on Jay's work and new job....I am 27 weeks and 180 lbs....shot up 12 lbs in the last 7 weeks as this move, this heat, this stress associated with move (plus loss of a gym membership), and bad eating habits on the road and for a few days here without food in the house has taken its toll....but hopefully I can get back ontrack now that we are all getting into a routine and I can possibly prevent too much more weight gain...I am at 30 lbs now and still 13 weeks to go....was hoping this pregnancy to not gain 50 lbs like last time but it is not looking good for that....200 lbs may get hit again....oh well, just means I will have to do better on the flip side like last time to get back down around 150 and under....

Feeling really proud of myself on changing the bike tire, 27 weeks preggers and in 10 minutes or so...I know it is not going to get me a job as a flat tire changer on the tour or any other professional bike circuit but at least it lets me feel that I can do something and avoids at this time a trip to the bike shop! Go me!

St Louis, our new home

Well, we are here in St Louis and so far it is going great. It is super hot, but we are at least unpacked with all the essentials and trying to set now get the new baby room set up and unpack all those old baby clothes...of course if we have a girl, I will have lots of clothes to donate as some our boy stuff will have to go. October can't get here soon enough, pregnant in this heat is killing me.

So pictures of the house, it is empty and will mostly stay that way but I am excited to get my stuff from my mom's house...

So this is I guess suppose to be a formal living room but it will be my office and the future site of my upright piano. The downside about this room is it doesn't have a light nor a phone jack for the main line but it gives me a space to do my online grading so it will do!

 We learned very quickly that Matt if given the option will climb up the stairs and then try to go down which means he will fall down a flight of stairs so we baby-gated the stairs to prevent the falls. The stairs from the main floor to the basement posed a huge challenge as it doesn't have 2 spots that line up just right so we had to make this wood colored gate work and just to add more insurance mommy rarely goes to the basement and daddy only when Matt isn't around so we can avoid the temptation that there is something fun down there.

 We did get a new TV and TV stand but other than that, we are trying to avoid new furniture, so our family room is pretty bare, just the TV, sofa and the end table is seen here, the coffee tables is in the corner behind the sofa, it was behind the couch but a little boy was climbing up on it and then the back of the couch so it had to be moved to avoid encouraging that behavoir.

 Not a great picture with the light but the kitchen table from my childhood fits great in the eat-in area of the kitchen and still plenty of room for the highchair. Matt took an interest in the trash can so it has now moved to the laundry room which is just off the kitchen but so fair we are enjoying this part of the house...finally can unpack all my stuff that has been in boxes since either our wedding or prior.

 The baby room, we need to get a new crib mattress but Jay set up the crib for the new addition to arrive, in this room is also a book shelf and I am sure will get another item or two but for now it is bare and a project waiting for me to tackle...the closet is full of the boxes of old baby clothes and gear...going to have to unpack those items before Oct gets here.

 Another great feature of this house is that there are 2 huge walk-in closets, this is the smaller of the two which is located off the master bedroom. Since I have less clothes than Jay I took this closet for myself.

 Here is half of the other master walk-in closet. There is about this much space behind me which is not fully being utilized....it is also Jay's for a second reason, it is off the master bathroom so when he has to get up and get going in the mornings this allows him access to the bathroom and closet to get ready. Downside of this set-up is there is no linen closet really upstairs and no spot to put towels and stuff in the master bathroom except for these few shelves in the bathroom so Jay's closet while huge is also going to have to be the linen and bathroom storage spot.

Here is Matt's new room. I got this toddler bed from friends and so far Matt is adjusting ok to it, a few times I have gone to check on him and he is sleeping on the floor, usually by the door. I haven't gone crazy yet and got him bedding as he is not really sleeping with a pillow or blanket (it is too hot for that right now anyway) so I am going to wait for Labor day and maybe look for something on-sale then....Second downside is the diaper changing area is now the floor and b/c he is usually stuck in his room with now room to run around the supplies for changing a diaper have to be on the top shelf of the books shelf or the shelf in the closet. Going to also put up a curtain for that window, but probably by the time I get to it (or Jay does) the heat wave will be over and then their probably won't be a huge need or reason for it.

So still have another guest room and the master bedroom missing....and the entire basement area (it is mostly empty boxes or half empty boxes everywhere...maybe after the stuff from my mom arrives, it cools down and we settle in a bit more I can do updates...i do plan to put pictures up just haven't gotten to it yet.

Matt is officially 17 months and enjoying the yard here, we do bubbles in the morning out front in the shade and then for our afternoon adventure we go to the back yard to do bubbles and toss a ball around. Although at 100+ degrees, pregnant mommy just doesn't do well for very long outside, so a cool down would be greatly appreciated so we could at least somewhat enjoy having a yard, even if most of the yard is this huge steep hill.

Matthew is going to start daycare at a local Kindercare on 30 July, we have 2 half-day transition days coming up this week, but I think once we get him in a routine that will help him adjust, help mommy tackle some of these unpacking projects and help me meet some local folks with kids.

That is all for now!

New Title and New Year

Well I started this blog a year ago to document my adventures of staying at home in Richmond VA with Matthew....it has been a fun and busy year but we leave for St. Louis on Monday and well it is now looking like another year and another baby to document so I decided to change the name of the blog to reflect that.

E-mail is staying the same, as is cell phone number but new address. I sent new address cards out but of course had to limit how many I bought as they plus stamps can get expensive so if you didn't get a card from me, either I don't have a good address for you b/c you also just moved, I lost your address, or you are really close family and get the family sent updates so you can get the info there....if you want our new info, just e-mail me or use the message system on facebook.

Other than that, Matt knows something is up and now he is a royal pain in the backside when it comes to technology....right now he is trying to manhandle himself up on my lab to type on the computer...and if he isn't trying to use the computer, it is the cell phone or TV remotes...and goodness do not show him or say the word Ipad....he is very attached to it...already an electronic junkie.

Matt and I are headed to DC one last time see some USAFA friends who live there...go figure good friends move to DC just as you are moving away from the area...but of course we will have a huge place in St. Louis and if you don't mind 2 little ones running around, you are welcome to visit, just give me a little notice. There are marathons and half marathons every spring and summer so nothing like friends coming out to run to help get me motivated to get back in shape...if only I can find a good Tri to do as well???

Anyone in the St Louis area that wants to help babysit or unpack, let me know. Stuff should be there around Monday July 16th and well, I will be out of touch for a bit, but hopefully by end of July will have internet and pictures up on our new place!

Elizabeth