Lucy and the Bag

This is Lucy playing with her bag. Her newest obsession is Ziploc bags. She just can't get enough! She is such an amazing little thing- I love watching her learn!
I can't believe my sweet baby girl will be 1 year old next week. At this time last year I thought I was going to go into labor anytime. Ha. Now that I've met Lucy, I understand why it took so long. She's a very thoughtful and deliberate little girl, so I suppose the process just took a little longer with her.
We've spent most of today inside. It's cold and wet, so we didn't last long. We walked to the new house and back, so we got some good hills in, but Lucy's little fingers were ice cold!

I'll try to upload some pictures tonight!

Has it really been a week?

I will update with pictures tonight. To be honest, my camera is still in the car from our weekend trip home! Ugh, it's been a long week!
So, let's see...
House: The hot water heater was installed this past weekend and we're ordering appliances this coming. Sears will be having their friends and family sale this Sunday and we're going to do the entire house! It looks like we're going to save a lot of money! Hooray!
Lucy: Two teeth coming in! I hesitate to assume that she'll have teeth by her birthday, however...in any case, she's been beyond cranky and Mama and Daddy really don't know what to do with her! This morning we packed up her BABY TOYS! It was a very big step and made Mama a little sad. However, she'll officially be a toddler in two weeks, so we need to clean up some of her old toys before her birthday! We put away a lot of rattles and noisy toys, and they're in a bin waiting for Baby #2! Today I'm going to grab some more tubs at Walmart, because we need to pack away some more of her clothes.
Lucy also has a couple of new words/phrases. She now says "Down" and "All done." She also nods her head when you ask her if she's hungry, which is a very big step in communicating.

Today we have our stroller club this morning, and then we're going to cruise through Goodwill and look for funky furniture to refinish. I'm showing the apartment this afternoon- wouldn't it be a huge blessing, not having to pay $1k for our last two months rent?? Say a prayer! We're also going to stop by Sears to see if the items I found online will qualify for the sale this weekend. I want all my ducks in a row ahead of time!

Andrew got Bonnie to run this weekend! I'm so proud! He got the new gas tank in and installed the new carburetor, and she started up! Now he just needs to figure out why there are flames shooting out of it. I'm sure that's minor. He is in his last two weeks of classes now, so I suppose I'll just see him at settlement on the 16th. He was at school til 11:30 last night and will be there again tonight, tomorrow and Wednesday. I have lots of movies to watch and boxes to pack, so I'll be just fine! This is probably a blessing in disguise, because we tend to distract each other and not get anything done. When we were "packing" to move from Essex to Frostburg, we decided that dinner and a movie we more sensible and ended up packing the night before we moved. Hm. I am going to try very hard to be a little more organized than that.

Talk about forgetful...

So, we had our home inspection yesterday. It went great! We have NOTHING to fix before closing, and they were nice enough to give us a list of things to get started on to improve the house after we move in!
We DO need a hot water heater, but it wasn't really necessary to buy the house. But, they were kind and put it in the inspection report anyway so that we won't have to pay for it. They were really nice and we learned a lot about the house. It looks like the house is actually ours! Hooray!

Andrew and I were so happy to be back together yesterday that we completely forgot Lucy's 1 year portraits! We went out for a drive and were having so much fun that we didn't get home until late. I was cleaning the morning and remembered that we were supposed to take her in yesterday! Whoops...

Today we're going to church at noon and then we're going to take Lucy to the Langs sometime in the afternoon for a cookout! It poured all night, but we're hoping it'll clear up long enough to get the food ready! All in all, it's been a great weekend! I hope the studio will let me reschedule...again.

What a Day!

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS TO SUZZY!!! She was accepted to IU today for Grad School and we're very proud!! YAY SUZ!!

Let's see. Today has been wild! Andrew survived his first earthquake! I'm so proud! Of course I'd never blog that he was away on business, but he's been in the midwest this week and is now experienced at dodging earthquakes. I'm sure this will be the topic of conversation for years to come. When I told him that his hotel shaking was an earthquake and not a train, he was very excited. He'll be home tonight and we couldn't be move excited!

Lucy drank bubbles today! She is now known as The Friday Bubble Drinker. She got a few swigs down before we caught her. Suz called Poison Control while I changed her. Apparently drinking bubbles is normal and it's "bubble season." So we just gave her some juice. I think bubbles are energizing. She's been out of control today!

Suz came over this morning and took Lucy a-walking so that I could get the house cleaned up a little and take a shower. It was so nice!

Lucy took a VERY long nap after her walk and bubble snack, and then we walked down to the library. Now she's eating cheerios and conditioning her hair with bananas. Such a good little multi-tasker. I also had cheerios for dinner. I saved the leftover pizza for HoneyBunny, since he'll probably be hungry. He missed his plane so he'll be a little late, but that doesn't make the appetite go away.

Lucy is done conditioning.

A very girly day!

Lucy and I got all dolled up this morning in our dresses and skirts and made a trip to Lowe's to look at paint samples and appliances! We had so much fun!

House Update: Our mortgage guy is working on our paperwork now. He's going to do a USDA loan, which is nice. AND, the interest rates are going up this afternoon so he is getting it all done today to lock us in at a lower rate. What a peach!
Lucy and I drove by the house today and the roof is all done! I'm so glad everyone is staying on the ball! Now we just have to pass the inspection!
Things I am thankful for about buying a house:

• Having my own washer and dryer!!!
• Not having to walk up ANY stairs to carry the groceries in.
• We'll have a bathtub and I will take long, luxurious baths and read trashy magazines without guilt.
  
• I don't have to track my landlord down EVER again.
  

Gonna make this quick!

Well, it's almost 11 and Mama needs a shower!
House Update: The utilities will be turned on this week and roof repairs will be made before Saturday's inspection. Tomorrow we'll begin our mortgage work and today I settled some stuff with our insurance agency. We also signed our final contract tonight, so we're happy to have that done and ready for closing. Now we just pray for smooth sailing this Saturday!
Andrew Update: My husband is such a wonderful guy. He works so incredibly hard to provide for us and I'm so proud of him! He's doing homework right now, but I know he's exhausted and just wants to collapse. This MBA work is just killing him, but he's really trying his hardest to get through it. I know it's heartbreaking to leave Lucy and I every day and hope he gets to see us for dinner. We'll both be so relieved when the summer comes and we can just relax! I might even slow down the business for the summer so that we can truly concentrate on our family and our home and nothing else!
Lucy Update: She's sleeping right now and continues to be a huge joy. She's just so cute! Words are just starting to tumble out of her little mouth and it's just amazing! Tonight she was trying to say "Girl," and I was so proud of her! She was tearing around the house like a maniac tonight and enjoyed a little naked time, which ended abruptly when she had a little accident on Aunt Suz's foot. THAT was funny. Well, Lucy and I thought it was funny.
Lucy's walking about 100% of the time now, and she's starting to work on a bit of a run/jog. She can really get moving! One of our favorite things to do is put on our walking shoes and walk up and down Main Street until our legs wear out. Lucy holds on to my finger and just waves at the cars and screams at the people we pass. About 3 times a week, we stand on the corner and watch for Daddy to drive up to the light so that we can wave to him. Lucy thinks waiting for Dad is the absolute most fun she can have. When I hear him shut the door downstairs, I'll say, "Lucy, who's here??" and she responds with, "Dad? Dad! Dad! Dad!"
I can't believe we have less than a month until her first birthday! I can still feel those little phantom kicks inside me as I fall asleep at night, and I can still feel my pregnancy like it was yesterday. Where has the year gone? Lucy has gone from a very helpless infant to a very opinionated redhead so quickly! She reminds me of Grandma Maggie - is that weird? She's just such an outspoken girl and really likes to get a reaction from her Daddy and I. I can't wait until she can tell us what's on her mind!
And here is what's on my mind: I need to shave my legs. Goodnight, Frostburg.

Sunny Day!

We got the house!!

We couldn't be more excited! Our offer was accepted at $10k below asking price, which is currently $30k below the original asking price. The new house is a 4 bedroom, 2 bath Cape Cod in Frostburg. It overlooks the entire city and has lots of room to grow. It has a full, unfinished basement, so we'll be able to add another couple of bedrooms and a rec room and a workshop as needed. We have the structural inspection this Saturday at 9am and I'm very nervous, of course!

My favorite part of the house - the house was built in 1942 and almost all of the fixtures and woodwork are original. The hardwood floors are just beautiful and the woodwork is amazing! I love this chandelier- so old and gaudy! It's definitely staying!

Th living room, dining room, bathroom door. Also on this floor are 2 bedrooms.

The view! This is about half of the view. I love it so much, because when I look out the windows, I can see all the places that have meant so much to Andrew since the first day we met. I can even see as far as the huge oak tree we used to sit under on sunny days and nap the afternoons away, in those first months that we were falling in love. I can see the pizza shop where we spend warm summer nights. I can see up the hill I walked over and over, waiting for Lucy. I can see Old Main, the oldest building on campus. I can see the building Andrew lived in when we met, and I can see the whole town that charms us so much.

We're so happy! We have a lot of painting to do and we have to survive the structural, but if this is where God wants us, He'll make it happen.

Walking With Lucy

Well, Andrew's truck had to go to the shop first thing this morning, so we got to sleep a little later than usual, since we had to wait til the shop opened. Lucy and I drove to the shop and then Andrew took our car and we took off with the jogger. It's not a very long walk home and I wanted to get some good exercise before the day warmed up. I packed bananas and a breakfast cookie for Lucy, and she just munched away while we walked. She's such an agreeable little thing.

We found ourselves at the top of Timber Ridge, which is the nicest development in Frostburg. As I walked, I found myself wishing away for a giant house with a beautiful view. But then I started to think about these big, new houses and how sad they must be. As I'm walking on a sunny morning in April, the houses and their green lawns are sitting empty. Their owners cannot afford to live in them unless they have two incomes supporting them. The children are sent to school as it's getting light. These homes that are built for families never even see them. The big, green lawns should have children running on them all day long.

So I started thinking about everything I have. I have a spacious 3-bedroom apartment that's filled with giggling all day long. I have a husband who is the center of my sweet baby's world, who provides for us and still makes plenty of time to play. I have food on my table and a phone that rings constantly. I have a big, soft bed that holds two happily married (and exhausted) people every night. I have a dining room with bananas on the walls and stains on the chairs. I don't have a wraparound deck, but I do have Lucy's fat little arms wrapped around my leg.

With all of this househunting, we've seen a lot lately. I know that our house is out there and we'll run across it eventually. We already have a home, so I'm not in a rush.

A Lovely Day in Lovely Frostburg!

Lucy and I had a nice Tuesday today. We went out very early and did our grocery shopping, and got in before naptime! We made a batch of pumpkin bread when Lucy woke up and she really enjoyed "helping."

Went for a walk to the library and the post office after our afternoon nap, and picked up a movie for tonight. When we got back to our block, we waited at the stoplight to see Daddy drive around the corner. Lucy LOVES waiting for Daddy at the light! When he got home, we three ran to Subway for dinner before Andrew had to leave for class. After Andrew left, Lucy and I went down to the track to go for a nice long walk. I got about a mile in before it started to get cold!
All in all, a very nice day for Lucy and Mama.

Yakking With Lucy

Here is a little video of Lucy and Mama yakking about current events and so on. Lucy is very proud of knowing how to whisper, and she just started saying "thank you," which always makes me giggle a little. Such a smart girl!

Lucy Walking II

Here is Luc showing off her mad skills, yet again! I'd say she's walking over 90% of the time now. Crawling is for babies!

Workin' 5 to 5....to midnight.

I am incredibly busy these days. I also gained a pound back, and I have no idea how. Like I have a second to eat.
You know it's bad when you think to yourself, "If I buckle Lucy into the carseat and start the car, she'll think were going somewhere and I can sew for 5 minutes! And if I take her somewhere, that'll give me another 5 on the back side!" Yes, I spent my ten minutes in the car this morning. What with being sick and everything, I am a little backed up on things around here!
I feel like I'm kind of at a dead end with these t-shirts. And maybe I'm not. We have about 5 orders a week, each shirt about $20 - $25. So while we're staying busy and making a little money, I feel like we've hit a wall. I'm just not sure where to go from here, and I'm really crunched for time. I told my mom I was thinking about reigning it in right now and not doing it for awhile. She just channeled her Inner Rarity and exclaimed "Oh, good heavens!" I'm not sure what she meant by that.

I have a few choices:
- Advertise like crazy and try to get business really rolling. I'd have to find care for Lucy a couple of times a week so that I could sew, or perhaps I could move to machine work. The reason I'm able to charge for the shirts is the handstitching. I'm not sure what would happen if I moved away from that. I'm also not sure where to advertise from here.
-Slow things down completely and take orders one at a time and start a waiting list, so that I'm not up sewing every single night.
- Come back to it when Lucy's in school.

I am now on antibiotics for my sinus-what-have-you. I am one sick puppy. Hopefully the z-pack will clear things up- I don't have time to be sick!

Zonked!

GIANT NEWS FLASH!

It's 7:45 am and I'm awake. And Lucy is still sleeping. Woooooo hooooo!! Now, she did go to bed at 8:45 last night, but I really don't care much at all. It's easier for me if she goes to bed later and gets up later, because we have more time with Daddy in the evening. Sometimes it seems like the longest hours are from 6:30 to 8:30 am. It's nice to know that we've shaved a little time off our day without even being awake!
Today we get our Verizon internet installed! Hooray!

Lucy and Daddy Being Silly!

Lucy and The Toilet Paper

This video really needs no explanation! Boy was she having fun! I got some cute pictures and she had a blast getting away with Daddy's biggest no-no!

Lucy Walking!!

Beyond POOPED.

Today has been one of the longest days of my life. Oh my GOSH am I tired...

We did not get the house. Onward and upward.

Lucy woke up at 6am and was very ready to go. The thought of the entire day looming before me was enough to send me into tears as Andrew was leaving. I am just so tired and beyond reasonable frustration. It's very hard living far away from family. I've never had the opportunity to just drop Lucy at Grandma's and take the afternoon off, and not having people in the area to "take advantage of" can wear on you after awhile. With Andrew in class twice a week and at the lab one night a week, Lucy and I are putting in some lonely 16 hour days! How bad do we want to see some warm weather up here?!?!
So, the day started off on the wrong foot. Lucy was very happy before her nap, but she's just now getting over her cold and is still a tad crabby. So we suffered through breakfast and she went down for a 40 minute nap. Not nearly long enough. When she woke up, I decided that staying in the house wouldn't do any good, so we headed outside to do a little spending. I have been budgeting and saving like crazy, so spending some money felt very freeing! We bought some new clothes, a diaper stacker, a book for Lucy and some other random things, and then made a quick trip to the grocery store. When we got home, Lucy refused to take a nap and broke my cell phone. So....long day.
Tomorrow we're heading out early to check out a kiddie center near Andrew's office. We're both thinking that a little time a couple days a week for me to do laundry, exercise, clean and do some Laura stuff uninterrupted might make things a little easier around here. Lucy LOVES other kids and loves to meet people, so I think we're going to take advantage of that. Daddy can drop her off on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I can pick her up in the early afternoon. It would be REALLY great if Andrew and I could get a standing lunch date in for Tuesdays before I picked her up!
After we meet the kiddies, we're going to head home for a nap and lunch and all that. After that, we're heading back out to go walking with the gals and to pick up new cell phones! Andrew has to fax our cancellation in to Verizon first thing in the morning, and then I'm going to pick up prepaid phone for emergencies. We're going to switch to a landline phone for the house, since I spend most of my time here and use most of my cell phone minutes on doctors and talking to Mom. We're also cancelling our cable and bundling our internet with Verizon's phone service to save some money. TV just zaps your mind anyway, right? So, tomorrow will be a bit busy!