Everything

Well, in good news - we are totally moved out of the old place. On Monday we'll give the apt manager the keys.

Let me just say - I hated living there. I cried when we moved in. It was quite literally the only place we could find to live. We lived with DH's parents for a month as it is. There was just no where to live - nowhere to rent and about 5 houses for sale in the whole town. Right now there is still nowhere to rent hardly and about 120 houses on the market. It's amazing what a year can do!

Anyway. I hated it. I hated it so much it's hard to even talk about. But I never have to go back there again. I'd rather go back and live in the one bedroom basement apartment we had in 1997! lol. Of course, as newlyweds that was the happiest place ever. ;)

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I'm really enjoying getting to plan doing things to this place. I can't believe we finally bought a home. When we decided to adopt we knew we were making the choice between buying a home & adopting. It just wasn't possible to do both back then. But now we've done it. It's so great!

And now I'm wanting another baby... The feeling started out slowly a couple of months ago. But lately I think about it almost everyday. I'm hoping that after the first of the year we can start in earnest to start up again. And then hopefully by the end of next year adopt again. Leah will be 3 at the end of next year. I think that's a good distance apart but not TOO far apart, kwim?

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Which brings me to last night. D (leah's fmom) called last night. I had called her a few days ago so I could give her our new address. It's always good to talk to her but sometimes the conversation is a struggle. We just don't have a lot in common besides Leah. Sometimes D is interested in hearing and sometimes she isn't. She loves that Leah is starting to talk on the phone though. Leah talked to her last night with my new bluetooth thing on her ear. It was adorable. She said hi & how are you & answered her with "good" when D asked, love you, and then Bye bye! I could tell D was excited about that.

This is such an awkward situation sometimes. It wasn't what I ever pictured an adoption being like. Mostly because I wanted an open adoption but partly because this wasn't just a normal "domestic infant adoption". D had four children removed from her care before Leah. When CYS in PA found out she was pg again (when she went in for services) they told her she had to find adoptive parents herself or they would remove the baby at birth & do it for her. I don't know why the previous children were removed - the only thing she ever said was "for stupid reasons". The oldest lives with his father & won't speak to her, the middle two were adopted, the fourth lives with her brother and she still gets to talk to her quite a bit. Although just recently she moved to the same town her other dd is in. I asked last night if she's getting to see her a lot now & she said "Well, she's in school now." I don't know what that means. And I shouldn't be judgmental about it should? I'm so rude. Sigh.

I guess I look at it as seeing how she might deal with Leah in the future. She doesn't remember her birthday. :(

House

Thanks for the advice about my family! (Well, except my sister - my one sane relative - who suggested I move to FLORIDA. YUCK! Can we say humid? Ew.) I'm feeling okay about it now - my family.

Mostly because we moved yesterday & I'm very excited that we are home owners now! Woohoo!

I can't wait to paint stuff!

I had told my dear husband that as long as they stuck the furniture in the rooms it goes in they could just stick everything else in the garage. Somehow that meant that the couches are in the living room, our bed is in our room... and EVERYTHING else is in the garage. Aye, aye, aye. It doesn't really hurt me but it's gonna be like moving twice for him! lol - It was a little short-sighted but the poor guy worked so hard yesterday I couldn't even feel irritated with him.

He's gotta go to work this morning. Then we'll be getting the rest of the things from our old place. There's just two storage closets that still need emptied and a few odds & ends - oh & all 3 TVs. I don't know why all those men didn't want to bring the TVs over here! lol Not that it matters, they work over there. They aren't gonna work over here because I haven't even called to set a date to have it hooked up yet!

... gotta go unpack something...

Houses & Puppies

Pep - Thanks for checking on me! Hugs!

We decided not to buy that last house. We have the financing but something was really shady about that guy selling the house. It just started to really not feel right & we decided to listen to our instincts. It still makes me sad but what can ya do? lol

We've looked at tons of things since then. The current deal is "What I can afford, I don't want. What I want, I can't afford!" LOL It's not really quite that bad but it's taken me some time to convince Drew that we don't have to buy the house we are going to die in for our first home! Most people don't.

I also learned something funny about him during all of this. I've always known he was impulsive about some things (I love that about him!) but he is so funny during house hunting! Whatever house we are standing in... THAT is his favorite house ever! By about the 5th house the real estate agent & I were hysterical about it! Every time it was "Forget the others - I love THIS one!" Soooo funny.

At any rate, after all this looking we are finally back to what I wanted to do in the very beginning. There is a town house for sale in the nicest neighborhood in town... no - it's the 2nd nicest I guess but I like it better than the one with even bigger houses. Anyway, it's a nice neighborhood with a bank of 5 townhouses right in the middle of it. The cost is quite a bit less than our budget and just barely more than we are paying in rent right now! When I brought it up in the beginning Drew said, "no way" - but now suddenly he thinks it's a great idea!

So we made an offer today & we should hear back tomorrow. I think it will be accepted. It was a good offer. I wish we would have heard back today but I guess that was too much to hope for! It's a relocation company that is selling it.

Anyway - It's got 3 bedrooms, a bathroom, and a the laundry room on the upper floor. I LOVE that the laundry room is upstairs with the bedrooms! That rocks.

The main floor is the kitchen, dining and a small living room. Off the dining area is a sliding glass door to the deck & the fenced in backyard. Also in the dining area is two doors - one to the one car garage and one to the basement that is finished. There is a family room down there & a storage closet. The realtor was telling me that several people have put a 2nd bathroom into the storage closet as we were opening the door & sure enough... two walls are framed up & you can see on the floor where someone had drawn the plan for what they wanted. I thought that was funny. After we get moved in I'll have my brother do an estimate for what it would cost to have at least a 1/2 bath put in down there. It is a bit annoying that you have to go up 2 flights of stairs to go to the bathroom. I don't know how that is going to work with potty training! yikes. - at least her little potty can go anywhere!

I'm excited about it. It's more a lateral move from where we are now but an easy move into home ownership. And it being so much expensive is a nice bonus.

In other news, I've decided today I want to finally get a dog! I have settled an a Chinese pug. I found a breeder who is only 4 hours from here so I don't have to have the dog shipped! I looked for a long time all over online to try to find one in Wyoming. Then I discovered they had a new litter YESTERDAY!

http://wyboxers.com/maggie.aspx - you can see pictures of them here. It would be good timing if I can get one from this litter. They puppy will be ready about a month after we've moved. Just right! After we here for sure about the house, I will contact them & make a deposit.

Today I said to Leah, "Do you want a puppy?" She started yelling PUPPY! PUPPY! and ran for the front door. I'm taking that as a "YES!" lol

She's been amazing lately. She wears me about but I am constantly fascinated by her. Today I was changing her diaper & she stood up, smacked her own butt, and said "My butt!"

What the heck???

LOLOL

I love that kid!

Should I get a boy or a girl puppy?? Pros? Cons?