The Hunt for "Home Sweet Home" - Part 2

In our first post "The Hunt for Home Sweet Home", we shared that we had found a beautiful white picket fence, two story, 4 bedroom, 3 bath house and hoped we would get it, though doubtful. We also stated that our offer would be for less than the highest bid and it would be pure magic if our offer was accepted. Well...Abracadabra - we got it!

Here she is - our first home!!

View from quiet, tree lined street.

Living Room with view into Dinning Room.

Lina's playground - the Kitchen with view of children playing in the backyard.

Master Bedroom with front facing street view - hidden by trees.

Monday's Room - upstairs next to us.

Today we will walk-through the house with the inspectors (home and roof) and if all turns out ok, we will lift the contingencies and move into escrow.

More Photos: HERE

List of things left to do:
Find and buy a Corgi

Happiest I have ever been

So Tim and I more or less have spent the last 10 days thinking about homes and houses (and house in particular) for our burgeoning family. We've spent hours on websites, days in Quicken, and enough time to go blind in spreadsheets. We've had some great conversations about budgets, spending, income, goals, and time lines. We've obsessed down to the penny on how we stack up, and the good news is that we stack up pretty well financially -- a life time of saving seems to be paying off. But better than that, though, is how we've spent the last 10 days as a couple working through hard financial topics. We've done it with complete honesty, integrity, tenderness, love, and patience.... I own the fact that I got a little cranky on Saturday (sheepish grin).

Last night, I lay awake reading like I always do, as an exhausted Tim fell asleep with his hand on Monday. I could feel Monday moving around and I could feel Tim on my belly, and never have I felt more connected and where I am supposed to be than I felt last night before I went to sleep. I then proceeded to have the best night sleep in a very long time. I have woken up elated, optimistic, and full of hope.

I dreamed of Monday as a child for the first time ever. He was in our back yard and had fallen in love with a tree who loved him back -- though I am not sure what that actually means, if we can provide a fraction of the loving environment that Monday-of-my-dreams felt in our back yard, then we will succeed as parents and a family.

Update from the Naval Front

...still an inny.

21 Week Update from Baby Center

How your baby's growing: Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. His eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. And you can certainly feel him move. He's oblivious to your schedule, though, so don't be surprised if he starts working out just when you're settling down for the night.

Finally starting to feel pregnant

Tim asked me the other day if I was starting to really feel pregnant. The immediate answer was "yes!" Previous to this, I have just been feeling tired, or heavy, or cranky... all super feelings for the mental health.

But recently, it's become real.

In the last few weeks we have hit some major milestones and the outcome of it is that I am really starting to feel like a soon-to-be Mom. Here's a quick recap of the last 3 weeks:

• Grew out of all my clothing :(
  
• Started wearing maternity clothes :)
• Found out Monday is our little man :)
• Felt Monday for the first time :) :)
• Tim felt Monday for the first time :) :) :)

We now spend our evenings with our hands on my belly waiting for Monday to let us know he is doing well. Is there a better evening than that?

Growing Pains

His growing, my pains.

According to Baby Center, my resource for everything these days, I am experiencing "round ligament pain", and it's caused by the stretching of the muscles and ligaments that support my growing uterus." Awesome.

That basically means that I get quick sharp pains throughout my belly and into my groin area. I am thrilled that it means that Monday is growing, and he is if my girth is any indication, but I could do without the constant achy reminders...

Willful Little Monday

So I've gotten my first dose of wanting Monday to do something, and Monday not participating. He isn't even born yet and already establishing his own time-frames and actions. (I'd throw in "decisions" for hyperbole, but I don't think that Monday is focusing on decision-making these days as he still needs to focus on building things like "vernix caseosa".

So here's the back story.

Last Thursday, I went into the cafeteria at the office and the only thing that look even slightly appetizing was a tuna melt - so I had one. The trouble began on Friday when I decided that, again, the only thing that I wanted to eat was a tuna melt. At some point in the middle of the afternoon, I freaked myself out by the notion of ingesting too much mercury. I got home a little scared that night and told Tim that all I really wanted to do was make sure that Monday was okay... and to do that, I really needed to feel him.

He didn't move much. A little, but not a lot... not that he had EVER moved a lot. But I decided I wanted him to, and he just wasn't.

It's taken about 3 days to realize that Monday is actually resting most of the day, and only comes out to play every so often. So now, with the understanding of his schedule, I am getting a little better at learning when he is ready to make himself known. Thankfully, it's around dinner time, and right before bed, so he does give us some good time to visit with him... it's just on his terms.

Boy (pun intended), do I need to reframe my thinking...

20 Week Update from Baby Center

How your baby's growing: Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about 10 inches from head to heel. (For the first 20 weeks, we use measurements taken from the top of the baby's head to her bottom — known as the "crown to rump" measurement. After that, we use measurements from head to toe. This is because a baby's legs are curled up against her torso during the first half of pregnancy and are very hard to measure.)

A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats her entire body to protect her skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. (This slick coating also eases the journey down the birth canal.)

Your baby is swallowing more, which is good practice for her digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance that's the result of cell loss, digestive secretion, and swallowed amniotic fluid. This meconium will accumulate in her bowels, and you'll see it in her first messy diaper (although a few babies pass it in utero or during delivery).

The Hunt for "Home Sweet Home" - Part I

Now that we know what color to paint the nursery, all that is left to do is pick up the paint and buy the home - in reverse order.

This weekend Lina and I went on a tear throughout the Peninsula looking at houses we'd hope to call home. We loaded up on coffee (decaf for Lina) double high octane for me, punched in the addresses into our GPS and set out for what would be an exhausting 8hrs. of sorting through, well lets just say...some nice and some not so nice homes. Feels like some people are late to the over-inflated property party - listing shacks for embarrassingly (for the seller) high numbers. After many hours we finally found a diamond in the rough at Hope Diamond prices. Its spectacular and is the only house which we could visualize ourselves making home. Lina stood in the kitchen and said, as she peered through the window, "Oh, I could watch the kids play in the backyard from here." While its a long shot, we're giving it the 'ol college try and putting together an offer. We've done most all we can to woo the Realtor and learn what we can about other interested parties, their offers and the preference/state of the sellers.

...more to come as we pull out all the stops and make our move, which includes getting the house cheaper than the best offer - now that would be magic.

Thanks Muffy...er, um, Amanda!!!

Lina and I received a sweet email from our dear friend Amanda "Muffy" where she commented on a number of our blog postings. We just saw Amanda a week or so ago at Wit and Dz's wedding. Amanda sent in the email a link to a website which models the popularity of names over SEVERAL decades. Its really cool and a great tool for Lina and I as we start sifting through the many possibilities. Take "Ocie" for instance...who knew that Ocie was a word, let alone a name. Ocie was a popular name at the turn of the 20th century...but fell out of the top 1000 in the 1920s. This is very good information to have when considering names such as "Ezell Hillard Reeth" or "Kermit Tanner Reeth".

Check it out...fun for all - see where your name ranks.

http://babynamewizard.com/namevoyager/lnv0105.html

We're still waiting on and are in need of some boy name suggestions - do we have to run a "Best Boy Name" contest in order to get submissions? We'll do it :)

Ah nuts! (get it?) Thoughts on our little man...

Oh my, I am surrounded by men...

As Tim mentioned in our last post, the news of Monday's male-ness was initially a weird feeling. I was certainly enjoying the daydream of both, but I am thrilled with the news that Monday is our little man. And no, we're not going to change Monday's name (even though there are those out there who think that "monday" is a girls name... which is weird, it really is just the day of the week). As you've seen before, I already sometimes call HIM (still adjusting) Mons, and that does sound slightly more masculine. If I am channeling the hip-hop culture, you may even see a Munz... but that's just crazy talk.

As much as we want a little girl in the future, I am ecstatic that if we do get one, she'll have an older brother. Thinking back on my life, I think my older brother had an indellible impact on me and who I have become, simply be playing his role. He taught me how to be strong, tough, straight-forward, competitive, not-intimidated, and (though this took years) not to be a whiny little girl. Without knowing, Pito has shaped me at the core of who I am. I am incredibly thankful to him, and I am thrilled that whoever follows in Monday's footsteps, will have an opportunity to be shaped by an older brother the way I have been. It really is a blessing.

20 weeks, 10 pounds, and a headache for 6 days

Wow. I can't believe that tomorrow will be exactly half way through this journey. When we started counting my life in weekly increments as opposed to monthly, life seemed to creep to a screaming halt. However, when I look at a calendar, I can't believe that it is getting on towards the end of October. I seem to be in a weird time-warp where I just can't get my grounding.... but maybe that's just been the headache I've had since Sunday. Good times.

We were going to head up to Soda Springs and Reno this weekend to help with the burn. But the headache has me worn down, and I really want to get some good sleep, naps, and some (heavy) cleaning done this weekend. Hopefully that may help me get my feet underneath me. Besides, the last 2 weekends have been crazy busy, and I am looking forward to a little down-time.

TJPRJR

Its as official as it can be at this stage...our little Monday is a BOY - a little Timothy John-Patrick Reeth Jr. (TJPRJR), though that will likely not be the final name. That said we are now on the hunt for boy names, so all reading, please feel free to comment on this posting with names you like.

Monday is perfectly healthy!!!! Two arms, two hands, two legs, two feet and - of course...two little boy marbles. His heart is in great condition and he is very active. Lina and I are so happy and relieved that Monday is doing great.

Its an interesting emotion we're feeling; we spent some time talking about how we now feel after learning the sex. Its mixed. We were both equally happy with either a boy or girl - we were aiming for healthy. While we're completely happy and excited there is this small feeling of sadness for both of us...not because its a boy INSTEAD of a girl, but that part of the experience thus far has been the day dreaming of both. Half of our time we'd speak about Monday as a he and the other half as a she. In the baby clothing shops, we'd browse miniature sport coats and corduroys, while in the same session a tutu would be snatched from the rack and we'd laugh at the thought of a girl parading down the Ave. Lina articulated, as she always does, what we believe is the cause of whatever bit of sadness we may be feeling from knowing. Its that half of our day dreaming is now gone, that Monday had to be one or the other and that not knowing was fun and enabled us to visualize a much larger set of experiences.

So now we know what perhaps others instinctively knew for some time. Pito & Melissa for instance sent us a "King of Hearts" onesy (sp?) when they first heard the news and by the latest images from the Ultrasound, our little "handsome pants" (thanks Lina) will turn out to be a real heart breaker. Check him out!

He's such a handsome little man.

More images and videos to come!

19 Week Update from Baby Center

How your baby's growing: Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces, and he measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the length of a small zucchini. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine, and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. This is a crucial time for sensory development: Your baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. If your baby is a girl, she has an astonishing 6 million eggs in her ovaries. They'll dwindle to fewer than two million by the time she's born.

Take 2

Lina and I are off to the doctors tomorrow for the second ultrasound AND this one will provide us some idea of the sex. I say 'some idea' because we've heard that there are some instances where the sex of the baby was thought to be one...and turned out to be the other. I can say it truly doesn't matter to us - we're only hoping for a healthy child...whether Monday is a boy or girl will have no impact on Monday's future as a high-school and collegiate wrestler. :-)

We've made another run at recording little Monday's heart beat. We still think we can do better and will continue to try until we achieve Dolby quality.

Have a listen, again!!!

Wiggle, wiggle. Is that you, Mons?

Or will I simply fart in a couple of minutes?

So last Wednesday, I was leaning back in a chair at the office in a meeting, when I thought I felt the first flicker of Monday in my belly. I've been paying attention since then. When I watch TV or read, I've had a hand on my stomach to see if I could get some external validation of the internal sensation.

Well tonight I did. I was reading my book in bed and felt a thump against my hand that corresponded to the thump on the inside. I called out to Tim that I really felt like I was feeling Monday at the time, so he came running in. A couple of sweet moments past while he rested his hand against my belly when all of a sudden Tim's eyes widened and he exploded in a smile as we felt Monday together.

Hi Monday. Welcome to the physical world, we're so glad you're here.

Some Weekend!

Saturday evening, the three of us attended Wit and DZ's wedding - it was wonderful and such an honor to be there. The wedding was at the Asian Art Museum and it was an absolutely divine setting and screamed Wit and DZ. Lina looked FABULOUS in her sexy red (1st of soon to be many) mother to be dress.

Mother and I danced the night away; as much as Lina's feet could handle that is. I was so impressed with Lina's staying power as the party roared on into the early hours. The food was exquisite, perfect in every way. The band was exceptional, made clear as all attending were up on the dance floor from first note to last. After the reception, a number of us stumbled to an after hour party - it was a great idea and treat to offer a place to go and extend the evening; which seemed to evaporate out from under us. Truly an enjoyable wedding and we're so happy for our friends and excited for the years ahead.

Sunday we helped my parents move into their new apartment in Los Gatos, CA. I was still feeling the effects of some late night lapses in judgement, which resulted in my over-indulging a bit in some Macallan 18yr. It was a gift and I accepted it graciously but not wisely. With hangover in head, Lina and I managed to get some morning errands done before heading down to Los Gatos. On our way down Lina and I had a great discussion where we regarded my parent's adventurous selves. Its something to witness your folks packing up there lives once again and setting off into another phase of their lives. I felt like I was practicing for when Lina and I move our kids in and out of their dorms, apartments, homes. Lina made a great comment that struck me - attribute it to emotions aided by a hang-over - but it was said so well (here is where I paraphrase and screw up the sentiment) "Your parents are on their life's journey together and we are on ours." We are...while the road will twist and turn and destinations will change its the trip we will look back on and regard.

wacca, wacca, wacca (cont.)

Today Lina and Monday had another check-up (dad was there to listen, learn and listen some more) - it was sort of a kick the tires, change the oil type of check-up. We're happy to report that all went perfectly well. Lina's tire (sorry for the pun love) is inflated to expected and normal safety standards for a vehicle her size (compact) and under the hood all is well with Monday. Monday is purring along like a little, finely-tuned race car.

Have a listen!!
(we will work to get better audio for upcoming posts)

Our StorkRadio has arrived and for the past 3 days, we've played with it quite a bit. Its accompanied us to the dinner table, couch, bed and even to the back seat of the new Lexus, where we gave a private listening to the Grand-Reeths after Lina's celebratory birthday dinner. This morning the doctor asked if I'd like to try and find Monday's heart-beat...I declined, telling her we have the SAME device at home and have become pros at locating Monday. I did point her in the direction where optimum acoustics could be found.

18 Week Update from Baby Center

How your baby's growing: Head to bottom, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a large sweet potato) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll likely start noticing more and more. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin and her ears are now in position and stand out from her head. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and Fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If your baby is a boy, his genitals are noticeable, though he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

How your life's changing: Bigger, more comfortable clothes are a must now as your appetite and waistline increase. Look for specially designed maternity clothes that can accommodate your expanding belly.

You may have heard that you should avoid lying on your back during your last two trimesters. Here's why: When you lie flat on your back, your uterus can compress a major vein (called the inferior vena cava) that returns blood from the lower half of your body back to your heart. Lying on your side (or even partially tilted to the side), particularly your left side, prevents this compression and improves your blood flow. Try placing a pillow behind you, or under your hip or leg for comfort.

Your cardiovascular system is undergoing dramatic changes, and during your second trimester your blood pressure is probably lower than usual. Don't spring up too fast from a lying or sitting position or you might feel a little dizzy.

Overindulged

Practically without fail, I have had lobster on my birthday for years. Last night was no exception. The store only had small lobsters, so I bought 3, one for each of us: Tim, Lina, and Monday. As Monday isn't eating solid food yet, I graciously obliged to get Monday's lobster to him/her through my own blood stream. It's what a thoughtful mother-in-training does, right? It turns out, however, and this isn't too much of a surprise to me, but Tim doesn't have quite the passion for this creature as I do, and I ended up eating mine, Monday's, and a couple of bites of Tim's. Tim, however, overindulged on the biscuits, which is his favorite.

Birthdays are a funny thing. They really feel like they stopped meaning something after my 30th. However, it is really wonderful to get flooded with emails, phone calls, and cards from people in your life - and for that, yesterday was a truly wonderful day.

I haven't figured it all out yet....

But I have figured out what a nursing bra is. Winnie, on the other hand, thought it was a mask. As she posed for me in the maternity store, I heard Darren say "why do I have a feeling we'll see this again... but bigger." You may, Darren, but in the meantime, this will just have to do.

So much good stuff...

We had an amazing weekend this weekend. Erin & John Knight from DC + Winnie & Darren Stephenson from Seattle came to San Francisco to hang out. I got to plan the weekend and show everyone San Francisco at it's finest -- also Fleet Week.

On Friday night, which I didn't plan, I ended up coming up to the city, meeting Erin and the crowd for "drinks", which meant water for me. Tim joined us when he was done for work, and we all went out to a nice dinner... always good times. Everyone seemed to be either jet-lagged (Erin & John), work lagged (Tim & Lina), sick (Winnie) or just tired from a super early flight (Winnie & Darren), so we called it a night around 10 and we headed back home.

On Saturday morning, we all met at the farmer's market in the Ferry building and picked up various items for a picnic. We then threw all the stuff in a cooler and walked up the steps on the back side of Coit Tower. Everyone else seemed to breeze up the steps, but I huffed and puffed, and blamed it on the large onion in my uterus... it surely would have nothing to do with the fact that I am in terrible shape!! From the top of the hill, we got to see the first of the parade of ships coming under the golden gate bridge.

Tim and I then headed back down the stairs to get the car and cooler while the rest of the group headed over to Aquatic Park to stake out some territory to watch the air show. Tim and I had a couple of moments in the car as all the parking anywhere near the area was taken, but we eventually found parking and headed to meet our friends. Tim ended up walking several San Francisco blocks with an over sized cooler on his shoulder... just practicing for Monday!


We got there right as the first planes started coming in. Some of it was pretty cool, most of it was just being outside, people-watching and laughing with good friends, and eating some pretty great food. The Blue Angels came on at about 3:00.

We scooted out of there before they ended their show, and took up camp inside the Buena Vista for a couple of Irish Coffees for all those "Not Expecting". We were right by the window and got to see them as they passed over heads. We were more than thrilled with our timing as the streets were packed and the bar overflowing by the time the show actually ended.

We then headed back to everyone's hotel where, after 2 bottles of festive champagne and more laughing, Tim ended up getting us a deal at the same hotel for about 1/2 price.... plus free breakfast for 6! I think Tim's best line of negotiation was (and we only heard 1 side of the phone conversation) "What's the very best you could do?... $289? I wouldn't brag about that!" Soley by his charm, he ended up getting us another $50 and an upgrade from a room with 2 twin beds to a king size... I adore my little negotiator! We then headed out for more walking, food and drinks, and called it a night around 11.

The next morning, we all met to enjoy our free breakfast, and then headed to the maternity store. Needless to say, John & Darren weren't all that into the experience, but Erin and Winnie couldn't have been more excited and energetic about the experience, which made something I had been dreading pretty wonderful instead. For my birthday, Tim got me 3 great pairs of pants and 2 shirts. Erin also gave me 3 beautiful shirts for my birthday. I told Tim as we got into bed that night that I was actually looking forward to getting dressed the next day, which I had hated doing for about 2 months. After shopping, we headed our separate ways: Tim and I back home to spend a little vegging time, Erin & John up to Napa to celebrate their anniversary, Winnie & Darren to hang out with her Aunt in the area. All in all, I had the most wonderful weekend, with the most wonderful people. Good friends are such a gift.

Final Downs Bloodwork A-OK!

So I just got a call from the Doctor on the last blood test in the series for Downs Syndrome and everything came back negative. I am still at a 1 in 10,000 chance for having the illness, but that apparently is as high as it goes - so we are as much in the clear as you can hope to be.

The only down side of last week's test is that my nerves in my hand are still not behaving. I get a shooting pain in my ring finger when I try to reach for something, but it feels more like pins and needles than numbness, so it seems that my nerve is just waking up again.

All in all, no lasting effects, and very positive news. YAY!

Poochin' Out

So it seems like I am getting my little belly. This morning while I was brushing my teeth, Tim from the other room took a look at me and basically said "Wow, little Monday is finally coming out." Not only that, he's begun telling people at his office that I am getting a little belly and am (finally) beginning to show.

People at my office still can't believe I am 4 days shy of 4 months and am still as little as I am. But I know differently. I was wearing a fleece jacket Kevin & Debbie gave me 2 years ago for Christmas and realized that I had my hands in my pockets at my waist just to cradle my little Monday bulge. It was like my own little secret that I got to experience as I walked through the halls. Such a great little break from the hectic work day.

Can you hear me now? How 'bout now?

At our last visit to the doctor, where we got to hear Monday's heart again, I asked the Dr. if we couldn't borrow the doppler device they use to conduct the ultrasound. Though, and as expected, the Dr. said no they don't lend them out; she did say we could buy or rent one. So we did some research and was able to locate dopplers for reasonable rental rates. Lina found a great site which has high satisfaction ratings and reviews - http://www.storkradio.com/



In days we will have a little ultrasound of our own to play with. I have a feeling this will become a regular night time activity...to occur just before the Tummy Lube session.

Don't block my path to the food

So it seems that Monday's little growth spurt is also a growth spurt for Mom. I seem to be getting a little pooch right under my belly button. I also seem to have quiet the appetite and am eating everything in my path. I have gained another pound, but am still "under" the curve. I think I am within a normal range so I am not going to worry about it. (Progress!!)

17 Week Update from Baby Center

How your baby's growing: Your baby weighs about 5 ounces now, and he's around 5 inches long — about the size of a large onion. He can move his joints, and his skeleton — until now rubbery cartilage — is starting to harden to bone. His sense of hearing is also developing. The umbilical cord, his lifeline to the placenta, is growing stronger and thicker.

Big Weekend

So this weekend was about as jam packed as one could get. Friday night was our only down time, but we mistakenly stayed up too late watching a terrible move (MI-3) and didn't get to bed until around midnight.

On Saturday morning, we got up and headed out (again) to do the car thing. This time we went up to Colma, the dead-person-capital-of-California (more graveyards than homes) to see some dealerships up there. We ended up at the Lexus dealership looking at used late-model RX 350s. After we talked to the salesman for a while, it became clear that it was the last weekend in the month, the last month of the quarter, and they wanted to move some cars.... which worked greatly in our favor. Before we knew it (ok, 4 hours later), Tim had negotiated down the price of a new RX350 2008 to only $2k more than what they were offering the used models for, only $500 above invoice, with all the sales tax of any service we get there over the next 4 years on them. So we walked out of there (6 hours later) with a new car!

I am a soccer mom now!!!

Corgi not included - yet.

This has truly been my dream car for a while, and I couldn't be more excited. We got a great deal on leasing the car, and if we need to go bigger in 4 years, we can!

That evening we took the new wheels down to San Jose to see Francis and Dirk, the couple who rang the bell at our wedding, for dinner and some games. Dirk just got Francis a new Boston Terrier named Gabby that they picked up that day. We spent some quality time on the floor with poor scared Gabby, and had a wonderful dinner. We ended up playing Pop5 until about midnight - for the record, Dirk & I beat Tim & Francis 2 games to 1.

Then yesterday, our friends Brandon & Jen invited us to the 49ers game. Brandon's family has sweet season tickets that his grandfather got decades ago. We were in row 15 at the 40 yard line behind the opposing team... and directly in the sunlight all day. Although the Niners got their butts kicked (23 - 3) by Seattle, we had a wonderful day being outside with friends in gorgeous weather.

They then came over for pizza and Pop5 (I guess we were in a game-rut) until about 8. At that point, I just crashed. Tim kept thinking something was bothering me, but I just needed my sleep, which I got about 10 hours of starting at 9:30.

Comments Accepted

So I have been fooling around with settings this morning, and believe that comments can now be accepted by anyone. If that is the case, and you feel so moved, drop us a note and let us know what you think about our progress!