Well, no October baby! I was really hopeful that she’d arrive during my favorite month of the year, but alas, she obviously has other plans! I’ve spent most of this week trying to prepare the condo for us. Although it’s recently remodeled just like our old one on Player Court, the place needed some serious cleaning! Neither Eric nor I were convinced that a professional cleaning team actually came in to prep the place- as Susan the landlady had claimed. But, rather than argue, we took it upon ourselves to have the carpets professionally cleaned and I spent nearly all day Thursday and Friday scrubbing, patching and disinfecting. The porcelin stovetop was the worst, with it’s caked-on filth from the last two tenants. Both the bathroom and kitchen sinks were covered in rust and film. And then the walls needed patching in about fifty different spots! It was disheartening for both of us to see the place in such poor shape, considering how spotless I kept our old condo!
I had a doctor’s appointment on Friday, the 29th. It was scheduled with one of the nurse practitioners that I’ve seen before (and really liked) but she wasn’t nearly as friendly as I remembered this time around. Either that, or they were very busy and her lack of enthusiasm was shining through. Nonetheless, baby’s heartbeat was 150 according to the doppler and a quick ultrasound verified that she is in deed positioned head-down. The nurse practitioner also measured my fundal height, but she didn’t tell me what it was and I must have forgotten to ask during our brief conversation. Then I had the option to have a pelvic exam performed, which I declined, since I haven’t really had any sure signs that labor may be starting soon. The exam would probably only tell me that my cervix isn’t dialated yet and baby’s head is stationed high.
So, as of today, we’re all moved in to the new condo. The move went well- we had Eric’s parents, Elaine, my dad, and Lisa and Peter out to help us out. Eric picked up the U-Haul early that morning and then the loading began. I felt rather useless since I can’t really do much these days. Plus, there were still a few things around the house that hadn’t been packed yet- like the pantry, some of our kitchen supplies, and a few things from our closets. Luckily Elaine was willing to help, as I was really overwhelmed- I had spent most of Friday afternoon waiting on a locksmith as opposed to finishing the packing! (I locked myself out of the condo, just like I did at the old Player Court place)! Below you'll see me lounging in our new rocking chair as everyone else moved stuff and then there's Elaine and I posing for my dad- I'm just about full term and she's about 4 months along. It is so awesome that we get to be pregnant together!
While everyone traveled over to the condo, Elaine and I went to pick up lunch and bring it back for everyone. Elaine and I didn’t really help much with the unloading either, but I started to get more and more anxious as boxes started to fill up every room in the place... I didn’t think we accumulated so many more things since our last move, but obviously we had!
Eric had planned for everyone to head over to the downtown Creamery after the unloading to celebrate my birthday, but instead, everyone decided to go home for a little while and then meet back up later that evening for dinner. So, while JoEllen and Patrick stayed behind at the condo and insisted on unpacking our kitchen and assembling our bed (which we really appreciated), Elaine, Eric and myself headed out to Brentwood one last time to return the truck, round up a few forgotten items and pick up the kids.
Finally at about 7pm, after a crappy experience at the Cheesecake Factory (we decided not to wait for 2.5 hours for a table), all eight of us plus Sally, Stephen and Jenny met up at the Creamery for appetizers and ice-cream. I was frustrated for various reasons, but in the end, my birthday outing turned out really nice. The ice-cream was delicious and we had fun watching a party of young boys at the table right next to us order and devour the “kitchen sink.” Then I opened a few gifts- money, gift cards to Bed, Bath & Beyond and Target, a really nice diaper bag that Elaine picked out for me, and a beautiful Swarovski necklace from Eric. All in all, it was a nice birthday evening, despite being such a hectic day!
That night, as we chatted with Lisa and Peter on the way back to our cars, I felt what I think could have been a light contraction. My stomach was suddenly super tight all over. It wasn’t painful, just uncomfortable. And since, they’ve continued here and there.
Eric went golfing with Lisa and Peter on Sunday while I stayed home to rest and unpack. I ended up falling asleep for a few hours, then decided to finish unpacking the kitchen. I’m trying to tackle the condo one room at a time so I don’t get too overwhelmed... but it’s been hard. Plus, I’m trying not to stress about the house that still needs cleaning. And hoping that everything goes smoothly for our tenant, whose scheduled to move in on the 15th. But on the positive side, we actually had four trick-or-treaters come to our door! We never had a single one back at the Player Court condo!
One thing at a time. I’m happy at the moment that we’re settling back into a simpler life. I’m hoping to set the best example I can for our daughter- that family, time, and love are the most important things in this life- that every decision made should have these in mind and hold them to the highest regard. We don’t need a big house. And we don’t need a lot of things. We only need faith and one another. The Lord has really carried us this last year, with everything we’ve had to figure out. I know we’ve made the best decision for us and I’m so thankful that I’ve been led to this place- both literally and figuratively. I love Walnut Creek and I’m excited to raise Natalie here. But more importantly, I’m grateful for this new outlook on life. I hope this experience solidifies my priorities for the rest of my life.
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