Simon Swimming!

Over Labor Day we took Simon swimming in Gamma's pool! We transitioned him slowly and he actually went in the water for more then a moment on Monday. Brian was going to take him but he had a really bad headache so he was resting before he had to drive us home. So it was just Gamma, Simon and I.  Since I am the one who takes the videos/pictures there is no video of that.

However, I do have videos of us testing the water with Simon so to speak :)

A promise fullfilled....

So I made Benjamin made me a promise.

Remember this photo?

Benjamin promised he would stick around until Thor/Simon came so I could get a picture like this one:

So I could have them both in frames in Simon's room.

However when we came down for Labor Day weekend he did even better!

I love how Simon is looking at him

And of course he gave me a picture I could never have dreamed or planned on getting....

(That last picture is going to be the one I put in the second frame I believe. Benjamin sniffing Simon in utero and out is just too precious!)

However, all good things must come to an end. Benjamin was 14, almost 15. Couldn't get out of the house anymore. Showed no real interest in anything any more. Barely reacted when I was there and I am his favorite person. The only person he really paid much attention to was Simon and that didn't last long. He was on pain meds and I am not sure they were fully working. It was quite obvious while we were there over Labor Day weekend that his quality of life just wasn't the same and not good enough to warrant everything he was having to live through.

So Labor Day weekend was spent saying good bye to my Mange Man. On 9.5.13 we let him go play and torture William with strict orders that he is to lie on top of William not next to him. William's vacation is over!

It was of course a very hard decision but it was the right decision. I am just incredibly grateful that we got so long with him and that I was able to get these priceless photos of him and Simon. It is still very surreal

Mom's Baby Shower Weekend

It turned out fabulous!

Mom and dad came up on Good Friday and we had steak for dinner with orzo and salad. It was so yummy. Brian cooked it, he does steak so well.

Saturday we ran some errands before the shower and just relaxed mostly.

The shower was so much fun! I really enjoyed everyone's company and I think everyone enjoyed themselves as well. Every one was so generous with gifts and their time but I want to mention some for memories sake. Daddy went nuts with Giants memorabilia. The Mara family will not have to worry about losing any money this quarter thanks to Daddy. Your welcome Mara's! Thor will be wearing them proudly and we won't have to buy more until Thor is about three or so. Did you know they make sports themed pacifiers? Caroline totally got into the ducky theme and got Thor some ducky feetie pajamas that are SO cute! She got them in two sizes so Thor can continue wearing them. They dressed baby up in one of the outfits and Thor may have to fight her for it lol. Mommy got Thor tons of overalls and cute onesies from Osh Gosh...so if you see overalls on Thor more then likely it is from Mom. Mom also got Thor Nigel, a stuffed giraffe. My friends from work Lisa and Jason got us Murray....a light up/singing stuffed animal...this generations version of glow worm. It has been a success for their cute boys and I am sure it will be a success for us as well. Ms Micki gave us a wonderful plaque that is going to go on the wall between the two photo's of Benjamin and Vicki gave us some wonderful bulldog onesies and sunglasses so Thor can be like father and son. One of my favorite things is the shower curtain they used as a table cloth. Pictures of that will come when I show the finalized nursery.

Saturday night we just relaxed, we tried to go out to dinner and it was not completely as expected. I wasn't hungry but tried to eat anyway and then got sick and the restaurant completely messed up dads martini.

Sunday was a bit busy. Brian and I made Easter dinner (lamb, Yorkshire pudding, green beans with tomatoes and prosciutto and salad). Mom and  I organized the clothes and put everything away. We have a few decorative items to do but we are basically ready for baby. And we all dyed Easter eggs.

It was a wonderful weekend and as soon as mom emails me pictures she took from the shower I will post those.

I do need to get off my lazy bum and post about works baby shower......maybe this week?

So coming up:

Work baby shower
Finished nursery and guest/baby bath :)
Pregnancy update :)

Benjamin and I have a deal....

A deal that Mom isn't too fond of right now because she and Daddy are the ones dealing with all the hard work.

Benjamin is getting really old. He is 14 years old right now and Basset Hounds typically live to 10 or 11. He is doing well but he is definitely an old guy. We know he has continence issues, think he is going blind and I think he has dementia at some points. He has skin issues and enough pain to warrant pain meds. Everything that can be managed with medication but we are coming to the point where we do have to watch him and see if it is time to make a really tough decision. Last time I went down in January, Benjamin did not react to having Doug (my brother) or me there. He has always reacted excitedly seeing me and he should have been even more excited to see Doug as he hadn't seen Doug in years...yet we got nothing. That was probably our first wake up call that we need to be watching Benjamin more closely. I was really nervous about how he would react when he saw me this visit and I am pleased to announce he was back to his old normal self! My talk with Benjamin has been delayed for a bit.

So why tell you all that? Because Benjamin and I have a deal!

I really really want a picture of Thor lying on Benjamin. Bailey is going to be so sweet with Thor but she is not the lying down, cuddle type Basset. Benjamin is the only dog since William that we have had that would let us lie on them, cuddle next to them and place things on them without moving or caring. And I would love one picture of the two of them.

So the deal is that Benjamin fights it for another 4 months. That way Thor can be born and we have some time to make it to Charleston and set up for what I hope to be a great picture. Mom isn't too pleased only because it is such a chore to have to put up with Benjamin right now. Giving the medicine, having to carry him out to go potty, and having him still have accidents in the house. Benjamin is a lot of work and it is not getting better. I don't think it is necessarily getting worse and Mom isn't going to put Benjamin down just because she is tired of dealing with him but making that decision is going to be hard enough without feeling bad about taking away the one photo her favorite daughter wants.

Because of Benjamin's non-reaction to Doug and me in January, I was starting to see where Mom was coming from. I really want that picture...but if Benjamin is miserable and in that much pain that he cant react to his two favorite people??? Not worth it.

So I had to come up with Plan B....in case Benjamin could not make it 4 months (if he makes it longer...awesome but the deal is 4 months). Well, plan B is using my doll Baby that looks like a 6 month old baby and photoshopping Thor in when it comes time. I will post that photo shoot in the next post.

Benjamin gave me a surprise though. He was lying on my lap right next to my belly and stayed there while I took pictures. So I may not get the real Thor with the real Benjamin in real life but I do have Benjamin and Thor together during the pregnancy.

My favorite, this is how Benjamin kisses. Thor must have kicked

We tried to get bailey in on the action but it didn't work quite as easily...

And yes...while I do now obviously have a belly....it is still tiny enough that Bailey can sit in my lap and not disturb Thor in any possible way.

This has been a whirlwind...

I just finished doing 32 hours of overtime in one pay period. I am exhausted but I am looking forward to that pay check!

We FINALLY heard back from the landscaper about the easement and we are getting the estimate done on Monday. We are hoping to do the easement sooner then we expected. The city cleared the easement...well they mowed it. So it should be easier and we are hoping it will be cheaper to do it while the overgrowth has been mowed then what it would be when the overgrowth grows back. That will be one big project off our list and something that will allow us to feel like we actually accomplished something.

Brian is having his wisdom teeth taken out on October 5th so both of us are taking off that day off. Because I am taking that day off working overtime would be pointless because it wouldnt be overtime. So I will be getting home at around 4:30 instead of 5:30-6 during the week and Brian and I will be having another 3 day weekend though I am sure Brian wont be having too much fun :)

Then on the 13th my parents are coming up. Mom is going to garden and Dad, Brian and I (maybe Caroline +1) are going to get our gun license! I am very excited! This was a birthday gift a few years ago that I tried to redeem myself but got the "little lady" response so we ended that and now Daddy has made it happen! Go Daddy! SO excited!

We may or may not be going down to Charleston on the 20th. We are looking to do a haunted ghost tour and it would be nice to chill out with mom dad and the puppies.

That means no weekend overtime until the 27th :) That is about it!

Parent's House Before:

My parent's house is amazing and wonderful but it was left in a state that is less then desirable to say the least. The seller, a real estate agent who should know and do better, did nothing, not even the minimum to get this house ready. There are multiple projects that have popped up that were really unexpected and it has taken two cleaning ladies 12 hours to clean most of the house not counting what my mom has done. While the house is much cleaner, there are areas that haven't been touched. It was quite disgusting....there was coca cola on the walls!!!

The outside we knew was going to be a project but a project that at least my mom would enjoy. My mom is a huge gardener so she was looking forward to starting fresh. But before she started fresh she had to clear the jungle:

I cant get this right side up: I *think* this is the entrance from the back yard to the front yard

Weird dreams

I have been having some extremely weird dreams lately.

So far I have dreamed of:

-The Hulk (not Bruce Brenner...think big angry green giant)
-A friend at work with a weird credit card account that kept increasing his balance even after he paid it off and didnt make any more purchases
-Caroline and my mom switching houses with Caroline working for Dressbarn (she doesn't) and how Blair is cannot make a bad photograph (this part is true) with us playing with bed linens
-Work

There are other dreams but I can't remember specifics. I used to sleep soundly with no dreams and so far each night I have had a weird dream.

The many faces of Rachel

Mom HATES this picture:

I love it because that is my mom. She doesn't like the face she is making. Someone at the table more then likely made a face at Mom and my Mom responded forgetting we had a professional photographer taking pictures. Again, I LOVE it...she HATES it.

For the longest time I have been my fathers daughter. That has been great but you also want to know that you are your mother's daughter as well. For myself, the signs that I do have my mother's genes have only come into light recently. Still very much my fathers daughter but you can see signs of my mother starting to poke through.

Like the following pictures.....I can only get these faces from my mom and her side of the family.

Relatively tame talking to Mac

Yes, that is the face one makes dancing the First Dance with your new husband

"Al ran over the mailbox??" lol!

No, I am not screaming at my great nephew

This is the exact face you should make when giving your officiant a thank you gift

This would also be a good option....

Probably the best face you can make

Not yelling at the single men table either

Perfect face to make when talking a friend..

Also another good face to use while talking to your Aunts

So there you have it. If my mom didn't show her personality in facial expressions it would be one less tie to her wonderful daughter who has inherited that trait :). Don't worry mom, I have a lot more photo's where I am making funny faces and I am sure your future grandchildren will share the same quality.

What have I been up too...

Not much I am afraid

The invisible fence is in so we are ready for Benjamin and Bailey (my parents dogs which I call mine) when they come down with the move.

This weekend we are having the trim put in above the blinds, the new doors we bought for the pantry put in and the back splash as well. I will of course post pictures of the finished product.

Work is going well. I am in production which surprised me and my manager. We both thought there would be more notice but things have changed as they typically do. It is okay though because I did very well in my first month of being in production. My manager is not worried at all. I did a little better then I was hoping for but not as well as I would have hoped. We have to meet 100% to keep our jobs (not immediately, there are steps in place to help you make production but if you ignore the suggestions and don't do what you are supposed to the quickest way to lose the job is by not making production) but if we make 120% production for the year we get a bonus. I have been hoping to get the 120% average so I can get the bonus. This month I got 125% without trying terribly hard. I have from the beginning tried to organize my time like I would if I were on production so the transition would be easier to working on production and maybe it wouldn't be too hard for me to meet production. Well it worked! I would have liked it to be a little higher then 125% because there is little wiggle room for the following months in case things slow down and I have trouble finding things to keep me occupied. But I think it is a great start for my first month and I will continue doing what I am doing and will look for more work to help boost my numbers.

Also with work, overtime is back! I am rejuvenated from my break with overtime and have been staying late doing correspondence. I am getting much faster (which will help my production) and enjoy doing it. There is overtime this Saturday which I am doing as well. Weekends have been tough because we haven't had much to do. This is the first weekend where we really have any real plans so we have been watching a lot of tv. Since I do have Monday off and I am not really necessary for the projects at home we thought it would be good if I did the overtime.

Brian and I are re-thinking what to do with the money I have saved for the extra mortgage payment. Brian is now thinking about wanting to use it to pay down one of his student loans. All the overtime I currently earn is being divided. Half of it will go towards house projects and the other half is going to his student loans. While making an extra mortgage payment each year would lower the interest on the house greatly Brian is thinking it might be better off paying off a student loan and then playing catch up on the house later. The student loan is at a higher interest rate then the house and having that paid off would free up money each month. I like our current system. Taxes/half of my overtime/bonus's/etc going towards student loans and having an extra mortgage payment for the house but I dont know if I am being type A, stubborn and not liking change or if my idea is more sound. Brian is wanting to put all the money we dont spend on house projects/bills to go towards paying off the loan. Nothing we need to make an immediate decision on, just something we are discussing.

Brian is still obsessed with the bunny in our yard. He is so cute about it!

I am back at the gym and while I am sore, I am enjoying being back. I had a nice "break" but it is nice to be back in more rigid, structured classes again.

Really the biggest thing is waiting for Mommy and Daddy to move down!

Weekends are nice!

I feel like there is a lot to update but I am struggling to remember it all! I do apologize for not being very up to date or being very brief with my posts. There has been a lot going on and I don't generally have time to fully process it. So in true Rachel fashion this will be another bullet point update.

• This is my first weekend where I didn't chose to go into work. The project I can do on the weekends for overtime is finished so I have been coming in at 7 each morning and staying late on Wednesday night to get my overtime in on the phones. I feel like I have helped my company and the overtime will definitely help our pocket books with saving and getting all the projects we want done. It has been nice to have two full days but now that it is almost 11 on Sunday I am sort of running out of things to do and tv is becoming boring
• I have decided to stop training for the 10k. Since my break and now I have lost even more weight. I can tell because the work pants I bought two weeks ago are too big. My stomach is amazingly flat. My abs are quite amazing, if I didn't have to fit into my wedding dress in 4 weeks I wouldn't mind so much. I think this quick weight loss is partly due to how much I am working out but a big part I think is the stress that I am under. I am still going to do my classes at the gym and I will walk on the treadmill during the week but I am no longer doing anything on the weekends and I won't run anymore. I am not worried about being able to finish the races so I really need to focus on fitting in my wedding dress. After the wedding I will pick up the training.
• I will be married in less then 4 weeks. While I truely have not done much of any of the wedding planning at all, weddings are always stressful. I have no clue what I would have done if I did not have Caroline. My Mom may have stopped talking to me. If there was any thought of me becoming a wedding planner, um not anymore! I have also been told that I do not get to stay at my wedding past 8:30 which means I get my dance with Brian and Dad and I am out the door so the hanging with friends I havent seen in several years will not get to happen. I knew I would have to leave early but I thought I would at least be able to see my friends. It does help me not miss the friends as much that aren't going to be able to come since I wouldn't be able to see them anyway.
• The house is still not finished. Vendors are still coming in and messing things up and then not showing up for appointments. I think this is where the stress is really coming from. I cannot wait until we do not have to deal with these awful incompetent builders.
• I had gotten some gift cards from a couple clothing companies which I spent yesterday so what I purchased should arrive in the next couple of days. I will do a post about that when they come.
• Today is the Super Bowl and the Giants are once again playing the Patriots. Football stresses me out especially when my team is playing and they are playing important games. While everyone else is watching I will be knitting, eating lots of food (operation "Fit into Wedding Dress" has begun at least on the weekends) and praying the commercials are good as I try not to focus on the game. I don't handle stress very well especially when I have no control over it.
• We got a lot done yesterday. We are basically at the point where we really can't organize more until the bookcases come. Once the bookcases come we are going to have a very busy weekend but we will be all moved in. And I will be able to actually clean the place. Now we are wondering how we are going to get rid of all these boxes.
• I am hosting my first party! The girls are coming over on the 17th for a wine tasting and Wii Zumba/Just Dance. Then in March we are going to Sherry and Janet's for a St Patty's day party! I am going to try and grab pictures so I can post them. 

I think that is really about it. I hope you are enjoying your weekend! Just think in a months time you are going to start seeing pictures of the wedding and reception!

A Christmas present arrived!

My mom had gotten me a gift certificate to Gumps (a high end company selling housewares, etc) for Christmas and I just go around to picking out what I wanted and they came today!!!!

I first got these Geese salt and pepper shakers!

Aren't they cute!

I also got a couple Wedgewood ornaments. I have a, fake apparently, Wedgewood container that I keep jewelery which I love so when I saw these I knew I had to get them!

It say's "Bless This House"

I can't wait for Christmas where I can hang them!

Closing Timeline

The builders got us a timeline but they still haven't told us a closing date. From what I can see I am thinking/hoping (based on our current choices) we are closing 12.22.11. Yes a day or two before Christmas. We emailed the bank and they are thinking we will be closing any where between 12.26.11 and 12.29.11 and the banker man is not worried though he isn't the one having to close, move to be out of an apartment by 01.01.12 and work full time jobs. Really hoping we close on 12.22.11 as Brian and I cannot take time off work between 12.26.11-12.29.11. I really shouldn't be taking 12.22.11 off but I am going to have to. Do not want to even think about what happens if the house gets delayed so we don't close until after the New Year.

Mom and I have come up with a plan so that we can come home for Christmas and still move in without taking time off. The ideal solution is that we close the 22nd, leave for Christmas and Mom comes back with us on the 26th and stays with the movers on the 27th while Brian and I are at work. If we don't close the 22nd but close the 26th or so she will just fly down for the day to help close. We may have to enlist help from friends around but that is the current goal and I feel better about it.

And for your information, here is the closing timeline. Feel free to let us know when you think we are closing based on this.

11-15 thru 11-21Sheetrock

11-17Install water/sewer

11-21Pour flatwork

11-22Deliver and install cabinets first thing - Deliver interior trim before AM - Start interior trim after 12

11-23Install interior trim

11-25 thru 11-30paint

12-1Install tile - Install vinyl flooring

12-2Grout tile - Install vinyl flooring - Cover flooring in the PM - Deliver first appliances - Install marble walls and shelf in the PM

12-5Plumbing trim out - HVAC trim out - Measure for shower door

12-6Electric trim out, make sure you have enough people to have ready in one day (all ready for final insp.) - Blow attic insulation - Call for final insp.

12-7Final insp. - Install mirrors and shelving - Install garage door

12-8Set power meter

12-9Install wood flooring - Landscaping - Deliver shoe, locks, and hardware - Install screening

12-12Cover wood flooring first thing - Install shoe and hardware - Install cabinet shoe and final adjustments, check caulking - Install shower door - Landscape - Deliver second appliances, Deliver window screens

12-13Final clean and install screens

12-14Pressure wash - Final paint prior to carpet, Make up punch list

12-15Punch list complete

12-16Install gutters - Install carpet - Call for CO insp. - Deliver Hurricane panels

12-19CO insp. - Quality walk for corrections

12-20Quality corrections

12-21Touch up clean

12-22Home owner walk

The question you should never ask a woman....

Today I got asked one of the questions you just do not ask a woman.

"How far along are you?"

The guest had recognized my outfit while we were in the bathroom. She had seen someone in a very similar outfit that is very pregnant (8 months or so) so when we she came out of the stall she just asked "how far along are you". She apologized, explained and I laughed it off. When I told the story to my co-workers they laughed at the ridiculousness of the question.

My mom had a really cute response: "Why would someone even ask that if they aren't married". I had to remind her that babies out of wedlock really aren't hidden down here like they are up North and often those pregnancy's are planned to be out of wedlock. This is a huge cultural difference for us. It is crazy how many pregnant teenagers I see and hear about down here! People are shocked with my parents ages because in their eyes..they could/should be grandparents by now. (I still often get asked what I am waiting for and in reality I am only 26). My parents did not have their children late. They were, sometimes, even one of the youngest parents in my group of classmates. They had their children at the time that it was..socially acceptable to have kids...not young or late..on time with the Northern ideas. Down here....the timing is completely different. People seem to think that the proper process is you get married at 22/23, have kids 24/25 and go from there. When you have kids at age 26 and up, you are having kids late. It is really interesting to me but it is honestly making not being married or having kids that much harder for me. I am right on "track" with my northern friends but way "behind" with my southern :-\. There are definitely differences between the North and South. Not necessarily good or bad but there are differences.

Anyway, my mom wanted to know what I was wearing. I was wearing this. What do you think? Should this outfit go into the trash because it does make me look pregnant or was the lady nuts?

Front view

From the side

Trying to tighten the shirt as it is a bit big and billowy

Maybe putting my hand on my belly like pregnant Moms do will make it clear...

Parents trip

My parents came down this past weekend and Brian and I had a blast! It was SO nice to see them and so nice to be off on an actual weekend...though it did feel very weird.

Friday night we ate dinner with Caroline and Kurt at a restaurant called Travinia's. An old favorite but it definitely dropped on our "go to places" after the experience. Food was great but Kurt had to steal silverware and the band was playing WAY too loud. We could barely hear each other. They were asked to quiet down but they never did. Apparently they are doing music 4 out of 7 nights so Brian and I wont be back there for awhile but it was so much fun to get together with Kurt and Caroline! Full of laughs when we could finally hear what the other person was saying!

Saturday we woke up early and went to Charleston to look at houses for possible places for my parents to retire. We saw about 6 or 7 but only 4 really stuck out as being good possibilities. Outside of the last one where we all think my mom is nuts, Brian and Dad agreed and Mom and I agreed. It was definitely very interesting and alot of fun on our side. I hope they had fun as well. I apparently gave them great fodder for laughs when I announced (because they were teasing me for picking out rooms for nurseries) that in 18months when they are moving Brian and I will hopefully be married and trying to have a baby and a baby will have to have a place to sleep. I don't know why they found that funny...I, like my father, always plan long term (I started looking at colleges in 9th grade) and well they know I want babies!

For lunch we went to Blossoms. Food was good again for the most part. My dad got the crabcakes which did not come out as we had expected so we all kept throwing food at him since he got so little. The service was a bit lacking. They were busy and there was a woman in the next table who insisted that the waiter describe EVERY dish in great detail but it did give us a time to talk about all the houses we saw. I think that helped out alot.

On the way home from Charleston we stopped and saw a plantation called Hopsewee. This plantation is advertised in Myrtle Beach and I have always heard good things about it. Plus it was RIGHT on the way home so we decided to stop buy. I think it is safe to say we were all pretty dissappointed. A lot of the history was done with a video and when going through the house alot of the story was "there was this but I dont know what happened". I kept hearing "I dont know" which I didnt like so much. I did grab some pictures of the outside.

Saturday night we ate at our new favorite restaurant Maggie D's. It was very slow but they warned us that they were backed up as we walked into the restaurant. Food was great as usual. I have been eating my parents left overs and SO good! After that we raced back home to watch Pee Wee Hermans LIVE on Broadway show. I enjoyed it alot. My parents left saying that it was much better on Broadway, which is to be expected, but I still enjoyed it.

Sunday we met at a restaurant called Mcallister's for lunch and then said good bye :( One good thing about them looking to retire here is that if they want to by a house in around 18 months they need to be come back within a year to do more searching :)