SOLD! (or sale pending ... whatever)/Shanti the cat

We sold our house this week!  Not only that, but we got a fair price that allows us to purchase the house that we like in Bethlehem.  Hooray! 

When we listed the house on the market, we included the piano with the sale of the house (or we said that we would get rid of it ourselves if they didn't want it).  This buyer wants to keep the piano, which makes me kind of happy that the piano will continue to live here.  Even though I didn't play it that much, it was a comfort thing to have around and I will miss it.

Actually, I think it ended up being a major selling-point, which is awesome. The piano and the cat -- those are the things she said she liked about the house. I keep thinking, "... and the house itself?" Oh well, she is buying the house so I'm happy with that!

I'm tempted to leave the cat here.  Shanti, while cute and soft (major pluses in my book), hasn't always been the best cat to us.  Let's take a trip down memory lane to see all the damage she has caused:

• Flooding the kitchen == new cabinet doors ~$500
• Whenever she has the opportunity, she has been opening the baby's bedroom door at 5:30am, going inside and meowing loudly until the baby wakes up == lots of lost sleep
• Peeing in the upstairs hallway because she didn't seem to like all the cleaning we have been doing for house showings -- the whole house smelled like cat urine because she started using the hallway as a bathroom more than once a day (I know, yuck!) == pull up the carpet in the hallway, finish the wood floors by hand, redo the baseboard trim, purchase a rug to cover up the sub-par work we did on the floors == lots of time (in the midst of everything else going on) and ~$100
• Ripping up the beautiful wallpaper we installed on the closet in our bedroom, just a week after we put it up == two years of living with ripped wallpaper and ~$50 to fix it (below is Alma's cousin Hayden posing with the ripped wallpaper; Hayden helped us remove some of it -- such a good worker!)

Anyway, we are fond of her and just hopeful that our next house won't crumble under her impact.

We close on both houses on September 30th.  Now we just have to deal with Joshua commuting for the next month while we also pack the house.  Let's just say that I'm tempted to start peeing on the rug these days in frustration at this move.  And it isn't like we have hit many snags.  I'm just done with the process and ready to be in our new place.

Update: The Move to the Lehigh Valley

Lots of people have been asking us how the move to the Lehigh Valley is going. Well, from my perspective, it is at a stand-still.  Here is the current state of things:

• We found and are under contract with a great house in Bethlehem.  The sale is contingent upon the sale of our own house.
• We have someone who has looked at our house three times and is interested in putting down an offer (or so says our agent) but no word yet.
• Joshua's last day of work at CCOP is this Saturday -- a BBQ to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the organization.
• Joshua's first day of work at CUNA is next Wednesday.
• We are not looking forward to his daily commute up to Allentown and how that will mean that he won't see Alma most days.  I think that Alma and I may go up there once a week so that we can have some time together.  Plus, I hear that Alma's skills as a receptionist are top-notch.
• We are appreciating South Philly in a new way.  Even the parts that we don't like seem charming these days, mostly because we know that we won't have to deal with them any more.  For example, yesterday at the park we saw a fight between two women.  Mid-fight, one lady pulled the other lady's tube top down and the local boys started chanting "Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!"  We will miss this wacko place that we have called home. 
• We are excited to start a new adventure!  I'm especially excited to get to all the projects I've been putting off since we are showing this house (quilts! toys for Alma! dress-making!) and digging into a new house (a library! a craft room! painting walls! a yard for plants!).

We are hoping to have a grand closing day where we sell our house and purchase the new one.  Hopefully this will happen soon -- September 30th?  Then Joshua will only have to commute for one month and we have a vacation mid-month to break up the pressure.

Shopping Cart

We have been doing a lot of projects on the house recently.  Good thing Alma's become the champ of riding in a cart at Lowes!

Birthday Party

In 2009, my grandmother became a great-grandmother another five times -- Alma was the last of the 2009 babies.  The family has been celebrating lots of 1st birthdays recently.  Here's another from this past weekend.  Look how cute that birthday girl is!!

Alma enjoyed the pool until she saw me trying to snap her photo.  I still think she is super cute, even when upset.  (Did we mention that she's becoming more attached to me recently?)

Of course, if there is a chance to give Alma a skull-n-crossbones temporary tatoo, we are going to do it as a "tramp stamp".

Let's take another look at that adorable birthday girl -- SO CUTE!!!

Happy 4th Anniversary to Us!

It's wild to think that this moment was only four years ago.  At times it feels like an eternity (... in a good way!) since we were married. It is hard to remember a time when I didn't have Joshua around to cheer for the good that life has to offer (or hiss at the bad). 

Today we celebrated with a morning run at FDR park with the baby.  It always feels good to work out together.  Physical activity is what brought us together orginally and I think it is the element of our relationship that makes us feel close.  I look forward to many more years of playing and sweating together.

Six Teeth, Kissable

Work

Alma and I have recently been going over to Camden for CCOP's Thursday night lecture series.  It is a great way for me to keep my brain active, let Alma see her daddy in a new space and give the CCOP family some time with our cutie. 

Unfortunately, Alma's social anxiety has started to ramp up a bit these day.  Here she is looking a little scared with Mariatu, one of CCOP's leaders.

Gift Idea

Just in case you need it, here's a gift idea for Alma = anything by Plan Toys

Carlisle

We went to my parents house for a weekend of outside time.  Alma got to fall asleep in the neighbors swing set, get watered by Daddy as she enjoyed baths outside and go for bike rides around the neighborhood.  We all had a great time pretending to be "fresh air fund" kids! 

Crawling Video

8 Months

Alma updates:

• 
  
  Officially crawling and pulling up to her knees.  She has a very traditional crawling stance (meaning, she isn't doing the army crawl or the worm but a very structured baby crawl).
• 
  
  Lots of falling down, especially when she is tired and forgets how heavy her head is or tries to pull up using very unsteady object like our kitchen stools.  Also, she may end up breaking my nose one of these days as she often lets her head come crashing down when she is crawling over me. 
• 
  
  Much more vocal these days.  Instead of just grunts and babble, it sounds more like the beginnings of words.
• 
  
  Five teeth (two on bottom, three on top) with another top tooth coming through this week
• 
  
  Weighed in at 17 lbs, 15 oz at the doctors.  This is only 4 oz more than two months ago.  The doctor said that it is nothing to worry about and may be that she isn't interested in eating as much because it is so hot.  (Also, I will admit that the five teeth are providing me with less of an incentive to want to nurse her as often.)
• 
  
  Since we have to be out of the house for showings, we have spent a lot of time with the dog in parks this past month.  Alma's a champ at going with the flow, which I could not appreciate more during this stressful time.  Although, if I have to take her in and out of the car seat too many times, that can sometimes lead to some fussing.  But everything is better once the car starts moving and she can drift off to sleep.
• 
  
  While playing by herself, Alma often pauses to reach out and touch (and drool a little on) my arm. You know, to make me feel included.
• 
  
  This month we enjoyed our first mom and daughter breakfast together at the Full Moon Cafe in Bethlehem before we spent the day driving by houses that are for sale. I had the french toast while Alma enjoyed a paper napkin. 

• 
  
  Since she was only a few months old, we noticed that Alma will keep kicking a surface if it makes a good noise. It was neat to see her discover the hardwood floors a few weeks ago.
• 
  
  This month, I got an awful cold which made me realize how much energy goes into taking care of the baby. Alma also had a cold for a few days which, along with the three teeth that "erupted" did not make her the happiest camper (or best sleeper) for a few days. 
• 
  
  While we were at Old Navy getting some cheap unstained tee-shirts for me, Alma started grinding her teeth. Oof, I hate that noise! Luckily, she hasn't had many repeat performances.
• 
  
  Alma hasn't figured out that she can take her pacifier out of her mouth, which is great for keeping other things out of her mouth, like her current favorite plaything: sticks. 

Post-Bath Snuggle

Crawling

Last weekend, Alma finally got the hang of crawling forward.  (Formerly, she was only going backwards.)  Exciting to see her in a new place a few monents after we put her down.

Alma has started making lots of great noises recently.  Lots of ba-ba-ba and da-da-da and some h's and g's thrown in for good measure. 

Offer on a House

We put a bid on this house.  We are hopeful that once we sell our house, this one will be ours!

Life

Somehow this picture seems to sum up life right now: the color is a little off, we aren't quite on the play mat and we aren't playing with our usual toys.  While we keep the house spotless for showings, watch as the days quickly advance towards Joshua's start date at his new job and worry about how the future is going to pan out, it makes me feel off-centered and in limbo.  Transitions aren't the easiest.  But we know we will make it through ... eyes on the prize, right?!

Alma has developed a love for carrots.  It seems to sooth the teeth that are coming in all at once.