Half Way

5/30/2010 9:20AM CST:

After this weekend, we are halfway through the pregnancy. Soon, we'll be laying out pounds of breadcrumbs to tempt the stork!

For Memorial Day Weekend, we will probably go to historic Kimmswick for brunch and their famous levee high apple pie, maybe watch a True Blood Season 2 Marathon, make some dinner, and enjoy a beautiful day!

We are also now 5 weeks from the close on our new house, still pending final agreement on the inspection addendum. We should have final contract by end of this week!

We Are Homeless, and That's a Good Thing

5/28/2010 7:27AM CST:

Left Picture: Yay!

Yesterday morning at 8:30AM, we closed on the sale of our house in Louisiana. After one year of sitting on a very weak housing market, the house is finally no longer our responsibility.

Today, we have a contractor bidding on roof replacement on the house we have under contract in Defiance, Missouri. We hope to lift the final contingency (inspection contingency) within a week. We are moving towards a close date of July 8th to purchase the house. We are looking forward to finally nesting in our new home.

A Gift!

5/24/2010 8:50AM CST:

Photos of the first girly clothes for Bebe, a gift from my buddy Melissa. So cute... little Righteous Bebe!

Old House, Baby Girl, New House

5/24/2010 8:30AM CST:

Left photo of Jessie's pregnancy bump at about 19 weeks. Baby girl inside.

Today, we are waiting for the Title company to notify me of the payoff balance due so I can wire money to close on my house. The sale is now scheduled for Noon on Thursday... 3 more days.

As soon as we have that finished, we will look to move up our close date on the new house, and begin to prepare to move. We are very much looking forward to a very active distraction which occupies our thinking (other than waiting for time to pass).

We are very excited that we are having a girl, getting rid of the old house, and buying the new house! So many changes, but so little to do in the meantime... except wait.

It's a Girl!

5/19/2010 11:40PM CST:

Left picture of today's ultrasound. We are having a baby girl, and we are exactly 5 months from our due date of 10/19/2010.

See the ultrasound and 3D ultrasound at this link:

http://www.AnticipationBabyView.com/PeekABabyCA/Baby1005191944.asf

The Question

5/18/2010 8:50PM CST:

Left picture: We will know by this time tomorrow. We'll be due in exactly 5 months.

Time Keeps on Tickin' (Slowly)

5/16/2010 9:34PM CST:

Left photo of view from beach house in Folly Beach during recent visit to South Carolina. Great to have family with houses with views!

I had a great visit to SC where I saw friends, lots of family, went to a wedding, and had a chance to unwind.

Now that I'm back, it's been a huge amount of catching up. We spent weeks looking at houses online, did a whirlwind tour of homes, and are under contract for our next house. Tomorrow morning, we will go to the house for inspection. This should complete addendums to lift the contingency on the inspection portion of the contract. Our Louisiana house closes in 9 days. We have paperwork to complete our power of attorney to the title company to complete. Next week, I'm sure I'll have to wire a painful amount of money to pay the deficit and close on the sale.

Otherwise, time in the pregnancy seems to stand still. Now that we've finished the home search, we have a few weeks to wait to close and move. In the meantime, we wait for Bebe to grow, we wait for sale of one house, we wait for the purchase of another. In June, my best friend Tara and her partner will be visiting us for a long weekend. I welcome the distraction, and the chance to see my buddy. Around this time, we'll also move into our new house. Until then, we do everything possible to make time go by. We are watching hours of TV on DVD (Heroes Season 3 at the moment, Lost Season 5 next, and perhaps Deadwood again, then maybe Friday Night Lights Season 4), running unnecessary errands, and keeping busy. I look forward to having a new house to occupy our time and thoughts... anything to speed up the clock. I couldn't imagine if it took 18 months to fully gestate a Bebe (Jessie could imagine that less).

From Robbie #2

5/13/2010 11:20PM CST:

"We bought a house. Yay. One step closer to being ready for the baby. I'm going to have a strawberry patch, and quilt a baby blanket, and you're going to buy me Tiffany lighting."

Maybe the pregnancy has made him delusional.

Our House Is a Very Very Very Fine House

5/13/2010 11:04PM CST:

Left photo of the house we are now under contract to purchase in Defiance, Missouri. Hello 3+ acres!

We are quickly approaching the sale date of our house in Louisiana on May 28th. Today, the title company began coordinating power of attorney for the act of sale and payoff balances for the existing mortgages.

As of yesterday, the sellers of the house we will be purchasing accepted our counter-offer. We are looking forward to our bright, 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath house with finished lower level, large deck, 3+ acres, large eat-in kitchen, separate dining room, vaulted master, main-floor laundry, very desirable location, 2 car garage, family room + den/office home!

We will find out Bebe's sex in 4 weeks, so we'll be better able to plan the nursery.

House House Go Away

5/5/2010 9:28PM CST:

The inspection went well, and turned up only very small items. In lieu of repairs, we offered to pay cash at close. After having contractors come by and give estimates on the work, the buyers accepted our counter. So we're now fully under contract, and counting down to closing day on May 28th.

We've been house shopping online and driving through areas for a few weeks now, and are scheduled on Saturday and Monday to do a blitz of home touring with our St. Louis realtor. We are ready to nest!