November 1: we closed on our first house.

November 4: Start of an endless weekend: baby-less to prepare for the move (Ben had a sleepover and Granny’s). We decidedly to quickly vacuum and steam clean the carpets at the new house to get up some of that new-carpet fuzzies. Little did we know that new carpet really fuzzy. A 20 minute activity turned into 5 hours.

November 5: the quarter-hourly beeping of the dying batteries in the bazillion smoke detectors in the house were driving us crazy. So trip to Lowe’s to buy a ladder and batteries, as well as an additional bazillion CFLs. Bought the wrong ladder – not tall enough to reach the last smoke detector. The evil’s thing’s dying beeping turning into sinister laughter. Return trip to Lowe’s. Then trip to IKEA to decide on furniture, etc. to make tomorrow’s trip as quick as possible.

November 6: washer and dryer delivered. picked up U-Haul. drove to IKEA for the second time in as many days. get there, forget the list from yesterday. quick trip turned into 5+ hours. By the end of the night, we had most of our stuff moved in and half of the IKEA furniture built — I did not know the even IKEA couches come in boxes. We spent the first night in our first house.

November 7: I went to take my first shower in my first house and discovered that shower rods aren’t always included with the house. Who new! So I had to take a bath before work. Went to assemble the dining chairs and barstools, wrong color.

November 12: another trip to IKEA to get replacement barstools – sold out of our color. Instead spent the money on decor.

November 13 thru 18: spent even more money on decor in preparation for Ben’s first birthday party/our housewarming party. Y’all thought our apartment looked empty? Hah!

And the house still isn’t done, nor is the apartment, but we’re getting there.

We’ve signed a contract on a 1,770-square foot house in Tavares. It has 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a 2 car garage. It’s huge and I don’t know how we, as transient hobos, will be able to fill it, but IKEA will be very helpful. The photos below were taken during our home inspection (our realtor Debbie is  in a few as we’re waiting for the inspector to do his 3 hour business). We’re waiting to close – hopefully any day now, but by 11/8 at the latest. So this will be our first house as a family.

It’s obvious that having a baby is harder on the woman because she carries the baby and pushes it out. But what I never anticipated was how much childbirth would have changed my body afterward.

1. I shed like a dog! The drain is constantly clogged because I didn’t shed for 10 months while pregnant.
2. My skin is drier. I get these brown dry spots that I have to scrub off to look less like a leper.
3. My breakouts are worse. I’ve been prone to acne since puberty had a seizure on my face. Since having Ben, it’s been just as bad.
4. Oh the hormones! The mood swings, the stress, the resentment… woe is me (sometimes).
5. The female anatomy is… different.
6. Breast feeding makes me sooo hungry! I don’t know how women lose weight while breastfeeding. I’m always STARVING. Combine that with my working full-time+ and I don’t have time to lose weight.

:::Taken from LilSugar:::

Ben’s had some good ones too. I probably should have been taking pictures of them…