so a few hours after i wrote that last post we received a call from our realtor with a full price offer. closing 7/7...which was perfect since we take possession of our new house on 6/30. they wanted the fridge & the master bedroom curtains (we had excluded them). done.
the story of the buyers seemed a bit strange, but we didn't think too much of it. seemed maybe only mrs. buyer had seen the house, but it was another military family so we felt a bit of a connection to the fact that the husband was in the field & unavailable. the inspection was scheduled for friday at 12p, and they wanted a second showing from 10a-12p. i thought that was a bit strange given they had the house from 12p-3p for the inspection.
fast forward to 11:30a on friday & i get a voicemail from my realtor saying he needs to talk to me about the contract. uh oh, i thought. yep. sure enough, mrs. buyer was having second thoughts. it turns out that only mrs. buyer's family had seen the house - and she put in the offer based on their advice. so friday was the first time she'd seen it. and she decided it was too small.
awesome.
clay & i had never expected to get full price, so we had done lots of spending that extra money in our heads all week. back to the reality of an uncertain period of double mortgage payments looming.
oh, and what do we get for our trouble? for our 5 days of having a house basically off the market? $100. cause in texas $100 buys you a 10-day option period. great as a buyer, but a small consolation as a seller.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
state of the pierses
we are all hanging in there! i've been VERY preoccupied trying not to throw up while keeping the house spotless in the event of a last minute showing request!
so here is an executive summary state of the union update...
the house. our lovely home is for sale. i swear the more i think about living somewhere else the more i love it. it is like part of our family. i mean, it is our home. this house is definitely the first time as an adult that the place where i live is truly home. mom & dad's is mom & dad's. at age 33 i can say home and mean it in every sense of the word. i must be a late bloomer. anyway - as of today we've had eight showings. the first week we had six, two of which told us our home made it to their final cut. then we never heard from them again. then a whole week went by without any showings. and this week we've had two so far. all of the feedback has been positive, but we are getting a bit more anxious with each passing day. we close on the new house on june 6th, but we are leasing back the home to its current owners until june 30th. so if everything goes according to plan we'll move in during the beginning of july.
me. well, in even more life changing news my too-good-to-be-true job is ending in mid-july. i'm probably the only financial analyst in history to have left a full time job managing people to going to full time telecommuting at the same salary, to a measly telecommuting 10 hours a week...ANY 10 hours i want mind you, at an hourly rate of my 2006 handsome annual salary. 28 of us have had our positions eliminated but we were encouraged to apply for one of 9 new positions opening at headquarters. full time, of course. so after much discussion & number crunching, clay & i have decided i will soon be gainfully unemployed by choice. full time employment for me at this time is just not ultimately what we want for our family right now. this topic probably has a whole other post worth of things to say.
clay. he's working working working, planning & number crunching. the third time in i've realized that this is his dad nesting thing. ya know, the one that happens with the realization that another human being will soon be depending on him for financial support for the next 18 years + college. he takes it very seriously, and while i love that about him, it bums me out a bit that it puts so much stress on him. and obviously it is multiplied by the fact that a-we are about to take on a larger mortgage b-without my income and c-with the possibility of two mortgages looming for some indefinite amount of time. it's a lot. thank goodness the house has been spotless...it is about all i can do for him at this point.
the lu. she's feisty as ever but has started talking/whining/crying like gus. a lot. it kinda drives us crazy. all of her little friends have turned 4 and she's quite upset that she's still 3. like really upset. so being the manipulative mom i am, i'm using this to my advantage. 'lu, did you know 4 year olds don't drink out of sippy cups? if you want to be 4 you better start practicing your big girl drinking!' 'lu, that didn't sound like the way a 4 year old asks/talks. can i hear you say it again like a 4 year old?'. she takes it all very seriously, and so far it is working. we'll see how long it lasts. yet all that said, she's getting so big, right before our eyes. i can't believe she IS almost four! how in the world did that happen! one more year of preschool & then she's in KINDERGARTEN. dude. it brings me to tears just typing it! but i am pregnant ;)
the goo. after his double ear infection & a round of clindamycin he developed a rash. last dose of meds on thursday. woke up friday covered in spots. ugh. that said, he's the happiest he's been in months!!! and dad is his new favorite playmate. he's a talking fool and i could just eat him up most of the time. more to come on his 17 month notes.
the newpea. 14 weeks today. sweet baby. making me the sickest of all of my kids. i'm hoping we'll do the big ultrasound at the end of june so we get results before the best ob-gyn in the world heads to india for three weeks in july. i don't go back until the second week of june...unless i just can't wait...then they are so sweet they let me come in just to have an ultrasound to calm my nerves. why? cause she's the best ob-gyn in the world!
so here is an executive summary state of the union update...
the house. our lovely home is for sale. i swear the more i think about living somewhere else the more i love it. it is like part of our family. i mean, it is our home. this house is definitely the first time as an adult that the place where i live is truly home. mom & dad's is mom & dad's. at age 33 i can say home and mean it in every sense of the word. i must be a late bloomer. anyway - as of today we've had eight showings. the first week we had six, two of which told us our home made it to their final cut. then we never heard from them again. then a whole week went by without any showings. and this week we've had two so far. all of the feedback has been positive, but we are getting a bit more anxious with each passing day. we close on the new house on june 6th, but we are leasing back the home to its current owners until june 30th. so if everything goes according to plan we'll move in during the beginning of july.
me. well, in even more life changing news my too-good-to-be-true job is ending in mid-july. i'm probably the only financial analyst in history to have left a full time job managing people to going to full time telecommuting at the same salary, to a measly telecommuting 10 hours a week...ANY 10 hours i want mind you, at an hourly rate of my 2006 handsome annual salary. 28 of us have had our positions eliminated but we were encouraged to apply for one of 9 new positions opening at headquarters. full time, of course. so after much discussion & number crunching, clay & i have decided i will soon be gainfully unemployed by choice. full time employment for me at this time is just not ultimately what we want for our family right now. this topic probably has a whole other post worth of things to say.
clay. he's working working working, planning & number crunching. the third time in i've realized that this is his dad nesting thing. ya know, the one that happens with the realization that another human being will soon be depending on him for financial support for the next 18 years + college. he takes it very seriously, and while i love that about him, it bums me out a bit that it puts so much stress on him. and obviously it is multiplied by the fact that a-we are about to take on a larger mortgage b-without my income and c-with the possibility of two mortgages looming for some indefinite amount of time. it's a lot. thank goodness the house has been spotless...it is about all i can do for him at this point.
the lu. she's feisty as ever but has started talking/whining/crying like gus. a lot. it kinda drives us crazy. all of her little friends have turned 4 and she's quite upset that she's still 3. like really upset. so being the manipulative mom i am, i'm using this to my advantage. 'lu, did you know 4 year olds don't drink out of sippy cups? if you want to be 4 you better start practicing your big girl drinking!' 'lu, that didn't sound like the way a 4 year old asks/talks. can i hear you say it again like a 4 year old?'. she takes it all very seriously, and so far it is working. we'll see how long it lasts. yet all that said, she's getting so big, right before our eyes. i can't believe she IS almost four! how in the world did that happen! one more year of preschool & then she's in KINDERGARTEN. dude. it brings me to tears just typing it! but i am pregnant ;)
the goo. after his double ear infection & a round of clindamycin he developed a rash. last dose of meds on thursday. woke up friday covered in spots. ugh. that said, he's the happiest he's been in months!!! and dad is his new favorite playmate. he's a talking fool and i could just eat him up most of the time. more to come on his 17 month notes.
the newpea. 14 weeks today. sweet baby. making me the sickest of all of my kids. i'm hoping we'll do the big ultrasound at the end of june so we get results before the best ob-gyn in the world heads to india for three weeks in july. i don't go back until the second week of june...unless i just can't wait...then they are so sweet they let me come in just to have an ultrasound to calm my nerves. why? cause she's the best ob-gyn in the world!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
so um, 15 month photos...
so yeah, 2 months late, here is the boy at 15 months. excuse the poor quality...they were captured on my cell phone. he was a VERY unhappy boy around this time. teeth? ears? phase? not sure. but he was very unhappy, and that about sums up 15 months-ish.
Friday, May 13, 2011
my poor gusgus
has his first double ear infection. a week to the day after both he & luci tested positive for their first strep infections. so while on antibiotics what was the start of one ear infection a week ago, today was two ear infections...one of them nearly bulging. poor thing.
no wonder he's been difficult to be around. yesterday he was playing, then walked out of the playroom to me, took two steps, tugged on both of his ears & let out a blood curling scream. so i did what any good mama would do - i called my mama. and she told me to take him in. so i did.
called at 4:57p yesterday & got in this morning at 8:15a. i really figured dr. substitute-pedi would tell me it was just teething since he was on antibiotics (azithromycin since luci is allergic to everything) that just ended on tuesday. i thought maybe he'd re-test for strep, that maybe the antibiotics didn't kick it as they usually would prescribe something different for strep. but no, just two flaming ears.
and y'all are gonna think i'm crazy, but i'm thinking it has something to do with the amount of cow's milk he's had in the last week. we've been showing the house, which has equaled going out to eat, which has equaled him drinking cow's milk at restaurants. cause he loves it. and i don't have an official allergy diagnosis, it's just a sneaky suspicion/observation of mine that every time he drinks much of it he gets nasty poo, no poo, eczema (which has also gotten dramatically worse in the last week), or now, thick yellow gunk stuck in his ears. and usually he just doesn't get much cow's milk. but what to do when the poor thing just wants milk out of a cup with a straw like sissy at a restaurant? from now on i guess we'll do diluted juice.
so now we are onto clindamycin. which made me sicker than a dog in college. so i'll be pumping him with lots of probiotics, and giving him said icky tasting medicine with soy milk chocolate puddin. cause that's the kind of mama i am.
no wonder he's been difficult to be around. yesterday he was playing, then walked out of the playroom to me, took two steps, tugged on both of his ears & let out a blood curling scream. so i did what any good mama would do - i called my mama. and she told me to take him in. so i did.
called at 4:57p yesterday & got in this morning at 8:15a. i really figured dr. substitute-pedi would tell me it was just teething since he was on antibiotics (azithromycin since luci is allergic to everything) that just ended on tuesday. i thought maybe he'd re-test for strep, that maybe the antibiotics didn't kick it as they usually would prescribe something different for strep. but no, just two flaming ears.
and y'all are gonna think i'm crazy, but i'm thinking it has something to do with the amount of cow's milk he's had in the last week. we've been showing the house, which has equaled going out to eat, which has equaled him drinking cow's milk at restaurants. cause he loves it. and i don't have an official allergy diagnosis, it's just a sneaky suspicion/observation of mine that every time he drinks much of it he gets nasty poo, no poo, eczema (which has also gotten dramatically worse in the last week), or now, thick yellow gunk stuck in his ears. and usually he just doesn't get much cow's milk. but what to do when the poor thing just wants milk out of a cup with a straw like sissy at a restaurant? from now on i guess we'll do diluted juice.
so now we are onto clindamycin. which made me sicker than a dog in college. so i'll be pumping him with lots of probiotics, and giving him said icky tasting medicine with soy milk chocolate puddin. cause that's the kind of mama i am.
Sunday, May 08, 2011
happy mother's day
to my three favorite mothers. my mom, my grandma, 
and my mother-in-law.
i love and appreciate all three of you more than you could possibly know.
and my mother-in-law.
i love and appreciate all three of you more than you could possibly know. i'm so grateful to have you all in my life.
and i am so sorry that in the busy-ness of pregnancy, two kids, and selling a house i neglected to get heart felt cards sent your way.
it hurts my heart to think that you may have been disappointed.
there is no excuse.
my apologies, and all of my love - to all three of you.
Saturday, May 07, 2011
sick day
what to do when you are home on a saturday, while dad is working, with two kids who are starting to feel better but may still be contagious?
first you hang out & eat a leisurely breakfast.
then you play outside a bit.
then you play inside.
then you serve an early lunch.
then you put the lil one own for a nap.
then you turn the tv on to whatever the big one wants to watch & gently suggest that mama needs some rest time.
then you play inside some more when the lil one gets up.
then you have a snack. cheese & apples.
then you play inside some more.
then you call your mom cause you'd like to speak to an adult. but your kids are bonkers by this time & you can't have a real conversation.
then you make some home-made...
edible (yet not tasty) play dough.
then you realize it is only 4:15 and you've got over an hour before dinner.
in case you can't tell, that is a pure joy squeal face he's making.
he drank a TON of water.
she was very industrious with her bucket.
and this might be the best.photo.i've.ever.taken.
after his big drink he just ran around
and drove his car.
first you hang out & eat a leisurely breakfast.
then you play outside a bit.
then you play inside.
then you serve an early lunch.
then you put the lil one own for a nap.
then you turn the tv on to whatever the big one wants to watch & gently suggest that mama needs some rest time.
then you play inside some more when the lil one gets up.
then you have a snack. cheese & apples.
then you play inside some more.
then you call your mom cause you'd like to speak to an adult. but your kids are bonkers by this time & you can't have a real conversation.
then you make some home-made...
edible (yet not tasty) play dough.
then you realize it is only 4:15 and you've got over an hour before dinner.so then you go back outside. after they fight over the same toys for 15 minutes, you decide to pull out the big fun. the SPRINKLER. it totally saves the day. it wears the kids out.
in case you can't tell, that is a pure joy squeal face he's making.
he drank a TON of water.
she was very industrious with her bucket.
and this might be the best.photo.i've.ever.taken.
after his big drink he just ran around
and drove his car.
then at 5:30 you start dinner, realizing you have a pound of ground beef that needs to be cooked. um, yeah.
so, in honor of your midwest roots, you break out a sloppy joe recipe. turns out, your kids LOVE them.
and one more show later, it's nigh nigh time!!
and as of tomorrow they are no longer contagious! woohoo!!quality family time
to say we've been a bit preoccupied with getting house ready to sell is a bit of an understatement...so as soon as the house photos were taken we headed off to old macdonald's farm...a local petting zoo!
off & running!
a train!
pony rides!
and a cow for g. cow's are his favorite...i think.
a train!
pony rides!
and a cow for g. cow's are his favorite...i think. they were having a heart to heart.
feeding a goat. see g's lil foot?
he stomped that foot & made a lip smacking noise every time an animal ate.
and here my loves are watching ice age...g's new favorite movie! that squirrel guy in the beginning just cracks him up! he stomps his foot & makes that lip smacking sound every time the squirrel is on screen.
same movie, different day.
feeding a goat. see g's lil foot?he stomped that foot & made a lip smacking noise every time an animal ate.
and here my loves are watching ice age...g's new favorite movie! that squirrel guy in the beginning just cracks him up! he stomps his foot & makes that lip smacking sound every time the squirrel is on screen.
same movie, different day.
Friday, May 06, 2011
bugS...plural
lu went to the dr. pedi this morning to check out that possible pink eye. it's actually an enterovirus...which apparently is just a fancy name for a tummy/cold/fever/headache/throat ulcer bug that occasionally comes with eye irritation. all of which the lu has. and g has had over the last week. they've both just been seriously out of sorts...luci actually fell asleep sitting up in her chair while we were out to dinner on wednesday. then she promptly threw up when we got home. g has been battling the diarrhea for a week now, and is just one seriously fussy lil man. until luci got sick i figured it was just teething.
i mentioned to dr. pedi that we were leaving for indiana monday to go see grandma & grandpa pierse so our ever thorough good doctor decided he didn't want to miss anything so he better do a strep test, 'just in case' even though it was 'classic enterovirus'.
sure enough, it came back positive.
poor, sweet thing. she's tough as nails, really. she hasn't been acting like a kid with a virus AND strep.
and so then the boy needed to come in. i'm pretty sure he had the enterovirus last week, and probably gave it to luci. dr. pedi assured me that it is pretty rare for tots of g's age to get strep, and that it was more likely that clay & i would catch it.
alas, his was positive too. and he had maybe the start or end of an ear infection. and he's getting two teeth in. his last one year molar & a cuspid.
awesome.
so i decided to get myself tested for strep today too, cause of course it is friday and we have plans to fly on monday. luckily it was negative...at least for now. hopefully i'll stay healthy over the weekend & the kids will be on the mend! feel free to send positive, healthy thoughts our way!
i mentioned to dr. pedi that we were leaving for indiana monday to go see grandma & grandpa pierse so our ever thorough good doctor decided he didn't want to miss anything so he better do a strep test, 'just in case' even though it was 'classic enterovirus'.
sure enough, it came back positive.
poor, sweet thing. she's tough as nails, really. she hasn't been acting like a kid with a virus AND strep.
and so then the boy needed to come in. i'm pretty sure he had the enterovirus last week, and probably gave it to luci. dr. pedi assured me that it is pretty rare for tots of g's age to get strep, and that it was more likely that clay & i would catch it.
alas, his was positive too. and he had maybe the start or end of an ear infection. and he's getting two teeth in. his last one year molar & a cuspid.
awesome.
so i decided to get myself tested for strep today too, cause of course it is friday and we have plans to fly on monday. luckily it was negative...at least for now. hopefully i'll stay healthy over the weekend & the kids will be on the mend! feel free to send positive, healthy thoughts our way!
Thursday, May 05, 2011
active listing
lots to catch up on, little time to do it. why? cause tomorrow our house is officially for sale. like be ready for a showing with 30 minutes notice kind of for sale. should be fun, especially with two small children.
the house looks fabulous (if i do say so myself). our realtor comes with a free home stager. even if we had needed to pay for her, in hindsight, she was worth every penny. so much so we're going to have her come to our new house right away. she mostly re purposed stuff we had and moved stuff around. genius.
not exactly the way we had planned to spend clay's week of vacation. but hopefully it'll pay off.
more to come on my peas. all three are well :) the lu is fighting a bug & maybe pink eye, g is fighting a bug and deserves a 15mo & 16mo notes post, and babypea measured right on last week at 10w4d. that lil photo deserves a post too. i'll be 12w on monday. i hope to kick the nausea any day now. i think i've been running on anxious/nervous energy cause during the day (except for the post lunch lul) i'm highly functioning. i'll take what i can get. but at night, man, i'm ready for bed right after the kids go down.
so on that note...as we say around here...'nigh nigh'.
the house looks fabulous (if i do say so myself). our realtor comes with a free home stager. even if we had needed to pay for her, in hindsight, she was worth every penny. so much so we're going to have her come to our new house right away. she mostly re purposed stuff we had and moved stuff around. genius.
not exactly the way we had planned to spend clay's week of vacation. but hopefully it'll pay off.
more to come on my peas. all three are well :) the lu is fighting a bug & maybe pink eye, g is fighting a bug and deserves a 15mo & 16mo notes post, and babypea measured right on last week at 10w4d. that lil photo deserves a post too. i'll be 12w on monday. i hope to kick the nausea any day now. i think i've been running on anxious/nervous energy cause during the day (except for the post lunch lul) i'm highly functioning. i'll take what i can get. but at night, man, i'm ready for bed right after the kids go down.
so on that note...as we say around here...'nigh nigh'.
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