Christmas

Since Aaron worked all weekend, Christmas wasn't very eventful this year. It was nice to not have to travel, but I wish we could have been with more family. On Christmas Eve, I went to visit my Aunt, Uncle, Cousins, and Grandma. It was nice to visit with them. I haven't seen them since I got married. My grandma is not doing very well, so I've felt really guilty that I haven't visited more often. She was put on hospice a few months ago and, according to my aunt, hasn't been eating much or getting out of bed. She's lost so much weight too. I know she won't be around much longer so I hope to visit more often, especially since the new house is a little closer to my aunt's.

The night of Christmas Eve Aaron and I opened presents together. We had promised not to exchange gifts for each other this year, but I had to get him something. He gave me a beautiful wedding band a few weeks ago which more than covered a Christmas gift. Plus, I love being able to get him things he needs and show him I appreciate him. I got him a new pair of shoes since his one pair of running shoes are so old and worn.

Christmas day started off really boring. Aaron left for work early in the morning so I just watched a little TV in the morning and slowly got ready for the day. I went to Kevin's and my Dad and Stepmom met me there. We spent the day cooking and hanging out. Once Aaron got off work, he came over and we ate dinner. I did get to Skype with the Utah family for a bit. My youngest nephew was not too comfortable with someone talking to him through a computer! He would cry every time his mom tried to set him in view of the camera.

Aaron was sick for a few days this week and I think I'm starting to feel the beginning of what he had. If I get sick, this will be one of many New Year's celebrations that I am sick. It seems to happen every other year for some reason. I just hope I can get more packing done before this weekend. As much as I've moved, I am still not any good at packing. I end up leaving random things around the house that don't go in any particular category then, the day of moving, there seems to be tons of stuff I never packed! I just can't wait to be done with buying the house and moving.

Tis' the Season for Stress

We've been so busy that I haven't had time to write any updates, so here we go.

After much back and forth, we finally worked out a deal on the house we've been under contract on. Friday, the seller agreed to a much lower price due to the repairs we will need to have done. We are really excited about how much of a deal we got on this house. We know we are taking a risk wtih the repairs needed, but when does buying a house ever come without risks? We found out that we have several repair choices that really won't bee as expensive as we thought. It's such a relief to be moving forward with the closing (and a little scary)! We are shooting for the 30th as a close date, and if everything with the loan goes okay, we will be able to.

My Dad has officially moved to Charlotte for his new position with his company. He is staying in a hotel until the 24th and then he will be staying with us until we move out. He and Stacy will be taking over our lease until it expires in July. It is such a blessing and great timing that they are moving here when they are. We are saving a few thousand dollars by not having to break our lease. I am so thankful they agreed to do that for us. Stacy finishes her job in mid-January and will be here then. I'm hoping we can be moved into our house by then so she can bring the furniture they need down at that time.

Ayden is growing steadily and gaining more and more energy. Aaron still can't feel her and I still haven't seen my stomach moving, but I can definitely feel her inside! Aaron took on a little project of editing her ultrasoud video by putting it to music, adding captions, and even creating a Menu page like a movie DVD. It was so cute how proud he was of his creation. He make a menu option with a note to Ayden that she can see when she's older. It turned out pretty well and we are going to make copies for the grandparents.

Aaron and I got to have a "date night" together last Saturday night. We went to a nice restaurant (where we had a gift certificate), and then we went to the Billy Graham Library grounds where they had lights, live nativity, carolers, and carriage rides. It was cold, but also really nice to spend time together and see some holiday decorations. Afterward, we saw Sherlock Holmes II at the theater. It's a good movie. I recommend it. The whole night helped us both get away from all of the chaos for a while. 

 It hasn't really felt like Christmas this season with everything we've been distracted with. Christmas is my favorite holiday, so I've been a litte bummed that I can't celebrate it the way I'd like to this year. We can travel to see family and we can't give gifts like we usually would. But, I am trying to stay positive so that I don't add anything else to stress me out. Between the house, work, shopping for what little gifts we can, preparting for the baby, planning my trip to Utah in January, being asked to think about baby showers, slowly staring to pack, worrying about finding daycare... shall I go on? I am looking forward to the new year with new goals, challenges, and joys.

Kicking Baby

I spent this past weekend seeing some friends. Kevin and I watched a movie on Friday. Megan, Blythe, and their friend Liz stayed over on Saturday night. Ashley and I met them for an early dinner and then us pregnant girls left and the others went to a football game. It was great to see the girls. I don't get many chances to hang out these days.

Aaron spent the weekend with some work friends at a cabin in the mountains. Well, it ended up being him and one other guy because everyone else bailed out. He came home with poison oak on the left side of his face and ear. I've never experienced poison oak/ivy/etc. He ended up going to Urgent Care this morning becuase it was just not improving at all.

I am feeling Ayden move around more and more. Today I decided to just lay my hands against my stomach for a while. I've only felt her move from the outside once so I wanted to see if I coulf feel her again. I am really hoping Aaron will get to feel her move soon. He's always trying to and never has. While I was feeling my stomach today, she pushed against my hand 3 times in a row. It wass such a cool feeling. I tried to call Aaron over, but she was done by the time he got next to me. Maybe next time...

We are still back and forth on the house we offered on. We told the bank they need to get testing done on the foundation based on what the Engineer told us about the cracks he found. I'm hoping we'll have everything worked out this week so we can either continue with this house or look for another one.

These next couple of week will pretty much be work and (hopefully) starting to pack if we are going to be moving next month. I'm bummed that we don't have more financial flexibility right now. I love Christmas time but I can't really spend money on decorating or buying gifts this year. My plan is to catch all of the after-Christmas sales on decorations so we have them next year in our house.

Home Buying Frustrations

Before I move right into venting about our home buying process, I'll at least give a quick update on Thanksgiving. We drove to south Georgia and spent time with Aaron's siblings, mom, and grandparents. It was a long drive for this pregnant woman, but it wasn't too bad. Thanksgiving day was good. We ate, played games, and then went to Aaron's friend, Kenny's, house to hang out around the fire and catch up. On the way home, we stopped in Atlanta to visit his cousins. Other than the usual family drama that always ensues during the holidays, it was a good trip and very nice to see the family-in-law. Aaron's family is always fun to spend time with.
Before we left for GA, we had the house inspector come. There were a few minor things found (disposal not working, etc), but there were also 2 potentially major issues. The vents upstairs were not releasing air, which means there is a problem with the temperature control. The bank has agreed to fix that. The other problem is that there are cracks in the foundation. The inspector recommended we have an engineer check them out to verify the severity. So, today we paid a certified Structural Engineer a pretty penny to come check out the foundation. Sure enough, because the house sits on such a sharp drop to the back, settling has caused several cracks around the foundation. He basically said that the house is not done settling since it's a newer home. He said we need to have a test done on each corner of the house to determine to potential damage and needed repairs (another $600 for the tests). If the foundation needs repairing, we'd be looking at up to $20k in cost. So... we are now struggling with the decision to walk away from this house, or negotiate with the bank to pay for the testing, repair any damage, or knock $20k off the price of the house and we'll have it repaired. Obviously our first thought was "walk away, walk away" from foundation issues. We know that's a big risk and potentially big problem. But, the engineer was very knowledgeable and said that if we did get it repaired, there would not be future issues. I guess we'll see what the bank is willing to do. If they agree to cover all repairs, I think we'll continue with the purchase. We really love the house and the neighborhood and everything else in the house is great. I feel like we won't find a deal like this again without having to fight other offers. Some friends say get out now while others say if it can be repaired and not be a future issue, stick with the house you love. We'll find out next week what the bank will agree to.

Little Ayden is doing well. Our next Dr's appointment is next Thursday and we are getting an ultrasound DVD. I'll be sure to post a clip! I'm hoping to post some pregnancy pictures soon, but we don't have a working camera.

Why not add "Home Owner" to our year?

Let's see... since April I've gotten engaged, pregnant, married, and now a new home! Is there anything else we can add to our plates right now? Oh yes, and Aaron bought a new (to him) car. I think we did it all! The way this house situation worked out, I will never question that when things are meant to be, they really do fall into place.

We are officially under contract for a house in Fort Mill. After losing an offer on another property, we found a house that is actually larger and in a more convenient area. It is 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. It is definitely a house we won't grow out of and can stay in for a long time. It's also a bank-owned property that pretty much has instant equity in it and is a very good price. We are scheduled to close on the house by the end of the year. Merry Christmas to us!

Here's where the real blessing comes in. We are in a lease with our apartment until the end of July 2012. It just so happens my Dad got a job in our city and will be relocating here with my Stepmom in January. They need a place to live, we need to get out of our lease. Win and Win!! They offered to take over our lease so we are not penalized for breaking our lease. It would have cost us 4 months rent if we had to break the lease! Now they can take their time to find the area of town they'd like to live in and not have to move in somewhere blind. It is helping us out soooo much.

Now we are in all of the contract paperwork/loan application/inspection/etc, it's starting to get pretty stressful. I think Aaron is a little overwhelmed by how much stress this really is. Tonight he was so frustrated when a few things came up that we weren't expecting. I tried to remind him that we knew this was going to be a pain and the process is going to be hard, but we knew what we were getting into and we both want this. I just hope that he continues to focus on the positive outcome and all of the great things that are going to come out of our little family living in our own home.

I am keeping faith that all goes well and, come January, we are settling into our new house and starting to set up baby's room!

More Updates

I was in kind of a rush yesterday when I posted the news, which is why it was just a quick paragraph and some pictures. Right after the ultrasound appointment, we stopped home to scan and post the pictures. Then, we headed straight to the hospital where Aaron's department was hosting a dinner for all of the Security Officers on his team. We thought it was going to be pretty casual, but it was very nice. I'm glad I stayed in my work clothes and didn't dress down. I met several of his co-workers and their wives. He had already sent a mass text with our news, so there was a lot of congratulations.

Now that I know we are having a girl, it's so much more real now. Of course, I have been completely aware that I'm pregnant and that I'm going to have a baby. But, I don't know that the part of raising a child had completely sunk in. It's pretty scary to know that there will be a girl, teenager, then woman that we will be completely responsible for, and that how she turns out is massively effected by our decisions in caring for her. I know it's normal to be nervous though.

As far as the house hunting goes, we are still hunting. The house we put an offer on went to someone that bid much higher than we were willing to go. The good thing about our situation is that we aren't in a rush to get into a house so we feel like we have time to find the house that is just right for us and that we get a good deal on. Our lease isn't up at our aparment until July next year. We've been considering building a home in a new development. Either way, I think we'll be moving either just before or just after the baby is born. What a headache! But I know many people that have done it and I look at the bright side.... I won't have to lift a finger! Haha.

IT'S A GIRL!!!

Yes! We are having a baby girl! Her name is Ayden Jean Carroll and we are so excited! Aaron and I had our ultrasound today and everything looks great. The doctor said she looks great and very healthy.


Official "it's a girl" picture. She is baring it all!



This shows her face and leg. She is very snuggled up.

She was moving around quite a bit!

This is her with her leg propped up.

House Hunting

Aaron and I have been looking at houses the last couple of months. I've been doing A LOT of research on real estate and mortgages. We've been debating on whether to continue to look at short sales and foreclosures, or to build in a new development. It seems like we're leaning towards buying a short sale. We've found several that are very nice, affordable, and don't need any work or updates done to move in. We almost put in an offer last week, but 3 other people had the same idea and the house went under contract before we submitted an offer. We looked at another house this week that we really like and are working to put in an offer. The house is part of a relocation package for the seller which is causing a lot more paperwork for us to submit. If everythig goes the way we hope, we wouldn't close until around February next year so we don't have to pay more to buy out our current lease. We're crossing our fingers that our offer is accepted!

On Thursday, we have our ultrasound and should find out whether we're having a boy or a girl. We are very excited! I think I felt the baby move a few days ago, but I'm not totally sure. I guess since I don't know what it feels like, I don't want to mistake something else for the baby moving. Everyone tries to tell me it feels like a flutter, but I feel like I've gotten litte flutters my whole pregnancy. It won't count for me until I'm sure. We did a tour of the hospital maternity ward last night and took a "New Beginnings" class, which was really basic info about pregnancy and childbirth. I'd already been told 99% of the info.

Carving Pumpkins

Aaron was off this weekend so we got to spend a lot of time together. On Saturday, we looked at a few new property developments to talk about potentially building a house instead of buying resale. We are trying to make sure we are very knowledgeable in buying a house before we make a decision to do so.

Today we did the usual domestic errands... cleaned house, grocery shopping, laundry, etc. Aaron even washed and detailed my car :). After all of that, we carved pumpkins together before dinner. Both of us realized that sitting on the ground outside, leaning over for almost an hour straight is something that's easier when you're younger. We were both groaning about being too old.

Aaron had to show he's a master pumpkin carver and chose a harder picture.

They both turned out great. You can't read it the pic, but Aaron's says "Welcome".





Almost 15 Weeks

I had my 14 week appointment yesterday which was just a check-up. Aaron was able to come with me and we heard the heartbeat (I didn't know they listen every visit, which I'm happy about). I still haven't gained any weight, but I'm told that is still okay. The Dr. said that if I haven't gained any by my next appointment, that is not normal. My clothes are definitely not fitting as well, but I guess my body is just adjusting.
I bought my 1st pair of maternity pants last weekend and wore them yesterday. I don't really need them, but it's much more comfortable than squeezing into my regular clothes! I plan on just rotating 2 or 3 pairs of work pants. Maternity clothes can be more than the regular clothes I buy! If anyone has any suggestions to a cheap place to buy them, please let me know. I looked up a few consignment stores in Charlotte that I may check out next.
Aaron finally got fed up at the restaurant and quite that job. The GM there had a short temper and would swear and yell at employees for the smallest things. I know he's relieved to not work 2 jobs anymore, but we're going to have to be even more careful about finances. At least now when he has a 3 day weekend, I actually get to see him instead of him working double shifts all the time.

Some updated news... we started looking at houses on the market. We are not planning on making an offer anytime in the near future, but we wanted to start looking into what is out there and what the market looks like right now for buyers. There are some great dealsl out there right now. We've been looking just outside of Mecklenburg county so our taxes will be lower. We found a great house in a nice neighborhood that is a short-sale. The house has been abandoned for a while but only needs a new carpet and a few windows replaced. I am really struggling with whether to go through with making an offer so soon into looking. Plus, we aren't quite ready to make a down payment. I hate the possibility of walking away from a great deal. I worry we won't find another house for the price that we love. I refuse to rush into this though, so if it gets sold before we are ready, I know it wasn't meant to be.



This is the house we like.



Visitors

The past 2 weekend have been pretty busy with family and friends in town. Two weekends ago, Aaron had 3 friends, his sister, and brother-in-law drive up from Georgia for a late birthday celebration. I finally got to meet the last member of the so-called "crew" (his close buddies for years). Aaron was really excited for them to be here. I was glad they came, but unfortunately I was dealing with a sinus infection and headache all weekend. I tried to be a trooper and hang out when I could, but I spend most of the time in bed. Though, I did make it to dinner and out for a while on Saturday night.

I was out of town a few days after that in Asheville, NC which was beautiful at this time. it was warm enough to still enjoy lunch on a patio and some nice quiet time to myself in the evenings.

Then this past weekend, Aaron's cousin and his wife, Ben and Dena, came to visit. Aaron worked 12 hour shifts all weeked so they explored the area while he worked. It was nice to see them. They took us to dinner saying it was a "congratulations" dinner which we really appreciated.

I hit the end of my 1st trimester this week. This weekend will start 14 weeks pregnant which means only 4 more weeks until our ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby! I can't wait to see Aaron's face either way. He's banking on a boy so bad that I think his reaction will be hilarious either way. I am going to try and film it on my phone. I've been told it's only a matter of weeks before I feel the baby move which I'm pretty excited about. I think it will be so wierd. I've started to show a little bit which eases my mind a little. I guess knowing that things are progressing the way they should helps any worry in the back of my mind. I think it's easy to worry if everything is okay when I don't look pregnant or feel any activity in that little uterus.

Aaron's Birthday Week

Aaron's birthday was on Monday. I cooked him breakfast and put candles in his pancakes for him to blow out (since he didn't get a cake). I tried something a little different this year and got him 5 small gifts, one to give him each day all week. He loved coming home from work every day with a new present to unwrap.

On Wednesday night, my sinuses started bothering me. By Friday, I didn't leave my bed much. In addition to what I think is a sinus infection, I've been having trouble breathing. It happens to me sometimes. I can't tell whether it is related to allergies or something else. I ended up calling my OB office to ask if there's any risk or what I should or shouldn't be doing. The nurse told me it was okay to use my inhaler and to get into the Dr. if I started coughing anything up. I guess even a cold can cause a bronchial infection when you're pregnant due to excess fluids in your body. So far, I haven't gotten worse in the last 24 hours so I think I'm starting to recover.

Aaron's sister, brother-in-law, and 3 friends from Valdosta are in town this weekend. One of his friends is John, who is the only one from his home town that I hadn't met yet. They got here last night and we were all up pretty late. I tried to socialize as long as possible, but I needed rest and was the first one in bed. Of course, the boys didn't get to sleep until almost 5am. So, while everyone is out watching the Georgia game today, I am in bed again, trying to get better. I have to go to Asheville, NC tomorrow for a work event so I need to make sure I'm not still sick. I'm sure Aaron and everyone will go out tonight so I figure I will just be on call to pick them up if they need me. Otherwise, it's an early night for me.

I am 12 weeks pregnant today. As I was getting dressed yesterday, the jeans I put on wouldn't quite button up. It was the first day I had to leave the top button of my jeans undone. I'm definitely growing! I guess maternity clothes will be right around the corner. I wish I could wear pajama pants and t-shirts every day. It is much more comfortable than my tight fitting clothes now.

Lots of Changes

Where to start... It's been a busy summer and it's not going to slow down any time soon. Once Aaron and I got engaged in April, we figured we'd have a year long engagement so that our families (mostly mine) would have plenty of notice to plan time off and travel to come to the wedding. A big surprise came in early August when we found out we are going to have a baby. I will admit, I was freaked out at first. It wasn't the best timing since we'd set the wedding date which fell 6 weeks after my due date. Plus the whole fact of wanting to already be married before the pregnancy thing happened. But, Aaron was great and told me that there is a plan for us and this must be what it is (he is so great). When we decided to go ahead and get married I almost worried about the whole "shotgun wedding" factor. Again, Aaron reminded me that, had we not had to save for a wedding, we'd be married already and it doesn't matter. Two weeks later, we're at the courthouse getting hitched.

The wedding turned out better than I could've imagined. Aaron mom, dad, brother, and sister all came in town last minute for the celebration and I got to have my Mom fly out to be here. My sister was here and my dad and stepmom even changed their vacation plans to be here. I swear, we are so blessed with family. My extended family that lives outside of Charlotte event came up for our BBQ afterward. It was so great to have their support.

Now I am 11 weeks along and the pregnancy seems to be moving right on track. Boy, does being pregnant mess with you a bit. I wouldn't say my symptoms are extreme, but they are there. Most of all, I am tired all the time. Funny though, when I need to go to bed at night, I can't sleep. Go figure. I'm not quite showing yet, just looking a litte chubby around the middle. I read that is normal to be in the stage of growing, but now showing the "baby bump". I think I am most looking forward to feeling the baby move. I just can't imagine how that feels, but I hear it is really cool.

One thing I am trying to do is not be one of those women who turn their whole life and all conversations into pregnancy talk with friends. I'm okay with talking about that stuff with other moms and pregnant women, but I know what I thought when all a friend could talk about was babies and pregnancy and, really, it can get annoying.

As far as married life, I am extremely happy. For those of you that truly know me, the whole lifelong trust and committment to one person was a hard thing for me get on board with. But it's not anything like I worried about. Life is good.

Well, that closes my first post. As things progress and, as I'm told, I get more irrational and into 'the pregnant brain", I'm sure I will have much to share.