Are we there yet?

Seriously, I am so over this relocation already!! Done with preparing the house for the market, done with mounds of paperwork, done with trying to coordinate 100 things that are all priorities, done with being constantly exhausted, done done done. *sigh*

The good news: there is an end in sight, no matter how far away it seems. We will be house hunting in about two weeks, then we'll make the transition that first weekend in November. While the craziness certainly will not end at that point, at least we'll be over the big hump.

The garage sale was a success, although we still have a few pieces of furniture to get rid of. Anyone need a Nordic Track? (I know, we're so cliche.) We have also met with both realtors who will assess our home, and soon we'll choose one of them and get this puppy on the market. Anyone need a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath?

Leaving St. Louis feels very surreal to me right now. When DH (dear hubby) and I left Michigan, I knew my family would stay there and I'd return often. A couple times a year, I still get to shop at the familiar mall, visit my favorite restaurants, drive by my high school. Leaving Chicago wasn't too tough, it always felt temporary as a college student. And Cincinnati, that was a very brief stop. But leaving St. Louis is different. We never really put down roots, despite being here for five years. It wasn't because we didn't like it or wanted to leave, it was more a matter of circumstance. The first three years were spent working full time and going to graduate school, and the second two were consumed with infertility. Both of those defining periods caused us to grow closer as a couple -- we have herculean strength now, by my calculation -- but they meant we kind of skirted the outside of the city. I thought this baby would help me finally become entirely present here, but then the situation changed again. So as I look around in this final month in Missouri, it feels as if we are leaving as quietly as we came in five years ago. There's a disconnect in my mind about how everything has changed for me during my time here, yet now I'll just pick up and leave, not sure when or if I'll return. Sorry for getting all serious on you for a moment, these are the thoughts that keep me up at night. :)


Okay, now for the fun stuff! Bean seems to be doing well, we're keeping close tabs. Here are the ultrasound pics from last Friday, at 16.5 weeks. Our "big" ultrasound is October 4, so hopefully we'll have some good shots to share then. We listen to the heartbeat almost every night on our doppler (http://www.babybeat.com/, love it!), which is comforting. I'm starting to worry that I haven't gained enough weight, just a couple pounds at almost 4 months along now. There are actually parts of my body that are skinnier than before! But the doc isn't concerned at this point, so I guess I should just be careful what I wish for...

I also want to mention two friends who recently delivered their babies. Both experienced significant trials along the way, and I am so thrilled that they can now hold their little miracles. One friend had a healthy set of boy/girl twins -- the boy sharing his name with my DH, gotta love him! -- and the other had a sweet little boy and delivered his sister into Heaven. The little angel will be in our prayers.