it's better everyday :)

Well, I am quite the heffalump now! 33 weeks and counting...I bought some maternity shorts because it's SWELTERING here, and my Seattle summer wardrobe just wasn't cutting the mustard.

Today we bought a watermelon at the store--and it was so heavy I couldn't really lift it. I told Dave to imagine sticking it inside him, right above his bladder and then imagine trying to flip over in bed or stand up after sitting--and that's about right! Watermelons are like circular these days--gone are the oval ones. And they're way smaller--like personal size...?

I've also told Dave he should remember the time he ate an entire pizza and all he could do was lay down on the couch and groan with his heart racing. And--that's about how I feel all time :)

Mostly I'm just being silly--I have had a ZERO complication--TEXTbook pregnancy--and I'm grateful. I haven't had ANY of the disgusting, shall-not-be-named, common things that happen--and since we're a MIXED audience, that's all I'll say about that. So I'm super fortunate.




We got a treadmill for the doggies and it's the funniest thing I have ever seen in my whole life. If you want to be constantly entertained, get a dog! Daisy and Merlin both love the treadmill because mommy and daddy pay them constant attention and give them popcorn and treats the whole time. Who wouldn't love that?! Cesar Milan says supplementing their walks with the treadmill goes a long way toward happy, balanced, well-behaved, calm doggies. We shall see.

We mostly got it so we could SLEEP! Daisy has been waking up at 3:00 am everyday barking at the top of her lungs and nothing will satisfy her--not playing, not eating, not walking. Crate or no crate. And then it takes her a really long time to settle down.

In general, she's is really improving a lot. She rarely chews anything to destruction, and she's just a fun, sweet dog around the house. It could be now that I'm home most of the time and not in frenzied move pace she's just more relaxed. So, for the most part--it's great.

On the way to get the treadmill, we explored more of our neighborhood-to-be in Haymarket. All of the surrounding areas are JUST gorgeous. Today, we went North toward Leesburg--where the treadmills are. It was winery, after farm, after country club, after golf-course. The Ritz Carleton has an estate resort community there. It was so beautiful.

Our neighborhood is gorgeous too--we're just 2 minutes from I-66, so we also have a couple STRIP MALLS and a lot more houses than it looked like on Google Earth when we were researching. We literally live on the "other side of the tracks" and just a couple minutes North, West, or South of us are the really gorgeous parts. I kind of laugh when I think about that phrase in relation to Haymarket and our development, because it's really really beautiful. But--it's not the multi-million dollar section by far.

But--our neighbor-hood, and our develop-ment and the quality of the construction and aesthetics make it worth it. We haven't seen such stunning architectural detailing in our price range and we get to pick out all the finishes and stuff. So--it's totally worth it.

Our house is slated to be done around August 2nd or so. That could always change...but that's what it is for the moment. The movers need a 21-day advance notice to drive cross-country--so the latest we might move in is August 23rd. It's a lot of stuff happening right at the same time, but--whatever. It's worth it.

So--as you can tell, my mood has improved a lot. Dave said when he first got here he was really sad initially too. So-he said it's normal. I guess anytime you move it's quite an upheaval. Even when I moved to Seattle, when I really, really wanted to be there, I remember not feeling normal for like 2 years.

We are still looking at real estate--just to be sure we're making the right decision for us. And--I'm also considering delivering Lumbley in the Fairfax Hospital instead of downtown. It's about 30 minutes closer in. In my initial research I started from the 'Best Doctors Listing' --not hospitals--so I didn't even realize Fairfax was an option until Dave's family told me about it. Dave's family is all in the medical industry.

Things are just humming along. My mom and my uncle Bob arrive THIS Saturday--so lots to do to prepare...

We miss you! Email us at schleiferkin@gmail.com.