(Disclaimer: a lot of this I wrote 24 hours ago, so if things sound disjointed, I apologize.) Things have been crazy around here, so forgive me for being absent. I've just been too tired - mentally and physically - to sit down and type coherently.

Saturday was the highlight of the last few days. We had our open house, and it was so nice to see so many friends one last time. It was a great day - the weather was nice, so we were out in the backyard, and people just kept dropping by whenever they could. I'm really glad we went to the effort to have people over. It was totally worth it. Of course, that was a big goodbye day, and that wasn't very fun, but we all survived. I think it's easier knowing that we'll definitely be back...I'm really hoping that Kate and I will make it out for a visit every year. People kept telling me that I can't stop blogging now that I'm going to be closer to my family! Don't worry, I'll still be here with new, exciting stories for you all. (BTW, like Claire, I love comments! Let me know if you're out there!)

Sunday and Monday were...ugh. Well, Sunday wasn't as bad. I really needed to go spend that gift card at the yarn store, and I also really wanted to get some things for Kate at Old Navy (pjs, a baseball hat, some t-shirts). So I was out for a few hours, and that was a nice break from the reality of moving. I spent the morning and later afternoon packing up our suitcases. Man, that was a chore. And there are a lot of them...We each get to check two pieces, so we have 5 bags and the pack-n-play! Eek! Jay spent Sunday getting his office ready for the movers. That was no small feat because all of his electronics cords needed to be wrapped and bound for easy packing. Of course among all of this work there was a little play with the baby, although she was definitely aware that she was not the important thing going on.

Monday was pretty much horrendous. We just had so much to do to get ready for today. I can't even remember it all...One thing I do remember and have to mention is that Jay cleaned the grill - man it looks good! That was no small task, and it was pretty hot out in the yard. Monday was the day that we really started to make a pile to be packed for temp housing. There ended up being a fair amount of stuff in the end. Jay had a bunch of computer equipment, Kate had some toys, we all had some clothes...it just adds up.

Tuesday was the real beginning of the end. The packers showed up around 9am, and they packed us up until 3ish. They left then, although they weren't finished...go figure. In the morning we finally got our temporary housing assignment - phew! For some reason they wait until 3 business days before your arrival to figure it all out. That was last Friday, and they totally screwed up our options. A one bedroom (nope!), a two bedroom nowhere near Jay's office...anyway, we got into a 2 bedroom in Arlington. It looks like we're just about a mile or two south of the cemetary, one of the most amazing places I've ever been to (on a class trip to DC in 8th grade). It's hard to believe that we're going to be living near it! So yesterday was interesting. The house was invaded by three packers, and they were pretty busy. The cats totally freaked out because everywhere they tried to escape to there was more commotion and another stranger. Poor kitties. Kate was pretty interested in everything, and we spent some time in the backyard just to get away from it all (and to get out of the way, too).

Today things really got going. One packer came back and a crew of three came to load the truck. They got to the house around 8:30 and left ~2:00. They really busted butt, and the high today in Seattle was 85, so it wasn't fun working weather. Today we were even more in the way, so we spent almost the entire morning in the backyard. Kate actually took a nap out there - we set up her pack n play in the shade. Yesterday she took a nap in the basement...there just aren't a lot of options when there are so many people in such a small house! The car shippers came and picked up the cars around 10, but not before a few errands: Jay made a trip to Kinko's to fax some temp housing paperwork and I ran to the post office...we should get our cars in about a week. Everything pretty much went according to plan. As the movers were finishing up today (for the last hour or so), Jay and I finished up some cleaning (we did a bunch last night). I cleaned the oven and the bathroom, he did some of the floor and generally helped out. Once the movers left, it was just an empty house...it feels so strange to be in a place like that.

After the movers were gone we took a bus to lower Queen Anne (a short trip) to find some food. While we ate we debated staying in a hotel tonight, and we decided to check on the one and only hotel in the neighborhood. They had a room available, so we took it, and then headed back home. We had a few more brief cleaning things to do before our landlords came by at 6, and Kate took a nap. Then...our landlords called and cancelled the walk through! That was great by us, and we hopped back on the bus around 6. It's nice to be somewhere with beds and A/C. The poor cats are probably in a panic - all their stuff is gone and their people are gone too! Oh, they don't know what they're in for...

Our flight tomorrow is at 1:00, and we land in DC a little before 9 (almost 5 hours of flying). We have three seats, so Kate will have her carseat to sleep in - thank goodness! That whole sleeping in my arms thing gets really old. We'll have to check in pretty early to deal with the cats and their paperwork (they are going into the baggage hold), so it's going to be a pretty long day. But, at the end of it I'll get to see my sister and know that it's NOT just for a short visit. I'm so excited! I'm thinking that we should celebrate by seeing Waitress together - a total chick flick, and we never go to movies together during our visits because it seems ridiculous to spend a couple of hours together not talking when we have such limited time together. Not anymore!

So, in the morning we'll head back up the hill to the house. We're pretty much all set - the suitcases are totally packed and organized, the house is clean and empty, and we're just going to walk away. What a wild, wild time this is.

Oh, in case you're wondering - my title refers to the estimated weight of all of our belongings...

Man, I have a problem with sweets. In particular, I have a BIG problem with cookies. Thus, I don't tend to buy them. If I do buy them, I hide them so that I forget that they exist and only eat a few at a time - generally that strategy works for me. Last night Heather and Jill came over for dinner (take out), so I grabbed a package of Pepperidge Farm dark chocolate chunk pecan cookies and some watermelon for dessert. Well, they didn't get eaten. This morning I saw the cookies and succumbed. By noon 4 (!) were gone, and I was thinking, man, Jay is going to give me a hard time about this (all in good fun, but still embarrassing). He called a little while ago and said he was going to stay late at work...and now two more cookies (that's 6 of the 8 in the package) are gone! Ah! My twisted logic - if they're all gone before he gets home then he'll never know any of this happened and thus won't give me a hard time/I won't have to live with him knowing that I ate all these cookies (as if he really cares!). While I'd like to think that I do have some self control, I know that in reality I do not. The remaining two cookies don't stand a chance in hell at making it through to the morning...I guess I'm using this post as my way to be embarrassed...

Kate and I had to make a quick trip to the shops down the way earlier, and Jay has both the umbrella and good strollers in the car, along with the Baby Bjorn, so we used the Moby Wrap. The child is too heavy for it! It stretches bit by bit, and by the time we got home she was practically down around my waist and we looked pretty discombobulated. If I had realized how bad it was I probably would have taken her out and retied it, but I didn't know, so we looked silly. There's a carrier that I've been pining over, so I may have to splurge...It's easy to put on, comfy to carry a baby in, and works up to 40 lbs - seems like the right combo to me! I'm betting Kate is over 20lbs now, the big lug! *lol*

Our flight keeps getting booked with problems, so we still don't have the actual itinerary in hand yet. We're definitely flying on Thursday, but that's all we know right now. Claire is going to help us when we get to Dulles, and Dane and Jill have offered to assist us in getting to the Seattle airport - 5+ pieces of checked luggage, two cats, a baby, a stroller, and a car seat = too much for two adults to manage easily! The current plan is to pack for the flight on Sunday. Once we see how much we can carry and know what doesn't fit, we'll put things aside for temp housing. So Sunday is packing our luggage, Monday is organizing the stuff to be packed by the movers, Tuesday is the movers' packing day, Wednesday the loading day, and Thursday the flying day. Essentially next week doesn't exist for us in any normal sense. I can't believe that a week from now our house is going to be empty...

Speaking of packing - do any of you have great insight into what stuff we should put aside for temp housing? The problem I'm having is that there doesn't seem to be much stuff that is needed over the course of a month but not over the course of two weeks (the amount of time we'll be without anything that we don't physically bring with us). So far I've come up with Kate's cloth diapers and associated supplies, toys that don't fit into the luggage, and maybe a few kitchen items to be able to make her some food. Anything essential will be with us on the plane, but if anyone has a great aha! item, please share it.

OK, I've been having a pretty unproductive day so far. That needs to change right now! Oh, check out this photo, though, of the renovations going on next door - it totally freaks me out to look out the window and see this! Houses are supposed to have basement walls...

Back to normal, I guess! *lol*

We decided to give Kate peas on Sunday, and I mixed them with a little oatmeal to cut the taste a bit (it's like 'essence of pea' otherwise - ew!), and she had a great time eating them. Yesterday she had them again, straight up, and liked them fine. This morning...well, she refused to swallow them. They'd kind of just hang out on her tongue while she had her mouth open. It was pretty funny. Unfortunately her constipation is back. UGH. We've upped her water intake because I think that she's really shifted her balance from nursing to solids, so her fluid intake may not be adequate. I'm also halting the oatmeal for a few days - the iron in it is certainly not helping her out. Prunes are in play...I'm hoping today is better than yesterday. Luckily she wasn't in any pain, just a whole lot of straining. Last night her dinner was peas and prunes; this morning breakfast was sweet potatoes, peas, and pears.

We went to see Allison and the twins yesterday and had a blast. I posted the pics from the visit. I think all the girls had a great time interacting - the twins always have a playmate, but I think they liked having someone new around. Kate clearly enjoyed having other babies around, and it makes me think that playdates are going to be needed soon. It was hysterical to watch them together - the action sequence with Taylor and Kate pretty much sums it up. Not a whole lot of sharing going on, but noone was throwing a fit when the toy got ripped from her hand. *lol* It was great, and of course it was fun for me to see Allison and talk mommy talk. We're going over again on Friday - we have to squeeze in as many visits as possible! Allison sent me home with some prunes, too, which we appreciated - Jay and I couldn't find straight prunes so Kate has been having jarred prunes and oatmeal. I think the problem was that we were looking for jars and the prunes come in a tub...Anyway, Kate loved the prunes (way more than the jarred stuff), and I'm going to buy more for her today.

We also saw Meghan and Owen yesterday (babies everywhere!), because Meghan babysat again while I went to the vet. When I got back from the vet she had two sleeping babies on her hands, and it was nice for us to just visit without baby distractions. She's having us and one of my classmates over for dinner on Thursday. Jay can't go, unfortunately, but it'll still be fun for Kate and I to hang out for a bit.

Kate's getting very used to sleeping in strange cribs. She's slept in Owen's crib twice in the last week, and then yesterday she was in Taylor's crib. Two naps in strange cribs yesterday! It's so nice to have a baby that sleeps so well - I can't overemphasize how lucky we are...

Oh, and dinner on Sunday was great. Jay and I had an amazing meal, and Kate was so well behaved. We did give her some Cheerios (for the first time), and she had a blast trying to figure them out. Picking them up is no problem, but getting them into her mouth is a whole other topic. I think she managed to eat one or two out of the twenty or so that were put in front of her (3 at a time) - the rest ended up on the ground. *lol*

OK, gotta run. Kate's up and we're meeting a friend for lunch so I should go get ready.

Reality is setting in. This is our last real week in Seattle, and I'm starting to have such mixed emotions. I KNOW that we are going to love being close to our families, and we're both so excited for the change. But even so, the fact of the matter is that we'll miss Seattle a lot. We've been here almost 7 years. We have really good friends here, and that's not an easy situation to come by. We know and love this whole region, and I really can't imagine what it's going to be like to not be living in an amazingly beautiful place anymore. I'm sure that VA has its own beauty, but it isn't as grand as the Puget Sound area. The idea of saying goodbye to everything and everyone that we know to start over in an unknown place...man, right now it isn't feeling so great. This is going to be a rough week of goodbyes, but I know I just need to keep focused on how great it will be to be back on the east coast.  *sniff*

On Saturday we went down to Portland for the day to see my Uncle Daniel and Aunt Julie one last time. They were really an unexpected benefit to living in Seattle. My dad is one of 6 kids that have spread out all over the country, and before we moved here in 2000 I think I had seen them only 2 (maybe three times), and I only remember one of them. When we moved here it was great to have some family around, especially for our first Thanksgiving in a strange city. We went to Portland and my Aunt Julie's family welcomed us as if we belonged there. We haven't seen my aunt and uncle a ton, but I'll bet that we've seen them more than we've seen our parents in 7 years. Anyway, our visit on Saturday was nice, and it was sad to say goodbye.

Yesterday morning was my last soccer game, and the other team didn't show up! Ay! We scrimmaged, and my knee is still not quite right. It's improved in that I can run without pain, but I couldn't kick the ball with my left foot. More rest required. One of my teammates is pretty sure that I strained my LCL, and I may go get a brace so that I can do some exercise. Soccer, though, is out for a while, although I don't really have a choice in that matter anyway. Some of my teammates are coming to our party on Saturday, but I had to say goodbye to a number of them that can't make it. I've known a lot of these women for 6+ years, so that was hard. I really hope I can find some soccer in VA...I can't imagine not playing now that I've been back at it for 6 1/2 years (I started in October 2000). If I can't find a league to play in I may have to coach a kids team...something I've always planned on doing anyway.

So, this is the final push. Jay and I spent a few hours yesterday cleaning up the attic. I have a bunch more time to spend up there this week, that's for sure. The thing is, though, that the movers will pack anything that we have, so if some stuff gets moved and then thrown away in VA, I'm not going to sweat it. I posted some new ads on Craig's List this morning and already have two sales. Moving really is a pain, even when you're not responsible for the packing and moving of all the stuff!

OK, so I have time to introduce three new foods to Kate before we move. We have bananas ripening on the counter, but with all of her digestive issues this week I think we're still going to hold off on adding them to her repertoire. So, ideas? I have some asparagus, so I was thinking that I might make that for her. She hasn't had any green veggies yet, and it's starting to bug me. Squash and sweet potatoes are pretty similar, and along with oatmeal, they make up the bulk of her diet - how much starch does she need? I was excited that she liked the yogurt so much because it gave me a chance to vary things, but that's out for now. I have jarred peas and carrots in the cupboard, so maybe we should do asparagus, peas, and carrots? Other things I've been considering...egg yolks (hard cooked and mixed into things or scrambled into bits for her to try some finger food) and peaches or apricots, to expand her fruit selection (although those could be hard since they're not in season and I don't want to buy lots of frozen stuff - can you used canned fruit in juice??). You people who have been through this before - what do you think? Every so often I'll try the mango or avocado, but she's not into either of them yet. It would be nice to broaden her horizons a bit. It's also time for her food to start getting chunkier so that she gets used to more texture. That's been the great thing about the tofu. I'm adding silken tofu to everything except the oatmeal (essentially sweet potatoes, squash, and pears), and I'm just mashing it with a spoon when I mix it. There are still small little chunks that are super soft for her to gum or just swallow, so I feel like that's helping advance her texture tolerance somewhat. I love feeding her. I love that when she's really hungry and she gets into the high chair she gets excited. She's definitely an excellent eater! We're still at two meals a day, but I think once we're in VA we'll move to three a day. My body has finally adjusted to her decreased milk intake, so overall we're at a pretty good place right now.

We're going out to the steakhouse with my tv show gift certificate on Sunday. We made a 4:30 reservation so that we can bring Kate along. The whole babysitter thing during dinner time is just too challenging with bedtime approaching, etc. So, it'll be a family affair. I bought these disposable table toppers to put in front of her in public places so that she doesn't chew on the table edge (EWW!), and we were talking this morning about bringing her afternoon meal along with us as a way to keep her occupied. I'm not sure about that, but maybe we will. We might bring some Cheerios, though - they'll definitely keep her occupied! She hasn't had them yet because Jay wants to be around the first time. So, Sunday may be a good time for them.

I bought Kate a new sippy cup yesterday because she really wasn't understanding the other one I bought. The first one required her to suck on the spout, something she'd do only if I held the cup. These new ones let out liquid when she simply bites on the spout, so the learning curve is less steep. She still has to tip the cup back, and that's not happening all the time...she'll learn eventually! We're sticking with water. IMO, I don't care if she ever even knows what juice is, and she's not going to have any for a while. Anyway, I'm hoping that she likes the new cup.

OK, Kate is up, time to go...

Kate is having a dramatically better day today. Her rash looked so much better this morning - not so red, definitely not raw, and more importantly, not painful. Whew! I had Jay stop at the store to get some prunes for the kiddo on his way home last night, so she had those for breakfast with her sweet potatoes. I had expected nearly instant effect (I've heard that it only takes about an hour), but she just had a small bm earlier and a huge one about an hour ago. So, that's also remedied. I guess we'll give her prunes every morning for the next few days to make sure there's no issue, then try to go back to her normal diet. We've been waiting 4 days between food introductions, but the situation was so dire that I couldn't stand the thought of waiting that long for the prunes. Thus, she had tofu yesterday and prunes today. I guess if there are more issues we'll have to figure out what food to blame. For now, I'm just glad that I have my happy non-crying baby back. I guess having a baby that never cries (really, she almost never cries, and never was much of a crier) is a bit of a curse - when something does go wrong and there's incessant crying I really can't handle it. I just don't have the patience built up from experience. Instead I start to pull my hair out...anyway, that's over for now.

Because things were so much better I didn't worry about having Meghan babysit her this morning. I needed to sell some books at a used bookstore here, and I didn't think I could handle those three boxes while watching Kate as well. It was fun to see Owen and Kate play together - they actually interacted a lot. In particular, Kate was particularly keen on eating Owen's nose...*lol* She ended up napping for just about the entire time I was gone, so that made Meghan's job easy. Kate will be back there on Monday while I take the cats to the vet for their health certificates. Ay, this whole moving thing is sooo much fun!

The minivan was supposed to be ready tomorrow but no doing. We filed a claim with State Farm and apparently the rep that supposed to check out the damage and the estimate didn't come by until TODAY, so no work has been done. What?!?!?! If there was a problem, shouldn't State Farm have called me?? And why didn't the shop call and say, where's your insurance person? I'm totally annoyed because it means we're down to only one car for another week - Wednesday at the earliest. I should get a 'more accurate' estimate tomorrow, and you can bet I'm going to be one peeved customer to try to speed things up. I already told them that we're moving the week after next, so I HAVE to have the car back next week. What a pain in the ass! Oh, and to make things even more annoying I just got a $697 check in the mail from State Farm to cover their share. The only problem is that it's a $2100 bill, our deductible is $1000...so, $700??? Their estimate of cost is lower than our actual estimate, but I don't understand any of it if the rep didn't see the car until this morning. I'm totally confused, and I guess I'll be calling around a bit tomorrow to figure out what the heck is going on. UGH.

On a more positive note, our move has been scheduled! The company will pack on the 29th and load the truck on the 30th (unless they can get it done in one day, they wanted to schedule two days to be safe). So, that means we'll be flying out on the 31st!!! Woo-hoo!

OK, I need to go be productive somehow...

Kate's not eating yogurt anymore, that's what I've decided. She started with yogurt on Saturday, and come Monday afternoon we started having problems. Now it's descended into utter chaos over here! She's massively constipated and was crying today while she was continually trying to poop, and her diaper rash has put her over the edge. Screaming, screaming baby most of the afternoon. *sigh* Diaper free time, while it sounds great, is awful because she doesn't have any cushion on her bottom and she refuses to stay on her stomach - the only position that doesn't put pressure on her sore bottom. Her sitz bath is now a disaster - twice today she howled the instant I put her in it. Would baking soda be uncomfortable on her raw skin? Putting the Lotrimin on is like absolute torture, and the child will not lay still while I diaper her (she's always trying to roll over) so there's way more rubbing against the diaper than there should be - thus causing her even more pain. *sigh* As I said, screaming, screaming baby. The rash seems less raw today, but at least as red as yesterday, and it is really warm to the touch. Oh, Erin, thanks for the sun suggestion - it finally came out this afternoon so I hurried us out to the yard for a few minutes while she was in an ok state. I hope I see some improvement tomorrow. I guess the yeast in the yogurt just didn't agree with her.

As for her constipation issue, man, I'm at a loss. She's been having her standard sweet potatoes and pears everyday - it's a sure fire combination to keep her system moving on most days. I guess they can't compete with the yogurt. Yesterday (Tuesday) was the last day she had the yogurt, so I'm hoping that by Friday it will be completely out of her system. I don't really think these are allergic reactions, but I might double check that interpretation with her doc's office. Whatever you want to call it, she's not having yogurt again for a long time...

Kate was in the midst of a serious screaming fit earlier but was also exhausted. There was no putting her down - that just made everything worse - so I cuddled with her on the couch and she fell asleep next to me. While I was pretty much fried by then, it was so sweet to have her sleeping on me. I felt like such a mom...she wanted me to hold her because she felt so crummy. Ah, babies...

Ah, I love Craig's List. Once we decided to leave Seattle we also decided that it was time to get rid of some stuff. The first thing to go was our old dining table - I've been meaning to sell it since the fall of '05  - and that flew out of the house. I sold a play mat of Kate's that we didn't want last week. Yesterday I posted our bar stools; someone is coming by this afternoon and I have someone waiting in the wings. I just posted my bike and it's being picked up this afternoon (there's someone as back up for that, too). I just posted our flaky stereo on for free on CL and on freecycle because I just don't feel right asking for money for it since I don't understand the problems it has - and I've had 10 responses already. There's more to go, so I'm off to take more photos...wish me luck!

Kate's meals have gotten to be pretty substantial, and we have breakfast everyday after her first nap. While the meals have been substantial, I've been wondering if perhaps she'd like to nurse a little bit afterward anyway. Well, Monday I took her out of her highchair and she started doing her 'eh, eh, eh' bit, so I thought, yes, she is still hungry. I sat down to nurse her and she had a conniption. Arching back, crying with tears, the whole bit. OK, fine, don't nurse. Yesterday the same thing happened! She got a little anxious when I took her out of the highchair, and I interpreted that as, wait I'm not done eating, am I? Then, the whole freaking out thing again. I was thinking about it later in the day, and I thought maybe she just wants to hang out for a bit after breakfast in her chair. Well, this morning she stopped eating, and I cleaned her up while she played with her spoon. A few minutes later, I tried to take her out of the seat, and it started. So, fine, she stayed in the seat, happily playing with the spoon. After 5 more minutes I tried again and she was happy to get out. Aha...

Mike and Melinda find out the sex of their baby today, and I'm so excited for them. Melinda is sure it's a girl, and I have to agree. Jay has thought from the beginning that it's a boy, so we'll see who's right. (From what I can tell Mike is holding off in voicing his opinion ) I remember the day that we found out that we were having a girl (it seems like it was just yesterday!). It was so much fun, the anticipation, the excitement of immediately thinking about what she'd look like, how we'd decorate the nursery, calling our family members, my relief at knowing I was going to have a daughter ...it was just so exciting. It was our first and only ultrasound, and everything just became so much more real once we saw her little body (we still have one of her u/s pics hanging in the kitchen because it's so sweet to see). It was almost a year ago already (6/1), and look how much things have changed in that year! Kate is almost 8 months old already - can you believe it?? Anyway, I know what an exciting day this is for Mike and Melinda, and I cannot wait to hear if there is going to be a little pink room in their future!!! Of course a little blue room would be equally adorable...

Last night I used the spa gift card that I got during the taping of my show. It was great! I had a massage, a facial, a manicure, and a pedicure. I got to take a fabulous shower after my massage, and the whole evening was so fabulous. It was 4 hours of unadulterated pampering! Kate and I picked Jay up from work, they dropped me off at the spa in Bellevue, and then I took the bus home afterward (remember the van is in the shop). By the time I got home at 10:30 I was really ready for bed! My facial was great. I added a glycolic peel to it since I'm pretty lazy about exfoliating regularly. Man, that was uncomfortable! There are a few spots on my face today that are a little sensitive still, but my skin feels great. Anyway, it was a great evening, and I think things went fine with Jay and Kate (he was in bed when I got home and left at 6 this morning, so I don't know any details).

Poor little Kate has her first real diaper rash. After her bath Monday evening I noticed that a small part of her bottom was really red, and yesterday morning when Jay changed her diaper she started crying when he wiped her. Uh oh. So, I decided to do some reading while she went diaperless - nothing was obviously what she had (there are a few raw spots, poor kid), so I called the pediatrician's office and spoke with a nurse. She said it sounds yeast-based, so we got some Lotrimin. She encouraged the diaper-free times and recommended a baking soda bath a few times a day. We put 2T of baking soda into a sitz bath, and sit her up in it for 10 min. It is the funniest thing ever! She's all squished, sitting up naked. The next time we do it I'll be sure to grab the camera, because it's really pretty funny. The rash looks a little better today, but if it's not better by Friday morning we're supposed to go see the doc. Hopefully that won't be necessary because I don't think I get to have the car on Friday...

OK, I need some coffee before Kate gets up from her nap. It's become pretty much impossible to drink it with her around, lunging for everything. *lol*

UGH. After the weekend I was feeling pretty good about the work I have left to do in prep for the move. The moving company rep just came and surveyed our stuff to figure out how many boxes, etc. to bring on packing day, and now...UGH. You get used to looking at your own stuff, but when you start to look at it as outsiders must see it...what a mess! I need to get my butt in gear...

We'll be packed on either the 29th or 30th - I should hear from our contact in the next day or so. Jay and I keep laughing at the number of people we've been dealing with. We have Jeff, our MS relocation specialist - he's pretty much responsible for our temp housing and flight. Then we have Melissa, the moving coordinator at a company called Move Management. Then there's Amanda, our Customer Service Coordinator at Graebel (the movers). After I spoke with Amanda yesterday, Cindy called to schedule our in-home survey. Trevor came this morning to do the survey, and now I should be hearing back from Amanda. All of these incremental roles that somehow are all sequential - we couldn't talk to Melissa before talking to Jeff, Amanda before talking to Melissa, etc etc. It just seems silly.

What's not silly is the amount of stuff I have to do, so I'm off to tackle something before Kate gets up.

I'm expecting to speak with our moving company today, and hopefully we'll find out the actual date that our stuff will be packed and shipped. A rep will come do an in-home survey of our place before the actual move, and all of these things need to happen in the next 2 1/2 weeks! Jay and I got a lot of stuff done yesterday in prep for the packers. We finally finished sorting all of our clothes, and Jay donated a lot this morning. I un-assembled and repackaged a lot of baby stuff (swing, stroller frame, pack-n-play) into their original boxes for safer moving and easier storage. I think I'll re-package Kate's good stroller and just keep the umbrella stroller for the airport, and that's the end of that stuff. Oh, I need opinions - is it worth holding onto the box her carseat came in? I'm not sure that we'll ever store it in the box, but I'll never find another box that could work if we want to someday. What do you think? We re-arranged the living room so that I have more space to work while I am watching Kate. (For those who know the space...We pushed the dining table into the corner and put two chairs into the basement. The green armchair is in our bedroom, and my desk was turned to allow for our plant shelf to fit in that corner.) Now I have lots of room - and lots of stuff filling it to keep the pressure on to continue with the purging of crap. Anyway, that probably doesn't sound like a lot, but it was psychologically a good day.

And, of course, it was my first Mother's Day. Yay! I got a card from Kate and the three of us had a little picnic in our backyard. Mostly it was a work day...

I have some new tricks of Kate's that I want to videotape. Kate has a couple of CDs now, but just two weeks ago she only had one that we listened to all the time. I had it in the minivan for the trip to the Olympic Peninsula, and we played it a couple of times. She knows the songs really well, and I sing them to her all the time and make her dance, etc. Well, this song came on, and at the chorus her little legs just started swinging back and forth. *lol* Because she was strapped in her carseat, all she could do was move her legs below the knees, but move them she did, back and forth. Jay and I were in fits, because it repeated over and over. As soon as that chorus got going, man, she got dancing - all while just staring out the window. It was hysterical. Yesterday we dropped the minivan off to have the work done this week, so Jay had her in the Camry. When I got in the car to come home he said, you have to see this. He had a Justin Timberlake CD in, and once the beat got going, the same thing happened. Legs swinging in time, and they'd stop when the music got slower. OMG, it is hysterical, so I have to see if I can capture it with the camera. I guess she's developing a taste for music!

Our session with the photographer went really well Saturday morning. We went to a cute park near us, and the weather was perfect. The couple of pictures that Jay and I saw on the camera's screen were totally adorable, so I'm hopeful that we'll be as happy with this session as we were with the last. Kate was in a really serious mood for a lot of the photos, so I hope there are at least a few where she's smiling. What a twit. Oh, and Amanda agreed to give us the digital copies of all our pics, so that's exciting. And the third session that we've already paid for is going to be a credit toward prints, so that's also really nice. We were pretty restrained in our ordering last time because the prints are so pricey, but now we'll feel free to order what we really want. I can't wait to see them!

Oh, last but not least...Jay posted the video of my tv show to his website. I've uploaded it to Soapbox but it's been giving me problems. So, if you're interested in seeing it, here is the large file, here is a smaller one. Enjoy - and let me know what you think!

Update: OMG, she is so cute!!!! Go to http://www.amandasheaphotography.com/ 

OK, there is simply no way to describe how strange it is to watch yourself on tv. That was my big takeaway from tonight. I really liked the way the whole thing came out, I think I was pretty composed, slightly funny, and looked pretty good at the end of it all. In the half hour show there was probably ~7 min of my story, so we'll try to do some editing to get the video condensed and then I'll post it. Oh, and how freaking cute is Kate? She was practically the star of the whole thing - they used a lot of footage of her. As an aside, I know everyone thinks that their voice sounds weird when they hear it recorded, but I've always thought that my voice is really weird. Yeah, that was confirmed tonight. In the beginning I thought that maybe I was talking a little funny because I was nervous, but I know that I definitely wasn't during later segments, and man, I have a strange voice. I said so to Jay; he shrugged and said, that's what Megan sounds like. *snort*

After the show I went out to the mall. Kate's photographer is coming on Saturday morning, and we want to get a couple of family portraits. That, of course, means that we need to look decent individually and as a group, and of course Kate is the star of the show so Jay and I need to be pretty subdued. Neither of us owned the appropriate clothing for this assignment, at least partly because Kate will be in short sleeves and it would look ridiculous for us to be in long sleeves. Anyway, (yes, still a bit hyper over here) I went to the mall. I got a nice polo for Jay and a cute shirt for myself. I think we'll look pretty good as a group, both in black and white and in color, and each of us paired with Kate should be fine, too. (Kate on her own will, of course, be too freaking cute.) I had a gift card to Macy's from my MIL from Xmas and bday money from her as well, so I got myself the cute photo shirt and another top that I love - more of a going out piece. It just so happens that my soccer team is going out tomorrow night.

OK, off to feed the babe and hit the hay. I'll dream of being a big tv star...

For those of you that blog, you probably know what I'm talking about when I say that I often have a running blog in my head. All day, everyday, I'm composing a blog post. Unfortunately, when I sit down to type I often don't have the energy/motivation/creative spirit to actually put my thoughts onto the screen. Today, I'm composing in my head like crazy, so here's my second post for the day - likely not my last!

Tonight is my TV debut! I'm excited and a little nervous about the whole thing. I'm a pretty hyper person, so I'm afraid that I'm going to seem really goofy. I tried to watch my behavior while I was being filmed, but you never know - 5 hours is a long time to keep an eye on yourself. Anyway, it's being recorded all over town. It's showing on NBC (at 7:00, if you're local), and we get NBC in both HD and non-HD, so our DVR is recording both channels. Meanwhile, two friends are recording it to Media Center, so we should have the video file to burn to DVD for sharing purposes. I got a call today from Heidi, the producer, to make sure that I got the dinner certificate in the mail and to remind me that tonight is the show. She said that she thinks it came out really nice, so we'll see! I wasn't home when she called; I would have loved to hear a little more about what she thought of the finished product. Anyway, tonight is the night! We were supposed to go over to Rick and Amy's for a pizza and viewing party, but apparently their entire neighborhood has norovirus, and we don't feel like catching it. I think we're going to have our own private pizza party instead.  I still LOVE my hair, btw.

Kate and I went for a walk after her nap. There's a new kid's store in the neighborhood - OMG, I could spend a freaking fortune there!! I bought Kate a ball and two books, and I resisted the urge to buy things for every child I know. I wish I knew more pregnant women, because they had some adorable things that would be great gifts. Melinda better watch out, because everywhere I go I find things to buy for her and her growing bundle!! I've been resisting until they find out the sex next week, but then I'm going on a serious spree.  Oh, my point about the walk. I put on Kate's sunglasses ( to you, Meim! Everyone loves them!), and tried for the hat but she wanted to play with it. OK, fine. A while later I realize that the hat is gone! AUGH! I figure that we'll find it when we retrace our walk on the way home. Then, when we leave the kids store the salesperson cuts the tag off the ball for Kate. About a block later, she drops it. No problem. We continue on our way...luckily, we find her hat. A block later I realize that the ball is gone! For gods sakes, kid! How are these things falling out and I don't notice??? So, we turn around and walk back up a freaking huge hill that I just came down. A few blocks away, I find the ball. Two for two, luckily. Man oh man. That's the first walk we've taken since I hurt my knee, and I had been starting to get sore on our first trip down that hill - doing it twice pretty much sucked. Kate had fallen asleep at the top of the hill, though, so I really moved slowly the rest of the way home. Anyway, things keep falling out of the stroller. It's like when I take her out of the carseat, half the time a sock hits the ground. Ay!

OK, I'm super hyper for some reason...I wonder if it was that frappachino I got...

Kate has had the strangest week of naps. Normally she goes down with no issue - she rubs her eyes, you put her in the crib, and asleep she goes. This week...she'll rub her eyes, you lay her down, and she either cries or just babbles until you get her up again. She's never been one to stay up for much more than 2 hours - I think her record is 3hr 15min, and that was extreme. She's had 3 hour stretches multiple times this week. She was up at 6:00 this morning, I had a dentist appt until 8:30, and when I got home I heard her chattering in the crib (Jay was in the shower). I figured that she had just woken up, because that timing would be just about right. Wrong! Jay had just laid her down! I got her up and she was happy as can be. She played and ate breakfast at 9. Here it is 9:35, and she's just now falling asleep (I think). It's a new record, folks! This is a wild departure from our baby who can barely stay up for an hour in the morning. I wonder what gives...She went to bed just a few minutes earlier than normal last night and slept all night...hmm. Honestly I wouldn't mind if she left the 4 (sometimes 5) 1-hour naps behind - the day is so broken up, and she's constantly getting tired. It's a little ridiculous. We'll see, I guess.

My dentist appt was as good as getting cavities filled can be. It's my last appt at that office, and that's a shame because Jay really found a good one. Oh well, maybe we'll get a good recommendation in VA. On the medical front, my knee is feeling dramatically better this week. I guess it just needed a little rest to get better. I haven't been comfortable going down stairs - that's better - or laying on my left side - that's better - or getting up from the floor - also better. So, I'm hoping that in another week it'll be just like normal. Yay! I was really bummed on Sunday when we couldn't walk through the rainforest, and I could really tell that it was sore then. It's hard to believe that just a few days made that much difference, but there you are. It sure would be nice to be able to go for walks with Kate again. Being confined to our house and yard has been difficult since the weather's gotten nice.

My knee's apparent recovery makes things a bit tricky, though. I was assuming that I wouldn't be able to play in my 5/20 soccer game, but if I can I definitely want to - it would be my last one. We're trying to plan a trip to Portland for that weekend to visit my aunt and uncle one last time, and the relaxed way would be to drive down Saturday afternoon and come back Sunday late morning. The problem is that soccer is at 9:30 on Sunday, so that plan doesn't work. Maybe we'll make it a Saturday trip. It's 6 hours round trip, so we'd hate to be there for just a couple of hours. Maybe if we left Seattle around 10 we could be home around 10...6 hours driving, 6 hours visiting. That might not be too bad. I have to ponder this some more. Yeah, that might work because we could hit the road around 7 - Kate's bedtime - and make the 3 hours home while she slept.

The big purge is on! You know how it is when you move, you get rid of stuff - well, you can imagine that a cross country move amplifies that urge even more. Jay and I are going through everything we own trying to whittle down what we keep. It's great fun, let me tell you.  Speaking of it, I should get some work done while Kate naps (she's officially asleep, finally!).

Argh! It's always the days that I have a few plans for Kate and I that she decides to go off her normal 'schedule.' Ay! We need to go out, and the kiddo simply won't go down for her nap. I'm half tempted to throw her in the car and let her sleep on the ride - I'd just bring something to read until she woke up - but this has been her 2 hour nap for the last few days, and I'm not quite willing to sit in a parking lot for that length of time. What to do, what to do...

I just made a movie of Kate eating this morning - it wasn't a very successful meal, but it's still pretty cute. Today we started pears and she was not too thrilled...*sigh* I'll be uploading it as soon as it's ready. Kate's head shape is a little distorted because I used my computer to capture the video rather than the camera itself...anyway, enjoy!

I haven't been talking about the move because I've been too anxious about the whole thing to be very enthusiastic - the logistics have just been too complicated. But, starting today, I have a whole new perspective. Jay got the official offer for his new position today (and no, Aunt Carol, there's no demotion), and it included our relocation package. Phew! It's great to have his position nailed down finally - he spent weeks pursuing a lot of leads, and while we knew that he'd definitely have a position through the fall, it's great to know that he has a long term position that he's really excited about. And, of course, the relocation package helps me to breathe easier. We still don't really know details - for example, when we'll be leaving town - but we do know that we'll have movers pack us and ship everything, including the cars, and housing when we get to VA. Yay!

This whole time we've been saying that we'll leave town on Saturday, 5/26. Originally Jay was thinking that his start date would be Monday, 6/4, so we thought having a full week in VA would be helpful before starting a new position. Now, though, I'm not sure what we'll do. His new job is with a group that he already knows intimately, and his start is 5/28. I wonder if maybe we won't stay here for that last weekend and leave closer to the end of the month. He could work a couple of days in his new position before leaving, and it gives us an extra weekend in town to see friends. We had been hoping to have an open house party on 5/19, but it turns out that too many of our friends won't be around that weekend. Maybe 5/26 instead - it is Memorial Day weekend, though. I just feel like we need one last big hurrah before we jet across the country. Jay will be back for work every so often, so he'll see our friends relatively frequently. I, on the other hand, won't have that luxury. Yes, I think I'm liking the idea of sticking around Seattle for a few extra days to squeeze in a party. I'll have to confer with my hubby about that.

So, it's an exciting day out here. Jay and I have never had any doubts that we would truly be leaving at the end of May, but our families have expressed plenty of concern about the fuzziness of the plan. Finally, with 3 1/2 weeks left on our lease, the details are beginning to be clearer. Again, phew!

On a more negative note, I filed an insurance claim today for the minivan. $2100 in repairs...yikes! The work is scheduled to take all of next week, and I'll need to impress upon them the need for it to be completed in a timely fashion! There aren't any parts to order, so hopefully it won't be an issue. Having only one car for a week will be hard enough without it taking longer than planned. It definitely puts pressure on me to do some running around town this week...

3 1/2 weeks - man oh man, I'm so excited!

Around here, the only months we care about are Kate's months, so they start on the 7th of the calendar month. Today Kate is 7 months old! HOLY CRAP! Where does the time go??? I just added the final pictures to her album, and I guess I'll have to start an 8th month albumn.

Our trip ended up being really nice. It was fun to get away from home as a family - I guess it was Kate's first vacation - and I'm glad that we got to see the peninsula, even if it was only very briefly. The rainforest is pretty cool, although we didn't see much. I was hoping to go for a little easy hike, but my knee is still acting up and it just didn't seem like a great idea. Oh well, at least we got a taste of it. I already mentioned how impressive the ocean was.

The ocean just seemed so menacing. Part of that effect was due to the weather - it was so gray out that the water was really gray. There was really a roar as the waves crashed. I guess it's just been a long time since I've seen the open ocean...

I would love to camp in the rainforest sometime in the future - it was so green and lush! The Hoh Rainforest gets 142 inches of rain a year!!!!! (By comparison, 'rainy' Seattle gets 36 inches.) That's a whole lot of rain, huh?

The one (major!) downside to the trip came yesterday afternoon. Jay really needed to use a restroom, and we were in the middle of nowhere. We took a side road to a village, and we saw a small gas station. We needed gas anyway, so why not use their bathroom. Now, I'm talking a small station - one pump, right near the building. There was a small drive that connected to the road, and since our gas tank is on the left, Jay pulled into the side closest to the building. It felt like a tight fit (although there was plenty of room) because the place was so little, and he hit one of the poles that protect the pump. UGH! The side of the minivan scraped along the pole, and there's a small dent in the top of the rear wheel well. Needless to say, this was not a mood lifter.  After Kate gets up from her nap we're going to bring it to a shop for an estimate. It's too bad to leave alone (and the car is only 7 months old, after all), but I really don't want to spend a fortune on body work. *sigh* At least we didn't have to pay rent this month, so we have a little extra cash. Anyway, that pretty much totally sucked. I think Jay expected me to blow up, but once it was done, what was the point? What's done is done...unfortunately. UGH!

Kate did really well on the ride home again. I sat in back with her for the tail end of the trip because she was a little bit like, what is going on with me being in my seat for so long?? We had fun and got home around 5.