38 Weeks / Nursery Ready / Bought an SUV! / Baby-Moon Vacation Coming
This is it! We're within two weeks of our first child's due date. The next time I write a journal entry in late March, I'll be a father! So this is my last entry as a non-parent. You could draw a line right here between entries where my life was one way and all the rest where my life is another way. Nicole and I have discussed this journal being a fun way for our daughter to one day perhaps learn a little bit about who her parents were in the years leading up to her arrival. It's a fun discussion to have and it makes us ponder the future. So, future-daughter, if you're reading this years and years from now, know that right now in 2023 we have such bright optimism for you, our beautiful little rabbit. We can't wait to meet you and we hope you're proud of us but most importantly, proud of yourself. It probably wasn't always easy, but if it were, we'd appreciate the journey less.
Nicole is just about ready to be done being pregnant. Although she looks beautiful (Quite possibly the most beautiful pregnant woman I've ever seen) and she carries a child seemingly with ease, I can tell it's beginning to become rough. Back pain, sleeping problems, all that fun ninth-month stuff. We predict our daughter will be a week late as we have family history of late children but who knows. It's just a wild moment right now to be at the very end of one life and the beginning of another. I hope we can do this...
We finished preparing the nursery today. Our spare/guest bedroom has been outfitted with a crib, dresser, curtains, artwork on the walls, bookcases in the closet, and random appliances all about. The yellow plaid curtains and tapestry on the wall make for a whimsical, warm scene. We won't exactly need the room for six months as we have a bassinet and baby will be sleeping in that in our room with us for a while, but it's ready to go. Finishing this up really makes it obvious and clear that things are happening and a new life is coming to us.
Part of that was making sure we had a better vehicle! Right now Nicole and I own two cars: A newer compact Mazda and a light-duty pickup truck that's twenty years old but still gets the job done. We discovered a while back that infant/newborn car seats do not fit well into either vehicle and the truck doesn't have the power we might need with a third member of the family. So, we made the decision to replace one of the vehicles with a Toyota Highlander SUV. Nicole has been looking for a rather specific variety of Highlander with a specific set of options for months and we had just about given up. Wouldn't you know it, right about then a few weeks back, one appeared on the market and we immediately ran out to a dealership in Beaverton to take a look. The price was right and the stars aligned, so we bought it. It was even cheaper than we expected at $22K when just that morning they advertised it at $25K. What luck! Although when we got it home, we took it to a mechanic for an inspection and we discovered that it had a few issues. Thankfully we got a warranty from the dealership so the SUV is already back there getting fixed. It's a big of a chore but it'll be worth it. This car will replace the pickup who we've already found a buyer for, so that'll greatly offset the cost of the cost of the Highlander. The stars did indeed align.
So coming up in early March, first thing is our "Baby-Moon" vacation. We're taking one final couple's retreat before our daughter arrives. For this last getaway, we're leaving Chip with my sister (Val and husband, Chris, came all the way out here to visit in February and it was a great time) and stay-cationing in a nearby coastal town for five days. We're looking forward to fun food, quiet evenings, and beach walks.
Wish us luck! For the next time you hear from me, we'll be on a new adventure!
Nicole is just about ready to be done being pregnant. Although she looks beautiful (Quite possibly the most beautiful pregnant woman I've ever seen) and she carries a child seemingly with ease, I can tell it's beginning to become rough. Back pain, sleeping problems, all that fun ninth-month stuff. We predict our daughter will be a week late as we have family history of late children but who knows. It's just a wild moment right now to be at the very end of one life and the beginning of another. I hope we can do this...
We finished preparing the nursery today. Our spare/guest bedroom has been outfitted with a crib, dresser, curtains, artwork on the walls, bookcases in the closet, and random appliances all about. The yellow plaid curtains and tapestry on the wall make for a whimsical, warm scene. We won't exactly need the room for six months as we have a bassinet and baby will be sleeping in that in our room with us for a while, but it's ready to go. Finishing this up really makes it obvious and clear that things are happening and a new life is coming to us.
Part of that was making sure we had a better vehicle! Right now Nicole and I own two cars: A newer compact Mazda and a light-duty pickup truck that's twenty years old but still gets the job done. We discovered a while back that infant/newborn car seats do not fit well into either vehicle and the truck doesn't have the power we might need with a third member of the family. So, we made the decision to replace one of the vehicles with a Toyota Highlander SUV. Nicole has been looking for a rather specific variety of Highlander with a specific set of options for months and we had just about given up. Wouldn't you know it, right about then a few weeks back, one appeared on the market and we immediately ran out to a dealership in Beaverton to take a look. The price was right and the stars aligned, so we bought it. It was even cheaper than we expected at $22K when just that morning they advertised it at $25K. What luck! Although when we got it home, we took it to a mechanic for an inspection and we discovered that it had a few issues. Thankfully we got a warranty from the dealership so the SUV is already back there getting fixed. It's a big of a chore but it'll be worth it. This car will replace the pickup who we've already found a buyer for, so that'll greatly offset the cost of the cost of the Highlander. The stars did indeed align.
So coming up in early March, first thing is our "Baby-Moon" vacation. We're taking one final couple's retreat before our daughter arrives. For this last getaway, we're leaving Chip with my sister (Val and husband, Chris, came all the way out here to visit in February and it was a great time) and stay-cationing in a nearby coastal town for five days. We're looking forward to fun food, quiet evenings, and beach walks.
Wish us luck! For the next time you hear from me, we'll be on a new adventure!