I'm Probably the Only Person...

who absolutely despises surprises (rhyming unintentional).

That's also an exaggeration. I know there are plenty of other people who aren't fans of them either. So this whole 'surprise! You're never going to know when the baby is going to come' thing is not my style. I'm getting antsy. I mean, I know that your body sends you warnings of sorts but I've must be missing them. Either way the anticipation is absolutely killing me!

However, as promised, pictures of our new cat! Rev is extremely playful now that she's feeling better, and I think she's going to be a terror (in a good way, of course) once she starts getting around better. But she's the sweetest cat that I've ever encountered and even takes her medicine without a problem. We're probably spoiling her by hand feeding her food every once in awhile but she loves it and we love giving her the attention, so it's a win-win situation for everyone. We certainly can't wait to get her into our new house and know that she'll be a perfect fit!

Tripod Kitty

So, in theme with keeping things interesting, tomorrow I'll be taking legal ownership of a year-old cat. This cat is pretty cool and definitely unique, and so is the story of how we found her.

I live in the middle of nowhere, I'm pretty sure it could be classified as cow country and no one would argue with you. We have an outside 'mommy cat' that has brought her kittens to live on our property and even lets us get close to them (I guess it's the pay off for feeding her, haha). Anyways, after I went back to school last August she presented the kittens and they began to explore the front porch and flower beds around the house.

Then, they found the engine of my dad's car. I'll never really understand the fascination with cats and cars, but they love them. I guess it's the equivalent of a playground for elementary school students. Anyways, the one could always be found without fail in the engine, so we named her Rev and the name just stuck. As winter approached we tried to coax her into the house and failed, and around Christmas she disappeared for good...or so we thought.

Last Thursday night we turned the front porch light on and found a cat that we hadn't seen before, but as soon as we turned the light on the cat took off. I could see that it had a pretty nasty leg injury before it darted off, and kind of hoped that it was okay. Well Friday afternoon she reappeared, and my dad went out to talk with her (we're cat people, really). Her leg was really bad but she seemed to be the most sweet and sociable cat that's ever come to us from outside. Then we realized that it was Rev, who had disappeared months ago. We checked back and compared pictures and there is no denying that it's her.

This morning we took her to the vet to see what they can do for her. At first he thought there might be a way to save the leg, but in the afternoon told us that there wasn't any viable tissue there and it would have to be amputated. The cost of the surgery is hefty, there's no way around it, but she is just so sweet and healthy otherwise that we couldn't stand the thought of sending her off to a shelter.

So tomorrow I'll go and claim ownership of little Miss Rev and we'll get that leg all taken care of, making her a 'Tripod Kitty.' Hopefully we can bring her home this week and start her on the road to recovery and get her comfortable. I can't wait to add her to the family!

House Hunting Adventures (and Mishaps!), Part One

Over the past week, I've been lucky enough to spend three whole days checking out some prime real estate in and surrounding Carlisle. Unfortunately, I think we've seen more bad properties then good ones, but I've quickly become familiar with the screwy layout of the downtown (while discovering how directionally challenged I really am!). Here are some interesting (and scary, and humorous, and...unbelievable) things that I've learned so far in this process.

1. Whoever said 'Rome wasn't built in a day' was not kidding. If you are so lucky as to find the perfect house for you the first time out then the planets must have aligned for you. We haven't been so lucky, to say the least, so I would say that Rome will be taking a good month or two (and plenty of long day trips) to finish before move in day.

2. For an English major, dealing with all of these financial terms, policies, and math makes your life a living Hell. BUT...I'm glad that I'm learning all of this information about PMI and MILS. I'm proud that I can fill out mortgage pre-approval applications, figure out down payment percentages and monthly mortgage payments all by myself. Just don't ask me to do it again for awhile, my head may burst.

3. Besides your eyes, your nose is the most important of the six senses you own when buying a house. Yes, your eyes can pick out cracks in walls and be subjected to down right ugly decore, but the scents and smells that your nose pick up can tell another thousand words beyond what you've just seen. It can detect the presence of a water problem, let you know that someone really needs to take out the trash, or help you figure out what kind of pets the owner has. Believe me, and no offense to dog lovers, but you're the easiest to spot in the bunch. It has happened that after a long day of searching I can't remember what the inside of a house looked like but I could recall the smell, especially if it hit me like a brick wall.

4. Don't trust everything you read in a blurb about the property on an online website. Story time: Someone read a very promising blurb about a property online, talking about it's 'great updated kitchen' and 'hardwood floor in the master bedroom'. Hmm...sounds nice. Too bad when we got there the kitchen still had the original appliances from the 1980's and the 'hardwood floor' was nothing but cheap laminent. So lesson learned, unless you can see interior photos the property probably isn't worth your time.

5. Always always always always....read the disclosure forms. Yes, this may seem like a given, but I don't think that people always do it. I, on the other hand enjoy reading them, for the simple fact that what people write is absolutely HILARIOUS. A question concerning the areas of a house not being heated made me fall off my chair in laughter. The owner's answer: the second floor. Really now? The floor that houses all the bedrooms ISN'T heated?! Or how about the person who had their roof replaced during their ownership. They didn't know if the existing roofing materials were removed. Don't you pay for that?! How can you not know!? So buyers, just remember to keep those disclosure forms and read them. It doesn't take long and could be entertaining, and well duh, informational. Plus if anything goes wrong after you sign the papers and they don't disclose it, it comes back on them!

So while yes, house hunting can be a frustrating process, it has its perks and entertaining moments that seem to liven up the process a bit. And sometimes, yes sometimes you'll even see a property or two that strikes your fancy. Then it's off into the unknown process of making an offer on a house. Until we get to that bridge and cross it I can't offer too much on that end of things, but I'm sure there will be plenty more life and real estate lessons to come in the near future.

Six Down, Eleven To Go

The past six days have been rough. There's no scooting around it, they've been absolutely horrible. I cry over the smallest things, become more stressed as my to-do list keeps growing but never seems to get shorter and really just want to curl up into a ball and do nothing. I'm absolutely miserable.

I can't ever have just a solid good day. Something always goes wrong or seems impossible. I'm not used to being so down and out all the time, it's frustrating. It's even worse after hanging up the phone, that's when the tears flow the most. I cry myself to sleep every night. It's so hard hearing your voice but not seeing your face, and I think that's what gets me the most.

But there's only eleven more days of this, ten more nights of being alone and then things will return to a 'normal' state. Until then it's just trying to get through, and I know I will, it just seems impossible right now.

Oh The Changes...

that a few months can bring. If anyone would have told me that by 20 I'd be married and a mom I don't think I'd believe them. Starting a family isn't something I had planned to do for a few more years, but I've realized that you can't always plan out your life, and sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.

I'm glad that we've made this decision though. I know I never would have been able to forgive myself if we had chosen to go through with an abortion. It would've weighed heavily on my conscience every day and I don't think I'd ever be able to forgive myself for ending a life, especially now. I wouldn't trade in the painful kicks that take my breath away or figuring out that our little girl is using my ribs as a footrest for her tiny toes for anything in the world. Even the emotional roller coaster is rewarding in its own right. But I'm scared, too. I'm terrified of delivery. Absolutely scared out of my wits, but I know that I'll have an amazing support system there with me, and I'll be able to make it through. After that, I can only hope that I'll be a good mother.

It's been nearly two weeks that I've been married and it's really hard being apart. I thought it was tough before when we were just dating, but nothing compares to being apart now. Some days I know I need him to be there as much as he needs me, but for the next few month or two that just isn't possible. So for now it's being as supportive as possible over the phone and Skype (thank goodness for that!) and cherishing the time we get to spend together when we have it. But I know that after we get through the next few months that things will get better and we'll be with each other every day, raising our sweet little girl.

Next up for me...mommy blogging? We'll just have to wait and see...