Well little friend Marc thinks he is hysterical. Look at what I had waiting at my desk this morning as a "house warming gift."
Hey you, slow the _________ down!
Friday, May 24, 2013
I'm a Slow Turtle
Remember this post?
Well little friend Marc thinks he is hysterical. Look at what I had waiting at my desk this morning as a "house warming gift."
Well little friend Marc thinks he is hysterical. Look at what I had waiting at my desk this morning as a "house warming gift."
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
15 months and lovin' his new pad
Let's take a quick break from house talk and go back to my little buddy boy. Ian had his 15 month appointment a few weeks back (he is actually 16 months this week...whoops, I'm behind!). Here are this stats from his 15 month appointment:
Weight: 23 lbs 6oz -- 55th percentile
Height/Length: 33 1/2" -- 100th percentile
Head circumference: 18 5/8" -- 60th percentile
He's up a couple of lb's since his 1 year appointment (he was 21 lbs 7oz) and an 11/2 inches (he was 32"). He is still cruzing in the 100th percentile for his height - don't want no short, short man. I think the most changes have taken place in the past 3 months.... I swear it's something new everyday.
Here are some of the more notable things at 15 months....
- WALKING!! He really started to walk consistently at the end of March and hasn't looked back since.
- His line of the month was "Bye baby." He says it to everyone when he's telling them bye....it cracks us up.
- Blowing kissing
- Great little sleeper....he will sleep from 8pm till 9am if you let him.
- Still only has 6 teeth, but a 7th is now poking through (we can likely add another tooth to his 16th month accomplishments).
- No more bottles! We successfully transitioned to just sippy cups! Go Ian!
- Has good manners. He says "peese" (please) when he wants something. Such manners, my boy!
- Talking away! He can say: mama, mommy, dada, cat, kitty cat, dog, nana (referencing a banana, but it works for his nana Debbie too), cookie, bye, baby, peese (please), no, go! go!, ball, book, hello, uh oh, baba (sippy cup), juice, I down (I want down), I dum (I'm done), I unt nana (I want a banana).... and on and on. The doctor was pretty impressed with his vocab, I'll take credit for that since I never shut up.
- Loves to use a fork and spoon to feed himself.
Here is a little video of Ian preparing for our move....
Ian has transitioned quite well into the new house. He seems to love buzzing around the 1st floor. He has so much more space to roam, a million more cabinets to get into (and I refuse to put those annoying baby locks on every cabinet), and (we had a block party this past weekend) he is already making friends with the neighbor boys. Truly, he is hysterical... John and I are always cracking up at things he says or does. Here are a few recent pics.
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| Yep. Someone liked dinner. |
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| Look at me using my fork! |
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| Corn Hole-ing |
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| Just working the coolers the my friend, Hayden |
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| Getting ready for Mother's Day Brunch |
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Home sweet home.
We did it. After nearly 9 years of marriage and 1 baby later, we "became adults" with a single family house including an attached garage and basement.
We successfully closed on our old townhouse at 10am on April 12th and then closed on our brand spakin' new casa at 3 that afternoon. If there is one thing I've learned with buying/selling a house house it's that "it isn't over until the fat lady sings." There are a lot of moving parts that have to come together to actually get a deal done....finances, contracts, negotiations, inspections, appraisals, loans, etc. Earlier this past summer we had a deal fall through when our townhouse was under contract. The whole thing blew up due to the buyers loan, or so she said; so both John and I were pretty gun-shy about the entire process. Neither one of us could really exhale until that last paper was signed.
We listed our townhouse on the market at the end of March (hoping that would give us enough time to sell before our new house was ready). Thankfully, prior to our house going "live" on the MLS we already had an offer and after 24-hours we had 4...all over asking price. You can't complain there (mind you we increased our asking price since we listed it in the summer). After some spreadsheets and debates we decided which offer we wanted to accept/negotiate further with. Then with a little back and forth we were "under-contract." Though having been in this spot before I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. We had also gone through the inspection phase last summer so I wasn't worried about that part too much because I assumed anything found would be minor. Thankfully, the inspection was again a very minor laundry list. Whew. The next big hurdle was the appraisal....the risk you always run with increasing home prices and over-asking offers is that the appraisal will come back for less than you were offered. Yet again it was good news this time around - no issues. Whew. Once we got through that hurdle it was a lot of waiting and hoping that nothing unexpected came up prior to the closing.
We were pre-approved for the new loan months ago, but during all of this John was working on securing the mortgage for the new house at the best rate and scenario possible...w2's, financial statements, and a lock of Ian's hair later we were locked-in. Honestly, I am so thankful for John when it comes to these situations because he works it, and I literally don't have to touch this part.
Fast forward to April 12th.
That morning the new buyers had a walk-thru of the townhouse prior to us all being scheduled to be at the loan and title company to sign on the dotted line. I of course was freaking out because with boxes stacked to the ceiling I feared they would freak-out and be horrified with the state of the house. What can I say, I'm always trying to be a host. The walk through was easy, it was more of us all chatting than anything, and then it was off to sign.
There was a little stress mid-way through signing all the documents. The Title company was still waiting for some paper work to be sent over regarding the buyers loan....so there was of course a moment of panic...but moments later it was sent over. All the papers were signed and we were out the door. SOLD. SOLD. SOLD.
I was probably more sentimental and sad about leaving behind the old 1865 Gaylord. We had a lot of fun years there. I LOVED the location and being in the hub-bub of it all. Heck it was our first home in Denver. So while it was bittersweet I had mentally moved onto this next chapter (remember me waving my white flag back in September?).
So for a few hours (between closings) we were actually "homeless." We had sold the one and had a few hours till the new house was ours. We had no time to really think about that though, we had one last walk through at the new house before closing. I sorta felt like I was on the set of an HGTV show as cleaners and painters scrambled around us as we walked through. Once we finished the walk through it was time for a quick bite before the next closing....and believe me, I was getting hangry at this point. John on the other hand was refreshing our Chase account like a crazy person waiting to see that the wire had made it from the morning's closing. And don't you worry just as we were heading into the second closing the money arrived.
Closing number 2 started at 3pm, which is always risky doing these things on a Friday afternoon. We signed and signed and then they faxed everything back over to the bank who had to sign something and send it back to the title company before they could hand over the keys. Honestly I don't even know what it was that they had to sign, but I do know it was a really BIG issue when at 4:45 they couldn't find anyone at the bank (they were probably all at happy hour) to sign off on this. It was for sure a HUGE moment of panic. To the point where the title company said they wouldn't be able to give us keys. We were about 2 minutes away from driving down to the bank and ripping someone a new ____ and then they finally found someone to sign off and send the papers back. Keys in hand....she was officially ours!!!
And that my friends, is how you CLOSE THE DEAL. No double move. No double mortgage. No temp housing. I honestly don't know that we could have scripted it any better. We totally lucked the freak out with how well these transactions went down. I never imagined that we would sell Gaylord to work out timing wise perfectly with the new house.... I fully imagined we would have to pack all our crap up move it into a storage unit and cram into an apt for a few months until the new place was ready. Heck we even negotiated that we would close on Friday, but didn't have to be out of Gaylord until Sunday thereby giving us a full day to move out and right into the new place. My parents were in town for the weekend to help which was MAJOR because moving with a busy-body 1 year old isn't easy. I was shocked at how well the pieces fell into place and the boxes were unpacked. A HUGE thanks to them, my sister/Todd, and Uncle Bacon for all chipping in helping us tackle the move! We couldn't have done it without you!
So people have been asking for photos. My dear friend, Kathryn, who knows me well said "we just want to see something....it doesn't have to be your personal best yet." The "personal best" comment is a long standing joke because back in high school my mom always told me to never leave the house without looking my "personal best." She was that mom who made my friends take their clothes off so she could press them before we headed out. It's a line we all still use and laugh about, but I can't lie and say I don't often worry when I'm not at my personal best (though I still HATE ironing).
And when it comes to the new house, we don't have anything painted (it's all white for the moment).
A new rug is on order. I need some new furniture pieces. We don't have real blinds (yes, those are fancy paper ones). Nothing is hanging on the walls. We have no grass in the backyard.
So without further ado, here are a few pics of the first floor with things not yet at their personal best...
We successfully closed on our old townhouse at 10am on April 12th and then closed on our brand spakin' new casa at 3 that afternoon. If there is one thing I've learned with buying/selling a house house it's that "it isn't over until the fat lady sings." There are a lot of moving parts that have to come together to actually get a deal done....finances, contracts, negotiations, inspections, appraisals, loans, etc. Earlier this past summer we had a deal fall through when our townhouse was under contract. The whole thing blew up due to the buyers loan, or so she said; so both John and I were pretty gun-shy about the entire process. Neither one of us could really exhale until that last paper was signed.
We listed our townhouse on the market at the end of March (hoping that would give us enough time to sell before our new house was ready). Thankfully, prior to our house going "live" on the MLS we already had an offer and after 24-hours we had 4...all over asking price. You can't complain there (mind you we increased our asking price since we listed it in the summer). After some spreadsheets and debates we decided which offer we wanted to accept/negotiate further with. Then with a little back and forth we were "under-contract." Though having been in this spot before I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. We had also gone through the inspection phase last summer so I wasn't worried about that part too much because I assumed anything found would be minor. Thankfully, the inspection was again a very minor laundry list. Whew. The next big hurdle was the appraisal....the risk you always run with increasing home prices and over-asking offers is that the appraisal will come back for less than you were offered. Yet again it was good news this time around - no issues. Whew. Once we got through that hurdle it was a lot of waiting and hoping that nothing unexpected came up prior to the closing.
We were pre-approved for the new loan months ago, but during all of this John was working on securing the mortgage for the new house at the best rate and scenario possible...w2's, financial statements, and a lock of Ian's hair later we were locked-in. Honestly, I am so thankful for John when it comes to these situations because he works it, and I literally don't have to touch this part.
Fast forward to April 12th.
That morning the new buyers had a walk-thru of the townhouse prior to us all being scheduled to be at the loan and title company to sign on the dotted line. I of course was freaking out because with boxes stacked to the ceiling I feared they would freak-out and be horrified with the state of the house. What can I say, I'm always trying to be a host. The walk through was easy, it was more of us all chatting than anything, and then it was off to sign.
There was a little stress mid-way through signing all the documents. The Title company was still waiting for some paper work to be sent over regarding the buyers loan....so there was of course a moment of panic...but moments later it was sent over. All the papers were signed and we were out the door. SOLD. SOLD. SOLD.
I was probably more sentimental and sad about leaving behind the old 1865 Gaylord. We had a lot of fun years there. I LOVED the location and being in the hub-bub of it all. Heck it was our first home in Denver. So while it was bittersweet I had mentally moved onto this next chapter (remember me waving my white flag back in September?).
So for a few hours (between closings) we were actually "homeless." We had sold the one and had a few hours till the new house was ours. We had no time to really think about that though, we had one last walk through at the new house before closing. I sorta felt like I was on the set of an HGTV show as cleaners and painters scrambled around us as we walked through. Once we finished the walk through it was time for a quick bite before the next closing....and believe me, I was getting hangry at this point. John on the other hand was refreshing our Chase account like a crazy person waiting to see that the wire had made it from the morning's closing. And don't you worry just as we were heading into the second closing the money arrived.
Closing number 2 started at 3pm, which is always risky doing these things on a Friday afternoon. We signed and signed and then they faxed everything back over to the bank who had to sign something and send it back to the title company before they could hand over the keys. Honestly I don't even know what it was that they had to sign, but I do know it was a really BIG issue when at 4:45 they couldn't find anyone at the bank (they were probably all at happy hour) to sign off on this. It was for sure a HUGE moment of panic. To the point where the title company said they wouldn't be able to give us keys. We were about 2 minutes away from driving down to the bank and ripping someone a new ____ and then they finally found someone to sign off and send the papers back. Keys in hand....she was officially ours!!!
And that my friends, is how you CLOSE THE DEAL. No double move. No double mortgage. No temp housing. I honestly don't know that we could have scripted it any better. We totally lucked the freak out with how well these transactions went down. I never imagined that we would sell Gaylord to work out timing wise perfectly with the new house.... I fully imagined we would have to pack all our crap up move it into a storage unit and cram into an apt for a few months until the new place was ready. Heck we even negotiated that we would close on Friday, but didn't have to be out of Gaylord until Sunday thereby giving us a full day to move out and right into the new place. My parents were in town for the weekend to help which was MAJOR because moving with a busy-body 1 year old isn't easy. I was shocked at how well the pieces fell into place and the boxes were unpacked. A HUGE thanks to them, my sister/Todd, and Uncle Bacon for all chipping in helping us tackle the move! We couldn't have done it without you!
So people have been asking for photos. My dear friend, Kathryn, who knows me well said "we just want to see something....it doesn't have to be your personal best yet." The "personal best" comment is a long standing joke because back in high school my mom always told me to never leave the house without looking my "personal best." She was that mom who made my friends take their clothes off so she could press them before we headed out. It's a line we all still use and laugh about, but I can't lie and say I don't often worry when I'm not at my personal best (though I still HATE ironing).
And when it comes to the new house, we don't have anything painted (it's all white for the moment).
A new rug is on order. I need some new furniture pieces. We don't have real blinds (yes, those are fancy paper ones). Nothing is hanging on the walls. We have no grass in the backyard.
So without further ado, here are a few pics of the first floor with things not yet at their personal best...
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| Family Room - New sofa (Thank God for a tight back sofa!!!!), but the rug is going and I need a lot of stuff to finish the room. |
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| Where I make the dips. |
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| New barstools. John's rules for me when selecting them: "They need to have a back and swivel. Otherwise they will suck." |
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| Very important stop on our mini-tour....the adult bev refrigerator. Can I get you a drink? |
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| I have decided to interject some pops of turquoise (hence the kettle), but we still have some work to do. |
More to come....next hurdle to tackle....paint.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Done!
We've got the keys! She's ours. And we sold Gaylord!! Dual closing day and all went through swimmingly.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Pack it up
With the move date rapidly approaching we spent the weekend preparing by packing. Yawn. It's a sad weekend when your sense of accomplishment can be measured in boxes...though I will say we were pretty successful. I am also shocked because I swear I am not a pack rat and I hate knickknacky stuff...so how could I possibly have that many boxes?
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| The entire guest room has been filled with packed boxes! Floor to ceiling! |
With it being the Rockies Opening Day on Friday we did find some time for a little baseball and beer....(can't work all weekend).
Oh, and as you probably noticed in the video; just in time for the big move little man is officially walking! He's been on the brink for quite sometime now, and in the last week or so he has transitioned to walking more than "Lt. Dan crawling."
The McG's are all on the move...
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Busy busy...
Lots going on at the house...It's close now baby! Counters are in! Appliances are all in (well the ones that we aren't buying seperately). Faucets and fixtures are in (though we are changing out just about everyone, ha). Now onto packing up old Gaylord...
Friday, March 29, 2013
Motherhood is a cult
Yep, that's right, it's a cult. From the moment you utter the words "I'm pregnant." Or heck maybe even "I'm late." You start your inductions into the cult of motherhood. As a gal who was in a sorority and is now the local president of an association, I'm totally comfortable with cult-like tenancies, but for others I imagine it's a bit much. Rest assure, it's all coming from a good place, and you might find yourself appreciating the network you have if you can sift through the bs. During some of my "darkest motherhood moments" thus far it was fellow moms who helped talk me off the ledge (and really, I haven't had it bad). It was their honest thoughts and compassion that made me realize I'm not alone in this journey.
In looking back on my past year+ it's been a roller coaster. Once announced I was "with child" it was constant advice, opinions, thoughts, etc. Mom's literally come crawling out of the woodwork. People you haven't talked to in years are like "OMG you're pregnant! You have to register for ________ it's a life saver." or "pssss....breastfeeding is so wonderful, of course you're doing it, right?" or "Hey, are you seriously going to go back to work??"
Sounds annoying (and sure some of it was), but to be honest a lot of it was SUPER helpful. Maybe I'm smart enough to filter out the comments from those I might not agree with, but it's honestly nice to know what opinions are out there. There are millions of sounding boards. I'm sure some people feel annoyed or as though people are crossing a privacy boundary, but for me it was a nice bout of confidence to have a huge support system. Being a mom is hard. It's REALLY freaking hard at times (thank you mom, you are lovely and I appreciate you that much more now having walked in your shoes), and as a confident and very independent person it's uncharted territory to question every decision, but when it comes to motherhood I have. You literally worry that every choice you are making is impacting your little person...starting at conception (I mean even I only had 2 glasses of wine my entire pregnancy...oh great, now there are lame-o mom's out there judging...to the judgers, he's 100% fine and probably smarter than your nervous nelly child who will never break a rule, so there). Judgement aside, I found it really nice to have people to bounce ideas off of; hey, I work in a collaborative field. Mom's are passionate and more than willing to give you more than what you asked for (plus it saves you time researching things, that others have already done the homework for). Sure, I don't agree with what all mom's have to offer, but it is nice to know what others think regardless if you agree. And believe me, they are happy to share.
Let's be honest, motherhood is a lot of pressure. "Where is your child being schooled? Eat this; don't eat this. Is that cheese pasteurized? Are you sure you can have lunch meat? Is that formula? Are you sure they are ready for solids? You're going to leave him overnight? I could never do that. Look at the baby, look at the baby." Yep, pretty sure people are judging me. And to that I say... BITE ME. Do what is right for you my mama friends. And if you need a sounding board who isn't going to judge you for having freaking feta on a salad when you're pregnant, then I'm your girl!
Use what advice you might need and disregard the rest, just know that once you are a mom you will be hearing it non-stop. If you a type A person, like me, it is REALLY a lot of pressure to know there are so many opinions flying your way. And I really don't think that having a baby should include judgmental stress, which is why I have tried to be very "namaste" and therefore have been dub'd "bo-ho mom" by my family as my attitude is very "sure eat some mud...he's going to be fine."Thankfully I like who I've become as a mom. I'm quite comfortable that I'm not a helicopter parent, I'll leave the uber over protective piece to others. I've accepted the fact that my child is going to get bumps and bruises along the way and that's good, because how else do we learn? Helicopter moms are surely judging me now, and I'm judging them for being over protective (does that make me a hypocrite?). *Namaste.* Don't worry though, I'm positive I will be that mom waiting up for the kids to come home during the high school years; so my type A will surface again for sure.
I guess we just have to remember that all mom's even those we don't agree with come from a good place....after all this might be the hardest job out there, so you can't fault another person's passion. At the end of the day, we're all just trying to do the best job we can at a job that doesn't come with a book of policies and procedures, a 401K plan, or heck even paycheck. So cheers to all mom's out there...the helicopters and the bohemians!
In looking back on my past year+ it's been a roller coaster. Once announced I was "with child" it was constant advice, opinions, thoughts, etc. Mom's literally come crawling out of the woodwork. People you haven't talked to in years are like "OMG you're pregnant! You have to register for ________ it's a life saver." or "pssss....breastfeeding is so wonderful, of course you're doing it, right?" or "Hey, are you seriously going to go back to work??"
Sounds annoying (and sure some of it was), but to be honest a lot of it was SUPER helpful. Maybe I'm smart enough to filter out the comments from those I might not agree with, but it's honestly nice to know what opinions are out there. There are millions of sounding boards. I'm sure some people feel annoyed or as though people are crossing a privacy boundary, but for me it was a nice bout of confidence to have a huge support system. Being a mom is hard. It's REALLY freaking hard at times (thank you mom, you are lovely and I appreciate you that much more now having walked in your shoes), and as a confident and very independent person it's uncharted territory to question every decision, but when it comes to motherhood I have. You literally worry that every choice you are making is impacting your little person...starting at conception (I mean even I only had 2 glasses of wine my entire pregnancy...oh great, now there are lame-o mom's out there judging...to the judgers, he's 100% fine and probably smarter than your nervous nelly child who will never break a rule, so there). Judgement aside, I found it really nice to have people to bounce ideas off of; hey, I work in a collaborative field. Mom's are passionate and more than willing to give you more than what you asked for (plus it saves you time researching things, that others have already done the homework for). Sure, I don't agree with what all mom's have to offer, but it is nice to know what others think regardless if you agree. And believe me, they are happy to share.
Let's be honest, motherhood is a lot of pressure. "Where is your child being schooled? Eat this; don't eat this. Is that cheese pasteurized? Are you sure you can have lunch meat? Is that formula? Are you sure they are ready for solids? You're going to leave him overnight? I could never do that. Look at the baby, look at the baby." Yep, pretty sure people are judging me. And to that I say... BITE ME. Do what is right for you my mama friends. And if you need a sounding board who isn't going to judge you for having freaking feta on a salad when you're pregnant, then I'm your girl!
Use what advice you might need and disregard the rest, just know that once you are a mom you will be hearing it non-stop. If you a type A person, like me, it is REALLY a lot of pressure to know there are so many opinions flying your way. And I really don't think that having a baby should include judgmental stress, which is why I have tried to be very "namaste" and therefore have been dub'd "bo-ho mom" by my family as my attitude is very "sure eat some mud...he's going to be fine."Thankfully I like who I've become as a mom. I'm quite comfortable that I'm not a helicopter parent, I'll leave the uber over protective piece to others. I've accepted the fact that my child is going to get bumps and bruises along the way and that's good, because how else do we learn? Helicopter moms are surely judging me now, and I'm judging them for being over protective (does that make me a hypocrite?). *Namaste.* Don't worry though, I'm positive I will be that mom waiting up for the kids to come home during the high school years; so my type A will surface again for sure.
I guess we just have to remember that all mom's even those we don't agree with come from a good place....after all this might be the hardest job out there, so you can't fault another person's passion. At the end of the day, we're all just trying to do the best job we can at a job that doesn't come with a book of policies and procedures, a 401K plan, or heck even paycheck. So cheers to all mom's out there...the helicopters and the bohemians!
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