Big October

Yay, October!  The weather is changing, there is a slight nip in the air, and soon the leaves will be changing, too.  I feel very lucky not only because of this sudden move to fall, but also for some other big events that are taking shape in my life lately.  It is a very exciting time for Casey & I, and a big ending to what has been a big year for us.  We started the year with Casey getting a promotion and a new car, then I landed a permanent job, got a car, and Casey got another promotion.  We started some retirement savings plans, amd really started thinking about the future.  Now we've got two more big deals in the works, not to mention that jobs are secure and finances are better than they have been since we got married.

We are closing on our first home on Monday, and boy are we excited!  Being homeowners has been one of our biggest dreams since we first talked about getting married, and it is finally becoming a reality.  There have been a few bumps in the road with this whole ordeal, but we have been told that buying a house is never easy.  We're learning a few lessons, trying to feel grateful for what has been given to us to make this a reality (even if the actual result  was not what was promised due to some unintended items and some misunderstandings), and very excited about this new place to call home.  As of today, there are only a few little fixes that need to happen with the house and the paperwork with the mortgage company seems to be in order.  Packing/moving is going to be a bear, but hey, after this I don't have to think about doing it again for YEARS!

It is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house with lots of space and 1.5 acres.  We are so excited with the look of the house inside and out, the space, and the location in general.  Life is good!

In addition to this new home, I am also pregnant with our first child!  We both have strong desires for parenthood and raising a family, and we felt it was finally time to get things rolling.  We were lucky that things got rolling pretty quick!  The baby is due in early May, which couldn't have worked out any better with my schedule.  We actually got to see the baby for the first time today, which was exciting and scary all at once (and made me feel a little better and less "Is there really something even in there?").  

We've got a huge list of names going, and are still trying to decide if we even want to know what we are having ahead of time or just want a little surprise when the baby arrives.  I suppose there are pros and cons to both, especially for someone like me who isn't a big fan of super gender specific items or treating children a certain way because of their gender.  Ideally, I just want a healthy baby and plan to love it just the same regardless of anything about it.

At this point, I can't think of many other big things that can happen to us, but I hope that things keep rolling well.  We are very lucky, blessed, whatever you want to call it to say the least, and I feel very appreciative of all that I have in life.  Now for a possible nap...they aren't kidding when they tell you that the first trimester sucks the energy right out of you...