Goings On

So even though we only have 2 more weeks here in Cypress; Ryan was feeling festive and wanted to decorate our apartment balcony with Christmas lights! A great idea but a difficult one as we discovered there is no outlet on the balcony to plug the lights into.

We did however, take a string of lights from our Christmas box and strung up our little pine tree. It's not your ordinary Christmas tree but it came with ornaments on it and we intend to plant it when we get home. Having lights on it certainly does make it a little more joyful in the little space.
I also put my Martha Stewart wreath on the door.

In other news, we have been growing increasingly more excited to have our house back with the exclusivity of the neighborhood and the fact that there are still no adjacent houses right next to us yet. We are not anti-social but our apartment neighbors have really taught us the joy we've experienced in our independence from other people right next to us.
Here's my "sh-peel" and let me just say, this is not a bash on apartment living as a whole because I've stayed with people at apartments that are nothing like this one and don't have issues like we've had here.
Our downstairs neighbors are a young couple of chain smokers. They smoke all throughout the day and going to my car or out on the balcony has become an irritant as I'm super sensitive to cigarette smoke. They also have a dog who is taken in the front of the building to poop on or just next to the sidewalk. If it's not a stepping/slipping hazard it becomes an issue with flies because they don't pick up after their pet!
Our upstairs neighbor is a female sex addict. We have met her and she seems like a very nice lady but she doesn't do ANYTHING quietly. I always know when she is doing her laundry (Which is often in the middle of the night) rummaging around in the kitchen, slamming cabinet doors etc. or just walking around up there because she is so loud.
Her private life is no different, and she typically conducts her "business" between the hours of 11pm and 4am during the work week when we are trying to sleep.
However on the weekend we have noticed 11am 2pm 4:30pm random daytime "activities." But no one has ever seen anyone go up or come down from visiting her apartment.
Ryan things she hires jigalows (sp)

Either way, between the neighbors he happened to get sandwiched between, the water and electricity problems, as well as other poor management issues we've had with this specific apartment... we are SO ready to get home! And I'm ready for our big pups to have their yard back! I'm ready to stop having to take them up and down the stairs every 2 or 3 hours and pick up after them with little black bags. (Ryan will scoop the yard with a shovel once a week when we are back home.)

I'm also SOOO ready to redecorate our home! And to see Hannah Kate's room come together! I've gathered so much for her already in the way of shower gifts, furniture, decor.... I can't wait to see it all come together!

Speaking of our precious baby girl, we are 29 weeks along today! Just 11 more weeks to go! The other day I asked Ryan: "Can you believe it's already December?" And he thought for a minute and replied: "Yes, and I wish it were the end of February."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because I'm ready to meet my little girl!" My heart melted! I LOVE his anticipation and excitement and genuine impatience and love for her.
I have unfortunately developed a few stretch marks but when we are sitting on the couch together watching the Texans, he will go get my cream and put it on my tummy for me. He's such a sweet man.
And even though we have 11 weeks left (give or take) I can definitely tell we are coming to the end of pregnancy with Baxton Hicks contractions, an ever growing belly, and a general sense of feeling heavier and having to work harder around and with my body shape to do everyday things.

12 more days until the weekend of the big move! Lots of driving to happen over the next two weekends but once we are there, it will be so worth it!