House!

There are two things that over the past couple years have occasionally brought me the sense that I will be be doing them forever. One is breastfeeding, the other is living in my small Midtown condo. These factors have remained steadfast and showed no signs of loosening their grip until recently, when remarkable things took place. Changes.

I'm committed to a gentle weaning approach, so I still might be breastfeeding when I'm eighty (hm, creepy) - but I'll be doing so from a house.

That's right, we have moved out of the condo. I can hardly believe it.

We didn't sell it like I'd hoped. It sat on an already-sputtering market since shortly after an important message (_ _ _ Pregnant) was delivered to Jon and I via a small digital testing device (ok, eight small digital testing devices). We tried everything to sell - painted the walls a neutral, hopeful plantation beige, depersonalized the decor, left music playing softly in the background for showings, emphasized WALKING DISTANCE TO PIEDMONT PARK AND FOX THEATER!

When none of these tips worked, we lowered the asking price. But that didn't work either. We couldn't lower it enough - there are too many foreclosed condos in the area that we can't compete with.

It really is a nice place for one or two people to live. I have great memories from my single days there, and the Jon days before, you know, he knocked me up. Well, after too, but once Gavin arrived it got smaller and smaller, so small that some days it felt possible to sit on the living room couch, reach up, and brush my teeth in the bathroom sink.

That's too small.

Fast forward to several weeks ago: circumstances came together at the right time and pulled us in a new direction. First, we noted the appearance of another 2-bedroom condo foreclosure in the vicinity, and began warming to the idea of renting instead of selling. Then, two of Jon's clients moved to the nursing home, vacating a house in Decatur. And next, this couple liked Jon and liked the idea of a young family taking over their home, so they offered us a great deal. Finally, we found friendly, responsible renters for the condo. The twist was that they needed to move in soon. So soon, in fact, that we had a week to move out. But we worked with that.

As I write this it's been almost two weeks since we found renters, and five days since we've been in the new house. Life has been a whirlwind of boxes, paint cans, sore muscles, and trips to the now-close Ace Hardware (do people know about Ace Hardware? It's like Home Depot meets Virginia Highlands boutique...I can't get enough).

Anyway, we love the house. It has a great yard, looks charming from the outside, and will look charming from the inside too when my decorating team (my mom, me, Jon tunes in and out) get through with it. It's old in several respects...I don't think the previous tenants updated it since the 1950's when it was built, with the exception of several helpful devices to accommodate the elderly. We can work with that too, though. Like, maybe if I'm carrying heavy bags of groceries, I can use the handle screwed to the side door frame to help propel myself up that last step into the house. And if one of us ever drinks too much and decides to take a shower, there's another handle attached to the shower wall. And Gavin can ride his little truck down the wheelchair ramp in the backyard.

See? We can roll with the old house. The most important thing is that it's a better place for Gavin. There is space to store his winter clothes and room for him to play both in and outside.

Gavin, this one's for you, little buddy :).