New House, New Baby

I have been so excited about our pregnancy that I have failed to update this journal with respect to our living situation!

We actually closed on our home in Upper Arlington on Wednesday, March 22, 2006! We are now the proud owners of one very very expensive fixer-upper! (And remain the owners of a less expensive new-build in Delaware...for which we have only had one showing in 2 weeks!)

There is sooo much to do at the new house that we are overwhelmed. Paul is going to redo one bathroom first. (All of the bathrooms need to be redone before we can use them.) He is working on it at night after I get home and on weekends...as there is lead paint in the house (that is the next project) that neither I nor Jack can be exposed to.

Our house was built in 1933 in the historic district of Upper Arlington (great history beautiful place, with a true sense of community). The house is architecturally BEAUTIFUL...but it hasn't been touched or remodeled at all since it was built. (Under the wallpaper, the plaster walls have never been painted!) It has lovely "bones" but just needs sooo much work. It is 2 1/2 stories and has about 2,100 square feet of space right now. The location is perfect (the lot alone would sell for what we paid for this home). We can walk to church, to the local shops, the library, pools, elementary and middle school, parks, etc. It is so perfect. Did I mention that it needs A LOT of work?

The General Contractors (Pete & Jake) will be adding a 2,000 square foot addition off the back of the house this summer/fall putting in an in-law suite/apt. for my Mom in the lower level with large windows and a walkout, a family/greatroom/kitchen extension on the main level, a huge master suite on the second floor and a 520 sq. foot room on the third floor. They are just building the structure...Paul and I are going to have to do the floors, trim, bathrooms, etc of the addition as well as remodel the old part of the house...which will take years....but I am so excited.

This is it for us...and I am going to love this home for the rest of my life.


Jack loved the home from the start. He liked it before we did. Although he calls it the "yucky house" he insisted from the first time that he saw it that this was the house that he wanted to live in. (And over the last year we had taken him through some very very very nice homes, moderate homes, empty homes, not-so-nice homes, etc.) He just knew...and I am glad he did as this will be our family's own project...our own home...forever.

And now we will have a new house and a new baby....life is so good.  I love my life and feel so lucky!