So Long, Hoboken

The Littlest and I went to Ohio this past weekend to take care of some pre-move business. Very pregnant and hauling luggage almost my size (I travel with Snoogle these days), we certainly were a site to behold and provoked some stares and some questions from airline personnel. Luckily the entire trip was completely without incident--so much so that we decided that I'll fly to Ohio on Saturday while Sean and Sadie spend some quality time together making the trek across the never ending state of Pennsylvania.

We were lucky that timing of the trip coincided with Bob's memorial service. It was difficult and sad, but also really wonderful. Several people spoke about Bob and the many ways he touched their lives. It's amazing to me how many different sides of him there were, and how few of them I was familiar with while he was alive. He was definitely more modest than anyone as accomplished as he should have been! My brother made a tribute that was incredibly beautiful and heartfelt and heartbreaking.

In addition to seeing the members of my family that live in Ohio, there was the added bonus of my mom being in town, as well as my Uncle Josh, Aunt Daran, and cousins Aria and Ilana. The Littlest got lots of presents from the California contingency, which we can't wait to see him model. My mom and I went to the new apartment to go over paper work and sign the lease agreements, and I was able to take shameless advantage of her interior design skills as she sketched every last inch of the place and took measurements so that we were able to determine what furniture comes with us, what goes to storage, and what we need to buy (my favorite category!). Her help will ensure that the move goes incredibly smoothly, since now we can tell the movers exactly where to plop things. And on top of all that, I got a sneak peak at the bedding that she is making custom for the baby--how exciting! 

On Monday I went for my first appointment with Dr. Mikol, who will be delivering the baby. What a relief. Her staff is wonderful, and she is an amazing doctor and a really cool person, and I feel totally confident and secure being under her care. Yay Aunt Jan for getting us in there! Now we will see Dr. Mikol every week until the baby is born. We're so lucky to be able to start fresh this late in the game.

This week will be a whirlwind. We are packing Thursday, loading the trucks Friday, traveling on Saturday, and unloading on Sunday. Next week we get to play house and move in, and I finally get to start nesting. WOOHOOOO!!! 

Up to this point, I've chosen not to think about the things and people we're leaving behind in Hoboken. We've been really happy here and, as wonderful as all the things we're headed toward are, we'll be so sad to say goodbye to our first home, this amazing neighborhood and all its quirkiness, the incomparable Manhattan skyline, delivery of any cuisine imaginable (including Grimaldi's pizza), Jersey bagels...the list goes on. We will not miss the parking situation, tunnel traffic, and $50 cab fares, though!

Ta-Da! The most recent portrait of the Littlest Wilson...

His face shape has changed dramatically since the last head-on shot, as his systems are almost completely developed now, and he's spending most of his time and energy kicking the crap out of me...er, I mean, developing body fat. The fat has filled out his little arms and legs and belly, and he no longer has the chisled, Benjamin Button features of last October. Now he looks like a sweet, round-cheeked little baby! He continues to suck and yawn a good deal of the time, so we caught him here sucking in his pouty top lip. 3D sonograms are similar to the regular 2D ones in that they still focus on just a single (though deeper) spacial plane at a time, which is why it looks as though his nose is pressed up against a window. It's actually that the tip of his nose is just outside the plane of focus. Likewise, his eyes are a bit distorted, as is the body part you see beside his face (which is a cross-section of elbow, not a Dr. Evil finger). Taking all these things into consideration, this is essentially how he will look when he makes his debut in about a month. It was so thrilling for Sean and me to see him in action again, and to get this special little glimpse of his sweet face. Not that we needed any reminding, but it sure does help to keep our eyes on the prize during this time of so much transition.

He actually is spending most of his time these days kneeing and elbowing and punching and kicking my vital organs. He's established a pretty regular sleep cycle, which is that when I'm awake he's sleeping and when I'm sleeping he's awake and doing advanced Wing Chung and freestyle soccer tricks. According to the sonographer, he has moved into the vertex position (yay! no external version for me!), which just means that he will continue to rotate--some days with his butt out and some days with his limbs out--but his head will remain firmly planted on my bladder until he's done cooking. He dropped considerably last week, and pretty suddenly too. This doesn't necessisarily mean that we're any closer to anything happening; only that I can fit an entire meal in my stomach making it even more likely that I will attain true Orca status by delivery.

In other fun and exciting news, we spent last weekend in New Hope for a carefully orchestrated belated Christmas/birthday surprise for Sean. Courtney, Eva, Derek and Papa Len all secretly came to town and Grandma Diana and Stef hosted. Sean was totally blown away and extremely touched (to tears!), and though I was a little (a lot) concerned about the timing (it came right on the heels of an intense business trip), it turns out that it couldn't have been at a better time. We relaxed and hung out and ate delicious food and opened presents and took pictures, and to top it all off, the Eagles played and WON (E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES!!!) on Sunday. I know, I know...Sean heaven. With our families spread out all over the place, it's a near impossibility for us all to get together in the same place at the same time. The last time the whole Wilson/Fass clan was together was for our wedding in 2006! This really was the best present Sean could have gotten.

Also recently was the unveiling of Aunt Courtney's LittlestWilsonBabyShower.com. (This must be one of the most technologically hooked-up fetuses in the world.) Since we have been in this state of transition for quite some time, and since both of our families are scattered to the winds, Courtney came up with the very brilliant idea of hosting a "virtual" baby shower, and so she made a website and invited everyone to visit and to post comments and advice for me and Sean. There is no set time or date for an "event"--it's an on-going online party because we can't host a get-together for everyone we know and love. Our new Ohio address is posted too. Stop by and check out the pictures that Yaya Ellen sent in of me and Sean and Uncle Aaron as babies, and if you feel so inclined, please send us a message. We'd love to hear from you!

The Bean's Drizzle

What's Round on Both Ends...

...and high in the middle? Besides me, that is. 

Ohio! And it's official: we are relocating because Sean has been promoted to Regional Manager. He finished the year as the top aesthetic rep in the country, ending his year at a ridiculously high percent-to-goal for the toughest quarter yet. We're so proud of him and so happy that the extra hard work and time he's committed to his company over the last year and a half has paid dividends. I think he's the youngest regional manager in the company too (that's not confirmed... sounds good though), which is quite an accomplishment. 

As any of you who've been along for the relo-roller coaster know, we've been hoping against hope since the opportunity presented itself back in October that we would be relocated before the baby comes. It's really down to the wire now, but it's happening! Since the market is so depressed these days, we will not be selling our Hoboken condo or buying a new house in Cleveland just yet. Instead, we'll keep this place and rent it out (anyone interested in a close-to-Manhattan apartment?) and we've found a really lovely space in a gorgeous restored hotel apartment building from the 1930s right smack in the middle of University Circle and Wade Oval and the museums and Case campus. This may even have been the very building that my Great Grandma and Grandpa lived in when my Grandpa brought my Grandma home to meet his family for the first time (it was either this one or Judson Manor next door). We can even see Gehry's Lewis building from the baby's nursery windows! Thanks to my Aunt Jan's connections, my doctor of six years when I lived in Ohio, whose practice is now closed to new patients, has agreed to deliver our son in Cleveland. I gave my notice today, which was bittersweet since I really liked working at the salon this past year and will miss the friends I've made there. All that's left to do now is pack!