AnchorMommy

The ultimate pregnancy nesting project

April 7, 2010 by Shannon

Photo by movingcompanies

If there is one thing I never thought I’d do in the third trimester of my second pregnancy, it would be: move to a new house. And that is exactly what my husband and I are planning to do.

This out-of-the-blue development has eaten up most of my time and my thoughts for the past week or so, leaving virtually no room for things I usually do in my free time, such as blog and sleep. So I apologize for the radio silence around here. I’ve been too busy Googling things like “remodeling contractors” and “furnace installation” to actually get a blog post written. And when I’m not Googling like a crazy person, I’m engaging in long discussions with Michael, walking through the house we’re going to move into, or staring at the dark wall of my bedroom willing my brain to shut off and let me sleep. That last one hasn’t been going so well.

Now here’s where the story gets really interesting. You’ll never guess where we’re moving. Into my husband’s parents’ house. Yup – we are planning to buy my in-laws’ house. Holy hell, I must be crazy. Moving into my in-laws’ house of 30+ years! Apparently this kind of thing happens in families all the time on the East Coast (or so I’m told), but not around here. This is, simply put, something I never imagined would happen.

Here’s one thing I can barely wrap my head around. The kitchen that my mother-in-law commands like an expert sea captain in a ravaging storm of holiday meal preparations will soon be my kitchen. So when she comes over for a holiday meal or even just a regular dinner, the tables will be turned. She will become the guest in what was her kitchen. Will it be weird for her? Will it make her sad to see someone else in her kitchen? In a way, it will be a nice continuation of her family history – of our family history.

Really, there are a ton of pluses to moving into this house. Quite simply, it is a better size for our growing family. No more struggles over where to keep our bikes, the lawnmower, or my sewing machine. There will be room for these things – what a luxury! Also, the yard. This yard is like a kid’s dream come true. There are all kinds of hiding places, and cool trees, and I’m envisioning someday building a treehouse. Michael confirms that the backyard was indeed a cool place to play as a kid. And finally, the neighborhood. We love the area, but most importantly we love the schools on that side of town. My kids will go to Boise High School – the school I always wished I could have gone to when I was growing up.

Still. Even though I’m really excited about this opportunity, but I can’t help but panic a few times a day about whether we’re doing the right thing. Will our current house sell? Will we be able to make key updates to the next house before we move in? Will we be able to handle the additional costs, such as higher heating/cooling bills and taxes? And perhaps the biggest and most daunting question of all: will we be able to move in and get settled before the new baby comes? The last question is a big one. I know we won’t be homeless or anything, but for my own sanity, it is critical that I have a place to bring my baby home to. I was just starting plan her nursery, for pete’s sake. Now that plan is on hold while we figure out bigger issues, like how quickly we can get our current house on the market.

So….all my plans for cool spring crafts and activities? Not going so well. The new plan for this spring is: ride out the bumps and stay as calm as possible. Everything will work out. I hope.