We're here!
After I process the photos from the trip, I'm hoping to give you a travel post, but overall the trip was fun. Highlights include: three nights in Kings Canyon (where I managed a five-mile hike with a 1200 foot elevation gain and a nine-mile level hike, both gorgeous. Walking up switchbacks was challenging, but worth it!), Grand Canyon (did a short two mile hike below the rim), and a drive through the Petrified Forest (VERY hot, but compelling geology/scenery).
We arrived Friday morning after waking up at 6 AM to drive from our friend's house in Oklahoma. Met the realtor then waited around for the movers who finally showed up at 11 AM. The driver was our same guy from Menlo Park, so he'd waited around Dallas for three days to make sure our stuff was OK. He'd hired two local guys to unload. One was a Peruvian gentleman who was 58 years old. In two and a half hours those guys had brought in everything and set up the bed in the guest room. That even included a fifteen minute lunch break where we bought them pizza and soda! Really great guys. Fifteen minutes after they left, the doorbell rang for the washer and dryer installers. Talk about a tight production schedule!
Since then, we've raided IKEA for some of our missing furniture, then entered that special purgatory that is IKEA furniture assembly. On Sunday we had dinner with friends who live 10-minutes away, let's call them Enthusiast and Indian Gourmet. We've hung out with them on each of our Dallas visits and really enjoy them. They share our love of hiking, art and food (as well as our snarky sense of humor). Enthusiast actually offered to come over on July 4th and help assemble furniture! Now that's a friend to keep, huh? With his help, most of the office furniture is done and the living room pieces are in place. We're waiting for our bed delivery (hopefully today or tomorrow) and then we'll have most of the big pieces we need. Still more shopping to do, but none of it essential or urgent.
I'm hoping to head up to "H-mart" (the new name for the Korean grocery chain, Han Ah Reum) and see if they have any Korean tables to use for a coffee table. It would be great to have some Korean decor in the house.
The poor baby is totally neglected. I keep trying to do what I'd normally do in terms of furniture-building and unpacking and then I'll try to crunch up or bend over and get reminded by the impossibility of the proposition that there's a person in there getting squished. Oops! He's moving around a lot. In fact, last night I was looking down and saw my stomach move, which was highly disorienting. I found an OB online and we have an appointment this Friday. Hopefully I like him so I don't have to hunt around. I've got a couple recommendations if he doesn't work out.
We did get some time on the drive to talk through baby expectations. I was surprised to find out that Jrex wants to call him by his Korean name at home. It makes sense since otherwise he'll have very little Korean influence in his environment. What's weird for me is that his Mom picked that name and some part of me feels like that will give her ownership over the kid. It's not a huge deal, and I'm sure I'll get over it, but it was a definite adjustment for me to think about having that for his 'default' name.
In neighborhood news, one of our neighbors introduced herself while I was walking the dog this morning. Forty minutes later, the doorbell rang and she'd brought cookies and recommendations for a local plumber and AC guy (our first floor AC isn't working). I also found this video by the Oak Cliff chamber of commerce that gives a (slightly gilded) overview. (Click here to view.)
I'm back at work today, but sitting around waiting for the guys in the design department on the west coast to wander into work after the holiday weekend. We're having a meeting at 11 to figure out who is doing what (1 PM my time). Nothing like starting the work day at 1 pm? Yikes. We'll see how this goes.
8 comments:
YAY! I'm so happy to see a post from you! You're a rock star, with all that hiking while pregnant. I know you're in great shape, but that's awesome! Can't wait to see photos and hear more about your new city & home.
I think I can understand how you feel about the name. But once he comes along, you never know. We thought we'd call our oldest by the nickname, "Hannah Bear," but that didn't last once she was here. When the family sees him, they may or may not feel differently. How much longer until he arrives?
You could always give him a Korean first name? Happy Home Sweet Home to you and J-Rex!
I'm glad you're in your new home safe and sound! You get to do nesting times 100 it sounds like. Very fun!
Yeah, I was wondering how you'd include the Korean culture/heritage for your little one. Will speaking Korean as a second language be included too? I've always been kind of wistful that my husband chose not to teach our son French from the get go. But from the Korean man we took to the bus station awhile back, it sounds like learning that language is more important culturally than a French Canadian's son needing to be bilingual. I'm curious to see how you guys incorporate both of your backgrounds and what you each value. And I still can't keep grinning at the thought that you are a mama. So fun. I know God is good and all that even when He says "no", but I sure am happy that He said "yes" to this request.
YAYA YAYAYA this so awsome and 'gilded' or not your neighbourhood looks so cool!! and i wont say anything about starting work at 1.00 in the afternoon, enjoy the rest of your week
YAYA YAYAYA this so awsome and 'gilded' or not your neighbourhood looks so cool!! and i wont say anything about starting work at 1.00 in the afternoon, enjoy the rest of your week
Glad you made it, more happy for you that you had an assist on putting the IKEA together:)
I haven't commented before, but I definitely understand how you feel about the Korean name. We went through a similar discussion on Korean name with our son. I was adamant that his Korean name be the middle name since his last name is my husbands (and therefore, Korean). On which to use, I approached it like the one parent-one language theory for raising bilingual children. He uses Korean and our son's korean name, I use English and our son's "american" name. I am not sure how much the name contributes to feeling Korean, but my rationale was that I don't want to use a name that I may not even be pronouncing correctly with my baby.
Good luck with settling in and the rest of your pregnancy!
Oak Cliff--Dallas' Most Unique Neighborhood.
Aaaaww, ain't that sweet. With your arrival, they
updated their community slogan.
Post a Comment