Due Date... *Updated*

(Taken just a couple of days ago...  I heard black was slimming ;)

TODAY... February 4th... our new little one was DUE.  The number on the ticker to the right says "O" days left, so every day hereafter I could blow. 

(If I showed the other side of my belly my stretch marks look like someone dragged a RAKE across me... oh well)

 

I know I haven't written in over a week, but it's partly because things have been so busy here and partly because I've developed sciatica down my left leg that seems to be brought on more by sitting at the computer seat.  When it really comes on I can barely stand, sit, walk or find a comfortable position, so blogging is out of the question.  At the moment I'm listening to Daddy sing Ava to bed over the monitor and feeling just well enough to try for a quick post.

First off... thank you to everyone whose been praying for me.  I am so appreciative and ask you to "keep it up".  She continues to be "quiet" most of the time but moves (or hiccups) just enough to keep me from going completely over the edge with anxiety about her well being. 

I still remain in "semi-denial" that I could deliver anytime.  I haven't even packed my bag yet.  Sheesh...  Shaun said to me tonight as I was driving to Home Depot, "Are you about to give birth?  Cause you're not acting like a lady who could give birth anytime" 

Today, we were in the middle of full blown gutting/demo work at the new/old house (you wouldn't BELIEVE how much they've done) and after meeting with a ton of contractors and plumbers and other types day after day... I decided to stay home and "take it easy" on my due date at least. 

And I did.

...Until I recieved a phone call from Shaun saying "We have bad news".   Apparently "someone" had called the state (not even the city, but the state) on us and said we were illegally disposing of asbestos in our dumpsters and there was a representative there at the house right now putting a "Stop order" on everything.  So I quickly got dressed (thought lounging in pj's was a possibility at least today) and headed over there to "put the fires out" as I knew we were doing no such thing.  We had been very careful to NOT do that very thing!

I'm not sure who reported this but we have our suspicions but I initially wasn't too concerned because we'd pulled permits on everything and tried to do it all the "right way".  Unfortunately, today of all days, some of the awesome guys there working had tried to be helpful (totally innocent) and had picked up some of the asbestos shingles that had broken off of the house (before we even purchased it) and started "cleaning up" and tossing them into the dumpster.  This woman from the state was evidently parked down the street watching them work and waiting for just such a thing... and at that moment swooped in and shut everything down. 

"ghaaaa" *Marijanna slaps forhead*

As of right now, all the work has come to a complete standstill until we can find a "lead/asbestos abatement contractor" to come and empty out the entire dumpster and pick out each piece of asbestos that may have been tossed in there (and wrap it in plastic and toss it back in... evidently that's much better) and pick each piece up from the yard, etc...  to the tune of thousands more dollars...

We also need to have all the lead paint addressed (which we planned to at a later point when we were able to get a loan for more funds... but now we need to do it NOW) that may be on the house.  We went by with lead test kits after she left and it looks like everything inside the house is NOT lead (ie: anything that was thrown in the dumpster), but the window frames outside the house might have been painted with lead paint and therefore need to be removed by a lead specialist... so no new windows can be installed in the house until then... and the windows are so old that some were literally blowing out of their frames into the house and shattering... thus the need to replace them... and soon.

We also found old "knob and tube" wiring when we began gutting that had been made to appear like updated electrical. 

I had a feeling something like this was behind the walls and that is why I was so happy to buy an old house and take it apart and put it back together the right way.  We had an electrical fire when I was 13 and our whole house had burned down due to a shortage in the walls, so I'm extra cautious about stuff like that lurking behind "pretty walls".  Just today Shaun had said we needed to call an electrician right away to come and remove that and rewire the house, but the woman from the state said we couldn't even remove it because there are a few sections that are wrapped in an "insulation" (that black section on the right) that might contain asbestos, so until we can hire a specialist to test it... we can't remove the old wiring either. 

Great.

Please say a prayer that we find someone soon... who's good... and not very expensive.

I guess I should say that I'm thankful that the baby did not come today because it might have been a BIT more difficult for me to take care of all of this while I was giving birth.

Still... as for the new baby?  We're very excited she's coming and can't wait to meet her after a safe, quick and painless delivery! 

One can wish, right????  Right???

Oh... and for those of you who are wondering what happened with the showing of our other house?  The day before he was supposed to come it all fell through.  Which is ok.  Maybe God knew that adding "moving in 28 days" to my "to do list" would be a little much. 

Thanks God.  YOU are the best!

*UPDATE* After a long day of MANYphone calls and meeting asbestos removal contractors at the house, So far additional costs with the new asbestos issue (not even including the possible lead) is around $9000 and quickly climbing... *sigh* ...looks like we'll be staying in our old house for quite a bit longer...