Where We Started and Where We Are Now

Terry & I in some grass

As I sit here less than 24 hours before the birth of our son I cannot help but ruminate on where we were when he hatched this whole crazy plan and where we are now, collectively and as individuals.

I'll warn you this is a bit of a brag session... but well earned - especially for Terry. He took the bull by the horns this year as they say and I'm excited to not only give a little spotlight to his accomplishments but I'm also so excited to see where the next year - and all the years thereafter take us.

So I'll start with Terry (or the artist formerly known as Baby Daddy). These are all of the accomplishments he's made in his life since Ethan's conception in June of 2012:

• He received his Associates degree!! 
• We figured out his plan to earn a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and he's in school right now taking his prerequisites. We're going to work hard to make sure that even though we're going to be tired and stressed we still make time for him to study.
• He finally bought a new car - a nice reliable Nissan Versa. I told him its the perfect "I'm a new dad/college student" car. (This was a requirement as I had also told him there was no way he would be carrying the baby around in his old car - a 1987 Nissan Z.)
• This may be a touch personal - but Terry got some dental work completed that was overdue - and he looks amazing!! He flashes a sparkling white smile now and he's more handsome than ever. :-)
• He renovated this condo of ours and it is so beautiful. He poured so much love and sweat into this house. We can't wait to bring our baby home! 

So what's next for Terry? 

• Once the baby is born and we have an idea of what we're in for we're going to start looking at entry level engineering internship-type programs that he can do while he's in school. 
• Ideally Terry would like to get into UC Irvine. They have a direct transfer program for students with above a set GPA. We're working hard to meet that. 
• Find a job closer to Long Beach that ends prior to 2am. Right now he commutes to Santa Ana in the evenings... we're not loving that. 

Beautiful West LA behind us...

Where was I nine long months ago?

• My biggest hurdle was emotional - finally healing after over half a decade of bad relationships... Terry was instrumental in helping with that. 
• I got a new job - working for The Portal Group as a Sr. Project Manager. The job came with a raise, a shorter commute, shorter hours and stability. I miss my Dustland folks but this was a good move for me considering where I am in life. 
• I finally figured out the Phoenix property mess - got a reputable property manager and managed to get three new tenants. This property is doing much better now. 
• Moved two tenants into my Long Beach 4-plex. They are awesome and things are working out well! (knock on wood!)
• Completed my first Life Coaching consultation - two fabulous women who are starting a match-making service. After one meeting and a carefully constructed plan these ladies just hit the ground running. I can't wait to do more of these!
• I bought our new condo and moved in just after Thanksgiving. I call it my first real Big Kid home. Its been A LOT of friggin' work but as I mentioned above we're so proud of it. And I love the way Terry describes it: It is my condo, but its our home. :-)



My new mommy car - a 2008 Kia Rondo

• I bought a new car! No more little zippy SanDeE. When I realized I couldn't fit a stroller in the hatchback I sold her to a nice family and bought a 2008 Kia Rondo. It's not a sexy car by any stretch of anybody's imagination - but it met all my criteria: 2008 or newer, only 30,000 miles, decent-ish gas mileage, still looked new and clean, under $10,000 and could fit all of our stuff. Trust me - this was not easy to find! We named her Judith (Judy for short). My Mommy Car!

So what's next for me?

• Well... have this baby and get started on being an awesome mom 
• I want to finish my Real Estate License... I was so close but just took on too much and had to let a few things go
• Complete another few life coaching consultations... I really love helping people move forward with their ideas and plans!
• Get back my pre-preggy body back... I think Kettlebells and Spin classes are going to be my plan de jour. 
• Get back to work and keep moving my projects forward (and maybe eventually work for myself... I think that's always been the plan).

Reading The Richest Man
in Babylon to baby Ethan
**Dedicate to my Pops**

Above all else we want to be amazing parents! We want little Ethan to know that he is super duper loved, that he has a whole foundation of people that have his back and are committed to his success in whatever he strives to do, we want him to know that he is accepted for who he is as he navigates through this crazy beautiful world of ours, we want him to know that he can take risks because if he fails we'll be here to catch him and if he succeeds we'll be there cheering him on, we want him to always feel secure about himself and his dreams - just like our parents did for us. 

Thank you everyone for taking this fun journey with us. Next time I post it will be a picture of our little man! That's when the fun really begins! Much love and many blessings!

~Kat and Terry