Out of the box: a moving story

Most of you know that Eric and I recently bought our first home. We are over the moon for our little place. The last time I moved, I was ten years old. Moving into Eric's house doesn't count, that was just a carload of stuff. Well, maybe two I have always had a lot of clothes! I was unprepared for just how much work moving would actually be!
I am SO blessed to have such an amazing circle of family and friends. I am at a loss for words how to adequately thank all the people who helped make this possible for us. So many people helped in so many ways I can't hope list them all. Eric's parents and the money they gifted to us for the down payment. To my parents for giving up their Saturdays to go look at houses with us, or watch the kids so we could go. My sisters for watching the kids and helping me pack. My friends for helping gather boxes, load trucks, and make CDs of 80s music.

(*note* this turned out to be CRAZY long. I will give anyone who reads the whole thing a gold star LOL)

Wednesday June 16th: We receive an email telling us that we will sign paperwork tomorrow and get our keys on Friday. Adrenalin starts pumping and I kick into packing overdrive. Poor Tessa looses her room to stacks of boxes. At 8PM we receive another email saying that the paperwork never made it to the title company but that hopefully it would get there Thursday morning and we could sign that afternoon. But we won't get our keys till Monday. My spirits drop. We have lost another weekend that we won't be able to use to move. I go to bed feeling a little defeated, but still secretly hopeful that a miracle will happen and we will get our keys on Friday.

Thursday June 17th: Eric heads off to work and promises that he will call me the second he hears anything about what time we will sign. I drag myself out of bed, make coffee, get the kids their breakfast and them settle them in front of some cartoons. I start packing again, still a little defeated, but trying to get everything done just in case. But I can't concentrate on packing.
Eric calls around ten to tell me that we will be signing at three. I bundle the kids into the car and head for my moms. My stomach is in knots, I am excited and nervous. The kids are bonkers because I have promised them McDonalds for lunch.
Eric meets me at moms and she arrives home from work just in time for Eric and I to run out the door to the title company. In rout we get a call from the escrow agent telling us the exact amount we will need to bring to closing and we make a detour to the bank. We get to the bank and the lovely teller informs us that we don't have $16,000 in our checking account. Now I should point out that Eric deposited the gift check four days prior to this and we have already faxed the title company proof that the check cleared his mothers account. So there should be NO reason for the money not to be there. My heart stops beating while Eric and the teller sort it out. Turns out that when he deposited the check they accidentally put it in Eric's account instead of our joint account. No problem. My heart starts beating again.
We make it to the title company without further incident and proceed to sign what I swear it the largest stack of papers I have EVER seen. Everything moves smoothly and we sign the last paper and I hand over the largest check I have ever written. It's over. It is strangely anti-climatic. We go back to my moms and get the kids.

Friday June 18th: Friday dawns chilly and gray. Eric is able to take the day off to help me pack the rest of the house. We are still holding out a little hope that we might get the keys today. Packing starts again and the sun comes out. The kids head outside. Just after lunch I get a phone call from the title officer saying that they need three more proofs of identification from me........OK. She rattles off a list of acceptable ID choices and we decide on the registration for the van, my Lifewise health card, and my auto insurance card. I scan them and email the document to her. Thirty minutes later I get and email from Debbie asking for proof that our earnest money check cleared. You know the one they cashed a month ago. So I run out to the bank and they print me out proof that the check cleared, but the won't fax it. So I run back home, scan it and email it. We will not be getting the keys today.
Eric's parents offer to take the kids over night and we accept. We spend a quiet night packing.

Saturday June 19th: Grey and cold again, but packing will have to wait. This morning I am off for a much deserved pedicure and after that we will have lunch with Jim and Deb at Sonic. YUM :D After lunch we wander around Ikea and talk about what we will want and need for the new house. But it's pretty pointless because we don't have any measurements. We do pick up an awesome light for the boys room.
The kids come home while I am out getting my hair done. Tessa is still awake when I come home she feels warm to me. Her temp is 100.5 she is excited because sick people get to sleep with mommy.

Sunday June 20th: Nothing big. No church because Tessa is up to 101.5 now. I spend the whole day cuddling her on the couch.

Monday June 21st: Keys today and it's Gramma day!! Eric heads off to work to get some stuff done until it's time to get our keys. Tessa is still red hot but you can't postpone Gramma day for a little thing like a fever. So we motrin her up and head over. Bonus! Gramma says we are going to the Salem Humane Society to get Danielle's new kitten. Who doesn't love a fuzzy kitten? I load the car seats into moms car, we turn on a movie and drive to Salem. The kids love looking at all the animals but the novelty wears off pretty quickly so I take them back to the car to finish their movie while mom fills out the paperwork for the kitten. Did I say kitten? I meant kittens! Apparently they were having a buy one get one free deal. So of course mom got two!
On the way back from Salem Tessa's fever spikes and she is miserable. I begin to regret taking her out of the house. Back at Gramma's house her temp is 104.8 we go home.
Eric meets our realtor at the new house and get the keys. No dinner at the new house, Tessa is too sick.

Tuesday June 22nd: Tessa is still sick. She has been sleeping in my bed sense Saturday night which means that I have been getting ZERO sleep. But today is painting day so I make coffee and push through. Danielle has agreed to babysit the kiddos today while Eric and I paint at the new house. I am praying that Tessa will be OK without me.
We manage to get one coat of paint on the boys room before mom calls to tell me that Tessa is at 104.5 and she needs her mommy. I leave Eric at the new house and go hold our sick baby. I call the doctor, we schedule an appointment for Tessa the next morning.

Wednesday June 23rd: Tessa still sick. At least the sun has made and appearance. Eric heads back to the new house to work on painting. It is killing me that I can't be there to help. I have grand plans for painting clouds and hills and other awesomeness. Instead I drag all three kids to the doctors office. I manage to persuade Tessa to provide a urine sample while keeping Ryder from running all over the office and listening to Daden complain that there is no way that he is going to watch his sister pee in a cup "that's SO GROSS mom!". He waits outside the bathroom. Tessa cries cause she doesn't want to do it and Ryder tries repeatedly to flush the toilet.
Back in the exam room Tessa drops her popsicle and all hell breaks loose. But the good/bad news is that she doesn't have a bladder infection so we just have to "wait it out". I will bring her back on Friday if she is still running a fever.
We stop at 7-eleven for surpees on the way home. I take my daily 3:30 phone call from Erin and she reminds me that I need to take time out to plan my birthday party which is scheduled for Saturday. At this point I really don't see how that's going to happen, but Erin promises to help me. Tessa is still screaming her head off over the lost popsicle and I can barely hear Erin so we say goodbye and I promise to let Erin know if I need help. Tessa finally falls asleep, and Eric comes home. I am completely exhausted at this point. Tessa and I crawl into bed and I prepare for another night of no sleep.

Thursday June 24th: The last day of my twenties dawns sunny and clear. It's moving day! Tessa is still sick and I am still exhausted. I am trying to be excited, tonight we are going to sleep in the new house! But I am so tired and there is still so much work to be done. Eric is tired too and we can't help but be cranky at each other. Instead of excited I just feel overwhelmed.
Danielle comes over and I take Eric to pick up the U-Haul. We do our best to load the truck but it is slow going with the kids. Andrew arrives with his kiddos and between him and Eric they get all the big stuff on the truck. My mom comes to pick up the kids, Danielle leaves for work, and Andrew takes his kids home to have dinner with Erin. Eric and I load the last of what we can fit in the truck and head to the new house. I am dreading unloading the truck.
With the help of our fantastic new neighbors we get the truck unloaded. My mom and dad bring the kids home and we put everyone to bed in their new rooms.
It's quiet and I wander around our house. It doesn't feel real. I am surrounded by boxes and bags, furniture in random places. We have no Internet and no TV, there is no food in the fridge. I feel strange and cut off. I try to feel excited but only feel tired instead. My muscles ache and my brain is fuzzy, time for bed.

Friday June 25th my thirtieth birthday: I am awakened by children bouncing on me. Today I am thirty. Tessa is still running a fever, so I call the doctor. We have an appointment to see them at 10:30. Eric and I are so exhausted we are only making attempts to be patient with each other. Happy birthday to me.
We take the U-Haul back and while the I wait with the kids in the car Daden throws up on himself. I clean him up as best I can, we get him one of my pajama shirts that was left at the old house and go out to breakfast. I try to enjoy my birthday breakfast, but Eric is yelling at the kids and complaining about the food. Tessa is cranky and doesn't want to eat. I give up.
Eric takes the boys and heads back to the old house to get another load and I take Tessa to her doctor appointment. The good news is that her temp is down, 100.5 without meds. We repeat the urine culture and this time he takes a throat culture to test for strep. Both are negative. We have to wait it out. I confess to the doctor that I have a big party planned for the next day...is Tessa still contagious? He shrugs and tells me what I don't want to hear. I feel like crying.
Back at the house Eric offers to stay home with Tessa so I can have my party anyway. I shout at him that I will not have a party with out my whole family. He is trying to help but I am upset and irrational. I take Tessa and Daden to the party store. Big mistake.
At the party store Daden and Tessa are whiny and naughty. I get my 3:30 phone call from Erin. She tries to make me feel better too...but it doesn't help. On the way to my mom's from the party store I do cry, all the way there. I drop off the party stuff and my mom tries to make me feels better. She is only mildly more successful then Erin. I cry some more. I am so tired, I can't make a decision to save my life. I want to have my party, but I am afraid no one will come because Tessa is sick.
Eric calls to tell me that his parents are going to take the kids overnight. That does make me feel better. Tessa is down to 99.8 with no meds. I decided she can stay overnight. That and I am desperate for a night of uninterrupted sleep. We drop off the kids and I request a trip to Ikea. Retail therapy is the best! Eric agrees. I decided to take my mom up on her offer and arrange dinner at Red Robin for later that evening. Ikea is awesome, I decided on a desk, we pick a ceiling light for Tessa's room. Eric lets me buy a new teapot. Dinner with my family is just what the Dr ordered. I relax and have fun. I decided to go ahead with my party anyway, bring your kids at your risk. Alexa promises to make me cupcakes.
That night I go to sleep in my new house, looking forward to my birthday party. Happy, content, loved.