Houston-bound

As most of you already know, we have decided to relocate to Houston, TX. This was a really difficult decision for us because we absolutely love our home and being in Southern California. But with a baby on the way, frequent travel for me was becoming troublesome, and we'd also like to be nearer to family for support.

So, we made the big decision to make the move to Houston this summer!

The move will be made easier by the fact that I'll continue to work as normal for my company, ePartners. My boss has been very flexibl and considerate in finding a way to make the move happen for us. With my employment situation all lined up, we've been able to focus on how we would transition Alberto.

We've also contracted with a Property Management company to rent out our house here in San Diego. That way we'll keep the property...who knows, we may come back one day!

In preparation for the move, Alberto and I just spent a week in Houston. We drove one of our cars there (1,500 miles and 21 hours!) to leave in Houston so we wouldn't have to worry about transporting with the rest of the stuff. Then we spent the week doing a number of things:

• Looking for a place to live
• Looking for work for Alberto
• Looking for a doctor for baby+me

We got some excellent referrals on all three important tasks from our friends - thank you everyone! Because of all of the help we received, we managed to accomplish all 3 of our goals!

So, we'll be moving to a cute little house in Hyde Park (Montrose/W. Gray area) that was built in 1910, has all hardwood floors and a garage apartment in the back. Dudley will have a little yard in both the front and the back for sunbathing, and a wooden porch outside of the kitchen to watch the squirrels from.

Alberto got some great referrals and and after a few days of calling, finally got connected with a tile company that was so eager for him to get started they actually asked for him to start work the very next day. He managed to wiggle out of that one, but has a standing arangement to start with them once we get into town for good.

Finally, I found a great doctor in the medical center for me and the baby, thanks also to a great referral. Dr. Samuels is a very straightforward and no-nonsense woman who has over 20 years of experience delivering babies. One notable about her in this Olympic summer season is that she is also the doctor for Mary Lou Retton :)

We also had a great time getting to know the area that we'll live in and meeting up with friends for meals and entertainment. Thank you to everyone who was able to share some time with us!

As we were waiting to head back to San Diego on Sunday evening, Alberto and I chatted about how well the week had gone, and how good we feel about the move. Now that everything is in place, and now that Alberto has had some time to get to know the city and what it's like and what it's potential is, we both feel like we're ready for the big event.

We'll be spending the next few weeks packing what we want to take with us and selling the rest. Garage sales are happening this weekend and next, so feel free to stop by and see what we've got!