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Moving Pains

Living room
Originally uploaded by jessamynnorth.

When we last saw our heroine, she was in the midst of a discouraging house hunt that seemed as though it would never end. She thought she and her family might never find a home to buy that would not make them very sad. The places they could afford were often depressing; the places that weren't depressing they often couldn't afford. Would they ever find a home???

New entry up at DotMoms.

Glow

Originally uploaded by jessamynnorth.

I know that babies are often dirty, often moody, almost always impatient. You have to clean up after them, because they can't clean up after themselves. You have to carry them around until your arms are sore. You have to worry and take care of them 24 hours a day; if anybody else had woken you up at 4 in the morning so many times, you'd have written them off.

So of course, I know, children are not perfect. They are people. They are flawed.

And yet I go out in the world or home to my apartment, and I look at other children or I look at my child, and I can't help but see them as beautiful and perfect in their own way.

They are so beautiful.

Sometimes they glow.

Nice Family in Search of Good Home

Easter Portrait
Originally uploaded by jessamynnorth.

"We have seen quite a few condos by now, and most of them aren't what we're looking for. Many are tiny or dirty or ugly. Some are in bad or faraway neighborhoods. Some are beautiful but out of our price range (our realtor doesn't take us to those, but we can't help ourselves from looking at listings online). Some are nowhere near an el stop, or don't allow dogs, or have no parking. Some are OK, but nothing special, and we have started asking ourselves, sadly, is special too much to ask?"

New entry up at DotMoms.

I wrote the piece on March 21st. Later that day, we made an offer on another unit, and I thought to myself that by the time the piece was published at DotMoms, our home-hunting saga would be over. Our offer was rejected that afternoon. The search continues. (Sigh.)

New entry

Secrets for Katie
Originally uploaded by jessamynnorth.

"I am starting to believe that she is mine, she is ours, she is not going to disappear or fade away, she will be around for a long while yet, that it will be so amazing and interesting to watch and help her become the adult person she will one day become. I am starting to believe that she really truly not only needs me, but loves me."

New entry up in the journal.