We were ready to move, don't get me wrong. We were actively searching for houses that were two-stories and had more space than our current home offered. Friends of ours kept moving out of the neighborhood, and that made us sad and antsy. Our home looked like Buy Buy Baby had exploded all over it. We had simply outgrown our adorable ranch.
Still...it's been an emotional struggle to put the house on the market this week. We've taken down our personal photos, dismantled two nurseries (as much as possible), hidden away the kids' toys, and Magic Erased our way out of having to repaint anything. Our home looks beautiful and clean -- ready to be shown and sold.
The house was put on the market on Monday afternoon, and by Tuesday afternoon we had our first showing. Stephen, Gavin, Baylor, and I hunkered down at BW-3's for dinner, wondering what the people who were looking through our home thought of the Very Hungry Caterpillar-themed bathroom we put together when I was seven months pregnant with Gavin. (It's Gavin's favorite place to be.) We hoped they liked the colors we chose for the master bedroom, and that they didn't mind Baylor's baby swing pushed to the side of the living room. (We should really just move it entirely -- she never sits there.) I worried, as potential buyers walked through our home, that we were being judged. Not that our home was being judged -- but that we as people were being judged. It was unnerving. The feedback from our first showing indicated that the house showed beautifully and impressed the buyers (who ultimately wanted a home closer to Lebanon, as it turns out) -- so tonight, at our second showing, I'll rest a little easier knowing that we've done everything we can to make our home "marketable" and "fresh" for the people who are taking the time to consider making our first home their next home. I'm aware that our home won't be perfect for everyone, and I can't expect there to be fifteen people banging down the door with offers -- but I know I will struggle to not be offended by the people who walk through our house and then choose to pass on it. Isn't our house good enough for them? Aren't WE good enough for them?! (I know...it's crazy. Maybe I'm still dealing with some postpartum hormonal shifts? Sigh.)
So here's hoping that this part of the process goes quickly. Here's hoping we find the perfect new owners for the little house we brought our children home to and created so many memories in. Here's hoping that someone loves it the way we've loved it.
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