Sometimes I find myself looking forward to the day some time in the future when our family will have a house to call our home.

Apartment living in the city is suiting us just fine for now.  We have plenty of room for three people (although it is incredible how much baby “stuff” we’ve accrued over the last year).  I love walking everywhere and using public transportation when going by foot isn’t an option.  We have easy access to museums, botanical gardens, and parks, all of which I’ve been able to patronize since I’ve been at home.

But still there are some things I long for.  I’d love to not have to pay for each load of laundry, or worry about getting to the machine to switch loads when a cycle finishes.  I also think I’d lose fewer baby socks if I were the only one using a set of machines.  For a time, Jacob had an incredibly mismatched pair of socks that he only wore to bed, because I was afraid people would judge my mothering if he wore them out.  At the same time, I like being able to do three loads at once, and get a whole week or two’s worth done in a couple of hours.

Another thing I long for is a cat.  John and I have agreed that we’ll wait until we have a house to get one, but I’ve already named him/her:  Gutenberg.  Like, for the guy who invented the printing press.  We’ll call him/her “Gut” or “Gut Cat” or, in German, “Gute Katze.”  I can’t wait.

One thing I haven’t had to wait for is an herb garden.  I wanted to set up one in our first apartment, but we didn’t have a window with enough light and a large enough sill.  Now, however, we have the perfect spot.

I may have to take my allergy medicine a little more regularly, with plants inside, but it’s totally worth it.  Let’s just hope Jacob doesn’t think so, too.