Hi Lakrasia,
Your variation regarding changing
pr # is probably due to the change in servers. Google has tons of servers and each one can pick up a different rank. The sandbox is the theory that new websites, once submit to the engine, have a period of time where regardless of how well they are optimized, they will not be ranked or have any top placement based on search results (not the url name alone but rather keywords, content, etc) because they are supposedly placed in a "probation" period. The sandbox is debatable by many, and the time period seems to fluctuate anywhere from 3 to 6 months. I personally don't think it takes this long however every site varies. I would just make sure you increase your quality inbound links and optimize your site as best you can. Then it's just about being patient.
