MIA again!

Sorry!  We've been dealing with this...

and this...

and then Phil had to go to Oregon to fly for a week and left me to deal with this (although he said emphatically that I didn't have to deal with it while he was gone... but I couldn't just leave it)...

and all of that would be much easier if we didn't have to also deal with this...

Oh that STINKER!  He is such a stinker!  Doesn't want to play with toys... just wants to be underfoot and into everything he's not supposed to be!!  Ohhhhh, God knew what He was doing when He made that one so adorable.

The other day he was crying after naps and when I went in to get him he had stuffed all of his blankies (yes, he insists on having that many in his bed) into this shelf and had wedged himself between the pack and play and the bookcase while getting out of his bed.  He was on the outside of the pack and play when I came in the room yelling, "STUCK!  STUCK!"  It was so sad and funny at the same time!  Now he gets out on the other side.  :)

We had an ultrasound today just to check on baby and he is measuring over 8 pounds already with 2.5 weeks to go.  His big ol' head is measuring almost 41 weeks right now... doesn't that sound fun for Mama?!  Haha!  The ultrasound tech even patted me on the arm and said, "Epidural, honey."  :)  But he's head down, so we're thankful for that.

My family was here this past weekend and I got to break away one afternoon with my sisters (and new bro-in-law) for a fantastic lunch and some shopping.  I had a yummy glass of Chardonnay with my lunch and even got a free extra pour from the waitress when she heard I was having my fourth boy.  He's already making my life better and he's not even out of the womb yet!  :)

I know I haven't even posted pics from Christmas this year yet... maybe we'll have Christmas in February on this blog instead.  :)

Housing Plans

I don't think I ever posted about what we decided to do regarding a permanent home here.  Well, after a few months of looking at pre-existing houses and not finding anything we liked or that would work for us with the space we needed in the price range we wanted to stay in, we decided to just buy a lot and build.  We found a neighborhood very close to the beach that we just loved, and when we discovered that there were several vacant lots for sale at reasonable prices, we decided to bite the bullet and get one.  So see all these kudzu vines and palmetto bushes and scrawny pine trees?  Well, we own them.  :)

Too bad we don't still own our trailer... we could have just backed it up in there and lived in that for the next 9 months or so!  :)  We have just started the whole building process and it is very slow-going, seeing as how you can't do one thing before you have another finished.  And there's lots of waiting around on other people to do things, which is frustrating.  And I'm sure it's only going to get worse... but we are actually having fun with the process for the most part and I know it will all be worth it in the end.  We have our floor plans and exterior elevations and landscape plans all done and now we just have to submit all of that to the neighborhood's Architectural Review Board and then wait to see if they approve what we have planned.  The neighborhood has a coastal/beachy vibe and there are pretty strict guidelines as to what you can and can't do with the exterior of your home.  They want all of the homes to have the same common elements and coastal style but still look different from each other.  Kind of like this...

Yes, those houses are really close together... that's one of the drawbacks of the neighborhood.  But we were able to score a lot on a cul-de-sac (so it's wider and longer than most) and that is on the edge of the neighborhood so there's no one behind us.  So it's still pretty private.  And the HOA requires lots of native-to-the-area plants and trees to be planted from the get-go, so that helps hide the fact that the houses are so tight.

Anyway, a week from today we are moving into a little rental house that is very close to the boys' school and staying there until our house is finished.  We decided to go ahead and get all of our household goods delivered, too, since we need all of our newborn paraphernalia and figured we'd be much less crazy about the house getting done if we had access to all of our things.  It's going to be tight, though!  But as much as I loved this condo at the beginning, the walls are closing in on me now and I am SO ready to be in a regular house again.  We can't wait to be able to let the boys play outside in the backyard and ride their bikes around the neighborhood.  We've all really missed that.  And I'm sure it will be like Christmas again (at least for a few hours) when their toys and books get delivered next Friday.

So that's where we are!  Here's hoping the move-in goes smoothly.  Ugh!

Another Post About Reid's Feet :)

Okay, so you know that I have a crazy obsession with Reid's feet... especially his big toes, right?  

Well, Phil and I were cracking up on the beach the other night when we compared the boys' footprints in the sand.  Here's Jackson's... equal pressure on all toes and heel... perfect little foot.

And then here's Reid's... and look at the impression from the big toe!  It looks like he has a peg-leg or something!  :)  Still a perfect little foot, though.  :)

I will cherish these sweet little feet pictures forever.  :)