House Update!

For the first part of this post, Click Here!

After we had decided to let the other people buy the house we had a contract on, I was left in total confusion. I thought the house was suppose to be ours but no one had came and looked at ours in the previous weeks.

The very next week, we had a call for someone to come and look at our house and some other houses in the neighborhood. They ended up putting an offer in on our neighbor's house. I was becoming very discouraged. We continued to look for houses in the meantime but just could not find one we really liked.

The following week we had another couple come and look at our house. Again, they were looking at another house in our neighborhood. I tried my hardest to not get my hopes up. However, they loved our house, put an offer in, we accepted, and within two weeks we were moved out! BAM! It all happened so fast I still look back and think, "Oh my gosh! We have sold our first home! The place where we got engaged, have great memories of fun parties with friends, where we started our married life, where we brought our first baby home to." The last time we went into the house I sat in the dining room floor and sobbed. All the memories of that house came flooding back to my mind. John Thomas was so sweet and reminded me that yes, we did have wonderful memories there, but we were going to a new home where we would make twice as many memories and a place where we would begin raising our family. That made me smile. I stood up, looked back once more and smiled and walked out looking forward to our future...wherever it may be!

We decided to look for land and build. We had been looking at other houses online still and could not find one that we loved. We met with a builder and found a house plan we LOVED! We wanted to make a few changes to the plan and it was going to cost us a lot more than we were willing to pay at the time.

So we looked for other builders and more land and kept a similar house plan. Just as soon as we became frustrated, things seemed to start falling into place.

On the way home from work one night, John Thomas passed some land that we passed every single day and it had a For Sale By Owner sign up. We found out later he had put the sign up earlier in the day. JT quickly called the man who was selling the land and he said it was 4 acres and pretty darn close to our price range! Excited doesn't come close to how we felt! We quickly went to look at it, fell in love, went to the county office, had DHEC come out and do the PERC test (it passed!) and made our offer!

In the mean time we had met with other builders to get estimates. We were very pleased with the ones that we met with but their cost seemed way higher than it should be for what we wanted! We talked about it and made some cuts and ended up going back to our original builder to talk.

Our offer was quickly accepted and the house plans were beginning to become final. This all was about a two month process.

This past Tuesday, July 2, we closed on the land! We are now proud owners of 4 acres! We have been meeting and working with the bank on our construction loan and we have our Pre-Construction Meeting Monday with the builder! Our goal is to be closed on the construction loan by the end of July and breaking foundation by mid-August!

I can not wait to see the house come together! We have been praying, searching, hoping, planning, and waiting for this to all come together for about two years now and we are SO excited to see it all  unfold!!!

Here are some pictures of the land!

I am standing where the house will be looking towards the driveway. You can see our closest neighbor. So we aren't THAT far out :)

This is probably somewhere in the driveway closer to the house than the road.

Road view looking up the driveway!

Here we are! John Thomas was out meeting with someone about grading the lot and didn't want the picture made because of his cut off, but I insisted! :)

Five Months!

Greyson, this month has gone by so much faster than all the others! I feel that you have grown up so much more during this month, especially the last two weeks!! I am absolutely loving being home with you and watching you learn and discover new things each day!!

Weight:

As of this morning, you were about 17 or so pounds. We don't have a doctor's visit planned until August so this is my best guess based off our scales at home. 

Height:

You are a little over 26 inches this morning. (Best judgment I have) Your daddy keeps making the comment that you are getting so long! 

Clothing Size:

Solidly in 6-9 months clothes now. All of your pajamas with feet in them are 9 months. In your everyday outfits you can still wear 6 months. Your nicer clothes are anywhere between 6 and 9 months, depends on how they are made. 

Diapers:

Size 2's still. We will be venturing to 3's before long, probably as soon as this size 2 box is over!

Feeding:

You are on the same eating schedule as last month. You eat four six ounce bottles a day and your bedtime bottle is 8 ounces. 

I may start you on some cereal this month, I want to wait until you can sit solid on your own. Your doctor told me I could start whenever I wanted to, but she suggest waiting until you are six months.

Hair/Eyes:

Those eyes are so blue!! I feel that it's finally safe to say they are staying blue - the pediatrician even confirmed it when we were in a couple of weeks ago. 

You have, once again, a head full of hair! Only now it is not near as dark and it it so thick! I am not sure where you get thick hair from!

Sleep:

We have our nights. You LOVE to fight it! I am not sure if it is because you are in the room with us because we are still in between houses or what. I think you are quickly getting some seperation anxiety at nighttime. Which is rough on me and your daddy! Once you go down you do okay, still waking up and can't go back to sleep on your own about 4 or 5 each morning. You are sleeping longer though in the mornings, close to 8! I have gotten into the habit of picking you up and you are  okay. I am trying to break that habit and come give you your pacifier or rub your head until you go back to sleep. It is SO hard! You scream and we both end up in tears! I know we will get through this! I also think some of it is you are trying to get those front bottom teeth in!

You normally take two naps a day. They are anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half! Sometimes you will get by with a third nap- especially if we are busy and you are in your carseat a lot. 

Fun Stuff:

-You are SO SO SO close to sitting on your own! When you are laying on your back you try your hardest to sit up. You can sit for about a minute on your own before you begin to tilt one way or another. I see you sitting in the next two weeks or so!

-Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is your favorite, favorite thing.  We know if you are fussy, we can put that on to calm you down.  You can be in the middle of whining and throwing a fit, and if the Hot Dog Dance comes on, you immediately stop and start grinning.  It's so funny!

-You like tummy time more and more.  Lately, that's been probably your favorite activity....especially if we put you in front of a toy.  Those arms and legs are scooting. Your daddy keeps saying once you learn that your legs and arms will work together, you will be off and crawling! And if we lay you on your back, you will usually always find a way to your back!

-You love standing in our laps. You are a strong little boy for sure! And you've started leaning into our shoulder when you're tired.

-The other day Wally and Bailey got in your face and you thought it was the funniest thing! You laughed and laughed! You have not grabbed at Bailey yet, but you grab at Wally and pull his hair. He is so good and doesn't mind! 

-You can make some of the funniest faces.  And you love looking at our funny faces.  When you start laughing, you can not stop yourself. It is the funniest thing and we all are cracking up laughing before long!

-You've found your feet!  You can get them in your mouth now.  You love to wobble back and forth while you're holding your feet.

-You've also learned how to hit and grab! I don't think the hitting is on purpose, but you LOVE to grab long hair! 

  I hope one day you can understand how happy you make us.  You are the light of our lives, and the last 5 months have been the best!






You were not feeling very well on your picture day this month, but I wanted to still get that day.