We moved into our new house!

It's been awhile, but for a good reason. We finally moved into our new house! It's crazy to think that one day when Bryson was about 2 weeks old, Ty came home from work and randomly said, "What if we build a house?" 

In my exhausted, ratty haired, spit-up-on-my-shirt state, I said, "What? Seriously?" We went to talk to the builder that weekend, and the rest is history.

We moved into the house about 2 weeks ago with the help of our parents.

It was a LONG day, but we got the majority of the stuff we needed. We also brought Bubba over after all our helpers had gone home, and he adjusted so much better than we could've hoped.

This one egg was the only loss in the whole move...and we have a LOT of fragile items!

Ty spent the rest of the week making trips back to the old house to clear out the garage, shed, and patio furniture. And let me tell ya, when you have an 8 month old who thinks he needs constant attention...unpacking is a much slower process! However, it's amazing what can get done during nap and bedtimes.

Then last Friday we closed on the old house. It was definitely bittersweet. It was our first home, where we brought our baby home, said goodbye to our dog, and so many other memories that a first home brings.

We got to talk with the new couple moving into our house and it was so great to hear that it's also their first house. They've been working hard to get their finances in order to buy their first home and are ready to start a family. It meant a lot to us that this will be an important place for them as well.

Now that everything at the old house is all settled, we're setting out to officially make this new house a home. It's hard to make definitive decorating decisions because we plan to get a few new pieces of furniture, but we're slowly getting there. For now, it still feels a little like a house we've rented to stay in on vacation. 

I NEVER in a million years thought I'd want to build a house. It was just never something that interested me. But seeing the process through from start to finish has been so fun, and it's crazy that it's all over now. However, I do find myself thinking from time to time that Ty was insane to bring this whole idea up when we had a 2 week-old!

xoxo, wife (& mommy)

8 months old

Bryson turned 8 months old last week!

(I couldn't let this  whole pandemic go by without documenting it at least once during a milestone photoshoot, right?)

I'm dead. The polo, the little faded drawstring jeans, the natural mohawk that just happens on its own, and his sweet smile. I can't. I'm deceased.

Bryson continues to be the sweetest baby we could've ever asked for. He has actually slept through the night a few times in the last week, so we are hoping that is a trend that will continue {fingers crossed}. He has two tiny little teeth on the bottom, and I never knew that little teeth could make me so unbelievably happy! He continues to be a good mix of both Ty and I personality-wise, and we are so excited to watch him continue to grow and develop.

He is a champion eater, and will pretty much eat any pureed baby food we give him. He's not a fan of green veggies, so I mix those with applesauce if needed. We've started giving him little bits of regular foods too: bread, banana, strawberries, waffles, ice cream, mashed potatoes, etc. So far the consensus is that he likes most of the things he's tried (especially ice cream!), but is NOT a fan of noodles or potatoes yet. The majority of his nutritional value still comes from his formula, obviously, but that will change as he nears his first birthday (but we're not going to talk about his birthday, because there's no way he's old enough to even be bringing that up at all.)

Since he was born, Bryson has HATED being on his tummy, and that has led to a few delays in his gross motor skills. While he CAN roll in both directions, he tends to stop rolling before he gets to his belly, and will just stay on his side. But put that kid on his belly and he's a WHIZ at rolling back over to his back haha! We are still working on sitting up, which he can do, but for short periods of time, and only with supervision, because he likes to fling himself backward. We're also working on the crawling stance...but for the time being, I don't think it's going to happen super soon. Bryson proves to be stubborn, and the only thing that really seems to motivate him to get moving at all is a pacifier. He still loves to stand with help from us, and also likes to stand while holding onto tables (or our moving boxes.)

His fine motor skills are really coming along. He's getting really great at using his hands to grab and shake things, and has started to bang his toys or pacifiers together, which he thinks is hilarious. He can pull things out of containers, put them back in, and loves to feed himself little pieces of food or puffs. He's not always accurate with the tiny things, but he's getting really good! Right now he really likes to grab something in his chubby little hand and roll his wrist all around to show it off. He has also started playing the "how many times will you pick this up when I drop it" game.

Bryson loves to babble and make noises all the time (unless he's around new people, or if he's Facetiming someone.) He isn't saying any actual words yet, but has been experimenting with different consonants for awhile now. He has different tones of voice when he is happy, sad, and mad, and uses facial expressions that appropriately match those tones. 

We have also found that he has recently become scared of loud, sudden noises: cutting drywall, train horns, and the tape dispenser we've been using to pack boxes are noises he has been scared of this past week. 

I'm soaking up our last few days in this house with him. This will always be a special place, because it was his first home. I remember bringing him home from the hospital like it was just yesterday, and crying because I was just so happy to be home with my family finally complete. I can't believe that our next milestone post will be in a brand new house!

Until next month, 

xoxo, wife (& mommy)

saturday

Today was a good day. It was beautiful out, and I believe it hit about 80 degrees, which is the warmest it's been all year so far.

I've taken Bryson out on the deck in his jumper, but we've never played outside in the yard, so we did that today. It was about 70 degrees when we went out. We found a nice shaded spot in the yard. He clung to me for the first few minutes...not entirely sure how he felt. He eventually warmed up to the idea of being outside, and even gave me some smiles.

{cheeks}

Then we came inside to play for a little while.

I was able to get out of the house today and do a little shopping. Between quarantine and a baby, I don't get much alone time, so it was really nice.

HOWEVER...when I got to the grocery store, there was a sign requiring customers to wear a mask if they are medically able to. Which I suppose I am (even though I'm SUPER claustrophobic.) I didn't think I was going to make it, but I surprised myself by keeping my mask on the whole time. I did buy a TON of groceries though, so I don't have to go back any time soon!

While I was out, I got a new snack for Bryson to try: baby cheetos! He loves them!

Then we went on a family walk. Our new house is in a tiny, one-road subdivision, so we're taking advantage of the large neighborhood behind our house while we're still living here. Since Bryson can't walk yet, he got his exercise by doing some yoga poses.

All in all, it was a great Saturday. It's crazy how much the weather (and a little break) can lift my mood so much.

Tomorrow's plan is live-streaming our church service, playing with the baby (hopefully outside again), and getting some more packing done. (And hopefully squeezing in a little time to read.)

xoxo, wife (& mommy)

my honest thoughts on this quarantine.

Yes, there are people who have lost jobs. There are people dying. There are people who haven't seen their loved ones in months. Women are delivering babies without their husbands present. Healthcare workers are risking their lives daily to care for the sick. I get it. I really don't have any right to complain.

But I miss stuff too. I miss going out to eat. I miss taking Bryson on errands or to the grocery store. I miss sharing my baby with friends and family members. Sometimes I feel like he's going to have a full set of teeth and be tying his own shoes by the time he gets to be around people again. I miss giving my friends hugs. I miss playdates and my mom's group. I miss the rush to get out the door on Sundays to get to church on time. I miss walking around stores to look around or get some exercise. I miss when Ty could come home from work and kiss the baby right away, without having to strip down and take a shower right away. I miss when the news was just the news, and not 30 minute coronavirus update segments. 

I'm a total introvert. Sometimes I feel like I'm absolutely thriving in this season of social distancing. I joke that I've been waiting for this my whole life...I wish I could've always shouted at people to "stay 6 feet away from me at all times!" I crave alone time. It's how I recharge my batteries. So most of the time this doesn't really bother me. But I also miss people too (from afar, of course. Let's not get crazy.)

I also feel sorry for people. I'm sick of people saying that it doesn't matter that high school seniors are missing out...that it's not a big deal they don't get to graduate. But it is. I'm so sorry they're missing all the things I absolutely loved about my senior year. I'm sorry for college seniors too. I'm sorry for students who didn't get a proper end to their sports careers. They didn't get to say goodbye to peers that they'll likely never see again. 

I feel sorry for my colleagues who are teaching online. As teachers, we weren't meant to teach through a computer. We were meant to reach these kids in person. My friends went into this thinking they'd see their students again in 3-4 weeks. Now they'll be given a brand-new set of kids in August, without the closure of the previous year. Parents are constantly complaining on social media about how awful e-learning is, and how they hate it, and have a hard time getting their kids to do it. That they aren't teachers and didn't choose to homeschool their kids. I absolutely agree. But my coworkers are doing the best they can with the situation they've been dealt...just like the parents and students. This isn't ideal for anyone.

I feel sorry for my friends' kids. Bryson is completely innocent and oblivious to what's going on, and I'm so grateful for that. My friends are having to explain to their kids why they can't go to school, or see their friends and grandparents. They don't get to go to the park, or movies, or on field trips. They're bored. Their parents are running out of patience (and bribes.)

I feel sorry for those who have had to cancel major life events like weddings...something a couple has dreamed about forever, now indefinitely postponed. I have a good friend who's wedding is in June. They may have to cancel and choose to go the courthouse route instead. And what about funerals...we can't even be together to mourn, or celebrate someone's life.

I hate the unknown. When will things go back to normal? I'm going back to teaching in August...what will that look like? I'd like to think that surely by then we won't be social distancing anymore, but there's already talk from the state about what school could possibly look like next year. From what I've read so far, it doesn't look like it will be anything close to normal. 

I hate the mixed messages I'm getting from the media. What am I supposed to believe? Is all of this really as big of a deal as we're making it? Did it really originate from a bat in a wet market in China? Or was it purposely released? Is there a motive behind all of this? Are we making too big of a deal, and is it really that dangerous? How the heck are we supposed to know? I have my own thoughts, feelings, and theories about what's going on...but who knows if I'm right or not? The only solid, consistent information we're getting from the media is to be scared, wash your hands, and don't touch your face. Everything else is so inconsistent.

I could go on rambling about it forever. I just had to get it off my chest. It's historical. High schoolers will be reading about this a hundred years from now in history books. But living in it kind of really sucks for all of us.

xoxo, wife

our home is officially for sale!

Our home is officially for sale and it's bittersweet. Our new house is almost finished, and we certainly didn't know we'd be moving during a global pandemic when we started the building process last September, but sometimes life comes at you fast!

It was officially listed around 12:00pm yesterday, and within 28 minutes, we already had requests for showings coming in. We had 4 back to back showings last evening, and we already have a full day of showings today as well. This is not the most convenient thing with a 7 month old baby, but I'm hoping that with all these showings, we get an offer soon and then we can be done! For posterity's sake, I've included all the pictures the photographer took, so that we can look back on how our first home looked!

Praying for a quick and easy sale (preferably at our asking price!)

xoxo, wife