When it rains, it pours!

Ryan and I have always been known to keep life interesting! Throughout our marriage - we have never really taken things slow and life continues to go that way for us. We bought our first house in Brookhaven on the last day of October 20o5, got married November 2005, found out we were pregnant in March 2006, bought another house and moved into it that October, had Ali that November, both changed jobs within that time, had Rhodes less than two years later, etc etc. Now we are busy with our new family of 5, both back to work, Ryan busy with Leadership Cobb, I am trying to do some taxes, and, low and behold, we got a contract on our house yesterday! We are completely thrilled, but nervous b/c we have to be out in 3 weeks and I will not rest assured that it is a done deal until the papers are signed and the deal is closed! Now, in the next 3 weeks, while toting around a 1 month old, we have boxes to be packed and a new house to be found....as well as completing the projects on our house that our buyer asked of us, being available for the inspection, appraisal, etc (or being out of the house) and, of course, getting everything set up for the appraisal, inspection, and everything in between for our new house! Phew!

The past two days (especially today) we have been talking, looking and researching where we want to live. It is tough!! Even though I have literally looked at harrynorman.com every day probably for the past 3 years (at least!), having to make an actual decision of where to go next is terrifying! The hardest part is that we have a specific area we want to stay in and we really like the school district that we just registered Ali for....and the houses in our price range in that area are few and far between. There is not one "perfect house" that we know is "the one" and it is so hard to weigh what is most important. Do we pick the one that is the best location, not far from where we are, with character, not as many bathrooms, a great backyard and neighborhood, that is going to need some improvements because it is older (1980), and does not have a basement? Or the one that is similar, built around the same time, with a great backyard that backs up to the National Battlefield, that is not as open, smaller kitchen, not as conveniently located, has less character, but is bigger and has fewer improvements that need to be made and still a great house with a great basement and storage and quiet cul-de-sac for bike riding? Decisions, decisions and I am so torn (and unfortunately, Ryan and I are both leaning different directions on which one is the right one - but feel that, deep down, we really can't go wrong with either one!) I have spent my day today praying that God will lead us in the right direction. Either house would be in a great school district, in the same general area, with more space than what we have now and on dead-end roads where cars will not be speeding by every day. All three of our kids can have their own room, plus there is an additional playroom for them in each house and a garage! (I can NOT wait for a garage!) Will keep you posted on what ends up happening!

If this all really goes through, we are going to miss this house SO much! It's going to be hard to find something we will love as much as we love this house...but the time has come to move on and expand and I am excited to see where we go from here!

I'm a month old!

Happy 1 month to our sweet little man! We love you and thank God every day for you!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It's a beautiful St. Patrick's day and Ryan and I were reminiscing today on how much times have changed. It seems like just yesterday we were spending our St. Patrick's Day in Athens with no worries in the world except where we could go sit outside and have a green beverage! :) Oh, how different things are and how easy and fun times were then, but how grateful we are to be where we are now - loving life! We had a fun day today and can't believe we have a 4 week old on our hands....where, oh where, does time go???

During Beck's first 4 weeks, he has been busy....

Growing....

Taking baths....


Getting lots of love and hugs from his sisters....
Getting outside and enjoying this beautiful weather from our screened in porch (while his big sisters run around in the backyard!)
Enjoying his first day in the office with Mama! (Gotta love having a baby during tax season!)

And enjoying his first dinner out tonight!

We were able to enjoy a lot of time at home our first few weeks - thanks to Daddy and Mimi for running carpools and countless friends for delicious dinners. Now that he is getting a little bigger and we are able to get out more - we are getting to our new state of "normal" and Beck is quite the trooper to go along for the ride with the rest of his family's activities. So grateful for a little man that is good on the go and seems to roll with the punches so far!

Happy 3 weeks to Beck!

Beck is 3 weeks old and time is flying! Trying to get pictures of my little man with his eyes open when I can! He is starting to be awake more and more and I am thankful that these days he is crying less and less when he is awake unless he is in need of something. We love our little brother!

He looks like such a little old man in some of these pictures. :) Can't wait for more and more smiles as we get older!

To ring in Beck's 3 week old birthday - Ali and Rhodes got to go with Daddy, Grandmommy and Granddaddy to Princess day at the Aquarium. They had so much fun and I hear they were angels, despite the 2 hour long line to get in! Rhodes always gets worn out after swim class on Saturday morning, so Ryan sent me this picture of her taking an brief power nap in line! While they were gone, Beck and I went on our first walk around town. (about time!) Loving this beautiful Spring weather!
When daddy got home, the boys enjoyed some time catching up on their days....
Love these little feet!
Crazy big sister after a full day of working in the yard on Sunday with her daddy and sister!

Such a random post, but wanted to update with some recent pictures of our three loves lately! Happy 3 weeks to Becko!

My big boy!

Can't believe it's been 3 weeks (as of tonight!) since Beck made his grand appearance. I am not joking when I say my little man likes to eat around the clock! It definitely takes it's toll on this nursing mama that needs to wake up (and not fall asleep) to feed him throughout the night and that has to figure out how to handle the oldest two while feeding him all day long! :) (especially because that generally means a fight will break out over something between Ali and Rhodes just as I sit down to nurse!) Today we went in for Beck's 2 week appointment (even though he is really 3 weeks - our doctor is only in the Marietta office on Fridays!) My little man has not only regained his birth weight (he had dropped from 7 lbs 10 oz to 7 lbs 6 oz at his 3 day checkup), but he was up over 2 pounds to 9 lbs 12 oz (67%). The doctor was amazed at how much weight he had put on! He had also grown from his 20 inch debut 3 weeks ago to 22 inches (81%). He is filling out and getting to be so big already....time, please go ahead and slow down a little. He did great at his appointment (despite a LONG wait - he barely cried!) and everything looked great. Love every ounce of this little man!

Life as we now know it!

We have survived our first 2.5 weeks as a family of 5! Unfortunately, I have been a horrible photographer of our newest addition and wish I had more to share.....but, trying to just soak up the moments of my last newborn. It is so bittersweet. Beck is such a precious addition to our family and his big sisters have been wonderful...but, our days are far from perfect and our nights are far from full of sleep! He is still eating every 2-3 hours and is really starting to fill out. Every little thing - like the thought of someone giving him a bottle instead of just nursing him myself, or watching him get bigger, or trying to decide whether or not to give him a pacifier - are all bittersweet for me since this is my last baby. I want him to just stay little forever b/c I know how fast things change and my baby will soon be a toddler, then a kindergartner, and on and on - but, then again, I also know all of the fun (and sleep and night outs!) that lies ahead. So bittersweet - but, it helps make the tough mom of a newborn days/nights easier and the simple mom of a newborn moments all the more sacred. I could sit and hold Beck for hours - and, thank goodness, because this little man loves to be held! :) We are slowly venturing back into the real world - and, even though this transition has been smoother, it is, of course, far from easy....but still fun! Oh, how I look forward to a full nights sleep (or a straight 4 hours - heaven!), but, until then, I am holding on tight to these moments and these babies and loving this new life as a family of 5!