Almost home sweet home

We had hoped to close on the new house before our trip to the Caribbean, but instead are closing the day after we get back...which is insanely stressful. Between packing for a week away, wrapping up work projects, and coordinating the final details of the new house, I find myself forgetting to breathe! I know it will all come together in the end, but it's stressful to say the least:)

We had our inspection on Wednesday, and our walk through with the builder yesterday. I was very pleased that our builder agreed to everything on our punch list and his landscaping plans are beautiful! Thankfully, he'll wait until we get back to plant and sod the yard so it doesn't die while we're away.

I spent more hours then I care to share pricing window treatments and going round and round trying to make my final decision. I ended up ordering fauxwood blinds with tapes for the bedrooms and plantation shutters for the living room and kitchen. I eventually want to do shutters on all of the windows, but that's just not in the immediate budget. Especially since Jackson's room alone was quoted at $750, really I don't think so!

I'll leave you with some pictures I took this week of the work in progress. I can't wait to come back from the beach and see it completed!!! Almost home sweet home, almost!!!

Living room looking into foyer

Kitchen island pendants

Master bathroom

Master bedroom

Living room looking into kitchen

Mr.'s new baby:) He's so excited about having a gas stove!

Have a great week ladies!!!

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Fishy Face

New suitcases have been purchased
Fresh sunscreen is packed safely in ziplocs
Each of our swimsuits have been accessorized with matching cover-ups and flip flops
Base tans have been established
Snacks and new toys for the plane ride have been purchased
Camera and DVD batteries are charging
And our little man has tested out his fishy face...

Yep, I think we're ready for our Caribbean getaway!!!

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2-year well baby visit

I can hardly believe the title of this post, can you?!? Jackson actually made it to his 2-year well baby toddler doctor's appointment without any visits in between!!! He's had a couple of colds or just normal allergies a time or two, but nothing that has required an actual visit to a doctor's office.  Besides, I'm pretty much Dr. Mom now and can fix him up pretty well;)

Jackson stood at 35" tall exactly and weighed a whopping 32lbs, which puts him in about the 75% for both height and weight.  Holding this big boy down for his shots wasn't as easy as it once was!

The doctor took a look at his ears, nose and throat.  Tubes were great, throat was good, and his sinus were okay.  A little red and inflamed, but nothing worth treating him for.

Jackson has cut 2 of his 2-year molars and the others are poking through.  He'll definitely have all of his teeth by his actual 2-year birthday - which his lovely diapers are proving!

Jackson knows all of his body parts and is talking and chatting up a storm.  It's seriously amazing! He repeats so much and says a few new words a day.  He'll even point things out to me - like a trash can.  He's good at throwing away his trash and diapers, so he's always on the lookout I guess:) Silly boy!

I feel like Jackson has grown so much since we've been living with my parents.  And he's certainly not lacking attention, that's for sure.  My little terrible two has us all wrapped around his fat little fingers, and we love him to the moon and back!

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Life Lately

Since we moved in with my parents last month, my little family of three has gone through some ups and downs. We have our own space, and bedrooms, and are certainly not living out of suitcases - but, it's just not the same as being at home.

Mr. refuses to enter into my mom's laundry room in fear of drying or washing something wrong. Jackson asks for Pop about a 150,000 times a day and has re-named Loli, Ya-ya. The dishwasher is like a space machine that we've yet to figure out and are cursed for putting a dirty cup into almost completed wash cycle about as frequently as Jackson asks for Pop.

I say all of this with a smile on my face because really, we are thankful to have my parents and the luxuries of their home. Every Thursday the maid comes and cleans our space and bathroom. Countless hours are spent lounging by their beautiful pool. Evening walks have been replaced with golf cart rides that make my heart happy. Laundry is folded faster than I can remember that I even started a load of wash. And Jackson loves his Loli Ya-ya and Pop to pieces and it's nice to have extra hands.

Happy boy on his ride!

My happy little family, and Momma's back as a blonde:)

All in all - I'd say the pros of living with my parents far outweigh the cons - which is a very good thing since I'm not sure when our house will ever be done!

My new laundry room, which Mr. will be using;)

The builder is finishing up the hardwood floors this week. The fence is almost complete and the appliances are in. However, we have a long list of "punch-list" items that have yet to be touched. So, we're not counting on closing until we return from St. John.  I had hoped to be unpacked and ready for a vacation before our trip, but instead it looks like I'll be resting up for the big move when we return.

Work has just been absolutely insane and I see no end in sight.  Jackson says a new word everyday and his little voice is too cute for words.  Mr. and I have worked through some issues and are in a much better place.  I attempted potty training for a day, but we're just not ready for this yet.

Jackson got a new bike since his is at the back of our storage unit.  He's starting to figure it all out.  Oh and we've been on the Medifast diet for a little over a month now.  I'm down 8lbs., and Mr. is down 20lbs.! Hello beach babes:)

Did I mention how much love and joy these two handsome men bring into my life?!?

Happy Wednesday loves:)

P.S. Jackson will be 2 in less then a month, how did this happen?!?

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Motherhood & Life

For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a mother. From stuffing pillows in my shirt to play pretend pregnant to daydreaming about a house full of babies that all call me momma.  The day that Jackson was born, my dream surely came true, but life lately is not how I daydreamed it to be.

I wouldn't trade being a mother for the world. I never even knew my heart was capable of loving so unconditionally until Jackson was placed in my arms. Each day brings a new challenge, a new phase, and a deeper love. Waking up every morning to see my sweet boy is such a blessing, sometimes I don't know what I did to deserve such a gift.

But, some days I wish I could just soak in "motherhood" and be nothing more than a momma for a day. No laundry to do, or medications to keep track of, or gifts to buy, or work to do, or pressure to keep it all straight, or worry about potty training, or stressing about building a new house, or telling my husband what to do.

You see, when I dreamed about being a momma I didn't know what that title really meant.  In my dreams there were far more hours playing and chasing each other and reading books and morning snuggles that last until noon.  Sadly, in my reality there are more hours spent changing sheets and running the household then playing and reading and laughing.

My life in general needs more playing, and much more laughter.  I have plenty of laughter and joy in motherhood, but sometimes I feel like I'm in this game of life alone. 

I spent my Mother's day doing exactly what I thought I wanted, but as I laid by the pool when Jackson was napping, my partner in life wasn't there with me.  He was out doing what he wanted to do for the day.  And I suddenly realized that I wasn't doing what I wanted to do, at all.  

It's not really a "happy" Mother's day when you realize that you've taken care of everyone around you, but no one has really thought to take care of you and you're alone.

When life gets so busy and routine, it's easy to take people for granted.  And as a mother, I vow to never let my son take anything or anyone for granted.  Ever.  Life is too special to not love with all your heart and make the people you love really know it!

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Festival Weekend 2011

I can't believe how quickly festival came and went this weekend! Let's just say, you know a good time was had by all when Loli decided to take over Jackson's stroller:) I'm in serious need for another weekend to catch up on sleep and do a little detoxing!

Thursday night of festival Mr. had a little networking event that we needed to attend. So, we decided to make it a date night and left Jackson with my parents. The weather couldn't have been nicer and the evening was wonderful! We networked for a good bit and ended the night at our new favorite restaurant downtown. The patio is just amazing and the salads were a hit. We had such a great time that my parents took us there again Friday night! Did I mention how much I love to sit outside, listen to music, and drink wine?!?

The weather turned nasty on Saturday, so we decided to skip out on Festival for the day. The sun came back out on Sunday, and let's just say the day unexpectly turned into a Sunday Funday downtown with Loli & Pop:) I wish I would have brought my camera, but it's probably best that I only had my phone!

Jackson loved the bands and did a little dancing for us. He was completely mesmerized by the band on stilts, but I can't blame him. The show was kind of like a high school marching band + burlesque + carnival. If you have a chance to see MarchFourth Marching Band, I highly recommend it!

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