House Update - PreConstruction

Levi and I met with our home builder yesterday for our official "preconstruction meeting," which was basically a time to confirm all of the selections we've made, look at the blueprints and make sure they are building the right house...you know, the important stuff!  He said they should "break ground" on Monday (less than a week) and that our house could be done as early as mid-May! So exciting!

I don't have any new pictures of the house itself, obviously, because it's still just a lot with dirt on it...but hopefully starting next week I can start taking progressive pictures. What I do have, however, is pictures of our design selections, so I thought I'd share those now...

Clockwise from top: 18in tile for kitchen/dining/foyer/bathrooms; wood floor for family room; granite countertops in kitchen; and kitchen/bathroom cabinets.

I know the kitchen/bathroom cabinets look black. They're NOT. They are "espresso brown." It's very dark, but as I keep reassuring Levi, they're not black. :)

This is a sketch of our kitchen cabinets and backsplash. The diagonal tile will match the floor tile, and the small accent tiles are metal. Both are shown below:

Our front door selections - we chose the one on the right. Our front shutters will be stained to match.

Light fixtures...the left side are outdoor fixtures and the right side are indoor fixtures. I think they'll be very pretty!



I have an idea in my mind of how the house will look when it's all done and we've painted and moved in...I hope the reality will be as nice! :) I have a "decorating" notebook that I carry around, adding pictures and paint swatches for the different rooms...I think it will be a modern-traditional style, with lots of browns and neutrals with a few accent colors, and wrought iron details. Can't wait to see it evolve! :)



Baby Update - 6 months along!

Baby J (henceforth known officially as Caleb) and I had our 6 month appointment yesterday...all is going well so far! It was a quick appointment: checking my weight, measuring my belly, and using the Doppler to hear the heartbeat. I told my OB I thought he was still breech (the head upright, bottom/feet down position) because when he kicks - which is often - I still only feel them very low down near my pelvis. My OB agrees but reassures that there is still lots of time for him to turn around!

Starting at our next visit (28 weeks) we'll have ultrasounds to monitor Caleb's growth, because of my MS. Thankfully, I haven't had any flare ups or problems with MS during this pregnancy, but decreased growth of the baby can be a complication with some women. At our 20 week ultrasound, he was perfect at 14oz (not quite a pound), so hopefully we won't have any problems. I am glad we are doing the growth scans, though, for reassurance AND because it means I get to see him more often! :)

I do have a few pictures to share...The one on the left is 5 months along with Olivia. The one on the right is 4 1/2 months along with Caleb. Pretty similar, even though they're 2 weeks apart! I guess that means I'm not as huge as I feel...

And apparently I like striped maternity shirts. :P The next picture I have from my pregnancy with Olivia is at 6 1/2 months, so I'll try to remember to take another one in a few weeks for comparison.

Christmas 2011

We had a great Christmas this year, and we hope you did as well!

Olivia was a lot of help decorating our house. She loved all the snowmen and pretty lights!

new baby doll - Olivia has named her "Nina." She feeds her all the time, and though she's not had a stitch of clothing on since Christmas morning, we think Nina is good practice for upcoming little brother! :)

A new bicycle for Christmas! She was very excited. It has a seat on the back for her baby (or kitty) and a basket in the front for her puppy!

She even has her name on her license plate! Stylin' girl.

So proud of her new bicycle.

Grandpa and Grandma (Tim & Kathy Lickliter) came to visit for Christmas, which was lovely. We took them to the Hula Hut for dinner. It's an Austin original restaurant right on the lake. If it had been warmer we would have eaten outside...next time! I think it's our new "go-to" spot to take visitors! Good food, good prices, good view!

Riding on the path. That baby seat in the back actually turns out to be a great hand-hold for Levi to help her slow down on the hills! Olivia is not a fan - she yells back at him, "Let go, Daddy! Let go so I can go fast!" 

...I'm thinking of investing in knee pads based on her love of speed. Maybe a whole-body pad. She hasn't fallen yet, so that's a plus. We've taken her on the paved path by the storm overflow creek in our neighborhood several times, and we're teaching her to "stay on the right!!" so she doesn't get run over by much faster cyclists...she still gets distracted by the scenery and turns her bike whereever she looks, but she's getting better!