diapers and mail (and a few sneak peeks)

Years ago when we made the "big trek" from Portland to Charleston one of our neighbors gave us 50 12x12 priority mail boxes to help us pack. He ran a business from his home and had a surplus of these "free" boxes, and we gladly snatched them up. Over the years with our moves we have lost a few here and there, but for the most part they have stuck around. So every time we move it looks like I am running a post office in my house! Please do not ship our stuff, we need it! It does make me smile though, all those many many tiny little boxes stacked around the house. They sure are easier to carry than huge boxes filled with books!

We also learned early on to save, save, save those diaper boxes! So right now the corner of our living room looks like a certain aisle at baby's r us! Diapers as far as they eye can see. Slightly embarrassing when our friends come help us move, but again, we didn't have to pay for the boxes...well, at least nothing beyond the necessary expense of covering our kids bums! Hopefully we aren't the only ones that have packed things in crazy random boxes! Cardboard is cardboard, right? Right!

Oh, and I know so many people have been asking for pics to the house, well of course all the listings have been taken down (eeep!) but I did save a few, and I will take some of my own, and hopefully a walk through video, as soon as I can get back in there! We have to sit back and wait now for all the minor repairs to be taken care of. Until then here are a few from the realtor listings. They really don't do it justice, but it's so hard to photograph an empty house! And...I realized I copied mostly pictures of the kitchen, my favorite room in the house!

View from the street. It's on a nice quiet street, and right across from a historic graveyard, creepy and kinda cool!

 View into the kitchen from what will be craft area.

 Cut out over the sink looks right into the den, no more doing dishes all alone in the corner of the house!

 Sunroom at the back of the house, this will be the baby proofed play room. I can't wait to fill this up and let the kids go to town! The cut out in the wall on the right looks into what will be our eating area. So when I am cooking, I can see the kids playing. I love that. (Plus a little peek at the pool and Keith's basketball hoop!)

 Fireplace in the den with another cut out looking into the playroom. When they remodeled they cut out all the walls to really open it up. Now every room looks into this central den. I love an open floor plan, but so many older homes don't have that. I was so thrilled to find a house with all these "half walls" to keep us connected no matter where we are!

 And the eating area. Can't wait to fill those shelves with all my kitchen stuff. No more rummaging around under the stove or pulling out a chair to look above the fridge! Finally my vintage bake ware can be out and about!

I seriously have to pinch myself about a thousand times a day that this house is ours. It doesn't seem real, or possible. But Keith has worked so hard and it has finally paid off. I just never thought the day would actually come!

I need...

...this sign in my home. Found here. But I am wondering how easy it would be to make it on my own (is that bad?).

Etsy finds {Friday} Saturday

I feel like I have been a real Debbie Downer on the blog lately. Well, last time at least, since I haven't blogged in ages. One of the blogs I read features a bunch of cute things from Etsy that she finds "window shopping" each week and I have certainly been doing my fair share of window shopping! I thought I would lighten up the mood by showing some of my favorite baby finds. Because, who doesn't love baby things? No one, that's who!

Seriously. This hat is the cuteness.

I LOVE these natural wooden teethers you see all over, but this design is just over the top. There is a little hedgehog one out there too, but the mustache is by far the cutest!

Love this little see through "ouch pouch". So much better than having everything floating around in the bottom of your diaper bag!

I love these simple grey shoes! Soft and comfy for newborn feet. And I just love shoes on babies!

Only a few more weeks (sounds better than 2 months) of waiting and we will have our little bean to hold and snuggle. Looking at cute stuff keeps me sane. Especially on an early Saturday morning when I had to force myself to get up and eat my breakfast at my assigned time of 6:30 am. *sigh*

Stressed because...

1. House inspection. For those of you that have ever purchased a house, you know exactly what I am talking about. For those of you that haven't? You aren't missing much! Basically a guy comes into your dream home, spends a few hours poking in/under/around your home and then proceeds to sit you down and scare the crap out of you. And also make you cry...or maybe that is just if you are pregnant. And then you cross your fingers and pray like crazy that the seller will repair the things that need to be repaired so that your husband you and your husband will feel comfortable enough moving in to said dream home.

2. Medical bills. Seriously. I miss the days of medicaid. Oh, to be a poor college student again! It was so nice to get off free and easy with our first two pregnancies. Now we are repaying our debt to society, forking over tons of money for insurance, and in turn paying 20% of all bills accrued. Holy crap. 20% is a lot. Especially when you have to have a C section. What does insurance do again??

3. Gestational Diabetes. Not only do I have to pay for all my testing supplies this time (see above), it's still a big pain in my patootie to eat 3 meals and 3 snacks a day, all at the same exact times. Every. Day. I also have to poke my finger 4 times a day, and test my keytones each morning (I will spare you the details on that). Oh, and don't forget that the meals and snacks I am eating? All regulated with a certain number of this or that, and very little room for processed foods. Which to me equals TIME. Which I have very little of anyways. I forsee lots of scrambled egg sandwiches on english muffins and salad with chicken and lots of veggies in my future. *sigh*

4. School participation. I have totally slacked in helping out at Nat's school this year. Last year I went and helped twice a week with her lunches, this year? Nada. Not a one single time. I just can't! I can't break away from the house, I barely have the energy I need to keep this place in some semblance of order, let alone spend time up there wrangling juice boxes and fetching napkins. Maybe next year. Maybe.

5. On top of all of this, on top of being 31 weeks pregnant (and feeling and looking like I am 38 weeks), on top of Keith working up to 50 hours a week and going to school 4 nights a week (and trying to find time to read for said school) we are trying to move! Are we insane?? Some may say yes, but I do know this is what we are supposed to be doing. Everything is falling into place, but it's still a lot on the table, and all at once. packing. moving. unpacking. BABY. Oh dear. Wish us luck!

five.

So...

I am hoping that I can find my blogging groove again, and soon, because LOTS of changes to come around the Bowers house in the next few months.

Here's a clue to a biggie. And I mean a BIGGIE.



Keep an eye out for more pics and hopefully more documentation of our daily doings. You know, all the real fun stuff. ;)