Building a home

We are so excited to finally be starting on our house! The last year or more has been very frustrating and exciting as we have tried to determine what our next step would be in buying or building a home. A lot of time discussing, researching and praying has been spent by Tyler and I to make sure we were taking the right step for our family.

When we made the decision to build, we were considering the schools close by and the freedom of having 8 acres for the kids to grow up on. Tyler's parents offered to allow us to build on their property when they first bought it a few years ago. I have always, always wanted to live on some land out in the country. However, I also love the close proximity we have to stores and restaurants these last 6 years or more while living "in town". That was one of my biggest hurdles to jump when deciding if we wanted to build. Being that it isn't completely our property and the amount of time and energy it takes to build a home, I didn't want us to light heartedly decide to build. Ultimately, the country life won. Every time we go to the property; we don't want to leave. As well, the school there is a great atmosphere for our kids to start and graduate from. I say that because we were considering great options for elementary schools closer to town but wouldn't know where the kids would go to middle and high school. All that being said, our time spent making this decision was worth it and is finally over!! Thank goodness!

We had other hurdles to jump through, unfortunately, with the loan process. I would have liked to have started building back in May or June or even July but we couldn't. This was another frustrating part of all this since we had a new baby on the way AND Garyn was to start school this fall. But God evidently needed us to wait a couple months longer.

So August 1st was the day we finally got to see work being done towards building our new home! We have been working with some builders since May to decide what we wanted and pick out all the interior finishes. Yes, we have chosen all the details of our home and just saying that takes a load off my shoulder! With football, kindergarten and a new baby, I wouldn't have had time to do that! During the summer, we continually met with the building company and got all that squared away.

I took this picture before anything had been done to the property. I thought it would be cool to weekly document the progress through blog and pictures especially this one of all of us with the house going up behind us! I can't wait to see the finished project.

Our last pic as a family of four! This was taken the day before we went to the hospital to have Layne!

 

 

I guess I should say the property is in Sale Creek or actually Bakewell which is up past Soddy Daisy. We choose to have the house built on the front two acres as we say. There is a semi-flat open field where the kids can play and be easily seen by me in the house. The stakes behind us mark the corners of the house.

 

Week 1: August 1st they started by taking out the trees and making the area all clear for the house. They also put gravel on the driveway that week and dug the footers.

 

 

(Looks so open now!)

 

This was at the end of week one and Layne was right at a week old.

 

Week 2 went a little slower since it rained and the bulldozing men had gotten so much done already that there wasn't work being done everyday. But they did pour the footers, put in the water line, and the septic tank. And brought the block that would be done the next week. 

 

Septic lines are under all these mounds of dirt

(FYI: that cute little shed in background was built from scratch by my husband and his dad this summer!)

 

So end of week 2 picture isn't much different:

 

 

Week 3:

 

This past week was week 3. The block foundation was laid this week. It's the first look at the shape of the house.....

 

As you can see, we will only have a crawl space rather than a basement. This was one thing we had to let go of when trying to stay in budget. 4 bedrooms were more important! :) We will be able to walk into it though (rather than crawl), the picture below shows the large doorway opening.

This picture above also shows the bay window that will be in our eating area off the kitchen :)

 

The kids playing on the block (including Tyler).

 

 

They also got the temporary power put in this week. And decorated our yard with multiple signs!

                                               

 

End of week 3!

 

I need to mark a spot I think to make the pictures a little more uniform. One for where we stand and one for where the camera should be!



 

I also want to say how fun it has been to watch the kids excitement. The first day on our way there, both kids kept talking about the house. Ansley was saying, "We build our house, Momma?" Garyn wanted to know when we would be moving. Now, everyday after I pick Garyn up from school, we drive by to check on the progress. Ansley now says. "We goin' to 'poperty' to see what they did?!" How she understands all this I'll never know, but she seems to completely get it! She knows its our house being built for us to move to. Garyn also loves going and has gone several times this summer with Tyler playing for hours while Tyler mowed or built the shed. He has a blank canvas to pretend in every direction!



 



Layne is born!

Layne Timothy Rich was born 2 weeks ago on July 25th at 2 am. He weighed 8 lbs 4 oz and was 20 3/4 inches.

 I arrived at 8 pm on the 24th to begin the induction. As much as I didn't want to be induced, I discovered if I wanted to have Tyler 100 % there, we needed to go before football camp. Obviously, he would have been there either way but I didn't want him or me torn between the two. I know how much football season takes out of him and just didn't want it to be weighing on him that he couldn't be in both places at one time. On top of that, I know I haven't gone into labor on my own before. I didn't want to wait until the 28th, his due date, and then end up being induced. So we went in at 8 pm on the 24th ( Garyn's birthday) and started receiving meds around 8:30 pm. I was 2 1/2- 3 cms. dilated already.

We were hanging out, talking to my coworkers. I wasn't getting uncomfortable really. My nurse, Rebecca, said Dr. Brody wanted to break my water around 11 pm and suggested I get my epidural first. I concurred and we started with that process. Once that was done, a resident broke my water, well 2 of them did (not at the same time!) but I apparently had a sealed tight bag that didn't want to bust. So a different resident had to come back and try a different tactic. At this point, I was just 4 cms. I was also feeling real relaxed, as well, and we started to rest as best we could. However, I kept getting interrupted. Layne had been doing great and still was fine but showed signs of distress or that he was moving down quick. At 12:30 am, I was 6 cm and they had me turn to my side with oxygen. Again, I tried to snooze as best I could. Then about 1:00, I was told Dr. Brody was on his way to check me. I was still a little dumb founded not expecting things to go that quick. I could still feel some pain with contractions but didn't feel pressure or anything. Well, as they said, Dr. B checked me and I was 9 1/2 cm. !  I had to wake Tyler up at this point. And I texted Nana because she wanted to come once I was close; she likes to hear their first cry. She was also bringing Garyn because he got upset when he realized he wasn't going with us when we were leaving. I knew he would be excited and easily awakened! While everything for delivery got set up, we waited for them before I started pushing.

Nana captured this of Garyn trying to peek in while I was pushing......one of my favorites

Then at 2 am, he entered the world! We couldn't have been happier to see his precious face!

 

 

Garyn was so excited to see him and hold him, along with Nana. They stayed for about an hour and then headed back to sleep before coming back.

looking a bit tired here...it was 2 am

When they came back, Ansley was with them, of course. She was interested but observant at first. She touched him some and talked about me being in the bed with my pj's on. Emma was there at that time, too, their 1 yr. old cousin. So I think Ansley just focused on her some. She didn't fuss when they left like I thought she would but again they were leaving with "Mema." Sonja said she didn't want to talk about it once they left and would change the subject. Garyn just couldn't get enough of him and didn't want to leave.

Once we got home, she was a lot more herself. They flogged the van as soon as we opened the doors. It was very cute to see their excitement. Garyn couldn't wait to hold him. Ansley was interested in his feet and his pacifier. She and Garyn both worked him over good for awhile.

 

She wants her paci all the time now, too.

 

 

Features we noted about Layne:
- He looked a lot like Tyler those first few days, now at 2 weeks, he looks so much like Garyn as a baby. Which is also very Tyler like.
- He has dark hair, at least for now. Tyler hopes he keeps it! I think his hairline looked more like Tyler, now its about the same as I remember Garyn's being. Garyn's hair was much lighter, Ansley's was the same color at birth as Layne, but both kids have turned sandy blonde. So it'll be a waiting game for Layne's official hair color.
-He has wide hands and long feet.
-Although he weighed 8 lbs 4 oz, he looks just as small as his siblings! Even the doctor and nurses thought he would be 7 and a half or so. I had her weigh him a second time cause we were in such shock!
-We quickly determined that he has sensitive skin. Pampers diapers made him break out and now it seems like he has gotten bumps on his arms from blankets or something.
- He has a pretty laid back attitude and doesn't cry much. At least for now...
- He likes his fingers, hands and thumb but a pacifier will do, too. I try to keep one around since they are easier to take away!
-And his eyes look dark blue like I remember Garyn's being.

2 wks. old

The last several days, we have just been admiring him and getting used to life as 5. Both kids have been doing good with him. I just have to watch Ansley cause she wants to lean over the bassinet to see him. She likes for him to have his paci and wants to "rock" him when she holds him. Garyn is just loving and sweet to him. He gets frustrated, though, when he sleeps long periods because he wants to see his eyes. I have been pleased with the transition to 3. It seems easier than when Ansley was born. I don't feel overwhelmed, I just keep trying to figure out how to shave time off of getting us ready to go somewhere. I figure we'll get there eventually!