Hello Fort Mill

Well, it's official. 

We are South Carolinians again! 

On Friday, September 7th, we sold our Atlanta home in the morning and bought our Fort Mill Home in the afternoon. To say that day, that week, that month was exhausting, exhilarating, exciting would be a complete understatement. 

 

 So long, Atlanta

Hello, Fort Mill!

Regardless. We are here. We are home. 

So, without further ado, a complete picture overload of our new home, the place we intend to be until our littles graduate high school. 

But wait, wait, wait. 

Let me first say that there is still a LOT left to be done. As in, many, many boxes still need unpacking. None of the walls are adorned. We still need to buy new furniture and re-finish old furniture. We also need new rugs, new bathmats, new shower curtains, new trashcans, new, well...quite a few things. My daughter's room and bathroom need re-painting. And on. And on. And on. 

But you know what? When my oh-my-Lawd-everything-needs-to-be-perfect-right-here-right-now brain is able to shut off for 0.5 seconds, I am able to remind myself that this is the fun of it. We get to make this place ours. And that will take time. So, we are slowly deciding exactly how to shape this home to make it feel like, well, home. 

Okay, okay. Now without further ado, our new home via a pictorial tour. 

First, the main floor:

 Hard to see in this pic, but there are flower boxes below several of the windows. Note to self: Need to learn to keep plants alive...

The front door and dining room, right off the entry way

 This room is still an unpacked mess...

Between the dining room and the main den is the staircase with built-in baby gates. Be still my heart!

The main den area

Another view of the main den area. Currently looking for pins on how to "style" built-in bookshelves...

Between the main den and the secondary den is the kitchen

 

I guess I should really learn how to cook...

View from the secondary den

The second den: Like the furniture? Obviously, still quite a bit to be done with some new purchases needed... :)

 

 The master bedroom...again, quite barren at this point. And yes, we'll be tossing the college-esque duvet and selecting a more adult option :)

Another view...baby-on-the-move not included (and that door leads to the...)

 

Master bath!

 Y'all? Our previous master bath could have fit in that tub. Needless to say, we're excited for the space

 I won't even discuss the love I feel over this closet...my side

The hub's side

 

 

In addition to the laundry/mud room-complete with adorable cubbies for the kiddos (which I forget to take a picture of and am too lazy to do so now)-there is also a 1/2 bath on the first floor.

 Now, let's travel upstairs: The second floor:

Banks' room

Can't wait to get his wall decor up!

Raleigh's room: One of two rooms that needs repainting (no, we will not be keeping the green/yellow walls nor tree decal)

Lucky girl: Raleigh's attached bathroom (i.e., the second of two rooms that needs repainting...no thank you Pepto-Bismol pink and mermaid/seashell decals)

The (so far) neglected guest room

A (partial) view of the second guest room/man cave-again, quite a bit to do here

The hub's home office, located right off the man cave

The guest bath

And finally, the room I have dreamed of for my babies, the playroom! I cannot WAIT to re-decorate this space!

My OCPD brain is screaming to organize, organize, organize the toy closet off the playroom

The bathroom attached to the playroom

 And now, we'll head outside...
 

 The screened in porch

 Part of the backyard (i.e., what Banks' dreams are made of)

The outdoor fireplace, where the hub and I will share many a glass (or two...or three) of wine over the next 20 years...

 And there you have it. Home sweet home.

And trust me. I am truly feeling blessed beyond words that this is our little corner of the world.

Farewell Atlanta

Our house is packed.

One-third of our belongings are in a storage unit in Fort Mill waiting for us. 

The rest of our things are now packed in a large Penske truck in our driveway.

I have worked my last day as a pediatric neuropsychologist in Georgia. 

I have jumped into stay-at-home-momma-hood with both feet, enjoying every tiring second so far.

A beautiful new home awaits us in South Carolina.

And yet.

Surprisingly, I am somewhat sad to leave our Atlanta home, this part of our life, behind. 

It's not that we're not ready. Oh trust me. We are ready. 

We have been living on top of each other, the four of us, in our 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home, with the unfinished basement and lack of playroom. There have been toys in every nook and cranny of this home. Our extended family has had to sleep on couches, on floors, or in hotel rooms when coming to visit us since our daughter was born in January. Without a doubt, we need more space. Without a doubt, we want to be closer to more of our family.

And yet.

I am, still, somewhat sad to leave this house.

It's because this is where my hub and I have spent the majority of our married life. It's because this is where my life as a momma began. It's because this is where I dreamed big dreams for both of my babies when they were still kicking, rolling, punching inside my tummy. It's because this is where I walked around the neighborhood with my hub trying to naturally induce my labor. It's because this is the place we brought both of our babies days after they were born. It's because this is the place where we watched both of our children smile, giggle, sit up, crawl, pull-up, and stand for the first time (and we can tell you exactly where in this home those moments first occurred). It's because this is where I have beautiful memories of laying in the grass with my girl while watching my boys play football/golf/baseball/soccer in the yard. It's because this is where I have spent time cloud watching and story telling with my son while taking in the smells of Spring outside. It's because this is where my daughter and I started our ritual of daily momma/daughter secrets. It's because this place has been home.

And yet. 

We have a new home now, in a new neighborhood, in a new state. 

Scared? Yes. Excited? Yes. Overwhelmed? Yes. Ready? Yes.

Because as long as we are together, we are home. 

On to the next chapter. 

Farewell Atlanta...

Party On: Banks' 1st Birthday Bash

To me, birthdays are a big deal. 

Always have been. Always will be.

But now that I have my own children, they are even more special. So many memories flood back to me on the eve of a birthday, flashback style, from the second I heard those first cries to the moments I spent celebrating first smiles, first crawls, first giggles, first steps, first foods, first teeth, first words, first everything. To me, birthdays are a time to reflect on the last year and recognize all the special moments that now decorate the core of my memory. They are not only a time to celebrate my sweet little babes, but a time for a self high 5. Yahoo! We made it. We survived another year: the teething, the tanturms, the sleepless nights, the are-we-doing-anything-right-as-parents questions, the new balance of live/work/play, the health scares, the milestones, the, well, again, everything. And I would be lying if I said I didn't break down in tears on each birthday eve of my sweet baby boy so far. I'm sure this year will be no different.

Yes, I love birthdays. For so many reasons.

So, it's safe to say, I love a good birthday party. 

My baby boy is turning 3 at the end of this month (say wha?!?), and I thought it would be only fitting to reminisce about his previous birthday parties. 

Starting with the big 0-1 (a post on the celebration for the big 0-2 coming next week...if we have internet in our new house by then...).

The theme for the birthday fun started out as more of a color scheme (turquoise, lime green, and brown) and then morphed into a jungle animals theme, since he loved animals, and making all their "sounds," at the time.

Without further ado, Banks' 1st birthday:

 Customized invitation, made by etsy seller Kim Nelson Creative

  

Cupcakes made by Momma. Cupcake toppers made by etsy seller Two Sugar Babies

Smash cake made by Momma. Fondant toppers made by etsy seller Two Sugar Babies.

Dessert table with pictures of the birthday boy

Drink station (coolers with beer for parents of small children not shown) :)

 Food table with poms by etsy seller Party Poms

Yummy

 

The obligatory month-by-month photo banner, made with love by Momma

The favor table (animal crackers, of course!)
 

 

A special note from the birthday boy

 

The birthday boy, wearing a personalized shirt by etsy seller Initial Here Gifts

Proud parents

A true smash cake and a monkey bib in the party colors, of course!

Such a special day

We had a wonderful time and our little boy was showered with love by family and friends. It was a day I will never forget. Just like I will never forget his second birthday or his third birthday or his fourth birthday...

Dear Time...

Dear Time,

I’d appreciate it if you would please slow down,

My baby girl's outgrowing all her sweet nightgowns.

And if you'd pause, I’d welcome a much slower pace,

My boy’s once unsteady walk is now a rapid-fire race.

Time, I take you for granted, I readily admit.

My babies, they are growing, no longer little bits.

But slow down, Time, don’t go so fast,

I can’t fathom that these precious days just won’t last.

Sincerely,

Momma