Overdue Updates

Well, I am a little overdue in updating our blog. With all of the new Internet technology out there, I sometimes have a difficult time keeping everything updated.

Carter Update: Little Carter is doing well and continuing to grow. It sounds like he keeps Dani and Brandon pretty busy and a little light in the sleep department. I think they are counting the hours until he can start sleeping through the night.

Amy and I have had a couple of babysitting practice runs, but have not watched Carter very much yet. I think the grandparents are busy filling that role for now. They are all very happy to look after the little guy.

House Update: Two more months and counting!! It cannot get here quick enough. Amy and I are ready to have a place of our own again. After a year, I am tired of living out of boxes and suitcases!

The trim and built-in shelves are finishing up this week. The tile crew is going to start laying the bathroom tile next week. I think the painters are going to start priming sometime soon. And, one of these days we are supposed to get our kitchen cabinets. Keep your fingers crossed.

I will try to get some pictures of the house progress posted soon.

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas! We have enjoyed a relaxing holiday break with the new addition of our nephew, Carter. He has been the center of attention and has been passed from lap to lap. Everyone enjoys holding the little elf.

On Christmas morning, Dad decided to drive 6.5 hours round trip to pick up Grandma and Grandpa and bring them down for Christmas Day. It was a last minute decision, but we thought they should be with family on Christmas Day.

Amy and I have taken advantage of the down time to work on house plans. It may not sound exciting, but we are pleased to have more of the work behind us. It's slow, but we are making progress.

First Time Holding Carter

I got to hold little Carter for the first time last Friday night. It was pretty cool to hold my new little nephew (especially because he wasn't crying or pooping at the time). It is amazing how small newborn babies are. Think about it, he actually weighs less than 7 pounds! I think my first cell phone actually weighed more that that.

Needless to say, everyone in the family is crazy about the new addition (except for maybe the dog, Bailey, who hasn't found out yet). There has been no shortage of people to hold the baby. Fortunately, I have managed to avoid any of the diaper changes so far!

As you can tell from the picture on the right, Baby Carter has more hair and a better tan that his Uncle Brad.

The house is really starting to take shape on the inside now. The drywall crew was able to hang ALL of the drywall in two days! It is exciting to see the framing work transform into real rooms. I love just walking around the house that we spent months designing on paper.

If all goes well, we should have heat in the house very soon and the drywall work can continue. I think they are going to grade the lot even further this week, too. We’ll keep you posted.

Welcome Baby Carter!!

At 1:52 this afternoon, we welcomed Carter Daniel Reich (our newest nephew) into this world at 6 pounds, 13 ounces and 19 inches tall. Mom and Dad are both doing well and recovering from all of the work. The grandmothers are both sitting here in the waiting room glowing with pride.

Amy and I are both excited to have just seen little Carter for the first time. His lungs are working well and he's trying to open his eyes to this bright, beautiful world (well, the inside of the hospital room for now).

We are so happy for Dani and Brandon!!

We have a front door!

Sorrry that it has been a while since I have posted any pictures of the house progress. It's not very exciting to see pictures of the electrical wiring and HVAC ductwork. Plus, it's not easy to take pictures since the sun goes down at 5:00 these days. Yuck!

I stopped by the house this afternoon and and snapped a few daytime photos. They actually hung our front door this morning. The brickers are going to return later this week and finish the brickwork around the door.

We also have a new (and very high) deck off the back of the house. The future screened-in porch is the part with the roof over it (and missing railing). The stairs will be built later in the process.

Oh, the roof is also finished. I stopped by the house during a recent rain storm and it seems to be leak-free (knock on wood).

If all goes well (and the weather gets a little warmer), we should have concrete for the garage, front porch, and side door soon.

We are bricked!

We now have brick covering all four sides of the house! We even have limestone accents complete on the front. The roof is almost complete. We just need a front door to complete the picture.