New Beginnings...

We attempted to start rice cereal this morning! I say "attempted" because a good amount of it ended up on his face, the bib, and the tray! For our first try, though, I think he did really good! He "balked" at the spoon at first, but as soon as he realized that there was FOOD on it, I couldn't get it there quick enough! :-)




Despite the beautiful weather, we'll be inside all weekend, PACKING! "The Move" takes place next week, and I'm starting to panic! We have SO much to do...and so little time! Being the procrastinator that I am, however, here I sit blogging when I should be working! We went by the new house the other day to walk through and get another look...that way, we could kinda figure out what is going where. Here are some shots of Gerald and Brady, checking out the "new pad"...

In an upstairs bedroom...


Gerald on the back patio...

"See ya later!!!"...

In The Blink Of An Eye...

It seems like Brady was just born...and here he is, almost 4 mos. old already! I can't believe how much he's changed and grown. Compliments of Angie and her wonderful picture-taking skills, here are a few pictures...

Katie, Brady, & Ella...

For comparison, here's one from about 2 mos. ago...


And these pictures are just too cute NOT to share (spoken like a proud mom)...

"Hey, who's that kid staring at me?"

"Wow, that is one good-lookin' dude!"

Dreaming about mommy! :-)

On The Move...

The Sweatts are moving again!!! Can I say how much I HATE moving??? Austin switched high schools (it's a long, complicated story so I'll spare you the details) so we now have to move into the area that's zoned for his new high school. Luckily, we decided to just rent the place we're in now, so other than the HUGE hassle of lugging our stuff across town, the move should be pretty uneventful. We'll be renting there, too, because we don't think we want to make Oakleaf Plantation our permanent place of residence. We'll be there until Austin graduates, though...2 years. When he heads off to college, we will most likely move back to the Fleming Island area and buy another house at that time. We've lived in this area for almost 12 years now and we really like it. Who knows, though...we may end up feeling the same about Oakleaf? The house we've rented in Oakleaf is right across the street from the swim park/athletic center, and we're about 1 mile from Oakleaf Town Center (big shopping center). We may find that we love Oakleaf as much as we love Fleming Island! I'm trying to keep an open mind...

We'll also be increasing our family by two! No, I'm not pregnant with twins...my mom and aunt are moving in with us!!! They are both moving to FL permanently but are not sure where they want to settle. My mom wants to be close to her grandkids, and my aunt wants to be near the beach! Staying with us will allow each of them time to find their "perfect place." It'll also be nice for me to have some other females around. Being the only woman in a house full of testosterone sometimes gets a little lonely!

And on THAT note, I'm off to start packing up my house (the actual move takes place May 1)! I'll keep you posted!

Easter Sunday...

Nothing exciting planned for today...we're just spending the rest of the day around the house, doing chores and getting ready for the week ahead. We're having an "Easter feast" later this evening...ham and all the fixins! :-) My sister and her family are coming to join us!

The kids enjoyed their baskets. Brady didn't get a basket this year, but got a new "blanket toy" and a teething ring. Even though he's not teething yet, he's putting EVERYTHING in his mouth so I figured he'd enjoy it...and he does!!! Check out the pictures:

With his new toy and teether...


Dylan with his basket...



Ruby guarding the goodies...

"Um, excuse me, but is one of these mine???"

Happy Easter!!!

(Thanks for the pictures, Angie)!!

Spring Break...

The kids have been on Spring Break this week. Unfortunately, Gerald & I haven't been, so we had to forego our yearly Spring Break trip to Universal Studios. We just don't have the extra money this year, and Gerald & I both have too much going on at work to take time off. The kids were disappointed but have managed to find other things to do. Austin went to the beach with friends, Gerald took Dylan to the Clay County Fair, and Brady made his first trip to the pool! He didn't get IN the water, but really enjoyed hanging out pool-side with Dylan:

Bath Time Fun...

We've finally reached the point where Brady is actually ENJOYING his baths now. Here are a few shots...

Eating the washcloth...


"Modest Boy" (check out the little pot belly)...

New Toy...

Couldn't resist sharing...he LOVES his new play mat!!!

Things I'm Lovin' Right Now...

1) Vanilla Coke from Sonic (my guilty pleasure)!!!

2) Cover Girl Exact Eyelights Mascara (it really does brighten your eyes)!

3) The smell of my baby after his bath - HEAVEN!


4) The beautiful spring weather we're having (this is the best time of year to be a Floridian)!

5) Salina Nails, who gives the best pedicures in town...TOTAL INDULGENCE!

6) Weekly date nights with my hubby at La Napolera - great food, cheap prices (we can both eat AND have a beer for under $20)!

7) The fact that I have a roof over my head, food on the table, and am gainfully employed!

8) The blessings that are my family, friends, and acquaintances.