Nursery is Done... Well almost done

If the nursery project is any indication of a hypothetical career in general carpentry I must regrettably accept the fact that I would starve. I say that not because I failed to produce a solid work product, but because it took me forever to do it. A large part of me rationalizes this by saying that it isn't my 9-5 gig so time is always limited. There is a great deal of truth to that. However, the other aspect is the number of times I simply chose to do something else, i.e. relaxing, playing video games, sleeping, etc. In the end I cannot even begin to tell you how much time I did spend in the nursery over the last month and change. Now, as the project nears completion, I can also not accurately communicate how happy I am that I did spend all that time on it.

Throughout the process I received a great deal of help from both Karyn and Eleanor. Obviously Karyn helped in a more substantive manner, but I was surprised by Eleanor's ability to paint by rubbing up against the walls. In case you were wondering, paint washes out of a dog's hair surprisingly well and Eleanor absolutely loves eating dried paint and chair rail modeling pieces.

With the project nearing the finish line we assembled the crib last night. That was easiest part of the project to far and it still took 45 minutes or so. The moral of the story is this: Every project will take longer and be more difficult than you could ever imagine. This isn't the first time I have learned that lesson. Unfortunately, it is an easy lesson to forget and that usually happens right about the time you are starting a new project.

I wish I had some pictures to post showing the finished product but I'll have to follow-up tonight when I am back at home. The room still isn't put back together because I have some touching up to do, but I'll get that done tonight.

As I mentioned above, when I looked around the room last night I was very happy to have spent the time that I did on the project. I am thankful for the opportunity to do things like this and for the opportunity to dream about baby D's first nights in his new home. It might not be the best example of high-level carpentry, but it has been completed with love and the best intentions.

Where did November Go?

This isn't news to anyone but time really does fly by. I can't believe that November is already in the rear view mirror. So hear we are on the doorstep of December and there is still so much left to do. The good news is that I am used to being up against a deadline so we should be fine.

December is going to be a big month around our house. Karyn's birthday is the 7th. My sister, Alicia's birthday is the 11th. MaryAnn and the kids come into town on the 20th. I could go on an on. We obviously don't know when the little man will grace us with his entry into our world, but I'm not foreclosing on the possibility that it will also be in the month of December.

Before looking ahead too much I'd like to look back for just a bit. The last few weeks have been pretty hectic. Karyn is working a bunch and we've been busy at the firm. It's not surprising then that time has really flown by. Karyn, Eleanor and I had a great Thanksgiving yesterday. You can see from this photo that both of them pitched in around the kitchen. What you cannot see is that Eleanor was rewarded for her efforts with a Thanksgiving dinner of her own. This year we scaled back our cooking since we couldn't find a turkey smaller than 12 lbs. So we went with a small cornish game hen and a turkey breast roast. Of course we had potatoes, stuffing, gravy, creamed corn, rolls and pumpkin pie. Not surprisingly I barely managed to make it through the desert portion of the meal before taking a nap on the couch. Also not surprising was the fact that Eleanor decided to join nap time.

Plans for Christmas in Stoughton 2009 have ramped up in recent days. I am really looking forward to having the family together again this year. You never know, we may one more mouth to feed for Christmas. I just hope I get the nursery done before then...

32 Weeks

Happy Fall! We have been blessed with fantastic weather in November. We have had plenty of 50+ degree weather and in a state where it could easily be in the 20's by this time we are fully enjoying the "heat wave" Nate even got out and golfed on November 8th and it was in the 70's. I went up to Oshkosh that day and had lunch with a friend. And then we walked through the outlet mall. She is due at the beginning of December so it was the last time we'll get together before she becomes a mom! Eleanor has been enjoying taking walks (long ones since its not too cold) and playing outside as we FINALLY finished raking all of our leaves yesterday. It was another sunny and beautiful day.

Last weekend we were in St. Charles, IL for one of my best friends Wedding. It was a lot of fun to see some of the high school girls and spend some time on the dance floor. The wedding was beautiful. I slept like a rock that night! We had to get up early to get back and pick up our puppy from the kennel. It was her first time at a kennel. I could hardly stand dropping her off before we left town - How in the world will I be able to drop our little guy off when I have to work everyday??

On Nov. 19th, Nate celebrated his 31st birthday.... Where does the time go? We both had a busy day at work and instead of going out to dinner at the restaurant I picked, Nate decided on his favorite place: Buffalo Wild Wings. There was a football game on and David and one of his friends met us there. Needless to say, it was very laid back. I had to of course get his favorite cake: Dairy Queen ice cream cake. Now we just need to have some people over to help us eat it!!! I am hoping to go get his big birthday present today.

On Friday, Nov. 20th some of my work friends had a baby shower for me. It was so nice of them and they were very sneaky and pulled off interviewing Nate prior to the shower for one of the games we played. And the cake was delicious :)

Nate and I started our 6 week long Child Birth and Prep class 3 weeks ago. We both feel like the class could be done in less than an hour, but our instructor manages to fill 2.5+ hours!!!! It's not something I would ever do again. But, the last 3 classes cover more "baby" topics so Nate is hoping to get some helpful information. Today we are taking a tour of the hospital we will be having baby D at. This whole baby thing is getting more real as each week passes. I read last night in on of my baby books that our little guy is around 4 lbs and 18 inches! And IF he were to be born now, there is nearly 100% survival rate with a healthy life expectancy... So that helps me breathe a little easier :)

Our 32 week doctor visit was non eventful. I gained about 2 lbs since my 28 week appointment. My doctor said that for now my platelet level is stable so he is not too concerned as of right now. I will start seeing him every 2 weeks now, until 36 weeks, then appointments will be weekly.

I am starting to have swelling in my feet at the end of the day - I am sure it doesn't help that I rarely sit down during the day. But, I just hope it doesn't turn into cankles! :) I sleep well but have noticed I am getting up a few more times to use the bathroom. And I do feel a bit more tired the past few weeks. Our boy is most active in the evening, followed by the morning, followed by lunch time. He is fairly quiet during the other times. It will be interesting to see if this will be his schedule once out of the womb. Right now, he and Eli wake up at about the same time in the morning... pretty convenient if that continues :) All in all though, things seem to be going just fine!

32 weeks, 5 days: (11/22/09)

28-30 weeks

Hi Everyone!!! Happy Belated Halloween. I was thinking how much fun it will be next year to dress the little guy up in a costume! Well, it's been a couple weeks again already since I last wrote and quite a lot has been going on. Let's see where to start...

On Wednesday October 21st, I had my 28 week doctor visit. I gained about another 4 lbs. since last visit, bringing my grand total right around 12 lbs. The doctor said that my belly is measuring right around 28 weeks so the baby must be growing right on schedule. Which, during all my baby reading lately, the baby seems to certainly putting on inches and pounds!! There is one thing the doctor is somewhat concerned about - It appears that my platelet count is low. When I had my blood work done while they were screening for my blood glucose test apparently they found out my platelet count was about 120,000. During pregnancy it is normal to have lower platelet levels, but mine are low, even for the normal pregnancy range.

At my visit they drew my blood again and said my values are stable for now, but they will continue to monitor them for the rest of the pregnancy. And if I were to go to the hospital, they will have to draw my blood and get my platelet count before having any anesthesia - mainly epidural (to be certain I wouldn't bleed out) So, I will keep you posted. Hopefully I won't have anything to worry about. The doctor also told me I don't have to come back at 30 weeks for a visit. I don't see him again until 32 weeks. FYI: I have mixed emotions about this...

On Thursday October 22 (Jake's bday) my mom and Conner (nephew) flew in. They were unfortunately delayed 5 hours, but made it nonetheless. My sister Kalyn also arrived from college. We spent Friday doing some shopping (not baby shopping really, MOM shopping) Kalyn and I both had heels on - BIG mistake. Who knew mom was a shop til you drop type all of a sudden :)

On Saturday October 24 my family (Kate, Kalyn, Courtney, Ali and Mom) had a baby shower for me. It was perfect - not too big and with great food.... and my carrot cake from Carl's Cakes! YUM. I got to see some extended family, some friends and some co-workers too. However, I missed Leah, Meli and Emma who were unable to be there. I was overwhelmed by all the "baby gear" we got, and overwhelmed by everyones generosity!! This little boy is lucky to have so many people who already love him. We got so many books - I can't wait to read to the little man.

Nate continues to work on the nursery, but at his own pace. Which means we have a ways to go :) I am anxious to get the whole room put together but it looks like I have at le

ast a few weeks to wait. I am trying to be patient.... I said TRYING.

Our little boy continues to be very active. It is so much fun to watch my whole stomach move as he flips and turns around. I feel like we are both already starting to feel like we have no space left, which isn't a good sign since we have 10 weeks left. I wish I knew what body parts I was feeling because he is definitely able to be felt. Nate tells me to stop poking at him - I push on different parts of my stomach because he'll move away from me :)

Tonight we spent over an hour raking the leaves in the front of our house - not the sides or the backyard. Good exercise, but hard. Work is continuing to go well. My back is still sore at times, but nothing too severe. I haven't noticed any swelling in my feet yet. Sleep continues to be hit or miss. For about the past week I have had a bad cough. It makes sleep even more difficult. I hope it goes away soon or I may call the doctor just to be certain its not something more serious.

28 weeks, 1 day (10/21/09)

30 weeks, 5 days: (11/8/09)

On to the Nursery

Well I finally finished my work in the second extra bedroom last night. That means my focus can now shift to the baby's room. The good news is that this will be the last room in the house that will need painting for the foreseeable future. We've decided to have the husband of one of Karyn's co-workers give us a quote for the wainscotting that we want in the nursery. We were initially going to do it ourselves but our better judgment kicked in before we got too far into the construction project. It isn't that we couldn't do it ourselves. It is more that we probably shouldn't do it ourselves for a variety of reasons.

In any event, the first part of the project is repainting all of the walls. I'm tentatively scheduled for a Saturday start time. With any luck I should be able to get the room done this weekend, but that might be too ambitious since it is a big room with a vaulted ceiling. Actually, I am not sure if it is a vaulted or cathedral ceiling, but the walls extend pretty high in place. Either way it will be a fun project. Once the painting is done the contractor will install the 4 foot wainscotting over the newly painted walls. He is also planning to transform the lower portion of a built-in shelving area into a built-in toy chest. I'm really looking forward to seeing the end result of Karyn's plan for the nursery. I have a feeling she has been inspired to some extent by Jeff Lewis from Bravo's Flipping Out. The show is ridiculous, but I have to admit that it is hilarious at times.

To keep up with Karyn's use of pictures on this blog I will take some before, during and after pictures of the nursery. I just remembered something that has put a slight damper on my spirits. Unfortunately, the nursery is not my last painting project for the year. I need to repaint/stain/protect/whatever the outside stairs and decks as well. I better get that done soon as the temperatures have really dropped lately. Well wish me luck.

26+ weeks

Hi! Here we are, at 26 weeks and 4 days...

I am continuing to try and enjoy every moment of being pregnant, especially because I know it will be over before I know it!! However, I do have a couple complaints:

1. I have an ache in my lower thoracic spine on the R that will not subside.... at least, not for long. I have been using my foam roller to try and manipulate that area, a tennis ball over that spot when I drive or sit, and I have been begging Nate to try and crack my back. Where are my "big" younger brothers when I need them?!?!?

2. I have to preface this one by saying I am so happy that this has only happened 3 times. In the middle of the night/early morning I have gotten the worse leg cramp/charlie horse EVER. The first time had me in tears, and subsequent ones have been bad. Luckily, the cramp doesn't last long, but oh my goodness!! I continue to be most comfortable sleeping on my back and wonder if this has anything to do with it? I try and drink a lot of water, but maybe I need to guzzle down a few more glasses and see if that helps...

3. I get short of breath doing just about anything, including talking on the phone....while sitting still...

4. I have officially lost my mind!!! Example: This past Sunday I went to the grocery store for a few things (I even made a list) However, before I left I didn't check to see if we needed spaghetti sauce. So, when I was just about done with everything on my list (and a piece of cake that wasn't on the list) I called Nate to see if we needed sauce. After checking, he said "yes." I hung up and went over to get spaghetti noodles (last thing on the list) and the sauce. I must have been overwhelmed by picking out noodles because I completely forgot about the sauce. I did realize it when I was being checked out, but by that time it was too late. When I got home, Nate started unpacking the bags and said, "Where is the spaghetti sauce?" Need I say more...

I love that the little guy continues to be very active, and he has developed a sense of humor - He can be moving all over, kicking, punching, doing somersaults etc. and as soon as I have Nate come and feel, he STOPS. And then when Nate stops trying to feel, he starts up again. He either is stubborn or is completely relaxed and calmed by his father. Hopefully it's the latter - I can about imagine that will come in handy when he needs to be soothed at 2 in the morning :)

We all of a sudden have been thrown into VERY COLD weather. Seriously, I think I heard tonight we will be down in the 20's! I am thinking its just about time for fires in the fireplace and warm cozy clothes to come out. My dad, mom and 3 youngest siblings are in Orlando, FL for the week. I initially took the week of work to be there too. However, once I found out I was pregnant I decided to save my vacation time until the baby was here. Too bad because it'd be awful nice to be in 90 degree weather right about now! Have a great time family!!

25 Weeks

Hi Everyone! We just crossed over the 25 week mark...Baby Boy Dosch continues to be very active and is getting more forceful!!! After being in the car for over 11 hours this past Sunday (will explain in a minute) I think he was just as anxious as I to get out of the car at the end of the day. His kicking was the strongest I have felt yet!

So, why were we in a car for 11+ hours? Over the weekend we went back to Nate's hometown of Devils Lake, ND for a very special event: Grandma Helen turned 90!!! We were lucky to have wonderful weather, which is never a given in ND from what I hear. We were able to see all of Nate's family (minus his dad). It had been quite awhile since seeing most of them and it was great to catch up. The down side: Never having enough time. The weekend flew by. Nate's nieces and nephew have grown up so much in the past year - and with all the girls around, baby Alayna got passed from one to the other all weekend! Nate even got in a bit more practice :)

On Monday I had my 1 hour glucose test done. I called today to get the results and the nurse informed me that my level (110) was normal. So, yeah!!! I get to keep craving sweets. Luckily, the craving hasn't been too long lived, nor am I acting on those cravings - often :) Thankfully or I'd feel even bigger than I already do!

*I do look forward to carrot cake from Carl's Cakes for the baby shower though.