Well we have now completed the hospital's child birthing class!! Unfortunately our accomplishment came with no graduation or certificate, but we did learn a lot during our time and had some fun while doing it.
On Friday evening the instructor mentioned that there would be 30 people (15 couples) participating in the class, so things would get tight. Luckily not everyone showed up and we had more room than was first anticipated. Which turns out to be a good thing when 1/2 of the participants in the room feel like over sized blimps and 2 of them wishing they would POP at any moment to rid themselves of their current discomfort. This first evening was rather slow and the group sat there like bumps on a log just trying to take in all of the information and wondering when the emphasis "birthing video" would be shown. Finally around 9:00 we learned that we would watch the first portion, showing stage 1 of labor and would actually see stage 2 of labor (delivery) on Saturday morning, after of course we had all had time for our breakfast to settle down.
On Saturday we began with a Q/A session and our instructor was trying to wake us all up. Her sense of humor really began to show and helped lead up to the climax in the video we were all anticipating and dreading. Finally after our short morning break it was time for the viewing to resume. Everyone watched, prepared to be grossed out or frightened to no end. Then it was done and a classmate commented about how this was nothing like the famous tape they showed high schoolers during the sex education unit. This was the beginning of a relaxed rest of the day. Our instructor taught us many relaxation techniques and massage positions (which sent the class into chuckles), and had a 10 minute tangent about the show "I Didn't Know I was Pregnant." It was very humorous to listen to her discuss how the girls/women on this show were either uneducated or in denial the entire time they were pregnant and how we won't be so dumb to miss the signs of labor (a common fear that we would miss the signs and end up delivering in some random, non-hospital location) since we had recognized the obvious that we were pregnant and knew a due date was in our future.
While we didn't learn Lamaze like many used to learn and I assumed we would learn, we did have a more enjoyable time than expected.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Stormy Morning
Today was off to an early start. Around 5:30 this morning we had a large thunderstorm roll through town. Jake first made me aware of this storm by nudging me at the edge of the bed with each boom of thunder or crack of lighting. Then Miss Itty began to fidget with each boom of thunder. Between the two I wasn't able to continue sleeping, but just hung out and waited for the storm to pass.
I was telling Dave about this today during our lunch out, and his response was, "There was a storm this morning?"
I was telling Dave about this today during our lunch out, and his response was, "There was a storm this morning?"
Friday, July 3, 2009
The Nursery is done!
Well, almost. There still are some final touches left, but the major work is done.
It took a couple of more cuts, and tears and pulls to finally free the crib from its packaging. The crib was securely wrapped and probably could have withstood an air drop to a remote village in the Sudan. It was pretty simple to put together, but with 4 Orrs in the room, you would have thought we were building the Eiffel tower. Even with all the experts we managed to get the crib together and after some minor surgery (One hole in the spring frame need to be drilled out to accommodate the bolt.) the crib was complete.
After placing the crib in its new home, we brought the rest of the furniture back in the room and the room was done! Finished! Completed! For Now!
Full visual record of the nursery project. Here
Previous Days:
Day 4
Day 3
Day 2
Day 1
Day 5- Today started off slowly, we didn't have any major plans until my parents arrived from Atlanta. They were coming up to enjoy the Fourth of July on the lake with us and I was getting some free labor from Mom. See, I can roll really well, but cutting in, and touching up really isn't my thing but Mom does it really well. So I decided since mom was coming up I would let her touch up the chair rail. It worked out well, while mom was painting I got to point out all the areas that needed just a few more drops of paint. (Why couldn't the whole room have been like this?)
But after the touch up work by mom. The room was DONE! Finished! Completed! Over!. 5 days of hard work and some frustration and we have a wonderful place for our Itty to come home to. In four months.
So, while the paint is drying we took a little walk to the lake and watched the dogs play in the water. All the while the anticipation was growing. The paint was drying. The crib just sitting in its box.
So upon our return home, with the anticipation so thick you could cut it with a knife we carried the crib box into the nursery. And, the with a flourish of a pair of safety scissors the box was open and Itty's crib saw its first light of day.
So upon our return home, with the anticipation so thick you could cut it with a knife we carried the crib box into the nursery. And, the with a flourish of a pair of safety scissors the box was open and Itty's crib saw its first light of day.
It took a couple of more cuts, and tears and pulls to finally free the crib from its packaging. The crib was securely wrapped and probably could have withstood an air drop to a remote village in the Sudan. It was pretty simple to put together, but with 4 Orrs in the room, you would have thought we were building the Eiffel tower. Even with all the experts we managed to get the crib together and after some minor surgery (One hole in the spring frame need to be drilled out to accommodate the bolt.) the crib was complete.
After placing the crib in its new home, we brought the rest of the furniture back in the room and the room was done! Finished! Completed! For Now!
Full visual record of the nursery project. Here
Previous Days:
Day 4
Day 3
Day 2
Day 1
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Project Nursery (continued)
Day 4 -
Today started with a slightly more relaxed start. Dave actually took some time to sleep in before admiring his great second coat and beginning his new adventure with hanging a chair rail. He began by installing his new, fancy miter saw blade. Then after careful measurement (he lives by the motto: "Measure twice, cut once!") the first piece was cut and ready to be installed. Unfortunately it wasn't going to go up with quite the ease we were expecting. After a few choice words and some aggression Dave finally found his groove with hanging the chair rail. Unfortunately, there was another bump in the road when it came time to cope the joints. That's when a very smart decision was made, break for lunch and revisit coping the ends after a nice yummy lunch. We met a friend I work with at Big Bit'z (same place we began Day 1 with) and had a very tasty lunch. It was just the right meal for Dave because he did a fantastic job with the three remaining joints which needed coping.
Dave coping a joint!
A completed joint!
At this point I was thinking we were finished with our home improvement project until Dave's parents arrived the next day, but of course I was mistaken. Dave decided he was going to try to caulk the chair rail himself and did a fantastic job (by far his best ever)!! So at the end of our fourth day Miss Itty has a beautiful moonlight painted room, a freshly painted ceiling, super white trim paint, and a chair rail hung 100% by her daddy's love!!
Dave caulking his magnificent chair rail!
Today started with a slightly more relaxed start. Dave actually took some time to sleep in before admiring his great second coat and beginning his new adventure with hanging a chair rail. He began by installing his new, fancy miter saw blade. Then after careful measurement (he lives by the motto: "Measure twice, cut once!") the first piece was cut and ready to be installed. Unfortunately it wasn't going to go up with quite the ease we were expecting. After a few choice words and some aggression Dave finally found his groove with hanging the chair rail. Unfortunately, there was another bump in the road when it came time to cope the joints. That's when a very smart decision was made, break for lunch and revisit coping the ends after a nice yummy lunch. We met a friend I work with at Big Bit'z (same place we began Day 1 with) and had a very tasty lunch. It was just the right meal for Dave because he did a fantastic job with the three remaining joints which needed coping.
Dave coping a joint!
A completed joint!
At this point I was thinking we were finished with our home improvement project until Dave's parents arrived the next day, but of course I was mistaken. Dave decided he was going to try to caulk the chair rail himself and did a fantastic job (by far his best ever)!! So at the end of our fourth day Miss Itty has a beautiful moonlight painted room, a freshly painted ceiling, super white trim paint, and a chair rail hung 100% by her daddy's love!!
Dave caulking his magnificent chair rail!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Project Nursery (continued)
Day 3 - (a.k.a. Day 2c)
The morning started like yesterday's with a quick entry into the nursery that is slowly forming in front of our eyes. We were eager parents wanting to see our "moonlight" in the morning sun. Dave plugged in the two halogen lights and began to second guess his task of the day. He wasn't sold on the idea that one coat of paint was good enough for his princess-to-be. So together, we moved the light around, squinted our eyes, took the light to another room we had painted in a very pale color for a comparison, and finally Dave decided the nursery needed a second coat. (I was trying my best to avoid having a vocal opinion since all I could help do was bring lemonade during his breaks... but now, I must say that I agree 100% with his decision!) This second coat went up a lot quicker, thank goodness for his sake, and only one battle wound - a callus on one of his fingers.
Later in the afternoon he then proceeded to paint a coat of super white paint on the chair rail in preparation for tomorrow's big task of hanging it.
After Dave's third day of "vacation" and home makeover we wanted to feel like real progress had been made, so we had a little fun with the camera and nursery accessories we have already purchased for Miss Itty!!
The morning started like yesterday's with a quick entry into the nursery that is slowly forming in front of our eyes. We were eager parents wanting to see our "moonlight" in the morning sun. Dave plugged in the two halogen lights and began to second guess his task of the day. He wasn't sold on the idea that one coat of paint was good enough for his princess-to-be. So together, we moved the light around, squinted our eyes, took the light to another room we had painted in a very pale color for a comparison, and finally Dave decided the nursery needed a second coat. (I was trying my best to avoid having a vocal opinion since all I could help do was bring lemonade during his breaks... but now, I must say that I agree 100% with his decision!) This second coat went up a lot quicker, thank goodness for his sake, and only one battle wound - a callus on one of his fingers.
Later in the afternoon he then proceeded to paint a coat of super white paint on the chair rail in preparation for tomorrow's big task of hanging it.
After Dave's third day of "vacation" and home makeover we wanted to feel like real progress had been made, so we had a little fun with the camera and nursery accessories we have already purchased for Miss Itty!!
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