More Furniture

The dresser is done. We finished staining it, and Erica painted little trains on the knobs. It turned out pretty well.

Erica is working on her train quilt. She's extremely talented in the quilting area, and it's going to look great. I spent the day building the other two train cars for the toy chest. I just need to figure out what I want to do for the wheels, and then it'll be ready for sanding and painting.

We also are making the nameplates for the wall. Erica wrote the letters last night, and I routed them in today. They look great. Do you realize how hard it is to rout a Q and a Z? I need finish cutting the train cars, and then they'll be ready for sanding and painting.

We're having fun.

The nursery is coming along. Our crib now has a mattress (exciting). I've spent the last two Saturdays working on the train toychest. The engine is built. It's gone pretty well except for a few screws I couldn't get to sink. Next up is the final sanding and then painting. Then I'll do the two other cars, both of which will be very simple little boxes.

The dresser is almost finished. I put the first coat of poly on today. It probably only needs one more coat, and then will be done. Erica's going to paint the knobs with little trains. We're also getting ready to make the nameplates. And Erica is beginning work on her train quilt. Lots going on...so stay tuned.

The Growing Belly

Here is an updated picture of my stomach. I think I am now officially past the point where people who don't know me look at me and wonder if I have just been eating too much cake. Mmmm cake. Anyway, we are now 22 weeks and Cletus is moving around all the time. Dan got to feel him move for the first time about a week ago. It was pretty exciting. Cletus is very talented. He gave me a Mother's Day card this morning. I don't know how he even knew about the holiday, but he found a card and wrote me a message. I can't wait to meet my little genius. Oh yeah, more exciting news. I found Oshkosh B'Gosh overalls for Cletus yesterday in Smithfield! Apparently there is an Oshkosh store in the Carolina outlet mall. I kind of have this thing about Oshkosh. I think it's because I grew up wearing Oshkosh overalls. I was really hoping they still made the cute overalls they had when I was growing up. I never see them in department stores. Yesterday I found a ton, but I only bought one pair. They are blue and green plaid. I think they are sooooo cute. I'll have to stock up on more once Cletus is born. Yay for little boys!

Nursery Stage 1

Stage 1 is complete. The nursery is painted, a ceiling fan is installed, and the crib is together. The paint is Jamaica Sky. The crib is the Davinci Kalani Expresso. We painted clouds on the fan blades.

The them of the nursery is trains. Erica is going to make the bumper, curtains and a quilt. I am on the fine sanding of the dresser, and will then stain that. I'm going to build a three-car train toy box, nameplates (which won't be exposed to anyone until birth), a shelf, and who knows what else. We're going to keep ourselves busy, that's for sure. But, it'll be a lot of fun making all the things we want and taking so much ownership of the nursery. Hopefully, someday down the road, the kid will appreciate the effort.

It's a Boy

We had our big appointment on Tuesday. There was a clear picture of an additional body part. We are going to have a son. Sorry, those pictures are private. However, you can see his body, face and foot in these pictures.

The nurse said that everything was good. Cletus has a good heartbeat, his spine is growing nicely, and everything was in order. Erica's next test in 5 weeks is the glucose test. I don't know anything about this, but they said she HAD to pass.

With the news that it's a boy, we were able to put many things in motion. We do have the name picked out. However, that is our secret. Only God, Cletus and us two will know the name until sometime around September 9. We are doing a train theme in the nursery. Erica picked a light blue color, and I spent last night painting. I am glad that is done. I do not like painting. But, now that it's done, our time can be devoted to fun things. Our crib is here, and we can put that together soon. I am designing the name train that we'll hang on the wall, and a train toy chest that I'll build. I'm refinishing a dresser also. Erica is going to make as much of the bedding as she can, and also a quilt for the wall and the curtains. We're going to be really busy, but it's going to be so much fun completing these projects and seeing the finished project. We'll post pictures as we finish parts. I should have the crib together sometime next week.

I guess that's it for now. Off to plan more.