November 30

For those of you who have not already guessed our daughter's name, here's another clue: (Wheel-of-Fortune style)

D _ _ _ _ _       _ _ S _       T   I   L   S   O   N

I will add another letter each couple of days until her name is apparent.

Yesterday, Jennie and I walked along the sandy beach, gazing out to sea, and reminisced over how we really want to settle in a warmer climate. Tennessee has been great for us, but I think we ultimately want to relocate to Florida. Maybe it is simply a pipe dream, but I have always dreamt of several fifty foot royal palm trees in my yard encompassing my imaginary, in-ground swimming pool.

Tonight, my Mom and step-Dad took Jennie and me to a great "hole in the wall" restaurant featuring live Americana music as we enjoyed hearty burgers and beer.



Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 28 ( 25 weeks pregnant )

Baby room photos at last...

We thought you might enjoy seeing how our junk room was transformed into a baby room.

Here is the custom valance Jennie made for the half moon window.


The century old desk after being converted to a baby changing table. Dr. Seuss and Richard Scarry books below in a bin.


Profile of the crib. You can see the wall color in the background.


Crib view: anxiously waiting for baby


This is the old armoire we renovated to add shelving.


Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 27

Whew! Without trying to be a kvetch, I am having one of those days where you simply cannot get caught up at work. Every time I come up for air, I get buried with another task. Oh well, I suppose job security is a good thing.

Jennie returns to the doctor in three weeks for a routine ultrasound and check up.

Not much else going on...

Oh yeah, here's a nice little teaser for you. Jennie and I have decided on our daughter's name. We are 99.9% positive that it is set in stone. The first name is 6 letters and the middle name is 4 letters. I have been patting Jennie's belly and calling the baby by her name for more than a week now. Is your curiosity making you squirm yet?

How apropos! Check out the diaper name...


LINK OF THE DAY: People are dying to leave Japan!

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 26

I finished painting the baby room last night! The somniferous, blue-green color soothes and encourages sleep. I probably spent a total of 35 man hours completing the task (fixing nail pops, ridding cracks with spackle around the windows, and painting with trim detail)... photos coming soon.

While celebrating Turkey Day, my Dad and Step-Mom graciously purchased the Chicco KeyFit 30 Cortina Travel System (stroller, car seat, etc) for our baby. Jennie is ecstatic (she researched and found that Consumer Reports ranked this as the #1 travel system for babies). We received the UPS tracking number over the weekend, but delivery is scheduled for 10 to 14 days.

Jennie is continuing to grow outward and baby kicking is ever increasing!




LINK OF THE DAY: Holiday shopping can be dangerous...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 24

Jennie, the baby, and I have eaten until we nearly popped this holiday season. We visited my father and his wife (and my step-brother) for an unbelievable Thanksgiving feast! We teased our taste buds with enough food to feed a small army. The glistening, deep fried turkey met our lips with much delight. The homemade vegetable side dishes and casseroles were plentiful. We were truly grateful to get stuffed...

Yesterday, we drove up to upper, east Tennessee and visited with my Grandmother & Grandfather Chandler (my mom's folks) and I got to spend some quality time with my Grandmother Tilson (my dad's mama). Afterwards, we celebrated my Uncle Cecil's 65th birthday at the best BBQ place around, Ridgewood, in Bluff City. I cannot say enough good things about how delicious the food tasted. We capped off the evening touring the Bristol Motor Speedway's 'Speedway in Lights' show.

Jennie is doing great.



LINK OF THE DAY: Wii want to play...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 21 ( 24 weeks pregnant )

Jennie passed her Glucose Tolerance Test yesterday with flying colors! They discovered she is borderline anemic, so she was prescribed an additional iron supplement. Other than that, no worries...

Her ultrasound was routine, measurements were taken, and all appears fine.

Last night, I attended a breastfeeding class with Jennie. Wow! I never realized someone could lecture on the miracle of mammaries for an hour and forty minutes. It was educational and snacks were provided, so it was definitely worth it.

I hope everyone has a terrific gobble gobble day tomorrow! Eat more pumpkin pie...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

FROM "THE JUICE"


Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 20

Jennie has a Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) and a routine 24 week ultrasound (sonogram) this morning at 10am CST. I will update afterwards...

I will be attending a breastfeeding class tonight with Jennie over at our local Babies R Us store. I honestly have no idea what to expect. But, it sounds like every guy's dream, though...



LINK OF THE DAY: Should you be worried about your surroundings? Give it a try...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 19

I would guess that I have completed 98.5% of the baby room painting. For a perfectionist, the last 10% is always the hardest! I hope to complete painting the last of the trim tonight as Jennie is working late.

With each passing year, it seems my neighbors hang their Christmas lights, display their cardboard Santa sleighs, and garnish their yards with a wooden nativity scene earlier than the year prior. Thanksgiving Day has not yet passed, but icicle lights hang from nearly one third of the houses in my neighborhood.

Call me a Grinch, I suppose, but Christmas season begins (for me) the weekend AFTER Thanksgiving. You know, after all the crazy shoppers and holiday traffic consume the local malls. If it cannot be purchased at Wal-Mart or a liquor store, how good of a gift can it possibly be?

Do your neighbors display Christmas lighting from November until late February, too?



Jennie seems to be recuperating from her cold quickly. Thankfully, I avoided coming down with it.

Tomorrow is Jennie's doctor appointment.

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 17

Painting the baby room is now 93% complete...

Hopefully, I should be finished tomorrow.



Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 16

Jennie woke up today with a sore throat and runny nose. I will make sure she takes it easy this weekend -- we need her healthy for Turkey day!



UPDATE: Jennie wanted me to correct my earlier posting error. Her grandfather did not assemble or sculpt the century old desk we are using for a baby changing table. He simply bought it during his life and probably applied some Old English to it. Hehehe, I told Jennie it sounded much more interesting to say that he made it...

Deal struck in them there hills!
Yahoo! The new Predators buyers (led by David Freeman) and the City of Nashville (Mayor Karl Dean) have finally signed an agreement to amend the arena lease. Now that step 1 (the largest hurdle) of 5 has completed, the remainder of the purchase should take less time to conclude. The next item of business (step 2) will be for the Metro Council of Nashville to approve the purchase agreement.

Why is this important? The current, lame duck owner (Craig Leipold) has invested $0 in advertising this season, trimmed payroll by gutting the team to the salary floor, cried an impecunious ballad of tears, and generally appears to have no concern for the viability of the hockey team.

I pray this town of flaneurs decides to get on board with the new ownership. It would be nice to see some new blood actually attend a few hockey games per year. Without an increasing fan base, this team will surely be relocated in three to five years.



Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 15

Our baby room is now 57% covered in paint... (give or take a percent)

Jennie instructed me to take my time and apply supreme perfectionism. She spent several hours behind the sewing machine yesterday creating a custom window valance and a changing table mat to be stuffed with batting. We were given a century old desk sculpted by Jennie's paternal grandfather to be used as a changing table. I will post some photos this weekend once I complete the paint job.

Tonight, I get to watch two of my favorite hockey teams play as the Chicago Black Hawks travel to Nashville. Win or lose, I hope to be entertained...

CLICK PICTURE TO VIEW ANIMATION...


LINK OF THE DAY: Funny stuff...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 14 ( 23 weeks pregnant )

Jennie and our 23-week old mango are relaxing at home today.

Do you have one of those guest rooms that gets way too cold in the winter and way too hot in the summer? Well, that describes our baby room (or child's jail cell) to a tee -- it happens to be a scant 9 foot by 10 foot room with a 12 foot ceiling! If the dimensions were not bad enough, the irregularly, oversized front window is capped off with one of those half-moon, semi-circular jobbies at the top. So, Jennie is sewing a custom valance for our "half moon" window today (with hopes of regulating the room temperature a little better). I guess we should be happy the windows have no water or drafty air leaks, right?

Less than a week until Jennie's next doctor visit and ultrasound...




LINK OF THE DAY: Wal-Mart's $200 Personal Computer sells out quickly...


Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 13

Another rainy day. No complaints here, I suppose. With all the precipitation blanketing middle Tennessee over the last week, it can only mean one thing: Dave has to mow the yard again. After a chilly weekend, yesterday never dipped below the upper 50's and featured a high in the low 70's.

Jennie's parents fed us a nice meal last night as we watched the Predators on TV squeak out a 4-1 victory over the Columbus BJ's. Nashville (9-7-1) seems to be back on track only losing 2 of their last 10 games. No news on the plight of the Predators' sale -- at this point, they could still be playing elsewhere next year.

I am halfway into my fifth Harlan Coben novel with only nine to go! After years of reading the likes of Stephen King and Dean Koontz, I was ready for a change. Coben's books are fast paced, suspenseful, usually feature several deaths (not gory or overdone), and keep you on the edge of your seat to the very last page. Plot twists and serial killers are always a recipe for entertainment!

Jennie could barely get out of bed this morning. She grumbled something about "sciatic nerve" and "ouch! painful". Her lower back must be stiff from standing on her feet 8 - 10 hours at work. Either her co-workers seem to forget she is pregnant OR she's such a diligent, tireless worker that she refuses to sit and take a break every hour or so... I'm guessing the latter -- she loses track of time and forgets to rest.

Have a great November 13th!

DO YOU SMELL A LAWSUIT?


LINK OF THE DAY: Leonard Maltin's current movie picks...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 12

Painting the baby room is now 25% complete. I will post pictures soon...

The only remaining area in our house with the original "boring, creamy white" contractor paint job is in the hallway which connects our guest rooms and guest bathroom. Several of our rooms have been painted more than once (Jennie likes to keep me busy!). In the past, Jennie and I both could knock out a room in a few hours (she freehanding the trim and me rolling the big areas). But, she is forbidden to enter the room due to pregnancy. We did, however, purchase the low VOC (low odor) Green Seal paint from Lowe's.

Enjoy your week! Just 10 days until Turkey Time... (I can smell the pumpkin pie now)

And, only 8 days until Jennie's next doctor visit.



LINK OF THE DAY: Push the Third Button Twice

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 11

Happy Veteran's Day!

Capping off my day, the Predators won in an Overtime Shootout last night. Of all the presents I received, my favorite has to be the little one growing in Jennie's belly!

Well, I better go help Jennie with the house chores...

HERE'S MY BIRTHDAY COOKIE (MADE BY JENNIE)...


Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 10

Not trying to toot any horns, but it's my birthday! Yep, I will write more about today's festivities later...

Have a great November 10!




Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 9

Last night Jennie had an allergy attack, heartburn, a splitting headache, and basically could not sleep from 2am this morning onward. As I slapped the alarm clock and crawled out of bed at 5:15am, Jennie was still surfing the web -- reading about baby stuff. She was heading off to bed when I left for work. Hopefully, she will enjoy a relaxing day of rest with limited barking from Maggie. After all, Friday IS trash day on our block and those loud, garbage-gathering, petroleum wasters taunt Maggie to bark her head off each week like clockwork. You would think after 9 years she would realize her barking affects nothing. Also, it's quite funny how we live less than two miles from a free, public dump, yet just about everyone in our neighborhood pays $50+ quarterly for trash pick up. Support your public dump! Hey, that is $200+ a year you can spend on various electronic items and miscellaneous computer hardware! Why throw away money with the trash?


On the eve of my thirty fifth year, I leave you with these niblets of wisdom:

• "Why is it illegal to park in a handicapped parking space but it is okay to use a handicapped toilet?"
  
  
• "Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it did not zigzag?"
  
  
• "Whose cruel idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have a "S" in it?"
  
  
• "If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?"
  

Have a superb weekend! I know I will...


HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME...


LINK OF THE DAY: Need help finding something on the web? Try Google Hacks...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 8

Jennie is doing great this week and working less (which is always a plus).

Last night, the Predators were dominated early and the situation appeared bleak (Nashville trailed 2-0 after 2 periods of play). Referees waved off two legitimate Predators goals in the first half of the game and gift wrapped a Motown victory on a silver platter (but the Predators had other plans). If there is such a thing as a "moral victory", the Predators won the battle. A sparse crowd (Detroit's poor economy used as the excuse) began to file out of the arena with several minutes to go in regulation. Amazingly enough, the Predators tied the game with 84 seconds remaining and scored twice in the last 7 1/2 minutes. Nashville goaltender, Chris Mason, played a stellar game while turning away forty plus shots. His only fault was the lackluster display in the shootout. Mason committed to the shooters too early and got burned badly by Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Detroit came away with the decision and won the match 3-2. Detroit robbed the Predators of a point, but Nashville continues to move up in the standings...

RED WINGS COMMIT ROBBERY...


LINK OF THE DAY: What's the deal with Social Network Mania?

Have a great Thursday!

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 7 ( 22 weeks pregnant )

I would be remiss if I forgot to wish my first cousin, Lisa, a happy birthday today! I usually remember birthdays and anniversaries for my immediate family and friends, but I cannot forget Lisa's as she is almost exactly a "duck egg" (decade) older than me. While she is ten years and three days my senior, I will be a gentleman and not reveal her age! hehehe

Today is Jennie's 22nd week of pregnancy. Wow! While the days seem to be flying by now, the protrusion in Jennie's belly is growing ever so slowly. According to BabyCenter.com, our daughter is still less than a pound in weight and less than twelve inches from head to toe.

The Predators (7-7-0) hit the road tonight for their biggest test of the year. Facing the dreaded Detroit Red Wings (11-2-1), tonight's contest should be a difficult match up for Nashville. While Nashville considers Detroit a rival (due to all of the General Motors' employee transplants here in Middle Tennessee from Motown), Detroit has never considered Nashville a threat over the years. Beating the Red Wings can be compared to getting your first kiss; it is bittersweet, but you ache for more and can never get enough!

Should you proof read your child's homework?


Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 6

Jennie and I continue to narrow our baby name lists. If *she* were born today, we would use a certain name (I could tell you, but I would have to kill you -- hehehe). Hopefully, we will not mutate our list too much more as I really like the name we have decided on. In 120 days or so, we will announce the name we have chosen.

While some people like to keep the baby's sex a secret until birth, we will likewise keep the birth name a secret...

Here are some names we are NOT going to use: Ethel, Buela, Helga, Mildred, Olga, and Zaira. Maybe that helps? :)

This afternoon, Jennie and her mom will trek over to Babies R Us once again to examine the stroller and car seat inventory.



LINK OF THE DAY: Let's go back to 1977 (HILARIOUS, SAFE FOR WORK)

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 5

Well, I did not paint the baby room this weekend, but Jennie and I dressed the crib with a bedskirt, mattress cover, and a crib bumper. We still need to get a bassinet mattress and other supplies, but we have agreed to wait until after Christmas. Jennie is going to finish her research on strollers and car seats this week. I imagine she will update the registries before Friday.

Wow! Less than a week to go and I will be 35 years old! Geez, I am getting old... By the time I begin tossing a softball with my daughter, I will have one hand on a cane and one foot in the grave. hehehe

THIS IS HOW I FEEL...


Oh well, nothing new to report. Jennie is doing fine and the baby kicks are increasing.

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 2

Don't forget to roll your clocks back an hour tomorrow night! We will receive an extra hour of sleep as Daylight Savings Time ends for the year. When Daylight Savings Time starts on March 9, 2008, Jennie will be ready to pop!

brrrr... The temperature bottomed out at 38 degrees here in Nashville this morning. Finally, hockey weather! Like a big dummy, I was glued to the tube last night. I watched the Predators shut out the Canucks by a score of 3-0. The game finished around 12:45am CST.

Oh well, I will take a nap with Jennie this evening if I can.

SMILE, IT'S NAPTIME...


LINK OF THE DAY: Does your website stink?

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 1

Tonight, Jennie attended Yoga class for the first time in a few weeks. As her class was coming to a close, she felt "popcorn" popping (baby kicks) in her tummy during a relaxation pose. Afterwards, she was giddy with excitement as she told me all about it.



According to BabyCenter.com, our little baby carrot (10 1/2 inches long, 3/4 pound) is now kicking approximately 50 times per hour (even while sleeping).

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.