The (new) Office

While the office is technically up and running in the basement, we still have some settling in to do. Diego got all of the furniture moved around - about 4 heavy pieces of furniture all had to be moved to a different floor - and the computer & internet set up and running. I, however, am lagging a little in my organizational duties. The long term plan includes a futon down in the basement for those house guests who may prefer a room that is not across the hall from the baby, or for tired parents who need a quiet place to nap. Slowly, slowly we are getting there.

It's Officially the Nursery now!!

While I was in Atlanta visiting family, Diego was hard at work in the garage finishing up the crib. Then this weekend, he patched some drywall, touched up some paint, and steam-cleaned the carpet of the office. Last night, we assembled the crib - which now officially makes that room the Nursery! It was a very tender and exciting moment for us both. I have ordered a mattress, but it will be about a week before I can post pictures of the crib all dressed up.

Diego's next project is to build a glider chair for the nursery. Then, he's going to strip & re-paint an old dresser that we will be using as a changing table. Those last two things will finish up the nursery furniture. We have about 10 more weeks until Baby Rincon arrives and we are right on schedule for baby prep.

Muffles

I sometimes worry that Muffles gets a bit of a bad reputation as a cold-blooded rodent/ small mammal/ frog killer. While it's true, she is all of those things, there is a very sweet side to her as well. I sometimes have a little trouble getting comfortable these days. Muffles, however, has no problems finding a cozy napping spot - whether it's on the cat bed or on me!

29 Weeks (a week ago)

I'm not sure if from this picture, one can appreciate the growth of the belly (and baby, I hope) over the last two weeks. Believe you me, it's been a lot of growth! It's a good thing the weather is cooling off because I don't think I'll be able to wear this shirt much longer - my belly just won't fit. I'll try to get another photo up next week, showing the two-week growth.

A Siblings Trip to Atlanta (10/7-10/9/06)

Two weekends ago, I met up with Dodie, Mom and Uncle Randolph in Atlanta. (Randolph, Lauren, Aunt Clare and Grandfather live there.) It was fun to hang out with my siblings - as well as to see Mom with HER siblings. Grandfather, at 98 1/2 is doing fantastic! It's always a treat to see him. [Correction: GF is 97 1/2 - but no less fantastic!]
Randolph and Lauren have a "black lab/chow" mix-breed dog, Shadow. He was recently shaved and now looks adorable. (You all know I'm a sucker for a cute dog.)

Site Under Construction

I have several photos to post from the last week or so, but the home computer is currently dismantled and sitting in the basement. This makes it particularly difficult to download pictures, log on to the internet, etc. The good news is that this is the next big step in converting the office to the nursery!

Hopefully, we'll be back up and running at home by the weekend - so stay tuned for updated belly pictures, nursery-under-construction pictures, crib pictures, and some photos from my trip to Atlanta this past weekend.

The Reigning Baby

With all of this talk about Baby Rincón, I realized that Ashley is already drifting out of the lime light. So I thought I'd post a few pics of her - cute as ever!

A Belly Picture

I admit that I'm a bit shy about my growing belly, and have turned down Diego's offer to take pictures of my progress. Last night, I agreed. This is really the first photo - at 27 weeks. In the last 4-5 days, the baby (or at least the belly) has had a growth spurt!! I know I have a ways to go, but I definitely feel like I've "popped" a bit. I will try to be better about posting pictures of me, as we both continue to grow.

Handknit by Liz

We received a package from Liz, Diego's sister today. She knitted the baby a gorgeous sweater and matching hat. And with Baby Rincón's due date, I think they'll be perfect. These photos came out a bit blurry (sorry Liz) - the camera had a hard time focusing on the pattern. Please take my word on how lovely they both are. She also sent two Spanish stories (Cinderella & Peter Pan) to help Mom and baby learn Spanish!

Diego Hard at Work

This is a standard sight around here: Diego working in the garage on the crib. He's been in there much of the afternoon today working on the finish coat. In the top photo, you can see the piano hinge and locking hardware have been installed so that the side can fold down (allowing easier access to baby). At this point, he has the drawers to install, the mattress framing to install and to finish the shilac coat. Diego has done an amazing job on the crib! It won't be long before we'll be posting complete crib pictures or pictures with the baby IN the crib.

Changing of the Guard

This week, Diego and I purchased a 2005 Toyota Prius! We wanted a newer, safer car for me and baby. And I wanted a car that could match the Saturn in fuel economy. It's still getting more than 30 mph at the ripe age of almost 7 years old. At 50 +/- mpg, I think the Prius will do just that. It's going to be a bit hard giving up the Saturn. I bought it in early 2000 and it has taken me (and Ashley) down a lot of very interesting roads. But the power windows/locks go along way towards assuaging my sadness. What can I say, I'm a simple girl. I had hoped to post a picture of my Prius and Diego's Land Cruiser side by side. It's quite a sight of opposites. I gave the new car a test run down to Richmond on Friday and it did great on the highway. I am definitely very pleased with the purhcase.

Family Resemblance

At about 20 weeks, we had the ultrasound. Everything looked good with the baby. As you can see by the first picture, the baby has Diego's strength - check out the bulging biceps alread.

And as you can tell by the second picture, the baby has my head - but for everyone's sake, hopefully not my stubbornness. (The image may be a bit hard to discern. The baby is laying on it's back with it's head to the right-hand side of the photo. On the left side, you can see the abdomen. )

Merce Bday

Mom Bday

Mercedes Birthday

Happy Birthday ! Feliz Cumple....que la pases muy bien con Juanfe y RC con nosotros en espiritu y pensamiento.....Besos y abrazos de Mary, Diego, Nietecito/a, Ashley,Muffles