Congrats Mike and Karly!

Bryan and I unfortunately missed my cousin Mike's wedding this past weekend in Iowa...just in case Baby Bode would have made an early arrival. But, from the looks of the pictures, we missed a beautiful and fun wedding! Congrats to the beautiful bride and handsome groom...and then of course, I had to slip in a picture of my brother in 'fine form' dancing with the bride's mother. Classic.

the first of many...

Here starts my first post about our birth/labor experience. Granted, we don't get to the hospital for another 11 hours...but, obviously, it's on my mind. Slept pretty well last night, Bryan is mad that I was awake at 5, but, better than 3!

Goal is to clean the house today, do laundry, dishes, etc. I have a whole list of to-do's. We'll see how motivated I stay :)

So yes, we will have internet access in the hospital, providing Mom's wireless card likes my computer, so we will plan on updating the blog, and we'll try and keep it to exciting stuff...unless it's a completely uneventful and boring evening (chances are good for this), then, you might have to deal with more boring posts. But for all of you whiners, at least they won't be about the lot.

baby bode update

Sorry, don't mean to get you excited...there really isn't anything to update. I worked my last day at the office today for a few months, and it still doesn't seem real. Maybe it will tomorrow, but today seemed like any other day for the most part. Crazy. Just crazy. Tomorrow at this time Bryan and I will be in uncomfortable hospital beds, I'll be in some terrible gown, and we'll probably be bored out of our minds unless contractions start, which I don't think they will until Wednesday morning. But, we will find out.

And no fear, my mom is getting me her wireless internet card so I will for sure have access in the hospital so we can keep the blog and everyone updated. I think I'd go nuts without internet.

So...for now, you still have to put up with the boring pictures of concrete. Next week at least there will be some lumber...or at least that's the plan!

building blocks

Our first sub arrived at the lot this morning. Well, technically Trav (Otto Electric) may have been first as he has his sign up and the temporary power is hooked up. Anyways, Roesler & Ruch Masonry is laying all of the block. Below are a few pictures from throughout the day (before work, during lunch, and after work). They are hoping to have the house done by tomorrow, then do the garage Wednesday and have it all sealed up by the end of the week. Loving the progress we're making! Just hoping it continues to move this well, but, wishful thinking again, I'm sure.

stripping of the footings

So, I realize again that my posts are probably getting considerably more boring...but obviously just increasing in excitement for us :) So bear with us til that baby gets here on Wednesday!

Bryan moved some dirt around today at the lot and Grant and Ben stripped the forms off of the footings. Thrilling :)

what a day!

Wow, what a day. Bryan dug out the garage in the morning, Grant, Ben and Jamie got the footings laid (garage, house was done yesterday), and then the cement guys came about 2:30 and poured all of the footings. THEN...we had our doctor appointment. Sounds like I'm not progressing very well on my own, maybe dilated to a 2. We did a quick ultrasound and baby is in position! Sooooooo...we are heading in Tuesday night for sure at 6 p.m. and they'll put me on a drug to ripen my cervix, and then get me going about 5 or 6 a.m. on Wednesday. Maybe the baby will come before all of this, but, we highly doubt it, so plan on 4/9/08 for BB's arrival!! I think it has set in with Bryan much more than me, it still doesn't seem quite real to me, but I'm sure Tuesday I'll be going crazy with anticipation, fear, nervousness, excitement, all of the above...

I put this contraption/truck/machine right up there with the giant sprayers that are used in the fields when the crops are too high...

Everyone made fun of my boots. But, at least I didn't get muddy.

The guy in the orange, apparently we call him 'Crunch'. Just about ready to start sending the concrete down the pipe...

I just thought this was cute.

Finished product for the day. Next step the block guys, and as long as it's not raining, they'll be here on Monday.

That's all for now!

it never ends

It's official, I have had my sore throat, cough and or head cold for exactly 4 weeks. Four weeks. Sure, it gets better a day here, a day there, but lately, it's coming back with a vengeance. Extreme pain to swallow, a few headaches, and my left ear feels like there is a gallon of build up in it (gross, sorry). Definitely asking the doctor today what I can do...and what this means for baby when it comes out and mom is sick. Maybe he'll just say, let's just get that baby out of there right now and then we can get you some drugs. And then I woke up.

spoiled with progress

It seems things are moving along so well with the lot! Today Grant and Ben laid the footings while Bryan continued to work on shaping the lot. Obviously lots of work to do...but it's starting to take shape! Tomorrow they'll pour cement into the footings and the garage I believe, after Bryan digs that out. Monday is the plan for the first sub to come in and start laying the block!

I'm technically standing in the first garage stall, or pretty close (house and garage sit at 30 some degree angle to each other), looking towards the house. The front door area is in the lower left of the photo where it kind of widens out.

Standing in the back corner of the garage/sub garage corner. The area in the bottom half of the photo is going to be the sub-garage.

View from front left of house.

The guys staking/leveling/measuring out (not sure which one really) the garage. Bryan will dig this out to grade tomorrow.

unhealthy addiction?

We're getting pretty into this blogging, I must admit. Today, Ang IM's me and asks me what I'm doing for lunch, I reply that I was just going to head up to the lot, take a few pictures and grab something to eat. Her response, 'want to come to my house and blog'? What are our lives coming to!?!? Okay, so maybe you had to be there, but I think it was a monumental moment in realizing this new addiction.

Oh well, we're having fun with it.

Just an update on the baby...well, there isn't really one. This baby doesn't want to come out anytime soon and I just have a feeling that it will need some enticing...but, we'll find out eventually I suppose. We have a doctor appointment on Friday afternoon, maybe we'll come out of that knowing more...but we are SO ready.

progress!

Lots of progress in the last few days! Things are moving along, which is great! Now if only this baby would get moving along...

The first picture above is from yesterday, then the next photo is today. Stupid snow can't stop us :)

This is the status of the basement as of about 5:30 tonight. Bryan said most of the actual digging is about done, now it's mostly shaping, clearing off the clay, etc. Grant was meeting Bryan at the lot about 6:30 or so to re-stake the house in the hole, make sure they were on target when digging. Might even start the footings tomorrow! Then I'll be able to post pictures with something other than dirt to look at!