Thanksgiving
November 27, 2008 | Category: Family, Holiday | Leave a Comment
It’s hard to believe that Megan is already 9 days old! Soon, we’ll be basing her age on weeks, then months, and eventually years. Valerie’s parents, Steve and Karen, drove over from Houston last Friday and stayed with us through this morning. It was great having live-in babysitters for a while and we certainly enjoyed their company. Val’s sister and brother-in-law, Allison and Bobby, flew in from Oklahoma for the weekend and cooked us a big Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday.
Megan’s first few days at home were a bit rough, but once Val’s milk came in, she settled down and we’re now even able to sneak in an hour or two of continuous sleep here and there.
We hope that you and your family have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Tags: McCoy's, Megan, Thanksgiving
Megan’s 2nd Day and First Visitors
November 20, 2008 | Category: Family | 6 Comments
It’s Day 3 and all is well! Megan must have been reading Breastfeeding for Dummies while in the womb, because she’s been a very quick learner. Let’s hope the lucky streak continues. Val’s energy is starting to return and she’s already getting accustomed to rather short stretches of sleep.
Yesterday evening, Megan had her very first set of visitors when our good friend Kristin stopped by the hospital room. Kristin really enjoyed holding Megan and even got to watch us change Megan’s diaper (Kristin opted to sit on the sidelines for that one). We also got a surprise when Val’s friend and former co-worker, Karen, paid us a visit.
Megan’s check-ups by the pediatricians have all been A-okay, as was her hearing test. We’re set to be discharged this afternoon and will get to introduce Megan to her new crib - both the crib she’ll sleep in and our crib in da hood, boyee.
Val’s parents will be driving over from Houston tomorrow and her sister and brother-in-law (Allison and Bobby) will be flying in from Oklahoma as well. We’ll all be having an early Thanksgiving dinner this weekend and certainly have a lot to be thankful for.
Tags: Megan
Introducing Megan Elizabeth McGrath!
November 18, 2008 | Category: Family | 16 Comments
Join us in welcoming our baby girl, Megan Elizabeth McGrath! Megan was born at 12:50 PM this afternoon after Val valiantly pushed for 2 hours (total labor time: 9 hours). She’s 7 lbs. 3 oz. and measures in at 19 inches long. Both she and Mommy are doing absolutely great. She has already had her first bath (Daddy helped) and is back here with us in the recovery room. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect birth or little girl. :-))))
Val’s In Labor!
November 18, 2008 | Category: Family | 10 Comments
Val’s water broke around 3:45 AM this morning! We made it to the hospital okay and she just got an epidural. I asked for one as well, but got rejected. The doctor should be in shortly and mom-to-be is drifting off to sleep. Giddy up!!!
Update 1 (10:00 AM): Val’s cervix is dilated to 5.5 cm and the contractions are spaced part by about 2 to 3 minutes. The OB believes that the baby will arrive some time this afternoon. All systems are GO!
Tags: baby
Madison County, Alabama Top Affordable Place to Weather the Economic Downturn
November 16, 2008 | Category: News | Leave a Comment
It looks like we chose wisely when deciding where to move from Kwajalein. Forbes has listed Madison County, Alabama (where we live) as the top affordable place to weather the economic downturn. The magazine cites the ease of commuting to the Huntsville, the diverse local economy, and a housing affordability index well above the national average. Here’s a link to the article.
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Tags: Huntsville
Freak Out!
November 15, 2008 | Category: Family | 3 Comments
We installed the car seats in our vehicles a few weeks back. It’s so strange to see them in our back seats! This “having a baby” thang is starting to get more realistic. T-minus 15 days.
Tags: baby
Baby Shower - Huntsville Edition
November 9, 2008 | Category: Family, Friends | 3 Comments
My former co-workers, Karin and Vicky, threw a wonderful baby shower for us in late October. We received some much needed things such as receiving blankets and bath items. The food was great and the company was even better.
-Val
Tags: baby
Dresser / Changing Table, Part 4
November 5, 2008 | Category: Woodworking | 8 Comments
After four months, I’m pleased to say that the dresser / changing table is finally finished! For the stain and finish, I ended up using a combination of 1/3 Minwax Polyshade Bombay Mahogany (responsible for the reddish tint), 1/3 Polyshade Antique Walnut (responsible for the brownish tint), and 1/3 paint thinner (to make it easier to wipe on). I’m pretty happy with the result, considering this was my first time staining a large project, but I’m a bit disappointed with the inconsistent color. I think I laid the stain on a little too heavy on the front of the drawers and if I had to do it over again, probably would’ve simply skipped the stain all together and instead used 2 or 3 coats of polyurethane.
I didn’t really see any benefits to staining the inside of the drawers and left them au naturale. Doing so would’ve introduced a number of potential issues such as clothes sticking to the finish and smell being transferred to the clothes as the oil finish slowly releases gases. There will be more than enough natural gasses released near the changing table once the baby arrives anyway.
Val has already loaded up the dresser with baby clothes, diapers, and butt wipes, which I admit looks a little strange to me. For those counting, she’s T-minus 25 days and all systems are nominal!
Tags: dresser
