Library Side Table

As I mentioned previously, I've been frantically working on several furniture projects (side table and sofa table), and I have another one to share. We had a false alarm a few days ago, so I'm even more motivated to get all the projects finished before the baby comes. It's going to be neck and neck!

We had a love seat in the library for awhile, but about a month ago we took it to my sister. I've been searching craigslist for a reclining wingback chair (NOT a La-Z-Boy style chair), but haven't found one yet. In the meantime, we have this antique settee in it's place. It won't stay because it's just not as comfy as we'd like for kicking back and reading a book.

Whatever we sit in when relaxing in the library, we need a table to hold a lamp, a water bottle, etc.
I also wanted to have space to put library books in between trips to the library, instead of the basket sitting on the floor. I planned on combining this plan and this plan from ana-white.com, but ultimately decided to just follow the plans as written- it would be quicker and easier, and I thought of another place to store the library books (more on that in another post).

This project came together pretty quickly. I cut the wood, drilled the pocket holes with my Kreg jig, and put it all together Saturday afternoon. Like my other projects, it won't be stained or painted till later.

I followed the instructions and built my own table top. The Kreg jig made it possible! Seriously, such a great tool!

After gluing and screwing the wood pieces together, I used a string to trace a 24" circle, then cut it out with my jig saw.

I didn't take pictures of the rest of the process, but it was just a matter of putting all the pieces together.

All finished!

It fits quite nicely in the library, and is the perfect spot for the reading lamp I found at Target awhile ago (isn't that a great shape for a lamp?).

Now I'm off to work on a coffee table/LEGO habitat (LMS's words) for the living room.

Sunday Funny

too bad Oreos aren't gluten free :)

LMS:  What's for dessert tonight?
Me:  Who says we need dessert?
LMS:  Well, it was your anniversary on Sunday, so we should have dessert to celebrate.
Me:   Mommy and Daddy already had dessert to celebrate.
LMS:  Yeah, but that was without me. You need to have dessert with me.

I'm pretty sure she saw the ice cream in the freezer leftover from our anniversary date and was trying to tell us we should eat it with her help.

Side Table (Another Kreg Jig Project)

After finishing the sofa table, I built a side table. It wasn't totally necessary, but I've found that while laying on the couch I never have a place to set my water bottle. Huge problem, I know.

So I altered the sofa table design a little (shorter and narrower) and built a side table to fit in the long narrow space on the side of the sofa. Just so I have a spot for my water bottle :)

The wood, all cut and ready for pocket holes and assembly.

Finished!

I left out the lower shelf on this table since it will go over a heat vent and we don't want to block heat or A/C too much.

The empty space, waiting to be useful.

Ahh, so much better! If you can see it in the crappy lighting. Maybe I should try taking pictures in the evening, once the sun's behind the trees? 

Now we need to invest in (either make or buy) some coasters. We've never needed coasters before :)

It's not super noticeable from this angle, but it sure is useful.

Since I still have other projects I'm trying to finish, I won't stain or paint this table for awhile. As this gives me time to decide what to do with it, I don't mind. In the meantime, I'm happy with how quickly it came together and how it turned out. Now on to the next project...

36 Week Pregnancy Photos

Another four weeks have passed, and it's time for more pictures, which I had LMS take this morning.

For comparison, here's the side views we've done so far:

Last week I was feeling pretty uncomfortable, but this week I'm actually feeling better. I credit my chiro appt (though the pinched nerve is still giving me some problems) and the little guy dropping a bit. Though it doesn't look like it from the pictures. Hmmm. I swear there's less pressure on my ribcage, though, and more on my bladder. And I'm pretty sure he's lying in a different position than LMS did. She constantly kicked me in the ribs, and while he has in the past, it's been awhile now since I felt like my ribs were being abused. Not that I'm complaining...  :)

I'm off to see if I can take advantage of feeling half way decent and make more progress on my projects. I've finished one that I'll share this week and hope to make some good progress on another so I can start the next ones. Never a dull moment!

Four Mile Race Re-Cap

Well, I managed to survive the four mile race on Saturday without going into labor.

I half expected to go into labor during or after the race, but though I had a few contractions during the race, they didn't go anywhere- they were pretty much the same as the ones I've been having for awhile now. Sunday I had some contractions that were a bit more regular, but they didn't last either.

me waving at Mr M and LMS as we walk to the start line

Saturday I ran the four mile race for the fourth time (2012, 2011, 2010). Well, I didn't actually run the whole thing. I ran, ok, jogged, the first mile (mostly a slight downhill) and walked the rest, other than two other slight downhill sections and the last tenth of a mile or so, which was also a slight downhill.

me jogging to the finish line. yep, definitely no cute little pregnancy bumps for me

I finished the race in 56:44 this year.
     2012- 47:19
     2011- 43:55
     2010- 42:32
So as expected, I was slower than previous years, but I was also faster than I expected- I was anticipating 1:15:00 or 1:20:00. I  credit my fast walking pace, which was about 15 minutes/mile rather than the 20 minutes/mile I had thought I'd do.

This race always has a good number of walkers, which meant I finished with about a third of the participants still behind me. Not bad for doing this while 8 months pregnant.

I saw two others who looked about as pregnant as I am, but they were walking- guess they weren't quite as silly as me.

I'm a bit too competitive for my own good, sometimes. I just couldn't walk the whole thing, even though I knew there would be lots of walkers. The parts I walked, I walked fast- no sauntering for me.

LMS getting comfy while waiting for the race to start

Afterwards I wasn't as exhausted as I thought I'd be, though I did spend the rest of the day resting. My hips didn't hurt like they have in the past, but my pelvis was quite sore. I suspect that was related to increasing relaxin levels as I get closer to delivery. In any case, after resting Saturday and Sunday as much as possible, my pelvis isn't nearly as sore anymore.

4 hot air balloons off in the distance- the view we saw as we got Mr M and LMS settled before I started the race

Warning: Pregnancy TMI ahead

I was concerned about having to pee during the race- this week the baby has either dropped a bit or had a growth spurt, (I'm thinking he dropped since there's a lot less pressure on my ribs) and there's a lot more pressure on my bladder and an almost constant feeling of needing to pee, even if I just went. In any case, I drank some water first thing in the morning and then didn't drink anything more till during the race. I used the porta potty right before the beginning of the race, and while I did have the feeling of needing to pee, I knew there wasn't actually enough in my bladder to worry about. It wasn't too much of a problem, except when I had a contraction or the baby stretched- both put even more pressure on my bladder. I had considered using depends or some other incontinence product, but ultimately decided it would be too uncomfortable (running while wearing a diaper just didn't seem like a great idea).

----- TMI over now -----

Staying active during this pregnancy has been a huge goal of mine, and in some ways I have gone a bit overboard, but at the same time I've been able to do so much more this time around. I also feel so much better, despite being 7 years older.

This year I had a goal to run at least 6 races, so far I've done 5, with the last 4 being done while pregnant (I was just barely pregnant for the half, but I was still pregnant!).
New Years Day 5k
DisneyWorld Half Marathon
Mud Run 4 miler
June 5k
Women's 4 miler (this race)

That puts me one short of my goal for the year, but I don't see a problem reaching my goal. I plan on getting back in shape as quickly as my body can handle. I don't want to lose all the benefits I've gained by staying this active this late in the pregnancy. I'm not going to over-do it, but I also won't put off getting back in shape.

Possible:  Halloween 5k in October- I would walk this with LMS and the baby, I know I won't be ready to run it. It really depends on when the baby actually ends up being born and how the delivery goes. Mr M was going to do it with LMS this year, but he'll be out of town that weekend, so that's not an option, unfortunately, and LMS really wants to do the race again.

For sure:  Turkey Trot 5k- my goal is to run this one while Mr M walks with LMS and the baby.

Road Tripping while Pregnant (Third Trimester)

Photo I took as we drove through Star Valley, Wy. Isn't it beautiful there?

I was a teensy bit nervous about doing our road trip while pregnant, but figured that since it was at the beginning of the third trimester, rather than the end, it shouldn't be too bad.

For the most part, that was true :)

There were several things I did that made the hours and hours of sitting less uncomfortable than they could have been.


   - We stopped at least every 2 hours- I'd stretch, walk around, use the bathroom, etc. This was actually the one that worried me the most- we had long distances to travel each day, and I knew extra stops would make each day even longer. Usually our stops were combined with gas fill-ups, so we didn't end up adding that much extra time to each day's driving schedule.
   - I drank water, though I was not as good at this as I could have been due to a reluctance to have more potty stops. Because we were heading west, where it's a lot drier than we're used to, I also drank electrolyte drinks as well. By paying attention to my body, I could tell plain water just wasn't enough for me.
   - We ate regularly. You need proper nutrition even if you're just sitting in the car all day. We also had snacks in the car in case we went a little longer between meals and needed something to tide us over. We don't generally eat a lot of snacks, so it was a nice change of pace.
   - I brought an extra pillow to place behind my back when things did start getting uncomfortable, and I had a gel cushion to sit on as well.
   - In the evenings I would use my foam roller on the tight muscles I'd accumulated during the day. This was very helpful in keeping my hips and glutes from giving me too many problems.
   - I changed positions often- both feet up, one foot up, the other foot up, sitting cross-legged, etc.

The result:
No swelling in my feet, and overall I felt pretty good. The only real problem I had was that somewhere along the line I pinched a nerve in my back. This caused knots to form along the lower right side of my ribcage on my back, and the longer I sat the worse the pain would be. What helped?

   - Our truck has heaters in the seats and backs of the front seats, so I would turn my seat back heater on, kind of like a heating pad. That helped the pain somewhat.
   - Laying down helped as well, so every time we stopped for gas I'd go lay down on our bed in the trailer while Mr M pumped gas.

Since returning home the pinched nerve has continued to be an issue, with the pain extending around to the front of my ribcage, but at my last chiropractor visit I got an adjustment that has helped a lot. I can now stand and sit for much longer periods of time without having to stop what I'm doing and go lay down while my back calms down. It still gives me problems, but is much more manageable.

Would I recommend doing a road trip later in pregnancy? Only if you're properly prepared, and ready to take what comes and go with the flow. Knowing from the start that I probably wouldn't be super comfortable on the trip helped so much- low expectations are easy to exceed :)

Have you roadtripped while pregnant? What did you find helpful?

Sofa Table Kreg Jig Project

I won't say I'm in the nesting stage yet, but I am definitely in the "I need to get certain projects finished quick before the baby's born and who knows when I'll have time to actually finish them" stage. Which means I have several pieces of furniture I'm building right now. I'm not worrying about painting or staining them just yet, since that will be fairly easy to do later, but I want to get the noisy parts done. I really don't want to interrupt nap time with the air compressor or mitre saw- especially when the little guy is still tiny.

The first piece I finished is a table that goes behind our new couch. You can't actually see it that well, but it helps fill in space in a long, narrowish room and makes the room feel a little more square. And I finally have a place to put the pair of lamps I found at TJMaxx 4 or 5 months ago. The only other light in the room is the one on the ceiling fan and it's nice to finally have another option.

I folded up the throw blankets and have them on the shelves for now. I had the worst time getting good lighting for these pics, so they didn't turn out the best.

You can actually see the lamps now!

Looking down at the couch and table.

I found the plans for the Rustic X Console Table on Ana-White.com and only tweaked it a little. I didn't do the Xs on the ends because I wanted the ends to be open since that's the side that would show, and I didn't add the extra hardware details since I wanted it to look a little more polished and a little less rustic. And instead of planking the top I used a piece of 3/4" oak plywood for a nicer look.

I also only had the middle shelf extend half way down the table so that it would be open on the other half of the table. I'll show you why in a minute.

The plans were pretty easy to follow, and using the Kreg Jig really made the whole process quick and easy. After cutting all my pieces to size I drilled all the holes using the jig, then broke out the wood glue and screwed all the pieces together. I trimmed out the plywood top with screen trim, and it was done!

I love how it turned out, and it makes that end of the room look so much more finished, even if the table isn't actually finished. I'm waffling between light to medium gray or a pop of blue gray on the legs, and deciding whether to paint or stain the top.

And that open spot? Remember the extra cushion for the couch? Now it's nicely hidden away, yet easy to reach.

We still need to hang curtains- I have the curtains and the rods, but just haven't quite managed to have the time and energy that coincided with Mr M being home to help (it's not a one-person job since we need to figure out how high/low/etc the rods will be). Once we get the curtains up I'll also have to rearrange the stuff that's hanging on the walls.

I have 4 or 5 more pieces of furniture to finish, with 2 of them currently in the works. Hopefully I can continue to make good progress :)

The Ingalls Homestead, De Smet, South Dakota

After Mt Rushmore, we continued across South Dakota and stopped in De Smet, where a good portion of the Little House books took place. There's a pretty fun museum and hands-on exploring area at the old homestead site.

LMS liked the old covered wagon in the museum. And she insisted on wearing the bonnet she got when we stopped in Mansfield, MO at the beginning of our road trip.

The Ingalls family lived in a dugout along the banks of Plum Creek, Minnesota. So this wasn't their dugout, but it was cool to see just how tiny those things are. And I've got to say- the constant dirt would drive me nuts.

The Little Miss had fun pumping water out of the well.

One of the hands-on activities was laundry.

Rubbing soap on the fabric

Rubbing the fabric on the washboard

Agitating and rinsing the clothes

Turning the handle on the roller to squeeze all the water out

Hanging the clothes out to dry

There was a little roping station.

And she got him (kinda)!

There were stables, too.

LMS was ecstatic about getting to ride the pony

And then she got to drive the little cart

And pet the giant horses

LMS was in heaven- she's asked for a horse for awhile now (what little girl doesn't?), and this was like a dream come true.

There's an old one room school across the field from the claim shanty, and we rode in a wagon out there to learn about school back in the day.

That white cupboard in the corner was the packing box that the organ came in- it was re-purposed after the organ was unpacked. Recycling's been around a long time :)

They had little pinafores for the girls to wear and vests for the boys. Isn't LMS cute?

On the way back, LMS got to "drive" the horses pulling the wagon. Bliss :)

This house is built after the specs that Pa filed for his claim, describing his claim shanty. It was built in 3 parts, added to over time, with the result looking like this. Of course, the original isn't still around, so the preservation group built a replica.

We had fun visiting the Ingalls Homestead and seeing how things were done back in the day. It definitely helps you appreciate how much we have :)