Thor
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01/27/08

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Meet "Thor"

After years of enjoyable effort, Diane and Preston are finally expecting a baby.  Thor (she or he initially looks like a little Asgard) is due to make the big debut on September 29th.  Or October 2nd, depending upon whether you believe the doctors or not.

Diane and Preston will both be 39 (barely) and are REALLY looking forward to this.

Here's an ultrasound of Thor's face on August 3rd.

This ultrasound was quite interesting because you could really see limbs move, the heart beat, the space between ventricles in the brain, winking, mouthing, and such. 

Other Pages on This Website:

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Book Review: we've been devouring all sorts of information on the process of having kids.  Go to this page to see what we've thought of them all.

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Names: so who knew there were so many possibilities?

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Projects: Diane accuses Preston of nesting in preparation for Thor's arrival.  Preston figures he's catching up on years of work that he hasn't done since he started volunteering as a fire fighter.  Either way, there's a LOT going on.

Steps Along the Way

As we proceed along the way, we'll keep adding various thoughts and comments at different milestones.

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UPCOMING and Ongoing
bulletHome Projects
bulletPick a name
bulletA fifth ultrasound (to check on his size at the end of the 37th week; 9/14/04)
bulletDue Date: 9/29/04 (considered Full Term on 9/7/04)

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9/3/04 - The baby continues to be in a head-down position, so that's good.  We're now in the home stretch having complete 9 months of the typical 10-month cycle (note: these are LUNAR months, not calendar months).  Since the remodeling is wrapping up we're now working things like the birth plan, packing for the hospital, and so forth.  Diane's measuring 40 cm, so young Thor continues to be a large boy.  We'll find out just how large in 11 days when we go in for the next ultrasound.

Every now and then Diane is asked whether or not she's been uncomfortable since she's been big through the heat of summer.  Fortunately, it hasn't been that bad.  Today the Gazette published this article about our weather this summer.  It turns out that this summer has been the coolest (and second-wettest) on record.  We "only" got 10 inches of rain up here in Black Forest, but that's still a lot for us.  Preston hasn't been able to use ANY of the wildland fire training yet this year because it's been so wet.

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9/1/04 - Unless the boy's late, this is finally the big month.  We should manage to wrap up all of the hands-on remodeling work during this Labor Day weekend.  Then we can start cleaning and organizing.  And we'll have time to focus on getting out for walks, starting a college savings program, updating our wills, and coming up with a name.

Tonight is FINALLY the last Lamaze Class.  Most of the Memorial Hospital classes that we've taken have been pretty good, but THIS class was terrible.  For the most part it's been a touchy-feely, fru-fru, social bonding session with a minimum of useful information (ALL qualitative, none quantitative).  If the younger students had ever picked up a book, then each class could have been accomplished in about 15-30 minutes.

Finally, we've got another ultrasound on the 3rd and will see how big he looks at this point.

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8/31/04 - We're SOOOOO close now.  This last weekend we rehung the bathroom door, put up towel bars, touched up paint, cut & painted molding, installed a lock on the computer networking cabinet, sealed the rest of the grout, and so on.  This trim work is great fun because it goes relatively quickly and you see the results immediately.  Tonight Diane took her first soak in the new tub while Preston put up window trim in Thor's room.  Then the curtains that Cathy made went up and one of the rockers went into the corner.

We're also still working on the Thor's permanant name.  On Sunday Preston the Geek gathered data to support his quest for an unusual-but-not-weird name.  He went to the Social Security Administration website and downloaded the 1000-most-popular children names for each of the past 5 years.  After some excel manipulation he derived a 5-year popularity ranking for each of the 1133-most-popular boys names since 1999.  After highlighting each of the names that we've been considering he was able to adjust his scores and started feeling better about his current preferences.  See the names page for the updated listing.

We're also SEVEN DAYS from having a full-term (37 week) baby.  Even though Diane's due date isn't until September 29th, we could theoretically have a rug-rat crying here next week.

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8/24/04 - HUZZAH!  Things are really pulling together.  After some tile sealing and paint touch up we were able to install the last cabinet, the sink, and the bathroom toilet (actually, 1 toilet uninstall from the master bathroom and then two toilet installations).  MANY thanks to Rich Hobbs for helping with the last cabinet!

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8/23/04 - It was another long weekend, but OH what progress was made.  Still no name for little Thor, but his room and bathroom are really coming together.  Diane finished up the stenciling so we were able to move some furniture into his room and play with the arrangement.  We also got his big "moon light" installed (see pictures under Projects).  Preston also picked an inexpensive oak-looking pier that has a cabinet underneath and bookshelf space on top.  We'll put all the home networking equipment into the cabinet part and install locks to keep it away from grubby prying fingers.

On the bathroom front, we finished the grouting on Thursday night and the touchup on Saturday.  Diane started sealing the grout last night, but it's going to take MANY coats because the wall grout is a chalky consistency.  The old vent fan was removed and a new one (quiet and with MORE POWER) was installed.  Preston had been putting this one off because he HATES going up into the above-ceiling space.  We stuck a thermometer up there with him and it read over 105 degrees in the COOL spot of the above-ceiling space.  We also hung the door, cut the molding, and finished shimming out the frame.  Now we need to cut and install the door stop, install the door latch, and paint everything.

As we were falling asleep last night we realized that tomorrow marks the end of the 35th week of pregnancy.  That means that in 2 weeks the kid would no longer be considered premature and so any early contractions wouldn't be stopped.  Holy crap!  We could be parents soon!  Actually, we're feeling pretty well prepared.  There's still a lot of things to go buy (changing pad & cover, receiving blankets, clothes, etc.) but we could bang all that out in an hour so we're actually in pretty good shape.

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8/15/04 - Well, today's our 17 Anniversary and the tile is finally down.  Grouting takes a while too, but should be done by the end of next Saturday.  At least we got in enough grout so that we can seal it on Thursday and then put in both the toilet and the sink.  We've also bought more supplies so we're ready to hang to door and do all the final plumbing.  We've now turned our planning eye towards Thor's room.  An afternoon of painting, replacing window trim, and some light electrical work will get this one done too.

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8/8/04 - Whew!  The end is in sight.  Only about 2 square feet of tiling left to do!  Then grout, caulk, install fan, hang cabinet, touch up paint, install toilet, install sink, install bathtub/shower hardware, finish painting kid's room, trim 2 windows, install & trim two doors, contract for linoleum, contract for wood refinishing, contract for garage doors, clean, start saving for college, update our wills, & pick a name.

Of course, there's an Infant Safety class on Monday night, BFFR meetings on Tuesday night, Lamaze on Wednesday, racquetball on Thursday, BF Festival and Proctoring a FF2 class at Falcon on Saturday Morning, etc..... (THIS is why we were HOPING to get the home improvement done in July!)

On the lighter side, Debbie Jarrell arranged a baby shower for yesterday.  Diane got to spend a few hours with some of her work friends, chatting, playing games, opening gifts, and having a great time.  Thanks to all!

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8/6/04 - Yep, it's confirmed.  Doc thinks he's big too.  Undoubtedly due to Preston's genes and Diane's outstandingly nutritious pregnancy diet.  It doesn't really matter now, but it's something to watch as we get closer to delivery.  It could indicate a c-section if he's getting up into the 4 to 4.5 kg range.

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8/5/04 - Upon further research, Preston is convinced that the data shows that this is a BIG boy (and that the tech's 60th percentile statement was likely incorrect, or at least based on old research).  According to a paper by Fenton published in the December 2003 BMC Pediatrics a 5 pound, 1 ounce boy of 32 weeks gestational age is up in the 90th percentile and is likely to weigh almost 9.5 pounds at 40 weeks.  All of the individual ultrasound measurements put his gestational age at about 2 weeks ahead of schedule.  NOW the larger fundus measurement makes a whole lot of sense.

Again, it's all Preston's fault!

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8/3/04 - According to the calculations during today's ultrasound, Thor currently weighs in at 5 pounds, 1 ounce (60th percentile for the 32nd week according to the tech).  Based on the tech's statements that babies gain 1/3rd of a pound per week, Preston's calculations put Thor at right around 8 pounds at 40 weeks.  Neither the baby's size nor the amount of amniotic fluid would seem to explain the larger fundus measurement, but we'll see what the doc says on Friday.

Oh, and Preston FINALLY saw the baby move while waiting for the ultrasound.

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7/30/04 - It's amazing.  Take a week off and you can make some headway on the bathroom tiling project.  It's still slow going since we're doing a diamond pattern with an inlaid accent tile (see the pictures under Projects for details), but with two people (one to cut and one to mortar) it goes a lot faster.  We HOPE to have all the tile work done by the end of the weekend, but don't hold your breath.

On the baby front, today we had our first biweekly appointment with the OB/GYN.  Since we're in week 31, the fundus measurement should be about 31 cm, but came in at 34 cm.  It's been one or two cm higher than normal for a while, but at 3 cm the doc decided that it was worth taking a look at.  The obvious causes are things like a big baby or excess amniotic fluid, but we'll be doing another ultrasound on Tuesday just to make sure.  Preston was told YEARS ago that if we had a big baby it would be his fault, so hopefully we'll find out on Tuesday whether Preston's going to be in the doghouse for the rest of his life.

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7/21/04 - Well, we've decided that logistically the only way we'll be vacationing is to do it at home & work on the nursery & bathroom.  Guess we won't be burning any frequent flier miles this time around.

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7/19/04 - STILL no problems.  It was suggested that this is either a very fortuitous process OR it's the calm before the storm.  The home remodeling stalled this month with Preston working various fire department commitments and Diane working a proposal, but we're slowly getting back on track.  We're still hoping to sneak in a quick vacation (and perhaps burn some frequent flyer miles) but haven't had many ideas.

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7/5/04 - Things are still great.  Jack and Cathy arrived on 6/27/04 and are leaving for home tomorrow.  Diane and Preston both took most of last week off and kicked around the house doing various projects.  Thor's room is mostly painted and furnished now.  The bathroom's tile floor, cabinets, tub, and walls are all installed.  Once the plumber comes back to correct an error they made, we'll be ready to start on wall tiles and the toilet installation.  Jack helped with all the various projects while Cathy sewed curtains, pillowcases, a mixer cover, and such.

As for the actual baby, that's going well too.  Diane's noted that he's really starting to kick and that she's actually seen her belly move.  After failing the initial gestational diabetes screen, last week's full-length test revealed that there's no issue.  She's carrying very high; after comparing weekly pictures we noted that her waist went out very quickly and that she's just been growing upwards ever since.

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6/17/04 - All is still going well.  Preston felt Thor kick for the first time a few days ago.  Diane feels him all the time. 
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The home fix up projects are going full swing.
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The pantry is about 90% done with final restocking, installing a new door, and trim work remaining. 

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The bathroom is turning out to be very involved due to the addition of a new whirlpool tub that's requiring changes to plumbing and a new electrical circuit.  That should all be completed in a couple days so then we're on to final drywall patch sanding, retexturing, priming, and painting.  And then there's the tile.  We've got wall paint, floor tiles, and wall accent tiles & listellos ordered, but the main wall / counter tiles have been elusive.

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Thor's room has yet to be cleared out so painting can commence.  It doesn't look like everything will be ready by the time Jack and Cathy arrive, but it'll be close...

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5/23/04 - This past Wednesday and Friday we had the follow-up ultrasound and the latest monthly OB visit.  All is well.  We spent all day on Saturday working on the list of stuff to buy for the baby and working on trial shopping for the required home improvements.  Sunday was spent working demolition on the upstairs bathroom and deciding what kind of cabinetry layout we want.

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5/11/04 - Well, today officially marks the halfway point of the pregnancy.  20 weeks down, 20 more to go.  While Preston has been unable to feel anything yet from the outside, Diane thinks that she MIGHT have started feeling something last night (though it's hard to tell).  No real progress on names yet either.

We've started tearing apart the whole house as we shift stuff around to clear out the nursery.  Moving the office is the first big challenge; it's back up functionally but isn't quite organized yet.  Overall, the house is a disaster area right now, but should shape up as the summer comes.

And then there's all of the other projects.  Just doing the nursery isn't enough; the bathroom and pantry are also in desperate need of some remodeling so it looks like Lowes and Home Depot will see a lot of us this summer.  We'll probably be hiring somebody to patch up and repaint the house (and replace the garage doors), but the wildfire mitigation and foundation rocking are still firmly in our court.

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4/28/04 - It's still a boy!  And he's healthy!  Today we got the amniocentesis results back and everything is just fine.  Now we can start discussing names, preparing the nursery, and generally go nuts...

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4/19/04 - Today we had the detailed ultrasound and amniocentesis.  We found out that Thor will be our SON.  So far everything is looking just fine.  Clear / yellowish amniotic fluid is a positive indicator for no chromosomal deformities.  The amnio results should be back within 2 weeks.
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Picture 1 (face)

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Picture 2 (face)

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Picture 3 (testes)

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Picture 4 (body profile)

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Picture 5 (foot)

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Picture 6 (face)

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Picture 7 (face profile)

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3/19/04 - We're now in week 12 and are at, or near, the end of the first trimester (depending upon which source you believe).  At today's visit we heard Thor's heartbeat and movements.  Since Diane's starting to show we also decided that we could start telling others outside the family.

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3/7/04 - This evening we called and told all our families the good news.  Everyone was quite surprised, having written us off as happy-go-lucky "Dinks."

bullet 2/27/04 - Today we had an early ultrasound and were able to see Thor and his heartbeat for the first time.  Click here to see an annotated version of the ultrasound (in PowerPoint).  This was an important milestone because it decreased the probability of miscarriage to 5%.
     

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This site was last updated 01/27/08