We've Moved In!

We are in our new home! We received the keys to our home on Friday at around 4 PM. My dad was with us as we did the final walk through, as he had caravaned up from Portland with us Friday. All of our items that had been stored in our PODS container were waiting for us. With the help of Helen and Feebs, we were able to unload everything from the POD, except for the washing machine, on Friday evening. We set up the beds so that we were able to sleep in our house for the first night!

On Saturday, we had the help of Helen, Feebs, Rob, Timber, and Cheryl, and of Chris and James Trefry, and of my dad. We picked up the remaining items that I had stored at my friend McQuoid's house. Collectively, we were able to get quite a bit accomplished. The garage door opener was installed, the washing machine was connected, the china cabinet was assembled, the kitchen items were all put away, many of Dylan's things were assembled, the house was decorated, and the television and stereo were connected. We also had painters come and paint Dylan's room, and a lot of our new furniture was delivered. Our refrigerator was delivered and installed, and our cable and internet access were set up.

On Sunday, the painters came to finish the wall millwork that we had them install. The nursery was painted blue and brown to go with the theme that we picked for it. With the help of my dad, Helen, and Feebs, we set up the nursery. It looks awesome!

Thanks again to everyone who was able to help us out along the way. Lynette is still doing well, and we have a regulary-scheduled doctor's appointment in the morning. Enjoy the pictures!

April 19

This morning, we signed the papers for our home! The escrow company was down in Kirkland, and we met there at 9 AM. It only took us about an hour to sign a huge stack of papers.

After signing, we headed straight down to Portland. We arrived at my parents' home where it was 68 degrees, according to the gauge in the car. The whole gang, five of us with four dogs, took a walk to the nearby park. It was a little chaotic, but the dogs loved it. Grace and Harley both did some swimming, and surprisingly, Harley was actually enjoying the water more than Grace. Lynette did great on the walk, but she was very tired afterward. Thankfully, right after the walk we were able to enjoy watching a movie while sprawling out on the couch. We then enjoyed a great, home-cooked dinner.

Just two more days until we move into our new home! We will keep you posted.
--Dave

April 14th

This morning we had our official walk-through of our home. We met with "Lester" who had been an employee of Centex Homes for 26 years. He went over the warranties and the operation of everything in the house. We also had a chance to point out anything that needed to be touched up. The house looked great and we can't wait to move in! It felt a lot more like home. The picture above was taken at the end of our meeting, in front of the front door which was finally painted.

We drove up to Bellingham after the walk-through. We met Amy and Kyle in Lynden, and got to hang out with their Beagle Dirk. We also got to see baby Gannon, who is the son of one of Kyle's teammates from the WWU basketball team, and is four days old. We are spending the weekend in Bellingham and will celebrate Easter on Saturday and Sunday.

April 11th

Today we went in for Dylan's 35-week checkup. We have one more two-week appointment, and then we will go to the once-a-week visits. The checkup went very well. Lynette is in the normal range for size, and Dylan is in the normal range for heart rate. Lynette told Dr. Jordan about the numbness she had experienced in her hands over the past week and a half. Dr. Jordan observed the swelling in Lynette's ankles, and attributed the numbness and swelling to water retention. He also noticed that Lynette's blood pressure was high when it was measured at the beginning of the appointment. Dr. Jordan therefore decided to recommend that Lynette stop working until six weeks after Dylan's birth, and issued a note for her employer.

We were both very happy about Dr. Jordan's recommendation. The long hours of working on her feet have made Lynette very uncomfortable.

Our two four-legged kids hadn't made the blog yet, so we thought we would add them in on this one. Grace (the black lab) and Harley (the chocolate lab) have been staying with my parents since we moved out of our house in Arlington in late January. We miss them very much but are excited for the fenced yard that they will have to play in when we move. I asked Justin if he would take a picture of them for us to include in the blog. The picture is included above.
--Dave

April 8th

This morning, we went to the Pacific Campus of the Providence Hospital in Everett. We had a labor and childbirth class that lasted for about six hours. The class was pretty informative. We learned about the stages of labor and about relaxation techniques. We practiced breathing through contractions, but I think I practiced them more.

We went to the Seattle Mariner's game that started at 6:05 tonight. The M's lost 3-0, but we had fun hanging out with Chris, James, and Marilyn Trefry; Kathy Kyle (Jame's fiancee), Justin Bingham (from Spokane), and Scott Brown (buddy from high school). The roof at Safeco Field had been closed because the weather was quite rainy here today.

Lynette has the day off on Sunday. I took the day off today, but have to go back to work Sunday. The picture of the two of us was taken at Safeco Field after the game. The other picture is of the Women's and Children's Pavillion at Providence Hospital. The Pavillion was the location of our class today and is where Dylan will be born. Check back soon!

April 6th

Today, I had the day off, but Lynette had to work. After dropping her off, I stopped by the new house and took a picture of the yard, which they had completed yestereday. I also ate lunch with Mike McQuoid, one of my co-workers, and we watched part of the WWII movie, Band of Brothers. After that, I took the Harley out for the first time this year. It has been garaged at Mike's house while we are temporarily between homes. I rode it up to Lake McMurray and back, which is only about a 45-minute round trip ride, and the weather was just warm enough for it to be comfortable.

After picking up Lynette from work, we met up with Chris Trefry (best man in the wedding) at the McMennamin's near his new apartment in Mill Creek.

Yesterday, my active shooter training went well. We complete the class once a year, and we train for scenarios where a shooter is actively shooting victims. In such instances, like in school shootings or shootings in the work place, we don't have time to get a SWAT team in place. We must therefore train for entering a building with only a few officers and to locate the threat quickly. The course is designed to show us the safest way to accomplish that goal.

Lynette is still doing well and Dylan continues to be very active. The picture above is from Saturday at the ultra sound.
--Dave

April 4

Checked on the house today.... We have the beginning of a front yard now. A tree and several plants have been put in, and new soil has been added. Inside, the dishwasher and the microwave had been installed. We're guessing the stove will also be installed by the end of the day.

We have given up our bachelor/bachelorette furniture for some adult furniture. On Saturday, we bought a sectional and a dining room set up in Bellingham at The Greenhouse. On Sunday, we bought a couch, love-seat, and chair at JR Furniture in Lynnwood. We also bought a coffee table and a few other matching pieces. The picture above is of the set we bought at JR Furniture. We know the manager there, so if you need a good deal, let us know.

We have lots of plans this week. Tomorrow, Dave has Active-Shooter training with members of the Arlington and Marysville Police Departments at the Arlington High School. On Saturday, we have a pre-birth class at the Everett Providence Hospital, where Dylan will be delivered. Afterward, we are going to the Mariners Game with some friends.

Keep checking for updates! --Lynette and Dave

The 4D Ultrasound

This morning we went to the Inner Vision Ultra Sound Clinic in the Greenwood area of Seattle. Rob, Helen, and Amy joined us, and we got a great look at our growing boy. We watched him move his lips, open his eyes, and grab his toes. The technician told us that he is a big boy, which we already knew, and showed us that he already has a lot of hair. It was difficult to get a clear shot of his face at first because he is running out of room. We saw the dimples in his hands and he even has a wrinkle on his nose. The tech said that it was because he was squished in there and that it would go away within a few days of birth. He was sleeping when we first arrived, which was rare for him, but he woke up after mommy drank some juice.