DIY Nightstands

So I went to the library a while ago and picked up some Do It Yourself books and also started scouring the internet for different DIY ideas. I found some great stuff in the books I checked out and a new blog to follow, the writer goes by the title "Thrifty Decor Chick". Anyway, I was inspired to build nightstands for our bedroom. I was so tired of knocking over glasses of water that sat on the floor next to the bed and this in turn soaking my box of kleenexes or dousing my cell phone. I just wanted something simple, but I could not find what I wanted anywhere for less than $50 each nightstand. So after some thinking, planning, and drawing up a sketch with measurements I headed to the hardware store (a secret favorite place of mine) to pick up some MDF (medium density fiberboard), wood screws, primer, and spray paint.....

I forgot to take pictures of the process of cutting pieces. I used the table saw my dad bought for us to cut rectangular shapes from the MDF. To make the legs of the nightstands I used 2x4's that we had at the house, ripped them in half with the table saw and cut them down to the height I needed. This is, obviously, the priming process. Before I primed I had to fill in holes with wood putty and sand everything smooth. After everything was primed I began the spray painting process which WAS a prooooooceeeeessssss. It took forever, and once I got the tables in the bedroom I realized I actually missed a couple spots, but I haven't cared enough to fix them up yet.


This is one of the finished products and it performs its duties well. I just need to find some baskets to put on the bottom shelf so you can't see things like my Tums (for that middle of the night pregnancy heartburn).

This is one of 2 lamps that I found at the Goodwill in Urbandale. They were both brass lamps that had to be taken apart, primed, and spray painted metallic silver. I bought lamp shades from Target to complete the ensembles.

The 2 nightstands from afar (with the bed made!!). As you can see the lamps are not exactly the same style but I've been interested in the "same but different" style of decorating. You know, finding things that are the same color but different styles, or the same type of item (picture frames) and painting them different colors to incorporate all the accent colors in a room.

2 - 2'x4' 1/2" MDF - $20

5 cans black spray paint - $5

Wood screws - $2

Primer - $5

2x4 lumber - free at home

= about $16 per nightstand!!

I believe my hard work and stinginess paid off in this case :)

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Bi-weekly appointments

Can it even be possible that we are at the bi-weekly appointment mark in this pregnancy?!

I had my 32 week check up on Monday sans JB. One thing I find that I've been great at this whole pregnancy? Gaining weight :) Baby is doing well, heart rate was a little lower than the last appointments, but I hadn't felt any movement for a little while so I think the baby was sleeping and plus this little stinker is getting bigger and bigger, the doctor didn't seem concerned. She said that she couldn't tell exactly what position Little Brown was in, but that we're measuring about one and half weeks ahead. I'm interested to see if this growth rate keeps up and if it means a big baby or an early baby, or perhaps both??

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Survey says....

No gestational diabetes!!

Our doctor's nurse gave me a ring today and let me know that all four blood samples came back normal from my retest on Saturday, yay! Although, it was kind of a scare, it made me reevaluate what I've been eating lately and in the past couple weeks I have been more conscientious about including extra fruits and veggies- and less sweets and junk- in my diet. So all in all, it was a blessing in disguise (but with too many pokes-ouch!). Don't get me wrong, I'm still all about a nightly bowl of either ice cream or Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch, but I am getting better at cooking balanced dinners and taking healthy snacks like yogurt or applesauce to school so I don't wind up munching on prize box candy! I think Jerod is happy about healthier options, too, since he eats whatever I cook. He said his goal is to cut enough weight that he weighs less than me for once, since I'm almost at the +30 mark with still 11 weeks to go!

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Retest

So I went in for my glucose tolerance test today at the doctor's office. Let me tell you I was SO hungry this morning and immediately jealous and regretful that Jerod got to have cinnamon rolls for breakfast, but my fasting from the night before had to continue. When I went in they took a blood sample from fasting- good. I then got to down an entire bottle of the glucose drink, I went with orange this time, much better than the "fruit punch" which tasted like cough syrup. An hour later they drew blood again- good. So then I went out to wait for my third reading.....and I waited.....and waited......and waited. Somehow the timer they had set for me got stopped and they missed my third sample collection by 45 minutes, which meant that whatever result they received wouldn't be true. So, they waited for another 15 and drew for my final sample- which came back abnormal.

Our doctor said that normally if a patient has 1 of the 4 readings come back abnormal she just has them meet with a diabetic educator to have their blood sugar levels tested and go over a diet for the rest of the pregnancy. However, since one result is missing and the last one came back abnormal, she wants to err on the side of caution and redo the whole tolerance test. She said if it had been 2 confirmed abnormal results (gestational diabetes) she would handle the rest of the pregnancy differently and do monitoring and testing of the baby. She also said that if it is GD then that changes the extent of the pregnancy, she wouldn't want me to go much farther than 39 weeks.

So I am back to the diet for today, Thursday, and Friday. I will head back to Ames on Saturday morning for another round of blood samples at the hospital, just what I want to be doing when we're having friends out to the house in the afternoon for VEISHEA. Hopefully, everything turns out okay.

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Just an update on life...

Today is my last day of the glucose tolerance test diet (basically LOTS of carbs and trying to eat a more balanced diet). I can't have anything to eat after 8:00pm tonight and then I go in at 8am to drink some more of that yummy glucose juice and get stuck for blood samples about 4 times over a 3-4 hour period- after that, then I can eat again. Don't ask me how this is going to happen, I'm going to starve to death I think- I usually eat breakfast by six in the morning, how I'm going to make it until almost noon is beyond me...wish me luck :(

On another note, I felt something bony on my baby the other day and now frequently get jabbed with bony parts. It doesn't feel good, but at least the kid is moving around so I know they're doing alright.

I bought a sewing machine on Overstock.com the other day and am SO excited for it to come in so I can make curtains out the fabulous fabric I got online for our yellow room. I have finally, over a year's time, come up with a way to make the room seem less yellow and am antsy to get moving on my project. It includes some new curtains with the accent colors for the room, a lot of old picture frames to repaint in several different colors, and the building of a bench/shelf and storage cupboard. Not sure if I will have enough energy to get it done, but I'm sure going to try! Of course since I paid a decent amount for the sewing machine, Jerod's first comment was, "Are you going to actually use it?" And I really, truly think that I will. I've been needing a hobby of some sort for a while now and would like to start making quilts (we'll start baby size first) and I KNOW I want to make my own tablecloths because I can never find square tablecloths that will fit our table. Hopefully I made a worthwhile investment, I guess only time will tell.

I'll let you know how the glucose test goes and be back with some pictures with old college friends as we get together for Iowa State's big celebration of the colleges, VEISHEA. We're hoping the weather isn't too crappy (who needs snow in April?!) so that we can get outside with everyone on Saturday and play some yard games and just have a good time. Have a wonderful week!

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28 weeks down, 12 to go!

Well, technically I don't actually hit the 28 week mark until this Thursday, but close enough, right? We're finally in the third trimester and I am slowly beginning to realize how NOT ready we are for this little person to pop out! I mean, we're ready to meet our baby and can't wait for that part, but I feel like we have nothing else prepared. Even though we still have 12 weeks, I'm starting to get a little antsy about all systems being go. It totally bugs me that the nursery is still in mid-decor mode, we don't know who we're going to have baby-sitting on days when my sister, Amanda, has class or work, we have a couple onesies and some receiving blankets but otherwise- nada, and other seemingly miniscule items that have just been driving me batty!

Plus, I can definitely believe we're at 28 weeks, but it hadn't hit me that it leaves only 12 weeks, thereabouts, left to go....my, how this has flown by. Well, here's a belly pic for 28 weeks, I'm still feeling great minus I did not pass my glucose screening and have to go in for the 3-hr glucose tolerance test in a couple of weeks- BOO! I think it may have had something to do with the lack of water intake that morning paired with the granola bar I HAD TO HAVE right at the cutoff for when I was supposed to fast before going in for the screening. Wish me luck on that, I'm not looking forward to having blood samples drawn 4 times in 3 hours, yuck :( Baby, on the other hand, seems to be doing well so far as the doctor can tell, and has been more and more active and the kicks are getting stronger! I can see my belly jump sometimes, happy week to all!

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Basement Progress

This weekend my parents traveled out our way again to continue the basement renovation. The last time they were here, metal studs went up along with drywall and the basement was separated into three sections: the will-be "Man Cave", a guest bedroom, and the rest of the basement. This time my dad brought along his HUGE air compressor and his equipment to texture the walls that were put up the last visit. He, Jerod, and my brother, Tom, were also able to finish insulating the bedroom and installing drywall as well as a new window at the South end of the bedroom. There was some electrical work done and we opted to do a stick frame for the other big wall in the man cave, this way when we mount a TV it has something to grab onto and is supported well.

Here's a few pics of the current state of the basment:

This is the man cave from the space where the french doors will be. I should have taken a picture of the wall that has already been textured, but oh well. You're seeing the area where the TV will go up and we'll put in some couches- the place where Baby B and I will have to go to spend time with Daddy during football season!

He kept trying to escape, but I was able to grab this picture of him working. He's shaving some of the drywall off to fit it around the window.

My dad and Jerod putting in the drywall JB was working on (right before my mom and I announced our plans to head out to Des Moines to do some shoe shopping!)

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