The Baby's Room

I haven't met this new guy that's moving in with Christina and Me, but we sure have built a nice cage for him!

After moving the office downstairs, we were able to begin baby-fying the joint and getting ready for the newest Davis: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxx Davis. Nice try, but you're not getting it until B-Day!

The theme is turtle (Go Terps) and everyone's real excited for the addition. Except maybe the cat, who doesn't know yet that there's a new sheriff on his way to town, and the free reign she's had to lounge where ever she wants will soon be over.

Check out the baby's new diggs:

One's for sleeping, and the other is for sleeping. In fact, pretty much everything for the first few months is for sleeping in. Or wishing he were sleeping in. And rolling him closer to our bed so that he can keep us from sleeping in.

Then there's rocking and sleeping devices. One requires a mom, the other allows for hands free operation. Notice one of many selected napping locations for our current freeloader. She's not going to like it when we move her blanket to an equally comfortable spot in the house near a window so she can continue to snooze away the day and eat food I've set out for her. Where do you sign up for this gig?

The cage!
Again, My guess: September 13th!

Irene, you naughty, naughty girl

I'm glad that everyone in my family is OK after the storm. Hurricanes are unpredictable, and it's important to be prepared and respond/recover as quickly as possible. As it turns out, even at 985 feet above sea level, we here at Ashford Living did see some intense storm activity, with the requisite damage.

Quick video during the height of the storm

Flood damage in the garage

Tree down from the wind. Note: I tipped over the chairs to protect them from rolling over. Figured I'd control what I could. Check out the intense leaf damage.

Here's a downed branch behind my car. Slowed down our trip to Target to get stuff for "the Baby"

Here's me starting the intense clean-up process.

Never have to shovel rain! And it's on its way, people.

Virtual Stina Diatribe, plus one

A few weeks ago, my partner in crime Virtual Stina, put together a few lines on her acute feelings concerning the Health Care System in the US. Well, at least the dummies at the Windham Hospital in Willimantic.

It's been a joy, I admit, navigating the appointments, nurses, midwives, doctors, offices, appointments, and late appointments, and changes and more appointments that come along with having a child. I wouldn't trade it for anything, except maybe competent people with the bedside manner of at least a  mortician. Maybe an auto mechanic.

On Friday, we left the house at 3:45 to make the 25 minute trip to Willimantic for an OBGYN appointment. Due to traffic ( a single car accident on Rte 89, which require blocking the road and calling in reserve Mansfield police ( yeah, that far down the ladder (yeah, parenthesis inside parenthesis)) to call in the rollback that took 15 minutes to pull the minivan onto the bed) we were running late. We called the office  to let them know, and were told that we needed to hurry or they would have to reschedule. Long and short of it: pregnant lady, left work early, rushed down, previous issue with this office, scheduling issue last Friday = Not Happy Stina. It was looking like a real fun day.

As it turned out, all was well. We got there a bit late, but they saw us. The doctor was great, the staff was nice (why do doctors call the support people "staff"?), and we had a great visit complete with a heart beat listen and a small contraction when the doctor was feeling for the baby's head (pointed down!) And she's at term, so any day now (my guess: September 13th).

Moral of the story is, when we left, I saw this:

Where exactly are they sending us? Parking lot is to the left.
Jerks.

Basement is done!

It's been a big investment of both time and money, but we have finally prepared the downstairs for occupancy. And that means for creatures higher on the food chain than mold and spiders.

Check out the great looking finished product, complete with an incomplete office and our baby conveyance vessel (more on the Davis Pup to follow later):

No more crunchy things under your feet when you walk to the laundry room

Check out the lazy cat that slept through the whole thing

Here's the office in all its glory

The bookcase will eventually go down here, along with our new big flat screen TV. What better way to spend you time when you have a newborn baby. Simple, right?

Back to our Roots

When I started Ashford Living, I intended to spend more time talking about our Life out here at 985 feet above sea level (no concern for Irene back).

So, to bring my reader back to one of the original precepts of this blog:

Today's Numbers:

Deer sighted: 0
Turkey Sighted: 0
Deer turkey ratio still even.

Skunk Smelled: 1

Link to Turkey Jamboree 2011
http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=10150251899339011

Enjoy!

X Marks the Basement

Big happenings in the Davis household right now: New Job, Remodel, Baby!! Thankfully I'm gainfully unemployed this week, So I have time to get s few projects and a final paper done before Irene back and blow like a Hurricane shows up and ruins everything.

With "the baby" coming in a few weeks (we're taking bets on the birthday), I've been locked in the basement until the remodel is complete and the baby's lair is ready for occupancy.

I'm proud to announce that the walls are up, the ceiling is in place, and the carpet is ready to go down. I just need to get a bit of carpet tile adhesive (apparently dumb and dumber at Home Depot ordered me the wrong tiles--no peel off backing) and start the final leg. Then I can paint, and I'm done!

Here's the Picture Show!

Not Pizza Boxes, Carpet Tiles

That's some good looking Carpet Placement

For those of you that remember the Closets, Gone! Lots more room down there too. Plus I've mopped up the floor, so the fireplace smell is gone. Once the carpet's down, I need volunteers to help move the bookcase downstairs. Really just a volunteer. I'll pay you in Beer?!?

Gibbet Hill Grill: as in Gibberish

Christina and I had a wonderful dinner last night at the Gibbet Hill Grill in Groton, Mass. Excellent food, great place. Real top notch operation. If you're ever north of Worcester, make sure to go.

The Food is local and the service was perfect. The atmosphere was lively and the scenery was quaint New England. And the company was very beautiful (wink!).  I couldn't have asked for a better Anniversary Dinner.

The Happy Couple





The view inside the restaurant:

Appetizer: Egg, Prosciutto, and Fried Potato. Phenomenal!

The wedge Salad: Fresh Tomatoes were excellent, and the cheese was so rich!

Here's the Porterhouse I ordered. Didn't last long...

And now for desert: Carrot Cake

I had to surrender to the cake

Christina didn't have trouble with the Brownies she ordered.



Fin.

Thanks for the the party!

(Note: The pictures used in this article are for reference only!)

The sales gang took me to JD Coopers last night in Putnam to celebrate finally getting me out of the office.

We had lots of appetizers and a few drinks. It was great!

Thanks to all of you for the fun!

Six Glorious Years

Here's to my lovely wife Christina. Thank you for 6 wonderful years of marriage.

Happy Anniversary, Beautiful!

End of Days

The end is nigh, my friends. Tomorrow is my last day at Loos & Company. Five years, 10 months, 2 days after I first sat in my cube and asked what wire rope was, I'm on to the next big adventure.

Thanks LoosCo for all the memories. You've been great.

New Logo. Go Pat, Go!

Picturesque frontal shot of the office.

Take care, everyone. And to help with the sadness:

Baby Bunnies!!!!

Remeber When...?

For those of you who are thankful the recent spat of thunderstorms is over, and wondering what you'll be doing this coming weekend: think about where you were 9 short months ago, and what we'll be doing again in about 3 months....

http://ashfordliving.blogspot.com/2011/01/car-luge.html

Remember last winter? Enjoy!

Baked Chicken with Yogurt

Check out the golden brown goodness that Stina made for us:

Nigela Lawson recipe, came out perfect!

Highly Recommend this.

Catching Up

For all of you patient followers of Ashford Living: My Apologies for the delay. It's been a hectic few weeks!. Since we last talked, I've Graduated from UCONN with my MBA, accepted a new position with Henkel NA in Rocky Hill, and continued my Baby Prep around the house. Here's a pictorial look at the last few weeks:

Pregnant Stina at Cape May. Whoa! Doesn't she look great! It won't be long!

Basement re-work: I need to move the book shelves and TV down here and make way for the Baby!

Ain't that cute? You've been kitten-bombed!

Trophy I won by coming in first along with my group in the Capstone Simulation at UCONN. actual Size: 4" high!

My niece Meadow, the Chipmunks, and Mr. Peach-Tato. It was picture time.


Next Up: Baked Chicken with yogurt sauce. so very, very good!