Our Addition to Dueselhouse - Major Construction (or destruction)

Dueselhouse has been all apart for the past two weeks, as we've put on an addition!

Wait, put in an addition? Aren't you guys on foodstamps? No, we are not... I don't think.

Approx. 3 Hours old!

Regardless, it was a different type of addition. We have a new comer to the Dueselhouse. 21.5 inches, 8.5 pounds, and ears like a Duesel. Gerard Roch, aka "Rocky" joined us on June 13 at 9:34 in the morning - his arrival began an hour before we would get up for his birth to be induced. Compounding things, he arrived so quickle, even we were surprised.

Storms had the hospital extremely busy - low pressure helps baby's drop, scientific fact - and after an hour of waiting for our nurse to join the room, mom was fully dilated! Whoops, can you say no epidural! Mom was a champ, we gave her a pull from a bottle of whisky and a piece of leather between her teeth and out he came. It was pretty sweet, Katie is a hero!

Everything happened so fast, that just before pushing commenced, I asked Katie for last predictions on the sex, and we both figured it would be a girl. SURPRISE! As the boy grabbed his first breaths of air, and returned them with screams, the doctor turned and asked if I was going to tell mom what flavor baby it was. I swallowed, my mouth was dry, I didn't think I could speak, but with a shake in my voice I managed, "It's... it's a boy. It's a boy, Katie! He's got a huge..." Well, I said something like that. We were shocked, to say the least.

He is named after our fathers, and his social security number is 451-22-5309. (ok, I made the number up, but kudos if you can guess where I got each set of numbers).

In the past two weeks he has been both mind numbingly sweet and a colossal drain on our emotions. I love him.

And as I look over the back of the couch, I see he has woken up from his nap and it's time to hang with the biggest addition to Dueselhouse. Aloha.

My summer vacation

The view driving to visit Grandparents

1 Yr. Anniversary

     Welcome to a very special edition of the Dueselhouse Blog. 365 days ago (Actually, it was May 31. I forgot to post this on time), we signed a pile of papers and became owners of a ramshackle 2 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom house. Running water, indoor plumbing, and a fifth of an acre to mow regularly.

     In short, the place was a bit of a dump. This is some before and after photos of the changes we have made to our little home. We are pleased with how much of it has turned out.

 

Our Kitchen:

Your Backdoor, Man:

 

The Famed Man Bathroom:

Bathroom:

The finished product (no, we haven't painted; yes there is a mirror)

The Blue Room (for the baby due June 7th):

Floors for the House:

 

     It was a busy year. I am still surprised with all the improvements we have made - or that Katie even let us buy a house that needed this much work! Also, thanks to our parents, for loving us and encouraging what seemed crazy.  We tried to put forth a strong face, but I know sometimes I was scared with the number of things to be done. Everyone else who helped, keep your eyes peeled for the shout-out blog post in a few days (weeks) we didn't forget all those paint-stained hands and sacrificed weekends!

     That's all for our little before-after tour. It's less than a week until Frankie gets a new brother or sister, and we are headed to one last dinner at a restaurant without cartoon animals or slides. (don't worry, we won't really go to those places with our children!)

     So long, for now, and thanks for all the fish!

-Jeff