Milly slept fine last night.  She did fuss some around 6:00, but it wasn’t long and I went back to sleep just fine.

Most of the rest of my day was spent helping Phil put up a new wall upstairs.  Here’s a pictorial.

Upstairs, before and after the wall
Upstairs, before and after the wall

Obviously, there is some work to be done.  I’ve got to putty the holes and seams some more and we’ve got to paint the walls, not to mention installing the door.  We’re very happy with it though, and are very thankful to Karen and Phil for the help they’ve provided.  Heck, Phil did most of the work anyway, as seen here.

Phil Mercer framing the new wallPhil Mercer putting screws in the wall

Amanda and Karen stayed out of our hair by going to Costco and doing some other running around.  Phil and I actually stopped by Costco too, taking a back route from Target to Advance Auto.  We wanted something to eat and since we were literally driving through the Costco parking lot and I knew our wives might be there, we stopped to get some giant hot dogs and a drink for a buck and a half.  We got a call from them almost as soon as we set foot in the store from them though.  They were already home.

This evening all of us and Milly went to the Frazelles’ to celebrate Kirsten’s birthday, which was actually Wednesday.  Peggy and Earl, Amanda’s grandparents, had just arrived and we passed her brother, Michael, on the way.  Anna made some delicious stuffed shells and we had ice cream pie from Boomalatti’s for dessert.

Milly was very social, talking to everyone and sitting in their laps.  Anna wanted a picture of the whole family after Kirsten opened her presents, but Milly wasn’t really in the mood to sit still then.

Karen and Phil left after we got home and we put Milly to bed.  After she’d been changed and had her jammies on, Amanda turned down the light and Milly laid across me.  I guess she would have stayed there a while.  It was so sweet, and I really hated to move her.  She didn’t cry when we told her good night and left though, so hopefully the fussing she’s been doing when going to bed lately was just a phase and a result of teething and sickness.

Amanda and I watched Supernatural, the season premiere where Sam reveals to Dean that he’s been back from Hell for about a year, turning Dean’s new happy suburban life upside-down.  I really liked the opening montage where it showed Dean doing everyday things and how it related to his former life as a hunter, like pouring salt on eggs paralleling pouring salt around places to keep spirits out, or prying some boards apart to prying open a coffin.  The ending felt very awkward between the two brothers, but I’m pretty sure that was by design.

Anyway, Amanda went to bed after that and I think I’m about to join her.

Zach Dotsey