Sunday, February 28, 2010
Museum Fun
We have had quite a fun filled weekend with two parties and the museum! Friday morning; Ceilidh, Graeme, and I went to the Museum of Life and Science with my friend, Karie and her children, Emma and Ben. Karie graciously allowed us to use her membership pass so not only was it fun, but it was FREE! woohoo I had never been, but can't wait to go back when the weather warms up a bit. Ceilidh has told me at least 4 times a day since we went, "That train was a lot of fun mommy!" and "The museum was so neat!" I think her favorite parts of the museum, besides just being with Emma; were the train ride, the butterfly house, and an exhibit where she could feel how clouds. Ceilidh loves Emma and talks about her all the time. Thank you Karie for including us on fun adventures!
Five months old today... sort of!
Since February only has 28 days on a normal year, and Graeme was born on the 29th, we are going to say he is five months old today. ha I really can't believe we are coming up on half a year old already. I was just looking at him yesterday thinking how much faster his first year has gone than Ceilidh's did. He is as sweet and calm and wonderful as he looks in pictures. (I'm not his mom or anything! wink) Really though, he has been an incredible joy! I just want time to SLOW down, really for both of them!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Our newest author
As everyone knows, she has always LOVED books. She is now beginning to tell stories of her own. Today we decided she would dictate and I would transcribe for her. So today; she authored her first short story! ha Maybe she will take after her Aunt Caitlin and rock the school of journalism someday!
Sidenote: There is a picture that goes along with the short story as well. ha
A Baby
One night a baby slept in a little bassinet with wheels. There are also ribbons on the bassinet. He cried and wanted mommy milk. They woke up b/c the baby cried. He didn't cry the next morning. Somebody came over. Jackson and Micah came over and they played with toys. ZZ came over too. Then Pops came over too. Then "Sanna" came over. Then Zion came over too. Then Caitlin too. Thats all the people. The story is done.
Sidenote: There is a picture that goes along with the short story as well. ha
A Baby
One night a baby slept in a little bassinet with wheels. There are also ribbons on the bassinet. He cried and wanted mommy milk. They woke up b/c the baby cried. He didn't cry the next morning. Somebody came over. Jackson and Micah came over and they played with toys. ZZ came over too. Then Pops came over too. Then "Sanna" came over. Then Zion came over too. Then Caitlin too. Thats all the people. The story is done.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Good Morning
This is what I wake up to every morning! Sorry for the poor resolution, my video camera wasn't charged so I used my camera.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
A late Happy Birthday to Grappy!
Happy Birthday Mom! Sorry this is a little late. I have been trying to fumigate the sick germs out of our house the last couple of nights, therefore unable to blog. Hope you had a wonderful weekend! We love you!
Friday, February 19, 2010
A birthday never seen
While working at LCPC, I obviously researched a lot on the loss of babies whether it be from abortion or miscarriages/stillbirths. Many women reported increased symptoms of grief/loss during either the anniversary of the death or the anniversary of her due date. Thankfully, I feel like God has brought both Andrew and me a long way since September of 2008; but I definitely have thought about Kenan more during the past couple of weeks than I have in a while. At least for this year, the anniversary of my due date (Feb. 16th) has brought more sadness than this past September did.
This afternoon we were driving around, and happened to pass a cemetery with a funeral in progress. We both saw the tiny casket at the same time, but Andrew commented first that it was an infant sized casket. Of course this led to a discussion about how we both had been thinking about Kenan and how things might have been different. There have definitely been times when I have wondered, "What would he have looked like?", "Would he have been more like Andrew or more like me?", "Would he have loved football with a namesake like Kenan (ha)?", etc. But more so than that type of wondering, I tend to ponder the more negative, like, "What was the Lord sparing us from?", "Would he have died 2 minutes, 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months, or even 2 years after he was born even if he had lived?", "Would he have been handicap if he had lived?", etc.
A year or so before Ceilidh was born, a friend of mine lost a baby at 39 weeks. She went to the hospital that morning to be induced and they couldn't find his heartbeat. At the funeral, I vividly remember standing next to the OBGYN who delivered Gentry, and saying, "I can't imagine. I don't know if I could handle this." Little did I know... Jennifer and I weren't even that close at the time, but I would get weepy for weeks afterwards. One night while sitting on the couch, I told Andrew that I would never attend an infant's funeral again. I couldn't do it. After seeing that casket today, I sort of believe even more so that maybe the Lord was sparing my heart. Though life is life no matter how long or little the person lives it, I feel my grief would have been even more so if we had completed the pregnancy and then lost him, or gotten only a short amount of time with him.
How do I end this? I don't know. Why did I write this? I don't know. I have a need to "write" out what I'm thinking, and for some reason I feel the need to "not forget" him publicly. He is apart of our family, and always will be. He just beat us to Heaven.
This afternoon we were driving around, and happened to pass a cemetery with a funeral in progress. We both saw the tiny casket at the same time, but Andrew commented first that it was an infant sized casket. Of course this led to a discussion about how we both had been thinking about Kenan and how things might have been different. There have definitely been times when I have wondered, "What would he have looked like?", "Would he have been more like Andrew or more like me?", "Would he have loved football with a namesake like Kenan (ha)?", etc. But more so than that type of wondering, I tend to ponder the more negative, like, "What was the Lord sparing us from?", "Would he have died 2 minutes, 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months, or even 2 years after he was born even if he had lived?", "Would he have been handicap if he had lived?", etc.
A year or so before Ceilidh was born, a friend of mine lost a baby at 39 weeks. She went to the hospital that morning to be induced and they couldn't find his heartbeat. At the funeral, I vividly remember standing next to the OBGYN who delivered Gentry, and saying, "I can't imagine. I don't know if I could handle this." Little did I know... Jennifer and I weren't even that close at the time, but I would get weepy for weeks afterwards. One night while sitting on the couch, I told Andrew that I would never attend an infant's funeral again. I couldn't do it. After seeing that casket today, I sort of believe even more so that maybe the Lord was sparing my heart. Though life is life no matter how long or little the person lives it, I feel my grief would have been even more so if we had completed the pregnancy and then lost him, or gotten only a short amount of time with him.
How do I end this? I don't know. Why did I write this? I don't know. I have a need to "write" out what I'm thinking, and for some reason I feel the need to "not forget" him publicly. He is apart of our family, and always will be. He just beat us to Heaven.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Update...
So I realized when I was typing the title, that "Update" seems a little lame seeing that our blog is essentially an update about our life. Oh well, I am not the most witty so "Update" will have to work. ha
Graeme had his well-baby checkup yesterday and weighed in at a whopping 15lbs 8ozs! We have laughed all day that Ceilidh was only 18lbs at a year old! ha He was either 26 or 27 inches tall. He is falling in the 50th percentile for weight and the 75th percentile for height. He continues to be amazingly sweet and laid back. If you merely turn your head his direction, he breaks out in a huge grin. He loves to be held and cuddled; rubbing his head all over your face just begging for kisses. At least that's what mommy believes! wink He was a trooper yet again with his second round of shots; but he came down with a fever last night and kept it most of today. After taking an incredibly long nap; the fever broke and he was back to being smiley Graeme. Hopefully that will be the only issue he has with this round.
Ceilidh is in love with their doctor and literally asked me several times during the appointment, "Mommy, excuse me; are you finished talking?" She wanted Dr. Reddick to give her a checkup since Graeme was getting one! ha She talks to him like she has known him for years. It is really funny. Since the appointment, she has been such a good big sister. Every time I would change his diaper, "Be careful mommy, his shots still hurt!" I had the opportunity to sub for a few ballet classes yesterday and one of Andrew's aunts watched the children for me. Ceilidh proudly told me when we got home, "Don't worry mommy, I told Angewa (Angela) to be careful with Gaeme's (Graeme's) leg!" She really loves him. It is so sweet to watch them together!
Graeme had his well-baby checkup yesterday and weighed in at a whopping 15lbs 8ozs! We have laughed all day that Ceilidh was only 18lbs at a year old! ha He was either 26 or 27 inches tall. He is falling in the 50th percentile for weight and the 75th percentile for height. He continues to be amazingly sweet and laid back. If you merely turn your head his direction, he breaks out in a huge grin. He loves to be held and cuddled; rubbing his head all over your face just begging for kisses. At least that's what mommy believes! wink He was a trooper yet again with his second round of shots; but he came down with a fever last night and kept it most of today. After taking an incredibly long nap; the fever broke and he was back to being smiley Graeme. Hopefully that will be the only issue he has with this round.
Ceilidh is in love with their doctor and literally asked me several times during the appointment, "Mommy, excuse me; are you finished talking?" She wanted Dr. Reddick to give her a checkup since Graeme was getting one! ha She talks to him like she has known him for years. It is really funny. Since the appointment, she has been such a good big sister. Every time I would change his diaper, "Be careful mommy, his shots still hurt!" I had the opportunity to sub for a few ballet classes yesterday and one of Andrew's aunts watched the children for me. Ceilidh proudly told me when we got home, "Don't worry mommy, I told Angewa (Angela) to be careful with Gaeme's (Graeme's) leg!" She really loves him. It is so sweet to watch them together!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happy Valentine's Day!
I hope everyone had a terrific Valentine's Day. My wonderful husband took Ceilidh on a Valentine's date this morning to Dunkin Donuts before church. She told him she wanted to wear "Grappy's dress" (a dress mom gave her for V-day) and get a chocolate donut with chocolate milk! ha Andrew said when they walked in, she immediately saw the cooler with the beverages and picked out her milk. The pink iced donut with sprinkle hearts was too hard to resist, so she passed up the chocolate donut for the Valentine's donut. She was all smiles when they picked mommy and Graeme up for church.
Getting ready for their date
We had a fun Valentine's (a day early) visit from Grappy and Granddaddy this weekend. We met them in Durham to have lunch with Aunt Nell (my great aunt) so she could meet little Graeme. After spending the afternoon with mom, dad, and Aunt Nell; I have to say I am becoming more and more inclined to be ok living in a smaller area if we are able to live near family. Andrew is smiling and saying to himself, "I told you I'd win you over" as he is reading this! ha I love hearing our parents/family talk about their families and how it was when they grew up. Ceilidh and Graeme knowing their family is worth more than my proximity to a Target (even though this is high on the list! ha). Though there are definitely pros and cons to both "rural" and "urban" (I think those terms are very subjective) living, I think the idea of relationships appeals to me more than a "cool" place to live. Who knows though... Andrew's employment will be the biggest factor in our next place of residence! ha We enjoyed our visit G & G! Thanks for coming!
Stay tuned: Graeme has a well baby checkup on Tuesday. I am excited to see how much he weighs. This boy is getting huge!! Also, if you read our blog, hopefully you love us enough to pray for us! ha Please pray for all of us, but me specifically as we are about to transition Graeme into his crib at night. I know that might sound silly to you, but I am pretty anxious about it. Ceilidh's transition wasn't a big deal b/c she was sleeping in her crib for naps, and she was the only one in the room. Graeme isn't the best napper, so whether it be good or poor parenting, Graeme takes naps wherever he will stay asleep! ha We also have to contend with Ceilidh being in the same room now. Many many parents have been in this same position before; in fact, there are only 1 & 2 bedroom apartments here, so if you have 2 or more children they share a room. I know 3 kids in the same room here! I love that they will share a room, I am just concerned about the time it will take for them to get used to it. If you will specifically pray that Ceilidh will handle the change in her bedtime routine well, and that he won't wake her in the middle of the night.
These are just a few pictures of Princess Ceilidh! ha This is her birthday party attire.... in MAY! ha
Getting ready for their date
We had a fun Valentine's (a day early) visit from Grappy and Granddaddy this weekend. We met them in Durham to have lunch with Aunt Nell (my great aunt) so she could meet little Graeme. After spending the afternoon with mom, dad, and Aunt Nell; I have to say I am becoming more and more inclined to be ok living in a smaller area if we are able to live near family. Andrew is smiling and saying to himself, "I told you I'd win you over" as he is reading this! ha I love hearing our parents/family talk about their families and how it was when they grew up. Ceilidh and Graeme knowing their family is worth more than my proximity to a Target (even though this is high on the list! ha). Though there are definitely pros and cons to both "rural" and "urban" (I think those terms are very subjective) living, I think the idea of relationships appeals to me more than a "cool" place to live. Who knows though... Andrew's employment will be the biggest factor in our next place of residence! ha We enjoyed our visit G & G! Thanks for coming!
Stay tuned: Graeme has a well baby checkup on Tuesday. I am excited to see how much he weighs. This boy is getting huge!! Also, if you read our blog, hopefully you love us enough to pray for us! ha Please pray for all of us, but me specifically as we are about to transition Graeme into his crib at night. I know that might sound silly to you, but I am pretty anxious about it. Ceilidh's transition wasn't a big deal b/c she was sleeping in her crib for naps, and she was the only one in the room. Graeme isn't the best napper, so whether it be good or poor parenting, Graeme takes naps wherever he will stay asleep! ha We also have to contend with Ceilidh being in the same room now. Many many parents have been in this same position before; in fact, there are only 1 & 2 bedroom apartments here, so if you have 2 or more children they share a room. I know 3 kids in the same room here! I love that they will share a room, I am just concerned about the time it will take for them to get used to it. If you will specifically pray that Ceilidh will handle the change in her bedtime routine well, and that he won't wake her in the middle of the night.
These are just a few pictures of Princess Ceilidh! ha This is her birthday party attire.... in MAY! ha
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
A Sunday of Celebration
Saturday was Suzanne's birthday, so we all got together on Sunday after church to celebrate. Ceilidh is on board to celebrate just about anything; but was super excited that the reason for celebrating this weekend was ZZ! ha Butter Pecan ice cream is some of her favorite ice cream, so Andrew and I made a homemade Butter Pecan cake for her. It wasn't half bad for my first try. My husband almost disowned me during the process (ha), but by 1am Sunday morning, we were actually agreeably working together! After having an emotional break down, and after apologizing for being a bit touchy about my baking attempt, he saved me (and the cake) during the icing part. Have you ever tried to make homemade icing?!! It doesn't seem like it would be difficult, but it is definitely more frustrating than popping the top to a icing container! ha Even though he helped me thicken it up quite a bit, it was still a bit more runny than I would have preferred.
Side note: Did you know that Corn Starch has no taste and is a thickening agent? I had no idea. Thanks honey for the baking lessons. In fact, I have no clue why it was in our cabinet in the first place.
No matter the cake, Caitlin and Susanna's lasagna was great; and Ceilidh is always ready to sing Happy Birthday! It is always fun when we all get together.
After ZZ's party, all the ladies (and little Graeme! ha) went to Lydia's house and celebrated Lauren/Jack at a Blessing way. This was such a neat first experience for me. When Lydia invited us all, I looked up Blessing Ways on the Internet simply b/c I didn't know anything about them. Modern Day baby showers have their origins in BW's and I believe they started as a Navajo tradition. It is a ceremony to honor/celebrate the expectant mother's rite of passage into motherhood. It was a very moving time together, and I'm so thankful that the original Clendenin women include me as a sister. We each prepared a blessing/word of advice/encouragement to speak to Lauren. After we gave our blessing, we gave her a bead to represent what we said. We placed the beads on a bracelet that Lauren will wear until Jack is born, so that she has a constant reminder of the words spoken to her as she prepares for labor, birth, and motherhood. We also brought food that was symbolic or a comfort food for Lauren. Caitlin and I both brought skittles. Great minds think alike Cait! wink I have to say though, that Lydia's creme brulee was my favorite. ummm, YUM! She made creme brulee to represent the sweetness of motherhood even when you feel a little under fire. ha! Thanks for the special memory girls!
It was a great weekend even though I got a massive headache towards the end of Sunday night. The headache might have come on thinking about how very soon, we will have 4 little boys 3 and under in the Clendenin family! ha
Side note: Did you know that Corn Starch has no taste and is a thickening agent? I had no idea. Thanks honey for the baking lessons. In fact, I have no clue why it was in our cabinet in the first place.
No matter the cake, Caitlin and Susanna's lasagna was great; and Ceilidh is always ready to sing Happy Birthday! It is always fun when we all get together.
After ZZ's party, all the ladies (and little Graeme! ha) went to Lydia's house and celebrated Lauren/Jack at a Blessing way. This was such a neat first experience for me. When Lydia invited us all, I looked up Blessing Ways on the Internet simply b/c I didn't know anything about them. Modern Day baby showers have their origins in BW's and I believe they started as a Navajo tradition. It is a ceremony to honor/celebrate the expectant mother's rite of passage into motherhood. It was a very moving time together, and I'm so thankful that the original Clendenin women include me as a sister. We each prepared a blessing/word of advice/encouragement to speak to Lauren. After we gave our blessing, we gave her a bead to represent what we said. We placed the beads on a bracelet that Lauren will wear until Jack is born, so that she has a constant reminder of the words spoken to her as she prepares for labor, birth, and motherhood. We also brought food that was symbolic or a comfort food for Lauren. Caitlin and I both brought skittles. Great minds think alike Cait! wink I have to say though, that Lydia's creme brulee was my favorite. ummm, YUM! She made creme brulee to represent the sweetness of motherhood even when you feel a little under fire. ha! Thanks for the special memory girls!
It was a great weekend even though I got a massive headache towards the end of Sunday night. The headache might have come on thinking about how very soon, we will have 4 little boys 3 and under in the Clendenin family! ha
Friday, February 5, 2010
Good news
I am so excited for my sister tonight! She just found out she passed the NC School Administration Licensure exam!!! She has worked very hard to get where she is today educationally, and I am very proud of her for that. Even though I see it done everyday by Andrew, as a mother, I can't imagine working, going to school, and raising children all at the same time. Kathi and Andrew both amaze me with their determination and ability to "do it all!" I love you Kathi!
I also wanted to wish ZZ a very happy Birthday!!! She is beyond words special to all four of us. We love you so much! Just a few of my favorite ZZ pictures:
I also wanted to wish ZZ a very happy Birthday!!! She is beyond words special to all four of us. We love you so much! Just a few of my favorite ZZ pictures:
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