The fallout...

Well Christmas has officially come and gone and the two giant boxes - filled with other boxes, plastic casing & shredded wrapping - are the evidence that Grace & Kellan were on the "NICE" list, Santa got the letter that Grace wrote at daycare and that our two little kiddos are very loved by their family - mommy, daddy, auntie/uncles, grand & great-grandparents and some very special friends who we lump into the family category!

Surprise, surprise Grace made out with the most loot...and when asked she will tell you that she got her bouncy ball, duckie and of course...she got her guitar!!!! She also has a "computer" that she got that she can type on while mommy is "doing homework" on my laptop (like right now!). She also got some great clothes - dress-up and regular - a new dolly, Barbie Jeep, Polly Pockets...the list goes on...

Kellan got a few things too - some rattles, clothes and a couple books, but most of us figured that this year...well, he won't be missing much!

On Christmas Eve Grace & I made special cookies cookies for Santa...Grace did a fabulous job decorating but it was hard because she wanted to lick the spoon after every cookie! :-) After we finally coaxed her to bed (she thought maybe if she stayed up as long as possible she might see Santa) then we had to stay up trying to frantically wrap the presents that we had procrastinated on.

Both kiddos were up by 530am so it was a very short night, but worth it in the end! They both had a great Christmas, we had a simple ham dinner with the grandparents & Uncle Sam and then to bed early...phew!

I got a special present...not for Christmas, but something I've been waiting on for almost 2 years...my extra kitchen cabinets!! Gma/Gpa DeMeerleer got here today and are going to help us get them hung so I will have them before the new year....YEAH!!

Hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas and we wish you love, peace and happiness!

the snow is here...and Christmas will be soon too!

Well, the procrastination that Christmas is coming is officially over. We got our tree (a blue spruce which discourages both small children and small dogs from messing with it) and a week after putting it up, actually got decorations on it. A few days later I got the decorations up and that has helping get us all in the spirit of the season. I think the lack of sleep has kept either Chuck or myself from having enough energy to really get going this year!

Chuck also got most of the outside lights up (enough to appease the neighbors & Christmas-light committee!) and Colton is once again transformed into a Christmas light/decoration mecca complete with color coded streets, Candy Cane Lane, a lighted nativity in the park, and a few other lighted scenes around town (okay the 12 streets that make up our little farming town).

I also managed to get Christmas cards in the mail and presents hidden away for the big day, so for me the big deadlines have been met!

Grace has been getting very excited for Santa's visit this year...she REALLY gets it! She even got to write a letter to Santa at daycare and was VERY thorough! She told Santa what she wanted and then explained to him how to find our house:

"...there is a Huge Gray pickup out front and we have a new deck in the back. My little dog Apollo might be out barking, but don't be afraid. He won't bite, just lick."

Kellan is still too little, but does love looking at the lights on the Christmas tree.

I have started my new job within the CVM and it is definitely keeping me on my toes with so much new stuff to learn, but is rewarding everytime the students stop by since I work directly with them now (no more travel!). Chuck is plugging away at the furniture store - they have been getting ready for Christmas sales and snow-clearing.

Speaking of which...last night we got about 5-6 inches, so yes, winter is here on the Palouse! And since Liz & Dustin are visiting, they are getting to see what they were both missing and moving back to! :-)

Here's a couple pictures, more to come soon!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Pilgrim's & Indian's Day!

3 months old...

Kellan hit the 3 month mark on the 20th, a day after dad hit the 31 year mark. A week before he starting rolling over...a week earlier than Gracie started, so if he keeps on this schedule there will be no worries that he'll be able to keep up with his big sister or our busy life!
He's also been going to the daycare with big sister for half-a-day while I've been getting back into the swing of things at work and he seems to be doing well and really enjoys watching the bigger kids run around (& they've been doing good giving him space - thanks in large part to a protective older sister who won't let them very close!).
As I sit here...it is snowing like crazy out. The big, fat snowflakes that kids love to catch in their mouths and Gracie is asking to do just that! Guess this post is going to get cut short...later!

New pictures

Well the time has come...I head back to work on Monday. Thankfully it will only be part-time until December, but I'm just in disbelief that the time is already here. Guess that's what happens when part of leave gets eaten up with a swine-flu little girl, then a thrown out back...and that was the worst because there was so much I wanted to do around the house while on leave and, well I couldn't do any of it laying on the couch unable to move. Oh well...it's still be fabulous time with our little guy and thankfully I won't have to be away from him too much each day.

Other than that...nothing new for us --- well I guess the only new thing is that Chuck and his dad (thank you, thank you Mark!!!) were able to get the deck done...all but the rails and that can wait until the spring. It looks great and it going to be fantastic come next summer...well, if we're ever home & not rafting! ;-)

So, here's a few new pix, but check out more in the picture shows on the right. Grace in her CrAzY straw glasses.

Just some pithy outfits Kellan got! :-)

Like father, like son....Chuck used to suck the same two fingers when he was a little boy!

Happy Halloween!!

So halloween officially hit our house complete with a baby dinosaur, pretty witch and clown dog. I didn't get out most of my decorations, so felt a little bad about that, but Grace was still jacked up about getting to go trick-or-treating! She even practiced her "song" -- Trick or Treat, give us something good to eat, if you don't we'll pull down your underwear! (Her version) all week. She also got to have a halloween party at daycare, complete with costumes, but instead of a pretty witch, she went as a ballerina (that morning she did NOT want to be a witch and we weren't going to fight it).

(And no, she hadn't had any candy yet!)

(Thrilled to be in his costume...)
(Even more thrilled to be in a costume...)

(This is what thrilled REALLY looks like!)

Coo-ing Kellan

So our little man is really making eye contact, response-smiling and giggling and doing lots of cooing. Here's a few pix...they really capture how happy of a baby he is!

Kellan -- 2 months

So October 20th marks 2 months for Kellan. He has his doctor appointment a day early, so here's the stats:
Height: 23.8 inches (81%!!), Weight: 12.6 pounds (68%), Head Circ: 16 inches (65%)

All signs point to great growth...definitely ahead of the curve in all areas and WAY ahead of where his sister (teeny, tiny Miss Skinny-minny) was at this time.

Other updates with Kellan -- last Tuesday he started making direct eye-contact and smiling back at Chuck, Grace and myself. It makes my heart melt everytime he does it...and sort of giggles...SO adorable!! He also loves the Einstein mat and the mobile that hangs over his crib. He spent a full half-hour cooing and "punching" at it one day!

Grace is keeping busy (as can be seen in the recently posted videos) and is getting little tastes of what life will be like with baby brother at daycare because a couple times I have taken Kellan in with me when I've picked her up and she gets SO protective of him & won't let the other kids near him and once even tried to stop Dyan (our daycare lady) from holding him. She also got to spend a fun "sleep-over" with Grammy Barb. They met up with Uncle Sam and went to a Cougar volleyball game - and from the report I got...it was a big hit for the first half of the matches, then it was lights out for Grace!

Other family updates -- I had my first epidural steroid shot 2 weeks ago and Gramma carol came to stay with us for about a week since my back was still pretty messed up and to give me a chance to stay down and let my back absorb the medicine and start to heal (without having to wrangle 2 little ones all the time). So far it seems to be working well...my back has been feeling somewhat better and I have the second shot tomorrow, so am hopeful that will tip the healing process to my favor and make all this back nonesense go away. I'm also doing PT and in combination, hopefully I'll be as good as new...that's the hope anyway.
While Carol was here Aunt Callie, Uncle Brian and Caleb came down and visited and Grace had a ton of fun playing with Caleb. Whether they were running, dancing or bouncing on the bed (one of those "where did they go?" moments and then cue the "No more monkeys bouncing on the bed" & giggling from the guest room) the two cousins were having a blast hanging out!
Chuck and I went deer hunting this weekend & both of us got a buck, so we have meat for the freezer...and since I drew one of the new double-deer tags, I can still go out and nab a doe.
I think that's about it for now...but more is sure to come!

New Grace dance videos

So I did upload one short video (below) but uploaded a few other bigger (ok, HUGE) files via YouTube. You can see them if you check out the video bar on the right. Enjoy...and since she does this almost daily, you can believe that we do!!

Grace -- Don't Stop Believin'

Ever since Grace heard/saw this song on "Glee" she is always asking for it and singing it!

Baby, bugs, and back

So I'm already slacking at the blog with Kellan. I guess it was only a matter of time...a cliche that I'm hearing about a bunch of things that have been going on in our lives.

I guess the first was a visit by Auntie Liz. I had a free place ticket from last fall and it was about to expire, so after a quick change of name with the airline...she was on her way to come and see us, but more importantly...meet Kellan! The timing was perfect too because the day she arrived was the same day that Chuck left on a hunting/pack trip with his parents and Uncle Brian up in the Pasayten Wilderness. I admit - I try to be super-mom at times, but I was nervous about the prospect of managing Kellan and Grace on my own for a week. Well, it turned out to be more of a blessing to have Liz here than I could have realized because...

Swine flu. They are saying it's just a matter of time before you get it, especially if you've been in Pullman or anywhere on campus. Guilty on both counts...so guess it shouldn't have been too shocked when Grace spiked a fever. But then it last for 4.5 days, along with a cough, sore throat, and runny nose. Unfortunately it hit 2 days before Liz left, so she spent nights up late with me checking Grace's temp, alternating Tylenol & Motrin, wiping her nose and just helping her get through a VERY miserable time.

Now before Kellan, I had been fighting lower back pain. After an MRI, we discovered I had 3 bulging discs - yikes & ouch!!!! So I started physical therapy to get things under control and after about 3 months of therapy...I found out I was pregnant. Therapy kinda went out the window after that...and the pregnancy kind of helped by throwing my back into the correct positioning, but my brother-in-law (a physical therapist) said he thought it "would only be a matter of time" before my back had an episode again. Well, on top of Grace being very sick and Liz heading home (before Chuck was back) so I was on my own -- I tried to move the garbage out and instead...threw my back out. It was HORRIBLE!!! I couldn't walk, crawl, and the worst - I couldn't pick up Kellan. Thankfully before it really seized up...I called Grammy Barb and she was able to stay for a few days and help out, as well as Grandma Cheryl too. The doctor squeezed me in and could see the pain I was in, as well as the spazms in my back, so initial treatment -- 3 days FLAT on my back with heavy medication. I did pretty well for about 2 days, but then made my way back to my recliner. It's getting a little better...but the spazms definitely haven't let up, walking is still stiff and painful (but managed) and I go to the doctor tomorrow to figure out what's next. I have to admit...I don't know if I've ever been as thankfully to have family so close as I have been throughout this debacle!!

So Kellan update -- new pic's in the slideshow and a couple here -- he's eating a TON and growing to prove it...just shy of 12 pounds (of not there and I just don't realize it). He's also awake quite a bit more and loves to look around all over so we (well, Chuck or one of the grandmas who's here helping) take him on walks throughout the house. He has also developed good head control...can hold it up on his own and when he's on "tummy time" he can turn it from side to side and is starting to do the "inchworm." The other thing we've found is HOW much he loves to swing...he'll look around for a bit before - lights out! He also LOVES to snuggle and be cuddled...which is funny because as a baby, Grace hated being swaddled or cuddled too tight.

All in all...it's been a crazy week and a half around here, but we're coming out the otherside - and hopefully...if the doctor appointment goes well tomorrow...we'll be on the mend.

Rollin' down the river!

Well, we finally did it...we bought our own raft! :-) NRS had a fantastic sale and among the wet suits, dry suits, boots, lifejackets, etc....they had 4 rafts for sale. Turns out they were custom built for a guide company and after a couple runs down the river, they returned them. Lucky for us...they were in near-perfect condition! So...with the price right, we decide to take the leap and get one!

Here's to many summers of DeMCougs enjoying our favorite water activity! :-)

A baby Cougar

So I have actually gotten some crap - from a few different sources - about why Kellan hasn't been wearing more Cougar gear/why I didn't have Cougar pix of him/why haven't we taken him to a game yet....

GEEZ!
Answers....we only have one Cougar newborn onesie (we got some other sizes, but he's jsut not big enough yet)...I hadn't really had a chance (getting there...) and between the fact that the Cougs are playing only their 2nd game of the season as I type this post & the crazy sickness/flu that is all over the WSU campus, I haven't really felt like showing him off at a tailgate would be the smartest thing to do - call me a bad Coug if you want, but I'd rather keep him healthy (especially since his cold is subsiding and he can breathe better again).

But........all that said - I was inspired yesterday. I was watching the TODAY show (as I do every morning to catch up with what's going on in the world) and just about the time the show was going to switch from hard news to soft stories...the first piece was about a photographer in the midwest who only shoots newborns-6 week old babies (think Anne Geddes-type pix) and she gave some tips/ideas. As a result - Kellan was fed, I warmed up the house and a Coug photo shoot ensued! :-)

Here's a couple of my fav's....more in the Kellan slideshow. Enjoy & GO COUGS!!

Sniffle, sniffle - the joys of kiddos!

So Grace was back to daycare for all of 2 days when she got a runny nose. Not sure if it's from the kids or her allergies, but regardless...because of her need to constantly be right in Kellan's face (I'm much stricter about her staying back than Daddy...but we're working on it)...now Kellan has the same sniffles. Well, I guess its good we made it to the 3 week mark before he got sick, right?! And at least there's no fever, so we must be in the clear with H1N1...
It is pretty funny to hear a 3 week old snore however -- especially when he's sleeping on Daddy's chest & Dad's snoring too! :-)
In other news...chuck is still plugging away on our deck, Cougar football isn't starting too bad (let's just say so far Wulff is living into his goal of "losing by less"), and in a week Auntie Liz gets to come visit for a few days. Not too shabby and not too busy...all in all things are going well.

2 weeks and counting...

Well today was (and still is) a bit traumatic for our little Kellan-man. We had to go into the Dr. first thing for his 2 week check-up --- all went well, he's grown an inch (or has finally "unscrunched" as Chuck puts it) and is up to 8# 10oz. so is growing quite quickly.
Unfortunately for him, this appointment also included a blood draw from some newborn screening tests and....his circumcision. I waited in the exam room while Kellan and Chuck went down the hall for the "procedure." Chuck and Tammy (the nurse) both said he did very well...didn't cry but apparently turned red as a tomato, ground down on his binky and toughed it out. Since we've been home, things have a been a bit more vocal, but still he's remarkably good about all of it.
Otherwise...we did have to make a trip to the ER a couple nights ago...I was having terrible pains in my lower right abdomen...right about where your appendix lives. I was fine with riding it out and seeing if jsut got better...but when it started really getting worse, following a quick trip to Costco...well, I finally agreed to go in to see the Dr. Unfortunately ReadyCare was closingi n a half-hour, so they sent me down to the ER. Ugggg! As soon as we walked in they told us they were having tons of swine flu cases in, so better to wear a mask, not touch anything and DEFINITELY not bring Kellan in (Grace was across the road at aour neighbor's...Thanks Dyan!). So...Chuck and Kellan went back to the car and I turned into a human pin-cushion. After almost 6 hours, 1 CT (all-clear), 2 IVs of saline, 3 different meds...it turned out the ER doc had NO CLUE what was wrong so said he would call it Endometriosis. Now, I'm no doctor myself, but I know that's not possible...and so did he, but god-forbid he admit he didn't know. Thankfully I had my post-op appointment a day later and my doctor knew exactly what was going on when I explained to him the pain I was still having. Turns out in the sutures from the c-section, they likely hit a nerve that fires and gets aggravated every time I have to use that particular muscle. Until the suture totally dissolves...I just have to tough it out and actually RELAX. The less I'm up and about...the less pain I have -- amazing how that works!
So...Kellan and I are just relaxing today - neither of us wanting to move too much and that is suiting us just fine.
Last night was a bit harder though because Grace had us cracking up pretty hard and that was really engaging the muscles that I wanted to keep relaxed. It was worth it though and I hope you enjoy the video! Be sure to note what's happening on the TV and then what Grace does a few seconds later...she runs the gamet of hip-hop, Broadway/jazz and contemporary! :-)

One week & surviving...

Well, we've all survived the first week (and a few days) of MUCH different sleep patterns, big sister excitement and baby-face-fascination, lots of diaper changes and for me in particular, the lack of mobility while healing.
I think the reason we have all done so well is in large part due to the love, support and help of our family! Between Grammy Barb and Poppa Tim taking grace off our hands for the days at the hospital, Gramma Carol staying for the first week to help with ALL the little household chores/meals/late night wake-up calls and Grace's abundance of energy (not to mention outfit changes...), Grandpa Mark basically slaving away for 2.5 days to help Chuck get a back deck built and Grandpa Tom & Grandma Cheryl coming over with fresh cukes and surprise special yellow pancakes -- we couldn't have managed without all of you!!!
Kellan's one week check went very well...only 1.5 ounces off birth weight...so he's already growing VERY quickly. He has another appointment later this week, so we'll get to see how the trend is continuing.
Otherwise...all seems to be going well - we've enjoyed the visitors we've had, appreciate all the well wishes and look forward to having more of you meet our growing family!

Welcome Kellan!

At 8:17am on Thursday, August 20th (right on schedule...and boy, does the planner in Mom LOVE that!) Kellan Mason joined the DeMeerleer family.

Thankfully the night before Grace went and stayed with Grammy and Poppa Tim so Chuck and I were able to get some extra sleep (knowing full well it would be the last night we might get a full-plate of sleep). But then it was up early and into the hospital since we were the first surgery/procedure of the day. Things seemed to be going well...it was all so much more relaxed and laidback than we remembered from the first time with Grace...until they were about to get started.

Abbie had been given her spinal and the surgery team was just waiting for things to get set, but unfortunately the never "set." Thank God for checking! Sure enough...the spinal never totally set-up, so they had to give me another "dose," wait for that to set and then were able to actually do the surgery. It was un-nerving, for sure, but thank goodness for my wonderful rock of a husband (who was also pretty worried, but put on a strong face to help me stay calm) and the Dr. Hall who kept me talking about Cougar sports so I wouldn't realize the time that was passing. :-)

Kellan came out hollaring, measured in at 8 pounds even, 20 1/2 inches long and perfect in everyway! Because I had my double-dose of numb-drugs...I took quite a bit longer in recovery and even once I got to go back to my room - couldn't feel/move my legs until almost 6pm that night.

Grace was on-hand to be one of the first to meet Kellan (in her "BIG SISTER" tshirt) and was immediately protective of him -- told the grandparents "No! He's my baby brother...you can't look at him!"

We survived the first night, and even got a total of about 5.5 hours sleep, and then prepared ourselves for visitors. We had some great family and friends come by and see our new little man...and then about 3pm...a setback. All the sudden I couldn't really get a breath of air and my right shoulder felt like someone was jabbing a knife into it. Not sure if it was an air bubble that had migrated post-surgery or possibly a blood clot - and not willing to take any chances - Kellan had to hang with the nurses while they took me for an emergency CT to check my lungs for any clots or embolisms. An hour later, we got the all-clear, but the pain hadn't subsided and was pretty awful. We got through the night...not pleasant, but survived. I'm pretty sure Dad and Kellan got almost a full night's sleep, but I certainly didn't...totally not fair!

This morning I got a FANTASTIC hot shower, which did help the shoulder ache and made me feel like a new person, got up a moving a bit more and the pain is down to a dull ache. Kellan is still doing very well and if all continues on the up-swing...hopefully this evening we'll get to go home.

I've added a picture slideshow of Kellan (on the right-hand bar) and here's a couple of those same shots for teasers!

Thanks so much to all our family and friends for the well-wishes and we look forward to having you meet Kellan in the near future!

reunion videos

Enjoying Grandpa's cover of Sweet Home Alabama!

There's quite a bit of musical talent in the fam...and I was shocked when they actually had a full stage set-up!

Two weeks to go...

So only two weeks left and Kellan will be here! in the past month since the last post (my bad!) we've done a lot of staying home in our cool home (God bless central air!) and we did take one big trip over to the Westside for the DeMeerleer-Aarhaus-Fuller family reunion.

The drive over took forever and then some...we hit a bunch of traffic back-ups from Hwy 18 on...and by the time we arrived -- well, it was a good thing we were out of the RAV! But then it was a nice weekend of seeing close family (sibs/nieces/nephews), family we don't see often enough and meeting family that we hasn't seen before (or maybe once...). Chuck got to conenct with some cousins and family and I had a nice time trying to stay cool and getting to hear stories about the family and learn more about who/where they are from.

Grace had a BLAST playing with her cousins - all of whom were there and mobile! I think they all had fun playing in the dirt too! :-)

The trip home was much less torturous (thankfully) and we've been getting the room/house/ourselves ready for Kellan's arrival. We've been hitting yard sales and cleaning like crazy...funny thing it's almost been more "nesting" on Chuck's part than mine! LOL!!

Well...here's some pics from the reunion - more in the slideshow on the right - and definitely updates to come as D-day approaches and especially once Kellan is here!

The camp set-up. A cousin's lunch in the shade.

The musical stylings of the fam. Grace & Caleb - friends and cousins!

Riding with Grandpa on the big machines!

Going to the "Party"/wedding

This past weekend we got to attend the wedding of our good friends Blake & Kasey. Grace has a very special bond with them since they are part of our "Grey's Group" and during the rest of the year (summer show hiatus...geez) she gets to see them once a week. The whole day she kept wanting to go to the "party" and see the "queen." Finally her time came.

It was a traditional, but laid back, Colton-Uniontown Catholic wedding. After being seated with our other friends, Colby-Casey-and baby Brennan (8 weeks old), Grace enjoyed Brennan. But when he fell asleep and we were still waiting for the processional...Grace started getting restless. Then after the groom's party came out and the guys lined up at the alter, Grace (standing on my lap to see) spotted Grace and in the silent moment before the music was to start for the processional...she YELLED, "HI BLAKE!!!!!" and starting waving. Everyone else was laughing, and Chuck and I did too a little - after the mortification wore off!

After the ceremony we went out to the reception and got to mix & mingle with friends and locals...while Gracie got to play with a bunch of the kids from her daycare (she calls it "school"). She was especially attached to an older boy...Parker. So, I got some photos for the future...just in case! =)

Seeing the Queen!! -- Looking pretty with Daddy

Fun with Parker...gotta love older guys!

Kaden, our favorite babysitter --- Digging in the dirt with Carter (Kaden's bro & Parker's competition)

When the music started...Grace couldn't help herself - time to dance with the Queen and good friend Riley!