Our Little Family

2012

2012-01-01T22:05:00.000-08:00

I posted twice on my blog in 2010 and twice in 2011. How about I start out 2012 with a blog post?

Not much to say at the moment, as I’ve been sick for threeweeks. I just coughed through the secondhalf of December. Doc says it’s likelypneumonia. The cough is just horrible,and each day I think I’m finally getting better, another coughing fit and backto what feels like square one. I’ve beenin this darn house for four days now. The steroids for my lungs keep me awake. Ugh. Happy New Year! I guess it can only get better from here,right?

There’s so much I want to do in 2012 and so much I NEED todo. I’ve got to stay focused and ensurethat I go after what I want. I feel likethe past few years have just “happened” and I’ve sat on the sidelines watchingin disgust. There have been way too manydisappointments and it’s time to turn this ship around and get back to theKirsten that got lost.

I’ve got a new website – thought of the name all on my own!

www.readinginseattle.com

If you want to get technical, the site is really http://www.myubam.com/ecommerce/main.asp?sid=P3490&gid=131368612 , but that’s a dumburl so I took care of that!

I love Usborne books and Amelia is now hooked – she’sreading! I don’t know what she’s goingto do in the fall when she gets to Kindergarten. I hope their ready for my genius child.

The books are really fantastic – check ‘em out for yourselfand order a few. If you need moredetails or have any questions, just drop me a line. I’m on Facebook at www.facebook.com/readinginseattle.

So, let’s see where 2012 takes us, but rather, I’d like tosee where I take it!

Love to all,

It's Been Six Years

2011-05-22T22:43:00.000-07:00

It’s been six years. In some respects it does feel like six years have passed, yet some days the pain feels raw enough to be from yesterday. A song, a random thought, or even driving by a specific place or on a specific road can release a flood of tears.

Oddly enough, one of the clearest memories I have of that time is of sitting in the funeral home just staring out the window. Gene and the man were making arrangements and I sat quietly, fixated on the beautiful rhododendron just outside the window. There were bumblebees swarming around each bud. The man said or asked something and before Gene answered I turned and replied, “Look at all those bees.” It’s all I had. I was probably still in shock since just days prior I had been blissfully pregnant and now I was sitting in a funeral home making decisions for our baby boy.

Six years ago I was completely naïve about the miracle of pregnancy and birth. We decided we wanted to start a family and didn’t give it another thought. It never occurred to us that the journey to parenthood would be so full of heartbreak. To this day I cringe when someone proclaims their excitement to me with “I’m having a baby!” I think inside to myself, “No, you’re not. You are pregnant.” There is most definitely a difference. Having been pregnant three times, I got used to not having a baby. I was just always pregnant. I’m certainly happy for my friends who get pregnant and have babies. I just know from painful personal experience to not make any assumptions. You could say I’ve been hardened.

My life is certainly different now than it was in May 2005. The biggest change is that we have a healthy almost five-year-old running around our house singing, dancing, and playing teacher. I realize how much of a blessing Amelia is to our lives.

Where am I at now? I mourn for what could have been. I mourn for what I was teased with. I will never know the joy of birthing another baby. After Amelia was born I was never able to get pregnant again, not even with the help of modern medicine. She truly is a gift from God and we do treasure her each day.

Noah Michael Lowry, Mommy and Daddy miss you so much. We’ll see you in Heaven someday dear son.

2011-05-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

"Kiffkk. Kiffkk."

Slow and methodically, Amelia said "Kiffkk" a few times as we were pulling into school this morning.

I asked her "What is a Kiffkk?"

As we drove past the fast food restaurant on the corner to park the car, she spelled out "K F C."

Smart girl sounding out those letters!!! Maybe she's also hungry for chicken. Acronyms will come later.

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-05-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

It's Memorial Day Weekend and it's raining... and I have two more words that apply to our home at the moment...

CHICKEN POX!!!

30

2010-01-28T07:52:00.001-08:00

It took 3 years, 5 months, and 13 days.

That's 1262 days. And that's how old Amelia is today.

Amelia hit 30 pounds even on the scale.

She's still one of the smallest kids in her class and barely on the pediatrician's chart, but really - who cares!?

Pledge of Allegiance

2009-11-05T20:11:00.001-08:00

Amelia has learned the pledge of allegiance at school!

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wR1K0zE3JI

Pneumonia

2009-11-04T19:27:00.000-08:00

One word has ruled our world the past week - pneumonia. Poor little Amelia has been sick since Friday, October 23 when the school called to say she had a fever and please come pick her up.

She was just not herself for several days and then she spiked a fever of 102 and became completely lethargic. We rushed her to the doctor where we found out she had pneumonia. That night her fever topped out at 104.7. We were so frightened and certainly never want to go through that again.

Gradually the fever has subsided.
The cough has kept her up several nights in a row.
Her nose is running constantly.
Nobody is getting any real sleep.

She's definitely on the mend, but still home getting rest to build back up her strength.

'til next time.

Potty Training

2009-09-28T11:02:00.001-07:00

DONE!

Amelia is sleeping through the night WITHOUT a pull-up.

We are TOTALLY done!

Nice work little gal!

Third Birthday

2009-09-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

In looking back, I realize that I didn't mention Amelia's third birthday festivities. Gosh, it was a weekend extravaganza!

We started with a celebration at school on Friday. This mom brought cupcakes and juice for the kids and the teacher took some pictures. Amelia was so excited for her party at school.

On Saturday, August 15 we had our family celebration. We spent the day downtown at the Seattle Aquarium and had lunch at Ivar's. She got a fancy dessert with a candle in it from the waiter and we sang happy birthday to her. At home we opened presents and she fell into bed so tired she didn't play with any of them.

Sunday was the big ELMO birthday party. We invited her playgroup and a few other friends. The kids played with bubbles, the soccer net, and the parachute. We also played a game of pin the nose on ELMO. Everyone had a blast and the weather was perfect.

Amelia had quite a birthday weekend and now has all kinds of new toys to play with. Thanks everyone!

Two New Amelia Quotes

2009-09-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

One morning last week this was said to her shoes while putting them on.

"You're freaking me out."

Then the next morning while the morning news was playing, she pointed to the TV and said "That's a murder show."

Where does this stuff come from? Hilarious.

On an academic note, Amelia is now attending phonics classes two days a week. She's writing her capital letters and loves the one-on-one time with her teacher. This growing-up things is happening way too fast.

Next weekend we're off to the pumpkin patch with her playgroup friends.

12:30 am

2009-08-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

Last night Amelia wandered into our room/bed around 12:30 midnight - for the FIRST TIME!!! Yep, since the big girl bed arrived, she's slept straight through each night. NICE that it took several weeks for her to begin getting up at odd hours. We anticipated much worse!
And last night was no big deal. We just let her relax with us for a moment, and then put her back in her bed. She then slept in until almost 7am, which is much later than her usual 5:30 am rise and shine.

MJ

2009-08-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

At the ripe age of three years, one day, Amelia just pointed to a picture on my computer and said with confidence "That's Michael Jackson."

She was right.

When I asked her how she knew who that was, she clearly stated "He's the man on the TV."

Clearly we have the TV on too much.

Forever

2009-08-11T07:11:00.001-07:00

This morning after Amelia woke up a bit startled and grumpy, we crawled into my bed and snuggled for a while. She must be tired because she was actually snuggling; calm with big long hugs.

Then, as we're cheek to cheek, she said "Mommy, Let's stay here forever."

My heart melted.

Big Girl Stuff

2009-08-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

On July 3 Amelia started wearing her new Dora and Princess panties each day. Or, shall I say, three or four different pair per day! The first day there were three accidents in less than one hour. I immediately threw in the towel (or rather, wet panties & shorts into the washer) and had her return to wearing pull-ups for the next few days because we had several parties to attend.

We then picked it back up again on Monday, July 6. She only had two accidents the entire week. Nice job! The success continues with random accidents here and there. She asks to use the toilet when she needs and it’s soooo much easier than diapers. I didn’t realize making the leap would be so easy for her.

Now on to the next big milestone – she’s sleeping in her new BED! We haven’t found the perfect wood bed frame, but that’s ok. She’s got a brand new mattress, sheets, and pillow set up in the corner of her room on the floor. If she falls out, she doesn’t have far to fall!

We’re at 100% success for the first two nights; no falling out and no wandering. We hope the success continues. She’s sleeping about nine hours straight, which is much better than her recent sleep in the crib. In hindsight, she probably wasn’t comfortable in the crib anymore and it showed in her crazy lack of restful sleep.

Our baby will be three next Saturday. We’ll spend the day together and take her to the aquarium. On Sunday we’ll have her friends over for an official birthday party. It truly is amazing to look back at the pictures of three years ago and realize that in a blink they’re not little babes in our arms.

The journey continues.

Silly or Embarrassing??

2009-07-26T22:54:00.000-07:00

Friday after work I picked up Amelia and we headed to the grocery store for a few items. While standing in the check-out line, she looked at me, reached out, squeezed my boob, and asked quite loudly "Mommy, is this your booby?"

I proudly replied "Yes, it is."

I'm glad my daughter was able to give the two teenage baggers a great story to share later with their friends.

Who Hops?

2009-06-17T21:09:00.000-07:00

Amelia read her first book tonight!!!

"Who Hops?" by Katie Davis

Gene read it to her a few nights ago and tonight I read it to her. She then took the book and read it to us.

"Slither" was "sliver," so the snake slivered.

Fantastic!!!

The L Sound

2009-06-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

While driving to work & school this morning, Amelia was happy and clapping in the back seat.

She happily announced “Mommy, I crap!”

She went on to ask me “Mommy, you crap.”

She then saw a small spider on the outside of her window and asked him “Spider, you crap.”

She still can’t say the “L” sound. Good thing we didn’t name her Ella Lowry. Too many “L”s.

On this sunny Friday morning, we clapped as we drove in.

Manipulation Skills and Funnies

2009-05-31T09:37:00.000-07:00

I’ve been keeping all kinds of notes on the funny things that Amelia’s been doing. Before the list gets any longer, I’m finally posting them for you all to enjoy.

April 13
Last month Amelia began practicing her manipulation skills. She’s been potty training for a few months now and she’s slowing getting the hang of it. I got her set up on the toilet and returned in a few minutes to check on her progress. To my surprise, I found that she was off the toilet and quickly flushing it as I walked in.

She proudly told me that she pooped AND peed. This would be big news if it really did happen, but now the evidence was gone. Upon inspection in the clean up department (wiping the ole bottom), there was nothing.

She LIED to me! I’m sure it won’t be the first time.

---

April 14
The next day Amelia told me that she didn’t want to go to school. When we were about a block from school (she knows the way and knows when we’re near), she closed her eyes and pretended to be sleeping. When I parked the car she was faking the sounds of snoring. I was cracking up. She played limp when I picked her up out of the car seat. Too funny.

---

April 15
As I walked into her bedroom, I asked her how she slept.

With a happy pitch, she exclaimed “PERFECT!”

She's not always this happy first thing in the morning.

---

April 30
While sitting on the couch, I told Amelia she was growing and getting so big.

She looked outside at her dad mowing the front lawn and said, “I’m not growing. The grass is growing.”

I cracked up and said “You’re funny.”

Amelia replied, “Yeah.”

---

May 6
Now this a funny story that happened at school, told to me by Amelia’s teacher.

The kids were all in a circle and they were practicing counting. There are at least four different languages being spoken in the homes of her classmates (English, Spanish, Japanese, & Portuguese) and as a class, they all learn from each other.

The teacher looked at Mila and asked her to count to ten in her first language of Japanese. Mila politely declined and didn’t want to count this day.

That’s when Amelia piped up and said she had Japanese. She was patting her knees and stating “I have JapaKNEES.”

Both teachers cracked up.

She’s just so funny!

---

May 15
I brought home my work laptop and had it on the table instead of my personal laptop.

Amelia noticed the difference and asked “Mommy, your new compooter?”

I said yes and told her it was from work.

She then pointed to the front cover where the round Dell logo is and asked “Does it have an apple on it?”

She then corrected herself and said “No, it has a round circle on it.”

I was shocked. Where in the world did she get that? We don’t (yet) have Apple laptops. We don’t let her watch much television at all. How in the world does she know that some laptops have apple logos on the covers? Crazy world full of marketing! She got it somewhere?

Now this is funny

2009-04-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

When I was dropping Amelia off at her school last week, one of the dad’s was asking which child was named Amelia.

I politely told him that was my daughter.

He said his son had been talking about her all night long.

The teacher piped in and said “Oh yes, Amelia is the alpha female in the class!”

Gene and I have been laughing for days. She’s definitely like her mom!

We continue to get feedback that she “runs” the class and directs the other kids on what to do and where to do it. At home she does the same thing with her babies, stuffed animals, and invisible friends from class.

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Another fun new word:

Little toy Zebra = “pizza”

That kinda sounds alike.

Misc

2009-03-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Naxbar = Snack Bar

Gamespa = Football

“Scooz me” = “Excuse me” when she sneezes.

“MMMmmmmm, that smells Gooood.” She’s said this several times as we changed her very poopy diaper. Weird.

----

While with Grandma in California, we stopped by a drive-through for lunch to allow Amelia a longer nap. She had been sound asleep for an hour when we placed our order. Before we made it to the next window to pay, she says from her seat “How aboooout ice cream?”

She’s not one to be left out of anything.

We’re still laughing.

----

On our flight back from California last month, while getting settled in our airline seats, Amelia stated “Fasten your seatbelt Mommy."

----

I was in Phoenix all last week at a training event for work and apparently Amelia missed me bad. Our twin teenage babysitters Sammi and Sarah weren’t available on one of the nights that we needed their help. Instead of one of them coming over to our house, I arranged for Amelia to go to their house and play with their mom for a while.

When the night arrived, Gene told Amelia that she was going to Sammi and Sarah’s house to see their mommy. She politely stated “No, I want to see my mommy!”

----

Today Amelia told Gene “Mommy has an ouwee on her leg. She has to go see someone.”

My leg is just fine. I have no idea what she’s talking about.

----

I’ll keep writing them down as she says ‘em!

Vocab & Conversation

2009-02-07T08:39:00.000-08:00

Craysons = Crayons

Amea = Amelia

Spaceball = Baseball

Last week while we were driving, Amelia heard an ambulance coming toward us. She was excited and pointed to it yelling “Fire truck! Fire truck!” She was so happy about the lights and sounds.

I matter-of-factly told her that it wasn’t a fire truck. I said it was an ambulance and that someone was sick.

She lowered her voice and very concerned and softly said “Oooooh No. That’s bad.”

Christmas 2008

2009-01-14T18:15:00.000-08:00

The three of us had a terrific December. There was so much snow in Seattle that for a few weeks it really did feel like winter. It was a much needed break from the rain and overcast weather we usually have.

We started the month by taking a ride on the Christmas train to see Santa. The day was clear and warm and we were joined by Gene’s sisters Christy & Brooke and their four children. The old steam engine was pretty nifty (and loud). I’ll have to take my Dad next time. He’d love it.

The following weekend we trekked up to the woods to fetch our own Christmas tree. This task was much easier with our new used (huge) Chevy Silverado 4x4 full size four-door truck. The thing really is huge and the gas mileage reflects it – oh well. It snowed all weekend except for the few hours we were up on the mountain, which was perfect. We set up camp with about eight other families, made a bonfire, and fired up the camp stoves. We enjoyed lots of chili, hot cocoa, and hot apple cider. There was also a bit of liquid available for the adults to add to their hot beverages. The kids enjoyed sledding and the guys cut down trees for us to take home. Unfortunately Amelia just wasn’t herself the entire day. She didn’t have much fun doing anything and after we got back to town we realized she had a slight fever. Poor kid.

And then the snow hit. Seattle just shut down and there wasn’t a whole lot we could do about it. Nintendo closed its doors for a few days and I worked from home for almost a week. We played outside a bunch and just chilled out.

My sister arrived on Christmas day and it was still snowing. After spending a great day with Glen and Paula and their families, we picked up Heather at the airport. She was able to stay ten days and we had a nice visit. Amelia completely enjoyed playing with her Auntie Heather.

The day after a mellow New Year’s Eve celebration at home, the four of us headed up to Washington’s own Bavarian town. We all enjoyed the sledding in downtown Leavenworth, along with lots of great food and shopping.

A few days later Heather headed back to Fargo and the Lowry’s prepared to return to our pre-Christmas routine. What a busy and memorable December.

Cheers to a new year. Hope it’s a great one for all of you!

Funny Amelia

2009-01-14T18:13:00.000-08:00

Last week one morning while getting ready, Amelia asked me what I was doing. She was sitting on our bed reading books while I was just around the corner in the bathroom brushing my teeth.

I poked my head around the corner with toothbrush in mouth to inform her of my current doings.

She then proudly stated “Good Job Mommy!”

--------------

A few days ago at breakfast I asked her if her oatmeal tasted good.

She replied solidly without questioning “I think so!”

-------------

Today Amelia was in the car with me while I filled the car with gas. I try to fill up when I’m by myself because I don’t like her being strapped into her carseat while I’m pumping the flammable liquid. Just one of my quirks.

With that said, she hasn’t been to a gas station very many times.

When we arrived, I announced that we were going to get some gasoline.

She questioned “For my yips?”

I said “No, not Vasoline for your lips. We’re getting gasoline for the car.”

Amelia matter-of-factly said “Oooooh, OK.”

More Funnies

2008-11-24T20:20:00.001-08:00

During dinner last night:

“Daddy? Big girl spoon please. No baby spoon.”

Who told her the toddler utensils she’s been using were for babies. How funny.

This morning as we’re walking by our new truck to get into our car:

“Daddy truck. Mommy car.”

Then she turns to the truck, looks right into the bumper, which is at her eye level, and says “Hi truck.”

If you’re not laughing, I guess you just had to be there.

Funnies

2008-11-19T07:12:00.000-08:00

I stepped out of the shower this morning to hear a sweet rendition of Baa Baa Black Sheep coming from Amelia’s dark room. She sang the whole song several times.

When she heard me walking around, she shouted “Mom… Mom…”

I didn’t answer.

“I go play now.” she shouted politely.

Again I didn’t answer.

“Hey! Guys! I go play now. Mom. Dad. Mom” And it continued.

All this came from her dark bedroom while she stood in her crib. She cracks us up.

Funnie #2

I’ve been having some pretty bad back pain and have been limping around for over a week now. Last weekend Gene was trying to help me by rubbing my back. At one point, he hit the sore spot and I screamed.

The next thing you know, Amelia shouts at us “Daddy! Be nice to Mommy!”

Funnie #3

Last month our little comedian came running out of her room, having donned her pink Easter beret, with her hands up and growling, and confidently stated “I’m a tiger!”

She’s a hoot!

Vomit

2008-11-12T18:16:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, while getting ready for our day, Amelia threw up. Just one quick cough and that was it. It was so fast, I hardly realized what had happened.

She likes to suck the toothpaste off her toothbrush and I think that didn’t set quite right on her stomach.

She looked down at the mess and proclaimed “OH NO! My mouff farted!”

We haven’t stopped laughing.

And wouldn’t that technically be “my mouth pooped?”

The Singer

2008-10-30T07:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday on the way to school, Amelia sang the entire ABC song for the first time without missing a letter.

The girl loves to sing.

She has four full songs in her repertoire. She sings Itsy Spider (Itsy Bitsy Spider), Twinkle (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star), Baa Baa (Baa Baa Black Sheep), and Row Row (Row Row Your Boat). She sings them all together, all day long, in one big musical number.

Too Small?

2008-10-13T23:20:00.000-07:00

Is this outfit too small on my two-year-old? You be the judge. It was part of a newborn set I got at one of my baby showers. The size is "one size."

Preferences

2008-10-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

When Amelia turned two she moved up at school to the room for the two and three year olds. This room has a pretend kitchen and she LOVES it. Today they were given shaving cream to play with. Instead of getting messy, Amelia decided she would rather keep her new dress clean and make coffee in the kitchen for everyone. How cute.

Good thing I bought a hand made wood four-piece kitchen for her. I'm in the middle of refinishing it. I better get busy as this girls got some more coffee to make!

Friends

2008-09-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

Amelia has so many great friends. We're calling our Sept. 15, 2008 playgroup time as HugFest 2008. All the kids were hugging and kissing and it was just too cute. Here's Amelia and her friend Austin. When they get older they'll be able to say that they've know each other since they were just a few months old! So cool!

First Visit to the Library

2008-09-27T18:56:00.000-07:00

Today we visited the library for the first time. Immediately upon entering the parking lot Amelia screamed "Mooooommmmy!!! Two Trucks!!!" You would have thought the sky was falling. She had simply seen some trucks driving down the road.

I replied "That's nice" or "OK" or something like that.

She then said "I know" with complete confidence. Whatever. The chats we have these days are just too funny.

Our visit inside the library was uneventful. She admired the rows of books, sat down and read a few, and then we left. That was our first visit. Maybe next time we'll make if for storytime.

Back to before the outing - This morning when she first woke up I asked her if she'd like to sit on the potty.

Her polite response was "no."

I asked again if she'd like to try to go potty.

She then said "no try."

I changed her diaper and we went downstairs for breakfast.

Today's Amelia Quote

2008-09-24T20:18:00.001-07:00

I think I'll start posting the most hilarious thing Amelia does or says each day. It will be easy to do.

Tonight after dinner, in her sweetest voice, Amelia stated from the dinner table "Daddy, come here right now!" We were in the kitchen doing the dishes and just cracked up. The voice inflection was what got us. Demanding yet pleasant. She's a hoot!

Diapers & Pee

2008-09-23T20:17:00.001-07:00

Potty training time is here. She's telling. We're asking. It's a bunch of work with moderate success at this point.

Several times last weekend Amelia stripped herself down to her birthday suit. One of those times was while in her crib during her nap time. She peed all over her freshly washed sheets and blankets. Oh well. More laundry. Who's counting.

She's Two

2008-09-03T21:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, Amelia Jean is now two years old. I know it’s true, but I’m not quite sure how we got here so fast. It seems like yesterday when she slept in a swing in the middle of our living room. Now she politely requests her favorite foods (banana and yogurt) as she settles into her chair at the dining room table. She says “yes please” and “thank you.” She can count to twenty in English and ten in Spanish. She's starting to sing four and five letter portions of the alphabet song. She's so very smart! Her sweet disposition is adorable and she’s always giving out big hugs and kisses.

Her birthday week went by amazingly fast. I took the week off to enjoy the festivities. My parents and nephew Cody flew in from Alaska and my Aunt and Uncle drove up from Oregon. We enjoyed a visit to Remlinger Farms and a wonderfully messy seafood feast at the Crab Pot. The weather was HOT; in the 90s all week. Each evening, with all windows wide open and fans running at high speed, we would watch Michael Phelps capture yet another gold medal. Amelia thoroughly enjoyed playing with her nine-year-old cousin and still talks of Papa, Grandma, and Cody’s visit.

On Friday, August 15 we took the birthday girl to the Woodland Park Zoo. She loved the elephants and zebras and then slept through the rest of the visit. I liked the flamingos! Opening gifts with Cody’s assistance was a big thrill. I don’t think she took one bite of her chocolate cupcake, but instead polished off every lick of frosting. Just like her first birthday, the gal crashed quite quickly once the sugar high wore off.

We all had a grand week. Thanks to everyone for the well wishes. Our little gal is such a blessing.

Random

2008-08-07T20:55:00.000-07:00

Fun at the Luau

This is New!

Too Cute

2008-07-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

Amelia and I talk our way through each morning as we get ready for school and work. The other day I put on my blouse and asked her how I looked.

“Pretty. Mommy Pretty.”

What a great answer.

This morning when we got into the car she held up her finger and said “ouchy” and wined a bit about something that hurt her finger.

Before I could say anything she kissed her finger, looked at me, and proclaimed “All Better!”

Where does she get this stuff?

Summer!

2008-07-19T10:54:00.001-07:00

Wow - June was a busy month and July hasn’t been any slower. It seemed that during June every time we turned around Amelia was sleeping. In one weekend she attended two birthday parties and crashed immediately thereafter each one of them. Then the following weekend she slept through our entire visit to the Edmonds Arts Festival. It looks like she’s finally getting her last four teeth – the incisors, but they’re taking forever to push through. And then there are still the four two-year molars that haven't even started to make an appearance. Maybe this is contributing to her sleepiness.

We’ve been to the Edmonds waterfront several times since the weather has turned nice. We pack a picnic lunch and Amelia sorts through all the goodies in the sand.

Amelia is officially 23 months old and the countdown has begun to birthday number two!!! We’re taking it REAL low key this year, unlike last year’s first party blitz with 35 guests. My parents are flying in from Alaska with my nephew Cody and my aunt & uncle from Portland happen to be in town. Gene’s mom, sister, & nieces might also join us. That’s about as far as I’ve gotten on the birthday celebration.

Today we’re off to check out the Solar Festival in Shoreline. Who knows where we’ll end up after that? Maybe back at the beach in Edmonds.

All Better

2008-07-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

Amelia's counting was correct this morning; one through ten just perfect.

Counting

2008-07-01T20:01:00.000-07:00

This morning the counting went like this...

1

2

4

9

Maybe we'll try again tomorrow (smile)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2008-06-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

This morning, after a brief quiet time in her crib, Amelia emptied it by throwing each toy out individually. As she was throwing, she was counting.

throw Toy

"one"

throw Toy

"two"

throw toy

"three"

You get the idea. All the way up to ten.

I was shocked, then proud beyond belief. I smiled, changed her diaper, and then asked her to put the toys away because they couldn’t be left all over the floor. She put the toys on the shelf and we were off to the water park.

How cool!

Shoes Shoes Shoes

2008-06-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

This is quite likely Amelia's favorite word AND item.

"Shoes."

She says it all the time, brings yours to you, demands hers, hugs them, organizes them (yes, she IS my daughter), remembers which pair you wore in and delivers them to you when it's time to leave, etc.

Amelia loves shoes.

She happened to be 21 months old to the date when I took this video footage. Click here to enjoy!

"I Wuv You"

2008-06-20T23:46:00.000-07:00

She said it today. We always tell Amelia we love her and somewhere along the way she learned to blow a kiss back. Today she dropped the kiss and just said it. It was "I wuv you" as clear as a bell and it was beautiful!

Then she kept going.

"I wuv you Mommy."

"I wuv you Daddy."

Waterpark!

2008-06-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

I highly recommend Great Wolf Lodge, the new water park in Grand Mound, Washington. We were there over Mother's Day weekend with bunches of our friends and we all had a blast. Amelia played so hard both days that she fell asleep in her carseat before we even started the car.

Click here for the first video I’ve ever taken on my still camera. It’s not great, but you’ll get the idea. Amelia and her friend Owen were dancing and having a great time in the pool.

Spectacles?

2008-05-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

Say it isn’t so! Because my terrible vision was detected at such an early age (first grade), Amelia had her first eye exam today. We saw Dr. Preston at Northwest Pediatric Eye Care. Everyone at the office was fantastic with Amelia and completely enamored with her cuteness.

The doctor did say that our little sweetie is likely on her way to needing glasses. Today’s appointment was to get a baseline assessment. We’re scheduled to return in six months and that will be the true test. At that time she may or may not leave with a new pair of spectacles. We’ll just have to wait and SEE! No pun intended.

The First Six!

2008-04-28T06:35:00.000-07:00

Amelia had a big weekend; or rather, Mom was very happy that Amelia had such a great time on this one particularly important event. Yep, it's official - Amelia loves her bike trailer!

After last summer's poor performance, we were skeptical of what would happen. We arrived at Bothell Landing, put her helmet on no problem, buckled her into the trailer, still no problem, and took off. That was it. We kept waiting for the screams of disapproval that we heard a year ago, but there were none. Well, only a few down the road when her helmet strap got askew, she dropped her water bottle and couldn't reach it, or saw her snacks and immediately wanted one.

We completed six miles which includes a stop at the park for dinner - Subway sandwiches. A perfect evening! Mom, the closest cyclist for the past three years, is smiling.

Yuck!

2008-04-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

Amelia gave us our first real scare this past week. She was so sick and dehydrated from some random bug she picked up that we had to take her to the Children's Hospital emergency room. We were able to get her rehydrated after some anti-nausea mediation, but that only lasted a day. The next day the entire cycle repeated itself and this went on for five days. There were repeat doctor visits, trips to the hospital, and lots of phone calls to her doctors and nurses. As of yesterday, she's doing much better. Thank you all for your prayers and concern.

Now to the fun part.

Last Thursday she had two firsts; her first visit to the emergency room and the first time she said her name. While watching photos on the laptop screensaver, she pointed and said "Me Me Aah." Yep, that’s "Amelia" said by a 20-month old. Too cute.

The other cute thing she did that was also so sad... When she would fill her diaper (with really bad diarrhea) as she did about every 30 minutes for all those days, she would stop, tap her waist, and say with a concerned tone "Oh no, Oh no!" Adorable. And then we would head upstairs to the changing table…

Quick Update

2008-04-02T20:37:00.001-07:00

A wonderful day visiting Great Aunt Clarkie at her home in Palos Verdes Estates, CA.

Someone is sure enjoying the hotel room!

Great Grandma Jean's childhood chair from Panama.

Grandma Jean, Kirsten, & Amelia

Amelia's doing great! She’s talkin' more and more each day. She’s hasn’t shown too much interest in using the toilet lately so we'll wait a while before coming back to that. She loves her gymnastics class and going to Jump Planet with her friends to, well, JUMP!!! Swimming is now a routine she anticipates since she’s been going most Saturdays since she was eight months old. She laughs and plays in the water and has little fear of it. That was our goal! Check.

We went to Monrovia last month to visit Grandma Jean and Great Aunt Clarkie for a weekend. It was a delightful time getting to visit with family and let them enjoy Amelia as we do each and every day. The plane ride down was not too much fun for anyone as Amelia got sick with a fever and ear infection the morning we were to leave. She most certainly didn’t like the landing but the plane ride home four days later was a non-issue. She’s a traveling fool with eight flights under her belt and a brand new passport in hand ready for her first international venture.

Babies

2008-02-28T21:36:00.000-08:00

Amelia noticed tonight what was on a TV news program for a flash of a moment; babies. She exclaimed "Babies, Babies". We asked her if she would like a baby sister or baby brother. Her unmistakble answer was a clear "sissa". We both laughed hysterically.

No, we have no other news except that we've started communication with a local adoption agency.

Talk Talk Talk

2008-02-13T21:05:00.000-08:00

“Oooooh Wow” when she sees something new or something she really likes.

“Pease”
“Tank U”
“More”

“Sit sit” when sitting down on the bottom step to put on her “Shuuz”.

“Dog ga” Dog
“Wuf wuf” is the sound the dog makes. We don’t even have a dog. We have a cat.

Our little gal is full of words and is so very animated. What fun we’re having with her; big hugs, lots of kisses, smiles that never end. It’s all good. We’re quite tired of course, but isn’t that what we signed up for?

On Friday, February 15 Amelia will be 1½ years old. How did that happen?

For the past year we’ve been taking her to swimming lessons every Saturday morning. She’s become quite a water baby as she goes underwater, blows bubbles, and climbs out of the pool using proper techniques she’s learned.

Last week we took her to her first gymnastics class. The trampoline was a huge hit and complete entertainment for us. We’re going again tomorrow because we all had so much fun.

Stay tuned for more Amelia!

So Advanced!

2007-11-26T21:01:00.000-08:00

Did I mention how advanced she is? I’ll get to her momentous achievement in a moment. smile wink

Earlier this month I was traveling to Winnipeg, Canada on business. Yes, Winnipeg in November. Brrrr. Gene and Amelia smartly stayed home while I wondered if she would notice I was gone for four days. A few nights into my trip, Gene told me she dropped a toy that made a loud crashing noise. This tripped the glass break alarm on our home alarm system. It’s just a quick ‘beep beep’ and is the same sound each door makes when it’s opened. After hearing the two beeps from dropping her toy, Amelia ran toward the front door looking for me to walk through it. Yep, she missed me. smile wink

OK, now for her two firsts for the day.

1) After 15 months, she finally got her first ear infection. This diagnosis followed a weekend full of fevers, runny nose, and SIX new teeth. Thanksgiving this year was not fun at our house.

2) You already heard a few weeks ago about peeing in her new toilet just a few days after we bought it. Well, tonight, I’m proud to say she pooped in it! Now that’s cool!

smile wink

Time?

2007-11-14T09:31:00.000-08:00

First Birthday at Green Lake
Long Beach Kite Festival
Picking Tomatos in Mom's Garden
Running Through the Pumpkin Patch
One Happy Pink Octopus for Halloween

Not sure what happened to the past few months? Since Amelia’s first birthday, we’ve been at a constant sprint. It seems even busier than the first year. Here are a few pics of what we’ve been up to.

She walks 100% of the time, except when she throws herself on the department store floor while throwing a tantrum.

Last night she opened the lid to her new potty AND actually peed in it. We’ve only had it two days. We were amazed and are convinced that our almost-15-month-old is the most advanced child in the world.

She eats all table food; basically whatever we’re eating. No special meals are prepared in our house.

She’s read every board book in her library at least 100 times. She’ll just sit down in the middle of the floor, grab four books, and look intently and laugh at each page. She also does this in her crib in the morning while I’m getting ready for work. Did I mention how advanced she is?

First Birthday

2007-08-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

The birthday girl enjoying her first bite of cake,

after neatly eating all the frosting.

Yum!

Want some?

Less than four hours later!

And Now She Walks!

2007-07-30T17:45:00.000-07:00

Grandma Jean's back yard

Beach at Malibu

Vacation? Well, it was anything but that. Amelia kept us on our toes the entire twelve days. The second day of our trip she decided to walk. Her first steps were in her Great Grandma Jean’s living room for all to see. She’s still a weeble wobble, but in the past week has made it up to about twenty steps at a time.

We had a delightful time celebrating Grandma Jean’s 90th birthday in Monrovia. It was great to see everyone for what turned out to be a terrific family reunion. We also enjoyed a visit with Grandpa John and family in Phoenix.

This new mom and dad are tired. We now need a vacation from the vacation. Amelia’s even tired. She took a 90 minute nap today on her first day back at school.

Before, During, & After

2007-06-24T10:14:00.001-07:00

It was well past the time for a first haircut when we arrived at the salon on Saturday.

Pics

2007-06-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

And Now She Sleeps!

2007-06-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

Since starting "school" on March 1, the most Amelia has slept there is about 30 minutes in a day. It doesn't matter if she's there for a three hour day or a six hour day; she just doesn't sleep at school. My theory is that since she's my daughter she's a very social being. There's simply no time to sleep when she has the option to play with her friends.

Today she slept for 2 1/2 HOURS! I sure hope she's not getting sick. For the moment we'll chalk it up to a growth spurt.

She Stands!

2007-06-05T19:52:00.000-07:00

Yep, Amelia decided to stand all by herself last Saturday afternoon. It just so happened that she was trying out her brand new wading pool for the first time, it was 90 degrees in Seattle, and she was wearing a polka-dot bikini! Nice! She just stood up out of the inch of water she was sitting in like it was nothing. Now she's practicing her new trick non-stop.

Photos to come :)

Time Flies!

2007-05-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

Where has the month gone? Our family was sick for nearly an entire month. Then my dad joined us for a quick weekend visit; very fun! Amelia is now over eight months old and we can’t even believe it. I’m already thinking of ideas for her birthday party. Actually, I think we’ll have more than one party. Doesn’t everyone do that?

Last week she was exposed to Chicken Pox at her school. Two days later we’re still pox-free. Keep your fingers crossed. Thursday, May 10th we head to Children’s Hospital to meet her team of hematologists. The responsible parent in me says to call ahead to ensure she’s safe to be up there with her recent exposure. There are a lot of very sick children there who certainly don’t need chicken pox. I feel fortunate that we’re only going in for a consultation and a blood draw.

Enjoy the pics. I love the Easter dress and hat!

Definition of Hereditary Spherocytosis

2007-04-01T01:47:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's official: mom passed it on to baby.

Hereditary spherocytosis: A genetic disorder of the red blood cell membrane clinically characterized by anemia (Kirsten's entire life), jaundice (yellowing) (Amelia had this at birth) and splenomegaly (enlargement of the spleen) (Kirsten had an ultrasound last month confirming an enlarged spleen).

In HS the red cells are smaller, rounder, and more fragile than normal. The red cells have a spherical rather than the biconcave-disk shape of the normal red cell. These rotund red cells (spherocytes) are osmotically fragile and less flexible than normal red cells and tend to get trapped in narrow blood passages, particularly in the spleen, and there they break up (hemolyze) leading to hemolytic anemia.

The clogging of the spleen with red cells almost invariably causes splenomegaly. The breakup of the red cells releases hemoglobin and the heme part gives rise to bilirubin, the pigment of jaundice. The excess bilirubin leads to the formation of gallstones, even in childhood, There is also often iron overload due to the excess destruction of iron-rich red cells.

Hereditary spherocytosis is most common in people of northern European ancestry. It often shows up in infancy or early childhood, causing anemia and jaundice. The bone marrow has to work extra hard to make more red cells. So, if in the course of an ordinary viral illness, the bone marrow stops making red cells, the anemia can quickly become profound. This is termed an aplastic crisis.

Laboratory studies show evidence not only of many spherocytes but also increased numbers of reticulocytes (young red blood cells), hyperbilirubinemia (increased blood levels of the jaundice pigment bilirubin due to the breakup of the red cells) and increased osmotic fragility of the red cells.

HS is due to a deficiency of a protein called ankyrin. Ankyrins are cell membrane proteins (thought to interconnect integral proteins with the spectrin-based membrane skeleton.) The ankyrin of red blood cells (erythrocytic ankyrin) is called ankyrin-R or ankyrin-1. It is represented by the symbol ANK1.

The HS gene, that for ANK1, has been mapped to chromosome 8 and, specifically, to chromosome band 8p11.2. HS is inherited as a dominant trait so, if a person with HS reproduces, their child (irrespective of whether it is a boy or girl) has a 50:50 chance to have HS (At least Amelia got Gene's blue eyes).

The treatment of hereditary spherocytosis is to remove the spleen (splenectomy). Although the red cell defect persists, the breakup of the red cells (hemolysis) ceases. Splenectomy, however, is a hazard in young children. Young children without a spleen are at increased risk for overwhelming sepsis (bloodstream infection), particularly with the pneumococcus bacteria. Splenectomy is therefore usually postponed if possible until the age of 3 years. Before having a splenectomy, anyone with HS should have the pneumococcal vaccine. Persons with HS (or another cause of brisk ongoing hemolysis) should take supplemental folic acid.

The prognosis (outlook) after splenectomy is for a normal life and a normal life expectancy.

Source: http://www.medterms.com

Oh well; I've lived up to this point undiagonosed. This way she'll have an explanation instead of all the mystery.

I'm Not Napping!

2007-03-31T00:33:00.000-07:00

Amelia is now standing in her crib. She pulls up and chews the paint off the railing. Yuck!

Sick Sick Sick

2007-03-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

Amelia finally got sick. First it was a fever of 103 for three days, followed by a rash on her upper body for several more days. She was diagnosed with a common (and completely unheard of to us) childhood illness called Roseola. Who knew?

Just as she was feeling better and Mom got to go back to work, green gunk started collecting in her eyes. Now she’s on antibiotic drops to cure her eye infection.

This was her first month at school, and likely where she got all these bugs. I hope the second month finds Amelia feeling much better. Besides her illness, she also got her first two teeth this last month. She’s growing!

New Mom - Healthy Baby

2007-03-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

Well, today didn't go as planned. I dressed up Amelia for her school pictures today. Yes, we call it school instead of day care. It's easier on our hearts. We're certainly not worried about her care as the place is fabulous; we simply feel guilty. So we'll call it school.

This is only her second week and she LOVES it. She hasn't shed a tear yet and the only downside is that she's having so much fun she doesn't want to nap. We get a very tired and sometimes cranky kid to play with for the evening.

So I dressed her up for her pictures this morning and then thought we would just swing by Children's Hospital real quick for her blood draw. Am I dense? Apparently. Three hours later with one screaming baby with three needle pokes in her arms, I'm on my way home to start the peace treaty!

She's napping now and has been for over two hours. She did not have a good time this morning.

Now don't panic about the Children's Hospital visit as she was probably the healthiest kid there today. Remember my diagnosis during pregnancy of Hereditary Spherocytosis (June 14, 2006 blog post)? We're checking to see if Amelia inherited it. There's nothing really to it other than a bit of anemia and possibly an enlarged spleen. Better to know now rather than a surprise diagnosis during pregnancy.

Good thing the photographer at school has a two day gig. We'll catch them tomorrow.

Six Months Old Already?

2007-03-01T21:24:00.000-08:00

February was a big month for Amelia. After reading the blog, my father promptly purchased an airline ticket and came to visit for the weekend. We had a fabulous time just relaxing and laughing with Amelia. She’s so very happy. I’m pleased to report that she has now met every one of her grandparents. Next we’ll focus on meeting cousins.

She ate her first food, winter squash, in the presence of Papa. She has now moved on to peas and sweet potatoes. Fruit is next on the list. She prefers to take the spoon from you and feed herself with it. What a mess!

Last Friday, February 23, Gene proudly announced that we have a tooth. I ran downstairs, inspected her gums myself, and confirmed that a tooth was breaking through. That’s when I began to sob. My baby has a tooth!?!? How can this be? The time is going by just too fast. You couldn’t really see it for several days, but now it’s a beautiful pearly white getting taller each day. It’s official – I’m the mother of a baby with a tooth.

Our dear little baby is resting at the moment; recovering from her series of four immunizations today. It was her six month well baby visit. Here are her official stats.

Birth - 8 lb. 1 oz. weight & 21 1/4 in. long

2 months – 10 lb. 12 oz. weight (50%) & 22 3/4 in. long (75%) & 15 1/8 in. head (40%)

4 months – 13 lb. 3 oz. weight (45%) & 24 7/8 in. long (85%) & 15 7/8 in. head (35%)

6 months – 14 lb. 9 oz. weight (25%) & 25 7/8 in. long (70%) & 16 1/2 in. head (40%)

As you can see, we have a tall yet petite little gal on our hands!!!

The Kid can Travel

2007-02-04T11:28:00.000-08:00

Amelia is now a pro at air travel. We recently made a very special trip to Arizona and California to introduce her to her Grandfather and Great Grandmother. She’s now met all her grandparents except one – my Dad! We had a great time with family and enjoyed a bit of sunny weather in Monrovia, CA.

She’s a big girl now as she rides in her stroller sitting up. No more baby here. This kid can also move across rooms like it’s nothing. We’re definitely entering a new stage. The full crawl is only weeks away and we’re not ready.

Besides sifting through rental receipts to complete our taxes, we’re diving into our home remodel/update head first. After two years of getting nothing done, we’re hiring out for it. We’re simply too busy enjoying Amelia. The yard is well underway and the contractors will be showing up soon to rehab both bathrooms and the kitchen. It’s all very exciting.

Enjoy the pics!

Winter in Seattle

2007-01-10T19:51:00.000-08:00

Second snow? Third snow? Who’s counting. Amelia has enjoyed lots of snow during her first winter.

How else has Miss Lowry been spending her time? She’s rolling over in all directions. She’s also crawling around the living room; the early crawling which could be better described as a caterpillar move. Each morning you never know which area of her crib she’ll be occupying. She turns her head to her name and constantly laughs when talked to. She’s such a delight. I didn’t want to put her to bed last night because we were having so much fun playing.

Her next adventure will be her first airplane flight to visit lots of grandparents and great grandparents in two different states.

Merry Christmas

2006-12-31T09:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas came early at the Lowry home. Amelia Jean was our Christmas-in-August gift from God. For this reason, we pretty much just skipped over the whole gift-giving tradition. Amelia's happy and healthy and right on track with every developmental milestone; yet another gift for us. At four months of age she weighs almost 14 pounds and is over two feet long. We couldn't be more thrilled.

We had a wonderful Christmas day in Puyallup with the Felkins/Rios bunch. What a blessing to have such incredible people in our lives. They spoiled the three of us and Amelia enjoyed going from lap to lap. No crying for this gal, as she's pretty much a perfect baby.

The Holy Family

2006-12-25T08:19:00.000-08:00

On December 3 at the Redmond Lights celebration, we posed as the Holy Family in the living nativity scene. Amelia was a perfect baby Jesus. We'll have to wait and see if she wants to do more stage work like her Great Grandma Jean, Grandma Jan, Aunt Heather, and Daddy.

Just Silly

2006-12-01T19:22:00.000-08:00

Snow in Seattle?

2006-11-28T20:57:00.000-08:00

It never snows in the Puget Sound region. So why would our three-month old own a snowsuit? Exactly! She doesn’t. But, we do have one gently used and very warm chicken suit leftover from Halloween. Throw on her blue doggie slippers and we're set. Enjoy!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho

2006-11-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

... It's off to work I go.

I started back to work on Nov. 7. The transition has been good for me, despite all the horror stories I had heard from everyone. It's actually nice to use my brain on a higher level and interact with my wonderful coworkers. I did miss them, as I was out of the office for about four months.

I get up early (4:30 am), but that's about the worst of my schedule. I arrive at Nintendo around 6:45 am while Gene stays home with Amelia. They meet me at my office at 1:15 pm, we switch vehicles (if you have the baby, you get the nice car), and he's off to work at Boeing. My shift with Amelia ends when Gene arrives back home around midnight. Gene and I don't see much of each other except on weekends, but it's best for Amelia and that's what counts. Amelia has adjusted just fine to her new schedule. She’s such a terrific and easy baby.

Washington Grown

2006-11-06T20:04:00.000-08:00

Amelia made one cute Foster Farms Chicken for Halloween. She dressed up, along with all her friends, for her first Halloween party. Then she turned into a tired pumpkin so she could pass out candy to all the big kids who dropped by our house. It was a great day.

Two days later it was time for more celebrating as this new mom turned 40! I can’t believe that one, but it’s true. The morning started with a bouquet of flowers and two birthday cards; one from my husband and one from my daughter. Then a few moments later the two of them presented me with a diamond necklace and matching earrings. Very special!

Our new little family headed out the door for breakfast at the Maltby Café, and then it was off to meet Amelia’s new friends for lunch at the Honey Bear Bakery. The day was a wrap with friends Mark & Dorothy. We picked up a quick dinner and then joined their son Aaron to watch the Bothell vs. Redmond high school girl’s volleyball game. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a high school. It was fun to see what’s to come in the next years with Amelia.

Just Beautiful!

2006-10-29T20:27:00.000-08:00

A day in the life of Amelia Lowry!

Vitals

2006-10-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

Gosh, it actually has been since the last post that I downloaded our photos from the camera. And no, I didn’t do it today either. The quantity of photos taken since Amelia’s birth has definitely decreased. I’m currently sorting through the 353 photos we took in the first 13 days of her life to decide which to order. It’s crazy how the digital camera can seem to take an endless number of photos. We are still taking photos; just not as many.

Her two month well baby visit went fantastic and her pediatrician said that she’s just perfect. She holds her head up very well, is very alert, and is about to roll over. She now weighs 10 pounds 12 ounces (50th percentile) and is 23 inches long (75th percentile). Her precious little head is growing perfectly and is in the 40th percentile. She was given her first round of four different immunizations and tolerated them just fine. It really was a non-issue with a slight fever, tender thighs, and some extra sleep the next day. That was it.

Amelia really is a great and easy baby. She doesn’t even fuss when we put her down. This morning she played on her play mat all by herself for over an hour just giggling and cooing at the toys hanging over her. Of course we were both admiring her from afar, as we were trying to figure out if she knows she’s batting the toys overhead. Not quite yet, as she’s still got the uncontrolled arm jerkiness, but she’s almost there. When her arm did hit a toy, sometimes she would grip the toy. She IS perfect. We feel so blessed.

Halloween is coming! Be sure to check back to see Amelia in the cutest costume ever!

Where's Amelia?

2006-10-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

It's not that I have too much time on my hands, because I don't. It's just that I couldn't resist this photo opportunity!

Bath Time!

2006-09-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

Amelia loves taking baths and we love giving them to her.

Happy Birthday

2006-09-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

On September 15, Amelia turned one month old. We can hardly believe it! She's getting so very big; over nine pounds already. She's still so beautiful and we love her dearly.

Hangin' Out

2006-09-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

Our afternoon at Green Lake.

Don't Use the Water...

2006-09-07T18:06:00.000-07:00

What is it with me and homes with sewer problems? The first month after purchasing my Seattle home, the sewer backed up. Then three years later the first month our tenant was there, it backed up again and had to be replaced. Thankfully I'm married to a plumber who was able to replace the pipe through the yard.
Well, now we're looking at problems of a large magnitude at our Bothell home. Darn! I need to wash some clothes for my baby and heck; I need to wash the baby! She needs a bath.
Anyway, that's my rant. Let's hope that we have a clear sewer line before Monday, which is my first day home alone with Amelia. And the date on Monday is September 11. But I guess it's not the end of my world if I have to drive somewhere to use a toilet.

Oh yeah, isn't Amelia beautiful!! We're so in love!

The Long Story

2006-09-01T21:48:00.000-07:00

Now here’s the long version on Amelia’s birth. Dad started writing the story while we were in the hospital. Mom will fill in the blanks and give a current events update.

Ok she’s here, whew…’ Kirsten is feeding the baby so I’m in charge of the blog update.

I would like to introduce Amelia Jean Lowry. Amelia means hard working and industrious. Jean means gift from God and is also her Great Grandmother’s name.

So here’s what happened. We went to the hospital Sunday to start Kirsten’s labor. At about 10:00 pm she was having contractions every 5 to 10 min. After laboring at home all night, we made it to the hospital around 8:00 am Monday morning. Kirsten was well into labor so she did not need any actual medicine to get things going. Things progressed slowly and painfully (no pain meds) all day until finally, at around 6pm, it was advised that Kirsten get an epidural. Everyone was exhausted and it was the best and only choice.

At around 11:00 pm she started pushing but Amelia wasn’t going anywhere. Kirsten spiked a fever of about 101 and twice the baby’s heartrate dropped to 40 beats per minute without explanation. Then her heartrate rose to 170 beats per minute and stayed that high. After two hours of pushing and a stressed out baby, the midwife and doctor determined that for the safety of the baby we needed an emergency C-section. Everything happened very quickly, as Kirsten was wheeled to the OR immediately. Our beautiful baby girl arrived at 1:48am. Because of all the stress the baby was under, she did have a bowel movement in the womb. The medical team was able to clean her airways before she took her first breath so she was not in any danger of inhaling the bad stuff. So finally after almost 28 hours in labor and some touchy moments with the baby’s heartbeat, she’s here and she is perfect.

Kirsten was on antibiotics to tackle her fever that hung around for a few days. Amelia’s fever didn’t last long enough to need medication, but then she was diagnosed with jaundice. We didn’t even notice how yellow she really was until we looked at the photos we were taking. She came home with the light bed and an in-home nurse visit each day. It only took three days for the jaundice to leave and to receive a baby clean bill of health.

So now she’s 17 days old and just as delightful as the day she was born. We’re still getting to know each other and we’re having so much fun in the process. She sleeps four to five hours at a time each night and isn’t really fussy unless she needs a diaper change or is hungry. She’s such a great baby and we couldn’t be happier.

Today Amelia took her first “walk” at Seattle’s Green Lake. Mom and Dad each had their favorite Starbucks drink and we looked every bit the Seattle urban family. It was hilarious and we loved every minute. The last time we walked Green Lake we were quite pregnant and checking out all the different strollers in an effort to make the right choice. This time we didn’t notice any other strollers or even the water as we couldn't stop staring at the contents of our stroller – perfect!

Really Really Tired

2006-08-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, we had a rough night. It seems that our little angel likes to power nap during the day for up to four hours and then power feed non-stop at night. Today we're going to try and make some changes by either A) waking her to feed her more often than we have, B) just power nap with her which we've been really bad at doing (there's so much to do around here), or C) cry with her when she cries because we have no energy to do anything else. The likely solution probably won't be C, but it might just give us an outlet for a moment.
Gosh, who knew that it could take three days to plan an outing to buy a rocking chair or that I, Miss Organization, would be late in paying the bills. Now that HAS to get done today, but I'm not quite sure when or how. Wish us luck!
Know that even at the worst, we still look at each other and say we wouldn't have it any other way. We're having a wonderful time caring for our precious Amelia.
G&K

More Photos

2006-08-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

Space Age Baby Light Bed - all gone now!

A kiss from Mom. The yellow is also all gone.

Going Home

No More Jaundice!!!

2006-08-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

Just before leaving for the hospital Monday morning, August 14.

Laboring - no meds!

Yeah! The jaundice is all gone, along with the light bed. Amelia's nurse told us this morning that there is no need for any of the extra medical stuff and that we should just start enjoying her. We couldn't be more thrilled. The "clinicalness" (is that a word?) of it is all over and we hardly know what to do. I guess now we'll have more time on our hands - maybe.

Enjoy the photos!
Brand New

Daddy introducing Amelia to Mommy

A very proud daddy!

There's a New Girl in Town

2006-08-17T11:24:00.001-07:00

Here’s the quick version, as I know everyone has been waiting patiently all week. We’ll fill you in on the finer details soon.

Our beautiful baby girl arrived a bit past schedule, but is here now and is quite perfect!
Amelia Jean Lowry joined our family at 1:48 am Tuesday, August 15. Forget the 33rd percentile she was supposed to be in, as she weighed 8 pounds 1 ounce and was 21 1/2 inches long. All three of us are exhausted from a near 36 hour labor and then an emergency c-section. She didn't like the long labor and started to stress out. Then she wasn't born a moment too soon, as we both had a fever. Now she's got a cool blue light bed to help her battle jaundice.

But in spite of it all, she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen and we’re taking her home today, Thursday, August 17. We even get to take with us her space-age blue light bed and a nurse!!! Actually, the nurse will visit our home once per day until the jaundice is gone.

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers throughout the week.

Gene, Kirsten, & Amelia

Past Due

2006-08-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

Our due date of Monday, August 7 has now come and gone and this mother-to-be is getting very anxious. Actually, I’m just uncomfortable and simply ready to finally hold this little girl in my arms. An even better sight for me will be to see Gene holding his baby daughter. Because of everything we’ve been through in the last two years, when the moment finally arrives, we’ll likely be beside ourselves with emotion. Heck, I’m crying as I write this. Hormones… All the heartbreak of last year has been right at the surface for me as I prepare for this baby’s birth. Baby Noah Michael is never far from our thoughts.

The word from our medical team is that sometime next week I’ll be induced. I don’t have the exact date yet and am hoping she’ll arrive on her own timing over the weekend. I’d love to avoid all the medical intervention, as it does frighten me a bit. Either way, we’ll have a baby by the end of next week, August 18. E-mail me your new lottery date, time, weight, and length guess. You can even throw in a first and middle name idea if you’d like.

Cheers to a smooth and speedy delivery!

Due Date

2006-08-06T23:39:00.000-07:00

Well, my due date of Monday August 7 is almost here and unless we have a very eventful evening starting about right now, the day might just come and go as all the others. We'll definitely let you know just as soon as possible when something happens.

I'm tired, uncomfortable, and hot because of the weather. Thankfully the heat subsided for the past few weeks, but I fear it's on the rise again. Thanks to my friend Geraldine, we've got AC in our home now!! Excellent!

My blood levels are holding steady and the baby seems to be tolerating her mild anemia well. My sciatica nerve is pinched really bad now so walking is very painful. Other than that, we're all doing well. We're just so excited for the next chapter to begin! We're ready to go whenever this baby decides to make her entrance! Soon would be nice, as it's getting old being so very pregnant.

Stay tuned,
Gene & Kirsten

Still Pregnant...

2006-07-30T22:45:00.000-07:00

Yep, I'm still pregnant. I have only one more week until my official due date of August 7. I'm certainly ready for our daughter to show her lovely face, as it's getting more difficult to get comfortable. At this point, sleeping is my greatest challenge and sleeping through the night is something that hasn’t happened for over a month. I've been home for the past two weeks and between Dr. appointments most days, I try to take short naps throughout the day. My blood levels are holding steady and the baby is also doing just fine. The resting seems to be helping.

My mother and sister are visiting for the week. I’m hoping that we can entertain them with a birth before they leave. They’ve been so helpful with cleaning and cooking and just keeping me company. It’s been very nice to have them here. We've also picked up the last few items for the baby and now feel completely ready for the little gal to arrive.

Hopefully the next entry will include baby photos!

Full Term Today!

2006-07-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

Yep, we made it - all three of us! Today marks the 37th week of pregnancy and thus a full term baby. Our official due date is August 7, but she could arrive any day now. We're thrilled, nervous, anxious, and in complete disbelief that we may actually become parents this time.
I'm home resting now per doctor's orders. They're watching my blood closely and so far no need for a transfusion. Because my red blood cell levels are so low, I'm just really really tired. They're also watching the baby's blood. They scan her brain each week with the ultrasound machine and can use the data to determine if she's anemic. The past two weeks she has shown some signs that may indicate she too has inherited spherocytosis from her mother. Either way, she's just fine at the moment. After birth she may have a bit of jaundice, but this likely may be the only extent of the illness for her.
That's it for now. Who knows what the rest of the week will bring!

6 Months Old

2006-07-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

This is Kirsten at 6 months old wide awake (probably suppose to be sleeping) in her Great Great Grandmother's Crib. Oh the 1960's and those vinyl baby bumpers!

The Crib

2006-07-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th! We spent last evening rearranging our living room and setting up the family crib from 1881. It's simply georgeous! Many coats of orange oil did it well and the crib bumper set from my wonderful coworkers looks amazing! Bring on Baby!

Heatwave!

2006-06-29T08:26:00.000-07:00

It's been REALLY hot for Seattle. Thankfully I've been able to avoid excess weight gain and ankle swelling, but I'm definitely having a hard time sleeping. I can't get comfortable and it's just too hot. That's really the only bad news.

My blood levels are not great, but OK for the moment. The baby is doing great! She's very active at all hours of the day and not anemic or stressed at all. We're checked each week and so far so good. I'm slowing getting exhausted from lack of sleep.

On a fun note, I spent Sunday afternoon in the garage cleaning and oiling the family antique crib. It's from approximately 1881 and I slept in it, as did many relatives before and after me. We believe it was acquired for my Great Great Grandmother in Brooklyn after her family immigrated from Paris. I'm working with my Mother and Grandmother to get the full details. After several more much needed coats of orange oil, I'll doll it up with a new mattress and the bumper & crib set my wonderful coworkers gave me last week. Now where do I put this beautiful set up? The living room will have to do, as we haven't yet cleaned out a bedroom for our new little bundle of joy.

Gene is now working at Boeing and is also working round the clock on our rec room remodel in hopes of finishing it before the baby joins us. Once finished, our office will move to the new room and we'll have an empty room ready to become a nursery. No worries about timing. We do have a bassinet in the corner of our bedroom and a car seat ready to go. Now we just need to pack our bag and we're off...

Men & Gadgets

2006-06-20T03:23:00.000-07:00

They do seem to go hand in hand. Picture this …

You’re sitting in the exam room waiting for your midwife to come in. It’s been less than a minute since the nurse left with your vitals neatly recorded. Your husband spots a new toy from across the room. He retrieves from the counter a plastic model of the female reproductive system, each individual plastic piece fitting together to form an intricate puzzle. He checks it out thoroughly in an effort to figure out where his daughter has been living for the past eight months.

In an instance, the model implodes in his hands and scatters in what appears to him to be hundreds of pieces all over the floor. I immediately start laughing so hard I’m crying. He, on the other hand, is quite focused and is scrambling to gather fallopian tubes, ovaries, and a uterus from the floor. After a few moments and some searching for a missing ovary, the puzzle model in complete again. Still not laughing, he puts the model back, sits down and simply states with a smile “I just shouldn’t touch things”. This from the man who drops everything. I still cannot stop laughing. He now relaxes and joins me in completely cracking up. We slowly contain ourselves and in walks Michelle the midwife.

We review our birth plan and Gene’s desire to not only cut the cord, but to actually deliver/catch his baby as she’s born. He admits his concern about dropping her and is assured that she will not let this happen. He then briefly recounts the events of the past ten minutes. Michelle is now laughing and in tears.

Now why can’t all medical office visits be this fun? Relax and enjoy the moment.

3-D

2006-06-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

How cool is 3-D ultrasound! Here she is at approximately 4 pounds 4 ounces and 32.5 weeks gestation. Just 7.5 more weeks until her due date. We'll see how long mom can hang in there with the pinched sciatica nerve on her left side.

Sphero what?

2006-06-14T23:16:00.000-07:00

Spherocytosis. Hereditary Spherocytosis. After experiencing unexplained borderline anemia my entire life, I finally have a diagnosis. I only have a mild case of this blood disorder since I've never exhibited any of the full blown symptoms. That's the good news.

The sort of bad news is since I have the blood disorder, the pregnancy is taxing my blood levels and my anemia is getting worse as the pregnancy progresses. Several weeks ago my perinatologist was concerned enough to refer me to a hematologist for further evaluation. After vials of blood draws and a trip to the University of Washington for a highly specialized test, the results showed Hereditary Spherocytosis.

For the rest of the pregnancy I'll have a CBC (complete blood count) each week to check my blood levels. If my blood gets low enough, the decision may be made to give me a blood transfusion. This is to ensure the baby is getting enough oxygen through my red blood cells.

Since the disorder is hereditary, she has a 50/50 chance of inheriting it from me. Each week for the rest of the pregnancy her blood levels will be checked for anemia via a special ultrasound. No needles, no blood draws, nothing invasive. That's great! If for some reason she starts showing signs of anemia in utero, she'll simply get to be born sooner rather than later. After birth, she'll be monitored for the disorder and that's it.

So there you have it. A new word for the day. Spherocytosis.

Hello Dear Family & Friends

2006-06-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

Hello Dear Family & Friends,

In anticipation of the new and upcoming birthday of our little one, we've created this blog. We'll post photos and updates here for all to see. Check back often and do be sure to leave us a note or send an email. Enjoy!

We're all doing well. The baby is kicking all the time and slowly running out of room in her underwater world. From all the tests and ultrasounds we've had, it appears that she's happy and healthy in there. It's been a lot of fun to see my belly grow and move. Gene keeps saying that he just can't wait to meet her!

After nearly five years since his layoff, Gene will start back at Boeing on June 16. He's thrilled and is looking forward to the job change. Right now he's working diligently on the remodel of our family room. Once it's done, he'll begin on the nursery. Until then, we've got a bassinet and dresser/changing station set up in our room.

The Seattle weather has been pretty mild this spring, which is just fine with me! I only have nine more weeks to handle any summer heat that comes our way. So far my health has been terrific and we couldn't be more pleased. It seems my body is taking pregnancy quite well.

We look forward to hearing from each of you.
Gene & Kirsten

God has blessed us with another pregnancy!

2006-06-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

God has blessed us with another pregnancy!

Again, we’ve fallen in love with the kicks from within and the images seen with the ultrasound.

She is due to arrive around August 7th. Yes, our medical team tells us to expect a little lady.

Please join us in praying for her safe & healthy arrival.

Thank you for your continued love and support. We couldn’t make it without each of you in our lives.

Much Love, Gene & Kirsten