We miss Mommo already! Thank you Mommo for your labors of love this last week...what a blessing. We just dropped her at the airport for her trip to Lily's place and everyone is napping (I should be, and will be soon!). And Aunt Deb arrives this afternoon; we are spoiled rottener than rotten. Mommo left us with a clean house and a stocked freezer, and Asher slept nearly 5 hrs. in a row last night. We're in a good spot right now!

Here are some pictures from Mommo's visit:

At the local pick-your-own farm; zinnia field


Tractor ride to the peach orchard


Mmm, peaches


Peach in one hand, eating raspberries off the bush with the other:


Happy threesome!


Asher checking out this Mommo person

More pictures

The past few days have been pretty smooth-sailing around here. Owen's lack-of-attention related tantrums have started to calm down a bit and Asher is being a bit more cooperative about naps...of course I say that as hear him giving Reuel a hard time in the next room. Mommo's calming presence and help have nothing to do with the smooth-sailing of course :) Ha ha. She is a wonderful resource and companion, and stepped in so sacrificially right when we needed her after my mom left! Not to mention she cleaned the dust bunnies *behind* the couch today. Wow. We may have to have more babies just so we can get a thorough cleaning every couple years.

Here's proud big brother holding his baby Ashew.




My fuzzy-head boy after a bath...unlike Owen this one's hair sticks STRAIGHT up when it is degreased.


I can't believe I did this but I gave him a haircut today. His hair was hanging almost an inch down over his ears. Now the problem is that the hair around the ears has been trimmed but I don't really want to trim it all the way around his neckline, so he has a pretty glorious baby mullet. Ugh.


Who knew the baby gym was so fascinating for 2 year olds. Owen was under it on and off all day showing Asher how to work it.

Pix!

Adjustments

Gosh I'm tired :) A good night is waking every 3-3.5 hrs. A bad one; little A is not sleeping more than 1 to 1.5 hrs at a time, and it takes long and involved efforts to get him back to sleep before another feeding (he's not hungry; just up). At this age Owen was zoinked pretty much all the time and it was hard to rouse him to eat. Not so this time! I really wish we were going to be able to go to Ohio for my grandmother's memorial, but the 12 hours of driving each way, 2 younguns and the lack of sleep don't work too well together we decided.

Well, Owen is definitely a big fan of baby bruddew Asher, and wants to be right there for diaper changes, feedings, etc. It is fun to see him already affectionate toward him and enjoying him. He loves to hold his hands on Asher's head while he's nursing and to pat his back like he sees me doing when I'm trying to get him to sleep. He also thinks giving him a binky is great fun. On the other hand, Owen has no idea that it is this delightful little creature who is rocking his world and making him a little rough around the edges the last few days. After a marvelous run with Nunu Spain in which he behaved like a gem, in the past few days there has been a pretty constant drone of whining from him all day, and he is quite tantrum-prone over silly things. I think the buildup of less mommy time and not being able to pick him up is getting to him, poor fella (and I can't say I like it any better! I miss our one-on-one days in many ways!). Hopefully it will be a season that will pass and give way to a better dynamic. It's hard to know how to keep that balance of not tolerating atrocious behavior while understanding that he's under some stress that makes it understandable. And I'm just too tired to fight him sometimes too, which doesn't help.

My mom is leaving earlier than expected on Tuesday to go to my Grandma's funeral. I am not feeling desperate like I did the first time about her departure, but on the other hand, yikes!! She's been manning one child while I've manned the other and I'm not sure how on earth Asher's going to get any sleep when I have to deal with Owen. Which leads me to my next thought. I DO NOT GIVE BIRTH TO SLEEPERS. Aren't newborns just supposed to sleep easily without much intervention? Don't people just sort of put them down in a chair or carseat and they nod off? Not mine!! Mine will start to drift off and then startle himself awake at least 10 times before finally hitting some deep sleep. If I am not there by his side to keep those arms pinned, hold, pat and shush him through that whole process (which seems to take up to 45 minutes, even when I'm there the whole time), he heads straight for the slaughtered-pig squeal and then he's really awake. Ugh. How does one do this all day with a toddler in tow. I was so sure I was going to do the 'drowsy but awake' strategy with this 2nd baby and get it *right*, but it is not happening. He is not a cooperative subject :} I have almost come to terms with not getting a much easier sleeper this time; I think I really had my hopes up for a wildly different experience. Asher *is* wildly adorable, though. The little grunts and squeaks and snortles are just delicious. And I think he looks a lot like Reuel...and I'm in his fan club.

Owen's been coming up with some super-cute moments himself lately. I jotted some of them down so I'd remember them...

-When Reuel gets ready to head to work in the morning Owen has started saying, 'OK my peeps!' Reuel's usual segue from house to car goes something like, 'OK my peeps, it's time for me to go! Give me a kiss goodbye!' It was pretty funny to start hearing the phrase preemptively from Owen.

-If I ask Owen to find a book on his bookshelf at nap or bedtime, he has taken to scanning his head back and forth across the room and saying, 'Where is it? Is it missing?' The other evening Reuel found the book in question and set it on the floor where Owen could see it. Owen took the book, set it up as high as he could reach on the shelves and proceeded to scan his head saying 'Where is it?' Then he went and 'found' it with a huge smile and said, 'You FOUND it all by yaself!'

-I could not figure out what 'en-oats' were at breakfast a few days ago. Owen was asking for more 'en-oats'. We finally realized that he was requesting 'More 'n Oats' which was his memory of the name of a cereal we eat called 'Oats 'n More'.

-Owen has a new vocab word: Shangwe. He really likes this word and uses it in sentences like, 'Shangwe go inside now, it's raining' and 'Shangwe get a juice bag' and 'Shangwe watch a movie?' Finally hit me that he is saying 'Shouldn't we'.

-Owen likes to get his face right up close to Asher's head while he's nursing. Here's a conversation from yesterday:

Owen: [Look] How little he is.
Me: Yes, he is so tiny! Look at those tiny feet!
Owen: Smell baby Asher.
Me: Does Asher smell good? What does he smell like?
Owen: Baby Asher smell like...umm...sugar.
Me: Really, he smells like sugar?
Owen: Nn-hnn. Smell like...lemons!
Me: What else does he smell like?
Owen: Ummm...smells like...flowers.

This morning, while hugging my knees as I was dressing after my shower.
Owen: Smell mommy.
Me: Does mommy smell good? What do I smell like?
Owen: Mommy smell like...umm...ketchup!

So there ya go.


Say Cheese Owen style!

Grandma

Friends,

We would like you to know that our dear Mother, Donnalee Folck Spain, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Friday, August 7, 2009 at 10:12p. We hope you do not mind this email notice as there are so many to contact. As with our Father’s passing, we are following her wishes not to have an obituary, but there will be a memorial service with details to be determined soon. It was her desire to treat her family and friends to a buffet luncheon.

After a lifetime of struggling with a mitochondrial disorder, Mom went peacefully and gently. She was an amazing woman and foremost was her faith and prayer life. Throughout her life, Mom struggle with weakness, lack of energy and eye problems. It was not until 1996 that she was diagnosed with Kearns-Sayre Syndrome. Mitochondria was only discovered in the last couple of decades and the 40 some disorders only realized in the last 15 years. Just recently they discovered that mito disorders are extremely common and related to so many other common conditions, such as Parkinson’s and Diabetes. Mom went most of her life struggling with this undiagnosed condition, but in this struggle she learned that God had a purpose. His purpose for her was that of a life committed to prayer for family, friends and this world. Every single day was dedicated to prayer, including the last day of her life. She was able to see many of her prayers answered, and left knowing that many more will be answered in the days and years to come. Her lifelong Bible verse that she claimed for herself is:

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of

Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak,

Then I am strong. II Corinthians 12:9-10

And strong she was. Mom was the strongest weakest frailest person there ever was. On Thursday when she realized that her kidneys had failed, she eagerly embraced her imminent homecoming. Her words over and over were, Hallelujah! She was ready and willing to be free of the burden and finish the race. She missed our father greatly and his name was her last conscious words. We will greatly miss her wisdom, insight, dry sense of humor, warmth and love. We remain immensely proud of her perseverance in suffering; her determination to be independent; her willingness to stand firm in her faith; her love of family and her dog, Rockwell; and so much more. We rejoice in her homecoming! Hallelujah!

Your prayers, assistance and offers of help have meant so much to us. We will get back to you with the details of Mom’s buffet luncheon, which will be in the next week. Burial will be private.

One final word voiced by Mom in her last days. If you are struggling; feeling lost or hopeless; fearing death and beyond; or whatever else may be burdening your heart --- then trust that real hope and truth can be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our existence is just not mere spontaneous science, but part of God’s redemptive plan for His Creation. Mom had great respect for the Biblical teachings of Pastor Alistair Begg. You can find a radio station or listen online at Truth For Life, www.truthforlife.org

Thank you,

The Spain Family

Donnalee Folck Spain

February 10, 1927 to August 7, 2009

married December 24, 1946 to

Gail Elliott Spain, Jr.

August 6, 1925 to November 1, 2005

Milk Coma

We're awaiting checkout...tap, tap, tap, tap, tap goes the foot. Hospitals are slow-movin' places when you're the healthy one! No complaints there.

Our nurse just came to give me my motrin tablet. She is under the assumption that giving it to me and then waiting a while before removing my staples will help me. I'm thinking...I get in and out of bed with a slice in my abdomen and have a baby chewing on my nipples 8 times a day right now...I don't think motrin is going to make a significant difference in any staple removal pain. Let's do this thing!

Asher was within 1 ounce of his birth weight at his checkup last night...that was a 6oz. gain in 2 days! Did I mention I have a too-much-milk problem again :) Apparently it's normal to get back to birth weight by 2 weeks old, so at 4 days old (and no supplementation this time), we are ridiculously ahead of the curve, and Asher is going to be a big guy in short order! Asher has been *incredibly* patient learning to drink from the fire hose. When he starts to choke and cough, he stops sucking and makes a little squeaky noise (translation: 'Mommy, why?') and then patiently bides his time til he's ready to jump back in. Owen would have been screeching at me! So I am very grateful for this patience on his part, and hope we'll fully find our nursing groove soon. Sitting him up while he eats seems to help a lot, so we're experimenting with that. OK, that's probably more than enough milk stories for anyone reading :)

Reuel has also been incredibly patient...both of us are antsy here at the hospital, but Reuel hasn't been incised, so he could actually do something outside of these walls if we could leave! Oh, I forgot to mention that we were all packed up to go adn ready to discharge yesterday until Asher had a spit-up with some blood in it. Everyone was 99% sure it was nothing, but we went ahead and stayed the night on the ped's recommendation, just so we wouldn't have to turn aroudn and come back in if the problem persisted. He's not done it again, so we've just been twiddling thumbs til our discharge this morning.

Owen. My mom and Owen have been getting on famously, and I think Owen would be fine if we never came home again! I'm not sure we've been missed at all! They have kept busy at parks, malls, Chuck E Cheese, blueberry picking, etc. etc. When asked if he would rather visit mommy and daddy and Asher or go to Chuck E Cheese yesterday, the answer was, 'ChuckE!' And would you like to talk to daddy on the phone? 'Nope!' said Owen. I'm especially sure that my mom has been having a good time, getting the grandkid to herself without the mother hovering over and preventing her from doing things her way, and spoiling to her heart's content ;) Bottom line, we are SOOOOOO grateful for her labors and willingness to help; it has been absolutely wonderful to know he's in good hands and to not be worrying about him. I just can't wait to see him again, I miss him so much!! Haven't seen him since Wednesday :(

Well, it's about time for those staples to come out (I hope), so I sign off.