Do you believe in Santa Claus? We do……..
I made that wall hanging many many years ago, when my kids were young. They are now adults with families of their own. I’ve wanted to update it for a couple of years and when my daughter-in-law jokingly said I needed to add some stockings, I knew this was the year I needed to complete that task. Danielle…………I love you and here you go………
Love love love……..here are Corey’s shoes and Zach’s shoes. Some day Zach will catch up with his Daddy. We will cherish every day until then and hope it’s not too soon.
These are matching hats I knit for Corey for his birthday – one for him and one for his son. He loved them.
More flowers from……..Corey, of course. The kid is a sweetheart! And he grows beautiful roses.
Here’s a pic of my son with his son – I could never be prouder of Corey than I already am. What a good, sweet, loving, caring, kind father. Zach is a lucky boy. They will have fun together.
Zach was waiting for his daddy to come home for lunch.
Here is a rose Corey picked for me from their back yard. He wrapped it in wet paper towel and foil and gave it to me to take home – this was on Danielle’s first day back to work and I watched Zach while she was at work……….very special when my son gives me flowers.
That was nine days ago – it’s still beautiful today – I just took this pic…………..
Twenty-six years ago, my grandfather built my first-born, Keith, a cradle. It was the most beautiful piece of woodwork I had ever seen. I loved watching my baby sleep in that cradle. I kept it in the living room window so during the day, I could watch him sleep…………
I did the same for my second-born, Corey……………
Now it is Zach’s turn. Danielle and I cleaned up the cradle and made all new bedclothes and bumper pads for it. We spent a day sewing those things and making burp cloths and receiving blankets. That little outfit in the cradle says “I make mud look good”. Here is the updated cradle the day we made the new bedding……..
As a point of reference, and just as a sweet look back, here is Keith and Mark when Keith was born, weighing 8 lbs. 13 oz………………
That was a big baby, I thought, until I had Corey, who weighed 10 lbs. 9 oz. Zach weighed 5 lbs. 11 oz. when he was born (almost half of Corey’s birth weight) and as of his doctor visit today, he weighs exactly ten pounds today. He measured in at 21 inches today. Keith and Corey were both 21 inches when they were born. Keith was ten days early. Corey was six weeks late. Zach was six weeks early. Zach will be nine weeks old tomorrow and still doesn’t weigh what Corey weighed when he was born. Here’ a pic of Corey and me when Corey was born……..
The pain told me he was big when I had him (natural child birth – ouch), but dang he looks bigger than it seemed at the time.
This picture is Corey and Danielle on Easter, opening Corey’s baby box. I saved some of his shoes, his books, a file folders full of things from preschool and school, a calendar from the year he was born, the first outfit he wore (he wore it home from the hospital), his favorite pajamas and bathrobe when he was a boy, some of the little crafty things he made – just lots of the special things from when he was little.
Here is Zach wearing the outfit that Corey wore home from the hospital nearly twenty-five years ago. So sweet.
I’m here world!! Here’s how I started my journey. I scared everybody by deciding I wanted out early. Here are the doctors trying to save me at Saint Anthony Memorial Hospital in Michigan City.
Here’s a picture of Mommy and Daddy after I was born. Look how happy they are to have me.
From there, I was taken by ambulance to Memorial Hospital in South Bend because they have a really nice NICU. Mommy and Daddy missed me so they got to talk to me on Skype.
Memorial Hospital decided I needed a really good cardiologist, so they sent me on my first helicopter ride. I wasn’t even one day old and I got to ride in a helicopter. The helicopter took me to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.
Look at all this crap they have me hooked up to. I’m still cute as a button though.
Daddy was so sad. He was worried about me and was missing Mommy because she was still in Michigan City. He wanted to be in both places at once.
They let Mommy out of the Michigan City Hospital so she could come see me and Daddy. Isn’t she a pretty Mommy? See that blanket I’m laying on – the blue one? Mommy made that for me – it’s the first blanket she ever crocheted.
This is my little hand saying HELLO WORLD!
Here is a picture of us as a family – this is Daddy, Mommy and ME!!!
Hey – guess what? I didn’t open my eyes for a few days but look…………I am opening them for Mommy and Daddy now.
Mommy and Daddy – I love you!!!