Redstone rocket re-enactment??

MVI_9015
Originally uploaded by spauldingtj

Ollie made a rocket at daycare today.

When I got home from work, I asked him if he could show me how it flew...

Looks like there might be some glitches in the flight control software.

Seriously?

Gotta read the fine print. I guess we were out of luck.

Total loss of bacon control

...and I set the stupid fire alarm off again this morning. Ridiculous.

Alas, poor York, we knew it well...

York! We should have gone there before. What a great town. Before we hit the road O and I established a couple more MAN LAWS:

MAN LAW 1: GLASSES ARE OPTIONAL

MAN LAW 2: TOILET SEATS SHOULD REMAIN IN THEIR MOST EFFICIENT POSITIONS.

After lunch in the park, we made our way to the National Rail Museum. Great museum, though why did the Thomas merchandise have to be some close to the entrance? Anyway, Ollie almost passed out when he saw the main hall. I dragged him away from the caboose that you could climb into (I thought 1 hour was a bit excessive). We then discovered that we could climb through a bunch of the engines.

O was the engineer, picking up the coal from the tender:

And putting it in the fire:

Great day over all, capped off by hanging by the river Ouse and finishing off lunch leftovers while watching the boat races.

I won't tell you what time Ollie fell asleep in order to protect the innocent!

no inner ear?

vernazza playground
Originally uploaded by spauldingtj

OK, random thought:

I have successfully divined the source of 'old man strength' [it springs from the repeated practice of picking up your squirming kids and their accouterments at a moment's notice and hauling them across all manner of obstacles like Magnus ver Magnussen carrying the Atlas Stone] but I haven't figured out how kids can continually spin around on playground equipment without making themselves hurl. I fly for a living, and shortly after taking this picture on the merry go round, I had to sit down so that I wouldn't spew espresso all across the only playground in the Cinque Terre. Ollie demanded to keeping spinning around for another 20 minutes.

Man Law

Dunno if Dori is checking her internet on the SW coast of Italy or not. A lot of sun and wine and shopping to do/see, and possible Fabio sightings, so maybe not.

Anyway, O and I started our boys weekend this morning:

O: Good morning daddy! Its wake up time!

Me: [barely awake] Yeah...I guess.

O: Don't close your eyes...Its wake up time! The sun is up! [not necessarily true in the UK, although he was right this time]

Me: OK, I'm waking up.

O: Where's mommy? Does she sleep in this bed?

Me: Yes, usually.

O: Then where is she?

Me: She's in in Italy. [actually, probably in the ultra-painful Ryan Air "Cattle queue," but never mind the simplification]

O: Italy? Does she live there?

Me: Lately, yes, but permanently, no.

I made some bacon for us...a duty that -- no exaggeration -- I have performed 100 times before, each time without incident. This time, on "Daddy runs the house day," in keeping with what appears to be a genetic anomaly passed through my dad's side, I set off the smoke alarm this time. We cleared the smoke and enjoyed reading and eating breakfast.

O's at the nursery this morning. I convince him it would be cool if I picked him up afterwards with the bike trailer, so we'll see how that goes. I'm not sure if he quite understood what I was offering -- there stands a good chance that he thinks he's going to get to ride his tricycle back home. Maybe we should just try that instead?

I did the shopping for the weekend today. Sorry Dori, I didn't use your list. I'm pretty sure I got what we needed though:

2 cans chili

2 packets tunafish

1 packet hotdogs

1 Red Bull

1 Bag of Doritos (not the baked ones)

Man Law: I guess I'm done shopping for the weekend! :)

Thomas and Training

Thomas 1
Originally uploaded by spauldingtj

While Tim enjoyed answering all kinds of questions about his work on a "business trip" to Norway, I had a GREAT time taking the kids to see Thomas the Tank Engine. As you might imagine, Ollie is quite in love with the big blue engine. We couldn't miss the chance to see Thomas when he was visiting so close to our house. It was a very successful trip, mostly because our good friends met us there. Thanks to Julie, Matt, Will, and baby Abigail for meeting us there : ) The boys really had a great day.

In other news, Charlotte is "sort of" on a schedule. She's learning how to sooth herself to sleep. Don't worry, Mom. I'm not letting her cry any more than a baby with an older brother cries : )

O man has taken some big steps forward towards the potty (woo hoo!). He wore some real underpants the past few days. In school, they always told you that peer pressure was a very bad thing. Now that my two year old wants to wear underpants like his friends...I've got a different perspective!! We're not accident free, but we're both learning a lot. Next week is vacation, so we might have to push the pause button. I'm still confident that he won't go away to college in diapers : )

Welcome to the world, Rory Abigail Basel and Summer Stiles!! I can't wait to meet you both : )

Hope all is well and I can't wait to meet the next round of babies : )

Two Months

Our smiley girl

Big brother hugs

Sorry for the huge gaps between updates, but better late than never right? Charlotte had her two month check up last week, and she's up to 11 pounds and 14 ounces. She likes to eat!! She's on the tail end of a growth spurt, so she's put on even more over the past few days. We have mostly good days, but here and there she's fussy in the evenings. The great part of having two kids is that Tim and I both know that this phase will pass soon. When she's not sleeping, C loves to smile and coo. She also loves to hear the lullabies that I sang to Ollie while I was pregnant with her. She's a love.

Ollie continues to be a great big brother and a constant source of entertainment. He loves to ask all kinds of questions and you can see the wheels turning as he works out the ways of the world in his head. He's also taken to treating his lamb as his baby, even calling his lamb Charlotte the other day. He likes to feed Charlotte the same way that I feed his sister. Its too cute! Feeding lamb is a better idea than feeding Charlotte. He climbed onto the sofa one day, lifted his shirt, and asked me to hand him Charlotte so that he could feed her. I don't remember how I explained it to him, but he seems to understand now that only Mommies can feed babies : ) O man is also into role playing, which gives us a great insight into his psyche - especially when he sends us to time out!

Tim continues to be a rock star and kept both kids while I went to a coffee on Thursday night. He's currently at an air show in Norway, living the good life with the single guys.

Life is still busy for me, but its good. Its much better today, because I recently employed a house keeper. Today was her first visit and she'll come every week until we move. Its nice not to feel overwhelmed with a new baby in the house : ) Its the best money that I've spent in a very long time!

As a family, we've planned a trip to the Cinque Terre, Italy for a week in September. We're staying in the village of Corniglia, which sits atop a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean. Rough life, I know. Espresso, red wine, pesto, pasta, and pizza...here we come!

Alright...I'm off to bed. O man has decided that 6 am is now "wake up time" and I'm on single ops until Monday. I've got to get an alarm clock for his room and teach him that he can't leave until the alarm goes off at 7 am!!! We have an exciting day planned for the three of us. Thomas the Tank Engine is visiting a local Steam Garden, so O man won't know what to do with himself! I'll let you know how it goes : )

A Normal Life

My good friend Kate Mills recently welcomed her daughter and third child into her family. She described her life this way, "When I had two kids, I thought one was easy and two were busy. Now two seem easy and three are busy!" Busy is a great description of life at the Spaulding household and we love it! Charlotte has been with us six weeks and man have they flown by!

Ollie's Alabama Grandma is here for another week and man will we be sad when she leaves. I might have forgotten how the washing machine works! Charlotte is a sweet baby, so Mom and I ventured to Stoke-on-Trent to visit the factory shops at Wedgewood, Angsley, and Portmerion. After six years of marriage, Tim and I are now the proud owners of Wedgewood's Nature pattern. Can't wait to serve Easter brunch in California : )

Oliver has been an amazing big brother. He loves to kiss her goodnight, lay next to her, and Charlotte has even held lamb (his formerly white, beloved lovey) a few times!

Tim is back at the grinding stone and has been able to be home for many dinners, which is a rare treat around here.

I don't know if I've ever been happier. Who knew that motherhood was so great ?!? I end every day wishing that I had more time to finish my tasks, but that's life isn't it?

Sorry for the short post, but I'm off to put C back down for a nap. She's a joy and a treasure to hold, but her crib is calling her name!

Love to you all,

Dori

She's done it again!!

The wonderful Shanna of S. Russel Photography has captured some memorable moments for our family. Please follow the link for a preview : )

s.russell photography

Thanks Shanna! We LOVE them!!!

Quality Time

Quality Time.JPG
Originally uploaded by spauldingtj

Two of Tim's favorite things...his daughter and a book about Winston Churchill : )

This Little Piggie

Piggies
Originally uploaded by spauldingtj

O man playing with his little sister on one of her first days home. He's been a GREAT big brother so far. Here's hoping that it lasts!!

Home Sweet Home

Today has been a great day. Our June holiday at Addenbrooks ended around noon today and we were SO happy to bring Charlotte home.

The bright side of a nine day hospital stay is that I'm very well recovered from bringing our little angel into the world. Not cooking or cleaning and sleeping whenever you feel the need is a great way to heal! Now that we're home, I'm ready to conquer the world. Its also nice to have my Mom here until early August and my husband home for the next week.

Not only were we able to bring Charlotte home, my cousin Miranda was able to visit us today. She's in London visiting a very good friend, and Miranda, Amy, and her husband Julio drove up to Bury to enjoy some barbecue and a walk in the Gardens. There's nothing like a visit from family : )

We've had lots of wordy posts, so I'll end this one with some pictures. Today held a lot of firsts for little Charlotte. First ride in the stroller, first walk to the park ... its been a TON of fun so far.

My little Anne Gedes baby enjoying the Bebe sling. Thanks Tracy!!

Ollie has been an amazing big brother to Charlotte. She's crying in the pic because he hugged her just a little too tightly in the face. Poor girl...she'll be a tough cookie in no time : )

We're not the only ones smitten with the little girl. Risby seems to really like her.

Risby guarding Charlotte soon after arriving home.

Charlotte's first bath at the hospital. Mostly she enjoyed the warm water and it was nice that her cord fell off.

We were SO excited to visit with my cousin Miranda. Thanks for making the trip up here!!

And Tomorrow

Looks like its a Father's Day Homecoming for Charlotte. Different doctors make different plans and today's doc wants to observe her overnight. The most important thing is, of course, Charlotte's health, but man I miss my two year old!

Charlotte will have her IV removed this evening, so that's good news. Looks like her umbilical cord is about to fall off and I'm more than happy to leave that here at the hospital.

I'm off to forget my sadness in a triple Chocolate muffin. Thank you Costa!

Hope you're all well,

Dori

Tomorrow

Charlotte's final dose of antibiotics will be administered tonight at midnight, which means that we can take our baby girl HOME!!!  The very kind hospital staff offered to arrange her final dose a few hours early so that we could go home tonight, but we opted for a daytime discharge so that O man can greet his sister when she arrives home.  We are thrilled, as you might imagine, and I'm already envisioning our family together.  One child is a blessing, but two children ae better than I could have hoped.

Charlotte has had a very good day today.  Sleepy, but good.  Her daddy makes a tight swaddle, so she's snug as a bug in a rug.  She had some alert time between feedings during the night...I hope that she sorts out night and day before too much longer.

The hospital staff has been absolutely wonderful.  Not only were the doctors world class, the nurses and midwives have excellent bedside manner.  Instead of turning all of the lights on to get your vital signs every four hours, the midwives quietly knock to see if they can give Charlotte her meds and check her vitals by lamplight.  While we would have, of course, preferred to have a normal, healthy delivery, but I must say that a week in a British hospital has left me rested, relaxed, and ready to be the mother of two.  Knowing that my mom will be here for the next six weeks doesn't hurt either : )  

Fear can be a debilitating emotion, and I would be lying if I didn't say that it held a small place in our thoughts during the first few days.  What kept us hopeful and optimistic was honestly the feeling that we didn't have to face this trial alone.  Many of our friends were able to physically help us: caring for Ollie, keeping Risby, driving me to Addenbrooks because Tim had no business behind the wheel after 3 hours of sleep in two days, and visiting us here at the hospital (thanks also to Kate and Emily...I forgot to mention your visit on Thursday's post) to help us remember that the world was still turning.  We will always remember their kindness and assistance when we needed it the most.  What also made a huge difference were the endless stream of comments, e-mails, and facebook comments.  I was a believer in the power of prayer, but this week has been a firm example to Tim and I.  We never felt despair and we never felt alone.  Honestly, we cannot say enough to thank you all.

We look forward to posting pictures of our darling angel as we bring her home.  Hopefully, our life will be much less dramatic in the weeks to come!!

With Love,

Dori

Thursday, part II

No feeding tube!

Closer up -- check out the sweet 'glove' on the hand though. It is covering up the last of the hardware.

And a smile...only its really not a smile, its a grimace from gas. Whatever. I think it counts for a smile.

Other updates from the Drs: No news is good news on the 36 hour blood cultures: if all continues well, then Charlotte will finish her 7 days of antibiotics on Friday night. This means we'll be able to skip the transfer to Lakenheath and will be able to move out of Addenbrooke's and be back home sometime on Saturday...just in time for Father's Day!

Thanks to Grandma, Tim was able to spend the day with Dori and Charlotte, and were delighted to see Kerri, Laura, Carter and Grant this evening -- thanks for stopping by!

One more thank you to everyone who has sent their thoughts and prayer our way, and who have taken time out of their busy schedules to lend a hand. We are deeply in your debt.

A thought to close on: today we received a nice note and birth announcement for Emma Caroline Sophia Gretzky, the first daughter of our good German friends Lukas and Friederike. In the card they included this saying from Martin Luther:

"Immer wenn ein Kind geboren wird, ertappst Du Gott auf frischer Tat."

I can't vouch for the perfect accuracy of the translation, but it is something like:

"Whenever you see a child born, you catch God, the creator, in the act."

Thursday Morning

Charlotte seems to improve everyday, and yesterday was no exception.  She's begun to eat often and well.  She's done so well that the her feeding tube was removed last night.  One more step in the right direction!

Grandma arrived safely yesterday afternoon, and Ollie is SO excited to have her here (and so are we!).  There is something so comforting about having your mother around...even when you're 30.

We were very lucky to have the Brazelton NBAS (Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale) administered to Charlotte yesterday afternoon.   The  evaluation tool is used to "assess not only the physical and neurological responses of newborns but also their emotional well-being and individual differences."  The end result was that Charlotte shows no signs of her early "detour," and we should have every hope that she will develop into a healthy, happy little girl.  It was music to our ears, as you might imagine.  

I would like to thank everyone again for your thoughts and prayers.  I have no doubt that the extra prayers have helped put everything into place for our family.  This may sound like a broken record, but your support has made all the difference for our family.  I am not sure how we would have made it through this difficult time without it.

The next step is a transfer back to Lakenheath.  Charlotte needs a few more days of IV drugs, which they can easily administer at the hospital on base.  Addenbrooks could use the bed space and we look forward to being a little closer to home.  I believe that we should be able to go home sometime this weekend, as long as everything continues to go well.  We'll keep you posted!

Thanks again for everything and we look forward to saying thank you in person to many of you very soon.

Love,

the Spauldings

Tuesday Afternoon

Dori and Charlotte are now happily establish in the Sara Ward, just down the hall from the NICU. I guess I've never been in an equivalent place in an American hospital, but I can't imagine how it could compare to the level of care provided by the midwives and nurses on the ward at Addenbrooke's. Their knowledge, professionalism, and real interest in Charlotte's progress are awe-inspiring -- I feel like everybody is walking around with halos above their heads. There is also something comforting about the British attitude toward adversity and trouble--bad things are a simply a 'bit' or a 'spot' of trouble, and if anything goes well, it is always 'quite lovely.'

Charlotte has been slowly gaining strength today - she definitely knows how to feed, she's just slowly building up the stamina to give it a long enough effort to get some good nutrition. In the meantime we are 'topping her up' with a little milk through the feeding tube, as required. I told her that she can keep the tube in as long as she likes (though I think she'll want it out before the prom, at any rate).

Cultures for meningitis and other illnesses are negative at the 48 hour point -- a good indication (along with her recovery) that her body is beating back whatever infection might have been there. With infants, however, blood cultures are unreliable (if you took enough blood to get a really good culture, it might defeat the whole purpose!) so we might never have a really solid answer about what illness was initially there. At any rate, we're happy to hear negative results so far.

Charlotte was able to greet some visitors this afternoon -- thank you to April, Julie, and Janell for stopping by (and to Emily for making it possible). It was very nice to be able to sit and chat.

After spending the morning in day care, where he showed off his pictures of Charlotte and mommy, Oliver was able to stop by and see his sister. He was proud that he was able to give her a kiss and make her feel better when she was crying. He did his best to behave on the ward, but the giant red 'emergency' button was irresistible. Fortunately for us it was a 'pull' instead of a 'push!'

Thanks again for the thoughts and prayers. We're excited to be able to greet Grandma tomorrow!

Here are some photos.

love,

tim

A new week, a new start...

Here are some more pictures from today. I'm happy to report that Charlotte earned her ticket out of the NICU this evening! After being able to breast feed a little bit, and digest a bellyful of milk, Dori and Charlotte moved down the hall to the 'special baby care' ward, where she no longer needs to be monitored! The NICU staff was amazing, and we are grateful for their care, but we hope not to have to utilize their expertise again.

Charlotte was able to have some good 'active' time this evening, and opened her eyes for a bit to check out mom and dad.

Thanks to everyone for all your thoughts, prayers, and support.

love,

tim and dori