i think kaitlin wins for the cutest snow bunny of the year. she is in beaver creek, CO for the week and needed a new snow suit and sunglasses. she's enjoyed the cold wind in her face and the fresh snow that has finally hit the ground. unfortunately, there are no skiis small enough for her tiny feet.

fall fashion

Miss kaitlin is showing off her new fall outfit. We were hoping this new dress with girl-like colors would distinguish her as a girl. BUT apparently until she gets "curlz", she will be a he according to one kind lady! Even in a dress? Oh and jason is the artist on the pumpkin....

2 heads are better than one...

marc gets a little help from kaitlin on some important work issues. she even has her own monitor!

just chillin'

oh this little girl has a very rough life!! kaitlin has the couch pose down and enjoys every moment of it! she's also sporting her new favorite skull & bow legwarmers.

Asleep in the sling...

Oh, we've been very busy growing in life for the past month. Baby Kate is now around 9 petite lbs, and roughly 23 inches. She seems to eat all the time and take naps during the day, usually in the sling. We still walk about 5-10 times during the day as well. This helps her get in the sleep mode! Last night she was awake at 4AM, wide awake! so i had to hold her up in bed so she could look around in the dark:) I hope this does not become a new trend! Unless i can find someone to carry me in a sling all day.

We'll be posting more often than every month....Love to all

The Swimmi's In

This is what Miss Kaitlin has been waiting for...her new SWIMMI!!! She can soon enjoy the warm refreshing waters of Mamie & Da's pool. Believe me, it is necessary to take a dip every once in awhile down here in Cuero. It's HOT and HUMID!

You decide....

While Marc is away in beautiful Phoenix, his mom, Vicki (aka Mamie) pulled out his first year baby book and I can't believe the likeness of baby Kate and her daddy!! Although i do see some Boatler likeness at other angles.

Chupacabra

The big news in Cuero this summer is the Chupacabra that was killed when it was hit by a car. Chupacabras are the legendary goat-blood sucking animals of Mexican folklore. There's even a T-shirt.

Margie and Deana stop by for a visit

Margie and Deana came to visit us in Cuero yesterday. Baby Kate knows that she's in good hands and loves to sleep in Mam-Ma's arms.

Kaitlin gets to know her Aunt Deana.

Kaitlin gives her Mam-Ma a hug goodbye and whispers "Come back soon."

Secret Ingredient??

Raleigh downs a pint of Banana Bread Beer as he whips up another batch of his famous banana bread. Could this be the secret ingredient that makes it so irresistable? He'll never tell. Raleigh's cookbook, Recipies from the R.O.C., comes out next week in a limited edition run. Watch for the book tour this fall.

She's walking....

Well, with the help of her dad and she only walks on counters and chairs!

Tomorrow she will be 5 weeks old and she is getting so strong. She is following more with her eyes, I think, and smiling when you rub her little bum and back, I think. I also think she gives me the glare when I can't seem to satisfy her when she's cried a little too long! I would never do that.

As of yesterday, she now weighs 7 lbs 6 oz!!

The Cherrybomb is 1 month old!!

While Marc is away on a work trip in Springfield, IL, I will try to post when Baby Kate is asleep. We'll see how long this lasts!! The minute I get up from our nap while she is still sleeping, she wakes up.

Yesterday was Kaitlin's 1 month birthday. So we dressed up and had a photo shoot with big brother Raleigh. Who, by the way, said that when she is ready for elementary school he will drive her. He will be old enough by then to drive:) He is sooo sweet with her and as long as she's not fussy he's ready to hold her and "take her nose".

Raleigh and the boys

Raleigh (right, green shorts, no shirt) and his neighborhood buddies prepare to go launch some water balloons with the big slingshot.

Backyard fun for Adults!

Remember these? I like how it says "official size and weight" as if it was some sort of sanctioned sport. Maybe Regent was hoping Jarts would be a demonstration sport at the '76 Summer Olympics. The price tag is still on the box. $3.97 from Bottom Dollar. What a deal! A bargain at twice the price. Hours of fun until someone has to go to the emergency room.

Southern Belle

Kaitlin is now four weeks old, so it's official, she's no longer a newborn. Now she's a baby. She still likes to be outside and we spend a lot of time on the swing.

Catching up

It's been two weeks since my last post. Since then we've packed the contents of our house in Richardson and moved to Cuero. We're trying to get moved into my grandparents' house, but it's proving to be more difficult than I had anticipated. They've lived in the house for at least 60 years and have accumulated a lot of stuff over the years. They are very thrifty and kept many things that most people today would throw away. I took nearly 100 tin cans (coffee cans, soup cans, etc.) to the recycle center yesterday. The Cuero recycling center doesn't take glass or plastic, so I've got trashcans full of glass jars and plastic bottles. The nearest place to take them is in a neighboring town 15 miles away. Of course they are only open on Wednesday morning. Maybe sometime when I go to Austin I can take a load. Luckily Cuero takes cardboard. I've found lots and lots of boxes in various states of decay. In the first week here, I threw out about a dozen broken broom/mop handles. There is a drawer in the kitchen with nothing but twist ties from loaves of store-bought bread. It makes me wonder what sorts of treasures I'll leave behind.

Two-Week Check Up

Kaitlin had her two-week check up yesterday. She's doing great. Jaundice is going away, she's gaining weight and growing.

Birth: 6 lbs. 10 oz. / 19.5"
2-weeks: 6 lbs. 13 oz. / 20.5"

She had lost a little weight at the 2-day check (6 lbs. 3 oz.), but she's gained everything back and more. She's feeding well and often. Lots of poopy diapers!

Kaitlin started making a little squeaking noise a few days ago. Shanna thinks that she's mimicing the birds since she likes to be outside so much. She'll probably learn to make the sounds of the cicadas once we get to Cuero. That will be fun in the middle of the night.

Look... my hair is down to my shoulders.

Today was a big milestone for Baby Kate. Her umbilical cord fell off (without any help from mom or dad). Now she has a cute little belly button. It's an innie! We had a visit from Gran and we're trying a home remedy for some crusty eyes. Tomorrow is the big two-week visit to the pediatrician. We pack up this weekend and move at the beginning of next week. Wish us luck.

Do these pants make my butt look big?

We're a week into cloth diapering and it's great so far. I finally got the hang of putting on the tri-folds with the stretchy fasteners. The flannel wipes are better than the disposable wipes. I was pretty skepticle about the cloth wipes. We use the tri-folds during the day and the fitted diapers at night.

Kaitlin got her first pair of house slippers/technical clothing yesterday. She was so happy to have them on this morning that she did a little jig.

One week old.

Kaitlin is one week old now and this is what we know about her so far:

1. She like to be outside where it is nice and warm and she can listen to the birds.



2. She sneezes in couplets.



3. She like to lie naked in the sun and fusses (but just a little) when we put a diaper on her.



4. She makes the cutest faces when she stretches.



5. She is loved very, very much.

Everybody was Kung Fu fighting...

Baby Kate dreams of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and shows off her favorite party pants. She was up all night last night practicing her ninja moves in the dark.

Taking advantage of a break in the action...

Kaitlin enjoys watching the Tour de France, but she's saving her strength for later. Her birthday, July 14th is Bastille Day. Her favorite team is Quick Step (we think she has a crush on Tom Boonen.)

Is it 2009 yet?

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid823433113/bctid1111464757

More pictures from the Hospital

Shanna and Kaitlin. Happy to be home.

Kaitlin has just been born and went straight to Shanna's chest. Her head was really squeezed as she came through the birth canal.

Just getting started

Kaitlin Cherry Coppedge was born on Saturday, July 14th at 11:40AM.

Shanna woke me up at 4:15AM to the news that her water had broken. We decided to stay put at the house and try to get some rest for what was sure to be a long day. We were both so excited that sleep was out of the question. Shanna started cramping but didn't think it was true labor. The contractions were hard to measure but everything was pretty intense. We decided to wait until 7:00AM to call the midwife. She sounded pretty tired on the phone (I'm pretty sure I woke her up), and told us to go to the hospital at 10:00AM.

We started packing the last few things we needed. I tried to get Shanna to eat something, but she couldn't. She was on hands and knees on the floor moaning through each "cramp"/contraction. By 8:00AM everything was really starting to accelerate and get very intense. I was running in circles trying to cancel a business trip I had scheduled for Sunday evening, comfort Shanna, and get our stuff ready. By 9:00AM we were ready to go to the hospital. I thought we might not be able to make the trip and have the baby at home. We waited until we had a break between contractions and made our dash to the car.

By the time we got to the hospital, Shanna was fully dialated and the baby was at stage +3 in the birth canal. It's time to push when the baby is at +4! Nurses were swarming around the room, the newborn incubator was warming up. By 10:00AM everything was clicking and I was confident that our baby girl would be born in the next 15 minutes. Instead, all progress stopped. Shanna tried several different positions; on her back, kneeling, squatting but nothing really helped. Around this time, Glenna, made it to the hospital. Shanna and Glenna went to school together in San Angelo and we had asked Glenna to help us with the birth.

After trying all of the different positions without any success, the midwife said that Shanna's full bladder was blocking the birth canal. Shanna tried to go to the bathroom, but there was too much pressure. After she made it back to the bed, the midwife (Lindsey) used a catheter to drain the bladder. Instantly, we we're making progress again. Within two contractions you could see the baby's hair.

It was very exciting and a very intense moment. At this point, Shanna is on her back with her legs up in the air. I was holding one leg and Glenna was holding the other leg. Suddenly the leg that Glenna was holding began to sway. I looked up just in time to see Glenna's eyes roll back as she fell limp. The nurse in the room saw it happening and was able to run around the bed and guide Glenna's head down so she didn't crack it on a bed side table. I pushed the nurse call button and we called for backup. "Birth Coach down!"

I think all of the nurses on the floor came rushing in. They brought smelling salts, juice, and helped Glenna sit up. She later said that she woke up from a really deep sleep and wondered why everyone was staring at her.

Meanwhile, Shanna's still working. The head is starting to crown. I was able to move in and with the help of the midwife, hold the baby's head and gently tug. It was amazing. I'd always imagined that once the baby's head is out it all happens very fast, but we tugged gently and got past the shoulders and then the hips. I put the baby straight to Shanna's chest. We let the umbilical cord continue to pulse for what seemed like 20 minutes before clamping and cutting it. Now the baby could move up a little further and was able to nurse. She was wide awake and latched right on.

After she stopped nursing, the newborn nurse took the baby and got her weight and length. 6 lbs. 10 oz. and 19.5 inches long. I put a diaper on her and back to mom she went.