Our Little Guy, Nov. 2009

A few random pics. . .

Ked used to wake up crying, wanting food and wanting it NOW! Though he's going much longer periods without eating now, he can be pretty happy, content or playful when he wakes up in the morning now. . . even if we're still half asleep.

Happy at bedtime too.

Ked thinks his dad's work is pretty exciting.

First Haircut, Oct. 31, 2009

So we didn't exactly get to finish since he was getting fussy and moving around more, but I at least had to try. We cut off his sideburns as well, and he finally started growing back on the top a little later too.

Ked's Blessing Day, Oct. 25, 2009

Kedrik was given a beautiful blessing by his father. We were so glad Sam's parents could make the trip from Iowa and that Summer, Clint and kids live nearby to be with us as well.

I guess I was the only one that liked looking into the sun.

At dinner afterward, the kiddos sat on the makeshift table and "chairs," sized just for them!

Ked loves his grandma! Especially after all the hours she spent holding and burping and rocking him. It was great having Jim and Shari stay with us for a few days. We enjoyed their company, and they were a great help. They even let Sam and I go on our first little date since Ked's birth. I wish I'd gotten a picture of tiny Ked being burped on his grandpa's broad shoulder (and maybe the spit up that covered Jim's shirt not long after).


We were also glad to have Sam's great Uncle Dick, Aunt Elaine, and cousin Penny there for the blessing. They had us all over for dinner a couple of nights before, also with their son Jim and wife Peggy there as well. We've enjoyed getting to know more relatives now that we live close to them.

Happy boy! Oct. 19, 2009

We've loved playing with Ked as he smiles, laughs, talks and coos more. My favorite is when Sam has full-on conversations with Ked--about Ked's adventures (dreams?) with pirates or monsters and such--when Ked is in a really happy and talkative mood.

Ked's moves

Ked's favorite position. You'd think he was getting ready to punch something, except that he always seems so calm and deep in thought.

You can see that he started balding on top, but sporting some stylish sideburns. (Oct. 8)
Ked also likes to sing and dance (or just kick and fuss). (Oct. 14)

Active Hands Oct. 8, 2009

I left Ked alone just for a minute and could hear him getting fussy. This is what I found when I came back--he'd pulled the folds of his beanie down over his eyes.

When Ked was about five weeks old, Sam was laying on the floor next to him. I told Ked to reach out and grab Daddy's glasses. (Sam has always claimed them to be "Daddy glasses" because you can bend them out of shape and they'll bend back.) Sam said he wouldn't be able to do it. I said he could (having witnessed him grab a few things that sure seemed intentional) and egged him on. Within a minute, Ked reached up, grabbed Sam's glasses and held on. I encouraged him, "Pull 'em off Ked! Pull 'em off!" He immediately did so. What an obedient son. It was one of my proudest parental moments.

Dear Daddy, while you're in Iceland. . .

dear daddy,

while you are in Iceland, mom and i are surviving. i'm trying to be extra good for mom, but i can't really help how many times I wake up in the middle of the night or how much i spit up. even though you did laundry late saturday, we went through every burp cloth we own (a lot) by wednesday. not to mention some of mom's shirts that got pretty drenched and some wash cloths and a towel or two. i have been better at containing myself when she's changing my diaper, though. or maybe she's just gotten faster--after that one time when it happened three or four times in one day. . .

I can't wait until you come home and hold me and comfort me. . .

sing to me as you do the dishes (thanks, aunt natalie, for the front pack--it's been great!). . .

and swing me on the swings.

i miss you, dad!

love your son,

kedrik

P.S. People keep telling me I have your nose.

One Week

Some things about Ked at one week: He . . .

Likes his hands free so he can smack on his hand. It's pretty loud and really cute. Hasn't quite figured out the thumb yet.

Hiccups as much now as when he was in the womb (a lot!).

Sneezes three times (and other multiples) like his dad.

Loves scalp massages (hair washed) like his mom.

Has acid reflux like the Z side. (At least I'm assuming that's why he spits up so much.)

Opens just one eye a lot of the time.

At birth he was 6lb 14.5oz. Leaving the hospital, he was 6lb 4oz, which they said was a little more of a loss than usual. I was relieved at his two week appointment to see he weighed 7lb 9oz. So I didn't have to worry about how much he was spitting up, and I didn't have to wake him so often. He was a very sleepy newborn, and I felt like I was torturing him every time I tried to wake him. Now that I let him wake himself, he's so much easier to feed! And I get more sleep at night.

Tummy time always ends up in "the frog position."

On day seven I put Ked on his stomach and he switched his head from one side to the other. Then, little by little, he pulled himself several inches forward, rooting all the way.

It's in the hair. . .

Ked fell asleep in the front pack and this was my view (thanks to his double cowlick) when I looked down. (Alright, so maybe I doctored it up a little for the picture, but it had still looked pretty good before.) Pretty much sums up how I feel about the kid.

Ked's Cousins

Brandi and Dane drove down from Kentucky on my due date. I was glad to get so spend a little time with her before I went into labor.

Sisters and Cousins: Paige and Dane are two of Kedrik's closest cousins, but he has a lot. On my side, he is the 36th grandchild, making it an even 18 boys and 18 girls. Rod and Monica's will be the tie breaker. On Sam's side, Ked is the number four grandson.

You can see that Dane was ready to bond with his cousin.

When I left Summer and Clint's Sunday night, I told Lindy (as she gave me a big hug) that I might bring her a baby boy for her birthday. Sure enough, he was born in the early hours Sept. 1st. When Mom was showing them some video of Ked later that day, Lindy looked up at Summer and said excitedly, "Mommy, is he my birthday present?"

Sam and nephew Dane.

Family of Three

Thanks Grammie!

Kedrik and his Grammie Z

Having my mom here was a huge help. She was the photographer in the hospital (and after), the diaper changer, baby burper, gift giver, errand runner, house cleaner, meal maker, advice giver, etc., and great company.

Last belly shot and Ked's first days

Last belly shot before Ked was born. Not sure exactly what we were doing here, but this was Sunday evening (birth was early Tues. morning), when I'd been having painful contractions all day and Sam had been applying "counter pressure" (pushing on my lower back) to ease some of the pain. It really helped, except that by Monday in the hospital, my back surface was too tender to take it anymore.

The conehead.

Leaving the hospital. So tiny in his carseat! It took Mom and I awhile to figure out how to adjust it small enough.

Great doctors and nurses (and food), but I was sure glad to get us home!

I remember telling Monica (my sister-in-law) several years ago that after having so many nieces and nephews, I was afraid the novelty of newborns had worn off. I preferred the ones a little older and didn't really care to hold newborns. She told me it would be different with my own. She was right. I can hold and stare at this kid for hours, thoroughly enjoying every moment. Especially when he's this peaceful. . .

I'd been feeding Ked under a sheet. It wasn't until after I burped him and removed the sheet that I saw what position he fell asleep in. Poor kid.

Introducing Kedrik Asa

Kedrik Asa was born at 2:54 AM. He weighted 6 pounds 14.5 ounces, 19.5 inches long. You can't see it, but he has lots of dark hair, his mother's good looks, and his father's style. We will be adding more pictures just as soon as life gets back to the tranquil, pre-baby days. -Sam

Here's Ked in the pajamas Sam wore when he was a baby.

Ked and Sam with the doctor that delivered him. Wish I had a picture with the nurse too. They were both great.

Around 4am, just after he'd been cleaned up a little and dressed. I was a pretty happy camper at this point, besides just being overjoyed to see and hold our son. Saturday night and Sunday night I'd lacked sleep from painful contractions (back labor) and agonized through a day and a half until we were admitted Monday afternoon. But it just got worse at the hospital. I had slow progression throughout that afternoon and evening, though the pain and shaking and nausea increased. (I guess I couldn't get away with never throwing up from pregnancy.) Finally being able to get an epidural at 11pm was one of the sweetest mercies I've ever experienced. (And that was only after a little help from the nurse.)

Where his name came from:

Sam has been good friends with a guy named Kedrik since they became roommates when Sam started at BYU. He was still Sam's roommate when Sam and I started dating. I also think really highly of him--a good guy and a good friend (and fun and adventurous), and we both really liked the name. Here's a picture of Sam and Ked from the spring of 2009.

Asa was the name of one of Sam's bishops at BYU--also a man he really respected and admired. It is also a name from the Bible; a man who "did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord" and whose "heart was perfect with the Lord all his days." -Amber

Sam at Work

This is Sam hard at work doing research with rammed aggregate piers (Geopiers) at his lab at Virginia Tech. (He does stuff indoors as well.) I don't totally understand what he does, but basically he plays with sand, gravel, metal piping, and water. Kind of like a sandbox for grownups. And he puts stuff in big ovens and weighs sand and gravel on scales.

His other research is all computer-based, which is nice for it's flexibility and so he can work from home. As long as I don't bug him--like here when I distracted him.

Wendy's Endowment, May 15, 2009

Right after the family reunion, Wendy went through the Los Angeles Temple for the first time. I was grateful she could do it when so many of us could be there with her.

We were still missing a few siblings, and of course, we were all missing Ginger, but felt her presence there as well. I loved what the assistant to the matron said in that regard; that the temple is a gathering of families on both sides of the veil. I've always known that, but the significance of it hit me much more profoundly.

Afterwards, we were also able to do some temple work for Grampa Clarke's father and grandparents, which was also a really neat experience.

37 Weeks and Contracting

This was me at 37 weeks (Aug. 8, 2009). A few days later my doctor said the baby's heart rate was dropping and gave me an ultrasound. It was so cool to see our baby's cute little profile and head of hair and little fingers. Wished we could have spent a few more minutes there. When the doctor showed me his beating heart, I was totally oblivious that the heart rate had dropped again. Next thing I knew, Sam and I were driving to the hospital for a non-stress test. After being hooked up to monitors for a while, the nurse told me that I was contracting more (more than 5-6 an hour and longer than a minute) than the patient that was actually in labor, and that was why the baby's heart rate kept dropping, which was fine. But apparently I was no where near labor and they sent us home. Sam was disappointed we weren't having it right then. I was a little disappointed, but mostly relieved.

But now my bags are packed, and I'm ready to go! 39 weeks (Aug. 20) along and counting.

Dismal Falls, Aug. 1, 2009

Dismal Falls is about an hour away and just a short walk down to it. The falls were small, but it was fun because you could climb up them. (Carefully--it was slippery!) We had fun doing that and wading in the water and swimming in the small swimming hole at the base of the falls.

Sam apparently thought he should draw attention to my belly (36 weeks).

We saw some little fish and a small snake. As much as I love finding snakes on land, I do NOT like seeing them in the water while I'm in it. Especially when I have no idea what kind they are and whether or not they are poisonous.

Sam did a little cliff jumping, which scared me, because I was afraid he'd hit a rock.