Christmas Eve at BB and PaPa’s house

After our Christmas Eve church service we always go to BB and PaPa’s house for lots of food, lots of presents, lots of family and our annual Christmas lights tour of Hartsville in the limo caroling to the Disney Family Christmas collection. (We sound like the Walton’s, don’t we?)

Unfortunately, I was unable to snap photos of the lights tour. (it is a bit difficult to juggle a diaper bag, baby, 4-year-old on Christmas eve all the while fitting the ENTIRE family in the limo.)

This year our tour was a bit disappointing…what few houses donning lights we saw were less than spectacular, and the third and final house we did come upon went completely black the minute we entered the driveway. I think they saw us coming. Did I mention we had to wait on Mel to return from work before heading on our tour? So we got a late start to say the least! Has anyone dealt with a 4-year-old on Christmas Eve at 11pm with NO nap while riding through town stuffed into a limo with your entire family singing Goofy’s 12 Days of Christmas? It really is fun, honestly! It wouldn’t be Christmas without it!

The night ended magically, however. When we were returning home and as Reese and Mary Clare slept peacefully and McCanless woke up from a short nap after the disappointing black out house, we slowed the limo, rolled down the windows and enjoyed a spectacular fireworks display we happened upon on the outskirts of town. We quieted the music and watched and listened to the beautiful sparks and pops of the fireworks. McCanless leaned against the window and said, “Gosh, I just love fireworks.”

First Baptist Preschool Christmas Musical 2007

I’m certainly glad I was able to hear McCanless blast the words to her Christmas songs for two months straight prior to the musical, because this is how we watched her the entire program. She was definitely more interested in what was going on on the stage behind her than performing for those gathered in front of her!

Tall girl on floor in back with big red bow.

She turned around once to see if we were there. Once she made sure we were there, she waved and turned back around to flirt with the shepherds.

She was a bit more inclined to smile for the camera with Daddy at the Christmas party after the program.

My little smiling reindeer!

Christmas Sunday, December 23, 2007

Merry Christmas!

What was that movie? Three weddings and a funeral? I wonder if they were half as busy as we were with 4 funerals and a Christmas? Not to take lightly the service in which my husband has chosen as his life work, but sometimes it seems that when things are busiest around here, unfortunately, they are at work as well….and with Mary Clare’s surgery this month, two birthdays, McCanless’ 4th birthday next week, a computer crash, and all twelve days of Christmas celebration, I’ve had little time to document our life. Hopefully when all returns to “normal” and I get my house in some sort of order, I’ll get back to updating the blog more frequently!

Life with two children is fun. Christmas with two children is chaotic, to say the least, but absolutely a riot!! We had so much fun!! Mary Clare had a fantastic first Christmas. In fact, she didn’t even sleep Christmas night she had so much fun! Can’t wait to share everything! Kerri

Do you see what I see?

My soon to be 4-year-old is sounding more and more like a 14-year-old. Lately, when faced with a question from me like, “McCanless, did you mark on your face, color on the wall, put (fill blank) on Mary Clare, make this mess etc, etc…. I’ve been getting a rather annoying, albeit clever answer from her. You know the type, those questions that your mother always asked you even though she always KNEW the answers. Recently, however instead of admitting her “mistakes,” McCanless will reply with slanted eyes and slight tilt of her head, “Did you see me do it?”

I swear, Mel has cloned himself.

My Sweet Potato Queen

I’ve found a veggie that Mary Clare will eat without having to bribe her with applesauce on the spoon first. She loves sweet potatoes!! She ate two containers last night, AND 3 ounces of formula! I thought she was going to sleep all night and maybe even sleep late, but no such luck.

We had our last check-up of the year at MUSC yesterday, and in the words of her cardiologist, everything looked pristine. She had a chest x-ray, an echocardiogram, and an EKG and all looked GREAT. They took off her steri-strips covering her incision and took out the stitch where her drain tube was. Her chest looks great and the scar is really small this time. We even had a chance to visit with Emerson while we were there.

Also, if anyone knows where Santa could find ice-skates or how to explain to a 3-year-old why Santa shouldn’t/can’t bring them let me know!

Mary Clare at 6 months old…(almost)

A few things about my baby girl just before her half birthday, December 27.

She has always been a “good baby” and we thought McCanless was our “difficult baby” (as far as eating, sleeping, teething, etc) I guess when you only have one child and nothing to compare her to, anything can seem difficult the first time!

McCanless began sleeping through the night at 6 weeks(I’m talking about 10 hours straight), Mary Clare is just now getting back to her 10 PM-4 AM schedule at 6 MONTHS on a good night. McCanless went to sleep in her crib and slept….Mary Clare must make a dramatic exit, and wail as we rock, feed, sing, laugh, talk, feed, walk, sing her until we gently place her in her crib only to have her pop open her eyes, smile at us and cry again. The moment we pick her up, she quiets until she realizes that we are again going into the sleep routine to get her down. She fights it every step of the way!

McCanless ate everything I shoved into her face right on schedule. (Not that I was ever big on getting her on a set schedule, she just set one herself. She ate about every 4 hours) Mary Clare snacks all day on an ounce or two of formula at a time, eats her cereal in the morning IF it has apples in it, and will NOT eat veggies. She would rather not eat. She loves any fruit I give her, but NOT A SINGLE VEGETABLE!

But what far outweighs her little trying times, are the many, many smiles we receive everyday! She is such a happy baby. She smiles at everyone. She loves to be with people and loves to be held. (which, back to the “other list”-she is a bit um, spoiled. When she is very tired and about 24 other hours in the day, she only wants to be held by me.)

She has bright blonde hair that she loves to rub at the nape of her neck when she is going to sleep. It is so sweet to watch her in her crib slowly drift off. She always has her little arm thrown back behind her head. She also plays with Mel’s hair when he holds her.

She doesn’t quite have those two front bottom teeth in yet, but she is definitely, definitely TEETHING! She drools on everything and chews on anything that even comes remotely close to her face. She gets so angry at times, and just screams and pulls and chews on her teethers. McCanless had 4 teeth before we even knew she was teething. (4 teeth at 4 months old)

Mary Clare loves her big sister, McCanless, and loves to play with her. She has those deep belly laughs when McCanless is jumping around in front of her acting silly. McCanless has also been trying to teach her to suck on a silky. (Maybe I shouldn’t discourage this…at this point, I’m willing to try anything to help with bedtime!)

We love our alone time together when we take McCanless to school from 9-12 everyday. We play and talk and walk together outside. She coos so much now and seems as though she has so much to say.

Sweet Mary Clare is simply perfect, and we love her so much! I can’t wait to see what is in store for the upcoming years with my girls! I am so proud of both of them! Mary Clare is our tough little fighter and McCanless is our independent little firecracker! Looks like Mel and I have two strong willed little girls on our hands!

Photos of Mary Clare’s hospital stay-Glenn Procedure

Mary Clare and me with Ronald McDonald. This was taken Thursday night after her long pre-op day. This was the only chilly night while we were there!!

Mel and I would also like to mention that we are so grateful for all of the gracious offers we received to stay in houses, condos, guest rooms, etc. while we were in Charleston this summer and again for this surgery. Although the Ronald McDonald House wasn’t exactly the Ritz, we were very close to our Mary Clare, which was important to us. Only a short walk across the street kept us from her day or night…no traffic or parking issues to slow us down. We met so many wonderful people while staying there as well, and wouldn’t trade the experience for anything!

Mary Clare in her yellow hospital gown the morning of her surgery.

Poor baby. This was taken the night after surgery. She was a bit swollen.

Movin’ on UP…to 7C!

What heart surgery?! She was up and back to her sweet smiling self in no time!

Notice the cute t-shirt they gave her. She was pulling all of her wires off constantly because she wouldn’t be still at all!

Look how much she has grown! She looks like a big girl in this photo!

She also had to wear a sock over her hand because she was also trying to pull on her IV despite the tape and plastic “baby proof” protection shield…yikes! She never got used to that sock on her hand! Although she did resort to sucking on it when she couldn’t find her passy.

Anyone care for a chest lead?

My big girl sitting up in her bed!

She left her mark this time! This is in one of the hallways of the Children’s Hospital. (tiny purple foot is hers)

A wonderful day! A quiet, sunny ride home much sooner than expected! Two down, one to go!!

We’re home!!

We were discharged this morning and made it home just after lunchtime! Mary Clare is doing very well and has been napping most of the afternoon. I think she is glad to be back home and in her own crib…on her belly!

As I walked out of the hospital with tears in my eyes, I felt such an overwhelming sense of relief. What a year it has been. In January, we had no idea what was ahead of us. We soon found out that we were having a baby girl, then later began our long journey with HLHS. Now, here we are in December of the same year having witnessed the birth of our Mary Clare and been with her as she faced the most difficult year of her young life. Two open heart surgeries, hundreds of hours of doctors appointments and a much stronger family later, we are home and well and so ready for all 2008 will bring. I couldn’t ask for a better Christmas! God is good!