Growing up Cleaver

Penelope The Kitten

2007-12-27T07:23:00.000-05:00

I thought I would show some pictures of our new kitten Penelope. She has an amazing personality. Her acclimation took no less than about 4 days. Its like she has been here all along. Caesar and Cynda have taken to her as well. They play together throughout the day and sleep and a "Cleaver Pile" at night... Now there's something I need to get a picture of :-) Enjoy the pictures.

Be Thankful

2007-11-22T07:54:00.000-05:00

As some of you may know Dave and I had a miscarriage yesterday, the day before Thanksgiving. I will not go into detail of what happened, but I will just say we understand that these things happen but it doesn't lessen the pain and heartache.

So my wish for all of you is to Be thankful for the little things in life. Cherish those around you and never take anything for granted. Life is to short.

Look at us we're famous....

2007-11-10T10:17:00.000-05:00

We got interviewed and filmed by WHYY. You can see the footage here, while it lasts.

It's Offical...

2007-10-07T06:53:00.001-05:00

We have the kid from the Parenthood movie. I swear we didn't do this to him. He does this all on his own a few times a day I might add. He even likes to play with it on his head.

We're so proud :-)

Alumni Soccer Game

2007-09-10T09:07:00.000-05:00

This weekend we went to watch my father-in-law play in the annual Church Farm School Alumni Soccer game. We had a great time and I was lucky enough to be able to bring along my photography equipment to get some shots of the game. All the while Dave was trying to keep Matty from running on the field to help.

I think Matty may have been the Alumni's good luck charm because they won.

Here are a few shots from the game. Enjoy.

Ah time for Discovery

2007-08-30T12:45:00.000-05:00

I wish someone had warned us about the self discovery period. Matty has offically entered into that time in toddlerhood where he's discovering his parts and what they do. My joy knows no bounds about this.....It has now become part of my daily routine to have to deal with the mess he makes. Yes everyone that's right my son reaches in his diaper and plays with whatever is in there. And I mean WHATEVER is in there. I was the only one having to deal with this until this past weekend when I was out delivering slide shows and prints to clients. I came home to Dave giving Matty a bath and it wasn't time for his bath yet. Apparently all was quiet in the house and Matty had smeared "stuff" all over his legs. Ah the age of discovery. Oh and I little side note to those of you reading this who have kids that haven't started this stage yet Nothing and I mean nothing you do will keep them from this stage. I'm just counting us lucky that the only thing he's gotten it on is his himself. Oh and this is also that age when they learn to take their clothes off. Now I understand why its called the terrible two's :-)

Another amusing side note. Toddlers love to skinny dip.....in fact Matty will swim no other way :-) Now who wants to babysit......LOL :-)

Celebration Time!

2007-08-22T18:36:00.000-05:00

For those of you that don't know, Kylene is a great photographer. She just won a seat to a workshop held by a well-known and respected photographer. Check out the winning photo here.

The Terrible Two's.....Teething, Tantrums and whatnot

2007-07-30T14:51:00.000-05:00

Matty came home this past Saturday from a week long stay at Gigi and Baba's (Matty's word for Grandad). As he arrived home and figured out who we were again and completely tore apart all of his toys and what he could get to in the restof the house he launched into full on teething. Gnawing on everything, fussy past the point of no return, diarrhea...you know all the fun stuff.

As of today, Tuesday morning, the worst of the storm seems to be over....But there is more to come. Luckily there is always a clam before the next storm :)

Bye Bye Daddy

2007-05-18T09:03:00.000-05:00

I took this yesterday when I walked into Matty's room and noticed that not only was he watching Dave leave for work but so was his buddy Caesar. I couldn't pass up the chance to take this shot.

Anniversary.......What Anniversary

2007-05-17T08:22:00.000-05:00

Exactly! Dave nor I remembered our anniversary. I only thought about it in passing knowing that it was sometime soon. Well it was soon. It was yesterday. Ooops :-) We totally forgot to get each other cards. All Dave got was a text message on his cell phone saying "Happy 4th Anniversary" and he in turn called me back to wish me the same. I guess having kids really does make one loose their mind.....Though this does give us something to laugh at.....until we forget that it happened :-)

Mother's Day

2007-05-14T08:54:00.002-05:00

Here are some pics from Mother's Day. The Grandmothers and Me with the little man. On a side note...Nice job Dave on the pic of me a Matty.

Mayhem in May

2007-04-27T10:22:00.000-05:00

May is always such a incredibly busy month for Dave and I. And this year is no different...well maybe in fact its a little busier. We will be starting our month of mayhem with a trip to Triangle, Virgina for a camping trip in Prince William National Forest.....At least I think that's where we're going. Dave knows I'm just going along for the ride and to meet our friends Mo and Brand from Toronto. Matty will be staying at home with Gigi and Grandad for them to spoil him. Then there is Mother's Day. Followed a few days after by our "first" wedding anniversary. My birthday and then Memorial Day. Oh and some where in there I might have to have my bottom 2 wisdom teeth taken out. Though we are hoping to have that happen in June. I may even have a photo shoot or 2 to squeeze in there somewhere.

Happy Easter

2007-04-10T16:08:00.000-05:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. Matty was spoiled rotten as usual....but I don't think the grandparents would have it any other way.

Would you like lemon or creme with this?

2007-03-20T20:13:00.000-05:00

A lot of photographers I know have been buying the planters that look like teacups for photo shoots. So while on a trip to Walmart I picked one up...and of course had to stick Matty in it. I did a vintage look to the photo. Enjoy.

One, Two, Three.....Toss

2007-03-13T20:18:00.000-05:00

Take a look at this picture I took of Dave and Matty. It is posted to my Photography Blog. Here is the link:

http://kcleaverphotography.blogspot.com

Enjoy.

Splish Splash He Loves His Bath

2007-03-09T21:34:00.000-05:00

I not sure what gets more water on it... the bathroom or Matty. You would think that this kid was born in the water he loves it so much. I think if he could spend all his time in there he would.

I thought I would share some pictures of what happens every time we bath him. The first picture is of his new funny face and the second is the Tsunami he causes :-) Enjoy.

Signs

2007-02-28T23:43:00.000-05:00

So Kylene and I have been doing Baby Signs with Matty. Until recently he hasn't really shown any interest in the signs. He signs milk and sometimes bye bye. Well sometime last week, I decided that while we had him seated on the toilet I would ask him to give me a kiss, or an oh-wah as we call them. We call them that because that's the sound he makes when he puts his open mouth to your cheek. Anyway, he gave me a kiss and I immediately signed and said "Thank you. More" and leaned in for another kiss. He gave me that one too, so I repeated. After about 15 times, I took him off the toilet and got him dressed. That night at dinner he signed "More" for us. Perfectly.
Now he mainly does it when we're rough housing. So I bounce him on my knee and he squeals and laughs. When I stop, he signs "More". It's great.

Fun in the Snow......take 2

2007-02-27T18:44:00.000-05:00

Well the first time I tried to take Matty out in the snow to play...well let's just say that didn't go as planned. But today was a different story. He was very interested in what the white crunchy stuff was on the ground. Anyway for those of you who don't read my photo blog I thought I would post a picture of Matty having some fun in the snow.

He's baaaack

2007-02-19T23:49:00.000-05:00

And we missed him terribly. I picked Matty up from my parent's house today. I think it's good for us to get a weekend to ourselves. I also think it's good for him to spend a weekend without us. It's tough though. We have to really fight the urge to run up there and bring him home.

A Little Sappy

2007-02-16T23:54:00.000-05:00

Matty is staying with my parents this weekend. He's a lot of work when we have him here, and I always feel tired. So I'm going to take advantage of the chance to rest, but I still can't help but miss him. I miss his laughs, his smiles, and the sound of him yelling DAD from within the bathroom in the morning. I miss it all.

A New Trick

2007-02-14T21:55:00.000-05:00

Matty is constantly trying and learning new things. This really should be no surprise, but it often manifests itself as something that is hilarious to behold. For Christmas we bought Matty a pop-up adventure play-set. It's basically two tent structures with a tunnel that runs between them. Well the whole thing was taking up a lot of room so we took down one of the tents and keep the structure on the linoleum in the kitchen. Recently Matty has discovered that if he stands up within the tent he can push it around the kitchen. We've started calling him R2D2, because he almost looks like a robot as he walks around the kitchen. He of course loves every minute of it.

The Big Flirt

2007-02-11T22:49:00.000-05:00

So I got to take Matty shopping by myself today. Now for those who don't know, I'm letting you know that Matty is a huge flirt. The whole trip he sat peacefully in the cart, drinking his juice and checking out the world. As soon as I got in line, he started smiling and talking. I turned around and there were several women behind me that were smiling at him. He kept kicking, talking, and smiling until the conveyor belt distracted him. It of course isn't just today, this little show gets put on whenever we take him shopping.

Like Father Like Son

2007-02-10T21:46:00.000-05:00

So Matty has inherited some things from me. We've compared him to pictures of me at his age, and he looks almost exactly like I did. But I think the funniest thing is that he's inherited my 'evil cleaver' grin, which is the smile I get when I'm being bad.

He will go to do something that he's not supposed to, like climbing behind the gate and onto the hearth, and when you say his name and give him a stern look, he just gives you this little grin that lets you know that he absolutely know he's not supposed to do it. It's hard not to laugh at him, and we often have to turn away for a second to regain our composure.

Reading is Fundamental

2007-02-09T22:16:00.000-05:00

Recently Matty has taken to bringing us books to read. If you are seated on the floor with him, he'll pick up a book and walk it over to you. If you ask him if he wants you to read it to him he'll climb into your lap, turn around and wait for you to start reading. Although I think the best part is when other people are around and while your reading he leans forward and looks at them with a giant grin on his face.

We were reading to him before, but it's much more rewarding when you know it's something that he wants you to do.

The Best Part of My Day

2007-02-06T22:04:00.000-05:00

So when I come home from work, I take off my jacket, my shoes, and my watch. All of this takes some time during which Matty is milling around and fussing. I know what he wants. So I crouch down, and I open my arms wide and I ask him for a hug. He toddles over to me, and wraps his arms around my neck and I give him a big hug. That hug never fails to brighten my day.

Dance Machine

2007-02-05T23:04:00.000-05:00

So Matty loves to dance, it's just about the funniest thing I've ever seen. He'll start bending one knee, swaying side to side, or swinging his left arm in front of him. The dancing is funny, but the funniest part is that he dances to everything. If a song comes on the television, he dances. When his toys play music, he dances. Today I put a new ringtone on my phone, and he started dancing. On a whim I decided to tap out a beat on the counter, and go figure, he started dancing.

Of course as long as he keeps dancing like me, he won't be winning any dance competitions.

Going Potty 101

2007-02-03T22:00:00.000-05:00

Always have a book on hand because you never know how long you'll be in there :-)

Joy to the World

2007-01-05T15:24:00.000-05:00

I don't know how to spread joy better than posting some pictures of Matty from Christmas. A child's joy is priceless and infectious. Matty decided to grace us with some presents as well. He's walking a lot more, starting to sound like he's forming actual words, and we started some potty training. He was signalling when he needed to pee, so we thought we would buy him a toilet. He's doing very well with it, and despite getting peed on we're very excited.

Enjoy!

Happy First Birthday

2006-12-18T08:46:00.000-05:00

Matty turned the big 1 on Friday December 15th. He had a wonderful party full of family that loves and adores him. He ate his birthday cupcake like a little gentleman. Not throwing it (which is what we half expected), but licking it off his hands. Opening his presents was a sight to behold...so much tissue paper so little time :-) All in all it was a wonderful day to celebrate the joy of being so young and so happy.

Go Dogs Go

2006-11-29T21:52:00.000-05:00

So as Kylene mentioned, Matty is walking now. We managed to catch some of it on video to share with everyone. I've got some other videos that we've captured and I'm just starting to get them to the computer now, so you can expect more soon.

I feel bad for the dogs who have very few places left to hide, now that he's also climbing onto the couches. Soon he'll be chasing them around the house.

Oh the Joy of the Holidays

2006-11-27T11:06:00.000-05:00

We are so proud of Matty for being good while I took his Christmas portrait. Dave was a huge help and the whole thing only took about 20 minutes to shoot. The Second picture will be our Christmas card. Enjoy.

Webbles Wobble but Matty Falls Down

2006-11-17T08:40:00.000-05:00

Well it happened Matty took his first steps. His been cruising the furniture for about a month now, but this past weekend he just turn let go and teetered towards Dave's food that he was holding out as incentive. Guess he knows what's important in life :-) Since then we've only been able to get him to do it a handful of times. He is the kind of child that won't be made to do something, he has to do and learn it on his own. The funniest part about him walking is the butt plant. Once he's done showing off his newest trick he falls down and plants his rear end on the floor claps and smiles and then takes off crawling for something more interesting.

P.S. We are hoping to get video of it this weekend and hopefully post it to utube.

Mommy's New Business

2006-11-16T09:43:00.000-05:00

Well for those of you who don't know, I started my own photography business. I have been mostly photographing pregnant friends, but since they have all had their babies I will get more practice with children.

So here it is my very own photoblog http://kcleaverphotography.blogspot.com

I will be posting all types of photographs from gradens to friends, family and clients.

Enjoy.

Apples in October

2006-11-10T10:17:00.000-05:00

We took Matty for his first Apple Picking at Milburn's Orchard. I can only imagine that this will become a tradition in our family, not only because the orchard is right down the road, but because everyone had so much fun.

Fast Approaching One Year

2006-08-29T13:32:00.000-05:00

Thought everyone might enjoy some pictures. Matty is almost walking now and is as precocious as ever. He is into everything he can climb into or stand up against. And yes that does include his crib and the sliding glass door in the family room, even the end tables seem to be a source of intrigue (he managed to climb through the one that leads to the kitchen to see what I was doing...I have the pictures to prove it).

Enjoy and hopefully we will be able to post video of him walking when the dreaded ...cough, cough.... I mean when the wonderful day comes:-)

It's All Downhill From Here

2006-08-19T10:30:00.000-05:00

When Dr. Jezyek told us Matty's deveoplment would happen more quickly after he learned to roll over we thought we will see. Well he was right. Dear god was he right. Quickly was an understatement. In the past two months Matty has gotten his two bottom front teeth, started crawling, sitting up (which by the way he can do all by himself from a crawling position), Saying "dada" and "baba", Recoginzing his name and the baby signs we've taught him and the most recent deveoplement pulling himself to a standing position. He's even showed interset in walking by starting to move his feet along what he's holding on to to get to something else. Running and really terrorizing the dogs is not far off.

Our First Vacation

2006-07-29T13:57:00.000-05:00

Here are the pictures that I promised from the other entry. The first on is of Matthew and Dave at Don and Shelley's pool. The second is of our foot prints in the sand at Rehoboth.

Water Baby

2006-07-24T07:36:00.000-05:00

We took Matty for a little trip to visit his Aunt and Uncle in Galena, Maryland and also to Rehoboth Beach. His first experience with water on a large scale was at Shelly and Don's pool. Needless to say it took him no time at all start splashing and kicking. A true water baby. There was no fear just curiosity. By the end of the day we were putting his face underwater with no complaints.

The next day we (Gigi, Grandad, Dave and I) went to Rehoboth Beach for the day. When we arrived the tropical depression was right off shore making for some pretty awesome waves. We walked Matty down to the water and put his feet in. Again a little curious as to why it was a little cold and why there was so much of it. But after a few seconds it didn't even phase him. All in all we had a wonderful few days with Dave's parents and letting Matty experience the joy that is water.

Pictures to be posted soon.

Half Way There

2006-06-21T12:51:00.000-05:00

Matty is now six months old. He is rolling every where and is almost crawling. If he could only figure out to lift that heavy head of his then he would be set to go. The dogs have learned not to lay near him because he will roll to them and grab a handful of hair. They do love him and are very gentle with him.

Matty has started reaching for Dave and I to be picked up. Also he loves to be tickled and loves to laugh. We really did win the happy content baby lottery.

More Parental Insanity

2006-06-08T09:22:00.000-05:00

I'll provide a little history first. I have a problem with "popups" as we call them. Usually they take the form of a dream that seems so real that I actually respond to it by "popping up" out of bed. One time it was a snakes in the bed. Another time, I had to go check the front door, because I thought I heard knocking. They happen every once and a while.

But it gets worse....

I've now had a popup two nights in a row. These are about Matty.

Popup #1: "Matty don't roll off the bed"
In my dream Matty was about to roll off of our bed. I was struggling to keep him from rolling off the bed. Trying to pull him closer to me and away from the edge. Until Kylene woke up and said "What are you doing?" Apparently, I was very desperately shaking her and trying to pull her from the edge of the bed.

Popup #2: "I've lost the baby"
In this dream, Matty rolled off of the top of Caesar's kennel (Don't ask me why he was there in the first place, this is where the dream started). This actually partially woke me up. I jumped out of bed and began desperately searching for Matty. I looked beside the kennel, behind the kennel, inside the kennel, under the bed. Kylene wakes up about half way and says "What are you doing?" In a panic I exclame, "I've lost Matty!" At this point, I came all the way awake and suddenly realized that Matty was probably safe and sound in his crib where I had left him several hours earlier. I went to check and of course he was.

So this is the fun I'm now experiencing. I'm dreading when he starts crawling. I'll probably find myself on the lawn at 2AM shouting his name at the top of my lungs.

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

2006-05-16T20:37:00.000-05:00

So Matty is rolling over. Reliably from his back to his stomach, and occasionally back again. This of course means that soon no place in the house will be safe. I think we need to start thinking about battening down the hatches.

He's also reaching out and grabbing things. He'll grab a toy that rattles and shake it really hard. It's very funny to watch.

He's becoming very interactive. It's fun. :-)

1st Easter

2006-04-19T07:54:00.000-05:00

Matty had a wonderful first Easter. We visited with everyone including his cousin Robbie, Aunt Susan and Uncle Andy, Ms. Millie and Gigi and Grandad. He loved the attention and the new toys he was given. His favorite is the bunny rattle that Gigi and Grandad gave him. He also recieved some much needed summer clothing from Gammy. God I can't wait to see those chunky little legs in shorts:-)

What Cookie?

2006-04-15T22:08:00.000-05:00

Don't these two look like they just got caught with their hands in the cookie jar? Matty and Gabe are really starting to notice each other at their play dates. Irene and I can't wait till they are really interacting with one another. That is really going to be a sight to see.

The Fluke

2006-04-12T08:19:00.000-05:00

Just last week I was giving Matthew his daily tummy time. I had rolled him from his back to his stomach pinning his left arm under him, when to my amazement all the stars alined and boom... he rolled over. I was so excited and proud that I called Dave and my mom and Dave called his mom. Once Dave got home from work we promptly place Matty back on his belly to see if he would do it again. Matty knew what we were trying to accomplish so he promptly started to scream and pushes his butt in the air. Then he stuck his thumb in his mouth and went to sleep. And ever since that fateful day he has not done it again.

Feeding Time at the Zoo

2006-04-02T20:16:00.000-05:00

We had to call our pediatrician because Matty had started to show signs of teething like gnawing on knuckles, chewing on teething rings and lots of slobber all down his chin. While I had Dr. J. on the phone I asked him when we could start giving Matty rice cereal because he was screaming(!!!!!) for his bottles every hour and a half. And since Matty was taking 8 bottles in a 24 hour period we were told to start him on rice cereal. Now I won't lie and say he was a perfect angel and took it like a champ from the get go, it took nearly a week to teach him to take it from a spoon. We also had to learn the consistency to make it and what the best time to get him to eat with out too much of a problem was. As you can see in the picture above I now can't get it in his mouth fast enough.

Parental Insanity

2006-03-31T06:52:00.000-05:00

I can't stop bouncing my leg. I bounce Matty on my knee when he's a little fussy. He really seems to enjoy it. My problem stems from when I am not holding Matty and he starts to fuss. I start bouncing my leg. I don't do it consciously. For example, I'll be eating dinner when he starts to cry. I'll look down and there's my leg bouncing away. Is there such a thing as parental insanity? Maybe I need to look this up...

A Request for Feedback

2006-03-25T22:57:00.000-05:00

Kye and I keep hearing about people reading this blog and really enjoying it. We are very excited that we have an audience. Since you are out there and enjoy reading what we have to write, we feel that perhaps we should write more often. However, we don't want the posts to get boring and have everyone lose interest. So my request is in two parts. First, if you are out there reading this, then please comment here and let us know. Also if you like what we post, or want to ask questions then feel free to comment on those posts. We're happy to carry on conversations about anything we post.

Thanks in advance.

Chatty Matty

2006-03-03T09:23:00.000-05:00

Well as of next week Matthew will be 3months old. He is 12 1/2 lbs. and 24 inches long. He has had a lot of firsts in the past few weeks. To name a few...he smiles, waves hands, kicks legs and he has even had his first big round of immunizations. His hands have become a source of entertaiment as well. Waving them about and even trying to fit his fists in his mouth when he's hungry. He loves to see and meet new people. Not a trace of shyness with this one. But by far the best and funniest new thing for him is the baby babble. It ranges from cooing, to squeals and sometimes yelling. The yelling usually occurs during tummy time out of fustration for not being able to quite figure out how to roll all the way over yet. He is still sleeping through the night, 9 to 10 hours at a stretch, but only takes short naps through out the day. He has such an easy going personality. Let's just pray it stays that way.

My First Play Date

2006-02-09T21:09:00.000-05:00

This is Matty's friend Gabriel Stuckey. His mom Irene and I were pregnant at the same time with our boys. We couldn't wait to have them and be able to get together for a play date...Well there wasn't much playing at least not today. It was more for the moms mental health:-)

I'm Ready For My Closeup

2006-01-27T11:01:00.000-05:00

Who loves to have his picture taken? Well by the looks of this picture that would be Matty.

Its The Little Things That Matter

2006-01-26T15:39:00.000-05:00

Well it finally happened....Yes folks that's right Matty slept through the night. The first time he did it we thought something was wrong. We kept going in to check on him and make sure he was still breathing. I think we got less sleep than he did. All total that night he slept for 9 hours. In the days since he sleeps for 7 to 8 hours at a time and then wakes to be changed and to eat and miraculously goes back to sleep for another hour and a half to 2 hours. So NO MORE NIGHT SHIFT!!!!! Yippee. Now the only thing Dave and I have to decide is who gets up to do the 7am feeding on weekends.

5 Weeks Old

2006-01-18T09:24:00.000-05:00

In the past 5 weeks Matty has really grown. He now weighs 10lbs 3oz. He loves to cat nap and is almost sleeping through the night. Six hours at a stretch isn't bad for 5 weeks old. Bath time isn't so bad....he only screams when you take him out of the tub. Matty also loves visitors. Looking at and studying faces is one of his favorite passtimes. He has also come down with his first cold but he is getting better day by day.

Matty's First Christmas

2006-01-02T21:34:00.000-05:00

Matty had a wonderful first Christmas, even though he slept through most of it.

The way of the section

2005-12-23T17:56:00.000-05:00

As most of you know Matthew was born about a week ago. What some of you don't know is that he had to be delivered by C-Section. We were given the option to get induced or have the section. At our appointment our doctor informed us that even with trying to go natural if there was even a slight complication it would be an emergency section due to the risk because of Matty's shear size. Dave and I discussed our options after our appointment. And due to the fact that I was already in early labor with severe back pain we made the decision to go the way of the section. Now we had been to triage twice before our doctors appointment and when given the option I knew what was going to be involved. I knew something wasn't quite right when I started having back labor and was up for 48 straight hours. Now originally my c-section was scheduled for Monday the 19th, but the lady who schedules the surgeries at the office told the O.R. that if anything anything at all opened up that we would take it. Well thank god for saying that we were open anything because later that afternoon we received a call that my surgery had been moved up to the next day at 1pm. As we arrived at the Family Birth Place at Union Hospital I prayed that Kristen (our birthing class teacher) was on duty. And to our surprise she was. She told us how she hated c-sections but because it was us she had to take it. This made us feel like we had made the right decision knowing that someone we trusted would be there to take care of our baby. When it came time to be wheeled down for preparation for surgery I was calm and at peace with the choice we had made. I think my calmness surprised everyone even the doctors. Knowledge is key. Being prepared and accepting my fate helped me stay calm and relaxed. Along with the hypnobirthing training we had received I was able to separate myself from the busyness in the operating room. Every time I was told that something was about to happen I would respond with an "OK". Apparently I was one of the best patients they've ever had, since I heard someone say "God I wish they were all like her." All in all I'm happy that my baby and I are healthy even if Mattew did take the easy way out.

Projectile ...

2005-12-20T07:42:00.000-05:00

Poop? I didn't know that babies could do that, but I certainly witnessed it. I think I saved our bed, because the angle was just right. My pants on the other hand need a run through the wash. But I just thought I would announce that I have received my fatherhood baptism.

Now presenting...

2005-12-16T07:58:00.000-05:00

Matthew Anderson Cleaver
born at 2:25 PM on December 15th. He is 22 inches long and weighs 9 pounds and 9 ounces. Kye and the baby are doing great.

You know what they say about men with big feet ...

2005-12-09T17:48:00.000-05:00

... they have large shoes. Probably why we haven't bought this little guy any shoes yet. We went for this ultrasound today, because once again they thought Kylene was measuring big. Well the estimate of the weight was ten and a half pounds. They said it could really be a pound either way, we're rooting for a pound less than that, but I guess we'll see.

To A Wonderful Husband

2005-12-06T09:42:00.000-05:00

I would just like to say thank you to my loving and supportive husband. He has been nothing short of a saint throughout this pregnancy. Even with the hormones and the crying fits he never made me feel like I was insane. He tells me I'm beautiful everyday and how proud he his of the job I am doing. When he talks to the belly and the baby responds to his voice I see the amazement and joy on his face of knowing that soon he will fulfill a life long dream of becoming a dad. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world to have someone like him for my husband, because I know that not everyone has someone as special as him. He truly is a blessing.

I love him more than words can say.

Tick Tick Tick

2005-11-29T09:18:00.000-05:00

The plug has been pulled, metaphorically speaking, and the bomb is set to go off. Or at least that's how I feel. Its like I'm being watched as if I will go off at any second. Even strangers ask me.....For example I went into Concord pet last week by myself to pick up treats for our dogs when I was spotted from across the store by a lady who asked me if I should be out by myself. When I told her I felt good and wasn't having any problems she then asked how far over due I was. I was only 37 weeks. She looked at me then told me she was an O.R. nurse at Union Hospital (where we're delivering) and said I don't think you'll make it to your due date. Which funny enough nor does anyone else. In fact family and friends have started calling, emailing and asking if we have had the baby yet. No not yet we keep telling everyone. We gave the grandparents a list of people to call after the baby is born and we promise to post a picture and announcement on the blog as soon as we can. As for now I will await the detonation.

A Friends Blessing

2005-11-22T19:37:00.000-05:00

Here is the henna tattoo my good friend Gunjan did for me this past Sunday. The application of henna is known as mehndi. It is thought to be a blessing to have it applied in the last part of a pregnancy bringing an easy birth and a healthy child.

The mother of my child

2005-11-20T22:12:00.000-05:00

Beautiful, glowing
Light shines from within herself--
A mother in snow.

The Belly Cast

2005-11-18T10:28:00.000-05:00

Sue and I did this cast of my belly when I was about 8 1/2 months pregnant. She did the Plaster cast and I finished off with clay and paint. We hope everyone enjoys this wonderful keepsake that mom-to-be and grandma-to-be created.

Yoga for you, Yoga for me, Yoga for baby

2005-11-14T16:11:00.000-05:00

For starters I didn't make Dave take yoga with me. I just didn't give him a choice. Kidding. I simply ask him if he'd be interseted in taking a beginners yoga class with me since my prenantal yoga had been canceled. The yoga instructor said I would be fine in the beginners class because there were two other moms-to-be who had signed up also. So Dave and I show up for our first class and I'm the biggest one out of the three moms-to-be. Most of our class mates take one look and thought "Oh she's not going to be able to do this." Little did they know I've been a ballet dancer for most of my life and have been condtioned for stretching and strengthing. After a few weeks of class some of our class mates come up to me and say "Man I don't know how you bend and stretch like that"...well I had to tell them about the ballet. Dave however is still mad that I can out stretch him. We do love taking the class together. Its a wonderful feeling to have him there with me. Taking the class with other pregnant women is wonderful too. I met and befriended another mom-to-be named Anne, who happened to be a hypnobirthing instructor. Which is something we were intereseted in. We decided to persue classes with her and felt that the phylosophy (http://www.hypnobirthing.com/) was in tune with what we wanted out of this birth. All in all the yoga has done wonders for us, with meeting people such as Anne, lowering bloodpressure (which was already normal), balancing those nasty pregnancy hormones, to keeping me from developing a waddle (thank god for the last one!).

"Baby Cleaver's" Room

2005-11-14T13:47:00.000-05:00

Birthing Classes

2005-11-10T13:57:00.000-05:00

As most of you know Dave and I are planning to have our baby at Union Hospital in Elkton. We chose Union for the family atmosphere and wonderful doctors that had come highly recommended. Another reason we chose Union was the nurses and doctors are trained in natural childbirth and they don't push drugs.We started our birthing classes at the end of September. Luckily our teacher was Kristen Allen, the labor and delivery nurse I had met while working at Blue Iris Spa. Now I had heard Horror stories about some birthing classes, but to our surprise when class started Kristen put in Bill Cosby's "Natural Childbirth" sketch video. It loosened everyone up and made most people a little less nervous. But the funniest part about the classes was who was in them with us......Our doctor Dr. Knapp. Apparently his wife is due two weeks before me. It was quite amusing to have an appointment in the morning and have him say see you in class tonight. The class was wonderful. It covered everything from breathing techniques to newborn care. I think most of the class is hoping that Kristen is on duty when we all come in to have our babies...I know I am. All in all it was a wonderful experience and I would recommend the classes to anyone. Thanks again Kristen.

The Baby Shower

2005-11-10T13:49:00.000-05:00

First Dave and I would like to thank everyone who attended the baby shower. We had such a wonderful time. It was great to get to see everyone. And Lauren the food and cakes were out of this world. We hope everyone enjoyed themselves as much as we did. I promise that we will let everyone know when "baby cleaver" arrives.

Thank you all for our wonderful shower.

The Event Horizon

2005-10-06T21:53:00.000-05:00

Well we have a painted nursery, and the crib is assembled. There is now a room in our house dedicated to the baby. It feels weird and pleasant all at the same time. It's a great relief to have the nursery prepared, but each item that gets ticked off seems to bring us that much closer to what I have just now decided to call the "event horizon".

The event horizon is that moment beyond which we can't see clearly. I would say that moment would be when Kye goes into labor. We have some idea of what will happen, but it is different for every woman. We can watch all the birthing videos we want (which we did today in class), but our child's birth will probably be completely different. Also the time after the baby is born is very unclear right now. We really aren't sure if we are going to get the "good" baby, or the baby with the dreaded colic.

I'm ready. I'm just starting to get nervous.

Our son

2005-09-13T15:24:00.000-05:00

We went to get our ultrasound today. The tech showed us pretty convincing proof that we are having a boy. I still wish we could hedge our bets, because I would hate to prepare everything for a boy and have the baby turn out to be a girl. However, I'm pretty convinced and so is Kylene.

On a different note, the 4D ultrasound is way cool. The techie in me wants to know how it works, the father in me is amazed by the results. The 2D ultrasounds were a neat connection to the baby, but this almost looks like a photograph. Well enough chatter, take a look for yourself.

Our anniversary present

2005-09-08T14:55:00.000-05:00

Today Dave and I received an early anniversary present. We went to the doctor for what we thought would be a quick visit......"How are you feeling?"......"Do you have any questions?"........ "OK lean back and we'll listen to the heartbeat (160bpm) and measure you". As Dr. Knapp was measuring me we were asking about the elective 3D/4D ultrasound. Which he thought was a good idea since I'm not high risk and we know the baby is healthy. Well if any of you know how things usually turn out for Dave and I, you'll know something was bound to happen. As it turns out I was measuring about 2wks ahead of where I should be. So now instead of having an elective 3D ultrasound done we are getting to have one done that is covered by our insurance. But the funniest part of this little story is when it is to be done. Its is scheduled for our anniversary. I don't think we could have asked for a better way to spend the morning of our anniversary.

P.S. We also hope to have another gender check....Because there is no mistake seeing it in 3D....As long as baby Cleaver co-operates.

Gender Bender

2005-09-06T20:51:00.000-05:00

An odd title I know, but I've been meaning to talk about this for a while now. For those who don't know at our first ultrasound the tech told us that she was fairly certain that we were having a girl. She certainly didn't see any parts to the contrary. Unlike the tech at our second ultrasound, who is very certain that we are having a boy. In neither case have Kylene and I seen anything that makes us feel certainty one way or the other.

But I'll tell you what, I don't think I care. I thought I did. I really thought that I wanted to know, but not knowing brings into perspective the important things. It's not about whether the baby is a boy or a girl. What's important is that our baby is healthy, and I can't wait to meet him or her.

Rolling Around

2005-08-15T12:59:00.000-05:00

This past weekend Dave and I took a trip to visit some of my moms family in West Virginia. I did as the doctor and nurses instructed and stopped every hour and a half to get out and walk and of course go to the bathroom. Honestly I think Dave and my mom (who also went with us) were a little surprised that we didn't have to stop more often. And I have to say I was proud of myself. Knowing that my mom was going to be doing the driving I asked her to take the Berkley Springs route. Traveling route 9 was something I had not done since childhood. Little did I know what kind of effect the altitude change would have on the baby. As we started up one of the mountains they started to move little kicks here and there but the farther up we went the more intense the movements were. At one point they started to roll around. What a crazy bizarre feeling. Funny enough I think the fresh mountain air agreed with the baby because during the entire weekend they moved and moved and moved some more.
What a wonderful feeling.

Back by Popular Demand

2005-07-29T18:53:00.000-05:00

Some more baby pics. Enjoy!!!

Moving Around

2005-07-29T11:04:00.000-05:00

For the past few weeks I've started to notice movement. In the past few days I found that there is a pattern to when they sleep and when they're active. Luckily most of the movement is during the day. I'm sure that will change though. Sometimes it catches me off guard....All of a sudden I will get this little jab. It always brings a smile to my face and will always bring Dave running to see if they will do it again. Most of the time though the "daddy sensor" is on. As soon as he comes near they stop. Sometimes we can fool them. I will whisper that he needs to come over and I will slowly remove my hand so that Dave can place his down. What a wonderful feeling knowing that that is something we created together.

A Father's Fancy

2005-07-05T22:13:00.000-05:00

I felt our baby move today,
it affected me in a profound way.
To think that I and my wife
Could together create this little life.

I can't wait to hold a tiny hand,
For the cries I will not understand,
And the look of boundless joy
Upon discovering a brand new toy.

I truly long to be a father,
With anything else I can not bother,
To hold our child in my embrace
And gaze upon their beautiful face.

Tests you can't study for

2005-07-01T20:05:00.000-05:00

This past Monday I elected to have some prenatal tests done just to be on the safe side. I had to have some blood drawn....but only 3 vials this time compared to the 8 the first time. The tests were a triple screen and a cystic fibrosis blood test. I wanted to have them done just because there are a few hereditary disease that run in my family. I wasn't worried about something being wrong. I knew I would pass these tests with flying colors. The lab told me it would take about 2 weeks to get my results back. Dave and I figured we would get the results at our next appointment, but today I received a personal call phone from my doctor saying that everything was ok. What a wonderful doctor to take time to call me and let me know I had past my tests.

Thank you Dr. Knapp.

Heartbeat

2005-06-29T15:47:00.000-05:00

The doctor let us videotape him using the doppler at our last appointment. You can download the video here. Enjoy!!

You know you're showing when......

2005-06-14T08:52:00.000-05:00

On Sunday Dave and I went to see our friend Patrick dance in Cinderella. Now as most of you know pregnant women always and I mean always have to go to the bathroom. So during the second intermission I ran for the bathroom upstairs. Luckily I was third in line. Now there were little girls everywhere since it was a children's ballet. And they have to go about as often as I do. But one little girl sticks out more than the rest. As I was standing in line trying to wait patiently this little girl came up to me and asked "Do you have a baby in your belly?" "Why yes I do" I told her. She then wanted to know their name, but I had to tell her I didn't know what I was having yet. As the people behind me giggled and I tried to keep from laughing her mom looked at me and said "Thank god you're pregnant because I hate when she asked people those questions and they aren't expecting."

Needless to say that little conversation has been a source of amusement for us since Sunday.

Time to Shop

2005-06-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Well it finally happened......I had to start buying maternity clothes. I knew I had to go shopping when all my old tee shirts wouldn't go down over my belly anymore and none of my pants would button. So for my birthday I ended up at Mimi Maternity/Motherhood Maternity in the Christiana mall. Now a week or so before hand I went to Kohl's and bought some things, but they didn't have much. But Motherhood Maternity and Old Navy (recommended by a fellow mom-to-be) are now my shopping places of choice. I loved looking and making lists of all the clothes I needed and yes wanted. My mom who was shopping with us was so excited to see me buying maternity clothes that she had to get in on it too. So two tee shirts later the grandma-to-be was happy to have added to my new collection of preggers clothing. I can't wait to go shopping for more.

When winter comes heaven will rain success on you

2005-06-07T18:42:00.000-05:00

... or so my fortune cookie told me. I normally don't put a ton of stock in fortune cookies, but this one is eerily appropriate. I just hope it's true. I think the worse part of this whole process is that you just don't know what is going to happen. It's like a rollercoaster, you just have to strap yourself in, hope for the best, and hang on.

*click*
oh please....
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Seeing is Believing

2005-05-19T19:17:00.000-05:00

Today was our first ultrasound (as you can tell from the pictures below) and our first meeting with our new doctor. Honestly I couldn't ask for a better doctor with a nicer bedside manner and friendlier staff.

It was amazing to see our baby for the first time. Its true that seeing really is believing. We watched in anticipation as the ultrasound started and after a few seconds our baby appeared on the screen. Dr. Knapp pointed out the head, heart (beating at 162 beats per min.), body including legs and arms. But the most amazing part was when we were able to see the baby move for the first time and listen to the heartbeat. I giggled with excitement and joy while Dave my wonderful husband started to tear up. All he could really say was "WOW, that's the most amazing thing I've ever seen". And I have to agree it really is. The giving of life is truly a miracle.

Wow!!

2005-05-19T17:33:00.000-05:00

That's really all there is to say after a day like today. We had our first ultrasound today. It was incredible. I've posted the pictures here for everyone to see.

The head is the lower right of the blob and the legs and feet are on the upper left.

The baby's heartbeat.

Mother's Day

2005-05-08T19:27:00.002-05:00

Well Kylene's first Mother's Day is coming to a close. I thought I would post some pictures.

Now I lay thee down to sleep

2005-05-02T09:56:00.000-05:00

On Saturday Dave and I went to visit his parents and to attend class at the Open Door for World Tai Chi day. As we anticipated everyone knew and those who didn't did by the time the morning was over. What we didn't know is that we would get our first gift for our bundle of joy. We went back to Stew and Sue's house to change before heading out to lunch. After everyone was ready Sue told us she had a gift for the baby. She pulled this beautiful quilt out of a bag, but the most wonderful touch is she is cross stitching the design. When we saw the quilt it brought tears to our eyes. What a wonderful gift. It means so much that she is taking the time to hand-make her grandchild a beautiful blanket to keep them warm.

Thank you Sue.

Night and Day

2005-04-25T21:02:00.000-05:00

That's what the old and new doctor's offices felt like. The old doctor's office always felt small and dark, while the new office feels very light and open. The nurses at the new doctor's were also very nice and friendly. They were joking with us and made us feel very comfortable. So all around a great experience.

We got quite a bit of stuff when we went to the office today. Something along the lines of two small shopping bags stuffed with reading material and freebies. Speaking of freebies, we now have diapers. We got a few Pampers Swaddlers, which will only last us a few minutes in the impending onslaught of baby poop, but the thought is appreciated.

Our next appointment is three weeks from now on May 19th. It will be our first sonogram and chance to meet one of the new doctors. I remain incredibly excited for the sonogram. The whole thing already feels real, but I'm a visual person and somehow the sight of our growing baby will just help to reinforce things in my mind.

Secret Societies

2005-04-20T21:03:00.000-05:00

I'm not wearing my tinfoil hat. It's just that Kylene and I feel like we're joining a club. She mentioned it to me as a sort of motherhood club, but upon reflection I see it as a parenthood club. If we tell someone who does not have children that we are pregnant, they congratulate us. When we tell someone who has children, they congratulate us as well but it's accompanied by a knowing smile or a wink. Sort of as if to tell us that in nine months we'll learn the secret handshake and get access to the monthly meetings.

All joking aside, we really appreciate the extra level of encouragement that we get from those who've "been there". It helps to calm and reassure the nervous energy and feelings that are associated with our "first time".

Flashing Lights

2005-04-19T15:44:00.000-05:00

Today we had a small scare. The doctor's office (the doctor we are leaving) called and told Kye that they "were worried about her progesterone levels" and wanted to place her on a supplement. Progesterone is apparently very important to the success of the pregnancy. Kye told them that we were switching doctors and we had an appointment on Monday, so the nurse proceeds to tell her that the new doctor will decide what to do then. To make a long story short, we began to get really worried about the potential of a miscarriage without this hormone. We called the office back (they of course didn't answer, just another reason to switch doctors) and when we got a hold of the obstetric nurse, she said that she felt that Kye should start taking the supplement now. They called in the prescription and we just picked it up from the pharmacy. So we are calmer and in general happier.

So back to the title of this post. In my rush to get home to Kye today to help comfort/calm her, I realized that expectant fathers should be issued a little flashy light for the roof of their car. The ones like you see detectives use in the movies. I'm just glad I work close enough to home, that I can get back quickly.

She says I'm overprotective

2005-04-17T20:05:00.000-05:00

I'm not denying it. I realize I'm probably going overboard, but I just want everything to go perfectly. All the fathers reading this are probably laughing at me. That's fine I think the feelings will subside somewhat. They won't go away I know this, but I think it's just the newness that makes them quite so intense.

On a different note, we went to see our nephew today. I think if possible it makes me want this baby even more. He is so incredibly adorable, and I can't help but imagine our child doing the things that he does. Needless to say excitement abounds.

The cat is out of the bag

2005-04-16T21:28:00.000-05:00

Not that we were trying to keep it in the bag.

We told my parents today. I was extremely nervous. That seems silly in retrospect, but our minds and bodies do silly things to us. Last night we invited them to meet us in Exton for some shopping. On the way today I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest. It's a lucky thing I don't have a preexisting heart condition. :-) They were happy for us of course. I think Mom actually may have squealed just a little, something which I wasn't expecting.

On a different note we bought some books today. I purchased Your Pregnancy For The Father-To-Be, which so far is shaping up to be an excellent book.

Tonight I'm in the mood to sign off with a good quote so here goes...

A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for - Anonymous

1st one down a million more to go

2005-04-15T16:19:00.000-05:00

Today at the doctors office wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I miraculously had a client this morning who believe it or not was a labor and delivery nurse at Union hospital. She put me at ease and told me everything they were going to do today. She also told me I could switch doctors since I told her I didn't want to deliver at Christiana. Thank god!!!! I really want to go somewhere more family oriented. Thank you Kristen Allen.

Dave was nice enough to take the day off from work to be with me. He even sat in the room while they did my exam.....god I hate the stirrups. He however was not allowed to be there while they took my blood. Which was fine I'm a big girl....well not yet at least:) As she started she had 4 vials in her hand.......and by the time she was done.....she had taken 8. Yes 8!!! For god sakes how much do they really need.

Now comes the waiting to make sure everything is ok. God willing everything will be.

It's official

2005-04-15T15:25:00.000-05:00

We're having a baby!!

Well we went to the doctor today. Turns out they've never seen a woman come in after a positive pregnancy test who wasn't pregnant. That's good to know for the future. They also don't recommend E.P.T. as a pregnancy test brand. Good to know although after we tried it, I don't think we will try it again. They drew blood from Kylene and they are going to run tests to make sure everything is ok. We have to go back in a few weeks to discuss everything and see the first ultrasound.

I'm very excited for the ultrasound. I think that just serves to make it more real. I'm too excited to put it all into words now. Maybe more later.

Knowing is half the battle

2005-04-14T20:22:00.000-05:00

So as Dave stated in his earlier post the first pregnancy test I took came up really weird. As I read the instructions it said wait a week and try again if you get a false or weird reading. A WEEK!!!!! I don't want to wait that long. To make matters worse I was to have a very important meeting at work the next day. We were to go over employee contracts. As my boss is talking to me she asked if everything was ok. I told her that I had a lot on my mind.

If I am.... I can't sign a contract that locks me into somewhere without the understanding that I will be leaving when I'm to big to work (I'm a massage therapist).

I told her I wanted to take it home so we could look it over. And she asked me again if everything was ok because she noticed I was really flush and not feeling very well. At this point I had to let her know what was on my mind since she was my boss and friend who would know what I was going through.

She was the one who gave me the idea to try another brand.

I went food shopping Wednesday and thought "What the Hell can't do any harm".......

I get home and bring the groceries in and grab the new test and head off to hopefully not fail this test. As I finish It was almost immediate.....POSITIVE!!! I called Dave at work and gave him the news. Needless to say he got no work done for the rest of the day. I've never seen someone so happy to get the news that he's going to be a dad. What a wonderful feeling knowing I have someone who will be there with me through this life altering event. He truly is a wonderful husband and will be a wonderful father.

Tomorrow is the doctors visit that will let us know the truth. Hopefully I will be able to sleep tonight and concentrate on work tomorrow. Please let tomorrow at 11:30am get here as soon as possible.

Butterflies

2005-04-14T12:21:00.000-05:00

I have butterflies in my stomach.

That's not entirely accurate, I have butterflies in every part of my body. I'm very excited about us having a baby. I'm unfortunately nervous right now, because we don't know for sure. Sometimes I just wish that life had a fast forward button, and when I pressed it I could speed time up until I reached the point that I want. I just want to know.

Not being pregnant is fine. If Kylene isn't pregnant, then it wasn't meant to be. I can accept that and we will try again.

Being pregnant is amazing. My imagination is running wild. I just can't help but think of how incredible it will be to have the bond and the experiences that I've seen other people have with their children.

Therein lies my dilemma. I don't want to get my hopes up, and yet I can't help myself.

Guess What? You're going to be a Daddy.

2005-04-14T08:45:00.000-05:00

These are the words on the signs that greeted me when I arrived home from work yesterday. I of course already knew that Kylene might be pregnant, it has been the topic of conversation for several days. Earlier in the week, she tried a test that frankly came up really odd. We thought we'd give her period more time to start, but finally yesterday we had to check again. We tried a different brand this time and it came up positive. Now I know these tests aren't 100% accurate, so we're headed to the doctor tommorrow.

Until then I needed to start this blog. I needed a way to tell people, without actually telling anyone. I plan on letting everyone know about the blog after we know for sure. Then it will become a place for Kylene and I to post thoughts, experiences, and pictures of the life of our family as it grows.