Madeline is now over a month old and is an eating, drinking and the other machine. She seems to be filling out before our eyes. She is also developing a little personality and has started communicating with us with different looks and sounds. Of course, her piercing cries are still the sound most likely to get us moving quickly, especially at 3 in the morning.
She is a bit of a champion sleeper (that is easy for her father to say as I don't have to get up and feed her) but seems to be going for 3-4 hour stretches and doesn't have much trouble going to sleep after feeding.
Madeline has met most of Mary Ann's family. Everyone got to hold her and she behaved like a perfect young lady. Photos are below.
Dad has been on a tear with his knitting projects recently. Picasso had his blue period, I have my scarf phase (having knitted myself and both Kieran and Nicholas scarves in the last few weeks (picture attached). I am now working on a jacket for Madeline (in pink of course).
Mary Ann is keen on socks and now we are all the proud owners of home knitted socks.
In other news Kieran had a school sponsored ski trip this past week. He has branched out into snowboarding and really enjoyed it, despite the amount of time he spent falling! Unfortunately we don't have any pictures to share of this adventure.
Madeline Grace McLean has arrived, happy and healthy, to the world. She was born on 1/6/09 at 4:42 am weighing in at 7lb 6oz and 20 3/4 inches. I won't give all the gory details of the birth here but lets just say once things started moving it was like a boulder rolling down hill. Its a good thing they give the job of timing contractions to the husband - Andrew was sufficiently distracted by the stop watch and by surfing the Internet to find out what famous people were born on 1/6. Turns out Maddy shares her birthday with with a McLean family favorite - Rowan Atkinson, aka Sir Edmund Blackadder. Maddy will, no doubt, be initiated into the joys of Blackadder ("stick two pencils up your nose and say bibble") as soon as she can see the TV. Labor started in earnest at about 11:30 and we decided to head to the hospital at about 3:00 and good thing we did. I think if we'd waited any longer we would have been calling an ambulance. We got there at about 3:30 and things started moving very fast. I was already 5cm dilated so they got me ready and by 4:00 I was 9cm and ready to push. Maddy entered the world at 4:42 healthy, crying and ready to eat. We had decided that I was going to try to do the birth without drugs and it is a good thing - I wouldn't have had time to do an epidural even if I'd wanted one so everything worked out for the best. The rest of my time in the hospital (2 days) was uneventful and we were anxious to get home and settle in.
The transition from hospital to home has been pretty smooth so far. Andrew is back at work and my mother has left so I am alone with Maddy during the day and we've managed to get into something like a routine. She is eating and sleeping at regular intervals during the day with some breaks for play and investigating her environment. The nights have been relatively easy as well. From Day 1 she was sleeping in 4-5 hour blocks which allows us to sleep as well. In fact, I'm getting more sleep now that I was when I was pregnant which is a relief! She really has been a good baby so far and the doctor reports that she is gaining weight really well and meeting her milestones so far. We'll go back in 3 weeks for another checkup and hopefully all will continue on this course.
We are blessed with a beautiful little girl and at first blush it seems like she is favoring the Cook side of the family. Of course, she has more hair than Andrew but she is still a bit of a cue ball for now. She has very pretty and sweet features and a delicate little sneeze and yawn - she is definitely a little girl. Of course, when she wants to exercise her lungs she can be very loud and un-delicate!
Madeline has been introduced to her brothers and they seem to be in awe of her. I understand that they haven't had much interaction with infants and I think they are stunned at how small and needy she is. They really took to her from the start and are anxious to see her, hold her and help out with whatever is needed to make everyone comfortable. They are going to be fantastic older brothers and I know they are excited to watch her grow and learn (and get interested in Star Wars and Ping Pong).
As you can imagine there hasn't been a lot of other news that we've been able to focus on in the last 2 weeks. We have a long holiday weekend here for Martin Luther King so we'll have 3 days with just the 3 of us as the boys are with their mother. Kieran is going skiing in the Poconos on Monday with some friends and it is supposed to be frigid temperatures so we've got him lined up with as many layers as we can find. Hopefully our next entry will not involve a report of a trip to the hospital for him!
Nothing to report yet on the baby front unfortunately. Due date was yesterday but not much action yet.
Christmas was both quiet and busy at the same time. We didn't go anywhere given Mary Ann's delicate condition. Mary Ann's mum is on an extended visit with us and she is staying until the baby is born (and then hopefully for a bit longer).
We picked the boys up on Christmas Eve and went to a party at an ex-work colleague of Andrew's in Long Island. Unfortunately it took 4 hours to get there (usually a 2 hour trip) so we were all a bit frazzled by the time we arrived, but had a good time anyway.
Got home and Santa delivered presents once the boys had gone to bed. Santa enjoyed the cookies and milk left for him and the reindeer feasted on carrots left for them. Mary Ann was interested to learn how different the traditions around Santa and Christmas are here than in NZ - I guess it makes sense considering it is summer in NZ when Jolly St. Nick is doing his work. Nevertheless, she intends to keep up the Northern Hemisphere traditions as long as we live where it is cold at Christmas.
Christmas Day we woke up kind of late (last time for that for a while) and opened presents (photos below). Santa was good, the hit was a ping pong/pool table. Santa had subcontracted the delivery of that 250lb item to Sears and we think he needs to reevaluate his relationship with them. After the first broken table arrived we had to contend with the delivery of potentially two more and the removal of the broken one. Let's just say it was a 2 week ordeal but now is all done. The ping pong table is a hit with the boys and the neighborhood crowd. We are happy to be able to now reciprocate the hospitality of the families the boys have made friends with - but there is nothing like feeding lunch to a bunch of teenage boys to make you realize how much they actually can eat! Nicholas and Kieran also received lovely handmade socks from Mary Ann - there is a picture here of Nicholas modeling his. Now everyone in the family has a pair of handmade socks except Mary Ann but we hope to remedy that soon. As soon as hers are done she'll have to start working on new pairs for the boys as they should grow out of the ones they have in about a week or two!
We spent a lot of time with the boys over their holiday from school and it was really fun for all of us. Kieran spent time practicing his guitar and Nicholas helped out in the kitchen a lot. He and "honorary grandma" seem to enjoy making baked goods together and the rice pudding they put together was a huge hit, especially with Dad. The boys also spent quite a bit of time with the neighborhood kids and there were times that we didn't see them for several hours. We've had to make sure they aren't wearing out their welcome with the neighbors (and aren't eating them out of house and home)! They have been having a great time in our new home and neighborhood and we're so happy to have them out and about and not glued to the TV for hours at a time.
The boys are back to school tomorrow, with very heavy hearts. We're proudly posting Kieran's latest school report here - what more can you say about a kid who brings home a report like this? We are very proud of him and especially happy that he seems so self motivated to do well in school. He also is really enjoying his guitar lessons and his teacher has reported that he is an excellent student and a joy to work with. We're hoping we have the next Eric Clapton on our hands so he can take care of us in our dotage. On the music front Nicholas is also doing well in his violin lessons. Mary Ann attended his violin concert right before Christmas and was happy to see that Nicholas seemed to be taking the performing very seriously. He was clearly very engaged with the teacher, eager to participate and held himself very confidently while performing. On the last day of school Andrew and Mary Ann attended the boy's Christmas performance and some pictures of that are included as well. Kieran was in the orchestra with his viola and Nicholas was in the front row of the 3rd grade choir. There was a lot of music and sing-alongs with the audience. I think the boys were happy the concert only lasted a short time since they got to start their holiday immediately afterward!
The last couple of pictures show Kieran and Nicholas modeling the beautiful scarf that Andrew made for Kieran. It turned out beautifully and Kieran is really happy with it. Dad also finished up a blanket for the baby which we hope to put to use very soon. Next on Dad's craft project list is a scarf made by Dad for Nicholas. Everyone except Kieran seems to have caught the crafting bug and Nicholas has purchased a small loom for himself and is working on a blanket for the baby. These boys have discovered how a good project can help you while away the long cold winter evenings - especially when you're sitting around waiting for a baby to arrive.
We hope to report very soon on our latest arrival - it could be anytime from right now to middle of next week (they won't let Mary Ann go any longer than that). We hope you all are well and enjoyed a pleasant holiday and are embarking on a peaceful and Happy New Year!
Seems as though we're only able to find time to post once a month these days - my apologies to those of you who depend on up to date accounts of our activities and meals!
November found us getting ready for the holidays and finally completing the organization of the house. We now have artwork on the walls (thanks to Catherine!) and all the little things that we left lying around after the move are put in their appropriate spots. The only things remaining to do are get some furniture for the "library" and purchase a china cabinet for the dining room. We have furnished the nursery and thanks to Andrew's father and siblings for giving us the lovely crib set where our baby will be spending a lot of time in a few short weeks.
Towards the end of the month we had lots of company. We decided to welcome ourselves to the neighborhood by giving a little wine and cheese party for our neighbors. I had met all of the wives and some of the husbands but Andrew hadn't met anyone so it was nice to have everyone over. We really like our neighborhood and have found everyone very friendly and welcoming. There are a lot of kids around the boys ages so there is no shortage of weekend football games, bike riding or general fooling around. Some of the neighborhood kids came with their parents to the party and I'm not sure what they were doing in the basement but they all managed to absolutely tire themselves out without actually breaking anything. The parents, who I expected to stay for just a couple of hours/couple of glasses of wine, managed to hold out until 11pm and drank us out of house and home. A great time was had by all!
Catherine stopped over in PA for the weekend on her way to and from Rome. We had a great visit with her and the boys are always thrilled to see their Auntie Catherine because she always comes with gifts of chocolate from San Francisco. This time she also came with presents for Nicholas as he turned 9 on 11/21. We celebrated with his favorite beef tenderloin, jasmine rice, carrots, cucumbers and, of course, chocolate cake and ice cream.
The celebrations continued that week as we hosted Thanksgiving for much of the Cook clan (we missed you Dave and BJ). We had a traditional meal for 13 and I was surprised to find that a 21 pound bird just feeds that many people. We had many going back for seconds, a few for thirds and 2 for fifths (our growing boys Kieran and nephew David!). We were happy to be able to host the family and we had a really nice time. I'm thrilled to be back on the East Coast and so close to much of my family. We get to see each other so frequently these days!
With Thanksgiving done we have moved on to Christmas preparations. We got a lovely tree and had fun decorating it last weekend. It isn't too tall but is so fat. Nicholas was intent on filling the tree with green and red ornaments (all within inches of each other) - fortunately he wasn't too upset when I moved things around a bit. Kieran was instrumental in gettting the lights on correctly and Dad did the most important job of putting the star on top. Andrew is a lot like my dad was - he helps with the setting up the tree and getting the lights on in the beginning and then sits back on the couch and "supervises" while mom and kids put the decorations go on. After this year we'll have to have a fence around the tree to protect it from curious toddler hands so we are enjoying the unobstructed view now.
Kieran and Nicholas continue to do well in school and outside activities. Kieran is taking guitar lessons on the weekends and really enjoys the new music school we have him in. He is really working hard on technique and is learning songs that he likes. We may have the next Eric Clapton on our hands! He also had mid-term exams a few weeks ago and came home with all A and A+ marks. We are very proud of him. Nicholas has been doing pottery, some of which now graces our house. He has a real flair for style and color and seems to really enjoy creative activities. He is also doing very well in school and we went last week to his classroom to view his memoir (which is posted here) as well as work on his history project with him. He is researching Colorado and a famous Colorado resident from the past, "The Unsinkable Molly Brown". We really enjoyed being in the classroom with the boys while they were actively working on their projects. We got to see Mr. Cunningham in action and really like how he interacts with Nicholas and the other boys. He invited us to come in anytime to sit in - we may take him up on that.
The other thing taking up most of our mental and physical energy is, of course, getting ready for the arrival of our baby, due on January 4. I continue to grow...and grow...and grow but I fortunately feel good most of the time. Sleeping is my only challenge these days but I guess that comes with the territory. We are taking childbirth classes now and they are really informative. Even Andrew is learning a few things he didn't know (or didn't remember). We are very excited about the pending birth and finding out whether it will be a little she or a little he. The boys are also very excited and I love to hear them refer to the little one as "our baby" - I think they are going to be great older brothers!
As we move closer to Christmas and the New Year we wish you all peace and joy and we hope that 2009 is a year of good health and much happiness (and fewer economic worries) for all.
And here we are in November with a new President! We are pleased with the result and are looking forward to discussing it with the boys this weekend. They have spent a lot of time this fall studying civics and current events and are really well versed in the issues and were very interested in the election.
October has been very busy but that is seeming more like the norm than an anomoly. We are fully settled in the house and have most everything done except getting things hung on the walls. We are a bit gun-shy about getting nails near the wall as on our first attempt to hang something we managed to put a hole through a pipe in the bathroom. Think of a little Dutch boy with his finger in the dike. After an emergency visit from the plumber and several from the "wall guys" to fix the whole the wall is back in shape - but we live in fear of our decorating efforts.
Mary Ann's pregnancy continues along with no problems. She is finally and happily getting bigger which is something she never thought anyone would hear her say. We are due in two months and have to get the furniture for the nursery built soon. A few weekends ago Mary Ann was honored to have two of her friends (Sue and Beth) throw her a baby shower here at our house. We had company from Rochester, Boston, Atlanta, DC, PA and NY and we happily found out that the house and the plumbing can support 14 overnight guests. The party was very fun and Baby McLean is clearly not going to be at a loss for surrogate aunts, uncles and cousins. Aunt, uncles, cousins and grandmother by blood were here too and it is wonderful that the Cooks are able to get together so frequently now that they are all in closer proximity to each other. Sue's pictures from the weekend can be found here: http://suzanne.smugmug.com/gallery/6318154_cZVzf#398369098_Sb4V2
For Halloween we were welcomed to the neighborhood with a full toilet papering of our front yard on mischief night. Our yard looked as though there had been a full snow. We didn't mind the TP so much (except what is still caught in the trees and too high to reach) but the eggs on our upstairs windows were a little much. Fortunately we were able to get the mess off without too much trouble but that didn't stop us from being irritated.
We went to parent teacher conferences at the boy's school last week and were so proud to hear universally positive reviews for both of them. Mr. Cunningham reports that Nicholas is a very bright and popular student and a very active participant in class. He shows a strong aptitude in writing and language skills and is doing excellent work on his "memoir". Kieran's teachers were also very positive across the board in all subjects with regards to his performance and his class participation. We, and Kieran, are warned that the work load is about to increase and the grading is going to become more strict. Apparently it is time that Kieran (and all the 7th graders) learn the crucial lesson that quantity of writing does not equal quality so we expect to see a period of more red marked English and History papers.
For Sue's benefit we add that meals enjoyed during the month have included many yummy dishes in the crock pot including lasagna, minestrone soup and a lovely beef stew. We have some bananas that are turning so Nicholas and I may make banana bread this weekend - we'll let you know how it goes. And of course November brings Thanksgiving so if you are lucky we'll do a whole entry about what we eat that day.
Its been a busy few weeks since moving into the house. We've managed to emerge from under the mounds of boxes for the most part. We are very proud of the desk and file cabinet that we built for the office. We are especially thrilled that we didn't have a single fight during the building process even through Mary Ann installed one of the drawers upside-down and we spent about 30 minutes fussing over how to fix it. Turns out if we had just read the instructions we would have found the 30 second fix. The challenge this weekend will be building the bookshelves for the library. Once this is done we will be able to finish with all the boxes. We'll then just need to get some things on the walls and work on the nursery and then we'll really be done. We have to get the mess out of the way because next weekend is Mary Ann's baby shower and we have a bunch of guests coming for the weekend. It will be fun to entertain here for the first time and hopefully the weather will cooperate.
The boys are full steam ahead in school and apparently 3rd grade is a lot rougher than 2nd. Although he really likes his teacher Nicholas is complaining about the amount of work he has to do. Kieran has more work than ever and is beginning to think about where he would like to go for high school year after next. Fortunately there are lots of good choices in the area. Kieran is running cross country again this year and is doing very well. In the last couple of meets he has scored in the top 15 or so out of 90-100 participants. Maybe he'll get running and academic scholorships! Nicholas is enjoying pottery class that he has been taking. He definitely has more artistic sensibilities than the other McLean men. Perhaps we'll put those to work this weekend on a Halloween pumpkin.
Mary Ann took a brief trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina with her family this week. All the brothers and sisters in law were there as well as her mother and SIL Jessica's parents. It was a great trip and the last time that she'd be with her family without a child of her own. Andrew is working hard as usual and has done a great job getting all the organizational stuff for the house done. He is also enjoying cutting the lawn with the ride on lawn mower (especially since it has cup holders which are just the right size to hold a beer while he cuts the lawn) but since fall is here we don't think there are too many weekends left of that.
Pictures are of Mary Ann's trip as well as the house and our maple trees out front which are definitely telling us that cold weather is on the way. Much to Andrew's dismay the heat had to come on in the house for the first time today - fortunately it was only for a brief time to take the chill off.
Lots more unpacking and jobs got done this weekend.
We all went to the gym on Saturday morning. Kieran is allowed use the gym on a family membership. There were some long faces from Nicholas as he thought he was going to have to go into the kids club. Instead Kieran and I played squash and we were able to sneak Nicholas on for a few hits.
After we got home took the boys out to do some stuff. Signed Kieran up for guitar lessons and took his electric guitar to have a pick up (I am learning new terminology all the time - "grinding" is one of my favorites - apparently it has something to do with Razor scooters and skateboards).
Saturday evening was pretty quite. Pot Roast for dinner (we got an adorable pig board as a wedding present (like you'd see in a French bistro) so what's for dinner is written there during the weekend. Saves about 1000 questions from Nicholas. The answer to the question "What's for dinner?" is now "Ask to the pig."
Sunday i got up early and went for a long bike ride. There are some great biking roads around here. Weather was beautiful (Sept is the best month of the year around these parts).
It was a real jobs day when i got home. Garage had to be finished, study unpacked, old fridge cleaned out (all this while trying to keep up with the Ryder Cup).
Of course since there was lots of work to do Kieran disappeared over to a mates place. Good thing about the new neighborhood is there seem to be about a bizillion kids around Kieran and Nicholas' age. Couple I had never seen before came over yesterday to ask them to go play. Kieran disappeared about 1 and didn't see him again until 6pm.
MA and Nicholas spent a bit of time Sunday afternoon making banana bread (photos below). Turned out very tasty.
