February started off with our monthly “baby picnic” at Holly FitzGerald’s (Jamie’s Aunt) house. Holly has been sweet enough to set up a monthly get-together at her house with John, Larkin, Reagan, Paul, the NC FitzGerald cousins, including little Evelyn FitzGerald, Dan & Maureen, Hap & Nan, and Kat. It varies from month to month who attends these get-togethers, but a good time is always had by all, especially John and Larkin. They have a blast seeing everyone and playing with cousin Evelyn, but their favorite part might be that on this day of the month, they get to scarf down probably 3 whole bagels with cream cheese and lox (an occasional treat and a favorite of theirs, just like their Momma).
I (Kat) was in DC for a much needed get-away and girls weekend with friends, so I missed this month’s picnic. It was so nice to get out of town for a few days, but I missed out on seeing John, Larkin, and Evelyn’s very first game of indoor hoops! Perhaps they’re taking after their Daddy? Although, if we’re being honest here kiddos, there are cooler sports out there…soccer, soccer, soccer (I’m not biased or anything, I promise. Sorry Paul).
We celebrated my birthday on the 10th of February. It was a low key weekend spent with family, and friends, Jess, Jon & amazing out-of-town friend Rachel (the original Ray Ray). On Sunday evening, Grandma and Grandpa cooked me a delicious meal at their house along with Paul, Jess and Jon. Celebrating my birthday was not something I wanted this year, but I will say this: the best part of my birthday was hearing John and Larkin say, “happy birthday Kiiiiiiii” over and over again every time I saw them or talked with them on the phone that weekend. It was so adorable and really made me smile on a weekend that I didn’t feel much like smiling.
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Most of this month’s entry will be focused on John, Larkin, and Reagan and what they have been up to. All three are growing up so quickly and it’s simply amazing to see.
John’s favorite activities are running and sliding to a stop with his big yellow truck, looking at family photos, saying “what is that?” to just about everything, counting the number of school buses he sees and guessing if the fire station’s doors are open or closed on his way to school. John always wants to be outside (even on a really cold day), and enjoys playing with friends in the backyard or cul-de-sac, and going to playgrounds. He is quite the character and constantly makes many silly faces and funny noises. John has his mother’s infectious smile and a one of a kind belly laugh. Daycare attempted to transition John from diapers to big boy underwear on the 1st, but he proved to not be quite ready as he went through pants after pants. Daddy is actually more than okay with this set back because diapers are so much easier and easy is good right now.
Picture of the eight Kindem Grandchildren (Lindsay, Reagan, Alex, Ben, Brooklyn, Anna Katherine, Larkin, John)
Christmas brought many family members in to town this year, with Great Grandma Kindem making the trek all the way from Seattle, Washington, and others coming from D.C. and Pennsylvania. John and Larkin thoroughly enjoyed opening presents this year, which was fun for all of the family to see, and the eight Kindem grandchildren had fun playing together.
The Annual Christmas Eve Party was scaled down with only immediate family members attending, but that didn’t stop us from continuing the tradition of having beef stew, grilled oysters, many heavy hors d’oeuvres, and plenty of booze. A “new” oyster shooter was invented where some combined their oysters with red wine, which made for an interesting combo – who knows what type of shooter we’ll come up with next year (jager shooter, anyone?)
Some of the family made it up to the lake house over New Year’s for a long weekend, which was a welcome change of scenery for the O’Brien-Kindem families. John, Larkin, and Reagan enjoyed the cold weather and family time, but the highlight of the trip was Paul & Kathryn jumping in the lake on New Year’s Eve. The lake was freezing cold and the snow on the banks of the lake made it even more intimidating. This tradition was started one-year ago when Kathryn made a late-night bet with her brother Doug that she would jump in the lake the next day, and she did. Kat’s still waiting for her $40 payment, don’t hold your breath.
The families are ready for a new year to begin…
– J. Paul Kindem
At the start of the month, John and Larkin have now been in the new day care for about 2 weeks. Going into it, we knew this month would be difficult for all of us, each in our own way. But, there is nothing we can do besides to take it day by day, and so we do.
John and Larkin have adjusted well to the new daycare. It’s been difficult for them, without question. They ask for their former teacher Latonya often, and their other friends at their old school. Even though they are getting comfortable with their new school, almost every morning, they still ask about Latonya, their other teachers, and their friends, as if they will be headed to see them after breakfast. We all know that they’ll be OK and make the adjustment, but it’s difficult to see them going through yet another unexpected life change. Paul alone has dropped off and picked them up each day, and this will continue for a while. He wants things to stay consistent until they really feel totally comfortable there. Like the amazing, resilient kids that they are, we can tell they’re trying to adjust to this new atmosphere, and all we can do is encourage that.
One Saturday, Kat and Paul took John and Larkin to their friend Eva’s birthday party in Raleigh. It was a great party and John and Larkin had a very good time. They were quite apprehensive at first, but after a little while they really opened up and enjoyed playing with their old friends and seeing Latonya again. Later on in the month they went to another friend, Wyatt’s birthday party with Paul and had a great time there as well.
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The Days of Pumpkins and Roses in Their Cheeks
The beautiful autumn days of the Piedmont are now transcendent in their warmth and color. Why does the weather help? Sometimes it just does.
Reagan has by now had two early intervention assessments that herald her progress meeting and going beyond the target norms for her age. Plus she totally enchants the evaluators. Our expectations are high and we are very hopeful.
Her well-baby checkups have gone, well…very well. She has steadily gained weight and grown longer and is in the 75th percentile. We like to joke that Reagan definitely does not cotton to missing a meal. No way.
When this three-month old moppet wakes up, she is all smiles, every single time. Whether it’s a 12-hour night of sleeping (yes!) or a short nap, she beams at the person who has come to fetch her (generally one of six star performers, with a few talented understudies on tap.) We feel relieved that a therapist friend has assured us that attachment theory says many loving caregivers are fine; it’s when they’re there and then disappear that there is a potential problem.
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The Rogers Family was kind enough to lend us their beautiful beach house for the week, which we are extremely thankful for. And, for the first time John, Larkin and Reagan spend a week at the beach, an American beach, that is. John and Larkin have already discovered the warm beauty and joy of the Caribbean climate: Jamaica in June, 2011. And then they were more frequent denizens of the pool than the sand and ocean waves.
Truth to tell, they are still looking at the ocean with extreme wariness. Our first day in Atlantic Beach is all windswept rollers and frothing surf. It sets the tone for the little ones’ approach to playing in the sea. Not really going to happen, not this week. We are actually very OK with this approach…for now.
But there’s walking and running the beach with assorted family members, playing in the sand, picking up some shells, going on bike rides, and absolutely loving water play in a kiddy pool, safe up high on the deck or down on the beach in the sand. There’s a new playground to discover, and even the first bites of a Bojangles chicken sandwich. Thanks, daddy!
– Maureen O’Brien
The Day Baby Reagan Came Home
The beautiful baby who had a deluge of prayers and loving hopes sent her way for eleven days came home to her eager family on August 10, 2012 from the UNC Hospital NICU.
Reagan O’Brien Kindem, weighing 8 lbs 3 oz, and with the first name her mother chose and the middle name her father added the day she was born, became an immediate balm to a sorrowing Kindem-O’Brien clan.
From the very beginning of her painful journey into this world, little Reagan showed pluck and determination, and even flashes of the sweetness that has come to be the hallmark of her first months of life.
At two days old, she responded as if she recognized her daddy’s voice when he sang to her in her hospital crib, a crib festooned with the latest in life-saving technology: a cold blanket beneath her, to bring down the temperature of her brain, tubes, monitors, EEG wires…and pictures of her mommy, daddy, and her brother and sister to love her and urge her on.
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