Well, the time has come for Desmond’s two month old pictures.

He is starting to smile and coo a little. Weighing it at almost 14 pounds, he is really starting to fill out as you can see below.

Over the past month, we have had to get Spencer potty-trained for him to attend St. Rose Pre-School. A client of Cara’s sent this over last night. We could hardly stop laughing.

It’s amazing how even though there are many cultural differences in the world, some things remain the same.

Enjoy!

Japanese Potty Training

On August 10, 2008, we baptized Desmond Erik Koen into the Catholic faith. Many friends and family joined with Cara and I to welcome Desmond in to the Church. Our close friends, Dan and Kasey Healy, are his godparents. Desmond is fortunate enough to have been baptized by his Paw Paw Bill, who is a Deacon at St. Rose.

Great-Grandma Honey made the trip in from Springfield, MO to witness this blessed event. She is very proud of our newest little guy.

Enjoy the pictures below…

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In keeping with a tradition started with Ethan and Spencer, we have taken pictures of the kids on their monthly “anniversaries.” Yes, I am a little lax in getting these uploaded, but here they are anyway.

More from the catching up on the pictures department. A few weeks ago Cousin Brennan came over to play with Spencer.

We set up a sprinkler in the backyard for the boys to play in. They had a blast. It’s a shame that as we “grow up” we forget the simple pleasure of getting wet.

Also, included in the shots is a pic of Cara, Spencer, and Des.

I have managed to get a little behind in the posting of the pictures. Here are some pictures from a picnic that we had a couple of weeks ago.

It was a gorgeous day. Cara and I said to each other, “Why don’t we have a picnic?” We put together some quick sandwiches, hummus, chips, and pink lemonade. Dad, Ethan and Spencer enjoyed playing a little catch after lunch. Spencer and Ethan chased the ducks that congregate around the pond in the Park.

All in all it was a great day. Here are the few pictures that we took.

Well Desmond’s first week at home is complete. So, what happened?

• Paw Paw Gary visited
• Daddy went for a stress test
• Desmond had his first appoint with the Doc. (He is gaining weight rather nicely.)

The results of the stress test were good. My heart is doing well and doesn’t appear to be the cause of the funny feeling in my chest. It must just be stress and anxiety. Cara is convinced that I can’t let her be the patient for once. The frequency of the symptoms is decreasing for now.

I have had a little bit of time to do pick up the genealogy for a little bit. I hope to start posted more on the family history shortly. I am trying to determine what format makes the most sense. In the past, I have looked at using a Wiki. I am not convinced that this will be easier, but it would allow me to track research notes pretty easy. We shall see.

Here are some pics below:

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Desmond’s seventh day was a lazy lay around day. The home health nurse came by for a blood draw and to check his general health. The bili levels were down in the low 10s, so we able to take him off of the bili-bed. This is great news.

Last night, the family brought dinner over. After my softball game, we spent time together. It was great, after a long exhausting week.

Today, we have an appointment with his pediatrician just to make sure that everything is going well. We shall see.

Yes, I do have more pictures and will get them up later today. I am back to work after a week off, but wanted to get an update out.

Today, we brought Desmond home. His bili levels have come down to a reasonable level and the Docs have discharged him from the hospital. His jaundice is not a noticable as it was. He seems to be doing ok.

Tomorrow, we will have a visit from a home care nurse to take another blood sample to check his levels. But we seem to have turned the corner.

He is eating well and enjoying his new surroundings so far. Ethan and Spencer can’t stop fawning over him.

Mom and Dad will continue to feed him on a strict 3 hour schedule until further notice. Yes, I will get to participate in the feedings as well. Cara is nursing, but I get to do a supplemental bottle of formula.

It is very nice to see him more and more alert as the hours pass. Thanks for your prayers and support. (You know who you are!)

Yes, we do have some pictures: