Mom and Claire have returned home from the hospital as of 10/28/07 afternoon. Both are doing fine and are happy to be home where they can sleep relatively uninterrupted. Dad is happy to be home in his own bed too. All three of us were able to share a room at the hospital in order to get to know each other, but having our own space is great.

Dad finally finished the nursery. The new window is in and lets light in beautifully, and there is a great shelf to store whatever little girls want to display. Mom's sewing was complete before going to the hospital, and she was just waiting on Dad to get things finished so the curtains could be hung.

Thanks to our parents and family who saved special items for sharing. Claire's room is complete with the knitted blanket that Megan came home from the hospital in over 30 years ago. There is the quilted blanket that Aaron dragged around the house as a toddler. There are some of our childhood books. There is a rocker that was a wedding gift to Aaron's great grandparents' almost a century ago that has made its debut as a nursing chair. There are also many items and gifts that you all have contributed.

Claire has everything she needs and more. We are grateful for our blessings, our health, our warm and cozy home, our friends and family, and our time together.

Until next time, good night, sleep tight.

Claire Lauren Patterson

Born 10/26/07 at 9:32pm

Weighed 8 pounds and 8 ounces and was 21.5 inches long.



Claire's entrance into the world was a high point in Mom and Dad's life. She is a beautiful girl with blue eyes. She is eating, sleeping, and filling diapers like she should. Mom plans to take 12 weeks off before returning to work part-time, and is recovering from laber and birth well. Dad has taken 2 weeks off to get to know his little girl and help Mom out at home, and is enjoying Mom and Claire's company. Both sets of grandparents were able to see her and hold her within her first 24 hours of life, and she is looking forward to meeting Uncle Ryan Baines from Colorado, and Auntie Monica and Uncle Rich back in Iowa.



Her baptism is scheduled tentatively for 11/18/07 at Mizpah UCC in Hopkins, MN.

Due date...

Today is the official due date, but no activity. So we thought we should update all of you as to our situation. See above. That said. Megan and I would be happy with any day now, we are pretty much finished with the nesting phase. There is food in the fridge, some preassembled by us for quick/easy meals later. We have multiple brands of diapers on hand to try out to see which ones we like best. (if you want to weigh in please add comment) The nursery is complete, the clothes are washed, I even finished getting that window replaced. The carseat is in place, the extra base is in the Jeep. Have snacks for the hospital, and email and phone lists that if you are not on I must apologize for. Megan has finished scheduling and seeing clients, and Aaron's desk at work is cleaner than the day he started work there. We are both ready to dedicate time to the care of a little one. From the above pictures though, it looks like I should sharpen my photography skills soon...will work on it.

6th Anniversary

Megan and Aaron took a drive to see the colorful fall foliage on their Anniversary. The day was hot and humid and sunny, much unlike our actual wedding day which was cold and crisp. We went to St Croix Falls, and Crex Marsh in Grantsburg, WI. We really had no idea where we would end up. Along the way we stopped at the Franconia Sculpture park. There are many large scale art pieces there. Here is one of them, pictures rarely do art any justice. This trench is about 5-6 feet deep in the middle.

Here is a picture of a trumpeter swan at the Crex Wildlife Refuge. The whole place is about 30,000 acres. The refuge is only a small piece of that. We saw more swans in one spot than Megan and I have seen throughout our memory. We also saw many sandhill cranes, and numerous geese and scores of ducks. This guy let me get pretty close for the picture.

And this pair was just meandering through the day. Just like us.

Shower for Baby Patterson

Thank You to the Candlewood Crew! What a great day we all had together for the shower at McFarlane's house.

MOM Squared...

MOM Cubed?