THE LOWE FAMILY NEWSLETTER: VOLUME85                                                        JUNE 2013

SPECIAL DELIVERY THIS EDITION: Miss Ava Claire Logue

                                 May 25^th 2013

                                 6lbs 11 oz, 19 inches
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Dear Readers,

I was awoken by the phone ringing at about 8:00am on Saturday, May 25th. I staggered out of bed and ran around to your dad's side to grab the phone. It took a few seconds for my slumbering brain to compute that it was Jeremy, asking what time I was planning to be at their house to plant flowers. I wondered why on earth he had called me at this strictly tabu hour to babble on about landscaping, but then he delivered the real reason for his call by saying that I might want to swing by the hospital on my way. I was stunned, the baby was not due for almost three weeks and frankly I didn't think Coryn was anywhere near the usual end of pregnancy desperation - if I go one more day in this condition I am going to jump up and down until something happens mode. I said I would be there asap. Fortunately Sean answered his phone and was able to come up to stay with a still sleeping Norm while I pulled on one of my suitable for the hospital outfits and flew down I 435 to St. Josephs hospital. I was there about 9:00 am and charged up to the birthing floor where I was soon shown into Coryn and Jeremy's labor room. My daughter was on all fours panting like a rabid dog. I knew immediately that she was in hard labor and asked how far she was dilated. Jeremy said she was at two when they were admitted. Having a little birthing experience myself I knew she was further along. The nurse came in just as I was thinking about looking for her. I immediately let her know that my daughter was in hard labor, should be checked for progress and would probably be in need of a midwife before lunch. I knew I had made the nurse's day: having spent years advocating for your dad's healthcare in various hospitals I know the staff feel such relief when I make all the decisions for them. As soon as the nurse left the room she probably called the midwife and warned her that the mother from hell was with her patient.

We had never discussed my being there for the birth so it was an unexpected privilege to share in this amazing experience with Coryn and Jeremy. She coped so well with a fast and furious labor , only delivering some blood curdling screams towards the end - any other mother there laboring over the decision of whether to have a natural or medicated birth probably opted for an epidural thanks to Coryn. Jeremy and I cooled her down with wet washcloths and talked her through her contractions, assuring her that each one was bringing us closer to seeing whether they had a son or daughter. Finally at about noon a head covered in dark hair was peeking out between Coryn's legs. I gushed about the baby's hair as I knew Coryn's biggest fear was a bald baby. I hoped the head of hair would be incentive to really push and push she did. I was very surprised when Ava Claire appeared as I had expected a boy! She looked just like her mother at birth, minus the big wide awake eyes.

Shortly after her birth I left the new family to bond and drove home to deliver the details to the boys who were all over at the house with Norm. Almost as soon as I stepped into the house they raced out to buy some flowers for their sister and went to the hospital to see their new niece. Later that night I took Norm over to the hospital to see Ava Claire as he had set being here for her birth as his goal. He cutely referred to Coryn's pregnancy as the' impending obstetrical delivery' for which he would like to be present. We have now set Ava Claire's first Christmas as our new goal.

While we we were there Fred and Becky showed up with Elena who did not approve of anyone holding the baby. Her lower lip trembled, her eyes grew moist and she demanded that her parents pick her up and pay attention to her! Then the Lowe boys showed up for their second visit of the day. Earlier in the afternoon Grant and Sheryl had driven up from their vacation home in the Lake of the Ozarks and Gaylene, Jeremy's mother had come up from Oklahoma City. A lot of visitors for Ava Claire's first day!

Coryn and Jeremy were ready to go home the next day but the pediatrician stated that she was uncomfortable discharging Ava Claire, declaring her a preemie at 6lbs 11oz and asking the parents to stay another night. By the time they were discharged the baby had jaundice but thankfully was sent home with some contraption that attached special lights to the baby for a few days. Thankfully Sheryl was able to stay with them for the first few days, driving Coryn and Ava to the doctor's office daily to have her blood tested for bilirubin levels. Fortunately she was much better in a few days so that Coryn could concentrate on nursing : nursing her nipples I should say as unfortunately they became very cracked and inflamed. Fortunately a month later she is finally healed. She did ask me yesterday which part of nursing was enjoyable. I know she will think it all worthwhile the first time Ava breaks off nursing and gives her mom a milky grin!

Ava's early arrival turned my dinning room into a sweat shop as I sewed crib bumpers; a crib skirt; another flock of birds; basket liners; big bows; and tufted a chair cushion; I have gone through about twenty yards of fabrics! Before the baby was born Coryn said she was having custom drapes made for the babies room (I gave silent thanks) so I asked who she was ordering them from and she looked at me as if I had just asked the dumbest question ever and replied that I was making them of course. I muttered something about hardly calling my sewing skills custom but Coryn declared that I was creating her custom nursery. The price is right.

Ming Lee, Lori, Blake and Claudia were able to visit for a few days, staying with Coryn and Jeremy. Claudia was ecstatic to hold Ava Claire and had a great time shopping with Lori for baby clothes. Lori even passed on a couple of dresses that we had given to Claudia when she was a baby. Coryn was thrilled as she had asked Lori years ago if she could keep one of them for her in case she had a girl! Only took ten years!

We celebrated Father's Day with 3 dad's in the house this year, Norm, Ming and Jeremy. It was the first time in weeks that we used my dinning room as the chairs and tables were covered in fabrics, batting, foam, and threads - with a pin cushion carpet. I have never been able to break myself of the habit of pulling pins out of fabric as I sew and tossing them to the ground. It took me so long to clean it all up that I had to press Bryn into running the vacuum around to suck up all the pins before someone got one stuck in their foot. The boys worked together to prepare a special Father's Day lunch, steaks on the grill, corn on the cob, baked beans, garlic mashed potatoes and gravy. Dessert was four large boxes of ice cream treats which your dad is enthusiastically eating his way through in an effort to clear some space in the freezer- right. It's strange how he doesn't have an appetite for fresh fruit desserts but show him an ice cream sandwich and his appetite immediately returns.

Ming and family cooked some meals for the Logues, helped clean their already pristine home and took Ava Claire on her first stroller ride around Raintree Lake. Lori said the baby screamed as soon as she pushed her down the driveway so she took her back into the house, changed her dirty diaper and set out again: this time successfully. Ava Claire likes to have her diaper changed immediately when it becomes soiled. The boys spent Sunday night hanging out with them at Coryn's while I got back to my sewing and gardening.

Tuesday everyone except Sean showed up for dinner which Ming Lee ordered from Bolings, the best Chinese food around I think. I certainly enjoyed the break from cooking. After supper Ming and family drove to the airport and arrived home exhausted at about one in the morning. We greatly appreciated their visit as Ming will be away from his family for much of the summer training for a new FedEx plane.

As I mentioned in my last newsletter your dad is now being cared for by a hospice team in our home. This gives us access to medical care twenty-four /seven so I no longer have to try to make contact with an on call resident at Ku-Med. We have a nurse, bath aide, chaplain and a social worker. Our beloved Tina who use to take care of him has stopped by to visit a couple of times and always brings sunshine with her. We try to make each day as pleasant as possible and your dad remains in good spirits.

Marc will be here in mid July. I'm preparing myself for his hypochondria and sure to be complaints about the heat and humidity, especially in our house as your dad freezes if the thermostat is set below eighty degrees! It's much worse upstairs so hopefully he won't be spending hours in my bathroom damaging it's plumbing with his sub standard plumbing equipment. Josh always has to adjust the toilet after Marc's usage.

Kay should be back from Tulsa later in July, ready to start teaching at the Pitcher School in Kansas City. She and another girl in the Teach America program are sharing an apartment in the Plaza area and with all the furniture Coryn and the boys have for her, her biggest challenge will probably be deciding where to put it all! Sean has sold his condo, Josh is moving in with Bryn who also has his house on the market. My concern is where are the boys going to move if Bryn sells his place - my upstairs? Can you imagine my shame if I have to confess that not only am I the mother of five eligible bachelor sons (Bryn and his girlfriend split) but worse - two of them have moved home?

The July 4^th weekend will certainly be cause for celebration as my great friends of many decades, Becky, Evelyn and Sherry will be spending the weekend with us. I will fly the flag – (a very special one that Ming-Jon sent your dad this year for Father's Day as it has flown over the Nation's Capital Building), make a flag cake and completely ignore that it's the day we Brit's lost the war. They are very anxious to meet our newest family member who unfortunately is going to be away that weekend but we hope for an early return! Love your firecracker of a mother who will make sure the weekend doesn't fizzle.