Kate and Corey

Two interesting things happened over the last couple days. Call them coincidence, if you wish, but I like to think differently.

1. On the girls' birthday, Dad (me), Mom, Grandma, and Kate were looking at the videos I took when the girls were less than an hour old. Kate was mildly interested in her own video, but she really paid attention to Corey's. And when Corey was making little cooing noises, Kate started talking back to her. Made us all cry.

2. The next morning, Kate was looking up to the place on the mantle where the box with Corey's ashes sits, and she was waving.

It does make me wonder--how much does Kate remember of Corey? We'll make sure Kate grows up knowing who Corey was. I just hope she'll not just know Corey in such an abstract sense, but that she'll know Corey in her heart, as well.

1 Year

Yesterday was Kate and Corey's birthday. Kate got to be with mom and dad, grandma and grandpa, and Uncle John. It started with a trip to the doctor for her 1 year check up (healthy; 19.75 lbs, 29.25 inches; had a couple shots), then a loooong nap. Afterwards we went to the park down by Town Lake and she played in the kids' fountain, then went to the Oasis to watch the sunset. Lastly, home for some presents and cake, which she loved once she actually put it in her mouth and figured out it was good stuff!

Corey was with us in spirit. Mom and dad cried a bit off and on. We did see a beautiful butterfly in our garden, so we figured that was Corey sending us a message to say she's OK.

March 12, part 2

Of course, we can't forget the one who gets us through it all...

A messy face, a buncha teeth, and a great laugh!

March 12

Time's quickly approaching for the girls' birthday. People have asked whether this is especially hard (or have just said "this must be especially hard). No offense, but "duh!" On the other hand, it's no worse than any other day. The milestones you can brace yourself for; it's the unexpected little things that sneak up on us that are often the hardest. Tonight Tessa pulled out an alphabet book that her sister had made for the girls before they were born. It sort of got lost on the shelf, one of those keepsake gifts that we didn't really want the girl(s) drooling on or tearing at. Well, in that book, "V" was for "Verse", and for that page Tessa's mom had written a sweet poem for the two girls. *That* just killed Tessa--I cried, and I didn't even read the poem! It's when we accidentally slip back in time and touch that feeling of sweet joy and expectation at what the future held, innocent to the pain that lay ahead, that floors us. I know "N" is for New Zealand, someplace we'd hoped they'd both go some day. "M", of course, is for "Minnesota"--we didn't even have to hope for that one, of course the girls would be going there some day! Of course they'd meet "U", their Uncle John, or "C", their cousins. The things you take for granted... All so very depressing.