Divided Opinion

Dan loves this picture. Erica does not. Jameson attended his first parade, the Raleigh Christmas Parade.

Our Happy Boy

Jameson is starting to let us lay him down in his swing and bouncer. This morning after I fed him, he was very alert and happy in his swing for a long time. Our boy is learning how to smile a lot.

There is no sound in this video. It was taken with Dan's old Nikon Coolpix. Jameson learned to smile and coo at around six weeks. Here he is at 7 weeks. Pay attention to the background. Someone is trying hard to steal the show.

Family Pictures

Here are some of the family pictures for you.

Dan's Favorites

Here are some of my favorites. It's fun having such photogenic subjects.
And PS...weight at month 1 is 8 lbs. 5.6 ounces...he's packing the pounds on.



Jameson has adorable hands. He has constantly put them in various positions that are just so precious. One of the funniest is when he is hungry. He starts gnawing on his hands. He'll move them all around his mouth, and usually bend a few fingers. He definitely wants to make sure we know he's hungry.



I'm trying to get a lot of shots with Erica in the picture, but also blurred just enough to clearly see her but focus on Jameson.



Jameson's mother is an incredible person, and he obviously appreciates the awesome job she's doing raising him.

He was just wiggling around, but this picture seems to tell a different story about how much he did not enjoy the photo session.

His favorite position: on anyone's chest.

Jameson's 2 Week Portraits

Dan and I love photography and hope to one day take portraits as a sort of side income, but for now we have been practicing with Jameson. We set up a makeshift studio using some sheets and our futon. Jameson was a great subject and didn't get very fussy at all. Of course, when you are photographing a baby you have to be prepared to only get in about 5 minutes of picture time before he's about had it. He was rewarded with a meal after we were finished. Here are some of the pictures that I (Erica) took. Maybe Dan will post some of his later.

My first week as a mommy

I've been a mommy for almost a week now and I now realize what exactly people mean when they say a baby changes everything. It's amazing how quickly you fall in love with a little baby. It's fun to look at Jameson and see how he looks like Dan and me. I think he's got Dan's chin. His hair looks like the kind of hair I was born with.

When I first met Jameson I didn't realize how tiny newborns really were. He was a typical weight ( 7lbs 9 oz) but still was so tiny. I had been thinking that we had way too many size "newborn" onesies. Boy, was I wrong! The kid goes through onesies like they're going out of style and I'm glad I have those tiny ones. For his going home outfit, Dan bought a size 3 month onesie for Jameson. It was the smallest we could find and I thought it would fit him perfectly. It pretty much swallowed him up, but it was so cute.

One of my favorite moments with Jameson are when he opens his eyes. This isn't often because it seems like he sleeps 90% of the time, but on the rare occasion where he's awake and alert, there is nothing like him looking up at me with those adorable eyes. He does this a lot when he eats and it melts my heart.

Another of my favorite moments is when Jameson lies on my stomach with his head nuzzled under my chin. He folds himself into a little ball, probably a lot like he was when he was in my tummy. His little legs cross and curl under his body and his little fists tuck under his chin. He would sleep like this for hours if you let him.

So far, having a baby has been a lot of fun. Sure, our house has been invaded by burp cloths, random socks, onesies, blankets, and bottle parts, but it is all worth it.

Going Home

We searched a long time for the outfit that Jameson would wear home from the hospital. We could not find anything with trains that we liked. They were all very dull and boring. So, we went to plan B, DUKE. We also had a hard time finding this. We found a lot of great outfits, but they were all for 6-18 months. Then finally, we found a newborn onesie. The hat and socks were easy to find.


We were ready to leave the hospital and begin our new lives.

Erica gave Jameson a tour of the house. She enjoyed showing off her quilt.


Our new little blue devil has arrived.

Jameson Adair Courtine; September 6, 2009

Jameson Adair Courtine was born at 8:02 p.m. on Sunday, September 6, 2009 at Rex Hospital in Raleigh, NC. Jameson weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces, and measured 20.5 inches long.

We had quite a scare for about 15 minutes. Everything went great for the entire day. At 7:50, all of a sudden, we had four nurses in the room, calling for the doctor. They told us to take Erica's jewelry off, threw an oxygen mask on her and started unhooking everything. We finally heard them say the heartbeat dropped really low. That was not good to hear. They were going to do a C-section right then.

Luckily, the C-section went quickly and successfully. Apparently, the umbilical cord was being pinched or something, which is what they expect caused the drop in the heartbeat. Jameson came out screaming and is doing awesome. Erica is recovering from the surgery, but is doing really well. We thought she was on pain medicine all night, and she was comfortable. We found out this morning that she hadn't been on the medication. She's been moving around today relatively pain free. So, she is recovering well.

Erica was incredibly strong and brave throughout this entire pregnancy, and all day yesterday. I have an awesome wife.

Almost Done

The nursery is almost finished. Erica finished her quilt, and it is AWESOME! She is so talented. Here she is, belly and all, showing it off.



We had our glider delivered this weekend. Erica's parents have friends who have a daughter who gave it to us. It really fills the room much better. We still have a bit of organizing to do, but it's taking shape.



And for those of you who want to see the name train, here it is. It's at the top of this photo.

Amazing Quilter

We have an amazingly talented quilter in this house.

All Aboard!!!

The train is done. YAHOO! Now we can get the toys off the floor.

We went to a consignment sale Saturday and were able to find some good clothes for low prices. Now we at least have something to prevent "Naked Baby Syndrome" from occuring. We also finished our "Preparing for Child Birth Class" Saturday. It actually wasn't very too bad. I think it was really informative for the moms, and not dreadful for dads.

Erica is close to finishing the quilt. That's the last major piece before we can really get the nursery looking good. I still have to finish the nameplates, but that's mostly just sanding and painting.

One month to go...

Choo Choo

Here is the latest of the train. Only have black left to paint, and a tiny bit of touchup.

Choo Choo

We're making good progress. Yes, Erica's belly is making good progress. But, we're also making good progress on the nursery things. Erica is almost done with the trains on the quilt. IT LOOKS AWESOME!!! I love my talented wife. I can't post a picture now because it's not done, and I don't have permission.


I have finished building the train toychest. I put the primer/sealer paint on today. All that's left is a coat of white, and then the fun colors.

We're going to start shopping for things soon. We better get a move on since we only have two months left and need to buy everything.

Who's Looking Now?

So, I received an e-mail from someone stating that the blog hadn't been updated since May 30. Well, there are two reasons for this. One, nothing really is happening. We've been busy the last two weeks, so we haven't had much time for baby stuff. This weekend is open, so we'll do more then. We did get news today that Erica passed her glucose test. That's good.

The second reason for not updating in a while is that people don't comment...so we don't know if people are actually looking. So, this is a test. You have to leave a comment and at least say, "Hi." That way we know that people actually want to read about our lives.

More Furniture

The dresser is done. We finished staining it, and Erica painted little trains on the knobs. It turned out pretty well.

Erica is working on her train quilt. She's extremely talented in the quilting area, and it's going to look great. I spent the day building the other two train cars for the toy chest. I just need to figure out what I want to do for the wheels, and then it'll be ready for sanding and painting.

We also are making the nameplates for the wall. Erica wrote the letters last night, and I routed them in today. They look great. Do you realize how hard it is to rout a Q and a Z? I need finish cutting the train cars, and then they'll be ready for sanding and painting.

We're having fun.

The nursery is coming along. Our crib now has a mattress (exciting). I've spent the last two Saturdays working on the train toychest. The engine is built. It's gone pretty well except for a few screws I couldn't get to sink. Next up is the final sanding and then painting. Then I'll do the two other cars, both of which will be very simple little boxes.

The dresser is almost finished. I put the first coat of poly on today. It probably only needs one more coat, and then will be done. Erica's going to paint the knobs with little trains. We're also getting ready to make the nameplates. And Erica is beginning work on her train quilt. Lots going on...so stay tuned.

The Growing Belly

Here is an updated picture of my stomach. I think I am now officially past the point where people who don't know me look at me and wonder if I have just been eating too much cake. Mmmm cake. Anyway, we are now 22 weeks and Cletus is moving around all the time. Dan got to feel him move for the first time about a week ago. It was pretty exciting. Cletus is very talented. He gave me a Mother's Day card this morning. I don't know how he even knew about the holiday, but he found a card and wrote me a message. I can't wait to meet my little genius. Oh yeah, more exciting news. I found Oshkosh B'Gosh overalls for Cletus yesterday in Smithfield! Apparently there is an Oshkosh store in the Carolina outlet mall. I kind of have this thing about Oshkosh. I think it's because I grew up wearing Oshkosh overalls. I was really hoping they still made the cute overalls they had when I was growing up. I never see them in department stores. Yesterday I found a ton, but I only bought one pair. They are blue and green plaid. I think they are sooooo cute. I'll have to stock up on more once Cletus is born. Yay for little boys!

Nursery Stage 1

Stage 1 is complete. The nursery is painted, a ceiling fan is installed, and the crib is together. The paint is Jamaica Sky. The crib is the Davinci Kalani Expresso. We painted clouds on the fan blades.

The them of the nursery is trains. Erica is going to make the bumper, curtains and a quilt. I am on the fine sanding of the dresser, and will then stain that. I'm going to build a three-car train toy box, nameplates (which won't be exposed to anyone until birth), a shelf, and who knows what else. We're going to keep ourselves busy, that's for sure. But, it'll be a lot of fun making all the things we want and taking so much ownership of the nursery. Hopefully, someday down the road, the kid will appreciate the effort.

It's a Boy

We had our big appointment on Tuesday. There was a clear picture of an additional body part. We are going to have a son. Sorry, those pictures are private. However, you can see his body, face and foot in these pictures.

The nurse said that everything was good. Cletus has a good heartbeat, his spine is growing nicely, and everything was in order. Erica's next test in 5 weeks is the glucose test. I don't know anything about this, but they said she HAD to pass.

With the news that it's a boy, we were able to put many things in motion. We do have the name picked out. However, that is our secret. Only God, Cletus and us two will know the name until sometime around September 9. We are doing a train theme in the nursery. Erica picked a light blue color, and I spent last night painting. I am glad that is done. I do not like painting. But, now that it's done, our time can be devoted to fun things. Our crib is here, and we can put that together soon. I am designing the name train that we'll hang on the wall, and a train toy chest that I'll build. I'm refinishing a dresser also. Erica is going to make as much of the bedding as she can, and also a quilt for the wall and the curtains. We're going to be really busy, but it's going to be so much fun completing these projects and seeing the finished project. We'll post pictures as we finish parts. I should have the crib together sometime next week.

I guess that's it for now. Off to plan more.

Just Waiting

Well, not much is happening right now. We are counting down the days (17) until we find out what we're going to have. Erica is feeling pretty good now. She has felt the baby start moving a little bit. I haven't been as lucky yet.

We've decided on the crib we're buying. We know the type of stroller we want, but haven't found the right pattern yet. We're also trying to decide what to do about furniture. We don't want to spend a lot of money on junk, but we also don't want to buy good furniture that the kid will most likely destroy. Hmmm...not sure.

We're slowly buying other things as they are available at good prices. We've gone to some consignment sales and bought a chest carrier, a diaper pale, a bottle holder for the dishwasher, and a couple other tiny things. It's hard to buy too much though since we don't know the gender yet.

We've also been looking at names. We think we have our short list, although we're still looking to make sure we haven't missed a good one.

Think that's about it for now.

The Heart of a Champion

Thanks to our awesome neighbors and their doplar, we were able to hear and share Cletus' heartbeat tonight.

Cletus the Fetus

OK. Now that we've told everyone, we can post information here. We have been instructed to "name" our growing baby. I have no creativity in that area, so Erica came up with the name, "Cletus the Fetus." Our neighbors, being experienced as they are, took, "Maybe the baby."

Erica had another appointment on Monday. She heard the heartbeat for the second time, and everything sounds good. We go on April 28 at 2:00 to find out the sex. I do't understand how some people can wait for the surprise. I want to know.

Here is our little "guy" right now.

We'll keep you posted.

My Ukraine Journal Part V-The Physical Abuse

It was eye-opening to see how the orphans treated each other. In addition to the stealing, there was tremendous physical abuse. The kids would kick and hit each other as they ran up and down the hallway. The older kids certainly bullied the younger kids. Most discouraging was during our lessons. As we were teaching, many children would come and go because of interest (or lack of), eating times, or meetings with friends. As they moved through the room, they smacked each other in the head, punched and pushed. Words we could not understand were spoken sometimes, but many of these attacks seemed unprovoked. Also during our lessons, when the kids were disruptive, the older kids would try to quiet the disruptive ones. The intentions were good. However, their means were awful. They would quickly stand up, yell on the way to the disruptive kid, and then smack him a few times. It is amazing there are not major injuries at the orphanage.

My Ukraine Journal Part IV-The Relationships That Did

Toward the end of the week, some of the kids became permanently attached to us. The ons that we really developed relationships with began to trust us and love us, so they wanted our attention. This was extremely encouraging, but at the same time, discouraging. The encouragement came from seeing these kids happy. It came from the smiles on their faces. It came from their hugs. It came from hearing, "Dan," shouted from down the hallway or up the stairs, and then the fast footsteps as they ran to us. The encouragement also came from the trust these kids had in us. They did not have much hope in life. Many could not trust their parents. They could not trust many of the other orphans, as stealing runs wild through the orphanage. For many of the children, we were the only people they could trust. Seeing that develop in such a short time was very encouraging.
The discouragement came from knowing that we were only there for a few days. After that, we too would leave them, and with us the hope, happiness and trust. It is heartbreaking to think of these children not smiling much in just a few days. They'll be back to survival mode, and they won't have those bright spots anymore.

Pictures

Here are most of the pictures I took...some with captions to give a few of the details.

http://picasaweb.google.com/dcourtine

My Ukraine Journal Part III-The Impossible Relationships

It was not uncommon as we were greeting the kids to suddenly be hit in the back, tackled or jumped on. As more and more kids came, we could not move. They were like bees on honey. Although we were there for all the kids, this was difficult to handle. There were a few kids that we really connected to for various reasons. We wanted to learn as much as possible about them so we would know how we could best deal with them in the future. But, there is no such thing as alone time in an orphanage. We could not get that child away to talk as much as we had hoped. Luckily, we did have one solution to the lack of one-on-one time. Each night, each team member invited one child to go to dinner with us. This was a chance to give the kids a good meal, and a full meal. It was a chance to really talk and learn about the child. It was also a treat to watch these children eat. None of the kids knew how to use a knife, so we tried, usually unsuccessfully, to teach them, befor cutting the chicken for them in the end. The kids each ate ice cream, and that was fun to watch. They don't ever get that treat, so it was a special moment when they ate it. Talking with the kids was really interesting and important. We learned about their family and their interests, and many bonds were formed through these meals. I will write about my guests in a later post.

My Ukraine Journal Part II-Love the Attention

These kids love attention. That is not a surprise at all. They don't get much. It was so neat to see thm appear one at a time each day, and then all of a sudden mob us. Somehow, word spread very quickly at the orphanage. One kid saw us and somehow got word out to the others. They would quickly appear in groups and then mass numbers. Each member of our team was attacked by the kids that we had begun really developing relationships with. Then there were others who wanted to talk with each of us. Some wanted attention. Some wanted to practice (show off) their English skills (hello, how are you?), and some wanted to make fun of us and our lack of ability in using the Russian language. I am pretty certain that we were called some names and cursed at this week. I am also pretty certain that I cursed a few times. I tried so hard to learn as much Russian as possible this week. When they said words to me, I would do my best to repeat them. I figured I had been suckered when they began to laugh hysterically and high five their friends after my attempt to speak Russian. Oops.

Coming Next: My Ukraine Journal Part III-The Impossible Relationships

My Ukraine Journal Part I-Joyful Kids

As we were spending a day on a plane to return to America, I began writing down my thoughts about the trip. Here is the first part of my journal...

Our trip to the Ukraine was a very interesting experience, and will hopefully be a huge learning experience. I love many of the orphans as much as I love many of my students. I am glad that my heart continues to have the ability to love kids so much. I wish I could transfer that ability to adults also, and not become so frustrated on a daily basis.
As Megan (a lady in my former small group) described with her trip to Haiti also, it is amazing to see how joyful and kind these kids are, despite living the life they do. They almost always had a smile on their faces. I would joke with them and try to take their food. They looked at me, thought I was serious, and then would push their food over to me. I would not take it of course, but just the thought that they would give it is so heartwarming. They were so appreciative of life and of us, that they had to thank us. Offering their food was one of the few ways they could do that. One other way they tried to thank us was by giving us candy. We had brought a lot of candy to give to them. But, somehow they had their own. In order to show their appreciation of us, they would offer it to us. When we told them, "No, thank you, " they insisted. We said, "No, thank you," again, but they insisted. I hated taking candy from them, but I hated to refuse their gift even more. It wasn't about the candy. It was about the relationship we had built, and their desire to thank us for coming to visit them. How special it is that these kids have so little, but they are willing to give us a small piece of candy that they would love to eat, in order to show us that they appreciate us. I hope that I can be that caring and giving, and show my appreciation better on a daily basis.

My Ukraine Journal Part II-Love the Attention

Coming soon.

Why the kids are in the Orphanage

The kids we met are in the orphanage for many reasons, which you can probably guess. Their parents are either deceased, in prison, walked out, abused them, or alcoholic. We met them all. The government takes many kids out of their homes and puts them in the orphanage. It's good for the kids to get out of the situation they're in, but it's bad because the new situation is terrible as well.

Jenya is in the orphanage because her mother beat her. This is very confusing for a few reasons. First, she has a few younger sisters who are still home with mom. Why haven't they been taken away? Why was Jenya the only one beaten? We don't know. Jenya is an absolute doll. She has a tremendous spirit and personality. She was talkative and loving. She was constantly giggling. The whole week showed us absolutely nothing but just an amazingly sweet little girl. How could someone beat her?

Oleg doesn't know his father. His mother is extremely ill, and probably will pass soon. Oleg thinks of mom often, and misses her. After we talked about her mom, he was very saddened, and spent a majority of the dinner thinking to himself about her. I asked him if he had a picture of his mom. He said, "No." I asked our Ukranian leader if it was possible to get him a picture of his mom, and she said, "No." I don't understand this. Is it that we CAN not get a picture, or that we WILL not get a picture. I don't understand how Oleg's mother can be alive, and no one can drive or walk over to get a picture for this boy. Ridiculous. It is heartbreaking to see him just sit there thinking about his mom.

Each kid has a story. We were able to learn a few of them, and each story should make us appreciate the family that we have. I am so thankful that I have parents and sisters I can call, whether to talk, or to get advice and support. I am so thankful for my wife, who I get to hug every day, see across the room, and who tells me every day that she loves me. I wish these kids could have that person.

Photography

In case you haven't heard, we've started a photography business. Any of you in the Raleigh area who know someone needing pictures...feel free to pass our names along.

http://www.dancophotography.com

The Ukraine

There is so much to say about the Ukraine, but we just cannot do it yet. We have to recover, get organized, and process everything. We will post stories and memories as time permits. Most likely, they will come in pieces. So, if you're interested, keep checking back. They're coming. And don't assume that nothing new is coming...there's a lot to tell over time.

We spent our time at the Jonkoi Orphanage in the town of Dzhankoy. Find the Black Sea on the map. The Crimea is the peninsula on the north part. We flew into Simferopol which is at the bottom of the peninsula, and then drove up to Dzhankoy located at the top of the peninsula, before you get to the mainland part of the Ukraine.

For now, I'll post these photos of the orphanage



and this photo of my friend Artyom.





He lost his mother at three and doesn't know dad. He and his brother are both at Jonkoi Orphanage, but both have a great spirit. Artyom and I became very close this week, and we will write to each other to keep in touch. He apparently is a troublemaker, but I saw a really nice boy who wanted my attention. I loved getting to know him a bit and seeing his smile each day. I purchased Artyom a sweater and some new shoes while we were there so he can stay warm and be comfortable. He wrote me a really nice letter thanking me for everything. It was nice to see that he had some hope.


Unedited and unorganized photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/dcourtine

The Blog

Hello all. Welcome to the Courtine Family Blog. Many people have blogs these days, and since Erica and I are always trying to be in the cool crowd, we figured we would join them. So, here we go. We hope you will enjoy reading about our lives.