Subject: 10/16/02 Update from Kraig, Loren & Keren

Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2002 21:21:20 -0400

From: Kraig Warnemuende <ad6075@wayne.edu>

Dear all,

Well, we've been home almost two whole weeks now! Kraig and I are slowly adjusting to the routine of parenthood--particularly parenting infants.... Nothing like never having a full night's sleep! And poor Kraig doesn't even get out of it since we feed Keren via tube, which he can do just as well as I can (often better). He's a brick, though, and we both are so thankful for every day we have with Keren, that it makes up for lack of sleep.

Keren, by all check-ups so far (and we've had a number of them between home-care nurses and pediatric appointments), is doing very well. She's a very well-behaved little love; sleeps most of the time, but gets bright-eyed just when we're turning in for the night. Fortunately she doesn't cry too much at night--just gets cranky fits now and then. She's growing quite well. When the home-nurse weighed her Monday Keren was up to 5 lbs!!! That was up from 4 lbs. 12 oz. on Friday. We're continually encouraged by her growth. She's also not had any apnea recurrences, as far as we can tell. Her monitor has gone off a few times, but each time when we checked her she was totally fine, just sound asleep, so we think the monitor just wasn't picking up her breathing for a moment. There's been nothing like the incidents in the hospital her first two days.

We are encouraged, but still know that every day must be held close. There are no guarantees that Keren's good health will continue....but then, there are no particular reasons why it won't. We just keep praying from day to day and handing Keren back to God.

The emotional ups and downs are still there, too--I don't expect them to disappear. But with the friends and family we have around us right now, it's easier to stay up. This week my parents had to head off for a two-week business trip overseas, but my sister Jessie is able to be here for the week, up from North Carolina. And this past weekend Jessie's husband Brian and my sister Carrie were also able to be here. We're looking forward to when the rest of the family can see Keren as well!

We now have our website set up with more pictures of Keren, including a short movie (hope you can check that out!). We'll keep updating this, but here's the address: http://webpages.eng.wayne.edu/~ad6075/

Enjoy! We'll keep you posted.

Much love,

Loren, for Kraig and Keren, too!