From: Kraig Warnemuende <ad6075@wayne.edu>

Date: Sun Apr 6, 2003 8:11:12 PM America/Detroit

To: Kraig Warnemuende <ad6075@wayne.edu>

Subject: 04/04/03 Update from Kraig, Loren and Keren

Dear all,

So anyway!!!! I can't believe it's already Friday again and a week has passed since Keren and my exciting foray into the world of road trips!

We did it! Keren and I had a marvelous trip down to North Carolina last weekend and spent some wonderful, though all too short, hours with my sister Jessie and her husband Brian. Keren did quite well overall in the car. Got fussy a bit on the way down and we (my friends Mary Ellen and Jodi with whom I went) realized that her ears were probably hurting her because of the pressure changes of going up and down hills and mountains. Flat Michigan has never given us that experience! Then on the way back Sunday she was pretty fussy for a number of hours--I had to keep changing her position. Come Monday morning, though, she came down with a cold, so that might be a clue as to the extra fussiness in the car. It was good to be with two friends who are experienced moms, though, because not only could they put up with a crying baby, but they were also able to reassure me with, "This is perfectly normal, Loren. All babies do this."

So now we're experienced travelers. Keren seemed to thoroughly enjoy the change of scenery--she was very cheerful at Jessie's and won the hearts of many of Jessie's friends who have been praying for her. We were able to meet a lot of them--girls from church, women Jessie works with and women she works out with at the Y--since Jessie was hosting to PartyLite Candle parties for Mary Ellen. Nothing like a social gathering for getting to meet the crowd! Saturday was gorgeous; 75% weather and sunny. We sat out on the deck for lunch, listened to all the birds singing, and saw the first blooms on the dogwood trees. Then we woke up Sunday morning and went to church in the snow!!!! Yep, it snowed. It was pretty funny to watch it falling down on the bright green grass! Despite that, it was neat to be able to visit Jessie and Brian's church and meet more of the people that they've connected with there.

Unfortunately we had to take off Sunday afternoon and drive home. The snow had stopped by that point, and there wasn't any on the roads. It was a gorgeous drive through the mountains of West Virginia. The trees and ground were laden with a lacy shawl of snow--feast for the eyes!!! We arrived home safe and sound late that night to a very happy Kraig who isn't sure if he's going to let his girls go off galavanting again. I guess we'll just have to take him with us next time :) !

And that was our trip. Keren's been doing fine since despite her cold and should be over it soon. We're heading in for more doctor visits--yesterday was Keren's six month cardiology visit (all well), and she had her stitches removed from her jaw. We also went over the results from a follow-up sleep study which shows that her sleep apnea is now very mild as compared to what it was before surgery, "very severe." Pretty amazing what a difference 8 mm can make (that's how much her jaw was moved out). We'll keep you posted on more news as it comes!

Take care!

Love,

Loren for Kraig and Keren, too