From: Kraig Warnemuende <ad6075@wayne.edu>

Date: Fri Mar 26, 2004 9:37:30 AM America/Detroit

To: Kraig Warnemuende <ad6075@wayne.edu>

Subject: 03-26-04 February Update from Kraig, Loren and Keren

Three days down, two to go! Hope you're all enjoying this :)

On to February:

I'm sure I'm forgetting important details in all this. Guess I'll just have to save them for another email!

Looking back I think the two biggest events of February were having our main bathroom fixed up, and Kraig's sister Kat coming up to live with us until Ryan returns from Iraq. Keren took each of these in stride--which meant putting up with a preoccupied mommy who has spent the past few weeks (yep, of course the bathroom work crept into March!) scrubbing down wallpaper and painting. She has also been learning about the pleasures of living with a dog--a puppy to be exact!

Kat and Ryan had initially planned that she would stay by his fort (Fort Hood) in Texas until he returns--hopefully no later than January of next year. Kat intended to finish out college classes, and they also picked out their puppy, Ahanu (means "laughter"), to keep her company. Ahanu has worked out beautifully, but school plans down in Texas didn't and between that, lack of close family (Kev and Mandie were about three hours away), and knowing Grandma could use a lot of help with moving out of her old place and into the new, it seemed to make the most sense for Kat to come up here to Michigan. Also, Ryan's family is only forty minutes from us.

So, end of February, Kris and Katrina flew down for a whirlwind visit to Kevin, Mandie and Abby, and helped Kat with her final packing. Then Kris drove back with her while Katrina flew home. Monday morning the 23rd Kris, Kat and Ahanu wended their way into town. Keren and I were out visiting with some of our trisomy friends (we've now got a group of four moms who get together regularly--between us we have a trisomy 18, trisomy 13, trisomy 14, and trisomy 9--what a mix!). When we got home we introduced Keren and Ahanu to each other. Ahanu wasn't sure what to make of this little human creature, and Keren was fascinated by the four-legged furry thing. He barked, and she lifted her hands and gave a happy shriek, which just made Ahanu bark again, and Keren shriek again! Since then, she hasn't paid as much attention to him except for when he comes close enough for her to reach out and feel his fur (our little textures girl!). Ahanu is slowly learning his boundaries, too--such as he can lick Keren's hands, but not her face, and he's not allowed on her stuff! :) He's a good little doggy (and his "mom", Kat, is fun to have around, too! :) )

That was about it for February.... Tomorrow we'll move on to March!

Much Love,

Loren for the gang