Brent's little copy cat

It's official, the only thing Marshall inherited from his mother was his looks! Aside from that he is ALL Brent. This weekend was a 3 day weekend packed full of chores and projects to get done and Brent was with us most of the time. Generally Marshall would stay inside with Mom during weekends like these so he is out of Dad's way but this weekend we decided it would be good for him to do "man chores" with Daddy. So out to the shop he did go :). Turns out Marshall has an affinity for tools and tinkering. Brent likened Marshall to a shadow. Where Brent sat, Marshall sat and everything Brent touched naturally Marshall touched. Short of the air compressor Marshall loves everything tools and continually tries to "fix" everything. I can see my alarm clocks and various other things being torn apart only to be put back together again. Marshall also LOVES going outside, however, he has a "sissy" way about him (maybe not so Brent). He does not like to get dirty and asks instantly to get cleaned off, he will not stand for sand in his crocs/shoes and refuses to walk if some happens to slip into one of them. I took him to the park the other day and he stood in one spot because he refused to walk in the sand. It seems as though some of the sand got in his shoe and he freaked. With a lot of coaxing (and screaming) he eventually ended up on the park (without me picking him up) and had a fun time going down the slides. After a long and busy weekend it is easy to say the Marshall is definitely "Daddy's little boy".

Summer at the Kennedy's

Here are a few of my favorite moments so far this summer. These are glimpses into the few days where we have actually had summer weather. It seems as though it is more of a wet fall type summer than a nice sunny summer, a little disappointing but needed none-the-less. What days we have actually been able to enjoy have been a blast for our little family. It is so fun to have such a curious little 2 year old who enjoys any adventure you set before him.

Digging the flower beds with Mom and Dad

Quadding date


New helmets

Our dugout was EMPTY last year

Marshall's first haircut!

It's about time! I have been putting off cutting Marshall's hair for way too long but you can't blame me. It took so long for his hair to grow in thick enough to even see. It's so fair and white that even though it was getting long and straggly from a distance he still looked bald. So we finally bit the bullet and gave him a cut and he looks so boyish as opposed to babyish :) He sat perfectly still (as still as you can expect from a 2 year old) and exercised great self-control. It was a fun experience and I love how much of a little man he looks like.

Before shot of his long locks

After the cut (before styling)

Sitting on the potty while Mom was playing with my hair :) (being a goof)

So hard to get a serious face with his eyes open :P

Keaton- 1 month

Keaton has a quiet perceptive personality. He isn't as social as Marshall was (Marshall smiled at 2 weeks where as Keaton smiled for the first time at 4 weeks) but when he does smile he lights up our hearts :) We recently measured his weight and height and he is currently sitting at 11 lbs 3 ounces and measuring over 22 inches! He is definitely our little porker ;). Here are a few update photo's, the first one is at 3 weeks old and the rest were taken just recently at 5 weeks old.

More pictures

Keaton Asher Kennedy!

It is crazy to think about it being over a week since welcoming our second little boy into the world! Among the mayhem I have finally found the time to sit down and write about the details. Keaton Asher was born on April the 11th at 7:37 PM, weighing in at 8 pounds 6 ounces and measuring 20 inches long. We had false labour on and off since the 7th and finally consistant contractions on the afternoon of the 10th. Contractions slowed down over the night and picked up again in the morning (4:00 AM). By noon on the 11th they were very consistant at 5 minutes and getting quite painful so we went to the hospital. At that point they did an examination and determined that I was 3-4 cm dilated and instructed me to walk for an hour. We did so until I was getting quite painful contractions every 3-4 minutes. They then admitted me and we were 5 cm dilated!

I went into the shower at about 2:00 and stayed in there for a couple of hours until I finally requested the epidural. I got out of the shower and finally got the necessary blood work and by the time that came back from the lab and the anesthesiologist came up it was 6:30 before I actually recieved the meds. They broke my water and checked me before giving me the epidural and I was sitting at 7 cm dilated. It took no time after getting the medication before I felt the urge to push, it was about quarter after 7 and by 7:37 our little man was born!

Keaton was a very sleepy newborn and they had to poke him a couple of times and give him some "wake up" medication before we got any real cries out of him. I did not get to see his Apgar scores but I know that he was very purple and quiet for quite a while. It took him a good 20 minutes before giving one good cry and then he was back to sleep. They monitored us for a few hours before putting us in a room and then we were finally on our own :)

The birth was not a traumatic one by any means therefore my recovery has been relatively fast. I find myself doing a little too much at times but I am just happy to be able to move around freely finally!! Despite Brents impartiality to infants, he is quite happy to have another little man in the house. We love our boys and wouldn't trade them for the world! Life after Keatons birth has been a little bit crazy, it was only this Wednesday (20th) that I had my first "just at home" day. Things have been settling well, Keaton had his days and nights mixed up but has quickly gotten onto a proper night-day schedule. Marshall is of course a little jealous, every time Keaton cries Marshall runs to him and emphatically points a finger at him and says "baby NO!" (I am assuming he has picked up on the fact that if Keaton cries Mom pays attention to him :) Regardless of his jealousy Marshall likes to give him kisses and tries hard to give him the soother.

Mommy- Marshall comparison!

Times are changing and Marshall is changing so fast! His features are becoming more "boy" than "baby" and he is really starting to look like me (Chantelle). Here are a few photo's and I will let you decide for yourself...

Mommy Profile

Marshall profile

Mommy and Uncle Chris

Marshall

Moa Pwase!!

Marshall asking for more...

Winter!

Just a quick little update on the Brent side of the family :)

Brent is a very busy man with work which is a real blessing for us! He currently has two apprentices, Kaden and Andrea's Burkhart as well as another new Carpenter named Cam that is working as their new finisher. I wish I could say that Winter is a welcomed arrival but when it comes to his job, Brent could definitely do without the cold weather! Hunting this year went well for Brent, we have two deer worth of meat in our freezer as well as some moose from the Tylers. Brent has enjoyed hunting this season but perhaps the most exciting news that he may have is that we now have a quad. This opens a lot more doors for where he can hunt as well as quad dates with his wife!

As for me (Chantelle) I have been very busy with a lot of little things. A lot of trips to and from the doctor's with sicknesses and what-not have been the story of my life lately. Those along with the baby appointments have made the doctors office almost like a second home to Marshall and I. All seems to be well with the baby, I have probably heard the heartbeat 5 times by now, had one ultrasound and another one on the 6th of December. This baby seems to be a lot less active than Marshall which excites us to see who this little one is and what their personality might be like!

Marshall is growing up so fast and will soon be a year and a half. He is talking a lot (most of it just excited babbles) but there are plenty of words in his dictionary, but too many to count. He is a very active boy and short of his sleep times he is rarely sitting still. He loves most people as long as they are not dressed in halloween costumes and that coupled with his social personality makes him a very loveable little boy and a joy to all! Marshall has a special affinity to other children and Grandpa's. Whether we are at church or the doctor's office, it is hard to keep him away from the grey haired men. There is a certain love that Marshall has for his puppies and even though he scares Blue sometimes they love him back. Our boy is getting taller and skinnier and no longer looks like a little boy as much as he looks like a toddler. He is a never ending teether, always having as many as 8 teeth starting to come up at one time, giving him a mouth full of pearly whites. We especially love the little gap in his front teeth it is a very distinctive feature that we love about him.

Marshall is going to be a BIG brother!

We are very excited to announce the expected arrival of our new little baby! Baby is expected to arrive on April 22 (Good Friday!) of next year. We had an ultrasound today (Sept 21) and the baby seemed fine and surprisingly active!

Quick update

Brent is still working for Dueck Brothers and is currently apprenticing two young men including his brother Kaden! Things seem to be going well and he is thoroughly enjoying it. He has just started bow hunting and is eager for the rifle season to start.













I am currently have a hard time finding current pictures of both Brent and I! Regardless, all seems to be well with me. I am at home with our son and thoroughly enjoying it. It doesn't seem like much but it is amazing how little things can fill up your week!

Marshall is now 15 months old. He is a busy little boy with lots to do and enjoys playing with anything but his toys. His toy of choice is a metal spoon (not to be replaced by a disposable plastic spoon) and he likes to hide them all over the house! We love our Marshall and are very proud of the social personality that he has.

Long time coming!

Brent and I are happy to announce that we are now the proud users of our very own internet! We will now be able to readily access our blogging site and udpate it as we please... this will mean many more updates in the life of the Kennedy's!

Winter is coming

Hey everyone, I can't believe how long it has been and how much has changed! It is snowy up here in the Great White North and winter is getting well under way. Brent is still working hard with Dueck Brothers and God has definitely provided us with a lot of work. Marshall is already five months old and growing into quite the young man. There is no keeping him still or in one place and he rolls from one end of the room to the other. He is starting to try and crawl but his kicking and moving generally ends up with him moving backwards. Marshall is quite the social butterfly and is full of smiles and giggles for many, however he has quite a stubborn streak. We definitely have our hands full but it is a true blessing to be his parents. Marshall has also started to mimick sounds that we make, for example he does not quite know the meaning but when asked he will say "ma-ma". He has also found that his lips make a smacking sound when he puts them together and pulls them apart so he is constantly doing it. Other than a couple of colds we have been keeping quite healthy and pray that it will stay that way. We look forward to a fun filled holiday with family and wish you all a happy winter!

Mommy life

It's been a while since we have had Marshall, two months have flown by fast and I haven't had the chance to say how it has been. The last two months have been such a blessing with our little boy. It's hard to believe that he is already cooing, smiling and playing! Life has definitely been an adventure and there is a lot to learn but we have been getting along marvelously. Marshall is very interactive and is starting to hold his head up, he loves bathtime and reading stories but his favorite time of the day is just sitting and talking with Mommy and Daddy. The conversations we have with him are amazing (we call them conversations because he has a whole range of vocal emotions and responds to everything we say!). He dislikes diaper changes and tummy time but I think the funniest angry moments are when he is made to burp. He has developed quite the little attitude and when i know he has to burp I lift him up to do it. When he feels it is unnecessary or just plain wants to be difficult he will straighten his body stiff as a board and make it virtually impossible to fold him in half. He will scream until he turns blue and then take another gasp of air to let those little lungs go! It is amazing how the personality is evident so early in life, I think we will have our hands full with this little man! Life has been great and we look forward to the future and new adventures as a family.

It's been a while

I figured its about time we do a little update... I did not realize that it has been so long. I guess the lack of technology at our house doesn't help haha. Lots of things have been going on lately. Brent finished his schooling and is officially a journeyman in carpentry and is enjoying work again. We have been very busy with bible studies (Growing Kids God's way, The Abiding Life and Prep for Parenting) as well as prenatal classes. Time is running out, we only have 7 weeks left and lots to do. We have purchased our doors so we are working on getting those put up, we are also building Brent's gun room in the garage so our nursery can actually become a nursery. I only have 3 weeks left of work and it will be nice not to have to hoist myself out of the little clown car. Other than that not a whole lot has happened that is very significant. We are not eagerly awaiting our little arrival

Christmas at the Kennedy's

Christmas turned out wonderfully at Mom and Dad's household. On Christmas Eve we did the music for the candelight service at the church and spent the rest of the night gorging on mass amounts of treats and snacks while watching the ever classic Christmas Story (I don't think it will ever get old!). In the morning Brent and I went over to mom and dads for the opening of gifts and breakfast. The kids were definitely eager to get at them. Lehman had his eye set especially on one beautifully wrapped gift from Lauryn, however i don't think it was the wrapping as much as he had shaken it earlier and determined that it was a playmobile set. We definitely ended up with a small pool of blue playmobile boxes which definitely distracted the kids from most other gifts. Breakfast was to follow with a delectable menu of waffles and ice cream (with real maple syrup), eggs and fruit salad. We spent the remainder of the afternoon watching Road to Avonlea episodes, editing photo's and preparing the Turkey dinner. As always Mom put on a wonderful spread of fine food that rendered us all useless masses on the couch. We ended our evening with the good ole' Christmas Carol and finished off the night with a portion of Mom's much coveted Skor bar dessert. I would say it was a very successful Holiday.

A.O.K

Brent and I both had doctors appointments on Friday for his hand and the baby. He has been having problems with a large lump in his hand which was previously diagnosed as a bone spur in his joint, but it turns out it has to do with an infection that was in the hand a while ago and damaged the tendin. Needless to say the put a massive needle directly into his tendin and he has a strict regiment of topical creams and massage therapy. However this is good news for us seen as how if it had been a joint injury it would get continually worse and eventually be a career ender. After his appointment he had to take a day off and got to join me in my prenatal appointment where we got to hear our baby's heartbeat for the first time! It was a very exciting time and we are happy that all is well.

Watch out world...

In coming baby Brent! It's funny how since I have become pregnant it seems everyone needs to remind me of how rotten of a child my husband was... encouraging I know. Horror story's of him even in the womb have come to surface, some cracked ribs and rambunctious movements seem to be what I have to look forward to over the next six months. However despite the lack of encouraging words I know one thing... there is still hope, he CAN be trained! I already dodged one bullet by compromising with Brent his favorite name, Truck. It has now been established that this name is suitable for a nickname only. The baby is going to be a great blessing and I am happy to be carrying such a beautiful gift from God, once I get passed the whole first semester sickness and labor part. Otherwise it has been a lot of fun to share this exciting news with friends and family and I can't wait to get more news on our much anticipated bundle of joy.

8 days

So there is 8 days to go and this is finally my last day of work! I get to go into BC and take some grad photo's (i am definitely a little nervous), it is going to be a long day and i cannot wait until its over! We have most of our wedding details accomplished but i can't help the feeling that i am forgetting something. Most of the puppies have their eyes open now, so they don't look like little rats anymore. Brent and I went to go pick up some kittens for our acreage a couple days ago and we got there and she said they weren't born yet so she just gave us the pregnant mom, then last night we got even more kittens (all of which as going to be split up between us and his parents). So things are slowly coming together now we just have to tackle cleaning Brents house. His iron eater went on his water system and we have been waiting for a long time to have it fixed and they haven't come yet so all of his toilets and tubs have a slight tint of orange to them. Hopefully they will fix it before the wedding though. That is pretty much all of the news we have right now, we are looking so forward to seeing everyone here.

10 more days

So it has been a while since I have last updated and things seem to be slowing down when they should be speeding up. We have to majority of things finished, i picked up my wedding dress on monday. I started getting a head ache on sunday and i slept in on Monday morning and was going to go to work after i tried on my dress, i was in the dress for about 2 minutes and i just about fainted. Needless to say i didn't go to work after that lol. Since then i have been slightly light headed, naucious and i have a tight chest (i have a viral infection). 10 days to go and I get very sick... typical. Oh well, our puppies are doing well they are 11 days old and one opened her eyes yesterday the other ones are starting to as well. They are actually looking like puppies as well haha not little rats quite cute! We are getting our kittens tonight, Brent tried to keep it a surprise but I was just too smart and guessed it on the first time! Other than that not much else is new, just a lot of mayhem as Brents parents are trying to organize for lots of guests. Looking forward to the day that you all come to see us!