One year ago this week

You won't believe it, but one year ago this week was when Bill and I flew to Hong Kong with contractions every 3-7 minutes apart. Here is a copy of Bill's email once we had arrived (sent to over 300 prayer supporters):

Hello Folks,
I am writing to you from Hong Kong this time. Teesa and I have made an emergency trip very much like our trip a couple of weeks ago to Bangkok, due to Teesa experiencing consistent contractions starting two days ago. She is currently in her 30th week, so she is still quite a bit short for us to be ready for this.

Her contractions are still coming at a rate of one every 5 minutes or so. When she was first admitted the staff was on constant high alert for her to go into labor for about 12 hours. Today, however, they seem to have relaxed some. A senior doctor made rounds with his staff this morning. He spoke to us about medication, treatment, and preterm labor. We spoke to him about the power of prayer. He also ordered an exam which showed that Teesa has yet to begin the physical process of labor.

Although she is weary, Teesa seems to be holding up relatively well emotionally. She still smiles and chuckles, but she has also cried a lot in the last couple of days. We are still praying that Father will amaze us and this staff with a 40+ week pregnancy. Please join us in doing the same. Also pray for Teesa to get some rest physically and emotionally. As you can imagine, she has not slept much in the last 72 hours.

Thank you, one and all.

Bill Klear

Here's another letter from Bill to a friend of ours just a couple days later:

Hey,

An ambulance was waiting for us at the airplane, they took Teesa off horizontally! We went to the nearest hospital where they took her to the delivery ward. For two days they kept Teesa in an emergency observation room in the delivery ward. She was having painful and consistent contractions that whole time. They expected her to go into labor at any moment and were ready to deliver. Teesa was pretty scared at times, and in a good deal of pain.

Everyone prayed.

I saw her this morning and it seems as though her condition had improved some as her contractions slowed drastically during the night, she slept for several hours and they transferred her from the emergency observation room in the delivery ward to a normal antenatal ward on a
different floor. We are very grateful. Then I went in during my allotted visiting hours and found her out of bed and walking. I said, "What are you doing??" and she smiled and said, "Going to the bathroom." She had very few contractions today spaced out by hours. They let her eat and drink, which she hasn't done in over two days. She is at peace and says that she is ready for it if she goes into labor.

Dad is good.

Bill

As Bill and I were recounting this story earlier today, it brought tears to my eyes to think about God's faithfulness in our lives. James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, for when he has stood the test, he WILL receive the crown of life God has promised to those who love Him." I know our trial was small compared to what others have experienced, but our prayers (read OURS, yours and mine) led to us delivering a very healthy, very adorable, very hairy! little boy.

Our commitment to you and to God is to raise Him in His ways, so that God will be glorified. We were counted worthy to be called parents of Samuel William Klear and we promise to to continue to be worthy of that title.

God is good!

Here I am on bedrest during the three months I spent in and out of the hospital in Hong Kong. Below it is another picture of me on bedrest, a couple weeks later. I had terrible heartburn and needed at least 15 minutes of sitting upright after eating a meal.

Gerry Ann's visit

We had a great time with Bill's mother, Gerry Ann, last week when she came to visit. She stayed with us from Tuesday to Friday and we did lots of fun stuff together. Bill and Gerry Ann got to hike the Mountains to Sea trail (http://www.ncmst.org/) one day and then we all went to Umstead State Park to hike a bit another day.

Sam showed off his "army crawl" for his Nana too. He still isn't crawling with his belly off the ground, but after six weeks of doing the army crawl, he's flying around the house. He's also pulling up to stand, letting go for seconds at a time (before falling) and walking around furniture by holding on tightly. We are in for trouble!



We got to see our long lost friend Paul Brown last night. I told him I was going to take a picture of him for our blog (Bill calls it "blog fodder"), but he and Bill both scoffed at me. I guess I'll have to wait until he's not looking to catch a photo. We were pumped about seeing Paul, since we hadn't seen him for four years and thought we'd never find him again. Luckily, he checks his old email address! We had a great time catching up on old times.

We also had a picnic with my brother Adam and his family yesterday at Umstead. It was SO HOT that I had to take all of Sam's clothes off and he was still sweating like mad. We finally went over to their house to cool off and rest up before our dinner with Paul.

Oh, and before I forget again, here is a picture of Sam's crazy-curly hair. I'd like to thank my mother and grandfather for their beautiful addition to our family in our curls. I absolutely LOVE them, mine included. (My mother doesn't, sadly.)

Mountain Retreat

We got invited to go to the mountains with our friends the Carsons this last week (we used to work with Hugh in China). We had such a fantastic time with them! Their daughter, Laney, is only two months younger than Sam is and they got along really well. We didn't really have any organized activity, except for one hike we took up to Linville Falls (beautiful, by the way), but that's what made it such a great little retreat. Here are are wearing the babies and hiking.

This is the Klear family at the Falls.


Bill and I have been going and going since we got back to America. We're speaking at so many places and have so many engagements that it has been difficult to catch our breath. Sam has been a real trooper about it though, and he is constantly surprising us with his flexibility. Two weeks ago we went to Tennessee with my parents (who have officially moved to Thailand now) and Sam's only protest was expressed by biting me while nursing. Once we returned home he stopped. I guess he "learned me good" with that long trip. I wish I could say we weren't going to take any more long trips, but it is the nature of our time at home to travel a lot.

We've gotten into a pretty good routine with our traveling though. We will stop every three hours at a gas station. Once I finish feeding him, he will sit with Bill in the driver's seat and play with the steering wheel. He LOVES pulling all the switches and pushing buttons. Here he is with Bill playing (don't worry, the car is parked and Bill is in full control!).

Sam really enjoyed playing with Laney on this trip. The two of them got along swell and I even learned a little something about Sam. Apparently, he likes to make other people laugh. What a distinct personality he has! He and Laney took a bath together and when he saw that splashing his hands in the water made her laugh out loud, he kept doing it over and over again - leaning in close to her face and smiling big. I think he takes after Bill in this regard.

Here we are having a picnic lunch on the day we went to Linville Falls. It was such beautiful scenery!

Okay, here's a story that will make your hair curl. We brought our little inflatable pool that my parents bought for Sam. Sam LOVES playing in it (see previous post) and Laney is no different. While Sam was taking a nap one afternoon, Hollie put Laney in the pool to play.

(Isn't she cute?)

The boys came out to join them and I guess Hugh sat down on a bench, mere feet away, that had a hornet's nest under it. He got stung (I heard him screaming, "This is for real - I'm really getting bit" as I saw a streak of him running across the deck). Bill went out a little later to investigate and here's what he saw:


They said it was the size of a softball! Good thing Hollie reacted so quickly and ran inside with Laney (it took her all of two seconds to get inside). There were a ton of these hornets. What a scary moment for Hollie.

Okay, take a deep breath and let your heart rate get back to normal now. No one was hurt, well, no one except for Hugh who got three stings, and the hornet's nest was dealt with.

Laney and Sam liked to play together in the mornings. We covered the bearskin rug (not kidding) with a sheet and after they were fed and happy, put them down together. Here they are sharing toys and enjoying each other's company.

Isn't she sweet, holding onto Sam like that? She's a real snuggle-bug.

And, finally, here are some photos of the mountain-range. Thanks, again, to the Carsons for a fantastic trip. We really enjoyed the food and company.

The Army Crawl

I don't actually have any photos, but Sam has been working his way towards actual crawling lately. He can "army crawl" all over the place, he even follows me from room to room. I was anxious for him to start crawling and everyone told me I would long for the days that he wasn't so mobile, but I'm still very happy with his new found independence. He seems so much more content with himself now.

We've been busy, again. Traveling from here to there and speaking at different places. We're currently in Nashville, Tennessee enjoying a final week with my parents. They are moving to Thailand on Tuesday to teach.

My mother loves to harass Sam and drive him crazy. Here she is trying to steal his food. She had to put her whole body into it, since he is so strong.

Sam's namesake came over yesterday. Sam loves his great granddaddy!

My cousins Meghan and Sam (yes, another Sam) came over on the Fourth of July too. Here is Meggie Moo holding baby Sam.

While my parents have been cleaning out their house, they have found many many lost treasures. One such treasure was an old rocking chair that used to belong to me. My father's cousin, Johnny, brought it home to me last Saturday (from the storage unit) and said that Sam will be ready for it soon. We put him in it later that afternoon and he LOVED it. Don't worry though, I was one inch off-camera, waiting for a fall.

Sam and the Ballgame

My best friend came in from Arkansas last week to spend about a week and a half with us. I tried to welcome her to North Carolina by allowing her to experience every facet of Carolinian lifestyle. We took her to Southeastern, to a Mudcats game and to the beach, to name a few.

I haven't felt so American as I did the day we went to a ball game. It was fantastic to hear the Star spangled Banner sung and eat dogs while watching a game. Man, I love America.

We took a short jaunt over to the beach on Tuesday. It took about two and a half hours and Sam did great during the trip, as usual. We went to Carolina Beach, but I think we regretted our decision later in the day. It turns out there is a big recreational facility near Kure Beach, right next to the Aquarium. We got to the Aquarium at 4:56 and it closed at 5pm, so they wouldn't let us in. We sent Julie in to beg and beg, but she just wasn't convincing enough.

So, we figure the next time we take a trip to the beach, we'll go to the Aquarium first, then hang out on the beach by the recreational facility (complete with restrooms and showers!). If anyone wants to take a day-trip out there, give me a call and I'll give you more details.

I love Sam's new swim trunks. They are camouflaged and long. I decided since we were in the ocean it was fine for him to go "commando." He did great. He fell asleep on the beach and we tucked him underneath a towel that was laying on the cooler. He slept for about an hour before Julie screamed out in fear from a teeny tiny jumping spider that happened to want a piece of her.

Here's a funny photo of Sam. I think he might have been looking at Julie, wondering what she was screaming at. I love the spiddle coming from his mouth. He cut a tooth the day after this was taken.

We ate at a great seafood restaurant for dinner and finally got home around 10pm.

Julie left on Thursday and I already miss her. I have really enjoyed being showered with love from all my friends and family here. We're having some friends over for a Carolina Treat cookout too. Bill and I stopped by a local produce stand after Bill's hike this morning and picked up fresh okra, corn, asparagus and zucchini. I weighed myself yesterday and it seems all of these culinary delights are really catching up with me! I've gained about four pounds since arriving in America.

Still, I do LOVE America!

Here are a few more pics that I think you'll enjoy. We went hiking at Umstead State Park one day. Isn't it amazing how much Bill and Sam look alike (although Sam is somewhat of a small person).

And here are Sam and me hanging out at the beach.

And here is the whole Klear-gang on Sunday morning. Julie takes such great photos!

Here is Julie and me the same morning at our house. Isn't Julie beautiful?

Fishing Trip

During the last week, Bill took a fishing trip with my twin brother Adam. By the way, I'd like to say "Happy Birthday, Adam" - it was his 31st yesterday. It was the first one we'd spent together in 11 years. I was thrilled to celebrate with him.

Well, Bill and Adam and another friend, Brandon, took off early on Tuesday morning to spend four days fishing in the Outerbanks. They stayed at a place called Calico Jack's.

This is Cape Lookout.

And here the three of them are together.




They caught bluefish, stingray, shark, and one Spanish Mackeral. By the looks of things, they had a fantastic time.

Action shots:





Check out the new depth finder. Adam was so proud. I bet it helped them land some big ones!



Here's Bill's first catch. He thought it might be his only one, so he had a photo taken.



But, he DID catch more. Here are some bluefish he caught. Pretty nice!






I hear Adam can really clean fish!




While they were busy catching our birthday dinner, Kendall and I stayed home with Sam. Kendall started a new job this week, so I made it my mission to fill her full of good food at the end of the day. I think I was successful.

Sam is creeping now. I can't believe how mobile he is. It is always a surprise when I leave the room for a moment and come back to find him under the coffee table. He loves making me laugh too. His little personality is really starting to come out.

Check out this photo of Sam being held up to a painting of my great uncle, Bubba. He died when he was six years old of Polio. My Great Uncle Jack keeps saying he can't wait to see Sam when he's six years old, so he can compare them then. I think they look really similar, but Bill just doesn't see it.

Let me know what you think!

South Carolina

Okay, this isn't from our trip to South Carolina, but I forgot to post it when it happened. Is this disgusting or what? Sam was sick during the month of April. I've never seen anything like it.



We went to South Carolina last week for some speaking engagements. While we were there, we got to celebrate my birthday (June 2) with Bill's aunt's birthdays (both June 6). We went to Pine Island and had a great time.




Here is Sam with his Mamaw Taylor. She made him laugh like I can make him laugh. I was greatly impressed.

Sam Crackin' Up

We were over at our friends house (Hollie and Hugh) a couple weeks ago and Sam went crazy. I wanted to post the video Hollie took of him cracking up hysterically. I was only making funny faces, but he was pretty slap-happy. Enjoy!

Super Sam the Lady's Man

We had a great Mother's Day weekend with our friends and family! Jeff, Shannon and Maggie flew in from Texas and Hugh, Hollie and Laney came in from Youngsville to hang out with us and attend Sam's dedication. Bill's mother, sister, brother-in-law, nephew, aunt, and uncle all came in too. Plus, Holly, Matt and Chad stopped by for a visit. It was wonderful to have so many people around who love us.

I thought I'd include some photos from the weekend to show you how adorable all of our kids are. One of our friend's previously nicknamed Sam "Super Sam the Lady's Man" and here's a picture to prove it! This is Maggie, Sam and Laney.



Here is Sam before the big event. He's wearing my brother's hat from when we were infants. This hat commands a lot of attention on Sam. I think it brings out the blue in his eyes, and I have actually watched many a grown man's heart melt at seeing Sam in it. Of course, a small grin doesn't hurt.




His Mamaw Gilbert bought him the outfit. I was going to let him wear one that my father and both my brother's were dedicated in, but he is just too little as of yet. Still, this little jumper is adorable. Mary Ella, you have great taste!

Here we are with Sam. We clean up good. Below that picture is one of us with Dr. Ron Rowe, our pastor. He told a lovely story about praying over Sam last July while he was still in my belly. It was especially sweet. By the way, I am not pregnant - it's just the way the shirt is designed.





And, just for fun, I thought I'D post a preggo picture of Shannon. I love this one!



Shannon, you're beautiful!