Dream Dinners

I went to a sneak peek party on Tuesday night for Dream Dinners after hearing about it from another friend and I think its a great idea! I signed up for the month of Sept, basically you go in there and pre-make the dinner entrees and then when you get them home you just mix it all together and put it in the oven. Its really a great concept and I hope we are going to enjoy them so I can keep going every month!!

Derm Appointment

We had great derm appointments today! I haven't been checked it about 3 years so it was good to get the once over and have her tell me my skin looks good. But then again who really cares about my skin, its Kallie we are all worried about so on to the good stuff.

She said that Kallie looked great, she was very pleased with her progress and feels that b/c she has gotten so much better so quickly its a really good sign of things to come. She said that she is starting to see "normal" skin and that its only going to get better. I told her that I was really pleased with the way her tummy, back, and the tops of her legs are looking and asked if she thought it would stay like that. She seemed to think that it would get even better than that and that quite possibly in a few years you won't even notice that she has anything wrong. That's awesome and exciting news!!

We are going to start using a Urea based exfoliatant to try to get that stubborn collodion on her arms, legs and head to come on off. We have to try it in a small spot at first to see if she tolerates it, but as long as its not too hard on her we have the green light to use it in those places. She said that we will see dramatic improvement once we start using it. We saw such a huge improvement just with the Amlactin and thats OTC, I can only imagine what Rx strength stuff is gonna do!

I also discussed the diaper rash she has with Dr Swain. Its not like a rash, rather like raw skin (sorry for the TMI). The pediatrician thought it was dairy sensitivity that was causing both the rash and the blood in her stool that's why I had to cut out dairy. The blood did go away but the rash did not completely heal. And when they cultured a diaper it came back with a small amount if staph. When she got that eyelid staph infection and we treated it with Keflex the rash cleared up completely which lends me to believe that the rash is in fact staph. I asked her if she thought the staph could cause the blood in the poop and she said that was a question better directed at a GI doctor. However, she wants me to use Bactrim on her bottom to get that rash to clear up. I am also going to change diapers from Pampers Sensitive to Huggies Supreme b/c I find that the Pampers will sometimes stick to her bottom and that may be causing the rash as well. Hopefully we will get the rash cleared up and I can have my cheese back! LOL

I asked her about her eyelids and how to best keep them clean. An eye doctor suggested to my mom to use diluted Johnson's baby shampoo but Dr Swain said that allergists hate Johnsons b/c they have so many dyes in them, that she would suggest just using the Cetaphil wash that we are using now to clean her eyelids. I also asked about using Neosporin when I see an open spot on her skin to prevent infection, she said that the newest thing with allergists is that Neosporin should not be used on closed wounds, that you should just use plain vaseline. So she told me when I saw small spots like that to just use Vaseline and that would work just fine.

I feel great about the visit, I feel like we know a lot more now and are handling it better. It of course felt great to hear that she looked so good and that I was doing a good job. I hear that a lot from people and I believe it but its great to hear it from a dermatologist. So we just wait and keep on trucking and watch and she gets better and better!!

Thanks for all the prayers for her, keep them coming!!

Update on Us

I have not done well lately keeping up with this, but I am doing my best to keep my head above water somedays! So here are the updates:

Me: I am officially unemployed, well except by two perfectly beautiful little girls! I love being a stay-at-home mom, some days are longer than others but its so great to have nothing to do but be with them and manage the house. I would like to say I am doing ok with the managing the house part, I have gotten some laundry done, emptied the dishwasher a few times, cooked dinner twice this week and kept the house relatively picked up!!

Kennedy Jane: She is doing awesome with potty-training, she still has accidents but overall she is really doing well! I was just totally over changing 2 year old diapers so we started with her potty seat and she really did well but wasn't comfy on the big potty. Mom and I traveled to Auburn to close on Nonnie's house so I just took the potty chair along and pulled over when she had to go and she did fantastic! Then we were in Jackie & Rick's store and Mom convinced her that it was cool to tee-tee on the blue water (from the cleaner in the tank) and she went for it! So being the creative mommy that I am, when we got home I used the tablets that color her bathwater and let her put those in the big potty and she has been using it ever since!!

Kallie: She is doing great and her skin is looking so much better! Last weekend I noticed that her eyelids looked really red and swollen so we went to see the pediatrician and found out that she had another staph infection. We started treating it with Keflex and it has seemed to not only improve her eyelids but also her diaper rash that I just could not get to clear up completely. I had to cut out dairy b/c we determined she has a sensitivity and that helped some with the rash but this knocked it out all the way so I think that it was a combo. I have done my best to cut out dairy completely but its hard and she doesn't seem to be bothered with the little bit that I have! Her skin is really looking good, her back is about as perfect as it is going to get I think and her belly is close behind. The collodion is finally starting to come off her arms and legs and they look great where its gone from. She is still working on losing her hair, her hairline just keeps moving further and further back but that's getting better too! She seems to be in a better mood since starting the Keflex so I think she is just feeling better in general! She is really smiling and talking a lot and its so so cute!! She is sleeping well too, goes to be around 9-9:30 and wakes around 3-4 and then again around 6-7 so that's a pretty good stretch!

The family is doing well!! I found this Bible verse that I just love:
Raise up a child in the way she should go and when she is old she shall not depart from it - Proverbs 22:6

Kallie's 2mo Pedi Appt

Stats:
12lbs 9oz -- 90%
25.25in -- OFF THE CHARTS!

She is growing so well, the doctor was pleased. She has gained over 4lbs and grown 4in in two months!

She got two shots and an oral vacc and boy was she pissed, she cried for a long time. We go back at 4mo!

We did determine that she has a sensitivity to dairy and so I have to cut all dairy out of my diet which is proving to be quite a challenge. You just don't realize how much stuff has some form of dairy in it and oh how I love my cheese and ranch dressing! But whatever it takes for my princess!

FREE Aquafor

Aquafor has a Medical Donation Program that sends out a three month supply of Aquafor for free. I called them today and she asked me for some information, gave me a fax number to fax a letter that my pediatrician wrote for us stating Kallie's diagnosis and treatment and they send us a three month supply. I am so happy b/c that will save us a lot of money!!

I called the company that manufactures Amlactin, the exfoiliant we are using to see if they offered something like that but of course they don't. She did however say that there are coupons on their website that I can print off so at least that will save us a little bit of money!

Explanation of Ichthyosis and Bathing

I read this on a website and thought it was a good explanation of how Ichthyosis works and why it may be good to bathe Kallie twice a day:

With ichthyosis, the molecule that makes the skin waxy is broken. Different genes cause breaks at different places in the skin, but the end result is the same - people with ichthyosis do not have the protective waxy layer on the surface that keeps them from drying out just from regular activity. They are constantly losing water at 4 to 7 times the rate that your skin loses water. This translates into dehydration, which translates into difficulty in regulating body temperature through sweat.

The body tries to compensate for the water loss by increasing the skin growth rate. This is where the scaling comes in. You have skin that grows too fast to keep it thick to keep the water in, which doesn't work anyway because the top layer is dead and not hydrated by blood flow or by skin oil, which is produced at the normal rate, so there's never enough for the amount of skin. Sweat glands get blocked and the thicker skin is an insulator, which compounds the overheating problem.

Now...bathing with ichthyosis helps fix these problems. You are essentially rehydrating the skin from the outside. So bathing multiple times a day helps some people, while extended soaks once a day are better for others. Either way, while wet, we take advantage of the softened skin to abrade some of it off and kill some of the skin bacteria that tends to accumulate and cause the keratin smell. Once the bath is done, we go right back to dehydration mode, so the most important thing is to apply a layer of cream everywhere as soon as possible to hold in the water that soaked into the skin during the bath.

Ali is ENGAGED!!

I am so so excited for Ali and Ryan. He finally proposed and the story is quite funny. While we were at the beach we took Kennedy Jane to see Ice Age, Dawn of the Dinosaurs. So Ryan insisted that he go get McDonalds for dinner last night. When he came in and said to Ali "didn't you guys take KJ to see Ice Age, there is a cool toy in there for her". When Ali opened it her diamond was in there. Its an amazingly gorgeous ring, a 1.5 carat princess cut diamond with princess cut sapphires on each side. She loves it and is so excited!

Kallie's Derm & Eye Doc Appt

We had two appointments yesterday that we drove back from the beach for on a sunny day, so at least they were good appoinments!!

Our first appointment was with our dermatologist, Dr. Swain, and it went well. She had just gotten the pathology reports back on the white pustules that she cultured last week and we found out it was staff! YIKES! She said that it was a very mild case of it and she was very pleased that the Altabax (topical antibiotic) was working so well b/c we could not see any more pustules. She wanted us to continue using the Altabax for 5 more days just to make sure it stays gone and to call her back if we see anymore.

We had also been using a moisturizing exfoliant (over the counter) on her face to get rid of the collodion membrane and it has worked really well. Dr. Swain wanted us to start using that all over her body b/c we were having such good success with it on her face. We were really pleased and encouraged that the mildest antibiotic and moisturizing exfoliant worked so well b/c as she gets older we can be more aggressive with exfoliants.

Her face looks SO much better this morning, its improved so significantly and it just makes my heart smile!

Then we went to see the eye doctor, and I was really hoping for good news b/c her eyes are closing on their own and seem to be a lot better as well. Dr. Rich was much more relaxed this time once he saw her eyes, he said that they looked fantastic and everything was great. He said that we could keep using the eye drops when we thought she needed them but we didn't need to be worried about her eyes anymore. We follow-up with him in 8 weeks just to keep a watch on them but he was very happy with her eyes.

We were very happy with both appointments and feel like things are getting so much better!!

Kallie's Derm Appointment

We saw Dr. Swain again today b/c we were worried about the way her face looked while this collodion layer is peeling. She was concerned about the white spots on her forehead that she called pustules (spelling?). She said that it was a possible that it was sweat bubbles but could also be yeast or bacteria. She cultured it and said that we wouldn't know for about a week on that. She gave us a few topical ointments to go ahead and start treating it. One of them is an exfoliant to go ahead and get that collodion layer off. She also suggested switching from the Aquafor to just Eucerin lotion b/c the Aquafor is so greasy. I have already used the Eucerin lotion and I think it works as well as the Aquafor but looks better b/c she is not as greasy. We are also going to start using Cedaphil body wash and I also got some of that lotion to use as well.



She seems to think that the way her arms and legs look now is going to be how they look long-term so now we just come to terms with that and start figuring out how to manage it as best we can. I asked her if the idea was to keep it moist or dry, and she said that there wasn't a right or wrong answer, so obviously I am going to go with moist b/c it looks better and I have to imagine feels better. I asked about baths, if I could at least soak her in water more than once a day before putting the lotion on b/c it seems to make her skin more moist and she said that right now that was fine, it wasn't going to cause any problems.



I asked her about Kallie's ability to sweatas that is a big concern for me and she said that at this point we don't have any way of knowing b/c infants in general can't regulate their body temp well so thats going to be a wait and see kind of thing.



The frustrating part is that there just are no right and wrong answers, no black and white way of managing this. But the bottom line is she is healthy and happy, we just need to figure out how to manage it and that will come with time. We see the doc again next Wed to follow-up on the white spots on her forehead.



Please keep the prayers coming!

Feeling Discouraged about Kallie's Skin

Well I probably brought this on myself but for some reason I decided to do a little more online reading about Ichthyosis and found a website with a message board which I am thrilled about. There seems to be a wealth of information, but with that comes good and bad.

One mom on there has a son with Ich and she said that her son peeled around 4-5 weeks and had healthy clear skin and then 1-2 weeks later started peeling again, so just b/c there is clear skin underneath doesn't mean that its going to stay that way. That's really really disheartening. I was trying SO hard to stay positive and look at all the good things but this is just not what I needed.

We aren't supposed to see our derm until Sept but part of me wants to see her again this week and have her look at Kallie and see what she thinks as of now, although, I am not sure she can tell me anything I don't already know.

I just can't imagine Kallie dealing with this for the rest of her life, its so dry and scaly and it just looks awful. I can deal with this if its just this one time but what if she looks like this forever? It just makes my heart hurt so badly I don't even know what to think or how to feel.

Kallie's 1mo Check-up

We had a great appointment today with Dr. Calametti for Kallie's 1 month check-up. She weighs 10lbs 8oz and is 23.25in long. I compared that to Kennedy Jane and they were about the same size but they look so different b/c Kallie is all skinny legs and arms and Kennedy Jane was short fat legs! Dr. Calametti was very pleased with her growth and thinks she is doing really well!

Kallie Eye Doctor Report

Well it wasn't as good as I had hoped and expected. I guess b/c all our other appts have gone so well I expected this one to as well and was a bit disappointed. He said anatomically her eyes are healthy and her cornea is healthy, all VERY good things! He said that she was prone to near-sightedness, which isn't surprising b/c I m blind as a bat without contacts. He said that her eyes were dry and that was concerning b/c if they get too dry they can cause damage to the cornea, which is healthy right now. He said worse case scenario, which is about a 10% chance, he would have to sew her eye partially shut to protect the cornea but he said that was highly unlikely. He said that here blink relfex was diminshed but that was b/c the skin is too tight around her eyes causing that to be difficult and he expected that to resolve itself once the skin loosens up.

He put her under a blacklight and I could see the skin starting to peel around her eyes so that is really encouraging, and she is starting to get wrinkles on her eyelids and that thrills me b/c it means the skin is softening up which is a GREAT sign!! So hopefully we just protect her eyes until they can protect themselves.

So we are to use artificial tears ALL the time, I mean seriously like every 15mi to make sure they stay plenty moist. He wants us running a humidifer at all times, so we are getting a whole house humidifier that will run through our AC unit. I am pretty excited about that b/c it will really help all of us!

So I had a good cry in the car on the way home b/c its really overwhelming. Not that all of this hasn't been serious but when you start talking about your child's eyesight that's big scary stuff. But I feel ok about things, its just something else we have to deal with. I just pray that things keep going well with her skin and when we get to this next layer that its healthy and soft and her eyes get better like we expect everything else to.

We see him again in 4 weeks and hopefully her eyes are not as dry and things have improved. Please keep praying for us.

Ichthyosis

Kallie has been diagnosed with Ichthyosis, which is a skin condition which causes the skin to be really thick and scaley as it peels off. Here is a link to the website
http://www.scalyskin.org

There are like 15% of children who it clears up on its own within 2-3 weeks, its a long shot but we are praying for that.

Some of the risks are overheating, b/c her skin is so thick she cannot sweat and adequately cool herself. As athletes this upsets me b/c she may not be able to play outdoors for extended periods b/c she will get too hot. Obviosuly she can't spend much time in the sun, although there is literature that says the sun can be good for it. They also worry about skin infections, b/c her skin is dry and flaky it is susceptible to infection. They also worry about her eyes and ears, eyes b/c they will get dried out and ears b/c the skin can grow around them.Its just so heartbreaking and worrisome, she is such a pretty little girl and I would hate for this to affect her negatively for the rest of her life. There is no cure but they can treat it.We will know more on Monday when we see the dermatologist, so please please pray that this is a mild case (which several of the docs think its really mild) b/c if that's the case then its just a matter of keeping her skin hydrated. If its more of a moderate case she may require OT to straighten out her hands and feet b/c the skin is so tight it may not allow them to straighten out.

Kallie's Arrival

Kallie arrived on May 26th, 2009 at 7:50am. She weighed 8lbs 3oz and was 21 1/4 inches long. She has SO much dark hair and is just beautiful. The csection went really well! The morning started out a bit rough, b/c I had to be up so early I was already a little sick to my stomach. When the nurses tried to start the IV, I got sick and started throwing up. She had to quit working on that arm, so they stuck my other arm, and the first nurse couldn't get it and then the second nurse tried and couldn't get it there either. So then they brought in another nurse and she finally got it started in my right hand. The nerves really got a hold of me then and I was REALLY freaking out. But I heard Kennedy Jane's little voice as she came down the hall looking for me and all my fears were gone.

We got in the OR and they got to work on the spinal. It was harder than last time, it seemed that he had a harder time finding the spot he needed. One time it was a sharp pain but he got it started. I told them before that I would throw up and already had but unfortunately they didn't listen so I was throwing up on the table in the OR. They finally got that under control and before I knew it she was out. I think it was about 2min after they started. She came out screaming right away and was just beautiful!! They tied my tubes and the whole procedure took 11min start to finish.

I got back in my room and felt so much more relaxed. Kallie started nursing right away and has nursed like a champ ever since!! The doctor did mention that she was really swollen but that can be normal so we weren't concerned about it. When I did see her she was definetly swollen and her skin was really dry but we just weren't worried.

The next morning the pediatrician came in and said that she looked so much better and that he thought it was either skin irritation from the amniotic fluid or she was gestationally further along that we thought. He said that he wanted to bring in a Neonatologist and we would know more then.

So we met the Neo later in the morning and he diagnosed her with Colodiun baby, which is a VERY serious skin disease. Scot didn't agree with that b/c having called on dermatologists before he knew enough to know that was not it. So then they brought in a geneticist and he said that it was Ichthyosis which is a much more mild version of Colodiun. He wanted us to run a genetics test on her b/c this is inherited. He also suggested that we see a dermatologist to get an accurate diagnoses.

We talked a lot about the genetics test and decided that it didn't make sense right now. It would not change how we treat her or the diagnoses and it increases the risk for infection b/c there will be an open spot on her skin.

Our pediatrician made a few phone calls and was able to get us in with a derm on Monday, so we will know a lot more at that time.

FINAL Belly Shot!

Well this is it, the very LAST belly shot ever for me. I am so excited that Kallie will be here tomorrow!!

39w1d Belly Shot:

38 Week Appointment Report

Well today was my FINAL doctor's appointment before Kallie's arrival. I am having tons of pelvic pressure and he said that there has been no progress. Thats so hard to believe and I asked if I would ever have babies if he didn't go get them and he laughed and said no. We talked about delivery, he said that they would use another spinal which I am glad about b/c it worked great last time. I asked him what happened last time and he said that he didn't know, which doesn't give me a warm fuzzy about it not happening again this time. The only thing reassuring is that he will be in the office so I will be able to talk to him if it does happen again. So he doesn't want to see me again until next Tuesday when he delivers her. I can't wait, 8 more days!

Wish for a New Baby Poem

Someone posted this and I just had to share it, its perfect and so so true!

A Wish For A New Baby
I wished upon a star...
I closed my eyes and prayed,
I threw a shiny penny,
into a well each day.

The same little wish was wished,
upon my birthday cake
I asked the Lord...
Please hurry, just for heaven's sake!

I was trying to be patient,
but I had waited long enough
my wishing well with pennies,
was now completely stuffed!

I would start and end my days
repeating the same prayer,
I knew that up in heaven,
they could see I really cared.

Just when I thought I couldn't,
bear another day
it is then that I learned,
you were on your way.

All the prayers and wishes,
finally did come true
The blessing God gave me,
was my pregnancy with you!

37W Appointment Report

GREAT APPOINTMENT! Last night I was in the bathtub and I felt her drop down, it was the strangest feeling but I literally felt like she was going to crawl out. It was not painful at all, maybe b/c I was in the bathtub.

I haven't gained any weight and asked if he was worried about that. He asked if I was eating and I said yes but not as much. He asked if I was throwing up, no, and if I had an upset stomach and I told him occassionally but not enough to be worried. He said that he was not worried as long as I was eating. I told him I could not eat as much and he said that's b/c the baby is taking up all that room.

When he did the internal it didn't hurt AT ALL which is nice b/c usually its really painful. He said that she had completely dropped which is exciting b/c Kennedy Jane never dropped. I still have not made any progress but that may change now since she dropped. I asked him if he thought it was likely that we would make it 15 more days and he said "it's likely" and grinned so I guess we will see what the next 15 days hold for us!

I am just glad to make some progress and I think even if we make it all the way to May 26th the delivery will be easier b/c Kennedy Jane was still so high and Kallie will be where she needs to be!

Here is a 37 Week Belly Shot:

Kennedy Jane's 1st Spend the Night Party with Gane & Aunt Ali

Last night Mom and Ali wanted Kennedy Jane to spend the night and it made sense because mom was keeping her for our doc appointment today. They were over for dinner and we packed her stuff up and off they went. She just waved and said "bye mommy" and I thought I might lose it, my baby is growing up. She had a great time, they watched Pinochio in Gane's bed til she fell asleep and then she slept with Aunt Ali b/c her bed will push against the wall. They said that she did great, she didn't even want to talk to me on the phone this morning. She was at least excited to see me when I went to pick her up but she still wasn't ready to leave Gane's house.

As for me, I took a nice long bath while reading my book, watched Amazing Race and played online and went to sleep when I was ready. Then this morning I actually laid it bed until 8:30 watching Today Show, which I never get to do anymore!

It was a good experience for everybody!

Kennedy Jane burned her hand

Wow I got the worst Mom of the year award yesterday! I was getting ready to go play Bunko and plugged in my curling iron. Kennedy Jane was watching Babar and playing with a puzzle and not thinking I walked into the bathroom and then I hear her crying. I run in there and sure enough, she grabbed the hot curling iron. It was just awful, for two hours she cried on and off and nothing we could do would work for long. I have never felt guilt like that, knowing that it was my fault that she was hurt. She is doing a lot better today and so I am but I can say that we BOTH learned a lesson the hard way yesterday!

Disney on Ice

We took Kennedy Jane to Disney on Ice on Cinco de Mayo and she LOVED it!! We got great tickets through a friend so we were really close. She was just mesmerized! It started out with the usual Disney characters and then it was Cars, Little Mermaid and Lion King. After intermission was Tinkerbell which was really cute but a bit long. It lasted two hours total and we were a bit worn out at the end. She now loves Tinkerbell though and woke up the next morning asking for the movie. I figured since I didn't have to buy a $12 sno-cone we could get the movie!

We are going to take her to the circus in June and I know she will love it just as much! Here is a pic of her watching the show:

36 Week Appointment

Yet another uneventful appointment but at least we are in the home stretch now. He did the GBS test, I am still not sure why he does that with me, it only affects vaginal deliveries but whatever. He also checked me and said no progress. There is a shocker. 5 hours of contractions during Disney on Ice and nada, but that's just how it goes with me! We have two more appointments and then Kallie will be here!!

Babysteals!

This website is great, they have awesome baby stuff at great prices! You must sign up for their emails so that you remember to check, otherwise its easy to forget!! I just love checking out the good deals and cashing in!!

www.babysteals.com

Before I was a Mom

Someone posted this on a message board today and while I have read it a few times, it nevers loses that special touch! Too good not to share!

Before I was a Mom, I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom, I had never been puked on.
Pooped on..
Chewed on.
Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night. B

efore I was a Mom, I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom, I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom, I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom, I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, t he heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom .

34 Week Appointment and Ultrasound

We had another ultrasound and I would think maybe our last before Kallie makes her arrival. She weighs 6lbs 3oz already and is measuring at 35w3d and I am at 34w1d so that's great. The 2 vessel cord does not seem to be affecting her at all!! We could see her practicing her breathing which is great, it means everything is working really well. The U/S tech commented on how low her head was and I told her I thought she was really low too! I hope that means good things for her coming soon!!

We saw Dr Madonia and he said that everything looked great. I asked him if since we had no trouble with the 2 vessel cord up to this point what was the likelihood that we would have trouble now and he said none. So its good to know that we are out of the woods with that!

I told him that I thought I might have lost some of the mucous plug this morning and he said that it doesn't mean anything but it was normal for it to happen at this point. I know that it can regenerate but I am hoping it means she may make her debut in 3 weeks or so!

We have another 2 week appointment at 36 weeks then we will go to weekly appointments at 37 and 38 weeks and then she will be here. I think its down to 36 days which seems crazy but also SO far away! We are going to finish getting the things that they we need for her and get her bag packed. I started getting mine packed and am almost done with that. We will get Kennedy Jane a bag packed too so that she has stuff to play with and things to do while she is waiting! Its getting close and exciting!

Kallie's Baby Shower

We had Kallie's baby shower on Sunday and had a great time. Penny and Carrie hosted it and did a wonderful job. Penny is so good at stuff like that and all the food was great!! She had a gorgeous salad, two types of soup and other yummy dips! The cake was just way too cute, she had someone at her office make it. The favors were great, everything was just too cute!

All of my friends were able to come which was nice, it was good to have the people you care about there!!

Here are some pictures, thanks to everyone that came!

Me with Aunt Ali and Gane

The favors:


The cute banner that is going up in the hospital

The cake

Me with the Hostesses!

My Day in the ER and Labor and Delivery

Friday night I woke up at 1am and couldn't get a good deep breath. I tried moving around in the bed and ended up getting in the recliner trying to get comfortable so I could breathe. I could every once in a while get in a spot that was comfy and breathe a bit so I was finally able to fall asleep. I talked to the nurse b/c there is one doctor in on Saturdays and she thought it was anxiety. I didn't agree but thought whatever, well it started happening again and I called her back. She said that the doctor wanted me to go to the ER. That seemed silly to me and I asked if it could just be the baby's position and she said yes but there was nothing they could do about it.

I was concerned enough to go to the ER and once I got there they were concerned I had blood clots, especially since Ali had them too. I got a chest xray which worried me for the baby but they assured me was ok. They did bloodwork, an EKG and then sent me for a lung scan. They injected dye through the IV and that also worried me for the baby. I did the test and during the test started feeling really faint and the next thing I know I am waking up from passing out. The radiology tech had called a "code" to get help b/c that's the only way to call for help so half the ER staff comes running thinking I am in cardiac arrest. Everything came back normal and then finally sent me up to L&D to be monitored and the baby was doing great so I finally got to come home!

It was a horrible day that I felt could have been averted had the doc just brought me in and checked me out. I talked to my doctor today and he said that he would have done the same thing, that they have had two patients with clots this year and one with heart failure. That made me feel better about going but it was a long and miserable day!

Happy Easter!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Easter and took the time to reflect on the reason we celebrate Easter!

Ours Easter Celebration started off great. We took Kennedy Jane to see the Easter Bunny and she loved him, it was too cute! We got the best picture:


We dyed Easter Eggs with Gane and Aunt Ali and I think her favorite part was dropping them in the cups with the dye. She really had a good time with that and made a huge mess of course!





Easter morning she was very excited to hear that the Easter Bunny had come to see her and brought her presents. The child loves presents!! She got a new stuffed duck, a Peter Cottontail book and chocolate ducks which were by far her favorite!




Then we headed to church for the 8:30am service. We were actually early, much to our surprise! During church I started feeling badly, I was really hot and feeling flushed like I might pass out. I sat down and tried to cool off and then went to the car. I didn't want to embarass myself by passing out in church!

I went out to the car and cut the ac on really high, ate a litte more bagel and started feeling a little bit better. We got home and I managed to get one good family picture while we were all dressed up!


Then I laid down and started having contractions that weren't regular but certainly were painful and making me miserable. Mom cooked an awesome lunch of fried pork chops, mac and cheese and butterbeans! After lunch we had an Easter Egg Hunt, I found two eggs both with $20 in them! But Mom made me give one to Ali b/c she found one with just candy! Not sure how that's fair but I guess it was Easter!

I laid back down on the couch for a little while and was still feeling badly so I took a nap and woke up to more contractions and pain. I called the oncall doc and she said that she didn't think I was in labor and she thought it was just an irritable uterus.

Great just what I need, something else about me that is irritable!! But I took a Tylenol and it did eventually stop but then my legs started hurting and I didn't sleep well at all. I am hoping that tonight is a better night!

I think what happened is that she turned from transverse to head down b/c I am having pelvic pressure that I didn't have before and don't remember with Kennedy Jane. I hope thats a good thing and means that maybe she will make her appearance a bit earlier than 39 weeks. I don't want her to come too early but 37 weeks or so would be nice!!

32 Week Appointment

Sorry this is a little late, more like a week late! The appointment was quick and uneventful which are the best kind. I had lost a pound since my last visit so that is good. I am doing my best to stay under 200 this time and so far it seems to be working! He listened to her heartbeat and said that it sounded good. We are going to have another ultrasound at our next appointment which is a week from today. After that appointment I guess we will have one more two week appointment and then going to every week until she arrives!

I am officially "disabled"

I talked with the HR Nurse who was much nicer this time. She left me a message the other day that she needed to speak with Bridgette about the form so I called her this afternoon and she said that she had spoken with Bridgette and that Dr. Madonia really wanted me off work. So apparently Bridgett gave her the impression that they weren't going to take any crap from her. So there is a letter that has gone out telling me that my disability was approved, WOOHOO!!

My Baby Girl is Two Years Old!

Where has the time gone? Its amazing that this time 2 years ago she wasn't even an hour old. I had never imagined the love that I would feel for her. I always knew I wanted to be a mom and I knew I would love my child but I had no idea how your heart was completely taken from you and put somewhere else. She is just the absolute love of my life and I feel so incredibly blessed to have had the best two years I could have imagined.

This morning she broke my heart when she said "I not a baby amore" which translates into I am not a baby anymore. It almost made me cry and I told her that was a baby and she would always be my baby.

We went to lunch today at Big Time Diner and they sang to her and then tomorrow is the big birthday party and I know she is going to have a blast. She is telling everyone today is her "birthday cake". Too cute for words!!

Short-Term Disability Issues

When I got home from the doctor visit where he instructed me to take off work I called our HR Nurse who was a total witch, she asked why he took me off work and I told her fatigue. She was kinda like, well it has to qualify as a disability under the company's defintion but she wouldn't give me a straight answer as to what qualifies. So I asked her if my doctor felt that I needed to be off work that they would come back and say that wasn't a good enough reason? She said no that she didn't say that, he just had to complete the paperwork fully or it wouldn't qualify. It was like she was trying to make me uncomfortable about it. So I got a little ugly with her and told her that he would complete the paperwork today if I took it to him, that getting the paperwork completed was not an issue. I told her that he felt that I needed to be off work but I couldn't afford to do that unpaid, I had to have the short-term disability and I didn't want to put this time in and have them come back and say that my doc's reason wasn't good enough. She said that usually everytime a doctor takes you off work its covered that they have your best interest in heart. I felt a little better about it but not good at that point.

I looked up my coverages online and basically it says "pregnancy and pregnancy complications" and that they cannot deny coverage. A girl on Fertility Friend said that her doc put her out for "extreme maternal fatigue" and her disability covered it. I left a message for my nurse to call me back so that they make sure to complete the paperwork completely, which I know he will. Also, I talked with my boss who was fantastic, he is so cool and laidback and was like this is none of my business, you just need to take care of yourself and was totally cool about it. He said that I shouldn't be worried about the coverage that it will take care of itself.

I talked to the HR Nurse again this morning and she was singing a bit of a different tune today. She went over my benefits with me which I already knew. Then we started talking about the form that my doc had to fill out. I told her that after we talked yesterday I was a bit upset and looked the policy up online and couldn't find ANYWHERE that it was at the company's discretion, that pregnancy and pregnancy complications were the only definition on there and that as far as I could tell it was not up to them, it was up to my doctor. I told her that I also talked with my nurse and she assured me she would get the paperwork filled out today and there would be no issues. So she decided to kiss up at that point, she was like well I didn't mean to upset you yesterday, but all you told me was fatigue, I told her that if fatigue was good enough for my doctor, that I couldn't find anywhere in the policy that it could not be good enough for NW, they didn't get to decide what was good enough. She agreed and I guess decided she should back off being a witch. I told her that on top of that the contractions had started again and all this yesterday caused them last night. She said to make sure I mentioned that to my doc, yeh no crap honey, and make sure they put that on the form, again no crap honey. So she was really nice this morning. I guess she figured I wasn't going to take her crap and let her push me around, that I had done my research and knew she couldn't act like she did yesterday. So I feel a lot better about it today.

Once I got the forms Kennedy Jane and I went to the doctor's office and Bridgette, my nurse, completed the forms for me and I have faxed them into the HR Nurse and asked that she let me know when she gets them and once they are approved. I know my doctor, if necessary, will talk to her and will not take anything from her. He feels that I need to be off work and that's the bottom line!

So I am loving this first day off work, it was so nice this morning to wake up and not have the pressures of getting to my desk. After the doctor Carrie called to see if we wanted to meet them at the Watermelon Patch to play and it was so nice to be able to say "sure" without worrying about getting back to work!

30 Week Appointment and Belly Shots

I had my 30 week appointment and ultrasound yesterday and the appointment went great. Kallie weighs 3lbs 12oz and is measuring at 31 weeks while I am at 30 weeks 1 day. That is great news and it is obvious that thus far the 2 Vessel Cord has not affected her growth. Her heartrate was 140 and you could already see her hair. She was quite the busy thing, moving around a lot!

Then I saw Dr. Madonia and he was also pleased with the news. He put me on 2 week appointments so that is exciting, means it getting closer! I talked with him about my work situation, how I was completely exhausted and just could not keep up. I felt like I was never getting any time to rest and it was wearing me down. He said that he felt that fatigue was a good enough reason to take me off work and told me to bring him the paperwork to sign.

So it was a great appointment, I am thrilled that Kallie is doing so well and that I am off work to enjoy Kennedy Jane and take the time to rest and prepare for Kallie without the pressures of work.

Here is an updated 30 week belly shot along with a 28 week shot for comparison. I feel a lot bigger but I am not sure you can tell it from the pictures:

28 Weeks:


30 Weeks:

Playroom Progress

The playroom is awesome and I am so excited we decided to give up the Formal Dining Room and turn it into the playroom. Scot got it painted this weekend and we got the foam mats put down. We still need to move the armoire out of Kennedy Jane's room. We are waiting for the sticker that says "Best Friends are We, My Sister and Me" to hang up and then we will put the paintings with their names on either side. I am really happy with the way its turning out and think we are going to love having that extra space!

Here are a few pictures:

Nursery Progress

Weekend before last Scot spent the weekend painting the nursery, we got the Cornice Board built for the window and got it hung up, hung up the letters and got her changing table put together. It is looking really cute and getting close to complete. We still need to find a new rocking chair b/c I want to keep the one in Kennedy Jane's room and also need to get the sticker hung up her changing table that says:
Guardian Angel, Pure and Bright, Guard me while I sleep tonight

Here are some pictures:

The Cost of Raising a Child

I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It is nice. The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But $160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down.

It translates into:· $8,896.66 a year,· * $741.38 a month, or· * $171.08 a week..· *

That's a mere $24.24 a day!
Just over a dollar an hour.
Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be 'rich.' Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140.00?*
Naming rights. First, middle, and last!*
Glimpses of God every day.*
Giggles under the covers every night.*
More love than your heart can hold.*
Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.*
Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.*
A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.*
A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.*
Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said orhow your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up.
You get to:*
finger-paint,*
carve pumpkins,*
play hide-and-seek,* c
atch lightning bugs,
and* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:*
keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,*
watch Saturday morning cartoons,*
go to Disney movies, a
nd* wish on stars.*

You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets
and collect spray painted noodlewreaths for Christmas,
handprints set in clay for Mother's Day,
and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck.
You get to be a hero just for:*
retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,*
taking the training wheels off a bike,*
removing a splinter,*
filling a wading pool,*
coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs,
and * coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat in history to witness the:
* first step,
* first word,
* first bra,
* first date,
and* first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal.
You get another branch added to your family tree,and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren.
You get an education in psychology, nursing, Criminal justice, communications, and humansexuality that no college can match.
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God.
You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost.

That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love & enjoy your children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren !!!!!!! It's the best investment you'll make!

Cute Pictures of Kennedy Jane

I just have to share these two new pictures! The first one is when we were playing with Playdoh the other night, she was having so much fun that it took me forever to get a good smile for a picture. The 2nd one was at Chili Cook-off and she is just looking too cute!

Third Trimester and 28 Week Belly Shots!

I've made it to the 3rd Trimester, 2/3 of the way there!! I have my next appointment in 2 weeks for another ultrasound and then I think I will go to every 2 week appointments which will hopefully make things go by faster!

Here is an updated belly picture to compare to 25 weeks:

25 Weeks:

28 Weeks:

26 Week Appointment

I had my 26 week appointment with Dr. Madonia today. I had to do my glucose test where they screen for gestational diabetes, it is NO fun! You have to drink this really nasty orange stuff that is loaded with sugar and then you can't eat. I stopped at Whataburger and got some breakfast to take with me so I could eat afterwards. So my weight hasn't gone up any which makes me really happy after a 7 pound gainer month! My blood pressure is still great. The nurse gave me the pre-registration form for Providence but I have to deliver at Springhill because of insurance coverage issues (dumb Cigna!). I was shocked that it was already time to pre-register, it makes it feel really close!

So I talked to him about my headaches and leg cramps, he said to start magnesium/calcium supplements so I gotta pick up some of those at the store. We talked about the 2 vessel cord and he was just not at ALL concerned about it. He said their biggest concern is her organs and those all look great. I asked about low birth weight and he said that it really isn't a big deal anymore, they have a few problems with low weight babies but nothing that they can't handle. I asked if it was beneficial to have big babies b/c I was under the impression that the reason that babies with 2 vessel cords have low birth weight was b/c the artery couldn't keep up. He said that they don't know why 2 vessel cord babies stop growing so the fact that we have big babies is a good thing. I asked what the risks were if she were to stop gaining weight and he said that there are none as long as the fluid is still adequate, but if that drops then they deliver. He said that I needed an ultrasound at my next appointment and I love those! He said that they would also measure my uterus to make sure everything was growing as it should. So he is just so not concerned about it that I have decided I don't need to be concerned about it!

We also set a birthdate which is really exciting. She will arrive on Tuesday, May 26th if she doesn't come sooner! We haven't set a time yet but I hope to do that really early in the morning, I need to make sure we do that at our next appointment so we don't end up waiting until 1pm like we did with Kennedy Jane!

Yet another great appointment, I go back in 4 weeks at 30 weeks for an ultrasound and appointment and I think at that point we start going every 2 weeks! That means its getting closer. I am under 100 days!!

25 Week Belly Pics

I have been bad about remembering to do belly pics so here is a quick update:

20 Weeks


25 Weeks

Our 2nd ER Trip!

I swear I am not an over-reactive mother but it sure feels like it. Yesterday KJ had 3 really nasty diapers and then after her nap had what looked like bug bites on her legs and I knew they weren't. About an hr later and it was wrapping around her knee and was hot to the touch. So I called the pedi and the nurse called me back around 6:30 and by that point it was all over both knees, and her arms and was hot to the touch. So the nurse said to watch her and if her temp got above 101 to take her in. So she slept horribly last night and it was apparent it was itching. By about 4:30am she was awake and I had to go to the bathroom and she got really really upset and was just miserable so Scot decided that we should take her in. She had a fever of 102.5 and the doctor thought it is a virus. We went to a different ER than last time and we were in and out in 2 hours and they were awesome. We gave her Benadryl and they had given her Tylenol so no fever right now. Poor thing, she just can't catch a break!

Our trip to San Diego

We had a great time!! Saturday morning we had a 6am flight and of course as soon as I picked up Kennedy Jane out of her bed she was awake! The best part was the flight was practically empty so we got bulkhead seats and an extra seat. Kennedy Jane did really well and then the flight to San Diego was surprisingly easy for a three hour flight. The weather was yucky when we got there, Kennedy Jane fell asleep in her carseat so we rode around and checked out Coronado Island where we stayed. I went to the grocery store and got us stocked up on some stuff for the room. When she woke up we went into town and ate at this great diner where the burgers were awesome! There was an ice cream parlor next door that had a giant cow and she totally loved it.

Here is a pic of Coronado Island from the plane and Kennedy Jane and I with the cow:

The first day was supposed be rainy but we took our chances and went on to the San Diego Zoo! The weather turned out to be pretty nice, it was a bit chilly and for a few minutes we thought it was going to rain so we went and ate lunch inside and by the time we had finished lunch the weather was clear and we were back at it. We spent a solid 5 hours walking around the zoo but it was so worth it! Their zoo really is incredible, its like nothing I have ever seen and we all had a really good time. Kennedy Jane loved it!

Here are a few pics from the San Diego Zoo:

The next day we decided to brave the rain and cold and went on to Legoland b/c they had an Aquarium next door so we figured that would be our backup plan. The weather started out ok, just cold and we were able to do a lot of the stuff. Legoland is pretty neat, its kind of like a Six Flags for younger kids. There were still quite a few things she couldn't do so I think she would enjoy more around the age of 5 or so. We went on one ride and then the bottom fell out, so we went to eat inside and let the rain blow over. By that point it was cold and we had seen most of it so we decided to go on to the Aquarium. She really liked that b/c she could run around and check it all out. The neatest part of Legoland was what they could build out of legos and it looked so real.

Here are a few pics of Legoland and the Aquarium:

On our last day we went to Seaworld and couldn't have asked for better weather. The sun was shining and the temp was just about perfect. We got there as soon as it opened and we had to really plan our day to catch all the shows. The first show we saw was the Dolphin Show and it was really neat, it was incredible how high one of them could jump and what they could train them to do. Then we went to a Sea Lion show that was really cute. It was a bit above her head but Scot and I really got a kick out of it. We ate some lunch and did some walking around to check out other things. They had an Elmo section that had really cute little rides and a giant playground area. We stayed around to see the Shamu Show which was just incredible!! Kennedy Jane really enjoyed it but she was worn out at the end of the day.

Here are a few pics of Seaworld:

And finally the flights home were so easy. Our flight from San Diego we were able to sit in the back row and get an empty seat and she just sat and watched Madagascar 2 the whole flight back to Dallas. We had a three hour layover so we were able to eat a decent lunch and find a playground area for Kennedy Jane to run around in. We are glad to be home but worn out!

Here is a cute picture of Kennedy Jane on the plane on the way home: