Christmas Wish

I was going to name this post, Thought provoking Thursday Post but decided against it at the last minute. Maybe in the future I will have a "Day of the Week" Post but for now, this is my christmas wish. While Keegan was laying on my lap today, grinning and giggling and melting his momma's heart, I had a swell in my throat. Not only for my baby, who turned 3 months old yesterday but for the future. I see him and want so badly for him to have "normal" functioning, I believe deep down in my mommy soul that he will and if not, if we are dealing with some repercussions of SGBS and he ends up having some delay or slowness, that will not change how Ryan or I or even any of his family love him.
You always want what is best for you child, I totally get this concept now.  That being said, while I was watching Keegan today on my lap smiling at the door, I turned to Ry and commented how I would eventually like to give Keegan a brother or a sister (maybe both).  This is really my christmas wish, I dont want Keegan to be alone, I want him to have a sibling to share in the fun of holidays, family get togethers and weeknight dinners. Above all things I want him to have a sibling so he can have a best friend that has a bond stronger than most.  The one thing that worries me and crosses my mind daily is "what if we are told one of us is the carrier for  SGBS" I don't want to knowingly bring another child into this word only to have obstacles placed in their way because "we wanted another child."
I dont know, I know its not in our hands. I also know that I am a worrier. Its in my blood to not only worry about things in my control but to also worry about things that aren't. So this year, my christmas wish is to eventually be able to give Keegan a brother or sister to grow up with. We will be getting genetically tested sooner rather than later so we can know for sure but if there is one thing I want this year for christmas, its not DVDS, jewerly, clothes or even gift cards. It's to know that there is hope that we are not the carries of the gentic mutation and that we can go on to have another healthy baby or two.
I am going to leave you with a sweet story because I have gotten very deep and kind of sad in my last couple of posts and I apologize, its just what I am going through right now. My mom has a friend named Brenda. Brenda is a wonderful lady. She came to my baby shower and asks about baby Keegan anytime mom sees her at work. About two months ago mom stopped by our house on the way home from work with a towel for Keegan that Brenda had picked up from an arts and crafts show. It was a dog towel and we absolutely love it! My mom once again stopped by our house on the way home from work on Monday and dropped off a gift from Brenda. She had made a build a bear for Keegan, it is the cutest, softest dog  I have ever seen! When I took him out of the book and looked at his birth certificate, Brenda had named him Miracle. I got teary eyed. She told mom that before she put the little heart inside the dog she said a prayer and kissed it! That was the sweetest story I have heard in a long time! Here is a picture of the new addition to our family: Miracle.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Relief at Last

Monday morning bright and early we had to be back at Midwest Radiologic Imaging for Keegan's CT w/ contrast. I went alone with Keegan to have daddy meet up with us around 9 am.   We got there, signed in and I managed to find a seat where I could unbundle lil dude, and relax until our name was called. A couple of minutes later the receptionist called me up to the desk (as I wondered how the heck I was going to moved ALL my stuff to the front counter then back to my seat-I said to myself screw it, take the kid and come back as quick as you can-if someone wants to  steal something they obviously need it more than me).  I had to take this 7 oz bottle back to my seat and try to feed it to my 2 1/2 month old, I was so worried he wouldn't take or that it would make his sick, all he has ever had EVER was formula.  But to my surprise he took the whole thing!

Ry got there a little while later, after I had been called back to a different sitting area. We were waiting for the NICU nurses to come down and put his IV in for the contrast. When they NICU team finally got there, we were called into the CT room.  I set Keegan's head in this little trap thing and layed his tiny body down.  Immediately the nurse started to attempt to find a vein. She was not having much luck! She finally thought she found one and pricked him once.  When they hooked up a needle to flush the line, we found out very quickly that nope, she was not in the vein. Keegan was screaming at the top of his lungs at this point, he was NOT a happy baby.  She then decided she wanted to try the other hand. She walked around the table with all her stuff and attempted the other side. After 5-10 minutes of searching for a vein, she decided to stab his yet again. I thought this time we would get it for sure, she was almost positive she was in a vein this time. NOPE! This one even started to bleed everywhere. Keegan had just calmed down when, he began screaming again, and really I can't say I blame him.  I mean it's one thing to be IV'd once, but 2 twice with no luck! The nurse kept apologizing and the doctor that oversee's the CT's decided that he was going to have his CT w/o contrast.

I went to sit out in the 2nd waiting area while Ryan stayed in the room with him while he got his CT. It was completly finished in less than 10 minutes and we were on our way out of there. Next came the waiting.

Since we Sara (His nurse practioner at Riley)  wanted me to make my own appointment, they really had no idea when this would be done. This being said, I pretty much knew I wouldnt hear from them on Monday. On Tuesday I had a meeting with First Steps to put our plan for Keegan's PT in place and really didn't expect to hear anything from Riley that morning, but when they didnt call early afternoon, I began getting a little worried. Around 3 our time I decided to call to see if anyone had even taken a look at the scans yet.  I left a message for Dr. Walsh's  nurse to call me with the results. Since this was at 4 pm their time, I knew it probably wouldn't be until Wednesday morning till we heard something.

When my phone rang with the "All I want for christmas" ringtone that is currently assigned to unidentified number, my stomach flip flopped! When I picked up the phone and Jean, Dr. Walsh's nurse was on the other end, I suddenly felt so sick.  What was she about to tell me, should I got in another office so as not to make a blubbering fool out of myself? When she then told me that the scans came back CLEAR, the biggest smile spread over my face. I believe I then asked her if she was sure and then delved into the whole bloodwork question. How can he have NO TUMORS but his blood work shows he does. Then I remembered back to the information that Sara had given me recently.  Sometimes these levels are higher in newborn babies and it really isnt known why. And since when his blood was drawn he was 2 months old but only 1 month adjusted, maybe that was it. But really I decided not to try to rationalize it; medicine is weird. He also had LOTS and LOTS of people praying for him! That had to play a MAJOR role right?

But anyway here we are December 19th currently Free and CLEAR of tumors.  This obviously doesn't mean it will always be the case. That is why we are being followed closely; because that is one of the symptoms os SGBS, tumor in the abdomen. I felt so blessed today to be able to take him to his 3 month photo shoot at JC Penny's and really have the whole tumor issue off my mind. Don't get me wrong I still worry, because that is my nature and because my child is special and does have a genetic syndrome, but I am much more at ease!

I just wanted to THANK everyone for all your prayers and support! I am forever grateful for all of you who have prayed and passed along our story to those you know that can and will pray for our family. You will never know what it means to us! I will soon have a little button you can snag for your blog or profile that says something to the effect to pray for Keegan, my blog designer Jen @ The Blog Cafe is working on it when she gets back in town.

I am gonna post his 3 month pictures when we get the CD on Thursday, there are some really cute shots! I can't wait for everyone to see them! Well, I am off to dinner tonight with some great friends-so that's all for now, never stop praying!

Love
B

A Mother's Prayer

Tonight while Ry, Keegan and I begin to rest our heads to sleep, I will pray. I will pray very hard. I will pray with EVERY SINGLE ounce of my soul and this is what I will be praying.
Dear lord, heavenly father please watch over our little family tomorrow. Watch over Keegan as he is injected with chemicals to make the CT work. Watch over him as he gets put through a big scary machine. Watch over him as that machine scans him body for tumors. Dear lord watch over Ryan and I as our tiny baby is put through more tests than most people our age. Please help us to get through the test and subsequent hours of waiting to hear if our little boy has tumors in his small little body. Lord please let the doctors give us good news that there really are no tumors and his levels are just high for an unknown reason. I plead with you that you spare our baby of more tests, surgery, and cancer. I know what doesn't kill you makes you strong but lord he is only 2 and half months old! He has barely begun to live his life. He is such a precious baby that is loved by not just his mommy and daddy dearly but by aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins and LOTS of friends near and far! Please listen to this prayer and others just like it for Baby Keegan tonight as we want the best possiable outcome from all of this. It is in your name that I pray.

                                 

You Take the Good....

Well most people finish that sentence with ....the bad. But today I feel like we got more good news than bad, so I am taking the good and leaving the bad for another day, heck another year! First Steps came to the house today to evaluate Keegan for the possiability of early intervention (therapy; wether it be Physical or Occupational). All in all I was very pleased with the result.

The ladies that came to evaluate him tested him in 6 areas. They compared him to his adjusted age of 1 month versus his actual age of  2 months 2 weeks. They do this simply because he was 6 weeks premature.  He did really well in most areas; he has started to track faces and toys, he has started to coo and he will look at your face while you are holding him. They are a little more concerned about some of his gross motor development.  He tends to move his right side a little more than the left and he tends to look to the left more so the right side of his neck seems a little more tight. So the ladies went ahead and recommended that he receive therapy from either a PT or OT, my choosing.  The ladies want to make sure that if we are facing any sort of delay  associated with SGBS that we stay on top of it because he will having a better chance at normalcy (although who or what is normal-what has made us define normal? That is a different blog for a different day!).  So I am very excited about being proactive! All I have ever wanted and will continue to want is the best for him-like every single mom out there!

I also go a call from Sara up at Riley today. The minute I heard that ring tone my stomach dropped like on a roller coaster! I had every thought rushing through my head at once. She called to let me know that the Gastro doctor would like us to get a CT of his Chest, Belly and Pelvis with contrast. We also briefly discussed the peditrician issue. Dr. Walsh has recommended Dr. Crecelius, he did his fellowship up at Riley. I hung up from that conversation feeling decent, not really negative, not really positive just so so. A couple of minutes later Sara called me back she scheuled our CT for Wednesday the 9th and said I could call and reschedule if that didnt work out because she had to go ahead and make an appointment to get me in the computer. I then also asked her about the CT of the head that was taken last week. She let me know that there is still blood on this brain, sometimes it takes awhile to be reabsorbed but there was no more fluid on the brain and that is what she was most worried about. 

I also shared and interesting revelation that my dad had shared with me over the weekend. One of my grandfather's brothers was born with an abnormally large head and he actually had webbed fingers and toes. I had never known this and it intregues me! I need to call them and start asking some more questions. Everyone it seems like is trying to help us put the puzzle pieces together. They are thinking back to relatives and things that have happened in their own lives to try to make sense of the fact that this could be something passed from generation to generation.

Speaking of genetics, I asked Sara about Ryan and I getting tested to see if we are the carriers of SGBS.  She said because Keegan is a patient of Dr. Walsh's and Dr Walsh is a genetisist that he will most likely test us when we are ready (I am scared at what they are going to find to be quite honest!). We are getting tested sooner than later so that we can be sure that if we have another child that we will/will not pass this on.

I really appreciate all the thoughts and prayers everyone is sending our way! We can feel it and can only hope it is helping our cause! And here is an updated picture of our precious angel!

When is it our turn?

We have no right to ask when sorrow comes, "Why did this happen to me?" unless we ask the same question for every moment of happiness that comes our way. ~Author Unknown

We have always kind of known there was something different about Keegan, from the moment I first saw him in the NICU I knew he didnt "look" like other babies. I think we tried to tell ourselves that it was just a bunch of little "coincidences" that all happened to him, but as the weeks have drawn on we have come to the realization that is not so.  Let me skip back in time for just a moment:

October 9, 2009 we headed north to Riley's Childrens Hospital in Indianapolis. We thought we were just going for a follow up for a few minor things he had when he was born: larger than normal head and weight, in uterine stroke, and multiple digits. All of our tests and reports had been forward to the Neurogenetic Clinic. When we got there we spoke with a neurogenetic counselor for awhile. She asked us all sorts of questions about our prenancy, our famiy histories and about this precious 2 and half week old that we were just begining to form a relationship with. He had only been out of the NICU 3 days when all this started to happen.  After Abby, our counselour was done, Dr. Walsh came in a did a physical evlauation of Keegan. We really had no idea what he was doing and quite frankly we were scared as hell!  All the while, Dr. Walsh started to talk about a genetic syndrome called Simpson-Golobi-Behmel. He has a few of the more prominent markers for it including a larger than normal head circumfrence, he was larger than normal (especially for a premie) at birth, his eyes are a little wider spaced than most babies, and his nose bridge is flatter than normal.  Dr. Walsh explained to us that he suspected Keegan of having this overgrowth syndrome and that there really wasn't a test for it.  We left there feeling more empowered than we had thus far, the NICU doctors really didn't help us a whole lot, they performed every test under the sun but we never really got concrete answers.

Fast Forward 6 weeks. On Monda November 23rd, 2009 we had a follow up appointment in Dr. Walsh's office up a Riley.  We were seen by a Nurse Practioner named Sara. She asked us some of the same questions asked last time, more questions about his developement-what he was able to do and what he wasnt, and about his general well being. She did some tests on his ablitiy to hold up his own head and took a look as his naked, and might I add cold, little body. She was worried about the lag with his head when pulled from a laying down position. She suggested we call First Steps of Indiana down in Vanderburgh County when we got home. She was also worried about the vary large soft spot that was still open in the back of his head and a hernia that has developed around his belly button, both of which will need surgery if they don't clear up. She wanted a follow up CT of his head and an ulstrasound of his belly done when we got home. After the appointment she sent us down to the lab to have his blood drawn, at the time we had no clue what they were drawing his blood for.

We got home that evening and felt pretty good about our trip. Nothing that can't be handled. I called First Steps of Indiana the next day and scheduled a meeting for Wednesday December 2nd for an intial consultation. The rest of the week flew by pretty fast. Some of my family and some of Ryan's family came in town for Thanksgiving and we had the meal for around 20 people at our little 1200 sq foot home! It was a blast though and Keegan got to meet some of his Great Aunts and Uncles and his Great Nana.

The first week of December started pretty uneventful. Keegan went to Amanda, hosue for the first time and got to know Ella and Jamison, her two little ones. By Wednesday I was ready for the weekend. I left work around 10:45 am to head to the First Steps office. When I got in my car I checked my phone for missed calls. Sure enough I had missed one and had a voicemail waiting for me.  After listening to the message, I placed a call to Riley right away to talk to Sara, our nurse practioner.  She had gotten his blood results back. It turns out Keegan as measuring in a critical area for the AFP test (a test for tumors).  She asked me when our CT and ultrasound were scheduled. I let her know it was scheduled for first thing on Friday. She said she would do her best to obtain those results quickly and let us know what they said. She proceeded to tell me not to be too alarmed although she probably would be if she was me.  I replied, "yea I am kind of freaking out!" - Which by the way I was! 

The First Steps meeting went very well. She gathered information about our little family and the obstables facing Keegan. She then shared her own personal story with me about her two boys that were born with genetic syndrome. Although it didn't keep me from being scared sh!tless, it did help me realize that even though this a mere bump in the road, we will get through this. 

After the meeting I phoned Ryan at work and shared the bad news with him. He got just as upset as I was but assured me that everything would be okay. I then called my mom, dad and sister in law Toni.  Everyone shared their sorrow and told me to keep my head up, we have not had our CT yet.  I got back to the office and no sooner did I get in the door than I started bawling again and ran to Laura (my bff in the entire world) and began to cry harder. Why did my little man have to go through this? What did we do that should have been done differenlty? It is still hard for me to wrap my head around......

The next 2 days are a complete blur. I didnt eat much and really didnt smile much. It is hard enough to raise a child in today's society but I was and am completely scared of raising a special needs child. On Friday morning December 4th we loaded our little starving man in the car and drove to Midwest Radiologic Imaging. We waited for what seems like hours, although with a screaming and very hungry 2 month old it would have felt like forever regardless of where we were. He had his CT done first and Ry got to stay in the room with him. Ryan said he fell asleep in the little holder.  We then went across the building to where they perform the ultrasounds.  It was then another 30 minute wait. When we finally got called back to the room we were very anxious. I was scared to death a tumor would just pop right up on ultrasound and we would be admited to the hospital right away. But that is not how it happened. Ry help Keegans arms and keep his Glow worm glowing and singing the lullabies while I rubbed his little legs and feet to keep him calm.  He did very well and the tech was able to get all the measurments and things she needed. I did have to tell her about the 2nd gallbladder that he was diagnosed with in Utero and she commented that she didnt see it.

The next couple of hours seemed to drag. I knew Sara would be calling that afternoon so I was just waiting to here "All I want for Chrimstas is you" by Mariah Carey, its my current Unidentifed caller ringtone :) Around 1-1:30 she finally called. She said they didn't see any tumors and that she was going to take it over to gastrointerology to have them take a closer look and that it would either be late Friday or Monday before she got back to me. We did have a brief discussion about how her and Dr. Walsh are pretty confident we are dealing with Simpson-Golobi-Behmel and that we should find a good Peditirian. Although I had been thinking htis in my mind, her confirming the SGB made it more real.

So here I am on Sunday December 6th holding my breath and praying for whatever reason that the markers for his tumors are just an error. Hopefully she will call me Monday morning and let us know the next step, I think we are both more okay with this now, we have given it a chance to sink in. We have a great family to turn to for support and I am reaching out to others who have special needs children or those that have children diagnosed with SGBS. There is a little boy in Texas by the name of Jackson whom has SGBS. Since it is such a rare syndrome I am not finding a lot of support groups or people to befriend. I have faith though that we will get through this and although I ask my self  "when is it our turn to have something good happen?" I know that Keegan is that something good, he was sent to us for a reason and we will always love him!

Starting over....

With the recent revelations about Keegan's health, I am taking the opportunity to restart the blogging process about the things we are going through as a family and Keegan's health issues! Follow us, this should be an intresting ride!

Progress, well I think...

This is just a quick post to document some great progress this evening. Today we have had an exceptionally fussy baby. Ry laid him tummy first in his boppy to see if that helped matters. I was out of the room when that part happened but when I walked in Keegan was freely (albeit very slowly) moving his head from left to right-ALL BY HIMSELF! I just watched in astonishment as our baby was taking a major step! Yea for Keegan! (and then he started screaming his bloody head off again!)

Halloween and all its glory....

This past weekend everyone celebrated Halloween. Keegan wasnt supposed to be here yet, but we are so happy he is. He got to experience his first halloween (even though he wont remember it and he slept through most of it). Keegan's cousins Laura and Michael and his Aunt Toni and Uncle Bret came to visit for the weekend. He got held almost all weekend but they did take turns, which made everyone happy.  Most of the time we hung out at the house, I am scared of taking him out too many places with Swine Flu a major concern.  We did however go out to lunch down at Max & Erma's for lunch on Friday the 30th and then Keegan went to visit Daddy's work and meet the nice people there.   Here is Keegan before going to visit Daddy:

He was a little ghost, the bib is from his Great Aunt Karen-SO CUTE! On Saturday the 31st, Keegan was dressed up in his costume again and we got so pictures of him with his cousin Laura. 

Keegan and his cousin Laura...she is givin him some love!

Keegan's first bath in his big boy tub!

First "Offical" Family Portrait

Keegan playing on his new toy that mommy just had to have!

Aunt Abby as "Bella" and Keegan on Halloween

Keegan and Cousin Laura early Sunday Morning

We had a great weekend visiting. We wish more people would come to visit more often!

One Month has come and gone....

Today marks Keegan's 1st month on earth and my how it has flown. Although he shouldn't even really be here yet, he is doing very well. When he came home from the NICU on October 6th he was on 2 oz of formula. Since then he is now taking 4 oz at each feeding and pretty much eating as often as before. For the past two and half weeks since he has been home, he had enjoyed meeting his doggies, Ducan and Lexus, hanging out in his swing, playing on he playmat, and chillin on the couch with mom and dad in his boppy.

Even though he is still up atleast 2 times during the night, he is doing really well with his everyday routine! He sleeps a lot but also has gained more and more "awake" time the last couple of weeks. It's really neat to see him be able to do more and more things. He now can focus on faces and has started to move his head around on his own! I will have him laying on my chest when all of a sudden he is a wildman moving his head all over the place.

Have I mentioned that we have one gassy little boy? He is not a big burper, infact we are lucky to get one burp out after his 4 oz feeding. But just wait about 30 minutes or so and he will be able to hang with the best of them. His ability to fart is amazing, you can tell he is OUR son! (I would blame it all on Ryan but anyone who knows me knows that I, along with my son, can hang with the best of them) My favorite is when you are holding him, while feeding him mind you, and he farts in your hand.....its really kind of funny!

He is still wearing newborn diapers and can also still fit in newborn clothing. He hasn't been weighed lately but I am assuming he is pushing the 10 lb mark. The 0-3 clothes are still a little large on him but I have a feeling in no time he will be out growing those as well.

He went on his first walk on Wednesday October 21st. He was all bundled up with a hat, mittens, and socks that matched his little gown. He seemed to like it alright. We had to make the walk short because mommy was still very light headed after loosing a ton of blood on Monday. It was nice to get out in the fresh air!

Update on Updates....

So I have decided to make Monday's my update day, like when we were posting weekly about being pregnant. I will try my hardest to post pictures and updates every Monday for everyone to enjoy...
Also if something comes up during the week that I want/need to share I will update then too! I feel I had to explain the idea of the blog now that Keegan is here and I have not really updated like I should. So with that, there should be an update for everyone to enjoy tomorrow!

Keegan's Stay in the NICU

Because our little guy was born at 34 weeks 2 days, he was whisked away to the NICU shortly after birth. The NICU is a very interesting place. Not only are there babies there that need just a "little" help now that they are on the outside, there are some babies that need LOTS of help because they were born VERY early. Thankfully we were in the first category! Keegan's stay was relatively uneventful minus a couple of the problems we are dealing with (but I will go into that later).

When he was born he was assigned at doctor in the NICU, her name was Dr. Hilmo and out of the 3 doctors that watch over the NICU she is by far (in our opinion) the best. Like I posted in a previous entry, Dr. Hilmo came into my recovery room shortly after birth to let us know that Keegan was doing okay but he did has some extra fingers and an extra toe, she also advised that he would most likely have to stay in the NICU until he was right around 36 week Gestational Age (2 weeks from his date of birth). In the back of our minds we thought he would be home much sooner because although he was early there really weren't any major problems. He was breathing on his own, he could regulate his own temperature, and he wasn't hooked up to a bunch of fancy machines. Little did we know we were wrong.

So he was born on Wednesday the 23rd and by the time I was released on the 27th of September they were not ready to release him yet and really gave no indication as to when they would allow him to go home. The thought of leaving our new born baby in the NICU while we went home to try to continue life as usual until he was ready to come home was very hard on both of us. I cried quite a bit that Sunday afternoon until the idea was presented to us to stay in a "parent room". These are rooms that the hospital offers to parents of NICU babies so they can stay closer to their child(ren). We took them up on this opportunity because neither one of us could fathom leaving him there.

That night Ry and I got up at midnight to go down the hall to NICU to feed Keegan (that was really tiring). It felt really good to be able to provide some sort of care for our son even though he was Stuck here. The next day we got up and started our normal routine (or what would be normal for us the next week or so). We would mosey to the NICU around 11:30 am or so to be ready to go for Keegan's 12 o'clock feeding. We would stay and hang out till after his 3 o'clock feeding. We would then head home, after we made the decision on Monday afternoon to go back home and sleep in our actual bed and be with our animals. Then we would head back to the hospital for his 9 pm feeding and we would squeeze in some cuddle/kangaroo time with mommy or daddy. This would put us home between 10 and 10:30 pm and we would pass out in the comfort of our bed only to wake up and do it all over again the next morning. Oh, by the way, I would squeeze pumping in sometime during the day whether it was at home a couple of times or use the pumps that the hospital provided in the NICU. This got very tiring but was well worth it when we got to see and hold our little guy.

Every morning when we got up, we would either get a phone call from one of the NICU doctors or they would update us when we got in the nursery. Most days it was just updating us once we got into the nursery. The first couple of days it was Dr. Hilmo that would update us and talk about his prognosis. After those first couple of days Dr. Maybalene, another doctor in the NICU, would provide us, or try to, info on how our baby was progressing.

During the first few days, lots of tests were run and his blood was drawn quite a bit. Keegan went through quite an ordeal. There were CT's, MRI's, EEG's, X-Rays and Genetic Tests. The only real info we gained from any of these very expensive tests is that Keegan has a larger than normal head as well as his brain is fairly large. There was/is some blood between his skull and his skin as well as some more blood between his skull and brain. He has an extra finger on each hand, although I use the word finger very loosely. It really isn't an extra finger as it is a skin tag with a tiny piece of a finger w/ a finger nail. He also has the same thing on his foot attached to his baby toe. None of the doctors could really ever give us answers and to what they were looking for or what they have found. This got to be very frustrating and still is.

The nurses in the NICU were great. They let you provide whatever care you feel comfortable providing your little one. We jumped in right away and started his sponge baths every other night, taking his temperature at every feeding, changing his diaper and giving him his feeding-when it didn't have to be tube fed. This was very reassuring and help the transition between hospital and home.

As we began to near his 36 week Gestational age, we got really nervous because no one had mentioned yet the time frame when we would be able to take our son home. We watched as lots of the babies around us got to go home in the loving arms of their parents but we just watched and prayed every night that our turn would come soon. On Saturday the 3rd of October, during our normal morning update with a doctor, they told us that if Keegan kept eating good (taking all of his 70 cc bottle of breast milk/infamies) then we would be able to take him home on Tuesday. So that afternoon they did his car seat test and hearing test. The car seat test is where the sit him in a car seat with all his leads still attached and monitor him for 1 hour. They have to make sure his breathing and heart rate would not be compromised. He also had his hearing test, which he passed with flying colors! He had been doing really well with his feeding and then by Saturday night, as if he was trying to tell us he was not ready to leave the NICU, he had to be tube fed 3 times! I got so upset and would not let myself believe we would actually we taking him home on Tuesday the 6th. After Saturday though he never had to be fed via the tube and it was actually removed on Monday. I still was a nervous wreck thinking they would find some way to keep him for some reason.

When Tuesday the 6th of October rolled around, I was so nervous getting ready at home that I thought I was going to be sick. I didn't eat breakfast and I think I took 3 trips to the bathroom before we were ready to leave to go to the hospital. When we got to the NICU we found out he had taken all of his bottles and they were working on his discharge orders. We watched the Infant CPR video, changed our little guy into his "coming home outfit", and put him in his carrier. They loaded us up with Infamil, bottles and nipples and we were off!

It was an odd feeling walking out of the NICU with our baby. I guess we were in shock that our day had finally come and our Keegan was coming home with us!

Keegan's Birthday ....

As I posted in a previous post, Dr. Mann stated the induction process on 9/22 by oral medication to thin my cervix. On Wednesday morning the 23rd I got 2 more pills to continue to thin my cervix by 7 am I was ready for some pitocin. Dr. Mann came into my room and checked me, I was about 1 cm and I don't really remember my effacement. After the pitocin was started, I went from feeling really comfortable to extreme pain in the matter of less than an hour. By that time I was begging for an epidural. I was in so much pain. I have heard that pitocin makes contractions worse, and even though I have not had a contraction without pitocin I believe it. I would like to think that if I went naturally into labor I would have been able to handle the pain a lot more.

As the day progressed I got more comfortable. I was checked every couple of hours and was progressing nicely. I was checked early-mid afternoon and was around 5 cm, by 4 pm I was at 9 cm and I had a small "lip" on the right hand side of my cervix. Right around this time my pain came back 10 x's worse than before. The epidural wasn't working. They called the Anthesilogist in to give me more medication. That medication, Lidocaine, did not work. He came back in a short time later to assess my pain level, still as high as before. They gave me some more Lidocaine. When that still didn't take the edge off they gave me more medication. By this time my legs were even heavier than they had previously been and I could hardly move myself around in my bed. With the normal epidural I could move my legs enough to move around to get comfortable in bed but couldn't walk, I was also catheterized every couple hours to relieve the pressure in my bladder. Dr. Mann came in at some point during this process to check the position of Keegan's head. He felt something was wrong, it was tilted to one side and he didn't know if he was going to be able to deliver him naturally. He called in Dr. Ott, another doctor in his office, who agreed that his head was tilted and didn't know if he would come out vaginally.

By this time I was soooo tired and in so much pain, I really didn't care much as to what was happening around me. Back around 4 pm my nurse, Michele, told me we would have a baby by the end of her shift (7 pm) and little did she know it would be sooner than later. It was quickly decided that I was going to need to have a C-section. It seemed that as soon as this was decided things started to happen very fast. I remember a nurse giving Ryan his white scrubs and I had to drink some nasty drink to help with acid reflux after the surgery. They put compression socks on my feet and drained my bladder again. I remember I had a contraction right before they were to wheel me out into the hall down to surgery. I asked the to wait so I didn't scare all the people in the hallway on the way to the delivery room. When we got in the delivery room I saw a familiar face, Holly, a lady from church was in there. She immediately said hi and I felt a lot better about the current situation. I remember the blue sheet being pulled up in front of my face and a cold sensation going down my back. I then remember the anthesilogist asking me if I felt anything, when I said yes I could feel the scapel going into my belly he immediatly gave me something else for pain, all had to numb me at this point was my epidural/Lidocaine. Come to find out the last drug that the doctor gave me was the same drug that Michael Jackson died from. This knocked me out and I remember waking up in the recovery room with Holly and Ryan by my side. That is all I remember about his birth. Come to find out he was born at 5:41 pm weighing 7 lbs 10.8 oz and was 18 inches long.

Keegan's doctor, Dr. Hilmo, came into the recovery room and updated us on Keegan's status. I vaguely remember her saying something about having extra fingers and toes but that is about it. They wheeled me into the NICU before wheeling me to the room where I would spend the next 4 days. I saw my baby for the first time. I don't really remember much about seeing him other than seeing his little extra toe and fingers. He had A LOT of hair and he was crying, I was still pretty drugged up. I was then wheeled down to my room to relax and recover.

Maternity Pictures

So the Saturday before Keegan's arrival we snuck some maternity pictures in with the wonderful Jeff Seymore. Because I dont feel like posting my birth story just yet, dont have the energy today. I am going to give you the website and password info to take a glance at them. Please help us vote on which 8 x10 to purchase to hang on the living room wall. Hope you enjoy, they were fun to do and looking at them now I didn't realize just how huge I was!

http://photos.epicphotodesign.com/p367565557

Password: chuppprego

Love you All!

One weird week....

Back on Monday I was supposed to update the blog it being week 34 and all. Not a lot to update but I was going to post a picture of the huge belly and talk about the joys of bed rest. Well, I didn't get around to it Tuesday because I felt like crap all day and ended up in Triage that night. Who would have known and Tuesday night I would be admitted to Triage only to be "admitted" to the women's hospital and induced for labor later that evening.
Lets Start on Saturday the 19th, one week ago. I was put on bed rest the previous Thursday due to Pre-Eclampsia and release from Triage on Friday the 18th. I had asked Dr. Mann if we could go ahead and do maternity pictures with Jeff on Saturday because we really wanted some pictures and hadn't had the chance to get them done. So he gave us the go ahead, saying to take it easy and not over do it. We didn't. We got some great shots in his nursery then went over the the University of Evansville campus and shot some more. We really can't wait to see how they turned out. I rested the rest of the day on Saturday and Sunday did more of the same. Just hung out trying to keep my blood pressure down and not to feel like complete crap. Sunday as I was getting ready to eat my wonderful pancake breakfast, that we have every Sunday, I began to throw up what little I could actually get down-TURNS OUT, that is not such a great thing.....so the rest of the day I just took it easy.
I had a doctors appointment (follow up the the Triage admittance and test the previous Thursday and Friday) on Monday morning. Ry took me to his office for a 2 pm appointment. By the time I got back to have my BP done and my urine tested my BP was somewhere in the neighborhood of 168/eighty something. WAY HIGH! So we met with Dr. Mann who insisted we go down to Triage to be monitored for awhile and have more blood work drawn. So we immediately headed downstairs (thank goodness everything is in the same building) and got settled in our little room while I was hooked up to all the monitors. Turns out my liver enzymes were a little more elevated from the week before but they saw no reason to keep me over night. So we left and went home to have dinner and go night night. After dinner I began to have paint in my upper quadrant, right underneath my boobs. It is the oddest pain and VERY VERY VERY uncomfortable, to the point that I began crying and I had yet to really cry at that point. Ryan called mom and mom came over. She suggested I take some Tums, they seemed to help a little but not as much as I was hoping they would. Ultimately the pain subsided enough that I could fall asleep and stay asleep.
On Tuesday I woke up feeling better than the night before but trying to be aware of what I was eating in case I was starting to have gallbladder problems. I cut the fats out of my diet for the day and ate pretty bland. By 4 pm that upper quadrant paint had come back and with full force! I was in excruciating pain! I couldn't get comfortable, the only thing that seemed to help was warm/hot showers and it only relieved it while I was in the actual shower. I was beside myself not know what to do. Mom came over, we tried Mylanta, no such luck. I tried laying, sitting, being on all fours-NOTHING helped. I finally decided to call Dr. Mann's office. They had him call me and when I told him what was going on he said to go to Triage immediately, he was going to talk to Dr. Fitzpatrick (our high risk dr) and decide what needed to be done. He wanted to me to check into triage to start the blood work and be monitored for a while. Upon getting my blood work back, Dr Mann decided they need to induce because my liver enzymes had gotten worse since the day before along with my BP. They did a quick ultrasound to make sure he was head down, which he was and also to check his size. They estimated him to be 7 lbs 9 oz at that point. The go ahead was given and they admitted me to labor and delivery. I was given 2 teenie tiny little pills to start the thinning out of my uterus and the story continues in just a moment....

A long 24 hours......

I have spent the last 24 in Triage at the Women's hospital. While I feel I NEED to write about this and inform all, I am very tired and worn out. Between not sleeping well and the new blood pressure medicine I have been put on, I am tuckered out and will be turning in for bed at 7 or so tonight! I will update soon though I promise. Mom and baby are doing as well as can be expected and go back to see Dr Mann on Monday at 2 pm. He has also taken me off work until after delivery with bed rest only. Great News right? The Good news though, for real, is they did give me two steroid shots to help Keegans lung develop quicker incase I need to be induced, have a c-section or go into labor quicker.

I will update everyone soon, for now thanks for all the prayers and good wishes!

33 weeks and not VERY happy.....

So for those of you that don't know, I had to go to Triage on Friday afternoon. I had had a headache for the past 3 days, HUGE feet/ankles, and when mom came to check my BP at work it was pretty high. I called the doctors office and he wanted me to go check in at Triage and be monitored. No biggy right? Well after being monitored for about an hour and half and doing a urine sample. They found that my BP would skyrocket after I got up from a laying/relaxing position. He sent me home with the order of bed rest up to pee and eat only! I was sooo upset, after all I had been looking forward to our maternity pics with Jeff for like 2 months. I had an appointment to have my make-up done and hair done and even some other more Risky pictures done with our friend Dave. But now none of this could happen because I had to lay on the couch all weekend long. You would normally think that is great right? Well since I have been in this position 2 other times (ACL reconstruction surgery and after my car accident in 2006) I knew that this would be no fun. My only saving grace would be Net flix and Face book.

Well I made it through the weekend with my BP being monitored every time I got up and then after resting for a little while. The counts continued to stay higher than normal and the headaches continued too. Monday morning I had to report to Dr. Mann my readings. He wasn't that thrilled with what I reported and wanted me to go home from work and rest. He wants me to play the rest of this week by ear until I see him Thursday morning. So here I am today, home. I went by my mom's on the way to work. BP was 140/90 (this is the point that Dr. Mann doesn't like). Mom is coming by now to take my Bp to see if I can go in to work this afternoon-thank goodness I have saved some extra vacation time! So I will keep you guys updated as far as what Dr. Mann says on Friday. I know during my last appointment he said that he can test my amniotic fluid at 36 weeks to see if its mature, if it is they can induce and we could have Keegan a whole month early. We may have to turn to this if my BP continues to stay high.

On another note, Ry is going out of town on Sunday for a week. He has to go to Chicago on business. My thoughts are, at least he is semi close to home. Mom is going to stay with me so I am not alone! Thank goodness!

Nothing else really new this week, Ry is working on the kitchen remodel and its almost complete! Hopefully by Thanksgiving everything will be 100% b/c we are having 20 people here for dinner!

Movement: Everyday! I am recognizing more a sleep/wake pattern now.
Food Cravings: This homemade dessert Ry makes-Yummy, I am gonna go get a piece now!
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: not many contractions this past week
Belly Button in or Out: popping!
Stretch Marks: no new ones, thank goodness
What I miss: normal life!
What I am looking forward to: my doctors appointment Thursday to find out what the heck is going on!
Milestones: can't think of one at the moment!

32 weeks, yesterday

So yesterday was our 32 week mark! Let me hear you say-YEA! I decided not to post until today because I had my growth ultrasound this morning with Dr. Fitzpatrick, our high risk doctor. I had my 3rd growth ultrasound. Little Keegan's head is nestled way down in my pelvis so the reading on the head, cross my fingers, is WAY off! Even the tech said it was really hard to get a good measurement because he was so far down! It measured at 41 weeks-WOOOOOWW! His little belly is measuring ahead at 36 weeks, following the same pattern as the last two growth ultrasounds. His weight, albeit an estimate off of the measurements is 6 lbs and 15 oz, I think. The doctor was pleased with his gallbladder situation, everything including his little kidneys were measuring right on target and Dr. Fitzpatrick was overall pleased. I go back to him on October 6th for a 4th growth ultrasound so we will see! Work is starting a poll, and placing money on when he will make his arrival, no one thinks I will actually make it till November! We shall see though, he will make his appearance when he wants~ that's for sure!

Tonight we went and pre-registered for our hospital stay and delivery. We filled out the forms for his social security number (thank goodness b/c we can't get him a savings account at our bank until he has one) and the paperwork for his birth certificate. They asked all sorts of questions about mostly me and they even have his pediatrician on file now! This was the last "BIG" thing we had to do in preparation for his arrival.

Birth Class-CHECK
Breastfeeding class-CHECK
Pre-register at the Hospital-CHECK

This past weekend we worked on the house. Ryan worked on finishing the kitchen remodel, a little more than half the room is painted and primed. While he was doing this I deep cleaned(kinda) the living room, it took me ALL day Saturday! On Sunday Abby came over and helped me organize and put away all things baby. We got his diaper changing area prepped, all his new clothes hung (my goodness do we have a lot of clothes, they even go up to 24 months!), put his new books and stuffed animals away and semi packed both of his diaper bags! We have yet to put together the pack and play or the swing but eventually! I will post pics of the nursery-completely finished-within the next couple of weeks, there are a couple of things I would like to tweak before I post them to the world!

This Saturday we are having maternity pictures taken by the one and only Epic Photography! They have done our engagement, wedding and now maternity photos. They are good friends of our and wouldn't trust this task to anyone but them. I am going to keep our ideas and outfits a surprise until they are ready to post. I don't know about Ryan but I am super excited! I am getting my make-up done at the spa then heading over to Klein's to get my hair cut and styled they off to get pics taken! Will update on that at a later date!

Other than my swelling I have been feeling pretty good. I have gotten into this patten of getting up in the middle of the night and NOT being able to fall back to sleep for the life of me! It sucks! Last night I woke up at about 2:45 to pee and did not end up falling back asleep until 4:30! that is ridiculous! I really needed my rest too since I had to go back to work after a long weekend today! Blah!

Movement: All the time and mostly at the top of the belly where his feet reside!
Food Cravings: Warm cookies and milk, just pulled some out of the oven actually!
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: So slight contractions nothing major yet
Belly Button in or Out: Mary Ellen and Abby only think it will be a couple more days till it pops!
Stretch Marks: no new ones, thank goodness
What I miss: shaving my legs easily and wearing "normal" shoes
What I am looking forward to: our Maternity pics!
Milestones: only 8 weeks to go!

T Minus 9 weeks and counting....

Today we are 31 weeks and boy oh boy do I feel it! My ankles remind me of tree trunks and my toes are little snausages! But I am told (and I truly believe) that is all worth it in the end! I do have a new weird symptom this week, my fingertips on the my right fore and middle fingers go numb while I am on the computer....its very strange, I am chalking it up to the swelling occurring all over my body but will definitely ask Dr. Mann about it at my appointment on Friday.

I did manage to squeeze in some yard sailing on Saturday with Laura. We hit up a couple of places and I found a JJ Cole Infant carrier cover for $5! They retail in the mid to upper 30's! I was totally excited about that purchase. I got some cute clothes that I don't know if I will end up needing or not but that is in a story to come! I also found Ry 3 cast iron skillets-He is totally stoked and I am very happy that I could do that for him!

Sunday we had my 2nd baby shower! We had so much fun, Abby and Mary Ellen were in charge and they did a wonderful job! I had not 1, not 2 but 3 diaper cakes! All three were decorated differently and they were all adorable! We ended up giving Jenna, one of my friends from college, one of the diaper cakes b/c she is due about 4-5 weeks before me, based off my November due date. We played some really fun games including one where there is bucket of rice with safety pins in it and whoever finds the most in the bucket in 20 seconds wins! It was H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S! Abby has all the pics on her camera so I will post some later! I had to open a TON of gifts while everyone sat there watching for what felt like an hour and a half! We got almost everything we need though plus lots of stuff we didn't necessarily register for but will definitely come in handy! We did get our pack and play, a swing to match (which I didn't register for but my step mom wanted to buy us-THANK YOU!), our diaper bag, our changing pad, grooming kit, Shampoo's, powder, and baby wash, wash clothes, hooded towels, burp cloths, LOTS of toys, an infant to toddler rocker (which looks like it is awesome!) as well as a TON and yes I mean TON of clothes for the little guy! Oh yea we also got our Boppy! Yea! I will post pics of this later too! Now all I have to do is find room for all this stuff! Its a daunting task but someones gotta do it! LOL. We also received money and gift cards for babies R Us. I am gonna wait and go through everything to see what else we truly need at this time. We are pretty set on diapers and wipes for quite awhile. We know what monitoring system we want but don't necessarily need it right away b/c he will be in the bassinet in our bedroom for approximately 6 months or so. So anyway, we both feel very blessed that we along with our son are loved this much! We thank everyone who came out and celebrated with us!
Here are some pics from after unloading all the stuff into our dining room:

Mom, Mary Ellen, Me and Abby

Aunt Sofia, Me, and Aunt Jacky

Ry and I after the shower

I have a ton more pics, they are just on everyone else's cameras! Lol-but I will update when I get those pictures!

Movement: All the time, I am not quite sure what he is up to sometimes, One night last week Ry felt him (what felt like playing Dance Dance revolution in there!)
Food Cravings: Still sweet stuff, I wish I would get off this kick!
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: So slight contractions nothing major yet
Belly Button in or Out:just waiting for it to pop!
Stretch Marks: no new ones, thank goodness
What I miss: doing stuff on my own ie bending down to get small stuff, bringing the laundry up from the basement....
What I am looking forward to: Putting all our shower goodies away and our maternity pics on September 12th!
Milestones: go for my first bi-monthly appointment this Friday!

30 weeks...lets start with a poem....

Time is moving slowly,

The day is almost here.

The anxiety and joy is building up,

For my baby boy will soon appear.

I can't wait to see your smiling face,

And hold your little hand.

Just then I'll know deep inside

that you’re my little man.

I have so much to share with you day after day.

And to you my son I will give my love in each and every way.

Today, lord help me, marks 30 weeks. Its kind of surreal almost that in less than 10 weeks Ryan and I will have a son to love on, hug on, and take care! Its daunting yet so exciting. This past weekend we went to a birthday party for our good friends Dave and Angela's son. He turned 1 year old. Just watching the innocence and playfulness he had made me anxious! I couldn't actually believe that we were there to celebrate his 1st birthday, it seemed like just yesterday we were going to visit them in the hospital.

At our doctors appointment last Friday, my OB did all the normal stuff. Then I inquired on the whole "measuring ahead" business. Upon measuring my belly (which I believe is getting rounder by the day!) he asked how far ahead the ultrasounds are measuring. I replied 4 full weeks. He made a little noise and commented that this visit my uterus is now measuring ahead. While the ultrasound is way more accurate in predicting these things (per Dr. Mann) he did mention that Keegan will most likely be here in October sometime. I really don't know at this point whose call it is going to be to up my due date or just let it ride!

Like I mentioned earlier we had a birthday party on Saturday to attend and before that Laura and I did a little yard sailing. I found this really cute Little Tykes rocking motorcycle (BRAND NEW!) for $5! It makes all sorts of neat noises and lights up! I am way excited about it. I also founds LOTS of hand help manipulative's for $1 and they are the Lamaze brand! I have already cleaned all those up and am starting a "BIN" for them. That way I can rotate them so he doesn't get bored. Saturday night we went to Lowe's and bought the rest of the stuff we needed to finish the kitchen remodel that was started about a year ago. We bought all the shelving for the pantry. Both gallons of paint for the kitchen walls and baskets for some of my shelving. Now we have almost everything besides the trim work. YEA! Sunday we hung out at home, had our pancake breakfast and cleaned the house a little. I cleaned and Ry rearranged the bedroom to accommodate the bassinet that will be in there in a few short weeks! Its amazing what a difference cleaning and rearranging a room makes. Ry also worked on the pantry and made homemade salsa. All in all in a decent weekend!

Here is to hoping for a great yard sailing weekend next weekend! We also have my company picnic and my baby shower thrown my sisters (and maybe my mom-I'm not sure) on Sunday!

This week Little Keegan measures somewhere in the vicinity of a Squash. Its hard to believe he is that big already! I am peeing 3-4 times a night and just can't imagine how much bigger he (and I will get) They say the 8th month is a honeydew melon-all I have to say about that is WOW!



Best Moment of the Week: Buying my first nursing bra on clearance and LOVING it!

Movement: Everyday, its fun to feel him squirm
Food Cravings: Cake, cake and more cake!
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: some minor contrax here and there and some braxton's too...no biggy
Belly Button in or Out: almost non existent
Stretch Marks: no new ones, thank goodness
What I miss: being able to "maintain" my lady parts!
What I am looking forward to: Our maternity pics on September 12th!
Milestones: HUGENESS!

BTW-took some guts for me to post this pic, hope you like!

Say hello to my big ankles and constant fatigue.....welcome week 29 week!

So today we got our very first BIG gift in the mail from my Aunt Lynn in Maine. We got our transitional booster seat! Yea! Thanks Aunt Lynn! We got tons of great stuff at my shower up North at the end of July, I have started washing and putting all those things away so by the time of my shower down here at home, I am ready and organized to put all that stuff away! But enough about that....
Today we started week 29, while we are only 11 weeks away from meeting our little bundle of joy, I am getting more nervous, anxious and apprehensive b/c really I have no clue how to take care of an infant! We are both very excited and I have every ounce of trust possible that Ry will know what to do, after all he has been around WAY more babies than I have! Third trimester is definitely taking its toll on me. I have been more tired lately and my feet (especially during the week) get very large and swollen and continue that way all week! It will be nice when I have my feet and ankles back!
In other news, his nursery is getting more and more ready. We hung the shelves above his dresser and Ryan cleaned up the rocker that Grampy made for us because it got quite dusty sitting in the dining room! I still need to clean the paper lantern that will sit in the corner by the crib but I expect to do that soon.
Ry and Rexx worked in the back yard on Saturday and amazingly enough managed to make the backyard bigger AND put in the dog kennel! This is all in anticipation of our new deck that will go in in the spring of '10. The kitchen is on the slate to be worked on this weekend. Our main goal is to finish the pantry (buy all the shelving and install it) and to start to paint the walls. Maybe the flooring will go in the following weekend! I am getting excited b/c our house is almost finished!
I feel like I am rambling on and on tonight, someone should just tell me to shut up! I have my 7th month appointment on Friday. This is my last monthly appointment, after this one it goes to every other week then to every week! There is only one thing this means, we are close to the end! I plan on discussing the "4 weeks ahead" for the last 2 ultrasounds questions and see what he says!
This week we have our normal child birthing class on Tuesday and our Breastfeeding class on Wednesday. After our child birthing class last week I think Ryan feels much better about epidurals and what happens during them! We also got to take a full tour of the Women's Hospital, I have been in there and around the halls 100 times but never realized it was so BIG! I am so glad we decided to delivery here-its such a great place to welcome a new life into the world!
Best Moment of the Week: watching my belly as he moved underneath it, its really kinda cool!
Movement: Everyday and now he is waking me up at night!
Food Cravings: None come to mind at the moment!
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: None yet
Belly Button in or Out: not much left!
Stretch Marks: no new ones
What I miss: sleeping through the night without peeing 3 times!
What I am looking forward to: Baz's 1st Birthday Party! Finishing the nursery!

The Home Stretch! 28 Weeks....

Today marks 28 weeks, the first week in the last trimester! YEA! I don't mean to rush things but I am so ready to have Keegan here! While "The Bump" says Keegan is still the size of an Eggplant, I am not thinking he is still that small. He sure doesn't feel that small. I am feeling more and more movement and throughout the day where as before it was more sporadic and usually only during certain times of the day. Now I can feel movement and pressure almost all day and through the night, I am just wondering when this little boy sleeps!

This past week we stayed pretty busy, we had our 2nd childbirth class last Tuesday and then on Saturday we had our 2nd yard sale of the season netting us about another $70 dollars. This kinda shocked me because it was the leftovers of the last yard sale and we still did that good! Ry and I split the money and I am using my portion to go yardsaling this Saturday with the girls!

I go to see Dr. Fitzpatrick bright and early tomorrow morning for my growth ultrasound. I am excited to see how much bigger he is but hoping and praying he is not THAT BIG. Maybe they will schedule me a C-Section or Induction for mid-October if he is that big, I will cross my fingers! I will update Wednesday with new ultrasound pictures (tomorrow night afterwork we have our childbirthing class)

Other than this nothing much to update, I am starting to learn how to use our new camera, I want to be completly schooled before Keegan's arrival so when Ry goes back to work I can take pictures for him!

Best Moment of the Week: Swimming with Ry and Abby ( I think Keegan liked it too!)

Movement: everyday and more and more pronounced
Food Cravings: Chocolate Chip cookies and pancakes
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: None yet
Belly Button in or Out: almost flush with my belly
Stretch Marks: no new ones, thank goodness
What I miss: having regular looking feet and ankles.
What I am looking forward to: yardsaling!
Milestones: 3rd Trimester!

27 weeks.....13 to go but who is counting.....

So Monday marked the 27th week mark! At this point it seems like I dont remember what it is like NOT being pregnant! I know I still have a while to go but geesh.....it will be so nice when we get to hold him and I can talk on the phone without getting winded! Lots of stuff has happened since last Monday.

I received a $500 bonus for passing my state exam back in June, with all the baby furniture bought I thought that we needed a really nice camera for when Keegan arrives. We found a Nikon that both of us really like for right under $400. First I found it on Target's website and then Ry found it under shop on ebay. We ended up getting the camera with a TON of extra stuff like 2 chargeable batteries, carrying case, and a years subscription to a photo magazine, plus a ton of other stuff AND it was the same price that Target wanted for it! Yea for finding a great deal! I can't wait to read the manual to find out just what this baby can do!

We started our childbirth classes last week. They are not so bad, beside the fact they are 2 hours long for 6 weeks. The first session we talked about relaxation and what Ry can do to assist me in relaxing as much as possible. Last night we watched "the video" and learned breathing techniques. So far so good, next week we get a tour of the hospital and the anesthesiologist will come to talk to us. The class is packed to the max and we haven't really socialized with anyone around us yet and I dont know if we will but we are doing it together and that is what matters.

Friday night I had some slight cramping, I didnt think it was a huge deal but I woke up Saturday bright and early to go yardsaling only to find a small amount of brown discharge. I FREAKED out, because, well that is me! I called Dr. Mann's office and they connected me to him right away. He told me it probably wasn't a big deal but I could go into triage and get checked if I wanted to. He also advised just kicking back and taking it easy. So with those words of advice in mind, I put my feet up and watched movies ALL DAY! I had a couple of slight cramps on Saturday night but no other colored discharge. Keegan also moved around a lot so that made me feel better. Come Monday morning I called Dr. Mann's office and they got me in at 2:50. I got checked, turns out I have a bladder infection (didn't even know) and his heartbeat was "135 strong" according to Dr. Mann. This made me feel a ton better and he told me any time I am having cramping/bleeding that I am NOT comfortable with go to triage and get check. Hopefully I will not have to heed those words of advice.

Next Tuesday I got to Dr. Fitzpatrick (the high risk doctor) to have the growth scan done. I am anxious to see how big he is now being 4 weeks later! I will post results as soon as I know!

Other than that, Ryan has finished the nursery and the furniture is set up. All of his bedding is washed and dried and even the mobile is hanging on the crib! He hung the valances on the windows Monday night and I just need to return the sheers we bought to go under them because they are not quite long enough. I want to wait until the whole room is put together before I post any pictures. I have another shelf I need to buy this weekend and I have to clean the rocker and paper latern that is going in there before I move them. Its looks realy good though and I am so proud and thankful to Ry for all his hard work!

Supposedly Keegan is the size of an Eggplant, I dont believe this for A MINUTE! He may have been this size oh, 2 months ago, but I am thinking he is definetly bigger than that now! But we will find out next week for sure!
Best Moment of the Week: Ryan finishing the nursery and starting to get it organzied and put the finishing touches on it!

Movement: everyday and now you can see it roll across the belly
Food Cravings: Nilla Waffers, but come to find out they give me heartburn!
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: None yet
Belly Button in or Out: almost flush with my belly
Stretch Marks: yep!
What I miss: being able to turn over in bed without it being a struggle.
What I am looking forward to: working in the nursery and washing all his clothes, blankets, and other fabric items.
Milestones: UM almost gaining 50 lbs so far...does that count.....