Sunday, October 30, 2011

Welcome Home Kenley

Kenley was born at midnight on Sunday and we got to come home Monday around 5. We were so ready to get home this time around. With Wyatt, I liked being at the hospital because I liked all the help and the assurance that everything was going well. This time, I guess we knew the drill and we also really missed Wyatt. When we got home my mom had flowers and candy on the table for us and had the house perfect. Then Pap, Lori, Aunt Sarah and Uncle Garrett came over. Aunt Connie (Chris's aunt) was in town so she got to come, too. They brought us dinner and visited for a bit and then it was just the family of four. To start out the first night at home a storm came through and although it only lasted about 10 minutes, it FRIED our nice living room TV. I had no idea this could even happen, but it sure did. Chris ended up getting a new TV (Wyatt calls it his) and I claim the new piece of furniture I got out of the deal to hold the TV (all this was at our house and ready within a week which was very important since the Rangers were playing in the World Series).


Pretty and waiting to leave the hospital...


Snuggled and in bed. She used Wyatt's swaddle blanket (if you don't have one of these velcro things and you swaddle a little one, you must get one, they are amazing). She now has pink ones because Grammy thought she needed her own. Oh and she got a pink and a purple binky, too.


Most of the time I find her with a toy placed gently next to her. Sometimes it's her monkey Wyatt picked this monkey out of the entire gift shop for Kenley when Grammy told him he could get whatever he wanted. She said he searched and searched and knew it was perfect when he saw it. And many times it's something Wyatt shared like his very special "Red Car" or his favorite hammer, or "Turner" his new Handy Manny screwdriver.

This is the swing that I made Chris go to about 3 Targets late one night when Wyatt was a newborn to get. It wasn't cheap, it wasn't easy to find, and I don't remember why I had to have it THAT night... but I did. He HATED it. Never once used it, but I kept it because I was convinced he might like it the next day. I said this entire pregnancy that Kenley better love it. She does. Another thing he hated was being swaddled. We were convinced that after being in the phototherapy bed for jaundice unswaddled for days that he didn't like it anymore. So those nice swaddle velcro things I HAD to have were never used either. I still say both are must haves!


How I do 2. A girl's gotta get ready and this is how we do it. I've always loved the bathtub as a playpen (see old posts from when Wyatt was a baby) and it still works. I could see both kids, both were happy, and Wyatt will play the entire time I take a shower, dry my hair, AND do makeup. He gives his cars a car wash.



This is outside the hospital where I had to take Kenley to get her jaundice checked out (all was well after about 2 days). I took her in. My mom found some rocks and dirt in the parking lot for Wyatt and everyone was happy. We even got to sit out there with them afterwards and soak up some sun to help get rid of the jaundice.



Family Photos

Since there are no pictures of me at all, you might be wondering if I was even there. Yes, I was! :) This sweet baby IS mine. I added a picture of me and Kenley (one of maybe 3 on my phone since I take them all). This is one of our first few nights at home.



Daddy and Kenley at the hospital.


Very proud Aunt Sarah and Uncle Garrett. They LOVE her! They fight over who will hold her, sit next to her, and then who gets the next turn when she wakes up again. Since Miss Kenley made her arrival at 12:10 am, the kids found out the next morning. What a surprise! They got there as soon as they could.

Wyatt came back to see Baby Sister again after getting lots of rest from being up the night before. He wore his "Big Brother" shirt and she wore her "Little Sister" onesie. He is great with her! So sweet and gentle. He fixes her binky. He always asks if she's hungry (Mommy, her is hungy?). That was one of his first questions the night she was born after he asked who her Mommy is. Once we got all that explained, he wanted to get her some chicken nuggets.



Daddy, Grammy (my mom), and our KIDS :)



I was prepared this time to do better with pictures. I had asked my mom to take pictures of the waiting room so I could remember who all was there and take pictures of everyone that came to visit, but things happened so fast once we got there that I was just thankful WE were at the hospital.



Pictures {Part I}

I have been wanting to blog so many things, but haven't for two reasons 1) my dear hubby still hasn't given me the pics of Kenley when she was born from his fancy camera (he hates that I use my phone for pictures, but it sure is a lot faster!) and 2) the other piece of fancy technology we got hasn't been working for me either (I'm trying to get the video of Wyatt meeting Kenley the night she was born on here). So, why couldn't I move on and post other stuff? Because it's going to drive me nuts that the posts won't be in order.... but I'm over it and I'm moving on. Now, to play catch up.






This is how our morning started out the day Kenley was born. Playing in the backyard with Wyatt. I was on a lounge chair continuing bed rest.









I took notes of my contractions on my phone and then decided to take a picture of them to save to look back at. I felt the contractions in my back. Before I called the doctor to give him a head's up, I wrote notes of what I wanted to tell him if he asked. After I called is when we went to the hospital the 1st time and got sent home. I times some more, but then stopped timing all together because nothing was lasting a whole minute. And the rest of that story is under the birth story post.








Here she is... Kenley Kay Jeans. Her poor little face was bruised and swollen, but after a day or two was much better.




Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Beautiful View This Morning




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Heaven Sent... Kenley Kay

Wyatt is proud to announce the arrival of his new baby sister, Kenley Kay Jeans. Our family is blessed beyond words. Kenley made her grand entrance October 16, 2011 at 12:10 am. She was 19 inches and 8 lbs 1.6 oz. Chris has all the pictures on his camera and so those will be added soon, but I wanted to take this opportunity (while sister is watching big brother watch a TV show) to share her birth story so that I can look back for years to come and remember such a special day.

On Saturday morning I woke up with cramps that weren't painful, but I had a feeling they were some sort of progression so I was extremely excited, but trying to hide it because I didn't want to get excited if it was nothing. I told Chris and it was such a pretty day that we decided to break bed rest rules and go on a short family walk. When we got home I asked Chris to put Wyatt's play table outside close to the lounge chair so that Wyatt and I could play with play dough. We had about an hour to play because my mom was going to pick up Wyatt to take him to trade days for some fun and shopping. Chancy came over and brought me lunch and we ate outside while Wyatt played. Shortly after she left, my mom got here to get Wyatt. I told her what I had been feeling and told her to make sure to keep her phone close. I laid down and continued to feel the cramping in my back and was able to time them and they were 4 minutes apart for about an hour even though they weren't lasting very long. I decided to call the doctor just to give him a head's up since it was the weekend. He said to go ahead and go in to labor and delivery to get checked. I figured that we would end up coming home so told my mom what was going on, but not to do anything because I knew IF anything was happening that we had plenty of time. I got to the hosital and was only at a 1, the same as two weeks prior, and so they monitored blood pressure, baby, and contractions for quite a while because my blood pressure was up and down. I continued to feel the tightening in my back, but when I asked the nurse if she saw them on the monitor she said she saw a few and they didn't last very long. Once my blood pressure leveled out the nurse called the doctor and told me that he would see me on Monday as planned and explained that in order to get things moving along I should be looking for the contractions to last for 1 minute for at least 1 hour. Since I was induced with Wyatt I wasn't too sure what everything would be like, but I was glad to be going home because I hate being hooked up to the monitors and if I was going to go into labor I wanted the easy part to be at home. I honestly didn't think I would make it until my appointment on Monday, but I assumed it could be several hours or maybe a day before labor started. We were very excited to get home in time to watch the Rangers play (Game 6 of the ALCS that sent the Rangers to the World Series) and I was glad to have something to do because I was getting a little more uncomfortable every hour. I asked my mom to take Wyatt to her house to play and have dinner with them and she was going to bring him home later that night and she would spend the night with us, but it would be much later because they were watching the game, too. I was glad to know that my body was preparing for Miss Kenley's arrival, but very confused why the contractions weren't getting closer to a minute long. In the meantime I watched the game, took a warm bath, watched the game, took a shower (by this time I was very uncomfortable and hoping the water would help), watched the game some more, and dried my hair. By about the 8th inning when I decided to dry my hair (because I was concerned that I might not be able to soon) the pain had gotten so intense that it would bring me to my knees. Chris was such a great support this entire time. He kept coming and checking on me, but I felt silly because I felt like it was way too early to be hurting so bad and I just kept waiting for the 1 minute contractions. I remember telling him several times that I don't know how the average person deals with all this pain before they ever even went to the hospital. I also wondered if it hurt this bad, when would someone get an epidural. (Side note: I wanted to have a natural birth with Wyatt, but was open to an epidural if I decided. I decided. I wanted very badly to try again for no epidural with Kenley, but not knowing what to expect was open to changing my mind. This is a large part of why I didn't want to be induced... I hoped it would be different and I could make it.) Now, at this point and the intensity of the pain I was pretty certain that whenever it was time, I would be asking for an epidural. The pain was now getting worse every minute. Still not 1 minute contractions, but I was in tears and Chris was very concerned. He wanted to call the doctor and I begged him to call my friend, Susan, who is a labor and delivery nurse in Amarillo that I had been texting all night instead. While he was on the phone with her the pain was so intense that I was "not quiet" and getting very scared. My water broke and she said go ahead and go in because it sounded like things were progressing. :) Progressing would be an understatement at this point because I couldn't even change into my clothes to leave without Chris's help and my body wanted to push. Chris called the call-line. I was scared to death that we were not going to make it to the hospital. We got to the car and Chris drove as fast (but safe) as he could while my body continued to push. He called my mom and I remember screaming to her how scared I was. We got to the hospital. Chris grabbed a wheelchair, some nice stranger helped me out and into the chair, and Chris RAN me up to labor and delivery. I'm sure we were a sight to see. The entire time I was praying for as few contractions as possible while running through the hospital because I was sooooo embarrassed (I don't like to stand out and sure didn't want to be the crazy pregnant girl in the hospital straight out of a movie scene). (Another side note: I've spent a lot of time googling what labor would be like during my 5 weeks of bed rest and I read several times that it does NOT happen like this... only on TV.) We got to the l and d desk and they started to take me to triage (the l and d "holding cell" with 3 beds where you go when you aren't really in labor). I was mortified for 2 reasons 1.) I was sure we did not have time for this. 2.) There was a poor girl in one of the other beds and I'm pretty sure if she could turn back at this point she just might. The nurse quickly came back and we went into the real room (this is when the doctor called and when he leaves his house) and I was begging for the epidural. She checked and I was at a 9 1/2 so no meds, not even IV meds. The room quickly filled with tons of nurses for me, tons of nurses for Kenley, and they shared the news that we had to wait for the doctor. What?! Chris was more than I could have ever asked for. He stood at my head, talked me through everything, held the oxygen, and was just the sweetest. We got to the hospital at 11:30 and by 12:10 Dr. Joseph was holding our sweet baby girl and the waiting room was full of family and friends. At exactly 12:10 the intense pain me stopped immediately and every second of it became worth it. Kenley's cry, just as Wyatt's did, melted my heart and was the most soothing, calming sound I've ever heard. She is such a blessing and we are blessed to be her parents.

And because you might wonder and I will want to look back one day and remember. Why did I want a natural birth? I was never really sure, but I just always wanted this. My mom did it with my sister and I and I knew it could be done. Most importantly, it was just something I wanted to try to do and a feeling I had. However, after having Wyatt with Pitocin and an epidural and Kenley with no medicine I can say there is a world of difference between the 2. I think being at home for the majority of labor made a huge difference, as well. I felt great immediately after. And I felt so good the next day. I didn't have the groggy medicine feeling or anything. It's hard to explain, but there was a huge difference.

Kenley Kay, you are Heaven sent and Mommy, Daddy, and Wyatt love you more than words can say.

We will soon be adding the video of Wyatt meeting Kenley and it is the sweetest thing I've ever seen.


Photobucket

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Our Date

Since we can't go on our date night this month I guess this will have to do. Yesterday at my check up my blood pressure was high and didn't go down once I laid down so off to the hospital we went for monitoring. Miss Kenley was happy and doing well and my tests came back good. So after about 6 hours we headed home, but in those 6 hours the Ranger game came on... And our little hospital TV didn't have the channel. Luckily, Chris found it on the computer.


Bed Rest Update: I have to do even better at it and so no more getting up for anything not necessary. Chris is going to work from home 3 days a week and my mom is going to come 2 days a week to be on Wyatt duty. I'm sad but thankful we are able to make it all work with some adjustments.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday, October 10, 2011

"I hear Baby Sister!"

We have a Baby Beat monitor and Dr. Big Brother found it today so he's been listening to his sister. He gets a twinkle in his eyes anytime he hears her and then says "I hear Baby Sister, I love her." It melts my heart.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Baby Sister's Room part 2

I fell in love with these wall plaques when I first saw them. How cute are they?! My mom just ordered them for Miss Kenley and it's official - I like her room more than mine.


And since it's backordered I decided to just post a picture of the bed skirt I ordered.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

BOY Mom

Every single time we come home or walk out our front door we have to talk about the lizards. Wyatt tells me during the day that they are with their Mommy's taking a nap. At night we sneak up to the wall where they like to hang out and he asks me to catch one. As soon as I reach for one, it will usually run up the wall and Daddy has to shine the flashlight on it so Wyatt can watch it go find it's Mommy. Well, tonight I was finally able to catch one for Wyatt. He was soooo excited. We put him in a container and Wyatt stared at him and talked to him for about 5 minutes. Then we took him back outside. I'm not sure if he knew we weren't going to hurt him or if he was in shock but he went to the corner and stayed there and Wyatt got down and stared at him and shined the light on him for forever. He was just amazed watching him since usually all he can see is them running away.


I know this freaks some people out, even Chris doesn't touch lizards because it's too similar to a snake, but I don't mind lizards. Now, if this had anything to do with a spider (I don't even like to type the word!) I would be long gone screaming for Chris to take care of it no matter how small, dead or alive. Ewww. I even make Wyatt show me something before he is allowed to touch it because I would DIE if he walked up to me with a spider. Luckily, he's usually scared to touch anything at first.

He's looking for more. His lizard is in the bottom corner, but you can't see it.



He would have stayed there all night I'm pretty sure.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Baby Sister's Room

Kenley's room is almost complete. We just need to hang a few things up and the crib skirt to come in, which is on back order. My grandparents bought my sister and I our cribs when my mom was pregnant and my mom has carried on that tradition and gotten Wyatt and Kenley their bedroom furniture. It's very special and she loves to go pick it out, which is why I've had furniture since I was 20 weeks pregnant. She insisted that Kenley get her own set instead of the plan I had to give Wyatt the guest bed and let her use his crib and just get her a dresser.


Pap, Lori, Aunt Sarah, and Uncle Garrett got Miss Kenley this absolutely girly and perfect chandelier. I love, love, love it!



I didn't choose a changing table stand with Wyatt or Kenley, because I wanted the furniture to grow with them. That and I can count on one hand how many times I even used this changing table pad with Wyatt. I love her dresser and all the storage it has. We have a cute pink cube storage thing that sits next to the changing pad and matches the wall colors perfectly. It's going to hold all the cloth diapers and I folded them last night so it's in my room for now.



This is a very special piece of furniture, too. My step dad, Jerry, made it for his mom. He had it stained a pretty wood color. When his mom passed away he gave it to me. It was in our guest room. We decided to give it to Kenley and I had the great idea to make it white. I was all set to begin my first re-finishing job and very excited. I sanded and sanded and sanded until it was perfect. It was going great.... until the man at Lowe's talked me into using spray paint instead of regular paint (that I was asking for). My mom warned me that was a bad idea, but I wanted to start it THAT night and so I went for it. I should have listened! I worked on it for several nights with my mom til 2 or 4 am, because it was in the middle of the 120 degree Texas weather and it was impossible to do it any other time. It took 3,597 cans of spray paint (which meant several trips back to Lowe's). And I can't forget to mention that I QUIT after those several nights and my perfectionist mom finished it. She even took the pieces apart to make the pink parts and re-covered the stool. I picked out the fabric before I quit. :) I love it and she did a fabulous job! I will never use spray paint for a job like this again and better yet - I will listen to my mom in the beginning.



My bow obsession...




Kenley's closet is much smaller than Wyatt's so we got her an extra dresser for storage. I put the night light that I made her on it. I need to get an extension cord so I wasn't able to turn it on for the picture, but it's cute and says her name. Aunt Jessie made a scrapbook for us. Each page is filled out and has places to just put the pictures in. How perfect of a gift is that for the first few months of having a newborn until you can get around to making anything on your own?!



Okay sweet girl, we are ready for you! And we sure hope you like pink as much as your Mommy.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone