Well, the tumor board meeting will review her case tonight and they will decide what plan of action to take with her new tumor. I told the oncologist the other day that I would not eat dinner until I heard back from him...so we will see. I am nervous, but very excited to get to the next phase because I know that everything will work itself out.
Kaydence is having the best day ever! She breast fed today and was a pro at it. I was so happy that she latched on the way she was supposed to. It can be a huge challenge for babies to take to the breast after they have gone to a bottle. We practiced for about 20 minutes and then she took 40ccs from her bottle too. That little girl was wide awake for 3 hours, so needless to say I did not put her back in her crib! lol. I was holding her, and loving every minute of it. She is regulating her temperature great, and she has good head control too. This is completely opposite of yesterday, and I can see that all the sleeping paid off!
I layed an outfit out for Paula to put on her last night when I left. They told me that I might not be able to change her anymore because her picc line is in her arm. They said that we could try to change her every few days when they change out her line...so I was content with that. Well Paula came to the rescue and changed her anyway! So she was super cute in her new outfit this morning when I saw her... it was a pleasant surprise.
I knew that it was a good day, so I was going to leave the hospital early evening because she was so stable. My nurse told me that she couldn't wait to hear the results of the tumor board meeting, and she was going to make sure we both found out before her shift ended at 7 p.m. So around that time, Dr. Justin came over and told me what everyone had decided on. He had a huge smile on his face, and told me that yes there is a mass that is 1.5 x 2 but the board does not feel that she needs surgery at this time. They do not think that there should be any concerns for cancer, and they will just monitor the mass with occasional ultrasounds. He also told me that they set a goal for Kaydence to get ready for discharge. All she needs to do is eat all her feeds by mouth, and she will be sent home!
I cannot express how I felt when I was hearing all of it. My breathing was different, my chest cavity felt light as a feather...almost like I was floating. Monday I was slammed in the face with all this horrible news, and now they are telling me that she is a week or two away from coming home! Of course I had so many questions, but I knew that they would explain it more to me during rounds tomorrow morning. He and I laughed and he said that they just wanted to test my patience and mess with me this week. I smiled and said, no...someone is testing my patience, and my patience is paying off. God is taking care of everything, just as we knew he would.
I called Larry and we had a huge celebration about the news. I still want to know why one team was so concerned and the board was not...but I will ask them tomorrow. Tonight, it is great to know that she will be coming home and our normal life will begin together as one! Larry and I miss each other a lot, so I will be going home tomorrow to spend time with Kaylee and him. We will be heading back to Children's Friday night and staying in my apartment until Saturday afternoon. I can't wait to give Kaylee a huge hug and share great conversation over a home cooked meal.
Update:
Most feeds are taken by mouth
Breast feeding is getting better
She has complete control of her temperature
NO SURGERY IS NEEDED
Scheduled to go home in a week or two
Mass will be monitored by ultrasounds
Brain bleed will be monitored by ultrasounds
AFP levels in her blood will be randomly checked
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
April 29, 2008
Reminder about the Usborne Book Fundraiser
Website to order: www.ubah.com/HOS112750
FRIDAY- May 2, 2008 is the last day for the Usborne book orders.
25% of the retail sales will go towards Kaydence
Thank you to everyone that has already placed an order!
We really appreciate your support!
_______________________________________________
Kaydence is very sleepy today, and has not wanted to take her milk by bottle much. They took more blood this morning to monitor her AFP levels, and the physicians were able to discuss the results of the cat scan with me during rounds. Great news...there are no signs of any masses in her thoracic area (chest area), and they are pretty certain that she only has the one tumor on her sacrum. They also feel that this tumor is cystic just like her last one. Cystic means fluid filled, and that lessons the chance of cancer cells. It is more common to have cancerous cells around solid tumors, but there is still a chance that hers is cancerous. They will definitely test it once it is removed just to make sure.
They told me last week that she can now wear clothes, so I washed up the ones from gifts and we also bought some more at Target and Wal-Mart. I think I have enough to get us through her preemie stage, and I am excited to see her in them. So my night nurse, Paula, held off on changing her outfit because she knew I wanted to do it this morning. I had butterflies while I was choosing what to put on her, lol!! I just feel like it is one more step closer to being normal, ya know?
Overall, she had one of her bad days...and that is expected with all preemie babies. They had to move her picc line from her left foot to her left arm. That procedure is nothing to smile about, and I had to leave the room because I didn't think I could hear her crying. A picc line is a line that is run through her veins to her heart. Then they have to xray it to make sure it is placed correctly. I was gone for 3 hours in the cafeteria so I wouldn't see it, and they were still adjusting it when I came back. She was exhausted all day long, and this procedure just drained her even more.
Concierge Services snatched me up and took me downstairs to show me a surprise that they put together for me. I just love love love those people, and they were apparently planning something special for me today. They take me into a room and give me a car seat/stroller travel system from Target! I had no idea they were planning to do that, and I just stood there in shock. Amazing, just amazing that people that hardly know my family would want to do special things like that. It definitely brightened my day! They are truly wonderful people that go out of their way to make me smile.
Website to order: www.ubah.com/HOS112750
FRIDAY- May 2, 2008 is the last day for the Usborne book orders.
25% of the retail sales will go towards Kaydence
Thank you to everyone that has already placed an order!
We really appreciate your support!
_______________________________________________
Kaydence is very sleepy today, and has not wanted to take her milk by bottle much. They took more blood this morning to monitor her AFP levels, and the physicians were able to discuss the results of the cat scan with me during rounds. Great news...there are no signs of any masses in her thoracic area (chest area), and they are pretty certain that she only has the one tumor on her sacrum. They also feel that this tumor is cystic just like her last one. Cystic means fluid filled, and that lessons the chance of cancer cells. It is more common to have cancerous cells around solid tumors, but there is still a chance that hers is cancerous. They will definitely test it once it is removed just to make sure.
They told me last week that she can now wear clothes, so I washed up the ones from gifts and we also bought some more at Target and Wal-Mart. I think I have enough to get us through her preemie stage, and I am excited to see her in them. So my night nurse, Paula, held off on changing her outfit because she knew I wanted to do it this morning. I had butterflies while I was choosing what to put on her, lol!! I just feel like it is one more step closer to being normal, ya know?
Overall, she had one of her bad days...and that is expected with all preemie babies. They had to move her picc line from her left foot to her left arm. That procedure is nothing to smile about, and I had to leave the room because I didn't think I could hear her crying. A picc line is a line that is run through her veins to her heart. Then they have to xray it to make sure it is placed correctly. I was gone for 3 hours in the cafeteria so I wouldn't see it, and they were still adjusting it when I came back. She was exhausted all day long, and this procedure just drained her even more.
Concierge Services snatched me up and took me downstairs to show me a surprise that they put together for me. I just love love love those people, and they were apparently planning something special for me today. They take me into a room and give me a car seat/stroller travel system from Target! I had no idea they were planning to do that, and I just stood there in shock. Amazing, just amazing that people that hardly know my family would want to do special things like that. It definitely brightened my day! They are truly wonderful people that go out of their way to make me smile.
I changed one of her dirty diapers today, and yuk...formula fed babies stink!!!! I could smell her from far away, and she never smelled bad with the breast milk. I will be glad when that formula gets out of her system and she starts smelling better...lol. She is back on breast milk until I can't make enough again.
Right before I left for the evening, they did another ultrasound on her brain to see how the brain bleed was. I was talking to the guy that was working on her, and he said that in his opinion, it did not look any worse...but the physicians would look at it in more detail tomorrow.
I found a weight conversion chart today shows converts grams to pounds and ounces...and she weighs 5 pounds 3 ounces already! Wow...I was still thinking that she was under 5 pounds. Now I am worried she won't get the chance to wear all those preemie clothes we got! lol.
April 28, 2008 Cancer?!?!?!?!?!
I drove back to DC this afternoon to stay with the baby for the week. Now, I have been away from her for 5 very long days, and we have been calling to check on her during that time. I wanted to know the results of the MRI, and each nurse told me that they were not notified of the results. While I am driving today, I called and asked the nurse what the physicians said during rounds. I specifically asked her if there was any word on a possible surgery. She said no, and that she too did not know anything about the MRI.
I get to Kaydence's cribside and let her know that I was back. I talked to the nurse and told her that I wanted to talk to a resident about the MRI. My motherly instinct told me something was shady, and I wanted to get down to the bottom of it. I left the room because she told me that someone would be around in 15 or 20 minutes. Next thing I know I see my baby being pushed down the hall to an elevator! My heart was in my throat and I freaked out! I ended up scaring the nurse because I frantically ran up to her asking her where she was going with my baby! She was fumbling over her words and told me she was going down for another MRI. How many freaking MRI's do they need to do, and why!!! She corrected herself and said that my baby needed a cat scan on her thoracic area rather than an MRI. Again.....why?!?!? She told me to go in and talk to the resident.
I was scared out of my mind, because I knew all along that they were keeping something from me. I just knew the MRI showed something bad while I was gone...because the nurses are fully informed of her status, and each one told me that they didn't know. Dr. Justin came over to where I was sitting and had a very long talk with me. The MRI showed that she has another teratoma (tumor) on her posterial sacrum area. It is a little higher up from where her last tumor was, and they don't know if it is a reminant of the last one, or a new one. The reason the MRI from Saturday took 4 hours was because they wanted to scan her entire body for any other tumors that may be growing. Today, they ordered a cat scan of her thoracic area to see if there were any lesians (masses) on her lungs. They now have the oncology department staying close on her case, and they will be discussing her condition with the "tumor board" on Wednesday night to discuss which day they will conduct the surgery and treatments.
---So what does all that mean in our language? Kaydence has another tumor (1.5 x 2 in size) on her butt area. It is a little higher up than the last one, and they are not sure if it is a new one or left over from her last one. Oncology deals with tumors and cancerous masses, and they are concerned that it is cancerous. They wanted to make sure that it has not spread throughout her body and that the possible cancer did not spread yet. Wednesday night, they will set a date and she will have another surgery to remove this tumor. If it is cancerous, she will immediately have chemotherapy treatments.
I listened to Justin as hard as I could without losing my focus. I broke down right at the end and started to cry because all these questions were filling my body up. What about her brain bleed? What about the ASD (hole in her heart), can her heart handle another surgery? What about anesthesia, morphine, possible chance of infection? Cancer!!!! Chemotherapy!!!! Is my baby going to survive? He answered all the questions honestly, and told me that with certain chemotherapy treatments....there are known cases of cardiac arrest. So yea, there is a chance that she will not come home, and that scares me to death.
I didn't want to text Larry and tell him the news. I knew that I would be a mess and that would get him all upset. I texted him and asked him to call and talk to a resident... but he knew that something was wrong. So I did what I could and told him what I knew. He admitted that it is hard to keep his faith when Kaydence keeps getting hit with more battles to fight. He just wants to know when it is going to let up. I wanted him to come to the hospital to be there with me, but I didn't want to ask. Today was his first day back to work in Martinsburg...I don't want him to miss any days. He kept telling me that everything was going to be okay, and that she is going to be fine. I knew that he wasn't sure if she really would be though.
So, let's look at the positive:
She passed her hearing test today
I brought in more breast milk and she is back on it for her feeds
Her bowel movements are still regular
I started my herbal supplements to help with breast milk production
She took a whole bottle (43 cc's) by mouth from me at the 6 p.m. feed
She is very alert when she is awake
She is gaining weight
**I know that she is a gift from God, and I know that he is the provider of life. He chose to give us this miracle child, and he would not give us any more than we can handle. She has touched our hearts and shaped our souls more than we could have ever imagined. All of this is happening for a reason, and we may not ever know why. We have to keep our faith in him, because he has the final decision on where her life is. Her condition may not be what we wanted to sign up for when we wanted to have another baby, but no one signs up for an unhealthy baby. God gave us Kaydence because he knew we would be excellent parents, and he knew we could handle her condition. There are plenty of parents out there that would not be able to cope with the news that they were pregnant with a baby that had a sacrococcygeal teratoma. Those parents would have opted to terminate their pregnancy. God knew that we wouldn't, and we would do anything in our power to make sure that she would have the best life possible. Larry, Kaylee and I are still continuing to do that. Kaylee is so proud to be her sister, and she has never complained that Kaydence has something wrong with her. She has never questioned why God is allowing the baby to go through all of this, so why should we? She loves that baby unconditionally, and talks about her all the time. She knows in her heart that everything will work out and her sister will come home one day. Who are we to shatter that faith when we know that God is amazing.
Please continue to keep Kaydence in your prayers. Share this blog with friends and family so they too can help keep our baby strong in prayer. It's going to be a long road to recovery, but there will be a recovery!
I get to Kaydence's cribside and let her know that I was back. I talked to the nurse and told her that I wanted to talk to a resident about the MRI. My motherly instinct told me something was shady, and I wanted to get down to the bottom of it. I left the room because she told me that someone would be around in 15 or 20 minutes. Next thing I know I see my baby being pushed down the hall to an elevator! My heart was in my throat and I freaked out! I ended up scaring the nurse because I frantically ran up to her asking her where she was going with my baby! She was fumbling over her words and told me she was going down for another MRI. How many freaking MRI's do they need to do, and why!!! She corrected herself and said that my baby needed a cat scan on her thoracic area rather than an MRI. Again.....why?!?!? She told me to go in and talk to the resident.
I was scared out of my mind, because I knew all along that they were keeping something from me. I just knew the MRI showed something bad while I was gone...because the nurses are fully informed of her status, and each one told me that they didn't know. Dr. Justin came over to where I was sitting and had a very long talk with me. The MRI showed that she has another teratoma (tumor) on her posterial sacrum area. It is a little higher up from where her last tumor was, and they don't know if it is a reminant of the last one, or a new one. The reason the MRI from Saturday took 4 hours was because they wanted to scan her entire body for any other tumors that may be growing. Today, they ordered a cat scan of her thoracic area to see if there were any lesians (masses) on her lungs. They now have the oncology department staying close on her case, and they will be discussing her condition with the "tumor board" on Wednesday night to discuss which day they will conduct the surgery and treatments.
---So what does all that mean in our language? Kaydence has another tumor (1.5 x 2 in size) on her butt area. It is a little higher up than the last one, and they are not sure if it is a new one or left over from her last one. Oncology deals with tumors and cancerous masses, and they are concerned that it is cancerous. They wanted to make sure that it has not spread throughout her body and that the possible cancer did not spread yet. Wednesday night, they will set a date and she will have another surgery to remove this tumor. If it is cancerous, she will immediately have chemotherapy treatments.
I listened to Justin as hard as I could without losing my focus. I broke down right at the end and started to cry because all these questions were filling my body up. What about her brain bleed? What about the ASD (hole in her heart), can her heart handle another surgery? What about anesthesia, morphine, possible chance of infection? Cancer!!!! Chemotherapy!!!! Is my baby going to survive? He answered all the questions honestly, and told me that with certain chemotherapy treatments....there are known cases of cardiac arrest. So yea, there is a chance that she will not come home, and that scares me to death.
I didn't want to text Larry and tell him the news. I knew that I would be a mess and that would get him all upset. I texted him and asked him to call and talk to a resident... but he knew that something was wrong. So I did what I could and told him what I knew. He admitted that it is hard to keep his faith when Kaydence keeps getting hit with more battles to fight. He just wants to know when it is going to let up. I wanted him to come to the hospital to be there with me, but I didn't want to ask. Today was his first day back to work in Martinsburg...I don't want him to miss any days. He kept telling me that everything was going to be okay, and that she is going to be fine. I knew that he wasn't sure if she really would be though.
So, let's look at the positive:
She passed her hearing test today
I brought in more breast milk and she is back on it for her feeds
Her bowel movements are still regular
I started my herbal supplements to help with breast milk production
She took a whole bottle (43 cc's) by mouth from me at the 6 p.m. feed
She is very alert when she is awake
She is gaining weight
**I know that she is a gift from God, and I know that he is the provider of life. He chose to give us this miracle child, and he would not give us any more than we can handle. She has touched our hearts and shaped our souls more than we could have ever imagined. All of this is happening for a reason, and we may not ever know why. We have to keep our faith in him, because he has the final decision on where her life is. Her condition may not be what we wanted to sign up for when we wanted to have another baby, but no one signs up for an unhealthy baby. God gave us Kaydence because he knew we would be excellent parents, and he knew we could handle her condition. There are plenty of parents out there that would not be able to cope with the news that they were pregnant with a baby that had a sacrococcygeal teratoma. Those parents would have opted to terminate their pregnancy. God knew that we wouldn't, and we would do anything in our power to make sure that she would have the best life possible. Larry, Kaylee and I are still continuing to do that. Kaylee is so proud to be her sister, and she has never complained that Kaydence has something wrong with her. She has never questioned why God is allowing the baby to go through all of this, so why should we? She loves that baby unconditionally, and talks about her all the time. She knows in her heart that everything will work out and her sister will come home one day. Who are we to shatter that faith when we know that God is amazing.
Please continue to keep Kaydence in your prayers. Share this blog with friends and family so they too can help keep our baby strong in prayer. It's going to be a long road to recovery, but there will be a recovery!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
April 27, 2008 "To Do Lists"
So we got up, went to church, went out to eat for lunch, and started on some of our chore lists. I washed up all the preemie clothes we had to get them ready for the coming weeks, while Larry and Kaylee got ready to meet one of his friends.
Larry was trying to get my piece of junk car ready to run so I could take it to Hagerstown so he could return his grandmother's Hybrid. He jump started it, and drove it around town for a little while to see if it would break down on him. All was looking good exept for the dead inspection sticker, so he was scraping it off to get it ready for a new inspection. Next thing you know Larry came into the house to tell me that the front windshield spiderwebbed while he was taking the sticker off! Now we need a new windshield for my junker! We hate that freaking car, and even my mechanic has said that it is time to get rid of it! It's always something with that thing...and now it won't even come close to passing inspection! lol. So Larry took my car, and I kept the Hybrid to go to the hospital.
After I folded the baby's laundry, I was off to see little miss Ava Grace at Washington County Hospital. Ava was so adorable, and so quiet while she was bundled up in her grandfather's arms. Oh my, she made my heart melt when I saw her, and I was so happy for Mariah and Josh. This is the first grandchild too, so you know she is going to be spoiled! I felt bad for leaving the hospital, and just leaving Mariah's side because I feel like I need to be there for her more than I have been since Kaydence has been born. I know that she has lots of support from her family, but I still want to be there to help out my best friend with motherhood. I got her a gift bag full of stuff for Ava, and everything I thought Mariah would need in the coming weeks. She knows that I will be at her house every weekend helping out in every way I can too.
Larry sold his motorcycle today to a friend of his. We need the money for bills, and when he put it up for sale last year, the idea was to put that money towards a Ford F150 extended cab for him. Now, we could use that money towards all the bills we are behind on. I feel so bad for wanting to put that money on bills, but I know that we will both be able to drive reliable vehicles one of these days. We need a family 4 door car right now more than anything, but I am scared that we will not be able to afford a car payment with a new baby in the family. So I am going to put the money in the bank, and sit on it to see how I should spend it.
We drove the Hybrid out to his grandmothers tonight to give it back. Man, that was hard to hand that car back over to them! I told Larry that I want a reliable vehicle more than ever now that we have driven hers around for a few weeks. I will be taking the Explorer to DC this week because we know it will get me there. Granted it is a gas hog, but we just can't take the chance with my car.
Kaydence had a great day. I tried to get the results of the MRI, but the nurse said that she did not know the details. She said that she would try to get the physician or resident to call me with them, but we never heard from anyone. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing...I am not going to worry until they tell me to though. She is still taking an average of half her feeds by a bottle, and then they put the rest down her feeding tube.
I am driving to DC tomorrow morning for the week. This is the longest I have ever left her, and it has been driving me crazy to not be by her side. Dad picked me up on Wednesday, and it will be 5 days in a row that I did not get to hold her hands! Larry and Kaylee are talking about coming to visit Tuesday or Wednesday night. We didn't get to visit her on our normal Saturday's, so we want to make sure Kaylee gets to spend some time with her each week.
Larry goes back to work at the Martinsburg City Police Department tomorrow morning. It is still hard for him to believe that he doesn't have to go back to the academy this week, and the numbness is still wearing off. He has talked to a few of his classmates on the phone since the graduation...I just hope they keep in contact with each other. He is also glad that many of the cadets from the other class will be sent to Berkeley and Jefferson County when they graduate. I think he said thirteen of them are going to be moving here, and they were really good guys. That's good, Larry will see them from time to time in our home town and not 5 hours away!
I finished my night up with making my "Honey Do" list for Larry. lol...lol. He hasn't seen one of these in months, and I am not so sure he is going to be happy to get this one. I filled the front sheet up with things to get done this week, so we will see how much of it gets accomplished. I figure if I keep him busy, he won't miss me as much....right?!?!?! lol. I did make one for myself too, so it won't look like I put it all on him.
Larry was trying to get my piece of junk car ready to run so I could take it to Hagerstown so he could return his grandmother's Hybrid. He jump started it, and drove it around town for a little while to see if it would break down on him. All was looking good exept for the dead inspection sticker, so he was scraping it off to get it ready for a new inspection. Next thing you know Larry came into the house to tell me that the front windshield spiderwebbed while he was taking the sticker off! Now we need a new windshield for my junker! We hate that freaking car, and even my mechanic has said that it is time to get rid of it! It's always something with that thing...and now it won't even come close to passing inspection! lol. So Larry took my car, and I kept the Hybrid to go to the hospital.
After I folded the baby's laundry, I was off to see little miss Ava Grace at Washington County Hospital. Ava was so adorable, and so quiet while she was bundled up in her grandfather's arms. Oh my, she made my heart melt when I saw her, and I was so happy for Mariah and Josh. This is the first grandchild too, so you know she is going to be spoiled! I felt bad for leaving the hospital, and just leaving Mariah's side because I feel like I need to be there for her more than I have been since Kaydence has been born. I know that she has lots of support from her family, but I still want to be there to help out my best friend with motherhood. I got her a gift bag full of stuff for Ava, and everything I thought Mariah would need in the coming weeks. She knows that I will be at her house every weekend helping out in every way I can too.
Larry sold his motorcycle today to a friend of his. We need the money for bills, and when he put it up for sale last year, the idea was to put that money towards a Ford F150 extended cab for him. Now, we could use that money towards all the bills we are behind on. I feel so bad for wanting to put that money on bills, but I know that we will both be able to drive reliable vehicles one of these days. We need a family 4 door car right now more than anything, but I am scared that we will not be able to afford a car payment with a new baby in the family. So I am going to put the money in the bank, and sit on it to see how I should spend it.
We drove the Hybrid out to his grandmothers tonight to give it back. Man, that was hard to hand that car back over to them! I told Larry that I want a reliable vehicle more than ever now that we have driven hers around for a few weeks. I will be taking the Explorer to DC this week because we know it will get me there. Granted it is a gas hog, but we just can't take the chance with my car.
Kaydence had a great day. I tried to get the results of the MRI, but the nurse said that she did not know the details. She said that she would try to get the physician or resident to call me with them, but we never heard from anyone. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing...I am not going to worry until they tell me to though. She is still taking an average of half her feeds by a bottle, and then they put the rest down her feeding tube.
I am driving to DC tomorrow morning for the week. This is the longest I have ever left her, and it has been driving me crazy to not be by her side. Dad picked me up on Wednesday, and it will be 5 days in a row that I did not get to hold her hands! Larry and Kaylee are talking about coming to visit Tuesday or Wednesday night. We didn't get to visit her on our normal Saturday's, so we want to make sure Kaylee gets to spend some time with her each week.
Larry goes back to work at the Martinsburg City Police Department tomorrow morning. It is still hard for him to believe that he doesn't have to go back to the academy this week, and the numbness is still wearing off. He has talked to a few of his classmates on the phone since the graduation...I just hope they keep in contact with each other. He is also glad that many of the cadets from the other class will be sent to Berkeley and Jefferson County when they graduate. I think he said thirteen of them are going to be moving here, and they were really good guys. That's good, Larry will see them from time to time in our home town and not 5 hours away!
I finished my night up with making my "Honey Do" list for Larry. lol...lol. He hasn't seen one of these in months, and I am not so sure he is going to be happy to get this one. I filled the front sheet up with things to get done this week, so we will see how much of it gets accomplished. I figure if I keep him busy, he won't miss me as much....right?!?!?! lol. I did make one for myself too, so it won't look like I put it all on him.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
April 26, 2008 Another baby is born!
We layed in bed all morning long, and it was great! Kaylee slept in until almost 11 a.m., and she never does that! Once we finally got motivated to be productive, Larry talked me into going to his favorite place to eat, Chili's. I am not a big fan of Chili's at all, and he normally goes there with friends of his and leaves me at home...but I was okay with going this time because it was our little graduation lunch.
We ran into the Greenwalt family at Chili's...they were there to celebrate Donald's birthday. It was good seeing them out, and we chit chatted for a little bit while they were waiting for their seats. Once we were done our meals, the server told us that they had taken care of our bill! That was very sweet, and we were so thankful for their generosity.
Our bellies were stuffed to the max, so we skipped Costco and Wal-Mart and went right back home to be lazy again! We didn't want to be bums, but we couldn't help it...our bodies needed the break. Larry thinks he is catching a cold and I had a bad headache most of the day, so we took a quick nap.
My best friend, Mariah had her baby today! I am so excited to be Aunt Kristen, and I am totally going to steal her baby when I am home on the weekends. As soon as I got the call that she was in labor, I wanted to bolt over to Washington County Hospital. I held back because I wanted her to be able to have family time with her husband and her parents. Ava Grace was 5 pounds 8 ounces, and has beautiful brown hair. I can't wait to see her, but we have to wait until tomorrow for a visit.
Update:
Kaydence needed another MRI today
Her stats are very stable
She is taking formula very well
I'm still pumping...hoping for more breast milk
We ran into the Greenwalt family at Chili's...they were there to celebrate Donald's birthday. It was good seeing them out, and we chit chatted for a little bit while they were waiting for their seats. Once we were done our meals, the server told us that they had taken care of our bill! That was very sweet, and we were so thankful for their generosity.
Our bellies were stuffed to the max, so we skipped Costco and Wal-Mart and went right back home to be lazy again! We didn't want to be bums, but we couldn't help it...our bodies needed the break. Larry thinks he is catching a cold and I had a bad headache most of the day, so we took a quick nap.
My best friend, Mariah had her baby today! I am so excited to be Aunt Kristen, and I am totally going to steal her baby when I am home on the weekends. As soon as I got the call that she was in labor, I wanted to bolt over to Washington County Hospital. I held back because I wanted her to be able to have family time with her husband and her parents. Ava Grace was 5 pounds 8 ounces, and has beautiful brown hair. I can't wait to see her, but we have to wait until tomorrow for a visit.
Update:
Kaydence needed another MRI today
Her stats are very stable
She is taking formula very well
I'm still pumping...hoping for more breast milk
Friday, April 25, 2008
April 25, 2008 GRADUATION DAY!
I had the best sleep of my life last night! Wow, I need to find out what kind of mattress and pillow's the Microtel uses, because I want one of each! The pillows were amazing, and the bed...oh, it was wonderful! It was the best hotel experience we have ever had!
We met up with Larry's family, and all of us drove over to the West Virginia State University campus for the first part of graduation. My heart was racing a mile a minute, and I kept going to the bathroom to grab paper towels so I would have "tissues". His dad couldn't understand why I was so nervous, but I was nervous for Larry! I was, because I knew he was, and I wanted him to have the best graduation ever. Kaylee was so pretty in her little dress, and you could see the excitement all over her face. When the 133rd basic class marched into the room, my heart started to pound in my throat. This was it, the day was finally here that I could put this part of our lives in the history books. I wanted to savor every moment, but there was so much to absorb!
Larry was nominated to be the class speaker, and he was introduced before he gave his speech. That was such a proud moment to hear someone introduce my husband to a group of individuals that have waited for this day just as much as I have. Larry's speech was happy, sad, and everything in between. Yea, of course I cried...it was one of the most exhilarating moments I have had. This was one of the most important days of his life, and we were able to share it together, with Kaylee, and with our family.
After we were done at the campus, everyone was invited to see the class give their final march at the academy. This was definitely Kaylee's favorite part, and she marched just like her daddy did for the rest of the day, lol. I had the opportunity to meet so many of his classmates, their wives, and almost all of his class supervisors. Kaydence was the topic of conversation, and many tears were shared with lots and lots of hugs. A few people blessed us with gifts and cards to help us out with things we needed for the baby. It was so hard not to just walk around and cry from being so happy, but I stood as strong as I could. Our baby has touched so many people, and it is hard to comprehend sometimes! People were meeting me, and they would just immediately choke up! I felt so much love today from so many "strangers". Walking away, I knew they weren't strangers afterall...they are our extended family that God has given us. We are in their lives every day, every night, and in every prayer. How do you say thank you? Are there even words to extend our gratitude?
Pulling out of Academy Drive was a bitter sweet ending for us. We were so happy to know that he would never leave for that long ever again, but he would also never be with all of them as a team again. The closer we got to Martinsburg, the more it started to hit him. He is really going to miss everyone. They were just starting to bond, they were so united as a team...and then each person went their separate ways.
We called to check up on the baby throughout the day. She had an MRI today because her AFP levels were still too high. They told us later this evening that they have to do another MRI because she moved around too much. That one is scheduled for tomorrow morning, and they will need to sedate her to ensure accurate results.
We met up with Larry's family, and all of us drove over to the West Virginia State University campus for the first part of graduation. My heart was racing a mile a minute, and I kept going to the bathroom to grab paper towels so I would have "tissues". His dad couldn't understand why I was so nervous, but I was nervous for Larry! I was, because I knew he was, and I wanted him to have the best graduation ever. Kaylee was so pretty in her little dress, and you could see the excitement all over her face. When the 133rd basic class marched into the room, my heart started to pound in my throat. This was it, the day was finally here that I could put this part of our lives in the history books. I wanted to savor every moment, but there was so much to absorb!
Larry was nominated to be the class speaker, and he was introduced before he gave his speech. That was such a proud moment to hear someone introduce my husband to a group of individuals that have waited for this day just as much as I have. Larry's speech was happy, sad, and everything in between. Yea, of course I cried...it was one of the most exhilarating moments I have had. This was one of the most important days of his life, and we were able to share it together, with Kaylee, and with our family.
After we were done at the campus, everyone was invited to see the class give their final march at the academy. This was definitely Kaylee's favorite part, and she marched just like her daddy did for the rest of the day, lol. I had the opportunity to meet so many of his classmates, their wives, and almost all of his class supervisors. Kaydence was the topic of conversation, and many tears were shared with lots and lots of hugs. A few people blessed us with gifts and cards to help us out with things we needed for the baby. It was so hard not to just walk around and cry from being so happy, but I stood as strong as I could. Our baby has touched so many people, and it is hard to comprehend sometimes! People were meeting me, and they would just immediately choke up! I felt so much love today from so many "strangers". Walking away, I knew they weren't strangers afterall...they are our extended family that God has given us. We are in their lives every day, every night, and in every prayer. How do you say thank you? Are there even words to extend our gratitude?
Pulling out of Academy Drive was a bitter sweet ending for us. We were so happy to know that he would never leave for that long ever again, but he would also never be with all of them as a team again. The closer we got to Martinsburg, the more it started to hit him. He is really going to miss everyone. They were just starting to bond, they were so united as a team...and then each person went their separate ways.
We called to check up on the baby throughout the day. She had an MRI today because her AFP levels were still too high. They told us later this evening that they have to do another MRI because she moved around too much. That one is scheduled for tomorrow morning, and they will need to sedate her to ensure accurate results.
April 24, 2008 One day 'til graduation
Oh my gosh, today flew by so fast because I had a million and one things to get done before we left for Charleston to see Larry graduate from the WV State Police Academy! I had our cousin Keisha with me and we did everything we could to find a dress for Kaylee and me so we would look nice for him. I tell you, that was a very very very stressful time for me! I almost had a few panic attacks in the stores because it didn't matter what I tried on, it would not fit! I am only about 5-10 pounds away from being at my pre-pregnancy weight, but even though the weight is close....THE BODY IS NOT THE SAME! So I wanted to get at least one pair of jeans to wear at the hospital, but I could not find anything to fit. We did find dresses for graduation, so mission accomplished!
While I was in Kohl's, I get a phone call from one of the residents at Children's. He told me that her AFP blood results came in, and this second test also came back high so they need to do an MRI. The MRI is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. and they are going to look for signs that the teratoma has either grown back, or a small part of the previous one might be still there. I hated hearing those words, knowing that I would not be at the hospital to support her...but I know that she is in good hands. Once the graduation is over, both of us will be close enough to drive there for things like that. The nurse also told me that she took a full feed by bottle today for the first time! Yep, I wasn't there for that one either! The news is still outstanding to hear, I just wish I could have given her that bottle, ya know!
So, my dad drove us to Charleston, and Larry's grandmother was kind enough to let us use her Hybrid vehicle to save us tons on gas! We keep trying to talk her into giving us the car, but that hasn't happened yet...lol!!! So we hit the road around 2:30 p.m. and headed for the Microtel in South Charleston. The drive was long, but so mountains were so beautiful. I was proud of myself, I did not sleep at all. Larry always gets mad because I always fall asleep on long drives, but not this one. I was so excited to see him graduate, and my nerves kept me awake.
One more day until graduation! Can't wait!
While I was in Kohl's, I get a phone call from one of the residents at Children's. He told me that her AFP blood results came in, and this second test also came back high so they need to do an MRI. The MRI is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. and they are going to look for signs that the teratoma has either grown back, or a small part of the previous one might be still there. I hated hearing those words, knowing that I would not be at the hospital to support her...but I know that she is in good hands. Once the graduation is over, both of us will be close enough to drive there for things like that. The nurse also told me that she took a full feed by bottle today for the first time! Yep, I wasn't there for that one either! The news is still outstanding to hear, I just wish I could have given her that bottle, ya know!
So, my dad drove us to Charleston, and Larry's grandmother was kind enough to let us use her Hybrid vehicle to save us tons on gas! We keep trying to talk her into giving us the car, but that hasn't happened yet...lol!!! So we hit the road around 2:30 p.m. and headed for the Microtel in South Charleston. The drive was long, but so mountains were so beautiful. I was proud of myself, I did not sleep at all. Larry always gets mad because I always fall asleep on long drives, but not this one. I was so excited to see him graduate, and my nerves kept me awake.
One more day until graduation! Can't wait!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
