We're on Our Way!

Today I went to the Dr. for a check-up. This is my first of now weekly appointments. I've gained about 3 pounds since my last visit 2 weeks ago, bringing my total weight gain to 20 lbs. This is 3 pounds less than I was with Alex at this point. Dr. Putman said some of the weight gain is water retention, as my ankles are starting to swell just a little bit. My blood pressure was 117/72 and baby's heart was racing today!! Baby is in the head down position, and has been for some time now. I'm dilated 1 cm and 50% effaced. Dr. Putman says I'm ahead of the curve for progression, considering I'm 36 1/2 weeks pregnant. I'm not getting my hopes up because I was dilated this early with Alex too, but with this being the 2nd baby maybe things will move a little faster. Guess Mommy should get her bags packed this weekend!!

18 Month Check Up

Today Alex and I went for his 18 month check up. We had to cancel it last week because Alex ended up with a little bug and got sent home from daycare because he woke up from his nap vomiting. Once I picked him up we didn't even make it out of Sherman before he puked all over his coat. It was a rough 24 hours, but we survived!!!

So, anyway today we were feeling well and healthy!!! Alex weighed in at 28 lbs and 4 oz (79%) and measured 33" tall (72%). His head circumference was 48.5 cm (70%). So all in all the little man is growing and developing right on track!! They were impressed with his vocabulary and he even showed off by telling them the one color he knows. . . Yellow!! He even says it pretty well!! He had to get one shot and now we're good to go until he turns 2! Hopefully we can make it through the winter with no visits to the clinic, but Mommy knows better than to really think that!!!

A Big Day!

Last week I visited Dr. Galle's office on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Each time I had an ultrasound to check the progress of the growing follicles. We had two eggs that were growing perfectly, which is exactly what we wanted. I also had to get blood work done each time as well. On Sunday, Adam had to give me a shot in the rear, that he referred to as a 'Pulp Fiction' needle because it was so long. I was really nervous about getting it, but Adam did a great job and it didn't even hurt or bleed!!! This shot was of HCG, which is the hormone that will release the mature eggs.

Today was the big day. . . insemination!!! Now we just have to wait!! This will be a long two weeks, but hopefully well worth the wait!!! I'm having a really good feeling about this cycle for some reason!! I don't know if it's because it's only 4 days after (2 years later) that we were inseminated and got pregnant with Alex or what, but it just feels right this time!! Let's hope so. We're following God's lead on this one!!

Happy Birthday to our great friend Liz Kunz!!!

Dr's Visit

Also on Thursday, I headed to Dr. Galle's office to get some blood work done and an ultrasound. This was done to determine what dosage of hormone shots I would need to be taking every night. It was determined that we should pick up right where left off, so I had to rotate each night between two different doses of medicine. I went back today, for another round of blood work and an ultrasound. The follicles are growing slowly, which is what we want. . . but just not too many of them or we can't proceed to the next step. So, I go back again in two days for more blood work and another ultrasound.

It's really crazy how this whole process has come back to us so quickly. It really seems like just yesterday we were doing this all for the first time. Can you really believe it's been almost 2 years?!?!? Nurse Jenny couldn't believe it today when I told her how long it had been either!!

1 Year Stats

Well, today was Alex's one year well baby check-up. It was a few weeks late because Alex had the croup cough just after his birthday, and they didn't want to give him shots when he was sick. Mommy was going to come along, but then Trista (Alex's godmother) came into town. So, Mommy went out to eat with Trista and Laura (another of Mommy's friends), and Alex and Dad went to the doctor by themselves.

Doctor Veronica said everything is going just fine. Mommy and I were both wondering if Alex should be walking yet, but Doctor Veronica said that we didn't need to be concerned. She wanted to know if he was trying to stand, learning any words, sleeping through the night, and eating a variety of table foods. Alex is doing just fine in all of those categories (especially eating table foods). Alex hates getting weighed and off course the shots are no fun, but he was all smiles tonight!!

After Mommy got home we went for a walk down to the lake. Briggs jumped in and had a quick swim. Then we walked down to Bella for supper because Mommy spotted the special on the sign, and it looked too good to pass up. Alex really enjoyed dinner, he even managed to only drop 2 bites onto his chair and the floor was clean!!

Alex's One year Stats:

Weight 26 1/2 pounds (86%)

Height 31 1/2 inches (86%)

Head Circumference 47 cm (61%)

Dog Gone It!!

Briggs and Alex are continuing to show interest in each other. Alex gets really excited when we let Briggs in the house, and Briggs loves to give Alex kisses. Alex is also interested in what Briggs is chewing on. Briggs does a really good job of leaving Alex's toys alone, but Alex not so much with Briggs' toys. As soon as Alex is able to chase after Briggs the game will truly be on!!

The last few days Alex hasn't been acting like himself, particularly at night. He's been waking up several times and just whines and cries. I haven't been feeling good either. So, today I called the Dr for both of us, and dog gone it we're both sick!!! I didn't know what was wrong with Alex, and assumed it was his ears but wasn't convinced that is what it was, and sure enough that was not it. . .it's Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. This is basically a virus that kids pass around and there is nothing that they do for it. So we just have to deal with a crabby baby for the next few days!! Oh joy!! It makes it an even more joy since I have strep throat!! Needless to stay, you all may want to steer clear of the Kershaw house!! I also forgot to mention that the big man now weighs in at 24 lbs and 12 oz!!!

9 Month Stats

This afternoon Daddy took Alex for his 9 month well baby visit, and we are happy to report he is doing very well!! He currently weighs in at 23 lbs and 8 oz (89th percentile), measures 30" long (94th percentile), and his head circumference is 46 cm (71st percentile). We have a very big and health boy on our hands!!

He has some drainage coming out of his ears, so it was hard to check to see if he had an infection. They are going to do a culture to make sure there is no infection. They gave us drops to try and help eliminate some of the ear wax build up. All the drainage is a sign that the tubes are working though!! There is concern that if there is too much drainage that the tubes will fall out and we would have to start over again. So, we are hoping that doesn't happen.

Other than that Alex is progressing very well and doesn't have to go back until his 1 year check up. How is possible that he is almost one. It seems like he was just born yesterday!! Time is flying, but we are loving every minute of it. We are especially loving this wonderful spring weather. Every night when we get home from work we've been going on long walks. It's wonderful, just hope the weather continues!!

Emergency Room Visit

Right after we got home from the hospital

Alex was playing around!!

Checking out the bandages!

Playing with pillows

Hanging out with Uncle Jacob

Alex is finally feeling better!! He was so happy this morning and was enjoying some face time with himself this morning while Mommy got dressed. I sat him in front of a full length mirror in the closet, and he ended up getting his finger stuck in between the trim and the mirror. Luckily I was right there to get his finger out, but not fast enough. He was bleeding profusely and screaming his head off. This happened on his left hand, so sucking his 2 fingers wasn't an option. He won't suck his right hand, and wasn't interested in a pacifier. Adam was headed out the door, but we were able to catch him. We called the Dr's office and they said we needed to go to the ER. So, Adam says alright let's go. I say (in my bra and underwear), I need to get dressed first. He thought that was a good idea!!

We made it to the ER and they took us right in. Alex had to get weighed, measured, and his temperature taken and then we were escorted to a room. We were taken care of quickly by a nurse, then a Dr came in and told us he did indeed need stitches. He thought probably two. They gave Alex a shot to numb his hand and then had to put him on a board and strap him down. This was too much for Mom to handle, so we headed to the waiting room. It took less than 5 minutes, and it took 5 stitches to fix his finger up. The Dr. said it was worse than what he had originally thought, and that the top portion of his finger was almost completely cut off!!

Alex is doing exceptionally well. He's napped a few times and had a wonderful play date with his Uncle Jacob today. We go back in the morning for a recheck. We then have to go to Dr. Veronica in 10 days to get the stitches removed.

This little boy is a trooper and all in all handled it very well!! Thank God he won't remember this event. It was much more tragic for Mommy than Alex. I will note that I maintained composure until we were driving to the hospital. A small break down was had, and then Mommy put her brave face back on. As Nana said, this will be one of many trips to the ER!!!

6 Month Stats

Yesterday we visited Dr. Veronica for Alex's 6 month well baby check-up. Alex weighed in at 20 lbs and 13 oz, which is the 93rd percentile and he was 27 1/2" long, which is the 85th percentile. His head circumference was 45 cm and was the 83rd percentile. All in all our little man is growing and is very healthy. He is ready to start trying to drink from a sippy cup and we can now start feeding him Stage 2 foods and feed him solids three times a day. He also received a few more shots and didn't care for them at all. These shots have made him very groggy and just not feeling like himself. He had a fever today and a snotty nose. Feel so bad for the little guy. Using the snot sucker is not fun at all, but it's necessary!! He's slept quite a bit today, so hopefully tomorrow he'll feel better. We're supposed to go get pictures with Santa tomorrow. The little man was so tired he missed putting up the Christmas tree tonight. He sure does love looking at the Christmas lights, so I know he's going to love the tree!!

Also we need to wish cousin Thomas a Happy Belated 1st Birthday!! He turned one on December 2nd. It' amazing how fast time flies and how much a little boy can change in a year's time!! Happy Birthday Thomas David!!

2 Month Stats!!

Getting weighed

Waiting for Dr. Veronica

Check out my band-aids!!

Chilling out at home!!

Today Alex went for his 2 month check-up. He now weighs 12 pounds 13 ounces and is 24 inches long. This represents the 75th percentile for weight and the 75-90th percentile for height. His head is 40 cm, which represents the 50th percentile. Thank God Alex isn't like his good friend Ben, those Manar's have big heads!!! Alex received 3 shots and an oral vaccine. He cried when he got his shots, but as soon as I picked him up he was good. We're keeping him full of Tylenol today. He seems to be doing well. He's sleeping right now.

Daddy is outside working on the new patio. He hopes to have it done this week, as long as it doesn't rain too much. Mommy's doing laundry and going to start one more good house cleaning before she goes back to work next week. I need to start washing the 3-6 months clothes because Alex isn't going to fit into these clothes much longer. It's truly crazy how fast they grow!! Going to have to start a Rubbermaid container full of 'old' clothes soon.

Alex survived his first night away from Mommy and Daddy!! Actually I think it might be the other way around. He was a good boy, but you could tell he was glad Mom and Dad were back. He immediately fell into a deep sleep on me when I held him. He was just so cuddly all night long and he slept until 4:30 before getting up to eat. We're getting close to all night.

6 Weeks Old

Here's a couple of pictures I've taken over the last few days. Thought I'd pass them along for everyone to enjoy!! I just can't believe how big Alex is growing. I went to the Dr. today for my 6 week check-up, which also means Alex is 6 weeks old today! I'm doing great and don't need to go back to the Dr. It's going to be so different not having to go to the Dr. all the time. It's kind of become second nature after visiting Dr. Galle and Putman for such a long long time now! Of course I got weighed today, so I decided to hold Alex and see how much he weighs now. He is now 11 lbs 4 oz. What a big boy!!!

Tonight we went to Jacksonville and had dinner with Nana and Papa and Uncle Thomas, Aunt Amy, and cousin Thomas. Gabbi is visiting a friend this week and going to Vacation Bible School. It was a nice little visit while Daddy was away at football tonight! Well, I think I've officially caught up on blogging. Sorry I got so far behind, don't know how but time flies by so fast!!

Dr's Visit

Today Alex went for another check-up. He is doing wonderfully, just as we had expected!! He now weighs 9 lbs 12 oz and is 21" long. He is in the 60th percentile for weight and the 40th percentile for height. All in all he is doing very well and will return for a 2 month check-up. At this appointment he will receive his first round of vaccinations. We are happy to report our little bundle of joy is growing very well, and is doing an exceptional job of holding his head up too. He's been sleeping for about 4 hours at a time at night, so I'm only getting up twice to feed him. He eats and goes right back to bed. It's great, and we are hoping that trends continues as well.

Tomorrow we are off to Virden for a baby/wedding shower. The baby shower is for Alex and the bridal shower is for Aunt Ashley, who will officially become a Kershaw on July 24th! It should be a fun day of meeting lots of new people tomorrow. We'll let you know how it goes later. Then on Sunday we are headed to another bridal shower for Becky, my friend from work! Busy, busy weekend!!

Meeting Dr. Galle

Today, Alex officially met Dr. Galle and all the wonderful nurses and staff. Since the day Alex was born we have been telling him how special he is, and how hard we tried to get him. We really felt it was important for Alex to meet Dr. Galle, even though he won't remember it. But just as important, for the office to get to meet Alex. They were beyond thrilled to meet our little man!! He was passed all around and was awake for the whole event!! They couldn't get over how perfect he was, and of course we completley agree!! We left them with a few pictures of Alex, and promised to send more as he grows and changes. We truly would not be where we are today with out the help of Dr. Galle and the love and support of all our family and friends. Again, we want to thank everyone as we've journeyed down this road. It's been hard, but well worth the wait!!

Alex is doing great. He's only getting up a few times a night, and it's to eat and go right back to bed. We are hoping this trend continues!! We've transitioned back to breastfeeding, but are going to continue with a bottle as well. We're trying to keep him flexible, and he seems to be adjusting just fine. He will go back to the Dr. next Friday for another check up, so we are hoping that he is continuing to grow. He's doing a great job of holding his head up too.

On a side note, if I can brag about myself for a second. . . I officially am back at my pre-pregnancy weight!! Pretty good considering it's only been 2 1/2 weeks. Not only that, but I'm actually in a size smaller pants than I was before I was pregnant. This too is a trend that I hope continues!!! We've been walking 1 mile everyday, and I hope to increase that as time goes on.

So enough about me. . . we'll continue to keep you posted on our little man and post pictures of his sweet and perfect face!!!

Back to the Doctor

Alex's size 3 diaper!!

Daddy with his wet clothes!!

We ventured back to the Dr's office so that Alex could be weighed again. He managed to gain 7 oz in two days. Pretty impressive if you ask me. That means he's now back to his birth weight and in the 50th percentile for his age and weight. He is also is looking less jaundiced. So, obviously this means Alex is eating just fine now. He's on a schedule of eating every 2-3 hours now, but I'm struggling to keep up with him. Luckily I had frozen some milk earlier, so we are getting by. I'm hoping my body will kick in and keep up soon!!

The nurse took Alex's diaper off to weigh him, but she quickly covered him back up because she thought he was going to pee. As she passed him back to Adam, Alex let loose and peed all over Adam. He had it on his shirt and shorts, including his crotch. We had a good laugh!! Adam said he'd never had anyone else pee his pants for him!!! Of course, I didn't bring the diaper bag in because we were only running in to get weighed. They had a size 3 diaper that I put on Alex until we made it back down to the car. Needless to say, I learned my lesson early in motherhood that you can never go anywhere without the diaper bag!!

We were running to Virden after the Dr's visit, so we had to make an impromptu stop at Old Navy so Adam could buy some clean and dry clothes. I had a $25 gift card, so that worked out well!! Grandma Kershaw showed Alex off to all her co-workers and then we went and hung out at Grandma and Grandpa's for a little while. I think our little man is getting a little spoiled by being held all the time. He seems to get a bit fussy when he has to sit too long by himself. We're going to need to get over that really quick. Alex also really loves his pacifier, but he can't always manage to keep it in his mouth.

Yesterday, Alex also made a visit to both Mom and Dad's work. He's got to meet so many people, and loves being held by everyone (as I mentioned earlier!) I think we are going to take it easy and chill at home all weekend. All this running around is catching up to me. I'm pretty tired. Waiting for Alex to eat here in about 20 minutes and then it's off to bed!!

First Parental Scare

So, every parent overreacts from time to time, especially new parents. Luckily for us part was overreaction, but partly not. Alex has been struggling to latch on to eat lately, if he does latch he eats like a champ. Last night I had to wake him up after sleeping 5 hours because I know he shouldn't go that long without eating. We tried to eat a 3 am, did a little but not to my satisfaction. He fell asleep for a bit and we tried again. This process went on until 6 am when I got so frustrated I had to hand him to Adam and just walk away. I went and pumped and then laid down and cried myself to sleep. Adam woke me up at 8 am because he thought it looked like Alex had some blood in his urine. We immediately called the Dr. and they told us to come in at 9:30. I then felt like a horrible Mom for getting so frustrated with him.

We went to the Dr. and saw the nurse practitioner, Tracy. We liked her just as much as Dr. Veronica!! Anyway, she said it wasn't blood in his urine but the skin moving around and healing from his circumcision. His umbilical cord is about to come off, and that had also rubbed on the inside of his diaper. She did say his was jaundiced and that she wanted to run a blood test on him. And there was concern that he wasn't getting enough to eat because he had lost 2 oz and was down to 8 lbs. He also has a blocked tear duct, so his eye is all yucky.

We went back to Memorial and got his blood drawn, but his billy rubin level was fine. We now have to bottle feed Alex to make sure he is getting enough to eat. We have him eating every 2 1/2 hours and he is eating like a champ!! I'm pumping, and that's going well. We go back on Friday to get him weighed again to make sure he is gaining weight. Once we get him back on a better eating schedule, we'll try to incorporate actual breastfeeding back into the mix. Apparently jaundiced babies tend to sleep more and eat less, so hopefully we can get things back in order! While we were at the hospital we got to see the nurse who was with us the day we delivered Alex. We love Robin!! She is soooo awesome!!

So, even though there was no blood in his urine I'm very glad we took him to the Dr. I kept saying I didn't think he was eating enough and everyone told me to let him sleep and he'd eat when he was ready. I've learned that Mom's really do have a natural instinct and I'm glad I followed it!!

Still Waiting

Adam and I went to the Dr. today. I am dilated between a 3 and 4, but still no contractions. My feet are swollen still, but my urine and blood pressure were good. In the last two weeks I've gained 3 lbs. I go back for another check-up next Tuesday, if I make it that long. Dr. Putman says he doubts I will. Because of my feet swelling so much he is putting me on work restriction, and I can only work 5 hours a day. I actually have a Dr.'s note which I think is funny for some reason!! Don't know how well that's going to work since this is the busiest week of the year, but we'll figure something out.

Adam went and had the car seat checked today at the DMV, so we are ready to bring a baby home!! Mom & Dad are coming over tonight to cook dinner for me and Adam. I think they are bringing my niece and nephew too!! Should be an enjoyable evening. In the meantime, it's back to lay on the couch per the Dr.'s orders!

Dr's Visit--Baby Coming Soon!!!

37 weeks & 2 days

My new Mother's Day ring!!

Today I went to the Dr. for my weekly appointment. Gained a little over a pound, my blood pressure was up a little bit, and I had a touch of protein in my urine. The last two items are signs of preeclampsia, along with the feet swelling that I have been having. He said both my blood pressure and protein counts were up just slightly, but he wants to keep a bit closer of an eye on me, so I go back again on Tuesday. He also checked me and I am dilated to 3 cm and 70% effaced, so more than likely in the next week we are going to be proud parents of a little baby girl or boy!! Dr. Putman also said the baby was probably between 7.5 and 8 lbs.

It seems so crazy to think all of our waiting and hoping and praying is about to come full circle!! When I got home from work tonight Adam and I decided we better go get a little boy outfit and a little girl outfit to bring the baby home in. I picked out an outfit for a girl and Adam for the boy, so we'll soon see which one we'll be using!! We also went to buy the pack-n-play that we registered for only to find out that it has been recalled! The swing we wanted to buy was also sold out, so tonight's shopping was kind of a bust. Don't worry we went to eat at the Pasta House and it made it all better. And, today my Mother's Day present came in as well.

Feel free to let us know when you think the baby is going to come and how much you think the baby will weigh, etc. So, anyway that's the latest, as usual we'll keep you posted!!

9 months pregnant!!

Today I am 36 weeks and 1 day pregnant, officially in the 9th month of pregnancy. I went to the Dr. today, which is the first of what will now be weekly visits. I gained 4 lbs in the last two weeks, however some of that is water weight, making the total weight gain 23 lbs. My ankles have been swelling quite a bit everyday, but luckily go down once I get my feet up at night. My blood pressure is still looking good, and the baby's heart beat is wonderful. I am dilated 1 cm, and Dr. Putman says I probably won't make it to my due date.

I'm fine with going early, but everyone at work isn't as fine if that means having a baby in May. These next 2 weeks at work are going to be completely nuts!! We're going to need to pass both an operating budget and a capital budget, plus the revenue to support all of it!! I am one of two people on our staff that does all the budget drafting, so I know they really want me to stick around to see this project through. I've been extremely tired this last week, and the late hours aren't helping. As a result, I was told to take tomorrow off work. This works out well, because now Adam and I can make the 5 hour trip to Ohio to see my little brother, Jordan graduation from Xavier University!!! Please say a prayer that the car ride goes smoothly. I'm can't imagine how many times we are going to have to stop for me to pee. Guess I won't be drinking a fountain Pepsi in the car!!!

Days are quickly ticking away and before we know it, we'll finally get to meet this little baby that is moving around like crazy in Mommy's belly and causing quite a bit of heart burn!! I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions lately too. So, that's the latest baby happenings!! We'll continue to keep you posted!

Dr.'s Visit & Spring Cleaning

I went to the Dr. on Thursday, but am just now getting around to updating the blog. As usual, things are progressing nicely. I gained 1.8 lbs, which I thought brought me to 20 lbs, but the Dr. has me at 19 lbs so we'll go with that!!! I go back in two more weeks, and then will begin weekly visits until the little one arrives. It's so crazy that we have about 5 weeks left!!

Thursday was a big day, as the Manar family welcomed their newest addition, Benjamin Allen. I went to the hospital after work and stayed for a while and then brought Abbie home with me. We played and she fell asleep. I thought she'd be there for the night since Trista has a tendency to have long labor, but she surprised us all, and we ended up taking Abbie back to the hospital around 11 o'clock or so. Ben has been having a few ups and downs, but things are starting to look better. Please keep him in your prayers!

Adam and I have had a busy weekend. We've been trying to finish with our spring cleaning. Yesterday, it was a little yard work and some house cleaning. I couldn't do much inside because we had no power. We then went to church with my Mom & Dad and Thomas & Amy. Then went out to dinner at Mugsy's in Jacksonville. It was a very nice evening.

Today, I've been cleaning out drawers in our bedroom and putting aways months worth of laundry! Adam has been outside washing and waxing both vehicles. Not to mention we had a bird in our house today, so that was an adventure trying to get that little guy out!! I told Adam this is by far the most productive Sunday was may ever have had. Which is why I'm thinking a nap will soon be in order!

Also want to give a shout out to Aunt Angie who had her birthday yesterday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT ANGIE!!! And to "Aunt" Barbara (since she's not offically married to Jordan we can only kind of call her aunt) she ran her first marathon today!! GO BABS!!

Love to you all!
Molly

2 Dr.'s Visits

Today Adam and I slept in. It was wonderful, as we know days like this will soon be nothing more than a memory. I cleaned the kitchen and bathroom floor and then got ready to head to our Dr.'s appointment, but we made another stop first. We stopped by to visit Dr. Galle and the nurses at his office. They were so excited to see us!! They couldn't get over how great I looked and said I was born to be pregnant, even though it took almost 2 years (but no one is complaining!!!). They seem just as anxious as we are to meet our new baby, and we will definitely be stopping by once the baby makes it's grand entrance into this world. Dr. Galle said it was OK with him if I even gained a little more weight!!! So, maybe we'll have to go get ice cream tonight!!!

After we were done at Dr. Galle's we headed over to see Dr. Rundle. We had to see her because Dr. Putman is on vacation. Adam and I thought she was very nice, so it won't be horrible if she has to deliver our little one. I gained 3 more pounds, for a total gain of 18 at this point. Good thing we only have 8 more weeks left! The baby's heart rate was 162 and going strong. She said everything about me was perfect, the weight gain, no stretch marks, no swollen ankles, and a healthy heartbeat!! So we head back in 2 more weeks to visit with Dr. Putman again. After that we'll probably move to every week.

Well, since I took the day off to clean I guess that means I better get to work. Adam is outside right now painting baseboard and closet doors. I'm also getting the kitchen door painted white today. I'm super excited about that, but it took a really long time to tape up the windows on it!! Not a fun job at all! Oh, well it's going to look great! I'm off to clean!!!!

"This is the day the LORD has made, let us rejoice and be glad." --Psalm 118:24