Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Jude
We had an ultrasound done on Jude's kidney because at birth his right kidney was slightly enlarged, which could indicate any number if issues. Thankfully, I just heard back from the pediatric nurse that his kidneys look great. They are the same size now and there are no signs of infection or other problems.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Hey, Jude
Yes, we know it's in a Beatles' song. No, that's not why we chose the name. But it's a great song.
And now, you will all have this Beatles song in your heads for the rest of the day. (Scroll down for more about Jude.)
And now, you will all have this Beatles song in your heads for the rest of the day. (Scroll down for more about Jude.)
Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her into your heart, Then you can start to make it better. Hey Jude, don't be afraid. You were made to go out and get her. The minute you let her under your skin, Then you begin to make it better. And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain, Don't carry the world upon your shoulders. For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool By making his world a little colder. Hey Jude, don't let me down. You have found her, now go and get her. Remember to let her into your heart, Then you can start to make it better. So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin, You're waiting for someone to perform with. And don't you know that it's just you, hey Jude, you'll do, The movement you need is on your shoulder. Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her under your skin, Then you'll begin to make it Better better better better better better, oh. Na na na nananana, nannana, hey Jude...
Jude is 6lbs 3oz and almost 20" long as of last Monday; his first pediatrician visit went well. One of his kidneys was slightly dilated/enlarged at birth, so we are doing an untrasound in a few weeks to determine if this problem corrects itself as his pediatrician thinks it will. He is healthy and happy and we are all enjoying him.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Jude Robert Kilgore
6lbs, 5oz, 19.75 inches
More photos click HERE.
The Story:
It's 6am. I am up with my mom and Liam. I have just given Liam some soy yogurt and blueberries (this is his pre-breakfast appetizer) when I have a strong contraction. So I go lay down on the couch for a few minutes to relax. Then I have another. It is stronger. It hurts. A lot.
At 6:25 I tell my mom to go upstairs and wake up Ryan and tell him we need to go to the hospital, and that if she wants a shower, now is the time. I have more strong contractions. I try to take a shower and fail because...well, because I am in too much pain.
It is now almost 7am. We get in the car to drive 40 minutes to Memorial Hospital, where I plan to deliver. We arrive at 7:30 because Ryan drives like crazy to get there (fast). We pull into the parking garage and park next to the door. I collapse on all fours and proceed to pant in the entry way. Someone walks by me, I ignore him. Ryan gets a wheel chair and wheels me in.
There is no one at the front desk. Ryan calls the emergency number, and a nurse comes right away. She takes me to triage and asks me to get in a gown. I can't. I take off the clothes that I have to and get into the bed.
It is now 7:33am. They wheel me into a delivery room that's not quite ready because Jude is ready to come even if we are not ready for him to arrive. I beg for drugs. I am told no. I beg several more times. Finally the doctor looks me in the eyes and says, "your baby is coming in 3-5 minutes, there is not time, I'm sorry". The nurse says I can try a shot, but it probably won't work. I can't decide because I can't think. So I don't get that either. Probably better that I didn't because it makes the baby sleepy.
I feel a lot of pain. My water has still not broken. I am all the way dilated so the doctor breaks my water. Jude starts to crown immediately. The bed is not prepared for delivery. The doctor tells me to wait. Yeah, right. Jude is born on the bed mattress at 7:55am--22 minutes after I was admitted. WHEW!
He is healthy, strong and sweet. And we are thankful he waited until the hospital to be born. :)
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Good things about bed rest, and photos of Liam...of course
Good things about being put on bed rest:
1. My finger nails have never looked better--no changing diapers, no washing dishes, pretty much no doing anything useful means great-looking hands.
2. The chance to see how much people love me.
3. Books and computers and lots of time to use them.
4. Watching Liam play with other people--seeing a new side of him.
5. Not having a baby as early as I would otherwise.
And here are some photos of Liam to brighten your day. Click Here.
1. My finger nails have never looked better--no changing diapers, no washing dishes, pretty much no doing anything useful means great-looking hands.
2. The chance to see how much people love me.
3. Books and computers and lots of time to use them.
4. Watching Liam play with other people--seeing a new side of him.
5. Not having a baby as early as I would otherwise.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Liam is surviving just fine
My bed rest doesn't seem to be harming Liam at all. Here are some photos of him in the puddles outside our apartment with "Grandma" Judy and "Grandpa" Bruce.
Friday, September 3, 2010
I'm HOME!
Got to come home today, but now comes the challenge of not being able to clean up the house. Ryan is the enforcer though, he even made me recline in the car.
Fun no matter what, even in the hosptial
OK, so Wednesday was not very fun. I admit it, I had a brief time of panic during which time the family mantra slipped my mind completely. I was scared and not having any fun.
After a few days of contractions that were 30-60 minutes apart, my contractions started to get closer together and stronger. On Sunday night I had five in row that were 10 minutes apart, but then slowed again. Same happened on Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday, Ryan convinced me that I should call my doctor to get checked. I didn't want to. I was afraid to hear the dreaded words "bed rest". I have a life, and a job, and did I mention a TODDLER?
But acquiescing to Ryan's more rational decision-making processes, I called the nurse, who of course, told me to come right in. They monitored me at my doctor's office (for contractions and the baby's heart beat) for 30 minutes. I was having contractions every five minutes at this point...but only feeling about one out of four. :/
After a quick check, the doctor also determined that I had dilated to 3cm. Not good.
So despite the fact that this was supposed to be a visit to "make sure everything was fine" so that we could go on with life...I was sent across the street to the hospital for more monitoring. This was around 2:30pm. Ryan and Liam were with me. We were not planning to go to the hospital. It was Liam's nap time. You can imagine that this was not a very fun time.
(This is where I am http://www.qualityoflife.org/childbirth/special-care-obstetrics, which is better than where I could be http://www.qualityoflife.org/childrenshospital/nicu/?keywords=NICU&tag=&searchSectionID=)
After more monitoring at the hospital, the doctor and nurses came up with a plan of action for me.
1. Steroid shots for Jude's lungs called corticosteroids (in case they couldn't stop labor).
2. Antibiotics for me--in case I am Strep B positive, since they don't do this test until 35 weeks usually and while I would have no signs of infection, it could cause serious health risks to Jude. (IV administered).
3. A shot of a drug called Terbutaline to stop contractions.
4. Magnesium Sulfate, if the first drug to stop contractions doesn't, um, stop them. (also IV drip).
5. Saline and electrolytes to help push all this stuff through my system and prevent dehydration. (also IV drip).
The Terbutaline worked, my contractions stopped...for an hour. There was talk of discharging me. But then, they came back, stronger. So we moved on to the Magnesium Sulfate. A word about the Magnesium, YUCK.
Although it did it's job, it also made me look like I had a sunburn and have a terrible headache for 12 hours afterward. I just felt yucky all day yesterday.
Today is Friday. I am hoping, hoping, hoping that they let me go home today. I don't care that I have to have bed rest. I don't care that everything is crazy there. I just want to be in my own space where I can sleep for more than two hours without someone waking me up to check on me. I miss my family.
The best part of all of this is seeing how much people are willing to help you out when things go badly. My mom is wonderful and is coming out next weekend to help with everything and in the meantime friends and church members are bringing us meals and helping to watch Liam. So thanks everyone. You're making it easier for me to say "fun no matter what" again.
And please pray that Jude will still make it to full term. I've only got 4 1/2 weeks left until he's not premature.
After a few days of contractions that were 30-60 minutes apart, my contractions started to get closer together and stronger. On Sunday night I had five in row that were 10 minutes apart, but then slowed again. Same happened on Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday, Ryan convinced me that I should call my doctor to get checked. I didn't want to. I was afraid to hear the dreaded words "bed rest". I have a life, and a job, and did I mention a TODDLER?
But acquiescing to Ryan's more rational decision-making processes, I called the nurse, who of course, told me to come right in. They monitored me at my doctor's office (for contractions and the baby's heart beat) for 30 minutes. I was having contractions every five minutes at this point...but only feeling about one out of four. :/
After a quick check, the doctor also determined that I had dilated to 3cm. Not good.
So despite the fact that this was supposed to be a visit to "make sure everything was fine" so that we could go on with life...I was sent across the street to the hospital for more monitoring. This was around 2:30pm. Ryan and Liam were with me. We were not planning to go to the hospital. It was Liam's nap time. You can imagine that this was not a very fun time.
(This is where I am http://www.qualityoflife.org/childbirth/special-care-obstetrics, which is better than where I could be http://www.qualityoflife.org/childrenshospital/nicu/?keywords=NICU&tag=&searchSectionID=)
After more monitoring at the hospital, the doctor and nurses came up with a plan of action for me.
1. Steroid shots for Jude's lungs called corticosteroids (in case they couldn't stop labor).
2. Antibiotics for me--in case I am Strep B positive, since they don't do this test until 35 weeks usually and while I would have no signs of infection, it could cause serious health risks to Jude. (IV administered).
3. A shot of a drug called Terbutaline to stop contractions.
4. Magnesium Sulfate, if the first drug to stop contractions doesn't, um, stop them. (also IV drip).
5. Saline and electrolytes to help push all this stuff through my system and prevent dehydration. (also IV drip).
The Terbutaline worked, my contractions stopped...for an hour. There was talk of discharging me. But then, they came back, stronger. So we moved on to the Magnesium Sulfate. A word about the Magnesium, YUCK.
Although it did it's job, it also made me look like I had a sunburn and have a terrible headache for 12 hours afterward. I just felt yucky all day yesterday.
Today is Friday. I am hoping, hoping, hoping that they let me go home today. I don't care that I have to have bed rest. I don't care that everything is crazy there. I just want to be in my own space where I can sleep for more than two hours without someone waking me up to check on me. I miss my family.
The best part of all of this is seeing how much people are willing to help you out when things go badly. My mom is wonderful and is coming out next weekend to help with everything and in the meantime friends and church members are bringing us meals and helping to watch Liam. So thanks everyone. You're making it easier for me to say "fun no matter what" again.
And please pray that Jude will still make it to full term. I've only got 4 1/2 weeks left until he's not premature.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
photo slacker
OK, I know that I've been slacking with taking and uploading my photos lately--and I apologize! It's been a busy, exhausting, hot summer and I just don't seem to take as many photos as I would like to. That said, here are a few more for you to enjoy. I promise I will try to do better!
Click Here.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Liam's 18 month update
This post is mostly for the grandparents who I know are curious about developments--here is an update.
Liam went to the doctor today and is 25lbs 15.5 oz, and 34.5 inches tall. This puts him in the 98th percentile for height and 50th percentile for weight. Very healthy. He is just starting to outgrow his 18 month clothes.
He now uses a fork and spoon easily, but is still learning to use a regular cup without spilling it everywhere. He does well with thick liquids like smoothies, either because they taste SO good or because they come out slower, I'm not sure which.
Liam can walk up and down stairs with help, and can crawl them on his own. He can run, throw a ball, and stack his blocks. He's learning colors, can count to three, and enjoys using his chalkboard easel. He's starting to understand imaginary play.
He loves the bath and to brush his own teeth. Liam is a bookworm and will now happily listen to longer stories like his Curious George books.
Liam went to the doctor today and is 25lbs 15.5 oz, and 34.5 inches tall. This puts him in the 98th percentile for height and 50th percentile for weight. Very healthy. He is just starting to outgrow his 18 month clothes.
He now uses a fork and spoon easily, but is still learning to use a regular cup without spilling it everywhere. He does well with thick liquids like smoothies, either because they taste SO good or because they come out slower, I'm not sure which.
Liam can walk up and down stairs with help, and can crawl them on his own. He can run, throw a ball, and stack his blocks. He's learning colors, can count to three, and enjoys using his chalkboard easel. He's starting to understand imaginary play.
He loves the bath and to brush his own teeth. Liam is a bookworm and will now happily listen to longer stories like his Curious George books.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
What to buy for Liam and Jude
Because we live so far away and I keep hearing "what does Liam need?" and "what do you still need for Jude?" I've created wishlists for them on Amazon.
Just click here and type my name in the box that says "Find someone's list" to view them.
And thanks for asking what they would like. We are so blessed to have such kind and generous families and friends.
Just click here and type my name in the box that says "Find someone's list" to view them.
And thanks for asking what they would like. We are so blessed to have such kind and generous families and friends.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Baby gifts--updated
A few of you have asked what we would like/need for Jude when he arrives. Thankfully, because he is our second boy we have pretty much everything we need. However there are a few things that we could use so I'm listing them here to avoid sending a million emails.
I've updated the list to reflect what we still need 7/12
1. Cloth diapers: due to an unfortunate laundry incident, some of our current stash have been ruined. So we need to purchase about 8 more diapers to have enough for both Liam and Jude. We will be using bumGenius 4.0 one size, snap diapers. You can get them by clicking here if you'd like to add to the stash. Color is not super important, but I do favor White, Twilight (blue) and Grasshopper (green), which Liam is modeling in the photo.
2. Warm pajamas and a sleep sack in the small size. Liam was born in spring so much of his clothing, and especially pjs are cotton. It's cold in Michigan! So if you're tempted to buy cute clothes, think fleece.
3. Dr. Brown's bottles glass or BPA-free plastic with newborn (size one) nipples (6).
4. A small/compact baby swing. We foolishly sold ours because it was big and we didn't think we would need one for a while. Oops.
5. A few changing pad covers. You can find them at Target. I anticipate that there will be peeing during diaper changes again. Something to look forward to.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Name
Hi Family and Friends,
For those who haven't heard yet, we will be naming the little boy we are expecting in October Jude Robert Kilgore.
Thanks for all the well wishes and support. We feel very blessed to have you all in our lives.
For those who haven't heard yet, we will be naming the little boy we are expecting in October Jude Robert Kilgore.
Thanks for all the well wishes and support. We feel very blessed to have you all in our lives.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Update
Today is the first day of my 21st week of pregnancy, meaning that I am more than half-way to my due date. Ryan and I have decided to name this little boy Jude. The middle name is still undecided--but we are close, very close, to choosing one.
Liam is growing up and growing fast. It seems that he is everywhere at once, and he gets so much excitement and joy out of the smallest things. It is fun watching him explore his world, and also very tiring. Thank goodness for nap time and bedtime!
Ryan is going to take over at as the Dean's assistant (my job) when I go on maternity leave, so instead of coming home and watching Liam (and Jude) in the afternoons, he will go to work. And if all goes as planned, when I'm ready to go back, he will come home after class in the afternoons again to watch the boys. I love that my boss is so flexible about this! It means that we won't lose our income for those few months and I will be able to stay home until Jude is eating less often and I can leave him more easily. Ryan will start a couple weeks after Jude is born.
It's humid here, and warm. Summer is on the way. We are happy and healthy, but we do miss home and everyone there. We think of you all often.
Liam is growing up and growing fast. It seems that he is everywhere at once, and he gets so much excitement and joy out of the smallest things. It is fun watching him explore his world, and also very tiring. Thank goodness for nap time and bedtime!
Ryan is going to take over at as the Dean's assistant (my job) when I go on maternity leave, so instead of coming home and watching Liam (and Jude) in the afternoons, he will go to work. And if all goes as planned, when I'm ready to go back, he will come home after class in the afternoons again to watch the boys. I love that my boss is so flexible about this! It means that we won't lose our income for those few months and I will be able to stay home until Jude is eating less often and I can leave him more easily. Ryan will start a couple weeks after Jude is born.
It's humid here, and warm. Summer is on the way. We are happy and healthy, but we do miss home and everyone there. We think of you all often.
Across the street.
Undeveloped land across the street from our apartment--the view from our living room.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
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