Hospital tours and MRI results

This past Tuesday Austin and I went to Salt Lake for an MRI of Little Guy's lung tissue, as well as take a tour the Labor/Delivery Ward at University Hospital and the NICU at Primary Children's Hospital. It was great talking with the doctors and nurses, and we each felt like we (and our son!) are in the best hands possible. Everyone we interacted with was extremely loving and compassionate, and kept reiterating that they want us to have a good experience. We also learned what exactly will happen right after Little Guy is born and how Austin can be involved in the process of getting him to the NICU. Thankfully, the NICU at Primary Children's is a really short walk over a sky bridge from the Labor/Delivery Ward at University Hospital. 

There's really so much I could say about our experience on Tuesday -- it was almost a day of information overload. The most intense part of our visit was seeing all the helpless, innocent babies in the NICU... it made everything so real. Modern medicine is a truly amazing thing, and I don't even want to begin to think what would have happened to our son if he was born a generation ago, but seeing all those babies hooked up to machines and IVs and breathing masks just broke my heart. There is such a special feeling in the NICU and I'm sure there are many, many angels tending to those sweet little babies.

This morning we received a call from my doctor at Maternal-Fetal Medicine with the results from the MRI. Everything we've seen thus far on the ultrasounds gave us a lot of confidence that things would be okay and the MRI would give us positive results -- prior to the MRI, even my doctor said she expected the results to give us pretty normal lung tissue volume measurements. Well, the MRI definitely threw us a curve ball. One of the first things my doctor saw from the results is that a significant amount of liver is in our son's chest, which is not at all what we were expecting. With left-sided hernias, the liver isn't an issue since that organ develops on the right side of the body. Since the liver is also taking up space in the chest, that means the hernia is much bigger than what we've been seeing on ultrasounds... probably spanning across the entire chest cavity. The liver isn't a very "forgiving" organ (in terms of squishy-ness), so it really prevents the lung from fighting back and growing. With the liver being in the chest, that greatly affects survival rate and lung growth. That being said, the MRI wasn't able to detect any lung tissue on the right side and very little on the left side. At this stage in development, the average healthy baby has 70 cm of lung tissue total (35 cm per lung), and our son has 10 cm total on just the left side.

After surgery, once everything that shouldn't be in the chest is back in the stomach, his lungs can grow to full size. Since MRIs aren't able to detect everything, my doctor is really hoping that a small amount of lung tissue has developed on his right side, so the lung can continue growing after he's born. The real worry now is if he has enough lung tissue to make it to surgery. With all this new information, we were told his chance of survival is about 10%.

Needless to say, its been a very emotional day. During this phone call with my doctor, she reminded me that one big blessing is that fact that Little Guy's heart is just fine. Yes, his heart is pushed all the way over to the right, but it has no holes or other defects. If he had a heart defect, then everything would be much, much more complicated. She also told me that in her fifteen years working in this profession she's seen many miracles -- even though this isn't at all what we were expecting, she reminded us that we shouldn't give up hope. One definite plus of living in a highly religious area is having doctors who believe in hope, faith, and miracles. I truly do believe in miracles -- I know they happen every day, whether great or small. Austin and I are just going to keep going with the mindset that everything will be okay. I know that if I give up my hope, my emotional (and mental) sanity is the next thing to go.

Throughout this experience of uncertainty and emotional roller-coasters, we're so grateful that we already have a sweet little girl in our family. Arlee adds so much joy to our lives each and every day! She's absolutely perfect and we cannot imagine our lives without her laughter, silliness, and love. I'm so glad we have her to hug and cherish, especially on days like today. After getting off the phone with my doctor and seeing me in tears, she ran over and said, "Mommy sad!", and then gave me a great big hug. I love Arlee so much and count my lucky stars that I get to be her Mommy.

I know the Lord hears my prayers and knows exactly what I am feeling at this time. And, I'm so grateful for the faith I have in my Savior and His Atonement. No matter what happens, I know everything happens for a reason. We're so thankful for our family and friends, and all the people who've been praying for us and checking up on how things are going. We feel so blessed to have such a wonderful network of support.

Bring on the good news!

Whew, I am THE WORST blogger! Sorry everybody, I know an update is long overdue.

Well, we've been hearing lots and lots of good news -- its been such a relief! :)

I took a blood test long before we knew anything about Little Guy's development, which screened me for my chances of having a baby with a chromosomal disorder (i.e., Down's Syndrome, Trisomy 18, Spinabifida, etc.), and the results came back so positively that the doctors and genetic counselor are pretty certain that Little Guy's diaphragmatic hernia wasn't caused by a larger and more concerning problem. (Wow, long sentence.) This was just a screening, not a definite "yes or no" process, but with the results we were given, the chances are super super low. There's the option to take additional screening blood tests, but with the highly positive results we've already seen, both the doctors and genetic counselors said we'd probably see the same results. Additionally, we found out that since we've had one baby diagnosed with this hernia, our chances of having another baby with the same issue is about 2%, which is still super low and likely that it won't happen again. Since this isn't related to a chromosomal or genetic disorder, its just one of those things that happens for no apparent reason -- most a likely a weird combination of environmental factors meeting biological factors.

A few weeks ago I also had the opportunity to meet with a pediatric cardiologist, who did a thorough examination of Little Guy's heart. With any birth defect, and especially diaphragmatic hernias, since the heart is pushed to the side, there's the concern that the heart could be affected and not develop properly. Well, after a long ultrasound with a tech who wasn't saying much, we found out that his heart is developing just great! All the valves are present and working and there aren't any holes. Another huge sigh of relief! :) I know that the ultrasound techs/cardiologist techs are only allowed to say that the doctor will discuss the results after the exam, but the long periods of silence or avoiding question is really nerve-racking. The cardiologist mentioned that even though he only focuses on the heart and isn't certified to make diagnosis on other parts of the body, he did notice that there was space where the lungs should be. Yayyy for space!

After much deliberation and prayer, Austin and I have decided that we'd like to have a MRI done of Little Guy's lungs. The MRI will measure lung tissue volume and give us a much better understanding of his chance of survival. No matter how great ultrasound machines are these days, they can't detect everything -- like lung tissue growth, especially if the stomach or small intestines are blocking the view of the lungs during one of my routine exams. The MRI will also give the doctors and surgeons a much better understanding of how to proceed once Little Guy makes his debut. At my last ultrasound appoint a few weeks ago, the doctor was able to see part of the right lung but the view of the left lung was obscured by the stomach. Just hearing, "Ohh, I see part of the right lung!" was enough to lessen some of my fears. With all the positive news we've been hearing from our doctors so far, we're just hoping and praying that we hear more good news from this MRI in a few weeks.

Little Guy is continuing to grow really, really well. He's a little over a week ahead of where I am gestationally, so he's going to be a big boy. :) He's incredibly active and loves keeping me up at night. Last night he kicked me so hard that I thought he was going to kick a hole through my stomach. I see a little soccer player in my future. :) He hates any and all pressure put on my belly, whether its gently leaning against the counter, holding his sister, or even folding my arms, which he then makes known by karate-chopping me super hard wherever the pressure is currently focused. He definitely likes his space, which is growing ever smaller. Its crazy to imagine that he'll be here in about 7 weeks! Where has the time gone??

We've really started to feel at peace with this whole situation. The last eleven weeks have definitely been an emotional roller coaster, with more tears shed and more prayers said than I can remember in such a time period. But we've started to reach the point where we realize that worrying about him nonstop really won't fix anything...all we can do it pray for the best and prepare as much as we can. We have a bed and little dresser for him, and we're just going to keep preparing for his arrival as we would any other healthy baby. I'm so grateful for the peace that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings, and my knowledge that if something were to happen and he returned to his Heavenly Home, I know I'd see him again and will be able to raise him one day. I honestly don't know what I would do or how I would feel if it wasn't for my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and my Heavenly Father's plan for all His children.

Once again, thank you for all your prayers and asking about him -- it means so much to us to have such wonderful and supportive family and friends. I'm also so grateful for all my many, many babysitters! With all the doctor appointments, sometimes 3-4 in one week, I'm so thankful that I have many kind friends who don't mind watching a busy and adorable toddler. I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like to bring my curious little fireball to all these doctor appointments, especially the appointments where big machines are involved.

We love you all!

Isn't that the cutest little profile you've ever seen! We think so. :)

Thank goodness for Pediatric Surgeons

Its been a little over three weeks since we found out about the challenges our little guy is facing. I feel like I've gone from knowing nothing about diaphragmatic hernias to being a total expert overnight. We've felt such an outpouring of love and support from our family and friends -- thank you SO much! All the phone calls, text messages, emails, and Facebook messages have meant so much to us as we've tried to wrap our minds around the situation. And, thank you for all your prayers -- I know the Lord hears and answers our prayers.

We've had the opportunity to talk with two pediatric surgeons in the past two weeks. The first surgeon was an old family friend, which really was comforting as I learned more about my little guy's diagnosis. Both surgeons told us pretty much the same things and cleared up many misconceptions that the previous doctor accidentally gave us. I'm not completely sure how to explain everything we've learned, so I'll just write it out in bullet form.

• There's no "average" or "norm" associated with diaphragmatic hernias. The stats don't really mean anything because every baby is so different and every situation is so different. So, there's no average time for stabilizing our little guy, surgery, or recovery. It could take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Some babies have this diagnosed in-utero, some have it diagnosed at birth, and some children don't even know they have it until years later... Yeah, every situation is completely different.The only stats that really matter, which both surgeons told us, is that 55%-60% of babies survive diaphragmatic hernias.
• The real concern isn't heart development, tho it can also be affected in rare situations, the real concern is lung tissue development. If there's little to no lung tissue when our little guy is born, then he'll have a much harder time being stabilized and making it through. Even with 100% oxygen being sent into his body, the oxygen can't be used if there's no lungs to send the oxygen to the rest of the body. Since the hernia is on the left and pushing the heart to the right, both lung spaces are being invaded. However, the good news is that in our last ultrasound three weeks ago the liver wasn't in the chest cavity, which means there is more space than could be otherwise. Let's keep hoping the liver stays low in the stomach! We have another ultrasound next Tuesday, so we'll know more by then. 
• No matter how amazing ultrasounds are, they can't really decipher how much lung tissue is developed -- especially since babies are so squished inside the womb.  It may look like there's lots of lung tissue and really there isn't, or it may look like there's little lung tissue and really there's much more than expected. There's no way to tell until our little guy in born and he takes his first breath. 
• Both pediatric surgeons told us that we're in EXCELLENT hands at Primary Children's Hospital. I'm so glad we're living close to such a great and well-known hospital. The doctors and surgeons at Primary Children's will do everything possible to help our little guy beat this trail in his already young life. And, despite the rarity of this disorder, the surgeons see many cases of diaphragmatic hernias every year, so they have lots of experience and knowledge.
• Contrary to what we were formally told, this kind of hernia isn't a genetic disorder. There's no gene linked to this disorder -- its just a random birth defect that affects about 1 in 2,500 babies each year. That being said, our future children do not have a higher chance of also being diagnosed with this disorder. One of the pediatric surgeons told us that he could basically guarantee that we'll never have a child diagnosed with this again. Also, along the same lines, having a diaphragmatic hernia doesn't also mean you have a higher chance of being diagnosed with a chromosomal disorder such as Down's Syndrome. Sometimes those with Down's Syndrome also have this sort of hernia, but having this hernia doesn't mean you'll have a chromosomal disorder. I hope that made sense. 
• Also, contrary to what we were formally told, there's not a 1 in 3 chance he won't make it out of surgery -- he has a 99% chance he'll make it out of surgery! He won't go into surgery until he's completely stabilized, which could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to even longer. So, he'll of course be on an oxygen tube during surgery, but he'll be stabilized and he able to breathe at least a little. Its just a matter of making sure he has enough lung tissue to make it to surgery. 
• The first 24-hours are like a "honeymoon" period -- things can being going really well and then flip or visa-versa could happen. However, the first 4-5 days are very telling of what's going to happen down the road. If he's doing pretty well then he'll continue to do pretty well, or if he's not doing too well he'll most likely continue down that same road. So, at least its comforting to know that if he's doing well for a couple of weeks, he won't suddenly take a turn for the worse.

Like I said in my last blog post, I really do believe in miracles. I know that miracles still happen every day and we're just hoping and praying that he'll be our miracle baby. I've heard many positive stories in the past few weeks of babies who were born with this disorder and who've gone on to live normal lives, which brings me so much peace and hope. I know our little guy is a fighter and he will do everything in his power to beat this trial.

On a happier note, I've started feeling him move more and more over the past few weeks. Its such a sweet experience to feel this little person wiggle around inside. Its almost like he's saying, "Its okay, Mom. I'm gonna make it!" He seems to move the most while I watch movies -- I think he's gonna be a movie buff :)

Thank you, again, for all your thoughts and prayers! We really appreciate your love and support. We feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family.

Our Little Guy's Health at 20 Weeks

Wow, the last time I posted anything in this blog was when Arlee was a wee little 4 week old babe! Heh, I really need to post more regularly.

Well, yesterday was our 20-week ultrasound and we found out that we're having a BOY! Austin is incredibly excited to have a son :) And, I know Arlee's going to be such a great big sister. It was so much fun seeing his cute little head and feet and limbs during this ultrasound, and its still so amazing to me that the female body is able to form another human being. How great is that?!

After the ultrasound tech looked at everything and printed off some pictures for us, she left the room and a few minutes later the doctor came in. We were just expecting him to double check the tech's measurements and yada yada, but soon after entering the room he told us that the tech noticed a hernia in our little boy's diaphragm. The doctor double-checked the tech's observation and then confirmed that our little guy, did indeed, have a diaphragmatal hernia. The official medical name is a Congenital Hernia of the Diaphragm. The diaphragm is a muscle that separates the chest cavity from the stomach, making sure the intestines don't invade the space of the lungs and hearts. So, the hernia means that there's a hole in his diaphragm, allowing the stomach/intestines to enter the chest cavity. This invasion of the stomach has pushed his heart from the left side to the right side and is putting pressure upon his lungs, so they're having a hard time developing. The main concern right now is the development of his heart -- if the invading stomach puts too much pressure upon the heart, then it may stop developing and there's nothing we can do to stop it... At that point, it would be considered heart failure and I'd deliver a stillborn. According to the ultrasound yesterday, he's growing normally, though, which means his heart is still developing right on schedule and the hernia isn't too severe. I'll be going in for ultrasounds every 4 weeks so they can keep a close eye on this little guy and make sure his heart is developing right on track. Thankfully, there are no other symptoms associated with Congenital Hernia of the Diaphragm and the chance of a miscarriage is very very low, as long as his heart keeps on developing.

After discussing the logistics of what's happening with our son and explaining that this is a genetic disorder, the doctor also informed us that when there's one genetic disorder then there's a chance of more -- such as a chromosomal disorder like Down's Syndrome. In the next few weeks I'll go through a blood test that looks for chromosomal disorders in the womb, so at least we'll know what to expect upon birth on our son. We also learned that I'd need to give birth in the University of Utah Hospital or Primary Children's Hospital, both in Salt Lake City, because they have excellent pediatric surgical units. So, right after our little guy is born, he'll be rushed to the nursery to be stabilized (ie, breathing tubes and possibly a heart and lung machine, depending upon how under developed his lungs are) and then he'll immediately go into surgery to move his stomach/intestines back into the right place and close the hernia in his diaphragm. The hope is that his heart will then move its way back over to the left side and his lungs will start to properly develop. If this doesn't happen, then he'll need more surgeries to fix these problems. And, we were told that there's a 1 in 3 chance he won't survive surgery. Congenital Hernia of the Diaphragm may cause long term problems, but every situation and every baby is different.

Needless to say, the past 24-hours have been an emotional roller-coaster. Never would I have imagined one of my children would develop a genetic disorder, especially since neither Austin nor I have history of genetic disorders on either side of our families. Apparently, things like this just happen for no apparent reason -- its nothing I did or anything that I could have prevented. At this point, there's also nothing I can do to help the situation. My body knows what it needs to do to help this little baby, and all we can really do is hope and pray that everything will work out. I truly believe in miracles.

After the doctor explained the first little bit of what's going on, he left the room and gave Austin and I time to talk, cry, and pray together. After the prayer, we felt such a peace in the room and just knew that everything would work out. I've learned that "everything will work out" doesn't always mean it'll be the outcome that I want, but I know it'll be the outcome that the Lord had specifically prepared for us. I really feel like this little guy will be a fighter and he'll work through this trial.

So, we're hoping and praying that his heart will continue to develop without any issues and that I'll be able to carry him to full-term. Like I said, I know miracles happen and, who knows, he could be born without any chromosomal disorder and develop perfectly fine after surgery. But, regardless of the outcome, I know he will always be our son and will always be a part of our family. For now, we're going to keep praying and be grateful that he's happily kicking around, and prepare ourselves for end of April/beginning of May.

Arlee Jean's Debut :)

Wow, it's crazy how much your life can change in such a short time!
And, sometimes its still hard to wrap my mind around how I went

from this

to this :)

Monday evening, July 9th, Austin and I were at our neighbors' apartment, when I started getting really intense back pains. I'd had similar back pains the night before, so I attributed these to more "false labor" pains. I'd had so much "false labor" in the previous two weeks, that I was convinced I would never actually give birth...I'd be pregnant with this same baby for the rest of my life. Thankfully, that wasn't the case :) Well, as the night progressed, so did my pain. In-between turns during games, I would pace around, massage a tennis ball into my lower back, and move in contorted positions -- anything to alleviate the pain. And yet, nothing was working.

After we went home, we decided to entertain the idea of timing my pains. I didn't know if they were contractions or not, but as the pains became more intense, there was definitely a pattern...so yup, they became contractions. Around 10pm I called the maternity ward in the Madison Memorial Hospital, and they advised me to not come in until the contractions were 2-3 minutes long and 5-7 minutes apart. Wellll, as the night progressed, the contractions got worse and longer. I was still hesitant to actually think I was going into labor, due to so many false labor pains, so we decided to just go to bed -- with the hopes that the pains would simply subside, like all previous pains. Heh, well, the pains didn't subside and around midnight on July 10th, we went to the hospital.

Upon entering the Labor/Delivery Unit at the hospital, I was checked for dilation and told that I was 5 centimeters dilated and 100% effaced. I was officially in labor!! WAHOO! No more false labor pains!! :) We were SO excited :) Heh, now I just needed to get an epidural ASAP -- the pain was almost more than I could bare. I'd always heard about contraction pains in your abdominal area, but these pains were all in my back...and they were wretched. It didn't help that I have next to no pain tolerance -- I'm not sure how I would have survived in the Middle Ages.

Soon after being checked for dilation, I was taken to the room that I would labor and deliver in -- and then the wonderful anesthesiologist entered the room. Honestly, the scariest part about giving birth was the epidural... The anesthesiologist told me how the procedure was going to work, and then told me that I COULDN'T MOVE until she finished the procedure. If I moved, I might accidentally jiggle the needle, which could cause anything from a pinched nerve to paralysis. I'm already a bit afraid of needles, so the thought of paralysis made the entire procedure even more terrifying.

So, while I squeezed Austin's hand for dear life and focused on a speck of dirt on the floor, I arched my back and tried to bite back any cries of pain or flinches. Even though one of my life goals is to be cheerful to nurses, doctors, cashiers, etc., I couldn't help but snarl as the anesthesiologist kept telling me to "not move." However, as soon as she finished inserting the tube into the epidural space, which took two tries, the pain relief was almost instantaneous :) It felt heavenly. I really admire those women that want to have natural child birth, but, heh, I am not one of those women -- pain meds all the way!! :) Although, I learned, first hand, that epidurals don't always last equally throughout your body. My right side stayed completely numb the entire time, while my left side had to be re-numbed twice. Ahh well, it was still worth it.

By then it was around 2am and I was feeling wonderful :) Austin and I tried to get some shut-eye, since the upcoming hours were going to be pretty eventful -- but, it's a bit hard to sleep when you know that your life is about to drastically change in the very near future. After two hours of attempted sleep, we decided to pop in "The Sound of Music" -- I was determined to have my child born to the sounds of a musical. If I wanted to have a future singer in my family, I gotta start her young :) However, "The Sound of Music" really isn't the most comical musical, and labor is definitely a time that I needed some comedy -- thank goodness we brought "White Christmas" :) And, thank goodness I married a man who will tolerate my love for musicals.

Long story short, since I tend to ramble, around 5:30am my labor/delivery nurse instructed me to start pushing... AND, at 6:10am, Arlee Jean Ballard made her debut! She weighed in at 7 lbs 6 oz and 20 inches long. She was (and IS) absolutely beautiful :) One of the first things Austin said upon seeing her was, "She looks like a skinless chicken!" Hahaha, that wasn't exactly what I was expecting to hear.

Being weighed and measured after making her debut

Hahaha, I can only imagine how babies must feel when they leave the womb and enter this great big world. Suddenly, they're pushed out of their warm, tight, noisy home into a cold, spacious, quiet home -- it must be quite the shock to their little senses. This being the case, its no wonder that little Arlee slept almost the entire day and night of her first day of life -- I bet she needed to re-cooperate after the terrifying experience of birth.

We stayed in the hospital until Thursday, July 12th, and the nurses were a big help as we started to adjust to our new roles as parents. And, surprisingly, both the labor/delivery room and the recovery room, had a little area for Austin to sleep.

Below are more pictures of our beautiful girl :)

Austin is such a wonderful dad :) As soon as we found out that we were having a little girl, she had her daddy wrapped around her finger. I'm so glad that I married such a patient and loving man, and I know that Arlee will always be "Daddy's Little Girl." So far, Austin has crazy good skills at making her burp -- I'm slacking in that department. And, at the end of the day when I'm feeling a bit frazzled and can't make Arlee settle down, Daddy is always able to save the day :)

Grandma Wendi and Grandpa Dan came to meet Arlee the day she was born. I don't think I've ever heard and seen Grandpa Dan make such hilarious noise and faces as he talked to his grand-daughter. Hilarious :)

Nana has been such a great help to us these past few weeks as we've adjusted to parenthood. She's been especially helpful at 3am, when both parents are exhausted beyond all reason and need to sleep. It's been so much fun watching her cuddle and love Arlee. 

Our little family :)
We just can't get enough of her!

Even from birth to 3 weeks, her face has already changed so much. She's lost the swollen/puffy look, and is starting to develop more of her own features. Luckily, she didn't come out of the womb looking like an alien :) No forceps or vacuum were used to help her out.

Ohh, and PS: I learned that your puking muscles are the same as your pushing muscles. After about 20 minutes of pushing, my body was exhausted and I'd never felt so much physical exertion in my life...so, my body decided that now was a fine time to start dry-heaving. Well, after about 12 dry-heaves, she was almost out. I've never been so grateful for my puking reflex, hahaha :)

See? Here is proof of Daddy's crazy good burping skills. No joke, he has the magic touch. Or, he at least knows how to bounce her enough that burps just decide to appear.

Look at that little pose! Nap time is happy time :) And, I've learned that if I ever want to be a fully-functional human being again, I need to sleep when she sleeps. So, I take at least one nap every day :) *sigh*  I wish there was such a thing for sleep called "roll over minutes." If so, I could have stocked up on sleep while I was pregnant.

About 4 weeks before my due date, my feet and ankles suddenly decided to swell up. Heh, I thought it was bad then... But then I gave birth and my feet/ankles swelled up to enormous proportions. It was ridiculous. It got to the point where I couldn't even put on my widest flip-flops, and sneakers were far from an option. After about two weeks of propping up my feet and lots of fluids, my elephantiasis started to go down.

Isn't that ridiculous?! I also had swelling in my face and fingers. I'm still waiting for the swelling in my fingers to go down so I can wear my wedding ring again. Honestly, I have no idea why the human body decides to retain water at the end of pregnancy. I mean, aren't pregnant women big enough already?? I think adding excess water weight and swelling just isn't fair.

Here she is, at four days old :)

Four generations! Great-Grandma, Grandma Wendi, Austin, and Arlee :) And, I think Arlee got all her looks (especially her blonde hair) from the Ballard side. Even though I carried her for 9 months, she looks completely like Austin's side. However, her screaming capacity shows us that she inherited my strong lungs :)

A future gymnast? I think she's having lots of fun learning what this body can do, now that its not squished inside Mom's tummy.

2 1/2 weeks old! I just can't get enough of that little face! And, I've decided that babies only need a diaper and a swaddling blanket in order to be happy, especially if you don't have A/C in your apartment. I think onesies are a luxury to be worn outside the home :)

Her little feet pack a powerful punch! I think my ribs are still bruised after all her kicking.

For whatever reason, Arlee loves to sleep with her arms flung out behind her head. If we swaddle her like that, she tends to sleep longer and more deeply. Silly girl :)

See? The swelling is completely gone! She almost looks like a different baby, when compared to her first few days of life. And, somewhere between two and three weeks, she suddenly decided to open her eyes all the time -- our little girl has beautiful midnight blue eyes.

3 weeks old! She loves to just look around and soak-in the world around her. After her diaper is changed and her tummy is full, she'll contently sit in her bouncer or cuddle in your lap and just look around.We call this her "quiet time." And, then we wait for her to fall asleep...or start screaming for more food. Sometimes, she can be quite demanding :)

Even though hammocks are the closest equivalents to adult baby swings, real baby swings are far better :) Look how comfy she is! If I could be rocked to sleep in a motorized swing, while listening to running water, my life would be complete. 

Waking up at 2am is so worth it when she just wants to cuddle with her Mommy :)







I've always been told that it takes your brain 21 days to adjust to a new life event or form a new habit, and wow, that is so true. Little Arlee Jean is now 3 weeks and 1 day old, and I'm starting to feel more confident and able to take care of her -- I'm no longer thinking, "Oh my gosh. I have a baby. How did this happen? What do I do? Do I want to do this?" Now I'm thinking, "Okay, I can do this. I'll learn how to function on 5 hours of sleep per night. She's worth it."

Having Arlee in our home is like having a little piece of heaven with us. She has such a sweet little spirit, and its amazing to think that a mere three weeks ago she was in our Heavenly Home with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. I know that the veil over her eyes is still very thin, and sometimes, especially in the evenings, she'll look up at the ceiling and start to smile. I always wonder who she's seeing -- maybe a sibling that will come down to Earth in the future or an ancestor that has passed on before? Either way, I know that she sees someone watching over her from up above.

That's all for now. And, kudos to anyone still reading this -- you just read a novel! :)

Welcome to the Adventures of A&K!

Well, here we go -- I've finally created a blog! Does this mean I've suddenly gained numerous "Good Wife Points"? It seems like everyone creates a blog as soon as they get married...heh, I'm only about a year and a half behind on the times :)

My hope is to use this blog as a way to record the adventures of our little family, and, since I have horrible journal writing skills, as an incentive to keep a journal, of sorts.

Well, anyways, welcome to our life and our blog! And, I'll keep you posted as new adventures come our way :)