Life with Kinney...in a nutshell!

Last day of work

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh it has been 4 months since I have updated my blog. And in that time somethings LOTS of things have changed. Our lives have been turned upside down and revolve around a now 12 lbs. baby girl that melts our hearts every. single. day.... Kinney Lessie

On February 7th, 2013, I was induced. As Adam's facebook status said, it was "game time". We checked into the hospital around 6am and around 7:30am the nurses started the pitocin and at this time they thought Kinney would make her entrance between 7-8pm making it a 11 hour L&D...(when in the end when it was all said an done, it turned out to be a 16 hour L&D). Contractions started and held out for as long as I could before the epidural. Here is the weird thing about the whole epidural experience (for me) it is one of the things that I can recall vividly and remember as one of the sweetest moments between Adam and me. I was scared out of my mind!!! He was SUCH a rock...absolutely incredible. The foreign Russian anesthesiologist came into the room and I could hardly understand a thing he was saying. The nurses sat me up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. They gave Adam a stool to sit on directly in front of me. I looked into his eyes and immediately started crying, even before the needles were unpackaged. Adam held onto my hands and smiled through the whole thing. Now, I know that sounds weird and someone reading this might think "I would slap that smile off his face," but he wasn't smiling because I was in pain he was smiling because he was trying to make me happy...to make me smile. It was a sweet moment between the two of us, before we brought our daughter into the world. I did jump a little when the needle was inserted but it was over within seconds. Epidurals are the BEST thing on this planet...once I had it I slept like a baby and took naps off and on while I was in LABOR. Around lunch time the nurses came in and upped my pitocin dosage and not too long after they left I noticed that my vision was going blurry, seeing spots and that things were turning black. I sat up and told Adam "I CAN'T SEE!" he flew out the door to track down the nurses. They came in and checked my vital signs my blood pressure had dropped significantly low and causing Kinney's heart rate to drop. Now isn't that something?!?! All along I have been told, "don't be worried if you have high blood pressure, it's normal because you are scared," I have never heard of someone having a baby having low blood pressure. The pitocin was put to a stop and I had to wear an oxygen mask for a couple of hours. When the pitocin started again things progressed smoothly and rather fast. Before I knew it and before I was (mentally) prepared I had a nurse telling me it was time to push. Not too long after I started pushing the epidural wore off and the doctor would not allow for me to have more (because then it would be too difficult for me to push). Adam was a champ. A lot of people are curious about how Adam did during delivery...let me tell you this...Adam is your "typical" guy he's not overly emotional. I've never known him to shed a tear during any "milestone" in our relationship, for example like when we got married. But in the last 30min of pushing he could see Kinney "crowning" (the top of her head) and he started crying and didn't stop until the emotion of excitement overtook him. And when I say crying, I don't mean balling or sobbing...just a steady flow of tears. It was sweet...and again one of the few things that I can vividly remember.

Kinney Lessie was born at 12:30am February 8th weighing in at 9.3 lbs and 21 1/2 inches. One of the nurses told me that she was the biggest baby that she had ever delivered vaginally. Both sets of FIRST time grandparents were there to welcome their sweet granddaughter into the world. Even my grandmother (Kinney's great grandmother) made the 8 hour trek to Memphis for her arrival. Thank goodness for pictures because much like on my wedding day things are a blur. I was in SO MUCH pain after delivery...and not the nicest person (because I had no epidural...why anyone would want to go "natural" is well beyond me) that I can't remember much other than I wanted drugs and I wanted them BAD. It wasn't until after all the commotion, everyone had left, I had devoured my Big Mac meal (courtesy of Adam's parents), Kinney came back to us after being bathed that I made that emotional bond that every Mama talks about. The undying love that I felt for her amazed me. To put it simply I felt like I had loved her all my life...but she was only an hour old. I didn't sleep AT ALL that night. I just held her and talked to her while we sat in the hospital bed and watched the oldies but goodies, "Golden Girls" and "I Love Lucy"...ironically these are still the shows that we watch today when I get up to feed her. Daddy was able to get a tiny bit of shut eye that night...even though it was difficult because nurses kept coming in to check my vital signs.

God has put a little miracle into our lives. She is a bit of sunshine every single day. I wake up living for her tiny smiles. Her daddy rushes home to play with her and do bath time. It sounds cheesey doesn't it? You just wait until it's your turn and then get back to me :)

After Kinney was born my parents stayed with us for 10 days. They will never know the gratitude I have towards them (and for them). My Mama made dinner and cleaned up every night. One time she asked me if there was anything I wanted...I had been craving a red velvet cake. She made a deliciously scrumptious red velvet cake...absolutely delishes. I thought my parents coming for the week was to help me out with Kinney. I didn't realize how much they were going to be helping ME. Especially my Mama. The lengths a mama will go through to help their child ;)

Probably my favorite picture of her. She just looks so cute!

A week later Kinney had her newborn pictures by Snap Happy Photography. I don't have too much to say about them because the pictures speak for themselves. They are simply gorgeous and we could not be more pleased!!!! And these are just a few---we have yet to get the rest back so we are both on pins and needles to see them :)  Jennifer and her hubby were amazing...I have a new found respect for newborn photographers. When Adam told me that they would need 4+ hours to photograph Kinney, I thought WHAT IN THE WORLD...they used every minute of those 4+ hours...needles to say that little Miss.Kinney is most certainly head strong and will not do something if she doesn't want to do it! (I wonder where she gets that from). But Jennifer and her husband were awesome and totally understanding. We would break to let me feed her and then rock her back to sleep. Honestly, I could not be more excited about the outcome!

I think Adam put it best, after I delivered Kinney, "How could you not believe in God?" It was a simple statement that he made...but it has really stuck with me. Adam constantly calls Kinney our "miracle baby"...as I wrote in my last post, we experienced a few trials and tribulations during the course of my pregnancy (words thrown around such as: downs syndrome, miscarriage and heart surgery). Things that in comparison to what other's experience and go through is minute...but shook our worlds to the core. As I have stated time and time again we didn't know how bad we wanted something until it (she) was in jeopardy. Kinney wasn't part of our plan (yet) but she was (is) part of Gods plan. Since giving birth I have realized even MORE how much God has blessed us and continued to answer our prayers of a healthy baby girl. But now things hit a lot closer to home and God has a way of keeping me in check.

For example: One night...late, while I was up feeding Kinney I was facebook surfing. A facebook friend of mine "liked" a post so it showed up on my minifeed...this is what the post said:
"I am updating tonight to ask for prayers once again. I know that the Lord works miracles and already has for Ella Grace. We have been following up with the pediatric cardiologist since we were discharged from the hospital. She was born with two holes in her heart; both seemed to be insignificant when we were in the hospital. One of them pretty much closed within the past two months. However, she still has a VSD that is moderate and doesn't show signs of closing. The cardiologist took her case to the board two weeks ago and they decided that it was best to go ahead and send us to Emory to do open heart surgery. We met with the cardiologist again last week and I asked for more time to see if the hole will close on its own (like most of them do). He agreed we would follow up in four weeks to do a repeat Echocardiogram but doesn't think anything will change. They believe surgery is best before irreversible damage is done. I just do not want to do the surgery unless absolutely necessary but I know the doctors will do what is best for her. If and when we go to Emory it will be at least a week stay in the hospital (3-4 days in cardiac ICU). It's definitely scary and I get emotional just thinking about it. I will keep everyone posted but just ask for prayers for her heart to be healed. Love, Ashlyn"

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Baby Ella Grace

If you read my last post you read that I had to see a high risk doctor because Kinney had 2 holes in her heart. One hole the doctors thought would close on its own and the other hole doctors thought would need to be closed with surgery. We prayed and cried many many tears over our little girls heart and God answered our prayers. I wept when I read Baby Ella Grace's post. It hurt my heart for her family...I questioned God and why he healed our little girl but not Ella Grace...realizing how silly that question was just seconds after thinking it. Clearly God has great plans for Ella Grace AND her family. He knows what they can handle...but in the mean time He was making sure that I knew not to ever take my Kinney for guaranteed ..things could most certainly be different. I continue to pray for Baby Ella Grace...and when I think about it stop by her facebook page for updates. Ella's heart is only a SMALL part of her overall story:  

"Some of you know that two very special people in my life welcomed their precious baby girl Ella Grace Tebeau into the world last week. Shortly after delivery Ella Grace was having complications and we later found out she has a form of Leukemia. This poor baby has now underwent an entire body blood transfusion and 3 doses of Chemo. 

It's going to be a long road for Ella Grace and the Tebeau Family and I am asking for any help you can give. First and foremost, please keep this beautiful baby girl in your prayers. She is such a fighter and has endured so much in just a week. Secondly, we are conducting a raffle for a $250 VISA gift card. Each ticket will be $5 and all the donations and ticket prices will go directly towards the family and the medical bills. You can message me for tickets and I will get them to you. If I can't meet you we are mailing them out.Thank you all so much for reading this and thank you all for the continued support and prayers. God bless!"

I ask you (yes you) to include her and her family in your prayers.

So, now on to the latest update on us and Kinney. Adam and me are fine....okay, so maybe I am not quite as fine as Adam. I started back to work this week. Meaning...Kinney started daycare :(  Talk about a HUGE STEP FOR ME...I don't feel comfortable leaving Kinney unless one of her parents is present (aka me...aka Adam) even if you are family or friends (don't take offense, it's not you, it's me...being a first time parent makes you (seem) borderline crazy). There will be more to post in the future about Kinney's daycare adventures but right now we're just dipping our toes in the water and I cry everyday (it's only been 2 so cut me some slack).

Sweet girl's first Easter :)

This weekend we are packing up our bags and heading to Macon/Atlanta! We're cohosting a baby shower for our sweet friends Brian and Deana (they are expecting their first child...a baby girl...KATE...in June) and attending a wedding shower for some amazing college friends Rob and Megan! We can't wait for Kinney to meet our friends!!!!!!!!!

And before I close up this long post (I tried to put things in a nutshell) CONGRATULATIONS to our cousin Brooke Hammond Peccia!!!! She welcomed her 3rd child (2nd daughter) Elizabeth Joy, into the world last Thursday, April 11th! She's a beauty! We can't wait to meet her :)