Happy Fall to All!

Hello world! Well it certainly has been a while since the last blog, and there is so much to catch up on. I'll work backwards; it should be a bit easier that way! This past weekend, Shaun and I took Kendall out to "Field of Dreams" nursery. They have a pumpkin patch and offer hay rides and such. We opted out of the hay ride this year, as Kendall will actually enjoy it next year! Shaun took Kendall through a maze they made with hay and I followed with the camcorder. Kendall liked the toy spiders they had throughout the maze...I'm sure that will change in a few years! After that we let her pick out her very own pumpkin. They had a wagon full of baby sized pumpkins. I've decided to make a rule that each year she gets to take home the pumpkin that she can pick up and hold. It was tough this year as she has never had to pick something up that large, so we tested out a few to see which one she could hold on to once we placed it in her hands. We found the perfect one. Kendall seemed to like it, and gave it the seal of approval after giving it her renowned taste test. Once Kendall picked out her pumpkin, we took some photos over by some HUGE pumpkins and a ghost backdrop they had set up. Kendall was dwarfed by the pumpkins, and it was a great picture, one I will treasure forever. As we were snapping away, one of the nursery workers offered to take a family picture. I was so happy because either Shaun or I are the ones behind the camera, so we don't have any pictures of all of us! We then moved on to the actual pumpkin patch, where Shaun and I picked out our pumpkins. It was such a short time, but I had so much fun, and will treasure the memory forever! About a week ago, the week of October 8th, Kendall said DaDa. It is so cute when she says it, and sometimes she says DaDee! I think it is so great. I try to get her to say MaMa, and she just grins and exclaims "DaDa!!!!" I have never seen Shaun so proud, I can see his heart swell every time she says it. Kendall also had her 6 month Doctor's appointment that week. She weighed in at 15lbs. 11oz., and was 27 3/4 inches long! She's a tall baby! That works out to the 50th percentile for weight and the 75th for height!!! Her head circumference is in the 50th percentile, I don't remember the exact measurement, but her head has not stopped growing and that's all that matters! Her pediatrician says "She's perfect!", but we already know that, don't we? Kendall has continued on her journey with solid foods. At the beginning of October, I introduced her to fruit, which she LOVES! In the morning, she'll get a mushed banana and rice cereal. We don't do lunch yet, and for dinner she'll get a vegetable which may include peas, carrots, butternut squash, parsnip, green beans, and sweet potato. She's had them all! The one we have problems with is green beans, and I bet it's probably the texture. Shaun's dad Larry came for a visit in Mid-September. It was the first time Kendall met her Vovo (Pronounced VuVu). Vovo is Portuguese for Grandpa. We had a wonderful time, and she sure loves her Vovo. They had a great time together. It was a great visit. Kendall now has two teeth! She cut the first one around Sept. 11th and the second one came the following week! They are her two front teeth on the bottom, and they are so cute (but sharp!) The other day she was on the living room floor and I heard Shaun screech...Kendall had crawled under the coffee table, started sucking on Shaun's big toe, and then decided to take a bite! I laughed so hard! He now keeps an eye out for "Shark Baby" when she’s cruising around the floor. Speaking of cruising, she is on the verge of crawling! She gets up on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth! She'll take one "step" but then fall on her belly, or her face. She is SO close! Her main mode of getting around is rolling, or doing the army crawl. Her hair is getting soooo long, it's starting to cover her scar! I love brushing it at night after her bath. It is such a beautiful color, almost a strawberry blonde. Kendall still has her bedtime routine, it is working wonderfully for us. She had her follow-up appt on August 31st. Unfortunately, Dr. Ketch was on vacation, and Dr. Winston was still in surgery so we didn't get to see them. But on a positive note, we are clear not to go back to Children's until August 2008 (barring any complications or issues we may be concerned with) I went back to work part-time at the beginning of August. I work Mon, Tue, and Wed. It's so good for me to get out of the house, plus the extra income doesn't hurt either! Because I work on Shaun's off days, Kendall stays home with Dad and we don't have to worry about day-care! Hooray! I am so happy that Shaun and Kendall have that time together. Well I think that's about it. I will try to keep this updated more frequently, so each entry doesn't become a novel!

In My Daughter's Eyes...

The lyrics to this song is as close I can come to expressing how I feel about my daughter in words...

In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the
world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me
strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes

And when she wraps her hand
around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about

It's hangin' on when your heart
has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy
she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eye

3.5 Weeks Post-Surgery

Wow, has it been that long already? All I can say is that it feels so GREAT to have it over and done with! Kendall has recovered wonderfully, she has a beautiful round head now. Her incision looks great, the scabs are starting to come off and the stitches are coming apart (dissolvable). We had a rough time a couple of weeks ago when she went in to the Dr. here to check the incision, they decided to do her 4 month vaccinations that day. So we had to deal with a sore, feverish, NAUSEOUS little bubs, but we got through it and she is feeling just peachy now! Kendall has reached many milestones since her surgery. She can sit in a "tripod" position, holding her self up with her arms in front of her. She also started solids about 1 week post surgery. We started her on rice cereal and she love it. When we went in for her check up, the Dr. gave us the go ahead to start introducing veggies. So when I was at the store the other day, I picked up some parsnip, carrots, butternut squash, and a sweet potato. Last night I cooked up and pureed the parsnip for her. I pureed it with some of her formula, and then I took a bit out and mixed with some of her rice cereal for a creamy veggie delight! She wasn't so sure at first, as most babies are when the try something new, but then she couldn't get enough of it! We are now looking foward to the many STINKY diapers to follow now that she is eating like a big girl! We have also got her started on a
"bedtime routine"! It has been a lifesaver for Shaun and I, and I think it makes Kendall feel very secure. She'll get her "solid" meal around 7:30-8:00, depending on when she last ate. She usually makes quite a mess of herself, so it's BATHTIME after dinner. She LOVES her baths, and has lots of fun playing in the water. After that she gets ready for bed, which includes a lovely massage with yummy lotion after being dried off, and she gets her p.j.s on. Then her bedtime bottle is prepared ,but before she gets that, she gets her hair brushed and a bedtime story (she LOVES books). Then we get all snuggly in the rocking chair and have our goodnight bottle, which generally puts her to sleep, or pretty darn close! She's usually down between 9 and 10, depending how everything went. We are slowly making it earlier each night. Oh, and get this, she sleeps in her own room now, yay! The first two weeks after the surgery she was very insecure and scared, so we kept her in our room, but then we noticed an improvement in her demeanor and sleeping pattern. She wasn't waking up in the middle of the night scared anymore. Now she'll sleep anywhere from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Usually if she gets up earlier, we'll change her diaper, give her a bottle and she'll go back down till about 9. Hurray for sleep! Her personality is really starting to shine. She truly is such a happy baby, and her smile just melts your heart. She brings Shaun and I so much joy, and I have never felt so proud in my life!!!

FINALLY! The surgery...

Good grief! I've been trying to write a blog for the past couple of days and haven't been able to access it for some reason. Anywho, it has been a rough couple of days, that's for sure. We got up around 7am on the 26th and got everything packed and ready to go. We woke little miss up a little earlier than usual, but she was still in a GREAT mood! We arrived at the hospital at 11:30, and I filled out the necessary paperwork while Shaun ran over to the St. Christopher's House to get us checked in. They sent us over to Pre-Surgery Admissions before Shaun had come back, and we started going over everything with the Admissions Nurse. I was so worried Shaun was going to miss everything, but he made it back just in time for the important stuff. We got Kendall down to her diaper and the nurse gave her hair a little pre-wash (once they put her under, they washed her scalp for about 20 minutes with a special shampoo). She really didn't enjoy the little mini-bath we gave her. When that was through we got her changed into her little hospital gown and what I called her (karate pants) because thats what they looked like. The hospital gown was white with Koala Bears flying around in space rockets and shooting stars, too cute! Than the neurosurgery fellow, Dr. Bell came in to go over some more things with us and we signed the consent form. They sent us back into the Pre-Surgery Admissions waiting room, and the Anestesiologist and the Anestesiology Fellow came out to talk to us about the risks and so on an so forth. We played with Kendall, and she was smiling and laughing. She started to get hungry because she had her breakfast at 7:40 that morning, and wasn't allowed to eat anything after 8:00. Luckily my Mom was able to get her to sleep, and we sat there and WAITED some more. I think that was the hardest part for sure. I was ringing my hands, tapping my toes. My Step-Dad gave me some hard candy and that helped me a bit. Well 2:00 finally rolled around and the nurse came out and told us it was time and to give her kisses. I was holding on to her so tightly, I didn't want to let go, I kissed her all over and whispered to her how much I loved her and handed her off to a very teary eyed Daddy. He gave her his hugs and kisses and handed her to the nurse. She woke up as Shaun was handing her off to the Nurse and I'll never forget her face, she looked so scared and didn't know what was going on. As they walked through the double doors, I just lost it. I knew I was going to be upset, but I had no idea how helpless and sad I was going to feel. Someone must have heard me crying from behind the doors and they brought me some tissues and gave me a hug. Shaun, my Mom and Step-Dad were all crying as well, luckily they weren't as hysterical as me. We all sat there in a big group hug for a couple of minutes, then collected ourselves. We went into the surgery waiting room to check-in, and then went down to the cafeteria to get some drinks for the wait. We found a nice little area for all of us to sit that was secluded...I called it our nest, hehehe. At 2:45 we got a call from one of the OR nurses, and she said they started the incision at 2:40, and everything was going fine. So we hung out waiting for another call. I was able to get on the Cranio Kids forum which has been such a lifesaver for me. We were starting to get worried because at 4 we hadn't heard anything. At about 4:20, Kendall's surgeons came out, she was done! They were so pleased with how things went. She did need a transfusion, but we expected that because she is such a petite little princess. They to,ld us a nurse would be out in about 20 minutes to take us back to the recovery room. When her surgeons left I lost it again. I was sooooo relieved. Shaun was so HAPPY and kept telling me that it was okay and its over. I just couldn't contain my emotions and my Mom and Step-Dad couldn't wipe the smiles off of their faces. Finally the nurse came out and took Shaun and I over to recovery. I was SHOCKED when I saw her. She looked SOOOO awesome!! The great thing was we were able to see the results immediately because it was going to take a while for the swelling to set in. We sat there for a while and then we left to go bring in my Mom and Step-Dad. After they visited, it was time for her to be moved up to her room. She didn't have to go to the PICU, instead she is in the step-down unit. We got all settled in and went down to the cafeteria to grab some dinner. My Dad and Step-Mom showed up around 10:00, they had driven all the way from Bozeman that day. The first night was rough. I stayed in the room with Kendall, and Shaun went back to St. C's house to get some sleep. She was up every couple of hours, just like when she was first born! I got about 2 solid hours of sleep. The next day was good. She got her drain taken out around 11:00 a.m., and we took her out of bed and walked her around. We also got a little red wagon set up for her and took her to lunch with us to the cafeteria. We found out that there was another baby that had the same surgery for the same thing that morning, his name is Silas and he is 4 days younger than Kendall. He is a cutie and we visited with his parents a bit. Kendall's nurses said they were going to arrange their marriage! hehehe. She swelled up a bit but not too bad. She didn't seem to have a very good appetite, but when she ate she spit it all back up...poor bubs. Luckily she is receiving IV fluids, so we don't have to worry about her getting dehydrated. She had her first bowel movement yesterday evening, and it was explosive...right after we had cleaned her up from vomitting. I think she was trying to get revenge on Shaun and I because we left earlier that afternoon and left her with the grandparents so I could go back to the room and shower and we could get a bite to eat, and take a little break. Last night we went out to dinner with my parents. It was hard to leave her but her nurses assured us she would be fine. It was great to eat food that wasn't from the cafeteria and we had a really nice time. I didn't want to go, but I'm glad I did. They gave Kendall her meds right before we left and she just slept the entire time that we were gone. Shaun took me to our room at about 10:00 so I could get some sleep and he stayed with Bubs last night. I woke up at 7 this morning so I got a good 9 hours of sleep which was nice. I headed over to the hospital at about 7:45. When I showed up Kendall was wide awake and smiled at me, it just melted my heart. I was expecting her eyes to be swollen shut but they weren't. She is definately more swollen today, but the Dr.'s and Nurses say it is way less than expected and that she looks great, I certainly must agree. We loaded her up in her little red wagon and took her down for breakfast. We decided to eat outsidde. It was nice to get some fresh air, and Kendall seemed to enjoy herself. Right now she is asleep in her car seat. She loves it and it helps keep her head elevated to reduce the swelling a bit. She ate 4 oz of Pedialyte this morning, but spit up about 1 oz of it. After that I took her over to visit her boyfriend Silas. He was asleep but looking good. My Dad and Step-Mom are on their over, they told Shaun and I to go do something fun and they'll watch the princess. Maybe it will help us "re-charge" a bit. Dr. Winston said she will go home on Sunday "if you're lucky" so we'll see how it goes. I will be loading up the pics from yesterday and this morning a bit later. I want to thank all of you for your support. I haven't been able to check the guestbook, it is having the same problems the blog was having earlier. I'm so happy I was finally able to do this and get an update out there, even if it is super long!

Growing up so fast...

Kendall has definately had a fun-filled past few days. She has tried out the sport of swimming (with Daddy's assistance). Dabbled in standing up and taking steps (also with Daddy's assistance), she also got a new swing and exersaucer to sit in and she just loves them. She really feels like a big girl in the exersaucer, and plays with the toys and enjoys looking around the room. She is on the verge of laughing, we've almost got it and I'll be sure to post when she does, she is SO close! She smiles more and more everyday and I didn't know it was possible for me to love her more each day but I do. My heart is so full I didn't think it could get any bigger...but it does for her. She is my sweet princess and I adore her so much. I used to be sad when she was a newborn and I would think about her growing up, but everytime she does something new I swell with pride and it is so exciting! I can't wait to see what each day will bring. I can't imagine my life without her. Even though she is growing up so fast, I cherish each moment, and try to burn it into my memory so I can always remember my "baby girl."

Surgery Rescheduled!

Yesterday was a very eventful day. We went down to TCH (The Children's Hospital) for Kendall's pre-op appt. We had also gone down the previous day so I could donate the blood for her transfusion. We got there at 10:30 so they could draw her blood for testing and we had to see the nurse practitioner at 11:00. Kendall did so well with the blood draw, they had to get a vein in her arm rather than the easy heel poke. She had more of a problem with us holding her down than the needle in the arm! I was so proud of her. Unfortunately, her NS had a family emergency and had left for the airport RIGHT before we got there. I guess this is only the 2nd time in 15 years they've had to reschedule his surgeries, the last time was 10 years ago when his mother passed away, so it must be something horrible that happened. I wasn't angry, just SO upset. I started crying and Jane (the nurse) felt so bad, I told her it was just because waiting is SO hard, and I had gotten myself all prepared and "psyched up" for the big day. Shaun had also left that morning with my brother Ben to come down, he had taken 2 weeks off of work and is missing the opportunity for A TON of overtime pay for the 4th of July holiday. Shaun was halfway to my Mom's when we found out, so he just came the rest of the way. Her surgery has been rescheduled for July 26th at 2 p.m. I've made the decision just to stay down here with my Mom until then, travelling is just so stressful and EXPENSIVE, and my Step-Dad is in Iraq right now so my Mom could use the company. This will give Shaun the chance to work tons of overtime to try and bring in some extra money since I am not working. Yesterday wasn't a TOTAL bust. Shaun had gotten tickets to the Rockies/Mets game to try to keep our minds off of the surgery. So while we waited for him and my brother to get down there, my Mom, Kendall, and I went shopping in downtown Denver on 16th Street and ate at the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. Kendall had so much fun! The game was great and they had an AMAZING fireworks show afterwards. So today we are just going to relax and bbq. I bought Kendall a little swimming pool the other day and Daddy is going to take her in it later. I found a TINY bikini at Old Navy for her, it's so cute! I will make sure to take pics to post. I am also working on getting pics from the past few days posted, I'm just having some troubles for some reason, but we'll get it figured out. I will also try to take video of her in the pool and get it posted, it may take a bit though because it's quite the process getting it from the camera to the computer, editing it and then getting it uploaded to the internet. So, now we are back to WAITING, but that's okay, I'm a firm believer in things happen for a reason, who knows what it may be...but someone does.

Future Carb Lover!

So, last night Kendall and I took one of my girlfriends out for dinner. We were at Applebee's, and they didn't seat us in a booth, so I had to set Kendall's car seat in a chair, and they didn't bring us a sling to set her in. Needless to say she came out of the car seat for the party, I didn't want to leave her in there and have her go flipping off the chair. She's been surprising me so much lately, who knows what she can do! She sat on the table with my support while we ate our appetizer, trying to get in on the action she swiped at a couple of chips. Her little head was bobbling around as she tried to control it (she is getting so good!) and people couldn't help but smile at her. Well our food came so she got moved to a comfy position in my lap. I had a tasty bowl of pasta, and was chatting away when my bowl starts moving towards the edge of the table. Kendall had GRABBED a hold of the bowl and was pulling it! Luckily I have a quick reaction time or Kendall and I would have had Shrimp Pesto Fettucine Alfredo all over our laps! It was too funny, she's going to be just like me, a CARB LOVER!

Rolled Over!

Yes folks, you read that correctly. Kendall rolled over from her back to her tummy today! Mommy was SO shocked, and wasn't expecting it at all! She is very vocal now as well, cooing and gooing...especially in the morning. She can sit with assistance and her neck is getting so much stronger! I can't believe how fast she is growing up, it's blowing my mind! She enjoys watching her mobiles. We call them her "friends". Her favorite is the turtle on the mobile in her crib, she loves him! I think she's finally hit the 10 pound mark, yup she's a HUGE baby. (Please note the sarcasm) Heheehehe, she's our little peanut and we adore her cuteness! Well Lil' Miss is being a fussy pants right now so I must go tend to her demands. Have a great day everyone! Love, The Guardanapos

Kendall's First Blog!

Well everyone, welcome to Kendall's first blog! I am excited about getting this website up and running to keep you all updated. I have found a wealth of information on Craniosynostosis and have posted links to some great websites, please check them out. I was very excited to learn of the Jorge Posada Foundation. His son was born with Craniosynostosis as well. Kendall is doing very well. She sat in her BeBe Pod seat today at the dinner table. She is SO cute, I can hardly believe how much she has grown. She looks like such a big girl in her little chair and she is just so proud of herself when she is sitting like a big girl. I will have to post some pics of her sitting in it, it makes her look so small! Well, she is a small baby anyway, she is in the 10th percentile for weight, (which is crazy because she has quite the appetite!) Well I need to continue to upload photos and add links. Thanks for reading!