One week & surviving...

Well, we've all survived the first week (and a few days) of MUCH different sleep patterns, big sister excitement and baby-face-fascination, lots of diaper changes and for me in particular, the lack of mobility while healing.
I think the reason we have all done so well is in large part due to the love, support and help of our family! Between Grammy Barb and Poppa Tim taking grace off our hands for the days at the hospital, Gramma Carol staying for the first week to help with ALL the little household chores/meals/late night wake-up calls and Grace's abundance of energy (not to mention outfit changes...), Grandpa Mark basically slaving away for 2.5 days to help Chuck get a back deck built and Grandpa Tom & Grandma Cheryl coming over with fresh cukes and surprise special yellow pancakes -- we couldn't have managed without all of you!!!
Kellan's one week check went very well...only 1.5 ounces off birth weight...so he's already growing VERY quickly. He has another appointment later this week, so we'll get to see how the trend is continuing.
Otherwise...all seems to be going well - we've enjoyed the visitors we've had, appreciate all the well wishes and look forward to having more of you meet our growing family!

Welcome Kellan!

At 8:17am on Thursday, August 20th (right on schedule...and boy, does the planner in Mom LOVE that!) Kellan Mason joined the DeMeerleer family.

Thankfully the night before Grace went and stayed with Grammy and Poppa Tim so Chuck and I were able to get some extra sleep (knowing full well it would be the last night we might get a full-plate of sleep). But then it was up early and into the hospital since we were the first surgery/procedure of the day. Things seemed to be going well...it was all so much more relaxed and laidback than we remembered from the first time with Grace...until they were about to get started.

Abbie had been given her spinal and the surgery team was just waiting for things to get set, but unfortunately the never "set." Thank God for checking! Sure enough...the spinal never totally set-up, so they had to give me another "dose," wait for that to set and then were able to actually do the surgery. It was un-nerving, for sure, but thank goodness for my wonderful rock of a husband (who was also pretty worried, but put on a strong face to help me stay calm) and the Dr. Hall who kept me talking about Cougar sports so I wouldn't realize the time that was passing. :-)

Kellan came out hollaring, measured in at 8 pounds even, 20 1/2 inches long and perfect in everyway! Because I had my double-dose of numb-drugs...I took quite a bit longer in recovery and even once I got to go back to my room - couldn't feel/move my legs until almost 6pm that night.

Grace was on-hand to be one of the first to meet Kellan (in her "BIG SISTER" tshirt) and was immediately protective of him -- told the grandparents "No! He's my baby brother...you can't look at him!"

We survived the first night, and even got a total of about 5.5 hours sleep, and then prepared ourselves for visitors. We had some great family and friends come by and see our new little man...and then about 3pm...a setback. All the sudden I couldn't really get a breath of air and my right shoulder felt like someone was jabbing a knife into it. Not sure if it was an air bubble that had migrated post-surgery or possibly a blood clot - and not willing to take any chances - Kellan had to hang with the nurses while they took me for an emergency CT to check my lungs for any clots or embolisms. An hour later, we got the all-clear, but the pain hadn't subsided and was pretty awful. We got through the night...not pleasant, but survived. I'm pretty sure Dad and Kellan got almost a full night's sleep, but I certainly didn't...totally not fair!

This morning I got a FANTASTIC hot shower, which did help the shoulder ache and made me feel like a new person, got up a moving a bit more and the pain is down to a dull ache. Kellan is still doing very well and if all continues on the up-swing...hopefully this evening we'll get to go home.

I've added a picture slideshow of Kellan (on the right-hand bar) and here's a couple of those same shots for teasers!

Thanks so much to all our family and friends for the well-wishes and we look forward to having you meet Kellan in the near future!

reunion videos

Enjoying Grandpa's cover of Sweet Home Alabama!

There's quite a bit of musical talent in the fam...and I was shocked when they actually had a full stage set-up!

Two weeks to go...

So only two weeks left and Kellan will be here! in the past month since the last post (my bad!) we've done a lot of staying home in our cool home (God bless central air!) and we did take one big trip over to the Westside for the DeMeerleer-Aarhaus-Fuller family reunion.

The drive over took forever and then some...we hit a bunch of traffic back-ups from Hwy 18 on...and by the time we arrived -- well, it was a good thing we were out of the RAV! But then it was a nice weekend of seeing close family (sibs/nieces/nephews), family we don't see often enough and meeting family that we hasn't seen before (or maybe once...). Chuck got to conenct with some cousins and family and I had a nice time trying to stay cool and getting to hear stories about the family and learn more about who/where they are from.

Grace had a BLAST playing with her cousins - all of whom were there and mobile! I think they all had fun playing in the dirt too! :-)

The trip home was much less torturous (thankfully) and we've been getting the room/house/ourselves ready for Kellan's arrival. We've been hitting yard sales and cleaning like crazy...funny thing it's almost been more "nesting" on Chuck's part than mine! LOL!!

Well...here's some pics from the reunion - more in the slideshow on the right - and definitely updates to come as D-day approaches and especially once Kellan is here!

The camp set-up. A cousin's lunch in the shade.

The musical stylings of the fam. Grace & Caleb - friends and cousins!

Riding with Grandpa on the big machines!