Just the Two of Us

Five days till Induction Day! 

Today was the last day I had just to spend with Ryleigh before Reese is born, so I kept her home from school and planned to do activities with her that she loves. We started the morning by eating breakfast o while watching Full House. 

Next we got dressed and went to the nail salon for mani/pedis. 

She got "zebra stripes" on her fingers and toes. 

We went to her favorite place, What-a-Burger aka "Whog-a-Burgers", for lunch then Marble Slab for sherbet. Before heading home we went to the car wash. She loves going inside and playing while they clean the inside. It ended up working out for me because I couldn't remember the last time I'd washed my car. 

When we got home did some arts and crafts then practiced writing her name and letters.

Then we ended the day by playing in the backyard blowing bubbles, playing with chalk and swinging on the swing set. 

I have to be at hospital tomorrow morning for surgery so she's staying with my parents tonight so my mom can take her to school in the morning. I can't believe how close I am to having a normal life again. I'm looking forward for all my kidney problems to be over and not having surgeries all the time!

Siblings Camp

Saturday Gramz helped me take Ryleigh to the "Siblings Camp" I'd signed Ryleigh up for back in February. It's call the "Teddy Bear Camp" but they could bring any stuffed animal or doll they wanted to the class. Ryleigh chose to bring her Minnie Mouse. 

She was really excited about going to the "camp" as she called it. When my mom got to our house that morning Ryleigh said, "We're going on a campout!" We tried to explain to her that we weren't actually camping out but maybe this summer she could out at Gramz and Papa's. 

Even though we weren't really camping out they had a tent in the room for decorations along with sleeping bags and lanterns for the kids to play with before the class started.

In the class they read a book about bringing a new baby home, showed the kids what the baby looks like at the different stages of gestation, decorated a door hanger and then took them on a tour of where mommy and baby would be staying.

When the nurse told the kids to come sit on the sleeping bags for story time Ryleigh jumped up and made sure she was in front! She loves story time.

Here the kids are learning how to hold the baby by using their dolls or animals they brought.

After a quick snack they made door hangers for the baby's rooms using Dot Art. Ryleigh has this and LOVES it! 

Afterwards the nurses took the kids and parents on a tour. Since I'm on bed rest and was using a wheelchair to get around I waited in the classroom while Gramz and Ryleigh went on the tour. 

They took them to a Labor and Delivery room, Antepartum room and a Postpartum room. While on the tour my Gramz and Ryleigh ran into one of the nurses we know very well now. They took them to one of the Antepartum rooms I've stayed in. When they walked it my mom said Ryleigh said, "I've been in here before!" and went over to the couch and made herself at home. 

Before the tour one of the nurses showed the kids a bottle of sanitizer and told them to always wash their hands before touching the baby and when going into a room. On the tour the nurse asked the kids what they were supposed to do first and of course Ryleigh was the first to say, "Wash your hands!" Got to love how well she listens. 

Even though I've spent every other weekend being in the hospital and I know Ryleigh is familiar with the place I wanted her to be able to do something fun for her. She's been asking to go back to the camp since we got home. 

Here is the door hanger she made and the shirt she got. She also got a backpack full of coloring pages and fun stuff to do while waiting for the baby to be born.

36 Weeks

Today I'm 36 weeks and two days. Only 8 more days! 

Since my body is use to the pain meds and they aren't helping with the pain I haven't taken anything for pain for over a week now. I was doing ok till Friday. My stint that's calcified inside me is really starting to bother me again and both my kidneys are giving me a run for my money. Along with that I think she dropped this weekend which is putting more pressure on my bladder and everything down there. I also think my body is going through withdraws from the meds because every once in a while I just feel awful! 

I go to the doctor today. I can really tell that my tummy had grown a lot this past week. All my shirts use to be much longer! 

I'll have surgery on Friday, Lung test next Monday then Induced next Tuesday!

 Friday Ryleigh slept till 9:00 so I asked her if she wanted to stay home with Mommy and she did! I've only got a few days left with it just being her so I thought I'd take advantage of it. 

She LOVES to help cook and I was craving some chocolate cake so since we had a box in the pantry we decided to make one. 

She loves to lick the bowl after I've poured the mix into the pans. Here she is getting a good lick on the beaters. She also licked the spoon from the bowl. I thought she was done so I was about to wash it when she said "Don't do that there's still stuff in there silly!" That girl sure loves her chocolate!

I plan on keep her home on Thursday too. Since Friday is my surgery and Monday is my test this will be the last day just the two of us and hangout and play all day. 

Two Weeks To Go!

Yesterday I went to my weekly OB check up and also got a sonogram to see how big Reese is getting. According to the measurements she about 6lbs 4oz and is 18 inches long. This is just a guess though the sonographer said. She's head down and ready to come out!

Monday, April 23 they will be testing her lungs. If they look good then on Tuesday, April 24 I'll be induced! My doctor is pretty confident that her lungs will be good since I had to have steroid shots a few weeks ago and by looking at how well she's progressing on the sonogram. 

I'll have one more surgery on April 20th before she's born then a week or so after she's born I'll be having surgery for the last time (hopefully) to remove the calcified stint in my kidney and bladder, removing the nephrostomy bag, any stones and possibly part of my left kidney(s). (That kidney tried to make two when I was developing as a baby.)

The end is almost here! We're all packed and ready to head to the hospital!

Opening Day for the Texas Rangers

Friday, April 6th was Opening Day for the Rangers! Every year Brandon and his Dad ask for tickets for their birthdays. His Dad wasn't able to get off work this year so Shannon went with him. They had a blast! It was beautiful weather and the Rangers won!

While they were at the Rangers game I was having the tube on my Nephrostomy Bag changed out again. Surgery went a lot better this time. The OR nurse was the one I liked. She made sure no one touched me till I got some pain meds. It hurts like the dickens when they take off my bandage and clean it off before surgery. Even though it hurt it was easier to go through when the people working on you care. 

After surgery I was admitted and got some more pain meds. I woke up 2:00 and watched the rest of the Rangers game. Next year Brandon's Dad and I are planning on joining Brandon and Shannon for Opening Day! 

2012 Easter

 Ryleigh had fun this past weekend dying Easter Eggs. She made glitter eggs and neon eggs with stickers.

Look what the Easter Bunny left for Ryleigh!

Ryleigh and her Easter basket from Gramz and Papa. It was FULL of Hello Kitty stuff. Her favorite thing was the drinking straw glasses. She wears them like glasses but puts one end in her mouth and the other in her drink. She got the biggest kick out of it. It was a little messier than we thought it would be so that gift stayed at Gramz and Papa's house. 

Since it was raining outside we did the Easter Egg Hunt inside.

There were many eggs with quarters in them. 

When we got home that afternoon she had fun playing with her basket of goodies from the Easter Bunny. After she had taken all the presents out of the basket I took it to put away for next year. Ryleigh said, "Are you going to give that back to the Easter Bunny?" Does she remember I used the same basket from last year? Too smart!

Relaxing, Flowers and Storm

This post is a combination of things I wanted to remember.

Since I've been in and out of the hospital Ryleigh has been spending more time out at Gramz and Papa's. They've been helping us get her to school and keeping her at their house when I've been admitted for a few days.

Here's a picture of her and Papa relaxing in the hammock on a nice Sunday afternoon in March.

While I was in the hospital, just before my shower, Ryleigh brought these pretty flowers. 

While we were watching the storms last week Ryleigh played with the Hello Kitty jewelry kit she got as a big sister present at the shower. She made lots of little bracelets then hooked them all together to make one really long necklace!

Since Friday was "Good Friday" Ryleigh's school was closed. So she came up to the hospital with Gramz while I had my surgery. Here's a photo of her in my room waiting for me to get out of surgery. She is half of the shelf and half on the couch. What a silly girl!

This past Saturday morning while was in the hospital, yet again recovering from surgery, Ryleigh has her morning tea in the country on the back porch. 

When Gramz texted it to me it was titled "Morning country tea with the Queen"

Last Family Photos as a Family of Three!