Welcome Kasey!

Kasey Joann Reaves arrived Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 8:14pm. She weighed 8lbs; 2 oz. She was 20 inches long. "Kasey" comes from my mom's maiden name "Kasemeyer" and "Joann" is Sean's mom's middle name.

I won't be able to upload better pics until we get home (I'm using Sean's laptop from work and don't want to install my Kodak software on it!) But hopefully this one I copied from facebook will work!

We are both doing very well. Looking forward to big sister Caeleigh's visit after lunch. :)

Caeleigh's Birthday

Happy 8th Birthday Caeleigh!!

On March 6, 2001 I was lying in bed (on bed rest with high blood pressure) for like the 5th week. I hadn’t felt right all day. I started counting contractions around 2 or 3pm that afternoon. Sometime around 4pm I started to get up to freshen up (the wives from Sean’s old workplace were having a shower for me that evening)and I thought I had “peed” my pants…just a bit. In fact everytime I would stand up from sitting I had that feeling. Around 6pm I started getting these knife-stabbing pains in my stomach (apparently those were contractions and my water had actually broken). I called Sean…he was at Kmart getting a basketball pump (the men from his job were going to play ball at Hinkle Fieldhouse). I called my doctor and she wanted me to go straight to St. Vincent’s. So Sean came home and we left.

Triage confirmed my water had broken and put me in a Labor/Delivery Room. I got my pain meds, an epidural, started pushing around 11pm and Caeleigh was born on a Tuesday, March 7, 2001 at 1:57AM. THREE hours of pushing...UGH!! And they had to vacuum her out! That was eight years ago…I can’t believe I remember it!

So my baby girl is now 8…and she’s about to be a big sister!

We had a fabulous birthday party. Caeleigh chose a Barbie Ballerina package for invitations, gift bags, and her cake.




Caeleigh invited 3 “old” friends and 3 “new” friends from her new school. Everyone actually got along. They were just LOUD! Fortunately, we had 76 degree weather (a rarity for Indiana the first week of March). So mom and I got the bubbles, soccer ball, jump ropes, etc. out and got them to play Red Light/Green Light. It was nice to enjoy the wonderful weather!

Nana (my mom) came to help me with the party. It was nice to have the help. Caeleigh was glad to have Nana’s attention. I think she realized that it might be her LAST time by herself with Nana. I was exhausted so Nana and Caeleigh went to mass, then to Bob Evans for dinner and ran some errands at Wal-Mart. They had a nice “date.”

Opening Nana’s presents.

Sunday, Sean’s mom, grandma, aunt, and cousin (with her hubby and son) came over to share in Caeleigh’s birthday. Grandma Shirley brought a pink/purple Ice Cream cake from Dairy Queen with “princess things” on it…Caeleigh loved it…but didn’t eat it. She would have rather had the St. Pat’s mini chocolate cupcakes Grandma Shirley also brought! It was great to see Brooke, Brad and Wes again. It was also nice to see Aunt Ruby and Grandmas Bonnie/Shirley!

The Ice Cream Cake and Daddy (being goofy!)

Caeleigh and Baby Wes….yes, she still sucks her thumb (we’re working on it!)

Caeleigh with some of her new DS games.

All in all, we had a fabulous weekend and I hope Caeleigh enjoyed it too!!
Now, I just need to wait on this baby to come. It will probably be 3 March birthdays in a row because Sean’s is March 23 … and I guess the baby will be somewhere in between him and Caeleigh!


I'll update after my appt. on Thursday morning!

XOXO,
Sarah

36 Weeks

This morning I went to work for about 45 minutes, then I took off for my 36 week check-up. My blood pressure was a little high (141/92) and my doctor decided to run labs and do a non-stress test. So, I have some markers for preeclampsia and she ordered me to bedrest. I am able to get up for the bathroom, fix a sandwich, and take a shower (quick one...good-bye clean shaven legs!). That's it...no laundry, no chores, no nothing!

I go back again on Thursday for another check-up after a non-stress test. My doctor is then going to decide when this baby is coming. She said she will not let me go past 38 weeks, which is Thursday, March 19. So the bedrest thing won't last much over a week at most.

I'll keep you posted. Tomorrow I plan to do a post about Caeleigh's birthday weekend. We had a really good time. She was so excited about her new DS games (Barbie Fashion Designer; Imagine Wedding Designer, Imagine Babysitter, and Ener G Gym Rockets) and some Littlest Pet Shop toys. Nana came up to help with the party and had a sleepover with her. Then on Sunday Sean's mom, aunt, cousin and her family came over for a small family gathering. A very nice weekend, though I was wiped out! More details tomorrow!

XOXO,
Sarah

Photos of Baby Shower (Better late than Never!)

The Cake

The Balloons

Caeleigh helping me open gifts!

Caeleigh putting a bow on Cousin Wesley's head!

Caeleigh, Cousin Wes, and Grandma Shirley

That's all for now....I'm not very good at downloading pics on here! Hope you enjoyed them!

XOXO,

Sarah

Well, You'll Never Believe This...

I'm nearing back to 90%+ (don't think I'll ever be 100% since I am 36 weeks (measuring 38 weeks pregg0)....but Caeleigh threw up this morning before going to school.....LOVELY!

So Sean could not get out of here fast enough (after he cleaned up Caeleigh's mess first though! He such good guy!) Poor guy....he is so stressed and probably so tired of taking care of me and now her! I need some good ideas to get this guy on a vacation or something!! (After baby of course...feel the need to stress him to the max first!) He wants to buy a used road bike (for cycling)....I think I'll have to cave and not complain about it...at least it will get him out of the house! He deserves it!

That's it for now....hopefully no more news is good news for the next few days. :)

XOXO,
Sarah

Another Trip to Clarian North

Where do I begin? Tuesday (3-3-09)….Sean’s lucky number is 3 and 3 is the square root of 9….so I thought it would be a lucky day….Not necessarily a lucky day to have a baby, but just a lucky day to stop throwing up and having (as Sean would say) the Big D. Sorry folks….no way to sugar coat it. I have been SICK, SICK, SICK.

Okay, let's back up…came home Sunday night from the hospital for treatment of dehydration and meds to stop contractions. Woke up Monday, went to a Dr. Checkup and ultrasound…baby weighs about 7lb; 7oz; my doc had no concerns except to rest and keep food and solids down. Went home and felt OK…later that evening started throwing up AGAIN, Big D AGAIN, and feeling weak.

I was up about every 30 minutes -90 minutes throughout Monday night. Sean left for work. I got sick about 7:15 and started timing contractions. This time they were about 4-5 minutes apart. I called the doctor when they opened at 8. It took them over an hour to call me back to tell me to go back to the hospital. Ugh…little frustration.

Got to the hospital around 10am…4-5 car pileup on Interstate 74 (our link to 465 to get to Clarian North)…so 56th street was also backed up…needless to say a longer trip than normal.
The triage nurse remembered me from the weekend and knew the docs weren’t going to stop contractions with medicine anymore, so she arranged for me to be in a more comfy Labor and Delivery Room (LDR). They started more IV fluids…the contractions slowed down to 5-8 minutes apart, I ate some mashed potatoes, 3 bags of fluids later (about 4pm) decided to send me home because I had only dilated from 1cm to 2cm. Doc sent me home with the drug that docs give chemo patients when nauseated and order to stay hydrated. (Easier said than done.)

Last night I was able to get much more sleep. I feel better today. Still weak, but think I’m able to tolerate bland food better. The hot tea was good. Not put on “bedrest” yet…they say to go back to work when I feel I can tolerate it, so I’m just burning up sick days I was saving for maternity leave, but oh well….life goes on. I’m going to stay home again on Thursday…we’ll see about Friday. My mom is coming back to town on Friday to help with Caeleigh's 8th Birthday Party on Saturday.

Many thanks to all those thoughts, prayers, meal offers/deliveries/ etc. I am so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. I love you all.

And many of you are probably wondering…No there is still not a definite name for this little bean yet!

Also, I do want to clarify....I want this baby to stay in as LONG as possible. I'm not wishing the labor to progress along any faster. I just want to stop being SICK!!! Even though baby is doing well and still moving, great heartrate, and is big enough, I want her to come when she (and God) are ready for her to come. (And they may be ready before this household is...lol!!)

A Weekend Worthy of Some Updates

Saturday was a busy day. Caeleigh had her First Communion Retreat from 9am-12pm; then a little dress shopping for First Communion; then I took her to her Grandma Shirley's to spend the night. I went home and took a little nap and then went to Mass. During Mass I just did not feel "right." I was having some contractions, which was normal, but just felt "icky." I probably overdid it!

Sean and I had plans to go out to eat, but on my way home from Mass I called him and said I would just grab something and stay home. I ate a few chicken nuggets and some french fries, felt a little better, but then the contractions started to come harder and more frequent (about 10 minutes)...well I'm supposed to call if I have 6 contractions in an hour...so I did and Dr. Murphy was covering for my doctor. She said to come on in.

Sean and I left the house around 7:15 and were to Clarian North pretty quickly. After a quick assessment they decided to give me a dose of Terbutiline (sp?) to relax the uterus and stop contracting. They also started an IV bag to help rehydrate me. The nurse gave me the first dose of a lung steroid for the baby's lung development. I would need another 12 hours later. Since I had not been tested for BetaStrep (whatever that is...was going to happen at my regular checkup this AM) they also gave me antibiotics. Started feeling better, then vomited. But the contractions were slowed way down, so about 12:00 midnight I was discharged home.

Sunday morning we had to go back for the 2nd dose of the lung steroid medicine. I woke up fine, showered, but was very nauseated. While in the car (about 9am), started having contractions about 5 minutes apart in the ride to the hospital. So they admitted me for more Terbutiline (ended up having 4 doses totalon Sunday); the 2nd lung shot; and 2 and 1/2 bags of IV fluid. I was finally released around 5:15pm. In that time, my parents came up from Illinois and my sister came over to help out. Sean's mom kept Caeleigh all day on Sunday and brought her home around 6pm.

So Monday...Maggie spent the night and was able to take Caeleigh to school at 7:15; Sean had to get to work to wrap a few things up; and my parents took me to a previously scheduled ultrasound at 8:00am with a regularly scheduled checkup at 8:50. The ultrasound went well. Dr. Denman wanted to get measurements since I was measuring big last week. I am measuring 38 weeks (though at 35); and baby weighs about 7lbs; 7oz. WOW!! So since she's had the two lung shots, the doctor said they will not stop any further contractions.

So I got home, ate some oatmeal, had some Sprite and took a nap. When I woke up my parents had cleaned the garage, put the bouncer together, put the baby swing together, and finished organizing the baby's room. Unbelievable! They are awesome. I was feeling okay until about 1:30 and the stomach bug symptoms came back. I haven't been able to keep anything down. As I type I've had about 5 contractions every hour...so I have started writing them down to keep better track. When it's 6 an hour, I go back.

Check Sean's blog (www.reavo.blogspot.com) for further updates if we are headed to the hospital.