LIfe

Life has been busy these past few weeks.  We've celebrated a 60th bday...my 30th bday...Easter...and another lasering.  Needless to say my time to sit down and write has been a close nil to none.  I am hoping we are on a down swing now and I'll be able to write more.

Milestones.......A HUGE one has happened.  My girl has figured out her legs and is quite the walker now!

                         *This was the first time she had shoes on her feet while standing...what the heck??

Don't get me wrong, she still crawls but she for sure tries to walk to her destination first, usually before she gets the wobbles and lands hands first forward, and then she continues on.  Once she gets to the spot shes headed to, she pulls herself back up and walks around some more.

We spent some extended time down at MeMe and PaPas where we thoroughly enjoyed our self!

And Easter came and went.  This was of course her second Easter but its really even hard to think she had a first one when she spent that one in the hospital.

And then we had our second lasering.  We have had some insurance drama this go around so needless to say Mommas been a bit stressed more than usual but this time everything went smoothly and she came out just fine.  Hopefully, fingers crossed, this was the last one and next time we visit the hospital it will be for the removal. 

                          *This was pre-op...Hangin with daddy

                        *Finally getting some food down around 9am

                              *Poor thing was really out of it this time.  Took her a bit longer to bounce back.

      *Poor girls "bump" looks like it could walk off her face by itself its so big....and the purple is the Anesthesiologist's writing.


I was also given the opportunity to go back with her while they put her under.  I wanted to go mostly because I am curious as to how things work behind closed doors and if I can see some of the things that went on with her while she was in the NICU, I was pretty sure I could handle watching a mask be placed over her face and watching her fall to sleep.  I'm glad I did it.  I wanted to be with her while she fell asleep and if given the chance to go back with her again, I want her daddy to go so he can see what it is like. 


So basically in all the commotion that has gone on with trying to make sure she gets this second lasering performed, I am once again reminded that God is in control.  I know He is but every now and then you need a little reminding.  I got a call a week before her appointment informing us that insurance was not covering ANY of the lasering and in order for her to get it done, we either had to appeal, which meant canceling her appointment, or putting down a crazy amount of money for a deposit.  I was sad instantly b/c all I want is to have this removed from her face as quickly as possible. The younger the better for her.  Here I go thinking, well, I guess she'll never get this thing off. (That's how I respond to certain situations...I instantly think the worst and become sad and down)

Of course, it was to be that she get her lasering done.  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."   Proverbs 3:5-6

All in God's time...everything is in God's time...This has been proven to us time and time again.

Almost

My girl is ALMOST there!  She is almost walking on her own.  Yesterday I got her to take a couple steps before she plopped down on her butt and today I got her to take 4 steps before she plopped down.  She is so close and I can tell mentally she is so ready, she is still working on perfecting her balance and taking the actual steps.  She still likes to curl her little toes up...so precious.

She gets so excited when she takes a few steps on her own.  Is this really cheesy of me or what?  But the first few steps yesterday and today brought tears to my eyes.  I have gotten excited about her accomplishing other things but I haven't felt this emotion with those things.  My girl has climbed mountains to get to this point.  Mountains she certainly won't remember but they are mountains we will remember and they are mountains none the less.  Around this time last year I felt like she was NEVER getting out of that hospital and now look at her...such a fighter and a determined little thing at that.  She wasn't going to let being born 11 weeks early keep her from doing anything any other baby her age was doing!

                          *Watching her daily installment of Yo Gabba Gabba

                               *Waving at Daddy in the kitchen

She loves doing the airplane game!!!

While out running yesterday, Jim had her in the jogging stroller and I was running behind, like usual.  Towards the end of the run we ended up running right into the sun so he had to turn the stroller around so she was facing me and he kept running.  A lady came up behind me from nowhere, no big surprise because I am not the fastest runner, and said "She's gotta make sure she sees you right?!" I laughed and explained in a minute or so I would be left in the dust because Jim runs so much faster than I do and she wouldn't be able to see me.  She then asked me how old she was, I told her 13 months and she replied, "The same age as my little girl" She then told me her little girls birthday, it was the end of February and I told her K was born March 1st.  She then said she had hoped she would have been born on another day (she told me the day, can't remember it) because the numbers would have worked out to be a cool birthday.  "Didn't happen that way" she says.  Which of course sparks it in me to say "Well, my girl was due May 17th and she came March 1st so it didn't happen the way I wanted it to with her either. "Oh my goodness" she says. She then asked all the usual questions other people ask when they find out she's a preemie.  Is she OK now? Is she still itty bitty? How much did she weigh?  I told her she was great, she was 21 lbs, which she remarked "She's bigger than my girl" and I told her she was 2 lbs 7 oz when she was born.  "Oh my goodness" she says "what a blessing.  She is such a blessing."  Of course I know this already but it really made me think.  There's a reason she was born so early (He uses the tough stuff in life to bring us closer to Him), there's a reason God let her survive.  Maybe He's got big plans for my girl.  Who knows.  But what I do know is that my preemie is the biggest blessing of my life and I don't know what kind of person I would be today without her. She is such a HUGE blessing..."For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope"  ~Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV    I thank my God for giving her and me a future and hope....and I thank my God every day for this blessing named Kenley Schuyler...

Busy Busy Busy

Needless to say I haven't been able to get on here much these past couple weeks because life has been a bit hectic.  Between doctors appointments, planning parties, work craziness and a husband that just turned 40...life has been in a constant stream of go go go.  Not that I'm really complaining because always having something to do is a good thing but in my down time aka...when K is napping or after she goes to bed at night...I haven't had time to write any.

I'll start with her doctors appointment last Thursday.  We had our follow up for her laser treatment at UNC and her doctor wants her to come in for another one at the end of April.  Which so happens to be the exact same day her appointment at the Developmental Clinic in Wilmingon was so that had to be rescheduled.  They only do lasering once every 6 or 8 weeks so we can't miss out on an opportunity to get it done.  Then he said after that lasering he probably wanted to go ahead and schedule to have it removed, somewhere in the late summer early fall.  So we are getting there...just have to go through another day of grumpiness with her from being sedated and probably a little sore in that area on her face, then we won't have anymore of those to deal with.

So then this past weekend, Jim turned 40 and my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.  Crazy as it but my mom and dad were married the EXACT same day and year that Jim was born.  So we decided to throw a 2 in 1 surprise party!  With the help of family friends (and they really did the bulk of it) we pulled off a party for both my parents and Jim.  Jim thought it was a party for my parents and my parents thought it was a party for Jim!

For any of you that know Jim, you know that this is his drink of choice,  well shot of choice is more like it.  I think this stuff runs pretty thick through his veins.  But isn't that the most awesome cake!  The detail on it was incredible!!!

        I have NO clue what is going on with my hair on my forehead!!


This weekend was just all about surprises.  Jims mom and her husband Terry flew in to celebrate Jim's bday with him.  It was supposed to be a surprise but he figured out a day or so before that they were going to be in town.  One thing lead to another and he just figured it out on his own.  So he wasn't surprised about their visit but we still got him with the party!

This was also only the second time Vicki had gotten to see Kenley.  She saw her in July of last year but she is a completly different baby now.  It's tough when you live 3,000 miles away!  You don't get to visit as often as you'd like.  Kenley went right to her and Terry and enjoyed every minute with them!

We also had my Grandma, dads mom, and his brother and his wife fly down for the party and completly surprise us all!!!

Overall, it was a Great weekend!  And KK agrees!!