Books. 

I have been waiting for my “You are the mother of all mothers” books to come, and they are finally here! 

When Kenley died, this book was included in the care pack from the amazing women on my board. I read it every day for about 4 months. I now purchased a special memorial spot for Kenley in the back of this edition: 

Each book has her name in the back and it makes me so happy to be able to donate these to the hospital. I know that when I first read it, it was hard. But, I needed to hear it, it helped me eventually. I truly hope that these books make a difference in the hands of those which they are placed. 

If you’re interested in reading what is inside the book, click here. But…have the tissues ready because holy tear jerker. 

One step closer to having the bags complete. I need to place a giant Amazon order for the rest of the items. Maybe that will happen tonight? 

Shane and I are sick as dogs (can someone explain to me why people say this?) currently and we’re laying around doing nothing. He keeps getting a fever and shivers uncontrollably until his medicine kicks in, and I’m burning hot while coughing my face off which gives me a. A sty headache. Needless to say, last nights sleep was the worst. It’s viral per the doctor today…but seems a little weird to only be viral. 

Tylenol and Mucinex for me; Motrin and Mucinex for him. 

I hate getting sick! There is so much I need to do around the house but instead I’m laying in bed. 

Must. Get. Up. And. Do. Something. 

Maybe I can find the strength to throw some laundry in or something. Uggggh. 

Thursday.

Tomorrow we have our repeat ultrasound in hopes to get the photos the tech needs to say that things look good for Baby A. I’m pretty interested in seeing what photos the tech needed.

After the appointment, we are taking Landon to my mother in laws and we are having a date night!

I can’t wait. I need a good relaxing date night.
fantastic-beasts-where-find-them-movie-poster

progress.

First, a huge thank you to everyone who has sent me a photo of Kenley’s name! I am in love with them, and just seeing her name makes me feel all warm inside, along with a bit of sadness- I won’t lie. Her name is so beautiful, it’s like music to my ears so every time I see it, I say it out loud. So thank you everyone 🙂

From my sister 🙂


The past few days I’ve been silent just because I have been feeling weird. I feel like the holidays are approaching so fast, and I just want them to stop coming. I know that’s not possible so I’m trying my hardest to relax when I’m around xmas things.

I’m trying to focus on the positive in my life. It’s fucking hard…Im not gonna lie.

woosah

Yep pretty much this pic is how I’ve been trying to keep my mental state, but it’s just a big joke because nothing is ever easy. Landon has been sick for the past week. He’s had a little cold, but that triggered his weird ass asthma which triggers his nasty coughing fits at all hours of the day and night. All last week I kept track of how many times he coughed at night, and when I had to go into his room and give him his inhaler because he was really struggling. I even took him to the childrens urgent care on friday night because the entire family needed to get some sleep- we needed relief.

They gave him a 4 day prescription of a steroid and told me to use his inhaler every 4 hrs for a full 24 hrs to see if it helped. It did help, but I still made him an appointment to see his pediatrician tomorrow. We have to do something because this kid has had coughing fits since the day he was born, I swear it. I often tell people that I’ve felt like I’ve had a newborn for the past 5 years because he keeps us all awake at night coughing. I have a baby monitor in his room still (his room is at the other end of the house) because I know that he coughs so hard he will puke sometimes. I gotta be able to hear that at 2am…

So, tomorrow is the appointment and I really hope that we are able to come up with a plan to combat whatever the hell is going on. I often wonder if it’s because he was born at 35 weeks…

••••••••••

Today was a really good mail day for me. 3 packages! I couldn’t even remember what they would possibly be, but when I opened them I cried (of course).

The first were my fox leggings from Fabulegs! I love them and they are so soft!
s-l300

The second package was from a friend named Christine. She is just amazing and has been nothing but my guardian angel this entire process. Hell, she’s been here from like the VERY beginning after I met her on TTCAL (from the Bump before the great exit!) and she has just continuously been amazing to me. Anyway, she sent me another package today. Inside were the most beautiful ornaments for my Christmas tree. They are perfect. I love them SO much. She was also so kind to include a 3d puppet of a dinosaur for Landon; He is in love.

And finally is from a sweet lady from my BMB (j16) who has kept in touch with me throughout this whole process. She had PM’ed me on the board a few days ago asking if I would like something that she found in her house that she forgot about- A pink carters fox security blanket. My heart melted. I never thought I would see the pink fox again in real life. Well, it (along with a starbucks gift card, nail polish, and a dinosaur puzzle for Landon) arrived today, and I lost my shit. I cried so hard.

These women…I mean like seriously? They, STILL, after all this time are thinking of Kenley (and Landon!). Our BMB was really close, because there were only about 10-15 of us who posted regularly. It broke my heart to no longer be a part of that board. I consider those types of losses as secondary losses to the loss of Kenley. I had so much love for those ladies, and now? I cannot hear about their lives and their babies. All of their babies survived, and mine didn’t. Their babies are Kenley’s age…I can’t hear about them. They’re all getting ready for their first birthday parties…not me. Sigh.

••••••••••

Christine (the friend mentioned above) told me she wanted to help with the bags I’m going to donate, so she purchased body lotions for them. I am so in love with the lotions because I feel like they’re going to be used and the mommas will be thankful for them. I also decided on the candles with Lisa from Aggies on Main. I can’t wait for them to get here so I can share them with you. She donated these out of the kindness of her heart, so I am thankful for her generosity. It is going to make a huge difference for the women who receive them, not immediately…but one day. One day when they feel strong enough to light their candle in memory of their child they will be thankful to her as well.

I purchased all the “You are the mother of all mothers” books today! I had a gift card that the women on the board sent included in Kenley’s “care package” and I had been saving it for this reason. It felt good to use that today for a good cause. So, if any of you are reading, thank you for helping with this project too!

I’m sitting on Amazon right now deciding what other things to purchase and put in there. I am looking for chapstick, journals +pens, and one more book that I found helpful. I want to order 20, but amazon has 1 in stock, and it says “more are on the way”…well that’s not helpful. I think that I’ll probably have to order their last one for them to get more in stock. Whatever! I can’t believe that this is coming together so quickly. I suppose I need to order bags, stickers, and let the Hospital in on my grand plan…but ugh. That all just seems too heavy right now.

One step at a time.

••••••••••Pregnancy talk below••••••••••

I went to the mall today by myself to just relax and spend a little money on random crap because I’ve been feeling stressed out. I bought a few things for me, and then ended up at Old Navy and bought Baby A 4 outfits. What is happening here? She doesn’t need anything, AT ALL. I hope this is how I’m trying to bond with her? It’s becoming easier for me to look at the baby things, and picture a baby in them. I still however can’t imagine having her here. I still don’t believe that we will be able to bring her home from the hospital. It’s scary. Deep down I know that my undiagnosed blood clotting disorder was the cause of Kenley’s death- I know this. It’s just super hard to think anything good could happen to us after what happened last year. 

We also went to babies R us tonight and looked at the travel system we are interested in buying for her. We are thinking about getting something super gender neutral beaucse we have two male embryos on ice waiting to possibly be implanted someday. We’ll see. I don’t know how much more my body can take after this…physically, mentally, emotionally…all of it. It’s just becoming WAY too much. 

First Birthday Request.

 

Kenley’s first birthday -December 29th- is just a few weeks away. I can’t believe I should have a child in my arms who would be possibly walking, jabbering, or causing chaos in our lives every day. I can’t believe that she isn’t here. It breaks my heart every day that I wake up and I’m alive, and she is not.

For Kenley’s first birthday, I’m asking for help from anyone who reads this, follows me on IG, or knows me any other way.

I’m asking you to write my daughters name. Write her name, anyway you would like to, and send me a picture. I want to take all of the photos that we receive and make a collage to put in my bedroom so I can make a wall dedicated to her. 

I’ve had a few people send me photos already, and I love them! Be as creative as you want, I welcome the diversity of the photos! If you send them, please include who you are and how you know us. I’m assuming I will know most people, but I guess you never know.

If you want to participate in this, I have set up a specific e-mail account for photos to be sent to, you can DM it to me on IG, or you can text them to me if you know my number- I’m fine with whatever.

My goal is to have all of the photos by the middle of December so I can have her collage done by her first birthday party.

Here is the e-mail address for photos:

KenleyPhotos@Gmail.com

I look forward to all the pictures! I can’t wait to see how this turns out for our sweet girl! Thank you in advance for helping with this project, and for loving our Kenley so fiercely throughout this past year. Let me know if you have any questions about this, and I will gladly answer! ❤

Protein S Deficiency OR How my body is still trying to ruin things…

On Thursday, I had my anatomy scan with Dr.F, and all looked well. She was able to better explain to us the cause of Kenley’s death. It was officially decided that she died from blood clots in her umbilical cord. We sort of knew this, but as I’ve said before, when we were first told about the cause of her death we were VERY fresh in our grief. I was better able to understand it now, at almost 11 months out.

Continue reading

truth.

I feel this way about Shane all the time. I don’t really have much to say but I just needed a minute away from reality, and I find that when I blog. So, even though I’m not saying much, it needed to happen.

 Some days are just so much harder than others. 

I know you don’t read this babe, but I can’t wait for you to come home tonight. I love you and I’m so thankful for you. 

tomorrow. 

Today I am 18 weeks pregnant. 

Tomorrow we have our detailed anatomy scan at the MFM. 

Kenley’s anatomy scan at a regular OB was NINE MINUTES. (because the machine was ‘on the fritz’– oh yeah? HEY. MAYBE BRING ME BACK WHEN ITS WORKING PROPERLY SO MY BABY GETS THE BEST QUALITY CARE SHE DESERVES. )

This one is scheduled to be 1:15 long. 

I will go to my grave knowing that the ultrasound tech who did Kenley’s scan missed something critical to my daughters survival and that is why she is not here (amongst many other reasons…) 

I have been super anxious all day, and I just now realized why. 

I’m scared something is going to be wrong tomorrow. 

And so it begins

grandparent’s day.

Jesus I can’t even write the title of the post without getting tears in my eyes! I don’t know why, but it breaks my heart.

Landon came home yesterday with a form for Grandparent’s Day happening November 22nd at his school. I knew about it through another little note sent home, but I guess just getting the form hit me hard. Kenley will never have the opportunity to go to Grandparent’s day. Ever. No matter what, it will not happen…because she died. I immediately  started crying when I was reading the form yesterday– I couldn’t help it.

Continue reading

need help!

 

I’m going to put this out there, and maybe someone will stumble across it and have advice.

I’m planning on making (at minimum currently) 20 care packages of the hospital where we had Kenley. I am planning to include a bunch of things, but the one thing I’m struggling with is a candle. I would like to include a glass votive candle, or something bigger (depending on price) with a healing quote, or something about the candle being a memorial candle etc. I cannot find any that I like on the internet anywhere. I’m thinking of aromatherapy type scents. Nothing too over powering, and definitely nothing that would smell like anything child related.

Sooooo….I’m wondering if anyone makes candles, or knows of someone who makes them? Heck, or just someone who would like to be part of the donation and is willing to learn to make them? I would love to have something made by another loss mother, or someone who has been affected by the loss of a child in some way shape or form. Like I stated, I would be looking for 20 currently. If I cannot find a candle maker, I will probably buy them from somewhere, but would be interested in someone who could make a graphic sticker for the front of the candles, also.

Please let me know if you have any ideas, or know anyone who could help!

The goal is to have the 20 care packages done by Kenley’s first birthday…December 29th.

I’m open to suggestions as well for ideas to include with the care packages. What did you need after you lost your child? What did someone give you that really stuck with you? Is there something you didn’t think about needing but ended up REALLY needing?

• I needed tissues. The hospital tissues sucked ASS and my nose was bloody and raw from crying into them. My step-dad purchased a really nice box of soft tissues for us, and brought them the second day in the hospital. This is where the idea came from to buy puffs soft pack tissues (I bought about 40 full size packs) and I will be donating them to the maternity ward for baby loss mommas only.

• I needed chapstick. I didn’t bring any in my bag, when usually I do. I plan to include a nice chapstick in the carepack as many moms don’t plan to have this awful thing happen to them, and chapstick is the last thing on their mind…until their lips are so dry from constant crying and face wiping.

• I’m adding in a personal bottle of aromatherapy hand lotion. I know that the hospital gives you these things, but having a good quality lotion might make you feel more relaxed? I know that sounds like a joke, and honestly even saying it sounds awful because nothing can make you feel more relaxed after you just find out your baby died.

• I’m planning to include this book that I was given at the funeral home. It’s a very light read, and that is what I needed in the days after Kenley- not the gigantic book that I was given. This is such a good small book to start with.

41nfq-g5njl-_sy344_bo1204203200_

I’m also planning to include this book which has been the greatest book I have read since Kenley died. It is written by a loss mother, as well, and it just tells you what you need to hear. The version I will be donating will have Kenley’s name in the back on the memorial page.

51fqiwcvqjl-_sy497_bo1204203200_

• A pack of forget me not seeds that are specifically packaged in memory of a lost loved one.

I had also tossed around the idea of including a molding kit for hand prints. I didn’t get any hand prints from Kenley and I would have loved to have them. These are things that you just don’t think of during the absolute worst moments of your life.

I had also thought of including some sort of lara bar, or something like that, but when I thought about it, it made me want to puke a little. I remember them wheeling in this huge cart of coffee, tea, drinks and snacks after she died. It sat in front of my bed about 10 feet away from me, staring at me the entire time we were there. The nurses would come in and ask if we needed our coffee refreshed and all I could think was “my daughter just died”.

Eating was not the best memory from the hospital.

Anyway, those are my ideas. I know there are a lot of you reading who have lost your children too, so please don’t keep quiet. I’m looking for input on ANYTHING you can offer me.