1 month old!

Sunday, August 30, 2009

I can't believe our baby is a month old already! She is doing great!
Last night she slept in her crib the whole night!i am loving the new
video monitor. We put her to bed around eleven and then she woke up to
eat at four fifty! Yay for a good nights sleep! We have a doctors
appointment tomorrow so we will see how much weight she has gained then.

I am almost all healed up too. I am back down to my pre-pregnancy
weight, too bad I'm not back to my pre-pregnancy body yet :)

So basically everything is going great!

Day out !!!

Saturday, August 29, 2009

We ventured to Jacksonville today! Kenley has slept almost the entire time even through us getting rear ended. Praise the LORD that we still had the trailer hitch on the car because there was no damage. First we stopped at BabiesRUs and picked up a video baby monitor which we saved fifty dollars on thanks to our coupons! We also went to Ross and I found some shelves to put up in the nursery! So that was our weekend, how was yours?

We're on the 3rd outfit of the day

Thursday, August 27, 2009

The first one was lost to spit up, the second to our first major blow out, we will see how long this one lasts :) Sorry for lack of posts and pictures, we dont really do much around here lately other than nurse and change diapers :) Here are a few from the hospital that you might not have seen yet
We are a family of three now!
The best nurse ever!
First picture of the three of us! Don't I look great! lol especially with that black temperature thing on my forehead. :)
Happy Daddy! Happy Baby?

Back to Reality

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Well Fred and Terri leave this morning, Mom and Kimbe left Wednesday, and Brian is back at work today. It was really sad to see all of them go but I am excited that now we can get on some kind of a routine and bring some "normal" back to our lives. Here are a few pictures taken this past week...





This past week Brian also became Color Sergeant. He has been in the Color Guard for awhile and now he is in charge of his group. Its not a promotion but its great because it looks really good on his Marine Corps record. His first ceremony thingy that he got to be in charge of was Friday on base so Fred, Terri, Kenley and I went [technically I nursed Kenley in the car the whole time, but we were there :) ]

Sling Time!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009


I tried putting Kenley in the sling that I made today! She really liked being in it or at least I think so because she fell right to sleep but I couldn't handle it for very long, I think because my stomach is still so sore that that added pressure just makes it worse. So hopefully I will get to use it more when I am healed, because I made two more the day before I had her! One is a silky brown and the other is a present for Amy!

Kenley's First "Real" Bath

Well it was supposed to be Kenley's first real bath since her umbilical cord fell off. But, the tub thing didn't fit in our sink, so her bath really was another sponge bath. She didn't cry at all but she did pee right when Brian was about to put a clean diaper on.





More Baby Dedication Photos

Sunday, August 16, 2009





Baby Dedication






I so wish...

Saturday, August 15, 2009

that I would have gotten this shirt when I was pregnant!

News Flash..

Sorry I know... I know... another post lacking pictures.

Fred, Terri, Mom, and Kimbe all just left for the time share and Kenley is napping but I promise to take more pictures tonight when they get back and post them asap!

We went on a little shopping trip today to get a dress for Kenley to wear to church tomorrow. It felt so good to get dressed in somewhat normal clothes and get some sunshine and fresh air! Before we left I decided to try one more time to get my ring on and guess what... IT FITS!!!!!!! Yay!!!! Its still a bit tight but I love that I can wear it again!

Kenley needed a new dress for tomorrow because tomorrow is Baby Dedication at church during the 11:00 Am service! So if you are local we would love to have you there! Its Pleasant Acres Church @ 2911 Old Cherry Point Road in New Bern.

Baby Dedication is basically a little ceremony where Brian and I vow to raise Kenley as unto the LORD. It has nothing to do with her salvation. I am so excited that her first church service is also the service that she gets dedicated to the LORD!

Kenley's first Starbucks mug!

Friday, August 14, 2009

If you didn't know, I collect Starbucks mugs! Mom brought this little
tiny one for Kenley, isn't it just the cutest!

Still need your prayers

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Praise the LORD we are home now! It feels so much better just to be home! I am missing the hospital bed a bit just because our bed is so high that it is hard for me to get into. Brian went and bought a step stool for me today so that should help! I still really need your prayers though as I really am far from being back to "normal" and am still in quite a bit of pain and discomfort.

Kenley is doing great, she keeps getting better and better at latching on for feedings which is a huge praise. I have already lost almost 30 pounds, which I am sure is largely due to the hospital stay where I could not eat anything :). The swelling in my ankles has gone down now too!!! I am really excited about that, I catch myself checking out my ankles all the time now :)

Going Home

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

So praise the Lord, we're finally going home today. Doc came in about 8:30 this morning and said that there's no reason for them to keep Keri here. I'm telling you, for those who haven't seen Keri in the hospital, she is a completely different person from two days ago. All the nurses tell as that, and we were walking down the hall one time and a nurse asked what room we were staying in. This nurse knew who we were but said she didn't recognize Keri. She's completely back to normal, except for a few pains here and there which is to be expected.

I also took Kenley to her doctor's appointment today. She is back up to her birth weight of 8 pounds 5 ounces which is great and they said everything else looks normal and healthy.

It's nice to have my mom here...finally. She got to be the babysitter last night at our house and LOVED it. I think the Paynes are a little jealous of her though.
-Brian

Great News!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Keri is officially unhooked from everything. She got the IV taken out earlier this morning. So then the next big question was how Kenley was going to handle breastfeeding again, but she got on it right away, even better than before this last hospital visit, so praise the Lord for that! I have a GREAT story about my mother that I'll explain in detail later, i'll just say that she's literally traveling the country to see her granddaughter!

Sleepy Daddy

Food is good (Make it rhyme in your head)

Sunday, August 9, 2009

So the doc that was somewhat "harsh" with Keri and was the one that inserted the nose hose just came in. At first, he said he was going to start a clear liquid diet, but then changed his mind and just put her on a regular diet!! The doc just redeemed himselfYay!! So now we're trying to take it slow and not go too overboard, but she's really excited and i'm excited for her! This may POSSIBLY mean going home tomorrow, but we're still expecting Tuesday. Things are continuing to improve drastically, which can only be seen as the grace of God. He has been SO good to us!

I love me!

No mo' nose hose!!!

Hooray! Keri's nose hose is officially gone and she's feeling great! She was walking around a lot today and feeling a lot better except for the soreness in her stomach and back, but that's probably just a mixture from the c-section and sitting in the same position all the same time. We're having a lot of visitors from church which is great. I think Keri is ready to go home and especially eat. She's still not allowed to eat, but hopefully soon. Thanks for all your prayers. Hopefully we'll be posting from home in a short few days!

Our hopes are up

This morning while I went to the Paynes to pick Kenley up, the doc came in to talk with Keri. I get a text from her saying that doc said they might clamp her nose hose, but she would have to have it clamped for 24 hours before they would completely take it out, plus she wouldn't be able to ear until the tube was out. Keri got very discouraged, however, by the time I got back, they had already clamped the tube. That was probably around 9:30. Then, the doctor that we normally see came in and said that we could possibly have it out by 6:00 tonight, as long as everything is going well. We're just suppose to walk a lot today andthe doc said he wants everything to get "back to normal" as fast as possible. I feel horrible when I bring food into the room all the time when Keri can't eat anything.

Just pray that Keri loses the nose hose!
Well last night may have been a small step backwards. Keri is in more pain now, but we're not sure if it's from the same problem. She says her back is bothering her a lot and feels really tensed up. It might be because of how she's sitting because she's not allowed to lie flat, or possibly just from the c-section. I'll let you know more when I know more. Sorry I haven't been updating that much, but I promise, there's really nothing exciting going on.

Good News!

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Yay! About 20 minutes ago, Keri just got back from a 50 yard walk down the hall and back. She had tried to walk earlier this afternoon, but started to feel sweaty and turned really pale, so we postponed it. She did great on her walk and she's doing really well right now. She's talking now, even though she still has the tube down her nose, maybe just because her friends from the Accidental Artist are here. We've had quite a few visitors here today which has been nice. Our goal is to have the tube out by early tomorrow, if not sooner. That alone would make Keri feel 100 times better. They did take the catheter out this morning, so that's a plus, except now I have to help her get up to the bathroom a lot more. Did I say HAVE to? I meant GET to.

Thank you for the sweet card and styrafoam box Goodfellow girls!

A word from the sickly

Hi. It's Keri. I stole the phone because I can't sleep. Brian has been doing such a good job taking care of me. My hope is that next week I will be able to have that I am home and healthy as a major praise item. In other news
I am so hungry! They won't let me eat anything but I would pay a lot of money for some pudding or yogurt right now!

Last update for the night

Friday, August 7, 2009

Well, I told my mom that I would let you know what's going on before we kind of shut down for the night. Nothing has really changed. Apparantely the doc came in while I was gone and said that everything is going well and the best thing to do is to continue what she's doing. Keri asked how long she'd have the tube in her nose and he replied with "less than a month." i'm sure Keri didn't find that funny. They said that before they took it out they would clamp it to make sure everything else was working properly to avoid having to insert it again. He's got a point. So Keri is just keepin' on keepin' on

in other news, my mom found a cheap flight out here earlier than she had plannedon coming that gets in on Monday morning. That will be a big help once we get home from the hospital, and I'm hoping we will be by then.

Blessed...

Well I am home right now, and I thought I'd give somewhat of an update because I can type on the computer and it's a lot faster than on my phone. But I was driving home and hit was really hitting me how blessed Keri and I are with our wonderful friends. I know I joke a lot about hating North Carolina, but it is absurdly (best word I could think of) obvious why God sent us to this miserable state. Because while the state itself is horrible, it holds some of the most amazing, Godly people we could ever meet.

The Paynes - I know I've thanked them over and over, but they totally deserve it. Without complaint, and probably with too much excitement, they have made this whole ordeal SO much easier on us. From just visiting with us and sitting with Keri to letting Kenley stay over with them while mamma heals, to driving all the way to Havelock to pick up our dogs and take them to the groomer, AS WELL as letting them stay at the house. Shall I continue? I get home today and find all our laundry folded? Seriously??? I don't know for sure it was them, but they are the only people with a key to our house, so I can only assume. Thank you, Payne family, from the bottom of my heart.

The Goodfellows (including Bro. Good Garyfellow :) - You have been so kind in bringing us food and just being there whenever we needed you. Melissa came by to "visit" tonight, and just happened to pack an overnight bag in case she needed to stay with Keri while I got some sleep at home. Also, thanks for all the food you've brought me. Thanks for keeping my tummy full while they drain Keri's tummy.

The Coghills - You've been so supportive with your visits and your phone calls and those Sonic slushie runs for us. I am proud to have you as my pastor. (Doesn't make me a free will baptist thought :) Love you guys a ton!

Mrs. Billie Woolard - Thanks for your visits and your genuine concern for Keri. You also know what else you did and it was definitely not called for, but thank you!

Friedleins - We were honored to have you drive down for Kenley's birth. Sorry you couldn't stay longer and I hope Jim's school is starting off well. I'll always remember those few hours spent listening to Preacher's version of "This Is The Day," other "trumpet" sounds, and taking pictures (Too bad that lady ruined all those good ones, huh?)

Susan Navas - Definitely the winner for "Most Unexpected." I still can't believe you drove all that way for such a short time seeing Kenley, but it was such a privilege to have you there and hope you get to come back down when my parents are in town.

All those who brought us meals- This was so great and took such a load off of Keri's shoulder, because you know there's no way that I would be making full meals like that. Lucky Charms only tastes good for so long.

The prayer warriors - I know you're out there. Completely behind the scenes and we may never know who you are, but your contribution has had a lasting effect on this whole situation. Please do not think you are going unnoticed. I may never know who you are, but someone much greater that I am does, and you will get your rewards!

Those who came and visited us at the hospital - Now I won't limit this to just the people that actually came, because Gary told me that he had to strictly forbid people to show up so we could get our rest. We know you're out there, but since I only have the names of those that didn't listen to Gary (Just kidding...), thank you to Amelia and Lucille Stewart, Sandy Klingenstein, Melissa Mcarthy, Christy Steel (nice to finally meet you), and of course all those that I had mentioned earlier.

Everyone else who reads this blog - Just to show your care and concern is so encouraging for us. All the comments and words of encouragement have meant so much to Keri and I.

The parents - We know you're dying to get here! Just a few more days!

The two mystery men that came and mowed our lawn today - Don't think you'll get away with it.

And last but not least, she doesn't even read this blog, but was one of the most encouraging, sweetest people to my wife, and we didn't even know her. Our nurse during labor and delivery's name was Jessica Ipock (I hope I spelled that right). She was the nurse when Keri first started into serious labor and was in the room with us most of the night. At approximately 3 in the morning, the oncoming nurse came in and said that Jessica had to clock out from her shift. Her words were "That's fine, but I'm staying with Keri." She didn't leave until Keri left for surgery around 9 a.m., about six hours AFTER her shift ended, just cause she knew Keri needed her there. But it doesn't end there, the next night at the beginning of the shift she came in to check on Keri and see how she and the baby were doing. Then, once we got back to the hospital for this last visit, she recognized me and found out what was wrong with Keri and went in to see her to encourage her. TODAY, she came in on her shift with a "Get Well" card for Keri with her personal number on it to call her if she needed anything. It sent Keri to tears and it was such a great thing for Keri in the middle of this ordeal.

I realize that list was long (I feel like I'm at the Academy Awards except for the fact that I'm ACTUALLY grateful), but the list could be so much longer.

Alright, maybe I'm starting to ramble. I'll give a quick update on Keri as of when I left the hospital 2 hours ago. Nothing MAJOR has really changed, just slowly and progressively getting better. She's starting to clear a lot of that blockage out, and her stomach is starting to feel "softer." Her nausea has cleared up a lot and she's somewhat moving around by herself now. Still a LONG way to go.

Alright, now I'm done. I'm still overwhelmed by everyone's generosity, love, and encouragement. You have been such a blessing to us and we love you all! I'll update again when I get back to the hospital and know more.
-Brian

Getting better

Well good morning everyone! Here's yet another update on my beautiful wife: one of the general surgeons came up and said that the nasal tube was in wrong, because Keri was still vomiting which is what that tube was suppose to stop in the first place. So doc tells Keri they're going to have to take the old one out and put the new one in. Keri was, to put it extremely lightly, not happy. The doc was nice enough to get some stuff to numb keri's nasal passage and the back of her throat so she wouldn't gag while it went down (I'm not being graphic, I'm being informative :) she still pikes, but only once and the whole process went a lot smoother. She's been doing other stuff that is also what the dice are wanting, so she's definitely making progress and hopefully we'll be able to avoid another surgery. The morphine is definitely dong it's job. Keri has been asleep off and on for about the last 2 hours. Thanks for all your prayers
-Brian

If any news is good news...

…then I have good news. Don't get your hopes up, we're not leaving the hospital anytime soon, BUT, the nurse felt Keri's stomach and said it was feeling "softer," and that is a good sign. Just means that some of that blockage is getting out of there. That's a step in the right direction. Another good sign... Keri just started snoring, which means she's sleeping; another thing she hasn't experienced in awhile. Maybe I'll get that chance one day too.

There are some life lessons/biblical truths that just can not be learned from other people's experiences. This is one we have to experience ourselves. Praise the Lord for a learning/growing opportunity!

Love you all. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement. I'm going to try and get some shut eye
-Brian

Nasal tube... Yummy!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

I just had to watch Keri have a 3 foot long tube stuck down her nostril. She had vomited a few times and this was the doctors way of clearing that up. It took them two tries which had Keri in tears and I don't think there's much more for them to drain out cause she pretty much threw up all she had. I thought about making it as graphic as possible so all you queezy people could feel some of her pain, but I think that all the bile she got rid of really helped remove some of the pressureand should make it so she doesn't puke anymore. She's got tubes coming out of everywhere and I think and hope that they're doing something to relieve SOME of the pain or pressure, but it's still nowhere near feeling good. I hate seeing my wife in this condition! They also have antibiotics running through her IV which will hopefully help take care of that infection.

Once again, when we look at the bigger picture, this all stemmed from one event: the birth of Kenley, and while this is just me talking cause I'm not in keri's pain, but I know she would agree that it is 100% worth it!

Well, as I was typing this up, Keri puked again, the nurses came inane pulled that tube out a little bit cause they thought they might have it in too far, and when they did, you could see it start to flow a lot better (gross, I know). Hopefully that will make her feel a tad bit better. Any relief from anything would be a plus.

As always, please continue praying.
Alright. Here's the next update: Keri is absolutely miserable right now and I think she'd rather be back in labor right now. The doc came in about a half hour after her CT scan was done and said (in a much more medically proficient vocabulary way) that Keri had a uterus infection which was causing her bowels to be backed up with air and "stuff." they're doing some procedure right now that I can't remember thename of that is suppose to clear that up and take most of the pain away, then all they would have to focus on is the infection. Keri just really wants the pain to be gone. I don't know if unbearable is a strong enough word for it.

It's moments like this that I realize my true place as a husband. I can do everything in my power to help my wife, but it is nothing without the Lord's leading and guiding. It's so hard for me to just let go, but when I sit back and look at the bigger picture, our great God can do so much more for her than I could dream of doing. Please continue to pray to the same gracious God that continues to bless us in so many ways. Hopefully this will be over soon...

We're Back!

At the hospital. We still don't know too much about what's going on, but the doc says that she probably has an intestinal infection... Sweet! Who knows how long it will take for them to fix it/it to heal, but we're trying to at least get out of here by Sunday cause that's when baby dedication is at church. She just got into the room now. So I'll let you know what happens when it happens

Rough Week

Keri started a post but never had time to finish it so I'm going to do my best to summarize for her. It's been a pretty rough week. Kenley is doing great! Feedings are going really well and she's perfectly content sleeping, pooping, peeing, and the occasional fussing. Keri on the other hand is the one that's not doing well. She's had intense pain in her abdomen and on Tuesday called the doctor to get stronger medicine. It worked for awhile and she was up and about for about a day. Her pain is back now and the percocet isn't helping. We're at the doctor right now so she can get looked at. When she talked to the nurse on the phone earlier today, the nurse made it sound like she might have a bladder infection. So I'll let you know what the results are when I find out.

I know Keri's really struggling and finds it hard to be a good mom when she's confined to the recliner and has trouble feeding Kenley a lot because of the pain. I know my wife is a trooper and she'll get through this, but we still need prayer!

I also want to take the time to thank those that have helped us this past week. Those that have brought us dinners and came and visited us. You've been so encouraging to Keri and myself as well. A special thanks to Rosa Payne for all her sacrifice in helping us out! You have truly blessed us and your kindness is not being overlooked! She is actually at our house now babysitting for us. Thanks

I'll keep you posted about Keri's condition

Random photos of our beautiful daughter!

Monday, August 3, 2009





Doctor's visit

We just got home from the doctor. Kenley was down to 7 lbs 3oz. We had
a really great doctor and she helped me with the breast feeding a ton.
So I feed her for a good twenty minutes and after she was done eating
they weighed her again and she was up to 7 lbs 5 oz! Praise the Lord!
So we have to go back in tomorrow for them to check her weight again.

Please continue to pray for us that Kenley would catch on to
breastfeeding.

Here is how Kenley looks with a full belly :)

First doctors visit

And she is not thrilled! This picture makes me think that I read a
little too much Twilight while I was pregnant with her. She looks like
a little vampire!

Sunday, August 2, 2009

I'm not sure how many of you are still following this, but trust me,
the fun has just begun!

I was telling Keri earlier that I don't think I knew the extremes of
parenting. Now if you don't know what I mean by that, I'll explain. On
one side, I knew that I was going to lose some sleep and be grossed
out by diapers and get frustrates with non-stop crying, but wow! Last
night was filled with crying, crying, and some more crying. I'd get to
sleep 20 minutes here and 30 minutes there. I thought that babies
slept at least a LITTLE bit during the night. In reality, the diapers
and crying during the day don't bother me THAT much.

On the flip side of that extreme topic I was speaking of earlier is
the joy of having a child. No woman has been able to melt my heart in
as little as 3 and 1/2 days, and it didn't even take that long for
Kenley to do just that. Even if she's fussy or crying, she's still a
gorgeous child and I'm proud to be her father.

Keri is doing great too. Healing is taking it's time, but Keri is able
to get up on her own now. She even wanted to go for a walk today, but
it was raining. She's very patient with Kenley and me, while I
sometimes manage to sleep right through Kenley's crying. I'm so proud
of her and all her accomplishments. I have definitely been blessed
with a wonderful family.

We're headed home!

Saturday, August 1, 2009

We just left the hospital!

Praise the Lord!

Keri and I got 4 straight hours of sleep last night, and probably about 6 total. Is it sad that 6 hours of sleep instantaneously became "sleeping in?"

In other news, it looks like we're going to be going home today! Hooray! Everyone says that baby is very healthy except for a slight case of Jaundice which should go away once Kenley starts eating more regularly. She's still having some trouble figuring the whole eating thing out, but she's doing a lot better with it. I'm sire we'll get it in no time.

Keri is feeling "okay," which is more like an average because she's in a lot of pain normally, but feels great with the percocet!

Thanks for all your love and support. I can't wait for everyone to meet her. Hopefully all our west coast family and friends will get to meet her soon, too. Love you all
 
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