Goodbye Abbie....You Will be Missed :(

Our Abbie


Sweet dog :)

The Burleigh family came to a very difficult decision this week. We decided that Abbie needed a new home. Brian and I have had Abbie, our beagle since she was 10 weeks old (now 3 1/2 years old) and although she was a loving dog and wonderful with kids, we decided she needed more than we were able to give her right now. First of all, since we moved back from Texas, we have not been living in an ideal situation for her and not having a fenced backyard has been difficult to give her the proper exercise she deserves. It would be different if it were spring or summer and not so cold out, but it is very hard to pack up the girls and take Abbie for a walk. Not to mention our upstairs neighbor complains if she makes a peep and well, we all know beagles howl!

We put an ad on Craiglist and found a couple who was looking for a beagle for their dad who recently lost his beagle mix. They live in the Olympic Peninsula in Washington on a farm and the couple has 2 dog for her to play with. Even though it was extremely hard for us to do, I believe it is the best decision and that she is going to a great home!

Addison Goes Back to Daycare....For a Few Hours :)

Addison getting ready to go to Debb's house (daycare). Yes, that is marker on her face....I thought washable markers were supposed to be washable?!


It's a baby penguin!!! Oh no, wait, it's baby Kennedy :)

Today I sent Addison back to daycare for a few hours. She will be going back every Wednesday for 4-5 hours just so that she can get out and play with her friends. She needs a little social time and well, honestly, I need a little break from time to time. Addison is a great little girl, but I can tell she is struggling being home with just Kennedy and I. She doesn't understand that Kennedy isn't old enough to play yet, and she is certainly noticing that Kennedy is getting lots of mommy's time and Addison is getting less which is causing her to act out a bit. She is getting bored and tormenting our dog Abbie more...which is becoming very difficult for Abbie to tolerate :( Lets hope her weekly outings to daycare are fruitful for all of us!

Another Kennedy Update

Kennedy is wide awake!


Cute little baby hand!


Silly face :) Look at that lock of hair sticking up!

On Saturday Brian and I took Addison and Kennedy to the Mt. Hood Conference high school wresting district tournament so Brian could see his old coaches and to watch one of our friend's brother's wrestle (who got 5th place!). Addison was thrilled to get out and run up and down the halls of the Sam Barlow High School gym with her Papa Jeff. We spent the evening with our friends, Mat, Shannon and Jordan having dinner and frozen yogurt. It was nice to chat and catch up, as the past few times we have met up it has been difficult to really sit and talk.

Sunday I had a follow up appointment with the lactation nurses at Kaiser to follow up on Miss Kennedy. It wasn't anything crucial, but they called and asked if I would like to come in and have a weight check on Kennedy and to work with her not using the nipple shield that we had been using due to the mastitis and a tool used to help her feeding with a "forked tongue" or "attached frenulum". What is this you ask....well, the pediatrician that we saw at the hospital said that Kennedy appeared to have a "forked tongue" which means that her frenulum (the piece of tissue that attaches your tongue to the floor of your mouth) is more attached than it should be. This is actually fairly common, but can cause issues when breastfeeding. Kennedy doesn't so much have problems feeding, but does show some signs related to her being "tongue tied". Some of these issues are she doesn't like to latch on without the nipple shield, she takes a long time to nurse, and she isn't gaining weight as quickly as she should. If the frenulum is a continued issue, they will simply go in and clip it and that should remedy the situation.

So, I felt that it certainly couldn't hurt to go in and see what they have to say, not to mention, I was curious to see how much weight she had gained since her check up on Wednesday. The appointment went very well. Kennedy was very hungry by the time it was our turn, so she was able to get a good feeding in with the lactation nurse. The nurse weighed her before the feeding and said she weighed 7lbs 15oz (gained 3oz since Wednesday) and then helped us eliminate the nipple shield which was pretty successful. After the feeding she weighed Kennedy again and said she took in just over 2 1/2oz, which is good! We are shooting for her to eat 2-3oz every 2-3hrs in order to gain 1/2lb a week, which is the goal. So, she is right on track and we will go in Friday or next Monday just to have a weight check to see if we are meeting those goals. Oh and she also felt that her frenulum wasn't an issue, so that's a relief :)

Sisterly Love

Addison giving Kennedy kisses.


Addison telling Kennedy "it's okay" when she is getting her diaper changed.

I am so blessed to have 2 great girls! Addison is being such a good big sister and is always helping....or trying to help. Addison is always telling Kennedy "it's okay" or "Addison loves you" and does her best to comfort her. It is just too sweet!

Kennedy's 2 Week Appt

Today was Kennedy's 2 week checkup, as well as, our first outing as just the 3 of us since Brian returned to work this afternoon. Addison did very well and didn't give me any trouble, and out outing went much better than I had anticipated. Mainly Addison played with all of the toys in the exam room while Kennedy got checked over. Kennedy's stats are: 7lbs 12oz (30%) 21 1/2in (88%), she hasn't gained as much as we had hoped from her lactation appointment but she is gaining and that is what is important. She eats all of the time, so she should only gain from here! All in all, she is a healthy little girl :)

Besides going to Kennedy's appointment, I took the girls to both my and Brian's work to show them off. Addison had the most fun at my work playing with all of the stuffed bears and puppies that they have for the kids that are going to have surgery. So, that distracted her from all of the attention her sister got. Kennedy slept through our visit, as I kept her in the sling so that she wouldn't insist on eating the whole time!

Our outing was successful and I only hope the rest are as smooth, but I am not holding my breath!

Trip to OMSI

Addison the astronaut :) Brian was playing with photo editing and he thought this picture would go good with our OMSI visit.

Friday morning Brian and I took the girls to OMSI. I have only been there once, during the Body Worlds exhibit, and I actually haven't explored the rest of the museum. Anyway, we had asked that if people didn't know what to get Addison for her birthday or Christmas, that it would be nice if they gave money so we could put it towards a membership to either OMSI, The Children's Museum, or the Oregon Zoo. So, we took this opportunity to purchase a family membership to OMSI. We had a great time, aside from dodging all of the classes on field trips. Is it just me, or are kids much more rude than they were when we were kids?! Brian would stand in line to do an activity and kids would cut in front of him (and many times the chaperon was standing right there watching them do it!), so we did miss out on several activities due to that. However, Brian and Addison did get a chance to sit next to each other in the replica of a space shuttle and they both enjoyed that! Next, we were excited to go upstairs to the Science Room that is tailored to younger kids with LOTS of activities, so Addison was able to run around and play. Her favorite thing was to "make food" with all of the fake food and she was sharing it with all of the other kids. It was really nice to see that in the Science Room they had their own bathrooms, 3 family bathrooms (so you don't have to try to get your kids to use the stall or change your baby in front of everyone washing their hands) and they had a nursing room, which I was able to take advantage of while Addison was playing. All in all we had a fun day and we look forward to going again soon!

Splish Splash!

Addison splashing in the water. I love this pic!


Addison balancing on Brian's hand.....she loved this and all of the other kids wanted their dads to do this but they couldn't!


Hugs! Addison & Hazel are excited to go swimming together.


Wee!!! Addison & Brian go down the slide.


Addison & Hazel playing with the water structure.


Addison & Dad playing with the water structure.


1, 2, 3 JUMP!

Last Sunday Addison and Brian (Kennedy and I stayed home since it is very humid in there and well...Kennedy was only 5 days old) went to a play date with Addison's friend Hazel, and her mom and dad Jessie and Jeff. Jeff is Brian's good friend from high school and his daughter Hazel is only 1 month younger than Addison. For their play date the girls went to the swimming pool at the Mount Scott Community Center, which we were introduced to last month when Jeff & Jessie invited us to Hazel's birthday party there. Addison had so much fun that we hope to incorporate into our outings often. The pool is great and is tailored to young kids but is fun for the whole family! The pool has a fun water structure that you can turn the wheel and it shoots water, there is a 1 story water slide that twists and turns, and a cool river that propels you down and into a whirlpool. The girls had a great time splashing in the water, going down the slide with their parents, and jumping off the side of the pool into their Dads' arms. Addison especially loved when she would stand on her Dad's hand and he would balance her out of the water. I am excited when I get to go and play with Addison in the water instead of sit and watch (like at Hazel's birthday) or stay home.

Thanks to Jessie who took the amazing pictures with her cool underwater digital camera!

Kennedy is 1 Week Old!

Kennedy looks like she's got something to say!


Hello Kennedy :) Fun angle!


Kennedy's cute little feet!

Today Kennedy is 1 week old! I am amazed at how much different Kennedy is than Addison was as a baby. Kennedy seems so much more laid back than Addison did. I am enjoying being home with my girls and just being able to focus on them. It is funny, Brian and I are the opposite when it comes to our views on stages of our kids lives that we love. Brian just can't wait to Kennedy to be Addison's age, where she is walking, talking and full of energy. Whereas I would just love Kennedy to stay a few weeks old where she is so cuddly and soft. I understand where Brian is coming from though, he can't really do much to take care of Kennedy right now, except for change her diapers, since I am breastfeeding. But all in all, we enjoy all of the ages and look forward to what is to come for both the girls :)

I have Kennedy's announcements all made....well, I have had them made since weeks before she was born and just had to fill in all of the details. However, I haven't snapped the right picture to enclose in the announcements yet. Once I get the right picture I will get them out to everyone in the mail! It is also especially hard since we don't have a lot of clothes that fit Miss Kennedy at the moment, only a few brands of the newborn size fit, everything else is so loose and baggy, but I am determined to find a cute outfit that fits for her picture!

Mastitis

Everything was going well with my post partum recovery until Sunday. As you may know, I had mastitis (a breast infection) twice with Addison, once 10 days after she was born (on Christmas Eve) and again when I was weaning her a year later (on Christmas Day). I had expected that I would end up with mastitis again with Kennedy, however, I was hopeful that I would be proved wrong. Sadly I am an expert in the signs and symptoms of mastitis and was pretty sure on Sunday morning that I was getting it, but I was hoping that I was just being paranoid and it would turn out to be nothing. I decided to hold out until Monday so I could have an appointment with my midwife and I wanted to make sure that it was indeed mastitis.

Sure enough I woke up Monday morning and all of the symptoms (minus the temperature) were present. I was able to get an appointment with Sarah, my midwife, and she prescribed me antibiotics to take for 10 days and a pain reliever, as mastitis is extremely painful! Sarah told me that I should expect to feel better once I have taken the antibiotics for 24 hours but I may still spike a fever, but hopefully we caught it early enough that I would be spared the fever and chills. Well, about 6:30PM on Monday I could feel the fever coming on and although my temperature was 98.6F at that point, less than 2 hours later it was 102.6F. I was shivering, yet burning up, and couldn't get comfortable....I was miserable! Luckily by 10:30PM the fever broke and I felt SO MUCH BETTER. Let me tell you, I would so much rather give birth than have mastitis again. Cross your fingers that this is my last bout and things will be smooth sailing from here on out.

Kennedy's 1st Checkup

All bundled up in her bouncer.


Kennedy just waking up in the morning.


Addison playing tea party with Dad.

Today we went to have Kennedy's bilirubin checked and to visit with the lactation nurse. Kennedy did really well having her blood drawn for the bilirubin and Addison was there to calm her down too. It was so cute, Addison was telling the lab person, "no hurt" because she was worried she was going to hurt Kennedy. The bilirubin came back just fine, so no photo therapy for this little girl! Yay! After all the heel sticks we went through with Addison, we are thrilled Kennedy won't have to go through it. Kennedy weighed in at 7lbs 10oz, so she has lost just over 7% of her weight since birth, but nothing to be concerned about. She is breastfeeding really well and should only gain weight from here.

Addison has been really well with Kennedy, she is always wanting to hold her and when she cries Addison tells her "it's okay Kennedy". Addison is also sharing very well with Kennedy, she likes to take her stuffed animals and pile them on Kennedy. It's cute, we just go over there and take them off, or put them just at her feet. Addison did well (for the most part) when we took Kennedy to her checkup. She was playing with the baby doll they had in the room and after the nurse weighed Kennedy, Addison put the doll on the scale. The room was a bit small and Addison was being busy, so Brian took Addison out to play with the toys in the waiting area while we finished up with the nurse. On another note, Addison got a princess tea party set (a gift from us that we told her was from Kennedy) and she is loving it! She wants to have tea parties all of the time. It is really cute, Brian plays tea party with her and they pretend to drink tea and eat toast and cookies!

It's All About Kennedy!

Kennedy & Mom just after delivery.


Brian, Kennedy & I just after she was born.


Kennedy & Dad are tuckered out


Kennedy (12 hours old) & Mom


Dad showing Addison how to hold Kennedy


Kennedy is all dressed & ready to go home


Kennedy Keaton Burleigh


Kennedy's 1st bath at home

Hi all! Sorry for the delay in posting pictures and details about Miss Kennedy. We arrived home from the hospital today and didn't have access to the Internet to post pictures. So, as I am up at 4AM unable to sleep because Brian is snoring....I thought now was a good time to update everything!

As you all know, Kennedy Keaton Burleigh arrived (without induction) on 2/3/09 at 6:17AM. I ended up calling Brian at work around 9:30PM on 2/2/09 and told him not to rush home, but that I was pretty sure I was in labor and my contractions were 4 minutes apart. Brian got home, we packed the car, got Addison and Abbie (our beagle) all ready to meet Brian's parents at the hospital to hand them off. Upon arrival and admission to the hospital, they went ahead and broke my water around midnight to get things going. I had my epidural (which was wonderful!) at about 2:30AM and pushed less than 10 minutes. Kennedy was a much easier delivery (I am sure because she was our second) and come out just perfect, no cone head, bruises, newborn rash, or anything. She weighed in at 8lbs 4oz (less than her sister, and very close to my estimation of 8lbs 6oz) and she was 20 1/4 inches long (1 1/2 inches shorter than Addison....most likely due to the fact that Kennedy didn't have a giant cone head like Addison). Brian and my sister Sarah (who is due May 2009) were in the delivery room for the birth. Brian was really excited, because he got to help deliver Kennedy. The midwife asked if he wanted to help deliver her once the head came out and everything appeared okay, and of course Brian was really excited to be able to participate!

We moved up to the new post partum unit by late morning and settled in. I didn't get much sleep due to all of the commotion (and I still haven't) but I am coping well. I felt great and by early afternoon I was up showering and getting ready for all of the visitors. Of course Addison, my mom and Brian's parents were there to greet Kennedy shortly after she arrived, but we had many of our coworkers that took time to come and visit us, Brian's Aunt Debbie and Uncle Terry, and Aunt Brinda also visited during our stay.

All is going well. Kennedy has a very good temperament and is very content. She is breastfeeding well and has little jaundice. We go back to have her bilirubin checked on Friday and visit with the lactation nurse to make sure she isn't losing too much weight. We are thrilled to be home and to get Addison and Kennedy more acquainted. Addison has taken to her quite well (after the first meeting, when she only had 2 hours of sleep and was not too excited about her) she even made her a puppy at Build-A-Bear that matches her dog and she has even shared her little stuffed Elmo with Kennedy.

I will post more updates as I have news to report. Enjoy :)


Addison is still our little princess. Playing dress up in her present from Kennedy.


Addison loves her high heals....and her painted toes!

Kennedy Keaton has Arrived!

Kennedy Keaton Burleigh born 2-3-2009 at 6:17 am weighing in at 8 lbs. 4 oz. and 20 1/4 inches long. Mom and baby are both doing great. The family should be at home 2-4. More details and pictures to follow.