Whoops!!

So, I swear I'm still alive y'all...I think that was the longest I've ever gone without posting. Geez!

Here's what's been happening in a small nutshell:

- We moved...with three young children I hope to never do that again :)
- We're absolutely loving our new house and spending lots of time decorating (or at least trying to!) and organizing
- Greg (my brother) and I made an 1100 mile trip in barely 24 hours to Maryland to say goodbye to a wonderful family friend Ron, who, unfortunately, lost his battle to cancer in October
- Tim is done with coaching football for now - we love having him home on the weekends
- The 5 of us made a day trip up to Fort Wayne to spend time with my best friend from high school, Anna, and her family - so FUN!
- Tim and I hosted Thanksgiving for our families - it made our house feel like a home and it was great!
- Sam passed 5 months and is almost at the 6 month mark...eeeeeekkkk! Slow down boy!
- Sam was dedicated at church
- My baby boy, Grant, turned 4...NO WAY my baby is 4 - total denial
- I started working out again 4 or 5 days a week (yay!), which eats into my blogging time!
- We are putting yet another child through the awful exercise of sleep training - poor Sammy
- Decorated our yard with lights for Christmas - our very first time in our OWN house!
- Put up our tree (it feels HUGE), but it smells pretty - good thing because it's needles are EVERYWHERE

I'll give you sampling of pictures from the last 7 weeks...wow, sorry to keep you waiting :)

Hope you're all doing well and preparing to celebrate the birth of our Savior!

Sugar Buzz

Is it candy corn or a cookie? Ha...you know that answer! I DO NOT like candy corn...pure sugar doesn't do it for me. I need some serious butter, flour, and vanilla mixed in, hence my addiction to sugar cookies! Happy Fall!

4 Months

Happy four months to our little man! Sam is the sweetest, most content, smiley boy. He still isn't quite thrilled with a bottle which makes our evenings together a complete midnight milk buffet. He's waking up and nursing every 2 hours...he's 4 months...this should not be happening! What is with my children refusing bottles?? Guess he misses me and I wouldn't complain about that :) If it weren't for his massive thighs, arms, and belly he would probably be rolling over by now. He really wants to and is almost there, but he has a lot to maneuver!

We love you Sammy!

Goodbye, September

Hello October!! I never really had an appreciation for fall until I met Tim. He waits for this fantastic season all year long and has me convinced of the same. We had a great weekend with our first real taste of fall weather and a visit from Nana and Papa. It was packed…I’m starting to realize that I’m pretty good at over-programming myself. I decided to participate in our neighborhood garage sale, which was pretty much a huge failure. Our HOA lost all brownie points this weekend and didn’t do any advertising for it. Dumb. Oh well – I did manage to make some money and get rid of a handful of things. What a huge amount of work though!

Then it was on to two more cookie orders – one for a great friend who was hosting a baby shower (I just love making these little babies!) and the other for a friend’s son’s birthday party (Lighting McQueen, take 2). They both came out great and I was so happy to do it! Keep those orders coming!!

We even squeezed in a trip to the orchard yesterday to get apples and the to-die-for cider slushies. Grant and Lilly love it there and I’m sure Sam will once he realizes what’s going on!

Happy Fall! I need a nap…

Bubble Gum, Please

Thanks to everyone who kept Grant in your thoughts and prayers! He did amazing and Tim and I were at such peace with everything. I honestly don’t think it could have gone any better. I have been amazed at the care and detail that nurses and physicians take when dealing with Grant (and other children).

Grant’s mood on Friday morning before we left the house was incredibly cheery and I was so sad thinking that it would all go quickly downhill when we got to the hospital. Wow…I was wrong! He marched down the halls holding our hands to the outpatient center like it was just another stroll in the neighborhood. As soon as the nurse finished taking his vitals, which he breezed right through, he was laying on the floor playing with his trains. After we got him into his hospital PJs I thought for sure he’d be getting anxious. Wrong again! It was about to get even better!

Another nurse, who’s title was Childlife Specialist, appeared with two different masks that they would use to administer the gas to put Grant to sleep. One strawberry flavored and the other bubble gum. Grant went straight for the bubble gum and spent a few minutes studying and playing with it. Now it was time to head down to the OR. Still no signs of anxiety from our little man. Probably because waiting outside in the hallway was a Jeep Power Wheels just waiting for Grant. How cool!? So, instead of riding down to the OR on a stretcher, Grant climbed right in and drove himself (with a smile on his face) down the hall. Best. Hospital Experience. EVER!

The actual surgery took about an hour and when they wheeled him back into the room we were stunned. Tim was in tears and I was smiling ear to ear. It looks better than we could have ever expected!
I think we’re both so excited to envision our precious son getting closer and closer to living with a full head of hair and no more reason for people to stare and point. Grant was pretty out of it, but eventually woke up in his pleasant mood (STILL!) asking for a drink and wanting to get the IV out as fast as they would let him. They discharged him fairly quickly and we were headed home!!

I thought for sure he’d be laying around all day, but as soon as he had some lunch and caught up on his lack of milk all morning, he was ready to go. No pain meds, no complaining, no whining, just our sweet, happy Grant. The only tears that managed to run down his face all day came when my mom and I were trying to get some Tylenol in him before bed. After that traumatizing episode, we decided it’d be the last time we gave him that! (We thought it might help him sleep…ha ha…not even narcotics can make my child sleep!!!) He hasn’t complained about pain a single time…I am completely amazed by his resiliency and he continues to go on with things as if nothing ever happened. Just love my boy!

Thanks again for your prayers! Tim and I give the glory to God for watching over our precious son!

A Big Day

So today is the beginning of a long process to finish our journey with Grant's nevus. We decided to move forward with a plastic surgeon here in Indy to complete the reconstruction of Grant's scalp. After we met Dr. Blocksom for a second opinion a couple months ago, we knew it was the best decision for all of us to have it done at St. Vincent Children's and without the expander option.

Grant's surgery is scheduled this morning at 10:30am. Although it's outpatient and seems to be somewhat minor, we are anxious, but hoping for great results. Today will be the first of three surgeries to remove all of the grafted/scar tissue on his scalp and give him a full head of hair again.

If you would, please keep Grant in your prayers today and this weekend as he recovers. I'll be sure to keep you posted!

Date with Daddy

Grant and Lilly were lucky enough to have some alone time with daddy this past weekend while Sam and I traveled to Baltimore for my cousin's wedding. I missed them terribly, but super daddy Tim kept me updated with some phone pics. Check out how much fun they had on their date with daddy to the Children's Museum and their favorite fast food - Wendy's!

Roots

We did it! We bought a house!!! After selling my first house in Indy back in 2008, living with Tim's parents for 4 months, and renting a home from my parents for 2 and 1/2 years we are so lucky to finally be laying down roots of our own next month. There's no doubt in my mind that we've made it here because of our dedicated families. They are truly amazing in the constant support they've given Tim and I. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, mom and dad, Bob and Sylvia. We love you!

Ever since I stepped into the foyer of this home with our fabulous realtor back in August I've been dreaming of the memories we'll be creating as family there. The house was being built as a spec home and we snatched it up for a great deal! We've met a few of our new neighbors and on the court, once all of the homes are moved into later this year, there will be 17 children between 8 houses! I see lots of block parties and fun in our future!

The greatest part of our new address is that it's just on the other side of the neighborhood we're currently living in! I was having a hard time leaving thinking about leaving the great friends we've made here. Now we're only just a stroller ride away :) And it'll probably make for a slightly easier move!

More pictures to come soon!

3 Months and a Traveling Pump

Our Sammy is 3 months already and growing like a big, fat weed lately! He's following suit of his older brother and sister and topping the charts for height and being off the charts for weight. We make 'em big around here! He's on the verge of rolling his chunky tummy over and is smiling up a storm. Sam is by far our easiest child, but I'm certain 90% of that is our much more relaxed state of mind when it comes to a third child.

I had to be in Chicago for three days for work this week and it's truly incredible all of the logistics you have to work out for three children! But, luckily Sam survived his first long stint of mommy being away. The rest of our child care village managed through it too. A big thank you to our parents who have been AMAZING!

I have to tell you, breastfeeding and traveling for work can be a small challenge...while I was away I obviously had to pump around the clock. It makes for some interesting conversations with my male counterparts as to where I disappear to every 2 or 3 hours and why I'm carrying a huge cooler into the hotel. No, there are no wild parties happening in my room! Ha ha! I'm pretty much in terrible pain about a day and half into it...no pump can do the job my babies can. I was SO happy to see Sam when I got home and have nursed him pretty much every time he makes a peep to get me back to normal.

This could be a post all in itself, but it's worth giving you a quick tidbit on the fun and humor of pumping/breastfeeding. So, I've pumped all over the place hundreds and hundreds of times by now...various gas station, restaurant, and grocery store parking lots, in the valet line at the MGM Grand in Detroit, banquet halls during wedding receptions, and the list goes on. I even had someone walk up to my car, knock on the window, and ask for directions while I was pumping in Shapiro's parking lot. Oh, was he embarrassed!! But, I think this week topped it all - the pump took a trip with me to Wrigley Field! I locked myself in a small bathroom and "hooked 'em up" as my favorite co-worker calls it. I have been extremely fortunate with a fantastic supply and three cooperative children and despite all the work it requires, I've learned to have a sense of humor in it all!

Monograms!

Crazy Mama Kegley checking in here! Things have been slightly busy/nuts/chaotic/stressful here lately with starting back to work last week. I won't get started on how much I miss my babies because I might never stop.......

The perfect opportunity for a little stress relief came the weekend before I went back to work when my sweet friend Maggie asked me to do cookies for a wedding shower she was hosting. SOOOO excited, because she wanted monograms and I've been just waiting for an opportunity to try and get some practice. The technique was pretty simple - lots of candy melts, microwaving, tracing, and wax paper. Fun!

I love them...they were simple, masculine, and meaningful. And they tasted extra good this time. Pretty exciting too for Tim and the kids that I had several cookies that didn't make the cut...we love my mess-ups - they never last long in our kitchen!!

Thanks again Maggie!!

Carrot Top?

I hate to call it yet, because I know it can still change, but I'm thinking we might have a little redhead on our hands! You can see it much better in the second picture. Sam's hair is very slowly growing in and looking a little like mommy's natural color. If I wasn't crazy enough to get blonde highlights in it, you could see the red a lot more. I'm so proud of my budding carrot top!

Practice Lap

Well, it came out more like Princess McQueen, but it's a start! Definitely needs a little more detail and a whole lot more red dye. These cars aren't quite up to speed yet...ha ha!

I am so excited that I got asked to make cookies for one of our friend's son's upcoming birthday party in October. I figured I'd give it a go with a few days left of maternity leave left. Not like I'm not busy, but at least I have no work looming in my brain. Grant and Lilly were especially excited for a batch that I didn't give away and they actually got to enjoy! Thanks for asking Amy - can't wait!!

Ready or Not...

If you've been following me for a couple years, you may be familiar with the journey we've been on with Grant and the congenital nevus on his scalp. If not, here's the original post. Heck, maybe you've been wondering what the hole in his head was from - I know a lot of people do...I think they're just unsure of how to ask. Guess I would be, too.

We've finally come to the place where we're exploring the options of reconstruction to the area, which we always knew would be in his future. The grafted skin from his hip that replaced the nevus will never grow hair and it's just too large of an area for existing hair to cover it. This is the part where, for some reason, I always feel I should defend our decision to have this done, but I'm not going to do it. We're parents - we want the BEST for him, plain and simple.

When my insurance originally denied the removal procedure deeming it "cosmetic" (totally ridiculous!), we looked for other options and got connected with Shriner's in Cincinnati. We'll be making a tentative plan with Shriner's for the reconstruction sometime in the next couple months, but we want the best results possible, and for us, that means getting multiple opinions.

Today, we're going to see a local plastic surgeon at Peyton Manning Children's here in Indy. The two options we seem to have so far are: 1. a series of up to three surgeries to remove a small portion of the scar tissue from the graft and pull the scalp together each time (waiting at least 6 months between each surgery), or 2. using tissue expanders under his scalp to create new skin (that would still have hair follicles) to cover the area after the graft was removed. Neither is quick, easy, or painless so we have to carefully considering both.

I'm nervous and excited all at the same time. Nervous to think about the reality of Grant being uncomfortable or in any kind of pain from upcoming procedures and excited to start to put a close to this chapter of his little life.

It's been a humbling journey that's given Tim and I tremendous perspective. I've found family after family through blogs, YouTube, etc. that are experiencing far more challenging journeys with nevus removals and reconstruction. What an education!!

Here's some of Grant's journey...WARNING: a couple of the images are a little graphic.

Grant at 8 months - this is around the age when the hair on the nevus really got thick, coarse, long, and dark!



His last bath at Shriner's the night before surgery. Thank God he had no idea what was coming - he was such a trooper and everyone at the hospital was amazing!

Immediately following the surgery. We were shocked at how large the incision area was. The foam dressing over the graft area was stapled to his scalp...so strange to see your child like that!

This is an entire story in itself...the graft was removed from his hip, closed with steri strips, and four days later broke open. An awful sight and traumatizing to daddy who was home alone with him when it happened. Lots of blood! Grant was so brave through it all!

The result as we see it today. His hair has really thickened up, which almost makes the graft area more noticeable (at least to me). The skin also gets much darker without any hair even when we smother it with sunscreen!

8 Weeks Young

I can't bear to say 8 weeks old...it makes it seem like it's just going too fast. Well, it is...I'm in denial! How cute is this little chubby boy???? Sam is smile city around here - I'm so in love!

I Can't Live Without...

Life with a newborn is crazy. Life with a newborn plus two toddlers is insane. Well, maybe insane is a little harsh...let's call it controlled chaos. Yeah, that sounds like I have it together, right??

Anyway, there are a few tools in my arsenal of keep-the-kids-under-control-at-all-costs that I couldn't be without. The list is rather long and might be rather strange to those without children. What I'm really digging right now are three things...specifically for Sammy-soothing purposes:

1. Exercise ball - this thing has seriously saved me on the crankiest of cranky nights. It works like a charm. You sit with Sam in your arms and it's like you flip a switch to spa-like relaxation for a mad baby.

2. Swaddle contraption - no more crazy arms hitting my poor child in the face while trying to stay asleep! We've actually hit one 4 hour stretch of sleep since using it. This, my friends, is an accomplishment - my boys do NOT like to sleep! I will say that it is slightly challenging to find a swaddle thingy that's big enough for my chubby (and long!) son, but $11 at Babies R Us scored me the last one on the shelf!

3. WubbaNub - thanks to my awesome friend Liz (the one who put me into labor!!) Sam is now a pacifier child and I'm all about it. I'm not a paci-nazi while breastfeeding. I'm a do-whatever-works momma at this stage of the game! These are so cute, they come in almost every animal, and totally eliminates the constant paci hunt...too hard to misplace these things!

What are your stay-sane tools??

Family Time

We spent Saturday a couple weekends ago at a great state park in southern Indiana, McCormick's Creek. Tim resurrected a family tradition and planned a Kegley get together. We're going strong with two years in a row...here's hoping it continues on! With such a large family on his side it's so nice to have time together to catch up!

It was HOT, but we had a great time and the kids were worn out and crazy dirty after lots of running around, climbing, and digging in the dirt. I'm starting to think that Tim and I really have this traveling-with-three-kids thing down. I'd by lying if I didn't say there are times when it can be complete choas and I want to throw myself down and cry like a toddler, but luckily I don't throw tantrums too often...at least not in public. Ha!

P.S. It's 2:45pm on a beautiful Friday afternoon, but the best part: all three kids are SLEEPING...at the same time...what?!?!?!?!?!? Ahhhhhhhhhh