Home safe and sound!!

Well Kiley got to come home yesterday morning, and has been doing great!! I haven't put more pics on and will soon in a couple of days so keep checkin'. I had to get on here though and let all know we got to bring her home!!! Brody is so excited to have his sister home finally and have some of his mommy and daddy's attention. We are all doing great!! Hope all is well with everyone!

COME BACK FOR PICTURES!
(I've got some really cute ones, you won't want to miss it!)

Update on Kiley Lynn...

Well everyone as you know Kiley decided to come early. She arrived on...

July 14th at 5:18am


via C-Section. I was possibly ruptured and leaking fluid, so my doctor ultimately decided to get her out. My due date was Aug. 20th so Kiley was born at only 34 weeks and 4 days!

She was 5 lbs 4 oz. and 18 3/4 "

She has been in the Special Care Nursery (NICU)- at 34 weeks the babies lungs are not fully developed so she had to be on a breathing machine (C-Pap)

for a couple days and had a tube down her throat that helped expand her lungs and also sucked out excess fluids. She also had a an IV that provided her all the things she was lacking- (Electrolytes, and saline, etc.) After that they told us she would not have developed her sucking and swallowing and may have a hard time feeding and have to have a feeding tube. But she didn't she sucked down her whole first bottle and nursed like a champ. Which surprised everyone!! She has been eating great since then. The C-pap and all the tubes came off on day 3, and didn't have to go back on. Which is typical for preemies to do very well and work too hard and then poop out and go backwards. Then she was put under the Billie Light for a few days for Jaundice, also typical for preemies.

She has came off that and has kept up her levels.
I was released on Sat. morning and I am recovering quickly. I visit Kiley twice a days to nurse. She originally was supposed to stay at the hospital anywhere from 1-2 weeks. But she is doing fabulous and it is miraculous to all those involved. She is a fighter!! In the nursery the nurses call her a "Rockstar."


Today is Sunday and in a couple of hours I will return to the hospital to stay over night with her (they call it "nesting"- you stay the night in a room with the baby. The nurses checks on her every 3 hours.) It is to help with the transition in coming home with Kiley. She was due to come home tomorrow around 4. But the doctor wants to see her weight stabilize before giving her the release. She is now at 4 lbs. 13 oz. she has lost a little weight which is normal for newborns to lose 10% of there body weight in the first few days. So now that she is 6 days old the doctor wants it to level off or go back up. So as of tonight her and I may have to stay 1 more day to have the doctor watch her weight. I believe me being there with her may also aid in her staying stable. So I am excited to go stay with her. And will let everyone know when we are both home, safe and sound!!

(and Brody is soo excited! He says "Baby Kiley is fake, cuz she is too small." But he loves holding her hand and giving her kisses.)

Life as of late

We have not been up to much, I have been working three days a week and on my off days I take Brody swimming,to the park, to the library. One day while waiting for my oil change we took a trip to Krispy Kremes and enjoyed a tasty treat...

On the Saturdays when I am not working we go to the lake and cool off. And ride, "Gma and Gpa jet ski fast." Brody loves to go for little rides on the jet skis, but mainly loves to sit in the water with his life vest and noodle and just swim. His new thing is everywhere we go he always happens to find a "Y" stick. I am serious everywhere he finds sticks in perfect Y formation. It is funny.

And since this semester is over Kip has some free time until he goes back to school in August. So he has found time to go fishing and has been taking Brody along with his new "Diego" fishing Pole while mommy is working.

Kip thinks he is a "Bad Bass!!"

Brody too..

Brody couldn't hold the big one. he dropped it, and it flopped all over the ground.

I am now 29 weeks and counting. (Due date: Aug. 13th) Monday we got some new ultrasounds of "baby sister" (that are not very clear.) Doctor estimates 7lbs. 5oz. at birth, give or take. She is head up for now but we are having a scheduled C-section on the 13th so Doc is not worried.

This one is her face you can see her chubby cheeks in white, an eye, her nose, and her little lips. In the ultrasound she kept opening and closing her mouth and the doctor kept talking about her chubby cheeks. (We may have a little Christiansen in here- maybe she'll look like the girls??)

...28 Weeks...


And we have finally decided on a name...

Kiley Lynn Russell

and Brody is sooooo excited! he asks my belly button every morning if, "Baby Kiley come out and play with him yet?"


Other than anxiously waiting on Kiley, we have been enjoying being home all together in the evenings. Making homemade dinners, (it's been awhile.) Watching Kip play softball onTuesdays (wishing I could be playing.) We have as much fun with brodyas we can- he is getting so big, too fast. He loves having Daddy home in the evenings, it's like WWF when dad comes home everynight. They love to wrestle and play till they can't stop laughing. I love it.

Anyways there is a little Russell Pack update.

Until next time!

Spontaneous Mini- Vacation...

Memorial Day - Beach Trip

We decided on Saturday night of Memorial Day weekend that we wanted to go somewhere and do something. So that night we booked a hotel and packed our bags and left at 7:00 Sunday morning on a 6 hour journey to Long Beach, CA. We were on the beach a little after lunch time and the weather was TERRIFIC!

(click on pic above to view it bigger. Or go to facebook to view all the pics.)


Although getting the cheapest hotel in Long Beach was not the best idea but we had a blast anyways. It turns out there is a nice part of Long Beach and a "downtown" version (where the hotel was) but we found a beautiful beach 30 min. away. (Sunset Beach) So we played at Sunset Beach all day got to the hotel to shower and sleep, then woke up and we were on the beach again by 7:00, played on the beach for hours left about lunch time and arrived back at home about 7:00pm. We had so much fun and even though it was short it was a fun little break from life!!

1 day older and wiser too...

Happy Birthday Baby!!

Babe there are soo many reason I am so happy to have you in my life! Here are the top 3 reasons:

1.) You make me feel special, and I love the way you love me!
2.) I love that you are my Best Friend
3.) I love watching you with Brody and what a great example he has for a dad!

Thank you honey for all you do and on your special 27th day, I am so glad I chose you! Happy Birthday from the bottom of my heart.

A little something For You:

Hope you enjoyed the video DADDY!
(you can link here for a previous post that is quite humorous.)