The First of Many Celebrations

Saturday was a day of celebration and thankfulness. Abigail Jane celebrated her 1 month birthday as well as her baptism. Early Saturday morning we had Abigail baptized in the NICU. It was a great ceremony. The NICU staff allowed us to have several people at bedside to attend the christening. My parent's priest was able to come on short notice and did a beautiful job. She was blessed by her parents, grandparents, aunts, cousin, and godfather.


The luau birthday party was to commence after the baptism, but shortly after the ceremony, as Jay and I were decorating her bed and area (Oh Yes We Did), the doctor's and nurses surprised us. They had arranged for her to join the birthday party so we could sing to her and partake in some hula dancing. It was great to surprise our family as we wheeled the birthday girl into the party. We sang "Happy Birthday", opened some presents and of course took several hundreds of pictures from which you will see she thoroughly enjoyed herself to say the least.

After she was back at her tiki hut and ready for visitors, the touring hours began. Jay and I introduced Abigail to several new family and friends throughout the day. She is a very popular hula princess. We had 40 people visit her that day! Thank you all so much; Jay and I really appreciate you all making the drive to celebrate our little girl. And to those of you who weren't able to make it, thank you for all your birthday wishes and we hope you enjoy these pictures, and the many more to come.

Jay and I are looking forward to our next party; however, everyday of our life is a celebration of the joyful blessings Abigail has brought to us. She lights up our days and will forever bring smiles to our faces. It's amazing how someone so small can change our lives in such gigantic way. We're working on that small part though, maybe a few more cookie cake birthday parties will do the trick.

Abigail Jane Warren!!!

Friends and Family of AJ,

In case you have not heard, or checked our the blog, we have a beautiful baby girl! We would like to thank all of you for your continued prayers and support. You all rule. We have had a tense few weeks sitting around waiting for a diagnosis from the doctors. Abigail has been in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for the first few weeks of her already blessed life. The doctors told us that she had some abnormalities when she was born and that further testing would be required to determine her status. After extensive tests and some retesting the doctors have diagnosed her with Zellwegers Syndrome. We are attaching a website that will help explain in better detail what that is.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/zellweger/zellweger.htm

The low-down is that AJ's brain did not develop properly from the beginning. She also has a small hole in her heart, some kidney problems, cataracts, low muscle tone, and some hearing loss. To be discharged from the NICU she will have to show the abilities to maintain her own body temperature, regulate her respiratory rate, and to feed. She still has not shown the natural instinct to feed herself and will most likely require a direct feeding tube into her stomach before she comes home. AJ has also had some trouble breathing recently. She has been on a ventilator for the past few days and will likely have trouble breathing for the rest of her life. As you all will probably soon read the prognosis for Zellwegers is poor. We want each of you to know how excited we are to be parents. We consider ourselves extremely lucky to be able to hold our baby and to tell her we love her. Many parents never make it this far and never get to experience the awesome feelings that we now cherish.

Our future appears to hold many tough moments and some pretty daunting challenges, but we are excited to get out there and live life to the very fullest with our beautiful baby girl. One of our great teachers told us that, "Everyone comes into our lives for a reason. They teach us something about life and ourselves." Abigail is teaching us to cherish every moment we have with those we love and care about. We thank all you again for your concerns and support. We look forward to a long, happy life with the most beautiful girl either one of us has ever met.

Very sincerely,
Jay, Lauren Lea, Abigail, and Killer

p.s. This Saturday (June 28, 2008) we are throwing a one month birthday party for Abigail on the 5th floor of Wilford Hall Medical Center (Lackland AFB, San Antonio) and you all are invited. No need to bring a gift, she has more clothes than any one person could ever need. Party hats will be worn...

HOLY SHIT!

Holy shit we have a kid! And she beat her dad home...she's good. And Jay is the coolest!

After a very short labor at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Abigail made it known that she needed to come out via emergency c-section. The labor didn't provide any time for phone calls or updates, barely enough time for Debbie to get the labor bag from the car. Abigail Jane quietly arrived at 10:40 p.m. (2240 for you military types) Wednesday, May 28, 2008. Finally after the longest few minutes of our lives, she made a peep and was rushed to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) for high fives and hot chocolate. That is what we like to tell ourselves.

Once I arrived from recovery, we were finally able to contact Red Cross to spread the word to Jay. Thankfully his unit was able to put him on a plane back home the next morning. Daddy was finally on his way home! And Jay is the coolest. Just after receiving that awesome phone call 9:30 a.m., I was able to meet the most beautiful bundle of joy in the world. She was amazing. It had been really tough sitting through recovery after the c-section thinking somethings missing here, where's our baby?

Jay's plane arrived late Friday evening. Let's just say it got a little emotional in the labor & delivery hallway that night. I couldn't believe he was walking towards me...it was like a dream come true. I took him over to the NICU right away to meet Abigail. Once they locked eyes, I knew he was going to refuse to share the baby with anyone. Including the mother. We are definitely smittin'. And Jay is the coolest.

Abigail is doing really well in the NICU. She is totally chillaxin' like a pro. She is obviously the most loved child in the World right now. The doctors are telling us that she will probably be there through the end of the month. She has some exercising to do before she can leave, so Jay is running the PT sessions every day. And Jay is the coolest.

Bring it on Home to Me

A message from Jay:

I reckon it's about time I said something to the cheering masses..."I'm coming home...made up my mind, that's what I'm gonna do...can'tlove nobody on the telephone...I'm coming home to you!" Ok maybe thatwasn't for the masses but my large-and-in-charge wife (read: big girl).Thanks to everyone who helped out Lauren Lea, AJ and the Killer Dogwhile I was busy playing soldier. I'm much obliged for all the love andsupport everyone gave to my ladies. My unit should be leaving soon tomake the long voyage home. I hope you all will pray for us because I amterrified of flying. Or maybe just not being in control of the hugechunk of metal being hurled through the atmosphere...

Lauren Lea is definitely the more gifted blogger so I will let her takethe reins back, but I wanted to thank everyone again for taking greatcare of my lovely ladies. See you all soon!

Jay

2 Weeks and Counting!

Oh my goodness can you believe that it's almost June. Crazy! My giddiness is getting a little out of control, hehe :) Less than two weeks and Jay is back in the states. It looks like it will be a very close call come early June...the combat boots are running head to head with Abigail Jane's little tootsies. It might come down to a photo finish. Oh lets be honest, there will definitely be photos.

My doctor's appointment yesterday was very exciting! I really didn't think anything was going to happen since it was so close to my last appointment, but as he was doing an ultrasound, I was apparently having contractions, haha. I didn't even know it. He told me and I said, "What seriously?". I couldn't feel anything. The only way he could show me was to have me feel my belly. The uterus was like a rock near the top, I just thought that meant she was sticking her butt in the air, haha. I had a couple of them during the ultrasound, so he decided he would check my cervix and apparently it is ripening quite nicely. It has thinned out a lot but hasn't dilated any. I asked what that meant and he said well he couldn't say anything for certain, but that I was probably not going to make it to full term (40 weeks). So that being said, it looks like we are only a few weeks away. Today, I am 36 weeks! That means she may be coming in 2 to 3 weeks, CRAZY!!!

I was so anxious to talk to Jay and tell him this astounding news that our little girl seems to be in a rush to meet us. I bet she's trying to get in on the baseball action too. My guess is she is shooting to make it before the College World Series or the Astros-Yankees series. Wouldn't that be nice! Let's hope those Aggies don't continue to choke at the end of their season.

Anyway back to telling Jay...after he caught his breath and finally finished a complete phrase which ended up being "Oh boy"...he said that I needed to do everything I could to keep her cookin' for a little longer. He reminded me that he can't obviously drive from Afghanistan. I just told him to make sure there are no delays in his return and I'll do my best to not pass out from this exhausting Texas heat and that was all I could promise. Needless to say, I think I shocked him a little with that news. I love that!

I guess we are as ready as we are going to be...I hope you all are as well. I know its going to be a shock seeing Jay and I holding our little angel, so just make sure you're all prepared. I don't go back to the Dr. again for two weeks. Crazy, I know! The doctor even said, well I hope you still have a baby in there when I see you again. haha...I guess we'll see!

In the Home Stretch Now!

So the mountain man finally came down from his lonely look out. His call was the best birthday present ever! He was a little out of it at 3 am his time, but I'll take whatever I can get. He's so sweet when he is delirious. After 24 days of solitude, no hygiene what so ever and sleeping on rocks, Jay and his fellow un-bathed com padres finally heard the beautiful bird arriving to take them back to the oh so civilized Bagram. That's gotta be an oxymoron. And on top of that, it does sound like he's pretty much done with his duty and waiting around for his trip home. What a way to end a 6 month long deployment. He has about 2 weeks left at Bagram filled with out processing and a few more meetings before returning to good old Georgia. His estimation of return to the states is around the first of June. And as we have all learned with Army intelligence, this means nothing, no definites and can change at any time. But Guys...We Are In The Home Stretch Now!

After all the missions and the delectable MRE's (dehydrated meals), Jay's protein bulked body that he left with has depleted to a much leaner muscular version as was expected. I guess he's similar to when he arrived back from Basic Training. You all remember the slim jim at the alter touting a waist size very close to mine. haha just kidding. Although I am very worried that between his loss and my gain we are getting dangerously close to meeting in the middle.

As for me, the baby shower this past weekend was a great family and close friend gathering to end the shower season. My Aunt Dale and Jeanette threw a wonderful brunch for many ooohing and awwing ladies. There was a platter of adorable Abigail cookies and a fabulous cranberry punch. (Isn't it funny how I always must comment on the food and beverages, haha). We received so many great gifts, cute outfits, and very useful supplies of diapers and wipes. My mom and I were successful putting the stroller and carrier together the next day. That was a great reality to see sitting in the living room!

Furthermore, I had a great time celebrating the holiday weekend with Jay's family who were able to come down and stay with us out at the lake house. A little shopping and dining in Gruene and bbqing and lounging out at the lake made for an incredibly relaxing Mother's Day and Birthday! Killer obviously had a exhausting time playing with my cousin Nicole and nephew Nicholas.

Oh and on top of all that I finally had another Drs. Appt with a different doctor this time. The new doctor was really nice. He looked younger but claims to have 7 children ranging from 2 yrs to 15 yrs, wow. Jay don't get any ideas! The ultrasound was very quick and I only managed to get one picture out of them. Its of her face and you can make out the nose, lips and supposedly she is sticking her tongue out a little. Like my dad does when he is concentrating. haha. She is weighing in at 4lbs 14oz right now. I also talked with him about the next few weeks and what they would entail. After not having an appointment for a month, I will now be going every week. goodness. He said that he would start checking my progress around 37 weeks. I am 35 weeks and 2 days now. He is aware of our situation and again said that there won't be a reevaluated due date until probably early June. That is really all I have to report, but as I said I will go again in a week. I doubt I will have anything new then either though because I can't really see what they are going to do. Oh and good news, they didn't weigh me so I am still ignorant to the fact that I quite possibly weigh the same or more than Jay due to his deployment diet. You better start hoovering those power bars babe!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

I am sorry my posts are coming fewer and farther between. There just seems to be so much happening that I can't get a moment to capture it all in a short and sweet blog entry. The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of baby celebrations. So many wonderful friends got together to celebrate Abigail Jane's upcoming arrival. April 19th Cathy Beicker and Glenda Moreno (two lovely mothers of friends of mine who I have known forever) hosted a come and go shower which celebrated both a mom-to-be and a grandma-to-be. It was a great laid back chit chat party with ladies' nibblets and some amazing lime sherbet punch. Unfortunately all of the great moments were captured in my memory and not on paper. I had a spurt of mommy-memory-loss and didn't pull my camera out for anything.

The next day my parents and I drove to Houston to say Hello to our good friends, the Astros. I am sure you have heard of them, the madmen of Minute Maid Park. The weather was great so the roof was open and it wasn't too crowded. My mom did, however, have to give up her seat for the handicap section since she was still sporting her immobilizer and couldn't quite make it down the steps to our seats. But Dad and I took turns keeping her company. We are sure our presence at the Sunday game was what sparked a fire in the 'stros' bats and started a nice little winning streak. It was the least we could do after all the joy and frustration they have given us over the years.

The following weekend, April 26th, I had another shower which included the gals from high school and their mothers. I did actually remember to pull my camera out for this get together. Molly Oehlke and Liz Sedlacek did an amazing job with the luncheon at El Ranchito. My face was hurting so much from consistent laughing and smiling caused by reminiscing hilarious moments from our teenage years. It was so nice to see all those girls again. I must say we are all looking quite beautiful in our maturity. Many other friends from Mom and Dad's offices and out of town guests joined in the celebration as well.

We have received so many wonderful gifts from everyone at all the showers. Every one's enormous generosity is so overwhelming. Jay and I are so grateful to have such caring friends and family who continue to keep us in their hearts. We are so blessed to have such a large circle of faith and friendship. Thank you all again for celebrating our little miracle's upcoming debut.

The other reason I was slow to get back to you all, was my lack of contact with Jay and not having anything to update. He left on a 2 week, no contact, mission just before my last entry and said he would not be in touch again for a couple of weeks. It was to be early May before we heard from him again. I have been anxiously awaiting early May to get here, and as of this afternoon I had not heard a peep, not an email, nor a call. But thankfully when I got home today (Saturday), after a fun filled day in San Antonio watching Daniel's 7 on 7 football tournament, I discovered an email from Sgt. Blair, Jay's direct superior and friend:

Lauren Lea,
Hey, I'm writing to let you know that your husband has been extended on his mission by 5 days at his current location. He will be back around the 10th. He just wanted me to let you know. He is doing a great job out there.
Sean Blair

Good to know! And that's all I've got on Jay, haha. At least it's something. We'll take what we can get. He just knew I would be wondering what was going on after not hearing anything by now. I sent on my love and immense gratitude to Sgt. Blair for his update. I am not sure if you are all aware, but Jay was accepted to OCS (Officer Candidate School) recently and will be attending probably early next year. This will mean a new standing as a soldier and a new job. We do not know what his next job will be or where he'll be working after he passes OCS and becomes an officer, but we will most likely be moving again in about a year.

One last note...One of my favorite qualities that I think makes Texas so beautiful is that we have such an amazing array of wildlife and vegetation. May is a gorgeous month for wildflowers as we all have noticed while driving down our Texas highways. But one of my favorite wildflowers is one not seen on the highways, in front of city hall, or by "Welcome to Our Town" signs; it is the one whose blooms soften and brighten up a harsh unpopular plant growing all over south Texas. The cactus blossoms open up in shades of golden yellows, vibrant oranges and fiery reds. I feel so lucky every year because they always bloom right around my birthday. They are such a beautiful surprise amongst the May flowers. I hope you are noticing them as you drive down your neighboring country roads because this is the cactus's one shining moment all year long. I think they deserve our attention for these few weeks of spring. Love you guys, talk to you again soon!