Moving Day has finally arrived...

There were times I thought this day would never come...Moving Day! The boxes have all been packed and are ready to be loaded onto the 18 wheeler sitting in front of our house. Darin and I are so excited and ready to be settled into our new house in Tulsa. However, there are lots of great things about The Colony that we will miss, most importantly the great friends we've made here. And we know we will be back to visit. I personally will be back in December for two weeks to finish out my obligations at work.

Our little Lincoln is finally growing on us! It was slow at first, but at Tuesday's 2 week well visit, he weighed in at 6.05 pounds. Our goal was to be at least back up to birth weight. The pediatrician heard a little murmur while listening to his heartbeat, so she sent us back to Presby Plano for a Chest X Ray and EKG on our little man. Poor guy....he wasn't a big fan of being prodded on. Thank goodness he won't remember that event. The doctor called today and said everything looked fine on the test results but that we should follow up with a cardiologist in Tulsa. We'll be in a hurry to find a pediatrician in Tulsa for his one month check up and get his/her opinion on the heart murmur.

I have survived

After 30 straight days in the hospital, I was finally realsed to go home with a beautiful baby boy on Halloween! Although he is worth every minute in the hospital...it is SO GOOD to be home. Our very sweet neighbors, Bailey and Alexis, made a beautiful sign to welcome Lincoln home. He is so loved already!

We are slowly getting into a routine of feeding, sleeping and diaper changing....all of which will be thrown for a loop next week when we make the big move to Tulsa! We can't wait to get settled in our Tulsa home and put together a nursery for Lincoln.

If you are in the Tulsa area, we hope you will come and visit!

Lincoln Mitchell Moden

Our baby boy has arrived! We are so excited that Lincoln has made his entrance into this world and that he is safe and healthy. We were so thrilled that there was no need for him to go to the NICU. He arrived at 4:05 am on Sunday, October 26th. He is 5 lbs and 11 oz and 18.5 inches long. We are very proud parents and can't wait to all go home.

Blood Pressure...Not a Fluke

It turns out that my elevated blood pressure was not just a fluke. The following visit resulted in an overnight stay at Centennial Hospital where they monitored my blood pressure every 15 minutes and later on in the night, every four hours. They also did a 24 hour urine collection to test for protein in the urine. After 24 hours I was released from the hospital and sent home on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. I was told to monitor my blood pressure 4 times a day and if the top number got to 150 or the bottom number got to 100, call the doctor. Otherwise I would be seeing the doctor twice a week until I deliver. I went back to the Dr. on Monday and they did a non stress test on the baby (listened to his heartbeat and monitored any contractions). My blood pressure was still a little high, but not in a danger zone.

Three days later....I went back to the doctor on Thursday. My blood pressure reading was 158/96!!!! I knew I was headed back to the hospital. Unfortunately, this trip to the hospital was going to be an EXTENDED stay. My doctor said I would be staying until I deliver, which could be as long as 5 weeks. I was crushed. The thought of being on bed rest was bad enough, let alone being a prisoner in a hospital for the remainder of my pregnancy. Not exactly how I'd dreamed of finishing out my pregnancy.

So, here I am....10 days into my indefinite stay. Good news is that my blood pressure has stayed out of the danger zone. A 160 on top or 110 on the bottom will result in induction or a c-section. And the baby looks good on the twice a day monitoring and once a week sonograms. Each day we can keep Lincoln inside increases our chances of taking him home with us from the hospital. Bad news is that I might need some medication for my sanity before too long!!!

In the meantime....we accepted an offer on our house! Darin will be spending a little time the next few weeks in Tulsa looking for a place to live. Never a dull moment around here!!!

Baby Shower at Tahlequah UMM

The Tahlequah United Methodist Church hosted a baby shower for Darin and I....a shower we weren't able to go to. My mom and Connie did the honors of opening the gifts at the shower. Lloyd and Connie then brought all the gifts down to Dallas and to my hospital room for Darin and I to open them. It was the highlight of my week! I feel so blessed to have had so many showers. There are lots of prayers going up for this little guy, and we are so thankful.

Baby Shower with Dallas Friends

I almost didn't make this shower! Due to a 24 hour hospital visit we had to move the time of the shower back a bit, but I made it after all.

Thanks Alisha for all the great food and the wonderful decorations that you made. It was a very special day.

Baby Shower with Tyler Friends

My sweet friends in Tyler had a baby shower for me on September 21st. It was a great day with good food and great friends. It was nice to catch up with some of the friends I hadn't seen in a while. Thanks Rebekah and Jennifer for hosting such a wonderful day!