Grayton's celebration was wonderful!!! Travis and I were overwhelmed (in such a great way!) at the generosity of our friends and family. We donated to the NICU, at Children's Hospital of Birmingham in Grayton's memory,at least 75 pairs of booties, 26 tubes of Bodreaux's, 34 hats and 69 receiving blankets. Plus, there was over $500 worth of gift cards donated! Our hope is CDH babies will be "dressed and outfitted" for the next decade!!



Everyone was so, so sweet to send things for the babies, as well as spend their Saturday making Chandeliers for the isolets! A special thank you to Brandy, Brooke, Sonia and Retha for hosting the special, special day! It was truly amazing....and....I didn't cry all day!! Definitely a feat in itself!



The NICU has a new floor since we were there (thank goodness..for so many reasons)!! It was beautiful! The colors were so soothing, bed spaces were further apart, and the entire area was much more quiet (maybe because we weren't there :) ) . As Travis noted, it didn't sound like a casino with all of the machine's beepers going off!

It was WONDERFUL to see Grayton's nurses, Angela and Jenny. I'm blessed to see Angela periodically but we haven't seen Jenny since Grayton's Angel day. They both looked great and Jenny was glad to hear about Gray being on the way. Travis pointed out that they'd have to come see Gray when he was born because we are not going to coming to Children's (oh God, please don't led us there again!).

I'll post other pictures later.

Love y'all!
Leigh

One year ago today....

One year ago today, we found out we'd be having Grayton on the 9th (which was a Friday) via scheduled C-Section. Little did I know what her coming into the world (she wasn't diagnosed with CDH until birth) would bring…both good and bad. I miss her each and every day. I was just thinking yesterday (not to sound ungrateful) that I kind of wish we were expecting a girl and the words came to me out of nowhere – "God doesn't give me what I want….He gives me what I need." I truly felt like He was speaking to me and a peace just came over me.

While no baby will ever replace Grayton, I just pray I've had my "special" child and He'll bless Gray to be whole and healthy. Before finding out what we were having, deep down I knew it was a boy. I think it's God's way of preparing me for the news of baby boy.

Friday is Travis and my anniversary! Saturday is Grayton's celebration (I'm really looking forward to it). Travis seems to think I'll have a harder time with her Birthday than I realize. I just pray God will give me the strength to make it through the day and concentrate on the many blessing we've received because of Grayton! I know her short life was for a purpose....it seems as if every day something good happens because she was born and went to Heaven.




BTW: Amy - thanks for the words to describe my thoughts!

CDH Babies - Prayer Requests

The following CDH (congenital diaphragmatic hernia) cherubs are on their way here. Please keep them and their families in your prayers!

Daisy Moore – Due ?
Amy Marie Meyers – Due ???
Basile Gibeaux - Due 2009-03-02
Nicolas Lesende - Due 2009-04-02
Piper Brooklyn Waddell - Due 2009-04-07
Jon Lee S. - Due 2009-04-11
Andrew Lee Whitten - Due 2009-04-17
Gabriela Monteiro - Due 2009-05-14
Avery Mae Keirsey - Due 2009-05-15
Baby Porretta - Due 2009-06-09
Giavanna Digregorio - Due 2009-06-12
Baby Clarketimmins - Due 2009-06-15
James Reeve 2009-06-15
Cameron Zane Redmon 2009-06-20
Baby Price - Due 2009-06-21
Eli Camden Harvey - Due 2009-06-24
Baby Slager - Due 200907-02
Gabriella Morgan Groenewald - Due 2009-07-05
Baby Brogden - Due 2009-07-06
Kamryn Hope Studdard - Due 2009-07-08
Jacob Thomas Zimmerman - Due 2009-07-18
Blake Francis Lapierre – Due 2009-07-20
Emma Ballard – Due 2009-07-31
Xavier Marcus Mumaw – Due 2009-08-02
Baby Hubbard – Due 2009-08-07
Ireland Rose B - Due 2009-08-23
Jonathan Louis Moehl - Due 2009-09-13

Ultrasound

He has a full name!

Gray (after Grayton) Kennedy (my middle name from my paternal grandmother's maiden name) Creekbaum

I said to Travis, "If Gray's got to have the name "Creekbaum" for the rest of his life, then he's going to have something from my side of the family." (sorry, Grandpa) Thankfully, he agreed.

Thank you to everyone who sent prayers and words of encouragement not only for Gray, but also for Travis' quick recovery. He seems to be doing better. He received some strong shots, a Z pac, as well as an antibotic, Avelox, used to treat pnuemonia.

In between his coughs, we decided on the name Gray Kennedy Creekbaum! At least he can share Grayton's unisex looking monogrammed things because they have the same initals!

Love you all!
Leigh, Travis, Ace, Allie, Karleigh (our 4 legged children) and 'baby Gray'

It's a.........

BOY!!!!

The first thing the ultrasound tech noticed was....we are blessed to be expecting a boy! Heartrate (135 bpm) was great, diaphram seems to be intact, all 4 chambers of the heart were seen and the brain looks fine. He - who we are naming Gray- had his hands above his head the whole time as if to say, "Hey! Look at me! I'm not a girl!". Anyway, other than Travis feeling absolutely horrible, we are all fine. My next doctor's appointment is the "big one" with Dr. Gonzalez, the maternal fetal medicine doctor, on May 14th. Please continue to keep us, especially Gray (no middle name decided yet), in your prayers that he will be "diagnosed" as a healthy, normal baby boy.



Thanks so much for all of your prayers! Oh yeah, please pray Travis feels better very soon. He's going back to the doctor this afternoon. He feels so horrible that I don't even think he has the energy to be excited about expecting a little hunter. However, he is the best husband in the entire world! He went to my appointment with me even though he just wants to be at home in the bed. In fact, when Dr. Stradtman walked into the room, she looked at me and said, "You sound terrible. I could hear you coughing all the way down the hall." I just pointed to Travis because, unfortunately, he was the trooper making all the noise.



If I can get my CDH friend, Christy, to help me load the ultrasound pictures (wink! wink!), then those will be posted soon.



Love y'all,

Leigh

Angel Kaden Alex Kuehl

Sadly, yesterday Kaden joined Grayton in heaven. They are both, along with many, many other CDH angels (Faith, Drake, Addison, Maxton and the list goes on and on) playing in God's nursery free from ECMO, tubes, vents, etc. Please keep Kristi and Craig in your prayers as they mourn the loss of Kaden while grasping the understand of God's plan. May they have the peace only He can give them and us. I pray God will wrap His healing arms around the Kuehl family, as well as Kaden's sister - Jessica.



http://kadenalexkuehl.blogspot.com