Are You Ready for Some Football...

We have been away for sometime now but are back just in time for Football Season! John had the great idea (somewhat copied from John Michael Vincent from 1260 am The Drive and Channel 13 Sports) to have Cooper predict the outcome of each NFL football game by pulling out a ping pong ball with each team written on them. So I went a step further, with my creativity, and drew the names and logos of each team on a ping pong ball. It was quite tedious but turned out awesome. So we are now on Week #2. Cooper loves the ping pong balls and from a preschool developmental employee it is working on his fine motor skills! So far here are the outcomes: (the teams in ALL CAPS are the ones he picks)

Week #1

COLTS vs Jaguars

PATRIOTS vs Bills

Raiders vs CHARGERS

PACKERS vs Bears

STEELERS vs Titans

FALCONS vs Dolphins

Broncos vs BENGALS

VIKINGS vs Browns

SAINTS vs Lions

COWBOYS vs Buccaneers

RAVENS vs Chiefs

EAGLES vs Panthers

GIANTS vs Redskins

TEXANS vs Jets

SEAHAWKS vs Rams

CARDINALS vs 49ers

Cooper did pretty well his first week. He went 13 wins and 3 losses. I wonder how this weeks picks will hold up? Here are his predictions:

Week #2

Panthers vs FALCONS

VIKINGS vs Lions

Bengals vs PACKERS

TEXANS vs Titans

RAIDERS vs Chiefs

PATRIOTS vs Jets

SAINTS vs Eagles
Rams vs REDSKINS

CARDINALS vs Jaguars

Buccaneers vs BILLS

SEAHAWKS vs 49ers

STEELERS vs Bears

Browns vs BRONCOS

Ravens vs CHARGERS

GIANTS vs Cowboys

Colts vs DOLPHINS

Long Time, No Hear...

It has been quite sometime since I have blogged last. I really enjoy this blog but somehow it has managed to creep its way to the bottom of my list of priorities but definitely above cleaning house...haha. Things are definitely going much better since I last blogged. Cooper is now 5 months old! I don't know what is more shocking--Cooper being 5 months or the fact that I have not worked in 5 months! He continues to amaze me everyday. He is smiling all the time, reaching and grabbing everything, and is eating baby food! I've decided to take him to day care one day a week this summer to get all 3 of us (including sitter) used to the idea. Yesterday was his first day. It was totally awesome to sleep in for as long as I wanted! I had a massage that John bought for me some time ago. I really wasn't worried at all about him! He did fantastic and of course so did I!

We have celebrated many events lately. John and I both had our first mother's/father's days, our 2nd anniversary and John's birthday. John and I went to Siesta Key, FL for our anniversary. It was our first trip without the Coopster. We had a great time and didn't stress too much being away from him.

Things to look forward to: more weddings this summer, Beth's bachelorette party that I am planning and am so pumped for, a few concerts, the 4th of July, my weight slowly coming off, and my acne getting amazingly better (with the help of drugs)!

The Things I Miss...

I wouldn't say I am depressed but I have been thinking about how much my life has changed! Having Cooper was the greatest thing to have ever happened to me but nothing anyone told me could ever have prepared me for this! John continues to tell me I need to be medicated because I tend to get really stressed out about things and when Cooper cries, which I am lucky because it is not that often. I have been replacing pictures of my life BC (before Cooper or Chaos) with pictures of now. As I stare at the old ones my BC life flashes before me and I am reminded of all the things I miss dearly....

I love being on a schedule but my life consists of the exact same thing everyday ..Feeding/changing/bathing/rocking/pleasing in anyway a baby. I run the dishwasher and do laundry at least 2 times a day. When I was working I wanted to be home so bad to do things for myself now I want to do things for myself so bad again. If he sleeps I feel lucky to be able to shower and brush my teeth. I miss working and interacting with other adults (if nothing else just to have someone to bitch to)!

I miss sleeping in! I loved sleeping in BC. John is wonderful to do Cooper duty on the weekends so I can sleep in but it is nothing like really sleeping in...I still wake up to every little sound he makes wondering if he is ok or if I need to get up to do something.

I miss what I used to look like. In June we will be married 2 years and this week 3 years ago I went on vacation with John and his family. His family is on the annual vacation without us so I reminisce through old pictures. I look nothing like I did 3 years ago or even when we were married. I never thought that appearances would bother me but it haunts me everyday. My body will never look the same no matter what I try. I have stretched marks everywhere you can imagine! I don't think I can ever wear a normal bathing suit again that will not show them! I once had nice looking legs now they are covered in a million little scars from the PUPPS I had when I was pregnant, I thought that they would fade away??!! I have pretty bad acne, which I have never had even a little zit in my life! My back is covered with zits and scars from pregnancy acne. I am losing the baby weight slowly everyday but I still cannot fit in a lot of the things that I used to be able to that I love and refuse to get rid of. Will I ever be able to wear them again or will they ever fit right again?

I miss just doing what we want....we cannot go to a movie like we used to or anywhere without our little man. John and I had a lot of fun when it was just the two of us but did we not do enough of the things we loved BC? Everything we do now we have to center it around Cooper. Make sure he is changed, eats before, and is sleeping. Or if we go somewhere and he gets fussy then our trip is cut short.

I am a lot older than my mom was when she had me and even my brother but I really have a new found respect for her. How did she work full time, take care of a 2 year old and newborn, and do everything around the house when she was only 22? She is the most amazing woman and mother I have ever met! There is no way I will ever be able to live up to that!

Now that I have let out all my sorrow (thank god for a blog so I have some type of release) I can get on with my day. As I sit here typing and looking at my sweet baby boy sleeping I cannot imagine my life without him. He is amazing and the greatest, hardest gift I could ever receive. It will be so hard for me to return to work without him during the day.

Just like everyone says your life will never be the same but my life has so much more meaning and joy in it! No one said it would be easy or that I would not miss the little things.

My First Easter

Cooper had his very first Easter! I cannot believe how big he is getting. Has it really been 3 months already??!!? He has moved onto size 1 diapers now instead of newborn! Coop is starting to really smile when you talk to him. He weighs 12 pounds! Not only did he shit on his Nana but now he has shit on my Mamaw too! Only she didn't have me around to take her picture. What a pooper that cooper is!

Coop received his first Easter baskets from his Mamaw and Papaw and his Nana and Papaw. Am I a horrible mother because I didn't get him a basket? I figured everyone else did and he wouldn't remember anyway! Plus I get him stuff almost everyday. Cooper made his debut in Church as well, only to sleep the entire time.

As a family we went to get our first pictures taken along with his 3 month ones. They turned out great. I will post the link to see them once I receive the email.

We found out over Easter weekend that my mom has to have surgery on her back/neck. She has 2 herniated discs and a spiny growth pushing on her spinal cord causing nerve damage/pressure. So right now, since I have ample time to update the blog, I am stilling in the waiting room of the hospital. Cooper is enjoying a fun filled day with his Auntie Em and mommy is enjoying some time to herself! Cody, the awesome little bro, surprised everyone with a visit! They figured it out before we could really surprise them!

I will send updates and pictures (of course I took some) from Cody's visit and my mom's hospital adventures!

The Life & Times of Cooper...

It has been a long time since I blogged last (over a month ago!). I didn't realize how little time you have to yourself when you have a little guy around but I definitely wouldn't trade it for the world. Here are all the latest and greatest about what had been happening in our lives.



Courtney: I have been off all steroids for about a month now, I feel much better and slowly am starting to look like myself again. I am being tapered off of all the blood pressure medicine that I was taking! Things are looking great for me, finally since it has already been 8 weeks! I guess I keep forgetting how very sick I was when he was born! Now I am starting the weight loss journey and hopefully can get rid of my acne! Purdue won the Big Ten Tournament, Awesome!!

John: says there is nothing new about him! He is still very distraught over IUs basketball season. (He's just upset because my alma mater (Purdue) is so much better!). He is excited now for the NCAA Tournament and for Baseball to start up again.



Cooper: Saving the best for last! He is growing like a weed. When he came home he was 5 lbs 15oz. 7 weeks later, 10 lbs 10 oz.! What a chunk! He is now 21 inches long! I have to use size 1 Pampers instead of Newborn and he has outgrown many of his newborn outfits. It really does sneak up on you how fast they grow. Yesterday was his first round of shots. He had all 5 of them done at once, 3 in one leg and 2 in the other. I had to hold him down on the table, it was very hard to do. I can definitely see why moms cry when they have to do that! I held it together though. My mother-in-law came up to stay with us in case he had a bad night or reacted bad to the shots. He was excellent. Just like nothing ever happened to him. He is quite the little fighter! I finally let him off of house arrest. We are now going out and about! He highly enjoys his car seat and car rides. He had made many Wal-Mart trips now. I did take our first Wal-Mart trip picture, after all it is historic...haha. I am going to close this entry with a great story from last night. Bev, my mother-in-law, was changing his diaper at 11 o'clock last night, before his bedtime feeding. He had been straining very hard to poop. When she went to change him there was a little hard pebble. Then out of nowhere he shot out a cannon of poop right at Bev. She has covered in poop! It was all over the floor, on his blanket, clothes and couch. It was hysterical! Of course I had to take a picture, so enjoy it!

I love my Uncle Cody!

Cooper had a great 1st Valentine's Day weekend. He finally got to meet his Uncle Cody. My family came up to our house to stay the whole weekend with us. It was quite something to have all of us together! John and I had our first "date" since Cooper was born. We had dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory where I enjoyed my first glass of wine only to be followed by a pomegranate mimosa later that night.

Uncle Cody was hilarious to watch. When asked what he thought of Cooper his only comment was he is so little and soft. He was totally awestruck with him. Cody and I have never been around newborn babies before, so all of it is a new experience for the both of us. For the first few days he would only sit by him and rub his hands. Finally his last day here he fed him and held him. It was so neat to see my brother with my little man. I just wish he lived closer!

Growing Boy

Cooper is doing fantastic! We had our first doctor appointment last Monday. He has greatly improved in all areas! When he was born he weighed 6 lbs 1 oz, when he came home he was 5 lbs 15 1/2 oz, and now he is 6 lbs 10 oz!! He also grew 1/2 inch in length. I cannot wait to see what his measurements will be next week for his one month check up. Can you believe my little man will be a month soon!?! He has not set off his monitor (aka his murse (man purse)) at all for the last week, it is looking good that he might get rid of it soon!

Let's see other updates....he is totally living up to the nickname "Cooper the Pooper". It never fails that he poops every diaper change and Daddy seems to always get the worst ones..haha. He is still sensitive to what he eats. I tried to breastfeed but it did not happen, nothing came in! I was so upset but these things happen and I have moved on. Cooper does not like the powder formula so we are stuck using premixed can formula. For now this is ok but what do I do when I need to go somewhere, take a refrigerator and microwave with me..haha. Hopefully by the point we are ready to leave the house he can do powder.

I am still getting used to being a Mama! It is tough work. I get so worried about his monitor that I am slightly afraid to be alone with him, in case I need a shower or bathroom or anything. So my mom, John's mom, and my grandparents have all stayed with me. Nighttime is scary too. I am almost afraid to go to sleep in case I can't hear what is going on. I am sure this is normal but no sleep is taking its toll on me. Cooper makes so many noises that I am not used to and not sure what they mean. It is getting better.

Winston has been a blessing! Who knew all I had to do was have a baby and he would be the worlds best dog! He lays around all day and protects Cooper and I. He is excellent with him. I couldn't ask for anything better!

This weekend is going to be busy one for all of us. Uncle Cody is coming to visit for the first time!! John and I are going to go out on our first date since Cooper for Valentine's Day! We are very excited!

Cooper is Home!!

Cooper came home a few days ago. We are adjusting nicely to being new parents. Waking up in the middle of the night hasn't been too bad since we take turns. He has a monitor that stays on all the time. It makes me very nervous but it is better to be safe than sorry. Hopefully he will only need it for 4 to 6 weeks.

Winston has been staying with my mom and dad for the past three weeks. He finally came home as well. He has been amazing with the baby. He is Coopers little protector. Winston loves to look at him and sniff.

Today we gave Coop his first bath. He did not like it at all but I got some great pictures. The other big event today was that he peed allover his face, clothes, and bed he was laying in. Of course it was all Daddys fault...haha.

The Labor Experience....

It has now been 9 days since I gave birth to a sweet, perfect little boy, Cooper Jackson McFadden. I am not going to lie, it was HELL every minute I worked to get him here but now that I see him, hold him, smell him I forget all the trouble I went through. It was worth every second! Here is the dreaded story (brace yourself for all of this):

8:00AM Monday 1/19/09: One of the OBs that works with my OB (the one on call for the hospital and the same one who sent me there for high BP on Friday) came in to break my water. They checked and I was dilated to a 4/5. A wonderful nurse that was working with me pumped up the pitosin, since not much was happening since 2 am. A little bit later they checked and I was still the same. Meanwhile, a new nurse took over and brought in pads to cover the sides of my bed and continued to check my reflexes. John & my mom told me a few days ago they did this because I was on the verge of having a seizure due to how high my BP was. Everyone was scared but never let on, I was so clueless about that part.

Now was the time for the Epidural! I had my mom and John, of course, in the delivery room with me. For this part everyone had to be out of the room. Getting the epidural wasn't that bad. The only annoying part was that the doctor would continue to ask me if alcohol pads that he tore open and rubbed on my arms, belly, and legs were cold or not, very repetitive! After all of this I was finally dilated to a 7. The nurse was getting worried because it took quite sometime to get to there. So she had all the paperwork out for a C-section. Now comes the part where all hell breaks loose....

I started to get really hot and felt like I was going to throw up. I suddenly felt EVERYTHING! I told the nurse and she called the doctor to bring in more for the epidural. It was seriously the worst pain I ever felt! I finally had my breaking point. I was crying hysterically and could not breathe due to the severe sinus infection I had when I went in. I told the nurse I was feeling it and she said give the epidural time but it was plenty of time! I snapped at my mom and John. He was in major shock and stood back watching, saying that is not my wife and she is never like that! Thank god for these little blue stress balls that one of my BFFs, Ashley, brought me in the hospital! I squeezed everything I had into that ball! I told the nurse to get the doctor because I was done and didn't want to be in labor anymore. He would come soon but was in a C-section at the moment. Finally 2 hours after all of this and severe contractions he came in only to discover I was right, it wasn't working! My epidural fell out!!! How many people do you know who have their epidural fall out? Of course it would happen to me. I was finally dilated to a 10 and my OB (who made a special request to deliver my baby since she wasn't the one on call that day) was on her way. I had to go through all the process of getting an epidural again. This time I was so exhausted that I just leaned on the nurse and seriously was about to fall asleep or pass out. I needed oxygen a few times through all this. When he was finally done my OB came in and was really concerned because she has never seen me like that before. I finally snapped out of it after the epidural started to work. My doctor gets all set up and I gather myself for the final stage of delivery! The best part was that I only had to push 3 times and he was out! I deserved some ease to my labor! It was amazing!! I survived and had a perfect baby boy! Cooper Jackson Mcfadden...6 lbs 1 oz. 18 1/4 inches long. @ 4:18 pm. and tons of black wild hair!

After delivering I held him for a minute and then he was rushed to the NICU. Since I had to be put on Magnesium before I had to remain on it for 24 hours after delivering. So I wasn't able to see or touch Cooper for 24 hours due to bedrest again. Can you imagine having a baby and doing this?? I also wasn't able to shower for 3 days, I was nasty! I am so thankful I have an amazing husband that took on the mommy role and did everything for Cooper since I wasn't able to!

I didn't leave the hospital until Friday. My BP continues to stay somewhat high. My OB has me on 2 different medications to try to bring it down. I have been trying to rest as much as possible. Cooper is doing very well. He has been in the NICU the entire time since he was born. He wasn't ever hooked up to any tubes but is being monitored because he forgets to breathe sometimes. He does have severe acid reflux but is now controlled by medication and is not spitting up at all. Cooper has went 2 days without a breathing episode so if all goes well he will be coming home tomorrow with a monitor! We are so excited to finally be getting him home!! I go back to my OB for another BP check tomorrow and also have a follow up with my dermatologist. My PUPPS rash has come back somewhat but this can be common for those who do get it. Hopefully I can get off the steroid soon. I finally feel like I am getting somewhat back to normal. Having a baby has already changed John and I both. John has lost over 10 lbs in a week and I have lost almost 28 lbs since they admitted me on the 16th.

I did get to have one shower out of the four that were planned. The Saturday after I was out I had one with mostly my girlfriends. It was great to see many of them that I hadn't in awhile. my BFF, Beth put the shower on and it was great! The best part was the delicious cupcakes she had made! I LOVED them. It was the perfect celebration for the craziest labor experience known to man!

The Unexpected Weekend!!!

We started off the weekend with 2 doctor appointments on Friday. Our first one was a gestational diabetes diet education class which last 3 hours! Now during this time I thought that oh my god, could it get any worse....I was sooo very wrong! At this point good news was the endocrinologist thought that I could control my blood sugar with only a diet change. Bad news was it was going to be a lot of work tracking my meals and that I now had the gestational diabetes label and I still had to prick my finger 6 times a day.

Our next appointment was a prenatal check up. We were called back late but no big deal. They checked my blood pressure and it was a little high but the OB didn't seem too concerned and decided to check it again before I left. So the second time it was very high and she informed us that we had to go to the hospital just to get monitored for a little while and then probably go home. Boy where they wrong on that last statement!

I was so excited to be going to Bedford this weekend. I had two showers planned and could not wait to see many of the friends and family I haven't seen in awhile, so I was slightly irritated that our plan to head down right after my appointment was being delayed. Needless to say, it really didn't matter because both of my showers were cancelled!

Once in the hospital they check my BP and it was still very high. I also had to do a 24 hour urine test and have blood work done. The 1st urine test came back with a lot of protein in it. With this and high blood pressure I now was labeled preeclamsia, of course!!! So after all this I was not going for a few minutes, they admitted me right then. My OB was on call so she came in to go over everything with us. She said I had to stay the whole weekend for observation. My urine levels went down and were fine but my blood pressure continued to skyrocket!

On Sunday, she told me I could probably go home if my BP looked ok and my mom could come up to stay with me since I would now be on strict bedrest for the next two weeks. The OB wanted me to make it to 37 weeks and then be induced! So my BP was 157/110. I was NOT going anywhere. The next thing I knew was that I was being wheeled to labor & delivery! They put me on Magnesium and started the induction process.

So here I am at 3:30AM waiting to deliver! I wasn't allowed to shower today due to the BP. Since I am on the Magnesium I once again am on bedrest which means they had to insert a catheter, which is the most horrendous thing so far! I am hooked up to 3 bags of IV stuff and have my BP check every hour and finger pricked every 2 hours. I cannot eat, which I am starving since all I have ate for the past few days is diet food they bring me that tastes awful! I am on the Potosin drip which should trigger contractions at any time now. Cooper looks and sounds great! He is ready to go with his head down!

So be thinking about me and wishing me luck. Since I have PUPPS (that have came back), gestational diabetes, and now preeclamsia. But it will all be worth it by this time tomorrow (hopefully). I am praying for a great delivery and labor since the pregnancy itself has not been so great. My OB told me today well you are just allergic to being pregnant! Great, sometime to look forward to the next time around. Oh yes, there will be a second!

Here's to a great labor and a beautiful baby boy born on MLK Jr. Day, "I have a dream....of great things to come my way here!"

And the Hits Keep on Coming...

This week I was referred to an Endocrinologist with the impression I was going to be put on some sort of a diet, boy was I wrong! The diet sounds so much than what I have to do now! I have to prick my finger 6 times a day to check my blood sugar levels! I am not on a restricted diet nor do I have to to give myself insulin shots but it might all be just around the corner. My levels have been OK with nothing to worry about but that was a day and a half. The doctor called on Friday to tell me to continue to log my readings and fax them again in a week. So now I carry around a little black bag ready to prick myself before and after each meal. Could it get any better?!? Is anyone really surprised that something else is happening to me during my pregnancy! Here is the kicker or best part, I past all my gestational diabetes tests and I do not have any form of diabetes but I have to act like I do as a precaution because of all the steroids I have been on. Welcome to my 34th week of pregnancy!

I also had another Dermatologist appointment this week. My PUPPS is doing amazingly well! I am now down to taking 15 mg or 1 1/2 pills a day. I've come a long way from the 7 pills I was taking in the very beginning. There has not been anymore flare ups but don't rule all that out yet. I asked if it would be possible to be off the steroids when I deliver and he thought it would be a bad idea since my body is so used to them and doesn't want to put me into shock or anything. So I will be delivering pumped full of steroids. I will see him again for the last time at 37 weeks, I cannot believe my journey with the doctor is almost over. We have really gotten to know each other and he has helped me through the hardest thing I have endured, this far. I asked what he was going to do without me coming in there and his only response was...We can write :)

Today John and I took a childbirth class. It was from 8 am to 5 pm. The class was very informative but very long and tiring. We were able to take a tour of St. Francis, the hospital I will be delivering at. I think the best part of the class was meeting all the strange other couples. I was the only one out of ten couples that did not have a specific birth plan written out and ready to follow. My plan...go with the flow and get him out my any means possible...haha.

John had an exciting week at work. He celebrated his 5th year of owning and operating McFadden Family Dentistry. His wonderfully exceptional staff had sign made for the office. It definitely made his day. Congratulations John on 5 great years and many more to come!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I know I am a little late on the Christmas part and even maybe a little late on the New Years too but it seems to just be my nature! Since my last post things have really been moving along. Christmas was great! My two weeks off went by way too fast. It was wonderful having Cody, my brother, home for so long. It really hits me when we are together for awhile how much I miss being around him. John says it is very scary how much we are alike! Haha. Cody is planning on coming back here for the big arrival in February! We will all see him again very soon.

As for my "condition" aka being pregnant, I was slightly sick over Christmas with a fever and laid around for the most part. It is amazing how tired I get now! Yesterday I was 33 weeks! I can't believe I only have 7 weeks to go. Part of me is surprised how fast it has went by but the biggest part can't believe he is not here yet! I am down to taking only two steroid pills a day (20 mg) and no sign of PUPPS returning. I visit the Dermatologist this coming week. The week before Christmas I took the Gestational Diabetes 1 hour test. I was sure that I would fail it due to the steroid and sure enough I did. So a few days before my break started I had to go in and take the three hour long test. I had to drink more nasty, super sweet stuff and then have my blood drawn every hour. One would think that they could just leave an IV or some drip thing in my arm but oh no, I had to get stuck 3 times in one arm and 2 times in the other. It was awful!!! Luckily I wore long sleeves or I would have looked like a pregnant drug addict with bruises all over my arms for Christmas. Yesterday I went back to the OB/GYN since I am now on the every two week schedule. I always hate going to see her, I just know something else will come up and of course it did. Although I past my 3 hour Diabetes test, I had sugar in my urine. They pricked my finger to check the sugar in my blood and it was even higher. Now I am going to be referred to an Endocrinologist to be put on a diet for the remaining 6 weeks. Can I not get one little break!?! Other than all that everything else is fine, heartbeat is great, my blood pressure is fantastic, and he is moving around like crazy! My face continues to swell/bloat at an alarming rate! It always helps to have your dad tell you, WOW look at your poor face..haha. I am definitely ready to have my body back to normal looking, I know it will never be normal again but as close as it can get, no bloating or acne would be great!

I am starting to get really excited! Coopers room is finally all done and sits quietly waiting for him. In a few weeks I will start having showers which will be a lot of fun! As I sit here typing I am in his room. It seems so peaceful and relaxing only to be disturbed in a few short weeks!