Some Silly Pics of Savy....

Our First Easter as a Family!

Savy's 2 weeks old!

Savy's first visit to the Doctor.....

We took Savanah home from the hospital on Friday, April 15th and we had a follow up with her doctor on Monday, April 18th.  When she left the hospital on Friday she weighed 6 lbs 1 oz, and on Monday she weighed in at 6 lbs 9oz!!!!!  I am glad our little piglet benefited from all the late night feedings!  Savanah shocked us with her wonderful behavior at the doctors office, she didnt cry or fuss one time! Her doctor was more than pleased with her progress and was happy to see she was doing well!

and yes- she did pee on the scale!  ; )

Savanah Lynn Reed has arrived!

The last 4 weeks of my pregnancy was filled with doctors appointments and ultrasounds. Our doctors were monitoring Savanah in utero to make sure she was staying healthy and growing properly. After being sent to the hospital 2 times in the last 2 weeks of the pregnancy for possible immediate inductions, on Friday, April 8th we were sent to the hospital for the real thing! 

Our last picture as a "married couple" or as we say the before picture....

We began the induction process Friday evening around 6pm. Going into the induction process I was only 1cm dilated and 60% effaced.  I started out recieving a treatment called Cervidil  which was medication that was placed on my cervix for 12 hours to help the cervix soften. This process wasn't as efficient as my doctors had hoped. At 9 am Saturday, April 9th my doctors decided to go for a more invasive induction procedure called a Cook's Balloon, that was known to be more effective but also know to be more painful at the time of insertion as well as uncomfortable to deal with during the next 12 hours process. They offered my the epidural, but I decided to hold off and see if I could manage without it.  The Cook's Balloon was painful, but seemed to be working as it did give me stronger contractions. I did manage to make it through the next 12 hours without the epidural, but I did take IV pain medication! Saturday night around 9pm the Cook's Balloon had dilated my cervix to 4cm and 80% effaced.  It was finally time to start the pitocin, break my water and time for the epidural! 

 The epidural procedure went well but  the after affects from the epidural made the next 3 hours the most difficult time for me out of the entire birthing process. Most of my symptoms were common such has nausea, vomiting and uncontrolable shaking of my body. Low blood pressure is common but my blood pressure was dipping extremly low causing great concern and I had developed a fever as well.  At times I was extremly scared and at other times I was incoherent. After 3 or 4 hours and dozing in and out it, I started to feel better and  was able to calm down and get some rest.
The next morning I was still 4 cm. contractions were getting much more intense even with the epidural, doctors were checking my cervix as little as possible trying to reduce the risk of infection. I started to feel pressure and when the doctor finally checked me around 2pm on Sunday, April 10th to their surprise and mine, I was 100% dilated and more than ready to begin pushing.  They paged my OB to come in and instead of having me do practice pushing they decided to have me wait until my OB arrived since the baby's head was so low. They didnt think I'd have much pushing to do!

Getting oxygen while waiting for the dr. to arrive, almost time to push!



My OB, Dr. Chorzempa and Resident Dr. Doug Weber in the background who actually deliverd Savy!

I began pushing around 2:40pm and Savanah Lynn Reed made her debut appearance at 3:22pm on Sunday, April 10th 2011.  Savanah weighed 5lbs, 12 ounces and was 18 inches long. 

Our first picture as a family, or as we say the "after" picture!

Daddy's first time holding his daughter!

Our other favorite labor and delivery nurse Rachel who was in the delivery!



The beautiful view from our room!



Due to the fact Savanah was smalller than average, had a fever at birth, and possible infection from my water being broken for so long we knew Savanah was going to be taken to the NICU. However we did not expect to come across other possible complications, therefore Savanah's stay in the NICU became more than just a routine visit and became more of a cautionary measure. Her doctors were monitoring her sodium, potassium, glucose and electrolyte levels.  They were worried that she may have a problem with her adrenal gland that affected her ability to regualte those hormone levels. She stayed in the NICU for 5 days.  I was discharged on Tuesday, so leaving Savanah at the hospital alone for the night was very difficult. Scotty and I just kept reminding ourselves that it was the best thing for her, if in fact she did have an emergency and needed immediate help. We visited Savanah daily spending 10-12 hours with her in the NICU!  It was very important for us to continue to breast feed her so we did our best to be there for all of the daily feedings and then I pumped milk for her to have from a bottle during the night. 

Hanging out with Savy in th NICU

Every day that went by Scotty and I kept recieving better and better news and her test results were all positive and were exactly what the doctors were looking for!

On Friday April 15th, when we visited Savanah we recieved the best news ever....Savanah's results for her very important and final test had come in and  her doctors felt it was safe for us to take her home!

Baby's  first car ride! Savanah's in the car and on her way home!

Big Brother Stanley Caught in the Act....

If Baby Reed doesn't hurry up and make her debut appearance big brother Stanley is going to call official "dibs" on her baby swing! ha ha! 

A Sneak Peek....

Scotty and I found out that we would be having a daughter, at our 20 weeks ultrasound!  Shortly after we made it into the third trimester around week 30 we were still stumped on what we wanted to name her.
We decided we would get a 3D ultrasound, not only because we were anxious to see a glimpse of what she looked like but also because we thought it may help us decide on name!  We only got a few good profile pictures of her face, the apple must not fall far from the tree because our daughter was being extremly stubborn, she kept turning to unfavorable positions and putting her hands and feet infront of her face!

A good view of her face!

Baby Reed sticking her index finger in her mouth!

Our stubborn baby girl, sticking her foot in her forehead as well as her arm across her nose and mouth!

My growing baby bump.....

A Mother's joy begins when new life is stirring inside, when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the very first time, and a playful kick reminds her that she in never alone.....

12 weeks

20 weeks, Happy Thanksgiving!



27 weeks, Finally starting to look pregnant!



29 weeks

33 weeks

34 weeks

36 weeks

How it all began....

 Scotty and I met in October of 2006 while we were attending Cortiva, The Chicago School of Massage Therapy!  I got a glance of him at student orientation, and had my fingers crossed for the next two weeks that we'd end up in the same class!  First day of class...no cute boy, damn!  Second day of class....there he was!!!!! Just my kind of guy to miss the first day of school!  He seemed shy, and even though we both smoked at the time,and spent our break time outside smoking, it was still hard to strike up a conversation.  I brought my lunch for the first few weeks, but he always seemed to disappear and go out for lunch....so one day I asked him where he always goes at lunch?  Once he told me where he went to lunch everyday, I knew we were a match made in heaven!  That day I invited myself to go to lunch with him, and from then on we had lunch together at McDonald's for the rest of the school year! We were officially dating in December of 2006 and would basically travel back and forth between our parents houses, staying at each residence for a few days in between classes. We graduated in November of 2007 and got our first apartment together in Forest Park, IL.
In May of 2008, Scotty proposed to me on my 24th Birthday, at our Forest Park apartment and on May 24th of 2009 we married in Alsip, IL at the Chateau Busche'.

We traveled to Central America, to Belize for a honeymoon on an island called Ambergris Caye. Our trip was full of adventures in paradise! We sea kayaked, snorkeld the Great Barrier Reef, took the hobie cat out sailing, visited the mayan ruin Xunatuitch, Zip lined through the jungle and swam with sting ray and nurse sharks!  Sorry for posting tons of pics, but its too hard to resist, considering what an amazing time we had!

We stayed in the Sea House directly behind me! Talk about a room with a view!

Scotty is too chicken to snorkel, since we werent with a guide!

I am the brave soul!  ha ha ; )

A under water picture I took while snorkeling

 The town of San Pedro- located on the mainland, about a 20 mintute boat ride from where we stayed

Xunantunich (means stone lady) Mayan Ruins, and yes those itty bitty people are us!

Zip lining in the Jungle!

Heading out on snorkeling tour, a squid jumped in the moving boat, hitting another passenger in the head, while spraying ink on Scotty!

Mom and Baby Sting Ray!  How Cute!

Our guide said this Sea turtle is well known in the area and about 80 years old, weighing about 100 lbs!

Group photo! ha ha well almost, the sharks weren't photo friendly! ; )

Chillin at the pool!



Leaving Paradise.....

 We lived up life as a couple of young newlyweds and in July of 2010 we found out we were expecting our first child in April of 2011!   Our daughter is due April 10th 2011, and once she arrives our most treasured dream of starting a family of our own will be complete and we will most definitely live HAPPILY EVER AFTER!