Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Lots of updates

Soooo....a lot has happened since my last post. First off, we had an excellent Christmas. Dave, Jenn and Mia came in for a few days and we had an absolute blast! We even got to take Mia to Claire's 2nd Birthday Party! Claire and Mia became instant friends and got along beautifully. I have posted the pictures in the album. Thanks Claire for inviting us to the party - it was fun! :)

Then today was a big day for Baby McGrew. We had the first part of the Integrated Screen. For those of you who don't know, Integrated Screen is a test that shows if you are at increased risk of having a baby with Down syndrome, Trisomy 18, or an open neural defect. It requires a blood sample and an ultrasound measurement from the first trimester and a second blood sample taken during the second trimester. Today we had the first trimester ultrasound and blood test. We will not receive the official results until after Part 2. However, Dr. Barrilleaux was able to give us some information from the ultrasound today. One of the main measurements that is taken during this ultrasound is called the nuchal translucency (NT), which is a measurement of the fluid filled space at the back of the fetus' neck. Baby McGrew's measured completely normal!! Other signs that we looked for were clinched fists (like Madeline had), no sign of a nasal bone (possible indication of Down syndrome), chambers of the heart and several other measurements. Baby McGrew had hands wide-open, a nasal bone, skeletal bones, two arms, two legs, and what appeared to be 4 chambers of the heart - ALL are normal!!! Again, this is not "official" but the doctor said that based on today's ultrasound, he sees no cause for alarm at this point. This was the absolute best possible news we could have heard today! We are still anxious for the results, which we will receive February 2nd, but this has allowed us to breathe some sigh of relief. We are also hoping to find out the sex at that appointment as well! So...more to come...but wanted to give you all an update. Thank you all for the prayers and keep them coming!

On another happy note, Travis and I will celebrate our 4th Anniversary tomorrow! WOW - how time flies! Travis is the absolute best friend and husband that I could ask for. I can honestly say that I couldn't get through some of these rough times without him being right by my side. I couldn't imagine my life without him and I'm truly blessed to have him as my soul mate. I love you, Travis and Happy Anniversary!

Oh!!! And I posted Baby McGrew pics in the album as well. The 3D ones are a bit scary because they still kind of look like aliens at this point! But I must say - that's a very cute alien! :)

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Slideshow

Hello everyone! Lyndsay Melancon graciously put together this slideshow for us of the pictures that she took of Madeline in the hospital. It's just awesome! For some reason I couldn't attach it to the blog before...but now it has allowed me to attach! So here it is in the post below. Enjoy!!

Also, just this past weekend we had our first small fundraiser for Maddie's Footprints and we raised $3,500!!! We are just overwhelmed how much we were able to raise for such a small fundraiser! Thanks to all of you who came and or made donations. We are so grateful to have all of you in our lives!!

We are also having our first Board Meeting tonight and I'm just so excited it's finally here and we can get things started. So many of you have offered to volunteer and/or help out with events (which hopefully we will have plenty) and we cannot thank you enough. So to try to keep things organized, please email me (lorimcgrew@cox.net) if you'd like to volunteer when things start happening. I'm starting a "list" so that we can remember all of our resources! Please give me your name, email address, mailing address and phone number so that we can contact you in the future.

And also, we have had another doctor's appointment since my last post. Baby McGrew is still looking good and has a strong heartbeat! Thank you for all of the prayers - they are working!

Again, thank you so very much for all of your love and support. I don't know what we'd do without all of you!

Animoto.com

Monday, November 16, 2009

MORE exciting news!!

So for those of you who don't already know.......I'm pregnant!!! We had our first doctor appointment today. I'm almost 7 weeks. We did an ultrasound and everything looks great so far and we even got to hear our little baby's heartbeat! It's like music to my ears! My due date is July 8th - which is Papa's Birthday. (If you remember, Madeline's due date was Nana's Birthday - how crazy is that?!?!)

We know it is still early and we are still a little "guarded," but we are remaining positive. Please keep us and Baby McGrew in your prayers!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Mia's 2nd Birthday Bash!

Well yesterday was Mia's 2nd birthday! We cannot believe it's been 2 years since she's been born - time really flies! So my family and I made a trip up to Dallas for the weekend to celebrate with her. She is absolutely adorable! She has grown so much just in the past few months. And she has become very affectionate - showering us with kisses and hugs! We just couldn't get enough! I've posted some of the pics in our photo album!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Exciting news!

First, I just realized that I had never posted pictures of Madeline's completed nursery. Check the photo album for the most updated pics! A special thanks to Aunt Pateen for making the beautiful window shade and pillows to match the bedding, Nana for stripping and painting the side table and Granny for cross-stitching the beautiful blanket!! All of these are so special to us!

So just last week Travis and I decided to start a new "venture." We are going to start a non-profit organization in memory of Madeline. Our ultimate goal is to raise awareness of miscarriages, stillbirths and infant deaths. We are also hoping to raise enough money to help parents in these situations with unforeseen medical bills, funeral costs, etc. This will be a HUGE task to get everything up and running, but we are so absolutely excited about it and I am confident that things will start to come together soon for us. We already have 7 confirmed people on the Board of Directors!! We really hope that this will take off and become something so great that we can help LOTS of families. Please pray that we are able to gather the resources and people needed to get this organization off of the ground!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Travis's 30th Birthday


Well, we pulled off a surprise party for Travis's 30th birthday. We got him a fun jump boxing ring so that he could show us how the Champ can really fight! We played it up a lot to be cheesy - and Travis was a great sport about it. I think we all had LOTS of fun. Pics are in the Photo Album! Happy Birthday, Travis! I hope you have a great 30th year!

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Mama

Mama passed away very early yesterday morning. Although it is a very sad time for the family, we are so thankful that she is now at peace and no longer suffering. Mama was a joyful and inspiring lady that I will admire always. What a blessing it is to be her great-granddaughter and to have known such an amazing woman. She will truly be missed! We also take great comfort in knowing that she can now watch over Baby Madeline. The only regret I had with Madeline was that Mama did not get a chance to hold her. Now she will meet her and know her in a way that we cannot.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support for our family. We are truly grateful to be surrounded by so many amazing people!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Mama update

Well Mama finally made it back to Lafayette safely on Tuesday night. They got her a nice room at LGMC. She has been referred to Hospice and they are continuing to keep her as comfortable as possible. I went to visit her yesterday and as weak and tired as she is, she still managed to laugh a few times. She still has her great spirit - what an amazing thing! She seems to be going down hill pretty quickly at this point though, so please continue to keep her in your prayers.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Prayers for Mama


As some of you may already know, we received some upsetting news about Mama, my great-grandmother, this week. She was diagnosed with cancer and it has spread to several parts of her body already. She is still in the hospital in Slidell. They are keeping her as comfortable as possible for now with morphine. We are hoping to hear more detailed information tomorrow, but in the meantime, the doctor has already called hospice here in Lafayette to get the ball rolling.
As you can see from this picture, just 3 short months ago, Mama was having a blast at her 90th surprise birthday party! (See post from May 12th and pictures in Photo Album). She even danced around with her boa and her wand! She also received over 100 sweet cards from people who consistently said that she is a breath of fresh air and a role model for all. How great it must be for her to know how many people adore her!
We pray for her now that she is pain free and as comfortable as possible. We are going to visit her tomorrow and hopefully we'll have more answers. Thanks to all of you for your prayers!

Monday, June 29, 2009

Travis is the CHAMP!

Travis fought in his second Jiu Jitsu tournament this past weekend, but this time it was in a cage! We took a short road trip to Alexandria with our friends Emily and Wes so that the guys could compete. It was lots of fun and the boys did a great job! Travis fought 3 times and came in 1st place - he is now the WelterWeight Champ of Alexandria! : ) He even got a trophy to prove it! Pictures are in the album!

Madeline's Tree

A very sweet couple from our Church gave us a tree to plant in honor of Madeline. It is a Sweet Bay Magnolia tree and it is just beautiful. So Travis got to work and planted his very first tree for his daughter. He did a great job! Pics are in the album!

Monday, June 15, 2009

More Madeline pics

Ok- I was finally able to add some of the pictures to the Photo Album from our camera too. For some reason, I've had lots of trouble uploading these pictures! Lyndsay also finished putting up her pictures on her website. Her website address is www.lyndsay-photography.com. Click on "Enter Same Window" then "Clients." Password is Madeline. You can order pictures directly through her website. You must click on picture, then add to cart. You will be able to select size, etc. They are absolutely beautiful! Thank you Lyndsay for capturing such amazing moments and helping to create so many awesome memories for us!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

Fortunately, we heard about this organization called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, where photographers donate their time to families like us. They specialize in babies like Madeline and they capture the most beautiful moments. We were so fortunate to meet Lynsday Melancon through this organization. Lyndsay offered to take maternity shots for us, as well as Madeline's shining moments at the hospital. Lyndsay was another gift sent to us from God. She was a great person to lean on and she took some of the most beautiful pictures we've ever seen! She took 400 in the hospital! They aren't all ready just yet, but she rushed some of them so that we could have for the service this past Saturday. I've added them to our Photo Album so that you can see our little Madeline!

This organization means a great deal to us and has helped us to create the most amazing memories of Madeline. If you'd like to make a donation to them, please visit their website at www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Our beautiful Madeline

Our beautiful baby girl, Madeline Noelle McGrew, was born into heaven Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at 3:39pm. She weighed 4lbs. 8oz. and was 17.5 inchese long. She was the most beautiful baby I've ever laid eyes on! As much as we had hoped for more time with her, we know that she is at peace in God's arms.

We were fortunate enough to be able to spend some time with her. We were able to take her measurements, give her a bath, take her handprints and footprints, cut locks of her hair, dress her, baptize her and of course hold her in our loving arms! It was an absolutely beautiful experience. We are overwhelmed by how much our baby girl has made such an impact on our lives as well as others in her short life. She touched so many and opened our eyes to the important things in life. I know personally, she helped strengthen my Faith in God more than ever and for that I am forever grateful to her. She truly is our sweet little angel.

We really want to express our appreciation to all of you as well. Without your prayers and support, we would never be able to get through this experience with this peace in our hearts. With God's grace, we have been able to accept this and view the positive that has come from it. So many of you have told us how she has touched you personally or changed you in a positive way. What an amazing girl she was to have this effect on so many! We could not be more proud of our sweet Madeline! We were truly overwhelmed by how many people were there at her Mass...WOW! To have so many people gather and to hear the beautiful words spoken by Father Blessing...it was an incredibly moving experience for us both. We couldn't have dreamed of a more beautiful service for our little girl. It was truly a special day.

We will hopefully have pictures in our Photo Album soon. For some reason, I'm unable to upload them today. I will try again so that you can all see our beautiful Madeline!

We love you all and please continue to pray for us!
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Getting closer!

So on Monday I had another check up and my blood pressure was back up again with a few other signs of toxemia. The doctor didn't want to take any chances so we were admitted to the hospital last night. They gave me some meds to start the process and then started the drip at 4am this morning. Unfortunately we did not make much progress throughout the day today. I am still only about 1 cm dilated. They took me off all the meds for a little while tonight so that I could eat a little bit, take a shower and try to get a little rest. Travis and I even just went for a walk. It made me feel a lot better just getting a good shower and a nice little walk! I also got a chocolate shake from Hub City Diner...YUMMY! :)

They will give me some more meds at 10pm and will start the drip again at 4am tomorrow. They will also be a little more agressive this time, so hopefully we will be a little more successful!

Thank you so much to all of you who have called, texted and stopped by. We really appreciate knowing we have so many loving friends and family. Please continue to keep us in your prayers! We love you all!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Another update!

(Even Blue is showing Madeline some lovin'!!)


Well today we have GOOD news! We went to the doctor again. My blood pressure is still high, but it did lower a little bit. I also lost 5 pounds in 2 days, which means my swelling has gone down considerably. So apparently, the rest and the increased dosage of blood pressure medicine seems to be helping a little! We decided to keep things as is for now. We go back Monday afternoon for another check-up. I'll continue to keep updating the blog with the most recent information!

Thanks everyone for checking on us and of course for all of the prayers!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Doctor visit

We had another doctor visit today. My blood pressure is still too high even with taking the medicine for a week. We discussed the options of inducing labor since I'm now considered full-term. Since I'm still not showing any signs of labor, we decided to wait a couple more days. The doctor told me no more work and stay home. He also increased my blood pressure medicine to three times a day. We'll go back on Thursday to check my blood pressure again. If it's lower, then we'll probably just continue to hold off. If not, we may need to seriously consider inducing.

I'll continue to keep you all updated as things progress!

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Update

We went to the doctor again this past week and my blood pressure is still consistently higher than it should be, but all tests still point to no toxemia! I am still working part-time trying to rest in the afternoons and this week I started taking blood pressure medicine. Hopefully this will help to get it back down closer to normal. I have begun my weekly doctor visits - so it's definitely getting closer! As of now, still no signs of labor and no dilation. Baby Madeline isn't quite ready just yet!

Travis and I are still hanging in there and enjoying every minute we have with Madeline. She has been quite the "wiggle worm!" We not only feel her, but now we can see her moving in my tummy! It's such an awesome experience and we get great joy out of those moments. We are anxiously awaiting her arrival to hold her and see her for the first time, but we know for now that she is safe right where she is!

Please continue all of the prayers for all three of us. They are definitely working!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Good news

So during my last few trips to the doctor, my blood pressure has been consistently high. Last week, my doctor was afraid of the possibility that I could be developing preeclampsia (aka toxemia). The only cure for toxemia is to deliver the baby, which we don't think Madeline is quite ready for yet! To take precaution, he had me take a few tests. My results came in yesterday and they looked good! My blood pressure is still significantly high and I have begun to swell (which are both symptoms of toxemia) so he wants to continue to monitor me closely. I'm going to begin taking the same tests weekly and he's also asked that I cut back on my hours at work. I'm going to try my hardest to take it easy and get my blood pressure down. Please say some prayers that it works and that we can hold off on delivery as long as possible!!

We also had Mama's 90th Surprise Birthday Party this past weekend. She had a blast and is the most beautiful 90-year old I've ever seen. She continues to live each day to the fullest and still loves to laugh! She is admired by many! Her party pics are posted in the photo album.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

THANK YOU!

As most of you probably know by now, we received some upsetting news last week. Baby Madeline has been diagnosed with a condition called Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome). Although we know our time with Madeline will be limited, we are trying to remain positive. We are praying for strength, peace and a miracle. We are using this time to bond with her more than ever. We are talking to her more, reading to her more and cherishing every kick and/or movement we feel. We are trying our best to embrace every moment that we have with her!

We have been overwhelmed by all of the support that we have received - the countless emails, phone calls, cards, etc. We have even received cards from people that we have never met before! It's the most amazing feeling in the world. Madeline has touched more people's hearts before her birth, than most people do in a lifetime! Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers. We appreciate it more than you know.

We have updated the photo album with her recent 3D pictures from the specialist that we saw last week. As you can see, her cleft lip and clenched fists are more prominent in these. In our eyes, she is still the most beautiful girl in the world and we can't wait to hold her in our arms.

Thank you all so much for all of the love and support and please continue the prayers!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Nursery is complete!

Nana and Papa have been a TREMENDOUS help with the nursery! (THANK YOU!) Nana painted and Papa installed the moulding for the wainscoting. It came out even better than I had imagined! We also picked up all the furniture today and Travis and Papa assembled. It's just beautiful! I posted more pictures in the photo album.

Now we are just washing all of her clothes and blankets and filling up her dresser and closet!

3D/4D Ultrasound

We went this morning for Madeline's 3D/4D Ultrasound. It was such an amazing experience! She is definitely a stubborn little girl and she didn't cooperate very much. She was constantly shielding her face, much like she was hiding from the paparazzi! Ha ha! She came along though and we ended up getting a few good pictures (now posted in our album). Everything looks great - she is weighing about 3.5 pounds - which is even a little heavy for her "age." She is breached - so say some prayers that she turns around within the next 8 weeks!

Thanks to everyone that came with us this morning to share this experience! We really appreciate it and know that Madeline does too!

Saturday, March 21, 2009

JiuJitsu

For those of you who don't know, Travis started JiuJitsu about 6 months ago. He really loves it and decided to enter into his first tournament today. He did awesome! He won 2nd place out of 9 guys. The first match he won 7-0 and the second he won 12-0! Most of the other guys have been training for a longer amount of time (and were probably a little younger) and he still did an amazing job! I posted pictures in the photo album. GO TRAVIS!

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Been Busy!

Well, a lot has happened in the last couple weeks. First, we have made some progress on the nursery. Nana graciously offered to paint for us (she's MUCH better at it than us) and she did a GREAT job! Walls are now completely painted. All that is left is the moulding above the wainscoting and I finally picked one out. Soon - the nursery will be complete! Thanks to Nana and Papa for making this happen!

We were also able to enjoy Mardi Gras day. It was a beautiful day! The Burtons invited us to hang out with them at their RV - so there were chairs, food and a bathroom! What more can you ask for to enjoy Mardi Gras! Thanks Burtons! We had a great time - pics have been added to the photo album.

We also had a garage sale this morning along with two other friends. We were able to get rid of so much stuff and between all of us - we made over $1,000! It was much more successful than we expected. Thanks to everyone that helped out with this!

Monday, February 16, 2009

Road trip!

We took a quick road trip to Dallas this past weekend to visit Dave, Jenn and of course our beautiful niece, Mia! Mia was baptized on Sunday, so were able to witness a very important event of her life. We were so excited to be there. Since our last visit, Mia has learned SO much. She knows all of her animals, body parts, etc. She even knew who we were when we got there!! It was the cutest thing. She is so smart and of course precious....to us, she's just perfect! I added some pics to the Photo Album.

We also want to thank Jenn (aka Aunt J) and Dave again for all of the adorable outfits that they gave Madeline while we were there! You would not believe how much shopping Jenn did! Ha ha! Madeline's closet is already filling up quickly!

Friday, February 6, 2009

Having Fun

Since we find out we are having a girl, I have been busy making some fun decisions. We had already ordered the crib, so it was time to pick out the bedding. My friend, Cheryl, told me about this website that she used - www.javisdavis.com - who does custom crib bedding. At first I thought, probably too expensive - but it ended up being very reasonable AND on SALE!! So after about 1 million different designs I played with, I finally decided on one. I put a picture of it in our Photo Album for you to see. I absolutely love it and can't wait until it comes in! If any of you know someone who needs crib bedding, I STRONGLY recommend this website. It's amazing and the people are extremely nice and helpful.

Thanks to my mom and all of my friends who looked through all the 1 million different designs and gave me feedback and helped to make my decision. Y'all are the best!

Tomorrow, my mom and Annie will be joining me to register...another fun event!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

It's a GIRL!!!

We went today for an ultrasound - and it's a girl!! We are both so excited! She is definitely a little wiggle worm. She would barely stay still long enough for a picture!! They say that she only weighs 10 ounces at this point - how cute is that??!!

And since so many of you have already asked....her name will be Madeline Noelle McGrew!

We have also posted pictures in the Photo Album link (top right of this page)!