Drew's Arrival

Most of you know already, but I have neglected to post yet......that Drew Thomas Keeney arrived November 20th at 7:14pm. He was 7lbs 8 oz & 18 inches long.

We can't express how wonderful it is to have our little boy finally here. He is no longer an ED... The doctor even let David look to announce whether it was a girl or a boy!! David was such a wonderful support through all the labor & delivery. Also my friends Anna & Margaret were a good team to have with me through it all.

Drew is the most beautiful baby ever!! I know I'm prejudiced, a bit. I promise though...he's PERFECT!! Get a look at all that red hair!!

Here's a few pictures to enjoy!!

T-Minus 12 days.....

T-minus 12 days……and hopefully, counting down!! We are both so ready to have this baby!!

FYI- If I hear another person tell me to ENJOY my sleep now…. I will go postal!!! I’m barely getting any sleep at all. Plus, I get up EVERY hour to use the restroom. So, either you don’t remember what it is like at 9 ½ months pregnant OR you have no idea what you’re talking about…….and I will seriously have “A Come Apart”!!

We’ve been staying pretty active….lots of walking, etc. Plus, a lot of spicy food here lately too. So, we’re doing all that we can without medical intervention to hurry this baby along. However, I think it’s settled in for a “long winter’s nap…”

Now that we’re officially considered “Full-term”……we would like to see this baby arrive sooner rather than later.

We’ll try to keep everyone “posted”!!

House Shower

Well, I have to admit.....I have a wonderful set of girlfriends that threw me yet another shower. This one was over brunch at our house. So, it was nice for everyone to be able to see the nursery.

I just want to thank my dearest friend, Anna, for being there for me at all these events. I can't tell you how nice it is to have someone to be there no matter where life takes you. She's seen me in my best & worst moments...& yet she's still here. Usually only family sticks with you the way she has. I've had seasons of great friendships. However, she takes the cake!! Thanks Anna!!


It was so great for my arc friend, Anne, to come from Tuscaloosa for the event.


Thank you to the wonderful hostesses: Catherine Haycraft, Jeana Bell, Fisher Fleming & Bonnie Perry(who made the beautiful cake!!)

Family Shower

My family threw us a wonderful little shower at my grandmother's church in Goodman, MS on November 1st. It was so great to get together with everyone. I'm sorry.....my camera died & I didn't get very many pictures. My cousin, Amanda, took some great ones I'm sure (she's our resident photographer)...I'll have to get on facebook to grab them, but for now...here are a few of our highlights!!

Thanks to the hostesses:
My sister-in-law: Kellie Rone Cauthen
My two aunts: Sharon Cauthen & Patti Hardacre

Thank you for all the hard work & energy!! I love you all!!

Maternity Photos

Here's a link to our maternity photos! We had them done by a wonderful photographer here in Tupelo last Friday. It was so much fun!!

The wind was going crazy. I was surprised any of them really turned out! We had fun goofing off around town with Stephanie!




http://www.stephanierhea.com/keeney/

Church Baby Shower

My church, Verona First Baptist, through me a HUGE shower last Sunday, Oct 25th. Here's just a few highlights!!


They even had a baby cake...with our "colors"!! Too cute!!


The lovely hostesses!! They rock!!

Of course, my friend - Anna - came to be with me!! She's my oldest & dearest friend!! She's even promised to hold my hand at the hospital. Now THAT'S a good friend!






The hard part was sorting & finding a home for all the goodies. Yeah, I know...it's a hard life! j/k..... It was a fabulous day!! Thank you everyone for all the wonderful things & memories. You are too generous!!

Nursery

The nursery is finally coming together.

I wanted to share a few pictures of our rocking chair that arrived on Saturday. The craftsman that made it, hand delivered it. The frame is black walnut & the rest of the wood is a combination of 9 different species. There is not an ounce of stain on this chair...the wood is just oiled. It feels like butter!! If you are in town, come by & sit in this chair. You'll never want to get out of it!! LOL

I love how Logan matches the nursery!!

Surprise!!.....it's a Shower!!

A few of the girls at work threw me a surprise baby shower Thursday!! I was shocked... these girls could easily be in espionage. I didn't have a clue, & they had been planning a while.



A special thanks to the hostesses: Elizabeth, Debi, and Margaret!!

And Thank You to the rest of my co-workers at JBHM that made the time so special!!



Only 4 weeks to go!!

Lala Visit

One of my dearest friends, Laura, came for a short visit last weekend. It was WONDERFUL! She & a coworker/friend (Kevin) were in TN for work. So, they drove on down for the weekend. (Above is a pic of us holding our thesis books in the Arc Library).

We toured MSU campus... especially our old stomping grounds, Giles Hall. So much has changed since we graduated......well, the campus...not Giles.

We were able to catch up with several staff members there. Some things never change. Goodness knows, neither of us could/would do it all over!! LOL

We also hit up one of Starkville's prime eatery legends....Little Dooey's.

Then, Saturday we also went to the MSU v Georgia Tech game. Sadly we lost, but Kevin got to experience some cowbell action. It's an SEC experience!! We were all officially pooped on Sunday! However, it was hard to see them leave!

Baby pics - 31 weeks

We had our final sonogram yesterday! Here are the 3D/4D pics!! The baby is definitely a Keeney. We think he/she looks like Daddy David! What do you think?


Here's my sassy child: already sticking their tongue out!! Ha!

Sleepy pose

Scratch, scratch

yum... hand tastes good

sweet angel face!!











There's nothing to describe what it's like to watch our baby on screen. Only 9 weeks to go (if I make it to my due date)...... and we'll get to hold our precious!! Baby Ella or Drew will be so loved!! I can't believe this is all REAL! God is so good!

Twilight

Ok.....so, I (kk) have a confession. I'm a Twilight fan. I saw the original movie, thought it was good but nothing grand. However, the books are what did me in. A collegue of mine recommended the books to me. We are constantly swapping and recommending different books. Usually, we stick to the classics & cult-classics.....ie. Fountain Head, Clockwork Orange, Slaughterhouse Five, Time Machine....and authors like H.G. Wells, Oscar Wilde, & Henry James. So, when he recommended these books to me....I laughed out loud. It was completely out of the box. I asked him, if he had turned into a 14 yr old girl. Then laughed.

Well I, not to be conquered by any book, took the challenge...even if begrudingly so. They are definitely an easy fun read. I finished all 4 books inside a week. Afterwards, I must admit...I'm a Twilight fan. The books are clean, fun, humorous, adventurous, and with of course the story of first love entertwined. (The fact that there are vampires & werewolves is kinda secondary to the plot). So, I'm looking forward to the upcoming movie, which is the second book "New Moon." There are several different trailers out already. I found this one on youTube that combines them all. It basically spells out the whole plot. If you're a Twi-fan too...then, you'll enjoy.

David - Deacon Ordination

Last night, David was ordained to be a deacon.

He was nominated over a month ago by a fill-in-the-blank ballet by the congregation.[Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. Acts 6:3NIV]

So, it was very humbling. After a few weeks of prayer, we decided to accept the nomination. He spent yesterday afternoon with the other deacons, being "tested." (i.e. They ask him a lot of Biblical questions/testimony/etc...to make sure he holds fast to the same Truths). Since David had not been ordained in the Baptist church, they planned an ordination service for him.

If you know David, he hates the attention. However, he was very humble. It was very moving to see every ordained man come lay hands on him, and pray over him. He is such a wonderful man of God. I am blessed to be his wife, helpmate, and confidant.


1 Timothy 3:8-13NIV
Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well.Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

Here's a few pics that our friend, Patricia, took for us!


Our friends told us we looked like morticians! LOL... we were both wearing black & white. Even E.D. is there supporting Daddy!

The Greek word "diakonos" means servant.

We still got to rock it out with the praise band for some worship time! I'm on the left (sitting at the keyboard, david's on the right jamming on the bass).





Big changes for David this year!
Graduated from grad. school.
Started teaching at MSU.
Becoming a deacon.
Becoming a daddy.

My heart is swelling with pride and joy (as well as my belly, HA!) Lots of love to the family & friends that read this blog. God just keeps pouring on the blessings.

Clearing the Air on Veggin

So, as most of you know, I (kk) am a vegetarian. I made the decision to go "V" almost exactly a year ago. I've had lots of questions lately on what this means... and how am I getting enough protein.

Technically, I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian. Meaning: I consume milk & eggs in my diet. No, I don't eat any type of meat (including fish).

However, I do consume my daily value of protein through a variety of sources.
-Nuts
-Nut butters (peanut, almond, etc)
-Beans (Black, Soybeans, Kidney, Black-Eyed, Pinto, Lintels...etc)
-Legumes
-Eggs
(I keep a bag or can of nuts in my desk for an easy afternoon snack).

However, people forget that a variety of foods include protein. You have to know what you're eating. (And yes, I consume an additional 300 calories of protein in my diet daily, now that I'm pregnant). These things add up when looked at wholistically.
-Bagels
-Oatmeal
-Tofu
-Potatoes
-Toast
-Veggie Burgers
-All veggie meat substitutes..
-Spinach
-really... I could go on & on....

What is always interesting is when we go out to eat & people assume that I'm not getting my daily intake merely b/c I didn't get "enough" protein at that particular meal. And if I say I'm tired, doesn't mean I didn't get "enough protein"....it might just mean..... I'm tired because my body is growing another person right now. How many pregnant women aren't tired?! LOL

I made the decision to go vegetarian for my health. I'm not a crazy person who thinks we shouldn't eat meat b/c I'm an erractic tree-hugger. I had fallen into bad eating habits, and I wanted a lifestyle change. Cutting the meat, cut lots of fats from fried foods...heavy sodium enriched marinades..and an altogether unhealthy colon. I make smarter choices with my foods now. I actually consume more protein now that when I ate meat....because now I know how much of my daily vitamins and nutrients I consume. I'm much more accountable to myself.

My doctors are all very supportive of this lifestyle/diet. They were all aware of the changes before & afterwards...and all agree that I'm healthier now than before.

For the record, the only thing I miss is SUSHI. However, I'm able to get my fix with a cucumber roll. Perhaps one day I might add fish back in my diet, but not at this point....(I don't want to consume the Mercury while expecting).

Hey, I get that some people don't understand this. I'm not trying to win the world over. It's just a personal call........and my husband is not deprived. He gets meat any time he wants it.

I guess, that was my soap box. I'll get off of it now.

Weekend Visitor & New Permanent Resident of the Keeney Household

I wanted to introduce our weekend visitor to everyone, Minnie Pearl. She's a two year old cockatiel. She loves to tweet, but isn't in the slightest bit annoying. We've kept her in the front bedroom. Logan is curious about the sounds coming from there, but hasn't whined about it. [Note: I need to tell you about Logan too!]


A friend of mine from work, Margaret (whom the phrase "World's Biggest Animal Lover" can be attributed), gave her to us for transport. Margaret's sister passed away earlier this year from cancer. She took in her dogs and bird, while her niece took her cats. Unfortunately, in a house with 3 cats, 4 dogs, and 3 grandchildren.....something had to give. She's heartbroken that her pack of animals haven't adjusted to the bird (as she had hoped). So, she sought out to find her a new home that she could be loved on. I passed on the information to a friend of mine in Vet school at MSU. A professor there saw her picture & immediately wanted her. So, we are babysitting till they pick her up this afternoon.

Admittedly, I always thought that birds would annoy you to death, squawking etc.. but Minnie Pearl has been an excellent house guest & is welcome back any time.

Now for Logan: I've completely neglected to post about Logan. After the loss of Jack, we were very timid about bringing in a "replacement" dog. However, we knew that we wanted another Dobe to fill the void left by Jack's absence. Jack was not only our companion, but our protection. While we live in an "up & coming" [ie half rental/half home owners] neighborhood, we've never felt in danger...but we always had Jack. So, after filling out some applications with 2 Doberman Rescue Groups (one in Memphis & one on the Gulf Coast), we met two wonderful young Dobes.

After much debate, we decided on a young 2 year old Fawn named LoLo from Baton Rouge. We fell in love instantly, all three of us. Logan [as we have since renamed] is a pure joy. He's full of puppy energy and eager to give kisses or have his belly rubbed. He is a velcro dog if there ever was one. If Jack was a Daddy's boy, Logan is a Momma's boy. He won't leave my side the entire time I'm home. He likes Daddy (David) too because he feeds & walks him. But if he has a choice, he'd rather have Momma's undivided attention. David believes he's instinctively protective of me because I'm pregnant. He's very smart & picks up training very easily. Unfortunately, because of his young age....he gets bored after 15 minutes and is ready to just play. We have him in obedience classes. He tends to whine/bark when other dogs are around & we want him to be a good social dog. [Jack was an amazing social dog & could befriend any dog any size (if they were willing)]. We can leave Logan in the house all day unsupervised, and he has not once gotten in to anything....not once!! He loves stuffed animals even more than Jack did, and loves to hide them all over the house...then, find them again later & bring them all out to play at once. He's just as cute as can be. Although, keeping the toys picked up for guests is now an impossibility. So, don't be surprised when you come over to our toy kingdom!! LOL

So, every morning I awake to a big kiss from our new boy Logan. How can anyone not love that?!

A Mommy-2-Be Update

It’s been a crazy week. I’m 27 weeks and some change [right at 7 months]. I’ve only gained 9 lbs thus far. I only gained 1 pound this past month. I was sure I had gained more due to the traveling……and I fell off the wagon for about a week (eating lots of sweets). David was impressed that I just flipped a switch & went right back to eating healthy again. I’m craving fresh fruit all of the time. So, I load a bag of peaches, plums, nectarines, & apples for my snacks every day.

The baby is moving a lot more. The movements will catch me off guard. I might be having a conversation, or sitting in a meeting….and the baby just “kicks the fire out of me” (not sure where that phrase comes from…but it fits). It’s everything in me not to start laughing at the most inappropriate moments.

I’ve been working non-stop for several weeks….and I need a break. However, I understand that I have to get these jobs out of the door before E.D. comes. I have another weekend of work to look forward to. I do hope to attend a baby fair tomorrow at the Women’s Hospital!! Cross your fingers for me winning a door prize…or two.

Instructor David

Thinking the phrase "Instructor David" makes me think of the old cartoon "Instructor Gadget".....and the accompanying theme song.

I asked David to update about MSU starting back up for the fall...but I guess he's too busy/distracted/etc. So, I'll do my best... from the inexperienced bystander.

This fall, David is teaching a high level statistics course. (He has over a hundred students). I can't stand Statistics...so, I'm not envious. All his students are keeping him busy answering questions all times of the day [& yes...nights too]. Thus far, he's having to drive to Starkville all 5 weekdays. I'm not sure if this will slack up or if this will be the norm for the rest of the semester. It was nice with the 3 day a week drive this summer...but oh well, that's life.

He's also developing a few new courses...set to launch either in the spring or fall (sorry, I can't recall). This is basically the "meat" of what he was hired on to do. So, it will take up quite a bit of his daily routine.

MSU has over a 100 cases of swine flu already. So, I hope he doesn't come down with it or bring it home to me & E.D. He's always been pretty healthy...no worries.

As for me, I'm trying to push out a big job. (Which is what I'm taking a break from right now). I've worked nights for the last several weeks. So, no rest for the weary... I'm back to the grindstone. Goodnight!!

Jack's plaque

A co-worker had access to a waterjet cutter. I made the CAD file, and he had it cut out for me. We placed it on Jack's grave a few weeks back. I just haven't been able to post the pictures. It's the perfect final touch for our sweet boy. We still miss him...

New Mexico Trip

We had a great trip out to New Mexico to visit family. It was my (kk) first time in the desert land. We got to visit K-rin's parents & brother in Hobbs. Then, we headed off to visit David's grandparents in Alamogordo. The scenery was vastly different between the two. My (kk)parents live in the heart of oil country (dry, desert, and barren). David's grandparents live in the shadow of the Sacremento Mountains (right beside White Sands), very beautiful.
It took us a day of flying to get there (and of course one back). So, our visits were very short with both sides of the family. Although, we're glad we got to spend time with everyone! We had a great time....and now we can tell ED that they went to New Mexico too!!

K-rin, Grandma & Grandpa & David after some "spicy" enchiladas!

David with Grandma & Grandpa at White Sands National Monument! After David skiid down the dunes.

Apache David!!
Cowboy Forrest!

Grandma & David at the oldest church in New Mexico. (St. Francis )

Momma Linda showing off her studio!! Having dinner with K-rin's family!!
K-rin's family at the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns (the largest caverns in the U.S.).
Our lovely accomodations!! LOL, j/k K-rin's parents & David's grandparents both provided us with a comfortable bed & wonderful company.