Friday, May 29, 2009

Correction.....

.....My favorite son-in-law Ned was reading my previous blogs and alerted me to an error. SURPRISE! Anyway in the blog entry Ned, Kelly & Baby Smith update. I said that the PICC line goes to a main artery in the chest. It does NOT. It goes to a main VEIN in the chest! According to Dr. Ned this is because arteries take blood AWAY from the heart and veins take blood TO the heart. Thank You, Ned! I only wish he could proof read all my blog entries because I'm sure I have many errors, misspelled words and out and out lies.......

30 Weeks!!

Today Kelly is officially in her 30th week of pregnancy! This according to doctors is a milestone. The next milestone will be at 32 weeks. Everything seems to be going good. Kel does have a slight elevation of white count and C reactive protein. She doesn't have any other symptoms of an infection so none of the nurses or docs are overly concerned. We haven't seen the Doc yet today. Once again he was on the floor but was called away to do a procedure. Thanks for the emails concerning car seat. Ned & Kelly haven't decided yet but will soon. Keep sending recommendations. We have had quite a few visitors. That always helps the day go by faster. Kelly's buddy Jolyn from Arkansas is coming up on Monday. Kelly has plans for me and Jolyn to go shopping for things she may need. Sounds like fun to me.

Here are some more photos. Enjoy!
Dr. Lenzi & Kelly
Ned, Granddaddy, Nana & Kelly
Ned, Dan, Kay & Kelly ( we don't have grandparent names...yet)
Ned, Lynn & Kelly

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Smith "Summer Home"

Command Central...All the important stuff is here. Notice the "Goal", 36 weeks, that is 36 weeks of pregnancy, that will be July 10th. Ned keeps a countdown of how many more days until then.



Dan brought this beautiful cross. It is a great reminder of the ONE that is really in charge.
Below the cross is the board that visitors and nurses and doctors sign and leave notes on! Isn't it precious? Ned's mom, Betty had this one and another one like it made just for this purpose. She's really smart!



The TV has a dvd/vcr player with it. They also have movies available at the nurses station. Ned & Kelly watch their dvd's of the NFR. (of course) Underneath the TV is the digital photo frame. We load and unload photos almost everyday. That is my little project. From the nurses reactions nobody has brought in their digital frame yet. I'm sure they will now, you know how it is, fad follows me!! We have a calendar hanging underneath the clock. It's really hard to remember what day of the week and month it is in here.
Okay, I know you're wondering how we put all this stuff up on the walls. Push pins! Ned was NOT happy about the idea. I convinced him that we were providing job security for the maintenance man by putting little holes in the wall. He bought it.



Yesterday was the day Kel got her PICC line. When I came back in the room after the procedure Kel said, "look you can hook me up to cable!" It does look like the input and output connections....

The PICC line is why the dreaded IV pole is on the opposite side of the room most of the time now. When I explained to Dan that they would only use the IV pole when giving the antibiotics and the rest of the time she would be free from it. He commented that he didn't know why she needed freedom she couldn't go anywhere anyway! MEN! They just don't get it.....


Monitor! The screen not only shows Kelly's stats when she is hooked up to the baby monitor, (an hour every 8 hours) it also shows what the monitors inthe other rooms are doing. Ned and Dan are hooked on watching. Ned has been known to say, "the lady in room 62?? is having some serious contractions." Kelly has encouraged him to go down and check on her. He hasn't. When I spoke with Dan this morning I told him we were watching the monitor. He responded with, "is the baby's heart rate around 140?" Yes Dr. Dan, it is.


Stuff!! Food, cooler, Ned's bedding, bags, sudoku books, crossword puzzles and about anything else......




Our window is full with books, cards, plants and baskets of food! My view out the window is of the front of the hospital and the parking deck. There is minimal parking in the front of the hospital. I have been lucky enough to park there most days. Yesterday not so lucky. I was on the
3rd level of the parking deck. So when I decided that I would get up EARLY this morning to beat the N'ville speed demons onto the interstate I said, "and I'll get a good park too!" However, I had the radio on and the forecast for N'ville is severe storms today with high winds and damaging hail. So of course Greta the Grand Caravan had to be parked in the deck. I did get on the ground level with not too far of a walk to the hospital. I'm enjoying my new hobby of watching folks out on the street too! I may do a documentary. Or maybe not.


This is Ned's bed. The couch pulls out into a bed! Notice the sewing machine on the left. Ned & Kel have been embroidering burp cloths and Kel may set up a business by next week. She's a McGee through and through. Thats G-mama's rocking chair. I love that chair. I'm in it right now!





Closet space is important here as with any home. We have a nice one......



....and it didn't take us long to fill it up!!!



All in all it's a pretty nice "summer home". We all know it could be worse. Hope you enjoyed the tour of our new diggs. Come by any time. We'll be here!

Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers. Keep the prayers coming.
Now your assignment for today is this, Kelly is researching car seats that will be adequate for a preemie. If you have suggestions from first hand experience with children or grandchildren we want to hear from you. Comment or email!
More photos tomorrow.......

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Ned, Kelly & Baby Smith update....

I must start my blog today by thanking everyone for their thoughts and prayers that have been offered up on Ned, Kelly and Baby Smith's behalf. Never underestimate the power of prayer!!
I am in Nashville. I'll be coming up and staying at the hospital with Kel during the day while Ned is at work. In the evenings I go back to their house so I can check on the 3 horses that are still there. Kelly's condition is basically the same. The doctor ordered more bloodwork yesterday and her white count and C reactive Protein levels were elevated. They changed her antibiotic during the night. I ask the nurse if this was just a bump in the road or if this was a car crash. She said it was a bump in the road. I think they like it when I use all my medical jargon.....Today she had another ultrasound to check and see if the baby was doing it's breathing exercises and to check muscle mass. The baby scored 6 out of 8! Two points were deducted for not having any water. This ultrasound didn't do any measuring or weight estimates. After the ultrasound the lady from the PICC team came in and inserted an intravenous line that is more permanent than a regular IV. This new line goes up the arm and into the main vein in the chest. It will not have to be moved on a regular basis like the other IV. The PICC lady ask me to leave the room so she could create a sterile environment for the procedure. So I didn't see any of it. Kel said it wasn't too bad though. I used this time to go to the food court and get my lunch. Grilled chicken wrap. The food court has a Dairy Queen, Subway, Pizza place and Morrison's. Not bad, but we have food in the room to eat. Sometimes Kelly and I trade food for favors from the nurses. That's how we got her the bigger and better bed. Never underestimate the power of good cookies!! Thanks Kathy McCloy!
After the PICC Nurse left a guy came in and did a chest x-ray. Then a while later they all came back and did another x-ray. Just now the nurse came in and put Kelly back on the baby monitor. She is monitored for one hour every eight hours. As soon as they get the go ahead about the PICC line she will be back on an antibiotic drip. Never a dull moment up here on the high risk floor. This morning soon after I arrived the girl next door had her baby in her room! I had heard the nurse ask for someone to notify NICU then in a few minutes we heard screaming. Not bad, blood curdling screaming but the "I've not had anything for pain and I'm giving birth" type screaming. It didn't last long. Everyone says the mother and baby are both doing good. The doctor this week is Dr. Fortunato. We haven't seen him yet today. He has been on the floor once but was called away for surgery. Kelly spent the morning on the internet looking up statistics on car seats for preemies. If anyone has experience with this leave a comment or email me. It's hard to be ready in May for a baby that isn't due until August! Luckily Ned and Kelly had gone and registered at Target and Babies-R-Us. Now I can go and shop for the right things!
Kelly says thanks to all for the emails. Now that she has internet, (as soon as I get off here) she can respond to your emails more easily. The phone was just to tempermental. I am fixin' to set her up a facebook account. So be sure and do a friend request.
Again, thanks for the many, many prayers and keep 'em coming.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Prayers Please

Yesterday morning my favorite son-in-law Ned called at 3am to tell us Kelly's water had broke. She is only 28 1/2 weeks pregnant. Full term is 40 weeks. Ned & Kelly had already been to the ER in Franklin, Tn and Kelly was being transported to Centennial Women's Hospital in Nashville by ambulance and he was following them. You just know when the phone rings at 3am it's not going to be good news. Dan & I jumped up, dressed and had all the animals taken care of and situated and we were on the road by 3:45am. This "Gramps" & "Granny" can move when they need too!!! Yesterday was a tiring and stressful day. They immediately gave Kelly a steroid shot to help the baby's lungs to develop. She was NOT in labor and was NOT having contractions. They also started a magnesium drip and an antibiotic drip. The mag. prevents contractions and the antibiotic is to prevent infection which is the biggest concern now. When the membranes rupture it leaves the baby exposed to infection. Hopefully the antibiotics will do their job and Kelly will not go into labor for several more weeks. She will however have to stay in the hospital, mainly in bed until little baby Smith gets here. When she arrived at Centennial she was assigned a new doctor, one that specializes in High Risk Pregnancies. The entire floor she is on is nothing but high risk pregnancies. They also have an excellent NICU. The nurses are all experienced with high risk pregnancies and babies. They also did an ultrasound. The babies weight was approximated at 3 pounds 4 ounces. Dr. Linzy said her immediate goal is for Kelly to get to week 30 then to week 32 and so on. She will be in week 29 tomorrow. One day at a time. Obviously this will be very boring for Kel. She wanted me to put in my blog that her email address is nksmith05@gmail.com She would love to have emails. She can read and reply to them on her phone and said this would help her pass the time. I'll be up there quite a bit staying with her while Ned is working so I don't know if I'll be blogging much unless we get some kind of WiFi card for the laptop. Hopefully we can, the laptop will help her pass the time too! We truly believe in the power of prayer and ask you to take a moment and say a prayer for Ned & Kelly & Baby Smith. Will update as often as I can!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Waitin' for the Weekend

This weekend myself, Kelly and our buddy April are headed to Missouri. We will spend the weekend with my son, Matt and my favorite daughter-in-law, Mary! We are going up on Friday and on Saturday we will be going to the barrel race. Saturday afternoon is a jewelry party at Mary's house then out to eat at Mary's favorite restaraunt. Yum, Yum!! Sunday it's back to the barrel race and then home. I can't wait. I know we'll have fun! So prepare yourself for photos next week.
Everybody seems to be going to the beach so we are avoiding the crowd and heading north!! Can't wait to see some old friends and catch up. Nothing beats hanging out with friends and family.
Wish us luck at the barrel race. April and I haven't been anywhere in what seems like forever. Every time we've tried to go to a barrel race it's gotten rained out. We're ready though!

South Beach Diet

Monday, May 18, 2009

Happy Birthday, Rachel!

Saturday was Rachel's 24th birthday! They were in Athens, Alabama putting on the Sheriff's rodeo so Dan & I headed that way. After the horse race of course! Here's a shot of Rachel with her birthday present from Dan and me.



Kelly & I had gone over on Friday night to visit with Kelly's BFF Emma. It's was great seeing Emma and her mom Rozlyn. It's funny how you can catch right back up with folks you haven't seen in a while. We used to spend practically every weekend together at rodeos when the kids were growing up. Emma will be getting married in June. They are all grown up now and our paths just don't cross as often as I would like.


Kelly & Emma

I always go with the intention of taking a lot of shots but I end up visiting more than shooting, oh well.

I did get a couple of shots of Cutter, Rachel's nephew. He's a character. Dan is training a zebu (miniature brahma steer) for him for his rodeo act for next year. We also did the embroidery on his shirt and these shots will most likely go on our website too.






On Mother's Day Dan & I went to Ned & Kelly's and helped them get the baby's room ready. They had picked up the new furniture and some assembly was required. My grandbaby has a cool room with beautiful furniture! There is even a bed for me when I go for my many visits! Okay, nobody really came right out and said, "this is your bed" but I'm sure that's what it's for. The store sent a chest of drawers instead of the changing table/dresser and Kelly still wants to get a glider rocker for the room. So we're not finished with it yet but it's a really large room so it can handle all the furniture.





We're really getting excited about the baby. Kelly is in her 28th week, 12 more to go.....August will be here before we know it.
Don't forget about the deal on the "coolest bag on the planet". If you entered the contest you are eligible for the 20% discount through May!!! That makes the price of the bag $20. Can you say BARGAIN?

Friday, May 15, 2009

I almost forgot....

Okay, I did forget. But now I've remembered.
If you were not the winner but you absolutely love the "coolest bag on the planet" and want one you can get it for 20% off through May. This offer is for those who entered the contest ONLY!
This makes this bag only $20 and that my friends is a GREAT value. Just let me know.
I was just thinking, I may start having a few sales for blog readers only........Sound good? Let me know.

And The Winner Is...........

First off I want to thank y'all for participating. These little contests are fun for me and maybe they're fun for y'all too! I do plan on having one each month. Of course they help promote our website www.shamrockm.com and I'm not ashamed of self promotion......It's the American way, right? I thought so.
I hope you noticed a few new items on the website. To all of you that have been referring people to our website for awards, Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Our handbag business continues to grow by leaps and bounds and so does our embroidery and monogramming! We have GREAT friends and customers that keep us busy.
Check back often to see what's new with us and we'll be announcing another contest in June!

And now for the WINNER!



Drum roll, Please!!!!







Courtney Shackleford

email me Courtney and we'll discuss getting the "coolest bag on the planet" to you!!!
Again, thanks everybody!

Contest Closed!

Kay's May Giveaway contest is officially closed!

Thanks to everyone for participating!

Check back in a little while for the winner!!!!!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Kay's May Giveaway is HERE!

Are you ready?


Pay close attention!


It's gonna be EASY PEAZY!



There will be no reason not to enter......



Here we go.....leave a comment (at the end of this blog entry) with your name (first and last) and tell me you want to be a WINNER!! And presto, YOU ARE ENTERED!!!



Want another chance to have your name in the drawing?


That's gonna be EASY PEAZY too!



Tell a friend to come by http://www.kaymcgee.blogspot.com/ . Tell them to leave a comment saying that you sent them ( using your first and last name) and that they want to be a winner too!


Example: Hey, I'm Jane Doe and my friend Judy Doe sent me to your blog and I want to be a WINNER too! (Now your friend can start telling their friends and they can get more entries too!)

Now your friend is entered and you are entered twice. You can tell however many people you want! There is no limit to entries. BUT, your name (first & last) must be mentioned
for the entry to count for you! You can email friends, post it on facebook, myspace, use the telephone, tell your co-workers, let your imagination go wild! The more people who comment and mention your name the more chances you have to win!


I'm getting all excited thinking about it!!!! I'm goofy that way....


The contest begins now and will close Friday, May 15th 2009 at NOON!


Check back here Friday afternoon to see if you won with details on how to claim your prize.



By the way, want to know what you're playing for? (that's my Jeff Probst impersonation)


The winner will receive the "coolest bag on the planet" as featured on our website, http://www.shamrockm.com/ Those of you who have visited our website know which one I'm talking about.... if you haven't visited our website you should. You should do that NOW! Okay, you can enter the contest first and then go look around at http://www.shamrockm.com/ We just added new handbags that are really, really cool! I know you're gonna love 'em......
Bonus Time:
This bag sells for $25 plus embroidery and/or monogramming. If you enter the contest and don't win (but I'm sure you will) you can order the bag and receive a 20% discount. Discount is for those who enter the contest, only. Discount will be good through May!

Here's the bag.....
Drum roll, please.....
Ta Da!











Good Luck!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

That Beautiful Rose Bush!


These first two shots do not depict the magnitude of this gorgeous rose bush.
The rose bush belongs to Kathryn Lansdell, my cousin, who lives next door to the store. (I'm sure you know by now that many of my favorite photos have been taken in her yard.) This rose bush is HUGE! (Click on the photos to show them enlarged!)



Here are some random shots of what I thought were pretty roses. The biggest problem I had was the wind. Not a good idea to grab the stem and try to hold it still. Thorns are sharp!



Below is one shot. It has been edited in Picasa (picasa is a free download and is very user friendly)to change the appearance. That's my photography tip for the day. Don't be afraid to alter the shot using the different effects. As you'll see in the photos below some effects are more dramatic than others. Some add color some take color away. Some create a vignette. Some will sharpen a photo. Some add a tint. Some effects will warm up a shot. Don't be scared to experiment!!! They all have an undo button!


















The photo below does not necessarily show the rose in its beauty, but I think it makes the rose look fragile. This is the sepia effect. Although it's not the common way to portray a photo of a rose, the more I look at it the more I like it. It's different, it has some mystique to it.
The faded rose.....



The photo below is a beautiful rose bud. I love the greenery in the background.


Then I took it one step further and cropped it!

Suddenly the detail of the bud catches your eye!

I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I have. Now go out and find something to shoot and edit and have fun! Then share them with me as I love seeing other peoples work. That's where inspiration comes from.
Kay's May Giveaway will be announced tomorrow!
Don't miss it!
It's gonna be big! With lots of chances to win!
What's the prize you ask? I'm not telling until tomorrow but the item is on our website, www.shamrockm.com Go take a look, browse around and see what all you like!
Have a great day!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Kay's May Giveaway!

Are you ready for another freebie?

I'm ready to give something away!

All I have to do is work out the details. Soooo stay tuned it will happen very soon. I know what you're thinking....... it'll have to happen soon or it will be the June giveaway. I'll be the first to admit May is flying by for me. So much going on, new babies, south beach, allergies, doctor appts., dentist appts., and the constant embroidery and monogramming. I'm not complaining mind you, I'm just using it as my excuse for not having Kay's May Giveaway yet.

STAY TUNED!!!
It will be good, I promise!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Baby Boy # 2

Finally!!!


The Blue Roan mare finally had her foal. Another boy! We woke up on Mother's Day to a new baby, can it get any better than that?


He's a cutie pie and looks like his big sister Earline. Earline is a 2 year old this year. They are both bay roans. Last years baby, Shirley, is a blue roan like the mama.

Now once again we are faced with the name dilema. When Earline was born Kelly said her name is going to be Earline. Her daddy's name is Earl. That was simple. Last year when we had 2 babies and they were both girls we kicked around all kinds of combos. Lucy & Ethel, Thelma & Louise, etc, etc. Then one day Ned said how about Laverne & Shirley? That was it. They were the perfect names. Laverne is the taller red baby and Shirley is the shorter blue roan baby. I've said for a year now that we needed Lenny & Squiggy to go with Laverne & Shirley. Now we have 'em and nobody wants to name our handsome young men Lenny & Squiggy. Yesterday I suggested Bo & Luke ( the Duke boys from Dukes of Hazzard) That was ixnayed before I could get it out of my mouth good. If it had been a boy and a girl I was leaning toward Ty & Chelsie! Funny huh? By the way, don't forget to vote for them tonight on Dancing With the Stars. okay, back to boy names for horses. Leave comments with all your suggestions.... Don't leave comments about the quality (or lack of) of the photos. It's really hard to get good shots of a mare and baby that just aren't that into it! You're kinda chasin' 'em all around the place.....

To help you think I've added baby photos, of course! Enjoy!

Click on the photo to enlarge













And here's a couple of the sorrel baby born last week....


He's really grown in a weeks time!!