Let's start from the very beginning.....

So here it goes.  Forgive me if my memory is clouded.  It has been 2 years since our journey began.  I have mentioned a blog numerous times to friends I have met throughout Keean's life, but have no idea how to even start a blog....let alone his story. 

It is not that I think we have had it worse than others, in fact I know this is far from the truth!  The people I have met along our journey have taught me just that.  We are lucky.  We are blessed.

I guess I'll start at the very beginning.  Probably because I have heard before...."it's a very good place to start."

I met my husband in 2004 at a New Years Eve party.  We talked all evening, but that was as far as it went. I knew his family, was really good friends with his cousin, but that was about it.  He had moved to another town, started a business and a life of his own. I was 23 years old, a single mom of a 5 year old and going to college.  He was 8 years older than me, just going through a divorce, had 3 young children going back and fourth from him and his ex wife and running a business so really, neither of us were ready to be in any kind of serious relationship anyway.

Fast forward to 2009.  I had thought about him randomly, but never anything more than a thought here and there.  It was February, and I had joined the facebook world a few months prior to when I got a friend request from him.  Well, the rest is history.  We were engaged 5 months later with a wedding date planned for August 7, 2010. 

So, we moved in together.  Me, my fiancé, and our blended family of 4 children.  At the time they were 11, 11, 13 and 15.  We were busy, but we had the discussion many times that once we were married we would have more children. 

We were married a VERY hot day in August and by the end of September we found out we were pregnant.  (or I was, but like to include him in on it....it was a team thing).  We were due in June and couldn't be more excited. We made our appointment to confirm the pregnancy and bought my husbands daughter a shirt that read, "I'm going to be a big sister....FINALLY".  We told our older kids by giving my step daughter her new shirt and they were all extremely pumped (besides my 11 year old son who hates surprises....he quickly warmed up to the idea but wasn't too sure about it at first). 

We started doing regular Dr. visits and decided this time we wanted to find out what we were having.  At our 20 week ultra sound appointment, we found out it was a boy.  The doctor soon called us back to tell us she wanted to see us.  She wanted us to go in for a level 2 ultra sound out of town because his head was measuring "oblong" but not to be worried.  Of course I was horrified not knowing what that even meant, but we waited and went in for that ultra sound.  My feelings of panic were quickly resolved when they told me everything looked good and he was just moving too much the past ultra sound to get an accurate measurement.  I, then was able to breathe and enjoy the 3D pictures we got of our little peanut.  I couldn't wait to meet him.

I celebrated my last day of work before maternity leave on June 1 and that night I went into labor.  It couldn't have been more perfect.  June 2, 2011 at 4:47am Keean Russell was born and our world completely changed!  I was, like most mothers, in love with him the minute they handed him to me.  I studied everything about him.  Everything was perfect.  It wasn't until the 2nd day in the hospital.  I had a feeling.  A feeling something wasn't right.  I have learned to tell all my mom friends NEVER to ignore that feeling.  To go with it.  It's usually right.  And I was right.  Now, don't panic.  It isn't something horrible.  This story doesn't have a bad ending at all!  But this kid has taken us on quite the ride.  A ride I will continue sharing .......next time!