Grateful mom and blood recipient

Blood donation saves lives. I know.

I’ve been working with the Nebraska Community Blood Bank and Memorial Blood Center to share my story as a blood recipient when Chisum was born. They did an excellent job recapping my story and really sharing why I’m so grateful for blood donors. Please take a minute to read the story: Kelsey Pope, Grateful mom and blood recipient.

Many of you have read my blogs about Chisum’s birth story and having an Amniotic Fluid Embolism (AFE), but here are the links to the story in four parts: {Part 1} Patience, {Part 2} Strength & Miracles, {Part 3} Meeting Chisum and {Part 4} NICU & Healing.

I haven’t told this part of the story yet, though.

Last fall, I was so excited to donate blood again but had to wait until 1 year after Chisum was born. I went into the Nebraska Community Blood Bank the day after Chisum’s first birthday – September 10, 2014. I am alive today because of blood donation and I wanted to start giving back as soon as I could. Before I was pregnant with Chisum, I made blood donation a regular time in my calendar and went as often as I could.

The gals at the NCBB were so friendly and were so excited for me to be giving back to help others after hearing my AFE story. I left the center that day with a refreshed gratitude and praise to God who gave be the ability to be there.

About 10 days later, I received a letter in the mail from the Memorial Blood Center – who partners with NCBB – that my blood tested positive for an anti-Kell antibody and I would no longer be able to donate blood.

My first thought: what is an anti-Kell antibody?

My second thought: surely they just mean I can’t donate for a period of time.

So I called the director at MBC and she explained to me that no, I can never donate again. An anti-Kell antibody means I have an extra antigen in my blood, most likely caused from when my immune system was shocked and shut down with the AFE, then rebooted when I received the blood transfusions (technical info on Kell here). This extra antigen acted as a super protein to fight infection and will stay with me in my blood forever to fight off anything foreign.

It won’t harm me to have it, but it could be an issue if I ever have to have another blood transfusion, or if we decide to have another baby. And my blood could be harmful to others, which is why I cannot donate again.

I got off the phone with the director and felt like a load of bricks knocked me over. Here I was, perfectly healthy (only sleep deprived & exhausted from having a one-year-old boy!), and I wasn’t able to give blood again – something I’ve always been very eager to do and fit into my schedule like clockwork every 6-8 weeks.

I realize that I am so fortunate to be healthy and thriving after all that I went through, but it just hit me hard that here I am, one year after my AFE, thinking that I was all well and ok. But my body isn’t the same. I benefited from blood donors, but never again could I help anyone.

Not to mention that there are so many unknowns about being able to have another baby. Those tears came later when I talked to Ronny about it. But God gave me a peace about this. While many of my friends are going on to have their second or third child, I’m totally at peace with where our family is – even if that means only a family of three. We will see where God takes us in the future.

So there are still so many unknowns and I will be finding a fetal maternal specialist soon to talk about these future issues. But for now, I’m taking comfort in the fact that I can still help with blood donation and be a volunteer to get others to donate, even though I cannot.

Tomorrow is AFE Awareness Day and I’ll have more on my blog about it, but I want to stress today the importance of donating blood. It saved my life and your donation can save someone else’s life.

Please find a location to donate today at:

Nebraska Community Blood Bank

Red Cross Blood Donation

We’ve moved!

Well, our life has been on a little roller coaster ride and it’s been going in circles so fast I haven’t had time to update my blog!

As the title suggests, we have packed up our belongings from our beloved little house in Seward, Nebraska, and moved west to Colorado. This wasn’t an easy decision, but we are following our hearts and where God is leading our little family-of-three’s (or four, I guess we need to include Hank the cow dog as he is along for the ride!) life.

It all started back in the end of May when we found out that my parent’s neighbors were going to be moving and wanted to offer their house before they put it on the market. We went to look at it in June and did a lot of praying and number crunching to see if we could make this work and if this is what God had in mind for us.

After coming up with every reason not to, God kept opening doors, including making our finances work out, selling of our Seward house in 23 days (even doing so for sale by owner, thanks Zillow!), and providing jobs for both Ronny and I.

While it was bittersweet to leave our dear friends and great jobs in Nebraska, we are so thankful for the opportunity to be closer to family and be involved in the family ranch.

We still have boxes to unpack, things to organize, a little painting to do and furniture to buy, but we are loving life in the country, close to Nana and Papa and spending more, precious time with our little boy. We love visitors so let us know if you’re ever in the area!

All thanks be to God for His Blessings!

Chisum–12 months

Wow, what a fast year! Yet it was so fun, full of challenges and joy at the same time. We had so much fun celebrating at your big party.

On September 8 of this year, one day before Chisum’s birthday, I felt anxious remembering what we were about to step into, one year prior. I was really worried about how I would feel/react on Chisum’s birthday. My heart would race every time I thought about it, but I laid it on God and he gave me peace all day. Not once was I emotional or overcome with anxiety. I could truly enjoy the day focusing on my beautiful baby boy who was one year old!

Chisum, you have grown into such an amazing little boy – no more baby in this household!
 

You are super independent. You dad always gives me a look from the corner of his eye and says, “I wonder where he gets that from!” Hey – it’s good to be independent! ;) You don’t want me to hold your hand when you walk and you want to run everywhere.
 

You’re really into food – and feeding yourself of course. Our neighbor, Jean, brought you your own birthday cake and  you devoured it. You eat pretty much everything we do, but you especially love your peas, cottage cheese, any type of hamburger or meat casserole and bananas. And cake, of course.

You also like walking around the house eating “O’s” – or feeding Hank, whichever makes you laugh more. Hank follows you around when you get your snack cup and picks up what you drop or eats whatever you hand him. You two have become buds. Or maybe he is just tolerating you pulling on his ears and hair knowing that you’ll feed him snacks.
   

We got to visit Auntie Em in Olathe. You really liked her playground!

 

On our way home, we stopped to visit Baby John and Melissa & Todd!

You went to your first rodeo! {River City Rodeo in Omaha}. You liked pointing at all of the horses.
   

And we got to see Lori and Piqua!

Also while at the River City Rodeo, you got to be in your first parade. You waved from inside the truck while dad drove and mom walked. You’ve really started mastering your wave! Because the next weekend at the Limon Homecoming parade, you waved the whole time.

Your best friend these days is your paci. I don’t know why it is, but you are really good at throwing a downright fit when you don’t get your paci when you want it. I have to admit you’re pretty darn cute when you pout. I try not to laugh. :)

   

I do get good cuddles from you after your little fit which I’ll take any day.

You are all ready for fall with your pumpkin jammies. And when you have a book, you are the happiest baby ever. Especially if it has animals. You have your moo, woof and baa down!

   

We love you, sweet, sweet boy.
 

Even when you are hanging on your mama because she has your paci!

A celebratory weekend

We were so grateful to be able to celebrate Chisum’s Dedication at church and Ronny’s 30th birthday this past weekend.

Chisum was dedicated to the Lord by Ronny and I vowing to raise him in a Christian home and with the understanding that Chisum was given to us by God to do His will. We are so blessed that God chose us to be Chisum’s parents and we honor God for this opportunity.

Pastor Curt did a great job sharing with our church. Chisum just smiled at him and the congregation as Curt walked down each aisle to introduce him to the church and ask for their support in helping us raise him.
 

Most all of our family came to Nebraska to celebrate with us. Our parents, all of our siblings, my grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousin, and some close family friends joined us. Since we were going to all be together, we also celebrated Ronny’s 30th birthday (which is today!) with a lunch following church.

The sign I got for Ronny must have been made in China. :) “Happy Bitrhday!”

These grandparents sure love their little greats!

Four generations.

Thank you so much to our family for making the effort to come – it meant a lot to us!

We praise and thank the Lord everyday for the gift that He has given to us in Chisum. We pray that He will guide us in raising him, that Chisum will love Jesus as much as we do, and that he will find strength and faith through God and seek Him in all that he does.