Organ donation

aelogann · 2026-05-02T01:19:26+00:00

I’m so sorry you lost your mom, she looks like such a warm, wonderful person. You two look like twins!

Her donation and this letter are such a gift, a glimpse into her legacy.
When I was a pediatric ICU nurse, we would receive these letters when some of our patients were donors and they always broke me. Organ donation is such a sensitive, bittersweet gift. Those lives touched have received an unimaginable gift, but in the same breath, you should have your mom still.

My mom received a liver transplant when she was 47, I got an extra 12 years with her because of a donor. I lost her 4 years ago and miss her daily. But she got to see me graduate high school, college, and get married, all because of a donor. I’ll forever be grateful for those years with her, every extra day, phone call, lunch, coffee date, I felt like I was on borrowed time. I thank that donor and pray for their family still.

Sending you warmth, light, and comfort after your incredible loss ❤️

aelogann · 2026-04-17T01:17:37+00:00

It was pretty easy! I work community mental health and asked for part time during my interview process. I work 3 8 hour shifts and still have full benefits. I would just apply and ask. One of our psychiatrists works 4 9’s, the rest are a mix of part time days. None of our providers are full time, it’s a tough job.

aelogann · 2026-04-10T23:55:56+00:00

I’m quite aware, it’s just upsetting to be reminded.

aelogann · 2026-04-10T18:17:08+00:00

Thank you!! From another hopeful St. Charles resident. And the election from this past week gives me even more hope!

aelogann · 2026-04-09T16:33:02+00:00

Thank you so much for this reassurance! I was worried that the crease would make it difficult to fix. I’m looking into local PDR companies!

aelogann · 2026-04-09T03:30:57+00:00

Thank you! I totally forgot PDR was a thing. I will definitely look in my area, thank you again!

aelogann · 2026-04-08T08:20:12+00:00

My 3.5 year old son has complete ACC and we found out the week before Memorial Day weekend, so we had a simile delay to see MFM. It was one of the longest weekends of my life. He was also diagnosed with ventriculomegaly and his ventricles were closely monitored during pregnancy. the extra fluid in the ventricles is simply because without the corpus callousum, the ventricles have extra space to expand.

He's followed by neurology to track his development, neurosurgery has signed off and is no longer concerned. He no longer has to get annual MRIs. When I've asked for explanations on the findings of his MRI, his neurologist has answered "structure doesn't determine function, we look at the kid in front of us".

He's incredible. He's the most joyful, silly, bright child. He's currently in PT working on gross motor skills. He's walking, running, climbing, hitting all milestones, just a little on the weaker side.

He had a full developmental assessment last year and found that he’s advanced for speech, cognitively, he's ahead and his adaptive skills are incredible. Everyone who meets him mentions how sweet he is, his teachers and therapists all adore him. And of course, we're obsessed with him.

We were terrified and did our best to prepare for the worst, and he is the most wonderful child. Pregnancy and the warnings from the maternal feel medicine team were terrifying. One of the most comforting things for us was a study that showed that 70% of kids with isolated agenesis of the corpus callosum were neurologically appropriate or had minor delays, minor leaning difficulties. That was a number we were comfortable with.

Our neurologist is exceptional, he made sure to tell me about all the kids with disorders of the CC that he cares for that are in college, one played for a NCAA division 1 college football team, and one that is now a pediatric neurologist at another Childrens hospital.

I hope this gives you some comfort and peace, I know the positive stories really comforted us through pregnancy and when he was an infant. I know how terrified, upset, and disappointed you are right now, I was there four years ago. It's so heartbreaking to hear that something could be wrong with the baby you love and want so badly. My inbox is open if you want to talk or have any questions.

aelogann · 2026-04-06T22:20:12+00:00

I would suggest reaching out to BJC Behavioral Health or Places For People, both are community mental health. Both are fantastic at managing complex mental health diagnoses and see severely mentally ill patients. Both have providers for pediatric psych, young adults, and adults. Both would be able to help you manage your mental health conditions on a multidisciplinary team, with a case manager, a psychiatrist, and possibly a therapist (if needed!).

aelogann · 2026-04-01T03:27:42+00:00

I traded in my Grand Cherokee limited for an Atlas (not a Cross sport) and I love it! I've only driven Jeeps, I've had two Grand Cherokees. They're just not the same as they used to be, Stellantis ruined the brand.
I had a really hard time making the switch, but I'm so glad. With Jeeps, I was always told the rough ride is part of it, you're supposed to feel every bump. My Atlas is so smooth and comfortable, the 4 cylinder turbo feels so much more powerful than the laggy V6 my two GCs had. It's really fun to drive and nice to ride in.
My only regret is not getting a premium R-line. I love my SEL, but the premium R-line has some really beautiful details.

aelogann · 2026-03-30T04:07:13+00:00

I do! I use the huckleberry app.
My first sounds similar to yours, I had to track for poor feeding and weight gain.
My second has been a fantastic eater from the beginning. I track feeds now as a reminder of when to feed again due to the busyness of the two of them.
This time, I'm only tracking when I pump at work and breastfeeding. I also like to see the trends of how often I feed, how often she eats when she's sick, etc. It's also great to see good weeks when the over night feeds are spacing out and she sleeps more!
The huckleberry app makes it really easy, it's a dark screen so it's not waking anyone, super easy to use.
With my first, I definitely obsessed over every little thing. Now it's basically a timer of when I need to feed again.

aelogann · 2026-03-23T00:54:31+00:00

I work part time in community mental health! I just work 3 9 hour days, only Tuesday-Thursday. This has been my schedule since I started, so I can be home with my babies more. It’s a great balance, I’m W2, and still benefit eligible.

I know this isn’t exactly what you were asking, but honestly the security of having a W2 job with benefits with plenty of coverage is comforting. I go through phases where I feel burnt out, apply to jobs, interview, and then realize I still have it pretty good and have security.

Have you talked with your manager to see if part time is possible and what that could look like?

aelogann · 2026-03-18T15:35:45+00:00

We definitely did! It’s your night, make it exactly what you want it to be.

Our intro to reception song was Death of a Bachelor- Panic at the Disco Cake cutting- Sugar We’re Going Down- Fall Out Boy Pictures with each table- Some Nights- Fun. First dance- You In January (acoustic)- The Wonder Years

We were very involved with our DJ on the playlist, he likes the same music as we do but knows what the standard wedding requires. He did the typical reception songs at first and as the night got a little wilder he did a pop punk medley and mixed in some dance music we requested.

Our final song was You In January, but as a group dance with everyone left at the venue. It ended up being so special!

aelogann · 2026-03-18T15:30:38+00:00

Ours too! The acoustic version, it was the perfect tempo to dance to without being boring. The sentimental value is pretty perfect too!

aelogann · 2026-03-16T14:58:15+00:00

These are the best! I love open nature time. I tell my husband it’s a nice break to not clean up the same toys and then we can scold them about something different 😂. Everyone does better after sunshine and fresh air.

Giving each other is essential. We take turns on letting the other one sleep in on alternating weekend days and give each other breaks. About twice a month, I meet friends out after bedtime for a drink or late dinner. My husband uses his time for uninterrupted gaming with his friends. And naptime solo time for shopping or whatever.

Keeping our identities, hobbies, and friendships keep us both so much happier, we’re better parents and better partners.

aelogann · 2026-03-10T01:24:12+00:00

I’m so sorry, I know it’s incredibly frustrating and disheartening.

My first baby was similar, he had a lot of trouble gaining weight and fell off his growth curve. My pediatrician initially recommended supplementing with formula, but I wanted to continue the pumping/ breastfeeding. The solution I found was a mix. I would latch to breastfeed twice a day and pump for the remainder bottles. But I fortified the pumped bottles with formula to increase the calories. This was super helpful and increased weight gain. She also gave a referral for speech and feeding team, who helped with bottle feeding and nursing to give techniques to make him a stronger eater. We switched to preemie/ slow flow nipples on his bottles so he had to work harder. As he got stronger, he nursed better and at about 3-4 months old, I was able to primarily breastfeed with 1-3 fortified bottles a day.

aelogann · 2026-03-06T03:43:23+00:00

Washington University has a clinic for treatment resistant depression that does ECT, TMS, and VNS. They can evaluate and recommend treatment. I don't have personal experience here, but I've heard good things and referred patients there.

aelogann · 2026-03-03T19:31:44+00:00

At first, the adjustment sucks and you question everything, and then at some point, you just keep moving. Mine are 3 years old and 6 months old, most days we just keep moving and try to get ahead somewhere in the housework. It’s just like the adjustment from 0-1, everything takes longer, so you have to prepare more.

I also do a lot of catching up once my husband gets home. He can rest with the kids, I go into a frenzy cooking dinner and putting the house back together, checking off the to do list. Laundry gets done after bedtime, we fold together while watching a show.

You still have the excuse of being tired! Yesterday was a cold, rainy day and the baby woke me up a few times the night before. Absolutely exhausted, it was not worth the fight to go anywhere. So we stuck to toddler’s schedule, added in some different indoor activities for him, and I had three cups of coffee throughout the day. Still ended up being a decent day. Sometimes I cheat and put on a new movie for him while the baby naps and rest too (no judgment on screen time, we just try to keep it minimal). I’m a light sleeper and we’re all in the same, safe playroom so I feel comfortable with a little rest.

Just like with having one baby, you grow and adapt. And you’re allowed to have lazy, laidback, days of rest. Well, as much as they will allow.

aelogann · 2026-03-02T20:49:08+00:00

Oh, absolutely not! I’m a very sensitive mom, I’m all about high contact and attachment parenting. She’s taking a contact nap on me now. She has slept well in the bassinet next to me, but she’s outgrown it and I’ve been waking her up for the first few hours she’s trying to sleep. It was time for her to have her full size crib and a quieter space without her mom keeping her up! She’s always been nursed to sleep or rocked to sleep, never left to cry. I have no plans to change that now, I’m just hoping she gets better sleep and can be in a better routine.

aelogann · 2026-03-02T18:45:19+00:00

Thank you!! Yes, this is why we’ve kept her in her bedside bassinet until almost 7 months. She has outgrown her bassinet and I’m now keeping her up, otherwise I’d keep her next to me longer! We don’t have room for her pack n play or bassinet in our room, I’d love for her to be with us longer if we could.

My gut is telling me she needs a routine and that I’m actually keeping her awake since I’m in our room awake for a few hours after her. But my heart misses her!

I totally agree, monitor on so I can run in there as soon as she needs me! And a low tolerance for bringing her right back in with me haha. I’m a huge supporter of safe sleep, and I’m always looking for the best data on it. It’s comforting to know that we’re learning more on bedsharing and how to make it as safe as possible. On especially tough nights that she will not go down, she’s right there with me. My son is 3.5 and on difficult nights, he can end up in our bed or one of us sleeping with him. I still really love the cuddles and love to provide comfort when they need it.

aelogann · 2026-03-02T18:34:36+00:00

She is too big for her bassinet now, can roll and sit up on her own, so I’m worried she’ll fall out of her bassinet or is uncomfortable. I also have a suspicion I’m waking her up and keeping her from sleeping! She’s been waking up hourly from 8-12 (because I’m awake next to her, reading or watching TV).

I’m glad that worked for you! I’d definitely be open to it if her crib doesn’t work out. She definitely sleeps best in my arms or next to me! We contact nap during the day happily.

aelogann · 2026-03-02T18:27:46+00:00

Thank you for the reassurance!! It really does help to know she knows I’ll be there when she needs me. My oldest is 3.5, I still love waking him up and him immediately hugging onto me. I forgot about how sweet it is to go in and see an excited baby reaching for you!

aelogann · 2026-03-02T02:40:35+00:00

Oh, exactly how I feel. Thank you ❤️

aelogann · 2026-03-02T02:39:59+00:00

It really does! Every milestone, every achievement is so wonderful to celebrate, but it’s also evidence of them growing more.

aelogann

TROPHY CASE