First Check-up

Well we just got home a little bit ago from Ava's first check-up with the pediatrician. She looks and sounds great. When she was born, her weight was 7 lbs 10.4 oz. When we were discharged from the hospital, she weighed 7 lbs 3 oz. Today, she was 7 lbs 15 oz! So she is definitely eating well and gaining healthily. And she is sleeping really well too... During the day she nurses about every 3 hours or so and at night it's about every 5-6 hours. So I really only have one middle of the night feeding, which is very nice. She's such a content baby... she pretty much only cries when she's hungry (and SCREAMS if I change her diaper before feeding her when she's already crying, hehe). Well Mom, Ava, the pups, and I are about to take an air mattress nap in the living room. :) More updates to come...

SHE IS HERE!!!!!!

Well she ended up being fashionably late but she is here! At 3:14am on Monday, December 22nd, Ava Renee Ezell was born weighing 7 lbs 10.4 oz and measuring 19 inches long. For a little while it was looking like c-section was a possibility as her head was tilted just slightly, not allowing her to decend down the birth canal. I spent 4-5 hours at 9+ centimeters dilated and was given pitocin to help bring the contractions to bring her out. Finally I reached 10 centimeters and she was out in 4 contractions worth of pushing. I cannot even begin to describe how incredibly amazing the whole process was, early pregnancy through delivery. I wouldn't trade the worst day of morning sickness or strongest, longest contraction for this amazing baby girl. Richard called me around 7:30pm Sunday while I was in serious labor... not even sure what we said to each other but I was very emotional for sure... and then he was able to call again later in the afternoon on Monday and hear all about his daughter. Tuesday night he called and I put the phone on speaker between Ava and me. She got to hear his voice and he got to hear her cry. I cannot wait to see him see her for the first time... wow. Well here are a few pictures. Thank you all for your love and support throughout this amazing journey to Ava's new life. :)

Last Post Until Baby is Here

Well I think this will be my last post while I am still pregnant with this little girl... Pretty much all day yesterday I was having contractions 10-12 minutes apart. They were not at all painful but I could feel my uterus tightening and relaxing. Around 6:oo this morning, however, I was awakened by a contraction that actually was painful and lasted longer than the others had. I took a bath and got a few things more ready to go and then got back in bed and slept on and off between the contractions that were more intense. Now I'm completely ready to go to the hospital and the contractions are increasing in intensity and frequency (6-8 minutes apart now). I plan on staying home until they are more like 3-4 minutes apart or until they become really, really severe.
I thought for sure Baby was going to come early but now today is her due date and it looks like she might be right on time. I guess she has already learned good planning and timing from her mom. :)
Well that's all for now. Next post will include baby pictures!!!

Ready Now

It is currently 9:50pm on this Sunday night and Mom and Shane are about 4-5 hours away!!! Woo-hoo! Tomorrow we will start walking and try to get things going for Baby to join us in the outside world. Right now I think she's a little confused about how the birthing process works - she seems to be planning on coming feet first out of my right side with one big kick, hehe. Anyway, that's really all that's going on. I'm just so excited!!! Oh, and here's my 39 weeks picture.

38 and 4

38 weeks and 4 days down... any day now... I had an appointment with Kyanna this morning and everything looks and sounds great as usual. I am still measuring small (about 36 weeks today) but as you know from earlier posts that apparently doesn't mean much for me. Baby's heartrate was around 150 bpm. I have gained exactly 30 pounds from my pre-pregnancy normal, and my blood pressures are looking great. Kyanna checked my cervix again today and said I am still around 1cm dilated but about 80% effaced now. So, things are still progressing in spite of my lack of physical activity in attempt to stall for Mom and Shane's arrival on Monday, hehe. I hope I can hold out just a few more days! So, I've been pretty much just taking it easy. I haven't been walking the pups - I take them to the park and play fetch to get them some exercise. I have been taking daily naps. I am even getting a massage tomorrow! Anyway, here is my 38 weeks picture. Also, if I have not gone into labor in the next week, I have another appointment with Kyanna next Thursday. Hopefully I will not need that appointment. :)

Video!

I hope this works... You'll see the pups first - I couldn't figure out how to separate the belly moving segment from the BB & Pancake segment. The slight up and down movement is just me breathing but everything else is baby girl moving around in there! :)

37 Weeks!

Ok so I am 37 weeks and a couple days now and I just got home from my appointment with Kyanna. She checked my cervix again today and said I am 1 centimeter dilated and 50% effaced (thinned out). Baby's head is down and settling into the pelvis, which is just what should be happening. She is still very active although the movements feel more like shifting and pushes from the inside than kicks and jolts (she's running out of room in there). Anyway, Kyanna thinks I will probably not go into active labor before Mom gets here (the 15th) - hope not! That's only 12 days away, so hopefully I can keep her on the inside that much longer. :) My next appointment is next Thursday, December 11th, so I will update again then! And here is my 37 week picture: