Ezell Baby Journey

Just Waiting...

2011-10-12T15:23:00.003-05:00

Well we are 99% organized and settled in our home and with all the things I needed to reestablish on post. I have the girls' information updated with the childcare people so I can start to use some hourly care. I have gotten back into PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel), which is a weekly praise, worship, and Bible study time for ladies here. I have also gotten back into the routine of working out with a couple friends Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It's good accountability, good workouts, good friend time. They have kids too so it's a fun time for all.
We're still waiting to hear "for sure" about when Rich will be coming home. All through this deployment he has been prepared for/planning on coming home on the trail party (last guys) because of the jobs he's held for this whole year. Now, someone new may be changing things around, which could mean he'd come home main body (with most of the other soldiers). That would be great for us (heck yeah, come home at a year instead of adding a couple extra weeks!) but not great for him as he is the best one for the job of staying to wrap things up and has been almost looking forward to doing this part of the job he has worked and prepared so long and hard for. The one deciding was supposed to make up his mind by today but still hasn't so we're still waiting to find out.
Ava has been talking a lot about all the things she and Rich are gonna do when he gets home. "When Daddy gets home we're gonna play basketball, and baseball, and football, and soccer, and golf, and go for a run! We're gonna have so much fun!" Raina, of course, has no clue.
We just got done Skyping with Rich for the first time since we left GA. It has been over a month since we "saw" his face and even though we lost connection about 10 times I am very thankful for the technology we have and the freedom we have to use it. And thank you, again, to Emily as we are at her house using her computer and internet right now. Rich has our laptop in Iraq with him because he was working on finishing up his masters over this deployment, so we don't currently have a computer at our house. Emily is actually out getting a massage right now so I am here at her house with her 5 month old daughter Clara, and Ava and Raina. (And Sookie. Can't forget their sweet pup.) Fun! Speaking of these precious girls I need to get off the computer as Rae needs a little nap and Clara needs a diaper change.
Until next time...

Home Sweet Kansas

2011-09-17T14:23:00.000-05:00

The trip out here was actually a great success. We did the whole drive on Sunday, September 11, but were able to pack the truck and trailer to where I could put the pups in the bed of the truck in their cage, so the ride inside for us was not too chaotic. Thank you so much to Emily and Caleb for letting us stay with them when we arrived in town! We got a decent night of sleep before a lloonngggg day of moving on Monday. I was totally cleared out of storage by Wednesday the 14th and had pretty much everything at least in the right rooms. I love our place! It's a 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath duplex with a layout very much like where we lived on post before. (It's actually very close to where we lived before.)
In a lot of ways it feels like we never left here. I can't believe a whole 10 1/2 months has gone by since we left! I'm excited to get all of our things put away and organized. I have an appointment with the fence company we used before to come take measurements and everything next week so we can get a fence put up here for the pups. It's not too fun taking them out on leashes every time they need to do their business, and a chihuahua and a yorkie live next door and bark at us every time we go outside so far.
Anyway, I guess that's about it for now. I have A LOT to do in the next few weeks! :)

6 Month Appointment for Rae

2011-09-09T13:55:00.000-05:00

Went to the doctor for Raina's 6 month check-up and shots this morning. They measured her at 26inches and 15lbs 7oz. That's about 50th percentile for both and her head circumference is still 75th percentile (don't remember the measurement). She is doing GREAT! She is rolling and inch-worming all over the place and is sitting up a little bit. I'm going to start introducing some other foods now in addition to the rice cereal and oatmeal she has been eating for the last 2 months.
Ava is doing great too. She is starting to interact with Rae more and makes sure to tell everyone "Raina's my little sister!" She likes to help me do things like feed the pups, sweep and vacuum, throw Raina's diapers away, set the table, make meals, etc. (pretty much everything, actually).
We are going to be moving back to Kansas in the next couple days. We will make the drive on Sunday, stay with our old neighbors from where we lived before, and sign for our new place and move as much out of storage as possible on Monday. Should be a fun 1000 mile trip with the 2 girls, 2 pups, and a uhaul trailer this time!

Catching Up on Raina

2011-07-12T14:03:00.002-05:00

So I have obviously not updated this in a while...
On May 7 (2 months), Raina rolled over from tummy to back.
She started smiling, laughing occasionally, reaching for toys, etc.
On May 11 Raina went for her 2 month doctor's appointment. She was 22 inches (50th percentile) and 11 lbs 6 oz (75th percentile). She got her first round of shots and screamed like crazy (of course) but I nursed her immediately after and she calmed right down.
On June 7 (3 months), she rolled over from back to tummy. Once she figured out she could do that she did it constantly. Like as soon as I would lay her down on her back she would immediately roll over to her tummy.
Now she is really on the move, rolling all over the place and pulling her little knees up under herself in preparation for crawling. She is still nursing and I just started her on rice cereal, which is liking.
Today (July 12) I took Raina for her 4 month appointment and shots. She is now 23.5 inches and 12 lbs 7 oz. A little slow on the weight gain these last two months but the doctor said she just needs more calories now (as it's time to be introducing the rice cereal and oatmeal now and then other "Stage 1" foods at 5 months.
Ava is being a great big sister. She gets a little jealous of the attention I give Raina, sometimes, (as Raina requires a lot more interactive type attention now) but overall she has been very good about sharing time, toys, attention, etc. She is very helpful too, getting diapers, toys, burp cloths, whatever for Raina and me. I need another whole post to really update on Ava, actually, so I will save that for another time. :)

Routine, Rest, & Halfway

2011-04-25T14:51:00.005-05:00

Ava and Raina are asleep. Both of them. At the same time. That's still the goal in the new ROUTINE I am trying to establish and it is being achieved more often now. Therefore, I am taking this opportunity to enjoy some alone time, thoughtful time, adult time, peace, etc. I usually end up doing this at night after they've gone to bed but that means I don't get enough REST... so the new (always flexible) plan is to take chill time/get stuff done time/whatever I want time during their afternoon nap so I can go to bed when they do at night. Being a full-time Mom and Dad is pretty exhausting, and while I have help from Mom and Shane *when they're home,* they're still not the parents so it's a different role. I am SO looking forward to living as a family of 4 under one roof when Richard gets back! That being said, he has been gone exactly 6 months today, so we are about HALFWAY through this deployment. Hallelujah!!!

Raina is much more alert when she's awake now and has started smiling some. She's such a content little baby, thank the Lord. Ava is in such a constantly testing/changing/needing attention phase of life - I don't know how I could appropriately deal with her if I had a hard baby too. She pretty much only cries if she's really hungry, really tired, or too cold. The rest of the time she is pretty chill just looking around, waving her little arms. I need to give her more tummy time but that's hard to do sometimes with 3 dogs and Lil A on the loose.

Ava is a piece of work. For real. Wonderful, don't get me wrong, just challenging. She is SO smart, so keeping up with her mentally (explaining things, talking about things) is what is most draining for me. She remembers everything and has such a funny sense of humor. She still (over 3 months after Jaden was born) will say this whole thing: "Baby Jaden's in Stephanie's tummy! (knowing that's silly) No, Jaden's not in Stephanie's tummy anymore! She went to the hospital, the doctor helped her, and now Jaden's not in Stephanie's tummy anymore! We can hold him and see him! You're smart!" (This whole little explanation being what I used to tell her when he was first born. All the way down to the "you're smart" part that she now compliments herself with.) She also says things (or people) are "ridiculous to the max," which of course she got from me, and uses that phrase in context as well. She is still very good with Raina; I just keep an eye on her when Raina gets fussy. Usually she goes to her right away trying to put her paci in or put her blanket on her saying something sweet like "It's okay, Baby Ray!" But sometimes she turns into a mini-mom and says something like "No, Raina. Stop that fussing right now!" So we have the whole talk about how babies have to cry because they can't talk and that's how they tell us that they need something. So then it's "No fussing, Raina... sometimes babies have to fuss... it's okay, Baby Ray." I saw Ava "nursing" one of her baby dolls this morning. She was using the boppy around her waist and everything. Then she bounced the baby on her shoulder, patting her back and saying "shh-shh-shh-shh" JUST like I do with Raina. Monkey see, monkey do. Reminds me of my "Little Mirror" post from a few months ago.

I'm really going to try to get some good video of both the girls in the coming weeks. I know their daddy and our far-away family would like to see them in action. It's nice for me to be able to look back on later too; it's like an online journal of our/their lives. I was looking at some old posts about Ava from when she was about Raina's age so I could remember what I can be expecting in these coming weeks of her development. Pretty cool. Anyway... that's all for now.

One Month Check-Up

2011-04-08T15:24:00.000-05:00

I took Raina for her one month check-up today and the doctor says she is doing great. She is 21 inches long and 10 pounds now. She is still nursing very well (every 3-4 hours in the day and longer at night) and has longer periods of awake and alert "play" time now too. I'm trying to get her long nap to coincide with Ava's so I can get a total break or nap myself. So far I'm getting some overlap but not a total match-up. Not a whole lot else to report right now, I guess. I go to the doctor for my own check-up on the 19th and am ready to be officially cleared for workouts, etc. (I have already been working out but am definitely not going all out yet.) Until next time........

Back to "Normal" & Potty News

2011-03-24T12:26:00.003-05:00

We took Richard back to the airport on Tuesday. It was hard. It's always hard. But we're in a good place right now and I have a feeling time is about to fly by for all of us. So it's back to "normal" now, which means video chats, extended family, the girls and me, play dates, etc. I got an email from Richard today saying he is back at his post and settling in again. The girls and I went to a neighborhood play group yesterday, which was good for Ava and for me. Today I am trying to find space for all Raina's clothes, toys, baby gear, etc, AND replace my fall/winter clothes with my spring/summer clothes as it has been so nice here. It will feel good to get everything organized but it's kind of a slow process right now.

In other WONDERFUL news, Ava just went potty all by herself about five minutes ago! She has been potty trained for a long time now but she hasn't been coordinated/strong enough to pull her pants and panties up and down by herself. Well just now she went in the bathroom, put the toilet lid up, pulled her little step in front of the potty, got on the step, pulled her pants down, sat down and scooted back, peed, got some toilet paper, wiped, pulled her pants back up, put the step away, put the lid down, and flushed the potty... by herself!!! Her pants are a little crooked and her panties may or may not be pulled all the way up under those pants, but we are definitely getting somewhere!!!

Changes

2011-03-16T23:39:00.000-05:00

Raina lost her cord today. It's funny because tomorrow is her due date and she's already ready for baths and such.

Ava is adjusting pretty well. She has no problem with me holding and doing things with/for Raina. However, she doesn't always like other people holding her or looking at her. This was surprising to me as I thought she would have more of a problem sharing time and attention from me. We were at the chiropractor the other day and the front desk lady was looking at Raina and asking questions about her, etc. Ava comes running up saying "No, Lady! No look at Raina!" What!? Really, Ava? So we're working on all that. :)

R&R and Birth Story

2011-03-14T10:33:00.000-05:00

Sunday, March 6, 2011

8:00am(ish) - Ava woke up ready to go for the day (despite not needing to get up for another hour or so)

8:30am - On the way down the stairs for breakfast we took the final link off the countdown chain. "Ava, all the links of the chain are gone! What's going to happen today!?" "Daddy will be here!!!"

11:00am - Church started where Ava played in the toddler room and I sang in the choir.

1:30pm - I drove laps around the North and South Terminals of the airport waiting for Richard to call and tell me where to pick him up.

2:00pm(ish) - He's here! "Look, Ava, there's Daddy!" She ran to give him a hug, a little unsure but super excited at the same time. I cried just watching their reunion. It was so good to hug him and have him hold us all.

2:45pm(ish) - First stop: Waffle House. All Star Special and Cheese n Eggs. Snuggle time.

4:00pm(ish) - We got to Mom's house (she, Kev, and Shane were gone for the night) and Richard got reacquainted with BB and Pancake. EXTREME EXCITEMENT. Like major jumping, squeeking, barking excitement.

8:00pm - Our together-again family of three went out to eat. Mexican. Delicious.

10:30pm(ish) - We were all getting ready for bed... showers, reading books, more snuggle time, and I was having some contractions.

11:32pm - I wrote down the time of a contraction thinking "This might really be it...?"

Monday, March 7, 2011

1:00am(ish) - I called the doctor to tell her that I had been having definite contractions every 6-7 minutes for about an hour and a half. She told me to try walking, resting, drinking water (all the things that would make the timing of the contractions change if it wasn't real labor) and keep timing for another hour. I woke Richard up to tell him to get his stuff ready in case I woke him up again needing to go in a hurry. I got Ava's bag, my bag, etc ready to go. I drank a bunch of water. I walked around the house for a while.

2:30am(ish) - I decided to try sleeping for a while (at least between contractions) since they hadn't yet gotten any closer together than before.

4:02am - I decided I should get up and empty my bladder (as having a full one can slow labor) and when I got out of bed I felt like I was leaking (but was definitely not peeing). I hurried to the bathroom and leaked a lot more fluid and blood. (My water broke with Ava so I knew what that felt like and this was not the same.) I called the doctor again and she said to come on in. My contractions immediately became more intense and closer together especially while walking around getting ready to go. By the time we left they were every 2-3 minutes apart.

5:15am(ish) - We arrived at the hospital and got checked in at labor and delivery. (On the way to the hospital the contractions had slowed down and spaced back out to every 6-7 minutes again.) The nurse said I was about 4.5cm dilated. My contractions were spacing out even more; like not even worth timing anymore.

6:15am(ish) - The nurse started me on Pitocin to strengthen and regulate my contractions. They started coming pretty regular not long after. The doctor came to check me and said it seemed I had had a partial break of the amniotic sac so he finished breaking the waters and wanted to keep me on the Pitocin too. The contractions really became frequent and intense after the complete water breaking and in combination with the Pitocin.

10:00am - I told the nurse I was starting to have pushy kind of pressure with the contractions so she checked me and said I was 7.5cm dilated. The contractions were super strong and about every 2 minutes.

11:00am(ish) - I got an epidural but by the time the contraction pain subsided I had a much lower vaginal pain and pressure. The new feeling was much different from the contraction pain and I had to work through and breathe through the contractions even more than I had before I got the epidural. My nurse checked me again and I was 9+cm, like fully dilated on one side but with a rim left on the other side. She hurried to get the doctor in there and Richard ran out to tell everyone waiting that we were about to be pushing.

11:30am - Raina Renee Ezell was born after 2 (relieving!) pushes. She cried immediately, was very pink, and had a bit of almost strawberry blond hair. 20.5 inches long, 8 lbs 13 oz. The nurse gave Raina back to me after a quick check to make sure that all was well and she nursed right away, latching on easy (yes!).

Baby Time!

2011-03-09T10:56:00.004-06:00

Long story short (with more details to come later)...

Richard flew in from Iraq for R&R on Sunday afternoon. Ava and I picked him up from the airport after church around 1:30pm. We enjoyed a great afternoon and evening together as a family of 3 before becoming a family of 4 Monday morning. Praise the Lord for His perfect timing!!!

Raina Renee Ezell was born safe and healthy Monday, 3-7-11, at 11:30am measuring 20.5in and weighing 8lbs 13oz.

38 Week Pic & Update

2011-03-04T17:59:00.003-06:00

I have been feeling a little crampy, am starting to notice the Braxton Hicks contractions more again, and my back has been hurting the last couple days. But... so far I am still pregnant! I went to the chiropractor today and have been doing ice and heat, which should help with the back issue. I have found that activity -as in doing anything- leads to more contracting but that there's not much going on when I'm literally just lying down resting. So I am putting myself pretty much on bed rest until Richard gets here. Good thing it's the weekend and Mom and Kev are around to help with Lil A! And speaking of Richard, he is on his way here! It will probably still be a couple/few days before he gets here but the traveling process has started. Woohoo! Dear Lord, please grant him safe and quick travels and Baby Girl a few more days stay in my belly!

Ava's Speech Update

2011-03-04T16:42:00.006-06:00

Since my last post, Ava's stuttering got dramatically worse. At one point Monday night she came to me almost crying unable to say something. She put her forehead to mine and her hand on my cheek and tried to whisper what she was trying to say and it still wouldn't come out. She was so sweet and her getting upset totally broke my heart so we ended up both crying together for a few minutes. After that she didn't want to even try to give me one word answers to questions. (This is the girl who normally has whole conversations with herself and others.) The next morning (Tuesday) she seemed a little better but got really stuck again that afternoon. Mom came home from work and I was crying and had just put Ava down for a nap. I told her what was going on and she suggested we go ahead and take her to the pediatrician for my own peace of mind and so I would have the referral to take the next step if we needed/wanted to do so while Richard is here on R&R. So we took her in right then and the doctor told us all the same stuff I had already read. She said they really don't worry about stuttering until kids are school age and that they can go through phases where they are just on information overload and have a hard time getting their words out. That explanation makes sense to me and doesn't at the same time. Like why would Ava all of a sudden have a hard time saying "Thank you" when she's been saying that for literally like a year now? This is the girl who had like 50+ words at 18 months! Anyway, the doctor also said (to my relief) that if Ava had some kind of neurological issue she would have other things going on too, like physical and other delays, which she definitely does not. So I have the referral for a speech therapist if we decide we need to go that route. However...

Literally the day after going to the doctor (Wednesday), Ava woke up talking SO much better; like back to the level of the first day I noticed a little weirdness but hadn't really thought anything of it. She has been a little bit up and down yesterday and today but overall is miraculously better. (No crying or getting totally stuck.) Her spirits are back to normal too. She isn't anxious about attempting to say things and is chattering up a storm like her usual little self.

All I can really say is Praise the Lord! I don't think I have prayed so long/hard/fervently about anything ever. (The mother bear instinct thing is for real! It is SO hard to see your child distressed or struggling and still so tender and vulnerable.) The last week and a half in general has been probably the hardest most stressful time of my life. I literally have NO control of anything that is happening (Richard's arrival time, Baby Girl's arrival time, Ava's speech, etc) so I have had no choice but to cling to Jesus. It has been very good for me spiritually but taxing emotionally and physically.

Hopeful Report at OB Appt & Ava Update

2011-02-28T14:59:00.003-06:00

I had another OB appointment this morning and saw a different doctor than the one I saw Thursday last week. She checked me and said I am about the same as I was (2cm, 50% effaced) and that she thinks it is totally likely/possible that I will make it until Richard arrives. He may be arriving a little earlier than we originally expected, too, so for now I am breathing a little easier. My next appointment is next Monday.

Ava went to the day care place today during my appointment and had a blast again. I'm so proud of the great little girl she is growing up to be! She is SO stinkin smart and such a sweet girl (usually, hehe). One thing I'm keeping an eye on, though, is that she has been stuttering a little bit lately; like it just started within the last week. Initially it worried me but I've done some reading about it and it sounds like a pretty normal thing. Apparently it's not at all uncommon for 2-3 year olds to go through little phases of stuttering as their cognitive development and language skills do not always match up exactly. Like they can think faster than they can talk sometimes. I have seen definite changes in Ava's use of words in the same span of time as the stuttering so for now I'm assuming there's just a little disconnect in the speed of her different kinds of development. For example, a lot of times when she would wonder what something was she would point or bring it to me and say "What's that, Ava?" (phrasing it the way I would ask her). Well just in the last two days she has been getting it right instead. Yesterday we were outside and she pointed at something and said "What's that right there, Mama?" Another way she has changed is in the complexity of her responses and using more connecting words. Usually when she would go potty and seemed like she was done I would ask her if she was all done. She would say "Yeah" or "All done." Yesterday I asked her if she was done and she said "Umm, yeah, I'm probably all done." She has also discovered that if she's struggling to get a word out, whispering helps her. (Interesting.) So... I'm not worrying about Lil A just yet. :)

So, anyway, while labor and such could still happen anytime (I mean, really, no one every knows until it happens), I don't feel like it's as pressingly upon me anymore. It's nice to NOT be in control of this situation - we are forced (in a good way) to trust God and it's quite freeing. I think now I will be able to relax and enjoy the week (and these last days with just Ava) without analyzing what I'm feeling every minute (timing contractions, etc). I plan to still avoid extra walking and such but will do all my usual stuff otherwise. Story time at the library with Ava tomorrow, choir practice Wednesday night, girls' night with a couple friends one night, Shane's baseball game(s), another chiropractor appointment at the end of the week, church on Sunday, OB appointment on Monday, and then potentially picking up Richard from the airport any time after that (??). Oh yes, and lots of naps and resting mixed in with all of that as well. That should be a good week of keeping busy to (hopefully) make the time fly by. :)

I will probably update again here with my 38 weeks picture on Wednesday night or Thursday sometime. :) :) :)

Still Pregnant

2011-02-27T15:14:00.003-06:00

Well I am still pregnant. I've been feeling more of the "Braxton Hicks" contractions and randomly time them for an hour or so but so far no consistent pattern has developed and they're still not painful. Richard will be here somewhere between 1-2 weeks, which sounds like an eternity right now, but I am still hopeful that he will make it in time for Baby's birthday. If not, I have really settled with being okay that Skype is the best possible backup plan and I'm ready to have this girl today if she's ready to come. I'm not walking and trying to get things going but I'm not staying in the bed or anything either. Given how long it will be before Richard gets here we both agree that I should just live normally (with naps!) and if I go into full swing labor than so be it.
I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow so I will update again after that (unless we end up at the hospital tonight!).

37 Weeks... Baby on the Way?

2011-02-24T17:19:00.004-06:00

I had my 37 week OB appointment today and... oh boy...

I saw one of the doctors I hadn't yet seen this morning. I liked her a lot. My bp was 110/70, I have gained about 29-30 pounds, and I measured 37 cm (which corresponds perfectly with the 37 weeks I am). The doctor checked me and said I am a "loose 1," closer to 2, cm dilated and 50% effaced and had a decent bit of bloody show. Having changed that much since last week, having more Braxton Hicks contractions, having that much show, and this being my second baby, she said she would be very surprised if I made it another 2 weeks and that I probably won't even need another appointment next week. !!! -->Let me mention here that I have not been walking, have only exercised twice in the last week (stationary strength training stuff only), and have been napping and/or at least resting and overall taking it easy every day. Basically, I have not been doing anything to intentionally help this process along.<-- Anyway, I had a lot more show in the hours following my exam this morning, still have some now, and have been having more contractions as well. The contractions are still not painful, they feel more like just pressure, but I am trying to pay attention to them more now and take note of their timing. I packed my bag and finished getting Ava's stuff together when I got home and then took about an hour nap. I am working on who I need to contact who can get in touch with someone in Iraq so Richard can get on Skype and "be there" for the birth via video chat at least this time if Baby Girl really does come before he gets here.

Either way, whether Richard is here or not, I feel as prepared as possible and overall ready to go. "Dear Lord, please give me the strength to get through whatever happens whenever it happens. Please protect Baby Girl and deliver her safely and in good health. Be with Ava and her little heart and mind as we go through all these changes and make adjustments. Thank you, Lord, for your everlasting love! Amen."

37 weeks picture

36 Week OB Appointment

2011-02-17T12:09:00.002-06:00

Well I went this morning for my 36 week appointment and all is well. The doctor checked me and said my cervix is still closed (yay!) but that he could feel Baby's head (double yay!). So she is head down for sure and I am not currently on the verge of going into labor or anything, so I am breathing big sighs of relief about that. (Still praying that the timing of Richard's R&R works out just right and he is here for the birthday!) My bp is good, Baby's heartrate is good, I have gained about 27 pounds now, and... well that's pretty much it. Smooth, routine, normal, etc. -- all very good adjectives I want to have associated with a pregnancy. I have another appointment next Thursday so I will update with what's happening and a new picture then.

In other wonderful updates, I got Ava registered at a daycare center this week to use for some random hourly care. It is just a couple minutes away from Mom's house so it is super convenient too. Anyway, she was there for four hours today while I ate breakfast, went for my appointment, did some shopping, put air in my tires, and picked up lunch. It was so awesome/weird to be totally by myself for that long! (It's been a while.) When I picked her up the ladies said she was wonderful; listened and followed directions well, played nicely with the other kids, was helpful, etc. That's my girl! :)

35 Weeks Picture

2011-02-11T12:40:00.004-06:00

I'm not positive, but I think Baby Girl is head up right now. I have an OB appointment next Thursday so we'll see what the doctor says then. I would of course like to avoid a c-section but I would also like to avoid an ECV (external cephalic version) where they would try to actually turn her from the outside. I went to the chiropractor today and was more out of whack than I thought, so I'm hoping that getting my own body in better condition and alignment will help Baby get her little body in the right position too. If, on Thursday, the doctor determines that Baby is breech for sure then I will go back to the chiropractor on Friday to try a few things with her that she has had success with in the past in getting babies to turn.

Anyway, here's my 35 week picture. I will definitely update here again next week after my appointment Thursday.

34 Week OB Appt

2011-02-04T13:19:00.003-06:00

Well I had my 34 week appointment today and everything is looking great as usual. My measurements, weight, bp, Baby's heartrate, etc is all excellent. I saw the doctor who delivered Jaden for Stephanie and I liked her a lot. She answered a lot of questions for me about how she typically runs things for a labor and delivery so I feel totally great about the possiblity of her being the one on call when I go in. I go back for my next appointment in 2 weeks and they will start checking me every week then (!!!).

Ava is starting to understand this whole baby thing a lot better now, I think. It really helped that she got to see Stephanie and talk about Jaden in her belly and now see him in real life. (She held him yesterday for the first time, too, which was really sweet.) We have been reading her "I'm a Big Sister" book a lot (at her request) and she kisses and feels my belly move every day. She snuggles and rocks her baby dolls too so it'll be neat to see her taking care of them while I take care of Baby. :)

How Far Along?
34 weeks 1 day
Maternity Clothes?
pants FOR SURE, some maternity tops and some long regular tops
Stretch Marks?
I could literally feel myself growing last week and thought for sure I was going to get stretch marks but so far they're still absent (yay!)
Sleep?
I get up to go to the bathroom a few times each night but the time between those trips I sleep pretty well (and I nap like a champ many days!)
Best Moment the Last Couple Weeks:
Richard and I (99%) decided on a name last week... not telling yet :-x
Movement:
Baby Girl moves A LOT but the movements are no longer jabbing punches and kicks as she is running out of room. They are move sweeping movements and my belly looks like a waterbed when she moves, hehe.
Food Cravings?
I've been eating like a champ; pretty much anything and everything :)
Labor Signs?
The lower back pain and pressure from a couple weeks ago is mostly gone now and the Braxton Hicks contractions are no longer alarmingly close together, so I'd say no labor signs now (PTL!).
Belly Button In or Out?
flat/out
Rings On or Off?
no swelling - rings still on
Exercise?
I've kind of stepped up the workouts again. I do 3 days a week of super high rep, low weight strength training and 2 other days a week of light other stuff, like walking.
What I Miss:
sleeping on my stomach and not having to pee 800 times a day
What I am Looking Forward to:
seeing Richard when he gets here for R&R (hopefully before Baby comes)!
Milestones:
The doctor told me today that at their practice they do not stop labors for women who are 35+ weeks along. I am less than a week from being 35 weeks so... Baby Girl really could be here almost anytime!

Baby Jaden & 32 Weeks

2011-01-21T16:19:00.007-06:00

Congratulations to Jordan and Stephanie! Their baby boy Jaden Lee Seckinger was born at 5:20am on Wednesday 1/19/11 weighing 7lbs 8oz. Stephanie had a smooth labor and delivery and Jaden is absolutely perfect. That means we are Uncle Richard, Aunt Danelle, and Cousin Ava now... Somehow becoming an aunt was almost more surreal to me than becoming a mom was. I guess because Jordan is permanently in about 9th grade in my mind, hehe.

in the waiting room

Stephanie and Jaden

We were at the hospital all night (you never know how long things will take, so we just stayed). Ava did great playing for a good while and then sleeping about 4 hours in the family waiting area. A very nice perk to being there and getting to visit with Jordan and Stephanie during the labor (AFTER the epidural, hehe) and then after Jaden was born was that I got to see exactly where I will be going and how everything works at that hospital for when I go in to have Baby #2. It's a nice place and I feel good knowing what things are like there.

I had an OB appointment this morning and saw one of the nurse practitioners again. I have been having a lot of low back pain and pressure and more than usual Braxton Hicks contractions the last few days so I was anxious to be seen. She checked me and said my cervix is still closed and thick so that is very good. She also had me do a Non-Stress Test for about 20-30 minutes to monitor Baby's heartrate and any contractions and I only had one contraction during that time, which is also good. Baby's heartrate is in the the 140s, my blood pressure was 102/70, my belly is measuring on track, and I've gained about 22 lbs. So things are rolling along and I have my next appointment in 2 weeks and will be seeing one of the doctors I haven't seen yet (although I did meet her at the hospital Wednesday; she delivered Jaden).

Two big prayer requests: 1) that I stay on this okay track and don't go into preterm labor for any reason... and 2) that Richard will be here for the labor and delivery. Here's my 32 week picture:

Panties Only for Lil A!

2011-01-09T14:28:00.002-06:00

Ava is officially wearing panties only (no pull-ups) day and night! She has been in panties during the day since she was 18 months old but we were still using pull-ups at night just in case. She's been staying dry through the night the majority of the time for the past couple months so for last 2 nights I had her wear panties and she had no problem. (Last night she slept from about 10pm to about 7:45am. Awesome!) This means I will be diaper/pull-up free for a good 2 months or so before Baby Girl #2 arrives! Woohoo!

Speaking of Baby Girl #2, we are still working on a name. We have a pretty good list compiled and are trying to narrow it down to a few favorites to choose from. Baby is super active and I am still feeling really good. Oh! I got a double jogging stroller on craigslist this past week. It was new, never used, and very reasonably priced. And it is one SwEeT ride. I'll be using it with just Ava for now but can't wait to add the other sweet girl!

30 Weeks!

2011-01-05T21:25:00.006-06:00

10 weeks (give or take!) to go! I can't believe how fast this pregnancy has been flying by. I have been feeling great lately. My back is not hurting, I'm not overly tired, I don't have any swelling, etc. The only thing giving me any trouble is that one varicose vein in my right leg, but even that is only a bother if I stay on my feet ALL day. I have been pretty good about eating clean and balanced, walking some, doing strength training 2-3 days per week, and putting my feet up a few times throughout the day. Baby Girl is starting to encroach upon my rib space a little more now, especially on the right side. I feel like I've been carrying a little lower this pregnancy than last. By comparing pictures from this and last it looks like I cannot possibly get any bigger outwards, but I think I have still have room to expand upwards. I guess that's pretty much it for now. I'm just still praying every day that God's timing will include Richard being here for the birth of this sweet girl.

Holding my abs in as tight as I can

And relaxed... :)

I have an OB appointment on Friday. I'll update again then!

Pregnancy "Milestone"

2010-12-29T15:48:00.001-06:00

Well I had my first "Charlie horse" early this morning while I was still trying to sleep a little before Ava woke up. It was the first one I've had this pregnancy and "Wow" is all I can say. My calf has been so sore today as though I did an intense workout yesterday using my right calf only. So, yeah, that's my new "milestone."

Here's my 29 week picture:

I can't believe I have so much more growing to do!

Ava's Birthday & 28 Weeks

2010-12-23T07:34:00.005-06:00

Ava had a GrEaT second birthday. She had a wonderful day and got some fun new toys. Her favorites include a tent with a crawl through tunnel attached (she already slept in it last night), a train set, and some cars. She helped me make the same "Applesauce Healthy Cake" that I made last year for her birthday and it was quite delicious again. Along with this wonderful two year milestone, however, has come a "no" phase that is driving me crazy. Sweet little Ava is getting quite a few "booty pops" each day to help her adjust her attitude. She knows exactly what she's doing, understands exactly what I tell her, and is responding well to discipline. It's just exhausting to be calm and consistent all day every day. (I'm sure any good mom with a toddler can relate.) Sometimes I just wanna check out and say go ahead and throw yourself on the floor screaming no, I don't care. :)

I am 28 weeks pregnant today and had an OB appointment yesterday. Baby Girl sounds great on the doppler with a heartrate of about 150 bpm. She is moving all the time. My belly is measuring on track for the number of weeks along, my blood pressures are great (100/70), and I have gained about 20 pounds. I did my glucose test also and will be receiving the results in the mail. I am feeling really good aside from one varicose vein starting to come out on one leg. I didn't have any with Ava, so this is a new "problem," but it really only bothers me if I'm on my feet all day without resting and elevating my legs. I'm trying to exercise (walking and some light weights), drink tons of water, and put my feet up a few times per day. I've also been going to a chiropractor, which is so amazing and helpful, and makes me wish I had found a place in Kansas to go through my pregnancy with Ava. I've gone throughout my life but I think it's especially important to keep healthy and in proper alignment during the major body changes pregnancy brings.

Anyway, that's pretty much it I guess. I will try to post a couple Ava birthday pics later.

No Way

2010-12-20T18:19:00.008-06:00

Ava is going to be 2 years old on Wednesday! What!? No way.

Big Girl, Ava!

2010-12-15T09:21:00.002-06:00

Quick little update:

Ava has been staying dry through the night almost every night for about 2 weeks now. She has only had one accident in that time. We should be saying goodbye to the overnight pull-ups in the next month or so --- before the next baby arrives along with lots of tiny diapers! Woohoo!

Ava has also been pretty interested in babies lately. She has a little doll house with different furniture and people including a baby with a stroller and a crib. She pushes the baby all around in the stroller or she tucks the baby in the crib with a blanket and says "Shhh, baby's sleeping." (She's really learning how to pretend, it's so cute!) I got her a baby doll that has an extra change of clothes and a pacifier for Christmas. (I had her play with a few different ones at the store to help me make my choice.) We were watching TV yesterday and A Baby Story came on TLC. She was watching so intently and kept saying "baby!" every time they showed one. I know she's going to be awesome with Baby Girl #2 (whom we are working on naming, by the way).

I will probably post a new preggo picture tomorrow sometime.

Pregnancy Questions

2010-12-03T17:37:00.002-06:00

How Far Along?
25 weeks
Maternity Clothes?
I'm definitely in maternity pants now, but mostly regular shirts (that are longer) still.
Stretch marks?
none
Sleep?
I get up multiple times a night to visit the bathroom but other than that I'm still able to get comfortable and am sleeping pretty well.
Best Moment This Month:
Seeing the baby so healthy on the ultrasound yesterday and finding out that my placenta is up and out of the way now!
Movement:
Baby Girl is super active. She moves often and forcefully. :)
Food Cravings?
Lately I have been wanting anything and everything sweet and/or chocolate.
Labor Signs?
None but I have been having plenty of Braxton Hicks contractions.
Belly Button In or Out?
Well... it's kind of in or flat on the bottom and out on the top. hehe
Wedding Rings On or Off?
On
Exercise?
I have been mostly walking and doing some light free weights lately. I miss my kick butt workouts but don't have the stamina for them anymore.
What I Miss:
Sleeping on my stomach and feeling really athletic.
What I am Looking Forward to:
Getting into the 3rd trimester.
Milestones:
At my appointment yesterday the nurse practitioner told me with the baby weighing about 1.8 lbs and being healthy, she would most likely be able to survive even now if there was some kind of emergency that required an early delivery.

Good News

2010-12-01T21:31:00.002-06:00

I am 24 weeks and 6 days pregnant today and had an appointment at my new OB's office this morning. I had an ultrasound and the baby looks absolutely perfect. Her heart rate was about 140 bpm and she is measuring about 1.8 pounds right now and is right on track with her growth. In other great news my placenta has moved up and out of the way, so that is no longer a concern! My weight and blood pressures are great also, and I'm feeling wonderful overall.

Ava is doing very well also. She is growing, changing, learning, challenging, testing, etc more and more every day. A couple days ago she slipped on the kitchen floor chasing the pups in her socks and busted her face pretty good so she has a nice black eye now. I'm going to the chiropractor tomorrow and think I'll probably get her adjusted too while I'm there. With all the running around, falling down, and wrestling with pups she does, I'm sure her little body could use some realigning too. :)

Everything else is going great around here. My next OB appointment is 22 December and I will be doing my glucose test then as well. I will update here again then if not before. I need to get some videos of Ava on here before she grows up overnight. :)

Ultrasound Pics

2010-11-10T09:51:00.003-06:00

These are 2 pictures from the ultrasound on October 25.

Pics

2010-11-09T22:26:00.005-06:00

12 weeks (of poptart eating)

21 weeks 5 days

We were about to get in the shower. Ava had to get in the shot (and she was very full, haha). :)

Settling In

2010-11-09T13:21:00.002-06:00

Well it's official: I "live" in GA again... at least for a while. Ava (and the pups) and I are staying with my mom for this deployment. So far the adjustment has gone quite well. Ava is a little more clingy ("Where'd Mama go?" every time I leave the room) as I am now her only real constant, but that's to be expected. We've had so much fun already. Ava plays Shane's drums and the piano all the time and we've played outside a lot, taking advantage of the beautiful days we still have left before the "cold" really hits. She LOVES going to the playground, particularly because she likes to swing. Like, she'll go down the slide once or twice and want to swing the whole rest of the time. BB, Pancake, and Roman are having a blast together. I'm singing in the choir at Mom's church, which is something I didn't really realize I've missed. I enjoy actually reading music and blending with many other parts, etc. I've also been making a conscious effort to eat well and get plenty of rest/sleep. I've been napping with Ava almost every day since we've been here, so that's been nice. Baby Girl has been moving A LOT. I really am going to post an0ther pregnancy picture. I just keep forgetting to get Mom or Shane to take a picture of me. I went to a new Primary Care Manager yesterday to get a referral to an OB/GYN so hopefully I will be able to get an appointment soon to stay on track with my every 4 weeks appointments that I've had thus far. I'm anxious to see the results from a repeat sonogram in a few weeks; hoping my placenta is moving up a little each day!
I just got off the phone with Richard and he is doing well. He is settled in where he's going to be for the year so now he will just be getting into a regular work routine as the rest of the unit arrives.
I'll update again as soon as I have a new picture or anything else interesting to post!

Smart Little Bug

2010-11-04T16:41:00.002-05:00

So I just have to say that Ava might be a little genius. Yes, I'm a little partial as her mom, but still. :) We read books all the time and she can identify so many things that are hilarious and ridiculous. (astronaut, accordion, anchor, banjo, dinosaur, drill, easel, eagle, flute, flamingo, guitar, hay, hippopotamus, harmonica, iguana, jump rope, jewelry, jack-in-the-box, kazoo, koala, laptop, lock, nutcracker, needle, porcupine, starfish, unicorn, vulture, whistle, wrench, x-ray) Those are just the ones that are funny to hear her say or are funny that she knows at all (from one of her books). She knows all her basic colors and can correctly identify them. Ex: "Ava, what color is your shirt?" "Green!" She can count to ten and can identify about half of the letters in the alphabet. Usually when she sees me on the computer she wants to sit on my lap and point out the letters on the keyboard. Right now she is outside playing with Uncle Jordan and Uncle Shane. :) She is starting to understand plurality and tenses. Ex on tense: "BB tooted" instead of "BB toot." She is also grasping the concept of time in some capacity. We were driving the other day and she wanted a snack. I couldn't reach the goldfish and we were going to stop soon so I told her "You can have a snack in a little bit. We need to ride in the truck for a little bit longer and when we stop you can have a snack." And she added "Not yet." "That's right, not yet." Really!?!?
Mom says I was very much like that at her age and that I knew all the books of the Bible by age three, haha! Anyway, she's such a cutie and learning every second of every day. I just had to brag on her a bit. :) 21 week pregnancy picture coming as soon as I get someone to take it.

Richard Update

2010-11-01T23:05:00.003-05:00

Well I finally got to talk to Richard today (for the first time since last Monday). He called me this morning and said he is out of the hospital, feeling fine, and should be heading on to Iraq tomorrow. This is what he said happened *to the best of my understanding and in summary*: Wednesday he was feeling bad throughout the day and felt like he had a fever coming on. He took some Tylenol early on and that seemed to keep the fever away for a while but later he was still feeling bad and Tylenol wasn't helping. So when he got off the plane in Kuwait he was feeling really bad, kind of a little faint and nauseous, so they checked him out and discovered his blood pressure was abnormally low. They sent him to the hospital where he was given some IV fluids and Phenergan (sp?). He was feeling much better but when they took the IV out he felt like he was going to pass out. This brought on further monitoring and they discovered he had a low heart rate. After 24 hours or monitoring his heart they determined that he has a "1st degree AV block," which basically means that the electrical impulses from the atrium to the ventricals are slower than normal. This condition doesn't have any symptoms, "is common in well trained athletes, does not usually require treatment, and is prevalant in the normal young adult population." So basically they discovered the stuff about his heart by accident while treating him for what seems to have been some kind of virus or something unrelated. It shouldn't be a problem in the future and there is no treatment necessary at this time. Richard will see a cardiologist in Baghdad once he moves on to Iraq just to keep an eye on things to make sure everything is still good. Praise the Lord! Thank you for all your prayers.

It's A...

2010-10-29T20:03:00.002-05:00

I had an ultrasound Monday afternoon. We're having another girl! Ava's going to be awesome with a little sister. :) Anyway, Baby looks great. Everything is measuring and developing normally with her precious little body. My placenta, however, is lying low right now. It's not blocking my cervix but it's closer than they'd like it to be so I will need to have another ultrasound in 6-8 weeks to check the position of the placenta again. My midwife said that it is not totally unusual for to have a "low-lying placenta" at this stage in the pregnancy and that 9 times out of 10 it moves up in the uterus as the pregnancy progresses. So, it's nothing to worry about now but it is something we'll need to keep an eye on.

Ava and I dropped Richard off on Monday morning to leave for Iraq. It was very hard to see him leave this time. Ava was standing in the front seat of the truck with me while Richard was taking his bags inside and when she couldn't see him anymore she asked "Where'd Daddy go?" Ugggghhh. I'm going to be saying "Daddy's at work" a lot this year. :(

I got a call yesterday with news that Richard got off the plane in Kuwait having chest pains and not feeling well. They checked him out and he had abnormally low blood pressure so they took him to the hospital in Kuwait City for further testing, etc. The latest update I have gotten (this evening) is that his heart rate was abnormally low as well and they have him on a heart rate monitor for 24 hours to make sure that it returns to normal and stays that way. I feel semi-good knowing that he's being cared for and is in the best place he can be right now, but it's torture just waiting for phone call updates from the people who are supposed to keep me informed. Please pray for Richard, the doctors, the people who are calling me, me (and my sanity) and everyone else involved.

Just Another Ava & Baby Update

2010-10-18T21:44:00.003-05:00

Ava is still doing great with her mattress on the floor. However, we're starting to see what time she really wakes up. While in her crib she would have to stay there and play and talk to herself until I got up around 8am. Now she gets up to play and talk to me (and Richard if he's home) closer to 7am. She comes walking into our room saying "Mama? Dadda? Wake up, Mama!" Then when she sees me open my eyes she says "Mamaaa!!! Hello, Mama!" Then it's on to "Potty. Juice please. Breakfast?" etc... Oh man, I love that little girl.

Not a whole lot to mention on the pregnancy right now. I've been feeling him/her move a lot the last couple weeks and those little flutters are getting stronger and stronger, so that's cool. I have an appointment with my midwife and an ultrasound on Monday next week. Richard will already be on his way to Iraq, so it stinks that he will miss that, but he should be able to call me sometime that day and find out if we're expecting a boy or a girl. He keeps warning me that I better not try to be funny and not tell him or something, hehe. Of course I'll tell him! But for anyone else anxious to know, sorry but I'm not telling until Richard calls me and gets to know first. :)

New Sleeping Arrangement

2010-10-12T22:04:00.002-05:00

Quick Ava update:

Last night was Ava's first night out of her crib. We took the crib down and put the mattress on the floor where the crib was. She did great! She went right to sleep and didn't get up at all until the morning. It was nice for her to be able to come and get me this morning instead of yelling "Potty!" from her crib, hehe. She did great at nap time too. Went right to sleep and stayed put until time to get up. Hooray for a smooth transition (so far)!

Right now Ava and Richard are reading a couple books together before bed. She still LOVES reading as much as ever, probably more. She's such a sweet, smart girl. :) And I love to see her and Richard spending good quality time together, especially in these last couple weeks before he leaves for another year. :( It's going to be really hard to see him leave her this time. I am NOT looking forward to that, but I know the Lord will provide the strength I need when the time comes.

As Requested & Promised

2010-10-02T20:18:00.002-05:00

16 weeks

16 Week Appointment

2010-09-28T13:33:00.002-05:00

I had an appointment with my midwife yesterday and all is well. My weight, blood pressures, etc are great, and Baby's heart rate was at 155 bpm. After the appointment I had some bloodwork done and went down to the ultrasound department to get that scheduled. They don't do the main measure-and-check-everything-and-find-out-the-sex ultrasound here until 21 weeks now, which would be November 4th for me, but Richard will be in Iraq by then. So, we pleaded with the main tech there to please please schedule me for just before he leaves! Since it'll be a little earlier than 20 weeks she's not sure she will be able to see everything she needs to see (for whatever the doctor or radiologist wants to have measured and recorded) but she's going to try, and we should be able to see everything we want to see (boy or girl!?). So my next OB appointment and the ultrasound appointment will both be on Monday, October 25. Woohoo! That's really all for now. I'm going to have Richard take a belly picture of me later this week. :)

Big Changes on the Horizon (Maybe)

2010-09-26T16:17:00.003-05:00

First of all, there is nothing much new to report on the baby/pregnancy right now. I am starting to feel a little bigger and, while I am still wearing all my normal clothes, I definitely have to unbutton my pants most times I sit down. I feel pretty good and almost always hungry. (Hope I haven't gained too much weight in these last 4 weeks, hehe!) I have an appointment with my midwife tomorrow and will update again after that. (Oh, and I haven't taken any belly pictures yet... guess I should do that soon as well.)

Ava is doing great. GREAT. She is getting so big and SO smart. I think we could read literally all day. She is learning the ABC song (she loves to sing) and is getting better at her colors. We have started talking about the new baby a little bit. I don't expect her to really understand yet, of course, so it's mostly like "You have to be very careful and gentle around Mama's belly cuz there's a baby in there." Then she touches my belly gently and says baby. She gets kind of rough sometimes climbing on me so we're trying to make her more aware.

In other news, the title of this post refers to the possibility of me, Ava, BB, Pancake, and Baby #2 (in utero) moving to GA for this coming deployment. I already had one baby with no husband and no family around for most of the time and would rather not do that again with a toddler in the picture too. Our families have already missed so much of Ava's life! I would love for her to know them and for Baby to be around them as well. So we are really praying about, researching, and comparing all of our options and plan to decide for sure sometime this week.

More Exciting News

2010-09-09T12:35:00.004-05:00

Yesterday and today have made for two great days! For those of you who don't know, my brother (Jordan) and his wife (Stephanie) are expecting their first baby, due date January 20. Yesterday they had an ultrasound and found out they are having a boy! Jaden Lee Seckinger. I am SO excited for them and am also excited to be an aunt and for Ava to be a cousin! I plan on making a trip to GA this winter so it'll be fun for Stephanie and I to be big and pregnant together. :) Hopefully I'll be able to stay until little Jaden is born before I have to come home for my own preparations.

In other exciting news, today is the start of my second trimester! Woo-hoo! I've been feeling SOOO much better and have much more of an appetite for regular foods again.

-How far along? 13 weeks (3 months)
-Maternity Clothes? I'm still in all my regular clothes, although I feel the need to unbutton my pants when I sit down now. Another plus side to being smaller and in better shape when I got pregnant this time is that I think I may be able to use some of my old too-big pants for a while before I have to move to maternity pants. I never really wore many maternity tops last time; just wore my longer, stretchier tops so that will probably be the same this pregnancy.
-Weight Gain? Probably a couple pounds up now that I'm not sick anymore, although I'm not weighing myself at home so I don't really know.
-Sleeping? Not sleeping well at all lately... but I think some of that may be feeling a little anxious for Richard to come home any day now. (And we don't know when exactly, so that's frustrating.) Oh yeah, and Ava has been waking up screaming in the night lately. ??
-Baby Movement? Haven't felt anything definite yet.
-Workouts? I'm back to my pre-pregnancy workout routine but I get tired a little quicker and am having to modify some of the movements. I can feel my ab muscles separating a little already, which is of course earlier than the first time around.
-Food Cravings/Aversions? I'm really open to eating anything and everything again, although I still don't feel like cooking it myself. No real aversions right now! (We'll see how the bacon goes when Richard gets home, hehe.)
-Baby Gender? We don't know yet and, while I like the idea of being surprised, we will probably find out again. Since it is very possible that Richard will not be here for the birth again, he definitely wants to know and be a part of all he can while he is here. (Right now it looks like he will be here for the 20 week ultrasound, so let's hope all this deployment stuff stays on schedule.)

That's pretty much it for now!

First Midwife Appointment

2010-08-30T16:21:00.003-05:00

I am 11 weeks and 4 days pregnant today and had my first appointment with my midwife, Kyanna, this afternoon. It was great! She did a sonogram (again, unexpected since they never did that at the regular appointments in my last pregnancy) so I got to see Baby and was given some pictures to take home. Baby was super active moving all over the place while Kyanna was trying to get some basic measurements. It was so awesome to see! Also, I told Richard last night that my appointment was at 3pm today and to try to be available for a phone call around that time if he could. Where he is at training he only gets cell phone reception in certain places, and not in any buildings, so he kept walking outside to check in with me every few minutes until we were ready to listen to the heartbeat via doppler. Baby's heart was thumping about 170 beats per minute and Richard was able to hear it on speakerphone. (Next best thing to being there, right?)

My next appointment will be September 27, my birthday!, so I will definitely update again then if not before.

Done?, Airport Trip, Testing

2010-08-23T20:42:00.003-05:00

After my wonderous hospital experience I had a couple days of stomach turmoil and yuckiness but now... I think... I might be done with the morning sickness phase!?!?!! About the last four days I have been HUNGRY and eating like a champ. I feel a tad bit queasy at night still but it is barely noticeable. I even worked out a couple days ago and went for a neighborhood walk last night; it was amazing. It was so awesome to have my dear friend Meredith here for almost a week too. She was an immense help with Lil A and the pups when I was feeling bad, and then we were able to play and have fun when I magically felt good all of a sudden. Ava and I took Mere back to the airport and kind of made a day of the trip. I took a bunch of books for the ride and when we stopped in Topeka on the way I got her a new book and a See 'n Say that spins and makes a bunch of animal sounds. We had lunch and Ava got some playground time in the mall on the way. We stopped in Topeka on the way back, too, for an early supper and a little leg stretching. 2+ hours each way is a long time for a 20 month old to endure the carseat. She gets genuinely bored now (and probably uncomfortable sitting in the seat for so long). Long gone are the days of sleeping peacefully for hours straight on our road trips. Makes the idea of our upcoming winter road trip to GA seem like a very daunting task right now.
Anyway, I am loving this stage in Ava's life. She is SO smart and constantly learning and trying to figure out new things. Everywhere we go she is pointing at things, identifying them or wanting to. I think she pointed out every boy and girl at the mall today. We saw one little boy carrying a sippy cup and Ava said "Boy!" followed by "cup" and then "juice please." She is making so many connections, it's crazy. She has also started testing me a little more in the last few days. For example, her recorder and tamborine were on the kitchen floor and she walked over and stood on her tamborine with both feet. I said, "Ava, you don't need to step on your tamborine. You might break it. Don't step on your tamborine." She looked at me and lightly stepped on it with one foot. I said, "Ava, you need to listen to Mama. I said not to step on your tamborine. Look at me. If you step on it again you will get a spankin because you're not listening." So she stood there for a second and then lightly stepped on the recorder instead. Seriously!? "Ava, you don't need to step on your tamborine or your recorder. We don't step on our toys because we might break them." She stood there another few seconds and then very slowly and lightly touched her foot to the tamborine again. So she got a little spankin, cried it out for a minute, and then moved on. Lesson learned: Mama means business and she really will do what she says. I really need to listen. CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY! (No matter where we are or what we're doing.)

ER Trip With a Silver Lining

2010-08-16T22:28:00.002-05:00

So I've talked some about my nausea in previous posts. I said that it was definitely present and annoying but not debilitating and not constant puking. When I did throw up I would feel a little better and would be able to eat again. Well... as of Saturday morning all of that changed. I didn't keep down anything I ate all day. I slept literally half the day with no energy to function. (Thank goodness it was the weekend and Richard was home.) Sunday morning God granted me a reprieve just long enough to sing at church and then it was back to throwing up the rest of the day. Richard left for JRTC (for a month) at 4am today. I got up when he did so I could eat a snack and see him off. Well about 20 minutes after getting back in bed I lost that aforementioned snack. Breakfast and morning snack went the same way. I turned on a DVD for Ava and went back to bed. At this point I was feeling exhausted and achy on top of the nausea. Finally I called my friend Anne-Marie to come and get Ava. She took her for the day to play with her son, Carter. I slept a lot more and tried nursing down some chicken broth, crackers, and Powerade Zero with some success for a little while but then it all came back up again. Finally I decided I needed some help so I went to the Emergency Room (6:45pm at this point). The doctor said I was not deathly dehydrated to where he would demand that I get IV fluids but that I could definitely benefit from them, so that's what I did. After about an hour of IV fluids and some Zofran I felt much better. During the IV process the nurse came in with an ultrasound machine to see if she could check out Baby. (This was totally unexpected as I am only 9 weeks and 4 days along and they practically never do "unnecessary" ultrasounds at this hospital.) Well it was awesome. The picture was not clear at all and the nurse's sleeve was blocking my view half the time but I got to see Baby's little flutter of a heartbeat! 136 beats per minute. And to top it all off, Richard called to check in while I was there and I got to fill him in on everything. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the last month of this trimester without him but I'm taking it one day at a time. And I've got awesome girlfriends around who are always willing to help. In fact, my BFF and college roommate Meredith is flying in tomorrow afternoon! This trip was planned before I even knew I was pregnant but now it's as though God knew I would need a little extra help with Richard gone. :)

So now I am home and am about to attempt to eat some cereal or something. My neighbor Emily took BB and Pancake to her house to play with their dog Sookie while I was at the hospital. They are worn out now. :) Ava had an absolutely awesome day at Anne-Marie's house and is spending the night there. All I have left to do is rest and recover. It's weird and quiet without Richard and Ava here.

Anyway, despite the obvious yuckiness of the past couple days I have experienced blessings as well. I know the Lord will provide for my ever-changing needs. I am so thankful for my friends. I so love my husband and am looking forward to our family time when he gets home before the deployment. I love my sweet girl Ava and can't wait to see her tomorrow!

Long Overdue Videos

2010-08-13T11:16:00.012-05:00

6-10-10 Reading & Getting Situated on Pancake

7-6-10 Feeding Fallow Deer at KC Zoo

7-7-10 Hotel Workout

7-27-10 Pool Talkin'

8-4-10 Chasing BB

8-8-10 Scowling & Singing

First Appointment

2010-08-09T16:50:00.005-05:00

Well I had my first appointment at the OB clinic today. I filled out tons of paperwork (personal info, medical history, etc), got some informational papers and a booklet about how things will go throughout my pregnancy at the hospital here, got my baseline height and blood pressure, and did my initial blood tests and urinalysis. My due date is March 17, just as I had already calculated.

I will have my first appointment with my midwife August 30, at which time she will do a physical exam and use the doppler to hear Baby's heartbeat! That's the appointment I'm looking forward to, although I'm a little bummed that Richard is going to miss hearing the heartbeat for the first time. (He missed that with Ava too.) He'll be at a month long training out of state in preparation for this next deployment. I'm really hoping he will be here for the ultrasound appointment around 20 weeks!

I've been feeling a lot better. I feel mostly normal in the morning, start getting a little queasy in the afternoon, and often feel the worst at night. But I've found that if I keep eating... constantly... and never let my stomach get empty, it's much more tolerable.

Obviously, since you're reading this right now, this whole thing is not a big secret. However, we're not quite going facebook public yet, so thanks for keeping any pregnancy comments off my wall, hehe. I guess that's about it for now. I will definitely update again on the 30th if not before. And I have some video of Ava that I need to get on here. :)

Pregnancy Update

2010-07-27T11:09:00.006-05:00

Well I am 6 weeks and 5 days along and have been sick for about a week now. Some days have been worse than others. I didn't keep down much of anything I ate on Saturday. Sunday was a little better. Yesterday I only threw up once, and today I actually feel about 80% normal. I'm afraid to do anything, though, because I don't want to mess it up! So far I haven't been nearly as bad as I was with Ava, so I am very grateful. I am extra glad that Ava is potty trained now because I don't have to deal with dirty diapers! And I am SO glad Richard is here for now because without him Ava would probably be eating mostly saltines and Cheerios like me, hehe. He handles all the food preparation for him and her. And I told him (like last pregnancy) that he CANNOT cook bacon in the house or I might die, so he has been making it outside on the griddle. :)

Here's what's happening right now:

Showing: not yet

Weight Gain: none yet (maybe a loss)

Symptoms: nausea, vomiting, slight headaches occassionally, tiredness, overall weak feeling (probably due to not being able to eat enough or keep down enough food for energy)

Food cravings: (these aren't really cravings but they're all I've been able to eat) Cheerios, Crispix, saltines, saltines with cheddar cheese and milk, peanut butter toast and milk, chicken noodle soup (just the broth), white rice, occassionally turkey lunch meat, ice cold water with lemon, smoothies, peppermint tea, occassionally grapefruit

Food aversions: bacon, the sight or even thought of raw chicken, really most meats (besides the occassional turkey lunch meat), pretty much anything that's not bland like my survival foods

More Potty Talk

2010-07-27T10:51:00.002-05:00

Since my last potty post Ava has done awesome. We took Shane to the airport last week, which is about 2.5 hours each way, and she was accident free all day. I just have to plan ahead in a different way now; like where and how often I need stop for her. Oh, haha, she is a smart little booger too. We always respond quickly when she says she needs to go potty because when she needs to go, she needs to go. Well, she apparently knows this and tried using it on our airport trip. Example: We're cruising down the interstate with nowhere to stop and she's bored in her carseat. "Out! Down! Out! Down please!... Potty?" Haha, nice try, Ava. Anyway, she also did well in childcare on Sunday while we were at church. No accidents.

Another funny thing Ava has been doing lately... We have different kinds of consequences for different kinds of misbehavior. For example, if she is whining and crying for no reason or because she wants something she can't have we make her sit on the landing at the bottom of the stairs until she calms down and stops fussing. We say something like "You're not going to act like this. When you want to stop fussing and act like a big girl you may get up." If she gets up still crying we take her right back. On the other hand, if she blately ignores us when we tell her something that she definitely understands, then she gets her little booty popped. So, the funny thing she's been doing is asking if she's going to get a spankin'. Just a minute ago she was standing on the couch, which she's not allowed to do, and I told her to sit on her booty. She looked at me with raised eyebrows and said "Spankin?" (If I don't do what you said, am I going to get a spankin?) "Yes, Ava, if you don't listen to Mama you will get a spankin." And she sat down.

Basically, I am learning every day that babies and toddlers are way smarter and more capable than many people give them credit for. :)

First Appointment Coming Up

2010-07-20T08:43:00.007-05:00

I called this morning and set up my 8 week appointment for Monday, August 9. All they really do at this hospital is give you a booklet and some other information at the first appointment (no seeing a doctor, no physical exam, no ultrasound, etc). So I won't really be too excited to be going in until my 12 week appointment at which time we should be able to hear a heartbeat. I found out the midwife from my first pregnancy is still working here, so I will definitely be trying to get her again!

As of yesterday morning I haven't been feeling totally great. I haven't thrown up (yet) but I felt nauseous a few times throughout the day yesterday and so far have just nibbled on some dry cereal this morning. (Actually, as I write this Richard and Ava are eating our usual big breakfast of eggs, sausage, and oatmeal but I can't even think about it today.) I haven't really felt anything else out of the ordinary yet.

Maybe Not Quite Done

2010-07-20T08:34:00.002-05:00

So Ava has done amazingly well with potty training. She pretty much always tells us when she needs to go and we can take her anywhere we go with confidence..... Well she had a little set back at church on Sunday. I told the childcare ladies that she has been doing great and tells us when she needs to go but I didn't know if she would understand that she needs to tell them when we're not around. So she had an accident there. I guess what I need to help Ava understand now is that 1) there is going to be a potty pretty much anywhere we go and 2) anyone who is watching her can take her. I also need to be better about taking her in the night. I've been taking her when/if I happen to wake up needing to go, but I don't think that's consistent enough to help her get it. So anyway, she's still doing awesome but some new challenges have just popped up. :)

Pretty Much Done!

2010-07-17T16:11:00.002-05:00

Well our potty training is pretty much done! Ava had a few accidents the first couple days but now she is going all day (naps too) accident free! She wears tiny little panties every day now and tells us and/or runs into the bathroom when she needs to go. I have been putting her in a diaper at night, which is a little wet by morning, but I guess that's to be expected when she's in bed for 11ish hours at a time. I think I may start getting her up in the night to go. That should get her used to the idea of waking up on her own when she gets the feeling of needing to go. I'm so proud of her; what a big girl!!!

Exciting News!

2010-07-11T21:42:00.008-05:00

We are expecting Baby Ezell #2!!!! (2 lines = positive!)

After church today I went to the commissary. I am a few days late for my period and we have been hoping to get pregnant before this next deployment, so I decided to pick up a pregnancy test. It was positive! I am about 4 1/2 weeks along. I obviously haven't been to the doctor yet but my due date should be around March 17.

So far I am feeling pretty normal. Not too tired, not sick. (Hopefully I will not be super sick like I was with Ava!) I've been working out very regularly so I intend to continue my usual routine as long as possible with some modifications as I get further along in the pregnancy.

I haven't even called for a doctor's appointment yet, but I will probably have one around 8 weeks. I really hope my midwife from last time is still working at the hospital here!

More to come!!!!!!!!

Vacation & Milestones

2010-07-11T18:23:00.022-05:00

We have had the best time in the last week! Richard had 10 days leave and we didn't want to make a major trip (like going to GA) but we wanted a little vacation, so we went to Kansas City for a few days. We did a lot of cool stuff but just chilled out and rested a decent bit too.
---Monday we took our time getting to Kansas City with a stop in Topeka (halfway to KC) and a good bit of time spent in Cabellas (a little outside KC). After we checked in to the hotel we went swimming for a while; just playing and hanging out. We drove around the city that night, trying to find our way around, and picked up pizza and wings to eat. ---Tuesday we went to the Kansas City Zoo, which was awesome. It wasn't too hot so we weren't miserable and most of the animals were active. We saw a "Keeper Chat" at the elephant exhibit where the keepers talked to us and showed us some of the training stuff they do. We also saw a sea lion show in which the trainer had the sea lion do jumps, tricks, barking, etc. Ava really liked watching that (and of course we did too). Anyway, we spent a good 3+ hours at the zoo and then went back to the hotel for Ava to take a nap and us to do a workout (DVD that we played on the laptop). Tuesday night we ate at a good BBQ place and then picked up McFlurries to eat by these cool fountains downtown. ---Wednesday we went to an art museum. You could literally spend days there if you really looked at everything and read all the descriptions and stories behind the pieces. Obviously, Ava does not have that kind of attention span yet, so we kind of sped through there "appreciating" what we could along the way. After the museum we went to the Crown Center area and had a snack by some other cool fountains and then took Ava through a Clifford (the Big Red Dog) exhibit in the mall area. She liked it for a while but there were a lot of kids there (most older/bigger than her) and she was a little overwhelmed. Mom, Kevin, and Shane met us in KC Wednesday night and watched Ava while Richard and I went to a nice romantic dinner at a revolving restaurant ("Skies") overlooking the city. We each had a delicious KC Strip Steak. ---Thursday we had breakfast and got packed up. While we were packing up Ava saw her little potty seat sitting by the door (ready to be put away). She picked it up and ran to the bathroom with it so we put her on the potty and she went! (She went a couple times on the trip but we had still been using diapers all the time.) Anyway, after we got packed up we went to the WWI museum in KC. Like the art museum, you could seriously spend days there if you really read and absorbed everything. So, we took in as much as we could and then went to Oceans of Fun (a waterpark). We all had so much fun there and Ava did great playing in the kids' area. Other parents and the lifeguards were all amazed at how brave and carefree she was playing in the water. She went up the stairs to go down all the little slides by herself and even if she went under the water she didn't cry or freak out. She was definitely the littlest one running around on her own like that. Such a big girl! Anyway, after Oceans of Fun we ate dinner and then made the trek back home. ---Friday was the start of Ava's hardcore potty training. I had her wearing panties or training pants (basically thick panties) all day and set her on the potty frequently. She had many successes and a few accidents. Mom and I did a DVD workout with my friend Kim (and Ava, of course) and Richard, Kevin, and Shane went to the gym to lift. I made Ava some "weights" out of some used up toilet paper rolls and she gets them out and starts dancing around, doing squats and stuff if I even just show her the case for one of my DVD workouts. It is so funny! I ask her what the DVD is and she says "kout" for workout. :) We went to the commissary in the afternoon and Ava had a successful pee in the potty there! Woohoo! (When we take her out I put a diaper over her panties so she can still feel the uncomfortable wetness but not make a mess everywhere else if she has an accident.)
---Yesterday we spent a few hours at the pool. Ava went on the little kiddie pool slide a thousand times and we took in the big pool a good bit too. She also peed in the potty there a couple times! She liked watching Shane jump off the diving board doing different tricks. Richard had her out in the big pool watching the people jump and she fell asleep on his shoulder out there. So we laid her in the shade on the side of the pool and let her catch a nap for about an hour+. We continued with the potty training, just taking her frequently and cheering her successes. Last night she ran up to me and said "potty" so I took her and she went. She really knew and did it on purpose! Overnight she woke up a couple times pretty upset (which is very rare for her) so I went in to soothe her. It worked for a minute the first time but didn't last long. So the next time I thought maybe she needed to go potty. I took her and she went right away. She went back to sleep pretty soundly for another couple hours and then the same thing happened again. I think maybe she is conflicted with the feeling of needing to go potty and wanting to stay asleep and getting upset.
---Anyway... this morning I put Ava on the potty first thing (dry diaper!) and she peed and pooped right away! She is really getting it!!!!!!

No More Highchair

2010-06-25T16:41:00.004-05:00

As of Wednesday evening Ava is no longer using a highchair. I got a booster seat for $5 on rileybookoo.com (like a local craigslist or online yard sales) and it is perfect for our needs. It has two heights. Right now we need the highest notch but as she grows we can move it down a notch until she's ready to sit in a plain old chair. She is also using a fork quite well. She has been for a while but she's really getting good at it now. Sometimes she tries to sneak and use her fingers but all it takes is a little raised eyebrow from Richard or me and she smiles and uses her fork. I can't believe we have a toddler who is quickly becoming a little girl! Below is a picture of Ava's first meal at home on her "new" booster seat. :)

Added Words

2010-06-23T12:02:00.007-05:00

Some of these were left off the previous list, some are new:

street, car, truck, leash, blanket, jacket, slide, baby
hot, cold
Mimi, Pancake, Roxy (neighbor's dog)
hello, yes, yeah
grapes, banana, cheese
cheeks, weights, potty, poop
jump, bounce, knock

Potty!

2010-06-15T23:20:00.002-05:00

Last night Ava peed in the potty for the first time! It was just a little bit and she startled herself with her great and unexpected accomplishment, but it was a step in the right direction. I am not really working with her on it or even having her sit on the potty super often so this "first time" was very exciting. I still don't plan on really trying to get her trained right now but she's showing more and more signs of being really ready, which is cool.

Oh the things that I think are "cool" nowadays... haha!

Words, Words, Words

2010-06-04T16:56:00.010-05:00

So Richard and I were making a list of all the words Ava can say now with some degree of regularity. Some are only understandable to us but most are pretty clear. I need to get some talking on video! Here's the list (with more being added daily!):

Mama, Dadda, BB, Sookie (neighbor's dog), I, you
cow, bird, cat, tiger
hi, please, thank you, no, nap, up, down, see yah, bye-bye, ni-night
more, water, snack, juice, cereal, cracker, milk, all done, all gone
eye, nose, ear, toes
kick, sit, rock, shake, beep
chair, book, vacuum, hat, glasses, shower, shoe, socks, diaper, keys, trash
oh shoot, yuck, good girl, uh oh, side (for outside & inside), whoa, gentle, sorry, stop it, watch out, hush (those last 3 are said to BB and Pancake)...

Not So Much a Baby Anymore

2010-06-01T22:23:00.018-05:00

This post will make the most sense with pictures and captions but here are a few notes on what's new to start out with... First, Ava is 17 months old... WHAT!?!? How is this possible!? Second, I have started getting her familiar with the potty. We got her a little seat that fits on the regular toilet and I've been having her sit on it a few times a day; pretty much whenever I'm changing her diaper the old one comes off, she sits on the potty for 5 minutes or so, then a new diaper goes on. I just want her to get used to the idea of being on the potty for now. Third, a few days ago I realized that Ava hadn't played with anything in her toy box in a few days. She is not interested in those little things anymore. She is interested in whatever we are using/doing/interested in. She likes "helping" me sweep, checking the mail, pulling weeds, playing the recorder, etc. So on Memorial Day (since Richard was off work) we went to Topeka to go to the zoo and do some shopping. The zoo was awesome; most of the animals were active and clearly visible (not sleeping in the far corner hehe). After the zoo we went shopping and got a couple new toys for Ava: a little popper thing that she can push around, a toddler sized broom, and a mini vacuum that lights up and has sound. So cute! Fourth, we went to the pool today. The water was very cold but it was still fun. :) Okay, so here are the pics:She actually enjoys sitting on her little potty seat, as you can see.

Playing the recorder while relaxing on Pancake (best dog ever).

Face to face with a gorilla. What is she looking at in this picture, though? A little black bird that was hopping through the exhibit. "Bird!"

She kept roaring at the lions.

Yes, those are real flamingos. That's how close we were able to get! She really wanted to touch them.

Looking at the North American Black Bear with Daddy.

She fell asleep in Target, which was our last stop after the zoo, lunch, the mall, and Toys R Us.

Running around at the pool. She did not like the cold water but got used to it eventually.

Cutest little booty!

Helping me clean up with her new vacuum. She loves it! We are keeping it right next to the real one in the laundry room. (And her little broom is with our real broom and mop too.) Big girl!

GA Trip

2010-05-12T15:30:00.015-05:00

Well it has obviously been far too long since my last update, so I have a lot of catching you up to do...

Our trip to GA was great! Ava flew like a champ both ways. It was great to see our families (and many other new things for Lil A). We went to Jordan's basketball game, a couple of Shane's baseball games, the Yellow River Game Ranch, and the park. We saw some horses and played on a playground. It was cool for Ava to finally see so many of the animals we have been reading about and making sounds for. :) She also got to play the piano and drums with Uncle Shane. It was a busy yet relaxing trip. Ava did so awesome despite being out of her usual schedule and surroundings. She played hard, slept great, ate okay (a little struggle with sudden pickiness there for a few days), and overall had a super fun time!

Flying

2010-03-20T20:22:00.003-05:00

Ava and I are flying to Georgia in a couple weeks! I am super excited and can't wait for all the family to see how big and smart Ava is getting! (It'll have been six months since our last trip and Ava wasn't even walking yet last time we were there, so she is a whole different little person now.) I'm a little bit nervous about keeping little bug occupied and quiet on the plane for two hours, but I think she'll be okay. My friend Anne-Marie has flown a few times with her son Carter (who is two weeks younger than Ava) and she gave me some flying-with-a-baby tips after coming back from her most recent trip a couple weeks ago. I plan on feeding Ava a whole meal, coloring with her new crayons and coloring book, reading books, and people watching. Hopefully that will fill plenty of time without her throwing a fit wanting to get down off my lap and walk around. Miss Independent doesn't really want to sit on my lap much anymore unless we're reading so we'll see how it goes. :)

Any more advice on flying with a 15 month old would be much appreciated!

Videos Finally

2010-03-08T14:17:00.012-06:00

2/27/10 - stomping & pups wrestling

2/27/10 - uh oh, snake, & sitting on Pancake

3/8/10 - animal sounds, body parts, "so big!"

3/8/10 - peekaboo, "so big!" & uh oh

Little Mirror

2010-02-24T22:08:00.008-06:00

Ava is really starting to imitate me now. She is really like a little mirror. For example, when either of us have an "uh-oh" moment I often widen my eyes, cover my mouth, and gasp a little... Well she is doing that very same thing now. If she "drops" (aka throws) something off of her highchair she will gasp, cover her mouth with one tiny hand, and look at me with big wide eyes and say "uh-oh!" It's so amazing! And it is showing me quite clearly that she will learn how to react to almost every kind of situation FROM ME... talk about a huge resposibility!

In other news, we have reached another little milestone. For a couple months I have only been giving Ava her paci during naps and bedtime. Well for about the last week, she has been 100% paci-free! She gave it up so much easier than I had anticipated, too! I decided to try it one afternoon for a nap. I needed to take a shower and it was coming up on her usual nap time, so I just put her in her crib with a couple books to see what she'd do. (I pretty much expected her to read her books for a bit and then get fussy when she got tired of them.) Well when I got out of the shower I peeked in on her and she was just lying there (not asleep) kind of talking to herself. So as I got dressed and everything I kept an ear out for her and before I knew it she was asleep! So I tried it for the next nap, and then bedtime, and now here we are - she never even seemed to miss it. I guess she was just"ready" to give it up. And I had been dreading what I thought was going to be a battle to ban the paci!
Well I know I need to get some more videos on here.... I will try to capture some good stuff within the next week or so. :)

Thank You!

2010-02-09T16:43:00.002-06:00

So like a day or two after my last post about all the things Ava is saying now, she started saying "thank you" a lot. I have been having her feed herself with her own little fork most of the time now but she can't stab the food yet. So I get the food on the fork and put the fork on her high chair tray. She picks it up, eats the food off the fork, and then hands the fork back to me. I always say thank you when she hands it back to me, and she apparently picked up on that. Now she says thank you when she hands the fork back to me... or when she hands a puzzle piece to me, or anything else, hehe. I will try to get it on video soon, maybe tonight. :)

Videos

2010-01-31T15:20:00.005-06:00

1-24-2010

1-30-2010

Boo for Shots; Woohoo for Fun!

2010-01-28T17:11:00.005-06:00

Well Ava had her one year appointment today. She is 28 inches long and weighs 18 lbs 14.25 oz. She is in the 10th percentile for height and weight and 75th percentile for head circumference. The doctor said she looks great in every way and is developing perfectly. She got three shots today and, of course, did not like that one bit! Hopefully she won't have any real noticeable side effects over the next couple days.
Ava is doing so many fun things now. She says hi, mama, dada, uh-oh. She waves hello and goodbye. She makes the animal sounds for tiger, dog, monkey, cow, and cat. She knows where her ears are ("Ava, where's your ear?" and she grabs it); currently working on the other parts. She knows what clapping is ("Ava, can you clap?" and she claps). She loves, LoVeS, LOVES reading books (and turning the pages, of course). She plays chase, hide and seek, and peek-a-boo. Oh yeah, she plays fetch too haha... Richard was throwing a tennis ball up the stairs for the pups and Ava got her ball out of the toy box and brought it to him. He threw it for her and she went and got it and brought it back to him... over and over. :) She loves stacking and knocking down blocks and loves looking for toys that we hide in things or under things. She likes to talk; I put her down for a nap about 15 minutes ago and I can still hear her up there talking to herself (and most likely playing with her socks that she has taken off). She loves to eat and is doing better with what she likes. For lunch today she had a piece of ham lunch meat, half a slice of whole wheat bread, some raw broccoli, a slice of apple, and water in her sippy cup.
I will try to put some more videos on here soon. They speak much more clearly about her than I do just writing. :)

One Year Old!!!

2009-12-22T22:26:00.010-06:00

Ava's First Birthday Cake (before)

Ava is one year old today (12/22/09)... How can this be!?!? I know it sounds so cliche, but time really has flown by! We had a few people over for dinner tonight and I made an "Applesauce Healthy Cake" topped with some regular frosting for Ava to dig into. (She actually ate A LOT of it as you will see in the video below.) She is really turning into a little girl, not so much a baby anymore. Anyway, so what's going on with Lil A?... She LOVES reading; we can read 7-8 books in a row without her losing interest and she helps me turn the pages. (She is actually "reading" by herself next to me on the floor as I'm typing this, hehe.) We've been down to nursing just once a day for a few days now, and are about to move to every other day.Ava is walking pretty well now. I haven't seen her stand up without pulling up on something, but once she's up she takes off on her own. She is also "talking" a lot more. She definitely says "mama" and is constantly babbling other things. :) She is doing very well with understanding and obeying when we tell her "no." Sometimes she fusses a little when she gets a no, but she rarely pushes to get her way about whatever it is. She loves playing with blocks; the different shaped ones that go into the slots of the top of the container (the one from the "hide the paci" video in an older post), and some stacking and nesting blocks. She likes when I stack them so she can knock them down, and she likes when I help her put all the nesting ones back inside each other.
Anyway, there are a million little new things Ava does almost every day so I won't try to list them all... Here are some videos (everyone's favorite part of this blog, I'm sure). :)

12/19/09 - Walking & "Talking"

12/22/09 - Eating Cake (Part 1)

12/22/09 - Eating Cake (Part 2)

12/22/09 - Walking & Roaring :)

Ava's First Birthday Cake (after) :)

Walking!!!

2009-11-30T14:37:00.006-06:00

Well it has obviously been quite a while since I updated this and a lot has happened in the life of our little bugga. Ava is 11 months old now! So what's been going on?... Well, we went to Georgia for the first two weeks of November. Saw family and whatnot, which was nice, but it was a tiring trip (ugh, the drive!) and we were glad to get back to our Kansas home. About two weeks ago, Ava had two new teeth emerge. The top left middle one and the one to the left next to it (not the other middle one!). It looks a little funny for now, but I'm sure the other middle one will come in any day. I will walk you through the other happenings using videos...

October 25 - Ava went through about a two week phase where she would sniff at us a lot. (That's the best way I think to describe it; the video shows what I mean.) She doesn't really do it anymore but it was funny while it lasted. :)

November 21 - Well it took a lot longer than I had expected (based on when she started pulling up and cruising along furniture), but Ava started standing on her own and taking a couple little steps as you see in this video. I used Cheerios and a lot of cheering and excitement to keep her interested in standing. :)

November 21 - The rocking dog in this video was mine when I was Ava's age... and she loves it as much Mom says I did. :) "Rock, rock!"

November 22 - Ava likes to play hide and seek with her paci. I put it at the bottom of this bucket and then put all the blocks on top of it. She pulls the blocks out one by one until she finds the paci. Then she holds it up - victory! She falls over at one point in this video and I get really tickled because she has been proficiently sitting up for months now and pretty much never falls over anymore. I guess it's comparable to an adult randomly falling down walking; pretty funny.

November 27 - In this video Ava takes more steps in a row. She usually dives for whoever she's walking to in the last few steps. :) She's gaining confidence in herself.

November 28 - Getting better and going further! She is starting to like the fact that she can do it all by herself.

Today, November 30, she is letting go of furniture on her own and walking without much enticing. She still knows that crawling is her fastest and most reliable way to go, but she's trying the walking a lot more. :)

I cannot believe she is almost a year old. Ava eats pretty much whatever we're eating at meal times. I just make sure it's small enough and soft enough and let her have at it. She has the mashing motion of chewing down pat so despite not having many teeth she can eat just fine. And she's a very good eater; a bottomless pit, really, hehe! We are down to nursing just twice a day now, morning and night. I plan to go down to once a day in a week or so and phase out completely probably by the end of December. We'll see how it goes... I called the hospital today to see about getting her 12 month check-up and shots but we have to wait until January based on the time I got her 6 month shots, so she gets to avoid that a little longer. That pretty much sums up the past month and a half, I think. We are just enjoying being a family of 3 (well, 5 including pups of course) and hope Richard won't have to go anywhere any time soon. :)

Daddy's Home!!!

2009-10-04T21:14:00.009-05:00

Richard is finally home!!!! His flight's welcome home ceremony was last Monday night (9/28). It was SO amazing. It was so cool to be there with all the excited families and friends, and I can't even begin to describe how it felt to finally see Richard run out in formation. It was an emotional reunion and such a relief to see him and touch him face to face. Now that he's been home almost a week, I can't believe he was gone a year! In some ways it feels like he never left.Ava has adjusted quite well to her daddy being home. She was a little wary for a couple days and would look to me for reassurance when he would hold her or something but now she's totally good with him. It is so awesome to watch them interact - reading books, playing with her toys, petting the pups, etc. Richard is such a good dad. Seeing him with her makes me fall in love with him all over again.Anyway, Ava is still not quite walking on her own but she is pretty speedy walking along furniture. She lets go every now and then and stands on her own for a few seconds before sitting down.Let's see, what else... oh yeah, Ava is a great little eater. She eats anything and everything I put on her highchair tray. She's good at the chewing motion, mashing up food, even though her two little teeth are no help. hehe :) Well, that's all for now. I'll update again soon!

Stair Master

2009-09-21T23:07:00.006-05:00

Well I knew it was time to get a baby gate for the stairs, but here's the proof. I saw Ava heading for the stairs so I grabbed the camera and followed her. She made it all the way up with no help and no falls! She's such a busy little bee; definitely keepin me on my toes! :)

Laughter!

2009-09-20T20:12:00.002-05:00

Table & Basket Walking!

2009-09-12T11:35:00.002-05:00

Lately, Ava has been walking by pushing her little music table or a laundry basket around. It's so funny to watch her little legs work (and she's on her tip-toes half the time). Go, Ava, go! And hurry home, Richard!

Counting Down

2009-09-04T00:20:00.006-05:00

I can't believe this deployment year is finally almost over! Right now it sounds like Richard won't be staying later than the rest of his battalion after all. (Hopefully not!) So hopefully we will be reunited sometime in the next month or so!!! He is not going to believe how much Ava has grown and changed. He sees her often via video chat but obviously that cannot compare to actually seeing her. I'm so excited to see them see each other! :)

Ava has two teeth now. Her second one finally cut through the skin about a week ago. It's so funny to see a little toothy smile now. Ava is very interested in BB right now. She likes to try to follow her around and laughs when BB makes any sudden movements. She is starting to understand my "serious" tone and when I tell her "no" about things. For instance, BB was trying to eat this morning and Ava speed-crawled right towards her going for the food. When she got close to BB I said "Ava, no." She stopped crawling and sat up and just looked at me. Then she looked back to BB. I told her no again and she looked back at me. She sat there for a few more seconds and then went for the food again. So... I'm thinking she semi-understands but it doesn't quite stick with her yet. We'll definitely keep working on it.Hmm.... what else?... Oh yeah. I started letting Ava practice feeding herself with a spoon this morning. I scooped some oatmeal on the spoon and set it on her tray. She grabbed the oatmeal with her hands first but eventually put the spoon in her mouth to get the rest off. It's a very messy process but there's only one way to learn and just trying is fun for her and builds her confidence.

I can't think of much else to report right now... Until next time... :)

Videos!!!

2009-08-23T18:08:00.011-05:00

I finally uploaded some more videos so I could put some on here. These are from 8/10-8/22 (dates shown under each video).

8/10/09 - laughing at BB

8/14/09 - pulling up on her music table
(I had to tuck her dress into her little bloomers cuz she kept stepping on it when she tried to stand up, hehe.)

8/20/09 - eating some bananas

8/22/09 - crawling to her bottle (of water)

A lot has changed with "Little A" in the past month or so. (You can see some of the progression of skills in the videos.) Just in the last week she has gone from doing what I call "the worm" crawl to doing real hands and knees crawling. And she's fast too!!! She's been pulling up on stuff for a while now too but that's getting easier and easier (and she's much more graceful at getting back down). A couple nights ago she even walked herself the length of the futon in her room by holding onto it! I was thinking Richard would probably be here before she starts walking but now I'm not so sure. It sounded like he was going to be home sometime around the end of September but now it sounds like maybe mid-October after all. A couple more weeks really isn't a big deal, but it's a long time in "baby development time" and could possibly mean the difference between Ava not walking and walking. We'll see... Anyway, oh yeah, Ava's second tooth is clearly visible next to her current tooth but has not broken through the skin yet. Any minute now. She is doing so well with feeding herself and is liking lots of different foods. I'm giving her a lot of regular table food now (peaches, bananas, pears, sweet potato cubes, carrots... anything soft that I can cut into small pieces for her). Not that it really means anything yet, but Ava is pretty much only using her left hand to feed herself right now. If she does happen to pick something up with her right hand, she'll pass it to her left hand before putting it in her mouth. We'll see if she turns out to be a lefty like her dad, Mimi, and Nonnie. :)

I'm gonna try to be better about updating this and getting videos on here. More to come!

Weight Check

2009-08-10T21:38:00.007-05:00

I took Ava to the pediatrician today for her weight check (4 weeks after her last appointment). She was 14.1 lbs last time and today she was exactly 16 lbs. Woohoo! We saw a different doctor because our usual one was up in labor and delivery on standby to help with twins being born. The lady doctor we saw was really nice and said she is not at all worried about Little A and that she looks good and healthy. She is definitely eating well (see picture). :)

Ava is pulling herself up and standing a lot now. I put the legs on her little music table and spends a lot of time playing at that. She also loves climbing all over me when I get on the floor with her (or on Pancake if she'll lie still long enough; definitely no chance of BB lying still to be Ava's jungle gym).

We (Ava, pups and me) are walking pretty much every day; at least once a day, often morning AND night. It feels good for me, is great for the pups, and Ava enjoys stroller riding. Hmm... other than that we're just waiting for Richard/Daddy to get home!!! Should be 2 months or less now! So close yet it feels so far in this moment!

Swimmin With Carter

2009-08-03T20:15:00.003-05:00

Today our friends Anne-Marie and Carter came over to play in the baby pool. Anne-Marie's husband is also deployed (although he and Richard haven't met yet) so we've been through our pregnancies, deployment, having the babies, etc together. Carter is two weeks younger than Ava. Anyway, the video pretty much speaks for itself; just some fun in the pool. :)

video to come*

Making a Mess

2009-08-02T18:50:00.004-05:00

Well this is not the video I was originally trying to put on here, but this is another one of her making a mess. :)

Feeding Herself

2009-08-02T11:08:00.007-05:00

Eating some puffs this morning.

Sitting Up... Again

2009-07-27T22:03:00.005-05:00

Well Ava's newest accomplishment is going from a tummy down crawling position back to sitting up again. All by herself! I just watched her do it twice in the last five minutes! She really is getting around (and into everything!) now, too. Her little knees are red from all the crawling and scooting she does. I'll have to have her wear pants some to protect them a little more. Last night I stood her up holding on to the couch and she held herself there for like 10 seconds or more. She's really developing good strength and balance. Her one tooth is really coming in now and I'm just waiting for the other middle bottom one to come in any day. Let's see... oh yeah, Ava is LoViNg bath time even more nowadays. We do our usual wash up and everything and then I fill the tub up a couple inches and get out. I leave her in there to splash and play while I'm brushing my teeth, etc there in the bathroom with her. Here are a few more pictures!

Morning Discovery

2009-07-18T12:11:00.005-05:00

I didn't think I would updating this again so soon but I made a wonderful discovery this morning! :) Ava was in her highchair while I was making myself some breakfast. I gave her some banana puffs (little cheerio sized bits that dissolve in your mouth) to practice feeding herself while she waited for her own breakfast. She is not so great at the finger and thumb pinching motion to pick little things up yet, so those puffs often get stuck in the palm of her fisted hand while she tries to eat them. When this happens and she starts getting frustrated I usually help her out and put the puff in her mouth. Well she bit down before I got my finger out of her mouth this time and it hurt!! So I looked close and... she has a tooth sticking through on the bottom! Not much of it is out yet but it's definitely enough to make her little bite hurt, hehe. Our little girl is growing up! Of course, I already knew this but seeing her reach milestone after milestone makes it really real. She puts herself to sleep for naps and bedtime, she sleeps through the night (like 10+ hours!), she can sit up, she can crawl/roll/scoot, she's starting to feed herself... holy cow! That's a lot of stuff to learn in just under 7 months of life! She couldn't do ANYTHING just a short time ago!

Wow, okay, there were a lot of !!exclamation points!! up there... It's just so awesome to see Ava learning and growing and changing every day. I'm so blessed (thank you, Lord) to be able to stay home with her, too. Thank you, Richard, for working so hard to provide for us!

6 Month Appointment

2009-07-14T11:28:00.003-05:00

I took Ava yesterday for her 6 month "Well Baby" check-up and shots. Among babies her age, she is in the 25th percentile for height (25.5 inches) and in the 5th percentile for weight (14.1 lbs). The doctor said he is not worried about her and developmentally she looks great, but he'd like to see her gain some weight. So I'm supposed to increase the breastfeeding and/or supplement with formula and we'll go back in a month for a weight check. She got two shots, which she ScReAmEd about, and we were good to go. Ava is a pretty resilient little girl. When she gets hurt or upset she calms down pretty quickly and easily. I guess she was pretty tired after that eventful morning cuz in the afternoon she napped from about 12:30-4:30! Then last night she went to bed at about 10:15 and didn't wake up (or at least wake me up) until about 8:15 this morning. I am LOVING getting some good sleep too. :)
This morning we took the pups for a walk. BB and Pancake are still doing great with Ava. Pancake is always nearby, like a little furry mama. BB keeps her distance a little more, but she's fine with her too. Ava loves going for walks, just riding in the stroller and looking at everything. She's usually pretty sleepy (or asleep) by the end from so much looking around and the lulling motion of traveling.
That's it for now. I'll try to keep the videos coming. I know that's everyone's favorite part of the blogs. :)

Music Table & Paper

2009-07-12T13:19:00.005-05:00

Here are a couple videos... The first one is of Ava playing with this awesome little music table. It has legs that can attach once she is able to pull up and stand. The second one is of Ava playing with one of her favorite things - paper. :)

Moving Along

2009-07-10T22:50:00.007-05:00

Wow, it's been a while since my last update... Let's see...

About 3 weeks ago Ava started sitting up by herself. She fell over a lot so I had to watch her close, but now she is much more stable and I can leave her to sit by herself and play with some toys. She still crashes sometimes, but she's even better at that too and usually does so somewhat gently. :) She has pushed up into a crawling position a few times but doesn't know what to do from there. So for now she is getting around by rolling.

Ava's appetite has also increased dramatically in about the last two weeks. Maybe we're coming into a growth spurt? She is eating lots of foods - baby food and regular foods that I can smash up easily myself (sweet potatos, carrots, etc), and she's also still nursing 3-4 times a day. With days full of learning, playing and eating, she is sleeping really well too. I just moved her crib mattress down lower in the crib today in anticipation that she will be pulling up on the those rails any day now. (Don't want to find her on the floor one morning!)

Richard is still in Iraq but we are definitely on the downhill now. About 3 months to go (not that we have an exact return date). I feel like time is starting to slow down but I'm trying to stay positive and keep busy. We are still able to video chat and/or talk on the phone pretty regularly and for that I am SO thankful. I love being able to point the camera to Ava playing or whatever so he can see her in her element some too. She is starting to respond some to him talking to her as well, although I think she's a little confused about where his voice is coming from.

Here are a few pictures from the last couple weeks. I'll update again soon!

July 4th waiting for fireworks (Ava ended up sleeping through them)

she loved playing with this tennis ball :)

she rolled herself all the way here under this chair

So Much Fun!

2009-06-11T12:08:00.004-05:00

Right now I am keeping my neighbor's 2 dogs while she is out of town for a few days. So, I currently have 4 dogs in the house. As you will hear in this video clip, Pancake got pretty excited playing. Every time she barks Ava kind of startles a little and blinks. Once I shut Pancake in the bathroom Ava was free to resume her laughing without so much interruption. :)

Kick it, Baby!

2009-05-21T19:55:00.003-05:00

Ava is using her newly discovered feet a lot now! This video will show how she kicks the ball hanging down, which she really enjoys. :) She is also rolling from back to tummy multiple times a day now. If I lay her down and put a toy just out of reach she will roll and/or squirm to get to it and pick it up very much on purpose. (She used to pick things up if they accidentally ended up in her hand or were put there by me, hehe.) I gave Ava some squash today, which she seemed to like quite well. She's getting better and better at eating off a spoon with less and less ending up down her chin and on the bib. So that's what's happening now! More to come soon, I'm sure!

More Shots

2009-05-14T15:43:00.002-05:00

Well I took Ava for her doctor's appointment today. She had to get her round of 4 month shots. I scheduled the appointment for a time when she would be hungry and tired, so right after the shots she could nurse and then take a good nap. The plan worked perfectly. I nursed her in the waiting room after the shots and right now she is napping peacefully in her crib. She is now 24 inches long and weighs 13 lbs 4 oz. Our little girl is growing up! Holy cow, how the time does fly.

New Toys

2009-05-08T12:18:00.006-05:00

Lil A found her feet yesterday, so now she has 2 new (free!) toys. She also rolled from her back to her tummy last night! Then she got upset soon after that because she didn't actually want to be on her tummy, hehe. A couple times in the morning I have gone to get Ava from her crib when she wakes up and her head and feet are opposite from the way I put her down the night before, so she is starting to get around a bit too. Hmm... what else... oh I started feeding her a little bit of baby food a couple weeks ago. She had bananas for a week, then peaches for a week, and we're going to try pears starting today. I don't give her much at each sitting (one tiny jar of baby food lasts the whole week), so the bulk of her calories and nutrition still comes from breastfeeding. I'm just trying to get her used to eating from a spoon and trying new tastes. She seems to like bananas best so far.
Playing with her new toys

Eating some bananas baby food

More Laughter :-)

2009-04-24T22:30:00.003-05:00

When I want to get the pups some more exercise, sometimes I'll sit at the bottom of the steps and play fetch with them up and down the stairs. Tonight Ava very much enjoyed this. I sat her in the Bumbo seat and when the pups would go out of view (up the stairs) she would look and wait and then when they came back down she would smile and laugh. Kind of like a big game of peek-a-boo. Very fun. :) :) :) :)

The Beginning of Laughter

2009-04-10T23:04:00.006-05:00

I really can't believe how much and how fast Ava is growing and changing. She is kind of playing in her jumper thing, although her balance with sitting straight up is still not great. She reaches for things and holds things but doesn't really know what to do once she has something. Sometimes she cries out of boredom, just needing some Mommy play time, something to hold, or something new to look at. She has recently started laughing a little bit! The recording I got is on my digital camera (rather than the video camera) so it's not very clear but still fun to watch. She gets the hiccups somewhere near the end which cuts off her little laugh sometimes.

Preparing Again

2009-03-29T12:54:00.005-05:00

Well our time home together is all too quickly coming to an end. :( Richard will be heading back to Iraq and Ava and I will be just us two again. We went to church this morning, which was great, and are now trying to figure out what to do today to take full advantage of our last full day together. We have taken some great pictures and truly have had some great quality time together, which I am SO thankful for. I can't believe the two weeks is up so soon! Time is such a funny thing though. In some ways it feels like Richard just got here and in other ways it feels like he never left. We are both SO looking forward to him coming home at the END of this deployment so we can resume our family life. Please say a prayer for Richard as he travels back to Iraq and finishes up his time there. And pray for Ava and me that we will keep growing, learning, and playing while we wait for our husband and daddy to come home again! :)

Daddy's Home!!!

2009-03-15T20:47:00.006-05:00

Richard flew into Kansas City Saturday afternoon! Ava and I went to pick him up and it was such a wonderful meeting! He is such a natural; great with Ava already. There's not really much else to say so here are a few pictures. :) It is SO amazing to have him home for a couple weeks.

2 Month Doctor Visit

2009-03-12T12:05:00.003-05:00

I took Ava the doctor on Tuesday for her 2 month check-up and shots (a couple weeks past 2 months for her since we were in GA). She weighs 11 pounds 8 ounces now and is 23 inches long. Growing, growing, growing! She had to get 3 shots too. Each one was with about an inch long needle they stuck all the way into her tiny little leg (ouch!). The hardest part about it for me to watch was that she, of course, never saw it coming. She was just lying there happy looking at the nurse and then all of a sudden SURPRISE PAIN! And she sure did scream too. Wow. I nursed her right afterwards in the waiting room, which was a good soother. (They make you stay in the waiting area for 20 minutes after the shots anyway to make sure there are no adverse reactions.) Anyway, I'm glad that's over for now...

GA Trip

2009-03-06T08:31:00.004-06:00

Well Ava and I have been some busy girls the last couple weeks. We have seen/met so many people! It has been so good to see family and reconnect with some old friends. Shane's baseball schedule changed a couple times so we're still in GA right now (definitely wanted to see him play before we left). We'll watch him play a double header tonight and then leave for Kansas tomorrow. Ava is still riding very well in the truck. She usually rides happily for a little while and then just goes to sleep. I hope the trip home to KS will be as "easy" as the trip was coming here. (BB and Pancake ride pretty well too - once they realize we're not stopping for a while they just go to sleep like Ava.)
Ava is smiling so much now! Some are small short ones and some are big gummy long ones. :) I captured a couple little ones in this video. She is really looking at things intentionally now too. I have some little brightly colored animal hand puppets that I use to play with her and she turns her head and focuses on whichever one I'm moving at the time (and sometimes smiles at them too, hehe). She's so alert! This wonderful little girl is still rolling over too; just did earlier this morning. I don't think it will be long before she's going from back to tummy. Oh yeah, one other discovery Ava has made is her tongue. She is constantly moving it around and sticking it in and out of her mouth. Sometimes she "talks" during the tongue exercises (coos and ahs). Thank goodness for all the bibs she has - she is a drooling machine now! :)
Well that's it for now. Richard will be home on R&R sometime in the next couple weeks!!! Next post will probably include pictures of him meeting Ava. :) Can't wait!!!!!

Rolling Over

2009-02-23T16:08:00.006-06:00

As you can see, Ava is rolling over now! She did it once like 3 or 4 weeks ago but now it's multiple times every day. She goes from tummy to back left and right and is growing stronger each day. Holy cow, I love this little girl!

6 Weeks

2009-02-01T20:50:00.006-06:00

Well Ava will be 6 weeks old tomorrow... I can't believe it! Time is flying! She is really alert when she's awake and is definitely focusing on faces and objects now. Right now she's in her swing just looking all around. :) We are able to video chat with Richard most days, which is very nice. He is still doing well over there and will be coming home for R&R sometime in March. Before he comes I (and Ava and the pups) will be making a trip to Georgia!!! I'm excited about being there but wishing I could teleport rather than drive, hehe. I'm going to stop in Alabama on my way to GA to see some more of Richard's family too.

Anyway, not much else to report... here are a couple recent pictures! :) looking at a ceiling fan

little Alabama fan already :)

Growing & Changing

2009-01-14T21:48:00.002-06:00

Ava is doing awesome! She is nursing well, getting stronger, and is starting to focus more on objects and faces. She is so much fun (except for when she's up for hours at a time in the middle of the night, hehe)! We're still waiting to hear when Richard will be coming home for R&R. Right now it's still sounding like February or March. In the meantime I email him pictures every day and have mailed him some printed pictures as well. Ava is changing so fast - I want Richard to be able to "see" her through the changes. We've been able to video chat with the webcam a couple times too. It's nice to see him and hear him at the same time.

I'm planning on making a trip to Georgia as soon as I can. Right now I'm just waiting for Richard to find out exactly when he's coming home for R&R so I can decide on exactly when I can drive out. It's going to be a long trip (bringing BB and Pancake too) but I know I can do it. I can't wait for you all to meet little Ava!

2 Week Check-Up

2009-01-06T18:05:00.003-06:00

Well Ava had her 2 week check-up with the pediatrician today. She is looking great! She weighs 8 lbs 7.6 oz and measures 20.5 inches long. She is just a thriving beautiful little girl already! We're so proud! :) She is changing so fast - every day she looks a little different to me. Anyway, here's another picture and her next appointment with the pediatrician is when she's 2 months old.

First Check-up

2008-12-30T11:38:00.004-06:00

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!!!!!!

2008-12-24T16:31:00.011-06:00

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

2008-12-21T09:25:00.003-06:00

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

2008-12-14T21:50:00.003-06:00

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.

Ezell Baby Journey

Just Waiting...

Home Sweet Kansas

6 Month Appointment for Rae

Catching Up on Raina

Routine, Rest, & Halfway

One Month Check-Up

Back to "Normal" & Potty News

Changes

R&R and Birth Story

Baby Time!

38 Week Pic & Update

Ava's Speech Update

Hopeful Report at OB Appt & Ava Update

Still Pregnant

37 Weeks... Baby on the Way?

36 Week OB Appointment

35 Weeks Picture

34 Week OB Appt

Baby Jaden & 32 Weeks

Panties Only for Lil A!

30 Weeks!

Pregnancy "Milestone"

Ava's Birthday & 28 Weeks

No Way

Big Girl, Ava!

Pregnancy Questions

Good News

Ultrasound Pics

Pics

Settling In

Smart Little Bug

Richard Update

It's A...

Just Another Ava & Baby Update

New Sleeping Arrangement

As Requested & Promised

16 Week Appointment

Big Changes on the Horizon (Maybe)

More Exciting News

First Midwife Appointment

Done?, Airport Trip, Testing

ER Trip With a Silver Lining

Long Overdue Videos

First Appointment

Pregnancy Update

More Potty Talk

First Appointment Coming Up

Maybe Not Quite Done

Pretty Much Done!

Exciting News!

Vacation & Milestones

No More Highchair

Added Words

Potty!

Words, Words, Words

Not So Much a Baby Anymore

GA Trip

Flying

Videos Finally

Little Mirror

Thank You!

Videos

Boo for Shots; Woohoo for Fun!

One Year Old!!!

Walking!!!

Daddy's Home!!!

Stair Master

Laughter!

Table & Basket Walking!

More Videos

Counting Down

Videos!!!

Weight Check

Swimmin With Carter

Making a Mess

Feeding Herself

Sitting Up... Again

Morning Discovery

More Videos!!!