Pregnancy Update - 17 Weeks

How far along: 17 weeks, 1 day

Due date: May 9, 2014

Next doctor's appointment: December 18

Our baby is the size of a veggie/fruit/food: Onion/Turnip

Our baby in man terms: Hockey Puck

Total weight gain/loss: +1.6 lbs

News: We are pregnant!!  ;)  We made our announcements to family and on facebook.  :D

Best moments this week: Feeling more movement!  Thursday I felt movement about 3 different times, and Friday I felt movement about a dozen different times!  :)

Milestones: 17 weeks!  We made our official pregnancy announcement.  :)

Symptoms: Fewer first trimester symptoms, only a little nausea, a little fatigue, and round ligament pain

Maternity clothes?  Yup!  They are way more comfy!

Stretch marks?  Just the ones Avery gave me.  But my belly is itching, so I bet they'll come eventually.

Belly Button in or out?  In, I doubt it will go out.

Movement: Yes!!  Internal only so far.  Can't wait to feel more and for Michael to feel the baby moving!!

Gender: Don't know yet.  Only 2 weeks and 4 days until we find out!!  :D

Sleep: Just fine!  ;)

Food cravings: Not many cravings this week.  I made chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes and biscuits and gravy this week, both were delicious!!

Food aversions: Nope.  I basically eat it all.  ;)

What I miss: Nothing!  I love being pregnant at the moment!

What I'm loving: Feeling the baby move!  I've been looking forward to it for quite a while.  It's one of my favorite parts about being pregnant.  :)

What I'm looking forward to: Finding out what we're having! 

Thoughts and feelings about Michael: I love my hubby so much!  He's so helpful.  :)  I appreciate him helping me pack up the car and bring all of our stuff in and out for Thanksgiving and Topeka.  He's such an amazing Daddy, and he loves our little girl so much.  I think this pregnancy is getting more real for him as my belly continues to grow.  :)

Thoughts and feelings about Avery: Avery has loved being here in Topeka and playing with Payden, it's so cute!  She's done great with Madison and has shared her toys beautifully!  I think she's going to love having a sibling!  It's going to be a special time watching our two babies grow up together.  :)  I love her soooo much!

Labor signs: Nope!  :)

Goals: Get the house cleaned up this week.  I have been slowly getting more energy the last few days.  So, I hope I can put that to good use and get my house cleaned.  It's been a mess lately thanks to that first trimester (and a little longer) fatigue.

Weekly Wisdom: I'm not feeling extremely inspiring today.  I'll give it some thought and try to impart some wisdom later this week.  ;)

Pregnancy Update - 16 weeks

I will post this blog after we've told everyone we're pregnant, but until then, it will just be my secret.  :)  I started these pregnancy updates last time we were pregnant, but after the miscarriage it has taken me some time to want to do them again.  However, since we're now 16 weeks along, we've seen the doctor successfully 3 different times, we've seen the baby successfully 2 different times, we're heard the baby's heartbeat nice and strong over 7 weeks from week 7 to week 14, and we have successfully made it to the second trimester, I feel a little more comfortable doing these updates.  I'm not sure that I'll be completely at ease until I'm constantly feeling the baby move and we're past the 24 week mark (the age of viability).  But even then, I may not be completely comfortable until the baby is here.  Miscarriage takes all the fun out of pregnancy.  :(  But I'm glad that we're pregnant again and this baby seems to be doing great.  :)  So here's my first update of this pregnancy, lol, at 4 months!  Please enjoy!  I'll try to get something posted on a weekly basis in this same format.  :)  Love you all!  Happy 16 weeks little baby!

How far along:  16 weeks

Due date:  May 9th, 2014

Next doctor's appointment:  December 18, 2013 (19 weeks, 5 days)

Our baby is the size of a veggie/fruit/food:  Avocado

Our baby in man terms:  Small stud finder

Total weight gain/loss:  + 1 lb

News:  The family finds out this week!  After keeping the secret for so long, I'm looking forward to telling the rest of my family and Michael's family.  :)

Best moments this week:  Beginning to feel flutters!  Every now and then I feel little things and wonder if it's the baby.  I didn't feel Avery move (and really KNOW it was her) until 19 weeks.  So I'm not completely certain, yet, that I'm feeling the baby, but I THINK that's what it is.  ;)  I felt the first thing around 14 weeks and wondered if it was the baby, but I think that was still a little early.  Now when I feel things I think there's a better chance it's the baby.  ;)

Milestones:  We hit 16 weeks today!  We've hit several big milestones in the past 16 weeks that I haven't recorded, so I'll note some of those now:
7w5d - We saw the baby (blob) for the first time and heard the heartbeat, a wonderful feeling and sound after a miscarriage 3.5 months before
10w5d - We saw the baby (who now has arms and legs) again and heart the heartbeat, we got to see the baby kicking and moving like crazy!
13w3d - We made it to the second trimester where the risk of miscarriage significantly decreases.

Symptoms:  Nausea and fatigue

Maternity clothes?  Yup!  I've been in them for a couple weeks now.  I can still wear my regular clothes, and I can hide the bump when I want/need to, but the maternity clothes are soooo much more comfortable!  Only 1 more week and no more hiding!

Stretch marks?  Just the ones Avery gave me.  Hopefully I did plenty of stretching with her and won't get any new marks with this one.

Belly Button in or out?  In, stayed in through my whole pregnancy with Avery, I don't expect it to go out this pregnancy either.

Movement:  Maybe a little?  Hard to tell.  But the baby's skeleton is hardening, so hopefully a lot more soon!

Gender:  Unknown, but I'm leaning boy.  ;)  Only 3.5 more weeks until we find out!

Sleep:  I get hot at night, but am still getting a decent amount of sleep.

Food cravings:  Oh my...  Where to begin?!  I'll list the things I've been craving throughout the pregnancy, and next week I'll list the cravings of that week.  So far I've craved: wings (Fox and Hound, BWW, and Little Ceasar's), ice cream (mint chocolate chip), chocolate milk, ice water, McChicken sandwiches, and Burger King onion rings.  I know, I'm going to be crazy fat by the end of all this.  :P

Food aversions:  Not that I can think of...  I don't feel like cooking, but I feel like it's more of a fatigue thing than an aversion.

What I miss:  Energy and waking up without feeling sick.  I thought things would be better when I got out of the first trimester (they did with Avery), but I'm still feeling sick every morning (and sometimes during the day) and I still have absolutely no energy.  *sigh*

What I'm loving:  That we've had 3 successful doctor's appointments.  I get scared each time before we go in, then I'm relieved each time when we hear the heartbeat.  I try to take the morning sickness and fatigue as good signs that the baby is doing well.  I love that I'm pregnant.  I love that we've been able to keep it a secret and enjoy it ourselves for so long.  :) 

What I'm looking forward to:  Telling our secret!  4 months is long enough to keep quiet.  Now I'm ready to shout it from the rooftops!  ;)  I'm also looking forward to feeling the baby move, and not just the flutters, I'm ready to get kicked right in the gut!  From what we saw on the sono, the baby seems very active!  Once he or she is big enough I'm sure I'll feel plenty!  ;)

Thoughts and feelings about Michael:  I love my sweet hubby so very much!  He's been such great emotional support for me over our entire relationship, but specifically in the last 5 months.  The miscarriage was extremely hard on both of us, but he held me together in such big ways.  I'm so grateful for his presence in my life.  And now we have a new baby on the way and he's doing everything he can to keep me happy and comfortable.  He show's me each and every day how much he cares for me, especially in little things like loading the dishwasher or taking out the trash.  He's the love of my life and I don't know what I'd do without him.  I'm looking forward to giving him another child (our last child).  He's an incredible father with Avery and he's going to rock being the Daddy of 2 small babies!  :)  I love him!

Thoughts and feelings about Avery:  My poor little girl has some molars working their way through her gums, so she's been a little fussy lately, and wanting to sleep more.  I feel bad for her, but I love that she's super snuggly and cuddly lately!  :D  My independent girl is usually far too "on the go" to spend time cuddling with her mom, so I take advantage of these short times.  ;)  I love that tiny girl so very much!  :)  She brings sooo much joy to my life!  I loooooooove her!!!!!!!

Labor signs:  Nope and I don't intend to have them for a long time!  March of Dimes says "Healthy babies are worth the wait" (39 weeks), so we need to make it all the way until May before any of that starts.  ;)

Goals:  Try not to gain too much weight.  I lost 5 pounds in my first trimester with Avery, so I never got over my pre-pregnancy weight until I was 20 weeks in.  I gained a total of 20 pounds (over my pre-pregnancy weight) with Avery.  I have already put on a little weight with this baby (1 lb is not so bad for 4 months in), so I hope the weight gain just stays reasonable.

Weekly Wisdom:  Choose to be happy.  There are plenty of things in life to complain about.  Everyone has one thing or another going on.  I know better than many that tragedies and misfortunes can multiply in difficult times, but choose to be happy anyway.  Count your blessings and think about the good things in life.  I think this will make you a happier, healthier person, and more people will want to be around you.  :)  Be happy.  :)

Current Events in Our Lives

I don't think I've done a life update in a while, so here's what's going on in our lives:

-Phil moved out, about 2 weeks ago, and Beth moved in, yesterday, we are happy to be in the position to help our friends out when they need a place to go.

-The holidays are arriving and that's making me busy at work, but busy means more sales and more money, so I like it.  ;)

-Michael got his yearly evaluation and a raise!  Just in time for the holidays!

-Avery is up to 12 teeth.  She has a total of 4 molars working their way, slowly, through her gums, it tends to make her a grumpy girl, especially in the late afternoon.

-I'm looking forward to seeing family for the holidays coming up.  However, Harlee and Gabby won't be able to join us on our adventures, as they are too much of a flight risk.  Harlee got out of the house last time we went to Topeka, so we're not taking them back.

-December will be my last car payment and then it will be all ours!!  Because we paid twice a month instead of once it brought our interest down and we'll have it paid off 10 months early!  What a blessing!

-Avery is learning lots of new words!  Many of them sound similar, but she points as well and we're understanding her more.  It's amazing to see her grow!

-We had a fondue party here on Sunday!  It was great to see friends and hang out, and cheese and chocolate it always amazing!  :)

Alrighty, well, that's all I can think of for now.  :)  Hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season.  :)

November Thankfulness

Yesterday I began to write a post about what I'm thankful for.  I've been doing it on facebook all month and thought I could elaborate more on here.  But when I turned my phone off for a moment to check on the babies, everything disappeared.  Needless to say, I was frustrated and didn't continue.  Today I'm going to try again, but it won't be as extensive as what it would have been yesterday.

I'm thankful for my husband.  He's my provider, partner, and best friend.  He's an amazing Daddy to our beautiful baby girl.  And most importantly, he loves us both very much.  Avery and I are lucky to have him in our lives.

I'm thankful for my beautiful baby girl.  She's smart and kind, she's happy and independent.  We love her so very much.  I had no idea having a child was going to be so fun and easy.  We are blessed with an incredible baby girl.  :)

I'm thankful for my family who always come to my rescue in one way or another.  Keeping me fed, watching the babies, or just a friendly adult face in so many days of baby talk.  My family is a constant support system whom I love and am grateful to have.

I'm thankful for my home.  We bought a home bigger than we needed, planning on growing into it.  As Avery has grown she has now taken up 2 bedrooms, so it's good we have so much space.  We have a warm place to live and keep the weather off.  I have a beautiful kitchen to cook and bake in.  We have a safe neighborhood to raise our daughter in.  Our home is all we wanted and we are blessed to call it home.

I'm thankful for Michael's job.  He's been at AeTR for a year and a half and they have taken such good care of him.  He got a week off paid when we had Avery, we went to Vegas together, and they have given him some great raises the last couple of years.  It's a stable job that he can stay at for many years to come (a luxury in the aircraft business).  It's the perfect job to have while we raise our family.

I'm thankful for my boss, coworkers, and job at Beldens.  My boss, Danielle, gives me a great schedule that allows me to stay home with Avery and Dayton during the day.  My coworkers have quickly become some of my best friends here in Wichita (and a roommate more recntly).  They make my job so much fun!  I would have never thought 2.5 years ago when I began working there that I would enjoy is so much and work there longer than the job I got a degree to do, but it's a perfect job for my family and me and I'm thankful.

I'm thankful that my mom is coming over to bake with me often this holiday season.  I love to baked, but it's much more fun with someone else.  I love that Mama is available so often to hang out with me and to try new recipes with.  :)  She's the best!  :)

I'm thankful my phone hasn't lost this entire post yet.  ;)

I'm thankful for K-State basketball.  I love K-State and Manhattan and having season basketball tickets helps us to make it back to the town we call home a few times every year.  Manhattan was where our story began and, God willing, where we will end up in the end as well.  :)

Alright, I hate to write more and press my luck on how much I can potentially lose.  There is so much more that I'm thankful for.  Maybe another day soon I'll elaborate on the list.  :)  Thanks for reading along.  :)

Pumpkin Patch

Well, since I successfully uploaded a few birthday pictures, lets try some from the pumpkin patch as well...  This was Avery's 2nd year and Michael's and my 3rd year at Mr. Gourdman's pumpkin patch.  A little expensive, but a fun place to visit each year.  :)

More Birthday Pictures!

Another success!  Here are the last few birthday pictures!

Birthday

Ok... I have successfully posted a 1 pic post and a 3 pic post.  Here are some more birthday pictures.

Pictures

My app is having problems posting pictures.  Bear with me.  Here is an attempt to post a few of Avery's birthday pictures....

Test

1 picture...

Welcome November!!

Hey guys, sorry I haven't blogged in a little while.  Just haven't been in the mood. 

Hope everyone is well!  It's November finally!  Woohoo!!  October was awesome!  I'm looking forward to the rest of the holiday season!  The best time of the year continues!!  Here's a little recap on our month (some of it might be repeats, bear with me).  ;)  Enjoy!!

October 5th was Avery's first birthday!  I must say, she has been AMAZING!!  She is such a good baby, and has been since day 1!  If all babies were like her I'd have a dozen of them!  But we can afford 2, so that's where we're planning on stopping, lol.  On Avery's birthday we went to Manhattan for Kylee and Tim's wedding.  We had a great time!  The next day we had Avery's birthday party here at home.  Despite being a little sick, she did great!  We appreciated everyone who came and celebrated with us!  She was one spoiled baby that day!!

A couple weeks later Michael and I went to Vegas for a week!  Michael had a work conference he was attending.  I was just along for the ride and a little r&r!  :)  It was nice relaxing for a week.  I've never been to Vegas before.  We had fun seeing the hotels, stores, resteraunts, and fountains!  I think the Paris hotel was my favorite (it also contained the resteraunt that served my favorite meal, the best filet I've ever eaten!).  I did a little gambling, but not much.  Penny slots to kill time and play a little.  :)  Breakfast was delicious each and every day in a resteraunt in our hotel, the Flamingo.  We had lots of fun!  But by the end of the week I was REALLY missing my baby!  It was good to get back home to her.

However, we didn't stay home for long.  We repacked when we got home, grabbed Avery, and headed to Kansas City for Tim and Becca's wedding.  The wedding was beautiful!  A great venue!  Avery had a good time until bedtime came around, then nothing would console her.  So we went back to Nick and Maggie's for the night.  On Saturday we hung out with Nick and Maggie for a bit and also got to see Nate while we were in town.  He'll be moving to Wichita in May!  I can't wait!

Then, of course, yesterday was Halloween.  Mama and I took the babies to Michael's work to do a little trick or treating during the day.  They had lots of fun seeing people and playing in the buckets of candy.  Last night we went and visited Grandma and Grandpa Heorman and Grandma and Grandpa Counterman to show off Avery's costume, she was Tinkerbell.  :)  We had a very nice evening!  When we got home Avery played a little and helped Michael and I pass out candy to the kids in the neighborhood.  We didn't have nearly as many as last year, but then again, we only started passing candy out at 8 instead of 5:30.  ;)  All in all, it was a great night!

So that is more or less how our October went.  With one of my favorite 3 months down, I have 2 more to look forward to.  Next comes November!  I love November!  It's filled with food, baking, shopping, family, decorations, and preparations!  I just love it!!  :D  Not entirely sure what our Thanksgiving plans are yet, still waiting on family members to say when and where various activities will be held.  I'm sure we'll get more definitely plans nailed down in the next couple of weeks.  :)

Now that Halloween is over, it's probably about time I get the birthday decorations down, the house cleaned, and the fall decor up.  :P  I've been pretty lazy when it comes to decor, lately.  But I love the fall decor, so I really need to get on the ball, lol!  Maybe during nap time.  ;)

I hope you all had a great October and are also looking forward to November.  Have an awesome month in case I don't post much!  ;)  (Hey, just being a realist, I have 2 tiny monsters to care for)  I'll add a few pictures from our last month!  ;)  Enjoy!

Vegas in Less than One Week!!

For those of you who haven't heard (and still read this), Michael and I are going to Vegas next week!!  Michael is going for a work conference, and I get to tag along and enjoy a nice little vacation.  Michael's company will cover all of his costs, including the hotel room.  So all we'll have to pay for me is the plane ticket and food.  :)  I'm looking forward to this trip for a number of reasons: 1- It's a trip with just Michael and me, some relaxation time away from the babies is going to be nice, 2- I've never been to Vegas before, it will be fun to see the city for the first time, 3-Michael and I haven't taken an actual vacation since our honeymoon, and while he will have to work some, this will be our biggest trip in the last 4.5 years (the farthest we've gone since we got married was KC).  I'm looking forward to the trip.  Today what I'm looking forward to the most is a week off of babysitting.  Avery has been teething for the last few days and is extremely fussy.  We're also trying to ween her and get her to drink regular milk instead of formula.  This transition is not going so smoothly.  Then, I don't know if it's because he had to get up early this morning or what, but Dayton has been fussing since Adam left this morning, and shows no signs of wanting to stop.  And then, of course, there's the domino effect.  When one baby cries, it makes the other one cry.  When one finally stops, the other begins again.  It's only 7:50am and I'm already counting down the minutes until naptime.  Hopefully today, and this week, go by fast.  :(

Happy Birthday, Avery!

Woke up around 6am this morning with my to do list running through my head.  Still need to run a load of laundry before we leave for the day, Avery needs a bath, Michael needs to finish the lawn and edgeing, keep nice clothes on hangers until we get to Manhattan, what is everyone going to wear for the trip to Manhattan, dogs in or out, are their feet clean, what still needs cleaned on the house....  On and on the list goes, it seems like my mind won't stop.  Then I realize, today is Avery's birthday.  :)  And while I still turned the laundry, the rest of the list seemed to melt away as I began to reminise on this cool, fall morning one year ago.

By 6am Avery still wasn't close to getting here.  I hadn't started pushing yet, I was just trying to catch up on some sleep from the long day before.  My epidural was in and working and I was comfortable with the exception of the having a nurse come in once every half our to poke my stomach with something sharp to make sure the epidural wasn't numbing too far up.

It's crazy how time has flown by.  I have a beautiful 1 year old daughter and each day that passes with her just makes my life all the more wonderful and worth living.  I am such a lucky woman to have such a spectacular life!  As if an amazing baby weren't enough, I have a handsome husband who cares very deeply and thoughtfully for Avery and me.  He's gentle and kind.  He cares about my safety, health, happiness, and spirit, and that of Avery's as well.  He's a dream come true and I am a very lucky woman to have crossed paths with him and got him to notice.  I love him so very much.

But my blessings don't end there!!  I have 2 beautiful dogs!  One smart as a whip and too smart for her own good.  The other not nearly as smart, but as loving and friendly as you'll ever find.  They have been my babies for years and will always hold a special place in my heart.  They help me watch after Avery and they love her as much as they love me.  They are patient with her and don't get upset when she's a little rough.  I could not ask for 2 better pets and family members.  :)

So much has happened in the last year!!  (Some of these memories may go back a little farther)  Exactly 1 week after we found out we were pregnant with Avery, we put an offer in on our house.  2 months later we were moving in.  On our 3 year anniversary Michael lost his job.  And while the thought of our big new house and our baby on the way worried me with where the finances would come, God was faithful, and 4 hours later Michael had a new job.  That new job has taken good care of him for the last year and a half.  They've given him time off when Avery was born and when we had our miscarriage, they sent a chocolate dipped fruit basket after Avery arrived, they've given him uncharacteristically large raises, and they're sending him to Vegas in 2 weeks and I get to come along!  :D  (Back to the last year-ish)  We had a healthy pregnancy with Avery.  Her arrival went well and she and I both came out doing great.  And then Michael's and my world changed forever when we welcomed a beautiful baby girl into our family.  She was so tiny.  She was (is) so perfect.  That first night, even after all I'd been through, I didn't want to sleep.  All I wanted to do was stare at my beautiful sleeping girl.  All mine, ours.  What a blessing!  And she grew and learned quickly.  It started with tummy time, pulling her head up.  Then she got her arms under her, then she turned herself over.  She would bat and grab at the toys dangled over her on her playmat or in her carseat.  She loved the ones that sang!  She began holding her own bottles quickly and had quite the death grip when it came to getting food, it should have been a hint to us early on how much she loved to eat!  After she got her hands under her, her knees came next.  For a while she rocked back and forth, anxious to move, and then, finally, the crawling came!  She had a number of teeth pop through, averaging about 1-2 new teeth each month from 6 months on.  Crawling didn't last long and she was pulling up.  She would walk along the furniture, but was always timid when it came to that first actual step.  She began saying a couple words like Mama and Dada, along with a lot of other babbling.  She gave up the pacifier on her own around 6 or 7 months.  This was fine with me, because it was much easier to see her beautiful face without it, and hey, at least I didn't have to fight her to wean her off of it.  She began eating solid foods and never looked back.  There was hardly a thing she wouldn't devour.  She still remains an eating machine.  And at 11 months she was only up to 19 pounds!  Where does the weight go?!  From cruising along the furniture she finally began taking those first steps at 9 months.  It started with just 1 or 2, but soon it was 5, and then 10.  By the time she hit 10 months old she was a pro walker!  And once she began walking, she never looked back!  She walks EVERYWHERE!  She has no desire to crawl at all anymore.  :)  She began climbing on top of things; the fireplace, her toddler bed, the chair in her toyroom...  It took a while to figure out how to get back down, but she can do that now as well!  ;)  She giggles and laughs.  She mimics sounds and says more words, especially "dog".  And each day she's learning more, getting bigger and stronger, and more beautiful!  She is the biggest blessing Michael and I have ever received!!  So on this day, 1 year after she joined our family, I pray this prayer for my sweet baby girl...

Father God,
I thank You for this sweet child that You've blessed our lives with!  She brings us overwhelming happiness and joy!  I know that her life is a gift from You, because nothing from this world could be as perfectly formed, wonderfully made, and beautifully created as our daughter.  The past year has been so rewarding!  It has been an honor to be her parents and to guide her in life and watch her grow.  She has come so far.  Lord, I pray that You will continue to guide us and her as she becomes the woman You have designed her to be.  She's in our lives for but a moment, but she is forever Your child.  Lead us as we teach her about You, Your love, Your mercy, and Your goodness, Lord.  Thank You, Lord, for this beautiful baby girl.  We love her so much and give You all the glory for her stunning little life.  Please keep her safe all the days of her life, Lord.  Walk by her side and keep a hedge of protection around her.  Make her into the true woman of God that she has the potential to be.  And forgive us, Michael and I, when we fail to be the perfect parents to Your incredible blessing.  We are human, but derive our strength from You.  And through You all things are possible, even decent parenting from sinners like us.  :)  So, Lord, lead us all to You.  Protect us along the way.  And please help my fabulous little daughter to have a truly blessed 1st birthday and 2nd year of life.  I love You, Lord!
In Jesus' precious name I pray,
Amen.

Have a wonderful Saturday, folks.  :)  And a very happy birthday to miss Avery Rose Voss.  :D

D Day!

At 7:23, on October 4th, 2012, I was in the process of being released from the hospital.  I woke up at 3am having contractions.  Since I'd never been in labor before, I had no idea that the small contractions I was feeling were not anywhere close to the type of contractions I needed to push labor along.  So around 5:30 we went to the hospital, only to be told, it isn't time, and to be sent on our way.

At this time last year I was disappointed and anxious.  I was ready for my baby girl to be here in my arms.  But, yet again, we were sent home, being told, it's not yet time.  When we left the hospital, Michael and I went to Ihop for brunch.  We enjoyed our food and discussed how our lives would be changed by this time tomorrow (I was scheduled to be induced at 7:15am on Friday, the 5th).  I talked about how exhausted I was, Michael said he would help finish cleaning the house, and told me that he wasn't going to go back in to work that day.  The waitress asked me how far along I was, because obviously I was pregnant enough for it to be ok to ask.  9 months, I told her, my due date is tomorrow.  Oh wow!  She exclaimed, and when she went back to the kitchen area, we could hear snippets where she told her colleagues how far along I was.  Hey, a pregnant lady's got to eat, right?!  ;)

After brunch we went home.  Exhausted and still having contractions, I laid in bed with my heating pad on my back and rested for a good chunk of the day.  My Knight in Shining Armour worked on cleaning the house so it was perfect when we came home with our new baby.  That night, Sis came over to help me with my hair.  You see, I knew we'd be taking pictures right after Avery was born, and I didn't want to look like I'd been hit by a train, so I asked Sis to come over and straighten it for me.  Around 9pm and started, and so did the more intense contractions.  By 10 she was done, and I'd made it through my first hour of active labor.  She said to let her know if we went to the hospital that night, but it didn't take me 10 minutes after she left to decide it was time to go.  This time it hurt.  This time I knew it was real.  It was time to go.

We got to the hospital and checked in.  The contractions continued to get worse.  For an hour we waited to make sure that my labor was progressing.  When they finally admitted me, it was time for lab work.  Because my platelets were dropping, we needed to know my levels to make sure I could have the epidural.  So while the lab worked on my tests, everyone got the epidural ready, so that when we knew, we would be ready to go.  Another hour of painful contractions went by.  Finally, we had the lab results and they began my epidural.  The people are right when they say that the shot to numb you hurts worse than the epidural.  It burned, but soon the pain began to lessen.  Lessen, but not go away, because the epidural was only numbing half of my body.  I let them know this by picking up one leg and waving it around, saying, this side isn't numb.  So they did another epidural.  I now had 2 cathedures running into my spine to numb my pain.  Finally I got comfortable, and when they asked if I felt that contraction, I said, what contraction??  Things were working properly.  I was comfortably numb, and now we wait...  Which was fine with my, because by this time it was somewhere between 2 and 3 in the morning.  It was a long day, the day before Avery was born, but the payoff would be entirely worth it.  :)

One year ago...

Only 4 more days until Avery turns a year old!  Wow!  Time has flown by so very fast!!  I just went back in my blog to see what was happening this time a year ago...  Boy, was I uncomfortable!  I was trying everything to get Avery motivated to arrive, lol!  It's funny how you forget the more uncomfortable and not so fun things when you look back.  Even when I look forward...  I want to have another baby, but I only remember good things about my pregnancy with Avery: hearing her heartbeat, finding out we were having a girl, cute clothes for her and me, baby showers, food, a cute belly, and eventually a beautiful baby girl.  :)  The negative stuff just didn't seem to stick in my mind.  :P  Good thing I was a compulsive blogger when I was pregnant!  I can look back and remember, oh yeah, there were not-so-fun parts...  Maybe I'm not in such a big hurry to relive all that.  ;)

In the last year, I have given birth to a beautiful 7 pound, 6 ounce, 20 inch long baby girl!  I have held her in my arms and taken countless pictures of her!  We have brought a daughter into our home and made our family more complete than we ever thought possible.  We have taken her to church where our friends have oooed and awwed over her every week as they watch her grow.  She's gone to the doctor and grown.  She's healthy and happy.  She has 2 furry and 1 human best friends that she plays with constantly.  In the last year she's learned to hold her head up, to roll over, to bat at and grab toys, to hold her bottle, to get up on all 4s and crawl, to feed herself, to stand, to babble, to swim, to crawl on top of things, to walk, to say Mama, Dada, and Dog, and to do so much more.  She's incredible!  She's so smart!  She's so happy!  We are BLESSED to have her!  :)

I can't believe it's been almost a year since she was born.  Time has gone by so fast.  And yet, it's hard to remember what life was like without Avery in it.  She's been with us for such a short time, but it almost seems like life really began when she arrived.  :)  I love that little girl so very much!  Can't wait to celebrate the first year of her life on Saturday and Sunday.  :)

Ok, I suppose that's enough nostalgia for one post.  ;)  Hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday.  :)

Pictures

Not much new to say really.  I love that the weather is changing!  We made vegetable soup the other day, it was delicious!  We were disappointed to lose to Texas on Saturday.  Since I began my time at K-State, I had never seen us lose to Texas.  That's ok, though.  This is a rebuilding year for us.  We still need to see which quarterback is going to step up.  My house is a mess, as it usually is.  We're going to have to start cleaning to get things ready for Avery's party.  We still haven't decided yet if we're going to get the carpets professionally cleaned, or do it ourselves.  Avery really needs a toybox for Christmas.  That may have to be what Michael and I get her.  Her toyroom (which will eventually be her bedroom when she hits 15 months and is old enough to sleep in her big girl bed) is getting pretty messy with all the toys.  We need a better organizational system!  I want to start getting out my fall decorations, but the house needs to be somewhat together first.  Maybe I'll get motivated today.  Alright, that's about all I have.  Sorry for the random, train-of-thought style post.  Now here's the part you've all been waiting for!!  Lot's of pictures of Avery!  :D  Enjoy!