Tuesday, November 19, 2013

She's walking!

As of November 17, 2013 our little girl, Ava Elizabeth, became a walker.  It has been bittersweet.  While I am thankful that she is growing and developing like she should, it also means my little girl is growing up.  She never ceases to amaze me.  Every day she surprises us with something new she has figured out.  I am extremely proud of her. She is my precious girl and has been such a bright, shining light in our little family. 

Saturday, November 16, 2013

26 Weeks

26 Weeks

How far along? 26 weeks and 0 days.

How far to go?  98 days to go!

Due Date: February 24, 2014

Baby? Sally should be about the length of a eggplant (15 inches) She probably  a little over 2 lbs.  Her lungs should be fully developed by now, but she isn't ready to breathe on her own. She may also be practicing the art of sucking her thumb.

Maternity Clothes: I am wearing maternity shirts under some button up shirts...of course the shirts are not buttoned up because of obvious reasons. I also enjoy wearing leggings and workout pants. When at home and have nowhere to go, I sport some pj's.   

Stretch Marks: I have noticed some but not on my belly....

Pregnancy Symptoms: hungry ALL THE TIME, weight gain,  leg cramps, pure exhaustion, breathlessness,  dry skin and brittle nails (ugh...where is that pregnancy glow?), hip pain, mild Braxton hicks (no tightening of the belly, but I feel my insides tighten), heartburn and indigestion, clumsiness, nasal congestion, uncomfortable sleeping, have to pee all the time.

Sleeping: I have not been sleeping as comfortably.  I get up atleast 2 times per night to go to the bathroom. I toss and turn....this little booger lays right down on the bladder.     

Best feeling this week:  Good visit with the doctor. Everything is progressing well. 

Movement: The girl moves.  Of course, this morning, I spent much of my time trying to be still and quiet because I hadn't felt her move in a long time.  I always get worried and stressed over that.   

Cravings/Aversions: I'm loving me some milk these days.

Belly Button: In...but belly...sticking way out! Belly is about the size of a soccer ball.

What I miss: not feeling like I am going to bust open when I bend down to pick something up.

What am I looking forward to: I am looking forward to getting my glucose screening over with and hopefully getting good results. 

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

What a Lucky girl am I!!!

Being a mommy to an eleven month old and 6 months pregnant I am worn out...exhausted...beat...stick a fork in me...I'm done!  I try, try, try to get things done around the house,  but I can't.  Physically can't!  After Bible study and chasing around a baby all day...playing all day, keeping her out of cabinets (because no we still haven't baby-proofed the cabinets), trying to just laugh when tempers flare, saying the word "no" more yesterday than I have ever said in my life...I felt like I was quickly dissolving into a big puddle of nothing.  

Yet, there were still so many things left to do.  Thankfully, I had leftovers from the dinner from the night before so I didn't have to make dinner.  That was a blessing.  I had laundry to get done, fold, put away, carpets to vacuum, floors to mop, furniture to dust, baby to feed, floor to clear of toys so I could vacuum, dishes to be hand-washed and a load to put in the dishwasher.  I sat there thinking, "How does a family of three, with one of those being 11 months, make such a mess?" 

Then, as I was feeding Ava, she ABSOLUTELY refused her baby food, so I had to figure out what to try and feed her instead.  I sliced an apple into little shreds, cut up some cheese and cooked some peas.  I was glad that she wanted to eat that, but I am realizing that I am going to have to get a lot more creative with what I feed her.  I am actually going to have to cook meals...I HATE cooking...baking I L.O.V.E. but cooking...not so much.  I have been spoiled with the little jars of baby food that Ava would usually eat for me.  Maybe, though, with her eating more real food it will force me to eat healthier...here's to hoping.  

After all this, I just knew there wasn't going to be much of me left to get anything done.  Feeding a baby can be tiring, maybe torturous is a better word.  Anyway, I texted my dear husband for a favor.  I actually asked him if he would mind vacuuming for me when he got home.  I just didn't think...no, I knew I couldn't get it done. He texted me back with a sweet reply of "Of course!".  How blessed am I to have a husband who is willing to help out in such a way.  He worked all day, got home around 7, after driving through a yucky wintery mix through horrible traffic, had a lot to accomplish that day at work, came home and happily ate leftovers that he heated up himself, and helped put Ava to bed and then, after I was in my pj's and in bed, he went downstairs and vacuumed the carpets!  Ava and I are sure are lucky girls!!!!


Monday, November 11, 2013

Ava is sicky

My little one got her first bug.  We didn't know it for about a week, although signs were there.  You would think we would have thought something was up but we didn't. 

After days of Ava refusing to eat or drink her formula, I grew frustrated and took it out on her.  I felt awful after the fact and wish I would not have behaved in such an unloving way, but I did.  I felt even worse when I found out she was actually not feeling well.  Sunday night, I had thrown up.  I thought it was either something I ate or just weird pregnancy stuff.  Anyway, on Monday, I was still nauseous all day and Ava vomited just about her entire first bottle.  It worried me.  I wondered if there was something we had both eaten that could have caused us both to get sick.  The only thing I could come up with was cheese (which Curtis had and he was fine) or apple juice.  I threw away the apple juice.  Then, she ate minimally that day.  It was a struggle getting anything into her system.  However, she wasn't running a fever and she was playing perfectly fine so I thought she was ok.  Tuesday morning when I went to get her, there was vomit on her crib sheets.  Again, she was acting fine with no fever.  She just wasn't into eating.  I chalked it up to teething, because she was getting a new tooth and finishing up another tooth.  But the feeding just got worse and worse and as it got more horrible, I got more and more frustrated and didn't know what to do.  I got mad at her...an 11 month old, my baby girl.  Wednesday and Thursday there was a runny diaper and I thought then, something could be wrong or I could be doing this feeding thing all wrong.  I decided to make an appointment.

When we got to the doctor Friday, Dr. Hight said her tummy sounded very irritated and her throat was very red.  My poor baby and what a horrible mom.  I had been forcing my daughter with a sore throat and upset stomach to eat and getting mad at her when she wouldn't comply.  I remember actually thinking her lack of eating and fighting us with it was a  sign of defiance.  I teared up in the room with the doctor.  I felt horrible for not thinking she was sick and thinking that, instead, she was just being a bad behaved little girl. 

I was told to give her some Tylenol and Culturelle (probiotic) to get some good bacteria in her system.  I give her the Tylenol 15-20 minutes before she eats and it is going so much better.  I am also feeding her food before her bottles which has given us a little more flexibility.  She is doing much better and I am so thankful.  I am not forcing her.  If she doesn't want it, then ok.  She is going to be ok.  I just have to keep telling myself that. 

I have learned to not assume that she is being bad.  I know there are going to be times when she is older that she will do acts of defiance, but the way I handled what I thought was an act of defiance, is not how I want to be.  I want to be more understanding, listen and consider there could be something else going on. 

25 weeks

25 Weeks
 
How far along? 25 weeks and 0 days. 

How far to go?  105 days to go!

Due Date: February 24, 2014
 
Baby? Sally should be about the length of a celery stalk (13 inches)  She probably weighs about 2 lbs.  She can open her eyes under fused eyelids and can notice sounds and light.  Her brain is becoming more developed and intelligent. She sleeps about 80% of the time.  I notice with Sally that she is very active after I have eaten and when I am laying on my side to get ready to go to sleep.   
 
Maternity Clothes:  I am wearing maternity shirts under some button up shirts...of course the shirts are not buttoned up because of obvious reasons.  I also enjoy wearing leggings and workout pants.    
 
Stretch Marks: I have noticed some but not on my belly....

Pregnancy Symptoms: hungry ALL THE TIME, weight gain leg cramps, pure exhaustion, breathlessness, pulse beats harder and faster, dry skin and brittle nails, hip pain, mild Braxton hicks (no tightening of the belly, but I feel my insides tighten), heartburn and indigestion, clumsiness.

Sleeping:  I am sleeping more comfortably this week. I still sleep with my boppy.  I feel like I am not waking up as much to go to the bathroom.   

Best feeling this week:  Curtis being able to feel and see her move. 
 
Movement: Miss Sally is a mover and a shaker.  I have been feeling little kicks and punches.  I can even see the movement when I look at my tummy. What an amazing feeling. 

Cravings/Aversions:  I don't feel like I am reacting well to Mexican or too much dairy.

Belly Button: In...but belly...sticking way out! Belly is about the size of a soccer ball.
 
What I miss: not feeling guilty over eating uncooked cake, brownie, cookie batter.
 
What am I looking forward to:   I am looking forward to figuring out what Sally's room is going to look like.  We have really slacked on this compared to Ava.  I had Ava's theme before I even knew I was pregnant.  Haha...so different with Ava. 

 

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

11 Months

Ava is 11 Months!!!!
 
One more month and we will be celebrating one year with this little lady!  I am in shock over this.  I have been guilty during her 11 months of looking back at her newborn photos and videos.  How I miss those little coos that she would make and those hours upon hours she would sleep.  How I only would have to worry about a bottle every 3-4 hours and no food in between.  While I love all of her and everything about her, I can't help but reminisce in those early days that really were sooooo easy!  I hope that I won't take a second of it granted with Sally. 
 
 
This month has gone by very quickly.  Ava has really grown this month and made us laugh at some of her silly new things. 
 
She dressed up in her first Halloween costume, as none other than an owl!  She was the cutest little owl ever.  It only seemed fitting that since that is the theme of her room and she has so many owl stuffed friends, that her first Halloween she be an owl.  We just walked around Lake Park with my parents, brother and niece Ashleigh and Ashleigh collected her candy since Ava is too young for that junk.  
Aren't I a hoot?

 
Ava has started taking steps from one person to the other.  She has a hard time, though, because she gets so excited that she starts bouncing and just falls on her bottom.  She is doing well at using one hand to hold my hand and walk.  It's pretty cute. 
 
Ava is trying to say things like: nite nite, bye bye, God, yay, clap clap clap
She also attempts to make animals sounds like: woof woof, meow, moo, baaa.
She still doesn't say mama and daddy discriminately.  :(
Ava loves Winston
 
Ava reading Brown Bear Brown Bear to Winston
 
She loves to listen to music and she will either bounce to it or sway back and forth.  Also cute!
She loves her push toy and pushes it all around the kitchen, around and around the table and into the living room.  We also got her a tunnel that she lies to crawl in and out of, especially when daddy is looking at her from one side.  She still loves all cords and wires.  She also loves the tupperware cabinet.  She has a great time pulling it all out and leaving it all over the floor. She loves to carry around these two plastic circles and she bangs them together all day.  I don't know.
 
 
This month she has been hit with a nasty cold and some kind of bug.  She freaked mommy out because mommy had been throwing up the night before and the next morning Ava spit up basically her whole bottle. That whole day I think she only got like a total of 8 ozs. of formula.   She was not the same after that and looked sleepy and threw up her food during the night and just wasn't her normal self.  It made me sad.  Luckily, she didn't have a fever but you could just tell she was not her normal self.
 
Ava has learned to do "silly face".  Oh my word, adorable.  It took her like 3 tries to learn what that meant.  Smarty pants.  I wish she was that quick to understand what NO meant. 
 
I was told in nursery she told another little boy "No no", when he was getting into something he had been told not to.  So...she is good at dishing it out, but not heeding her own advice....who else does she know that is like that?  Hmmmm.....
 
She picks EVERYTHING off the floor and eats it.  Ewww....it doesn't matter how many times I sweep or vacuum.  She finds something somewhere.  Daddy says maybe we should just throw her food on the ground and she would eat it then.  I am starting to think that may not be a bad idea...half of it ends up there anyway. 
 
Ava getting ready to eat
I am not sure what she is weighing these days...just hoping she is gaining the appropriate amount of weight.  She is wearing 12-18 months clothing or 18-24 months.  She drinks 3 bottles each day with 8 oz. in them.  She wears size 4 diapers.  Her headbands are not fitting her anymore. Her head is too big.  She has her 2 top and two bottom teeth and is working on the 2 teeth next to her 2 top teeth.  They hurt and she does bite...she just bit me as I was trying to get something out of her mouth and now my pointer finger has no feeling in it and is tingly...that can't be good....
 
 
  Some of my favorite things about this month:
~blowing kisses when we go bye bye
~sitting on my lap and really enjoying the books being read to her
~her excitement when we make voices when we are reading
~her silly face
~how social she is
~her intense look when she is really trying to tell us something but we have no clue what she is saying

Ava swinging at Squirrel Lake Park
 

24 WEEKS

24 weeks
 
How far along? 24 weeks and 1 day. 

How far to go? 111 days to go!

Due Date: February 24, 2014
 
Baby? Sally should be about the length and weight of a pineapple.  12.5 inches; 1.5 lbs. 
 
Maternity Clothes:  I need new clothes to fit in....I have one pair of jeans and even my "workout" pants are uncomfortable because they won't pull over the belly so they lay under it on my C-section scar.   
 
Stretch Marks:  Still am not noticing any

Pregnancy Symptoms: hungry ALL THE TIME, weight gain (because I am hungry all the time and Sally is growing), leg cramps, pure exhaustion, breathlessness, pulse beats harder and faster, dry skin and brittle nails, hip pain, mild Braxton hicks (no tightening of the belly, but I feel my insides tighten).

Sleeping:  I am sleeping more comfortably this week. I still sleep with my boppy.   

Best feeling this week: All those little movements from her.  Seeing my belly pop around from her. 
 
Movement: Lately, Miss Sally seems very active.  She moves a lot.  I don't know if I just feel her better because the placenta is on the backside instead of the front like it was with Ava.   
 
Cravings/Aversions:  nothing I want on a daily basis...

Belly Button: In...but belly...sticking way out!
 
What I miss:   my clothes!
 
What am I looking forward to:   Seeing Sally and seeing for myself that she is ok. 
This week I contracted a bug or something.  I began throwing up Sunday evening and felt very nauseous all day Monday.  I woke up feeling fine Tuesday until I drank some milk.  Ava has also contracted a little bug.  Poor little dear.