One week old!

1 Week Old!

Ava is now one week old, she was born on her due date! What are the odds? Since I wasn’t able to post in the few days leading to Ava’s birthday, so I will do a recap. September 9^th I was so sick of being pregnant and everyone asking me when I was due that I decided to put some of those old wives tales to use. I was eating prunes and massaging my ankles. It wasn’t enough. September 10^th we went to the park and I walked about a mile at a brisk pace. When we got home we made spicy Buffalo wings and I helped myself. By 10pm, I was having regular contractions but they ended around 12 and I went to sleep. That was short lived, because by 2am the contractions started up again and they were 1 minute long and 3 minutes apart. At 4am, I called Dr. Davidson and gave him the low down on the contractions and he suggested I go to the hospital and get looked at. I don’t know if it’s because I knew what to expect but the pain even though sever it was still manageable. They checked me and I was 4cm dilated so they decided to keep me.  I received the epidural at 6:45 and I really needed it by then.  45 minutes later my water broke! By 1pm it was go time and 20 minutes later Ava was here.

We came home on the 13^th in time for Emma’s birthday. This past week I haven’t had a good night’s rest with Ava adjusting to life on the outside. The first few days she had her days and nights mixed up. She was also a jaundice baby, so she had to sleep with a Billy Blanket. Yesterday was the last day she used the blanket, and Emma’s birthday party. We had her party at The Zone, a roller skating and all around fun place. They had a bounce house, ball pit, laser tag, and a laser maze. She had a blast wioth all the other kids and games.

My hormones are making me crazy. I feel weepy because I haven’t been able to spend the kind of time I used to with Emma almost like I’m ignoring her. Emma loves Ava and I feel blessed for that.

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3 Days left

We have 3 days left to go until the September 11th due date and ever since Tuesday I have had some pretty painful contractions on and off. I passed the mucus plug this morning so it could be any day now, I hope! Ryan is paranoid to death that my water is going to break and get on the car seats, bed or couch. He wants me to wear a diaper! 
Grandma made it to the Show me State, and I feel relieved that I won't have to wake Emma up in the middle of the night to take her to Jocie's house or Cassie & Eric's. I really didn't want to put that responsibility on them, even though they all offered. One less thing to worry about, and now we wait.
We have Emma's birthday party to plan to keep us preoccupied until Ava is born. We may rent a inflatable bounce thing and have a cook out, if the weather is nice. It's has cooled off here a lot thank goodness! So far this week and last week it's been in the 70's! We have our windows open all day. I LOVE this time of year.

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5 more days to go

 Any day now!
I went to the doctor today and got some good news. As of this morning I was dilated 1 & 1/2 cm. The doctor doesn't think I'll make it to next week. I am having contractions and they are getting more painful. I should be trying to rest but who can rest or sleep through this kind of pain? I haven't begun to time them out yet...well because I'm lazy.
We had a little drama earlier this afternoon about Grandma's flight. She wanted to change it for tomorrow morning because she was afraid that no one would be able to pick her up from the airport on Thursday or that she would miss Ava's arrival. It worked out that she would keep her original flight and Ryan would pick her up. I feel excitement and dread. I dread the pain, because with Emma my body went into shock from it. I feel excited because soon I'll have a little person to hold & I'll be able to sit without having my gut in my lap.
I have to finish packing my bag for the hospital stay.

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7 Days left

7 days left until the due date!

This morning I had some pain that felt like menstrual cramps. It was short lived but it startled me enough to get me out of bed and start my day off early as balls. I got in the shower and my big baby belly looks like it may have dropped…even more. This pregnancy I have been carrying the baby kind of low, so it’s hard to tell.  I still have some steps to go through before we get this show on the road. According to What to Expect When Your Expecting, I have more Braxton Hicks contractions, loss of the mucus plug or bloody show, water breaking, pelvic pressure and more backaches to go through before labor and delivery…but I’m ready. Wouldn’t it be something if Ava was born on her due date, like Emma? Grandma may come on Tuesday instead of Thursday but it’s now 100% yet. She still has some loose ends that need to be taken care of before she can make out here. I would love the help and company.

Yesterday started off like any other Saturday. But, by 3:00 we were heading to L.O.R.A. (Lake of the Ozarks Recreation Area) to meet with Bryan and Martin. We got on Bryan’s boat and cruised to a cliff jumping area. I’m starting to think that Ryan is a thrill seeker (the cliff jumping was his idea) with the stunts he pulls every now and then.  He and Bryan jumped off the side of the cliff and then a crowd of people followed them. I got in the water but I was kind of worried that if my water broke I wouldn’t be able to tell, but then Emma asked me if there were alligators in the water and then I forgot all about my water breaking. Ryan got Emma to jump in off a mini cliff, she's so brave. We swam for a while and then we docked at a restaurant and waited for 2 & 1/2 hours for our food which was not worth the money we paid or the time we spent waiting. It was dark by the time we left and Emma was acting crazy. We got home so late and normally I'd still be in bed right now, but I feel like I need to get things together before the big day. You just never know.

Emma’s birthday is right around the corner and she wants a pirate birthday theme. We had a big birthday party for her when she was 3 but this time it will have to be much more tamed. Grandma will be here to help us out with it, Thank Goodness.

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38 weeks and 4 days

38 weeks and 4 days, which means I have less than two weeks to go before Ava is finally here.  10 more days give or take, but I am ready now. She is 7 lbs or so and close to 20 inches long according to What to Expect When Your Expecting. She should also be shedding the lanugo and vernix. She really likes hanging out on my right side still. I think she may have dropped because I am not feeling so short of breath anymore.

Since the time between my last blog my preggy partner Lauren Keplinger had her baby, Scott, 2 weeks early. My dad came to visit us from Oklahoma for a day which was nice but too short.  I had a birthday which was low key and if it wasn’t for the play date Emma had with her BFF Ella, it would have been somewhat uneventful…which is kind of good since I look more like Humpty Dumpty now a days. On that Saturday Ryan and Emma got to go canoeing again while I got to shop in Springfield in peace. Ryan came home with poison ivy and I came home with some sweet deals.“Me” time is rare and under rated…and a great gift. I guess the older you get the lamer birthdays get…maybe it’s just cause I have no family here and I have only 2 or 3 friends that have the same kind of schedule I have.  

 This last Tuesday Grandma bought her airplane ticket for the 8^th and of course the day she bought it I started to have contractions. The pain was in my lower abdomen and my lower back, ooohhhh I’ll be pissed if I have back labor again. Then the next day Abuela calls me and leaves me a voice mail telling me she had a dream that Ava was going to be born early! I panicked and packed Emma’s bag but I have yet to pack one for myself.  I have 2 different people that can watch Emma when I go into the hospital but I hope that Ava waits until Grandma gets here, then I’ll start to massage my ankles like crazy.

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34 Weeks

34 weeks down and 27 more days to go! This week Ava should be rounding out at six lbs and 20 inches long! She is basically done with all the major developing she needs to do and if need be she is ready to be born. The movements are becoming more painful. My wardrobe is maxed out, I waddle , I’m constantly short of breath, I’m hot all the time, and I can’t sleep without popping a Benny.  

I think the “nesting” has begun to kick in. Mostly because my Dad is coming to visit us this Saturday and we still had boxes of stuff still hanging around in some of our rooms. We were in need of some new furnisher to put the straggling items in or on, so we made a trip to Chicago last Wednesday morning (there is an IKEA near there) and got to the windy city by 6pm.  It’s a 6 or 7 hour trip to Chicago from our house but it took us 9 because we (and by we, I mean me) had to stop and pee almost every hour. Chicago was a great experience to visit. I have never lived in a big city and the largest I have visited before then was Atlanta. We hit the streets as soon as we got there and walked till 10 that night.  We ate a deep dish pizza, Emma and Ryan went for a late night swim at the hotel swimming pool and I got to get off my feet.  We had a good time and we spent FOUR hours at IKEA shopping for furniture and things. We dropped a grip there and drove back home.

I have a dr.’s appointment Monday and I can’t wait to see if there have been any changes. Lauren, a preggy buddy is being induced Sunday if she doesn’t have her son before then.  I feel like time is speeding up and I need to finish getting ready for Ava.   

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34 Weeks

40 More days to go! According to What to expect when your expecting, Ava should be weighing in at 5lbs and measuring close to 20 inches. Her nails should be down to the tips of her fingers now, and she is also covered with a thick coat of vernix. I as of today am tired of being pregnant. I would like to bend over without having any problems, like hearing a seam pop or almost barfing. “Bend your knees” Emma tells me.

It’s been almost a month since I even looked at this blog! In that time we moved from our on post housing to the money pit in Rolla. Emma’s bed room is the only one that has a closet, the carpets (every room except the bathroom is carpeted and trust we steam vac them weekly) are eternally funked , and the outside of the house looks like sh!+ which apparently is an aphrodisiac for large bugs. You can put ribbon on a turd but it’s still a turd.  The inside isn’t that bad except for the smell. Every once in a while it just reeks to high heaven.

We moved in on the weekend of June 25^th and cleared housing on the 28^th. Emma and I were in North Carolina from the 8^th until the 28^th of July. I missed Ryan almost the entire time we were over there. It was a trip that no one will ever forget, because the second week in a freak accident lead to the premature death of Roscoe, Grandma and grandpa’s 75 lb boxer. I can go into detail but I don’t care to revisit that place. Just know that Emma and I are partially responsible… at least that’s how I feel.  Another reason that it is unforgettable is that I had some maternity photos taken that turned out beautiful. That day Christina Grabe , Emma and I went to the Susan P. Duke gardens in Durham. The garden was amazing both of us took some great pictures. Her car ended up breaking down (thank goodness the weather was unusually mild that day), on our way home. I think we lucked out big time because a mobile mechanic spotted us and helped us out till we got her car up and running. Emma was a good girl that day, thank you Jesus.

I had a 3d ultrasound on Grandma’s birthday (July 27^th) and we got to see what Ava’s little face will look like. The best I can say is that Emma may have a clone, Ava kept covering up her face with her hand and her foot.  When I saw her up on the screen it took my breath away. I only wish that Ryan and my mom were there to see it unfold with their own eyes.  I have a better idea of what is going on in by belly when she moves. She has found her safe spot on the right side of my belly. She has been there since June and I guess it’s where she is comfy cozy…or I have a giant tumor pushing her to the right, but I think that the Dr. would have caught that. Right?

Our NC vacation was sweet and unforgettable but there is no place like home, even if it smell like moldy moth balls.

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