Waiting on Avery Kate

12 weeks.

2011-06-11T14:10:00.001-07:00

I like these pregnancy updates that a lot of people are doing… so here we go!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 12 weeks. ish.

Size of baby: Baby Joe Chair is the size of a peach this week- about 3 inches!

Weight Gain/Loss: sitting at about 4-5 pounds. I gained all 5 before week 7, and have been stuck around there ever since. I’m okay with this :)

Gender: unknown.

Movement: I know this little stinker is jivin’ around in there- I saw it on the ultrasound. Haven’t felt it yet though!

Maternity Clothes: Yes, please! I can still do non-maternity shirts, but if they aren’t tight fitting, I tend to look chunky and not pregnant. All my pants are maternity or stretchy in the waist. Just like with Avery, tightness on my abdomen makes me nauseated.

Cravings: I’ve been finishing up the day with something sweet. :)

Symptoms: I’ve been sick this week, so it’s hard to tell if the fatigue is from being sick, or the pregnancy fatigue I’ve been having so far. On a nice note, I haven’t felt as nauseated if I try to go longer between feeding myself!

Best Moment This Week: Once this week when I told Avery she was such a big girl, she responded with, “AND I’m gonna be a sister!” My sweet girl….

In case you haven’t heard….

2011-06-07T08:01:00.001-07:00

coming Christmas 2011 :)

Now that baby #2 is on the way, I need to become more diligent in documenting this pregnancy like I did Avery’s.

Right now, I am almost 12 weeks pregnant with Baby Joe Chair (as Avery Kate has so named the baby). I am already showing (eek!) and I think I’m as big now as I was around 16 weeks with Avery. I hope this doesn’t mean I’ll be that much bigger at the end of the pregnancy!

We are so excited and can’t wait to meet this little one!

More to come…

We're baaaack

2010-11-15T18:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, so you guys just need to send me a message whenever I slack off at blogging. I'm not going to attempt to make a huge catch-up post, but the run-down is this: Avery turned 2 a little over a week ago. Her speech is amazing and her personality hilarious! I promise to be better at blogging :)

One of the things I want to be more involved in is photography. Over at Sailor and Co, they have a RAWE photo share- photos straight out of the camera. Here is my RAWE photo (the theme is ONE(5)- the 5th photo in your first photo folder):
Isn't she sweet? :)

Catching up.

2010-01-25T07:35:00.001-08:00

First of all, I’d like to apologize. I never meant to take a 5-month hiatus from blogging. In all fairness, we’ve been up to a lot :)

Avery turned 1 on November 5th. We had a fun party with some of our closest friends in Noblesville, and Avery had a blast!

During the party, Andy was able to do this:

You can see more party pictures by clicking here. Thanks so much, Travis!

And now, she is 14 (almost 15) months old. She has blossomed overnight into a toddler.

She talks. She tells us no. She does things she knows she shouldn’t do. She talks some more. Here is a list of her words:

no, ma, da, shoes, shirt, pants, socks, Cosmo (the cat), dog, door, out, open, drink, off, uh-huh (with a nod for yes), tickle, outside, and probably more I can’t think of right now….

Avery has developed self-pride, and it might be the funniest thing about her right now. Whenever she does something she knows she shouldn’t do (right now it’s climbing on top of her picnic table), she gets this little grin- one that turns her little mouth into a straight line… she is so proud of what she’s done. Disobedient little stinky-girl…. I love her. :) This is by far the most fun age- she likes to giggle and play, especially under a blanket. *Sigh* I miss my baby, but I love my toddler!

On another note:

Over Thanksgiving, we moved. Yes, it was a quick decision. Yes, I felt rushed. But ultimately, I think it was God’s plan for our little family and we are doing well in McAlester, Oklahoma. Avery is able to see her cousins everyday (and she LOVES those boys!) and William is finally in the schools (which he loves). I am doing school-based physical therapy in the mornings, and outpatient in the afternoons, with some home health mixed in.

I miss our big blue house. I miss our Noblesville friends. I miss The Heights.

I love that it can be 68 degrees in January here. I love being closer to our college friends. I love free childcare.

It’s tough, isn’t it?? :)

Christmas was great. Avery got a lot of stuff she doesn’t need, but loves. I got new Bearpaw’s that I didn’t need, but love. Oklahoma actually had snow (I think it followed us from Indiana) on Christmas!

Hopefully I’ll be better about blogging. I want this to be a little scrapbook for our family since I don’t have the time or money to make real scrapbooks anymore.

9 month pics are in!

2009-08-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

We {finally} had Avery's 9mo pictures taken this week. I know, I know... she'll be 10 months next week, but better late than never, right? I was trying to hold out until she didn't have a scratch or a bruise on her face, but I gave up. I think she's at that age where she's always going to have some sort of scrape or bump :D

Funny story: I put Avery in disposables today since we're about to go on a trip and won't cloth diaper while we're gone. Normally, she wears 6-12 or 12 month pants. Guess what size pants she wears while in a disposable diaper?

0-3months. My almost-10-month-old wears 0-3 month pants. She is so. stinkin'. skinny.

But look at that face:

Or this one:

(yes, that's the tutu set from the Cochran's!)

Or this one:

(yes, we have this in an 8x10)

you can find more here: http://gallery.me.com/meganhigginsdpt/100012

My new ::hobby::

2009-08-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

UPDATED: the link to the site should work now... :D

So, we decided to take the plunge... and I am now an Educational Consultant for Discovery Toys!!

These toys are fantastic- all of them are developmentally appropriate for the recommended ages and educational. They have passed strict safety tests and are very durable. And if by chance your kid breaks one, they have a lifetime warranty! You can also order replacement parts for the ones with little pieces :)

Tell everyone you know! Kids learn through playing with toys, and there's no better investment than your children.

You can find my personalized site at:
http://discoverytoyslink.com/discoverytoysbymegan

If you'd like to place an order, shoot me an email: discoverytoysbymegan@gmail.com
Just list what you'd like and where you want them shipped to, and I'll email you back!!

9 month stats

2009-08-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

We had Avery's 9mo well-baby visit at the doctor on friday. She measured at 17lbs 1oz and26 3/4 inches tall (Both in the 25th percentile). She's really consistent and is staying right on her growth curve, so that's fantastic!
At 9 months, Avery is:
-wearing 6-9 or 9month tops, 3-6 or 6-9mo dresses, and 9mo, 12mo, or 6-12mo pants (because of the cloth diapers)
-crawling and cruising really well, and able to stand on her own for up to 30 seconds
-eating "real" food cut into chunks- no more purees here! And her favorite? Mac N Cheese :D
-has mastered drinking from a straw
-able to say "dada", "mama" (not always to me), "no" (haven't heard this one in a while, thank goodness!), and maybe "uhoh"
-still only has 2 teeth, but i think her top 4 are coming in any day now!
-really starting to like books. she will turn the pages and "reads" in this cute little voice! (GOT to get it on video!!)
-loves other babies, pets, and herself in the mirror or photos
-still waking up 2-4 times per night to nurse or just hang out :/
-loves her daddy's "redbirds hat"
-likes playing in her tunnel, or under the blanket
-starting to "share"- her paci, toys, food, etc
-starting to be shy when she's around other people... she turns her face into my shoulder- it's precious!!!

I think that's it for now. I'll add pictures once we get them taken- hopefully this week or next sometime!!

Videos

2009-07-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some videos William took of Avery today! She is so funny these days....

June Photo Catch-Up!

2009-06-27T17:43:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile, so I figured it's time for some updates! Avery will be 8 months old in a week! It's crazy that she's been on the outside for almost as long as she was on the inside... :) At a recent appointment, she weighed 15lbs 9oz. She still only has her two bottom teeth, but I think she'll be getting more any day now.

A while back, I won a baby identification contest on the Cochran Quads' blog!
The prize? A tutu for Avery! We got it in the mail last week, and it is pretty much the cutest thing ever (or maybe it's just who's wearing it!!) Thanks, Sandra! I think we'll definitely use this for her 1 year pictures in a few months!

William had a great first Father's Day! We celebrated by eating his favorite: Bellacino's. Here's some pictures of him and his little girl on their special day:

At the beginning of the month, I took Avery to a local splash park with the Panduku boys. Here's some pics I took while we were waiting for them to get there:

Father's Day

2009-06-21T16:28:00.000-07:00

Enjoying some pizza at Bellacinos.

Crawler

2009-06-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

as you can see... we have a crawler!! she's been working on this for awhile now, but today's the first day that she's been really consistent. 7 months, 11 days old, with 2 teeth, loves to say "da-da" and now, crawls!!

she's getting so big. i miss her being small and cuddly, but i love the little person she's becoming! :)

Blueberry Mustache

2009-06-03T15:56:00.001-07:00

OBU ALL HAIL THY NAME

2009-06-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

Hopefully this won't be the last time Avery gets to stand on these steps!

Avery got to ride the new Bison in the wellness center.

Bath Time!

2009-05-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

Just a quick word... I'll post more for her 6mo birthday next week! Avery can now sit on her own (for up to 20 mins!) and can wear a bow in her hair! It's too cute!

Avery REALLY likes her bath.... watch the video below and find out! :)

Cinco de Avery!

2009-04-05T13:56:00.000-07:00

Avery is 5 months old today! Wow, I can't believe how fast time is flying. I know, I know... everyone is ALWAYS telling me, "enjoy her first year, it goes by so quickly"... but the reality is, it's going by a lot faster than "quickly". At 5 months, Avery is:
-rolling over from her tummy to her back, and trying to go the other way
-in love with her daddy :) he can always make her smile or laugh
-wearing 3-6mo clothes, and they're just really starting to fit
-happiest in the bathtub
-really starting to reach and grab for things that she wants: especially cell phones and the remote
-able to sit propped in her Boppy pillow
-sleeping in her crib- she decided that she hated the PackNPlay 2 weeks ago... :(
-still nursing every 3 hours during the day and 3-4 at night
-drooling... a lot :)

She really is a good, happy baby... unless you're talking about sleep. Then she's not so good. She hates to nap, and lately, 4:30-5:30am seems like a good time to be awake. But, when she's not napping, she's happy.... just really, really tired.

Oh, and she's started eating baby food here and there... peas, sweet potatoes, apples, and pears so far... I think we'll do Avocado next.

We had her pictures taken last weekend, and she didn't do so well. She just stared at everyone with her mouth open. Here is a photo from the studio blog:

We only got one of the poses (not the one above), since they weren't that great, but she'll be getting her 6mo pics in May, so hopefully those will be better!

You can see the rest of our March/April pictures at:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2128240&id=3112237&l=642f14b863

I really want to be a better blogger than I am. And I want to blog about more than just my sweet baby girl. But I know that's all you guys really care about anyway :)

Grandpa Mark's Visit

2009-03-15T11:49:00.000-07:00

3 months!

2009-02-07T08:42:00.000-08:00

3 months. Things have gone haywire! The past couple of days Avery has started teething (we think). Drooling, slight fever, and she's happiest when something is pushing on her gums... uh oh, here we go! She has become difficult to get to sleep and just irritable... but we still managed to get some good 3mo pictures!

go here to view the rest: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2122052&l=392be&id=3112237

So sorry!

2009-01-31T13:46:00.001-08:00

I know it's been forever since I posted, but I just haven't had the time. I wish I could be one of those bloggers that posts every single day and people flock to read my opinions and about the life of my little family... but I just know that's not going to happen when I post twice a month! Here's what we've been up to:

Right after Christmas, our OBU friend Heath came to visit! Sadly, this is the only picture we took the whole time he was here (at the museum in the basement of the Soldier's and Sailor's Monument). He got sick and had to stay away from Avery for the most part... but we still had fun running around the city and seeing 2 movies! We miss you, Heath!

This is from earlier this month! Avery loves to play with her toys and last night she started trying really hard to grab them! It's so cute! She keeps on growing- her 0-3 clothes are definitely too small, but the 3-6's are too big... so we make her wear the too small ones, but the brands that come in a 3month size fit the best for now.

She also likes to sit up on the couch like a "big girl" and watch TV. She's like her mom and prefers to have a blanket over her lap :)

The changing table continues to be her favorite place to talk and smile. She's working really hard on laughing, but it still comes out like a grunt instead. Don't worry, we have it on video :)

And here's the grand finale! I swore I would never drive a minivan, and I loathe the color red, but here is our new ride: a new 2008 Chrysler Town and Country. As far as vans go, I love it! It drives great and has that new car smell :) We got a steal of a deal on it and basically traded our CR-V for the van and only have to play $10 more a month. Woohoo!

You're gonna love it!

2009-01-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

Avery had her 2-month checkup on Wednesday. Here are her stats for this month:
Weight- 10lbs 2oz (between the 25th and 50th percentile... so I guess 37th?)
Length- 22 1/2 inches (50th percentile)
Head Circumference- 15 1/8 inches (50th percentile)

So, she's doing great! She got some shots (not a fun experience for either of us) and has been running a low-grade fever and seems more tired today. She also projectile vomited EVERYWHERE this morning, but I think it's because she gagged on the Tylenol. Either way, she earned herself an extra bath! :)

I have a fun surprise for all of you... VIDEOS! yay! The first one is of Avery talking and the second one is of her playing on her playmat (which she LOVES to do!) Enjoy our baby girl!

I Can't Believe It....

2009-01-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

This little peanut is 2 months old today! Time flies when you're having fun... Here are some things about Avery at 2 months old:
- Wearing 0-3 month clothes
- Always full of smiles and beginning to "talk"
- Likes to grab the neck of my shirt or my hair when she's falling asleep or nursing
- Starting to suck on her hands
- Able to hold a toy placed in her hands
- Always kicking and wiggling
- Loves to watch TV
- Not as crazy about the swing anymore
- Starting to cry when she falls asleep (this isn't so much fun)
- Absolutely stellar gross motor skills :)

I took some video of Avery playing and talking today- I'll work on getting those online tomorrow!

Happy 2-month birthday, baby girl!

Cellphone photos

2009-01-03T07:13:00.000-08:00

Today's blog will be a bunch of photos I've taken with the good ol' pink Centro! Since they're phone photos, a lot of them are of her in her carseat.
This is a pic of her asleep in the sling when she was just a couple of weeks old!

Milk Coma :)

Wrapped in her blanket at the doctor's office waiting for her check-up

Asleep on the Boppy :)

Wanna fight?

She always spits out her paci once she falls asleep... this one didn't go quite far enough

This is her warm fleece lamb suit... it's cute :)

Sleeping :)

When you're trying to capture her smile, she just makes silly faces!

Again with the silliness...

She looks tough, right?!

Updates... let's see.... yesterday Avery went through an odd eating spree- she wanted to eat every 2 hours, but would only eat for 3-5 minutes. That's it. She didn't seem cranky or like she was still hungry, so I didn't worry about it. We'll see how today goes.
It looks like we're going to have a thumb sucker whether we like it or not. We gave her a paci in the hopes that she wouldn't want to suck a finger or her thumb (theory: you can always take away a paci, you can't take away her hand), but the past few days she has been furiously trying to suck on her hand/thumb. She can't coordinate getting just the thumb in her mouth, so usually the whole fist goes in, but she definitely prefers this over her pacifier. Problem: she gets so frustrated trying to suck on her hand that it wakes her up instead of helping her fall asleep! Ugh... hopefully this problem resolves itself over the next few weeks!

We go to the doctor on Wednesday for her 2-mo check up! I'll post then and let you know how it goes! I held her on the scale this morning and it says she weights 10 1/2 lbs! Yikes! We'll see!

The Power of Prayer

2008-12-29T20:46:00.001-08:00

Hello all-

I've had this family on my mind a lot today. Their baby, Stellan, is only 1 week older than Avery and has already displayed one miracle in his short life so far! Diagnosed with heart condition before he was born, he was not supposed to survive past delivery- which he did, without sign that the condition even existed! He's been happy and healthy for his 8 weeks here on earth, but is now struggling for his life in the hospital with RSV. His blood gases are improving, but he is struggling to breathe and will probably be placed on a ventilator soon. Please join me in praying for this family and their precious little boy. His mama is doing such a great job in reminding herself and all of us that God is good and faithful- even in her blogging and twitter updates :) And she's even caused me to cherish my moments with Avery even more. Life is precious.

**update: fixed the link!

The sweetest smile

2008-12-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

I've been trying super-hard to catch Avery's sweet smile on camera, but instead I've discovered how stinky our camera is. We have the Nikon Coolpix 3200- which is great for taking snapshots of most things, but isn't fast enough to catch fleeting moments... any suggestions or financial contributions so that we can have better pictures on this blog are welcome! I'm just kidding.. mostly. :)

In other news, I decided to let her try the Bumbo this week! She likes it, for about 3 minutes, then she gets tired... This photo was taken at the end of her 3 minutes :) But she looks so cute sitting in it!
I weighed Avery yesterday (holding her while I stood on the scale and then subtracting my weight) and I estimate that she's about 9 1/2 pounds by now! Wow! 2 weeks ago she was only about 8 1/4! I've also started letting her sleep on her tummy... *cringe*. I know you're not "supposed to", but she sleeps SO much better (up to 5 1/2 hours at a time at night instead of 2 1/2 or 3), is able to put herself to sleep, and doesn't need to be swaddled anymore. I check on her super-often while she naps and she is able to turn her head really well when on her tummy. I'm not too worried :) I've done research on the subject and have found studies that show babies who sleep on their tummies have better cognition, social skills, less occurrence of sleep apnea, and don't get those pesky flat spots on the backs of their heads... so there are benefits, not just risks. Besides the other risk factors for SIDS are things like having someone who smokes in the house (which we don't), low birth weight (which she didn't have), and sleeping with loose-fitting sheets (nope- not that either).. plus we use a pacifier and sleep with a ceiling fan, which help combat SIDS by encouraging the baby to breathe! See! I've done my research and made an educated decision for my baby... what do you think?

6 weeks old today!

2008-12-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

Today marks Avery's 6th week! It's exciting to watch her grow and change, but I'm starting to get a little sad because I know I have to go back to work soon (January 5th). Avery has started to smile, coo, and squeal! It's so fun! She loves to lie on her back, kick her legs and move her arms and talk to whatever object she sees (I think she prefers her mobile, the Christmas tree, and the ceiling lights over people) :) She's definitely getting bigger, but I'm not sure how much bigger since we don't go back to the doctor for another weigh-in until January 7th. She is too long for the newborn-size clothes, but the 0-3 month size is too big- it falls off her shoulders! Oh well.

We had a great time visiting with William's family last week- it was good to see them, and I'm glad they got to see Avery while she is still so small.

I did something horrible today. I cut Avery with the fingernail clippers. I know, I know... every mom does it, but still... I was clipping them while she was asleep- like you're supposed to, and I had made it through 9 fingers without incident. Then, I got to the pinkie finger on her right hand and right as I was about to clip, she jerked her arm! It started to bleed and I jumped up to grab some tissue and antibiotic ointment to doctor it up when I realized that she hadn't even woken up! Agh. Kids.

We got our family photos back.... they're not as good as Avery's individual pics, but they'll do! Here's the link to view!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2115592&l=2c2a8&id=3112237

Avery got away with a lot of slacking off last week while our family was here... so here she is trying to catch up on lost tummy time, and relaxing in her Babee-Tenda table! :)

One month old... better late than never!

2008-12-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

Avery turned 1 month old last Friday! She's getting so big :) Here are her stats from her doctor's appointment (yes, we made her go on her birthday... ):
Weight: 8lbs 3oz (25th percentile)
Length: 21 inches (50th percentile)
Head Circumference: 14in (50th percentile)

She's finally starting to "fill out" a bit. Her newborn clothes are no longer super-baggy on her, and she can wear some of the 0-3 month clothes without them completely falling off! She loves to look at the lights on the Christmas tree, or at the windows, and she'll turn to find you when you talk to her (if she's not distracted by something else) :)

We got her pictures back this week, too. Here's a sneak peak of my favorite picture:
And you can go here to look at the rest of them! If you would like to order any, let me know and I can give you the website to order some (this is mostly for family, I know you all love Avery, but I don't expect you to all go out and by a 10x13 to hang in your living room) :)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2115094&l=6219d&id=3112237

We have a house full of people this week! William's family is in town to visit us... I mean, Avery... it should be fun!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T17:33:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We have an awful lot to be thankful for this year:
1- I successfully completed physical therapy school (yes, this is a great accomplishment!)
2- Our easy transition and move to Noblesville, IN. We are employed and have a house to live in.
3- Our fantastic launch team to start The Heights.
4- Avery Kate. Enough said. :)
5- Our friends and family are the best. We love you guys!

There is a lot more that could be added to the list. God is good!

Our Thanksgiving was fun and unique this year! Kenny was unable to travel with his family to Missouri due to work, so he joined us for a meal. We (mostly Kenny) cooked a turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, mac n' cheese, stuffing, and rolls. It was sooo good! Here are some pictures from the day:

Avery in her Thanksgiving bib. She was NOT happy.

Kenny preparing the turkey. His mom is giving instructions via Skype on the computer :)

The boys hard at work.

3 weeks old

2008-11-26T19:07:00.000-08:00

Today was Avery's 3 week birthday! Time is just flying by... She fits in so well around here, it's hard to believe she's only been around for 21 days :)

Today we went back to the doctor and here are her stats for the week:
Weight- 7lbs 11oz (that's an 8oz weight gain this week!)
Height- 21 inches
Head circumference- 14 inches

We have to go back next week (again!) for her 1mo checkup. After that we should be good until her 2mo.

Here are some pictures we took this week, don't you just LOVE the jeans? :)

Boomer Sooner!

2008-11-22T14:57:00.000-08:00

Avery and I decided to let Indiana know who the real Crimson and Cream colors belong to. Today is Avery's first OU football game.

2 weeks old!

2008-11-20T06:50:00.000-08:00

I can't believe a whole week has gone by since I've posted! I took Avery to the doctor yesterday for her 2-week check-up and here's her stats for the week:
Weight: 7lbs 3oz
Length: 20 1/4 inches
Head circumference: 14 inches

She's definitely getting bigger! Since she's not quite back up to her birth weight yet, we have to go back to the doctor again next week for another weight check. Dr. Fitzgerald isn't concerned, as long as she keeps gaining weight from week to week. We'll just keep forking over the co-pays... :)

Here are some pictures from this week!

1 week old!

2008-11-12T18:14:00.000-08:00

We have successfully managed to keep a baby alive and healthy for a week! Time has really flown by and it's been fun getting to know her and spend time with her every day.... we love our Avery!

I took her to the doctor for her 1 week checkup today and here are her stats:
Weight: 6lbs 15oz
Length: 20 inches
Head size: 14 inches

So based on her length that they measured today, they think she might have been mis-measured at the hospital... or she's superbaby and grew 1 1/2 inches in a week. I vote for the mis-measurement :) Either way, she's 20 inches now! We'll go back again next week for her 2 week checkup!

Sunshine

2008-11-10T18:19:00.000-08:00

It was FREEZING outside today, but the sunshine coming in through the windows was so warm :)

Avery's first bath

2008-11-09T13:44:00.000-08:00

Sleeping arrangements... and a video!

2008-11-08T12:01:00.000-08:00

So we've learned that Avery does not like to lie flat on her back, but prefers an incline. We think lying on an incline makes the gas less painful for her, so she's more comfortable. So the sleeping arrangement is this: swaddled, placed in the boppy pillow, in the bassinet

And a video for you all to enjoy:

We're Home!

2008-11-07T12:27:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pics of our trip home today.

We finally made it home.
Avery doesn't know she's at home yet...because she wont wake up.
Megan and Avery take their first nap at home.

Avery, Dad, Flowers

2008-11-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

Avery and Dad, and some pics of our room

2008-11-05T17:56:00.000-08:00

Awake!

2008-11-05T17:54:00.001-08:00

Avery decided to wake up for bit this evening and we made sure we got it on film.

Fresh Pics

2008-11-05T07:13:00.000-08:00

She's Here!

2008-11-05T07:02:00.000-08:00

Avery Kate Higgins graced us with an appearance today at 8:58a.m. She weighs 7lbs 4oz and measures 18 1/2 inches.

It's getting closer!

2008-11-04T06:57:00.001-08:00

Well, today's the day! At 7pm est, we will arrive at the maternity center to start the induction! Please keep us in your prayers. We'll try to keep the blog and my facebook page updated :)

Oh, and I think I changed it to where anyone can leave a comment. I've gotten some complaints that people have tried to, but couldn't.... that shouldn't be a problem anymore!

Attempt #1

2008-11-01T06:28:00.000-07:00

So we tried to go to the hospital yesterday to have this baby :) Key word? Tried.
I woke up Friday morning feeling like I had the flu- chills, nausea, vomiting... the works.
Around 11am I noticed that I hadn't skipped a contraction in a while, which is what had been happening for the past week, so I decided to try to pay a little more attention to how they felt.
At 12:42, I decided to start timing them for real. By 1:43 I had experienced contractions every 4-7 minutes and they were starting to get stronger... so we decided to get cleaned up and load the car. I called my nurse and she suggested we head to the maternity center for a "labor check". YAY!!
After stopping to feed the Panduku's fish (they're in Michigan) and debating whether or not to watch Thursday night's episode of "The Office" on their DVR (we chose not to), we got to the hospital around 3:15. Contractions were getting harder to breathe/talk through, so I KNEW we were on our way!
At the hospital they hooked me up to monitors for about 40 minutes to chart my contractions and Avery's heartbeat. Everything looked good so the nurse suggested we walk for an hour.
That hour was not much fun. After about 20 minutes of walking, I was feeling the contractions in my back (way more uncomfortable) and they were definitely stronger and coming more often. At 5, they hooked me back up to the monitors- the contractions were coming every 2 minutes, they were definitely stronger, and I had dilated and effaced a little more... yay, progress!
I rested until 6ish and we decided to get up and walk around a little more. We ended up walking to the cafeteria so William could eat dinner and I could get some jell-o. We returned from our trip a little after 7... back onto the monitors. The contractions were definitely stronger, enough to make me nauseated... and a couple even went off the top of the charts! But apparently all of this didn't matter because they were only 8 minutes apart. So, because of the spacing of the contractions and the lack of change in my cervix between the 5:30 and 7:30 checks, they gave us the option to head home (a place without monitors where I can eat all the food I want) or stay the night. We chose to go ahead and go home- and went to bed at 8:55 :)

So here I am. After 12 hours of sleep in 4-10 minute increments. Waiting for the contractions to pick up again. We'll keep y'all posted. :)

How many more days?

2008-10-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

Ugh. Contractions. I've had them for 2 days now. They vary in intensity, duration, and frequency (how strong they are, how long they last, and how often they come) but they are all annoying. Hopefully this means I won't have to wait for my induction to get here!

So that means it's that time. Time for you guys to guess when baby Avery will get here! :o)
Leave a "Love Note" at the bottom of the post with the following information:
1- Your name
2- The date Avery will be born
3- Time she will be born
4- How much you think she will weigh
5- How long you think she will be

I am scheduled to be induced either the 4th or the 5th, so if you think I'll have to wait that long, those are the dates you can use :)

Good luck!

14 days left

2008-10-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctor again today... not too much has changed: 50% effaced and dilated 1cm. My doctor is in Florida for the next 4 days. I've always heard the stories about how women go into labor as soon as their doctor is unavailable.... we'll see :) I go back next Tuesday for my 38 week check-up. Also, I found out that they double booked my induction so unless one of the two women who are going in on the night of the 3rd has their baby early, I'm on the schedule to go in the night of the 4th now (with the induction on the 5th). It's just one day later than originally, so not too bad!

I found this thing on a friend's blog about "What your name means" so I thought I'd do our family! (I put in bold the most accurate parts... for me anyway)

Megan:
You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated.
You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want.
You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way!
You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.
You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.
At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.
You are deeply philosophical and thoughtful. You tend to analyze every aspect of your life.
You are intuitive, brilliant, and quite introverted. You value your time alone.
Often times, you are grumpy with other people. You don't appreciate them trying to interfere in your affairs.
You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic “Type A” personality.
You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.
You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.
You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

William:
You are very charming... dangerously so. You have the potential to break a lot of hearts.
You know how what you want, how to get it, and that you will get it.
You have the power to rule the world. Let's hope you're a benevolent dictator!
You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.
You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.
You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.
You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.
You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.
Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.
You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic “Type A” personality.
You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated.
You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want.
You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way!

Avery:
You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic “Type A” personality.
You are very hyper. You never slow down, even when it's killing you.
You're the type of person who can be a workaholic during the day... and still have the energy to party all night.
Your energy is definitely a magnet for those around you. People are addicted to your vibe.
You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.
You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.
At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.
You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.
You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.
You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.
You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in.
You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising.
You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

I don't think I like some of the things in Avery's description :)
I can't wait for her to get here and find out what she's really like!!!

20 days left

2008-10-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

Today I had an ultrasound to take a look at the baby and make sure everything was looking alright! They estimated her weight right now to be 6 1/2 lbs, her heart rate was about 147 and I could even see that she has hair! Yay! No bald baby here! :) The ultrasound tech switched back and forth between regular and 4D, which was really fun. You can see how big her cheeks are already and how squished her little nose is from being smooshed inside... we got a few good pictures of her, but she likes to keep her hands in front of her face (that's what the blurry things are around the edges). You can click on the pics to make them bigger.

We got a DVD recording of the ultrasound as well. I know the video doesn't work right now. Hopefully it will once YouTube finishes processing it.

4 more weeks...

2008-10-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

Time is flying by so fast! I went to the doctor yesterday and here's the updates:

1- I am no longer measuring 2 weeks too small. I measured 35 weeks yesterday- perfect!
2- Things are starting to change... I am dilated a fingertip! Woohoo!
3- Avery's heart rate was 144 beats/minute- perfect again!
4- I made my reservation at the hospital :) If she has not made her appearance by Monday, November 3rd, I will be admitted at 7pm that night to start some low-dose preparation and then start the induction on Tuesday morning, November 4th (that's 4 weeks from today!!). Looks like we'll have an election day baby! Hopefully she won't take more than a day to get here... I can't eat once they start Tuesday morning and if she takes that long, I'll be one hungry, unhappy chick.

This past Saturday, my wonderful friends hosted a baby shower for us! I actually don't have any pictures, just video (which I'll try to get uploaded this weekend)... but you can head over to Kelly Smith's blog (via the link to the right) to look at the pictures she posted from the event!

In other news, we are so excited that our church-planting team is together again! Kenny and Anna and their boys have officially joined us here in Noblesville and now things can really get going! We've missed them terribly and it's really nice to be able to see them several times a week :)

Avery update, Swap packages, and I've been tagged!

2008-09-22T14:58:00.000-07:00

It seems the things to blog about just keep adding up!!

We went to the doctor on Friday for our 33 week check-up. I was measuring a little small, but the doctor wasn't too concerned... it just means we get another ultrasound at 36 weeks :) I also talked to her about my maternity leave- since I had to pick fixed dates due to the nature of my job, I am not working from November 1 to January 1. This could be problematic if Avery decided to come 2 weeks late :) My wonderful doctor said that she's willing to induce anytime after 39 weeks which means that if Avery hasn't come by November 3, we'll be inducing that week! YAY! For those of you who know my love of scheduling, it's nice to be able to put it on my calendar...

In other news, I received my swap package from Elizabeth today! Through my friend Allison's blog, I was paired up with Elizabeth with the task to mail 3 of our favorite things to each other! It was so exciting to get this box in the mail! When I opened the box, this is what slid out:

Such a cute bag, eh?
And here is what was inside: 2 PRECIOUS onsies for Avery, Burt's Bee's lip gloss, a Yankee Candle (Pumpkin Pie- a perfect present for the first day of fall) and a wonderful cookbook with easy recipies!
This is how excited I was: Thanks, Elizabeth! I loved it!! :)
Elizabeth also tagged me on her blog! So here are my 7 weird facts:
1. I have several odd recurring dreams. Mostly, I often dream that I am losing my teeth. This is not usually the focus of the dream, just one aspect of it. The teeth don't just fall out... they crack into several pieces first- then fall out. When I wake up, I'm usually surprised to find that all my teeth are still present and accounted for.... I fully expect there to be gaps. I only know one other person who dreams about this: Whitney (who confessed it when tagged on her blog) :) This may stem from #3 (see below) or the fact that I crumbled my two front teeth in 6th grade when I face-planted while rollerblading.

2. I compulsively organize collections. For example, my CD's are organized alphabetically, then oldest -> newest within a single artist or collection. Also, they must all be facing with the picture oriented in the correct direction. No sideways or upside-down CD's here! Oddly enough, I organize my movies by genre, not alphabetically... but sequels always go together. In chronological order.

3. I am obsessed with clean teeth. Maybe this is where my recurring dream stems from. I brush my teeth generally twice before I even leave the house in the morning (once upon waking, and once after eating). My biggest complaint when we spend late evenings hanging out and snacking with our friends Kenny and Anna? That my teeth feel "fuzzy" and I desperately want to brush them. I love the dentist. :)

4. I hate the word "moist". It sounds just like what it means. It makes me cringe. Just say damp. Or wet. Or anything else that means the EXACT same thing. I also despise poor grammar (thanks, dad)- especially when people misuse "good" versus "well". I don't think anyone uses these words correctly.

5. When my brother was born, I was upset. I wanted a sister, not a rotten, stinky boy (I was 4 years, 1 month, and 28 days old). As a result, I would dress him in dresses, call him "Michelle", and teach him all things "girly"- especially ballet. He generally complied (except when I would ask him to do a jete, he insisted on flying around like an airplane) and eventually would voluntarily appear in a 5-layer slip that I wore under my "fancy" dresses- usually when we had company over for dinner. My dad put an end to this when my brother decided to start referring to himself as "Michelle". Sorry, dad... and Graham. Love you, bubby! :)

6. I am a planner and a scheduler- and this often backfires badly. I have the complete and total inability to "go with the flow" on a Saturday. I need a plan. Even if the plan is to do nothing, I need a plan. It stresses me out when my laid-back husband doesn't need a plan. Ever. That's 7 years of stress, people. However, this characteristic got me (and some of my friends) through college and graduate school. It makes me dependable. If someone didn't know what was going on, they could come to me and photocopy my planner :) Life just works better when you know what to expect.

7. I have an odd but super-fantastic memory (outside of pregnancy). I remember things that a lot of people don't. Funny moments with friends, what someone wore last Tuesday.... I remember them. It has proven embarassing when I say "Hey! Remember when...." and then noone else remembers. Maybe I'm just sentimental... a mental packrat. I don't like throwing away memories :) To help you all, I'll share my purposeful memorization strategy: If I need to remember something, I associate it with something I know I'm going to do. For example, if I need to remember to do some laundry, I think to myself several times, "When William calls to say he's on his way home from work, it will remind me to put a load of clothes in the washer." And voila! It works! I don't know if it really works for anyone else...

And that's it! I know I'm odd. I've known it my whole life... but here's who I want to tag:
Allison, Kelly, Dad, Rebecca, Sara, and the Pandukus!

A Visit from the Pandukus, Honeydew, and Pregnancy Pics!

2008-09-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted! We've been busy getting the house/nursery ready and having our friends visit! Kenny and Anna and their 4 boys came to visit us last weekend so they could look for places to live. We didn't get any pictures of their 2 youngest boys... they were already in bed :)
Anna, Carson, and I hanging out in the living room

Caleb and Kenny

So the fruit of the month: honeydew! I am officially 33 weeks pregnant tomorrow (Friday). I noticed the ticker at the top of the blog is actually a day behind. I think it's because this year was leap year, so I've been pregnant a day longer than it thinks I have been :) This week is really the first week that I've felt uncomfortable. I'm still sleeping okay, but it's getting harder to move around... and tie my shoes! Also, Avery is finally big enough to differentiate between her back, bottom and legs by poking her from the outside.. it's a fun guessing game! The pictures below were taken last Sunday, at 32 weeks and 2 days. Sorry for the sweats... it was a lazy Sunday evening at home and I remembered I told my friend Kassie I would update the blog with new pictures of myself.... :)

Football, Squash, and Sod

2008-08-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

It's been such a busy week! We completed our weekend project this past weekend: painting the kitchen! I'll have to get some pictures of it to post... it's so pretty! :)

So, our friend Andy is now a football coach at one of the area high schools! We're really looking forward to getting to go to games this fall... One of the things his team and other area high schools got to do was play a game in the Colts' stadium, which happens to be brand new this season. We decided to take advantage of getting to go into the stadium and sit in the front row on the 50-yard line! Lucas Oil Stadium is pretty much the coolest sports venue I've ever been inside.

Here is the view from our seat:

Me, William, and Kelly enjoying the view:

Us in the end zone!

A closer view :)

This place is huge!!!

So I also said I'd keep you guys updated on the veggie of the month... now Avery is the size of a squash! Sometimes it's hard to believe that she's 15 or 16 inches long and just crammed inside my belly... but once she gets to moving around, she feels bigger than that! Just an update: we finally got insurance coverage (YAY!) and I'm going to the doctor next Tuesday, the 2nd. You guys can stop worrying now :)
The morning after we moved in, I was downstairs in the kitchen eating some yogurt before I left for work, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw people in our front yard! This caught me off guard until I realized they were putting in our sod, bushes and trees!! Here is a picture of their beautiful work! We hope to add some flowers and we got an American flag and pole at a garage sale this weekend to complete the look :)

Making a House a Home

2008-08-20T10:46:00.001-07:00

Hello! We have had a very busy 6 days since we moved into the house! My parents were nice enough to drive up from Nashville for about 24 hours to help us move stuff from the storage unit to our house and help us get ready to paint. Their hands were much appreciated :)

We weren't sure how well our 2 cats were going to adapt to moving and tripling their domain. At first, they were very hesitant, and Cosmo reacted by burrowing himself under the comforter of our bed (and this has become his new favorite sleepy-spot). I had to lift up the corner and get a picture of him!
We spent most of the weekend getting the living room in order. It's nice to have a single room that is done (for the most part) and we can sit around in it to procrastinate and NOT do anything else in the house! We painted the walls in the living room a lovely light blue color called "Reading Room". It looks kind of purply in the picture, but it's really pretty in person:

Relaxing? Right? However, if you turn around, you can't help but be stressed out by this chaos:

That is the kitchen, complete with half-unpacked boxes, painters tape around all the borders, and messiness! Oh well, at least we got that table put together so no one else has to experience whacking their head on the light fixture (it REALLY hurts)!

It's official...

2008-08-14T15:56:00.001-07:00

Well, we are official homeowners! After signing our names 4,732 times, they handed over the keys! And now the moving weekend begins... We'll be without internet until Monday evening, so maybe we'll have some pictures to post then....

Eggplant?

2008-08-11T13:39:00.001-07:00

thenestbaby.com has really funny comparisons for you to get an idea of how big your unborn baby is... food! Avery has already been a poppyseed, appleseed, sweet pea, blueberry, raspberry, olive, prune, lime, plum, peach, lemon, orange, avocado, onion, sweet potato, mango, cantaloupe, banana, and papaya! *whew!* And now, we have a little eggplant :) I'll try to post which food she is for the month from now on. I find it funny, but I guess it's a little easier to visualize the size of a common food rather than trying to imagine how big something 13.6 to 14.8 inches and 1.5 to 2.2 pounds is.

On the housing front, we got word that our loan is out of underwriting so now it's just a matter of them calling us to schedule our closing this week! hooray!

The never-ending process...

2008-08-06T17:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is our life crammed into a storage unit- not into a house. Here's the story: On Sunday (a week and a half ago) my dad came up from Nashville to help us load our stuff into a moving truck since we were planning on closing on Monday or Tuesday. Both of those days went by, as did Wednesday and most of Thursday with many phone calls. Long story short, we learned that the mortgage company knew absolutely nothing about my job and once they started learning about it, they had problems with it. But, since they had already pre-approved us for the loan, we had to come up with a compromise. Anyway, we're looking at being able to submit our stuff to underwriting on Friday and closing on either Friday afternoon or Monday. *Whew*! It's been a really long week :) We just keep reminding ourselves that God has perfect timing and this is all going to work out in the end, despite the bumps and bruises we may get along the way! It's a miracle I've been able to make it through it all with only a minor meltdown (that was pregnancy-hormone induced, I'm sure!). Our family and friends have been fantastically supportive through it all... thanks so much, you guys! :)

Prayers needed!

2008-07-30T06:52:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, we have not closed on the house yet. While they had no problems pre-approving us based on my lovely state-funded job, they are now giving us the run-around. Please pray that we can get all of this figured out soon, and that we can remain calm as deadlines pass us by and as our stuff sits in a moving truck :)

This week's giveaway: cute picture frame!

2008-07-25T06:23:00.001-07:00

We've had a crazy week! No, we're not in the house yet... but hopefully soon. Things are delayed at the mortgage company and we're learning a much-needed lesson in patience :)

I'll be 25 weeks pregnant tomorrow! WOW! Only 15 weeks left! Avery is definitely getting bigger- I can feel some smaller movements now and it just means things are getting tight in there! My new hobby this week (I'm bored- I need to work) is to put objects on my belly and wait for her to knock them off... she's pretty good at it! Maybe I can catch it on video...

The giveaway this week on Allison's blog is this cute picture frame! Head on over via the link on the right side of the page!

Easiest recipe EVER!

2008-07-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

So I was updating my recipe box this morning when I came across a peach cobbler recipe that was so easy I had to make it... right away! I happened to have all 3 ingredients in my cabinets and since Avery loves sweets.... I couldn't say no!

Here it is!

1 can (the big, big one) of peaches
1 box of white or yellow cake mix
1 1/2 sticks of butter (melted)
sugar

Dump the can of peaches into a 13x9 inch pan and cut them up into bite-size pieces.
Sprinkle the box of cake mix over the top.
Drizzle the melted butter over the cake mix.
Sprinkle the sugar on top (this wasn't in the original recipe... I added it)
Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown on top.

It's delicious!! :) I'm eating my 2nd bowl right now...

Cute Stationery!

2008-07-20T11:38:00.001-07:00

The free giveaway on Allison's blog this week is some hand-made stationery! Here's a sneak peak at what you can win if you head on over!

23 week visit and Appliances!

2008-07-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

We went back to the doctor yesterday to have a check-up and everything looks great! I'm measuring around 24 weeks (about 5 days ahead) and I finally gained enough weight over 4 weeks to make the nurse happy :) The report from the ultrasound that we had 4 weeks ago mentioned that there was a bright spot on the heart, which could indicate Down Syndrome, but that was the only thing they could find and estimated our risk to be less than 1 out of 600. The doctor also said that she has never heard of or seen Down Syndrome when the only sign they found was the spot on the heart (there's other indicators- Avery doesn't have any of those). The doctor didn't seem to be worried at all, and they didn't recommend any genetic consultation, so I'm trying not to worry about it :) Our next visit will be with our new doctor here in town... and I've got to do the gestational diabetes test sometime in the next 4 weeks or so. The weeks are just flying by!

23 weeks, 0 days pregnant!

The most fun part about going to St. Louis (I had to resist the urge to type "funnest") is the time we get to spend with our friends the Pandukus! Here's a picture from our visit to the St. Louis Science Museum on Saturday
William and I with Anna and 3 of the boys: Carson, Caleb, and Colin... we built the arch!

When we got back into town we decided to go by the house... and we had appliances!! YAY!! For those of you who want random details: they're all GE appliances... The house will be officially finished Friday morning, so we're trying to speed the process with the mortgage company so we can have the weekend to move stuff and start painting

Double oven
Dishwasher
Refridgerator
Microwave and counter-top range

The days fly by....

2008-07-11T09:13:00.001-07:00

WOW! The weeks just keep going by so quickly! I can't believe I'm 23 weeks pregnant (tomorrow) and our house is going to be FINISHED by the end of next week!! I guess I'd rather have it all fly past than creep along slowly...

Something I learned this week: pregnancy apparently makes sunscreen useless. I went in the sun for an hour of the afternoon, with 45 SPF WATERPROOF (thanks, Sarah Hall) sunscreen on and got a pretty bad sunburn on my chest and thighs... ugh. I was so concerned about not letting my body temperature get too high... oh well. Avery has started kicking me in the ribs this week when I am sitting down. I am one of those short-bodied, long-legged/armed people and apparently she has already run out of stretching space. It's going to be a long 17 weeks until she has all the space she needs... :)

We're heading to St. Louis this weekend for our last OB-GYN visit there. It's always fun to spend time with our friends- the Pandukus. Did I mention they have 4 boys? And that we all crowd into their apartment for the weekend? Fun times :)

Oh! It's free giveaway Friday on Allison's blog again! This week's giveaway is a painting by Kelly Smith (Allison's sister, and my friend from OBU) who is also going to be painting Avery's nursery for us! Here's a picture:
Head on over to her blog for a chance to win!

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July everyone! We're hoping the festivities here don't get rained out :)

Oh! And to celebrate, you should go to Allison's blog (the link is to the right) to sign up for the free giveaway! It's a really cute bag this week... and you have until Monday morning to sign up!

Carpet and bathrooms!

2008-07-02T17:36:00.001-07:00

We now have sinks, faucets, toilets, and carpet in the house! I haven't actually been by to see them yet, but here are some pictures William took!

Kitchen sink and faucet

Carpet in the living room

Carpet in the loft area and bedrooms

Master bathroom sinks and mirror

Pedestal sink in the downstairs bathroom

Picture Post

2008-06-29T17:02:00.000-07:00

So this is going to be a post full of pictures!

They finally stained the spindles on the staircase!

Our front door is now painted, but it needs another coat.

Lights are installed throughout the house now. Here are the recessed lights in the kitchen and the fixture for over the table in the breakfast area.

They installed our vinyl flooring this week in the foyer, mudroom, kitchen, bathrooms, and utility room!

Here is our stained mantle.

Here is the mudroom with the vinyl and cabinet. There will be hooks on the wood strip.

Pantry doors!

And last, but not least- Cosmo likes to cuddle with baby Avery (he had fallen into the crack of the couch and couldn't get up!)

A tiny update

2008-06-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

This week has just flown by! Hopefully I'll be able to start seeing little patients next week, which will help the time fly by a little faster :)

They painted the interior of the house this week (white- nothing exciting) and stained the spindles on the stairs and the mantle (I think). They also added tile to the shower area of the master bathroom! We'll have to get pictures of those few things...

Pregnancy is going well! I can feel Avery move around more and more... which is always exciting, but not always enjoyable... :) I think on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being the easiest pregnancy ever, I might be at a 1.5 thus far! It really has been easy- my only complaints being some not-so-bad nausea in the beginning, fatigue, and now reflux! It makes me thankful, especially when I hear about how women usually get so, so sick when they're pregnant with girls!

Again, since it's Friday, it's free-giveaway day on my friend Allison's blog! Check it out from the list on the right!

We've registered!

2008-06-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon we went and registered at Target and Babies "R" Us! I've added links to those websites on the right-hand side of the blog. You can put in mine and/or William's name and find our lists pretty easily! If you do buy a gift, please include a gift receipt! It makes it a lot easier to exchange items we may receive.

While yardsale-ing with my friend Kelly about a month ago, I met a nice family with 3 girls- a 5 year-old and a set of 2 year-old twins! Their garage was FULL of baby clothes! They had all the clothes from their first daughter and didn't re-use any of it with the twins, because they wanted 2 of everything... therefore, they pretty much had 3 full sets of little girl clothing. Anyway, I kept in touch with them in case we had a girl and this morning, Kelly and I went to their house and spent 2 hours going through plastic tubs full of clothes! In all, I think we got 8-10 walmart-sized plastic sacks stuffed full of nice baby clothes, shoes, bibs, gowns, onsies, and sleepsacks ranging in size from 0-18 months for $50! WOW! Not to mention, it was a lot of fun... :)

I think Avery is going to enjoy being spoiled by all of our wonderful friends and family!

A Sunday Surprise

2008-06-22T13:06:00.000-07:00

On our way to meet our friends Kelly and Andy for church this morning, we noticed there were people working on our house... on Sunday?! We knew that people sometimes came in to work on Saturdays, but we had not noticed them working on a Sunday before. Anyway, we went by after church to see what they had done.... and our kitchen was put together! They put in all our cabinets and counter tops (but we don't think they're quite finished yet). Here is what it looks like:

View from the living room into the kitchen... complete with Andy, Kelly, and I!

The big hole is where the double oven will go... and they are going to stain the spindles and the mantle on the fireplace to match the cabinets

LOVE the shelves on the island... and there is an overhang so you can put stools under there.

Picture without people in it... :)

These are the counters/cabinets in the master bathroom

Halfway Done!

2008-06-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

Today marks my 20th week of pregnancy... that means we're halfway done! The first half has flown by... I don't know if I'm lucky enough for the second half to go as fast. Here are some belly pictures that we took yesterday:

When we went by the house today, SURPRISE! They added our brick surround to the fireplace as well as the mantle (which has not been stained yet)

About the board exam...

2008-06-20T09:27:00.001-07:00

WOW! I've been posting a lot lately! It's been a busy week :)

I took my board exam yesterday. I took a 250 question test that determines the rest of my career in 1 hour and 45 minutes. I did not feel well about it. Let's just say I had a gazillion questions on something I don't have THAT much experience with and only spent 4 hours of class time on. Ugh. Well this morning, out of curiosity I logged on to the FSBPT website and it said: License approved for the state of Indiana! WOW! I passed! So the next step would be for Indiana to get their paperwork together and actually assign me a license. So out of further curiosity, I got onto the Indiana license search website and put in my name and what pops up? MY LICENSE NUMBER! I took the stinkin' test YESTERDAY and I have a license TODAY! Woohoo! I wish I had a patient to treat- simply because I can! :)

So that's been my exciting morning! I think this afternoon William and I are going to go look at the progress on the house (they delivered our doors and cabinets yesterday!) and go see "Get Smart" (I heart Steve Carrell)... I'll let you know how it is!

Oh! A friend of mine from OBU, Allison has a really fun blog that she updates on weekdays and each day has a theme: Fridays are free-giveaway Fridays! You can link to her blog from the list to the right! Go check it out!

House Tour- 06.16.08

2008-06-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

I got William's tour of the house uploaded onto YouTube (finally)!
Here's the first one:

And here's the rest of it:

Now for an advertisement: I LOVE LOVE LOVE our new camcorder! We got this one!

It's a JVC camera that records onto a hard drive. It's so small and light and easy to use, plus it came with a DVD burner that you just plug straight into the camera! (We ended up getting this one because our friends, the Panduku's had just bought it and liked it a lot)

As for the ultrasound pictures, I'm not optimistic. I'm going to be busy studying for my board exam today (since I take it in the morning), so I'll try to edit them tomorrow!

It's a GIRL!

2008-06-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

So the big news first: we found out today that we're having a baby girl! We're going to name her Avery Kate and she is measuring right on target- 19.3 weeks (I'm 19 weeks 2 days today) and 11.4 ounces. It was fun to have an hour-long ultrasound and get to look at every little thing! Of course, she would not lie in the right position like they needed her to and we ended up having a doctor and a resident come in and look at Avery's heart in person- but everything ended up looking completely normal and all the measurements looked fine! I asked the ultrasound tech how sure she was at her gender prediction and she said that she wouldn't have told us "girl" unless she was completely sure... and then rated her confidence at "above 95%". I think that's pretty good :)

The bad news of the day is the pictures they printed off for us are REALLY dark and you can't see much of anything (the machine/paper was different?) but I'll scan them onto the computer tomorrow and see what I can do with them. The second bad news is that they wouldn't let us use our snazzy new camcorder to tape any of the ultrasound, so we really are without any documentation to share! Looks like Avery wants everything to be a surprise.... :)

The good news is William used the new camcorder to tape a tour of the house! They finished the drywall and added the spray-on texture... the video was too long to put directly on the blog, so I'll splice it up and add them tomorrow!

House updates!

2008-06-12T13:40:00.001-07:00

They finally added siding and brick to the outside of our house!

Our baby- the model

2008-06-10T07:43:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I was wandering around the exhibit hall at the Southern Baptist Convention that's here in town when I came across a booth that was offering FREE sonograms! Basically, they were a group with the North American Mission Board that works with pregnancy centers and their new mission is to put ultrasound machines in these centers in the hopes that women who can see their baby would choose to keep their baby. Anyway, long story short, these people asked if they could have a picture of my baby to put up on a screen at their booth to try to get people to donate money... and here he/she is!

It was really fun since our last ultrasound was at 10 weeks and this was at 18 weeks... AND it was a great preview for what we're going to get to see at our 19 week ultrasound next Monday. William wasn't able to be there, but my friends Kelly and Kendall were able to come and watch the whole ultrasound live on the screen! So exciting! I asked the ultrasound tech to NOT tell me whether or not she could determine the baby's gender since William wasn't able to be there, but hopefully we'll find that out next week!

On the home front, there isn't a whole lot to show from last week. They added our electrical, pipes, and air conditioner/heat pump, threw in our bathtubs/shower floor, and put up the insulation on the exterior walls. But THIS week, they'll be putting up the drywall and adding the siding and brick to the outside... so we should have some great pictures to post next week!

I'm scheduled to take my physical therapy board exam on the 19th... so my life recently has been revolving around studying for that! It's really frustrating because they make the practice exams super-hard and so everyone fails them (or comes really close to it) and your test analysis reveals you are "incompetent" in most categories... but apparently you can still pass the real test without any problems! I think it's fairly insane. And not fair. I should feel like I've learned something the past 3 years... but I don't! :)

So we're heading to St. Louis on Friday for the weekend and to prepare for our dr.'s appointment on Monday... I'll be sure to post before I go to bed Monday night with the information you're all dying to know- boy or girl?!

Framing Pictures and Predictions

2008-05-26T16:33:00.001-07:00

Hello again! Since I hadn't posted in 3 weeks, I decided 2 posts within a couple of days was in order! Yesterday, Ann, mother of by OBU friend Kelly, made her official prediction on the gender of our baby (she worked in an ob-gyn's office for a while): she predicts a girl! I hear, she's pretty accurate.. :)
We went by the house today to take some pictures of the inside, and knew some of you wanted to see them, so here they are!

Upstairs: standing in master bedroom looking into bathroom/closet

View out master bedroom window

Looking down the stairs

Formal dining/living room looking out the front windows

View from back door to front door

View from living room into garage

Game room/loft upstairs

View from the top of the stairs: loft and bedrooms

View from the loft loking back toward the stairs. That's the laundry room that has some drywall in it

Bedrooms

View from the garage into the living room. That's the fireplace in the back left corner of the living room

View from front door to back door

view from formal living/dining are toward living room

Standing in kitchen looking toward living room

Standing in living room looking toward kitchen

That's all, kids! More to come later....

So much change...

2008-05-22T15:21:00.001-07:00

I just realized it's been 3 weeks since I last posted! WOW, the time has flown by! :)

Change #1: I have officially graduated from physical therapy school, and you can all feel free to call me doctor! Here are some pictures from the day (you can click on them to make them bigger)

William and I at graduation (he cheated by standing on the step!) :)

Me, Laura, and Kassie on graduation day! Oh, and by the way, I cut 14 inches of hair off!

Change #2: My tummy seems like it's getting bigger every day! We went back to the doctor on the 15th and got to hear the heartbeat for the first time. It was very fast- 167 beats per minute! Some people say that means we're getting a girl! We'll find out for "sure" hopefully on June 16th. Here's my best attempt at a belly shot taken at 15 weeks, 5 days:

It's getting there! I'm definitely wearing maternity pants and tanktops, and from the look of this picture I should retire that t-shirt to the "pre-pregnancy" pile as well!

Change #3: Our house building has begun! On the 15th, our friends Kelly and Andy called to tell us that they had poured the driveway and foundation and then on the 19th, they started the framing. Here's some pictures:

Framing on Day 1- the first floor

Day 4: The front of the house

Day 4: The back of the house

Moving is such a hassle...

2008-05-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

So I'm sitting in the floor of our new apartment in Noblesville, IN writing this post... waiting for William and Kenny and the moving truck to show up... while maintenance guys install our new sink in the bathroom....

I was SUPPOSED to be able to move in yesterday, but due to some staffing changes/maintenance being done on the apartment, today is the day! Cheers to our friends Kelly and Andy for letting me and the cats crash at their place :)

As far as pregnancy goes, every thing's going really well! My tummy is starting to stick out a little, but I don't know if you can tell yet in a picture... I'll see what I can do!

Monday was my last day EVER (well, at least for now.. heh) of school. It was actually a lot more sad than I thought it was going to be. You don't realize how attached you can become to 55 other people over the course of 3 years until it's time to say goodbye to them. See you guys on the 15th! Can't wait to graduate with you!!

By the way, it's DR. Higgins now!

Not a great start

2008-04-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's taken me so long to post... it's been a really busy week!! It started out with a doctor's appointment last Tuesday morning. The ultrasound was way more fun this time around. The first time was cool, because you could see the little flicker of the heartbeat, but everything else was just a blob. This time, we could not only see the heartbeat, but arms and legs waving and kicking around! I was surprise how much he/she was moving!!! Here's an ultrasound pic:

If you look closely, you can see that the baby is lying on its back, the super-huge head is on the left and you can see arms and legs and even the embryonic tail! (yes, my child has a tail... for now) So since the baby was a lot bigger than last time, they got a better measurement and estimated my due date to now be November 8th. I updated the ticker at the top :)

Wednesday night was skit night at school. Every year, the graduating PT class creates/videotapes skits relating to funny things that happened over the past 3 years, or lightly making fun of each other and our wonderful faculty and staff. This year was rumored to be the best ever... we were pretty good! :) Maybe once I get the DVD I can post some of the funnier videos so you can get a better idea.

Friday morning we headed to Noblesville, Indiana (our future home) to pick out all the tiny details of our new house! Carpet, tile, cabinets, faucets, fixtures... it all had to be done. I think we did a pretty good job, and were VERY efficient! I tried really hard to be decisive and not just say "I don't know... what do you think?"

Starting Sunday night, my run-through week has started! This is the 3rd year for the Washington University Med School Musical and it is a blast! This year we're performing Bye Bye Birdie (with a modern twist) and we open on Thursday night. It's a little bit complicated by the fact that this is also my last week of school (EVER!) and I'm trying to get last minute projects and presentations finished. Yikes! I'll close with a couple of more pictures...

PT08 class photo in Forest Park

William and I with our friends Kassie (a classmate of mine) and her fiance Clint at skit night

Skit night: PT08 and faculty/staff that were there that night

Uh oh...

2008-04-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

So, it's started... about a week and a half ago, I was driving home from target when it hit me... the dreaded pregnancy sickness! The persistent nausea has hit me every day since then between the hours of 3 and 5 in the afternoon. However, I've managed to prevent actually getting "sick"! If I eat something salty, it helps keep the nausea under control. So much for avoiding it...

Things are definitely changing! I can't wear any of my non-stretchy waist pants and I'm having to wear a tummy sleeve pretty much all the time now, but they're great! It's just a stretchy material shaped like a tube top that you put around the top of your pants/belly and it makes it to where you don't have to button your pants, and it just looks like you're wearing a cami! They need to market these to the ever-expanding waistlines across the country... I'll post a pic of it at some point.

I go back to the doctor on Tuesday. Hopefully they'll be able to confirm a due date.
Oh, and William is doing well, too! :) He's staying pretty busy by planning the logistics of our move on the 30th. We're going to Indiana on the 18th/19th for some house-building meetings, which should be fun... then after all that, all that's left is for me to graduate on May 16th!

Keep us in your prayers for our doctor's appointment on Tuesday, and that we don't get too stressed about the move... and I'll try to dig up some pictures to post!

More of the story...

2008-03-26T12:09:00.001-07:00

So nothing new has really happened, but I thought I'd add in some more details and answers to the questions everyone's been asking!

I've been feeling pretty good. I only feel sick when I'm eating, which stinks because I'm really hungry! However, the docs keep telling me I don't need any extra calories for another month, which I find hard to believe. So far, I've only gained 1/2 lb., which I can handle! The only craving that has surfaced has been orange juice, which is weird because I didn't really like it before I was pregnant. We go back to the doctor on April 15th to have another sonogram and re-evaluate my due date, so hopefully we'll find out some more information then.

I am also looking for maternity clothes, so if anyone knows of anyone trying to get rid of some that are smallish... I'm also open to borrowing and sending them back when I'm done with them!

Keeping in touch

2008-03-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

Well, we decided that it was too difficult to make phone calls to everyone every time we needed to share news, so this is our new communication device!

As a few of you already know, we found out a couple of weeks ago that we're expecting our first baby in November! We're really excited, especially since we had our first ultrasound yesterday! We weren't able to see much, but we DID see the little flutter of the heart beating... which was amazing! We're not really exactly sure of the due date and such because the baby's size didn't match up to where I thought things were, so as of now, my due date is November 12th-ish.

If you really haven't been in touch with us for a while, here's what we've been up to:
I'll be graduating from Physical Therapy school in May... after 21 years of schooling....
The end of April, we'll be moving to Noblesville, Indiana (Indianapolis area) with 2 other families to start a new church in a fast-growing area. I've already got a job there as an early intervention therapist working with kids ages 0-3 in their homes. We're also in the middle of planning to build a house! Life is busy....

Anyway, I'll try my best to keep this up-to-date and post pictures as things get "bigger" :)
God bless!