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Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Progress=progress
36week check up today. Everything went great fluid levels are good and avery is growing and "performing" really well. It's just a waiting game now. I'm 50% effaced and 1cm dilated. Hopefully my next apointment will show continued progress! Though they are inducing me on the 17th the further along I am the better!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Just a note
Not much new going on just wanted to update everyone on Avery's growth. She is weighing in at aprox. 5lbs and 9 ounces and is doing great. Mom is doing good to my blood pressure, blood sugar and everything is right on track. We will keep you posted!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
The Home Stretch
It seems hard to believe that we are coming up on the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new lifelong journey. As the calendar ticks down to 3 weeks and items are checked off the list Shawn and I keep catching each others glance and smiling, she's almost here. We have an induction date of May 17th set which would see us welcoming Avery to the world on May 18th, that would put her at about 38 weeks gestation. My plan involves large amounts of walking and pineapple starting the week before! Because I still would prefer to labor without the use of an epidural going into it naturally would be better than artificially through the induction process. One way or another though we will have our little girl and that thought can get me through anything.
As most mothers and women know one of the strongest nesting urges you can have revolves around the nursery. Having books on the shelves, clean sheets in the crib and little clothes folded in the drawers make you feel a little more at peace. Shawn and I have been truly blessed to have Avery's grandparents want to be involved in preparing for her arrival. We were gifted a beautiful dresser, bookcase, and chandelier for her nursery that really made my vision for her room come together. Shawn's father Tim and Stepmom Lisa brought over the bookcase and dresser after a productive trip to Canton trade days, a large flea market type event. The bookcase was a beautiful pine and was built like a dollhouse, perfect for a little girl!
Tim knew Avery needed this when he saw it
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| Mom knew she was saving this chandelier for something, WHAT LUCK!! |
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| Lisa's great find |
After a great idea from Tim to paint the bookcase multiple colors I had a plan....but I needed more hands. Enter the mom of all grandmoms, with a quick call my mom was on a flight armed with painting clothes and a lot of love. We worked together for days turning Shawn and mine garage sale find chair into a chic rocker, painting the bookshelf, putting up curtains and decaling the wall. All in all we worked like turks turning a beige room into the nursery that was stuck in my head. I would have been lost trying to take all of my odds and ends and big ideas and putting them into action, not to mention I don't think it would have gotten done before Avery got here!
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| Crib sheet set arrives! |
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| It was a labor of love and the crib turned out great |
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| A gentle reminder for Avery :) |
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| White paint a little sanding and that chair turned out perfect! Oh and check out the shelf hanging skills Avery's daddy has going on :) |
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| Yellow, Pink and Blue. A beautiful piece Avery can enjoy for years! |
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| Love etsy.com! Are your arms sore to mom? LOL |
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The bookcase is to the left when you enter so I couldn't get it in the pictures :( |
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| It turned out perfect! |
Till next time ! all my love
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The incredible shrinking baby
Yesterday Avery and I had our weekly checkup and we got some great news! Apparently Avery had some early growth spurts but her weight gain has since slowed down. Most likely it is due to the diet that is managing my diabetes much better than where I was during 2nd trimester before the diagnosis. She hasn't put on really any weight since last week and a quick measurement of her thigh (which we couldn't get to last week) shows that she is actually measuring now about a week behind! Quite a change from our initial worries that Avery would need to come early due to growing to large to quick! I asked where this new find put us and she said with a nice petite little baby, what a relief! She doesn't expect Avery to top out much over high 6 low 7lbs at the most! We finished up by checking resistance on the umbilical cord (measures nutrient and oxygen flow from me to her) and measuring the amniotic fluid, all of which were great.
So knowing what we know now Dr. Herr said we can plan on inducing closer to term at 38 weeks, unless fluid levels or the umbilical cord start showing problems. Great News!! Shawn and I now get to choose whether we want to go in on May 18th or May 20th to be induced (of course Avery could always choose her own date lol). We will keep everyone posted on which date we choose...most likely Wednesday the 18th.
Till next week, All our love
So knowing what we know now Dr. Herr said we can plan on inducing closer to term at 38 weeks, unless fluid levels or the umbilical cord start showing problems. Great News!! Shawn and I now get to choose whether we want to go in on May 18th or May 20th to be induced (of course Avery could always choose her own date lol). We will keep everyone posted on which date we choose...most likely Wednesday the 18th.
Till next week, All our love
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Getting Closer
It's time for an update!
Avery and I saw several doctors this week, I think we both enjoyed the time out of the house. The first appointment we went to as a family. It was important to Shawn and I that we established a Pediatrician before delivery due to the diabetes testing etc. that her and I will undergo once she arrives. We found a great office that offers 24 hr nurse line as well as after hours and weekend appointments, not to mention the doctors we met were great. We met with Dr. Smalley who turns out used our OB for the delivery of his second little boy! We learned about when different vaccines will be given to Avery and what to expect during our stay at the hospital. It was good to have my questions answered and for Shawn and I to meet the people who would be caring for Avery from birth.
Our next appointment Avery and I attacked on our own.The dietitian. We were both a little nervous to see how my blood sugar numbers would stack up and Avery admitted she had been pretty hungry the other night and may have dipped in my sugar reserves for a snack while I was sleeping. Turns out that we had done great. She said my numbers were great and my food notes looked like I was on the right track. It was a relief when she said that I was good to go, that she didn't need to see me again! I will continue to check my blood sugar 4 times a day and record everything for Dr. Herr but I won't need insulin to control the diabetes!
Avery and I stopped for a quick bite of lunch before heading to our final appointment of the week, our weekly monitoring session with Dr. Herr. At this point lunch had made its way to my little angel and she was ready to show off, I told Dr. Herr we weren't going to need very long for the kick count portion! We got comfortable hooked up to a a machine that records movement as well as heart beat. My job was just to push a button when I felt Avery move, I asked if I should just hold the button down. Not long after we got the monitor strapped on my belly Avery kicked the sensor so hard that it popped off, we all laughed and repositioned the sensor to a spot more to Avery's liking. After 30 minutes of fun we moved to the sonogram room to grab some measurements and take a peek at my little lady. She looked great and was performing some great practice breathing movements. Dr. Herr went to take some head measurements and Avery turned to face the "camera", Dr. Herr pointed out some visibly pouty lips. Shawn is definitely in trouble ! Avery looked wonderful, way to crunched up for any length guesses but she is looking to be about 4lbs 10ounces. Dr. Herr said that if she stays on her current growth pattern that by week 37 that she will be a nice normal size baby which was a relief! She did confirm that due to diabetes that I would not be allowed past 38 weeks with a likely induction date at 37 weeks. Hey, ya never know hopefully Avery will make her appearance the natural way around that time! Either way it looks like Mother's day will be a special time this year !
Till next time! All my love
Avery and I saw several doctors this week, I think we both enjoyed the time out of the house. The first appointment we went to as a family. It was important to Shawn and I that we established a Pediatrician before delivery due to the diabetes testing etc. that her and I will undergo once she arrives. We found a great office that offers 24 hr nurse line as well as after hours and weekend appointments, not to mention the doctors we met were great. We met with Dr. Smalley who turns out used our OB for the delivery of his second little boy! We learned about when different vaccines will be given to Avery and what to expect during our stay at the hospital. It was good to have my questions answered and for Shawn and I to meet the people who would be caring for Avery from birth.
Our next appointment Avery and I attacked on our own.The dietitian. We were both a little nervous to see how my blood sugar numbers would stack up and Avery admitted she had been pretty hungry the other night and may have dipped in my sugar reserves for a snack while I was sleeping. Turns out that we had done great. She said my numbers were great and my food notes looked like I was on the right track. It was a relief when she said that I was good to go, that she didn't need to see me again! I will continue to check my blood sugar 4 times a day and record everything for Dr. Herr but I won't need insulin to control the diabetes!
Avery and I stopped for a quick bite of lunch before heading to our final appointment of the week, our weekly monitoring session with Dr. Herr. At this point lunch had made its way to my little angel and she was ready to show off, I told Dr. Herr we weren't going to need very long for the kick count portion! We got comfortable hooked up to a a machine that records movement as well as heart beat. My job was just to push a button when I felt Avery move, I asked if I should just hold the button down. Not long after we got the monitor strapped on my belly Avery kicked the sensor so hard that it popped off, we all laughed and repositioned the sensor to a spot more to Avery's liking. After 30 minutes of fun we moved to the sonogram room to grab some measurements and take a peek at my little lady. She looked great and was performing some great practice breathing movements. Dr. Herr went to take some head measurements and Avery turned to face the "camera", Dr. Herr pointed out some visibly pouty lips. Shawn is definitely in trouble ! Avery looked wonderful, way to crunched up for any length guesses but she is looking to be about 4lbs 10ounces. Dr. Herr said that if she stays on her current growth pattern that by week 37 that she will be a nice normal size baby which was a relief! She did confirm that due to diabetes that I would not be allowed past 38 weeks with a likely induction date at 37 weeks. Hey, ya never know hopefully Avery will make her appearance the natural way around that time! Either way it looks like Mother's day will be a special time this year !
Till next time! All my love
Friday, March 18, 2011
Update Time
Greetings from my couch ! As promised I'm here to jot down a little update for everyone on how my little lady and myself are doing.
Last week I visited the Dietitian's to discuss my new diet and everything I would need to know about gestational diabetes. What I thought would be a short appointment turned into a 2 hour class teaching me about diabetes, how it effected Avery, what I would need to eat from now on, how often to test my blood sugar and how it was going to effect the rest of my life. I sure am glad I took my mom a long as an extra set of ears! The good news is I left armed with lots of information and confidence that I could manage my blood sugar without meds and make Avery's life on the outside world a healthy one.
Shawn was out of town on business last week so mom and I decided that while she was here escorting me to all my doctor appointments that we would just make a time of it so after the dietitian's we headed to a little cafe for lunch (plus after 2 hours we were ravenous) ! The next stop was a quick peek into baby's r us that I was adamant about making though mom advised against it. Of course after about 10 minutes in the store I was nauseas and started tightening up, well so much for that! So mom grabbed the pack-n-play and a couple of blankets and onesies to check out and I waddled to the car. What a trooper! We got back to the house and I was feeling defeated, mom knew that seeing baby gear put together would lift my spirits so she drug the pack-n-play through the house and into my room with me. Ok can I just say that I should have been video taping my mom putting the pack-n-play together! OMG I almost peed my pants. As a laid in bed chugging water mom was determined to put the bed together for me ( again what a trooper). She began the process without instructions or glasses, working off instinct. After about 5 minutes of either dancing or wrestling with the bed she dropped it on the floor and finally opened the instructions. So that was the good news, the bad news was she didn't read ahead and after completing step one went back to instinct. It was hilarious and definitely the pick me up that I needed and her efforts weren't in vain as we now have a beautiful bed set for Avery and I had a smile on face.
Day two meant another trip to the doctor, this time with my OB to do a checkup and see where we were on mission baby. A pretty good bit had changed since my last appointment so I was anxious to see what Dr. Herr had to say. I was also a bit anxious to have an extra set of worried ears. For the entire pregnancy I had been the information filter to everyone, Shawn would come along for ultrasounds and the occasional visit but all of the nitty gritty I had taken in and repackaged for the family. I wanted the experience to be positive and stress free; therefore I needed to control it ( My PR side coming out I know I know). In we went, I introduced mom to Dr. Herr and we got down to business. Since my last visit I had gone on bed rest, been to the hospital and been diagnosed with gestational diabetes; we had a lot to cover. We spoke about my contractions, Avery's head down position and the fact that I was carrying all of my ...errr...her weight up front. Then we talked about the diabetes, bed rest and our game plan moving forward. We set an appointment 2 weeks out to begin the process of monitoring my amniotic fluid and Avery's size. After my 2 week appointment (32 weeks) I would then need to go in every week for the same tests, amniotic fluid and Avery's size. She loosened up my bed rest constraints stating that with diabetes it was important to increase circulation which meant I needed to keep my legs moving. Don't get excited she told me I was still ordered to take it easy and listen to my body. But the fact that she said I could make quick trips out for a sit down dinner or walk around the yard to water the plants made all the difference in the world. I was feeling positive. Sure every week was a little scary but hey that meant I got to see Avery once a week. Then she got my attention, and I asked her to repeat herself. Yep, she just said what I thought she said, that I probably was not going to be allowed to get past 37 weeks maybe as early as 35. Did she just take away a whole month! I have so much to do I told myself I'm not ready, will Avery be ready she is still so little?
Once in the car mom and I discussed the news, she was not surprised and looked surprised that I was surprised! She thought I was silly for thinking that I would go pretty much to my due date of May 29. I don't think that is silly! But hey it is what it is and I have faith in my awesome doctor and her staff. So as the weeks go by I will make sure to update with more information as it comes in. I will also keep everyone posted with how big Avery is getting. Right now the estimate is about 19" and around 4lbs.
All my love
Last week I visited the Dietitian's to discuss my new diet and everything I would need to know about gestational diabetes. What I thought would be a short appointment turned into a 2 hour class teaching me about diabetes, how it effected Avery, what I would need to eat from now on, how often to test my blood sugar and how it was going to effect the rest of my life. I sure am glad I took my mom a long as an extra set of ears! The good news is I left armed with lots of information and confidence that I could manage my blood sugar without meds and make Avery's life on the outside world a healthy one.
Shawn was out of town on business last week so mom and I decided that while she was here escorting me to all my doctor appointments that we would just make a time of it so after the dietitian's we headed to a little cafe for lunch (plus after 2 hours we were ravenous) ! The next stop was a quick peek into baby's r us that I was adamant about making though mom advised against it. Of course after about 10 minutes in the store I was nauseas and started tightening up, well so much for that! So mom grabbed the pack-n-play and a couple of blankets and onesies to check out and I waddled to the car. What a trooper! We got back to the house and I was feeling defeated, mom knew that seeing baby gear put together would lift my spirits so she drug the pack-n-play through the house and into my room with me. Ok can I just say that I should have been video taping my mom putting the pack-n-play together! OMG I almost peed my pants. As a laid in bed chugging water mom was determined to put the bed together for me ( again what a trooper). She began the process without instructions or glasses, working off instinct. After about 5 minutes of either dancing or wrestling with the bed she dropped it on the floor and finally opened the instructions. So that was the good news, the bad news was she didn't read ahead and after completing step one went back to instinct. It was hilarious and definitely the pick me up that I needed and her efforts weren't in vain as we now have a beautiful bed set for Avery and I had a smile on face.
Day two meant another trip to the doctor, this time with my OB to do a checkup and see where we were on mission baby. A pretty good bit had changed since my last appointment so I was anxious to see what Dr. Herr had to say. I was also a bit anxious to have an extra set of worried ears. For the entire pregnancy I had been the information filter to everyone, Shawn would come along for ultrasounds and the occasional visit but all of the nitty gritty I had taken in and repackaged for the family. I wanted the experience to be positive and stress free; therefore I needed to control it ( My PR side coming out I know I know). In we went, I introduced mom to Dr. Herr and we got down to business. Since my last visit I had gone on bed rest, been to the hospital and been diagnosed with gestational diabetes; we had a lot to cover. We spoke about my contractions, Avery's head down position and the fact that I was carrying all of my ...errr...her weight up front. Then we talked about the diabetes, bed rest and our game plan moving forward. We set an appointment 2 weeks out to begin the process of monitoring my amniotic fluid and Avery's size. After my 2 week appointment (32 weeks) I would then need to go in every week for the same tests, amniotic fluid and Avery's size. She loosened up my bed rest constraints stating that with diabetes it was important to increase circulation which meant I needed to keep my legs moving. Don't get excited she told me I was still ordered to take it easy and listen to my body. But the fact that she said I could make quick trips out for a sit down dinner or walk around the yard to water the plants made all the difference in the world. I was feeling positive. Sure every week was a little scary but hey that meant I got to see Avery once a week. Then she got my attention, and I asked her to repeat herself. Yep, she just said what I thought she said, that I probably was not going to be allowed to get past 37 weeks maybe as early as 35. Did she just take away a whole month! I have so much to do I told myself I'm not ready, will Avery be ready she is still so little?
Once in the car mom and I discussed the news, she was not surprised and looked surprised that I was surprised! She thought I was silly for thinking that I would go pretty much to my due date of May 29. I don't think that is silly! But hey it is what it is and I have faith in my awesome doctor and her staff. So as the weeks go by I will make sure to update with more information as it comes in. I will also keep everyone posted with how big Avery is getting. Right now the estimate is about 19" and around 4lbs.
All my love
Friday, March 11, 2011
Over Half Way There
We had the wonderful opportunity to have our parents come in to share a 4D ultrasound with us. WOW! I think Avery looks so much like Shawn but everyone says she looks like me, but then again I guess thats how it works haha. She was of course as usual very active through the entire session. The fun thing to see was that though I knew she was a little explorer reaching, turning and twisting constantly, the ultrasound showed us that she also was busy making faces. She scrunched her little face and stuck her tongue out all the while rubbing her chubby cheeks with her hands, it was amazing. To see that the little baby that had been a black and white skeleton moving on a monitor screen was actually a chubby cheeked little version of me and Shawn with already tons of personality was breath taking. I can't wait to hold her in my arms and press my face up against those chubby little cheeks!
So upcoming in Avery and my world is not much. We will be doing a lot of sitting, maybe some painting , creating honey do lists for daddy and going to the doctor. It's a busy life but someone has to do it! I will update my blog ( I PROMISE) after my appointment with the dietitian to talk about my newly discovered gestational diabetes and also my check up with Dr. Herr to evaluate our combined progress. See you all soon all my love!
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