Ava's First Pictures

This is the first "picture" taken of Ava. We went to our first ultrasound on July 22, 2005.

Although I took a pregnancy test while in Michigan which showed up positive, it was surreal to hear that I was pregnant. I didn't have any obvious symptoms at that point. I was a little nauseous occassionally, but not to the point of vomiting. I don't like to say I "craved" anything while I was pregnant. However, starchy carbohydrates such as Kraft Mac and Cheese sounded TOLERABLE. Typically things with tomato in them sound good to me, but not while pregnant. For some reason, the acid in tomatoes didn't sit well in my stomach. So I think my body knew I needed to stick to bland foods.

The doctor said the baby was as big as a sesame seed at that point. My how fast she will be growing!

Our original due date was March 18th at our first doctor's appointment, when we saw this ultrasound. At the next doctor's visit, the due date was changed to March 19th. I heard the heartbeat at the second appointment. I got it on tape and played it when I saw Grandma Pam and Great Grammy in early October. Your heart was beating so fast, it seemed! I cried when I first heard it. It was exciting, but scary at the same time. A little person's heart beating inside me! Now I realized that this little life was dependent upon everything I did. Everything I ate, breathed in, and did.

Daddy Doug and I both felt good. We concentrated on walking and keeping in shape. Many nights during the summer we would walk five miles. Some nights I would run. I think I could run until the end of the first tri-mester. I would need a second shower almost every evening, from exercising in the Georgia heat. Even at 8:00 at night it would be hot! I also specifically remember running up North at Dad and Dolly's lakehouse in Michigan, during our visit at the beginning of July.

I was especially mindful of what I ate. During the first trimester, I cut back on the carbohydrates and tried to focus on eating protein and vegetables. I ate more soy and tofu than I usually ate. While pregnant, I took Omega-3 fish oil capsules (or salmon oil capsules) to start baby's brain off right! I religiously took my prenatal vitamins along with my usual "fiber" capsules every day.

My favorite meal while I was pregnant was a "Harvest Vermont Salad" from Jock's and Jill's, right near the Sprint building. It was a large salad with cubes of turkey breast, cubes of cheese, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts and a Maple-Vinaigrette dressing with toasted sesame seeds. Yum! I treated myself to this salad at least once every week while pregnant.

I couldn't wait to meet you and learn more about you! I logged-on to www.babycenter.com to learn more about your development on a weekly basis. I received one update weekly as to your progressing development. I sent the weekly updates to Grandma Carey, Grandma Pam and your Great Aunt Jackie by e-mail. Each week the update would show how big you were becoming, relative to the size of a certain fruit or vegetable. So, in the subject line of my e-mail, I would say something like "Baby Carey Fruit Update: We're The Size of an Apple!". They seemed to enjoy knowing how big you were and what you were working on developing that week. Would your hearing be fully developed? Would you be growing fingernails? Did you have hair on your head yet? We wanted to know all the specifics!

We loved you, even though we had not yet seen you! We didn't need to see you to love you, though. You already held a very special place in our hearts.

Mommy and Daddy

Shelly "Danger's my middle name" Carey

Doug Tooling Around Sand Lake at Dad and Dolly's lakehouse















Shelly and Emilie Shepherd Rohrbach at Emilie's Wedding
















This is the first picture we took after finding out we were pregnant... We found out 30 minutes before this picture was taken and then got ready to go to Emilie Shepherd's wedding!















Shelly and Tracy in back, Doug in front, riding the Dragster roller coaster (day after Emilie's wedding) at Cedar Pointe.
















Shelly Crusing Around Round Lake at Dad and Dolly's Lakehouse















Okay, so I wouldn't KNOWINGLY put my unborn child's life in danger, but... The week we found out we were pregnant, I was jet-skiing (yes, throttle open) and riding 300 mph roller coasters (fortunately not at the same time, though). If this kid is still hangin' around, I'm sure she'll grow up to be a tough old bird!

After visiting Europe last year, we decided our wild oats had been sewn and that we were ready for a different life adventure (one which might include Spaghettios stuck to the kitchen wall).

We found out I was pregnant when visiting in Michigan on Friday, July 8th, 2005. We were to attend Emilie Shepherd's wedding later that night. Doug and I just finished having lunch with my Dad at the Family Buggy. We had to return something to Wal-Mart, so I also picked-up a pregnancy test (why not?). While getting ready for the wedding, I took the test. It was POSITIVE. Ca-razy? So I came downstairs (at Doug's parents house) and told him... He was like "Really?" The attached picture was taken within 30 minutes of us learning this news, thus the "deer-in-headlights" look on my face, I suppose.

Already feeling "obviously pregnant" and bloated, I wondered how long we could keep this news a surprise. This made for an interesting wedding! Little did I know what BLOATED was at that day in age... :-)

At the wedding reception we sat with Campbell Reddick and his wife, who came in from Chicago. We joked about how long it would take the newly married couple's parents to inquire about grandkids. On cue, the bride's father (Don Shepherd) delivered! He toasted to the new couple and cheerfully mentioned how he couldn't wait to have some more grandbabies!!!! Boy, he didn't waste any time! Our table had to laugh. :-)

Earlier that week (before learning we were pregnant) , Doug, Doug's sister Tracy and I decided it would be fun to go to Cedar Point for the day and ride the coasters. Not wanting to disappoint (and not yet ready to divulge our little secret), we drove to Cedar Point with Tracy that Saturday (07/09) and had a blast. I guess I wasn't living too dangerously, as I JUST found out. I'm sure other pregnant women have done much worse, much later on!!! It was a bit intimidating, though, to see signs near the coasters stating: "Pregnant women and those with cardiovascular issues should not ride this ride." Okay, so we broke that rule...

The attached picture was taken as we rode the fastest roller coaster at Cedar Point. It goes 300 mph! Notice how constipated Doug looks in this picture. He's needing some Metamucil, I'd say! We had a great time with Tracy (and all other speed-junkies) that day!

Well, that's enough for now.

Have a great day!

With love,
Shelly, Doug and "Thumper" (aka "Speed Queen")