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