Our Little Tadpole

Grandpa Dean, Grandma Dolly, Shelly, Doug and Ava
















Ava with her Sweet Smile (Stop propping me up, Mom...)




















A Sea Turtle at the Atlanta Aquarium
















Ava Very Alert















Dad and Dolly at The Blue Willow Inn, Social Circle, GA

















Dad, Dolly and Ava at The Blue Willow Inn
















Ava Dines At The Blue Willow Inn




















Sweet Girl




















Dad, Dolly and Ava at The Blue Willow Inn
















Shelly, Doug and Ava at The Blue Willow Inn
















Grandpa Burping Ava in the Back Seat of Doug's Truck















Ava and Grandpa Dean















Hello, everyone!

We've been busy keeping up with the diaper changes and feedings as of late!

Grandpa Dean and Grandma Dolly visited this past Wednesday through Sunday. We had a great time with them! We were able to get out and enjoy quite a few sites in and around Atlanta with them. We went to the Georgia aquarium, The Blue Willow Inn, checked out houses in Madison, Georgia, The Cook's Warehouse, Target, and a local craft festival.

The Georgia Aquarium is amazing! Our little tadpole, Ava, was on her best behavior and didn't make a peep throughout the tour. The aquarium has a three-story fish tank which includes whale sharks, sting rays, VERY LARGE grouper, and many other fish. It's absolutely breath-taking. I enjoyed the sea otter, especially. He swims around all day on his back... If only we had it that easy??? It is definitely worth visiting the aquarium if you're in the Atlanta area.

The Blue Willow Inn serves up Southern-style food in an old historic house in Madison, Georgia. We enjoyed all the fixins at the inn, and then drove on to see some old houses in Madison, Georgia. Madison is such a beautiful town.

We enjoyed hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa Griffith :-). Ava flashed a few smiles their way and also has begun to "talk". She now likes to coo and hold conversations with the animals on her mobile. It's too cute...

Ava is now up to 9 and 3/4 lbs, from her original birth weight of 6 lbs 15 ounces. She's growing in leaps and bounds. It's been amazing to watch her little face change on a daily basis. We can't get enough of her!

Today we had our first real bath (non-sponge) which didn't include blood-curdling crying. I brought her in the bathtub with me, as all previous attempts at baths (with her in a small tub on the counter) were full of drama and screaming :-). Today she cried a little at first, but by the end, she was doing the backstroke in the tub and actually smiled a few times. She DIDN'T like being pulled-out of the tub and into cold air, though. Can't blame her, I guess!

Ava seems to be quite the content baby these days. She seems to stick to a schedule and only cries when she needs something (diaper change, pacifier, food, sleep). We feel blessed to have such a content little one. As the days go on, she seems to be even more content sitting in a swing, watching a mobile, or doing other things by herself. She is a sweetie! Of course Grandma and Grandpa Griffith spoiled her this past weekend!

We're excited to drive up to Michigan this Friday for Doug's youngest sister's (Tracy's) graduation from Oakland University's School of Nursing, and my cousin Adam's wedding (the following weekend)...

We can't wait for Ava to meet Aunt Tracy, Uncle Joe, Aunt Kristy, cousin Trinity, Great Uncle Bill and Great Aunt Jackie. We also can't wait for her to meet her Aunt Sherry, cousins Daymian and Jordan, Grandpa Bill, Great Grandmother, Great Uncle Danny, Great Aunt Linda and Ginger, Uncle Chris, Aunt Kristin, cousins Olivia and Sophia, Great Aunt Freda, Great Uncle Dave and Adam, Rachel, Rebecca, and Great Grandma Burnis! Lots of people to see!

I hope everyone is doing well, enjoying this beautiful spring weather!

Love,
Shelly, Doug and Ava

Eat, sleep, diaper change, repeat

Ava's First Photo With a Smile




















Snuggly Next To Mommy's Robe
















A Happy Baby




















Loving The Breeze!
















Ava Talking To Grandma Pam















Payton Trying Interesting Flavors at The World of Coke














Doug, Shelly, Ava, Payton, Sydney, Kathy and Jeff














The Carey Clan: Jeff, Kathy, Jim, Mary, Shelly, Doug, Sydney, Payton and Ava















Grandma With Her Newest Grandbaby














Cousin Sydney Helping Take Care of Ava
















Shelly, Doug and Ava at the Park
















Ava and the Boys: Payton, Jeff, Grandpa and Doug
















The Girls: Kathy, Grandma, Shelly, Ava and Sydney
















The Carey Clan: Jeff, Kathy, Jim, Mary, Shelly, Doug, Sydney, Payton and Ava
















Hello, everyone!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. We've been getting acquainted with parenthood and the crazy schedule that comes with the job. :-)

Ava has been a great baby so far. She is a late-night owl, but we're trying to work on that. (Mom is giving up caffeine in hopes that the sleep schedule will get better...) Today Ava was laughing in her sleep. It was the cutest thing ever. What could a 2 week-old baby possibly have to laugh about in their sleep?

I am still completely surprised that Ava is a brunette! I'm sure that could change, but I suppose I expected a toe-head for a baby... Who knew?

Ava has been to church twice since she was born. We luckily made it through both Sunday services without a hitch. On Easter Sunday, she was making a "deposit" during a quiet part of the sermon... Fortunately we were in the balcony, so not too many people heard... No one snickered, at least!

At Ava's two week check-up, she weighed in at a whopping 8 lbs. 1.6 ounces. So, at that point, she had gained over a pound since birth weight. Her noggin' is bigger, also. It is now 14 1/2 inches. She was very calm at this appointment and didn't cry when we had to put her on the scale, "nekkid" :-) .

I would venture to say that another benefit of breastfeeding is the faster-pace weight loss plan for Mom... I think I lost like 25 lbs in less than 10 days? I'm about 5 lbs away from pre-pregnancy weight and was back in my old jeans after 10 days, also. It was nice to see the # on the scale go down, after seeing it go up for 10 months (but 10 months of a GREAT CAUSE). Still not moving quite as fast these days, though!

We've had quite a few visitors so far, thankfully!

Grandma Pam had her Ava "fix" while she was visiting from Michigan. She was able to stay for 2 1/2 weeks, and go on our last "pregnant" 3-mile walk with us, and also to our last doctor's appointment where they told us to head to the hospital. It couldn't have worked out better to have her here, and here as long as she was, considering I couldn't drive for two weeks post c-section. She made dinner, was our chauffeur, helped clean house, rocked and fed Ava, and babysat when Doug and I were completely sleep-deprived. We were able to make it out to the local park twice to enjoy the weather and walk (slowly) around the paved trail. Ava might not have known she was strolled around the park the first time around... she slept through the whole outing!

Grandma and Grandpa Carey visited this past weekend (Wednesday through Saturday night). We had a great time with them, as well. Doug's sister Kathy and her family were visiting Disney World and were able to fly up for a mini-family reunion of sorts, also. Sydney and Payton were great helpers with Ava, getting a fresh diaper and wipes out when needed. We were able to visit the World of Coke, and also went to the park to fly kites one afternoon. Unfortunately there wasn't enough wind for the kites to stay in the air :-(. We took some family pictures while at the park, which I hope to attach. While visiting, everyone took turns holding and rocking Ava, but especially Grandma and Grandpa Carey. They are quite the rockers :-)

Grandpa Dean and Grandma Dolly will be down next Wednesday to meet Ava. They will be staying with us through Sunday. We're looking forward to their visit! The weather looks like it will be nice (mid-70's), so hopefully we'll be able to venture out and appreciate the nice weather. Maybe we'll visit the new Aquarium in town?

I will be sure to attach more pictures when I am able.

I hope this message finds you all well! Or, as the Waffle House waitress puts it: "Is everybody fat and happy?"

Take care!
Doug, Shelly and Ava

Welcome Ava!

Our Sweet Bundle of Joy - Already Posing!
















Mom and Baby Both Crying
















Daddy Holds Ava So Mommy Can Meet Her...















The Proud Dad















Already Despising the Scale
















Ever-so-alert!
















What a Sweetie Pie!
















Wrapped-Up Looking Like Mother Theresa
















Ava in Her "Bili" Bed - She Hated It!















Mom Holding Baby
















Bright-Eyed and Bushy-Tailed




















Our Little Peanut




















So Sweet!




















Grandma Pam and Ava
















Ava Wanting Some Snuggles From Grandma Pam
















A Proud Momma




















Sleeping Like a Baby















She's An Angel!
















The "Thinker"
















Dad Needing Some Rest
















Our Sweet Angel, Ava Elise Carey

Welcome Baby Ava Elise Carey!!!

Ava was born on Tuesday, March 28th at 2:46 p.m. at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. She is as sweet as a Georgia peach!

When we went to the Ob/Gyn appointment on Monday morning, the doctor said our “fluid level” was low, as the baby had been hanging around for so long in Mommy’s tummy. So, the doctor said it was time to induce, and that we should leisurely make our way to the hospital after gathering our things at home.

When we got to the hospital, we checked-in uneventfully. The staff at Northside Hospital is the best! The place looks like a hotel, with an atrium, a McDonald’s and a Starbucks all within the hospital walls. Schwanky!

They started us on the Pitocin (a contraction-encouraging drug) around 5:00 p.m. on Monday afternoon. They planned to up the Pitocin dosage as the night wore on, and give Mommy a dose of Ambien so she could sleep through the rough contractions. The baby didn’t seem to be tolerating the contractions very well, as her heart rate would drop after every contraction. At that point, we were alerted that a c-section might be in our near future, if the baby’s heart rate continued to drop with minimal contractions. We made it through the night comfortably, dialating to 3 or 4 centimeters. The baby seemed to tolerate the contractions well through the night, without her heart rate dipping.

The next morning, the Pitocin was increased to see how the baby would handle the contractions. Unfortunately the baby didn’t seem to like labor too well. She’s already finicky, I guess? As we were kind of waiting through mild contractions at that point, I told Doug and Mom that they should head to lunch before things got too crazy. They went to a local deli and got some grubbage and headed back to the hospital around 1:30.

I thought at that point we would opt for the epidural to see if it would make my body relax and in turn keep Ava’s heart rate constant and healthy. We spoke with the nurse midwife who said that the time was right for administering the epidural. It was a very nice feeling!!! Being that I am a happy person when my feet are warm, the epidural made me nice and cozy. I was relaxed and didn’t feel contractions, but felt pressure. It wasn’t too bad!

Around 2:00 the nurse (Wendy) came in and told me to switch sides as soon as possible, that the baby didn’t like that side. So, we switched sides. The baby then didn’t like the other side. So, she had me switch sides again. The baby STILL didn’t like that side. She then handed me an oxygen mask to put on, and told me to get on “all fours” in hopes that changing to that position would encourage the baby’s heart rate to go up to a healthy level. She started tapping on my stomach to get the baby to move, while I was on "all-fours". Not good.

At that time, an ENTOURAGE of doctors, nurses, etc, stormed into Room F2 to let us know that the baby needed to be born, and born soon… I heard the nurse ask if the doctor had been paged. When no one answered her, she got panicky and told someone the doctor needed to be paged immediately. I got freaked-out by the reaction of the hospital staff, but knew we were in the right place. They administered a full epidural at that point to numb me from the waist down, while Doug suited up into his ever-so-cute blue suit of scrubs.

I am freaking-out in the meantime, not caring less about the epidural or c-section, but about the safety of our unborn little girl. Never did I think I would need a c-section. They wheeled me into the operating room, where they prepped me (almost dropped me off the hospital bed, accidentally, although I caught myself with my arm on another gurney within arm's length) and cut into me before Doug even got into the room. Doug was waiting outside (very nervously) until allowed into the operating room.

The whole surgery seemed to take under ten minutes from start to finish. They told us it wasn’t an emergency / stat situation but that the baby needed to be born within the next 20 minutes. (And the difference is?) I was laughing and crying at the same time when I heard Ava cry, just knowing she was healthy.

Doug was a great Dad and husband, sticking right by me while in surgery. He was multi-tasking, filming the entire event and holding my hand at the same time. He got GREAT footage of the c-section (it’s not too graphic, except for some blood), where they show that the cord was indeed wrapped around Ava’s neck. We tease now that she already liked to accessorize with jewelry, just the wrong kind (umbilical cords don’t count as necklaces). Doug is the best husband, for being so sweet and kind during this whole ordeal (including pregnancy).

She’s a whopper, weighing in at 6 lbs 15 ounces. She is 20 inches tall, and has a bigger head than most babies her size (Einstein brain). She has little legs that are wrinkled like a “pug”! I was very surprised to find that she has a FULL head of brown hair. (Whose kid is this? ;-)) I completely thought she would be either bald or a blondie, with both of her parents being “toeheads” as kids.

We found out she has A negative blood. I have O positive and Doug has A positive (ever the over-achiever, going for the A+). Because her blood type was “incompatible” with mine, she obtained antibodies against my blood type. This in turn caused her “bilirubin” level to increase (not the best thing), which causes jaundice in newborns. She had to stay in a “billy-bed” while in the hospital, in our room, which provided her with light therapy, to decrease her bilirubin level. She stayed in the bed a day and a half, hating every minute of it (they can’t “swaddle” in this bed, as the light needs to be in contact with their skin). After she was through with the photo-therapy (billy-bed), we made sure to spoil her by holding her and giving extra kisses to her!

We were up and walking around after the c-section at 4:00 a.m., walking short distances. Amazing how much you use your abdominal muscles to walk, and even sit! Fortunately they considered Mommy and baby well enough to go home on Thursday at 3:00, and discharged us from the hospital. So, we stayed from Monday afternoon, gave birth on Tuesday afternoon and were discharged on Thursday. A short stay, from what I understand (thankfully!).

Ava is sleeping well. She nursed well from the get-go. Last night was her first night home, and she downed some formula and is quite the bottle-feeder.

We’re home now, and trying to rest and heal from the c-section. We’re so glad that we have her to hold in our arms now. She is the sweetest little thing in the world to us. She gave us quite the scare coming into the world, but she is very healthy, and quite the charmer.

If you would like to view her picture taken at the hospital:
-Go to www.Northside.com,
-Click on on-line nursery, on the left.
-Click on “click here to go straight to the nursery.
-Click on “Show me the baby” (in the middle of the screen).
-Type our personal access code of 101-83704.
-Click on “Show me the baby”.
-Click on View under “Guest View”
There she is!!!

We also attached pictures of the sweet pea.

We love you all, and thank you for stopping by to check on us.

Love,
Doug, Shelly and Ava (finally :-))

Don't ask... :-)

We're still here!

Last night I think I was having a hormonal night, or my body was trying to tell me that I should be done being pregnant by now. No crying, but just a strange feeling... It's like my mind was exhausted? Not my body, but my mind? I do find it helpful to realize it's the hormones talking to me at these moments, tell myself that, and cut myself some slack.

I told Doug that I might end-up forking-out cash and booking a massage after all. For some reason, right now, when I am at my most bountiful :-) (body-wise), I feel like I am needing all kinds of snugglies: A SHOULDER MASSAGE would be rockin'. Not sure if any other pregnant ladies can relate to that? Seems like a massage would make it all "better". :-)

For distraction, it helped that we went to H & R Block to finish-up our taxes last night. It was worth going... Normally we do our own taxes using Turbo Tax, but after eight years we decided to bite the bullet and see if they would've done anything differently. Fortunately they did, to our benefit. Not that we'll get rich off of tax returns, though! But the timing of a few extra doll-hairs (as Doug would say) will help, especially now!

Mom is driving down tomorrow, so she'll get to watch the drama whenever it does unfold! Looking forward to her visit.

Well, Doug's Mom (Grandma Mary Carey) is thinking tomorrow will be the day. Let's hope she's right!

With love,
Shelly and Doug

"Do you see the light?" - James Brown in "The Blues Brothers"

We're still hangin' out! Doing just fine. Doug and I took our loop-de-loop 2.75 mile walk last night after our doc appointment... It was a little dark, but we were glad to get the walk in.

The doctor says we are a little bit dialated (not yet a "one", though). She scheduled our next appointment for Monday morning. If we don't have the baby naturally by Monday, they will be scheduling an induction at Northside Hospital. The doctor said that the induction date will depend on Northside's schedule. So, we play the waiting game some more.

The doctor did say they won't let us go the full two weeks over our due date. So, it looks like we will have a March baby after all.

The good news is, I was measuring 32 weeks. When they measure your "belly", there should be a centimeter for each week pregnant. I measured 39 weeks last week. As we're measuring 32 centimeters this week, the doctor says the baby has definitely dropped and is getting ready to join us. This was great news!!!

I'm still not really waddling or in pain or anything. The lower back pain has gone away and I got another great night's sleep last night... To be savored before the baby gets here!

Mom plans on driving down this weekend, so she can be here when the baby is born. It would be nice to call her before Saturday to let her know the baby is coming on her own, though!

We hope this message finds you well!

Shelly and Doug

The Pool

I wish I knew how to cut and paste a portion of an Excel spreadsheet into this blog... Sorry this post isn't organized in a more reader-friendly fashion!

At the baby shower in December that Aunt Freda, Grandma Burn and Rachel threw for us, attendees guessed about:
-The baby's actual birthdate
-The baby's time of birth born
-The baby's weight
-The baby's length
-Whether the baby will have a little or a lot of hair
-The baby's hair color
-The baby's eye color
-The # of hours Mommy will be in labor

The winner will be the person who scores the most points, with each correctly answered question equaling one point. So, even though someone might not guess the date right, if they get all other answers correct, they might be the overall winner...

Here are everyone's answers...

Who will win?

Grandma Burnis
3/23
11:00 AM
7 lbs / 8 oz
20 inches
Lots of hair
Blonde
Blue
6 hours

Janice
3/4
9:19 AM
6 lbs / 3 oz
20 inches
Little hair
Reddish
Blue
6 hours

Aunt Jackie
3/19
11:00 AM
8 lbs / 2 oz
21 1/4 inches
Little hair
Blonde
Blue
4 hours

Tracy
3/21
8:00 AM
8 lbs / 6 oz
20 inches
Little Fuzz
Light Brown
Blue
5 hours

Lynn
3/14
3:00 PM
8 lbs / 4 oz
20 inches
Little hair
Blonde
Grey
7 1/2 hours

Alyson
3/15
10:00 PM
8 lbs / 2 oz
21 inches
Little hair
Blonde
Blue
6 hours

Rebecca
3/15
9:00 AM
8 lbs / 10 oz
21 1/2 inches
Lots of hair
Blonde
Brown
6 hours

Kristin
3/20
3:30 AM
6 lbs / 7 oz
19 1/2 inches
Lots of hair
Black / Brown
Blue
18 hours

Sherry
3/26
6:00 PM
8 lbs / 5 oz
20 1/2 inches
Little hair
Blonde
Blue
12 hours

Rachel
3/23
7:42 PM
7 lbs / 11 oz
21 1/2 inches
Little hair
Light Blonde
Blue
21 hours

Dolly
3/15
11:00 PM
7 lbs / 5 oz
21 inches
Little hair
Reddish
Blue
9 hours 10 minutes

Jenny
3/18
2:30 AM
6 lbs / 8 oz
21 inches
Little hair
Blonde
Blue
6 hours

Mary Carey
3/17 AM
7 lbs / 2 oz
19 inches
Little hair
Strawberry Blonde
Blue
4 1/2 hours

Aunt Freda
3/18
6:20 PM
7 lbs / 9 oz
21 1/2 inches
Little
Light Brown
Blue
9 hours

Shelly

Still Here...

Hello, everyone!


We're still here.

Doug was so certain that we would be headed to the hospital last night that he packed his bag of essentials... It was raining cats and dogs last night! He said he was expecting a "nudge" in the middle of the night, telling him it was time to go.

Thankfully, my lower back pain is gone and I am able to walk with more ease. Still not sure what that means.

Last night we watched "March of the Penguins". It is a documentary (narrated by Morgan Freeman) about the "love affair" between a Mom and Dad penguin, and the lengths they go to in order to bring a baby penguin into the world. For the first five minutes I was laughing hysterically at the "waddling" penguins. If you get the chance to watch it, definitely pick it up! (It was also very fitting that we watched this movie when we did, considering we're waiting for our little one to arrive safely).

I had a HEAVENLY night of sleep last night, and was also able to sleep in this morning. I guess after the night before, my body was telling me to rest...

We'll check in when we have more progress!

With love,
Doug and Shelly

Holding down the fort...

Hello, everyone!

We're still here! (notice the Jeopardy game show theme music in the background?)

Yesterday Doug and I were able to go for another walk and do some last minute cleaning around the house. Doug helped by vacuuming, which seems to be a big feat for me these days! He has been the absolute best at watching out for me and treating me well during this pregnancy (as he always does)! I washed the floor, which seemed a little more manageable to me.

Yesterday I was also able to go grocery shopping and make a few more meals that we can eat during the first week of madness, after the baby is born. I made one of Doug's favorites - curry chicken salad, a Mac and beef casserole, a shepherd's pie (ready to cook), and a creamy grape salad (semi-healthy, semi-dessert :-). Some I froze, and others are just ready to pop in the oven.

After being on my feet for quite a bit of the day, I was ready to relax last night. Doug and I enjoyed some "veg" time, too. I wasn't able to sleep very well, because I have some sciatic nerve pain in my lower back / hip area. Even with major stretching it didn't go away. When I went to bed, I had quite a bit of pressure in my pelvic area, along with the sciatic pain. I was up every hour, it seemed, when I tried to flip over. (I feel like a beluga whale when trying to flip over in bed!) I thought this kid might announce her arrival at that point. No such luck. I do have the continuing pressure today and more difficulty in walking, but nothing more. Hopefully that is some sort of progress, though?

For work, I dialed into my weekly staff call this afternoon. They were surprised that I was even on the phone, and that the baby hasn't yet arrived. My teammates are all being very supportive at this point. I'm so lucky that I work with such nice people!

I am beginning to think I might need to be induced after all. When I asked Doug, though, he seems to think we'll go into labor on our own. Let's hope so!

Our next appointment is Wednesday afternoon. Say your prayers that we DON'T make it to Wednedsay's appointment, and if we do, that we've made some progress.

We'll keep you updated!

With love,
Shelly and Doug

Yep, you guessed it...

We're still here! No changes at all since yesterday. I am really beginning to think they'll have to induce me, in order for this baby to come out!

Today we are 40 weeks plus one day.

A little cloudy here in Georgia, but Doug and I might go for a walk later today.

The weather was nice yesterday so we decided to take a drive to look at houses in Cumming, Georgia, to a high-end residential development called "Vickery". Doug wanted to take some pictures to add to his folder of architectural resources. It is a very nice community, with many different styles of architecture. Homes range from 400k to 1 million plus.

http://www.hedgewoodhomes.com/community.asp?communityID=2

Well, that's about it for now.

Hoping this message finds you well!

With love,
Doug and Shelly

Hangin' Around

We're still here! No news yet.

Doug and I just got back from our 2.75 loop-de-loop around the neighborhood. I am still able to walk with ease, so far.

Today was the baby's tentative arrival date, but I think she'll make us wait a bit longer.

Hope you are all having a great day!

Love,
Shelly and Doug

Eggplant Parmesan

Hello!

The eggplant parmesan was purdy good last night! Obviously as I'm typing this now, it didn't get us to the Labor and Delivery ward last night... :-) We went to Scalini's and found that our friend Amy Hoffman was working there. She is a server at Scalini's, and took the best care of us!

The mystery ingredient in the eggplant did seem to TRY to have it's affect on the baby last night... I had some strange feelings (possibly Braxton-Hicks contracts) while sleeping last night, and my stomach got very hard. Nothing before going to sleep, though.

Can't blame this kid for not wanting to give up a good thing... Right now, she is warm, fed, sleeps whenever she wants and can't be bothered :-)

Today is a gorgeous day outside. I'm wondering if I should curb my "walking alone" outside at this point, and just stick to the treadmill (aka dreadmill)... That's no fun, especially when it is as beautiful outside as it is today!

I suppose we won't be having a little "clover" today, so maybe she'll arrive as our "tulip" on the first day of Spring? (03/20)

We hope this message finds you well, and ready to enjoy the weekend!

With love,
Shelly and Doug

"Princess Buttercup"...

Hey folks!

We just got back from our 40 week doctor's appointment. No news, just yet.

She says we're doing great, progressing very well, but no signs of dialation just yet. They weren't able to "strip the membranes" at today's appointment because we aren't dialated. So, we're getting very good at playing the waiting game!

I even walked 5 MILES yesterday, knowing TODAY was our chance at being dialated for the appointment...Thinking gravity might've helped yesterday, but it didn't. I might have to go buy a pogo stick or something! (Wouldn't that be a funny sight... a pregnant woman jumping around the neighborhood on a pogo stick?)

I lost 1 lb at today's appointment, which I can't believe is possible with my appetite lately ;-), so we're up 26 lbs so far. Our next appt is next Wednesday at 4:40, but LET'S HOPE she plans to arrive before that!



P.S.- We're thinking of buying stock in Cheez-Its. :-) The starch / cheese / salt combo seems to be what this kid loves. Early on in the pregnancy it was the GHETTO VERSION (powder form - no Deluxe Shells and Cheese, thank you very much) of KRAFT MAC AND CHEESE. I could actually make Kraft Mac and Cheese in the microwave - 11 minutes, stir once after 5 minutes - without looking at the directions, I ate it that often!!! Poor Doug was a trooper for helping with those leftovers, so often! I think my queasy stomach knew that the bland Mac and Cheese was about all it could handle! Oddly enough, I still get HORRIBLE heartburn when I eat anything tomato-based. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE TOMATOES, too. I will be so relieved when the heartburn goes away. I hear it goes away as soon as the baby is born. Wacky, wild stuff.

Tonight we're going to Scalini's for some eggplant parmesan. It helped to induce our friends the Fletchers right before Thanksgiving... Let's hope it has the same affect on us! (There is a wall at Scalini's with babies born within 24 hours after Mom ate eggplant parmesan at this restaurant. Something about oxytocin being naturally found in eggplant).

http://www.provinos.com/index.html
http://www.turnersouth.com/network/shows/bluebird-cafe/episodes/article/0,,780,00.html


I guess she'll get here when she is good and ready!

We'll be sure to post as soon as some progress occurs...

Love,
Shelly and Doug

Keep On Chooglin'

I THINK that is the name of one of the the CCR (Credence Clearwater Revival) Albums? So, we'll keep on chooglin' this week. :-)

No new signs of baby's arrival yet. I was really hoping the full moon might get something going, but nothing yet! So far, I've eaten fresh pineapple, an eggplant dish for lunch on Monday, tried walking, taken daily doses of Evening Primrose Oil and Red Raspberry Leaf tea. Anything to not go two and 3/4 weeks over like my Mom did with me! A St. Patty's little clover might be in our cards!

Hopefully all of these things prepare us for our "membrane strippage" :-) on Thursday, if we're dialated.

We've gone for our 2.75 mile walks every day (or evening) since Saturday, with it beginning to stay light out longer these days. Last night I had to walk a little more slowly with the last mile, due to pressure, but not too bad.

We'll be sure to post more when we have more info (hopefully Thursday)!

I hope you are all doing very well and enjoying this soon-to-be-Spring weather!

With love,
Shelly and Doug

The Progression Of Things (Or Lack Thereof!)

Hello!!!

Doug and I went to our 39 week appointment this afternoon. I thought there might be some sort of progress, as I've felt some increased pressure in my pelvic area. (Still not waddling yet, though). No progress this time :-( We're not dialated at all, and no new symptoms that our little one is ready for her arrival.

I lost 1 lb since last week's appointment, so IT MUST'VE BEEN THAT CUBAN LUNCH last week???? :-) Still trying to convince myself of that :-)

The nurse-midwife still said they will "let me go" until I am 42 weeks pregnant before they will induce labor. I would prefer that they NOT induce labor, as I think anyone's body will move through labor more quickly and efficiently on it's own... I also don't want to be pregnant in the month of May!!! ;-)

Next week, if I am dialated at all, the nurse-midwife stated she can "strip my membranes," which can often induce labor naturally. I have to be dialated in order for this to occur. I am hoping that this can happen next week...The nurse-midwife also stated that if "stripping the membranes" DOES work, a woman will naturally go into labor within 24 hours. I've heard of women having this done week after week, though, with no progress. We'll see if it has a positive affect on me?

Our next appointment is scheduled for Thursday (03/16) at 11:00 a.m.... This being said, we could potentially have a little "clover" of a baby on St. Patty's Day!

So... I suppose we will plan on dinner at Scalini's on 03/16 (the day of our next doctor's appointment) for some eggplant parmesan. Maybe a VERY LONG walk afterward? Jumping jacks? Kidding...

Here is a list of the things I've been told can possibly cause a woman to go into labor. Some are pretty hilarious! Some may be too much information, but hey, I'm just relaying the facts here!!! :-) I'm not so desperate that I would drink castor oil at this point... EEEWWWWW... I hear it causes more trips to the bathroom than anything, if you follow me here... Can you imagine?

I am taking evening primrose oil, red reaspberry leaf tea, and continuing to walk. The pineapple is sounding good these days, too!

Ways To Naturally Induce Labor
Drinking castor oil
Eating black licorice
Taking Evening Primrose Oil
Drinking red raspberry leaf tea
Sex
Walking
Exercise
Eating spicy food
Eating eggplant parmesan
Eating a lobster dinner
Eating fresh pineapple
Doing squats
Enemas
Fasting and dehydration
Stimulating nipples
Taking blue and black cohosh
Stripping the membranes
Taking a ride down a bumpy road
Drinking balsamic vinegar
Reflexology
Accupressure

We hope to post some GREAT progress sometime soon!

Please continue to keep us (all) in your prayers as we go through this new venture in our lives.

With love,
Shelly

WE'RE growing in leaps and bounds....

Hello, everyone!

Well, we're in the home stretch! Again, I am amazed that the belly can stretch this far. I've caught myself snickering at the gi-normous size of my belly in the mirror (it's gi-normous to me, at least, although girls at work think I'm carrying "petite"). No decorative stretch-marks yet, but that could be just around the corner!

We're still feeling great. I don't think I will be having the baby this week, based on how I'm feeling, but what do I know :-) 'Never done this before!

Doug and I walked three miles on Saturday, and then three miles on Sunday. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous here, so we decided to enjoy some sunshine! I've been keeping up with a brisk treadmill mile or two a day (more often 1.5 miles) to keep the muscles in shape for labor. Some days are rougher than others, but I truthfully haven't been "waddling" yet.



Doug and I also took our last pre-kid "road trip" on Saturday, up to Cleveland, GA, situated in the north Georgia mountains. Doug is working on house plans for someone we know, and wanted to see the land on which the house will be located. It was a perfect day for a drive, and nice to get away for a little bit. We saw Cabbage Patch "Babyland" while visiting Cleveland. Cleveland is the home of Babyland General Hospital, where visitors can "watch the delivery of the unique Cabbage Patch Kids." Cleveland is the hometown of Cabbage Patch creator Xavier Roberts. The old town hospital was turned into the museum. Very cute! http://www.cabbagepatchkids.com

Last week, when I went to the doctor, I had gained 4 lbs! Unbelievable! I don't see how this is humanly possible (especially since I've been good about the treadmill and haven't been spending my day stuffing the "face"). They typically say in the last two months that a pregnant woman should gain 1-2 lbs per week. I have been gaining 1 lb per week, so I guess I was "due" for the 4 lbs. My appointment was after lunch this time (instead of before lunch, as it typically is), so THIS pregnant lady tried to tell herself it was the Cuban restaurant food sitting in my stomach that caused the big # on the scale :-) We're up 25-26 lbs. from pre-pregnancy weight. This is actually right where they want me to be... They told me originally that they want me to gain 30 lbs while pregnant. So, limiting future Cuban lunches, we should be okay ;-)

I did tell Doug the other night, while eating dinner, that I would rather just be fed intravenously now, instead of eating food. :-( Food isn't the glorious experience I imagined it would be at this point. It seems to be all about "calories in", and because my stomach is all crunched-in there with the baby and all, I get full so fast, so it's really not that enjoyable. Funny thing is, I remember a friend (Kathy Flanigan) telling me that everything she ate when she was pregnant was "the best" of whatever it was she ate. For example, if it was a piece of chicken, it was "the best chicken" she'd ever had. If it was a piece of broccoli, it was "the best broccoli" she'd ever had. At this point for me, food hasn't been anything to write home about. Interesting how different people experience different things during pregnancy!

We've been seeing a lot of knee and appendage action in my belly, lately. The doctor commented that the baby is very active, and that it was refreshing to see such a healthy pregnant lady like myself. Okay, I think he must say that to everyone. It was nice to hear that, regardless, though!

WE'RE READY
We're down to the weekly appointments, now. At the last appointment (last Thursday), we weren't dialated at all. Hopefully that changes, now that we're officially considered "full term". The next appointment is this Thursday at lunchtime. The bun should be fully cooked by now! Our house is almost as clean as I'd like, dinners and soups are frozen, baby clothes washed and organized, and bags for the hospital are packed...

Doug is thinking she'll make her grand entrance on 03/20 and weigh 7 lbs 6 ounces. I am thinking 03/20 and 8 lbs 2 ounces, although the thought of a St. Patty's baby is sounding better and better these days...

Can't wait to meet her, finally! Looking forward to seeing Doug as a sweet Dad, too. I know he's going to be the best Dad!

With love,
Shelly