Sunday, June 15, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Ava Loves Her Brother
Ava is already loving on her little brother. When these pictures were taken, I asked Doug to run and get the camera. Ava had her hand resting on my belly so naturally. It was too sweet to not take a few pictures! Two more weeks until she finally gets to meet the little guy.
Peace, love and Baby Boy's first sibling snuggles,
Shelly, Doug and Ava
First Fruits (and Vegetables)
We now have visible fruit or veggies growing on everything I've planted, with exception to the "Big Boy" tomatoes. The Big Boy tomato plants are flowering (although very little), so I'm hoping we can have some success with the plant this year!
I realize I am totally remiss on including pictures of Ava on the blog. When I actually did take pictures of her the other day, they turned-out completely fuzzy. :( I will try to take more soon, and include on the blog.
Interesting that there is an issue with tomatoes being the "new spinach" these days, with the contamination scare and all... It makes me glad we were able to plant our own tomatoes. I'm hoping we'll have some we can actually eat soon! I thought it was funny that, when I did the math, all of the tomatoes and most things I planted would be ready for "harvest" around the time the baby will be born... I didn't intentionally plan it that way... We're now within 3 weeks of our due date!
Grape clusters growing (not sure of which variety I took this picture)
More clusters of grapes. I will be anxious to see if we have any grapes this year.
Blueberries! We had four big blueberries last Sunday. These are what I was able to pick this morning. They're very sweet and big, although I know you can't really tell in this picture... Not quite enough to make a pie or anything fancy. :-) We like them plain, anyway. I love that Ava knows which ones she can pick off the bush, and eat. She looks for the "blue ones", plucks them off and quickly gobbles them up. She LOVES her blueberries. I may have to invest in a few more of these bushes next year, to keep up with the demand. :-)
Roma tomatoes - growing like wildfire
The cutest little cucumber...
Grape tomatoes. This plant has SO MANY tomatoes and flowers on it.
A picture of a strawberry I took the other day. The strawberries (although I think they probably number under 20 at this point...) are getting pretty big, but are not yet red.
Peace, love and peat moss,
Shelly
I realize I am totally remiss on including pictures of Ava on the blog. When I actually did take pictures of her the other day, they turned-out completely fuzzy. :( I will try to take more soon, and include on the blog.
Interesting that there is an issue with tomatoes being the "new spinach" these days, with the contamination scare and all... It makes me glad we were able to plant our own tomatoes. I'm hoping we'll have some we can actually eat soon! I thought it was funny that, when I did the math, all of the tomatoes and most things I planted would be ready for "harvest" around the time the baby will be born... I didn't intentionally plan it that way... We're now within 3 weeks of our due date!
Grape clusters growing (not sure of which variety I took this picture)
More clusters of grapes. I will be anxious to see if we have any grapes this year.
Blueberries! We had four big blueberries last Sunday. These are what I was able to pick this morning. They're very sweet and big, although I know you can't really tell in this picture... Not quite enough to make a pie or anything fancy. :-) We like them plain, anyway. I love that Ava knows which ones she can pick off the bush, and eat. She looks for the "blue ones", plucks them off and quickly gobbles them up. She LOVES her blueberries. I may have to invest in a few more of these bushes next year, to keep up with the demand. :-)
Roma tomatoes - growing like wildfire
The cutest little cucumber...
Grape tomatoes. This plant has SO MANY tomatoes and flowers on it.
A picture of a strawberry I took the other day. The strawberries (although I think they probably number under 20 at this point...) are getting pretty big, but are not yet red.
Peace, love and peat moss,
Shelly
Monday, June 09, 2008
Hurdles
The hyperlink is a documentary regarding the birthing process in America. Lengthy at 1 ½ hours long, but extremely interesting. Warning, it IS graphic… http://bestdocumentaries.blogspot.com/2008/04/business-of-being-born.html
I am proud to say that my doctors are “VBAC-friendly” (Vaginal Birth After C-section), and that I see a group of doctors which includes two midwives.
I will be 37 weeks along tomorrow. I am PRAYING for a VBAC, if possible, as it seems they would be much easier from which to recover. I’ve been listening to a five-week course on cd, called Hypnobirthing. I pray that it will help with the success of a natural (in-hospital) childbirth. VBAC will mean a shorter hospital stay (hopefully) and more quick recovery of my abdominal muscles after birth. (I’m already envisioning how I will pick Ava up after this kiddo is born).
The cards have been stacked against me, as far as birthing naturally, due to my previous c-section. These are a list of the hurdles along the way, and the outcome of each, so far…
Hurdle #1 – SUCCESS!
Baby is head-down! The doctors advised if the baby was breech, they wouldn’t be able to perform a “version”, where they manually attempt to manipulate the baby by using their hands on the outside of my belly. If the baby was breech, it would basically mean an “automatic c-section”, although there are things I could do at home to help the baby switch positions and move head-down (www.spinningbabies.com).
Hurdle #2 – SUCCESS!
Baby is a normal size, so far. There isn’t a magic # as far as what point a baby is “too big” for a vaginal / natural delivery, per my doctors. The doctors all seem to concur that this baby will probably be around 7 – 7 ½ lbs, which is right on-par for attempting a natural delivery.
Hurdle #3 – SUCCESS!
I found out today that I am Group Beta Strep negative, which means that I won’t require an IV antibiotic during labor. Great news! If a mother is Group B Strep positive, the mother requires an IV during labor, so the baby doesn’t come into contact with this “virus”. Mothers who have Group B Strep would never know it, unless tested. The virus is harmless to adults, but very volatile to newborn infants (and could potentially cause death in an infant, if exposed). Requiring an IV be hooked-up to my arm would definitely limit my mobility during the birthing process. I feel like this would hinder my ability to birth naturally. The docs advised that I can have a Heploc placed in my arm and “capped-off”, which would allow them access to my veins if absolutely necessary, to give me necessary drugs. I'm not against an epidural, but do want things to progress as naturally (and quickly) as possible, increasing the chance of the VBAC. My epidural with Ava did make me a happy girl, but I do wonder how much it inhibited my ability to give birth naturally to Ava...(see video)
Hurdle #4 - Still in waiting
A woman’s cervix should thin out and dilate on it’s own, if possible. I am taking Evening Primrose Oil and drinking red raspberry leaf tea to help this along. They will check me for the first time this Wednesday, to see if I’ve made any progress yet.
Hurdle #5 – Still in waiting
If a woman’s cervix is dilated enough, doctors can “strip the membrane”. This basically means the bag of waters is separated from the wall of the uterus. Doctors can do this repeatedly over the last few weeks, to stimulate the release of prostaglandin, which encourages labor. I am REALLY hoping the doctors can do this for the first time at my 38 week appointment (not this week, but next). Not to be too graphic, but think of removing the membrane from the back of ribs, before you cook them. Nice visual, huh? :-0
Hurdle #6 – Still in waiting
It would also help if the “bag of waters” broke on its own, rather than doctors breaking it manually. Anything occurring naturally is better than something requiring intervention.
Hurdle #7 - Still in waiting
Baby’s tolerance for labor. Ava’s heart rate dropped during labor as the cord was wrapped around her neck. The cord is wrapped around 25% of all baby’s necks when born. Unfortunately Ava didn’t tolerate the labor well, so we ended-up with an emergency c-section. I pray this baby has different plans!
Hurdle #8 – Still in waiting
Doctor’s patience for letting me labor naturally, as long as the baby needs… It looks good for now, from what the doctors relay to me. That being said, I think our odds are only as good as the doctor’s level of optimism regarding the likeliness of a successful VBAC. Doing some research, my doctor’s group is around 70% for the rate of success for women who want a VBAC. I will remind them repeatedly during labor that I can HELP THEIR #’S, if they let me. :-)
Please keep us in your prayers, that things continue to go well and work toward our favor in attempting a VBAC delivery! Above all, we want a healthy baby and safe delivery, of course. Pray for this, as well!
We'll see what happens!
Peace, love and babies :-),
Shelly, Doug and Ava
I am proud to say that my doctors are “VBAC-friendly” (Vaginal Birth After C-section), and that I see a group of doctors which includes two midwives.
I will be 37 weeks along tomorrow. I am PRAYING for a VBAC, if possible, as it seems they would be much easier from which to recover. I’ve been listening to a five-week course on cd, called Hypnobirthing. I pray that it will help with the success of a natural (in-hospital) childbirth. VBAC will mean a shorter hospital stay (hopefully) and more quick recovery of my abdominal muscles after birth. (I’m already envisioning how I will pick Ava up after this kiddo is born).
The cards have been stacked against me, as far as birthing naturally, due to my previous c-section. These are a list of the hurdles along the way, and the outcome of each, so far…
Hurdle #1 – SUCCESS!
Baby is head-down! The doctors advised if the baby was breech, they wouldn’t be able to perform a “version”, where they manually attempt to manipulate the baby by using their hands on the outside of my belly. If the baby was breech, it would basically mean an “automatic c-section”, although there are things I could do at home to help the baby switch positions and move head-down (www.spinningbabies.com).
Hurdle #2 – SUCCESS!
Baby is a normal size, so far. There isn’t a magic # as far as what point a baby is “too big” for a vaginal / natural delivery, per my doctors. The doctors all seem to concur that this baby will probably be around 7 – 7 ½ lbs, which is right on-par for attempting a natural delivery.
Hurdle #3 – SUCCESS!
I found out today that I am Group Beta Strep negative, which means that I won’t require an IV antibiotic during labor. Great news! If a mother is Group B Strep positive, the mother requires an IV during labor, so the baby doesn’t come into contact with this “virus”. Mothers who have Group B Strep would never know it, unless tested. The virus is harmless to adults, but very volatile to newborn infants (and could potentially cause death in an infant, if exposed). Requiring an IV be hooked-up to my arm would definitely limit my mobility during the birthing process. I feel like this would hinder my ability to birth naturally. The docs advised that I can have a Heploc placed in my arm and “capped-off”, which would allow them access to my veins if absolutely necessary, to give me necessary drugs. I'm not against an epidural, but do want things to progress as naturally (and quickly) as possible, increasing the chance of the VBAC. My epidural with Ava did make me a happy girl, but I do wonder how much it inhibited my ability to give birth naturally to Ava...(see video)
Hurdle #4 - Still in waiting
A woman’s cervix should thin out and dilate on it’s own, if possible. I am taking Evening Primrose Oil and drinking red raspberry leaf tea to help this along. They will check me for the first time this Wednesday, to see if I’ve made any progress yet.
Hurdle #5 – Still in waiting
If a woman’s cervix is dilated enough, doctors can “strip the membrane”. This basically means the bag of waters is separated from the wall of the uterus. Doctors can do this repeatedly over the last few weeks, to stimulate the release of prostaglandin, which encourages labor. I am REALLY hoping the doctors can do this for the first time at my 38 week appointment (not this week, but next). Not to be too graphic, but think of removing the membrane from the back of ribs, before you cook them. Nice visual, huh? :-0
Hurdle #6 – Still in waiting
It would also help if the “bag of waters” broke on its own, rather than doctors breaking it manually. Anything occurring naturally is better than something requiring intervention.
Hurdle #7 - Still in waiting
Baby’s tolerance for labor. Ava’s heart rate dropped during labor as the cord was wrapped around her neck. The cord is wrapped around 25% of all baby’s necks when born. Unfortunately Ava didn’t tolerate the labor well, so we ended-up with an emergency c-section. I pray this baby has different plans!
Hurdle #8 – Still in waiting
Doctor’s patience for letting me labor naturally, as long as the baby needs… It looks good for now, from what the doctors relay to me. That being said, I think our odds are only as good as the doctor’s level of optimism regarding the likeliness of a successful VBAC. Doing some research, my doctor’s group is around 70% for the rate of success for women who want a VBAC. I will remind them repeatedly during labor that I can HELP THEIR #’S, if they let me. :-)
Please keep us in your prayers, that things continue to go well and work toward our favor in attempting a VBAC delivery! Above all, we want a healthy baby and safe delivery, of course. Pray for this, as well!
We'll see what happens!
Peace, love and babies :-),
Shelly, Doug and Ava
Friday, June 06, 2008
Welcome to the Ghetto Garden!
"There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments." -- Janet Kilburn Phillips
To neighbors I introduce it as my “ghetto garden”. It presents itself unabashedly to onlookers in our DRIVEWAY. Yes, driveway. If you’ve ever been to Atlanta, you know that the majority of older neighborhoods are completely shaded with trees: Georgia Pines, specifically. The only area on our property / yard that receives full-sun exists ON OUR DRIVEWAY.
Please know I didn’t intend on planting and growing a garden ON OUR DRIVEWAY. I merely started this little gardening experiment in a few pots on the side of our house, only to find that this side of the house doesn’t receive full sun, as I originally thought. Originally I just wanted to save a buck or two with our grocery bill by planting some tomato plants. And homegrown tomatoes are ALWAYS better than store-bought!
I began hauling the pots from the side of our house to the driveway in the morning, so they could receive sun during the day. I would then haul them back to the side of the house at night, far from the judgment of our sweet and tolerant (so far!) neighbors. Thank goodness we don’t have an HOA…
The ghetto garden
As my appetite for gardening (and belly) continually grew, containers of “experiments” seemed to multiply like rabbits. After a spill down the hill (while hauling raspberry plants), I gave up and our containers now reside semi-permanently in our driveway. Fortunately our driveway is at least downhill, so the pots aren’t the most obvious thing to neighbors and those that pass by. One neighbor mentioned that another neighbor grows their tomato plants up near their mailbox. I guess at least our plants are a little more inconspicuous...
One day I hope to have a garden in a respectable place, like the GROUND. :-) A place where vegetables and fruit plants will bask in the warm, glorious, Georgia sun. For now, our plants seem to enjoy soaking it up in the driveway. In the ghetto garden. :-)
It's been fun to tinker around in the garden and monitor the progress of the plants, so far. I think we'll have lots of tomatoes and blueberries, and hopefully some strawberries soon.
Blueberries. A few look like they're ready to pick!
A few ripe blueberries...
Basil. Next year I'd like to start some from seed. We use enough of it!
The first signs of a Roma plum tomato
Grape Tomatoes - They should be ready soon! (The Big Boy tomato plants aren't showing any fruit, yet).
Doug is an amazing husband. He has definitely pacified me with my pregnancy-induced projects. Fortunate for him, the projects I dream up have been 3 hour projects or so, from start to finish... When I told him I wanted to plant grape plants on the side of our house, and come up with an easy trellis on which they could grow, he appeased me... We were also lucky to find this white plastic trellis material at Home Depot, with everything we needed but the stakes for the ground. We then bought some 2 X 2's (I think that is the size?), painted them white and screwed them to the back of two pieces of trellis. Voila! A place for grapevines to climb. Note: We had to replant the grape plant on the right... It's hanging in there, and should start climbing soon. We just planted these plants 2 1/2 weeks ago and they've already grown this much!
Left to right: Himrod (white seedless), Himrod (white seedless), Reliance (red seedless)
The other trellis
Left to right: Reliance (red seedless), Concord (seedless), Concord (seedless)
Many tiny little strawberries are finally visible
Latham Red Raspberries. These shoots grew off of what looked like a VERY bare twig. There may be hope yet for the other still-bare twig (Fall Gold Raspberries)...
These lillies came back from last year... Originally the plant had three lillies on it, now they've multipled and there are at least six bulbs...
Nikko Blue Hydrangeas. We planted these six years ago, or so. They LOVE our back yard.
Originally four little hydrangea plants six years ago, you can see the plants are huge now...
Hydrangeas in the sunlight
More pictures of hydrangeas
"Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders." -- Henry David Thoreau
Hoping your day grows well!
Shelly
To neighbors I introduce it as my “ghetto garden”. It presents itself unabashedly to onlookers in our DRIVEWAY. Yes, driveway. If you’ve ever been to Atlanta, you know that the majority of older neighborhoods are completely shaded with trees: Georgia Pines, specifically. The only area on our property / yard that receives full-sun exists ON OUR DRIVEWAY.
Please know I didn’t intend on planting and growing a garden ON OUR DRIVEWAY. I merely started this little gardening experiment in a few pots on the side of our house, only to find that this side of the house doesn’t receive full sun, as I originally thought. Originally I just wanted to save a buck or two with our grocery bill by planting some tomato plants. And homegrown tomatoes are ALWAYS better than store-bought!
I began hauling the pots from the side of our house to the driveway in the morning, so they could receive sun during the day. I would then haul them back to the side of the house at night, far from the judgment of our sweet and tolerant (so far!) neighbors. Thank goodness we don’t have an HOA…
The ghetto garden
As my appetite for gardening (and belly) continually grew, containers of “experiments” seemed to multiply like rabbits. After a spill down the hill (while hauling raspberry plants), I gave up and our containers now reside semi-permanently in our driveway. Fortunately our driveway is at least downhill, so the pots aren’t the most obvious thing to neighbors and those that pass by. One neighbor mentioned that another neighbor grows their tomato plants up near their mailbox. I guess at least our plants are a little more inconspicuous...
One day I hope to have a garden in a respectable place, like the GROUND. :-) A place where vegetables and fruit plants will bask in the warm, glorious, Georgia sun. For now, our plants seem to enjoy soaking it up in the driveway. In the ghetto garden. :-)
It's been fun to tinker around in the garden and monitor the progress of the plants, so far. I think we'll have lots of tomatoes and blueberries, and hopefully some strawberries soon.
Blueberries. A few look like they're ready to pick!
A few ripe blueberries...
Basil. Next year I'd like to start some from seed. We use enough of it!
The first signs of a Roma plum tomato
Grape Tomatoes - They should be ready soon! (The Big Boy tomato plants aren't showing any fruit, yet).
Doug is an amazing husband. He has definitely pacified me with my pregnancy-induced projects. Fortunate for him, the projects I dream up have been 3 hour projects or so, from start to finish... When I told him I wanted to plant grape plants on the side of our house, and come up with an easy trellis on which they could grow, he appeased me... We were also lucky to find this white plastic trellis material at Home Depot, with everything we needed but the stakes for the ground. We then bought some 2 X 2's (I think that is the size?), painted them white and screwed them to the back of two pieces of trellis. Voila! A place for grapevines to climb. Note: We had to replant the grape plant on the right... It's hanging in there, and should start climbing soon. We just planted these plants 2 1/2 weeks ago and they've already grown this much!
Left to right: Himrod (white seedless), Himrod (white seedless), Reliance (red seedless)
The other trellis
Left to right: Reliance (red seedless), Concord (seedless), Concord (seedless)
Many tiny little strawberries are finally visible
Latham Red Raspberries. These shoots grew off of what looked like a VERY bare twig. There may be hope yet for the other still-bare twig (Fall Gold Raspberries)...
These lillies came back from last year... Originally the plant had three lillies on it, now they've multipled and there are at least six bulbs...
Nikko Blue Hydrangeas. We planted these six years ago, or so. They LOVE our back yard.
Originally four little hydrangea plants six years ago, you can see the plants are huge now...
Hydrangeas in the sunlight
More pictures of hydrangeas
"Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders." -- Henry David Thoreau
Hoping your day grows well!
Shelly
Monday, June 02, 2008
The "Uh-Gician" and Other Updates...
Warning: Lengthy post. I've gotta post more often!
Darn that Frosty. After what seems like years of consecutively viewing the 1969 version of Frosty the Snowman (yes, even in 85-degree June weather in Georgia), we're SERIOUSLY regretting it in more ways than one. Ava's new-found freedom to get out of bed in the morning now likes to be exhibited in the wee hours of the morning. Oh, say 4:30 or so.
We think Ava is afraid of the "magician" in Frosty the Snowman. Ava now knows the word "afraid". She says she is "afraid of the man". I think the magician (Professor Hinkle - and yes, we know his name and all characters in this movie) jumps out of a bush near the North Pole a little too quickly for Ava's liking. Professor Hinkle then blows out "Karen's" campfire in a mean-spirited way and goes after Frosty for his hat.
Ava hasn't yet caught on to the fact that Professor Hinkle partakes in the joyous parade around town at the end of the movie, letting Frosty have his magic hat, after all. She is SERIOUSLY scared of the "uh-gician" and tell us so repeatedly. It's so frustrating when you can't do anything about it! For now we're refraining from watching "Frosty" and try to distract her.
Ava is definitely learning boundaries lately. In Ava's immediate class at day care, she is the only girl attending with six boys. They frequently open the partition wall to the older class (which fortunately has girls in it!), so she is around girls some, also. Last week, Ava was bitten by a boy in her class that wanted her toy. When I asked if she did anything prior to "the bite", the teacher said no, that she didn't do anything to warrant a bite (not that anything would, I guess).
Interestingly enough, the day care isn't supposed to tell me which student bit Ava. Now that Ava has become extremely vocal, I seem to get a daily report from her about her activities at day care. After the "bite incident", on the car ride home, Ava said to me: "Will bit me on the arm. I said 'No-no, Will. That's not nice.'" So much for keeping the "biter" a secret? These little conversations with her definitely serve as teaching opportunities with Ava, to help her in dealing with any future situations like ones experienced. :-) She is fending for herself... The teacher in Ava's class at school says she knows when someone isn't being nice to Ava, because she hears Ava telling them off: "No Caleb, that's my toy. No-no, Caleb. That's not nice. That's my car. Caleb took my car." It's AMAZING how vocal she has become in the past few weeks!
She now has days without any potty accidents and is able to vocalize to her teachers when she has to go "potty". For this we are EXTREMELY thankful! At home we continue to put a Pull-Up on her before she goes down for a nap and also at bedtime. At daycare, they put her cloth training pants on and wake her up early from her nap (after 1 to 1 1/2 hours) to use the potty. Interestingly enough, she doesn't have any accidents at day care. (When I have her home, I like for her to catch-up on sleep and am not yet interested in changing-out sheets, etc, everyday. So, I guess when I feel comfortable, she could be 100% potty-trained! :-)
She now thoroughly enjoys Dr. Seuss books. Previously, there seemed to be too many words on the page to hold her attention. Her favorites now include "Green Eggs and Ham", "The Foot Book" and "The Cat in the Hat". She also LOVES to read her Bible, and asks that we read the "Storm" story to her over and over (with Jesus calming the sea when with disciples). She also now counts to twenty. She can write a little "a". She continues to be very focused when working on something. Even her day care teacher commented on this, that Ava takes the time to do the craft / project on which they work, whereas some kids don't have that much of an attention span. She LOVES playing with Play-Doh, coloring and stickers. She throws with both her left and right hands (and even at the same time). She bats left-handed, but writes right-handed. It's going to be interesting to see which handedness she finally chooses. (Daddy is still hoping for a "lefty" :-).
I have to mention I find her skill for differentiating cars amazing, at this age. We have neighbors that have a Honda Element. Whenever she sees any gray Element, she says "Olivia's truck!" Another neighbor owns a red Mustang. When out running errands with her recently, she said "Mr. Charlie!" I turned around to see Mr. Charlie passing by in a parking lot with his red Mustang.
We took our first dip in the local pool last week. I am still a bit hesitant to trust "water wings", but she is starting to like the water a little more, now that the water and the weather have warmed up. (This 8.5 month pregnant lady says there is no denying that the weather has warmed up...) She did swim on her own with the wings without me holding her last Friday and seemed very proud. Giggling while kicking in the water, with a big smile on her face.
Sentences Ava has said recently, which I found interesting:
"Uh-oh! What happened? Where did he went?" :-)
"Morning!" (She greets us in the morning saying this, lately).
"I'm scared of the man. The uh-gician."
"The man was walking on the ship on the sea with the dog." (after watching The Little Mermaid)
"I want to go sleepy". (wow, was this surprising)
"I'm gonna go get the mail. Okay?" (she's really into getting mail these days!)
I'm pleased as a peach that Ava is able to vocalize what she wants, her preferences, how she feels and what she thinks. She really has been so good, ESPECIALLY considering we're supposed to be in the midst of the "terrible two's". She seems to roll with whatever comes her way, at this point. I think it has helped to especially explain things to her and be as detailed as possible in doing so. I just pray she takes baby brother's arrival and presence in stride. She seems excited to see him, and we talk about him CONSTANTLY, but we'll see how it goes when he gets here! (Keywords for parenting success at this age seem to be "preparedness" - i.e. bag 'o tricks big enough for a restaurant trip or lengthy stay anywhere- and "explanation").
I do need to take some "belly pics". We're 36 weeks tomorrow. Our due date is still 07/01. I feel like a beached-whale these days, but the scale is telling me I've only gained 21 lbs. I don't feel like an arthritic beached-whale, yet. (That may happen in the next few weeks). What's really funny is that I haven't stepped FOOT on the treadmill with this pregnancy, but will probably gain a little less weight than I did when pregnant with Ava. I guess the treadmill just made me hungrier? I have been staying active (planting grape plants, tending plants and flowers, tiering-off a hill into our backyard with landscape timbers, etc, running around after Ava), just not "exercise cardio" this time around.
The docs seem to think I'm right on target for a healthy 7- 7 1/2 lb baby boy. They say he is around 5 lbs right now. My blood pressure is great, no swelling yet - even with this crazy heat and humidity. PLEASE pray that baby boy Carey decides to make his entrance before the docs mandate a c-section. (I asked the doc if it was "smart" to attempt a VBAC and she wholeheartedly said "yes", which made me feel great). I'd like to avoid a c-section if possible, but am ready to do whatever is best for the health of this little one. And he's definitely an opinionated little guy! I'm running out of room torso-wise, but he just seems to want to move organs (albeit necessary ones like my stomach, which is now up near my clavicle, I think :0)) out of the way by continuously kicking / jabbing. That, or this kid is Pele reincarnated. Some nights I just let him take over and lay entirely flat on the couch, letting him have his way so he can do his acrobatics. :-)
Heartburn has continued to be manageable with the prescription they gave me a few weeks ago, thank goodness! The fatigue has definitely kicked back in, but not in an overwhelming way; I feel like I just require more rest these days. Doug and Ava have both been great and patient with me, thank goodness!
We'll definitely be providing more updates as our due date approaches! Please keep us in your prayers for a safe delivery and a healthy baby!
With love,
Shelly, Doug and Ava
Darn that Frosty. After what seems like years of consecutively viewing the 1969 version of Frosty the Snowman (yes, even in 85-degree June weather in Georgia), we're SERIOUSLY regretting it in more ways than one. Ava's new-found freedom to get out of bed in the morning now likes to be exhibited in the wee hours of the morning. Oh, say 4:30 or so.
We think Ava is afraid of the "magician" in Frosty the Snowman. Ava now knows the word "afraid". She says she is "afraid of the man". I think the magician (Professor Hinkle - and yes, we know his name and all characters in this movie) jumps out of a bush near the North Pole a little too quickly for Ava's liking. Professor Hinkle then blows out "Karen's" campfire in a mean-spirited way and goes after Frosty for his hat.
Ava hasn't yet caught on to the fact that Professor Hinkle partakes in the joyous parade around town at the end of the movie, letting Frosty have his magic hat, after all. She is SERIOUSLY scared of the "uh-gician" and tell us so repeatedly. It's so frustrating when you can't do anything about it! For now we're refraining from watching "Frosty" and try to distract her.
Ava is definitely learning boundaries lately. In Ava's immediate class at day care, she is the only girl attending with six boys. They frequently open the partition wall to the older class (which fortunately has girls in it!), so she is around girls some, also. Last week, Ava was bitten by a boy in her class that wanted her toy. When I asked if she did anything prior to "the bite", the teacher said no, that she didn't do anything to warrant a bite (not that anything would, I guess).
Interestingly enough, the day care isn't supposed to tell me which student bit Ava. Now that Ava has become extremely vocal, I seem to get a daily report from her about her activities at day care. After the "bite incident", on the car ride home, Ava said to me: "Will bit me on the arm. I said 'No-no, Will. That's not nice.'" So much for keeping the "biter" a secret? These little conversations with her definitely serve as teaching opportunities with Ava, to help her in dealing with any future situations like ones experienced. :-) She is fending for herself... The teacher in Ava's class at school says she knows when someone isn't being nice to Ava, because she hears Ava telling them off: "No Caleb, that's my toy. No-no, Caleb. That's not nice. That's my car. Caleb took my car." It's AMAZING how vocal she has become in the past few weeks!
She now has days without any potty accidents and is able to vocalize to her teachers when she has to go "potty". For this we are EXTREMELY thankful! At home we continue to put a Pull-Up on her before she goes down for a nap and also at bedtime. At daycare, they put her cloth training pants on and wake her up early from her nap (after 1 to 1 1/2 hours) to use the potty. Interestingly enough, she doesn't have any accidents at day care. (When I have her home, I like for her to catch-up on sleep and am not yet interested in changing-out sheets, etc, everyday. So, I guess when I feel comfortable, she could be 100% potty-trained! :-)
She now thoroughly enjoys Dr. Seuss books. Previously, there seemed to be too many words on the page to hold her attention. Her favorites now include "Green Eggs and Ham", "The Foot Book" and "The Cat in the Hat". She also LOVES to read her Bible, and asks that we read the "Storm" story to her over and over (with Jesus calming the sea when with disciples). She also now counts to twenty. She can write a little "a". She continues to be very focused when working on something. Even her day care teacher commented on this, that Ava takes the time to do the craft / project on which they work, whereas some kids don't have that much of an attention span. She LOVES playing with Play-Doh, coloring and stickers. She throws with both her left and right hands (and even at the same time). She bats left-handed, but writes right-handed. It's going to be interesting to see which handedness she finally chooses. (Daddy is still hoping for a "lefty" :-).
I have to mention I find her skill for differentiating cars amazing, at this age. We have neighbors that have a Honda Element. Whenever she sees any gray Element, she says "Olivia's truck!" Another neighbor owns a red Mustang. When out running errands with her recently, she said "Mr. Charlie!" I turned around to see Mr. Charlie passing by in a parking lot with his red Mustang.
We took our first dip in the local pool last week. I am still a bit hesitant to trust "water wings", but she is starting to like the water a little more, now that the water and the weather have warmed up. (This 8.5 month pregnant lady says there is no denying that the weather has warmed up...) She did swim on her own with the wings without me holding her last Friday and seemed very proud. Giggling while kicking in the water, with a big smile on her face.
Sentences Ava has said recently, which I found interesting:
"Uh-oh! What happened? Where did he went?" :-)
"Morning!" (She greets us in the morning saying this, lately).
"I'm scared of the man. The uh-gician."
"The man was walking on the ship on the sea with the dog." (after watching The Little Mermaid)
"I want to go sleepy". (wow, was this surprising)
"I'm gonna go get the mail. Okay?" (she's really into getting mail these days!)
I'm pleased as a peach that Ava is able to vocalize what she wants, her preferences, how she feels and what she thinks. She really has been so good, ESPECIALLY considering we're supposed to be in the midst of the "terrible two's". She seems to roll with whatever comes her way, at this point. I think it has helped to especially explain things to her and be as detailed as possible in doing so. I just pray she takes baby brother's arrival and presence in stride. She seems excited to see him, and we talk about him CONSTANTLY, but we'll see how it goes when he gets here! (Keywords for parenting success at this age seem to be "preparedness" - i.e. bag 'o tricks big enough for a restaurant trip or lengthy stay anywhere- and "explanation").
I do need to take some "belly pics". We're 36 weeks tomorrow. Our due date is still 07/01. I feel like a beached-whale these days, but the scale is telling me I've only gained 21 lbs. I don't feel like an arthritic beached-whale, yet. (That may happen in the next few weeks). What's really funny is that I haven't stepped FOOT on the treadmill with this pregnancy, but will probably gain a little less weight than I did when pregnant with Ava. I guess the treadmill just made me hungrier? I have been staying active (planting grape plants, tending plants and flowers, tiering-off a hill into our backyard with landscape timbers, etc, running around after Ava), just not "exercise cardio" this time around.
The docs seem to think I'm right on target for a healthy 7- 7 1/2 lb baby boy. They say he is around 5 lbs right now. My blood pressure is great, no swelling yet - even with this crazy heat and humidity. PLEASE pray that baby boy Carey decides to make his entrance before the docs mandate a c-section. (I asked the doc if it was "smart" to attempt a VBAC and she wholeheartedly said "yes", which made me feel great). I'd like to avoid a c-section if possible, but am ready to do whatever is best for the health of this little one. And he's definitely an opinionated little guy! I'm running out of room torso-wise, but he just seems to want to move organs (albeit necessary ones like my stomach, which is now up near my clavicle, I think :0)) out of the way by continuously kicking / jabbing. That, or this kid is Pele reincarnated. Some nights I just let him take over and lay entirely flat on the couch, letting him have his way so he can do his acrobatics. :-)
Heartburn has continued to be manageable with the prescription they gave me a few weeks ago, thank goodness! The fatigue has definitely kicked back in, but not in an overwhelming way; I feel like I just require more rest these days. Doug and Ava have both been great and patient with me, thank goodness!
We'll definitely be providing more updates as our due date approaches! Please keep us in your prayers for a safe delivery and a healthy baby!
With love,
Shelly, Doug and Ava
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Memorial Day: No Beach Trip This Year
We normally head to the beach with Andy and Kathy Flaigan's family for Memorial Day. This year, considering I am in the third trimester, we decided to skip the trip. We will be sure to pick up in future years and will definitely miss our beach time with them this year!
Peace, love and dreaming of waves,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and "Peanut"
Peace, love and dreaming of waves,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and "Peanut"
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Lately
This year Mother's Day was just what the doctor ordered. Doug and Ava both spoiled me with cards, a nice Krups waffle-maker, and a book of short stories about the special bond between boys and their Moms. Short stories are just the ticket these days, for my pregnant mush-filled brain!
We celebrated early by going to Relish for lunch on Saturday, on the Roswell square. There was an art festival going on at the square, so we walked around after lunch. Sunday we went to church (Ava went #2 on the potty BEFORE class, which was a Mother's Day present in itself :-). Ava only seems to have accidents at church, during the service...probably because there is a different person taking care of the kids every week, during that timeframe. She probably doesn't feel comfortable enough to announce to a stranger "I gotta go poopy". :-) Who can blame her? :-) After church we ate lunch and went to the nearby church park to fly a kite, because it was so windy that day. I accidentally stepped in a pile of fire ants and was promptly bitten by 3-4. Ava enjoyed playing on the playground equipment while Doug flew the unfliable Tiger shark kite. It was hilarious to watch him run around after this kite. He was determined to keep it up in the air! He definitely got his exercise that day.
Ava has been such a sweetheart. She likes to kiss my belly and talk about "baby brudder". She tries to feed toy pieces of pizza and the contents of her teacups (air :-) to my belly, to feed baby brudder. (We really need to name this kid! :-) I think she's getting used to the concept of having a baby brother around. We've told her that the crib is baby brother's bed. She mentions it at bedtime, pointing to it and saying "baby brudder's bed". When we were in the car the other day, she pointed out that Ava, Mommy and "baby brudder" were all in the car. We've started calling him "our baby", so hopefully she does well when he arrives. ;-)
I went to the doctor yesterday for my 33 week appointment. Everything is progressing just as it should be. All appointments from here on will be weekly. The baby is now head-down, although that could still change before delivery. PLEASE PRAY that he is head-down when it's time to deliver, and that he doesn't have dreams of becoming an acrobat. He is quite the mover and shaker, watching my belly move these days!
I am still hoping for a VBAC (Let's just say a non c-section delivery, if that's possible), but lots of things will need to be "a-ok" in order for this to occur. They will not try to turn the baby externally (do a "version") if they know the baby is breach, so that is the only definitive thing that could prevent me from having the baby naturally, at this point. At this point, the baby seems to be a normal-size. I have gained 20 lbs so far, so I should gain exactly the same amount of weight I did with Ava, even if I gain 1 lb per week from here on out. In the last two weeks I gained 1 lb (I was previously gaining 1 lb per week, it seemed), so I think my days of quick weight gain are slowing down. We'll see!
Heartburn has been killer! I was taking up to 3 pills of Zantac a day and chugging liquid antacid daily. I mentioned it to the doctor yesterday and he gave me a prescription-strength pill to take care of it. Taking ONE pill yesterday, I've already noticed a difference. The crazy thing? I woke up this morning and was dizzy just laying in bed! The room was spinning. I called the doc's office to see if this was a potential side-effect of the medication, and they said it was. So, they've said to continue taking the medication unless the dizziness gets worse. Oh, and they mentioned that I shouldn't hurt myself. Check. (???) Yes, I guess I am a true blonde, dizziness and all. :-) As if a pregnant lady's center-of-gravity-change isn't enough, now I add dizziness into the equation. I guess I won't be hauling tomato plants down hills these days. :-) On the bright side, the heartburn is gone, and that alone feels like a vacation!
We started keeping the gate to Ava's room open at night, so she can come get us if she has to use the potty during the night. This kid is as regular as you can get! If we don't wake her up by 7 a.m., she will "poopy" in her Pull-Up. So, we try to avoid it by getting her up, if possible. It was cute... even though the gate to her room is open, she didn't realize until a few days ago that she could get out of bed and come downstairs on her own. So, I sat at the bottom of the stairway, looked at the baby monitor and called her name. I saw her head pop-up from her pillow in bed. When I told her to come downstairs, she stood in bed and said "I want Mommy". I reassured her (from the bottom of the stairs) that I was waiting downstairs for her. She climbed down out of bed and came downstairs by herself. I'm thinking this will also come in handy if I do end-up requiring a c-section (I know my stair-time will be limited if I have a c-section). So, I now hear the pitter-patter of feet at 7 a.m., and get good-morning kisses from Ava while I'm still in bed.
Her vocabulary and conversation skills are developing so quickly lately! People have commented on how clearly she talks. Just this week, her request was "I watch the Wiggles, okay?" Doug was also amazed at her response, when he asked her which Wiggle plays the guitar. Expecting a response of "the red one", Ava told Doug that "Murray plays guitar". :-0 (Murray is the red Wiggle).
She's getting more acclimated to dirt, ants and bees. No longer do they deter her from playing at the playground. Lately, I keep the french doors to the deck open for a few minutes longer, if the weather is nice. Ava occasionally runs across an ant trying to sneak in from the deck. I will hear an emphatic "There's an ant in my house!" from Ava. (Hysterical to hear her say this sentence, I always start laughing). When I tell her to just step on the ant, she will say "Mommy step on the ant". :-) Baby steps, I guess? In the garage, she normally will step on them.
We're loving this beautiful weather and are anxious to use the pool (membership at a nearby sub-division) in a few weeks.
On an entirely different note, I am definitely learning patience through this little gardening project I've been doing. The tomato plants now smell like tomato plants, the cucumber plants are flowering, and I've enjoyed focusing on something productive that is pregnant-friendly. I recently ordered three different varieties of seedless table grapes (white, red and Concord) and some blueberry bushes. I hope that we'll have some fruit this year from them, as well as some yummy tomatoes. Next year I would like to start everything from seed, if possible. Cross your fingers for this year's "harvest"!
(Note to self, this year's plantings now include:
Quinalt strawberries,
Burpless hybrid cucumbers (some from seed),
Sweet basil,
Cilantro,
Lemon balm,
Thyme,
Fall Gold raspberries (1st year plant)
Red Latham (summer-bearing) raspberries (1st year plant),
Big boy tomatoes,
Roma tomatoes,
Cherry tomatoes,
Grape tomatoes,
Spartan blueberries (1st year plant),
Bluecrop blueberries (3rd year plant),
Himrod white seedless grapes (2nd year plant),
Reliance red seedless grapes (2nd year plant) and
Concord seedless grapes (2nd year plant).
Peace, love and berries,
Shelly
We celebrated early by going to Relish for lunch on Saturday, on the Roswell square. There was an art festival going on at the square, so we walked around after lunch. Sunday we went to church (Ava went #2 on the potty BEFORE class, which was a Mother's Day present in itself :-). Ava only seems to have accidents at church, during the service...probably because there is a different person taking care of the kids every week, during that timeframe. She probably doesn't feel comfortable enough to announce to a stranger "I gotta go poopy". :-) Who can blame her? :-) After church we ate lunch and went to the nearby church park to fly a kite, because it was so windy that day. I accidentally stepped in a pile of fire ants and was promptly bitten by 3-4. Ava enjoyed playing on the playground equipment while Doug flew the unfliable Tiger shark kite. It was hilarious to watch him run around after this kite. He was determined to keep it up in the air! He definitely got his exercise that day.
Ava has been such a sweetheart. She likes to kiss my belly and talk about "baby brudder". She tries to feed toy pieces of pizza and the contents of her teacups (air :-) to my belly, to feed baby brudder. (We really need to name this kid! :-) I think she's getting used to the concept of having a baby brother around. We've told her that the crib is baby brother's bed. She mentions it at bedtime, pointing to it and saying "baby brudder's bed". When we were in the car the other day, she pointed out that Ava, Mommy and "baby brudder" were all in the car. We've started calling him "our baby", so hopefully she does well when he arrives. ;-)
I went to the doctor yesterday for my 33 week appointment. Everything is progressing just as it should be. All appointments from here on will be weekly. The baby is now head-down, although that could still change before delivery. PLEASE PRAY that he is head-down when it's time to deliver, and that he doesn't have dreams of becoming an acrobat. He is quite the mover and shaker, watching my belly move these days!
I am still hoping for a VBAC (Let's just say a non c-section delivery, if that's possible), but lots of things will need to be "a-ok" in order for this to occur. They will not try to turn the baby externally (do a "version") if they know the baby is breach, so that is the only definitive thing that could prevent me from having the baby naturally, at this point. At this point, the baby seems to be a normal-size. I have gained 20 lbs so far, so I should gain exactly the same amount of weight I did with Ava, even if I gain 1 lb per week from here on out. In the last two weeks I gained 1 lb (I was previously gaining 1 lb per week, it seemed), so I think my days of quick weight gain are slowing down. We'll see!
Heartburn has been killer! I was taking up to 3 pills of Zantac a day and chugging liquid antacid daily. I mentioned it to the doctor yesterday and he gave me a prescription-strength pill to take care of it. Taking ONE pill yesterday, I've already noticed a difference. The crazy thing? I woke up this morning and was dizzy just laying in bed! The room was spinning. I called the doc's office to see if this was a potential side-effect of the medication, and they said it was. So, they've said to continue taking the medication unless the dizziness gets worse. Oh, and they mentioned that I shouldn't hurt myself. Check. (???) Yes, I guess I am a true blonde, dizziness and all. :-) As if a pregnant lady's center-of-gravity-change isn't enough, now I add dizziness into the equation. I guess I won't be hauling tomato plants down hills these days. :-) On the bright side, the heartburn is gone, and that alone feels like a vacation!
We started keeping the gate to Ava's room open at night, so she can come get us if she has to use the potty during the night. This kid is as regular as you can get! If we don't wake her up by 7 a.m., she will "poopy" in her Pull-Up. So, we try to avoid it by getting her up, if possible. It was cute... even though the gate to her room is open, she didn't realize until a few days ago that she could get out of bed and come downstairs on her own. So, I sat at the bottom of the stairway, looked at the baby monitor and called her name. I saw her head pop-up from her pillow in bed. When I told her to come downstairs, she stood in bed and said "I want Mommy". I reassured her (from the bottom of the stairs) that I was waiting downstairs for her. She climbed down out of bed and came downstairs by herself. I'm thinking this will also come in handy if I do end-up requiring a c-section (I know my stair-time will be limited if I have a c-section). So, I now hear the pitter-patter of feet at 7 a.m., and get good-morning kisses from Ava while I'm still in bed.
Her vocabulary and conversation skills are developing so quickly lately! People have commented on how clearly she talks. Just this week, her request was "I watch the Wiggles, okay?" Doug was also amazed at her response, when he asked her which Wiggle plays the guitar. Expecting a response of "the red one", Ava told Doug that "Murray plays guitar". :-0 (Murray is the red Wiggle).
She's getting more acclimated to dirt, ants and bees. No longer do they deter her from playing at the playground. Lately, I keep the french doors to the deck open for a few minutes longer, if the weather is nice. Ava occasionally runs across an ant trying to sneak in from the deck. I will hear an emphatic "There's an ant in my house!" from Ava. (Hysterical to hear her say this sentence, I always start laughing). When I tell her to just step on the ant, she will say "Mommy step on the ant". :-) Baby steps, I guess? In the garage, she normally will step on them.
We're loving this beautiful weather and are anxious to use the pool (membership at a nearby sub-division) in a few weeks.
On an entirely different note, I am definitely learning patience through this little gardening project I've been doing. The tomato plants now smell like tomato plants, the cucumber plants are flowering, and I've enjoyed focusing on something productive that is pregnant-friendly. I recently ordered three different varieties of seedless table grapes (white, red and Concord) and some blueberry bushes. I hope that we'll have some fruit this year from them, as well as some yummy tomatoes. Next year I would like to start everything from seed, if possible. Cross your fingers for this year's "harvest"!
(Note to self, this year's plantings now include:
Quinalt strawberries,
Burpless hybrid cucumbers (some from seed),
Sweet basil,
Cilantro,
Lemon balm,
Thyme,
Fall Gold raspberries (1st year plant)
Red Latham (summer-bearing) raspberries (1st year plant),
Big boy tomatoes,
Roma tomatoes,
Cherry tomatoes,
Grape tomatoes,
Spartan blueberries (1st year plant),
Bluecrop blueberries (3rd year plant),
Himrod white seedless grapes (2nd year plant),
Reliance red seedless grapes (2nd year plant) and
Concord seedless grapes (2nd year plant).
Peace, love and berries,
Shelly
Monday, May 05, 2008
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Griffith
We headed-up to Knoxville, TN this weekend for my cousin Benjamin's wedding. It was a beautiful! We were able to visit with my Dad's brother (Uncle Tom) and his wife, Aunt Vickie. Aunt Freda and my cousin Adam also flew-in from Michigan for the wedding. So, you could say each of Pa and Grandma Nila's three kids' families were represented.
Our drive started out with some rain (it has rained for the last SIX Saturdays in Georgia!), so we were hoping that the weather would be nice for their wedding. It turned out to be an absolutely perfect day, with the sun shining as we threw bird-friendly rice at Benjamin and Emily as they left.
They thought of EVERYTHING for this wedding! There was a fully-staffed nursery at the church during the wedding, so we took FULL advantage of that. Ava LOVED the cake and the pineapple in the fruit arrangement (looked like a flower arrangement with fruit on skewers). They even gave out "kiddie gift bags" during the reception, to occupy the kids with crayons, little activity books and pinwheels.
I think Ava was a little confused by Uncle Tom. He looks a lot like Grandpa Dean and even SOUNDS something like Grandpa Dean. I think she probably thought there was something familiar about him. ;-) She seemed to do very well, even when missing a nap entirely. She fell asleep after 30 minutes in the car. It was great to be able to visit with family.
Benjamin and his wife were off to Hawaii early the next morning. We hope you both are having a great time!
Peace, love and wedding bells,
Shelly, Doug and Ava
Benjamin happily awaits his bride
Vows
The Kiss
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Griffith
Happy Together
Happily and newly-married: Benjamin and Emily
Two Generations of Griffiths: Tom and Vickie, Emily and Benjamin
Cousins: Benjamin and Adam
Uncle Tom, Aunt Vickie and Benjamin
Ava and Shelly
Beautiful flower arrangements
Ava occupying herself with steps
Practice makes perfect!
A Sweet Tribute: A table to honor the memory of those they love who came before
The Griffiths: Uncle Tom, Aunt Freda, Adam, Shelly and Ava
The Send-off
The Send-off
The Send-off
The Send-off
Our drive started out with some rain (it has rained for the last SIX Saturdays in Georgia!), so we were hoping that the weather would be nice for their wedding. It turned out to be an absolutely perfect day, with the sun shining as we threw bird-friendly rice at Benjamin and Emily as they left.
They thought of EVERYTHING for this wedding! There was a fully-staffed nursery at the church during the wedding, so we took FULL advantage of that. Ava LOVED the cake and the pineapple in the fruit arrangement (looked like a flower arrangement with fruit on skewers). They even gave out "kiddie gift bags" during the reception, to occupy the kids with crayons, little activity books and pinwheels.
I think Ava was a little confused by Uncle Tom. He looks a lot like Grandpa Dean and even SOUNDS something like Grandpa Dean. I think she probably thought there was something familiar about him. ;-) She seemed to do very well, even when missing a nap entirely. She fell asleep after 30 minutes in the car. It was great to be able to visit with family.
Benjamin and his wife were off to Hawaii early the next morning. We hope you both are having a great time!
Peace, love and wedding bells,
Shelly, Doug and Ava
Benjamin happily awaits his bride
Vows
The Kiss
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Griffith
Happy Together
Happily and newly-married: Benjamin and Emily
Two Generations of Griffiths: Tom and Vickie, Emily and Benjamin
Cousins: Benjamin and Adam
Uncle Tom, Aunt Vickie and Benjamin
Ava and Shelly
Beautiful flower arrangements
Ava occupying herself with steps
Practice makes perfect!
A Sweet Tribute: A table to honor the memory of those they love who came before
The Griffiths: Uncle Tom, Aunt Freda, Adam, Shelly and Ava
The Send-off
The Send-off
The Send-off
The Send-off
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