Hello all!
I do apologize for not having updated the blog in over 2 months... but with a newborn baby girl that you just can't stop gazing at, where do you find the time?? Mucho points to Em, who is the most unexpectedly fantastic blog updater ever!! :)
I may have to add pics separately b/c I'm still trying to figure out how to get that done faster- apparently the way I've been posting them is the most time-consuming way. For pics see Facebook! I keep it updated with mobile uploads. I'll pepper a few in for now... but there are millions more thanks to all our photography-loving fam!
Well, our sweet girl arrived at 1:38pm on Tuesday, February 2nd. I had a c-section so there's no big push story or anything! I had some fantastic anesthesia and poof! We had a baby! I was awake but being the claustrophobe that I am the blue paper drape they had hanging just over my chest had me a little light headed and uncomfortable. Josh was sitting to my left and the nurse anaesthetist (sp?/title?) was sitting to my right. Josh was surprisingly calm and the nurse was great. I couldn't feel anything from my ribcage down, which was so strange. I could feel my body moving from side to side from Dr. Fulton and whoever else was involved (couldn't see b/c of the drape, mind you) trying to push Ava down from her comfy lil spot up near my ribs! It was a very odd feeling. After they pulled her out she eventually started crying and because she had been in breech position for so many weeks her little legs were straight up in a V shape! It was hysterical. They were trying to hold her legs down b/c they kept popping up in front of her like a jack-in-the-box! I started crying b/c I couldn't believe I've waited almost 30 years to be a mother and my precious angel was finally here. My life is now complete! I couldn't ask for anything more. I'm a wife to the most supportive, loving, thoughtful, sensitive man ever and mother to the single most beautiful, angelic creature on Earth. And she smells like heaven. (Or Baby Phisoderm, whatever.)
Now that we've covered the "good part", let me back it up a little: My brother was actually our first visitor that morning when we checked into St. Dominic's! He beat my mom there! Can you believe that? hee hee So we had John Michael, Mama, Walter, Mama C and Mr. Buzzy (Josh's parents), Jolyn, Emily, and Ann Maxwell all there before and after baby Ava's birth. We are so loved and fortunate to have such great friends and family there with us for this much anticipated day. Thank you all so much for your love and support :) More friends came to visit over the next couple of days! Ava got to meet Scott and Rachel Westerfield, Micah, Trish and Mandy (Josh's work buddies) Brent & Rachel, Sharron and Jerrie Marie, and Rob, Alese, Caroline & Duncan! If I have left anyone out please forgive me! I was on some very effective pain killers :p
As of our last ultrasound on January 26th, Dr. Naef's measurements indicated that our little one would weigh just under 9 lbs! I was very thankful for the scheduled section at that point! Baby Ava arrived weighing 8 lbs, 8 oz! Just before we left the hospital she had lost down to 7lbs, 3 oz, which is normal for babies to lose weight before they go home. Now, 5 weeks later, our love muffin is weighing in at just under 10 lbs! She's a big 'un! haha
There's no possible way I can tell you about all we've experienced over the last few weeks so I'll share a couple of funnies:
1. While at Ava's 1st doctor visit I was nursing her (under a nursing wrap) and Josh was filling out the new patient info sheet. After he finished he gave it to me to look over to double-check insurance info. I noticed he left the "Preferred Religion" line blank. When I asked him why he didn't write "Methodist" he said he didn't feel comfortable assigning her a religion since she was too young to decide for herself! I was so tickled I could hardly stand it. I told him that she will be Methodist like us until she does decide. He was still wary but eventually filled in the blank! tee hee hee :)
2. A couple of weeks ago, my cousins Jan and Nancy drove up from the coast to meet Ava Grace. After visiting and having lunch, everyone (Jan, Nancy, Mama C, Jessica and Josh) was sitting on the sofa gazing at our lovely new baby. "Ahh, she's so sweet! So precious, don't you just love her?" Then all of a sudden this angelic little creature passed the loudest gas you've ever heard from such a small person! I heard it from all the way back in our bathroom!! Everyone was cracking up. It was hysterical! To tell it is much funnier than reading it, but being here when it happened was priceless!
Okay, well I hope this much info will suffice for now :) I promise to try harder to keep the blog updated. I love getting feedback on it so that's more inspiration to keep it going!
Will post pics soon once I figure out the quickest way to do so.
We love you!
Josh, Sara and Ava Grace :)
