She's Here!!!

Avery Vaughn arrived 3 days ahead of schedule on February 9th at 4:23 via c-section after a long labor. She is perfect and a champion breastfeeder (very "aggressive"...ouch!). She is doing great and Derek and I are absolutely in love.

Place Your Bets!

Steve just reminded me that everyone here in KC placed a bet the weekend we found Avery was a girl. I thought I'd post everyone's date and weight since we are getting so close.

Fabian, Feb 10th, 7lb8oz
Karen, Feb 16th, 8lb
Amy, Feb 11th, 8lb7oz
Chris, Feb 10th, 7lb6oz
Gma D, Feb 16th, 7lb4oz
Gpa D, Feb 14th, 6lb3oz
Don, Feb 10th, 6lb8oz
Bon, Feb 14th, 7lb3oz
Joe, Feb 17th, 7lb7oz
Jen, Feb 15th, 6lb4oz
Pete, Feb 16th, 7lb9oz
Steve, Feb 15th, 7lb10oz
Mom, Feb 18th (WTF was I thinking?!?), 7lb2oz
Dad, Feb 15th, 7lb6oz

The lucky winner will receive the whopping $28 pot! Good Luck!

Week 37

This week was exciting! Our last birth class was Monday night so now we are supposed to be "officially ready" for delivery. Not sure how convinced I am that we are ready, but it's going to happen one way or another! Wednesday was my little pregnant lady photoshoot which was fun, except they made me do all the bare belly pictures and I had to pretend another guy was my baby-daddy and hold hands with him, which was awkward. LOL

We got Skype set up and now we can talk to everyone who has a webcam - yay! I've talked to Mom twice and it's so neat - and no wasting of cell phone minutes either, woohoo! Today was Derek's Polar Plunge which was HILARIOUS and more than a little crazy, but a fun day. There is supposed to be a full moon tonight, so I am 50% wishing it would send me into labor, but on the other hand I could really use at least one more full week at work to get things wrapped up.

The anticipation is awful! I can not wait for her to just be here already! Thirteen days to go!

Week 36

Today I am 37 weeks...three more weeks to go! Or maybe less??? The midwife says at all of my appointments that I measure exactly to the day when she measures my belly, so she thinks I will be very close to my due date. So I'm trying not to get my hopes up that it could really be any day now. I FEEL like she is going to be born February 7th, but we'll see. I think it is less intuition and more wishful thinking since that is our nine year anniversary from when we started dating :)

Not a lot new going on other than a bajillion people giving me funny advice, including, "You'll know you're about to go into labor when it looks like someone blew their nose in your undewear." and "You will be a complete emotional wreck in the couple weeks after the baby's born and think that you ruined your life...don't worry, you didn't." GREAT! LOL

I feel really good for the most part other than my hips killing me at night when I try to sleep between pee-breaks every 2 hours. I'm just now starting to feel a little sluggish and slower. I kind of feel like I'm getting over being sick for a week...like my body is just exhausted. Not to mention my cankles are the size of grapefruits and my calves are rock-hard and swollen...they are starting to sting and itch from being so puffed out! Other than that, things are good though...just waiting, waiting, waiting...very impatiently!!!

Week 35

Today I'm 36 weeks and officially 9 months pregnant. AAAHH!!! I am so excited for Avery to be here, but terrified that I could go into labor so soon. We have been to two of our four childbirth classes and they make me feel more calm and Derek feel more anxious, but they have been so helpful! Hopefully we'll make it through the last one at the end of the month. I am sure she is going to be a late baby anyway...she is a snuggler and looks awfully comfortable in there every time we've had an ultrasound.

If she doesn't come before January 27th, then I will be a pregnant model for one of Cerner's new fetal monitoring/tracking products that they are piloting at our hospital. They are an international healthcare software company and the pics would be used on their marketing info and packaging of this new product I guess? Some of the nurses at work recommended me and I said sure as long as they have Photoshop. LOL!

Other than being a little uncomfortable when I walk around (she falls RIGHT into my bladder when I do!) I am feeling really good. Everyone at work comments on how much energy, perkiness, and running around I do even now. A lady at work even said, "Omg, I just realized you were pregnant last week - when are you due?" in a meeting today. I just laughed and said four weeks from today! LOL...I have been fairly large for the past couple months I thought! I don't notice it, but I guess I am very lucky that I've felt so great throughout this whole pregnancy. When I think about how other people in my situation are feeling/acting I realize I really am feeling much better than most of them. I hope that doesn't mean the second baby will be payback!

A picture from this morning...36 Weeks!

35/35!

35 weeks today, 35 days to go! Woohoooooo!

Week 33/34

It's below zero temps with snow and ice.
I'm uncomfortable.
I breathe like a fat person.
I can't put my Uggs on without help.
I found two stretch marks.
I am ready to have this baby...

Well, I WAS until I realized that I hadn't trained anyone at work on my reports yet, but that got done this afternoon.

Waiting for nesting instinct to kick in...

The Beginnings of a Nursery!

Obviously we are not done and things are still cluttery and all the over the place, but I wanted to post some pictures of what I got accomplished Sunday! The black doors/drawers/shelves unit is what Derek made - from scratch - for $200! I think it turned out awesome!!! He still needs to add the little magnet latches to the doors, but other than that it is complete.

Week 31

I haven't posted lately because I have been so busy with finals and paper-writing since Thanksgiving, but I graduated on Friday...woohoo!!! Things are still good, just growing and getting a little uncomfortable since she likes to press into my lungs and bladder from both ends. I officially have permanent cankles and I can't stand/walk for long periods of time anymore without my back killing me. We are getting her room together and will post pics soon! Here's a picture of the growing belly from Friday night at our graduation dinner. See everyone at Christmas!

Week 29

Last week was packed full of Thanksgiving and an awesome baby shower so I forgot to post, but you didn't miss much! This week has been a blur, I can't believe it's Friday already and we have just TEN WEEKS to go!!! Eeek, scary! I have been feeling a lot more uncomfortable this week for some reason. Like a lot of pressure if that makes sense. I think she is just growing more and I haven't caught up with her enough yet. Or maybe this is just how it's going to be from now on? Either way, I'll live and I'm SUPER excited to only have two and a half months left!!! Here's a comparison shot from 22 weeks to 29 weeks - same outfit so I thought I'd take a picture. Wow, big difference and I thought I wasn't growing! LOL

Week 27

Our baby shower last weekend was fantastic and I have been busy writing thank you notes today! We're looking forward to Thanksgiving in Louisville and our other baby shower. Not to mention, a short week at work...which apparently my feet/ankles/legs need. I am having some crazy looking swelling on my left side which makes my foot look like Eddie Murphy in a fat suit with a huge cankle! Right side is just fine though...very weird, but my BP is good, so nothing to worry about. I have been trying to lay off the sodium and prop up my feet as much as possible. My midwife suggested at least 3 hours a night, but that's hard to do when you get to work around 7AM and don't get home until 10PM two nights a week. Have I mentioned I can not WAIT to graduate!?! Only 25 more days!!!

Well Ms. Avery's favorite new trick is to make things dance on my belly. I will sit back and set and remote control or a something along those lines on my belly and she makes it jump and wobble all over the place. It's crazy to watch! She should be about 2.5 lbs this week and is now blinking, along with coughing, hiccuping, and taking practice breaths...which I did not even know they did! Very cool. I just can't wait to meet her. I am working on switching from books about labor and delivery to reading how to actually take CARE of her once she's here. For some reason the importance of that has just now dawned on me. I think I've got time though...12 weeks to go!

Week 26

Well it appears we have the most stubborn baby ever. Today was our 3D ultrasound and the sonographer said she was one of the hardest babies she's ever done. We only got two or three semi-good pictures of her face because she was curled up in a ball and tucked down into one side of me...and stayed that way for an ENTIRE HOUR! No amount of pushing, shaking, jumping, lying on my stomach, or my side would help. We did get to see her yawn a bunch, eat her fist and her toes, and she also loves to grab and hold on to her toes and feet. She is in the true fetal position and her feet and hands are constantly in her face. She also presses her face flat into the inside of me, so whenever it wasn't blocked by hands and feet, it was squished into the inside of my uterus.

So here are some of our best shots. I guess she is insisting on making her appearance a surprise until February.

Foot in the Eye...her favorite position!















Best Face Shot















Her Little Butt
















Hand Up by Face and her Little Armpit
















Her Chubby Cheeks

Week 25

Another busy, busy week that flew by. Seriously, February is going to be here before we know it. She has been super active these past couple weeks and I even saw my tummy move from the outside for the first time last weekend. She also got hiccups for the first time yesterday - very funny! It was the same little feeling over and over, but sometimes it felt like she got too close to me and the hiccup made her hit her head. LOL I am super excited about my shower here in KC next weekend and about getting to see everyone at Thanksgiving. I can't wait!!! We have our 3D ultrasound on Friday, so check back for pictures of her beautiful face next weekend!
25wk5d

Week 24

So, I think I stopped growing? Or maybe I am just transitioning shapes. I feel like I look the same as my 20wk pictures. I look more pregnant in clothes, but smaller in my belly pics. I guess I should enjoy not being huge and unwieldy while I still can. Not a lot happening this week, but it has FLOWN by! I can't believe how quickly time has been going lately and once we get into the holidays it's just going to go faster. We scheduled a 3D ultrasound for November 13th and can't wait to see what this little girl looks like! Hopefully we'll get some good shots. That's really about it...I'm still feeling great, have lots of energy, and forget I'm pregnant sometimes until a kick or flip or stabby pain reminds me she is in there.

P.S. For those concerned, no - I am not tanning! I give myself a tan with the picture editor so I don't look so pasty :)

"Someone" Is NOT Going to Like Sharing the Attention with the New "Little Baby Girl"

24wk6d

Week 23

HAPPY V-DAY AVERY!!! Today I'm 24 weeks and it is what they call "Viability Day," which means IF Avery were to be born she has a 50% better chance of surviving a preterm birth. Doesn't really sound like much to celebrate since this would NOT be a good situation, but it does mean she is growing and becoming more of a little human being in there. It is just another pregnancy milestone and there aren't too many after you hit 20 weeks and find out the gender.

Well, this week was awful, but it wasn't her fault! After two night classes and a stressful and negative 50 hour work week I am burnt out and need some time to recharge my positive energy...lol. Derek is busy all weekend so I will have plenty of time to read a book, watch a movie, and just think about nothing. Not a lot new going on in there as far as I can tell...she was 1lb 5oz at our ultrasound last week, so she's getting big! I feel her kicking all the time, but it seems like every time I try to let Derek feel she stops. She is a stealth baby. Other than finally looking obviously pregnant to strangers and, more importantly, the people I work with, not a lot has changed this week!

Week 22

Well I completely forgot to post last week apparently. Sorry! I guess nothing exciting really happened. Here's a picture of the growing belly as a replacement post! This was taken last Saturday at 23wk1d.

Diaper Bag Dilemma

It seems I am a diaper bag snob :(

I generally hate diaper bags because I have never liked bags/purses that are made of that nylon-ish or slick material and it seems like the majority of diaper bags are not only boxy and square, but made of this very same material. Well wouldn't you know it, they have solutions to this problem but they cost a fortune! I've fallen IN LOVE with a diaper bag that is ridiculously expensive and now there's no turning my head. It's like trying on a $9,000 wedding dress when you can only really afford a $1,000 wedding dress. You just don't do it! I did locate an outlet where I could get the diaper bag on sale in last season's colors, but it's still pretty expensive. *Sigh*

Derek likes to say we like fancy things because we're fancy people...now I just need a fancy income to go with all that! LOL In the meantime I am accepting all suggestions for cute reasonably priced diaper bags! Send me an email if you see one that might turn my head.

Week 21

I'm now less than half way through being pregnant - woohoo! This was a pretty uneventful week. I look about the same and nothing much new has been going on. I got my first, "When are you...uh, are you..." at work yesterday so that was kind of cool to know I am showing enough for people to realize I'm not just packing on the pounds. Then she said, "Well I'm glad because I've had a lot of meetings with you lately and when you started gaining weight I was thinking, 'What is going on with this girl,' but then I saw you the other day and said to myself, 'Oh, she's pregnant.'" Thanks...I think? LOL Here's a new progression of the bump...not much change this week, but definitely some progress overall!

Week 20

Not much happened this week other than my enormous growth spurt! We (as in Derek) put together Avery's crib and as soon as I get the old dresser cleaned out we'll move her new dresser in and start rearranging the room. Derek is building an awesome wall unit for her that I can not WAIT to see finished, but I think it's going to take a few weeks. It's a combination of drawers,cabinets, and shelves. Very cool and I'm really impressed I can just go online and find $2,000 furniture and say "I want this," and he can build it for $200. Very conveinent!

This week Avery is the length of a large banana and she can taste the food I'm eating when she swallows the amniotic fluid (eww). I read in a few places that studies have shown that babies are more likely to respond favorably to foods they tasted most often through the amniotic fluid, so I have been eating a lot healthier. My new favorite lunch is so yummy and good for you! I put chive and onion cream cheese on both sides of a bagel with turkey, cucumbers, and sprouts. YUM! I also have been eating apple slices like they're about to go out of season (are they?) and chocolate pudding cups or chocolate covered raisins for my dessert. It's nice to have more than just carbs and protein for a change. I can't believe that actually got old after awhile...SO glad to not feel sick anymore. I feel fantastic actually!