Girls Day

Today, Avery Claire and Mommy had a girls shopping day. We went to Target and the mall and had a great time! Avery Claire is a great little shopper, and I'm so glad she likes it! Mommy didn't buy much for herself, but she found some cute things for a cute little girl!

We're excited about our weekend! Papa, Nana, Mema, and Uncle Matt are coming to visit and help us get our house back in order after the tile installation!

Happy 5 Weeks

Avery Claire, at 5 weeks old you are:

- about 24 inches long!!! (Nana measured you, and she's the math teacher, so it must be right!!)

- nursing and drinking formula

- getting really good at holding your head up

- smiling at Mommy and Daddy (maybe it's still just gas, but we're choosing to think you really are smiling at us when we're talking to you!)

- learning your ABC's with your Daddy every night

- very hot-natured!!

- not very patient when it's time to eat! Or maybe we're just too slow!

- a great shopper (and boy, is your Mommy glad!)

- following our every move when we walk by you

- sleeping great! At the most, you get up twice at night. Sometimes, you just get up once. Mommy and Daddy prayed for a good sleeper!

- a morning person! Where did you get that from?

- absolutely the very best thing that's ever happened to your Mommy & Daddy. We love you so very much!!

Scooter

This is Avery Claire after about 20 minutes on her wedge during her nap! We have a scooter on our hands!

Night, Night, Sleep Tight....

You Might Be A Redneck

If your baby prefers to be "nekked"

If your refrigerator is in your living room...

If your commode is on your front porch...

All of these things are true at the Davis household this week. Therefore, we could qualify for redneck status (and our neighbors probably think we've reached it)...

But we're just getting tile in our kitchen and bathrooms!!!!

Birth Story

Warning: This post will be long and boring...but I want to do it for memory's sake.

In honor of your one month birthday, Avery Claire, Mommy and Daddy decided that we needed to do a post about your birthday so that one day you can know all about that day. Mommy was on "bedrest" for the last 13 weeks of her pregnancy, so needless to say, she was going stir crazy by the time she had you. For the last few weeks, I'd left the house a few times, like to get my hair done, to go eat with the Lawrences...the week you were born, I even went to school to work with my students Tuesday and Wednesday morning. I'd planned to go back Thursday, but you decided to make your appearance!

The day before you were born, Mommy went to the nail salon and had a pedicure. When Daddy got home from school, he and I went to the park and walked several laps around the lake. We came home and watched Survivor, ate supper, then went to bed. I woke up at around 12:45 with a pain in my belly...Remember that Mommy had never had a baby, so she wasn't sure what a real contraction felt like. She'd been having Braxton Hicks contractions for a few weeks, but this one felt different. So, I looked at the clock so I'd be able to tell how far apart the contractions were (if they were real). After the next contraction, about 13 minutes later, I got out of bed and went to the living room. For about the next 4 hours, I went from the couch, to the recliner, to computer, to the restroom while it stormed big time outside. I read everything I could find in my pregnancy books and on my google search about contractions and being in labor. Everything I read pointed to this being it!! And my contractions started coming every 7-8 minutes soon.

By 5 a.m., the contractions were about 5-7 minutes apart and I was having to stop what I was doing and let them pass, so I thought I better wake Daddy up. I hadn't woken him yet because he had school the next day and I wasn't sure I was really in labor. I woke him up and told him I thought I might be having "real" contractions. He wondered how, if I was really in labor, I couldn't be sure! We wondered what to do...should we call the doctor or go to the hospital. I've heard about so many people that go to the hospital thinking they are in labor and get sent home because they're really not. I told Daddy to stay in the bed while I washed my hair - I couldn't have you with dirty hair!

We finally decided to go to the hospital (if they sent us home I'd just have to deal ith the embarrassment! Daddy went to school and got a substitute and we headed to the hospital. Daddy called Papa, Nana, Mema, and the Lawrence's and let them know that we were headed to the hospital.

(Mommy really wanted to wear make-up for your day, but by that point, she was just glad to have clean hair!)

(Here's Daddy on our way to the hospital)

The nurse hooked Mommy up to the monitors and said I was definitely having contractions. She checked me and found me 1 cm dilated - she told us she thought we'd be having a baby that day!! Mommy and Daddy were so excited...and so nervous!!

(Mommy and Daddy were so excited)

Tia came and spent most of the day with us. Dr. Wakefield came in broke Mommy's water when I was dilated to 3...then I went to 4. I got my epidural around 1:00 that afternoon when I was a 4 or 5. At around 6:00, Mommy was dilated to a 10...the nurse made everyone leave the room and showtime began! You were born at 7:18 p.m. on March 25th. You weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces and were 21 inches long. March 25th became the best day of Mommy & Daddy's life!
Papa, Nana, Mema, Uncle Matt, Aunt Steph, Grandmother Joann, Uncle Mike, Grandmother Jane, the Lawrence's, the Goodwin's, the Geohagan's, and the Haithcock's all waited in the hallway to hear your cry.

(Here's the labor and delivery room you were born in)

(Your first picture)

You swallowed a little fluid when you were born, so Mommy got to hold you for a minute, then Daddy went with the nurse to take you to the nursery. Mommy and Daddy really got to hold you around midnight Thursday night/Friday morning.

You had to have some oxygen on and off until Friday night. Because we both had fevers when you were born, the doctors gave you an antibiotic, just in case you had an infection. You didn't, but had to wait 48 hours to finish the antibiotic, which meant you had an IV in your little hand. You finally got a bath Friday afternoon. Mommy fed you for the first time around 2:00 Friday afternoon. You got to come to Mommy and Daddy's room Friday night around 8:00 for the first time, and your grandparents finally got to hold you!

(Our new family)

(Your first bath)

(All cleaned up!)

(You have Daddy wrapped around your little finger already!)

We were supposed to go home Sunday, but you had a little touch of jaundice. So, you spent Sunday in our room under the jaundice light. You did not love that, and we did not love having to watch you lay there when we couldn't hold you!

Finally, you were discharged Monday morning. Mommy had to wait on Dr. Wakefield to discharge me that afternoon. We got to our house at about 3:30 Monday afternoon and we were so glad to finally be home with our sweet baby girl!

One month ago today....

we welcomed this little bundle of joy!!

Church Debut

Avery Claire went to church for the first time today. She looked precious in her sweet pink gown. Everyone ooohed and aaahed over her. She cried on the way to church, but calmed down before we got there. Mommy and Daddy were a little worried we wouldn't even make in the building. But once we sat down, she just looked around for a few minutes then fell asleep!

Weekends are tiring!!

Outback

Tonight we took Avery Claire on her first date night with Mommy and Daddy. We went to Outback and stopped by Lowe's. She peeked at her surroundings a couple of times, but otherwise, she slept through date night!

Didn't she dress cute for date night?!

Tummy Time

Wow...I've never seen the play mat from this point of view!

Okay, Mommy! Pick me up...I've had enough!

Happy 4 weeks!

(Again, Mommy forgot the sign that says 4 weeks old on April 22. I'll get better, I promise!!)

Avery Claire, at 4 weeks old you are:

- weighing ~9.9 lbs (on the field house scale)

- recognizing Mommy and Daddy's faces and voices (and we love it!!)

- holding your neck up to look around. You're pretty good at "tummy time" for such a little one. You, little girl, have a very strong neck and leg muscles already!

- loving to be held facing forward. You love to see what's going on around you.

-breastfeeding and taking some formula

- still an awesome sleeper. Mommy only got up to feed you last night at 2:30 and 6:30. Then us girls got to go back to bed and poor Daddy had to go to work. We miss him when he's gone!

- are getting much better at holding the paci in by yourself.

- getting chubby little cheeks and a double-chin. Mommy could just eat you up!

- going to be a great shopping buddy if yesterday was any indication.

-loving your changing pad - you would lay on it all day long if we could stand there with you. So, you, Mommy, and Daddy spend some time hanging out at your dresser every day.