31 week belly

Because it's been awhile...

Avery Claire is definitely growing!!!

Look Closely

Can you tell the difference?

The Tahoe now has leather seats! Yea!

When we bought the Tahoe in May of last year, we did not get leather put in then. We made a deal that we would get leather seats before we had a baby. So...it was getting about that time! I had leather in my Camry and loved it. And I've seen what happens when you have small children and cloth seats - it is not pretty!

Here's to easy(-er) cleanup!

30 Weeks Pictures

Today, the ultrasound tech was able to get another picture of Avery Claire's hair - this time, you can see it on the top of her head.

She's still a girl!

Avery Claire is growing right along - she's still a little ahead of schedule! Dr. Frazier is very pleased with how things are going. My BP was about the same - keep those prayers coming for it to stay maintained!

We did not get any face pics today - this little girl has her face buried in her mommy's bladder. Maybe this explains my many trips to the bathroom!!

30

30 weeks = cabbage

(But our sweet girl is measuring a little bigger than a cabbage!)

How far along: 30 weeks
Net weight gain/loss: up 19-20 lbs.
Maternity clothes: Yes
Stretch marks: No (still hoping for none!!)
Belly button: a stretched out innie
Sleep: Good…in between bathroom breaks. Some nights I just lose count!
Baby movement: Yes. Her tiny feet are right under my ribs!
Food cravings: Hmmm….guess I have to say “nachos with cheese” from El Patron
Food aversions: No
What I miss: Sleeping on my belly – all night long!
Looking forward to: Getting the bedding finished for Avery Claire’s room.
Best moment this week: Seeing Avery Claire on the ultrasound! And getting furniture put together and set up! Avery Claire is very lucky to have her daddy!
Milestones: Today, Avery Claire weighs 4lbs. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature. Her head is growing to make room for her developing brain. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in my uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. She definitely has hair all over her head – see pics soon.

One Final Sneak Peak

Here's one final look at Avery Claire's room until everything is complete! I have someone making bedding now, so as soon as it's done, I'll post pics of a completed nursery!

**I think you're going to have to see the walls in person. In the last pics, they looked brighter than they do in person. In these pics, they look a little lighter than they do in person.**

Avery Claire's First Monogrammed Outfit

This was a gift from my principal and assistant principal at my school shower, and we finally have it monogrammed! It took us awhile to decide on a name, and then we had some snow/ice issues, so we just got it back yesterday.

Thanks, Tia, for picking it up and delivering it to us!!

Nursery Sneak Peak

Here's proof that the nursery is painted and the furniture is here! The bed is not put together yet, and nothing is situated, but we're making progress!

Ultrasound Pics - 29 weeks, 4 days

That hand is always by her face!

Look closely at that sweet foot - it's really not as big as the outline.
The ultrasound lady said, "Look at all of that hair!" This is the back of Avery Claire's head. Can you see the hair on that sweet head? It looks like a little old man's! :)
Our doctor's appointment went great today. Dr. Frazier says Avery Claire looks wonderful. My blood pressure was a little higher than last week, but nothing she is concerned about. She seems a little more optimistic that we might make it to 37 weeks!

29

This week, Avery Claire should be about the size of a butternut squash. She's actually a couple of weeks ahead of schedule.

How far along: 29 weeks
Net weight gain/loss: up 17-18 lbs.
Maternity clothes: Yes (and sweatpants!)
Stretch marks: No (still hoping for none!!)
Belly button: a stretched out innie
Sleep: Waking up around 5:30 and cannot go back to sleep. This would never have happened if I was still getting up to go to work!!
Baby movement: Yes. I can tell she’s growing and running out of room to move around as much.
Food cravings: Not really sure this week.
Food aversions: No…
What I miss: WalMart – never thought I’d say that.
Looking forward to: Getting the furniture set up in Avery Claire’s room
Best moment this week: Seeing Avery Claire on the ultrasound! I’ll post new pics later.
Milestones: Today, Avery Claire weighs 3 lbs, 10 ounces. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature. Her head is growing to make room for her developing brain. The ultrasound lady told us that she has lots of hair already!

Guest Room Makeover

Since we had to move the guest room downstairs, of course we had to paint. So I used the same paint color that I had in my living room/hallway upstairs. Then I realized that the bedding in the guest room now matched the walls, and just looked blah! So, I decided to get new bedding. I found it at walmart.com. I really think I like it - it looks a little busy in the pics, but I really don't think it looks so busy in person. I've still got to hang pics and get a bedskirt (or rather get someone to do it for me!), but I'm glad to have bedding on the bed! What do you think?

Last night, three friends, Judy, Kate, and Lorie, that I taught with in Decatur, came for a visit. We spent a couple of hours just chit-chatting - we had lots to catch up on! They brought me goodie baskets filled with books, puzzles, candy, a picture album, gifts for Avery, a gift card and some really cute scrapbooking items!! Avery Claire is going to have the cutest scrapbook around! Thank you, girls, for visiting and for all of my goods! Come back soon! Why didn't we take a picture?!?! (How can I be a good blogger or scrapbooker if I can't remember to take pics?!)

Happy Birthday to Mommy Ultrasound

What better birthday gift could I ask for?! I got to see Avery Claire this morning in an ultrasound. She weighs 3 pounds, 5 ounces and measures about 30 weeks. She's ahead of schedule, which makes the doctor very pleased!

Maybe those little feet under my ribs are why I feel like I have to stretch my ribs all of the time, you think?

Can you see those puckered lips? She keeps those lips moving the entire time we watch her!
There's nothing cuter than those feet!

By the way, my blood pressure was much lower today than it has been! Thanks for your prayers! Keep 'em coming!

Headbands, Flowers, and Bows

I think it's going to be so much fun to dress a little girl!! I ordered these headbands with these big daisies to clip on them. I know they may not be very practical, but aren't they precious?! Even if we only wear them for pictures...I can't wait to see them on sweet Avery Claire's head (although I hope we have to wait at least 8 more weeks)!!

Avery Claire's Mema bought her the sweetest little headband with a houndstooth bow. Is it not precious?! Avery Claire's daddy wants her to come home in a Bama outfit, so this is perfect to make her look "girly!"

Work in Progress

This weekend, Avery Claire's grandparents came for a visit. They got all of the guest room furniture moved downstairs and situated. And they got Avery Claire's room primed - it's ready for paint now!
I sat on the couch and checked on the progress periodically. My dad and Dusty's mom helped him paint while my mom cleaned our house (probably better than I've ever cleaned it! She even spot cleaned the carpet!). Thanks for all of your help! We don't know what we'd do without you!

I'm gonna get in trouble for this one! But it's for Avery Claire, so maybe she won't be too mad!

Here's a sneak peak at the fabric I ordered for the crib bumper. I was a little worried because all I've seen is a 4-inch fabric sample, but I really, really love it! I can't wait to get the furniture in and the bedding made!!

28

We're keeping on with the food schedule, even though we're ahead of it for right now.

This week, Avery Claire is should be about the size of a head of Chinese cabbage.

How far along: 28 weeks
Net weight gain/loss: up 16 lbs.
Maternity clothes: I’m wearing sweatpants as much as possible these days – they’re warm and comfy for staying on the couch!
Stretch marks: No (still hoping for none!!)
Belly button: innie – it looks weird, though!
Sleep: Much better with the big body pillow!
Baby movement: Yes. Today at the ultrasound they put a tin can on my belly and banged on it – you should have seen Avery Claire jump! We know she can hear!
Food cravings: Frozen punch! Tia made some for New Year’s and my mom sent some, then brought more this weekend. Think I’ve eaten a gallon and a half myself!
Food aversions: No…
What I miss: Going to eat at a restaurant, even if it is just McDonalds!
Looking forward to: Getting Avery Claire’s room painted (progress has been made) and getting furniture in!
Best moment this week: Seeing Avery Claire on the ultrasound! Think that might be my best moment every week from now on! I’ll post new pics later.
Milestones: Today, Avery Claire weighs 3 lbs, 5 ounces. She is above average and measuring about 30 weeks, which is great! She now has eyelashes and she’s also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world. Today’s “about me” calendar says Avery Claire is not sad, but she may cry sometimes! How crazy is that?!

National Champs

Way to go, Bama! Roll Tide!
Bama won its 13th national championship last night (1/7/10)!
What a year: going undefeated, Ingram became Bama's first Heisman winner, becoming SEC champs, and winning the Rose Bowl!
Avery Claire's Daddy is on the lookout for national championship baby gear. He says she must have a onesie or a little 'boggin to wear! He can't wait to tell her she was born in the same year Bama won the national championship.

Roll Tide!!

Tonight's the big night - Bama vs. Texas in the national championship game!!

Miss Avery Claire got her first Bama cheerleading outfit from Papa, Nana, and Uncle Matt for Christmas. Next year, she'll be sporting her Bama gear for game day!

Check out those cute little bloomers!!

ROLL TIDE!!!!

Beat the Longhorns!

Goodie Basket, Pillow, and Belly Shot

The 3rd grade teachers I work with brought me this basket filled with goodies. It has scrapbooking supplies, magazines, pajamas, popcorn, candy, and a Movie Gallery gift card. This is the perfect gift for a girl that has lots of free time on her hands! Wasn't that just so sweet of them?! I love those girls!

I pulled out the body pillow again last night. I keep waking up on my back, which is not good for blood flow to Avery Claire. I'd put it up a couple of months ago because it was just so hot at night with that big pillow. But, with single digit temps this week, we can use all the extra heat we can get. Don't worry - Dusty still has room to sleep in the bed (even though it's crowded!).

Here's a 27 weeks, 6 day belly shot. I can definitely tell I've grown this week, which is understandable since Avery Claire put on 13 ounces!

"Bed"rest

Here's Avery Claire on the ultrasound this morning. The ultrasound tech outlined her little body with her hand close to her face.

Here's a profile of her face. She's a cutie, isn't she? Even in 2D...
I think most of you know about our "bed"rest situation, but I thought I'd update just in case. At my 24 week ultrasound, my blood pressure was elevated, so Dr. Frazier had me come back in the next week to check it again. It was still high, so she put me a low dose of meds and told me I'd probably need to think about taking time off work. I finished out the week at school, then our Christmas break started. I went back to see Dr. Frazier on the 22nd, and she my bp was still about the same. So, I'm officially a "stay-at-home" mom, even though Avery Claire hasn't arrived.
Dr. Frazier has diagnosed preeclampsia (high blood pressure brought on by pregnancy), although I have no other symptoms, yet. She thinks that if I stay home and take it easy, other symptoms might not arise. I'm not confined to the bed, but I've been told to take it easy!
I am going for weekly visits and weekly BioPhysical Profile ultrasounds. That means we get to see Avery Claire every week, and the ultrasound tech gives her a score according to her movement, her breathing, and my fluid levels. So far, she's scored an 8 out of 8 for the past three weeks. Dr. Frazier is very pleased with Avery Claire's growth and movement. As long as she continues to grow on schedule (or ahead of it, as she did this week), and as long as things stay the same with my blood pressure, we're going to keep doing what we're doing. Dr. Frazier wants us to shoot for 37 weeks, which is less than 9 weeks away.
So, when you say your prayers, if you'll throw in a prayer for us Davis's, we'd really appreciate it. We're praying for lower (or just not higher) blood pressure and that Avery Claire continues to grow according to schedule. We're very excited about her joining us, but we're not ready yet! She's got a few more weeks of staying warm inside mommy until we're ready!

27

This week, Avery Claire should weigh about as much as a cauliflower. However, Avery Claire actually weighs as much as a head of lettuce, which is the food for 30 weeks. So, our foods are not accurate, but we're gonna stay on schedule!

How far along: 27 weeks
Net weight gain/loss: up 14-15 lbs.
Maternity clothes: Yes to the pants! I think it’s good to be pregnant in winter – clothes are bigger so I can still wear my sweaters!
Stretch marks: No (still hoping for none!!)
Belly button: innie – but it’s definitely starting to stretch!
Sleep: Pretty good, except for bathroom trips.
Baby movement: Yes – she’s busy in there!
Food cravings: Took the glucose test today, so yesterday I was craving anything that had sugar (because I was supposed to be avoiding it!). I passed – yea!!
Food aversions: No…
What I miss: Warm weather!
Looking forward to: Getting Avery Claire’s room painted
Best moment this week: Seeing Avery Claire on the ultrasound-she’s a cutie, even in 2D! I’ll put a new pic up today, I promise!
Milestones: Last Tuesday (12-29-09), Avery Claire weighed 2 lbs, 4 ounces. Today, she weighs 3 lbs, 1 ounce – she hit a growth spurt last week! That means she’s measuring about 2 weeks early, weight-wise (although she probably won’t gain as much every week!).She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and sucking her fingers. We know from ultrasounds that she loves to keep her hands near her mouth. She should be a pro with a paci! With more brain tissue developing, Avery Claire’s brain is very active now. Her lungs are still immature, but they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Baby hiccups are at least a daily occurrence now, which means she’s breathing in amniotic fluid – that’s a good thing! That means she’s working on her breathing skills!

Happy New Year!!

The Lawrences and the Haithcocks joined us for pizza and football at our house for New Year's Eve, since I'm on house arrest. Don't worry - they didn't let me lift a finger! The brought all kinds of goodies to eat and we ate waaay too much! Emma and Aiden played all night, and why I didn't get the camera out is beyond me. I've really got to get better at taking pics. (We took this self-portrait after everyone left.)