Road Trip - Day One - 11.15.11

At 7:30AM Mommy and I left to see my Daddy! We both missed him so much that we decided to go stay with him for a few weeks until he comes home. It's 18 hours to get to Oklahoma so we decided to split the trip up into two days. Mommy says I was a real trooper and did awesome in the car. We had to stop every 4 hours so that I could eat and get out of my car seat to stretch. Our 9 hour days became 12-14 hours with our stops. And with all that, I was still happy at the end of the day!

And we're off! We stopped a few times in Indiana to eat, and stretch and get gas :)

Our first stop was a breeze! We went to McDonald's and I knocked Mommy's smoothie onto the floor while she was changing my diaper! Our next stop was a rest stop so I could eat and get a clean diaper again.

It was time to stretch!

Ahh..... Strrrrretch!

Now I'm a happy Girl!!!

I've been in Three States already before I'm 2 months old!

Stop #3 for the day! Shortly after this we stopped at a Mall to get some things Mommy forgot at home before we got to our hotel. Our goal was to get to the other side of St. Louis but I couldn't be in the car any more. I had to stop and relax for the night.

After 11 hours of traveling I was tired of being in the car and ready to get out of my car seat. We got a hotel in Vandalia IL for the night and Mommy and I relaxed and watched Mickey Mouse before we went to bed. 

Not quite Black Friday

We didn't get to go out for Black Friday shopping in the morning but we did get to go out later Friday night. We weren't looking for anything special but I did get new Micky & Minnie pacifiers and Pretty Pink Bibs!

Tonight while we were shopping at K-mart I let out the cutest little baby fart, and looked up at Mommy with a huge smile on my face and started giggling! My fart was so funny to me!

Bonding with Daddy

 Mommy thinks my eyelashes are so pretty in this picture!

My First Thanksgiving!

We are out of town right now but I got to spend my Thanksgiving with my mom and dad! Mom did her best to get us turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes even though we are traveling and staying in hotels! We also had pumpkin pie. I just got to sit there and look pretty though. -- Ava

 

 


My hands are always moving so I'm usually blurry in my pictures!

Our Microwavable Thanksgiving Dinner & Pumpkin Pie! :)

Nap time after dinner!

Yay! The Packers Won!

Getting ready to take Daddy to work

One on One Time.

The first time I heard this song I cried. Blame it on hormones and stress....

When Ava was three weeks old, I was alone with her until she was 6 weeks old. It was the most difficult thing I've faced so far. I am in love with that little girl but 3 straight weeks alone with a new born is not an easy task. It was hard, and we are stronger now for getting through it.

My First Bath

Mommy & Daddy were told by the nurses in the hospital that I love bath time. I loved have the water run through my hair. I was born with so much hair that it feels good to have it washed. My first bath was fun, but I was only a few days old and I have other needs that had to come first.

Here we go!!

Mommy is trying to be so gentle

I got hungry....

Time to Burp!

First Bath = Successful!

Meeting Ava!

At 10pm on Tuesday 9/27/11 I was induced to give birth to our first baby. My labor didn't really start until the next morning. I was off to a very slow start. Later in the afternoon the next day I was in hard labor and my epidural had worn off...I think the nurses that added my second iv drip did something wrong and the medication wasn't working properly. I was good until they changed out the bags.  I was stuck at 4cm for 6 hours. My doctor suggested that we schedule a c-section because I had stopped progressing. Our nurse talked him into giving us an hour to try to progress - and we did! All the way to 9cm. I remember that it was painful (More pain than I had ever felt before) but I can't remember the pain. At 9cm Ava still hadn't moved. So even though I had progressed, Ava hadn't. I had no choice but to have a c-section. There was an emergency c-section ahead of me, and mom with twins in the other operating room... so we had to wait. And, while we waited I continued to have contractions even though there was nothing happening with Ava. It was very painful...

They came in at 7:00 to get us ready, and at 7:30 I was on my way to the operating room. I was very drugged up. I think I remember seeing my mom in the hallway as the wheeled me out of our room. I don't remember Andy walking with me, even though he was there... The operating room had an odd smell and weird lighting. I remember hearing the doctors saying the suction wasn't working.  After 22 1/2 hours of labor 17 minutes later our baby girl was here!! Born at 7:47PM on September 28, 2011.

They took Ava away immediately to clean her up, Andy went with her. I was alone for the rest of my surgery. The guys that were in there with me were amazing, as well as my doctors. Every person in there continued to talk to me to keep me awake, and make sure I was doing alright. I remember feeling the pressure of the staple gun, and hearing it at the same time and my mind associated the two and I felt it, even though I really couldn't. 

While they were finishing up with me they brought Ava in so that I could see her, and touch her.

Meeting Our baby Girl for the first time!

Back to the Nursery for cleaning and tests

Ava James Parke

September 28, 2011 - 7:47 PM

9lb 3oz - 22 1/2 Inches