Ava from the outside...22wks

Timmy has left for Illinois once again so I am left without a camera, once again, UGH! I didn't want to wait until next week to post a new bump pic so I figured that I would just take one with the cellular...its a little fuzzy but I think it shows that Ava is surely growing in my tummy:)

Ava Elizabeth - 21wks2days

She looks like a little human now!!! This picture is from my appointment with Dr. Stauffer's office last Wednesday. I have officially been released from Dr. Stauffer's care because our little girl is just "beautiful" as the doctor expressed to me:) She is growing perfectly according to them and we only need Dr. Umana to look at her from here on out unless he sees anything that worries him at any future appointments.

prego quiz

* How far along?: 20 weeks
* Total weight gain: 10 pounds
* How big is baby?: depends on where you look...the length of a banana or one nice-sized boob lol
* Sex: Girl!
* Maternity clothes?:  I love the bella band!  It is awesome!!! I havent had to buy one piece of maternity clothing!!! Not yet anyway:)
* Stretch marks?: not yet
* Sleep?: Only complaint is that I can't get enough...
* Best moment this week? being removed from high risk status!!!!!!!!!
* Movement?: Yep!  Especially in the morning after I've had my cup of hot chocolate:)
* Food cravings?: This week I have wanted a Roast Beef and Cheese sandwich from Arby's...had one Saturday night and one Monday for lunch and I'm trying to keep myself away til next week lol
* Labor signs?: nope
* Belly button in or out?: In but I can tell that it won't stay that way
* What I miss: Not much...maybe lying on my back??
* What I'm looking forward to: Seeing my sisters for New Moon Friday!!!
* Words of Wisdom: Not sure that I have received any this week...

Halfway there!!!!!

Yesterday marked the official halfway point for Ms. Ava's e.t.a. YAY!  So what's up with her this week according to the web gurus???
According to http://www.hisboyscanswim.com/dads-pregnancy-guide she is the size of one nice-sized boob lol... I'm assuming that the nice sized boob that they are referring to is one of the ones in the picture that they provided...


Pregnancy Week 20: 
Mmmm… Memories.  This
week your baby is now the
size of one nice-sized boob.

According to babycenter.com she should look something like this...

and she should be the length of a banana from her head to her heels.

And for those of you who are wandering here is what she is making my tummy look like...

and without a shirt....

I had my twenty week appointment with Dr. Umana today, and it went really well.  Dr. Umana officially changed me from a high risk pregnancy to a normal pregnancy YAY times two!!! My weight gain is right on track...I have gained 9 pounds since my last appointment so I am up to 116 now.  He says that I should gain another 20 or so pounds, and he would really like to see me get to between 130 and 135 at the least.  The fundus measured exactly on target.  Most importantly to me the heart beat sounded perfect!  We didn't do an ultrasound today because I had one just two weeks ago, and I go to see Dr. Stauffer next week where he will do another thorough ultrasound, so there was no reason for one today.  Oh and he had reviewed all of the blood work and measurements that Dr. Stauffer's office did a few weeks ago and he was just as pleased with the results as Dr. Stauffer was.  So all in all today was a very good day for me and Ms. Ava.

XOXO

A nursery takes shapes

So last time we talked about the nursery Jennifer and I had just spent the night before removing the man stuff and were about to begin the wonderful journey of painting...duh duh duh.
I really wish that Tim had not taken our camera because no one will ever really understand the transformation that this room will have made once it is all finished!  So Tuesday night we cleared out all of the man stuff, Wednesday night we deglossed furniture, Thursday night we painted the first coat of paint on the furniture, Friday night was a night of rest so that Jenn could attend the wonderful Spongebob Squarepants party for her precious nephew Blayd, Saturday was spent painting furniture, Sunday was spent moving furniture around and painting the walls, Monday was a much needed night off, Tuesday night was spent doing a second coat on half of the room's walls, and Wednesday (which was Veterans day so our office was closed) was spent finishing the second coat on the walls and putting all of the furniture back into some kind of order.  
WOW that was a lot of work!!! Of course it was all worth it...Jenn helped me on every single day that I just listed so many many thanks to my homegirl for that!!! Sue came over on Saturday and helped me price cribs, removed some border and painted some furniture.  Jenn's friend, Chyna, came over on Saturday to help with some painting and again on Wednesday to help move the furniture back to a semi normal state.  And of course I can't leave out our very own little Peytone-rouge and her friend Heather who came over on their day out of school and helped finish up with that second coat of paint on the walls.  Thanks to all of you guys who helped... you are life-savers!!!!
Some previews of the nursery....Drum roll please.....

This picture encompasses pretty much all of the colors that I will use in the nursery...

New wall paint...newly painted black furniture, brushed nickel hardware, and white and light pink accents.  Jenn and I spray painted some AWFUL 1970s lamps that Tim had and I made stencils for the initials and TADA!

I found this cute white baskets with pink and white swirl fabric at Michaels...it looks so good with the black dresser!

There is still work to do, but it is all coming together...will post more as it progresses!

Until next time...

XOXO

19 weeks

So here is what our little girl looks like all cramped up inside my tummy this week...

And a short synopsis of what is going on with her this week according to babycenter.com....

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

And for those of you who aren't exactly sure what an heirloom tomato looks like (I'm thinking she is closer to the size of one of the big ones lol)....

And a definition for those of you who aren't quite sure of the difference in a regular tomato...

Heirloom tomato cultivars can be found in a wide variety of colors, shapes, flavors and sizes. Some cultivars can be prone to cracking or lack disease resistance. As with most garden plants, cultivars can be acclimated over several gardening seasons to thrive in a geographical location through careful selection and seed saving.

This is about all that I have time to post today.  Promise to post more later.  Tim is still in Illinois for the "big hunt" so he has the camera.  He should be back by the time I hit the 20 week mark (next Monday!) so I will post a bump pic then:)

XOXO

And a Room Idea Was Born...

The pictures above are my inspiration (inspiration being the key word) for little Ava's room.  I found them on a random website while doing research on nursery ideas.  I began my search through hundreds of pictures and when I came upon these it was like the heavens opened lol...  I love the neutral wall color and the black furniture with the white and soft pink accents!!! The only thing that I will definitely be leaving out is the crazy diamond chandelier ...its just TOO much for a nursery in my opinion.  I'm also looking for a pink toile to do the bedding in (haven't decided if I am going to make it myself or buy it...hmmmm).

So once an inspiration was found it was time to start working on bringing it to fruition!  Tim and Marc left Monday morning for what Tim referred to as "the big trip" to Illinois/Missouri for two whole weeks...this leaves me with lots of spare time on my hands and gave me the opportunity to turn what once was the "hunting room" into a little girls' nursery...lol poor Timmy:)  He did officially give me his permission to clear the room on Sunday afternoon so I don't feel soooo bad about removing all of his man stuff and pretty much saying "this has to go."

Jennifer (my amazingly wonderful "buttercup") came over last night, and in only one hour we had sorted and removed ALL of the hunting stuff/fishing stuff/collector cards/sentimental stuff from the new nursery!!!! I was SO proud of us.  So tonight begins the real work... we will wipe the furniture down with a deglosser and begin the painting YAY!  I will keep you guys informed as the nursery transforms...

Until next time...

XOXO

18 wks

Here is our little girl at 18wks old! I can't believe how much she has changed since my appointment with Dr. Stauffer just five days ago!!! She is actually starting to look like a baby now:) I think I fall in love with her a little more each time I see here...Jennifer says that I need to turn the crock pot up to high so she can come out soon lol...
XOXO