Introducing Miss Ava

So a lot has happened in the one month that i have not posted anything.  I must apologize now for being such a terrible blogger, and not keeping everyone informed of what's going on in our lives.  So let us start where I left off:)
Last I wrote I told you that Dr. Umana said since we had been good patients that I could possibly be induced at 38 or 39 weeks...weeeelllll Ava decided to come on her own at 38 weeks!  I will not give all of the details of the birth story, but long story short I went to see Dr. Umana for my 38 week appointment and I was dilated 2 cm, he stripped my membranes at 3:30, told me to go home and take it easy, at 5:00 p.m. I was having contractions, at 9:15 p.m. I was in active labor, and at 1:15 a.m. we were on the way to the hospital.

Me waiting on Timmy to get out of the shower so we could head out.

At 6:00 a.m. they were admitting me into the L & D room, and at 3:07 p.m. our lives were forever changed when we welcomed Miss Ava Elizabeth Webb into the world. 

Isn't she beautiful:)

Tons of pictures were taken thanks to her daddy (who fell instantly in love with her) and her Aunt Sue... you can view those pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/ashgilbert227/AvaAtTheHospital?feat=directlink.  There are way too many pics to go through and decide which ones to post on here! 

Easter morning (4 days old)

So we have been home for a full month now, and things are going good.  We have survived when at times we thought we might not lol.  Ava is growing by leaps and bounds.  She changes everyday!  It makes me wish more and more that I did not have to go back to work and put her in daycare because all that I can think about is what I am going to miss for those 8-9 hours that I am not home with her:( 

1 month old

 

I promise to try my best to be better at updating this thing, if for no other reason than I like to look back over it to see where life has taken us in such a short period of time:)  I'll leave you with one of my favorite pics taken at the hospital...

Wish it was better quality, but it was a quick snapshot taken with my phone...isn't it sweet...he loves his little girl:)

XOXO

Playing catch up...This may get long!

I have really been a slacker when it comes to blogging lately!  Sorry everybody!  I have just had so much going on and I am completely exhausted all of the time now.

Let's see where should I begin??

Well I guess nothing really exciting has been going on with the exception of the shower that took place Sunday.  It was so much fun and Ava got so much stuff!!! I mean seriously wait until you see the pics...the kid got anything and everything anyone could think of... The girls did a GREAT job!  Everything was so cute with the colors of the nursery spread all around Marc's house, and Cannon even got Marc to wear his pink collared shirt lol.  Seriously though I really could not have asked for a better baby shower!  Thanks to all who made it possible!!! So without further delay here are some of my favorite pictures from the fabulous event...

Proud Mommy-to-Be

and Daddy-to-Be (yes he did attend lol)...

The spread...Jenn did such a great job with the sandwiches and picking out the cupcakes and getting Terry to put his girly touch on the fruit tray:)

Ben could not come from Savannah with Brittney (BOOOO!!!) but he did send his very own gift for Timmy... it included a package full of Winchester ear plugs lol

Sue put this fab basket together for us...it had all kinds of stuff in it...

including Ava's very first UGA book!!! GO DAWGS!!!!

Meghan made Ava's gift specially for her... an adorable little dress and blanket to match!  

Big Tim and Vivian got this darling night light...I didn't get a picture with it at the shower so I took one at home...

me and my mom and two sisters...

Sue, Me, Jenn...

Me and the Hostesses...

And this is the enormous amount of stuff that I went home and spread out in her room...

Again thanks to everyone for everything that was gifted and for all of the hard work that was put in to hosting this shower...Tim, Ava, and I are truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and family!!

Since the shower I have purchased the last of the furniture to be placed in the nursery... 

the rocker...

I bought it Sunday night and it has been shipped Site-to-Store so it should be here any day now.  I can't wait because it will complete my nursery.  The nursery just isn't complete until there is somewhere for me to rock my baby girl to sleep!  This will leave only two things for me to do for the nursery to be totally finished...make the bumper pads and wash and put up the enormous amount of stuff that we got Sunday.  I have full confidence that this can all be accomplished this weekend.  Maybe next week I can update with pictures of a completely put together nursery!!!

In other news, Monday marked 34 weeks so of course I had a 34 week check up with Dr. Umana on Tuesday.  He said that both mom and baby are doing good and he is proud of us.  As way of showing just how proud he is he told me that if we continue to be good patients then we can be induced at 38 or 39 weeks!  I was so excited to hear that because I know that by then I will be beyond ready!  For those of you looking for a specific date, well we won't know that until we make the plans, but I can tell you that this means we could have a baby girl anytime between March 23 and April 5 (actual due date)!!!!  I'm so excited and can't wait to hold her in my arms!

Well I think that that is all that I have new to share for right now...it should be plenty to hold you over til next time:)

XOXO

32 Weeks (WARNING: this might get lengthy)

I am sorry for how long it has been since I have posted any updates!  I guess nothing very exciting has happened and I just haven't felt like there has been anything to update anyone on lol.  Yesterday marked 32 weeks...time is really flying.... 8 weeks or less until we are holding our baby girl!  

The only thing that is going on is me being tired and completely uncomfortable all of the time.  But I try really hard to not spend my time complaining because I know that that will not make anything any better.  I try to stay as active as I can...so far I am able to do pretty much anything as long as I take it in stride.  

Going to the grocery to do actual grocery shopping has gone out the window.  I pretty much just go in and get what I need for that moment and go back out, because trying to do anymore than that just wears me out completely and the pain in my pelvis gets to be unbearable after a certain amount of walking around.  

Everyone is constantly speculating as to how long I can make it (no one believes that I will be able to make it to April 5th) because they feel like I am just so big already and I won't be able to carry Ava for much longer.  I try to tell people that women do this everyday and have been doing this for forever and ever...God made me to carry my little girl around for 40 weeks.

 Saturday night I got a much appreciated "you don't really look that big" from Sissy (Jennifer's sister whose name is really Kerri but is called Sissy by family and friends and I have also adopted this name for her  because I have another friend named Carrie, and it gets confusing to people when I talk about Carrie and Kerri...long story short it is just easier to keep them straight by calling one Carrie and the other Sissy).  Okay, now that I have that long and probably not needed explanation out of the way, Thank. You. Sissy.  Quite honestly I feel HUGE and all I can think about is the fact that I am only going to get bigger over the coming weeks.

Anyway, I should really cut this thing off because I think I am just rambling at this point...so here is a bump pic taken today...it kinda looks like I am poking my belly out because of the way I am holding my hands but I promise you that I am not...I actually don't think that it is possible to poke my belly out at this point...it is just kinda there lol.

And this is what babycenter.com says she looks like on the inside...

* How far along?: 32 weeks

* Total weight gain: 29 pounds

* How big is baby?: between 3.75 and 4 pounds

* Sex: Girl!

* Maternity clothes?: of course

* Stretch marks?: not yet (keeping my fingers crossed lol)

* Sleep?: getting harder and harder

* Best moment this week? hearing her heart beat at the doctor's appointment this morning

* Movement?: it is slowing down some because she does really have anywhere to go now, but when she does move it just about makes my whole body move lol

* Labor signs?: nope thank goodness

* Food cravings?: coffee flavored drinks and sausage and biscuits...I could live off of those two things lol

* Belly button in or out?: neither... it is just flat

* What I miss: right now the two biggies would have to be sleep and wearing my contacts

* What I'm looking forward to: seeing my mom and sisters tomorrow, and then my baby shower next Sunday

* Words of Wisdom: can't think of anything off the top of my head

Two down, one to go...

Yesterday officially started the third and final trimester!!!  Time is really flying...before I know it Tim and I are going to have a little girl on our hands.  It is all so scary and exciting at the same time!  I had my 28 week appointment today and the doctor informed me that he is looking for me to make it about another 10 weeks...I was like, "Um, but I'm at 28 weeks now.  So I have 12 more weeks right?" and Dr. Umana smiles and says "Like I said I give you 10 more weeks."  I was completely speechless...I mean I know that I will be plenty ready for her to be out of my belly in 10 weeks, but there is also a part of me that was really counting on that two extra weeks lol.  So I guess he is thinking that I am going to get to a point where I just can't carry her around anymore and we will have to be induced...lovely.  Either way I just can't believe that she is going to be here so soon!

So here are some pictures of what my tummy looks like now...

Modest...

and not modest...

and here is a collage of how she has grown over time...

from left to right, top to bottom:  pre-Ava, 13 weeks, 20 weeks, 22 weeks, 26 weeks, 28 weeks

She has really grown huh?! AND she has got a lot more to go! 

XOXO

We are in the double digits!!!!

Today marks 26 weeks til Ava's ETA!!! This means that we are now in the double digits...98 days and counting YAY! Jennifer took these picture of me while I was making my daily lunch visit. Yes I do sit in the floor to eat my lunch lol... it won't be too long before I will not be able to get down there though so I'll have to go to pulling one of Mr. Gunby's chairs out of his office to make my visit.

I am waiting on some pictures from Tim's dad and Vivian to upload from Christmas... it was a busy two days with all of the driving and eating, but it was worth it. Can't wait til next year when we have little Ava to tag along with us!

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:)

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

17 Week Bump

I know I'm a little behind on posting a new "bump" picture...but here it is:)
All of the pregnancy websites say that the little bambino is around the size of an onion this week and my uterus is nearing the size of a cantaloupe. Kinda makes me feel like a produce stand with all of the fruit and veggie references lol...but I understand that they are easy things to reference so I guess I can go with it.
On a more exciting note, I officially felt the first "movment" yesterday!!!! I have been feeling some fluttering around here and there, but yesterday I felt real movement!!! It was so exciting and I find myself just ready for it to happen again and again:)
Tomorrow is my u/s appointment with the maternal-fetal medicine doctor to finish up our genetic testing. Wish me luck and keep your fingers crossed that we could possibly find out the sex!
XOXO

From the Beginning

So as you may know by now Tim and I are expecting a little bambino (ETA April 5, 2010).


This little one came as a HUGE surprise to us.  The past weeks have been a whirlwind of confusion/surprise/being freaked out for the both of us.  In May of 2007 doctors told me that I would never conceive on my own, so of course when I found out that I was pregnant a million things went through my mind.  Mostly, OMG what in the world am I going to do with a baby??!!!  I don't really know if I'm supposed to tell people that this is how I felt, but it is, so I'm telling.


Because of everything that I went through back in 2007, we decided that we would keep everything to ourselves until after the first ultrasound and confirmation that all was ok in the womb.  Of course doctors do not want to see you until you around 8 wks unless you are having some trouble so we sat on wait until September 29.  At this appointment, according to my LMP, they estimated me to be 7wks6days (you can even see that at the bottom of the little ultrasound pic) but after some initial measurements they realized that I was indeed 13wks1day.  So I asked lots of questions like how could this be??? Why did I have a period in August if I was pregnant?? etc, etc, etc.  They assured me that having a period so close to when I conceived is normal and that this had no bearing on the baby, and most importantly did not mean that anything was wrong with me or my little one.  Dr. Umana did decide to keep me as high risk until at least 20 weeks just to be on the safe side, and he gave me this cute little speech about calling him if I felt any unusual pain or had any bleeding.  "If you need to call me at 2:00 a.m., then please just say, this is Ashley Gilbert Ectopic, and I will know who you are and meet you at the hospital."  So until I reach 20 weeks that is me Ashley Gilbert Ectopic!


So I plan to try and keep everyone updated with pics (baby bump pics and ultrasound pics), weird cravings, weight gain, etc.  I have been reading up on pregnancy blogs and I find it really neat that everyone can keep up with whats going on with mom and baby with just a click of the mouse!  Its truly amazing what technology has brought us these days!  Especially when I have people all over the U.S. (from Washington State to Florida) wanting to keep up with everything...so here is my solution to keeping you all in the loop:)


So I never weighed myself pre-pregnancy and prior to going to my first doctor's appointment I am really not sure of my weight, but I guesstimate around 105 so I am using that as my starting point.  First doctor's appointment I weighed in at 107.  So Dr. Umana has informed me that I should gain around 30 lbs.  Apparently, even being 13wks1day preggo I was borderline underweight according to my BMI so that means I needed to gain weight anyway.


As for cravings, well I did crave pomegranate smoothies from Dunkin Donut one morning, but those hopes and dreams were crushed when I was informed by my faithful friend, Jennifer, that they discontinued the pomegranate smoothie??!! I was like WHAT!!!???  I quickly got over it and moved on to tacos from Taco Bell.  Actually I am really not sure if that is actually a craving or just something that appeals to me.  I have an aversion to meat.  Yep, me the double cheeseburger queen has an aversion to meat!!!  Taco Bell has been good for me because as you may very well know, they do not utilize their meat very much. So fruits and veggies have been my thing.  Oh and Honey Nut Cheerios have been a life saver in the mornings (not too sweet but just sweet enough, and not too heavy but enough to satisfy hunger, and I can carry a little Ziploc bag around with me at work so if I feel some queasiness coming on I can pop a few).  Oh and Kraft Mac & Cheese.  Yep the original kind in the blue box...this one has killed Tim because he is a Velveeta Shells & Cheese type of guy, but hey I am still able to actually cook him dinner at night so I think he is just thankful for that lol.


Morning sickness is lingering, and I'm starting to think that it may never go away UGH... but it is limited to once while I am getting ready normally so I guess I can live with that.  The worst part is that if I don't eat dinner before 8:00 I cant really eat because for some reason I get a type of weird night sickness too.  I say its weird because it only comes around when I eat past 8:00 p.m.


My next appointment is Tuesday, October 20, because I'm supposed to be at 16 weeks by then and due to my being considered high risk, Dr. Umana wanted me to be seen again before 20 weeks (which is when he would normally schedule the next appointment).  Keep your fingers crossed because we may be able to find out the gender on this visit!!!


Keep you posted on any new events, and I will try to get baby bump pics up every week - every two weeks (no promises though).


FIRST ULTRASOUND!!!

13wks1day 
14 wks

XOXO