The Chronicles of Ava Hayley

Ava goes to school

2009-07-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

I was perusing a website I frequent (thebump.com) on the message boards the other day and saw someone post about taking their little one to Gymboree for a 45 minute class and how much they enjoyed it. It got me thinking and soon I was in-motion with my research and seeking out skills. I set up a demo/free class at a Gymboree near us for this past Monday afternoon.

Let's just say that it went so well that we are now signed up to go twice per week. She LOVED it. All the vibrant colors, the singing and interaction and the mobility encouragement really had her active, alert and smiling. (And standing, bouncing, screeching, laughing, raspberrying, etc.) Our teacher was really great too and the environment was perfect, not overwhelming. I'm learning certain little things that indicate her development and also things to do with her at home to work on her motor skills, dexterity & strength. She's doing unreal so far. Daddy will get to come to school with us on July 15th and see first hand what an honor student his daughter is.

Little chicky is eating very, very well. She gets fruit cereal in the morning along with her bottle, a vegetable at lunch with a bottle, and a fruit & banana oatmeal at dinner with her bottle. She also loves to watch the cartoons on Noggin and when she hears certain characters or songs she likes and recognizes she makes short grunts/groans to tell us she likes it. She is also in love with the pool/jacuzzi control panel on the wall, the alarm panels and the a/c thermostat. I try to take her swimming every day since she loves that too. She can kick her feet when I ask her too and "swim" toward a target on the side of the pool. Next up we will work on blowing bubbles.

We hope everyone is doing great, and we send our best!!

Kris, Bobby & Baby Ava

Catching Up

2009-06-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

I am such a slacker! I guess I figure that my readers are also my friends on Facebook so they always see the latest & greatest on there. If you're not, than I am most happy to update everyone on Ava's progress. Thanks to my good friend Steph for the kick-in-the-butt to get blogging.

Ava had her 6 month checkup last Friday and she continues to be "off the charts". She is 19.5 pounds and 28 inches. We are feeding her two to three solid meals per day along with her bottles. So far she's mostly had vegetables and banana oatmeal but we are now starting to introduce fruits. Luckily there's been no sign of allergies so we're all good there.

The sleeping at night has gotten a bit better, but she is still up every 4 hours to take a bottle. She loves flashy/loud toys and also loves to stand! She is 95% the way to sitting up on her own, and I think she might be crawling soon too. Those stubborn bottom teeth still are not through the surface so we're waiting on those as well.

Not much else to report - we are all doing very well and everyday is a gift with this precious little one in our lives :-)

Here she is going to town on a teething biscuit

At the Jimmy Buffet festival in Palm Harbor

Mothers Day

2009-05-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

Since Bobby had to work on Mothers Day, Ava and I packed up the diaper bag and stroller and headed to the hospital to hang out with Daddy in the call room. It was quit nice actually, and I got a nice nap in too. Bobby surprised me with flowers and a new camera!! I am so excited to get more familiar with it. For now, here are some test runs with it.

Pictures

2009-05-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

It's Been a While....

2009-04-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

So I'm a bad blogger and have been on hiatus, so sorry. We've been quite busy with a few unexepected events lately and hopefully in the coming weeks things will start to even out. I've also been dealing with a bout of post-partum depression which I decided to see the doctor about. PPD is not something to take lightly. I was in serious denial for a long time until one day last week it clicked. I'm very happy to report that I'm doing MUCH better and each day gets even better and better.

I have also started doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. It is perfect for my lifestyle routine - when Ava goes down for her morning nap, I pop in the dvd and "shred" for the required 20 mins. Today I completed day 4. My goal is to lose these last 10 stubborn pounds that I blame Cracker Barrell, Five Guys Burgers, & Moe's on.

On to Miss Ava, she is doing SPECTACULAR! Rolling over, sleeping on her tummy during the day, and two bottom teeth are trying their hardest to poke through. We go on daily walks in our neighborhood and in the pond across the street lives about a 12 foot alligator that we go say hi to. Ava loves riding in her stroller (facing forward now, big-girl style). She also now eats one meal a day in her high chair, from a spoon! I am giving her the apple rice cereal so it has some flavor, and she's still learning but eats all that I give her. I think she's quite proud of herself.

Here's a couple photos of her in her stroller while mommy was sunning herself nearby:

Ava is 5 months old.

Off the Chart Girl

2009-04-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

Almost forgot! Ava had her 4 month check-up last Friday morning. I had been dreading it since I had to take her by myself and knew she was due for a series of shots. So we get there, get put into a room and I get her clothes off and head out to the scale. I told the nurse I predicted she weighs 14.7 - I place her on the scale and boy was I shocked to see it read 16 pounds even! My big girl is an eater! The nurse laughed at me and felt the need to call another nurse over and tell her what I predicted and showed her what the scale said. I was a bit off wouldn't ya say? She is also measuring 26 inches long which puts her "off the chart" as far as height percentile, and in the 92nd percentile for her weight.

Her daddy now calls her "off the chart girl" and makes up a rap song to sing to her about it. It's the funniest thing and she loves it. So long story short, our girl is very, very healthy and growing at an alarming rate. The shots I was dreading were not bad at all. She wailed for about 10 seconds and I was able to calm her and she was fine after that. I didn't even cry this time, and surprisingly she was not fussy at all or did she spike a fever afterward. Life is good!

Easter

2009-04-14T18:04:00.001-07:00

Ok so I'm a bad mom - this is the only picture I got of Ava on her 1st Easter.

Yes I understand that her dress is over her head. She likes it when I'm undressing her and her outfits get "stuck" like that. She just smiles and laughs at me like it's the funniest thing in the whole world. Daddy was making her giggle for this picture by making a popping sound with his mouth. That sounds is a fail-proof way to get her to smile and/or laugh. That and our big red clock that she can see from the couch. Something about that clock just tickles her to death and she feels the need to flirt with it which Daddy isn't too happy about, haha!

Yes, I also understand that she looks exactly like her father in this picture. There is no need to remind me of this as I get it from at least one person every single day. At least there is no denying that she is his kid!

We hope everyone had a fantastic Easter/Passover whatever it is you celebrate. Ours was fun and filled with family, laughter and of course lots of love all around.

Ava is 4 and a half months old.

One Year Ago Today

2009-04-06T08:01:00.000-07:00

I was staring at this with my jaw on the floor:

One year later, and I am now happily starting at this with uncontrollable perma-grin:

What a difference one year can make!

Easter Bunny!!

2009-03-29T15:21:00.000-07:00

Today we took Little Miss A to Citrus Park Mall to meet the Easter Bunny. She stared in amazement at this big fuzzy creature before her. It only took about 10 seconds to elicit a smile out of her and get a snapshot. I, of course was in the corner getting teary-eyed because she's growing so fast - right before my eyes and there isn't a single thing I can do about it except to relish each and every millisecond with her.

Ava is 4 months old.

Milestones

2009-03-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

Today was a very special day. My little girl learned how to use her feet. She was on her playmat and accidentally kicked one of the dangly things that plays a tune. She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at it in amazement with her mouth wide open. What happened next was truly out-of-this-world.

She took her foot and kicked it again! I witnessed all of this and was very quick to praise her and show her how to use both feet. Now she won't stop kicking them and I think she's even trying to flip her playmat by hooking her legs behind the striped arch thingy. She knows exactly what she's doing and is very intent on kicking the penguin (which is the one that makes the music).

I am so proud of her!! I've tried to show her how to use her hands, but I think that will be a few more days. She's on the verge though. Oh and thumb-sucking commenced today too. Lovely.

I've decided it's time to start weaning her off breastfeeding and transition to formula. It will be a slow transition and we'll work on it more after our trip to NY next Thursday. She doesn't sleep well at all and it's starting to really wear on me. Right now she'll sleep a good 3-4 hours from 8 til midnight or so, and then she's up every two hours like clockwork from then on. Last night she was up 4 times. I'm a total zombie throughout the day so I guess that's my hint to retire the boobs. I'm okay with it, at first I had serious feelings of guilt just thinking about it. But now something's telling me it's time. Wish me luck and also wish me tons of sleep please.

Ava is 14 weeks old.

My Big Girl

2009-03-02T06:35:00.000-08:00

Somebody is 3 months old today! She is growing so fast, as most babies do. Here's a little montage in honor of our love for our baby girl.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Check THIS out!

2009-02-20T17:22:00.000-08:00

A Mongolian Spot, Mongolian Fleck or Mongolian Blue Spot is a benign flat congenital birthmark with wavy borders and irregular shape, most common among East Asians and Turks, and named after Mongolians. It is also extremely prevalent among East Africans and Native Americans. It normally disappears three to five years after birth and almost always by puberty. The most common color is blue, although they can be blue-gray, blue-black or even deep brown.

Prevalence

Mongolian spots are most prevalent among Mongols, Turks, and other Asian groups, such as the Chinese, Japanese, and especially the Koreans. Nearly all East Asian infants are born with one or more Mongolian spots. It is also common if only one of the parents is East Asian. Among East African infants it is found at rates between 90-95% and 85-90% of Native American infants.

The incidence among Caucasians, that is, the indigenous peoples of Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian subcontinent (Pakistan, north India, Bangladesh) is between 1-10%.

However, it has been found to be prominent among Europeans that have had extensive interaction with Hun cultures or a central asian origin, most notably the Hungarians who have a 22.6% occurrence rate among their population.

There is an incidence of 50-70% among the countries of the Americas, as a result of the Native American admixture found in mestizos (people of mixed European and Native American ancestry) that is an important racial group among some countries.

Examples:

Ava the Mongolian Baby:

You can't see them very well in the picture, but I assure you they are there. In fact, they were documented at her birth by the doctors and nurses due to the fact that they appear similar to bruises. Should some misinformed soul ever mistake them for abuse, we have all our bases covered.

Where on earth did they come from you ask? After some asking around and digging up family history and heritages, my mom told me I had one as well. She thinks it may have come from her father's side who had Native American Indian influences. Woo hoo!! Add that to the list of traits she's gotten from me so far.

I think she may inherit her father's musical talent. I caught this jam session earlier today:

Luv X Infinity

2009-02-20T13:25:00.000-08:00

Here ye, here ye

2009-02-20T09:13:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we traveled to Indiana with Ava to visit my relatives. I really wanted my Grandmother to meet Ava. My Grandma is 90 years old and in an assisted living facility. The trip was short but sweet. Ava did beautifully on the airplanes, and was so extremely patient and tolerant of being passed around from person to person. I think she charmed the pants off of everyone!

History was made, and I was extremely emotional witnessing this very special moment:

Ava smiled and told her life story to her Great-Grandma. We got it all on video too! I honestly never thought I would have the chance to experience this. Funny how life is.

P.S. I want to give a big shout out to Shawna's mom whom I understand is a loyal follower. HI SHAWNA'S MOM!

Ava is now 11.5 weeks old.

2 Month Check-up

2009-02-10T06:40:00.000-08:00

We survived. Well, I survived I guess I should say. I promised myself I wouldn't break down and cry this time - I'm not that hormonal anymore. I was fine until Bob brought her back out to the waiting room and handed her over to me. I saw a tiny wet spot on his shirt from her tears. TEARS. REAL TEARS!!! My baby was crying real tears from getting those two nasty, traumatic shots in the leg. My world came crumbling down. I snatched her and just held on to her and we both cried as we walked out to the car. She quickly calmed down and actually started smiling again, but I continued the guilt-ridden water works the whole way home AGAIN.

Once we got home I fed her and she passed out for a couple of hours. She was pretty cranky for the rest of the night which was to be expected but we just gave her extra love (and some infant tylenol) and she was good. Today is much better, she is back to being my smiley little girl who likes to be held in a "standing" position. That's right, 10 weeks old and already wants to stand. Where did my tiny newborn go?????

Ava is doing great! She weighs 12 pounds, 3 ounces and is a whopping 24 inches long. She's going to by my tall & skinny supermodel. She also likes to talk quite a bit still and just cracks us up several times a day.

Ava is taking her first plane trip this weekend to Indiana to meet her 90 year-old great grandmother. Wish us luck with the trip, hopefully she will do just fine.

Ava is ten weeks old.

Keep Your Snit to Yourself

2009-02-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

I saw this on another blog and HAD to post it here. Click on the image to make it larger.

Little Rock-n-Roller

2009-02-01T13:09:00.000-08:00

Here's Ava rocking a Slayer onesie. Her daddy is so proud!

She is really starting to talk to us quite a bit. I think she inherited her father's gift of gab. Her favorite word is "whoooooooo". Her next dr. appt is Monday the 9th, let's see how much weight Piggy has gained. I am going to guess she weighs close to 14 pounds.

Ava is 9 weeks old.

My Sweet Baby Love

2009-01-26T18:54:00.001-08:00

I just had to post this picture. Ava was sitting on my lap as I was perusing the internet on my laptop while her Daddy and Grandpa were playing pool in our dining area. She was *supposed* to be in bed, however, I had her up for a little while since she wasn't very sleepy yet. She was full of smiles and just as sweet as sugar. I was eating it up. It's moments like this that erase all the sleepless nights, weight gain, reflux, achy back, waddling and all the not-so-great pregnancy and postpartum trials and tribulations that moms and new parents are faced with. With that said, I found a poem that hit home (and brought tears to my eyes). Here it is:

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
Or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
My plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
And my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
So doctors could do tests. Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
Watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
When I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
Could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
Having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel
To feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
Between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
Could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
Every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
The joy,
The love,
The heartache,
The wonderment
Or the satisfaction of being a Mom..

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
Before I Was a Mom.

~Ava is 8 weeks old.

Delivering Smiles

2009-01-21T06:39:00.000-08:00

Ava has started smiling back at us. Let me tell you, nothing melts your heart more than your own child smiling at you. Oh, she also has a best friend - the fan! She has conversations with him and just is mesmerized by him, that silly fan. If I turn the fan on for a second to make it move, she stops, her jaw drops and her eyes get big as if she's saying, "wow that is AMAZING". It's hysterical. Oh the things that tickle you when you have a baby!

Ava is 7 weeks, one day old.

6 Weeks Old Today!

2009-01-13T10:03:00.000-08:00

Piggy-poo turns 6 weeks old today. My baby girl isn't so much a newborn anymore :-( I knew this would happen - she's growing so fast. Faster than mommy would like.

To celebrate her 6 weeks of existence, Ava projectile vomited on me twice and "sharted" while I was changing her - ALL over the wipe warmer, diaper supply and the wall. She's so special & talented. At least she was smiling and cooing afterward, I guess she was quite proud of herself.

She is her father's child for sure!

Little Miss Piggy

2009-01-07T05:55:00.000-08:00

Ava had her 5 week checkup yesterday at Dr. Armstrong's office. Bobby and I were estimating her weight to be around or just under 10 pounds. Yea well little miss piglet had a different plan. I put her on the scale and it reads 10 pounds, 15 ounces. That is just one ounce shy of 11 pounds! She is also almost 2 feet tall, LOL! Her length was 22.75 inches. The doctor said she is doing great and everything is perfectly proportionate and growing excellently. I think I'll keep her on the liquid gold for a while longer, it seems to really be agreeing with her well. (Liquid gold=mom's milk) She also had to have a shot yesterday in which I left the room while her daddy stayed with her. I proceeded to wait in the waiting room and cry more than she did. Seriously, it was worse on me than it was on her. She got some extra mommy cuddle time last night and this morning to make up for the traumatic event.

Here's a brand new picture of my little piggy angel taken this morning:

She has a few more chins now than when she was first born, and fell right asleep after I snapped this picture. Time to get some chores done before she wakes up!

Ava is 5 weeks, 1 day.

2008 ~ A Pictorial Review

2008-12-31T20:23:00.000-08:00

January (GOD I miss that tummy I had)

February - out to sushi with some friends

March - North Carolina visiting my dad with my sister and her family

April - at Skip Barber racing school (was actually "with child" here but didn't find out until the next day)

May - North Carolina to surprise my dad for his surprise 60th birthday party

June - Bob Vila putting the crib together

July - Long Island, NY for Vinny & Jael's wedding

August - Viaggio for my birthday dinner with friends

September - North Carolina to visit my dad

October - our 1 year anniversary dinner

November - cigar festival in Ybor City

December 2nd - the best day of my entire life

Here's to wishing each and every one of you a happy, safe & prosperous 2009. May it be as happy for you as 2008 was for us. Cheers!!!!

My 9 day old supermodel

2008-12-16T11:56:00.000-08:00

These super fabulous pictures were taken by Kellie at Kellie Day Photography. I am extremely exhausted at the moment so this entry will be short. Enjoy the pictures and I promise to blog more soon - as soon as Ava figures out her days and nights, LOL.

Ava is two weeks old today.

More Pictures

2008-12-07T09:40:00.000-08:00

Because I must show her off. I mean, look at her! Every day is like a holiday waking up knowing you have a little one to tend to. Life has new meaning, and all the cliche's you hear other people saying, well, we can speak testament that they all ring very true!

Introducing Ava Hayley Wein

2008-12-06T11:40:00.001-08:00

Ava arrived at 5:01pm on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008 weighing in at 7 pounds, 9 ounces and 20.75 inches long with a head full of jet black hair. She made her presence known throughout the entire OB floor with her powerful lung capacity. She is perfectly healthy, beautiful and her daddy and I are head over heels in love with her, of course.

We came home just under 48 hours of the surgery. I am feeling fantastic and bouncing back quite nicely. Life at home is an adjustment but she's getting us used to her schedule so it's all good. Breastfeeding is going perfectly, no issues at all and we've even stopped supplementing the formula as my milk has finally arrived. (Dolly Parton ain't got nuthin' on me! LOL)

I have a whole album of pictures, if you'd like to see them email me at sunlightshower@hotmail.com to get permission.

Oh what a special Christmas it's going to be for us this year, how exciting!

Love to all,
Kris, Bobby and Ava Wein

December 2nd it is!

2008-11-24T16:29:00.000-08:00

Our daughter has an official "planned" birthday. As of 6pm EST next Tuesday, December 2nd, Ava Hayley will enter the world. I have a couple of pre-op appointments on Monday which Bobby is taking me to, and then we're getting massages during the day on Tuesday to ease our nerves (well moreso mine than his).

Not sure how much blogging I will do between now and then. Perhaps I will have time to fit in one last belly picture before we head to the hospital. We shall see!

T-minus 8 days until we attempt parenthood.

New Belly Pic ~ 37 weeks, 4 days

2008-11-22T15:53:00.000-08:00

Do you think she has dropped at all? Either way it doesn't really matter since she's not taking the preferred route outta there :-) She's still very active and has hiccups more frequently too. My next appointment is Monday morning, and hopefully {fingers crossed} I can talk Dr. Williams into doing the "extraction" on the following Monday - December 1st.

The nursery is finally done pending the window valance which my mom made and is dropping off tomorrow. I took the crib bumper out and basically my mom worked some sort of Martha Stewart/MacGyver magic and turned it into a window dressing. It wasn't "breathable" so I am on the hunt for one that is, and that coordinates with the rest of the motif. I did take it upon myself to hang the below-pictured vinyl decal tree that I ordered from Etsy.com seller ceejay77. It was a pain in the butt to hang, but totally worth it once I figured out how to apply it correctly. By the way, I do not recommend standing on the top rung of a ladder when you're 37 weeks pregnant.
The end is finally near!!! Is there a full moon or anything coming up? Maybe if I eat waaaaay too much of my mom's cooking on Thanksgiving I will literally "pop". Please, any suggestions to get the show on the road are truly welcomed at this point. My waddling, achy hips & fat butt will thank you :-)

So apparently we were wrong

2008-11-17T10:56:00.000-08:00

Little Miss Ava is NOT head down. This was discovered today at my (now) weekly OB checkup. Doc did a quick ultrasound and sure enough the hard thing that's been dancing around under my belly button is really her head, not her butt as we thought. More not-so-great news......

I have to have a c-section at 39 weeks. At first I was totally devastated and cried the whole way home. After talking with my sister (who has had two c-sections) I felt much better and in a way relieved. I've had some time to absorb it and have made a list of good vs. bad. The good far outweighs the bad for me so I am focusing on the positive and getting more excited to meet our little girl a week earlier than we anticipated.

So there you have it, we're having a baby probably the first week of December sometime. (Kelly, I will shoot for the 1st for you, I promise.)

Dance Party Tuesday

2008-11-04T17:54:00.001-08:00

This is what I have been contending with for the past 2 hours:

And it's still going on! She did this one night last week too that lasted into the wee hours of the morning making it very hard to get any sleep whatsoever. This was after I ate my mom's vegetable soup - so I would venture to say she liked it. Not sure what's provoked tonight's performance though. Popcorn at the movies perhaps? (By the way, we saw the Zach & Miri movie and it was pretty funny!)

Today marks 35 weeks, which also means only 35 days left.

1 Year Anniversary!

2008-10-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful weekend we had! My sweet, thoughtful husband surprised me on Saturday morning and kidnapped me to the Don Cesar beach resort for a spa getaway and babymoon/anniversary vacation. It was such a nice surprise, he is always up to something. Little did he know that I had a few tricks up my sleeve too. I secretly arranged for a private chef to show up at our house Monday evening to cook us a romantic dinner. Bobby answered the door and was so surprised. I caught it on tape, check it out:

Here is a slideshow of the weekend activities and the yummy dinner we enjoyed on Monday night.

On the baby update side of things, I did have my 33.5 week OB appointment on Monday morning. Everything is measuring perfectly, and she even kicked the doctor's hand when he was trying to find her heart beat with the doppler. Good girl! Oh, and also all evidence is proving that she is now "head down", contrary to my suspicion. I will have another ultrasound at 36 weeks to verify this discovery. Doc has me coming back in two weeks, then probably on to once a week until I deliver. Wait, whaaaaaa???? She has to come out? How on earth is this supposed to happen? Can't she just stay in there where I know she's warm, safe and protected? Pleeeeeeeease??? The fear of actual childbirth is setting in. I can't stand blood and guts so this is going to be interesting to say the least!

T-minus 43 days until I never sleep again.

New Belly Pic! 33 weeks, 3 days

2008-10-24T17:28:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a while since I have posted one so I finally got off my keister (as hard as THAT was) and had Bobby snap one. Here it is for all you followers:

We Changed Her Name!

2008-10-22T06:24:00.001-07:00

Well, her middle name that is. Instead of Ava Harlow, her name will be Ava Hayley. We just think it's cuter and fits her personality more. I know, I know, you ask "what personality?", well let me tell you this kid DEFINITELY has personality already! Her movements indicate that she likes to party and do the riverdance at all hours of the day. Plus, she has almost run out of room in there and it feels as if she is trying to yoga her way out.

Oh, little miss Ava Hayley, we can't wait to meet you and kiss that little head of yours that you keep pushing up under mommy's belly button. Stay safe and warm in there, but take it easy on dear ole' mom in the meantime.

Baby Shower!!

2008-10-19T17:10:00.000-07:00

My baby shower was October 11th at my mom's house and was such a beautiful, quaint affair. The food was catered from Felice's Pork Store and was soooooo good! My sister and niece (her daughter) Brittini conducted a few games that brought many laughs. We played the ice cube water breaking game which was a tiny plastic baby frozen in an ice cube, each person was given one in a cup and the first person to "break their water" (free their baby from the ice cube) won. You could help it along or let it melt. So what did I do? I put it in my mouth and melted that kid as fast as I could :-) Another game we played was list the baby animal name for a list of animals on a sheet of paper. Talk about a HARD thing to do, but very fun and interesting. Then on to the "guess what is in the dirty diaper game", yea I'd rather not re-hash that one, but it was quite a hoot. Lastly, we played celebrity babies. There was a poster on the wall with pictures of different women celebrities with their faces covered by a baby sticker. The person to guess all celebrities correctly won. Yea, I lost that one :-(

On to the loot.....talk about overwhelming! Good thing I had my three helpers again, just like last year at my bridal shower. It was too cute, they had their own little assembly line going to help me open, re-package, organize and trash the wrapping.

All in all it was perfect, I recieved many, many wonderful goodies for the baby that I was needing desperately. Now, on to a few pictures...enjoy!

Here's some of the loot, along with roses my husband left there for me. God love him!

Steph, me, Andrea & Cathy

The Favors!

Thank you to everyone for coming, and also a huge thanks to all who couldn't make it and sent gifts. Your thoughtfulness means the world!!!

**Hugs to all**

Kristina, Bobby & Ava

Car Accident :-(

2008-10-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

I was rear-ended today on my way home from getting a wonderful massage. No worries, I am fine and the baby is fine too. My poor truck on the other hand - well she's going to need some back bumper repair work. The at-fault's insurance company is completely covering everything. I also had emergency response vehicles come to the scene just to check me out and both me and Ava are just fine. I think Bobby was more frazzled than I was, bless his heart I love him to pieces!

I should have the shower photos from my sister tomorrow and will get them edited and posted here, stat! Stay tuned :-)

Exciting Updates!

2008-10-07T14:16:00.001-07:00

Everything is moving right along, I had another OB appt. this past Monday and the baby is measuring right on track. The doc ordered a quick peek ultrasound while I was there and the little stinker is STILL breech and had her hands and feet in front of her face. I guess she's found a comfy position and does not want to move...hmmm sounds just like her mommy!

I felt my 2nd round of hiccups today, it was mildly amusing and tickled just a bit. I am starting to lose my balance and have suddenly found myself to be very clumsy. I spilled an entire glass of orange juice on my nightstand on Saturday morning, right over my reading material and all. Talk about a bummer, and a waste of precious OJ. I LOVE me some OJ in the morning.

Exciting things coming up this month! My baby shower is this Saturday at my mom's house, hosted by my wonderful sister, Andrea and my mother, Linda. It should be a very nice time and I am uber-stoked about it. My mother in law and two nieces from New York have flown down for it too, so it should be a really nice gathering of family and friends.

I finally decided on a diaper bag and went ahead and bought it. It is the Ramalama "Ava" (how appropo) in Chocolate. It should be here on Friday, here's a looksie:
More exciting news, we received our first registry gift!! Yes, My Aunt Judy in Indiana sent us the Fisher Price Papasan Seat. I promptly assembled it (after opening the shipping box & crying because I'm a hormonal mess these days). It's adorable and now all I need is a baby to put in it! Here it is:

I will be sure to post pictures from the shower, stay tuned for more big happenings this month! (They are secret surprises at the moment so I'm afraid I can't share just yet.)

31 weeks

Ava in 3d

2008-09-23T07:15:00.001-07:00

Introducing little Bobby! General consensus states she looks like her daddy and I have to agree. It's amazing what technology can do these days.

I've been doing fantastic, having alot of Braxton Hicks contractions and those are not fun at all. She kicks and rolls around a ton making my stomach morph into weird shapes. Tying my shoes and picking small objects up off the floor are now things I avoid as long as humanly possible. I need one of those 4 foot arm claw thingies I guess. Grunting is now also a part of my everyday vocabulary, lovely!

29 weeks today, so that means in a little over 2 months (or hopefully less) we will get to hold baby girl in our arms!

Maternity Pics!!

2008-09-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to book the lovely and talented Katie Beyer to shoot some maternity portraits for me. If you ever have the opportunity to work with her, do not miss out. Here are a few of my favorites, hand-picked.

Nat'l Lampoons NC Vacation

2008-09-06T05:20:00.000-07:00

I spent 5 days in North Carolina visiting my dad and stepmom, and my sister and her family were up there as well. We had a great time. Somehow my sister roped me into white water rafting - she swore it would be safe for me. I gave it a shot, it wasn't too bad although it was a bit frightening at some points. We stayed at the Dillard House in Georgia and everyone went horseback riding....well everyone except me & Nathan. I got to see my dad's friends Dennis & Karen who were one of the first people to hold me after I was born. It's always good to see them.

All in all it was a great trip, lots of laughs and the weather - you couldn't beat it with a stick. We were pretty much on the go alot of the time and I experienced my first bit of swelling. There was no shortage on food for "chubbs" as my dad likes to call me, which is a good thing. Believe it or not, both flights were excellent - as much as it pains me to praise Allegiant Air. I did arrive home as the Giants were playing their season opener so my husband was "unable" to pick me up and I took a smelly nasty cab home. Yea he's never going to hear the end of that one. He is trying dilligently to make up for up with lots of wonderful foot rubs which are making the memory fade pretty quickly. Ahh, chubbs loves the foot rubs!

Here's Chubbs and Big Poppa Chubbs comparing bellies

And here's Julian when I returned home making sure the baby was okay

26 weeks, 5 days

Isn't this sexy?

2008-08-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

And for the record, YES I did have my bathing suit on you just can't see it because it is engulfed in my tremendous mass.

New Belly Picture....24 weeks, 5 days

2008-08-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

Boy does this look funny or what? I look like I am about to fall forward. Yea balance isn't my best attribute these days, neither is getting up or down. There seems to be alot of grunting, haha. My next dr. appt. is the 29th - PRAY for me that I do not have to take the 1hr. gestational diabetes test. I heard it's tortuous.

All is well on our end, she is extremely active and her daddy likes to feel her kick. She even kicked him in the face yesterday as he was trying to listen for her heartbeat.

Birthday Wrap-up

2008-08-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

My birthday dinner was great! Last night, me, Bobby, Andrea (my sister) and her husband and kids and my mom all met at Los Mexicanos for a Mexican fiesta. I think my birthday celebration is going to continue all week **snicker**

Friday night we have plans with three other couples to dine out at a fine place called Viaggio. Then on Saturday, Bobby and I are checking in to the Don Cesar for some sort of surprise getaway he has planned. I only know that we're going there, nothing else. Who knows what he has up his sleeve, but after our Paris engagement, I'm sure it's something romantic and sweet. (But won't live up to Paris, haha).

Cheers to 31 years! It's going to be the best year yet ;-)

The STUFF is hung :-) UPDATED

2008-08-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

*UPDATE*
The lighting is finished! Check it out - Chinese lanterns with green bamboo covering the wiring. Our handyman deserves an award for this :-)

Here's a couple updated photos with the prints framed and hung, animals up and also the mirrors. Today we should get the lanterns installed correctly, and I will update with new pictures provided all goes well.

Nursery Progress!

2008-08-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

The rug and mobile arrived today. I hung the panels with the bamboo stick and after patting myself on the back, I decided to snap a couple pics to show off my vision coming to life. I have yet to hang the mobile, I think I will leave that task to Bobby.

**Please excuse the nosy kitties**

The lanterns are temporarily rigged to the open wiring in the ceiling with a pink shoe string. Our handy man is going to install a track and hang them staggered attached to the switch on the wall and I am going to use bamboo to cover the wires they hang from.

Decor and more...wall prints!

2008-08-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

After weeks of searching and mind-changing to no avail, I found three 8 x 10 prints for the nursery that will be just perfect. The below pieces came from Etsy (once again) seller IcingOnTheCupcake.

Latest Belly Pics - 22 weeks, 5 days

2008-08-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

It's literally getting in the way now. I feel like I have my own gravitational force, and yes I know "it's only going to get worse". It's all so worth it though and I would not trade it for the world!

I might be addicted..

2008-08-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

...to Etsy that is. I found this wall decal entitled "Growing Hearts" and could not pass it up. Seller is lewasdesigns.

I plan to "plant" them on the wall behind the changing table. Originally I had wanted to hang the mirrors below over the changing table, but as with everything else I have changed my mind. I will most likely hang these in the nook where the glider will go.
Diaper Pin Found!!
I finally found the jumbo diaper pin I've been searching frantically for. I originally saw this on HGTV "Rate My Space", and went on the hunt for it since it is so cute. The one I saw is now discontinued from Pottery Barn Kids, but I found a lookalike from Glenna Jean. Here it is:
Here is what it looks like in a room:

In love with the mobile!

2008-08-06T06:53:00.000-07:00

Check out this uber-cool mobile that baby girl gets to enjoy:

I ordered it from Etsy seller DebMobiles. I wanted something non-conventional yet a bit girly and guess what? My husband actually loves it too! I can't wait to get it and hang it in her room. Pics to follow, I promise.

Bedding!!

2008-08-03T07:30:00.001-07:00

After much searching and mind-changing, I finally found bedding that I love and that goes with the color and theme. I guess things are leaning toward a "Asian Pink Safari" theme with animals and zen-like touches here and there for feng shui. Here's a pic of the bedding - more pics of the nursery to come once it's a little more completed.

Pictures

2008-07-25T08:00:00.001-07:00

20 weeks, halfway there!! Last weekend, Bobby and I traveled to NY for a wedding. It was beautiful and the food was out of this world. We stayed for 6 days and visited with family and even took a trip to the Statue of Liberty. I found out that baby girl does NOT like airplanes at all and she made it known by doing some advanced kung-fu on each flight. I also think that when she gets really mad at me for something, she goes right for some upper-cuts and roundhouse kicks to my bladder. I can actually see my tummy jump from the outside when she gets me, it's so very cool.

And now on to the photos from our trip...

And here is Ava posing with Lady Liberty:

18 Weeks, 3 Days

2008-07-11T19:10:00.000-07:00

It just keeps growing and growing. She seems to be pretty happy in there, and she really likes orange juice I have recently discovered.

Almost halfway there!!

Results are in!

2008-07-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

But first, here's a profile shot because it's so darn cute:

The tech it was loving its' hands and said that they looked gorgeous!

And here we are...**DRUM ROLL PLEASE**

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!

AVA HARLOW WEIN
IS ON HER WAY!!!

I feel movement!

2008-06-25T08:04:00.000-07:00

'Tis but the teeniest and faintest of jabs or pokes or bubbles or what have you, but it is unmistakably the wee one. How flippin' weird is this? To describe it, it kinda feels like grapes popping in my stomach. Get the picture?

OB Appt. Today

2008-06-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

I am apparently a "textbook" pregnancy. That is reassuring!! I scheduled the BIG Ultrasound for Tuesday, July 1st in the morning. I am super excited. Not sure if Bobby will be able to make it but he is going to try. If he can't, I am going to have the tech put the results in a sealed envelope so I can bring it home and we can open it together.

The crib arrived today. It's sitting on the front porch in it's box weighing a whopping 112 lbs. I think I will let it stay there until Bobby gets home. He's all excited about putting it together tonight. I will be sure to follow up with pictures.

Whoa Belly! 15 Weeks Today!

2008-06-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

It's out there. Next doctor appointment is Monday morning, I will hopefully be scheduling the BIG ultrasound for the next couple of weeks or so. Anyone care to guess if it's a boy or girl?

Crib & Changing Table

2008-06-16T05:57:00.000-07:00

I ordered the crib and changing table on Friday. We had been looking here and there and decided we wanted a sleigh crib without wheels that would eventually convert to a toddler bed. I fell in love with this Sleigh crib from Pottery Barn Kids, and also the Espresso Berkely Changing Table. Both should be arriving in the next week or so. It's all starting to seem a little more real now! Additionally, my belly has finally "popped" out and it's apparent that I am either out of shape or pregnant, LOL. 15 week pictures will be posted this Friday, stay tuned!

Crib (in espresso color matching the changing table)

Changing Table

Check out the little person

2008-06-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

We have a profile and a little foot with 5 toes! On the original scan print-out you can make out the little toes much better. What a weird thing to see this little image on the monitor kicking, punching, rolling over and I do not feel any of it. Everything was looking great, and the doctor even commented on how cute the baby was. I am totally in love now, and of course think the baby is the cutest thing in the whole universe.

I am still feeling great, no complaints! Babies' heart rate is still consistent in the low 140's. We haven't agreed on any names yet, that will be a lose-lose battle probably until I push this kid out.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures, and I will try to check in again with more belly photos in the next couple weeks.

Hasta la pasta!
K

Cute Way to Tell the News

2008-06-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

12 Weeks, 2 Days

2008-06-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

7 Weeks

9 Weeks

12 Weeks

Ok, so, something is definitely happening. Either all the chips & salsa, tomato soup, tortellini, steak, turkey sandwiches, bubba burgers and pizza are catching up to me - OR - the alien within has begun its mission to turn me into an easy-bake oven.

Things are much easier now - no more morning sickness or constant nausea and I've begun to experience more "bursts" of energy as I've heard about that happens during the 2nd trimester. I'm still eating everything in sight, yet still trying to work out and exercise pretty regularly. I have an NT scan on Tuesday on which I should have some updated ultrasound images. Stay tuned for those, then you can tell me who the baby looks more like!

2nd OB Appt. Today!!

2008-05-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

This morning I went in for my 2nd OB appt. I wasn't too sure what to expect, so my trusty, experienced sister gave me the low-down as I was driving there. She told me exactly what was to happen, and sure enough she was right on the money as usual :-) I peed in a cup, had my blood pressure taken (90/60) and was weighed. I've only gained one pound since April 15th so put that in your pipe and smoke it! :-) The dr. came in the room and had me jump up on the table so we could listen for the heartbeat. He found it in less than 5 seconds. It was music to my ears since I hadn't heard it before. I had the biggest smile on my face! He estimated it was around 148 this time. Andrea laughed at me and said I am having a boy. We'll see at my 18 week appt. if these old-wives tales ring any truth.

Morning sickness has definitely subsided ALOT and my appetite is back in full-force. I can't wait until I can feel some sort of movement from the little stinker. By this Friday (11 weeks), the baby should be the size of a lime. Mmm, lime in a Corona with some chips & salsa sounds heavenly right now. Guess I have to skip the Corona though, and I'm allright with that!

Until next time boys & girls, help control the pet population ~ have your pet spayed or neutered!!

Love to all,
K

Pictures and Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T05:56:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my inaugural post, after discovering I was pregnant I realized I had very recently partaken in a few activities that would have been ill-advised by my OB. I certainly had fun, and I hope the baby had a little fun too. I have (finally) obtained the photos from my sister for your viewing pleasure.The dead tree-trunk overhang.....Everyone told me not to climb up there, but I have never been one to obey because I'm a loner.....a REBEL! LOL! This was at the top of Chimney Rock at the waterfall in North Carolina, and yes the tree trunk was dead and decaying and was on its way to snapping any second.

Acrobatics. Yes in my much younger years I was a pro-gymnast, cheerleader, etc....blah blah blah. Just because I'm supposedly a "grown-up" now doesn't mean I have to cease the practicing of my skills. In fact, I am quite proud of the fact that I can still do pretty much everything I did back in the day. Above, I was on the bungee harness jump at the Asheville Mall. I got to jumping so high that my stomach was upturning on each descent - IT WAS SO COOL! I was even doing back-flips (which now I know why my abs were not tucking as strong as they should have).Yep that's me. Hi, I'm 10. Let me tell you how much fun these bumper cars were. They had controls like a stand-up riding lawnmower and you could "sit & spin" in a circle really fast if you wanted to. Here I am with my niece and nephew - they're trying to team up on me and bump me so they could crack up laughing. Many bumps & laughs later, I had no idea my embryo was being jostled around - he/she prolly enjoyed it if it's anything like me.

Skip Barber Racing School. I got Bobby a day course of racing and advanced driving school for Christmas. It was so awesome & laid back that the instructors allowed me to be involved in all aspects of the day. The 2nd picture above contains the pace car in which I was allowed to ride in for one 20-minute lap session with the formula one cars following. Matt, the instructor/pace car driver was going somewhere around 120-130 mph, squealing the tires around each curve. It was very exciting and thrilling at the same time, but now explains why I was so nauseated afterward. We found out about Baby Weino the very next morning.

Well folks, that about wraps up this Mother's day entry. Bobby sneaked out early this morning and got me an orchid, card, egg mcmuffin (YUM) and coffee. What a guy, I think I will keep him around, LOL.

9 Weeks Today

2008-05-09T17:36:00.000-07:00

I have made it 9 weeks finally. I *think* the afternoon sickness is finally subsiding (knock on wood). I am finally making it back to gym for a low impact cardio routine in addition to my weekly sessions with Nicole. The belly is definitely a-growin'! Looking at the picture now really puts it in perspective what only 3 weeks can do!

Bun is in the oven

2008-04-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

We went for a follow-up sonogram yesterday and got to see the little flashing heartbeat. Turns out the heart rate was 143 and strong. They did revert me back to around 7 weeks so that would push my due date to around December 12th. They also gave us a picture of our little "blob". Here it is:

Around 6 Weeks..and bloated!

2008-04-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

Well, that is according to the nurse practitioner. We go for the sonogram to see the heartbeat next Tuesday, so stay tuned for a picture of the lil peanut then. They gave me a preliminary due date of November 21st, but also said that would probably change. For now, here's what the belly looks like as 7:00pm EST on Tuesday, April 15th, 2008.

Big Fat Positive!

2008-04-08T17:00:00.001-07:00

Holy crap. We did it. We finally did it! Oh my god... What have we done? How has this happened? These and many other thoughts and emotions were spewing (along with tears) as I sat on the bathroom floor shaking as Bobby read the insert to make sure a plus sign meant positive. Sure enough, the evidence was clear, we are going to have a baby.

I took two just to be sure. Then later on last night, I took another one of a different brand.

Yep, there's no doubting it. I am going to be a fat heifer in no time. Since finding out, I've realized that many activities I have participated in recently probably were not the best. In the past week I have hiked up a mountain and perched on a dead, decaying tree trunk overhang, I went on one of those bungee harness jump thingies in the mall in NC with Brittini and Nathan, went in bumper cars with them and I rode in the pace car at Sebring going about 100 around the track. I hope my child has a sense for thrills.

All in all I feel pretty good. I am pretty congested and have mild cramping from time to time. I did get the onset of a headache today probably due to caffeine withdrawal.

We are both just ecstatic and excited as can be. We've told our families and some friends. My first doctor appointment is next Tuesday - no idea what to expect. I will check in again with updates, wish us (Bobby) luck with (putting up with me) the pregnancy.

The Chronicles of Ava Hayley

Ava goes to school

Catching Up

Mothers Day

Pictures

It's Been a While....

Off the Chart Girl

Easter

One Year Ago Today

Easter Bunny!!

Milestones

My Big Girl

Check THIS out!

Prevalence

Luv X Infinity

Here ye, here ye

2 Month Check-up

Keep Your Snit to Yourself

Little Rock-n-Roller

My Sweet Baby Love

Delivering Smiles

6 Weeks Old Today!

Little Miss Piggy

2008 ~ A Pictorial Review

My 9 day old supermodel

More Pictures

Introducing Ava Hayley Wein

December 2nd it is!

New Belly Pic ~ 37 weeks, 4 days

So apparently we were wrong

Dance Party Tuesday

1 Year Anniversary!

New Belly Pic! 33 weeks, 3 days

We Changed Her Name!

Baby Shower!!

Car Accident :-(

Exciting Updates!

Ava in 3d

Maternity Pics!!

Nat'l Lampoons NC Vacation

Isn't this sexy?

New Belly Picture....24 weeks, 5 days

Birthday Wrap-up

The STUFF is hung :-) **UPDATED**

Nursery Progress!

Decor and more...wall prints!

Latest Belly Pics - 22 weeks, 5 days

I might be addicted..

In love with the mobile!

Bedding!!

Pictures

18 Weeks, 3 Days

Results are in!

I feel movement!

OB Appt. Today

Whoa Belly! 15 Weeks Today!

Crib & Changing Table

Check out the little person

Cute Way to Tell the News

12 Weeks, 2 Days

2nd OB Appt. Today!!

Pictures and Happy Mother's Day!

9 Weeks Today

Bun is in the oven

Around 6 Weeks..and bloated!

Big Fat Positive!

The STUFF is hung :-) UPDATED