Welcome Ava!

Things definitely did not go according to plans on Friday. We finally headed to the hospital around 11am when my contractions were still 5 minutes apart but getting more painful. Once I got changed into a gown, we found out I was only dilated 3cm. Instead of sending me home, they suggested I walk around for about an hour and they would check me again. After an hour of wandering around, I was dilated to 4cm. They decided to break my water and give my an epidural. After another hour of waiting and watching TV, we were at 7cm. Another hour went by and they put in a catheter to relieve my bladder. That was all it took...without a full bladder Ava was ready to come out. And do I mean ready! Dr. Rogers didn't even have me wait for a contraction because her head was already half out. Two pushes and there she was!

After some snuggle time with mommy and daddy, they gave her a bath and did the routine tests. Her nurse decided Ava's breathing was a little on the fast side and she seemed to have some fluid left in her lungs so she was taken to the intermediate nursery. After a couple hours of observation, Ava was moved to the NICU to take a closer look at her lungs. The end result is that her lungs are about 2-3 weeks underdeveloped. Worse case scenario is that Ava will be spending the next couple of weeks in the NICU, but she could improve even sooner. There is nothing else wrong with her health and apparently underdeveloped lungs are quite common...even in full term babies.

It's been an emotional couple of days for us and leaving the hospital today without our baby was definitely not easy. I'm pumping every 2 hours to make sure she gets plenty of milk once she's off the glucose IV. I'll be visiting her every day at noon for "touch time" and to hear the latest from the doctor. Once she's downgraded to NICU 2, we can hold her and feed her.

One thing keeping me sane is being home with the boys. Some sort of normal routine is needed so that I can keep my mind busy. I'm sure it would be easy to fall into some sort of depression, but that would be ridiculous. Ava is in excellent hands, is staying stable and will be home before we know it.

So here's what you've all been waiting for!

Ava Marie Payne

Born: 11/28/08 at 5:37pm

Weight: 5lb 11oz

Height: 19 1/2 inches

The Waiting Game

I can't believe it's been a week since my last post but things have been busy around here. Besides going out to see Twilight last weekend, I stayed home to clean, clean, clean. Jason built the valances for Ava's room and my grandmother's painting got hung above the crib. There are still a few more accessories that I'd like to get, but at least everything is about 90% done for her arrival.

On Monday, I had an ultrasound and an OB appointment. The ultrasound went great. Ava gained another pound so her estimated weight was now 6 1/2lbs. She should be around 7lbs by now...especially after the way I ate yesterday! The rest of my day was spent finishing up projects at work.

Tuesday morning Jameson had his second session with the behavioral therapist. Ms Monique pointed out again that Jameson really doesn't qualify for the Babies Can't Wait Program and said our case would probably be closed out in 3-4 months. It makes me feel good that Jameson's behavior isn't that bad but I'm still grateful that they're helping us make better decisions with him. Now that we've got the knowledge, Jason and I have to work on using the skills we've been given and stay consistent. It's actually much more difficult than I thought, but we're already starting to see a change in Jameson so it keeps us motivated.

Wednesday was just a normal day at the office...NOT! I came in armed with a list that I had made throughout the night of all the things that still needed to get done. I worked in a sort of frenzied state all day. Typically, the Chamber employees get sent home early the day before a holiday but I already knew I'd put in a full day to get everything done. The thought that it could be me last day before having a baby had me panicked. I think I've mentioned before that I really like my job and am sort of "protective" of it. I wanted everything to be in order before someone else has to come in and fill my shoes. As predicted, I worked until 4:15 and then headed home to pick up the boys.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving day! I was sooooo excited about the meal that my mom was preparing. All of my favorites were on the menu and some new things as well. Jason and I spent the morning getting a few things done around the house while the boys played outside. After 2 weeks of cooler weather, yesterday's high was around 65 degrees so they were in heaven! After lunch and naps, we packed up a laundry basket of necessities for the boys and headed over to Mimi & Bumpa's house. After Ayden and Jameson played bubbles and drove their new Polaris Razor it was finally time for dinner. My plate was full and I indulged in a glass of wine. After dinner, we sat outside by the fireplace and watched the boys play with some glow necklaces that Bumpa pulled out. After a helping of my Double Chocolate Cheesecake, Jason and I got the boys in their PJ's. We had our fingers crossed that Jameson would be okay sleeping at Mimi & Bumpa's. He's only 2 1/2 and has never spent a night away from us. With Jameson settled in Mimi's room watching Scooby Doo and Ayden tucked away in the den watching Transformers with Bumpa, Jason and I made our escape. Since we didn't get a phone call to pick Jameson up, I'm assuming all went well.

Today is Friday. It's supposed to be the day we have Ava. I got up promptly at 5am and sucked down a tablespoon of castor oil. Despite the bottle promising the goo inside to be be odorless and tasteless, it still tasted like crap. It took all my effort to not throw the stuff back up! I'm taking a quick few minutes to blog and then I'll shower and finish packing my bag. I'd also like to finish cleaning up the kitchen, get a few more loads of laundry done and take another trip around the house with the vacuum. Hopefully by 10am we'll be making our way to the hospital. If all goes according to plan, I'll be back home some time tomorrow with a another baby to love and cherish.

I sure hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving! We'll keep you posted on "Operation Get Baby The Heck Out of Mommy"!

Ava Marie

Here are a few pictures of the painting my grandmother made for Ava. Jason has promised to hang the painting up for me this weekend and also make the valances for over her windows. Once those two things are complete, I'll take some pictures of her nursery.

Random Wednesday

1. It was only 22 degrees outside this morning when I left to drop the boys off at school. Brrrrrr!

2. Gas is down to $1.81 at some stations! We're paying about $75 less per week than we were just two short months ago.

3. I really like my new haircut. Cassie cut 5 inches off the length and layered me up. I love how a simple haircut makes me such a happier mommy!

4. It hit me last night that I could possibly only have six days of work left before I go on maternity leave. I think that deserves a little Amen.

5. The other night Ayden didn't want to eat his dinner. The excuse? "Mommy. If I eat anymore my tummy will get a headache." I gave him an 8 for creativity and then sent him to daddy for bathtime.

6. I love Thanksgiving. It's one of my favorite holidays! I think it's got something to do with the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, flaky layer biscuits and dessert. Does anyone else hear angels singing right now or is it just me?

7. I get super freaked out when someone else has to do my job. As much as I'm looking forward to 8 weeks off with our new baby, I really don't care for the way my backup does my job while I'm gone. He hasn't had to help out since my maternity leave with Jameson so he's getting a refresher course this week. I'm about to kill him.

8. My pay increase for passing the CPP exam is "on hold". Apparently the Chamber is in the middle of a pay increase freeze due to the economy and even though this is something that was promised to me in 2007 and I worked my butt off for over a year on it....and passed, I'm getting screwed. And even though the president wrote a nice personal note stating that it has nothing to do with my job performance and he looks at me as a valuable asset/leader for our organization...blah, blah, blah...I still want to poke his eyes out.

9. Jameson is still sleeping in his own bed through the night. Along with the new haircut, this makes me an even happier mommy!

10. I'm not sure why I saved this one for last. Maybe it's because I find it difficult to explain my feelings about it...okay, here goes. I have had no contact with my grandmother (my mom's mom) in over 12 years besides the Christmas cards I continue to send every winter. The story as to why I have no contact with her is long and complicated (and mostly my mom's) but I will say that it's her choice, not ours. So imagine my surprise when she emails me out of the blue to tell me that she has sent me something in the mail. This woman is a very talented artist...even at 82 years old...so I knew it would be something she had painted. I was completely floored and emotionally overwhelmed last night when I opened the box to find a large, beautifully framed painting of a little girl with angel wings sitting in a garden holding a butterfly. It was titled "Ava Marie" and was indeed painted by my grandmother. There are about a million emotions running through me because of this painting. Jason and I were waiting for that perfect "something" to hang over our daughter's crib and this is exactly what we were waiting for.

Day by Day

Today Ava and I saw the OB for a check up and NST. I was a little surprised to find out that I'm contracting more often than I thought. What I took as just pressure from Ava moving around is actually contraction. Interesting. They also tested me for GBS (vaginal strep) which I tested positive for during both of my other pregnancies. Normally this is treated with an IV antibiotic during labor, but I deliver so quickly that I never got it with the boys.

The end result of this check up is that Ava is doing great, I'm doing great and I could go into labor any day. They're going to check if I'm dilated next week Monday after my ultrasound with Dr. K and we'll we'll have another NST. They keep bringing up a possible induction for the week after Thanksgiving (due to Ava's size starting to take a toll on my kidneys), but I'm just taking it day by day.

We'll keep you posted!

Jameson Update

Jameson's behavior evaluation went very well on Monday. There was a therapist and our coordinator at our house for over an hour asking questions and observing Jameson. Basically what we learned is that Jameson is off the charts intelligent, strong willed and requires constant stimulation. Most of his behavioral problems come from a lack of stimulation and/or the need for attention. Basically he doesn't qualify for the program but because they are concerned about his interaction with his new baby sister and he'll only be in the program for 6 months (Babies Can't Wait only works with children 3 and under), they qualified him anyway.

Jameson's therapist's name is Monique and apparently she totally rocks. They've planned for 16 therapy sessions that in the end are more for me and Jason rather than for Jameson. She is going to show us how to cut out the bad behavior through new parenting techniques. I'm all for it! They plan on observing him a few times at Royal Learners as well. Before they left, we received a few tidbits of advice. So far so good.

Jameson has slept in his bed...through the night...without me laying down with him...for the past 4 nights. He has also sat through dinner and finished his meal for the past 3 nights. This is a record! Now we need to work his aggressive behavior...hitting, yelling and temper tantrums. It's so nice to know that with a little patience and hard work, our sweet baby Jameson will be doing much better in just 6 months.

Even though we may not see it yet, there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel and we're working our way towards it. We thank everyone for their love, support and concern.

The Game Plan

1. Estimated weight is 5lbs 7oz
2. Baby has dropped so low in my pelvis that at first they couldn't find her head. I had to push my pants down to my thighs!
3. I'm experiencing sharp shooting pain all of the time. It hurts to sit, bend and pee.
4. Contractions are becoming more painful and last longer.
5. I see Dr. McSwain on the 17th for check up and NST
6. I see both Dr. K and Dr. M on the 24th. They're going to check if I'm dilated and another NST. 7. I'm supposed to see both Dr. K and Dr. M on the 1st to decide on possible induction.

As long as Ava is around 6 1/2lbs on the 24th (and I haven't already gone into labor), I'm going to take castor oil on the 28th. I refuse to be induced and it's only 3 days away from being full term. Close enough.

So that's the game plan.