3 weeks

At 3 weeks Avery had her first photo shoot! She did very well and slept through most of the poses! Sister Isla helped and was also in some of the shots!

The other big 3 week event was a date night for mommy and daddy. Which means that Avery took her first bottle. Grandma Carol did a great job feeding her! We went to dinner and a movie. I even had sushi and a beer. It's been a long time!

Avery is more awake during the day but still sleeping the majority of the time. She's getting bigger every day it seems and looking more like Isla!

2 weeks old!

Well, we've made it 2 weeks and she is growing like a weed! She weighed in at 8#11oz today so well over her birth weight. This means that I can stop waking her up every 3 hours at night and let her wake me up! Sometimes she will go for 4 hours between feedings. Everyday she looks more like Isla did as a baby. Her jaundice is better, just a little yellow in the eyes still. She's a little more awake during the day but still sleeping the majority of the time. Isla is so cute with her. She asks to hold her and gives her kisses all the time.
The 1st week was difficult with being sore...both from my milk coming in and the delivery. My mom was here that whole week so that helped. Monday was my first day alone. My parents gone and Mark at work. I was mostly anxious about the mornings. With being so tired I didn't know if Isla would sleep in a little and I had to get her off to daycare. Well, daylight savings hit on the perfect day! She had been waking at 6:30 but that time was now 7:30! So perfect! Exactly one hour to get ready and get to school. The first day I brought her and Avery to school all the little toddlers gathered around to look at Avery. Super cute! I did have a panic moment on Tuesday when I had to pick her up from school. Isla tried to run from me the parking lot and I had Avery in the car seat. Fortunately, I caught Isla by the hood of her coat but it made me realize how much harder it can be with two! I really appreciate our after school babysitter picking Isla up 3 days a week. What a help!
One of the things that is hard for me is that I'm so used to rushing around during the day that it is hard for me to do nothing. I have a list of things to do but if I get even one done during the day it feels like a major feat. I remember having this feeling on maternity leave with Isla. So because I am so type A I've started writing something I accomplished during the day on my phone notepad. Even if it is as simple as having a nothing day! I had one of those this week!
So this week....Monday- 1st day without mom, brushed teeth at 3pm!
Tues- My friend Tara and her 2 kids visited
Wed- Major day out since the cleaning lady was here....spent time at a coffee shop reading, walked by the river, met Mark for lunch, Isla parent/teacher conference, napped with Avery. Kicked ball with Mark and Isla after supper!
Thursday- nothing day!
Friday- Laura and Alice came to play and visit. Laura made me lunch! Had Avery's weigh in. Met some neighbors while playing outside!

So that was week 2. I love my baby so much! She is beautiful in every way and I know will grow up to be someone special!

Avery Ruth Stapleton is born 3/2/12!!

Avery's birth story
I was scheduled for a 39 week induction for Friday, 3/2. So at 5:30am I called the OB unit to see if they had room for me that morning and they did! So we took Isla to daycare at 7am and were on our way to Ridgeview Medical Center. First my nurse Shelby started my IV and started my antibiotics since I was Group B Strep positive this time. Then I was hooked up to two monitors- one to measure my contractions and one to measure the baby's heartrate. The Pitossin was started which was the drug that started my contractions. Dr. Meath came at 9am and measured me at 3.5cm and 75% effaced. She broke my water which felt very strange. After that the contractions started pretty regular but weren't that painful. I think part of that was because with Isla I had back labor that was so painful. So around noon Shelby checked me again and I was 5cm. After she checked me things started moving along and the contractions started to be quite painful. Dr. Turner came to do my epidural which was almost the most painful part. He gave me some Fentanyl which is a pain medicine and it caused a horrible itching reaction. So I had Mark and the nursing student itching my back and legs and I was itching my belly. But the epidural worked and I didn't have pain with my contractions. Only about an hour later I felt some pressure and felt her head moving pretty low. Shelby checked me said I was fully dilated. She let me push a couple times and our baby started coming out! Shelby called Dr. Meath to come up quick! By the time she was there it only took a few pushes and she was out! She was born at 2:36pm. Mark cut the cord and they put her right on my chest. I held her for a few minutes and then they took her and cleaned her up. She had a nice loud cry! She weighed 8 pounds and 3 oz, 18 inches long. We named her Avery Ruth after my grandma Ruth. My parents and Isla came up about a hour later with Grandma Ruth. Our new nurse Susanne gave Avery a bath and then Dr. Shrinivasan came to examine her. Everything looked good! So we were transferred to the post-partum room which was very nice. That night Avery went to the nursery but they brought her to me every couple of hours to nurse. Day #2 of Avery's life was full of visitors. Rhonda and Erica came along with baby Madelyn and Loren and Nancy. Amy Whitson also came with her kids. After all the company I was tired and cried a little. I was also in some pain having cramps when I would breastfeed. That evening Amanda and Mel came to visit and finally my dad stopped by on his way back into town. That day they had checked Avery's bilirubin level and it was elevated so that night she started her bili light treatment. The next day the level was still elevated so she was sent home with the bili bed or her "tanning bed" as I liked to call it! We were cleared for discharge on Sunday and Papa Paul came to help move out all the gifts and flowers. By noon we were home and Isla was so happy to see her mom, dad and new baby sister!

pic from 35 weeks

Week 38

38 weeks, 3cm dilated and 75% effaced (thinned out.) Things are looking good for the induction next Friday. I'm trying to slow down at work but next Wednesday (2 days before induction) I have 5 cases booked and am on call. Well, maybe I'll go early. It could be a leap year baby since there the 29th of February is 2 days before the induction date!
I've been feeling lots of movement. The whole time baby deux has loved to kick me in the right ribs. This has not stopped. But now she is so big she also likes to rub my pelvic bones with her head and sit on my sciatic nerve giving me shooting pains down my right leg! I had my OB guess the weight of the baby today and she guessed somewhere around 8 pounds. Hopefully because we are doing the 39 week induction she will be smaller than Isla! Plus I'm more stretched out this time so hopefully labor will be shorter!
We still like Isabelle, Emma, Avery and Samantha for names. We'd better decide soon! I have my hospital bag packed. I need to add some snacks for daddy so he doesn't get hungry. If all goes as planned next Friday we will drop Isla off at daycare around 7am and head into Waconia. They will start Pitossin at 7:30 and my OB said she would break my water about an hour later. Hopefully we'll meet you by the afternoon.
Last weekend Gma and Gpa K were here and we got a lot of "nesting" stuff done. We got the carseat out that Gma and Gpa S gave us. We put together the swing. Washed the baby clothes and put a dresser in the nursery. Isla got new white furniture and the rest of her big girl bed should be getting in soon.
We have been working very hard to prepare Isla for this dramatic change. We went to Barnes and Noble and bought several Big Sister books. We bought her her own baby doll that she will get to bring home from the hospital too. Almost everyone who has given me a gift for the baby has also given Isla a gift. We are saving these up to give her after we get back from the hospital with the baby. The main thing we've been working on is her sleep. It took about a month to get her adjusted to her big girl bed. We even went to extremes and locked her in her room two nights because she was getting out of bed and wandering around at night! We would find her the next morning sleeping on the couch downstairs! Now we put up a gate in her doorway although we have to keep the door open "all the way!"
I don't think anything can prepare us for the change about to occur in our lives. I just look forward to 3 whole months with my babies. Also to the memories that we will create together but especially that Isla and her sibling will form together!

For Baby Deux

Dear Baby Deux:

Grandpa Paul picked out that name for you just after I found out I was pregnant!

Mommy and Daddy have been deliquent. I am sorry. I promise that we will treat you as good or better than we have treated your sister, Isla. Mommy has been working full time since you were 1 day old as an embryo! I have also been running around after your sister. We also recently bought a new house for you to grow up in! I am so excited to make some memories here with you!

Thinking back to earlier on in my pregnancy...

We tried for about 6 months to get pregnant with you. When I was late for my period and took the test that was positive I was so excited! So was daddy! My first trimester with you I was a little bit sick. I went on a trip to Las Vegas with you in my belly and didn't enjoy my trip very much. Maybe not the best time to go on a bachelorette party trip. I did have to take some anti-nausea medicine to feel better. Our first ultrasound with you was at about 10 weeks. Daddy thought you looked like a snowman! At 14 weeks we had another ultrasound and it was amazing how much you had grown. We couldn't figure out on that ultrasound if you were a boy or a girl. I thought I was having a boy because I was sicker this time compared to when I was pregnant with your sister. The next ultrasound was at 20 weeks and we found out that you were a girl! Me and daddy were so excited that Isla was going to have a sister. Just like mommy had her sister Laura to grow up and be best friends with! Our last ultrasound was at 24 weeks to get a better look at your spinal cord. Everything looked great!

My second trimester was a little better. Less sick but very tired. I took a lot of naps with Isla and even went to bed before 9pm a couple of times! Around 18 weeks I was started to show my belly bump and so I told all of my co-workers. They were very excited for me.

Now I'm in my third trimester with just 9 weeks to go until you are done baking. I feel very good but sometimes I have little contractions. They don't hurt but feel like you are curled up in a tight ball. You move around a lot especially in the evening. Mostly you like to kick me up in my right ribs. Your feet must be there! I can see you moving around and daddy is having an easier time feeling you. Daddy likes to talk to you and tell you that he loves you.

Isla has picked out various names for you... Baby Sister, Mommy, and today she told me to name you Maleah! I'm not sure where she got that name! She is excited to meet you. She practiced holding baby Owen over Christmas time and did a very good job. She has also been practicing changing diapers on her baby dolls. Today she helped me in the nursery go through clothes. She even put some of your shoes on her baby doll.

Daddy and I cannot wait to meet you. We like names for you that begin with a vowel since that would go nicely with Isla. I do want something a bit easier to spell though since people have a hard time spelling and saying Isla. We like Erin, Emily, Ava, Olivia, and Emma so far.

Over Christmas mommy saw her cousins Karla and Christa. They are both having babies too! In fact, Christa is due with her baby just a week after you are to be born!

Only 9 more weeks until we get to meet you. My plan right now is to take 3 months off of work to spend with you and your sister. Grandma Carol and Auntie Lou are going to come and help me. Then we are going to go to Florida so that Grandma Barb can help. It will be so nice to be in the warm weather together.

We love you Baby Deux!

Halloween 2011

Isla was an elephant this year and SO CUTE! We have been to 2 Halloween parties already and Halloween isn't even here. This is Isla's attempt at hitting the piñata!

Papa Paul's Birthday

Isla loves birthdays!

Purse

Uh oh....

Father's Day

This is hilarious mostly because she has her bumblebee outfit on!