Our Sweet Avie

(Sorry for the rambling...I shouldn't blog at 1 AM. :)


I posted in November of last year that I was expecting baby #2 and said that I would post again once we found out the gender.  Well...I failed to do that.  I'm hoping that everyone who reads my blog is in contact with us via another source otherwise they might be wondering what the heck happened!  If you don't have another way of keeping in touch with us than it might be because you're a creepy blog stalker that I don't know in which case please move on!  Ha ha...only joking.  But I do need to (FINALLY) write about the sweet little addition to our family Avie Gwen.  Baby Avie as she is currently called in our home. 

The Pregnancy
My due date was officially June 2nd but toward the end of my pregnancy I started having problems with high blood pressure just like I did when I was pregnant with Tanner.  I knew I wouldn't make it to my due date.  And I was okay with that.  I am a MISERABLE pregnant woman.  Plus, I had to be induced with Tanner 3 weeks early and everything worked out okay with him so I felt okay with being induced this time.  At the end of this pregnancy the doctor had me coming in twice a week (yeah, with a 2 year old and a lot of back pain) just to get my blood pressure checked...you can see why I wanted to just be induced already. 

The Arrival
On Monday, May 23rd, I went in for my regular appointment and once again my blood pressure was elevated.  And for some reason which my doc didn't understand I had about 3 times the amount of amniotic fluid than most women.  This is why I looked like I had a "beach ball under my shirt" at the end of my pregnancy.  (Yes, someone actually said that to me.  And if the person who said that is reading this I still love you! :D)  My doctor didn't know what was going on with my body and said that at this point (38 weeks) it might just be better for me to have this baby girl already!  At this point it was about noon.  He called the hospital to see if they could take me that day and they said I should check in at about 2 pm.

Once again, I got to make that super fun phone call to my husband, "We're having a baby today!"  I love that phone call.  It's my favorite.  Anyway, I went home, made some phone calls and arrangements.  Cleaned a few things, packed a few things and checked in at the hospital at 3 pm.  Yep, an hour later than I was supposed to.  And proud of it.  Ha ha!  They had started me on pitocin by 4, I had an epidural around 7 and had her at 9:03 pm.  She weighed 8 lbs 3 oz, exactly one pound heavier than her brother, and was 21 1/2 inches long.  She's been nice to her mommy right from the start...I only labored for 5 hours and only had to push about 3 or 4 times to get her here.  It was easygoing and a truly wonderful experience. 

The Name
We got her name a few years back when we were called to work in the nursery in our last ward.  There was this family that had I think 4 children all of whom were beautiful blondes.  But the cutest of all was the youngest, a 2 year old blond haired, blue eyed, SWEET little girl, Avi.  At first I thought the name was a little weird (and you might still...that's okay with me) but as I started to fall in love with this adorable little girl, I fell in love with her name, too.  And it was added to my list of names for future children.  Nate didn't really like it to begin with but since we hadn't even started thinking of having kids at that point I knew I had time to wear him down.  Over the next 5 years I kept casually bringing the name up anytime we would talk about baby names.  And I think hearing it enough, he grew to like it. 

Her middle name, Gwen, is very special.  Gwendolyn is the name of my maternal grandmother, whom I have not had the oppotunity to meet in this lifetime yet I feel connected to her still.  My mom was a mere 16 years old when her mother passed away.  Throughout my life I have heard stories about my grandma and what a wonderful and neat woman she is.  Even as a little girl I realized how important a mother is in a child's life because I heard how difficult it was for my own mother to lose her mom at such a young age.  Through my mother's stories I gained a love and appreciation for my grandma, though I knew I would never meet her in this life.  I believe that Grandma Gwendolyn was with my Avie Gwen in heaven before she came to me. 

The First 3 Months
I can't believe that it has already been 3 months since that day I first met my sweet little girl.  Time truly FLIES by when it comes to your children.  I already feel like I want to STOMP on the brakes and make time STOP for a little while so I can enjoy my children a little more.  At 3 months old Avie is a very CHUBBY, sweet and happy little girl.  She has a nice set of lungs that she does use on occasion to let us know she's upset but for the most part she just likes to look up at you and smile, coo and giggle (although her laugh still sounds mire like a grunt at this point).  She is SO beautiful and a perfect addition to our family. 

It is true what they say about every child being different.  I feel blessed that both of my kids have been pretty easy babies compared to some of the horror stories I've heard.  But just cause they're pretty easy doesn't mean they are the same.  I am learning to be a parent all over again with baby #2.  It is easier in some ways but in so many ways still challenging and exciting.  I love being a mom.  I wish I was better at it but I am trying and learning every single day.  I'm so blessed to have these 2 sweet kids to call my own forever!