24 Weeks

I had my 24 week appointment today and it couldn't have come soon enough.  Over the last 4 weeks I've been having increasing pain and intense pressure in my lower half and over the last few days haven't been able to stand or walk for more than a few minutes at a time.  Yesterday, against all my natural leanings, Ava and I had a "PJ day" (mostly because I couldn't bear to sit on the floor and attempt to change her) and watched a lot more TV than I would normally prescribe.  I laid on the couch or in bed as much as possible and by the evening I was feeling a little relief.

Thankfully my blood pressure is normal and the doctor said that though this is unfortunate for me, there are no pressing health concerns for me or the baby.  Hurray (I guess).  What I described he said was not unusual for second pregnancies as the body doesn't hold up quite as well as it did the first time around.  Being that this will probably only worsen over the next 3 1/2 months, he advised me to rest and get help with Ava when I can, but I'm grateful to know that no real harm is being done.  Though I wanted to say, "Are you sure, because I'm pretty sure this baby's head is already halfway out and my legs might burst open at any moment."

The other good news is that my weight and girth (Brian Regan anyone?) are almost exactly in toe with what I measured with Ava, despite my feeling twice as big and cumbersome.  It's the small victories!  And once again, somewhere in between taking the above picture and uploading it from Photo Booth, the magical circuitry has made me look much less huge than I actually am.  You will not hear me complaining about this.  Since I don't know how to work the timer on Blair's camera for a more accurate photo, I'm happy to display this and then shock you all with the real thing later.

We got to hear the heartbeat and when the doctor asked Ava, "Are you going to have a baby brother?" she lifted her shirt and pointed to her belly, "Yeah, and I have a baby Jesus right down here in my heart!"  It appears that teaching her about pregnancy and the Holy Spirit at the same time might have caused a little confusion.

All in all, though some days are better than others, I am feeling very weary and ready for this pregnancy to be over.  I am praying for mercy in the weeks to come (and an early delivery date would be magical).  I am however SO thankful for my loving husband and best friend who have rallied to help me as much as they can.  Today after my appointment, Blair dropped Ava off at Erin's house and will be picking her up this afternoon and taking her on a daddy-daughter dinner date while I rest.  Now, let me just say that I haven't had 8 hours (or 2 hours) to myself in almost 3 years and I'm not even sure what to do with that amount of quiet time!  I'm sure I'll think of something (probably involving jammies and hot cocoa) and I feel so blessed to have people in my life who care about me and my baby boy.

Asthma

We headed to the doctor on Friday, sure after a night of screaming that Ava was suffering from her third ear infection in six weeks.  The good news?  No ear infection (shockingly).  The bad news?  Ava almost certainly has asthma.

With every cold and ear infection this season so far she's continued to have wheezing and a dry asthmatic cough, though thankfully her oxygen levels have stayed within a safe range.  We have an inhaler that we have to give her every four hours whenever she begins to show signs of illness, and she's just started on Singulair, a medication she'll take daily through the winter as a preventative measure.

With two parents who have had asthma since childhood, she was most definitely doomed.  I was hoping it would hold off for a few more years but at least at this stage it's not holding her back in the slightest!  And, as sorry a 'pro' as it may be, I am thankful that we had four weeks of health between Ava's last ear infection and this latest cold.  Compared to last year that is a significant improvement and happened to coincide with starting her on a multivitamin and vitamin-D supplement.  Maybe they are doing the trick!

Outdoor Bliss

Just like her mother, Ava LOVES fall and the cooler temperatures that come with it.  She has been asking to go outside every morning (yes, when it's still 30 degrees) and thankfully we've had lots of sunshine lately for her to enjoy.  A few days ago she went on a long walk with daddy and the childhood bliss that ensued is palpable in these photos!  Love her.

Window Crayons

One of the best winter indoor activity inventions ever.

Happy Ballerina

"I'm a ballerina!  Look at me in my toe shoes!"

Now, I'm not a huge fan of Halloween if we're being honest, as shown by my waiting until the 31st to actually go out and buy Ava some 'toe shoes' and a matching tutu per her request.  But, I can say it was a delight to watch this sweet thing practice her twirls and plies, balance on her toes and talk endlessly about her ballerina tights and sparkles.  She loved watching herself in the mirror and being a real ballerina for the night (as evidenced by her patience in smiling for at least 30 photos of her standing in the living room).

After visiting five or six of our closest neighbors (where she tried to hand them back her candy), Ava loved sitting and admiring her loot and then jumping up at every knock to go hand out treats.  Despite my reluctance to celebrate, the night was a success and Ava loved her first real memorable taste of the traditions!