Nanny Anyone?

Although we have Ava on the waiting list at a couple of daycare centers, we are still exploring the option of having a nanny at home with her during the day. I'm taking 5 months off to be with her after she's born so I'll be returning to work at 30 hours a week in January. If anyone has any recommendations for great nanny's please pass them along. :)

30 Weeks- Belly Shot

Little Ava is packing on the chub these next couple of months and she should be up to about 3lbs right about now. Yesterday we went to see Iron Man and she had the hiccups for about the last 20 minutes of the movie. It was so cute.

29 Weeks

Now that we have finally decided on Ava for her name she seems so much more like a real person when we say "when Ava gets here" or "in Ava's room". That on top of her constant movements and changing positions that I'm feeling. Last night when we were getting ready for bed she got the hiccups. Steve actually got to see my belly roll and move all around as she changed positions and he also got to feel her little hiccups. Usually as soon as he comes over to watch her move she decides to stop. She's apparently not much of a show off.

At my last doctor appointment I had my glucose diabetes test. I had to drink the glucola drink that I've heard horrible things about. I was so scared to drink it thinking I was going to gag and be all crazy because of the sugar, but it tasted just like Hawaiian punch and didn't effect me at all. I had to drink it an hour before my appointment. I drank it at 2:30 and got to my appointment a little early so the lab could draw my blood at 3:30. I was getting a little annoyed when the lab tech didn't come out to get me until 3:45 pm. Then she was in a mad rush to get my blood since it had already been over an hour. ANNOYING! Good news is that my test came back negative and I do NOT have gestational diabetes..woo hoo!

My appointments have now changed from every 4 weeks to every 2 weeks so I have another follow up on Thursday. It should be a pretty boring appointment this week. They'll probably just measure my belly, check her heart rate and my blood pressure and send me on my way.

Tomorrow Steve and I take our Infant Care class at Texas Childrens. I'm kind of excited about it to learn all about the important things I'm going to need to know when she gets here. Steve is dreading it because it's 3 hours long.

Last week Ava's aunt Kristin (a student at A&M) sent her first Texas A&M t-shirt! It's a tiny blue shirt with the A&M letters on it. She's not even born yet and she's already an Aggie. :) Memaw would be so proud. Thank You Aunt Kristin!

She has a name!

After months of speculation and going back and forth we finally decided on our original favorite despite it's current popularity.

Her name is:

Ava Michele Hendrickson

28 weeks & Steve is Nesting

I asked Steve this weekend if I was going into labor early because all of the sudden he has started nesting. He took the day off of work on Friday just so he could take all of the clothes to the drycleaner, and every other piece of laundry the laundromat. Apparently it takes too long with just one washer and dryer so when I got off of work we were up at the laundromat washing everything all at once. Every piece of clothing had to be clean and in it's place. He also organized his closet, cleaned the house, did the yard and did the dishes. Saturday we moved the rest of my belongings out of my Memaw's house and donated a bunch of stuff to goodwill. Sunday he cleaned out the garage and reorganized everything, then rearranged and moved a bunch of stuff to the attic, while I cleaned out the closet in the baby's room. This week he's painting the baby's room.

Last week I had my gestational diabetes test and we are still waiting on the results (fingers crossed). The doctor recommended swimming and soaking my feet to reduce the swelling in my legs, ankles and feet. My blood pressure still looks good so we are safe there. I can't wait until the day I have ankles again!

We decided to deliver at St. Lukes Episcopal Hospital in the Med Center. After talking with my doctor and hearing her feedback, we went ahead and pre-registered there. We'll send out visitor information to family and friends closer to the due date.

Happy Birthday Magnum!

Yesterday Mr. Toots turned 1 year old, yes on Cinco de Mayo :) We call him Mr. Toots and tootie boy for the appropriate reasons. He has grown so much since he was just a little pup and we just love our little man. Magnum the puppy learning the "outside go potty" ring.

Girls hunt too!

So most of you know that Steve is a bow hunter. Of course he is already planning on taking our daughter to the deer lease with him and grandpa, and we of course will go as a family (although I don't kill things so I'd just be there for fun). My mom found the cutest things especially for Steve's heart when she went to Canton with her Red Hat Society. Steve of course loved them and our little munchkin is all ready for her first hunting trip :)

Dress

27 weeks

Well we just started our 7th month of pregnancy! I'm really starting to feel the extra weight and mainly in my feet and back. My feet hurt when I walk so I'm going to spend most of my time with them propped up to see if that helps any.

Of course this weekend was a very busy weekend which probably added to the sore feet and back. One of my best friends Marcella is getting married in July and we had her wedding shower at my house this morning. Everything turned out beautifully, we had a great turn out and the shower was a great success. The preparation for the shower wasn't really a big deal but when you are 6-7 months pregnant the energy level is depleted rapidly. Yesterday Sara and I spent the afternoon preparing for the shower by taking all of my potted dead plants and replacing them with live colorful plants and running last minute errands. We also took some shelves I had and started painting them for the baby's room.

My aunt and Uncle sold my grandmothers house so Sara and I spent the earlier part of the morning at my Memaw's getting some of my furniture out of there. I felt so rude because Sara was carrying everything out and loading up my car while I did nothing. Better enjoy this pregnancy thing while it lasts! Steve was in San Saba with his dad if you're wondering why he wasn't helping :) He gets to go over there with me this week and move the rest of my boxes and my old bed to our garage. Joy for him. It's pretty weird and sad to move my things out of the home that I grew up in. I knew it would come one day but doesn't change the sadness any. Even with all of this it still hasn't really sunk in that Memaw is really gone.

Here are some pictures from the shower. Unfortunately the battery died on my camera before I could get any pictures of the rest of the shower.