Baby Hendrickson #2 - In the making!!

12 week profile pic- already pouting about something. Little hand over face.

my little legs and feet

That's right we are expecting our 2nd child due April 6, 2011!! Ava is going to be a big sister!! I'm 12 weeks today and had a great ultrasound this morning so we are excited to finally tell the world the good news. Start placing your bets on the sex, because we find out next week if what we are having!


Here is a journal I kept for the 1st trimester of pregnancy:


4 weeks- Found out the day after Ava's 2nd birthday that we are indeed expecting another baby! I started my lovenox (blood thinner) injections immediately. We decided that after 3 previous miscarriages, we were going to wait until 8 weeks to schedule our first appointment this time. We just couldn't take another go round like the those times where we went in at 6 weeks and the heart beat was slow and they would say "oh well it just started beating, let's give it a week" or "maybe your dates are off, come back in 2 weeks" and then we suffered through a week or two of not knowing if the baby was healthy or not. So this time we decided that I'm doing everything I possibly can to keep this baby healthy and we should know for sure at 8 weeks if the hear beat looks good and if the baby is growing adequately. 5 weeks- nothing new, feeling fine, just have a very bruised sore tummy from the injections.
6 weeks- either I've had way too many cheeseburgers or something because I'm already looking a little porky. Vow to eat much healthier! No morning sickness yet, just a little nausea and a nasty cold.
7 weeks - my dad passed away and it's all I can think about, I'm completely consumed with grief. I never even got a chance to tell him I was pregnant. We were waiting until after our first ultrasound at 8 weeks to tell family. I'm feeling nausea but I don't know if it's nausea or overwhelming sadness. Family does not know I'm expecting, but probably better as they would all just worry to death.
8 weeks- Great ultrasound!! The little gummy bear had a 161 bpm heart rate and looked GREAT! We are so relieved. Nice to have some good news after last week.
9 weeks- Absolutely miserable with all day morning sickness. Can barely function I feel so terrible. Nausea medicine isn't even making a dent. Starting to share the news with family members. Thanks to stupid facebook, it got leaked before we could get to everyone personally. NOT happy about that!!! I seriously thought about deleting my account after that.
10 weeks- Still sick as a dog and absolutely miserable.
11 weeks- Another rough week with sickness. Imagine being hungover all day every single day for 5 freaking weeks!!! Bright Side: Must mean my body is working in overdrive to keep this baby healthy and happy.
12 weeks- GREAT ultrasound!!!!!!! Baby looks great and I am one relieved mother. HB was 166 bpm.

Gigi and Papi's visit

Ava's Gigi and Papi came down over labor day weekend to visit for several days. Now that we have more space they were able to stay with us and get to see Ava in action all day every day. They got to read her bed time stories and put her to bed, play with her, and do all kinds of fun activities with her. It was a great weekend and lots of fun had by all. We were sad to see them go home. :(

After lunch at Spaghetti Warehouse

Butterfly Museum

Ava's grossed out by the hissing cockroaches at the museum

Lunch at the Aquarium

Checking out all of the cool fish at the aquarium with Gigi and Papi

Fish!

With Gigi and Papi after lunch

At Spaghetti Warehouse

Bedtime Stories with Gigi and Papi

Ava Updates

Well it has been a month ago to the day that my dad died, and it's probably about time I get on with my day to day life (as hard as it is) which means posting on the blog.

There is so much to report on Ava that I hope I remember to hit all the important points.

Ava started in her new class with her new teachers on August 19th. She cried the first day when I left her but they said she was fine within minutes and after that she never cried again. I'm a little bummed that none of her previous classmates are in her class, so she also has to adjust to all new kids. One little boy, Gil, is in the class right next to her and the classes spend lots of time together so at least she has that. Gil is having a very hard time with the transition and every morning they are on the playground and he see's me drive up. The teacher said he grabs her hand and starts heading toward the entrance saying "Ava, Ava, Ava" and then he and Ava are glued at the hip the rest of the day. He loves Ava :)

Potty Training is going. She still can't tell me in advance when she has to tee tee, but she hasn't pooped in a diaper in over a month. That always happens on the potty. She's in pull ups during the day and a night diaper at night.

Her new favorite thing to say is "oh no!" and "no, I don't" when you ask her if she wants to do something. She also says "yes, I do". Last week she actually told me "stop talking mommy" I was floored! She can now say her name "Ava" instead of "Eeya" and usually refers to herself in the 3rd person, like "Mommy come hold Ava!"

She is totally a daddy's girl and now wants Steve to do all of the nightly routine which means he hasn't gotten much of a break lately (hey he's learning what it's like to be a mom!) Let me pull out my little tiny violin....tee hee.

She is now able to put her shoes on and almost dress herself without any help. She is sooo proud when she gets her shoes on too. A lot of the times they'll be on the wrong feet, but I just think it's so precious that I rarely correct her. She's just so proud that she can do it and tells me "look at Ava mommy, Ava's a big girl!" She now has to get into the car by herself with no help and get into her car seat by herself. If we try to help we get the "no mommy, Ava do it!"

She is a very strong willed little girl (must get that from Steve) and we have been having a hard time getting her to do things she doesn't want to do without a battle, but try and stay very consistent with our discipline and she seems to be getting the picture. Tantrums are a regular occurrence around here (usually because she doesn't want to get dressed, take a bath or go to bed) these days and everyone keeps telling me that 3 is worse! If she had her way she'd be naked and dirty all day and never go to bed. Oh my!!!

Song or Sign?

My aunt and I keep asking my dad to send us a sign to let us know that he is okay. We are still waiting; however, the other day he may have already done that.

It was the morning after I found out he had passed away. I was on my way over to his house to meet my Aunt and Uncle. I cried all the way and then I turned on the radio and this was the song that was playing.

Lynrd Skynrd- Free Bird

For those of you who knew my dad and the struggles he faced every day of his life, this song makes perfect sense.

My Dad

Today has been a heartbreaking day for me and my family. I found out at 11 pm last night that I lost my Daddy. I have had people tell me how awful it was to lose a parent, but never understood the feeling until now. It is absolutely devastating. I keep wondering how long I am going to have this sick empty feeling inside. He was only 57 years old.

I just pray that he is finally at peace, happy and up in Heaven with Memaw, Grandaddy and Pat. He was so proud that Ava is a blonde haired, blue eyed lefty just like him.

Henry Beutel Mungovan

1953-2010

One of the many thing I am just sick over is that I can't find the last picture I took of him and Ava. I have turned this place upside down looking.

New Pictures

Helping Daddy tape, but with Sesame Street Stickers of course.

I do it daddy, I paint!

Shoes on the wrong feet? I big girl.

Hangin with my best pal Biscuit in the sand box

eating hamburgers and hot dogs in my playroom

Mommy wasn't kidding when she said I liked my boots

Eeya Big Girl

Now that Ava is the “big girl” age of 2, she is very independent and can do everything herself (even tell you how old she is). Everything is “I do it mommy, no help” and then when she’s successful it’s “I did it” or “I did that!”

Usually in the mornings she gives me fits when trying to get her dressed, fed and out the door for school. This morning she was bright eyed and bushy tailed. She started the morning off by awaking in her crib at 3:45 a.m. yelling “Mommy! night night mommy, daddy bed!” Who can resist that so we went and got her. She came in bed with us grabbed my face and gave me a big kiss and cuddled as close as she could. It was too sweet. Then she drifted back off to sleep and woke up pushing me and telling me “get out here mommy” AS IF??!! Then one evening last week I was getting her ready for bed and she put her head on my shoulder and said “I love mommy” J

She was an angel getting ready and then as I was putting the dogs out for the day she met me in the driveway carrying her baby doll fully equipped with Paci and said “I ready!, I ready go bye bye” then pranced over to the car and climbed up into the seat and into her car seat. Then she said “I did it mommy, Eeya big girl”

Last Friday we packed up Ava’s new wagon and Minnie mouse sunglasses and off we went to family day at the zoo with my cousins and their little ones. Despite the heat we had a great time! Of course I forgot my camera, Erin dropped hers and Courtney forgot to put the memory card back in hers. Luckily Kristi had her camera, so hopefully we were able to get a few good pictures.

I woke up last Sunday morning with some very uncomfortable pain at one of my wisdom teeth that is partially in. It is very swollen and irritated, the pain is just obnoxious. I went to the dentist and he prescribed me an antibiotic and told me it was time to get them pulled. Yay for me. I just want this infection or whatever is going on to clear up so that I can swallow without thinking about it again. Uggh!!!