Congrats to the Lady Cougars for their district championship!

It was great to have some family time.
Peyton, me, and Camdyn. 36 weeks pregnant!

35 weeks

34.5 weeks--GO CATS!

37 weeks and counting

I can't believe Avery will be here in 3 weeks or so!
To do list:
Put my clothes and such in the bag
Do one more load of Avery's laundry
Clean the house (with help of course)
Get Jonathan to install the car seat base

I already have her picture outfit and her coming home outfit washed and in the bag. I also packed some socks (UK of course) and some other necessities. Just need to put some newborn onesies in there, and I think we're ready to go.
I packed my coming home outfit (much less glamorous than Avery's) and several pairs of pjs, a robe, flip flops, etc. You'd think I was going away for a long stay, but choosing what to pack wasn't easy.
Yesterday I had a pretty bad headache, which caused me to have the school nurse check my blood pressure. It was a little higher than usual, so I called my doctor, who then wanted to see me. The worry would be preeclampsia, but no protein my urine. So, my dr. advised I stay at home and rest today and do a 24 hour urine collection so he could check my protein levels.
Wiley kept me company today, and I did take advantage of being able to rest. My mom had to remind me that I am 37 weeks pregnant and need more rest than usual. We will go to the dr. again on Friday, and hopefully my BP has leveled out.

Baby Shower

The lovely pink ladies that helped make this day so special! Thanks to my sister-in-law Jodi, my aunt Nancy, my mother-in-law Norma, my cousin Nancy Jo, my mom, and my sister Leigh!

Nicole Vance Pursley did the fruit! How cute!




The diaper cake my sister made herself--sitting on a blanket with her name on it!

My sister bought the onesies, bib, and hat and embroidered her name on them. Aren't they cute?

Our shower in Glasgow was given by our family and the theme was teddy bears and pink and brown decorations. Everything about it was top secret! I was very impressed with all the adorable decor and all the time that was spent on it. In the picture above, my bear is wearing one of the dresses I wore as a little girl! It was adorable.

Goodbye Stone

Today I said goodbye to my kidney stone! Dr. Goodwin went in to replace the stent and came out with the stone. He even came into the waiting room with the stone to show Jonathan, Mom, Norma, and Wally. God is so good! The stent will be taken out next week. I am SO thankful! I will be 33 weeks on Wednesday, and I am looking really forward to feeling semi-normal for the last 6 weeks of my pregnancy. Avery made it through the surgery fine and is back to her kicking and nestling under my rib. I can't wait to meet her. Jonathan's prediction is that she'll come on my due date. Only time will tell!

32 Weeks and Counting

So, 32 weeks have gone by! Despite the morning sickness and the kidney stone, it really has gone by fast! Due to the snow day today, I had the chance to go to Glasgow and get my hair cut and highlighted! Whoo hoo! I feel like a new woman. After the headache I had all day yesterday and all night last night, I felt like I deserved a little pampering.
We went to the doctor today. No real news. Baby Avery's heartbeat was around 126, and I had gained 3 pounds. My blood pressure was good, and my belly measured at 32. Dr. Lee told us he was officially going to the SEC tournament, which is 2 weeks before my due date. I told him I'm not worried...I really don't think there's any way I'll go early. Does anyone these days? I almost had to laugh when Dr. Lee asked if she was kicking. A big YES on that one! She is kicking Momma to death at all times of the day. She will definitely be running out of room very soon. His prediction was a 7 lb. baby! So far, Jonathan has picked March 18 for her arrival, and I've picked March 15. Both are wishful thinking!!
On Monday, I go to Norton's to have the stint replaced. I'm still hoping to come home on Monday, but we'll see how things go. I'm just ready for the procedure to be over with. Last time I was in the hospital, I didn't know what I was getting into. Ignorance was truly bliss. I was in too much pain to care about the IV and had no idea what to expect with being put under. I really wish I didn't know what to expect now! I'm praying that he's able to get the kidney stone out...I'm staying optimistic.

Her letters came in today, and Jonathan did a great job putting them up! Aren't they cute?! Good news from the doctor today--if everything looks favorable at 39 weeks, he might induce me a week early! That was great news! We can't wait for her to arrive.

30 Weeks

I thought 28 weeks felt good until I reached 30!! 10 weeks until due date sounds so good. Today we went to the urologist in Louisville. He told us that the stint does not have to come out until after delivery! That was great news! He said that a week or two after delivery we would schedule the stint removal and the breaking up of the stone. I have to get the stint replaced in a couple of weeks just in time for the middle of KAPOS preparation week. The good news is that when he does the procedure, there is at least a chance that he'll be able to get the stone out. He said he wasn't making any promises but that it could happen. I didn't even know that was a possibility! So I'll be praying every day for a miracle. That means that those last 8 weeks will be a lot less painful without the stint. It would be a great thing since she's getting heavier every day and playing the drums on my bladder every few days or so. I never imagined what it felt like to have a human being inside of you. Last night she totally rolled over. It was a bit painful but awesome at the same time. Right now she is either dancing on my bladder or nestled up under my right rib. Those are her most frequent spots. I notice her movement of course when I am resting or lying down but also when I am hungry. It's as if she's saying, "Momma...I'm hungry!" Oh...I left out a very important part of our trip to Louisville. We went to Babies 'R Us, and it was amazing. More appointments to come in the next week--my OB tomorrow and our OB doctors in Louisville on Monday.

Nursery Decorating Has Begun

We decided to move the crib back on the other wall...I wanted the crib to be the focal point of the room. Her name will be spelled out over the top of the crib, but those letters haven't arrived yet. Hopefully they will be here this week! I'm anxious to get things more finished. Her bedding has also been ordered, but it not finished yet. I can't wait to put it in the room. Hopefully, I will be able to hang some of her things on the green polka dot pegs. I found the perfect lamp but haven't purchased it yet. Things are really starting to come together!

It's only begun...but thanks to my husband and his handy dandy skills, the decorations are starting to be hung on the walls. Her initials are AED, otherwise known as an "Automated Electronic Defibrilator", as Jonathan pointed out. With each name we came up with, he was practicing out nicknames and also worried about what the initials would spell out. Since an AED is a life-saving device, we're satisfied with Avery Elizabeth DeVore.

Nursery Progress

During my hospital stay, Jonathan and his dad worked on the nursery. They put up new trim and a new chair rail. We debated on the actual colors--the green on the walls was hideous! So you can see what we ended up with. It is still a work in progress as the bedding isn't finished yet, and there is nothing on the walls. But...hopefully a few more things will get done in the next few weeks. We have less than 11 weeks to go!

Happy New Year!

We are only 12 weeks (or less) away from meeting our little girl, Avery Elizabeth. We can hardly wait!!

27 weeks~Merry Christmas!

Christmas break was a great time to spend time at home and see our families. We feel truly blessed to be having a healthy baby! I did not feel well Christmas Eve or Day, but I have had several good days since then. I've figured out with trial and error that drinking water throughout the night helps flush my kidneys and ultimately makes me feel better during the day. I also think my body has gradually gotten used to the stent. Those first few weeks after the procedure were pretty terrible. Thank goodness I have a husband who pitches in and helps. Otherwise this house would be a wreck! He is the best! After having an ultrasound in Louisville on the 23rd, we found out that Avery is up to 2.2 lbs! That was enough of a Christmas present for us. We really did have a great Christmas break, and we are anxiously counting down the days until Baby Avery arrives.

25 Weeks--Being Put Under

At the 25 week mark, I prepared for my first experience being put under. I have never had surgery...and this whole episode was only my 2nd time ever being in the hospital. Ignorance truly was bliss. There was a great chance I would go into labor, I had already subjected Avery to an x-ray, and I was going to have anesthesia also. I was feeling like such a great mother! Overall though, if we didn't take care of the obstructed kidney, we'd all be in much worse shape. The "surgery" took less than half an hour, and I was able to go home the next day. All of this has prepared me for labor, I do believe. It has also taught me to not take anything for granted. Also, I have realized what an AMAZING husband I have. I don't know how I could have made it through without him. I am so lucky!

The 24 Week Scare

Thanksgiving Day started out as any normal holiday with a trip to eat with my family and then on to Jonathan's family. I felt bad all day and was barely sociable. I couldn't wait to get home and go to bed! As I finally made it to bed, I told Jonathan I felt kind of "crampy". Not sure how else to describe it. A few short minutes later, I was doubled over in pain. I was sure someone was stabbing me in the lower back, left side. I tried to be tough...and eventually fell asleep face down on all fours. I actually think I passed out. I woke up again around 3 a.m. with the same stabbing pain. We decided it was time to head to the hospital. After many hours of tests, tears, and meds, it was determined I had a kidney stone! 6 mm to be exact! After spending the next 3 days in the hospital being pumped full of fluids with the hope of passing the stone, my OB sent me to Norton's in Louisville so that a urologist could determine the next step. Turns out, there is little to no chance I would be able to pass the stone. Then a decision had to be made: 1) Suffer through the next few months while living on pain meds, 2) Do a lithrotripsy to blast the stones out, which would expose Avery to serious radiation, or 3) Put a stent in the uteter to adequately drain the kidney that would otherwise be blocked by the 6 mm stone. Of course we chose option 3.

20 Weeks

At 20 weeks, I had a routine doctor's visit where the wrath of a pregnant lady came out to her OB because he does not have the H1N1 vaccine. However, I did get the vaccine a few days later from my primary physician. What is wrong with this picture? My regular doctor had it, but my OB did not??!!! Seriously!! Maybe it's the hormones, but that seems ridiculous to me. I know there is much debate about the safety blah blah of the vaccine...but in my research on the topic, I feel that the chances of my getting the flu itself is very high as I have students coughing, snotting, and wiping germs all over my desks and in my direct contact. Thinking about getting the flu in my 3rd trimester when I am more likely to get pneumonia and not be able to breathe....isn't a chance I want to take. And on that note, it is every person's personal choice to get the vaccine or to not get it. Let's all respect each other's opinions.

It's a Girl!

We had our ultrasound at 17 weeks and were very nervous that they wouldn't be able to tell the sex of the baby. Even though I practically read for a living, I misread the instructions about drinking the liquid beforehand, so I didn't start drinking early enough. As you may already know, my bladder is the size of a pea as it is, so pregnancy has already been hard on me. So, in the span of about 25 minutes, I drank 2 bottles of water and some Pepsi. Several people told me to drink some caffeine beforehand so it would move around. The first thing she looked for when we got in the room was whether we were looking at a girl or a boy. Baby DeVore fully cooperated as we got a clear view of the particular needed area. The radiographer said, "I see girl parts!" We were thrilled!!!!! Even though Jonathan kept insisting it was a girl, I had convinced myself that it wasn't. We were both actually hoping for a girl! She said everything looked normal on the ultrasound, and then the texts and phone calls started going out immediately! I saw bows, lace, dresses, polka dots, future shopping trips, and late nights with advice in my near and distant future. Jonathan is more nervous about the boys in her life than anything else. I told him that we've got a few years before we have to worry about that!

The First 12 Weeks

Those first 12 weeks seem like a blur now...morning sickness isn't even an accurate term! I was sick ALL day. I couldn't even take a shower in my bathroom because the lack of ventilation would cause me to throw up. I had to use Jonathan's shower! Brushing my teeth also made me gag & sometimes throw up. I honestly don't know how I made it through an entire school day for those weeks. One night Jonathan came home to find Wiley wide open with me lying on the couch. The only words I could utter were "grilled cheese". Even though he was tired from football practice, he diligently made me a grilled cheese. Several minutes later he woke me up to tell me it was done, to which I replied, "I don't think I want it." Then I was back asleep! He was a little disappointed, but he never fussed.
In those first few weeks, my diet consisted of bland carbohydrates and milk. I about broke the bank because I was going to the grocery just about every day to buy something that "sounded good". I still have a full box of Ginger Snaps if anyone is interested, which brings me to the helpful advice that everyone gave me. I tried EVERYTHING!!!
1. Eat a cracker before you get out of bed=Erika threw up for the first time
2. Eat ginger snaps=ugh...they taste nasty
3. If it "sounds" good, eat it=one bite later, I was finished
If someone suggested it, I tried it! Sleep, sleep, and sleep along with lots of prayer was the only thing that brought me out of it.

We're Pregnant!

Jonathan and I found out we were pregnant in July on a night when our air had gone out and we were miserable from suffocation! We were skeptical of the first digital test's answer of "Pregnant" and decided to go buy 2 more tests, which were later also positive. I remember we laid in bed that night talking about how excited we were and then on to how worried we were about everything. We decided not to tell anyone except our parents until after our 8 week visit to the doctor. As you can see, they were really surprised and excited!