Waiting for Ava

Well Ava Girl, your due date has come and gone but you're still cozy in the womb. While we're anxious to meet you, we have a sense of calm and peace that you'll be here when you're meant to be here. Your dad and I are enjoying the last couple of days and nights of being a twosome. We talk about you often and dream about you and wonder what you look like and who you are. We can't wait to hold you and kiss you and get to know you; your likes, dislikes, what you think is funny, and your little personality. I want your dad to meet you especially. I feel like I know you a bit already, you know with sharing a body for the last ten months and all... And I have to admit it's nice having you all to myself right now, but he needs some time with you too. They say a woman becomes a mother as soon as she finds out she's pregnant, but a man becomes a father when his son or daughter is born. This makes sense. We have a bond already that only you and I can share. You're dad's going to be such a great one and I truly can't wait to see him with you. Come when you're ready Baby Girl. We hope and pray it's soon. So many people love you already and are anxious to meet you, your mom and dad especially.

40 weeks

38 & 39 Weeks

38 weeks

39 weeks

Ultrasound Photos

A download of all the ultrasounds we've had with this little lady... 

 

This is her very first photo shoot at 8 weeks. The nurse showed us the heart beat on the monitor and I sat up on the bed, shocked and asked, "There's a heartbeat?!" She looked at me, confused and said, "Well there better be!" I told her I kept reading on my May Birth Board on Babycenter.com about women getting into their first ultrasound only to find their babies didn't have a heartbeat. She bypassed me completely, looked at Mark and said sternly, "Don't let her read those things anymore." Ha!

We framed this ultrasound pic in a frame with a quote about family and made a trip up to Ventura to tell my parents the big news. They didn't get it. They thought we just gave them a random frame. My mom kept saying how cute it was and that she knew right where she was going to put it. Mark finally asked her if she knew what was in the frame. She picked it back up again and after a few (long) seconds, put her hand over her mouth and screamed in excitement. That was more of the response we were going for.

These were taken only 2 weeks later at 10 weeks. Mariners Outreach put on a free medical/dental clinic for those who can't afford insurance in our community. I had lined up a lot of the mobile medical/dental units including one of our partners Birth Choice who give pregnant women free ultrasounds and prenatal care when they cannot afford it otherwise. I was working the event the day of and went over and introduced myself as the one they had talked to on the phone in preparation for being there that day. I shyly asked if I could get an ultrasound and they got all excited that I was pregnant and said yes. Mark was working at the clinic so my friend Laura went in with me. It was SO fun. She was bouncing around like crazy, doing flips, giving a "what's up mom" hand signal and looked like a gummy bear. I got such a rush from seeing her so active for the first time. How was she just a blob (like in the photo above) two weeks ago?

These are from our 20 week anatomy/gender ultrasound. I love her beautiful spine in this last one. The ultrasound appointment itself was a debacle ending with a lot of tears.

 

Our ultrasound tech at the 20 week ultrasound was a total brat. She "couldn't" or rather wouldn't tell us the sex and we (I) was desperate to know, so we went to one of those boutique elective ultrasound places and got these taken. The first says, "I'm a happy girl!" The ultrasound tech stalled right before writing girl, it was such a fun moment to find out we were having a daughter, just what we wanted! Well, that's what I thought, until Mark looked at me and said, "Oh babe, I'm so happy for you." Me or US? I asked, confused. He back-peddled quickly and said, "us, us, of course us." He assured me he just meant that he knew how much I wanted a girl and that he would have been happy either way.

 

This was take just this week at 37.5 weeks, she's head down and they estimate she's weighing about 7.5 pounds already! These can be really off in their estimates but look at her cute little closed eyes, and pouty lips and I think she has Mark's cute little nose, which I've been hoping she'd get. Those are her little hands in front of her face. They'd keep going from being clasped in front of her to throwing little punches. It was so cute. She's a real baby now and she'll be here so soon!

Love & Loot

I wanted to document all three showers because they were all so unique and special in their own and different ways. When I talk to Ava I tell her how much she's loved and name the people who love her by name. I start out with Mark and I, and then her grandma and grandpa Power, and then Russell, and then her uncles John, Jim and Dane, and her great grandparents Power and Russell. During "shower season" I told her about all the friends and family who came out to celebrate her and the special gifts they showered us with that we have waiting for her. Check it out:

Special thanks to Kristin who helped me wash it all in baby detergent. I love the Vans among all the Mary Janes in this last photo. I can only hope she's that cool; a bad ass girly-girl who can shred it up on the slopes, rip it up on a surf board and look dang cute doing it.

Mariners Outreach Shower

My work family has truly become my family family. I remember first starting at Mariners almost two years ago and hearing people refer to our Outreach team as a "family." I believed that they were, it was evident by how they related to each other, but didn't quite know how or when I'd fit into the picture. Since then we've been through a lot together. Bad days at work, good days at work, engagements, weddings, separations, Outreach weekend stress, Outreach weekend triumphs, annoying volunteers, incredible volunteers, Friday fun lunches, camping in rainstorms in Haiti, pregnancies, the birth of their babies, and soon ours.

My sweet friends and sisters; Nicole, Shauna & Dre hosted a baby shower for me on April 22nd and it was absolutely gorgeous... It seriously caught my breath for a second when I walked in. It was black and white damask, of course, with cupcakes and a chocolate fountain!

Onesies made with love

Something's in the water at Mariners...

My office by the end of the day

Long Beach Shower

Stephanie, Anita, & Kristin hosted a Long Beach shower (and Jill & Becky chipped in like the amazing friends they are) on March 26th. Thank you ladies, what a fun and beautiful day that blessed all three of us were incredibly blessed by!

Stephanie, the hostess with the mostest

Best.cake.ever. Seriously.

 I was blown away by all the people who made quite the treks to be there. My mom was there only two days after her dad/my grandpa passed away and my mother-in-law flew in from Denver. It was so good having the "Glamas" there. I love that Mark and my families get along so well together and enjoy each other so much, even all the brothers.

The "Glamas"

Jill came in from San Luis Obispo at 8 months pregnant (our due dates are 2 days apart!), leaving her toddler son, Jude, at home with her husband. Kristin flew in from San Jose and made the most beautiful favors. They both stayed at our place and it was so nice to catch up just the three of us. It's something we try to do at least once a year. It's not enough, but I'm sure thankful for when we do get that time in and we've actually been pretty good about it over the years since college. Love you ladies!

Ava, this is your Aunt Kristin & Aunt Jill

My high school girlfriends came in all the way from San Francisco to San Diego. We've celebrated so many mile-stones in each others' lives over the years and have many more to celebrate; weddings (Dani in July & Chrissi in November), grad school graduations (Becky with her Master's in Social Work in May & Marissa in a few years in pharmacology), new jobs (Chrissi at Sephora and Becky at The Village); and now babies [I still find that crazy by the way]. I'm so proud of you girls and am thankful for the over 10 years and counting that we've had with each other. Here's to many more celebrations and being there for each other as we watch our lives unfold.

Danielle, Marissa, Kelly, Chrissi, Becky

Ava, don't be embarrassed of your mom & her friends... yet.

How many preggos can you fit on a love seat?

My girl Laura

Becky & Janelle

The girls and Baby Luke

Soul Renovation girls. Love them.

Ventura Baby Shower

My mom's sweet, fun and fabulous friends; Megan, Barbara & Sandy hosted a baby shower for me in Ventura on March 19th. It was so great to celebrate this baby with my friends and family in my hometown for the weekend. These ladies have been there to help me get down the aisle without any hitches and are now celebrating Ava as if she is their own granddaughter. I'm so thankful for them in my mom's life and now Mark, Ava's and mine.

"4" generations

My mom was there even though her dad was very sick back in W.V.

Grandma Ginger & I

Sandy, Susan & Karen

Sandy, Sam & Karen

Megan, the hostess with the mostess