Two A-maizing Kids! - Stories Page 8

Last Updated:
Nov 20, 2009

Two A-maizing Kids!

Avery Candace Maize

Stories

07/15/07 - This weekend was an eventful one for Miss Avery. She had her first taste of solid food - rice cereal! She made a horrible face at first - it must have been the texture - but seemed to enjoy it afterwards. She also took her first dip in the pool. She has an adorable bikini that daddy bought her, but we wanted to make sure she didn't get a sunburn, that's why she's in a onesie. She loves the water and splashes all around. It must really wear her out because she takes some long naps after we get out of the pool!

07/13/07 - Happy 4 month birthday to our sweet baby girl!!

Avery had her 4 month check-up today. She weighs 14# 8 oz., she's 26" long and her head circumfrence is 16 3/4". She's pretty much in the 75th - 90th percentile for her stats. She's growing like a weed!

GOOD NEWS!!!! We can go back to the old formula! This special formula she's been on has been costing us $26.00 every 5 days! The other bit of good news is that we can start her on rice cereal twice a day. Hopefully this will help keep her formula down since it's heavier and will keep her tummy full . . . . . and just maybe she'll start sleeping through the night on a regular basis! We will have to watch for those signs of an allergy like she had before, but the doctor said infants usually grow out of the milk allergy by the time they're 4-5 months.

Avery had to get 4 shots and 1 oral vaccination today. We gave her Tylenol before we left and it seemed to help her mellow out a bit. She hasn't been as upset after her appointment as she was the last time. Daddy got to come with us today so he was able to experience the pain mommy feels when Avery has to get shots. : ( Avery wore a yellow Tweety Bird outfit to the doctor today and the nurse found two Tweety bandages to put on her thighs after the shot - they're so cute!

Amaizing Days Child Care L.L.C. officially opens it's doors on Monday! We're having all of the daycare kids and their families over tomorrow night for a BBQ. I am SO lucky to have such nice families and children enrolled. I am really excited to start this new adventure.

07/09/07 - Well, I believe we're at the teething stage! Avery has been fussy, drooling, has "the runs", and has her first bout of diaper rash! Those all sound like symptoms of a teething baby, right? We can't feel any sharp edges in her mouth yet.

Here are some of Avery's favorite things to do: take baths, eat, growl to herself, suck on her fingers, watch baseball on tv, play with her feet, squeal and giggle out loud at her daddy's silly behavior.

Some of her least favorite things? Sleeping and tummy time!

We're still working on rolling over. She gets to her side, but just can't get past her shoulder.

07/06/07 -

I just thought I'd update you on my surgery today.

I got there at 5:45 am, and they got started prepping me right away. I went into the operating room at 8:00 a.m., but got a call that my Dr. was running late. Come to find out - the lady who called me yesterday and asked me to switch to Scottsdale Osborn hospital neglected to tell Dr. Riggio, so he went to the Arizona Heart Hospital looking for me!

As soon as he got there (about 8:30) they strapped down my arms and legs to the table and gave me a bunch of drugs through the IV and got started. The procedure lasted about 2 hours and the only bad thing about it was the "sleeping medication" didn't work for me. I woke up about every 15-20 minutes during it. I didn't feel pain - just uncomfortable things and woke up crying at one point when my heart was just pounding away. They kept giving me more of that medication, but I just kept waking right back up and was conscious enough to carry on a conversation about what was happening. The doctor told Steve that it was a pretty simple procedure - he got my heart in the tachycardia mode quickly and was able to locate the problem area and ablate it right away. He said that I had AVNRT, which means the pathway causing the racing heart episodes goes into my AV node. He's confident the ablation worked and that I shouldn't have any more trouble.

I only needed two catheters in my groin area - it's a little tender, but after taking 2 Tylenol I actually feel GREAT! I do have limitations - no lifting anything over 5 lbs. and taking it easy for 4 days. Since I've been home, my heart has been fluttering and skipping beats a little, but I guess that's somewhat normal right after surgery and will subside.

Anyway - that's it in a nutshell. I was really scared going in this morning - especially after they told me all of the possibilities of things that could go wrong and I signed the waiver. I am so thankful it was a rather easy procedure and so far, am glad I did it.

07/05/07: A year ago today I started this website after I did a pregnancy test and found out I was pregnant! : )

06/20/07 - I just wanted to let you all know that I am scheduled to have the Cardiac Ablation done (surgical procedure on my heart) on Friday, July 6th at 6:00 a.m. at the Arizona Heart Hospital. They said I'd be in there about 8 hours and will need a week of no lifting, pulling or tugging anything over 10 pounds - that includes Avery! Steve has the following week off so he can be here to help me.

I have decided to go through with this procedure because even though I've eliminated all caffiene and alcohol from my diet and have been on medication I am still having episodes. It is now affecting the quality of my life. It's amazing how pregnancy can change your body!

The Electrophysiologist said I have the "typical" form of SVT, which is good, and this procedure has a 98% success rate that I'll never have to deal with it again. Yay!

06/18/07 - AVERY SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!

Finally!!!! A full night's rest - and yes even for mom!! I only woke up once at around 3:30 to make sure she was still breathing, but fell right back to sleep.

We had my parents, Steve's parents, his sister and her kids here yesterday for Father's Day dinner. Avery just wasn't herself at all yesterday - she was clingy to Steve and I and wasn't cooing and smiling like she usually does. She got REALLY fussy during dinner time and into the night. After everyone left, we fed her at about 9:00 p.m., put her in bed at 9:30 and she didn't wake up until 5:15 a.m. She fell back to sleep after I fed her and is STILL sleeping (7:15 am!).

06/15/07 - It's 2:30 a.m. and I am up for a feeding. : (

06/14/07 - WE'RE ALMOST THERE!!!!! To sleeping through the night, that is. Avery went 7 hours last night - from 8:45 pm to 3:45 am!! Not bad . . . .

06-13-07: Avery is 3 months old today! She is such a happy and GOOD baby. She has been on Zantac for a month now and it sure has helped her to feel better.

Avery woke up this morning and just laid in her bed and talked to herself for a 1/2 hour! She is really talking up a storm now. She LOVES when daddy or I sing to her and she coos right along with us. Her favorite books are Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and her favorite toy is a plastic butterfly that lights up and giggles when you move it's wings.

She seems to be getting closer to sleeping through the night. Every night when I go to sleep I think "Could this be the night?" Then she ends up waking me at 2 AM for a feeding. : (

Avery seems to have gone through a growth spurt. All of a sudden her 0-3 mo. clothes stopped fitting and she outgrew size 1 diapers overnight! She wants to eat 4 oz. every 2-2 1/2 hours now.

I am getting ready for my daycare to start on July 16th. I am so excited to do this - its something I've always wanted to do. I have 1 full time opening and 1 part time opening left, but have people interested in both of those spots, so I just might be full! I was worried that I wouldn't have the spots filled in time, but have gotten a ton of phone calls in the past 2 weeks! I've turned down quite a few people who have (or will have) newborns because I want to keep the ages between 1-4 so I can do preschool type activities with the kids. I am so lucky to be able to stay home with Avery and still bring in an income. : ) Avery will be a lucky girl to grow up with so many friends too!

06-08-07: Avery had her 1st playdate today! We went over to our friends Shane & Michelle's house so we could meet their baby. Raigan was born 1 month after Avery. The girls were so cute together. Raigan was so nice to share her activity mat - they both had fun watching all the animals wiggle above them. I am looking so forward to having many more playdates with our friends. Avery already has 4 little buddies all within 6 months of her age!

05/15/07 - Avery went in for her 2 month check-up today. She weighs 11 pounds, 8 ounces and is 22 3/4 inches long. She is in the 60th percentile for her height and weight. She's in the 90th percentile for the size of her head!

The doctor said her complexion and skin tone looks beautiful. Her skin has really cleared up since we put her on the Hypoallergenic formula. Unfortunately, she has still been very gassy and fussy and is having trouble with acid reflux. The pediatrician put her on Zantac to help with the reflux. Let's hope it works!

Avery has been smiling and cooing so much lately - especially when Steve or I talk to her and smile at her. She loves to have us sing songs to her and is really into watching her Baby Einstein DVD's. She also loves looking at herself in the mirror!

Avery has been refusing her pacifier lately and tries to suck her thumb or fingers instead. Unfortunately, she hasn't figured out that she needs to release her Kung Fu grip in order to get her fingers into her mouth!

Her next pediatrician appointment is when she's 4 months old. She'll be getting more shots then. :-(

04/28/07 - It is so hard to believe Avery will be 7 weeks old on Tuesday. The time has gone by so fast and she has grown and changed so much!

A couple of weeks ago, Avery started smiling when I would talk to or smile at her. It's so much fun seeing her smile and actually recognize who I am. Now I feel more like a mommy and not just a bottle preparer and diaper changer. : )

Avery absolutely LOVES her Baby Einstein videos (thanks Jeff & Hilary)!!! She will sit there as long as we keep hitting "play", and her little arms and legs just go wild when she watches them. It's so fun to sit back and see her gaze at and follow the colors, shapes and animals on the screen.

04/15/07 - Today we had Avery baptized at the church where Steve and I were married. She wore a baptismal gown that has been in the family for at least 91 years! She was a very good girl. She didn't even cry when the Deacon poured the water over her head. Actually - it looked like she really enjoyed it! It was a beautiful and very special day to share with our family and friends. I posted a couple of pictures for you to see.

04/13/07 - Today Avery is 1 month old! I can't believe how fast the time has gone, and how much she has changed already. She continues to amaze me.

I took Avery to the Pediatrician today because she's been having quite a few symptoms that were starting to concern me. She's been very congested, fussy, gassy, sneezing, spitting up a lot and had what looked like a red, pimply rash around her mouth. The Pediatrician believes she may have an allergy to cow's milk, so she put her on a Hypo-Allergenic formula to see if her symptoms disappear. She would like her to stay on the formula at least until her 2 month old appointment so we can see how she's doing. I was allergic to milk as a child and used to get many of the same symptoms. The doctor said if there is a family history of a milk allergy, she could very well have it too. Avery is 23 inches long and weighs 10 pounds!

03/30/07 - I don't really have any new news to update, but I just thought I'd let you know how things are going.

Avery is a pretty content and happy baby. She mostly does what newborns do best - sleep, eat, and go through a lot of diapers. She is having a little difficulty in the #2 department, but I guess that's common for newborns trying to adjust to life outside the womb as well as getting used to formula.

She sleeps for about 3-4 hours at a time day and night. It's hard getting used not having uninterrupted sleep at night, but thankfully Grandma and Grandpa have come over on the weekends to allow Steve and I some good, solid naptime!

Avery has been getting very spoiled by our family and friends. She's had many visitors hold her and love her, and has gotten so many thoughtful gifts. We received her Social Security card yesterday, so we're now going to go open up her very own savings account.

Avery is napping, so I'm going to go make use of this time - I'm going to nap too!!

03/19/07 - Avery went to see the Pediatrician today. He was very impressed that she is up to 7 lbs. 15 ounces and is only 6 days old. He said most babies drop below their birth weight a few days after birth. I told him she's been a really good eater and we've had to increase the amount of formula she is getting to 3 ounces every 3-4 hours. He said she looks great and her coloring is beautiful. She doesn't need to be seen again until she's 2 months old and will get her vaccinations at the next appointment. She is having a little trouble in the "plumbing" department, so he suggested that we try some massage and little exercises to help ease her poopie problem. If that doesn't work, he said to give her a small amount of water each day - but no more than 2 oz. She was a really good girl at the doctor's office and got a lot of attention because of all of her blonde hair and her natural "highlights"!

03/17/07 - I guess it's time for an update! Avery Candace Maize arrived on Tuesday, March 13th at 4:56 am!

I arrived at the hospital at 7:30 am on Monday, March 12th, having contractions that were 5 mins. apart and didn't even realize it. That might explain why I couldn't sleep Sunday night. Avery was thrashing around in my belly so hard that it made me feel like I had motion sickness. They started me on Pitocin at 9:30 am, and my doctor came and broke my water at about 12:45 pm (I was dilated to 2 cm at this point). Things were progressing nicely . . . I was dilating about 1 cm per hour until I began to get really nauseous!!! They gave me something for pain around 1:00. Whatever it was made me feel like I was drunk! Then they gave me something for the nausea which made me sleep for about an hour. I ended up getting an epidural an hour or so later, which helped with some of the pain, but I could still feel terrible labor pains in my back. It wasn't until 12:00 midnight that I finally reached 10 cm. Unfortunatly, I kept getting sick and had to get more anti-nausea medication which made me sleep for an hour or so, and things slowed down a bit. Finally, at 2:00 am I began to push and Avery arrived at 4:56 am! It was a LONG day!!!! My parents and In-laws were at the hospital from about 10:00 am all through the night and were later joined by my sister and brother-in-law and sister-in-law. They were all quite relieved when Steve finally came out at 5:00 am to tell them Avery had decided to make her entrance into the world.

Childbirth was an amazing experience . . . but definitely not what I was expecting. I felt a LOT of pain even with having an epidural, and I was not prepared for how LONG it took! However, like all of my friends told me, I have forgotten how awful that part was and would do it again in a heartbeat . . . . . . . ok, maybe not quite that soon! = )

We arrived home on Thursday and have been enjoying every moment with our little girl. She is simply amazing . . . . we have been so blessed with such a wonderful and beautiful gift!

The consensus is that Avery looks just like her daddy. When my doctor saw her she instantly said "Well, there is no question who her daddy is!" She has Steve's cheeks, nose, lips, and ears. I think the only thing she got from me is her eyes . . . .oh yeah, and her sweet, mild temperment! = )

We are totally exhausted, but are loving and enjoying every minute of life. Thank you all so much for all of your emails, cards, kind words, gifts and most importantly - your prayers. We look forward to introducing Avery to all of you in the near future.

03/08/07 - My doctor's office called today and said that I am scheduled for an 8:00 a.m. induction on Monday the 12th!

03/07/07 - We may have a baby soon! I just got back from my doctor's appointment. I'm 80% effaced and dilated to a complete 1 cm. She said my cervix is "favorable", and has suggested that I could be induced on Monday. My doctor is on call on Mondays, so she would be the one to deliver Avery, which is ideal. I have to call her tomorrow and she will let me know for sure if Monday will work for the induction.

I was having contractions ALL day today! I am still working - I've got a 1/2 day tomorrow and a full day on Friday, then Spring Break starts. These will be my last two days of teaching . . . for this year, and for next school year. The reality of that hasn't quite hit me yet, which is good. I don't need to be an emotional rollercoaster quite yet!

If Avery is born on Monday, she will be born on my cousin Dillon's birthday. Something he's been hoping for since my due date was announced. = )

We'll keep you all posted with phone calls or emails. Keep checking the website. We'll post some pictures after she's born - we've got internet access in the hospital room.

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