Happy 3 Year Anniversary My Love!

I can't believe it has been 3 years! And now we have a little one on the way = ) Now if only we were off to Aruba for a second honeymoon...

I'm getting excited for all of our anniversary dates! (Yes, I worked this one so that I get several dates out of 11/11)! Happy Anniversary Travis!

Marking it on the pregnancy calendar...

33 weeks is when it officially starts to get uncomfortable for this kid! And I still have 7 to go...eeek! Its the little things...all of a sudden I have to sit down and get up from sitting a bit more carefully. I now have to roll out of bed instead of sitting up. When did my Honda Accord get so low to the ground? I still have moments of mobility and normal activity...but if I'm tired (which is much too often) the belly more than makes her presence known. And Avery is not appreciating the cramped space anymore...her kicks are stronger and more frequent than ever. My favorite past time is now belly watching - when you just lay in bed and watch your belly take on crazy new shapes! Last night Avery was not ready for bed so Travis and I got in some fantastic belly watching = ) She is already showing signs of being a little daddy's girl...she squirms like crazy when she hears Travis talk to her!

Baby Belly - 33 Weeks

Avery is now the size of a Honeydew! Things are heating up inside as well: Baby may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and her brain is developing like crazy! Pretty soon she'll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, her bones are hardening, and she has started to keep her eyes open when she's awake.

Skin to Skin - Kangaroo

I'm so excited about my new baby care knowledge which was displayed last night on Grey's Anatomy! Our hospital is all about skin to skin contact during baby's first hour after birth = ) I learned a little about this during Breastfeeding class and the first portion of Baby Care Basics went into great detail on this topic. Basically they recommend keeping baby on the mother's chest (skin to skin) to help calm baby after delivery, maintain the infant's temperature, and ease into the introduction of breastfeeding. There are tons of medical benefits for baby they went into but I'll spare you that part = ) So it was hilarious that Travis and I learned all about this on Monday and then Thursday we watched Alex Karev on Grey's use this 'Kangaroo' technique to help save the life of a premature baby! Who knew we could just skip class and watch prime time television...

Speaking of class...Travis and I have our first class on Childbirth tomorrow! Once you've seen a video of a crowning baby you can never go back ; )

Avery - 1 Remi - 0

And the battle is on! Remi has officially been kicked in the face by Avery. I did have to restart the score as previously when Avery was too small to compete, Remi took advantage by stepping on her and all around disregarding the belly. Now that the little lady can hold her own its pretty hilarious! Last night was an insanely active Avery night and at one point Remi rested his head on my belly. Then W H A M I feel the kick and see Remi's head get bounced right off my belly. Ok, it wasn't that obvious...and I'm pretty sure he had no idea what just happened...but it was funny to watch the chain reaction from that one powerful kick!

All For Avery

Two more items we can check off the list! The H1N1 flu shot became available yesterday at my Women's Hospital so this pregnant lady made sure to schedule an appt to be one of the first to receive! Now we just have to find out how we can get Travis shot up before little Avery arrives = )

And, Travis and I met with our first Pediatrician yesterday and really liked him! Our neighbors who have a 3 1/2 yr old son recommended After Hours Pediatrics so we started there. We have another Pedi interview on Saturday at a private practice which is closest to our house. If we like that office as much as we liked AH Pedi then we will have a real decision to make = ) Avery is one lucky kid...she even has the best pediatrician in San Angelo on speed dial (no doubt willing to make TX to NM house calls if necessary)!

Baby Care Basics

Travis and I attended our first class together last night = ) We covered everything we should do during Avery's first hour after birth (extreme Family Bonding time), tips to survive all of the changes coming our way, diapers, swaddling...everything! I do have to admit the class went a bit late for this pregnant girl, but we definitely came home with some great notes. I loved learning all of the tips for Dad - like special ways only a Dad can bond with his baby. Adorable!!

I think we are now ready to take on Childbirth class starting this weekend! Not sure how Travis is going to handle those videos, haha!

Baby Belly - 32 Weeks

Ready or not, baby's getting ready to emerge! She's probably in the head-down position by now, with her bottom facing up. This is the comfiest way for her body to fit in my increasingly cramped womb and will make her eventual exit (only a couple months away now!) much easier.

She had an incredibly active weekend with a record number of kicks to the right rib cage = ) We had a great check-up on Saturday morning and Avery's little heartbeat just keeps getting easier and easier to track. Breastfeeding class was fantastic and gave me an opportunity to meet one of the lactation specialists that will be working with me in December! There's also something very comforting about being in a class full of first time pregnant women = ) The mad rush to the door every time we are given a bathroom break is pretty hilarious!

Tonight Travis and I attend Baby Care Basics! I can't wait to learn more = ) Plus, I can't wait to watch Travis practice swaddling a baby! I doubt he'll approve of any picture taking but I'll bring my camera just in case...

Maternity Photos #3

One more picture from our time with Laura = ) For more info on Laura Meeks Photography you can find her at http://laurameeksphotography.blogspot.com/

Another exciting weekend here in ABQ! Travis and I have a Dr. Appt tomorrow to check up on little Avery and then I have my first class at the hospital! I can't wait to learn all about breastfeeding = ) I will definitely be the student that shows up with a pen and notepad... I believe Travis is opting out of this class...but don't worry, he's joining me for all others!

Maternity Photos #2

I can't believe we took this picture less than 2 weeks ago and now it is snowing in our backyard!

Maternity Photos

Our maternity photos are in!! I'll be sharing a few on the blog and had to start with my favorite! We met with Laura Meeks of Laura Meeks Photography on Sunday, Oct 18th for a photo shoot at our house. Laura is amazing and really captured some great maternity shots! She will also be doing Avery's newborn photos and I just can't wait!

More Pictures from the weekend!

http://picasaweb.google.com/awinneker/AverySBabyShower?feat=email#

These are from the fabulous Miss Aly!

Shower Pictures

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0CZN2rRs2bMWN4&emid=sharview&linkid=link5&cid=EMsharview

Pictures from the Albuquerque shower compliments of Auntie Shae Shae = ) Enjoy! Avery is one lucky (and spoiled) little girl!

(Please note, you should be able to view the pictures without having to create a shutterfly account).

Albuquerque Couple's Baby Shower

A special thank you to the amazing couples that threw our Couple's Shower this past weekend! Emily & Jerheme, Shae & Michael, and Bri & Johnson definitely know how to throw a party! From a wall capturing pictures of my expanding belly, a massive 258 diaper cake, delicious food from El Pinto, cupcakes from ABC bakery, and sangria and champagne for all (shirley temples and FRE champagne for the three pregnant ladies), we had an amazing evening! I will compile pictures from the event and post them later this week = )

Also a huge thank you to everyone who was able to come celebrate with us! Special thanks to all of the amazing friends and family that came from out of town - Alyson & Tristan, Shae & Michael, Bri, Brindley, Denning, Emily, and Melissa = )

Saturday, October 24th

The A-V-E-R-Y PROJECT

With amazing teamwork...we finally got Avery's name on the wall! Melissa and Denning tied the bows, Aly and Tristan put them on the wall...and I did a phenomenal job of supervising = )