Availeth Joy: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

November 21, 2011
If you haven't read Avey's birth story you can read it here.
Today we had a little girl. When we arrived at the hospital we were immediately hooked up to fetal monitoring and shortly thereafter were told that Avey was having some pretty massive heart decells. The hospital staff wasted no time. We were in and out of the OR within the hour. A few weeks before I went into labor I noticed decreased fetal movement but I thought that it was because sister was growing and because she was bigger she wasn't able to move around as much. I googled it and other mothers noted that they had decreased fetal movements in the last few months of pregnancy so I didn't think much of it.


I had a friend who went to the ER multiple times during her pregnancy for decreased fetal movement and it never amounted to anything. It was my greatest concern that I would be a bother. I didn't want to be that girl but looking back I wish I had been.





When Avey was born she was swimming in a big pile of meconium (a baby's first bowel movement) they theorized that she'd been in it for quite some time. Her umbilical cord was  stained dark green. The doctor said that she was stressed because my placenta was not functioning like it should have. It had weird purple, rubbery, lesions on it. The doctor said that it looked like swirls or waves. After 20 years in the medical field she had never seen anything like it.


During Avey's birth I remember her commenting "The placenta looks old." After having the placenta sent to the pathologist's lab they still were unable to determine what happened exactly. One thing is for sure-- sister was not getting the nutrition she needed. Which was why she was so small. 5 lbs 1 oz and term.


"They took Avey to the nicu because her blood sugar and temperature is low. I only got to see her for ten minutes today."


November 22, 2011
Brady and I received a phone call from the nicu this morning saying that I could try to give Avey a bottle for her 9am feeding if we made it down to the nicu in time. My nurse almost didn't let me go. They had just removed my epidural and my legs were still a little numb. It was hard to stand up and make it to the wheel chair but I was determined. I hadn't seen Avey in 18 hours.





We only stayed in the nicu for a short amount of time because my nurse told me not to overdue it. They told me I could come back for every feeding if I'd like to. 3,6,9,12. Avey's blood sugar and temperature are still low. They gave her an IV to boost her sugars. I just hope we can take her home when we leave Thursday. I might beg them to let me stay till Friday if they don't let her come home Thursday.


Avey had her first bath today. She is so beautiful and her little cry is so funny!


"I have the most incredible husband in the world. Can not believe how well he takes care of me. Avey Williams is blessed to have such a loving Daddy."




November 23, 2011
8:42am-- Things are looking good! They told us we may have be able to have in her in our room as early as tonight! "Thank you everyone for your kind and encouraging words. I am feeling much better and I'm getting around really well. Still very sore but the incision is healing well. Avey is a champ. Her blood sugar has been perfect for the last 24 hours and she is maintaining her body temp all by herself. We are so in love."






5:12pm-- Received some pretty devastating news. Aveys platelet count is very low. They never mentioned it. I guess they've been keeping an eye on it all this time. I was shocked when pediatrics told us that they were going to have to give her a transfusion. This isn't fair. They said that sometimes when two people who have different platelet types have a baby the baby inherits the dominant platelets, which sometimes belong to the Father. If the baby's platelets are different than the mothers than after 
birth the body attacks the foreign  platelets.


If this is what had happened it could take up to two weeks for her body to get rid of my platelets. I feel like this is all my fault.  




"Keep praying. Baby girl is having a platelet transfusion. She'll probably be in the NICU for awhile."




November 24, 2011
Happy first Thanksgiving baby girl!






"Meet Availeth Joy Williams. This is right after her feeding tube came out so she still has tape on her chin. The nurse was rushing to get the tube back in so the video is a little shaky. Baby girl is so brave. She is doing so well in the NICU."













I was overjoyed when they took the tubes out of her nose and put her under a humidity hood. No more stuffy nose for baby Avey!


Still no improvement in her platelet levels. Doctors still don't know what is causing this. 







November 25, 2011
Four days old and she is so alert! They were able to remove her feeding tube today she is eating all by herself now. All we are waiting on now is her platelet count which still remains very low. The doctors are a little baffled.









November 26, 2011
The doctors no longer believe that Avey and I have different platelet types. If we did the IV IG would have fixed the problem. They don't know what is causing this. 


I was discharged today. We stayed at the hospital in the nicu all day. I refused to go home. Around 8pm we went to Target to pick up a couple things. I broke down in the parking lot. I sat in the passenger side of Brady's truck and cried because things are so different then I thought they'd be. I am not supposed to leave the hospital without my full term baby. 


I wasn't suposed to have a c-section. 


I wasn't suposed to have to ask for permission to hold my baby and change her diaper. People were supposed to ask me. I'm jealous of the nurses that get to love on her all day. I'm jealous that they get to spend all night with her while I am sent home. This is not how things are supposed to be. 


10:26am-- "Availeth is off her humidity hood, feeding tube, and everything that was wrong is perfect now except for her platelet levels, that even though she had a transfusion and IV IG, continue to drop. Please keep praying. Brady and I left the hospital at 10 last night. Pumping and feedings are keeping us busy. I am at peace and on a mission. Baby girls gonna get better."






November 27, 2011
5:14pm--"Ok. So. Here's the deal. After another transfusion yesterday Avey's platelets are at 121. Great! Now. They are going to test her again tomorrow. If the count goes up... she comes home! :) If the count stays the same... she stays till she normalizes. :/ If the count goes down... they transfer her to Medical City. :( Prayers are being answered. She is doing so much better. believe with us and for us that our little girl is healed and coming home tomorrow!"

November 28, 2011
7:39am--"Happy One Week Birthday Baby Girl!!! We will be celebrating one week of life at Baylor Frisco. Her levels stayed the same. I am a happy momma."

November 29, 2011

7:15am--"Prayers have been answered! Avey is coming home today! On her due date!"

Avey's favorite nurse!

Her going home outfit was 2385713745 times too big!

Such a proud papa!

Putting the car seat class we took to good use!

The most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

Hmmm... I wonder where I'm going?

We were so excited to get her home! I video taped the walk from the nicu to the car. 

I'm home!

Avey Joy

I love it when Avey wakes up from a nap and starts talking crazy to herself, rolling in the covers and sticking her little toes in her little mouth. She starts whispering because she sees me watching her and she rolls away to avoid breaking into a smile because girlfriend loves it when she gets someones attention with her jibberish.



Then all the sudden she realizes no one is holding her or sitting next to her and she decides that that is not okay. So she starts with the growling and the whining and the general misconduct of a... 5 month old (seriously?!) until I come and sit next to her.

Then she smiles and quickly realizes that that is not enough. Sister wants a cuddle and a nurse and who am I to deny her?




Sometimes when I'm in the middle of something and need one more minute I throw a pillow on her, she thinks it's funny and it occupies her for a good 3 minutes. Which usually gives me enough time to fly through whatever I was doing and rush to her side once more because she still wants that cuddle and a pillow is not her momma.



She likes to stick her little hands up and touch my mouth and I know exactly what she wants. I love to bite on her little hands. I curl my lips in over my teeth and make a deep "mmmmamamama" sound. Super attractive. Brady digs it. I've done it-- well-- since she was born and now she reaches her little hands up to my mouth and smiles like crazy when I bite on them. When I stop she does it again and I know we get each other.



She likes to sit in her bumbo chair and scream while griping the white pummel in the middle. She looks like an old, crazy, shirtless woman driving a car. She's awesome and she makes me laugh all the time. Like her daddy. I knew those two would be just alike!





Basically I have the coolest 5 month old (seriously?!) in the world and I have never been happier.

Strawberry Protein Pancake Roll-Ups with Yogurt Filling

I have never been a big sweets eater but on rare occasion I wake up in the morning and I just need a fix. A couple Sundays ago I awoke with such a craving and I hurriedly rushed to my Pinterest "Skinny" food board in desperate need of finding something healthy and sweet.

Katie Farrell at Dashing Dish didn't disappoint.

I now present you with Strawberry Protein Pancake Roll-Ups with Yogurt Filling!




Ingredients
1/4 cup low fat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 scoop (or 1/8 cup) plain or vanilla protein powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 egg whites
1/2 cup oats (regular old fashioned oats, or gluten free if sensitive)
1/4 cup strawberries, chopped (about 2 large strawberries)
1/8 cup water
3-5 packets of stevia (or sweetener to taste, I like mine pretty sweet since they are a sweet crepe!)

Yogurt Filling:
1/2 cup low fat Greek yogurt (or you could use low fat cottage cheese, purred in a blender until smooth)
2 tbs strawberry jam, (or you could dice or crush some strawberries really fine and mix into the yogurt)

Directions

1. Put all of the ingredients for the pancakes in a blender and blend until smooth! 
2. Meanwhile, heat a nonstick griddle (or large nonstick skillet) coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Spoon 1/2 of the batter (if making 2 large pancakes) OR 1/4 of the batter (if making 4 smaller pancakes) onto pre-heated griddle. Turn pancakes over when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Remove from griddle when both sides are cooked, and place pancakes on a serving plate. 
3. To make the filling, simply mix Greek yogurt (or cottage cheese puree) with jam (or diced/crushed strawberries) and sweetener in a small bowl. Divide filling between pancakes, and roll pancakes up around filling. Place roll-ups on plate seam-side down so they stay rolled, or secure with a toothpick! Serve with strawberries, low sugar jam, or low sugar maple syrup if desired!

Servings: 2 large pancakes with 1/4 cup filling OR 4 pancakes with 2 tbs filling

Calories: 131 each (for 2 large pancakes, 167 calories each with 1/4 cup filling) or 65 calories each (for 4 pancakes, 83 calories each with 2 tbs filling)

Breakdown: 28 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 15 g protein for 2 large pancakes (without filling)

Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 4pp for 2 pancakes without filling, 5pp for two large pancakes with filling

Bridesmaid Dress

Yesterday my sister and I went to try on our Bridesmaids dresses. We were greeted by a consultant at the door. She welcomed us into the dress shop and after getting names and wedding details out of the way she asked us what size we typically wear. Mentioning that she would bring us bigger sizes than we were used to because their dresses run small.

"I just had a baby (my disclaimer for being so overweight even though I'm pre-pragnancy weight now) so I don't know. My engagement dress was a 14 but I tried on wedding dresses here and I couldn't even zip a 16 past my chest."

She brought me a size 20 and a size 22 first. I prayed that the 20 would fit. But it didn't.



It slide down my body and piled on the floor.

YES! Take that size 20! 


I've never been a size 20. I was glad that I'm still not a 20.




She brought me an 18 and it was baggy everywhere but I didn't get the satisfaction of seeing it slide off my body to the floor.

I put on the 16 and it fit just right which means I'm back to me pre-prego size 14 (their dresses run a size small...remember?).



Better than I ever hoped for and I'm not done yet! Stepped on the scale to a resounding 208 this morning which means I've lost 12 lbs so far. I just want to get out of the 200's so bad!

8 lbs to go! That is going to be such a joyous day! I am so motivated today. You could put In-N-Out in front of me and I wouldn't touch it.



Well-- maybe...

Pretzel Crusted Honey Mustard Chicken Strips

There are certain things that I miss when I'm dieting. Burgers, fries, chicken strips... I was a fast food junkie for years! When I stumbled upon this recipe I knew it was a match made in heaven!

Pretzel Crusted Honey Mustard Chicken Strips!

Thank you Jesus!

Quick and easy to prepare. The whole meal was done within 25 minutes. This one is going in my recipe binder!

Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breasts, thawed and cut into strips

3 tbs honey

2 tbs mustard

1 cup pretzels, finely crushed

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Mix together honey and mustard in one small bowl. Mix together crushed pretzels and seasonings and place in another small bowl. 
3. One at a time smother chicken in the honey mustard mixture, then toss chicken in the pretzel mixture making sure it's even coated. 
4.  Place chicken on baking sheet and back for 10 minutes, flip and then bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
5. Serve with honey or mustard or a mixture of the two. 

Serving: 4 (about 3-4 chicken strips each serving)

Calories: 225 per serving

Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 7 per serving

source

Why Are You Dating?

The birthday festivities continued into the weekend. We danced, we dined-- it was marvelous. Afterward Brady and I headed to my parents for yet another game night. I stayed downstairs with the high schoolers reveling in their teenage drama and the fact that they'll look back one day and have a face palm moment. 

Was I really ever so naive to believe that I knew everything?

I know that when I was 16 I whole heartedly believed that I was ready for adult responsibility. That I could get married, settle down, start a family-- and I could have. But I'm glad I didn't. I was still figuring out who I was at 16 I don't know how I intended to contribute anything meaningful (other than feelings) to a relationship.

My parents got married when they were young and unestablished. For so long I believed that was how you were supposed to do it. By the time I was 18 I felt like an old maid--it depressed me because I felt like I was supposed to have my life all pieced together by then... much like my parents. What I failed to take into account was my parents relationship in their first 6 years of marriage. It was terribly hard. Divorce was contemplated. Two kids that hadn't even figured themselves out entered into an adult union.

Growing up was forced instead of gradual. 

God inevitably intervened and my parents are still together but if he hadn't. Things were headed downhill fast. There is no telling where we'd all be today. There probably wouldn't be seven of us. I know I wouldn't have the same view of marriage that I do today.

My point-- there is so much pressure, when you're a girl in high school, to date, to be in a relationship, to find your "soul mate". My perspective--the perspective of a former teenager-- I don't think it's smart to date in high school-- if you're looking for a spouse. I think it is best to wait until your hormones have calmed down and your brain is running the show instead of your heart (Jeremiah 17:9).

Sure. There are people who meet in high school, get married, and spend the rest of their lives together. I'm not saying it doesn't work. I just think it makes it harder in the beginning. It absolutely makes it harder to stay pure. If you meet the love of your life when you're a freshman you better be walking pretty close to Jesus because the next four years are going to be rough and at 14 you don't really have the option to marry instead of burn with passion (1 Corinthians 7:9). At 14 there is pretty much only burning.

When I was 16 I had a boyfriend who I wanted to marry. It would have been awful if we did. We were two completely different people-- though we sure did love each other a lot. Love is not enough to make it work. If there are no common goals or interests-- if Christ is not the center of your relationship and life. It doesn't work. Don't even let your heart go there (Proverbs 4:23).

"In whatever man does without God, he must fail miserably or succeed even more miserably." *George McDonald

There was a four year period of time where I struggled to move on. The heart is really a deceitful, wicked, thing (Jeremiah 17:9). I almost missed out on the best thing that has ever happened to me because of it. I was still talking to my ex when I met Brady. I very quickly realized that if I wanted to be in a healthy relationship with anyone I had to permanently sever ties.

It wasn't easy and that is why I love speaking to the younger generation about these things. Because I've been there. Because my parents have been there. Because history loves to repeat itself. Because no matter how much that 14 year old boy tells you he loves you--you are still not ready to marry him and he is still not ready to marry you. And if neither one of you are in a position to get married-- why are you dating?

Strawberry Flavored Cigar and a Corona

monday.
We started off the week with a visit from a good friend. This friend and I have been through the ups and downs of life taking us in separate directions. Our relationship suffered, then got better, and now we are apart of a beautiful support system for each other. Sister's got my back.



I live vicariously through her adventures. I do not have time to go to Africa, or India, or Russia but Zuzu does and her stories enrich my life and the lives of those around her. Avey is in love.

grandma.
The boys go in these game spurts. This week has been a juicy spurt. I have spent more time at my parents house this week than I've spent at my own.

Proof.

Sister figured out how to suck her thumb. It is the cutes thing I've ever seen!

Cutest butt you ever saw!

adulthood.
My baby sister turned 18 yesterday. I remember how disappointed I was every time my mother told me I was having a brother. I remember crying real tears when she told me she was pregnant with Tristan and that it would be their last baby. The Lord knew that two girls were more than enough for our family though. We're a lot like my parents. I am very much like my father and Bethany is just like our mom. My sister and I have not always had the best relationship but with each passing year we grow just a tad bit closer.

We had a girls day to celebrate. We did things that most 18 year old girls enjoy. We started the day with a shopping trip.





Bethany hammed it up while my mom and I oohed and awed over her tiny body and superb sense of fashion.





Little one was the perfect baby while we gabbed about boys and picked out swimsuits. She just smiled and laughed like she knew just what we were talking about. One day...





Bethany loves The Cheesecake Factory so we dined in luxury. I don't know how but my bill was only 7 bucks. That never happens! Bethany talked about buying cigarettes but I suggested she buy flavored cigars-- if anything. The girls I used to work with smoked them frequently and I remembered how they'd always come in off their smoke breaks smelling like grape jolly ranchers. She was stuck on the idea and I'll admit I was a little excited. I had never smoked anything before.



Obviously I know smoking a flavored cigar and drinking a 7oz beer with our feet in my parents swimming pool isn't the epitome of cool but I sure did feel it. I laugh at myself sometimes. Because I am silly and honest and a good girl to my core.



Avey conked out on the car ride. Her age was showing.
 

She didn't get to snooze for long because we decided to make a pit stop at Adriatica--one of my favorite places-- Brady proposed there.

 

At the base of that tower... but that's another story.
 











Fussy britches decided it was time to head back to my parents place. My mom is such a killjoy sometimes. KIDDING! Avey was tired, hungry, and ready for a decent nurse. She had been such a good baby all day. Who was I to say no?

After nursing Avey to happiness my sister and I ventured into the backyard. Me with my baby beer and her with the cigars.





When it was time to go inside we felt giddy, silly and drunk off the night. It was one of the longest times I had been away from Avey and I realized that it's time. I'm ready to venture out without her now. I am ready to go on a date with my husband and let my parents have her to themselves for a couple hours.

I'm not just ready. I need it. At first I felt bad but now I just feel sane. It's funny how much insight a strawberry flavored cigar and a corona will give you.
 

The birthday festivities continue tonight with my sisters "twin"-- as she calls him. My cousin Gabriel was born the day after Bethany. In the same hospital. They are both graduating soon. It's exciting! There has been so much to celebrate this week. I don't want it to ever end.