Grandma and Grandpa's House

burn baby burn!

My Grandparents have this 8923859 year old toaster that burns toast if you don't watch it and eject it manually. Today marks week two of our stay with them and until this morning I had not burned a single piece. We're talking smoking, crispy, solid black toast. 

Blessed to have a Grandpa who wants to eat it anyway. 

bookworm.

Grandma and Grandpa's favorite computer game is called bookworm. My Grandpa's laptop is kept open on the counter at all times and throughout the day-- as we all walk by we love to pause life and find words in the jumbled mess of tiles. 

garden.

Life is simpler at Grandma and Grandpa's. Though busier than ever life is slower paced and I find lots of meaning in doing simple tasks like laundry. I cannot wait to begin piecing our new house together but moving out of my Grandparents is going to be bittersweet. Brady and I are truly enjoying ever moment of our time with them.

They have the most beautiful garden. They make due with the space the have and they've created something wonderful. They grow flowers in their front yard and tomatoes in the back. 

My Grandma was excited to show us how wild berries began growing in their yard. Deliciously tangy, I love picking the ripe ones in the morning. It fills a desire in my heart that I discovered recently. I really have an interest in things that grow. I am glad that the Lords timing is a little inconvenient sometimes. If closing on the duplex had been easier we wouldn't be sharing this time with them now. Today I am grateful for unanswered prayers. 

Faithful stewards of the things that they have been given-- my grandparents spend a lot of time working in their yard. It inspires me to get off my butt and do something. They keep themselves busy with meaningful tasks and take pride in their accomplishments-- it inspires me to take more pride in my own. 

day to day. 

We seem to have been doing  a lot of running back and forth lately. I enjoy the late night and early morning rides on the windy country roads. Driving through the country is a spiritual experience. There is great opportunity to sing, reflect, and worship the creator of the divine eye candy that surrounds me daily (Brady Williams... I kid. I kid.). 

  

Avey has adjusted to our new helter skelter life well enough. She likes to play with her toys, watch her Einsteins, take lots of mini naps, and be held. 

sneak peak of our new home :D

Brady and I like to sit around and talk about how awesome she is. 

sew.

Yesterday my Grandma taught me how to patch jeans and today I am learning how to hem. Maybe they'll adopt us and we'll stay with them forever. 

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.

Sassy Little Lion Cub

Warning: This is a total "mom blog." It will interest no one but Brady and I of this I am fully aware. Just let me have this moment... it's a really sweet moment. 


Avey and I have settled into somewhat of a routine. We get up, we nurse, we take a shower, we blow dry our hair, we nurse, we get dressed, we nurse (girlfriend likes to use me as a pacifier) etc.

This morning while I was getting her ready for our shower she decided to put on a show. She is a very animated baby you see. She has all these faces and we have names for most of them. I made a mad naked dash for the camera and started snapping and boy did baby girl deliver!

She was confused at first to see her out of breath momma run into the bathroom shouting "just hold that pose Avey! Just hold it right there!"

I practically had to beg her to humor me.

Sister was confused by all the begging. She thought that she was going to get to nurse again. I had to remind her of our routine.

Little model shy and concerned so mysterious already.

 Girlfriends got mad eyebrow skills. She barely has them yet and she's still workin' it out.

Betcha didn't know sister could whistle.

She reminds me of a little lion cub when she yawns. I don't know why. I don't think I've ever seen a lion cub yawn. Maybe in Lion King but I don't think that counts.

I love her so much it's hard to breathe sometimes.

 Post bath. :) I tired her out good. Perfect little sleeping angel. Clean baby and Johnsons... I don't think there is any better smell in the world.

And with this my lion cub and I bid thee adieu.