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Monday, July 30, 2012

TRIP TO THE ER: THINGS I NEVER WANT TO HAPPEN AGAIN


Maybe the next time I accidentally cut Avery's fingernails too short, I won't think it's so sad when she gets upset... Cause you know what beats that out on the sad scale?  Watching your precious baby get stuck not once, but three times in the ER for an IV.  Unbearable.

Aves got a high fever Friday night- 102.  By the time our pediatrician called us back, we had checked it again and it had gone down to 100.1.  He instructed us that if it reached back up over 100.4, we were immediately to take her to the ER to get checked out, since she is so young.  Saturday morning, she woke up fever free, and we thought she had just had a 12 hour virus.  Unfortunately, her fever spiked again Saturday night, but not high enough, so the nurse on call told us to watch her closely, and if it got higher to take her in.  Sunday morning, she woke up with a low grade fever, about 99.3.  Sunday night, Avery was being fussy, which she never really is, unless she is starving or tired, and she felt a little warm, but not the 102 warm, so I checked it again and it was 101.3... ER it was

We were immediately triaged and sent back to the room, and the resident came in to check her out.  He said that they would want to check to make sure she didn't have a UTI and do a CBC (blood work) to check all her labs (unfortunately I had expected all of this).  In case you didn't know, 12 week old babies have extremely tiny little veins.  When the nurse came in to stick her she said, "Mom you can go out in the hallway if you need to".  I told her that I was a nurse, and I could handle it... But on top of that I was thinking, I'm not going to leave my precious child in here alone while you poke and prod on her!  Are you crazy?!  After 20 minutes of them looking for a good vein, sticking her, trying to thread it in, readjusting the line, blowing the line, and my baby girl screaming bloody murder, I was about to pick her up and run out of that place.  They told us they would give her a little break and come back later to try again... Oh great.  As soon as they left the room, I snatched her up and started crying.  I will never in my life forget the way she looked at me while they were digging into her sweet little foot.  Only consolation is that there is no way she will remember it. 

An hour later, another nurse comes in, sticks a line in her hand, and barely gets enough blood out for the labs...  They come back in 20 minutes later and inform us that the CBC had clotted off before they had time to run it through the machine...  All I know, it's a good thing that my mom wasn't there, or those nurses would have heard an ear-full :) Matthew was about to lose it, and my heart dropped knowing that they were going to have to stick her once more.  This time they sent in a former NICU nurse, and it was a fairly swift process.  Of course after all this was said and done, all her labs came back completely normal... Praise God.  And after 7 hours, we were finally able to take her home.  Just a terrible virus. 

Avery Grace, Mommy and Daddy cannot handle you being sick.  We hope that we never have to visit an Emergency Room with you ever again.  You were an absolute champ.  Pretty sure in the end it was more traumatizing for us than you!  You were all smiles pretty much right after they were done.  Now I have a slight understanding of how my mom and dad must have felt when I was in the hospital VERY sick with bacteria in the blood as a baby....Helpless

We love you so much baby girl. 

While all this was happening, our good friend Katherine Garman was here, bless her heart.  I will post pics up of her visit soon!


Monday, July 23, 2012

A Little Comparison

I was finally able to come across a baby picture of me that was young enough to compare to Avery...at my Mimi's house nonetheless.  Pretty sure she took more pictures of me that my own parents :)  M's parents were much better at taking pictures, so I had quite a few to choose from.  So here goes... Who do you think she looks like?

Me- Not sure how old I am
Matthew
Avery- 2 days old

Either way, I think we can all agree, that she is beautiful!

Friday, July 20, 2012

Smith Family Vacation 2012

I had been looking forward to this trip for the better part of this last year.  Finally, after 5+ years, both Smith families were going to be present in full at our annual PCB vacation!  Because of Ashley's horrendous work schedule at her prior job, she had not been able to join us since she basically graduated from college.  Andrew and Kath hadn't been in the last couple of years either, and Matthew has actually never been for the entire week with my family ever.  This trip was LONG overdue.  Of course, we had new additions, Ben (Katherine's husband hadn't been since they were married), Keela (Andrew's fiance), Barrett (Ben and Kath's precious baby boy), and of course the most beautiful baby girl on the planet :) 

We spent the week relaxing, sleeping, reading, and of course eating :)  It was nice to have multiple people around to help out with Avery Grace, and let's be honest, it was a great excuse to put Avery in all her adorable outfits every night!  She is a true Southern belle after all, I'll lie on her birth certificate if I have to :)





Avery's first walk on the beach.. very early morning :)



Best friends for 30+ years

It's tiring being so beautiful

Love my sister







Just relaxing on my vaca!


Two sweet babies





Hello Christmas Card!







Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Nashville, Decatur and Birmingham

After Columbia we went up to Nashville to see our friends that we had not seen since March.  Friday night we went to dinner at the Coop with Matthew's friends, Blake and Julie and Emery, Steve, Adam and Katie Beth, and JD and Brandi.  I failed to take a picture of anyone the entire time we were there.. Whoops.  Saturday, M played golf all day with his buddies, and that night we went to eat at SATCO with Russ, Heather and Maddie.  On Sunday, we took Avery to church for the very first time...at Harpeth Hills!  Grandaddy was very excited about getting to introduce her to the congregation, and he brought her up front to pray over her (he does this with every baby, it was not just special for us!)  She did great through the service, slept most of the time, until she woke up screaming for food right at the end of dad's sermon!  Sunday night, I went to dinner with my best friends from high school/college (thanks Honey for watching Aves!).  We left Monday mid-morning, headed down to Columbia to eat lunch again with M's grandparents and then headed on to Decatur!
KG came by to meet Avery!
And brought her her first Pi Delta cow!
Soon to be BFFs!







Avery in her beautiful hand French sewn day gown that Honey bought her for her first Sunday at church!  Isn't my baby beautiful!

Grandaddy Chris praying over Avery and her proud parents at Harpeth Hills


My sweet friend Katie "Bug" was in town from Missouri and got to meet Avery
Her husband Landon and their cute son, Carson meeting Avery





100% chance Adam and KB's kids are bigger than our little girl

BFFs Auntie Heather and Cousin Maddie

So glad my college and high school friends all got together





After Nash, we headed to Decatur, AL for one night to stay with our good friends Charles and Cara at their new house.  We had actually never been to Decatur, so we spent the afternoon/evening driving around town.  They took us to dinner at a fabulous restaurant called Simp McGhee's.  The food was fabulous!  M and I had not had a meal like that since way before Nug was born!  We then retired for the evening, considering we had a little one.  Gone are the days of being out past 8!

We love our sweet friends!

G-chat buddies Matthew and Charles


We left Decatur mid-morning Tuesday and arrived in Birmingham.  M and I were absolutely giddy to be back in our former home town.  As we were driving through the streets, we both mentioned how it felt like we had never left.  We stopped by M's old lab to see everyone for a bit, and then headed to J and K's house.  Bless their souls, they were letting us stay with them for 3 WHOLE nights with an  infant :)   We had a blast for the couple of days we were in town.  We got to do lunch with Geoff, K and I got some much needed girl time (plus Sam!), got to do dinner with our good friends Drew and Katie, and Holly Beth and Blake, spent time playing with our precious nephew, hung out with J and K like old times, had a delicious dinner of Indian food at Amit and Shilpa's, and of course ate at our favorite Bham hot spots (Milo's, Chez Fon Fon, Davenports, Acapulco's).  Friday night we headed to Chez Shed (or the Manor as I call it), Ed and Shawns house to stay the night. Geoff and Mollie came over for dinner as well; it definitely felt like old times :)  Shawn made his famous dinner of slow roasted prime rib (best prime rib you will ever put in your mouth) and we sat back and relaxed while watching the view of Bham.  Bittersweet for sure.  We wish we could spend more Friday nights like that!

We left Saturday for the beach.  M and I were both extremely sad to drive away.  So many great friends and family.  We are incredibly blessed!

Drew and Katie's  precious daughter McNeill, we were there the day you were born and now we can't believe how big you are!

I miss my friends so much!

These three definitely did not get to hang out long enough

Sam the Man giving "Baby A-Wee" kisses (or as he does them, head touches)


Matt-No "pwaying" with Sammy

An early B-day gift, it might look like a Caterpillar, but Sam will be the first to tell you it is a "twactor"

"The Ed" doing the honors in carving Shawn's ridiculously good prime rib

Master Chef and Yogi

"The Birmingham Three" - Miss this guy

Mentor and pupil..can you guess which is which?



Hanging with Shawn in the early morning light

Avery thought Ed's mustache was hilarious