Jason's Birthday

Jason took the day off on his birthday and we went to the beach, he watched the Yankees, ate his favorite bbq for dinner and enjoyed ice cream cake from Cold Stone! Here is a picture of Avery and her daddy on his birthday. This outfit was too cute from Rob and Journie.

Summer Days

We cannot believe 8 weeks has passed since Avery was born! She grows so much each week! She smiles, laughs, ahhhs and goos and LOVES her gym mini! And, in the last couple days she has really enjoyed sucking her fingers, especially her thumb, I think she is going to be a thumb sucker just like her mommy was as a baby. The days and weeks are going by too quickly, so I make sure to enjoy this bonding time before I go back to work. Since we haven't written in awhile, I am posting a bunch of fun pictures of her on her gym, with her Grandma Carolyn, with mommy and daddy under the lemon tree in our yard, a picture with Shafer, a beautiful outfit from her Aunty Morty and her first trip to the beach! She was asleep the whole time at the beach, I think the sound of the waves made her sleep really well. The waves were so big that day, about 10 feet!

Avery's Second Week

Learning the joys and challenges of parenthood with Avery, including:

• the already many expressions and noises she makes
• holding and rocking her
• getting her to bed and waking her up to watch all her streches
  
• kissing her long feet
• feeding, feeding and more feeding!
• learning to live on less sleep
• doing laundry everyday, sometimes twice a day!
• cleaning, cleaning, cleaning up!
• fitting her in the car seat to visit the doctor
• estimating the number of diapers and wipes to buy (diapers.com is incredible - free shipping, arrives next day)

Above are some pictures of Avery with her Grandpa, Great Uncle and Uncle when they visited.

Avery's First Week

We stayed at the hospital for 4 nights and five days, so by Friday we were ready to take Avery home.  The nurses at UCLA Santa Monica were wonderful, they helped so much with my recovery and learning how to breast feed.  I don't think I was fully prepared for what breast feeding entailed, but day by day we learned what worked and did not work.  Since I was recovering from the c-section, my mobility was limited, so Jason got alot of practice in the hospital changing diapers and using the "5 S's!"  Thank goodness my mom was with us to calm our new parent nerves and help with just about everything, including going back and forth from home to hospital to take care of Shafer while we were in hospital:)  Above are some pictures from the hospital and our first couple days at home.

Birth of Avery Marra Kawejsza

Avery was born on June 1, 2009 at 5:46pm weighing 8 pounds 8 ounces and measuring 21 inches long.  I delivered by c-section at UCLA Santa Monica Hospital.  Jason and I could not stop smiling the moment she came out of my tummy where she lived comfortably for 9 months.

39 Weeks! Waiting on her arrival!

Jason, my mom and I had a very nice Memorial Day weekend.  While we are anxiously awaiting to meet our baby girl, we kept busy with friends coming by; including Joe and Paula and their baby Meghan in town from VA, and Shafer's new friend, Mason.  We grilled lobsters, see how proud Jason is of his catch!  If I do not go into labor in the next couple days, we go back to the doctor on May 28 for our 40 week appointment and I will be hooked up to the fetal heart rate monitor to make sure it is okay to wait a couple days or so past my due date before inducing.  Hopefully she comes on her own in the next couple days!

Baby Shower Brunch

My friend Jina organized a fantastic baby shower brunch for me with my friends on April 26.  We went to Joes, a favorite spot for Jason and I.  The food was delicious, but the company was even better.  Thank you Jina!  Thank you Cynthia, Jess, Jocelyn, Amanda, Tricia, Dana, Josefina, and Kristen for coming!

Nursery

We have not found a rug or decorated the walls yet, but all the furniture and baby goods are ready! Our friends and family were so generous, our baby girl to be is very lucky.  Jason and I were also fortunate enough to get an invitation to a warehouse sale for Bugaboo, the wait in line was well worth the deal we got on our stroller (thank you Pato).

9 Months!

Not there yet, but just a couple weeks to go!  Baby K is measuring big, at my 36 week appointment last Friday, she was 7 1/2 lbs!  But, the sonograms can be off between 1/2 - 1 pound.  We will see what the doctor says at appointment this Friday, but I feel good, just very tired.  My last day at work before maternity leave is May 15.  My mom comes next weekend, so it will be great to spend some time with her and prepare for Baby K's arrival.  

Easter Weekend - Jenny and Matt's Visit to CA! (8 months)

We had a great time with Jenny and Matt.  Jenny is a Kawejsza too!  She and Jason are second cousins and it was so great to see her.   We went to one of our favorite restaurants in Venice, waited in a 40 minute line to get into Easter mass (but, it was so organized and beautiful outside that we did not mind) and made a nice brunch.  I am now 34 weeks and feeling pregnant!  Swollen hands and feet, pelvic pressure, braxton hicks and a waddle walk.  At the doctor's appointment yesterday, April 17, the sonogram said our baby girl is 6lb 2oz!  She keeps growing this way, we may have a 9lb bundle of joy:)