How Big Is She?

2lbs 14 ounces sounds pretty small, but she is actually a nice size and healthy color. She was sticking her foot out at me (Adam) and you can see that from my knuckle to the end of my finger is about the same size as her foot.

Ava, Abbey, and Adam in the NICU

Welcome Ava!

Everyone, here is Miss Ava Elizabeth Cooler. Born at 4:45am on 12/30/08 at Kennestone Hospital (Marietta, GA). She's weighing in at 2 pounds 14 ounces and it feisty as she can be. This is her at 4:50am with a head full of brown/black hair. Mama and baby are doing great.

I'll be home for Christmas!

YEAH! We are home! Today I was able to go home but I am still on full bedrest. The only thing I can do is get up to shower, potty and eat a meal. Other then that, I have to be in the bed resting. So far so good. I am a little nervous, with out my nurse alert button right beside me, but I am trusing that all will continue to go well. Ava is still moving around alot, which is a good sign. Adam and I are very excited about being able to be at the house and stay in my own bed. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. We are still praying that Ava stays where she needs to stay for a few more weeks so she can get a little bigger and stronger.

Christmas Eve Day

I am growing! Here I am in my Christmas night gown

Here is a little silver bracelet that Grammy and Doc
gave Ava for Christmas

Here is Ava's first doll

Here are some little bloomers for Ava that have
her name embroidered on them.

Today, is Christmas eve day. I have officially been here in the hospital for a week. Dr. Nathan, the high risk pregnancy doctor, is about to come in and check me out. I have a feeling I will be here a few more days, if not a few more weeks. We opened presents from my mom and dad this morning and Ava received some cute surprises.

Mamabear came to the rescue

When I went into labor on Wednesday morning, mom came in town about 5 am. She had driven in the middle of the night to come and make sure Ava and I were doing well. Mom has taken care of me and made sure I had everything I needed and helped me get settled and become comfortable. I am so blessed to have the most amazing mom in the world!

Decorated for Christmas

On Sunday, Adam went to Wal Mart and bought a Christmas tree and decorations for my room. I told him that he is the best husband ever for decorating my room. I love Christmas so Adam even got a room air freshener that makes the room smell like a live Christmas tree. So my room feels more like home today and all of the nurses are complimenting my room. I have also received many beautiful flowers that have brightened up my room as well.

Update for the day

Well, I am still hanging out in room 340 in Kennestone, but I am unplugged from everything. As of right now I am not having anymore bleeding but I am still having contractions. I have had about 4 to 5 contractions per hour. The Perinatal Doctor came in and said that Ava was looking good, but that since I am still having contractions, I have to hang out for a few more days. The doctor is going to do another ultrasound on Wednesday to check Ava out again. So as far as going home, I am do not have a date yet. But, I would be okay just staying here just to be on the safe side.

Yesterday Adam decorated my room to look like Christmas so, I will post those pictures later on today or this evening.

Also, wanted to give a shout out to my friends, Matt, Corie, Santiago, Kristen, Matty and Becky who posted a hilarious spoof video for me on my facebook page. I will try to get it posted on the blog, so others can enjoy it.

Thank you to all of everyone's, thoughts and prayers! I can sure feel them and I think that is why I am handling this stay as well as I am. God is good and I know has a perfect plan for little Ava's life.

Abbey TV

Little Ava's Heartbeat

You have to turn up the sound a bit, but you can hear Ava's little heartbeat.

Abbey TV

Click to the side on the YOUTUBE spot and I have a message for everyone. I am still here at the hospital and Ava is still in my belly, growing one more day!

Love,
Abbey, Adam and Ava

We are still here at Kennestone

Well today is Saturday and I am still on pretty much complete bedrest here at Well start Kennestone Hospital, Room 340. The highlight of my day is getting up to take a shower and wash my hair. I actually got to shave today, which was a much needed event. As of right now, I am pretty stable. They have given me some medication to stop my contractions and I have only had about one contractions every hour, which is great. I am still bleeding a little, so there is no prospect of going home until that stops. The good news is that my doctors and nurses have all said that I am doing great. The Perinatal doctors say that Ava is looking great and doing really good. My blood pressure, sugar levels, etc have all been good. So over all I am being an A plus patient and so is Ava. If have had a ton of phone calls, flowers, and visitors that it has made the time pass pretty fast. As of right now, I am still here until I deliver but it really is a day to day diagnosis, so who knows what tomorrow may bring. Adam and I have a great peace and about this and know that this did not catch God by suprise. We are blessed to be at an amazing hospital that has the BEST NICU in Georgia, so if Ava decides to come early she will be in great hands. I will be 29 weeks on Monday and our first goal right now is to get to 30 weeks. So lets pray for that! Thank you so much for all of your prayers, I can definitely feel them.

I am on bedrest now!

Adam kissing me in my hospital bed



Here I am hooked up to my IVs



Adam and I snuggling in the hospital bed


Excitement at the Cooler home started Wednesday morning at about 1:00 AM in the morning. I woke up thinking I just need to go to the potty...well I got more then expected! So I screamed for Adam, Bella ran into the bedroom and jumped on the bed and helped me wake Adam up. We then threw on clothes and heading to Kennestone Hospital. We arrived at Kennestone and I wa90% effaces, dialated 1 1/2 centimeters and my contractions were 3 to 5 minutes apart. Since I am just 28 weeks and 3 days pregnant, they stopped my labor and gave me steriods to help Ava's lungs develope. They got the bleeding and contractions stop so as of now I am stable. I am currently just hanging out at Kennestone hospital in room 340. I have met with my OBGYN practice, the doctors in the NICU and Neofetal medicine people. SO I have about 3 departments that I am dealing with each day. All the doctors are saying that Ava is still looking great in my tummy, her heartbeat is strong and she has good movement. She is just really little and her lungs arent completely developed. But all the doctors said that is she is born anytime now, she will survive and not have any major complicatioons, which is a blessing. God is good to keep me safe and have me at such at amazing hospital.

We have also been blessed with amazing friends and families, visit, call, email and text. It has truely been a blessing. WE LOVE YOU ALL!!

Fun with Ava this morning!

I have a devotional book that gives you a devotion, tells what your body is doing and tells what your baby is doing each week of your pregnancy. This week's devotion for Week 28, was about how Ava now knows the difference between light and dark ( good spiritual concept there) and is about to be able to recognize my voice. Ava of course is brilliant and on track with her development, so this morning she showed me that she already knew my voice and showed out a little bit on the way to school this morning! As I was driving to school, she started pushing out on my right side with her little feet, I could actually feel the foot (very cool). So I said to her, "Are you trying to kick Mommy?" I guess she was because just as I finished the sentence, she kicked twice. I then said, "Ava, show mommy your trick again." She then kicked twice again. I know it is a little early to brag on my precious little girl...but she is brilliant already!

How I test my sugar

Due to the fact that I have gestational diabetes, I have to test my sugar levels four times a day. I check it right when I wake up in the morning, then after every meal. My levels have to be above 60 and below 140. So far just changing my diet to the one the nutritionist gave me, I have kept my levels with in those numbers. Except friday night when I went to Chick fe la and they gave me regular lemonade instead of diet lemonade which I had asked. Here are some pictures that show just how I test.

Here are all my tools to check my sugar:

meter, needle, notebook to record numbers

Here I am pricking my finger, pricking

on my pinky works the best

Here is my needle and my meter with

my sugar number after breakfast on Sunday

Funny story from the weekend! Bella likes to cuddle with me on the couch just as she is doing in the picture. On Saturday, she was laying on the couch with me with her head on my belly. All of a sudden Ava decided to kick or hit and started moving alot. Bella looked up as if to say, "What in the world was that". She laid back down and just as she got comfortable again, Ava again kicked or punched out. So needless to say, Bella just looked at me again and changed positions.

They say dogs have a great sense of smell. Well, Bella has known I was pregnant from the very beginning. All through my pregancy, she has been extra protective of me and most of the time will not let me be out of her sight.

27 Weeks and Gestational Diabetes!

Here are some updated pictures of what I look like at 27 weeks Pregnant! Adam and I decorated the house and Christmas tree Thanksgiving weekend. Then this past weekend, I finished up all of the Christmas shopping and wrapped all of the presesents. I was at the Town Center mall at 9:00 am and was finished wrapping everything by 4:00 pm! WHEW, I was warn out!

I am really feeling good but last week I took the 3-hour gestational diabetes test and failed it. Which means that I have gestational diabetes. On Wednesday, (12/10), I go to a class to meet with a nutrionist and to get my meter to check my blood sugar, 4 times a day. Then in a week, I go back to my OBGYN to review my sugar levels and see if just a change in diet will help the diabetes or if I need to go on insulin. I have already, cut out all desserts and are counting my carbs and sugars even before they give me a strict diet. Gestational diabetes is very common but it is still scary. The big fear is that Ava will get too large and I will have to have a
C-Section or she will come early. Another fear is that she could develope diabetes or become obese as a child. Even though it is no fun to not eat any desserts during the holidays, birth day, and showers, my main focus is my precious child and I will eat whatever I need to keep her safe and healthy!


Close up of my belly at 27 weeks



The full view with our Christmas tree


Bella was not happy being a reindeer!

Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving weekend went great. It started off on Thursday with Adam's mom and dad, Aunt Melissa, Uncle Bruce, Jonathan, Robert and Grandma all came to my house for Thanksgiving. We had a great time of fellowship and GREAT food. It was so nice for everyone to pitch in and bring stuff, so no one had to do alot. Thursday afternoon/evening we went over to my Aunt Kathi's house because my mom and dad were there. It was nice to see them, even if it was just for a short visit. On Friday Adam and I went over to Me-Me and Bob-Bob's house and helped them but up their Christmas decorations with Kathi and Rick and had some great BBQ. On Saturday went went over to our friends Andy and Kristen's house and watch the GA Tech vs GA game with friends Clint, Kristin, Baby Maddie, Kelly, Jason, Jenn, Kevin and Greg. It was a great day, especially for the fact that GA Tech won! Then on Sunday Adam and I went to the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta and were able to hear Mike Huckabee preach! It was great!



Also, on Tuesday before Thanksgiving I found out I have to go take the 3-hour gestational diabetes test because I failed the first test that was just an hour. I am praying that my sugar has gone done so that I did not have gestational diabetes. I am not excited about taking the test and having to sit in the waiting room for 3-4 hours. But I want to find out if anything is wrong so that I can take care of it and make sure that Ava has the most healthy start that she can.

Update on my friends Casey and Dan:
A few months ago I told you that my friends Casey and Dan's little boy, Asher went to be with Jesus just moments after he was born. Since then they have been trying to adopt domestically from the Raliegh/Durham area. They just recieved good news that they are now the parents of a beautiful little girl named Zoe. Then birth mom has signed over parental rights but still has 7 days to go back and get the baby. Please pray that all goes well and that Casey and Dan will be able to have Zoe in their home by the end of the week. Some times we don't always know Gods plan or will, but we can always trust that His plan is perfect and that all things work together for good for those who love the Lord. If you would like so read about Casey and Dan's journey, here is their blog site. http://www.caseychappell.typepad.com/baby/