Visitors from the east coast!

We were so blessed the other day to have some long-time friends come visit us, all the way from the east coast!! My college roommate and amazing friend, Jenn and her husband Mike made the trek out to Southern California for some surf and sun and in the meantime, got to meet our little bundle of joy. I can't tell you how fabulous it was to have them see Avery in person and visit with her, even though it was for only a few hours. It was perfect...and such a gift to be able to spend that time with Jenn and Mike, who we hadn't seen in years!

Livin' it up at home with our girl

Sorry for the delay in posting a new entry (and thanks to those who reminded me of the importance of keeping this blog up to date!) :) But, as you can imagine, we've been busy!
It has almost been a week since Avery made her trip home to be with mom and dad. Wow, how time flies! Things have been going very well! Avery has been eating (still) like a champ - every 3 hours, if not sooner. That is key for her continued growth. And she sleeps pretty well too - and while she snoozes, mom and dad also try to catch a few winks.
And of course, the other day we made that trip to the doctor...you know, that paranoid, "something-is-wrong-with-my-child" trip to the peditrician. It seemed as if Avery was having trouble breathing. Turns out - her nose was chock full of snot! Good girl...

Here are some pictures of our first week at home together





Happy St Patricks Day!!

Avery is home!!

We are so pleased and proud to announce that our little girl, Avery Jane, is now home from the hospital. After 26 days in the hospital NICU, she was discharged today and we were able to bring Avery home this afternoon. So far, things have been going very well. She had a great feeding and is now sleeping soundly for mom and dad. (I'm sure that will change). :)
We are doing well as we attempt to figure everything out. A BIG thank you to our nurses in the NICU at St Johns Hospital. They took such excellent care of Avery and fell in love with her. We are so grateful to each and every one of them.
We also wanted to send another HUGE thank you to all of you! Your prayers, emails, cards, gifts and phone calls have meant the world to us - more than you can imagine. God has blessed us with a beautiful baby girl and with support and love from so many family and friends. THANK YOU!

Getting ready to leave the NICU and head home


Two of the wonderful women who took care of Avery - they will miss her!



Avery's first taste of the California sunshine

Safe and secure in her carseat and ready to go home!


Her arrival at home

Happy girl after her feeding from dad, who is already a pro!

Some recent pics

Dreaming of going home...


Her bed in the NICU


The worlds smallest Cleveland Indians fan - She's ready for the season!

Thank heaven for little girls...

Complete sweetness...



Big Update! Our little Avery had a big week. First of all, as of last night, she has crossed the 4lb mark! We could not be more proud of her. She is officially 4lbs 0.6oz. :) She is moving right along in her weight gain, so, she should be able to come home in 1-2 weeks. Basically, in order to come home, she needs to weigh at least 4lbs 7oz; she needs to be able to maintain her body temperature on her own (which she is already doing); and she needs to be able to take every feeding on her own for 24-48 hours. So, we are working on that and we encourage her each day and tell her that she can come home with mommy and daddy as soon as she reaches those goals!

Another big moment for Avery this week...she graduated from her incubator to a bassinet! So, she is now out in the world and loving every minute of it. That also means we can hold her more often. Which is the best part of our day...

The nurses have been amazing and help, encourage, and love Avery every day. We are so blessed to be surrounded by so many nurses who simply adore our little girl!

Here are some pictures from this week...and our time spent with our little one.



She's already thinking it...Touchdown Cowboys!


Bathtime for Avery




Happy girl. Just had a bath, cuddling with mom and dad and ready to eat!

Playing dress-up

The nurses have allowed us to bring in some clothes for little Avery to wear, so, we got to play dress up this weekend! And a few nurses provided the accessories - as you look at the pictures, you'll notice her fancy booties and to top it all off, her princess crown! Already the princess...



She loves her soothie...




our tired little girl gives us a big yawn!

She's getting to be a big girl!

Avery gained a whopping 64 grams today - bringing her total weight to 3lbs. 12oz!! She continues to eat extremely well and is getting better and better at the bottle.

VERY Proud parents...