October 2, 2009

Averi Jaye was born on Friday, October 2, 2009 at 8:11 am. She weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces and measured 20 inches long (although Zak took a picture of them measuring her in the operating room and she is easily half an inch or more longer). Everyone keeps telling me how beautiful she is and how much she looks like me. She really looks just like she did in the ultrasound pictures but now we can see that she has bright blue eyes and silky, light brown hair. Her facial features are so well defined from her ears to her forehead to her chin. She is so perfect and sweet that I just can't stop looking at her and wanting to hold her!

Within 24 hours Averi dropped down to 6 pounds, 15 ounces then she lost another 2 ounces the next day. By the time we left the hospital three days later she was down to 6 pounds, 11 ounces. We have since taken her to the doctor and she is back up to 6 pounds, 15 ounces. She is nursing well but I am having to work with her on opening her mouth wider. Hopefully when she gets a little bigger it will be easier for both of us. She eats every two to three hours and last night she went for a near four hour stretch!

Averi has been sleeping so much as newborn babies usually do. The hardest part of the day has been between 10-12 pm because this is when she is wide awake and all I can do is think about going to bed. Averi is such a content and relaxed baby. Just last night we let Arielle hold her while we read bedtime stories and Averi fell asleep in her big sister's arms almost instantly. That was so sweet! Arielle is really enjoying being a big sister but I can tell she feels a little sad. I think it is mostly because she is going to school while mommy and daddy stay home with Averi. We felt it was important to keep her in her normal routine as much as possible although it is hard not to feel guilty about not having her home with us.

I am enjoying every minute of this new life that we created and looking forward to every minute left to come.

~Momma to Bug~