Avery's Tonsillectomy

I've known for the past few months that Avery needed her tonsils removed.  She's always snored but recently it had gotten so bad that she struggled to breathe at night.  Any time she was relaxed her breathing became so labored that Matt and I decided she needed to see an ENT doctor to have her tonsils looked at.  Before her appointment, I already knew what he would say... something had to be done to help my baby breathe better. 

Sure enough, he took one look in her mouth and the doctor told me she had some of the largest tonsils he'd seen in a long time.  That they rate tonsil size on a 1-4 rating and hers were a 4+.  There was no discussion or recommendation... it was "how soon can we schedule this".

I had numerous people ask me if I was nervous or worried about the procedure but her breathing had become so labored I was actually more nervous about putting her to bed each night before the surgery.  We could hear her struggling to breath from across the house and at night when I'd check on her before bed she was wet with sweat from working so hard to breath.  It broke my heart and honestly I woke up each morning thankful that she was okay.  I couldn't have been more ready for her surgery.

Her appointment was scheduled for 7:00 am on a Monday so we woke up very early to be there by 6:00.  Poor baby was so confused about why we were waking her up when it was still dark.

She did great in the waiting room and was good about letting the nurses take her vitals.

The procedure took less than 15 minutes and as soon as she woke up from the anesthesia we went back to see her.  The nurses had warned us that most children wake up very angry from anesthesia but she was just sleepy and confused.  She perked up when we offered her a 'hopsicle'!

The first two days after her surgery she was fine.  She only took one dose of pain medication and it was all I could do to explain to her that she couldn't eat crackers and goldfish.  She had a great appetite and was in a good mood.

Then the third day hit and it was all down hill.  She was in a lot of pain and was clearly not herself.  We spent a lot of time watching cartoons, eating popsicles, and reading books. She even got to take a bath in my tub with her new color tablets (no she's not bathing in bloody water!).

Nothing seemed to help so I started giving her more pain medication (hydrocodone).  She still wasn't herself and was very lethargic but at least the pain let up.

Saturday evening she was a royal mess.  She was so tired and grouchy and still in pain.  She was falling asleep at the dinner table so Matt told her to go rest on the couch.  10 minutes later we found her sound asleep.  She has NEVER fallen asleep anywhere but her bed or car seat since she was a baby so this was a big deal.  I knew she was exhausted but still didn't expect for her to pass out at 6:00 on the couch. 

 

Poor baby, I have hated seeing her like this.  She's been so brave but it's been a tough week and I can't wait to put it behind us.  She is doing much better now and I'm amazed at the changes we are already seeing.  Her voice sounds much different now, but the biggest change is how quiet she is while sleeping.  A week later it still amazes me.  I walk in to her room and she is peacefully asleep.  No snoring, no gasping for air.  I even took a nap with her last week and was able to fall asleep beside her! 

So thankful for this procedure and the peace of mind that she is sleeping and breathing better but I'm ready to have my baby girl back! She's doing better today but still a little run down.  She hasn't slept through the night since the surgery and that is certainly taking its effect on her (and us). 

Avery's Sweet Shoppe

The theme for Avery's third birthday party was a no-brainer, really.  She loves sweets and has a huge sweet tooth so we decided to do a Sweet Shoppe party! When I asked her what she wanted for her party she said balloons, pink cupcakes, lots of friends and friends' mommy's. 

Everything was very simple and low-key, I love ordering printable party packs from Etsy, makes decorating so easy!

We had her party at a local church and Avery loved it! She had so much fun playing!

Little brother is always up to something :) 

Singing happy birthday :) 

Enjoying cupcakes!

Most of the kiddos

Present time! 

Asher Bug

I just can't handle this much cuteness...

Please excuse the food on his face.  If I'd know he was going to pose like this I would have wiped him off first.  Oh well, he's a mess 99% of the time anyway, if he was all clean and tidy it wouldn't be right. 

I will be so sad when he gets more teeth.  This is such a classic Asher smile right now!

Avery's Third Birthday

We celebrated all weekend!! Saturday was beautiful and we had so much fun just playing out back.  I love these pictures because they truly capture Avery's personality right now.

On the morning of her birthday we went to the park and had a picnic

One of Avery's favorite things to do is ride her tricycle but she's getting a little big for it so we thought a real bike would be perfect for her this year.

Opening presents from Grandma and Grandpa and Ruffy and Brian

She loves her new bike!

I'm three!!!

Happy birthday, Avery Lynn! I hope your day was as special as you are :)

Avery is Three!!

My sweet Avery Lynn,

Baby girl, you are THREE!!!

How did this happen??? You have the sweetest heart and are so kind and caring.  You amaze me every day with you thoughtfulness.  I am so proud to be your mommy.

Here is my random list of things about you that I never want to forget

You are always talking!! You still have a hard time with certain sounds (K, G) but your vocabulary is amazing! You speak in full sentences and are always coming up with new words that I didn't even know you understood.  Some of my favorites right now:

That was delicious
That makes me nervous
Holy moly!

I'm also a little sad that you no longer say some of your little made up words like "puppy tart" (shopping cart),  hapbap (backpack), hopsicle (popsicle),

You go to bed around 8:00 and bedtime is quite the production.  You drag everything out as long as possible and then call for me once or twice because you "need to tell me something". It's usually almost 8:30 before I finally close your door.

You wake up around 7:30 and seem to be dropping your afternoon nap.  You lay in bed for about 45 minutes (or until Asher wakes you up with his screaming) and then come out to tell me that Asher woke you up.  After that I never know what to expect.  You always go back in your room but in the past two weeks I've caught you brushing your teeth, putting Pull Ups on ALL of your babies and animals and strapping yourself into a chair.  You certainly keep me on my toes but I'm thankful you can entertain yourself for awhile :)

You are still a good eater (but a little more picky than you used to be).  You LOVE sweets, cheese, juice, "hopsicles", fruit snacks and gum.

You are fully potty trained but still wear a Pull Up when you're sleeping

You love playing outside, going for walks, playing with baby dolls, reading books and watching cartoons

You truly are the sweetest little girl.  When we run errands you often bring toys for Asher in case he's sad.  You are so good at saying "please" and "thank you" and usually offer to help clean up.

One thing that makes me laugh: you always repeat some of our house rules.  "we don't say no to  mommy and daddy". We always talk about finishing all our food to make your tummy happy.  At dinner you tell me, "mommy! I'm eating all my food!! It goes down to my tummy and my tummy is so happy!!"

You are the most wonderful daughter I could have ever hoped for.  I love you more than you'll ever know!!

Here are some comparison pictures from your last birthday...