Welcome to the world Ava Catherine!! :)

                   As many of you already know Ava decided she couldn't wait until March and wanted to enter this world sooner. On the night of January 13th I woke in the middle of the night and my water had broken. Steve and I were advised to head over the hospital and prepare to have our baby girl. We frantically (I was frantic, Steve was very calm) packed a hospital bag at 4:30 in the morning and headed to the hospital. There were a million emotions running through my body...scared, nervous, shocked, excited, but mainly just shocked! To make a long story short they were able to hold off labor for 4 days to give Ava a little more time to grow and prepare her lungs for the outside world. On January 18th Ava Catherine was born at 8:02 am! I was scared that the moment she was born would not be what I had always imagined. They warned me that if she showed signs of distress she would be taken to the NICU right away, but luckily she came looking great for such a tiny baby.  Steve and I were able to hold her and spend a few minutes celebrating this magical moment. I was happy that we were given that time with her before they took her away. Birth truly is a magical experience and I feel so blessed that we were given the chance to experience it.

 One of the most amazing moments of my life! Holding my little girl for the first time.

 We were so happy to hear those cries and know those lungs were working well!!

First couple hours in the NICU. Daddy was with her as they admitted her to the NICU and hooked her up to an IV, monitors, and oxygen.   She needed some help breathing for a few hours, but after that was just fine breathing on her own.

Fall Fun! :)

A few more pictures from the last few months. (We need to be better about taking pictures) We are currently shopping around for a nice camera in hopes that it will force us to start taking more pictures!!

Halloween 2011. We went trick or treating with our neighbors this year. Lola (in the background) loved having Bruce to trick or treat with. He on the other hand did not enjoy it as much. The crowded streets made him a little nervous and we ended up having to carry him for most of the night. He does make a cute little bat boy. :) 

La Jolla with the Jaskots!! We had a wonderful day with Ella, Cooper, Erin, and Brian. The boys and kids down by the beach watching the sea lions. 

Lunch with the Jaskots. Such a fun day!! You probably recognize these next few photos from their blog....I had to borrow a few since we didn't take many pictures. Thanks Erin for taking such great pictures!! :)

Erin, Ella, Cooper and I watching the sea lions! :)

Baby Scifres update. :)

Baby Scifres is doing very well. She is finally moving (well she was always moving mom just couldn't feel it). She loves to move around the most in the morning and at night. She is pretty calm during the day, which is probably because I am on my feet most of the day chasing around 4th graders.  Feeling her kicks and rolls might be one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. Luckily, in the past few weeks she has become stronger which has allowed Steve to feel her kicks and even see some of them. This weekend marked the beginning of my 25th week. She weighs 1.5 pounds and is 13.5 inches long. She is growing like crazy and so is my belly. :)

4D ultrasound of baby Scifres at 20 weeks. 

Bruce loves to lay on my belly. He is already being a protective big brother. 

He was not happy with Steve for disturbing his slumber with a picture. 

21 weeks. 

24 weeks

24 weeks. Bare belly shot. You may notice the belly ring is gone. It was hard to part with it (I've had it since I was 15), but it needed to go. My 3 year old neighbor looked at my belly and said that my ring looked almost done, which in 3 year old language I think meant there was no more room for it.

25 weeks. I am just amazed at how much my belly has grown in one week that I had to get a picture of it. Since Steve is in Arizona for the weekend I had to manage these shots on my own. 

25 weeks and finally feeling more pregnant than just fat. Yesterday, the cashier at Trader Joes asked me if I was having a boy or girl. I was so happy a stranger could tell I was pregnant and didn't just think I had a few extra pounds on me! That cashier has no idea, but he made my day! :) 

Wedding Season!!

Today is a cold and rainy day in LA, which is very rare! I figured it was probably a good day to stay inside the warm and cozy house while I update our blog.....FINALLY! We have been very busy this fall celebrating many beautiful weddings in some very beautiful places.  Here are some pictures from the many weddings we have attended over the past few months.

Chuck and Kara's wedding in wine country near San Fransisco. This was an absolutely gorgeous wedding at a winery near Napa Valley. I will say it was the first time I really wanted a glass of wine, but I settled for cake (two pieces) instead! :) 

Jenna and Adam's wedding in Arizona. We had a wonderful weekend staying with our close friends Greg and Megan and witnessing the marriage of Jenna and Adam. Since Jenna and Adam have a similar story to ours they will always hold a special place in our hearts. Steve found some sunglasses from the photo booth and just couldn't part with them for this picture. :) 

Photo booth at Jenna and Adam's wedding.

 

Stephanie's bachelorette party in San Fransisco. I know this is not a wedding, but since I was not able to attend their wedding (It was the same day as another one we had in LA) I wanted to make sure to include this picture. I had a wonderful time celebrating Stephanie's last days as a single lady and could not be happier for her and Will. After all, I did set them up 6 years ago and now they are husband and wife. :) Maybe I should become a matchmaker if this teaching thing doesn't work out.

Adam and Page's wedding at the Bel Air country club near Malibu. Another gorgeous wedding and amazing couple. 

 Megan and I with the beautiful bride. 

Greg, Megan and I after enjoying some delicious cake and chocolate covered strawberries.

It's a girl!

It's official: 

Mary will no longer be out-numbered by Bruce and Steve.  Our baby girl will be entering the world in only five months!

Our most recent doctor's visit showed the baby is in great health and is jumping around non-stop in Mary's belly.  The baby looked to be very active and doing all sorts of kicks and jumps.  She even gave a little wave to her parents as we were watching her during the ultrasound! 

Five months into her pregnancy, Mary's baby bump has started to turn into the size of a small cantaloupe.  She's a few days shy of the half way point and continues to be doing extremely well even though she's beginning to notice yoga class isn't as easy as it used to be! 

19 weeks, 5 days 

Bump Pictures!! :)

We are eagerly awaiting our next visit to the doctor!! We will hopefully find out for sure if this baby room will be pink or blue. :)  In the meantime here are some bump pictures!

                                                                           12 weeks!!

                                                                          14 weeks!!

                                                                            18 weeks!!

18 weeks!! This was a big week for me...all of a sudden a bump has appeared, which has made it very hard to fit into my clothes. Very thankful that Erin loaned me her adorable maternity clothes, so I don't have to squeeze into my regular clothes anymore!! :)

Trimester #1...Complete!

Our baby has officially made it to four months!

The latest report from the doctor says that the little one is as healthy as can be.  Our baby was extremely active at our latest appointment, jumping up and down, tapping on his/her mom's tummy!  He/she even gave us a little wave as we were watching it through the ultrasound. 

Mary has been doing extremely well ever since she has escaped the constant sickness often associated with the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.  With the exception of a bad day here and there, she has rarely been feeling nausea symptoms of any kind.  She claims she wouldn't even know she was pregnant, except for that cute little baby bump that has started to show in her belly! 

The baby also had his/her first encounter with Grandma this past weekend.  Mary's mom spent the weekend in California and spent the majority of the weekend talking to Mary's belly!  The baby is looking forward to meeting grandpa this Christmas when Mary and Steve spend their first Christmas in New Jersey. 

Lastly, many of you have been inquiring about the sex of the baby.  Upon our last appointment, the doctor would not give us any definite answers.  But, the doctor did mention she was pretty sure (90%) that if we're thinking about colors to paint the baby's room, pink wouldn't be such a bad choice...

We will update again in a month or so after our next trip to the doctor! 

Love,

-Mary and Steve