Crazy Week

Dear Avery,
 
     It has been a crazy week.  This past Friday after I had left for work, your daddy woke up to a loud bang in the basement--the water heater had rusted out and exploded!  Within the hour, the furnace started making crazy noises and it broke too.  We were able to get some people out to fix both of those that day (thanks to your Yay-yay hanging out at our house to let them in) so we thought we were in the clear.  Your dad took a shower as soon as he got home from work since he wasn't able to get one that morning. For some reason or another, he walked back down into the basement in the nick of time to realize that the floor was flooded again!  We called the water heater people back and they said they could send someone out first thing the next morning.

    Saturday was your dad's 29th  birthday.  The water heater guy showed up to check things out around 9:00 and he discovered that this round of flooding was caused because of unrelated plumbing problems that had nothing to do with the new water heater.  Daddy and Brandon tried to unclog the drain to no avail.  We couldn't get anyone to come out and fix it until Monday, so we spent the weekend at Yay-yay and G-daddy's house. 

     After mass on Sunday morning, we went to check out Calvary cemetery. It is where we will lay you to rest if God does not bless us with a miracle.  It was a hard trip, but I am glad that we took it.  There is a special section for the "Holy Innocents."  It is beautiful and heart wrenching all at the same time.  There is a gorgeous memorial  statue of God holding a baby in the palm of his hand.  There are tiny little graves as far as the eye can see.  Some date back long before I was ever born and some are covered in fresh clay.  I would love to know all of their stories.  It really brought into perspective how many others have walked in our shoes.  My favorite thing about this cemetery is that they hold a prayer service for all of the lost babies on the last Wednesday of every month.  I really like the thought of having other people pray for you and remember you even when we are not able to be there.

     We woke up Monday morning to Tucker throwing up.  When I turned on the the lights to clean it up, your Dad noticed his face.  Tucker's cheeks were super puffy and swollen and he looked miserable.  I rushed him up to the emergency vet as your dad drove off to the airport to catch his flight to NYC for the week.  I begged him not to leave, but work was making him go and there was nothing that he could do about it.

     The doctor at the emergency vet said that Tucker was having an allergic reaction to something.  He gave him some medicine and fluids for dehydration and sent us back home after the swelling went down.  While I went back to work, Yay-yay stayed at our house to let the plumber in and keep and eye on Tuck.  Luckily, he was able to fix everything and our house was finally back in working order.  Tucker was really sleepy for the rest of the day, but seemed to be getting better.

     Tuesday Tucker seemed alright, but Wednesday he started to seem a little sickly again.  He wouldn't touch his food all day and acted really lethargic.  This morning I woke up to Tucker throwing up and shaking.  I took him to his normal vet so that they could run some tests.  It turns out that Tucker is allergic to his vaccines.  He got really sick this time last year too, but we never thought to make the connection.  I think that we finally have it under control and he is starting to feel better.  Next year we will space out his vaccines and take precautions so that he doesn't get sick from them.

     Tomorrow is when your daddy will come home from New York.  We are going to enjoy a nice quiet dinner and relax from all of the craziness of this past week.  I won't rest easy until he gets back, but I am starting to feel relief now that his arrival is less than 24 hours away.  I have panicked about going into preterm labor while he was away.  The possibility that he could not be here for your birth scares me more than anything in the world.  I am thinking positive though, and I am not going to let myself dwell on that thought.

      The highlight of my week is that I get to feel you move inside of me.  I love to lay on the couch and watch my belly change shape--it is very surreal!  Up until this point, I have just seen little "pops" when you kick, but now my belly moves altogether.  It was completely lopsided a few minutes ago from your bottom sticking out on my right side.  It is an awesome sight to see!
         
                                                                           I love you sweet girl,
                                                                                     Mom
                            

 28 week belly (looks more like a 32/33 week belly from all the extra amniotic fluid)

                                                        
                                                Your sick puppy Tucker snuggling with you

                                                      
                                         Your sick puppy feeling a little better and giving me kisses