The Avery Family Blog

5 Day Checkup

We took Andrew for his 5 day checkup this morning, and everything looks good. He is already back to his original birth weight and the mild jaundice that developed over the weekend is beginning to improve. This is a big relief since we spent much of the weekend at the clinic or at the lab getting Andrew's bilirubin levels checked. Our next visit is scheduled in one week.

Introducing ... Andrew Sounaphonh Avery!

Manivanh and I are proud to present, Andrew Sounaphonh Avery, the latest addition to our small but very happy family. Andrew was born on January 2nd, 2008 at 8:29 PM. He weighed a whopping 9 lbs and 6 oz and is 20 1/2 inches long. Mother and baby are both doing well and are back at home. To see photos our new son, click here.

Patiently Waiting, Waiting Patiently

Manivanh's due date is just two days away, and we are starting to get anxious for the arrival of our baby. I know Manivanh is thinking a lot about the labor and delivery. Even with the best healthcare, giving birth is a long, painful, and tiring experience with no certain outcome. We had an induction scheduled for yesterday, which would have helped with some of the logistics of getting to the hospital and taking care of Nicole, but we decided to let things take their natural course. So, now, it's up to our baby to pick his birth day. Hopefully he will arrive soon.

Week 38

Manivanh had her 38 week check-up today at Dr. Haines' office. Our nurse, Kathy, said , "Everything looks good." So far, Manivanh has done great during the pregnancy. Hopefully, the delivery will go well, too. It won't be long until our beautiful baby boy arrives!

Oh, Boy, We're Having a Boy!

Manivanh had her 20 week ultrasound yesterday and guess what!? We're having a boy! The arrow on the sonogram picture points to the definitive proof. We couldn't be happier although this means we won't be able to use Nicole's old baby clothes.

Week 13: Transnuchal Ultrasound

Last week, Manivanh went to the clinic for a transnuchal ultrasound. This test is used to confirm the gestational age of the fetus and to take various anatomical measurements as part of a general screening exam for Down Syndrome and other serious medical conditions.  So far, everything looks normal, and we are still on for a December 26th delivery date. The baby was very active and did lots of stretching and rolling around. Nicole came along, too, which was nice for us -- oh, Nicole, do you see your little brother/sister? -- but extremely boring for her -- can we go to the park already?; squirm, squirm, squirm.

We were surprised to discover that babies at this age, including ours, look a lot like space aliens floating in their mother's womb. Actually, it's just this perspective that makes babies look like extraterrestrial beings -- and just leave it to Dad to turn this into a Kodak moment! And, in case you're wondering -- and I know you are, its still too early to know the baby's sex. We'll find that out at our next ultrasound, which is scheduled for Week 20.