Avery's First 24 Hours

Just a few Hours Old!

“A newborn is the start of all things-hope, and a dream of possibilities...”

Author Unknown

24 Hours Old

Today we spent our day in the neonatal intensive care unit. Avery had a holter monitor placed. And she was wonderful at breastfeeding which made MOMMY very HAPPY!


We are very anxious to learn more about Avery's heart rhythm. The good news is that so far it does not seem to have any affect on her.

Our New Family of 4

Our growing FAMILY!

“One generation plants the trees; Another gets the shade.”  

Chinese proverb

Nolan was absolutely adorable after Avery was born! He was congratulating everyone on her birth. I don't think he totally understood, but he heard people saying it, so he started saying, "congratulations!"

My little boy is just CUTE!

Avery's Birth Story

I had been having irregular contractions for weeks, and was ready and excited to meet my little girl.  I kept praying that something would trigger labor, as I really did not want a repeat cesarean section which was scheduled for December 3rd, at 39 weeks of pregnancy.  I started contracting more regularly on Nov. 30th in the later evening at 38 weeks, 5 days and, by Dec. 1st at 6am I was having contractions at regular intervals about 3 minutes apart.

We checked into the hospital and learned that I was in labor, but only the early stages.  At that point I was able to choose whether I wanted to attempt to have a vaginal delivery or proceed with a cesarean section.  I really did not want a repeat cesarean section, so we decided to try for a vaginal birth.  The only difficulty was that I could not have any induction agents because of having a previous cesarean section.

So we waited for my labor to become stronger, but it really didn't and after several hours, I had not dilated any further.  I walked the halls of the labor unit for 1 hour, in hopes to get things going, but to no avail.  The doctor decided to break my water in hopes of getting things going, and we waited some more.  Still not any further along, and 8 hours since we arrived to the hospital, the doctor decided it was best for myself and our baby to have a repeat c-section.  I was slightly disappointed, especially since I was contracting at 38 weeks and 5 days.  But I at least had tried to deliver vaginally, and sometimes I realize in life, "things are just out of our hands."

And once I saw my precious girl, it really didn't matter how she arrived!

“Each day comes bearing its own gifts.  Untie the ribbons.”  

Author: Ruth Ann Schabacker

Happy Birthday Avery!

Introducing:  AVERY NICOLE MAYCUNICH

Born at 5:14 PM on Dec. 1st, 2010

7 lbs, 1 oz., and 20 inches long

Fun facts:  December 1st was the first snow in Chicago in 2010

Somebody LOVES Lightning McQueen

Disney and Pixar certainly does something special with all of their movies!  Nolan adores Lightning McQueen and the Disney "CARS" movie, and all of the characters.  His favorites are of course Lightning and Mater!  I think that they might be in a tie with his Thomas the Train buddies.

I found these super cute slippers the other day at the store, and he has been wearing them NON-STOP since he got them!  He LOVES them so much, he even wants to wear them outside.

Potty Training Update

Nolan has shown us that he CAN go Potty on the POTTY!  I think that Todd and I are as excited as Nolan is about his progress. It has been a slow road, but we are making strides.  He is no longer afraid to sit and go on the Potty, yeah Nolan!  He has learned when he has to go, and he will run and go sit on his potty and go.

Nolan is adorable about it,  he comes out and says, "I so proud of you!"  How funny!--he hears us say that so than he repeats it.  He even says, Mommy, I so proud of you--when he goes to the potty.  It just makes me laugh.  And he loves to call the "g-parents," and tell them his accomplishments.

Now the trick has become all of this works great when he doesn't have pants on...so we have been working on the "wearing pants." He doesn't like the big boy underwear, I am unsure why, but he refuses to wear them.   So we are trying with just sweat pants or shorts on.  But 9/10 times he dribbles in his pants and then tells me he has to go.

Our other obstacle is that he is not to the point that I can't take him out with no diaper on.  And pull ups are too much like a diapers.  He doesn't understand the concept of telling me he has to go when he is in pull-ups.  So at this point we don't have full days to train because he goes to preschool by himself, and I am not there to help him.

But I am very, VERY Happy with our progress, and I am hopeful that the progress will continue.