Last Night

Last night little Zachary was trying so hard to communicate with us about something he could not find. All he was saying was "God," "black book," and other words between the crying and tears. After about 20 minutes of us trying to figure out what he was saying, I finally got it. There is a devotional book that he loves called "My Time with God." It is mostly black on the cover. When I gave it to him, he crawled in Victor's lap and wanted him to read certain pages to him. He fell asleep with the book in his hand so peaceful and content.

Is it possible..

...that this little angel has changed so much in just 3 and 1/2 weeks? This was taken when she was just one week old. Look for a 4 week photo soon to see just how she has already changed.

Tummy Time

Ava is still sleeping a lot and eating when she is not asleep. But yesterday during a few minutes that she was awake, I captured some time to let her lay on her tummy. She was only content for a few minutes. She is already changing so much and time is passing too fast.

Looking into her Daddy's eyes

This picture amazes me. Just look at the intense gaze as she looks at her daddy. She was so focused on him! I do believe Ava is practicing how she will use those eyes in her lifetime to win her Daddy's approval and get anything she wants. Poor Victor! He doesn't stand a chance.

Little Sister

Ava and her two big brothers...Wow, what will she do with these two much bigger brothers looking out for her and protecting her. She has already won their hearts and I'm certain this is just the beginning.

Two weeks old...

I cannot believe Ava is two weeks old already. She went to the doctor for her check up. She weighed in at 7 lbs 10 oz. So she is back up to her birth weight. We have been so blessed by all of the kindness and support from family and friends during this very special time in our lives. This picture was taken after a storm this week. Ava was sleeping sound, as you can see from the other picture, in her bassinet. I am always amazed by a rainbow. It and the precious little sleeping beauty are both reminders to us that God is present in everything.

A Smile!

Oh My!

Hands...

As I look at little Ava's hands, I cannot help but wonder and dream about what she will do with them for the rest of her life. Blow kisses, wave hello and goodbye, play the piano, hold the hands of her Daddy, Brothers, Mother, Grandparents, etc. So sweet she is from her head to her toes.

One week old!

We are still amazed by God's blessing of a little girl to our family. Ava is so sweet! Many people have asked how Zachary is adjusting. Well, again I can say that God is good. Initially, Zachary would just take a quick peek at her and not say anything. With each day he gets a little closer and lingers longer. Last night he gave her a very gentle kiss on the forehead. I think he is waiting for her to do something besides eat and sleep.

Ava Update

No More Light Blanket for Ava. Her levels went down yesterday and we were able to take her off the light last night. It was so nice to be able to snuggle her that it was hard to put her in the bassinet.

For all the LSU fans out there...

Sweet friends Eddie and Charlie Johnson gave this little hat to Ava the day she was born. They were so sweet to everyone waiting while the big event was taking place. Thank you Eddie and Charlie! This picture is posted for my boss Dr. Mills the biggest LSU fan I know!

We came home late saturday afternoon and settled in. Yesterday we took her to have her levels checked for jaundice. They had risen since saturday so a body wrap with telephoto lights was delivered to the house. They call it a blanket but it is stiff and hard. She has to be wrapped in it with only a diaper on until her levels come down. She has been very tolerant to this considering she went from being tightly swaddled in a soft blanket to this. The nurse will come to the house and check her levels this afternoon. Hopefully this will only take a couple of days to clear up. We know how blessed we are to have had such a good delivery and the blessing of little Ava from above.

Jacob's "Dear Ava"

Jacob wrote a letter (below) to his sister the night she was born. She will be so loved and protected by him. He looks pretty proud considering he continuously stated he wanted a little brother and no part of a girl in the family - definitely love at first sight.

Dear Little Ava,

I love you with all my heart and soul. You will be the best sister and I know that you will have a loving family. Hope you like the pillows I made just for you.

Love, Jacob

Then I will always sing praises to your name as I fulfill my vows day after day. Psalm 61:8 NLT

Ava, one day old

Ava Marie Mainiero

Healthly sweet baby girl :)
7 pounds 8 ounces


Here she is......

OCTOBER 4TH, 2007

Here we go! On October 4th the Mainiero family will go from family of 4 to family of 5. I will go to the hospital at 4:00am to be induced. Will it be a pink welcome to AVA or a blue welcome to COLLIN? Watch the blog to find out.

Please pray for a safe delivery!