The Garrison Family: Amy's New Toy...

Monday, June 18, 2007

Amy's New Toy...

Well, despite Matt's objections, I rented myself a new 'toy' to use over the next 4-5 months. Matt thought that I would be obsessive about the toy and that it would do nothing 'positive,' so since receiving it in the mail, I haven't used it...up until yesterday. So, at this point, you're probably wondering what kind of toy I rented...so I'll spill the beans and fill you in on my excitement.

The 'toy' I rented on-line is a Fetal Heart Rate Monitor. It's a high-tech Doppler with a 2 MgHz probe. The company I rented it from is run by an OB/GYN and the Doppler is really safe (it's the same type that they use at the DRs offices-- and I had to get my OB's okay on it before I was able to rent it). The reason Matt didn't think it was a good idea is because he thought I would be using it all the time and get worried/freaked out if I couldn't find the baby's heartbeat every minute of the day. Since I didn't use it until yesterday (and I've had it for about a month now), I think Matt realizes that I'm not going to get obsessive compulsive about it. I have been really proud of myself for not trying it any earlier, as I was so excited when it came in the mail, but I wanted to prove to Matt that I wasn't going to be freakish about having it.

Well, yesterday, we were having a lazy day and slept in (until about 9am) and I thought I felt the baby move. I've thought I've felt him for a few weeks now, but I haven't been sure, so I haven't really made a big deal about it. Yesterday's movements felt a little bit different than what I've been feeling so I asked Matt if I could pull out the Doppler and try it out. When it came in the mail he said that he didn't want to have anything to do with it, but yesterday he said sure. So...we covered my lower tummy with some ultrasound gel that came with the Doppler and the search began. It was kinda hard to find the baby's heartbeat (my heartbeat was so loud) but after about a minute we found it. It was such an amazing feeling to hear the little pitter-patters of his tiny heart just thumping away.

The coolest part of the Doppler is that you can connect it to your computer and record the heartbeat to your hard drive as a wav file. So, after finding his heartbeat yesterday, I ran downstairs and connected the Doppler to the laptop (in hindsight, it would have been easier to have brought the laptop to me!) and recorded his heartbeat so that I could post it/email it out today. As the weeks progress, I'll keep posting new recordings on the site for you to hear. If you didn't notice, the link to hear Baby Garrison's heartbeat is over on the top of the page on the RIGHT.

I think it's totally cool and hope you do too...especially since we are so far away from everyone during this exciting new experience.

1 comment:

Whitney said...: You are too funny! It's so cool you can record the heartbeat, the grandparents will be so impressed. Have fun listening to the heartbeat it's just so cool!; 11:47 AM

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About Us...

Matt and I met on April 14, 2001 in Glendale, Arizona. I was in college at Pepperdine University and he was in F-16 pilot training at Luke AFB. We met through my brother, Matt (Goat), who was also going through pilot training at Luke. The two Matts met their freshman year at the Air Force Academy where they were assigned to the same squadron and lived next door to one another. Despite Matt being friends with my brother since 1995, we had never met one another before 2001. I fell in love with Matt at first sight and he fell in love with me shortly thereafter. We were married on October 4, 2003 in the Cadet Chapel at the U.S. Air Force Academy-it seemed only fitting. God has blessed us with almost 5 busy, exciting, and wonderful years of marriage. In that time, we have lived in 3 states, 2 countries, run in over 20 races (combined) in 6 different countries and 5 different states, traveled to almost 30 different countries, and have have been blessed with the most precious and beautiful little girls.

Ava Holt was born at 3:05 AM on November 1, 2007. At 2 weeks early, she weighed in at 7 pounds, 11.4 ounces and was 20 inches long. Ava Holt is a dramatic yet easy going little soul. She loves attention and is always happy. She is incredibly observant, freakishly strong, very independent, and a very fast learner. Her curiosity fuels her day, as she fills her hours getting into anything and everything under 5 feet in height. As much as she loves me, she loves her Daddy even more. She is the epitome of a 'Daddy's Girl' and the highlight of her day is when Matt gets home and she gets to perform, laugh, and squeal for him. Then, when her Daddy gets in her way, her favorite person in the world is her baby sister, Myla Grace. From the moment she met Myla Grace at the hospital on the day we came home from the hospital, she was smitten. There wasn't a jealous bone in her body, only pure love. We are beyond blessed to have the miracle of Ava Holt in our lives. Oh, and did I mention that 'You Are My Sunshine' is her FAVORITE song? The apple didn't fall far from the tree, as it's mine too.

Sweet Myla Grace was born at 5:04 PM on December 2, 2009. At 3 weeks early, she weighed in at 7 lbs, 0.4 ounces and was 19 inches long. Myla Grace is so disgustingly sweet. She is our cuddly little one who prefers to be carried and or held when at all possible. While sweet and cuddly, she also loves to destroy, dismantle, and disassemble most things within her reach...all while flashing the most precious of smiles. And through all of her sweetness, she has the uncanny ability to make you laugh all day long. Maybe it's the mullet she's had since birth, the gummy grin (which is starting to blossom with teeth), or her serious smirks, but whatever it is, we can't get enough. Although Myla Grace was a complete surprise, we can't imagine life without her. She is absolutely Ava's little buddy (whom Ava affectionately calls, 'the little one,' 'Mywa Grace,' and 'Mah-la.'), Amy's cuddle bug, Matt's giggling partner, and the most beautiful little blessing.

Harper Lee was born at 3:28 PM on May 31, 2013. Also arriving 3 weeks early, Harper weighed in at a hefty 6 lbs, 15 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. From the moment she entered this world, Harper has been the happiest, calmest, smiley-est {if that's even a word}, sweetest, and easiest baby we've ever had. She NEVER cries and is so incredibly easy going...to the point that I thought something was wrong with her. And unlike her big sisters, Harper has always been on the tiny side of small. After several rounds of tests when she was 6-months old to make sure she didn't have any development or growth problems, the Doctors came to the conclusion that she is just going to be "petite." So despite being in the 5th percentile for her age, our precious Harper girl is absolutely perfect as the tiny little package that she is. Oh, and did I mention that she is the BEST eater in our family? This sweet girl can mow through food like a 10yr old! I am a believer in miracles and Harper further confirms my faith. Her existence is a pure miracle (not to mention an ultimate surprise) and we thank God all the time for giving her to us. We thought our hearts were complete but we had no idea how big of holes we had until she joined our lives. Her laughter, giggles, rambling babbles, smiles, and 2-finger sucking are constant reminders that we are recipients of so much undeserved grace. At 21-months old, Harper's favorite things are cats (she calls them "nows"--her way of saying meow), dogs ("uf-ufs"), Ava ("aw-buh"), and balloons ("boons").