The Garrison Family: Ava's FIRST trip to the ER

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Ava's FIRST trip to the ER

Well, Ava started rolling over a few weeks ago, but her first major roll-over two weeks ago ended up with us taking a trip to the ER. Matt was gone to Virginia Beach and I was trying to fold some laundry in the living room while Ava was napping on the couch. Well, she woke up and flopped right off the couch (from tummy to back). I didn't see it happen (I was about 10 feet away) but heard it as she immediately started screaming. Of course, I freaked out and called the pediatrician within seconds of her falling off the couch--who told us to go to the closest ER since she was so young. So, I picked up Ava (I asked the pediatrician if I could pick her up since I was afraid to touch her in case she had any spinal injuries), put her in her carseat, and headed to the closest ER (all while sobbing hysterically on the phone to Matt), which was at a brand new hospital that opened in January called, Centennial Hills Medical Center.

Ava was admitted to the ER and after a quick exam by a triage nurse named Cassie and the ER doctor, Dr. Houston(she weighed about 16 pounds with her clothes on!), she was scheduled for a cat scan to ensure that there wasn't any head trauma that wasn't visible since she hit the back of her head when she fell. All the nurses and Dr. Houston ensured me that I wasn't the first mother to have her child fall off a couch and that it wouldn't be the last time it would ever happen. Their words were comforting but they didn't take away the guilt I felt and the heaviness of my heart. Seeing my little girl in pain (and scared) just about killed me.

Ava did so great and layed perfectly still in the cat scan machine, so they only had to make her do it once--the nursing staff was pleasantly surprised.

It ends up that Ava was perfectly fine and she survived the fall without any bumps or bruises. When she fell, her head hit the yoga ball, so that broke most of her fall, which was a blessing. Regardless, I was an emotional wreck the entire night and kept thinking Child Protective Services was going to take her away from me.

Ava probably doesn't even know she ever fell and she'll only know about it from the story I have to tell her when she's older. At almost 4 months, she's already got Matt and me beat...neither of us have ever had a cat scan!

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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").