Avery's Birthday!!!

Sunday January 24th...I woke up around 11am. I was actually able to sleep in a little bit and decided to skip church to let Josh sleep in as well. I told him it might be the last time he is ever able to sleep in...haha. We got up, watched the Colts/Jets game, and just lounged around the house. I had been feeling some irregular contractions, but nothing that felt like labor. I had to work this night, so we took a little nap and I got ready for work while watching the Saints/Vikings game. I had Josh take some belly pictures before I left for work. I was 38 weeks and 3 days here:

I felt HUGE:When I got to work we were not very busy, so I went into one of the rooms to finish watching the Saints game. What a game it was!!! For the first time in franchise history the Saints are going to the Superbowl!!!! During the game, I kept feeling more and more contractions. After it was over, I had Dede put me on the monitor and check me. I was contracting every 4-6 minutes and I was 4cm dilated! I was in LABOR! Dede called Dr. Hernandez, he said to go ahead and keep me and to start Pitocin at 0300. I was going to have a baby on Monday! I started making phone calls. Of course Josh and my mom both freaked out. You would have thought they were the ones in labor! Josh's parents had both just taken a benadryl after the game so they were drugged and couldn't drive! Josh got up to the hospital about 11pm. I was still feeling good! Rachel and Dena came up to draw my blood!

I got my IV started, and we setteled in for the night. My contractions spread out after IV hydration and I stayed 4-5 cm most of the night. Dede started the Pitocin at 0300 and my contractions started coming a lot closer together. My mom got in at about 0430, she had driven straight through as soon as I called her.

At about 0530, I still wasn't THAT uncomfortable, but my favorite anesthesiologist was leaving at 0700, so I decided to get my epidural. That was such a crazy sensation! I couldn't feel ANYTHING from my ribs down. After I was nice and numb, Dede checked me again and my water "broke" I was now about 6 cms. Dr. Hernandez came in to see me at about 0700, I was 7 cm dilated and Avery was still pretty high in my pelvis (-2). We started turning me from side to side to help dilitation and help her to come down. I had a couple of variable as she was moving down. At about 0800 I was 10/100/+2! She was so low, Josh could see her head when they checked me. Dr. Hernandez was finishing a surgery case, so I just had to wait for him to get there. They told me not to cough or laugh or anything so I wouldn't deliver! This is us getting ready to start pushing! I still couldn't feel A THING!

Everyone is ready to go!

After about 8 pushes and a 2nd degree episiotomty Avery Yvonne Leblanc entered the world!

She came out screaming and crying. Apgars were 9:9. She was perfect! It was love at first site for both of us! Josh got to hold her first.

Then it was my turn.

Presenting our baby girl...Avery Yvonne LeBlanc, born January 25th, 2010; weighing 7 pounds 5 ounces, and 20.5 inches long.

Baby Showers!

We were so blessed this week...we had TWO baby showers! The first one was on Wednesday. The girls at work threw me a diaper party/baby shower. Poor Avery had NO diapers, so they got us all stocked up on that essential. Here are some of the pictures. It was at 07:30 am, so everyone was sleepy from working the night before! Loving the food!

The beautiful cake Karen brought...and so yummy! I am still eating it!

The spread...Jaci made the diaper cake...isn't it so cute!

Present time! This is a cute little frame with a spot for her hand and foot prints from Gennifer and William.

Diapers!

Sabrina even came in from Galveston. She made the most awesome basket FULL of stuff...she said she went crazy buying Pink, she has 2 boys :)

I worked Sunday and Wednesday nights...but by Thursday night I was feeling horrible! I had been fighting a cold for about a week and a half and it finally caught up with me. Josh took care of me though, he made me peppermint tea:

And a steak dinner!

By Saturday I was feeling MUCH better. We had some people come over for the Saints game...unfortunately I didn't take ANY pictures.

Here are the belly pictures from before church on Sunday. I am 37 weeks and 3 days here.

After church, I thought we were going over to our friends house for lunch. But they surprised me with ANOTHER baby shower! This was thrown by the girls Josh goes to school with. They are so sweet, and have become really good friends over the last 3 years.

Aimee made awesome desserts!

The girls...

The guys...

More presents! Joe's fiance Leah made us our decorative wall letter for over Avery's bed. She painted them and put the ribbons on them and everything!

Chris and Aimee got us the cutest little ruby slippers.

Pete and Kelly got us a personalized Avery sippy cup and her bathtub.

After the baby shower, Josh and I went to BabiesRus to get the last few things we needed for baby. It was a lot of little stuff like crib and pack n play sheets, burp cloths, receiving blankets, and bottles. We used the remaining gift cards so it wasn't expensive at all. I still have to wash and put away that stuff, but I feel like for the most part we are ready! I started having some contractions in church yesterday...but they stopped. It is just so unreal to think that she can come at any time now!

I have to work the next three nights which I am DREADING! I have been getting so swollen after being on my feet for 12 hours, my hands are starting to swell a little bit too. But everything has been fine with my blood pressure and all. This is just the discomforts of pregnancy. Our next doctor's appointment is on Thursday, they will check me then to see if I am dilated at all. Hopefully all the working and walking will help to be a little bit dilated! That is all that is new with us...just getting ready for baby!

Waiting on Baby!

Monday after Josh and I took the maternity pictures we went to Build-a-Bear. I thought it would be cute if we made a little bear for Avery. Josh picked out a bunny for her, it's really soft! It was cute, they had us each make a wish and put a heart in the bunny, one for her mom and one for her dad. Josh had fun, cleaning her off...he is such a good sport! I know a lot of men would not do stuff like this for their daughters. The final product!

Hopefully Avery will like it, I was thinking she could use it as her lovey or something like that.

When we got home that evening, Wal Mart called and said Avery's stroller, car seat and swing had arrived for pickup. So Josh and I went out again in the FREEZING cold to get her stuff. This is her daddy putting together the stroller.Here I am trying to figure out her swing.

Ta-Da! I picked out neutral colors for her car seat and stroller so we can use it for another baby. We had to try out her new stuff with her bunny!

This swing is pretty cool. You just set the car seat in it, and it swings, vibrates and plays music. It was about half the price of the regular swings, and most babies LOVE their car seats.

Her stroller is really neat too. We got the travel system, so the car seat fits in it while she is little. After she outgrows the car seat, it is just a regular full sized stroller.

While we were out last weekend, I picked up some of the finishing touches for Avery's room. Josh got everything hung and put together while I was at work this week. We decided to put together her dresser, I was able to arrange the room where everything fits. She also has SO many clothes, we needed it to help store everything! I found these little baskets at GardenRidge and they match her room perfectly, I just have to figure out what to put in them!

Here is a picture of her changing table in the corner, with another shelf and baskets over top of it. I plan on storing some of her diapers and diaper changing stuff in those baskets. Josh was funny, he had regular mounting screws to put the shelves up with, but he had to go back to Home Depot to get the super strong reinforced ones so the shelves wouldn't fall on his baby girl :) He is going to be such a good daddy!

Here is just another shot of her crib.

I had four days off last week and we got A LOT of stuff done. I got all of her bedding, blankets and clothes washed. We put up the pack-n-play in our room, that is where she will be sleeping right after she is born. I have my hospital bag mostly packed. We got her stroller and swing put together, Josh just needs to install the car seats in the car. I am 36 weeks and 3 days now, I know the next few weeks will fly by, that is why I wanted to get as much done before hand as possible.

That is pretty much all that we have been up to lately...getting things ready for Miss Avery. It has been FREEZING here all week, so we haven't gotten out of the house very much. We are going to go to church today, then I have to work tonight. I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday, as well as my work baby shower...I will try to post after those. Other than that we are just waiting on baby!

Maternity Pictures

This will just be a picture post. I wanted to show off the Maternity pictures that Josh and I took last week. I was 35 weeks and 4 days pregnant. We went to a little place in the mall, but I think they did a really great job.

I love this picture...it's both of our hands making a heart around the ultrasound picture:

This shot took forever to get right. I had seen some other people's maternity pictures with a similar pose with the ultrasound picture, but it was really hard for them to get the focus right. Once they got it though, I think it came out awesome!

Ms. Aleta got me these little booties for Avery. She will probably wear them in her going home outfit.