Announcing....

Averie Rose Boroff

Born March 25, 2011

at 4:23 am

7 pounds, 13 ounces

20 inches long

Thank you for all of your well wishes.

Mother and baby are doing wonderfully. 

Birth story is coming soon....

Week 39 update

Sadly, there is not much action to report here, but I thought I'd update anyways. I'm currently 39 weeks and 2 days pregnant. I've been on maternity leave now for two weeks, and as nice as it is to not have to go to work, I'm bored. Yes, I know I should enjoy my last days of freedom, but you can only watch so many daytime shows before you need something else to do. I need a hobby! Jerome and I bought a new car last weekend (we finally traded in the truck, all 267,00 miles of it), and got a Hyundai Tucson SUV. It's perfect for Jerome's commute, and is comfortable enough to fit our little family. As far as the baby prep goes, everything is ready for her arrival, except for the little lady herself!

Yesterday I had my 39 week appointment with Dr. Lai. I went in super hopeful for good news about Averie and our progress. As far as vitals go, Averie and I are both continuing to do great! My BP is still excellent, and I've been holding steady at 25 pounds of weight gained. Averie's heart rate is strong as usual, and I'm still measuring right on track.  Over the weekend, the baby definitely "dropped" (I can feel my ribs again!), so I was hoping she had finally engaged her head. Unfortunately, I may be carrying her lower now, but the little lady is still snug as a bug with her head near my right hip. Nowhere near my pelvis. All that bouncing clearly hasn't been enough to move our stubborn girl. I'm not dilated or even close to it, so my doc could not sweep the membranes, as we had originally planned. Instead, she booked me another appointment for an ultrasound to check Averie's size (she is concerned that my "big" baby may have an even bigger head, and perhaps that is why she is "stuck" in my right side). Depending on how the ultrasound comes out, we might be headed for a c-section. If she does engage and isn't too huge for my body, then I can hope for a regular labor. If not, an induction will be booked on March 31, when I will be exactly 41 weeks and 1 day. 

I left the doctor's office happy that Averie and I are still thriving, but majorly disappointed. Discouraged. Sad. The tears were a'flowin. I have been expecting to deliver late this whole time (My mom delivered all 4 of us late), so that's no surprise. I know it is very common for first time mom's to have a very slow progression (sometimes nothing at all for weeks) and things can change over night, so I am hopeful that the action can still happen on it's own. I am just bummed that we are back to the same position we were a few weeks ago. I am all for delivering Averie in the safest and healthiest way possible, and if that means c-section or induction, I am all for it. I'm glad to know that if it doesn't look hospitable for us, my doc is not going to put me through hours of uncomfortable labor, only to end in a C-section because the baby is too big. I am thankful for that! I admit, though, that the c-section terrifies me a bit. I've never had surgery, let alone been in the hospital. Not to say that a vaginal birth can't be any less traumatic, but it just throws a wrench in my everything I'd hoped delivery would be. I know that I am in excellent hands with my doctor and the staff at Hoag. The situation just isn't what I'd been planning/hoping for this whole time. We will continue to stay positive and keep praying that Averie and I will have a smooth, safe and healthy delivery, however the means of that may be. 

I will update again after my ultrasound next week.

my belly at 39 weeks (sorry it's not the best quality)

Maternity Photo Shoot

My sneaky husband and long time friend, Pamela, surprised me back in January with two huge gifts. The first gift being that Pamela would be making the trip from Brooklyn, NY, for my baby shower. As if that wasn't enough, the second gift was that Pamela would be taking our maternity photos! The two of them had been planning this surprise for months, and I was so overjoyed when I got the news! I had really wanted to have some nice maternity photos of us taken, but I was depressed at the thought that someone other than Pamela might take them. She has exclusively taken photos of Jerome and I for the past few years, and the thought of sharing this time with any other photographer literally brought me to tears. Luckily, I have an amazing husband and friend, who pulled off such an awesome surprise! A few days after my baby shower in January, the three of us managed to get some fabulous shots. There are so many to choose from, but here are a few of our favorites.

For more of Pamela's fabulous work, please visit her at Pamela Masters Photography

Baby Shower #2

On February 26, my sister, Jackie, hosted a baby shower at her home in Menifee. Despite the gloomy weather (we had a major rainstorm that day), we had a great time catching up with family and old friends. The ladies and I dined on delicious homemade Mexican food and desserts (all done by my sister), and played some fun games. Jerome and I were gifted last of the necessities we needed for little Averie. We had a fantastic time, and send a huge thank you to everyone who battled the weather to join us that day!

with the hostess, my sister, Jackie

With Jackie and her BFF Colleen (a 2nd sister to me)

with my mom, aka Nana

The Boroff ladies, Tiff and Elaine

with my niece, Victoria

with my niece, Monique

with long time friend Mikki

with the teens, Julia and Victoria (seems like just yesterday I was going to baby showers for their moms)

with the Original Diva, Loretta

mmm desserts!

more treats!

Mommy and Daddy-to-be!

36 weeks and allllllll belly

Baby Bottles and Bling

I know this post comes very late, but I wanted to share some photos from the fabulous baby shower my amazing friends, Vanessa and Dana, threw for Averie, Jerome and I. The day was perfect. Over 50 family members and close friends turned out to enjoy  beautiful afternoon of lunch, games and celebrating.

The happy momma to be (32 weeks along)

The beautifully decorated table

Jerome and I in Averie's room

Love the purple lanterns!

So cute!

mmmm candy!!

Some of the delicious food

Averie's loot!

with the fabulous hostesses, Vanessa and Dana

opening gifts (this was quite overwhelming for Jerome)

With Nana and Grandmere

Thank you to everyone who made it out. We are truly blessed to have you in our lives, and celebrate this special time with us. We can't wait to celebrate with you again when Averie makes her debut later this month!

37+ weeks and counting....

As I sit here and write today, I am 37 weeks and 5 days pregnant. I'm officially on maternity leave, and starting to get anxious to get this show on the road! I'm still feeling well for the most part, but thanks to the giant boulder I am carrying around, I have been wracked with sometimes severe pain in my left rib area (the doc assures me this is caused by inflamed cartilage and is totally normal) and major insomnia. I have really enjoyed being pregnant, but this past weekend was kind of rough as far as getting comfortable. I think I am finally ready to get her out of my belly and in to my arms!

Last Thursday I had my first weekly doctor's appointment. My weight, BP and urine were all fabulous. We talked about impending labor, my wishes (bring on the epi!), and several birth scenarios (induction, C-section, normal labor). Dr. Lai said that based on my last ultrasound, Averie is definitely looking to be on the bigger side. As much as I hoped for a tiny 6 pounder (like I was), I should have known, considering big babies are in my genes (my siblings were all between 8-10 pounds). Given Averie's estimated size and my small frame, Dr. Lai doesn't want the baby to get too much bigger. She said that we should probably start sweeping my membranes at my next appointment, to get things moving. She did an internal exam and although my cervix is thinning, I am not dilated. No surprise there. My genes also include notoriously late babies, so I wasn't expecting to hear any news that labor was near. Dr. Lai was concerned about Averie's position, however. She is head down, but unfortunately her head is near my right leg, and doesn't seem to be making it's way towards my pelvis. My girl is a little bit lost! Although there is still time for her to move over, Dr. Lai said that if she doesn't move, we could take the chance that my water will break and she will slide into position, but the better option might be to schedule a c-section. Although a c-section is not ideal, I'm obviously open to whatever the doctor thinks is the best for Averie and I. She is going to personally do an ultrasound on me at my next appointment, to get a better idea of her size and position, and then we'll go from there. In the meantime, she wants me to bounce on a yoga ball as much as I can. I guess this sometimes helps babies get into birthing position. Jerome has officially traded his previous title of pregnancy food cop to yoga ball nazi, and now I spend my evenings bouncing in front of the tv. Let's hope this works!

Please keep us in your prayers and I will update again after our appointment on Thursday!