Where are the toys, Lou?

Our sneaky pup, Louis has been up to some tricks lately. Averie has been mysteriously 'losing' some of her stuffed animals. First, we noticed that 5 miniature stuffed ponies were missing. After days of wondering where they could have gone, my Mom was working in our garden when she noticed something strange peeking out from behind the broccoli plants. Upon further inspection, she discovered it was one of the ponies, buried in the soil. She continued to hunt around the yard, and eventually found 4 of the ponies, all buried in the same 'feet up' position, in various locations around the yard. We thought we were in the clear, but we have been continuing to find Averie's toys hidden in the dirt all over our yard. All buried in that same, feet up position. Since we have never actually seen him in the act, we are not sure when these heists are taking place, but it's probably sometime in the early morning before we are all awake. Whatever the case, we will continue to be on the hunt...

Soooo guilty!!

Averie is 8 Months Old!

November 30, 2011

Yes, that's right. Our tiny girl is 8 months old! 4 months away from her first birthday. It's crazy how fast time goes by. People always tell us that she would grow so quickly and the months would just speed away, but I never really thought it would go this fast. Mind you, there have been many days where I wished we could speed things up, just to get over these little bumps that seem to be on the road far too often for my taste. The last time I sat down to post, Miss A-Ro had just hit four months old. Wow. It's so funny to go back and read about her back then, and to see what has changed and what still remains the same. Here is a little recap on what she has been up to during our 4 month hiatus....

-We celebrated Averie's first Thanksgiving. She enjoyed a couple bites of sweet potatoes, but was more interested in her toys. We also celebrated Halloween last month. We got Averie the cutest banana costume. Unfortunately, Averie did not agree on it's cuteness. She spent the entire 10 minutes she had it on, screaming bloody murder, so needless to say, she didn't dress up. She preferred to stay in her jeans and Halloween onesie. One of my dear Kindergarten students told me that Averie probably didn't like the costume because she thought she might get eaten. Duh! Why didn't we think of that! OH, I love the logic of a 5 year old!

-within a week of hitting the 8th month mark, Averie went from being a roller to a full fledged crawler! If that wasn't enough, she cut two bottom teeth (which explains recent fussiness and lack of appetite) at the SAME TIME, and started standing when holding on to things. She especially loves to stand in her crib, which mommy and daddy are not exactly fond of!-Averie still loves her jumper, which we refer to as her "office".

-Averie is currently weighing in somewhere between 16-17lbs, and 27 inches long. She is starting to outgrow the length of her 6 month clothes, so it looks like a size 9-months shopping trip might be in order. It's hard to believe how big she is getting, even if she is still tiny compared to most of the other 8 month olds we know. There was a time when I never thought we'd get out of size 1 diapers, and here we are in our size 3's. She's finally starting to get some chubby little legs and even a slight belly. It's so cute, especially since it's the only time in life when such qualities are actually deemed adorable. Enjoy it while it lasts! ha ha.

-The past four months have been a wild ride on the reflux roller coaster. Shortly after the last 4 month post, Averie's reflux took a turn for the worst. She started refusing ALL bottles. Was barely sleeping longer than 40 minutes at a time. When she was "sleeping", she would flop around the crib like a fish out of water, arching her back and crashing her legs down in the crib. She would wake up screaming and nothing would console her. Meal time was a complete nightmare, and most of her bottles were being given to her while she was asleep. This worked good for awhile, but as she started to sleep less, this became a huge challenge. I became consumed with trying to get her to sleep and eat. We had many visits to the pediatrician, an Upper G.I test performed at Hoag (results were normal), a trial of both Zantac and Prevacid together (which actually made things worse), adding rice cereal to her bottles (which caused more restlessness and spit-up), a brief switch to Enfamil A.R formula (no help), countless hours spent researching any kind of help for her, a complete nervous breakdown for myself, and a whole lot of prayer that God would please help our sweet girl. The last weekend in August, just days after she had turned 5 months old, I found myself in the pit of darkness. I felt so helpless. We had been trying everything we could for our little girl, and nothing was working to ease her reflux. I had been explaining the situation to our dear friend, Dr. Tom Bakman, a chiropractor. He told me that he had actually done some extensive research on treating reflux through chiro care, with great results. We were desperate for any relief, so Jerome and I took Averie to visit him. I will admit, Averie did not like being adjusted, but we continued to take her several times a week to be treated. And who knows, maybe it was just coincidence, but I truly believe that the treatments from Dr. B helped the reflux. Within days, Averie started to seem happier, hungrier, and more at ease. And here we are, 3 months later, and she continues to do well. She still takes Prevacid, 2X a day, and someday we hope to wean her from that (as scary as that might sound). We still have our fussy feedings, but nothing compared to what we went through. The prayers from our friends and the care from Dr. Bakman is truly a blessing to us, and we are forever grateful that we were finally able to help our sweet girl.



-She is obsessed with her daddy on most days. She will scream if he comes in to the room and doesn't immediately pick her up. Definitely a daddy's girl.

-she LOVES riding in her stroller. Sometimes she is so quiet during a ride, I have to check to see if she is awake. She loves checking out the scene. We call her the nose because she is very curious. Always craning her neck to see what's going on.

We love our sweet angel girl, and we can't wait for what the next few months have in store for us!

M.I.A

I know I've been away from the blog for quite sometime. I feel guilty about it. I've had tons of posts started, but never quite finished them. It has been a wild few months since I last posted. Between the start of the school year, my Kindergarten class from hell, Averie's huge reflux relapse, a no-joke nervous breakdown from yours truly, Jerome starting a new job, and a host of other things, it's no wonder I never made it on here to post. Luckily, things seem to be back on track (for the minute), so I thought I'd take a second to check in. Averie just hit 8 months this past Friday. It's amazing how quickly that little baby is growing up in to a little girl! Every day she amazes us with some new skill, and I know this is only going to get more exciting as the months go on. There is so much I want to post about, so I guess I better get a move on. Check back soon and Hopefully I will be able to finally click that pretty orange "Publish Post" button before life calls me away....

Averie is laughing!

After what seems like months of trying to get Averie to laugh, we have finally found the trick. Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with myself, Jerome, Nana, or any other person that Averie knows. Leave it to our dog, Louis, to finally get our solemn girl giggling. It turns out that Avi thinks that Louis running around in circles and fighting with Lola is the most hilarious thing in the world. She is obsessed with Lou, so it should not be a surprise that he would be the one to get her laughing. And now, we find ourselves constantly coaxing Lou into action just so we can here that sweet little belly laugh. Oh. how we love it!

Averie is 4 Months Old!

It's hard to believe that Averie is already four months old! Where has the time gone? I am finding myself more and more in love with her every day, and I am dreading the end of summer, when I'll have to return to work.  We have definitely been enjoying our time together. Oh, why does summer have to end so soon?

Here is a little update on our feisty 4 month old:

-We didn't have an "official" check-up this month, due to some mixed-up scheduling of appointments. Not sure on her exact weight and height, but our home scale says she is somewhere in the 12lb range, and she is definitely getting longer because her clothes are getting shorter and she has grown out of her bassinet. My mom and I took her in for the 4 month shots this past week, and I'm proud to say she took them like a champ! Much improvement from the bloody-murder-scream-fest that happened at her 2 month shots. She cried a little, but was calm shortly after, and thankfully she only ran a low temp of 99.7 the next afternoon, and it was gone within an hour!

-Averie is still a "grazer" when it comes to eating, and will take anywhere from 2-4 ounces, depending on her mood. We are officially phasing out breast milk and sticking to Good Start formula. I figure 4 months of me breast feeding and pumping was excellent, considering all the trouble I had. I am happy to be moving on, and hopefully she is too! We started rice cereal this week. Averie is not quite sure what to make of it. She makes some pretty silly faces while eating it, and I can't quite decide if she truly likes it or not. A great majority of the cereal often ends up on her face, but I know it is more of learning mechanism than nutritional source. We will keep at it!

-She is awesome at holding up her head, and has gotten really good at turning her head to follow people as they move. Averie rolled over once for my mom last week, but has yet to do it again. I know she knows how to do it, but given her feisty nature, she is probably purposely holding off because we want it so badly. She will do it when she wants to, on her own time! The same goes with laughing. She is selective with her laughs, but when she does, it is so cute! I find myself trying to do anything I can to get her to giggle. Hopefully she will be more forthcoming with her laughs in the next few weeks.

-Averie has started to babble A LOT. We definitely have a talker on our hands. In the mornings, she has been waking up much earlier just to "chat". Sometimes I ask her questions, and she will babble back, almost as if she can understand. It is so cute! She is also responding to voices and her name.

- Averie continues to grab at everything in sight. She also wants to taste everything that comes within her reach. She is very "oral" and wants to suck on just about all her toys, hands, feet and clothing, as well as the hands of anyone holding her. She is also a big time drooler. I feel like I am constantly wiping her little chin. I know this is all going to get worse when she begins teething in the near future!

-Averie has begun whining sometimes when you take away something she is enjoying. The other day she was fascinated with looking at my new watch, but every time I moved my arm away from her, she would cry. As soon as I put my wrist back within her reach, the tears ended, and smiles ensued! I guess she likes jewelry and diamonds as much as I do!

-We have been having as love/hate relationship with sleeping. At my last post, she was sleeping a good 5+ hour stretch, followed by a few 3 hour stretches. Upon writing those very words, I think I jinxed us. For the past month, Averie's sleep habits have been all over the place. Gone are the solid 5-7 hour stretches. At first, she started waking up on an hourly basis, sometimes to eat, but mostly to be re-swaddled or the paci to be put back in. It was miserable! That lasted for about a week. Now we have moved on to sleeping a good 3-4 hour stretch, which is an improvement, but nowhere near the blissful 5+. On top of that, she has also discovered how to get her arms out of the swaddle, but then fusses until we re-swaddle her. This happens several times a night (and during naps too). This all makes for one exhausted family. We've tried a lot of things to get her sleeping again (earlier bed time, bigger bed time feeding, stopping the swaddle), but none of it has helped. I've done a lot of research on sleeping patterns of 4 month olds, and I guess this type of sleep "regression" is very common during this time. 14-19 weeks is a huge developmental period for babies, and just like clockwork, she has not been sleeping since 14 weeks, and as I write this, we are at week 19. I pray that this erratic sleep schedule is on its way out and we will be back to our good sleeping habits soon.

-We bought Averie a jumper this past week. She is loving the new toys attached to it, but hasn't quite figured out how to make her little legs jump.

-Averie took her first road trip. My mom, Jerome, AverieLaughlin, The Grand Canyon (so amazing!), and our usual summer stop in Scottsdale. Averie did great considering the long car rides! We were so thankful to have my mom with us. She sat in the back with Avi and acted like a "circus clown" of sorts, entertaining Averie for many hours.

-Averie LOVES swimming. In Scottsdale, we took her swimming while we were staying at the Four Seasons. She absolutely loved being in the pool. Jerome held her, and would "drag" her little body around the pool. You could see her little legs paddling in the water, and she had the BIGGEST smile on her face the whole time. She is definitely our little mermaid girl!

-She loves Louis and is constantly looking around the room for him. When he is close, she will put her hands out for him to lick, and loves petting him. He is her little side kick, and pretty much follows me around the house whenever I have Averie with me. I know they are going to be great friends!

Averie is 3 months old!

Wow! Time has flown by. It's hard to believe our precious little girl is already 3 months old. I find myself torn because I can't wait for her to get older and yet I'm still wishing she was that newborn fresh from the hospital. I'm sorry that I have not been very good about posting on here, but life has been pretty hectic, and I have barely had enough time some days to shower, let alone spend much time in front of the computer. Since I am officially out of school for the summer, I hope to have a little more time to keep up with the blog for all of you who don't get to see Avi on a regular basis. In the meantime, here is a little about what she's up to at 3 months old:

-At her 3month check-up on June 30, Averie weighed in at 11 pounds even (25th percentile), and measured 24 inches long (75th percentile). Long and lean. Yes, she is tiny in the weight department. I have spent many nights (and days) obsessing over her weight gain (although she has consistently gained weight, it has still been a small amount). People are always asking me if she is a premie. She's not. She's just not a big eater. In fact some days, she barely wants to eat much at all. Dr. Bennett chalks this up to Averie's severe acid reflux (more about that later) and genetics (I, too, was pretty much the same size and kind of eater when I was her age). She is finally starting to fill out her 0-3 and 3 month clothes. The waist is still a little baggy in pants, but she definitely fits the length. She is also still wearing size 1 diapers.

-Averie is still on the reflux medicine. It has been a rocky road, and I don't wish severe infant GERD on anyone! Part of the reason I didn't even post for her 2 month update was because our time and my brain was consumed with managing the reflux. At 5 weeks old, we started out with Zantac and a supplement of this (nasty) hypo-allergenic Nutramigen formula (along the pumped breast milk she already was getting), and that seemed to work okay for a few weeks. Then, as if we were back to square one, Averie started to refuse most of her bottles during the day. It was a fight to get her to take 2 ounces. Often we would have to feed her in her sleep, so she would not freak out. Occasionally she would take 4 ounces, and we would all jump for joy, but that was far and few between. She was extremely fussy during feeding times, and it would take upwards of an hour just to get her to eat a tiny bit. After some desperate days (my mom, whom was watching her when I went back to work, and I were at our wits end) and many tears (from me), we went back to see Dr. Bennett. She immediately pulled us off the Nutramigen (she said it's disgusting and clearly Averie has no desire to eat it) out us back on the Good Start, and switched our meds from Zantac to Prevacid. Dr. Bennett said that perhaps Averie has started to develop a food aversion because of the pain from the acid, which caused her to refuse feedings. It has been a month since we switched her meds and the supplement formula, and things have seemingly improved. She still spits up and isn't a huge eater (but then again, neither was I at this age), and I can't say that all my anxiety surrounding meal times has dissipated, but she seems happier and more willing to eat. There are still times when feeding her is not easy, but I guess it is something we will have to live with for now. They say that infants grow out of the GERD by their 1st birthday, if not sooner. We can't wait for that day!

-Averie's neck and head are getting so much stronger! She is doing great at holding up her head, although she still looks like a little bobble head sometimes. She is more tolerant of tummy time, and enjoys sitting up in her Bumbo seat. She also loves to stand (with our assistance, of course). Her hand-eye coordination is really good. She has started grabbing the toys that hang on the bouncer seat and her play mat. She will grab them, sometimes two at a time, and hold on with a death grip. She gets so excited when she does this, and will often make a little "chatter" conversation with the toys. It's so cute. Averie has discovered her hands, and will pass up pretty much anything to suck on them. She has also discovered her feet, and we often find her using all her mite to grab her toes. I'm sure they will be making their way to her mouth in no time. Avi is also quite fond of looking at herself in the mirror, and smiling at herself. We have a vain little ham on our hands! She is quite the smiler, and I find myself doing anything and everything to bring out her smile. It brightens even the darkest days.

-A few weeks ago, Averie caught her first cold. She was running a low fever (99.7), and was super congested. We took her to the doc, and were advised to give her saline nasal drops, suction her nose, and run the humidifier. She hated the nasal drops and suction. It was as if an exorcist was happening to her body each time we did it. Thankfully, my mom was still staying with us at the time, and taught us a few tricks on how to give it to her, and the cold was pretty much gone in a few days.

-Averie has taken a liking to an "Aden and Anais" white muslin receiving blanket. I have no idea why she chose this particular blankie, but she is obsessed with snuggling it. It has been a god-send because immediately relaxes her (which has helped during meal time and nap time). She has a bad habit of wanting to cover her face with it, so we have to keep an eye out so she doesn't cover her nose. It is so cute to see her snuggled up with the blankie. So cute, that I almost feel guilty when I have to take it away to wash it! Averie has also started loving on a little stuffed doll that my niece Monique gave her. Averie loves to snuggle with or "talk" to it.

- Averie still loves her nightly bath. We have resorted to some afternoon baths on occasion when Miss Averie has been incredibly fussy or refusing to eat (the bath generally relaxes her enough to take a bottle, and we have fed her in the tub many times). Jerome still handles the bath routine with her. I have taken over a couple times, but Averie definitely enjoys it more with her Daddy.

-Averie is generally sleeping a good 5 hour stretch at night, followed by a couple 3 hour stretches. We usually put her down around 10:30 pm after her bath and swaddle (she loves being swaddled and sleeps so much better when she is. I dread the day when we can't anymore!). She is pretty good about going right to sleep at night. She is also a pretty decent napper during the day, as long as I make sure to put her down as soon as I start to see her tired signs. We usually swaddle for naps too, although sometimes she is quite content with just her white blanket and pacifier.

- To our dismay, Averie isn't too interested in cuddling or snuggling lately. She likes to be held facing outward, so she can see the world, instead of snuggling up to our chests like she used to. I'm pretty much the only person who can carry her on my shoulder without her fussing. She also prefers to be fed while sitting in her bouncer seat. Gone are the days of snuggling her close during a feeding (except for the occasional nighttime breast-feeding session). I have friends who tell me I'm so lucky (their kids wanted to be held and snuggled all the time, and lucky me I get my hands free most of the time). I however am sad! I miss my cuddler, but I am hoping this is just a phase and she will snuggle again in the future.

-Lately Averie has seemed to be attached to Jerome and I more than ever. She has not wanted to be held by other people, and often screams until one of us takes her back in to our arms. We feel awful for the friends and family who can't seem to hold her for longer than a few minutes before the whimpering starts. We're praying this is a short phase.

-Averie is pretty good when riding in the car- as long as it does not stop! Stopping the car can cause her to erupt into loud a crying fit. This is especially troublesome when I am driving alone with no one in the backseat to console her.

-She continues to make some of the funniest facial expressions. Many of which she inherited from her Daddy (especially the furrowed brow look).

-Her hair is growing like weeds! Every morning we awake to find more hair on her head. My mom says it is the color of honey. I prefer spun gold. We joked that perhaps Jerome was using some special baby Rogaine shampoo on her at night because the hair has come in so fast. I don't know where all this hair is coming from, considering I was nearly bald till I was at least a year old, and Daddy didn't have much more either. I can't wait for it to get a little longer so we can start wearing some cute clips :)

Smiles!

Just can't get enough of this smiling face!

Averie is One Month Old!

Averie is one month old! It seems like just yesterday we were wondering when she would make her appearance in to the world, and now, here we are wondering how we ever lived without her! Parenthood has definitely been an adjustment. It has been both everything we ever wanted, yet nothing we ever expected. Gone are the days of doing what we wanted, when we wanted to. We are no longer in charge- Miss Averie is. I have been enjoying my time off, spending each day doing exactly what I did the day before- feeding, snuggling, and playing with our princess. I have also been extremely grateful to have had my mom visiting for several days, helping us get situated and using her "baby whisperer" skills to soothe our little one, and helping me keep my sanity on days when I'd like to pull my hair out. If I've learned anything, I've learned that parenthood is the hardest job on the planet. But, it is also the most rewarding. All the stress melts away when I see Averie's cute little face. It still amazes that the little person I hold is the same little person that lived in my belly for 10 months. It is a true testament to God that two people could create a perfect little person. Amazing!

As I write this, Averie is actually 6 weeks old (wow!). Here's what she's up to:

-At her last Dr. appointment, Averie weighed in at 9lbs,6oz. She is also getting longer, although the doc didn't measure height this visit. She is finally starting to outgrow her newborn clothes, and is making her way in to size 0-3. Last night, Jerome and I were getting her jammies on, and it was so sad to see that all of the cute little newborn jammies are too short for her now. Some of them were so tiny, and it's crazy to think she's already not that tiny anymore! It brings a tear to my eye, which I know will be the first of many, considering she will only grow and grow from here on out.

-Poor little thing has had a rough few weeks with what looks to be acid reflux and some painful gas. We've had many "melt downs" around here, trying to figure out what the issue was. I took Averie to the doctor for it last week, and Dr. Pepek believes it is silent acid reflux (she doesn't spit up every time (typically babies with reflux do), she is not good at burping which in turn leads her to keep swallowing the acid that she would otherwise expel. We started her on Zantac, and are hoping for better days for our baby girl.

-She loves bath time! Daddy has become a pro at bathing her. She just lays (can't sit just yet) in her tub, happy as ever. She especially loves having her hair rinsed under the shower nozzle. It's so cute!

- I still cannot keep up with her eating demands when it comes to breastfeeding, so we continue to supplement with formula when it's needed. She can be quite the "piranha" when it comes to getting her food. We have given her the silly nickname of "Milky" for her love of milk. I'm sure someday when she's 18, this nickname will come back to haunt her, but in the meantime, we will keep using it :)

-She loves sitting in her bouncer, swing, baby bjorn and being carried through the house so she can see everything. She has been very alert since birth, and is always looking around at everything. She loves the bright lights of the tv and the mini fish tank on her Baby Einstein play mat.

-She is starting to smile, and oh my is it cute! I find myself snapping pictures of her cute little face all day long!

-Loud noise does not phase her. The dogs can bark to their hearts content, and Averie barely budges. I chalk this up to her constantly hearing them for the 10 months she was in my belly.

-She's sleeping pretty good at night. Usually gets a four hour stretch to start, followed by a couple 3 hour sessions. She usually fights going to sleep at night. She gets this from me. I am notorious for finding other things to do instead of going to bed, even when I'm exhausted. Not the best trait to pass on to my child!

-Some nicknames we have for her are: Avie, Avs, Milky, and Rooty (because at birth she was always rooting for food). I call her a zillion other names throughout the day, but these ones seem to stick.

Everyday is an adventure with Averie, and we look forward to the long journey ahead with her :)

Newborn Photos

A few weeks ago, when Averie was merely 12 days old, we had her newborn pictures taken. A huge thank you to Tana, of Bella-Z Photography, for her beautiful work and caring nature when capturing our little princess. Averie was quite the ham, and seemed to enjoy having her picture taken. Although there were so many we loved, here are a few of our favorites. Enjoy!

Averie's First Easter!

We hope everyone had a fantastic Easter. We celebrated Averie's first Easter surrounded by our families. We had a delicious dinner and enjoyed catching up with everyone who made the trip to our house. Averie especially loved the day because she not only got Easter baskets full of toys, dresses and hair bows, but she also got to be continuously snuggled by all her adoring Aunties, Uncles, and Grandparents. Since the majority of my day was spent prepping the meal in the kitchen, I didn't get a chance to take too many pictures. Never the less, it was a wonderful day, and we're already excited for next year...

Our visit with the Easter Bunny, 4-23-11

Our little family on Easter

Three Generations of women in my family!

Averie Rose Boroff: A Birth Story

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Today was our due date. 40 weeks pregnant, and still not a sign of any action. My doctor sent Jerome and I to get yet  another ultrasound to check Averie's size and position, since Dr. Lai was very concerned that Averie was too big to fit in my pelvis, and perhaps that is why she had not dropped in to position. The ultrasound went well, but proved our suspicions. Averie was now in a transverse position (laying across my uterus from hip to hip), and was measuring in the range of 9lbs, give or take 2. Everything else looked great, so we went home awaiting our doctor's appointment on Friday, when we would discuss our next step with Dr. Lai. 

Thursday, March 24, 2011

I woke up feeling surprisingly energized today. I got dressed quickly, and headed out to grab breakfast at Starbucks. Following my decaf latte and banana bread, I headed to South Coast Plaza. I had some gift certificates for Macy's and Baby Gap, so I wanted to buy some clothes for Averie,  look at diaper bags (we still haven't purchased one), and I also thought walking the mall would be good for me. While I was shopping, I started getting some Braxton hicks contractions, which weren't painful by any means, but were definitely stronger than usual. Even a couple times I had to stop in my tracks until the contraction ended because my belly got so tight. Since they weren't painful, I didn't think anything of them. I continued my shopping and walking for nearly 2 hours, and then headed home. On the drive home, I decided to take the 55 to PCH. On the drive I passed by Hoag, and immediately burst in to tears. Even though I drive by Hoag almost daily, seeing the hospital on this particular day made me realize the reality of our situation. We were going to have a baby, and this was the place it was going to happen. I was overcome with emotion, and cried the whole way home, and then some. Once home, I opened the front door to find a package from my amazing husband, sent to me. I opened it, and it was a pair of the Tory Burch grey flannel "Reva" flats that I had been wanting for months. Jerome got them for me as a little "I love you" gift in hopes of lifting my spirits (I had been a weepy mess all week). Seeing the shoes sent me in to another emotional meltdown, and I cried..and cried...and cried...tears of joy, of course. The rest of my day was spent organizing some drawers, cleaning, writing in Averie's baby book, and downloading music for my "Labor" play list. I didn't really stop and sit down all day, and even more surprising, I wasn't even tired. I didn't even take my daily nap! I was still having some contractions, but they were painless, so I assumed they were just Braxton Hicks, and nothing to worry about.

Around 3:00pm, I got a call from Dr. Lai. She was looking at my ultrasound files, and she felt that there was no way my little body could take a chance on delivering this child who could be rather large, and let alone in the wrong position. We were going to do a planned c-section. Dr. Lai said we would meet tomorrow morning for my regular appointment at 9:15 am to set up the c-section, which would probably be happening this weekend. I hung up the phone relieved. An end was in sight! Even though I had been worried about having a c-section, I was happy my doctor had made the decision to do one before I had suffered through a long labor, only to find out it wouldn't happen. I was also relived that I could stop bouncing on that yellow yoga ball, since clearly it was doing me no good. I got on the phone and let the family know that I would have the birth date tomorrow, and I'd let everyone know as soon as I found out.

I continued to have some "belly tightening", as I referred to it, all through the rest of the afternoon and evening.  Jerome came home from work and I cooked dinner, as I usually do. I was having some lower back pain, that was pretty intense at times. Jerome joked that it was "back labor", to which I said, no way! We are having a planned c-section. I am not going to go in to labor on my own! ha ha

40 weeks and 1 day,

taken at 9:00pm. 

Who knew this would be just hours before our little girl was born?

We spent the rest of the evening catching up on TV. Around 9:30 pm, I called my mom, as I usually do at night. I told her that I had been having some Braxton hicks all day, but that they weren't really painful. My mom was a little alarmed by this, and insisted I start timing them. I said, uh huh whatever. I wasn't concerned. Remember, I am not going to go in to labor. We are having a planned c-section. Duh! Around 10:30, my mom called back and insisted that I time them and call my doctor if they continue. I decided to lay down, and started timing them. They were coming about every 7 minutes. Around 11, I got up to use the restroom, and to my surprise, my mucous plug came out. I went back to bed, and started texting my friend Megan, who told me to keep my eye out because this could be the beginning of labor. I kept timing the contractions. They were starting to get painful, and were now about 5 minutes a part. I got up to use the restroom again, only to be greeted by my bloody show. This was alarming to me because I hadn't seen any blood in 10 months, so it totally caught me off guard. I woke up Jerome and told him I was going to put a call in to my doctor, since I was now bleeding and the contractions were very close and more intense. It was after hours, so I had to leave a message with the on-call doctor (it wasn't my doc, but one of her colleagues. We waited a half hour, and still no return call yet. The contractions were getting stronger, so we decided to go ahead and head to the hospital. Jerome quickly grabbed our bag and we were out the door by 11:55pm.

Friday, March 25, 2011

 We pulled into the valet at Hoag just after midnight, and Dr. Flora finally called me back. I explained my situation and that I had actually been scheduled to meet with Dr. Lai to set up the planned C. 

Dr. Flora didn't seem concerned about that, and told me to go ahead and head to labor and delivery to get checked. She said I could do a trial labor, and if it wasn't working, we could talk about a c-section. This alarmed me because for weeks now we had been talking about a planned c, and yet here I am, going in to labor on the night my real doc is not on call, and this lady is telling me I will do a regular labor??? I was not happy.

We got to the 5th floor L/D, met our nurse Suzanne (who was fabulous), and headed to our "suite". I got changed in to a gown, and after several failed attempts to find my cervix (it is very far back and to the right), a second nurse checked me, and much to my surprise, I was dilated to a 3 and Averie was head down vertex. The nurse assured me that all the "bloody show" I was seeing was normal, and told us that she would come back in an hour to see if I had progressed. So, we settled in to our room, and I powered through the contractions, which were now even closer and stronger. Jerome was glued to the monitors, watching Averie's heartbeat and my contractions come and go.

In our room, ready for action

watching t.v between contractions

At 1:30 am, the nurses came back again to check me and I was still at a 3, and now Averie had moved moved out of her vertex position, as was slightly diagonal (oblique) across my belly. The nurse explained that  they would not admit anyone until you are dilated to a 4, and since I was not officially in the books as a planned c-section, I would have to have a trial of labor before getting the c-section. If I did not make progress, they would have to send me home. I was not thrilled about this, but didn't let it get me down.  Our nurse, Suzanne, was awesome, and said she would let us stay another hour, and check me again, in hopes that something would change in our favor. In the meantime, she brought me some cranberry juice (which brought on some lovely acid reflux), and had me walk the halls. 

walking the halls

By this point, the contractions were coming every minute, and were definitely longer and stronger that I had imagined feeling. I must say, I am so proud of myself for the way I powered through them! Despite my usually low tolerance to pain, I kept my cool and breathed through them. Along our walks, I gripped the handrails at times, and once even had to grab Jerome's hood to squeeze. But, amazingly, no tears! This was a huge deal for me, and I am so proud of my strength. At 2:30 am, Suzanne and another nurse came back to check me. I was still at a 3, and Averie was oblique (diagonal). Suzanne explained that since I hadn't made any further progress, they would typically send me home. Jerome and I were immediately freaked out by this. Yes, we live very close to the hospital, but I was already having contractions that were intense and 1 minute apart. How much closer and painful did they need to be for me to come back? Suzanne agreed that this wasn't ideal, so she said to stay a little longer, and she'd go call Dr. Flora. About 30 minutes later, she returned, and said, "So it looks like we're going to have a baby tonight!". She spoke to Dr. Flora, and given my contractions and Averie's position, we were going to go ahead with the c-section. Jerome asked, "when do you think we'll have c-section? How long until we do it?", and the nurse said, "oh, we'll get things moving within the next 30 minutes". 30 minutes?? Holy crap. We were really going to have this baby tonight.

OMG! We're having a baby!

Since Jerome and I were alone at the hospital, he immediately called our family members to let them know what was happening and to tell them that things were moving very quickly. We really had no time to prepare our minds the surgery, which turned out to be a huge blessing for me. I am always a huge worrier, especially when it comes to health, and I know had I had more time to let the c-section run through my brain, I could have sent my mind and body into full panic mode. At this point, I was ready for these dang contractions to be over (remember, I thought I was not going to go in to labor!), so I was excited to get this show on the road. The nurses came in and prepped me for surgery. I survived the I.V, which I had been most terrified about (I had never had one before). Dr. Flora came in (she was adorable- a little blond surfer chick), gave me the run down on c-sections, and then it was time to head to the OR. I decided to walk to the OR instead of using a wheel chair. We made a few pit stops along the way for me to ride out some contractions. I kissed Jerome good-bye (he was going to change into scrubs and meet me inside), and then Suzanne walked me in to the OR. I was surprised at how bright the lights were in the OR and how small it seemed (it seems so much bigger and darker on Grey's Anatomy...haha). Suzanne had me sit on the table, and the anesthesiologist prepped me for a spinal block. At the same time, I had one of the worst contractions I'd had all night. I broke in to tears, but Suzanne was great, and held me close, while the spinal was inserted. They had me lay down, and within a few minutes, I was numb. It was the weirdest feeling! I could feel the pressure of them touching me, but there was no real sensation to it. The anesthesiologist kept asking me to move my legs, and of course my mind wanted to, but I couldn't do it. This made me laugh. They had a stereo playing some crappy ballads on KOST 103.5. Dr. Flora came in, followed by Jerome, and before I knew it, they had begun. The radio was playing "The Heart of the Matter"by Don Henley, and I remember being so disappointed that this was the song I would always remember giving birth to. Not my ideal choice, considering I had always envisioned Averie coming out to some Kaskade beats. Oh, well! It could have been worse!

In just a few minutes, Averie was out. At the time, I had no idea what was going on, but Dr. Flora later told Jerome that Averie had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, had a bowel movement in the womb (due to the stress of the contractions) and had not been breathing because she was full of 15cc of meconium. They suctioned her 3 times, and then finally we heard the most beautiful sound in the world, The sound of the cries of our beautiful newborn daughter, Averie Rose Boroff. She was born at 4:23 am on Friday, March 25, 2011. Just 2 days late. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 13 ounces (not anywhere near the 9 and a half the ultrasounds had predicted), and scored a 9 on her Apgar test. While they finished sewing me up, Jerome got to cut the cord and snap some pictures. He brought her to see me, and I couldn't believe that this was the little girl living in my belly for the past 10 months. It was the most surreal moment of my life. 

Cutting the cord

Daddy and his little girl

welcome to the world!

Mommy seeing her baby for the first time

Soon I was moved to recovery, where I got to have some skin to skin time with Averie. She immediately latched on the eat, and then snuggled with me in my hospital gown. We spent a little over an hour in recovery, and then it was time to head to our room in the mother/baby unit.

"The golden hour"

Our first family photo

Little Miss Averie Rose

When we made it to our room, we were greeted by Jerome's family and our dear friends George and Vanessa. We told everyone the story of how things moved so fast, and everyone took turns holding our little princess.

Auntie Tiff and Uncle Nathan

Auntie V and Uncle George

Gramps and Grandmere

 After a few hours, Jerome's family left, and we settled in to our new family of three. Despite having zero sleep, we were amazingly energized. We spent the next 3 nights at the "Hotel Hoag", as many refer to it.  Please see Jerome's Blog for the details of our first few nights as parents.

We had some amazing nurses, and overall fabulous care. In the end, the c-section turned out to be awesome. Recovery has been a breeze. I have had very little, if any, pain, and the incision itself is barely noticeable. I definitely look forward to the next one without any fear!

Mommy, Daddy and Averie

snuggled in my robe, watching the Amazing Race

Ready to go home!

As I sit here, 16 days later, it is still hard to believe that we really are parents. It is the most amazing gift that anyone could ever get, and the true testament of believing in God. We are so blessed to have a beautiful, and healthy daughter. She is amazing and we couldn't be happier (well, maybe we could if it meant more sleep...haha).  I look forward to sharing our new journey, as parents, with you!

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