Audrey is here!

I know...a total surprise! (I'm still having to pinch myself to believe that it really happened early!) I went into labor Monday night and had Audrey Tuesday night at 8:33pm, 2 weeks early! Who would have guessed! I will post the birth story when I have a little more time. Audrey and I are doing wonderful! I love being a mommy, and I already love that little girl more than I thought was possible!

Audrey Marie Riebel
October 28, 2008
7 lbs & 2 oz.
21" long

Baby Shower #5

Bryan made some wonderful friends at his first job out of college. He worked there for only three years, but made friends that will last a lifetime. We don't get to see them as often as we used to, but when we do, it's like he never left. They have been asking the whole time to throw me a baby shower, but I told them to not worry about it and that we would just meet for dinner or something instead. Well, we decided to meet for lunch at a Lupe Tortilla this past Sunday. (By the way, Lupe has the best fajitas EVER!!!) I thought it was just going to be a little get together, but they brought a cute cupcake-cake, balloons and presents. We had a great time sitting out on the patio in the beautiful late October weather and just visiting and catching up with everyone. They are too sweet!

(The Hewitt Group)

(Neysha, April, Sonya, Jonathan, Derrius, me & Bryan, Veronica and John)

(The Cupcake-Cake!)

(The chocolate cupcakes were so good, I helped myself to another one as soon as we got home!)

Derrius showed up wearing a baby-pink dress shirt, so I told him that he would look better sitting in my chair than I would. So here he is in his pink shirt, sitting under the pink balloons with his pink cupcake! Too cute!

(Derrius looking very Baby-Girlish!)

Thank you for a wonderful Sunday afternoon and for the great presents that are going to save me a trip of having to finish off some of those last minute things that I had not already gotten! Y'all are awesome!

Baby Shower #4

We had a very busy weekend...and it all started Friday at work with a fabulous Baby Shower that some of the ladies put together for us. They did a great job with the cake, decorations and a beautiful corsage for me to wear. We got so many nice things...it was all too much!

Here are some pictures:

(The cute "Welcome Baby Audrey" Cake!)

(The decorations and all the presents)

(We got some much needed diapers and wipes!!!)
(Finally a bib that says something about Mommy on it! It says "My Mommy Rocks")

(Some of the ladies...Elva, Ann, Mary, Viena & Carmen)

My Aunts (who work with me), Sandra & Michelle, and my Mom, Jeanne)

(Diane, Irma, Becky, me and Elva)

I want to thank everyone for a fun afternoon...it was a wonderful shower!!!

Week 37 Update

Just a quick update!

We went to the doctor today and had our normal weekly visit. After visiting with my doctor a little I told her that Audrey has her moments of high activity, where she is really rocking and rolling in there, and then moments where I really have to concentrate to feel her move. I have done the "kick count" tests and every time she passes, but sometimes it takes the whole time and the movements I get are really small. She said that everything is probably fine, but that she wanted to do a fetal monitoring test to make sure. So they wrapped two bands around my belly, gave me some apple juice, and hooked me up to the machine. I had to lay there for 30 minutes or so and push a button when I felt her kick. When the test was over she came in and told me that Audrey passed the test, and that she was good and active at the beginning, but slowed down a lot towards the end. (I think she fell asleep!) So she ordered an ultrasound to double check everything. The ultrasound went great! She saw the movements and muscle tone that she wanted to see, and the amniotic fluid level was good. So Audrey and I got the full work up and everything looks great! She is now weighing 6 lbs and 11 oz! Also, while I was hooked up to the fetal monitoring machine she said that I had three contractions. Who knew? I felt my belly tighten up, which I have felt before but always thought it was just her moving, so it looks like things are progressing. She also said that Audrey has dropped, but she still can not reach my cervix to tell how much I have dilated. Maybe at my next appointment on Tuesday!

Audrey's Best Friend was born!

Abby LaRue Wojtalewicz was born one week ago today! She weighed 6lbs and 13oz and is as cute as can be!

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Now we are just waiting for Audrey to be born to join her new best friend. Hopefully our girls will be life long friends like their mommy's are! I know Allyson and I have many play dates planned for the future!

(Abby - One day old)

(The Wojtalewicz family!)

(Allyson, me and baby Abby. It's amazing that I have one of those in my belly!)

Baby Shower #3

This past weekend we had Audrey's third baby shower! This shower was given by my aunts, in Houston, at my parent's house. It was a lot of fun visiting with friends and family and seeing every ones reactions to how "BIG" I have gotten lately. Everything was perfect!

Here are some pictures of the beautiful shower!

(The cake table)

(The precious diaper cake and the food)
(Adorable sleepers and onesies on the clothes line

It was a large shower with a lot of fun people...so we played some great baby games like, Name That Baby Food, How well do know the Mommy-to-be?, How BIG is Mommy?, and the Poopy Diaper Game. Here are some pictures...

(Waiting for the baby food jars to make their way around)

(Trying to remember what instrument I played in Junior High. (It was the flute!))

(Measuring around my belly to see how big I am)

(Morgan & Chandra playing The Poopy Diaper Game...looking at the messy diaper to guess what kind of candy bar was melted and squished in there. They looked so disgusting!!!)

Since I loved the cake from my first shower so much and couldn't stop talking about it, they ordered it again for this shower. I promise you RJ Goodies makes the freshest and best cakes! Yes, this is the same cream cheese, banana filled, white cake that I overdosed on and swore that I would never eat sweets again! (Don't worry, I helped myself to a HUGE piece!)

(Almost 36 weeks!)

(I know it looks simple, but believe me it's whats on the inside that counts!)

(My Mother-In-Law, Me & my Mom)

Now for a couple pictures from the mounds of gifts that we got. I want to thank everyone for everything. Audrey's little nursery is full of stuff, and I am enjoying going through all of her gifts again as I am trying to wash and organize all of it.

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(Pink baby sunglasses...too cute!)

(An adorable A&M smocked dress!)

(The Pottery Barn bassinet that I absolutely LOVE!)
(Much needed bottles!)

(My Jogging Stroller that I can't wait to use as soon as the doctor releases me!)

I know that I have said this before, but we are so blessed to have so many fabulous friends and a huge loving family that are waiting as anxiously as we are to meet Audrey. Thank you all and we love y'all!

Audrey's Nursery

Time is flying by. I can't believe that we only have 5 weeks till our due date! I'm pretty convinced that Audrey is way too comfortable where she is and that she probably will not make her debut until closer to Thanksgiving. I think I'm feeling way too good this far along for her to be cramped and wanting out of there. Everyone keeps telling me to just wait, that it gets real uncomfortable at the end, but I have been hearing that for months, and I just keep chugging along. Hopefully my good fortune holds out and things continue like they have been.

Our last ultrasound was 3 weeks ago. At that time Audrey was weighing 4lbs and 12oz. I told my doctor that I was worried that she was going to be a big baby like me (I was almost 10lbs) or my brother (who was almost 12lbs), but she said that if things continue the way they have that she should be a normal healthy baby around 7 or 8lbs. So that was a relief! My next appointment is next Wednesday, and then after that we will be going every week. It's crazy that its so close!

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Audrey's nursery is not finished yet...but we have painted it a really pretty teal color, and had the cherry blossom tree painted on the wall by her crib. We have some decorating to do, and a lot of organizing! (It's amazing how much stuff a baby needs!) We finally got her furniture in last week so now we have somewhere to start putting everything! Here are some pictures of Bryan putting together her crib.

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(I kept wanting to help him. I hate being useless.)

(Reading the novel of instructions!)

(Sitting back admiring his work with Millie and Sadie)

Here are some pictures of her crib with the bedding in it. I absolutely love it! It's a perfect girly room without being too girly! I will post more pictures in the coming weeks when everything is hung and all her stuff is just waiting for her.

Baby Shower #2 - Oklahoma!

(32 weeks pregnant at Bryan's Dad's house in Oklahoma City)

A couple of weekends ago, Bryan and I boarded a plane and flew to Oklahoma. Bryan was born in Oklahoma and all most all of his family still lives there. We had a great time staying with Bryan's Dad and Step-Mom, Linda, who always make us feel like we are on vacation when we are there. We always talk about trying to go up there more often, but as our schedule fills up, we usually only get up there to visit once a year. I'm so happy that we got to go and see everyone before Audrey arrives. I know his family has been very excited about the new baby since the beginning and want to be part of everything that they can (this is why I try so hard to keep my blog up to date!). We had a fabulous time seeing everyone and only wish that we had more time to visit.

(Bryan's Dad, their dog Lana & me and Bryan)

His family was so sweet to throw us this beautiful shower. Bryan's sister Arianne, and his Aunts Jackie & Denise were wonderful hostesses. Everything was perfect!

(Us with our fabulous hostesses, Aunt Jackie, Aunt Denise and Arianne)

(The beautiful spread of food)

I absolutely loved that Bryan was there to take part in it all and open gifts (this is his baby too!). We got so many great gifts for Audrey. She is going to be one spoiled little girl!

(Cute "Daddy Loves Me" outfits)

(Speaking of Daddy...Here he is in a "Bling Baby" hat)

Great gift from Uncle Gerald...except for the "OSU Shoot Your Pistols" remark he wrote on the box!) :)

(Another great gift...if it wasn't OU and was more Maroon and had and aTm on it!

(Cute containers for First Haircut & First Teeth)

It was so nice to see so much of Bryan's family in one place. The last time I think we did this was for our wedding shower 7 years ago. Here are some great pictures...

(Bryan showing off Audrey's pictures!)

(The whole Family waiting to see what Audrey is getting)

(Arianne, me and Bryan with their Godfather, Uncle Larry)

(Bryan and me with his Grandma Claudine)

(Us with Bryan's Great Uncle William and Great Aunt Jerry)

We had a wonderful time and want to Thank everyone for being part of that special day for us and for Audrey. I know that Audrey can't wait to meet you all and she is so lucky to have such wonderful, and loving family waiting for her in Oklahoma!