Deep Breath

Wow!

I think this is the first time I have posted something to our family's page. As I type I take deep breaths, trying to let my body catch up to joy of my heart. This truely is a great time in my life and what joy to share it with Tonya. She did a great job, one she will share with you at a later time (right now she is snoozing, so please read this blog quietly). Well I suppose that I can't keep your attention with my words to long as you would like to be introduced to (Drum roll)....

Avery Ann Dodd

Born June 30, 2008

7 lbs, 7 oz

19 in long

This was taken 24 hours before she arrived.

As she was getting her first cleaning, Daddy reached out to touch her to calm her down. It worked too! She likes her Daddy.

First Family Picture. She even opened her eyes for the photo. Dad is smiling through tear filled eyes and Mom mustered up enough energy for a smile. This was a very happy moment.

Just 2 days later... and forever... a family.

No News

Just a quick update to let you all know that... nothing has happened. Yesterday was our due date and we definitely have passed it by at this point. The doctor tells me I have dilated to a 3 as of Friday, but I have had no contractions or anything else that might give me a clue that it is close. I can tell that she is dropping, but that is not a timeline...

The good news is though, that if the baby decides not to come before Monday the 30th, than the doctor will induce me. I would much prefer to have the baby without induction, but I am glad to have a date now.

Mom and Nana are getting all my last minute "to-do" projects done, which I really appreciate, but I don't think my nesting instinct has kicked in too much, because I am more than happy to sit back and let them work!

So, just a bit of information for you all to know what is going on. I am so ready to not be pregnant anymore!

We will update again after we have baby pictures! Tonya

Happy Fathers Day!

Hello all! Happy Father's Day to all you special men out there who get to be Dads. This is Kevin's first Fathers Day. A special time for us all. Now don't worry, you haven't missed any news, we are still pregnant. We expect the big day to be any moment, but in reality I could have up to 3 more weeks. After the last visit to the doctor, he tells me I have not progressed very far into being ready to deliver, but I am ready to prove him wrong any day! I am feeling very well, but I am definitely uncomfortable and not sleeping well. I am ready to move to the next stage of this whole process, the baby part of it.

We have finished all of our prenatal classes, so we are as educated as we are going to be before this happens. My parents are in town for several weeks, my grandparents are coming next week, and the nursery is nearly ready.

My last day of work was last week and I have been finishing odds and ends while waiting for the baby. Thanks to Mom, we are actually getting some things done around here. It is a wonderful thing to start seeing the house become a home. It was pretty hard to leave my job for good, but I still know it will be the right decision. I was telling a friend of mine that I keep waiting for that "This is a good decision" feeling, she was very insightful to tell me that I may not feel that way until the baby is born. Which is good to know, because I have been out of work for all of 4 days and I am already getting nervous about it.

As far as the nursery goes, we need to hang curtains, and maybe add some wall decor, and then we are done! All this for a room she probably won't even sleep in for several months, but I think it helps us to prepare.

Thank you all who have thought of us as we are preparing for this baby. We have been showered with gifts and well wishes as the day gets closer. All these things have been very helpful.

That's all the news for now, hopefully we are close to sharing a birth story and pictures of the little one soon, but unfortunately, we can't predict when.

Love to all, Tonya & Kevin

More Big Events

Why is it that every time we post on this blog, I feel as though we have run a marathon since the last one?!

Since the last post, here is what has happened in a nutshell... we finished the floors (hooray!!!), we had our first and second overnight house guests, Kevin's parents visited, Tonya's parents and sister visited, the baby's room is painted, the crib and furniture are in the room, we had professional maternity pictures taken, we had a baby shower, and we own a stroller! Sheesh, with all that and being 33 weeks pregnant, I am exhausted and exhilarated! Here are some pictures and details...

Now that the weather is pleasant, Kevin finished the wood floors and we stayed at some friends house while the house aired out. The floors are fantastic! It is amazing what a difference it makes to the look of the house and how I feel about the house. Mainly it is now a home and not just a place to store stuff. Very exciting!

A couple of weekends ago, Kevin's parents came to visit us from Austin. Kevin's dad called it "Baby Quality Control". While they were here, amidst the family meals with those in Topeka and a near miss by a tornado, they painted the baby's room, brought the handmade crib and dresser and painted those as well. Overnight the room became baby friendly. It looks amazing! What a big leap that made in preparing our house for this new little one.

This weekend, my parents and sister came from Dallas to attend the baby shower held by the church members. Another crazy busy weekend that helped to make leaps and bounds towards being baby ready. We now have a changing table, rocking chair, and a stroller. And that was after the baby shower!

The shower was an abundance of the cutest baby clothes I have ever seen. This little girl will be the best dressed (and most frequently changed) little one you have ever seen. We received fantastic items and had a great time. One of the most meaningful parts of the shower was the parenting advice that each person wrote to Kevin and I. Then, unknowingly to me, one of the hostesses put all those written advice cards in a beautiful scrapbook that she presented to me. It is amazing and will be treasured always!

A couple weeks before the company, we had professional maternity photos taken. Our friend Sarah does these and she did a fantastic job. Here are a couple of our favorite shots. These are amazing keepsakes for us to remember this special and unique time.

On the baby front, the little one is very busy growing and moving. I am still feeling very well, but I know that I am about ready to not be pregnant anymore. This is fun, but not feeling like there is a full grown watermelon in my stomach will be a welcome change. My doctor tells me that after Monday the 12th, if I go it to labor, she is developed enough to be born and healthy! Not that I want that to happen next week, but it is comforting to know we are at that point. Especially now that things are starting to come together with the house.

Hopefully I will have more news and pictures before the baby is born, but regardless, please keep us in your prayers as we make such a huge transition in our lives.

Love you all (and Happy Mother's Day!), Tonya and Kevin