Busy Month of December

December came and went too fast for us. Brandon and I celebrated his 30th Birthday in Las Vegas babyless. It was nice to have a weekend together, but we missed Avery so much. Christmas was much more meaningful to the both of us this year because of our little girl. Avery definitely got spoiled with gifts by everyone and she had a chance to be held by all of our extended family members:) Brandon surprised me with a plane ticket to go see Trina, Monte, and Hannah in April. It was by far the best gift ever! I can't wait to bring Avery to DC for 8 days. Here are some pics from Vegas and Christmas.

Where did 3 Months Go?

Avery just turned 3 Months Old yesterday and it seems that time has flown by. My first day back to work was also yesterday and Daddy had Avery for 12 hours. He sure enjoyed his time with baby girl and realized how hard of a job it is to stay at home with her. I'll be working two days a week which will be perfect! Avery is sure talking up a storm with her vowl sounds lately. We can sit there and have a conversation with her for a good 10 minutes. Her smiles are contagious and it just makes us melt. With her sleeping pretty much through the night, both Brandon and I feel a bit more refreshed these days. We took her to the San Ramon Pumpkin Patch and have posted a few pics of her in her Halloween tutu. I brought her to the Tipton's to spend her first Halloween with baby James. Since Katie is a professional photographer I let her snap the photos of the babies dressed up. She hasn't edited them yet.

Long Overdue

Wow! We are so overdue with updating our blog. Avery is 2 months old and just went for her immunizations and check up yesterday which was not fun. She weighs 9lbs 13oz and is constantly changing. She is no longer a newborn, but an infant now.We have transitioned her into her crib and she's sleeping 6 hours at night. She smiles constantly which is so rewarding.
We celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversery in Lake Tahoe with Avery and for the most part she was pretty good. I am back to running and Avery seems to love the jogging stroller which is nice for me. Brandon has been back to work for about a month now which makes for a very happy Otto but a sad mommy and baby! I am flying solo with Avery next week to Southern California. We will stay a week with the Blanks and even get to visit Papa Greg's family. They just can't wait to meet Avery. I go back to work in November which I am actually happy about. I get to work 2 days a week and Avery will be able to spend those days with her Nonni, Grammy, and Papa.
Papa Greg had an emergency brain surgery over the weekend and he gets discharged from Stanford hospital hopefully today! He keeps asking for his grandbaby and I can't wait for him to hold her. It will make him so happy. If he's not able to go back to work, he will be able to play with Avery a lot. Can't wait to see how handy our little girl is going to turn out. She'll know how to build a home, work on cars, and use every tool possible! That's all for now.

August 2, 2009 Avery Sage Hensel was Born

I finally was able to sneak away from feeding, changing, or snuggling with Avery to post a blog. One week ago today Avery was born and besides our wedding day, the happiest day of my life. I went into early labor on Friday night. Brandon came home from work at 2AM and i was up all night charting my contractions. I thought I needed to go to the hospital, but Brandon kept saying that my contractions weren't putting me in the pain like the women in the childbirth videos we watched... The next morning, after hitting the grocery store to stock our fridge like we would never be able to get to the market again, my mom came over and we went to the Livermore Art Festival. I was continuing to have contractions and they were becoming more painful. We decided to go to the hospital so that i could at least be checked. I was dialated on 1 1/2 cm but they decided to keep me. After receiving the epidural i could rest and within an hour and half, I dialated from 4 1/2cm to 10 and was ready to have Avery. With very little pushing and zero pain, she was out in 45 minutes:) She was born 7 lbs even and 19.5 inches in length! Her weight surprised us all since the doctor had continually told me that i was carrying such a small baby. To us, she's PERFECT! We went home a day later and have been enjoying every second, day or night with her. We've had visitors pop their heads in and it has been nice to have social time with our friends and family. So thank you to all that have made the haul to San Ramon to see us. We will continue to keep you updated. I didn't realize that i would be so busy:)

xoxo,

Brandon, Nicole, and Avery

39 Week and an Update

I have been going for Non Stress Testing two times a week to monitor Avery because I've been measuring small for weeks over the past month and a half. With two ultrasounds and two non stress tests, all has seemed ok. Dr. Oliveira stripped my membranes yesterday which didn't feel so great:( She said that she has such tiny hands and that it most likely won't put me into labor, but hopefully dialated me more than the 1 cm that i am at. She did schedule me to be induced this coming Monday, August 3. I am scheduled to see her for an exam appt at 9:15 in the morning and then we will go from there. So looks like Avery will be arriving early next week, unless she decides to make an appearance sooner. We can't wait to see what she looks like and I cannot wait to hold her:) I have been off work for about 3 weeks now so everything is ready. Brandon worked his last overtime shift (thank God) and now we are just trying to relax while we wait. We will keep you updated as to what the Dr decides to do on Monday.
xoxo

Maternity Photo Shoot

My amazing wedding photographer, Daniela Degrassi photographed me at 36 weeks prego. We went to San Francisco and had a wonderful afternoon together. She is so creative and extremely talented. Here are a few of her favorite pictures:

The Busy Month Of June

June was an extremely fun filled month for us. I had my third baby shower hosted my my sister and best friend Cameron. It was fantastic and I got a chance to visit with all my best friends and family. Katrina, Monte, and Hannah were out here which was the best treat ever. We also had an absolute BLAST at Jessica and Joel's wedding. My cousin looked gorgeous and her wedding was beautiful.
I am slowly healing a fractured pinky toe and battled the stomach flu last Friday. Needless to say, I am 35 weeks and Avery cannot come soon enough. I had a checkup with my OB yesterday and she continues to tell me that it looks like i will be having a small baby:) I am very thankful that our home has AC because the weather has been so hot. I will stop working the 9th of July and am looking forward to some time to relax. Here's a few pics from the busy month of June.

Baby Shower #2 Hosted by the Sanchez Ladies

What a fun filled weekend. I had a blast at Katie's baby shower and then the Sanchez Ladies hosted a BEAUTIFUL shower for me. It was so much fun and Avery got so many gifts. The girls really put a lot of work into making this day extra special for me. Thank You Aunt Patty for hosting the shower at your house:) About 20 minutes after being home with Brandon and telling him about the showers, he told me that I received a package in the mail. I told him it was probably from Babies R Us. He pulled the package into the kitchen and it was the Bugaboo Stroller that i have been wanting. He surprised me and bought the stroller for me when I was at the shower. I was so in shock and so excited! What a Great Hubby I Have:)

31 WEEKS

Here's a few fun pictures. My sister had sent me an enormous box full of maternity clothes when I got pregnant. I have been dying for the weather to be warm so that I could sport this fun Happy Hour Shirt:)

I got home from work last night and by surprise received Avery's crib! Thank goodness my neighbor was home to put it inside for me. I can't wait for Brandon to put it together and then I can start decortating the nursery. Thank You to Avery's Grandmas and Great Grandma Noni for buying her crib:)

30 Weeks

My exhaustion is starting to set in BIG time. I went to lay down to read yesterday around 6pm. I dozed off and when I woke up it was midnight. Being I just got almost a full night of rest, I couldn't fall back asleep. Frustrated, I tossed and turned until 4 in the morning. I actually found myself quite amused by how active Avery was. She was moving from one side of my tummy to the other. It is so awesome to feel and now watch her move. Brandon wasn't home last night but when she moves, he gets so excited which is super cute!
We have lots to look forward to in June and cannot believe we are just days away. I have 2 more showers, our childbirth class, my cousin's wedding, and best of all my sister will be here for two weeks with Hannah!
I can post some pictures of my belly once I see my husband. Otto and Brandon have been working non stop and I can't seem to figure out how to take pictures myself...

Arakawa Dental Office Baby Shwower

Here are some pictures from my first baby shower hosted by the Dr. Arakawa Dental Office. It was so much fun and everyone that helped out really put a lot of effort into making the shower extra special. There was a surprise performance of belly dancing by Ruth and she was AWESOME! We all had a blast:) Thank you ladies for making the shower so special!The Girls Belly Dancing With Ruth
Authentic Mexican Food Was Delicious

Some of the Ladies

Mom, Grandma Adele, and Cindy

The Famous Carne Asada Chef: Jaime