Emma Lenora Broussard

We spent 3 days in the hospital. By Tuesday I was STIR crazy and ready to go home. This c-section went just as smoothly as the last. No pain meds needed! I begged Dr Lee to let me go home early and he said I could go as soon as the baby could go. We had lots of visitors and ate VERY well!!! No hospital food for us....no way. We had Copelands, Ray PeeGees, and Mohawk.

Emma has a little "gas" smile on her face....

Ava giving Emma her first kiss...pls note the sticker on her chest....

Proud Daddy...just wait about 12 years when he has to wait on a bathroom...

Just relaxing. She does this ALOT!!!!!

Welcome Emma!!!!

Emma Lenora Broussard was born 2/23 at 8:57 am. She was a whopping 8 lbs 12 oz (reason for my indigestion) and was 20 3/4 inches long. The cord was wrapped around her neck (it was wrapped around Ava's neck twice). She was never in any distress from the cord. She did have alot of fluid on her lungs and they worked on her for what seemed like forever. I could hear them beating her on the back and suctioning her. and her screaming. I asked Jason "are they hitting her on the back" and he just nodded. I'm glad I did not have to actually see it like he did. We were back there a long time so all the family was getting a little worried. Finally, they brought her to me and Jason walked out with her. Ava was not sure about her at first. But later everyone said she stood at the nursery window yelling "baby sister". When I had Ava they brought her to me in recovery right away. I only got a chance to hols Emma in recovery for a few minutes. She was in the nursery a long time as they were still working on getting fluid off her lungs. A nurse came back to tell me that she would bring her out soon and that I may see bruising around her mouth from the suctioning. She also said she would be bruised on her back and shoulders from the pounding. I never noticed any bruising...thank goodness!!!

Jason walking out with Emma

Ava's first glimpse at her new sister

Ava looking at Emma in the nursery
My first chance to hold Emma after recovery

Here we go........

We took these pictures at about 10:30 pm Sunday night...right before leaving for the hospital. We took the same pose the morning we left for the hospital when Ava was born. It was VERY hard to drop Ava off at my Mom's that night. She cried and kept saying "I want my Mama". It broke my heart!!!!! Needless to say I spent the majority of the hours before leaving for the hospital starring at Ava. She was sleeping so peacefully...no clue as to what was to come. The last few weeks leading up to the delivery,I tried to spend as much quality time with Ava as possible (I know she will never remember it, but I will). It was hard because I was so sick those last few weeks and had no energy to play with her. She would come in the kitchen and say "Wanna play mama?" and it was all I could do not to cry because I knew these would be the last days I could just sit with her in her room and play (which consist of me eating make believe food....) Now....I will be replaced as the playmate (soon) and Emma will take my place :)

Counting Down.....

It's hard to believe that in 3 short days Ava will be a big sister and me and Jay will be the parents of two little girls. Just a few years ago we had almost given up hope on ever having a family beyond just the two of us. As a matter of fact...after years of trying and a few surgeries, we had our first infertility treatment on Ash Wednesday of 2006. I remember thinking, this has to work...it's a holy day and the priest has blessed me. I was devastated when it was not successful. Then 3 attempts later, we found out we were getting an Ava... Now 3 short years later we have a wonderful little girl and will be having another just 2 days shy of Ash Wednesday... Talk about irony.... Here is a picture of Jason showing Ava off for the first time. The next time he walks down that hall it will be with Emma and he will be showing her off to Ava....while I'm still trying to feel my legs :)

I can't sleep these days. The indigestion is soooo bad that every time I lay down I get sick and throw up. It's been days since I have been able to go all day without getting sick. I hope and pray that the cure for all this is delivery!!!! Speaking of delivery...that's in 5 days. I can't believe that our new baby daughter will be here in 5 days. We managed to get the two rooms finished. We still need to hang the curtains in Emma's room, but for the most part everything is done. My plan is to try and get my house clean Thursday. I have my final Dr's appointment Friday and then we will spend the weekend just relaxing and being with Ava. I know that she will never remember what it is like to be the only child and get all the attention, but I can't help but feel a little sad for her. She loves climbing up in my lap and watching TV. I hope she understands that she may not be able to do that every time she wants to now. She also loves to get in bed with me in the morning when her daddy leaves for work. She will sleep another 30 minutes to 1 hour. I'm not sure how well that will work with the new baby. So many things are going to change and I know that most will be for the best. I just hope we can adjust....

With my thoughts of the future I can't help but think of the past. Here is Ava just a few hours old.....

"L" is for Lucky

I feel like I'm the luckiest person in the world. The two new rooms are completed (except for the stone work on the outside), I was given 2 of the most wonderful showers by co-workers and friends during the past week, so far I do not have the chicken pox...nor does Ava, and other than indigestion, I feel wonderful! We still have alot of work to do to get ready for little Emma, but it will all get done with time to spare. Valentine's Day is coming up and Ava is attending her first Valentine Party at Daycare tomorrow. I have waited years to purchase those little boxed Valentine's and did so today with a BIG smile on my face. I can't wait to see the ones she receives...

Also....my most favorite photographer in the world has updated her blog and added a huge picture of Ava to the top of her page. http://www.shannaglaeser.com/ is the website and you click on the link to her blog. I'm hoping that everything works out and allows us to have Emma's pictures made with Shanna like we did with Ava. I know I'm a little biased, but I think my little Ava is simply breathtaking. Imagine another little face in tow weeks that will be just as wonderful. I secretly hope this baby has a few more of my features...Ava looks so much like Jason it's scary.

The three pictures I have posted are from one of Ava's recent days at her Papaw and MiMi's house. The chickens are at the neighbors house (they also have goats and sheep). She LOVES animals!!!! The other two are of her on her Papaw's shoulders and her and Rhett Tye (my brother's son) playing on his bike.

16 days to go......

The new office has officially been completed. Now we just have to move all the stuff back in it. Jason is putting the final touches on the baby's room (ceiling fans) and he is having major problems (I can hear him saying ugly words). I guess I should go in there and help, but he will just stress me out! His shingles are clearing up and I had blood work done last week to see if I have any antibodies in my system. If I don't, they may need to give me a shot. If I get them, the baby may also need a shot. So say your prayers! My mother-in-law has completed the baby bedding and is now working on the curtains. It looks like everything is coming together. We may actually have a "free" weekend next week. That would be really nice. I would love to do something special with Ava before the big day arrives and turns her little world UPSIDE DOWN! They estimated Friday at my Dr's appt that Emma weighs 7.4 pounds. I'm thinking she will weigh over 8 pounds on the 23rd. Ava was 7 pounds 14 oz. (and she was 2 days overdue). Emma is actually coming about 1 1/2 weeks early.

Out next goal after the rooms are complete and put back in order is to go up in the attic and haul all the baby stuff down that we put up there thinking we would never need it again. Thank the Heavens I was too sappy to get rid of it!!!!!

20 days to go......

I can't believe that in 20 days I will have another baby. I am still in shock and find it hard to believe that after everything we went through to have Ava, this baby was a BIG surprise. A WONDERFUL surprise, but a surprise non the less. I am going to be a mother of 2 and just 3 years ago I was in a deep depression because I did not think I would ever have any children. My house is still a disaster zone with all the construction. Ava and I had to evacuate last night to my Mom's and will be there a few days while the smell of stain and sealant clears out. Jason is EXHAUSTED!!!! He is working almost non-stop to get the baby's room and my new office complete. If everything goes well, he should be finished by this weekend. I want him to be able to have a few days to relax, because in 3 weeks he is going to be busy again......