sponsored Green card application

I am sponsored by a Hospital for the Green card. My PD is 7th of November 2005. My attorney (paid by the Hospital) called me last week to tell me that the priority date were current. I'm in the US since january 2007 under a H4 visa. The lawyer told me that I could get a temporary work permit. According to him, I can either file for the temporary work permit or wait for the consular processing. I don't understand why I should choose between two procedures that should be processed in parallel?
The latest document from NVC that the lawyer forwarded to me was to inform of the backlog in Visa numbers (that was in nov.2006). Since then, I have not received any documents from USCIS nor NVC. Is this usual?
If I get the work permit, will my husband be able to get one too? He's currently in the US on H1B.

Finally, can anyone detail the step by step (or form by form) procedure from the begining of the application to actually "getting" the green card? to know where I stand on that ladder.

Thank you