1st Christmas Pictures

Yesterday we took Joey in to take his Christmas pictures. We were referred by a few friends to this great place (Por.trait Innov.ations) that'll take professional pictures for a reasonable price, show you proofs on a big screen plasma television, help you choose your poses and package and in 15-30 minutes you are walking out the door pictures IN HAND!

We strategically planned our appointment for an hour after his feeding time that way he'll be fed and just waking up from a nap. And normally after he wakes up he's all smiles and coos. Well we get there, I get him dressed in his Christmas outfit and he gives me the biggest cutest smile and throws up all over his outfit. CRAP! So I'm frantically wiping his sweater trying to get it all off. And as I'm wiping him up he spits up again. I catch it in my hand, and have to hand off Joey to Richard so I could walk outside to "water" the tree courtesy of Joey.

So we get called to start out session. The lady places Joey in a gift box, I'm thinkin, "OMG that's gonna be so frickin cute!" And Joey throws up, this time not only did he completely drench his sweater, he got it all over his pants and he got it all over the silky blanket inside the box. Ok, so I clean him up again, and by this time the sweater is too wet and disgusting to leave it on him so I take it off.

We take a few more poses and he's throwing up more milk than what I thought he took down... So we change him into outfit #2. And he must have had an empty stomach by that time because he didn't spit up anymore. We finally finish, we choose our poses and in 15 minutes we were on our way home with pictures in hand.

Our original plan was to take family portraits for our first Christmas with Joey but of all times, Richard got a nasty sty on his upper eye lid, and his entire eye lid is swollen. Its so bad that one eye looks 50% smaller than the other. Its really noticeable. So we x'ed that idea. We just may have to take our own pics at home. But we did set up another appointment in January, to take generational pictures with all of my in-laws, so hopefully Richard's eye will be better and we all will be in good health to take some pictures.

So here they are:

This is the picture we're sending out with our Christmas cards.

These pictures are unedited, the ones that were printed were cropped

And finally, our little Gift from God.

This is the only pose we got with the choo-choo train sweater vest.

As you guessed, we got suckered into buying a ton of pictures. It was just to hard to pick one pose for $9.99 so we chose 12 poses out of the 60 shots taken. So I told Richard that the pictures are my birthday gift, since Saturday was my birthday. I turned the big 27, EEEK!

And Sunday was my parents 29th wedding anniversary, yay for them!

Pictures: Baby showers, Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas

I've been a bad blogger, but I've got a ton of pictures to update yall with.

6 weeks

Joey's baby shower. Given by my mom & sister.

My dad and husband playing one of the shower games.

The men had untie and retie their shoes the fastest without popping their balloon baby bellies. THAT was HILARIOUS!

To much fun in one day. (Napping in his Moses basket)

My little family. (Joey at 8 weeks)

Joey's baby shower, given by my in-laws.

Cake & cookies
The cookies were shaped as blue & white rattles, booties and onsies

Me & JoJo at his shower. (Joey at 9 wks)

Signs my SIL made for the party.

Fall 2007

Halloween

My little Pea in a Pod

Passed out from a Halloween candy suger high. lol

Thanksgiving

10 weeks

11 weeks

Bath time in the sink

"I love bath time"

"... and play time."

Chillin' on our way to our 2 month appt.

Trying to capture a smile.


"Gooooo"
(Almost a smile)

I'm gonna catch a smile sooner or later.

"JOOOOY to the world"

"Come on mom, get the picture and get me off this man's lap"

Last night daddy finally put the swing together.

He loved it!

Now I love it.

Update 11/20/07

Its been a while since I've blogged, life has been keeping us extremely busy. Every weekend we're out doing something different. So let me catch ya up some.

Joey is doing great. He had his 2 month appt Nov 9th and he weighed 10 lbs 12oz. and 22 3/4 inches long. Just 4 more ounces and he doubles his birth weight, which I'm sure he already has by now. He got 3 shots and he didn't even cry. He screamed once when the first needle went in, and the nurse administered the other 2 so fast he didn't have time to take a breath before it was all over with. He's getting chubby and starting to "talk" a lot. He's cooing and gurgling, he also expresses his excitement by lifting his eyebrows and squealing. I LOVE IT! He's also starting to smile, its really cute. I'm trying to get it captured in a picture but its so hard. I'll get it soon enough.

Nov 12th Joey had a appt with his pediatric hematologist at TX Children's Hospital and it went well. He had some lab work done, and we're still waiting for the results.

Oct 28th & Nov 4th I had my baby showers. Joey went to both and everyone got to meet him. He got tons of good gifts. I counted 34 complete outfits, that's shirt & pants. Some had hoodies, caps, booties. Now with his hand-me-downs AND his new stuff, he has more clothes than he can even think about wearing. Everyday he has something different on, I don't think I've repeated an outfit on him yet.

For Halloween he was a pea in a pod. We went trick-or-treating at my parents and also at my in-laws house. He pretty much slept through the whole thing... But we got some cute pictures which I'll have to post later.

Update on me:

My liver enzymes are returning to a normal range. And I talked to my Oncologist about birth control. Because of the blood clotting disorder (MTHFR gene mutation) I can't take BCP because estrogen increases risk of clotting. So we've got the ok, and we're going with the Mir.ena IUD and that should be inserted as soon as AF comes to visit me... If "she" comes before the new year it will be covered 100% by my insurance. So I'm praying "she" comes soon, REAL SOON. If not, we'll be forking out 4 to 5 hundred dollars. Yuck.

I had an upper endoscopy done this past Thursday and it was found that I have acid reflux, and a hernia. I don't have any details on either, since the GI talked to my mom after the procedure. So I have to go back for a follow-up to get some details. Now I'm on Nexium 40mg.

I am enjoying my little Joey. I love, LOVE everything about being his mommy. Its hard work, but when he flashes me that silly little slobbery smile or when he falls asleep on my chest with his arms wrapped around me there is no better feeling in the world.

I'll have to write about my "Proud Mommy Moments" at a later time, this post is getting a little long. Ohhhh and I've made the exciting trip with Joey to the Mecca- Wal-Mart. I'll post about that later too. I'm at work, and gotta get back.

Last but not least.

Happy Thanksgiving. As we will be counting our blessings this holiday, I want you to know that you, your support and our friendship is something I am thankful for. Its been a busy year for us all, but I hope this Thursday you can sit down with your family and enjoy a great meal together. Life is short, and so many things and people are taken for granted. Don't let the day go by without expressing your gratitude to your loved ones.

And if your anything like the women in our family, once you've eaten that last piece of pumpkin pie you'll be sitting down with the Black Friday ads planning out your route for the next morning. We'll be getting up at 2 to be out the door and in line at the stores by 3 or 4:00am.
To all those shopping with me, be careful, if you can go with someone do so, and get your running shoes on! Its SHOPPING TIME BABY! WOOOOOO HOOOOO!!!!

(We're spending the night at my in-laws house on Thanksgiving because my oh-so-wonderful MIL volunteered to watch Joey so Richard and I can go shopping.)

GI

Going back to my "6 week postpartum" entry, I mentioned I've had 3 attacks and was going in for an ultrasound. Well I got the ultrasound report in and it states that there are no gallstones however the report says 'the liver is echogenic, compatible with grade II fatty infiltrate. No focal lesions are seen, intraheptic biliary ducts are not dialated.' On the bottom of the report it restates I have 'grade II fatty infiltrate of the liver.' Another thing, my CBC (complete blood count) report came attached to the back of the ultrasound report along with a referral to see a Gastroenterologist. The CBC report had 3 things highlighted, apparently my liver enzyme levels are elevated.


Alkaline Phosphatase -- 142 ----normal is 33-115

AST------------------- 156 -------------- 10-30

ALT------------------ 342 --------------- 6-40


This morning at 10:15 I went to the GI dr. and he Rx'ed me Nex.ium along with OTC Vitamin E. We'll see how that helps. Dr. said that normally women that have just had a baby are usually susceptible for fatty cells developing in the liver (because of the weight gain & loss) and for having these attacks. Since the developing baby in utero causes one's organs to shift upward making room for him/her, once the baby is out and the organs begin to 'migrate' back into place that's when issues tend to arise. I'm thinking, "Great! Just what every new mom needs, more issues to face while trying to adjust to having a newborn! That's not right!"
Now I'm scheduled for a Upper Endoscopy for Thursday Nov.15th 7:30am. So we'll see how that goes... hmmm. Sounds like fun.

Also in that 6 week postpartum post I mentioned that Joey has 2 copies of the MTHFR gene mutation. So I've made him an appointment to see a Pedi-Hematologist to discuss what the protocol is going to be for him. So Joey's got an appointment tomorrow at 11:45 at Texas Children's Hosp.

PooPoo & FooFoo baby shower

Yesterday I took my little man to see his Pediatrician because he wasn't feeling good. He had been inconsolably crying for hours and wouldn't sleep unless he was swaddled tightly and in my arms. (Slightly TMI) Over the weekend he became constipated and yesterday his tummy felt bloated. I talked to the Dr Saturday and he told us to do 2 things. One, sit him in a bath of warm water with a little baking soda. Supposedly the baking soda is to relax his little...um... **whispering** ana.l sphin.cter. And he also told me to give him 1 ounce of baby apple juice or baby prune juice a day until "it" happens. We did both and neither worked. Three days of non-stop crying and I'm exhausted mentally & physically, and my poor baby is too. It makes me so sad to hear his painful cry, its a helpless feeling. Sunday morning at 5:30am he finally cried himself to sleep. I couldn't put him down because he'd start crying again, so we slept together in the recliner. Anything to get him to stop crying, and to sleep. Sunday and Monday night, same thing. We camped out in the recliner together and got a little more sleep. So the Dr. told me I could give him 1/4 of a Pedi-glycerin suppository twice a day or until "it" softens. We did it, and it worked. And I don't think there was ever a time in my life when I was this happy to see poopoo. lol.

At the appointment Joey was weighed, and my little guy is now a 9 pounder! I was thinking he was 8 and some change. But he is 9 lbs. 1.5 oz.

Well this weekend my mom & sister are throwing us a baby shower/meet the baby. Its gonna be so much fun. Its gonna be a Co-ed party and all of my aunts, uncles & cousins are coming. My dad is BBQing, and my sister has some games planned that sound so much fun. I can't wait! AND!!!!!! Next weekend my SIL's & MIL are throwing us a baby shower. This one is gonna be more "foo foo" and traditional, you know ladies only (and Joey too), hor' devours and cake that kind of stuff.

6wk Postpartum

I just got back from my 6wk postpartum/post-op appt. For the most part, it went well.

We talked about contraceptive options since we're not currently TTC and little did I know that the MTHFR (one copy of C677T gene mutation) that I have is going to cut back my options. I have to call and schedule an appointment with a Hematologist to discuss what he suggests I do/take without putting myself at to much risk for blood clotting. So my options are good ole condoms (ummm NO!), an IUD (Mir.ena or Pe.raGard), Progestin-Only BCP, or Tubal Ligation (which I'm not ready to commit to.) So until I talk to the Hemotologist, it looks like condoms are our only option. Crap! Oh well, I guess its better than nothing. Dr. orders we've abstained since December, so its been more than 10 months without sex. So tonight we're turning off the TV early, switching the ringers off on the house phone and we're gonna have ourselves a little alone time. That is If/When Joey decides to go to sleep. Gah, I hope he sleeps...

Anywho... I don't think I've mentioned it yet but tomorrow I have an ultrasound. Obviously, not the fun kind either. I'm going in for an ultrasound on my chest. This week I've had 3 "attacks" and from what I'm gathering it might be my gallbladder. The attacks are severely painful, honestly it is more painful than labor pain and c-section incision pain. My appointment is at 9:00am so I'll have to chime yall in once I find out what's happenin. Today my Ob said that its not uncommon for a woman's gallbladder to start acting up after she's given birth. In fact, that's when BOTH my SIL's gallbladders acted up. They've both had to have their gallbladders removed, and I'm thinking that's the path I'm headed towards. However, one of my SIL's told me to take care of it before it becomes an emergency situation because if its not an emergency the incisions are done w/laser and are tiny and the healing time is short. If I let it get outta hand, and it becomes an emergency then I will end up with a nice incision as big as my c-section incision. And I'll be damned if I have another incision as big as my c-section open up on me again. My husband will down right divorce me (and I don't blame him) before he has to stuff his hand in my stomach again to stuff a wound.

On to other things:
Joey is doing good, we're having a small run in with Thrush, but nothing to major. I have to give him his medicine 4x a day, and he's not liking the taste of it. I'll give him his meds and he spits it out. I had NO IDEA a 6 wk old (2 wk old if he was at term) baby knew how to spit something out. Its the funniest thing. I shoot the meds in his mouth and almost instantly I hear him "Pfffft Pffffffffft Pffft" and his chin is yellow and sticky from the medicine running down. I couldn't help myself so I tasted a tiny bit of it, and it doesn't taste like anything but maybe a little sugar but not much. Either way, Joey isn't taking a liking to it but we gotta do what we gotta do. Another thing we're noticing is that he's starting to get Cradle Cap. Or what I call Cradle Crap. Its not bad yet, its just a little gummy on his soft spot. So I'm washing his hair while using his baby hair brush and hopefully that'll help some.

The other Not so good thing about Joey: His Pediatric Neurologist called yesterday and told me that his lab work that was drawn came back and he has TWO copies of the MTHFR gene mutation. I'm not sure what that means, but now we're having to make him an appt with a Pediatric Hematologist to discuss what's next and how he will be treated.

5th week

Today my little munchkin is 5 weeks.

Lots of good stuff is going on. But bad news first. I'm dreading going back to work. I mean really, really dreading it. Anytime anyone asks me if I'm ready to go back to work I have to change the subject because I end up so emotional and teary eyed talking about it. I'm so not ready to let my son go. My MIL is going to be watching him, so I know he'll be in good hands, but I'm not ready to hand him over to her. I want to be with him 24/7. My MIL has been coming over one or two times a week so I can run errands around town, or just to get outta the house for an hour or so and when I'm gone, I miss him. I know I'm being such a baby about this, but I'm starting to feel separation anxiety just knowing my return-to-work date is approaching. Not working would be great, but isn't possible right now. :( Ok, I can't talk about it anymore or I'm gonna cry again.

On to good stuff.

My little kangaroo is growing. He's filling out and stretching out. He's finally outgrown Preemie clothes and he's into Newborn now. LOL I know, I know Newborn is still really small, but its progress when Preemie used to fit baggy.

Joey's new trick: He LOVES his new bouncer. Seriously, how in the hell did we make it 5 wks without it?! I just put him in it bounce him a little and those turtle brown eyes start getting really sleepy. I don't have any pics of him in it yet. (Surprising since my camera has been attached to my hand every waking moment.)

And the REALLY good news is, my incision is closing! Today I had an appt and my Ob/gyn said we don't have to stuff it with gauze anymore. The skin is the only thing open now and we can stop dressing it so it can close. WOOOO HOOOO! Five weeks of dressing and redressing it twice a day and finally its healing.

One last thing before I go. The other day we were expecting company over our house so I dressed Joey in a polo shirt and khakis and couldn't help but snap a few pictures of him dressed. Well while we were snapping away we caught the most cutest picture by accident. I think he was smacking his lips or something but it looks like a silly smile. Here, I just gotta show you.

My Picture Perfect Birth Story

Introducing : Joseph Michael Gonzales

Born: Sept. 6, 2007 at 8:23am

Weighing 5 lbs. 8 oz. and Measuring 18 inches

Thursday, September 6th at 4:00am, we got up after a restless night, got ready, loaded up the car and headed out to the hospital. Before we got there we stopped by the donut shop to pick up donuts for the L&D staff, just because we were in a good mood and wanted to start their morning off on the right foot too. It killed me to have to be fasting with freshly glazed warm donuts sitting in my lap. Well we got to the hospital, surprised them with the donuts and let me tell you, they all were so happy, and I think that earned us the Star treatment. I got suited up in my gown, got the monitors on, IV started, while Richard got into his paper scrubs.

(Richard & Anesthesiologist)

Talk about NERVOUS!!!! All our family showed up practically at the same time, we hugged, prayed, and nervously joked around while we waited. Finally the anesthesiologist came in and asked me if I wanted to walk or ride in a wheel chair to the OR. I jumped at the opportunity to walk! I had been on bedrest so long, (2o weeks and 3 days to be exact) so walking was a nice little treat before the c-section.

(My last pregnant picture)

So I pranced my way into the OR and got settled in the bed. I had a Spinal & Epidural cocktail and the numbness started right away. At that point, I got really, REALLY nervous. I've been through so many procedures by this point that when I enter a operating room, its second nature for me to turn on my "clinical mode." I normally concentrate on deep breathing, think about something pleasant, and pray. This time, I couldn't get into that mode and that's when it dawned on me. I was numb from the chest down and I couldn't stop what was about to happen. I couldn't run out of the room if I wanted to. I was about to be de-pregna-tized in a matter of moments and a baby, OUR baby was going to be born. The miracle of life was about to happen in just a matter of moments... All the prayers, all the pain and frustration, all our fears, the months of waiting on bedrest was about to be history because a life was about to enter this world. Physically my body began to shake, the nurse said it was a normal reaction to the Epi & Spinal, but I think it was really a combination of my nervousness and the meds. They draped me, then my husband came in. He sat by me, and I asked him if he could see anything. He couldn't. I think he was to scared to look, but when we heard "It's almost time" he stood up. I looked up at my husband and could see his face mask getting wet from his tears. Then I heard someone say, "His head is out!" My eyes opened in surprise, "Oh My GOD His HEAD Is OUT?!" and just then I heard the tiniest, sweetest kitty cat voice "wheee-eee." Then seconds later, "He's here, It's a Boy! Congratulations!" At that moment I felt that my heart could've exploded, the joy and emotions and the huge relief is something I don't think there are words for. My husband and I hugged and kissed while we laughed and cried at the same time, then I heard the nurse say, "Look over here Mommy!" and they lifted him up for me to see.





Sweet Jesus, he was the most precious little thing I've ever laid eyes on. He was pink, a little messy, with dark wet hair and his tiny arms were out stretched flailing about while he cried. It was the most beautiful sound I have ever heard. His first breath truely took ours away. They quickly handed my son off to some nurses to get cleaned up, and accessed. He looked good. He was small, but he looked and sounded good. They wrapped him up and placed him in Richard's arms.







I can't begin to imagine what that was like for him. He looked at him, kissed his cheek, and sat next to me to give me a look.







Beautiful. Simply God's most precious gift.



There is only one other time in my life that I can say I truely FELT Jesus this close beside me, and it was May 27, 2005 when I gave birth to my angel son Erik. Its a feeling that rushes over me, that can't be started or stopped, it just happens. And I felt Jesus. I felt His presense with us. And I know that if I felt Him, that He would be holding my son Erik like Richard and I prayed He would that day.

The surgery continued and Richard left with the baby. That's when I relaxed, closed my eyes, Thanked God, and thought about what had just happened. I was closed up, and my cerclage was taken out. That cerclage held strong, and I'm sure that was a big factor in the success of this pregnancy. I don't remember everything after that point, I think I was drifting in and out of sleep but once it was all finally over I found myself surrounded with all my family. Not just my parents & in-laws, I mean ALL of my family! My Grandmas were there, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends... It was overwhelming but so nice of them. My room was filled with balloons, flowers, plants, and gifts.



My husband was in the NICU with the baby, they had taken there because he needed to be watched for seizure activity. My Pediatrician and I had made the staff aware that he had been diagnosed with Schizencephaly and they were taking all extra percautions just in case. My family could see Joey one at a time with Richard, but they had to be scrubbed in before they entered the NICU. So Richard was gone for hours. I didn't see him until around 9:00pm that evening when he had shown everybody the baby and he had finally come to my room to have dinner. I was a little upset I hadn't seen him, but understood that he was busy bonding with the baby. I wanted to see my son so badly but couldn't. Until finally at 11:30pm the nurse asked if I was ready to see my son. Of course I was, so I got into a wheelchair and at 11:45pm that night I got to hold my baby for the first time.









We stayed until his 2:00am feeding so I could feed him and he did so good. He ate the entire 30mL (1 oz.) bottle. He was really tired after it, so I held him until he fell asleep.




Friday & Saturday we had more family there to visit. And Sunday evening we were discharged.

Here are some more random pictures from in the hospital.