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.