Loooong Over Due Post.....He's Here!!!!

On Wednesday, April 7th, I went to the Dr for my weekly check up. I was still dilated at 3 CM and thick. I hadn't been noticing very many contractions so the Dr decided to strip my membranes in hopes to kick start contractions. The 1st few hours after the Dr visit I could really feel a difference and was excited that things might start happening soon, but then the feelings stopped and I didn't know what to think.

When I left work on Friday, April 9th, I told my co-workers to say goodbye to my pregnant belly cause it wasn't going to be coming back. For the past week or so I had been predicting that he would be born the end of that week/weekend and I was convinced I wouldn't be returning to work Monday, April 12th.

About 6:30 PM Friday night I felt the first contraction....then about 10 minutes later, another one. The contractions continued to come every 10 minutes and I couldn't help but get excited. THIS WAS IT!!!!!! Soon I'd be meeting that squirmy little guy inside of me. Efren had been outside working on the yard w/ a buddy and it wasn't until about 9PM when I told him that I was actually having contractions and that they were 10 minutes apart.

I was able to sleep some throughout Friday night, but the contractions did keep me up a little. Efren's alarm went off about 5:30AM Saturday morning and the contractions were about 8 minutes apart. We were debating as to whether or not he should go to work. I told him to go ahead and go cause they're only 8 minutes apart and there would be plenty of time for me to notify him and get to the hospital. About 6 o'clock I noticed the contractions were about 6 minutes apart and they were a steady 6 minutes apart for about an hour. We then decided that Efren wouldn't go to work cause we were thinking this little guy would be here by the end of the day. I went ahead and called my parents to give them a heads up as I knew they had plans for the day. They decided to come on up to Tulsa and hang out at Jonathan & Emily's until we decided to go to the hospital.

That morning, Efren and I went for a walk around the neighborhood and played a couple games of Horse to help get things moving. However, by noon I had noticed that instead of getting closer, the contractions had actually gotten farther apart.....about every 8-10 minutes. Not only had they gotten farther apart, but they had also intensified. By mid-afternoon, I was frustrated, discouraged and to the point that I couldn't talk thru the contractions due to the intensity.

That evening, Emily kept texting me trying to convince me to call the Dr or go to the hospital, but I didn't want to. So, she finally decided to call Efren and was easily able to convince him that I needed to go to the hospital. My whole family was getting worried that I had been contracting for 24 hrs and was in pain and were afraid it might be dangering our little guy. So, around 7 o'clock or so we finally loaded up and headed to the hospital. As were getting in the Jeep, I told my husband I was going to cry if I hadn't dilated any.

Sure enough, when I got to the hospital, I was still 3 CM and thick. I couldn't believe it....and it frustrated me even more. All that contracting and for what? NOTHING!!!! My parents had decided that they couldn't hold off any longer to see me so they came up to the hospital and walked the floor w/ me and prayed w/ me. After about 2 hrs, the nurse checked me again and there was VERY LITTLE progress so I was sent home. The nurse gave me a sleeping pill in hopes that it would help me get some sleep, but it didn't do a whole lot....the contractions were to intense for sleep.

Around 3:30 Sunday morning, I woke up and the contractions were 3-5 minutes apart. I sat there breathing thru the contractions for about 3 hrs and then finally decided it was time to wake up my hubby and go to the hospital. When the nurse first checked me, I was at 4 CM and had thinned a little. Once again my parents were headed up to the hospital to sit w/ us and walk the floor w/ us. After a few hours the nurse checked me again and there wasn't a whole lot more progression and the Dr was really wanting to send me home. Thankfully the nurse could tell that I REALLY didn't want to go home and she was able to convince the Dr to let me stay. It was official....I wouldn't be leaving until our little guy was out!

I wasn't progressing fast enough for the Dr so it was decided that when he came and made his rounds that he would break my water. By that time I was totally exhausted and the nurse was suggesting that I get an epidural cause once he broke the water things would only intensify and she could tell that I was exhausted. So about 11 AM or so they came and gave me an epidural and right afterwards the Dr came in and broke my water. My dad has decided that every man needs access to the drug used for an epidural. He couldn't get over the change that took place in me sooo quickly. I had gone from tired and exhausted to wide awake, full of enery.

After the Dr broke my water, the nurse kept coming in to check on me and I still wasn't progressing like they wanted me to, so they started giving me Pitocin. Every hour or so she kept coming in and uping the dose of Pitocin....things just weren't progressing and this little guy wasn't coming out fast enough for them....or for me :-).

FINALLY at about 5:20 PM, I felt the urge to push. The look on Efren's face was priceless when the nurse told him to hold my left leg while I pushed. He thought he was going to be able to stand up by me and miss seeing everything, but he was wrong. So as Efren and the nurse were counting and watching golf on TV, I was sitting there pushing as hard as I possibly could. By the time the Dr made it to my room, Alex's head was well on its way out. After a few more pushes, Alejandro Gonzalez was born at 5:48 PM weighing 7 lbs 13 oz and 20" long.

Thoughts on Month #9

When my mom found out that I was expecting, she gave me a Bible Study called "Nine Months to a Miracle: Spiritual Preparation for moms-to-be". Well, today I started month #9...Delivery.....and the beginning of the chapter really hit home to the situation that I've been facing throughout my pregnancy.

I've been VERY blessed w/ a smooth pregnancy. The one part of my pregnancy that hasn't been smooth is my Dr situation. My official OB is Dr. Cox. I saw Dr. Cox for my 1st OB visit in September where she confirmed my pregnancy and we got our 1st look at our little guy. Then, right before my 2nd appt, I got a phone call that Dr. Cox is on bedrest and that I would be seeing a nurse practicioner. So, for every Dr appt since then, I've been seeing a NP and/or a fill-in Dr.

In December, I asked the NP who would be delivering our little guy if Dr. Cox wasn't back. She informed me that Dr Cox had already had her baby and that she would be back in February and therefore be able to deliver our baby. Then on Friday, I went in for my monthly check-up and I was informed that Dr. Cox wouldn't be back until March or April which makes it questionable as to whether or not she would be available for delivery. So, as of now, I don't know who will be delivering little Alex. It could be Dr Cox, perhaps Dr. Baldwin, or whoever is on call.

I'll be honest, not knowing who will deliver Alex hasn't really bothered me. The way I look at it, that little guy is going to come out no matter who's down there. But I must say, the 1st paragraph of month 9 in this book was quite comforting to think about:

" Two doctors will assist in the delivery of your new baby. One is your medical professional. The other is the One whom we know as the Great Physician."

I may not know which worldly Dr will be there at my delivery, but I know that the Great Physician WILL be there. The Great Physician who knows all and sees all. I know that when the time comes, HE will open the doors to allow the Dr that best fits my needs to be there. Therefore, I can rest in knowing that God is ultimately in control.

The second paragraph continues:

" What a comfort to understand that in addition to the hands of your doctor, God's gently, loving spiritual hands will guide your baby down the birth canal and into your world!"

Psalm 22:9-10- " You are He who took me out of the womb...I was cast upon You from birth. From my mother's womb You have been my God."

Psalm 71:6- "By you I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother's womb."

Pregnancy is making me CRAZY!!!

So things around the Gonzalez house have been quite entertaining recently cause you just never know what I'm going to blurt out in my sleep.

It all started a few weeks ago, I fell asleep on the couch while watching a Cavs game. All of a sudden I woke up, pointed at the wall, and started ranting about this HUGE spider that was climbing on our wall. Of course my hubby just looked at me like I was crazy. I insisted that there was indeed a spider on the wall...."don't you see it....it's climbing up the wall.....now it's going behind the tv....GET IT QUICK!!!!."

A few days later I fell asleep on the couch...yet again....while watching a Cavs game. This time I woke up..."Ohhh, that was a nasty fall". Once again, my husband looks at me like I'm crazy. My response...."Didn't you just see that nasty fall Lebron took? That looks like it had to hurt. Is he going to be okay?" Turns out Lebron wasn't even playing....the Cavs weren't even playing. Their game had ended and the 2nd game for the evening had started.

The next morning, the alarm went off and I rolled over to wake Efren. Only instead of saying "efren, time to get up" I said, "Dad, time to get up".

So, things calmed down for a little bit and I was starting to think maybe the crazy spells were over. Then Monday evening rolls around. Efren had gone over to his brother's to hang out for a while and I had opted to go to bed early. Efren comes home and starts to crawl into bed when I quickly stopped him and told him, "watch out....don't squish the food". Of course there was no food. The second I said it, I came to my senses and realized what I just did and was like, OH.....I did it again. I then laid in bed going over things in my head trying to convince myself that there was a reason for me to say what I said, but alas, I couldn't find a reasonable explanation.

My final story....for now....happened last night. Once again, I fell asleep on the couch watching the Cavs game. I woke up exlaiming, "look, that guy's photocopying his butt". I have absolutely NO IDEA where this came from. This was BY FAR the most random outcry that I've had as of yet. And once again, as soon as I said it, I realized what I had done.

So, other than the crazy outcries that I'm having, the pregnancy is going really well. I've been sooo fortunate in that I haven't experienced any morning sickness. For the most part I feel the same that I did before I was pregnant. I'm 19 weeks today and still can't believe I'm almost halfway thru the pregnancy. I can feel the baby move....in fact today it's been rather active and I feel like it's doing flips. I go back to the Dr on Monday where I hope we can get the official word as to whether or not Baby Gonzalez is a boy or a girl.

Another Ultrasound Pic

I was going thru my goodie bag from the Dr this morning and found this 1 stray ultrasound pic. So, I wanted to share it w/ you all

Our Wiggle Worm!!!!!

Holy cow....today's experience at the Dr's office was absolutely AMAZING!!!!!!!

I must confess, I was EXTREMELY nervous cause I halfway expected her to tell me I'm crazy....I'm not pregnant. I guess because of the fact I haven't had morning sickness, I couldn't help but doubt that I really was pregnant. But any doubt that I had before today, is now gone cause I've finally seen the proof. Take a look for yourself :-)

At first the baby was just laying, sleeping peacefully. So, the dr decided to give it a little poke to see if she could get it to move. Boy, did it ever start sqirming all over the place. Waving its arms, kicking its legs and even rolling over on the side as if to look at us. The Dr called it a wiggle worm. It was soo cool to be able to see it move like. Once she poked the little thing, it didn't stop moving.

It was definately a GREAT experience and I was soo glad that Efren was there to share w/ it. He was extremely amazed at how developed the baby was. He wasn't expecting to be able to see it's little arms, legs, hands and feet. We also got to hear the heart beat, but what I thought was even cooler was seeing the little flicker on the monitor of the baby's actual heart....totally amazing.

We're scheduled to go back October 22nd and I'll be 15 weeks at that visit.

Seeking Him: Struggling for Words

Thought this could be a good reminder for all of us:

Struggling for Words

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: When our nation experiences a sudden crisis, what do most people do? Flip on the TV. We want the very latest information and analysis. But do you ever find that commentators and reporters struggle for words—especially when faced with severe shock or grief?

There’s nothing wrong with watching the news, but ultimately, it’s not the most reliable source of information.

In dark times, the Word of God gives light, understanding, and wisdom. That’s why we sometimes need to unplug, and open the Bible.

Scripture gives us perspective. It reminds us that God is our refuge. A present help in time of trouble. It gives us faith in times that are fearful. We’re reminded that we don’t have to fear even though “the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.”

Where do you go for true perspective? To the television, websites, or blogs? Or to the Word of God?

Weekend w/ the Family

This weekend my parents came up for a visit. I was sooo excited to have them come as they were our first official houseguests to where they stayed over more than 1 night and I actually had to plan meals. I had soo much fun planning the menu for the weekend and getting to play hostess.

They arrived around noon on Friday and Efren and I took them to a local BBQ restaurant that we recently discovered called Wild Bill's BBQ. It sure was fun to see my dad's face when he whipped out his wallet to pay and I stopped him and handed the cashier the money. He definately wasn't expecting that.

For dinner, it was just me and my parents and I made some Chicken Enchiladas w/ chips, salsa and home made guacamole. The last time I can remember making these enchiladas was for Jonathan when he was still living at his 1st apartment...that seems like forever ago. I'm soo glad they popped into my head when I was creating my menu cause they're sooooo good. Here's a link to the recipe

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Chicken-Enchiladas-2

I must say, these enchiladas are no way AUTHENTIC....my husband gave me the hardest time about making these enchiladas and stating that he was ashamed that anything other than authentic Mexican food was coming out of our kitchen. However, he sure did like them when he finally got to try some :-)

For saturday breakfast I had planned on pancakes, eggs, sausage and bacon. However Efren and my dad indeeded up leaving at 5 o'clock that morning to go fishing so my mom and I just had a light breakfast and then worked on preparing some food for that evening/Sunday's lunch.

We met up w/ Efren's parents for lunch on saturday at a local Chinese buffet. My dad is such a people person and he doesn't let any language get in his way. It started off a little akward at first, but eventually they got a good conversation going and I think overall it went pretty well.

Jonathan, Emily and William came over for dinner Saturday night. Efren went all out in preparing a meal for them. For my dad and Jonathan he had filet mignon and lobster tail. For my mom, Emily and myself he had halibut and/or salmon. All of this was plated up (no family style serving is allowed w/ my husband) w/ rice, squash and asparagus. Each fish also had it's own sauce. It was a WONDERFUL meal and my family absolutely loved it. For dessert we had homemade brownies w/ ice cream.

Saturday evening I mixed up an egg casserole that I could pull out of the fridge and bake for breakfast the next morning. The recipe called for ham, but instead I used sausage. I had never made this recipe before, but I thought it turned out pretty well.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Overnight-Egg-Casserole-2

For lunch we went over to Jonathan and Emily's along w/ Jim & Karen Lindamood. Needless to say, w/ this group of people, the converstaion was very lively. Efren and I just sat back and listened and laughed. Jonathan had smoked about 15 lbs of brisket that was REALLY good and then I brough potato salad (which my mom made) and baked beans for the side dishes. Karen brough a delicious apple crips for dessert.

I sure was sad to see my parents leave that afternoon. It had been such a fun weekend and i had really enjoyed playing hostess. I can't wait til they come back up and we get to do it again. Efren is already talking about how next time he's going to have to come up w/ an even nicer meal than he had made on saturday.