Gage at 2 weeks....

Okay...that's my favorite picture of Damon & Gage...taken @ 2 weeks.
...I love that picture!!!

Saturday...

Well, it's Saturday.

I feel like sh*t. I'm sick. I barely have any voice at all.
Gage is sick too.
It all started w/ Damon. He was sick...then last Sunday Gage started w/ congestion...Then I started on Thursday...
Oh, on Friday--we took Gage back to the pediatrician's office b/c of the congestion & because 3x in a 4 hour time span, his face turned blue around his nose & mouth & chin. It FREAKED me out. Okay--w/ that being said, I should mention that it happened once while he was still in the hospital, and I rushed him down to the nursery & they told me not to worry & it quickly resolved itself.
Well---at that time he was fine. This time it happened 3x in a short amount of time & he was/is congested!!! So anyway...he's fine.

So, we give him "Little Noses" in his nose...and suction out his boogies (which he hates!!!). And, we put a humidifier right next to his bassinet.

I've discovered that it officially sucks to get sick as a mother. You dont get to take "time off" from mommy-hood. So, when I'm sick & Gage is sick, life goes on...and I get up...and I still have diapers to change & a baby to feed, and boogies to suction out of his little nose! And, I think---'Gosh, if I feel this bad, he must feel just awful!', and it makes you want to take all of that away from him...

Anyway... I should mention that when I left off my last blog, Damon & I were taking Gage to Farmer's Market for his Halloween Picture & to pick out a pumpkin. Well...let me just tell you all about that... So, we bundle him up...I get his costume out of the closet...lay it next to the infant carrier & diaper bag. Damon put Gage in the carrier...loaded the diaper bag, Gage (& the infant carrier) into the truck, told me to lock the door, and off we went. I ASSUMED that he got Gage's costume. I mean--I just laid it right there next to the baby & the diaper bag!!! Well, he ASSUMED that I got it. So, we get to Farmer's Market, and drive around until I finally tell Damon exactly where I think we should go for the best pumpkin (after all, this is my child's first pumpkin & Halloween experience...I'm such a new mom...).
Damon turned to me & said, "Are you going to put his costume on him?"
And I said, "Yes, where did you put it?"
Damon: "I thought you got it."
Me: "I thought you got it."
So, needless to say--neither of us got the costume.
But, we decided that we'd get out, get a picture, get the pumpkin--even though he was not in his costume.
Well--getting an infant out & bundling him up & getting the stroller out, and the camera....that took about 7 minutes. I mean to tell you--we were out of the car, just got the carrier hooked onto the stroller...locked the truck...took about 2 steps away from the truck...it started raining.

CLEARLY---we were not meant to buy a pumpkin that day. So we didnt. We loaded back up left.

So now...we may go tomorrow. Not because I am feeling particularly well--but because we're having an open house & have to be gone for a couple of hours.

New Topic...Movie Reviews:
Kicking & Screaming: kids movie...it's okay...
The Upside of Anger: talk about some unexpected twists. And, Kevin Costner...can you really ever see too many Kevin Costner movies? ...I think not.

That's about all I know for now...

Pimp my stroller....

Okay, so for Halloween...maybe Gage could go as a little "Gangstah". I could get some rims for the ride, maybe some type of lift system for the stroller....some curb feelers for sure ('cuz his momma drinks!), and blue lights installed underneath.... Time out---we're gonna need some type of sound system...you know, something w/ a lot of bass... I'd splurge on capping his teeth in gold, maybe even w/ jewels...but he doesnt have any teeth.
...he's got plenty of baggy clothes...I can put him in his 9-12 month jeans & let them sag below his diaper...

...okay...the rims, the sound system...that costume's sounding a bit pricey...

Mom found a costume in Tyler today & called me to tell me about it. She said it is so cute & funny. It's a baby Whoopy Cushion costume. Who ever thought of that??? And, because my baby toot-toots a lot, Mom said that Gage would be equipped w/ his own sound effects!

...No really, I got him a Bumble-bee costume. The thing looks huge...so we're going to have to see if it fits.... We're going to try it on him today, and go down to Farmer's Market & pick out a pumpkin. That's the plan anyway... weather permitting, of course!

I'm out of here for now. Gage will be ready to eat shortly!

4 weeks old today...

Gage is 4 weeks old today. It's so hard to believe!!!!

Yesterday we took Gage down to Gilmer where Damon's grandmother lives. Well, while we were there,one of her doctors called w/ some bad news. Grandmother's cancer is back & they are going to start hospice today or Monday. We all had a wonderful visit otherwise, and the news came right before we were leaving...and Grandmother said her good-byes to Damon. It was so sad. But...she was soooooo excited to see & hold Gage for the first time. I mailed some pictures down there earlier this week or last week...and her son said that she was soooo excited to see them. So, that was good.

Here's a picture from Grandmother's 89th birthday back in April:

I was pregnant back then! Also pictured: Damon, Damon's mom, and Damon's step-dad.


Movie Reviews:

Crash-----very good. It's the new "Crash"...not the one about eroticism & car accidents (dont ask...). Anyway--it was really bizarre, & I hated it at first...but it turned out to be really good.

A Lot Like Love----with Ashton Kutcher. Pretty cute. Damon & I liked it.

I'm really excited about this romantic comedy w/ Uma Thurman coming out. I really want to see that!

TV comments:

The Apprentice----Love this show. Love it. Was very sad to see Christy go last night. I think she was so cute & funny. Favorite moment: when she called someone a "goober".

Desperate Housewives----Love this show too! Can you believe Susan's actions???? I understand that she wants to protect her daughter from Zack...but man is her boyfriend going to be pissed when he finds out...and you know he will...

Donald Trump & Days of Our Lives----okay, I dont watch Days of our Lives...but I saw a commercial & he's going to be on there...are you kidding me? What a joke...

Making the Band 3------I'm a big Aubrey fan. Still rooting for her!

ER----fell asleep last night. Didnt get to see the whole thing...

Onto other things...
The State Fair of Texas is going on right now. I go every year. I never miss it! I dont think I'll be going this year. I'd love to, but I'm sure Damon wont go for it. He's not a big fan.

Dad's supposed to be coming into town this weekend for his highschool reunion.
Hopefully I'll get to see him!

Damon's Dad was going to come into town today, but he had a work thing come up, so he had to go out of town...somewhere...I think Commanche.
Damon's sister, Ramona, was going to come tomorrow, and she & Damon's dad were going to keep Gage so that Damon & I could go on a date. Well, now Damon's dad cant come, and Damon told Ramona to go visit Grandmother instead. So...who knows what we'll do tomorrow....

I still have some thank you notes to crank out...but I'm out of stamps...so maybe I'll run to the Post Office today. Woohoo! Big outing!!!!

I'm out of here for now...

11 pounds & growing....

I cannot believe that my sweet baby boy already weighs eleven pounds. I know, because I weighed him this morning at my mother in law's house.

He's growing so fast! Whenever parents say "They grow up so fast"...boy, they really mean it! And, we can never go back. He'll never be brand new again. He'll never be so tiny again.... AAAAAwwwww.....

Anyway...he'll be 4 weeks old this Friday. I can hardly believe it. Really.

I often call him my little "Hungry Mungry". It means absolutely nothing...but he eats all the time.
Today though---he ate an extraordinary amount in one feeding...and I think he may be going through a growth spurt. He ate approximately 7 ounces. Now, I suspect that each breast produces a minimum of 2 ounces (because I normally pump almost 3 ounces per side...). He "emptied" one, I pumped the other & that was about 2 ounces (a little more...) & then he also took 3 ounces of formula when all the breast milk was gone.

...this may be way too much information for the average reader....but, since this is what my world has become--those who read my blog will either have to start skimming for content, or embrace discussions of my breast milk production!

Okay...back to my son...

Other nicknames developed for him:
Poohbear (because he poos a lot...nothing to do w/ Winnie the Pooh)
Sir Poos A Lot (also...Sir Shits A Lot & Sir Craps A Lot)
Tank (size...)
Chunk (size...)
& previously mentioned...Hungry Mungry.

Not much else going here.
Saw Dad yesterday. He was in town for a split second...So were Mom & Allen. They had legal stuff to tend to w/ regard to the car accident, and Allen's Pedi Neuro appt. Oh, the good news: Allen has been medically cleared to play contact sports. Dad said that his whole little being just lit up!
:)
Now, I know it's too late for football season this year...but there are always the Spring sports & football for next year.
Oh, I'm just so happy for him!!!!

Had some MLS showing thing for the house today. So...Gage & I packed it up & went out to Rockwall to my MIL's house (Mother In Law). Stayed out there for a bit & then came back.

Damon's home from work now...Gage is napping...

Big plans for tomorrow: Give Gage a bath. That's about it....

Signing off for now!

Monday, Monday...

So...last week I took Gage down to Mema's.
Then on...Friday...I went up to the hospital to visit coworkers. Damon stayed home w/ Gage.
:)
Then...Saturday....Damon played in a poker charity event thing & Megan & I went to Northpark to walk around & ate.
Sunday...took Gage down to Tyler to visit. Spent the night. Came back today. Boy am I tired!!!!

Tomorrow, both Mom & Dad will be in town w/ Allen & meeting w/ attorneys & his pedi neurologist. I am going to meet them for lunch.

Wednesday---some type of MLS showing thing for our house so that other realtors will see it. Yuck. That means I've got to clean, clean, clean. ....oh, and be gone for when they come through. Great.

I guess I'll rest on Thursday!

Movie Review: The Wedding Date....Damon & I both LOVED it!!!

Life is so different now....

Above is our first family photo....taken just a few minutes after Gage was born.

Notice I havent blogged much lately???
That's because Gage was born...

No, really...life is good.

Looks like I'll be going back to work the week of Thanksgiving. That certainly was not my plan...but thanks to bedrest before delivery...I'll have used up all of my FMLA weeks, and therefore must return to work when medically cleared.
That's okay though...I'm kind of missing work. Of course, by the end of the first full week back--I'm sure I'll be whistling a different tune!...we'll see.

Gage is napping right now.

We went to visit Mema yesterday. All of her sisters are in town visiting her, and she just had a birthday...so I went down there & she got to see Gage for the first time. She kept saying that she wanted to keep him, and that he's too pretty to be a little boy. (we wont tell Gage that she said that! He's probably going to be embarassed by that comment later on in life...)

Today is Gammy's 84th birthday. Called her....but she is off gambling for the day. Woohoo! Live it up! Hey--you only turn 84 once, you know?

Allen saw Gage for the first time yesterday. He was soooooo cute. He was too nervous to hold him at first. He was just sooooo cute about the whole thing.

My sister saw Gage for the first time yesterday. She was at the hospital for a good while during my labor. She was also there the night of the 11th for the big false alarm. Anyway--she had to leave before Gage made his big appearance, and we just hadnt gotten together since then...so she finally got to see him & hold him. That was good.

...and we talked about Riley. And we looked at pictures that Mema had of Riley. And we cried. Now that I'm a mom, I have a whole new perspective on Riley's death. It's like I feel a whole new kind of hurt that I didnt feel before Gage got here. I mean, I was sad before--I was angry--I missed him...I didnt understand it all....but now that I'm a mom...it's just...different. It feels more like an ache if that at all makes sense. And now--I understand when a few people said "I just COULDNT go" when they talked about not going to Riley's funeral. It's probably a whole lot better that I was pregnant during that time, and not a brand new mom. And I still dont know how my sister gets through her days. My mom says that she still doesnt really feel it yet. It's like she's operating on auto-pilot. Dont get me wrong--she's definitely had her good days & bad days...good moments & bad moments....but she seems to be doing a lot better than I'd be doing in her shoes!

Anyway....onto a better, happier subject....

Movie Review: Fever Pitch w/ Drew Barrymore....mega-cute. Loved it.

That's all I know for now!
Gotta run!

Gage's birth story...

On Thursday, 9/22/5, I was scheduled to go into the hospital for my induction. I was told to call L&D first to make sure they were still able to induce me that day. Damon called around 7, as we were supposed to go in at 8. They said that I had to be delayed, and that they could take me at 9.

So, we leave the house to head to the hospital...oh, about 8:30 in the morning. As we are backing out of the driveway--it seems to hit Damon that we wont be returning to our home as 2 people ever again...when we come back, there will be a 3rd person with us!!! We'll be parents!!! As he was verbalizing all this to me--you could see the little beads of sweat developing on his forehead. Damon FINALLY had his little "overwhelmed" moment. Lord knows I had a few throughout the whole pregnancy...

So, we hop on the highway heading to the hospital. Damon was so excited that he was on the phone nonstop with various people. I tried a couple of times to suggest that we not take the highway, but he was quite occupied on the phone. Well...the highways were packed with all of the Gulf-coast people fleeing Hurricane Rita. (Hello...45 turns into 75, and the hospital is off 75....) So, there we were...running late.

Finally, we get to the hospital. Some of Damon's family was there. (His sister, Kim, even beat us to the hospital!...obviously she didnt take 75...) After the necessary paperwork they took me back to my laboring room & got me started. As it turned out, I was actually contracting on my own--every 5-7 minutes. They didnt hurt. And,I guess I had just gotten used to the slight discomfort, b/c I didnt realize anything was out of the norm...

First IV infiltrated. Thought I was going to die.
2nd one was better...and they got the pitocin going.

I was there laboring for 15 hours. They kept increasing the amount of pitocin...I never dilated past a 3. Finally, around 1 in the morning, the doctor came in & broke my water. Oh my...that's a lot of "water"! So, from that point, there was no turning back!!!

Before that---we were so afraid that they were going to send me home as a "failed induction" since I wasnt making any progress. At 1 in the morning, the doctor explained that was an option, or we could just break the water & get on with things.

So...the doctor came back at 3 in the morning. I was STILL only dilated to a 3. Gage was showing no signs of distress, but I was not progressing at all. Dr.Brough said that it looked like I wasnt dilating because Gage's head wasnt properly engaged in my pelvis, possibly because his head was just too large for my pelvis. So, a c-section was our safest option then.

Got my epidural...Damon got his scrubs to wear. By this point---Megan, Susan, Damon's Mom & Dad, & My mom were still there. My sister & brother in law had to leave, and Damon's sister had to leave. (who can blame them??? it was 3 in the morning!!!)

The epidural....well, it didnt take so easily on my left side. Apparently it was leaking out all over the bed behind me. So, that had to be resolved. Going in, it didnt hurt as much as I thought it would...but it made a sound...it was just a weird gross sound... But then, boom--it was over & the epidural was in! Easy. Anyway...before going into the OR, they had to keep giving me more & more medicine to get my left side numb. So, by the time they were wheeling me to the OR, I could barely feel my face! Everything just felt so heavy. But, as I was being wheeled by the nurse's station, I remember saying to all of the people there, "I'm going to have a baby now." They all said things like, "Congratulations" & "Good Luck" & they were all laughing & smiling at me. I'm sure I sounded half drunk!!!

So, we go into the OR...and there are nurses all around...my doctor's there...and they're counting things...and hooking me up to things...and asking me if I want to listen to music (I could barely feel my ears!...and besides, all I cared about hearing was my baby cry!) Then some other dr came in to assist. I'd never met him before. They put my arms flat out to my sides...I always thought they strapped them down, but Damon told me that my arms werent strapped down. It wouldnt have mattered anyway...I couldnt feel them!

So, they started prepping my lower tummy for the surgery. In the big light overhead, I could see what they were doing in the reflection. I was hoping that they would leave the light just like that so that I could watch the whole thing...they didnt. They put the big "tarp" up so that Damon & I couldnt watch. I guess it probably is too much for some people....

Then Damon came in....they said that I would feel pressure, but not pain...tugging or pulling but not cutting. No. I didnt feel anything. The next thing I know---Gage was here! The nurse took our camera & got pictures of his very first breath. He cried exactly 3 big wails, and then across the room--you could hear him sucking.

Dr.Brough said that Gage was trying to come out face up, and he had the cord wrapped around his neck. He said that it also looked like he never would have fit through my pelvis. So, my healthy little man never even showed any signs of distress through all of that! What a trooper!

Gage was born at 3:59 am on Friday, 9/23/05.
He weighed 7 lb 10.4 oz.
He was 19 3/4 inches long.

He was born on a Friday, my very favorite day of the week. Damon & I also got married on a Friday...

But anyway...back to his birth story!

Damon went w/ the nurses to watch Gage get cleaned up & weighed...and he came back over to me & I asked if he had any hair. I think I asked if it was dark too. Damon said he had a ton of dark hair. Well--I was picturing a big huge mop of black hair. No, he had medium-brown or even light brown fine baby hair. Not very much at all. To Damon, that was a lot of hair...

I remember Damon bringing Gage over to me to see him for the very first time. Gage was all swaddled up in blankets & had a hat on his head. It wasnt enough!!! I wanted him to be immediately unwrapped so that I could see his whole little body! I didnt ask for that though, b/c I knew Gage would get cold! But I tell you--I wasnt satisfied until I saw his whole little body...fingers, toes, tooshy...all of it!

After that...they must have stitched me up...& wheeled me back to my room...I barely remember that... I dont remember saying Goodbye to Dr.Brough...

During this time Damon went out to the waiting room to tell everyone the good news. I've seen this on the video camera, obviously..I wasnt there... You truly could not have peeled the smile off Damon's face. And, being that we're in the age of digital cameras, everyone got to see the pictures of Gage immediately. What a treat!

I remember being back in my L&D room, and they brought Gage into my room in an isolette (spelling???). He was near the foot of my bed. I still hadnt held him yet...and I was so nervous about my arms & hands being unsteady from the epidural. But, I just couldnt stand it, so either Damon or a nurse handed him to me, and I got to hold him for the very first time. It was wonderful. But, I was still nervous about my arms, so I only held him for a minute. After that, Family came in & Megan & Susan...they all got to hold him.

I just enjoyed looking at him & watching him....

Shortly afterward, they took me upstairs to my postpartum room, and Gage to the nursery for his first bath, & tests, & let me rest.

I remember opening my eyes a little while later, and all I wanted to see was that sweet face a little more!

And even still...I never get tired of looking at him!!!

Gage is here!!!!

Well, Gage is here!
I'll have to post the whole "birth story" soon...but dont have time to type it all out right now.

Man---newborns really keep you busy! Day & Night!!! I have no idea how my friend, Jessica, manages w/ a toddler & twin infants. Seriously--I have no idea how she does it.

Damon's gone back to work & my mom returned to Tyler. So, we're on our own. I've been a "Stay at home mom" for 2 days now. Every day, I am so glad when my husband walks through the door! It's a lot harder than I thought it would be.

...but then he makes the sweetest face...or the sweetest noise...and you just know that it's all worth it!

Okay...gotta run. Dinner's ready...and I'm ready to eat!