JOSHUA MICHAEL IS HERE!!!

Hello family and friend,



We hope everyone is doing WONDERFUL!! As for us, well, we have the news that some of you have been waiting for…..



JOSHUA MICHAEL GONZALEZ IS HERE!!!

Born: AUG 25, 2007 at 1041 am

Weight: 6 lbs 6 oz length: 19” long

APGAR SCORE: 8, 8



And THANK YOU GOD, he is beautiful and HEALTHY!!!! Here is his story…





Well, james came home on Thursday and we actually surprised the boys!! They boys were staying at my MIL because I had the pre-op appt….they thought he was coming home at 5pm but instead, he was able to get an earlier flight in and I picked him up at 2:30 instead! It was WONDERFUL TO SEE HIM!! I couldn’t believe he was here and he looked SOOOO GOOD! He was able to RIGHT AWAY feel baby Joshua moving around because as soon as Joshua heard his daddy, he started to show off in my tummy! James look on his face was CLASSIC! He was just in awe watching my tummy just shift and move and feel the baby kick….we LOVED IT! Well, we got to the g-ma’s house and I walked in first….i had my camcorder out and the boys were happy to see me and then there was a knock on the door and alex was like “who is that, mommy?” I told him, “go see who it is!!” and when he went to the door and daddy walked in……it was CLASSIC and soooo touching! He just stood there with his mouth open and didn’t do or say anything! James grabbed him and picked him up and was just hugging him and telling him he loved him and alex was just looking at him! It was soooooo touching…and he never said a word…matthew was on the floor yelling and jumping up and down on the floor for his daddy!! It was sooooooooo awesome and great to see james with his boys! And they were SOOOO EXCITED to see him…they were all over him and james was just overwhelmed and so were we! Alex told james, “mommy really surprised me!” I was so happy they were at last together! We stayed and had some dinner and then we left to go home…..and james being the wonderful daddy that he is, decided that we were going to CHUCK E CHEESE for dinner and we DID! It was soooo awesome to have daddy home and we went and had FUN with him…alex and matthew were in HEAVEN! And sooooo was mommy!



On Friday, the 24th, it was the BIG DAY…james and I had not got to sleep till after 1 am and neither did the alex!! They were so excited and happy to see him! Well, I called at 4:30am to the hospital to find out if we were still on for our surgery….we had to call because it was an elective surgery, if they were full, I would be bumped until Monday! So, she said, “come on in!” so we were off….we got there and went upstairs….checked in and then………………….were told to WAIT….there was SOOOOO MANY PG ladies coming in while in FULL LABOR that I just had a big feeling we were about to be BUMPED! And I was right…we were in the waiting room for SIX HOURS just watching all these ladies coming in and very few leaving….we had our SIL there with us….so, anesthia came out to talk to us, and they were just getting us checked in…I thought that might mean that it would happen…not….then the DR came in and told me that they were going to do the amnio in his OFFICE because there was absolutely NO ROOM in L&D!! sooo, they got the fluid (which wasn’t as bad as I thought it could be) and they just told us to WAIT some more….and in between there, I get a call saying that the nurse thinks that matthew MIGHT have the chicken pox…..ok, WOWOWOWOW…I just about FREAKED! I called him back and we talked and he called the dr and the dr thought that no, it was probably the virus that we had been fighting since Sunday. He had a RASH all over his body! Sooo, that was also on our mind….then the chief of OB staff comes out and says he needs to talk to us….so, he tells us, he is SORRY that we are going to have to be bumped because there is absolutely NO ROOM in L&D and that they were actually on divert right now, not accepting any more pts! They were even sending pts up to the 9th floor because there was no beds and without their babies! So, he just said that he was aware of our situation with james leaving so the dr said that they would make an exception on doing an elective surgery on Saturday instead!! We were soooo happy and EXCITED! We thanked him and he said that he was just happy that they were able to do it for us! Awwww….we got the results of the amnio and all was GREAT! And we were on ON for Saturday!!



Well, Saturday, we got up and headed over to L&D by 7 am…I told james that I was going to run to an empty room and go lick the bed and jump on it and put my stamp on it so NO ONE could claim it away from us!!! I was really serious! Anyway, we get there and I get in my gown and THEN I start to get EXCITED! I had been kinda just taking it easy and not really getting excited because I was afraid that I would be bumped again…but then I put the gown on and I KNEW it was TIME! They strapped on the monitors and it was WONDERFUL to hear the baby! They gave james his scrubs and the anesthesiologist came and talked to us. There was one concern from me and that was that with BOTH of my past epi’s, they had a HARD TIME getting me numb on BOTH SIDES….so, we talked about both my pgs and then when it was time to head off….wow, I was soooo excited! When we got into the OR, the anesthesiologist was WONDERFUL! She said that she was going to take her time and get it RIGHT the first time….and she DID! It took her 11 minutes of me hunched over but she GOT IT!!!! I was soooo happy! And they were really impressed with me because I never once moved and I just stayed still…it was a bit hard to do but I just didn’t want her to have to do it AGAIN! So they laid me down and they got started….after they did the things they had to, they called in james and he sat with me…he had all his cameras around his neck! He looked soooo cute! Anyway, they started and it took a while to get thru the scar tissue and then I hear the most BEAUTIFUL SOUND in the world….my baby boy CRYING! And boy, did he CRY! I urged james to go to the warmer to be with him and to TAKE PICTURES!!! And he did! And the whole time the baby was over there, he was just crying and crying…james came back to let me know that he looked GOOD and HEALTHY and BEAUTIFUL! Then I heard how much he weighed….awwww….then they brought him over to me and I got to touch him and kiss him and he had been crying but as soon as he heard my voice he stopped……that is just one of those moments in my life I will never forget…….they took him back to my room with james and I went onto the recovery room. The nurses there were pretty much in awe of me because they not had someone who had JUST had surgery that was HAPPY, SMILING AND CHEERFUL as I was!!!! I just couldn’t stop smiling and talking!!! I kept asking to go back to the room to be with my son and they just kept saying soon….FINALLY we went back and I was soooooo happy and EXCITED! And there he was, so beautiful and soooo TINY! And he was so pink and healthy! I was so happy! It felt so wonderful to hold a little newborn in my arms….my son….it was a great day! Later that day, james went home to pick up the boys and give them the gift that Joshua had gotten for them….he told me the boys were SOOO HAPPY that Joshua had given them each a gift bag! They loved the little things that baby brother had picked up! When the boys got there, they were soooo happy to see their brother. They both got to hold him and give him kisses ( pics on the blog). It was really cute! Alex is in LOVE with his baby brother and is always giving hugs and kisses to him. Matthew is still not too sure about him but he is getting better! He is now wanting to give him kisses and hugs too! They are both GREAT BIG BROTHERS!!



Sooo, that is it. Our beautiful baby boy’s birth story! I am soooo happy that it went so well. We also got to go home THE NEXT DAY (Sunday) even though they were not suppose to but because of our situation with james, they let us go HOME!! We were sooo happy and excited!! Also, This was by far the BEST c-section I had ever had. Just to refresh your memory, the first one with ALEX, it was an emergency c-section and I was not numb before they started to cut and they had to put me to sleep so I missed him being born and the first cry etc. then with MATTHEW, although it was a scheduled c-section, it took them FIVE STICKS to finally get me NUMB and the epi/spinal in the right place!! It was VERY PAINFUL…and although I was able to hear him being born and actually see him, he was soon taken away and you know the rest of his story….then there was JOSHUA..the anesthesiologist knew my history so she took her time and really tried to get it on the first try…and she DID!! She was WONDERFUL and I was really happy that it didn’t take more than ONE STICK!! And then after I was numb, I was able to hear Joshua being born, able to see him, touch him and KISS HIM before they took him away….wow, what a WONDERFUL FEELING! It has felt like it has been FIVE YEARS instead of just 3 years since I had a baby but I think it was because for matthews first 3 months, he was hooked up and in the hospital so I never was able to hold him and nurse him etc. and that is another thing, I am SOOO HAPPY that breastfeeding has gone SOOOOO WELL and he is nursing like a CHAMP!!! YIPPPEEEE!! It has been 5 years for me but boy, this is one of the things I had been looking forward to. I missed it with matthew and I so wanted that experience with Joshua. And I had even kept this little nursing nightgown that I had bought that had a matching gown for the baby when I was pg with matthew. Well I was NEVER able to wear it (and neither did matthew because he was too big by the time he came home) and I could sell it or give it away because it was just a bittersweet reminder to me about what I had missed. I never thought I would have the opportunity to wear it and HERE I AM and I feel SOOO BLESSED to have been given another opportunity to use it!! THANK YOU GOD! It feels sooo good!



I hope ya’ll will go check out the pics online of JOSHUA…they are on my blog www.blessingsinmylife.blogspot.com I will get some more up there but I have not had a chance! I have been EXTREMELY busy since we came home (no kidding, I have not been able to sit and relax AT ALL and my feet and ankles SHOW IT!) a friend of mine said, “can’t you even take a week OFF?!?! You just had surgery!” I sure wish I could but matthew STILL has therapy and there was a couple of appts for JOSHUA, one to include a visit to the hospital to check on his jaundice! Sooo, I PRAY that things will slow down! I am just happy that I am not in too much pain! My MIL is staying with us for a couple of weeks and I THANK GOD because it has been a bit hectic and she has been EXTREMELY helpful!!



Well, on a side note, JAMES WILL BE LEAVING TO IRAQ ON AUG 31st…they fly out late that day and should be in IRAQ by the 1st…..we are soooo sad and unhappy that he is going but we are SOOOOO PROUD OF HIM and we will just continue to pray for him. We are THANKFUL that he was able to be here for JOSHUA’s birth and be with his boys for a couple of days. It is bittersweet because when he left on Monday, it was REALLY RUSHED because he was running late to catch his flight…..but in a way, it might have been better because if we had really dwelled on the fact that this was going to be the last time before he left to IRAQ, we would have all been a MESS….i just ask for prayers for him and all the soldiers around the world as they are away from family and friends….i am really feeling the sadness right now that my wonderful husband will be gone for such a long time and SO FAR AWAY and in such dangerous times….please pray that they keep him at CAMP BUCCA….that would be an idea place for him to be…



Anyway, I hope ya’ll have enjoyed JOSHUA’s STORY. We are sooo proud and happy that he is here and that we are now a family of FIVE!! Don’t forget to visit our website and I will continue to update and add more pics as I get more time!!

Take care everyone and GOD BLESS……



LOVE,

JAMES, MARIA, ALEX, MATTHEW, & JOSHUA

TOMORROW...THURSDAY....AUG 23RD...

wowowowowow....my beautiful wonderful hubby is COMING HOME, GOD WILLING!!! i am just SOOOOOOO HAPPY and EXCITED! this morning, alex crawled into my bed when he woke up and told me, "i am so sad....i miss my daddy..." and i just hugged him and told him "but guess what, he is coming home TOMORROW!!" and you should have SEEN him light up and JUMP UP and get soooooo happy and excited!! it was the best!! so all day to day, we have continued to get ready for daddy! did some cleaning, the last load of laudry for a while and made a cake for james etc....and then we got some GREAT NEWS....james was ORIGNALLY going to be coming at 11pm, then he changed it to coming in at 5pm....and then just YESTERDAY, changed it to coming in at 2pm....and just earlier today, he got the word that he could make the FIRST flight out which would come in at 10am!!!!! :) (military keeps changing things!!) sooooo, GOD WILLING, and i am PRAYING, that he can make that first early flight and be able to come home by 10am!!!! that way of course we get more time with him, and he can be there for the PRE-OP appt at 1:30!! anyway, we are REALLY REALLY REALLY excited about tomorrow....


well, then onto my beautiful son matthew.....poor baby picked up something on sat and since SUNDAY, he has been running a temp everyday!!! yep, just a temp and not feeling good....nothing else really until TODAY, when he started to get junky....so i went ahead and called the dr (4 days of straight fever) and he told me to come in...after a LENGTHY visit and getting tested for strep (neg) he was really concerned because matthew JUST finished his 21 day dose of OMNICEPH (antibiotic) on monday and for him to pick up something...well....so, tomorrow we have to be at the hospital by 7am where he will be getting xrays, blood work and a shot of ROCEPHIN...i just PRAY that he clears up!! i don't want him feeling sick with daddy home!! i just want him WELL! I am glad it happened BEFORE i had baby joshua because i can do this for him before i can't lift him and such!!

also, GREAT NEWS on the NURSING FRONT....we are STAFFED!!! THANK YOU GOD! i had prayed sooo hard that we would have coverage because i was/am worried about matthew because i would not be able to carry him....soooo, just this week, we got our NEW NURSE!! so now, THANK YOU GOD, the new nurse, G, will be here on SUN, MON, TUE (7:30a-7:30p), nurse M works WED (5P-9P) and then nurse W will work THUR, FRI, SUN (7:30a -4:30p)!!! wowowowowow,,,,i am sooooo THANK FUL and feel sooo BLESSED because we were able to get coverage for MATTHEW!!! THANK YOU GOD! it has taken a LOAD off my mind!! i am sooo happy and so relieved!! anyway, we are really happy!

ONE WEEK FROM TODAY.....

hello family and friends!

we hope everyone is doing WONDERFUL and all is going well with everyones family! as for ours, we are doing FINE, THANK YOU GOD! hard to believe but james has been gone almost 3 months now! time really does fly, believe it or not.....you look at the calendar and can't believe you have not seen your loved one for that long!!! you never forget but just keep living day by day and just live for the moments you get to spend on the phone with them....it is bittersweet talking to him because you want him home soooo bad....but it is such a comfort to hear his voice.....the boys enjoy talking sooo much to daddy and of course, mommy just loves it too!!

well, i will start with the youngest and move on from there......right now, matthew is still my youngest so i will start with him....matthew is doing WONDERFUL AGAIN, THANK YOU GOD!! he was sick for OVER 5 WEEKS with a respiratory illness that would not let go of him. we were back and forth to the pulmonologist, hospital for xrays and GI lab for a upper GI and just on and off oral steroids (he did 3 rounds of this and is looking a bit buff by now!!) and antibiotics (he is still on his 21 day dose of OMNICEPH!! he will have had a total of 31 days of omniceph by the 20th of this month!!) and of course the marathon of nebulizer treatments he was getting...we also aquired a new machine for him that actually was part of the reason he got better. we now are in pocession of a RESPIRTECH precussor vest which is AWESOME!! it basically gives him CPT TREATMENTS all over his chest helping him to break up the muccus in his lungs!! within 3 days of him starting this vest, he started to clear up! and now it is a routine treatment that we give him twice a day everyday while well and then if he gets sick we increase them. they are give with an albuterol treatment and then suctioning afterwards....it is keeping his lungs VERY clear!!! we are soooo happy to have it in our home for him! i PRAY that this will lessen the times he gets ill now! his therapy sessions are going GREAT!! he is walking on the treadmill and he looks SOOOO CUTE!! he is also doing GREAT on his aquatic therapy. on the ramp in the pool, she use to hold onto his hips for him to walk and yesterday, she was just holding his HANDS and he walking AWESOME....sometimes he crosses his legs when he walks but yesterday he did GREAT! he is also LOVING pulling to stand. sometimes he tries SOOOO HARD to do it on his own but he just can't get a grip. he tries soooo hard....a very "cute" personality is coming out though and that is STUBBORNESS!! i think he gets it from ME! if he does not want to do something he will NOT DO IT! he will shake his head "no" and just not do it...and that is with EVERYTHING!! it's cute now but later.....anyway, he is also learned to turn around in BED...now don't get me wrong, he does it all the time on the floor but has NEVER applied it to being in his bed...well, he does it VERY WELL in bed now and now, he doesn't just "sleep"....he turns around and gets up on all fours and just starts to play and scream and yell because he does NOT want to go to sleep! he does this during NAP and night time! soooo, sometimes we have to just let him play for a bit and then i will go in and put him back down and tuck him in and PRAY that he just goes to sleep! this can go on for A LONG time....very fustrating but the GOOD thing about this is that he is exhibiting THREE YEAR OLD TRAITS!!! that is always good to hear! and another trait he is exhibiting is that he is getting JEALOUS and territorial of things...very 3 year-old-ish! example, during therapy, there is another little boy that sometimes shares pool time with him but is with matthews PT, who he loves, and he will sit there and just give the little boy the "evil eye" the whole time and give the PT his lip!! he will also refuse to play with the other child! i witnessed it myself just last week! i just about laughed so hard and had the baby! he was such a cutie! anyway, he is doing REALLY great and he is just getting more verbal and of course he comprehends EVERYTHING....if he could just talk, i know he could tell us what is going on! he is getting really big! he weighs about 34 lbs & is about 37" long! very big boy! i don't know HOW i have been carrying this little one! he is just sooooo solid! he got to see ALL his drs this last month of july....they were all very pleased with his progress....

now onto alex.....he JUST turned FIVE on AUG 10TH!! it is sooooo hard to believe that my little boy is now FIVE years old!! i can still remember when i got pg with him and our wonderful pg (dad was deployed then to thru the WHOLE pg!!) and then our emergency c/s to have him born and how much he WEIGHED (5 lbs 13.7 oz) and just feeling AMAZING because we had our little boy and we were a FAMILY....wowowow....we were sooo happy and proud of him! he finally acknowledged that he was turning 5 the week before his birthday! before that, he kept insisting that he was NOT going to be 5 because daddy was not here....so what we did was we had a small playdate with some of his friends that he loved to play with on wed the 8th and it was REALLY nice...we had pizza & cupcakes and it lasted about 4 hours....really nice...then on his acutal birthday, we took him and a couple of his cousins to CHUCKEE CHEESE for lunch and he had a BLAST! i was soooo proud of him! there are a couple of pics of him on our blog if you want to look!! but he is doing GREAT! he had to have a angioma removed and it was pretty traumatic for him! but he did GREAT!! and it looks great now! he also has had 4 teeth TOTAL come out! 2 on their own and 2 the dentist had to do...again, i am soooo proud of him because the dentist worked on him for about 1 hour or so and he just did WONDERFUL! his 2 adult teeth are in on the bottom too! he is getting ready to start kindergarden and we are sooo happy and excited....classes for him will start after the baby is born (probably first week of sept) i expect to fly thru the kinder curr and maybe move him into the 1st grade stuff.....probably on the things he is good at first....i am not going to push him...i was looking at the book for kinder and most of it is pretty much a refresher for him so i might keep moving on and if we finished before then we will move on to the next grade....he is also READING!!! can you believe that? he is doing GREAT GREAT GREAT!!! i am sooooo proud of him! he is also into TRANSFORMERS and he is just doing SOOO WELL! he is also understanding adding and subtracting and such! he can't wait to start school and keeps asking me when we are going to start!! i know he is anxious to get started!!!! :) i am so happy he is HAPPY about school!

now onto james, he is doing GREAT and is sooooooo ANXIOUS to get HOME!! he should be flying in on AUG 23rd and we are beside ourselves READY for him to come home! it has been since june 12th since we saw him!!! and we can't WAIT! the count down has been on for a while now and i am sooo happy for the boys because they are probably going to tackle him!! he has had a TON of days off and unfortunatly when we got the ok to travel up there, he was told that he was going to start training unexpectly again! we were NOT HAPPY about that but there is a REASON for everything and we took it as such....we were REALLY SAD we could not be there but again, GOD HAS HIS REASONS! but we are EXCITED we should be seeing him soon! unfortuantly, he will be leaving again on the 27th back to EL PASO, and soon after (probably within a couple of days to a week) he will be on his ways overseas....wow, things are happening fast again.....just pray that someday soon he will be back again HOME safe and healthy with our family....

now onto me...i am doing GREAT!! i am now 37 weeks along and it is OFFICIAL, i have gained a TOTAL OF 5 LBS for this whole pg! the drs are really impressed but i just explained that it has to do with being SOOOOO busy with the boys and with james that i guess i was REALLY active this pg! i for one am REALLY happy that that is ALL i gained and let me tell you it is ALL BABY!! my belly is HUGE!!!....and NEXT WEEK on FRIDAY 24TH, mr JOSHUA MICHAEL will GOD WILLING make his appearence and we are just praying that he is born HEALTHY and strong!! we know, probablymore than most, how things can change in a blink of an eye. with matthew, we had a PERFECT pg and we had absolutely NO IDEA that there was ANYTHING wrong with him....we did our test, kept healthy etc and then he when he was born with a rare heart defect....well, you know the rest of his story.....i have prayed everyday that this little one is born healthy and strong, as i did with all my pgs but as ALWAYS, this is in GODS HANDS...i can't say that i am not a bit nervous because i AM but i will leave it in GOD'S HANDS....i am going to mention to the drs that when the baby is born, i want the baby to have a compete cardiac work up on him....i am just soooooo excited to meet him!! and the boys keep asking if he will be home soon! i can't believe i will GOD WILLING be a mommy of THREE BOYS!! wowowowow....GOD IS GREAT!!

well, i hope that everyone is doing great...this summer has been an ADVENTURE in ups and downs....with us not spending really much time during the summer as a family because james has been gone the whole time....but the GOOD thing is that it was SOOOO rainey and wet this whole summer that it would have been really hard to do any camping or stuff like that so it was ok! but we sure wish that he was HOME to spend our days together...i know he missed the last 3 months of this pg but i hope things will all fall into place when joshua is with us.....i can't WAIT for james to get here and we can be a family TOGETHER again!!

soooo, on our blog, we uploaded a couple of pics of the boys for your enjoyment! and that will be the place where i will upload pics of the big day of the 23rd & 24th....soooo please check in often to see what is new and if there are any pics of the newest addition to our family!!

well, take care and any thoughts and prayers for our family during the next week would be GREATLY appreciated....we are all nervous and excited at the same time.....it is a very exciting time in our lives....it just feels like YESTERDAY when we discovered that we were being BLESSED again in our family! i am sooooo happy! :)

GOD BLESS EVERYONE!! the next time you hear from us, GOD WILLING, it will be with the news that our newest addition to our family is HERE and all is WELL!!!

tons of love,
james, maria, alex, matthew & joshua

PICTURES....

here are some pics!! ENJOY!!

this is matthew on joshua michaels blanket that i MADE!! yes, i made a blanket for this little guy...he decided that he wanted to sleep on it! he made his way ALL across the room to lay down on it! he was soooooo cute!


this is my little man looking CUTE!!


my big boy alex built this tower all by himself!! i am SOOOOO IMPRESSED!!



matthew during his PT therapy! he was getting TIRED and was being stubborn!


alex mugging it on his birthday!!


this is the FINISHED blanket that i made for my joshua! it got started with my wonderful cuz forced me one day to take out my BRAND NEW sewing machine out of it's box and gave me tips to start the blanket....she did a GREAT job with the tips and i am SOOO HAPPY that she got me going!


this is me at 37 weeks along!! YIKES! this shirt my MOM (who passed away in 2003) made for me when i was PG with ALEX....it is soooo special for me to wear it thru all my pgs...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAMES ALEX II!!

Alex and his best bud & cuz tristan on a ride at chuckee cheese on his birthday!!



alex opening up his gifts with his buddy....

today, my little boy alex turned 5 years old!! AMAZING what these last 5 years have been for me as a mom. he is such a WONDERFUL little boy and soooo smart. i am just in aw of who he is. i am a PROUD mommy who can't imagine her life without him. he is such a great big brother and little helper for mom.

but our love is such that we are sooooo happy of WHO HE IS!!! THANK YOU GOD for every second we have had with him!!

we had a VERY nice playdate yesterday...

yesterday, we had a little playdate for alex (basically his birthday party) and it went REALLY GREAT!!! we had about 11 kids come and they were running all over the backyard and just having a GREAT TIME! it was nice to see him running and playing with everyone. it was from 10am to about 2 pm....they just played outside and ran everywhere and just had FUN which is what i wanted for him....i was BLESSED that the kids where there for him.....i THANKED everyone because it meant SOOOOOOOO MUCH to me for them to be there FOR HIM....he finally has acknowledged that he is turning 5 on friday....he will now tell you he is and i think it has to do with daddy coming home on the 23rd....he is soooooo excitedc! we are planning to take him to the BIG CHEESE on friday for lunch with just a couple of cousins...i will be holding back a couple of gifts for him to open until daddy gets home too....we are SOOOOOOO EXCITED!! alex is all into transformers and we got him a couple of them plus some PJ of them and just someother cute things.....he got a box yesteday from daddy so that was exciting but he can't open it until TOMORROW!!

anyway, all is going GREAT!! matthew IS FINALLY GETTING BETTER, PRAISE THE LORD!!! i am sooooo happy! i REALLY REALLY REALLY think it is the pulmonary vest he now has! wow....we are down from FIVE neb treatments durning the day to only TWO!!! and that will be his maintenance dose now! YIPPPEPEEE!! and tomorrow is his last day of oral steroids but he still has about 10 more days of the antibiotic....i just PRAY he continues on the healthy track!!!

as for me, i am now 36 weeks along and have only TWO MORE WEEKS before we meet my newest little man in my life! i am sooooo excited and just in AWE that it will be SOON! and that daddy will be here is such a bonus! i didn't expect it but i am soooo happy! i feel great just waddling around it seems....the baby has moved downward so i am having a bit more trouble doing my normal things but still trudging along....

james is doing GREAT and just is anxious to be coming home soon! he also bought himself a new laptop on monday and i was SOOOOOO EXCITED for him! i tried to get him to get one before he left but he was stubborn about it but NOW he finally realized that he NEEDED ONE!! we got a good deal on one at best buy...he just needed something really basic and CHEAP since he was going to be in the sandy area so he got one for under $400!! but it has EVERYTHING he needed!! :)

anyway, all is well in our family and we just pray that everyone will continue to be HEALTHY and strong!!

the weekend is here....

and we had SOOOO MANY PLANS but unfortunatly, we will be staying in this weekend instead of going to 2 birthday parties....i can't expose matthew to any more germs or illness!! he is going on over 3 weeks of being just SICK!! he is still sick but GOD WILLING he seems to be getting BETTER....we got our RESPIRTECH MACHINE on thursday and we are soooo happy! he has been getting a treatment with the vest every THREE HOURS right now while awake (5 times a day) along with suctioning and such...poor baby is really not liking it!!i just PRAY PRAY PRAY that he clears up and gets back to normal....we have to get him healthy because this week is ALEX'S WEEK!!! why? my BIG BOY will be 5 YEARS OLD!!! i can't believe that my baby is going to be 5!! i am AMAZED!! i can remember soooo vividly when i was pg with him and when he was born! this year, daddy won't be here for his birthday and i am soooooo sad. so is he. but i think that GOD WILLING, when james comes home later this month (19 more days!) we might do a little something as a family for him....maybe just go out to eat or order in or bbq or SOMETHING...we will also hold some of his other gifts back so he can have something for that day too! on his ACTUAL birthday, the 10th, we are going to go to the big CHEESE and eat lunch there....probably just us and maybe some cousins....just a little something....he is FINALLY acknowledging that he is going to be 5 and i think it is because he knows that daddy will be here SOON...

anyway, all is going well here.....i think joshua is moving on DOWN because it is harder for me to do things that i was just gushing about a couple of weeks ago! this is all within the last couple of days....i have had a bunch of pressure and also things like turning over in bed is FINALLY getting hard to do! i was kinda excited that i could still do it without all the hoopla but now, BOY! and walking up stairs...well, it is not easy anymore....i am getting excited!! this week i will be 36 WEEKS ALONG!!! can you believe that? i am just soooo happy and excited that SOON i will be meeting this little man! my THIRD!! WHAT A BLESSING....