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