New news

Well, it's spring break (!) for me so I have a lot to say!  First of all, it's been so nice to not have to worry about school, getting up early, doing homework, etc.  I'm still up at 7-7:30 everyday because of the kids, but once (or twice) I've gone back to bed after Zander is off to school and Natalie is here to entertain Keagan.  I've gone walking 3 days this week (including last Saturday). My house is getting a little cleaner every day (again, thanks to Natalie) and I get to see my kids most of the day everyday. Here are some fun pictures of my fam:

I know this isn't the best picture, but the boys were watching TV one afternoon and Keagan was laying right on top of Zander and neither was fussing about it until I got the camera out.  It was so cute.  Also, Zander says the funnies things these days.  He's so smart sometimes...and so funny.  The other day after I finished feeding Sadie, she was still hungry, so I made her a bottle of pumped milk and asked Zander if he wanted to feed her.  He looks at me and says, "What?!  I don't have nipples with milk in them!"  And this last weekend we had a birthday party for my dad.  He asked me how old he was, then added, "I hope he's not more than 100."This one is so cute.  Keagan absolutely adores this little girl. He is constantly crawling on top of her to kiss her, and he always wants to hold her.  Oh yeah, and he calls her "My Seedee" and gets mad when we try to say she ours, too.  =)
This is Sadie at 1 month old. I took this picture in our living room and was pretty impressed with myself!

Here is Sadie at 2 months old, and yes, that's a smile on her face...well kind of. They're so hard to capture in pictures, but she's doing it and warming our hearts every time!


Here's Michael (strutting his stuff) and me on a date last night. We went to dinner at Orchid, a Thai restaurant close to us (that I highly recommend), then we went ice skating! It was a great night; we had a lot of fun. =)

Back in the saddle

I've been asked by a few people if I'm back at school. Unfortunately, that came much quicker than I wanted it to. Sadie was born the Thursday the 15th, and I was back in class Monday the 26th, part time and back full time by Thursday of that same week. It's just too hard to try and make up all the time I was missing. The lectures were being recorded, but try finding time to listen to 6 hours of lecture from one day missed. Not easy. And sitting in class wasn't too hard on me. It also helped that the first few days I went back were short days. I've been lucky this semester that we haven't had hardly any days that go until 5. I'm usually home by 3:30, in time to feed Sadie in the afternoon. That has been nice. I hate to leave her, but our new nanny, Natalie, is fantastic. That makes it a little easier. I still haven't found much time to study, and am tired from not sleeping more than 5 hours at a time, and sometimes in a night, but overall things are going well.

A week after Sadie was born, we had our "White Coat Ceremony" (what the picture is from-my small group with our advisor) to officially give us our white coats so we can start "Friday Clinic". It's kind of a preview to our rotations, just to get our feet wet, so to speak. Every Friday, I am with my preceptor, who works at Foothill Family Clinic. The first couple weeks I just basically shadowed her and we talked about the cases. This next week, I'm going to start taking some histories and doing some of the exams on the patients. It's been fun. I love being in the clinic again, and not just in the classroom. My preceptor is really great, too, so we have a good time.
That's my update for now!

More about Sadie

Here are a few more pictures from the hospital of our family, most importantly our little angel.

The boys love her and are always telling me they want to hold her, usually when I'm feeding her.  When she cries Keagan tells her, "Hey Seedee, you o-tay."

And here are some pictures of the bedroom Daddy made his little princess. In case you're wondering, we no longer have an office. =( But it's worth it.

Welcoming...

SADIE ANNE GONZALES

Sadie was born Thursday night at 6:30 pm, by c-section (sad, but oh well).  We are doing good.    Labor just didn't progress fast enough.  After 10 hours, I was still only dilated to a 3, and the one doctor in her practice that wouldn't agree to a VBAC was on call that night, so it was a no go after 6.  I'm up and moving around during the day, evenings are a bit more difficult.  

Sadie was a little thing, 6 lbs. 4 oz. and 19.5".


Having a new baby is great because all your friends and family call and come by just to see how you're doing. Most of my family came by that night, and Michael's sister Christine, too.  Then Michael's parents unexpectedly called, and then stayed up late to video skype with us for about 15 minutes. That was fun.

Okay, so, I'll backtrack just a few minutes. When the last two were born Michael and my mom were both there.  Marinda was there when Zander was born.  This time the doctor had to play our advocate and talk the anesthesiologist into allowing Marielle to be in there. She is up from Phoenix to watch. She's taking a class to become a certified birthing instructor and part of the requirements is that she must watch  births. Here's a fun picture of the three of us going in to surgery.  

Latest Update

Thanks to my sister and my birthday last month, I spent a day at the salon last week being pampered.  I had my hair done, had my blond highlights touched up and also some red highlights added.  I also had a pedicure and have very cute purple toes right now.  I also thought I would throw in a pregnancy picture, since hopefully I won't look that way for long.

I was scheduled for a c-section this coming Tuesday Jan. 13, but we've decided it's reasonable to try for a vaginal birth this time.  So we moved the c-section to the 20th, my actual due date, and are hoping that I go into labor on my own before then.  With school starting in 2 days, I'm hoping the recovery will be shorter if I can have a regular delivery. 

As for our Christmas, it was crazy and wonderful as usual.  We went sledding Christmas Eve with Michael's family, then had dinner with my family.  Then Christmas morning, we opened our presents, went to my parents and opened more, then went to Michael's family for one more round.  Here are a few pictures.

I'm Done!!

That's right.  My last final was Thursday morning.  I had three this last week, and passed all my finals.  Some of them by the skin of my teeth, but I passed them all and that's what counts, right?  Now I have three weeks off!  School starts again on January 12th, and then I'm having a baby on January 13th. I'm due on the 20th, but for c-sections they schedule them at 39 weeks.  So unless I go into labor early, the 13th is the day!  

We still haven't decided on a name.  We have a few favorites, but probably won't decide for sure until she is actually born.  So, in three weeks, you'll all know, if we do.  =)

Now I just need to finish Christmas shopping, mail packages (sorry they'll be late to those of you we're sending stuff to-finals and shopping don't go well together), put up a crib, sort through girl clothes that were given to me by a friend (thanks Kalli!) and pretty do everything else to prepare for a baby that we haven't done any of yet.  So, that's what's on my agenda.  I thought about scrapbooking if I had any time, but not sure how much of that will actually happen.

All-in-all, I'm glad for time off!  Things have been stressful the last few months with my overwhelming school, Michael working his regular job, doing free lance work, and taking a writing class for work.  It's amazing we made it, but we did, and a little R&R will do us some good!  Yay for Christmas vacation!

Hungry, Hungry Hippo

When Michael got home from work tonight, Zander told him how hungry he was.  Michael commented that he was a hungry, hungry hippo.  To which Zander replied, "No, I think that's mom because she's fat like a hippo."  When they told me that later in the car, I laughed and just told Zander it was a good think he was only 5.

Oh, the honesty of children.

Gotta love 'em.   =)