I know this post is a month late, but can you really blame me? I was at home with a new born!

On Tuesday, July 27, 2009 at 5:23 p.m., we welcomed Gage Anthony into the world. I was really nervous that last hour waiting at the hospital before they took me back to the OR. All those ‘what ifs’ were going through my head and I was making my self freak out.  But, of course, everything went fine. I got into the OR a few minutes after 5. After some prep, Dr. Raja finally made it in and not even 10 minutes later, Gage was out and they were starting to close me up.

I started crying when they told me his weight. Just all those worries about him being small or having to go to the NICU, I guess. I don’t know why I thought he might be really small because I could tell by how big my tummy got, he was already way bigger than Shaye was. He came out weighing 5lbs 13.2oz and was 18 3/4 inches long. With some big feet and hands too

http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649

I’ve really been meaning to make an update on my pregnancy and I keep forgetting. (oops)

On June 15th we had another sono done. The “guesstimation” is that he was weighing in about 3lbs 11 oz and about 17 inches which is right around where he should be.  Sandra (the sono tech) also told us that Gage has a head full of hair. And showed us where you could see it. I never would have guessed that that was hair, but ok If you want more information on that doctor visit, you can go to the baby blog post here.
32 week sono:

We went again yesterday for my ‘final labs’ appointment. Testing for Group B Strep and all those other things they test for We got our preregistration information and also he told us to choose between July 26th and 27th for the surgery date.  That’s an iffy choice. Yes, Jeremy & Grammer get their leo, which is what they wanted. BUT, July 27th just happens to be Jeremy’s birthday. I’m ok with either date. And everyone I ask says go w/ the 27th. It’s easier to remember since we already have Jerm’s bday then, yada yada yada… But I really want to get his opinion. I know he won’t mind but still, think it’s safer to ask.

I’m really getting scared now. Well not technically scared. I would say freaked out? We now know the date that Gage will be here so I know I HAVE to be ready for this baby in a little less than 3 weeks. AAAH! There is so much to get ready and I’m freaking out that it won’t get done. We just now got to order a carseat, so that was a huge weight off my shoulders. We have a place for the baby to sleep so thats good. It’s just now getting his room ready, clothes washed and make sure we have all the little things. We’ve really put off getting his room ready because of our air conditioning  not working for the past month. But it’s down to the wire and it really needs to get done.

That’s something else I’m freaking out about. Air conditioning. I’ve been waiting for people to call me back for the last 3 weeks and we’ve still gotten no word. All we really need is more freon (sp?) but it’s like pulling teeth to get someone to answer. I’m calling back today and trying the ‘feel sorry for me, I’m 8 mos pregnant and I really need it’ spiel. Not sure if it’s going to work but with the forecast saying the next couple of days its going to be like 107°, I’m ready to try anything.

My next appointment is on the 21st so I’ll try and update about the baby around then. That is if I remember hehe.

Your pregnancy: 24 weeks

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How your baby’s growing:

Your baby’s growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he’s almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he’ll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing “branches” of the respiratory “tree” as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)

Well, we’re getting pretty far into the pregnancy. The further along I get, the more worried I get. It’s probably just my overactive mind but I keep having bad feelings, and dreams, that Gage is going to come a lot sooner than Shaye. Like 10 weeks sooner (and that would be in just 2 weeks).  With Shaye, I had no idea there was a possibility of preterm labor but now that I know about it, it’s all I think about. I already feel like I’m going to pop at any second and that’s not good considering he only weighs a pound.  The good thing is though, we know about it now and will keep better eye on his progress. You can’t go my mesaurements of my belly like they tried to do last time. I remember going one time and Dr. Raja measured me and told me that baby should be around 6 lbs by now. What a surprise it was when she came out 3lbs lol.  We are scheduling sonograms every 4 weeks and trying to go easy on what I do around the house and at work.  When I was prego w/ Shaye, we lived in apartments so I was constanly carrying big loads of laundry down to the laundry mat, and I was also going to college so there were big treks across campus with a very heavy backpack, but of course we never thought anything about it. There was no worry.

They are already telling me I can’t exercise, which is ok by me most of the time (I am pretty lazy) but here lately anytime I take Shaye to the park, I walk around the playground until she’s done, but now they say I can’t even do that. I’m scared that I’ll eventually be put on bedrest, and I know I can’t do that either lol. I’m a wiggle-worm by nature and cannot be still for anything, let alone have to stay in bed or on a couch all day. Then there is the fact that we have dogs that have to taken care of and Shaye who has to go to school and Mac who is over 900 miles away from us. He tells me that he’ll come home if I get put on bedrest, but we just can’t do that. There isn’t really work down here where he can be here everynight and morning to take care of things. He could come work at Pizza Hut or Dairy Queen, or something, but that wouldn’t cover our expenses at all. It just wouldn’t be smart. Especially with the baby on the way.

I know I need to quit worrying about things so much, but I’m a worrier by nature too. I live by the belief that everything happens for a reason, so if Gage does decide to grace us with his presence earlier than expected, then it was meant to be. But here lately, I can’t help but think, that something is going to go wrong. That he’s going to come early and its going to be bad. I live my life believing that everything is the way it is because God wants it that way, but when it comes to the kiddos, sometimes I just can’t help but doubt it.

I have a countdown, posted on different sites around the internet, for my pregnancy. You can choose for it to state facts about the week of pregnancy you are in or you can go with the humor. I chose humor and one made me laugh a few weeks ago. It stated that ‘Mommy can now go to the doctor to see if I have a hamburger or a hotdog’ and that is what we did yesterday. After sitting there for almost an hour and a half (someone stole the room we were supposed to be in) we finally found out the results. And…..     I am so excited. Dani and Shaye have been saying it all along that it would be a boy but Mac was very adament about it being a girl. And now that its confirmed to be a boy, he doesn’t know what to do lol.  Here are our sono’s   (click on the pics to get a bigger shot) This is the ‘boy parts’ shot. It’s sidways so you’ll have to cock your head a little to the right see it right lol Full body shot. I don’t know if you can see his hand but he was sucking his thumb, or trying to anyway, throught the whole process. I also forgot to post about it before but I went to the doctor last week for a regular check up. I’ve only gained 2-3lbs (yeah!) so far and to make sure the baby is growing right and getting the right nutrients, we will be getting a sono every 4 weeks or so. I’m not sure if they think thats the reason why Shaye was so small or what. I know she ran out of room to grow but she still should have been bigger for being 36 weeks. And I never mentioned it to the doctor but I was a full term baby, in fact I think I was a week late, but only came out to barely weighing 5 lbs. Apparently something was up with the umbilical cord and it made it to where I didn’t get all my nutrients and did grow right or as fast.. (or something like that) So maybe there was something up w/ Shaye’s too.. Not sure. The lady doing the sonogram did say the baby looks to be around 11 oz right now which is right where he should be for being 20 weeks.  So thats all good… I have more to post about but it will have to wait til later. Just wanted to post the pics and spread the news!

Your pregnancy: 17 weeks

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How your baby’s growing:

Your baby’s skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she’s around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Your pregnancy: 13 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby’s growing:

Fingerprints have formed on your baby’s tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you’re having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby’s development.

How your life’s changing:

This is the last week of your first trimester, and your risk of miscarriage is now much lower than earlier in pregnancy. Next week marks the beginning of your second trimester, a time of relative comfort for many women who see early pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness and fatigue subside. More good news: Many couples also notice a distinct libido lift around this time. Birth is still months away, but your breasts may have already started making colostrum, the nutrient-rich fluid that feeds your baby for the first few days after birth, before your milk starts to flow.

I love babycenter. When I was pregnant with Shaye I was always logged on there, learning all the different things happening that week or month. So of course, I’m back again I know the further along the pregnancy gets, the less accurate the site gets about the size and weight of my baby but still, its fun to read. Anyway, I’m going to try and post everyweek what babycenter says about that week. just fun little facts

Your pregnancy: 12 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby’s growing:

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby’s fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won’t be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby’s brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.