Eve Elyssa Gonzalez

Our sweet little Eve was born Friday, April 25th at 2:13 am.  

She weighs 7 lbs and is 18 inches long.

Eve's Birth Story:

When I got my epidural with Sophia there was a problem and I had spinal headaches for months after her delivery.  The chances of this happening are extremely unlikely, but the anesthesiologist said that my scoliosis may have complicated the epidural and could make it more likely to happen again.  I decided risking that pain again wasn't worth it so my goal for all future deliveries became natural birth.  When I found out I was pregnant back in August I started researching birthing methods and learning more about it.  It hadn't ever been interesting to me, but I felt that a drug free delivery would give me the most optimal chance of a smooth recovery which is what I wanted.  I watched documentaries, read a hypnobirthing book, talked with friends and family members who have natural birth experiences, and read the Bradly Method book.  I practiced relaxation and breathing techniques and was determined to go natural.  


5 days before Eve was born

When I got checked at my 37 week appointment I was at a 3.  During the following week I had a lot of consistent contractions and even thought I could have possibly been experiencing early labor 2 different times, just to have the contractions stop after a few hours.  I was certain that at my 38 week appointment I would have progressed.  When I saw the doctor on Tuesday the 22nd and he told me I was still at a 3 I was discouraged.  I was frustrated that the contractions hadn't been doing anything and a little disappointed that I was still pregnant considering that Ella and Sophie had already come at this point in my pregnancies.  

Wednesday the 23rd I was having painful contractions in my back that kept me awake from 3:30 am- 6:30 am.  They went away so I knew I wasn't in labor, but again hoped they were doing something.  Wednesday night I went on a long brisk walk with my friend.  When I got home the contractions continued, but weren't getting any more consistent.  Thursday morning I continued to contract and they were strong, but I just cleaned up and tried to go about my regular routine without getting too excited.  I went for another walk and felt miserable after.  I thought I might have overdone it.  I was getting a little nauseous and actually struggled through a few painful contractions while I was with the girls at the library.  When we got home from the library around noon my contractions were 5-6 minutes apart and were definitely taking my breath away.  I called Gustavo to warn him that I really thought the baby was coming that day.  I then called my friend Taelor who is a labor and delivery nurse to ask her a few questions.  She told me that the true test to see if I was in active labor was to see if the contractions persisted and intensified if I laid down or got in the tub.  After I got Sophie down for a nap and sent Ella out to play with friends I took Taelor's advice and relaxed in the tub.  I only had 4 contractions during 40 minutes.  As I got out of the tub the contractions came back strong, but died down as soon as I rested.  I figured I was just in early labor and would stay home.  

Every time I got up the contractions picked right up and they were started to really increase in intensity.  In the evening I was having to get on all 4's and rock my hips back and forth to get through each contraction.  They weren't coming as often as I thought they would though so I just tried to relax.  After I got the girls to bed I laid on the couch and tried to rest.  I was only having about 3 contractions an hour if I stayed off my feet.  They were incredibly painful, but again, I figured I shouldn't be getting too excited because I was waiting for them to be between 3 and 4 minutes apart.  I went to bed around 11 thinking she'd probably come on Friday and I wanted to be rested.  At 11:30 I woke up to my worst contraction yet.  I called for Gustavo to come try to apply counter pressure to my back.  After I got through it I went back to bed.  I had another contraction about 10 minutes later and again asked for Gustavo's help.  At midnight I got up and was feeling a ton of pressure.  I was nauseous and thought that maybe I just needed to use the bathroom.  I knew it couldn't be pressure from the baby yet because there was no way I was that far along.  I continued having really painful contractions and started shaking.  I got some Zofran for my nausea and decided to get in the tub.  It was about 12:40 and the tub didn't take the edge off of my next contraction and the pressure was getting unbearable.  I quickly got out of the tub and crawled to my closet floor to try to work through the contractions.  I was so frustrated and in intense pain.  I just felt like I wasn't cut out for natural labor and wanted to get an epidural.  I figured I was still only about a 5 or 6.  I yelled for Gustavo (about 6 times) before he woke up.  I asked him to get my phone (I was in so much pain and shaking so badly that I couldn't stand up).  I called my mom and told her how I was feeling.  I explained that I just wanted the pain to stop.  She told me that I probably needed to go to the hospital because maybe I was farther than I thought.  We decided it would be best to meet there instead of having her come to my house.  I had Gustavo call his sister Yolanda to come stay with the kids.  At this point it was about 1:20.  Gustavo helped me get dressed and get out to the car.  The pressure was so intense I wondered if I could be farther along, but just doubted myself.  As we got to the hospital it was probably about 1:45 (I don't really know though) and I told Gustavo that I needed him to get a wheelchair.  He grabbed one and my mom met us at the entrance and offered to park our car.  When we got up to labor and delivery I was dying! They asked me a few questions and slowly took me back to put on a gown.  Two nurses came in and one checked me.  She was feeling around for what seemed like FOREVER!  I was in so much pain I asked what she was doing.  She said that she could just feel a bulging sack and no cervix.  She asked the other nurse to check me.  That nurse said she thought she felt the lip of my cervix so they entered that I was dilated to a 9.  I knew once my water broke Eve would come and I would be done.  I was trying as hard as I could not to push, but the pressure was so intense as was the pain.  The nurses were rushing to get me into the delivery room while asking my medical history and wheeling me down the hall.  I was surrounded by nurses who were each trying to quicken the process because they knew the baby was going to be here quickly.  I was hanging on to the side of the bed with my eyes closed just trying to breath through the pain.  I said aloud a few times, "I can't do this!"  My mom was massaging my back and I was squeezing Gustavo's hand as hard as I could while trying to breath and relax.  Everyone kept reassuring me that I was doing it and that I just needed to focus on my breathing.  After what couldn't have been more than 5 minutes in the delivery room the doctor had just entered and I yelled, "MY WATER BROKE!" At that point I didn't feel like I had any control of the pressure.  As the water broke my sweet Evie made her appearance.  I just remember feeling 3 distinct surges- the water, her head, and then the rest of her body.  It was all within seconds and Gustavo and my mom told me the doctor was still putting on her gloves and told me to wait (to which I responded- "I CAN'T") while Evie came.  My mom later told me that Eve landed on the bed (which hadn't been broken down yet).  No one guided or delivered her, she just came on her own.  My mom said it was like watching a baby on a slip and slide.  I wasn't sure what had happened, but was so relieved to be done!  Gustavo was up by my head because I was squeezing his hand and so he didn't have a clear view, but didn't feel like anything too crazy happened.  We both felt like everything happened really fast, but didn't feel like it was very dramatic.  We are just glad we delivered her at the hospital and not at home! Immediately after delivery Eve was placed on my body and the doctor introduced herself to me as the nurses broke the bed down so I could be stitched.  The situation was comical to all of us.  We were stunned at how quickly it happened.  In fact a few of the nurses asked Gustavo if he had a camera and reminded him that he could take pictures.  He went and found our camera so he could snap a few pictures as Eve was weighed and measured.  In the meantime Dr. Cloward and I got to know each other while she assessed my tearing (second degree) and stitched me up.  Eve was  exactly 7 lbs, almost a whole pound smaller than Ella and Sophie were.  She is tiny and perfect. 

All of my girls meeting for the first time

It has amazed me at each birth how much I can instantly love each of my girls. I am so lucky to be a mom to these three beauties!

 

Family Pictures

We had our family pictures taken in October.  We were really happy with the way they turned out.  I felt like they definitely captured Ella and Sophia's personalities! 

2013 in Review

2013 has been a very eventful year to say the least!  Maybe that is why I haven't posted on the blog at all.  Here are the top 10 things that have happened:

10. Sophia was diagnosed with a speech delay this spring so we have been working with Kids on the Move to get her all the help she needs.  She is making fantastic progress and is on track to be done with the program soon.

9.  Gustavo decided to go back to school for his MBA.  He started in January in an online program at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.  It has been VERY time consuming, but he is doing incredibly well and is 60% of the way done.  HOORAY!

8. Gustavo got a new position at work as the budget officer.  He has always been really good with numbers and wanted to work in finance so this is great for him.

7. In the summer Gustavo decided that he needed to put his business background to good use and buy our second investment property.  We closed in July so I spent that entire month fixing it up and getting it ready for our first tenants who moved in August 1st.

6. Gustavo was released from primary after being a teacher for 3 years.  He is now serving as the 11 year old scout leader.  I was released as the 2nd counselor in Relief Society and called as the 1st counselor.  I love the change from being in charge of activities to now helping with visiting teaching and planning the lessons.

5. This fall Ella started her third and final year of preschool (I have done it with a few other neighbors each year). She also started dance.  Her two loves are art and dance.

4. We have been able to fit in a few more home improvement projects (my favorite things!).  We capped off the half walls, put pendant lights over the island, and put lights in under the cabinets.

 3. After 10 years of service in the Air Force, Gustavo decided to change branches of the military and joined the Army in November.  It is a big change, but he is looking forward to it.  This unfortunately means that he has to go to basic training for 3 months in the beginning of 2014.

2. We spent from the end of October through the middle of December fixing A LOT of problems that arose in our new townhouse including: replacing the broken dishwasher, fixing a leaking toilet, replacing the oven which was on it's last leg, replacing the wax ring around the toilet, fixing a leaking pipe (and the ceiling that was ruined due to the leak), repairing a leak in the roof, and replacing more sheetrock and painting (from the leaking roof).  It was really busy and frustrating to say the least.  As the cherry on top our renters decided to break contract and move closer to family so we found new tenants.  Now we are just keeping our fingers crossed that NOTHING else goes wrong...

1. We found out that I am pregnant with our third little GIRL!  I am due May 6th.  I keep getting more and more excited about having three little girls.

House Tour

I am so flattered that my friend Aimee featured a tour of my house on her blog, The Elephant of Surprise.  Here is a link if you want to see it.


http://the-elephant-of-surprise.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-peek-inside-sydneys-home.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ElephantofSurprise+%28The+Elephant+of+Surprise%29

Ella Bella

Ella is 3 years old (almost 4).  She can be a handful, but for the most part she's pretty sweet.  She has always had a very strong personality and definitely knows what she wants.  Ella loves her friends.  Our next door neighbor Aimee is her best friend.  They would play together every day if schedules permitted.  Aimee is in our little neighborhood preschool so they see each other twice a week and usually play at least twice a week on top of that.  Ella is all girl.  She loves to play dress up, have tea parties, and paint her fingernails.  Five is her favorite number because that is when she gets to ride the bus to school.  The other day she was talking to me about school and then got really somber and said, "Never mind, I don't want to go to school.  I want to stay home with you."  I like that idea.  I love watching her grow up, but it kills me that she's getting so big.  Ella is still an incredibly picky eater.  We're working on it, but we've got lots of room to grow.  Over the past few months she's started helping me make dinner.  She loves to set the table, pour ingredients, stir, fill water cups, and any other tasks she can handle.  She regularly tells me that I'm the "best cooker in the whole world."  Of course she says this as she refuses to eat what I make.  Oh well.  Ella loves princesses and playing make believe.  When she and Sophie get a long they usually play hide and seek or some form of house.  Ella loves to be snuggled, read to, or to do anything where she gets individual attention.  We love our Ella Bella.

Sophia

Sophie is 17 months old.  Time goes by way too fast!  At 17 months Sophie is walking everywhere.  I assumed that the second child would do everything faster than the first because she had someone to mimic.  That isn't the case with my Sophie.  She takes her time and does things when she wants.  She took her first step October 1st and started really walking in November.  Sophie still doesn't talk much.  She is really good at screaming and pointing though.  She signs inconsistently.  I know that she knows certain signs because she'll use them when she wants, but it just isn't that interesting to her.  She signs milk, all done, water, eat, and bath.  The only words she says are "Mama" and "Dada."  Sophie loves to help me around the house.  She grabs diapers, throws trash away, puts away her shoes and toys, and helps in any other ways she can.  She loves to point to belly buttons.  That was the first body part she learned to identify and it's still her favorite.  She also points to her head and nose.  She LOVES animals, but only tells us what a doggy says "woof  woof." Sophie's favorite toys are definitely baby dolls.  She lights up when we ask her to get her baby.  She loves to take her baby for a walk around the house with the little baby stroller.  Sophie also loves to push Ella's buttons (which are very easy to push!)  They fight about 70% of the time they are interacting.  The 30% of the time that they get along is adorable though.  She loves to play on Ella's bed or our bed and be wild.  Ella jumps (when we're not watching) and Sophie is a wild child so she just free falls and then laughs hysterically.  She is such a crazy little girl.  Her nicknames are Sophie, Soph, and monkey.  We love you baby!

my girls

This Christmas season I keep thinking about how truly blessed I am.  These two beautiful girls mean everything to me.  My whole life I've dreamed of being a mom and am so grateful that my dreams have come true.  Being a parent is the hardest thing I've ever experienced. I have so much to improve on, but I am so honored to have the opportunity.  My greatest blessing is my family and I'm so unbelievably grateful that I get to stay home with my girls.  It is easy to get caught up in unnecessary things so I'm grateful for this time of year that helps me think about what truly matters.

15 months

 

Notice that Sophie has not one, but TWO lollipops.  Sophie loves having both hands full.  At 15 months she still isn't walking (she took her first steps on October 1st- at 14 months, but still isn't walking).  She also isn't really talking.  I wish that she liked signing because that made such a difference with Ella, but she only signs all done, water, milk, eat, and more.  Unfortunately she doesn't sign any of them consistently.  She goes in phases with each of these signs.  I guess she just doesn't care to use signs or words- she just squawks!  This little girl knows what she wants and she is a fighter!  If you look closely at this picture you might see her little rash.  At about 13 months I took Sophie in to get a rash looked at.  I was worried she may have food allergies, but we found out that she has Perioral Dermatitis.  It doesn't bother her, but it flares up quite a bit and is surrounding her mouth and is under both of her eyes.  It seems to be getting a little better so hopefully we'll be able to get rid of it.  I was excited to see that Sophie is gaining weight.  She's still tiny, but here are her stats:

weight: 20.6 lbs --- 12th percentile

length: 31 in. --- 64th percentile

head circ: 47.3 cm --- 83rd percentile

         

Meeting Daniel

Baby Daniel was born June 20th.  We were so excited to go meet him, but waited a few months because we didn't want to intrude as Allie and Laz adjusted to their beautiful new baby.

  We flew out to Virginia in the middle of October and spent a week with Laz, Allie, and Danny.  We had a great time hanging out with their sweet family.  We relaxed most of the time and just enjoyed spending time together.  We went to an orchard one afternoon and picked apples after having a picnic.  We came home and baked an apple crisp with our fresh apples. 

 DC is one of my favorite cities so we had to go spend an afternoon there. 

  

 

It was beautiful fall weather the afternoon we went so we enjoyed walking around a few of the monuments.

 

I love museums.  The summer after I graduated from high school I came out to DC for 2 weeks to stay with my sister and her husband.  We spent most of our time in art museums.  I knew the girls wouldn't do well at museums, especially not studying art, so we decided to only try going to the National American History Museum because I thought Ella might be interested in some of the exhibits.  It went okay, but I was glad we only planned to go there. 

 We had a great time playing with baby Daniel and spending time with Laz & Allie.  The girls did pretty well with all of the travel which was a huge relief.  Although Ella was crying and did not want to leave Allie and Laz's house, when we landed in Utah she told me that she never wants to go on an airplane again!  It was a great trip, but I think we'll stay home for awhile.

 Ella loved playing with Daniel.  She always tried to love on him and wanted to be a part of everything, especially feeding him.  Ella loves baby Daniel so much that she keeps telling me that she wants us to have a baby brother and name him Daniel.  We can't wait to see him (and his parents) again at Christmas time.

budding photographer

While I was uploading pictures from the past few months I laughed when I found these pictures that Ella took:

 She took a picture of us in front of the White House.  Can you see it?

 This is another one Ella took of me and Gustavo from our trip to Washington DC.

 She walked  into my room one afternoon and snapped this picture of me.  I was impressed that she actually got my face :)

On Halloween Ella was so fed up with me taking her picture that she asked if she could take mine.  This is what she captured.

first snowfall

One October morning we woke up and saw that our yard was covered in a thin layer of snow.  Ella was elated!  She insisted on going out to play in it.  We got her all bundled up and she went out and made as many snow angels as she could.

The snow melted within a few hours, but she loved the time she was able to spend playing in it that morning.

fall fun

 We always hear about how fun Cornbelly's is so this year we took advantage of a great deal (thanks to Yolanda) and went to check it out. 

 We had lots of fun playing around.

 Ella loved every individual area so much that she didn't want to ever leave.

 Ella has quite an imagination.  I was listening to her use her best cowgirl accent as she offered to save people with her "lasaro" (a mix between lasso and Lazaro).

 

Sophie is so used to sharing the spotlight that she eats up any individual attention she gets!

It was very fitting that Ella's favorite area was the Princess Playland.  She got to pick out a dress and then went up on stage and danced her little heart out.  It was adorable to watch!  I think the only reason we could talk her into leaving was because they give the girls a treat when they returned their dresses.

 

We will definitely go back to Cornbelly's next year!