Gage's Birth Story

Finally…a free moment to update the blog. I have written this blog in my head about half a dozen times during late night feedings and diaper changes. But as a new mom, finding the time to actually sit down and put it all on paper has been a bigger challenge than I thought : ) Let me preface this by warning you this will by far be my longest blog ever. So….consider yourself warned.

Here we go…Gage’s Birth Story:
As most of you know the third trimester for me was spent wrapping up the last minute details and preparing for Gage’s arrival. Come the beginning of Feb and 3 weeks before my due date I was READY..And very large and very uncomfortable. The days leading up to Gage’s debut were some of the happiest days of my life. C all it instinct or intuition but Dustin and I had a feeling Gage would be here within days. So, we decided to take full advantage of the time we had just the two of us, it would be the last time in our lives : ) Thursday we went out to dinner just the two of us to a little Italian restaurant we like very much. It was a fantastic dinner, great food, great service, and great company! The following evening we relaxed at home after what we hoped was our final doctor’s appointment. It was also my last day at work until after the baby came. I was a bit melancholy about that, but happy to have the time off all in the same. I was pretty tired those last few weeks. At our 38 week appointment my doctor told me she would perform a procedure that would help push things along and commented that this procedure caused most women to go into labor within 24-72 hours. She mentioned however that first time moms were the exception. We went ahead and moved forward and hoped our little Gage would be the norm and not the exception. That night D and I relaxed on the couch with carry out and a movie. It was bliss. The following morning Dustin left for the day to head up to the deer lease with a buddy. It was one of those gorgeous Texas days outside. The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, and just the slightest breeze to keep you cool. Day-Z and I spent the entire day in the backyard and just napped, read a book, and contemplated how much life would change in a matter of weeks (little did we know it would actually be days) That Saturday was Sept 12th and my mom had planned a party at her house that evening for some of her closest friends. No sooner did we show up, and I started having “contractions” Not bad contractions, most people would not have even known I was having them. I ignored them at first and told myself this was yet again some false labor. We left the party early because we were just ready to go home and be together and I was just uncomfortable. Had I mentioned that already? ; ) So we get home, head to bed, and the contractions persist through the night. I stay up all night just timing them to see how close they would get. Through the wee morning hours of Sunday morning, and on into Sunday afternoon I kept contracting. They were now strong enough to not ignore, or sleep through, but still only every 15 minutes and not intensifying or coming any quicker. Dustin and I decided to take the day making last minute preparations. However, we did find time for a picnic lunch in the park and even a stop at the frozen yogurt place with the neighbors. Those couple days before Gage came really were magical. There was just this unsaid closeness and love between Dustin and I that I can’t explain. I really enjoyed that time spent with him. The contractions continued throughout the day and that night we went to eat dinner at my Dad’s house. He had gone all out and prepared his coronary cavarones (which is a separate story in itself) and really out-did himself for dinner that night. I ate 3 whole bites. I was not hungry at all…except, I wanted toast. THIS was the first time that whole two days I had convinced myself, this was really it. I remembered my mom telling me she wanted Luby’s before she had me. Instead, she had Mexican and it didn’t go over well. I now wanted toast instead of spicy lemon garlic butter sautéed shrimp? Yup I was in labor : ) That night at 1:30am the contractions finally starting intensifying and immediately jumped from 15 minutes to 8 minutes. I woke Dustin up and told him, it was time : ) We took our time getting ready to go to the hospital, well, I did anyways. Dustin was a tiny bit of a nervous wreck. He was anxious and scurrying to load the car. He got it all loaded, I was calm and steady : ) in fact, I was eating that toast finally ..knowing it would be my last meal for a while. Right before we headed out the door we stopped and spent about 10 minutes talking to Day-Z (my first baby) It was like she just knew her world was about to change and we wanted to just assure her it was OK. Call me crazy, I know..but hey..this dog has been with me for 9 years now and has seem me through some of the most influential years of my life. The least I could do was stop and give her a hug before replacing her with my new “baby” On the way to the hospital the contractions jumped again from 8 minutes to every 5 minutes and I told Dustin maybe we should drive just a little bit faster : ) We arrived at the hospital around 5am and I was sure I was leaking water. We got checked in and settled and the nurse came in to check. That’s when my world stopped….and so did the contractions!! For 2 solid days I had nonstop contractions. Now we get to the hospital, call the moms and says its finally time, and now contractions are stopping? We sat there for 2 hours waiting to see if anything would progress. I broke down. I was already tired at this point and now the nurses were talking about sending me home until I progressed further. I was humiliated and felt more foolish than ever. I really just sat there and started sulking..and then..one more contraction. The sweet nurse took pity on me and suggested we wait just 30 more minutes to see if I progressed. And what do you know? The contractions started back up and things started progressing. We were back on track!! I got changed, got the epidural, and strapped in for what I was sure was going to be a long process. It was now about 9am by the time we got settled in. The nurse estimated that this would take about 6 more hours based on where I was currently at. An hour later she came back to check me again and I was READY! My mom warned me that I would probably go quickly if I was anything like her. Evidently, momma really does know best. It was at this time that what was taking place really hit me and I started crying AGAIN. I spent some time with our family who had now arrived at the hospital and then right before it was time for the room to clear out I sat quietly with my mom, Dustin, and Jolene. Jolene said a beautiful prayer and then everyone left. It was just Dustin and I...and the thought still makes my eyes water. It really was the last time it would be Kelch family, party of 2. We did it! All the dreams and hopes, conversations, what ifs, wondering, and preparing for the last 38 weeks were here. It all came down to this moment. Labor was easy, blame it on these hips of mine. I heard Gage cry and my heart literally filled with love. Dustin looked at me and tears were streaming down his face. He was BEAMING with pride and complete bewilderment. We both were! Did this really just happen? All those months I had foolishly worried about whether or not I would bond with Gage, would he like me, would I like him, were immediately dismissed. The second I laid eyes on him and heard him cry I loved him more than anyone in the world. When people discuss marriage and spouses and they say “when you know, you know” they were right. When I started dating Dustin I just knew. When I would call my mom and ask her ”mom” questions or listen to other parents talk about their love for their children they would just say…its indescribable. Never has a word been more accurate and more inadequate all at the same time. When I try to describe how much I adore this little person the Lord has blessed us with, there are no words. He is simply indescribable.

Gage Matthew Kelch made his way into the world at 1:19pm on February 14, 2011 weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces and 19 ¾ “ long. Welcome to the world my little Cupid; you have completely stolen your parent’s hearts!

Week #37 1/2

I never pictured myself as a stay at home mom. Throughout the entire pregnancy I have often thought what in the world will I do for 6 whole weeks at home with a new baby. I was convinced I would go nuts being at the house with nothing to do other than take care of a sweet Peanut. No fires to put out, no daily interaction with the girls at the office I have come to know and love…what would I do?? When Dustin and I toured the hospital where we will deliver Gage Matthew I got my first taste of "OH"…the babies in the nursery were so little and so sweet…I tried to fast forward time to 6 weeks later and picture them going to daycare and my heart skipped a half a beat.
Last week when our "nanny" bailed I panicked. How in the world would be afford daycare..the ones near the house were so expensive..and even if we miraculously could afford it..would they have a vacancy. Last year when we found out we were pregnant they were already on a waiting list. In a bind, I called the daycare we liked a lot last year hoping for a miracle. They had ONE vacancy!! I went by there last night and I really liked what I saw. The place was spic and span..they knew every kid and their parents by name. The lady that runs the infant nursery is a little grandma lady that has been with this daycare for over 10 years…they have a strict curriculum that they follow and they really try to teach the kids as much as they can. They are very strict about keeping the day-care environment as close to the home environment as possible. There was nothing I didn’t like..and YET…I walked out of there in a flood of tears and could not gain composure for a good 30 minutes. Dustin met me at the door and scooped me up and just hugged me until I stopped. All I could say or think was he's too little..I cant leave him! All the things people told me over the years were absolutely right and I was thinking what am I going to do. I have never left D-marie at a shelter when we went on vacation because I didn’t want her to be scared and confused..and now I am supposed to leave this little tiny bundle??? That I absolutely adore more than anything???
I thought about it all night, talked to a lot of my mommy friends, and even went over the perks of daycare with Dustin and felt much better! In fact, this morning I feel like taking him to daycare where they have seasoned professionals, a structured curriculum, and they monitor his progress seems like a better place for him than home with me. I can offer him all the love in the world..but I don’t know how much tummy time he should get, and how keen his motor skills are or are not. And lets face it..if he starts falling behind, I wont even notice because I'll be too busy powdering his fanny and smothering him with kisses. So, what was a really lousy situation now has a ray of sunshine shining through. I just surprised myself immensely with the way I felt. I didn’t expect that sort of reaction from me. Looks like motherhood will bring out a whole new me : )

And now..another letter to Gage from my Dad! He sends me a "TGIF" email every Friday..this was this past week's entry. Enjoy

Tiny Gage Incubates Fully!

Good morning little buddy! How are you and your Mommy feeling today? Did you play all night long or let her get some sleep? What a good boy!
I hope you enjoy your remaining time being snug as a bug in her tummy and spoiled rotten. It won’t be very long now that you come out of your perfectly controlled and self contained environment. No, it does not stay 98.6 degrees out here all year round. And no, the magical tube that feeds you 24/7 won’t be hooked up forever. The other end of it that whisks away all of your little biological waste will be gone too….
Sounds terrible? Not really.
There will be lots of new people for you to meet. Mainly that guy with the deep voice that keeps talking to you through the wall of Mommy’s tummy. He is REALLY looking forward to having you around. He helped to make you! And your Mommy is an absolute sweetheart and wants to share you with him.
And he is not the only one looking forward to your debut into this world! You have a big family awaiting! We are all anxious to see you!
It may be dark and warm and cozy and easy living where you are right now.
But you will find that there are more people waiting to helping you along. Yes, we all plan to help keep you warm. Keep your tummy full. And even clean up your stinky little messes. (Yes, your poop smells. You will discover that too once the vacuum tube is gone.) We will rely on you to interact with us to let us know when you are hungry or if the cotton and plastic wrapper around your posterior needs to be replaced. You can rely on us to respond so that you will keep growing, won’t smell offensive and your nether regions won’t chap. At first you will need help with these things, but I promise it gets much better after that!
Right now you are restricted to a small but very comfy space. You have depended upon one special and loving lady to carry you this far. There are a lot more people for you to meet! We all look forward to being a part of your life. You will get to trade that warm little room for a great big world. There will be no limits on what you can do now! A lot more space to play! And the family that awaits you will enjoy watching you take your first steps (literally) into this life and seeing the magical discovery of this new world through your eyes!

I’ll be seeing you soon!

With love,
Gramps

Week #36

Once again..a lot to catch up on. A couple weeks ago Dustin and I attended a birthing class at the hosoital where Gage will debut. It was a crash course on all things pregnancy and delivery. I knew quite a bit of the topics covered in class from various talks with friends, or from my lovely books...but I think it was a good class all the same and I know Dustin learned a thing or two : ) At one point they had the "delivery" video and I kept urging Dustin to leave the room..I kept telling him once you see this you cant undo it : ) He stayed, and to my relief the video was not near as graphic as I had anticipated. The class ended with a visual sensory excercise and I will spare you all the details...it was hysterical and horrifically awkward all at once. If you really care to know, ask me in person! It does make for a rather comical story.

This past weekend, week 35 my mother in law came into town from Dallas to help me get the nursery all put together and finalized. I had one of the best weekends of my life. It started out Friday night with dinner at one of my favorite hole in the walls with my mom and mother in law..two of my absolute favorite ladies in the whole wide world. I LOVED being surrounded by two people that I love the most and its a rare occassion (actually this was the first time) I had them both all to myself one on one and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Dustin was away that weekend on a fancy hunting trip so it was just the girls and oh so perfect. Jolene, a recent grandma to my nephew Colton, was well versed in all the latest baby gear / necessities. My mom and I were still rather clueless in this department so I was happy to have Jolene's help and input. I would like to reiterate just how truly lucky I have been through this pregnancy to have such wonderful people around me...from friends to family, and my amazing husband..I really dont know what I would have done without you and I have never felt more blessed! While Jolene was in town she kept asking what else I needed from Babies R Us..I honestly could not think of a single thing...so we made our way over there on Saturday anyways to return some clothes that were duplicates and just see if there was anything I had forgotten......$472 later I was REALLY set!!! LOL..it amazes me how much STUFF little people need. Gage's closet has now overtaken two rooms upstairs and I still foresee furture storage needs. How can one teeny tiny little person possibly need this much stuff! But they do! : ) Jolene and I cut the tags off all the clothes, blankets; and nighties and washed them in special baby soap and put them away. I never thought doing laundry would be so incredible. I enjoyed washing every tiny sock, bib, recieving blanket, every article of clothings. There were more oos and awwww's that weekend! I was truly touched by how fortunate we are to have Gage to have such incredible gifts from so many people! WE ARE LUCKY!! I have posted some pictures below of the outcome of Gage's room..its finally almost done. I am waiting on one more wall hanging to come in, and still waiting on Dustin to finish that dresser, LOL..and thats it folks..we are ready to rock and roll!

This past Wednesday we went to see the doctor for our now weekly check ups. I had been feeling "funny" for a couple days so I was anxious to have her check me. Despite some of the symptoms I had been having, Dustin and I were blown away to hear what she had to say...not only had my symptoms been spot on and my body working as it should (which still fascinates me that your body knows to do all this tuff) but I am already at 2cm!!! My Dr. advised me of a long list of items that I should not do for the next ten days..including walking, eating spicy food, stairs, etc. I am to prolong Gage's debut until week 37, and then she will let me deliver at any time. Before 37 weeks babies are considered pre-term so thats the reason she wants me to hold him in : ) I am doing the best I can and followed doctors orders. Week 37 is this coming Saturday, Jan 29th... We have our next doctor's appointment this coming Friday, I am anxious to see what she says then. At our last doctor's appointment, aside from finding out we are on our way...we also had an ultrasound that let us know Gage is already 6 pounds 4 ounces. Thats amazing to me the technology these days. The nurse tried to get a profile picure of Gage but he was being so shy and had his head buried into me. Imagine that, I have a shy boy...I think we all know which parent this trait is from : ) And it aint me! Ha! The one appendage Gage was very proud of though was his TT...that we have 4 pictures of...so thank you Gage...no pictures of your sweet face..but I have 4 solid pictures that prove to us once again you are certainly ALL boy! This will no doubt be used against you one day...I see slideshows at your wedding in the future : ) Kidding..not really!

We cant wait to meet you little Gage Matthew..time is a tickin! : ) Love you

Week #34 1/2

Goodness so much to catch up on again. I really do need to get better about this blogging stuff. So as promised in the blog below...I do have a funny story about Dustin and I.
In the beginning of my pregnancy, around week 18 or so I wasnt showing very much at all and I was pretty self conscious about this, that my tummy was smaller than what I had thought it would be at that phase. Dustin knowing how much I worried about this in the beginning must have filed this tid bit away : )

Fast forward to 2 weeks ago..week #32 and I am big as a house. Feeling all and all pretty down on myself, I was on facebook one evening and was pleasantly surprised to see that I wasnt all that big in comparison to some people I knew. I was either right on track or maybe a wee bit smaller. I was thrilled! I literally had been feeling like a whale lately so to see that this was not the case made me happy. I showed my sweet husband a picture of this particular individual who happened to be showing a wee bit more than me. I said to him, look she is bigger than I am dont you think? He promptly replied, no not really. I frowned and sat quietly next to my husband on the couch. He could tell I was upset and asked what was wrong. I quietly said, well...I guess I just dont see how big I am.... He again retorted, no you dont. Now I wanted to beat him : ) After seeing my reaction he picked up on the fact that times had changed, I was now happy to be small and he quickly back tracked...we both laugh about it now...but he was almost found himself in poopie diaper duty for 2 months : )

I am feeling..pregnant, but all in all I guess I cant complain. I am just more than ready for little Gage to be here! I am getting really excited about his debut and the opportunity to finally, finally hold him!! One thing that really helped both of us get excited was getting his nursery ready. Although we still have a long way to go...we are much closer now than we were two weeks ago and that helped me feel prepared and ready for Nugget's arrival. Dustin's mom is coming in this weekend to help us finalize all the details and get every last thing done. I PROMISE to post pictures of his nursery on Monday after I have all the last details put in place.

Dustin and I have both been REALLY busy lately with work, family in town, the holidays, and getting ready for the baby. Knowing our schedules would be hectic I asked that Dustin just paint an old dresser that I had, and place it in the baby's room. This dresser has been the baby dresser for 70 years now, and passed down through my mom's family. To say that it had 7 layers of paint may be the understatement of the year...I was in a hurry to get the nursery done and just said, what the heck..whats one more layer of paint? Dustin was having nothing to do with this. He wanted to not only strip it down to bare wood, but put all new hardware and everything on it. So that is just what he did...for the last THREE weeks now! And I'll be darned if he didnt finally get it down to the bare wood. On more than one occassion I thought if he sanded any deeper he was going to sand right through the poor dresser. He was close to being finished and I came out to see the progress. Everything was stripped with the exception of some grooves where the dresser had some detail work. There was old paint left in the grooves still and I was thrilled. I told Dustin that would look great and to please leave it so that when he distressed the dresser to make it look even older, it would have that old paint peaking through. It was at that moment, that I recieved the "you are on poopie diaper duty for a year look" and Dustin explained, through clenched jaw...that he did not just work on this dresser for 3 weeks to distress it. This dresser was going to look brand spanking new even if it was the last thing he did! I decided it was time for me to go back inside and work on my projects and leave him to his : ) LOL...He put the second coat of paint on it last night and I must admit, it looks beautiful!!! It was not the first time I found myself thinking..I am sure glad he didnt listen to me, his way did indeed turn out better. But, dont tell him I think this often!!! Thanks again babe for all your hard work. I know Peanut will love getting his diaper changed on top of your perfectly sanded, ever so smooth, refurbished dresser : )

Baby Bump Week #32!!!

More to come later...including a funny story from Dustin : )

Away in a manger no crib for a bed....nope not here folks...we have a crib!

Tis the season...for PANICING : ) We are down to crunch time folks and I am starting to stress a wee bit about our upcoming wee one! I am in full on nesting mode and getting our nursery all put together. We still have a lot to do! Much more than I would prefer...but thats when I have to slow down and remind myself, we still have 9 weeks or so. Hopefully! Last weekend our crib came in and Dustin and I decided to put it together Sunday night. This was somewhat fitting for the evening since Sunday marked two years since we had our first date. I reminded Dustin of the significance of the date and we both commented on how we couldnt think of anything else we would rather do to mark the occassion...than sit in our baby's room, eat gourmet cupcakes that I picked up to note the day, and put together our baby crib. Dustin also took note of just how lucky we were to have this "chore" on our never ending to do list. As he said, not everyone gets to do this, and some would give everything they had to be able to have a baby so we needed to stop and recognize just how lucky we are. And boy are we lucky!! I am blessed beyond words to have the priviledge of being a mother. But I cant help but be the most joyful over my marriage. I have always wanted first and foremost a happy marriage!! Followed by a home, a baby, and a successful career...in pretty much that order. The home and baby would have never been possible without Dustin by my side..not to mention it is a HAPPY home and we both know first hand just how important that is. So on a once again very sappy note..I would like to thank you again Dustin for making all my dreams come true and for being so very, very good to me. You are more than I could have ever hoped for! Being your wife and now the mother of your son is the biggest honor God has ever blessed me with! THANK YOU...and HIM!!

Not much else to report on this week...I am definitely passed the point of being uncomfortable. The back aches, the tight tummy, the swelling, feeling FAT, the whole nine yards are in full effect. Thank goodness though I am in the home stretch. The other not so pleasant side of pregnancy has been my hormones (yet another reason why Dustin is a saint..I have been a peach lately, ha ha) I am not angry or mean or anything like that...more like a class A whiner about how uncomfortable I feel...and I worry about the dumbest things all the time. I worry about liking the baby and him liking us. I worry about how I will cope with the lack of sleep...delivery pains...nursing, taking care of the baby, being a good mom, knowing what to do, adjusting to life with a wee one, and to be honest...how this baby will effect my oh so wonderful marriage. Will it bring us closer, will it be a hinge between us, will we be good parents, will we enjoy being parents. Basically, to quote my Dad..I am fearing the unknown and this is all perfectly normal. Its just so weird to me that life changes FOREVER in a matter of weeks. To all my mommy friends out there reading this, please feel free to comment and tell me I am crazy!! I could use the reassurance!

We have another doc appt on the 17th...then we start going every two weeks! That part is exciting. Thinking about Peanut's "eviction" and the day he joins the world does bring a huge smile to my face and a warm feeling to my heart. And as I look at our tree each night I see Christmases yet to come with bikes, Tonka trucks, and other toys under the tree and I cant help but feel giddy. Christmas is so magical with children! Dustin and I have also been reflecting back on our own childhood Christmas memories and that too makes us that much more anxious to welcome our little one into the world. Merry Christmas all, and Merry Christmas Gage Matthew...we'll see you in no more than 70 days....wow! : )

Oh, enjoy the pics from a few of my baby showers! : ) Thank you all again for all your generosity!

Thanksgiving, Showers, and Thanksmas....Oh My!!!!

It has been a busy last two weeks in the Kelch household!! On Nov 13th two of my friends hosted one AMAZING shower for my closest friends and family. Little Gage and I made out like bandits with strollers, monitors, jumparoos, bouncy seats, pack-n-plays, bedding, and the CUTEST clothes anyone has ever seen. We are truly, truly very spoiled!! That shower was followed by Thanksgiving at our house, and then another shower hosted by my sister in law and 2nd "grammie" Last Saturday we also celebrated "Thanksmas" with Dustin's family. The majority of Dustin's family lives out of town so it was great to get together with everyone and visit and catch up. The shower was that morning and then dinner that evening. Needless to say, maternity pants came in handy that day. If there is one thing Dustin's family can do, its cook! Holy moly, everything tasted DELICIOUS! And the shower was so incredibly cute...pics to come. Not one detail was left undone and I really appreciated all their efforts. I felt so spoiled and so loved. Dustin and I had MUCH to be thankful for these last two years, God has truly, truly blessed us.

I also started a new job...yet again. I know, I know...but this one seems to really be up my alley and I hope to be here for a very long time! Everyone in the office is fantastic, I enjoy the work, and things are good....but busy. But I am LOVING it.

Dustin and I ordered the crib yesterday, and our bedding will be in on Jan 4th..the nursery is REALLY coming together..courtesy of all our loved ones and their overwhelming generosity!!

Above is a pic of our little Peanut's bedding. I really cant thank you all enough...from co-workers, to friends, to family...the gifts were just unreal!! Thank you all soooo very much

Our next doctor's appt is on Dec 17th, and after that we start going every two weeks. Our little Peanut will be here in 11 weeks or less...where has the time gone? At our last appt the doctor said everything looked great...he is just growing, and KICKING, and getting chubbier in there. Other than that everything is developed and he weighs about 3 pounds already.