Poor little kid

He has reflux. I have been thinking this was the case for about a month now, but it is hard for a doctor to see the signs during a 10 minute well visit. On Monday morning after a long night of listening to his coughs and having a hear attack every time he would gag and gasp for breath, I called the pediatrician. She initially thought he had a mild cold, however he doesn't have a runny nose. Then she saw him spit up. Good timing kid. So she diagnosed acid reflux. No cold, just acid burning his little throat. Poor baby. I wouldn't be feeling very great either. So now we have some liquid Zantac, so we will see how it helps. Keep your fingers crossed that Mr. Gage gets feeling better soon, I hate seeing him hurt at all.

Oh, Christmas Tree. Oh, Christmas Tree...

This is my first Christmas putting up a real tree. I mean real in the sense of big and not table top sized, not real as in made of actual pine. I cant deal with pine needles in my carpet. Shaun made the wonderful decision to get a prelit tree from Lowes. Best invention ever! When I lived at home I was, to say the least, rather demanding about the tree. I have even been called a Christmas tree Nazi (thanks mom). I was adamant that her tree be done only in shades of gold and only in store bought decorations.

This year I relaxed. I realized that in a few years I will have all of Gage's homemade ornaments to hang, so I chilled out. Shaun has a HUGE box of Christmas ornaments he has saved over the years so our tree is very full, very mismatched, and very beautiful.


I think the newest family member, Mr. Gage, is about to have the most decorations on the tree.
Here is one we found for him while he was still in the belly. We wrote his name and birthday on the bottom of the little shoes.



This one is from his Uncle Tim and Aunt Erica. I think they got it before he was born as well.



Me and Shaun found this one at Kohls while we were Christmas shopping. G for Gage and also Gingerbread. How fitting :)


This is his ornament from his Uncle David and Aunt April. She gave it to use Thanksgiving evening and promised to get Gage a new ornament for the tree each year.


And here is the most important ornament in Daddy's eyes. This one was originally Shaun's but has been passed down from father to son. Because Gage is only allowed to like the Miami Dolphins. No exceptions.


Now this sad little ornament isnt technically one of Gage's but I couldn't leave him out. My good friend Laura over at http://www.ihaveafewnamesbutmostlyimmommy.blogspot.com/ did a post about her worst favorite ornament and I'm copying, LOL. Meet Cookie Monster, or at least I think that's who he was about 15 years ago. We aren't sure who made him, maybe Shauns mom or his aunt, but the poor little guy has seen better days. I couldn't ban him from the tree just becasue he is unraveling, now could I?

So here he is, hanging out towards the back of the tree. I guess the Christmas tree Nazi in me wont give up quite so easily.

Let me tell you 'bout my best friend...

Hey, Gage here. I have someone very important that I would like to introduce.

Mr. Whale.



Me and him are pretty much BFFs. He listens to my problems. He lets me cry on his shoulder. And he entertains me when mommy is busy with silly things like laundry. He lives in my play gym and we have shared many fun times together



I am also quite partial to this little person who lives in the fishy mirror. He is very handsome if I do say so myself.



I could stare at him for hours. So yes, mirror boy and Mr. Whale are most awesome. I love them and enjoy all of our play dates. But dont tell Mrs. Ceiling Fan. She has a jealous streak.

Love, G

This is why I love my husband

He is probably the only 23 year old man who enjoys a good puzzle.


I love him for being him and doing what he loves. Puzzles included :)

I thought we had a deal

No growing up too fast!!!

Dear Gage,
You cannot possibly be two months old already. Yesterday was your second 'monthday' and I am not at all ok with this. Slow down mister, you are completely allowed to stay this little forever. Mommy is fine with that. You know, as long as you start to sleep alittle longer at night.

There is no way that two months ago I didn't even know you and you were only a little stranger in my belly. I knew how your hiccups felt and I knew that you liked to kick at 11 pm, but I had no idea the dynamic, interesting boy you truely are. It seems like I have known you all my life, but at the same time it seems like you just got here.

So slow down with the growing up, ok. I will rock you a little longer tonight, and cuddle you even after you have fallen asleep and I long for sleep myself. Because just as fast as these two months have gone, the next two years will fly. Before I know it you will be just a little too big in my arms and struggling to get free of my hug. Stay little just a bit longer, my Gage. Stay sweet and innocent as long as you can. I'll take the crying and the exhaustion. Its ok. Just be my baby forever.

Busting out

After being stuck inside for three very long days, we finally busted out today. Our state hardly ever gets snow, especially not 2 feet. There is only so much VH1 and facebook I can take before I start going stir crazy. Me and Shaun are not the snippy types, but even we were letting our frustrations get the best of us. So off we drove, about 30 mph under the speed limit to my moms' house. Where Gage promptly spewed milk all over his onesie and got poop on his pants. Amazingly, my always stocked diaper bag had exactly 4 hats and 3 pairs of shoes in it. Awesome...
We trekked to Walmart and picked up a trustly $3.50 Garanimals outfit. And along with a couple thousand other people, finished up some last minute Christmas shopping. Oh, and I got my brother, Tim, to scale the giant parking lot snow mountain.

What's in a name?

Gage - french origin - 'Pledge'.

This little boy is mine and Shaun's constant pledge to each other. For him we pledge to be honest and loving and to work through any conflict quickly and peacefully. We promise to be the kind of parents he will be proud to have. We promise to love him unconditionally, every day of our lives.

O'Rion - greek origin - the hunter constellation.

The constellation Orion is my favorite. It was out in the sky the evening Gage was born and stays visable all winter. I always look up and see it straight away, and from now on will always see it and think immidiately of my beatiful little man.


Gage's first day home.

About a boy

Here is the story of the best day of my life, the day my beatiful Gage O'Rion came into the world.

His original due date was Nov. 2, 2009. On October 17th, the day after Shaun's birthday, we were at Olive Garden with the contractions really started to come. My mom and Shaun's mom were both giving me the worried eyes with every 'oooh' noise I made. They were both thinking he was coming that night, but I kept saying that it wasn't time. The next evening me and Shaun went to Khols and Target and walked and walked. One contraction in Target made me have to sit down. That night in bed I started timing the contractions. They were about 10 minutes apart, then 8 minutes, then 7 minutes... then I fell asleep.

The next day (Sunday) we went to Shaun's parents house and the contractions were coming strong again. Shaun's brother David and his wife April were there too. Me and April were given a whole bunch of Longaberger baskets from Shaun's mom. Everybody was saying that tonight was the night...except me. I was still adamant that he wasn't coming yet. That night was the same as the previous night. Contractions getting closer and closer, then I fell asleep again and they stopped.

Monday was a day like any other. I went to work at 12:30 and was getting mild contractions and mentioned to my boss that I felt like I was leaking. She was worried but I told her I had an OB appointment the next day and would ask then. Monday evening me and Shaun hung out, watched TV, and went to sleep like normal. No contractions, no anything.

Until... 5:30 Tuesday, Oct 20th, morning! Shaun had left for work about an hour earlier. I was dozing in bed and felt wet. I honestly thought I had peed myself! I hustled to the bathroom and checked out the situation. My underwear were pretty wet, but not what I thought water breaking would look like. So I went back to bed.

I laid there for a few minutes and thought it wouldn't hurt to make a call to the OB. She called back in 5 minutes and asked if I was still leaking. I said no. Then more trickled out and she said to come on in to be checked out. She wanted to be on the safe side. I called Shaun and got to say the cliche 'It's time!' He was so excited and headed right home. I took a shower, did my make up and ate some breakfast. I was in no hurry to get to the hospital, but since I had Group B Strep I needed to get on an IV for antibiotics.

We packed up the car and made the drive. We called all the future grandparents and my work on the way. We had to park far away and I walked the whole trek from the car. I was having very mild contractions at the time. We checked in and went to a small room for the nurse to see if I was leaking amniotic fluid. After two tests it was confirmed! I was having Gage!



At 7:30 am we went up to the delivery room and settled in. I got my IV inserted (which was so painful and uncomfortable the entire time). They checked me and I was already at 3 cm! The nurse said she was surprised since I was so happy. They were talking about starting Pitocin, but I asked to try and move things along the natural way. Me and Shaun started walking laps. I wanted to do 20 laps which equals a mile.... I lasted 7. The contractions were coming so strong and fast that I kept buckling over in pain. When we got back to the room I was checked again. I was 6 cm already!



At about 10:00 am I got an epidural. Right before it I was in so much pain I was vomitting into the worlds heaviest trash can (which poor Shaun was holding up for me). Full on contractions feel like someone is ripping out your insides and taking all the breath from your lungs at the same time. The anesteologist didn't give me much warning before he jabbed me. Anyone who says they dont hurt must not remember, because that needle burned! But it was so worth it because by 10:30 I was happily sitting in bed watching HGTV and laughing. My mom came at that time and I was checked again, 7 cm. I fell asleep for a little while and when I woke up it was about 1:00pm. After another check I was fully dialated! I had to have an oxygen mask because the baby's heart rate was dropping because he was coming so fast. I also had to keep turning from side to side (not an easy feat when you cant feel a thing below your chest!).

The nurse had me give a few practice pushes and she could already see the baby's head. However, when she went to get the doctor she told me she was doing a c-section and we would have to wait. This seemed awful at the time, but it actually allowed Gage to make his way out a little more on his own. At 2:00 the doctor came in and it was time to push! Shaun held a leg for me and we prepared to meet our son!



I was expecting a long time of pushing, especially because my epidural was turned up so high I couldn't even feel the contractions. Apparently the threat of having to turn down the epi made me an excellent pusher. I just pushed with all my might! I had to have Shaun count so I had an end point to each push. I pushed for 4 sets of 3. The last set I pushed 4 times, and out popped my beautiful boy! I looked at the clock and saw I had been pushing for the grand total of 12 minutes! Not bad for a first time delivery!



They put Gage right up on my chest. I cant believe the flood of emotions that washed over me. Relief, fear, happiness. It was the most overwhelming moment of my life. I burst into tears and again, couldn't catch my breath. As the doctor finished up on me, I watched as my husband, the man who has always been so strong and calm, cried as he saw our son. I watched the nurses weigh and clean Gage. He was 7lbs 3 oz (which, amazingly, was my exact guess) and 19 1/2 inches long. Shaun cut the cord, which he was nervous to do the whole pregnancy. They took his tiny foot prints and wrapped him in a blanket.




As Shaun brought our baby over to me I felt like my heart grew about 10 times as big. This tiny little perfect thing was mine. Those little toes were what had been kicking my rib cage for 3 months. I couldn't believe how tiny he was, but at the same time how big he seemed, to have been in my stomach. I held him and cried some more at the perfection of the day. I had a fast labor, an easy delivery, and the world's most beautiful little baby to call my child.




We waited about 45 minutes to have any family come in. We wanted to have those first few moments for ourselves, to cherish the arrival of our son. We just stared at him, in awe that our love for each other could make something so precious. Gage snuggled against my chest and nursed for the first time, and my lifetime bond to him began. I felt so much love and protective instincts toward him. In those first few moments, I felt my life truely begin. I cannot describe the love I immediately felt for him. After so many months of waiting and imagining what he would be like, Gage was here, and he completely exceeded all of our expectations. We had no idea how perfect and beautiful this little man would be.


Welcome to the world Gage! We will do everything in our power to give you a wonderful life. Thank you for making our lives complete.

My story so far (in pics)

2009 was a wild year for me. It technically all started November 2008, when I sat next to this guy on a couch.

You cant tell by the picture, but the sparks were flying! We had known each other for about a year through mutual friends and we all got together on Sunday afternoons to play board games. I had never thought of Shaun in 'that way' until Nov. 23, 2009. And, amazingly, that same day he felt the sparks toward me. I was sneaky and got his phone number and we began texting and sending messages to each other. He invited me and my friends out for Thanksgiving Eve (big going-out night around here).

We held hands under the table :) While there I mentioned that I wanted to see the movie 'Twilight' but everyone I knew thought it was lame. To my surprise he said he would go with me. And so, we planned our first date. It was the best date I have ever been on. Thanksgiving night I picked him up and we went to watch the movie. Afterwards, neither of us was ready to say goodnight so we went to Dover Downs bar. We were the only ones at the bar, and as we nursed our bottles of beer, we talked about everything you aren't supposed to on a first date. Religion, politics, etc. I have never felt so comfortable and nervous with someone at the same time. We had our first kiss in my car that night. I initiated, and it was the sweetest, most innocent kiss I have ever had. From that night on we were inseperable.




After attending Shaun's band play at Buffalo Wild Wings on December 3rd, 2008, we said the big L word. It happened fast, it surprised alot of people, but it was real. When you know, you know. Our big thing with each other was no playing games. We were very honest from the beginning.



From then on, we havn't had a day where we havnt seen each other. We had a beautiful first Christmas together, took a mini vacation to New York City, and enjoyed Valentines Day. I went to another gig for Shaun's band on Feb. 26th, 2009. I felt a little strange, but had no idea what was in store for us!



On March 3rd, 2009 our lives changed forever. I found a pregnancy test in my bathroom and thought 'Eh why not?'. I took it and saw those two pink lines that take your breath away. I sat on the floor of my bathroom and honestly couldn't breathe. It wasn't that I never wanted children, just that I had no plans to have them at that point in time. I honestly dont remember much more of that night except for tears, lots of hugs, and Shauns' reassuring words that it would all be ok. Thankfully, our parents all took the news fairly well. We had already began closing on a house to move into together before we got the news (thankfully a 3 bedroom!) so we took the next step and on March 7th, 2009, Shaun proposed to me on the beach under the stars.




On March 28th, 2009, I married my best friend. It was a small ceremony at the Justice of the Peace. We only had 10 people there and had a small reception for family and close friends at Shaun's parents. It wasn't dream wedding. There was no white dress, no first dance, no throwing the boquet. But to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't have changed it. I married the best man in the world. The words we spoke to each other that day meant more to me than any fancy dress or tiered cake.





Three days later we signed the papers to become first time homeowners and moved into our first home as a family.



Over the summer, Shaun's hair became shorter


and my belly became bigger.


We both celebrated our 23rd birthdays and lo and behold one October morning our lives changed in the biggest, most unbelievable way. Our son came into the world. We became more than best friends, more than partners, more than lovers. On October 20th, 2009 at 2:12 p.m, we began the most important job we will ever embark apon. We became Gage's parents. His birth story is an entirely different post. The basics are:

7 hours of labor.
12 minutes of pushing.
7lbs 3 oz.
19 1/2 inches long.
Fuzzy brown hair.
Dark blue eyes.
Love at first sight.



That fall morning our lives became complete. Our family began. I could go on and on about the love I feel for this tiny little boy and the joy he brings into our lives every day. And believe me, in future posts I will. But for right now, I have a hungry 2 month old fussing in Daddy's arms. You will all get to know much more about me, Shaun, and this beautiful child we made together.



This is my story so far... and it has only just begun.

Let's get acquainted

Hello, hello. As usual I am late to the game. I am probably the last person I know to start a blog. I also didn't start a facebook until 2009. And I still have no idea how to use the Internet on a cell phone... Like I said, late to the game. But a bunch of my mommy friends have blogs that I love to read, so I thought 'why not?'. So here we go, a record of me and my little family. Here you will find pictures, stories, and antecdotes from our journey together. There will be ups, there will be downs, but underneath it all there will be our love. (All together now... "awwwww".)