The latest

So once again I feel terrible for not writing in so long. Bad mommy. I will try to capture a bunch of the things that have transpired over the last year or so.

First of all Julian is the most delicious baby a mommy could ask for. Edible as aunt Kate says. He has grown into an amazing toddler. Almost walking now. The last year has flown by. I went back to work in February after 6 months off. The time at home was amazing. I was ready to go back. Jules has adapted to Ranka's of course with little transition time. He loves it there and loves all of his girlfriends. (Ranka, Tanya and Biljena)

He's never met a food he does not like and has 6 teeth now. Too funny.

Mira started in the pre-k class this year. She is being challenged and doing "real" school work that she brings home daily. She loves her baby brother and continues to be kind, nurturing, compassionate and sensitive. We can't believe how big she has gotten over the last year. 40 inches now. Still mall but big to us! I swear some days she looks 7.

Working full time and raising 2 kids is HARD. Thank goodness for an amazing husband. Who by the way is also doing great. Who could ask for more?

Oh BTW, Jules is now saying uh oh. He spent a bunch of time the other day perfecting it in the back of the car. Uh...uuuu...uh...uuuu...hee hee.

Over the summer we hung out with friends and visited family in Philadelphia in July. We got to go to Sesame Place which was a hoot for all. We also got to spend time with a very old friend of mine from elementary school. That was terrific. A number of people have also come to CA to visit us! Cousins Adina, Miles and Rivka Sara; Aunt Janice and Uncle Paul, Aunt Jeannie and the Applebaums. That was so fun.

So, here are some pics. If you are reading this and are not yet on Face Book, please get on it. It's wonderful to stay connected to everyone.

Cheers! Speak to you in a year or so. LOL.

The Sleep Story

So as all parents do, I am still struggling with Julian not sleeping through the night. Not only NOT sleeping through the night but not even more than 3 hours in a row most nights. After nearly 6 months of this sleep deprivation I am ready for a rubber room as my mom would say. As my return to work date quickly approaches, I am starting to panic. How can I function in the professional world with only sleeping in 2-3 hour increments? Will I fall asleep at my desk? Ugh.

Since we are not at all fans of letting our children "cry it out" I continue to go into Julian's room up to 6 times a night, nurse for 10 minutes and then head back to bed. Night after night after night. Month after month after month. The very thought of allowing him to cry alone in his bed for who knows how long is too painful.

So what is a mom to do? Something's gotta give as they say. We are out of energy, patience and stamina.

One thing that I did the other night when he was up every hour on the hour was this. I held his tiny warm hand in mine and thought about how quickly this time will be over in the grand scheme of my life. How one day I will struggle to remember how tired I was. How I will miss that tiny hand and the phase that went with it. How I am so very grateful to even have a second healthy, beautiful child. How if my baby needs me, I will go to him unconditionally until he is able to reason and understand explanations for things. How amazingly compassionate, nurturing and sensitive Peanut is and how our parenting style and choices made her that way.

These are the things I think about in the middle of the night, while it's just the two of us in the dark room. A dear friend of mine says that you have to listen to your "mommy gut". As hard as it is and will be, I am truly listening to mine. I know that our beautiful son will be a better person for it. I know I already am.

The Love Muffin

Hi everybody! So we have been really trying to come up with a nick name for Julian as we have for Peanut. Since 3 months is really the turning point with regard to a baby becoming more social, laughing more and smiling a lot, Julian has proved to be a total love. He is snugly and loves to laugh and smile. So, Love Muffin it is. Or just Muffin.

Life with 2 peanuts has been interesting, fun and of course challenging over the last almost 4, yes 4 months! We can't believe our little babe turns 4 months old on Thanksgiving. Mira loves her little bro and we could not be more proud of how she interacts with him. She can't wait to be able to play with him.

Julian is keeping me hopping at night still unfortunately. And he was supposed to me our GOOD sleeper!! HA!! He was going 4-5 hr. stretches initially but now is doing abut 3. It could be due to his new found skill of rolling over as milestones like these cause bumps in sleep patterns. Let's hope it is short lived!

To all those moms who fear they will not have enough love in their hearts for more than one baby, fear no more. I too was concerned about this. Everyone was right. You love each child individually and uniquely. We Do have plenty of love to go around.

Being a mom to 2 kids still seems surreal to me. Just saying "my kids" is weird. Yet amazing. Each baby is so different too. Mannerisms, sounds, habits, etc. It's so much fun to get to know Julian during this time at home. I treasure nearly every second. (Other than the ones I spend walking back and forth to and from his room all night long!) I feel very lucky to have this time with him. Mira and I were home together for only 3 1/2 months and it was just getting really fun.

Mira is loving preschool and thriving as we knew she would. She is smart, compassionate, nurturing and sensitive. She is clearly teacher's pet as well. During Open House Night the teachers could not say enough positive things about her. We beamed from ear to ear.

So, at this time of Thanksgiving I pause to consider all of our blessings. Two beautiful children, an amazing husband who is a true partner in every facet of parenting and our wonderful life together.

Cheers to all mommies and daddies who make it work, work together and have spectacular kids to show for it. All of our hard work does pay off.

Julian's Birth Sory- Our Doula's Perspective

Birth story for Julian Elan

Fern’s induction had been scheduled for August 6, 2008, for a while. This was at 38 weeks, which was when her doctors felt it would be safest for Julian to be born due to gestational diabetes. Since she had gone into labor at 37 weeks with her first child, Fern hoped not to reach the induction date and tried many gentle methods to try to prod her body into labor. None of these worked, though, so in the evening of August 6, we met at the hospital for a balloon catheter to be placed and start the process of Julian’s birth.

At 10:00 pm, Dr. Senior placed the balloon catheter. Fern had received stadol beforehand, as she wanted help with her anxiety and any pain that might occur when the catheter was placed. She accepted some sleeping pills and tried to settle in for the night, but this was difficult considering how often she was being checked on to get blood sugar levels and to increase tension on the balloon catheter. Neither Fern nor Kevin got enough rest that night!

At 5:30 am, the balloon catheter came out when the nurse applied pressure to it. Arrangements were made to slowly start the pitocin drip, and at 6:30 am a cervical check revealed dilation to be 3.5 centimeters.

Through the morning, Fern was relatively comfortable. She was feeling the contractions mildly but remarked at how they weren’t really painful. Everyone tried to get some rest now and then, in anticipation of the work to be done later. In between, we chatted, watched a little television, and Fern and Kevin kept all their family and supporters in the loop via phone calls and texts.

At noon, Dr. Kasper arrived to check on Fern. She checked her cervix and found that it was 4 cm dilated. She asked permission to break Fern’s water and Fern reluctantly agreed (she had wanted the epidural placed first). The nurse went to call the anesthesiologist right away. While we waited for him, Fern did start feeling the contractions more intensely and by the time he arrived she was more than ready for the epidural. Getting the epidural placed was a big source of anxiety and pain for Fern, and among her least favorite parts of the birth experience, despite the fact that she was glad to have the epidural. Fortunately, the anesthesiologist allowed Kevin and me to stay close to her to help her through it. After it was placed at about 12:30, Fern felt relief quickly on one side but it took quite a while to be effective on the other side, even after leaning toward that side. Still, it was enough relief to not be worth problem-solving the placement.

At 2pm, a cervix check showed dilation to 4.5 cm. The contraction monitor showed that the contractions were coming about every 3 minutes, a good pattern. The nurse turned up the pitocin every now and then, but the highest it ever went in the whole birth was 18, which was comforting for a VBAC, both in terms of safety and in how well Fern’s body was doing with labor. Through the afternoon, Fern relaxed to her iPod music and dozed here and there. She started getting uncomfortable in her back from being stuck in bed for so long, so I offered some massage. Fern started feeling some pressure in the mid-afternoon, which let us know that baby was descending. The combination of the sensation and the knowledge that she was getting closer to pushing this baby out made Fern a little bit nervous and her teeth started chattering. Kevin and I took turns massaging her head, and she relaxed fully. (It was quite remarkable - I wished I’d known this about her when the epidural was being placed!) Around 4:30, nurse Mel did an exam and found dilation to 8 and baby at +1 station – this was great progress!

Around 6:30, an exam showed complete dilation! Fern started pushing at around 7pm. She was fantastic at pushing. She did a fabulous job. We could see Julian’s head moving down with each push. Of course, the head moved back up in between pushes… this is normal but can be frustrating. Everyone remarked at his blond hair. Fern felt like pushing was taking a long time and started saying how tired she was. Kevin was great encouragement for her, and Dr. Kasper, the nurse and I all added encouragement too. No matter how tired she got, her pushes continued to be strong. Finally the baby came around and up the pubic bone, and stopped moving back up during contractions. From here it was fast moving, and at 8:58 pm, Julian Elan was born!

Fern got to hold him right away, and there was so much emotion in the room from both Fern and Kevin. It was obvious how thrilled they were to meet Julian, and how much his arrival “the way G-d intended” (as Fern put it) meant to them. They were able to hold him as much as they wanted, were able to put him to the breast when Fern was ready, and were enraptured by him.

Julian Elan Dahlstrom

August 7, 2008

8:58 pm

7 lbs 11 oz

20 inches

Fern and Kevin, thank you for giving me the privilege of being a part of Julian’s birth. I enjoyed our time together prenatally and was honored to be your labor support. Your love for each other and your children is apparent, as is the foundation it provides for your family. Your attitude in life of accepting reality yet striving for the best is an inspiration and will serve you well on the journey of parenthood. Congratulations on Julian’s birth and on your successful VBAC. All my best to you.

Blessings,

Megan

Julian's Birth Story

When we found out we were pregnant again it was a bit of a shock. We had only been "sort of" trying for 2 months. Yes, it's true. We stopped the pill in Sept. and became pregnant in Nov. By New Year's Eve I was feeling green around the gills and thought I had a stomach bug. I was so nauseous I could barely enjoy my New Year's Eve dinner out with Lovey. He was the one that made me take the test despite my protests and sheer denial that I could be pregnant.

Well, I took the test and defiantly looked at the little window and proclaimed up the stairs to him, NEGATIVE!! Kevin comes down and says "It has not even been one minute!" I say, "The lines are too far apart to be positive." When Kevin looked at the window on the stick he says "Babe, it's either two lines or one, it doesn't matter how close together they are...Mommy". Wow, well, here we go again!!

The pregnancy was great despite the gestational diabetes I mention in an earlier post. Won't go into that too much. Suffice it to say, not fun. I do however owe a huge thank you to all of the people who supported my health and ensured Julian was healthy as well. The Perinatal Center, OBGYN Specialists, the Diabetes Center, etc. And of course my family and friends who called all the time and brought me sugar free foods (mom) and put up with my counting carbs while out to dinner and charting all of my glucose numbers constantly. It was depressing in the beginning but worth it of course.

As our due date approached we were told that our OB would like to induce around 38 weeks. Babies whose mom's have GD have a higher risk for still birth. Aside from increased risk of a big baby and less of a chance for me to have a VBAC.

A VBAC is an acronym for vaginal birth after cesarean. Since Mira was breech, I had a C section with her. I had made up my mind early on that I would try for a VBAC this time despite the risks. My OBs were open to it and supported my wishes throughout the pregnancy.

Kevin and I pushed back a bit on the induction as many times women who are induced end up having to have a c section anyway. This was definitely not what I wanted and it concerned us. After running it by our perinatologist, our Doula and researching on our own, we agreed to the induction at 38 weeks. Each of the OB docs agreed it was the best thing.

So, the quest for induction avoidance began. We embarked on a journey to try everything and anything that would bring on labor naturally and spontaneously. These things included acupuncture, walking, spicy foods, more sex, herbs, etc. No go on the labor.

The day the induction was scheduled was pretty tense to say the least. We even went for super spicy Indian food and no luck. Julian was staying put until he had no other choice!

We were instructed to call the labor and delivery charge nurse that evening at 6:00 PM to find out what time to come in. When I called I was told they were too busy that night and to call the next day. "I'm sorry, what?" (We knew this was a possibility, however my induction was due to medical need so we were surprised." After a call to Dr. Senior (the OB doing my induction) she called the charge nurse/scheduler to see what she could do. The hospital called me 10 minutes later and said to come on in. A good thing considering our nerves were shot and we were all packed up. We had told Mira were were off to have Julian and then told here we weren't. And then we were...so, off we went after some deep breaths.

When we got to the hospital we met our Doula, Megan there. A Doula is sort of a birth coach, support person. Not a medical person like a midwife. Megan was with us to keep us calm and relaxed. And that she did. Thank you Megan! Megan was a godsend when it came to any questions we might have had about the process. We were in it for the long haul once the induction began.

Around 9:00 pm Dr. Senior came into the room to insert the Foley catheter balloon which would be placed on the placenta side of the cervix to put pressure on it as would the baby's head. This would cause the cervix to open. This impending procedure had caused me great stress over the week before and I did ask for Stadol to help me get through it and be a little calmer. Thanks for that! The entire procedure probably took less than 3 minutes to insert it. And no, did not really hurt. Just uncomfortable. Once the catheter was placed I was settled in for a little rest and given a sleeping pill. It didn't help much as those hospital beds and not the most comfortable. Oh, and every 3 hours my nurse would tug on the catheter. Around 5:30 or 6:00 am the catheter came out when tugged on. By that point I was about 3 cm dilated. It's at that point that they started pitocin. Pitocin causes contractions and is the "traditional" methods used to induce. The pitocin dose was low throughout the day and I was feeling mild contractions but they were not bad enough to warrant an epidural.

At noon I was 4 cm. Dr. Kasper asked if she could break my water. She did and then the flood gates opened. The contractions REALLY started. Fast and strong. EPIDURAL PLEASE!!! Arund 1:00 I received the horribly uncomfortable, painful epidural. That was the worst of the entire experience for sure. Crying for 15 minutes at least. No fun. Kevin and Megan helped me through it as best they could but it was terrible. I was so glad when it was over.

It did help so much with the contractions and I was grateful for pain meds. We waited, talked and tried to rest during the day as the pitocin was increased ever so slightly. If it had been too strong it might have caused issues and my VBAC could have been a distant desire. About 4:30 I was 8 cm!

At 6:30 pm I was completely dilated!! I started pushing at 7 pm and pushed for a total of 2 grueling hours. That was definitely the most exhausting 2 hours of my life. The physical toll that took on my body was indescribable to anyone not having lived it themselves! Wow, what an amazing experience. Kevin, Megan, the Drs and nurses were all so great at coaching me to push more efficiently. At one point toward the birth Julian's heartbeat fell off of the monitor and the Dr. was ready to place a fetal monitor in his scalp. I heard this and gave one super big push and out he came. No monitor necessary. It's amazing what the body and mind can do when motivated.

Julian was placed on my chest immediately and he picked his little head up and looked right at me. How about that??!! Miraculous.

I am incredibly grateful for everyone and everything that made this miraculous birth possible. To be able to experience birth as G-d intended was such a gift. To have two totally different birth experiences is also a true blessing. Nothing can compare to growing a tiny human being inside your body and watching as he or she comes into this world to meet you.

Gearing Up for #2!

Wow, it's been waaaaay too long since I have entered a post. So sorry everyone! So much has been going on over the last year. I need to pick and choose what to write about!

As most of you know we are expecting a baby boy any day now. His name will be Julian Elan. Our due date was actually Aug. 20th but we will be induced Aug. 7th if he does not come on his own before then.

It's been an interesting pregnancy this time around. So different than the pregnancy with Mira. This time I had no swelling and am walking regularly on our treadmill. I have been telling people that my body is still my body except for the basketball I am carrying around with me!

Now in week 38 I am having a hard time getting comfortable and sleeping. But, that is how it goes!

The induction I mentioned earlier is due to multiple factors. At the end of May I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. The least likely candidate for this according to my OBs. It was a shocker indeed. So, for the last 2 months I have been checking my blood glucose 4 times a day and giving myself insulin shots before bed. Fun, fun! Mainly to control my morning pre-meal numbers which were slightly higher than the standard of 95 and below. All other numbers have been right on track throughout.

I now know more about GD than I ever wanted to know as you can imagine! It's actually quite interesting. Basically when you are pregnant the placenta acts as an insulin blocker and your body (pancreas) cannot product enough on its own at times. Thus the insulin. Many women who have GD however do not need insulin. I am one of the lucky ones!

Along with working with the Diabetes Center affiliated with our local hospital to manage my diet and glucose, I have been going for what the OBs call NSTs or Non Stress Tests twice a week. This is when they place 2 monitors on my belly and track the baby's heart rate in conjunction with his movements. They look for 3 spikes in heart rate during a 30 minute time frame for 15 seconds or more. So far Julian is passing these tests with flying colors! Every Thurs. I also have an ultrasound done. These check for fluid levels and every third Thursday for growth. Babies of moms with GD have a higher chance to end up being larger than average if the mom's sugar is not managed well.

Julian is about 7 lbs now. He is trending to be right on track as a normal sized baby thank goodness. GD babies also have a higher morbidity rate in the last few weeks so this is the main reason for the induction. So, the drop dead date is Aug. 6th for induction and most likely the 7th for delivery.

We have hired a Doula this time around to assist us with a calmer, more relaxing birth experience. The C section last time was traumatic and chaotic to say the least so this time we are trying for a VBAC. (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) There are risks to a VBAC such as uterine rupture but there are also risks to a C section as well. Send good thoughts our way!!

In other news, Mira started preschool last week at Acorn Learning Center right here in San Ramon. She is thriving already although has had a couple of rough mornings. A little sad but ends up to have great days. She particularly loves water play days and eating the fun lunches that Daddy packs for her :)

The summer has been pretty mild this year so far and actually a bit chilly at times. (for us!!) We are now officially CA wimps. We have gotten to the zoo a few times and enjoyed several birthday parties and get-togethers with friends.

Mira is excited to welcome baby Julian into our family. We are all excited to meet him in person!

I hope to be able to post to this blog more often while I am home on leave. Sorry it's been so long!

Till next time...

F

Simon Says...Stop Growing Up!

OK, so I've been pretty remiss in updating this Blog. No excuses. Now more than ever I feel as if I should be capturing SO many of life's little happenings. New words, conversations, discoveries and adventures. It's hard to keep up with it all.

In the last couple of months we've done a lot of celebrating and a lot of maturing. Mother's Day was perfect in every way. Peanut and I spent a good deal of time snuggling in bed together and Daddy served us Challah French Toast. DEEElicios! We read books and ate our breakfast together and Mommy opened the most wonderful gifts.

It had started out as Peanut and Daddy making breakfast for Mommy but when she heard about actually having the chance to eat breakfast IN BED, that was it! Although, we did have a bit of a struggle with whose bed we were eating in. She wanted Mommy to get into HER bed and eat. After the explanation about how Mommy is too big to fit in your bed and how Mommy would break your bed, la, la, la, it all worked out. Sweet, wonderful and a memory that will last a lifetime to say the least.

In other news, Uncle Adam and Aunt Danielle became engaged in April and we are very happy for them. We had gone to visit them the week before and stayed with them in their lovely Las Vegas apartment. They are happy and doing great. We are thrilled for them. No date has been set so stay tuned for more news from the Dr. Milman Camp.

Mira is still enjoying her Saturdays with Gymbo at Gymboree. She is now in Level 6, The Creative Thinker. And oh what a thinker she is. Brilliant of course to us, and to everyone she comes in contact with. Since this is our Blog, I can gloat. If not here, where? She is loving pretend play, her baby dolls, making tea and soup for everyone and notices every single thing in her world. Nothing slips by her. She is kind and sensitive and also loves the Wiggles, Playing Simon Says (when she is Simon), Elmo, strawberries, blueberries, salsa and chips, and miso soup. We eat out a lot on the weekends and Peanut is quite adventurous with her tastes. Loves spicy, sweet, sour and everything in between.

Nona and Auntie Cimber came to visit in May and we all had a great time. Nona appreciated some one on one time with Peanut and they will both be back in July.

Great Aunt Janice and Uncle Paul stayed with us over Memorial Day weekend. They live in Philly and had never been out to CA. They fell in love with the area, got to see Napa and Fisherman's Wharf via BART. Mira was lucky enough to be able to go to Target to choose any gift she desired. What did she pick you ask? Well, twin baby dolls of course! Aunt J and Uncle P loved indulging her and she has not let the babies out of her site since.

This summer Mommy and Daddy have lots of things going on. Mommy has a bunch of travel through August for work so Daddy will be on Super Daddy Duty. We have planned a family weekend in Monterey in July and that should be a blast. Last year we tried Santa Cruz which ended up to be a bust unfortunately. Hoping this year will be better. We have a 2 room suite so Peanut will have her own room and Mommy and Daddy won't have to go to bed at 7:30 with her! We hope to get to the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium to see the Crazy About Otters exhibit. Since Mira loves all kinds of animals, we are really looking forward to it.

Mommy and Daddy are heading to Bodega Bay in Napa for our 5 year anniversary in September. It's a beautiful resort and spa right on the water. We hope to get some R & R while Mira gets to experience her first real sleepover at Bubbie and Pop Pop's house. Yippee!

The garden Mira and Daddy planted in April is really starting to pop! We are all looking forward to being able to pick cayots, brocci, beans, patoes, yettuce and punkins very soon, among other yummy things! A wonderfule experience so far.

The weather here has been lovely and we are looking forward to it becoming warmer by the week. Yes, we are spoiled now. If it's in the 70s, that's chilly to us! Funny how things change!

Hugs to all.

At last, Mira's 2nd birthday update!

OK, so it took me a little longer than I thought to post. SO SORRY everyone!! The Flower Fairy Tea Party was spectacular! The house looked beautiful with a little help from several little fairy helpers, Auntie C, Aunt Danielle, Bubbie, Nona and Pop Pop. We had amazing tea sandwiches, hibiscus tea punch, caprese salad and cheese and crackers for the grown ups and tea sandwiches and fruit for the kiddies. And all enjoyed Tony's DEEEEElicios cup cakes! (Tony is a co-worker of Kevin's.) The house had fairies all over and a "tea pot" and "tea cup" theme throughout. Lovely.

The weather was amazing too! In the high 60s I believe and sunny.

Mira loved opening her presents and received some terrific things. Books, clothes, an art smock, a little table and chairs for the kitchen to draw, paint or eat at, a new pink and animal print suitcase with her name on it, and furniture for her little baby dolls. Thank you everyone!!

Mira's dress was fairy-like too and she was the prettiest fairy we have ever seen! She had a blast playing with her little friends. Check out all the photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/Kevindahlstrom

Now that she is 2 it's amazing how her language skills have just blossomed even more than a month ago! She is now having complete conversations with all of us and it is truly spectacular to be a part of.

Great Grandmom, Uncle Adam, Aunt Danielle, Nona and Auntie "C" came to stay with us during her birthday weekend too. We are truly blessed to have so many people willing to come visit during this special time for Peanut.

Since the party the weather has been in the 70s and 80s and we are really enjoying it! Bubbie and Pop Pop gave Mira a new red wagon (they are plastic now by the way) and we are taking lots of walks to the park and around the block. All of her babies in tow :)

Kevin and I have been doing some traveling and taking turns being the solo parent at times. It's hard work but well worth it! We have such a brilliant daughter, and beautiful I might add! No bias here!!

Happy spring everyone, happy Passover and Easter too if I don't post again until April!

Jan-Feb Update

Oh, how the month of January flew by! My apologies for now posting in a while. I guess the laundry can wait longer...

Well, I guess being on the road 2 of the 4 weeks in Jan. helped the month go pretty fast. Cabo ended and back to work we went...never easy coming back from a wonderful vacation. It always feels like you never even left!

Peanut is saying more and more these days. Lots of sentences and phrases. Whole conversations now! Unbelievable to be honest. Kevin looked at me once and said, "Um, I don't know if you realized this but our daughter just had a whole conversation with me." it is crazy. Let's see if I can list some of the good ones...What doin MaMa? DaDa/MaMa Aypane, MaMa hayer wet, shower...Moe beans DaDa! Too freakin funny.

Mira is also now entering...yes, you guessed it! The TERRIBLE TWOS!!!!! They certainly call it that for a reason, don't they? I like to call it the Battle Of Wills. Everything is a battle. Hair brushing, PJs, going to bed, diaper changes (yes, still here and there. Not fully potty-learned yet and too small for Pull Ups.) Time outs are getting more frequent. It's OK though. She is a wonderful, brilliant, amazing baby. We are so blessed. She loves to have tea parties with her animal friends, read books, play with stickers, color, finger paint and play with play dough. Very artistic like her Bubbie!

We are continuing on with swim lessons on Sundays and Gymboree on Saturdays. We've bumped up to the Level 5 class and it is going well. Can't believe Peanut's 2nd birthday is right around the corner...

We are planning a Flower Fairy Tea Party. If you know the illustrations of Cicely Mary Barker, you get the gist. Uncle Adam, Aunt Danielle, Aunt Cimber, Nona and Great Grandmom Fran will all be here this year. Yippee!! Hurry Everyone!!

Kevin's travel has picked up a bit as he is highly in demand in the field. Over the past several months he has gotten responsibility for developing and rolling out national sales training for the Account Execs and leadership. He was in Houston this week delivering a couple of the classes. Everyone loves him, of course. Those of you that know him know that for Kevin, being in the classroom is bliss. Brilliant I might add.

As for me, after the 2 week pilot in Atlanta, my Feb travel schedule was cleared so that I could work on curriculum development. A good thing and I am grateful to be home. I am doing more and more writing of curriculum in my position and also managing vendor relationships and training programs developed with vendors. I continue to love my position, team and company. Also a good thing.

We are planning a trip to Philly in April to visit with family and friends. The flight may be a little challenging but hopefully not too bad.

The weather here has been anywhere from frigid to mild over the last several weeks. This week is rainy but near 60. Not too bad considering what I grew up with during many a February. Oh, let's see, 10, or 15! Burrr! don't miss it.

We are talking about re-doing our living room and making it a playroom. Oh boy! It overwhelms me at times!

Well, Happy Valentines Day everyone! If you have not seen it, click on the below link to some video of Peanut from January.

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=a245c720fa6363714010723b5ee25693.1663497

Happy New Year! The fun in Cabo continues

Yesterday was New Year's Eve and Mommy was sick as a dog. Not the kind of sick that may come to mind when you think of Mexico. Just achy all over and a little feverish. Gone today though, thank goodness! New Year's Eve itself was pretty uneventful given my being under the weather. Although the hotel had a multitude of festivities. Including closing all of the restaurants and only offering the big bash starting at 7:00 PM. We had fish tacos and quesadillas at the pool bar and headed in for the night. Such the partiers! The fireworks were about 100 yards from our patio and it sounded like a war zone at midnight. The room was shaking! The DJ was loud and right down the hall from our room. All in all we decided we would not be coming back for New Year's Eve again!

Today has been a really good day. We have been at the pool since 9:30 or so "shwimming" and playing. Mira met a couple of little friends and did well sharing her toys. The pool is busy and there are lots of kiddies.

Peanut is saying so many sentences now. I see Da Da, I go Shwimming, I shwim, Get me a ball, Toast and egg...too funny.

Mommy and Daddy are really feeling relaxed today and we are having such a fun time with Peanut. She is impressing everyone with her "ready downs" and such. She is having a blast. We are also snuggling a lot, more than ever and I am enjoying every minute. it is so beautiful here. We are lucky to be able to come here. The property is gorgeous and the room is wonderful. We got the best room ever this year. It's big and Mira loves her little bed. "Pack and Play".

Despite the little health snafus, the trip have been everything we hoped it would be. The only things missing are Pop Pop, Bubbie and Nona. Next year perhaps...

More later. Hasta Luego Amigos.

Cabo- El Segund Dia

Mira was her old self today and we are thankful! We had a wonderful breakfast outside and swam and swam and played ball and napped and mooed. Great dinner too. It's a bit chilly here though to be honest. And windy. All in all, still better than home. Mira took her very first shower tonight with Mommy. Very fun indeed!

LOTS of new sentances this week too! My Da Da car. I'll get it. Get me the ball. I have a ball...too funny!

Night night for now!

Cabo Vacation Follies

Here we are in beautiful Cabo! San Jose del Cabo for some and Cabo San Lucas to others. The 2 cities are about 40 minutes apart and between them lies a dotted line of hotels and time shares. Our hotel is about smack dab in between the 2 cites. Although close, vastly different if feel. San Jose is our favorite with its gallaries, old feel Mexico Town Square and wonderful eateries. Not as "clubby" as CSL.

After a pretty rocky start to the trip with Mira barfing about 9 times in the course of 5 hours starting when we landed, then at the rental car agency and ending at dinner. (See last post.)

She slept well in the room and had a pretty light breakfast and lunch. We swam a couple of times and played by the pool until about 2 today. Mira loved the pool and looking at the ocean.

Dinner went well and she actuallty felt about 99% "back" in our estimates. She felt so much better that she wanted to stay later in the square and dance around greeting passersby. She is in bed now and we are following shortly. We hope to have a 100% day tomorrow and get to the beach for some sand castle building! Buenos Noches.

Holiday Horrors and Other Stories

Well, let's see...where to begin. Once upon a time an entire family came to California for Christmas. One little boy was sick with a tummy virus and the whole family ended up either running to the bathroom or barfing for 3 days. The end. Seriously, the food was great and it was wonderful to have everyone in our home for Christmas. Mira loved seeeing her Nona and Aunties and Cousin Tabor. Loved her gifts too. Now, really the end. Sorry, no photo for this one. They wouldn't be pretty anyway.

Pop Pop, or George?

Yesterday Mira was opening a Hanukkah card from Bubbie and Pop Pop. She enjoyed getting into the envelope and pulling the card out. Once the card emerged from the envelope, a crisp one dollar bill came drifting out. Mira grabs the bill and studies it for a while. Then, like a light bulb clicked in her head, she looks at the bill and says sweetly "Pop Pop" Or Pa Pa as she calls him. Kevin and I became absolutely hysterical. So, there you have it. Pop Pop does indeed resemble George Washington. With his mildly receding white hairline and peaceful demeanor. Out of the mouths of babes...

Reflection

This year we have made a donation to the Save Darfur Coalition. If you are not familiar with the genocide that is taking place in Sudan, please find out more by going to www.savedarfur.org. Darfur has been called the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century. Not since the Rwandan genocide of 1994 has the world seen such a calculated campaign of displacement, starvation, rape and mass slaughter. The ongoing devastation has killed an estimated 400,000 and displaced over 2.5 million Sudanese since February 2003.

Darfur is the century’s first genocide. Look beyond the headlines, understand that a genocide is occurring right now, look for how we can support a solution – and ways in which we may be contributing to the problem. These people need our help. As humans, we owe them our support and prayers. As Americans we owe them our courage and experience. We must do something to help those who suffer, and this time we can.

We have also "adopted" a family through the Santa Cruz Adopt a Family Program this year and the gifts left today. Our family is a single mom, Aimee with a 2 1/2 year old daughter, Willow. Willow will be receiving lots of books, a Dora doll, stuffed kitty and a great big activity pad with crayons, paints and paper dolls. Mom will be receiving a Barnes and Noble GC and another GC for Safeway to get some holiday goodies. They are currently homeless so please send your prayers their way.

As another way to help others we have given to the American Lung Association this year. In memory of my sweet Bubbie, Pop Pop, Co, (Kevin's Dad) and my Aunt Kandi who all passed away too early of lung related illnesses. We miss them every day.

An early Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas to everyone. Please take some time to reflect on how blessed we all are. Let's not forget the real meaning of this time of year.

I was deeply saddened by the loss of a local San Francisco father this week, James Kim. While returning to the area with his family (wife Kati and daughters Penelope (4) and Sabine (7 months) they became lost in snowy forests of southern Oregon after taking a wrong turn. After several days, James left his family and headed out to look for help. Kati and his children were later rescued but he perished. This tragic story reminds us all how life can change in an instant. Hug your loved ones close as often as possible.

Give thanks for each other every day. Hugs to all.

It's... Potty Time! Oh, and other happenings

Well, lot's happening over the long holiday weekend! Mira had been somewhat interested in the potty and what WE were doing on the potty for quite some time. Daddy bought her a couple of seats early last week and so the story goes...a poopie and another and another. Yes, only you parents can really understand the joy at seeing your little one on the potty. AND actually using it! When sitting she likes the rest of the family to join her in the bathroom. Ma Ma, DOWN (I am to sit down), Da Da, DOWN, (Da Da is to sit down...)It's hysterical. And that concludes my potty overview. Rest assured, all continues to go well!

We spent Thanksgiving just the 3 of us at our house. A quiet evening. Kevin unfortunately made one of those turkey "roasts", not a good choice. His description, "It tasted like a turkey TV dinner." Bright spots: good old fashioned green bean casserole and mashed potatoes. Yummy!

The rest of the weekend was kind of quiet. Mira decided to not nap too well and wake up at 4:30 pretty much every morning, but other than that a great time to enjoy each other's company, decorating the house for Christmas AND Hanukkah, feeding the ducks at Bubbie and Pop Pop's doing some dancing around the house, working on "please" and "thank you" which you would hear as "peeese" and "dad-doo". We're getting there!. It was hard to say bye bye this morning for sure as Daddy and Peanut left for work and day care.

This weekend our wonderful Aunt Nee Nee and Uncle Joe are coming to town. We have a whole lot of nothing planned which is fine with all of us, I think. We will be taking them out for Joe's 70th on Friday and that should be fun. Sans Peanut. She'll be happier with Bubbie at home.

We are getting pretty excited for Cabo next month and think that Mira will be hard to pull from the water. She continues to excel at her swim lessons and we let her skip the really hard stuff if she likes. It's so crazy for us to listen to some of the other parents really push their kids to climb out or do other things on command. Comments like "why are you being such a baby?" blow our minds. And we wonder why our kids are so sqrewed up later in life. Let them be babies! They ARE babies!

So, another month slowly slips by and we gear up for the busy holiday season. Almost done shopping, only a gift or 2 left to buy so that feels good. Cheers for now.

Gratitude

As Thanksgiving approaches we reflect on our lives and those close to us. Kevin, Mira and I are thankful for so much and are so very blessed. We have our health, each other, wonderful jobs and amazing family and friends. What else could we need?

We are most grateful for the heart warming joy that Mira brings us every day and the new found patience we have acquired over the last 20 months.

Laughter and love fills our home every day. Today, this week, this month and this year, we give thanks for all of life's blessings.

November Update

Hi everyone!

Well, Nov. has been a crazy month! Mommy has been traveling to Kansas City, KS for a team meeting and also to Atlanta, GA for a Train The Trainer. 3 Timezones in 3 weeks! Whew! Daddy and Peanut had a great time reading books, going for walks, eating yummy dinners and visiting with Bubbie. Truly a super-dad.

Although being away was hard and exhausting, Mommy made it through.

Mommy and Daddy spent the 18th and 19th in Monterey for the ORHP holiday party. Every year it is in some wonderful location over a weekend. The weather was terrific, in the upper 60s (by the coast no less!) and we shopped, ate a great lunch and enjoyed the party Sat. evening.

Sunday we had a lovely breakfast in Monterey and did some Hanukkah shopping closer to home.

All in all a relaxing time. We were happy to get home of course.

This week is Thanksgiving and we will be staying in San Ramon. We decided to skip the holiday rush this year and relax a bit. So, Daddy is making a little turkey for he and Peanut and Mommy is having salmon I think. We'll do the same thing we do every night...eat dinner, head up for bath time and off to bed!

It will be difficult not being with our families but it will be OK.

Great Aunt Anita and Great Uncle Joe are coming to CA on the 30th for a few days and we CANNOT WAIT!! We plan on spending some really fun time together, laughing until our sides hurt.

Peanut is saying so many words and sentences these days, it's hard to keep up! Cow, moo, office, owl, bunny, flower, body, pee pee, poo poo, potty, da da, ma ma, up, sit down, my da da, dog, cat, car, Where'd it go, I'll get it, fall down, wa wa, cup, moon, bubbles, Elmo, book, rice, Bubba, Pa Pa, No No (Nona), Morrny (Morty, her Monkey), Mannie (bear)...and SO many more!

Swim and Gymboree are going great. We are all looking forward to Cabo next month. And of course, Nona, Cimber, Kat, Shawn, and Cousin Tabor coming to CA for Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Happy Halloween!

Well, Halloween was a hit. Mira went to 3 houses this year. Fun, fun. She was the cutest darn fairy in the land. Even wore her petal hat. We let her have a small bite of a Reeses and she LOVED it. This is not a child that has ever had candy mind you. So, it was a pretty special bite!

We had about 40 kiddies this year. Not a bad number. Still have candy left. Peanut went to bed at 7:30 (the usual time) without a peep.

Happy Halloween to all and to all a good night! Photos are being posted to yahoo in the AM. Boo.

Blog Headache

Well, now that this has given me a giant headache, I think I have all of the settings correct! Anyone can post comments and the correct link has been sent out.

Looking forward to Halloween tonight! Will post more soon.