I got to go to Hawaii

We had a wonderful summer, after a trip to Yellowstone with Brett's family the kids and I stayed in Utah with my parents while Brett went off to complete some required away rotations.  The first in Tacoma Washington, the second in Honolulu Hawaii.  After begging and sulking about being able to go, we decided it wasn't affordable for me to go to Hawaii.  But we did find a way, and I was able to join Brett for a much needed little vacation.  Brett would go to the hospital everyday until about 5, so I would walk down to Ala Moana Park with my beach chair and book and read while listening to the water.  It was beautiful.

Hawaiian shave ice.  It was amazing!!  This little spot was close to our condo, but possibly not the best neighborhood for us to be in, we were okay though.  It was super yummy.

I have this thing for pineapples, they taste great, but I love the look of them.  Especially baby ones, its so cute!  We were driving out to the polynesian culteral center, and just so happened upon the Dole Plantation.  Since we were early, we stopped and took a tour.  We also got some Dole Whips, which were delicious and previously thought to only be found at Disneyland.  Lucky us!

Bird of Paradise.  I never understood why they were called that until I saw some actually growing.  They really look like a bird!

I desperately wanted to see a Hawaiian sunset.  Pictures do not give its beauty the justice it deserves.

At the polynesian culteral center, these guys climbed the coconut tree, in about 15 seconds.  This was probably the coolest place I have ever been.  It was amazing.  So amazing I forgot to get a picture with/of our amazing tour guide Cousin Leon.  He was from New Zealand.  We decided to splurge and get the big tour, and I am so glad we did.  We got to see everything, every island, and have all our questions answered.  I especially had a lot of them.  It is a wonderful place.  They do such a good job, I love that by having this center they are preserving these cultures and traditions, and telling the world about them.  They are very special.  The feeling at the cultural center is indescribable.  The closest I can get is, it was joyful.  The luau was awesome with amazing food, and the show after, Ha Breath of Life, was amazing too.  The fire dance was seriously the most incredible thing I have ever seen.  The money that goes into that place goes to the students, it pays for their tuition, books, housing, and really gives them an education.  If you ever go to Oahu, you HAVE to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center.

We went to Pearl Harbor, this is the USS Arizona memorial.  Some pretty crazy stuff happened there.  Its a definite must.  They did a wonderful job at explaining what happened without blaming other people, namely the Japanese.  It was very tastefully done.  I wish we had gotten there when it opened, we could have spent all day there.  Because Brett is military and has an ID, we were able to get on the actual base and visit the USS Utah and USS Oklahoma memorials, and the USS Missouri.  It was too late to go onto the Missouri, but we did see it. 

 

It was a wonderful trip, Hawaii is everything everyone had told me it was.  I loved it!  Brett was able to get a condo right across the street from the famous Waikiki Beach.  I had planned to go there everyday, but the first day I went down the wrong street and ended up at the park.  I am so glad I did because the next day I went to Waikiki Beach and hated it!  The water was awesome, but the people were annoying.  There were so many of them, all talking, talking, talking... People were smoking everywhere, and coming from Rochester where almost everywhere is a smoke free zone, was difficult.  There wasn't any shade, and although I love a tan, I hate a burn.  So I didn't go there again.  I would go to my favorite spot and sit where it was quiet, you could smell the plumeria, and there was grass and shade.  I got to sit right next to this rock wall so while I read, I could hear the water splashing on the rocks.  It was awesome.  I can't wait to go back. 

More to come... Yellowstone, Mimi and Papa's, Squaks learns to crawl, Toddles continues to grow, it was an amazing summer.

Happy Birthday Toddles

Our little buggaboo turned 4 years old on March 21!  He is getting so big so fast.  I wasn't a big fan of 2, 3 was a little better, or just different.  I think I am really going to like 4.  He is such a wonderful little boy.  His personality is really emerging and we love it.  He is so concerned about others and their feelings.  His teacher says he is always concerned about his fellow classmates and their safety and well being.  He loves his sister and I know he will be a great protector of her as they grow up.  With this birthday, I have started a new tradition for our kids.  Every year on their birthday I will ask the same 20 questions and put it in their baby journal/book.
So this year of favorites are: color/blue toy/Roman the General fruit/apple movie/Wreck it Ralph food/Hot Dogs Outfit/Dragon Costume game/Jake and the Neverland Pirates Snack/fruit snacks animal/froggy song/"the blue blue birdie" (aka. My Heavenly Father Loves Me) Book/toad and frog and froggy book, friend/Josue, Breakfast/frosted flakes, thing to do outside/play, ride bikes, drink/root beer, holiday/Christmas, thing to take to bed/bubas, breakfast/cereal, eat on birthday/hot dogs and cupcakes, What do you want to be when you grow up?/A Doctor, like Daddy.  We love this little boy!

We had a big friend Pirate birthday party, it was a hit.

The kids all got to become a pirate.  After every game, they earned their pirate gear.  An eye, patch, a pirate bandana, and a sword.

Playing "Pirate, Pirate, Captain"

Pin the treasure on the "X"

Happenings

We got a membership to the YMCA, and love it!  We love to go swimming.  Toddles is getting really good at it.  He puts on a life vest and will swim all around the pool unassisted.  He is mastering the dog paddle very well.  The other day, he was pretending to be a flamingo.  He said "This how flamingos eat... (proceeds to put head under water then lifts up) they eat fish!" I'm sure some flamingo has eaten a fish, we haven't got there in the eating habits of flamingos yet.  He loves to go all the way under water, so swimming lessons are definatly in the near future. 

Getting ready...

Squeaks is such a happy little girl.  Perfect in every way!

Fire Station 2013

One of our favorite Friday Activities is going to the Brighton Fire Station.  A firefighter will tell us all about living in the fire house, dressing for fire calls, and give us a tour of the fire house and fire trucks.  This was the third time we were able to do this so Toddles was pretty familiar with it.  He loved going up into the Fire Engine.

He was pretty excited to be able to "drive" the Fire Engine.

Posing with some friends.  Its so hard to believe how big they are!  Little Miss in the middle is only 9 days older than Toddles and they met when they were 16 months old.  Time sure does fly when dads are in medical school!

Our dear friend Lisa has done it again.  She is an amazing photographer (lisaruthphotography.com) and took some more pictures of our Little Squeaks in her blessing dress.  

My mom makes blessing outfits out of her own wedding dress, and I am so in love with this dress.  Little Squeaks is now almost 4 months old.  She is learning to roll over, laugh, and grab toys.  She is absolutely wonderful and we can't quite remember how life was satisfying without her.  She certainly belongs.

Newborn pictures

Our little squeaks is such a precious little thing!  We can't get enough of this girl.

 

I almost forgot to mention, our amazing photographer in the Rochester NY area, Lisa.  She is an amazing and very talented photographer.  Check her out at lisaruthphotography.com

And Welcoming Little Squeaks (a long birth story, feel free to just look at the pictures)

(Please remember this is for memory books and some pictures are probably really ugly, like this one...)


Due date was Friday October 5, 2012 and that day came and went.  We met with our AMAZING ob Dr. Scibetta on Monday Oct. 8 and asked if she was still moving around.  Her movement had actually slowed down a lot, she wasn't a big kicker to begin with, but even I was concerned.  So, Dr. S said if she was okay after an Nonstress Test that day we would induce on Wednesday.  So we prepared for an induction but of course at 1030 I started feeling stronger contractions that just kept becoming more and more regular.  I didn't sleep at all, and when Brett woke up at 3am the contractions were so strong that I couldn't talk during them anymore.  I took a shower, that helped immensely.  I finally decided I should call the Dr. and get ready to go to the hospital.  I had our bags all packed and ready for the last 3 weeks so at 0430 our awesome friend Shanna came over to sit with Toddles we headed out.  Toddles actually woke up at 0400 and wanted to hang out.  He witnessed me go through a contraction moaning and rocking/swirling and the poor thing couldn't stop laughing.  He said... "You are funny mom!"  If only he know how much it hurt he would not have said that.  Luckily it wasn't Brett, because he would have received a quick kick in the shins.  We got in the car and drove all the long 5 minute drive to Strong Memorial Hospital.  Contractions really really hurt.  We parked and started walking.  Brett tried to get me a wheel chair, but I said I could walk.  We walked all the way to Triage, passing 3 people who kindly offered to get me a wheel chair.  But, I was "fine" I would walk.  At the Triage desk they decided to just admit me into the Birth Center instead of checking me and assessing if I was really in labor.  That was so nice, not sure what tipped them off that I was in active labor, the moaning?  The doubling over?  The not responding to questions?  Not sure, but it was a blessing.  I accepted a wheel chair and holy cow was that so much easier!  They got me in a room, checked me out and finally got an IV in after 3 tries.  I was dilated to a 5/6, and 80% effaced.  Pretty good progress, once they let me get up and move around I took another shower, then a bath.  I had been preparing to have a "natural" birth and was doing really well.  I was getting really tired, and the pain was just getting worse (go figure, labor right?)  So after an hour, I asked to be checked again.  I was at a "stretchy" 5/6 so I decided to have an epidural.  The craziest thing, once I had mentally decided to get and epidural, I couldn't control the pain as well and I was really starting to lose it.  Until, the anesthesiologist came in (finally, took him a while).  He kept asking me things, and informing me on risks and I just kept thinking... "shut up! I don't care!"  But I didn't say anything.  Brett was a wonderful advocate and gave all my correct information for me, so I didn't have to scream at anyone.  Once the anesthesiologist got to it prepping my epidural site I had actually gained control of the pain and was able to manage it really really well, but I knew I wanted to sleep so I still opted for the epidural.  THAT WAS THE GREATEST DECISION OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!  When it really kicked in, I felt so so good.  The resident told me that I would probably still feel contractions and if they felt "different" like I needed to push... not to, and call her.  After about 2 hours of dozing and pure happiness I started feeling pressure again, it started to hurt again, and at one point it felt "different."  I called in the nurse and explained... "she said to call if it felt different, it feels different.  I don't really have the urge to push but the idea of pushing sounds like it would feel better."  She said... "eek don't, I'll get the doctor."  The resident came back in, checked me and said that my bag of waters was putting extra pressure on my cervix.  In order to get a real measurement she said they had to break my water.  She did, and all the fluid came out clear and just like it should.  What a relief!  With Toddles horrible meconium problem when he was born, I was really nervous for this one.  But everything looked good, and I was at a 9.  Again, she told me to call her when I felt like I needed to push.  The contractions started coming about every 30 seconds and were very very strong.  It had only been 5 minutes, but I called the resident back in and I was at a 10 and complete!  Hooray!  I was so excited, but it still hurt so bad.  Luckily and thankfully, Brett was there letting me hold his hands and squeeze them when I needed to so I wouldn't push.  They asked if a medical student could come in, which was completely fine with me.  He was in Brett's class and a really nice guy.  No joke, when he came in and introduced himself and I was spread eagle, I told him... "do whatever you need or want to do.  Don't be shy, I'm not... obviously." (I also told Brett at some point "Now I know where the term 'a butt load of pressure' comes from.")We all laughed and got ready to push.  They told me 3 pushes to every contraction, so with the next contraction we started.   That was hard hard work.  The resident called Dr. Scibetta in and in his oh so calm and under control state came in, sat down and told me what to do.  All of a sudden I felt a lot more pressure and Dr. Scibetta told me he was doing something so I wouldn't tear.  Then he told me the baby was a little posterior and he needed to turn her.  He turned her, I pushed and her head came out.  They told me not to push, and to just breathe.  I really wanted to push, but I listened and did some quick in and out breaths.  Then they told me I could push again it took maybe 3 pushes and WHOOSH she came out.  All I could see were her hands and feet flailing in the air.  I heard her adorable squeaky little cry.  They quickly wiped her up and put her on my chest for some skin to skin action.  She really didn't cry much and was so beautiful.  Amazingly beautiful.  It was such a great birthing experience.  It really couldn't have been more perfect.  I didn't tear at all, I didn't hemorrhage, and she was perfectly healthy.  It was so calm, Dr. Scibetta and the resident kinda sat back and watched as I did the work.  I really felt like I had delivered her, everyone else observed.  She weighed 7 lbs 15 oz.  and was 20 1/2 inches long.  Her apgar scores were 9 and 9.  Her feet are so long and skinny they barely fit into 6 month size socks.

Hooray!  Its over!

 Toddles is so gentle and good with her.  When he holds her he won't move and asks you to get her for him. He automatically started giving her kisses and said without any coaching... "I love you baby sister!"  He is so excited for her to be able to play with him.  As a gift for being born, she gave him a Fisher-Price castle he has been wanting, and he really wants her to play that with him.  While I was pregnant, when Toddles would first start talking to me in the morning, she would move and kick and get all kinds of excited.  I know they are going to be such good friends.

Guess who wants to be a baby again?

 Baby girl was so healthy, and I felt perfect we got to come home the day after delivery.  They had a ton of babies at the hospital, so I was glad I didn't have to share a room, and I could relieve them of some patients. Brett really wanted us to hold out for a day so her birthday would be 10/11/12, but I 1) didn't want to wait... 2) didn't want to deal with all the people that also wanted their babies to have that birthday.  So her birthday is 10/10/12 and that is perfect for me.  Oooh we love our little girl!  It is so amazing to be a family of 4.  She has the cutest little cry (for now) she is really squeaky, and a fabulous nurser.  We are so in love with our little squeaks.  I will post more pictures tomorrow, or sometime...

 

9 Days, but who's counting?