Quiet...

I know I´ve been quiet. It has been partly due to the busy-ness of the season and partly due to a lack of inspiration. I´ve even been slow in taking pictures!

We did have a fun day at Six Flags though and here are a very, very few pictures to prove it!

Ben is in every picture because pregnant ladies aren´t allowed on these rides.

It was such a thrill they did it again!

Then they switched to boats,
which they were both big enough to go on by themselves.

Sporting Daddy´s sunglasses.

Waiting for a show to begin.

Some things to point out about this summer is that both girls have decided to stop calling Ben "Papi", he suddenly has become "Daddy". I, on the other hand, respond to various different names throughout the day including but not limited to: "Sister", "pretend little girl" (literally, Elena will randomly walk towards me and address me like that), "sweethat" (that one is literal as well), and some variations of Mami.

Adriana has suddenly turned into a very avid eater... however, she eats more off of my plate than her own. She suddenly LOVES rice, so much she is quite content with having that alone for a meal. We were having dinner last night and I still had some food on my plate. As has been becoming her custom, she began trying to climb on my lap. Trying to persuade her Ben said "Sweetie, Mami doesn´t have a lap anymore with the baby in her belly". Without even slowing down she kept on her attempt until she was satisfied and said, "Mami´s lap is right here, Daddy!" Hoping to finish my own plate of food I said "Why don´t you go sit on Daddy´s lap for a while?", she looked at me, stood on my lap and leaned towards Ben´s end of the table, looked on his plate and replied, "Daddy´s all done".

After naps, yesterday we were snuggling in my bed when Elena realized the baby was moving. Her eyes grew bigger and she exclaimed, "Mami, the baby is pushing herself out!!! I think her wants to come out play with her toys" (Yes, she does say very surely that my baby is a girl). I explained that the baby still has some growing to do before they can come out and play and then I went on to talk about the plans for the afternoon. When I said it was time to get out of bed and come downstairs Elena said, very concerned, "Mami, no! If you stand up your baby will fall out and her will fall bump down the stairs! We have to stay in bed for your baby wants to come out!"

Are things complicated or am I?

We went to do the "Expectant Parents Tour" to St. Peter´s Hospital. We already liked the hospital but decided to check it out a bit more before choosing our doctor. After all, the drive to the doctor´s office is almost an hour and we want to be wise with our gas budget and although we had checked if they worked with Susi´s insurance, it turns out they don´t. That leaves our choices at having two different doctors or finding another one altogether.

*The tour: we liked the hospital, as we expected. However, their tubs are temporarily (as in indefinitely) unavailable!

*The alternative: My old doctor gave a couple recommendations to chose from. One of them happens to take Susi´s insurance, has a midwife based practice (according to the website you don´t see the doctor unless you have a complication). What had discouraged us from contacting them was the hospital where they deliver.

Upon closing of the maternity in St. Clare´s, where the girls were born, all births in that county were centralized in Bellevue, where this doctor attends. We loved St. Clare´s because of their more natural approach to the whole process. We felt more trusted as the parents of the new baby and we were encouraged to keep the baby with us at all times. Only once did they take my babies and that was for a few minutes while they did the pediatric evaluation on them several hours after birth. From all we´ve seen, Bellevue can tend to be more on the "medical" end of their approach and I didn´t want to feel like I had to come in and fight for things I didn´t want. Added to the list of cons is the fact that with all the births of the county concentrated in that one place they aren´t guaranteeing private rooms, so they can´t promise someone can stay with you, so we were happy to steer away from that and go have our baby without having to "fight" or face raised eyebrows for our preferences.

*Our third alternative is much closer for prenatal appts but it´s the longest drive for the hospital, all the way to Cooperstown.

So, am I too complicated to decide on a hospital? or doctor, for that matter? I know so many people who aren´t even concerned about visiting the hospital before the baby is born and everything works just fine for them... I wonder, am I really making too much of nothing?

A face to the name... and some just for fun!

This, ladies and gentlemen, is Susi, my cousin.A bit of family fun

Posing together... doesn't Ben look great?!

An attempt at a family picture.

Transformations!

This I had to post as Ben was supposed to pick me up to go to a wedding rehearsal dinner. Susy was going to watch the girls for us for a bit and she also dressed me up... Ben's comment? "We have to let her dress you up more often!" I promise to post a picture of her soon... I do have to give her a face for those of you who don't know her. Beyond her dressing me up, it has been a blessing to have her around. Please pray for her and her husband as they expect their first baby so many miles apart!

Check this out

cloth diaper giveaway...

The Belly Pic

I know I'm a bit overdue in posting this...here it goes: 22 weeks and counting.

Happy Birthday Adriana!

Two Years Ago...

Today!

We celebrate today our wonderful little girl!!! Thank you Lord for such a treasure!

Happy Birthday Pito!

Super Quick Update

We're busy running around... this month is a busy one for us! Let's see...

* We had a "meet & greet" with a new doctor and unless something went terribly wrong from here, we are going to stay with him. The things we don't like about the practice are the same things we won't like at the other choices we have, so we narrowed our choice down to the hospital where we can have the baby.

* Adjusting to having my cousin (Susi) around hasn't been difficult at all. She has a very pleasant personality and is very easy going. Of course most of our conversations are about having babies as this is her first and she is full of questions, but I don't mind it at all (you would know that if you know me at all! he,he,he). My time on the computer has been somewhat limited because this is the only means of communication she has with her husband, but we understand that and our hearts go out to them as they have to spend this very important season apart.

* Today we are packing up again to go to Generation Conference. Don't ask me why we thought about doing this as a family... right now I am asking that myself! I think it was something along the lines of Ben telling me last year he didn't want to do this alone this year and so the decision was made. It will be an interesting time! Catch you all when we get back!

A few glimpses...

...of our day away:

little girls ready to tackle the beach

focusing on searching for treasures

simply smiling

getting buried in the sand

Adriana tried to but she refused to lie down

Continuing the crazyness

As expected, this week is turning to be busy. Monday was the "easiest" day but even when I was home all morning long, my whole morning was spent on the phone talking to insurance companies, Primary care physician and OB/GYN offices. The thing is, not only was my doctor my OB/G, but he also was my primary care, so I technically have to find two doctors. At the same time I need to find a doctor who will take my insurance and my cousin's as well (I'll explain more below). So it was a long morning with very long phone calls.

The day ended on a good note though, after shopping for a few needed things, Ben decided to bring the girls over to Dee's to swim and we ended up having dinner with them. Very nice visit, conversation and little girls' entertainment.

Tuesday morning found me trying to run through some cleaning and rearranging of the guest room to prepare it for or next permanent guest. One of my cousins married an army man in February and her paperwork is still being processed so she can't leave the country. He has been assigned to spend about a year in Panama and they just found out a couple months ago she is pregnant. He didn't want to leave her by herself in that condition, mainly because she doesn't speak the language and is quite alone in the area, plus with her papers still in the works she can't even drive legally. So my gracious husband was very willing to open our home to her and we are picking her up on Friday. Two pregnant ladies in the same house... fun!

Today I have a dentist appointment in the a.m. and an interview with a potential OB/G in the p.m. But after that we are packing for a night away... since my cousin needs to be picked up in Newark, we figured we could make a trip of it. We are taking the girls to Point Pleasant Beach in NJ, will spend the night in the area and visit with a friend a haven't seen in a couple years and Friday we'll be heading out to Newark to pick her up and head home! So it will be another few days before I can update in more detail (as if you needed more details than what I write!!!) until then...

Wheww!

VBS week was packed full with all kinds of activity for this little family! The next couple of weeks promise to be just as busy and entertaining! Besides our VBS Olympics this year, the two things most worth mentioning would be the quick but enjoyable visit of my cousin and his family. They got married right around the same time we did, except that we missed their wedding because we were due back home after our honeymoon. Since then, we've only seen them a couple of times and, actually they didn't know Adriana and we didn't know their youngest who is one year old. They were visiting her brother in Mass. and decided to take a longer stroll and meet us at the mall for a very, very late lunch! We visited for a couple hours but it was very well worth it!


The not-so-good part of the week is a letter I got in the mail on Thursday. In a nutshell, it tells me that my OB/G is relocating, thus as of September 27th his office will be closed!!! So, half-way through this pregnancy I have to find someone new to assist the delivery of this baby!!! If only I knew someone I trusted enough to have this baby at home I would be the happiest, but that's not the case, so I have to find new hospital, new doctor and I don't have all that time to take my time in picking and choosing. I decided that so as not to overwhelm myself I will limit my choices to two: the first one is a doctor, who is a believer; the second is the group of midwives in the area. They both have their pros and cons but we'll see what happens. In the end it all boils down to my previous post, in whom do I trust. Yes we very heavy heartedly see this wonderful doctor off but in the end it has been God's hands and His hands alone where my life and that of my babies has rested all along. If I'd have my way, I'd go to an independent birthing center with midwives or have a home birth but for one or another reason none of those are viable options right now. We trust that the Lord's leading will be in the midst of this decision just as He was leading us when we found this doctor. I'll keep you posted!

She sings!

This week has been a long one, beginning with Monday. We taped this on Monday when we were going shopping after just having wrapped up the first day of VBS. Both girls were exhausted and supposed to take a nap while we got to the store. We don´t even know what Adriana was singing but she sang her little life out! While Elena, evidently tired, seems to just be suffering it until she manages to go to sleep... we just thought it was hilarious!

Yet Another Quest

As Dee and Becky prepared to receive their babies about a month ago, a lot of information on labor and birth has come my way. Inevitably, I have been intrigued by all that I have read and in the desire of doing whatever is on my power to make each birthing experience better than the last, my next quest has emerged. I think there is always room for learning and I am willing to learn, especially on this matter.

When I was pregnant for Elena I read the book Supernatural Childbirth. I was very much encouraged and motivated to believe this for myself. The book, in a nutshell, speaks about ridding ourselves of preconceived notions of a painful, horrible birthing experience and embracing a renewal of our minds and the power of the Holy Spirit to deliver us from the discomforts of the experience. It quotes scripture to back up their belief and their declarations of faith. I embraced it with my whole heart and believed for a painless labor and smooth delivery. I had absolutely no question or doubt about God's ability (or desire) to make this happen for me, for us... especially because the book says that God will meet you at your level of faith and I knew, that I knew, that I knew that I believed in His power and loving plans for my life.

Long story short, after an eight hour transition and having to push a baby out at only 8 cm dilation the last thing I experienced was a "supernatural birth" as to the book´s suggested standards. I even felt hurt because the book claimed that you only experience pain when you give into fear and I knew that I hadn´t! Needless to say, I threw the book to the bottom of a dark drawer not to be thought of again. I figured God wouldn´t be so cruel as to lead me on to believe He could do this and He would if I only clung to the belief and my faith to then turn and tell me after all, I just didn´t have enough faith.

Upon facing Adriana´s birth I looked at the things I could do differently and went in with no other expectations than to deliver the baby. My standard was the +/- 18 hr labor I experienced and my thoughts were that if I had made it through so many hours of labor, 8 hours of intense and painful contractions every 3 minutes, the last 3 or so hours on pitocin and pushing out a baby while still on a soft enough 8 cm, I could face anything else. It helped that because Adriana was born in the Summer we didn´t fear being snowed in so we weren´t in any hurry to leave for the hospital. I labored mostly at home and made it to the hospital at about 4 p.m. By 7:00 p.m. I had a baby in my arms!

This time around I want to embrace my labor with a positive attitude and just learn a little bit more to make it more comfortable. I have come across all of this stories of women who not only claim to have absolutely no pain through the birthing experience but there even are those who laugh the whole way through, enjoying the experience for the joyous occasion it is supposed to be. Now, in exploring their beliefs, techniques, etc., some attribute it to their own overcoming of fears and personal "inner" strengths; some others acknowledge God's hand in it. Some people do it for faith, some others are just hippie/"earth" people who call it a "primal" event that happens by instinct and, if undisturbed, can happen on its own with no pain or discomfort.

Honestly, I don't want to stir any boiling pots. I don't mean to question anybody else's experience or put labels into such a sublime and joyful time. In my opinion with or without pain God has a beautiful purpose for it, even when we don't understand it. I have found interesting all that I've read... I'll share some of it, some of it I won't for I don't want to be behind anyone clicking on some pretty weird links I've found! Any input is welcome, as well as reading suggestions. Right now, after I finish reading my current book, I have lined up: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth... I'll let you know my thoughts.

Funnies

Adriana´s vocabulary is increasing rather quickly... sometimes it feels as though it goes faster than I can keep up with it. I can´t tell you how many times I find myself searching through context and trying to figure out what she is saying now. But then there are always the times when she catches me off guard and it takes a while before I really think through what she is trying to say. Like today, our lunch was tuna sandwiches. Adriana pulled the chair close to the counter so she could watch me, I was running a little behind, so was quite concentrated on the task at hand. I opened the cans and as I did she said something that I couldn´t quite decipher, so distractedly I just said: "U huhh" and nodded at her. It wasn´t until quite a while later that I realized this is what she kept saying: "Ohhh, Mami! Teetee´s pood!". Much later I translated it in my mind... my sweet girl thought we were having kitty´s food for lunch!!!

Ben usually plays with the girls before they go to bed. The games range from a variety of hide and seek, singing songs, telling stories, physical humor, wrestling them, whatever they are in the mood for. He is great at making them laugh and go to bed in a good mood. One of his latest games consists of his holding them so as to put them in their beds, except that he takes them to the dresser drawer and pretends to say good night only to later say something like "Oh, that´s not your bed!" as they laugh their little hearts out. One of the many weird places he "puts them down" is just holding them as high as he can get them, against a wall (maybe I´ll get a picture next time so it makes sense to you). Adriana is light enough that he can actually hold her over the door frame. Two nights ago, when I went to say good night to Elena she exclaimed: "Mami, I love getting high!", and when Ben and I chuckled at her comment she went on to say: "Really, Mami, I do... I love getting high!!"

Stroller Quest

So our hunt for the perfect stroller continues. Yesterday we went to a couple stores to check out what is there. Really it was mostly because we were looking for new sheets at Sears and just out of curiosity decided to walk through their baby section and found this Eddie Bauer stroller for a very reasonable price. They don´t really offer many more choices, so we didn´t want to jump on it before at least checking out a couple more styles. Especially because we´re not sure it takes any infant car seat and, though we may not need it for this baby, we don´t necessarily know what the future will hold, so we want to be wise about our buy.

At any rate, I must say I have had fun trying strollers out. We did find the coolest stroller ever! It is so much fun! You can adjust it to pretty much anything you want... children facing front, facing each other, facing you... it takes any infant car seat in the whole world and has a huge storage basket in the bottom. The down sides of it? Well, the price, for starters! And the tiny detail of folding up into a monster and weighing in at about 50 lb!!! You can picture attempting to "gate check" that thing!!! But it was fun playing with it!

Another one that keeps getting our attention, mostly because of the freedom of movement (which is a great plus for Adriana) is the Joovy sit´n´stand. It takes any car seat, it is reasonably priced (we did find it cheaper than the link), light and easy enough to fold and carry.

We still have quite a while before this baby comes but I would really like to have the stroller by the time Ben runs his marathon in September. I have already done one simple race without a belly and two little girls and it wasn´t very successful. Especially when they saw Ben and quite excitedly decided to try and run with him... we got a few yells when they were blocking other runners on their way in! And knowing my tiny little girl, I probably want her used to the stroller so we don´t try to break it in right then and there! Oh well... thanks for bearing with me... it helps me process, though I know it must not be very interesting to read!

Projects

It's been a while since her idea inspired me to do something similar. I couldn't find the material I was looking for (in my own home!) but today, in a struck of genius (it was really pure luck!), I found exactly what I wanted.

I moved a few things around the living room walls and I am proud to say I have no more bare walls in it (much to the point of risking it now looking crowded!!! Oh well!). The end result:

(Bear with me, I am trying to give you a 360o view of the room)

Skip to the opposite wall, and continue panning:

Now, the top picture we've had for almost a year. The bottom picture we just got today in one of those promotions at the mall where they give you a free 8x10. We were very good and kept only the free picture (though you know how it is... you love absolutely all of them!) plus, we stopped at the Christmas Tree Shop to buy frames! In this home, that is extremely successful!!!

Adriana

Wear and Tear

In many ways I still feel like a newly-wed. All of our "new" stuff we got at the wedding still qualifies as new in my mind. So it came as a big surprise when after a couple days of using our Spring/Summer sheets on our bed I found a gaping tear on the fitted sheet! How in the world? These are new!!! I thought. But upon deeper thought and a more objective look around my little house I realized... ohh! We've been using these things for almost five years now! Nothing stays new forever, of course, I just guess I wasn't ready for the sudden realization. No wonder our shower curtain in the bathroom downstairs looks dull... and the matching rug, regardless of how many times I wash it, it still looks stained and dirty! duh! Of course, that's why our towels don't feel as soft anymore! I guess our list of things to buy for around the house just got bigger...

On an interesting/funny/silly/I-don't-even-know-how-to-qualify-this note... For a couple times already we've looked into the requirements for my citizenship. Mostly we've stopped the process because though we consider it important, it still hadn't made #1 in our priority list. We had other things like closing costs on the house, house taxes and such to take care of before we could look into that process. As time goes by and we manage to control more and more of our finances, "naturalization" has been going up on the list and so I decided to download the first form and fill it out promptly. One of the items to list is the exact amount of days I have spent traveling outside the United States, so I pulled out my passport and began the counting.

All this time we have celebrated our US wedding on November 25th. Well, when I looked at my passport, it didn't make any sense at all. My passport has a stamp that puts me entering the country on November 25th!!! I called Ben at the office and asked him... "Honey, when did we get married here in the US?" "November 25th" was his confident reply. Ladies and gentlemen, both of us have had the wrong date all along!!!

I went to check our marriage certificate... We actually got married on November 30th! Go figure! I guess having three marriage dates can mess up your mind just a bit!

Quick pic update

The bump

Sweet sisters

Smiling upon request! Both of them! Unbelievable!