13 - My Fabulous Church Friends who gave me a baby shower with delicious food and adorable outfits!
14 - The fabulous movers from our church who took time away from their families on a Saturday to help us get everything to the new place. Oh and speaking of everything, the fabulous sister friends from our church who came over under the pretense of helping me wipe down counters and mop the floors quickly, they ended up packing up everything in the house and garage and cleaned it to move-in condition.
15 - Sister Williams and family who brought us dinner 2 nights in a row so that my kids would not starve.
16- Eddie who was off work and did the lion's share of putting the right boxes into the right rooms.
17 - Grapeland Elementary that provides field trips like Ella's to Riley's Frontier where she dipped a candle, made cider, and went into a "real cabin house". At least one of my children got to do some "fallish" activities this busy year.
18 -Having a day to unpack more of our life
19 - God - Thank you for the beautiful park with shady trees and a time to sit and relax for a few minutes - until Nina comes down with a fever and we go home to find the medicine basket.
20 - Healthy babies with strong heartbeats, the Rhogam shot that means no antibody issues, and justification for gaining 5 lbs in 3 weeks.
21 - Ibuprofen and Tylenol (see the 19th)
22 - Nina getting better in time to be safe to go to church.
23 - My girls' dance teacher who inspires them to do their best and tells them they are "on fire" when they do well.
24 - We had another ultrasound, babies are small but growing on their curve line, each estimated to be over 3 pounds at this stage.
25 - My brother who drove all day from AZ to spend the holiday with us, and arrived just in time to help Eddie discover the reason sewage was backing up into the downstairs shower!
26 - The plumber who came out on Thanksgiving morning to clear the pipes. My generous in-laws who are cooking for me and my family, my brother's family, my grandmother, uncle, cousin and her family, another cousin etc. Plus, I am really grateful that both sides of my family not only get along, but seem to really enjoy each other!
27 - My Sister-in-law and Niece who kept my children entertained and helped Eddie get the Costco shopping done while I had quiet time at home with my swollen feet up!
28 - Our friends from Irvine who came up and helped us organize some things in the garage and toy room.
29 - Friends who came and ate SPAM, thus making our house a home.
30 - Surviving the month of November, babies inside, household moved!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Ode to my Belly!
We interrupt this gratitude festival to bring you some much requested photos, of my big belly
This first one was taken at 22 weeks, or 5 months, you can see that Nina was quite impressed
Now 8 weeks later, at 30 weeks, or 7 months, my belly has become my daughters favorite source of entertainment. They like to trace the huge blue veins, poke at my flattened out belly button, and laugh when occasionally their baby brother pokes back. Baby sister has nestled herself into my left hip and shows no signs of leaving said territory.
Sneaking back into the land of gratitude, and at the risk of repeating myself, I thank God each morning that I can still get up out of bed and get Ella to school, and be here for Liana and Nina, and be home when Eddie comes home from work.
Stay tuned for further expansion photos!
This first one was taken at 22 weeks, or 5 months, you can see that Nina was quite impressed
Now 8 weeks later, at 30 weeks, or 7 months, my belly has become my daughters favorite source of entertainment. They like to trace the huge blue veins, poke at my flattened out belly button, and laugh when occasionally their baby brother pokes back. Baby sister has nestled herself into my left hip and shows no signs of leaving said territory.
Sneaking back into the land of gratitude, and at the risk of repeating myself, I thank God each morning that I can still get up out of bed and get Ella to school, and be here for Liana and Nina, and be home when Eddie comes home from work.Stay tuned for further expansion photos!
More Gratitude
10+ - My mom who found a bilingual phone to teach Nina some Chinese! Ella used to say that she is "a little bit Spanish" because she could repeat the phrases Dora the Explorer uses all the time, thanks to Ni-Hao Kailan and our new Fisher Price phone, hopefully Nina will be able to say she is Chinese with confidence!
11- My Dad again who watched the girls so I wouldn't have to take them with me to the 3 hour Glucose Tolerance Test my OB wanted me to take (for the second time this pregnancy, I guess it isn't 2 for the price of 1 on everything.) My friend P. who brought my family dinner because she had listened to my complaint of not wanting to cook this week and decided to just surprise me.
12 - My Husband who is getting up at 5:30 this morning to take my Dad back to the airport. He will then come home to pack up more of the house and navigate the finalities and formalities of getting the new house funded and closed, and will make more calls to cancel utilities here and start them there, and will do a few million other things all to make sure that we get settled in.
11- My Dad again who watched the girls so I wouldn't have to take them with me to the 3 hour Glucose Tolerance Test my OB wanted me to take (for the second time this pregnancy, I guess it isn't 2 for the price of 1 on everything.) My friend P. who brought my family dinner because she had listened to my complaint of not wanting to cook this week and decided to just surprise me.
12 - My Husband who is getting up at 5:30 this morning to take my Dad back to the airport. He will then come home to pack up more of the house and navigate the finalities and formalities of getting the new house funded and closed, and will make more calls to cancel utilities here and start them there, and will do a few million other things all to make sure that we get settled in.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Continuing Gratitude
8-Last Sunday we had our annual Primary Sacrament Meeting Program, which is once a year the children, ages 3-12 deliver the sermon portion of the main meeting at church. For the last 2 1/2 years I have been one of 3 people who lead and teach and prepare the children for this program. Every year it seems fabulous, but this year I am especially grateful that my daughters are who they are.
Ella memorized her part and the words to all the songs, and sang loud and clear at the appropriate times. Liana not only did her part but valiantly stepped up two more times when other children didn't show up. (because they were sick, something else to be grateful for, we were better in time for the program) I thought Nina might be problematic, when I was getting things set up before the meeting started Nina was whining and not letting Eddie comfort her, but just before I needed to lead Liana's class up to the choir loft Nina decided to take her bag of goldfish and sit quietly with her Auntie "Cessa" who we have adopted as our family. (Thank you for adopted family who step in when needed.)
9- NINA - Our little Nina turned 2 on the 9th, and never has a child been so ready for her birthday, she has been talking for weeks about her Grandpa coming for her birthday and how she wants to have a tea party with him. Of course her translation is "My Bampa a comeen my irthay peapot party!" When I went to get her in the morning (she likes to lounge) her first words of the day were "I low a tannel" which of course means "I want to blow out candles" So she had candles in her corn muffin and delightedly sang happy birthday songs to her little self all day long!
Her Grandpa did indeed come for her birthday, though bless his heart my father's plane didn't land until 10 and he wasn't offended that we had a shuttle bring him from LAX and he didn't get here till after midnight. I love my Dad.
10 - I'ts 5:00 in the morning as I type this, and I am sure by the end of the day there will be several more things I am grateful for, but today, I am grateful for our new home, which is due to be completed this Friday, today we are doing a walk-through inspection and signing the loan documents, so I am grateful for the house I will raise my family in. I am also grateful for friends who will take Liana to story time so she doesn't have to miss it, and for my aforementioned Father who will keep Nina occupied and help me pack boxes this afternoon and do whatever else he can before he hops on another plane on Thursday to take him home to HK.
Ella memorized her part and the words to all the songs, and sang loud and clear at the appropriate times. Liana not only did her part but valiantly stepped up two more times when other children didn't show up. (because they were sick, something else to be grateful for, we were better in time for the program) I thought Nina might be problematic, when I was getting things set up before the meeting started Nina was whining and not letting Eddie comfort her, but just before I needed to lead Liana's class up to the choir loft Nina decided to take her bag of goldfish and sit quietly with her Auntie "Cessa" who we have adopted as our family. (Thank you for adopted family who step in when needed.)9- NINA - Our little Nina turned 2 on the 9th, and never has a child been so ready for her birthday, she has been talking for weeks about her Grandpa coming for her birthday and how she wants to have a tea party with him. Of course her translation is "My Bampa a comeen my irthay peapot party!" When I went to get her in the morning (she likes to lounge) her first words of the day were "I low a tannel" which of course means "I want to blow out candles" So she had candles in her corn muffin and delightedly sang happy birthday songs to her little self all day long!
Her Grandpa did indeed come for her birthday, though bless his heart my father's plane didn't land until 10 and he wasn't offended that we had a shuttle bring him from LAX and he didn't get here till after midnight. I love my Dad.
10 - I'ts 5:00 in the morning as I type this, and I am sure by the end of the day there will be several more things I am grateful for, but today, I am grateful for our new home, which is due to be completed this Friday, today we are doing a walk-through inspection and signing the loan documents, so I am grateful for the house I will raise my family in. I am also grateful for friends who will take Liana to story time so she doesn't have to miss it, and for my aforementioned Father who will keep Nina occupied and help me pack boxes this afternoon and do whatever else he can before he hops on another plane on Thursday to take him home to HK.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Attitude addition.
I have realized lately that l seem to be complaining a lot, "my stomach is huge, I can't sleep, I have to pee every 5 seconds, Acid is eating my throat, Yadda Yadda Yadda...."
Really how much are you people supposed to take?
Answer? As long as it takes to bring these babies safely to the world. I am big and getting bigger and I am uncomfortable and tired and grumpy!
That said, I am also profoundly grateful for this time of my life, so in addition to continuing to update on my pregnancy stresses, I would like to also enumerate my blessings, one for each day of November
1- When I am really sick, I have enough friends and family to cover all the bases for me so I can stay at home and take care of my family and self.
2 - The Brown Family from church brought us dinner last night, I felt a little silly when she called the night before to say that she was going to do that, but then I spent my day taking Liana to the doctor's and the X-ray Lab and getting Ella to-and from school, figuring out homework, and dealing with Nina who didn't get her nap. Never has a pork-chop dinner been so welcomed! Thank you Brown family
3 - A quasi healthy Liana (cleared by the Dr.) returned to preschool and Library time, allowing me to take a shower and actually get dressed.
4 - Ella's Parent-Teacher conference showed what we expected, she is an intelligent motivated learner who is at the top of her class.
5 - I am big, but I am still pregnant and still mobile, I go walking 3-4 times a week with friends who like me enough to go slowly and wait for my Braxton-Hicks contractions to stop. I know some really dedicated mothers who at this point of pregnancy have been on full or partial bed rest, hospitalized, or already had their little ones and endured the stress and heartache of having a little one in the NICU.
6 - Medical Insurance - I decided with the recommendation of multiple doctors and after reading it up to get the H1N1 vaccine, the down side is that my doctor didn't have it yet so I had to go to the County's walk-in clinic for my shot (translation 3 hours of waiting in various lines and rooms for 30 seconds of treatment) I am really grateful that I don't have to go through that every time I need medical attention.
7 - I am Greatly Pregnant. It would be really dumb of me to not recognize what a blessing it is that Eddie and I have been blessed to have biological children without medical intervention and that this time around we are doubly blessed. I am grateful too that interventions exist, because some of our very best friends have become fabulous parents of their own bio-kids with a little help. I am also grateful for adoption and the blessing that it is to the parents and children alike and because adoption has brought some fabulous people into my life.
Really how much are you people supposed to take?
Answer? As long as it takes to bring these babies safely to the world. I am big and getting bigger and I am uncomfortable and tired and grumpy!
That said, I am also profoundly grateful for this time of my life, so in addition to continuing to update on my pregnancy stresses, I would like to also enumerate my blessings, one for each day of November
1- When I am really sick, I have enough friends and family to cover all the bases for me so I can stay at home and take care of my family and self.
2 - The Brown Family from church brought us dinner last night, I felt a little silly when she called the night before to say that she was going to do that, but then I spent my day taking Liana to the doctor's and the X-ray Lab and getting Ella to-and from school, figuring out homework, and dealing with Nina who didn't get her nap. Never has a pork-chop dinner been so welcomed! Thank you Brown family
3 - A quasi healthy Liana (cleared by the Dr.) returned to preschool and Library time, allowing me to take a shower and actually get dressed.
4 - Ella's Parent-Teacher conference showed what we expected, she is an intelligent motivated learner who is at the top of her class.
5 - I am big, but I am still pregnant and still mobile, I go walking 3-4 times a week with friends who like me enough to go slowly and wait for my Braxton-Hicks contractions to stop. I know some really dedicated mothers who at this point of pregnancy have been on full or partial bed rest, hospitalized, or already had their little ones and endured the stress and heartache of having a little one in the NICU.
6 - Medical Insurance - I decided with the recommendation of multiple doctors and after reading it up to get the H1N1 vaccine, the down side is that my doctor didn't have it yet so I had to go to the County's walk-in clinic for my shot (translation 3 hours of waiting in various lines and rooms for 30 seconds of treatment) I am really grateful that I don't have to go through that every time I need medical attention.
7 - I am Greatly Pregnant. It would be really dumb of me to not recognize what a blessing it is that Eddie and I have been blessed to have biological children without medical intervention and that this time around we are doubly blessed. I am grateful too that interventions exist, because some of our very best friends have become fabulous parents of their own bio-kids with a little help. I am also grateful for adoption and the blessing that it is to the parents and children alike and because adoption has brought some fabulous people into my life.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Happy Halloween!
Each year I get a happy feeling anticipating Halloween, an opportunity to be creative and make my children costumes they want, We plan out the pumpkin carving for maximum effect, I make fingers out of string cheese, spiders out of hot dogs, and other gross foods. It's a little effort laden but always fun.
This year, my family saved me from myself, in case I forgot to mention it, we are 6 months pregnant with twins, starting to recovers from colds and flu bugs, packing up the house to move in 2 weeks, and generally going insane.
First of all Eddie slaved over the crock-pot all day and made a delicious venison stew for dinner.
Bless her heart, all Ella wanted was to buy some ears and a tail at the 99 cent store and be a cat.
All Nina wanted was to wear the princess dress our friend had handed down to her (Nina would like to wear a princess dress every day). Of course once she saw that Ella got to be a kitty Nina needed to have a nose and whiskers too! Oh, I tried to talk her out of it but I am glad I gave in, she was the only kitty princess around.
Liana was my project girl this year, she wanted to be a lady-bug and since all the costumes I saw for sale were a little more hoochie than I like for my 4 year old, we set to making wings and a skirt (because after all, a lady bug is still a lady!)
So my darling girls were darling and it didn't take much to make their dreams come true.
They didn't even want to carve the pumpkins, they wanted to paint them, so that means they'll be around to make a home-made pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving,.....anyone want to come over and bake it for me?
This year, my family saved me from myself, in case I forgot to mention it, we are 6 months pregnant with twins, starting to recovers from colds and flu bugs, packing up the house to move in 2 weeks, and generally going insane.
First of all Eddie slaved over the crock-pot all day and made a delicious venison stew for dinner.
Bless her heart, all Ella wanted was to buy some ears and a tail at the 99 cent store and be a cat.
All Nina wanted was to wear the princess dress our friend had handed down to her (Nina would like to wear a princess dress every day). Of course once she saw that Ella got to be a kitty Nina needed to have a nose and whiskers too! Oh, I tried to talk her out of it but I am glad I gave in, she was the only kitty princess around.
Liana was my project girl this year, she wanted to be a lady-bug and since all the costumes I saw for sale were a little more hoochie than I like for my 4 year old, we set to making wings and a skirt (because after all, a lady bug is still a lady!)
So my darling girls were darling and it didn't take much to make their dreams come true.
They didn't even want to carve the pumpkins, they wanted to paint them, so that means they'll be around to make a home-made pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving,.....anyone want to come over and bake it for me?
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