My cuties...

Sometimes I take pictures just because... this happened to be one of those day. It was about 4:30pm and I randomly said... hey, let's go outside and take some pictures before the sun goes down! 

We had a lot of fun!!! 

Pumpkin Patch!!

A couple weeks ago Danior and Jonah woke up at 4:30am and headed out to the farm (Jonah in full costume) to be in the background at the farm in a news broadcast. For going they got us free tickets to the farm ($12 each), 25 tickets for rides and games, and a free $15 pumpkin voucher! Last Saturday we made it out to the farm as a family and had a BLAST!!! 

The kids loved this corn labyrinth. It was essentially a huge spiral shape where the kids could run through. 

After the fun in the labyrinth we headed over to the "launching bay" where the kids got to shoot corn from a canon and launch tomatoes with a sling shot! 

We happened to go on Cowboy weekend -- which was FUN! The kids got to use a real cowboy rope to wrangle some cattle. 

Then we had a blast getting lost in the corn maze. We kept hitting dead end after dead end. Finally we found a map and we were able to make it out. 

After trying out a couple of things we headed out to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins! 

Honestly... this is the best shot of the three of them I could get. Boy is it hard getting them all to not only look at the camera, but to look happy while doing it too! 

We had a great time at the farm/pumpkin patch. Grandma and Grandpa came along for most of the trip and it was so fun getting to spend some time out with them!! 

We all went home thoroughly exhausted. So fun!! 

The weather was nice so ...

... we went to the beach!

 

Recent Pictures ...

Ya well... I couldn't think of a better title for this post ... sorry for the lack of creativity! 

Sarah Elizabeth - birth story

For anyone interested, I am posting Sarah's birth story... if you aren't interested, feel free to scroll down and look at the pictures! ♥

Danior and I checked into the hospital at 6:00 am on Friday, July 20, 2012 for a scheduled induction. 

I wavered back and forth over how I felt about an induction. I knew that this baby was going to be a big one, and though I was only 3 days past my due date, I wasn't really showing many signs of imminent labor either. I had been having painful braxton hicks contractions that would come and go all day long for weeks... but they always went away. I was so uncomfortable because baby was so low, that I opted to just go ahead and be induced. 

After filling out paperwork, and being pricked at least 5 times with needles pitocin was started at 7:30am. Apparently I have really deep veins, so I ended up coming out of this looking like a pin cushion. The poor nurses kept trying and trying with each vein they could find. They even got me in a nerve in my hand one time... no fun!! 

By 9:00 am the pitocin was turned up to a 6 (on a scale of 1-10) and I was having contractions about every 5 minutes. Nothing really painful though -- I attribute that to the fact I had been having so many painful braxton hicks contractions that these felt like a piece of cake! 

My Dr. stopped by around 10:00am. I was 3-4 cm dialted (having gone into the hospital at 2 cm) and 50% effaced. She broke my water. Then the nurse turned the pitocin up to 8. 

At 10:45am I noted (on my iphone -- which I was using to keep track of everything since Danior was napping and working)

"Contractions are not too bad. Must mean I'm not close. :(" 

The top was the baby and the bottom was the contractions I had been having. At this point they were closer than 5 minutes apart, but still hadn't really started getting painful yet. In fact, I was watching the news coverage of the shooting at the theater in Colorado and working on crossword puzzles.

At 11:45 am my pitocin was turned up to 10. Contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and I was starting to feel them!! 

By 12:45 (1 hour later) I had had enough and asked for the epidural. The anesthesiologist was pretty quick about getting up to my room. He prepped everything as I breathed through my contractions. It took a while for him to get everything in the right place though and the medicine was fully turned on shortly after 1:00pm. 

I was still feeling pain and pressure when I told the nurse that I was hurting. She put in the catheter... yay... and said that must have been why I was hurting... because I hadn't been to the bathroom in a while. 

Nope! I asked her if she would check to see my progress -- since she said she would once the epi and catheter were in place. She did. She didn't say a word to me. Walked over to the door, the calmly told the nurses to call the dr. because I was ready. 

The pain and pressure I was feeling was the baby! My epidural hadn't really had much effect. I was still feeling contractions and the pressure was almost unbearable. As the nurses prepped the room for delivery, I couldn't help but start pushing. Anyone who has had a natural birth knows that once things start in motion... there really isn't any stopping it. Danior held my hand as I "tried" not to push (ha!). 

By now about 10 minutes had passed since they made the call for the dr. (who was coming from her office about 10 minutes away). Then 15 minutes. At this point I was thinking that the baby was coming without her! The nurses reassured me that they had delivered babies before and could do it if the dr. didn't make it... good thing! 

About 20 minutes had gone by when the dr. finally showed up. She poked her head in the room and asked, "No baby yet!?" Umm... no, but she better not dilly dally!! 

The baby's head was crowning before the dr. even sat down. It took my literally 3 good pushes in about 2 minutes to get her out. She was born at 1:42pm. She had the cord wrapped around her neck once, but she was fine. 

A whopping 8 lbs. 11 oz and 21 inches long. 

I consider this just about a natural childbirth. I was definitely NOT numb. As I was being stitched back together I felt it all... the dr. was totally shocked as she saw the epidural equipment .. but the nurse explained how short I had been medicated and promptly gave me some local anesthetic. 

By far I think this was the easiest labor and delivery yet. I was in labor for a total of just over 5 hours. And only about 1 1/2 hours of that was hard labor. 

Even the nurse told me I was a superstar and really didn't even need the epidural. She told me that I wasn't kidding when I told her how fast my labor goes once I hit about 4 cm. I had warned her ahead of time so that they weren't caught off guard. 

The nurse who gave her a bath put a cute pink bow on her. Luckily we didn't have to worry about getting her mixed up with any other babies... we were the only ones there! 

After getting moved and settled into the recovery room, Danior went home to pick up the kids and his mom (who had so graciously watched the other kiddos for us while in the hospital -- thanks GINA!) and brought them back to meet the new baby. Just before picking them up we decided on her name: Sarah Elizabeth. 

Recovery has been really easy. It was uncomfortable and painful of course, but within a week I was up and moving around doing dishes and laundry (a mother's work is never done!). It has now been a month and I keep getting surprised looks from people when out and about that I am only 1 month post pardom and looking so good. (I know it's only the fact that I'm up and moving around because I am still holding on to some of that baby weight!)

I'll share new pictures as I can find the time between laundry, dishes, cleaning, feeding kids, changing diapers, potty training, homework helping, and everything else I do. 

Just for kicks!! 

Rebekah

Jonah

 Sarah

I think she is a good mix of Rebekah and Jonah... but you can definitely tell they are all related! haha! 

Rebekah's First Day of Kindergarten!!

Today my baby big girl starts school. Kindergarten to be exact. 

Kindergarten is a major milestone.

It is the beginning of her l-o-n-g educational career. 

In Kindergarten she will learn just about every skill she will need for years and years to come! 

Rebekah's Preschool Graduation

My cute little thing graduated from preschool back on June 7. {Ya, I know I'm a little behind in posting these... but better late than never!?!? }

Rebekah has been attending the YMCA Preschool here in Simi Valley since September 2011. She's been going three days a week from about 7am-1pm and has had a terrific time. Not only has she made new friends, but she's been learning valuable social and educational skills to help prepare her for Kindergarten!! 

June 7th was their graduation ceremony held at the YMCA. 

Here's a behind the scenes shot while they got ready. 

They marched in to Pomp and Circumstance. 

This is the view of her entire graduating class. They all looked so cute... Rebekah was a couple inches taller than most of the other kids.

Here she is getting her diploma from the main teacher, Ms. Debbie. They saved the best for last and she was called last to get her diploma!! Well, actually it was alphabetical by first name, and she was last, but still... I like to think she's still the best!! 

Here are some fun after shots of my little graduate!!

Now it's off to Kindergarten in the Fall!!!