tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91467226109022795962024-03-05T10:43:43.999-08:00Mommy in TrainingWendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.comBlogger227125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-63133313267626475862011-11-02T15:26:00.000-07:002011-11-02T15:26:00.396-07:00First Steps!11/1/11- a day I won't forget! Ruby decided she was too antsy to wait until her birthday to take a few steps all by herself. She's been cruising around on the furniture for weeks, and even standing on her own for a few seconds at a time, but yesterday she decided to take a risk and walk from Daddy to Mommy! The girl is only 10.5 months old- how is it possible that we are already at the walking stage? <br />
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Ruby is SO SO SO much fun these days. She can totally interact with us now- we play this little game of eye contact, where I'll look away, and then swing my head back and look her right in the eyes. She thinks this is hilarious! She'll turn her head away too, so that we both are playing 'who looks at who' first. It's adorable. <br />
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Ginger is the BEST big sister! And SO smart. She is already demonstrating a pretty obvious talent in art. She's drawn to drawing, painting, chalk outside, anything that allows her to express her creativity, she loves. She loves crafting, and is so proud of her artistic accomplishments. I come home from work every day to something new that she's created. <br />
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Ginger also is showing an interest in soccer, and basketball. Mostly soccer. The girl takes her soccer ball with her wherever she goes. Outside, inside, she's always looking to kick and dribble the ball around. She gets to go outside and play basketball with Paul while Ruby takes her morning nap, which is a big treat to her. <br />
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Ruby sleeps and eats like a CHAMP. Wants nothing to do with baby food anymore- thank goodness. She eats whatever is put in front of her, and isn't fussy at all about food! She's sleeping really well now too- for at least a month now she's been sleeping through the night without waking, and sometimes sleeps in until 7:30-7:45am! Plus two 2-hour naps during the day! I have been blessed with 2 great sleepers. We are so fortunate.<br />
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That pretty much catches us up for now. I am right in the middle of planning the girls' combo birthday party on 12/3. It's been so much fun to find different Minnie Mouse decor, balloons, treat ideas, etc. Stay tuned for more on that next month!Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-48912069646282410822011-10-18T09:39:00.000-07:002011-10-18T09:39:02.728-07:00PerspectiveAs I was driving out of our neighborhood this morning, I watched some of my neighbors walking, exercising, taking their babies for walks, etc. and I wondered what their lives must be like, to be able to have the ability to have that time each morning. To be honest, I was downright envious that I was making my way to 'work', while others are able to be free each morning. <br />
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And then, I pulled into my 'work'. At 9:15am. I chose the Starbucks I wanted to work from today- the one with the big cozy chairs (and great plug availability for laptops and phones). I got a big (for here) cup of Verona coffee. I looked around for a moment, and saw the men and women rushing in and out in business suits and felt an immediate sense of gratification. Though I might not be at home, with my kids, I have a great job that allows me to have a flexible schedule (I try to be home by 3:30pm, and then jump back on after the girls go down after 8:30 for another hour or so).<br />
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I get to eat breakfast, see the girls, get them dressed and fix their hair, and play and giggle. I'm home in time for ballet class, or swing set time, or taking a walk around the neighborhood before dinner. <br />
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Thank you, God, for granting me perspective this morning! I needed it. (Still a mommy-in-training, in case anyone was wondering :)Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-4675711042707053132011-08-23T16:04:00.000-07:002011-08-23T16:04:41.535-07:00Month 7Aww, Ruby, we just can't get enough of you. Month 7 has been a month of developing new routines and you've become more consistent in your behavior, personality, and likes/dislikes. You LOVE your sister. She is probably your favorite thing in this world. There are times when Ginger can meet your needs, when Paul and I can't. She can sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" to you anytime you are crying or whining, and you will stop and smile at her. Ginger loves you so much too! She gets the biggest kick out of making you laugh. She will push you in your swing outside on the swingset, and you two will just giggle and laugh, and she'll give you a kiss and it's like you both need nothing more in this world than each other. For this brief moment in time, you two just adore one another. Soon, things will change, if I know anything about anything. :)<br />
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Month 7 has been the month that you've started sleeping really well. Only waking once or so a night for a quick bottle, then back to bed. You are determined(!!!) to do your own thing, and are not easily influenced. Though it presents a ton of challenge as a mother, I will try to foster your ability to navigate this world on your own terms. As long as you also have a strong sense of compassion and empathy. <br />
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You are starting to get 'over' pureed foods. You never really loved purees, prefering any kind of soft finger foods instead. Which is fine by me- I love watching you take your first bites of rice, banana, peach, etc.! I think it's because you watch Ginger eat all of her yummy food, and you just can't watch and not participate. These days, you have decided to just spit pureed foods all over your face, the high chair, mommy, whereever, in favor of using your little fingers to pinch and place fun foods in your mouth. Determined, I tell you! <br />
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I love both of my girls so much ♥Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-74594120399224641742011-07-14T13:58:00.000-07:002011-07-14T13:58:44.242-07:00Month 6...Dear Ruby,<br />
girlfriend, this has been another big month for you! You are SO SO SO much FUN to play with these days- you smile and laugh all the time, and I just love the sound of your giggles. You want to stand whenever someone will help you. You are a great sitter, but really are more interested in standing- most of the time when I try to put you down to sit, you arch your back, indicating 'NO Mom, I want to stand!'. It is so cute! You still love to watch your sister run and jump and dance and sing, which she does quite well these days :) You've taken a big interest in Woody, and Grammie and Opa's puppy, Gracie. You are enthralled watching their big tongues and wagging tails and you stare at them anytime they are close-by. You have also started swimming in the pool, and as expected, you love it! <br />
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There are a few things that you don't like, starting with food. Well, it's not that you don't like it, it's just that you like to take things at your own pace. You probably consume about 10 bites at most and really act like you could take it or leave it. Fruits are your favorite, and you hate HATE oatmeal, and are indifferent with vegetables. No surprises there :)<br />
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You also don't like to sleep through the whole night yet without having a bottle and getting to see Mommy or occasionally Daddy. I'm really hoping that you'll start to value your overnight sleep more and just sleep on through...any day now would be just fine! But I can't complain, you take 2 BIG naps during the day (between 2-2.5 hours each) so you're still getting the good sleep you need.<br />
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Recently, you've started holding on tight when I'm holding you on my hip and you don't want to let go. It's like you're giving me a long hug and I just love it. I could hold you forever, baby girl!<br />
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You are just about ready to start crawling, I think in the next week or two you'll figure it out. You're up on all fours, and rock rock rock then BOOM faceplant, cry, and mommy picks you up. Once you figure out how to pick up your hand and use it to move, I know you'll be on the move! And I love that stage, regardless of all of the warnings people give me about it. I loved it with Ginger, and I'll love watching you scoot and crawl around too!<br />
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That's it for now, you are almost 7 months old so soon enough, I'll be writing the next entry! LOLWendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-17910236849695163572011-06-19T15:08:00.000-07:002011-06-19T15:08:15.029-07:00Months 4 & 5Dear Ruby,<br />
What an exciting few months with a rollercoaster of highs and lows! There are so many leaps and bounds you are taking, it is incredible to watch and learn. You are a tough cookie in so many ways, and that will take you far in life, I just know it. In Months 4 and 5 you have learned to sleep in longer blocks, have perfected your rolling and push-ups, and have had MANY giggle sessions with your big sister Ginger! You love to watch her dance and perform and laugh, often laughing when she laughs even though you don't always get the joke :) You also cry when she cries, and vice versa these days too. I can already tell that the two of you will share a special bond. Just remember that when you're bickering or whatnot!<br />
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You share your sister's sensitivity to teething, which have made for a few painful nights. But it is so clear that you share your mommy and daddy's strength in determination- almost like you don't want to deal with the sensitivity, but boy, it HURTS! Last night was the roughest teething night on record for you- your usual bedtime of 6:45 was extended until 11:10(!!!) after we finally loaded you into the car for a trip around Lake Mathews. It was a full moon (or at least appeared that way) so I just enjoyed the drive and you crashed from exhaustion. Dang teeth! <br />
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Your Dad has made the journey in these months to care for you during the day, so that either he or I are always caring for you and Ginger. He has such incredible courage and is loving spending time with you. Although he would also say that it's ok to save your diaper explosions for me. Which you like to do JUST for him. :)<br />
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You are 95% there on sitting independently, with just the occasional topple. You like to be entertained. You are fascinated with sitting in the high chair and playing with cups and lids. You LOVE LOVE LOVE bouncing in your jumper or activity bouncer. You are just a happy, content little baby with the occasional meltdown, usually due to teething. Pretty normal reaction in my eyes. But otherwise, there is nothing 'normal' about you- you will always be extrordinary in my eyes! I heart you, little miss Ruby :)Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-2397420576056796012011-04-19T10:21:00.000-07:002011-04-19T10:27:49.021-07:00This is it...Today is my last day at home, on maternity leave with Ruby. She turns 18 weeks tomorrow, so I know that I'm truly blessed to have had the extra time to stay at home and bond with her. Today is the day I will say that I have a perfect baby- nobody could possibly tell me different. Sure, we've had our challenges with the bottle, sleep, reflux, etc. but today, well today she is just perfect. I just put her down for her morning nap, and instead of 'working' towards getting her to sleep, I just enjoyed the moment. We rocked, cooed, smiled, she now touches my face with her hand, runs her hand through my hair, and just smiles and is happy. There is nothing more wonderful in this world than looking at your child looking at you, with pure happiness. I didn't rush her to sleep today, we took our time. She is perfection in my eyes. I am so blessed with Ruby, and am so excited to watch her grow. With Ginger, it was all new to us. We didn't know what to expect, and that was definitely fun. But with Ruby, we get to take our time and enjoy where we are at the moment, instead of wondering what's next, in front of us. Ruby is definitely our little gem, heaven on earth in my eyes.Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-68185574260703358552011-04-04T13:45:00.000-07:002011-04-04T13:51:38.384-07:00Mission Accomplished: SwaddleSure does feel like I'm accomplishing a lot these days! We have finally (FINALLY) broken free from the need for a swaddle, and I am happy to report that Ruby has let it go without too much of a fuss. We have been in between for a few weeks now- her fighting the swaddle, but needing it to calm and fall asleep. We took the 'book smart' approach- one arm out for a few days, then both arms, then yesterday she spent the day at my folks house (who always are bewildered that children these days are swaddled past a few weeks of age). That means that there was no swaddle at all, and the girl did great. So we decided to just give it up completely and last night she only woke up once (at 2am, to nurse) and then slept nicely until 6:45am. Not bad! She takes a little more rocking to fall asleep, but all in all, I am SO happy that she no longer needs to be straight jacketed to fall asleep. One more vice we can get shed!<br /><br />On another note, I went back to trying the playtex drop-ins (bottles we used for Ginger) despite having some success with the MAM bottles, and Ruby now loves them! Well, for Ruby, anyhow, which means she will latch and take 2-3 ounces without much of a fuss. Still working on getting her to take 5-6 ounces (which is the recommendation for her age) but she'll occasionally go to 4 oz if she's hungry enough. Our big word for Ruby continues to be: PROGRESS. She's not the easiest baby in the world, but she certainly is the most beautiful! :)Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-2714655202001869022011-03-29T12:01:00.000-07:002011-03-29T12:08:39.474-07:00Mission Acomplished: BottleWho knew that there were so many babies who refuse bottles out in this world?!? It's very much an unspoken conversation with doctors (and especially lactation consultants!), but I have come to the realization that I will notify every new mom I meet to not hesistate in getting baby adjusted to a bottle sooner than the recommended 6-8 weeks old, especially if they are planning on returning to work. <br /><br />Ruby really, really struggled with the bottle. And even at this point, while she will take it, she's not terribly happy about it, and it takes a ton of work to get her to take it. She needs to be getting sleepy, the breastmilk needs to be very warm, she needs to be swaddled, she can't be facing me directly, so she needs to either look over my shoulder, or away from me completely. I have to sing her twinkle twinkle over and over and over while she chugs the bottle. But she chugs it, finally. <br /><br />This has impacted my enjoyment of the last month of maternity leave, I'll be honest. All I've wanted to do is snuggle, love on, and enjoy Ruby, but instead I've had to work on this mission, and it's really tough! But I will feel so much better going back to work knowing that she will take a bottle, I just felt awful about handing her over to someone and saying "FYI- she's not on a bottle yet". <br /><br />So, I can proudly say Mission Accomplished with our little diva. Good thing she is so unbelievably adorable, because even though it's "work", when she flashes me her dimple smile after a feeding, or when she wakes from her nap, it makes it totally, totally worth it. :)Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-53306480362432038992011-03-18T11:13:00.000-07:002011-03-18T11:25:27.404-07:00Month 3Well, I can officially say with confidence that we have a little diva on our hands! Month 3 has been yet another month of learning for us, starting with Ruby's refusal to take a bottle. I have been BF since birth without issue, and most doctors and books recommend waiting until weeks 6-8 to introduce a bottle, so as to not cause what is called nipple confusion. Well, what has happened is bottle refusal as a result. I will never, EVER wait to introduce a bottle again- what a load of cr@p! It has been extremely wearing to not ever, ever be able to leave the house or her for more than 2 hours at a time. We have tried when she's sleepy, awake, my mom has tried, Paul has tried, my dad has tried, we have tried 7 different types of bottles. We have tried holding her nursing style, in her boppy, in her bouncer, and NOTHING. We have finally made it to her allowing about an ounce to be dripped into her mouth, but she is still not latching to the bottle and sucking.<br /><br />All of this is causing me a great deal of anxiety, as I must return to work in less than 4 weeks. I am working with her every single day with taking a bottle, but I must tell you that this little diva is wearing me thin with her insistence on nursing from ME and ME only! <br /><br />Week 12 was particularly difficult for us as well, but since having scavenged the internet for answers, I've learned that a 12 week growth spurt is typical. She has been the 3 C's- clingy, crying, and cranky! Yes, I told you this girl is a DIVA!<br />We are back to waking up 2-3 times a night, and only sleeping again by nursing- that is similar to Ginger and once I'm back to work, we'll need to nip that down to just 1. But we'll get there.<br /><br />I suppose I should have started out this blog with all of the fantastic, wonderful things that Ruby is learning and demonstrating. Both because she will probably read this one day (ha!), and because I don't want anyone to think that I'm not L-O-V-I-N-G this girl with ALL of my heart!<br /><br />She is incredibly vocal, just like Ginger. She will chit-chat with you at any time- lots of coo's, oooh's and aaaah's. Giggles and laughter abound from her. So she is extremely playful and fun to tickle and kiss, that's for sure! Yesterday, at 13 weeks and 1 day, she rolled over from her back to her tummy! It was amazing to watch- she almost seemed too little to have mastered that skill already! She is a crib incher- meaning that by the time she is done with a nap/sleeping overnight, she has moved from the bottom of the crib to the top of the crib. Already? I swear this is all going at lightening speed!<br /><br />We are still addicted to the swaddle, which I am trying to wean her from but both her and I give up too easily. She falls asleep so nicely all swaddled up, but she fights it so much now that I almost think she would sleep better without it. But she won't actually FALL to sleep without it. So this month we'll need to work on it, one arm, then both arms, then legs, etc. Which will mean a few sleepless nights for me, if it goes the way it did with Ginger!<br /><br />All in all, it has been an amazing experience to go to a family of 4. It is not for the weary, I am actually in shock that so many others do it (and even more, like 3, 4, or 5 kids!) because it is a HANDFUL with 2! But we are enjoying every minute of it. Sleepy-eyed and all :)Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-21533235153705357562011-03-10T15:18:00.000-08:002011-03-10T15:37:15.344-08:00The Magic of DisneyWhat an amazing time we had on our family's first visit (together) to Disneyland! Our nanny works PT at Disneyland on weekends, and had provided us with tickets to cover myself, Paul, and my mom and dad (thanks Maureen!). So, the tickets were burning a hole in my pocket for months, but I wanted to wait until I thought Ginger was really ready to take in and create a memory of her first visit to Disneyland.<br /><br />We all packed up and left the house at a decent time, ready to get there when it opened. However, silly me, I forgot the tickets of all things, and we had to turn around and come back to get them! Luckily, we had only made it about 15 minutes out by the time I remembered, but it did cause the morning to kick off a bit later than expected :)<br /><br />We arrived and entered Disneyland to be greeted by Mickey, Pluto, Goofy, and Snow White. It was amazing!! I was nursing Ruby on a park bench with my mom and watched Ginger interact with Pluto and Goofy from afar. Then once we were done we all walked over to see Mickey, and took a few family photos with him. Of course, Ruby was already starting to doze off so she missed out on the first few family pics.<br /><br />We walked the entire park, practically, and rode several rides! Here's the rundown: Peter Pan, Carousel, Dumbo, Teacups (2x), Small World, Space Mountain (sans children), Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Carribean, Disney Railroad. <br /><br />Ginger's favorite ride was the teacups, with a close 2nd going to Dumbo. She had a permenant smile on her face the entire day, with the exception of a few moments waiting in line, prior to lunch where she was getting a bit tired. But as soon as we had some fuel in us (mac-n-cheese for her, pizza for me, pastrami burger for Dad, and of course, mommy's milk for Ruby :) we were back in action.<br /><br />We were so, so, so, so grateful to have my mom and dad join us! Two extra sets of hands were helpful, especially with Ruby since she decided that she no longer enjoyed riding in the bjorn. Funny enough, I took her out 2 days later to an outlet mall and she loved being in the bjorn. Go figure! <br /><br />We made it to 6:45pm, and honestly, it was more the adults that were "done" than Ginger. She was still skipping, running, and raring to go on more rides. She did SO well on our trip, that we're thinking about returning in a little bit to explore California Adventure. Maybe once Ruby takes a bottle, which is a whole other story! <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_eKpogttUe12NXJPWViO1KMBd-N5sqHhH_MS9N7VX_A_5vmc3qX4-5qOhY5JTZEsm4CkNN0f42mJ_VxDnr2-qqt85K83LMlorbO1Wp3MAUfwNXotZ5_eaD1o0bupnx7fyTHvFbiQ1lcw/s1600/cuteIMG_3387.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_eKpogttUe12NXJPWViO1KMBd-N5sqHhH_MS9N7VX_A_5vmc3qX4-5qOhY5JTZEsm4CkNN0f42mJ_VxDnr2-qqt85K83LMlorbO1Wp3MAUfwNXotZ5_eaD1o0bupnx7fyTHvFbiQ1lcw/s400/cuteIMG_3387.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582598628925706562" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7SlxELUBY2pRMDgUOQGcEhNYjX-o1RWE87Ae4DA8OWpHxCyqzCWh2qGWzxQsYx6cg9Mx8cI0zsPCytmMq_1TL0a_SOUXEybwKfaQOGOhrAJF558_VTCGumIAkELL10z92iB1YYBVxaud/s1600/cuteIMG_1932.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7SlxELUBY2pRMDgUOQGcEhNYjX-o1RWE87Ae4DA8OWpHxCyqzCWh2qGWzxQsYx6cg9Mx8cI0zsPCytmMq_1TL0a_SOUXEybwKfaQOGOhrAJF558_VTCGumIAkELL10z92iB1YYBVxaud/s400/cuteIMG_1932.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582598622078645666" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iHDzc6kP3DQbUbuDL6Bh7r7NKI8lJNUtrViMg4-lk-Tsjq10H67Dc-yX1zIq-Atm-K-TVy0gU-OJzBXwTYaPD4z_Hwa5fTaov744jd3wcR8hqnA3CyxgXdkhPzpF5CR_hYPPs7jHOMsN/s1600/cuteIMG_1944.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iHDzc6kP3DQbUbuDL6Bh7r7NKI8lJNUtrViMg4-lk-Tsjq10H67Dc-yX1zIq-Atm-K-TVy0gU-OJzBXwTYaPD4z_Hwa5fTaov744jd3wcR8hqnA3CyxgXdkhPzpF5CR_hYPPs7jHOMsN/s400/cuteIMG_1944.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582598633398855106" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqFz6apEn2BpsKdPopR5C80CQ-UaJvkW3K3vgVJ2jdL8SQZvlXQmAZ-_D_KJN1mXnEzDzvYg6Fm3o99oRBF2BfVEoJ33X8G2_ckxsfT0ILgnjfEf9hByLB0oQq4RG3PSGwQF4IIPafeIn/s1600/cuteIMG_1970.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqFz6apEn2BpsKdPopR5C80CQ-UaJvkW3K3vgVJ2jdL8SQZvlXQmAZ-_D_KJN1mXnEzDzvYg6Fm3o99oRBF2BfVEoJ33X8G2_ckxsfT0ILgnjfEf9hByLB0oQq4RG3PSGwQF4IIPafeIn/s400/cuteIMG_1970.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582598650030838242" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRuzOHjkYWQZfbun8yQF0UEw8nzXRYkVW1wbLbYbAa72xrY6fzJeQo92MI1L0PFFbE5_EFDvtojj_dHGlzvf7Pz7nRQWCfJyFlCcsX7rhdObAkXKSIGyywAXD0fDnM4kHaupvyCXTSJlR/s1600/cuteIMG_3444.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRuzOHjkYWQZfbun8yQF0UEw8nzXRYkVW1wbLbYbAa72xrY6fzJeQo92MI1L0PFFbE5_EFDvtojj_dHGlzvf7Pz7nRQWCfJyFlCcsX7rhdObAkXKSIGyywAXD0fDnM4kHaupvyCXTSJlR/s400/cuteIMG_3444.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582598644391663218" /></a>Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-19094848532913806842011-02-23T17:00:00.001-08:002011-02-23T17:07:00.749-08:00Sweet girls...Baby Ruby is 10 weeks old today! Amazing how time truly flies...we have the happiest baby ever these days. She grins, coo's, smiles, even laughs. She's a talker just like Ginger was! She even looks like Ginger in so many ways. Here is Ginger with her new twinkle toes shoes that she picked out herself, and then a few of Ruby playing with her toys and visiting with Auntie Julie!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmhRH6CNdJx0dWVWsS1Ln1FRE6Q91-kn82wMF6Z13xRFeSb5fW8JlN9QzQJBmp6HhXw4WOhGkQSYoMlgSz_BEuOvyEhHlT8KFSgXF5vVfvI5-Aqo2hZLYzVL0qMx37kw3bfsdVtR_4TGM/s1600/IMG_3216.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmhRH6CNdJx0dWVWsS1Ln1FRE6Q91-kn82wMF6Z13xRFeSb5fW8JlN9QzQJBmp6HhXw4WOhGkQSYoMlgSz_BEuOvyEhHlT8KFSgXF5vVfvI5-Aqo2hZLYzVL0qMx37kw3bfsdVtR_4TGM/s400/IMG_3216.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577056003802137250" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWjBEmCY1YxcXB2V4v2MzLjMhwQVQWcftH259Th-VLuKYw0jOIgpP93fkxb_240SfaN5bNc4_jmHF6c_pl4L1K1gHQdIcuJhbDXIP4revvHwxo1orVYtbg4F-M-jFPfR-mpQNUDspa3vT/s1600/IMG_3214.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWjBEmCY1YxcXB2V4v2MzLjMhwQVQWcftH259Th-VLuKYw0jOIgpP93fkxb_240SfaN5bNc4_jmHF6c_pl4L1K1gHQdIcuJhbDXIP4revvHwxo1orVYtbg4F-M-jFPfR-mpQNUDspa3vT/s400/IMG_3214.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577056000012348386" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyPUzi-TcvdH4YXuZFUIE1MyhceaaaakaVgTbBx1L8YFz-MTIlZHOyuz_zUnynU0MOH1vctLmtMnoVlBt_yowLFPE4lKiuNyv0I5-v7GZ3Fqm4Yd4MEK3Vv5DvWB3rUsuFT2aSrAGqyA-/s1600/cuteIMG_3255.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 326px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyPUzi-TcvdH4YXuZFUIE1MyhceaaaakaVgTbBx1L8YFz-MTIlZHOyuz_zUnynU0MOH1vctLmtMnoVlBt_yowLFPE4lKiuNyv0I5-v7GZ3Fqm4Yd4MEK3Vv5DvWB3rUsuFT2aSrAGqyA-/s400/cuteIMG_3255.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577055995184912434" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQ-D-HBONv7jIdlprjOj806zdrCUPN9tfRmcDp9snRmwoLezmeYDF3scTtKwTzst5ef04pesXlLA5wQzMKU35kypwsVhmeTcFOGhYK8QNBcfUDt60u4rxLEyB12CIwgOR5awBze1BhMuG/s1600/cuteIMG_3244.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQ-D-HBONv7jIdlprjOj806zdrCUPN9tfRmcDp9snRmwoLezmeYDF3scTtKwTzst5ef04pesXlLA5wQzMKU35kypwsVhmeTcFOGhYK8QNBcfUDt60u4rxLEyB12CIwgOR5awBze1BhMuG/s400/cuteIMG_3244.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577055986182624050" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioT2r_7Qt8AaEzrjpKq6QPrm9YAhkyQrAxKKfIE09dnzhJEvE7O0JuDM72HHwHofhoW04g6eTIi7zn_i8p7P4ji4ZiFLPqcF_9Vnx0xy2E5aCxiw8Hi74uzBM_8an215ZoHntKGp93-xSg/s1600/cuteIMG_3235.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioT2r_7Qt8AaEzrjpKq6QPrm9YAhkyQrAxKKfIE09dnzhJEvE7O0JuDM72HHwHofhoW04g6eTIi7zn_i8p7P4ji4ZiFLPqcF_9Vnx0xy2E5aCxiw8Hi74uzBM_8an215ZoHntKGp93-xSg/s400/cuteIMG_3235.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577055979306290050" /></a>Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-10895866820333610852011-02-17T22:13:00.000-08:002011-02-17T22:25:05.913-08:00Month 2I guess being a mother of a toddler and newborn means there is literally no time for blogging! This month has been challenging to start with, but finished with smiles, laughter, and (finally!) some well earned sleep! Weeks 4-7 were particularlly challenging for Ruby, as she was still dealing with being one gassy little girl! I am lucky/unlucky enough to have the problem of overproduction of milk and letdown, which means Ruby has to really work to keep up with my flow, and, well, that caused gas, projectile vomits, multiple baths, etc. It was tough keeping up! But around week 7, she finally was able to keep up with me, and now we have turned the page and have one terrifically HAPPY little girl! LOTS of smiles (and the most perfect dimples- don't know where they came from but they are gorgeous!), coo's, snuggles, and let me tell you, this girl has turned into a great sleeper! Starting at 7 weeks, she began sleeping from around 8pm-3am, nursed then fell back to sleep until 7am. Once in a long while we will have a night where I'll need to wake twice, but most nights it's just once. That is pretty incredible to me- Ginger was nursing 2-3 times a night well into her 5th and 6th month until she started on solid foods. I am taking each night as it comes, and not taking ANY sleep for granted in case anything changes. But for now, we feel blessed!<br /><br />Ginger turned 2 during Ruby's 2nd month, and let me tell you- I am in L-O-V-E with that girl more and more every single day (is that possible?) She is vivacious, percocious, inquisitive, a bit dramatic (Paul and I joke that she takes after the other on that one), articulate, and sensitive. She has come to the realization that Ruby is here to stay and is much more go-with-the-flow with her now. She loves to run into Ruby's room when she wakes up, saying "Hi Ruby! Good morning!" and she also loves to make funny faces at her to try and make her laugh. It's pretty comical to watch.<br /><br />We are adjusting to our new house that we moved into a few weeks ago. That was quite a stressor but we've made it through, now looking at boxes all over our house. We've unpacked about 50-60% of our stuff, so now it's just onto the final boxes, hanging pictures, and decor stuff. But we'll get there.<br /><br />So, that's month 2 in a nutshell. I feel incredibly blessed by Ruby every day. She has these beautiful eyes that can pierce through your stare at her, like she's looking into your soul or something. I love her spirit, she is also inquisitive already and I can tell she will follow in her big sis' footsteps in that regard. More to come, but this tired mom is signing off and hoping I make it back here before month 3 comes to a close! LOLWendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-42466966406614947812011-01-14T14:34:00.001-08:002011-01-21T10:12:39.969-08:00Month 1Holy cow, we have a 1 month old people. That went FAST. Things have been up and down day by day, with great moments, and those that have been challenging. Ruby is a gassy girl, let me tell you! Week 3 was a tough one, and once I finally decided to give up all dairy products, faithfully use Mylicon and gripe water, and burp her religiously, I think we have things under control. I miss milk. And cheese. And ice cream. But you do what you do for your kids, and at least this is helping me get back to my preprego weight! 15 lbs to go (although I still want to lose another 30, as I was at my peak weight when I got pregnant with Ruby!)<br /><br />Ruby is starting to enjoy the few moments of being awake in this world, despite a few weeks where all she wanted to do was nurse, sleep, cry, or poop. She is now going to 15-45 minute stretches of looking around, following things with her eyes, and just beginning to make cooing sounds. It's here, finally, the time where we finally start to get back after giving, giving, giving. Phew!<br /><br />I am exhausted. Paul is exhausted. But we can't complain, we have a beatiful healthy baby girl who is growing and (re)teaching us things every day.<br /><br />A few days ago, Ruby's cousin baby Jake was born under extremely challenging circumstances. He is a little fighter, but it has provided a terrible scare for our entire family and makes Paul and I feel even more alert about how easy we really have had it. My poor brother and sister-in-law are having to learn a lot of tough lessons, on their first child, and all we can do is help to support them and love them. I just wish they could have had a more normal first child delivery experience. But as long as Jake remains healthy, that is all we can hope for. Find the sunshine instead of the darkness.<br /><br />So, we are marching along. Ginger continues to make progress in the big sister category, although she is still a bit of a bull in a china shop. Every day she wakes up, she asks for her baby sister. When she comes home from daycare, she immediately asks for her baby sister. She wants to sit next to us while I'm nursing. She wants to snuggle her while we give her tummy time. She wants to help swaddle her. She SCREAMS "MOMMY, MOMMY!!" when Ruby wakes up, crying. Luckily Ginger hasn't been bothered from her overnight sleep- that girl sleeps like a log. <br /><br />So, there you have it. G4, over and out :)Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-53377048493520802732010-12-30T22:54:00.001-08:002010-12-30T23:32:18.341-08:00The first two weeks....The first two weeks have been pretty amazing, I must say! Funny the things that you forget, though, about having a newborn in your house. Although I have to say that between each baby being different, as well as our circumstances, it's really hard to determine if life is just different, or if we truly have forgotten some of the best and most challenging moments of having a newborn.<br /><br />Nursing...is going extremely well! I have been blessed again with a daughter who latches easily, and was a natural at nursing. I know so many friends who have experienced challenges with nursing and I feel so, so, so lucky that we haven't encountered any problems. Well, other than the fact that I produce enough milk for 3 kids, it seems, so poor Ruby has to take some breaths in between nursing otherwise the girl spits up everything she just ate cause mama's 'letdown' is fierce! But if that's the worst of my problems, I'll take it :)<br /><br />Sleep....well, all things considered, I feel blessed. Ruby sleeps (for the most part) 2-3 hours, then nurses, then usually goes back to sleep fairly easily. There have been a few rough nights where she wants to nurse for what seems like 1-2 hours straight (yes, straight!) and other moments where she will nurse and then be wide awake and not want to return to sleep as easily. But for the most part, I'm up 3-4 times a night, and we're sleeping from 11pm-9ish am. So I consider that a B+ (and I know if she was on formula, she'd sleep even longer but this is the trade-off with breastfeeding).<br /><br />We gave Ruby her first bath once her cord stump fell off (and yes, I saved it, much to my mother's displeasure! She calls it 'a scab'. Ha!), and just like Ginger, she didn't enjoy bathtime! Let's just say she didn't chill in her baby bath with a smile on her face :) Ginger grew to love her baths fairly quickly, which I'm hoping will be the case with Ruby. However, once she was in her jammies and was able to cuddle she was in heaven. <br /><br />Ginger just LOVES her baby sister. She is very proud to tell others about 'baby Ruby', and is always very eager to let me know when she is crying, fussing, etc. Ginger usually shrieks and says "mama, baby Ruby, baby Ruby!" as if I don't notice that she's crying. It's pretty cute. She is VERY hands on, so we have to be watchful that she doesn't go overboard. The other day she took a blanket, thinking she was going to wipe some spit-up off of her lip, and practically smothered the poor girl in blanket! She does struggle a little bit with not getting 100% of the attention, usually by either having a little melt-down, or using her 'outside voice' when i ask her to speak softly. She continues to go to daycare 3-4 days a week, mostly for her benefit in terms of keeping her in routine and on schedule, but also to allow me to experience a similar bonding experience with Ruby that I had with Ginger. And it's working out fantastic, as I'm able to pick her up early from daycare but also have time to nap when Ruby naps, etc. <br /><br />Ruby has had 2 rather difficult photoshoots at this point, and I've determined that she may have a strong-willed personality if her temperment at the shoots reflects her future. Both times, she was peaceful, nursed, and sleeping until she was placed in front of the camera. Then she woke, expressed her displeasure when posed, got the hiccups, wanted to cluster nurse, yep- she did it all. After the first session our photographer offered to reshoot the following week, which was sweet but after round 2 of the same behavior I think it's safe to say that we'll wait before taking her in for another studio session! Once we get into our new house, our friend Kymberli will be coming over for another photoshoot- hopefully when Ruby is in her own element she'll be more agreeable!<br /><br />Speaking of which- yes, I said "new house"! We are so excited to be in escrow on a new house just a few miles away that can easily be considered our dream come true. It offers 4 bedrooms, plus a bonus playroom, family room, formal living room, dining room, breakfast nook, and jacuzzi tub in my master! (That was a must for me, as our current house has only one teeny tiny bathtub that I never, ever fit into) The house also has a pool (with diving board!), is on 1/2 acre, has 8 different fruit trees, an amazing rosh bush garden, and a full sized basketball court that will serve as the future pad for a 3-4 car garage at the back of the property for Paul. PLUS, and most most most importantly, the house is in a great neighborhood, which offers a fantastic elementary school for Ginger and Ruby to attend. We knew if we stayed in our current home, we would have been forced to place the girls into private school as the elementary school has mediocre (at best) test scores so this really is a dream for me. We close escrow on 1/7/2011 and hope to move into the new house sometime the following week. So exciting!<br /><br />Overall, there are some crazy challenging moments where Paul and I have looked at one another with the "what did we get ourselves into" look, but otherwise baby Ruby has integrated pretty well into our little unit! I just cannot WAIT to continue watching Ruby grow up and start to recognize Ginger, play with her, immulate her, etc. But I'm learning to take each day at a time and enjoy these moments, and not try to rush past any phase in order to get to the next one. Especially now, having seen how Ginger's baby days just RUSHED past us, it seems, I'm really trying to honor Ruby by just enjoying the moments. It's been wonderful!Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-69480886843096655662010-12-20T21:27:00.001-08:002016-12-09T11:29:40.304-08:00Meet Ruby Olivia...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqpagAJF3tqVP5vhj7Vz2nt8lULPloVeHWHZ5kHCFzukKlhbUE1-5sRnyxxyp2vm0ltTHv4L0rYR_RH7ikjAwhBxUqbQH09qWWEUMv7ue_oSLDNl3cGPBGomsBwRO3d6dIF05WMF_nRnI/s1600/6.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553003812699025714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqpagAJF3tqVP5vhj7Vz2nt8lULPloVeHWHZ5kHCFzukKlhbUE1-5sRnyxxyp2vm0ltTHv4L0rYR_RH7ikjAwhBxUqbQH09qWWEUMv7ue_oSLDNl3cGPBGomsBwRO3d6dIF05WMF_nRnI/s400/6.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 286px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyb6TPZJShZbr5Mwop3x5t-fPpPDBCaCtL8pDEo3i4rPMiClXX5wIh9FmUA_qFd9fkrBDFlQ5ZTRyl8zqsrbPlTUOrthiooEBR8_nmstcOYzFdzUyMLkmVl6jnIVSs_CRO_fTxloBH9ra/s1600/2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553003551358068514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyb6TPZJShZbr5Mwop3x5t-fPpPDBCaCtL8pDEo3i4rPMiClXX5wIh9FmUA_qFd9fkrBDFlQ5ZTRyl8zqsrbPlTUOrthiooEBR8_nmstcOYzFdzUyMLkmVl6jnIVSs_CRO_fTxloBH9ra/s400/2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 286px; width: 400px;" /></a>Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-74342428078313315412010-12-17T13:12:00.000-08:002010-12-17T14:10:09.906-08:00Ruby's birth story...you would think it could be explained in just a few words, it happened that fast. But there is more to the story and so, here it goes...<br /><br />On the morning of Tuesday, December 14th, I dropped Ginger off at daycare at 9am and upon arriving back home, I knew that I was feeling a bit off. I had been attempting to accomplish something, big or small, on the days of maternity leave befor Ruby arrived, but on that day all I could do was lounge, relax, and watch some tv. That felt like work to me! Around 10:30am, I started getting some very, very dull pain that wouldnt even equate to pms cramps- just some tightening in my stomach. Throughout the day, I noticed that it was happening rather consistently, every 4-5 minutes. But it was so, so, so, barely noticable that I did not even assume these were actual contractions.<br /><br />Paul arrived home around 4:30 and I let him know about how I was feeling. He asked if he thought we should do anything about it, I made mention that maybe we should just put our bags in the car, put the carseat in (yes, we lagged that long on installing the car seat!), and at least that way we have peace of mind. I honestly didn't thing anything was going to happen.<br /><br />Paul had learned about a lane in Corona called "Gingerbread lane" where all of the homes were decorated with lights for Christmas. Ginger is fascinated with Christmas lights this year, so we decided to pick her up from daycare and drive over to check them out. The "mild cramps" were continuing every 4-5 minutes consistently, but again I was having trouble distinguishing if these were fake or real because with Ginger, I was induced and the pitocin contractions were strong- these were not.<br /><br />While we drove around and saw the Christmas lights, Ginger was asking if we could get out and walk the lane as many other families were doing. I tried to get Paul to stop, but it was cold, and he knew I wasn't feeling great, and we were going to have to park on a side street and he asked that we just remain in the car and view the lights from there. I agreed but thankfully he knew to say this- I wonder if my water would have broken while walking!<br /><br />We picked up Islands burgers takeout and drove home, enjoyed our evening, and put Ginger to sleep at about 8:30pm. Same as every night, with the exception of these consistent mild cramps (NOTE TO SELF AND OTHERS: contractions can be light, and still be real!)<br /><br />I took a shower, and told Paul I still wasn't sure if these cramps were real or braxton hicks. I decided that I would go to sleep, and see what happens over the next day or two. I even called the hospital and they said the same thing- even recommended tylenol pm as it didn't sound like I was experiencing true contraction pain.<br /><br />I fell asleep around 11:30pm, but was up by 1am and felt the first strong, what I thought to be "real" contraction. I have a contraction timer on my phone, so I started timing them and sure enough, they were happening every 2-4 minutes apart, and the pain finally felt "real". At 2:12am I woke Paul up and said we had to make our calls and go to the hospital.<br /><br />I first called Shanna, by BFF, and she was at our house within 8 minutes flat to stay until my parents could get there. I called my folks, and my sister Julie, who all started the journey up to Riverside.<br /><br />Paul drove us over to the hospital, and I knew it was real. The pains were strong, regular, and I couldn't speak while in the middle of a contraction. Thank goodness we live only 3 miles from Kaiser! Going up the elevator, I became a bit concerned because they were now coming every 1-2 minutes, and STRONG! PAINFUL! I thought "I'll bet I'm at 4-5 cm by now". HA!<br /><br />I was admitted to the hospital at 2:40am. The nurse was going to take us to one labor room, but as we walked there she noticed another room and mentioned 'oh, I didn't know that room was still available'...it happened to be the room that we delivered Ginger in! So we asked, could we have it? She agreed, which was kind of fun :)<br /><br />I immediately asked for 2 things: the doctor, and drugs. I explained that I went fast with Ginger, once I started contracting. I just knew there was a window of time that we were working with...the nurse said she could check me, and found that I was already at 8 cm. 8 CENTIMETERS!!! I started freaking out, telling her I needed to get the epi NOW. She remained calm, said all she needed to do was get the IV in me for fluids, and that she would call the anesthesiologist. Oh great- the dreaded IV. I have had issues my entire life with IV insertions- not on my end, but my dang veins aren't on the top of my skin, so they have to fish around oftentimes. Which happened then as well. 20 minutes later, and after being poked and prodded (through 1-2 minute contractions at 8 cms, mind you) they finally get the IV in me. My mom and dad arrive at that point, and my dad later told me he heard me down the hallway, moaning and screaming from the contractions. My mom stayed in the room, my dad stepped just outside. My sister was still on her way from San Diego- she was going to be holding one leg for this delivery and I was hoping she would make it in time!(Turns out, she did not, and arrived about 15 minute after Ruby arrived :)<br /><br />OK, back on story. At that point, the anesthesiologist comes in and tells me that there is no way that she can do an epidural at that point, I was already too close to delivering. PANIC sets in my mind, I start having a minor anxiety attack to Paul saying "I can't do this without drugs, these people are crazy. I am going to DIE!" Thankfully I have an AMAZING husband who calming assures me that I can do this, he believes in me, it's going to be ok. At that moment I was glad he thought so, but I was scared out of my mind.<br /><br />The anesthesiologist did offer to try to get a spinal in, which she said is kind of like an epi and would be more immediate, one shot, but would only last 2 hours. I was in such pain at that moment that I probably would have agreed to crack cocaine if a doctor recommended it, so I said "let's go for it". She had to go through about 10 minutes of questions related to my medical history (which, isn't that in my computer file? WTH!?!?) And then says for me to turn on my side, she could inject me while I was laying sideways. I turn, mind you in such practically unbearable pain, and I feel her circling my back with the cleaning fluid to poke me. Paul later tells me that this gal was incredibly hesitant and nervous looking, probably because of my pressure and pain and anguish coming out of my mouth!<br /><br />At that moment, my water breaks (which the nurse had told me earlier was the only thing actually holding this baby inside me, so we were trying to get the spinal in without breaking my water). Laying on my side, I knew at that moment that drugs were just not going to happen. I already felt the need to push, and I told her "get the doc NOW this baby is coming!" So the doctor comes in (not mine, but the one on call so I don't even know her name) and they roll me back over, and I literally tell her get ready because I have to push NOW. The nurse warned me earlier that the sensations I would experience without drugs would feel like really strong burns, but that if I pushed through it, that was the only way to relieve it. If I hesitated, it would just prolong everything.<br /><br />Well, I felt the burn. And thank the Lord Jesus, I beared down and pushed once and Ruby's head was already out. The doctor says "give me one more good push and this baby will be delivered". So, I found a place inside me that I didn't know I had, pushed like I never had before, and Ruby slipped out, that fast. Two pushes- unbelievable! Ginger came out in 3 pushes, once we were there, so I had beaten my own record. Again, only by the grace of God and my dear husband was I able to get through this labor. <br /><br />Ruby arrived at 3:35am 12/15/10 weighing in at 8 lbs, 13.1 oz., and was 21 inches long. Yes, that means that within 55 minutes of being admitted to the hospital, this child was delivered! She had swallowed some fluids and a tiny bit of meconium so they had to take her away to immedaitely clear out her throat, lungs, etc. But she was brought to Paul while they were finishing up with me (placenta/stiches for 1st degree tear). I saw Paul full of tears staring at our little girl, and I couldn't WAIT to get my hands on her! Finally, they were done and I was able to get her skin-to-skin. My beautiful baby girl, Ruby Olivia. She is absolute perfection, I must say. Healthy, full head of dark hair, and a strong resemblence to Ginger as a newborn. <br /><br />If someone would have told me that I would deliver Ruby without any epidural, and that quickly, I would have literally laughed out loud. I am just NOT the type of person to give it a go without pain management. But I made it, and did it, and in all actuality, it wasn't as bad as I would have thought it to be. Maybe I say this because it is over, or more realistically I think because it was so fast, that I was able to get through it. If I had labored for hours, maybe it would have been different. Who knows. I DO know that my body MUST be set up specifically to birth children, because both times I've had it pretty easy compared to all of the horrible, long, enduring laboring processes you see on tv and from stories from friends. Nonetheless, we will be holding off at least a few years, if not more, before we decide if baby #3 is in the picture. Until then, we're happy with our new little family of 4 :)Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-41367068700831163702010-12-05T21:27:00.000-08:002010-12-05T22:03:33.565-08:00Meeting Santa- the extended cut...Most of my friends and family have seen the couple of pics I posted on Facebook from Ginger's visit with Santa, but I thought it'd be smart to post the extended cut here on my blog, as we literally couldn't stop laughing so much that Paul and I were crying tears at times, regarding watching our daughter anticipate, talk about, then finally meet with Santa.<br /><br />It being a rainy day today, our options were limited as the two top choices I had to visit Santa were outdoor venues. So we decided to stick with the local mall here in Riverside, which turned out to be a great decision for the picture, but a bit of a nightmare for the wait! We thought it could go one of two ways- either everyone would stay home and do Santa next weekend because it was raining, or everyone would show up at the mall (indoors) since it was raining. Well, the 2nd scenario occured.<br /><br />So, it was a bit of a challenge to keep a near-2 year old occupied for over an hour. Yes, it was actually closer to 2 hours total, but luckily Paul and I have some tricks up our sleeves now and only had to worry for about the last 30 minutes. Until then, he and I took turns with Ginger in the stroller walking around the mall and visiting stores while the other stood in line. But after we were locked into the final lane to Santa, we decided to let Ginger get some of her wiggles out after having spent near an hour in the stroller. <br /><br />Ginger was able to watch the other children meet Santa in the final lane, which built her excitement (but also created a bit of anxiety for Paul and I, as about every other child was crying, screaming, etc. and we really had NO clue how she would behave once in Santa's presence). Towards the end of the lane there were some funhouse style mirrors that thankfully kept our wiggle worm occupied for a few minutes as well. Then we were finally two kids away from Santa, and Paul was pulling out ALL of the stops to keep Ginger distracted, entertained, etc. Me being 12 days shy of 40 weeks pregnant, it was all I could do to sing a few songs with her and occasionally bend down to entertain on her level- but Paul had to do most of the heavy lifting with the entertainment. <br /><br />So, there we were, 2 kids away. And wouldn't you know it, they had to let Santa have a break so they could change out the printer roll of paper, and I think just give him a 5 minute breather. Oh no!! We were really, really, pushing the envelope with Ginger in testing her patience, and she was acting like a complete goofball which made us crack up, but also we wondered if at any minute her stir-crazy would turn to meltdown.<br /><br />Thankfully, Santa returned, the next set of children went quickly (however Ginger did run up to Santa right in the middle of their picture, when Paul turned his head for a second and in my current state, I can't run very quickly!), but then it was our turn. And of course, Ginger acted like a pro. She practically wanted to jump into his lap when invited. They played together for a few moments with a little reindeer stuffed animal, and she told him her name, and that she wanted 'new cards'. When asked earlier in the day, she said very clearly that she wanted 'paint, play-doh, and purses'. But with Santa, she talked about new cards, which we believe she is referring to her flash cards that she loves, of which Woody chewed 2of them- very dissapointing for a near 2 year old.<br /><br />So, Santa asks Ginger to smile at the camera, and they take 3 shots, of which we purchased 2. It was all over within a few minutes but the all-time best moment of the night was when we returned to our car, and pulled out of the parking lot (Paul and I exHAUSTED beyond belief) Ginger says "Mom, Dad, dat was fun". It made it ALL worth it!<br /><br />Here are a few pics that documented our time- I cannot BELIEVE that next year we'll have a 1 year old and almost 3 year old. Amazing!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8c_FpAJPeLNLOpjf2QANQ4P7q-6JAdgjG-iFcgi1F3odRStnalsB6ZC3wJXlG-Lj3DjcwkoQxvaroj1gILOvYtS22WoCzV_ncpD6_NUXty15YvhxBImjNmtIjFR6D1LM3tKi93I1Z12k/s1600/cuteIMG_2128.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8c_FpAJPeLNLOpjf2QANQ4P7q-6JAdgjG-iFcgi1F3odRStnalsB6ZC3wJXlG-Lj3DjcwkoQxvaroj1gILOvYtS22WoCzV_ncpD6_NUXty15YvhxBImjNmtIjFR6D1LM3tKi93I1Z12k/s400/cuteIMG_2128.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547444525503639138" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHf68A9B0q-dwSkAdHRV1jQXkizdUgekfH2prZ18OX-cSyAgEaCrwsayFYxpVb_FfofOFHOhtDsRQzlFH6dXahQj01blpevf47hzRxrWv_2G-Pst6vm-uSBLaUMthJHU-0PabSg5HvJkRe/s1600/cuteIMG_2133.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHf68A9B0q-dwSkAdHRV1jQXkizdUgekfH2prZ18OX-cSyAgEaCrwsayFYxpVb_FfofOFHOhtDsRQzlFH6dXahQj01blpevf47hzRxrWv_2G-Pst6vm-uSBLaUMthJHU-0PabSg5HvJkRe/s400/cuteIMG_2133.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547444514413734546" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_W8SWytg8EBmMhQ7Uaxa4GLYd8LtI118rdUYTjeVT71rg_fNkC7sleRzb5q0Nr1rOG7iZmo04zh8R4BlSdIz5JT7yJ9jr2ZmN2bpIabNI6yICDeVBqdWEHoh7CDJPdbQuKf_uExsLt6M/s1600/IMG_2137.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; 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cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKSpuFVDulRE8TOq2me1CIdj9VvqGMLeEy_ChJzU19YJJb37jr3pEfXV-Z9M9J_1VDwrCTYvuffmVHQTLFQbyxKaQhPFVPsTzTx5_6mqcvBJIIbQZA7EAEE6Z2enpfb612Y1b0rga7hSJ/s400/cuteIMG_2155.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547443117064314658" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaIS1V9ESdVct_jmbLt1nxNllvC0NrsY1wtY3afBIrx3JXKY9_yB3BerowOuwLjGsJ7XN_zzQUSx4PvEp9qr-b472j00YCKgpCxuD3c7yTBK6w25QH53v8K8oL4yeGLMcePqw0FzbQkXp0/s1600/Ginger+Santa+12-10+final+1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 285px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaIS1V9ESdVct_jmbLt1nxNllvC0NrsY1wtY3afBIrx3JXKY9_yB3BerowOuwLjGsJ7XN_zzQUSx4PvEp9qr-b472j00YCKgpCxuD3c7yTBK6w25QH53v8K8oL4yeGLMcePqw0FzbQkXp0/s400/Ginger+Santa+12-10+final+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547445824596915874" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7w-soWzx8yjHPHJCm8osHqsqkz011_FR5Hmv-tDjyVOAKscSOU0LQdzD9Wx6qMk65bcwPII9xjY2KXcbBQXrLe7H5rTtgN1QLWMgy_JooC4pTBqMAsdIxOIbqalgvbfNdbTaQpUw4lco/s1600/Ginger+Santa+12-10+final+2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7w-soWzx8yjHPHJCm8osHqsqkz011_FR5Hmv-tDjyVOAKscSOU0LQdzD9Wx6qMk65bcwPII9xjY2KXcbBQXrLe7H5rTtgN1QLWMgy_JooC4pTBqMAsdIxOIbqalgvbfNdbTaQpUw4lco/s400/Ginger+Santa+12-10+final+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547445809223384306" /></a>Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-90585995090970191142010-12-04T22:16:00.000-08:002010-12-04T22:19:59.986-08:00The budding artist...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pWuWP8YJEQi-dxgShOmGYUKfoIeqo6CMRcjfcWUjK5icHzmf2V3FlyTEM0cOLnZoeSbi2aulGiTyLqecZi1Y4XJKOhoHg12N6INaj4kFQBUth2cYLhOFKTypNKGWIUx2ayHYrYPyzNqx/s1600/IMG_2081.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pWuWP8YJEQi-dxgShOmGYUKfoIeqo6CMRcjfcWUjK5icHzmf2V3FlyTEM0cOLnZoeSbi2aulGiTyLqecZi1Y4XJKOhoHg12N6INaj4kFQBUth2cYLhOFKTypNKGWIUx2ayHYrYPyzNqx/s400/IMG_2081.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547078962302671378" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJsJYsuJribV6fYqXPYOhn0DV0nE7vgUMaef79dfwPbZ4sDlCZ662qz6aEz-zB6IM001jp2W7bZhvKj6oejz-J9Vcguoi0eJ59ZthX83f5iLeZhqacv42bEpQfH1uDkcJfSXhAtY8Kv_f/s1600/IMG_2080.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJsJYsuJribV6fYqXPYOhn0DV0nE7vgUMaef79dfwPbZ4sDlCZ662qz6aEz-zB6IM001jp2W7bZhvKj6oejz-J9Vcguoi0eJ59ZthX83f5iLeZhqacv42bEpQfH1uDkcJfSXhAtY8Kv_f/s400/IMG_2080.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547078960158161970" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIp81drnt3195RJBD7kyxG-JfSk2NUi0FQDbNiJqrFnh02V8xBve9MMGh2JKRPQSvxSroLNvFqllT37-mpPvFlZOeiQ-bu6pnOF7nDVnbW3dYpgKQoaVHFoem2qHI69jRApTwZZZ8-XAM/s1600/cuteIMG_2092.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIp81drnt3195RJBD7kyxG-JfSk2NUi0FQDbNiJqrFnh02V8xBve9MMGh2JKRPQSvxSroLNvFqllT37-mpPvFlZOeiQ-bu6pnOF7nDVnbW3dYpgKQoaVHFoem2qHI69jRApTwZZZ8-XAM/s400/cuteIMG_2092.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547078950660259074" /></a>Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-27116216937351625982010-11-26T23:33:00.000-08:002010-11-26T23:50:33.275-08:00I promise she is my daughter...I am 95% proud, yet still 5% amused at some of the likes/dislikes of Ginger's tastes. In no way do I 'force' her to like anything, really, as I'm more observational and probably more flexible than most parents. But I still think it's hilarious that the girl will literally spit out/refuse:<br /><br />* Chocolate (including chocolate chip cookies, or hershey bars, or m&ms, prefering her organic gummy treats or a nilla wafer as her dessert!)<br />* French Fries?!?! (sadly, potatoes really of any kind! We've tried red potatoes, baked potato, mashed potato, hash browns, the girl doesn't even like tater tots!)<br />* Chicken nuggets (unless there is dip, in which case she'll dip the nugget to taste the sauce, but won't actually eat the nugget)<br /><br />What she LOVES:<br />* grapes<br />* carrots<br />* pasta (she could eat a variety of tortellini, spaghetti, or penne pasta every night if we let her)<br />* corn on the cob<br />* grilled cheese<br />* cherrios (still one of her favorite, favorite snacks, especially on the go)<br />* quesadillas (but only cheese)<br />* carne asada (if it's tender, if she has to chew more than 4-5 times before swallowing, it's not going down ;)<br />* peaches/pears/apples<br />* mac'n'cheese- still working with Annie's organic at home but has tried kraft at her nanny's house and likes that too, no surprise!<br />* pb&j- the classic standby, she loves it.<br /><br />She's usually willing to try anything that mom and dad are eating, and we will sometimes play the game of just serving ourselves initially if we know it's a new plate for her. For some reason, when we have it, it's just so much more interesting than if she gets her own plate right off the bat. So I'll preview a bite for her in the kitchen as I'm serving up the plates, and she'll usually get excited about the taste.<br /><br />But we've had to learn the hard way a few times to just be flexible, patient, and provide her with a few healthy options as go-to's (string cheese, yogurt, fruit, pretzels) when she's not feeling the desire to try new things.<br /><br />We've decided that we're not going to be "finish your plate" parents, but will also not have significant snacks later to compensate for not eating meals. She also knows that dinner comes before bread, and also dessert so if she doesn't give dinner a decent attempt, she'll not get either of the others. There's been a few times where she's learned these two lessons the hard way, but for the most part she's a pretty good eater, when she's hungry. :) She's been in about the 50th percentile her entire life on weight, so unless she starts trending downward we're confident we're taking the right steps with her!Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-47971990832071176702010-11-23T09:07:00.000-08:002010-11-23T09:14:45.664-08:0023 days...well I've hit the breaking point- the point at which I'm DONE. Ready to go. As ready as I wil be, as my comfort level is at an all-time low. Lots of womanly discomforts that I won't mention, along with a belly that is carrying what feels like a large watermelon. The anxiety is starting to creep in, which I know logically is completely unneccessary as I feel so much better prepared having gone through this once. But it's still there, wondering how this transition will go and if I'll wish that I had a few more days of carrying this child all to myself. I know there will be sleepless nights, but at this point I am already so uncomfortable I'd prefer to at least hold, snuggle, and nurse my newborn vs. being in this physical state.<br /><br />My doctor's appointment was cancelled unexpectedly today, so I'm going to have to wait another day or more until I know what the state of the state is. I am very curious to hear if doc feels like I'll go all the way to my DD, 12/16/10 as I do have a suspicion that I might go a few days early. We will see. :)Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-10112789587169538832010-11-03T20:20:00.000-07:002010-11-03T20:27:45.323-07:00Success!!!It only took 5 nights, but it has happened. Thank goodness- I was about to give up after a few rough patches in transitioning to the toddler bed, and now I'm glad I didn't! Just a few moments ago, Ginger and I read stories in her room (of course, incorporating Elmo's "big enough for a bed" story, which I cannot emphasize enough how invaluable that book has been!) and then she got in bed, I put her blanket over her, we turned on her ladybug nightlight, and sang twinkle twinkle little star. Then a kiss, hug, our classic "sweet dreams" and "I love you" exchanges, and mommy walked out and closed the door. I watched as I exited, and she snuggled into her blanket, got comfy, and settled in. No crying, whimpering, struggles, she is (I hope!) officially settled in her big girl bed. I literally walked down the hall raising my hands in victory. Paul is gone tonight in Vegas at the SEMA show, so of course the timing couldn't be worse as I would have loved for him to experience this together. We've worked through this together though, in fact last night he was able to put her to sleep without fussing (but he did rock her almost completely to sleep) so I knew it was possible. But tonight she did it all on her own, with some reassurance and love from me. Wow she's getting to be such a big girl!Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-22056875975626408232010-10-31T14:55:00.001-07:002016-12-09T11:30:21.512-08:00G's Big Girl Bed...Our little baby girl has graduated to a big girl bed. Well, it's day 2, so I suppose I shouldn't speak too soon. It's been quite a new experience, lots of highs and lows in the past 48 hours. Paul and I had everything in position by the time I brought her home from daycare on Friday night. We recorded her reaction on my camera, which I'll try to post, but needless to say she took to the idea of a toddler bed right away. She kept thanking Paul and I (tank you....mom, tank you....dad) and was all smiles. We thought "hey this is going to be a piece of cake!". Even that first night she climbed up on the bed, on top of the duvet cover I had made especially for the bed (we'll introduce "covers" later) and then we laid her blankie on top of her, said sweet dreams, and our princess slept the entire night through until 7:30am the next morning (which was Saturday). Lots of praise, love, and kisses came next- she got to jump in bed with us, watch cartoons, drink some milk, and generally be spoiled as she was such a big girl!<br />
<br />
Well, that afternoon, I can't say that naptime was the same experience. I made the mistake of giving her manderin oranges at lunch, which must have wired her because she was in NO mood to take a nap. And this is a girl who walks herself to her crib each and every naptime/bedtime, and tells US that it's time for her to go to bed, like clockwork. Paul and I both worked on stroking her back, comforting her, rocking her in the chair, but she wanted NOTHING to do with napping in the toddler bed. I had read a recommendation to use a pack-n-play as a backup option for the first few days of transition, so we pulled it out and set it up, but by then she had no interest in napping anywhere. <br />
<br />
I can't even remember the last time Ginger hasn't napped during the day. Um, never. She has always liked (and needed) her rest. So, by 6:15pm that evening, on our way to the Olive Garden to grab some dinner, Ginger fell asleep in the car and there went dinner :) We grabbed takeout, came home, and put her to bed in the big girl bed where she slept soundly until 8:10am the next day when I went in to wake her up.<br />
<br />
It is now 3pm, and we have had a (what I would call!?!?) successful nap transition today. I served a no-sugar lunch, no tv or cartoons after lunch, just books in her room with a dim light and lots of snuggle. Thankfully I had purchased a book called "Elmo and the Big Bed" and we read that about 3 times along with her "I'm a big sister" book. Lifesavers, I tell you. Upon putting her in her toddler bed, she did run off and opened the (cracked) door and jumped in daddy's arms. He rocked her and walked her back to her room, where he laid her down and put her blankie over her. She protested as he left and closed the door, but no screaming or crying, just a whimper.<br />
<br />
She must have realized her new found freedom because for abouut 25 minutes she played, sang, whimpered, and jumped around her room. But then, after a few whimpers, it was suddenly quiet. That was 1:45pm. And now it's after 3. So I call that a success. I WISH for anything that we had a video monitor, as I don't know where she is actually sleeping at this moment (and I don't dare poke my head in, for fear that she wakes and I kill this naptime) so suffice to say that whether she is on the floor, in her big chair, or on her bed- she is sleeping.<br />
<br />
This is a bittersweet feeling for me. I am thrilled that with persistence, she will hopefully transition nicely in these next 6 weeks before baby girl comes along. We've hidden her crib behind closed doors in baby girl's nursery so it is out-of-sight, out-of-mind. But I am a bit sad to think that I will never go and pick up Ginger from her crib anymore. I didn't cherish that last night the way that I should have- we kind of spontaneously put the new bed together and I never had that "last crib night" moment with her. <br />
<br />
But, the show must go on. Ginger will be growing out of this toddler bed in no time, probably just in time to give it to baby girl #2, and then our plan is to bring the girls in a room together with the crib which converts into a full sized bed. So Ginger will get it back again in the future, but in a very different form! <br />
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Big moments at our house these days...<br />
<br />
**EDIT** When she woke and cried out for me, I went in to find her laying on the cushy rocking chair. Oh dear...looks like this is going to take some time! :)Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-76256254200503830832010-10-24T20:39:00.000-07:002010-10-24T20:50:08.284-07:00City Slickers...Remind me to never, ever go to a "off the side of the highway" pumpkin patch the weekend before Halloween! No, it wasn't that bad, at least we didn't have to pay admission or parking. But it was nothing like our visit to Peltzer Farms last year. We had big plans to visit Peltzer two weekends ago, but Ginger got sick the night before and we thought we'd make it down sometime before now. Turns out my mom and dad went out of town, and we decided to try something local this year. We made the best of it- Ginger had just as much fun and we laughed, visited the petting zoo, watched big kids bungee jump and slide down inflatable (and questionable) huge contraptions, and took a few token pumpkin patch shots. It was WAY too crowded for nice, quiet, family pics so it just didn't happen. But here are a few of the cute ones. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVFiu0_YwACYwFGm3N8ZwPCDUSCSw9lov_53eaGrjzaERmqaL2B1Ea-Bd-jwuuPCQmvRhrp9ibJ4q280AS2M2gKTkD-oo0gPcewWpZ8eHzI5773Ri7T8myQi1UoomTcKPe0FbB5eAfP82/s1600/cuteIMG_1914.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVFiu0_YwACYwFGm3N8ZwPCDUSCSw9lov_53eaGrjzaERmqaL2B1Ea-Bd-jwuuPCQmvRhrp9ibJ4q280AS2M2gKTkD-oo0gPcewWpZ8eHzI5773Ri7T8myQi1UoomTcKPe0FbB5eAfP82/s400/cuteIMG_1914.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531825841229726914" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCj6ToZmGCnS8WDtaLeoJ3WEjI0B9Sn6lRKBFS2ENW7ijBz9Z_fHKgDbJYEH-Djfdj0XNTmBnqVeiIII0SEekHnf_AUmuABTyIcxuz_vB1NiBlnY_3SyZww3Y6aNMjpQJqFfYaYRDcsL0t/s1600/IMG_1912.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCj6ToZmGCnS8WDtaLeoJ3WEjI0B9Sn6lRKBFS2ENW7ijBz9Z_fHKgDbJYEH-Djfdj0XNTmBnqVeiIII0SEekHnf_AUmuABTyIcxuz_vB1NiBlnY_3SyZww3Y6aNMjpQJqFfYaYRDcsL0t/s400/IMG_1912.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531825839929552930" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLSCsZkit0d3IXAKvap0ouSUAUzwNWGEc-WbIL_3O3qTpF3aJthr3QPyOB0ULe_Qd4yEeyn8On8PLsNTM2AESdfrUmvroCHPGDt3Nf4kds5_g5j37Y-DUTirnOSFj0TCpTpYGgPzU3uZkz/s1600/IMG_1904.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLSCsZkit0d3IXAKvap0ouSUAUzwNWGEc-WbIL_3O3qTpF3aJthr3QPyOB0ULe_Qd4yEeyn8On8PLsNTM2AESdfrUmvroCHPGDt3Nf4kds5_g5j37Y-DUTirnOSFj0TCpTpYGgPzU3uZkz/s400/IMG_1904.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531825830451644962" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKqch5zp3EAY-5UhB15dp_ZHPkSRP0e6i8xzYxsl3uxhA4R6JKTD7T6sJ_vNSiRuaBrRU6rxmU_pMVFVxXf4LwihZNdB10UHlGy23QXcYRXh8MT2uOXwJhsOlOC20ZJ6TZXke33YLhy5a/s1600/IMG_1866.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKqch5zp3EAY-5UhB15dp_ZHPkSRP0e6i8xzYxsl3uxhA4R6JKTD7T6sJ_vNSiRuaBrRU6rxmU_pMVFVxXf4LwihZNdB10UHlGy23QXcYRXh8MT2uOXwJhsOlOC20ZJ6TZXke33YLhy5a/s400/IMG_1866.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531825826426587586" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZu7HBUvdVvkUO20PVkDU2PqT5ecuRWRGTLGR6CHzbRnf0fog9nd2wDWbkvqpeX7qx26RINeHMMrQ7jsrdbkdigLuRV5bvLR73W_9ki8XUG1dj17AXL-txWnRIQaVmpnIp2SXGAXs2iiNL/s1600/IMG_1859.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZu7HBUvdVvkUO20PVkDU2PqT5ecuRWRGTLGR6CHzbRnf0fog9nd2wDWbkvqpeX7qx26RINeHMMrQ7jsrdbkdigLuRV5bvLR73W_9ki8XUG1dj17AXL-txWnRIQaVmpnIp2SXGAXs2iiNL/s400/IMG_1859.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531825815759209634" /></a>Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-79851120663416337922010-10-18T23:09:00.000-07:002010-10-18T23:13:24.750-07:00Went for it!So, I just ordered baby girl #2's Christmas stocking...with her name on it!! We are in ♥♥♥ with the name we've chosen, just taking a few more days until we decide how/if we'll share before we deliver. Still working on a middle name, which may impact our decision to share if we need more time to come to a conclusion...<br /><br />But the name has been chosen! <br /><br />(Side note: I had to order her Christmas stocking as soon as they became available online, as last year they sold out fairly quickly and I want to make sure that baby's stocking matches the rest of ours this year. Plus, I am due on 12/16 so I'm sure these next 59 days or less will be a whirlwind for us- one less thing to think about! ;-)Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146722610902279596.post-41610138406515747312010-10-16T21:18:00.000-07:002010-10-16T23:11:36.068-07:00Yep, I confess....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULNZOaj8j8uRuEBJCj_x2GG7f9iatkkjP4NohzRNFQ4jTkT8bwSVbCA0SWpGsIG94s507dUUWWdqitgvOfIZJuJmaxt7whgHVRrOLq1mootkkzB-R2jbUFY3PlB0jDWXzEEDLLPT7jJFu/s1600/1+year+diff+halloween.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULNZOaj8j8uRuEBJCj_x2GG7f9iatkkjP4NohzRNFQ4jTkT8bwSVbCA0SWpGsIG94s507dUUWWdqitgvOfIZJuJmaxt7whgHVRrOLq1mootkkzB-R2jbUFY3PlB0jDWXzEEDLLPT7jJFu/s400/1+year+diff+halloween.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528893481362877890" /></a><br /><br />I am totally, completely, and utterly in love with our daughter. To the point where I post too many pics on FB, tell too many stories in conversation with coworkers, and dream about everything she does that is wonderful (and forget everything she does that is, well, not wonderful). <br /><br />It's hard even to describe to people who do not have children what this experience is like. For those who do, most of them get it, but possibly have been worn over time with more challenges, obstacles, and multiple children. I can't even imagine every feeling that way, but maybe that happens? Who knows. <br /><br />But for those without kids, I get a lot of half-smiles, where behind the smile they are questioning "is this girl looney?" when I gush about little Ginger Lauren.<br /><br />The greatest feeling in the world, though, is not caring how the message is being recieved. Sure, I try to tailor who I'm talking to, but once you get me going I am not bashful in wearing my heart on my sleeve about my love for this beautiful little girl. <br /><br />Today we tried on her Halloween costume to make sure it fit properly in anticipation of a few fun nights in the next few weeks. It fit like a charm (sized 12-24 months- don't know how this would fit a 12 month old, unless they were huge!) but she looks like a darling little ladybug princess. Ok, there I go again :) But to look at this pic and see how much she's grown in just 12 short months, it's pretty incredible. Paul and I have grown significantly during this time as well. What a journey this is!Wendy Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133311870332755261noreply@blogger.com1