Sweet 16

Happy, happy birthday to my 16 year old... I can't believe you're that old already!

I have so many memories of you, and will never forget the day that you were born.

Although you were nearly two weeks early, I have a confession to make: I took castor oil to see if it would start my labor because I just couldn't wait to see you... and the doctor told me that I was to the point that if my labor started, they wouldn't stop it, since you were so healthy and strong. The castor oil worked. It made me so icky sick at first though. Your dad went to bed because he had to get up so early, but I stayed up and started timing the contractions. They were so far apart at first that I figured it was false labor. By five in the morning, they were very regular at ten minutes apart and getting stronger. 

I figured I should wake your dad up. We decided to go ahead and get to the hospital. We got there probably around six (I'm going from memory here) and by then the contractions were about 5 minutes apart and really hurting. I didn't want an epidural, but I didn't know what I was in for. The pain got so bad that I begged for the epidural. When the anesthesiologist put the needle in my back, he hit a nerve. I was laying on my left side and my left leg started kicking and freaking out, completely out of my control, which really scared me. So he backed the needle out and put it back in, which started to take away my pain within just a couple of minutes. But even today I can feel where he put the needle and sometimes I still get sharp pains there. When the doctor checked me before leaving the room, I was dilated to a five.

After the epidural took effect, your dad decided to go down and get his lunch out of the car since he didn't have breakfast. Just a couple of minutes after he left the room, while I was on the phone with Sena, I felt something completely change in my body. It had only been fifteen minutes since your dad and the doctor had left the room, but I told Sena that I would call her back, and I paged the nurse. When the nurse came in, I told her that I knew something felt different, but that I didn't know what, since I really couldn't feel much. She checked me and asked me where your dad went, because I was dilated to ten and ready to push. From 5-10 in 15 minutes! 

They took me from the 'labor room' that I was in and rolled me into a 'delivery room', and the whole time I was asking them to please find my husband. It turns out that when he went down the elevator to get his lunch, the doctor was on the same elevator headed to a c-section.
But your dad got there in time, while the nurses were begging me not to push because the doctor wasn't there yet. And while all this is going on, they ask if it's okay to have a group of med students watch my birth? I really didn't care, because how else are they going to learn? So about 5 med students then crammed in the room. 

But where, oh where is the doctor? I really am feeling the pressure and desperately want (need!) to push at this point. Then I hear the nurse on the phone with the doctor, 'if you don't get down here, I'M delivering this baby!'  He got there in the nick of time to catch you after only three pushes. 

Our little 7 pound 4 ounce bundle of joy. I'll never forget the feelings that overwhelmed me when they laid you on my stomach. There are no words to describe the love and joy and happiness I felt to finally meet you! I turned my tear-filled eyes up at your dad, and his face was streaked with tears also. As I looked up around the room at all those med students, it made me laugh... they were crying too. 

As I started to rub my fingers over your head, I realized that your hair was blonde. That was one of the first things I said to your dad, 'he's blonde!?!?' and your dad's response was, 'no, that's just that lotion stuff'. But lo and behold, after your dad went with them to get you all cleaned up, he rolled you in and proudly announced to me, 'he's blonde!' We just couldn't believe that WE got a perfect little blue-eyed and blonde little baby boy.

Chris, you bring me so much joy every single day of my life. I'm so very proud of the young man you are today and the man you are becoming... you amaze me! I'm floored that you're sixteen already... and that we will be going to get your driver's license soon! Thank you for being such a wonderful son and brother - we all love you so very much!

Happy Belated to our Keki!

One week ago, on Jan. 2nd, Katy turned 14. Although part of me feels guilty for not getting her birthday post up in time, that guilt is quickly dissolved when I remember that it was because we spent her birthday on Maui. Yeah, guilt trip gone.

Some things you might already know about Katy:

*Her name is Kathryn Venice. Kathryn is after my sister and my Grandmother. Venice is after Mike's mom. A very special name for a very special girl.

*Her nicknames are Katybug, Frooleeloo, Pookie, and of course Kay-kee (given to her by Chris when she was born because he couldn't say her name), which we found out is also the way her name is pronounced in Hawaiian, only it's spelled Keki - we all thought that was awesome. We love it because not only did Chris call her Kay-kee, so did Trevor and Tessa when they were teensy.

*She gets straight A's and panics when she has an A- or (GASP!) a B on progress reports. Then she quickly does whatever it takes to bring it back up to an A. Her GPA is 4.0 - you go girl!

*She loves to make fun of me. She lets me know how old I am and that things I do are uncool. Then I catch her doing them and remind her that I am, indeed, cool. She laughed for a couple of days that I put 'GASP!' on one of my blog comments, and then I caught her texting it to her friends - now we say it to each other all the time. Even when I am uncool, she makes me feel special anyway.

*She is extremely kind-hearted and loving. She loves her friends and would do anything for them.

*She thinks that she's shy, but we've never worried about her making new friends. Mike and I have had a standing joke since she was about two that if she goes anywhere, she will most definitely have made a new friend by the time she leaves. That still holds true.

*She loves children and loves to babysit. Most of the kids that she babysits love her right back. One told his mom that when he gets big he wants to marry Katy.

*No matter where we go, people tell us that she looks just like me. When I watch her, I'm in awe, and I know that I was never that beautiful.

*She's really into boys now, which kinda freaks Mike and I out. When she and I have conversations about boys, Mike either leaves the room or covers his ears. He's just not ready yet.

*She's said for a long time that she wants to be a pediatrician, but after we got home from Hawaii, she says she might want to be a marine biologist now. I know that whatever she sets her mind on, she will reach her goal.

*She loves the gospel and has a sweet testimony. She really dislikes missing church, and was frantic when her friends were texting her that they split the ward while we were gone. She's so sad about not having those friends and leaders at church on Sunday, but I know that she will find new friends, and stay close to the ones she already has.

*The most important thing you should know about Katy is that she is wonderful, amazing, and everything good. Her smile is contagious - catch it some time!

Fourteen years ago, when my labor started, we simply went to the hospital and walked the halls for a while. When I said I couldn't take the pain anymore, but didn't want the epidural, the midwife told me I was in transition. She and Mike put me in a warm shower for about 5 minutes until I told them that I was ready to push. They took me back to my bed, and 3-4 pushes later, Katy was here... two weeks early and weighing in at 6 lbs 10 ounces. Her birth was absolutely my easiest, calmest, and most peaceful of the four.

Yep, that's my Katy. I love her so much that I could never express it in words! Happy belated, Keki!

Eight is GREAT!

Our baby girl turns 8 today!

Some things to know about our Tessa Anne:

Favorite color: blue, because she thinks she's outgrown pink

Food: pizza, chinese, or anything with sugar

Holiday: Christmas, "because it's so fun to watch everyone else open their presents"

Book: I Love You Forever

Toys: Webkinz or her babies

Things to do: anything as a family, doing art and making things for people, playing with her friends

Nicknames: Tessie, Annie, Penelope, Lambie, Baby Girl, Princess, Munchkin Mouse

Her real name: Tessa Anne - 'Tessa' means 'fourth born' and Anne is after her GranDebbie, my mom

Her strengths: reading, writing, drawing, and especially loving

Dislikes: if it's possible to dislike it as much as her mother does... being the center of attention - we both hate it

Likes: Being the baby of the family - she reminded me last night before she said prayer that it would be my last time to hear my seven year old say it, and that I should make sure to tuck her in, because it would be the last time I got to tuck in my seven year old. Ouch, those tugs on my tender heart strings!

The following is because I'm such a sentimental sucker on my kids' birthdays... you really don't have to read it. But I've got to write it.

Eight years ago, I was at the hospital again after having been there twice already that week to get my labor stopped. The most important thing to me was that my baby was ready to meet this world. That she was fully developed and healthy. But I couldn't help hoping they would keep me (us!) there this time. We still had 17 days until her due-date of the 26th. And yet, her personality shone even then... she'd get here when she wanted to, and she wasn't going to wait around for anyone to tell her when that would be.

Although I'd had Katy and Trevor completely natural with no pain meds... (was I crazy!?!?)... I think there hadn't been enough time between Trev and Tessa for my mind and/or body to complete the time warp that makes us forget that pain and decide to do it again. As soon as they said I was staying, I asked for the epidural. Besides, it was already a late night to a long day, and we were just getting started... I think it was about midnight when I was admitted. 

I'd had a horrible epidural with Chris (a whole other story, but just so you know, it was bad enough that I had those next 2 without one. 'nuf said.) and so I was fearful of having another one. But more fearful of that pain again. Boy, is there a big difference between a 'bad' epidural and a truly WONDERFUL one! I was watching that machine with it's peaks going almost completely to the top of the screen with my huge contractions, and saying, "wow, I hardly felt a thing!"

So Mike pulled up one of those rock-hard reclining chairs that for some reason look as inviting as a feather mattress in the middle of the night... and we both slept... for a little while, at least.

I woke up because I heard a huge GASP from the nurse standing by my bed. I sat straight up... Mike jumped up out of his chair... every hair on my body stood on end. From the look on the nurse's face, we knew something was wrong. After her initial shock, she calmly turned to Mike and said, "go get the midwife... this baby's head is already out." 

So Mike runs (no, he did not walk... he didn't even jog... he full-on RAN) into the hall, in the very early hours of an otherwise quiet morning, and yells at the top of his lungs, "GET IN HERE NOW! THIS BABY'S HEAD IS OUT!"

The midwife chases him back into the room, pulling gloves on as she's running, staring wide-eyed at my 'place', and says, "okay, Tricia, I want you to take in a big, deep breath and give me one good push." So I huff, and I puff... okay, just kidding.... I actually started to inhale deeply and before I even let out a hint of air, she lays my new baby girl on my stomach and says, "here she is!"... wait, was I supposed to push?

And in true Tessa style... coming when she was ready, no waiting around, taking no guff from anyone, in total 'I can do it by myself' fashion... one huge spirit in that teeny tiny body (only 6 lbs 3.7 oz)... my life would never be the same. It had never been so wonderful.

I don't think I'll ever forget how blue she was from not being able to breathe. Or the fear that engulfed me when they pulled her off my stomach as quickly as she appeared there, to get her under the oxygen tube... watching all of them hover over her, rubbing her and gently telling her (begging her!) to breathe. My world stood still. 

My world stands still again today as I look at this miracle I've been blessed with. Today is our day. I've taken the day off work, and she off school... we're off to play! An entire day of snuggling, hair-doing, lunching, shopping, picture-taking, and if we can fit it in, ice-skating! 

She grabbed my hand super tight last night and told me, "I'm so excited for tomorrow... it's going to be the best day EVER!"

No, baby girl... that was the day you were born.

Celebrating My Best Friend...

Happy Birthday, Mike! I won't say how old he is, but it starts with a 4 and ends in a 1! *Ü*