Levi James

I was scheduled to be induced on June 22^nd. The day before, I had my 39 week appointment to just check and make sure all was well for the following day. What happened was something I did not expect.

The Dr. told me during my exam that I was not dilated as far as I had been before and he couldn’t feel the baby’s head. He decided to do an ultrasound to check the baby. He found that the baby was in a transverse position, side to side instead of head down. He also noticed that the fluid around the baby was low. Both were a problem for my induction and he brought in Dr Rose, who was the Dr. scheduled to induce me to discuss my options.

I had the option of trying an external aversion, which is for the doctors to manually turn the baby from the outside into a head down position. If it was successful, they could induce me. If it wasn’t successful, or it created problems for the baby, I would have to go straight for a c section. My other option was to just go for the c section and get it over with. I chose to try the external aversion because I really didn’t want to be cut open and have a longer healing time. The only complication for that option was that the fluid around the baby was low and I was instructed to drink as much as I could the rest of the day to try to build that fluid that would help move the baby.

The next morning, I was checked in at 3 am. The night nurse got me set up with iv fluids and we waited until 7 am for the procedure. I was supposed to have at least three bags of fluid to help the baby move. I tried to get a little sleep, but I was nervous and anxious about what was to come. I knew that the day would be painful.

At 7 am, Dr Rose and Dr Morales came in. Dr Rose did an ultrasound and found that the baby was even higher up than the day before and facing up toward my face instead of down toward my feet like the day before. The nurse gave me a shot of medication that would stop my contractions and make my belly soft so they would be able to work on turning him without problems. After about fifteen minutes, the meds kicked in and Dr Rose covered my belly in gel and then she and Dr Morales both pressed their hands down around the baby and began to twist him in a counter clockwise motion. Hard.

I won’t lie about an external aversion. It’s done without any kind of pain medication and if you have one, you will wish you would just die and someone would kill you. Even labor does not compare to the feeling of having your insides twisted and manipulated like a fork in spaghetti. I almost screamed at them to stop and just do the c section, but I gritted my teeth and tried to focus on my hands squeezing the railing or the nurse rubbing my feet and telling me how amazing I am or the fact that by the end of the day I’d be holding my son.

The aversion was successful. Dr Morales had to hold him in place while Dr Rose did another ultrasound to make sure baby and cord were okay and in place. They placed a tight binding wrap around my belly to keep him in place since he was still high and able to turn again. After that, they started pitocin to restart my contractions and gave me a shot of demoral for pain.

After a few hours, the anesthesiologist came in and gave me an epidural. I hadn’t had luck with my previous deliveries, so I was hoping it would work this time. After the Dr left, my blood pressure dropped dangerously low. I felt light headed, nauseous, and was starting to black out. The nurses scrambled to get me on oxygen and the Dr ran back in to give me a couple shots of ephedrine. After fifteen minutes or so, I was stabilized but I had to remain on oxygen. If I took it off I would start to get light headed.

After a while Dr Rose came back. I was only dilated to a three and she was disappointed that I wasn’t going faster. The nurses were having a hard time keeping tabs on the baby’s heart beat from the external monitor so she decided to break my water and place an internal monitor on the baby’s head so they could have an accurate reading. I was grateful that the epidural was working and my pain was basically nothing. She wanted me to sit up in bed instead of lay down( I was laying still so baby wouldn’t move out of place and I wasn’t allowed out of bed) so gravity could help him move down. The nurses moved me and it made my blood pressure drop again and I almost passed out. I ended up vomiting a couple times. After being stabilized, I sat and watched tv. My mom and Fernando had both left to go run errands and check on the kids and grab some food. Since I was still at a 3-4, I figured they had time. The nurse came back in and told me that I had a fever and they would give me antibiotics to prevent any infections to me and the baby.

A couple hours later, I started to feel some low pressure in my bottom. I tried to ignore it, but after a half hour I told the nurse. She checked me and told me I was at a nine. I asked for my cell phone and sent out texts to Fern and my mom to get back quickly. Within fifteen minutes, they returned ( also my dad came) and the nurses began to set up. At 8 pm, 11 and a half hours after they started the induction, Dr Rose had me start to push. It only took three pushes and two minutes for him to come popping out. As Dr Rose placed the baby on top of me, he grabbed a fistful of my hair. I knew then that my suspicions of him being a troublemaker were confirmed. 

Levi James Piri Pineda was born on June 22nd at 8:02 pm. HE was 7 lbs, 1 oz, and 20 inches.

 

My mom

My mother gave me life

and never once asked for

anything in return. That

is her secret you know;

always giving without

expectations. She is as

constant as the sunrise,

the moon, the stars, and I

count on her. She helps

me find my way through 

the years and makes me

laugh while doing it.

There are some things

that only a mother can do.

I love you mom.

Last years soccer

I was a sucky blogger last year. I'm trying to repent and catch up. Last year was Azure's first season playing soccer. She had fun, but I don't really think she liked being confrontational when it came to getting in the middle of the pack to get the ball. She was just happy to run around, or rather gallop, across the field. Her team was the Pink Flamingos and her Coaches were coach Robert and Coach Katie. Here are a few pictures from the season.

My girls

Last week I decided to get a couple pictures of the girls. Azure as a 6 year old and Claire as a 4 year old. I love them. They are my life. I couldn't live without them now that I have them.

Azure's 6th birthday

Dear Azure,

You are six now. I never thought you would ever be six. It blows my mind that I have a daughter that old. 

Here are a few things you should know about you at six:

You are in kindergarten at Oak Mesa Elementary School. Your teacher is Mrs. Arreguin. You have lots of friends at school- Isabelle, Emma and Evie, Natalie, Stephanie, to name a few. You are a bit forgetful at turning in homework. You hate getting up early for school. It's a challenge every morning to motivate you.

You are very bossy.

Mrs Arreguin taught you to read. Right now, you are reading second grade level books, like Junie B Jones and The Magic Tree House.

You played your first season of soccer last fall. You were on a team called the Pink Flamingos. You were best at galloping around and staring at the sky. Sometimes you kicked the ball. But it wasn't in your nature to be an aggressive player.

You love horses. 

You want to be a teacher when you grow up. When school started, you wanted to be a veterinarian, and then a zoologist, and then a cowgirl. I can't wait to see what you want to be next.

You are excited about getting a new brother.

Even though sometimes you get annoyed by your sister, you still are a good sport and include her and love her and make sure that she is taken care of. Sometimes I make you. Most of the time you handle it on your own though.

You love to write little stories and words. It makes me excited to see all the things you have already learned in one year of school.

You are such an amazing person. People look up to you already. They count on you. I know that sometimes I put a lot of pressure on you to be an independent individual. But that is because I know you can handle it and I believe in you. As the eldest child, you have many responsibilities. Being a good example for the younger siblings is one of them. You are doing a wonderful job with Claire and I know that you will be so loving and caring to your new brother when he comes.

I want you to know that I love you with all of my heart. We butt heads a lot, we do. But that is because we are so similar. I see so much of myself in you and I want you to reach your potential. I forget sometimes that you are still little because you are so smart and brave and independent. 

I promise that I will always be a good listener for you. I am trying my hardest to be a mom you deserve to have, one that will help you to flourish and grow into an amazing woman. I hope that you will always remember that you are beautiful, not just physically, but spiritually too. I hope that you will stay close to our Heavenly Father and seek out the truths he's given us for your own well being. I want you to trust your dad and I that we are here to help you make the right decisions and we are here whenever you need us.

Here's to another adventurous year.

I love you.

Mom

Baby brother

A couple weeks ago, we took the girls to get a 3d ultrasound of the baby brother in my belly. He was moving around so much and hiding his face from the tech that we spent almost the entire time poking him to get him to settle down and cooperate. I really love technology and that we were able to get such amazing pictures. Looking back at the girls pictures from just a few years ago, their pictures are not nearly as clear.

So here is baby 3 in utero being a silly goofball!

Mommy's wedding dress

A couple weeks ago, it was Azure's spring break. I was trying to come up with inexpensive activities that didn't require a lot of movement on my part. I had seen an idea on pinterest where a mother had taken pictures of her daughter in her wedding dress. Since I still have my dress, I thought it would be very fun for the girls if we took pictures in my dress. So we did!

Azure loved loved loved it. She is really big into weddings and getting married and pretty dresses. She was enthusiastic during the whole shoot and was really good at coming up with poses in a gigantic dress.

Claire thought it was fun for about two minutes. She is tiny and the dress is really heavy so she only stuck around for a few pictures and decided she was done. Here was our result:

Claire's 4th Birthday

Dear Claire,

     Today, you are four. But you still seem like my baby. I love that you are still so small to fit in my arms, but your mind is wise beyond your years. You are smart, you are friendly, you smile at everyone you meet. I don't know of a single person you have met that doesn't love you. Your natural charm, obedience and loving persona draws people in. They want to be around you, holding you, talking to you. Even at the park, you make friends easily. When we go, you always tell me, " I'm going to make new friends today." And you do! I am amazed by your lighthearted confidence and your ability to do things on your own. You aren't afraid to ask when you need something or want to do something.

You are brave. You are strong. You are fearless.

     One of the things I admire most about you is your spiritual intuition. You seem to know everything about God and life. You say things that are Heaven inspired. It makes me sure that you are one of God's choicest children. And I feel honored to be your mother. 

     Last fall, when you were just three and a half, you told me that for Christmas you wanted a jacket for your baby brother. I had laughed it off because just two days before I took a pregnancy test and it was negative. I was sick that whole week, thinking I had the flu. But just one week after you told me, I found out I WAS pregnant. You were right. And you were adamant that it was your brother coming. Fifteen weeks later, we found out it was a boy. You were right again. And you never stop being right about little things. It's like you can see into Heaven, a place where no one else can see. 

     I hope that you never lose that piece of yourself. I always want you to be sure of who you are and what you believe. I want you to see the world, not for what it is, but for what it can be. There is still good here on earth. I believe that you will be a great leader some day. It may not be the same kind of leader that everyone looks to, but you have that quiet inner strength about you and that pure wholesome love that will hold people up. They will look to you for strength and guidance and wisdom. 

     I can't wait for you to be a big sister. You have so much to offer this new baby when he comes. He is so lucky to have you for a sister. I hope all your hopes and dreams come true. I hope that I can be half the mother you deserve. I hope that I can teach you all you need to know to get through this life. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. And you have made it look so effortless thus far.

     My darling girl, please remember that I love you. I helped to make you. I wanted you before you were even created. You are so special to me, and to the Lord. Stay close to him, stay close to his teachings. Follow him with faith and you will never go wrong.

All my love to you, my beautiful girl.

Mom

My mommy moment

One thing I really dislike is that as a photographer I am always behind the camera. Which means I don't get to be in any pictures with my girls that often. I decided to fix that problem. For mother's day, I wanted to have new pictures with me and my girls. So I set up a back drop, a tripod, and pulled out the wireless remote and made my own version of a photo booth. Not only did we get pictures together, but we had fun doing it. And these pictures are my most prized possessions now.

Letter to Azure

Dear Azure,

What an adventure you are. 

You keep me on my toes. You keep me guessing your next move. You keep running faster and faster to prevent me from catching you. 

You are growing too big.

Whenever I try to pick you up I forget how heavy you are. And that you barely fit in my lap. You have grown so much. I know that in no time you will pass me up.

How beautiful you are. Your eyes, your hair, you sweet smile. 

Your cute little poses when you dance. Your "up to no good" grins.

Your knock knock jokes.

Knock knock. Who's there? Justin.

Justin who? Justin Bieber.

You made that one up all on your own.

How smart you are. Reading words. Writing words. Dressing yourself. Brushing your own hair and teeth.

It makes me want to cry.

My baby is not a baby anymore.

You are ready for school. You ask every day if today is the day that you will get to go to school. You want to learn and play with your friends. You want to pack a lunch and wear a backpack. You want to start soccer and dance lessons. You want to have a life that separate from home and me.

And you know what? That's okay.

We have had some fun times together, you and me. We've had many adventures, going to play dates, the beach, the circus, ice skating, picnics, museums. We've cooked and baked and scrap booked. We've tickled, we've laughed, we've cried, we've yelled and argued and disagreed.

And now we are ready for more. 

Only this time, we get to do the big girl activities.

So while I cherish every moment I've had in the last five years, I also cherish what we will have in the next five years. Because it will be amazing. And fun. And the best years of my life, just because I know you will be in it.

You are beautiful. Don't ever think you aren't. You have what it takes inside. Make it count.

I know you will.

I love you.

Claire

Dear Claire,

Time flies. For me, it feels like the speed of light. In the blink of an eye you grew. Every moment seems like a blur. Every hug, kiss, smile etched into my heart.

I am amazed at the things you've already accomplished in your life.

I am amazed at the wisdom and light in your eyes.

I am amazed by  your selflessness.

I am amazed at how you love, wholeheartedly, freely, without expectations.

I am amazed by your pure innocence.

I am amazed at your ability to make people smile and laugh.

I am amazed at how fast you learn and with enthusiasm.

I am amazed at how well you listen and understand.

I am amazed at how spiritually in tune you are.

I am amazed by your independence, always wanting to do things on your own.

I am amazed by how you light up a room by just being in it.

You are radiant.

You are amazing.

You are you.

Never change.

I cherish every hug, every kiss, every smile, every moment of every day.

I am privileged to be your mother. 

I am honored to call you my daughter.

I couldn't be more proud.

What I learned from 2010

It's 2011.
Seriously. Time has once again flown by me and I didn't even notice. It's now eleven days into the new year and I'm just now getting to update the blog. I meant to write this before the new year, but what can I say? Procrastinator is my middle name. Or at least it should be.

I can honestly say that I didn't enjoy 2010 as much as I wanted to. In fact, without going through my hordes of pictures, I can hardly remember anything about it. But here were a few of my highlights:

I improved a lot on my photography.

It was one of my goals for the year, to improve on what I did know and to learn what I didn't know. And though I can't say I'm perfect and can get a great picture every time, I have improved. I'm quite proud of myself for that.

I learned new recipes and in doing so have found a lot of easy shortcuts to good dinners.
Google is my best friend. Any time I want to make something, but in dummy language( without the overwhelming list of ingredients or 60 minute prep times,) I google for an easier version and I can usually find a good one 98% of the time. Google and I are best friends.

We had an awesome trip to Mesa.

We did a lot of activities with the girls while we were there and had a blast. Museums, swimming, the zoo. Spending time with family and friends wasn't bad either.

Azure and Claire both had swim lessons.

It was Azure's first time alone in her lessons. Thank goodness, one of our former babysitters, Missy was her swim teacher. She freaked out the first day when they wanted her to go under water. But she was a trooper and did great. Claire freaked out when the teachers took her swimming around the pool without me. My kids have a lot of learning to do in swim still, but I'm glad that they made an effort.

Claire was potty trained and sleeps in a big girl bed.
No more diapers! No more crib!

So, there are some memories that didn't fly by without touching me, and I'm excited for the new year and what memories I can make this year.




Here is what I learned during 2010:

Babies grow up. I don't have one anymore. That's kind of sad to me.

Whoever said four year olds were better than three year olds and were nicer and had less attitude, LIED.

Having a puppy is like having a baby, only twice as stressful. You can take a baby to the grocery store, but you can't take a dog. We do miss Molly, but I don't miss the stress of having to rush through errands to get home to be with her. I know she is happy in her new home.

Some things are just better homemade.

I have very awesome family and friends who step up to help and support without even asking.

I am stronger than I think.

When I rely on the Lord, all things are possible.

Asking to learn patience is a stupid thing because life just gets harder. But the blessings are worth it.

Miracles happen. Even to me.

After twenty nine years of life, I still have a lot more left to learn.


So here's to 2010, a year of lessons taken to heart.

One of my goals for 2011- to be a better blogger. I suck at blogging. I'm not sure why because I love to write. I love to jot down what I'm feeling or thinking. Perhaps that is why I love facebook so much. It is constantly asking "what is on your mind?" I love to say what is on my mind.

In order for me to keep up with my blog, I have to schedule my posts on my calendar. Stupid I know. But I will forget otherwise. I also think it will be easier if I share a new recipe I tried and liked every week or a craft I want to learn. At least people will benefit from my posts that way. It will also help me to kep track of my many other goals for 2011.
So stay tuned. I'm not going to just survive 2011. I'm gonna own it!

25 Things I Am Thankful For

Every year, in the month of November, I try to think of at least one thing I am thankful for every day. It gets harder toward the end and I have to get creative about my blessings. It also helps me to remember how much I truly have in this life, even if it's small. Sometimes the small things are really the greatest blessings.

1.    I am thankful for the family I was born into, the family I married into, and the family I have created. They all bring me joy and happiness...most of the time.

2.     I am thankful for a husband that works so hard so I can stay home with our kids.

3.     I am thankful for the strong and loving supportive friends that take such good care of me. Friends like that are rare and I'm glad to have them.

4.     I am thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the peace it gives me to know I will be with my family forever.

5.     I am thankful for facebook because my friends make me feel so special and loved on my birthday.

6.     I am thankful for blankets that keep me warm on cold nights.

7.     I am thankful that I have a Granny that loves to babysit. I don't know what I'd do without her!

8.     I am thankful my husband has a job so that we can pay our bills.

9.     I am thankful for my mom that still takes such good care of me. My mom is the best! 

10. I am thankful for men and women brave enough to defend my country so my family and I can live fearless lives and be free to choose without punishment.

11. I am thankful for a mostly health body. I could have so many more things wrong with me, but I am blessed that it's all minor stuff that won't affect my life.

12. I am thankful my dad got me into photography. It's so nice to see the world's beauty through different eyes.

13. I am thankful that I live in a country where I can freely worship God however I want to without consequence.

14. I am thankful that I have a car that can take me places. It would be hard to get around without one, especially with two little kids.

15. I am thankful for the little things that bring such great blessings.

16. I am thankful for the sunlight that warms the earth. I wouldn't know what to do if I lived some where without sun and warmth.

17. I am thankful for prayer. It's nice to know that someone cares about me and is listening.

18. I am thankful for rain. It means I don't have to water my lawn and I can spend the afternoon cuddled up with a book and blanket and take a little time out for me.

19. I am thankful for friends who take us to Disneyland for a day of fun.

20. I am thankful for a helpful four year old who decided to pour a bowl of cereal and milk for her and her sister so I could lay in bed a few more minutes.

21. I am thankful for laughter. It brings happiness and smiles, it lightens your load, and is truly the best medicine for any type of ailment.

22. I am thankful for the gift of hearing and sound. Because tonight I've enjoyed hearing two little girls laughing with their daddy and it's a wonderful sound.

23. I am thankful for the gift of sight. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to see my husbands loving eyes, my kids beautiful smiles, and a world full of fascinating colors and wonders.

24. I am thankful for the gift of touch. Without it, I wouldn't be able to feel hugs and kisses, soft blankets, warm fires, or the rain on my face.

25. I am thankful to live another day to be thankful.

 

Here are the latest pictures of the girls. Pictures of the whole family will come soon.

The Summer of Change

This Summer has brought big changes for our family. I can't say that I was ready for them, although most were on my list of goals to accomplish. I feel good that I was able to get so many things done in one summer. And really, it was all the kids doing. They changed a ton. And I wasn't expecting that either.

This summer, Azure moved from a toddler bed to a twin bed. It makes me sad to see how big she's gotten just in a few weeks. She's grown two to three inches this summer, which sent her out of the baby toddler section and into the big girls section. She also grew a whole shoe size! One of my favorite changes about her is that she is learning to read words, tell time, and is really good at telling me directions and the places we are going to and the things that are next to it.
Azure has also taken it upon herself to remind me to clean her ears. She had her ears pierced just after mother's day and she has been pretty responsible about making sure I remember to clean them and she leaves them alone. She has gotten really independent about getting her own snacks out of the fridge for her and Claire and she is sleeping in her room more often than not now. I am really excited for that. She learned to do some back floats in swim lessons and is less afraid of the water now. She is looking forward to school in the fall.

Claire has had some major changes this summer. She is now potty trained and has no more diapers or pull ups! I think this was my favorite one. We are now living in a diaper free home! Because she was potty training, we also took down the crib and put it away and she inherited Azure's toddler bed. That was a sad moment because I realized I had no baby anymore and it broke my heart. To top that off, we decided to sell the toddler bed since we had gotten bunk beds from my parents and got the bottom bunk ready for her. Claire is thrilled though and she adjusted really well to her new bed. She loves that she can get in and out by herself and that her bed is now like sisters big bed. She also enjoyed her swim lessons and learned to not be afraid of the water and swimming with other people. She was a bit scared at first, but soon was used to the teachers. She loved singing songs in the water.

One of the biggest changes is our new puppy Molly! Molly is a 3 month old Chihuahua terrier mix. She is really sweet and playful. She still has a lot of training to do, because she listens just about as well as the girls( which is almost never...)and she is a puppy. But as a dog owner starting out, I can definitely say that I am relieved that it has been as easy as bringing a new toy home for the kids.
Azure loves her and loves to take her out and play with her and always wants to put the leash on her to walk her. She will scold Molly if she sees her doing something she shouldn't. She has also gotten better at picking up her toys so the dog doesn't chew on them and that is a big difference because my house has stayed cleaner longer.
Claire is still adjusting. She is a bit jealous of the dog at times because Molly likes to sit in my lap. She is still a baby and Claire still thinks she is one too. But she is gradually warming up to the idea of having a little dog in the house.
I think the biggest surprise for me is Fernando. He was very opposed to the idea of having a dog for a long time until this summer. He started warming up to the idea and then just decided it was okay for us to get one. Of course, I had to find one right away because I was afraid he would change his mind. I found Molly on craigslist and was able to get her right away. It's been a challenge to have a new baby in the house, but there are times when she is just so cute it makes me smile.

One of our new favorite excursions is hiking to the lake. Both girls are big enough to walk without the stroller. We park the car at Brackett airport and walk the path to the lake and let the girls feed the ducks. The girls get excited when we take them and we love taking them because it wears them out. It's a great family activity for us.

I can now say that I have accomplished my summer goal of getting Claire potty trained and organizing the house a bit more. I've been making it a goal to throw out a box of junk once a month. Watching the TV show Hoarders is really helping me with that because I don't want to be like those people who have tons of junk and can't walk anywhere. I'm a very claustrophobic person and I can't stand tight spaces. I've also been trying to continue working on my New Years resolutions of learning to cook better, working on starting a photography business, and learn to play guitar. I've done well on the first two, not so good on the last one.

Fernando and I are really excited that we are getting a new sister in law, Tricia. Fernando's brother Danny recently became engaged and the wedding is set for the end of October. We are looking forward to the many fun events that will be happening in the fall and I've already decided that losing ten pounds before the wedding is my fall goal.

So goodbye summer! It's be a very eventful ride!