Hmmm. . .

I should be in bed, but little miss Isabel is awake, so what can I do? Here's a random mishmash of things that have come up of late.




**When my mom was here, she asked if there was a good sale on for Ajax Grapefruit dish soap, because my little sister Lindsay has that kind as well. (Kayli does too by the way.) Nope, it's just the least expensive kind at Walmart.

**Everyone keeps telling Leo how much Isabel looks like him. In particular, she has his nose. In response he said that he's going to pay for her to get a nose job when she's a teen.

**Elena spoke her first sentence. "I want to do it!" Heaven help us.

**Ana thought every kind of meat was chicken when she moved in with us (at least she didn't know what was what and so called it all chicken). We've since accomplished teaching her beef, she's still a bit iffy on pork products. Are we good parents or what???

**Leo said we could go to the Renaissance Festival in August. I plan on making costumes (we'll use them for Halloween too). Do you think that I can get Leo to wear a doublet?

**Just kidding, I can't really sew, so a doublet is really pushing even my imaginary overly confident skills, so it will be a jerkin for him.

**I didn't realize that we are effectively the peasant class 2008. I figure that must be so, since I can't afford to make us costumes to even be the middle class 1480. Too expensive of cloth, trimmings, etc. Peasant clothing is so much cheaper, even today.

**Leo and I are on the Activity Committe for our ward. On Saturday, we had planned a Tri-ward picnic. It turned out really well. Lots of people came. In fact there were still people there when we left at 5 PM (it started at 11 AM).

**Granted, most of the Spanish ward didn't show up till two hours after the start time which really rather worried me since we had assigned their ward to bring main dishes; it was potluck. I chose their ward for that, because they always bring a lot. AND it's yummy!

**When they did show up, they did bring a lot of food. In fact we ate lunch and dinner there. Hee. Hee.

**I have new respect for my previous primary and YW leaders who planned activities involving water balloons. Man, they take a long time to fill.

The pictures are from some of the games we did.

Hair

I went on Friday to get my haircut. (Leo said I could go to the expensive lady I like in exchange for him getting to go to an airshow next weekend.) I told the lady I wanted it "a little shorter and styled." After a baby is born you definitely need something to look less frumpy, which is how I was feeling. I suppose I should have been more specific. Before I realized it, it was really short. In fact I think this is the shortest my hair has ever been. Poor Leo, he hates it!! I don't really mind it, although it was definitely unexpected. The hair dresser I think thought it would be an easy cut with my new baby--which it is. Anyway, now I can spike it--if I wanted--like my sister Andrea. Weird.

90's at Noon

I have to say (if you haven't noticed) I don't really care for much of the music played on radio stations now. I used to think my brother Derek was pathetic (no offense Derek) because he loved 80's music so much. Gag. However, now I find that the 90's at Noon hour which one of the stations does here is my favorite time to have the radio on. Listening to a little bit of Greenday, Smashing Pumpkins, and Alannis makes me feel a little more sane in the sea of Fergie, Justin Timberlake, and well, I try not keep track of the rest. I guess I'm dated.

For once, there's a song being overplayed on the radio that I don't cringe every time it comes on. I actually like it a lot. It's definitely not Fergie or Justin or anything like that. It's Yael Naim's New Soul song. My little sister Lindsay said she had never heard it when she came out a while back, but Utah sometime's a bit slow, or is that just my imagination? Anyway, here it is for all your listening pleasure.

When I looked it up on Youtube, I actually found a song of hers I like better. So here's my favorite.

And just to give an idea of the number of languages she sings in, here's another.


I guess New Soul was used on a commercial and became really popular, kind of like Feist's song that Kayli loves so much. I don't have television stations, so I've never seen it.

I also watched my other new favorite overplayed song on Youtube, but due to censoring I can't post that here. But you can click on it down below on my playlist. It's the new Enrique song, Donde Estan Corazon. It's played every fifth song on La Calle, the Latin hits radio station here.
It's weird to watch Enrique Inglesias anyway, he's too pretty. Ricky Martin's the same way. See what I mean?

I like a lot of Enrique's songs, but Juanes just beats him hands down--with the added bonus that he doesn't try to be pretty (well, most of the time anyway.) Plus, he's Colombian.Here he is toned down a little bit. Anyway if your going to go for a really handsome Hispanic (NOT pretty), Antonio Banderas is it. (Besides my husband of course.) Plus, he's Zorro.I'm just slightly biased towards gorgeous black hair, brown eyes, and dark skin. That's just me though. Enough rambling for tonight on insipid subjects. Adios.

Pi

Professor Hans-Henrik Stolum calculated the ratio between the actual length of rivers from the source to mouth and their direct length as the crow flies. The average ratio is 3.14, or pi. It's most commonly found for rivers flowing across very gently sloping plains, such as in Brazil or Siberia. Weird, eh?

Swimming

Swimming with Kayli's family. Kayli had the camera. Okay, so most the pictures are of my kids and family, but you can check Kayli's blog for more photos of her family.

Kayli sent me these . . .

Kayli sent me these blog addresses: Tales from Labor and Delivery and Seriously So Blessed. I was reading the Tales one and ran across this lovely tale. I had pretty much that exact same experience while working in L&D. Plus, a couple of my relatives did the same thing . . . SIGH. That's part of the reason we ended up with Ana. The Tales Blog definitely reminds me of all the reasons why I loved nursing and am now somewhat cynical and bossy (I didn't use to be--I promise!)

The other blog, Seriously So Blessed, is a satire on, well, blogs just like this. Yep, 20-somethings Mormon mom /newlywed blogs. Hee. Hee. It's funny in small doses, and then it starts to grate and reminds me of why I like living out of Utah. Okay, I know, it's satire so it is way over the top. But still . . .

Reality

My mother flew out today. Also my husband flew out today. Needless to say, reality flew in. Elena spiked a temperature of 102.5. Pork and beans had to be scrubbed out of the carpet. Isabel seemed to be awake at all the most inconvenient times. Etc. But, nonetheless, I am doing well. Ana saved my life today by getting Elena to leave my alone long enough for me to take a nice nap. It was heavenly.

This past weekend we had Isabel's baby blessing so my Mom could be at it. Kayli and Brett came with their family too. It was nice. I would write more, but I am trying to be in bed by ten so I have to truncate this significantly. Here are some of the pictures Kayli took however.

It's Always Fun When Grandma Comes

I have to say, I love it when my mom comes to visit. It's terrific, wonderful, and fabulous!!!

Not only did she make me yummy desserts like this above, but she also did my girls's hair in pink rollers for Sunday. Love that.
She also has been helping Ana with piano. I don't think Ana enjoys that so much. It brings back many memories for me anyway. They're such fond memories now that I'm not the one on the piano bench. Hee. Hee. Really, I am glad about Mom helping her though, I don't know enough piano to really make sure she's doing things right.
Grandma also took my kids swimming these last few afternoons, which freed up my time for a nap and well, taking pictures for Isabel's birth announcement. Here are some of my favorites, although the one I chose isn't among them.
For anyone wondering, this is the dress Aunt LaVerle made for me when I was born, 26 1/2 yrs. ago. Crazy, eh?
I also had to post pictures because some little redhead (otherwise known as Dread Pirate Kayli) has been whining to me on the phone about posting pictures of Isabel.
I'm not completely happy with the photo I chose for the annoncement. Maybe I'll have Kayli take few while she's here this weekend.Then again I think it may be that I'm just not satisfied with the announcement. It's kind of fussy.

All in all, I'm doing well though. I'm off pain meds now and my incision doesn't bother me that much, I just have really low energy. I am so glad my mother is here!

Home At Last

Isabel finally made it home yesterday!!! She's been doing great, eating still tires her out a lot, so they recommended I supplement breastfeeding with a bottle afterward, because that's easier for her to drink. Otherwise, all is good. With her anyway. Yesterday I think I tried to do too much and by the end of the day, I was spent. So when the hospital called saying we could come get her, I forgot clothes, ablanket, everything. The nurse said she had never had a mother do that before. Yeah, I'm a good Mom. Then I didn't sleep much last night. At 5 AM when I was just about to go back to bed--after feeding Isabel and then pumping--Ana came in the kitchen saying she was hungry. Me, being the good Mom I am, hadn't really fed her dinner the night before as we were rushing around to go pick up Isabel. Anyway, I gave her a cookie. She took three bites and promptly threw up all over the kitchen floor. I sent her back to bed and checked her temp and it was 102.4, which is when I woke up Leo to go buy children's Tylenol. (I swear we had some, but we couldn't find it. Errr.) Leo tried several places, and for some unexplainable reason none of them were open 24 hours. I don't get that, in Arizona everything is open 24 hours. I guess that's because people only go out after the sun is down and it cools off a bit. Anyway, Elena woke up at this point too, and wouldn't go back to bed. I had a tad bit of an emotional breakdown at that point--Leo was supposed to be getting ready to go to work at 7 AM and I would have been by myself with Ana sick and Elena trying to smother the baby with kisses and no sleep. The end result was that Leo did not go to work today. He stayed home and let me sleep almost the entire day. Leo is an angel. I really, really mean that.

I mean just look at this angelic face.

Okay, so this one is a bit sweeter. This while Isabel was still in the NICU.

This was while I was at the hospital. Lovely purse and hat, eh?

Oh, did I mention that Elena learned to crawl out of her crib the week before Isabel was born? Yeah, we decided to just take off the front part of her crib instead of her crawling over the railing, at least that way she can get back in. However, she's really not one for staying in her bed, as you can see. Sigh.

Isabel Grace

Well, a lot has happened since I last posted. Namely, a sort of unexpected c-section and birth of our new daughter, (yes, it's a girl!) Isabel Grace. It was sort of unexpected because I had a version scheduled for this past Tuesday, then on Monday my doctor cancelled that and scheduled it for the next Tuesday. Then the very next day (Tuesday), I went to the high risk OB group that I was referred too because supposedly the baby was too small and that doctor scheduled the version with induction and possible c-section for Wednesday, he didn't want to wait the extra week. (Did you follow all that?) Well, the version didn't work, that's where they manually flip the baby around by pressing on your stomach because of a breech presentation, so I ended up having a c-section. I was not happy about that at all! However I'm doing fairly well. I was up walking six hours after the surgery and I don't have that many complaints besides my lower back feels like I was plummeted by a hammer because of the epidural. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about little Isabel. Despite the ultrasound predictions of a 4 lb. 11 oz weight, she actually weighed in at a normal, 5 lb. 7 oz and 20 1/2 in long (normal for 37 wks that is). However, she's had difficulty breathing regularly and was on a CPAP machine for the first two days. Now, she's mostly having difficulties digesting--they're giving her some breastmilk through an NG tube but she's not processing it so she's on hyperal through a PICC line as well. Hopefully, things will continue progressing so she'll be able to come home soon from the NICU.
Sorry for the slimey pictures, I forgot to take more these last couple of days. It's been a little stressful. :)

I almost forgot!!!

After our hotdog roast in Indiana, Leo and I were still hungry so we decided to splurge after the kids were in bed and we bought a steak to share with Kayli and Brett. And we grilled some fresh pineapple to go with it. Oh, heavenly steak. I could almost write an ode to steak. I must be protein deficient or something. Kayli made me laugh so hard, she commented, "I guess it's not a false rumor, Leo is hungry all the time!"

Weekend in Indiana Part Dos

On Sunday, we went to Wild Cat Creek and roasted marshmellows to make smores.

It was Ana's first time roasting marshmellows and first time eating smores. She very much enjoyed it!Elena enjoyed her smore too. Kayli decided to take a billion and one pictures of me. I actually liked this one.

Ethne and Elena, getting dirty.
We set off some fireworks too. After driving home and getting the kids bathed, we set some more off. Leo was certainly the hit with his Harry Potter impersonation with the Roman candles (one in each hand).
Bushwhacking to the creek.

Oh, I love my honey.
I love Elena too. Most of the time anyway.
Kate and Me.
Another portrait by Kayli.
Dirty bums.

It was Ana's first time skipping rocks too. She was very concentrated on it, as you can see. She eventually got it, three skips was her record I believe.