tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32263000132897372482024-03-14T03:51:25.141-07:00Life and the Pursuit of HappinessLoralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-4166953523821324302018-10-21T10:33:00.001-07:002018-10-21T10:36:29.603-07:00Mika's* Birth Story<br />
<h3>
Thursday, October 11<sup>th</sup>, 2018 (38 weeks +1 day)</h3>
<h1>
<o:p></o:p></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mptHGc9rJoTYfylkm501l_YrYJdImgSQvYzt8NMJKYux4Y266SH_V3ltkeMj71XJmPpRXnCf1xlzxOzQy8bm9inMQ_4nr2MSQHuXODd2vOenEKniRzHrQfy7nmN5fCOK9LwCcrV4MXQa/s1600/IMG_1231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mptHGc9rJoTYfylkm501l_YrYJdImgSQvYzt8NMJKYux4Y266SH_V3ltkeMj71XJmPpRXnCf1xlzxOzQy8bm9inMQ_4nr2MSQHuXODd2vOenEKniRzHrQfy7nmN5fCOK9LwCcrV4MXQa/s320/IMG_1231.JPG" width="320" /></a>I had been getting pretty regular contractions about 10 min
apart and a min long on Wed night. After staying up for a good part of the
night, and into the early morning on Thursday. I went to bed at about 2:30am to
get some sleep, thinking that if labor progressed, I would need the rest. I
woke up a few hours later and they had progressed to about 7 min apart and a
minute and a half long. But as soon as Ryan and the girls woke up and we got
started with the morning routine, they dropped off. I had a class that day, and
a midterm. I went in, thinking that I was closer to the hospital there than at
home, so it was a good call to go in and see how things went. Contractions
dropped off all together. I went to bed around 9pm, thinking this might be a
long week. Around 9:45pm, I woke up to my water breaking. There would usually
be no reason to rush to the hospital since I was not having regular
contractions, but seeing as how the girls had only gotten a few hours of sleep
by this point we got our stuff ready and decided it was better to wake them up
now and get them to Grammy’s house for as much of a full night of sleep at
possible and then we could monitor labor overnight at the hospital. We checked
in around 11pm, where they verified my water had broken, hooked me up for
continuous monitoring during labor due to my marginal/borderline velamentous
cord insertion and tucked in to try to get some rest for the night. I had
texted my IM on our way to the hospital but she was already asleep by the time
I sent it so she didn’t get it until the next morning.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
Friday, October 12<sup>th</sup>, 2018 (38 weeks +2 days)</h3>
<h1>
<o:p></o:p></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The IM arrived, and we got up for the day, alternating
walking the halls and taking resting breaks in my labor and delivery room. The entire
day slowly passed, with infrequent contractions that failed to<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiollIC4ghQlG9Afl_hkXiYXnIffK6gNupTi16XxISg61jfKI6Td0y438U570RYOmCySoLyj4gIT5R_0vn034JdBdslga_QwTFvWvU1zr6hknDxEBwkQHWVVmTcFAhZ8Tc9CrEYabNzA37S/s1600/IMG_1232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiollIC4ghQlG9Afl_hkXiYXnIffK6gNupTi16XxISg61jfKI6Td0y438U570RYOmCySoLyj4gIT5R_0vn034JdBdslga_QwTFvWvU1zr6hknDxEBwkQHWVVmTcFAhZ8Tc9CrEYabNzA37S/s320/IMG_1232.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
progress. At
about 6pm, the midwife came in to talk options for induction. First up, we
could wait until closer to the 24 hour mark of water breaking (10pm) or act
now. I knew that this labor was not progressing like my previous two had, and
felt that if it was going to happen on its own we would have seen some kind of
movement on that front by now, and I didn’t want to waste crucial evening hours
of unrested labor, so I decided we should begin induction measures. Next up was
how to induce; castor oil or Pitocin. Castor oil can be crampy, messy and take
up to 4 hours to work it’s way through your system, whereas Pitocin is more
reliable with a faster response time. They explained that the highest risk for
fetal distress or drop in heart rate with Pitocin was related to heavy-handed
use, and that UCSD starts with level one, and very slowly increases the dose to
mitigate that risk. In fact, UCSD has one of the best (lowest) c-section rates
in San Diego county as a result of policies like this. They were hoping that
all I would need was a “whiff” of it to get labor going on its own and we would
be on our way. We all agreed that Pitocin was the way to go, so they put in the
order and by ~7:30pm I was set up with the smallest dose of Pitocin. Over the
next hour my contractions did pick up, but not significantly, so we moved up to
level 2. We decided to try to settle in for some rest, as this might be a long
night of slowly increasing the Pitocin dose one level at a time and it would
obviously be easier to rest now when the contractions were still mild. Ryan
settled on the couch, the IM in the chair, me in the bed on my side and we
turned out the lights at 9pm; lulled to sleep with surrobabe’s regular heart-rate beat
whooshing in the background…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQ6Cb0i6urQqQM5DrDpLCIU1lhXnp1ws_JqoNaUmon-Q-tVeajLxP3V6xQX-MCtJeL8mJHrpWtIiMcDkSCu3UuswCDYVDfWvswtucImKDxuCCU1WQ7_u7YphNjLG4FcSxK2eUVG4JXSJ4/s1600/IMG_1265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQ6Cb0i6urQqQM5DrDpLCIU1lhXnp1ws_JqoNaUmon-Q-tVeajLxP3V6xQX-MCtJeL8mJHrpWtIiMcDkSCu3UuswCDYVDfWvswtucImKDxuCCU1WQ7_u7YphNjLG4FcSxK2eUVG4JXSJ4/s320/IMG_1265.JPG" width="320" /></a>~9:15pm, through my restless dosing, I vaguely registered
the heart-rate whooshing sounds dropped off. This wasn’t abnormal or worrisome at that
point; this had been happening for the last 24 hours during continuous
monitoring. Baby moves, adjustment needed. Monitor slips, adjustment needed. I
move, adjustment needed… the midwife came in to re-position… seconds pass and
she can’t get a good heart-rate back… she calls for help… more seconds pass,
they call for an ultrasound machine; we need to find baby’s heart-rate… I feel what more of my water breaking, so I voice that. Ryan finally is able to
find the lights and turn them on. It wasn’t more amniotic fluid – it was
blood. I’m told to get on my hands and knees and forget the ultrasound machine,
get the Dr. on call, we’ve got to do a crash c-section, NOW. They have me turn
back to my back and wheel my bed out of the room, down the hall towards the
operating room. I remember my midwife holding my hand and asking me how I was
doing, telling me she was going to be right there with me. The anesthesiologist
was up at my head, and everyone was trying to get the information they needed –
verbal consent, was it ok if they needed to give a transfusion? Yes, to all
consents, just do what you need to do. I’m in the room, get on the operating
table. Down on my back. There are people everywhere. They dump a bunch of liquid
over my stomach (a splash antiseptic prep because there is no time for a proper
disinfection.) The Dr telling the anesthesiologist to tell them as soon as I’m
out because they have to get that baby out. They are going to put me under
general anesthesia (no time for a spinal tap or epidural) – a mask goes over my
face. It’s hard to breathe. Count from 6…. I don't even remember them starting the count down….<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Apparently the cord was very thin and sinewy. Baby was not
breathing at birth and had to be resuscitated and was rushed off to the NICU.
I didn’t wake up until hours later.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
Saturday, October 13<sup>th</sup>, 2018</h3>
<h1>
<o:p></o:p></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQnwIoNeKAkXRJC4HCocMiIfdi4b4jcJLOvqYlswxvioxvbVGhfPiJ1B2JST3hCPfrRoQIPwKY1dclWUend2wg1xGtn7Rw7OOf6zkgotaWGiWkzQgmeV7YnOcEIl38unuukT7TZOgsCOX/s1600/IMG_1266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQnwIoNeKAkXRJC4HCocMiIfdi4b4jcJLOvqYlswxvioxvbVGhfPiJ1B2JST3hCPfrRoQIPwKY1dclWUend2wg1xGtn7Rw7OOf6zkgotaWGiWkzQgmeV7YnOcEIl38unuukT7TZOgsCOX/s320/IMG_1266.JPG" width="320" /></a>I first remember waking up to excruciating pain in the PACU
at about 12:30am; I was freezing cold and my body was shaking uncontrollably.
Ryan was there with me and they were having to administer additional pain meds
every few minutes (one of the effects of coming out of general anesthesia is
that the meds don’t last long after the surgery so it’s painful to come out of
it) while they did uterine/fundal massage (not one bit as fun as it sounds)
that the pain meds were not even touching it. All I wanted to know was if the baby
was ok. Ryan texted the mom to see how she was doing; she replied at 1am; baby was a bit more stable. By
1:30am they were able to get my pain under control and put on enough blankets
to warm me up. I was able to pump a small syringe of colostrum for baby and
Ryan took it down to the NICU before we passed out for the night. The mom sent me a picture of baby that morning
but couldn’t talk; she was busy with all the doctors. We continued to recover, pump, nap, and try to manage the pain for the rest of Saturday.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
Sunday, October 14<sup>th</sup>, 2018</h3>
<h1>
<o:p></o:p></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The morphine pain pump I was hooked up to was great for pain, but I was not into the catheter, oxygen tubing or leg compressors (to prevent blood clots) that came with it, so the goal for this day was to get off of it and onto oxycodone.<br />
<br />
The mom came to visit me briefly around noon, while my girls
were there. She couldn't stay long and had to get back to her baby.<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Monday, October 15<sup>th</sup>, 2018</h3>
<h1>
<o:p></o:p></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was discharged, physically my recovery well underway and
faster than it sounds like is typical.<br />
<br />
<h3>
The Aftermath</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From what I can tell, the baby seems to be being treated for <a href="https://hiehelpcenter.org/what-is-hypoxic-ischemic-encephalopathy/" target="_blank">Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)</a>… I know she is in the best hands as <a href="https://health.ucsd.edu/specialties/obgyn/maternity/newborn/nicu/Pages/default.aspx?gadcid=246108433838&gclid=CjwKCAjw3qDeBRBkEiwAsqeO7rwG5RR0sa_86DfSarbf-wkm0yZv0dZ-t64yKei5ycPKzv64kHisjhoC_wgQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">our level III NICU</a> has an incredible staff, practicing the best evidence-based medicine with cutting-edge technology and equipment. But her road to recovery will be long and hard, her prognosis is unclear and probably will be for years to come. No parent is prepared for the realities of NICU life, no less a single mother who is in an unfamiliar city, working with English as a second language and complicated medical terminology (of course UCSD has translators to explain exactly what is going on to her, but then her summarizing any of it back to me is a broken game of telephone) half way across the world from her family…<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
Emotionally, I’m still grappling with the reality that while
understandable and due to several compounding reasons, I might not ever get to
see the baby in person at all, and won’t be getting regular, detailed updates
on how she is doing. It’s a surreal realization to go through something
like this and never have a tangible tie to it. In many ways it’s like a <strike>dream</strike> nightmare. The goal of surrogacy is to
deliver a happy healthy baby to the Intended Parent; that’s what we are hired
to do as surrogates. We have a near track record of perfect pregnancy and deliveries (my agency's surrogate acceptance rate was less than 7% last year) and
that is why we qualify for the job to begin with. And while my head knows I did
everything I could to deliver on that promise, my heart cries in disagreement.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6CUqM86ladBwWcXWmEGiSJojq_zoZ1EfbRTwjQHrc-TFPZ8mz5CndwLI1WMKowb5DMopPzWAfGqoUkbWP3hbn0Cdo52_P70AQAkSTKl8DSVxJk1wUfDsOJSAe9NXrLjmIruRIyeG6lTv/s1600/IMG_1285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6CUqM86ladBwWcXWmEGiSJojq_zoZ1EfbRTwjQHrc-TFPZ8mz5CndwLI1WMKowb5DMopPzWAfGqoUkbWP3hbn0Cdo52_P70AQAkSTKl8DSVxJk1wUfDsOJSAe9NXrLjmIruRIyeG6lTv/s320/IMG_1285.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The nursing director of midwifery and the division chief of perinatology
came to personally visit me and talk about the incident on Sunday before I was
discharged. I have known the nursing director for years, and the division chief
himself did my last ultrasound at 36 weeks. This incident has shaken us all to
our core and searching for answers… it is unclear exactly what happened, or
why. The midwife on duty during the incident said she had never seen anything
like this in all her 20 some-odd years of nursing and that it shook her faith in normal birth.<br />
<br />
We all did everything exactly
right; followed all current recommendations and standards of practice given my
diagnosis. I did have an abnormal cord insertion but it was a fairly mild case that should have just required close monitoring;
marginal/borderline velamentous, no vasa previa or placenta previa detected and
the baby was growing perfectly, as shown at 3 total growth ultrasounds
throughout the pregnancy. The baby’s heart-rate was strong and normal at every
checkup, and this baby was incredibly active from the first time I could feel
her in my belly; kick counts rarely took longer than 10 min each day. The
non-stress tests starting at 36 weeks were perfect, validating activity in a
short period of time, getting the required movements long before the minimum 20
min of required monitoring. And during my 24 hours of “labor” the continuous
monitoring showed a normal heart-rate, the strip immediately before the
incident being absolute perfection. For all intents and purposes, this shouldn’t
have happened. And yet... it did. Of course the placenta and cord have been sent off for
pathology, but the results won’t come back for weeks and even then it may not
provide any conclusive answers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Countless articles have been written guiding authors on how to write a satisfying story ending. It can be happy happy, sad or bittersweet, but it always has to feel “right”. And this ending just doesn’t feel
right. But sometimes that's how real life is. The following quote summarizes
what must be done, for me to find my peace, and try to move forward. But it's going to take a while, and I'm going to give myself the time and grace to do that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive
yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the
situation is over, you cannot move forward.” </i>~Steve Maraboli</blockquote>
<br />
<br />
*Names and some details have been changed to protect the surrobabe and the IM's privacy.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h1>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></h1>
<br />Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-9535999902898931202018-08-23T12:33:00.002-07:002018-08-23T12:38:17.490-07:00The Final TrimesterI am 31 weeks along this week, which puts me in my 7th month of pregnancy. The second trimester was a bit of a blur - first trimester symptoms lingered well into it, and third trimester physical discomforts showed up sooner than usual. But the most important thing is that Lulu (current nickname for the baby) is happy and healthy, so at the end of the day, that's the bottom line.<br />
<br />
Jessica has continued to be a sweet and caring IM. We have discussed the birth plan and I'm happy that she does plan on accepting most best-practice recommendations, including delayed cord clamping. It is unclear if she will get her own room with Lulu at this point. Although it is standard for UCSD to put the IP and baby in a separate room, Jessica has been unable to confirm that her insurance will approve that. I think it's mostly a language barrier (and insurance issues are complicated even when language isn't a factor); she called and her insurance company told her they would not approve a room for her since she isn't a patient in this situation and that the baby could go to the nursery. I told her that the room wasn't for her; it was for the baby, who is the patient, and UCSD doesn't have a nursery (even the NICU at Jacob's are private rooms). So I'm hoping and assuming it all gets billed appropriately and works out.<br />
<br />
Regarding breast milk, Jessica is willing to accept anything I'm able to pump in the hospital. I was hoping she would be fine with me just nursing the baby (that would be much easier for me than pumping) but she doesn't feel comfortable with that for whatever reason so I've finally gotten the clue and let it go. She was giving these nonsensical concerns (ie Lulu will get used to the breast in the hospital and refuse the bottle after discharge) which in my open/honest and research based nature was replying to each one as they came up before I realized there was probably something else going on. Part of it (as with many things I am discovering) is likely cultural. China has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world, and has been on the decline even further in recent years, so formula is very much the standard there, and breast milk is the "alternative". So fingers crossed for an ample supply of colostrum in the hospital!<br />
<br />
She also declined for me to get the Dtap vaccine (which protects baby against Whooping Cough). I was initially confused over this as Chinese are very conscientious about germs and protecting against sickness (when Jessica last visited she wore a mask the whole time since she was getting over a cold), until good old google told me that last month there was a huge scandal in China over the quality of vaccines produced, and the maker is now under criminal investigation.<br />
<br />
She has decided to go with one of the post birth centers up in Irvine after discharge, and will stay there for about a month until Lulu is old enough to travel and Jessica has her legal documents secured. I'm glad that she will have some support system to help her in that difficult first month!<br />
<br />
I won't be able to post any pictures of Lulu though, since Jessica definitely is a more private person. I asked if I could post a picture of the two of us and she provided me with an edited version of it that had her face blocked out. I'm assuming she will feel similarly about Lulu. I do want Ryan to take pictures and my mom to take video (I've oked this with Jessica) and hopefully Ryan can get a decent number of pictures that capture the experience but don't show Jessica or baby's faces so that I can post those!<br />
<br />
And speaking of baby, Jessica asked for our thoughts on some names she is considering for Lulu's "American" name; Alice, Charlotte, Alana and Mika. She wanted something with meaning and that would be easy for her parents to pronounce. The girls immediately liked Mika, and I love it too! We will see what Jessica and her parents settle on.<br />
<br />
At the "big" ultrasound, they found that the cord is inserted not in the center of the placenta but on the side (called marginal cord insertion). This is usually not a problem, but does require more monitoring to make sure everything is ok. I had a second ultrasound to check on growth at 28 weeks and everything looked good. I go in for another one at 36 weeks and will also have weekly NST's at that point too. I'm REALLY hoping Lulu doesn't make me suffer too long after full term at 37 weeks. Jessica is coming out around Oct 14th (10 days before the due date) and is hoping that Lulu doesn't come earlier than that so she doesn't miss the birth.<br />
<br />
I have gained more than I did with the girls. I am currently about 5 lbs heavier (180 lbs) than I was when I delivered the girls (175 lbs), and I still have about 2 months to go! Every day I alternate between trying to be very good about food and consumption & not gain any more weight and just saying screw it, the food I CAN eat is my only physical enjoyment in life right now, so just go for it! I'm so huge and uncomfortable (typical) and my heartburn is per the usual terrible too. I can't eat anything substantial after 4pm, otherwise I have to sleep upright on the couch and even then if it's a really big meal or very late I'll still wake up choking on my own vomit. So my evenings are all about avoiding food until bed. My pregnancies really put a damper on my social calendar between first trimester [all day] morning sickness and final trimester heartburn. Ha!Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-18327550850019730582018-04-19T14:20:00.000-07:002018-04-19T14:20:51.034-07:00Completion of the First TrimesterJessica's visit was wonderful. It was great to meet her in person and she said she felt like we were great friends who had known each other for years. I got to ask her more about her personal journey of infertility and it was heartbreaking. She had been through 4 rounds of IVF on her own, all in the states since you can't be approved for IVF in China if you are a single woman. It didn't sound like any of those transfers implanted at all. We were also able to discuss some of the logistics and plans once the baby is born. She plans on finding short term housing of some kind and staying in San Diego for 2-3 months before taking the baby back to China. She will get a nanny to help her out, and is still trying to figure out if her parents will come out and stay with her as well. We discussed areas and due to her having to rely on public transportation and wanting to be close by to some sort of Asian market we identified Mira Mesa as the best location for her. Additionally we found out that her company has a location on the west side of Mira Mesa Blvd very close to UCSD, which makes that location even more ideal. She will likely be able to come in early Oct and work from that location before the baby arrives, which will insure she will be in town when the baby comes, even if she comes early which is wonderful.<br />
<br />
As for me, this week I am 13 weeks along, and that closes out the first trimester. I've had a rough couple of weeks. I stopped meds on April 4th and my nausea got worse once I stopped them. As with my girls, it slowly got worse during the day, with the worst of it being in the afternoon and evening. The unisom and B6 wasn't quite cutting it anymore and I was throwing up most evenings. Last week was an especially hard week, including some migraines, and then we had a terrible scare on Wed. I had several important meetings at work, and one hour before the start of them, I felt a gush. I looked down and blood had soaked through my pants, not a good sign. It was definitely a mix of some other fluid and blood, which immediately had me worried that it was amniotic fluid. I called the Dr. and they advised that while nothing could really be done intervention wise if it was a miscarriage, that I should get it checked out to see what was going on. Since I was continuing to bleed a small amount, I really had no choice but to go to the ER (since UCSD doesn't really have urgent care set up for this sort of thing). I went and luckily they were able to see me right away. They took my blood and did an ultrasound which showed the baby was perfectly fine, wiggling and heartbeat strong. There was no substantial residual fluid or bleeding and my cervix was totally closed, so they discharged me with instructions to follow up ASAP with my OB.....<br />
<br />
Which presented a problem because meanwhile, I had been officially released from the RE to UCSD, and UCSD was in the process of reviewing my records to determine if I could be seen by the midwives. So I had to call them and try to expedite that process, hoping it didn't disqualify me from the birth center. They eventually were able to get me in first thing on Friday the 13th just to check up and everything looked perfect. I asked what it could have been and they said it could have been anything... the weather, hormone levels, etc. Nature is funny like that sometimes. The good news is that baby looked good, amniotic fluid good, heart rate good, movement good, measuring on track, etc. So with that they gave me a clear bill of health and released me to the midwives! I was able to get my first apt with them on the books for next week.<br />
<br />
Then a few days ago I increased my Unisom frequency because the nausea and evening vomiting was getting the best of me and luckily I responded well to that. Soooooo for now, holding steady, trying to see through the darkness of the lingering first trimester symptoms and gagging my way through the smelly, smelly world.Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-53639070282860164792018-03-21T10:49:00.001-07:002018-04-19T13:32:24.926-07:00Surrogacy UpdateI've been updating my stories on Facebook and Instagram over the last few weeks but I figured it was time to put them all together for an official update. The great news is that this transfer was successful and is viable (at least so far - do you ever really feel out of the woods with any pregnancy, no less a high risk one?)<br />
<br />
Prep for the transfer went fine. I began my med cycle just after the new year, and was fine with the shots and hormones. Some women have really bad physical reactions and side effects but besides a few bad headaches (that could be addressed with Tylenol) I was clear. The med prep consisted of three different kinds of hormone shots (Lupron, Delestrogen and Progesterone, but no more than two per night), prenatal, aspirin, two rounds of antibiotics and thyroid meds to bring my thyroid down slightly.<br />
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The trip up to Portland for the transfer was part vacation, and part procedure. Ryan and I flew up to Portland on Friday Feb 2nd, and had that evening and all of Sat and Sun to explore and eat our way through the city. Ice cream at <a href="http://www.rubyjewel.com/" target="_blank">Ruby Jewel</a>, fresh pasta at <a href="http://grassapdx.com/" target="_blank">Grassa</a>, donuts at <a href="http://www.bluestardonuts.com/" target="_blank">Blue Star</a>, Pho-rench Dip Sandwiches at <a href="http://lardosandwiches.com/" target="_blank">Lardo</a>, pastrami fries and beer (for Ryan) at <a href="https://10barrel.com/pub/portland/" target="_blank">10 Barrel Brewing</a>, and fried green onions, pancakes and biscuits & gravy at <a href="https://www.pinestatebiscuits.com/" target="_blank">Pine State Biscuits </a>among our favorites. Hard to believe we didn't gain any weight that weekend but we did walk <i>everywhere</i> so that likely saved us! We also went to the Portland Japanese Garden which was stunningly designed and cared for. Even in the dead of winter it was beautiful; I can't imagine what it looks like in the Fall for the turning of the leaves or in Spring with blooms!<br />
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After the fun of being tourists for several days came to a close, the real purpose of our trip there came on Monday, Feb 5th. It was quick and went smoothly. Conveniently, where we were staying, <a href="https://www.hoteldeluxeportland.com/" target="_blank">Hotel deLuxe</a> is literally right across the street from <a href="https://www.oregonreproductivemedicine.com/" target="_blank">Oregon Reproductive Medicine</a>. I got acupuncture treatments both before and after the transfer, and they transferred the 6 day hatching baby girl successfully and sent me back to the hotel for extended bedrest. Ryan took off that night to get home to the girls and relieve his mom, who had watched them while we were gone. I tried not to go stir crazy on bedrest for the whole next day, watching TV, reading books, updating all my food reviews on TripAdvisor... And on Wed morning bright and early I flew home, with a fresh little embryo trying to implant in my belly!<br />
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From all the surrogacy groups online, I knew that depending on how fast the embryo implants, you can get a positive pregnancy test as early as 3 days post transfer (crazy right???). When the baby implants the hormone hCG begins to be produced, and roughly the levels of it double every 48-72 hours (although levels vary widely). That hormone is what pregnancy tests detect, and the better tests can detect an hCG level as low as 12 in urine. Blood tests for hCG are much more precise of course. My first scheduled blood test was at 9 dpt (days post transfer) so I was pretty anxious to wait until then for results. Jessica, my intended mother, preferred to just wait for the official blood test so there was no specific direction to take a pregnancy test. My agency sent me a little care package for the transfer that included tests, so I planned on using those to test at home and keeping any news to myself.<br />
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I had three tests so I tested at 5, 7 and 9 dpt. All three were a faint positive but did not get any darker. This worried me, since that indicated that the hCG levels were not increasing as they should. I assumed it would be a chemical pregnancy (the embryo implants, and hCG is produced but from there fails to continue growing and ends up as an early miscarriage). The 9 dpt hCG level was 13, which was positive but lower than normal. At that point it was "continue to monitor and see" so I went in for several more blood tests; 11 dpt was 36, 14 dpt was 211, 18 dpt was 899 and 23 dpt was 3116. Luckily from that first test the levels were rising at an appropriate level so I'm guessing baby girl was just late to implant. They also did an early ultrasound at 6 weeks, because at that point, since the hCG levels were rising but were low to begin with they are worried about it being ectopic (where the baby implants in someplace besides the uterus which is super tragic because it necessitates an automatic abortion). The ultrasound showed baby girl right where she should be, and although it was a little early to detect one, they were able to confirm the heartbeat!<br />
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From there I was anxious for Jessica to get the news, so I sent her a message asking if she wanted to know how the ultrasound went or if she wanted to wait to hear officially from the RE, and she didn't respond all day (she was back in China for the Chinese New Year and it was overnight there) so she actually didn't wake up until we got the official news from the RE anyway, but she got to wake up to a happy email confirming that baby looked great! She was very happy and after being anxious over the low numbers this was a sigh of relief to us all.<br />
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It was another wait and see for two more weeks, and then I went in for another ultrasound last week on Wed, at 8 weeks. That ultrasound looked great too, and besides baby girl measuring a few days behind everything was perfect. I took a video of the ultrasound and sent it to Jessica and she exclaimed "Oh my baby! So excited to see her!" which melted my heart. We have another ultrasound scheduled for 11 weeks (we would have done 10 weeks but we will be up in Santa Cruz for spring break) and then they will release me to my OB down here at UCSD for the rest of the pregnancy if everything looks good!<br />
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They have already begun tapering me off the meds, and added a vaginal progesterone suppository twice a day which is sooooo disgusting. I was thinking I might have gotten lucky and gotten off the hook for morning sickness (since with the girls it came on strong at 6 weeks) but last week I begun to feel super nauseous. They have now approved a B6 + Unisom regime for morning sickness that they didn't do back when I was pregnant with the girls, and so I began to take that early last week and it is helping immensely. It's high maintenance (the Unisom at night and the B6 every 3-4 hours during the day) and I have to keep eating small carby meals throughout the day to stay on top of it, but that keeps it to a tolerable level. Although my sense of smell is as keen as ever (Ryan came into our bedroom the other night and I was like, "ew, you were just outside weren't you???" He looked at me like I was crazy, but I could smell that he had been outside....) at least I'm not throwing up all the time.<br />
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And I'm super excited that this weekend Jessica will be in town for a conference for work! Her conference is just north of Long Beach so she is going to fly in to SD on Sat, and she will stay with us overnight before catching a bus up to her conference the next day. I'm really excited to meet her and have her meet the family! We've picked out a Dim Sum restaurant down here to go to, and she will show us the ropes since we have never had it before.Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-4437338869897845122018-01-05T12:33:00.001-08:002018-01-05T12:33:07.180-08:00The "Why's" of my Surrogacy JourneyThere is no one, simple answer to why I am embarking on this journey. As Aristotle said, "The whole is greater than the sum of it's parts". Some of these were original reasons to continue to pursue consideration and with me from the beginning, and some were collected along the way, further solidifying the decision to move forward. Yes, some (ok, many) of these are admissions that I'm not a 100% altruistic person. If I'm being honest, I'm doing a lot of this for selfish reasons. But, I pride myself on my authenticity, so that's what I'm giving.<br />
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<ol>
<li><b><i>The Money.</i></b> Let's get this one out of the way. Yes, I am being paid for this journey. And I have to be honest, I would not be doing it if I wasn't. Pregnancy comes with risks, and it's not a walk in the park (especially for me). While I try to be a generous person, this type of thing is not something I would do without adequate compensation and mitigation of risk. And the money my family will receive from this will help us tremendously. It will replenish our emergency fund. Pay for the kitchen remodel we just had done that I had waited more than a decade for. Perhaps get us a once in a lifetime family trip to Disney World. </li>
<li><b><i>I'm Special.</i></b> Selfishly, this journey makes me feel special. During my initial introduction interview with my agency, I asked the question "How many women actually inquire about surrogacy vs actually qualify and end up being surrogates?". The answer was shockingly low; just over 5%. At that point I was still considering surrogacy, but that answer pinpoints the change from curiously contemplating to decisively pursuing. In my mind, there was a reason I had been led down this path, and the odds were incredibly against me qualifying. At that moment, I knew that I was going to see this through, and if somehow I defied most odds, it was meant to be. And if it was, it would mean I was unique. I was special.</li>
<li><b><i>Changing a Life.</i></b> I've always loved the idea of physically giving of myself in a way that helps or saves others. Call it a hero complex. I donate blood regularly. I love knowing that I'm helping to save lives. I'm a registered bone marrow transplant and organ donor. I have fantasies about being in the right place at the right time to save someone's life; pushing out of the way of a moving vehicle, performing the Heimlich maneuver on a choking person, etc. A highlight of the last year was helping an overheated and incoherent woman over the finish line of one of my races and getting her to the medic tent, knowing that she would have probably passed out by herself and delayed getting the care she needed if I had not been there to help. I know it's selfish, but it makes me feel good about myself. You can't choose to be in the right place at the right time and safe a life. But with surrogacy, I CAN choose to grow a life, and give a family to someone who wouldn't have one without me. And that's as good as it gets.</li>
<li><b><i>For the Experience.</i></b> This is going to be a really cool experience. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm into strange, random things. The crazier the better. Life is too short to be bored. And it doesn't get any more interesting than this.</li>
<li><b><i>For my Daughters.</i></b> Aurora was only a year old when I got pregnant with Abby, and had just turned 2 when I had her. She will likely have few lasting memories, if any at all of Abby's pregnancy and birth. And Abby has nothing. The girls will be 7 and 9 by the time my surro baby is born, and they will be able to experience and remember the excitement of the entire pregnancy and birth with understanding, wonder and curiosity. Most of my friends and family know I am a staunch natural birth advocate and ardent feminist. This is a great opportunity to show my girls first hand how amazing the pregnancy and birth process can be, and how powerful women are for what they are capable of. And I want to show them the importance of taking charge, being our own advocates and making our own decisions during the process, as unfortunately so few women do. I feel this is of the utmost importance for a future time when (if) they decide to have their own children.</li>
<li><b><i>For the Science.</i></b> I've always been fascinated by research and medical advances. Of course being both staff and alumni of UCSD (currently ranked 5th in the nation for total research and development expenditures by NSF), it was in my education, and is in the work I do every day. When I was a student I signed up for every research study I qualified for (besides the risky experimental drug ones). I was happy to be providing information to further scientific study, and usually I learned something fun about my own specific body. Surrogacy is sort of the ultimate personal scientific study. I'm getting to learn just how perfect (or not) of a reproductive specimen I am. My thyroid levels are a little high. Normal, but high. Interesting. And pregnancy usually elevates those levels. That's probably why I was such a hot body after my pregnancies and it never left me. The blood flow to my uterus is a little low on the left side. Curious. And you can help that out with acupuncture. Things I never would have found out. And I'm only now starting this journey, 5 days into the med cycle. I'm going to be on a slew of drugs and hormones over the next 2 months. I'm very interested to see how my body reacts to them all. Who knows what other fun tidbits I will discover.</li>
<li><b><i>For Love. For Justice. For Feminism.</i></b> My journey is partially a protest statement. The agency I chose <a href="http://www.allfamiliessurrogacy.com/surrogates" target="_blank">(All Families Surrogacy)</a> stole my heart, as they were founded on the premise that anyone deserves a family, regardless of race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. I wanted to support this cause, as it is near and dear to my heart. I had no idea what kinds of Intended Parents (IPs) I would be potentially matched with, and when asked if I had any specifications for who I would carry for, I did not give any limitations. I was adamant that all profiles should be considered for me. It broke my heart to think that someone was waiting for a surrogate and had not been matched because they were from a less desirable demographic, in a world where the surrogate calls most of the shots. Who I ended up matching with could not have been a more perfect match. My Intended Mother (IM) is an inspiration to me. Her and her husband tried to conceive on their own, and were unsuccessful. When it was clear that she was unable to carry her own children, her husband left her. She is Chinese, and culturally, this sort of situation would typically signal the door to a family slamming shut forever. But she sought out an agency and the highly reputable RE associated with them <a href="https://www.oregonreproductivemedicine.com/" target="_blank">(Oregon Reproductive Medicine)</a> to secure her own embryos and pursue a family alone. She has been able to secure several boy and only one girl embryo. Culturally, only two years past the 1 child rule, there is still strong gender disposition towards men, and most other Chinese women in her position would try for the boys first. But she is again, breaking all cultural stereotypes and is hoping that her only girls takes on this first try. What a freaking amazing woman!!! I feel as if it's possible I was meant to carry for her and her alone.</li>
<li><b><i>Jacobs!</i></b> I was always really sad I didn't get to deliver at UCSD's new and incredible Jacob's Center. And now, I do!!!!!!</li>
<li><b><i>UCSD's Women & Infant's PAFAC</i></b>. I'm a member of our Patient and Family Advisory Council. I have been for about 6 years. My role on the committee is as a patient, but at this point, my experience as a patient was pretty stale and losing relevance with every passing year. I'll now have fresh perspective and feedback to provide to this council that I am so dedicated to. To boot, it will be a unique angle, as a surrogacy pregnancy has uncommon process aspects to it.</li>
</ol>
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Ok so that's all that's coming to my mind at this point. By no means an exhaustive list to be sure! But as you can see, the reasons are varied and all over the place. But together build a strong foundation, and have seemed to "lead" me all to the same place.So here I am!</div>
Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-23584573898536350172017-10-30T08:51:00.000-07:002017-10-30T08:51:01.733-07:00Surrogacy JourneySo I'm doing this thing. I'm going to be carrying a baby for a mom who can't carry her own. No, this isn't a joke. Yes, I'm serious. Yes, I'm aware of the risks. And no, this didn't come out of the blue....<br />
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<b><i>~ 9 Months Ago (March, 2017)</i></b><br />
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I saw an ad in Instagram for surrogacy. I was surprised at the amount that was listed for compensation and saved the ad to look into further later. At this point it was just a curiosity thing.<br />
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Later, I looked into it. The ad was from an agency based out of Portland called <a href="http://www.allfamiliessurrogacy.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwssvPBRBBEiwASFoVd5mr3tZiv7YGaDEodLsBd2dnxubhZ_WI2pkOS_ew6EtSDjQdbD0tyxoC9EkQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">All Families Surrogacy (AFS).</a> The more I looked into them the more I fell in love with them. A relatively new agency, but clearly run by devoted and loving individuals whose lives were personally touched in various ways by surrogacy, and who were committed to providing a unique surrogacy experience for Surrogates and Intended Parents (IPs) alike; based on the best service and care available, and focused on a positive, safe and informed experience for everyone involved. And best of all, they were specifically supportive of ALL loving family situations, not just traditional ones.<br />
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Over the next several weeks, I kept thinking about surrogacy and AFS. All the time telling myself, of course I would never consider actually doing something like this. It's crazy. It's risky. It's hard. I hated being pregnant. But, still, something nagging in the back of mind just couldn't let it go. And so I did what I always do when I can't let something go... I researched, I googled, I read, and I soaked my mind with every drop of knowledge and opinion until it poured out my conscious. And the more I researched and thought about it, the more I was compelled to look into it further.<br />
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The next step would be to inquire with the agency, fill out their questionnaire, and see if I met the requirements. So I did. Meanwhile, I had my first discussion with Ryan. He's been with me long enough, I'm sure he was surprised, but not <i>really </i>surprised. I mean anyone who really knows me isn't surprised at just about anything I decide to do, no matter how atypical or crazy. And as my best friend Venissa put it, <i>"On one hand, I'm shocked, and I can't believe it.... on the other hand, if I were to think about all the people I know and had to pick the one person who would actually be suited to do something like this, there is no one else who makes more sense than you." </i>He had some serious and valid concerns, and we had many long talks about all of them. Ryan is very cautious, pensive and calculated. This sort of proposal at this stage in our relationship was analogous to 20 year old Loralyn surprising him with going sky diving for his 21st birthday. Luckily I had done the research and could answer any questions he had and involved him early enough in the process that he had plenty of time to think about and consider it before coming to a conclusion while I was seeing if I qualified. And I told him from the beginning; <i>"If you are not ok with this, then I can stop the process right now. I can't and won't do this without you. If it's not something that you are comfortable with, which I would totally understand, then we can close this door."</i> And truly, if at the end of the day he didn't come around to it, then I would have respected his decision. With something like this where the risks and rewards are both very high, there are no wrong answers. Obviously though he decided that he was supportive of moving forward.<br />
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Meanwhile I was still on my own path of considering this life-altering decision. I had an informational video conference with AFS, and asked a ton of questions and concerns I had, while they ran down the process in detail. One of the questions I asked was <i>"How many women like me - simply inquiring about the process - actually make it through screening, matching and successfully become a surrogate?" </i>The answer was shocking, and more than anything else, settled my determination to see this through. Roughly 5-10%. Less than 1 out of ten women who express an interest in becoming a surrogate mother actually end up doing so. At that point, I felt that the universe had directed me to this place, in this moment, for this purpose. The odds were against me; the chances that I would pass all screenings and this would happen were so small, I felt compelled to see it through. I felt strongly in that moment that I was meant to do this. If I was not, I would be disqualified as the majority of women are.<br />
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<b><i>~ 6 Months Ago (April, 2017)</i></b><br />
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The next step in the process was opening ourselves up and signing over a slew of documents to go through a rigorous screening process that included a full release of medical history, background check, home visit and psychological evaluation. This step took quite a while, and was the most likely step to be disqualified as a surrogate.<br />
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<b><i>~ 2 Months ago (September, 2017)</i></b><br />
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I passed all screenings, moving me forward to the next step; profiles and matching. I put together my profile, trying to be as honest about who I am, what my family means to me and what values we hold dear and firm about my expectations and wishes of the process. This stage happened very quickly; I went from just finding out I had passed all initial screenings to having my first profile to review all in a week. The first profile I was sent was a single woman from China who was pursing surrogate to help her create her own family after her husband divorced her because after unsuccessful attempts to carrying their own children. Her story spoke to me; my mom raised me herself so I immediately felt connected to her situation; and in her culture which is very male dominated, to overcome a disgraceful divorce and painful fertility issues determined to pursue her dream of a family on her own was inspirational and empowering. She had secured a girl embryo and two boy embryos, and was going to try for the girl first; she was already referring to the baby as "she". This further endeared me to her, as in her culture males are normally the "preferred" sex. There have been many other things that make her and her immediate family stand out as progressive thinkers, affirming the match even more.<br />
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<b><i>Now (Nearly November, 2017)</i></b><br />
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Last week I took a short, one day trip up to Portland for my uterine evaluation with <a href="https://www.oregonreproductivemedicine.com/" target="_blank">Oregon Reproductive Medicine</a>. I've had to get a slew of labs run, and everything from here on out has to be monitored extensively. My thyroid was within normal ranges, but was a tiny bit high for what the want (they want it to be at 2.5 or below and mine was 3.19) so I am now on medicine to lower it. I am on a special kind of birth control. And sometime at the end of November, if everything goes well, I will start a complicated and extensive hormone schedule to put my body into menopause, repress my own reproductive system and prepare it for the embryo transfer which we hope will be sometime in January.<br />
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Meanwhile, we are officially in contract negotiations. This is probably the most important part of the process, as it is the absolute last word and legally binding document between me as the surrogate and the Intended Mother (IM) and it contains every last wish, preference and agreement in regards to every foreseeable situation, outcome and circumstance.<br />
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So that's a wrap on how this all came to be. Please feel free to ask any questions; as with anything I do, I am a firm believer in doing your research, feeling secure with your decisions, being in control of your body, and being an advocate for yourself. I hope that sharing my experience will leave others with a better understanding of this process, and clarify or invalidate misinformation that may be out there about surrogacy.<br />
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In a later post I intend to cover more of my feelings about surrogacy and specifically why I feel the need to be and ultimately decided to be a surrogate, and all of the considerations that went into this.<br />
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<br />Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-59370031132217616332015-03-26T15:37:00.002-07:002015-03-26T15:41:31.028-07:00Beginning Of The YearThe first three months of the year is very peaceful and gives our family some rare down time. The holidays are in the rear-view mirror, quickly fading, the new year has settled in, and camping season has not yet started. It is normally the only quarter we can sign the girls up for any activities. This time it was gymnastics, since swim seems to be pretty impossible to get into at UCSD. The girls absolutely love it, and now that my marathon and the related training is over, I can take them and finally give Ryan back some time to himself for mountain biking. We have been making sure that he gets out once a weekend (besides weekends of illness or bad weather). He has also been riding from work a lot more too. He recently made the switch down to 8 hour days, meaning he gets off at 3:30. Since 45 min is a long time for him to wait around for me to pick him up, he has been riding home on his bike, which gives him a head start on home chores before we get home. But since mornings are cold and timing is tight, we do carpool into work together. Since putting the bike on the roof rack that often presented numerous issues and inconveniences, we made our newest Ruby improvement/upgrade; a bike rack. It took several weeks, many trips to ACE and lots of sawing, grinding, welding and traded meals for borrowed tools and donated work, but it is done and its a functional and handy addition that Ryan is very proud of.<br />
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We also finally made headway with the nightmare that had become the game room. For my birthday, my mom gave me the choice of picking out some stones to have set for a replacement wedding ring, or a new toy storage system, and it took me about two seconds to decide. In fact, I didn't even have to think about the "decision". My sanity and piece of mind needed to do something with that room and all those toys or I would have gone crazy. We got a new set at IKEA and rearranged everything. Now, there is a bin for every type of toy or activity, and if there is not room for something new, room must be made. I love that there is a designated area, with a finite amount of room that limits the total toys that the girls are allowed. Around the same time, our TV started going out - screaming at us or displaying green lines across the screen. We ended up putting it in the game room temporarily after buying a new TV, and discovered that it was only a power source issue causing the issues to begin with, so we mounted it in above the toy storage, allowing the game room to now be converted to a movie room for the girl's movie nights.<br />
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Speaking of nights, we recently had a potty relapse of Abby being potty trained, especially overnight. It started with her waiting too long to go during the day and having little accidents. She would wait so long, and by that point had to go so badly that she was paralyzed and couldn't move a single step, leaving us to swipe her up and rush her to the bathroom. This eventually crept into the night, and several times had a small accident before waking up crying. I drew the line when she completely wet the bed, and did not wake up. Back to pull-ups we go. I was pretty devastated, and complained to Diane. Well wouldn't you guess, it took Diane two days of talking to Abby and suddenly pull-ups were like diapers; for babies, and Abby was back on track sleeping through the night in her panties, no accidents. I curse that amazing woman; she is a better mother than I am at least half the time. Thank God she is a part of our lives, I don't know what we would do without her!<br />
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Guinness re-injured her back recently. We just came home one day and she was exactly like she was the previous time; hunched back, trouble controlling bowels, dragging hind legs, in obvious and clear pain, very little mobility. This time I went right to the internet, and found absolute confirmation of what I had suspected from last time; it was her back. This brought a sinking sadness, as I realized that this was the beginning of serious back problems for our sweet little Guinness, and it would just get worse from here on out. I looked back at the calendar and it had been only 6 months since the first occurrence. We brought her into the vet, who agreed it was her back. They gave us some anti-inflammatory pain meds for her and sent us home. We tried our best to keep her grounded but the more she heals and starts to feel better the more mobile she wants to be, which is very bad for her back! Clearly we need to make some changes to decrease the risk and frequency of these events. First, we bought an new accordion gate for the game room. Guinness had chewed through the other one, and since she was behaving downstairs and we just put up a gate to keep her from going up the stairs. I believe that jumping is probably the worst for her back, followed by going up and down stairs. Jumping up and down off the couch all day long is an easy fix; keep her in the game room and she cant jump at all while we are at work. Keeping her from taking stairs has proved to be a bigger issue the more she has healed and feels mobile again (it has been now 6 weeks and she is almost entirely healed). We did put her stairs down by the couch, and have been trying to make sure she uses them while we are home instead of jumping up and down. Taking them from the bed also means she cant get on the bed herself, so we pick her up to put her on the bed, and thus far she has been okish at not jumping down. Although she still does this several times a week and I cringe every time it happens. In any case, all we can do is minimize her physical risk of a re-occurrence, knowing that one cannot be avoided. She will throw out her back regularly from here on out, and at some point these instances will become so frequent that we will have to make a heart-wrenching call and decide at which point the pain she is in and for how long outweighs the quality and quantify of uninjured life she experiences.<br />
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Our summer plans have been finalized, and as with each year, I am very excited about our trips. We are camping a lot, as the girls are older and easier to handle. We have it down now so the packing and prepping is minimal and doable. We are mostly staying local, trying to save both time and money to travel to Alaska and Hawaii next year to visit family. So we decided on only one week long trip this year. We will be going back to Zion, which is really exciting. It is such a beautiful place with so much to do and see outdoors. We will also be taking extended weekends up in Big Bear, and a couples trip to end the season out in Catalina.<br />
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Rory is also now officially a girl scout, part of troop 4436 in Tierrasanta. It was a whirlwind experience, but everything is worked out now. It started with a flyer sent home through school; interested in being a girl scout? Come to this informational session. When I got to the meeting, we were told that there were no troops accepting new girls, and that the hope was to start a new troop with those there that night. Without much of a choice, we all agreed to attend another meeting to see how we could make this work. By default, I sort of became the "daisy" lead, and another mother, Amy the "brownie" lead. Since we didn't have enough girls to form a troop of each, we would start off together, and separate at some point down the road. After the second meeting and we began to try to organize and plan the troop out, it became clear to me that although I was willing to commit what I could for my daughter to be in girl scouts, there was no way that I could take lead. I decided to pull out at that point as any kind of leader. Luckily, Amy is an absolute rockstar, and another mom stepped up to take the role as Daisy lead. Together, they put the troop together and welcomed Aurora into their troop as I could try to fit her in. They decided on meetings every other Friday from 3-4:30, and Cheryl will be able to get off early and bring her to these meetings. On the occasion that she can't, there are other moms who have offered to get her from school and bring her to the meetings. She has her little outfit, we have the first patches all ironed on, and she has her first trip planned for next week to attend a performance of sleeping beauty by the San Diego youth academy ballet! I'm really pleased with how it all ended up. So here we go, fitting in even more to our already crazy schedule. As we speak now, we don't have a day free until May 30th; two full months out. Funny how fast that previously mentioned lull at the beginning of the year disappears. Cheers to never being bored!Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-54137351164779715172014-09-30T13:47:00.003-07:002014-09-30T13:47:45.873-07:00Falling Into FallWhere do I even begin? Maybe by simply stating that the summer has come and gone before I had a chance to blink. That would certainly explain the absence of any posts between then and now. We enjoyed our last summer on our own schedule, and Rory started Kindergarten on Sept 2nd. It has almost been a month and it feels like years. Our schedule is far more hectic with backpack checking, papers from school passing back and forth, lunch box packing and cleaning, questioning about the going ons of school, homework assignments (memorizing a lunch code, our address, her birthday, our phone number is enough to make my head spin no less hers), school fundraisers, sorting out a pick-up drop off schedule that will work out for Diane, the list goes on and on. In the midst of that I have started official training for my full marathon in January, and I'm not quite sure how we make it through each day (but we do)!<br />
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We ended up settling on Vista Grande after a difficult summer of back and forth information and decisions. Diane is able to do the drop off and pick up there (the main reason we didn't go with Tierrasanta Elementary), which allows us to keep the one car situation for that much longer, saving money each month we don't have a second vehicle. We will re-assess as needed, but for now, we maintain the easy schedule of carpooling together every day. Max started at Diane's recently too, so she certainly has a full load - Max, Ethan, Landon, Sam & Luke, and Abby. I honestly don't know how she does it - between having them all day, dropping both Rory and Kevin off at school, nap time for the littles, getting Rory and Kevin from school, Kevin's water polo practice; I'm pretty sure she has a time machine in her back pocket.<br />
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Rory is taking to school well though. It was a bit tough to adjust to the new schedule, both for her and us. Far more time is needed to go through everything each day, and prepare what she needs, prepping her for each new task. Her patience is low as is ours. Time is even scarcer. We all have to be really careful, as it is easy to get grumpy. But we have settled into a pretty good system. Her teacher Ms. Samantha Lunn seems very sweet and bubbly, and Rory adores her. She is already learning so much. Every day she comes home with a new song or tidbit of information. Certainly makes you appreciate the school system and the role that teachers play in educating our youth.<br />
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We have also settled on a lunch that works. At first I was trying to give her a balanced lunch (protein, dairy, vegetable, fruit, carb) and it quickly became apparent that was not going to work out. It was too hard for me to find something in each food group every day to pack that she would eat. So snack is now a applesauce packet (each and quick for her to eat then go right to playing), and then I pack some pretzels and peanut butter, and fruit. She seems to be really happy with that and its easy for me to keep those things on hand. So until she gets sick of it.....<br />
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Abby has finally given up the pacifier. Which is to say that we finally took it away from her. We tried to take it away at 3, but then she was still getting her final set of molars in so we gave it back. They are all in so Ryan snipped her paci and it is no more. I was worried about not having a soothing technique for her when she was upset but it seems if you sing Frozen's "Let It Go" it works just as good if not better than a pacifier so we are all set!<br />
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We also had a little scare with Guinness on our last camping trip of the season. Long story short, she must have hurt her back somehow, and was in serious pain for several days, with incontinence, and little to no mobility in her legs. After a few days she was still walking hunched up, and the right left leg was dragging a little and over the weeks she has been able to add the stairs back in (carefully) and now is finally starting to jump again. But certainly we need to watch her from here on out; she's not a puppy anymore and Dachshunds are prone to back problems anyway.<br />
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Well, summer has come to an end and fall is here. It's time for Halloween, birthdays, and the Holidays.<br />
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<br />Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-56705935620515645322014-06-12T11:54:00.000-07:002014-06-12T11:54:12.128-07:00Summer-ish<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9vty4CJ_PBdNcBmrw0X8bKLskEWbcOymn292UpR51Fa7gtoMzOggQSdpeARAxEUSY3srNE1U4kaTHMSIFlTHt6D-5mPPQ9SKJl3vKZU-uJuQyKfGnedi3TjlGvpzC-XRMv9am5Ix-aIP/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9vty4CJ_PBdNcBmrw0X8bKLskEWbcOymn292UpR51Fa7gtoMzOggQSdpeARAxEUSY3srNE1U4kaTHMSIFlTHt6D-5mPPQ9SKJl3vKZU-uJuQyKfGnedi3TjlGvpzC-XRMv9am5Ix-aIP/s1600/Capture.JPG" height="135" title="" width="320" /></a>So I know that technically there are 4 seasons, but in San Diego, with the weather being as mild as it is year round we pretty much have summer and not summer. So while summer doesn't start until June 21st, our summer plans and trips are already well underway. We started with a bang for our annual Memorial Day camping trip up at the King's River, which was incredibly warm weather for the first time in a long time. The kids had a blast playing along the shoreline, and we had a great time watching them, eating, drinking and trying to stay cool with good friends. Last weekend we journeyed up to Bullhead City, outside of Laughlin and off the Colorado River to stay with two other couples, and spend our days on the shore of Lake Mohave. Again with warm weather, the kids played in the water, while us adults relaxed, enjoyed each other's company eating and drinking to our hearts content (I'm seeing a trend?). Next weekend I head off to Vegas with Venissa to celebrate her and her sister's birthdays. I dyed my hair red one last time for this trip, then after that I'm going to have Rain put in highlights and take the color back to a more natural color that doesn't fade as quickly and will grow out less drastically. But while in sin city, I'll be a fiery redhead! If I'm lucky we will spend some time poolside, drinking with good friends.... (deja vu)<br />
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Abby's birthday party is just around the corner and it's a good thing we are getting used to the heat, since we are having it at a park in Santee. But its got an enormous shaded gazebo and its a water party theme, which means kids in swimsuits running around with squirt guns and water balloons. The kids are going to have an absolute blast. And there will be plenty of food and drinks to keep us adults entertained while we keep eyes on the kids... (apparently our entire summer is about hot weather, kids playing in the water, and us talking, drinking and eating). Abby is so excited for her party and keeps complimenting people on various accessories and clothing pieces, telling them that they can wear it/them to her party. It's completely adorable. While she is excited about her party though, she is devastated to be losing her pacifier. She bit off the head of her regular one before falling asleep last night and freaked out and would not be consoled until we dragged out the spare one. She knows the tooth fairy is going to come and take it away when she turns 3, because pacifiers are bad for her teeth, but I don't think she is making the connection emotionally.<br />
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Rory is still in the pull-ups. We bought the alarm and tried 3 nights of it. Before Rory went to bed on the first night, she chewed through the plastic layer protecting the wire. I swear, that little rabbit would chew through a broom handle if it was in her hands long enough. A wrapping of electrical tape and moving the alarm to her pants instead of shirt and we were ready to go. The alarm went off twice that night, and the next morning she was excited that she had slept through the night without wetting herself (she had no recollection whatsoever of either incident). We tried two more nights, and even after "lifting" to her her go before we went to bed, she was still peeing twice a night. After that sleep deprivation of both her and me, I gave up and stopped. We will just have to put her in the next size up for pull-ups, and wait it out until neurologically she is ready to stop wetting at night.<br />
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We are going to have an amazing crop of tomatoes and basil this year. The basil I grew from seeds took off like wildfire, so I transplanted some in both the garden and in the jasmine planter box, so we should have lots of plants providing as much basil as I can cook with. And the three tomatoes I have been desperately trying to keep up with trimming and tying up are consuming nearly the entire garden. A few early girls are ready, and the beefsteaks are on their way, and the cherry tomatoes are coming along too. The watermelons in the store are a great crop this year, and I'm sure it helps that I finally looked up how to pick out the best watermelon (1. Look for a dull waxy rind, 2. Look for a bright yellow spot that indicates it was left to ripen on the vine longer for a sweeter melon, and 3. It should be heavy for its size, indicating higher water content and a crispier flesh.)<br />
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Ryan and I have also signed up for a 10k run in August. This is huge since Ryan has never run more than a mile or two in his life. He can't currently run a half mile without stopping. We have put up a training schedule for him and I'm incredibly excited to run with him, since running is one of my loved extra-curriculars, and I haven't been able to share that part of me with him. I don't know if I already mentioned that I signed up for the Carlsbad full marathon in January too so my training for that will start in September.Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-56645151160690723162014-04-11T10:26:00.000-07:002014-04-11T10:26:03.791-07:00Growing Pains For The GirlsThe girls are going through their own growing pains. Abby desperately wants to grow taller and be a "big girl". She is well on her way; after being potty trained during the day for only a few weeks, she started waking up in the middle of the night super upset. We figured out it was because she needed to go to the bathroom but being half-asleep and scared of the dark wasn't getting up to go on her own. After a few times aiding her she does it on her own, or more regularly, just waits until morning. To that effect we have let her wear underwear to bed, and pick out her own pack of "night" underwear. She has only had one accident.<br />
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Unfortunately, Abby's proud milestone has only drawn attention that Rory has been potty trained for nearly two years but still needs a pull up at night. And it's becoming a problem as she is a physically tiny girl in 2-3T sized pull ups, with a 5 year old bladder, and has peed out her pull ups several times recently. Although she takes a while to get to sleep, once she falls asleep, it takes an act of God to wake that girl up, and she sleeps right through the wetness, until morning when we wake her up to discover she has wet the bed. I don't think that would normally be too much of a concern to her, except that every night her sister gets to go to bed in panties while she has to put on pull ups, and every morning she wakes up to see her sister get congratulations for a dry night while she has to peel off a filled to the brim pull up and wipe herself down before changing into panties for the day. We have had to console her the last few mornings, explaining that it doesn't mean she isn't a big girl and her sister is; we are not mad at her; it's not her fault; everyone's bodies are just different and hers is just letting her sleep while emptying her bladder instead of waking her up to go.<br />
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To this effect I turned to good old google to solve my problem. "Preventing bedwetting" came up with several articles that quickly made a few things clear:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Aurora is genetically predisposed to have issues with it. (I had trouble with it until I was at least 6 or 7)</li>
<li>Shes got it bad and its going to be a hard habit to break. (Might be an easier case if she only went a little bit once in a while and started to wake up while she was going)</li>
<li>There are no easy fixes and we are already doing all of the first line techniques, which only limit the amount in her pull up in the morning. (Limiting fluids right before bed, having her go right before then, "lifting" - bringing her to the bathroom right before we go to bed, having her practice holding it - she already does that on a daily since she doesn't want to stop playing to go)</li>
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We are left with three options, listed in order of preference least to most:</div>
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<ol>
<li>Give her brain time to neurologically develop further and produce the hormones that stop her body from producing so much urine while she is sleeping, and wake her up on the occasion that she needs to go. Spending a $1 a day to wait until this happens on its own when she is expressing distress at the situation isn't an option for me.</li>
<li>"Lifting" multiple times a night (probably when we go to bed, midnight and 3pm) to prevent her from peeing in her pull up and getting her used to waking up to go, which I don't want to do. I have barely had enough time to enjoy sleeping through the night as it is. I don't want to go back to an infant feeding schedule at night!</li>
<li>Using a bedwetting alarm. Ok these must be new since I had no idea about them and I know they were not around when I was a kid. The one that gets the best reviews is the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chummie-Bedwetting-Enuresis-Treatment-TC300B/dp/B00A8GF6BO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397152638&sr=8-1&keywords=chummie" target="_blank">Chummie. </a> This seems like the best option, as it trains her to get up and go to the bathroom as soon as she starts going, and she is excited about figuring out a way to solve this issue. She is eager to solve the problem, just doesn't know how. They are expensive ($100) but it would pay for itself in 3 months if it works. However, our pediatrician has said that she has experienced limited success with them and suggested the things we were already doing and then to just wait it out.</li>
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Abby is not without her tribulations either. Rory loves to "help" in the kitchen, and I have found that leaving her with a sink of dirty dishes and an hour of time will result in dishes clean enough to rinse and put away, and a girl who feels immense self satisfaction at a job well done. Although the cost is high in terms of the quantity of water and dish soap required to achieve these results, it is worthwhile to give her the sense of accomplishment at doing her "chores" and contributing to the family. Rory has no interest in walking Guinness with Ryan like Abby does so this is a way for her to be involved in the household duties without forcing her to do something she doesn't want to do.</div>
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The problem is that Abby wants to help in the same way. But she is still clumsy with her fine motor skills and while I barely trust Rory with the dishes, I certainly cant have Abby handling them. So I have (forgive my dishonesty) told her that she is not big enough to do the dishes yet and once she grows more she can participate. Since we are always communicating to Aurora the importance of eating enough varied, healthy foods so that her body gets enough nourishment to grow (otherwise she would be perfectly happy living off of air, water and perhaps the occasional cracker), Abby has picked up on this and after every meal she asks to be measured to see if she has grown. Poor thing has not grown a single centimeter in months. She is very proportional, just small. Shes in 18-24 right now, and it fits her perfectly. Her sister started growing taller at this point and just stayed the same size. She is in solid 4T for length (shirts, dresses) but anything that has to be fitted needs to be much smaller. Take her bathing suits for example. They need to be 18-24 mo two piece. One piece in that size would not be tall enough and a suit tall enough would be swimming on her and float off her tiny little body the second she got in the water.</div>
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It is nice to be headed into summer though; edibles in the garden, lots of local organic fruit in season, smoothies and fruit salads that the girls will demolish and might get that growth they are looking for - Abigail in height and Aurora in weight. :)Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-36593701697623939632014-03-14T14:05:00.001-07:002014-03-14T14:05:57.385-07:00Natural Childbirth Should Be Normal... Unfortunately, It's Not.Natural childbirth should be normal... unfortunately, it's not. A majority of births are treated with interventions, medical protocol and procedures that would best be used in abnormal situations. And natural births rarely occur unless the mother - in addition to being low-risk - has <i>also </i>gone out of her way to seek out/ pay for/ demand one, despite the systematic push-back for a medicated birth.<br />
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Yes, I am a natural childbirth advocate. And I won't apologize for it. There are women who have delivered in hospitals who might believe that I am criticizing their choices and their deliveries, while revering my own deliveries in a birth center, but this could not be any further from the truth. Because I have cried tears of heartbreak for every friend who has admitted feeling unsure about the outcome of their deliveries, and guilty that they even feel that way, since after all, the only justifiable end goal is a "healthy" baby and mama, and that's what they got. Because I know they deserve more, even if they don't feel like they do. Because every woman deserves what I had (and treasure) - <i>a shot</i> at a natural childbirth.<br />
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Now many people get caught up in the idea of what they think natural childbirth is. A martyr attempting a risky at home delivery to put her ideals above the safety of her child? Possibly just a disillusioned woman who for some unknown reason would rather experience the pain than to have a relaxing stress-free birth. That is not what I advocate for. THIS is what I was so blessed to experience with my own deliveries. THIS is what I am fighting for. <i><b>THIS is how I define natural childbirth. </b></i><br />
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I define natural childbirth as arming mom with the knowledge, giving her the support, and providing her with a comfortable setting and tools so that her labor progresses naturally, in as much comfort as possible.<br />
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I define it as normal birth... <i>NOT </i>medically induced and treated birth.<br />
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I define it as accepting the intensity and discomfort of labor knowing that in turn the mother often gains empowerment and confidence in her ability to deliver her baby... <i>NOT </i>assuming that a mother will be unable to handle the pain, setting her up to be scared and anxiously accepting of pain medication.<br />
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I define it as letting the woman find positions and use techniques that best relieve her labor pains and allowing her to deliver in the position that feels most comfortable, pushing when the contractions guide her body to do so... <i>NOT </i>forcing her into a bed to labor, into stirrups to deliver, and pushing on the doctor's count because it is easier for the provider to monitor and deliver.<br />
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I define it as trusting a mother's body to do what it was <i>designed </i>to do... <i>NOT </i>leaving it up to a healthcare provider who acts under the assumption that the mother's body is ill-equipped to naturally deliver a baby and inflicts intervention upon intervention while their own system creates a self-fulfilled prophecy.<br />
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I define it as a mother centered process, where she is provided the options and allowed to make decisions about her body and her baby... <i>NOT </i>a provider and facility centered process, where the mother is simply informed of what they are going to do based on what is most efficient, convenient or legally safe for them and their practices.<br />
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I define it as emphasis not only on the outcome (getting the baby out), but also on the process and aftermath (the condition of the mother, how she feels, how soon baby can be placed on mama to bond, her recovery)...<br />
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I define it as midwives and doulas working hand in hand with obstetricians, each specializing in their own art and playing equally important roles; midwives and doulas supporting the mother in the process of normal labor in the majority of births, and, less commonly, the need for obstetricians specializing in interventions and procedures only when nature fails...<br />
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Nature's design can work so beautifully, if only given the chance. But our culture regarding childbirth, and the system that supports it has to change. Pregnancy is a miracle to be nurtured into the birth of a new being - not a cancer to be extracted from the body. Women need to find their voice, and demand to be treated differently; to have a different experience. Only then will natural childbirth become what it once was - normal.<br />
<br />Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-40423938733793648962014-03-14T09:00:00.000-07:002014-04-08T09:00:48.955-07:00Well Into The New YearWell into the new year, and my last post covering the last camping trip of the year, and here I am 3 months later talking about the first of the new year! I have been meaning to update for a long time but just never quite got around to it. After my first half marathon (the Coronado Strip Half) and my disappointing time of 2:10 and my hip acting up on the first mile, I was trained and hungry to run another and beat the 2 hour mark. When I heard that Ryan's cousin Nathan and his cousin were running the SD Holiday Half right after Christmas, I signed up right away and got myself to my masseuse and chiropractor to get my hip issues worked out before the next race. I was successful and with my family cheering me on, I finished in 1:58, averaging around an 8.5 min mile most of the way. I'm very proud of my accomplishment, but won't feel complete until I concur a full marathon. I have set my sights on the SD Rock & Roll full marathon in 2015. Timing and location was difficult, as there are not as many full marathons to choose from out there as you would think. And with our busy schedule, there were few options. Since we will be in town for Jared & Kaitlyn's wedding the end of May anyway, the decision sort of fell into my lap. The biggest problem will be training and running at that time of year, as it will be a little bit warmer than my body does best running in.<br />
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We spent my cousin Jay's birthday weekend with him and his family in Big Bear again, and should be able to get one more year in before they move to their next station location, Hawaii!!!! Unfortunately the weather was not on our side and there was no snow, but we cant complain seeing as how this entire year is one of the driest on record and we are in the middle of a severe drought...<br />
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We have had challenges this season (as always) with the girls and sickness - there have been many terrible colds going around, Abby got croup, and both girls got pink eye the other week, and now Abby had a re-occurrence and gave it to me. Ryan has pretty much been continuously sick this whole season, despite all of us taking cold-remedy vitamin packs, taking probiotics and most recently, me trying kefir.<br />
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We have found a way though to get him out and on his mountain bike though. We are trying to fit in a once a week ride, even if its a just a quickie after work. And while I get to work out and run on average 2-3 times a week during my lunch break, I have been trying to fit in a yoga session once a week (which has proved to be more challenging). But all in all, Ryan and I are finding more time for ourselves and carving out time to be both together and also get away to do the things we like to do.<br />
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Part of that has been training a neighbor named Aleshia to babysit. She is very young (junior high) and has no experience, but lives in our building under the watchful eye of her mom, who we know and trust, and is eager to learn the trade. So we have been having her come every other week for a hour and a half, while Ryan and I do things around the house. Yesterday was the first time we left them alone. We took Guinness on an extended walk and it was so great just to get that long, thoughtful, uninterrupted adult time in.<br />
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All in all the girls are great. Rory is very excited for kindergarten and Diane has done an amazing job prepping her for it socially, and mentally. We had decided to put in her application for Vista Grande, which is the one that is closest to Diane - less than a mile away in fact. The one Aurora would normally be assigned to is year round, and we didn't like that schedule. Also, as the best option for before/after school situation for us likely going to be staying with Diane, it is easiest for her as well. So it looks like we will be able to keep our same work schedules, stick with the one car and be able to carpool. She is also very excited for her surprise birthday. Yup, shes getting a surprise birthday party, and she knows about it. One day out of the blue several months ago she tells me, "Mom, I want a surprise birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese for my birthday." I asked her how that was going to work if it was supposed to be a surprise, and she replied (with an eye roll and exasperated sigh mind you), "Mooooom, I promise I will remember to forget!!!" Well, I thought, even though she knows what she wants, she has no concept of time, or when her birthday actually is; only that it is coming up at some point. So here we go planning a surprise birthday party for her. We have invited all of her friends, and talk openly about the party, and she knows its coming, just not when. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she thinks we are just going into another birthday party and SURPRISE! Its for her!!!<br />
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Abby really is coming into her own. She had shown signs of being ready for potty training for quite some time, but we just had not had the time to devote to being at home for multiple days to get started. We had planned on going away for the weekend for Tierra Del Sol, but the girls got pink eye and the only storm of the season was coming in to stay for the whole weekend. Since we were going to be grounded at home anyway, it was the perfect opportunity to finally pull the trigger. We got out the panties, put away the diapers, and went for the gold. She barely needed coercing and since that weekend she has only had a few major accidents, all due to us not being vigilant about asking her every few hours if she needed to go to the bathroom.<br />
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This really represents a huge milestone for us with the girls. We are officially out of the baby - and I would say - even the toddler stage. Both girls out of diapers, off of sippy cups, both can feed themselves, dress themselves (although Abby still struggles, the desire is there), even every other bath I let them clean themselves. We have invested a huge amount of energy and time into training the girls to do things in a certain way, and respect the rules of the house (family dinner time, even if you aren't hungry, hanging up your sweater when you get in the house, putting your dirty clothes in the laundry basket when you take them off, busing your own dishes to the sink, picking up your toys). While it is so tempting to just take the few seconds to do it yourself, the alternative being a 5 minute fight to stop the girls what they are doing, come over, and complete the task with a grumpy attitude, we are seeing the payout, as they girls are doing many of these things automatically now without being asked, and when they are reminded, they do so without gripping (too much). Rory even takes initiative and does things that she sees me routinely do on her own when she has the opportunity. It's hard to explain to her when some of them should better be left to an adult to do, but she sure gets an A for effort!!! Abby is still a little way off from all that, but hey, she is in fact 2 whole years younger.Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-24268642373018077182013-11-07T10:02:00.003-08:002013-11-07T10:02:22.994-08:00Fall BackSuddenly summer is behind us and its fall! We took our last camping trip of the season for Ryan's birthday in September. We drove up to Pismo Beach. It was wonderful and difficult all at the same time. Not having to drive overnight to our destination was wonderful - a 7 hour drive that we thought would only be 5 was difficult. The wide open space to camp on the beach was wonderful - having to listen to all the ORVs all day and night was difficult. The beautiful weather in the morning was wonderful - being cold and trying to keep things from blowing away in the crazy afternoon wind was difficult. But Ryan and I are all about making the most out of situations and being thankful just to be able to get away so we dug a giant sand pit to give us something to do in the morning and to protect the girls from the wind in the afternoon, and collected sand treasures with the girls.<br />
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Then I got to go to get away for mine and Venissa's first annual girls trip to Vegas. We have been doing well at keeping up with each other and planning family days or girls dinners every month or two but it still wasn't enough, so we decided to plan a whole weekend together. We flew out from San Diego together (my first time flying to Vegas instead of driving) and partied, shopped, ate and gambled till we dropped. It was just like the good old college days! And Ryan was happy he didn't have to go to Vegas <i>again. </i><br />
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Then in October, using my birthday as an excuse, I booked a weekend in Palm Springs for Ryan and I. Neither of us had ever been. With it being closer, having the tram up to the mountains, but still having that "get away" feeling, I was hoping this might be the perfect compromise for our couples get away spot - since he really dislikes so much about Vegas. Even with crazy traffic on a Friday afternoon it only took us 3 hours to get there, and on the way back with none it was 2. The tram was awesome, and we loved that we were in the dessert then 30 min later hiking in the mountains with the first snowfall of the season all around us. We explored the fine dining of town, and just enjoyed getting away together on our own.<br />
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And finally, the hallmark of fall season; Halloween. Rory had decided to be Merida, and we got a cute Carters elephant toddler costume for Abby. Kirstein was in town so my mom, Wayne, and her all came over to trick or treat, and with Skye and Danielle having moved just a few miles south of us, they came over too and we took the kids out. A good time was had by all, even if Axel lost a shoe, Rory ripped off her wig before we even got to the first house, and later took a spill headfirst down the stairs (yelling out "I'm ok!!!" the second she touched ground). It was like correlating cats though the adult to child ratio was 7:4, but we didn't loose any of them and they all went home with more candy than any child under 4 should have.<br />
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Then the following weekend we had our annual Halloween party. It's funny how we used to throw these big parties, and 40 people would show up and party until 2 in the morning. I used to make two whole batches of my infamous punch and was lucky if the second one lasted past midnight. Obviously at that time there were no kids. These days its closer to 20 people almost all families, showing up early enough to take a group kid shot outside before it gets too dark, and us seeing out the last remaining (usually childless) guests before midnight. One batch of punch is more than enough (even though I'm always prepared to make a second one - just in case) and an entire room is dedicated to keeping the kids contained.<br />
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It seems things change so drastically in just the blink of an eye... but really it is gradual change that happens every moment, hour, day, so that you don't notice until you look back 5 years ago and realize what has occurred. I wonder how I will feel looking back at this time in our lives in another 5 years.Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-35965265662032589262013-09-25T09:45:00.001-07:002013-09-25T09:45:46.005-07:00August Utah TripOur Utah trip was very successful, and a beautiful experience, if cut short. We started off with another overnight drive to Canyonlands National Park. Ryan and I are pretty good at it now. He dopes up on benedryl before leaving work, I start off driving and grab coffee when we stop for dinner while he tries to catch some shut-eye, and then a 5 hour energy gets me through until about midnight when Ryan takes over and I sleep until I take back over early morning for him to get a morning nap in, then we arrive at our destination. We arrived at the park safe and sound, posted our last picture before leaving reception and checked in at the ranger station to get our permit before hopping down to start the 100 mile White Rim Trail.<br />
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It was our plan to camp along the trail, take our time and spend 3 days getting all the right pictures of the breathtaking canyons. But after accomplishing about 16 miles on the first day and setting up camp in 105 degree weather, we were pretty miserable and rethinking it all. Added with the fact that our camp refrigerator was having trouble maintaining temperature - as were the girls- after much deliberation we decided we would just blow through the trail, seeing what we wanted to see in the comfort of our AC and then just head home early to have most of our weekend still free for a staycation in SD. So we left camp for the afternoon and took a side trail down to the Colorado River, packed up camp the next morning, finished the trail and headed home from there, arriving back in SD in the early morning hours less than 72 hours from when we had left. Ruby hit 30,000 miles while on our trip, and had a thick coating of sticky Utah mud on arrival that the car wash attendees never wanted to see in their lifetime.<br />
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We were very happy with our decision. Afterall, we always say - we aren't trying to be heros. We LOVE to get out and plan lots of outdoor adventures, but we don't have anything to prove to anyone by toughing through a situation when the best laid plans don't manifest as expected. Especially with toddlers in tow! So we escaped the heat but still saw all the wonder and beauty that the trail had to offer. And it really was incredible. Rare up-close and unrestricted access to the undeveloped landscapes. Being able to compare it with the larger more popular Grand Canyon (which we visited last year) it was just night and day. The Grand Canyon was developed, modernized and populated. Roads, walkways, fences and crowds all provided to be a great obstruction to what we were there to see; the vast and rustic wonder of the canyon. The White Rim Trail, on the other hand, gets right down into the canyon, up and over, right up to the edge of it. With no barriers, no paved roads, no swarms of people to get around. It was such a different experience, and even though the canyon is much smaller than the Grand Canyon, it felt so much more real, so much larger because we were <i>right there. </i>Ryan thinks in our lifetime it will slowly be developed, and if that is the case I'm glad we got to see and experience it as it is today.Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-31021239622039119162013-07-24T15:36:00.001-07:002013-07-24T15:36:15.759-07:00July Colorado TripWe made it back. It was quite an adventure. We had decided to drive through the night after work on Friday to make the most of our time. Luckily now that we have the refrigerator in the Jeep, we can easily prepare and pack food the night before and load the rest of the car around it so there is less to do last minute when we leave. We packed as much as we could on Thursday then turned in knowing we had work and a long night of driving ahead of us the next day. Friday we got off work, finished packing and took off for a "movie night" in the Jeep for the girls and a long overnight of taking turns driving for us parents.<br />
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I took the first shift until about midnight, then Ryan took over till about 3:30, then I took it again into the sunrise. It was so beautiful driving into Arizona and Colorado as the sun was coming up behind us. It was also bizarre to have the sun set in front of us on Friday night and have it catch back up with us from the rear the next morning as we were still driving.<br />
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Since we couldn't check into our hotel in Ouray until 3pm, we took advantage of the community hot springs & pool. We all loved swimming in water that was so warm! Later, after checking into our hotel room, checking out the local brewery and the hotel's hot springs fed pool, we crashed. The next day we woke up, enjoyed the free full breakfast at the <a href="http://www.twinpeakslodging.com/" target="_blank">Twin Peaks Lodge</a> and explored the Alpine Loop, got a little scared from a too deep puddle and some lightening in the distance, but finally made it back to our hotel. We enjoyed dinner at the lodge's cafe and swam to our heart's content then crashed.<br />
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That night we awoke to the first of our stomach tragedies of the trip: Rory puking all over the bed her and Abby were sharing. Every hour from about midnight until 5am she had a repeat performance, and the poor thing was apologizing to us for not being able to control it. (We explained to her it wasn't her fault; it was some sort of germ that was inside her body and this was her body's way of trying to get those germs out). She felt a little better by morning, just thirsty so we went down to breakfast. Just as we walked in the door to find a table, she threw up all the water she had been sipping that morning. Great. She cant even handle water yet, and how terrible for all these people trying to eat. At least it was just water.<br />
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Luckily this was our travel day so we just took turns waiting with Rory in our room and eating breakfast then packed up and headed down to Mesa Verde for camping. As we headed into the area, there were torrential downpours. We drove into the park, and when it was clear it was not going to let up anytime soon we checked in to see if we could stay in the lodging for the night. They had rooms so we booked one for the evening. Not a fancy room, the beds sucked, no TV and super ugly and outdated, but hey, better than trying to set up camp in the rain and it had a private balcony overlooking the sunset. It was beautiful as we enjoyed our refuge from the elements for the night.<br />
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The next morning with the rain put on hold for the day, we headed over to the campground to pick out our site. We found a really cute one that was on a corner loop (privacy) with an exposed ground tent space (which Ryan wanted for rain "protection"), and lots of bushes and trees around the periphery (which I wanted for the hammock and shade). Score! We set up then headed out as we had reservations for a bus tour of the area and a guided tour of the largest cliff dwelling site - Cliff Palace. It worked out well - we would have given up seeing even half of the sites if we had the girls on our own, but since it was part of the bus tour we had to man up and just get through it with them. So amid the endless interruptions of a curious 4 year old asking a million questions while we were trying to listen to the guide ("Where are the Indians? Where did they sleep? How did they get down there?") and Abby trying to throw herself out the bus window and lose our 50 millionth pacifier, we finally made it to the main event - The Cliff Palace. And luckily we put the girls in the packs for that so they were restricted, if not a little crabby. Back at camp, we crashed, exhausted from the day and retired to the tent when it started drizzling.<br />
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The next day we decided to do a self guided tour on our own, and settled on the Spruce Tree House and the Petroglyph Point Trail Loop. It took a little bit longer than we had expected, but was a nice shaded hike around the edge of the canyon to the petroglyphs. Unfortunately, at that point you hike up to the top of the ridge and walk a nearly fully exposed route in the sun back to the start. We were pretty tired by the end (after trekking the girls in the packs for the whole walk) and crashed that night too.<br />
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That night, the stomach bug hit Ryan and Abby. She woke up around midnight being incredibly fussy, tossing and turning. After a few minutes she threw up all over the foot of her sleeping bag. (Thank God not inside it or even worse, on me!). YUM, peanut butter and jelly! We cleaned it up the best we could and then waited up with the poor thing to see it out with her, which was every 30 min for about 3 hours. Ryan's system was a little more robust and he just took a few trips to the bathroom. Abby was back to normal the next day so we thought that was the end of that. We had had enough activity the rest of the week, and Ryan was feeling very sick and low, so we took a camp day. Girls played, we swung in the hammock, tried to fly our kite (unsuccessfully), and just enjoyed the downtime. That evening as we were getting ready for bed, Abby had a relapse. Seriously?!? Twice and she was good to go though, and didn't have any more incidence. This was our last night of camping and we decided to mostly pack everything up so we could exit quickly the next morning.<br />
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That night was the craziest weather we experienced. The wind was so strong we thought we might blow away, and I wondered how our poor neighbors with less professional grade gear were fairing. Somehow though, despite the drops of rain that felt like hail, the thunder that sounded like a mountain was coming crashing down on us and the lightening that seemed like it would split our tent in half, when I emerged from my tent to see the damage... there was none. Nada. Everyone seemed fine. No flooding or even pools of water. No uprooted bushes or trees. It was as if the lightening and thunder had never happened, and whatever "small" amount it had rained was instantly sucked up by the vegetation and ground. Now I'm a San Diego girl - I'm used to a few inches that drench the ground and turn it into slick roadways that cause accidents, sloppy puddles and flooding in areas not built for that "much" rain, and trees that topple from hydrophobicly saturated ground. This was bizarre to me. But I wasn't complaining, since that made picking up to take off that much easier.<br />
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We then headed off to split the drive back to SD into a 8 & 6 hour day, stopping in Arizona. We got this great deal from Bass Pro while in Vegas in Feb - They offered us as much money in gift cards as we would pay up front for a 2 day stay in one of their featured resorts (and listen to their vacation club pitch). We checked in and at 105 degrees, there was nothing to do but check out the pool. It was amazingly huge with a shallow beach entry which the girls loved. Unfortunately, I think Aurora was at her emotional wits end from being away from home for so long and out of our normal routine and she was pitching an absolute fit over her bandaid that was in the process of coming off of a scrape on her knee. Between that and the sunscreen that had gotten into Abby's eyes, we called it a day and went back to our room to hide out in the AC and watch TV. Luckily the living room had a pull out bed and its own TV (the girl's "room") and Ryan and I had our room to ourselves. I started feeling a little nauseous so we just turned in and went to bed... and I woke up a few hours later and every 30 min thereafter for 3 hours to run to the bathroom myself - it was my turn. The stomach bug had finally cornered me.<br />
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The next day was pretty miserable. At 9am we had to go to our presentation, and I was not feeling up to it. To make matters worse, I was responsible for the girls while Ryan "paid attention" to the presentation, since they recognized that we both couldn't, and of course the guy is the one who will be making the decision... Anyway, we bribed the girls with ice cream if they tried to behave themselves, and after making it through the pitch and turning it down, we decided it was best to just head home instead of staying another night. We packed up and started home. We got home around 5pm, and Ryan unpacked the car while I bathed the girls. That night was the best night of sleep ever! The next day we got up and tried to slowly start unpacking and cleaning up. Cheryl came and picked the girls up to go to a family event at the Stoops, and we were able to finish our chores and follow a little later. I was feeling much better, if not still a little weak. The next day, my first day back at work, I had a relapse and by the evening I thought for sure I was either pregnant despite Ryan's vasectomy and my birth control pills, as I was so nauseous I couldn't stand it. But I woke up yesterday and was fine again, and today nothing so I think I'm finally over it.<br />
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Thank goodness, as yesterday was our 8 year anniversary! Ryan had dropped the girls off with my mom on Monday night (while I was feeling sick) because Diane is still off this week and my mom is watching them until Friday. So yesterday we were childless for our special day. We got mexican food, Ryan made me paper flowers, we rented The Hobbit (a three hour movie would normally be completely out of the question) and ate ice cream. It was a perfect celebration of our years so far with each other.<br />
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Whew! So there you go, long boring update of our Colorado summer adventure. Every detail you didn't care to know. :)Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-66098843165703619182013-06-28T13:29:00.002-07:002013-06-28T13:29:52.232-07:00They Change So FastAnytime I have the realization that one of the girls has or has not been doing a certain thing for a while it really brings to my attention how fast things change, how quickly they grow and how tiny each stage really is. I think I take it for granted with Abby in our lives now. Instead of celebrating and lingering on every milestone that Rory made, with Abby we now are like, "Great! Ok moving on, that means we can do this now" instead of really cherishing that moment and giving her recognition for her accomplishment.<div>
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Abby will be two years old in less than 2 weeks. She will be able to eat two gummy vitamins, instead of just one. This sticks in my head as a big milestone. I can finally rid myself of all the yellow ones, since Rory only eats the orange and red ones, and they add up if Abby only eats one yellow at a time...</div>
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Ok, ok, yes there are other important updates too. She is working on her last 4 baby teeth; all molars. And she is just as miserable as all the others were. For months before they pop, she is a sad, whiny, mommycentric, cuddly, particular little creature. Its like PMSing for toddlers. And it comes and goes for weeks at a time. Thank God for baby medicine (Orajel, Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen - Sometimes all at the same time so she can sleep).</div>
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As for her personality, she is the sweetest, most even-tempered, easy-going kid I have ever seen. She goes with the flow (as much as you can expect a two year old to) and shares, gives and apologizes freely. She definitely is a peacemaker and just wants everyone to be happy. She often says she is sorry when I am trying to get her sister to apologize to <i>her!</i> She is a total daredevil and very sure of her physical abilities. She enunciates uh-HUH in the cutest way ever. She eats everything in sight and guzzles drinks like its nobody's business. (While Rory is eating more regular amounts, she still needs to be reminded to drink). And even still, she is the same height as Rory was at 2. </div>
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Both her and her sister have taken a liking to their blankets. They have soft blankets they keep in the car, and often insist on bringing them to daycare. Abby has a different one she sleeps with and is quite attached to as well. Rory is more attached (for sleeping) to her pink monkey Suessa. Since she still has that oral fixation, she chews on his tail. Not sure how long that tail is going to last. During the day I tell her to let me know if she wants to chew on something and I'll give her gum but sometimes she just doesn't think about it. That girl needs something to be in her mouth at all times. The rubber bands when I'm doing her hair. Necklace if she has one. (She is not allowed to borrow mine anymore - she chewed right through one of my silver chains). Her hair is getting really long, almost to her waist. She wants to grow it "like Rapunzel". She is exhibiting great signs of independence. I'm teaching her (and by association and imitation, her sister) how to put her shoes away when she gets home, taking off her own clothes and putting them in the laundry, putting on her own clothes, etc. She's doing a great job. The other day I asked her to do something that was out of reach, and realized she couldn't, and started to come get it for her, and she said, "no mom, that's ok, I'll get the stepstool." YES! One step closer to them being able to HELP with my workload, instead of ADDING to it!</div>
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She still has these super dramatic emotional meltdowns. And she often replies to requests with a frustrated whine. I have found that telling her that is not a very nice way to respond, and asking her to please say it again in a nicer way works pretty well. And when she gets in a full out tizzy, it takes a long time to calm herself down but she doesn't hold a grudge. She is incredibly caring and sensitive, and I try to give her positive reinforcement for all the good behaviors she displays. We are working on her reaction to being disappointed (which easily turns into a tantrum) about stuff that can't be changed. Yes, I would love to read you another bedtime story, but its already past your bedtime so you need to go to sleep. No you cant have another yogurt, we ran out and wont have more until we go to the store. No you can't have a sleepover at Grammy Cracker's house, its a weekday and she has to work too. We are trying to teach her that it does no good to flip out about stuff you can't change. It's ok to be sad about it but it won't change anything. I guess we all could work on that one a little more.</div>
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The bedtime routine takes forever nowadays. We start at 7:30 with bedtime snack, then go get changed into pjs, and brush teeth. Then bedtime stories and bed. Sounds like an easy quick process, but they need to be kept on track every second of the routine, and often get sidetracked, distracted, riled up, etc. Rory gets back up to go pee. Abby needs medicine for her teething and wants you to lay with her for a few minutes. Someone needs a drink of water. And its normally not until 8:30 or 9 before they are both truly down for the night. We actually love it on nights that we stay up (like movie night) or have events, because we just change them into pjs there, and then wait for them to pass out and put them to bed!</div>
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Whats so nice is that I feel like we are a family now, working together, experiencing things together (sometimes frustrating, but often wonderful), going out and doing stuff together. Its past the "survival" stage of infancy, and now we are on to experiencing life and creating memories that us and the girls can fondly look back on. I love it and have never been happier.</div>
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Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-66173348497036417932013-06-17T09:34:00.002-07:002013-06-17T09:34:31.436-07:00What Do You Mean Its Not Summer Yet? It Is In San Diego.San Diego weather always throws me for a loop. We have this uniquely moderate weather that is pretty much hotish for a few months of the year, coldish in the morning for a few months of the year and absolutely perfect for the rest of the year. And when you have lived here your whole life - as I have - you have no real concept of what "real" seasons are and how totally miserable they are for pretty much everyone else in the entire nation. It's also really easy to get lost in which season it actually is, since they all sort of blend together and the difference between them is a 2 degree drop at night average and a notation on the calendar. This is the reason why only in San Diego are flip flops and shorts year round attire. Add a sweater for winter, tank top for summer. You get the point.<br />
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My calendar informs me that in fact, summer is still a whole week away. However, I am already in summer mode. I no longer need even a sweater in the morning before the day heats up. We have already gone on our first camping trip of the season (always Memorial Day up at the King's River). We have been to the Del Mar Fair. And of course we are ramping up and planning for our main summer trips. So for all intents and purposes, in my mind, summer has been kicked off already.<br />
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And its already the best summer yet. We are continually adding to Ruby's accessories, and she now proudly carries a refrigerator/freezer in her trunk, run off of batteries and solar power. This will come in real handy for our two week-long off-road trips planned in July and August. We tested it out for the King's River and it was a complete success. We had not fully realized how much space 3, sometimes 4 coolers take up in the packing process. We normally had one large food and one large drink cooler, then usually one or two smaller ones for water and Gatorade. With the refrigerator, we can eliminate all the added room needed for the ice to keep everything cold, and just pack it with food. Then pack a small cooler just with ice for drinks, and we are all set! Drinks can be packed at room temp and added to the refrigerator as needed. We were able to eliminate having to put any camp boxes on the roof-rack. While Ruby can certainly handle the load, we were able to drive a full 10 mph faster without the extra drag on the top (faster arrival), and our gas mileage was better.<br />
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The new refrigerator was just one of several things that made this year's trip the best yet with kids. For one, this was the first Kings River trip that we planned our meals with the Schotts, so instead of doing everything separately then either cooking too much food, or having tons of food to bring home, we had the perfect amount of food, got more time with our friends, and had less cooking and cleanup overall. It was win-win all the way around. Second, while some of the classic river Gods were not there (and we sorely missed them), it ended up being the smallest group we have ever had, and it was, to be honest, a really nice change. Previous years, especially the last few had gotten to be so big they were out of control. Upwards of 75 people, who all show up last min trying to squeeze into spots that have already been allocated, none of which you know and all of which are more "moochers" than "providers" to the whole camping and rafting dynamic... it was getting to be a little bit too much to handle for a family camping trip. So it was really nice to get back to basics and have it be more intimate again. And with Laura [this] close to delivering, it was perfect! Next year, us girls will have to drink it up and get on the river again. :)<br />
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This weekend we have our second camping trip, Paso Picacho. What a great way to kick of the "official" start of summer. Ha!<br />
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<br />Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-51471574368816364712013-04-09T09:58:00.001-07:002013-04-09T09:58:06.768-07:00Spring CleaningLast weekend was the most productive and organized weekend I can remember in my family's history. It was preceded by the most unproductive and disordered two weeks I can remember in my family's history. About 2 weeks ago, on a Friday, they gave us warning that on Monday (and over the course of the entire week) they would begin work on our patio privacy walls, and that we needed to remove every single item not only from our storage shed, but also from our entire patio. Oh and Guinness? Locked inside each day while work is being done. Great. Good thing we didn't have any plans that weekend (like a birthday party,a kid's Easter egg hunt, and packing for our Santa Cruz Trip) otherwise I would have been really stressed about getting all of it done!<br />
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Meanwhile, I have still been nursing my leg injury (remember the groin injury which led to a shin splint that caused knee pain...), which has caused me to be completely useless after work, since my leg starts hurting from being on it all day long by then and I pretty much need to stay off of it in the evening besides essentials (like bathing the kids - bathing myself has been sidelined.) On top of all of it, we returned from Santa Cruz to find that they STILL were not done and needed last week to do finishing work.<br />
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So needless to say after two weeks of having our patio and shed contents strewn about the house in mayhem and me not really being able to do a damn thing about any of it, I was about to lose my mind. Then, the light at the end of the tunnel. (Literally since they opened up all the windows that were boarded up during work on the patio).<br />
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I went to my chiropractor on Wednesday, and he adjusted my leg, which was the kicker to my healing. On Friday, they finished up finish work on the privacy wall. We had a rare weekend that was mostly clear. I decided to cancel swim classes for the quarter (very sad about this but we just didn't have room in our schedule and it was going to stretch us too thin), so besides a family photo shoot with Pam (who has shot both girls' 1st Birthday Parties) on Saturday afternoon we were free to put our lives back together.<br />
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I took the girls to visit with my mom for a while on Saturday morning, which left Ryan free to organize and put everything back in the shed and patio and put together the girls <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00302ICKU/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">new toy storage rack</a>. We came back and got ready for our photo shoot. Sunday Ryan drove up to Ramona to borrow the shop of some guy off of craigslist to put spacers on the jeep to give us a temporary mini-lift. While he was gone, I shifted into full on mommy multi-tasking and efficiency mode (don't you wish all appliances and husbands had that mode?) and blasted through the house like a tornado. I moved the plants in the patio back into place, reorganized the storage closet, did the laundry, cleaned out the girl's closet, redistributed our sports clothes/gear into better and more accessible areas, and prepped the front yard by collecting all the <a href="http://ginnysgarden.blogspot.com/2013/03/sweet-on-sweet-gum.html" target="_blank">dingly-balls that come from the Gum Trees</a> planted out there. And might I add that I accomplished this all <i>without</i> the use of TV or other electronic child attention capturing devises, and by noon to boot. Yeah, I'm tooting my own horn. Suck it. I rocked that day.<br />
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Ryan came home and the awesome day of spring cleaning continued. I put him and Abby down for naps, and took Rory with me to Lowe's to get soil, grass seed and some other gardening odds and ends. We came back, and finished work on the front yard, and moved to the back yard for some bush pruning and jasmine training up onto the patio cover. After the sun went down we went through all of their toys, decided which ones to keep and which ones to get rid of and organized them into the new toy storage rack.<br />
<br />
We decided that we deserved a special treat so we rented Skyfall, set the girls up with a kid movie in the game room, and set ourselves up with big bowls of ice cream for ours. Abby fell asleep during theirs, and Rory and us went to bed far past our bedtimes but it felt so darn good to accomplish so much and have such a nice treat at the end of it all it was well worth it.Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-110338419168653972013-04-03T09:57:00.000-07:002013-04-03T09:57:45.412-07:00Garden of EdenEvery time we visit my Godfather Charly and his partner Tracy in their beautiful beach house in Santa Cruz, I feel like I'm visiting a modern day Garden of Eden. The world stands still for those days, and I leave with the sense that I have just been at an incredibly natural and holistic retreat. The sense of community, health, well being, family and just pure enjoyment and celebration of life washes over me like sunshine. The community of Santa Cruz is very progressive marked by social activism, is at the center of the organic agriculture movement, and it's citizens enjoy a wide range of local recreation (surfing, biking, hiking). To me its the perfect community, incorporating all the ways I want to live and all the things I love. I honestly would LOVE to live there... if we had any job prospects, were able to stomach the cost of living (seeing as how its one of the FEW places that's more expensive than San Diego), would not have to leave all of our friends and family behind... well anyway, we immensely enjoy visiting Santa Cruz when we can. Charly and Tracy expose us to the latest and greatest in all things healthy for the mind, body and spirit, and spoil us silly.<br />
<br />
We gave up our long Easter weekend in San Diego and took an extra day to spend two days on the road and two days visiting. Here were the highlights:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>We can safely say that Abby is out of the "I-wont-spend-more-than-2-hours-in-the-car-unless-I'm-sleeping" phase. Thank God. The girls did great on the drive up and down, thanks to the entire series collection of He-man.</li>
<li>It was great to see my Godmother Mary (who also lives in Santa Cruz) who has lost 100 lbs due to going off of prednisone and gone through the ringer with serious cancer since the last time we saw her. She looks fantastic and has a new lease on life. She went a little crazy on the girls Easter baskets (it is pretty hard to exercise restraint) and we now are in possession of a year's supply of candy for a family of 20.</li>
<li>In making my famous fish tacos for dinner one night in a gluten free household, I discovered a tweak to my recipe that will make a crispier batter. I will from here on out be using part flour and part corn starch. I was also happy to pass on a gluten free pancake recipe, which has been my new favorite easy breakfast for the girls. 1 banana + 2 eggs blended. (Not a trick, although it seems like it would be). Naturally sweet and great with peanut butter. I also have an appreciation for wheat bread. Gluten free bread crumbles as if it was made of sand.</li>
<li>We got to have a craft day of making stepping stones for each of us. Mary helped Rory with a butterfly design, I did a heart, not really sure what Abby's is and Ryan's is a geometric white and blue concoction. Now where to put them?</li>
<li>I had discovered that my childhood friend Rose lived in Santa Cruz with her son Julian and they came to visit while we were there. It was great to see her again after at least 10 years. Even if we all had trouble placing her in which of my mom's Campo friends groups she was from and remembering who her mother was. (Barbara, not Hopie, for the record.) My mom set the record straight before Rose began to question her maternity.</li>
<li>Abby had a few really rough nights of teething that even though acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and orajel couldn't help. They numbed the pain but only cuddles with mom and dad in bed with the pacifier sealed the deal.</li>
<li>I remembered I REALLY don't like Ryan driving. With my messed up knee (which got messed up from a shin splint which was the result of a pulled groin muscle) I drove very little on the trip. This wont be happening again anytime soon. He takes driving too seriously, and stresses me out with all of the jobs and exceptions of the "co-pilot" so that he can focus 100% of his attention on driving safely.</li>
<li>We stopped in Huntington Beach on the way home to wait out some traffic hoping to visit my Aunt Tina, but they were not home so we went to the REI there which we have always wanted to check out, and sat down for dinner. (This we will not be doing again anytime soon either. Kids are just too much work at a restaurant). But I happened to find an awesome solution to my purse which I have hated for a very long time. Its an <a href="http://www.rei.com/product/827996/rei-agility-sling-bag-womens" target="_blank">REI Agility Sling Bag</a>, and I'm calling it my murse. I have a lot of stuff to carry in my purse, and it was just too heavy. I was having shoulder problems, and neck aches. And besides the physical abuse, it wouldn't stay put with me bending down for toddlers all day long. It would either stay put and everything would dump out as it turned sideways, or it would fall right off my shoulder. It wasn't "hands free" since I was always having to use my arm/hand to hold it in place! Well I'm so happy with my solution. I don't care how dorky I look.</li>
</ul>
Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-58668920427410136942013-03-20T11:35:00.003-07:002013-03-20T11:35:43.552-07:00Spring Has ArrivedToday is the first day of spring! Can you believe it?<br />
<br />
Vegas was amazing. Highlights:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The JUST US, childless weekend was amazing and such a wonderful treat.</li>
<li>We stayed at the Wynn. Its one of the best hotels on the strip, and we got a great deal. 3 nights average under $200/night that included tickets to La Reve and one buffet for each of us every day we were there. The room was amazing - everything was automated; the temperature, do not disturb, the lighting, etc. Floor to ceiling windows, beautiful view of the strip. </li>
<li>Buffet was awesome, best buffet I have ever been to.</li>
<li>The two shows we went to, La Reve (at the Wynn) and The Beatles (at the Mirage) were both spectacular. Highly recommend both.</li>
<li>I had been looking in advance and got coupons for some stuff and looked for activities since we didnt have the girls and had Ruby for transportation. So we went go cart racing (SO MUCH FUN), went to see the mermaids in the aquarium at the Silverton (very disapointing and cheezy) & shot guns at the gun shop (Sort of scary being around that many weapons at once, but an adrenaline rush shooting for sure).</li>
<li>Since we were going to do it anyway, and there was a store right there, and we didn't have the girls with us, we took advantage of taking care of business, and bought an Ipad mini for Ryan & an Iphone 5 for myself. Bye bye Sprint & HTC Evos! Im loving it. Many Many inherent problems with the android and Sprint service all solved and not issues anymore on apple. </li>
<li>We are not big gamblers but how can you not sit down at a few slot machines while you are in Vegas??? I won $300 on an Alice in Wonderland slot! I was a very happy girl.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
TDS was amazing. Highlights:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>We camped with SD Jeepin, the San Diego Jeep club that Skye had found online, and they are awesome. Really good group of people. </li>
<li>My mom watched the girls, so it was another kid free weekend. (Score!)</li>
<li>Just by the nature of the event and the trail, we took her on things that we would not have thought was possible. Ryan had ditched me to go on a harder detour of the trail with some of the beefier Jeeps, and left me to man Ruby all by myself - JUST as the trail got really intense and the difficulty increased to a much higher level than either of us would have felt comfortable taking Ruby on without her boob job. (That's what I call a lift kit). It was good though, since I just had to run with it, trust my driving instincts and follow everyone else. Ryan would have been flipping out every two seconds if he was with me.</li>
<li>I only got stuck once. I didn't give the guy in front of me enough time to clear a huge hill and had to stop at the very top since he had not quite made it over. I lost my momentum and got stuck at the top. (Since we have a longer wheel base and no lift yet, Ruby tends to high side on steep & short hills). I was pretty terrified since it was RIGHT after a huge merge of the easy/hard trail and JUST before the very end of the trail and it was literally bumper to bumper. So here I am stuck and holding up the ENTIRE trail behind me. Luckily everyone was super helpful and I instantly had like 5 guys to my rescue including my brother, and the Jeep in front of me stopped and we hooked up a tow strap and he pulled me up and over.</li>
<li>We saw some amazing vehicles do incredible things, like this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGIzVcpkTQ4">custom vehicle that I filmed</a> and our new friends even let us drive their incredibly capable rides. All in all we discovered and decided two things: 1. We are for sure getting Ruby a boob job, and 2. We are NEVER going to go to the lengths that most people go to when they get into offroading!</li>
</ul>
<div>
Update on trips:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Santa Cruz next weekend, very much looking forward to the time with family that we have not seen in a long time.</li>
<li>Very much looking forward to Memorial Day. Need to explore those trails behind the river a little more! And of course the awesome company. XOXO SCHOTTS.</li>
<li>Yosemite fell through. New plan is Moab, Utah, the White Rim Trail loop and a little stop off at a resort in Peoria, Arizona on the way back.</li>
<li>Thinking of heading up to Pismo Beach in August, either for the Huckfest event or the weekend after for a longer weekend just us.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Other updates:</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>I have had some trouble with a shin splint (yes, just one - my right shin). So Im having to take a break from working out until it heals. Its going to be a while, it is slow going.</li>
<li>That "dream home" finally sold and went through. Sold in February for $540k CASH. Way out of our league. </li>
<li>Loving the new AC/Heating system. So quiet and works great.</li>
<li>I just finished reading the book "Why We Get Fat", and am now reading "Fat Chance". Amazing. Mind blown. Life changed. But this deserves a whole separate blog entry on my workout blog, so that will come another day. </li>
</ul>
<div>
Girl updates:</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>I enrolled the girls in gymnastics at UCSD on Sat mornings last quarter. It went great and they LOVED it. My mom came with me most times, and we all really enjoyed ourselves. Plus it gave Ryan some alone time, which unless the weather was terrible or he was not feeling well he used to go mountain biking. This quarter I signed them up for swim, which I am very excited about. Abby doesn't like getting her head wet at all, so I hope this helps.</li>
<li>We have come to the realization that Rory is a hyper-sensitive child. She is a total doll, but has really high highs, and really low lows (that come seemingly from no where). Every day is the "BEST day of my life!!!" and then 5 min later when you moved her toy, you have ruined her life. Yes, no joke. Shes already 16 years old. What will 16 look like? Dare I ask? So we are working with her on ways to control her emotions and not let them get out of control.</li>
<li>Abby's two canine teeth are FINALLY coming through, and the poor thing is in so much pain. I dont know how she is going to handle the last 4 molars that still need to come in. But besides that she is a total doll, super even tempered and very pleasant. She listens well most of the time, but where we are going to have difficulty with her is discipline. She simply doesn't care if you get angry or stern with her. So we will have to come up with some other mode of punishment when she gets to the point where she needs it. Shes a dare devil, and extremely active. Shes already talking in 3 word sentences and its so adorable to hear a tiny little thing like her talking in this tiny tot voice but saying REAL things that make sense. Its almost a double take kind of thing. </li>
<li>Ryan and I are having discussions about Rory and preschool - if any - before she goes into Kindergarten. There is a lot involved; scheduling, cost, benefit. I can't believe she is almost 4 years old. It really set in when I bought her birthday dress in 3T and it was a little too small. This will be the first time EVER that she has gone into a size bigger than her age. </li>
<li>We will be going to IKEA soon and getting a mattress for Abby. Its time to get rid of the bat tent!</li>
</ul>
Well that's about "all" I can think of for right now. LOL</div>
Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-8181260826676296232013-02-13T08:06:00.001-08:002013-02-13T08:06:14.139-08:00On The Up & UpSo its been so incredibly long since I last blogged, and even the thought of trying to catch up is so overwhelming that I can't deal. So Im going to try to catch up in bullet points. Here goes, in no organization and no particular order. Stream of consciousness, beware.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I know 5, count them FIVE pregnant women right now. Is something in the water? I'm mostly excited about this because I will have plenty of friends to give me my baby fix this summer. :0)</li>
<li>Speaking of babies, we wont be having anymore. Ryan got fixed in November. No accidents in our future.</li>
<li>We are going to our first Jeeping event next month - Tierra Del Sol, with Skye. Im really excited since this is really the first thing I will have ever done with my brother. (Besides hang out at a family event or see him when I visit my mom).</li>
<li>I'm on day two of the <a href="http://rabbitfoodformybunnyteeth.com/skinny-bunny-cleanse/">skinny bunny cleanse</a>. This will be my second time. I had gotten back up to a daily average between 135-140 and I needed to reboot, since I was becoming a slave to devil food again. Having trouble with portions, lack of self control... I think I will likely need to use this cleanse every 6 months or so, just because devil food is so prevalent, cheap and fun to eat! Its such a shame its so terrible for you and your health & well being just spirals out of control when you eat it. It feels so good to get back to basics, clean your body back and remember what its like to eat to live, instead of living to eat.</li>
<li>That said, Ryan and I are headed to the city of sin this weekend. We are Vegas bound, sans girls or friends. Just the two of us. I bought two new lingerie outfits just for the occasion, and I think I'm more excited for this trip than I was for our wedding. Just kidding. Kind of. Seriously, we have not had an alone trip - just the two of us - since before we had the girls. LONG overdue.</li>
<li>This year is seriously going to be the best year ever for trips. Last month we went to big bear with my cousin Jay and his family, where I got to go snowboarding for the first time since before the girls. The girls loved the snow and we got to go sledding RIGHT behind the cabin, and make a life sized snowman that will hopefully win us a return weekend back up there. Then we have Vegas this weekend, TDS next month, and then Santa Cruz for Easter. Kings River in May, and *hopefully* Yosemite in July. Ill let you know how the craziness of booking goes for that.</li>
<li>As you can see we are finally back in the saddle for trips and getting out there, and it FEELS AMAZING. </li>
<li>I've gotten myself in the to the best shape of my life. I have never been as just generally fit in my whole life. I really make my lunch hour workouts count and I have really great routines that are nice and varied.</li>
<li>We got girl-carrying bike accessories. Abby is now in a <a href="http://www.weeride.com/Kangaroo-Center-Mounted-Child-Bicycle-Carrier">weeride </a> and Rory is attached to my bike on a <a href="http://www.weeride.com/Co-Pilot">copilot</a> and they couldn't be happier. As the weather warms up and it stays lighter longer, I anticipate us going for a family bike ride every night after dinner!</li>
<li>Abby is teething again and tied to her pacifier. She has all 4 corner teeth to come in (canines?) and then the second round of molars, then shes done with her baby teeth!</li>
<li>Shes totally the opposite of Rory in demeanor. Abby is very easy going, not quick to emotion, and not sensitive at all. (You can give her the sternest look and voice and she just looks right back at you like, "whats your problem?"). Rory is very excitable, very emotional and dramatic, and incredibly sensitive. (You can give her a stern look and she will break down crying and apologizing). Abby is very observant and focused. Rory is totally absorbed and oblivious. Abby lives to eat, Rory eats to live - every other day. Its a lot of fun to have two girls who are so different but its also very worrisome, given that they will have to be handled differently and it will be hard to give them both what they need but still maintain a level of "fairness".</li>
<li>We went through a little housing midlife crisis, where one of our "dream houses" (more about location and lot than the shape the house was in) came up for sale, and we scrambled to see if we could pursue it but when all was said and done, it was too much of a stretch, we were not financially ready and the market is apparently going crazy right now anyway so we couldn't offer a competitive bid. So it was more about going through the motions, really seeing what it would take to buy a house, and assessing if it was going to be worth it - now or ever - for us. And for the most part we determined that we are happy where we are at, and that the cost of moving up (given that we don't have money growing out of our ears) would not be worth what we would have to sacrifice. </li>
<li>To that end, we splurged and replaced our entire AC/Heating system, as we had been doing without the heater since it broke a few years back, and hardly ever ran the AC due to its inefficiency and cost. Its got a top of the line filter and UV light which will help with germs and our allergies. Sayonara $9,000.</li>
</ul>
<div>
I think that's about it for now... I might as well publish this otherwise it will turn into a novel and never get put up.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-59498444988239111642012-08-01T11:21:00.001-07:002012-08-01T11:21:06.220-07:00Summer ModeI cant believe its really been over two months since my last post and so much has happened and changed. Memorial Weekend was wonderful, as always. We took an extra day and went to the Schott's house on Monday and drove home on Tuesday. It was great - we got more time with them, got everyone clean which is always nice after camping, and avoided all the rush traffic home that we normally get going home on Monday.<br />
<br />
We had a garage sale in June... successful overall. We had so many things we were holding on to because they were too big or "valuable" to donate, but really didnt have a purpose for anymore. So we got rid of all of them at the garage sale. We only made like $150, and the money wasnt worth the time and work involved in pulling the whole thing off, but it was worth going through the whole process to realize how valuable our space and time is. Hopefully we don't need to relearn the lesson anytime soon and can be good stewards of our home and keep a close eye on what comes into the house from now on.<br />
<br />
Rory also had her first dentist appointment in June, and it went great. She was wonderful, and let the hygienist clean her teeth no problem.They could tell, however that she was still on the paci, as she has a little overbite, and told us it was best to get rid of it as soon as we were able. Easier said than done - we caved and gave it back to her after a few weeks of hell not having it. I lied in my last post when I said it was getting better. We will likely just take ALL pacifiers out of the house from BOTH girls at the same time.<br />
<br />
We also had a few jeeping adventures, which we have now had I think 3 of as a family. Ryan has taken the girls out on his own a time or two as well. Its a fun outdoor activity that keeps the girls clean and restrained. :0) Its also fun to drive these roads and feel "extreme" even though its totally not (at least when you compare it to the YouTube videos of crazy jeep stuff).<br />
<br />
Abby's 1st birthday party went off without a hitch - besides the sick birthday girl. She had developed a fever on Tuesday night, and it didn't clear up while at Diane's the next day. In fact it got worse, and so I had to call out on Thursday and Friday to stay home with the girls. It was high - 104 without Tylenol, and about 102 with it. I took her in on Friday to get it checked out and they tested for strep and a UTI (traumatic experience to watch her get a catheter poor thing), both negative and said it was likely Roseola which we would know if it cleared up and a rash presented after, or some other virus she was fighting. Sure enough, she was tired and slept through most of her party (woke up between 2 two-hour long naps to snap some grumpy pics and hit her pinata.), and the fever finally broke that Saturday evening, and on Sunday she got the rash.The party was wonderful though - Chuck and Carol were amazing hosts, Rodeo's taco cart was awesome food, and our margaritas on tap were a hit. It was also nice that the jump house was free to all the little kids for once, as there were not many older kids.<br />
<br />
Then two weekends ago we did another camping trip with our good friends the Landis' in Palomar. We were excited that they raised enough funds to keep it open (it was on the budget cut chopping block). It is further away than other camping to central SD but its so green, with lots of trees, and the camping spots all have great amenities (food boxes, grills, accessible water, flushing toilets, trash cans) and lots of shade. We got side by side spots (19 & 20 for recording purposes). Besides a diarrhea mishap the first night with both girls, the weekend was a grand success. It was the first "test" of our mega camp/kitchen box that has a "stocked" list of items. It made packing much easier knowing that everything on the "stocked" list was already accounted for and we didnt have to pack.<br />
<br />
The day after we got back, on our 7th year wedding anniversary, I lost my wedding rings. Im devastated, as the design was one of a kind and the diamond was a family stone. I have no idea where they went, as I don't remember taking them off. I only take them off to put on lotion at work and at home after showers. I've looked everywhere, and can't find them. I'm still holding out hope that they will turn up in some random place.<br />
<br />
We are now gearing up for our big trip with Melinda and Nathan to the Grand Canyon and Zion. Its going to be spectacular.<br />
<br />
The girls are great. Abby just eats all the time. When she's not eating, she is wandering around or playing - that girl never stops moving (except when she is sleeping). But she is turning out to have a really sweet and easy going personality. She doesn't seem to have nearly the stubborn streak that Rory has. She really only flips out when she is hungry. She enjoys her finger foods, but still needs the "substance" of her old baby food and cereal. Luckily most of the time we can get some in Rory too, which that little stick girl needs. Abby is not picky and will eat just about anything. Rory is still picky, and what she <i>will </i>eat changes every day. She is starting to talk, saying basic things like mom, dad, dog, or at least her versions. She says "ya" but for no, she just shakes her head vigorously.<br />
<br />
Still no more teeth for Abby but I think she is teething again - she has been in pain and keeps grabbing her mouth. I'm realizing that Abby's body manifests more severe symptoms, and that they are more painful for her than with Rory:<br />
<br />
Abby: Terrible teething; in a lot of pain long before the tooth is even visible beneath the skin.<br />
Rory: Got a low grade fever the day before the tooth popped, which didn't bother her, and neither did the actual tooth coming in. In fact, I prepped her for months about getting her final molars, and told her to tell me if her teeth hurt and we could give her something for it. She never did, until one day I noticed that she had one of them. She didn't even notice!<br />
<br />
Abby: Got Roseola and the worst range of the symptoms associated with it. 5 days of a high fever, followed by 2 days of rash.<br />
Rory: If she did get it, we didn't even notice it (most kids get it by the age of 2 but in some, the symptoms are so mild the child and parents don't realize it)<br />
<br />
Abby: When she is sick she has a really tough time, is clearly in a lot of pain and needs Tylenol.<br />
Rory: When she is sick she really just gets cuddly and sleeps a lot. Not a big complainer.<br />
<br />
What it boils down to is this:<br />
Abby: Ryan's pain threshold<br />
Rory: My pain threshold<br />
<br />
In other girls news, Rory has been doing a good job of pooping in the potty. Its been a long road; she has for the most part gotten the peeing down, and besides going a little bit in her panties if she gets distracted, waits too long or doesn't want to take the time to go to the bathroom, she is pretty much good to go. But the pooping was a problem. Recently it was clear that her natural cycle put her at pooping sometime between bedtime and morning time, so she was pooping in her sleep most of the time. Well thats a huge mess, since she would not wake up after doing it... so she was rolling around in a poopy diaper all night long. And shes got big girl, full adult nasty poops now. So we were lucky if all we had to do was clean up a poopy diaper and change her pajamas. Some episodes involved sheet changing and baths... lets just say we are VERY happy we decided to leave the plastic cover that came on the mattress. Anyway, so we started including trying to go poop into her bedtime routine. She wasn't happy with it at first, but with lots of insisting on our part, various bribing techniques, she is now going poop almost every night before bed. And those nights that she doesn't its because she has given it an honest try, and just doesn't have anything to offer to the toilet, and generally stays clean all night then. I'm really hoping we don't have as tough of a time with Abby, because potty training with Aurora has been a nightmare.Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-6740965864961262682012-05-17T11:51:00.000-07:002012-05-17T12:16:09.965-07:00Changing Times and Tides!Now the Ryan and I are past the baby hump, it seems like it has all gone by so fast. Ill have to do a top 10 most significant things that have happened to us this year soon. Anyway, Abby is 10 months old!!! I cant believe my little baby is almost a year old. Her teeth have been coming in like gang busters. The whole top row was showing white and was a race to the finish. First up was her top middle right. Then the middle left. And just a week ago was the one next to the top right. How the left one is coming in too. She has been sleeping much better through the night now that they have come through. She also took her first steps on Rory's birthday, at Cheryl's house for their birthday celebration. 3 unsure steps before falling down. She had much more capability than she has the confidence for, but it didn't take her long; yesterday she started walking! Legit, full fledged toddling balancing walking between people and things! For the record, I said she would be walking by Memorial Day. Her hair is getting much lighter but is still brown, and has this one long clump right up on top that is several inches long while the rest is not even an inch. She has the baby comb-over where Rory had the baby mullet. She is a very happy baby overall and flaps her arms and legs enthusiastically when she is excited. Mostly when she sees me, or is being held by me. I almost need a helmet for protection.She also loves climbing up the stairs, and has a knack for getting to the top before you even notice she has started doing it. Although she is pretty good about going down feet first facing the stairs on her own, for obvious reasons we are trying to re-set habits of putting up the gate when we are in the house. Diane admitted to us that in addition to having the nastiest smelling poop she has ever experienced, her unhappy crying is the most ear piercing, un-ignorable one she has had too. Always striving to be the best at something, even if it is an undesirable trait, us Cross women.Ryan just took both girls to the doctor for their check ups and Abby was at 15 lbs, Rory at 27.<br />
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Rory's 3rd birthday at Disneyland was a success, and she thoroughly enjoyed the day. I did not thoroughly enjoy going to California Adventure specially for the new Little Mermaid ride to find out it was closed, and Ryan did not thoroughly enjoy waiting in line for over an hour to get aprox 15 seconds with 3 Disney princesses, one of which gave Rory the once over and an internal eye roll when she found out that "Aurora" was her name. But the day was about Rory, so even though we didnt get on all the rides WE would have liked to, or get in at opening or stay until closing, it was exactly what it was supposed to be. Thanks to her friend Luke, she got her face painted and a princess wand that lights up in the dark. She is still unsure however, whether the experience was worth giving up the pacifier or not though.She asks for it often, and for the first week without it was very moody and easy to upset, even during the day and at times other than when she normally got the pacifier (like bedtime and in the car). We have stayed strong though, and this second week has been much better. She is doing great with the potty too. She has a few accidents here and there - times when she wets her undies a little if we dont ask her often enough or once in a while with the pooping since she seems to have trouble holding it until she gets to the potty if she has the urge.Those are pretty gross and I usually pretend I'm busy doing something else and cant get it. I know my secret is safe here since Ryan doesn't read my blog. Muahahahaha! So she is only in diapers overnight. Most of the time if it is not convenient we don't even put one on for her nap times.<br />
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Skye and Danielle's little man Axel made his appearance on May 9th after a stressful accident occurred the day before (a drunk driver took out both Skye's Corolla and his Jeep). I guess our family is all about the sharing of birthdays, because the 9th is Danielle's mom's birthday (and Ryan's mom's brother's birthday as well). Danielle delivered at UCSD and did an awesome job, as tired and in pain as she was; Axel was 22 inches long and 9 lbs, 4 oz - the first scale was broken and said 7 lbs; one look at the kid and they should have known that was wrong. Anyway, he totally has Skye and Wayne's dimpled chin, and apparently has the lightest blue eyes. We only got to see him so far in the hospital and for Mother's Day, and rightfully so everyone let him stay in his mommy's arms and he slept most of the time. But I cant wait to check out those eyes for myself!<br />
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Then there is me. My lunchtime running has had its tribulations, that is for sure. First I had the ankle and knee pain. Looked it up. Started doing exercises (ankle rotations and toe rises) to help it out. Good to go. Then came the hip pain. Looked it up/talked to cousin Nathan who is training for a marathon. Likely cause from adding too much distance on too soon. Great. Lay off the distance, pay attention when it starts to hurt, do lots of stretching and more stretching... well I think Im finally at a good place and have built up my muscles and ligaments and feel pretty strong overall. On Tuesday I was able to do my whole [shortened] run without walking at all, no pain during or after. So Ill continue that for the next week or two and then add on distance slowly. I would also like to try to do the run 3 times a week, but we will see if that is feasible! As far as my weight is concerned, it seems to have leveled at ~134 (just over or just under depending on the day) and I now fit in ALL of my pre-pregnancy clothes, which is freaking awesome.I also did measurements since I had taken them from when I did P90X and I had lost several inches everywhere from my biggest after delivering to now. Ill do a separate post at some point with before and after pics in the same clothes I did with P90X and put down the measurements.<br />
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There is only so much time in the day!<br />
<br />Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-92168167334952801742012-04-27T15:47:00.002-07:002012-04-27T15:47:15.793-07:00The Start of Summer FunIts that time of year... the time where the hint of summer is right around the corner, and its time to start planning for all the fun summer stuff... and you get all excited just thinking about it all!<br />
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Monday we are taking the day off to take Aurora to Disneyland for her birthday. We are excited to see the joy of the park through her eyes. She has never been before, so it will be a really special treat. We are also taking away the pacifier - Disneyland is supposed to be the consolation prize. Upon the suggestion of my dear friend (who is also the manager of a dental office) it was time to give up the paci, and the perfect story to go with it: The paci fairy is coming to take all the pacifiers from you to bring them to all the other little babies who dont have any at all. Venissa also got Aurora a soft Ariel doll for her birthday that she has really taken to and so we are hoping she can stand in to settle her when she is inconsolable. So when she goes to bed on Sunday night, we are going to help her get all her pacifiers together for the fairy then when she wakes up on Monday we go to Disneyland! Abby is teething (getting THREE top teeth all at once and they are coming in SLOWLY) so I hope she is not too fussy for our trip. And Ryan is already mapping out the bathrooms in the park since Aurora has been in panties during the day for a while now, and only gets diapers or pull ups at naptime and at night.<br />
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First off we have memorial day extended weekend with favorite friends and family (especially the Schott's), then of course we have Abby's 1st birthday party, which we are having at Chuck and Carol's. We got a jumpy house, and are going to set up a do it yourself face painting station. We keep going back and forth on doing a taco cart caterer vs. getting local taco shop fare and setting it up ourselves buffet style. The price difference is going to be several hundred dollars, which is significant!<br />
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After that we have a shorter camping trip planned with the Landis's (who we regrettably see little of now days due to them living in Fallbrook, and Jennifer's crazy pharmacist schedule), and our BIG camping trip planned with Nathan & Melinda to the Grand Canyon and Zion in August.<br />
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<br />Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226300013289737248.post-38132317440954046132012-04-05T14:07:00.000-07:002012-04-05T14:08:23.025-07:00New Lease On Life<p class="MsoNormal">I feel like my old self (pre kids) again. Its incredible what this diet and getting back to running has done for my spirit, attitude, and outlook. It’s a beautiful, challenging and interesting run, and every time I get out I think how blessed I am to be able to do that on my lunch break. Who else can just step outside their office and within minutes be on the beaches of La Jolla with the cool wind at their back urging them on??? The running has really catapulted my weight loss too. I had hit a plateau of about 135 with diet alone, and now with the running I’ve actually been able to loosen up on the diet a little and have still been losing weight – today’s weigh in was my lowest yet, at 132.8. (Although I did donate blood on Tuesday; how much does a pint of blood weigh? Lol. Maybe it just burns a lot of calories to make it back up?) And I can tell my body is toning up again; its not a soft 133, it’s a firmer, stronger 133. I actually put on my “skinny” jeans (you know the expensive nice ones from years back that you have not fit in forever but you will never get rid of no matter what) and they actually fit me! Now I couldn’t wear them with a snug fitting tank top, but I could wear them with a flowy top. Improvement! Especially since the last time I put them on I looked like a blimp. Ill do a later posting with before and after pics.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Our Jeep finally has an ETA: Friday the 13<sup>th</sup>. LOL. Fitting, right? I swear it will never be here. Its been just “two weeks” away for so long I feel like I don’t really believe that its actually going to be in our household!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Abby is continuing to progress, and now says mama. Now while this was her first sound, it does seem that she associates it with me. Being such a mama’s girl its no surprise. She also is starting to try to imitate us with other sounds. Shes for sure a chunkier monkey than Aurora was, and is in solid 6 month old stuff, although she can fit in some smaller stuff and some larger stuff. She is still a great eater, although she really wants to be eating with us and feeding herself. She is a food gourmet. Although she is not picky about much, if it tastes like crap, she wont eat it. We tried a bunch of baby food on our camping trip last weekend and she wouldn’t eat any of the savory flavors. I cant blame her, they are nasty. She is nursing well still too. I leave my pump at work now, and just pump twice a day at work, and otherwise nurse her at home and that’s it.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">She has been teething like crazy too, and many nights needs Tylenol around 3pm. Its so sad to hear her whimpering and whining in pain. It sounds so pitiful since normally her crying is so loud, demanding and pissed off sounding. But I cant tell which teeth are bothering her, since you cant really see any that are really close to breaking the surface. She just has her father’s tolerance for pain, poor thing. While she is behind where Aurora was at this age (she will be 9 months old next week) for some milestones like clapping, waving, etc. she is totally blowing us away with her physical milestones. She has been standing unassisted for a few seconds at a time for a week or two now, even though she is unsure when she does it and slowly lowers herself back to the ground as if she was scared of falling and standing on a small rock at 100 feet up. Aurora was walking about a month after she started standing unassisted, so we will see how long it takes Abby! She’s a total joy though and laughs like crazy when you play with her or tickle her. Aurora absolutely adores her and dotes on her as much as an almost 3 year old could have patience for.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Aurora’s potty training is going well now that Ryan and I are on the same page. It wasn’t going well while we disagreed on how ready she was and whether to put her in diapers, pull ups, or panties and in what situations. But now we are both committed to getting her there, and she goes to the sitter in panties, stays dry all day (pull up at naptime) and then stays in them until bed when we put her size 4 diapers on. As long as we have her try every hour or so she doesn’t have accidents, but has yet to poop in the potty, so that will have to come in its own time. She continues to crack us up with her sense of humor. She jokes around all the time with us, and she is great at playing pretend. Her favorite color is definitely pink. Dora the Explorer has a larger place in her heart than Spongebob. She’s become a picky eater who will eat a boatload of something one day then not want it at all the next. If you don’t find the one thing she is in the mood for, she just wont eat. But she does have some staples that she normally wont turn down; olives, prunes, cheese, yogurt, French fries with ketchup (much to my disgust), and peanut butter. She is in size 6 shoes, and 2T most everything (3T shirts though). <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">With the turn of spring we have to get a plan together for the girls’ birthdays. After talking to Aurora about what she wanted to do, and taking everything else into consideration, we decided that we are going to take a day off and take Aurora to Disneyland for her birthday, then throw a huge party for Abby’s 1<sup>st</sup>. We didn’t want to do two big parties just two months apart (too overwhelming), and Aurora really wanted to go to Disneyland. She has never been, and we feel she is old enough to actually enjoy the trip. She’s still free (big bonus) and my Aunt can get Ryan and I free tickets (double bonus), so to have a low key enjoyable birthday celebration for Aurora that is practically free, and that she will appreciate as much or more than a big party is awesome! And since we will be throwing the typical huge 1<sup>st</sup> birthday party for Abby, she and we will still get to see all of our friends and family there. <o:p></o:p></p>Loralyn Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11556115339185062072noreply@blogger.com2