2010 Overview

january
• started life in our new house in patterson, ca
• len switched from a 6-day to a 3-day work week and started adjusting to a longer commute
• snakes & rabbits became a normal part of our everyday lives
• len’s golf game started to improve
• klaudia turned 2

february
• len saw a record number of patients in his practice

march
• klaudia started her new gymnastics classes

april
• kate went on maternity leave and started her 4-month break

may
• maya was born

june
• had 3 snakes in our backyard

july
• len spent two full weeks at school in texas leaving his girls home alone

august
• bought a minivan
• kate saw her first tarantula

september
• len enrolled in NP program
• kate’s parents came to stay with us for 6 months

october
• kate’s dad painted the garage and fixed our backyard

november
• thanksgiving in las vegas

december
• len graduated from his rn program
• kate finished her first semester of work as a mom of two
• maya said mamma for the very first time

Teaching in Action

Mama

Maya has been saying Baba for a while, but yesterday she said Mama for the very first time.

6 months

That's how long it took to shed all my maternity weight.

The Beauty of Teaching

Last week in my morning grammar class, one of my students out of nowhere asked: Kate, what does 'erect' mean? Trying to stay as cool as I could, I asked "In what context?" We were covering phrasal verbs that day, and he was trying to get the definition of 'put up'. 'Erect' came up; he didn't understand it, and asked me for the definition. I can't remember exactly what I said, something about putting pictures up on a wall; I was glad when he seemed to understand.

Half hour later, same student said: "Kate, I know you've already explained it, but I forgot; what's 'erect' again?"

This time I said: "Can you please take out your dictionary and check the meaning yourself?" He did. Seeing the reaction on his face was priceless. He got very serious. "Did you get it?", I asked. He slowly looked at me and said: "Yes, I know exactly what it means."

Thanksgiving Vegas Style

A little over 3 months ago, my parents came to stay with us for 6 months. It's been a huge blessing to have them with us. They've been helping us with the girls and basically everything else. Busy as we are (Len is finishing one of his schools and is in the middle of another one, plus works full time, and I am teaching 4 classes this semester), we got to go on a few dates and do things that without help we wouldn't even try to do. This past Thanksgiving weekend, we took the girls and my parents to Las Vegas. Here are a few snapshots of what we did.

Waiting at the restaurant to be seated:



Our sleepy beauties:

At the new City Center:


K making friends with a monkey:




At the Wynn hotel:


At the Venitian Hotel:

And here the story goes like this: Len and I knew that my parents would enjoy a gondola ride at the hotel. My mom, however, gets very anxious about things, so we decided not to tell them about it until the last minute. Sure enough mom started paniking and wanted either Len or me to come with them. (My mom's problem is that she doesn't speak English and gets extremely nervous when anyone tries to talk to her.) We informed the guide not to say anything to my parents, but as luck wanted my parents got paired up with another older couple. We saw the panic in my mom's eyes, so Len and I rushed to tell the other couple that mom and dad speak no English. It turned out, they were from Romania and couldn't even understand us. Somehow that made my mom feel much better.
... to be continued.

Before Meal Prayer

Life at 4.30 in the Morning

This semester I start teaching at 9.20 in the morning. To avoid traffic and being late for my classes, I wake up at 4.30am. And that's on good days. Very often Maya wakes up at 3.00 or 4.00 and nurses until 4.30, so my days start earlier than planned.

I get to school by 8.00 and teach on and off until 8.30pm. I don't get home until a bit after 10.00pm - everyone is already asleep except for Len.

During the day, I'm usually so busy that I don't have time to feel tired. My evening class students give me so much energy that I'm grateful for the 1.5-hour commute because it helps me calm down and get 'emotionally' ready for bed. But it's the morning part of my day that is pretty interesting.

It's hard to explain the negativity I wake up with that early in the day. But as bad as it is, it doesn't last long. Seeing angelic and sleepy Maya (we co-sleep) puts the first smile on my face. Waking Len up and watching him start his day brings me another boost of energy. But the way that a cup of coffee wakes me up is absolutely amazing. These 8oz of pure heaven bring me enough energy to get me going for the next 20 hours. Energy is a small part of what I get from my coffee. There is also a wave of happiness, excitement, anticipation, and self content; whatever the day has in store - after my coffee, I'm ready for it.

And there are other things that get me going in the morning. I love when one of our neighbors happens to leave for work at the same time as I do. I like to watch the trucks parked for the night along hwy 5 start their engines and begin their new routes. And I feel for kids whose school bus I pass before I hit the freeway. And then there is the radio station that accompanies me all the way to school. It's a bunch of guys laughing most of the time. They teach me nothing but put me in a good mood, make me laugh and help me relax even in the worst traffic - and that's all I need in the morning.

PS. I drink instant coffee - F.olgers - from C.ostco (in case anyone was wondering).

An Update on the Stinky Business

After two weeks and two days, Maya has finally... relieved herself. I was about to give her a warm bath (our pediatrician's suggestion) when I smelled something inhuman. It was my little angel pooping on her mama's arm.

My sweet monkey of love - you're back to normal!

Full of Crap

Maya hasn't pooped for 11 days now. The last couple of months, she's been going once every 5-7 days. But this time, she'll reach the two week mark in just a couple of days.

She is not bothered by any of it. She eats well, sleeps well and is as happy as she can be.

I called our pediatrician yesterday, and the receptionist told me that they get these phone calls every day. She instructed me to get some medicine for her, but I've decided to wait a few more days. As much as I want her to "go", I'm a little nervous. I'm not sure what to expect - it's 11 days worth of poop after all.

A Different World

Here is a converstation between two women that I overheard while standing in line at CVS in Laguna Beach, CA.

Light Brunette: Good to see you! What have you been up to?
Dark Brunette: We've been looking for a house.
LB: Are you seeing anyone?
DB: Yeah, I'm going out with this 53-year-old guy.
LB: Wow, he's 3 years younger than me.
DB: Oh, really?
LB: Yep. I'm 56 years old.
DB: Really? Did you do botox?
LB: Nope, no botox, no surgeries, not even one.
DB: No botox?
LB: No. And, I smoke, too. See I'm getting two packs right now. And, these are double Ds (pointing to her chest); all mine. They come with bigger hips, but what can you do? So, you guys are looking for a house?
DB: Yes, he just got a ring; two stones; one goes to the left, the other to the right, very simple. He got it last week, so I'm waiting. I don't know when he's going to give it to me, maybe next week.
LB: How exciting.
DB: It is. You know, I have to put the kids through college somehow.

Just Like That...

Klaudia started sleeping in a big girl's bed. No fuss, no crying, no complaining, no trying to get out of her room; all that time spent worrying how she'd take it - wasted.

Rolling Over

At 3 months and 1 day, Maya rolled over from her belly to her back! And this time it was me who witnessed it first! Ha!

Ready?

So, school starts this week. I had waited with trying my work clothes on until the last minute with hopes that my attire would simply fit me, but that didn't happen. Last weekend I took out all my pants and tried them on one by one. I was able to pull them up all the way, but the zippers stayed in a V shape.

And this made me start fantasizing... Wouldn't it be great if fitting back to our prepregnancy clothes determined our readiness for work? My vacation would be much much longer.

So, am I ready for work? Mentally? Absolutely! Physically? I'm not there yet, but I will be as soon as I go shopping for some new clothes. A.nn T.aylor L.oft - here I come!

Our 3-Month Old Princess

Our Weekend in LA

A carousel, beach, friends and a famous OC roll. ;)

What Is That?

I was sitting on a couch the other day streching with my arms up when K came up to me and looked puzzled at my unshaved armpits (gross, I know!). The closer she got the more shocked she looked. Finally, she screamed: "Daddy, ants!"

Ready to Dance

We have just signed K up for her new dance classes. We went and got her all the gear she'll need, and she is ready.

I Saw IT!

At 7.52pm tonight, I saw it crossing the road: a big hairy tarantula. I'm proud to say that I survived this experience without freaking out. And, as long as they stay out of our house, I think I'll be OK... I think.

Miss Good Manners

Mom: Klaudia, would you like some juice?
Klaudia: Yes, please.


Mom: Klaudia, would you like some noodles?
Klaudia: No, thank you, mommy.


Mom: Klaudia, are you OK?
Klaudia: Yes, please.

Mom: Klaudia, did you go to the bathroom?
Klaudia: No, thank you.

A Story to Tell

"Every family has a story to tell, and this is yours" by Rick, our neighbor.

And, this is how it goes:
It was somewhere after 8pm last night when the girls and I finally pulled up into our driveway after an awesome day at the Oakland ZOO. We saw daddy going grocery shopping when we were on the way home, and I was contemplating whether I should stay with the girls in the car and wait for daddy or just get in the house. According to our neighbor Rick, the tarantula season has already started, and even though I know I won't be able to avoid seeing those little monsters where we live, I'm not ready to face them just yet.

K, however, started calling for juice and Maya started making noises, I knew sitting in the car was not meant to be.

It's worth mentioning that the night before we got a new minivan. I wanted to announce the news in a different post, but it's too late now. Len and I were never minivan lovers. Before having kids, we actually made a promise to each other that we would never buy one (I'm sorry if I'm offending some minivan owners). That changed when we actually went to see and drive one. We've had the car for a little over 24 hours now, and we've been in love with it from the start (except for a couple of hours last night).

Ready to take the kids home, I turned off the engine, put the car keys in my purse, took out the house keys (the car and house keys are still seperate as I didn't have a chance to put them together since getting the new car), unlocked all the doors (I heard them click), opened the door, got out of the car, closed the door, tried to open the kids' door, realized it was locked and that's when the nightmare started.

I tried to quickly open my door to again unlock the back doors, but it was locked. I quickly moved around the car to check the rest of the doors - all were locked. I looked inside, and my purse with the keys was on the passenger's seat.

Without thinking much, I ran to our neighbor's house. At this time Maya was already crying and K was screaming for juice.

Kate: Hi Rick! Sorry to bother you so late. I locked the kids in the car. What do we do ?
Rick: OK. Don't panic.
Kate: But, what do we do?
Rick: Just don't panic. I tend to panic, so let's not panic.
Kate: Can I use your phone; I need to call Len.

Len was just about to pay for the groceries. He told us to stay calm and he would call a tow truck company. I ran to the car and tried as calmly as I could in given circumstances convince K that she was OK, and that everything was fine and that I wouldn't leave - instead I'd stay right next to her.

Hearing both girls cry and not being able to hold them was the worst feeling I've ever experienced. I was close from losing it, but I knew it would make the situation much worse. Len arrived at the scene 15 minutes later. By this time Maya was already quiet and K was crying on and off.

Our security guard stopped by and together with Len and Rick tried to break into our car with no success. It took the tow truck guy another 20 minutes to get to us. The guys were already talking about breaking the window. Len and I tried to guide K how to get out of her car seat to unlock the doors, but instead her arm got tangled in the seat belt, and now she was panicky.

It was such a relief to see a tow truck pull up. It even put a smile on K's face (all that time I tried to explain the situation to her, so she knew we were almost done).

The tow truck man tried one tool, but that didn't work. Then another - no success; then one more and one more and one more - nothing. 10 minutes later the doors were still locked with our girls inside. The guy was running out of ideas. He was using the same tools over and over again with zero success. I kept thinking if I could just get inside to hold my girls; I don't care how long it takes them to open the door, if I can just get inside, they can work on it all night.

Finally Len suggested one maneuver. We all watched with a lot of tension. And it worked!!! The guy unlocked the driver's door activating the alarm. I remember jumping up and down before getting into the car and unlocking the rest of the doors. It was such a joy to be able to touch my girls. K was as happy as she could be and so was Maya... in her own way... snoozing away.

The ordeal cost us $45, but I'll call our insurance to see if we can get reimbursed (not a big deal if we can't, but it doesn't hurt to try).

While still waiting for Len to arrive from the grocery store, our neighbor Rick tried his best to keep me calm and entertained. At one point he said: "Don't worry Kate. Every family has a story to tell, and this is yours."

PS.

Rick: Kate, the girls won't even remember this. You don't remember this from your childhood, do you?
Kate: No, but it's probably because my parents didn't put me through such trauma.
Rick: Yes, they did. You just don't remember it.

Number 3

WONDERFUL

Kate: Babe, don't you think it would be wonderful to have 3 kids?
Len (trying to reach someone on the phone): But isn't it wonderful right now with 2 beautiful girls?
Kate: Oh, yes it is, but it could be a bit more wonderful with one more, don't you think?
Len (hanging up the phone): I forgot whom I was calling.


WITCHING HOURS

...or rather minutes are spent by Maya almost every evening on crying. Right after the last evening feeding and right before falling asleep, she cries her little heart out.

Every now and then, out of exhaustion Klaudia joins with her crying which changes the next 10-15 minutes of Len and my life into a little chaos. Usually I take care of the little one while Len tries to calm K down. Every time it happens, I get a bit stressed (but what mother wouldn't?). That's when Len very calmly looks straight into my eyes and says: "And, you wanted 3 kids."


GOOD NEWS

Kate: Baby, I've got some good news!
Len: Oh, that's always good. What is it?
Kate: I spoke with a friend of mine who has 3 kids, and I asked her what it was like having 3 kids, and she said it was easier with 3 than with 2!!!
Len: And, that's your good news?

Another one...

In some elevator in San Francisco...
A female stranger: You're so tiny. Are you expecting?
Kate: Nope.

Potty Training

Ever since K peed and pooped in her potty once about a year ago and got scared to death after she saw what she produced, we haven't made any progress in the potty training business. She never showed any interest, we didn't want to push, so the potty was put away until last week.

We were at our friends' house playing in the pool and K saw little Liv use her potty. She got so excited that she actually helped herself and used Liv's potty with success!

After we got home, K kept saying: "Potty, potty", so I took her to the bathroom, sat on the toilet, and she peed!!! 10 minutes later we did the same thing; 5 minutes later we did it again. For the next couple of hours, we went to the bathroom and sat on the toilet (not always with success) about 15 times. As exciting as it was, it ended the same day. K is back in her diapers and the potty is now out in the living room waiting for K to show some interest in it again. Until then, we'll keep waiting... We're not in a rush.

Baby Fat

After having Klaudia, I went back to my prepregnancy weight within 6 weeks. I couldn't perfectly fit in my work clothes, but I was able to wear them anyway, and they were just fine within the following couple of weeks.

It's going to be 6 weeks since Maya's birth tomorrow. I've been breastfeeding, so I've had faith that just like last time, I'll be back to my normal weight in no time. Oh boy, was I wrong?!

I had my 6-week doctor appointment yesterday, and it turns out, not only am I still 14 pounds away from my prepregnancy weight, but I gained a pound within the last two weeks!!! And, I don't even want to try my work clothes on; I have a feeling my pants would stop somewhere around my knee level.

I'm not going to panic though; I do believe in the power of breastfeeding, but I am going to limit my dessert intake to only one time a day from now on.

At a Dollar Store

A short conversation between a young mother of two and me.

Woman: You look so cute! How far along are you?
Kate: I'm not pregnant.

The rest of the conversation was about her apologizing for her gaffe and my explaining my belly.

Bad Diaper Rash

Our little Maya has had a bad diaper rash for a few days that got way out of control. I've tried different things, but it started looking painful, so we went to see the local pediatrician. It turns out it's a yeast infection.

Before we saw a doctor, a nurse checked Maya's measurements. Even though she had her diaper and pj's on, Maya weighed 9 lbs 4oz, and it looks like she grew an inch, too! We're seeing our primary doctor next week, so we'll get more accurate measurements then.

Heart Melting

Maya has been giving her first smiles away - so precious!!!

Breast is Best

On our way home one day, Klaudia kept saying: "Misiu milk" (misiu - a teddy bear in Polish). Without looking at her, I would ask: "Is misiu thirsty? Does he want milk?" K would say: "Yes". But when I finally turned around and looked at her sitting in her car seat, I saw K with her shirt lifted up 'breastfeeding' misiu.

Here she is nursing misiu again at home:

Back To Baby Food

For the last few weeks, maybe even months, K hasn't been eating any veggies. She loves her fruit (any kind) but will not put any sort of vegetable in her mouth. And, even though she doesn't look sick or anything, I worry. I worry weather she's getting enough vitamins. The doctor told me not to stress about it, but that was almost a year ago and she said to offer her broccolli, carrots, etc. I have, but again, K will not even try them.

I remembered the other day that K always liked the baby food. So, I bought some little jars full of organic veggies, and K has "inhaled" (that's how much she likes pureed stuff from the jars) some carrots and sweet peas. Hooray!

First Bottle

My goal is to breastfeed as long as I can. I did it with K for 1.5 years, and I'm hoping to do the same with M if not longer. This time I'm not using the wonderful/troublemaking nipple shield, and I'm very happy about it. It was awesome for sore nipples but what a hassle to use. It always had to be sterilized. Although I had a few of them, going on even small trips or feeding in public was simply difficult. The positive thing about it was that K had no problems with switching between the breast or bottlefeeding.

With Maya I'm hoping for the same thing. I'll be working soon two full days a week. I'll be pumping in between classes to keep the milk supply going. So last week, at two weeks of age, we tried the bottle for the very first time. Len did the honors of feeding her, and she had no problems - no problems drinking from the bottle and no problems switching back to breast!

Yeast Infection

Before going to the hospital, Len and I had made a decision not to take the antibiotics for the Strep Group B bacteria during labor. I was taking probiotics daily, so chances that I'd still have the bacteria during labor and that the baby would get it were very small.

It took just a few seconds though for the nurse to change our minds. She convinced us that the bacteria are deadly for the newborn. And that's how the chain started. I got the antibiotics; Maya got the yeast infection in her mouth (my milk took care of it though); Klaudia played with M's pacifier; K got the infection.

So, last Friday I went out with both girls all by myself for the very first time. We went to see the local pediatrician who prescribed some medication for K that has already helped her infection since. The trip went very well - Maya did sleep through the whole thing which was very helpful. We saw the same doctor who in my opinion wrongfully prescribed the antibiotics to K last time. This time the appointment went much better - although he kept calling K a "he" instead of a "she".

So Grateful!

Maya will be 3 weeks old tomorrow. She's been here for only 3 weeks, but it feels like she's been with us forever. We're all doing very well, and it's all thanks to our friends and neighbors.

When we came back from the hospital, I was in a lot of pain because of the spinal fluid puncture I experienced while getting an epidural (details to follow - I'm still working on the birth story and will post it as soon as I'm done). Our friends and neighbors organized meals for us every night for over a week. K's friend Olivia, her mom Emily and sister Luna would come over to play with K while I could lay down and rest (THANK YOU EMILY!).

This all made our first 3 weeks bearable and so much more enjoyable. Not having to worry what to cook and when to cook made such a huge difference. Thank you dear friends from the bottom of our hearts!

Maya's Birthday

Saturday morning, 30 hours into labor. Epidural administered. We're advised to rest.

During 3.5-hour pushing - Len is cheering me up.

She's here! Dr. K joined us for a couple of pics right after Maya was born - too bad she missed the birth! (details to follow)

Our super doula - Tara.

Klaudia holding Maya for the first time:

Our peanut - 4 days old.

7-pounder

Today we had our first doctor's appointment for Maya. Our primary doctor said at the hospital that Maya was doing exceptionally well considering she only lost 1oz at the hospital, but because we refused to give M the Vit. K shot, she wanted to see her within the first week.

Everything went well, and we're happy to announce that Maya gained 12oz within the first seven days of her life!!! My hospital papers say that a newborn needs about two weeks to reach her birth weight; we're so passed that. I have a feeling Maya is going to be a big girl.

Pictures are coming; promise.

We're Home

It's Monday and we just got home.

Maya Noelle Hey was born on Saturday at 2.27pm measuring 6lbs 5oz. and 19in.

As soon as time permits, I'll post some details and pics of our interesting 39-hour labor.

Thank you for all comments, emails and messages!!!

Change of Plans

It's almost noon, and we're all in SJ waiting for the labor to speed up. I was up all night dealing with very powerful but irregular contractions. We're at our friends' place hoping the labor will pick up again (after slowing down significantly).

Last Weekend

Here are some pics we took last week:

A New Plan

Yesterday was a perfect day to have a baby, but so is next Wednesday. So, the new plan is just like yesterday's, but for personal (OK, selfish) reasons - there are shows to watch (Celebrity Apprentice Finale - Sunday night, The Biggest Loser Finale - Tuesday night, and if we could possibly squeeze in American Idol Finale - Wednesday night, that would be great), plus Len can't miss too much work - we're postponing going into labor until next Wednesday evening.

And yesterday's fiasco can be blamed on me or the hospital bag. I simply don't have one. Everything is ready but not in a bag... I'll make sure to find a bag by next Wednesday.

The Big Day

Today is my due date. The plan is to get into the 2-hour labor (that's all the time we need - 1.5 hrs to get to the hospital and then .5 hour to deliver the baby) by the evening when Len gets home. So far everything is going according to the plan. I'm even about to pack my hospital bag to get things started.

Yesterday's doctor's appointment went the same way they all did in the past - everything is fine, no problems, no progress. I'm not going to be fooled by the "no progress" part though. My bag wasn't packed, and I wasn't ready. Today is a new day - my due date (!), and we have a plan.

Doctor's Appointments

So far everything has been great (except for that one test that came positive). All my blood pressure, pee tests, baby measurements and heart rates have always been good. My doctor has been terrific and is willing to wait for the baby for 2 weeks past due date - I'll have to make sure she comes out by then. The doctor's latest recommendations to naturally induce the baby? "A lot of walking, spicy food or intercourse. If it doesn't help - try all three together." Experience, however, tells me that if the baby is not ready to come out, nothing, and I mean NOTHING will help.

Because of Len's traveling and work schedule, for many of the appointments I had to tag K with me. Most of them lasted only a few minutes, so it wasn't an issue. Each time, however, K had to lie right next to me; for some reason, K is not as fond of dr. MK as much as I am. As soon as Dr. MK comes into the room, K freaks out and wants to be held by mommy only. Dr. MK is very understanding and says it's their natural beharior, and that most kids K's age act like that in her office.

The hardest part of having K with me at the appointments is when I have to have an actual exam done where I'm asked to "undress waste down". Normally it wouldn't be a big deal, but last time, I had to wait for Dr. MK for over 45 minutes with my toddler in the room. The paper cover that I get from the nurse was in pieces within seconds. The rest of the time I spent on trying to convince K that it wasn't a good idea to keep opening the door and going to the hall way. She understood, thank goodness, but I had visions of chasing her down to the waiting room with my cheeks flashing.

Yesterday's appointment went OK as well. Dr. MK was hoping for some cervical changes, but there were none. It looks like the little one is very comfortable where she is.

5 days to go...

One Week to Go

With only 7 days left until my due date, I'm getting a little anxious. Getting ready would probably be helpful, but just thinking about it seems too overwhelming, so I try not to. Major things that I would love to have accomplished before the baby comes:

1. House cleaned (including window and carpet cleaning)
2. House decorated
3. All boxes unpacked (yes, we still have some that we haven't unpacked - it's been 5 months since we moved in)
   
4. Homemade food cooked and stored
5. Books on natural birth reread
6. Birthing classes attended
   
7. Hospital bag packed (it seems the least tiring and difficult to do, but for some reason I have this feeling that once I pack it, the contractions will start, so I'm putting it off)

Most of these things won't be done before the baby comes, so I'm trying to convince myself that even if the baby joined us today, everything will be OK. And it's working; I just need to work on convincing Len now, too.

And, the plan is to go with VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean). The doctor is on board although we were asked to come to the hospital at the last minute - basically to push the baby out - since everyone there, according to my OB, will be ready to do a C-section on me because of my previous cesarean delivery. And because we have a 1.5 hour drive to the hospital, something I am NOT willing to do right before pushing the baby out, I'm planning on laboring in the hospital's parking lot (thank you L&J, and J&K for offering your homes; I might still call you depending on how I'm progressing).

And, another thing that is on my mind is that a couple of weeks ago I had the test for the strep B group bacteria done, and it came positive. According to some statistics 40% of healthy women have these bacteria, and supposedly we may have them one week, and they could be gone the next, but if a pregnant woman tests positive in 36 weeks (that's when the test is taken), she has to take antibiotics during labor (which is usually at least 4 weeks away from the test, and chances are the bacteria could easily be gone). A book I'm reading talks about maternal deaths - only a few per year in the US - because of the antibiotics intake during labor, and with my luck, it could easily be me, and I'm not ready to go. The chances that the baby gets infected by the bacteria, and that's if the bacteria are present during labor, are 1 in 4,000. Chances are low, but if the baby gets sick, she can get very sick - meningitis and/or pneumonia. So, this is just another thing that's on my mind...

7 days to go...

2 Weeks to Go

With only two weeks away from the due date, we have finally started getting ready for the baby. I finished teaching last week, so last weekend we started setting up the baby's room. All baby clothes have been washed, and although there are tons of things to be done before the big arrival (like getting the hospital bag packed, putting the car seat in, all the nesting, etc), I feel partially ready.

And, my body is getting ready, too. The Braxton-Hick contractions are getting much stronger and more frequent. The belly is getting to a size where I'm uncomfortable laying, sitting, and sometimes walking. The one thing that keeps improving is my appetite. Last weekend we went to SF for a couple of days, and everything that we ate tasted exceptionally good. Len kept laughing at me because anything that I put in my mouth was very very delicious (the best pancakes in the world; the best Starbucks coffee in the world, etc). The tastes and smells got so intense to the point that the cigarette smoke at one point smelled like something I was willing to try, too.

And, with all that happening, I'm getting quite emotional, too. Not long ago, I started realizing that these are the last few days/weeks for Len and me with Klaudia only. Once the baby comes, our lives will be changed forever. I'm actually planning on writing a letter to K telling her how much fun we've had with her and how much joy she brought to our lives before her sister's arrival.

Less than two weeks to go...

Mosquito

Tonight we came back home from a fun day at Happy Hollow in SJ (I recommend it to anyone with kids), and K noticed a big mosquito in our driveway. She calls them MUCHA (a fly in Polish) by the way. She stepped on one and squished it dead. She then lifted her foot up and said: peek-a-boo.

So Excited

We had a new water system installed in our house this week! Now we can drink the water from any faucet in the house and be healthy. The biggest deal for us was to get rid of fluoride and chlorine. Mission accomplished. So exciting!

The 1st Ear Infection?

I'm not sure; one thing I know is that it's gone and that it woke up K's appetite.

On Saturday morning last weekend, K and I went to see a doctor just in case. K had had a fever for a couple of days prior to that, and the night before I noticed a little cut in her ear. I feared an ear infection and wasn't sure if we could go without having it treated. I had let K play with the ear thermometer and had a feeling she scratched her ear with it, but on the other hand, I didn't know what the ear infection looked like, so we went to check it out.

That morning her fever was already gone. Len was gone for the weekend, and I knew most doctors wouldn't see patients on Sunday, so to avoid a possible trip to ER, we went to see a local pediatrician.

I made a mistake mentioning the ear infection to him. He looked into K's ear and said: "Yeah, it's red. Here is an antibiotic for the following week, that should help." The whole atmosphere changed when I asked the following questions: "So, the ear is red, but is it infected? The fever is gone, is it possible that the ear is healing on its own, and maybe K doesn't need the antibiotic?" All I wanted was for him to look at K as an individual, but maybe I'm expecting too much from a "weekend doctor".

I've been meaning to check some homeopathic doctors but didn't have a chance. It's good to have one "lined up" in situations like this.

I ended up waiting to see if K's symptoms would get worse, but instead she kept getting better. By Sunday she was herself again, and since then she's been eating like a horse (3 bowls of cereal for breakfast, etc). I ended up throwing the antibiotic away.

What a Day...

Klaudia has been having a fever for the last couple of days. There are no symptoms whatsoever, so I'm thinking it's her back teeth that are coming out that are causing the problem.

It was late afternoon today, she was cranky, so I decided to take her to the park for a few minutes. When we got back, our house alarm was on. Within a couple of minutes, I got a phone call from our alarm company informing me that the alarm was on, and that it got triggered by the back door. They also said they had canceled the police call and asked what the house looked like, whether someone broke into it or not:

Kate: I just got back from the park, so I didn't have a chance to get inside.
Dispatcher: Do you want me to stay on the phone with you when you go inside?
Kate: I don't want to go inside; what if someone is in there?
D: So, do you want me to call the police?
Kate: I think so. This is the first time it's happening, so I don't know what to do. I know I don't want to go inside - I have a two-year old with me, and I'm pregnant - too much to risk.
D: I understand. I'll call the police right now.
D: Madam? The police are on their way.
Kate: Do you know how long it will take them to get here?
D: No, unfortunately I don't.

25 minutes later my neighbor happens to be outside and after a quick explanation of what's going on, he offers to go in with a baseball bat and check the entire house. No intruders! The house is "safe". We can go in.

Once in the house my mind is all over the place. What if the police come and think that I'm the intruder? Should I wait for them outside (K needed a diaper change; needed to be fed and wanted a bath NOW, and did I mention she was feverish, tired and super cranky?) After one hour of waiting I call the ADT again.

Kate: I'm calling to find out if the police are still coming.
D: Let me call them to find out. Mhm, it looks like they don't have anyone available right now.
Kate: I wish I had known that; I've been waiting outside with a sick toddler.
D: I'll be happy to stay on the line with you if you want to go inside and check the house.
Kate: didn't feel like mentioning the neighbor was necessary But what if someone is inside?
D: I have 911 on a speed dial; if anything happens, I'll have them on the phone within seconds.
Kate: Yes, but I'll be dead by then.

Eventually I agreed to walk with "him" through the house, and he did end up canceling the police call. In the meantime, I had been trying to reach Len who's been traveling this weekend. He finally called me back, and that's when I lost it. Poor guy had no clue what was going on; all he knew was that the alarm went off (ADT left him a message), and then there was me... sobbing.

Everything turned out to be OK. While I talked to a doctor trying to see if I needed to bring K in tonight (I noticed something in her ear - cut and swelling - and wasn't sure if that was causing the fever), Len was on the phone with the sheriff's department trying to get someone come out here. The doctor said it was OK to wait til the next day, and the police came and inspected the backyard.

It's 11pm, and I'm pooped. The baby is kicking like crazy causing a lot of pressure. I'd better get some rest in case she decides to come out any time soon.

The First Snake Sighting

... and killing ocurred last weekend on Hwy 5, 10 minutes from our house. As I was driving with K to San Jose, I saw something on the road, and as I got closer, I realized it was a 4-5 foot snake. There was no time for me to change the lane, so I kind of went over it and... killed it.

Chatting Away Again

The last time Klaudia started talking lasted about a week, and then she went back to ... not talking. Then, Len went on a trip for a week, and Klaudia started talking up the storm, and she hasn't stopped since.

When I had spoken to other moms at the playground saying I couldn't wait for K to start talking, they'd say: You'll miss the days when she didn't talk. I now know what they meant. Although super cute, constant repeating things can be draining at times.

Len and I enjoy watching K use her new words. She loves to pretend to cook and come to us and offer her soup or juice that she just "made". She'd say: "want some?"; we'd say: "yes, please"; then she'd say: "here we go".

The other day, it was time to change K's diaper (something that she recently dislikes having done). Len went around the kitchen, so that she wouldn't see him getting the diaper from the drawer (trying to save the battle for later). When he turned around, K was right behind him saying: "I see you".

Latest Reactions To My Pregnant Body

1. At the gas station.

Older male cashier: Two more weeks?
Kate: Two more months.
Cashier: Twins?
Kate: Nope, just one.

2. At the office.

A teacher: Man, when you turn to a side, you're awfully big.

3. At the playground.

An older woman: A couple more days left?
Kate: I wish. 5 more weeks.
Woman: Wow, you're huge.

4. In the classroom.

A 20-something year old student: Kate, when I look at your belly, I don't want to have kids. Ever!


So, here I am at 34 weeks.

Home Sweet Home

Here is one of the conversations at our new home...

Kate: So, I talked to B, J's mom. They had a snake in their driveway a few months ago.
Len: OK.
Kate: (who happens to have the worst case of arachnophobia) And, she also said their neighbor had a tarantula crawling into the house through the vent.
Len: (still somewhat uninterested) They did?
Kate: And, our neighbor J said her husband shoed 2 tarantulas off their front porch. I'm telling you THEY ARE HERE!
Len: You need to stop talking to people about this stuff.
Kate: I need to know the truth!
Len: You can't handle the truth.

Update on Our Little Bug's Position

During the last two doctor's appointments, our little bug was head down. As uncomfortable as it may seem, I'm happy with her position.

In the meantime, I've gone through a bladder infection (not that it would ever interest anyone, but I just wanted to make a note of it) which seems to be very common during pregnancies. A week of the antibiotics intake took care of the problem. Hopefully the little one wasn't affected by any of it.

8 more weeks to go...

Doctor's Appointment

I have doctor's appointments every two weeks now. So far everything has been going well except for the contractions that started some time before Christmas and intensify every time I go through some stress. The doctor says I just need to take it easy.

The baby's measurements and heart beat are always fine, plus my weight and blood pressure are perfect, too.

Yesterday, however, the doctor made a point that the baby goose is transverse (lying sideways). I have 2.5 months to change it; otherwise, I know I'll be listening to a lot of C-section encouragements.

Smooching at I.H.O.P

I had the glucose screening test on Monday morning, and since Len is traveling this week, I had to tag K along with me. The test went well, meaning they found my vein right away and the blood came out the way it should have this time, plus no bruising on my arm - pretty impressive. As for the results - I won't have them until probably my next doctor's appointment in a couple of weeks.

On the way home I was extremely hungry, so K and I stopped at I.HOP to get some breakfast. We got a booth, so I let K in first so she would be "trapped" and unable to run away, and then I sat right next to her.

Our booth was separated from another by a glass, and as it turned out on the other side there was a family with a little boy K's age.

K got quickly busy welcoming the boy's family which gave me a minute to skim the menu and choose something to eat. While I was contemplating on whether to get Swiss pancakes or French toasts, the waitress stopped by to take an order. I realized that I was so occupied with my menu that I forgot to check on K. Well, when I looked, it was already too late. My little girl was on her tiptoes kissing the boy form the booth next to us.

When I touched K's back to get her attention, she looked at me with a big smile on her face. The boy, on the other hand, didn't mind me and kept playing with K's hair.

There was only one thing that I knew would keep K on her butt and away from another temptation - I ordered some French toasts for myself and bacon for her. Once the food came in, nothing and nobody else existed except for her little strings of meat. As soon as we were done eating, we were on our way home.

Chatting Away

It's happening! Klaudia has started talking this weekend. Out of nowhere, she is repeating everything we say no matter whether it's in Polish or English. It's still single words, but it's a good start.

2-Year Wellness Appointment

It was time for K's wellness check-up, so we decided to look for a local pediatrician.  I found 10 possible ones within 20 miles from home on our insurance's website, and started calling to see if we could make an appointment ASAP since my work is starting next week, and it would be nice to have this out of the way.  

From experience, we know that not all pediatric doctors treat unvaccinated children, so when making an appointment, I asked the receptionist to talk to the doctor and make sure that it would be OK for us to bring K in.  All the girls said that it shouldn't be a problem, but after they actually talked to the doctor, their stories changed.  From one of the offices, I received two phone calls informing me that the doctor would prefer not to see Klaudia.  

Eventually one doctor agreed to see her (there were more, but this one could see us right away vs. for the other ones, we'd have to wait for weeks to get in) , but under the condition that I sign a form saying that I refuse to vaccinate K.  Sounded simple; we made an appointment for the following day.

The first thing I noticed that I didn't like was that there was only one entrance to the office and that the waiting room was full of sick kids.  Our previous doctor had two seperate entrances - one for wellness appointments and one for sick children.  I never really appreciated it until now when I saw all these poor coughing, sneezing and misearable looking kids.  

The nurse checked K's measurements, and I forgot to ask for the percentile.  One thing I remember her saying was that K's head measurement was normal.  Again, I did not ask for the percentile, but if it's normal, it means that for the first time, K's head fits within the chart.  

And then we met the doctor.  He checked K's eyes, ears, throat, poked her belly, and then he spent the rest of our 10-minute appointment asking why we refuse to vaccinate.  I guess my reasoning wasn't good enough because he brought his book with some statistics and went over some of the diseases to prove that we do need to vaccinate.  He started with 1950s, and showed us (OK, me, K wasn't into it at all) that some 13, 000 children were sick with diphteria  in the US, and there were a bit over 1,000 deaths from it that year.  Then he moved to 2005, and showed that there were 6 cases of that disease but no deaths.  He went over a few of the diseases like that with very similar numbers, and I'm very glad he did because it just assured me that the chances of getting one of them are very tiny, and that even if K contracts them, she will survive and most of all will get immuned for the rest of her life.  I just wish I had my statistics with me that show how many children get injured every year from the DPT vaccine alone.  I doubt he would listen though.  So, I was a bit disappointed with our appointment.  I thought that telling the doc ahead of time of our decision about the vaccines would somehow help us avoid the topic, but I was wrong.  We didn't get to talk about K's development.  I was looking forward to hearing about what to expect within the next year or how to encourage K to start talking, but none of it was mentioned.  And, I was never given the form where I had to sign to refuse to have K immunized.  I wonder if they sensed that we wouldn't be back.

Another School Meeting, Another Babysitting Fiasco

The beginning of the semester is right around the corner, and we had our first meeting at school yesterday.  It was an important meeting since there have been a lot of changes to the budget, so I needed to be there.  There were a couple of teachers who needed a babysitter, so we got one.  At the last minute, all others backed out, and K was the only child coming to the meeting.  

I tried to look at it in a positive way thinking K will be getting full babysitter's attention, but somehow I couldn't sleep the night before.  Since the wee hours, I tried to prepare Klaudia for her adventure telling her how much fun she was going to have at school watching movies and playing with Yadira while mom is next door at a meeting.  She listened and kept saying:  "Yeah, mama.'

Yadira turned out to be a very nice lady who sensed K's shyness right away and did everything she could to switch her attention from me to her.  K on the other hand once she saw me turning around and heading for the door, started crying.  For 20 minutes, we tried everything, but I couldn't just sit next door and listen to K's crying.  So, eventually I told Yadira that it wouldn't work, thanked her, paid her, and we parted our ways.  K couldn't have been louder when saying Bye Bye to her.

I waited for K to calm down and decided to take her to the meeting.  My plan was to leave as soon as she gets loud.  Once she was ready to go, I packed all the toys, and that's when K turned around and walked right into a table that was 2 inches away from her hitting her head and getting a cut right next to her eye.  The cut was tiny but big enough to bleed a bit.  As we both sat there on the floor, I was close to losing it.  I was fighting the tears and was ready to go home.  I still had to go into the meeting to gather my stuff.  

It took us a few minutes to pull ourselves together.  When we walked towards the other classroom, K seemed  happy again.  She was very proud to be in the big people's room.  I decided to stay and listen as long as K would let me.  At this point, K was just hungry.  She sat and ate quietly for the rest of the meeting, and at the end everyone was impressed with her good behavior.  

By the time we got home, I was emotionally exhausted.  Looking back at yesterday's happening, I think we'll wait a bit before we leave K alone with anyone again.  Someone at the meeting yesterday said that it's good to leave kids with strangers from time to time.  I disagree.  Maybe it's good if the kids are OK with it, but I don't see anything good putting them through this trauma when they are not ready.  K has been lucky to have us stay with her all the time, so she is not used to staying with anyone else alone.  She will get better once she is older... right?

Yeah, Mama

Klaudia got a couple of movies for Christmas:   The Sleeping Beauty, and Bambi.  In the second one at one point a little rabbit replies to his mom's question and says with the cute little voice:  "Yes, mama."  I think that's where Klaudia got her thing from because each time I ask her a question she responds:  Yeah, mama.

Mom:  "Are you ready for some breakfast?"

K:  "Yeah, mama."

Mom:  "Should we go for a walk?"

K:  "Yeah, mama."

Living In Our New Home

It's been 3 weeks since we moved into our new house, but to me it feels like we've been here forever.  And although we miss our friends and would love to live a bit closer to them, we definitely enjoy the space and low mortgage payments that we wouldn't get if we stayed where we used to live.  I still can't believe that our previous apartment was the size of our current living room - how did we survive there?

Moving to a place located an hour and 30 minutes away from our work encouraged us to make some changes to our work schedule.  With the beginning of the new year, Len started working only 3 days a week.  He works a bit longer hours but is able to be home with us 4 days a week!  I'm starting teaching in just a few weeks and will be working 2 days a week teaching 8 hours a day.  It seems like a lot of hours, but I keep telling myself that it's only twice a week.  With our new schedule, we don't have to put Klaudia in a day care, and we get to enjoy raising her and spending time with her every single day.  It couldn't work out any better.  

I haven't been posting any pictures since we (OK, I) misplaced our camera when packing and moving.  But as soon as WE find it, I'll take and post some pics of our new place, our 33-pound toddler, and my 5-month old belly.  

This Time Around...

It feels great to be pregnant again.  Sometimes I even wonder if the happy hormones kicked in because I just feel awesome.  But the more I think about it, the more I realize that it must be the fact that I know what to expect this time.  Also, when being pregnant with Klaudia, I had a lot of mood swings: I would wake up purely angry or sad, or I'd start crying when watching a commercial.  I did experience a couple of days of that at the very beginning of the second pregnancy, but it's been all gone since.  So, this must be another reason why I simply feel good.

Also, I am not as exhausted as I was first time around.  There is no magic in it though.  I took care of it since day one - I make sure to take naps daily (thank goodness K is such an excellent sleeper, that I can always count on a good 2-hour nap), and I go to bed between 8-9pm (this way I get - most of the time - between 9-11 hours of sleep at night).  No wonder I feel rested during the day.

With K, my morning sickness lasted until week 15; this time it ended at around week 11, but it was much more intense.  I can honestly say that I felt sick 24/7.  I was nauseaus even in the middle of the night when waking up to use the bathroom.  It's all gone now, and I'll never miss this part of the pregnancy.

Another factor that I believe contributes to my well being is my new doctor.  My previous one retired which made it easier for me to go and find another one.  Dr. Kendrick was recommended to me by my doula - Hope.  I was looking for a doctor who would be willing to do VBAC  (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) with me.  It turns out, there aren't too many doctors willing to do so even though it's considered the safest birth for both a mother and baby.  

Dr. Kendrick has her own practice and works there alone meaning when I'm in labor, she will be the one delivering our baby.  Previously, I was informed right at the end of my pregnancy that my doctor would probably not be there with me when I deliver, since she shared her practice and delivery schedule with 4 other doctors.  This time, unless the baby decides to come on May 12th - 7 days before her due date and on Dr. Kendrick's birthday - I am guaranteed to have my doctor with me, and nobody else (Dr. K takes only one day off during the year -May 12th- her birthday).

And the main reason why I like Dr. Kendrick is because she listens to me and is willing to spend as much time as is needed to answer all of my questions.  When pregnant with K, my monthly visits never lasted longer than 2 minutes, and that included the exam and questions/answers.  My doctor would open the door right after the exam and say:  Any questions?  And even though I always had a question or two (it was my first time being pregnant!), I would often get stressed out by the lack of time and not ask any.  Dr. Kendrick on the other hand, when done doing her thing, sits down and says:  "Let's talk."  During my appointment yesterday, we talked about my contractions that started a few weeks ago.  She was a bit surprised that they started so early, so I mentioned that we were moving to a new home and that my mom had a stroke - all that must have contributed to my contractions.  She agreed and gave me some tips of what (not) to do when having a contraction.  When I was leaving her office, she gave me a big hug and said: "That's for your mom."  I thought it was a very nice gesture.

And, this time around I know I'm having a baby.  As stupid as it sounds, last time I couldn't imagine that in my growing belly there was a little human being.  It wasn't until I saw her and held her and nursed her when I realized I was a mama, absolutely madly in love mama.  This time, I've been in love since we started talking about getting pregnant.  I can't wait to hold my little baby girl in my arms and introduce her to the rest of the world.  It's going to be awesome!