Reflection on 9/11

I just watched a video about 9/11 that a friend posted on Facebook. Wow. I will certainly never forget that day.

I had recently returned to work after the birth of our 2nd, our son, Stevie. Of course, immediately after the disaster, news started traveling fast around the office. Our AV department set up the TV in the cafeteria; many people left for the day - worried about family members in NY and probably a bit worried for their own welfare too. I don't remember the details of whether Steve & I left early that day or if our company let everyone leave early, but what I do remember so vividly are the feelings of sadness, fear, worry and gratitude I had that night.

That night we went to bed pretty early - tired and overwhelmed by sadness after watching so many hours of those awful images on TV. In Miami that night there was a terrible thunderstorm. The thunder sounded like bombs to me. I remember crying in bed, nursing my little baby boy lying next to me (4 months old), and thinking that for sure the world was coming to an end.

I remember thinking that the thunderstorm and rain were the anger and tears of God for what had happened that day. As I thought about the end of world, I remember being grateful that I had been blessed to experience marriage, the birth of a daughter and the birth of a son. And then my thoughts turned to those that had lost a spouse, a child, a parent in the events of that terrible day. I prayed that they would find peace and comfort - but I imagine that even today, 9 years later, the loss is as difficult as ever.

So today, I pray for them once again. I also pray for peace and for God's wisdom to guide our leaders, so that we never have to experience another 9/11.

Easy Ways to Go Green for Earth day (Kid Post)

happy earth day everyone! In honor of earth day go green! here are a few ideas to get you started.

• Change a light bulb or two to CFL! (compact fluorescent bulb)
• Unplug something! If you're not using your cell phone charger, TV, etc. unplug it! You aren't just going green for the planet, but you're also saving your own green by doing this. $$$
• When you're going to a store, don't spend an hour trying to find a parking space next to the door. Just take the first one you see. You are just adding pollution in the air by circling the parking lot. And when you walk you are getting some exercise.
• DO FULL LOADS! don't just put two things in the washer or drier. It's much easier to put a full load of clothes. SAVE WATER!

These are just a few ways to go green. There are a lot of great websites that have good ideas too. all it takes is the click of a mouse. Aren't computers amazing? (I wouldn't follow the third one if you have a baby)

Sofia Marie

The picture says it all... if you've never met Sofia here are some words that would describe her: foot-loose, loving, cuddly, affectionate, LOUD, energetic, intelligent, manipulative, beautiful, exciting, hilarious. It was very much a surprise when we found out we were expecting Sofia. Things that went through my mind - - Stevie and Gabi would be turning 5 and 7 years old by the time this baby would be born; I had given away ALL my baby gear (crib, highchairs, bouncy seat, etc) about 1 month before I found out I was expecting. I wondered how we would handle 3 kids - emotionally, financially and from a time perspective. I was worried about "starting over" just when Gabi and Stevie had reached a wonderful level of independence.

Then I met Sofia - on March 20th, 2006. Born the same day (amazingly) as her big sister Gabi but 7 years later. I clearly remember the first moment I held her in my arms and really looked at her (it was a moment shortly after the birth when all the hospital staff had left the room and Steve had also stepped out of the room to talk to family members.) I looked at her beautiful blue alert eyes and the first thing that crossed my mind (seriously) was - omg, you are a genius. She just seemed so smart to me for a newborn! And I thought it was no small coincidence that Sofia means "wisdom." And every day since then she continues to prove to us just how smart (and smart-alecky) she is!

COUSINS (Kid Post)

In honor of my new and old cousins I'm going to (or try) to list them all.

Kevin, Kurtis, Kris, TD, Taylor, Tina

Elle, Emma, Baby Alex

Susa, Mary, Manny

Carly, Natalie, Robert

AND THE NEWEST......................

VICTORIA :)

"The List of Bad Habit's" by; Stevie Lee (Kid Post)

"One bad habit of life is the cell phone. The cell phone is a bad habit because it puts you in danger of brain cancer by putting it near your ear .Another bad habit is candy because it puts you in danger of diabetes. Also it can make you a fatso and you may keep doing it so try to exercise every day. Another bad habit is gum. Gum is a bad habit because some people swallow it and it last about four years.
Well that’s all I can think about for now so don’t do bad habits
Posted by eight year old boy Steven Lee"

Belly Pics

It's funny... for the over 4 years that I have spent pregnant, I have very few pictures to show for it! It was probably around the time that I was pregnant with Gabi that "belly pics" were really picking up popularity in the mainstream. But being a pretty modest and conservative person, I felt they were definitely not for me. Of course I also felt "fat" and didn't think I would want my stretch marks captured on film for posterity.

Now, looking back, and faced with the high probability that I will never have a beautiful, bulging pregnant belly again, I definitely regret not having taken more pictures.

So my advice to you pregnant mommas out there - take pictures! Take bare belly pictures! You don't have to go to a professional photographer. Take the pictures at home. You don't have to put them in an album or post them on Facebook or ever show them to anyone. But trust me, that some day you will think back and feel like - "wow, that was the best time ever.." And you will want to look at pictures of your big beautiful belly.

P.S. The picture above was taken on 4/19 when I was pregnant with the twins! Notice the exhausted look on my face. : )

Finding a Pediatrician

It's been a while since I posted anything. Hopefully I can start this up again.
Since several friends and family members are expecting, I thought I'd write some helpful articles for expecting parents. This one is about choosing a pediatrician.

I think people spend more time researching and trying out strollers than in selecting their pediatrician which is crazy. Any mom will tell you that you will be spending a lot of time in the pediatrician's office, especially that first year, so choose wisely! But remember, you can change at any time if you're not happy.

A good place to start is by asking trusted friends and family members for the names of their pediatricians. Then start making calls to find out which ones accept your insurance. This will narrow down the list. Once you have a couple of options, call the office and let them know that you are expecting and would like to set up an appointment for a tour of the office and to meet one (or more) of the pediatricians. Here are some things you should look for:


When you call the main number, who answers the phone? Is it a live person or a recording? I can tell you that when you have a sick newborn in your arms or are worried and calling about a child with a high fever, the last thing you want to do is listen to 5 options before talking to someone.

I love that my Pediatrician's office always has live staff answering the phone during office hours. And whoever answers the phone can take care of whatever I need - make an appointment, fax a prescription, ask a medical question, etc.

Meeting with the doctor
You want to be able to interview the doctor and get to know his/her demeanor. Are they attentive? Do they seem hurried? Do they have a caring bedside manner or are they more down to business? There are no "right" answers. Everyone is different so it's a matter of what style you prefer.

Some questions you may want to ask:
How do you feel about breastfeeding? What if the baby is gaining weight slowly at first?
How do you feel about vaccines? What do you think about parents who choose to delay or stagger vaccines?
Do you think pacifiers are helpful or hurtful? (Again the idea here is not so much to get a right answer but to see how the doctor responds.)
What's your position on antibiotics? (You will find that there are some doctors who are super conservative and will reserve prescribing antibiotics only under extreme circumstances. On the other hand, you will find doctors who think the only reason you bring in your sick child is to get a prescription and they are quick to write one.)

The Office
For me, the office staff is almost MORE important than the actual Doctor. You spend a lot of time dealing with the staff and it's a much better experience when your pediatrician is part of a smooth running office. So be sure to ask these questions:
Do you have weekend hours? (My pediatrician's office is open on Saturdays 8:30 - 12:30 and Sunday mornings for emergencies)

If I call the office with a need to be seen by the doctor, will I be seen that same day?

Will I be seen by the same doctor I usually go to? (Amazingly, the office I go to has a way of blocking time which always leaves room open for same day appointments. 9 times out of 10 I see my usual pediatrician even for last minute appointments)

Who returns calls after hours? (My first pediatrician group always had the doctor on call returning calls. The only thing I don't really like about my current pediatrician is that they have a nurse's service returning calls after hours. If I HAD to speak to a doctor I probably could but it's not the norm)

Are there separate waiting rooms for sick vs. well children? (My pediatrician's office has 3 waiting rooms - sick children, well children over 2 and well children under 2)

Another note about waiting rooms. Although you might think it's great to see a waiting room with lots of toys for the kids to play with, think again. The last thing you want your kids to do is touch stuff at the doctor's office!

You can find lists of additional questions on parenting web sites like this one:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_choosing-a-doctor-for-your-baby_320.bc?page=2#articlesection6

The first time the pediatrician will see your baby is at the hospital, probably the day after the baby is born (maybe the same day). So you definitely want to make your decision sometime in the last trimester, but don't wait too long. Those last few weeks are always very busy! Good luck!