Our love affair with baby Gabriella .........

Gabriella Grace, just arrived!!!

What a night, our new daughter came at 0228 in the morning. She was 8lbs 5 oz, 19.5 inches, WTF you say? I hear you, I made the nurse re-weigh her twice, being sure she couldn't be over 7 lbs.

We made the decision to go in to VCU at 1800 and get things "started" after another day and night of variable degrees of contractions. Dilated to 4cm, random contractions, we requested to be ROM'd (breaking the water), nothing exciting happened, so let's start some "pit" (oxytocin, for augmentation of labor). A few hours later the contractions are booming every 2 minutes and really starting to hurt. Of course labor progressed and after about 7 hrs of increasing intensity, a lot of loud noises, tears and writhing in pain, my wife did it!. She was dilated to 9cm almost completely effaced, felt like she had to push and really couldn't stand the pain anymore. So, she pushed a little, the baby crowned, I coached her to focused and turn the pain into good pushes, and after about 6 0r 7 real good pushes that beautiful baby came out. Oh and did I mention the attending, had to insert her hand and physically push the cervix up over her head so she could come out. Yeah, ouch!

What an amazing woman, to fight through what could only be described from a bystander as the most obviously, excrutiatingly painful endeavour few women volunteer for now-a-days. I was so proud of her, she really did a great job with no epidural, no complications, and just true grit to pull through it. You are so amazing, baby, I love you. Thank you for another amazingly, beautiful baby girl!

Happy 13 Years together Big Daddy !!!

13 years ago I married this amazing man !!! I remember thinking then, how could I possibly love him more than I do today? How can I live, breathe, even exist without him in my life ? Amazingly I feel all those same feelings today, and they have grown stronger over the years. He is the most amazing husband, friend and father. How did I luck out ??

I still look into his eyes and just melt, the sound of his voice makes me melt and when he makes me laugh out loud, I still get the chills when we laugh together !!! He still makes me feel like I am the only one in the room.

Thanks for this amazing journey together Jason !! You are the other half of me, and I am still so amazed at the love we share !!

37 Weeks, 20 Days (or less) to go !!!

So, an Anesthesiologist IS a Doctor !

For 12-14 hours a day this is what Jason does. He puts the patient at ease, then puts them to sleep so they feel no pain, don't move and are unaware during their surgery. He continually monitors their blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, temperature, cardiac rhythm, anesthetic gas levels and neuromuscular function (just to name a few).

To me his role is the most important role in the entire operating room, he is solely in charge of keeping the patient safe, comfortable and alive. The surgeons role is important yes, but they are not responsible for the patients breathing and heart functions, the anesthesiologist is. Additionally, there must be constant communication with the surgeon regarding any life-threatening issues, and if necessary the anesthesiologist can stop or cancel the procedure if deemed unsafe for the patient.

It has taken us YEARS to get to this point and to see how much my husband is "loving" what he is doing is so rewarding. He is so calm and cool when it comes to using all the skills and knowledge he has acquired. I am so so so PROUD of him !!!

This next month he will be on the Labor and Labor floor learning all about epidurals and spinal anesthesia. He will bring the Mommy's relief from pain, so I am sure he will love that.

I love you so much Jason !! I knew since the day I first met you what an amazing person you are and that you are so smart and so capable. Your confidence amazes me. Thank you for choosing me to be your best friend, wife and the mother of your children, (I am sure I got the better end of that deal !!)

Happy Birthday Jason !!!!

I am a little late in wishing my sweet Husband a Happy Birthday on the blog page !!! It has been a crazy few weeks. Maddison and I made him 24 German Chocolate Cake cupcakes, he has taken them to work all week. He also got to go golfing on his birthday, which made him very, very happy !! We love you big Daddy and as always thank you for all that you do to make your girls Happy !!!

Lovins for her baby sister.......

----A beautiful salad for dinner and the pushup----

I love salad's !! I have certain requirements for a healthy salad however. One of them is no ice berg lettuce, that is the kind that is shaped like a ball, absolutely no nutritional value, just cellulose. When choosing salad greens, the greener the better (green equals vitamins). I use a little romaine, a little red leaf lettuce and some spinach for a base. Another requirement is that the dressing is on the side, even if it is fat free. By dipping your fork in the dressing, then getting a bite of salad you will use a lot less and lower the calories. Dressings are full of sugar and fat, so a little should go a long way. One of my favorite dressing's is Brianna's Saucy Ginger Mandarin. It very high in calories, so again you just need a little. I also really like the new spray dressings!! The Asian one is yummy. If you are a Ranch or Blue Cheese person, just try to find a fat free one.
Toppings are a must, strawberries, apple cubes, fat free cheese, craisins (dried cranberries), sliced almonds, cucumbers, avocado you name it !!! If you have small children, let them choose what goes in the salad, they might want to try it themselves. Be creative and don't be afraid to mix odd things together, you would be surprised what tastes good together. I am vegetarian, but I still eat eggs, so I use a hard boiled egg and black beans for protein. Diced chicken works very well, however if you are trying to cut calories you really don't need it. Also crackers, chips and croutons add a nice crunch, just try and choose something low in calories or baked not fried. I have found that just having a nice salad for dinner is a great way to bring the scale down in the morning. You might even wake up hungry, which is good thing !!

Now to that upper body and strengthening those arms. Please do not attempt if you have any wrist, arm, shoulder problems. If not, then try a push-up. Start out on your knees with ankles crossed, hands below your shoulders about shoulder width apart. When starting out, do not go all the way down, any movement downward is good, you have to work up to it. Try 10 at first. Remember not to put your bum in the air, that's cheating !!! Also I have discovered a store called 5 below, it's like the dollar store. They have a fitness section that carries dumbbells. 1-5 pounders. Go get yourself a pair of 5 pound weights and do some bicep curls. Good luck and try something new this week !!! Take some time for yourself, you deserve it !! Namaste....

What makes a man sexy ??

I am sure you are all dying to know my opinion on most things !! Ha ha. However when it comes to what makes a man sexiest, I think I know. Lets not forget, there are many things in combination that are attractive, eyes, hair, muscles, voice and shoulders etc. However the sexiest thing for me is to watch my husband play and interact with our daughter !! Watching Jason and Maddison play in the ocean on Sunday was so great. He played with her, and for a long moment in time she was the only one in the world. It is in these little moments in time that you realize the important role the father has in the family. As I watched them it became so clear to me, I am so proud that I chose this man to have babies with !! He is so patient and so kind, and he is all ours !!! We love you Jason.....

Blogging about Nutrition and Exercise !!

Disclaimer : I am not a licensed nutritionist or a personal trainer. I am just a Mother and a Wife who knows quite a lot when it comes to trying to stay healthy and feel good. Exercise is good for the body and the soul, we know this. Having a bad day, put the ice cream down and go for a walk, you will feel better. That being said I am going to blog about diet and exercise, however I am not responsible for how the information is used. My goal is to be helpful, not harmful. Please do not hurt yourself and if I help you let me know, also if you have a question, please ask (Just leave a comment). Namaste......

I have this plan to begin posting about diet and exercise. We shall see how well this goes after the new little girl Rolfe is born !! For now, I just was thinking about how easy it is to loose a few pounds (when not pregnant of course) by simply changing a few of our daily habits. One idea is to just not eat all that you put on your plate!! Simply cut what you would normally eat in half for a week, and you will be surprised at the fact you will survive from a smaller amount of food and you might even feel better by not being so full. Another bad habit many of us get into is eating just because food it's there and not because we are actually hungry. Listen to your body, are you hungry? Or are you bored?? If you are bored, try an apple !!!

As for exercise ideas, I have tons. My main one right now is to try something new !! Get out of your comfort zone and go to an exercise class that you have never tried before !!! Do not be scared or feel embarrassed, everyone else in that room is probably feeling that way too. Why should you deny yourself the benefit of exercise, be selfish please when it comes to doing something that is so good for you !!!!!
Our family belongs to the local YMCA and I love it !! We pay a very small amount per month for membership and child care is FREE !!!! They offer many classes and have nice people that just walk around to help you if you need it. What more do you need ?? Just remember your water !!!

"Pain is just weakness leaving the body"

Dreaming of the Caribbean water......so turquoise, so warm...

After living on the tropical island of Saba for almost 2 years, the island just becomes part of you. You are never the same. Snorkeling in the warm blue-green waters was so peaceful. Life was so amazing and difficult there, I really miss the simplicity of most things.

Jason and I have made a promise to ourselves to go back to the islands for a well needed vacation, just the two of us. The idea of this trip is so exciting to me, a place to just be, relax and soak up the serenity that only the Caribbean can offer. I am dreaming of the sun, the sand, the water, a very yummy cocktail or two, and my husbands uninterrupted conversation and company. Don't get me wrong, we love our daughter and we love our unborn little baby girl, however there is a selfish side to us that longs for some time for just us. Someday....... a girl can dream.

Maddie is such a crafty girl !

We have had 2 trips now to the Paint and Play store at the mall. Maddie loves painting the ceramics and it keeps her busy for hours !! Our last project is a cute little doggy dish for our dog. We pick it up next week when they are done cooking it in the oven. It will be a great looking bowl, with every color imaginable on it, lots of layering of the colors and Tuesday's name on it. As we were there she was picking out other projects !!!!

Almost 29 weeks (7 months) !!!

Ok, so we are 1 day shy of 29 Weeks !! I am starting to think about labor pains, and caring for a newborn again, very excited. I am hoping to have this baby without an epidural just like I did with Maddison, but we shall see. Jason thinks I should try it with, just to compare. Maddie is also excited, she talks about "what a great big sister she is going to be to her lovely new little baby !!!"

Happy Birthday Papa ......

Today would have been my Father's 74th Birthday. You will be in my thoughts today papa, as you are everyday. We miss you and we love you.

The funny side of having a huge belly

O.k., so gaining weight again has not been fun for me. As I still completely REFUSE to wear maternity clothes because they are designed by very mean men, I am proud to say I am still in my normal clothes. With that being said I have noticed that my belly is getting very round and big. This comes in very handy for resting a bowl of ice cream or a bowl of cereal (that Jason is eating Ha Ha). Also I can no longer see my feet let alone reach them, which means I need to go for a pedicure more often.
My belly now touches everything before I do, no real advantage to this, and I am sure the little baby girl is getting tired of the bonks on the head. I also have become even more clutsy than I usually am. I contribute this to my balance being way off.

So just a few funny things about having a big belly. Have a great day !!!

She waits for this all day !!

Maddie waits all day for Daddy to come home because it is time to wrestle with him and she gets to jump on the couch. We are so glad our 10 year old couch can take all the jumping. Playing with her Daddy is the best part of both her and Jason's day. I see a trampoline in the backyard someday !!

Just being her "Cheeky" little self

You might think this picture is posed, however our little girl is very girly and this is one of her standard stances. She has those hands on her hips quite a bit. She just loves her rose bud swimming suit. I am actually happy I have a picture of her in the backyard with something covering her body. She usually is running around naked.

The fourth of July !!

We made blue berry pancakes for Daddy and we

let him sleep in. Then we packed up and it was off to the beach for the day.

Taking a break from swimming and eating a peach.

Maddie and Daddy waiting for the fireworks to start. She loved the fireworks. This was the first year she stayed up late enough to enjoy them. She said "Mommy they are so amazing and beautiful, can I touch them?" "I am so happy to celebrate Merica's birthday !!" So neat to see the world through her eyes.
We hope you all had a great 4th of July.

Family trip to Busch Gardens

We spent Father's Day at Busch Gardens. What a fun day!! Maddison got to see all the Sesame Street Character's she loves, Daddy got to ride really big coasters and drink beer !! Maddison has also decided that she loves to go fast and roller coasters are the greatest thing ever. We are scared, she is only 3 and a half. Mommy had fun too just watching, but once baby is born, watch out it's my turn !!! Oh and the best part of the day was getting in for free, thanks to Jason and his service to the U.S. Air Force.

Happy Father's Day Jason !!

To an amazing husband and father. Thanks for just being you. We love you so much. You are still Maddie's favorite snuggler (and mine too). We hope you have a great day.
Love you ...... And just think this time next year there will be another little girl for you to cuddle with !!

Jason is "officially" done with being a lowly intern !!!!

We now have more reason to celebrate some changes coming our way, like a new baby daughter. Jason is no longer an intern !!! He is now a CA-1. This may not sound like much to you, but for us it's a big deal. The first year of medical residency for a new doctor is the hardest one and we made it !!! It was a very, very, very challenging and hard year for all of us, especially Jason. Once again we made it through, and it feels really good. Now he is able to do strictly anesthesia in the operating room. His hours will be normal, 5 am to 3 ish everyday and NO WEEKENDS !!

I am so proud of him (I know I say that a lot)!!! He just never gives up and just keeps going. He tells me that Maddison and I keep him going. His desire is to create a safe and secure future for our family, which makes my heart melt. It makes me so proud to be his wife and to be the one standing by his side through this journey we are on.

25 and a half weeks !!

Little baby "Minty" is growing.

Family Pictures

Funny how pictures can tell a story. It was so good to see our family despite the reason we all were together. It was a day of mixed emotions. Remembering my Father with tears and laughter. I know he was there with us......