A Shout Out to my Sweetheart

I just wanted to give a shout out to Alan on this Father's Day. He is simply a wonderful husband and father. I love this picture where he is soaking in Elijah's snuggles.

Photo op with Miles before we left for our "safari ride" at Lake Tobias. Memorial Day (May 28) 2012.

And our sweet Christian. :)

The boys had a blast feeding the animals then checking out the zoo and petting zoo. We topped our Lake Tobias trip off with a live reptile show. We all had a blast!

Alan enjoys getting down and dirty with the boys and watching them enjoy new experiences. He gives them plenty of hugs, teaches them, makes them respect their mother, and isn't afraid to plant a wet one on their smackers. :) I love him so much and am glad I chose him to be the father of my children.

Happy Father's Day, honey. :)

How baby Elijah came into the world...

Elijah Matthew Bordon was born on Saturday, June 2 at 3:39 p.m. He weighed 7 lb 4 oz, 19 3/4" long. He has blond hair and blue eyes, which is funny because Christian and Miles both had black hair and gray eyes. :) I said, "Is this OUR baby?" I am pretty sure Alan caught me saying that on video. :D HA! My birth story is a little interesting, so read on if you dare... ;)

Saturday morning sometime, 10 am at the earliest, I started having contractions. I had been having contractions off and on the past week, but not very painful ones. These were painful, but I still wasn't sure if they were the real thing. We took Christian to his game at 12 pm and the contractions started getting closer together. That's when I started thinking they were the real thing. I would talk to other kids' moms and pause for a contraction. They'd say, "Uh, does your husband know you're having contractions?" I'd laugh and say yes. :D Hey, beginning stages of labor take time. Might as well spend the time out and distracted by other things. ;)
We made it home at around 1:45 pm. A wonderful woman from my ward (church congregation) named Jane came over and stayed with the boys while we walked across the street to the hospital. People we knew cheered us on our way. We checked in at 2 p.m. and were sent to an "observation room," a tiny room the size of a closet where I put a gown on and they asked me 5,000,000 questions.
This is Hershey Med Center; a learning hospital, so you have a resident doctor come in and do their thing then a doctor comes in and does the same exact thing. A little frustrating, but whatever. I stressed that I went quickly (Miles was a 4 hour labor total) and that I wanted an epidural.
Now I was contracting 2 minutes apart when I arrived at the hospital. The resident doctor checked my progress and announced I was 5 cm and 80% effaced. An attending doctor came and started asking questions but got distracted by a loud beeping sound and left. Another woman came and asked the rest of the questions. By this time my pain was really increasing. She left and nobody came in for an hour.
During that hour my pain got so bad I started writhing and moaning with each contraction. I've never felt such heavy ones before; I'd always had an epidural by now! Alan was leafing through a magazine across the room and I could hear the nurses--5-10 of them--chatting and laughing right outside our door. I chastised Alan for being a poor coach (hey, we've never trained for this) and he came and held my hand. The pain was surreal and when I started feeling intense pressure I would cry out to the nurses such things as, "Help!" and, "The baby is coming! He's coming, I can feel it!" Nobody came. It was the most frustrating thing ever. I wasn't in the right mind to think of pushing the nurse call button, but there were 500 of them right outside my door. I really needed someone to tell me what was happening. I didn't know exactly because I'd never transitioned before. I was angry because they hadn't listened to me--I was going fast, like I'd told them, and I had a feeling it was too late for the epidural I had wanted. Overall, I was worried and scared and felt alone.
I finally told Alan to ask for a Dr to check me. A nurse came in and stood me up to walk to the labor and delivery room. As soon as I stood, my water broke. After the contraction ended I walked to the labor and delivery room and a couple of doctors rushed in. I was 95% effaced, 10 cm, and baby was at -1 position. I had 2 more contractions and then my body took over, pushing that baby out. It took 2 or 3 pushes and it was all over. It was all around INSANE. It might have been "cooler" if I wasn't annoyed by the whole experience.
So I got to hospital at 2 p.m. and had the baby at 3:39 p.m. ALAN almost had to catch the baby in the observation room!!! It might have been cool in the end if he had (he'd wanted to deliver the baby anyway), but I felt I deserved to be treated better than to be left alone for so long, transitioning and in such pain without really knowing what was happening and my cries for help being ignored (they are definitely getting a colorful evaluation from me). :)
In the end--now that it's all over and the emotions have died down--I am glad I had a natural birth. With Christian my water broke and contractions started slowly after that. With Miles I was induced. Now I've had a natural birth and know what it's like. It was intense and let me tell you...I am definitely a fan of epidurals. I don't feel like I've crossed some cool barrier or joined a club. I feel like everyone should be able to choose how to deliver your children. The most important thing is that the baby is healthy.

I sure love my little Elijah. He doesn't sleep well at night and it's making me a little crazy, but I know things like that fall into place as they grow older. In the meantime I will continue to stare at his cute little face and enjoy each little moment, because I know it all passes too quickly.

A shave and a hair cut...

I hate taking pictures with just me in them (as you can tell by my face), but here it is. My new hair. ;) I did the highlights and some reddish color (in with the highlights to make them jump) and got a trim. More layers, basically, and shorter bangs.

Some say they cut their hair to prepare for a baby...I didn't feel that way. I just plain needed a trim and some shape. :) But I guess there's always the fact that I won't be as able to go out and get a cut once little Elijah comes. ;)
And the shave? Well, I'm about to have a baby. ;) Gotta keep those legs smooth! :D

Tomorrow I will be 37 weeks. That's full term. Woohoo! I'm getting a little anxious, especially as I see my neighbors having their babies. :D Did I mention there are 5 of us in our area (of 16 apartments) that are pregnant? :D HA! It's true. Here we are standing in order of due date. Jane, the Asian woman on the left, had her baby last week. Next in line is Michelle. She will give birth any day now. Tia is due June 4th, I'm due June 12 (or 13th, whatever), and Andrea is due at the end of June. So I'm surrounded by these skinny prego chicks while I'm the only one bloated like a whale. HA! Se la vi. A woman saw this picture on her daughter's facebook page and shrieked, offering to take professional pictures of us for free. The four of us who hadn't popped took advantage of that and now we're anxiously waiting the CD of the pics she promised. :D

 For Mother's Day Alan got me 2 dozen white roses and a pack of DELICIOUS cinnamon rolls from Costco. :) Flowers and food: a man after my own heart. ;) And Sunday morning he had the boys bring me "Mother" pictures they had colored for me and a "Best Mother in the World" certificate. HA! It was very cute. They each said something they appreciate about me. Christian said "she makes me lunch" and Miles said, "She makes me breakfast". Yah, those are my boys. :D I don't care what Alan gets me for any occassion, as long as he tries. The effort is all I care about. :) And he darn done himself good. ;)

OOPS, forgot Thanksgiving 2011

So I was just looking at our NYC pics from last summer and read that I wanted to take the boys there some day. Well, that "some day" came last November. We took the boys to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Alan's cousin, Erin, and her husband met us there from Binghamton, NY. It was a fun time (though we can leave out that I was had such terrible "morning sickness" that I ralfed twice on the three-hour drive to NYC). ;)

All of us, anxiously waiting for the parade to start. November 25, 2011.

This was my favorite float...the actual actors from Sesame Street were on it, along with all our favorite monsters. And Big Bird, of course! :D

 Watching the parade. :D With Erin and her husband, James. Christian was at the front of the crowd by himself for a better view. :D

A place we stopped to rest for a bit after the parade.

Christian was super excited to see the Lego store, though it was closed on Thanksgiving day. Love his cheesy smile. :)

Here's some random leaf pictures from the fall. We love to make piles of leaves outside! Miles is such a Mama's boy. I hope that never changes. :D

Thank you for sharing our November 2011!

What makes someone a Daddy?

Yesterday Miles pointed to some guy and said, "What is that Daddy doing?" I then asked, "What makes someone a Daddy?" Christian quickly replied, "Their hair cut." ha! I don't know where he got that answer from...maybe because the guy had a buzz like Alan. Either way, I just get a kick out of some of the things these kids say!

Here are my two sweeties, showing off their handsome new suits. :)
On another note, we have decided to name the baby Elijah Matthew. The boys are already calling him Baby Elijah when they kiss my belly or blow into my belly button (as Miles does, saying he's blowing on the baby). :) Too precious.

I can't believe I'm almost 7 months along. Yipes! This picture was last month at 6 months along. I swear Elijah is trying to break out of his prison by pushing through my stomach. He's already so strong and active. Oh heaven help me! I love, love, love my boys!! :D

Snakes and snails and puppy dog tails.

Monday we had an ultrasound and found out we're having another boy! Woohoo! I'm super stoked to be having a third boy. And knowing it is a "HE" instead of an "IT" or "HE/SHE" makes such a huge difference. We're debating names, but Alan is in love with "Adam" and Giddeon and Gabriel. I like the names, but not for my baby. Strange, eh? :)
Our little man will get a name, but until then I am going to ride this high. It is so nice to have something to look forward to, especially right now. Little man is due June 13th, on my dad's birthday. :) My dad hopes he'll be born on his due date. :D

My dear, dear mother

Christmas 2011 we planned to spend with my brother and his family. They were going to drive down here from Canada, where they were moving from, and spend a few days here before heading off to Texas, where they were moving to. My dear husband was inspired differently, however, and I am very grateful. He bought us all tickets to spend Christmas in Modesto. I was opposed to it, considering it emptied out our entire savings and most of our checking account. But we went and ended up spending most days in the hospital in San Francisco. My mom found out last March (2011) that she has cirrhosis of the liver. She had been sent to UCSF to be tested to see if she was eligible for a liver transplant. A few days before Christmas, she finally "passed" all the tests and was put on the transplant list. She was going to be shipped back to Modesto on Christmas Eve and would come home for a bit on Christmas Day. She was so excited. "I just want to go home," she told me over the phone.

 Christmas Eve came and she had to stay at UCSF. She had come down with a fever and ran tests to find out why. Her platelets (that make blood clot) had dropped to almost nothing. We all went to visit her on Christmas day in the ICU. She looked horrible. Most of her body was bruised, her lips were swollen, her gums were bleeding. Every time any of us would enter her room the first thing she would say was, "I love you, dear." I was frustrated, thinking she believed it was the end. It was NOT the end as far as I was concerned. They gave her medicine to raise her platelets, but none worked. The doctors were puzzled; the medicine always worked. By Sunday the doctors pleaded with us to transfer her to a comfort care suite, where she wouldn't have to be poked and prodded every few hours and "nature could take its course" in a much more comfortable setting. I still believed God was going to heal her, jumping her platelet level up so she could get a transplant and make the whole miserable affair go away.
I spent each night with my sisters in the comfort care suite. It was horrible watching and waiting to see if she would die or not. Horrible, yet my sisters and I made some wonderful memories together. I knew that whatever would happen, it would be okay. But waiting was torture.
January 5th I watched her gasp out her last breath. Even then, I couldn't believe it. Mom was supposed to live forever, be there for me forever. Now she was gone. I couldn't call her. She wouldn't be there when I visit home or get to know my kids like I'd always imagined. I still feel like I'm in a cloud...it's surreal. Through it all I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ that lets me know I will see her again! That she lives still, though I can't see her. I know that when I weep I only weep for myself. My heart groans with a pain only those who have lost a parent could understand. But I know she is happy and doing important work beyond the veil; and though I miss her terribly I will see her again some day.
Until then, know that I love you, my dear, dear mother. Now, as you desired, you have truly gone home.

Home on the range, an Anniversary, and a Birthday...

 My wonderful, stupendous, fabuloso husband stayed with the boys in July so I could go home and see my family...BY MYSELF...for TWO WEEKS! WOOHOO! It was a blast. I slept in, hooked up with friends, GOT READY each morning, spent time with my family...I was in heaven! The best part of is all is...I feel like I got to get in touch with myself again. It helped to take a step back from child rearing every day to take a deep breath and relax. aaaaahhhh...

It was a blast hooking up with friends (had lunch at Chili's) I used to work with. I love them tons, and after 9 years everyone still looked the same!! Well, the children were new, but...

Paige and Athena. I lick them...er...I mean love them. We enjoyed a lovely dinner at El Rosal. hehe... :D

My bff since 3rd grade, Shauna, and her lil' sis, Christina with her 6 1/2 kids. Such a fun reunion!

Lindsey, Shauna, my sissy, Jennifer and myself...visiting Lindsey and eating our favorite frozen yogurt. !Viva Yogurt Mill!

Eating at the DELISH El Rosal with the family. :D This is only a few of my 23 nieces and nephews. Big families rock!

Met up with my good friend, Amy. I love her AND her energy! :D

All four of us sisters went to my oldest sister, Francine's Girl's Camp. :D It was super fun!!

Fran was busy, so Jenn, Amy and I hung most of the time. :D I got to be a life guard...and fear for everyone else's lives that were in my hands. egads...see how my back was turned to the innocent little ones? Yah...ha! It was fun times hanging with my lifeguard superior, Monica. :D :D :D

They had a dance party one night...it was so fun!!! Everyone broke open their glow-in-the-dark necklaces and splashed everyone, so our clothes had glow-in-the-dark splotches on them while we danced. :D

We went kayaking a couple of times. I loved it! I will own a kayak one day. :D When my husband's a rich doctor. :)

The day I flew back home, my dad and I did a session at the Oakland temple together...then went to the visitor's center. It was so fun and spiritual; I love my daddy!!! And I had a blast visiting home!!!

Alan's aunt and uncle, Donna and Stu, and their son-in-law, James, were in NY for a visit and came down to see us.

We went to Hershey Chocolate World and decorated cupcakes and went on the tour...and Miles fawned over Uncle Stu the whole time. :D Hilarious! It was so good to see them for we love them much. :D

I just had to add this picture of my crazy boys. :D They sure are great buddies and we love them so very much. :D

Sept 4th was mine and Alan's 7th Anniversary. :D He surprised me by taking me to the D.C. temple--which is huge and gorgeous!--and we did sealings in memory of our own 7 years ago. :D

Then he took me to a Japanese all-you-can-eat restaurant in Virginia. mmmm....

The sushi was SOOOO GOOD! It was a fun and sweet date!! I love you, stud muffin!!!

Christian turned 5 on September 8th. We threw him a raging Spider-man birthday party to celebrate. ;)

We played wild and crazy games, such as "Pin the tail in the donkey"...

...and we played "keep those Spider-man villain balloons off your side of the line," which the kids loved. :D

Here's the group of crazy faces. :D It was full house with all the energy those kids have.

At the end, they decorated their own cupcakes, we sang to Christian, and everyone enjoyed cake and ice cream. :D YUM.

This is a cake our neighbor bought for Christian. :D It was really sweet (the gesture AND the cake). :D :D :D

The 4th, my Bday and Brandon Sanderson

A lot has happened since I wrote a mere 2+ weeks ago. :) On July 4th we had a picnic at our apartment complex. A lot of people showed with lots of good food. :D It was fun. Alan bought a bunch of Pop-it's and shared them with the kids.

He also bought some sparklers and shared them with all the kids. The boys loved them. ;)

July 5th we hung out with Alan's childhood friend, Andrew, and his family. :) Here we are walking across a bridge in Harrisburg. :D We ended up on a little island and found a fun park with batting cages and arcade games at one end and a place to swim at the other. I need to toss those shorts. SO unflattering. ;)

 

July 6th we drove up to Canada to visit my brother and his family. My sister-in-law, Sarah, is AWESOME and made me an Italian cream cake. It was sooooo good!! :D She also bought me a cute white Avon watch and a Schick razor which is a DREAM on my sensitive pits. hehehe... ;)

Drooling here just thinking about that yummy cake. mmmmm... :)~

Later that day we drove a couple hours away to a beautiful campground. It was really nice because my brother let us stay in his huge trailer. :D

The mosquitoes were the size of HORSES, but it was so beautiful and serene! We made YUMMY s'mores and tubed down the river and fished (I didn't have a license, but I gutted one my nephew, Branden, caught with a friggin dull knife). My nephews pretty much thought I was the coolest after that. It was a fun camping trip!

One of the days our little family went swimming at this query. It was fun and beautiful! I swam to the other side of it, overcoming my fear of open waters. ;) Go me! It was an awesome day.

We also had family pictures taken. Here's the best of the worst. :D HA!

 lol, there were NONE where we were all looking and/or smiling. ;)

 I sure love my babies. :D Precious boys.

 Alan taught Christian to do the hand/chest slap from Psych. HA! It's the cutest thing to see.

Our feet are all ugly, except the boys' of course, but I like it anyway. ;)

I'm having a hard time deciding which picture I like of Alan and I most...What do YOU think?

For the finale....drum roll please..............on Saturday (July 16th) I went to a Polaris 25 Convention. Yes, I went to a geek convention. ;) One of those where people dress in strange costumes and many don't understand the importance of personal hygiene. I went, however, and had a blast. I am willing to do just about anything once, though it was so fun I'd do it again...if Brandon Sanderson were there. :D He is one of my favorite authors and was a guest of honor. He taught on a few panels (where I learned valuable info about writing), and in the evening he played Magic, a card game, with his fans. I learned and watched and chatted with him. It was so fun! He's down to earth and all around coolio. ;)

He was posing with a close-lipped smile. I told him to show some teeth. :D HA! And boy did he. :D HA! Funny guy. Aaaaah, there we go. ;) That's all folks, I hope you enjoyed the show! ;) Tomorrow I'm off to California to see my family and have many more adventures. What a busy and blessed summer!