Disneyland 2009: Day 1

We got up early Tuesday morning and left about 4:45 a.m. We arrived in Anaheim at 10:30 a.m. (Yes it took us less than 5 hours to get there! I couldn't believe it.) We walked directly over to Disneyland from our hotel and started our vacation!
As soon as we walked in all the characters were out. I wanted to see how long it took Alexandra to realize Minnie Mouse was standing near her. It took her about a minute then she pointed her finger and said "Mouse." That made the whole trip worth while! When we got close to Minnie and have our picture taken Alexandra wasn't too sure of the whole character thing. So we only saw a few this trip. (Maybe next time she will warm up to them.)

"A Great Time Out"

Last night Miles' celebrated his 9th birthday with a party with his 3 best friends. Joey, Conner and Lincoln came over to our house for pizza before heading to the Golden State Warriors basketball game! Tim took all 4 boys by himself. The game went into triple overtime and they didn't get home until midnight; but they all had a great time at the game.

Just being 9 year old boys~Measuring up to Yao Ming~
Measuring up to Monta Ellis~
Lincoln, Miles, Joey & Conner~Cheering at the game!!

Our "Cheeser" girl

So Avery won't smile for the camera but ... Every time the camera is out Alexandra is cheesing it big time.

Here is some proof:
She is saying "CHEESEEEE" while eating cheese pizza:

Our little "Samurai" baby

I didn't realize how much hair Avery really had until the other day. I came home and Tim had put Avery's hair up into a little pony tail. She looks so cute. We call her our little Samurai baby.
(Every time I start pictures of her she stops smiling and just stares at the camera.)

The unexpected weekend

I need to write down about the day Avery was born. (before I forget the details.)

This was the plan: We were going to unpack/arrange the kitchen. Melinda and I were going to paint our fireplace Saturday morning. Saturday evening we were all going to go up to Sacramento to celebrate Grandpa Doll's 80th Birthday.

Instead, this is what happened:
Friday (August 29, 2008): The whole day was an "off" day. Alexandra woke up that morning around 4:30. I remember giving her a bottle and just sitting on the couch and holding her for a half an hour. I couldn't go back to sleep after that. Our kitchen had been finished the night before, so our contractor showed up at our house at 8:30 and started loading up all his tools and we were breaking down boxes so he could recycle them. After he left I hopped in the shower and then went visiting teaching. After that, I picked up Caden from school and we went to the park for playgroup. I talked to my mom on the phone while at the park. I told her I was tired, but didn't feel any labor pains ... I still had 2 1/2 weeks until my due date. I stayed at the park until 1:30 and decided to go home and rest, because it had been an extremely busy day. I picked up Miles from school at 2:45. Then Tim called me around 3:15 and said that he needed to be picked up at Moraga Auto Care (aka John's shop), which is about a 30 minute drive. So I forced the kids into the car (Miles did NOT want to go) and drove out to Moraga to pick up Tim. (His car kept overheating and needed to be fixed.) We picked up Tim and he drove home the "back way" through Lafayette, which is a windy road. When we got home I wasn't feeling good and laid down on the couch. I started to hurt more and went and put my pajamas on and laid in bed. The pain became so bad that I started to cry. I didn't know what to do because I will still 2 1/2 weeks from my due date and these were "real" contractions, just everything hurt everywhere. Tim called his mom and asked for advice. (She was on her way to the airport to pick up Suzi & Kati). I decided to start packing a bag -- just in case. I has hobbling around our bedroom trying to put things I thought I would need in a bag. Tim started packing a bag for the kids. We decided to drop the kids off at his parents house (Thankfully Jeff & Melinda were there) and drive over to the hospital. In the back of my mind I kept thinking, they are just going to send me home - nothing is really happening. I called the hospital to let them know that I was on my way. They asked me how far apart my contractions were. I lied and said 5 minutes, because I didn't feel like I was having any. I then called my mom and told her that we were on our way to the hospital. She started crying and couldn't believe it was happened so fast, remember, I had talked to her on the phone hours before and I felt fine. We made it to the reception area around 6:00 and had to check in. We were sitting there and the nurse asks me "So are you ready for this?" I replied "No!" We had just moved 2 weeks ago into our new house. The kitchen wasn't unpacked, no baby clothes had been washed, no diapers bought and I had just cleaned the car seat a few days before but had not put it back together. They took me into the triage room and checked me I was dilated to almost to 4 centimeters but wasn't having consistent contractions. (Side note: All my labor/deliveries have been very quick, Miles was 4 hours, Caden 4 1/2 hours and Alexandra was the longest at about 8 hours). They decided to admit me and take me into a room but didn't think I would be having the baby for a while. We got settled into the room around 7:15 and gave me all the normal IV's and frequent BP's and such. The pain was starting to get worse so I asked for an epidural. I do have painful back labor and had Miles natural (not by choice) so I would rather not feel much. The anesthesiologist came in and put in the epidural, when she was finished she made sure it was in the right place but blood came out of the catheter (which is called a bloody tap) so she had to take it all out and try putting another epidural in. This was THE MOST painful part of the whole process of giving birth with Avery. For some reason it stung and burned and hurt more than any of the other epidurals that had gotten in the past. I told Tim if the anesthesiologist "messed up again, I am not going to have an epidural with this birth." Luckily it did work. This was probably around 9:30. The nurse said she would check on me around 11:00 to see if there was any progress, and plan on having the baby the next day. We hadn't ate dinner (I ate a few graham crackers in the car on the way to the hospital) so Tim ran down to a restaurant nearby and got a BLT and fries. They had me sitting up to see if the labor would progress. About 10:05 I called the nurse and said "I'm pretty sure my water just broke." She checked me and yep ... it had broke. Tim had just gotten back and had started eating when the Mid-wife came into the room just to meet me, when she checked me I was dilated to a 10 and they got everything ready to have a baby! I pushed about 5 times, and little Avery Gale was born at 10:26 pm! She weighed in at 6 lbs. 8 oz. was 19 1/2 inches long. Tim didn't even get to finished eating his dinner. What a long but exciting day it turned out to be.

This picture is minutes before I delivered Avery.
Avery is only a few minutes old:
This is me talking to my mom on the phone probably 10 to 15 minutes after Avery was born:
And now for the rest of the story:
Saturday: Avery seemed to be doing good but started choking on this clear liquid the morning after she was born. They QUICKLY took her into the nursery and had to suck out a bunch of amniotic fluid that she had swallowed. She had to stay in the nursery for a few hours, which was a little stressful, but everything turned out to be okay. We had to stay and extra night (which I wasn't too happy about). My sweet sister-in-laws unpacked my kitchen that day. Tim took the kids up to Grandpa Doll's birthday party on Saturday night and me and Avery chilled at the hospital. April Jacobs came and visited me that night and brought me a Pepsi and some chocolate! I had to share a room part of the time with this new mom who snored so loud! I didn't get much sleep. Thankfully we were able to go home Sunday afternoon.

I am grateful this little girl came into our family. It hasn't always been easy, especially the first 9 weeks or so. Mainly just adjusting to little sleep, having a newborn and a baby at home already who was 17 1/2 month old when Avery was born. She has been more of a demanding baby wanting to be held, needing a binky (which none of the other kids ever took), and spitting up frequently. She is getting better and starting to get a personality. We are finding out that she is very ticklish. She is adored by Alexandra and Caden. (Miles is indifferent most of the time.) But I truly love this little girl.

Yes, we are addicted ...

To Rock Band and Guitar Hero. It started at our annual friends Christmas party on Dec. 19th. (As seen on the video below). Then we got the Wii for Christmas and Tim decided with his Christmas money that he would buy Guitar Hero World Tour (with just the Guitar), then he decided to buy the microphone from amazon.com. Then the next day he bought the Rock Band drums at Fry's. But found out that the Rock Band drums don't work with Guitar Hero, so then Miles and I went to Toys R Us and bought Rock Band 2. And we have been rockin' ever since...

(Thank Janelle for letting me "borrow" the video)

Family Pictures

We went Monday night to get our pictures taken at JcPenney. These were my favorites.

Our November trip to Utah

I should start out with how our plane ride went. In a nutshell: Miles was great. Caden was great. A sweet lady helped me with the girls. She held Avery the whole time for me and I dealt with Alexandra, who was tired and unreasonable. What I crazy to try and fly out with 4 kids all by myself? Probably. But I survived.

Part of the reason we went out to Utah was to attend my grandpa's 80th birthday party. The party was at the church where I was born and went to until I was 11 years old. This is a picture of my grandpa, when he was, well -- younger.At the party: Me, Alexandra, Grandma Redding holding Avery, Caden, Grandpa Redding (birthday boy) and Miles. It was good to see all of my family and extended family. I definitely don't get to see them often enough.
Sunday after church. Alexandra and Avery in their matching dresses.
Sisters!
Avery has these big blue eyes and long eyelashes. She is a beautiful baby. She looks a lot like me when I was a baby.
Sunday night we had dinner with my family. Alexandra was having a rough night. My niece, Mayley, who is 2 1/2, decided to read books to Alexandra to make her happy.Monday night I went out to dinner with some of my best friends who were also my college roommates. We went to Macaroni Grill and talked for hours. Avery came along for the evening. My parents took Miles, Caden & Alexandra to see Madagascar 2 & McDonalds while I was gone.
Cheers! Charlene, Me, Alisa & Ana.
Charlene (aka Chuck) and me:
Alisa & meTuesday: My sister came to my parents house and we made Tutu's for the girls. Here is how they turned out. They were cute AND easy to make.Tuesday evening we drove down to Mapleton. Tim's sister is the Coach of the 9th grade girls basketball team there. We watched Aunt Suzi coach and see her team win their game. That night I also drove to the airport to pick up Tim. We stopped to Target on the way home from the airport because Tim forgot to pack some PJ's. Wednesday my mom and I went grocery shopping and started cooking food for the feast for the following day.

Thanksgiving day!
Aunt Suzi & Avery

Tim & the boysMayley & Alexandra eating Thanksgiving dinner. I don't think they ate that much.
Alexandra enjoyed dessert!
We have a tradition in our family that the baby gets their picture taken next to a pecan pie. Here is Avery's. I think we will try again next Thanksgiving.
Redding family picture:
Friday morning Tim's brother Jeff and his family came down to visit. It was good to see them only if it was for a few hours.

Miles, Caden and cousin Dylan:
Aunt Melinda with Alexandra, cousin Alyssa and Avery:
Alexandra eating pizza and being cute before we left that night to go to the airport. It was a good trip. We never get everything done that we want to do.
I'm glad Tim was with me this time at the airport to fly home.

Caden said today ...

"Mom are you going to call the doctor for Avery? Her cryer is broken."

(Note: Avery has been a little sick this week and her voice is hoarse, so she has this sad qu8iet little cry right now.)

Smiles from Avery

Avery is 11 weeks today. Here are some pics of her smiling. Finally!

Avery Overload

Avery has had a few hard weeks. (That means mom too.) A lot of crying and spitting up. She is starting to get better but not sure what exactly is going on. She does like to be held, that's for sure!A binky makes her happier and quieter.

8 weeks old (10/24/08):
I took her for her check up. She weighed in at 9 lbs. 8 oz. (23%), was 21 3/4" long (33%) and her little head circumference was 14 1/4" (4%).

Caden is a good big brother. He will hold Avery and can get her to go to sleep.

He will tell her "Shhhhh, go to sleep baby."
Avery 9 1/2 Weeks old:
I love this hoodie outfit.
My favorite pictures is when they are sleeping.These are the best pictures we can get of her smiling. I think she cries a lot more than she smiles, unfortunately. She likes to stick out her tongue too. (10 weeks old)

(Note: I have been working on this post for a few weeks so I just decided to post it as-is.)