Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Halloween and Things October Part II

Not much happened in the middle part of October except a lot of resting so I'm going to talk about each of my kids.  We are truly lucky to have such sweet kids.  They are growing up so fast it is fun to watch but sad that time flies so fast. 

Reena is doing so great in class. She's a bit of an empire builder and has organized groups at recess.  She organized a group called the "Twinkles".  In order for you to be a member you have to have Sketchers twinkle toes shoes or twinkles accessories.  They play jump rope during recess and they have their special song.  "Ice cream soda cherry on top, who's your boyfriend I forgot, ABCDEFG..."  She is determined to marry Daniel, the boy next door.  I told her that he has to be a Mormon so she's been inviting him to church.  She is really good at math.  All of her homework has been math and she does it so fast.  Could it be the Asian in her?  LOL.  She is confident that is for sure.  For being the youngest in her class she does very well.  She loves writing stories.  She's even illustrated one of her stories using paint.  One of these days I need to sit down and help her publish one of her stories.  We do need to work on her eating pace though.  If she could eat as fast as she does math, she wouldn't be so thin.  I kept telling Dan it is a curse my grandmother and my mother put on me because I was that way when I was young.  She was in the 75th percentile for height in July and I swear she's grown another inch.  I don't want my kids to stop growing, I want time to slow down a bit.
 Debrie is my story teller.  She always has a story for everything and most of the time they are futuristic.  She's a little time traveler.  She says some of the funniest things.  I wish I had recorded down all the funny things she says.  She says things like "I did that 1046 times"  (1046 is her favorite number) or "Daddy, did you know your dad used to teach me how to clap with one hand?"  or "I was born before your dad and I was taller than him" "But daddy is way taller than Chewy" or "When I was in space the sun was not that hot" or " I did that when I was 15"  or "that happened to me once" and we just continue to roll our eyes.  Whatever you did she also did before you.  She's been there, done that before you even got to it.  It's so cute because she's 4.  Let's hope she isn't that way when she's 13.  She's a cutie though and we love her.  She loves gymnastics (her teacher says she's got potential to try out for a team) and loves to bang on the piano getting partial songs correct.  She's getting very good with her letters which gives her the confidence to go to YOUTUBE and search for her favorite show "My Little Pony" and Disney games.  She can type and search for those things.  Most of our learning is through the computer.  That's how she is learning her numbers and letters - typing on the keyboard.  She loves every little time when she's in charge.  If I need her to watch Ronin, she'll ask "am I in charge mommy?".  Whenever Ronin gets a bath she gets her hair brush out with a bottle of lotion ready to do his hair.  Oh so fun to have 2 little moms to take care of your baby. 
Finally her hair is long enough for braids!!! 
Ronin is a cutie.  When you snuggle with him, you just want to sit there and keep snuggling.  Wow I love him.  He's been sleeping 5-6 hors a night, which makes him even more adorable.  With him around, the girls don't need the bouncy house or museums or playgrounds as much.  Being and snuggling with him is just as satisfying.  He's getting chubbier and chubbier which makes me thinner and thinner which makes me happy.  I'm just really excited to have a boy and do boy stuff with him in the future.  Cars, trucks, airplanes, etc...  Maybe my girls would be into those things, too.  We just haven't bought those things so I don't know.  We have a few cars but Dan looks forward to his daddy son outings and building things together.  He bought stuff to build a robot with his girls a little while ago.  Hopefully he will get to that soon. 
 
 Ronin's First Halloween




When you have girls you have to know about My Little Pony.  Reena was Rainbow Dash, Debrie was Twilight Sparkle, Ronin was a Fierce Dragon and they begged Dan and I to dress up so we casually dressed as Gordon Freeman and Apple Jack using what we had lying around the house.  Well Dan's birthday gift from us is that Half Life t-shirt and crow bar

 We set up our porch for hotdogs and wassail.  It was fun to greet the neighbors with it.






Something about having mixed kids that makes me smile when I look at them.  Maybe because they stand out and they look a lot like Dan and I happen to like that guy :)

Finally I know this is about October but as I'm writing this tomorrow is Thanksgiving and my sister and brother in law are coming tonight.  I'm going to push this out tonight before it gets too crazy with 20 people at our house tomorrow for the big dinner.  About 10 days ago I sat down and wrote my 10 things I'm grateful to have.  Here they are.  We also did this for Family Home Evening one night.  In Debrie's talk during the Primary Sacrement program she mentioned the things she is thankful for.  Debrie is thankful for mom and dad, sister and brother, cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles.  She said all of these things clear and sweet.  In Reena's talk she mentioned Ronin as a blessing coming from fasting and prayer.  She said all by memory: My family wanted another baby, so we prayed and I fasted one meal. A few months later, my mommy and daddy told me we were going to have a new baby in our family. I know my baby brother is a blessing sent from Heavenly Father because we fasted and prayed.  

My Thankful List
About 10 days 'til Thanksgiving. Here are my 10 things I'm thankful for and passionate about, with pictures.
1. I'm thankful for my family. My pretty girls are such blessings to have first. 2 little moms to help out and good future babysiitters. My boy is so deliciously sweet and handsome. My gorgeous and wonderful husband.
2. I'm thankful for the family I came from. My parents are amazing and how lucky of a girl I am with not just 1 or 2 but 3 sisters and a brother as the icing on the cake.
3. I'm thankful for my extended family and my in laws. Couldn't have asked for better people to be a part of a family with.
4. I'm thankful for my church. So glad I found it back in 1996. That was a good year. Our lives have been tremendously blessed beyond measure to be a part of the most incredible organization.
5. I'm thankful for a beautiful home to live in and to decorate. My passion for interior designing and exterior landscaping satisfied.
6. I'm thankful for good finds. I love friends, fashion,shopping, and good yummy food. It brings me joy. I also love repurposing and making things more beautiful.
7. I'm thankful for my voice so that I can bring music to my listeners.
8. I'm thankful for this land and the freedom we enjoy. My dad fought many years for freedom.
9. I'm thankful for my education. With a Masters degree in Counseling psychology and REAL life experiences I hope to be a good Marriage and Family Therapist in the future. I will work when my children are older and I will start with a low salary but I would not want to miss out on anything with my children. I'm having fun hands on practice now and that is education that is pretty hard core on most days . If you don't think so, try being a full time mom.
10. That leads to my last one which is I'm thankful for the opportunity I have to fully enjoy these GOLDEN YEARS with my children full time. I want to be at the crossroads of every turns. I'm thankful for my husband's job that provides so well for us. Don't know how I got so lucky but because of that I want nothing more but to pay it forward and bless the lives of others. So come by our house. We take good care of our guests and always have sweet treats in our jars to share.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Black Friday shopping!!!!  We already did our shopping this week!  I love good finds and we LOVE our Honda Odyssey!  
 





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Sunday, November 24, 2013

Ocotober Babe - Party of 5

The Birth Story
Hearts beat fast, the day was getting closer, we were having bets on when little Ronin, our baby boy would come.  Reena came 3 days before her due date.  Debrie came 4 days before her due date.  I being hopeful and ready, bet that his due date would be October 3rd.  Dan bet on Ocotber 4th.  The girls kept asking when Ronin would be here.  Everyday, many times a day Debrie would lift up my shirt, talk to the baby and kiss my belly.  She tells everyone about her baby brother where ever she goes.  The anticipation was high.  I was eating spicy food and walking a ton.  That night, October 3rd I was tired by 7:30.  I told Dan to please put the kids down and clean up for me.  I headed to bed.  I was out within a matter of minutes.  I remembered vaguely that Brie came in to snuggle with me and Dan came home from soccer.  2:30 came and I woke up with contractions.  They were hard and painful.  But I tried going back to sleep thinking they were just Braxton Hicks, but they were 3 minutes apart and so so painful.  I was dilated to a 2 on Tuesday but even I knew that after that I was not a 2 anymore.  I decided to wait it out anyway because I was so tired and Dan looked so sleepy.  About 15 minutes later I ran to the bathroom and felt like pushing.  It was now 3:00 and I woke Dan up and said it is time.  Ronin is on his way out.  I was excited, in a lot of pain and fear that it''s going to be another natural childbirth.  Reena's birth with the epidural spoiled me.  Debrie's natural birth scared me of wanting another for a while.  But Ronin decided he wanted to be like Debrie, even a little faster.  We got to the hospital and checked in at 3:19.  I could hardly walk.  I screamed for that darn epidural but he came so quickly the epidural took maybe 3 contractions away and it was all natural childbirth all over again.  Like Bill Cosby described, it is like taking your bottom lip and stretching it over your head.  Ok that's a bit much  At least it was fast.  Matt and Shelly, Dan's cousins told me that all 3 of my births together still isn't equal to one of Shelly's.  Poor girl.

Anyway there's the story for ya'll.  I delivered in my street clothes again.  I was dilated to a 9 when i arrived at the hospital and 5 minutes later a 10 and crowning.  It was natural child birth all over again. I was stubborn and fiesty about the pain med, but if I had pushed earlier he would've been out earlier.  So illogical when you're in pain.  2 hours from contraction to birth little Ronin Quan Stevens joined our family at 4:00 AM weighing 8 lbs 10 ounces 20 inches long.  He was smaller than his sister Reena by 5 ounces and smaller than his sister Debrie by 9 ounces but he was bigger than them by his 1 week appointment.  He was 9 lbs 6 ounces and 21 inches by 1 week!!!.  We're all so glad he came to our family. I'm so glad he chose me to be his mommy.  A son so perfect and absolutely handsome.  We couldn't take our eyes off of him.  I was in love all over again.  His sisters couldn't leave his side,  they were in love.  They pampered him with kisses and hugs.   Here's the catch of it all, the  crazy part I think.  We left the Mac to watch over his sisters while he was being born.  We had the webcam outside the girls room and had our phones to watch over them.  Nope we didn't ask anyone to watch our kids.  I knew it was fast.  We were gone for less than an hour.  Dan was back before they woke up.  He even got a few hours of sleep in before they woke up to a note that was left for them outside their room that said brother is here.
Facebook traffic volume went way high the day he was born.  Hundreds of congrats messages and comments from friends.  I don't think  I've seen as many comments.  My friends were excited to come meet him.  Many came and brought us treats and meals.  Here is a quick copy and paste from what people said to us on your birth Ronin


  This little man is worth every pain.  He has such yummy cheeks. 
Before we left the hospital there was a photographer from Bellababy and she asked us if she could take our pictures.  It was free so we decided to give her the ok to take our pictures.  We ended up ordering 2 pictures of the ones she took.

He steals my heart.  He came home a day after and his sisters started getting runny noses.  That was hard keeping them away from smothering him with kisses.  He is a healthy baby so thankfully he didn't pick that up.  He's a darling chunky baby.  There is nothing cuter than a chunky baby in my opinion.
Funky chunky.  10 lbs in less than 2 weeks.  He grunts in his sleep and right before he wakes. Such a boy!
Proud grandma Ma
Handsome little man with great hair!

Gangsta poses

Ba Ngoai's first 3 grandkids
I feel so grateful for my mother and her 2 weeks of dedicated service. She went back to Philly and we are missing her dearly. She took Reena to school, jogged to school to eat lunch with her, jumped on the trampoline with the kids, baked with Debrie, and was an amazing cook. Everyday was filled with yummy food and treats. I love my MOM!!!!
Aww...snuggle wuggle Reena's words when she's near him
There is only one thing I could want more than this. More sleep!!!
Reena read to her siblings so I could get some rest
My dad tells me that I'm lucky to have girls first.  They are great babysitters.  As can be seen here, two little moms to do your hair.

 


 My sister came for a visit.  She has been there for every birth of my children.  She helped play with the kids and cuddled with them at night.  They adore her
 

My handsome BOYS!
2 weeks                                                                  4 weeks

I'm Super Man.  The kids love it when Dan does that to Ronin
A lil' boy to watch football with.  Daddy couldn't be happier




Reena:  Heavenly Father, I'm so glad you gave us cute Ronin.  Could you please give mommy another cute baby?

 And here are a bunch of pictures of the little guy.  I had so much fun practicing some photography with him. 













Church Ready-I love shopping for and dressing up my boy.  Such a handsome little guy.  Mixed race babies take the best from both worlds



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