Happy February

I absolutely LOVE this time of the year and, in addition to my unhealthy affinity for the holiday season, I look forward to it every year. There is something about the slight increase in temperature, the arrival of the scent of the orange blossoms in the air, and the anticipation of what's to come that ignites something in my soul.

February has always been an eventful month. It's the month of my birth and the month of our anniversary, which always give me something to look forward to- lots of celebrations and, let's just be honest, hopefully some gifts here and there.

I love presents! Not expensive presents (although they can be utterly wonderful), ANY presents. My love language is gifts, so I always look forward to feeling especially loved this time of year, regardless of the fact that the holiday of love, Valentine's Day, is often boycotted in our home (sounds like an upcoming blog post in and of itself).

But the things I look forward to this time of year aren't wrapped and aren't usually surprises. It's the comfort of the familiar that I love. The holiday season is over and the natural feeling of letdown that follows all the excitement of it has passed. Our family seems to be healthier. The sun shines a bit brighter and warmer during the day- just warm enough to don some short sleeved shirts and bust out a pair or two of flip flops. The smell in the air is cleaner and can be enjoyed by opening the windows in the afternoon. I previously mentioned the smell of the orange blossoms that, while causing me to sneeze relentlessly, lightly fragrance the air. Strawberries come back in season. And let's not forget the Girl Scout Cookies!

I think what is so beautiful about February, especially growing up in Arizona, is that it truly is the onset of our Spring- temperatures in the 70s, flowers beginning to bloom, there is a sense of renewal. It's something we want to hold on to because we know that as the rest of the country ushers in Spring in the months to come, our summer looms on the horizon.

So for now, I'll just open the windows, take a breath of warm fresh air (grab a Thin Mint), and enjoy!

Happy February everyone!

Our Year In Review

We say this every year, but, as we ring in 2011, it really is difficult to believe that another year has gone by.

2010 began much like it ended, with sickness in our home, medications and dosage cups lining the counter. Our house was on the market and after sharing our bedroom with an infant for nine months, we were eagerly looking forward to moving into a bigger home. We celebrated my grandmother’s 95th birthday with a party at our house. We enjoyed a long weekend visiting our good friends, the Kings, in San Diego where we spent the weekend laughing, sailing, and watching our boys play together. We are thankful for our good friends. After we left San Diego we drove up to Oceanside where we met up with Fernando’s parents and were reunited with Fernando’s brother, Oscar, whom he had not seen in 20 years. It was wonderful getting acquainted with him and his family and we were blessed to be able to introduce Daniel to his two “new” cousins!

In February our sale went through. As the house we were planning to move into wasn’t going to be available until April, we began contemplating where were going to spend the month of March. We happily celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary on February 8th.

Thanks to good friends, we were able to move the first weekend of March. It was bittersweet leaving the home we purchased when we got married, but, seeing as our family has outgrown it, we were excited to be starting a new chapter. We were blessed to spend the next six weeks in a beautiful home, much larger than we needed, but SO enjoyable.

April brought yet another move (our 5th in three years) and hopefully the last for a little while. 

May was a month of milestones and mourning. We celebrated the 2nd birthday of our sweet little princess. She has grown into such a beauty and is as charming as can be. She definitely knows how to get her way with the help of her big brown eyes and ridiculously long lashes. We were thrilled and a little saddened as we watched as our firstborn don his first cap and gown and graduate from preschool. In a blink he’ll be headed off to college and we are determined to treasure every moment we have with him. Unfortunately, close to Mother’s Day, my grandmother was hospitalized because of a very bad cough. We all thought it was a cold that had gone bad but quickly found out that she had stage 4 lung cancer. Our family was shocked at the diagnosis and struggled to come to terms with the fact that her time with us was limited. At the time, we didn’t know just how limited. Meemom passed away on May 26th. It was an extremely difficult and emotionally trying time for us, but we were blessed with visits from almost our entire extended family and, amidst the pain, built lasting memories.

In June, we happily celebrated Isaiah’s 1st birthday. We were amazed at how quickly his first year had gone and are still in awe at how much he has grown and changed. He continues to amaze us and bring smiles to our faces every day.

July is yet another birthday month in the Orona house and this year we celebrated BIG. For Daniel’s 5th birthday we decided to surprise him with a birthday trip to Disneyland. It was not uneventful, as an allergic reaction to some latex balloons landed us in an urgent care in Anaheim and warranted a shot in Daniel’s behind. But he quickly recovered as we headed down the road to the Happiest Place on Earth. He had a blast and enjoyed some quality time alone with Mom and Dad.

August brought continued heat and the anticipation school starting. Daniel started kindergarten at Westar Elementary and fell in love with it instantly. He has grown and learned so much since starting school and he never ceases to amaze us. He is bright and eager to learn.

We spent most of September trying to adjust to our new school schedule and I, quite frankly, had the hardest time figuring out how to get three kids up and out the door before 7:30 am everyday. Sofia took a big step and moved from her crib to a “big girl” bed. To this day, she still hasn’t mastered the concept of staying in her big girl bed. We’re hopeful that 2011 is our year! Fernando and I we’re blessed with a weekend away to San Diego, thanks to a conference he needed to attend. We were able to enjoy some quiet time on the beach, an adult only dinner with Ron and Susan, and a fun evening out with my brother and his girlfriend, Wendy.

October was eventful, to say the least. We enjoyed seeing Daniel in his first school program, in which he played a crow. It was the perfect part for our energetic, chatty little boy! Mid-month, I underwent a long overdue surgical process and finally had all four of my wisdom teeth extracted. The procedure went very well, but the recovery was much worse than expected. Severe nerve pain kept me on strong meds for the next three weeks and made managing three young kids very difficult. Thankfully, Fernando picked up the slack (and my medications) and I learned a VERY important lesson. Percocet is my friend! We also began passing around the first of about 100 head colds we would experience throughout the remainder of the year. In spite of the runny noses, we celebrated Halloween, Orona style, which included pizza with Grandma and Peepaw and trick-or-treating. Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Yoda came back tired and toting pounds of treats!

November started with a bang and a trip to the pediatrician’s office which will never be duplicated- one parent, two toddlers, and six immunizations. We welcomed much cooler weather and enjoyed spending Thanksgiving with family and very good friends, the Hermans.

December was jam packed, but what fun month it was! The month started with a much anticipated trip to New York City for my mom, sister, and I in honor of Mom’s birthday. It was one we’ve been dreaming of and planning for years and it did not disappoint! We spent five days roaming Manhattan, seeing sights, shopping, eating ourselves into oblivion and loving every minute of it. It was the perfect way to kick off the holiday season. Poor Fernando willingly stayed home with the babies and began battling a nasty case of the stomach flu that would sweep through the house in the coming weeks. Once again, this year, we were able to take the kids up north where we spent a day celebrating Christmas with my sister and her husband and then headed to Williams to take a ride on the Polar Express. The kids had a blast and we couldn’t help but enjoy watching the wonder and amazement on their faces as we headed to the North Pole and Santa boarded our train. The rest of the month we spent enjoying the season with our kids, watching Christmas movies and looking at Christmas lights. Fernando and I were blessed to be part of the Christmas Eve services at Palm Valley Church and are humbled to have been able to be part of these services for the past 8 years. We enjoyed the holiday season in spite of the cold and flu season, which we have yet to conquer.

We are thankful for our home, Fernando’s job, our church, and the nearness of our family. We pray God’s richest blessing on you and your family in the coming year and look forward to 2011 with hope and anticipation that the Lord has amazing plans for us and is able to do exceeding abundantly more than we could ask or think.

Happy New Year!

With love,
Fernando, Eileen, Daniel, Sofia, and Isaiah

Thirteen Years- Part 1

While the number itself bares little significance, I was surprised to realize earlier in the week that today, August 28, is the day that Fernando and I met...thirteen years ago. It seems odd to me that I can remember events from my life, specifically my adulthood, that happened that long ago as I often feel as if I am still in my teens (despite what my body screams).

I remember the day vividly, it was hot and a bit muggy, as it always is in Phoenix this time of year (to us Phoenicians, 30% humidity is "muggy" and we can certainly feel it). It was my second day of classes at Southwestern College after transferring there as a junior. Only weeks earlier I had gone on a tirade about how much I did NOT want to go to school there. I believe my rant included something about "home school boys" and "Bible college losers", if I remember correctly. I'm certain my mother could recount most of the details if I asked, but seeing as it wasn't one of my finest moments, I think I'll just let it remain in the past.

I do remember one specific comment that was made- something to the effect that probably the only guy that would ever show any interest in me was most likely the only Mexican guy on campus. In the past I had always been favored by the Mexican gentlemen I came in contact with. Although, my experience with them was usually limited to cat calls and lewd comments made entirely in Spanish from soccer fields and/or the cabs of overly-crowded landscaping trucks. Having stated that opinion, just weeks before the start of classes, I vowed to attend class, keep to myself, and in doing so, not give a moments thought to any member of the opposite sex.

The first day of classes went very much as anticipated. I spent most of the day with a gal I had known since childhood, so relieved to have found a familiar face even if she was a Freshman. :)
She encouraged me to join the choir and reluctantly I agreed. The next day I sheepishly entered the choir rehearsal room. It seemed everyone already knew everyone else and I could not figure out how. I came to realize that many of them had spent the previous week in rehearsals as members of a smaller, traveling ensemble. Good for them. I vividly remember walking down a row to an empty seat when I looked up to see this young man entering the room. He had a smile on his face as people greeted him and I froze in my spot. He had a face that I recognized, though I was certain we had never met. I stared at him, trying to figure out why he was so strangely familiar. That's when I heard it. A voice, audible only in my head and certainly not my own, as I immediately began to argue with it as soon as it spoke. It said..."That's the man you're going to marry." And although I flatly denied that prospect, I knew it was true. I didn't know this person's name, or where he was from, but I knew I was going to marry him...whether I liked it or not. As a little girl, I always dreamed of what my future husband would be like and no matter what picture I conjured up in my mind, he never had a face. I now knew why this stranger looked so familiar...it was HIS face that I'd been waiting to see. And I liked it...a lot. Sappy? Maybe. But, definitely Divine and completely wonderful!

Now, I've heard many folks say that God has a sense of humor and it is truly undeniable. Although, I often feel that he's not laughing WITH me quite as much as he's laughing AT me. Picture this...college co-ed on her second day of class lays eyes on, quite literally, the man of her dreams. All she wants is to know something about him...anything. Imagine my excitement as our director began to take roll, calling out each name and awaiting a response. I realized this was my chance. I was going to find out the name of my future husband. I sat in eager anticipation, my heart pounding, my breath caught in my chest, waiting for his name to be called. And then the moment was upon me. Our director looked up, made eye contact with the stranger, sitting only two rows directly in front of me and said, "Fernando".

Slightly more muffled than the first voice in my head was the sound of laughter and the words I so vehemently expressed to my mother only weeks before played over and over in my head. There he was, the man I was going to marry with the face I'd been waiting for...and he was Mexican. I quickly scanned the room and every face on campus for the following week. It was just as I suspected. Not only was he Mexican...he was the ONLY Mexican on campus.

Isaiah's Surgery

Unfortunately for all of us, Daniel's birthday didn't end quite the way we had anticipated. But it did kick off what was, by far, the most frightening 48 hours of our life.

For a few days beforehand, Isaiah was throwing up after practically every feeding. To call it "projectile" didn't quite do it justice, as I personally believe it rivaled Olympic shot put records. I mistakenly assumed he was still adjusting to his formula and perhaps we needed to find something a little more gentle on his tummy. However, Fernando insisted that I call the doctor's office and I'm so glad that he did!

I was expecting them to recommend a particular type of formula and tell me that it was nothing to worry about initially. So, imagine my surprise when I was told to take him immediately to the emergency room at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Fernando came directly home from work and we headed out, leaving Sofia, Daniel, and his birthday cake indefinitely.

When we arrived at the hospital we were taken to an exam room fairly quickly and informed by the doctor that he suspected Pyloric Stenosis , a condition fairly common to infants at this age. Dr. Pickett ordered an ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis and an IV to get some fluids into our little boy who had missed his last feeding. But, because he had gotten so little food over the previous days, his veins were very flat and after four sticks, they were still unable to get an IV in.

The ultrasound confirmed the diagnosis and we were informed that surgery would be inevitable, meaning, not only were they going to operate on our 3 week old, but that feeding him before the next day was impossible. The IV team was called in to make a 5th and, hopefully, final attempt to get an IV in Isaiah's hand or foot. After two more unsuccessful sticks, it was determined that they would attempt to get the IV in his head. Even knowing how common that procedure is for infants, the sheer thought of it was more than I could handle. I couldn't watch and as I sat there knowing what was happening and listening helplessly to the screams of my sweet little boy, I broke down. Little did I know that it would happen countless times over the next 48 hours.

Much to our horror, that attempt failed as well. And we soon found ourselves alone with Isaiah, who was now 6 hours without food, awaiting admittance. Thankfully, he was exhausted from his ordeal and lack of food, so he slept most of the time we waited. We were SO relieved when we were told that our room was ready. We anticipated that we wouldn't sleep much as a result of the anxiety and emotion of the whole experience. But we had NO idea how right we were until we saw our room.

It must have been all over our faces as we walked into about a 15X15 square foot room that was occupied by another patient and his grandparents. Our "side" of the room was just big enough for the crib and one arm chair. At that point, we were feeling pretty hopeless. We are so thankful that God knows our hearts because as soon as the nurse left, the sweet grandma of the baby "next door" came over and asked if she could pray with us, not knowing our background or situation. It was exactly what we needed at that moment and in the moments to come.

It was imperative that Isaiah receive some fluids and we were taken to another room to make another attempt to get an IV in. I stepped outside to meet my brother and sister-in-law, who had brought us a suitcase of stuff to get us through the night and Daddy stayed upstairs with Isaiah. I returned to the room to find Fernando in tears. After eight desperate attempts, the IV team decided to put the IV into Isaiah's neck. We spent the remainder of the night crying and praying over our son.

It was clearly by the grace of God that Isaiah slept soundly through the night, waking very rarely and easily calmed by some sucrose and his pacifier. Fernando and I did our best to catch what little sleep we could (even if it meant sleeping in the car), but had little success. It was by far the longest night of our lives, which would only be followed by the longest day of our lives.

We were expecting surgery the following morning, but when the doctor came to see us, he informed us that it would be at some time between 1 and 4 pm. Isaiah continued to sleep a good portion of the day, but was so hungry that it was getting increasingly difficult to comfort him. Thus, we were both relieved and terrified when transport came to take him to the OR. We were so blessed that Isaiah was at Phoenix Children's Hospital and had the utmost confidence in the doctors and nurses who worked hard to put our minds at ease. But no matter how "simple" a procedure, there is nothing more terrifying than handing over your child (at any age, I imagine) to a surgeon and walking away.

We spent the majority of the time in the chapel waiting for surgery to end, praying and listening to old hymns play from an unknown source. And while there were no words playing, the lyrics resonated in our hears and minds-

"When peace like a river attendeth my way

When sorrows like sea billows roll

Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say

It is well, it is well with my soul"

What a relief and tremendous blessing when the doctor emerged from the operating room to inform us that everything went fine and Isaiah was waking up. And nothing felt better than being able to hold him again and try to feed him.

That night, Isaiah ate like a champ keeping down everything he was supposed to and then some. We were thrilled knowing we would get to go home the next day. Since then he has been such a little trooper. He never complains, although we know he must be uncomfortable from his surgery, and he is eating like he's making up for lost time!

We, on the other hand, are still emotionally and physically exhausted from the whole ordeal and are trying to recuperate, but it's a small price to pay to have a beautiful, healthy baby boy.

We are eternally grateful to our family for supporting us while we were at the hospital, by loving on Daniel and Sofia and sitting with us in the surgery waiting room, by praying with us and keeping us company. And we are blessed beyond measure to have the love and prayer support of countless friends and family members from coast to coast. Prayer works and it certainly made a difference to us and in the life of Isaiah over the past week. A huge thank you to our church family for your outpouring of love, for your prayers, words of encouragement, and for your visits. We were so blessed by you! We cannot thank enough the doctors and nurses at Phoenix Children's Hospital for taking impeccable care of our son. And more importantly, we are once again humbled and in awe of the greatness of our Heavenly Father who loves our family so much more than we could possibly know or understand.

Isaiah's first day home

Happy Birthday Buddy!

It's hard to believe that four years ago today our life changed forever with the arrival of our baby boy. The time has flown by even with all that has transpired since. Daniel is an energetic, imaginative, and hilarious little boy. And while we do remember what life was like without him, we wouldn't trade the past four years for anything! We are truly blessed to be his parents and are so looking forward to watching him grow and witnessing all that is in store for him in the years to come.

This year we celebrated Daniel's birthday at Chuck E Cheese, along with our family and what felt like 250,000 of our closest friends. There aren't too many options for celebrating a birthday in Arizona in July that do not include severe dehydration, heat rash, and possible death. And for that reason, it appeared as if 1/2 the population of the Phoenix metropolitan area was at Chuck E Cheese that day. But, in true 4-year-old fashion, Daniel didn't notice the crowds- nor did he care. The day was all about him! Nothing screams "Happy Birthday" to a preschooler louder than balloons, gooey chocolate cake, presents, and a 6 ft tall talking mouse. It was the stuff of dreams to our little boy!

Today, on what Daniel calls his "regular birthday", I had the privilege of taking Daniel to the movies for the very first time to see "Up". Once, we conquered our fear of darkness and theater seating, we settled in with our ginormous popcorn and M&Ms to watch the film. As it turns out, even at 4 years old, Daniel is too light to effectively sit in a movie theater chair by himself without it folding him in half. Thus, I spent 96 minutes watching the film with Daniel in my lap along with 1/3 of the bag of popcorn which he could not seem to get from the bag to his mouth. In spite of it all, we had a blast and Daniel can't wait to go back!

And So It Begins...

After over a week of painful, yet sporadic and seemingly useless contractions, I was fit to be tied and more than ready for the baby to be born. Saturday night I was extremely uncomfortable and even more irritable as I anticipated at least 3 more days of miserable discomfort and an inevitable induction.

However, at 5:00 am on Sunday morning, I was abruptly awaken by the feeling that my water had broken. I jumped out of bed, excited in knowing that the day had finally come! When I got to the bathroom and turned on the light, though, the excitement immediately became fear as I realized I was bleeding heavily. I woke up Fernando and told him we needed to go to the hospital as soon as possible. My parents were called and on their way and I quickly tried to throw the last few things in my suitcase and change, all the while cleaning up the bathroom floor. We were at the hospital before 6:00 a.m. and immediately brought back to triage to be evaluated.

The amount of blood loss was of great concern to the doctor who was called in to examine me. An ultrasound was ordered to see if the placenta was still in tact. It was feared that it had separated or torn and may be in the way thus requiring a C-section. The ultrasound showed the placenta was fine and out of the way, but the bleeding refused to stop.

I was checked and found to be at 5 cm. Contractions had begun shortly after my water broke and were 6-7 minutes apart, at which point the doctor began to think that perhaps the rapid dilation had been the cause of the bleeding. Whatever the case, it was imperative that the baby come quickly.

I was admitted, brought to labor and delivery, and was given my epidural with what seemed like lightening speed. I had also signed much paperwork, including a form giving the okay for a C-section and blood transfusion if necessary. The nurse drew several viles of my own blood to keep on hand and the doctor inserted an internal monitor to better keep track of the baby and my progress.

I was checked again at that point and found to be at 7 cm, all within two hours. Thankfully, baby was doing fine, but my heart rate had jumped up to 134 beats per minute and no amount of medication and/or relaxation techniques could get it to slow. The doctor came in and explained that it was a race against the clock. I had to deliver as soon as possible or an emergency C-section would be inevitable.

Thankfully, we were surrounded my family and dear friends who were waiting for their daughter -in-law to deliver their grand baby just a few doors down. Mom and Lisa entered the room just as the doctor left and I started to cry, falling under the weight of the emotion and fear. My family joined hands and prayed around my bed finishing just as the doctor came back in. Instantly, my heart rate fell to 104. I soon felt another gush of blood and when the doctor came to check announced it was time. He threw on his coat and gloves as nurses rushed to prepare the room. Two pushes and baby's head was out...three...and he was here! Only four short hours from the time we arrived at the hospital. What a whirlwind and what a joy and relief that our baby boy had arrived and was perfectly healthy!

Unfortunately, the bleeding did not stop after delivery and there was still the possibility that a transfusion would be necessary. I was given a shot of Methergine and another bag of Pitocin to be administered over the next four hours. Shortly thereafter, the contraction pain was unbearable. I was given Nubain for the pain and within minutes was happy and pain free. (I will eternally be grateful for legal narcotics!) The Pitocin and Methergine did their job, thankfully, and within a few hours, the bleeding had slowed enough to move me to recovery.

A blood test the following morning indicated that I had lost a significant amount of blood and although my hemoglobin level was below normal it was not as dangerously low as anticipated. I was given the okay to go home later in the day!

I'm so thankful for the prayers of so many friends and family members and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that those prayers are the reason baby and I are home and well.

35 Weeks

We're getting closer and I find myself looking forward to Fridays more than ever knowing they bring the start of a new week in our countdown. Our little munchkin is now approximately 18 inches long, which explains why I feel as if my uterus is housing an octopus, and weighs about 5 1/4 lbs- around the same amount as a honeydew melon according to babycenter.com (who comes up with this stuff?).

We have survived the first week alone while Fernando travels and can now cross that off our "list of things that need to happen before baby arrives". We sure missed him, but we are thankful for our friends and family that came to our aid this week providing meals, helping with baths, doing laundry, and playing with the kiddos. We couldn't have done it without you!

This weekend we will embark on our final baby preparation journey (surprise, Babe!). My goal is to get the crib set up, purchase a new dresser for the baby's clothes, and pack my suitcase for the hospital. Then I can clear my head of all the "stuff" that's crowding it. If I can manage to behave myself today, I might even be able to take a short trip to Babies R Us to pick up a few necessary items, although Mom might insist that she push me around in a wheelchair- an idea I was strongly opposed to until recently. It's amazing how desperate one can get to spend time in the outside world after two weeks of watching really bad daytime television.

Each day, we get a little bit closer and the light at the end of the tunnel burns a little brighter! "Thirty-five weeks" has a really nice ring to it! :)

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

One year ago today, I was in a hospital bed in Little Rock, Arkansas, holding our brand-new baby girl. I can't believe how fast the last year has gone and how much she has grown. Here is a look back at the last twelve months...


























Our sweet baby girl,
What a precious gift you are to us. You have brought such joy to our lives in more ways than we thought possible. It's difficult to believe we've had you for a whole year and yet we hardly remember what life was like without you in it. We love your smiles, your giggles, and the way that you make us all laugh with your charming little ways. We know the Lord has big plans for your life and we are so blessed that he has entrusted you to us to love and care for you as you grow. We love our special girl! Happy birthday, baby doll!
-Mommy and Daddy

33 Weeks....and Counting!

Baby and I are officially at 33 weeks today, which sounds a lot better than 32, but not nearly as good as 34 or 35. At any rate, we are all counting down the days and weeks until our munchkin arrives. We are all anxious to meet our little man and I am certainly anxious to no longer be pregnant.

This has, by far, been the most difficult pregnancy of the three. I think it's safe to assume that is primarily because it came so quickly after the second. All things considered, it's been a fairly easy pregnancy- no complications and very little sickness. What's taking it's toll is the seemingly perpetual fatigue and discomfort. It certainly is hard to accomplish anything of consequence during the day, not to mention trying to keep up with two kids. All of that, along with the intense need and complete inability to "nest", causes much frustration.

But, we're getting down to the wire and looking forward to the day we can head to the hospital. In the meantime, here's where we stand according to babycenter.com:

"This week our baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Eleven Months Old

Where has time flown? Our baby girl is 11 months old today! It's a bittersweet experience watching her grow. While we revel in each new accomplishment, we regretfully say goodbye to the "baby days" we know we will never have with her again. Thank goodness for digital cameras and camcorders!!!

At eleven months old, Sofia is a bundle of energy. She is constantly on the move and can travel from one room in the house to another at lightening speed. Sofia is a nosey-body and loves to explore and be a part of everything that doesn't necessarily include her. She can be found in the middle of ANY and all situations.

As for her accomplishments this month, Sofia is now beginning to stand on her own, without holding on to anything. She loves to wave "bye bye" and can say "all done", with and without sign language. Sofia is a giggler and loves to laugh. She continues to be enfatuated with her brother who loves to carry on conversations with her by imitating her sounds. Sofia loves her baby doll and playing with her brother's play kitchen. She continues to be full of smiles and snuggles and brightens each day!

Drama Queen

That's me! Recently I've been feeling like I haven't gotten enough attention from friends and family, so I determined a trip to the hospital and the possibility of a preterm delivery was just the thing I needed to get my loved ones to focus on me for a while. And it worked!

Are you sensing my sarcasm? I hope so because I'm laying it on pretty thick-

More accurately speaking, this morning I became a tad nervous when I felt something similar to my water breaking the day I delivered Sofia. I ignored it for a while, until it happened again a few hours later. I called the doctor's office and, being that I am only 27 weeks along, was told by the nurse to head directly to the labor and delivery department at the hospital.

When we arrived, the monitor indicated that I was having fairly regular contractions and the look on the nurse's face led us to believe that there was much more cause for concern than we had originally anticipated. We were told that she would do an exam and, if in fact my water had broken, we would most likely be sent downtown to Good Samaritan where the advanced NICU is.

Immediately we had visions of our little one hooked up to countless tubes and monitors and daily trips to the NICU to be with him/her. There was also great possibility of an extended hospitalization for me in hopes to let the baby's lungs mature prior to delivery. We did a lot of praying in the triage room as we awaited the results of the test.

That few minutes seemed like hours as we waited, but the news was definitely worth the wait. My water had not broken, my contractions began to slow, and everything was as it should be. I received extensive instructions before being discharged and will return to the doctor's office on Monday for my scheduled exam. We are so thankful that everything is okay and our little one is healthy.

Growing Up!

It's happening, whether I want it to or not! Our little boy is growing up. Today was Daniel's first official day of preschool, something I was looking forward to...until I dropped him off. He was so excited and ran to give hugs to his teachers, Miss Nicole and Miss Heidi, both of whom are friends of ours from church and probably the best teachers he could have in the world! Backpack and water bottle in hand, he waved goodbye and I turned to head back to the car. Initially, I was looking forward to a quiet morning at home alone with Sofia, who would be napping most of the time. But I found the quiet surprisingly disturbing as I realized my little boy is growing up and, little by little, needing me less.

The best part of the day, for me anyway, was pulling up outside his school and seeing his little happy face. He told me all about the games he played, the songs he sang, the stories he heard, and the friends he made. He can't wait until Thursday...that makes one of us.

Sweetness

This might just be one of those moments only a mother could love, but it was so precious I had to share it...

Every night before bed, like most people we know, we read books with Daniel and say our prayers. The prayers of a three-year-old are fairly simplistic, especially since this is a concept that Daniel is just beginning to learn. Traditionally they go something like this...

"Dear Jesus,
Thank you for Mommy and Daddy and baby Sofia, and Grandma and Peepaw, and Nana and Tata, and Aunt Nancy and Wunka Wade, and Tio Alex and Tia Julie...."

You get the picture. Ordinarilly, Daniel needs some assistance in listing every member of our family that he is thankful for, but inevitably he gets them all.

Today, we had a wonderful time with the Bouie's at Eboni's birthday party where Daniel got to run around on the playground and eat cupcakes. It really doesn't get any better than that for a little boy. Naturally, in the course of his running, he fell and, ever so slightly, skinned his knee. Regardless of how minor the injury may have seemed, it made an impression on Daniel. Tonight's prayer was something a little different and entirely from Daniel's heart.

It went like this...

"Dear Jesus,
Thank you for Mommy and Daddy and Sofaloafaloafapia. And I pray for my bunka knee, and for my knee. 'Cuz today I went to the park and jumped on the slide and I fell and I bunka knee. And I pray for my knee. Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross for my sins.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen."

(Insert tears here)

It is so precious that Daniel knows he is speaking to God and that He will help his knee feel better! I think my favorite part is that he explained how he bunked his knee- as if God had no idea. :) So sweet and innocent! Naturally, we pray that Daniel will grow in the knowledge of the Lord, know Him as his personal Savior, and live to serve Him. We are so blessed that he is surrounded by others who help to pour truth into his little life. A special thank you to our family, friends, and our church family at PVC.

And yes, Button, Jesus will help your bunka knee!

Horrible Mother

No, not my mother, me! I'm the horrible mother. It can't be a good thing when your 3 year old talks back and you crack up laughing. But sometimes I just can't help it. Case in point-

This morning, as Fernando is in the bedroom working, Daniel decides it's the ideal time to chase the dog around with one of her toys causing her to bark uncontrollably. I sternly told him to stop and that playing with Kona was not okay at the moment. That lasted all of about 5 minutes, until his male preschool brain said, "hey, I think it would be fun to play with the dog!" and he proceeded to pick up the toy and chase Kona around yet again. This time, I was much more stern, as I should have been. But, since I was confined to the couch, feeding his sister there was little I could do apart from ordering him to stop at which point he threw the dog toy down, put his hand on his hip, and said, "this is idiculous!"

What else could I do, but cover my face with Sofia's burp cloth and crack up? SO not good!

The Year In Review

In lieu of a lengthy Christmas letter this year, we have opted, yet again, to share our year via the Blog world. This past year was particularly eventful, making this a lengthy review. Read on at your own risk….

So, without further adieu, here is our 2008 Year In Review-

We celebrated Christmas last year with a trip to Arizona to be with family, which included driving over to Anaheim to spend my mom’s birthday at Disneyland. It was Daniel’s first time at the “Happiest Place on Earth” and, although it was insanely busy and crowded, we had a wonderful time all being together. One day after returning home, we were blessed to find out that we were having a girl and that she was completely healthy. We were thrilled and couldn’t wait to meet our little Sofia!

We rang in the New Year in the midst of the ice and chill of Little Rock and spent most of January emptying out the home office, selling furniture, and preparing for the arrival of our new baby girl.

February brought much more cold which left very little opportunity for outdoor play time. We settled at and became members of The Summit church. Daniel and I also took another trip back to Phoenix- this time we had a chance to visit with friends and relax a bit. We enjoyed roaming around the Phoenix Zoo and eating Mexican food at Macayo’s with the McLarens. We also headed up to Anthem to spend a day with the Bouies at the park. Oh the joys of 75 degree days and sunshine! Fernando took another of many business trips, this time to Charlotte, where he and my dearest friend, Kim, had dinner together on my birthday.

March started with much to celebrate. On the 3rd, my sister married Wade Dorffi. Wade has been a much loved member of our family for years and we were thrilled to be able to officially call him our brother-in-law. We enjoyed our first (and only) snowfall in March, which Daniel loved. Of course, we were the only people outside taking pictures in the snow at 7:00 in the morning. Unfortunately the snow melted off by noon that day. It was fun nonetheless! Fernando surprised me with a trip of my own to Charlotte for a girl’s weekend with Kim which included a trip to Asheville to tour and have afternoon tea at the Biltmore Estates and countless hours of uninterrupted scrapbooking. It was a dream trip! We celebrated Easter in northwestern Arkansas with the family of a friend and co-worker from Alltel. It was wonderful to be with a “grandma and grandpa” and feel a part of a family while being so far away from home. Daniel loved the animals they had as well as his ride on the 4-wheeler. It was a great day!

In April we attempted to begin potty training, which failed miserably, much to our disappointment. We were hoping to have at least started that process before Sofia arrived, but it didn’t look like that was a possibility. One thing we’ve known about our Daniel, is that he only does things when HE is absolutely ready and he decided that wasn’t the time. We survived our first (and thankfully, only) tornado season. Admittedly, we spent much time glued to the television wondering if and when to take cover as the tornado sirens rang throughout the city, on several occasions- information that would have been useful to us when Alltel made their original offer!  We joined a wonderful small group from our church that welcomed us with open arms and immediately treated us like family. April also brought a visit from my mom and her sweet friend, “Grandma” Lisa. Daniel had such fun having two grandmas around to dote on him and I certainly enjoyed the extra help and attention as well. We took a trip down to Hot Springs to see the tulips at Garvan Gardens and enjoyed the beautiful weather. They were also in town to attend the special baby shower that Fernando’s boss hosted for me at her home in Maumelle. What a fun day of eating, laughing, and EVERYTHING pink!

As May arrived, we could no longer wait for the arrival of our little one, although each visit to the doctor showed few signs of progress. On Saturday, May 17th, one week before our due date, I felt my water break as I was making lunch for Daniel. A call to the hospital and to our good friend, Adam, and we were on our way to be checked out. We both fully intended to be home in a couple of hours and were surprised and thrilled when they told us that, one way or another, we were having a baby that day! Labor went smoothly and I actually felt only one extremely painful contraction before I was given my epidural. Praise God! Sofia Margaret was born at 12:19 am on Sunday, May 18th. My mom arrived that evening and spent two weeks with us helping us adjust and making sure I was able to get some much needed rest.

June brought with it Arkansas humidity and warm temperatures. We were blessed again to have Fernando’s mom with us for 10 days to help with the baby. Sofia had a hard time adjusting and seemed to cry a lot if she wasn’t being held constantly. Apparently she was completely unaware of the fact that she had an older, extremely needy brother (or she just didn’t care!) So, it was nice to have another set of extra hands. June also brought news of Alltel’s impending buyout by Verizon, which left us with much uncertainty regarding our future in Arkansas and with Fernando’s job. We felt much peace as we braced ourselves for the months ahead and looked forward to our “next step”.

We spent most of July indoors avoiding the heat and humidity. We celebrated the 4th of July at home with burgers and an inflatable pool for Daniel to swim in. A couple weeks later we flew to Phoenix. Fernando had to travel there on business and the extreme unpopularity of Phoenix in the summer made airfare extremely affordable for the rest of us to tag along. First stop upon arrival was Ramiro’s Mexican Food for a couple chorizo and egg burritos- something we’d been craving for months! We celebrated Daniel’s 3rd birthday with a family pool party. And I don’t care what anybody says…I’ll take a “dry heat” any day of the week!

August came and went quickly as Fernando traveled to Ohio and Nebraska and we continued to hide from the heat.

September brought much of the same, but with that came a complete change in our little girl. Having entered her 4th month, Sofia became the sweetest, happiest, EASIEST baby we’d ever seen. She started sleeping through the night and continued to grow by leaps and bounds. In addition, Daniel decided he was ready to begin potty training and did so like a champ! Not knowing if we would be in Little Rock long term, we decided to forego house hunting and signed another 6-month lease at our apartment complex.

In October we excitedly welcomed the cooler weather and beautiful change of leaves (our favorite time of the year). Rumors began to spread that most of Alltel would indeed be severed and we began praying that God would move us back to Arizona- something we hadn’t wanted to do before. On Halloween, we got together with our small group and took our little Pumpkin and sweet Puppy out for trick-or-treating…something Daniel still talks about.

In November we anticipated more news regarding Fernando’s job as the FCC and the Justice Department approved the buyout- making it official. Two weeks into the month, we were asked if we would like to move back to Phoenix, although it would have meant a loss of title for Fernando, something he was willing to do in order to get us back. Within the week we found out that, not only were we going home, but Alltel was giving us a full relocation package and Fernando was going to keep his current position. God is SO good! The only drawback? We were moving in three weeks! We broke the news to as many people as we were able, and starting making as many preparations as we could, which included shipping the dog out to my folks. We had planned a trip to San Antonio to spend Thanksgiving with our good friends, Ron and Susan King, and were looking forward to seeing them after almost 2 years. Three days before we were scheduled to leave I took a pregnancy test that resulted in a definite “positive” and we were stunned to learn that kiddo number three was on his or her way! Shocked by our news, we loaded the car and drove ten hours to San Antonio. We were there just long enough to spend a day at the zoo and an evening out by the fire before driving ten hours home on Thanksgiving Day. The King family was very sick and we decided they didn’t need us around, nor could we afford to get sick with our move only 5 days away. We enjoyed a wonderful “Thanksgiving feast” at a Cracker Barrel just outside of Dallas and rolled into Little Rock around 11:30 that night. I still managed to be up at dawn to do my after Thanksgiving shopping with good friends, Sharon and Julie, but was home by 9:00 am and sick with the stomach flu. We spread the flu around our family for the next several days and ended up postponing our move until the following week.

On December 3rd, my mom made her final trip to Little Rock to fly back with me and the kids. We celebrated a first birthday with good friends from our small group on Saturday the sixth, had lunch with Sharon and Julie and made our way to the airport. Everything was running smoothly until we stepped onto the jet way and Daniel’s flu returned in full force. It was an extremely difficult flight home and I’ve never been happier to land anywhere in my life! Fernando arrived the following Saturday, just as the moving crew carried the last load into the house and pulled away. We got settled as soon as we could and set up our Christmas tree. A couple days later we were asked to sing at our church’s Christmas Eve services (all 6 of them) and said yes without so much as a thought. We were thrilled to be home and able to serve again at Palm Valley. Sofia was dedicated on Sunday the 21st and we were blessed to have both of our kids dedicated by our pastor and friend, Greg Rohlinger. That afternoon, my sister and Wade arrived from Flagstaff and we celebrated our family Christmas as well as my mom’s birthday. That’s what we missed the most about being away from home. Unfortunately the day ended on a sad note as my grandma fell in our yard on her way to the car and broke her hip. She went to the hospital that night and had surgery to put a pin in her hip the next day. Surgery went well and she was in good spirits on Christmas when we went to visit her. She is now in a rehab facility and is on the road to recovery. Our Christmas Eve services were a blast and a blessing as we saw so many faces at in attendance, some who had never darkened the door of a church before. We were thrilled to be a part of it. Christmas was a whirlwind, but such fun. Daniel’s face Christmas morning was priceless and something we’ll remember for years to come. We are excited to be back and await more news of Fernando’s job as the Alltel buyout is set to close next week.

2008 was a year full of change, excitement, and blessings more countless than we could believe. We anticipate many more changes and blessings in 2009 as we prepare for the arrival of our newest addition and all that is to come!

Happy New Year!

A Series of Unfortunate Events

It has been a crazy couple of weeks at the Orona house. Both of our kiddos came home from Phoenix with a head cold, thanks to the little girl in front of us on the airplane who coughed all over them. We started last week off with yet another trip to the doctor, this time for Sofia, whose cold moved down to her chest- or so we thought. We all survived the trip this time, since it did not involve any weighing of or looking at Daniel. The good news was that Sofia's chest was clear. The next day we woke up to find that our air conditioner was leaking and had soaked the carpet in our hallway and into Daniel's bedroom. The maintenance guy came to do the repairs and moments later I was asked to leave with the kids because the smell of ammonia was getting dangerously stronger in our apartment. When we returned, two gentlemen were here tearing up the carpet and setting up fans to dry the carpeting and the foam underneath. Daniel's room was in disarray with furniture rearranged and toys strewn about (the only difference from any other day was really the furniture), and this is what we dealt with for the following 24 hours.

All the while Fernando was on the phone with the company we had purchased a part for our television from and UPS in Little Rock who was unable to deliver it in under a month, thus my previous post about Arkansans and their apparent incompetence. Evidently in this state it takes a college education to tell the difference between a 4 and a 1 in an apartment number- but I digress.

We spent the weekend on our continued quest for a Nintendo Wii, to no avail. Perhaps one day someone will explain to me the marketing genius behind shipping 10 units of one of the hottest electronic items on the market to a store once every 4 weeks. Or is this just another example of the wonder that is customer service in this state?

Despite the fact that Fernando had to head to Lincoln, Nebraska this week (sorry, babe) this week has been going much better. Thanks to Gamestop.com we were able to find a Wii and it arrived yesterday. Today we received our new kitchen appliances. It was a bit chaotic, but worth it in the end. Now we are looking forward to Fernando's return home tomorrow and a very Wii-ful weekend.

Before

After

Before

After

Merry Christmas!

Yes, Christmas in July. It takes me this long to recover from the previous year's holiday season. But, it never fails that by July 25th, I'm ready to gear up for the upcomoing festivities. One of my new favorite traditions is celebrating Christmas in July each year, and thanks to QVC, I can do that. Even if I have to do it by myself (which I do). Last year, my mom and I sat at home, each with a cell phone in hand and a plate of Christmas cookies in front of us, watched hours of Christmas programming and shopped. This year I was flying solo and had to watch in between taking care of the kids, but I still had a great time. No Christmas cookies this year, but I lit my favorite holiday candle and that helped me forget the fact that it was 98 degrees outside with 90% humdity. So, once again, I was able to kick of my Christmas shopping season nice and early. Laugh all you want. When my shopping is done by Thanksgiving and we are not penniless the entire month of December, you'll be admiring me!

QVC is my vice. No I have not purchased any holiday sweaters or useless figurines, but I do love finding some unique bargains. Where else can you get a Dooney and Bourke bag on 5 easy payments (with NO interest- thank you very much)? And, with two small kids, there is nothing better than shopping from the comfort of your living room. QVC doesn't care if I haven't had time to shower or brush my teeth!

When It's Time to Change...

Most have you have probably heard the recent news that about a week ago, Verizon officially purchased Alltel Communications. It was news that we anticipated eventuallty, but certainly not this month, or this year for that matter. It is such a huge thing in the life of this city and so many of our friends. Alltel has literally been our family in a place where we have had none. And although the acquisition is far from final, it almost feels as if there's been a death in the family.

There is a myriad of emotions we are feeling at this point. We are sad, stunned, frightened, and humbled; feeling a little bit like the new kid on the playground that gets picked on his first day at a new school. It's like we were just given the ulitmate corporate wedgie and it will be a while before we fully recover.

We knew, when we made the decision to move to Little Rock, that it was most likely a temporary move. What we didn't know was that the job would be temporary as well. We have no idea what changes may come as a result of this buy out, but the odds are that major life change will be occuring, yet again.

I can hear all of our friends and family in Arizona asking when we are going to return. The answer is...we just don't know. It would be wonderful to return home to friends, family, and our home. But the truth of the matter is, "home" may end up being somewhere else.

The good news??? The sky is the limit! We have NO idea where we may end up or what opportunities await Fernando professionally and we are SO stoked to see what God has in store (I haven't used the word "stoked" in about 10 years!).

More details will come in the next few months and as the deal finalizes by the end of this year. We ask for your prayers for our family and our friends here in Little Rock as we all adjust to the changes and make plans for the next steps in our lives, as more than likely we will all be without jobs shortly.

We are so thankful for the time we've had in Little Rock and look forward to making the most of the next few months should God choose to move us on. We have learned so much about others and about ourselves. We have grown as individuals and as a family. Our faith has been stretched and challenged and we pray that we have been and will continue to be a blessing to those that the Lord has brought into our life. We are blessed that Fernando has had this opportunity to gain the experience he has and to work under the amazing, servant leadership that exists at Alltel.

The bottom line- if we had to do it all again, we would in a heartbeat. It's all part of the story of our life that God is writing. We can't wait to read the next chapter!

April, already???

Is it just me or have the last three months been a blur? This year is already going entirely too fast! I cannot believe it is already April 6th. For us, that means May 25th and the arrival of our little girl is just around the corner- a thought that is both exhilerating and a bit frightening at the same time. We are so thrilled to have a new addition to our family (and especially a precious baby girl at that) but I would be less than candid if I didn't admit that there are days I wonder if I can handle the demands of a newborn and a VERY active 2 1/2 year old little boy. I suppose it's like anything else in life...you just DO IT. We are getting Sofia's room in order a little bit at a time and it is finally looking like a nursery. We are looking forward to completing that project in a few weeks when our new laptop arrives and we can officially remove our computer and what remains of the office. That adds to the excitement! This week we are looking forward to another doctor's appointment and a baby shower. Not only that, but a much anticipated visit from my mom and "Grandma" Lisa. It will be so wonderful to have them both here, especially for our shower on Saturday. Daniel can't stop talking about his "grandmas" and will be thrilled to see them when we meet them at the airport! Sunday we will celebrate Fernando's 32nd birthday and I will be particularly relieved that we will officially be the same age and he will be forced to quit calling me, quite literally, his "old lady". :) I am looking forward to making it a very special day, since he will be traveling a majority of the next three weeks. I am gearing up for my upcoming role as a single parent, a role that becomes increasingly difficult with my expanding belly and continuous lack of sleep. And I will, undoubtedly, spend much time on my knees in prayer while he is gone. Not to mention that Daniel and I will be having our Potty Training day at some point between now and the 1st of May- granted I can pull everything together to make it a success. It's a day I'm actually looking forward to because I know he will enjoy his "party". The next several weeks will bring many changes to the Orona household, but all of them will be milestones and definitely worth remembering.

Life With a Two Year Old

Every day is a new adventure when you're the parent of a toddler. Toddlers are energetic, unpredictable, curious, and VERY resourceful. I am beginning to believe that having a two year old can be likened to having a miniautre neanderthal running wild through your home. Some days I can handle it. Others, I cannot. This has been one of those days...

I'm not sure what set the day off on the wrong foot. My gut tells me that it had something to do with Daniel bounding into the bedroom just after 6:00 a.m. singing the theme song to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Or it could be the fact that simple tasks such as putting on your child's socks now require the use of an octagon and a referee. Whatever the cause, I knew very quickly today would be a long day. As I was wearily making waffles at 7:00 am, I found my son hard at work organizing his magnetic alphabet letters... in the dog's water bowl. It only took about 30 minutes for the letters to be removed and placed on a paper towel to dry. The fact that Daniel was arranging the letters by color certainly helped to expedite the process.
















Can't wait to see what the rest of the day brings...