Show And Tell

Today is Daniel's last day of show and tell at school and, as a result, he had his choice of anything he'd like to bring. Here is the conversation that occured this morning while getting ready to head out the door.

"Buddy, it's show and tell day. Do you know what you want to bring? You can bring anything you want."

"I want to bring my shoe"

"Honey, you're going to be wearing your shoes."

"I want to bring my breakfast"

"No, dear, you need to finish your breakfast."

"I want to bring a chair."

...I give up...

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.

Blah, Blah, Blog

So sad that it's been three weeks since I've felt that anything was significant enough in life to share. What can I say? It is what it is. The Oronas are plugging along, taking one day at a time...working, trying to keep up with two VERY active kids, and counting down the days 'til the next one arrives.

Baby and I are 31 1/2 weeks along and looking forward to getting closer and closer to 40! Although I could swear that my body looks as if I'm 41 weeks along, my doctor assures me that I am right on target, measuring 31 inches. Let's just say 31 inches looked a lot smaller the second time around than it does the third. If' I'm being perfectly honest, it FEELS a lot different too. Each subsequent pregnancy seems to exacerbate the discomfort. Everything aches more and tires much more quickly. Eight and a half weeks to go- I think I can...I think I can...

Other than that, we are gearing up for our baby girl's first birthday, finishing preparations for baby Orona#3, and bracing ourselves for 100+ temperatures. Somewhere in there...I'd really like to get some sleep...

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!

Dialogue with a 3 1/2 Year Old

"Honey, can you get Mommy the mayonnaise out of the fridge?"
"Okay, Mama. Which one's the mayonnaise, Mama?"
"It's white and it's in a jar with a blue lid."
"This one, Mama?"
"Yes, Love, that's the mayonnaise."
"This isn't mayonnaise, this is butter, Mama."
"Well, it looks a little like butter, but it's mayonnaise."
"Oh! My bad, mama."

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.