the b-roses

The Second Annual Best Vacation Ever!

2012-08-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 16

We picked up the camper in San Leandro and Lynda and Dylan drove it back to our house. The camper was new and very nice. Dylan enjoyed showing it off to the neighbors and giving tours as we packed it up for the trip. It had a “pop-out” side which made it roomier when parked. It also had a flat screen TV and DVD player in the loft where Dylan would sleep. Dylan was excited to make up his bed with his new Ninjago bedding that he got for Kindergarten graduation.

Sunday, June 17

Grandma baked us some muffins for the trip so we started out the drive with a muffin breakfast. Our first stop was at the Sundial Bridge in Redding. It was incredibly hot there which caused Dylan to proclaim “This is the hottest vacation ever!” The bridge was spectacular and when we got across to the other side there was a stand selling fruit ices. It was a great treat in the heat.

We got some great views of Mt. Shasta on the drive to Lake Siskiyou. We arrived at the Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort by late afternoon. We had a great campsite with plenty of trees. The resort had a great restaurant so we didn’t exactly rough it for dinner and the kids got ice cream at the resort store for dessert. The resort had RV camping, cabins you could rent and regular tent camping. Our site was walking distance from the lake.

Monday June 18

We rented a boat on Lake Siskiyou for the day. We had originally planned to go fishing on the boat, but the lack of a fishing license and an abundance of wind caused us to reevaluate our plan. We had a great time taking the boat around the lake and Dylan even got to drive!

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle. ― Albert Einstein

Tuesday, June 19

We got on the road early and headed to Oregon. Along the way we went to the Wildlife Safari. Here we were able to drive through the wildlife park and see the animals. The kids got a kick out of being able to come up front and check out the animals. The park also had a restaurant, museum, gift shop and playground so we also had lunch and enjoyed the park before getting back on the road. That night we stayed at the Pheasant Ridge RV park, which was very nice and clean so we could get a good night’s rest before heading to Seattle.

Wednesday, June 20

We headed out for Seattle in the morning. We arrived in Seattle at lunch time and soon realized it was challenging to park a 30 foot RV in downtown Seattle. As Lynda circled trying to figure out where to park we took a wrong turn and ended up on some hilly narrow residential streets that really reminded me of the Oakland hills. Before we knew what was happening we were in a line of cars in a construction zone approaching a low clearance bridge. We saw a sign that said 12’6” clearance. We looked up at the sign in the RV above the rear view mirror that said 13’ for the height of the camper. We took a deep breath and drove through. Thankfully we made it through unscathed. Lynda got us back to Seattle Center and managed to find us parking in a lot directly across from the Space Needle. We took up 4 spots but it worked!

We had some lunch and then jumped in line for the Space Needle. We made it to the top and were able to get some great pictures. We then went to the Children’s Museum also located in Seattle Center. The kids loved it. It was a great museum with lots to do. There was a kid size grocery store, a restaurant, a stage, a construction area, a young children’s play area, a nature area with a slide and a Lego room. There was also an area for art projects.

After the museum as we were heading back to the RV we got an amazing water show. The fountain was choreographed to music and Dylan loved it. We also got a little bit wet!

That night we checked into the Seattle/Tacoma KOA and the kids loved it. We got a great spot with a view of the playground. Our only complaint on this campground would be the mosquitoes at night- LOTS of them. We think because it is located close to a marshy area. Needless to say we needed to upgrade our bug repellent.

Thursday, June 21

This was our day to enjoy the KOA. We had the pancake breakfast at the KOA and then set out for a day of fun. We rented one of the reclining bikes for Dylan and he had a ride around the campground. He also discovered he LOVES tetherball. As he tells it, he is quite good because he could beat Lynda and she was the champion of her school. Both kids also really enjoyed swimming in the pool.

That evening we headed out and went to one of my new favorite restaurants, Claimjumper for dinner.

Friday, June 22

We headed to Portland in the morning. We drove through Portland and then headed to our hotel, the Embassy Suites in Tigard. We had a giant suite and the kids loved it. We got everyone cleaned up and had a room service lunch of pizza. We were able to meet up with my old friend Stephanie and her kids at the mall next to the hotel. The kids really enjoyed playing in the kids play areas and having snacks in the food court. The kids were sad to have to say good-bye and would have played for a week if we had let them. After we said good-bye to them, we went out for dinner at Red Robin.

Saturday, June 23

The original plan for this day was to see the hot air balloons launch in Tigard. But it was pouring down rain and we didn’t want to get up at 5 am our one night in a hotel, so after an awesome breakfast at the hotel we headed to the OMSI, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

This museum was AWESOME. It has a Life Hall, Earth Hall, a Science Playground, Turbine Hall, Science Labs and exhibit on Natural Disasters and a Planetarium. There is also a submarince and an Omnimax theater and we didn’t get that far. The kids really enjoyed the Science Playground which reminded me of the Discovery Museum. They were able to play in water and sand and explore. Sophie loved it (and Dylan too). We also got to go to the Planetarium which was fantastic for Dylan and his love of all things related to Space. He got to play on a flight simulator and work a giant robot. He also spent time in both the Physics and Chemistry labs.

After the Museum we headed to Lincoln City, OR- home of the Kite Festival! We arrived in town at dinner time and had an terrific dinner at Mo’s. Our campsite was beautiful with a view of the Ocean.

Sunday, June 24

We went down to the beach for the kite festival. At first Sophie wasn’t too sure about the sand and wanted to stay only on the blanket. That wore off quickly and soon we were chasing her all around the beach. In the morning the weather was a little cold and gray, but after lunch it was gorgeous. The kites were amazing and the kids loved playing on the beach. Dylan got recruited to be a lost boy in the Peter Pan performance, but after much rehearsing and waiting around he decided he would much rather watch than be in it.

Monday, June 25

We headed to the Honey Bear Resort in Gold Beach, OR. The drive was beautiful and we got to see some gorgeous Oregon scenery as we went. We stopped at Prehistoric Gardens which was a really cool park you can walk through and see statues of giant dinosaurs. We all really enjoyed exploring there.

The Honey Bear resort was a really cute campground with a German theme (the owners are German). They have a German restaurant, “Heidi-like” decorations and a gift shop. There was also a playground and a good amount of space to run around and explore.

It rained at night and Dylan and Lynda quickly put up our tent awning. It was pretty cool that we were able to sit out in front of the camper in the rain and not get wet!

Tuesday, June 26

In the morning , the rain had passed and we gathered up our stuff and hiked to the beach. The beach was gorgeous and essentially empty. We ran into one other family with kids the same age as Dylan and Sophie that we played with a bit and we saw some folks horseback riding, but other than that it was just us.

Sophie wore herself out at the beach and fell asleep in the stroller on the short walk back to our campsite. We played some at the campground and then tried the German restaurant for dinner. It was homemade authentic German food and Dylan was a good sport about trying some really different food. Sophie loved the sausages. There was also entertainment which was an interesting display of a German singer doing some German music, some Elvis covers and some “comedy”. Dylan and Lynda also went fishing after dinner at the campground’s stocked pond. They caught 2 fish rather quickly and Dylan was very pleased. We attempted to have a campfire that night but the wood was very wet, so it didn’t work out very well. I managed to sort of half toast a marshmallow for Dylan but he seemed content to eat them “raw”.

Wednesday, June 27

Today we started making our way back to California. We stopped at the Trees of Mystery in Klamath, CA. It was a cool adventure. There was a giant talking Paul Bunyan out front. It was a pretty hike through some really neat trees to get to the Sky Trail, a gondola ride through the trees. It was spectacular if a little unnerving for me, as I am still working on my fear of heights.

The kids were thrilled and we got to see some beautiful views.

On route to our next campground, we decided to try to drive a little farther and find a KOA so the campground would be more fun for the kids. We ended up getting a spot at the Willits KOA. This super cool campground had an old west town, a petting zoo, a pool and a water play area, miniature golf, 3 playgrounds and activities like movies at night. Unfortunately, and much to both kid’s disappointment we were only there for one night, but they made the most of it while they could. Dylan also got to stay up late and watch the movie with Lynda, an outdoor viewing of the Chipmunks.

Thursday, June 28

In the morning we were able to get in a round of miniature golf before heading home.

We were excited to be getting back to the comforts of home, but sad that another great vacation was coming to an end.

We feel so grateful to have these wonderful healthy, happy kids to go on adventures with. We can’t wait until the next one!

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened. ― Dr. Seuss

Disneyland Surprise

2011-06-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

Best Vacation...EVER (Part Two)

2011-06-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

After our practice RV trip over Mother’s Day weekend ended up as a big success, we decided to go ahead and plan the big trip for June. We reserved a slightly larger RV (30 feet instead of 25 feet) and started planning our itinerary. The plan was to make our way to Henderson, to visit my parent’s vacation house there and see my grandma and uncle who live there. After Henderson we would head to San Diego for the San Diego Zoo and Sea World, make our way to Carlsbad to see Legoland and then surprise the kids with two days at Disneyland in Anaheim before heading back home to Pacifica.

Friday, June 3, 2011
After I got off work we went to San Mateo to pick up our RV. I dropped Lynda and Dylan off to take the RV home and I took Sophie home separately. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening packing the RV. This was made more interesting by all the rain. Hello Summer Vacation!

Saturday, June 4, 2011
We finished getting things ready for our housesitters at the house and hit the road by about 11am. Our first stop was the Ventura Ranch KOA outside of Santa Barbara. The drive was supposed to take about 5 hours. It ended up taking about 10 hours to get there. We stopped at Anderson’s Pea Soup for dinner on the way which was a lot of fun as I don’t think I had ever been there and Lynda hadn’t been there since she was a kid. Dylan enjoyed the place and posed for some pictures out front. We discovered Sophie really likes pea soup.

We didn’t make it to the campground until after 9pm, we put the kids straight to bed to get some rest for the trip to Henderson in the morning. We didn’t really have the opportunity to explore the campground, but there was a peacock and some interesting plastic animals as we drove in. The bathrooms closest to us were in process of renovation and not very nice and didn’t have showers, so we opted to just wait until we got to my parent’s house to shower. We just woke up packed up and started driving.

Sunday, June 5, 2011
We were on the road by 7:45 am. At this point we figured out that the RV had some air conditioning issues. The main issue being that if you went over about 40 miles an hour the AC shut off and very hot air shot out at the front seat passengers feet. The dash and door also heated up so you pretty much could brew tea if you placed a cup of water in the cup holder. Given the four plus hours it took us to pack the RV and the relatively cooler than expected SoCal weather, we decided to tough it out and make the best of it rather than disrupt our vacation by trying to get a replacement RV on the road. This resulted in some sweaty feet but a lot of laughs as we drove with windows open trying to shout at each other to talk while the wind whipped through the front cab.

We stopped at a Wienerschnitzel for lunch on the way so Dylan was able to get his favorite hot dog lunch. We made it to my parent’s house in Henderson around 4pm and were ready for showers and my mom’s cooking. We discovered that my parent’s hot water wasn’t working in their guest bathroom so we had to take turns with the one shower that did have hot water, but we were still excited at the prospect of their comfortable air conditioned house. They had toys and an inflatable backyard pool waiting for the kids who were thrilled!

Monday, June 6, 2011
Dylan was up early and the morning and he and I started a Monopoly game. There is just something about Monopoly at 5:45 AM to really jumpstart your day. Grandma Carol was up pretty early too and she and Dylan explored the back yard and the golf course behind the house. They didn’t find any stray golf balls but we did manage to see a bunny rabbit and meet the neighbor’s dog.

We packed everyone up in two cars and drove out to look at Hoover Dam and walk across the Mike O’Callaghan/Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. There were some great views and we were able to take some nice pictures. Dylan enjoyed seeing the dam and talking to Papa about how electricity works.

After the visit to the dam we headed back to Henderson and lunch at Lucille’s. Yum.

That evening Grandma Juanita and Uncle David came over for dinner. We had a nice visit and my mom cooked some great food and my dad barbequed steak. We also had cake to celebrate Sophie’s first birthday, since June 8 was her due date and Grandma Juanita and Uncle David had missed her party in February. Both Dylan and Sophie enjoyed her cake and Sophie liked the Sesame Street cars that came on top.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011
We played around the house and went on a shopping trip to Walmart on Tuesday to get the rest of the food and supplies we would need for our trip. We had a fun lunch at Red Robin and found it amusing when the waitress apologized for seating us next to teenagers. In the evening Grandma and Papa babysat so Lynda and I could go out to a nice dinner at the M Resort and meet Uncle David and Bill for some gambling and cocktails.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Happy Anniversary Grandma and Papa! Happy (adjusted) Birthday Sophie!

We packed up and headed out of Henderson by about 9 am on Wednesday. We made good time to our next destination, the San Diego Metro KOA and arrived by about 3pm. We were really impressed with how nice this campground was. It had a pool, laundry, a store, a new playground and bike rentals. Dylan made friends with a boy named Jason at the playground and spent the afternoon playing and riding the scooter he brought with him from Grandma and Papa’s house. We had a nice evening at the campground and everyone was able to get some rest.

Thursday, June 9, 2011
On Thursday we went to the San Diego Zoo. We were really impressed with how nice it was, it had been a long time since Lynda or I had been there. We laughed at first because it seemed like all the animals were missing from their cages or sleeping. We wondered if really they had just built a bunch of empty cages with nice signs. As the day went on we were able to see quite a few animals including the pandas which are Grandma Carol’s favorite so Dylan insisted we record a video “panda cam” and send to her. The polar bear exhibit was also really neat. We went to see the flamingo exhibit and the sign explained that some of the local birds (ducks) had voluntarily also joined the exhibit. I said to Dylan that the ducks had crashed the flamingos' party and then had to explain what “crashing the party” meant. He got a kick out of that and kept talking about those party crashing ducks all day. The zoo had lots of nice play areas for kids with cool things to climb on and Dylan enjoyed exploring it all. At the end of the day we took a ride on the top of the double decker zoo tour bus which was what Dylan really wanted to do, it was a great way to see everything at the zoo that we had explored during the day. We did a little shopping in the zoo store and headed back to the campground. Dylan’s buddies were waiting for him and he got some playtime in before dinner.

Friday, June 10, 2011
Sea World!

On Friday we went to Sea World and Lynda also bought us tickets for lunch with Shamu. This was a really cool lunch with really limited attendance where we got to be up close with one of the Orcas while we had lunch. There was a trainer who talked about the whale while having her do some tricks for the audience. Lynda and Dylan also rode up in the sky tower and saw a view of the whole park. They were able to go to the dolphin show and the sea lion show (Sophie and I did some hanging out on benches). Dylan really enjoyed the Sesame Street kids play area, so we spent a good amount of time there before heading back to the campground at the end of the day.

Saturday, June 11,2011This was our play day at the campground. I worked on some laundry and Sophie did some napping. Dylan was able to rent one of the bikes that looked like a car and drove it around the campground. Dylan also spent a good amount of time playing in the playground and swimming in the pool. We had a nice family dinner and got organized for heading out the next day.

Sunday, June 12, 2011
We left the campground early in the morning so that we would make it to Legoland when it opened. We got a really terrific parking spot (one benefit to RV parking) pretty much at the front gate of Legoland. This park was AMAZING. We had never been there and really didn’t know what to expect, but we all (especially Dylan) loved it. There were some great rides for younger kids and lots of educational and interesting elements to the park. One of Dylan’s favorite parts were the very realistic city models of San Francisco, New York, LA and Las Vegas. There were even moving cars and boats. He was fascinated and spent quite a bit of time checking out every detail. There was also a cool water play area that he liked. They had cars the kids could drive themselves and Dylan got his very own Legoland driver’s license. On one ride the kids sat in chairs and pulled themselves up a pole with a rope, Dylan bravely did this on his own and was really strong and able to pull himself up the pole quite well compared to much older kids who were also doing it. One of the highlights was getting Dylan’s cartoon drawn. He chose to be a lego rockstar and the artist did a really great job on the drawing. Dylan was super excited about it and we now have it framed in his room at home.

After a full day at Legoland we headed out to our camper in the parking lot. Before driving off Lynda and I told Dylan we had a surprise for him and Sophie. We handed them each wrapped presents. Inside Dylan had a Mickey Mouse and Sophie had a Minnie Mouse. Dylan also had a lanyard with Disneyland pins on it. We had Dylan read the tag it said “We are going to Disneyland”. He got very excited and we got the whole thing on video. We headed to Anaheim to check in to the RV park and get ready for our big day at Disneyland.

We arrived at the Anaheim Harbor Resort RV park at dinner time. Conveniently it was located next door to a Shakey’s pizza so we checked in and went next door for a pizza dinner. Dylan thought the restaurant was great and asked if we could have every dinner on our vacation there. We got everyone showered and ready for bed and put Sophie down for the night. Lynda, Dylan and I were able to sit in our camp chairs at our RV site and watch the Disneyland fireworks before going to bed.

Monday, June 13, 2011

We got ready early and took the shuttle to Disneyland. Dylan was very excited about his first ride on a bus. Once in the park we headed straight for the rockets which Dylan and I road together and then to Buzz Lightyear’s Astroblasters which we were all able to ride. I am not sure what Sophie thought of the ride, but she definitely seemed fascinated. Dylan and I did the Tarzan Tree House which I remembered as the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House when I was a kid. He had a great time exploring it and there was some very fun stuff to play with at the end. We hit the Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted House and It’s a Small World. We went to the Mad Hatter and got everyone hats. At this point it was really getting hot and crowded so we headed over to California Adventure. We got some food and explored It’s A Bug’s Land. We made it to the Disney Junior show, which the kids both LOVED before calling it a day and heading back to the RV park. We had another dinner at Shakey’s and Dylan got to play lots of games and win lots of tickets, so all and all a very successful day. We had another great night of fireworks with commentary by Dylan before calling it a night.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011
The plan for the day was to drive to Disneyland so we could hit the road from there getting outside of LA before finding an RV park to stay the night for the drive home the next day. When we woke up we noticed a much nicer, newer CruiseAmerica RV had pulled in next to us during the night. I wonder if they had air conditioning?

We were happy to find the RV parking at Disneyland was almost as good as Legoland and we were right next to the tram stop to take us to the Disneyland entrance. When we arrived Dylan and Lynda rode the double decker bus while Sophie and I walked down Main Street. We got our picture taken in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle before making our way to Toon Town. Dylan and I rode the roller coaster and Lynda and Dylan rode the Roger Rabbit ride before making our way out of Toon Town to another ride on It’s a Small World before going to the Tea Cups in Fantasyland. Dylan and I rode the Tea Cups and I was reminded why that ride never has a line. We had lunch at the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ and it was great. Nice shaded spacious tables, all you can eat BBQ, good service and fun entertainment. Dylan even got to go up on stage and perform with the show! After lunch we found the little petting zoo and Miss Chris’Cabin where Dylan was able to sit and draw for a bit. Dylan wanted to ride the Mark Twain ferry boat so we all hopped on board for a ride around Tom Sawyer island. We then made our way to Pirates of the Caribbean and Buzz Lightyear before doing some shopping and going to Downtown Disney. We got some ice cream and then took the tram back to the RV to start making our way home around 5:30.

We had planned just to get out of the LA area to avoid some of the traffic for our drive the next day, but once we were on the road for a couple of hours Lynda said she thought she could pull a late drive and make it home that night. The drive was long and hot and poor Lynda’s hat blew out the window, but we were able to make it back to Pacifica by 2 am. We got the kids in their beds (they slept most of the drive) and were able to get some showers and get ourselves in bed to dream about the best vacation ever!

We feel so lucky to get to take this great trip this summer, to have Sophie enjoying it with us and to let Dylan have this big adventure his last summer before heading off to Kindergarten!

Best Vacation...EVER! (Part One)

2011-05-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

We decided that we wanted to take a 2 week RV vacation this summer which would include going to Henderson, NV to see my Grandma and Uncle and visit my parents vacation home there. We did think it might be wise to "practice" with the RV first before embarking on a 2 week trip in one with a 5 year old and a 1 year old.

So for Mother's Day weekend we rented an RV and headed to the Gold Country Campground in Pine Grove, CA http://www.goldcountrycampground.com/. The plan was to pick the RV up in San Mateo (pick up time was 1pm), pack it up and then head to the campground and make it there before dinner. It is about a 3 hour drive from Pacifica to the campground. The reality is that packing an RV while tending to two small children takes longer than one might think. As it turned out we didn't get back to Pacifica until about 2pm and didn't finish packing the RV until around 6pm. This may have had a little bit to do with our elated five year old bouncing around the RV "helping" us and giving tours to the neighborhood of "his" RV.

I have to say that RV was worth every penny. I have never seen my kid so happy and he is a generally happy kid. Better than Disneyland, better than Christmas, he was just thrilled to be in that RV.

So, we finally managed to pull out of Pacifica a little after 6pm and didn't make it to the campground until about 10 pm. First lesson learned, spring for the extra day and pack your RV the night before the trip.

It was hard to see in the dark, but by the morning we found that the campground was fantastic. We opted for a "deluxe" RV spot which meant we had a longer spot with a table and fire pit. We were located near the bathrooms, which were the nicest bathrooms I have ever seen pretty much anywhere, but especially for a campground. The campground had a pool, water park, mini golf, an arcade and a playground. Dylan was beyond thrilled. On our first day in the campground we tried all of it. They even opened the pool just for us, they weren't scheduled to open it until the start of June. The staff was super nice and accommodating, better than many of the high end hotels we have stayed in.

Sophie got to try out a swimming pool for the first time and she loved it just as much as she loves baths. Dylan and Sophie enjoyed having me spin them around in the pool, at the same time. My back didn't enjoy it as much but their constant giggling kept me going. Sophie and I followed along behind Dylan and Lynda as they played mini-golf and Dylan adopted an interpretive scoring system. Dylan really enjoyed the arcade which was a nice, big, air conditioned room with 80's style video games, air hockey, pool and ping pong. It also had a baby play area that Sophie tried out and an area for crafts.

We cooked dinner outside at the campsite on our camp stove. We discovered something about the RV section of the campground, no one leaves their RVs. So we were nestled in our "deluxe" spot in our small rental RV surrounded by giant uber RVs and we had lots of privacy and pretty much no competition for the fancy bathroom. We had Dylan's favorite, hot dogs for dinner, had a campfire with s'mores and some poorly orchestrated camp songs and had both kids in bed and asleep by 8. We were able to have some quiet time by the campfire by ourselves before calling it a night.

Both kids slept pretty well, it was a little less than perfect for us, but still better than anytime we have tried to stay in a hotel with kids. The next morning we got organized, packed up the RV and headed to Lake Camanche for some fishing. Lynda got the license/permit and then we found a picturesque spot that didn't have other people to try our luck. It seems the spot may have been so free of people because it was filled with geese and the "evidence" of geese, but Dylan and Lynda got their camp chairs and gave it a good go. Lynda's fishing pole met an unpleasant fate as she was trying to get everything set up, so they ended up sharing Dylan's Cars' pole, which may have not been the ideal tool for the task at hand. Sophie and I hung out in the camper while they fished and made lunch. The bad news was, they caught no fish. The good news was, they caught no fish.

When we got back to the campground, we did a little time in the arcade and then headed back to the campsite for some down time. Dylan and I had some of the most excellent talks hanging out in our camp chairs. We also got in some checkers and Go Fish (with interpretive rules).

On our last day, we packed up and headed out to Sutter Creek for some Gold Panning. Dylan ended up getting a little bit of gold that he got to take home in a souvenier bottle. We headed out of town by lunch time and made it back to Pacifica in time to unload the RV, give a few more tours to the neighbors and then return it before dinner.

Overall, it was a really terrific vacation. I can not really put words to how great it feels to watch your kids so excited and so happy. We feel so much gratitude that we were able to all be together this year having fun. This was really the best vacation and the best Mother's Day I can remember.

So, the lessons learned from our "practice" RV vacation:

1) Pick-up and pack the RV the day BEFORE you depart on the trip
2) LESS is more, pack less stuff, use all the cabinets
3) ORGANIZATION is key- things are much easier if you have less stuff in organized places
4) PLANNING pays off, have a basic plan of activities in advance
5) Buy SMALL (small food, small paper products, etc.), this is not the time for Costco bulking up
6) Most RVers don't leave their RV's so you get more privacy than you would think in the RV park
7) Clean bathrooms can make or break a trip
8) Box wine is really underappreciated
9) You really can't put a price on memories with your family
10) Kids LOVE RVs

Stay tuned for the "Best Vacation...EVER! (Part Two) when we embark on our two week RV vacation in June.

Show and Tell

2011-05-03T22:35:00.000-07:00

Dylan brought Sophie as his "Show and Tell" to Mid-Year Kindergarten. She was a big hit.

Papa

2011-05-03T20:44:00.000-07:00

5.2.11

Sunday Funday

2011-05-02T22:11:00.000-07:00

March for Babies

2011-05-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we participated in the March for Babies to support the March of Dimes with the San Francisco Kaiser NICU. It was great to see the nurses who took such good care of Sophie during her 90 day stay in the NICU. I hadn't really anticipated how overcome I would feel seeing them again, but it was really wonderful seeing them and even more wonderful seeing them in a non-hospital setting. The weather was fantastic and it made for a terrific family outing.

Celebration

2011-02-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

We just finished celebrating Sophie's first birthday with all of the exuberance I had imagined we would as I watched Sophie’s isolette a year ago and planned the future celebration in my head. Back then I was treading a fine line between trying to be positive and not wanting to hope for too much. Thinking about this big celebration with my beautiful, happy, healthy baby girl having the time of her life crawling and squirming all over the place didn’t really seem possible back then. We are truly in a better place that I ever could have imagined. I can say I am so much wiser, so much more grateful than ever before, that I see things with a deeper richness than I ever could have before I came so close to losing so much. But then, I am also changed in that I have lost the ability to blindly expect things to be ok. The realization that the harmony of life is so precarious, that at any moment things can change so dramatically, that is always with me now. I am acutely aware of so many others who haven't had the good fortune we have had, who are facing much bigger challenges with so much more grace than I ever could have gathered.

So I would say now our family motto is “CELEBRATE!” Celebrate every day and every moment. Laugh often and give lots of hugs.

Happy Birthday Sophie.

Tahoe Trip

2010-12-05T13:03:00.001-08:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

We went on a great trip to Tahoe November 30-December 4, 2010.

Awareness

2010-11-17T15:21:00.000-08:00

Today is Prematurity Awareness Day, part of Prematurity Awareness Month. This campaign has been set up by the March of Dimes to raise awareness of the serious issue of premature birth. http://www.marchofdimes.com/mission/prematurity.html
In addition to raising awareness the March of Dimes also raises important funds for research through their Prematurity Research Initiative. http://www.marchofdimes.com/research/prematurityresearch.html

We are more aware than I ever thought we would be about what it is to have a premature infant. The process of letting go of your expectations of what you had previously defined in your mind for the experience of welcoming your baby into your family is a very complex one. Having to rely on a medical team, having to put all of your trust in a group of people you haven’t met to care for your baby is a huge step that you are forced to take not gradually, but immediately. There is no time to adjust, there is just the reality that you must accept, you must move quickly and you must be prepared to do what you need to do for your baby. As we moved through the process of having Sophie so early, knowing she would be in the NICU for so long, knowing that we didn’t have much control over the day to day, our only choice was to move to acceptance and do the best we could every day. Many people said to us, “you are so strong, we don’t know how you do it.” The truth is we didn’t feel particularly strong. We did it because we had to, we had no choice but to do it, so we did. It is amazing what you can handle when you have no other option.

During this month of prematurity awareness, I wanted to remind myself how fortunate we are. How fortunate we were to be in the right place at the right time and to have access to some of the best medical care available. My hope is that making people aware of and giving support to organizations like the March of Dimes will prevent more families from having to go through what we did, and if they do, the medical technology will only improve, improving the outcomes for their babies.

One of the other parents who was in the NICU at the same time we were shared a quote with me, that really speaks to this experience, "Dostoevsky said that instead of cursing our suffering, we should pray to be made worthy of it." This is not a path I think any of us would chose and it is not a path I would ever want anyone else to have to go down, but I do feel like I am changed for having gone down it. For me, it is important to be aware, to reflect on all that has happened and to appreciate all the blessings of the present. Dylan will be five this week. Sophie will be at the party. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Family

2010-11-06T20:49:00.000-07:00

Dylan put this potato head family together and then put it on his shelf. He described the family in the following way:

The first one plays soccer, the next one goes to work and the last one stays home with the baby.

Giants Parade!

2010-11-03T22:20:00.000-07:00

Lynda very bravely took both kids to see the Giants victory parade in San Francisco today. Dylan was thrilled and spent most of the time yelling "Go Giants" while sitting on Lynda's shoulders.

Teeth!

2010-11-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

Dylan lost his first tooth on October 30th and then lost another one tonight. The Tooth Fairy brought him 4 quarters for the first tooth and we expect the same for this one. Dylan also wanted to leave a "treat" for the Tooth Fairy, with the first tooth it was carrots and with this one it was a glass of milk.

Dylan gets his first teeth 6.15.06

Dylan loses his first teeth 10.30.10 & 11.3.10

Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

Nursery Follow-Up Clinic

2010-10-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

Today went to her first appointment at the nursery follow-up clinic. At this appointment she is seen by her pediatrician, a behavioral/developmental specialist pediatrician and a physical therapist. The purpose of the clinic is to look at her development more closely and check to see if there are any areas that might need attention. Sophie appears to be right on track for her adjusted age. The physical therapist gave us some activities and exercises we could do to help with some of the stiffness typical in preemies. Everyone was very enthusiastic about how well she is doing.

Sophie also got the first in a series of Synagis shots which are given to micropreemies to help prevent RSV, Respiratory Syncytial Virus. RSV is a very common virus that leads to mild, cold-like symptoms in adults and older healthy children. It can be more serious in young babies, especially to those in certain high-risk groups, including preemies. In these high risk groups, getting the virus can mean serious respiratory issues that can require hospitalization, oxygen or being put back on a ventilator. The virus can not be treated by antibiotics. The Synagis shots are not a vaccine, but instead a dose of antibodies that would help fight the virus if she were to get it, keeping her from getting a serious case. She will have to have these shots once a month for 6 months during the RSV season. She also got a flu shot and will have to get one more shot in a month since this is the first time she has received a flu shot. She disliked both shots equally.

Sophie weighed 15 lbs. 12 oz, was 25.5 inches long and her head circumference was 17.32 inches. Her doctor was thrilled with her growth.

Growth Percentiles
Adjusted age (4 mo. 3 wks)
weight/59th percentile
height/55th percentile
head/92nd percentile

Actual Age (8 months)
weight/9th percentile
height/5th percentile
head/58th percentile

Disney on Ice

2010-10-23T21:03:00.000-07:00

Today we took Dylan to Disney on Ice in San Jose. Sophie stayed with Grandma and Papa, so we were able to have a special outing for the 3 of us. We all had a terrific time.

Rice Cereal

2010-10-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

Who is the boss?

2010-10-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

Dylan (age 4) to me last night in response to me telling him to brush his teeth, “ Mom is the boss.”
Me to Dylan, “Well, I am also the boss, and if I ask you to brush your teeth, I need you to do it.”
Dylan to me, “We’ll see who is the boss when I am a teenager.”

Pumpkin Cousins

2010-10-16T22:23:00.000-07:00

Dylan and Sophie met up with their cousins in Livermore for our annual family pumpkin patch tradition. The kids all had a great time.

Soccer

2010-10-15T22:16:00.000-07:00

Grandma Barbara game to watch Dylan's last soccer practice and game.

Pumpkins!

2010-10-11T13:10:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we had a fun day at the pumpkin patch. Saturday evening we got all the Halloween decorations up. Dylan said, "Mommy, this is the spookiest day ever!" I think this is going to be a great Halloween.

Gratitude

2010-10-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

Today Sophie is 4 months adjusted age, meaning if she was born on her due date, she would be 4 months old today. Just over a year ago I found out I was pregnant and was calculating that due date, June 8. We were so excited, the date also is the wedding anniversary of my parents and Lynda’s grandparents, a lucky day, we thought. A baby with a warm weather birthday, we envisioned BBQs and park parties, baby bathing suits.

I remember seeing the date along with the physicians and nurses on duty on the whiteboard in the delivery room and thinking, “February 22? My baby’s birthday is going to be February 22 or 23? How is that possible? I didn’t plan for February!”

So we have this wonderful baby with dualing birthdays. There is the day she was born and the day she was supposed to be born. What is and what should have been. A Pisces instead of a Gemini. Interesting that while she is younger than she is, I feel so much older than I am. I wonder if preemie parents get a corrected age too, you age about a year for every week your baby is in that hospital. On the upside, I am sure in a few years she will be campaigning for multiple birthday parties.

What have I learned? Well, I have learned there isn’t much in life you can control. All you can control is how you respond to it. The common sense part of me always knew that was true, but the rest of me really wanted to believe I was in control most of the time. Now, I know better. I have also learned how truly amazing people can be, how they will “show up” for you in all the right ways just when you need them the most. I have learned I hate hospital imitation Jello and that I will likely never be any good at crocheting. I have learned that the Winter Olympics really shouldn’t be watched in their entirety. I have learned that there is no pain you can feel from getting an IV, a shot, a blood draw or a medical procedure that compares to the pain of watching these things done to your baby. I have learned that I need to appreciate my health, the health of my children and the health of the people I love every day. I have learned that life is really a miracle and I need to be present and grateful every moment. I need to give more hugs. I have learned how truly blessed I am.

Some numbers…

175 days my pregnancy (280 days would have been full term)

90 days time Sophie was in the ICN

37 weeks, 5 days Sophie’s adjusted age the day she came home

135 days Sophie has been home

7 months, 3 weeks Sophie’s actual age

52 degrees average temperature in San Mateo County for February

70 degrees average temperature in San Mateo County for June

3.2 inches average precipitation in San Mateo County for February

0.1 inches average precipitation in San Mateo County for June

10 average number of rainy days in San Mateo County in February

1 average number of rainy days in San Mateo County in June

2010-10-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

Weekend Fun

2010-10-04T20:39:00.000-07:00