Caleb makes his way into the world...while Jason is in Maui...

Hooray!  I finally popped out baby #3!!  Caleb Anthony was born on February 19th at 1235am!! He's our biggest baby yet-weighing in at a whopping 6lbs 15.9oz!!  Small babies are the best! Jason's genes are just one of the many things I love about him!!  ;)  One of the things I don't love though - is the fact that Jason missed the birth of his baby!  I've already failed at one of my many New Year's Resolutions - which was waiting to pop out this baby until Jason was back from his conference in Maui!  Argh!  I am grateful though that Caleb decided to at least wait until Jason's Mom was here!   

 

So Jason flew out February 15th early in the morning to attend a national conference in Maui (something he needed to graduate his residency program next year) and Jason's Mom and his sister, Joanna, flew in the evening of the 17th.  My contractions started the following day on the 18th first thing in the morning.  They were pretty consistent throughout the day, but I didn't want to believe it!!  I needed to wait 2 1/2 more days, so Jason could see his baby born!!  I tried to ignore it and just go about our day as usual, so we went to my eye appointment (that was scheduled that afternoon) and we went grocery shopping at the commissary, and after missing Kristin's gymnastics and giving it much thought, I decided it was safe to go out to dinner at our favorite Greek restaurant (when I thought my contractions/cramps were getting less frequent and irregular).  After dinner, I also decided to go ahead and keep my hair appointment, so I went to that too!  I had about 7 contractions during my 1-hour appointment, so my hair dresser worked fast under the pressure!  We finally got home with plans of putting the kids to bed, so we could watch a movie and relax (in the hopes of slowing down my contractions).

Well-relaxing must have done quite the opposite because 20 minutes into our movie, I felt a little stream of water leak (before I realized my water was about to break).  For fear of drenching my couch with amniotic fluid, I threw myself onto the ground just in time for my water to explode in a huge gush!  Jason's Mom ran a couple of towels out to me.  All I could do was sit and wait for most of the water to stop gushing (whilst crying to myself as I called Jason to tell him my water broke).  I was so sad that he was going to miss this!!  :(  I tried to change my clothes and keep a towel inside my jeans, but by the time we got to the hospital, it didn't really matter much.  I had to wrap another towel around my waist, so people didn't think I had wet myself!  At least it was late at night and there weren't very many people around.   I was also grateful that the girls were already in bed and that Joanna was there to watch over them while Jason's Mom and I were gone.  On our way there, my contractions started getting more frequent and intense.  I was getting just a bit nervous!  My legs and arms were shaking and my teeth were chattering.  I was mostly just sad that Jason wasn't there.  :( 

By the time we made it to Labor and Delivery, I was already 6 cm dilated.  They had me waddle down to my room at 1145pm, where I changed into my gown and got settled into my bed - complete with IV, blood pressure cuff and fetal monitoring band (I hate that thing!).  

Making my way to the bed after getting changed

After about 20 minutes of contractions, I had dilated to 9 cm and I started getting the horrendous urge to push, but I had to wait 1 more flippin' cm!!  Jason's Mom was right by my side, holding my hand while I said the same thing over and over with each contraction - which was, "Dear Lord Jesus please help me" and then, "Mom, Mom, I really want to push!"  She only had great things to say - like, "You're doing a great job Tricia!   The contractions are just bringing the baby farther down.  You're almost ready to meet Caleb!"  She was such a huge help!  I don't know what I would have done without her!!  What seemed like 10 minutes later, I was finally at 10 cm and ready to go!  I was so relieved to finally be allowed to push!  After about 4 contractions, I finally grunted Caleb out.  It was SUCH a relief...a somewhat burning end to a quick and intense birthing experience - but a relief nonetheless!!  Caleb cried out right away - with a strong and rather loud cry.  It was so good to hear!! For all the discomfort - birthing a baby is SO worth it!!  I give all the credit to Jesus for a such an amazing birthing experience!!  I've been praying all along for a quick and easy delivery without pain.  And while I wasn't perfectly pain free - I really didn't have much discomfort (for very long at least).  The contractions throughout the day were very mild and didn't intensify until after my water broke. Even then - it wasn't anything unbearable!  The only time I was uncomfortable was when I wanted to push and wasn't allowed to (and that didn't last for very long)!  And all without an epidural!!  Yay Jesus!  :)   

My all female staff waiting for me to push with my next contraction

Caleb Anthony greets the world with a loud cry

Jason's Mom nervous about cutting the umbilical cord...

But then she decides to get very excited about it after she does it!  :)

What would I have done without my MomEE??!!  :)

Caleb getting all checked out.  Apgar score: 9!  Woot woot!  ;)

A rather gagging experience...

6 lbs 15.9 oz

Yay!  It's all over!! 

Jason's Mom bringing Caleb over to meet me!

Oh!!!!  I love him to pieces!!

So you're the one who's been kicking the heck out of me and doing somersaults like a crazy baby!!  ;)

Telling Jason how cute his little boy is...

Hello everyone!!

Tiny footprints

Getting all cleaned up with his first sponge bath

Ah...I'm feeling quite cozy under this warm lamp...

After getting only random bits of sleep here and there for the rest of the morning, I finally decided to just stay awake.  Jason's Mom headed out around 8am to go check on the girls and feed them breakfast.  She brought them back in later to eat lunch with me in the room and meet their new baby brother.  They thoroughly enjoyed him and then after Katie ripped the room apart as much as she was capable of - Mom decided to take them back home.  She came back to keep me company for a couple hours later on that evening before I went to bed.  Instead of getting discharged from the hospital at midnight (after 24 hrs), I decided to stay the rest of the night and leave the following morning (I didn't actually get discharged from the hospital until closer to 1pm the next day - since I had to fill out all of the paperwork and pick up my prescriptions myself since Jason wasn't there).  

Kristin and Katie meeting their baby brother

Kristin loves him so much!

They approve!

Caleb meets Aunt Joanna (Joanna has been such a HUGE help!!  I don't know how she puts up with my two little monsters!!)

Me, Kristin and Caleb

Hey I remember you!!  You're the one who cut my umbilical cord!!!  

Good-bye Room #16!!  We're going home!!!

We got home and only had a couple hours to settle in before heading out to pick up Jason from the airport.  Jason squeezed into the back seat next, so he could meet his little boy for the first time.  We headed back home to relax and get comfortable.  

Jason holding Caleb for the first time

Jason and Caleb

Jason, Kristin and Caleb

Jason and Caleb

Finally - Jason isn't the only boy in the house!  :)

So that's it for now!!  I have to go and feed my little boy and then get some sleep...hopefully...  ;) I'm sorry for taking so long to get these pictures on here, but come on!!  Give me a break!  I just popped out a baby and I have two animals for daughters at home (and I've had Jason's Mom and sister here to help me)!!  Who knows how slow and unproductive I'll be after they leave!!! Farewell free time!!  ;)

New Year's Resolutions for 2009

My goals/plans for a happy, healthy and productive new year...in no particular order:

1. To pop out baby #3 while Jason is in town and not away at a conference (to graduate his residency program he needs to have published some sort of research and/or given a presentation of his research at a national conference. An opportunity to present his research has come up unexpectedly in Hawaii...a week before my due date!  I'm due February 23rd and he leaves February 15th early in the morning and won't be back until February 20th in the late afternoon. Did I mention that I've had both of our girls early?  Kristin came 12 days early and Katie came 3 days early!  Rrrrr...I really don't need this added stress)!!!  

2. To set aside at least 30 minutes a day for Bible Study and prayer (prayer for our family and friends, our country, our troops and our President etc).

3. To be a good example for our kids and others.

4. To continue to try and eat a healthy diet and exercise on a consistent basis.  

5. To better plan our weeknights and weekends, so we can spend more quality time together as a family (with board game nights, family walks/picnics, bowling nights, camping and traveling etc) and not waste that time by being lazy or unproductive.

6. To be more consistent with getting a babysitter, so Jason and I can go out on regular dates (at least twice a month).

7. To learn a new language as a family (and keep a more consistent schedule - instead of the lame on again, off again routine we've been doing with Chinese).

8. To be more consistent with my cooking activities and field trips with the kids during the week (after our home school lessons).

9. To follow a more strict schedule of keeping up with the house, so it doesn't pile up and make me crazy!

10. To start the girls bedtime routine earlier in the evening, so they get to bed sooner and wake up earlier than they've grown accustomed to!  

11. To worry less about things I have no control over and to trust God to meet all of my needs (as well as my family's).

12. To stop being greedy and learn to be content!

13. To start a savings and to say, "NO!" to credit card debt - even if it offers 0% interest (which is the one I tend to fall for)!  No debt - even if it's free - is fun to deal with!  Start saving for purchases/vacations instead of getting/doing them now and paying for them later - like smart people did in the good ol' days!!  ;)

14. To finally teach myself how to play the flippin' piano like I've been wanting to (without stopping my lessons for chunks at a time like I've been known to do)!  

15. To set aside a day or two each week for old hobbies and new ones too - like quilting, crocheting and my newest additions - sewing and canning!

16. To strive to be on time for everything - like appointments, Kristin's gymnastics classes and meeting with friends (just to name a few)!

17. To keep up with current events.

18. To keep in better touch with family and friends - through phone calls, letters, emails and blog entries.

19. To get the girls and me up earlier on Wednesday mornings, so I can actually make it to the women's bible study at our church!

20. To be a better wife, mother, daughter and friend (I'm sure there's not too much I can improve on there)!  Haha!!  Yeah right!!  ;)

I'm sure I could go on and on, but 20 things already seem like a daunting enough challenge, so I'll stop there!  Ask me next year if I was able to accomplish any of my goals/plans for this new year!!  We'll see if I'm actually capable of making better use of my time...or if I'm just all talk!  :)      

I love San Antonio!

Yeah you heard me!  I said it!  I love San Antonio!!  Well - I shouldn't go so far as to use the L-word...especially since living in San Antonio keeps us so far from family, but now I definitely appreciate all there is to do in San Antonio (more than I did previously).  I know I'm always complaining about how much I loathe and despise San Antonio, but now that we've been staying in Corpus Christi, TX these past 3 weeks - I've come to appreciate all that San Antonio has to offer!!  We've been staying in Corpus Christi with Jason while he does another out-of-town rotation at a children's hospital down here.  We're staying on the naval base in billeting, so it's familiar and safe (all bases have a semi-consistent atmosphere and environment no matter what their size), but man! There isn't a whole lot to do off base (or on base for that matter)!! I keep wondering what the heck lures anyone to live here permanently!!  Jason has been wondering the same thing.  He continues to ask different people at work what they do for fun around here and the response has been pretty much the same..."Oh - either stay at home...or go fishing."  Ugh!  That's it??!!  I'm sure fishing is a lot of fun - we've been wanting to try it out for quite some time now, but....fishing all of the time and nothing but??!!  Yikes!  I'm sure we'd be enjoying some good ol' fashioned laziness at the beach - if it wasn't so cold and windy!  Spring and Summer is probably a much better time of year to enjoy the Texas coast, so I shouldn't give Corpus Christi a thumbs down for all seasons.  I just know - I would NOT want to live here! Ever!!  The area seems a bit run down and business doesn't seem to be booming.  The Target and Walmart here are dirty and uninviting.  There's one mall to choose from and it's far from anything spectacular.  There's a couple of theaters - neither of them are Regal, so we can't even go to any free movies (courtesy of my theater manager Dadroo of course)!  The only thing we have enjoyed doing - since there isn't anything else to do - is going to Barnes and Noble for hours at a time and reading to our hearts content and going to Rudy's (a much-loved BBQ chain in Texas that just happens to be attached to a gas station).  I don't know if the gas is any good, but the food sure is!!!  We have a Rudy's in San Antonio, but we've never gone (mostly because we thought it was weird that it was attached to a gas station).  Neither of us have ever cared too much for BBQ-d food (like brisket or ribs), but now we love it!!  We've gone a few times for dinner in the last couple weeks (Hey - I don't have a real kitchen to cook in!  It's not my fault!). It's so yummy!!  Jason isn't much of a meat-eater (unless it's chicken), but now he's obsessed with lean brisket (okay - so am I)!  Mmmm...I know where we're going for Superbowl Sunday this weekend!!  ;)

I forgot to mention that we have also seen the "pride and joy" of Corpus Christi - the USS Lexington (a WWII aircraft carrier that was just retired in 1991 or so).  That was actually very interesting, but I must say - it might be the only interesting thing here.  Which is probably why it's called the "pride and joy" of Corpus Christi.  Oh well...at least this city is proud of it's American military heritage!!  :)

I shouldn't say we haven't done anything.  We have had a couple of picnics, played a round of mini-golf (although we did have to drive a ways to get to it) and we've enjoyed more family time with one another (since there is less to do and less distractions), so I guess it has been a pretty good experience!

Okay, so instead of rambling any longer - I'll get started on the pictures.  That's what you come here for right?  It can't be for my elaborate writings...although they can be intoxicating.  I know...  ;)  This will be my only post for Corpus Christi - we'll be leaving a week from now and I can't imagine too much more excitement going on here...that is...unless I have the baby early!  ;)

Kristin finishes her newest 150-piece puzzle

The girls being silly at the Navy Exchange

The girls showing off their new jammies

Jason and Kristin at one of the many docks along the coast

Me and the girls

Kristin and Katie feeding/chasing the seagulls after our picnic at a park by the water

They had a lot of fun...a little too much...  ;)

Kristin and Katie playing on the playground

Me pushing both the girls back to back in a bucket swing.  I highly recommend this if you're the only swing-pusher available (or if there aren't enough swings to go around)!  ;)

Finally!  The kid next to us got off!  Now they get their own swings!  Time for Daddy to push them!!

Me and the girls getting ready to play mini-golf

Jason announcing our first ever mini-golf competition  ;)

Katie testing out her golf swing

Kristin was actually pretty good...

Jason very serious about teaching Kristin the correct way to approach the next hole  ;)

I just thought I'd jump in and mention that Jason and I tied for 1st place with a score of 42, Kristin came in 2nd place with a 50 and Katie was disqualified...after she tossed her plastic putter and golf ball into a fountain/lake on the 13th hole.  ;)

The girls enjoying a giant rocking horse ride at Chuck E Cheese

They were most pleased with the virtual roller coaster ride

Katie doesn't look so sure about this one...

Ah yes - it's much better when Kristin comes along for the ride!

Every night after bath-time, Jason or I read a couple of stories from their Bible.  The girls LOVE it!!  They look forward to it every night.  Katie always rambles on and on afterwards for a few minutes pretending to read it for herself before we put her to bed.  She's so cute!!

Every couple of days or so, Jason takes Kristin over to the pull up bars by the commissary on base.  First he helps her try and do her own pull ups...and then he has her hang on to his legs to make his pull ups a little more challenging.  What a nerd!!!  As if pull ups weren't hard enough all on their own!!!!  ;)  I'm always surprised that Jason has a brilliant brain to go along with his seemingly meat-hook mentality and appearance.  ;)  Hahahaha!!

Me and the girls about to board the pride and joy of Corpus Chrisit - the USS Lexington

The girls are ready to climb aboard the aircraft carrier!  Aren't they so cute and cheesy?!

All of us in some sort of Navy Seals delivery pod...or something like that...

Jason in the brig (where can I get one of these for the house?)  ;)

Making our way to the bridge

Me and Kristin overlooking the flight deck (on our way to the bridge)

Jason pretending to be the Captain of the aircraft carrier...

Captain Capra going for a snooty, yet dignified look  ;)

Kristin at the controls of the bridge

Kristin running to the end of the flight deck (this is where they filmed the Doolittle Raid for the movie Pearl Harbor).

Kristin manning one of the ship-to-air guns (or whatever they're called)  :)

The girls seem to enjoy all of this exercise!

I think Jason thoroughly enjoyed racing me up an down all these steep staircases!  I know he's trying to get me to go into labor early!  He can't fool me!!!  ;)

Katie is not happy about being put in the brig

Kristin - on the other hand - appears to be enjoying herself

Low-ranking officers quarters

Jason testing out one of the beds.  They're not very long are they?  Jason isn't the tallest guy in the world, so I can't imagine guys much taller fitting in these (comfortable anyways)!

The girls want to test it out too!

Kristin testing out one of the beds (these were the beds used on the Japanese aircraft carrier in the making of Pearl Harbor)

Just one of the many steep sets of stairs we had to maneuver to get around the aircraft carrier

Jason in the engine room pretending to work (I don't know how anyone can stand working down there!  It's like a dungeon!  I felt so claustrophobic!!)

Jason and the girls at the end of our tour

So that's it for now.  One of these days (hopefully before February 1st) I plan on posting a few of my New Year's resolutions.  Knowing me - that won't happen for another couple months, but I will try (only because I know you are all DYING to know my wants and hopes for the rest of this year)!!  ;)