Friday, December 17, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
It's been a while...
It has been a loooooong time since I have updated the blog. I guess you could say I've had my hands full these days, but I have never been happier in my life! We welcomed our sweet baby boy into the world 7 weeks ago and let me tell you, he is just about the sweetest little thing in the world! He is a great baby and sleeps wonderfully at night (he's not much of a napper, but goes 4-6 hours between feedings at night which is AMAZING). He started rolling over from his belly to back at 5 weeks (yes, I know that is WAY early, but what can I say...he's got great genes!) He smiles literally all the time these days and has the cutest little dimple in his left cheek :) Madeline is a great big sister. She looooves her brother so very much and os fascinated with everything he does. She loves to hold him and baby-talk to him and gets thrilled whenever he flashes her a smile. She sings to him and holds his hand...she's even tried nursing him on occasion...lol! The adjustment to becoming a family four has gone rather smoothly, but I think that is due largely in part to Collin being such a great baby. Here are a couple of video clips of the kiddos taken over the last couple months. Enjoy!
Maddie and Collin meeting for the very first time.
Collin rolling over at 5 weeks.
Maddie singing to Collin.
Maddie's School Christmas Program
Maddie rockin out at the Redlands Christmas Parade.
Maddie and Collin meeting for the very first time.
Collin rolling over at 5 weeks.
Maddie singing to Collin.
Maddie's School Christmas Program
Maddie rockin out at the Redlands Christmas Parade.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Our Baby Boy is Here!!!
Collin Mark Randolph
October 26, 2010 at 4:06 am
8 lbs 2 ounces 19 1/2 inches
Monday, October 18, 2010
Awaiting Collin's Arrival
So I'm sitting here updating the blog this morning...Monday, October 18, 2010...4 days away from my "estimated due date." After my appointment last week, we were all certain that our little guy would have made his arrival by now. Madeline was born two weeks early and I've been walking around 3cm dilated and 50% effaced for what seems like an eternity. Today is the last day of Chris' six-day, which means he goes back to work tomorrow morning. We've enjoyed having him home for the last six days (with no OT...surprising) and have gotten a lot done around the house in anticipation of the arrival of our little boy. We've also enjoyed some great quality time together as a family of three. It is strange for me to think that sometime in the next couple of weeks we will be adding a member to our family. There certainly is enough love in the house to go around and we can't wait for Collin to come home. Here are some random pictures taken over the last six days...they are just too cute not to share!
Camping at San Onofre
We had a blast camping with the Medinas at San Onofre. We had the BEST spot on the beach and the kids loved being so close to the water. The weather certainly could have been a little better, but we all had fun nonetheless. The girls loved playing in the sand, throwing rocks into the water, and searching for treasures in the tidepools. They also had lots of fun riding their bikes up to the playground. When the weather got a little too icky for outdoor activities, we moved indoors and baked cookies, read books, and watched the kids dance. This was our last trip this year and as a family of three...we look forward to heading back out again as a family of FOUR in the near future!
Baby Shower
On October 2nd, my dear friends Hillary and Kari threw me a lovely baby shower brunch.
It was great to spend a relaxing morning with a few close friends and family in anticipation of Collin's arrival.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Adventures in Camping
We've had our fifth wheel for about a month now and we've already been camping three times! Thank God I have a husband whose willing to load up the trailer and head out for even a one night trip whenever we have the time! We absolutely LOVE camping and I think buying this fifth wheel is one of the best things we've ever done. Madeline has been having a blast. She loves spending our days at the beach and then heading back to camp to ride her scooter, roast marshmallows, play...it's been great having such quality family time! We've been fortunate enough to have our friends and family join us as well. We've made two trips to San Clemente and just got back from a trip to San Onofre. We have one more trip to San Onofre planned in early October and then the trailer will likely be stored for a couple months until we are ready to make our first trip as a family of four! We're looking forward to all of the adventures in camping we'll have as a family in the years to come! =]
Maddie's First Day of Preschool
We wanted to get some pictures of Madeline in front of the house before we left...you know, the traditional "first day of school pics" with her new shoes and backpack. This was our best shot. She HATES having her picture taken these days and when you ask her to look at the camera and smile she just makes these silly faces and dances all around. Crazy girl!
Here we are walking up the front steps at school. Maddie was so excited! Mommy was a little emotional...
Standing in front of her classroom. She actually looked at the camera and smiled here!
Mommy and daddy signed her and gave her hugs and kisses. She immediately plopped down on the classroom rug and started playing with her classmates. She had a great first day. Miss Patty said she was a great helper. She has been going to school for almost a month now (she started August 16) and we have yet to have one bad day. She absolutely LOVES going and brings home some of the cutest little art projects. Her best buddy at school, Kaylee, is the daughter of mommy's elementary school best friend. How crazy is that! We love hearing stories about what the days activities entail and listening to her sing new songs. When she started school, she could count to 10 in English and Spanish, knew all of her ABCs, colors and shpaes, and could recite the months of the year. She can now count to 20 (in English) and also knows all the days of the week. She is starting to recognize numbers and letters...she saw a #2 on one of the fire trucks at the station yesterday and was so proud that she was able to identify it. She is the youngest girl in her class, but is the biggest helper. She consoles the kids who are sad. She hasn't had one accident and has yet to cry when we drop her off (or at all, as far as we know). We are so proud of our big girl and are so happy we made the decision to start her in school this year.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Collin Mark Randolph - 28 Weeks
It's about time our little guy makes his big blog debut! Here are some ultrasound pics of Collin which were taken on August 5, 2010 at 28 weeks gestation. At 28 weeks, Collin weighs approximately 3 lbs, has a full head of hair, and can't seem to keep his hands off of his boy parts! He is extremely active and keeps mommy up at night with his constant rolls and kicks. His favorite activities are kicking toys off of mommy's belly, giving mommy horrendous heartburn, and wiggling like crazy whenever his big sister talks, sings, or dances for him. He loves spicy food, especially things drenched in Taco Bell hot sauce. He loves the sunshine and seems to get even more active when mommy has her belly exposed to the sun. We are anxious to meet him and are counting down the days until October. Madeline reminds us every day that he'll be born in "just a couple more months!" Monday, July 26, 2010
Maine 2010
This year, the Firefighter Summer Olympics were held in San Jose. Being almost 7 months pregnant with Collin and having a rambunctious 2-year-old Madeline, mommy decided that rather than accompanying daddy to the softball fields and staying in a hotel for a week, we would fly to Maine and spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa in their summer home. We left on Saturday, July 17th with Grandma and Grandpa. Daddy took us to the airport and it was hard to say goodbye. He and Madeline have never been apart for more than a couple days and although he and I have spent weeks apart due to strike teams, etc. I was emotional about being apart for 12 days. Our flight was delayed over an hour, but Madeline was a pretty good girl at the airport (if you can call Long Beach an “airport”). She slept the entire flight and only cried a couple of times when we hit turbulence. She also slept most of the 3 hour drive from Boston to Boothbay. We kept busy our first day in Maine…cleaning the house, grocery shopping, buying Maddie some toys for our stay, etc. Mads slept 13 hours that night…mommy slept at least 12.
The next day, after a stop at the Trivett store for a much needed lobster roll, we visited the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, which were absolutely breathtaking. The brand new children’s garden had just opened the previous week and Madeline had a blast exploring the exhibits. Here are some pictures from the children’s garden and also throughout the remainder of the gardens. We only visited a portion of the main gardens because Mads fell asleep on Grandma’s shoulder (all of her exploring in the children’s garden tuckered her out)!
We spent a lot of our time in Maine just relaxing at Grandma and Grandpa’s beautiful home. Madeline loved swinging on the porch swing, exploring Grandma’s garden (she overcame her fear of bugs on this trip), and having campfires in the backyard. She absolutely loved the neighbors’ dog “Diva” (who she will describe as “a big old fluffy white dog”). We saw fireflies the first couple of nights we were there, but had no luck catching any. That will be a job for daddy next year. Mommy was not super eager to go traipsing through the bushes in the dark to catch bugs. Madeline squealed with excitement the first time she saw one light up in front of her.
(I should caption these photos with an explanation…Madeline was holding Grandpa’s beer (a Blue Paw of course) while he took his turn at horseshoes. Mommy and Grandma thought she looked so cute standing there with her baby, stroller, and this beer that we just had to get a picture for Daddy. While Mommy snuck around to take a picture, Madeline snuck a little drink of Grandpa’s beer…which she thoroughly enjoyed. What can I say, the girl has good taste...hahaha!)
We were lucky enough to have a visit from my dad’s cousin AJ and his family who live in Boston. They spent the whole weekend with us and Madeline was so excited to have the boys to play with. She was just crazy about Cameron and Connor…and they were so good with her. They played catch, the matching game, chase…pretty much anything she wanted them to do the entire time they were around. We had a big lobster cookout the night they arrived and Madeline was fascinated with the lobsters. She got to hold one for the very first time and even gave him a kiss! She was not too crazy about the fact that we all sat down to eat her friends after their trip to the “jacuzzi” and refused to eat any lobster herself, but she did try some other new foods while in Maine (lamb, calamari, white American cheese, and even had her very first s’more – yum!). While AJ, Sharon and the boys were in town, we stumbled upon this amazing little park just a few miles from my parents’ home in Boothbay. I believe it was called Barretts Park. The boys were able to swim and all of us got a little sun while enjoying the beautiful scenery. Maddie and Mommy (and baby Collin) were even able to take a dip in the chilly Atlantic. Madeline kept asking where the sand was at this beach…she truly is a California girl =]
Our last couple of days in Maine were spent seeing some new sights and visiting some of our old favorite hangouts. We took Madeline for a ride on the train at the Boothbay Railway Village. The village also contains a museum of old buildings, automobiles and even a fire station, which Madeline loved. After our ride on the train, we headed out to Ocean Point to comb the coast for sea glass and shells (one of Madeline’s most favorite activities). Ocean Point is absolutely beautiful and I would have to say it is one of my favorite places in all of Maine. We also dined at some of our favorite eateries, including McSeagulls and Robinsons Wharf. Mommy even got to try the infamous “Waffle Dog” which left me slightly underwhelmed.
It is always hard to leave Maine. It feels like home. It always makes me very sad to think that the house…our room…our bed…sits empty most days of the year. The time that we have there is so wonderful and we look forward to many more trips with our family in the years to come. It is a place where I want my kids to look forward to visiting every year just as much as I do…and I know they will. It was a little easier to leave this year because we missed Daddy so very much and we were anxious to see him. We had a 7:15 pm flight out of Portland to catch and Grandma and Grandpa drove us to the airport to see us off. Maddie and Mommy shared a lobster quesadilla at the Shipyard Brewpub in the airport before heading over to the gate to wait for our plane (so I guess I did manage to sneak the child some lobster…hahaha). This is when things began to go horribly wrong. The plane that was to take us from Portland to DC arrived about 20 minutes late. In that 20 minute time period, a thunderstorm hit the airport and the airfield was completely shut down. We had boarded the plane but sat helplessly on the runway for at least 40 minutes while torrential rain pounded the plane, lightning flashed all around us, and wind rocked the plane back and forth (keep in mind this was a SMALL plane so it was pretty horrifying). Once the rain stopped, our plane took off and our pilot seemed hopeful that we would make up some lost time in the air. Mads and I only had a one hour layover in DC before catching our plane to LAX, so I was pretty nervous that we would miss our flight. Chris and my parents were working on contacting the airline to see if the plane would be held for us should we arrive late. We were set to arrive in DC at 9:50 which would have given us 20 minutes to get to the next plane before takeoff. We’re not sure exactly what happened but our arrival was a tad bit delayed and we touched ground at Washington-Dulles at 10:05. I sprinted from one end of the terminal to the next with Madeline, a backpack, and fetus in tow only to watch our plane taxi away from the gate as we arrived. I’ve never felt so hopeless in my entire life! Mads and I were stuck in Washington DC for the night…with no luggage…no car seat…no daddy. Customer service was horrendous…you’d think that a pregnant mother traveling with a two-year-old might get a little help, but that most certainly was not the case. They had booked Mads and I on the 6:00 am flight to LAX and suggested that we sleep in the airport that night…SERIOUSLY?!?!? I demanded a hotel room and all they could provide us was a $99 room at a hotel 20 minutes away. We were also told that we would have to call for the shuttle, which would be 20-30 minutes out. At this point, it was almost midnight…Mads and I were both exhausted. The only nice person I could find in the entire airport was a cab valet who helped us find a hotel just 5 miles from the airport and a car seat to transport Mads. We were able to get the last two seats on an 8:00 am flight the next morning, so Maddie got about 6 hours of sleep in our overpriced hotel room, while I lie awake stressing. My big girl was such a trooper through all of this and really was a ray of sunshine throughout this horrible nightmare. She was awake our entire 5 hour flight home the next morning, but really was an amazing traveler and behaved remarkably considering she was confined to a single seat with a seatbelt the entire time. We made 5 trips to the bathroom (which was interesting to say the least), played the matching game a few times, colored, listened to music, sang, read books, drank ginger ale…everyone around us thought she was a doll, so I really can’t complain. We were both so excited when our plane touched ground and we met daddy at baggage claim with both of our bags (which I was sure the airline would have lost).
I’m pretty sure this was my last time traveling across the country with the kids by myself…at least for the next 10 years! I certainly will never fly United Airlines again and will never book the last flight of the day. I learned a lot during this trip, but most importantly I was reminded not to sweat the small stuff. After making it through an ordeal like this (with a happy two-year-old and healthy fetus to boot) I feel like super mom!
The next day, after a stop at the Trivett store for a much needed lobster roll, we visited the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, which were absolutely breathtaking. The brand new children’s garden had just opened the previous week and Madeline had a blast exploring the exhibits. Here are some pictures from the children’s garden and also throughout the remainder of the gardens. We only visited a portion of the main gardens because Mads fell asleep on Grandma’s shoulder (all of her exploring in the children’s garden tuckered her out)!
We spent a lot of our time in Maine just relaxing at Grandma and Grandpa’s beautiful home. Madeline loved swinging on the porch swing, exploring Grandma’s garden (she overcame her fear of bugs on this trip), and having campfires in the backyard. She absolutely loved the neighbors’ dog “Diva” (who she will describe as “a big old fluffy white dog”). We saw fireflies the first couple of nights we were there, but had no luck catching any. That will be a job for daddy next year. Mommy was not super eager to go traipsing through the bushes in the dark to catch bugs. Madeline squealed with excitement the first time she saw one light up in front of her.
(I should caption these photos with an explanation…Madeline was holding Grandpa’s beer (a Blue Paw of course) while he took his turn at horseshoes. Mommy and Grandma thought she looked so cute standing there with her baby, stroller, and this beer that we just had to get a picture for Daddy. While Mommy snuck around to take a picture, Madeline snuck a little drink of Grandpa’s beer…which she thoroughly enjoyed. What can I say, the girl has good taste...hahaha!)
We were lucky enough to have a visit from my dad’s cousin AJ and his family who live in Boston. They spent the whole weekend with us and Madeline was so excited to have the boys to play with. She was just crazy about Cameron and Connor…and they were so good with her. They played catch, the matching game, chase…pretty much anything she wanted them to do the entire time they were around. We had a big lobster cookout the night they arrived and Madeline was fascinated with the lobsters. She got to hold one for the very first time and even gave him a kiss! She was not too crazy about the fact that we all sat down to eat her friends after their trip to the “jacuzzi” and refused to eat any lobster herself, but she did try some other new foods while in Maine (lamb, calamari, white American cheese, and even had her very first s’more – yum!). While AJ, Sharon and the boys were in town, we stumbled upon this amazing little park just a few miles from my parents’ home in Boothbay. I believe it was called Barretts Park. The boys were able to swim and all of us got a little sun while enjoying the beautiful scenery. Maddie and Mommy (and baby Collin) were even able to take a dip in the chilly Atlantic. Madeline kept asking where the sand was at this beach…she truly is a California girl =]
Our last couple of days in Maine were spent seeing some new sights and visiting some of our old favorite hangouts. We took Madeline for a ride on the train at the Boothbay Railway Village. The village also contains a museum of old buildings, automobiles and even a fire station, which Madeline loved. After our ride on the train, we headed out to Ocean Point to comb the coast for sea glass and shells (one of Madeline’s most favorite activities). Ocean Point is absolutely beautiful and I would have to say it is one of my favorite places in all of Maine. We also dined at some of our favorite eateries, including McSeagulls and Robinsons Wharf. Mommy even got to try the infamous “Waffle Dog” which left me slightly underwhelmed.
It is always hard to leave Maine. It feels like home. It always makes me very sad to think that the house…our room…our bed…sits empty most days of the year. The time that we have there is so wonderful and we look forward to many more trips with our family in the years to come. It is a place where I want my kids to look forward to visiting every year just as much as I do…and I know they will. It was a little easier to leave this year because we missed Daddy so very much and we were anxious to see him. We had a 7:15 pm flight out of Portland to catch and Grandma and Grandpa drove us to the airport to see us off. Maddie and Mommy shared a lobster quesadilla at the Shipyard Brewpub in the airport before heading over to the gate to wait for our plane (so I guess I did manage to sneak the child some lobster…hahaha). This is when things began to go horribly wrong. The plane that was to take us from Portland to DC arrived about 20 minutes late. In that 20 minute time period, a thunderstorm hit the airport and the airfield was completely shut down. We had boarded the plane but sat helplessly on the runway for at least 40 minutes while torrential rain pounded the plane, lightning flashed all around us, and wind rocked the plane back and forth (keep in mind this was a SMALL plane so it was pretty horrifying). Once the rain stopped, our plane took off and our pilot seemed hopeful that we would make up some lost time in the air. Mads and I only had a one hour layover in DC before catching our plane to LAX, so I was pretty nervous that we would miss our flight. Chris and my parents were working on contacting the airline to see if the plane would be held for us should we arrive late. We were set to arrive in DC at 9:50 which would have given us 20 minutes to get to the next plane before takeoff. We’re not sure exactly what happened but our arrival was a tad bit delayed and we touched ground at Washington-Dulles at 10:05. I sprinted from one end of the terminal to the next with Madeline, a backpack, and fetus in tow only to watch our plane taxi away from the gate as we arrived. I’ve never felt so hopeless in my entire life! Mads and I were stuck in Washington DC for the night…with no luggage…no car seat…no daddy. Customer service was horrendous…you’d think that a pregnant mother traveling with a two-year-old might get a little help, but that most certainly was not the case. They had booked Mads and I on the 6:00 am flight to LAX and suggested that we sleep in the airport that night…SERIOUSLY?!?!? I demanded a hotel room and all they could provide us was a $99 room at a hotel 20 minutes away. We were also told that we would have to call for the shuttle, which would be 20-30 minutes out. At this point, it was almost midnight…Mads and I were both exhausted. The only nice person I could find in the entire airport was a cab valet who helped us find a hotel just 5 miles from the airport and a car seat to transport Mads. We were able to get the last two seats on an 8:00 am flight the next morning, so Maddie got about 6 hours of sleep in our overpriced hotel room, while I lie awake stressing. My big girl was such a trooper through all of this and really was a ray of sunshine throughout this horrible nightmare. She was awake our entire 5 hour flight home the next morning, but really was an amazing traveler and behaved remarkably considering she was confined to a single seat with a seatbelt the entire time. We made 5 trips to the bathroom (which was interesting to say the least), played the matching game a few times, colored, listened to music, sang, read books, drank ginger ale…everyone around us thought she was a doll, so I really can’t complain. We were both so excited when our plane touched ground and we met daddy at baggage claim with both of our bags (which I was sure the airline would have lost).
I’m pretty sure this was my last time traveling across the country with the kids by myself…at least for the next 10 years! I certainly will never fly United Airlines again and will never book the last flight of the day. I learned a lot during this trip, but most importantly I was reminded not to sweat the small stuff. After making it through an ordeal like this (with a happy two-year-old and healthy fetus to boot) I feel like super mom!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
