5 going on 15

Taking care of an infant 24/7 has really made me realize just how big Kaya is getting. She is testing us some since we brought home Jimi, but we are all getting through it. Mostly, she is in love with her little brother, and says he is her favorite person in the world. But then she acts out for attention and gets punished and states that we love him more.

She is into "hot" boys (her words) and talks of boys and boyfriends with as much gusto as she used to talk about Dora the Explorer. Yesterday she informed me this boy Grant that invited her to a birthday party next weekend, kissed her on her lips a few weeks ago. But he isn't important because Cody is who she likes and lets not leave out Paolo, who has stated he wants to marry her. When did all of this happen? She is only almost 6!!

She came to us last week preaching to us that we are killing the planet because we don't recycle.

"You and Daddy are polluting the environment and that will delete the ozone and kill us and the trees. And why are we the only ones that don't recycle?"

She asked Joey yesterday if she could have a car for her birthday when she is a teenager.

Kaya is indeed growing up. For those of you that did not know me as a child...she is the spitting image of me, except for the blond hair. And come to think of it, I had my first kiss in kindergarten.

Thoughts on my son's birth

When I had Kaya, the epidural was so strong that I couldn't feel anything from the waist down, not even the pressure to push. That was the best possible of scenarios in my opinion. A lot of critics would say, that is unnatural, and that the only way to experience birth is with out any pain assistance. I'm not that kind of woman! I had thoughts this time that maybe I would attempt a natural birth, but after my water broke spontaneously again, and pitocin was given around 10:00, I waited all of 3 hours before getting my epidural this time...please note, this is a record for me, because with Kaya I waited all of 30 minutes until I requested an epidural.

Well, epidurals must have changed in the last 6 years since I had a kid, because I was ready to experience the same total lack of feeling as I had with Kaya. No such luck. Initially it did take away the pain, but as my contractions grew stronger, so did the discomfort. I kept mentioning this fact to my kind nurses, and they did increase it to the highest level it could go. Near the end it was pain, and I was thankful when the pain turned to pressure to push, but I think I stated about 10 times that day, and I still stand by it, had I felt that pain with Kaya, I may not have had Jimi. I guess I am just a wimp, I didn't even have to push for long, maybe 10-15 minutes, but every time I tell my story, I think I add 10 minutes.

Hale and Hearty

We brought Jimi home on March 30th. He was 6 lbs, 1 oz when we brought him home, only 2 oz shy of his birth weight. We are so thankful to have him home. He is beautiful and has a million facial expressions. We can't quite pin point who he looks like yet, although I still think he has Joey's nose and lips, but we also see a resemblence to Kaya when she was an infant.

At the pediatrician today, he weighed in at 6 lbs 10 oz, so he is hale and hearty and absolutely wonderful.