Happy Halloween? NOT!

Halloween is not celebrated in this country, so our celebration was the Costume Parade the preschool was having. I sure planned to have the girls to wear their costume at night to take some pictures, mostly because Mimi was not part of their activity, and I also got a costume for Sassy!!

As you guys know I dont like to post negative details on my blog, but the girls didnt had a Halloween at school today. Having a 5 year old all dressed up in front of the school, and then having to take her back to the car because of something that words cant explain to a 5 year old is simply UNFAIR!! Im heartbroken and so is hubby... Gaby still cant understand, and Mia cried non-stop for almost 20 minutes.

Just a few minutes ago, she was talking to her paternal grandfather over the phone, and he asked her about school, and her answer was:

- I dont have a school anymore because Im a bad girl and the teachers dont love me.

Simply heartbreaking!

Advertise 3 Little Flowers!!

Did you saw it??? I posted it on my right sidebar a link so you guys can snatch my blinkie and post it on your blog, forum, or any place you guys want to put it...

For those of you with blogger, just need to go to Layout, Add Gadget, and then Add HTML/JavaScript and paste the code that is right under the blinkie...

If you guys get to do it: THANKS... If not, shame on you! (just kidding)...

My new baby....

...... all the way from Australia!!! I love it and words cant describe how happy I am!!

We already got an extra set of rechargeable batteries because we only had two, and it needs four, and we need to buy more memory cards (so far we will be fine with the 256mb, because after what happened to me I will be downloading the pictures the SAME day!!!!).

I prefer Vanilla....

The "Who knows me best?" quiz with questions about me was up for 20 days... Enough, right? LOL

First, I have to say that there was a mistake in one question which meant that everybody (except for one person) got it wrong... I meant to ask in what year I moved to this country not to this city.. So, the correct answer wasnt even listed... My apologies for that!

Anyway, all of you (except for one person) answered wrong my favorite flavor, which is why this post is named like that... I do love pink (you guys knew that), but I detest strawberry toppings... I LOVE vanilla in everything... Only Cara got that answer correct, and I bet she guessed (edited to say she didnt guessed!! She remembered from the time she came to my house for Mia's birthday party)!!!!!

The only two questions that all of you got correct was the meaning of our last name and my favorite boy's name! Another close one was my best selling product and only one person got it wrong, and the question about my non-existent middle name that only two people got it wrong...

One question that most of you got incorrect was the years that hubby and I will be celebrating soon, but you guys will get to read a post about that pretty soon!

The other four questions where about my daughters, and most of you got wrong different questions... I bet you guys read your answers and read which one was the correct one.

So, who knows me best? I was hoping for some 80's at least, but the best score was 70 which three people got:
- Erica
- Susan
- Laura

The prize?
* Erica will be getting a credit of $20 that she can use from a list of things that she is ordering from me for her new business!
* Susan will be getting something for her blog... Can be a blinkie OR buttons OR a header, her call...
* Laura... Well, what can a graphic designer give to another graphic designer from a graphic design business?? We will have to talk about your price :)

A very special day

Today's date is a date that makes my heart race when I think of it... Great things happened and other great thing was suppose to happen... Every time I think on the day of one of my daughter's birthday my heart races, or even when I think about Christmas morning (which Im a big fan of)... So, when I think of October 27 my heart feels something that is not easy to describe.

The first thing about this day is that after 5 years apart, hubby and I first saw each other on a October 27. It was a magical day, and even though we didnt know what to say or how to say it, we both knew what the other one was feeling.

Another important thing about that day is that it was Gabriela's due date and Gabriela's medical birthday. She was suppose to be born that day, which was awesome as her birthday would have been 10/27, while mine is 01/27. Also, as she was born preterm, the doctors used October 27 as her medical birth for milestones. She never really needed the medical date, but who am I to tell that to the doctor, right? I remember that we took pictures of her on October 27 and made it a special day.

Last year, we got the keys October 5th at night, and the lease was running starting October 6th, but we still needed to bring our stuff from the other place, plus the house needed some things fixed. It was on October 27 that we first sleep in our new house. It may rented, but it really feels like home.

I look forward for other great things that will happen to us on October 27, and it will always be marked in our calendars as a very special day.

Blooming Buds: Family Project

Another item on the "Blooming Buds" to-do list is to have more family projects. Each week we will have a planned activity that cant be homework or an improvised activity. It will be an activity that will be planned ahead, and there will be materials and supplies to gather during a few days for these activities. Daddy will be in charge of gathering the materials and setting up the project, and it will be a project for all of us to do together.

Mimi may not always participate, as we cant penalize Gaby and Mia because of Mimi's naps, but we will try to incorporate her as much as we can. Then, in a few months, she can be incorporated in a dialy basis.

Hubby downloaded an awesome booklet for home activities, and we will be taking ideas from there (well, he will as he is the one in charge).

Even though regular homeworks wont count as family projects, big projects for school can count. The girls didnt had classes Thursday and Friday because of a Faculty Meeting, but they sent home a big project for the girls to do in family...

Gaby needed to make a Fish Tankfrom the story: Six Swimming Fishes. There was a booklet with the story, and she needed to complete the empty spaces with the correct word. Each fish was doing something and she needed to write the color that rhymed with the sentence. Then, she needed to cut (from another sheet) all the fishes, color them with the right color according to the story, and then put them in a homemade Fish Tank... So, the fun project was the make the Fisk Tank and here it is (the picture doesnt have a good angle but you get the point):

Mia's project was to make a "mobile" from a story that had animals from several colors... The school's camera died when hubby was ready to take the picture, so I will update the post later on with pictures of it.

Blooming Buds - School Snacks

Everyday the girls have (or should have):
* Breaskfast: We are working on this.
* Midmorning snack (for Mia and Mimi is around 9:30am, and for Gaby is around 10:30am)
* Lunch (which is always the main food of the day)
* Midafternoon snack
* Dinner

I will try to make a post about the strategies that we are going to come up for each food, and today Im going to talk about the Midmorning Snack in School.

One of the things that is driving us crazy is "packing snacks" for three girls everyday. We find specially insane the amount of money that we are spending on this, because the girls find the snacks, eat them at home, and then after a few days they have NO snack left, when they are suppose to last a couple of weeks.

I have been "cooking" an strategy to solve this situation, and here is how my solution looks like in the top shelve of my kitchen closet:
The night before, the only thing I will have to do is to take the bag that is signed with that day's date and the name of each girl and stuck them in the lunchbox as is. Preparing snacks has been a huge time consumer for us, and doing this will help us to save lots of time. I will still need to put in the fruit from the fridge, but it will still faster as it is only one thing for each. I will be spending an extra 4 to 5 bucks a month on ziplock bags, but I think is totally worth it as I know we will be saving a lot of money as the snacks will last longer.

I know you cant really tell by the picture, but each girl has 10 bags with her name and the date for 10 weeks, which means 2 weeks of school. Hopefully, if my idea works, I will be packing another 2 weeks of snacks by the weekend of the 8th and 9th of November.

Everyday I send three different snacks plus something liquid. Here is what a regular snack has:
* Something salty: Pack of crackers, a bag of pop corn, crackers with cheese, breadsticks with cheese dip......
* Something sweet: Strawberry cookies for Gaby, Chocolate cookies for Mia, and Vanilla cookies for Mimi... Also, it could be a small box of cereal, pudding, or a plain cupcake as a special treat for one day.
* A fruit: We normally alternate with apples and bananas, and sometimes is a fruity yogurt).
* Juice: We try to send them a variety of juices, and they mostly get Orange, Grape, Apple, Peach, or Strawberry with Carrots (Gaby's favorite).
* Water: We have been lacking with the water, as both water bottles got lost... We need to buy new ones as I like them to have water ALWAYS.

We were making the juice at home and serving it to each in a juice bottle, but everyday for dinner they will drink the remaining juice from the container, and I really dont want them to have juice two times a day. For a few weeks, we will be getting the juice boxes, until they forget about asking for juice in the house.

Mimi also takes milk to school and a sippy cup (thanks God for powder milk), and I fill out the powder containers everyday. Mia gets a milk box (pictured) that she get before her afternoon nap in school before we picked her up...

I will also continue to look for more ideas for fast and healthy snacks for them, and why not, for us too!

Introducing Blooming Buds

Notice something different on my blog?? Yes, you are right (actually hoping that you noticed)… I have a new name!! I WONT be changing my blog address, because Im still “Mom to 3 Little Flowers”, but there is a new “life strategy” in our house, and I want to reflect it on my blog.

Life with three little ones in preschool, and a mommy and a daddy with two full time jobs (I have the school plus my graphic design at home, and hubby has the school plus he is the director of the school's Afterschool Program), it sure is a busy one. The good thing is that we are young, in love, and willing to make it work.

In light of my health problems, we know there are several things that need to be done to reduce to stress level of the house, and still be able to do everything that needs to be done. Hubby and I were making a list of those things and we will work on, little by little, until we get on track.

We understand that we need to "bloom" into a healthier family with less stress, which will make us a happier family. I will make posts of the things we will accomplish, little by little, and our goal is to "Bloom the buds into happy Flowers".

If you notice the new logo, it has “buds” instead of flowers, but it still has the same colors: Pink for Mimi, Red for Mia and Purple for Gaby.

Have in mind, that I WONT be changing my business name… This is ONLY for my family blog.

Lab tests....

I did a WHOLE bunch of tests... My uncle only sent me for the thyroids test (T3, T4 & TSH), but I had a referral from the fist ER visit when my blood pressure went up.... So, it was better to be sure and I did them all... It had Red and white blood cell count, Glucose, Urea (BUN), Creatinine, Uric Acid, Triglycerides, Colesterol... you name it.... (too lazy to link them all... )

I havent taken the test results to my uncle, so I dont have a medical analysis just yet, but the results does have the parameter and everything looks in place. The thyroids are close to be low, but are still in normal range.. He will tell me what that means.

The only thing that are outside of parameter is the cholesterol. The LDL is the bad cholesterol, and I have it in normal range, but the DHL which is the good cholesterol, I have it low. Looks like I dont eat enough food good cholesterol.

I have been reading online and it says that the low DHL levels are related to heart disease, so who knows if my problem is there. It also says that things that help to higher the DHL levels are quitting smoking (and I dont smoke), drink alcohol (this is very funny as I dont drink any alcohol) and exercising (which I havent been doing). So, out of those three things, the only thing that can be really affecting me is my lack of exercising.

I bet my fingers are in VERY good condition of so much typing, and my hands are in very good shape with all the designing done with the mouse, but I need to get everything else in my body to exercise (my poor elliptical machine is collecting dust bunnies downstairs).

Anyway, I will wait to hear from my uncle and I will take it from there... He may send me to an endocrinologist. Promise to keep you guys updated!

A natural swimmer

... at least that is how hubby described her.

All my daughters love the water... It is part of their nature, on their genes. Hubby's life turned around pools since he younger than Gaby until we moved to this country. My sister in law is still working in pools, and it is just what they love to do... My daughters all have that, but the love for water that Mimi feels goes beyond of any love Mia and Gaby can ever imagine to have for the water.

If you remember the post when I mentioned 7 facts about her, I mentioned that she is the only one of my daughters that doesnt get bothered when the water goes in her face... She also blows and hold her breath correctly, and nobody taught her that. She just does it naturally.

Today I had the camera again, because I needed to download some pictures, and decided to take a few pictures to "prove" her LOVE for the water... Here is one:

Mommy's Sick Heart - Part II

The veredict is in! I went to the to my uncle's office today and showed him the results of the ABPM. At first, he took a look at it and said that it was fine.. Actually the average of blood pressure was pretty close to a normal blood pressure, and that's why he said that... Then, he checked in more details (and I also told him to check on that part) he noticed that my beats per minute were high... The normal beats per minute for an adult is between 70-90, and out of the 50 succesful readings that the machine did, only 4 were bellow 90 and that was while I was sleeping. Then, all the others were between 90 and 123. The average of beats is 101.

So, it looks that the ocassional elevation of blood pressure is because of the high heartbeat frequency.

He also sent me for a thyroid's test, because thyroid's problems is one of the causes of heartbeat frequency...

He prescribed me a beta blocker called Nebilet. Here is an explanation of how it works:

Nebilet tablets contain the active ingredient nebivolol hydrochloride, which is a type of medicine called a beta-blocker.Beta-blockers work by blocking beta receptors that are found in various parts of the body. Blocking beta receptors prevents the action of two chemicals, called noradrenaline and adrenaline, which are produced naturally by the body. These are often referred to as the 'fight or flight' chemicals, because they are responsible for the body's reaction to stressful situations. Beta receptors are found in the heart. When they are blocked by nebivolol, this reduces the effect of adrenaline and noradrenaline on the heart. As a result, the heart beats more slowly and with less force. This reduces the pressure at which the blood is pumped out of the heart and around the body, which in turn reduces the blood pressure. Nebivolol also widens the blood vessels, which lowers the resistance in the blood vessels and also helps to lower the blood pressure. Due to these actions, nebivolol is used mainly to treat high blood pressure.

I will be checking my thyroids tomorrow, and let's wait to see how that goes... I also pray to have enough head to remember to take the med every morning at the same time everyday...

Gaby's New Look

I managed to get a picture of Gaby before I return the camera today... I just wanted to show you guys how she looks... Everybody at school was very nice with her haircut when we dropped her off and she was very happy!!!

The eye doctor asked me to get her a picture of Gaby where you can see the crossed right eye, and in this picture you can really tell...

Somebody loves my blog!

My second award!!!!!!!!! Im soo honored!!! This time my dear friend Nicole awarded me with an "I Love Your Blog" award! (Nicole: I love your blog too!!!... Thanks!)

Here are the rules:
1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the persons you've nominated.

Now, you guys now I love all your blogs, but I just can choose seven... Last time, when I got the Kick Ass Blogger award, I nominated: Heather, Nicole (the one that just gave me this award), Sadie, Cindy, and Kate. This means that they all know that I love their blogs, and I dont have to nominate them again....

This time, Im awarding some other seven blogs that I also love:
* Jamie at The Love Family
* Flower at the Life of a Drama Queen Working mom to Gianna and John
* Erica at Life of a First Time Mommy
* Susan at Life with my 3 Ro's
* Laura at The Daily Giggle
* Tara at A husband, 3 daughters... Oh yeah... Then me
* Kelly at A Canuck in Cancun

Hope you guys enjoy your awards, post them on your blog AND give it away too!!! In other words, I hope you guys play along!

A visit to the hair salon...

Until a few days ago Mia was having hair in her eyes, so I decided to cut her bangs... I have never done it before, and I did a very good job... BUT, she needed a hair stylist touch.

Also, Gaby has been asking for a few months now to get a haircut like Mia, and I always said no, specially since I know how much she will love to have the hair longer (as she asks for braids a lot, but I struggle to get them done with her hair so short). Anyway, since we started talking about eye patches and eyeglasses, I started thinking that it may be a good idea to cut her hair in a way that doesnt go to her face.... There is a lot of times when she is doing her homework that I see her hair in the middle and she struggles, and even though I know there are a lot of other ways to solve this situation (like forcing her to have her clippies or bows on all the time), I talked to hubby to see if he agree with it. At first he said no, but then I explained him what I was thinking about the eyeglasses and he also thought it was a good idea...

So, to the hair salon we went! Here is Gaby before the haircut:

Here is the best shot I could get of Mia (she was reading a Barney book that was way more interesting than looking at mommy for a picture):

And here they are AFTER the haircut at my mom's house:

We are still very unsure about Gaby's hair. She really looked better with her longer hair, but we both know we dit it for the best. She looks way younger now, and just like other child, and now looks more like Mia too..

Pirate Day...

.... and with PICTURES!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, Im finally posting a post with pictures as I took the school's camera (shhhh!) and took some pictures... I also gave the camera to Gaby's teacher and she took some pictures too....

As I mentioned (I think I did), today was Kinder's Pirate Day!! The main reason was to help Gaby's eyepatch adaptation for her AND her classmates... The preschool's principal wants the other kids to see it as something normal and even something fun. Also, they did it at this precise moment taking advance that they are working with letter "Pp".

As I got a pirate costume for her to wear for the costume parade at the end of the month (which is still on the mail), I was not going to spend money buying another pirate costume, so I decided to make my own.

She wore a black shirt and leggins, and her black sneakers from school. She also wore her purple bandana from her Pony Birthday. I got for 99 cents a pack of 8 pirate eyepatches (not that I needed 8, but that was cheaper than the one that was by itself).

She got dressed as a Sassy Pirate, so I made a tutu for her, and a white vest with a purple cord... I mastered a no-sew costume in minutes (Ok, I confess, it took me like an hour). I also put some tulle on a scrunchie for her hair, and got her a $50 cents purple and black necklaces.

Here she is before she left the house (You guys cant harldy notice but she has a necklace around her foot too:
Here she is when she got to school (after I fixed her bandana a bit:
One of her classmater's mom went for their cooking club today, and she teach them how to make a dish from her home country.
Gaby got to help with the preparation.....
And here is a close up of her medical eyepatch (not the pirate one.. LOL)... She normally wears it with stickers, but today she was not bothered by it as all the other kids were wearing eyepatches... Of course, by this time of the day, she was the only one wearing it as the others got sick of it.....
She had a BLAST!!!!!!

Trying to keep it normal...

I got my Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor (ABPM) today. I tried to do exactly what I do everyday without changes, so I can know at what times and why my blood pressure can go up... There is a girl from work who's blood pressure is only high while she is sleeping!! That's really unusual, but I would love to know if my blood pressure only goes up under circuntances, or just because.

Of course, everybody looks at me as if I were some kind of freak.... First, I have this blood in my eyes because of the broken capilary, and now with this machine hooked up.

The Dr. prescribed me a medication that helps me to relax during the night... I cant take them today because it will affect the ABPM test, and I dont want to do anything to affect it. I just hope the test shows what really is.

Mommy’s heart is sick…

Didn’t want to take away from Gaby’s diagnose, so Im posting my details today. Yesterday, I had a very scary episode that it may change my life (and not in a very positively way).

On my way to drop off the girls to school, Gaby noticed that I had "blood" in my right eye. It was a broken capilar and hubby suggest that I took my blood pressure with the school's nurse, as soon as I get to work. Funny thing was that the night before was the first night in MONTHS that I went to sleep early, and that morning was going just fine. So, I was not upset and just fine.

My normal blood pressure has been 110/70, and it was 130/90. That range is still normal for some people but it was on the verge of being high, and it was higher than my normal blood pressure... I tried to stay calmed, but I was feeling "funny". I was feeling some kind of rush inside of me, and it was simply a funny feeling... I called my OB and he advised me to go to the ER. We left right away (hubby came with me so I didnt had to drive), and I was already feeling sharp pains on my chest...

When I got there my blood pressure was 160/100... That is VERY high! They did an EKG and it came out fine. So, they gave me a medicine under my tongue and after going to the bathroom a few times (doing pee reduces your blood pressure), my blood pressure when down to 120/80. He sent me to an cardiologyst, and I set up the appoinment for 5:30pm. Unfortunately, things got out of control, and Gaby's eye appointment took longer than expected (especially because I also check my eyes pressure because of the broken capilar), and when we got to the Dr., he was gone already.

I wasnt feeling any better, and the chest pain and left arm pain was getting stronger... I went to the ER again (not the same one because of location), and my blood pressure was 130/100. I explained him about the morning visit to the ER and showed him the papers with what they did to me, and he injected me an stronger medicine. I peed 3 times, and the blood pressure went down to 120/90. The second number was still high, but it was better than 100.

I knew that was it... I knew nothing was going to let me get away without getting diagnosed with high blood pressure.

Today I went for a check up with one of my uncles... He is a cardiovascular surgeon, not a cardiologyst, but I needed his opinion. When he checked me my blood pressure was 120/80, so it was perfect for him. He asked me to get a 24 hours holter ASAP, and to take him the results. Then, depending on the results, he will tell me what to do...

We explained Gaby yesterday, that mommy's heart is a little sick, and that she needs to cooperate so I can be calmed and happy. She promised she was going to do her best... I will post updates as soon as I get the results back.

(Note: My blog looks so sad without pictures... I promise that would change soon!)......

Gaby’s Eyes - Part III

Today was THE day. I knew there was a posibility (ok, a big posibility) of Gaby getting eyeglasses, but I still had the hope that the eyepatches were going to be enough for now.

Normally a car gets better when it goes to the mechanic, and a computer gets fixed when it goes to the technitian, and a child looks healthy when it goes to the peditrician, but this was NO the time. Gaby was worse than ever, and her eye were accomodating a lot. She told me that it was WAY more noticiable today, and it was true.

She gave us Gaby's final diagnosed... She has "Endrotropía Alterna Acomodativa plus Hipermetropía"... I know, I know, that is in Spanish, but doing the the translation hasnt been very good... I think it is: Refractive Accommodative Esotropia and Hypermetropy. We had part of that diagnosed last time, but we were not sure about how bad was the Hypermetropy part for sure.

So, what is this?

Accommodative Esotropia is a condition that usually affects really farsighted people. There are two systems that must work together in the brain for the eyes to work together and see properly: accommodation (focusing) and convergence (eye turning). When the eyes turn in to point at something, keeping it single rather than double, they also focus for that same distance to make the object clear. Vice versa, when the eyes focus to make something clear, they also turn in to keep the object they are focusing on single rather than double. Sometimes, really farsighted people focus (accommodate) too much to make things clear, which causes the eyes to turn in too much (esotropia). This is commonly called crossed eyes.*

Hypermetropy is A condition of the eye in which, through shortness of the eyeball or fault of the refractive media, the rays of light come to a focus behind the retina; farsightedness. In hypermetropia, vision for distant objects, although not better absolutely, is better than that for near objects, and hence, the individual is said to be farsighted. It is corrected by the use of convex glasses.**

Now, we will be glasses hunting, and just wish we could find an eyeglass that Gaby would really like and would agree to wear. She will still need the eyepatch 5 hours a day for 5 days a week, so let's just hope for the best. Surgery will be 40% probable, so we have hope for it to solve with this treatments first.

Sources:
*Accommodative Esotropia Definition.
**Hypermetropy Definition.

Can I get MY money, please? - I say...

- No, lady... you cant.

- What about if I show you the police certification that my purse got stolen?

- No, lady... you cant.

- What about if I bring a copy of my ID?

- No, lady... you cant.

- So, you are telling me that you have my money in there, and because a guy stole my purse, ID's and cards, I have to be going around the city with NO money.

- Yes, ma'am, you are right. No ID, No money.

Pirates and Fairies…

I have my own controversy with halloween, and I dont like to dress my girls with monsters and stuff. I do respect whoever wants to dress their kids with witches, ghosts, monsters, and so on, but I prefer to dress my girls with cutesy costumes.

I had my reserves with pirates, because they are, non-less, robbers from the sea. Despite that, a mom has to think about the pros and cons that one thing may do in her kids life, and even though I dont want to dress my child as a "robber", I do want to help her with the adaptation process of the eye patches.

Pirates wear eyepatches, so what better way to help her with this is to tell her that she is playing to be a pirate... So, I decided that she was going to be a pirate for the costume parade at school, and Mimi and Mia would be Fairies (not that there is a real relation between pirates and fairies, but there is pirates and fairies in Peter Pan).

Mimi and Mia will wear tutus made by me (first time trying, wish me luck), and Gaby will be using an Elizabeth Swann costume (from the Disney Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean).

I have never seen the movie, but Gaby IS a pirate in the caribbean, as she LIVES in the Caribbean... This movie even have scenes filmed in this country, plus it looks like this pirate has a great personality... It says that she is "spirited and independent-minded", and also says that "Even after becoming a pirate, she retains her sense of propriety, as well as her loyalty and compassion for loved ones", wich is exactly how I want Gaby to be, even if she is a pirate.

Cant wait for the costume to get here! and thank God for Ebay, and the seller who had it on a VERY good price.

Time with Grandma and big Grandpa

My mom invited us for lunch today, but it got so late, that we ended up having dinner over there... Since my grandpa has been sick, the girls have been speding less time with my mom and it was nice to see them playing with her and having some quality time.

We planned to take Mia to cut her bangs, because she cant see, but it got too late and we didnt had time...

Im also thinking about visiting my dad tomorrow, will see what the day brings....

Mia & Potty!

Mia started showing signs of being ready for potty training since she turned 2, which was around the same time when she started preschool. A couple of months after that the preschool started the potty training program with her (remember?)...

I knew it wasnt going to work much at that time, because it was end of the school year, and Mia was going to have changes after school was over, and I was right... After doing an awesome job in school, her training was delayed because either hubby or the summer camp where she attended a few times were not consistent enough (adding a picture to make it fun but of course, this is not Mia... it is just a cute picture from the net).

Now, after this school year started, her teacher suggested for us to wait until the adaptation process was over, and we started 2 Mondays ago!

Im VERY happy to announce that Camila is almost totally potty trained!!!!!!!!! She had a few "number 2" accidents, but she is already asking to go "number 2", too.... Im not scared of going out with her without a diaper, because even in the supermarket she will ask to go. She can also hold it when we are on the car and she wants to go... She hardly has accidents during the night, and she will happily go before going to bed.

Gaby was day trained at the same age (2 and half), but Gaby's night training lasted LONG... Im very happy that this time both trainings are going at the same pace.

WAY TO GO CAMILA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gaby's eyes - Part II

As I mentioned in the other "Gaby's eyes" post, Gaby had a Cyclopegic Refraction Test, but the results where on my purse when the purse snatcher took my purse away. I wont mentioned how it happened, because I dont want to get the girl* in trouble (and who knows who is reading), but they repeat the test to Gaby today.... Im very thankful for it.

I will take Gaby to the eye doctor next Tuesday, as the eye doctor evaluation needs to be done 48 hours after the Cyclopegic Refraction Test, and she doesnt work on Monday. I will update you guys then.

In another note, Gaby was GREEN the whole day in school today!!! I was so happy that I almost cried when I saw a "certificate" that they sent, stating how well she behaved today and how she followed instructions the whole day. I will put it in her bedroom and I will make sure she sees how much attention she gets when she behaves!

EDITING because of a lovely comment I just got:
* Im talking about the girl from the "Eye Test" that we did to Gaby, not the guy that snatched the purse.

Is it real?

The more I think about it, the more I think this was just a bad dream. I think somebody will call me to tell to come and pick up my camera. Or maybe somebody will email me the pictures as my business card with my email was inside of the purse (yeah, right)... I truly think the guy should be feeling bad (if he actually know how to use a camera and can see the pictures in there)...

I sure could use my money and my ID's, but I really want my pictures back... I swear I would even pay him if I knew where to find him... He has no idea how much pain he has caused me. My mom (who was in a similar situation) told me that she knows it feels like somebody passed away, and it is true. I feel like somebody that I loved very much is gone, and the pain I feel has no words.

Gaby has been very sad too. She keeps talking about the "guy" that took away my mom's purse and her pictures and all the money. Even her "green" stickers that we got for Gaby to give her if she was in green in the morning to go to school.

I wonder why he didnt asked for the money... I know it sounds insane, but I would have given him everything without a fuss. I know it would have been scarier, but the outcome would have been better. Anyway, right now Im very scared of everything.. I hear weird noises, and Im scared of getting off the car.

I left the house without a purse today. Of course I have other purses to wear, but what is the point of having an empty purse?? I have NOTHING to put inside! I will write down every single penny that I'll spend recovering everything that was inside of my purse just for fun.

Today we went to the supermarket to get diapers and I needed to exchange US dollars to Dominican Pesos to pay... There is a Western Union in there, and I went to exchange it... I almost break down when the lady told me that I cant exchange the money without an ID!!! Doesnt she knows that I have NO ID!?!?! Of course she doesnt, but it makes me feel so angry. Hubby had to "save the day" with his "super ID".

The day that never happened...

I wasnt sure how I was going to write this blog, but I will try my best. Minnie Mouse has a song that says: “Taking pictures is making memories”, and then says “Celebrations can fade away in a year, but when we are making memories, happy days are always here”.

I found the video on You Tube, and I thought it was nice for you guys to listen it… It starts on minute 1:15, but it is worth the wait if you have never listened to it.

This is one of my favorite’s songs ever, but today it bring tears to me, instead of happiness.

Today, the girls had a playdate at my cousin’s house because of Gaby’s birthday, but Gaby also had to go to the eye doctor for her to check the results of the exam. So, I drop hubby, Mia and Mimi at my cousin’s house and left with Gaby to the eye doctor.

Hubby rolled the windows down because we were running out of gas and I was going to put the gas on my way to the eye doctor. I was in the most crowded and long highway of the country (for those who actually know DR it was in the 27 de Febrero almost with Privada). There was a lot of traffic and we were in a red light. I was chatting with Gaby about the school, when a guy came in a motorcycle through my window and tells me that there is something wrong with my tire. When I look, I hear somebody who screams to me: Lady, they are taking away your purse!!!!!!!!!!!!! I turned only to see another guy in another motorcycle speeding up and gone with my purse. We were still in red and tons of cars on the front, and there was nothing I could do to go after him.

I cried, Gaby cried, and there was nothing we could do about it. I started going around everywhere but I was just too crushed and I needed that the most important thing at the moment was to cancel the credit cards.

I remember that just minutes before I left my office, I put my camera inside my purse and said to myself: This eye doctor visit will tell me if my daughter needs glasses, I better take my camera with me. So, that guy not only took the money that I took out earlier that day to pay 3 large bills (phone/DSL, electricity and water), but he also took my most precious material thing and one of the most precious non-material things: He took my CAMERA, and the PICTURES from Gaby’s party in it!

In just a couple of months, Gaby wont remember her party, and there wont be pictures to help her to remember, there wont be pictures to show to my mom who couldnt attend the party, there wont be pictures to show to my in-laws, there wont be pictures to show off in my blog (which you guys know Im planning to print), there wont be pictures for a thank you notes, and definitely there wont be pictures to remember that they day actually happened!

Gaby said to me crying: "Mom, that guy that took away your purse is really bad... Somebody should take his family away from him". Of course, I teared up more.

Gaby's results from the test were there too, and they were gone. I went to my mom's house because it was close by to cancel all the credit and debit cards... I also called the place where I did Gaby's test, and they confirmed what I knew: They give the patients the original print out from the machine, and they dont keep record of it, as the one that keeps the record is the eye doctor. Needless to say, that expensive and traumatic experience for Gaby would have to be repeated.

Right now, we are in a position (especially after losing the money to pay the bills) where we wont be able to afford a camera for a bit... So, it will be a pretty sad blogging experience, and I know it will be difficult for me to want to do anything without having a camera to "make the memory".

Just for the record, here is some of the things we lost:
* Our camera with the memory full of pictures, and my other memory full of pictures too (which was in the inside pocket of my purse)
* Our only copy of house keys
* 5 insurance cards (will cost around $5 to get new ones, not fun)
* My personal ID (which costs like $20 to get a new one, not fun at all).
* All of our debit and credit cards (including my cards, hubby's cards, my australian card, and even a credit card that belongs to my mom) - Cant begin to imagine how much it will cost to get replacement for all those...

* Gaby's eye exam result
* Sassy's vaccination record
* The business cards for the pediatrician, eye doctor and other doctors that I cant remember
* The bills that I was going to pay with our phone number, address and personal information printed (very fun, not), PLUS the MONEY to pay those bills

* My wallet (it took me several years to find one that I was actually in love with)

* Makeup that Luz gave me as a gift when she came a few of months ago (and the purse was also a gift from her)

* Tons of documents that I cant even remember (but I only had important papers in my purse)

* A card that Gaby got from my aunt plus a card that she made to Mimi

Im sure more things will come to my mind with the time... Thank God both of my USB cards where at work, as I would have lost tons of designs that I have done lately that I havent transfer to my computer at home.

I know I have to be thankful because we are fine, but right now, the only thing I can think of, are all the things that I lost, and how it will stay in our memories that Gaby's party NEVER HAPPENED.

Gaby's birthday...

We celebrated Gaby's birthday on Sunday and Monday. We spent mostly the whole Sunday with my mom, which was great as we have been hardly spending time with her as she is taking care of my grandpa.

My mom invited us to eat out, and Gaby chose to eat Pizza. We had a lot of fun there. Gaby ordered her favorite pizza with italian sausages and I also asked for the other half to be with jam and cheese.

After we ate, they all went to play at the play area... Gaby had an incident with a 2 year old girl. The little girl "confused" Gaby with a pizza pie and bite her as hard as I have never seen a bite before. Thank God Gaby didnt hit her or anything, but she did cried her lungs out (you cant hardly tell by the picture, but she actually got an hematoma.

After that, it was all fun, and even Mia and Mimi had a blast.

Then, we went to my mom's house where I had all her gifts to give them to her. Normally my girls gets a big party and little gifts from us, but this time she actually had a gift from each one of us because she was not having a big party... A lot of the gifts were little things but enough to make her happy.

My mom got her a horse... (not Barbie brand, but Barbie size...).

Then she got her first Barbie ever... I refused to let her have Barbies before because I dont think she was ready for them, but I think it was time... My mom chip in for this Barbie, and we told Gaby that it was from my grandpa.

We had to run because we were really late and we still needed to get her cupcakes ready for the next day, so we continued the picture taking at our house... Here she is with the Digital Camera that auntie Cara got her:

And here is the watch that Camila got her and the bracelet that Erica made for her:

Here she is showing off her pony shirt that we got from Blueberry Daisy:

And here she is showing off her gifts and the ponies that we put on the goodie bags for the party... There is the Barbie necklace that daddy got her (courtesy of the toys store where we got my mom's gift because of Barbie purchases... There is also a pair of jeans and a purple shirt for the Barbie to wear to ride the horse that Mimi got her, and the lipsticks (one real and one edible) that mommy got her. My aunt (my mom's only sister - she has 6 other brothers) give her a card with some money in there, and we will use it to buy something for Gaby that she choose.

Then, after a couple of hours of labor, here are the cupcakes for her party!! You can hardly tell, but half of them have purple frosting with pink cupcake cups, and the other half have pink frosting and purple cupcake cups...

Gaby's party was great. Gaby was very happy... We decorated everything with My Little Pony.... It was very low budget, but somehow it looked gorgeous... We put purple, pink and light blue balloons around the cake table, and set up the cupcakes in the cupcake stand: one purple, one pink, one purple, and so on... on top of a My Little Pony tablecover. The goodie bags were denim pocket tote bags, and each one had a bandana inside of the pocket... I placed them around the cupcake tower.

We took tons of pictures, but I will talk about them on the next blog post.

Big Sister Gaby

Couldnt help but to post a picture of Gaby being a big sister... Here she is proudly holding Camila for the first time (2 years old), and holding Amelia (3 years old) while I was taking the stroller out of the car to put Amelia in.

I hope to never forget the look on Gaby's face when she saw Camila for the first time.. Every time I think about it, it brings me to tears. And then, when she held her for the fist time (pictured) she was even shaking of happiness. She was always so sweet and tender with her, and I was never scared of turning my face to brush my teeth, because she was always very careful.

Then, when Mimi was born, she was older and even more careful. She was protective and always trying to keep her safe from Camila.

Im sure BOTH sisters will look up after their big sister, and I already have been told in school that she defends them if somebody else is trying to mess with one of them. They may fight, but Im positive that more sisters, they will grow up to be best friends.

5 years ago.....

It is crazy to think about it, but I just cant believe all the things that have happened in our lives in this past five years. Our life was so different, and I hardly can believe all that we have grown as a family in only five years. Five years and 6 months ago, we found out that we were expecting our first child. It seemed unbelievable, and after 3 home tests and 2 lab visits, it was true!

Hubby and I were very much in love and pretty sure what we wanted in life, and we were thrilled but pretty much scared of what this change was going to bring to our lives. It was a very hot summer in New Jersey, and as hubby was a lifeguard and swimming instructor, we spent most of our summer from pool to pool. He also did maintenance to lots of pools, and we spent a lot of time in the roads as most of the pools were almost hitting Pennsylvania.

My pregnancy was great, even though I was always alert, trying to avoid anything that could possibly happen. At some point during my third trimester I started feeling discomfort and low back pain, but it was "normal". One night at 36 weeks (just a couple of days before my mom was flying in for 6 weeks) the discomfort was way more intense, and I decided to take a trip to the E.R. Mostly, I just needed to be reassured that everything was just fine, and to be sent back to my house.

That didnt happen! I was having strong contractions every 10 minutes or so, and was already 2 centimeters dialated. They kept me overnight with no food, and when they checked me again I was still 2 centimeters. I signed a released form to be sent home because I was not planning to stay there longer. I mean, I was starving, and also had tons of stuff to do... I was not ready for baby just yet. My mom planned to arrive early and there was tons of things that I wanted to buy with her.

So, as funny as it sounds, here is the agenda of that day:
- Shopping
- Get ready for baby
- Home at 4pm
- Shower
- Washed my hair
- Hospital to have my baby!!

I knew I was dilating more, and by that time, I was already starting to feel the contractions way more. When I got to the hospital I was already 4 centimeters, and I knew that was it. I remembered that night I called my mom with a calling card from the Hospital, and told her that there may be a baby by the time she gets here at the next day. She was at my aunt's house celebrating a shower for me. They got together to buy presents for Gaby, and she told me that they all prayed together that night.

I was stressed and very anxious, and my progress was sooo slow, that they even gave me something to help me sleep. The morning was looooooooong, and I was very moody... They didnt want to let me walk because I was still early and they wanted the baby to bake a bit longer, but suddenly my water broke, and that was really it. After that, they knew nothing was going to stop Gaby from being born, so they let me walk to make things a bit faster.

I remembered that I was holding it together without pain medications, but the nurses kept insisting if I wanted the epidural. They insisted so much that I decide it to let them put it to me, even though I was still holding it together. Then, the anesthetist lady upset me because she wanted my EMT hubby out of the room... He was an EMT for Christ Sake, he was not going to faint! So, I decided not to get it because I didnt want to stay alone in there... I remember I was in a lot of pain in my hands because of the IV. Of course, just after she left, the pain started getting unbearable and I had to agree on getting the epidural without hubby present.

A couple of friends went to pick up my mom to the Airport, and my mom got straight to the Hospital when I was already 9 centimeters. It was a bit over 3:00pm when I hit 10. My mom and hubby were pushing with me, and Im positive that it was a team job. I cant even imagine how I would have manage to give birth without their help. We ALL pushed for over an hour. Gaby was born at 4:21pm weighting 6 pounds, 6 ounces and 19.5 inches long. She didnt cried right away, but she got an 8-9 Apgar score.

Hours passed and my baby wasnt with me. I complained and complained and nobody was giving us clear info. Then, the doctor in charge came to talk to me. As they anticipated, she developed Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome, and she needs to spent some time in the NICU. That hospital had an space for only 4 babies, and it was full already. They called an ambulance to transport her to St. Joseph Children's Hospital, two hours away! They took her for me to see her, and check bracelet ID numbers. I still needed to stay in the hospital, so suddenly I have no baby in my belly, and no baby in my arms!! It was hard!

Hubby left with Gaby, and I stayed with my mom. Hubby promised not to be apart from her and to keep me updated, and he did. It was hard not to have my baby, but at least hubby was there for her.

A few days later, we all went home, and breastfeeding was a total failure. After much frustration, we decided to let formula to take over, and Gaby was an all time feeder and she was never full. Until now she is still a milk freak, and she doesnt make negotiations that puts her milk in danger. She is a very smart girl, and even though she has gone through so much in her short life, she is so full of life.

She is a strong willed girl, always ready to let her creativity fly away. She loves motor gross activities and can be a very sweet and loving girl. She loves her sisters to death, and even though she loves all her grandparents a lot, she had a weakness over her paternal grandfather (my father in law). While she was little, she used to be a daddy's girl, but now she has become a mommy's girl. She loves sports, and we cant wait to see what sport she will prefer while growing up. She loves dogs like nothing else in the world, and she is a happier girl since she has one at home.

Gabriela: We learned how to be parents with you, and we promise to do our best. You are the best big sister both of your sisters can ask for. We love you very much, and we cant wait to see all the big things that we know you will do as you continue to grow up. Keep it up!!

Busy day....

Today was a VERY busy day... Gaby's party is at school, but that doesnt mean that lots of preparation is involved. Also, Sassy was due with her shots, so it was a busy day WITH a dog included in the car!!!

We went to Business Mail to pick up Cara and Erica's gifts that they sent my mail, plus some goodies for the party, including some ponies that Gaby will give to her friends at school. We also spent lots of gas going from one store to the other trying to find horses or ponies for the boys that were not from My Little Pony, as those were too girlie. I never imagine that picking up regular horses was going to be so difficult... All the stores had packages with several animals and one horse, and I was not planning to spent a lot of money buying several packages just to get ONE horse from each... Finally we found them, even though I still had to buy two mixed packages, and the girls will have a nice addition to their farm!

Then we went to the vet for Sassy's shots... Both vets were amazed how she didnt even make a sound when they put her both shots... They told me that most dogs cry, especially with the second one... They gave her a treat for that! She also gained 4 pounds in 3 weeks!!! So, she went from 4.5 to 8.5 pounds... She is going to be one BIG dog!!!!
Cant wait for tomorrow, and for the party on Monday... and Gaby has been GREEN most of the day (Good job Gaby).

Gaby's Eyes....

We took Gaby to the eye doctor yesterday afternoon, and we find out something that I guess every mom wish never find out about one of her kids: Gaby cant see correctly from the right eye. She was diagnosed with Accommodative Esotropia due to Amblyopia.

The eye doctor thinks it could be hereditary because I have eye problems myself, and also because of her premature condition when she was born. She told me that 5 or 6 years of age was the average age to develop this (or at least to show it).

She prescribed her to use an eye patch for 5 straight hours during the day (if is in school hours better), and to rest during the weekend. The patch should be used in the "good eye" so the "weak eye" does an effort to see straight (hope my explanation makes sense). She also told us that the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus just found out 18 months ago, that there is a relation between Amblyopia and intoeing, so she thinks her walking will improve a lot once she start the eye treatment.

She also sent her for a Cyclopegic Refraction Test, and even though I have the machine's print out on hand to handed in to the eye doctor, I have no idea what all those numbers means! I promise I will update Monday or Tuesday when I hear from the doctor.

Meeting at Gaby's preschool...

Gaby have been having misbehaving issues in every preschool she has attended to. Mostly, she has a hard time adapting, and once she adapts we have moved her to another school for one reason or the other. There has always been complains and suggestions from the school, but never a real meeting.

Today was that FIRST meeting at "a school" regarding one of my daughters behaviors, and even though it wont be the last, I hope there is no need to do any more. I have my feet on the ground, and I know Gaby more than any person in the world. I know how she behaves, and I would never be one of those mothers on denial, and wont ever admit that their child has a problem of any magnitude.

Of course, that doesnt mean that I like to hear other people complaining about my kid (it's like Im the one that is allow to do that), but this meeting had such a positive approach that I was sure it was going to bring lots of positive things. On the meeting were present: Gaby's English teacher (who is her homeroom teacher), the principal, the kids psychologist from school, plus hubby and I.

First of all, Gaby has shown to be a very smart girl, and she amazes her teacher with her English skills. Honestly, she has been speaking English so good lately, that it amazes us too. She forms complete sentences and uses: "the", "is", "a" correctly. Her issues comes when is time to writing because she doesnt want to, even though she knows how to do it (which we all think can be relate to her eyes problems). The principal also recommended me her cousin who is an excellent pediatric eye doctor, and we will be taking her later on.

Gaby also has a situation with following rules. She knows all the rules, and she can tell you the rules and even the consequences if you dont follow them, however she still has a hard time following them, and has been disturbing her classroom, and sometimes they have to send her to the hall, or even to the Principal or Counselor's office.

I have tried many different behavior systems, but the only thing that I have never tried is to unite the system with the school. We all agree that Gaby needs consistency and she needs to have the same rules at school and at home, and she needs to have the same boundaries.

As per the principal's proposal, we will be doing the red/yellow/green light behavior system. Gaby's major goal is to learn to follow instructions, and this is a very good method for it. There are several explanations of the system, but here is what it is.

RED/YELLOW/GREEN LIGHT BEHAVIOR SYSTEM:
Gaby starts the day in green, and she wants to keep it in green. The only way to keep it green is following instructions. While she is in green she needs to be praised. When there is an instruction that needs to be followed, and she refuses to follow it, she will be reminded that if she doesnt follow the instructions she will be moved to yellow, and what that means. If she doesnt follow the instruction anyway, she will be moved to yellow. Then, she can either start following rules and move to green, or she can continue not following instructions and be moved to red. With red there is always a negative consequence (which she should already know in advance).

The school will have their "traffic lights" and we will have ours (and we all agree my mom should have hers too)... We agreed that it will be too hard on them if the lights continue from home to school. I think it was a great meeting and we are all looking forward the best for Gaby.

I will also make a chart to keep track of how many days she has been able to go to bed in green. At the end of the week (and later on at the end of the month) she will have a bigger reward for having the most lights in green.

My Little Pony!

Gaby's birthday is around the corner and Im really excited!! She is going to be a big girl!! FIVE YEARS OLD is like another stage of her life.

Birthdays and Christmas are very important to me, and I want to pass that to my daughters too. We have celebrated Gaby's birthday each year, and even though this year we are planning something smaller, I want her to know that we will celebrate her birthday!

This year, we decided to celebrate it at school... As her actual birthday in on a Sunday, we will be having some family time (we have some options, but still havent decide what we will do), and then she will have her "party" at school...

This year, she is having a My Little Pony party, and it has been very exciting... She was suppose to have a Pink Poodle party, but then she wanted something with purple... so, after browsing around, I saw that My Little Pony decor has purple, and we all loved the idea.