Summer Time Epic Family Playdate

Just like that, Summer is at full throttle. The days are long and hot. The kind of days where you break a sweat without moving and collapse into bed each night and wake only when the morning light sneaks in through the window. The routines that come with school and ballet lessons are replaced with a single daily trip to the pool. To break things up we have enjoyed regular family playdates. Spending quality family time away from the everyday having a seriously good time. This means taking it a few notches up and having a side splitting, wide eyed day making memories. It helps our summer to be truly awesome and brings our family together. Top on my list for such an Epic Playdate is an exhilarating sailboat trip off the coast of Santa Cruz, California. My kids and I love the water but I have yet to share the joy of sailing with them. One that I have known since I was a child. We would start our adventure on land however. A bike ride to the farmers market to load up fresh baked goodness, berries and such. Off on our bikes, my Mr. in the lead. Stella stuffing her cheeks with strawberries in her seat behind me. My coffee spilling a bit at every turn.  My son grins at the dips and turns down the bike path to the harbor. Once on the boat and out of the slip we would pass a group of sea otters, maybe 30 or 40 floating and playing in the kelp. They watch us float by and its almost as if they wave or give us a "whats up" as we pass. Stella screams out "look at the babies!." We would enjoy lunch on the deck and the salty water would splash up sending the kiddos into fits of giggles. Maybe we even dare to hang our feet off. Thier still baby like toes curled up above the dark ocean water. They would learn to help raise the sail, what it means to "come about" and feel the power of the wind as it pushed us along the top of the water. Other families have taken the idea of "The Epic Playdate" and made it there own while spending meaningful time together as a family having fun! Such bloggers as Dooce who traveled with her family to Arches National Park to explore the breath taking natural landscape. You can see the video of that trip here. What would you do on an epic family playdate with your family this summer?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Mom Bloggers For Social Good. Stella's Birth Story

What a wondrous ability we have been bestowed with. We woman, we mothers, we earthly beings. This miracle of creation. I remain in awe of myself,  my children and of the men and women that devote there lives to helping nurture and care for mothers and babies around the world. As part of Save The Children's Annual State Of The Worlds Mothers (SOWM) report I am honored to recall the births of my two children this month. 

From the first fluttering deep in my belly to the nursing of my sweet babes the first and every time. We are miraculous beings. Never have I felt more purpose on earth and connection with my body then during my pregnancies and during the labor and delivery of my children. I first shared Stellita's birth story here a week after she was born. Joaquin's birth story was written in a journal, before I started blogging and I have yet to share it here. Both days I remember with immeasurable joy and amazement. As different as my two children are so too are their birth stories. My labor was incredibly short with Stella, my second child. Four hours from when I woke with the pinch of contractions to her actual arrival qualifies as quick I think, no? I hesitate to say it was "easy" because giving birth just isn't, you mothers know. Frankly though once my water broke Stella was born within seven minutes and two pushes. And so goes the story of Stella Anita's birth. 

 via Save The Children

I woke with moderate contractions at 3 am. They were not contractions I could ignore and already about 5 to 7 minutes apart. Mr. and I quietly packed up a very asleep baby Joaquin and dropped him at my parents house a few minutes away. It was a week before my due date. My Mom and Dad met us in the night air in front of there house with smiles and wide eyes. Today would be the day! We left them with Joaquin and  headed up the hill to Feather River Hospital 30 minutes away. It was 3:45 am. My midwife, whom I like very much had gently lectured me that this labor could go very fast and to be "prepared". She mentioned that I may not have enough time to make the 30 minute drive to Paradise hospital where the midwives deliver babies. I may have to go directly to Enloe Hospital just a few minutes from my home where a Doctor would be overseeing my labor and delivery. Having had an extremely positive experience  with the midwife during my sons labor and delivery I convinced myself we had enough time to make the drive. We arrived at just about 4 am and I was bracing and breathing through now with every contraction. Although I new I was getting close and my contractions were getting really intense at about 3 minutes apart I had no idea how close. We got into a room and the nurse checked me stating I was 8 centimeters dilated. Everyone started scattering and darting and my Mr. seemed to disappear for a few minutes perhaps to spread the news? I tried to make myself comfortable. The quick feet and rustling about from the nurses did not effect my calm. I was going to meet my baby girl soon! Walking around the room and letting my belly hang down as I held the side of the bed, rocking side to side proved helpful. The midwife arrived and promptly checked me and asked if I felt the need to push. Um, really? No. I was fully dilated but had no urge to push.  While I wanted a natural child birth at this point and with my previous birthing experience I asked the midwife if I could have a pain killer of some sort. I was still experiencing an manageable pain level but was thinking ahead of what I was sure to come. She quickly told me that there was "no time" for it. "The baby was coming". I panicked just a bit. My son being only 17 months old at the time the memory of his rather painful and drawn out labor and delivery was fresh in my mind. After a few more contractions and moving to lie on the bed I asked her again if there was anyway they could give me something for the pain. Her reply was the same and this time she addressed my Mr. as well. Perhaps he had panic on his face too? Or rather she was looking for him to reassure? She was kind and yet direct and having complete confidence in my midwife I accepted her answer. I would do this completely natural and it would be okay, I told myself. I was scared.  Nauseous at this point I thought I was going to get sick. Maybe I even did get sick, my husband would most definitely remember that bit of detail. The pressure of the baby was very uncomfortable (like she was pressing down on my tail bone).Reaching the unbearable I announced I was going to sit up or stand to try and relieve the pressure I was feeling. Standing proved very helpful with my sons delivery as did walking around. There was a quick glance between nurse and midwife (the only other people in the room aside from Mr. and I). Just then as I turned my body to the side to get lift myself up my water broke and the pressure was instantly gone. I laid back down and as the midwife took her post an enormous contraction came over me. I had read and heard about the "need" to push but hadn't experienced it with my first labor and delivery. I never once had the "need" to push when delivering my son. I pushed when I was told to, with a contraction. Whammo! There was no way I wasn't going to push with what I was feeling this time. It was as if my entire body was working to push the baby out without me. The midwife was ready and with another overwhelming contraction Stellita was born. It was 7:12 am. She was tiny and pink and nursed within minutes. My eyes scanned over her admiring every detail. She had trouble staying warm for the first few hours so I held her skin to skin as much as I could and she spent some time in the Isolette under heat lamps near my bedside. I was immediately grateful for the attention and care she received from the nurses. I was in complete awe and remain so to this day. Stella is asleep a few inches away from me now as I write this. My almost three year old baby girl. She remains true to her birth story. Fiery and quick and I love her.I plan to share Joaquin's birth story, a very different experience and one that sealed my faith in midwifery and the care given in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), on Mother's Day as he is the one that made me a mother. Come back if you wish and please share with me your birthing stories.

This post will be shared on The Gates Foundation Blog as well as Babble.com as part of my association with Mom Bloggers For Social Good. To close I'd like to share lovely Save The Children video featuring Jennifer Garner, Rachel Zoe, Alyson Hannigan and Jennifer Connelly reflecting on some first moments with baby.

Doing Business-A Potty Training Journey

We introduced the potty to my son, Joaquin a year and a half ago. They had an on again off again friendship for quite some time. With a few intermissions things are slowly nearing a manageable commitment level. Never did I expect to potty train my sweet babes and that to be that because there will be accidents and near misses and even the occasional (very occasional I hope) blow out. I did my fair share of reading about potty training, as is my nature to do so, before delving in such sensitive areas. Eventually I wised up a bit and simply started asking around to other mama's as well as my own and still here we are trying to work through it with a sense of humor.

Between mis dos angelitos the amount of "P" and "P" that still does not make it into the designated receptacles frightens me. My eyes fly open as I lay in bed at night with images of my sweet Stella handing me her newly deposited "P", innocence and accomplishment on her face. The wet spot on the living room floor or directly in front of the porcelain potty have me cleaning, steam vac-ing and disinfecting at perhaps a manic level. I an often asking my Mr. if he too smelled something funny as we cozy in to attempt a movie night at home. Yes! Some things are yucky and stinky but even with all of that I insist on NOT having my children feel shameful if they have an accident and to not be embarrassed by there bodies.

My 3 1/2 year old son can often not be bothered when playing outside to find an actual bathroom. He much prefers to water the tire, the lawn or anything else that might be in need of "watering". He does however know that if possible he needs to make it to the WC and more and more often he does. We are working it out and I am okay with that. JQ knows that sometimes it helps to make funny faces while going "P" and that I will patiently sit with him making faces back and forth until he is done. Even this can be fun my friends!

While Stella is just two, she is at least intrigued by the potty. Stella will remove her diaper in order to take care of business but alas the business will not make it to where it is supposed to go. Oh the joys you see are always surprising and never dull! We picked up some cute little chonies for her but are working through the kinks. No pressure and no shame. We will get there.

JQ still wears diapers at night I can't very well potty train him while he is asleep but we do limit his liquids just before bed, have him go before putting a night time diaper on and often he wakes with a nearly dry nappy in the morning, often.

I am very open to hearing advice and pointers and have in no way mastered the ins and outs of potty training toddlers. Aside from night time the kid is potty trained. Or at least he knows where, how and when to do his business. Whether or not he chooses to do it there or not is something different entirely. Stella is eager to please which will work in my favor with potty training but may keep me up at night later on. We will see.

I am linking up to Expatria Baby for her series on Project Parenting. Always with a sense of humor Erica is an inspiration!