Kaela Marie

18 years ago today I gave birth to a baby girl. She weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces and was 21 inches long. She was born by cesarean at 8:37 am. The very first time I saw her I knew she was mine. I had to be put under general anesthesia for her birth so I saw her for the first time from the nursery window as I was being wheeled into my room. I knew that she was mine because she had strawberry blonde peach fuzz on her head and she was fair skinned. Nobody told her she was mine - I just knew! I named her Kaela Marie.

The nurses were wheeling her into my room for me to meet her and they stopped outside the door of my room. I saw them all looking at her and laughing. I wondered if there was something wrong with her. Then they wheeled her in my room and I saw what they were laughing at. She was sucking her thumb! She had her thumb in her mouth and her other four fingers covering her face! It was funny and cute!!! When they handed her to me she smelled like a jelly bean! So her nickname, when she was a little baby, was Jellybean!

Kaela was always my risk taker. She was that way during her pregnancy and is still that way today! She is the one who at 9 months old, I went to the bathroom with the door open (around the corner from her) and she took a dining room chair, pushed it up to the buffet and climbed on top of the buffet and was dancing in front of the mirror when I came back (only about 30 seconds had gone by!). She was always the one that would fall and scrape her knee and I would have to chase her to wipe the blood off so it wouldn't get on the carpet. She would try anything and knew no fear. She has made my heart stop more than once in her life!!! That's part of what I love about her - she's quite the adventurer.

Kaela has grown a lot over the years. Today she has grown into a beautiful young woman. Today she is officially an adult! My baby - now all grown up!! She has so many beautiful qualities about her. Yes - she is still an adventurer, knowing no fear and wanting to experience all she can in life!

I'm so proud of her. We've had some very hard times together. There were times that I feared she would not make it but she has. I love her spirit and her spunk!

Kaela was given to me at a very dark time in my life. My mother died on July 13th 1989. I fell into a deep depression and everything seemed dark in my life. On October 27th, 1989 I found out I was pregnant with Kaela. I felt that this was my mother's way of saying "Snap out of it and live your life!". I know that I see and feel my mother's spirit in Kaela.

Kaela is kind and caring - not wanting anything or anyone to suffer. She is adventurous - always looking to explore the unknown. She is hard working - she works 50-60 hours a week. She is learning to be responsible - she owns her own car and has had the same job for over a year.

I am proud of my Kaela Marie!!!

So - Happy Birthday Jellybean!!! I love you!!!

EMT-B

Back in 1996, what I considered "The Stupid Years" I decided to join a fire department and obtain my EMT-B certification. I worked hard and got that certification. I had fun riding the ambulance and saving lives. I loved the adrenlin rush I got when running a call!

In 2001, near the end of "The Stupid Years" I let my EMT-B certification expire. I could have very easily recertified before it expired but it was during "The Stupid Years" and it expired. I also quit the fire house.

I've worked in emergency medicine since 1996. I've ridden the ambulance, I've driven the ambulance and I've dispatched. I love being in the communications center. My years of experience is what has landed me the job that I have now, the job that I love.

I've made a decision this week. I've decided to join another fire department and take a class to get my EMT back. My class starts on August 19th and meets twice a week for 3 months. Then I have to take a written and practical certification test. I will then be an EMT-B once again! I can't wait to be voted in as a member of the Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department and be able to ride the ambulance again! It will be soooo much fun!

Future Quarterback In Training...

Today I spent a few hours with the two biggest loves of my life - Princess Allie and Prince Zachy!! They are sooo much fun and such beautiful children!! I love to watch them play together.

Well - today I was watching them play. Zachy went over to the front door and got Daddy's flip flops and was playing with them. Zachy brought them into the living room where Allie and I were. Allie grabbed one of the flip flops. Zachy tried to grab it back. They were having a tug of war with the flip flop!!! Zachy let go of the flip flop, went behind Allie (she was sitting on the floor) and tackled her!! There he was on top of her, tackling her for the flip flop!! It was so funny! I had to lift him off of her. She finally gave in and gave him the flip flop!!

I do think that we have a quarterback in training here! He's quite the bruiser!! No one got hurt in the tackle. There was just a lot of squealing from Allie and laughing from Zachy!

Sibling Rivalry

Growing up my younger sister and I were close. There were times, though, that we would try to get under each others skin and fight. It was okay for us to fight each other but, God forbid, anyone else try to hurt one of us. We would stick up for each other in a nano second. We were the perfect image of sibling rivalry.

My grandkids, Allie 4 1/2 years old and Zachy 17 months old, are learning the fine art of sibling rivalry. Zachy knows how to push Allie's buttons and make her squeal.

At Allie and Zachy's house they have a big flat screen television. It has a big button right in the middle on the bottom that turns it on and off. It at just the right level for Zachy to operate the television.

Allie will be sitting on the couch watching her favorite television show (usually Sponge Bob Square Pants). Zachy will be zooming around the house. Zachy will run up to the television and stop and look at Allie and smile mischieviously. Then he'll look back at the television and then back at Allie. He will then push the button on the television, turning it off, turn and laugh at Allie and run. Allie, of course, will squeal. "HEY! ZACHY!!! NOOOOOO!!!". This only makes Zachy laugh more and do it more. He always gets this devilish little grin on his face while doing this! It's kinda funny to watch.

This, I'm sure, is only the beginning of sibling rivalry. I'm glad I'm Mom-mom and can sit back and laugh at the antics!

I LOVE being a Mom-mom!!!

Starbucks

I love Starbucks!!! I love their mint mocha light frappaccino. I also like their iced carmel sugarfree latte. Starbucks ROCKS!!!

Well, Sunday (my birthday!!!), I picked my granddaughter Allie up from my daughter (Stefanie) at Stefanie's salon. I felt that because it was my birthday that I deserved a mint mocha light frappaccino with chocolate whipped cream. (YUMMY!!!) So after picking Allie up, Allie and I headed to a Starbuck's that was nearby.

Allie had never been to Starbucks even though Stefanie loves Starbucks and probably has their menu memorized backwards and forwards. I ordered my mint mocha light frappaccino and ordered Allie a strawberries and cream frappaccino. Allie loved it!!! Of course, I loved it too!!

I took Allie to my house. She had finished her strawberries and cream and was playing with some stuffed bears. There was a stuffed bear that was dressed up as a Ravens cheerleader. Allied took the Ravens cheerleader bear and was playing with it saying "RAH! RAH! RAH!!! GOOOOO STARBUCKS!!!". I was on the floor laughing! It was so funny and sooo cute!!!

Later that day I took Allie back to Stefanie and the salon. The first words out of Allie's mouth to her mommy were "Mom-mom took me to Starbucks!". Stefanie looked and me and said "MOM!! What did you get her at Starbucks?". I said "I got her a large caramel frappaccino with a double shot of espresso!". Stefanie was shocked! "MOM!!!!" I started laughing and told her that I had gotten her a strawberries and cream to which Stefanie replied "WOW! I'll bet she loved that! I never thought of getting her one of those!".

So, in closing, out of the mouth of Princess Allie, "RAH! RAH!RAH!!! GOOOOO STARBUCKS!!!!!"

Oliver and "The Monster"

Oliver is my baby. He is a seven pound bundle of fur that has wrapped himself totally around my heart! He is a tan and white chihuahua. He tries to act big and bad, barking at everything from St Bernard's to cats but sometimes surprises me with his fears. Oliver also has a habit of being a vacuum cleaner on 4 paws. He loves to go around eating fuzz off of the carpet. I swear that one of these days I'm going to let him outside to do his business and a stuffed animal will come out of him!!!

The other day my husband was doing some housework. He was tidying up. He went to the corner of the dining room and pulled out "The Monster". Oliver looked at his daddy dragging "The Monster" and immediately cowered into Mommy's lap. Daddy dragged "The Monster" upstairs and turned it on. This sent Oliver reeling!!! He kept looking up at the ceiling from my lap wondering what this noise was. Then it happened! The noise started coming down the steps. Oliver cowered over to the steps and much to his surprise the loud noise was coming out of "The Monster"!!! "The Monster" went into the front room and Oliver went to the opposite end of the house (the kitchen) and hid. "The Monster" came closer to the kitchen and Oliver slinked by it and ran to the front room. Finally "The Monster" was quiet. Oliver came out from hiding and realized that "The Monster" was still out and Daddy hadn't put it away yet. He sat behind the chair and watched as Daddy put "The Monster" back into it's place in the dining room.

Later that day I was playing ball with Oliver. I threw the ball and it landed near "The Monster". Oliver cried until I went and got the ball. He wouldn't go near "The Monster".

So I learned this week that the vacuum cleaner will from here on out be known as "The Monster" and that the big bad Oliver is afraid of "The Monster"!!!