I'm SudaFED UP!

It's been over a week. My hacking cough has become dry and uncontrollable. I get no relief. The sudden outbursts of dry wisps of air have left my ribs sore, my back desiring a scratch and my eyeballs protruding from their sockets. Help me! Certainly with all of this forceful coughing, I'm sure my internal organs have been knocked out of place. I've even had visions of being the first woman to orally give birth!! Not a good vision huh?

So, I'm SudaFED UP! What's left to take OTC? This is my plea for help. The drugs on my "safe" list are those which are non-ibuprofen based...Sudafed, Actifed, Chlor-trimiton, Benedryl. Since my symptoms were more of a "cold" rather than "allergies" I thought Sudafed was the choice for me. First I went through 12 doses of the Severe Cold version; next I tried the Cold & Flu (or Cold & Cough). I now think it's making me cough more. I'm getting more response from cough drops. What's left? A hacking I will go.....

On a more positive note, I met with my doctor on Friday and heard baby's heartbeat (and mine too!). That was good to hear! And for my illness, the Dr. was hesitant to prescribe me any antibiotics just yet...so I get to suffer through this for possibly another week, as "a simple cold may last twice as long during pregnancy". Yea! My BIG ultrasound appointment will be November 19th. Stay tuned for possible gender determination posts!

Meanwhile, Rudy thinks I have kennel cough, smoker's cough, or some other foreign illness that I'm spreading around the population. I can't wait til he gets it!

Butterfly Kisses

Meanwhile, I've been feeling like CRUD lately: hacking cough, plugged up sinuses, scratchy throat and raspy voice (..and not a sexy voice either!) I've been chugging down Children's Triaminic Nighttime Cold and Cough, but I doesn't seem to help. Besides, I'm only depleting the supply on hand that might be needed for the kids someday. It's quite a bummer when you have to read your "What's Safe to Take?" list over and over again to be sure nothing is harming the pregnancy.

So, I went off on a mission tonight to get me some Benedryl, Actifed, Sudafed, Clor-Trimeton...anything on my safe list. I came home with Sudafed - Severe Cold. So far (only 2 hours into it) my cough still lingers and my ear still feels plugged up. In fact, earlier today at work, my ear sort of "popped". Youch! Please don't let this turn into an ear infection!!! So, I'm waiting to see if this miracle OTC works or not. Just a little relief is all I want.

So, I'm on my way back home listening to Delilah's Sappy Love songs, when a little girl called in requesting Butterfly Kisses to be played. Oh no! I haven't heard that song since my Dad and I danced it at my wedding. Certainly I've gotten over that "tugs at your heartstrings" feeling after all these years!? No such luck. I was about a mile and a half from home when I had to drive through glazed-over, drippy eyeballs to get home safely. And "Mini Pearl" is not yet equipped enough to have tissue at my fingertips. So, I came home a bit moist on my shirt sleeves. Darn hormones!

Take a peek at the lyrics to Bob Carlisle's song, Butterfly Kisses. It might just get you!

Star of the Week...

We knew the day would soon come. But didn't realize how much effort it took to complete the "Star of the Week" poster!

All About Me!

Name: Dominic

I was born on: June 9th

My favorite place to go is: the beach

My favorite food is: Pasta

My favorite thing to do is: Color

Swimming on a Soggy Sunday?

No thank you! Vanessa's birthday party was postponed one day due to the threat of rain on Saturday, and Sunday was a better day, but not typical summer swimming weather for sure. That didn't stop the kids from swimming though. Crazy kids. Our boys didn't swim, I didn't want them in that cold water, and Dad didn't want to go in with them either! I don't blame him. There was plenty to keep the kids busy outdoors anyway and it wasn't all too bad.

"Da plane, da plane!"

Having fun on the teeter-totter.

Dominic takes "peanut" for a stroll. Dumb dog!


Sydney and Peyton sporting the pink.

Mr. J.P.'s 3rd Birthday

My friend Sherry's second oldest had his 3rd Birthday Party today (this has been a busy Saturday). Again, the threat of rain dampened us, but the party turned out just perfect. Some wildlife came out while we rode the train throughout. This is the same place we had Dominic's 4th birthday. It's such a blast for everyone. The Sacramento Valley Live Steamers ran their train for Jordan's party and didn't quit until the kids did. Donovan was afraid to go for the first run, but was "forced" to go on the second one. Yep, he still whined the entire time, but with the confrontation with the deer, squirrel, and the chugging and tooting of the train to distract him, the other passengers got some relief from his complaining. Jordan made out like a bandit and looked like he had a lot of fun. As did we!

As long as the train is stationed...

All aboard!...No wait....Donovan aboard!!

Little Libby

He insisted on the purple frosting.

The chain gang.

Game Day...Again!

It was yet another game day today. Today it was the "blue" team. Things went a little better. Well, at least the shorts stayed on!!! (thanks to Grandma Gertie for taking in the few inches needed to keep them from falling.) The weather was quite a change with threatening rain, but it stayed just moist enough to keep the kids active and the goalie boxes muddy. Dominic doesn't play "to par" with Coach Dad's standards, but I thought he did well with direction and actually had some ball handling of his own this time. Gotta give the guy credit! I, however, got a "warning" for coaching on the sidelines! Pfft! Fine, I'll cheer on some other kid then....Go Gabi!!!

Ball control and focus on direction...good skills, right?
Give the kid some kudos!

The throw in.

photos courtesy of Grandma Gertie.

More signs...

Note: This is the last of the posts that were idling in "draft" mode for quite some time. Enjoy! ...although many of these "signs" are not as pronounced anymore!


So you really want to know?

Flatulence: The Avila boys would have a tough time competing! I am officially deemed "worthy"!

Stupidity: Okay, you're thinking, "that's nothing different". But really, I've been a clutz. I've got bruises that look like I had a run in with a poor tattoo artist. Rudy would prefer I put a disclaimer on each one so that he doesn't look like the bad guy. And for an at work "doh!": I bundled up 31 letters to go out in the mail WITHOUT postage! (which means all 31 would have been back on my desk the next day had the postal carrier not noticed!)

Clogging: No, this time it's not the dance form! My hair is falling out like crazy. I'm constantly unplugging the shower drain, plucking loose hairs that tickle my arms during the day, detangling them from my toes, etc. It's everywhere! I think I can vouch that all women have at some point been irritated with loose hairs between the boobs and in the butt crack??? Right gals?...Right?

Potty time: I HATE getting up from a so-called good night's sleep to use the bathroom. I have no choice in the matter, right? I'm beginning to think my ultra-bladder may burst if I continue to pretend it can hold on until I'm ready to get out of bed.

Bouyancy: I probably can float like a boat with this bloat! I feel so bloated and have been very crampy. The only relief I get is when the bloating is associated with the flatulence (see above). Is this too much info?

Cravings: Mashed potatoes and gravy....food of the gods! Anytime, anyday...doesn't matter. Boxed, homemade, fast food...doesn't matter. I LOVE being pregnant around the holidays since that's when 10 lbs. of mashed potatoes can be consumed without the fear of having leftovers. I can't wait! What time is dinner?

Pains (in the butt): Really! While pregnant with Dominic, I had an awful pain in the tailbone area that lasted a few weeks. Donovan was no pain (in the butt) at all. So now, I've got this constant pulled muscle feeling in my left buttock. Literally, a pain in the butt! Is this an indication of how our kids' personalities are?

Hormones: I prefer to call them "horror-moans", and I'm not a huge fan of them. They try to take control and usually win. I expect them to be ever-powering for at least the next 12-months and will use the "Cry It Out" method to cope.


Do I come across as whiny? I know there are many of women out there that would kill for just one of these symptoms. I am blessed with quite a few I suppose, and "whining" is just something that comes with the territory. Gotta do it. Gotta love it. Gotta enjoy it.

A Cousin Reunion

(after last night's pregnancy-first all-nighter of dry heaves, sweat and chills with a migraine, I think I've mustered up enough energy to put in a blog post tonight...)

Even the kids sat still for a photo! *enlarge photo at your own risk;
I'm not sure I want to know what Doug is doing in the center, but I'm sure he's probably in the dog house now!

The Roina cousins got together on Sunday for some food and fun at the Emitte household. This is the Italian side of the family...we don't get together as often as the Latino side, BUT we're always ON TIME! (...okay, most of us are.) We decided to gather together since the second cousins hardly know each other and it'd be nice for them to finally do so. It seems that Christmas time is the only other time we see each other, and even then, I've been known to miss out on the rare sighting due to family chaos at home around the holiday. It took a lot of email passing, but we FINALLY got a date settled and it landed on a gorgeous day!

Here we are:
Cousin Alana, Doug and kids (Ashley, Tyler and Josh)
Cousin Bobby, Felicia and Matt
Cousin Michael
Brother Phil, Patty and kids (Amanda and Alex)
Brother Chris and Vincent (Angela and Ana couldn't make it)
...and Me, Rudy and kids (Dominic and Donovan)

The kids enjoyed swimming, trampolining and closet-disorganizing! Dominic fell in love with the storage boxes FULL of action figures. He somehow found the Power Ranger box, which kept him busy for quite some time. It was very hard for him to have to part with the toys and put them away at the end of the day. It was a long process! Dominic is quite jealous of such "action figure heaven". The food was abundant and the margaritas were delicious (..I must be dreaming... Patty and I had to "pretend" we were drinking margaritas). Without further details...

Alex and Tyler must've known how I'd feel after this.

Matt and Chris go head-to-head (10 years age difference!)

One of Tyler's daredevil stunts.

Donovan's failed daredevil stunt.

Doug mans the grill.

Dominic has a hot dog.

some photos courtesy of Brother Phil.

The Tiger Cubs vs. Team Yellow

...we can't remember who the team we played was. We were so easily distracted watching the pandemonium out on the field. It was a gorgeous morning. Although a little damp, the field was nice, as far as I can tell, and our first game is now "in the books"... (who's keeping score?). "Mini Pearl" was put to good use for her first official game. Cousin Amanda spent the night last night so she tagged along and helped us fill up the car. She kept Donovan entertained while I made use of my camera, the video camera, and my vocals - cheering on my Tiger Cub. Talk about confusing..it was like herding cattle out there. The kids hardly knew what direction to run, where the goal posts were or why they were being lined up in the center for kick offs. Most of the kids, including Dominic, did LOTS of running - no where in particular...just RUNNING. If the ball was near by, perhaps a swift kick was given, but mainly Dominic was just "keeping up" with the flow of traffic. Cute, but probably not how Coach Dad intended. The kids played 3 on 3 on condensed fields, which allowed for each player to at least touch foot on the ball, hopefully! There were 2 games going on with our team and the yellow team, with subs available for those who needed that small break. It was quite a game, considering these kids with short attention spans were herding through the motions by the coach and referee. Our first goalie was really good. She pounced on the ball and held on tight so it would never go in. The second goalie, got a bit anxious and continued to play on the field, thus coming out of the box and not protecting his goal. Again, cute, but probably not how it was supposed to happen.

Oh, the shorts...good lord, the shorts! Why, oh why do they make these things huge in the waist? Poor Dominic was drowning in his shorts. Quite the talent he had playing soccer and holding up his shorts at the same time. The rope-like tie would not hold, nor rolling the waist band helped. Grandma Gertie offered to put an elastic waist band in them, so hopefully we won't see the shorts around his ankles for next time. Many of the kids were not fitting their uniforms correctly. Did they think we were meaty football players? Dominic was exhausted. He did stay up a little late because of the sleep over and getting up early to get to the 9:00 A.M. game was quite a shocker. His crabbiness stayed with him the entire day. Hopefully tomorrow's a better day, as we'll be having a "Cousin Reunion". Stay tuned.

Coach Dad learns the rules before the game.

One of those..."LA..TEE-DA....TEE-DA" moments.

At least if he tucked in his shirt, that may help his shorts from falling?

Isn't she lovely?

Look what was in my driveway when I came home with the kids this evening! Doesn't it just scream "MOM" when you see her? She's a beauty, isn't she? Never did I think we'd be owners of a minivan. But today's styles are kinda cool and hip...or so I think. It'll always scream "Taxi Mom" or "Soccer Mom" but at least I'll be riding in comfort. I haven't even had the pleasure of taking her out for a spin (that's how new she is) but the kids and I got the basics figured out.

I've already been warned NOT to eat or drink in the car. With 16 cup holders, how is that going to be possible? I think there's some subliminal messaging going on in there. With a taupe/beige color interior, the chances of stains are most likely. We'll have to get some floor mats and seat protectors for sure. This "pick of the litter" is a 2007 Toyota Sienna, 8-passenger LE. Wow! My dream! Her complexion is called "Salsa Red Pearl"...I shall call her "Mini Pearl"!

The side door will open and close AUTOMATICALLY with a delicate guidance in the direction you want the door to go. Dominic here is currently holding the 2nd row seat in the middle, which either folds down (with cup holders on top) or can be completely removed from between the two seats.




The 3rd row of seats are 60/40. Both sides can "stow and go" completely into the floor of the vehicle. Magic!
















Donovan has chosen his preferred seat...

..and I look forward to my first trip to Costco!
Look at the deep pockets in the back!








...Isn't she lovely?

By the way, many kudos to Uncle Rafa and Quality Motors. Our vehicle showed up at the auction at just the right time and Uncle Rafa placed the right bid. An awesome deal!

Welcome Friends!

A big shout out to my fellow bloggers cloggers! I miss you guys! Welcome to my blog (rhymes with "clog"). If you choose to stay a while I'm sure you'll learn a lot about me...and perhaps things you wish you didn't know about me. Is THIS what I've been doing while on my clogging hiatus? Nah! Although it is habit-forming, like clogging. Wow, it's been nearly a year (seems like longer) since my last public "performance" with the team. I found it difficult to attend weekly classes and keep up with the group and try to be a "mom" at the same time. Coming home after practices to this huge home with unbathed and un-pajama'd kids, still bright-eyed from the day's activities, left me suffering the next morning. We're still suffering, but I'm much more comfortable without a "commitment". No matter what shape I'm in...pear-shaped or other, clogging will always be my favorite cardio activity (just ask Mr. Dreadmill standing right next to me!) I often think about the "maybes" and the "possibility" of returning to such a pasttime. Unfortunately, I can't find a way to make it work, without it being a burden.

The Sutter's Stompers are such a wonderfully committed group of cloggers that have stuck together through many years. Not only sharing in our love for the dance form, we shared laughter and tears. Do I sound sappy? (...my hormones are kicking in!.....) Okay, let's see if I can dig up some pictures of the best looking clogging group in Sacramento...

Linda, Stephanie, Alison, Marilyn, Phyllis, Susie and Andria

(Phyllis, what were you doing "front and center"?)

Susie and Darwyn, our best-dressed winners!

A date we'll never forget...look, it's on the photo!
(Susie, Phyllis, Alison, Linda, Billie, Judy, Andria)
back row: Marilyn and Mike

My last performance before parting ways: Elk Grove Harvest Festival
Back row: Carol, Judy, Billie Front row: Phyllis, Alison, Marilyn

Happy Birthday Bianca!

Our first niece was born 11 years ago today. It's hard to believe she's quickly approaching the Pre-Teens! Yikes! I remember the day, not so clearly, when Bianca entered the world. Rudy and I were not married yet, so I don't remember labeling her as MY niece, however I was quite honored to be able to see and hold her within hours of her birth. The waiting room at the hospital was smaller than the birthing suite, so we were quite surprised at how quickly we were able to see the precious babe and be with the new family. Kudos to Mom, I'm sure.

Bianca celebrated her birthday at the skating rink. There is "something" about the smells of a roller skating rink that instantly brings back those childhood days. Amazing! I don't know how much "in style" it is anymore, but gosh, it's still fun and great exercise (funny, I wasn't even out there!). I suppose the only difference these days is the use of in-line skates has become quite popular. Dominic chose to wear his Spiderman skates. He wore them proudly and never took them off. He refused to be helped, even during the MANY times he ended up on the floor...which was frequent. He actually did more skating out on the carpet than the rink floor. He went around the rink ONCE while the other kids had cake. I think he feared being out there with all the kids whizzing by him. One lap around and he was done with the hardwood floor. Donovan actually got out there too. He was wanting to go out on the floor without skates, but we had him do his inaugural lap with the skates. He cried and whined putting them on, I think just because we were taking his other shoes off, but he withstood the test. They tighten the wheels for the little ones, which is nice, since you often see them in the split position after they get them on. Taking pictures inside the dark rink is difficult, so I only got a few.

Daddy and Donovan out on the floor;
Dominic content on the carpet (never cheesing for the camera!)


The view was just as grand from the wall; Peyton's chocolate malt was delicious; and Daddy and Dominic get their turn on the skate floor.

Questions answered, and out of the way...

Feel free to leave a comment. I'm ready for your questions. In fact, I may have already answered them here.

Have you figured out what causes this?
One of us is an Engineer. Let's not analyze it.

Was this planned?
Sure. It was God's "plan".

Were you trying for a girl?
Um, no. We are just hoping for a healthy baby with 10 fingers and 10 toes. Thank you. (Thinking pink doesn't hurt though!)

How will you afford private school for all of them?
Nothing's easy. We all have to make sacrifices. We will attempt to give our children the best education in our eyes. They may not be going to Disneyland every summer, but they will learn to deal with that! Isn't our family gatherings like Disneyland anyway? Oh, and thanks for the signing of the State's budget, our resident Civil Engineer is now earning a little more and breathing a sigh of relief.

How will you possibly afford to pay for their college?
Even BEFORE all of our children were born, ScholarShare accounts have been set up for them. We only pray that someday they will be put to good use.

Are you done yet?
99.98% sure.

Will you find out the gender?
Most likely, providing he/she cooperates for the technician to make the prognosis. Whether we tell everyone else is another issue. Just kidding!

Are you still going to work full-time?
TBD. This is pending upon the future announcement to The Boss. I'm sure there wouldn't be a problem with me returning to work. Whether it is beneficial financially is another question. Lots to think about!

What about our trip to Disneyworld in December 2008?
So far, we have no decisions to back out on our trip. You can never be too old or too young to enjoy The Happiest Place on Earth! (...with an 8-month old in tow, just choose your airplane seats wisely!)

Top Ten Signs One MAY Be Pregnant...

10. An unexplained 3.5 hour nap on a Sunday afternoon doesn't leave you refreshed or less tired.

9. You start browsing minivans at carmax.com just for the heck of it.

8. As you drive past your OLD home and have to explain to your 5-year-old that when HE was a baby he used to live there. And he wants to know "where was Donovan?"

7. Watching the birth of Quintuplets in Texas leaves you teary-eyed and goosebumpy.

6. You blame your husband when your bras seem to be shrinking more in the laundry with each load.

5. You have to be dragged out of bed in the morning....literally!

4. After 2 boys, you begin to think of color combinations that go with PINK for decorating a baby's room.

3. After 2 boys, you begin to think how you could possibly stand more testosterone in the house?

2. You are up late at night analyzing every home pregnancy test on peeonastick.com!

...and the number 1 sign...



is the test itself! (yes, very faint - hence, very skeptical)
BUT, a line is a line!

...oh, and I've got more...you want more? Here...

...and for good measure...

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!!!

(Isn't this crazy? Did you know we're living in a "digital" world?)

Draft Day

Who's idea was this game called "Fantasy Football"? The way the participants prepare for "the draft" you'd think it was a college exam or something. They all had their cheat sheets and their "textbooks" at hand and were sure not to overlook onto someone else's paper. Serious business this is! The draft took record time this year - 3 hours. With ten teams, each chose 18 players to start with, and I assume trading will take place throughout the season as "teams" drop players and some get injured, etc. I've never seen such organized chaos and was very impressed with how they set up the draft. All of the players (mostly) were prelabeled so that it could be placed on the tally sheet once they were "drafted". Amazing choreography. Here we go, some pictures of the successful draft day. Game on! By the way, I know NOTHING about football, don't care to and hope Rudy survives the season and doesn't end up with the toilet bowl trophy.

Let the draft begin, and the best team win!

Bianca filled in for Papa's absence - Team Club America

Bianca makes her selection for Papa's team.

Sydney enjoys the slide.

Fred cools off, while flies rest on his head.

Pizza time!

Steven makes his selection, while Kevin
hopes his man is still available.

Kristie studies for her next selection.

The final outcome.