AND THE WINNER IS...

After much heated discussion, Lynn's final submission was Will Kalana Westbrook and Ben's was Eddie Kapono Westbrook. Due to an inability to agree, however, we went to the archives and dug out the name as inscripted below. "But wait! Cruz wasn't one of the choices!" Yes, I know. But after so many scathing comments by our family and friends of the names we loved we no longer felt good selecting from that pool. Just kidding. We appreciated all the comments. But now that his face isn't all squished anymore, he just looks like a Cruz to us. And in case you are wondering, Kealoha is Hawaiian for "the love" which seemed appropriate to us. Plus, now we can ask, "Where is the love?" and it has a whole new meaning. So there you have it.

Thanks for all the contributions.

Quick Poll - Help!

I didn't think we'd have to resort to opening up a poll but I can probably leave the hospital tomorrow but we can't come to an agreement on a name. Please place a quick vote either anonymously on the poll and/or feel free to add supporting comments either in favor or against certain names.

*Even if we end up picking one you hate we won't hold it against you for vocalizing dissent. :)

Thanks.



- Avery says we can always call him Jennifer and Miles is calling him Ahkman Ra.

Newest Westbrook

We are happy to announce the arrival of the newest baby Westbrook on 26 March at 10:41 am, by c-section after 12+ hrs of labor. Weighing in at 7 lbs 12 oz and 21 1/2 inches long. Mom and baby are both doing great. Here are some photos to whet your appetite. If I can get Lynn's approval, we'll add footage of the c-section in a future post.

What will he look like?

I don't know but we'll find out soon enough. My toenails are painted, legs are shaved and I'm heading out to have a baby. There's no turning back now.

(and I prepared this post before I was in labor. i'm sure i'm in much too much pain right now to be blogging.)

Here is the profile pic from Baby #3's ultrasound in October.

Miles:

Day One

Two Months

Avery:

Day One

Two Months

Me



I don't have one of Ben.


*Both kids two months photos by Aunt Sara.

More names.

Our list should be getting shorter but it's not. It's getting longer. And more ridiculous.
Again, I won't mention who likes which names but you can probably determine who likes what just based on their appropriateness for our racial makeup (although in his defense Ben does have a Portuguese side - De Veirera) or just general appropriateness:

Dale
Blake
Carlos
Hawk
Ian
Javier (pretty sure this is on the other list but someone wanted it again)
Kanoa
Neil
Quentin
Rocco
Roscoe
Theophilus
Walker
Lance
Diego
Shlomo
Shelomi (which we would pronounce to rhyme with Salami)

If this baby knows what is good for him he'll arrive before we have a chance to have the name conversation again.


Notes from the previous list:
* Jaquiz is actually supposed to be spelled Jacquizz. Which of course is much better.
** Lysurgus is a family name suggested by Ben's dad - who is apparently as gifted in the baby naming dept. as his son. Paolo is also a family name. So is Reed.
*** And Tarah - Ben's mom also suggested Jerome, but we never thought of the Jr. thing. Since Jerome does come up as an alias on our credit report why not!

Other baby-naming notes:
- Aunt Brittany suggested Diego. Apparently she's on Ben's side.
- My mom has suggested Kip and Coe. Cute. And African.
- One time I found a handwritten piece of paper - the back of a floral arrangement card actually (from his dad and three older brothers in celebration of Ben's birth) - that had Ben's mom's list of potential names for Ben...I mean Benjamin (he was never supposed to be just Ben). The names included Beau, Spencer, Quinn, Boyd...and some others I can't remember right now. I wish I could find that paper.
- I could have been a Danielle or Piper.

Gavin Rayne

Tarah recently reminded me of names I liked in high school - and not that I was aspiring to be a young mother but had I had a baby boy in 1995 or 1996 his name probably would have been Gavin Rayne (and Glycerine would have been the soundtrack to his birth). Anyhow, we are no closer to having a name for our baby then were a few weeks ago but here is our list that grows more ridiculous by the second (there are a couple on here that are jokes, but some that you might think are jokes are serious contributions from the baby's daddy). I just want to wait and see what the guy looks like and then decide, it worked for Avery (who would have been Reese if I would have been able to convince Ben to come to terms with a name before she was born).

*The girl names are just in case.






And Avery's "List uv nams" :

(Her first choice to name the baby is Tom - and variations of, such as - Tomy, Tomy Tom & Tomy Tom Tom. If Ben could choose from her list he would for sure pick Exzavion and Tyvel. I like Tiny.)

More end-of-pregnancy nonsense.

Because I'm sure everyone wants a play-by-play of my last days as a sacred vessel...

I can't think of any other life event that is so momentous yet completely unpredictable. It may be the only thing that Google can't tell me (I checked). I am definitely more of a head case about it this third time around. I have been having contractions off and on for over a week now - I put a friend on high alert, insisting she keep her phone by her at night at least a week and a half ago. I am seriously surprised (a strange mixture of relief and disappointment) when I wake up and it's a new day (not that I sleep all that soundly). With my other two I never even thought about it until I was within a day or so of my due date. But with my other two I never had any inkling from my body that something was going to happen until something imminent was about to occur.

Two weeks ago I had the free time and was ready for the big arrival. This week I spent walking gingerly and taking it easy so I wouldn't do anything to encourage it*. So I got to go to lunch with a friend I haven't seen in about 8 months, got to attend the parent-teacher conference, got to take Avery to the ballet and got through the date my doctor asked me not to go into labor because she only sees her husband once a month (that was yesterday and happily coincided with a most beautiful first day of spring). Although, the other thing I worry about is Ben. He falls asleep reading to his kids, watching TV and while we are discussing names. Sometimes he can catch up on a little sleep during the weekend, but this weekend he his on call. The last thing I want to do is have no-sleep johnny have to endure an all-nighter with me, for his sake. (I have considered not telling him if he is at work though and then just paging him when the whole thing is over, but I'm a little crazy like that though. He is 100% welcome to wait in the lobby handing out cigars if he wants.)

So now my schedule has drastically opened up. Which just gives me more time to think about it. And unfortunately when the 500 lb elephant in the room (or is it 800 lb gorilla?) is you, it's hard to avoid thinking about it. My due date is not until Wednesday, so I don't know why I feel like I am entitled to an early birth. My mom recently told me that she was a few days overdue with me and nearly two weeks with one of my sisters! And it's not like the baby stops growing in the meantime. I always imagine a baby growing in the womb like a ship being constructed in a bottle, only the baby has to come out in one piece.

So I am about to shift gears from delaying labor to trying every trick in the book. With Miles, a jump on a trampoline and one bite of whatever spicy curry Ben made for dinner the night before his due date was enough to do it**. I've got an accupressure guide up for Ben to read and help me with pain management while we're still at home and it has a few pressure points that can supposedly speed things along but I'll wait until my due date comes and goes to try those. I won't try castor oil - too many horror stories. I'm pretty content to have everything happen how and when it's supposed to - I just wish I knew when it was going to be. My March baby could technically end up coming in April. I just want to know!

---
* If you are a fan of The Office - I didn't go so far as to wearing a shirt with a certain area cut out a la Merideth.


**With Avery I was induced the day before her due date while attending a routine appt. they discovered I had zero amniotic fluid - which turned out not to be the case - and they treated me with magnesium for pre-eclampsia which I also didn't have (swelling yes, high blood-pressure yes - but the protein test was negative) and they told me when it was time to start pushing because they thought I had an epidural and couldn't feel when it also might be time - which resulted in a a marathon pushing session and lots of burst blood vessels in my face/eyes and a very rude doc I felt was threatening me to get her out. Our house also had been broken into the night before (while we were home) and we had spent the entire night awake with Officer Schminky (which would become one of Avery's nicknames and actually what we called her while we settled on a name) and his burglar sniffing dog. I had not showered, eaten or packed a bag when I arrived for my appt. Eating would have been a really good idea. When they said I had to go have a baby now (mostly under whispered breath amongst the hospital staff - I still think it was just a convenient time for them) I called and then hid in the bathroom and cried until he made it over. First year medical students don't know a whole lot about the labor and delivery process so I think he felt a little helpless too. My doctor that I had been seeing couldn't make it over and he expressed disappointment in the way things had gone down for me...which just fuels my conspiracy theory.

Being Prepared (for Baby).

There's nothing like the smell of burning microfleece in the morning. Actually it was in the evening, but my belly has gotten so large that I can't even cook without the risk of setting fire to myself. At least not on the front burners anyway. I really liked that jacket too.

I've been having contractions about 24 hours apart for the last week. Sometimes more frequently. And while they say Braxton-Hicks don't hurt, they kinda do. I didn't experience them with my other two but they catch you off guard and you kinda can't breathe and I can't tell if they actually are painful or if I am just anticipating what I know for sure to be dreadful and unavoidable.

I hate not knowing exactly when the baby is going to arrive, or exactly how it will go. I spent last week bored out of my mind because I didn't want to schedule anything or do anything in case I went into labor. This week it's the opposite and I would really appreciate it if this guy could wait until next Monday at least to make his appearance because I have lunch plans, parent-teacher conference, taxes to finish filing, seeds to plant, swimming/gymnastics lessons and a ballet to attend (with non-refundable tickets). Then the weather this weekend is supposed to be nice and Ben's on call - although he'd probably be glad to get out of that - but probably even gladder to get out of work on Monday, when it's supposed to rain and be blah. So next week is actually better for me.

Being Prepared.

I have felt very strongly the past year about getting prepared for an emergency and since disasters of the natural and economic kind are always happening worldwide (even though we have had a few major incidences lately I say always instead of recently because in my adult lifetime it doesn't take much thought to go back the past 10 years and recount numerous tragedies, not to mention those we know of from history), and because I now have kids to take care of it seems more important than it has in the past. Not to mention we now have a garage and a pantry so I have the space to stock up. Not that I didn't love having canned goods stashed under our couch.

Although it's still a work in progress it really is comforting to know that we might have some of the basics on hand to make survival during a trial less trying. Here are some of the things that are part of our emergency plan (and I am open to more or better ideas).


- Water. This is probably the most important but most difficult to store element of survival. Even though we have the space now the last thing I wanted in my yard or garage is one of the giant blue polyethylene barrels that to me just seem like they would be the perfect breeding ground for algae etc. Plus I don't think it would be very easy to transport if we had to leave quickly. So I keep a few cases of bottled water on hand but they seem to get used plus I'm not sure if the plastic bottles are the best for long-term storage. So my favorite option for water storage are the Mylar storage bags and boxes (shown in above pictures) from Emergency Essentials. Each bag stores 5 gallons and has a handy spout for dispensing. Easy to move, easy to store. And one reviewer said that they tested the water after a few years and it was still fresh. But if you don't have water on hand there is always the toilet tank! ;)


- Food. I am not one to store wheat, or any other grain that I have no idea what to do with, nor possess the tools to grind it. I could probably learn these skills but when there are so many other convenient items to store I am not inclined to any time soon. Number one on my list of foods I want to have in a time of trouble - chocolate. So I try to stock up on chocolate chips. (I figure they might be good for bartering purposes as well). Keeping the inventory up is a problem however.


Mostly I try to store stuff we actually eat. One, because I know what to do with it. Two, it gets rotated frequently (and I don't run out of the important stuff and have to go to the store as often). This consists of peanut butter, cereal (oats and cold cereal), honey and jam, a variety of canned vegetables and beans, pasta and sauce, canned and boxed soups, ketchup and salsas, coconut milk, rice, canned fish and meats and some of those meal in a box type things (Homestyle Bakes etc.). I usually concentrate on one or two items per shopping trip and it's usually those items that are on sale.


I hope to eventually add some more camping style freeze-dried pouches, MRE's, high calorie survival bars and bulk items to our storage. First on my list is powdered milk (any brand suggestions?) and one thing I am very curious about - canned bacon. Apparently this Yoder's bacon is supposed to be delicious.

Costco actually has a great selection of emergency kits online for reasonable prices and no addtl. shipping costs (they even sell wheat and rice in bulk). We have an emergency 72 hour kit and a 99 meal kit from there - both in convenient, easy to transport buckets.

I also store vitamins. And some seeds in case we need to plant a victory garden.

- Toiletries/Cleaning Supplies. It takes me over a year to go through a bottle of shampoo (shower much?) so I don't tend to over-stock on beauty items but paper towels, toilet paper, (soon diapers and wipes), foil, trash bags etc. are on the list. I also stock up on laundry detergent, bleach, dish soap and other basic cleaning supplies.

- First Aid. This part of preparation isn't so interesting to me put we do have some medical odds and ends, not to mention a surgeon on call, in the house. Of course I have some homeopathic voodoo (herbs, colloidal silver, vinegar and what not) just in case.

- Batteries/Light/Fuel/Matches. This is a hard one to keep on hand, plus it can get expensive. We have an assortment of batteries - rechargeable and otherwise. We have some propane. I would love to have a whole house generator.

Flashlights are also difficult to keep around - our kids love to take them from their proper places and subsequently leave them on until their batteries are exhausted. Same thing with lanterns, headlamps etc.


Also, I try to keep my car's gas tank as full as possible at all times. Usually when it gets to half I refill. I just feel like this is important. It doesn't cost anymore, it just means more frequent stops at the gas station.

- Cash. Not a ton but some on hand in case ATM's are out of commission. And in small bills - I don't think proprietors are going to making much change in a major catastrophe.


- Misc. - Blankets, Ponchos, Sleeping Bags, and other camping type supplies. (If you have kids you might want small toys, games and books in a easy to grab backpack).

Crank radios, flares, gas-masks, rescue ladders? The possibilities to increase your comfort level are endless - and personal - what things would you not want to be without?


- Weapons. We don't have a huge cache or anything (and what we have is safely stored) but if you're going to have a stock of supplies you've got to be able to protect it. Not to mention some squirrel meat might taste real good in the right circumstance. Add ammunition to this category. (And wasp spray - I keep getting an email forward about how it sprays 20 feet and can protect you from an intruder and it doesn't sound like a half bad idea.)

A few months ago I had the chance to talk about emergency preparation with my neighbor, I'm not sure how the topic came up but she started working on her emergency preparedness too and I'm so glad. Mostly, because I don't want to have to share our stockpile - (nor do I want others to suffer). I certainly don't want to have to use wasp spray on her, but I might be interested in seeing what she might trade for a bag of chocolate chips...

Being prepared isn't just for boy scouts. So neighbors, family, friends - especially those in earthquake heavy parts of the country - have a plan (so I don't have to worry about you if something bad happens). And if anyone has any advice on this subject I'd love to hear it.

[Note - One thing that also used to prevent me from stocking up was the cost associated with buying more than we might need at a time but I realized that money in the bank may not be so easy to turn into food, water and supplies in an emergency - and certainly won't be cheap to get. So it's now a part of our "savings and investment" plan. What has your 401K done for you lately? ]

So I guess it's time to own up to the fact that I will soon be a mother of three, as I am about to hit the 2 weeks and counting mark (which could also be the any day now mark, even though my other two came with 24 hours of their due date). It would also be the same point at which not even a special parking spot at the commissary is enough of a perk to make the sacrifice seem worthwhile. But being that it will all be over soon and that it may very well (99% sure) be my last time to experience this delicate condition, here are my observations/questions/comments on the experience this time around:

- Keeping it a secret until you are half way through doesn't make it go by any faster. I was deluded to think that since Ben and I didn't discover our joyous surprise until I was just about 10 weeks into it and we didn't make a formal announcement until we found out what we were having that somehow the whole thing would just whiz by. But here we are, tick tock. Or make that tick......tock.......

- Since my first pregnancy I have always made an effort to never waddle. If I catch myself starting to I try to pick up the pace and tell myself to shape up and walk like a normal person. This time I feel like I just skipped the waddle and went straight to a full on hobble. And I haven't the mental strength to combat it.

- On a positive note I am probably going to come in about 15 lbs lighter than I did with the other two. I'm currently in the light heavyweight division (in men's boxing mind you) but if I can stay out of the 190's then I consider it a success. I don't know what I did differently this time that had such an impact. With Avery it was an unabashed food fest for 9 months coupled with occasional exercise and more occasional lounging (= final weigh-in of 198 and time to return to fighting weight of 140 = two years). Determined not to do that again with Miles I made much better food choices and worked out religiously the entire pregnancy. Final weigh-in: 197! (In addition to coming in a whole lb lighter, I also managed to leave the hospital having only lost 6 lbs even after having a baby 7 lbs +). So this time I figured my body was going to do whatever it wanted and I didn't think much about it. This baby has seemed to sit on my stomach most of the time so maybe it's like having lap-band surgery and I don't eat as much before feeling full. Plus even though I am inclined to roll my eyes when people account for losing weight because they are chasing after young children (usually it is a celebrity who has a nanny who says this) Miles doesn't allow for much lounging to go on so perhaps this is a factor.

- So on the subject of pre-natal exercise, I was gung-ho to do something the entire nine months. With Miles budakon was the workout I enjoyed the most (with Avery it was a almost daily walk to get french fries at Blimpies. I thought yoga was going to be the discipline for me this time but when childs pose stopped being a relaxing position at around 5 months along, I stopped going and my yoga mat has been rolled up in the back of my car ever since. When the doctor with no childbearing experience of her own asks me if I am exercising, I consider in my head the number of times I go up and down the stairs and how my heart rate gets elevated each time, and I answer yes.

- My palate has changed, although not substantially, yet enough to not find as much pleasure in meals I may have otherwise (despite all of my recent food adventures). Give me a bowl of plain, bland cereal, milk and bananas any time of day and I'm happy. Or a baked potato. Simple carbs. Or citrus. Or chocolate (with a side of heartburn).

- My hair is fuller, which is nice, unfortunately my face is too so it kind of cancels out the benefits. What a double chin has to do with a growing fetus, I'm not sure.

- So although the growing face doesn't require a new wardrobe, the expanding waistline, etc. does, and my new wardrobe this time around included two pairs of black stretchy pants - one in cotton/spandex and one in a polyester blend from REI. I think I have alternated wearing them exclusively for the last four months (and they will probably stay in rotation for the next four). Around Thanksgiving time I was still trying to squeeze into my normal clothes which I realized directly correlated with my being irritable so I got out the maternity box and was instantly much happier (Ben probably would like to know what my problem is now - chances are it's also related to being uncomfortable although there is no percentage of spandex that can cure this discomfort). So even though I got out my maternity clothes I found that there wasn't much there that I really enjoyed wearing, especially the full paneled denim, so I will be happy to get rid of those items ASAP - one less plastic bin in the storage shed - yea!

- Something I do enjoy and will miss is feeling the baby move. And I won't be surprised if this one comes out with 8 arms and legs. I've never felt limbs in such disparate locations as I have this time. Avery and Miles sat the same way and essentially the pregnancies were identical. This one is on the opposite side and stretches out at any given opportunity.

- Nesting. Unless this involves surrounding yourself with down filled pillows to try to get comfortable I'm not sure I am, at least if I am it doesn't feel any different than the norm. Since we move so frequently I feel like we are always getting our nest in order. And with the weather warming up it just feels like spring cleaning to me. Mostly I want to be outside weeding and getting the garden boxes ready. And since that has nothing to do with welcoming baby I'd say it's more a function of having some sunshine than anything. About once a week I do get a thorough house cleaning accomplished and each time I think that this is the last time I will have to wash sheets/scrub floors/organize the kids room, etc etc. before the baby arrives and then the next day things are already in disarray. The same with trips to the grocery store. I keep stocking up but then find myself right back in the checkout line a week later. I did just get the infant car seat out of storage yesterday and will be washing 0-3 month clothes here soon so maybe I am in the process. We are really going to be having a baby - yikes!

With most of this amazing (it is amazing, even if is is uncomfortable at times) experience behind me I only have the final event ahead of me and I have to admit that I am pretty freaked out. Usually after having done something a couple times you feel more at ease with the process. I'd say labor has to be an exception. The first time you have no idea what to expect so you have that going for you. The second time you might imagine that it's going to be quicker and easier than the first time but you might find out that even if the baby is over a pound smaller it can still be a long and even more painful process. So now I am wising up to the fact that this time may be no easier. And I don't remember what to do with a newborn but figure I can't be any less prepared than the first time so we'll be alright.

But we do need a name...

Avocado Plant

I've always wanted to sprout a plant from an avocado seed. And I've spent years trying. (I kinda recall my mom doing this when I was younger but not sure if she had any success)

Previously I used the toothpick suspended seed in a glass of water method and it never got very far. Finally I read somewhere that you could just put a pit in a plastic baggie with a wet paper towel, set it in a dark place and forget about it. I put a few* per bag (5 total) and it worked! All five sprouted (I brought them out of the dark after about three months) and now over a year later (still in the plastic bag roots and all and two feet tall) I am ready to plant them in dirt. I am very nervous about this because I planted one in dirt a few months ago and it died. I even used special potting soil for avocado. So far I have planted two and will see how they fare before I plant the others. Maybe they just prefer to grow hydroponically. They are supposed to make great-looking houseplants so I hope they survive.

* I used avocados straight off of a tree in CA this time instead of those from the store. I don't know if there is a difference because they haven't been trucked and refrigerated or if organic would be superior to conventional.

December/January/February Recap

The last three months have been a whirlwind of hibernation/holidays and we are finally back to standard operating procedure around here. If there is such a thing. In other words, after realizing that we have been in our house now nearly a year we decided to re-unpack by going on a major organization binge room by room as well as finishing up unfinished house projects like the kids closets, garage shelving, hanging pictures etc. Sunny days and an impending birth have that affect on people I guess.

One thing I didn't get done as planned was sending out "holiday" cards even though I got them printed and even though I put Happy New Years instead of Merry Christmas just so I wouldn't have any time constraint. I can't remember who I have already given/sent these to and not sure if March is still considered the New Year so maybe I'll just save these for next year and have a baby photoshopped in. So Happy New Year from the Westbrooks everyone!

Ben - Probably the highlight of Ben's last few months was finding a suitcase full of clothes that he packed when we moved almost two years ago. It was like Christmas is February discovering all of those khaki pants and Not Guilty shirts. Not to mention a ton of socks, which is good because I often snag athletic socks from his drawer instead of just buying my own.

Miles - Miles has probably had the most eventful new year as he graduated from nursery and became a sunbeam at church. He also started gymnastics and swimming lessons. I don't know why I didn't do these things sooner since they are free at the gym. I guess I had waited till he was three to sign up for the swimming lessons so that we could skip the mommy and me thing cause I don't even like gearing up for swimming when I am going to go for myself much less for a 30 minute sing song drag your kid around the pool event and nevermind that I don't exactly feel great in a swimsuit right now. But they encouraged me to start him in that class anyway, so I did it and we had fun. He seemed really scared at first but was a pro by the end and he has now moved on to the next class which doesn't require me to get wet and can now float on his back unassisted and do a bit of paddling.

He's also become a wizard on the computer (starfall.com, pbskids.org) which gives me some free time now and then, although we do seem to go through printer paper rather quickly.

The thing I am most excited about is that he his sleeping in his own bed (that he shares with his sister) without a struggle now and for the most part staying there all night. This needed to happen before the baby came because bedtime was always the least favorite part of the day for me but now it's not so bad.

Avery - Started a gymnastics class at the gym and is finally in a class where they actually learn the equipment and real technique instead of just doing obstacle courses. Got her some music books with the intention that Ben could start giving her a weekly piano lesson - or grandma when she's in town - but since I try not to overschedule the kids (or Ben) it may have to wait until summer. In the meantime the only music I'll hear from the keyboard is the awful programmed stuff that the kids love to dance to.

Avery finished her first Sparks book for Awanas which means she has memorized 25 verses and the books of the Bible.

Me - Besides growing a baby I have just been up to the usual - cooking, cleaning, yardwork and whatever other things I signed up for all those years ago. And I am now Avery's sunday school teacher at church.

Books:

I've also managed to read some and a book I thoroughly enjoyed was Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl. It's about Reichl's years as a food critic for the New York Times and it is delicious! I always thought that being a food critic would be the best job in the world but now I think that being a food critics friend would be even better. All the perks, none of the responsibility. Reading this book is no substitution for the food she gets to experience but it's about as close as I will ever get to eating at any of these restaurants and far fewer calories.

Movies: I thought Sherlock Holmes was a fun movie in the theater - and I don't think it's just because I don't get to the theater often. And from the handful of DVD's we watched I thought Paper Heart was excruciating, (500) Days of Summer was forgettable, Hurt Locker was exciting enough, and The Invention of Lying was extremely clever and fun. Ben fell asleep midway through all of these but that's not saying much.

The kids have been loving the Pippi Longstocking movies via Netflix and it has been so fun to rewatch her escapades with them. And Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was pretty funny too.