The Jones Girls

I arranged with the owner of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in La Habra forfun event with my La Habra Moms Club.   First, we got a tour of the premises.   

Then our kids got to dip marshmallows in chocolate – the marshmallows cooled on a tray while we all watched how they make homemade Rocky Road Fudge.  Can I just say YUM!!! ????

We had a blast and the kids devoured their chocolate covered marshmallows.  We all bought carmel apples (that is what they are known for) and they offered a special buy 1lb of the homemade fudge and get a 1/2lb free so I HAD to indulge in that special!!

What better day than enjoying chocolate!!

my water bag broke for Baby A (Amanda) at 1:30am.   I remember when it happened…  I was sleeping and it felt like something wet was under me.   I thought I had peed or something, so I got up to go to the bathroom and a big gush of fluid leaked out on the floor.    Cliff checked me and said it was amniotic fluid.

So we had the neighbor come over to be here while Savannah slept and Cliff drove me to the hospital.    They whisked me into Labor & Delivery and checked me into the triage room.  They tested the fluid and confirmed my water bag had broke and it was amniotic fluid.  

They admitted and began pumping me with IV fluids.  Fluids help stop contractions and since my water bag broke for Baby A, we were trying to avoid labor because I didn’t want to deliver these babies at 28-1/2 weeks.    They also gave me a special steroid shot which would mature the babies’ lungs in case I did go into labor and had to deliver the babies.

I remember having to lie flat on my back and eat a special low-carb diet.   One of the side affects of the steroid shot is it puts the patient into gestational diabetes.  They had to check my blood sugars every few hours around the clock and once in a while I would need a few tiny units of insulin to keep me safe from high blood sugars.

It was so difficult laying in bed for two weeks before I gave birth.  I remember I had to pee in a bedside potty so I wouldn’t have to walk.   I was only allowed to take a 5 minute shower once.   The rest of the time I got daily bed baths.   

Amanda’s water bag would slowly fill up and then if I moved just slightly, the water would spill out of her bag.   I had to wear 3 monitors on my belly to monitor all fo the babies.    Baby A was hanging in there.  She rested on my colon and since she had virtually no amniotic fluid, my colon got really bruised and aggravated with her laying on it.    It was so excruciating.    I think I might have had something called colitis.    I had that even up to a month after giving birth to the babies.

When they first pumped me up with IV fluid, I got edema.   It was horrible.  I couldn’t breathe and thought I was going to suffocate.  I was laying flat on my back and had the babies up in my diaphragm pressing on my lungs.    I had a respiratory therapist come in and help give me special breathing exercises.  

I remember missing my Sweet Savannah.  She was our home with Nanny Feli.  Cliff would bring her by at night to visit with me.   There was a couple of nights that they didn’t come because Cliff was tired.    That was my first time away from Savannah.

My online group of friends formed a calling schedule and I had 6-10 friends calling me a day to keep me company, give me strength, and give me hope.   It also helped overcome the edema by me taking on the phone and breathing while talking.

A close friend of mine , Jennifer, who is a Labor & Delivery nurse, who helped me deliver Savannah, made sure she put me down as her patient.  We had some good times together while I was on bed rest in the hospital.  I remember she brought her whole beauty kit and gave me a massage, shaved my legs, and gave me aromatherapy lotion as a gift.  I still have that lotion and LOVE it!!  What a great friend…

Thank the Precious Lord for protecting my babies…especially Baby A – Amanda.  She had so many odds against her from conception right through the very end.   

I can look back and marvel at what a miracle that whole experience was.    I am so blessed with these precious little girls.  Thank you God for my babies.

Yesterday I took the girls bowling at .  It was Savannah’s 3rd time bowling and the triplets first time bowling.  Thank goodness I had Mindy with me!!   They didn’t have bowling shoes small enough for the triplets and Savannah so they wore their own shoes.  I got bowling shoes for Mindy and me.  I had bowling coupons for free bowling so it was free for us to bowl.  Yippee!!

I organized a bowling party for our La Habra Mom’s Club at La Habra Bowl 300.  It was a really good turn out. 

The girls and I got to have our own private lane since there was six of us.  We had reserved 5 lanes for the La Habra Mom’s Club and we used up all 5 lanes!!

The triplets used a special “ramp” to bowl.  They perched the ball on this special ramp that looked sort of like a slide and the ball would slide down the ramp and go down the lane toward the pins.  This is what fist time kiddie bowlers use.    Savannah crouched down and pushed her ball down the lane to get to the pins.  I have to say Savannah one us all!!   I think she might have a knack for bowling.

We had pizza afterwards at the bowling alley and all of the moms and kids had a great time.   The triplets really enjoyed their first time bowling.

Yesterday I took the girls to get the 3 year portraits.   They wore their cute birthday overalls.    They did me proud and posed for the camera like perfect little angels.    Every picture came out perfect!!

Then we changed outfits and did a group picture with Mindy, Savannah and the triplets.  That is when the meltdown began….Maryssa and Miranda were losing it.   We got one good picture of all of them. 

Then Mindy got some single portraits of herself.  My goodness she looked beautiful.  Th’s was her fist time ever getting professional portraits done.   She was so excited.

I ordered about 20 portraits of all of them.  Cute, cute cute!!!

I have a good friend -Gina-of about 7 years who has been fighting cancer since October last year.  She and I were both pregnant with our girls, back in 2003.    She has an older boy, 8 years old, who is autistic.

We both belong to an online forum and have a big group of women who are mothers.    We have a sistership and we all live in all corners of the country.

Last Friday, my friend, Nancy, called me and told me Gina’s time on earth was ending soon.  This came to a huge shock to me.   Over a month ago Gina was so optimistic about her cancer treatment.     She took a little time off from the treatment to get the pain management under control.  What she didn’t tell all of us was that the time off was really going into hospice care….    I don’t think she wanted to worry any of us.

Anyway, the reality was our dear, sweet Gina was going to be joining the angels soon.  She would be leaving behind her true loves – her daughter Andrea and Matthew as well as her hubby Matt.

When I got this news from Nancy, I just broke down.   Why – why – why!!  Gina is only 41 years old.     She is her son, Matthew’s rock and a huge advocate for his autism.  How would this affect the kids?  It just made my heart ache.  

Then Sunday on the way to Hollywood Hills, I got a call from my friend Nancy.  I didn’t want to answer the phone because I knew what I was going to hear and I thought if I didn’t hear it, it would not be true.  But I had to face reality, face the truth and I answered the phone.  Nancy told me that Gina had passed away 2 hours ago.   I had a pit in my throat that I just couldn’t swallow.    It took my breath away.   I couldn’t lose it…I was driving.    I prayed as I drove.  

I miss my sweet Gina.   God Bless you my dear friend.  You have left behind a legacy of your children and your sisterhood of friends.  You will never be forgotten and you have touched so many lives.

Here is a poem in dedication for Gina:

Gina,
I guess heaven was needing a hero
Somebody just like you
Brave enough to stand up
For what you believe
And follow it through
When I try to make it make sense in my mind
The only conclusion I come to
Is heaven was needing a hero
Like you

In memory of our sister

Here is the obituary of Gina:

Sunday we caravan-ed with Steve and the family to Hollywood Hills.    Mindy was awed by the high profile area.  We drove along Laurel Canyon.    

When we arrived, it was at this amazing house!!    The entry had a fountain full of fish nestled in a bunch of rocks.  The girls perched themselves there and had a ball.  There was a circular stair case and the party was happening upstairs.  We all went upstairs and were greeted by all of Cliff’s family – his siblings, parents, grandparents and numerous cousins.  He has a cousin who has triplets so the kids had a ball playing with the other triplets!! 

The house was super sleek, decorated in Mardi Gras theme with blacks, hot pinks, golds and mirrors!!   It was truly an art form.     With so many people in the house, it made it unbearably hot.  Everyone was sweating profusely.

We e left at about 5pm and headed back on the 101-south back to our house in La Habra.

What a great vacation we had.    Relaxing, cool and lovely. Thank you so much Steve and Reyna for making us feel loved and like family.

I tel you, Steve and Reyna are the best hosts!!   We felt so comfortable and welcome at their home.  They invited us to stay another night and attend their family reunion which was held on Sunday in Hollywood Hills.  We were thrilled!!

Saturday we planned a fun and exciting day at the park which is adjacent to the beach in Oxnard.  Steve packed up his RV and the girls piled in his RV. I followed in my car and we all drove to the park and beach!!   This was the first time for the girls to drive in an RV.  How exciting for them.

This park was massive.  The playground was magical.  The girls played there for about 3 hours.  Then Steve grilled burgers for us and we had lunch.  

Reyna had to work in the morning and she joined us for burgers.   Their daughter flew in from San Francisco and joined us for burgers also.  We drank wine (in real wine glasses!!)  and Steve had beer.  It was so fun.

We wandered over to the beach.    The girls brought along their shovels and pails.   They played till their heart’s delight.  We all got our feet wet and breathed in the soothing ocean air.  It was perfect.

Then a guy carrying his pet iguana came over to us and asked if the girls would like to pet his iguana.  He told us he had his pet for 22 years!!  The girls were in awe and just amazed!!  I got lots of pictures.   Reyna thought it was pretty special too.

People were flying kites on the beach and in the park.  The girls chased after the kites.  There was a Nemo kite and the girls, especially, Savannah, was mesmerized by it.

We left the park at sunset, 7:30pm or so.

Then we got home, cleaned up and then went over to Steve’s bakery.   He gave us a tour of the baker and surprised the girls!!   They got to make and decorate their own cupcakes.    He looked so proud.     It was just way too much fun!!