Shhhhhhhh, I have a secret

I've been penning this blog in my head since we found out 2 day before mother's day and I am still having trouble coming up with the words.  We are expecting again.  Those words bring a huge smile to my face, joy to my heart and some healthy fear to go along with them.  


It feels insane to plan to have more than one child so young in age. As my father once told me, I'm no spring chicken and that I lived things on the front end of my life.  I think he's pretty much right.   Therefore, It has always been our plan to have our children close in age and together.  I'm glad God has obliged.    Hawaii is paradise but also a long way from family and friends.  There will be challenges from this but also some great benefits.  We are so excited to be able to deliver our next child with the same mid wife that delivered Helaina, Linda Chong-Tim.  She was a guardian angel and I can't imagine going through the process without her.  Also, hopefully because we live in paradise, we will have loving, willing visitors to come calling around the due date again.  (hint hint)

We have asked Helaina for fun, if she wants a brother or a sister.  Depending what gender you asked last , she would say that.  However, lately she has been pretty much consistent with sister.  Chris has announced that we would be getting a male dog if that were the case.  Last time I was sure it was going to be a girl for the first 6 months and then the hormones took me everywhere.  I was completely surprised.  Chris waited to guess until about 6 months and was correct with his girl prediction that he stood by.  We have all the gender neutral things and of course all the girl stuff so we plan on waiting again.  The not knowing helped through labor last time.  I plan on putting a poll up on this site if you would like to roll the dice.  Either way.....we pray, and hope you will join us in doing so, for a healthy Higgs baby 2.  We will also be praying for Helaina's adjustment to sharing the spotlight and that Bebe will not jump off the balcony when she realizes what's happened.

By the way, it's not a secret anymore.  Thank you for sharing this special time in our life.

"Tras Truc" This one goes out to all my buddies at WM.

Really I blame the fact that I worked at Waste Management while Helaina was in utero.  My MIL said that Chris was obsessed with trucks as a child too. either way, our newest obsession is with Trash Trucks.  We live on the 34th floor and have an incredible view...beach, mountains, and some urban landscapes too.  Because we live in a large city, the trash cans are serviced by a little truck going to pick up the industrial cans (6 yarders for all my garbage groupies) and brings them out to the busy street so the traditional commercial truck can service them.  Our building has about 6 regular cans that are serviced several times a week.  That would be 12 bangs on the asphalt (two for each container) that are just loud enough to hear from our place.
The reaction is as if if you were giving away free ice cream. (not that she would have tried that yet but you get the point)  "Tras Truc, Tras Truc Tras Truc Momma, Dadda"  Not that the banging is the only cue.  Any truck beeping will do.  Heck we don't even need a cue, we can get summoned to the window 25 times a day for nothing more than to see if the containers are being serviced.

The good news is that airplanes have taken a back seat for a while and we don't have to hear "air, air" 40 times a day.  As a former trash geek I have to say I don't always mind watching the process.  There aren't as many rules here in Hawaii, or at least these drivers are not following them.   The drivers have their way with the cans and throw caution, as well as other's drivers and road rules to the wind.  It's quite comical to watch, at least in the safety of our apartment.

We have even made a mini trash truck our of her bristle blocks

I think Chris and I are having more fun with her blocks than her.  

I've included a few other random pics for those of you who solely check this site for Helaina.  You know who you are.

She looks like a worried princess.

Daddy dubbed this one Lionel Richie

Bebe

Bebe (our boston terrier) has often made it into the content that is mostly about Helaina.  She really does deserve at least one blog entry created just for her.  She is going to be 11 at the end of this year and I don't want to wait to highlight the joy she brings into our life written as an obituary.  Though, I am sure when that day comes you will get pages or ear(s) full.  Our friends Tim and Bill just said good bye to their companion Snickers after 16 years.  I can only imagine the sadness they have experienced.  Our heart goes our to them and anyone else who has lost a furry member of their family.

So let's face it, pets can be a pain in the derriere!  As if there's not enough poop to clean up and mouths to feed around here.........don't forget the dog.  We live in a high rise.  If we didn't, we still would have to walk bebe a few times a day and regularly rid the yard of poop, but at least first thing in the am or last thing of the night, we wouldn't have to get dressed (more dressed than you would to open the slider at your house), bring her down wait for her to do her ritual poo poo dance which includes walking a bit then in a circle 37 times before finding the right spot.  As an added bonus - our building is 'dog friendly' but your dogs paws aren't allowed to touch the general public areas that are not outside.  Therefore, we have to carry her through halls, the elevator and the lobby.  I used to make fun of people that had dog strollers.  I now use Helaina's stroller to cart bebe down then she and Helaina switch places for the outside portion of their walk.  Laugh if you will but have you ever tried to herd a 1.5 year old, push a stroller, & hold a dog?

If our bank account ever feels too big, we like to bring bebe to the vet.  It's the quickest way to over correct any disposable income we may have had.  Bebe has had all the normal vet bills that most animal people have.  She also over achieves in this category and suffers from allergies, finicky eating and now cataracts.  This sweet thing is allergic to grass , among 45 other things, for heavens sake.  Isn't that a cruel joke?  

She starts off sleeping in her bed at night and then when you are mid REM sleep sometime around 2-4:30 am, she whines until we bring her up in the bed.  In all fairness, she used to sleep in the bed until we got pregnant with Helaina.  A hard transition, I am sure but that doesn't come to mind at that hour when you have to get up to pick her up and put her into bed.

She can destroy almost any toy within 1 day

So why have a pet?

If you are pet owner, you probably already know.  There is something so wonderful about the way they unconditionally love you.  Bebe doesn't care if we've said something wrong, wore an outfit that you really shouldn't have or if you have stinky breath.  They just want to be loved and are happy to be around you all the time.  You can spend an hour with her, leave to get the mail and when you come through the door, she is wagging her nub of a tail and will promptly go get the toy for you to throw.

My world that has changed so dramatically over the past 10 years, through 3 cities, 7 different homes, and extreme lifestyle differences.  Bebe has been there every step of the way, always just wanting to love me unconditionally.   She took to Chris immediately and isn't it true that dogs have a real insight for people.  She was so patient when she took the back burner (ok maybe even the fridge) when Chris and I were learning how take care of the newest member of our family that took all the time and patience that used to be reserved for her.  Her gentle nature with Helaina and her overall tolerance for her is amazing.    She doesn't even look at Helaina cross when I miss that her ears are being pulled or she is being saddled like a pony.

She is extremely sweet, filled with fun quirky habits (like sleeping way way down under the covers where anyone would find it hard to breathe) and I wouldn't trade her for anything.  Despite all the extra work and annoyances of owning a pet, they are far exceeded by her fun loving and spirited personality.