Happy Birthday Roman Dresdyn Enrique Herrera

Little Man Roman a whole day old 8lbs, 10 oz, 18.5 in

So many visitors! Grandpa and Abuelita Letti

Sweet moment with Big Sis Lola

Look at that look on Eden's face...she already loves her little Brother.

So proud!

Nana was the very first visitor. What a happy and special moment...Nana's first grandson.

Abuelita stops by for a peak at her new grandson

Roman peacefully sleeping

Just after a bath

The first look at little Roman

The girls were so happy to see their new baby brother

Here's the Stud Muffin at 6 days old.

The day started out much like usual except I had a million and one things to do. Like get Lola to the docs, run to Target for last minute things, grocery shopping, etc all while I labored away. Well, I had a feeling today, Agust 12, would be the day. For one,no matter what I did, I had regular contractions. First every 10 minutes, then two hours later every 7 minutes and two hours later 3-5 minutes. I debated over whether I should take Eden to ballet (I thought what if she's in there for 1 1/2 hours and I have to run to the docs). I sat in the parking lot before finally leaving. The contractions and discomfort were getting to be too much. Please oh please wait for Enrique to get home and for my mom to get here in time, too. For me, not calling my doc and not really thinking about it, meant everything would work out fine. When Enrique got home, I quickly finished last minute things again. I wrote all of my thank you cards out (but realized I didn't have stamps), cleaned a bit, emailed my mom and gave her directions and info for the hospital. I told her I think tonight is the night. While I sat at the computer the contractions got closer 2-3 minutes and the pain just hit me. We gotta go I just shot up and told Enrique. Let me call my doctor first. My doc said go in to Labor and delivery. And so I did. When I got there I was admitted and put on the monitors. The nurse said, " you've got some very good strong contractions...are you feeling okay?" Umhum I said and she said you don't need anything for pain? No, I have a really big high tolerance for pain. Weird, but so true. My doc decided to put me on IV to see if the contractions would stop...yeah right, the nurses said. We'll humor him, but she's in labor and there's no turning back. What happened was he had a C-section planned that same time. He was trying to stop my labor so he wouldn't have to do another C-section. It was 8:30 pm or so. Perhaps it was a long day for him and he wanted to get home. Well, turns out the other lady scheduled for a c-section ate that day (I hadn't because I had a feeling I was in labor all day) and so I WON!!! In for the C-section and out came my sweet little boy Roman...He was big, he was loud and he was so very charming in every single way. What a blessing! My doc said he thought I was 38 weeks along but Roman decided to come out that day anyway. All I could say was thank you for not coming on your sister's birthday (August 10) and for just missing August 13 (Friday the 13th). In a weird way I sort of predicted this day. I kept accidentaly saying I was due August 12 and also, I kept telling my doc, what do I do if he comes early. My doc kept trying to put my mind at ease but in the end he said Looks like you were right...wow! So between me getting to the hospital and delivering the baby it all happened in 2 1/2 hours. In the end Enrique got home in time after all, and my girls were in the care of my mom, which is all I could ask for.

The surgery went well and the baby did great! The hospital stay was truly great. The food was great! Can you believe it? The nurses were phenomenal and did an incredible incredible job. Family visited and brought flowers, cards, gifts. My girls visited often and got to hold the baby and help out a bit. My husband was the most attentive ever! He helped every second he could. He got up to get the baby every single time. He never skipped a beat. He had flowers delivered to me, he even ordered me a beautiful package through the hospitals concierge service. I got a Vera Bradley bag with spa treatments, a baby outfit, a mommy book, trail mixes, a Bravado nursing bra (which came with a personal fitting at my hospital bed!!!) and non alcoholic champagne. The bag is so beautiful and gorgeous. The nurses were commenting on this bag because it was so incredible. He was such a wonderful, loving and caring person. He was so very happy. So overjoyed. And asked me often if I needed anything. Juice, snacks Anything! What a treasure I have.

I was full of many emotions the days I spent at the hospital. I had just given birth to my third child, my first (and only) son. Some of my friends were not here this time around and so I thought about them and cried a little over their absense, but I mostly thought of good times with them and that got me through the moment. I had been rude one time to Enrique and I felt so terrible! So terrible and I cried over that. I even woke him to apologize. I felt so wrong and to him it was no big deal, but to me, Miss raging hormones, I felt like I'd wronged someone I loved very much.

But for the most part (99.9% of the time) my heart was so full of joy. I thought of how very lucky and grateful I am for my family. My girls are beautiful inside and out, my son is so very precious and just a joy and can already do no wrong; my husband is an incredible companion and friend. Someone I'd marry all over again. My best friend. How grateful I am; a mom who is so very supportive, helpful, loving to me and my family, so unselfish and just has a great heart.; a father and step mom who are as in love with my kids as I am and so proud of me no matter what, a true unconditional love; friends near or far who enrich my life every single day even when I don't always see them or talk to them; family who are always there for me through all these wonderful life experiences and who are just as happy for me as I am. It's moments like these that make me realize how truly blessed and loved we all are. And I am forever grateful.

I am so happy to partake in this journey through parenthood again with all of these people who make life so very wonderful. I am so glad my children are surrounded by so much love!

Lola's 5th Birthday Celebration

Ballerina Princess Birthday cake HAPPy 5th Lola!

Lola, Audrey, Eden at build A Bear

Lola's new bear Isabella

A special hot fudge Sundae

Lola and Dad

Eden and Nana

Best friend Hug

Eden and Lola horsing around

Lola loves her new Calico Critters cottage and bunnies and mice (her new favorite toy!)

The house decorated for the special day

It's hard to believe that our little Butter Ball as she was nicknamed by the nurses at the hospital when she was born, would be turning 5 years old already! She couldn't wait for this day to arrive. "When am I 5? When am I 5?" is all she ever said. All her friends were 5 already and she couldn't wait to stop saying she was 4 3/4 and actually say 5!

Today was a very special day for her. Enrique and I decorated the house the night before with banners, balloons, party decorations and presents so that Lola would wake up to a very special surprise the day of her birthday. She was in awe when she saw all her fun party things. She ripped through her presents and played with them a bit, then it was off to breakfast, per her request. After breakfast we met up with Nana, Dad, and best friend Audrey, her brother Kenny and mom Lara at the SF Ice Creamery. We enjoyed hot fudge sundaes,openned a couple of gifts and then it was off to Build a Bear Workshop. The girls played in the store for what seemed like hours! They were so good to them there. They played with all the fun accessories. They danced around a bit, hugged a lot, laughed a ton and it was hard to say our goodbyes. Afterward, we all went to our house, enjoyed a pizza and then ate some cake.

It was such a memorable and fun day. I can't believe my baby is already 5 and starting Kindergarten. It seems like yesterday she was a newborn. Happy 5th birthday, Lolie!

Baby Shower

Me and Auntie Alice

Eden's sign for the shower

The cake

Mom and Alice

Eden playing the rice game. Her friends Molly and Samahr

Enrique's mom, Maria

Good friend and Eden's Girl Scout Leader Stacy and daughter Molly

Giovahna, Alice and Joey playing the baby food guessing game

Mom and the girls decided to throw me a very last minute baby shower Sunday, August 8. It was so much fun! It was so nice spending time with the family and as usual Alice was the life of the party. She had us laughing so hard my mom was afraid she'd put me into labor.

The girls wanted the party to also be a tea party. This worked out quite well. We invited our family and friends and some neighbor friends, too. They served tea and mini sandwiches and other goodies, and we played the rice game, the baby food guessing game, the baby items memory game and the necklace game. It was such a blast and we had a really great time. But that morning before the shower, Lola was complaining about her tummy hurting. It escalated to such terrible pain she had to be taken to the emergency room. I was all set to go and miss my party, but Lola said she wanted her dad to take her. It was a hard decision to make, but I thought it was a stomach flu (we've been to the ER countless times for this and waited for hours just to be told that) and Enrique reassured me he'd call with updates. As the party went on he let me know she was being xrayed and given blood tests. Turns out she had a Urinary Tract Infection. They were at the emergency room from 2:30-8:30 that night. She was exhausted and weak when they got back home. I missed her so much at the party. I felt so terrible she missed the party she couldn't wait to throw and I hated the thought of her being in pain like that. I felt so guilty! I stayed up with her all night and we cuddled quite a bit. I felt I owed her at least that much. I'm so glad her dad was there and she felt so safe with him. The good news is, with the antibiotics in her, she was 90% better the next day. Poor poor Lola was so upset about missing her shower, but I am so glad we were able to get her better.