You know you are in Hawaii when you wake up to the tsunami siren! Actually I had no idea what it was- I opened the front door and stuck my head out thinking "what is that noise?"  Then I turned on the news and was like "Ahhhhhh, THAT'S what is was."   I checked the phone book and our house is NOT in an evacuation zone- thankfully. Even though I can see the ocean from the sidewalk out front, we are up on a hill and about 1.5 miles from the water.   I am SO THANKFUL we do not live in a mandatory evac zone- driving somewhere and parking all day with three kids and a dog would be too much- I think I would just take the kids upstairs and tempt fate.  

The estimate arrival time for the tsunami is 11:05am. Supposidly 5-10 waves lasting 5-15 min are expected to roll in. Chris went to the store to get bottled water, donuts (for him) and cottage cheese (for me).  I will keep you all updated as the day goes on.  We plan on just hanging out. Thankfully Chris is HOME from work today , othersise I would probably be freaking out, but since he is here I feel safer.

Its 2pm and the kids just got home from school. I know its a big shocker that they went to school today since it's Friday- but don't worry, the furlough Fridays are back for next week.

The Navy decided that it overpaid us last year when we moved out to Hawaii by $3,500.00. Notice how I said the Navy  noticed and not US?  That's because its extremely expensive to move a family of 5 to Hawaii and obviously we NEEDED the extra money since we didn't even realize we had gotten it? Oh well. So now the Navy is taking back that $3,500.00 that it over paid us at the tune of $800.00 a month. Oh joy. Looks like I will need to wait a few months before I buy anything new for baby Thor, or anybody else.

I cleaned out the storage closet that is underneath the stairs. It used to hold all our suitcases, the Christmas tree, lots of extra kitchen items that wouldn't fit in our kitchen, and couple file cabinet. Its a BIG closet. Some people refer to it as the "Harry Potter" closet because it seems to just keep going and going. Well, being the super organizer that I am, I found new homes for EVERYTHING and turned the closet into a secret Clubhouse for the kids. I put a bookshelf and all there books,cozy pillows and a blanket,  a lamp (and a fan because it's a closet so it gets a bit warm) and their toybox filled with fun stuff.  Now they can go in there and read and play whatever their imagination dreams up. I really think its cool, I wish I had a secret clubhouse closet when I was little!

So in moving all the stuff out of the closet I dropped a heavy file cabinet. On my toe. My big toe. Ouch. It is turning a nice shade of black and throbbing. At least it is not broken. At least I didn't rip it off (right Amber??)   I would post a picture of my disgusting black toenail but I will save you from the horror and instead post a picture of my beautiful Sophia.

Sophia loves to organize her clothes drawers. She takes everything out, folds it and puts it all back nice and neat. I know Chris is proud of that little bit of OCD shinning through. (and then Vangie opens up the drawer and rips everything apart, laughing gleefully.)

I have come to a dramatic cross roads in my marriage and I am told Chris this morning that I cannot continue one more day unless this problem was resolved. I think he could tell by my tone of voice that I. was. very. serious. He left an apology note for me to see when I woke up this morning- see the picture of the right. This picture is also my PROOF of his promise to CHANGE. 

My husband needs to lay of the SNOOZE button! My blood was BOILING this morning after the 5th time he hit the snooze. Yes, I was woken up every 10 min for an HOUR. And let me tell you something, Chris sleeps the whole night long, never once getting out of bed. I get up AT LEAST three times a night to use the bathroom and/or check on a child. I NEVER sleep more than 3 continuous hours. I am a VERY light sleeper. My best sleep is usually between 3am-6am. And I have to deal with this ALARM CLOCK for an HOUR of that? No. This will not longer continue.  Yes, he gets up earlier than me to go to work, but at least he sleeps 6 continuous hours. I have no sympathy for him. In fact, he is lucky that  I haven't taken a hammer to that alarm clock. 

Now my vent is done. I will continue in my otherwise perfect marraige.

Yesterday I was getting ready to walk to pick up Joey and Sophia from school. Vangie and I were in the garage. "Get in the stroller, Vangie" I told her "Mommy has to go inside for a minute, I will be right back" I walked inside and filled up our water bottles.
 
When I came back into the garage Vangie was gone. At first I wasn't too concerned. I put the water bottles in the bottom of the stroller and hooked Stella up to her leash. "Vangie" I called out, thinking she was in the little kid tent in the garage. I peeked inside and she wasn't there. I looked outside up and down the sidewalk and there was no sign of her. She was JUST RIGHT THERE!  I started yelling out her name and I jogged around the house. No Vangie. Now my heart was beginning to beat pretty fast.  

I thought maybe she went inside when I wasn't looking so I ran inside and screamed her name up the stairs several times- no Vangie. I ran back outside and jogged a little bit down the sidewalk- I scanned the street- we don't live on a busy street at all up there ARE cars that go by- What if she had been hit by a car? What if someone TOOK HER? We live in a Military community, but our neighborhood is not behind a gate- anyone can drive through! Vangie is only 30 lbs, anyone could grab her and drive off in 5 seconds.  I ran inside, grabbed my phone and ran back out- 

I was panicked at this point and about ready to call my one of my friends who lives in the neighborhood- not that she would have any answers, but I needed to tell someone, Vangies Missing! The elapsed time was probably only about 5 minutes, but 5 minutes when you can't find your child feels like  A LOT longer!   

 And then I see her- on her scooter- scootering slowly up the sidewalk about 5 houses down and holding about 15 sticks in her hand. She had scootered down the road to the very end and had been collecting sticks. THAT was why she was gone so long. I jogged up to her. She was so excited to show me her sticks.  I knelt down and gave her a hug and told her to never, ever, ever, EVER scooter ANYWHERE without telling me.  Whew. It took my heart about 10 minutes to return to normal.

Vangie and I went for a hike today with some friends to the Pali Lookout. It has been about 8 weeks since my last hike because I have been way. too. sick. But there IS a light at the end of the tunnel. It was so nice to be out in the sunshine and to smell the flowers and talk with other adults.  Vangie hike a little bit of it herself, but after about 15 minutes she starts whining "I'm tiiiirrrrreed. My Leeeeggggsss hhuuuuurrrttt." She is so stinking cute! Of course I don't mind carrying her. But I have to remind her "Vangie, when baby Thor gets here your going to have to hike all by yourself!"  She smiles and nods but really the girl doesn't have a clue.

Now we are home and the girls are playing play-dough and Joey is outside with his friend doing whatever boys do. (I check on them periodically and if I hear any loud thumps or screams.)  Chris is working tonight which means pizza for dinner and a movie for the kids and I.

I just LOVE my blue-ray player. I can download  Netflix instantaneously!And they have some really cool old-school movies- like Jumangi (remember, with Robin Willimas?) Men in Black, Jurassic Park, Black Beauty... A lot to choose from . And plus for MY entertainment they have lots of documentary's. Chris laughs at my documentary watchage. I can't help it. I love all documentaries. I  have watched them on childbirth, marathon running, steroids, the Meth problem in America, Food Inc- about  the food industry that will REALLY open your eyes and you may not want to eat meat ever again, The prison system,  and whatever else I can find. So even though this morning sickness has me on the couch watching a lot of TV at least I am getting educated.

It's Saturday.  I woke up early this morning to the sun shining in my windows, and I thought to myself. How weird is it that I live in Hawaii? I have a nice big house on a tiny Island in the middle of the ocean, where the weather is always perfect and the sun is always shining, 4,500 miles away from all the people we love. 

 One of the most beautiful places on earth. But it will never be "home".  I can't dwell on the fact we are so far away from family. I have never had this empty feeling any other place we have lived-- and I know why. Its because I cannot just load the kids up in the van and drive to visit family. When we lived in Charleston, Orlando was just 5 hours away!  Michigan was only 16 hours- I was able to turn the drive into a fun adventure. There is no driving home from Hawaii.  Hawaii is OUT THERE. Hawaii is FAR, FAR AWAY. And Hawaii is different. It is NOT the mainland.  It is hard to put into words how different it is here from the mainland, but it just IS.  This place will never be "home". Its a nice place to live, It's an adventure. But never "home".

In other news, baby "thor" has reached the 12 weeks mark! He is slowly yet surely inching his way toward the 2nd trimester. I cannot tell you how happy I am to be at 12 weeks. My morning sickness has abated a bit, but still visits at least once a day. This morning I opened the freezer to put the waffles away, saw the box of fish sticks and promptly got sick at the kitchen sink. Sophia was munching on a waffle and being supportive. "Mommy, don't puke on your necklace!"

Week Twelve: Fingernails and toenails appear

The fetus is now about 2.5 inches (6cm) length and weighs about 0.7 ounce (20 g). The feet are almost half an inch (1cm) long. The fetus starts moving spontaneously. The face is beginning to look like a baby's face. The pancreas is functioning and producing insulin. Fingernails and toenails appear. The baby can suck his thumb, and get hiccups. From this week you may well be able to hear the baby's heart beatthrough a doppler monitor on your tummy. You will notice that the rate is up to 160 a minute, double that of a normal adult. Your baby now has a chin and a nose and a facial profile. Vocal chords are complete, and the baby can and does sometimes cry silently. The brain is fully formed, and the baby can also feel pain. The fetus may even suck his thumb. The eyelids now cover the eyes, and will remain shut until the seventh month to protect the delicate optical nerve fibers. The hair is on the head and the fingers and toes have developed soft nails. The kidneys are developed and begin to secrete urine. Your baby weighs between 0.5 and 0.7 ounce (14 to 20g), and crown-to-rump length is almost 2.5 inches (63mm). Your baby's size has almost doubled in the past 3 weeks.

Today is Friday, and after a long school week I was looking for something fun to do with the kids when I picked them up from school. I thought - maybe the Aquarium? That would have been fun but the Aquarium is in downtown Waikiki, and the traffic home would have been a nightmare. ( In case you didn't know, H-1 is the highway that goes into downtown and was rated the 2nd worst commute in the United States. It is THAT bad. I didn't know what bad traffic was until I moved to Honolulu.)

So the Aquarium needs to be attemped on a weekday morning. So I thought bowling! So after school the kids and I plus their freind and neighbor Laria went to the Pearl Harbor bowling Alley.... to find out it doesn't open until 5pm. I was not going to wait around for 2 hours to bowl.

So we drove by the movie theater.... nope, nothing playing. But do not fear, Van full of small children! I had yet another idea. We drove to the Arts and Crafts center and painted pottery!  Just being inside the arts and crafts center made me feel all warm and fuzzy. I LOVE to paint pottery or do any sort of art project. The kids even noticed my advanced skill and asked me  if I used to be an artist.   

The day turned out very well. The kids each picked a small peice of pottery and painted it with their choice of color. It will be glazed and but in the kiln later this week and we will be able to pick it up  and have a cool momento! Then we drove home where I needed to relax on the couch. I am feeling much, much MUCH better in the morning, but my Morning sickness kicks in everyday around 4pm. It is more like "Night Sickness" .

Joey colored his self portrait at school the other day (on the right) In case you can't read it it says "I'm special because I play football". He also told me that he couldn't find the tan crayon so he used brown. If only the whole world could be as colorblind!

His artwork got me thinking how special my Joey is. He is the sweetest boy that I know! He is so sensitive that he cries at commercials for the special Olympics (and so do I, we are quite a pair) But of course he doesn't want me to KNOW he is crying, he will tell me that he has "something in his eye".  He doesn't like to look at anything with any animal getting harmed- if a show or commercial comes on like this he will ask me to change it.

Joey is friends with everyone- boy or girl, big or small, it doesn't matter to him.

He loves the regular boy toys, but he also loved stuffed animals. And he loved playing board games, especially with me. How did I get so lucky? Last night Chris had duty so Joey asked if he could sleep in my bed with me. After the girls were put in bed and Joey and I were in the big bed watching the Olympics he snuggled up to me and said "Mommy, this is my most favorite part of the day, when I get to be with you" Me too, Joey, Me too.

This morning I set my alarm clock for extra early- 5am. You see, there was this auction on Ebay that I just HAD to have-an auction of maternity clothes that were super cute. I LOVE to buy clothes (for the kids and me) on ebay. It is SO MUCH CHEAPER than in the stores-( I am super cheap and hate to spend retail on clothes)  And if you are lucky you'll find some really great deals. So this morning I awoke early so I could wait until the vvveeeerrrryyyy last minute and STRIKE with my bid.  There was someone else out there in cyber space who also wanted this lot of maternity clothes. It was a dual to the finish. I put my bid in (with 5 min left of the auction) then they outbid ME. Then I put another bid in (with 2 min left) and then I put an even Higher bid in and its a good thing I did because with 10 seconds left this person in cyber space tried to outbid me again! But they didn't go quite high enough so I WON!!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!  OH THE THRILL OF VICTORY!!!

Chris had of TWO WHOLE DAYS this past weekend. It was fun to have him around like he used to be. We went to a birthday party at the beach on Saturday and on Sunday we went to the zoo. To get to the zoo you drive down Wikiki and it was the first time Chris had been down that way. He was amazed at all the shops and the beautiful Wikiki beach. Yes, its very pretty. Especially when we left the zoo at around 3pm and the sun was just starting to dip lower in the sky and it glittered across the ocean. The beach itself is white powdered sand, the water a deep turquoise.   I took the full amount of zofran that I was able on both days so even my morning sickness cooperated and we were able to have a fun two days.

On Satuday the girls and I each had flowers delivered to us from Chris and Joey. We felt so special! And now the house smells really good.

And ALSO- I have a 3.5 year old for sale. She is an expert and picking on her older siblings and driving them crazy. She gets into their things, makes messes with their toys and she never gets in trouble because she is the youngest.

Last night I was laying in bed thinking about my life. About what I would do different if I could go back in time 15 years. I would study harder, I thought. I would go to college and get my degree instead of messing around so much.  But wait... if I would have gotten my degree I never would have joined the Navy. And I never would have met Chris. And we never would have gotten married. And had our great kids. Nope, I wouldn't change a thing.
 
I am one of the lucky ones who met her soul mate at the young age of 22.  We were married 6 months after out first date at the courthouse in Jacksonville, FL. (Much to the surprise of some family members, I am sure. ) Our wedding was a gift from my parents 6 months later in Edmore, MI. Nope, I wouldn't change a thing!

I would have waited longer to have kids, I thought. Chris and I should have had more "us" time- at least that's what everyone told us.... I should have gotten a job and worked toward a career, maybe we'd be better off financially... But WAIT. Then we  wouldn't have Joey..... OR Sophia OR Vangie. Maybe we wouldn't even HAVE kids.....  Some people may say that children push you apart, but having our babies has brought Chris and I closer together. We see ourselves in our kids,  I fall in love with him more and more, everytime he sings the kids songs at bedtime, or gives them a bath, or plays ball with them in the front yard I KNOW my husband was meant to be a dad.  Just like I was meant to be a mom. It brings out the best in us. It brings out the love in us. Nope, I wouldn't Change a thing.

So Happy Valentines day, Chris, I love you and am so blessed to be your wife!

This is how naptime goes down at the Schmitt House.

Me: "Girls, its time for your nap!"

Girls: "Okay Mommy, we LOVE to take our naps. "

Me: "Let's clean up our toys so when we get up our room is nice and clean"

Girls:( as they excited dash around picking up their toys) "We LOVE to clean up our toys, thank you for all of our toys, Mommy, you are so generous and kind. Also, Mommy, thank you for this opportunity to nap in our nice comfortable beds and giving us this chance to rest and rejuvenate ourselves."

Me: "Your welcome, girls, I love you both SOOOO much and I know how much better you feel when you are nice and rested."

Girls" "Your right as usual, Mommy."

Okay, if you think that is really what goes on at naptime you are probaby childless, or oblivious, or both.

The REAL Nap-time at the Schmitt House

Me: "Girls, it's time for your naps!"

Girls" What???? I'm not NAPPING! Napping SUCKS!"

Me: "Now, now, you Know you are tired and you..."

Girls: (screaming) "WE ARE NOT TIRED!!! WE ARE FINE!!! WE WANT TO STAY UP!!!"

Me: "well, you were up at 5:30 this morning and you have dark circles under your eyes and you  are acting tired so lets just get all snuggled in bed so we can take a nice na.."

Girls: "NO!!!!" (crying, flailing around, screaming) "NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! I WILL NOT NAP! YOU CANNOT MAKE ME!"

Mommy:  (slightly losing patience) "get your blankets! You WILL take a nap! I said RIGHT NOW! lets go upstairs and get in bed!"

Girls:  "You are the MEANEST Mommy in the WOOORRRLLLLLLDDDDDD!!!" (barely coherent now between crying and screaming.)

Mommy somehow gets both girls upstairs in bed, hugs and kisses given in-between sobs. Five minutes later both exhausted girls are fast asleep. This scene will repeat daily for 5 more years.

I just back back from Trippler Army Hospital- the HUGE pink hospital on the hill, and where if you are in the Military in Hawaii  with Tricare Prime, you WILL have your baby.  I have been really nervous about this appointment. I have heard so many negative things about Trippler- its crowded, the Dr's are impolite, your just treated like a number, it takes forever to be seen...... Yuck!  But my experience today was pretty much the exact opposite. And I realize that wherever you go, you will have some people say negative things ALWAYS. And you just need to experience things for yourself. Most the time if you go in with an open mind and are polite, you'll have a good experience.

I dropped the kids off at school this morning at 7:30 and then Vangie off at my friend Allisons house (and Allison just happens to be expecting her 3rd child around the time I am expecting my 4th!) We are swapping babysitting duties so we can go to our appointments child free.  Then I drove the three miles to the hospital. This was around  in the morning and traffic was a nightmare! It took me 45 min to get to my appointmentt 3 miles away!!! It is just like this in the morning, thankfully. I made it to my appointment one min late. Whew. Chris met me there and he got there about 10 min later.

As SOON as I got there I was in a room and I saw my Dr. about 15 min later- that was QUICK!  The Dr. I saw was awesome. She was young and laid back. She even did an ultrasound so Chris and I could see our baby- I was exactly right with my dates and the baby is 10wks 2 days old.  We don't know if it is a girl or boy yet and won't find out until I am 20wks when we will have our big ultrasound. As of right now we are referring to the baby as "He" and calling him Thor.  The Dr. put in a referral for me to be in the Midwife program. And I am about as good as a candidate as you can get- 3 previous totally uncomplicated births.  Vangie was born all natural with no drugs an hour after getting to the hospital!  I know it will be that way with this one too- my only fear will be getting to the hospital in TIME. I just hope I don't go into labor during morning rush hour traffic!

Chris is home with us today!! So it is a FULL day of fun. Last night after he got home from work we went to Target and found the cutest pancake pan! It makes tiny pancakes with animal faces! We also got Valentines cards for the kids to pass out in their class- 

This morning I got to sleep in until 7, then I woke up and and made bacon and pancakes for my fan club. It was delicious!  The pancake pan worked great, it is so much fun to eat tiny animal faces. (especially with BACON!)

Yesterday I got a lot done around here. I have not cleaned the house for about a month. It stays "picked up" but it was just getting dirty and needed a good, deep, pine-sol  SCRUBBING.  It took me about 5 hours (I took a break for lunch) but it is now clean and smelling good. It is such a good feeling to have a nice clean house.

Today Chris is going to play in the USS Chicago basketball game- we are all going to go so I can cheer on my hot husband. Then Joey has HIS game at 3pm. After Joeys game we are taking the kids to Papa Johns so they can get their FREE personal pan pizza that they each earned for their PERFECT attendance this past quarter.  (Honestly Papa Johns sound so repulsive to me, I will not be partaking in the pizza.)

AND, because I know you all are dying to know I will add that today I am 10wks pregnant and THIS is what baby #4 is like right now:

At this point of your pregnancy, the crown-to-rump length of your developing baby is 1.25 to 1.68 inches. It is now easier to tell how much the baby weighs since he is beginning to put on some weight. Your baby weighs approximately 5 grams and is the size of a small plum! The baby has grown an incredible amount during these past few weeks, but you still aren't showing too much yet. (Unless it's your 4th kid!!) 

Fetus in pregnancy week 10	Click for a bigger movie of this busy boy

This week is somewhat of a landmark for your developing baby. By now, your baby's complete body plan is laid down. Your baby will continue to develop and grow for the remainder of the pregnancy. The fingers and toes have separated and the tail has disappeared now. Your baby has taste and tooth buds at this point, which will continue to develop. The brain will continue to grow at an amazing rate and nearly a quarter of a million new neurons are produced every minute! The embryonic heart is completely developed. External genitalia are not apparent until next week, but a male's testes will already be producing testosterone.

I filed my first police report yesterday! Long story, so here is the shortened version- I had my $700 diamond necklace that Chris bought for me a couple years ago upstairs on my dresser. I usually wear it all the time, but had it off because I have not been feeling well.  I KNOW it was on my dresser.  On 1/28 I had some maintenance workers in my house to fix a leak in the wall. At least one was upstairs in the master bedroom/bathroom to turn the water on and off. He was up there for at lest 5 min at a couple different times unsupervised.  On 1/29 Chris and I were getting ready to go out to dinner and I relized my necklace was MISSING.  I searched high and low, tore the house apart. Its GONE.

Of course because I did not physically see ,y necklace being stolen I am hesitant to blame anyone because I find it very odd that people would steal- I know it happens all the time, I guess I am naive. However, I did contact the Maintenace department and they are starting an investigation and are going to question the men involved.  Also, in order for Chris and I to file and insurance claim we need a pollice report and so I filed one of those yesterday too. It was actually very simple. The police lady came right out to my house, I filled out a paper on what happened and that was it.

I know my necklace is gone and I will never see it again. It is basically my word against someone else's. But if my reporting this can save someone else the pain of having something stolen that I will be happy with that.

Oh, and last night I had a dream that this baby was TWINS. EEEeeeeeKKKKKKK!!!!!   I have my first baby appointment next Monday and I will be about 10 1/2 weeks so I am hopefull I will be able to hear the heartbeat.

Chris has been so wonderfully helpful since I have been feeling less than steller. He is serisouly a super dad. When he is home he feeds and bathes the kids, does laundry, cleans up the kitchen, vacuums..... all while I lay immoble on the couch (trying not to puke).  Since I have been taking my Zofran regularly I have beggan to feel better- about 80% of normal.  I am down to about one sick episode a day and can even go out for a couple hours at a time.  Chris is noticing that I am feeling better- and he started a grocery list! "When you go to the store couple you get some syrup?  Were almost out of fabric softner..... We need some more juice..."  

I began to sense a trip to the grocery store was unavoidable.  This is truely one of the most unpleasant things for a morning sickness survivor to endure. Fist, I had to actually get dressed and showered. Today, thankfully I was feeling better than usual so that was no problem.  But then, once you GET there.... uhg, the crowds, the SMELLS!!!! The sight of food that just repulses you....  Thankfully my list was small. I did come home with some interesting items.   I bought some family size frozen meals- chicken enchiladas, chicken marsala... and YES, I KNOW frozen meals are not the healthiest, BUT do you know what the kids have been eating??? Not much! Because I CANNOT cook, I would puke. I cannot even stand the smell of CHRIS cooking!  So these meals will be better than nothing. I also got some baked chips, french onion dip and canned peaches!

Today is 5 months to the day that my beautiful Mother, Kim, passed away at the too young age of 50.  Yesterday was a hard day for me- I really missed her a lot, I haven't been feeling good and I just wanted to talk to my mom! I called my sister Diana instead and had a good cry. She made me feel so much better- just hearing her voice. By the time I hung up the phone I was laughing. Only a sister can do that for you!

I wanted to share with you all this wonderful email that Diana sent me this morning: