WEphillips

Connor plays

2011-01-18T20:45:00.005-10:00

Coldplay

Green Day

Emry's first warriors basketball game

2011-01-17T22:14:00.000-10:00

Emry, almost three months!

We miss you Brian, Tammy and Reece.

Emry's teething

2011-01-14T16:50:00.002-10:00

...and working every waking hour to break one thru.

Her gummy smile shows no teeth as of yet.

The view from our house

2011-01-13T16:36:00.000-10:00

Homeschool'n

2011-01-10T15:42:00.004-10:00

Pearce has been working on the alphabet, numbers and his picture journal.

Pearce's new favorite medium.

Under Pearce's tutelage

2011-01-10T05:36:00.004-10:00

Pearce has been hard at work trying to teach Emry to lift her head during tummy time today.

Pearce decided that wearing his spiderman costume would help Emry.

Proud Pearce announces, Tuh-dah!

Pearce's next item of business, teaching Emry to roll over. She's so close.

Emry sound asleep, after hours of Pearce encouraging her to put up her head and to roll over.

Grandmama Visits

2011-01-09T21:44:00.002-10:00

My Mom holds Emry for the first time.

Connor {13 years} Emry {2 months} Pearce {4 years}

I am a lucky Momma!

New Years Eve 2010

2011-01-01T09:00:00.001-10:00

This year was the last New Year's Eve that fireworks could be purchased on our Island, and so every man, women and child enthusiastically had set off fireworks from 12 noon to 5am. It sounded like the whole Island was under attack. The view from our house showed most of the Island's spoils, it was jaw dropping to say the least. Eric tried to estimate the amount of money our little Island resident's spent on fireworks in one night and it came out to millions! They do like to party hard here.

Pearce, Wendi, Eric, Emry and Connor.

The big hike

2010-12-31T05:43:00.000-10:00

Playdate

2010-12-26T05:35:00.001-10:00

Pearce and Max Ohki.

Christmas Day 2010

2010-12-25T21:28:00.009-10:00

Christmas Morning!!!

Pearce must have been a good boy this year.

Santa leaves all his presents unwrapped for Pearce.

Pearce starts opening presents.

Pearce is very slow and careful not to rip the paper.

And so Christmas morning is the longest morning of our lives.

Tool set!

What could it be?

Our little Christmas Candy Cane!

Pearce posing with his gingerbread house he made with Tutu.

Grandma and Grandpa Piller sent us some yummy Christmas goodies in these festive boxes.

Christmas Dinner with almost the hole Communist Block.

Hao from Vietnam holding Emry.

Emry's close ups.

Melinda from Hungary, Olga from Russia, Heber from Texas, Pearce from Hawaii, Eric from Arizona, Wendi from Canada, Hao from Vietnam, and Di from China. All we needed was a guest from North Korea and Cuba to complete the remaining old communist block at our Christmas dinner.

Christmas Eve 2010

2010-12-24T21:14:00.003-10:00

We went to Honolulu to find some Christmas Eve Cheer.

We stopped to see the largest gingerbread town.

And stopped to see the largest Christmas sandcastle.

Back home, Pearce made and decorated cookies for Santa.

Pearce wrote his own note to Santa; Dear Santa, Please remember to close the door. Thanks for the presents. Love Pearce.

Phillips family time

2010-12-06T15:18:00.002-10:00

With Eric's parents and Grandma here for the blessing the rest of the Phillips gang, Uncle Todd, Aunt Camille, and cousins Joci, Brin, and Amelia, came out to Hawaii for some fun in the sun. Eric took the week off to play along, while Emry and I stayed home to recover.

Pearce, Amelia, Brin, and Joci.

Connor, Joci, Pearce, Amelia and Brin.

Watching the dolphins at the Oriental Hotel.

At the beach in Waikiki. Connor, Sean and Pearce.

Emry and I met the everyone for dinner.

Eric and Connor.

Pearce and Tutu Jane.

Papa David and Pearce.

Last stop was to see Santa Claus at the Ala Moana Mall.

Emry's blessing day

2010-12-05T16:32:00.004-10:00

We decided to have Emry's blessing in December, hoping my Dad would recover from his brain surgery by then. Unfortunately he didn't and so his doctors denied our request for him to fly out to Honolulu. I still wanted my parents to feel apart of Emry's special day, so I asked my Mom to pick out a blessing dress for her to wear. My Mom sent it with Jane and David.

The blessing dress hanging in Emry's room.

Perfectly long and delicate. Just like Emry.

After the blessing. Wendi, Eric, Connor {13}, Pearce {4}, and Ermy {1 month}. Special thanks to those who participated along with Eric in bless Emry: Marlo Lopez, Brian Walter, Derick Hatch, Heber Moulton, Bishop Skinner, and David Phillips.

In front of the historical Honolulu Tabernacle. Pearce, Connor, Wendi, Eric, Emry, Jane, David and GG Phillips.

In front of the Banyan Tree.

Proud Daddy and his girl.

Thankful Momma and Emry.

At The Banyan Tree Plaza for Ermy's blessing after party. Decorated in pinks, whites and browns with the help of Olga, Heber, Darrick and Kellie. Thanks guys.

GG Phillips, Wendi, Kellie, Darrick, Addison, Chelsey, Eric and Connor.

Eric, Connor, Di, Tammy, Marty, Olga, Heber and Mike.

Pearce, Darrick, Kellie, Addison, Olga, Wendi, Brian, Reese, and Connor.

Chocolate cupcakes filled with coconut chocolate yum centers by Kellie Hatch, who is a baking diva and guru!

Baby Eclairs!

We call Emry Claire 'Eclair' as her nickname. This is kind of a family joke because one of our Piller family's favorite desserts is an heirloom eclair recipe that my Gramy (Piller-Jamison) at age 81 still makes every weekend. I have to confess these are not the coveted Piller heirloom eclairs, just mass-produced mini eclairs from the Costco freezer section.

At the end of the party, Jane and David gave me a beautiful pair of pearl earrings. This is their tradition, to give the Mom of a new grand-baby pearl jewelry. Thank you Jane and David!

This turned out to be a perfect day shared with our family and friends. We feel truly blessed to have Emry in our family and excited to watch her grow.

Conversations with Pearce

2010-11-26T14:44:00.005-10:00

1. Eric and Pearce, who is not even in school yet, looking at little leagues on the Internet.

Eric, "You get to play baseball games, got to practice, have a uniform, and a hat."
Pearce, "And I don't have to do my homework."

2. Pearce, "Why did Braden and Camiron move to another planet? Why can't they stay on our planet?"

3. Pearce announces at dinner, "My peanuts are down now, so I can talk low!"

4. Pearce showing his Dad his math test.

Pearce, "Dad, I got an A+ on my math test today!'
Eric, "A+, no way. Who helped you?"
Pearce, "No one. I helped myself."

5. At the dinner table. Pearce says to his Dad, "You and me are just two guys who are fake funny. But Mom is real funny."

6. After watching the scene in Star Wars when Luke asks Leia if she remembers her mother. Leia replies, "I remember very little," and then Luke continues, that he didn't remember anything. Pearce blurts out at the TV, "Well duh, you mom died while giving birth."

7. Driving in the car, Eric says, "let's count to 50."
Pearce, with a sigh, "I can't. I am having a number nap."

8. At dinner.
Pearce, alarmed, says: "Hey, who put Hulk sauce on my salmon?"
Eric says, "Your Mom, and its just a pesto sauce."
Pearce thinks for a minute, "So it's safe to eat?"

9. Pearce has recently started a bad habit. He's in bed by 9, but stays up, reading books, playing guys, and watching DVDs on his portable DVD player. At around 10 or even 10:30, he'll come out of his room and tell us:

"It's weird because my tummy is so hungry. I'm not. But my tummy is."

He'll even talk about how he tries, but fails, to reason with his tummy that it is too late to eat. The problem is, thought, he really is hungry because he eats so little at dinner. He'll typically sit at the table for hours, transforming his utensils into heat seeking missiles, or pretending his fingers are the enemies, fighting to the death. It's hard to discourage a budding imagination like that, so we normally just let him play in his own world, occasionally reminding him to eat. He outlasts us most of the time, and we end up clearing a half-full plate, which just perpetuates his habit.

But a few weeks ago we decided to get serious, because by 10:30, we want to be asleep. Not making a meal. So we gave him the old: "You eat what's on your plate or go to bed hungry. No or buts about it!"

This worked for a few weeks, but even when he ate all his food, he was still hungry by 10: 30. And we still wanted to be asleep. so a friendly battle ensued.

A few nights ago, 10:30 rolled around, and our bedroom door opened up. Pearce waltzed in, avoiding eye contact and suppressing a smile. We knew what was coming, and he knew that we knew. He stood there silently for a while, obviously adjusting his strategy in his head. Suddenly he starts rubbing his tummy in a circular motion:

"When I do this it means I'm hungry. But I'm not hungry right now. That's just for down the road." With that he turned and sprinted back to bed. Five minutes later he returned ...rubbing his tummy.

10. The other night I was rocking Emry to sleep and Pearce came into her room and started to give us a "Ninja Show." Fists were flying, breaking the sound barrier, legs were slashing villains in half. And the show was also accompanied by an increasingly detailed account of his life as a Ninja. Basically, he'd been hardened by a life of struggle, but he'd decided to devote his life to protecting the innocent anyway. His only void was a romantic interest. This revelation was followed by the ensuing conversation with me, who he'd cast into the role of damsel in distress:

Pearce, "Do you have a boyfriend?"
Wendi, "No." {the answer I was told to give}
Pearce, "Do you have a husband?"
Wendi, "No" {the answer I was told to give}
Pearce, "Do you want one?"
Wendi, "Yes." {the answer I guessed}
Pearce, "OK. I can be your boyfriend and your husband. Do you have a family?"
Wendi, "Family, no."
Pearce, "How were you born?"
Wendi, "My family lives far away."
Pearce, "So you're alone."
Wendi, "Yes."
Pearce, "You have bad parents, don't you?"
Wendi, "Yes." {the answer I was told to give}
Pearce, "I'll take care of it for you."

Then Pearce left the room. I heard a lot of thrashing, jumping, rolling, and kill yells. Then he ambled back in the room.

Pearce, "Don't worry anymore. I took care of those bad parents. That's what a good boyfriend does."

11. This is pretty much Pearce's motto to life. No idea where he got it, but he says it at least 5 times a day. Pearce, "Mom, the movies are the games and the games are the movies."

12. Pearce's negotiation style.
Pearce comes downstairs in his underwear just before bedtime and says, "Mom, I am really cold."
Wendi, "Put on some pj's."
Pearce, "Mom I am really cold."
Wendi, "Put on some pjs and I will turn down the air conditioning."
Pearce, "Mom I am really really cold."
Wendi, "Do you feel sick?"
Pearce, " No, but I would like some hot chocolate."

13. Eric to the babysitter: "so we will be back around 10 or 10:30."
Pearce, "10:30 is better, Dad."

14. Pearce has been into magic lately.

Pearce, "look Mom, I'm magic."
Wendi, " No Pearce it's an illusion." {for all you Arrested Development fans!}

More magic.

And more magic. Pearce's tricks are endless. If you are wonder what his trick is... he can hold a coin in his ear.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T20:01:00.003-10:00

We were on our own this year for Thanksgiving, so we took the first invite to join our friends in Honolulu at the Banyan Tree hosted by Derek and Kellie Hatch. Emry's third big outing.

Pearce and Eric attended a University of Hawaii football game the night before instead of playing early morning Thanksgiving football. Go Warriors! They ran into Brian (smiling in the right corner) and Tammy Walther, good friends who live in Honolulu.

Thursday morning I made a Pecan Pie and...

...my famous Pam's Yams.

In the tradition of giving, here's the coveted family recipe:

Yam Filling

1/3 c. butter (room temp.)
3 c. mashed yams (5-6 yams, peel, chop and boil)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk

Topping

1/3 c. butter ( room temp.)
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
1 c. walnuts (chopped) or pecans

Don't cover. Bake for 1 hour at 350. If you are a Phillips, Taylor or a Piller you will need to add a little more sugar, butter and vanilla to yam filling and make double the topping.

Everyone brought their favorite dish, then voted for their favorite...Pam's Yams won! The prize was a box of divine truffles that were like 6000 calories for one.
The kiddie play area with toys. Nice touch Kellie!

About 20 couples and their tag- a- longs came, so we ate with around 50 friends. The Hatch's win for longest Thanksgiving table ever! And for atmosphere decor, all of which were made possible by the help of Olga, Heber and Stephanie.

We went home with full tummies and a full heart. We are truly blessed. Eric and I crashed but Pearce had energy to spare. I guess he is immune to the turkey's potent sleep effects. He came home, whipped off his clothes and prepared for battle. Eric and I don't remember much after we took these pictures of Pearce, fully armed for something.

Chicken Vindaloo Curry

2010-11-20T09:19:00.004-10:00

Chicken Vindaloo is a popular Indian dish in Goa. It's spicy so I serve it with basmati rice, natural yogurt and roti.

Ingredients
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cardamom seeds
3 in stick cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp whole black mustard seeds
1 tsp whole fenugreek seeds
5 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp light brown sugar
10 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 large yellow onions, peeled and cut into half-
rings
6 Tbsp water
1 in cube of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
8-10 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp ground coriander seeds
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
8 oz tomato sauce
1/2 lb new potatoes, peeled and quartered

Directions
1. Grind cumin seeds, black pepper, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, black mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds together in a spice grinder. In a small bowl, combine ground spices, vinegar, salt, cayenne pepper and brown sugar. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Fry onions, stirring frequently, until they are a rich, dark brown. Remove onions with a slotted spoon and put them in a blender. Turn off the heat, but do not discard the oil.
3. Add 3 Tbsp water (or more if necessary) to the onions and blend until you have a smooth paste. Add this onion paste to the spices in the bowl. This mixture is the vindaloo paste.
4. Put the ginger and garlic in a blender. Add 3 Tbsp water and blend until you have a smooth paste.
5. Heat the remaining oil in the saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the ginger-garlic paste. Stir until the paste browns slightly. Add the coriander and turmeric. Stir a few seconds.
6. Add the chicken, a little at a time, and brown lightly.
7. Add the vindaloo paste, tomato sauce and potatoes to the chicken in the saucepan. Stir and bring to a slight boil.
8. Cover the saucepan, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about an hour, or until potatoes are tender.

Tips
I sometimes use this if I am in a pinch for time, instead of measuring out each spice.

If you need to know how to make roti here is a good link, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD4o_Lmy6bU.

Enjoy.

North Shore

2010-11-13T23:05:00.006-10:00

This was Emry's first official full day out. She was 25 days old. We went to the Laie Temple Open House (it took almost two years to re-design the interior and exterior, during which we learned what it's like to be without a temple an hour away). The Laie Temple (5th to be built) is certainly architecturally nice and has a beautiful exterior, but my favorite part has always been the grounds, especially how it sits atop a hillside overlooking a long manicured driveway that ends at a perfect sand beach. I'm also a big fan of the new interior design, which has an unmistakable Hawaii flavor to it, but still is calming enough so as not to distract from the main purpose and focus of going there.

Emry's little body parts hang out of the Baby Bjorn. I look like I could sleep standing up.

Then, we went over to Turtle Bay Resort. Eric took Pearce snorkeling for the first time. He loved it! He even chased a turtle. Later they played whiffle ball on the grass while Emry and I lounged on the beach under a tree enjoying the view and fresh air. It was great to be outside again.

This picture shows the Resort, the Bay and the Golf Course. Turtle Bay has become one of our favorite places to go with the kids because it has something for everyone. A calm swimming bay for the kids, big surf for the adults, good facilities (like groomed grass and parking) for convenience, and gourmet food for the stomach.

Pearce snorkeling.

Pearce and Eric playing whiffle ball.

We ended the evening eating right on the beach as the sun went down at their main restaurant, Olo. It's one of the best restaurants on the Island. Pricey, but worth it. Especially because you can wear a swimsuit and flip flops.

Appetizers.

My favorite entree, the Salmon. It melts in your mouth. If you come to this Island and don't partake of this dish, I promise you, you will forever be burdened with remorse. It's that epic.

Eric's scallops. The best prepared scallops we've ever had. Tender, not chewy. And I'm not even a fan of scallops.

This was a perfect day, which is the case more often than not in Hawaii. How do you beat the weather, food, activities, scenery and attitude. (OK, by living in a place that costs 75% less, probably). But it's been 7 years here and I still love it more than ever!

Anniversary

2010-11-06T22:29:00.007-10:00

Our first date since Emry was born turned out to be our Anniversary also. Emry came along of course. She is sweetly sleeping behind us in her car seat. We went to our old standard Roy's for dinner and talked for hours. My favorite thing in the whole world is to hang out with my lover.

Emry was 12 days shy of being 1 month old. Me...still need to lose 15 pounds.

Papa and Tutu's visit

2010-11-03T23:06:00.000-10:00

Emry (two weeks old) and I stayed home to get some much needed recovery.

We slept while Eric, Pearce, Tutu, and Papa had fun.

At the beach. Pyramid Rock Beach at the Kaneohe Marine Base.

At the bating cages.

At the bumper boats.

Took Papa out for a sunset on the beach birthday dinner.

Pearce made Papa a card. He drew Papa snorkeling with a shark and crabs.

Tutu, Pearce and Papa.

Emry's first short outing. She was only two weeks old. Naturally she slept the whole time.

Pearce, sad to see them go, tried to fit into a suitcase.

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T23:25:00.006-10:00

We got lucky this past Halloween. Not only did Emry arrive in time, but so did Tutu and Papa Phillips from AZ.

Tutu brought a haunted gingerbread house kit, which she and Pearce put together.

Pearce's tombstones for the front of the house. Most kids wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of eating before installation, but not Pearce. He's too obedient and concerned about following instructions. Plus he knew he could wolf them down later.

The yummiest haunted house ever!

Pearce picked a ghost pattern for his pumpkin. He did it all himself.

OK. Not really.

Pearce picked a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume for Halloween.

He suffered a mild case of buyer's remorse in the days leading up to Halloween because he's actually not that into TMNT. When we scanned the catalog in September, though, he was knee-deep in a TMNT phase after Eric picked up their latest movie in Saigon. His phases usually last two weeks. He rotates back to his favorites, though. Spiderman, Star Wars, and Batman are probably his most common and enduring.

Once he was in costume, though, he had no regrets. Besides, the costume got the job done, helping him secure more candy than he'll eat in five years. Here he's scoring at Trick or Trunk at our church building (Makakilo Stake Center).

Pearce with Spider-Kaleb. Pearce was Spiderman the year before.

Pearce and Max dueling with their respective weapons.

Papa came just in time to hand out candy. As you can see, we didn't really provide a trunk from which to dish out the goodies. A bit sad, considering that most in our ward had fully-functional haunted trunks, with special effect crews, music and fog machines. Oh well. Papa is cooler than any of their trunks anyway.

Round 2: regular old house to house.

Pearce pleased with round 2 of his candy collection.

In truth, he ended up eating less than half of this (not to mention the mounds during later rounds). Don't get me wrong, Pearce likes Candy. But he's the only 4-year-old I've ever met who will stop half-way through a cookie and proclaim that he's had enough. It's more about the anticipation for him than the actual payoff. He'd rather be playing guys.

Tutu, Eric and Emry watching

Uncle Heber and Auntie Olya came over to wish us a Happy Halloween. Uncle Heber is Pearce's second-favorite playmate (after his dad). They'll go at it for hours.

Emry with Auntie Olya. From her facial expression, it's obvious she likes what she sees. We anticipate many more years of these two hanging out.

Unfortunately, Emry was too small to fit into her First Halloween costume at just 12 days old. I tried it on her three months later and, by then, it was too small...

...but still cute. Pearce put on his Batman costume and pretended she was Cat Woman.

Papa and Tutu's last picture with the kids before they left to go back to Arizona. Oh, and this is when Emry peed on Papa!

We ended the nights festivities with a slice of my homemade pumpkin pie.

The day after Emry was born

2010-10-20T16:55:00.000-10:00

This is what happens when you get behind on your blog. Events go missing. Like the day after Emry was born. This was an emotional day for me.

First, my body was still undergoing consistent labor contractions. By "consistent," I mean every five minutes from the time I delivered Emry until about 48 hours after. Apparently, my body still believed there was another baby to come. Glad it was wrong. How do we women forget that these type of things happen when we have babies? I guess the human race would stop if we all had perfect recollection of the experience.

Anyway...

Second, Emry had to have an ECHO Transthoracic (2D); complete with spectral and color flow dopper. This was because Dr. Loui, Emry's pediatrician, heard a murmur during the nursery examination.

Third, while I awaited for the Echo results, I got a call from my parents who just landed in Arizona, who had spent the last 15 day on a Safari trip in Kenya. My Mom, who was meant to come to Hawaii and help me with the baby, explained that my Dad had been suffering severe headaches during their entire trip and he had dry heaved for the last 22 hour of their flight, and she was taking him to St. Joseph Emergency. An hour later my Mom calls to tell me that my Dad was just prepped for brain surgery with Dr. Peter Nakaji . My Dad's CT and MRI test showed that he had been suffering from an Acute Subdural Hematoma (major trauma and bleeding in his brain) for the entire time in Kenya and he was going into a deep sleep, which would kill him if not addressed. The fluids had pushed his brain over to one side which made him critical for emergency brain surgery. The doctors were amazed he was still alive. This is when the tears started to roll. I called my brother Grant who lives in Utah, and discussed the news. Just two months ago my brother and his wife sat by the crib of their first baby, who was born a month prematurely, and was hospitalized for several weeks until his lungs grew. Grant and his wife Amy immediately left to catch the first flight to Arizona. But I was worried about my Mom being alone at the hospital so I called Harry to ask him if he could go sit with her, but he sadly explained he could not because he was dressing his daughter's mother at the funeral home. Instantly my thoughts went to Tiffany, then to Connor, and I wondered how he was coping, and the tears came again. So I called my mother in-law Jane, and without hesitation she went to sit with my Mom until my brother arrived. Oh, the relief that someone I loved and trusted would be with her.

Still dealing with labor pains, I tried to breastfeed Emry, wishing this was a happier day, and feeling helplessness for my family. Emry's pediatrician then came back with the ECHO exam which showed her to have 3 heart defects:

A normal healthy heart to compare.

1. Muscular interventricular septal defect with a left-to-right shunt. (VSD) The most serious out of the three.

1. shows where the VSD occurs.

the Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) usually occurs in the membranous (perimembranous) (70%) rather than muscular interventricular septum, and is more frequent in males that females.
Perimembranous defects are located close to the aortic and tricuspid valves and adjacent to atrioventricular conduction bundle.
The defect allows left-right shunting of blood, this shunting depends upon the size of the defect. Small defects may close spontaneously, larger defects result in infant congestive heart failure.
Clinically repaired by coils or tissue-adapted devices like muscular or perimembranous occluders.

2. Tiny patent ductus arteriosus with a left-to-right shunt. (PDA) Common in a new born.

1. shows where PDA occurs.

Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) occurs commonly in preterm infants, can close spontaneously (by day three in 60% of normal term neonates) the remainder are ligated simply and with little risk.
The operation is always recommended even in the absence of cardiac failure and can often be deferred until early childhood.

3. Patent foramen ovale with a left-to-right shunt. (PFO) Common in a new born.

1. shows where PFO occurs.

And the tears came again. Dr. Loui explained that the Cardiologist wouldn't look at the echo in detail until Monday and we would have to wait for his diagnosis, but the lab technician who processed Emry's echo mentioned that her defects didn't look too serious. Good news! Finally some good news... unofficially, but still good news. Oh the relief...

My Mom then called the next day to report that the surgery went well and my Dad was recovering in the ICU. I called my Dad a day later, who was cracking jokes the whole time. Oh the relief...

A few days later, at the pediatricians office, Dr. Loui explained that the Cardiologists didn't think Emry was in any danger, meaning her heart should heal itself, and that she would only need a routine follow up with him in three months. And so, three months later, I took Emry to see the Cardiologist and he decide he wouldn't need to see her again until she was two years old.
Oh the relief...

My Dad spent 5 days in the ICU. He came away with 72 staples in his skull. A few weeks later, due to fluids building up faster than his body could absorb, he spent 2 more days in the ICU after surgeons reopened his skull and drained the fluid. He was fine for a couple of weeks and then was readmitted into the ICU to drain the fluid from his brain again. The doctor concluded that if the fluid persisted they would have to re-due the surgery, which was risky. But the fluid never came back and my Dad started to feel good enough to work out again at the gym. He pushed himself a little to hard one day and had a stroke. Thankfully, no serious damage was done, but it scared my Dad into a slower recovery. He is now in perfect health. Thank God. I couldn't imagine life without my Dad.

Oh the relief...

The Start of Emry Claire

2010-10-19T07:36:00.000-10:00

Hi. I'm Emry. I was just born. My dad says a lot of people, including Future Me, want to know what happened. So I dictated the following to him:

It started October 5th. My mom went in for her regular checkup, during which Dr. Rudy explained that she was already 2 centimeters dilated and 60% effaced, and that I'd put my head into the launch bay. This got me excited. I was holding out for 10-10-10. Not because of auspicious numerology. But because it'd make it way easier to fill out the trillion forms I'll be handed in my lifetime.

But the 10th came. And went. I stayed put. On the 12th, my mom went in for another checkup. Now she was 4 centimeters dilated, 70% effaced. Basically, in labor. Just slowly. Dr. Rudy decided my mom should be induced. She didn't want me to be born in the backseat of a car. She scheduled my mom for Monday the 18th.

On Friday the 15th, my mom's nose started to run. By the afternoon, her throat was sore. Then her ears. Figures. My mom is sick about three times a decade. On Sunday, she called Dr. Rudy and described her symptoms. Dr. Rudy immediately pushed our meeting back five days to Friday the 22nd. She didn't want me to start life with a cold. Thanks for the gesture, Cheryl (Dr. Rudy's 1st name), but at that point I was so cramped my toenails were denting my knee caps. And my mom was dealing with comments like, "Your belly's bigger than the rest of you." We both wanted to be done with the living arrangement.

My dad decided to stay home from work on Monday--partly to nurse mommy back to health, partly to stay close should I make a break for it. Contractions had been underway for three days, but were spread out a safe distance. But Monday came. And went. I stayed put. My mom was grateful for my dad's help, but instead of using the extra time his presence afforded to rest, she used it to nest. For example. She decided 10:15 p.m. was a good time to start painting a lamp shade. I've since learned that once she makes a list, sleep doesn't occur. Unless it's on the list.

Tuesday morning, my mom and dad decided he should go to work. My mom was already scheduled to see Dr. Rudy that afternoon, so they figured if something happened, we'd already be heading in the right direction. Plus, they figured fate wouldn't pass up the chance to start my delivery while my dad was 35 minutes away.

They were right to tempt fate. Almost immediately after my dad closed the door to go at 7:30 a.m., our contractions started in earnest. As in, less-than-five-minutes-apart "in earnest." But another thing I'm learning about my mom is that she likes pain more than inconveniencing those she loves. So she waited until 11 a.m. to call my dad. Once her contractions were coming at four minutes apart. By the time he got home--around 11:30, our contractions were less than three minutes apart. Dad packed up a few belongings--Mommy already had herself, Pearce and me organized--and we bolted. Our first stop was the Paets, who'd previously offered to host my brother Pearce for the day and the night. He won't admit it, but I think he was more excited to play with fellow 4-yr-old Kaleb Paet for the day than to hang with me on my birthday. I don't blame him. Things got messy.

We arrived at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children (the same place my brother Pearce started life) at a quarter past 1. After parking, we headed up to the third floor, only to be told there was no room at the inn.

"What? We just keep driving till we find a hospital with a bed," my dad asked?

"No," the nurse answered. "You wait for a room to clear out."

So we did. For 45 minutes. My mom's contractions were hitting, at longest, every two minutes. Often less. And growing longer and more painful. But you wouldn't know it by looking at her. Which was the problem. The nurses were assessing my mommy's condition by surreptitiously watching her. What they saw was a carefree hottie, laughing in between bites of pastrami and calamari salad that daddy'd picked up at the cafeteria. Only at their worst did my mom honor her contractions with a wince. To the nurses, she looked like a typical newbie mommy, racing to the show at the first hint of it starting, only to be sent home for several more hours--or days--until the real performance started.

But when the contractions began clawing on top of each other, daddy got aggressive. Reluctantly, the nurse awarded us a triage room--which had been open the entire time. Another snotty nurse (turns out these were the only two in the entire hospital) started asking my mom the routine questions. She clearly didn't buy my parents' claim that the contractions were less than two minutes apart. She also didn't seem to hear that, as of a week ago, my mom was 70% effaced and 4 cm dilated because she kept saying things like, "We'll see if you're even dilating," in the same tone a bouncer uses to check the A-list.

It wasn't until she started listening to my heart beat that she started taking us serious. After the third contraction in less than five minutes--and my pulse's accompanying slowdown--she acknowledged: "Looks like your daughter may have punched your ticket. She's not responding well to the contractions you say you're having."

Daddy: "'Not responding well,' as in, 'we need to worry about her 'not responding well.''"
Snotty Nurse: "Nah. It's actually good ting. Means she com'n."

You think.

Next came latex and grouping.

Snotty Nurse: "Oh. She 8 centimetah already. Probly 80 puhcent effaced. Yeah. She in hurry."

You think.

While her hand explored, my mom announced that her water'd broke. The nurse shrugged it off too--apparently still struggling with the notion that patients are capable of truth. But as we started wheeling down the hallway into the delivery room, water gushed onto the floor. I really didn't like that. I'd taken my under-the-sea days for granted. The water'd been my buffer from the outside world. Now I felt shrink wrapped under a pile of rubble.

But my mom disliked it even more. The contractions went up on mommy's pain scale from a 3 to a 5. For the rest of humanity, that's equivalent to a 10. She asked for drugs. More specifically, she asked for an epidural. My mom's never had one. She was determined to make this time her first. But the nurse into whose deft hands we were being transferred, informed us that we were too late for Mr. epidural to rush in and save the day. The best she could do was Demerol. For the record, she then proceeded to publicly scold the snotty nurse and the one at the front desk for dismissing so much of what mommy had been saying, forcing the new team to play catch up, and my mom to suffer thrice the pain.

My mom readily accepted the Demerol and readily became high. Simple sentences turned into slurred discourses about the U.S. postal system and space exploration. But it didn't last. Fifteen minutes later she was back in reality, dealing with the full brunt of my decision to leave her body from a passage no wider than a quarter. She asked for and received more Demerol, but was disappointed to learn what all junkies learn: it's never as good as the first. The contractions were now tracked by their departures, not their arrivals. They were growing in length and viciousness. I was on the move.

By 3:00, Dr. Rudy was in the room. She'd been on her way to her Waipahu office to meet with a few leeward patients--including Mrs. Wendi Phillips--when the hospital called and informed her that I wanted to meet her face to face. She agreed to my proposal and made a U-turn. We were all happy to have her.

But mommy wasn't thrilled about everybody on Dr. Rudy's team. A Med student popped in a few minutes before Dr. Rudy arrived and announced he'd be helping out. Mommy had nothing against him personally or his medical proficiency. Just his gender combined with the fact they'd never met. She's not a fan of meeting new men while she's in stirrups.

But I made her forget about him. I made her forget about everything. For the next 45 minutes, all she could think about was getting me out. She couldn't even hear my dad ask her if she wanted ice to chew on. She just gritted her teeth, jammed her chin into her chest, and pushed. No screaming. No swearing. No crying. Just pushing.

Then at 3:44 p.m., I got my first taste of your world's air. I sucked it in, coughed on it a few times, then announced my presence with a few gurgles, grunts, and finally a single tiny cry. The first thing I heard was the same thing I'd been hearing for nine months--my mom's voice. She was crying gently out of joy. I heard my dad snip me free of my food supply. Then they placed me on her chest and proceeded to wipe, pat, and cover me with blankets. I was just getting comfortable, when they lifted my off and carried me over to something hard and flat. I gotta be honest. I really hated the next few minutes. Things were shoved down my throat, up my nose and up my bahoohoo. It wasn't the welcome party I'd imagined.

But then things got incredibly better. They wrapped me tight just like I like, and took me toward her voice. I still hadn't opened my eyes. I'd been holding out. I wanted the first thing I ever saw in this world to be her. And so it was. They placed me in her arms on her chest and I opened my eyes to the sight of my mommy peering straight back. That was my favorite part.

First Sight: Mom. I'm 2 minutes old.

We hung out for a while. Talking and checking each other out. She even fed me. My dad hovered overhead with two cameras, trying to record it for Future Us while simultaneously trying to get to know me.

But then it was time to go. Off to the business of babying. Measurements (I came in at 8 lbs 1.2 oz and just over 21 inches tall). Deep cleans. Exams. None of it very fun or blogworthy. Bottom line, I was healthy. More importantly, I was happy. I hardly cried at all. They couldn't even dampen my spirits with their little "heel pricks" to check my blood. I was too excited to finally meet the family I'll be with for eternity.

Here are some highlights from the first few days:

The dream team

At the nursery, getting checked and cleaned.

Once Mom and I were in the recovery room, Daddy brought my brother Pearce. He did a five-minute happy dance. He'd been asking if I'd come "today" for the past three months.

Pearce was so excited to finally hold me. He's been kissing me non-stop.

With my Daddy.

My first car ride home.

On Saturday morning (my due date, 23) my parents took me for another blood test. My jaundice was getting worse, so my pediatrician, Dr. Loui, decided to send me back to the hospital for a 24 hours stay under the blue lights. I was a little bummed, but it was better than the alternative.

I was totally disoriented with my eyes covered and my body naked flailing around. To make matters worse, they taped the blindfold to the side of my head, so when they took it off, they took a few layers of skin with it. Barbaric.

Ready to go home again. If you notice I have chubbier cheeks. My doctor instructed my mom to feed me formula along with her breast milk to help with my jaundice. I was happy to oblige since I love to eat.

My mommy painted and put together my room before we left for Vietnam. She's still not sure if she likes the yellow, but I like it. And it turns out I get the same bedding Pearce used. It's a very simple, no fuss, room.

Mommy made a pillow to girl up the blue chair.

In my crib upstairs.

Although, I love napping anywhere...

like my bassinet downstairs...

like my moms nursing pillow...

like with my daddy...

like in my swing..

That is my sucky from the hospital. I like it better than the ones from the store.

Here's mommy giving me my first bath. I loved it. Most relaxing.

That's pretty much it for now. I need to go suck a meal down and take a nap. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to meeting you.

Love,
Emry Claire Phillips

The rock wall part 2

2010-09-24T21:22:00.000-10:00

The construction of our rock wall was an effort only slightly bested by the Ming Dynasty's so-called "Great" Wall. Seriously. What a pain. The permitting process alone was enough for us to consider moving away from the third-world bureaucracy that is Honolulu City and County. If you don't know somebody on the inside...good luck. And then there was the Tongan mafia. We went through 11 "contractors" before finally going Samoan. But. It's done. Well, almost. We still need another load of dirt/fill. Then we can finally begin landscaping and hopefully stop Pearce from nagging us each day about getting him some grass and a trampoline.

Phase one. The foundation. This is the wall in our backyard.

Nine months

2010-09-23T11:39:00.003-10:00

This is one big baby.

A month before the baby was due

2010-09-20T20:20:00.004-10:00

We just got back from living in Vietnam for three months and I had less than two months to get ready to have baby. My Mom and Connor came for a quick visit to help.

Grandmama Piller, Connor and Pearce just before we jumped into the Volvo and sped off to the airport. I am wondering why this was the only picture we took for whole visit. Maybe because I was nine months prego.

After a full day of playing with Grandmama and Connor, Pearce passes out in seconds.

Took a picture of myself to prove I was still smiling at nine months!

It was fun to buy little pink onies with my Mom.

I had been so busy getting things ready for the baby, thinking she would be three weeks early like her brothers, unfortunately putting Pearce on a mini vacation from home school. But he still drew and wrote cards for family and friends birthdays.

For Papa Piller.

For Grandmama Piller.

For our neighbor.

You and Me Night

2010-08-30T18:56:00.004-10:00

This is Eric. Ever since Pearce was 2, he and I have had what he calls "you-and-me-night" once a week. (He'll wake up and immediately ask me, Is tonight you-and-me-night). We'll leave the house, or sometimes stay in if Wendi has somewhere to go, and party it up. We'll go to the beach, do a night hike, go to a movie, play video games, or sometimes just play guys for three hours. With the exception of my bi-month date with Wendi, there's nothing I look forward to more. In Saigon, you-and-me-night was off the hook, mainly because activities were so cheap, but also because what ever activity we did we had to ride motorcycles to get there, which meant Pearce got to pretend he was Batman, or Spiderman, shooting all the other drivers.

Bumper cars

Games were especially cool because, for the first time in my life, I could afford to win the entire game. Granted, I recognized most of the games from my youth. But Pearce didn't know the difference. We'd usually conquer the entire game for under $3.

Conversations with Pearce

2010-08-30T03:05:00.000-10:00

1. Eric (responding to a question from Wendi about how he'll get ready for work if he bikes there): "I'll just bring my toiletries to work."
Pearce: "Toilet Trees? There's no toilet trees in this country!
You're so funny, Dad."

2. At a restaurant, Pearce grabbed one of the freshly baked french rolls, put it up to his ear, squeezed softly, and said," This is good bread. I know because the sound of the crunch." He learned this from Disney's Ratatouille.

3. I came down to breakfast and found my boys reading the newspaper....

....in Vietnamese. Pearce looks up and says "The Bietnamese (how Pearce pronounces Vietnamese) paper is a good read today, Mom."

4. Pearce has a box of foreign money that he has collected. He looks at every piece every time he is in his room. Actually, "caresses" is the proper word. Even in the middle of the night I have found him awake, handling and admiring his money. When I gave him some Vietnamese money Pearce said, "Look Mom the Bietnamese (Vietnamese) put windows in their money."

5. Pearce is always carrying around some action figures. One of the mornings at breakfast I noticed that Pearce's Darth Vader guy was positioned like this:

Mom: "What's up with Darth Vader?"
Pearce: "He has a stomach ache. Most likely gas. So I told him to put his bum in the air to help him feel better."

6. This is how I know Pearce will be a really good brother. He takes such good care of his special elephant Elli. Like when we leave for dinner, Pearce will put his Elli to bed with a movie to watch. He'll even pause it for her if he has to do something and gets in the way of the screen.

Water Park in Saigon

2010-08-29T16:36:00.000-10:00

It's no Wet'n Wild. And it's certainly no Waimea Bay. But Saigon's Dam Sen Water Park really wasn't too bad. For Pearce, at least, it was sensational. A nice respite from the heat and dirt of the city. He went three times. Once with me and Eric and our friend Thanh and his nieces and nephews, and the other two times with just Eric. Each time he was able to practice his new swimming skills in front of peers, and even went down the dark tunnel slide. Here are some highlights.

Pearce and Eric on the lazy river.

They just missed the crazy teenagers.

Making friends despite the lack of a common language.

We were humming Sesame Street's "One of these Things is not like the Other" a lot.

Water park montage.

Salon Day

2010-08-27T03:31:00.000-10:00

There are two very different ways to get your hair cut in Vietnam. One is a guy who hangs a 5 by 2 inch mirror from a tree, or the second is a full salon experience, including an hour head massage, a manicure, pedicure and cucumber facial. Today, Eric and Pearce had the full salon experience while I had my legs waxed.

This guy is one of the upper market street barbers. His mirror is large.

Eric is having his one hour head massage.

While all the salon girls play with Pearce.

Peace's pedicured toes, and below, manicured hands, upon which they applied clear nail polish.

I only went to Anthony George for London Hair and beauty for color and cut. Ask for Anthony he is the best and fun to chat with. He knows everyone in Vietnam. And has the buzz on everyone.

The Spa at the Intercontinental Hotel.

Pearce took this picture of me getting a Pedicure.

Pearce is a dream to take. Especially if I have the Itouch for him to play with.

I have to say our favorite event in Saigon, other than eating, is getting a massage. It was, however, hard to find a massage place that would massage a pregnant girl. Several places turned me away because of a belief that massaging me would A) induce labor or B) make my baby stupid. At least they cared. But at last we found an establishment willing to take the risk. My Spa, 15C4 Thi Sach Street. District 1, HCMC. My favorite masseuse was Massage Lady No. 10. We went once or twice a week. At 10 dollars for 2 hours (with tip) how could you not.

Got milk?

2010-08-26T21:58:00.000-10:00

This is one of many promotional signs to "drink milk" found on every street corner in Saigon. Drinking milk in Vietnam is a brand new concept that was formed by some government think tank to boost healthy living. Unfortunately, 95% of Vietnamese can't afford fresh or shelved milk and most Vietnamese can't even drink it without a stomach ache. We asked everyone we knew and they confirmed the above points. too funny.

This is the fresh milk from the Highlands of Vietnam. It's expensive, 2 USD for this little carton that lasts us a day.

Swim Lessons

2010-08-24T23:17:00.033-10:00

Our goal this summer was to rid Pearce of his swim muscles. A month before we left Hawaii I put Pearce into Ewa Swim with Coach Curtis. He learned to jump into the pool and retrieving a ring from the bottom, float on his back and stomach holding his breath for 10 seconds. Once in Vietnam, I took Pearce to the pool to practice. He was getting more comfortable swimming underwater, so we found a private swim teacher some of the other residency parents were using. Her name is Ms. Ngan. She focused on stroke technique.

Pearce flexing his swim muscles.

Pearce's swim teacher started with proper kicking with a kick board. Then moved on to the arms.

Pearce practicing his back and front float, and his first swim lesson.

Second and third swim lesson.

Fourth, fifth, and sixth swim lesson.

Play time.

Pearce tried out some flippers he borrowed from a friend and loved swimming with them.

A montage of Pearce's pool stunt; back flip, front flip, dolphin dive, back float, submarine dive.

Misson accomplished. No swim muscles. Yeah Pearce.

Music Lessons

2010-08-23T17:51:00.005-10:00

We felt Pearce was ready to start music lessons. What instrument, though, we weren't sure. We found a summer camp program at the Ho Chi Minh City Academy of Music. The music teacher, Mr. Erin, started with the basics like understanding low to high notes, rhythm, and reading notes, such as tah and tee-tee. He introduced a new instrument every week. This week was all about the guitar.

Mr. Erin teaching guitar.

Pearce checking out his guitar.

Pearce loved music camp and declared his desire to learn the drums and guitar. So we signed him up for private lessons. Born rocker.

Pearce with his private music teacher Janel. Pearce won his Music Academy hat because he could name all the parts of the drum. He wore it two weeks straight.

Pearce's first and second drum lessons.

Pearce's third drum lesson and first guitar lesson.

Pearce's forth drum lesson. He is playing a three rhythm combo on the high hat, snare drum, and base drum.

Janel said Pearce has a natural proclivity for drums because he multi-tasks so well, enabling him to move his hands at a different rhythm than his feet. Janel was also very pleased with how Pearce remembered what he learned from the previous weeks without practicing or being reminded. Hey. I'm allowed to brag. I gave birth to him. Now we're just hoping to find a good drum teacher in Hawaii, which will be tough because Janel was such a perfect fit.

Thanks Janel!

Saigon's Nortre Dame Cathedral

2010-08-22T16:13:00.000-10:00

The Notre Dame Cathedral in Saigon is, in many ways, the heart of Saigon. During big celebrations--Christian or not--the square surrounding this church becomes choked with humanity. But on most days the wide boulevards surrounding it are among the most traffic free intersections in the city. We were lucky enough to be staying one block away--literally a two-minute walk from our front door. Of course, we waited to make a proper visit until the last few weeks of our stay, once I was good and preggers. Our friend Duy, one of the most staunch of Vietnam's 15 or so million Catholics, gave us the tour.

It was designed by the French architect Bouvard in 1877-1880 on what is believed to be the site of an ancient pagoda. Constructed of granite and red brick from Europe in a Neo-Romanesque style with twin spires.

The front of the Cathedral with a statue of the Virgin Mary. I am seven month pregnant. People surround Mary with candles 24/7. Weekends and holidays it's packed. And, like so many inanimate Marys, there are claims that about two years ago she shed actual tears. The Vatican didn't recognize it as an official miracle, but that didn't stop the throngs from pouring in. Duy explained that probably 25% of the people who came to see her cry and light a candle or two for good merit were Buddhists.

The back end.

Prayers to the Virgin Mary. No, Pearce is not praying.

People pay a handsome sum to have a brick made and plastered inside. Most simply express thanks to Mary for some assist she dished out. There are many French and American ones.

Eric had Pearce believing that the statue came alive at night, walked around the city, and ate pigeons (which is why they're always pooping on her during the day). This, I suppose, is how we parents warp humanity--one ridiculous tale after another to spare them--and ourselves--of boredom.

Feeding the birds.

In Vietnam's cities, grassy areas are off limits. Most are policed to make sure no one walks or lays on these rare patches of green. We told our Vietnamese friends that we run and play on grassy areas in America. They normally stared back in unbelief, and sometimes argued that grass is not for running on--doing so would kill the grass.

Pearce's number work for July-August.

2010-08-21T04:39:00.002-10:00

From Kumon Math Workbook.

Pearce practicing his numbers from 11-20.

Pearce's seven and nine were backwards, but this time when I corrected him he wasn't too upset, maybe because he still got the answer right.

Pearce's numbers are looking good. It's hard to count all those little dots.

Pearce's picture journal for July-August

2010-08-17T21:34:00.051-10:00

It's been so fun to watch Pearce's picture journal evolve from simple to detailed drawings. Each really showcases Pearce's interests and the details he notices. The closest thing to a peephole into his 4-yr-old brain.

Pearce met this little girl at the pool one afternoon. Her family just moved here and was waiting for their house and furniture to arrive from Thailand. Most of the children we meet here are Expats in mid move from one country to another.

This is another girl that Pearce met at the pool. He was so fasinated that she had missing teeth. Also, Eric had mentioned something about writing small (smaller = smarter), and, well, Pearce immediately tried it out with his name.

Pearce's own idea. Too funny.

Notice the teeth.

Pearce changed it up with long letters.

The night before Pearce watched a bunch of Batman cartoon episodes. This was the beginning to Pearce's desire to draw animals.

Eli is the blue elephant that Pearce has had since he was two months. He calls Eli his best friend. And his baby.

We had just finished a geometry lesson on the computer.

Pearce continued his fasination with triangles.

I started having Pearce trace over the captions to give him practice writing in sentences. Back on Karate Kid.

Pearce started drum lessons from the Ho Chi Minh City Academy of Music (another blog). Pearce was adamant in this picture that his foot was on the base drum pedal.

Pearce had questions about how fish breath underwater, so together we looked it up on the Internet and Pearce was hooked. Hooked on finding information on everything. This is both a blessing and a curse. We all know how often toddler's use the word "why." Add the Internet to the mix and...well...best to brush up on your Google search skills.

Pearce is obsessed with the movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. He pretends to be the main character, Flint Lockwood the inventor. He wears a sweater I have that looks like a lab coat and repeats every line by heart. It's ridiculously cute. I love the plug and the puddle of sauce.

After watching the movie Walle. Pearce is very detailed, making his clouds brown because he would explain, "on Walle's earth there is brown clouds because people didn't take care of it". Pearce traced over this caption too. His letters are improving.

The little black robot is the cleaning robot.

Pearce's best Walle pic ever. He even wrote the 'w' in Walle style.

This day, Pearce was interested in checking out dinosaurs on the internet. Have you ever seen a cuter T-Rex.

Pearce's first drawing of our house with an apple tree. We don't have an apple tree but he asked if we could get one because he really loves apples. Fuji apples to be precise. Too bad apples don't grow in tropical climates.

The picture journal pages ran out. All we could find was lined paper. This day, Pearce picked to look up Kangaroos on the Internet. Pearce's favorite part was drawing the baby in the pouch. He was actually the one who taught me kangaroos live in in savannas. He learned it on his own playing a game on pbskids.org. I had to look it up to confirm.

This day, Pearce picked to look up giraffes.

This day, Pearce picked to look up lions. The black lines in the dirt are ants and the three brown blobs are antelope meat.

Horses on this day. Pearce now draws himself with a body, Feet with toes, hands with fingers and ears with lines in them. He asked if he should add toe and fingernails too. The black lines in the left corner are birds.

On to zebras. I love how Pearce turned one of the clouds into a picture of a face. When we are outside we like to play, what pictures do you see in the clouds.

From Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Pearce drew Sam with her microphone, Flint and the machine that makes food come from the clouds. The food coming down is bacon, eggs, Cheese, icecream cones, red sauce, and orange juice "in a glass."

Another Pearce Obsession is our ski trip to Utah back in February. He constantly wants to know when we're going again. The other day he and Eric were watching extreme skiing footage on the Internet and Pearce kept asking how old he had to be before the two of them good go heli-skiing together. I'm not sure if I've ever seen Eric happier.

Pregnant in Vietnam

2010-08-11T19:42:00.031-10:00

Before I left Hawaii I had one last appointment with my OB, Dr. Rudy, who was concerned that I would be out of her care for three months after having a bad case of pre-eclampsia with my past pregnancies. It took a few nudges, but she reluctantly gave copies of all my medical records to give the docs in Vietnam. Thankfully, she sent me out the door with a 90 dollars a month, new-age European prenatal for girls like me. I was skeptical but willing to try anything.

My first appointment in Vietnam was with Dr. Jane at the Health Unit inside the US Consulate. She is American, of course, and went to medical school in New York City. She moved to Vietnam just for an adventure, met her Kiwi (New Zealand) husband, stayed and had kids. Aside from working for the Consulate, she also has her own private practice outside the walls.

The Consulates Health Unit is extremely thorough, showing a 15-minute power point presentation on Health Care in Vietnam. I was given little laminated cards with all cell and work phone numbers and addresses of all the Health Unit Consulate staff and the best doctors in the local Hospitals, and addresses, in case of an emergency. A second card was given to me, the non fluent Vietnamese speaker, that said in Vietnamese, "I am having a baby. I need to get to this hospital, at this address, very fast." Just in case I went into labor and Eric was not with me. My orders were to keep both cards with me at all times. Dr. Jane, also ran thru her plan for me if I delivered early. Details such as, I would be air vacced to Singapore or Thailand, where the medical standards are just about equal to US standards (but a fifth the price). Delivering in Vietnam would be the very last option, or as she put it, not an option at all. I felt confident that if I did go into labor Dr. Jane would have everything under control. The rest of the check up was routine, peed in a cup, measured my belly, listened to the heart beat, checked blood pressure and weight. Everything came back normal. I was 6 months and had gained 12 pounds so far, two pounds over my target weight. The baby is healthy and kicking a lot. My only complaint at six months is that my tailbone gets sore if I sit too long.

The US Consulate is a block away from the Intercontinental. I am taking this picture from our bathroom. Can you see the American Flag?

I haven't had a chance to check out any of the Hospitals here and, well, frankly hope I never have too. But I got some second-hand information from the humanitarian Missionary couple from our church who have done several service projects for the maternity wards. They said, on average, one hospital experiences 90 newborns/day, meaning 40,000 babies per year. But because this year is the year of the tiger, couples are extra "amorous" so the birth average has gone up to 150 babies per day. 150 per hospital per day. Wow! In Hawaii, if they have 10 it's a lot. They described the conditions like this: three women giving birth on two twin mattresses pushed together. Sadly, one tenth of babies born at hospitals are abandoned because the parents are too poor (or scared or selfish or stupid) to take the baby home. That breaks my heart. On the upside, though, just like any other country, money can get you anything...such as a big birthing room all to yourself. So don't feel bad for the foreigners...just the locals.

Pictures of my belly at six months.

Pictures of my belly at seven months.

31 weeks. I feel really large because I am surrounded by the tiniest humans on the earth.

Everywhere we go, the Vietnamese mothers are telling us that it's a boy because of how I carry. Insisting. Swearing. Even after Eric explains that we had an ultrasound and it is undeniably a girl, they argue. I guess I carry my babies all in the front, regardless if it's girl or boy. Or else we're going to be very surprised in October (or our son is going to have a very very small....).

At 29 weeks I had my second and last appointment with Dr. Jane in Vietnam. It was a regular check up plus a glucose test. Everything was great. I gained 19 pounds. Not too bad for eating out every day for the past three months. Dr. Jane also provided letters for each airline confirming that I am able to travel/fly for 15 hours. Most airlines require this if you are over 6 months. Hopefully Dr. Jane wasn't lying.

Saigon bowling again

2010-07-11T00:03:00.000-10:00

Seven months pregnant. Looking a little tired. But ready to bowl.

While bowling we get smoothies or shakes. Here Pearce is drinking all three at the same time. He turns to us and says "Guess where your drinks are?" We reply, "where?". Pearce says with a devilish grin, "In my tummy!"

Pearce and his mad bowling skills!

Eric's best game today.

The weather

2010-07-10T23:15:00.005-10:00

The weather in Saigon has been pretty much the same everyday. Its nice in the morning with occasional sun, then usually cloudy, hot and humid till the torrential rains come down cooling the air by 10-20 degrees. It rains so hard that we can't even see the buildings across the street. Thank goodness for the rainy season or it would be humid like Hanoi, all the time. Since it rains every afternoon or evening we rarely get to witness a beautiful Vietnamese sunset. But on this night we did.

Gorgeous.

Reunification Hall

2010-07-05T15:27:00.000-10:00

In District 1 sits the Reunification Hall, also right down the street from us. Formerly known as the Presidential Palace, it was built in 1869 as the Palace for the Governor-General of Indochina. The structure of the building is in the shape of the Chinese character representing good fortune. Once the French withdrew in the 1950's, the building became the palace for the South Vietnamese President. On April 30, 1975, Communist tanks smashed through the gates as a symbolic act to their victory over the Southern Vietnamese Government. If you've ever seen a documentary or TV show on the Vietnam War, you've seen that footage.

The front of the Hall is meant to resemble a series of bamboo canes. I'm not sure why. Maybe to remind malcontents that they'll beat them with bamboo canes if they misbehave. I am almost seven months pregnant and very uncomfortable in the humidity at mid day. The Hall has no AC.

The Presidential Office. Love the art depicting the life of a Vietnamese Southerner against the back wall.

The Southern Vietnamese Military telecommunication center.

The war room. The Southern Vietnamese President sat here.

The back terrace complete with heliport and copter. Now that's when you know you have made it big...a heliport in your yard.

Vietnamese war remnants. This wasn't the tank that smashed through the gate. But it's the same class. Nobody could answer us where the famous tank actually is.

Home School for Pearce

2010-06-20T21:45:00.066-10:00

When Connor was three, we put him in the best private preschool around. I assumed that a pricey start to his education meant a better start to kindergarten. But the opposite was true. The basics weren't covered and Connor started behind rather than ahead. Lesson learned. Now that Pearce is four, instead of a preschool, I decided to started home schooling him. This is what I have been using:

Workbooks from Kumon for writing numbers and letters.

The first couple of lessons focus on writing numbers from one to ten.

Pearce's first math test.

Pearce was so upset with himself when I showed him he got two answers wrong. He got up from the table and ran into his room. I explained he still did really well, but he wasn't happy until he wrote in the correct answers. Eric and I apply very little pressure on Pearce, so I have no idea why he's so hard on himself, but he's been like that from birth.

I give stars for neat letters. Pearce started to give himself stars too.

Then Pearce started giving himself smiley faces for good work.

For the letter tests, Pearce had to write and name the letter and then give a word that started with that letter to get a star a.k.a a correct answer.

Boys tend to have slower fine motor skills, making hand writing a slow or sloppy process but the Kumon workbooks helped Pearce tackle both of those problems.

Pearce's concentration lip. My mom says I did the same thing.

Video clip of Pearce writing his name.

Pearce Mastering his name after practicing for a couple of weeks. He was so proud of himself.

Computer Programs.

The PBS Kids Computer Curriculum includes seven major areas:
1. Healthy Development (emotional development, self care and safety)
2. Creativity ( art, reasoning and problem solving, music, invention and imagination)
3. Science (inquiry skills, life sciences, earth and space, and sound and light)
4. Language (Vocabulary, listening comprehension, and sentence formation)
5. Literacy (letters, early reading, rhyming words, phonics skills and spelling)
6. Math (patterns and classifications, measurement, numbers, geometry, adding and subtraction)
7. Social studies (history, maps and direction, rules and fairness, people and environment.

*also promotes computer skills.

This is the Chart that PBS provides with the computer program to help your child keep track of their progress. Once Pearce completes a level in a certain area, the program rewards him with the sticker (below) to place on this chart.

Pearce loves the computer. He has since he was 1, when he'd sit and look at pictures or videos of himself all day. He still does that.

I also have Pearce using the computer program Hooked on Math.
Thanks Mom and Dad for sending it to us.

*My only complaint with the PBS computer program is that the upload from one game to the next takes a little long. Patience tends to be an undeveloped trait among their target audience.

A picture journal.

In the past, Pearce and I had only been into arts and crafts, not really anything with drawing. I decided to try and change that. This picture journal we started will be some of his first drawings. He comes up with the pictures, then tells me what to write. It's been great so far. It's helped channel his creativity, learn to identify his pictures with captions, learn to write in sentences that he creates himself, and gives him practice writing his letters. I also have him sign his name after each entry, giving him extra practice, and trace the sentences I write for practice.

Pearce's picture journal for June.
Pearce's illustrations started off mostly monochromatic and simple. He'd sign each with PP until I taught him how to write his name. I like these entries because it really shows his progress.

Sometimes Pearce wanted to do more than one journal entry a day. Like his Karate Kid entries. They could have been never ending. We just saw the Karate Kid Movie and he was all charged up.

I love the red blood.

After watching Monsters vs. Alien Halloween special. Pearce watched it like 70 times in a row.

I've also gotten Pearce involved in Music and sports out here, but that's for a different blog. I'd love to hear other ideas or suggestions.

Wired

2010-06-16T17:25:00.004-10:00

I dare anyone to achieve free cable from that rat's nest. Actually those cable wires are pretty organized for Vietnam. I've seen much worst while whipping around Hanoi or Saigon by motorbike. Just a constant black mess of wires occupying the skyline of every street. In this pictures, it's a total view killer for the lady looking off her balcony.

Blood on the Highway Part 2

2010-06-13T23:05:00.018-10:00

During our last extended stay in Vietnam in 2008, Eric postulated that Hanoi was the most dangerous city to drive in on the planet. He was wrong. Saigon is worse. Simply put, there are more cars and bikes than there is road space. About a million times more. Add the fact that Vietnamese don't know the traffic laws or don't want to follow them, and that buses don't count people on motorbikes as human, and you have a road fatality rate that rivals countries like Afghanistan and Iraq. You know. Places where there's terrorists; road side bombs; tanks; snipers; etc. War zones.

However. We love riding motorbikes around here. Even preggers. There's no other way to get where you want quick, but also experience the sounds, smells, and weather of the city. Cabs and cars separate you from the chaos that is real Saigon. Plus, it's better than any roller coaster I've ever been on.

Eric, Pearce and I on our motorbike. My baby bump is 5 months and 2 weeks.

No parking lots in the city. So parking is on the sidewalk.

The parking garage at the Intercontinental.

Pearce poses with his hands up. Not sure why. He loves going on the bike. He usually pretends the other motorists are "bad guys," and spends our transits shooting them with his fingers. The locals stare a lot.

A short driving montage of Saigon.

Pearce's Birthday

2010-06-09T21:25:00.025-10:00

Even though we celebrated Pearce's birthday in Hawaii, when it came to his actual birthday on June 9, we decided to throw a little family party for him. The festivities started at lunch at the Annam cafe and bakery in downtown Saigon. Pearce got to pick out four cup cakes because he was turning four. We figured this would take care of his birthday cake needs.

Double Chocolate, Red Velvet Creme, Lemon Merange, and Rasberry Vanilla.

Pearce dusting off his first cup cake, chocolate of course.

Later in the afternoon, one of Eric's friends (Duy) brought over an entire birthday cake. This was cake #2.

Blowing out his four candles.

Then, after dinner the staff at our apartment brought Pearce a birthday surprise. Cake #3.

The card they gave with the cake. I really like the line about him being taller. What, after three days since first meeting?

That night, we took Pearce bowling for his first time. He loved it.

They didn't have bowling shoes for kids, but they did have bowling balls.

His first roll!

Pearce cooling off in the air vent. This lasted 10 minutes, and came with all sorts of re-enactments of superhero wind-in-the-hair moments.

Bowling montage.

Bowling with my baby bump 20 weeks and 3 days.

Eric bringing the thunder.

Pearce scored a 38!

In sum, bowling was a blast here. No smoking. Clean. Fresh fruit smoothies. Only $5 for all of us to play two games each. Across the street. Best of all, we actually got to bowl. Whenever we've tried in Hawaii, it's either a four-hour wait, or there's a tournament going on. I think this may turn into a favorite family activity in Vietnam.

Breakfast of Champions

2010-06-08T23:44:00.011-10:00

Every morning we go down to the Basilico Restaurant for our breakfast. Vietnam is big into fresh juices, from watermelon to mango. I have never been an orange juice drinker but I have been here. I drink a full glass every morning. Maybe because it's freshly squeezed. Or maybe because the baby loves it.

There are 5 choices of what to have, but 90% of the time, Eric chooses Phở (beef noodle soup), Vietnam's staple dish. He explained that he chooses pho so often here because he never gets to eat it in the States because of all the MSG U.S. restaurants use (he gets headaches about 30 seconds after his first sip of pho at home). Here, it's all fresh ingredients. No MSG. I love how big the bowl has to be.

Pearce often chooses eggs, but only because he likes to dip his toast in the yoke. Only until recently were we able to convince him that the rest of the egg also has value. We used the argument that boxers, and of course super heroes, eat tons of eggs because they build muscle so quickly. Predictably, after he eats his eggs now, he rolls his sleeve up and stares at his bicep for several minutes. Then he gets out of his chair and jumps a few times to make sure his vertical increased. He pretty much attributes all new feats of strength to the egg.

I am always preaching good communication to Pearce. I tell him the more exact in what you ask for, the better your chance of getting what you want. So he took it to heart and orders his breakfast everyday like this:

Pearce: "I would like milk in a glass with a straw, cereal with raisins in a bowl, honey for my cereal, milk for the cereal, toast with jam, strawberry yogurt in a bowl. And a spoon".

If we, including any of the servers, laugh during his very explicit instructions, he becomes hurtfully angry, and insists to us that "it's not funny. I'm being serious." Now we all have to try our hardest to keep a straight face.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

2010-06-05T21:21:00.055-10:00

Ho Chi Minh City, which is still called Saigon by everyone but the reddest of commies, will be our home for the next three months. Officially, 6 million people live here. Unofficially, it's closer to 10 million. Whatever the real number is, it doesn't change the fact that this place is huge and getting huger by the minute. There are 19 urban districts, but the population is booming so fast that officials have to add a district every year.

Saigon is located in Southern Vietnam just north of the Mekong Delta.. We've been lucky enough to see just about all of Vietnam over the years: Sapa, Hanoi, Halong Bay, Danang, Hoi An, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, the Central Highlands, and the Mekong Delta. Every part of Vietnam is so different and, so far, beautiful.

We'll be staying at the Intercontinental's Asiana Saigon service apartments in District 1. District 1 is the heart of Saigon and, really, the heart of the whole country. Especially when it comes to making money. There is a never ending supply of restaurants and shopping as well as several points of interest like the Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral, History Muesums, Art Galleries, Antiquities, the Reunification Palace and several hotels and restaurants made famous during the Vietnam War here. This is not the Vietnam of Oliver Stone, where tiny pajama-clad peasants scamper around in rice paddies with their conical hats and buffalo. Try Prada-clad millionaires ordering their chauffeur to take them from the Hyatt Spa to Louis Vutton in their Porsche Cayenne. To sum up, the heat is on in Saigon and business is booming.

The outside of the Intercontinental Residences. The building in the left corner is the Intercontinental Hotel.

This is the whole complex with the Intercontinental Hotel building, the Residence building and the office building connected by a high end two story mall in the middle of the buildings.

Pictures of our Apartment.

The Kitchen.

The dining area.

The living room.

The view from the couch, and entertainment center equipped with surround sound.

The view from our balcony.

The hallway leading to the laundry room, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The whole apartment is covered in hardwood floors.

Down the hall first door on your right, Pearce's room.

Pearce's closet.

From the hallway on the left side is a washer/dryer. A very SLOW washer/dryer, but a washer/dryer nonetheless.

The second door on the left is a bathroom.

With a shower.

At the end of the hall, the master bedroom with a desk.

Wall to wall closets and a flat screen on the left wall.

Master bathroom.

The tub. One of the most comfortable tubs ever.

The toilet and shower.

Special features we love about this apartment.

Daily Maid service. They do everything from changing sheets to dishes. Bliss for a pregnant girl. But don't worry, they haven't totally kept me from being a clean freak. I don't know if they were just angling for a phat tip, but yesterday they told me we were their favorite residence to service because it's always so clean.

Touch lamps with three settings of light so you don't have to look for a switch. Pearce was the first to discover this feature. It took him about 5 seconds.

Toilets that close quietly and automatily by itself after use. Usually in the middle of the night Pearce uses the toilet with a bang bang of the toilet seat and lid waking us up, but not here.

The do not disturb button.

Warding off outsiders.

A shower that feels like a rainy day.

Another option for showering. This is great for Pearce. His showers usually last 30 minutes, most of which is spent pretending the shower head is a weapon.

A shower that gives you the exact temperature every time.

Laundry guy who picks it up and drops it off the next day neatly cleaned, ironed, and folded. This may be one of the best features.

This is a common service since using the washer/dryer takes 4hrs for a small load and costs twice as much in electricity.

The residences make life very very convenient. On the third floor, a fitness center, swimming pool and a play room for kids. On the second floor, a lounge/library and computer center. On the main floor, a very small grocery store and a restaurant. Attached is a high end mall that the hotel is also attached to with restaurants and a spa. In sum, it's so convenient that it's going to make Hawaii tough to adjust back to.

The fitness center.

One of two pools.

Pearce at the other pool.

Pearce checking out the playroom.

The bathroom in the playroom has this little frog toilet. I love this.

The restaurant "Basilico" serves Italian, Western and Vietnamese food. We eat breakfast here every morning.

Also, serving hot stone oven pizzas. Pearce's favorite.

A big thank you to the Embassy's travel coordinator, Quan, for once again finding us the best apartment in town. You've got great taste. Our taste.

Manila

2010-06-02T23:39:00.017-10:00

En route to Vietnam, we stopped in Manila for an overnight layover, which helps with the jet lag and breaking up what could of been 14 hours straight on a plane verses 11 hours from Hawaii and 3 from Manila. Much better on a pregnant girl. We didn't do much but sleep, shower and eat. Oh and check out one of the many mega malls, which Manila is so known for. I think this was Gloria 5 or something like that. Anyway, it was conveniently located across form our hotel.

The Intercontinental Manila.

At the Manila airport waiting for our flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Pearce always finds ways to entertain himself.

Pearce plays with his belly.

Pearce pretending to be a character from one of Connors PlayStation games called Infamous who has lightning coming out of his hands. He was in this mode for about 30 minutes.

Pearce entertaining himself for several hours in the airport.

My baby bump is 5 months and 1 week.

Gymnastics 101

2010-05-23T23:57:00.004-10:00

Pearce has taken gymnastics for a few month here and there, basically on the months we have been home. And he loves it.

Pearce making a back arch.

Pearce on the bars.

One of Pearce's classes with coach Melissa.

Pearce's Bday Party

2010-05-21T03:23:00.030-10:00

Pearce like Connor has a summer birthday. And we always happen to be gone somewhere for our summers. And so my kids are never given proper birthday parties with their friends, so this year we surprised Pearce with a early birthday party at Gymboree.

Pearce and Papa with owie.

Connor and Eric start a dodge ball game.

Pearce, Braiden, Max and Eric.

Pearce loves tumbling around.

Some of the action.

Parachut and bubble time.

Pearce blowing out his four candles.

Eating Cake. Left to right; Grandmama, Connor, Pearce, Noelle, Elle, Camiren, Braiden, Max.

Along the back wall; Kelly, Derek, Addison, Papa with owie, and Eric.

Left to right; Joy, Caleb, Cloe, Charmaine, Floradina, Tristan, and Ryan.

Back to our house to open presents.

Batman helicopter.

Batman costume.

Batmobile.

A new baseball mitt.

Batman and villian's, Mr. freeze and the Joker.

Spiderman gloves. Last Halloween Pearce was Spiderman. He loved his costume except for the fact that it didn't come with gloves. And since then every time he would wear his Spiderman suite he'd say "if only I had Spiderman gloves".

A scooter.

Connor's bday Party

2010-05-20T08:42:00.024-10:00

Connor is turning thirteen, July 10th. But since this summer Eric, Pearce and I will be in Vietnam and Connor will be in Arizona, we decided to throw Connor an early birthday Party.

We went to Leaping Lizards to play around all afternoon. Unfortunatly, all the video footage was taken with our camcorder. It's legendary. When we get back to Hawaii (writing this from Vietnam in the future of the date above), I'll make a video and add it to this page.

Pearce liked to put the helmet on backwards so he couldn't see Connor coming. It added adrenaline, I suppose.

Pearce, Sean and Connor battle it out.

Connors eating his favorite food. Sushi.

Pearce enjoys this never ending noodle

We came home to eat homemade cake. Connor's choice.

This year has been a good year for Connor. He started piano lessons, and found a hidden talent. Even though he is only on book 1 with his lessons, on his own time he goes on Youtube to find tutorials on how to play his favorite songs from artists like Coldplay and Ben Folds. He can play Apologize, 21 Guns, Luckiest, Pholosophy, New divine, Zac and Sarah, and the list goes on and on.... It's so amazing to hear him play such complicated songs. Connor also has been busy with his soccer league and martial arts. He loves his dog Batman. He is the best brother. I am so proud of Connor and excited for his awaiting teenage years. I am a very lucky Mom.

It's a girl!

2010-05-18T21:53:00.023-10:00

While my parents were visiting I scheduled a surprise ultrasound appointment so they could be a part of the big unveiling of the gender of our baby. I am 17 weeks and 3 days pregnant which is a little early for my second ultrasound. Usually an OB will have you wait till you are 20 weeks, but if I waited my parents would be long gone by then and we would be in Vietnam. Connor and Pearce thought it was a boy. Eric thought it was a girl. My Mom thought it was a boy. My Dad thought it was a girl, and I thought it was a girl. And the ultrasounds says...

The proof

She was facing my back and wouldn't turn around no matter how hard the nurse pushed and prodded and I jumped and shook. It took like an hour to complete the whole process.

Her profile. This one looks just like Pearce's ultrasound profile.

3D. Back of her body. These are a bit creepy.

Our baby girl in motion.

Connor's reaction was, "well okay a girl is good as long as she's not too girlie". I made him a promise that that probably wouldn't happen since I am not a girlie girl.

Pearce's reaction was, "but I picked a boy! Why did you pick a girl?" I answered him, " I didn't pick a girl, Heavenly Father picked a girl". After a long pause Pearce resolves, "Well [sigh]...OK."

Eric was more excited than I was! He called his parents with the news. They where very excited to have a fourth girl grand baby. My Mom and Dad were excited to have their first girl grand baby. My mom has been knitting pink blankets before Pearce was born and now she has someone to give them to! And for me, I couldn't have been more excited or ready for a girl. After two boys, a little girl makes our family feel complete.

Later Eric and I called our Grandparents. All were very excited for us. But the most memmorable response was from my Grandma Boyle ( my mom's mom).

Me: "Hi Grandma, it's Wendi".
Grandma Boyle: " Hey honey".
Me: I am calling to tell you our exciting news!"
Grandma Boyle: " Oh, what's that?"
Me: "We are having a baby girl".
Grandma Boyle: "Oh, I am going to smack your bottom".
Me: [confused but undeterred] "We will be in Vietnam for the summer but will be back home before the baby is due in October."
Grandma Boyle: "Shouldn't you get married first".
Wendi: "I am married".
Grandma Boyle: "What!......Who is this?".
Wendi: "It's Wendi".
Grandma Boyle: "Oh, I thought this was Kayleen".

P.S. Kayleen is my 19 year old, single cousin who is attending college on the east coast. I would have smacked her bottom too if she called me with that kind of news.

We feel so blessed to have another little one come into our family and very excited to share her with the best family ever!

Grandmama and Papa with owie come to visit

2010-05-10T20:36:00.006-10:00

My parents came to visit so naturally we hit the beach. A lot. Thankfully, my dad has almost fully recovered from the motorcycle accident that mangled his ribs and shoulder blade. His arm still does not fully rotate but it's made his golf game improve (he's been forced to tame down his swing). After my Dad came out of many surgeries, he showed Pearce the Xray of his shoulder and ribs that had 20 screws holding it all together and from then on Pearce has called my Dad, "Papa with an owie." To this day, Pearce always asks to see Papa's Xray.

Papa, Pearce and Grandmama at White planes beach 10 minutes from our house

Papa, Connor and Eric at Waimea Bay. They swam out to this small rock islet to swim with the dolphins, who usually make their morning rounds at the mouth of the bay, but were unlucky that day.

Papa snorkling with the sea turtles

Eric took some video of Connor and Papa snorkeling

Pearce's first self-portrait.

2010-05-08T15:00:00.005-10:00

Nice Picture Pearce!