Snow on Christmas 2012

Our first Christmas in Texas and it snows! Benjamin had to work that day so we celebrated the day after.  I've never waited until the 26th of December to actually open presents but that was when we were all together. Such is the life of a hospital nurse.  The girls...well Sylvia loved opening all the presents.  She didn't even wait to look at the name on the gift.  She just started ripping everything open.  It's so fun to see how much young kids love the magic of Christmas.  I took these with my new Holga lens.

New Resolve and Birthday Fun

As I look back through my pictures I see many of them with different eyes.  The great thing about technology especially with photography is that you can take a seemingly unlimited amount of photographs to really be able to capture the emotions of a moment.  I keep nearly all the pictures that I take and even the ones that are taken by the pint-sized photographers of the household. I also look back on these posts and my own journal and feel regret that haven't kept a better personal history.  I started writing in my current journal in 2008.  I guess I'll just have to reach back into the recesses of my memory for the moments that seem to stick out.  So since this is a new year and I reflect on resolutions I really only have one that I truly want to improve at.  I want to keep a better personal history.  I plan on doing this by writing something every day in my journal or this blog or in a notebook for each of my children about my children.  So here goes.

We've been in Grand Prairie Texas for a few months now.  Sylvia has become very interested in butterflies.  There were a lot of them around before the weather got cold.  She has a book that was given to her a few years ago by our dear friends Liz and Tracy Grandlinger from the Fancy Nancy collection called Bonjour Butterfly.  We got her a fishing net which she used to catch butterflies. So for her birthday she wanted a cake in the shape of a butterfly.

The kids also had fun jumping in the leaves.

We gave out lots of invitations but not many people came.  I gave them out to the only people I know; the ward members.  We go to a Spanish-speaking ward.  I learned that day that most Latinos are used to parties in the afternoon.  I scheduled Sylvia's birthday party for 10:30 in the morning in the hopes that people would come by 11 am.  I also later found out that some people said they were sorry they couldn't be there because they had something going on at 6 pm the same day.  They just assumed it was in the afternoon or evening without looking at the invitation.  Ah well.  Such are the cultural differences.  It didn't even matter to Sylvia.  She had a great time.  Our next-door neighbor's granddaughter also happened to be visiting and we invited her over too.  I had thought about preparing an activity for the kids to do as part of the party then we just decided that jumping in the leaves would be less work and more fun.  It was a beautiful day.  Sylvia's birthday was on Thursday the 6th but we didn't have the party until Saturday the 8th.  Sylvia didn't believe that she actually turned 5 until she blew out the candles on her birthday cake even though on the 6th I made her a big pancake and put candles in it for her to blow out.  To her it wasn't the same.

Year's End Letter

Kay Family Texas 2012

               This year started out with the beginning of Benjamin’s nursing career in a Puerto Rican hospital established by the Spanish in the 1800’s called Auxilio Mutuo. It was in this hospital that Benjamin was able to see his first quadruple bypass surgery and they even let him control the cauterizing machine in the OR. It was fascinating to see that during the operation after dissecting the saphenous vein from the leg of the patient they cut it into smaller pieces and then they direct the perfusionist (the blood controller) to “drain the heart” and then after the bypass was complete to “fill her up”. Also when you are in the OR it is a completely sterile environment and therefore once you start touching the patient you cannot leave the sterile field. One of the assistants performing the dissection of the vein from the leg did not adjust the tie straps on his scrub bottoms tight enough and they hit the floor. For the next two and a half hours he performed his duties in his underpants. They never let him live that one down.

               Sylvia continued in her Headstart program this year in the same class with her teacher named Milca. She helped all the little Puerto Rican children in her classroom practice their English. She was loved by her classmates. Sylvia was four this year and just recently turned 5 on December the 6^th, 2012. She had her birthday party on December 8^th and she didn’t believe she actually turned 5 until she had her party. Tía Jen, our child care gem, and Tía Regan, her partner, constantly gave their all to make our girls develop with confidence. They were very much a godsend for us during our Puerto Rico days. Sylvia loves and misses her Tía Jen. For those of you who are wondering, Tía is the Spanish name for “Aunt”. Sylvia learned to swim in the beaches of San Juan which we frequented nearly once a week. She loved the beach and now here in TX has substituted it for the bathtub and sometimes the local community pool. Sylvia knows that she is a Daughter of her Heavenly Father. She prays daily for us and for all of the family. She is very precise in her communication with others and her vocabulary grows nearly every day. She has a preference for the English language and is learning how to dance, play the piano and read. Sylvia loves her mother, father and sisters very much. She tries to show her love to her baby sister at times by picking up and nearly throwing her over her shoulder. This we have corrected. We are teaching the girls about their English, Swiss and Dutch roots in their genealogy. Sylvia loves the Disney princesses and she constantly gets into her mother’s make up. Sylvia likes to jump off everything and starts the car under parental supervision. She always looks both ways when attempting to enter the street.

Vivian celebrated her 2^nd birthday this year (as she does every year) on January 21^st, 2012. When we moved to Puerto Rico Vivian was only 6 months old. Vivian has learned this past year to form sentences. She potty trained quickly while watching her sister like a hawk and emulates her in everything. She pronounces her name “Wi-ee-yen” and Sylvia’s “Diw-ee-ya”. She has a slight stutter in English and has a hard time saying initial consonants like s, p, and b.  It is really very cute how she says certain words (like drincess instead of princess). In Spanish she is soaking it up like a sponge. Vivian is a skinny little thing. Every time Daddy comes home from work she stands at the door and screams “Daddy” and runs to have me pick her up. She prays for Mama to be good and for Papa at work and for Jed and Chris and Zack, Grandma and Grandpa Giauque and Kay and Emily as well as her toys and her “pood” (food). She and Sylvia started ballet and tap dancing before we left Puerto Rico and started up again here in TX. She looks even skinnier in her tights. We are grateful that she has a better appetite than last year. Upon leaving Puerto Rico the friends and family that we had to say goodbye to more heartbroken about seeing the girls leave than anything. Vivian loved her Tía Trinidad, Tío Pedro and Felita, Tía Maricarmen and so many more friends who were touched by her sweetness.

                Shawna Marie was born on August 20, 2012. The girls stayed with the Bishop’s family while I took Nicky to the hospital “El Presby” Santurce, Puerto Rico’s local Presbiterian Hospital. It was a planned, induced birth but she came four hours before the scheduled induction time. Nicky spent a very short time in active labor and Shawna Marie was born within just a few contractions. She is getting pretty good at this birth thing. She spent the night alone with Shawna Marie Kay-Giauque (her birth certificate has the two last names) trying to sleep but the neighbor in the other bed had a mother who was extremely chatty and after 2am finally quieted down. However a little later on had the nerve to come over to Nicky’s side of the room and tells her to quiet her child because “Her crying is not allowing her to get sleep”. Benjamin was not allowed to stay in the hospital because of his gender. The next day during visiting hours Benjamin brought Sylvia and Vivian to see their new baby sister. They were so happy and from that day they have shown her nothing but love. Shawna Marie Kay-Giauque has grown a lot and seems to be one of our biggest girls yet. She loves being held. She does this jovial pterodactyl scream when she is having fun. She has gotten to know Grandpa Richard Kay, Grandpa and Grandma Giauque, The Arizona Giauque Cousins and Tíos, and Grandma Emily Kay. She can be seen on Shutterfly.com along with the rest of the family with the following info: Username: nickyjuke@yahoo.com PW: bpk19feb.

               Nicky finished her BSN degree and was given the highest GPA award as well as the Inter-American University Honors Society award. All of this as a mother of 2.9 children. She brought Shawna Marie into the world just two months later.  Benjamin left Puerto Rico a week later with the older tow girls and Nicky stayed in Puerto Rico for three more weeks getting things sold, given away, packed up and ready to move.  Thank goodness her mom was there to help. At that time we didn’t know if we would be in St Thomas or in Texas.  Benjamin had a job offer in St Thomas and had an interview with a hospital in Dallas the day the baby was born.  In the end Texas won out.  We initially went to Utah where we spent time with family and worked giving flu shots.  Benjamin was offered and accepted the job in Texas a left with a moving van and our newly purchased minivan in tow just a few days later.  Nicky stayed in Utah for a few more weeks to work the flu shot clinics then headed out to Texas with three small children.  Vivian ended up delaying the plane on our second leg by about ten minutes because she wouldn’t stay in her seat.  She eventually wore herself out.

Benjamin worked very hard as the nursing association president and was chosen to address the Graduating Class in the Nursing Graduation ceremony. He was able to capture the audience’s laughter and make them tear up in the same speech. He was one of two students to receive the nursing school’s highest honor due to his example of commitment to academic and community involvement.  Benjamin passed the national nursing board (NCLEX) in February and Nicky passed in April.  The Kay family Puerto Rico/Texas are very grateful to the following donors to our success in completing our education: Gerry and Alice Giauque, Richard and Shawna Kay, The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, The Inter-American University Honors Program, The Federal Government of the United States, the faithful members of the LDS Guaynabo Ward and San Juan Stake (our family in PR), and our Heavenly Father.  Nicky and Benjamin are Registered Nurses. We possess a license to do much good and also to potentially kill. 

               So, the Kay family Puerto Rico became the Kay family TX within a months of Shawna Marie’s birth. Yes, Shawna was named after Benjamin’s mother and Marie is a family name from both the Kay and Giauque sides. There is something special about choosing family names. Zack Kay started the trend in this generation with his son Ethan “Benjamin”, preceded by Shawna with her son’s name Christian “Royal”. Grandpa Giauque has to be grateful, however, that we haven’t yet considered his gender neutral name for one of our female offspring.

               We are so thankful for this time of year to reflect on our blessings and to remember the most wonderful gift of all, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

With much love,

Benjamin, Nicky, Sylvia, Vivian, and Shawna Marie

Our New Arrival

2012 has been a very busy year for us.  We graduated from nursing school and our third daughter was born.  Shawna Marie Kay-Giauque was born at Ashford Presbyterian Hospital in San Juan Puerto Rico on 20 August 2012.  I was to be induced that very morning but she decided to come on her own anyway a few hours before the scheduled induction.  We decided it would be better to plan for her arrival since we were in the middle of deciding whether we would stay in Puerto Rico or take a job in St Thomas one of the US Virgin Islands.  We were also waiting to hear back about a position in Dallas Texas. Benjamin had been offered a job in St Thomas and made plans to go there for a few days so he could secure the nursing position and housing for us.  He bought a plane ticket for August 23rd after we decided to have the baby on the 20th.  My due date was August 25th and my doctor was not the type to let her patients go overdue. I discussed with her our situation on August 12th or 13th and she said if I wanted to I could schedule to have the baby on the 20th.  I initially told her I wanted to wait for the baby to come on her own.  After discussing it with Benjamin we decided to just go ahead and schedule it for the 20th.  I called back my doctor the same day. On Sunday August 19th right after church I started to feel some back pain that I had never experienced before during the pregnancy.  I thought maybe it could be contractions but wasn't sure until around 2 or 3pm that day when they were a little longer and stronger.  Benjamin was supposed to work the graveyard shift that night but he really didn't feel like going.  He asked me if I thought this was the real thing and I thought that it might be.  He called in to work and told them he wasn't coming in that night because his wife was 'having pains' as they say in Spanish.  He was relieved.  For the next few hours I was just doing things around the house. The contractions were obvious and lasted for about a minute or two every 20 minutes or so.  We had made some plans with ward members to help us out with the two older girls so Benjamin could be with me during the delivery.  Around 7 or 8 pm I felt like it would be a better idea to take the girls that night to our friends' house who had agreed to help us instead of waiting until the morning.  With my track record I didn't think the baby would wait until the morning.  We left our friends' house around 9 pm but I still didn't feel like it was the right time to go to the hospital.  Ben and I went to bed...Ben slept but I didn't.  I had a few contractions then one big one which was my signal that it was time to go.  We got to the hospital at about midnight.  The hospital is very close to the beach in a highly developed area and there is not much parking.  The hospital has a pay parking structure but we didn't want to have to pay.  At that time of night there was plenty of street parking so we found a spot and we walked about two blocks to the ER entrance.  I was told to bring much of my own supplies such as pillows blankets clothes and sanitary products.  The hospital provided the sheets and all that I needed during the birth.  And of course they provided my food.  Ben brought in most of my things but he had to go back because the policy was that you could only bring a camera with you into the delivery room.  In this respect my experience giving birth in Puerto Rico was much different that in the US.  But I can understand that they want to keep costs down.  I paid for all the supplies I used during my others births...they just appeared on the hospital bill.  So Ben took the things back to the car while I waited in the ER waiting room.  When he got back they rolled me in a wheelchair to the delivery area.  They gave me a gown to change into along and a bag for my street clothes.  It took me a while to get changed because I had a few strong contractions while I was in the bathroom and had to stop move rather slowly.  They got me into bed and placed the monitors on me.  By then I was dilated to 7 cm.  The doctor came and broke my water and said that whenever I felt a contraction that I could go ahead and push.  I was dilating well but the baby still had to move down a little more.  So I had about another hour or so of strong contractions and pushing and finally had one last strong contraction and pushed the baby all the way out head  shoulders and all.  She was born just before 2 am which was four hours before I was supposed to be there anyway for the induction.  I'm glad she came on her own.  I had never had that experience before of having the baby come on her own time.  And I didn't get anything for the pain.  I was so relieved to have that over with.

Six months is a long time between posts...but we've got lots of good news to share.  We were very busy trying to do well in our last few months of nursing school all the while studying for the NCLEX which we are happy to say we both passed.  Benjamin passed in February and Nicky in April.  We had a week of ceremonies beginning the 10th of June.  We participated in the traditional nursing capping ceremony in which we took the nursing oath.  Benjamin spoke to our graduating class and did a very fine job.  All in all he did a great job this last year as the Nursing Association president.  He is now working full-time at Auxilio Mutuo Hospital here in San Juan.  Nicky is busy with the two girls and seven months along with their third daughter who should be arriving at the end of August.  We are glad to be done with school...at least for a time while we get Benjamin prepared to enter a program for a masters degree in Nurse Anesthesia.  We have been very blessed and offer a big thanks to our parents for all their love and support.

Happy New Year!  This is how we celebrated ringing in the new year...a few hours before the girls went to bed.  Sylvia loved the sparklers but would drop them before they burned out for fear of being burned.  We lit off some other louder fireworks and Vivian didn't like them much.  They were too loud and would say 'gaird' for scared or 'oud' for loud.  She held onto me while Benjamin was our pyrotechnician.  Every once in a while Sylvia would come running to me too.  It's been a great year.  2012 has a lot in store.

Here are a few more pictures from our ward Halloween party.  The girls just can't get enough candy.  

Here they are next to their friend Aaralyn dressed as a pink batgirl.

                                                      Vivian getting wrapped as a mummy

                                   She ended up winning the contest of the first to be wrapped.