Kerstin's Blog

One of my favorite events is going on this weekend and me and 10 of my favorite ABC 10 anchors and reporters will be there to meet you all.

It’s the Ocean Beach Street Faire and Chili Cook Off. I will be there judging the chili cook off (can you say heart burn?)  at 12, but before that you can stop by the Ocean Beach Town Council booth where I will be signing pictures and enjoying a beautiful (I hope) summer day with my colleagues.  We will have 10 news personalities there all day from 10 -3.  You can see Joe Little, Ben Higgins, Claudia Llauas, Rachel Bianco, Jennifer Jensen, Steve Atkinson, Hal Clement, Kimberly Hunt, Bob Lawrence, and Carole Sullivan.

Last summer I was very pregnant at this event and It was so, so hot!  Grace was just a couple weeks old and I remember walking around with her and our bulldog Pumpkin. Grace was a trooper but Pumpkin was burning up and so was I!  This year, it looks like it will be a bit cooler with more cloud cover and I will have absolutley no baby bumb!  But, both babies will be with me, so you can see them in person as well.

And speaking of babies, I would also like to personally invite you to a fundraiser for my favorite local non-profit – Miracle Babies. July 10th they are holding a casino night at the Ronald McDonald house and proceeds benefit families of premature babies.  I have had way to many people in my life lately who have known the heartache of an extremely premature child. I have also had the privilege of being a patient of miracle doctor Sean Daneshmand.

He brought Georgia into this world and took such good care of me for 6 months.  I will be the Emcee of the event and it will be a rare night out for Dan and me, and perhaps the 1st time when I am out of my baby vomit soaked sweats when I am not at work.

Hope you can make it out to both of these events, and please introduce yourself, I’d love to say hi.

Kerstin

Wow, where does the time go?  Well, actually, I know where it goes… to diapers, and midnight feedings, and spontaneous weeping with joy over the blessing that the Lord has given us.  Our baby girl turned 1 over the weekend.  Her birthday morning we talked about where we were and what we were doing and feeling last year. We remembered what a surprise she was since she was 3 weeks early and how her daddy was on a plane to Miami. I actually just happened to be wearing the same t-shirt Saturday morning that I was one year ago.  I had to go to Target to buy hospital clothes for me and Grace’s birth mother since she came unexpectedly. If you haven’t read the story about how Grace came into the wonderful world, you can see most of the story in the blog archives for June and July 2009.

Now this little blessing is one year old.  She was born at 6lb 3oz  and 17 inches long, and now she is a whopping 22lbs and 28 1/2 inches long! She just gets cuter and cuter.  We dressed her up for her birthday, though she wasn’t a fan of the dress since it hindered her crawling.  She is walking some now, but still prefers the speed of crawling.

I made her a cake that was baby friendly (read: no sugar) and we let her open presents, which was more about tearing up paper for her, and stopping her from eating it, for me.

We also set up her new baby pool for a late spring dip. It wasn’t quite warm enough for us to hit the beach but on our deck she got enough sun to warm up the pool water.

We had mainly family over for the festivities and we sang happy birthday to her and took way to many pictures.

Its funny, because I enjoy her more now than I did when she was a newborn, but somehow I miss that newborn phase.  I love her personality and the affection she can give now, so why am I mourning her baby-hood?  I still marvel at the fact that we have a one year old.  So many years as a childless couple and now we are a family of four.  The Lord is amazing!

So after a fun birthday weekend, the whole family is a bit sick.  I have had emails from a few of you asking about my voice, yes, its pretty gone.  Georgia got the cold 1st, then Dan and me, and now Grace .  It could just be the change in weather.  We had a cool week last week but a gorgeous weekend.  If you recall, last summer was a hot one!  We usually have a couple weeks of very warm weather on the coast but last year we had about 6 weeks of hot, hot weather at the coast.  I was pregnant and miserable and Grace spent the 1st 3 months of her life in just a diaper.

Summer is almost here, we are in the last week of spring. Get ready.  More beach and pool days and we can say goodbye to the June Gloom!

A couple things in the news have warmed my heart this week.

Did you get a chance to see this on GMA?

8 Month Old Hears His Mom

It gives me chills.  Just so precious, I could watch it over and over.

Also, we heard this week that Celine Dion is expecting twins!  After going though IVF once myself and vowing never to do it again, she deserves an award for trying six times!!!  The Lord must have had a plan, as now she will have not one, but two miracles.  She is due in November so she is right where I was last year at this time.

My how time has flown. I cant believe It has been a year!  Grace turns 1 next week, where did the time go?

Have a great week!

Kerstin

Don’t forget to lather up on that SPF this weekend! Even if you are at the coast under the marine layer you can still get burned.  We can finally, safely put some sunscreen on Georgia, but it was actually one of you who opened my eyes to the fact that it is probably safer to just keep her mainly covered up.  Her brand new skin is still so fragile that she doesn’t need those chemicals.  That being said, we do put some all natural sunscreen on her face and arms and  she is always in her hat.  I do try and get both babies out without much cover for a few minutes each day so they can get their recommended vitamin D.  It is a very fragile balance.

We have hit a major milestone with Grace.  She took her 1st steps!!!!  My heart is bursting with pride.  She just gets cuter every day.  I love how proud of herself she is.  I managed to catch all six steps on this 45 second video.

And just because its a holiday weekend and I want to do all I can to make you smile, here is a quick video of Georgia enjoying life.  You cant help but smile at this!

I pray you remember the reason for this holiday and embrace how blessed we are to live in this country and have these men and women defend our freedom.

- Kerstin

Question:  How do I escape the May gray?

Answer: Head south.

I have always been a huge fan of Mexico.  I got married there in 2003 in front of 93 of our nearest and dearest.

And you may remember a couple posts back, we recently vacationed there over spring break. I love the food, the culture,and most of the all the heat!  Recently, family members got a boat that is currently docked a couple hours south so lately we have been packing up the girls and spending our free time lounging on the water south of the border.

Usually, when it is gray here it is sunny there.  Its not always much warmer because of the cool breeze off the water but at least we all get our Vitamin D during these gloomy months. Interestingly enough, our doctor just recommended giving the girls vitamin D drops.  Even though I worship the sun, I take D supplements because I am always covered in SPF and a hat, so I don’t get that vitamin D. Same story for the girls, we have them covered head to toe,so it would make sense that they may need supplements.

The girls are huge fans of our time on the boat.  They love the constant rocking, it puts them to sleep for naps at least a little easier.

I’m sure they also pick up on how relaxed mom and dad and grandma and grandpa are.

We have fully outfitted the boat (and the babies, don’t you love that sailor outfit?) so its baby proof, and we have all the new baby boating gadgets, including boat baby seats

and infant life vests.

Dan and I both grew up on boats and Dan was even living on one when I met him,(I will be honest that was part of the draw.) One day we hope to have our own and travel a bit before the girls get too big.

We also made the drive easier for them by getting our Sentri passes so we dont have to spend any extra time in line at the border in Tijuana. That pass is an amazing asset! Our girls scream as soon as the car stops, so we need to keep moving.

The good news is we are almost out of May and I am trying to push mother nature for a brighter than average June.  Before we know it we will be begging for a little relief from the July and August heat.  But, for now the boy,  girls and I are headed south to get our head out of the clouds.

Our weekend alone was a success. I truly did enjoy having them all to myself.  I posted a very short video recap of our 72 hours.  A Weekend with the Girls! Don’t miss the last 4 seconds where Grace pushes Georgia off the couch.  Luckily it was into moms arms

Enjoy the next few days of sunshine because it appears it is going to be gray all weekend long.

This weekend will be the longest amount of time (3 days 2 nights)  that I will be on my own with the girls.  I know people do this all the time, but I have been very used to having my husband or, when he is out of town,  a family member around most of the time.

It really is a work out!  In the past when I have been on my own with them for 8 hours or so, I never really stopped moving.

Im always carrying one, or the other, or we’re on a walk. When one goes down I am working on the other.  If by chance they are both asleep, I am cleaning up or prepping for them to wake up!  I do love it but it is very tiring.  Usually weekends I get a little down time and more sleep since I am not waking up to go to work at 2:45, but not this weekend!  I need to rest up just to make it through Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Well see if these crazy girls go easy on me.

I’m guessing no.

Mothers day was so special.  We didn’t do anything too out of the ordinary, but my heart felt so full all day.  I remember going to church on mothers day in the past and being so sad that I wasn’t a mom.  It is a really hard day for women who want babies but don’t have them. I felt very, very blessed this year.

We spent our morning at Mission Bay at the Walk to Empower benefiting cancer resarch…

That’s me, Grace, Byron Miranda and Bill Griffith.

Georgia was in the Bob behind us, sleeping before the walk..

Looking at these pictures I am reminded that I need to take it easy a bit.  I can see those bags under my eyes.  This crazy shcedule is taking its toll.  I usually get up and go to work at 2:45, work out in between shows for 40 minutes, then back to work, then home to the girls, then work out again with them in thier jog stroller, then it’s work around the house before bed at 6:30 pm.  Somewhere in between I manage to get to church, volunteer and occasionally see my husband.  I dont really mind it, but I haven’t been feeling great lately and I think the hectic pace is part of it.

This month is Adoption and Foster Care Awareness Month. We have at least 3 wonderful foster organizations in San Diego; La Cuna, Angels, and Olive Crest.   If you are looking to get involved and help change a childs life, these are great places to start. Adopting was the best thing I have ever done.  I am already working on convincing my husband we should be foster parents one day when the girls are older and in school.

- Kerstin

I’m so excited for my 1st official mothers day.  Now that I am a mom I find myself making a bigger deal out of it for my mom(s).  I have also had to figure out what to do for Grace’s birth mom – if anything.  I decided on a card.  She has 3 other children so she is still a mom even if she isn’t “mothering” Grace.  I just don’t want to make her sad.  I want her to be happy on that day, and know how thankful I am that she made me a mom.

May Gray

May is the second darkest month of the year in San Diego. We get all that May gray.  On average we get 8 sunny days, 11 cloudy days, 2 days of rain (with an accumulation of about .20″ ) and at Lindbergh, the average temperature is 69.3.  I am pushing for more sunny days and less rain.  I know we need the rain, but mamma needs the sun!!! (With the appropriate spf slathered on of course.)

Cancer Update

Good news for that smiley little girl and me.  I got tested for the BCRA 1 & 2 gene (the breast cancer gene) and I am clear!  There is quite a bit of cancer in my family on both sides, and I had a cancer scare last year, so I decided I needed to get tested. (A side note – if Sharp is your hospital, they do genetic counseling for FREE!) I still have one more test to do that will look for the breast/thyroid cancer combo gene.  Unfortunately my insurance doesn’t cover the lab that does that one so I have to decided If I am willing to fork over the money for the test. It is not cheap!   Going through genetic testing has been very enlightening.  I recommend it to anyone who has the combination of breast/ovarian or thyroid cancer in their immediate family history.

Speaking of cancer, come out to the Walk to Empower at Mission Bay this Sunday (Mother’s Day.)  Bill Griffith (a cancer survivor) is emceeing and I will be walking with the girls.

Welcome Robert!

A very warm welcome back to Robert Santos!  He is filling in for traffic this month.  He is a super talent and energy to have on the mornings.  We have been through many of the same steps in our careers.  We were both in Monterey, CA.  He actually replaced me when I left Las Vegas, NV and then he filled in for me while on maternity leave here at KGTV.  We are so excited to have him with us again in the mornings.  Were also doing that $100 give away every morning this month so make sure you register and watch and win some money.

Just For Fun

Here are just a few pictures of my little joys!  I feel like a kid at Christmas every day.  My new “toys” NEVER get old.

Each day I am so, so excited about getting home to them and just being in there presence.

Every aspect of parenting is a miracle to me – even the poopy diapers!  I still don’t get much sleep but I kind of wonder why I really needed it before these girls.

By the way, it is National Infertility Awareness week.  Chances are you know someone who has struggled with this heartbreaking condition.  Get educated and so a little sensitivity training so maybe you can help a friend. I praise God every day that he brought me through those three hardest years of my life and blessed me with his children.

Happy May.

Today’s post is a little off topic.  It doesn’t have any weather connection, but I hope it brings a smile to your face.

I’m learning that being a mom is simply a string of breath-taking moments.  From holding your baby for the 1^st time, to seeing them smile, even the scary moments like when she chokes on a Cherrio.  I had another, pleasant, breath-taking moment yesterday.  I opened the mail and inside was Grace’s birth certificate.

When you give birth to a child you can automatically get that birth certificate within a month.  It’s something fun to see but it isn’t until you CAN”T get a birth certificate for your child (at least not one with your name on it) that you understand how precious that piece of paper is.

It took us 6 months to go through the court process to make Grace “legally” our child.  December 3^rd 2009 was such an emotional, overwhelming, blessed day.

Even after the courts recognized her as ours, they said it would take up to two years to have that reflected on her birth certificate.

Think about what you can’t do without a birth certificate.  Getting a passport was difficult, getting her into school, the doctors etc… but most of all it just meant that on paper, I was NOT her mother.  I love her birth mother, Im thankful for that part of Grace’s life, but I want to be recognized as her mom, even if I didn’t give birth to her.

We were prepared to wait until 2011 to get her new birth certificate. Imagine my surprise when I opened the mail Monday and there it was.  Another thing about motherhood, it opens that valve in our forehead that controls the water works.  The tears now come instantly (just thinking about it I am starting to tear up.) Looking at her birth certificate took my breath away.  My name is in the mother line.  This was the final, final step in the adoption process.  I can’t explain the joy I feel and gratitude I give to God.  It has been a long 15 months since we were matched with Grace’s birth-mom, but it could have been much longer.  And it’s was all worth it.  I am Grace’s mom, she is my daughter, nothing and no one can ever change that.  I am instantly humbled.  My pastor once said that Grace is when God gives you MORE than you deserve. What a fitting name for this child.

Not that you shouldn’t love Mother Earth every day, but if you need a starting point try earth day this week. Just for that day, try recycling, sweeping instead for spraying down your driveway, using environmentally friendly household products etc…

We kicked of earth week at the Earth Faire in Balboa Park Sunday.  It was a huge event sponsored by 10 news/azteca america.  Here is the crew at the booth.

I was the grand marshall of the children’s parade along with Steve Atkinson and Claudia Llaus.

Of course, I brought the babies and my husband, it was after all a children’s parade.

The girls behaved very well and slept though most the parade.

It was quite a warm day and we tried to keep Georgia in the shade under the canopy when the parade was over, she was such a happy baby and loved being around all the people.

It was a great chance to introduce the girls to many of you who have only seen them on the blog. Grace is going though that “stranger danger” stage so she is very much a mamas/daddys girl right now and will not leave our side.

Huge thanks to Autum Doermann who put all this together.

Our Sustain San Diego team is the best!   If you have an environmental event you think we should be a part of please send me an email. Have a very happy earth day. My next event that you can come visit is April 27th – Hats off To Women – a Habitat for Humanity Event, stop by and say hi!