Life going back to normal...kind of...

So one week has gone since the fires started and life as we know it has almost gone back to normal which feel strange to say when so many are still evacuated and there are still fires burning. We have been warned about the poor air quality and toxic ashes that is polluting our garden and house. We have to wearer glows and protective masks when cleaning it up, Scary!!!!

Both our jobs opened up again and this week Halloween is the big thing. We bought an adorable outfit for Isabella and now we just need two for us. On Tuesday James company have an open haunted house for Intuit employees and their families.

Here is a funny video from today... Isabella is just laughing out loud. Enjoy...

On a Lighter Note... Isabella's First Hair Cut

We've had several 'heavy' posts recently with the fires... so we thought it was time for a post on the lighter side.

Isabella's hair is starting to get long so we gave her a little trim to keep the hair out of her eyes.

Day 4....Fire update

First, let us start off by saying we are OK, as are all our friends and family in San Diego. We have the updated map at the bottom of this post.

Yesterday we got a little break when the winds changed and we did not have as much smoke in our neighborhood as the previous day. While the change in wind direction was good for us, it presented all new troubles for the fire fighters. On the maps at the bottom you will now see move the of 'hot spots' are to the east -- because of the change in wind direction.

Today however the winds turned again and the smoke is thick and our cars, house deck etc. are covered in ash. Isabella crawled out in the deck yesterday and her hands and knees were black and sticky from the residue of the fires.

Here are two pictures last night as the sun was setting. You can see how thick the air is with ash.

To the east from our back yard (click the photo)


To the west from our living room (click the photo)

Ash on James's car this morning (click the photo)

James's Aunt Sandy is still evacuated as well as many of our friends and there is no telling when they will return, but we hope it is soon. Areas that are closed off are guarded by the National Guard to ensure looters don't get into these neighborhoods (as well as for public safety). Fredrica snapped a good shot of some National Guardsmen on the road out to Sandy's house.

National Guardsmen blocking entry to sealed areas (click the photo)

One of James work colleague's had a baby just days before the fire. They were evacuated and then their evacuation point was evacuated so they had to move again. Another one had just bought a house which she was moving into next week. It burned.

A lot of people at work has been affected -- with 500,000 people being evacuated (there is only 2.8 million people in San Diego county) and 1300 homes and offices burning down everyone here knows lots of people affected.

Today's Newspaper headline (click the photo)

The fire closest to us which had been the biggest threat, died down a bit but then this morning it flared up again.

They are asking all residents to conserve electricity and water. Two (of the four) major electrical conduits to San Diego have been damaged so conversation is a must. Easier said then done when you have child at home and it's over 90f (35C) outside. Business and schools are still closed to preserve electricity and due to the poor air quality. I am waiting to hear if we are allowed to go back to work tomorrow.

On the lighter side of conserving electricity, we always hang dry our cloths to reduce our electricity consumption. Now being more important than ever. Yep... you guessed it, our 'clean' cloths were covered with ash.

Ash on our 'clean' laundry after hang drying to conserve electricity (click the photo)

I guess we should not complain since there are families with babies sleeping in tents at the parking lot over at Qualcomm stadium. They battle really cold nights and then super hot days with no shade. My heart breaks every time I go down there to donate or volunteer.

When you drive around town, it is common to see people who are out walking around wearing coverings over their mouth to reduce breathing in ash.

Just a normal guy walking around... many people who are out are wearing these

Here is the updated map (click to make it bigger). The maps are getting more detailed. You can see where the fire has burned (pink) as well as current hot spots (dark red). You can see where the evacuation are and where they've let people return home.

You can also see that the nearest hot spots to us are well over 10 miles away (15+ km) .

Current map of affected areas (click the photo)

One Year Ago Today...

We can't believe one year has gone by so quickly. We are so blessed, we have a year full of rich memories. One year ago, our friend and Doula Andrea recorded Isabella's birth story.

Isabella Sandy Cecilia Syren

October 23, 2006

Isabella this is your birth story as I saw it. I feel absolutely blessed to have become part of your family! It is one of unconditional love and support. God has welcomed you into a life with parents that adore you more than anything else. We are excited to watch you grow and become a beautiful woman.

I feel I should start your birth story before the actual day. James and Fredrica were inspiring to watch as you grew in the womb. Not only were they dedicated to their work and Yoga, they prepared on all levels for you. We took a birth class together. Your dad took notes and was actively involved in asking questions. Your mother embraced the ups and downs of pregnancy… wow, did she puke a lot! She was radiant through it all. She invested in regular massage, acupuncture and lived healthfully for the two of you. They both continued on with there parenting education with books, doctor visits, and more classes. I remember all the hard work they put in to prepare the house for you. Loading up boxes and boxes of stuff to storage and replacing them with boxes and boxes of diapers and baby goodies. They were so excited to have a home that was safe and cozy for their new baby girl. As they got ready, they also helped me prepare my life for you too! I began a Doula training thanks to there generosity and pure intentions. You are the beginning to so many things and I am so thrilled that you are the beginning to my life assisting in the birth of babies. Your parents and I spent a lot of time together during your development. It was such a fun and nurturing time in all of our lives.

On October 23, 2006 your parents went in for a regular check up. That is when they were told your amniotic fluid was low and your mom had a bit of high blood pressure. Your parents had this time to make a choice: come back to the hospital everyday to make sure that your fluids were ok or welcome you into the world today by induction. They called me to get my view point and support. I in the meantime was taking part in a healing circle with two beautiful Reiki Masters at my office. What a special coincidence! I got a call back from dad around 12 with the decision that this was a perfect day to have a baby. My energy was ecstatic!

I arrived at the hospital at 2:30pm to find your parents in there private room with huge, bright smiles. Your mom just started the induction a bit earlier so contractions were very mild at this point. The doctor, Kimberly Washkowiach, came in and broke your mothers’ waters to move the labor along at 2:40. The first nurse on duty, Kristi Eichhorn, was so sweet and attentive. The procedure was not comfortable for your mom, but she was strong and just so excited to finally see you.

The three of us were having a great time; at one point your dad put on Simon and Garfunkel ‘I Am a Rock.’ He stated happily this was the theme song for the day. We were up beat, laughing, happy, and fed off of each other’s smiles. Time went on and contractions got stronger and were coming closer to one another. Your mother cued your dad and I well. She went inside and really focused on her breath. A true Yogini! Your father soothed her with his steady voice counting the breath and sweet encouragement. They held each other and experienced labor together. It was beautiful to see. I was there massaging your mom and helping her to different positions. By 5pm the contractions were about 3 minutes apart and lasting nearly a minute. We worked as a great team. We were focused as your mother embodied strength and courage throughout her tears.

The need for an epidural came and that is when your mother experienced the longest 5 minutes of her life. The statement made by the nurse, “in 5 minutes” in reality was more like 20. By 5:35 a miracle took place (the epidural.) Your dad stayed in the room while your mother received her blessed nectar. Your dad has had a hard time with medical procedures in the past, so he staying in the room showed his true determination and love for your mother and you. When I returned to the room I first heard a marriage proposal from your mom to the anesthesiologist. She had her smile back! Your mom still felt you and the contractions they were just “do able.”

Your dad went to go get dinner at 6pm while your mom and I rested. The lights were low and we were calm. The energy in the room was magical. I rubbed your moms feet while we talked out our mothers. She asked me about my mom and I listened to stories about your grandma. It was as if generations of women were there with us. I will always hold this time so close to my heart. The union and creation of family is incredibly healing.

Your dad came back and it was my turn for dinner. I called a close friend to give her the update about you. There were so many people anticipating your arrival! By the time I came back, the room was very calm. Soft classical music playing, the smell of lavender, and two best friends welcomed me back.

Contractions increased in sensation especially on the right side. By 8:45pm your mom was dilated to 9cm, her cervix was thinned 100%, and you were at +1 station (at +4 your crown would be seeing the light, so you were very close!) The contractions had increased in strength. Even with an epidural your mother had to be very active in cooping with the contractions and your descent. Your dad was by her side keeping the focus on counting her breaths and I was doing my best to apply massage to her lower back. She received a booster epidural for her pain as the doctors and nurses prepared for your appearance. Time for pushing was coming soon. There was hustling around the room with the doctor and nurses preparing the equipment. The distractions only brought your parents closer together and focused on there love for one another and you. I witnessed an exchange of “I love you” between your parents and let me say, I have never believed it more.

At 9:15 your mom, with legs up, spot light on, and cheerleaders gathered, began to push. Your mother’s determination seemed to give her super-human strength. As a contraction began she grabbed her legs, inhaled, chin to chest, and puuuussshhhhedddd. Your dad and I counted to ten with determination as she pushed. Super Mom would then take a quick breath and go for a ten count again… and then again… and even again. Finally the contraction would end and she rested. Your dad gently stroking her forehead spoke of the ocean waves and the little birds running along the shoreline. Your mom closed her eyes and took herself there and allowed her body to relax. It was as if I saw your parents fall in love all over again. Another contraction and again it was time to push. I watched your head slowly emerge… yes, I did watch while I helped Fredrica pull her legs in. As you got closer and closer the doctor told your mom to stop pushing, but your dad and I were so into a zone we kept cheering! As we realized our excitement was a bit out of context, we shut up and your mom laughed.

At 9:37pm you were born! You went right onto your mom’s chest and dad cut your incredibly thick umbilical cord. The hospital staff all commented on how large it was. You were weighed in at 6lbs 4oz and 19inches long (including your cone head.) Your mom said before, she wanted a baby in the shape of a bullet and you were pretty close. The nurse, Ilma Arceo, did your testing with a watchful eye by dad. He was admiring you from the first moments of your life and I can’t imagine him ever stopping. Your parents noticed your long yogi toes, just like daddy. You were absolutely a beautiful new born. You had such a delicate face and petite body. And one of the cutest things I have ever seen… the tip of your right ear had folded down.

Your mom delivered your much appreciated placenta. All the jokes we made about having a dinner party with guests and making placenta stew and there it was! It took a bit for the doctor to sew up your mom. (She was cut just a bit so you could come out a little more efficiently.) During all of this all your mom could do was look towards you and dad. I still feel so much love from these moments. I don’t think I will ever shake them.

Dad brought you over to lie on your mother’s chest, her mesmerized by you and dad watching in bliss. Your mom said, “She feels so good.” That struck me on a deep level. All the anticipation of finally seeing you had been met and it was true love. I asked your mom how she was and she said with joy in her eyes, “I am just so happy.” It was a moment of purity. She is a very truthful person you know. You latched on to her breast creating that safe connection and also helping your mom’s uterus to contract to help stop the bleeding. Your parents were amazed by you. I imagine by the time you read this you will still be amazing them.

As things calmed down I headed off to get the new mommy a cheese burger and chocolate milk shake. I drove off to hear a song by Jeff Buckley that stated… “I am ready to love you.” I felt it fit the evening quite well. I waited for the food and watched the surrounding people in the restaurant drinking, eating, watching football, and carrying on in conversations. I was in a haze and yet felt a connection to life beyond anything ever before. Here are so many people of all kinds and we are all connected. I prayed for you there in that Ruby Tuesday and wrote this… You, Isabella, have entered into a world of incredible diversity… a place that craves Truth and Purity. On this special day the planet has been blessed with the root of this potential. You are not only starting your journey of greater awareness, you are opening our hearts for the deeper meaning of life- Love.

I got back and your mom took care of the burger and shake. It was a meal that she used as motivation and she definitely earned it. I had a chance to talk and touch you. Dad stood there so proud. You and your parents moved to another room where all of you would make your home for the next few days. It was very important for all of you to get into breastfeeding, so that is what you all did. Lots of learning, trying, and trying, and more trying. It has been a big time challenge for you and your parents. Despite the challenge you are all working together and little by little it is coming together.

Each time I come to visit you and your parents in these first weeks I am incredibly happy that you have the parents you have. I am also so happy they have you as there baby. Breastfeeding has been a struggle for your family, but your parents are being the best parents they can be. Going far and beyond simple effort, they are determined to follow there hearts and intuition as parents. I have been watching them sit there with you with radiant eyes and gentle words of hope. You are a dream come true for your mom and dad.

Isabella, I am inspired by your parents and the extent of where love can go. Not only are they deeply in love with one another, now there is you. Beautiful, delicate, and pure are words I would use to describe this almost indescribable experience in my life. I hope that when you read this you feel a bond with your parents that goes beyond the typical “mom and dad” label. I hope you realize your innate relationship. The three of you are teachers for the other. Sacrifice and change are inevitable and your family is there. Be open to the fact that they too are learning, growing, and are doing their best. Dreams are infinite and you are pure potential. Trust your process as you grow and be sure to follow your heart. Support is all around you and at this moment your parents are holding you close and keeping you safe. You are a match made in heaven.

-- Andrea Liddle

Andrea.. thank you so much for capturing this day so beatifully for us to remember forever. We are lucky to have you as a dear friend...

Volunteering...

Qualcomm stadium is an evacuation point. It currently has about 10,000 people there. They've been calling for donations on the news.

So... this morning we packed up the car with toys, blankets and food we had around the house. Our own winter blanket is in the white bag... we'll have to buy a new one in a few weeks when the weather does finally cool down



Isabella is such a good sport. Happy as she can be that on the day of her 1st birthday, mom and dad are dropping her off at Jessica's so we can go drop donate items and volunteer to help out.


First stop was the grocery store to get more stuff. The news had specifically said they needed toothpaste, tooth brushes, and kids food.

So we loaded up! I found it interesting that the local supermarket seemed to have a sale on all the types of items being asked for...


So, we dropped Isabella off and drove down to Qualcomm (just a mile from our house).


When we arrived you saw lots of tents and people walking around.


Lots of people had animals like this family... two birds and a dog.


There was actually a line of cars to get into the donation area... Lots of people were responding.


There were trucks from many local businesses... I presume they brought items in last night.


As we unloaded, we started to figure out where things went.


When we arrived, things were chaotic. It was hard to figure out where to take each type of item you had.


By the time we got things figured out, we found people coming up to us to ask questions. Before we knew it, we were helping to organize things. We spent the next few hours just helping people out, getting toys together, blankets together, etc.



Lots of water was needed because of the heat!




This last picture is from my parents house. The beach parking lot below their house did not close last night so people who were evacuated could come and stay.

Fire Update Oct 23rd 12:15

First of all, we continue to be OK. There is no immediate evacuation plans for our area even though the closest fire as now come within about 4 miles (5-6 km).

The air quality is terrible. Isabella's 1 year birthday is today and she is definitely rubbing her eyes and coughing.

The fire continues to grow. An area the size of New York city has burned! Over 300,000 homes have been evacuated. Over 1200 homes and businesses have burned.



42 people have been injured including firefighters. Reports of firefighters working 48 hours straight without a break is common. Help from the state and federal government are on the way...

The temperature right now is 86 degrees (30C) which is about 10F hotter than usual.
Reports are that the flames are nearly impossible to get under control with these temperatures and with the dry Santa Anna winds continuing to blow west from the desert to the coast.

Here is the latest map. The fire we're worried about is coming from the south from Mexico / Chula Vista. It is only about 4 miles (5-6km) from our house (look at how far it has come from the last blog entry.

Click on the map to see a bigger version. The fire is in red and red stripped. The purple stripes are mandatory evacuation areas. The pink stripes are recommended evaculation area. The fire in grid area 1168 is very close to my Aunt's house.



We'll update again soon. The live news is showing the fire has made it all the way to the coast so I expect the next update to be quite dramatic.

We are safe... here is an update

Family and Friends,

I am sure you are hearing a lot of news about San Diego. First and foremost... we are safe and have not (yet) been evaculated.

My Aunt Sandy who lives in Rancho Santa Fe (where we were married) has been evacuated. My parents are currently on notice to be prepared to evacuate.

CNN has called this the 'perfect firestorm' and I can understand why. Usually cool winds blow onto the coast from the Pacific Ocean. A few times a year, it reverses and sucks air from the deserts in the east out to the ocean. When this happens, San Diego gets very dry and warm. When this happens, we call them "Santa Ana" winds.

This is a picture take from my parents house. Because wind is blowing from out to the ocean, the waves get what is called a 'rooster tail.' This picture was taken yesterday from my parents house.


This is a picture from today from my parents house... This is the exact same beach as the previous picture... just 24 hours later .

Here is another picture as the sun is setting. You can see the contrast of the dark smoke.
So... how close are the fires. There are not too far away. They are just a few miles (about 5km) from my work. My office was closed today and is already closed tomorrow.

Our home is further away... more like 20 miles (30 km) from the fire... But there are about 6 fires. And the winds are so strong, about 70mph (100 kph) that things are just unpredictable.

Click on the picture below to make it bigger. The red is where the fire is as of this afternoon. The purple color is a mandatory evacuation area. The pink is a recommended evacuation area (my parents are in the pink).


We had bad fires in a similar area of San Diego 3 years ago. We were living in Paris at the time. From what I hear... this is worse in that it is moving faster. I also heard that the firefighters were powerless to really fight the fire back (all they could do was contain) until the weather changed.

We are expecting dry Santa Ana winds from the desert for at least 2 more days. I do believe we are going to be OK. We will keep you posted via our blog.

Helping those in need...

Thousands of people have gathered in Qualcomm Stadium near our house who have been evacuated or have lost their homes in the fires. It's cold and most of them only sleep on the ground or in a tent. There is a need for blankets, cloths, food and diapers so me and my friend Jessica drove down to deliver a bunch of stuff. It's scary to see all the people, horses, cat's and dogs everywhere just trying to make it through the night. The national Guard is there to keep peace and make sure what happened in New Orleans's Super Dome does not happen here.

All day we've heard heart breaking stories from victims of the fires. On my drive home I heard about a father and his two 8 year old twin daughthers who four years ago lost their home in the Cedros fire and today lost their home again. One of the girls have server asthma and sleeping on the ground, in open air with all the smoke does not make matters better. He despretly needed a home to take his little girls. This is just one sad story out of many.

Isabella's 1st Birthday Party

Happy Birthday Isabella!

Here are some fun pictures from the birthday party.



The job of opening gifts

Yep ... some presents are just as fun to play with unopened!

Enjoying a new book

Hmmm... What's in here...

Isabella and Ki

I want both my fingers sucked on...

Mom... this has been fun, but I'm getting tired

Sandwich cake with Shrimp... with edible flowers. Fredrica and Jessica made these... they looked like they were out of a magazine

This second sandwich cake was vegetarian. They were both a big hit!

And the goodies...

Dad's birthday present... an iPhone featuring Isabella!


Isabella shows she's got some rhythm!

Neighborhood Block Party

Our neighborhood is pretty amazing in that it is a pretty tight group. It is super family friendly. Every year there is a block party. It was last weekend...

So of course... clowns and balloons are a must!

There was an area for kids to decorate pumpkins. The line was long and Isabella got a bit impatient so we didn't get one for ourselves.


We learned that the women who sold us our home lives in the neighborhood. This is Holly

There was a huge dolphin for the kids to play inside and jump up and down and all around!

Fires in San Diego

We know people are probably seeing the news about the wild fires burning in San Diego right now. It started yesterday afternoon and have spread throughout the night and morning. Lots of people have lost their homes and 250,000 have been evacuated. There are no business open so we both are home today. We have been put on an alert and have packed up the car, ready to leave if we have to but for now we're safe. It's is very scary and we can both feel, smell and see the smoke and it makes it hard to breath.

The phone lines are down so we can't call but we'll keep updating here on out blog.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!

Today is daddy's (James) birthday and he's 38 years old or 35 if you ask him. (He just keep thinking he's 35 over and over again). Unfortunately his birthday has not shaped out to be as fun as it could be since both of us has food poisoning and actually had to go to the doctor. However, we did play some hearts over the Internet with Isabella's godfather Johan in Sweden and James brother Allen in Fresno while Isabella napped. In the afternoon we got out for a walk along Murry Lake. But on Friday we'll celebrate with James's cousin Cindy, her son Ki and, aunt Sandy with chocolate cake with penut butter frosting ordered by James

Me and Isabella want to say that James is the most wonderful husband and dad one could ask for and we love him so much, Thanks for being so silly and crazy all the time. Happy Birthday (grattis) Daddy!!!!!

Broken cameras

Isabella has the longest arms and can now stand on her toes and reach places she never could before. We're learning the hard way to move things out of her reach and last week she got a hold of my professional camera and pulled down, into the floor. Lucky, it did not land on her head but unlucky it broke. A couple of days later James dropped his camera and it also broke so now we're camera less and frustrated.

It's hard having a baby and no way to document everything she is doing. Furthermore, it makes it hard to blog. But James bought a camera from Amazon and it should be here soon. We can't wait. So have patience, new pictures will come soon.

Update on Living Green...

On June 10th, we wrote this blog posting about life changes we were making to help save the planet. We'd love to give an update... we've had some successes, some new ideas and some that didn't work out.

Al Gore's movie an Inconvenient Truth, was really inspiring to get us to think more carefully about our impact. However, we have found the key to making these changes to to have fun with them. If you're just doing it because you're feeling guilty... the changes probably aren't going to stick.

So... here is the update. First here are the successes

1. Our gas and electric bill has been about half our neighbors in the peak of summer (about $150 less per month!). Which is surprising because it has been so hot and we have fun the air conditioner quite a bit for Isabella. We believe the biggest things that contributed to this were

• Installing energy efficient lights throughout the house
• Hang drying all our laundry
• Washing dishes and doing laundry in cold water
  
• We are fortunate to a 'new' air conditioner that is more energy efficient

1. Recycling: Recycling has gone really well. Our goal was to have less volume of trash than recycling each week. I think we are beating that by at least 20%. Since our recycling is only picked up every two weeks... we have actually had to borrow our neighbor's bin. When we asked them about it... they told us: 'no problem we never use our recycling bin.' I think our next goal has to be to try to get our neighbors to recycle :-)
   
2. Eating vegetarian has been a success... and it is even a bit infectious. We've had some friends that have so enjoyed our cooking that they are eating more vegetarian too.
3. Buying local has also been easy. You saw pictures of our local farmers market. To take things to the next level, we are now trying to buy only local items when we go to the grocery store. It is not always possible, but when you read and educate yourself it is amazing how much you can do.
   
4. We are also watering smarter. It wasn't quite as easy as I made it out to be in the last post. I wanted to eliminate any water that ran off into the street and sidewalk. I eventually ended up watering in three shorter cycles every other day to allow the earth to absorb all the water without wasting water into the street. The only downside... it drives me a bit nuts to take walks in the morning and observe the neighbors watering the streets. Hmm.. I might need a support group.
   
5. Eliminating Plastic Bags: We are trying to completely eliminate our use of plastic bags. We found a company called EcoBags that makes simple canvas bags for produce and grains. Is this a big deal?... turns out there are 46,000 plastics bags floating in an average square mile of the ocean! By the way... the key is to keep these bags in your car so you have them when you need them!!!
   
6. Reducing disposable item (even if they are recyclable): There are a couple things I am doing at work... First I carry a towel so that when I wash my hands in the bathroom I don't have to use paper towels. I brought a coffee cup and a non-plastic water bottle so that I stopped getting disposable cups everyday (I typically would use 3-4 / day). Lastly, I often eat lunch in my office. I used to have lunch put in a recyclable plastic box (and I always grabbed plastic silverware). Now I take my lunch on a plate and get normal silverware. Later in the day, I walk the four flights of stairs down to return the dishes.
   
7. We are using special power strips that eliminate power usage when TV, computers and printers are 'off'. We are estimating about 5-10% of our energy is 'lost' from the power these items suck down when they are off. These special Power Strips from a company called "TreeHugger"
   

Has not worked

1. Cloth diapers... never really worked out. Especially since Isabella has been in day care it just didn't seem as realistic.
   

One amazing blog we found is a guy that calls him "No Impact Man." This guy takes things more extreme then we will go, but wow are there so many interesting ideas there. Take a look at his blog. No Impact Man

Remember... have fun with it!

Hikin' Round Town

We got out for a couple of nice weekend walks. We got a for a nice walk along the beach in La Jolla.

Walking along the beach in La Jolla

You can see the pier in La Jolla here

A Sunday walk not far from our house