20wk 3days.....now im officially CSW

Hey everyone, well today we leave for Texas and we are all so excited! We had our 20 wk checkup yesterday and everything was very well. My bloodpressure was 111/81, no protein in my urine (like the last few visits) and gained about 3lbs. I had some swelling in my ankle, joint pains which at this point is not related to the pregnancy its probably the lupus. but ive had a pretty hectic week....on Monday i took my Kentucky state licensure test for master social worker (3rd time) and finally PASSED! I am now Cindy Doss-DeLaVega, MSW, CSW (or in Texas LMSW) WOO HOO! what a huge relief, if there was one thing i was determined to do during this pregnancy it was that damn test! anyways, of course we went and celebrated at Rocky's on the River which is little D's favorite...PIZZA! we also went to big D's soccer game which is always interesting! i also told the doctor that i thought maybe i was over the all day sickness, but i guess i jinxed myself because i "lost" my lunch today :( anyways, im trying to make it through the work day and then we'll be "leaving on a jet plane." im so excited :) see all of you very soon!

Halfway there to meeting our bundle of joy:)

So tomorrow I will be 20wks:) halfway there!!! here's a pic of my belly, its defn getting a lot more rounder and i can feel my uterus around my belly button!

I have been having the most vivid dreams this one was a couple of nights ago, but I was at work so i wrote it in my email and just decided to do the blog when i had time!

Last night I dreamt with my Papa, Adrian Ray Doss DOB 11/9/24. We (my mom dad and I) were swimming somewhere and my Dad told me that if I wanted to we could go pick up my mama and papa and we could go eat, but it had to be healthy so we picked subway. Only when we went to go pick them up we were at some formal ceremony, and there was my Grandpa in a green uniform standing next to a man in a white uniform (maybe navy?). They had all their medals, and looked so sharp, in my dreams it brought me to tears. There was also men in uniform standing behind them, He then came over to greet us and I welcomed him with open BIG arms and wrapped my arms all the way around him, he had a little bit of a belly but my head laid gently on it. The weird thing is that he had already changed to jeans and shirt? I then started to tell my mom, get the camera so we can take pictures, and I think in the back of my mind I knew my grandpa was passed because the pictures just wouldn’t turn out, they came out but with only me in them. Weird how pregnancy makes your dreams seem so real. I have dreamt about people i have not seen in a LONG time! anyways tomorrow will be Derek's 1st father's day so i got him the new iphone that came out yesterday and he is in HEAVEN! he has not stopped playing with his new toy! we also went to half price books yesterday to get some books that have nursery rhymes and classic stories in them to start reading to little DRD......one story both me and Derek distinctly remember is Courdory, when we saw that story we were both in awe! its stories like that, that take you back to when you were a child. In the meantime i think my mom has been having the time of her life getting ready for the baby showers this coming weekend, she said "i just get so excited!"

Me too...because not only did my parents and her sister buy all the baby bedroom furniture but everything we are using at the baby showers are meant to be "eco-friendly" meaning they can be used afterwards too. stuff like blocks for the baby, decorations made from common baby clothes items....im so excited!!! anyways only 5more days and we will be HOME SWEET HOME! we have alot to look forward to, friends, baby showers, family, derek meeting his Dad Joe, 4th of july i mean its going to be a BLAST!

Baby Furniture

So we went to USA Baby and ordered the baby bedroom furniture, its more contemporary and not so bulky, we also got a great sale! The added benefit is that the bed converts to a full size bed, we also got the dresser and nightstand(no armoire), and conversion rails to go with it:) I also went ahead and ordered the Bali bedding! It will take anywhere from 8-14wks for all the pieces to come in but around 20 wks is when they suggest ordering! Today, after spending $$ we were eating Taco Bueno and while I was eating I told Derek, we are halfway there and we have everything almost ready for him, I cant wait to meet him:) and then started getting teary eyed while shoving my face with food! Its like my heart has flutters, or maybe thats heartburn...jk! We also went to Babies R Us, looked again at car seats and strollers, and playards just to make sure that was what we were wanting! im going to have VERY toned arms after this baby as much as everything will weigh!! We will be home in 10days!!! I dont think i wrote this in the last blog, but the other night Derek read Guess How much I love you (thanks Megan M) to our little boy, it was SOOOO sweet:) again i got teary eyed because he finished it off with a bunch of kisses for my growing tummy.....i know i know awwwwwwwwww! I finally feel like Derek is beginning to bond with my buddha belly too! not to mention i could go without these awful stretch marks but oh well, ill take them for my gift, from god.

Baby Bedding

So im really liking this bedding from USA baby (they have a store here in louisville) its got the sage-green, brown, and turquoise, and is said to create Zen for the baby's room! I love it! Sucks i couldnt find it at Babies R Us, but derek didnt like any of the ones there? Its called the Cocalo Bali BAby bedding Collection! I think this place is also where we will buy the crib, dresser, and nightstand! Im wanting the espresso colored furniture for the baby room. The other pic is of the eco glider from pottery barn kids! Our other goal is to find a middle name for the baby, we have mutually decided on the first name with the help of my dad(but will share later) but cant come up with a middle name that starts with a B....Im going for giving the little guy his Daddy's initials. Anyways, its so funny because I was going through the babies r us registry and everything i picked (bc i had a feeling was a boy) is boys colors....the bumbo, the bathtub, the graco playard...its funny that my intuition was right :)

It's a BOY!!!!

Well my intuition was right...its a BOY!!! im so excited to start buying and decorating now that we know its a Boy! I think Derek was VERY relieved we are having a little boy, and I know deep down thats what he wanted! The tech had just started and I was like "ITS A BOY" I guess i knew because I work in a hospital, see babies more and can tell parts quicker than Derek, because halfway through he was like how do we tell what it is??? The tech had to go back and show him again, but he still wasn't sure what he was looking at. Me...i was crying, and sweating BAD under my arms! I was so HAPPY! They couldn't get very good pictures of the heart, so we go back July 8th for another ultrasound. The physician came in(Dr Weeks partner Dr King) came in and told us that everything looked really good and on target. The only thing that was different was that I have what you call a single umbilical artery, which means instead of 2 vessels and 1 artery i only have 1 vessel and 1 artery. The doctor told me not to worry about because Im already being closely monitored, it just might be a little bit closer now because later on we have to watch growth. Ill be getting ultrasounds now every 4 wks now that we've discovered this. I will also have to get a fetal echo of the heart in about 6-8wks. I knew this was going to be rough but some days I struggle with being high risk, I mean only 1% of the population has the single artery and I end up with it, plus the lupus?! it's tough...happy...worry...happy:) Working where i work is no easier....But today this whole pregnancy journey felt REAL! My mom shrieked when I told her, and for alot of friends and family they got a text message saying BLUE! i got alot of "what?" but i think after asking It's a Boy? they got it! Only 15 days until we are home:)

Relaxation :)

This week I started Water Aerobics, I did it last summer in the sun at the YMCA but now that im prego with lupus thats a big NO NO! The water aerobics classes are so relaxing, the 1hr goes by so quick i just want to keep swimming....just keep swimming just keep swimming...anyways, its been especially relaxing because im still having the sickness although now it will just sneak up on me....i mean come on im 18wks? so Friday night after losing my lunch i took the zofran, which i HATE to take everyday so I dont! I mean i usually feel better after i throw up and it was only like 3X this week?! On Friday Derek also called me to tell me he sold his Black Beauty, it was kind of sad but for us that means we are 1step closer with me either staying home and being able to afford it or leaving the job im at to find something with less hours, maybe on the weekends. Defnitely i can be more relaxed about it being sold though. IF ONLY I COULD HAVE Mi MAMA here, it would be fine. Anyways, i had to go meet him to sign the title over and miss my water aerobics, but in the end I was sad because we kind of took a loss, but if you think about the economy right now I guess we didnt. On saturday morning i woke up nice & early to go to my 1st prenatal massage...one word FABULOUS! What is even more amazing is i felt the baby move aka hunger pains and gas without the stomach sounds, the massage therapist at the end told me that for some reason the last 1/2 of the massage the baby wakes up and become very active due to all the stimulation and circulation. It was so awesome I cried all the way to water aerobics. Well, we made one stop at Tony Boom Bozz for a single pan pizza we ate half and then went to water aerobics. We got home yesterday and exhaustion set in, we were suppose to go to a BBQ with Derek but Derek went with pepper instead. Oh, and by the way Wednesday we find out which name we will be using for our precious baby!!! im so excited (oh yea we picked out names!) This summer is going to be great, we are kicking it off with a trip to TExas (only 18days), then we come back to Kentucky and my favorite cousins Jesse and Bailey and their Parents will be coming to visit for a whole week(july 18-25)!!! Then im sure my mom and dad will come back up for a short visit in August. On my bday Derek and I have already decided to do couples day spa(FYI thanks to the military this will be Derek's first time spending my bday with me!!!) Fast forward to November im getting kind of nervous just thinking about it....it would be nice if i had a huge calendar and knew EXACT dates of everything (well i do know the Bearce's will be here for turkey day and my parents better just mark out all of November because they will permanently be in the extra bedroom). We'll see how this circus show of a family visiting plays out when i have the baby.