1y/o stats

Dreycin is so healthy, and im so thankful for him this thanksgiving day. He is the light of my life and I love him with all of my heart. His 1y/o appt was actually Nov 17th, 1 week late because we were in dallas on his actual bday! But he stayed at 50th percentile for head, 70th percentile for height, and 75th for weight. The doc said that he should be saying 5-6 words, but we only have "go" "hey" "yea" and he says fragments of other words like instead of saying pepper he says "epp." My bright little boy signs alot of words though, which the doc said makes up for what he is lacking saying. He signs thank you, all done, elephant, monkey, car, more, milk, and balloon. And not to mention that he can tell you what the cow, owl and cat say! He also blew out his candles on his many bday cakes(we worked on that forever) He can also tell you where mom and dad's belly buttons are, and puts his arms up when you ask him to! He also marches on command! HE IS SO BRIGHT, and brings smiles to my face everyday! So thats me bragging about my little man!

And if your a blogger friend of mine, I just went to http://www.shutterfly.com/ where I order Dreycin's photo books every 3months, and shared a few projects on my blog for a $25 gift certificate to share a project! Its not limited to blogger, but check it out. I had to do a card for it to show offer!

thankyou

Color Me Merry Holiday Thank You 3x5 folded card

Get custom holiday cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

1YROLD

Click here to view this photo book larger

Our Christmas list

This week ive been xmas tree/ornament shopping. Up until this year Derek and I had a little green 4' tall xmas tree I bought 3 days before Derek came home from Iraq in 2007. It has special meaning so I never wanted to use anything else, but with Dreycin being fascinated with so many new  things I thought it would be a perfect year to start with new christmas traditions. Derek requested no green tree, so I got a white christmas tree. We are going with bright blue and red decorations.....i know i know a little corny but we do live for the RED WHITE AND BLUE!!! Hobby lobby was having a 40-50% off of christmas decorations, and there was 50% coupon online which I used for the tree skirt because those werent on sale. Will post pics sometime next week, we are still waiting on tree to arrive! Plus we are having Derek's brother here for thanksgiving, so maybe we'll do the tree together. He is leaving for his 3year duty station of Germany on Jan 11th, hopefully during that time we will be able to go and vacation with him!!

I'll start with my little man first!

For Dreycin im loving the little people items, especially the zoo set, farm animals, and pull along bus with blocks. Derek and I also want to get home a motorized car to ride! I want to buy him a kitchen, but for some reason my husband doesnt think its very boyish....but my whole point is why would they make boy colors?

For me Im loving the new canon S95, i know its pricey but i need something small to fit in my purse with great quality!

For Derek, well i think he needs a punching bag 100lb, with a stand and boxing gloves.

A few other ideas of mine for xmas is that 1. i think we are going to start a tradition of making gingerbread houses or cookies(not sure yet), 2. matching pj's on xmas eve, 3. everyone in the family is going to get a handmade ornament from Dreycin ;) (we already bought all the stuff just got to get onto the making part...which may be a challenge?!

To be continued.....

We have a toddler on our hands.....

My sweet baby boy turned 1 last Tuesday November 9 while we were at home visiting in Dallas. It was such a joy to share his first bday with all of our family and friends, and I cannot thank everyone enough for being there for us during that time. I may not have much family, the little I do have is always there for us....but I do have the best friends anyone could ask for. Dreycin is growing up so fast, and he has such a great fun loving personality, and it is so difficult to not be able to share that daily with our family and friends.

Decisions & Changes.......

So most of you know that my husband is in the Marine Corps, and every 3years we get orders to move. Well they are coming up again somewhere around March 2011, and with that knowledge my mom decided to start looking for a job back home in Texas. With the snap of a finger she found one at Medical Center of Lewisville in their Level III NICU as an RN, she actually had her interview while we were home for Dreycin's bday. So my mom will be leaving Kentucky Dec 10th, and that is when I will become a full time stay at home mommy. I will still continue to work PRN(as needed) on the weekends, some nights at the psychiatric hospital. My mom has been my lifeline, my support, my saving grace for my mental health.....being a full time working mom with lupus has not been easy and for me with her leaving is very sad. Its hard being a military wife, you are far away from family, minimal support so for me the decision was easy to chose to stay home with my precious baby boy. With lupus, I fear that if I put Dreycin in daycare I feel like I am putting my own health at risk, then I risk multiple call-ins at work with a spouse that is unable to "call-in" as we in the civilian world are able to do. Derek just cant take time off, for example this week he will be gone monday-thursday in the field....we never know what can come up with Derek's work. I am excited, scared, wondering if I will go stir crazy, but at the same time ready for a little relaxation in my schedule, to not come home exhausted with a damn twitch in my eye from a CRAZY day at work. I also feel like we will be moving right around the corner, so why not take advantage of staying with my baby for a few months during his active stage. We'll stay busy with music classes, gymnastics, and swim classes. But to say the least im ready to move, and as we say in the military....I've got the three year itch...to move again. We'll be going to Fort Benning, GA about 1.5 southwest from Atlanta. It will be a new adventure, and this base will have alot more resources/multiple gyms/nicer facilities than where we are currently at. I am very ready to move!

Just 8days away from Dreycin's 1st bday

Dreycin is such a smart little boy, and never seizes to amaze me everyday. This is the best stage yet! HE is like a little explorer, climber, imitator... basically this is going to be a blog all about him and what he is up to these days. He is still walking, practically running, has been since 9.5mos. He has now developed that walk into "shaking that booty" his daddy gave him! He particularly likes Black Eyed Peas....he is still wearing size 4/5 diapers, 23.8lbs has thinned out alot but wears 18-24 mos clothes, size 6 shoes(his little foot is to wide for most size 5 shoes), and he is now in little teddies gymnastics classes. He really loves to jump on the trapoline, roll forward, walk on balance beams, and of course he loves to go down the slide. His personality shines every moment of the day, and you hardly ever find him in an unhappy mood....he's always smiling, greeting everyone he sees, or trying to get anyone's attention....he's a little charmer. He is still signing, and can tell you when he is all done, wants more, thank you, milk, ballon, car, ice cream, and we have been working on an extra special sign for his first bday! He also says epp (for pepper), dada (all the time), GO (is probably his favorite). He loves to play in his ball pit, play with his blocks, push his lawnmower and popper, play tug of war with pepper, DANCE!, making music, and he absolutely loves reading time. If he had his own laptop like mommy's or daddy's he would be on it all the time typing away! and he loves everyone's iphone, we had gotten him a play fisher price one that he plays with but would still rather have our phone, guess he is going to be into electronics! He can tell you what sound the owl, cow, dinosaur and cat make! I cant believe in just 1wk my baby boy will be a toddler. It is so funny when im doing exercise with the weights, he will pretend that he is lifting weights! And since it has cooled down, we have had many visits to the ZOO, and when he sees the lions he goes RAWR! Its so cute! Of course you can see Dreycin was a little T-rex for halloween! We leave to go home this Friday, and im so excited to "show off" our handsome little man!

In other news, have i mentioned im ready to stay home for a little while.....well today I was leaving work and my car wouldnt start...supposedly it may have been my battery because I may have left my side light in the car on? So my handsome Marine husband came to my rescue to jump me! Also, my hubby got an A in his criminal justice course he just finished up! He is still in Spanish until the end of December, which he is also pulling an A in (BTW he does not and never knew spanish, but he may have a little help!)

Fall.....wait summer, i mean fall....what season is it again?

Yes your reading right, I am asking what season it is because not two weeks ago we got out all our winter coats, sweaters, thermals.....because it was freezing, but today and most of the last of the week its been pushing 80's and 90's? Anyways, with the start of fall here in Kentucky it is absolutely beautiful, the leaves changing colors, doing fall activities. This weekend we went to the zoo for trick or treating, and today we went to Huber's Winery and Orchard. We do everything we do now, for Dreycin and it makes us live our lives so much more meaningful. Today I said to my mom
"Im sad Dreycin wont remember any of this" and she replied, "Cindy this is Dreycin's learning experience, he is growing developmentally more than anything from the experience." And you know what that is so true, because today Dreycin waved hi to everyone, he is so social (just like mommy) and quite the attention seeker!! And of course he is walking around everywhere, and really isnt having the stroller anymore! @ the zoo last night Dreycin I think was in shock, because usually he is all smiles and last night he was kind of quiet, but we know he had a good time because at the end he was running around screeching like he does when he is happy. BTW we are in a total screeching phase right now, and i love it because I know that when he does that he is VERY happy.

So the last few weeks I have been attempting to plan Dreycin's bday, which we have decided to go home for and that requires me to work extra shifts on saturdays so that Derek and I remain debt free!! I have bought tons of party stuff, and had them shipped to my parents home in Texas. We have decided to have two parties, one for kids @ the Dallas Children's Museum and one on Dreycin's actual bday with family and friends at a pizza place that will include a SMASH cake! And of course the theme will be Dinosaurs hence...D Rex :) Ive ordered some really cute stuff from ETSY, and then plan on starting to make some things like the bday banner myself! So let the countdown begin to my baby boy's 1st bday, im very sad about it but Dreycin is such a smart outgoing beautiful baby~

News topics

If you havent read about this mom on bedrest, please do!!!! Such a cute story, if there is a special place in my heart it is for those moms on bedrest that are sometimes in bed for 20 or more weeks. After all this is the population I work with at the hospital.

The other topic in news today was the recall on similac formula, and I have to bragg and say that i am so happy that after 10months and 2weeks I am still giving my son the best possible nutrition of breastmilk. I hope to continue as long as I can, here in the last few weeks I have really seen a decrease in my supply and thought it was over but at last the supply has replenished! This may be one reason I havent lost anymore weight....but its ok.

Balancing Act....

This last weekend we tried a couple new things....
1. grocery shopping from only a list
2. making a dinner schedule for 3wks of dinners (mainly from Hungry girl)
3. a new church
4. making dinner
5. me going to the gym during the week, instead of just off days

It has been so hard for me to develop any kind of routine in the evenings, especially when I come home exhausted from a VERY draining job, as so does the hubs. I want to spend time with my beautiful son, awesome husband, cook dinner, work out...So i just start made a change. My husband has been an awesome chef, never EVER thought I would get him in the kitchen but this week he proved me dead wrong. and that man can cook!!! these last couple weeks I started the c25k, im at the last day of my 2nd week because I love to run but need someone to tell me how to do it like my iphone app..haha! Anyways, back to the weekend. I guess you could say we are trying out this new balancing act and for me, that includes church, healthy eating, and working out. Ever since I moved away from home Ive never found a church like Firewheel Bible Fellowship, but this weekend I think we may have found something similar that both Derek and I both enjoyed. A huge part in my decision was the nursery, which Dreycin also had a liking to. Honestly I thought I was going to cry leaving him in there, but he just walked off from us smiling and looking at the adventure in the play room. When we picked him up he got a little emotional, acted like he was gonna cry but that all went away once this mama picked him up tight in my arms. Did I mention the new church has a sat 5pm service, which really works for our schedule because I like sundays to be our relaxing, pj kind of day around the house. This whole week with the exception of one night, we have cooked at home and both Derek and I are eating salads for lunch.

Sunday: black bean and cheese burritos (8min abs)
Monday: grilled cheese with granny smith apples and tortilla soup 1hr workout for me.
Tuesday: we ate Smokey Bones
Wednesday: Hungry Girl's GO fish Tacos (cod filets) these were YUMMY!! and I dont even like fish at all. 1hr workout for me.
Thursday: Hungry girl's pumpkin enchiladas again YUMMYYY!!!! with sauteed broccoli.

A few of my favorite items from whole foods right now:
Oikos greek yogurt vanilla w/ either pom seeds or rasberries
goat cheese
lemon hummus
Inko's white tea (all flavors)
tofutti (tofu sour cream)

Friday: pot roast with 1 can of wholefoods brand root beer
Saturday: Hungry girl's nachoriffic stuffed chicken

Hopefully tomorrow mornig ill make it to the gym :)

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My little busy boy

Today Dreycin is 10months, he is such a little busy boy now! He walks back and forth from the living area to the kitchen, and back to the living room and so forth. He is babbling away, says Hi and Hey and even will "talk" (babble) to whoever you are talking to on the phone! He also hears us say "Come on Pepper" and he says "Mon, Mon, Mon." He is going to be talking before we know it. We have also been working on sign language (more, milk, and eat) since about 7months, and now he is able to sign more and milk. He is such a big boy, I feel like he skipped being 6-12months and went to being a toddler. I have been thinking about his bday coming up, and am really debating on what to do. I cant do it at our home, because our patio home is a large 2bdrm but not big enough to accomodate more people than it already has! The other options are at the place Dreycin goes to swim All About Kids, or Gymboree. Coincidentally I got a magazine with all kinds of 1st bday decorations, so I have to pick a theme too....who knows we may just jump on a plane and come home to celebrate his bday!? The same weekend that we want to celebrate his bday, is the Marine Corp Ball so pretty soon I will need to find an awesome "different dress" again!

Tomorrow we are heading to Central City, Ky for my dad's sister's funeral. I wasnt close with Diana, but my dad was even from a distance. A little history....my grandfather Adrian Ray Doss (my dad's dad) was married 3x. The first time he had 3 children named Diana, Adrian Ray Jr, and Bruce. He married a 2nd time with no children, and his 3rd wife was Shirley Mcneely, my grandmother (dad's mom) and they had David, Dwayne (my dad), Darlene, and Deborah. The oldest was Diana 66y/o and the baby is my Aunt Deborah whom I have been closest with my entire life, more like a sister to me. Diana has suffered with many heart problems over the year, with the last heart attack this summer the dr's told her to go home and spend time with her family. This labor day weekend my dad flew down here and went and saw her, then he went back to Dallas on monday. Diana passed Tuesday morning, I think that way my dad was able to deal with it better. Its quite ironic that Derek and I ended up in Louisville where all my Doss family is from. Tomorrow I will get to meet my grandfather's sister Millie who is 82years old. Funerals are bittersweet, because it brings you together with family that you may have not seen in a while. Same goes for weddings, i guess.

Its my bday weekend 26!!!

I hadnt thought about it until about an hour ago, but this will be the first bday Dreycin will get to share with me! How sweet! No big plans, Saturday im going to the Dr Brown my chiropractor to get adjusted and poked on with some acupuncture needles and in the afternoon im going to the Aveda spa to get a facial and massage! I dont need anything, although I wouldnt mind a flourless cake from Cake Flour, an organic baking company here in Louisville! And the state fair is going on right now so im sure ill go gain about 5lbs there sometime this next week!

Read this crap.....no wonder obesity is higher here in kentucky, we have white castle and drumroll please.....(this is from yahoo)

Krispy Kreme Cheeseburger — for Real
Warning: Your cholesterol level may rise just from reading this. The fast foodies' ultimate combo was reportedly dreamed up by a chef in Decatur, Georgia, who brought together the two food faves (a donut sliced in half, with meat and cheese in the middle) and dubbed it the Luther Burger. The calorie bomb has been making its way to ball parks and state fairs, growing a fan base along the way. This year, the Krispy Kreme Cheeseburger is featured at the Wisconsin and Kentucky State Fairs. As one writer for the Christian Science Monitor noted, the burger "sounds atrocious to just about everyone who hasn't tried one." Searches on Yahoo! for the sweet-and-savory treat are sizzling with a whopping 447,225% one-day increase in lookups.

In other news, Dreycin has been sleeping alot better, sometimes sleeping through the night other nights just until 4:30a or 5. He is eating pretty much anything we do, fruits, veggies, chicken, crackers, bread, pizza, muffins.....he loves food! He is starting to take 3-4steps at a time, getting braver by the second to be independent. makes me want another baby. I have also been courting the idea of becoming a professional student, hahaha....yea im thinking about going back to school to do a Physician Assistant program. My aunt finished hers up 1yr ago at OU, and well I think it would be really nice to be in a field where the money is. That way Derek could do whatever he wanted, less pressure on him to be the breadwinner. School is going as fast as he would like, and I dont want to be like ok you have to be in the professional world in 2 years when you get out of the marine corps, What are you going to do......we may as well both be in school at that time! We are young and why not? Im thinking of attending either UT San Antonio Health Science Center or UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth. As much as I never wanted to go back to Dallas, its where family is and will be able to help us. Its a 3yr program at both, but Im hoping that they will count some of what I have already done in my bachelor's and master's. the other drawback for me is more student loans, but what the hell most of America is in debt. I think im going to start taking some pre-req's like anatomy, chemistry, etc. never was much of a science girl, but i love the medical field. Im thinking more along the lines of OB/GYN practice, working with postpartum depression due to my social work background. Or maybe even psychiatry. It will be 2012 or later before I can start anything.

Im starting to think about Dreycin's 1st bday party. I really wish we could come home that following weekend, because well it would be much more fun with lots of people we know and let's face it there isnt a whole lot in Kentucky to do when its cold. But that same weekend is the Marine Corps Ball, and well Derek has to go. I have no idea what theme or anything we will do, but my other idea is to head up north to an indoor waterpark called Great Wolf Lodge for the weekend before Dreycin's actual Birthday which is a tuesday. Dreycin loves spongebob, balloons, and swimming....so it shouldnt be too hard to make him happy ;)

9 months

My first delivery

This past friday one of our couple friends from the MArine Corps gave birth to baby Kai 8lbs 2oz, and best of all they let me share that experience with them! I took pictures/videos, helped mommy Gina breastfeed, and most important just helped those first few hours after delivery. I know it wasnt easy for me and dont know what I would have done without my mom. Being in the Marine Corps no family nearby, is a common theme especially when since their family is in deep deep South Texas. Our friends had lost their first son Alex at 33wks due to preeclampsia 3years ago, so this has been a long road for them to look forward to. What a true blessing they have been given to heal and birth again. Welcome to the World Baby Kai!

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