First Kiss(es)

I forgot to mention that the last two weeks in Gym class, Dreycin has had his first kiss(es). Last week it was a little girl(who has identical twin) that saw him coming up behind her and planted one on his mouth....which he had his paci in because he has been teething so bad (blue bruised, swollen gums). Later on he was giving her twin sisters lots of hugs! And the second kiss was during team photos, the little girl to the left of him came at him mouth open and planted his first real kiss! OMG, i couldnt believe what I saw, she tried to do it again and he kind of backed away, but then decided to give her a hug. Kids are so sweet at this age ;)

What a week????!!!!

So this last week has been the most hectic week. Dreycin and I went to buy a new stroller on tuesday,  because obviously with me only becoming BIGGER I felt like I needed something lightweight easy for me to get in and out of the car, not mention also to take Dreycin to my doc appts. I had been researching for a while, and finally decided on the chicco liteway in black. After that we went to PotteryBarn Kids storytime. On wednesday and thursday morning we spent it at my lupus doc's office. I had originally gone for my 6month checkup, everything went well and then......later that night due to morning sickness I was throwing up so hard I developed Petechiae all over my face and neck. Normally I wouldnt freak out, but having petechiae for a Lupus patient is sometimes an indicator for low platelet count. So on thursday we went back to my lupus doc, his PA was wonderful worked me up drew some labs. Most of my labs came back ok, but my liver enzymes were elevated,and my lupus complement levels C3 and C4 that were EXTREMELY low. It was a huge drop since my labs were drawn at the end of October. They are actually the lowest they have ever been ever since I was diagnosed wth lupus in feb 2006. The only test we are waiting on now to come back is my bleeding time tests, which will include if I need to be put on additional blood thinners other than the baby aspirin im taking.  To me this was devestating news, I thought everything was going great. I have had some joint pain in my hands,wrists and hips and been VERY tired.....but mainly would attribute all that to 1st trimester of pregnancy. Today I got my haircut and my stylist (who has been cutting my hair for 3yrs) noticed that above each of my temples I had a "thinning" of hair in that area. Hair loss is another symptom of a flare. All my tests were conclusive that my lupus is active and I am having a flare :( I have my next OB appt on March 14th, and they are going to redraw my complement levels on that visit and the next in April.  I feel like maybe I was in denial, ignoring the symptoms. Now looking back, I just thought that this pregnancy was going so much better than my last? Or maybe I wanted it to. I have alot of questions.....like at what point do my levels get so low we start prednisone? What harm if any is this causing our baby?  What risk does this pose for me post-delivery, will i have a flare-up? Will I have to take immunosuppressants, like chemo drugs or even chemotherapy. Ughhhhh, so many questions that will have to wait until my next appointment on March 14th. Im sad, when I should be happy :(
The week ended with me taking Dreycin to gym on Friday morning, we had a great time! He had his first team photo with all his fellow gymnasts! He also got some individual pics, cant wait to get them in 3-4wks!
Im hoping for a uneventful week, this next week. Unless its news on where the HELL we are going come May, and can take our 10days to go look for housing and DOCS for me and Dreycin.
Today has been mostly relaxing, I stayed in bed until noon, got up and did my YOGA MAMA dvd, which is so relaxing! and then got my haircut and worked from 6-10pm(I only had to do 2 psych assessments). And I have to mention that my hubby made the best potato and sweet potato fries tonight! my food selection is still very uhhh.... limited!

15months 11days.......and still using whats in our deep freezer!

I am so happy to share that I have been a breastfeeding mama for 15months and 11 days! I am so happy that I made it that long, and would have gone longer but my high risk OB advised that it would be best if I were to stop since my pregnancy runs high risk already. So I have a very healthy baby boy that now is drinking my breastmilk leftovers in the freezer, mixed with either almond or rice milk. We had serious issues with him drinking organic whole milk, he just would NOT drink it. We tried everything else, including goat's milk and he drank it all except the whole milk. Our pediatrician said that it was probably harder for him to digest,and most breastfed babies dont like whole milk. We noticed his stools were loose after drinking whole milk, so we were fine with it. another reason I was happy to breastfeed so long was that it was WAYYYYY cheaper on our bank acct to breastfeed rather than formula feed!!! Dreycin is a very good eater, he eats all veggies but sometimes wont eat brocoli. He loves blueberriesfrozen or from frig, grapes, tangerines, bananas, pears, apples only if cooked with oatmeal, and to give him breaks from meats we give him boca ckn patties, or morningstar items. He has finally started eating cheese, mostly on a grilled sandwich. He wont eat it cold. But the boy eats everything, sometimes I wonder if he is overeating but Derek is like, He's a growing boy! I guess......

Dreycin is 15mos!!!!

Dreycin recently had his 15mos appt on Feb 9th! For the most part after that we were off schedule, because this time the shots caused Dreycin to have a temperature for two days, and then he also had a runny nose for a few days after that. So I have been one tired Mama! Dreycin's appt went really well, he is 75% for height and weight 26.2lbs and 50% for his head circ. He is doing so well, very active and repeating everything we say! here's a list of  words, now remember that he doesnt say them perfect but he's close!

Apple, all done, Ahhh(for airplane)
Ball, bottle, boat, balloon, bubble, bat, baby, Bee(For blueberry), bye bye
Car
Dog, duck, dad
Ehhh (for Elephant), Elmo, eat
Hat, hot dog, HI
Ice (For ice cream)
Juice
Muah (while blowing kisses), Mommy
Neigh (for horse), Meow (for cat), Ribbit (for frog), Who(for owl), Mooo(for cow), Rawr(for lion), Ooo(for monkey),
NO ( i dont know how he learned that because we use STOP, not no?)
Pee (yes he sees mommy and daddy go pee pee in the potty, we are trying to get him on the learning track)
Shoes, star
Quack

We went to the zoo on friday because we actually had a day out of the 30's! IT was 69 degrees and Dreycin loved it! We hadnt been since Halloween last year, and it was so much fun to take him now that he is making animal sounds and talking! His favorite animal was probably the giraffe, and he loved playing at the park in the zoo! Dreycin is such a joy to be with all the time, he is all smiles hugs and kisses! We are still in gymnastics on friday mornings, and im hoping that it warms up so we can go on walks like we were able to this week. We even got to go feed the ducks at the pond by our house! Dreycin loves to be read to, so most of this winter we have spent countless hours reading. One of his favorite books right now is Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you see. On valentine's day we loaded him up with books, and a froggy be mine balloon! If there is another thing he loves its ICE CREAM, after his shots we went straight to Chilli's and got him his first chocolate shake! he loved it, but at home I give him either Rice dream ice cream, frozen yogurt or Edy's fruit bars. He cant get enough. Dreycin is not a picky eater, whatsoever. he loves all veggies and fruits (except apples), he's really stuck on butternut squash and blueberries right now!

Well there's a little update on my not so lil man anymore! Since baby #2 is on the way, ive begun to slowly put into boxes Dreycin's baby toys, etc. Kind of sad, but excited ill get to use it all again!

Baby DeLaVega #2

For the most part I feel MUCH better than I did with Dreycin. The nausea is still there, but thank goodness minimal vomitting! We went to our 2nd OB appt on Valentines Day, and it was the best Valentine's day yet! There Baby #2 was on ultrasound, heart pumping away, blood flowing from the umbilical cord. The baby was very active, not still for a minute doing complete 360 twists while in the ultrasound. It was so cute to see the little arms and legs, on the body and head. It was truly a beautiful, and reassuring sight to see. Im guessing I will now have 2 VERY active children! According to the Chinese gender calendar, we are having a GIRL! We also already have a girl name picked out! My intuition also says girl, and suprisingly the chart was right about Dreycin! I am now 11wks, and thank goodness left the Dr's office with a script for zofran! For the most part im eating healthier than I was with Dreycin, im starting out at 176 (174 at home but whatever) and at my appt this week only gained 1lb! I am loving baked potatoes, and instead of using sour cream I use fage 0% greek yogurt, potato soup, salads with ranch and grilled chicken, tyson chicken, cheese pizza light on the sauce on tandoori bread, egg sandwiches on pepperridge farm 100 calorie flats, cheese cubes well really anything with cheese, chammomile and mint tea, and ginger ale/7up/sprite. I hate seeing or cooking all RED meats, and the smell of the bell peppers my wonderful hubby loves to make on a weekly basis, and bathroom smells.....like changing my baby boy's diapers. I literally have to plug my nose with kleenex and a little mentholatum! Ive been congested ever since we found out we were pregnant so it helps a little! As for my meds, right now im still on plaquenil (lupus med), baby aspirin for Anti Ro and Anti La (lupus), and prenatal vitamin, with zofran as needed. My blood pressure here at home has been running abou 114/70, but for some reason in the doctor's office its usually like 125/75. Im guessing its because Im nervous, excited, NERVOUS! Or maybe I have white coat syndrome. Im still working on the weekends, holidays when Derek is off at the psych hospital. The pay will definitely come in handy when shopping for the baby #2! This time around we have almost everything we need, the only thing different is that I want to get a bassinet or cradle with a real mattress. Dreycin was never much of a fan of the playard, so we ended up moving his crib in our room for the first 9months! I'll probably also be needing a double stroller! Other than that maybe clothes. And Im hoping by the time baby #2 outgrows the bassinet/cradle we can transition Dreycin to a toddler bed and furniture and baby #2 can have Dreycin's beautiful bedroom set!  I have also been slowly going around the house, boxing things that we dont or wont be using for a while, to prepare for the move! It will be here before we know it! Derek is actually in Georgia this week, checking out Ft Benning with another Marine for work. From the looks of things right now we hope to receive base housing, it will just be easier for all of us!

Later on tonight I plan on writing an update on Mr Dreycin, since he is now 15months!

Working in maternity care.....

While working in a hospital on mother baby and pregnant was the hardest thing I ever had to do, because you see tragedy happen on a daily basis. So why is it that in our society we are told to keep our pregnancy quiet until we are through the 1st trimester? What if tragedy strikes, do we keep quiet about that to? Or do we allow others to know we are grieving. I think there is a misconception with "hiding" your pregnancy through the 1st trimester, maybe if we are more positive about it and let our friends and family know... we would open the door to have more people wishing/hoping/praying for the best? I think that grief in general in our society, is looked down upon or you are told to not tell/talk to people about it?

So without going any further, Derek and I are 6weeks along in our pregnancy :) We are so happy, and honestly had been trying for the last 3months! Didnt take long at all....and wanted our last OB to see us through at least the 1st & 2nd tri of this pregnancy. As for now everything looks good,we had a 6wk appt this week, got a vag ultrasound and saw this little "peanut" with a heartbeat of 120bpm. Im thinking its a girl, because I havent had hardly any all day sickness like I did with Dreycin. It was amazing, kind of difficult with Dreycin there because it was a long appointment due to my "high-risk" category. We were waiting for my OB to come in and I was reading Dreycin a book, and I guess he was fed up with that.....and he chunked the book right into my face and busted my lip open, I was bleeding and crying(maybe a little more than usual because of the pregnancy) but I guess I had better get use to the chaos!!! Before the doc came in my blood pressure was 130/70 which he told me to watch, but we attributed it to me being a little "nervous." I had 10 YES 10 tubes of blood drawn, we have to check all my labs, including lupus panels. I have another appointment in 4wks, and Im just hoping that the nausea and vomiting stay at bay. Im able to eat almost everything, but im really liking fruits and meats, im still working out. Its nice being home with Dreycin, because I take advantage of our afternoon naps! I have a harder time sleeping at night, but Ive never been one to sleep great!

Have a great weekend, we will Derek is off for the holiday until Wednesday!!!

1st blog of 2011

WOW, cant believe its 2011 and I have a toddler. I havent written in forever, because at the time of my last post I was planning to be a stay at home mommy, and my mom was heading back to Dallas. So we packed our bags and went with her, until right before christmas. I think she was right, it was a whole lot easier me leaving her in Dallas vs. her leaving me here in Kentucky. Im so glad that we had her this last year, it allowed me to advance in my career to where if I want to go back, I can because I have tons of experience under my belt. Plus Ive written alot about our upcoming move to Fort Benning, GA which we finally have move dates of May 26-July 6th. And honestly we could not find a hospital for my mom to transfer to out there, so we decided at her age, and being with the same company for so many years, retirement, benefits, etc She should go back to Texas. It was amazing enough her being able to transfer to Kentucky for Dreycin's 1st entire year of life! Speaking of Dreycin, yesterday I was at the doctor's office, reading him a book until my doc came in and BOOM, he threw that book so hard at my face it gashed my lip open.....well i guess he wasnt happy about mommy having to go to the doctor. We have had a few occasions of temper tantrums, they were more frequent when my mom left but now its just 1 every few days....he throws himself down onto the floor and flails his arms and legs while 1/2 screaming, whining! Yes ladies and gent, we've entered the stages of terrible twos. But I have to say again, that its not as often as it was. And thank the lord the new year has brought sleep to this house, Dreycin goes to bed around 9pm and will sleep until at least 8:30 if not sometimes 9:00! I love it! especially now that im not working! Dreycin eat together, play together, and take afternoon naps together! i love it! Dreycin has lost some weight, he weighs 24lbs but I have also weaned him from his daytime breastfeedings, so he now gets whole milk during the day and solids, then his regular AM and bedtime BF'ing. This boy can eat, eat, and eat some more. I often question myself if Im feeding him enough......but im sure I am!

BAck to the big move....both Derek and I are very excited to be moving, the new base we are going to has 6 gyms on base, and tons of activities for kids. Here in Louisville, Fort Knox is nothing.....I mean nothing compared to were we are going . There are alot of perks to living near a big base....big commissary (yes they do carry organic), big Aafes(name brand everything for cheaper), movie theatre, and the list goes on. I grew up on military bases so to me I see them as money savers, and more of a social life. We will also only be 4hrs from Destin, and like 7 from Orlando! We will definitely be making some trips to florida, and the Gulf Shores! I havent decided if Im going to work or not, I would like to but only after we get established and maybe an evening/night shift? Im still working here in Louisville, just PRN on the weekend 12-18hrs but it brings in a little extra cash for us to do things and for me to SAVE!

Well this is cutting into my nap, HAPPY NEW YEAR and keep reading for many upcoming adventures with my little family ;)