Deployment

So the news came late Friday afternoon, Derek's package was denied and he would have to extend his contract for 22mos here in good ole Gnat filled Georgia. We were really hoping to leave the south, but obviously our plans were meant to be this way. Derek's plan is to put another package in for Chief warrant officer before he leaves for his deployment to Afghanistan in October. as much as I wish he didn't have to go he does, we have been very fortunate that he has not had one in 4 years and we knew it was inevitable that we would see one sooner than later. He has not missed any births, or first Christmases, and we are lucky he will be here for B's 1st bday! We plan to celebrate Christmas/bdays(his and D's) in September before he leaves. I will of course probably head to Texas for a few trips while Derek is gone to not drive myself and the kids crazy!!
I just wish we weren't in the middle of nowhere and had to drive so far for doctors, Costco, organic groceries! The thought of being here for 22 more months is pretty depressing actually.
I don't know how I'll manage everyday with both kids, frankly it's a little worrisome. I can barely eat in the mornings yet alone cook an entire meal, do laundry, clean, take a shower, without the boys needing something or getting into something! I know ill be getting a zoo & aquarium memberships now! But the next best thing I can think of is that maybe a nanny or private school wouldn't be such a bad idea for Dreycin just part time? So that I could have Yoga, or run errands, my dr appointments, or just me time? Is that selfish, no not at all because if mom's not happy nobody will be happy.

Update on Dreycin, we have two appointments scheduled at Nemours pediatric Neurology Clinic in Jax, Fl. One for an EEG and a separate one for dr to evaluate. So that means two 6hr trips for us, two Fridays at the end of this month for us! Thankfully there is base lodging and we are getting a decent rate to stay, bc there is no way we want to drive there and back in one day. We will eventually get reimbursed by our insurance, but they are about 5 months behind on travel claims. We are still waiting on one from B's appointment in January! So I hope they figure out what is going on so that I don't have to make too many trips by myself while Derek is gone.

Farmers market is one of the few things I've been happy about here lately! Here's a pic! And one of B eating an apple, which is great for teething!!!!

Icing on the cake

After a weekend of Dreycin having a fever we went to ENT on Monday AM and sure enough he had a double ear infection. The tube on the left is working so the infection is draining out, but the other ear the infection is inside the ear :( we spent the morning getting meds and came home and he slept most of the afternoon. That evening him and B were playing and he knocked his head into B's back and had another seizure like episode. I was in kitchen making cookies, and I heard B start to grunt like Dreycin was bothering him and I went over and Dreycin cried for a second, I picked him up and I noticed his lips going blue and then he became very pale and his eyes dilated mouth clenched arms flailed in jerky movements and then he went completely stiff.when I first noticed it was happening I screamed to Derek it's happening again as I had him in my arms and ran over to the couch with him. Now each time this happens Derek feels the need to come over and take him out of my arms, he told me later that he just can't stand there watching him like that. Dreycin remained stiff in his arms. I was talking loudly to him saying breathe Dreycin breathe, and he came back and went straight into crying. It is so scary I just want answers at this point. I did find many websites that suggest a diagnosis of pallid breath holding spells (google if curious) which seems like what he is having at this point. It can sometimes be caused by cardiac issues or anemia. We have been referred to Nemours Pediatric clinic in Jacksonville, Fl it's 3 hrs away which is a bummer but there is a naval base there we can get a room at for the night. Don't have an appt just yet but I don't doubt they could call and say Friday and I would say ok! My mind as a mother goes crazy searching for answers on the Internet, reflecting on every single piece of his medical history. Including the fact that I carried an anti RO antibody that sometimes cause heart murmurs in children of lupus patients or the fact that he was watched so closely in utero for hydrocephalus, and the last two surgeries he was given anesthesia. You go back and think about every detail, questioning everything. I feel sad, helpless, and a lot of time cry when I think about it. I worry it will continue to happen. One concern I didn't even think, but Derek did was sports. How will he play sports if every time he falls or bumps his head he has an episode?

No more runny noses, congestion, coughs, they are both doing much better. Dreycin doesn't have the best appetite on the antibiotics but definitely can tell he is up for playing more!!!

Our house here on base has been downsized a room, they are trying to see if there is a leak from a drain under the house! A lot going on this week, at least Derek is off and here at home helping me for a few days!!!!!

The Pic with the gate up and D in the chair is the room that is being worked on! And D wanted to take a bath where b did in the sink so we let him! And In the background my pretty sunflowers that I got at farmers market this past weekend. A pic with them playing at the water table in the garage thanks to the gnats and D with his moto helmet.

Tired

It has been a crazy 2wks. The boys have been sick, with coughs congestion runny nose and fever the entire time. Last weekend B had the fever, this weekend it was Dreycin. Plus he had puss and drainage coming from his left ear this AM so its off to ENT tomorrow. I have mostly done natural remedies with the boys, saline, steam in bathrooms, organic chest rubs on feet and chest at night, hylands vit c plus cold tablets, and of course Motrin for fevers. Dreycin gets honey shots of lemon and honey if he is coughing alot. A Comment was made to me that I should only keep my kids around other healthy kids and I about flipped my sh*t, and then I realized that person doesn't know me very well. I am a clean freak, especially with my kids. If I see your kid has a runny nose, I'm wiping my kids hands with hand sanitizer and taking them to wash their hands And then I'll be leaving very fast, or making sure our kids don't play together. I don't expose my children to alot of kids/people for that very reason! People don't care about getting your kids sick! B has had so many health issues I just can't risk it, more so him being sick.
so I came to the conclusion that
1) Dreycin got sick either at his daycare 2 thursdays ago that he was only at for 1.5hrs and probably
2) picked up some additional bug at church that following sunday
Awesomeness......I've been covered in snot and very tired for the last two weeks. Makes me want to go back to work...... I mean.....,hello why am I thinking that because they would be sick more and then I would probably get fired for having to take time off to take them to all their appts. Derek says its overwhelming the amount of appointments the kids and I have, and I say no kidding you try making them and keeping them :)
In all this sickness we have managed to find some cute moments!
The other day I was asking Dreycin for the magic word(please) and he yells Surprise!!! And he was so serious it was so cute! He is also really into whispering at times. His fav new shows, which he only gets to watch in long car rides(more than 30min) or in Am if I wake up extremely tired and/or need to feed B first thing is Little Einsteins or Super Why. He is really into singing and has even been singing ABCD, AbCD next time won't you sing with me! He is also starting to ask what's that for? What does that do?

Aaannnddd my little B man is clapping!! He really has picked it up in the last few days! We had his 9 month checkup and he weighed a little over 22lbs(he lost some weight from being sick) and was 28 1/4 inc long! Ears look great, he looks great, although the pedi and Derek and I seem to think we are still having some GI issues with digestion, sometimes he screams and cries like he is in alot of pain and the only thing any of us can come up with is that he is having issues with the small amount of solids he is eating? We have our appt toward the end of the month with the GI doc. He is also teething, bites me and Derek so hard that he leaves deep teeth marks on our skin. And no teething toys don't work, we have tried them all! Mashed frozen blueberries work sometimes! We have to be careful B doesn't bite Dreycin too, which he has a few times but we have caught it right away bc we are so close!
As for our Eating habits, we have been doing really good! I have been going to farmers market every week getting fresh vegetables, local farm to table as they call it! We are eating alot of veggies right now! The last of our freezer meat is gone and all we have is fish and our faux vegan meat! And all that we buy at farmers market is for so much cheaper than the supermarket! I've been reading alot about macrobiotic diets and one of the concepts is to eat local, what's in season in your area. I've also been making fresh lemonade since the boys have been sick, Dreycin loves it with a little honey warmed up! This week im going to experiment with rhubarb lemonade, maybe? I also bought some herbs thanks to pinterest that I'm growing in the windowsill, hope I can keep them alive! I repurposed some old vases and large glass jars that I had saved. This weekend i have been working on CEUs for my Kentucky social work license, have to stay licensed somewhere until we figure out if we are gonna stay in Georgia or not. If we are i will go ahead and applyto get my license here too! I wonder at the end of Derek's career in the Marines how many different states I will be licensed in?!! We also spent most of the afternoon (naturally with vinegar & water only) cleaning every toy in the house and all the furniture!!! After all this sickness is gone I really need a mani/pedi and a haircut! I have been managing to make it to yoga 1x a week these last two weeks, which has helped me keep my sanity for now!

My Uncle

A few weeks ago, i think it may have been mothers day? I was talking to my mom and she conferenced in her sister who was screaming, thefirst thing that popped into my head was that she was hurt and needed help(flashback to my parents robbery) but how were we suppose to help her she lives in Canada. I was so scared i couldn't even talk, my mom was calmly (she has middle child syndrome) trying to ask her how we could help her what was wrong and she just kept crying until she said Jose tiene cancer. My moms brother who lives in Panama. His name is Jose and he was recently diagnosed with appendix cancer after having an appendectomy. Please keep us in your prayers & thoughts, we will know more this coming week. He has four beautiful daughters, wife, and grandchildren and it hasn't been easy for any of our family especially my grandparents. Part of the Panamanian culture is to find natural doctors or "brujas" and knowing what I know today about plant based diets being able to reverse almost any disease in the body, my mom and I are on a mission to provide him with the knowledge and supplements along with conventional medicine of chemotherapy. He has already found a natural dr through a friend who had cancer, an has recommended to him a cocktail of aloe juice and other natural ingredients. Sometimes you can't help but wonder why. But then sometimes I know the things I have been through have made me stronger and appreciate life more. But still why.

I didn't mean to hit brother....

That's what I heard from Dreycin tonight as he was brushing his teeth. And he proceeded to say I don't want to sit in time out, I didn't mean to hit brother about 3x in a row. All day he was picking on Bronson trying to sit on him, pushing him, but in Dreycin's defense he has not been feeling good coughing & runny nose. I will be the first one to say I am not a nice one to be around when I'm not feeling good, and the other reason he may be a tad bit upset about is that his Daddy thought he would do something cool and give him a Mohawk for the summer well that turned into a full shaved head :( I was so livid and upset......after Derek shaved my dog a few months ago I told him not to go near him again I should have added the boys on the don't touch list!!!! So I will anxiously await for my baby's hair to grow back and well it's a good thing he is really into hats right now!!!!

In other news B man is standing up for a few seconds on his own, pushing a shopping cart around the house, walking all along the couches, and even trying to climb up the stairs (and can get up the 1st step but can't get down and the gate is on the second stair)!!! He also has a cough, but not much we can do for him, I'm just breastfeeding ALOT!!

We have had a lot going on in the last week/weekend, went to a music class farmers market and found some awesome local chemical free growers!! Went to a new restaurant called our daily bread where they sell local and organic produce! Tried a new non denominational church which was something we had been looking for but was hard to find here in a mostly Southern Baptist area! Dreycin wasn't too crazy about going to toddler room and even cried for a minute :( but Derek snuck by 2x to make sure he was ok during the service and he was playing away!! Ended up feeling like it was a very short weekend, and even shorter week! Derek has had duty, but we had our USMC company family day yesterday which I volunteered for. We are looking forward to relaxing this weekend, I'm almost done with laundry bring on the weekend!

Big Boys

I've got two little boys on my hand that are anxious to grow up on me!
Dreycin is potty trained no more accidents and is obsessed about being outside constantly despite the gnats! He is wearing 4t, and also currently obsessed with his crocs that have light up buzz light year and Mickey mouse! He still eats really good, lots of veggies and his new favorite food is blackberries(thanks to my mom). I don't buy them bc i don't like them but my mom gave him some in Texas and he was hooked! Dreycin loves to drive B around in his Ford power wheels truck and mustang! They have really just begun to play together! It was one day last weekend, and started at the train table then we moved to the water table! It's been really cool to see their play evolve! Now D gives B toys and says come on B crawl, crawl!
Bronson is around 23lbs still has grown a whole lot bc this boy is on the move!!! He is crawling everywhere, stands for a few seconds unsupported, has figured out how to climb up the first stair, walking with the shopping cart all over the house! He is so close to walking! Scarrrry! He is saying MAMA very clearly, Dada, dag(dog), he(hi), buh(bye and waving! Sometimes he says de de de and I think that may mean Dreycin but I'm not sure! He is definitely saying more since his 1st ear infection cleared up! He still has fluid but we are going to monitor instead of rushing into tubes. I declined to treat B with antibiotics and his body with a little of my breastmilk drops in his ear was able to fight the infection! We also used an ear oil relief by NOW foods and placed a warme up onion under his ear 1x while he was sleeping to kill infection. I couldn't tell you what exactly worked but on a Friday they told us he had a double ear infection and by Monday it was gone! I love homeopathy :))))
Bronson loves animals, we went to the Riverquarium last week and he loved seeing the fish, birds, & turtles! He starts blabbing away it's so cute! He does it with dogs too!! He has eaten
Pears, mangos, blueberries, rice, (asparagus by accident thanks to D) beets, peas, and organic rice rusks & sweet potato puffs!
We started a music class this weekend which was awesome! Both boys really enjoyed it and since it's on the weekend Derek got to enjoy an activity with them! Farmers markets have also started around here and I've been fortunate enough to find a few local farmers who grow completely chemical free + local = awesome! Got some fresh greens, kale, potatoes, zucchini, squash, bread, tomatoes, onions, and little pecan pies for the Dreycin! To top the weekend off we tried a new church ere in Albany called Providence church, it was refreshing from what I usually see around here. Nondenominational contemporary, newer worship music, Derek and I both enjoyed it, D cried when he went to toddler room at first but when Derek went to check on him he was fine (both times!) B stayed with us during the service, but I can foresee us having to utilize the nursery very soon! I guess you could say my mind was very preoccupied during sermon today, my mom's brother was recently diagnosed with appendix cancer and him and my family in Panama were weighing heavily on my heart....for a lot of healing, faith, forgiveness, strength, self control. All of which were mentioned in sermon today.

In other news I've been weirdly sick for the last 3 wks, I had this awful pressure in my head, at times stinging to the brain like when you go under water and it goes up the wrong way to your head but this happened when I would bend over. That accompanied by sore throat, ear pain, and drainage....I went to the dr a few times and finally when they said they didn't know what was causing it I went to my allergy doc who did an X-ray of my head and told me I had a really bad sinus infection and mucus was causing inflammation. Since I've probably had this since I was in Texas I'm taking the antibiotics they gave me but not the steroids. They wanted me to take the steroids for like 2wks, and I just can't do it. I can't do that to my body. I'm already killing everything good by taking the damn antibiotics :( but as I told my mom I am a totally different ball game when it comes to my medical issues I have to treat fast and efficient since my body does not like to fight infection. I will probably call allergy doc and see if I can take a 5 day pack of steroids instead of 2 wks! So in meantime we are still waiting for re enlistment package, Taking this place one day at a time. Derek has duty for two weeks....over the holiday weekend. BOOOO....oh well :/ it's a paycheck and our life for now!

Gnat City

So yesterday morning we r walking back to our house after playing with a friend Dreycin says to me, "mom I just ate the bug"! I calmly stop and say open your mouth spit it out please. The damn gnats have already started here in south Georgia. It's so sad because both my boys love to be outside but the gnats make both Derek and I kind of angry mean people......they buzz in your ears, in your eyes, and especially on your head. It's like they are attracted to sweat? It's awful. Please think of us we are still waiting on Marine Corps Headquarters about Derek's reenlistment package. In the meantime we have been working on potty training D, which has been going so awesome. We cut the diapers out cold turkey (best decision ever)the day after we got back from Texas. I had been telling D that when we got back to our house there would be no more diapers! He has had accidents, mostly #1 and a few #2 but one night he didn't make it for a #2 and Derek didn't see it on the bathroom floor and he got it all over his feet after he slipped in it!! Freaking hilarious!! Potty training is so frustrating yet so rewarding in the end. Derek & I also are dealing with a very crabby teething 8mos old! Poor kid seems like he is getting teeth wayyyy faster than D! I mean today he was so crabby I thought about finding a job.....yes I was seriously contemplating it. I need more time to sleep, rest. Right now it seems like I have been sick for 4wks, so I Went back to the doctor and they can't figure out why I have a sore throat, ears aching still?!?! It hurts to eat and swallow :( so I've been eating soft foods, and vegan powder superfood drinks. I think with the traveling to different allergy areas has really done a number on my immune system. I'm trying to boost it back up with some liquid vitamin c probiotics and aloe Vera juice. I'm easing back into yoga, not really concerned with my weight right now but I'm floating between 154-156. I feel really good about my progress especially after being home and people noticing. I even bought a size 6 shorts from Banana Republic while at home! And wore a dress from my master's degree graduation in 2008 to a wedding!!! If I haven't written about Texas, IT was AmAZing! I felt "recharged" coming back to Albany despite feeling crummy. I guess I needed a little dose of the city :) anyways, funny thing is this last weekend we took off to Tallahassee again. I had to restock on groceries and we went to Super Target and their mall at governors square which was nice! We also took Dreycin to an outdoor park called Tom Brown and the after grocery shopping we went by the mall so he could play at the indoor play area. Annnnnd we ate lunch at a bean restaurant called Sweet Pea! It was yummy :) we had a great weekend away from gnat city!