Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011!!

What is everyone's new years resolution?

Mine has and always will be to lose weight. I have said time and time again "I'm going to do this." I'm going to stop saying "I will" and just effin do it already. I'm not going to turn this blog into weighloss, but more importantly the amazing things we have to look forward to in 2011!

January will be a great month because my husband will offically become an old fart! I'm planning a big surprise birthday bash for his 40th birthday. (Please RSVP!!)

February is Valentine's Day and my bestie's birthday. Fun fun!!

March is Hayden's 2nd birthday. How has time slipped away from me so quickly? Just yesterday I was rocking him in my arms, mere weeks old.

April is Revels (girls weekend!!) and the start of busy season for our company. Guess I will figure out then how to keep my head above water.. and quickly.

May is our six year wedding anniversary. Somehow my husband has managed to put up with me for seven years and has stayed married to my ass for six. :) Lord love him!

June is going to be hectic with all the work.

July is another hectic month for us.

August will be even worse.

September is my 29th birthday. Wow, am I really almost 30??

October is Halloween and other fun festivities TBD.

November is Thanksgiving.

December is Christmas.

Somewhere in that mix, I'm hopeful I will have dropped 50lbs and have concieved our second child. I'm leaving everything and I mean EVERYTHING upto God!

2011 is OUR year! It's time for us to have a good year!! Here's to 2011 and not looking back!!

Birthday Season!

Now that Christmas is finally over, thankfully... it's time for mama to start planning three birthdays. First hubby's surprise 40th coming up on January 22nd. I've resent a reminder on facebook so I can get a headcount of who will be here. This is extremely important that I get who will be here!!!!!!!
(so if you're invited, please tell me YES or NO asap!!!)

Then in February my bestie will be growing a year older to catch up to me. Gotta throw a little something for my special bestie from the westie. Nothing huge just a little something to knock her socks off. :)

March, oh March... I've dreaded the month of March all year long. My baby boy will be TWO in Saturday March 12th. We will be having a semi big birthday bash for our little two year old. :)

As you can see, I'm going to be a busy mama ontop of working full time.

If any of my mommy friends has secrets or tips to more sleep and more energy, I'm all ears and would LOVE to be filled in!

X's and O's!

Happy New Year to all!!! See y'all in 2011!

1st day jitters & daycare hell

Howdy everyone!

I apologize for those of you who have been anxiously waiting for this blog. Its been a long and difficult day for Hayden and I. I think I've helped Hayden to overcome most the trauma from this morning.

Hayden and I had our very first days yesterday morning. My first day on the job and Hayden's first day at daycare. My first day was awesome and I was shocked at smooth things went. Boy was I blindsided this morning thinking it was going to be equally as smooth. Hayden's first day of daycare was a bit trying from what I was told. I will not name names but I will simply refer to her as "she" or "her." She informed me the night before I took Hayden into daycare that she follows a very strict schedule. I thought to myself, okay maybe a set schedule will be good for Hayden. WRONG! Oh so freaking wrong!!! When I showed up to pickup Hayden from his first day, not only was he crying, his eyes were swollen from crying all day long. She also told me that he didn't want to follow instructions, line up for lunch, or take a nap at the specified time. Are you freaking kidding me? He's 21 months old. He's not EVEN TWO YEARS OLD!!!!!!!!! Hayden and I went home. I thought long and hard about what she told me. I thought maybe with some time, Hayden would adapt to this change and learn this ridiculous schedule she has set fourth for her kids.

So this morning I wokeup hopeful that maybe, just maybe Hayden would have a better day. *sigh* (deeeeeep sigh) As I'm getting Hayden dressed for the day, I'm explaining to him that Mama has to goto work and he gets to goto daycare and play and learn and have fun. He didn't seem at all as interested as he was the morning of his first day. We get there, I take his shoes off and his jacket and he immediately clings to my leg for dear life. Hayden has never done this. Ever. I ask for a hug and some smoochies and we exchange hugs and ILY's (I love you). So "she" and I follow Hayden and the other four kiddos there to the playroom and Hayden goes right to playing. Then I looked at "her" and mouthed "I'm going to go ahead and go" She nodded. I quietly headed for the door. Hayden knew what just happened and no sooner I turned my back he attacked my leg again. So "she" picks Hayden up to comfort him. I leave. Before I even get to my truck I'm histerically crying. RED FLAG My instinct told me something wasn't right. I get to work and start logging in to my system to get ready for the day. No sooner that I get stuff setup, "she" calls me to tell me Hayden is throwing up and since its been repeated vomitting, I will have to pick him up so none of the other kids get sick. I didn't question it and hung up and informed my boss what was going on. He is a former paramedic and RN so he understood what was really going on. I explained to him that when Hayden gets really upset, he gags, chokes, and throws up. We talked for a few before I left and he assured me they would be fine and to go and see me Monday. I was so upset already for having to leave my SECOND day on the job. I get to the daycare to pickup my precious son. Before I even knock on the door (she operates out of her house) I hear Hayden screaming bloody murder. I have NEVER heard him scream like that. EVER! When she finally comes to the door, I'm scanning the room, looking for Hayden. Around the corner here he comes running to me with his arms in the arm, gasping for air. He was so upset he could hardly catch his breath. I scoop him up to calm him down and let him know its okay. He calms down rather quickly. Then "she" proceeds to tell me something I didn't want to hear. She informs me that since I left (less than an hour had passed since I left) he was crying and screaming histerically and wouldn't follow directions. He wouldn't sit down to eat his breakfast. He hit her arm. (deep down inside, I was like GO HAYDEN!) She said that when her children don't follow instructions, she puts them in time out. Okay that would work for a three year old or older, but a 21 month old who's not use to a set in stone routine after ONE day? How are you going to punish my son for something he does NOT understand? Seriously? REALLY?!?! I asked her for his shot record and the other things "that are to be kept at the daycare" and informed her that Hayden would not be returning, EVER! I was so upset. Livid. Mad. Angry. PISSED OFF!!!!!! My house and her house are literally seperated by four blocks. So it took me a minute and a half to get home. Hayden and I get home, curl up on the couch, cuddle, and cry for a solid hour. He's patting my back and he'll lift his head up to look at me and put his head back on my shoulder. He was so glad that Mama came to his rescue. What melted my heart and topped the day was when he literally wiped away my tears off my face. I fought so hard NOT to cry harder. Sweet sweet boy.

After all that took place this morning, I still have a job and I have childcare lined up for Hayden already. I'm so very thankful for this dear friend that is going to watch and care for Hayden while I work. She lives in CP/L and its way out of the way. But you know, I'd rather go out of my way to have the peace of mind in knowing Hayden is cared for with love and kindness and is with two precious boys who are close in age. A big thank you to YOU! (you know who you are) *wink*

I'm sorry friends, that it has taken me this long to get this blog up and posted. Its been a very emotional day so I haven't felt like jacking with my laptop until this evening. I hope y'all understand. Thank you for all the support and love for those of you who knew what had happened. Love you all to pieces and I'm so thankful for such great people in my life.

X's & O's!

The working mom

After working a few months from home while operating as a stay at home mom (SAHM) and doing invoicing and other tasks involving our business, I'm happy to share my news...

I am going back into the workforce! Our business partner who is also the owner of the house we're renting hired me today as his administrative assistant. I am still in shock but overwhelmed with excitement and nervousness. In all honesty, I'm scared to let him down. I don't want to settle for work at 100%, I'm aiming for 500% - 1000%. I don't want to disappoint him. I hate the learning phase and having to ask questions. Don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely NOT afraid to ask many questions, thats how I learn. I just want to get the hang of things and be successful at it. I have to be there at 9am and more than likely won't get off til closer to 5pm. I'm excited and take great pride in this.

Tomorrow morning Hayden starts daycare for the first time as well. I know he will have so much fun and it will help him with interacting with other kids. I'm so grateful I have a dear friend that lives in the same small town as I do and very fortunate she lives close by. I am so grateful, thank you Miriam!

I am anxious to report tomorrow with a follow-up blog as to how Hayden and I's day went. So stick around and be looking for that update. :)

Thank you everyone for the well wishes, I so very much appreciate them!

Oh my freaking gosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This morning started off pretty darn rough. Hayden was up from midnight til about 5:30am. Which gave me a grand total of two hours of sleep. Yea me! A friend of mine I use to work with was suppose to come watch Hayden while Jon and I went to a staff meeting with our landlord for his company. Plans quickly changed. Our friend ended up having to take her husband to the hospital. (still don't know how he's doing, haven't heard) I ended up having to stay home with Hayden while Jon went to the meeting.

The meeting lasted THREE HOURS!!! I thought to myself, surly this can't be good.

Boy howdy was I wrong!!! *insert big cheesy grin*

A quick run down of what they went over....

Our landlord has officially made us, my husband and myself (and his handy man Jon hired on the side) his sole maintenence staff. We are incharge of EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the greatest blessing we've recieved this year. We also will have our own office in his office building in due time. I will be able to put Hayden in childcare for 5-6 hours a day to provide me much needed concentration and quiet time to speak to owners, tenants, set up appointments to meet with owners about their properties, all of it. This is soooooooooooo exciting!!!!!!!!

I am beside myself, over the moon, jumping for joy, elated!!!!!!!!

Jon and I have been to hell and back, we've hit rock bottom, he's taken several pay cuts to spend more time with our little family and reduce stress and its all paying off right now.

I have always been a firm believer in prayer and by God, HE WAS LISTENING!!!

Thank you sweet Jesus.... we are so very grateful!

Holiday Blues

I remember when I was younger when I USE TO ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS.

The past few years I've found myself enjoying it less and less. Since I had Hayden, the holidays have much more of a significant meaning but it doesn't make it any less stressful.

Last Christmas was Hayden's very first. This year I'm actually looking forward to the 25th. I'm excited to take Hayden to sit on Santa's lap for the very first time. I'm excited for him to wake up on Christmas morning and open all of his presents. I know he still doesn't understand the concept of it all or even grasp it but it is still exciting as a mother to watch your son tear into all the fun stuff.

When I was growing up, we use to travel to Houston every year to spend time with family for the holidays. To be honest, I'm sick of driving back and forth. Planning, packing up everything, loading and unloading the truck, the stress of holiday traffic, grocery store chaos... do it year after year, I've had enough. The past three years we've spent Christmas at home. This year will be no different. I've invited my dad who lives in Houston to come spend Christmas with us. I so hope he takes me up on the offer. It would be awesome to have him and his fiancee here with us.

Now that I have my own family, I have absolutely no interest in traveling for the holidays. My family is in Austin and Houston. Jon's family is in San Antonio and Cuero. So it makes sense to stay put instead of traveling all over trying to make everyone else happy.

I finally put up our Christmas tree. I was dreading putting it up for the sole fact that I know Hayden would have his grubby little paws all over it all day everyday. I was right on because he loves pulling stuff off of it. I think he's learned his lesson now that the tree has fallen over on him twice. Thankfully he was never hurt both times. I'm sure it was scary having a big green thing with shiny, sparkly things with lights falling on you. Good thing its a small skimpy tree because I'm sure it could have done some damaged to my little man. I also just finished putting up the lighted garland around our front door. I think thats as festive as its going to get outside. See is how we need to purchase all new outdoor lights since the rest of the strands crapped out on me. I don't have new lights in our budget so it will have to wait til next year. I may find some good deals after the holidays and snag those for next year. Here's hopin! :)

I'm slowly checking people off my xmas shopping list for the holidays. I just have a few more people to shop for, finish up Hayden and finish up Tina then I'll be done. Wahoo!!

Lots to be thankful for this year... for so many reasons.

This year, I've promised myself I will NOT be the grinch....

♥ X's & O's ♥

A good day gone bad!

I'm still on an adreinaline rush while I sit down to compose my thoughts from today.

I'm trying to wind down my reeling mind to begin but can't find the right words.

Here we go...

I decided that I would volunteer at the Baca Center and help serve our elderly community. My day started at 9am when I walked in. I wash my hands, grab an apron, wad my hair up and shove it in a hair net. (all protocol for sanitation) I was immediately hurled into the whirlwind of all the activites. Cutting up turkey, slicing bread, you name it, it was being done. Before I knew it, it was noon. You'd think we were serving the Pope or the President because everyone was on point, dressed up, everything was so nicely arranged. Three lines were formed. Over 200 senior citizens were in attendance. It was a terrific turnout!! One by one, every man and woman were served quickly and efficiently. Althought I personally served maybe 80-100 people, I knew none of them, but their smiles will be forever etched into my heart's memory. The only thing I dislike about volunteering at the Baca Center is that when you get to know some of people you see regularly, its really hard to hear that their time has come. Its the hardest part of it. I was so happy and so thankful to have been able to serve the community the amazing feast for Thanksgiving. Alot of the residents do not have families to spend the holidays with so for them, the Baca Center is their family. Its a really neat way to give back and I enjoyed every moment with them this morning. I finished my time there around 1:30pm and headed home.

On my way home, I stopped at our manager's office to drop off a few keys from the previous week that we did work on. Only to find we had a list of stuff for other properties that needed addressing. *sigh* It never ends. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful and don't mind, but sometimes its nice to have a week break. Ha.. no such luck today!!!

Wow... I'm still in disbelief thinking about what took place this evening...

So we stop at property #1 to remove the refrigerator. Success!!

We head to property #2 to install the refrigerator we got from property #1, FAIL!!!

I call our mgr, its a no go, doesn't fit. He informs me he has another property that needs a fridge, so we load the fridge and head to property #3.

We get to property #3, unload the fridge. Keep in mind, we have no one to watch Hayden so he is tagging along, as always. We get the fridge into the property, WTH.... is this really happening?? Yep, you guessed it, doesn't fit! FAIL!!!!!

So I call our manager, obviously pissed at the world, Hayden's screaming in my arms, I can barely make out the address he wants us to take this retarded refrigerator to so I tell him to txt it to me and we'll take care of it.

We get the address, loadup this ever so stubborn refrigerator and goto property #4. Before we unload it, I told Jon to go inside and measure the property. Well this would pose as the only problem at this property. Each property has a lockbox with a special code that unlocks it for the key to unlock the property. We put in the code to get the key and unlock the property. Everything unlocks like it should. But the door won't open. The door was locked from the inside. (It was a deadbolt that doesn't have a key and just locks from the inside for security) Well that was red flag #1! Keep in mind this is a vacant property and there is NO electricity and its already dark outside. The street is dark, there is no neighborhood lights. And its in the ghetto. FML!! So Jon goes into the backyard to see if he can unlock the backdoor. Same problem. He notices the window over the kitchen sink is slightly open. Red flag #2!! So he thinks nothing of it and crawls in the window to open the property. He unlocked the front door and told me okay lets load this fridge. I immediately stop him and tell him that we're calling the cops to have them clear the property. We later find out that this property has been vandalized before. So we call Austin Police Department and they dispatch an officer to the property. He shows up within 4-5 minutes. Thankfully! My heart was racing. This whole time, Hayden is in our truck, doors locked with me. The officer calls for backup. Another patrol car shows up within 5 more minutes. They enter the building with guns drawn, flashlights, shouting "Austin PD!!!" They search the entire property, bedrooms, bathrooms, closests, upstairs, downstairs. As they were about to walk out of the property, putting their guns back in their holsters, one officer looks up and spots the attic, they draw their guns again, pulling down the attic stairs, shouting "AUSTIN PD.... ANYONE THERE?!?!?!" Surely I thought they were going to be removing someone in handcuffs. But no one was there. What's scary about it all is that there was a blanket and pillow up in the upstairs bedroom, some crackhead probably got in there and that was his or her safe haven when they needed it. SCARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So the officers latched all the windows for Jon and secured the property. They left, Jon and I got the fridge down off the truck and installed it. But boy was my ass in a hurry to get out of there!!!!!

I'm glad that today is over and I'm glad to be home safe and sound.

On the way home, Jon and I talked about us having a cell phone on us at all times, especially when entering a property, vacant or not!

God was definately good to us today!!!

Up, up, and away!

Hello!

I've had alot on my plate the past few weeks so the past few days, I've decided, I'm going to deactivate my facebook account for a while.

People that care to communicate know how to get ahold of me.

If you need to talk to me, txt me or call. If you don't have my number then shoot me an email: Kristen_Trevino05@hotmail.com.

I will be updating my blog on a regular basis when I can. Its how I compose my thoughts and its great to go back and look at what we've been thru and how much we've grown.

I hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving and if you are traveling like we will be, please drive safely and buckle up! All the idiot drivers will be out in full force. :)

Soul Searching with a Smile

Good morning!

As some of you know, we've been actively trying to have a second child for many months now and have been unsuccessful. I had an mri (see previous blog) to check off any pituitary abnormality that would throw off my reproductive system. So thats not the problem. We still don't have an answer in black and white. This is quite the problem considering I'm itching to have a second baby. I've got baby fever BAD!!! It doesn't help that so many friends of mine are having their 2nd or 3rd baby. Don't get me wrong, I'm so excited and happy for every single one of them but it really takes a toll on my soul. (sorry that rhymed)

I am continually reminded that I need to be thankful for each and every blessing. And I truly am. BUT... I want to bless my son with a brother or sister to grow up with, to protect, to share that inseperable bond. I often find myself begging God to allow me to get pregnant, carry to term, and give birth to another healthy baby. Sometimes I wonder if I'm asking too much?

Yesterday a very dear friend of mine, expecting precious twins in April, found out she's carrying two healthy girls. I was so overjoyed and happy for her and her family, I started crying. Like bawling, crying! I was so shocked. I thought surely she was having two boys. Glad I was wrong. :)

After I went on about my day, I found myself getting sadder and sadder that I was the odd man out... the one that is NOT pregnant. That is NOT having her second child. It's not the "feeling left out" thing, its the strong desire to have a second child and the torturous feeling of not being to GET pregnant is what hurts my soul. I know some have said "God will bless you with another child when the time is right." And I agree with that so very much, I have faith HE is in control, BUT my husband will be 40 in January and I want him to be able to still interact with our two kids. I'm afraid in another ten years he'll be in a walker. I always joke with him that he's not getting any younger. But that's beside the point.

I pray my time will come, sooner than later. For now I'm left to feel so empty and incomplete. Alot of my sweet friends have been so sweet and thoughtful while I struggle with accepting all this, in dealing with the fact I have to wait for my time to come. To my sweet friends: thank you! Those two grateful words aren't enough to describe how much I appreciate all of you. I don't want any of you all to worry about me but I am going to seperate myself from facebook for a little while. I will still get on to check things but I won't interact as much as I normally do. (all day, everyday) Ha! Its kinda painful to see so many precious pregnant bellies. I am so happy for everyone but its still hard to see everyone sooo excited and so happy. Please understand. :)

X's & O's!

MRI results!!!!!!!!!!

Before we get to the answers I just got... let me start off by how my morning went...

This morning I was proactive and called my doctor, Dr. Stephanie Shaw to get the results of my mri from last night. The nurse I spoke with said they had recieved them. She then asked me if I had done my two (yes TWO!!!) 24 hour urine collections and did my bloodwork right after. I told her no. She said that not only do they NOT give results over the phone, they won't give me any results until I get those labs done and back. A little inside information, their labwork takes almost two weeks to get back!

I was livid!!!!!!!!!

So I called Austin Radiological Association, the facility that did my MRI. I asked the nurse if I could not only get a copy of my films but get my results. She said yes and that they were ready for my pickup!

AMEN!

Finally someone that has their shit together!!!

So this evening I over-anxiously waited for my husband to get home so we could head into town to go get them. Before I even got to the truck I opened the large manilla folder to read my results.

Gibberish and more gibberish! All this medical talk, made me feel smart for almost half a second.

*******************DRUM ROLL PLEASE**************************

My MRI was negative. Negative of any pituitary problems. Negative for tumor.
Negative for any growth. Negative, period! NEGATIVE NEGATIVE NEGATIVE!!!!!!! Praise God!!!!!!!!

Here are a few images from my mri. There were over 200, so these are a few good and interesting ones. :)





Now some may ask, will I go and see Dr. Shaw again? The answer is not only no, but ABSOLUTELY NOT A CHANCE!!! I just don't understand how a specialist will bill your insurance company a ridiculous fee for a "consultation" and you only spend 15 minutes actually talking to the dr. Its nuts! So I will go back to my OB/GYN and let him do the ultrasound of my ovaries to rule out any cysts. I refuse to see that woman ever again.

Thank you for everyone that thought of me this past week. I love you all and appreciate everyone's support!


UPDATE!!! This is what the mri showed, those of you that might want to get technical. :)

MRI Pituitary with & without contrast 11/10/2010
History: 28 year old female with elevated hypercortison and testosterone levels
Comparison: None available at this time
Technique: At 1.5 Tesla, thin section pre and post contrast MR imaging was performed through the pituitary gland. Additional screening axial T2 and DWI images were performed through the entire brain.

Findings: Sella: The pituitary gland is normal in size, signal and enhancement characteristics. No focal hypoenhancing lesion is seen. No hemorrhagic or cystic changes are seen within the gland. There is no macroadenoma.

Infundibulum: The infundibulum is normal in size and midline.

Cavernous sinus: The cavernous sinuses enhance normally. The adjacent Meckel's caves are within normal limits. The cavernous carotid flow voids are maintained.

Suprasellar structures: The suprasellar structures show normal anatomy, signal content, and enhancement.

Brain: Negative for midline shift, hydrocephalus, infarct or abnormal extra-axial fluid collection. The visualized orbits, globes and paranasal sinuses are within normal limits.

Impression: 1. Negative MRI of pituitary glandm sella and suprasellar region.


WHATEVER that all means.... :)

The much anticipated MRI

For those of you that are out of the loop, tonight was my scheduled MRI.

If you have no idea why I had the mri done, then you need to scroll back thru my blogs and do some reading to catch up to speed and go ahead and crawl out from under that rock you've been hiding under. :)

Lets back up a bit....

My bestfriend Tina met me in Round Rock for dinner at Fuddrucker's and we enjoyed long overdue "girl time!" It was great catching up as always. Never a dull moment when the two of us get together, ever! I'm so thankful she drove 40 minutes out of her way to be there for me for my MRI tonight.

After we ate, had a mini photoshoot in the bathroom, we drove across the parking lot to Austin Radiological Association (ARA) for my MRI.



After filling out five freaking pages, medical history, medical releases, and consents for the contrast, I was called back well before my appointment time. (Thankfully we were an HOUR early... fyi... I HATE being late to anything) So this goofy looking "nurse" has me get into a gown. Strip down to undies and a gown. Oh lord! This wasn't going to be pretty.



So I waddle my way down their little hallway to get my iv placed, mean while Tina and I are cutting up and joking with the tech that starts my iv.



No longer after she finishes, its my turn! *cue my racing heart* The techs have me take off my flipflops and put in some neon orange ear plugs. Then onto the hard as a rock table I go. The tech helps me lay down and get as comfy as its going to get on a hard table. Stuffs a leg pillow under my knees, drapes a thin blanket over me, and puts some rack over my face. As they slide me into the tube, my heart beats faster. I felt myself start to slightly freak. I kept looking into the little mirror over my eyes thats angeled at the window of where the techs stand. I closed my eyes and calmed myself down and reassured myself that its only for 30 minutes. And that the exam was neccessary for me to get a dianosis so we could have a possible treatment. I slowed my breathing down and eventually my heart rate slowed down to a normal rhythm. During the MRI, I kept giving myself a peptalk that it would all be over with soon and that my bestie was in the next room waiting for me and was there for support. Knowing that she was there calmed me down ALOT.

THANK YOU TINA FOR BEING THERE WITH ME FOR SUPPORT AND CALMING ME DOWN!!!

After the MRI was over, they rolled me out of the "open" mri machine, unhooked me from the contrast, flushed my iv, helped me up and off I was to get dressed and get the hell out of there! By the time I got to my truck, I was freezing. That whole room was ice cold! Thank god thats behind me!!!



Now the waiting game begins as I wait for my RE to call me to schedule me to come into her office to go over the results.



I can't thank YOU enough for the thoughts and prayers you've sent my way. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It truly means the world to me!!!!!

X's & O's!

Self diagnosis?

I've been watching alot of tv lately, more than usual. I've noticed I'm seeing alot more commercials for "Cancer Treatment Centers of America" so it got me thinking. I googled MRI pituitary tumors and somehow stumbled upon a blog of a woman the exact same age as me. She had a little boy not long after I had Hayden. Similar symptoms. She was diagnosed with Prolactinoma. So I googled that... this is what it told me...

Overview
A prolactinoma is a noncancerous pituitary tumor that produces a hormone called prolactin. This results in too much prolactin in the blood.
Alternative Names
Prolactinoma - females; Adenoma - secreting; Prolactin-secreting adenoma of the pituitary
Causes
Prolactin is a hormone that triggers the breasts to produce milk (lactation).

Prolactinoma is the most common type of pituitary tumor (adenoma). It makes up at least 30% of all pituitary adenomas. Most pituitary tumors are noncancerous (benign). Prolactinoma may occur as part of a hereditary disorder called multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN 1)

Prolactinomas occur most commonly in people under age 40. They are about five times more common in women than men, but are rare in children.

At least half of all prolactinomas are very small (less than 1 cm or 3/8 of an inch in diameter). These microprolactinomas are more common in women. Many small tumors remain small and never get larger.

Larger tumors, called macroprolactinomas, are more common in men. Prolactinomas in men tend to occur at an older age and can grow to a large size before any symptoms appear.

Symptoms
In women:
•Abnormal milk flow from the breast in a woman who is not pregnant or nursing (galactorrhea)
•Breast tenderness
•Decreased sexual interest
•Headache
•Infertility
•Stopping of menstruation not related to menopause
•Vision changes
In men:
•Decreased sexual interest
•Enlargement of breast tissue (gynecomastia)
•Headache
•Impotence
•Infertility
•Vision changes

Symptoms caused by pressure from a larger tumor may include:
•Headache
•Lethargy
•Nasal drainage
•Nausea and vomiting
•Problems with the sense of smell
•Vision changes
◦Double vision
◦Drooping eyelids
◦Visual field loss

Note: There may be no symptoms, particularly in men.

Tests & diagnosis
•Cranial MRI or cranial CT scan showing a pituitary mass
•Decreased testosterone levels in men
•Prolactin levels

Treatment
Not everyone needs treatment for prolactinoma.

Medication is usually successful in treating prolactinoma. Surgery is done in some cases where the tumor may damage vision.

In women, treatment can improve:
•Infertility
•Irregular menstruation
•Loss of sexual interest
•Milk flow not related to childbirth or nursing

Men should be treated when they have:
•Decreased sexual drive
•Impotence
•Infertility

Large prolactinomas generally must be treated to prevent vision loss.

Bromocriptine and cabergoline are drugs that reduce prolactin levels in both men and women. They usually must be taken for life. If the drug is stopped, the tumor may grow and produce prolactin again, especially if it is a large tumor. Most people respond well to these drugs, although large prolactinomas are more difficult to treat. Both drugs may cause dizziness and upset stomach.

Using bromocriptine over time can reduce the chance of being cured by removing the tumor. Therefore, if surgery is needed, it is best to remove the tumor during the first 6 months of using this drug.

Radiotherapy with conventional radiation or gamma knife is usually reserved for patients with prolactinoma that continues or gets worse after both medication and surgery.

Prognosis
The outlook depends on the success of medical therapy or surgery. Tests to check whether the tumor has returned after treatment are important.

Complications
•Bleeding
•Tumor regrowth

If untreated, a growing tumor can press on the optic nerves and cause:

•Blindness
•Double vision
•Permanent vision loss


CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!

The symptoms are spot on!! This may very well be whats going on upstairs.

I made the first step in scheduling my MRI. I called to get an estimate of how much I'll have to pay out of pocket, after our insurance covers it. So I'm waiting for the lady to call me back with an estimate. Then I'll go ahead and schedule it so we can get a diagnosis. We shall see! I thought I'd share this with anyone willing to read because I found it interesting and intriguing.

X's & O's!!

A thankful month

This month I'm going to attempt to write as much as possible, starting off with what I'm most thankful for that day.

Today.. I am thankful for my son. Without his smile, his laughter, his personality, his goofy dances, him picking his nose and feeding it to the dog, all of it... I wouldn't be as happy and proud as I am today. Its hard to imagine life without Hayden Michael Trevino. He is my little angel. My precious gift from God.

Happy Halloween!!

Hayden's first trick or treating experience was a hit!!!

Saturday evening we drove out to Bertram to join my bestfriend, Tina for their festivities that included "Trunk or Treat" where locals backed their cars up and handed out treats from the back of their vehicles. We didn't goto it, we just stayed on the street where her salon (Poofy Doo's) is on and had a blast. Hayden LOVED Tina's haunted litttle house. He kept going back through it over and over and over!

He loved getting out of his stroller at each house we'd come to. He loved banging on their doors. I kept trying to show him to gently knock. He enjoyed every moment of it! It was funny, some people would put their bowl or bucket to his level so he could grab what he wanted. He would do so, put it in his bag, then go for more. LOL Greedy little guy! He loved the house where several of the guys jumped out at him. One in particular was dressed as a warewolf and Hayden laughed at him when he tried to scare Hayden, then called him Sugar! LOL He got lots of good stuff. One lady gave him the animal crackers and a little stuffed bear. It was so sweet! It just goes to show we have wonderful neighbors and a great community.

Here are a few photos from our weekend festivites...












X's & O's!!

More results... still no answers!

This morning I had my followup appointment with Dr. Shaw for all the bloodwork they drew weeks prior.

:::::drum roll please:::::

We got several answers, but no diagnosis, yet...

Estrogen, Estrone, and Estradiol are all normal.
Vitamin D... BAD low... She put me on a high concentrated prescription of Ergocalciferol...aka: expensive rx of vit. d!
Thyroid... normal
Cortisol... levels were high.
Testosterone.... strangely high. (I jokingly asked my dr if I was turning into a man and she chuckled and said no but she was concerned as to why this level was so high... still thinks pituitary tumor)
Insulin... normal, thank God!
Pregnancy test... negative... well duh! :)
So that was the latest workup she did on me. Thankfully she gave me a copy of all my lab results. I'm going to be doing some googling later this evening. Because right now alot of it is gibberish even though she went over everything in detail. (maybe thats why she charges out the ass for a consultation..?)

She prescribed me 1(one) pill... Dexamethasone to take before I go for my next round of bloodwork. For the love of pete, I'm tired of them stealing my blood. I'm not a lab rat for crying out loud!!

Oh but wait... it gets better... I have to do the 24 hour urine collection again... not once... but TWICE!!! Two 24 hour spans in a row!! Oh geez!!!!!!

And lastly, I have to schedule a pelvic ultrasound and my MRI of my brain here in the next week or two. Since she still suspect pituitary issues or possible tumor, she wants a full scan done. She is also suspecting PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) on top of what ever underlying issue is going on with me, medically.

I'm hoping with this FOURTH set of bloodwork, ultrasound, and MRI will give us a diagnosis as to what's going on with me so we have a possible treatment.

Thank you EVERYONE for thinking of us, praying for us, and your words of encouragement. We love you all!!!!

X's & O's!! ♥

Reproductive Endocrinologist = A JOKE!!!!

In today's mail I recieved a bill from Texas Diabetes and Endocrinology. The office in which my reproductive endocrinologist (re) works in. The bill is just shy of $500.00!!!!! Thats after our insurance paid more than $1,800 for a CONSULTATION!!!!! Are you *bleeeeeeep* kidding me??!?!? Needless to say, I'm furious. Why would a doctor, a specialist, charge out the ying yang for a flipping consultation. $2,300 to take my blood pressure, weight me, measure how tall I am, poke at my throat, mash on my ever expanding stomach, for what...? To wait three weeks for results? For them to call me, play phone tag, then get ahold of them only for them to tell me they can't release results over the phone that I'd have to wait til my appointment. Pardon my french..... BULLSHIT!!!!!!!

With that said...

Friday I'm going to my appointment, this will be the last time I see this doctor. I will go back to MY doctor and request someone that isn't in practice for themselves! ($$) I'm praying for good news so I don't have to keep racking up medical bills. I'm done with going back and forth to doctors and specialists. And after looking at that bill, I'm seriously fed up! I'll be my own doctor.... *sigh*

Alot has been going on lately and I have no clue where to start...

Hayden is growing slowly but surely. I'm noticing his 18 months clothes are slowly shrinking. Its bittersweet since he's growing up into a little boy. He's no longer my little baby boy I once could hold with one arm without a struggle. Now I have to beg for hugs and kisses. His vocabulary is slowly growing as well. The other night he said "thank you" when I gave him his milky after his bath. He still calls everything "Googer" which translates to Sugar, our massive 70lb yellow lab. Those two are inseperable! Oh geez.. as I'm writing this entry, Hayden brings me his jar of vaseline. He's got it in his hair and under his fingernails. GROSS!!!! Hayden has absolutely ZERO fear. He will climb up on his changing table and get whatever he wants. Now I'm having to start keeping his stuff in his closet so he can't get to it. He's also learned how to pull off the safety wall outlet covers that protect kids from sticking things in them. Well he pulls them off with no problem. We're slowly trying to transition him to a cup and straw. He still prefers his sippy cup and I'm okay with that for now.

I've been busy with several doctors appointments for bloodwork and checkups. I'm also preparing for my second Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Austin. This year I've formed my own team and we're racing as team "Mean Girls Against Cancer" and have our own shirts made and everything. The race is November 7th, 2010 so you still have time to register and join our team. (www.komenaustin.org) If you'd like to donate to Susan G. Komen, visit Our team page!

I have another doctors appointment with my reproductive endocrinologist to get my blood results back. I'm hoping and praying we get some answers. The worst part is not knowing and the waiting. I'm hopeful its treatable so Jon and I can start trying for baby #2 soon. I miss being pregnant. I was going through all my pregnancy pictures when I was pregnant with Hayden and started crying. I miss feeling his hiccups, his kicks, his tumbles, all of it! I miss the anticipation of the delivery and the anxiousness of seeing what he's going to look like. I miss it ALL!!! I know in time, God will bless us with a healthy baby girl or baby boy. My husband jokes, maybe we will have twins. My skin crawls at the thought of twins. A dear friend of mine is pregnant with twins and she's got a 20.5 month old boy so she's got alot on her plate. I couldn't even wrap my head around the though of twins with a toddler running around. :) Luckily for her, her son is well behaved. Ha!

I'm eager and excited to take Hayden trick or treating for the very first time this coming Sunday. Hayden is going to be a NASCAR driver. He's going to be soooo freaking cute! Be on the lookout for pictures! :)

I will post results from my drs appt Friday afternoon when we get home. We have to go register for our dba for our contracting business.

X's & O's!

What is Tough by: Marcy Nelson

You know, I haven't looked at the color pink the same since that slogan "Tough Enough To Wear Pink" came out. I mean, I was called Tufferd briefly after my personal troubles a decade ago, but how tough was I really? I don't think I'm tough enough to wear pink. But I've seen that kind of tough.

Tough is dealing with that initial bit of news the doc gives you that your lump is cancer. Touch is having to tell your loved ones; watch their faces turn over and their knees buckle. Tough is being the strong one for their sakes.

And if you wanna see real tough, try chemotherapy. Makes you feel grand for a day or so, then you hit a brick wall of illness as the chemicals kill off your body's defenses on their way to the cancer cells. And how tough do you have to be to go back for that treatment over and over again, knowing what it's gonna do to you each time, only worse!

Yeah...I've seen tough, but I ain't tough.

Tough is saying bye-bye to your cancerous breasts, such primary symbols of your womanhood. Or to your testicles, such primary symbols of your manhood.

Tough is being 4 years old and learning to read with your mommy while you're hooked up to the chemo machine. Tough is having the kids at school scared to play with you because you're bald.

Tough is swallowing what dignity is left in you and allowing someone else wipe your adult butt because you're too sick to do it.

We could all add paragraphs to this, I know. I think toughness comes from God, pure and simple. That's my take on it. If I ever have to become tough like some of you in this room here, or like some whose spirits float among us, then I know God has got my back.

Prayer: Dear God, I pray for the cure of cancer. Amen.

A business venture?

My husband and I have always talked about owning our own business since the day we got married over five years ago. His expertise is painting, drywall, and things of that sort from when he was younger, growing up with his dad. My expertise... well I really dont have any but I do know the in's and out's of data entry, computers, some accounting, customer service, some management, and cupcakes.

Did someone say cupcakes??!!!

Yes! I have put alot of thought into opening my own cupcake bakery. I've even done some looking around as far as locations and toyed around with some names. I think I could really pull this off. The list of things to do in order to bring this journey into frutation is long. But, with alot of resources, ideas, creativity, and a little bit of luck, it might just happen. Then again, theres the whole aspect of coughing up several thousand dollars to lease and/or own a location, the permits, legal ends, and a possible "staff."

I'm still unsure if I wanted to limit myself to just cupcakes or possibly incorporate decorative cookies as well. I've really started enjoying baking and what better way, do it for a living and make money while satisfying clients and customers?!?!! My husband still finds it strange that I enjoy baking, not for us, but to turn around and give them away to friends and family. I just enjoy sharing the happieness that comes along with a colorful cupcake, ya know?

As you can imagine, the idea of it all sounds amazing but everything that needs to be done to prepare for something like this is a HUGE and daunting task. I think I very well might be up for the challenge.

I've always wanted to be my own boss, hell.. who hasn't? I think between Jon and I, it would be a fun family business to create, get going, and can possibly be very successful at it.

I better start saving my pennies now....

Oct. 16, 2010

I don't have any updates or news (good or bad) to update, I just wanted to clear my mind of a few things.

I keep having these reoccuring nightmares where my doctor sits me down in her cold office and the echo of the words "You have cancer" pierce my mind. I know I do not have cancer because it would have already come up, but its still a fear in my mind. I'm going through all the 'what ifs' and self doubts. I think this is a natural process. I hit rock bottom as far as the emotional roller coaster of not knowing anything. I broke down and cried ALOT last night. My husband tried his best to reassure me that things will get better with time and that we have almost too much to be grateful for. He's right! The fear of the unknown is starting to really get to me, I know, I know I shouldn't let it. I could go on and on as to why it has, but in all honesty, being at home seven days a week is catching up. Jon is looking to take a part time job unless this contracting gig picks up. We still need to get our DBA and TIN to get that ball rolling.

I'm remembering to love unconditionally, laughing hard, live life to the fullest, and to hug my husband and son every chance I get. That alone is what gets me through each and every day.

A few weekends ago we got together with my bestfriend Tina and her younger sister Lisa and her husband Andy at the pumpkin patch in Round Rock and took several family pictures.

Hayden finally decided to crash for a nap, so I'm using this "quiet mommy time" to blog and collect my thoughts and get them out of my mind.

I've also been contemplating opening my own bakery, a cupcake bakery. What do y'all think? It won't be for some time, as I do not finacially have a way to bring this dream into frutation, but someday, I'd love to go that route, be my own boss! :)

Update as of 10/14/2010

Monday morning I went to my reproductive endocrinologist(RE) and went over ALOT of of my symptoms in detail and after talking with her, she DOES suspect a pituitary tumor. (not cancer.. a growth) She ordered me to do a 24 hour urine collection at home. Boy let me tell you how much fun that was. She chuckled and told me that I should be grateful it wasn't a fecal collection... ughhhh no thanks!! So this morning I was up before the roosters and took my "jug" to the lab and got the most bloodwork I've ever had to do. 8 vials of blood!!! Holy crap! Andddd I didn't pass out!! Yea me! Now the waiting game for these answers. I'll meet again with my RE after she gets the results back then she's going to schedule me for an MRI. I'm happy things are moving along but I would love some answers now so we can begin a course of treatment. I'm trusting that God is in control and will protect me.

Thats all I have for now... Thank you everyone for your constant and never ending prayers. My family and I appreciate them so very much.

With love,
K

Today's results... life changing!

Earlier this afternoon I went to my doctors office with high hopes it would be nothing or at the very least, treatable with meds. *signal the red X from AGT* Not the case!

Liver: normal
Kidneys: normal
Heart: normal
BP: normal
Cholesterol: normal (last bloodwork showed higher levels)
Thyroid: normal

*sigh* Okay, I'm fine I thought to myself.

Then my dr said "Your ovaries have completely stopped working, as if you've gone thru menopause." *cue heart sinking to stomach*

Everything with my labwork was normal, except for my Follicle stimulating horomone and my Luteinizing horomone. In plan english, its like my brain shut off a switch to my ovaries. This would explain my rapid weight gain (a week ago today I had my labs and since then I gained 8lbs), my lack of sex drive, my hair loss... All of it! Now that we know what's going on, the trick is finding the under lying cause. My doctor suspects (and has his $$ on it) that its my pituitary gland. I had to google where the heck that booger is at and its at the base of the brain, I think. This would explain why I need an MRI. *sigh*

So now that we have an answer, I have to see a specialist, a reproductive endocrinologist. That title alone scares me. My doctor told me getting pregnant wasn't a problem, my ovaries are healthy and no sign of cancer, cysts, tumor, or disease. That wasn't the problem. He said he could put me on Clomed and I'd be pregnant asap. But that wouldn't fix or treat my problem. *sigh*

With that said, I hate asking anything from anyone, but I will ask for your prayers to help get me thru this hurdle. I am trying to be as positive and optimistic as possible. It could have been a lot worse. Then again in the same breath, we don't know if it could get worse...
Here's to PRAYING it doesn't get any worse.

X's and O's!

A bumpy start for the tenth month

October and cooler weather is here.

It brought some not so good things to our house. For starters, Hayden went for his 18 month checkup at the end of September. A week later he spikes a fever that wouldn't break. So I took him to see Dr Ramsey and we found out he not only had tonsilitis but two SEVERE ear infections. On top of being sore from two shots he was battling a rough illness. Thankfully he's back to himself as I write this. He has until Saturday with his yummy pink antibiotic that he HATES!!! As if this wasn't enough for one mama that has had little to no sleep while her son has been ill, I had my one year appt and spent over two hours at the doctor. My doctor was concerned with somethings and decided to take a large amount of blood to run a long list of tests. He braced me and warned me that it could be serious. I will get the results for these tests back on Thursday Oct 7th. He is also going to do an extensive ultrasound because my right ovary was pretty inflamed and enlarged. He also bought to my attention a spot on my back he was concerned about. I might even have to goto radiology for more tests. I've been trying my best NOT to worry but its only human to worry especially when your doctor tells you it "could be" serious. I know doctors give you the worst case senario to cover their own ass but still, how can one not worry?

Its getting late and Hayden is finally in bed. So I'm going to shove off to bed and get some sleep finally. I will post my results as soon as I can.

Love y'all!

All great things must end.... with a bang!

September is slowly dragging along.

My birthday came and went. September 15th I went to bed with some tolerable tooth pain. September 16th, the morning of my birthday, I woke up in agonizing pain. I felt like someone shot me in the jaw with a .22! As I was doing my daily morning "Mom duties" in feeding Hayden his breakfast (most important meal of the day.. For him anyway) I scrambled for my pain rx I still had left over from my tooth extraction last July. Success! I found it! After shoving one down the hatch, I make me some toast. (Note to self: Baaaaaaaad idea!!) I took a gentle bite. I felt that sharp pain all the way to my toes. Now let me add that when I had my #30 tooth (right lower molar, second from the back) pulled, I still haven't had the implant placed. So eatting on the right side of my mouth is a challenge. Let me back up a bit, I'm getting ahead of myself. Last June I had a root canal done on #19(left lower molar, second from the back) and still have the filling inside the tooth. I haven't gone to get the crown because let's behonest, I don't have $800 laying around stuffed under a mattress. With that said, anytime you do a root canal and don't have the crown put on asap, the tooth is 70% weaker. Well duh! (Stating facts) I've recently learned that I clinch my teeth at night and have also caught myself doing it during the day. A weakened tooth, plus teeth clinching, equals a fractured tooth. AKA: the root of my pain. (No pun intended) Now that #19 is fractured, it leaves room for infection. And you guessed it... I have a severe infection under #19. Which brings me to Tuesday September 21st, surgery day! I am forced to have #19 removed under general anesthesia because if the tooth stays and they (my oral surgeon) does not flush out the infection, it could be life threatening. Thank you Dad for passing on your bad genes of horrible teeth! *sigh*

On a much happier note, I pushed the pain aside and was treated out to dinner by my wonderfully amazing bestfriend. Of course dinner of choice was Chuy's! (Another Duh!!) It was great times shared with my loved ones. Sooo glad Danielle (deemed Grasshopper, an inside joke from our banking days) could make it and join us. Of course Hayden didn't want to sit still in his highchair or eat. (Always the case with that boy) Let me not forget the AMAZING 3 tiered hand crafted, delicious cake my bestie made for me. There is seriously nothing that girl can't do. She's amazing and wickedly talented!!! Thank you Tina and Danielle!!! Love yall!!

Surgey day is approaching and I'm ready to get that behind me. Then Thursday September 23rd, Hayden is going for his 1st teeth cleaning. That should be loads of fun. Then after we leave there he goes to his pediatrician for his 18 mth check and shots! He's going to totally hate me by the time we get home.

I hope this finds everyone well and healthy!

X's and O's!!

Seppy-tember!

Howdy!

We aren't even half way through the ninth month of the year and its already been a grrrrrrreat month thus far.
My dear friend Katie flew down from Happy,Tx and spent Labor Day weekend with us. Its always wonderful spending time and making memories with her. Great company! We drove out to Bertram for the annual Oatmeal Parade and festival. The parade was Hayden's first and he loved it, up until the fire dept sprayed some stank ass water at everyone, soaking us. It was a great time and Katie found lots of goodies at the fair.

Today was the Grand Opening of my mom's two stores: Loebau Candle Company (www.loebaucandlecompany.com) and Signs in a Day. So if you ever find yourself in Giddings, please stop by, look around, and sniff out a few of her latest blends. I promise you won't regret stopping. (And I'm not just saying that because its my mother's store) Hayden and I got to see my aunt Ellen, whom I haven't seen in longer than I care to remember. Its been TOO long. My dear aunt Marcy was there. Hayden wasn't too sure about her cowboy hat but none the less we enjoyed ourselves. More memories made and another great day checked off

At some point Hayden has his 18mth checkup this month, then will get to see the dentist for a cleaning for the first time. Stay tuned for that blog... Ha!!

A week from today, I will turn 28. Crazy! I feel like I'm 38. Why doesn't anyone warn you that getting old sucks? Maybe its because I'm so out of shape. ;) ya that sounds good, I'll force the blaim on being out of shape. Ha!

Ohhhhhh! And my bestie made another one of her dreams come true.. She bought her dream truck the other day. Sooo proud of her! Love you Tina!!

I'm headed for bed, lots of errands to do tomorrow.

X's and O's!

Shoutouts!!

A quick shoutout to those of you who have remained loyal to me and my family and have been honest from day one. Not someone who's fed me line after line of bs. Those of you that have stood by us through the trials and tribulations in life. Those of you that were there when Hayden was born. Those of you that came to see Hayden during his lengthy hospital stay. Those well wishers that prayed for Hayden during his six surgeries. Those of you who genuinely care... I say to YOU, a heart felt thank you for accepting us, loving us whole heartedly, and seeing passed the flaws and typos... God didn't make us perfect but he sure did bless us with an amazing support system in our friends and family!

We love each and every one of you all!!!!

XO!! XO!!

Busy Busy Busy!!!!

August just started and its already started off to be pretty busy.

August 14th our neice Erica is getting married to Ray and we couldn't be happier for the two of them. They are expecting their first son in mid October.

Later this month Hayden will go for his routine checkup with Dr.Pickens.

I'm on the hunt for baseball themed stuff for Hayden's big boy room. Sheets, blanket, comforter, pillow case, rug, curtains, valence, shelves, wall decor, etc.

I'm trying to get back into the workforce and go back to work so if anyone has any job leads, send them my way. Huge thanks in advance.

Definately looking forward to the temps cooling off asap so I can do some more yard work in the front. Now that I know my flowers have survived, I'm ready to give planting a second go around. :)

It might be a while before I update again. Our internet has been down for a while and I'm having to blog via Blackberry. Thus the reason there are no pics with this post. I hope this post finds everyone healthy and well.

X's and O's!!

Hayden vs Concrete

This past weekend we decided on a last minute trip to Cuero to spend time with Jon's family. As always we stay at his mom's beautiful house. It just so happens they were doing a bbq the same weekend we'd be down there.

We were outside enjoying everyone's company, sweating it out in the humidity and enduring the mesquitos when I here a noise I'm all too familiar with. Hayden fell. Face first. Into the concrete. It wasn't just a typical fall, face plant, get back up and keep going. He slid across the concrete, scraping his forehead, nose, and got his upper lip pretty damn good. My MIL told me not to baby him, but I know his crys and I knew this one was pain, so I hopped up and took him inside. No sooner than I walked thru the front door, he stopped crying. But here came the blood. It was almost an instant reaction from when he stopped crying, it started pouring out of his nose and lip. After I got it under control and cleaned it really well, I doctored it up with some neosporen and we headed back outside. And Hayden true to himself, he went back to running up and down the concrete slab and playing. He wasn't going to let a little concrete skidmark on his face slow him down or dampen his day. Tough little boy he is.

This is his face during the healing process... looks horrible!



This brings us to today, five days later, he finally rubbed off the final scab and I'm so happy. His handsome little face didn't get scarred, thank you God!!! He has enough serious scars to last anyone a life time. :)

Today we are headed to the splashpad at Brushy Creek. I can't wait! Mama needs some sun!!

X's and O's! Toodles!!

Never a dull day

Its always something different and always so comical here in our household. Mainly because of Hayden's free spirit and goofy character. Lately he finds EVERYTHING funny I do. If it's a silly face, a funny sound, or even jumping up and down acting like a nut, he laughs histerically. His spirit brightens my soul every single day.

Today was no exception. As always, my morning routine requires me to feed and water the dogs in outside in the backyard. While I was cleaning out their water bucket, I frequently glance to our sliding glass door to keep an eye on Hayden. Upon first glance, everything appeared normal. About 37.2 seconds later, I casually looked up again to see what he was doing since he was banging on the door, when I see my son, in all his glory.... no diaper in sight! I finish tending to the dogs and go inside to find his diaper thrown on the kitchen tile. Upon further inspection I find a nicely planted terd under the kitchen table. I asked Hayden, "Where did this come from?" He looks at me with a half smile and points to his diaper, his reply "This!" Ha! He's so smart but is soooo darn goofy. So before I even attempt cleaning his puddle and "mess," I take him to the kitchen sink and wash his hands because the thought of him handling his poo makes me sick to my stomach. (And now yours! ha!) So we get everything cleaned up. I usually will let him run around the house in a diaper only to save another load of laundry as frequently. I was forced to put a onesie on him because he can't get out of them yet. If he wants to make taking off his diaper a regular thing, I'll make sure the little terd (no pun intended) can't get it off.

God has blessed me with a truly unique son and he is the reason I remember to laugh and smiling daily. Thank you Hayden, for keeping us rolling on the floor laughing so hard. You are a comical one, you silly boy!!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Lately Hayden has been battling a god awful diaper rash. Its not your average run of the mill rash that can be treated with diaper rash creams and so forth. This is borderline a burn. Jon and I put two and two together and realized he didn't have this problem until we got the new box of Huggies diapers as we always do. So yesterday I sent an email to Huggies corporate office to explain my concern and frustrations. I got a personal response back first thing this morning from a live representative. I was not only shocked, but thankful that they are making the wrong situation, right. Firstly, they are sending a postage paid packaging for me to return two of the original diapers, unused so they can test them. Secondly we will be recieving a check to take care of the refund. I'm shocked!! I never once asked them to refund my purchase. I was more concerned that it might have been a bad batch of diapers and was concerned how many other children were affected by this. I will forever be a faithful Huggies mommy!!!

XO♥XO♥XO

Getting my feet wet

Since I was young I've always had an appreciation for art. It wasn't until a few years ago that I really took a liking to photography. I have always admired others work and appreciated different angles and shots. I'm happy to say that I'm starting to get my feet wet with the whole photography thing. I've been piddle farting around the house taking different shots of Hayden and other things to test angles, contrasts, colors, shadows, and textures.

I'm very interested in starting to make this a business venture. I am booking test shoots for August and September. If you are interested in taking advantage of these free sessions, let me know via email: Kristen_trevino05@hotmail.com and we can set something up.

I like to concentrate on shooting outside for more natural pictures. Nothing better than God's country. I am certainly open to your ideas and feedback. The sky is the limit when it comes to creativity.

Photography is art. Art is my passion. Capturing memories to last a lifetime is something I strive for. You make the memories, I capture them and freeze them forever. ♥

XO♥XO

A bittersweet 4th of July!

As many American's celebrate our nations independence, many of us celebrate with out families, friends, co-workers, etc.

Today my husband, son, and I were fortunate enough to be together. He's been working long hours lately at his new location for work. I'm grateful for everything he does for our family, but I've been selfish lately and wanted him HOME!

I rarely ask for anything from anyone, but I have a small simple request from my beloved friends that take the time out of they're day to read my posts. My cousin, Joe deployed early this morning for another tour overseas with the Air Force. I ask that you pray for the great man upstairs to watch over him, protect him, and please pray for his beautiful wife Nicole and their two young daughters, Elle, and Keira. He should be home in early January 2011. Its a short tour but none the less he's gone away from his family and we all miss him already. Joe, be safe and hurry home!! We love you!!!

Since the sun has set, I'm going to grab a seat on the back porch and see if I can capture some fireworks. Be safe everyone!! XOXO

End of June happenings

As we end another month, I'm reminded of the fun times we continue to have....

Saturday afternoon Irene and Sanford came up for the weekend. It was so good to have family here once again. Saturday night my bestest friend in the whoooooole wide world invited me to join her and her precious family for the Ropin for Sam benefit concert with Shyler D featuring. Wow, first time I've ever seen him in person and boy does that kid have an amazing voice!!! Voice of an angel!!









After Shyler D, I headed home and didn't pull into the driveway till 1am. Boy was my bed screaming my name. Sunday morning we got up and went to go eat breakfast and then headed to Buda to Cabela's. Jon and I have been a handful of times but this was Hayden's first. He wasn't at all amused by the big bears and deer heads mounted on the walls. Infact I secretly think it made him mad. LOL Here are a few silly pictures from our trip to Cabela's...






And today being Monday, Hayden and I are just here at the house watching the clock tick tock. Jon's warehouse is moving to a southern location so they are packing up the warehouse, some several million pieces I'm sure and moving them over. So he's working LONG hours for the next few days. Needless to say mommy is going to need a mani/pedi and a massage after this is all over with. I'm sure daddy too.

Earlier today I caught Hayden "swimming" in the "pool" that I just cleaned last night. And this pool I'm referring to is the toilet. So gross. I promptly plopped his butt in the bathtub and gave him a bath. Here lately brushing his teeth has been quite the chore so earlier it came to me, "give him his toothbrush and let him goto town on it!!" (since he loves to chew on everything) And success!!! I put a dab of his baby toothpaste on it and he "brushed" his own teeth for a good half hour. Haha!!!

I just wanted to jot down a few quick things before I start picking up Hayden's mess of scattered toys around the entire house.... living room, kitchen, bathroom, front room, laundry room, under the entertainment center... he has stuff EVERYWHERE! Then start on dinner and see if I can't get his butt to bed before 10pm so mommy can take a long hot bath and relax with an adult beverage. :) *fingers crossed for an early bedtime for the critter*

X's and O's!

New pediatrician (15 mth checkup)

Bright and early this morning Hayden and I ventured to Georgetown for Hayden's 15 month checkup with Dr. Pickens. My hopes and expectations were high. I told myself, ANY pediatrician is better than the douchebag we've been seeing for Hayden's first twelve months of life.

We arrived at Chisholm Trail Pediatrics at 7:45am. Hayden's appt wasn't until 8:30. (random fact: I HATE BEING LATE TO ANYTHING!!!) So 8:15 I get Hayden out of his carseat and we go inside because I knew I'd have a stack of paperwork to fill out. (medical history, insurance, waivers and such) It took me thirty minutes to fill out five pieces of paper that normally takes me a few minutes because I write so dad-gum fast. Of course that was juggling Hayden, getting after Hayden after he's digging in a complete stranger's purse. Dumping the trashcan in the waiting room, opening the cabinets to the fish tank, dump about 25-30 books on the floor and throwing them across the floor, and finally taking a little girls shoe off. I guess he figured since he doesn't like shoes, everyone else should dislike them as well. Oh this boy is a hoot. A comic this one! So after I get my paperwork filled out FINALLY, we are called back for Hayden's measurements. Thankfully he's growing right on track and is doing so well. His head measurements put him in the 50th percentile. His weight of 23lbs 4ozs keeps him at the 25th percentile for weight. And his height of 31.5 inches puts him at 55th percentile. So thankfully he's growing vertically instead of horizontally like his mother. Bahaha! So after we got measured and weighed, we went back to what I call a "holding cell" to wait for Dr. Pickens to come in. The little exam rooms in any doctors office are always so small so I jokingly call them holding cells. :) After a few minutes Dr. Pickens came in, he introduced himself and had already won Hayden's heart. Hayden took to him like peanut butter does to jelly. Yay because Hayden hated Dr. Bacares. (his former pediatrician) After Dr. Pickens and I talked for a few minutes and I explained Hayden's scar on his hand, we hit it off immediately! I REALLY LIKE THIS GUY!!! He asked me to get Hayden's discharge summery for DCMC and his current chart with Dr. Nunez who is Hayden's endocrinologist. I can already tell he's very throughough. Yay!!! Finally a great pediatrician for a great kid! He reviewed Hayden's shot records (up to date) and told me Hayden didn't need to get any shots today since his shots are actually ahead. So extra bonus.

Now we're at home and playing. In a few hours we're going to head to the outlet mall and go visit an old friend of my mom's that I hadn't spoken to in years. Looking forward to seeing ya Kathy!!

Oh and I forgot to post the results of Hayden's labwork. Hayden's endocrinologist called to let us know that Hayden's vitamin D levels were lower than normal. She said it was borderline. And instead of waiting to see if it will come back up, she had me get an over the counter Vitamin D D3 drops to put in his juice or milk. So more Vitamin D until further notice. I'd rather it be a single drop than oral medicine!! Amen!

I better get, Hayden is tugging at my pants and yelling "Googer" (Hayden's version of Sugar) He wants me to let her in so they can play.

XOXO

I hate June!!!!

I love the summer months, except the month of June!

For starters, the June bugs and love bugs (I call them fucker bugs) are absolutely horrible!!!! This evening I ran to Sonic to get hubby and I some icecream and I was literally attacked by at least thirty june bugs. The poor carhop had to chunk my icecream in the truck and run. It was soooo gross! I nearly had a heart attack backing out because one flew in the window without my knowledge and flew by my ear. EWWWW!!! I hate bugs but June bugs give me the heeeby geeebys!! Ick!!!

I AM NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CRICKETS!!!!!!!!!!! :::crunch crunch crunch:::

The month of June is going to be a busy one for us. Tomorrow I have my dermatologist appointment for my Kenalog injections for my Psoriasis. It is a last resort treatment that we discovered four years ago that is the ONLY thing that will help me. Praise God! Unfortunately I can't recieve the injections while pregnant. On the flip side, when pregnant your horomones counteract against the Psoriasis and helps keep it at bay. So we'll see how this goes. Thankfully my husband took off of work and will be there to help me with Hayden. Since I'll be laying on a table getting injected with a potent steroid it will help to have someone there to wrangle Hayden. I'm also having the mole on my neck examined that I've had all my life. I'm hoping Dr. Cabrera can remove it. I hate it. Hayden loves trying to pull it off. So gross!!!

Next appointment is for my husband to have a full workup done. He's certainly not getting any younger. He is going to be run thru the wringer. I want them to check his cholesterol, blood pressure, a colonoscopy(since he has GERD), have his heart checked, his knee since he had surgery 20 years ago, and his back re-examined. Getting him to a doctor is like getting a kid to sit still in a candy store. So this shall be interesting.

Then I have to get Hayden in for his 15 month checkup. Ick... more shots! I'm hoping he's grown out of his 25th percentile he's been stuck at all his life. The boy is a midget! :)

Then I need to see my OB-GYN to get some testing done and check my vitamin d and calcium levels to see if I need to still stay on a supplement. *fingers crossed for that one!!*

We have STILL yet to get Hayden's blood results back for his low vitamin d bloodwork. I'm still beyond irritated with their office. That is a can of worms I'm not opening right now.

I'm headed for bed. Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite! XO♥XO

Sweet Summertime!

In the great state of Texas the heat is dry and HOT. The past few days its been pushing close to 100 in the early parts of June. I can't even imagine how bad it's going to get when August and September roll around. Yikes!!

One great thing about summer, swimming!! And now that Hayden is old enough to enjoy it we've been doing alot of swimming. I drag out his inflatable pool and put it on a giant industrial strength hunk of plastic to protect the bottom of the pool and we have a grand ole time. Hayden is a fish, he LOVES the water. The trick for me is to protect his scar on his hand from the sun. So I have to load him up with sunscreen several times while we're outside. But it's worth it. The smile on his face is priceless.

This coming Monday we're going to take Hayden to his first Round Rock Express baseball game. I hope it will be windy because I know it will be hot. It's the night the ball club is supporting Autism Awareness and a portion of the gate proceeds will goto fund local Autism Awareness groups. I think its awesome so we'll be there with our game faces on! :) (Stay tuned for pics)

Happy Saturday everyone!!

Hayden's 1st trip to the zoo

Saturday morning we got up and headed to the zoo. I knew it was going to be a hot day so I started preparing the night before. Thankfully the week before I bought a portable fan that attaches to a stroller and boy was that a life saver for keeping Hayden cool. I loved the fact that it was definately child proof. He couldn't put his fingers in it. After he realized it was keeping him cool, he left it alone and stopped jacking with it. Thankfully we packed a cooler full of Gateraide and bottled water. I used three big bottles of water just to pour on Hayden to keep him cool.







We spent a short three hours at the zoo looking at different exhibits and all the different animals, birds, reptiles(gross!!), fish, and butterflies. Out of all the neat and fun animals, Hayden enjoyed the birds the most. LOL He kept saying "Birrrrt" (means bird in Hayden language) We got some great shots.






It was a good thing I listened to my body because about a block from the truck, I came very close to fainting. I was light headed, dizzy, couldn't figure out where I was. It was horrible. What was even more scary, when we got to the truck, I picked Hayden up out of his stroller and he was limp. Jon took him from me because I was about to hit the ground. I dropped the tailgate of the truck and sat down. Jon took over Hayden's care. Got him out of his wet clothes and changed his diaper. Once we started getting Hayden's body temp back to normal and he started drinking more fluids, he started to perk up. What was frustrating for me is I kept trying to push his juice and water the whole time we were there and he wouldn't touch it. So i kept giving him piece of ice because I know he LOVES ice. So when we got him cooled off and in his carseat, he started guzzling his water. Thank god!!! I was afraid Jon was going to be driving Hayden AND myself to the ER for heat exhaustion. Jon had to help me to the passenger side of the truck. I was so weak. I pushed Hayden in his stroller plus the 25+lbs of crap in his stroller (plus the weight of his stroller) up and down hills in the zoo the whole time while daddy took pictures. So I was beyond worn out.

Hayden slept the whole way home. It was a great day and I'm thankful we went. Hayden is fine now and is back to his usual mischeif self! :)