Snowflake Tutorial

When I found out I was pregnant, I instantly knew that the baby's 1st birthday was going to be a "winter wonderland." My winter wedding plans were derailed by the little miracle growing in my belly so I vowed to have my wonderland come to life one way or another! Now here I am, exactly one year from the day I was originally supposed to get married, writing about my little snow baby's 1st birthday plans. :)

For the past few weeks, I've been obsessed with snowflake-making. If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you may have seen me churning out quite a few of these bad boys. I originally learned how to make them from a holiday craft handout that the boys brought home from school. Over time, I refined my technique and after numerous requests, agreed to post a tutorial on how to make them. This is my version of the many, many 3D snowflake tutorials out there. I promise it's a lot easier than it looks once you get the hang of it. :)


Materials:
6-8 sheets of paper*
1 pair of scissors
Tape
Stapler

*The size of the paper you use depends on the size you want your snowflake to be. Keep in mind that smaller snowflakes are much harder. With that being said, I suggest you use a standard 8.5x11 paper for your first snowflake. For the example below, I quartered one 8.5x11 sheet of paper. It's easier to photograph a smaller snowflake for tutorial purposes. (I used vellum paper, but you can use any paper you want.)

Materials

Step 1: Take the paper and fold it at a diagonal as pictured below.

Step 2: Trim off the excess paper to make a triangle. You can skip this step if you're using 12x12 scrapbook paper for your snowflake.

Step 3: Fold the triangle in half to make a smaller triangle.

Step 4:  Take your scissors and snip the folded side leaving approx 1/8" at the end of your cut. (I put 5 straight slits.) You can eyeball the spacing -- it doesn't have to be perfect.

This is what it looks like when it's opened up.

Step 5: Now comes the fun part. Take a pencil (or your finger) and tape the two points of the inner slits together.  

Step 6: Flip the paper over and connect the next row of slits on the opposite side. Flip over again and connect the next row and so forth. Repeat until all ends are taped together.

Flip & Tape.

Flip and Tape

A side view of the flipped & taped sheet.

The final product: One "arm" of your snowflake.

Repeat Steps 1-6 six to eight times depending on how many arms you want your snowflake to have. Note: Things go a lot faster  if you mass produce your triangles before hand.

 Step 7: Once you've created all of your snowflake pieces, it's time to connect them together. Take the center "x" on the side of the individual arms and tape or staple them together to create a chain. 

Before being connected

Hope this picture clarifies where to connect them

The "chain"

 Step 8: Take a small piece of tape and connect two arms together. Repeat this step until all of your arms are taped together in pairs.

For the sake of the tutorial, I took a picture of how to connect the ends BEFORE I made the chain.

Step 9: Close the chain once all of your centers are connected and stapled in the middle.

 And there you have it, the finished product. :) Happy snowflake-making ya'll! :)

I'm In Love...

Noie just turned three-months-old on Easter Sunday. Three months may not seem like a very long time, but I honestly can't remember what it felt like without her in my life. Our little family just feels all the more complete with sweet little Anjali in it.

I barely remember what it felt like to be like this...



Taken 1/23/11 @ 11:17pm -- just before we left for the hospital

 It's hard to imagine there's a tiny person in there, isn't it? That the curve of my belly actually follows the sweet curve a teeny, tiny back. Motherhood is surreal in that sense, I suppose.  Two separate human beings are one for an extraordinary moment in time. Sometimes I forget that the tiny fingers I kiss with my lips are the same fingers that once tickled my insides not too long ago. I guess I never really appreciated that concept until Anjali was born.



Taken just seconds after she was born.

 Noie is quite possibly the first newborn that I've ever truly had the opportunity to appreciate. Now, before you think I'm a bad mother for admitting this, let me explain. I turned 21-years-old the day Kevin was born which means I was very young and naive. I was so overwhelmed with adapting to motherhood that I never really got to fully absorb the beauty of those first few days with my first son. When Anthony was born just 25 months later, I was distracted by trying to learn how to care for two cubbies instead of one. My Ethan was only home for a few short days and then he was gone. And lastly, Niki was in the NICU for several weeks after she was born so I didn't have much time alone with her.

I really didn't have the time to absorb it all.

Maybe it's because I'm little older and more mature now. Or maybe it's just a culmination of everything that has happened in the past three years. Or perhaps it's even because she looks so much like Ethan. Whatever it is, Noie's birth has made me appreciate motherhood on a whole different level. It has finally dawned on me that motherhood isn't only about doing, but it's about feeling, too. I'm more conscious of sensations and marveling at things like never before.

This must be what it's like to see the world with new eyes. To feel the world with new skin. To smell the world with new senses. To trust the world with a new heart.

This is what complete trust looks like...

This is what our family has become...

This precious girl is ours...

It feels like nothing else exists when she's sleeping on my chest. I'm at total peace when her downy hair caresses my cheek while I breathe in the delicate, rythmic puffs of her breath. It makes my heart melt.

Words can't describe how beautiful motherhood is, but this slide show comes pretty close to how wonderful it feels to have Noie in my life. The photos were taken by Kim of Super Kimagery. She's a such a talented photographer, and I highly recommend her newborn session if you live here in the Bay Area. (Thank you Kim for capturing such a special moment and for sharing a song that I now consider part of the "soundtrack of my life.")

I wish I could embed this slide show, but please do click the link below. I hope that every mother has the chance to fall in love with their baby as much as I have with mine.

www.superkimagery.com/noie

God is good.

I've Missed You, Blogger.

Okay, so I lied.

This post is not about my oh-so-yummy NoieGirl & why I think she's the best thing since sliced bread. And no, this is not a post about Noie's birth-day & John's "birth partner fails." And no, this is not a post about everything that hasbeen going on with our den since friggin' NOVEMBER!!

No, this post is about how much I miss writing.

As God as my Witness, I swear I'll get to all of those posts eventually. But right now? No. Right now I need to vent. I recently discovered Blogger's MMS blogging feature so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I spend most of my time fiddling with my iPhone while I nurse anyway, so why not, right?

It's been months since I've had the time to actually sit down and write a post though. Even my HemAware blog has suffered, and that my friends, SUCKS! I miss writing!!! I miss feeling the soothing warmth of my laptop on my legs. I miss pounding out my frustrations on the keyboard. I miss being up-to-date with this blog. I hate that I have such a huge backlog of stories to document.

I foolishly thought maternity leave would allow me more time to play catch-up, but I was utterly and completely WRONG! On the contrary, I have zero time for myself these days. I don't even know who I am anymore. And usually I'm so...together.

Quite frankly I've had a hell of a time adjusting physically, hormonally, and emotionally to this new lifestyle of ours. I've developed a superwoman complex so it's hard for me to even admit that I'm crumbling from the pressure. I've spread myself too thin, burned the candle at both ends, and bit of more than I could chew many times before and I've NEVER faltered.

I'm what I call a "functional wreck."

These days it's a challenge to be the old me -- to meet the demands that I used to so effortlessly. I'm still doing okay -- I meet a majority of my daily goals -- but I've noticed myself slipping in other areas. I just want to be superwoman again, you know? I'm working on it, and I'll write about that journey sometime soon, too.

But for now, I just needed to write.

My Little Bunny...

She's quite possibly the first cubbie I've ever truly enjoyed. I'll explain why in my next post...

The Littlest Lion Arrives

Here's my HemAware post for 3/23. (I've been on a blog hiatus with them too.) I'm slowly readjusting to our new lifestyle so "follow" or keep checking back. More posts to come! In my next post, I'll dish all the dirty details about Noie's birth day. It goes beyond golf, ya'll. ;)

The Teaser Tweet. 

http://www.hemaware.org/blogs/diary-hemomom/littlest-lion-arrives

In case you missed it, I was miserable during the final weeks of my pregnancy. So, imagine my relief (and pain!) when I realized my baby girl was finally on her way. I wasn’t 100% sure I was in labor at first. My contractions were painful, but inconsistent. This should explain why I let John drive 45 minutes away so he could play a round of golf with his buddy. He was hesitant to go at first, but I was confident that I was just having Braxton Hicks contractions as usual.

I’ll spare you the gory details, but wouldn’t you know it—it became evident my contractions were the real thing just as John started to play his third hole of golf. I’m a pro at this birthing thing, but I was less than enthused when John implied he might as well finish all 18 holes. (Yes, really.)

Before I could react, John quickly retracted his suggestion and sped back home. I’ve given him the benefit of the doubt, and I’d like to think he was just pulling my leg. Sure, we still had a few hours before the baby would arrive, but there was no way I was going to experience early labor by myself. I had all three kids home with me, and I cry like a big old baby when I’m in a lot of pain. Besides, we had lots of preparing to do before we left for the hospital.

My Birth Plan

When we discovered Noie was a carrier of factor VII deficiency, I wasn’t entirely clear what our birth plan would be. Noie had my copy of the mutation, so we assumed she wouldn’t be a symptomatic carrier, because I wasn’t one. Call me paranoid, but I was a little uneasy with the idea of not following the hemophilia protocol for labor and delivery. What if some freak error caused my amniocentesis results to be inaccurate? So, after speaking with my obstetrician and Niki’s hematologist, we agreed it would be best to follow the protocol anyway—just in case.

I don’t care how many times I’ve done it—five times, to be exact—but giving birth hurts! I unintentionally gave birth to Niki without any drugs, and there was no way I planned on doing that again. My hat’s off to women who can give birth au naturel, but I’m not one of them. After 13 hours of labor and lots of pain relief, Noie was out in three pushes: seven pounds, three ounces of pure joy! Our youngest daughter, Anjali Noelle (Noie), was born on January 24.

There was a bit of debate on whether Noie needed to have her coagulation labs and factor VII level drawn immediately after she was born. John and I assured the attending pediatrician that our hematologist wanted these tests to be done, but no one seemed to understand why, since she was only a carrier.Niki had a cord blood study done immediately after birth (to prevent being poked) but despite our insistence, they skipped the opportunity with Noie. Later that morning, the pediatrician got in touch with hematology, and of course they wanted the labs to be drawn just as we insisted. (Drawing labs was listed as part of the protocol.) It was too late to test her cord blood, so Noie was sent to the NICU twice to get poked: once to check her factor VII level, and another time to draw her coagulation labs.

Results of the Lab Tests

Everyone assumed Noie would have normal lab results, but to our surprise, her factor level was slightly low at 33%, and her coagulation baseline was ever-so-slightly abnormal. I don’t think anyone was expecting that. John and I were glad we persisted. Had we dismissed the need for labs, we would have never known. Noie had a joint follow-up visit with Niki’s hematologist, and the plan is to check her labs again when she turns 6 months old. We’re hoping her factor VII level will normalize by then.

I know my birth story sounds like a total nightmare, but I was very happy with the doctor and nurse that helped my deliver my baby. They followed the delivery protocol perfectly and were totally supportive and encouraging during my birthing process. And even though there was some confusion on the need for lab tests, I don’t blame the pediatrician, either. We’re dealing with a rare disorder that doesn’t have much clinical data documented, so there’s always room for debate. All in all, John and I were very pleased with the outcome of Noie’s birth day. We were discharged to go home the following day.

Noie is almost 2 months old now, and I honestly forgot how tiring—and expensive—it is to have two little ones in diapers. Kevin just barely turned 2 when Anthony was born. And even though Ethan was only home for three days, Boo was still in diapers when he was born, too!

Nevertheless, John and I are enjoying our newborn daughter and all the pandemonium that comes with having four kids in the house. I’m absolutely in love with my newborn daughter and that “new baby” smell.

Bring on the Baby!

Here's a link to my HemAware blog entry. This was originally posted on 1/26/11. I know I'm looooong overdue for posting an entry on this blog. I'm working on it guys. Just bare with me. I've got a LOT of projects going on. Anyway, enjoy!

http://www.hemaware.org/blogs/diary-hemomom/bring-baby

Update: Our HemoMom blogger gave birth to a girl on January 24 at 3:44 am. Mom and baby are doing well. Anjali Noelle or "Noie" was 7 lbs, 8 oz, and 20.5 inches long at birth.

Believe it or not, I had two jobs—worked 60 hours, seven days a week, to be exact—and attended school two or three nights a week during my pregnancies with Ethan and Niki. I didn’t have to be conscious of Family Medical and Leave Act (FMLA) hours back then, but both times I worked up until the day I gave birth. As a matter of fact, I started having my contractions at work, finished my shift and gave birth to Ethan early the next morning. (Yes, really!)

I remember being tired when I was pregnant with my precious little bleeders, but I don’t recall being as exhausted as I’ve been with this pregnancy. I’m no longer working seven days a week, and my education is on hiatus, but nevertheless my body feels like it’s working the crazy schedule I used to have. I’m still working full time, but now it’s because I have to be ever-conscious of the FMLA hours I use. (Niki and I have to share FMLA hours that I have accrued in a rolling 12-month period.)

So, I roll myself out of bed every morning and go straight to work. And lately, each morning, I’ve felt a twinge of disappointment that I haven’t given birth yet. I’m absolutely sick of working, but I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to protect my job and my benefits.

An Exhausted Pregnant HemoMommy

Please forgive my pregnancy-induced whining, but quite frankly I hope I’ve already given birth by the time this blog entry is posted. If not, well, I’ll probably be seriously considering using a plunger to get this kid out by then. I’m grouchier, sleepier, weepier, hungrier and more worn-out than I’ve been with any other pregnancy. John has noticed it, too.

I’m a petite person—all skin and bones—so carrying around an entire human being always wreaks havoc on my tiny frame. But, there is also something drastically different about how I’m coping with this pregnancy, too. I’m a HemoMommy now, and although the physical demands of HemoParenting are no different than those of “normal parents,” the mental demands are.

I never got any responses to my blog post looking for other pregnant HemoMommies, so I don’t know if I’m alone in feeling this way. However, it seems my stress level is a bit higher with this pregnancy, and I theorize that it’s because I’m a different kind of parent now.

The fact of the matter is—like most HemoMoms—I’m the primary caregiver when it comes to managing Niki’s bleeding disorder. My medical background has been helpful in my successful management of Niki’s care at home, but these days it feels like I’ve got to command my “pregnancy brain” to remember to order factor and infusion supplies, log infusions and, of course, wake up early enough to adhere to Niki’s prophy schedule. Aside from having the kids to tend to, each passing trimester has made me feel like my HemoMom duties aren’t as second-nature as they once were.

Work vs. HemoDad Dilemmas

John is here to help—if I were to die tomorrow, he would be perfectly capable of doing everything I do—but he also has a very demanding job. A job he has to be diligent about sustaining, not because it’s more important to him than his family or because he’s the “good” insurance provider, but because it supports the financial demands of rearing three, soon to be four, children.

Most of the time I try to be understanding about it, but lately I’ve been a nasty, pregnant ogre when John is faced with “work vs. HemoDad” dilemmas. Do I resent it sometimes? Absolutely. But he has his role, and I have mine. My “parenting specialties” aren’t the same as his.

John has had to report to work during Niki’s hospital stays these past two years of her life. In fact, he went back to work when she was still in the NICU, and I totally understood and supported his decision back then. But during her recent hospital stay before the New Year, was I more annoyed now that it was my nine-months-pregnant self tending to Niki? Definitely. It wasn’t fun tending to a cranky, clingy toddler while lugging a soon-to-be newborn in my belly.

Frankly, as much as I love the excitement of awaiting this baby’s arrival and the feeling of my second daughter squirming around in my tummy, “labor day” can’t come soon enough. I can’t wait for the blood flow to my uterus to be redirected back to my brain. Raising four kids is going to be tough, but I say it’s totally worth it. Big families rock!

12.11.10

In case you didn't already know, John and I were supposed to get married today. Yep, I was supposed to have my big ol' Catholic wedding, but instead, I got pre-martially knocked up again.

All three of my sisters we set to get married in 2011 & 2012 which is why John and I decided to get married at the last minute. (Our culture believes that it's bad for siblings to get married in the same year.) We started planning in late May, but quickly cancelled in early July after we discovered that Noie was on her way. I decided that it would NOT be a good look to waddle down the aisle while 8 months preggers.

But, believe it or not, planning our would-be wedding was sooooo easy. We've been engaged since John proposed when Kevin was 8 months old. Needless to say,  I've had tons of time fantasize about our wedding day. We both love the winter so December seemed like a natural choice. Aside from that, it was the 12th month of our 12th year which was perfect. John picked the date and venue, but I did everything else. We planned on using the same photographer, DJ, and videographer from Niki's party. I even found the perfect dress! (Thank goodness I didn't order it or I would have been screwed.)

I'm a little sad today. I wouldn't trade my "Snowy Noie" for THE WORLD, but damn it, I should be in a wedding dress today -- not sweats and a huge-ass sweater!!! Today I was supposed to officially become Mrs. John  (okay, Rodolfo) de Leon! 12.11.10 was supposed to be the day that I stopped being a "sinner," and finally have my union with John recognized by God. It's very important to us to have His sacramental blessing. That's why we've held off on having a civil ceremony all these years.

Everything about our wedding had a meaning. Instead, there are a LOT of "Nos" happening today.

1. No vintage winter wonderland wedding at the Galleria. The room was going to be filled with Tiffany blue, crimson red (John's signature color in high school), crystal trees, twinkling lights, bling, and downy feathers.
2. No large wedding party - a groomsman & bridesmaid for each year we've been together.
3. No flocked Christmas tree for our guests to hang handmade ornaments on. (I was going to have an ornament making table so our guests could make an ornament to take home and one for us to keep -- to carry on our den's holiday tradition.)
4. No photobooth & scrapbook table.
5. No Japanese cuisine or sushi bar. (To pay homage to our first date.)
6. No yummy warm winter treats & drink bar.
7. No snowy honeymoon with my honey.
8. And most importantly of all, NO blessing from God, at St. Dominic's, by the Father who gave Ethan his final sacrament.

Today, we're making gingerbread houses, decorating ornaments, and going to the parol parade. It's not my wedding day, but I wouldn't trade today's memories for the world. :)

"Party" All The Time

I'm back from my semi-hiatus, ya'll! You guys know I'm a stickler for keeping my entries in chronological order so unfortunately -- NO -- this post is NOT about our trip to NHF's Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

In due time my pretties, in due time....

In other news, call me silly, but I only recently discovered the "stats" tab on Blogger a few weeks ago. (When my blog died, and was reborn.) I was surprised to learn that I have quite a few daily visits from readers all over the place -- United Kingdom, Philippines, Germany, Japan, Russia, Canada, Netherlands, Sweden, Czech Republic, and the list goes on and on! Okay, the Philippines makes total sense, but the only logical explanation I have for the other countries is that you found my blog through HemAware.org. And if so, that ROCKS & I'd love to "meet" you.

With that being said -- ahem -- why not just hit the "follow" button in the Bloggy Friends area on my sidebar? I know I just put the "follow" option on my blog (when my blog was reborn -- woo hoo!), but please do follow this blog so I know you're out there. A few of you "secret readers" already came out of the woodwork, but I don't see you under my followers list. Family and friends, this includes you too! Let's get this party started!!! :)

Thank you for listening to my announcement of the day. Onto the update....

Saturday, November 6, 2010

You may remember that I mentioned in my last post that I was battling cold and allergy symptoms shortly after Halloween. I didn't have a cough or asthma symptoms, but I was dealing with watery eyes, a nose that ran like it was trying to win a friggin' marathon, and sneezing like I was allergic life AND air itself.

I. Was. Miserable.

Nevertheless, I continued to work and push myself like I always do -- gotta save my sick/vacation time/FMLA hours for emergencies with Niki -- and I *thought* I was doing better by Saturday morning. I'm very limited on what I medications I can take because of Noie, but my allergist started me on a Prednisone taper on Thursday 11/4/10 so I could keep my asthma in check. I'm breathing for two, ya know. My doctors and I get nervous whenever I'm sick because my history of asthma and anaphylaxis. The good news is all was fine and dandy asthma-wise. My lungs were clear and I had no signs any infection brewing. My doctor even gave me the go-ahead to use Benadryl for my allergies. Meanwhile, I was still reporting to work every day, and comforted myself (and my patients) in knowing that I was NOT contagious.

There is no rest for the weary. ;-)

I was feeling slightly better on Saturday. Actually, we had a wonderful time attending my godson and nephew's joint birthday party. I don't recall appearing alarmingly sick to the rest of the party-goers, but I'm sure I looked like something the cat dragged in. But -- hell -- that's practically a daily occurence anyway! I'm far from being one of those radiant pregnant women. I don't glow, I sweat!

The cubbies had a blast. We got there a little late which means I didn't have a chance to take  pictures of decor while it was still relatively untouched, but it was an adorable party. I really appreciated the concept of theme. I went to a Cowboys & Indians party once, but I really liked the idea of Buzz & Spidey battling. My CIL-to-be put the party together and I must say she did a really good job. (You guys know I'm a sucker for all things crafty!)  Frankly, I'm a lazy ass so I always make the boys pick ONE theme even though they've begged me do TWO themes before. I still haven't got the slightest idea how I could've put together a "Hot Wheels and Diary of a Wimpy Kid" party. But, it's okay because I'm done with boy parties for a while anyway. ;-)

Here are a few pictures from that day. Most were taken by John, but some by me too. Random note: John has taken this photography hobby of mine to a whole other level! He keeps making trips to the camera store to buy contraptions for the Canon! This was the first time that he shot with his precious Gary Fong diffuser, but I really like how much warmer the pictures are. And to think , I had to break my point-and-shoot camera, convince him to upgrade to a step-up camera, and then practically beg him to drop the cash on the T2i once I got sick of the step-up! Now I have to wrestle the damn thing away from him at home because, sometimes, he fiddles with it more than he fiddles with me. ;-)

The Cake

 My Godson JT

 And his brother AC

 These are my favorite

 Red Velvet

 More Yumminess

 Okay, I didn't get approval to post this partial face shot, but I hope you don't mind. I really gotta start asking people while I'm at fam parties to see if it's okay to post pics. I don't like doing it without permission , and I have so many shots that I wish I could post!

 AC is barely 2 yrs old, but he already has a great imagination. :)

 My Cubbies

 The Next Generation of "C-Boys"

Boo's Schnozzle

 Niki hugging the adorable LL

We were pooped when we got home. The boy cubbies practically collapsed when we walked through the door, but Niki was still up and at 'em. She was coasting on a sugar high so I just laid in bed and watched her play with her Daddy. I started to feel weak as I drifted off to sleep, but I just figured I prematurely pushed myself like I always do. I must have only slept for about 45 minutes or so, but then I woke up and it happened again....

I had another anaphylactic reaction.

I've been dealing with this for YEARS now and it's idiopathic -- which basically means the doctors don't know what causes it.  I've had tons of work-up -- octreotide scans, nuclear medicine scans, CTs, xrays, flexible sig, endoscopy, specialty lab draws, multiple 24-hour urine collection tests (yes I know the concept is gross) but multiple specialists haven't been able to figure out what's causing it. But what they do know is it's definitely caused by a delayed reaction to something I eat. I've tried to keep a dietary diary to correlate what it is that I'm allergic to, but nothing adds up. And, unfortunately, my food allergy tests have all come back negative. So, I'm pretty much tiptoe-ing around this anaphylaxis crap.

Eight years of walking on eggshells ain't fun, but I'm just going to keep doing what I do and hope for the best.

I felt an instant overwhelming sense of fear wash over me when the episode happened. I was barely moving air in less than 5 minutes. Luckily I didn't lose consciousness this time, but I was close to it. I vaguely remember feeling dizzy and staring at my SIL holding Niki. Poor Niki looked confused, and I hated that she saw me that way. I hate when the boys see me that way! My rescue inhalers didn't work and John called 9-1-1 immediately. He's seen me almost die from this on multiple occasions -- he's even shot me with my Epi-pen before-- but I shook my head when he frantically offered to administer it to me.

Epinephrine can save a life during an anaphylactic reaction, but its also a vasoconstrictor. Vasoconstrictors are NOT good for the placenta, and the use of Epinephrine has been known to cause fetal death. In laymen's terms, this means that poor little Noie wouldn't have been able to breathe because of the negative effect the Epi-pen could've had on the oxygen-rich blood flowing to my placenta.

Do you remember when I wrote this post? The last time I had a very bad episode and lost consciousness was when I was in my 1st trimester of pregnancy with Niki -- my 26th  birthday. And that's why it was such a miracle that Niki survived that ordeal because the paramedics gave me epinephrine when they arrived! Really, my doctors and the ED were absolutely amazed because I was barely 8 weeks pregnant. She really is a miracle cub, ya'll! So, given that experience, I didn't want to give myself epinephrine at all. I didn't want to put Noie at risk, anaphylaxis or not. I'd rather move very, very, very minimal air than instantly have no air to the baby at all.
I would rather die than lose another cub.

DCFD made it to the house in a matter of minutes. (They're right down the street.) The rest is a blur. I was panicked, and didn't feel like I was sucking in any air. John says my oxygen saturation was 79-80% by the time the firefighters got there!!!! I started having back spasms (similar to what it feels like when I go into labor) so I was sure that something bad was happening to the baby. They took me to the emergency room in SSF and I was given copious amounts of oxygen, several breathing treatments, IV benadryl, and magnesium. I was already on a prednisone taper, and I just took some about 4 hours before the attack.

The ER doctor told me that if I wasn't already on Prednisone, the episode could have been a lot worse. Luckily, I didn't have to be admitted, and I got to go home early that morning. I lost track of time thanks to daylight savings, but I think we were there for at least 6 hours or so. My oxygen saturation was 95% when I was discharged, but I didn't desaturate when I walked/exerted myself. And, that's always a good sign.

Before I left, the nurse checked the baby's heartrate and it was normal. But....I was very worried about Noie. I spent all day in bed on Sunday -- drifting in and out of sleep -- but Noie barely moved when I was awake. Even when I tried to drink apple juice and lay on my left side, she still didn't move. Her movement was sluggish that day and it worried me. I was thisclose to going to labor and delivery so they could do a stress test, but John and I decided to wait it out.

Luckily by Monday morning things were looking good. Noie was moving a little bit more and I had follow up appointments with my allergist. She ran some tests and I practically spent all day at Kaiser because she was searching PubMed (a medical library) for cases like mine so she could formulate a different treatment plan.  Wouldn't you know it, there are none. What happened to me on Saturday shouldn't have happened -- I was on prednisone & numerous inhalers -- but it happened and she couldn't understand why. Wouldn't you know it, she couldn't find any case reports meeting my criteria. She's the Chief of Allergy so I have complete trust that she's doing the best she could to help me. She hestiated to give me clearance to continue on with my trip to New Orleans, but she lived there for 3 years and she knew asthma-wise I wouldn't have to worry about the weather too much. She even recommended which hospital I should go to should I have a reaction while I was out there.

We've formulated a new plan of action for when I think a reaction is coming on. I can't do anything to prevent it from happening, but I'm hoping this new plan will help me from getting so bad so quickly. And, I just had a follow up with my Ob/Gyn earlier today so he could check on Noie, and she's doing fine too. I'm officially 30 weeks pregnant. Only 10 more weeks to go!!!

It's a "party all the time" here in the my neck of the woods, but I'm still cracking my whip and going strong.

"Be Prepared to Sweat"

When the boys finally got old enough,  Kev and Boo's Ninangs (M & E) would take them out for a day of shopping and junk food indulgence. (BTW - If you guys have any pics, please send 'em my way so I can add them to their scrapbooks.) Anyway, M & E would pick up their excited godchildren so they could celebrate their birthdays. They would take them to Target, place each godchild in their own shopping cart, and spoil them rotten. Then M & E would stuff the boys with Icees, burgers, and of course, good times! Every year, before they would pick up the boys, I always warned reminded  M & E to, "Be prepared to sweat." Even when my best friend K and her soon-to-be hubby Jay offered to take the boys to the carnival this past June, I warned them to "be prepared to sweat" too!

Why do I do this?  Well, it's simple really. There is seriously something about taking care of children that makes you more aware of your sweat glands. I've never been a sweaty person, but during times of stress of parental embarrassment, I suddenly feel hot. Very hot. Parenting is tough stuff. Quick would-be-10-minute-trips to the grocery store turn into a huge ordeal. It takes tons of planning and preparation when you have three kids to lug around. Or even one kid for that matter! What takes a "normal person" 15 minutes to accomplish, takes 45 minutes for a parent to complete.

Kids. Make. You. Sweat!

Last weekend  (10/1/10) John went to Pismo Beach for his "bachelor party."  (It wasn't cancelled despite our wedding being postponed.) This is the 3rd time he has left me to lion tame on my own for a weekend, and ...HOT DAMN....I did a hell of a lot of sweating this weekend!!! My SILs and MIL were a huge help, but I must say this "pseudo-single-parent thing" is tough for me. It definitely doesn't help that I'm pregnant, exhausted all the time, and have terrible sciatica. (I can barely carry Niki anymore.) I wasn't exactly the thrilled about the idea of John's celebration --who has a bachelor party when they're not getting married?--but it was a wonderful opportunity for the kids and I to have some alone time. I had a blast hanging out with my cubbies for the the weekend. :)
 
(BTW - My hat's off to all you single parents out there. I have three very good friends who do the "single parent thing" on a daily basis. And like to take a moment to share that I really admire them for being able to keep it together. I could barely hang for a weekend!)

John left at around 7pm on Friday 10/1/10. After dinner was served, the kids were bathed, medication was administered, and cleaning was done, I let the kids paint up a storm. They drew all sorts of goodies, and I plastered them all over the place. They were very proud of their art gallery, and I experienced the "Art of Lion Taming" on a literal level. ;-)

Boo's Artwork...

This yellow picture is supposed to be Boo riding on Epin Lion Lion. "And he has wheels!"

 Another lion by Boo..

LOL... I have no idea why Boo wrote out "BAD"

 Boo's "October Calendar"

Kev's Artwork...

His rendition of an "October Calendar"

 Kev's 1st Lion...

 I think we have a budding obsession with lions!

 Kev's Racecar...

Niki's Artwork...

 Niki saw the boys painting and said, "Eye-n daw." Which translates to "I want draw." :)

Her Ninong P and Auntie T got her this art pad when she was in the hospital for the Serratia infection.

Niki still LOVES using it!!! And yes, she's a lefty.

Saturday, 10/2/10 was a little more hectic. Kevin had CCD in the morning, I had baking to do, and it was my nephew/godson's 2nd birthday party in Hercules. Boo injured his foot that morning (it got sliced open after it got caught under a door) so he was NOT a happy little boy. If you know Boo, then you probably know all about how "all is not right with the universe" when Boo needs his attention. He cried for close to 30 minutes! I tried my best to shower him with kisses and  juggle Niki's needs at the same time. I felt hot --very hot-- during that 30 minute time period! I bandaged his foot and wrapped an icepack around it, and it still wasn't enough to satisfy him.

After I got back from picking up Kevin at CCD, Boo helped me bake cookies for my nephews party. Thank goodness a little bit of sugar was all he needed to turn his frown upside down. Oh, and my frown too, of course! Beating the shit out of eggs that morning helped me get rid of some residual annoyance I had with John for leaving me for the weekend. ;)

Sifting...

Beating...

 Incorporating...

 Boo beating out some of his anger...

 More Boo-Boo...

 Done...

  Chocolate Chip Cookies.....

 I know you're not supposed to, but I can never resist opening up the stove to take a peek. And a whiff!

 We also made what John likes to call "Churro Cookies." 

Rolling in cinnamon sugar...

 They smell like Christmas when they bake. :)

 The finished product...

 Cooooookies!!!

Boo enjoying the fruits of his labor...

I did too. :)

  

Once all the baking was done, I got the kids ready so we could make it to my nephew/godson Enzo's 2nd birthday party/house warming in Hercules. My SIL KC came along to help since I had to take the smaller (less comfortable car) on the long drive there. The cubs love their Daddy's "monster truck" because they can watch movies during long car rides. The cubs were cranky (they were"bored") so the car ride to Hercules SUCKED despite my SIL being there to help. Nevertheless, we made it to Hercules no more than 2 hours after the party started. And this was with traffic and getting a little lost! (John took the GPS with him to Pismo.) Enzo's party was super fun, adorable, and his cake was perfect for the occasion. It's a replica of my sister's house. :)

I had an awesome time catching up with my sisters (I've missed them terribly), my neice D, and hanging out the bathroom with my Stepmama & Dad. We even helped my little brother K work on some Philosophy homework in the process! I was "sweating up a storm" keeping up with the cubs, but my SIL KC was a tremendous help! The best part of the night was seeing my Grandma. I hadn't seen her for a few months, and it feels always makes me feel so good to be in her presence. My Nanay's strength always fills me with so much hope even when I'm feeling at my lowest. I can only hope to evolve into half the person she is as I travel my life's journey.

Here are a few pictures of the party...

The boys waiting for their phallic balloon animals...

Niki's doing the hokey-pokey! (See the phallic balloon sculpture?)

My sister S got this keepsake for Ethan in Greece. (She even brought back t-shirts for the boys and N&N's first matching dress set!) But...it was this souvenir that blew me away. It didn't make me sad, but I felt my eyes water because I was so touched and overjoyed that she thought of him. Thanks, S. I know Ethan appreciates it too. :)

We got back from Hercules pretty late. My SIL and I were exhausted --totally "sweated out"-- and the kids were knocked out by the time we for back to DC. The only upside to our crazy day was the fact that the kids slept the entire night. They had a LOT of fun! And I got some much needed sleep.

I woke up the next day and felt like baking again. Boo and I made some cheesecake and more "churro cookies" so they would be ready by the time John got home. Can you tell that I'm having fun with my rekindled love affair with baking? I know I've said it before, but I feel like a kid again.  :)

Finely crushed by hand. (Boo is helping me fill the measuring cup.)

 Mixed in the pie plate to save on dishes. ;-)

 Packing the crust...

 Whipped by hand...

 More whipping...

 Pouring...

Now it's set...

The finished product....

The recipe was a little sweet for my taste so I'm going to cut out some of the sugar next time -- I like my cheesecake a little more "cheesier." (John loved it, but one slice was too much sweetness for me so I guess different strokes for different folks.) Also, the recipe called for a 2 hour set time, but I think overnight is a little better. The cheesecake pie tasted even better the next day.

All in all, this weekend was a blast. (Even though John wasn't around to help.) John claims that he won't be having a bachelor party anymore when we actually DO get married because of this weekend getaway. We'll see about that! The kids missed their Daddy desperately and I was still mildly annoyed when he got home, but deep down inside I missed him too. And...even though I wasn't totally "prepared to sweat" for the weekend, having some one-on-one time with my cubs was totally worth it.

(Random Note: Niki's MRSA came back. She developed a new bite-like lesion on her left hip/groin area on Wednesday 9/29. Dr. Sweetheart had Niki get back on Septra on Thursday, 9/30. The good news is Niki's lesion is smaller than the first one, and Dr. Sweetheart thinks this second round of Septra will fully eradicate the problem. She's officially off the Septra this Sunday. It just sucks to have to follow the MRSA de-colonization protocol...again. And to be back on a crazy medication schedule...again! Niki doesn't like swallowing meds so we have to mix it (the Septra & Iron) with some Pediasure.)