tess at 11 months...

tess is 11 months today

11 month old tess is going through so many changes. i think she can sense how much herself because suddenly she is nursing like a newborn again. she is extra cuddly when she is not busy exploring the world away from me. she alternates between needing me right there and wanting to do it herself! she has started to take her first tentative steps on her own and likes to make a big production out of it, throwing her arms in the air dramatically before she tries. we all cheer like mad and she loves it. she is so serious about everything but genuinely goofy at heart, which makes everything she does even funnier. she points at what she wants and points to herself and screams "ahhhhhhhhh" until you give it to her. if you don't? watch out, she likes to throw herself on the ground and scream or possibly bite you for it! she will then give you kisses and hugs to say sorry. she is getting so good at communicating even with her few words. new words include... dog, cat, up, yeah, nini (night night), niiiiiii (noooo!) and of course the names of all her beloved family. i can't believe all the changes, and i can't wait to see what the next month brings. it's been a wonderful, challenging, terrific almost year so far!

some more of tess from recent weeks....

june is aps awareness month...

many people aren't aware of what aps or antiphospholipid antibody syndrome is. i certainly wasn't until i was told i had it. after my first son was stillborn i was told i would probably never have an answer, that it was just "one of those things" that sometimes happens. sadly, many women never find an answer for the loss of a baby ,but more and more many late term losses or multiple miscarriages can sometimes be explained (some dr.'s believe aps can be attributed to 25% of these cases). i was tested for numerous possibilities and it was found i have aps, an autoimmune disorder that effects the blood. specifically, my body recognizes the placenta as something foreign and attacks it by causing clots which cuts off nutrients to the baby. it also causes an increase in complications like preeclampsia, which i had with my third baby. aps was discovered fairly recently, and treatment for it even more recently. if my mother had a had it it there is a good chance i would not be here. i wish i had known i had it before pregnancy, and i'm sad that i had to lose a baby to find out i did. i'm so grateful that i do know and that i can be treated. i have gone on to have three more beautiful children because of that. aps also effects a lot of people, men included, outside of pregnancy. it makes you at a much greater risk for blood clots, pulmonary embolisms, heart attacks and strokes. since it can be such a serious illness, and since losing my son because of it i want to be a part of spreading awareness about this disorder. if you would like to find out more, you can visit www.apsfa.org.