Trail Mix & Spilled Coffee

Sorry no posts from me this week! I don't have any really good excuse except that I haven't felt motivated to blog because I've been busy with so many other things.

Sunday was my great friend, Corie's, baby shower!! It was so fun. I got to see my other dearies, Beth and Tracy and Beth's mom, "mommy Pat" and Tracy's new beautiful little girl, Abby, among other familiar faces. It was fun and Corie looked flawless and beautiful! I am so excited because she is coming back up from St. Louis next week just so I can shoot her maternity pictures! (Woot!)

While Tracy and her family were here visiting from North Carolina, I was going to shoot their family on Monday afternoon, but it ended up raining, so we postponed the shoot until they are back home again in June and July. Which actually works out better because there will be green grass, trees with leaves and flowers. Plus, Abby should be sitting up well on her own then. (Speaking of Trace, darling, you NEED a blog!)

So, I have to drive 35-40 minutes each way to the town where my chiropractor is 2-3 times a week. While I loooove him and love going because I feel so good afterwards and because I get to see my friend, Beth, each time I go, I am so tired of the driving already. I think mostly because it's so expensive for me to get there and back with gas prices the way they are. That's a lot of driving for me each week in the van. I'm not really sure what to do because I know it's really benefiting me. Anyway, that's just something on my mind.

So while in town this week for my chiro, during the time of my son's preschool, on both Monday and Wednesday, Maia and I ran errands. I bought some organizational things for my very un-functional closet (it's tiny tiny), we got a baby pressie for our friends Danielle & Dan (my roomie in college whom I've talked about who had a girl March 20th!) and we went to the cat vet and made an appointment for my cat, Heinz (yes, he's named after ketchup and if you didn't realize how much I like ketchup, welp, -----> now you do!) for his hair problem that he STILL HAS. (It's driving me completely batty.) I also dropped off some pictures at a client's home. Aren't they the cutest "clients"?

But then while at home this week, I spent a good number of hours sorting through winter clothes and adding them to the "winter clothes" boxes for storage and picking out all the items that the kids can no longer wear. Then I put out the new spring and summer things (note to file, still need to do mine) and then I piled up about 10 piles of Noah and Maia's clothes to send off to friends who can use them. We got all the stacks of clothes but 1 mailed off. So I also spent a lot of time in the United States Post Office this week. But I'm so happy to have done that because the clothes are being put to good use and they're out of my house -- the most important thing, right?! :c)

Speaking of clothes, I went through a lot of my own as well, and I have a lot to give to whomever speaks for them first. And they are a lot of very very nice things. Anyone interested?

So don't dis me for this because I cannot help my size. I'm blessed to have great metabolism because yes, I do like to eat, and yes, I eat a lot! Believe me, there are a lot of things I don't like about my body, however I am very thankful that my size is one thing I don't have to worry about ---- yet.

Before I got pregnant with Noah, I was a size 0-2. After pregnancy I was told by some people that I'd never be back into a size 0. And they were right, I wasn't right away. I began as an 8, then went down to a 4 for about 6 months, but then suddenly I could wear my 2's again. (Never say never!) They didn't fit exactly as they had before, you know how our bodies change, but the point is, they did fit! Well, since I am not having anymore babies, I have no need to hold onto these 4's. So if anyone is interested, I have probably 15 pairs of brand new J Crew jeans and dress pants and I will sell them super cheap just so I don't have to spend the time listing them on ebay! Some were worn once or twice. I also have some Gap in the pile.

It's also been a busy or exciting week for some people I know. My brother-in-law, Brad, had his birthday yesterday. Happy Birthday, Bradley. Hope you liked Ella's "pink cake"! And then Neil and Brad's cousin, Kara, had her baby boy, Spencer, on the 1st. She was 3-4 weeks early and he was close to 8 lbs and Kara is a tiny size 0 girl! I can't believe he was so big. I saw her a few days before and she didn't look that large! (Spencer must have been hiding well.) I am still waiting to see some pictures. Anyone, anyone?? Congratulations to Kara and Josh! It's their first child.

On the flip side, my friend, Jennifer, is dealing with her grandmother's body beginning to shut down (bless Jenn's mom for taking care of her dear mother), and then my dear friend, Kristin, lost her grandfather yesterday. She had a relationship with her grandpa like I did with my own. He was a fantastic person and I am so touched that I had a chance over our long years of knowing each other to have met him. Again, I'm sorry, K. It's never ever easy. And a really hard thing is, Kristin's birthday is Sunday on the day of visitation. If you know Kristin, please send her a card. I know that would be extra special for her during such a rough time in her life.

And please think of my very dear friend, Alexis, as she is on an airplane RIGHT NOW flying to Thailand for her and Matt's 10th anniversary! She is nervous and upset to be leaving her kids as they didn't make it easy on her to leave. And if you know her, you know her anxieties are already way up there. So think of her and say some extra prayers for her that they make it safely and that they have an amazing time.

Finally, know how my week has ended?? I got home from picking up Noah from preschool and I brought the kids upstairs to the kitchen for lunch. Maia got up on the island area where my laptop was open and where my old cold coffee was sitting next to it. And I'm sure you can guess what happened.

I was doing something in the sink and I kept hearing "I'm sorry, mommy, I'm sorry, mommy, I'm sorry, mommy . . . " and I turn around to the sight of spilled coffee all over my keyboard. Oh.My.Lord. And that's exactly what I said, too. I quickly turn it over and let the coffee drain out on the floor and wipe it up with a towel. I figured I'd look at the screen and see it black and dead, but it was still on!! Praise the Lord! So I'm praying still that it doesn't eventually die on me, but so far so good. Cross your fingers for me! This is a scary situation on my hands! I swear my computer luck is not good. I am usually in dire mac situations at least once a year for whatever reason.

I just hope to never ever mention spilled coffee on my computer again. Lesson learned: don't put your coffee cup near the computer and don't leave the computer open. Ever.

A photography post coming soon!!!! Maybe even today!!

My back diagnosis and back pain help.

I've been receiving emails from friends and family about my appointment with the neurosurgeon yesterday. Thank you for all your prayers, emails and concerns. I really appreciate it.

So the results are two things.

One, that curve (from side-to-side) that my chiropractor first found on x-ray, which the neurosurgeon also saw on the CT scan, is Scoliosis. I guess it's more predominant in women (2%) than in men, and for some people, like myself, I have it and it's unexplained. Ugh. So I have a curved spine which could be the culprit behind my back pain. He's unsure. But he does know that I have a herniated disk in my upper back, which is rare in the thoracic spine, but it's there. Ugh again. Good thing is, he doesn't think surgery is necessary because I'm not in excruciating pain and it's been slowly "herniating" (for lack of a better word) for a long time. It's just an annoying all-the-time dull aching pain which really is a pain. That's all. Some days are worse than others and I have noticed it hurts a lot more after a day working at my desk (in my very uncomfortable chair).

Thankfully the results aren't any worse than they are because I would be freaking out right now if I were to have back surgery. Good grief, I'm only 32. Neil's question was, "what now? Do we just wait for it to get bad?". And my answer was "I don't know?". I didn't ask that question. I guess I should have but when you're there and in shock after being told what you were just told, all the appropriate questions don't just pop into your head at that time like they should. But he said that if/when the pain gets worse, to see him. (Ugh again.)

At least I have answers now. It just doesn't seem right that I have to deal with this pain, but the flip-side of that is surgery and I do not ever want that. The doctor said at this point surgery would be worse than better for me. So I'll just deal. At least it's not a tumor or infection, which the doctor pointed out that that is not what this is. Thank God.

Speaking of all this, did any of you see the report on Good Morning America this morning on neck alignment and blood pressure? The report was on the very thing that I talked about a while back with my own neck and how it's at a -2 degree when it should be at a 45 degree angle. (Imagine a banana being pulled backwards -- that's my neck!) The chiro thinks my headaches, sinus infections all the time, etc., are a cause of my neck being so extremely out-of-whack. That is exactly what this report was about this morning. Made me realize that my chiro himself is not wacko (like some doctors seem to think) and that I'm there for the right reason. Hopefully I'll get my neck back into place sooner than later (and my back, too!). Here is the report.

Then I also found some other articles which, if you suffer from back pain, you might want to read:

This one was the most intriguing for me! How Your Chair Could be The Culprit
Three Minutes a Day to Keep Back Pain Away
Herbal Cures for Back Pain
Back Pain? Don't Sit Up Straight

The doctor gave me a copy of my CT scan on CD but I can't seem to get it to work. My computer is not recognizing any of the files. I thought it would be fun to share my back with you all :c) I'll try it on Neil's PC.

Thanks again for your cares and prayers.