Happy Halloween!

Halloween has been a long time coming in our house this year. We decorated the house towards the end of September, before I was scheduled to have my ankle surgery. Then the surgery got canceled. So we made some crafts, made some yummy food, including sugar cookies in the shapes of pumpkins, bats, and leaves. The kids also frosted the cookies and Jase discovered that green and orange make brown (kinda - I think it was more of a puke green and I couldn't eat any of those cookies :)).

Then we had our annual trunk or treat at church and we all had fun. Jase had his school Halloween parade and party. And now finally tonight, trick or treating around our block. It is a cold one out, but I am glad it stopped raining.

We have one pretty sweet and adorable puppy dog, and one protective turtle named Leonardo. Thankfully with him around we stay safe!

Ice Skating lessons

Jase and Meghan started ice skating lessons this last week.

They are in different classes due to their ages, but both are in beginner lessons.

Joe took them and said they did pretty well, since they have have never had ice skates on their feet before.

Jase fell some and Meghan fell alot.

They were very excited to come back home and tell me all about it.

They can't wait for next week!

I am grateful that Joe remembered the camera and took these pictures for me to see them in "action". Thanks Love!

The one with a pinched nerve...

Today marks the 9th day of being in bed since I pinched a nerve in my lower back. On the Friday morning of incident I was getting out of the shower and lifted my left leg up on the side of the tub and bent forward to dry my foot. My right leg went instantly numb, I became very dizzy and nauseous (almost ready to faint) and Joe had to help me back to bed.

In bed was where I stayed all day (hating the times I had to get up and use the bathroom). Lying flat was the only way I could get any relief from the sharp and stabbing nerve pain and to get at least partial feeling back in my leg. Saturday I saw a chiropractor and I felt quite a bit better afterwards and actually walked around for about an hour at a park. Sunday morning I woke up and my entire right leg was cramping for hours. Into the ER we go. The hard part is trying to get any pain relief while sitting or standing (there is none). All the good meds are not for use with while pregnant.

Fast forward to Tuesday when I talked with my OB to get referrals to Ortho (spine Dr) and Physical Therapy. Sadly these referrals will take a week or so to get scheduled... Wednesday to the Chiropractor and felt better afterwards. Thursday back to the chiropractor and feel even better afterwards, as we found a position for me to lay on my stomach (thankfully I'm still in the 1st trimester) and to stretch my legs down at an angle (the futon works well). This allows the "probable slipped disk" to fall back into place, relieving the pressure on the nerve in the back.

Each morning is getting somewhat easier to do gentle stretching and then getting out of bed. However, the more I am up, the more it hurts. And being up for more than 5 minutes at a time is difficult. The sciatica is still there and my glute and hamstring muscles are so tight that they pinch the nerve as soon as they are engaged. Stretching them just makes the back hurt worse, so we are working from the top down; back first then the muscles.

I see the Chiropractor on Monday again and then the Ortho on Tuesday. I really hope that I can get back to work later this week, as I'm burning through all my sick days and vacation days. If I'm off much longer, then there will be little traveling for us over the holidays this winter...