Saturday, July 25, 2015
Legos
Last month Aaron was invited to a friend's birthday party. It was at this really cool Lego store here in town. Aaron got to pick out $40 worth of Legos, then spent the party getting to assemble them. It was such an awesome party. The boy's mom sent me these photos from the party.
Wednesday, July 01, 2015
Sciatic
Monday (two weeks ago) I spent the day at Roaring Springs with the kids. The older kids went off in pairs and rode the rides, while I sat at the kiddie pool with Owen and Kate. We were there for 5 hours with me sitting on the cement edge of the kiddie pool. That evening after we came home, as I was walking around, I noticed that my hip hurt a little. It felt like I had pulled a muscle. It hurt enough to make me limp, but not enough for me to think it was a problem.
It got worse as the evening progressed, and I asked Scott to go for a walk with me to try and stretch it out and loosen it up. We made it one house down, and I had to turn around and go back because it hurt too much to walk. We came home and I got ready for bed. I struggled to get comfortable in bed, but eventually drifted off to sleep. I woke up at midnight (Scott hadn't come to bed yet), and my whole right leg was screaming in pain. I couldn't move it at all. I had to call to Scott and have him lift my leg slowly down to the floor so I could get out of bed. I tried to walk on it, but it was too painful. I decided my best option was to get back in bed. The only way I could stand the pain was if I laid on my stomach, with my leg stretched straight, without moving a muscle. I laid there in pain, crying, and not sleeping. At 2, I offered to go out to the couch so Scott could get some sleep. He suggested we just go to the ER, but I insisted that I could tough it out till it got better.
Scott helped me out to the couch, and got me settled on the couch. Moving to the couch was excruciating. I laid on the couch for 45 minutes, before I decided I couldn't stand the pain any more. I tried to get up to go in to Scott. The slightest movement of my leg made me want to scream in pain. It took me 15 minutes to get to a standing position next to the couch. Then I realized I couldn't walk, and that I was stuck. I couldn't sit back down and I couldn't walk to the bedroom to get Scott. I stood in the living room, at 3 a.m., and cried.
That night we had set up the tent in the backyard, and Nate was the only kid who was brave enough to spend the night in it. As I stood in the living room crying, I saw Nate through the windows coming up the deck. I quickly composed myself, as he walked through the door. He needed to use the bathroom. As he came back from the bathroom, I asked him to go wake up dad and tell him I needed him. He sleepily said, "Why can't you?" I said, "My leg hurts to walk, can you go get dad for me?" Nate got Scott, then went back out to the tent to sleep. Scott helped me get back into bed, again lying on my stomach and not moving. I somehow managed to sleep for a few hours.
Morning came, and I knew I couldn't handle the pain any more and that it wasn't going to get better on it's own. I slowly got out of bed and used the wall to lean up against to help me get to the closet. As I struggled to get dressed, Scott woke up and came in to help me. I looked at him with tears in my eyes and said, "Will you please take me to the dr?" He helped me get dressed, then helped me out to his truck, and drove me to the ER. As I struggled to get out of the truck, hospital workers quickly produced a wheel chair for me.
For those of you who know me, you know I'm a strong person. I don't give in easily, I have a high tolerance for pain, and I hate showing weakness. This whole experience was extremely difficult for me to admit that I needed help. But I did need help, it was more than I could handle on my own.
In the end, the verdict was a pinched sciatic nerve, probably from sitting on cement for 5 hours. They gave me a shot of Morphine, kept me for observation to make sure I wasn't allergic to Morphine, then sent me home to rest. The Morphine set in pretty quickly, and I was happy to be able to walk out to the truck with manageable pain level. Once I got home, I went to bed and slept most of the rest of the day. Savannah and Sara were awesome at taking care of me and all the other kids. Sara came in every half hour and massaged my lower back, then placed a heating pad on my lower back. Every half hour she came in and repeated that. Between the Morphine, heat, massage, and rest, my body was able to relax and let the sciatic nerve unpinch. By evening I could walk again. The next day I hurt to go up stairs and to bend over to pick something up off the floor, but I could walk with just minimal discomfort. And by the next day after that, I felt completely back to normal.
The whole thing came on so incredibly fast, and two days later was completely healed. It was the craziest thing. I have given birth naturally, and this pain rivaled that. Seriously, the craziest thing! But I was able to add a few firsts to my list of things I've done - my first time as a patient in the ER and my first time receiving Morphine. I hope to avoid both in the future.
It got worse as the evening progressed, and I asked Scott to go for a walk with me to try and stretch it out and loosen it up. We made it one house down, and I had to turn around and go back because it hurt too much to walk. We came home and I got ready for bed. I struggled to get comfortable in bed, but eventually drifted off to sleep. I woke up at midnight (Scott hadn't come to bed yet), and my whole right leg was screaming in pain. I couldn't move it at all. I had to call to Scott and have him lift my leg slowly down to the floor so I could get out of bed. I tried to walk on it, but it was too painful. I decided my best option was to get back in bed. The only way I could stand the pain was if I laid on my stomach, with my leg stretched straight, without moving a muscle. I laid there in pain, crying, and not sleeping. At 2, I offered to go out to the couch so Scott could get some sleep. He suggested we just go to the ER, but I insisted that I could tough it out till it got better.
Scott helped me out to the couch, and got me settled on the couch. Moving to the couch was excruciating. I laid on the couch for 45 minutes, before I decided I couldn't stand the pain any more. I tried to get up to go in to Scott. The slightest movement of my leg made me want to scream in pain. It took me 15 minutes to get to a standing position next to the couch. Then I realized I couldn't walk, and that I was stuck. I couldn't sit back down and I couldn't walk to the bedroom to get Scott. I stood in the living room, at 3 a.m., and cried.
That night we had set up the tent in the backyard, and Nate was the only kid who was brave enough to spend the night in it. As I stood in the living room crying, I saw Nate through the windows coming up the deck. I quickly composed myself, as he walked through the door. He needed to use the bathroom. As he came back from the bathroom, I asked him to go wake up dad and tell him I needed him. He sleepily said, "Why can't you?" I said, "My leg hurts to walk, can you go get dad for me?" Nate got Scott, then went back out to the tent to sleep. Scott helped me get back into bed, again lying on my stomach and not moving. I somehow managed to sleep for a few hours.
Morning came, and I knew I couldn't handle the pain any more and that it wasn't going to get better on it's own. I slowly got out of bed and used the wall to lean up against to help me get to the closet. As I struggled to get dressed, Scott woke up and came in to help me. I looked at him with tears in my eyes and said, "Will you please take me to the dr?" He helped me get dressed, then helped me out to his truck, and drove me to the ER. As I struggled to get out of the truck, hospital workers quickly produced a wheel chair for me.
For those of you who know me, you know I'm a strong person. I don't give in easily, I have a high tolerance for pain, and I hate showing weakness. This whole experience was extremely difficult for me to admit that I needed help. But I did need help, it was more than I could handle on my own.
In the end, the verdict was a pinched sciatic nerve, probably from sitting on cement for 5 hours. They gave me a shot of Morphine, kept me for observation to make sure I wasn't allergic to Morphine, then sent me home to rest. The Morphine set in pretty quickly, and I was happy to be able to walk out to the truck with manageable pain level. Once I got home, I went to bed and slept most of the rest of the day. Savannah and Sara were awesome at taking care of me and all the other kids. Sara came in every half hour and massaged my lower back, then placed a heating pad on my lower back. Every half hour she came in and repeated that. Between the Morphine, heat, massage, and rest, my body was able to relax and let the sciatic nerve unpinch. By evening I could walk again. The next day I hurt to go up stairs and to bend over to pick something up off the floor, but I could walk with just minimal discomfort. And by the next day after that, I felt completely back to normal.
The whole thing came on so incredibly fast, and two days later was completely healed. It was the craziest thing. I have given birth naturally, and this pain rivaled that. Seriously, the craziest thing! But I was able to add a few firsts to my list of things I've done - my first time as a patient in the ER and my first time receiving Morphine. I hope to avoid both in the future.
Last Day of Preschool / First Day at Roaring Springs
Owen had his last day of preschool for the school year on June 15th. The other kids had been out for two weeks, so it was torture to have to still get up and go to school twice a week, but that's what you get when your preschool is in a year round school. On the last day, I snapped these pictures of Owen walking his friend to his door (we were in a carpool where Channing's mom drove in the morning and I drove in the afternoon). I just thought how grown up and yet still so little he looked walking back to the van.
We celebrated Owen's last day of preschool by going to Roaring Springs that afternoon. Anne met us there with her kids, and they all had a fantastic time.
After a few hours of swimming in the kiddie pool, Owen crashed. A morning of preschool followed by a day of Roaring Springs was just more than he could handle. He slept for about 2 hours!
Josh took Kate on this slide. She didn't love it.
This is how my boys get warm and dry.
Kate and Zoey had a great time playing together. They are just the cutest little friends.
We celebrated Owen's last day of preschool by going to Roaring Springs that afternoon. Anne met us there with her kids, and they all had a fantastic time.
After a few hours of swimming in the kiddie pool, Owen crashed. A morning of preschool followed by a day of Roaring Springs was just more than he could handle. He slept for about 2 hours!
Josh took Kate on this slide. She didn't love it.
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| Liam, Josh, and Nate |
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| Savannah, Sydney, Brynne, and Sara |
This is how my boys get warm and dry.
Kate and Zoey had a great time playing together. They are just the cutest little friends.
Kittens
Savannah got home from Girl's Camp a few hours after we got home from Eagle Island. She had a fantastic time, and as soon as I get some pictures from her leaders, I'll do a post telling about her time there.
I'd had a plan in the works for a few weeks. A friend of ours has a cat who had kittens. She talked me into taking two of the kittens. I wanted to surprise the kids, and I had to wait till the kittens were old enough to leave their mom. While Savannah was at camp, my friend texted to say the kittens were ready. So Scott and I went shopping and got everything we needed for the kittens, then waited for Savannah to get home from camp. When she got home, I texted my friend to see if we could come get the kittens. She texted back that evening around 10 and said to come on over.
I gathered the kids quickly and told them to get in the van (without telling them where we were going). Then we drove over and picked up our new kittens. The kids were so excited and were so surprised. They were awake till after midnight that night (even Kate) because they didn't want to say goodnight to the kittens.
Sara instantly gravitated to the orange cat and Savannah to the gray one.
I'd had a plan in the works for a few weeks. A friend of ours has a cat who had kittens. She talked me into taking two of the kittens. I wanted to surprise the kids, and I had to wait till the kittens were old enough to leave their mom. While Savannah was at camp, my friend texted to say the kittens were ready. So Scott and I went shopping and got everything we needed for the kittens, then waited for Savannah to get home from camp. When she got home, I texted my friend to see if we could come get the kittens. She texted back that evening around 10 and said to come on over.
I gathered the kids quickly and told them to get in the van (without telling them where we were going). Then we drove over and picked up our new kittens. The kids were so excited and were so surprised. They were awake till after midnight that night (even Kate) because they didn't want to say goodnight to the kittens.
Sara instantly gravitated to the orange cat and Savannah to the gray one.
Eagle Island
Scott got home on a Friday afternoon around 2. I had all the kids ready in their swimsuits, so we could go swimming at Eagle Island as soon as he got home.
Kate tried to be helpful and get her own swimsuit on. It didn't work so well.
We met up with the VanOrdens at Eagle Island and the kids had a great time playing in the water.
Kate especially loved the water, which surprised me because she had hated the ocean so much. I guess the absence of waves made the water safe enough for her.
Josh spent most of his time off catching fish in his net.
The kids all loved getting to see and touch the fish.
When we were done on the beach, we took the boys over to ride the water slide. Josh stayed behind on the beach with Liam and came home later, and Sara didn't want to ride the slide, so just Aaron and Nate rode it. They loved it.
Owen explained to us that even though he was tall enough to ride the slide.....
he didn't want to ride it because it went "around and around".
Kate promptly fell asleep as soon as we got home. It was a fun afternoon!
We met up with the VanOrdens at Eagle Island and the kids had a great time playing in the water.
Kate especially loved the water, which surprised me because she had hated the ocean so much. I guess the absence of waves made the water safe enough for her.
Josh spent most of his time off catching fish in his net.
The kids all loved getting to see and touch the fish.
When we were done on the beach, we took the boys over to ride the water slide. Josh stayed behind on the beach with Liam and came home later, and Sara didn't want to ride the slide, so just Aaron and Nate rode it. They loved it.
Owen explained to us that even though he was tall enough to ride the slide.....
he didn't want to ride it because it went "around and around".
Kate promptly fell asleep as soon as we got home. It was a fun afternoon!
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