Best Christmas Present

The best present ever = We got to bring Erin home from the hospital on Christmas Eve!!  Her oxygen levels were staying normal as she breathed on her own.  She really made a quick turn around in one day.  The doctors who were making their rounds on Friday morning were not expecting to see Erin feeling so well.  Erin was happy and having fun playing in the exersaucer and playing with the toys in her crib.  It was so nice to see her smiling face again! 

As we were being discharged from the hospital, we were filling out paperwork and one of the nurses came to us with a great big garbage bag full of wrapped presents for Erin.  We were so shocked and were not expecting to receive anything at all.  We are so thankful for the wonderful care & support that we received from all of the staff at Childrens.  What a great hospital!

After leaving the hospital, we met Emmy, Deb, Jerry, Scott, Missy, Ellie & Will in Wayzata.  Emmy was so excited to see Erin.  She asked if she was all better and then gave her a kiss. What a sweetie.  She's so motherly.
We had a quick bite to eat and then went home to rest. 

Erin's been doing fine all weekend.  She's been so happy you wouldn't even know that she had just gotten out of the hospital.  We are so thankful that she is healthy & happy once again!

Erin's Update

Tuesday night Erin's breathing seemed to get worse so we called the on-call doctor at our clinic.  She asked us a few questions and then asked us to put the phone up close to Erin so she could hear her breathe.  We then had to count how many breaths she took within one minute.  Anything above 40 breaths per minute is a concern.  Erin was at 72 breaths per minute.  The on-call doctor advised us to take her to the ER right away. 

I gathered a few things and then took Erin to North Memorial at 2:00 am.  They checked her oxygen levels and then took an x-ray.  After three hours the doctor came back and confirmed she had pneumonia and then gave her a steroid along with a neb treatment and some tylenol and ibuprofin.  She said Erin seemed fine since she was in good spirits, so she sent us on our way.  (frustrating).

I made it home at about 5:30 am and decided to stay up instead of going back to bed for an hour before getting ready for work.  Ouch.
By the time I got to work and sat down at my desk, my eyes could barely stay open.  It got better as I got up and walked around. 

We decided it was best that we keep Erin's follow up appointment with her Pediatrician at 9:00 am Wednesday.  Brad brought her to the appointment and they tested her oxygen levels right away.  Her levels came back really low so the doctor gave her a different breathing treatment and then tested her oxygen levels again.  Her levels were still pretty low so the Pediatrician put a call into Children's hospital to do a direct admit. 

I met Brad and the girls at home - packed a quick bag - diapers, wipes, formula, clothes, etc. and we quickly headed to Children's Hospital.  We got her admitted and then they showed us to our room. 
Throughout the day Erin's oxygen levels went from the mid 80s to 90s and then they dipped down to 79.  Obviously 100 is perfect...so the doctors like to see anything above 90.  When the levels dipped that low, they hooked an oxygen tube up into her nose. 
She has a lot of crud that is stuck in her nose/throat.  The nurses come in periodically to suck the crud out by sticking a small but powerful suction tube down her nose.   Erin hates it, but it makes her feel so much better after it is done. 

Yesterday was a rough day.  She was pretty sick and just layed in her hospital crib.  She didn't have much strength or energy to do anything and could barely cry.  Every time the nurses would suction her or fuss with her, she would poop her pants.  Poor thing got so upset! 
It's so hard to watch this poor innocent baby, who is usually so bubbly and such a mover, be so sick. 

She's currently on antibiotics through her IV and they are giving her Tylenol every so often. 
Today, she seems much better.  This morning the nurse removed her oxygen tube so she's been breathing on her own and maintaining good oxygen levels.  Her pink eye is pretty much cleared up. 
She's been up and smiling throughout the day and even played in an exersaucer for a while.  If her oxygen levels stay above 92 for 24 hours, there's a possibility that we could be discharged tomorrow. 

The hospital is absolutely amazing for children.  They even spoiled Emmy a bit the first day we were here.  It was like Christmas came a bit early for Emmy.  They kept coming with brand new gifts.  She was quite entertained.  They have such great entertainment going on at all times of the day - bingo, animals, clowns, magicians, musicians and even carollers. The staff has been great and providing us with diapers, wipes, formula and food for Erin.   
Emmy was only able to be here for a little while yesterday.  They don't allow children under the age of 5 to visit because of the cold/flu season so she is spending time with Grandma Debbie & Grandpa Jerry. 

We are looking forward to bringing our peanut home for Christmas (crossing our fingers). She can't wait to see her sister!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Under the Weather - Pneumonia

Our whole family is under the weather at the moment.  Brad got us all sick - yes...I'll blame it on him.  Well...who knows where we picked this up, but Brad was the first to get it.

I started out with a sore throat last week, which turned into a little flu bug and then I got socked with a massive chest cold which has now turned into bronchitis.  Both of the girls have the same symptoms that I do.  Emmy is starting to get over her ear infection and still has a bit of a cough.  But my poor little Erin has PNEUMONIA!!
She has had a fever that has been coming and going for about three days.  I was going to take her into the clinic yesterday, however she seemed pretty happy during the day and her fever was down.  Last night she took a turn for the worst.  Her breathing started getting more heavy and rapid.  She certainly wasn't her bubbly self...that's for sure.  All she wanted to do was cuddle. 

Brad brought her into the clinic this morning.  Right away they checked her oxygen levels which came back really low.  They gave her a nebulizer treatment and then tested her again.  This time her levels were better but they still wanted to do an x-ray. 

The doctor came back into the room just as I arrived (I hurried over to the clinic from work).  She explained to us that it was pneumonia and she also has a double ear infection and pink eye.  The doctor gave us a prescription and sent us home for the night.  We have another appointment in the morning where they will check her oxygen levels once more.  We will know more in the morning if she will have to be hospitalized or if we will just continue our home care.

Erin is in pain most when she coughs or sneezes.  But she seems to be most comfortable sleeping in my arms.  She doesn't have much of an appetite so I am giving her some Pedialyte for now. 

Hopefully we find out some better news tomorrow.

Counting

Little miss smarty pants has learned to count to 20 already.  She's just a little sponge.  I've noticed that she definitley picks up on things very quickly.  Yesterday, I was telling her that mommy and daddy have names too.  She was so excited to tell daddy his name when he got home from work.  I think Brad was a little surprised that she said it.  Although, she actually calls him, "Bad."  My name, however, comes out crystal clear!! :)

Shapes

Emmy has mastered her little Tupperware Shapo Ball.  She loves to play with this ball and find each shape's corresponding hole.  I was really surprised that she knew all of the shapes! 

She could play with this thing for hours.  She usually gets all of the shapes in and says, "AGAIN!"

Movie Critic

Little Miss Emmy has developed into our very own movie critic lately.  She loves movies and loves to tell us which ones she wants to watch or doesn't want to watch, etc.  She knows how to load the DVD player and push play...Some of her favorites are:

• Toy Story 1, 2 & 3
• Monsters, Inc
• Shark Tales
• The Little Mermaid (she calls this Meemer)
• Finding Nemo
• And her all time favorite...Annie!  (I used to LOOOOVE this movie when I was little.) 

She also loves to watch Mickey Mouse, Little Einsteins, Handy Manny, and anything involving Elmo.

Chompers

Erin currently has four teeth on top & two of her bottom middle teeth.  There is one on the bottom which will be coming through any day now.  Her gums seem a bit swollen.  She doesn't mind having them brushed. 

9 Month Pictures

What a little Ham...

Crawling Up Stairs

Erin started crawling up the stairs a couple of weeks ago.  I snapped a couple of pictures when she was in action.  Just the other day, I was upstairs helping Emmy go potty on the potty chair and all of a sudden I heard the baby gate clanging away.  Erin had crawled all the way up to the top of the stairs (from the basement to the main level) which is about 6 or 7 steps.  As soon as I heard the clanging, I ran down to grab her.  She was so excited...I was more frantic.  I was excited for her, but worried at the same time.  I would hate for her to fall all the way down.  Yikes.

Erin's 9 Month Stats

I brought Erin into the clinic for her 9 month check up last Wednesday.  She's such a doll and has come a long way since she was born.  What a trooper...She weighs more than Emmy did when Emmy was 9 months old.  Emmy wasn't even a preemie!! 

Erin weighs 18 lbs 10.5 oz and is 27 inches long.  She's in the 25-50%ile for height & weight.  Her head measures 45.1, which is 75-90%. 

Emmy weighed 18 lbs 2 oz and was 27 inches long at 9 months.  They are pretty close, but Erin seems to be filling out her clothes more than Emmy did at that age.  I can barely get these 6-9 month clothes on her anymore.  I usually have to stand her up and lift her into her jeans like a sack of potatoes.  She definitely has a little muffin top when she wears her 6-9 month jeans.  I've been putting her 12 month jeans on her recently, but rolling the pant legs...they work just fine.

Both of the girls received their flu shots.  Emmy got the nasal mist and Erin got the shot in her leg.  She barely cried.  Thank God that was the only shot she had to get.  I just hate shots.

Development wise, Erin is doing well.  She's crawling on all fours (really fast), she does "SO BIG" all the time and is starting to wave.  She loves to wave when I say hi to her.  She sticks her whole arm up in the air and then her little wrist just goes up and down.

She understands what we are saying to her most of the time, but hasn't said mama, dada or baba just quite yet.  I'm sure it will be coming soon.  She definitely knows what the BABA is and she knows her name when we say Erin Lynn.

She pulls herself up and cruises around all of the furniture.  She is able to pick up her little puffs and put them into her mouth.  She loves putting EVERYTHING in her mouth.  She likes her rice cakes & biscuits.
She loves to play peek-a-boo and we are teaching her pat-a-cake.
She reacts to strangers with caution and fear.  She's mostly afraid of men and deep voices.
She loves to sleep and is usually comforted by her satin/fleece woobie and I can't forget...her thumb.
She hates when I leave the room and is really unhappy until I say her name or come back into the room.
She loves to eat all foods and has been eating all stage 3 baby food.  I usually have to mix it with rice cereal though because it's still too runny.  We are also giving her some table food which she really enjoys.  She always wants to try what we are eating. 
We've been teaching her how to use a sippy cup, but she just likes to chew on it right now.
She doesn't like to sit still EVER.  It's a challenge to just change her diaper.  I have resorted to holding her arms down with my legs. 
She doesn't like to miss out on anything and wants to be in with all the action.  At daycare she plays with the big kids instead of being in her own "infant" section. 
She's just a healthy, happy girl and is such a joy to our family.

Family Thanksgiving

I'm behind on my posts again so here it goes...I'm going to get caught up again with a bunch of posts all in a row...
We celebrated Thanksgiving with my mom & Scott and Rachel in Monte on Thanksgiving day.  My mom had the table all set up with her fine China.  You would have thought that the Queen of England was coming for a visit. 
The turkey was cooking in the roaster in the basement so she went down to check on it...Emmy followed right behind her.  They came back upstairs to the kitchen and Emmy said, "Mama, there's a tookie down nere."  She's such a cutie.  We spent the whole afternoon and evening with my mom and had a really nice time.  We shared lots of laughs reminiscing about the old times.
That next day we spent a few hours with my dad before heading out to St. James for Brad's family Thanksgiving/Christmas.  The men spent many hours playing cribbage.  :)  The cribbage board, which is usually a fine handmade board by Jerry, is always out at the table in this family.  Jerry has tried to teach me how to play, but I just don't get it.  All is here is, 15-2, 15-4, 15-6 and two for 8 or something like it.
We celebrated with the whole family on Saturday by eating our annual prime rib dinner.  It was so yummy!
After dinner, we opened presents and then played bingo.  Emmy won and she chose to pick out a package of cookies that were on the prize table.  Goofy kid...there's a bunch of toys on the table and she chooses cookies. 
Brad's grandparents made special pillow cases for all of the great grandkids.  Emmy sleeps with hers every night.

I wasn't very good about taking pictures this weekend.  I need to get better at it again.  I only got this one photo of Emmy eating her olives.  She LOOOOVES olives. 

Pain Free

I am happy to report that I am pain free.  Somehow, this steroid injection magically took away my knee pain as well so, I'm going to go ahead and cancel my orthopedic appointment which was scheduled for tomorrow.  It feels so nice to be able to move around like normal. 
It makes me wonder if these two problems were linked together??  I have no idea.  It seems odd though.
This injection was supposed to target my discs only.  What the heck...I'm not going to complain. :)
Now...hopefully I can get back to working out at the gym again soon.

Epidural Steroid Injection

This afternoon I received my epidural steroid injection in my lower back.  This steroid is just to relieve inflammation in between my two L4 & L5 discs.  It will not heal the discs because I have degenerative disc disease.  Nothing can repair the damage that has already been done.  I just have to prevent it from going any further.  I can go back for two more steroid injections per year if I feel that this one injection is not working. 

The whole procedure, which was performed by a radiologist, went well.  The doctor first cleaned my back with iodine.  He then numbed the area with lidocain, placed the epidural into my back, inserted some dye into the disc area and was able to confirm that it was placed correctly by using fluoroscopy (x-ray).
After that, the steroid was injected.  I only felt a bit of pressure...not much pain.  I got a "charlie horse" feeling in my hips, but nothing else. 

The whole injection procedure lasted maybe 15 minutes.  After the injection was done, I had an hour of bed rest in the clinic.  Brad waited with me so I wasn't alone during bed rest. 

The nurses mentioned that I would probably feel the most relief today due to the lidocain and then the steroid probably wouldn't kick in for another 4-5 days.  I feel really good right now.  It feels so good not to put up with this pain every day.

Now, next week I will be fixing my knees.  I see the orthopedic doctor on the 7th. :)  I can't wait to be back to feeling young again.  

Erv, Clean Up in Aisle 7!

The other day Emmy was playing with her toy cash register.  It has a little microphone on the end so I usually speak grocery store lingo into it with her. I'm usually saying, "Erv, clean up in aisle 7," or "We need a price check on baby dolls on till 5"  or ..."Mike Lund up front to bag please." (my days working at Red Owl in high school have paid off)
We were playing around with the cash register and Emmy yells into the microphone, "Erv, clean up my toys!" 

Erin's 1st Sickness

Erin and Emmy both came down with colds last Friday.  On Saturday Erin had a fever of 100.7.  She definitely wasn't feeling herself.  All she wanted to do was cry and lay down...unusual for this bubbly baby.   She slept most of the day on Saturday.  By 9:00 pm on Saturday her fever had broke and she seemed to be feeling a little bit better.  However, Sunday she was definitely feeling much worse.  She was very congested, had a runny nose, and was wheezing.  I started to give her some nebulizer treatments but Brad didn't think it was a good idea to do this until hearing from the doctor that it was okay. 

She didn't have much of an appetite on Sunday.  She only drank 4 oz of formula in the morning and another 4 oz at night.  Definitely not enough - since she's supposed to get around 32 oz of formula per day.  She ate some sweet potatoes in the afternoon and I also gave her some Pedialyte through a syringe several times throughout the day.  I didn't want her getting dehydrated.  She wouldn't drink anything in the bottle...the syringe worked well.   

I brought her into the clinic Monday morning.  The doctor listened to her chest and put her on a neb treatment right away.  We will be doing this 2-3 times per day until the wheezing stops. 
The doctor also checked her ears and discovered she has a double ear infection.  Here we go again.
I just hope that Erin doesn't go through as many ear infections as Emmy did. 
Erin will be on Amoxicillin for 10 days.  Her next appointment is on Dec 1st, so we'll get her ears rechecked at that appointment. 

I kept both girls home from daycare yesterday to rest up.  Erin still didn't have much of an appetite yesterday so I made sure to giver her some jello and more pedialyte.  I gave her another neb treatment at home yesterday afternoon.  She doesn't like having the mask on her face and squirms around a lot.  It makes for a long seven minutes. 
Today she seems to be feeling a bit better.  Her appetite is slowly coming back.

There is another little girl at daycare who has pneumonia right now.  She's had a fever every day for about a week.  Her parents have kept her home for over a week now.  I hope she feels better soon.  Emmy keeps asking where Hadley is. 

Emmy is feeling fine now.  She just has a dry cough and runny nose.  I hope my little munchkins feel better soon.

EMG

I had the EMG procedure done last week and got the results back right away.  My muscles and nerves are all healthy according to the neurologist.  However, I am still experiencing a little bit of back pain so I'm opting to get the epidural steroid injection and will also be doing physical therapy soon.  I just have to make the appointment and plan for someone to drive me back home after the injection is done.
The EMG procedure went well and wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.  First he tested my nerves by zapping each one...starting at my feet and then going up to the back of my knees.  It didn't hurt, but was more like sharp pins and needles going up my leg.  After that was done, he then tested my muscles by placing a tiny needle into different parts of my legs & back...I would flex the muscle with each poke.

I go back for a follow up in six weeks.  I can tell that I'm slowly getting better.  I just have to be careful.

Erin's Standing

Erin loves to play with this toy.  She gets so excited when she stands up.  She laughs at herself the whole time.  She's been pulling herself up onto things lately and gets into everything.  She loves to crawl into the kitchen and pull on the garbage can.  GROSS.   I don't understand why, but she loves it.  I have now blocked off the kitchen to her. 
One of her favorite things to do is to crawl over to the staircase and pull herself up.  She also loves to play in the entertaiment center.  She likes to push the DVD player buttons, etc. 
Emmy and Erin play really well together.  Lately, Emmy has been crawling into Erin's crib to play with her.  I love hearing the giggles come from the next room over.  It's so cute.  Sometimes, Emmy comes into our bedroom in the morning and whispers..."Shhhhh, baby Ewin is sweeping."

More Chompers

Erin's two top middle teeth popped through a couple of days ago.  The new teether that I got her must have helped break them through.  The other two on the top are about to come through as well.  She's been a little cranky lately due to the pain.  We have been giving her Tylenol and orajel to make her feel better.   She hates the orajel.  I don't blame her...it actually numbs your whole mouth...it's a weird feeling.  I dared Brad to try it the other day.  I told him it wasn't that bad.  He licked a little bit off of his finger and his whole mouth instantly went numb...he's so gullible.  :)

Halloween

We drove out to Montevideo last Saturday for some Halloween festivities.  The Legion had a party for the little ghosts and goblins.  My mom also wanted us to stop over to Luther Haven so that the residents could see these famous peacocks that grandma was bragging about for weeks. 

The Legion and the VFW sponsored the event for the little kids.  They had all kinds of games, candy and prizes.  Emmy filled her bucket and couldn't wait to eat the chocolates.  She got scared from some of the older kids' costumes.  She has been so afraid of monsters lately.  Poor thing is afraid of her own shadow. 

After the Legion party, we had an hour to spend so we went over to Scott & Rachel's house before heading over to Luther Haven to see grandma Linda.  Grandma was so excited to see us and everyone loved the peacocks. 

We visited with a few residents and then spent some time with my great aunt Molly.  She's 93 years old, but you wouldn't even know it.  Her eyesight is failing, but that's about it.  She's still sharp as a tack and knew exactly who I was when I walked in the door.

 Always sucking her thumb...



We spent Sunday trick or treating around our own neighborhood.  We just went around our cul-de-sac.  Emmy loved it and didn't want to stop.  She kept saying, "Another house?"  "More Candy?"  

 

SOOOOO Big!

Last weekend Erin was so excited to show us how big she is!  After she raised her arms, she got this huge smile on her face and then looked at us like..."Oh that's what you've been trying to teach me all this time."  We were so ecstatic!  She seems to be progressing so much lately. 

Emmy was so excited she had to give daddy a high five!

1st Pair of Heels

My baby girl has to rock a great pair of high heels.  Like mother like daughter! 

Do I have something on my face?

Erin's getting to be such a good eater.  Her tongue gets in the way a lot though so she gets really messy.  She enjoys all foods so far.  

Fall Project

Emmy and I made these snazzy glitter pumpkins a couple of weeks ago.  She was so excited as she loves to do projects.  I thought that this would be better than carving pumpkins since she's too young for carving just yet. 

These pumpkins bring sparkle to tables and serving areas-and they last far longer than jack-o'-lanterns.
To make one, use a medium-size paintbrush to spread a layer of white glue over the surface of a small pumpkin. Hold pumpkin over a paper plate or a sheet of newspaper to catch excess glitter. Sprinkle powder glitter over pumpkin.  Let dry for about one hour; shake off excess glitter. Coat stem with brown acrylic paint; let dry. Pumpkins will keep for months.

Before...

After...

Farm Livin'

We headed over to the Eveland Family Farm in Andover last weekend for some family fun and of course...Pumpkins!
The Eveland Family Farm is a private farm which invites you to enjoy a real working farm experience. We were able to see and touch all of the animals, learn about farm life, and spend some quality time outdoors. (even though it was freezing!)

You can pick out your Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkins, go for a hay ride, check out the straw bales, corn stalks, candles, and fall decorations for sale, visit the animals and enjoy the picnic facilities.

They have two miniature donkeys at the Eveland Family Farm: Maria and Twinkle. Don't be surprised if they greet you when you step out of your car!


The four miniature horses walk around the farm, grazing on grass. Most of them are friendly, and will let you walk up and pet them.


You will find the llamas and alpacas either in the barn or out in the field. They are very interested in people, and will keep a close eye on you as you walk around the farm.


Fainting Goats...These goats have joints that freeze when they are startled - often causing them to "faint."  The fainting goats are very friendly so they don't scare easily.

Pot Bellied Pigs...The pot-bellied pig is a smaller version of the pig, with black skin and scarce hair, short ears and a short snout.  Porkchop loves to roll in the mud and eat.  (I actually thought he was dead.  He was just sleeping in a dark corner of the barn.) 

There are many birds walking around the farm: geese, ducks, turkeys, chickens...and even peacocks!

They also have the standard cows and horses. You will see them grazing in the fields around the farm.


Scottish Highland Cows...The Scottish Highland cows are kept in one of the barns. They are very gentle animals, and have long horns and hair.

If You're Not Dutch, You're Not Much

My Little Dutch Girl!  I received these wooden shoes from my grandma Alice.  My mom actually gave them to my grandma many years ago. 
About ten years ago, my grandma started going through her belongings and divided everything up amongst the family.  She made sure that I got these wooden shoes. 
I have these shoes displayed in our family room.  Emmy just loves walking around the house in them...and they are the perfect size for her.

Hoffman

We went to Hoffman for Muriel's (Brad's aunt) 70th surprise party.  She ended up finding out about the party 15 minutes before the party started.  She was driving down main street to pick something up at the grocery store and saw her grandsons playing catch in the street.  She was not too happy about the party.  She had no idea they were planning something for her.  She eventually came and had a good time.  She avoided church that morning because she didn't want the congregation to sing happy birthday to her.  :)

We stayed at Grandma Debbie & Papa Jerry's house for the afternoon and let the kids play.  They had a blast watching movies and eating grandma Debbie's homemade popcorn.  They found grandma's play stroller from when she was a little girl. Somehow Emmy got inside and the girls were all giggles as they wheeled her around the house.  :)  I think Em could have stayed in that stroller all night.  She was pretty content.

Apple Orchard

When the weather was so nice a few weeks ago, we decided it would be a perfect day to go to Emma Krumbee's apple orchard.  We went to this same place a couple of years ago when Emmy was just a few months old. 
It costs about $5/person to get in. They had pony and camel rides, a scarecrow festival, a place to pick your own pumpkins and strawberries, a huge pile of hay and other activities.
Emmy wouldn't even walk near the hay.  I'm not sure why? 
She loved feeding the little goats and miniature horses and enjoyed playing on the jungle gym and going down the nearby slide.
On our way back to the gate, Emmy and I went for a ride on the little choo choo train.  We took the back seat and giggled the whole time. 
It was really warm this day so we decided to head back home early.  We were all sweating.  Erin was a little warm and cranky. 

Before we left the apple orchard, Emmy had to go for a ride on the pony.  She had everyone laughing the whole time.  She was yelling, "YEAH!"  Giddy up horsey!"  I also taught her to lift one arm up in the air and slap her butt with the other hand.  She's so funny!!

Fun In The Leaves

A few weeks ago the girls and I had a little picnic in our front yard.  The weather was so nice.  I raked a bunch of leaves into a pile and tried to get Emmy to play in them.  She wasn't quite sure about it.  She really has a huge phobia of bugs & spiders...hum, I wonder where she gets that from??

AHHH CHOOO!!

I had a sneeze attack yesterday.  Emmy usually laughs and says..."AHH CHOO!" after I am done.  But this time she was saying something else.  I didn't quite understand her right away.  She kept saying something and then it finally dawned on me.  She was saying, "Bless You!"  How cute is that?

Red Bull

Picture this...I'm strolling through Cub Foods the other day with the girls in the cart.  I pass by the produce section and through the flower shop and then as I'm passing between the deli & check out lanes, I hear a tiny voice yell, "Daddy's Pop, Daddy's Pop!  Mom wookit...Daddy's Pop!"  I turn and look to find Emmy pointing excitedly at the cooler containing a huge stock of Red Bull.

Brad has been addicted to this energy drink for years.  I keep telling him how bad it is for him, etc, but he insists that he's not addicted...typical denial. 
Now that our two year old notices how much he drinks it, he's finally starting to realize and is beginning to wean himself off of it. 

Stranger Awareness

Erin has not been getting along with strangers lately...namely MEN.  She sobs whenever men come near her or if she hears a strange man's voice, she lets out a good cry.  Hopefully she still cries when boys come near her 15 years down the road.  he he he

MRI Follow Up

I went to my MRI follow up appointment this morning.  My scans show that I have a disc bulge between the L4 & L5 discs which is pressing onto my nerves.  I will be going back to the neurologist's office in two weeks for an EMG.  An EMG (Electromyography) involves testing the electrical activity of muscles. Often, EMG testing is performed with another test that measures the conducting function of nerves.

Several of the most common nonsurgical treatments for L4 & L5 disc bulge include:

• Physical therapy
• Osteopathic/chiropractic manipulations
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Oral steroids (e.g. prednisone or methyprednisolone)
• An epidural (cortisone) injection

My thoughts about the above treatments...

A.  I could opt to do physical therapy, however it would take several weeks of therapy to heal. 

B.  I probably won't be going to the chiropractor for regular visits.

C.  I could take Non-steroidal drugs for a while, but it would not focus on one area and I don't want to be on drugs for a long time.

D.  Same thing with Oral Steroids.  I was on an oral steroid last week, but this is just temporary relief.

E.  An epidural injection focuses on the main cause and gets right to the point.

 

I've been dealing with this pain for over two months and I'm ready to find an immediate cure.  I'm probably going to do the epidural injection in two weeks (after the EMG).  This tends to be the most effective treatment.

 

Once the results from the EMG come back, they will know if surgery is needed.  I'm crossing all of my fingers and toes and am hoping that I will not need surgery. 

 

All of my lab work came back normal.  There's no Lymes disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc.

And my tailbone problem is probably related to pregnancy/child birth.

 

I haven't been to the Orthopedic Surgeon regarding my knees yet.  I'm trying to jump over this hurdle first.

 

Like I said before...it's the pits getting older.

Renaissance Festival

We had a bit of a surprise last weekend.  Brad and I were watching a movie Friday night, when around 11:30 pm Brad noticed headlights in our driveway.  He said, "Gina, someone's here."  I said, "It's got to be my mom."  I had talked to her earlier in the week about her coming to our house for the weekend, but I wasn't quite sure if she was arriving on Friday night or Saturday morning.   Sure enough...Brad went to the front door and there she was.  :)  She came straight from work...still in her uniform.

On Saturday afternoon we all packed up and went to the Renaissance Festival.  It's been about ten years since I've been to the festival.  Brad and my mom had never been there.  It's something to see once every ten years.

We stopped by a face painting booth to get something painted on Emmy's face.  It didn't turn out as cute as all of the examples they had on their table.

Emmy enjoyed the petting zoo so much.  She loved feeding the goats.  It was so cute.  She used to hate petting zoos a few months ago.  She also got to go on her first pony ride which was so exciting for her.  She really LOVED the real thing. 

Erin stayed bundled up in the stroller much of the day.  We didn't hear a peep from her most of the afternoon. 

Brad enjoyed watching the jousting event.  My mom and I just enjoy people watching the most. 

One of Brad's coworkers actually works here on the weekends.  So we went to watch one of his events at the end of the day.  He was fighting Robin Hood.

 

Emmy & Erin

We took the girls to get their pictures taken last month.  Erin was just about 7 months and Emmy was just about 26 months.  I found these adorable cherry outfits for the girls this summer and thought they would look so cute together.  Erin only got to wear her outfit this one time.  It was getting a little snug on her and now the weather is getting cooler. 
We didn't get very many pictures of Erin's cute smile.  She has such a bright smile and it didn't show in these photos. 
I wanted to get Emmy's pictures taken too because of her new haircut.  There wasn't much that I could do with her hair this day - but it is growing on us.  It's starting to look a lot better.  
Plus...It's always fun to get new photos of the girls.