Fibromyalgia

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February 18, 2012 in Brittany, Children, Darby, Fibromyalgia, Jacob, Jarvis, Justice, Paige, Pregnancy, sleep problems by Petra | 5 comments

Apparently I hit another blogging lull.  Over a month?  Really?  Eh.  Oh well.  I’ve been jotting down notes for blog ideas in a notepad on my iPhone.  I guess I just haven’t been going any further than that.

Pregnancy update ~

The pregnancy is going pretty well.  I kind of hate giving out details because I feel like I’m just complaining, but these are the facts:  I am still doing the heparin shots twice a day, and it still sucks, but whatever – we do what we have to do for a healthy baby!  The contractions have started, and in the last week or so, I’ve had a couple of days where I couldn’t be off my feet because of them.  But from the last two kiddos, I know just what to do (lie down and drink lots of water) – and sometimes I think my body is just trying to tell me to slow down.  I have insomnia due to restless leg syndrome and fibromyalgia pain ~ but we are doing what we can for all that.  I am aware it’s going to get worse before the baby comes, but that’s okay.  I know it’ll take a while to get my fibromyalgia managed once the baby is born as well, but I’ve learned a lot since I had Paige, so I have high hopes that it won’t take two years before I’m able to run a block this time!  :)  There are other ailments and issues that come with pregnancy #13 such as pelvic bones that thought 16 weeks along was the time to go ahead and separate – making walking (and anything else) difficult at best, but I’m done talking about all that.  SO…

The baby is very active, and she kicks ALL the time, letting me know that she is alive and well.  I will be 25 weeks tomorrow.  The midwife said they’d induce by 39 weeks if I don’t go before then (I see a combo of docs and midwives).  Most of you know Paige was QUICK and very traumatic, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on things when it gets closer to the end.  And… we are pretty sure we have a name picked out (as of last night), but we aren’t broadcasting that yet.  ;)

The other six kiddos ~

Britta is doing great!  She doesn’t update her blog much, but she adds posts to her Ethiopia group on Facebook.  If you haven’t joined that, you should.  We miss her like crazy, but love how she is allowing God to use her as He sees fit.  This is such a great experience for her, and I’m so thankful that she was given this opportunity.  Her plan right now, is to still come home in June, and then head off to college in the fall to study Art Education and Spanish, so she can teach (and minister to) inner city kids.

Justice has a few more months before he gets his license (June).  North Carolina’s driving laws are out of control ridiculous and it takes FOREVER for kids to get a license.  He’s applying for jobs.  He’s making mostly A’s (and a B or two) in school.  And he is planning to join the Special Forces right after high school.

Jarvis’ 13th birthday is TODAY!  He’s such a great kid!  We lifted his usual time restrictions on the Xbox just for today, and I don’t even know how many hours he has been on there – he is taking FULL advantage and killing as many brain cells as possible.  ;)  Even though he will graduate from high school very young (a few months after turning 16), he still goes back and forth on what he wants to “be”.  And we don’t really push that sort of thing (the whole “YOU MUST HAVE DEFINITE GOALS” sort of thing), as we just want our children to flexibly follow God’s plan for their lives, and we know that sometimes that is revealed at a young age, and sometimes not until the last minute.

Darby is 10 and the drama knows no bounds.  She has more confidence than anyone I’ve ever known, which cracks us up all the time.  She still talks incessantly, and I’m not sure that’ll ever change.  She’s a GREAT big sister to Paige, and Paige thinks she hung the moon.  Their relationship reminds me a lot of me and my older sister, Marci.  I got her room completely purged/organized/cleaned/almost-completely-decorated this last week, and she’s working hard to keep it that way.

Jacob is hilarious.  He loves math but hates the tediousness of reading/writing, which is a lot like Justice was.  He plays outside all the time, and thinks he’s the coolest dude around.  He’s still planning to marry Katie – our friends’ daughter who he sees maybe once a year, if that, since they live in Tennessee.  But he is devoted.  He’s totally into cars right now.  And magic tricks.

Paige will be 3 in a couple of months (on Easter).  She was never that interested in the potty, but a few weeks ago, she decided that she would just be potty trained in one day with nearly no effort from me.  She still goes at night, but stays dry through naps, even long ones.  She says some super funny things, and reminds us a lot of me!  She’s very determined, and we love watching her little mind work.

That’s all I got for now.  I have tons to blog about, but most of it takes actual brain power, rather than just stating some current facts about my kids… and brain power is lacking lately.  ;)

Witty title?! You can’t *handle* the witty title!

February 17, 2011 in Celiac, Darby, Fibromyalgia, Jacob, Jarvis, Justice, Paige, Pregnancy, Random by Petra | 4 comments

I thought I’d blog more while Andrew was deployed, but so far, most of my online time has been spent chatting with him on the instant messenger.  It’s been really nice that we have been able to chat every day!

If only I could post on here by osmosis.  I think of posts all the time, especially when I’m falling asleep (those are the best ones, even though I rarely remember to actually ever post them), but I can’t be bothered to log on and type what I’m thinking most of the time.  Sorry.  :)   One day I will blog interesting things again.  One day.  For now, you’re stuck with my mundane update lists, which I add for posterity’s sake. 

  • The pregnancy is going well.  I’m not nearly as sick as the last time I posted, but have gotten glutened twice and caught a cold from a couple of the kiddos.  I’m starting to feel human again, though, and my nausea is down to a wave here and there throughout the day instead of constant 24/7.  Thank the Lord, because that was really starting to get old. 
  • Justice finished the basketball season, and Jarvis’ first spring soccer game is this Sunday afternoon. 
  • Paige just keeps getting cuter!  She repeats so much of what the other kids do (which they think is awesome), and she is talking more and more.  Her little voice and the way she says things is adorable.  And her outlook on life is hilarious.  She gets so serious sometimes and so silly at other times.  She’s cuddling more, which we LOVE, and she still thinks drawing is the best thing ever – on paper, on her legs, on the walls – anywhere… she’s not picky. 
  • Brittany and I tried Z Pizza yesterday, in Cary.  It was good – I loved that most of their ingredients are organic.  I did not love the price, but gluten-free pizza is never cheap.  Best of all – it did not make me sick!  Score!
  • We should, according to the IRS, have our tax refund a week from tomorrow.  Looking forward to paying some things, buying some things, and of course, looking forward to the shopping that goes along with “buying some things”.  I love to shop, but alas, with six children, most of my shopping usually consists of trying to find affordable shoes for them or trying to keep our pantry stocked.  It’s so fun when we get a chance to do a little ‘extra’.  :)
  • Not sure if I mentioned it here or not, but we finally seem to have figured out Darby’s digestion issues.  The culprit is dairy.  She seems to be able to handle small amounts in baked goods, but too much milk or cheese and she’s in major pain and having all sorts of stomach issues.  I’m glad for her sake it isn’t gluten – I think dairy is a little easier to avoid. 
  • The jury is still out on Paige… I think she has some food issues, unfortunately, but I’m not sure yet what they are.  She doesn’t eat gluten very often because I can’t have her contaminating me with her messy gluteny hands and face, but when she does have it, that’s not really when I notice any issues.  I may just have to wait until she is older.  She has some digestion problems sometimes, but not all the time like Jacob did when he was little, and she has some ‘patchy’ dry skin issues (which is almost always food related, though it could be environmental, but I use very pure detergents, etc., so probably some sort of food bothering her). 
  • Speaking of issues – I have read and heard in multiple locations that pregnancy is supposed to ease the symptoms of celiac disease, however, I seem to be MORE sensitive when pregnant.  Also, I have heard that fibromyalgia symptoms are supposed to ease up while pregnant as well – um, no – mine are MUCH worse.  Of course, my masseuse is in Iraq, so that might have a little to do with the fibro symptoms being worse.  Still… I really do hate the head fogs, and I’ve had a lot of them lately, whereas before the pregnancy, I was really having them less and less.  And the pain… don’t even get me started. 
  • Not to sound like a complainer – I really am very blessed, and so far, have not had to be on bed rest for this pregnancy.  With Jacob and Paige, I had to do some bed rest during the first trimesters for bleeding.  I did have some spotting last week, but I laid down for a full day and a half, and then everything was fine again with no issues since!  I’m hoping and praying that I won’t have to be on bed rest for the third trimester, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.  I try not to think about the third trimester too much, because it hasn’t been long enough for me to forget about the third trimester with Paige, which was absolutely the most brutal thing ever – well, aside from her delivery, but I’m pretty sure this baby can’t top that one!  At least I hope not!!  ;)   Too bad I can’t go back in time and appreciate my first four pregnancies more than I did – and I thought I had things to complain about THEN – ha!! haaaahhhaaaaahahahaaa!!!!!  :)
  • Speaking of trimesters, I’ve got about 5 days left of the first trimester.  I’m already starting to have a bit more energy – ya know, when I’m not glutened or down with a bad cold.  I’m hoping to get some projects around here done – hoping!  :)
  • We plan on taking a trip to Atlanta in a month or so.  Can’t wait to see everyone, and to do some shopping with Andrea at H&M Maternity and Buy Buy Baby! :)
  • I get to see my friend Ali tomorrow in Raleigh!  She’s coming to town for a wedding, so we’re going to meet up for lunch before the festivities start.  Can’t wait!  I wish we lived closer!
  • Then, we’re (me and the kiddos) going to hang out in Raleigh and let Jarvis pick the activity, since tomorrow is also his 12th birthday!
  • And I’ve zoned out – time for some netflix and snacks! :)

Little bunny foo foo, hopping through the forest…

November 4, 2010 in Brittany, Fibromyalgia, Jarvis, Pets by Petra | 4 comments

I’m pretty sure our cat got knocked up (her belly is suddenly very round!).  So promiscuous.  We don’t even know who the father is (but the kids have said a big black cat was hanging around our porch a while back).  We aren’t inviting her back in to be an indoor cat, so I’m off to find a cat house today.  The kids are excited and are already asking to keep the kittens.  {sigh}

My most favorite cousin is visiting this weekend, with three of her ten kids and my aunt.  I’m so excited!  I haven’t seen Kendra and her kids since we lived in Texas (about five years ago), and I haven’t seen Aunt Cherry since Washington (about a year and a half ago).  Good times will be had, and I will try to remember to take some photos.  :)

Facebook… I usually glaze over controversial posts because I don’t want to get sucked into the drama.  Once in a while, however, I comment on a post that ends up sucking me in and then I have to put way too much thought and energy into keeping up with the debate.  I did this today, and it has taken about 20 minutes of my precious time.  And I wonder if I’m just wasting energy.  It’s not like the people on the other side of the argument are listening to anything I have to say, and I am firm in  my beliefs so they aren’t going to sway me with their liberal “tolerance and acceptance” speeches.  I believe that sin is sin and no matter how tempted anyone is to commit those sins, the Bible isn’t going to change what it says about those sins.  Period.  If we were debating something in a ‘gray’ area, such as “is that chair charcoal or smoke colored?”, then they might be able to pull me over to their side.  But those are not the debates I choose to jump in on.  Unfortunately.  lol

Being glutened three times in the past month (after avoiding any crumbs for months!), along with an extra busy schedule, and the change in weather has pushed my fibromyalgia into overdrive.  Lots of tension headaches, and lots of pain all over but especially in my jaw, neck, and back, and much fogginess of the brain  have made my day to day life a bit more challenging.  With God’s strength, though, I am pushing through.  He gives me energy when I need it, and also rest when I need it.  I do long for the sunny days of summer, though, as the extra sunshine helps with all of the above.  God has also blessed me with a very helpful husband and some very helpful children who don’t complain about having a few extra chores on the days my body isn’t moving as well as it should. 

Brittany messed her big toe up two days ago.  She stubbed it really hard and her toenail was sticking straight up only attached at the base.  It was bleeding a lot, and I managed to push the toenail back down and place a chunk of skin back in place and get it gauzed and taped up.  I gave her ibuprofen, had her ice it and keep it propped up.  Then yesterday, we went to check on it and change the dressing, and found that when I was concentrating so hard on getting part of her toe back in it’s proper place, that I missed something – part of the base of the toenail that should be under the skin is on the outside of the skin – ugh.  She obviously will lose the whole thing, but she’d probably be more comfortable in the meantime if that piece of nail was where it belonged.  Oh well.  Too much information?  Eh.  ;)   Hopefully she won’t be in too much pain as it heals.  It’s going to take a while though. 

Jarvis a.k.a. Pele

Darby and Paige with some newfound friends during the soccer game.

Jarvis hustles toward the ball.

:)

And, to brighten your day (or not)…

I love Adobe.

October 1, 2010 in Brittany, Fibromyalgia, Paige by Petra | 3 comments

So yesterday I had a major fibromyalgia flare-up.  If you don’t know what that is, here’s a link that somewhat describes what yesterday was like for me. 

Thankfully, today I am feeling MUCH better (aside from some awful jaw pain) and am on the road to getting my energy back (I love that my immune system is improving and it doesn’t take me two weeks to get over a 24-hour flu anymore… however, it does still take me longer than the average person and I generally have a day or two like yesterday after being ill and/or pushing myself). 

So yesterday, since I was so foggy and unable to function for the most part, I worked on my blog.  Did you see the new banner?  It goes along with my main menu page at petracarden.com, which I also created yesterday.  Only “blog” is clickable as of yet (eta: and now the ‘me’ and ‘health’ pages), but the other pages are coming as I get time.  I’m excited.  I’ve been wanting to add things to my website for a long time.  The photo in the center of the circle is by my favorite photographer, Ali McLaughlin.  (If you are in the VA/D.C. area – hire her for a shoot – she rocks!)

More photos to come on the next post.  Check back later.  For now, I’ve got lesson plans to do!

(but one photo to hold you over…)

~sisters~

Letter to a not-so-good friend

August 14, 2010 in Celiac, Fibromyalgia, Myofascial Pain by Petra | 3 comments

Dear Fibromyalgia,

I know you like to hang out here, but you have overstayed your welcome.  You give me headaches, make me stiff and sore, and put my brain into a fog.  On the rare occasion that you step out for a day or two, I get so much done!  I think clearly, am able to communicate without forgetting normal words, and can even go up and down the stairs without feeling like an arthritic 80 year old lady.  It’s nice, and I want to feel like that every day.  So, please leave, and take your squatter friends Myofascial Pain and Celiac with you.  Actually, I don’t even mind if Celiac stays – he’s easily controlled by not feeding him gluten.  But you and Myo are not welcome anymore.

Sincerely,

Petra

Process of elimination – Part 2 (and other stuff)

June 21, 2010 in Christianity, Elimination Diet, Fibromyalgia, Health, sleep problems by Petra | 3 comments

I think you all probably get the gist of the type of things I’m eating from the three days I spelled out my diet for you. I have made a couple of discoveries in the last few days, and am continuing on with the basics of the diet.

  • I added green tea back in, but haven’t had it every day.
  • I made an exception when I went on a date with Andrew the other night. We went to Qdoba and I got a naked burrito. I did not get any cheese on it, but I did get the rice and chicken and tomatoes in the form of pico de gallo. It didn’t seem to bother me at all.
  • Of course, with intolerances, unlike allergies, I wouldn’t necessarily have an immediate reaction from eating a food one time. The more I do this, the more I really think it’s dairy that has been the root of my issues. And probably eggs. I mean, I haven’t had a bit of dairy – not even butter – in a week, so yeah, I can go without it, but ya know – milk and cheese just add so much to my life. I felt that way about gluten though, and corn… and beef (have I mentioned that beef bothers me and I gave it up about six months ago or so?). Anyway, I’m thinking I can handle it if dairy ends up on the “never” list as well.
  • I had mahi-mahi last night, and had forgotten how much I love it! I think I’ll break open the salmon tonight – maybe I’ve acquired a taste for it in the couple of years since I’ve tried it. lol
  • Aside from my Qdoba exception, I haven’t had any rice or white potatoes in the last week – I think those will be the first foods I add back in, though. I’m hoping those don’t bother me!
  • I have put pineapple and coconut on the “every other day” (or less) list. I don’t really eat those fruits that often anyway, but apparently, when I eat them all the time, they make my tongue feel weird.
  • I guess not eating the things that were really bothering me has made my body more sensitive to the things that only mildly bother me. That’s usually how it goes. Gotta get rid of the big things before one can figure out the little things…

Which, on a side note, is kind of like the Christian walk. When you have a really big sin in your life, you might think everything else is a-okay. Until you get rid of it. Then you start seeing all these “little” things that you didn’t even know you were doing.

Anyway…

I’ll try to keep you posted since I know there are at least a few people who are keeping up with the diet and my symptoms – I’m hoping my experiments can help someone else who is trying to figure out what’s going on in their own body.

As far as symptoms go – that baaaaaad lamb (I can’t not say it that way – remember ‘goat boy’ on SNL? – Oh, I amuse myself…) set me back a few days, but over all, I have had more energy, fewer headaches (the caffeine headaches were gone before I added the green tea back in), and fewer GI troubles. I still have a lot of pain from the fibromyalgia and myofascial issues, and I have had to keep taking painkillers here and there - but I plan on starting my yoga back today and then slowly adding my walks, and evenutally runs, back in… and of course, if Paige starts sleeping through the night on a regular basis, that’ll be HUGE. I hope you people that get 8 or 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night don’t take it for granted! :)

For those of you who are wondering “why the heck is she blogging about this stuff?” – I think I’ve said it, but it’s because in my research on what is going on with my body, in trying to figure out all my symptoms (because doctors have pretty much been good for only eliminating possible serious issues with some blood tests, etc., and shoving buckets of prescription drugs at me), I have found it extremely helpful to read other people’s blogs where they have identified symptoms and what has helped and not helped them. So I figure I’d give a little back. I actually am not a fan of talking about all my pains and problems to the general public. I’m one of those people who usually answer “great, how are you?” when people ask me how I’m doing. And it’s not a lie – I really am doing great aside from the pains…

My life is awesome! God has blessed me with a loving husband, six healthy and obedient children, a lovely home, two vehicles that run well and get us where we need to go, food in the pantry, and much, much more. My goal is to get healthy and energetic so that I can serve the aforementioned husband and children better, and others. You know, when I took those spiritual gifts tests several years ago, I scored extremely high in the “server” category, so it’s been kind of a shock to my system (and personality) to not be able to serve for so long. I have learned a lot of lessons these past several years though, and have learned how to be served (which was also a lesson in humility), and my children have learned how to serve more since they’ve had to step it up and help out a lot – especially during the last two pregnancies where I was on bed rest. I thank God for all He has brought me through, and for all the things He has taught me.

Okay, so this has been a rabbit-trail filled post, but my brain is kind of all over the place today anyway. I’m going to take some photos of Darby’s braids later (Britta put 127 braids in her hair, until she ran out of the little rubber bands), and I have other things to post as well, including a movie review post – I know how much you guys appreciate my stellar reviews. ;)

Aaaaand, that’s all I got for ya now – let me know if you have any questions. Have a wonderful rest of your Monday!

Process of elimination – Part I

June 15, 2010 in Celiac, Elimination Diet, Fibromyalgia, Health, Natural remedies, sleep problems by Petra | 10 comments

As most of my readers probably know, I have food sensitivities or intolerances, whatever you want to call them (not allergies – allergies are different). I know I cannot have gluten, due to the celiac (see my ‘health’ page for more info on that). I have figured out that chemical-laden foods bother me, and I know that corn and corn products make me ill. However, after ridding myself of those things, I continue to have symptoms. So, since I cannot afford to get an ALCAT test done, I am going to do an elimination diet, the particular one of which I have lost the link so I’ll link you up later when I feel like looking for it. 

Basically, I can only eat certain foods for a while (probably between 2 weeks and a month, depending on how long it takes for my symptoms to disappear), then I’ll be able to add in one food at a time to see if it bothers me. Since intolerances, unlike most allergies, sometimes take a little while to show symptoms, I’ll be introducing each new food twice a day for about four days before I can move on to the next new food. I’ll keep a chart, and if it bothers me right away, I obviously need to never eat it, if it bothers me the 2nd day, then I can probably have it once every four days, and if it bothers me the 3rd or 4th day, then I can probably have it once every other day. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. lol. I’m actually excited to figure it all out. I’m going to keep a record of it all on the blog for those who are interested. If you aren’t, then you can just skip these posts. ;)

The symptoms I’ve been experiencing lately are these:

  • more frequent headaches. They had slowed down a LOT after getting rid of the gluten. However, a lot of people with celiac have other food intolerances as well. Getting the gluten out of my system was wonderful, but then my body became more sensitive to the ‘smaller’ (for lack of a better word) things that were bothering me. I got rid of the chemicals next, then the corn. Now that those are out of my system, whatever else is bothering me is amplified. So the headaches are back. Not like they were a couple of years ago, but enough to where  I’m ready to do something about them.
  • more brain fogs. These are usually due to the fibromyalgia, but fibromyalgia can be controlled by diet, and I notice that the fogs get worse when I have something in my diet that does not belong. If you’ve never had a brain fog, trust me, you don’t want one! Your head feels full of pressure and is sometimes accompanied by dizziness, you can’t concentrate on anything, you become irritable, it’s hard to focus or even get out complete sentences, it takes much effort to try to remember simple things, etc. Not fun.
  • my fibromyalgia pain and also my myofascial pain are worse than ever. I’ve had to take pain killers much more often lately, and I wait until it’s really bad before I start popping pills since me and chemicals don’t really get along.
  • arthritis-type pain, which accompanies the above – it’s not actually arthritis, it’s from the fibromyalgia, but it’s been super bad lately.
  • I’m tired all the time, and seriously lacking in energy.
  • I’m irritable (and it’s not just me being moody – I’m only irritable when my health is uncontrollably causing it).
  • My senses have all been heightened lately. Noises are louder, smells are stronger, the sun is brighter, etc.
  • I’m sure any digestion/stomach issues I’ll ever have now or in the future will never compare to what they were before I gave up gluten (!), but my stomach has been bothering me more lately in the form of (warning: tmi ahead) gas and constipation.  Woo hoo!
  • Trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, trouble waking up once I finally do get into a deep sleep. This has always been an issue for me – my entire life, but it’s been worse again lately.

That’s all I can think of at the moment, and many of the things I mentioned are bothering me right now. Some of my issues I know are due to a lack of sleep, but I’m sure that there are foods that are still bothering me. I’m crossing my fingers it’s *not* dairy. I think that’ll be really hard to give up – as hard as giving up gluten.

Starting June 16th, I will only be eating the following foods that I stocked up on yesterday and today:

  • lamb
  • wild fish, not farm-raised (I bought several types)
  • a myriad of vegetables, but no white potatoes, tomatoes, and a couple others that I’ll have to consult my list again to see
  • some fruits, but no citrus fruits, and no bananas
  • sea salt
  • extra-virgin olive oil, sesame oil
  • sunflower seeds
  • a few spices

A couple of nuts are allowed on the diet, like almonds and, I think, pecans, but just the thought of consuming those makes me want to hurl, so yeah – I wont’ be eating them. Yuck. I SO wish I loved almonds, but alas, I do not.

I have never eaten lamb before, so I just bought one package of it, which is supposed to be about 4 servings. I’ll let you know how I like that.

Basically, my plan is to eat for breakfast – fruit, some fish, and my daily garlic, for lunch – a salad and a fruit smoothie (not my old recipe, which included yogurt and milk, but an all-fruit recipe) and probably a handful of sunflower seeds, then for dinner – fish or lamb with lots of veggies. I’ll snack on veggies, fruit, and seeds. I’m planning on feeling very hungry, especially at first! lol. Today, I ate lots of things I love and will miss, like gluten-free pancakes, Trader Joe’s bacon, Kettle barbecue chips, White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter, and an extra glass of green tea. I figured I’d go out with a bang. ;) I think my morning green tea will be difficult, but the stuff I read about the diet gave a convincing argument that I needed to eliminate all that sort of stuff and start from scratch for this to really work. I don’t think green tea bothers me, so I’m sure I’ll be adding it back in as I believe the health benefits of green tea far outweigh anything negative from the caffeine.

Wish me luck, or rather, pray for me. I’ll need it! :)

Aaaaaaaaaaaa…

May 22, 2009 in Being a military wife, Brittany, Fibromyalgia, Jarvis, Paige by Petra | 4 comments

Could my to-do list BE any longer?!

Countdown:

  • 25 days – last day of school
  • 25 & 26 days – the packers will be here
  • 27 days – the movers will load up the truck
  • 29 days – the kids & I officially hit the road

Meanwhile, aside from single parenting six kids, doing all the last-month-of-school stuff with four kids, and various doctor appointments, I am trying to get this house ready for my walk-thru with the landlord (should I replace the broken doors or have him take it out of the deposit?  should I try to get by with cleaning the carpets myself?  what about those chunks of drywall missing in Darby’s room?, etc, etc, etc,).  Andrew and I are working on getting a house in NC.  We got pre-approved for a loan today, and I’ve been talking to a realtor… so the wheels are in motion there.  I’m SO glad the kids have a four-day weekend (they are out of school Monday and Tuesday), so we can get some things done around here – it’s hard during school because taking care of Paige and Jacob is a full time job in and of itself, add normal chores to that (which I can’t even keep up with), and ‘move stuff’ plus anything extra gets put on the back burner.  So I’m glad to have helpers for four days.  Yay.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not complaining, I’m just explaining that I’m BUSY!  :)

Other updates:

We are all feeling better from our cold/flu junk we passed around, so please pray that we continue to have good health.

Jarvis went to the doctor yesterday and had an x-ray.  We won’t know anything “official” until after the long weekend, but he is able to move around with no pain now, and the x-ray technician said he looks good, but the doctor will look at his x-rays on Wednesday and call if there are any abnormalities.  He is out of his sling with instructions to still be super careful until Wednesday, but he is able to lightly use his arm again.  His arm was sore last night from not using it for a month and then using it a little yesterday afternoon and evening.  Gotta build those muscles back up. :)

I have my postpartum appointment June 5th (first appointment that was available even though I scheduled it weeks ago).  I am still having some issues with getting around easily and without pain, so also please pray I heal completely.   Some of it is the fibromyalgia, so that’ll just take time from the pregnancy and delivery and getting my body into a new routine before some of the pain and stiffness subsides.  Right now, if I go up and down the stairs more than once (which I have to do often) or do too much walking around, I have a LOT of pain.  :-P  All part of the fun, though, I suppose.  Paige was definitely worth it. And I’m hoping to find out how my uterus is doing when I go in, since there was talk that I may need to have a hysterectomy after she was born since things aren’t where they are supposed to be anymore and since my cervix was trying to escape during delivery (gross? yes.).  Anyway – so I’ll keep you posted and I appreciate any prayers there.

Paige will have her two month appointment before we move, on June 8th.

Brittany will have her final orthodontist appointment before we move, on June 2nd.

Jarvis is going to camp for four days the first week of June, with his 5th grade class.

I doubt I’ll be blogging much until the move (and my goal then is to take you with me via daily stories and photos, like the last time we moved), but if you are on facebook, I will continue with the frequent status updates and occasional mobile photo uploads. I will try to get more photos uploaded on here when I can – as they are already edited.  Oh, and I’m planning on removing the blog password as soon as I get around to it.  There are pros and cons to having it and not having it, but I think I’m preferring NOT having it.

And now, I’m getting back to work!! :)

You may be wrong for all I know, but you may be right…

May 4, 2009 in Children, Fibromyalgia, Jacob, Jarvis, Justice, Paige by Petra

{title from a Billy Joel song that’s been stuck in my head all day since it was in a dream I had last night}

I know, I know – I keep saying I’m going to blog more regularly.  But I… well, I really have no reason other than I haven’t felt like it.  That, and it’s hard to type while nursing, which I’m doing a lot of lately.  And I’m the only parent here now, and I started this post like three hours ago and this is as far as I’ve gotten… I guess I do have reasons. lol.

So, a quick list, since I’m actually holding a squirmy baby right now while trying to type…

  • I ended up getting the aforementioned toilet unclogged later that day.  I know you were worried.
  • Darby and Brittany each got to spend the night with a friend this weekend, and they both had a blast.
  • I went to the grocery store with four kids (the three boys, and Paige) on Saturday afternoon… in the rain… on the busiest grocery day of the week.  My kids behaved, they usually do, but pushing two carts around – one with a toddler and an infant in it, the other pushed by Justice with all the food, and trying to make sure Jarvis didn’t bump into anyone with his broken collar bone in all the crowds, oh – and waiting in a forever-long line… so much fun.  lol.  I’ll plan on going from now on when Brittany is home to watch the kids – I was going to just take Paige and have Justice stay with the other boys, but I wanted Justice’s help with all the loading/unloading and pushing two carts, etc.  Justice is SUCH a help with stuff like that.  And he never complains for a second.  So awesome.
  • Justice got sick this past week and missed a day of school – a cold/flu type thing.  Well, Jacob got it and has been sick the past couple of days.  I’ve been trying to keep him from Paige, but ya know – when everyone is in the same house, that’s not always the easiest thing to accomplish. We’re just hoping Paige doesn’t get sick.  She’s got my immunity from the breastfeeding, so she should be okay.
  • Andy is in Tennessee now.  His first time there in two years, we think.  It’s been even longer for the rest of us – since Jacob was just born, more than three years.  Well, in a couple more months, we’ll live much closer and will be able to visit more often. :) [edited to add: it dawned on me after I posted this, that we were in Tennessee when Jacob was almost a year old - so that was December 2006 - 2 1/2 years ago... for anyone keeping track of my memory mistakes... :) ]
  • I’ve been getting around more the last few days – even took a really nice, long walk with Jacob and Paige on Friday… that helps with my energy levels (with fibromyalgia – sometimes it’s kind of a vicious cycle of not being able to do things causing less energy etc.).  I’m still in a bit of pain when I walk around so am hoping the exercise will help with some of that.  I know Paige is only 3 1/2 weeks old, and I have recovered a lot, but I’m impatient… I want full energy NOW!  :)   Seriously though, I am very thankful for the energy I do have and am still very hopeful that I’ll start feeling much better before too much time passes.
  • I put some temporary hair color on tonight (the kind that washes out in 28 shampoos).  It’s about the exact color of my natural color, but it covers up the reddish tint on the bottom of my hair (from the leftover hair that used to be blonde and was colored close to the natural color and has faded), and most importantly – it covers up the ruddy looking roots – many of which are turning gray (especially a big streak that is forming right in the front, just like Mom and Marci’s – nice…).  Ugh.  Andy is like “just leave it natural”, but I do NOT want to have gray hair yet (or ever?).  It seriously adds like ten years to my appearance.  My hair looks SO much better now – all the same basic shade and a richer color.  No more gray and no more ‘dull’.  Yay.  I know you are all so relieved.
  • Now to get a hair cut… me and Brittany have big plans to go one evening this week and both get our hair cut – we both are in desperate need of some end-trimming.
  • I’m starting to bore myself with this post.  I guess I *have* to include at least one photo now, don’t I?  Paige is asleep in her bed now, so I’ll edit a few photos and throw them in here.
  • Hopefully not too much longer until my next post – I’d SAY tomorrow, but we all know how that could end up. :D

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Sweet baby hand. :)

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sweet sleeping bambino.

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Jarvis making a “sad face” after breaking his collar bone. (he has a sling that fits better now – this is the one he got from the ER).

More photos coming soon… really. :)

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