The Potty Chronicles

Erin is proving VERY frustrating in the potty department.  She's got great bladder control, she wakes up dry and can go several hours between times.  But she just is not getting the "go sit on the potty BEFORE you pee" idea.  She's gone on the toilet a couple of times, but most time I'll ask her if she has to go potty and then literally 2 minutes later she's wet her pants.

I feel like I'm banging my head against the wall.  And it's getting very frustrating.  *sigh*


On a different note, I found Patrick in the bathroom this morning, pulling toilet paper of the roll and throwing it in the toilet and flushing.  It reminded me of this:

Way Back Whensday

Four years ago today Erin made herself known. My friend Aubri convinced me to go to my OB's office for a test after a couple negative home tests.  The nurse who had been in the room when we confirmed Cora's death, Christy, was in the office that morning and was ecstatic to see me.  She took me back into a room to talk to me.  She said "There's a line.  But it's so faint that I can't officially say it's positive."  It was seriously about half as light as it is in this picture.  You could barely see it.  It darkened quite a bit by the time I got home.  Anyway she finished by saying, "But personally, a line is a line.  So, congratulations!"  She gave me 2 more to use at home a few days apart.

I was so terrified.  But that faint line also represented all my hope.  Maybe, possibly, I would have a baby that I would get to take home.

The morning of the 15th I woke up from an extremely vivid nightmare that I was miscarrying.  I ran into the bathroom, so relieved that I wasn't bleeding, and decided that the only thing that would calm me down was to test again.  It was such a relief to see a darker line!  The 16th was a Monday, so I used the last one for good measure and took them in to the Dr's office (I was supposed to use the second one on Monday, and the 3rd on Thursday).  Christy was so excited to officially pronounce me pregnant!

slides

After the Walk To Remember this morning, we decided to play a little.

We looked at the ducks, geese, and seagulls on the water of the lake.

And instead of walking around the lake (we decided it might be a little too much for the kids and didn't have the stroller with us) with the rest of the Walk participants, we went over to the playground.

I love these children!

Some faces you've been missing

We went ahead and ordered another charger.  Thankfully it came before Saturday, so we can take pictures at the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Walk to Remember.  We aren't doing much but laundry today, but tomorrow we'll be out and about so hopefully more pictures!

the chiropractor

So Matt and I this week went to the chiropractor for an evaluation.  For those that don't know, I was in a car accident when I was 11 years old.  I was riding my bicycle.  Long story short, I lived (which is a miracle in an of itself) but didn't come out unscathed.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to receive any followup care afterward.  So for 15 years, I have been living with upper back/neck pain.  I get headaches all the time, more often than not fairly severe.

So when I saw the tent outside Walmart with this office offering a free evaluation complete with xrays (okay, CO law says we had to at least pay for the price of the films, but they donated that money to the Children's Miracle Network) and first adjustment, I went for it.

And I love this office.  Dr.s Judd and Craig go by their first names and are completely open and it's so easy to trust them.  They incorporate physical therapy so that my core muscles will be strengthened as they straighten out my spine so that in the end I will be able to stop going to the chiropractor eventually.

I have to admit the xrays were kind of scary.  I don't think that there is any part of my spine that is the way it is supposed to be.  A normal neck curve is supposed to be 39 degrees.  My neck has a 9 degree curve in the other direction.  That explains the headaches.  It may also explain my thyroid disorder, as Dr. Judd says that he has seen a high correlation (especially in women) between bad necks and hypothyroidism.  The thyroid is in the neck and when the spine is out of alignment the nerves connecting it to the brain have signal capacity greatly reduced (up to 60% with the pressure of the weight of a coin).  He says that he wouldn't be surprised if they have to reduce my thyroid meds before we're done.  (Not that it'll cure me, but it might help).

Anyway, my shoulders are uneven, and my spine is kinked.  One of the more worrisome things is that my pelvis is tiled.  My right hip is lower than my left.  It's probably that it's a postural thing, but there is the possibility that it might be that one leg is shorter than the other.

Anyway, I'll be doing some intensive care for the next little while.  I'll be going 3x a week for the next 8 weeks, and then 2x a week for 4 weeks, and then they'll do xrays again.  If everything is going well, I'll go 2x a week for 8 weeks and then once a week for 4 weeks and xray again.  Hopefully then my spine will be straight.  After that I'll go once a week for 12 weeks to "maintain" it and after that if I continue to do well, I'd only have to go in if I needed it.

I really wish I had copies of the xrays to post.  It was rather interesting to see my insides.  lol


Oh, also, we still can't find the charger.  I thought Matt had ordered another one online but I was wrong, he was just looking.  So...I'm going to see if any of the stores around here have one.  The Pregnancy and Infant Loss Walk to Remember is on the 9th and I'll be heartbroken if we can't get pictures!

why no pictures?????

Because my camera is dead and I can't find the charger.  Hopefully we find it soon.

random pics and bum update

So, it seems to me that it was the diapers doing it.  After switching brands everything cleared up really fast.  Of 3 large boils Erin had on the last post, she just has the scab of one left.  I'm so relieved.

And pictures...lol

At the park  on Saturday.  She went all the way across (with daddy's help of course)

He wouldn't look at me

And he loves his bath.  Don't you love what his hair does now??

I looked down and they were hugging each other.  Of course, by the time I got the camera out, it was a wrestling match.

sewing projects

I made this skirt for Erin

And this is her Halloween costume.  She loves it

The Great Diaper Experiment

So our brand of diapers was recently "new and improved" and since then the kids have been getting really bad rashes.  Erin in particular has been getting large boils.  Talking to my mother this morning about Erin, I realized (thanks to her really) that it's probably an allergic reaction to the diaper.  So I went out and bought a different brand this morning.

By this evening Erin was running around the apartment again instead of just laying on the couch or moving around in a pained hobble.  So I'm encouraged.

Please pray for my kids - Erin especially - that they'll heal from their sore bums soon!

Pretty Princess Tea Party

Saturday Erin went to her friend Lily's birthday party.  Here are a few highlights:
Getting prettied up

Trying to get a good pic of all 3 girls....yeah, not happening

but Lily was happy

Having cookies and milk

Danica decided to join and tell them about being a princess ("You get to wear uncomfortable dresses, and get locked in towers with dragons, and just sit and wait until the prince comes to rescue you, isn't it great?")

Patrick decided to crash

He's got a pretty new hairdo too.

Blowing out candles

And opening presents

Erin chose the My Little Ponies for Lily all by herself

And watching a movie after.  Erin loved those earrings and was so frustrated that they kept falling off.  Don't you love her chocolate mustache?