Catching up...

The last month has felt like the longest one ever!  Where to begin...

Let's go back to where I left off.

Easter Sunday...

After Good Friday we celebrated Easter Sunday on what I'm pretty sure was the most beautiful and warmest Easter ever in Washington state.  We spent the morning celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior.  While our afternoon was spent enjoying family (outdoors), a few egg hunts, lots of candy, and some of the younger kiddos running around in swimming suits.  Yes!  It was warm enough for the kiddos to do an egg hunt in their wet swim suits after spending some time in the hot tub.  I thought I had pictures, but I can't seem to find them.  Ugh!  I wonder if I accidentally deleted them in my post-op medicated haze.  This one of the kids colored eggs will have do I guess.  :/

Spring Break...

The week following Easter weekend was Spring Break for the kids.  I was pretty emotional over the thought of going in for major surgery the following week, so it was great to have some quality time with all of our kids at home.  It was a low key weekend because of the pain I was in, but I think everyone had fun.  We did a few picnics at the park, two trips to the movie theater, bowling, and a lot of lounging.

Hunter found his comfort spot. :)

If Molly knows a picture is being taken, this is the face I'm capturing. :)  Goofy girl!

Bowling with cousin Jacob and again with Molly's goofy face.

Enjoying the warm weather a book and a hula hoop all at the same time.  She's got talent!

Surgery...

The Monday after spring break Clint and I headed to the hospital so that I could have a disc replaced in my neck.  I was really anxious at the idea of having surgery performed on my spine and did quite a bit of tearing up on the drive to the hospital and during surgery prep.  If Clint and my mom hadn't been there the entire time, I'm pretty sure I would have somehow wimped out just minutes from being rolled into the O.R.  Thankfully they were there and didn't allow that to happen, because truthfully I was out of options as no other medical, chiropractor, or physical therapy care had given me any relief with the pain, numbness or loss of motion in my arm.  The reason for this needed surgery was a disc that an MRI had showed was herniated putting pressure on the nerve roots that ran down my left arm.  The affect from the herniated disc was an excruciating pain that I had somehow managed to live with for nearly a year.  Over the past two months though, the pain and symptoms had gotten considerably worse.  The surgeon told Clint after the surgery that the disc was not herniated as originally thought, but ruptured in three different spots.  He was shocked that I was able to function at all based on the damage.  He also told Clint that had I waited another month or two to get the disc removed I probably would have had permanent nerve damage and continued muscle weakness.  Yikes.  

The surgery was a huge success and I woke up with absolutely no arm pain.  I did however have really bad reactions to the anesthesia and medications resulting in some crazy hallucinations and a lot of vomiting.  (Vomiting and dry heaving for three days straight is never fun, but it's even less so after having surgery that affects your throat.)  We initially assumed I was having such a hard time with the medication because I was unable to get anything down my swollen throat that couldn't be sucked through a straw.  It was day three of constant vomiting and drifting in and out of sleep that Clint had my mom get ahold of the surgeons office to see if there was another medication we could try.  I'm pretty sure that move alone saved my life.  Once I was off the oxycodone things started to turn for the better very quickly.  Aside from the nasty drain tube hanging from my neck and the fact that I slept most of the first week away recovery was finally happening.  I was so thankful that Clint was able to take the entire week of work off after the surgery to take care of me.  He did an amazing job and is the reason I believe I've had such a great outcome.  He kept track of all my medications, kept an eye on the incision to make sure no sign of infection was settling in, helped me with some less then glamorous things I never could have imagined needing help with, and somehow managed to be by side the minute he heard me start to get sick regardless of where he was or what he was doing in the house.  I wasn't the easiest patient, but he stayed calm and sensitive and didn't complain once.  The only thing he didn't have to worry about was dinners.  It was such a blessing to all of us to have so many family and friends bring meals and help with getting the kids rides to and from school and sports so that he didn't have to leave me alone.  I'm pretty sure we have the best family and friends ever!

After the first week following my surgery Clint had to go back to work.  Even though I was feeling much better at this point I was still very limited in what I was physically allowed to do.  My mom didn't offer but insisted that she spend the second week with us taking care of the kids and meals and taking turns with my dad to get me to and from a few follow up appointments at the doctors office.  My parents are such a huge blessing.  I can't even begin to imagine life without them.  By Friday (11 days post-op) the doctor did some x-rays to make sure everything was settled where it should be and gave me the go ahead to really start moving around again.  I still have some limitations until my 6 month checkup, but I'm getting there and feeling amazing!  Clint is continually shocked at how fast my recovery has been for such a major surgery and still tends to hover over me and puts his foot down to a few things I think I'm ready to do.

Lillie was thrilled to help during recovery with important things, like brushing my hair and painting my nails. :)

Clint's Birthday...

Saturday the 20th we celebrated Clint's 34th birthday with a trip to the Spring fair.  I was a little nervous at having my first real outing being such a big one, but it was great.  The weather was good and we all had so much fun just getting out of the house and being a normal family again.  After living in pain for so long, I forgot how enjoyable life actually was truly living in the moment and not wishing the whole time I could get back home to lay on a bag of ice.  I was a little bummed that I couldn't do any rides, but surprisingly Molly took my place doing a ton of big rides that she actually really enjoyed!   

Clint is strong, hardworking and loving.  He makes me laugh and proud to be his wife everyday.  He gives sincere complements and has made me feel beautiful even over the past year when I've felt the most insecure.  He loves completely and unconditionally.  As a father he is fun and often times a little crazy.  He has no problem being silly, which on occasion has embarrassed Jk and Molly. :)  His girls have him wrapped around their fingers and he's one of JK's biggest and loudest fans.  Where I struggle with being the disciplinarian in the family, he's found a way to take on that role while still showing love, understanding and more patience then I ever could have imagined he could.  He has a servants heart and will stop to lend a hand to anybody he see's in need of help.  Making the decision to allow God to lead his life, has made Clint exactly the man, husband and father I'd always dreamed of.  I'm so blessed to be his wife and love getting to celebrate him on a day that's just his.  

Randomness...

In a quest to get back in shape and just to get my body moving again Lillie and I have been walking quite consistently after she gets home from school.  The other day as we rounded the corner in our neighborhood she suddenly stopped put her hand over her heart and started reciting the pledge of allegiance.  She continued to do this at every house we past that had a flag displayed in front of it.  It consistently amazes me at the random things this girl does in the middle of a normal moment that makes my heart swell.

34...

Yesterday I turned 34.  Clint teased me that at the rate I'm going I'll be half robot by the time I'm 50.  As much as I laughed it off, that statement scared me just a little.  My track record isn't very good.  In my teens I tore my left acl resulting in knee surgery that required a graft and a few screws.  In my early 20's I had to have some scar tissue removed from my right knee due to a meniscus tear.  My late 20's I had a hysterectomy, and then my early 30's a disc replaced in my neck.  What the heck!  I've always drank my milk, taken my vitamins and really until the hysterectomy was always super active and fit at a healthy weight.  So, 34 is the year of healthy choices.  I know I've declared this before, but this past year has just confirmed how important it is that I really get on it.  I have a lot of life left to live and this body needs to be able to keep up.

The day was relatively quiet and relaxing.  After church I was showered with cards, gifts, lunch and lots of love.  Then after a little movie/nap time we met my grandparents, parents and sister's family for dinner at my favorite Japanese steak house.  I really am blessed.  I have a husband who is perfect for me and can still give me butterflies and the funnest, sweetest kiddos in the world.

And no birthday pictures of me.  Not until the swelling in the neck and chin area have gone down some.  This look is not one I want to remember or document.