Mama's Night Out

Well, my back is somewhat better, but I'm still not 100%. It's still pretty sore and my mobility is still restricted. So, what did I do last night? I went out to a bar and found the perfect number of rum and Diet Cokes it takes to make my back feel better without being completely inebriated. (For those of you who need specifics, that number is 5.)

Before anyone judges my ability to parent or calls my social worker sister to come and take my baby away from me, I should probably clarify my story: My husband plays in a band. They're one of the top bands in the region, and I haven't been out to see them play in a year. So, David and my good friend Peggy convinced me that it would be a good idea for me to come out and hear the band and have some fun--"Mama's Night Out", if you will. The drummer's wife also came out last night and brought along some friends. The band sounded great, the company was great, and a wonderful time was had by all. My sister graciously agreed to babysit Sofia, and apparently they had a great time hanging out together as well.

It was fun to go out and remember what it was like to go with David to shows. Nowadays, whether he's on the road or in town, I'm at home with Sofia. It was a little taste of the past--but I wouldn't trade my present for anything. For Halloween tonight, the band plays another show, but I'll be at home with my sweet baby girl. We are dressing her up in costume and taking her to see her grandparents and some friends before David has to leave for the gig. Stay tuned for pictures!

Family Rocks

In addition to my parents taking care of us all day, Abby is on the floor having snuggle time with Sofia and Annie & Andrew just brought me a pomegranate julius. Plus, my mother-in-law called to check in on me and see how I was doing. How lucky are we?

So Miserable

My back was even worse this morning. Sofia woke up to eat around 5:00am, and it took everything I had just to roll (yes, literally roll) out of the bed. After she finished eating, I passed her over to David and immediately took a hot shower, hoping that would help loosen the tight muscles--no such luck. I couldn't--and still can't--hardly sit, stand, or walk; and there's no way I can bend over or lift anything. I did manage to slip on a pair of shoes (not sure they even matched, to tell you the truth...) and carefully set myself in the vehicle to go to work and prepare for a substitute for the day. (Only in this profession could you be in intense pain and nearly immoble, but still expected to get yourself to work, prepare for a sub, and find and book that sub all before 7:00am. But, that's a blog entry for another day...) Anyway, I got all my ducks in a row for the day and then got home so David could get ready for work. As soon as he was ready, he took both Sofia and me to my parents' house for the day. How humbling when you have to go with your baby daughter to be taken care of for the day! I got an 11:15am appointment with the chiropractor and my dad drove me, since I learned from my pre-sunrise adventure that even lifting my foot to accelerate or brake was enough to make me want to yelp in pain. The chiropractor worked her magic and told me that I would most likely be sore for another couple of days and to take it easy, ice the area, and take in plenty of water. If I don't feel like it's improving by Wednesday, I need to go in again. I pretty much spent the rest of the day just trying to find some way to be even the slightest bit comfortable and trying not to feel too sorry for myself that for the immediate future I can't even pick up my baby girl because of the mess going on in my lower back. I can honestly say this is probably the most uncomfortable pain I have ever been in (aside from Sofia's arrival, that is). I even broke down earlier this evening and took Motrin. Three of them. And now I think I need to have some tea and sit with my sweet Sofia and heal.

Oy, My Achin' Back

I'm not sure what in the world I did to my lower back, but I'm in terrible pain. Usually I can pinpoint what I did (or attempted to do) but this time, I got nothin'. I can hardly walk and have to have David help me sit down and stand up; he even had to put my shoes on for me this afternoon. To add insult to injury, I'm battling a cold, so every time I cough or sneeze, extra daggers of pain radiate through my lumbar and I have the overwhelming urge to swear a blue streak. I'll have to call my chiropractor and see if I can get in to see her tomorrow after work. Until then, I really should take something, but I hate taking medication. I'm one of those people who'll just sit and suffer through a headache rather than pop a couple of ibuprofen and move on. Why, I don't know--I come by it genetically, I guess. Both of my parents are the same way. Perhaps a more "homeopathic" approach is in order. Maybe the hot water bottle, a shot of Jagermeister, and an early bedtime will have to suffice....David, you're on Sofia-duty tonight!

Welcome to our Nutshell!

Why "Nutshell", you ask? Well, the reason is two-fold: 1. To put something in a nutshell is to abridge, condense, or summarize. This blog is my attempt to give you the "nutshell" version of what's going on in our lives. 2. Life in our home is sometimes akin to living in a nuthouse. If you've ever met me or my husband, no further explanation is needed! Welcome to our Nutshell-- I hope you enjoy your visit!