MRI Results

MRI results came back yesterday. I have degenerative disc disease and my L5-S1 disc is herniated. We're going to schedule the epidural shots today and hopefully have them done next week. I'm just ready for some relief!!

Patience

I feel like the worst mommy in the world this morning.

My back has been hurting a lot lately and my attitude has been less than desirable. I took a muscle relaxer last night before I went to bed so I was extra sleepy when I got up this morning. Ella woke up while Jon was getting ready so he put her in bed with me. Usually she snuggles up with me and goes right back to sleep. Well, not this morning. She wanted to play. She poked my nose, pulled on my lip, pulled my eyelashes....you get the picture. I was aggrivated that she wasn't letting me go back to sleep so I fussed at her and she eventually settled down, but she never went back to sleep. When the alarm went off for us to get up I got Ella ready (gumbling the whole time) and put her in her play pen while I got ready and packed the diaper back. She was whining and crying so I fixed her breakfast and she continued to cry. I got very put out with her and I raised my voice louder than I meant to. Blah....that little bottom lip came out and she started crying, saying "Mama" over and over again. I felt like the biggest jerk...and rightly so, I was being a big jerk. My patience has been so thin with everyone lately. I'm sure it's because I haven't felt well, but that's still no excuse. I could tell I really hurt Ella's feelings, and it broke my heart. Luckily, she forgives easily and quickly.

A blog that I frequent had the most amazing post on this type of thing just the other day. If you can check it out, it is so worth the time (http://www.audreycaroline.blogpot.com/). The image of one day handing Jesus the scrapbook of my days motivates me and terrifies me at the same time. There are so many "photographs" of my life that I am ashamed of, deeply ashamed. I wish I could tear them out and burn them so he never has to see them. One of those snapshots was taken this morning when I raised my voice to my precious baby. Since I read her post I have been so much more aware of how my acts and words must look to God. I know that there are many, many times a day that He probably looks at me and shakes his head, disappointed in his daughter's actions. All I can do is try to make these pictures pleasing to him, but most of the time I will admit...I fail miserably. The thing that is so frustrating about this is that He has blessed me so much that I shouldn't be as quick to snip at my family as I am. I have a wonderful husband who loves me and has been at my side through good times and bad for 9 years and we have the most beautiful baby girl who is just the sweetest thing. I've been very prayful about my attitude lately, because I need an adjustment BIG TIME!!!!

On a brighter note, dad's heart cath went well yesterday. He had 70% blockage in one of the main arteries and they were able to put a stint in. We also found out that he has Epstein-Barr so that's what's been making him so exhausted and sick lately. Now he just has to get to feeling better before we all go to the beach!!!!

I'm going to try to get some pictures of Ella up soon. I've been pretty bad about updating and posting pics lately.

Now I'm going to go and do some work before Ella wakes up from her nap!

Ella is ONE!

Can you believe it? I can't. I have been a Mommy for a year. Jon has been a Daddy for a year. We have been parents for a year. Wow. Time flies and all that jazz.....

Ella had a wonderful first birthday party. Most of the family was able to come and celebrate Unfortunately Jon's parents weren't able to come and we missed them greatly. She had cupcakes and pizza (which she loved) and received lots of love from her family and friends. It was a great day. Kelley made her the MOST beautiful outfit for her to wear. It has fairies hand embroidered on it and ruffles on her booty. So cute. She was the belle of the ball.

Then we went to Kelley's house and spent the week. She had lots of fun with her cousins and they did a very good job of spoiling her rotten.

Here are a couple of pictures from her first birthday party!

The Family We Choose

I always thought that the old saying that "friends are the family we choose" was sort of cheesy but the older I get the more I realize how true that is.

When Jon and I got married and moved to Huntsville we knew NO ONE!! Not a soul. Jon moved here first and he just knew the people that he worked with, but no one that he would hang out with or considered close friends. Then a few months later Jason moved down her and a few months after that Charlie and Amy moved to Huntsville. We joked that we didn't want to make new friends, we would just import ours from out of town. A couple of years later Andy and Wendy moved here. We have our own little family down here and it's so nice to know that you have people you can count on when you need them. We're all together almost every Saturday night. Jason lives so close that we're together for supper and to hang out usually 2 or 3 times a week. Now Amber has moved closer, which has been such a blessing and so much fun, so we hang out more too.

Tonight was Jason's birthday and we all went over to Andy and Wendy's house. I was going to have his b'day party here, but I just felt too bad so Wendy volunteered to have it at their house so I wouldn't have to do anything , which was super nice of her. Jason is such a special guy. I feel sorry for people that don't have a friend like him. He is one of the most caring, considerate, and genuine people I have ever met. He has been so good to our family. There have been so many times that he has dropped whatever he was doing to come and help us if we needed him. He has taken me to get ice cream when I was pregnant and couldn't drive and I was craving one from Sonic and JOn wasn't home, so he came and got me and drove me down there. Just this week I forgot my wallet at home and he (on his day off) came over to our house and found my wallet and drove it all the way to Madison so I could have my insurance card to go to the doctor. How many people would do that? Not many. And he has never complained, not once....well, at least not to my face....hehehe. I have one older sister, but I truly feel like I have an older brother in Jason.

So here's to you Jason...Happy Birthday and thank you for being such an amazing friend. Never did I think on the day we met that we would be as close as we are now. I consider you one of my very best friends and I'm thankful that Ella has you in her life. Thank you for being such a great friend to Jon and I hope that you guys are able to work together again soon!!

Hope your day was great!! YOU DESERVE IT!!!!!


We Love You Uncle Jason!!!!!