My Birthday

I turned 34. I know most of you feel that is still pretty young, but I don't necessarily feel that young. I found out last month that I have scoliosis. I would say no big deal to the whole thing but the reason I was being checked was because I was dealing with some pain that I wasn't able to manage in my hips and back on my own. The doctor told me that my scoliosis isn't just something that happened overnight. The reason it is becoming an issue now is because of the recent pregnancies and the weight and activity I take part in daily. What do I do? It isn't like I'm going to stop carrying my babies around or not get on the floor and play with them. I for sure want to avoid surgery, at least while the kids are young. I've started seeing my chiropractor regularly. He's been helping with adjustments and showing me exercises that will relieve flare-ups. I can take muscle relaxers at night, but since I have young ones who don't sleep through the night, that is not an option. Hopefully in a year or two, I can. Trying to sleep at night has been a nightmare. My body hurts when I lay in a certain position for too long so I wake up constantly having to adjust myself. We have an awesome bed, which I am thankful for. I am seeing a few more doctors in the next few months, so hopefully they can help. By the way, I'm not writing this blog to complain, but I guess more like vent. Pray for me. I love my kids, and I love being part of their lives. I don't want my scoliosis to prevent me for being part of that. My mother deals with the same issues as me but on a larger scale. She has been dealing with pain for years and is my role model. I have lots to learn from her. 

My birthday was a huge reminder that I am loved by so many. I was treated like a princess. My family really took the time to let me know how much they loved me, not with their service or gifts, but with their words. I was surrounded by love. I did receive some awesome gifts. You can see most of them in the pictures below. My parents watched our kids a few days later for TWO NIGHTS, so Nathan and I could get some rest at a hotel not too far from our old stomping grounds. My babies do not sleep completely through the night.  Getting up around 4-5 am is the norm nowadays. That has been extremely hard for me. I know this won't last forever, so I try to make the best of it. One day I'll be sad that I don't have the 4-5 am wake-up calls. My parents are amazing people, and Nathan and I feel truly blessed that we have them as parents.