Bum Neck

Most of my friends and family know that I have been battling some neck problems for a while now. I have had problems for about 10 years now, but I didn't know that I had 2 bulging disks until I got an MRI about 3 years ago. I have tried it all...massage therapy, chiropractors, physical therapy, muscle relaxers, steroid injections, and botox. The botox helped quite a bit, but it was one of the most painful things I have ever experienced. It really just helped me with managing the pain, but the pain never goes away completely. The only thing that has made the pain go away completely is the prednisone that I was on after the car accident. I went back to the pain center at the hospital last week and made mention of the prednisone, but he said it was not an ideal drug to be on long term, and I would probably gain a lot of weight. He gave me some pain medication that I tried on Thursday afternoon, and I ended up getting so nauseous that I will never take it again. He is also having me try some type of nerve repairing medication that I have to take 5 nights in a row and then twice a day after that. I guess it doesn't really start working until you are on it for a couple of weeks. The first night, (2 nights ago) I felt tired and really hot. Last night I didn't really feel anything, but I took quite a bit of food with it. Hopefully the side effects will wear off enough for me to take it in the day in 3 more days. So....we'll see how that goes. It the mean time I am taking a ton of over the counter pain medication, which is not all that ideal.

Not too much has been going on lately. Nice and boring is how I like it. I need a break from the chaos! I am teaching one class outside of my day job, so that takes up some of my evening about 6 days a week. I just wanted to bring in some extra money to buy Andrew some outdoor toys. We have a Little Tikes outdoor play set that we are thinking about getting him in the next week or so, because it is on sale at ToysRUS this week. I did buy him some Nikes last week, and it just so happened that Mike bought some new ones the week before. The little box that Andrew's came in was SO cute. I could not resist...

I also bought him a cardboard house, which came a few days ago. I was so excited to color it with markers when he went to bed Saturday night, but once I started, and I was over an hour in, I decided I would just be coloring the front. It was WAY more work than anticipated. He has been LOVING it, though. I put his Mickey couch in there, and he has been pulling it out into a bed and laying on it.

He has also started sitting in all the toy bins (including the dog's toy bin) in the house this weekend.

However, he became upset when he realized he could not get out...

He has also really been into his golf clubs and golfing with daddy. Mike helps him hold the club and they hit the ball together. He runs and gets the ball and then gets in "position" by backing up into Mike and holding his club. He can't wait for them to hit it together. Both Saturday and Sunday, he would not let me change his diaper in the morning, because he had to race to his clubs when he got out of his crib. This is him 60 seconds after getting up on Saturday:

...and eating breakfast with his clubs.

Some other favorites from this weekend:

Favorites from earlier in the week: