We went straight there from home and most people were there already.
The nice cake:
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| Gabe, Cass, Avery, Aunt Pat, Kayla, Mom and I |
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| Aunt Bonnie, Aunt Pat, Mom (the 3 sisters) and Kayla |
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Grad Party
Today we went to Buffalo for my Goddaughter/cousin's high school graduation party!
We went straight there from home and most people were there already.
The nice cake:
Cassandra was obsessed with playing with the coolers for the drinks. She kept playing with the ice and the freezing water. Her hands were purple! She couldn't get enough of it!
Avery picked out her own outfit, which was so adorable:
We had a nice lunch, then my cousin Kayla cut her cake:
Cass munched on a cupcake and loved it!
Avery found this game outside that was sort of like a bean bag throw...she was pretty darn good at it!
My girlies:
Cupcake #2 for Cass....
Kayla and I:
And some family shots:
We had a nice time at the party! We got to see some family that was in from out of town. It was hard getting to talk to everyone though since we were all chasing our kids around most of the time! My cousin will be going to college out near us in Rochester, so hopefully we'll get to see her some more while she's out this way! We stayed a few hours at the party, then headed to my Mom's to relax for the rest of the day.
We went straight there from home and most people were there already.
The nice cake:
Monday, June 17, 2013
Father's Day
Yesterday was Father's Day!
Gabe got up and went for his weekly run. While he was gone, Avery asked about giving him breakfast in bed-and she was pretty adamant that we had to do it when he got home! So, when he got home, we asked what he wanted and sent him up to bed! Avery helped me get his breakfast ready, and we took it up to him! He loved it of course!
We hung around most of the morning, I went grocery shopping while Cassandra napped, then we got ready to go to Gabe's parents' house. The girls both got dressed up-although I only got a picture of Cassandra! As usual, I took my camera and didn't take a single picture!
We had a nice cookout and the kids did lots of playing, then we went home and got the kiddos in bed and relaxed a bit.
Happy Father's Day to all of the wonderful Dads out there!!
Gabe got up and went for his weekly run. While he was gone, Avery asked about giving him breakfast in bed-and she was pretty adamant that we had to do it when he got home! So, when he got home, we asked what he wanted and sent him up to bed! Avery helped me get his breakfast ready, and we took it up to him! He loved it of course!
Happy Father's Day to all of the wonderful Dads out there!!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Garden Party
Yesterday was Avery's end of the year Garden Party at daycare.
Gabe and I left work early so that we could attend!
The kids all paraded out and took their seats.
Then they did some wiggle song:
and during that song Avery started this:
which, when the wiggle song ended, lead to a full out meltdown! She came running up to Gabe and sat on his lap and basically screamed/cried the entire show! So, needless to say, I don't have any other pictures because she wasn't taking part in it! We have no idea what sparked this whole thing, but it's definitely a first for her!
Anyways, the show was really cute and we were pretty disappointed (as were her friends) that she didn't participate, especially because this will be her last show since the daycare is closing. After the show, they had lots of nice snacks to eat...it was super cute!
Gabe and I left work early so that we could attend!
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| FYI she does have shorts on-I realize this looks like a super short dress! |
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| She kind of looks like a go-go dancer, no?! |
Anyways, the show was really cute and we were pretty disappointed (as were her friends) that she didn't participate, especially because this will be her last show since the daycare is closing. After the show, they had lots of nice snacks to eat...it was super cute!
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Enjoying Outside
The weather was perfect today so we spent a good chunk of it outside!
First, we set up the little pool, per Avery's request and both girls dove right in...Cassandra was fully clothed!
This girl just cracks me up-she actually kept her shades on the whole time!
Avery had a blast-big change from a few years ago when we couldn't get her near a pool! Now we just have to work on the whole swimming thing!
Cass saying "cheese":
After rest time, we went to feed the ducks! Unfortunately there weren't a lot of them and the ones that were there didn't seem too hungry. I assume with the nice weather they had a lot of visitors today! Avery still had fun feeding them!
We found these little babies too....
It was such a gorgeous day-if only every day were like this!!
First, we set up the little pool, per Avery's request and both girls dove right in...Cassandra was fully clothed!
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| see the little water splashes?! |
Friday, June 7, 2013
Chillin'
Dinner
is done and I'm just chillin' in my high chair chowing down on some watermelon that I all of a sudden wanted after I said I was done eating!
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
My Back-The Solution
Continuing from my last post about my back problems....
I went to Pace Family Chiropractic for my initial evaluation. She had me fill out a form and then we went downstairs to a room. She asked me a bunch of questions-when my pain started, what I do for a living, etc. Then she asked me a bunch of symptoms to see if I have any of them. Then I lay face down on a special bed and she felt along my spine. She could feel a few vertebrae that she could tell were out of place. Then she did something VERY important-she took an x-ray to confirm everything. (Folks-if you're seeing a chiropractor and they are not x-raying you first, DON'T have them touch you!). She took me upstairs and did my first ever adjustment and I was set to go home. She would see me in a few days to review my findings. Let me tell you, when I left after my first adjustment, it was the best my back has felt in as long as I could remember!
A few days later, I returned and we went over my x-rays. My lower back had something like a 40% increase in curve (basically it's over arched) and my neck had like a 57% decrease in curve (basically my neck is curving the wrong way!). Both of these percentages should be at or below 20%! So there's a lot of work to be done! Luckily I caught this now though because I'm still only in phase 1 of treatment-the worse things get, the higher the phase. Higher phases include things like bone spurs, fused vertebrae, etc....not good. So she set me up on a treatment plan-visiting her twice a week for about 6months then decreasing to once a week for the following 6. And I got the fees for it (insert sticker shock!). She adjusted me again before I left and I had some thinking to do.
I basically decided to keep going forward with treatment. It's a lot of money, but I paid for the year up front (for a hefty discount). With the way my back has been, I just can't live like that. At this point, anything is worth a shot in making my life better so I opted to continue.
So back in January I started going twice a week to her and having adjustments and traction done. The technique she uses is very rare-only one other doc in Rochester does the same technique and no one in the Buffalo area does it at all!! Apparently just adjusting someone isn't going to do much-it's the traction afterwards that re-trains your body/muscles to be in the correct position. I started at 1-2minutes of traction and have worked my way up to 12minutes currently.
I've been going almost 6 months now and do feel better! I will admit, the first month was rough and I did question my decision to keep going. I had a lot of side effects-dizziness, numbness in my arm/leg/foot, back pain in other places that weren't bothering me initially. I know a few others that also see the same doctor and I contacted them and they pretty much all said to give it more time. So I did and all of those things went away.
I had another set of x-rays done just last week...my back curve went from 40% down to around 24% and my neck curve went from 57% down to around 42%...so we're making progress which is great!
My back hasn't had very many spasms either-in the beginning it did but they have gradually decreased in frequency. I haven't had one in a few weeks now! I was also having migraines monthly before I went and I'm happy to say that I haven't had one since February now! Am I pain free? Not totally. My back is still sore a lot-it almost feels "tight" like I need to stretch it out a lot. Sometimes my neck is sore too, but not as much as my back. Now I can almost tell when my back is out of line though which is funny-because I never would have been able to before!
And learning more about chiropractic is very interesting-there are so many other things that can be helped from it which is really amazing-digestion, allergies, asthma, headaches, and even sensory processing issues (ADHD, etc)....it's really interesting! I've also learned that pretty much every person needs adjusting-with how much we use computers these days, it really takes a toll on your neck alignment! So if it's something you've been thinking of checking out, definitely give it a go...just make sure you see the right provider!
I went to Pace Family Chiropractic for my initial evaluation. She had me fill out a form and then we went downstairs to a room. She asked me a bunch of questions-when my pain started, what I do for a living, etc. Then she asked me a bunch of symptoms to see if I have any of them. Then I lay face down on a special bed and she felt along my spine. She could feel a few vertebrae that she could tell were out of place. Then she did something VERY important-she took an x-ray to confirm everything. (Folks-if you're seeing a chiropractor and they are not x-raying you first, DON'T have them touch you!). She took me upstairs and did my first ever adjustment and I was set to go home. She would see me in a few days to review my findings. Let me tell you, when I left after my first adjustment, it was the best my back has felt in as long as I could remember!
A few days later, I returned and we went over my x-rays. My lower back had something like a 40% increase in curve (basically it's over arched) and my neck had like a 57% decrease in curve (basically my neck is curving the wrong way!). Both of these percentages should be at or below 20%! So there's a lot of work to be done! Luckily I caught this now though because I'm still only in phase 1 of treatment-the worse things get, the higher the phase. Higher phases include things like bone spurs, fused vertebrae, etc....not good. So she set me up on a treatment plan-visiting her twice a week for about 6months then decreasing to once a week for the following 6. And I got the fees for it (insert sticker shock!). She adjusted me again before I left and I had some thinking to do.
I basically decided to keep going forward with treatment. It's a lot of money, but I paid for the year up front (for a hefty discount). With the way my back has been, I just can't live like that. At this point, anything is worth a shot in making my life better so I opted to continue.
So back in January I started going twice a week to her and having adjustments and traction done. The technique she uses is very rare-only one other doc in Rochester does the same technique and no one in the Buffalo area does it at all!! Apparently just adjusting someone isn't going to do much-it's the traction afterwards that re-trains your body/muscles to be in the correct position. I started at 1-2minutes of traction and have worked my way up to 12minutes currently.
I've been going almost 6 months now and do feel better! I will admit, the first month was rough and I did question my decision to keep going. I had a lot of side effects-dizziness, numbness in my arm/leg/foot, back pain in other places that weren't bothering me initially. I know a few others that also see the same doctor and I contacted them and they pretty much all said to give it more time. So I did and all of those things went away.
I had another set of x-rays done just last week...my back curve went from 40% down to around 24% and my neck curve went from 57% down to around 42%...so we're making progress which is great!
My back hasn't had very many spasms either-in the beginning it did but they have gradually decreased in frequency. I haven't had one in a few weeks now! I was also having migraines monthly before I went and I'm happy to say that I haven't had one since February now! Am I pain free? Not totally. My back is still sore a lot-it almost feels "tight" like I need to stretch it out a lot. Sometimes my neck is sore too, but not as much as my back. Now I can almost tell when my back is out of line though which is funny-because I never would have been able to before!
And learning more about chiropractic is very interesting-there are so many other things that can be helped from it which is really amazing-digestion, allergies, asthma, headaches, and even sensory processing issues (ADHD, etc)....it's really interesting! I've also learned that pretty much every person needs adjusting-with how much we use computers these days, it really takes a toll on your neck alignment! So if it's something you've been thinking of checking out, definitely give it a go...just make sure you see the right provider!
Sunday, June 2, 2013
My Back-The Problem
I think I mentioned awhile ago that I would write on here about my back issues and then never did. And it didn't cross my mind until a few days ago. So, here it is!
Let's rewind the clocks back to when Avery was 18mos old (Dec 2010 roughly). I went to put her down in her crib for her nap and had the worst breath-taking pain in my back ever. I refer to it as my back "giving out" on me for lack of a better term. It's hard to describe what it feels like-sort of like a muscle spasm that lasts several seconds but in those several seconds you can't move and it literally takes your breath away.
Anyways, that first time sort of sparked the problem. It would happen sporadically and it would be at random times. I could be lifting, twisting, or just sitting in a chair and it would happen. It was never a consistent movement that would make it hurt. At first it would happen every few months. Just once or twice in a day and then I'd be fine for a few months again.
In March 2011 I had a physical with my physician and mentioned it to him. He just gave me some back exercises to do and said I probably pulled a muscle. The back exercises didn't really do much and I was still having spasms every few months.
Throughout my pregnancy with Cassandra, it would still happen here and there. A few months after she was born, things got worse. I'd say that summer the spasms became much more frequent. Instead of having a few months of reprieve, I would have a few weeks, sometimes only a few days. And instead of it happening once a day, it would be up to 10 times a day. It seemed to get more frequent as the months went by.
In December 2012 I had a few days where it happened several times a day for several days in a row. I ended up calling my physician again and saw him just for that reason. I told him the back exercises weren't helping and he felt around but didn't really feel anything. He said I could try a massage therapist or a chiropractor if I wanted or I could do muscle relaxers. I really didn't want to take pills if I didn't have to and of course while the massage would be great, it's not covered by insurance. So I thought I'd try a chiropractor to see what they had to say.
A few people I know go to the same practice, Pace Family Chiropractic. I gave them a call and was glad that I didn't need a referral or anything to be seen which was great. And they got me in within a week of calling (I was fearing for a new consult I'd be waiting months like I did for my allergist). I'll admit, I was a little nervous/anxious about the whole thing, but figured it was worth a shot!
Stay tuned for my first appointment and progress!
Let's rewind the clocks back to when Avery was 18mos old (Dec 2010 roughly). I went to put her down in her crib for her nap and had the worst breath-taking pain in my back ever. I refer to it as my back "giving out" on me for lack of a better term. It's hard to describe what it feels like-sort of like a muscle spasm that lasts several seconds but in those several seconds you can't move and it literally takes your breath away.
Anyways, that first time sort of sparked the problem. It would happen sporadically and it would be at random times. I could be lifting, twisting, or just sitting in a chair and it would happen. It was never a consistent movement that would make it hurt. At first it would happen every few months. Just once or twice in a day and then I'd be fine for a few months again.
In March 2011 I had a physical with my physician and mentioned it to him. He just gave me some back exercises to do and said I probably pulled a muscle. The back exercises didn't really do much and I was still having spasms every few months.
Throughout my pregnancy with Cassandra, it would still happen here and there. A few months after she was born, things got worse. I'd say that summer the spasms became much more frequent. Instead of having a few months of reprieve, I would have a few weeks, sometimes only a few days. And instead of it happening once a day, it would be up to 10 times a day. It seemed to get more frequent as the months went by.
In December 2012 I had a few days where it happened several times a day for several days in a row. I ended up calling my physician again and saw him just for that reason. I told him the back exercises weren't helping and he felt around but didn't really feel anything. He said I could try a massage therapist or a chiropractor if I wanted or I could do muscle relaxers. I really didn't want to take pills if I didn't have to and of course while the massage would be great, it's not covered by insurance. So I thought I'd try a chiropractor to see what they had to say.
A few people I know go to the same practice, Pace Family Chiropractic. I gave them a call and was glad that I didn't need a referral or anything to be seen which was great. And they got me in within a week of calling (I was fearing for a new consult I'd be waiting months like I did for my allergist). I'll admit, I was a little nervous/anxious about the whole thing, but figured it was worth a shot!
Stay tuned for my first appointment and progress!
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