Caroline's first cheerleading competition...

AND THEY WON! Her little team totally rocked it too! So dang cute!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to ...

MY BEST FRIEND, THE BEST HUSBAND, AND THE VERY BEST FATHER IN THE WHOLE WORLD! I LOVE YOU TONY! HAPPY 33RD BIRTHDAY! (you'll always be 17 to me:)

Back Surgery

Back Surgery is no joke. You have no idea how much you use your back until it is out of commission. Seriously every movement you make involves your back in some way! No twisting, bending, or arching...pretty much no moving...ha! I can laugh now knowing I have survived this week. :)

On Monday, November the first I had part of my disc and vertebrae removed out of my lower back. Dr. Pool said that the disc was literally "crushing my nerve." I spent Monday and Tuesday at Moses Cone and was in the bed for almost 4 days straight only getting up to use the restroom or to walk the required few steps they told me to take each day. I haven't slept this much since college and for that matter I can barely remember Monday-Thursday at all. On Friday evening (5 days after the surgery) I seriously thought that I might never be "normal" again...scary moment. I was no better five days after the surgery than I was 5 minutes after the surgery. Not good. I was in a ton of pain and the swelling and muscle spasms were causing me to feel like I was being electricuted every time I moved the wrong way. So after talking with two on-call neurosurgeons and taking countless medications I changed my game plan and decided to have a serious talk with the only One who could heal me. Prayer works my friends. I woke up Saturday morning and felt better, not by leaps and bounds, but better. Today is Sunday and I feel much better today...I have hope that I may be "normal" once again! It is hard to believe less than 36 hours ago I thought that I would never be the same...I was just talking to the wrong people to get healing. So I Thank God for healing my body this weekend and giving me a light at the end of this tunnel. I also need to thank all of my wonderful friends and family for the visits, phone calls, meals, care packages, and prayers! All of your efforts have kept my spirits high...and that means more than you will ever know. And I have to give a shout out to my WONDERFUL husband who has taken such great care of me and the children. This house is cleaner than it has ever been and he has taken care of a teething baby at all hours of the night all while he is helping me with my many needs all day and night this week. He really is a saint and I am amazed by his energy and by the amount of TLC he has given me and the girls. Thank you so much Tony! I love you more than you will ever know.

I'm hoping by the end of this week I will be able to drive again and possibly pick up my sweet Maggie Moo. She is really having a hard time understanding why Mommy is always in the bed and unable to hold her or play with her. I will be back to myself soon! I hope:)

Maggie's Photo Shoot

We are lucky enough to know Kate Campbell who is not only sweet and beautiful but she is also a talented photographer! These are untouched photos as a sneak preview for us...thought I'd share. Second children very rarely get a photo shoot of their own and I thought this little cutie deserved one!
Maggie Elizabeth-17 months old

No Fun November

When Caroline was 6 weeks old, which was almost exactly 4 years ago, I did something awful to my back. I really was just holding my sweet Caroline (all 10 lbs of her) with my feet planted and twisted at my waist...this led to a major back injury. Not very exciting huh? For about 3 days I could hardly move from standing to sitting without feeling like I was being electricuted. Probably the worst pain I have ever felt. Well, since then (the past 4 years) I have been dealing with the pain of a torn disc. My neurosurgeon recently told me some very valuable information that cleared up the whole mystery surrounding why a disc would just tear for no reason on a 26 year old healthy woman. Apparently, the last few disc/vert. in my lower back did not fully form when I was in the womb. They appear to be there but are non-functioning. Therefore this disc that tore was just worn out from taking all of my lower back stress/pressure/work...as the other disc were not doing their job. In the last six months the pain has gotten a lot worse and my dr. has advised I get surgery soon as to not have any permanent nerve damage in my back and leg. So, on November 1st I will be going in to have a micro discectomy...basically where they move the nerve aside and remove a portion of the disc. I will be in the house for at least 2-3 weeks as I am not allowed to ride in a car and will be receiving intensive help with the children as I am not allowed to lift anything over 5-10lbs. Maggie weighs 24 lbs and this is where the problem lies. Thank the good Lord we have many wonderful people to help. Please pray for my speedy recovery and for Dr. Pool. But even more so please pray for my children. I know that they will be confused by all of the commotion and shuffling around while I recover. Maggie will be especially confused b/c she is attached to my hip (which I thoroughly enjoy every second of it)! I will miss it more than her...but we can snuggle while I am in the bed healing. There is never a good time to have surgery like this BUT I will be up and back at it by December...in time to enjoy the holidays!

A BIG Texas Wedding!

Everything is BIG in Texas...including weddings! I was lucky enough to be a bridesmaid in one of my dearest friends weddings in Houston on Oct.2nd. Yes, that was Caroline's birthday too so she came along for her very first airplane ride to see my precious friend Kelly get married! The flight was great but the gorgeous wedding was even better! The church, the reception, the flowers, the food, the bride, and the groom were more than beautiful and just perfect! Kelly married a wonderful guy named Jason and he is such a gentleman and soooo much fun! They are the perfect couple! Congratulations to the new couple Kelly and Jason Hughes...Love you guys!

Baby Jack

One of my VERY best friends Rebecca gave birth to a precious little boy today! Baby Jack was born at 1:14pm and weighs in at a whopping 6 lbs, 4 oz. The precious little boy gave his momma an easy delivery into this world! Good boy already! You may think arranged marriages are only in India but they are here too...this is Maggie's little boyfriend:) JK! We already love im and can't wait to get to know him! God is so good!