Month: March 2014 (Page 1 of 2)

I’m a little embarrassed how much I like Frozen.  We bought the movie download on Friday and it’s been on whenever Jack is allowed to have a TV on.  I’m not sick of it yet. 

It’s not perfect – the plot has a lot of holes, the trolls look like early 90s cartoon characters, and it’s obviously geared for a Broadway adaptation.

But there’s a lot of goodness about it:

• The feminist slant on saving yourself without a man
• The first true love being false
• Josh Gad
• Broadway singer casting all around
• The costumes
• The rosemaling
• Oaken’s trading post
• Let It Go (I know, I know)
• The snowy clothing animation
• Jack quoting it
• Jack singing the love songs
• Jack asking me to make heart hands 

And now a new reason to love Frozen.  He asked me if we have carrots so we could eat them like Kristoff and Sven.  Egad, really?  He’s gagged on carrots when I offered them in the past. 

Jack has eaten seven baby carrots by the writing of this entry.  Yay, Disney!

You know I’m a cold weather gal, but kids are changing my tune.  Between all the sickness this winter and the NOISE OH MY GOSH THE NOISE GET OUT OF MY HOUSE I’m excited for the season change.

Jack earned this Spider-Man bubbler by sticker chart, with the final sticker this morning. 

I got flowers at the store to celebrate.  Also, I told Jack we should make a Spring Cake.  A Spring Cake is just a regular cake, made on the first day of Spring.  This might have to become a tradition, like my first-snow-waffle making.  Seasonal baking FTW!

We made the cake from scratch but I drew the line at homemade frosting.  Sam was not in a patient mood today. 

One of the few moments he wasn’t in tears today.

Fork?  Ain’t nobody got time for that!

Jack’s first haircut at a salon. It went as expected. But faster and cleaner than me doing it at home again. With celebratory lunch out.

I have neglected posting pictures from the show!  I took my camera the last night and got pictures from the back row.  These are some of the better shots, but they are all on my flickr.

Today my Sammy is six months old.

Everything goes in his mouth.  EVERYTHING.  If I really want to make him happy, I left him tangle his fingers in my hair and pull my nose into his mouth.  But I rarely make it all the way because OW!

He’s a serious kid.  Strangers can easily coax a smile out when we pass in stores.  But most of the time he is quietly looking about, absorbing everything. 

He still has that tuft of dark hair in the back.  I’m surprised he still has as much hair as he does.  Maybe it won’t all rub off like his brother’s did.

He’s so curious about food.  He likes everything I’ve given so far except one – sweet potatoes.  But bananas, apples, oatmeal, rice cereal, celery, carrots, those were all happily eaten.  I got the go ahead today from his doc to give him mashed up anything (except honey). 

Oh my gosh, his goober grin kills me.

That old man jowl!

Obviously he’s sitting like a champ.  Well, he falls often enough that a pillow or person needs to be close by.  But he loves sitting and playing.  Tummy time still sucks.  Maybe he will skip crawling and just scoot around from sitting position. 

His growth measurements are still absurd.  He wears size 9 – 18 month depending on the brand.  He weighed 19 pounds 8 ounces on their scale (20.2 pounds on mine last week).  He is 29 inches long.  According to their charts that makes him 85% weight and way off the chart for height. 

For fun I exported my growth charts on my iphone. 

All that does is confirm that yes, yes I have big boys, and Sam has a slight edge so far.  Hoo boy, no wonder my back is broke.

But that’s more boy for me to love!

I’ve had a history of back problems.  No one has ever recommended chiropractic care.  Usually my problems resolve in a week or less.  This injury was the worst.  I felt like I was in labor.  I had to deep breathe to get up out of bed, shuffle to Sam’s room, and groan into the rocking chair.  I used heating pads continuously, a TENS unit, Motrin and Tylenol, then Aleve and Tylenol as needed. 

After two weeks I was still in crazy pain.  For the last five days I didn’t see any improvement.  I lived with 4/10 pain constantly, going up to 8/10 with effort (lifting car seat, sitting down while holding Sam, bending to pick up toys, sitting on hard chairs, basically what I do all day every day).  A mom at playgroup saw my TENS unit and mentioned her husband was a chiropractor.  Huh.  I didn’t even think to try that.  After some online research I found a guy in Denver with great reviews and transparent prices.  (I felt weird going to see a guy in my bishopric for health concerns, but maybe I will switch now that I know what it’s like). 

I couldn’t wait for an appointment that would work with a babysitter/Ben, so I schlepped the kids along Monday afternoon.  The doctor interviewed me about the pain, assessed my posture and flexibility, and then suggested a basic treatment plan.  He thinks it could be disc related, but doesn’t recommend imaging until this happens again.  I did a 10 minute heat and electrical therapy set, then massage with a giant jack hammer tool.  I kid you not, it was enormous.  But it worked because I could feel my muscles loosen up.  Then he did the classic adjustments, cracking up my spine, twisty on both sides, then again lying on my back.  I was a little sore but no big change. 

But the next morning I noticed I was MUCH better.  I even skipped my pain meds because I was sick of taking them.  All day I paid attention to my pain.  It was about a 2/10 all day, bumping up to a 4 with aggravation. 

Today?  Even better.  There are times I don’t even notice my back.  I can pick up Sam in his car seat with almost the normal amount of strain.  My muscles are a little sore, like after a bad sleep position or a long workout.  But hardly any actual “pain” today.  I’m thrilled! 

I have another appointment on Friday and I’m very much looking forward to it.  I was so wary of chiropractors in the past.  I’m totally converted.  There are scammy ones out there.  I read some ways to be sure you are seeing a decent practitioner.  But I think it’s another tool you can use, like massage, to take care of your body.  Maybe one of my readers is saying, “Duh.  I’ve been seeing a guy for years.”  In that case, shame on you for not telling me to go sooner!  I wish I had gotten treatment immediately.  When this inevitably happens again, I know I’ll be seeking help right away. 

We need Grandpa Rick out here to teach Jack some sports skills.  Ben and I are obviously failing in this regard.

To be fair, he hits the ball with a bat >50% of the time.  So hope is not all lost. 

Also we quizzed him on up/downstage, stage left/right, echappe, passe, coupe, and saute, and he remembered all of his ballet.  He excels at what we give him, and that ain’t sports.