Our week started off great! Joseph continues to amaze us day by day with the new stuff that he’s doing (climbing up on top of the coffee table, plastic bins, etc.) and saying (just last night, Paul said that while Joseph was watching one of his favorite shows, Super Why, which focuses on vocabulary, spelling, and phonics, he said /k/, /k/, K! and /eh/, eh/, E! along with the characters…one more reason that I love PBS!). We had a rather low-key Valentines Day. Paul went to work, as usual, and I took care of the babe. After Paul got home from work, we exchanged gifts and had Panda Express for dinner (I picked it up and brought it home).
[1]Joseph’s been fighting off a cold and cough, but he’s getting better little by little. He still hates getting his nose wiped and suctioned out (which I understand). I’m looking forward to when we can teach him to blow his nose! Luckily, we have the vaporizer and baby Vapo Rub which at least give him a little comfort. To his credit, he’s never really stopped being the giggly, lovey baby that he is most of the time.
Now for the craziness that ended our week. Friday night, I was picking Joseph up and felt a sharp twinge in my back. I put him down and sat down. As I got up, I didn’t feel anything, so I thought no more of it until later when I tried to pick him up again. This time it was a really sharp pain…so bad, that I couldn’t even bend over to put him in his crib. Thinking that I had just a sore muscle, once Joseph was in bed, I took a warm bath and then put my heating pad on my back. Apparently, that wasn’t a good idea, because the next time I tried to get up, I couldn’t. Paul tried to help me up, and my back started seizing up really bad…and continued to do so every time I tried to walk, sit down, or stand up (so basically, laying down was my only option, though I couldn’t even turn over by myself). About 2:30 A.M., we decided that it was time to go to the ER. Paul ran across the street and got one of our neighbors (they are in our ward) to come sit with Joseph so that we could go. It took Paul probably 5 minutes to get me down the stairs, and another 5 minutes to get me into the car. We got to the ER and they put an IV in to give me Valium, Morphine, and Benadryl (since apparently I’m allergic to Morphine). About an hour after that, they tried to get me to sit up, which still hurt SO bad. They then gave me another dose of the Valium, Morphine, and Benadryl, followed by another pain-killer (they said this one would last for a couple of days). They took x-rays (which showed up normal…*whew*). Finally they decided that it was a severe muscle strain (probably caused by lifting up Joseph, who’s pushing 30 lbs now) and sent me home with a muscle relaxer, some Ibuprofin 800, and some Norco (a narcotic pain reliever). After staying in bed all day yesterday, I’m finally able to walk around very slowly (with the help of Paul’s walking stick…I’m beginning to think that there was more than one reason that we decided to buy that thing when we went to the Old Town Helotes Market Day a few weeks back). I’m glad that Paul has work off on Monday, and I’m hoping to be well enough to take care of Joseph by Tuesday. I think it will just take me forcing myself to stay in bed the next two days, which, by far, has been the hardest thing. I’m so thankful for modern medicine and for a husband who is willing to pick up and help with everything. One positive thing: Joseph is getting in a LOT of Daddy-time, which he LOVES!