Hint of Fall Weather

How awesome to have what we call in Texas a "Blue Northerner" blow through Saturday evening to awaken to 50 degree temps.  A cool, overcast day couldn't have been more perfect to head to the South Texas Maize for some Fall fun and pick pumpkins for Halloween.  The kids and I had a fun filled day; all 6 hours of playing on the hay bales, winding our way through the corn maize and of course, their favorite, jumping on the corn popper.  (I sense a theme here....)

Here's a few pictures from a fantastic Fall day in South Texas!

Minature Golf

Started our weekend with some much needed family time; thanks to Groupon, Embassy Golf here we come.

Me and my babies

Ella didn't play too many holes but when she did, she wanted momma to help

Getting started, silly daddy!

Avery had a great time today... and was quite the competitor

Killing time in the shade

Practicing his skills in the arcade before calling it a day

Bell's Palsy - My Experience

This blog is for my children but I felt compelled to detail my experience with Bell's Palsy as to not forget this struggle and to possibly help someone else going through the same thing.  After diagnosis I remember how much it helped me by reading countless blogs of people, my age and even younger, who shared their experience.  It helped me understand and know what to expect over the course of my recovery.  So thank you to everyone out there for being so forthcoming... we have nothing to lose.     

In early February, I traveled to FL to visit my mom and dad and take my mom to St. Augustine for a sight-seeing weekend.  Little did I know that during that weekend I was experiencing the early stages of what is known as Bell's Palsy which would strike me exactly 1 week from the day. 

This picture was taken on Friday after arriving at the hotel Casa Monica in St. Augustine.  When I first saw it, I thought it was strange that one side of my face wasn't smiling but at that time I was suffering from a massive migraine.  I suffer from migraines at least once a month but this one was one to reckon with.  It was an excruciating drive from Orlando to our destination and at one point I had to stop and give myself a pep talk in the restroom to just make it there and then I could rest.  Sure enough after a some time on the couch in the hotel and several Excedrin migraine pills later the pain was subdued enough to get up, grab dinner and start planning the weekend with my mom.  And the rest of the trip was great... cold but great!  I came home the day before my 34th birthday; February 14th.

February 18th Outside the Alamo

Friday,  February 18th I remember being at work and the left and right side of my tongue was tingling; almost like when you burn your tongue but it was strange because it was to the back of my tongue.  (Surely I couldn't have burned my tongue back there on last night's dinner I thought.)  That evening Wade and I had plans to celebrate our birthdays together by staying downtown at the Emily Morgan hotel and eating dinner on the River walk.  Not feeling well but I put on my happy face and headed out for a nice evening.  We drank at the Piano bar at Pat O'Brien's and it was strange that I couldn't taste much of anything and the carbonation from the beer burned my tongue even more.    

Saturday, February 19th, we get home and I am not feeling well.  I start to feel tingling in the left side of my face and decide to lay down for a nap.  When I wake up after 5pm, the left side of my face is practically paralyzed.  Still not panicking I call my parents and commit that if I am not better in the morning I will go to the doctor. 

Sunday, February 20th I wake up at 6am in dismay.  My left eye is stuck wide open and I have no response on the left side of my face.  Being Sunday, every walk in clinic was closed till 10am so I wait only to be turned away and sent directly to the ER.  Now the fun begins... little did I know that anytime you complain of numbness they have to rule out a stroke 1st and foremost.  So I had an EKG, a chest x-ray, a CAT scan and an MRE (like an MRI but checks blood flow in the brain.)  Scared as ever I cried the entire time.  They confirmed no tumors or sign of stroke and the best they could tell I had classic Bell's Palsy.  Diagnosis was steroids for 10 days and symptoms lasting up to 6 months.  Although I was thankful to hear I wasn't dying it was tough to think about being in this condition for 6 months.  So I come home and sleep.  Monday starts the process of finding a neurologist and a physical therapist. 

I call into work for the first part of the week and spent the day searching for neurologists.  With every call I start to feel more and more depressed with either no new patients being accepted or a 4 month wait to get an appointment.  I spent the rest of the day waiting for a referral from my primary care doctor which came after 4pm and several follow up phone calls on my part.  Thursday is the day I get to be seen.  Until then, rest as much as possible.  What I failed to mention while this was happening to me, Wade's father passed away that Saturday night in Naples, FL and he left on Monday morning.  

I was able to manage throughout the week with the help of friends and neighbors and my mother in law who came in for 2 days.  Thursday, the day of my appt, was the 1st time I really attempted driving further than a mile or two.  Not being able to close my eye, I taped it closed most of the time but to drive I had to keep it open and try to focus as best I could.  (You know when you try to keep your eye open without blinking, it waters right?  Well, with Bell's Palsy your eye doesn't water, and not being able to blink it burns so you fill your eye every hour with artificial tears which then blurs your vision.)  

1st appt with the neurologist was quite discouraging.  After waiting 3 hours beyond my scheduled appt time, he walked in and said, "So, you have bell's palsy... what do you want me to do."  He treated me as though I was wasting his time but I managed to keep my head and not explode in anger or tears... what I didn't realize through all my online research was the cause wasn't just an inflammation in the nerve but an actual severing of the nerve which meant that the nerves have to regenerate.  If they regenerate too fast, they can connect incorrectly which means facial expressions may be over exaggerated and the opposite holds true if they regenerate too slowly or fail to do so at all.  Basically a waiting game - come back in 12 weeks to see my progress and pursue physical therapy if I wanted, "even though there is no proven research that physical therapy helps with recovery." 

The first 2 weeks I was in and out of work doing as much as I could but even when I was there it was almost impossible to focus.  I end up taking the rest of the week off and literally shutting down the phone and email, trying not to even think about work until the following Monday.  Time to rest... 

Week 3 - Now I am back at work and starting physical therapy twice a week.  You know when you get a twitch in your eyelid and it won't stop... how annoying that can be?  Well, with every muscle reconnecting, the left side of my face was always twitching.  Everyday was a new muscle tingle but I stay positive telling myself that it means I am getting better rather than be annoyed by it. This continues for a few weeks and then the pain starts. 

I woke up one morning and had an indescribable pain in my face.  Physical therapy didn't help the pain and they said there was nothing they could give me.  Follow up with the neurologist, he recommended nerve testing to check my progress.  Although interesting, I left with a huge headache on top of the pain I have already been experiencing thanks to the electric shocks to my face to measure my blinking and muscle reflexes.  Not to mention this was another 6 hr trip to the neurologist.  This pain lasted for almost 3 weeks - the masetor muscle which is the strongest muscle in your body, was in hypertension.  I will say this pain was one of the worst pains I have ever felt in my life.  The only time I wasn't in pain was when I fell asleep.  Every morning when I woke up it was to the same pain from the day before; I remember being depressed and lots of tears during this time.  Hopefully there's no long term damage to my liver with the combination of 2 Tylenol and 2 Motrin I took every 4 hrs just to get through it.  Finally the muscle pain faded and the newest symptom was muscles seizing up and getting stuck, literally. I was told to exercise my face, make a pucker for example and when I would my left side of my lips would get stuck in that position for 10+ seconds.  Unnerving to say the least but I keep with my exercises and pray that this too will fade.  At least I am no longer in such pain. 

Next week will be 4 months since the start of this ordeal and I am beginning to worry again.  Work and life in general has me at or above the same stress level I was prior to getting sick.  And I can say I am feeling it in my face all over again.  I can notice some digression in my facial movements and more twitching than I have felt in weeks.  And my left eye seems to be tired, at least it feels that way.  I have to force it closed sometimes and when I do the muscles down to my chin are pulling when I do.  With everything going on at work I have put myself last again; missed my final follow up appt with the neurologist and stopped physical therapy with 3 sessions to go.  For now I am trying daily to remember to exercise my face on my own and relax as much as I can.  Any symptoms that remain after 6 months apparently will become permanent so I am hoping for the best.  I worry about reoccurance too.  Although it's a small percentage (10%) of people who have had Bell's Palsy get it again and typically it's years later when they do, I think about this a lot.   I need some positive change, just not sure what that is just yet.



Kid Stats

School's out for summer and for our household, that means lots of changes.  The biggest change this summer - Ella starting a new school!!  They finally built a daycare on our side of 281 which is a big deal... a huge time saver when it comes to drop-off and pick-up everyday.  And the best part is Ella is very excited about her new school which helped make the decision to transition to the new daycare that much easier.

We attended open house a couple weeks ago and then orientation with the kids soon after.  Big brother will be attending the Explorer's Club camp at the same place and have high hopes that he will enjoy it.  We've been consistently hearing "summer camp is dumb, boring and stupid" but I think just like years past, he will enjoy it in the end.  The saving grace may just be Mr. David who has been hired on as a camp director.  He and Avery have made quite the connection over the years through KIN summer camp last year and the after school program at the elementary school the past 2 years.  Their paths always seem to be interconnected.  When we heard Mr. David was going to be there, I almost did a back flip knowing it will help tremendously having him there to greet Avery every morning with his token deep voiced "Avery Larson!" 

Here's Ella checking out her new school at orientation.



Before starting school on Monday, the kids needed to have wellness check-ups including hearing and vision screenings.  So we took care of that on Thursday and they both did very well.  Ella surprised me in many ways that day by acing her vision exam (matching the letters on the chart to a board with the letters in her hand and saying "I hear it" every time she heard a sound during her hearing test.  But most shocking was how she responded to getting a shot, her 1st in almost 2 years!  She didn't even flinch and even said, "that tickled" and let out a giggle.  She definitely doesn't take after me in that department.  Here she is waiting for the doctor in her pretty paper dress.

Now for the stats - Avery weighed in at 46 lbs and 47 inches tall.  Ella weighed in at 40lbs and 40 inches tall.  Just like grampa has always said, Ella is going to pass up Avery before he knows it and give him a run for his money. 
Last but not least, Avery is officially promoted to 2nd grade with the last day of school being May 30th!  Wow, 2nd grade, I can't believe it.  His grades were 95 and above in every subject for the year and his teacher comment was "achievement is outstanding."  He's well above his grade level in reading and on grade level in math.  He also had perfect attendance this year and won free sessions at Laser Tag.  We are very blessed to have such healthy and smart munchkins!

Memorial Day Weekend in Corpus Christi

Ella walking into the water for the 1st time this season.  We were worried at first since our last trip to the coast she refused to get into the water.  My how things change.  In her words... "I'm never going to the pool or the hot tub again, I love the ocean!" 

 Avery and daddy got to work on a drip castle.  Look how grown up Avery is getting. 

 Avery could hardly sleep the 1st night because he didn't want to miss getting up for the sunrise.  He was up at 6:30 by my side saying "Mom, come on, let's go!"  I'm so glad he did too.  We had an awesome time Saturday morning watching the sunrise, just the two of us. 

 Ella taking a break on daddy's lap.  We had an awesome day on the beach!  Ella loved to bounce with the waves in the deep and Avery was taking the waves head on, no fear!

Daddy's hidden talent - sand sculpting! 

 One of many poses she made while smashing the sand sculpture daddy made. 

Good bye Corpus.. till next time.  (Avery asked if we could move here so I guess that means it was a good trip!)  It's official, we have 2 beach bums on our hands and couldn't be happier!

Army Party!!

Avery's idea for his 7th birthday was to have an Army Party in the backyard.  At first we didn't know what to think about his request.  Lately all he wants to do is play Nerf guns or super soaker wars with his neighborhood friends in the backyard so we tried to convince him to invite a few friends for laser tag, gametown pizza or inflatable world.  Nope, he said Army or nothing... so we took a deep breath and said alright, time to get creative!


In the matter of 2 weeks we were able to put together a party for the boys that they will remember for a long time.  To hear the kids say "this is the best party ever" and see Avery's huge smile throughout the day is all we needed. 

Wade was the best basic training instructor ever!  He had those kids doing all kinds of exercises including a timed obstacle course that was a huge hit!

 Here's an early pic at the start of the party.  The hay bales were perfect for the obstacle course.

Our recruit!

 Dad, Evan and Ella against 12 kids... with Nancy's help the kids were victorious!

Avery with his long time friend Brandon and his brother, Tanner

On his actual birthday which was a Wednesday, we celebrated with a cookie cake and pizza with Aunt Stephers and Uncle Andy.  Grandma and grandpa were also with us via Skype.

Ella's 1st "Friend" Birthday Party

Avery and I took Ella to her 1st birthday party for a friend at ArtWorx in San Antonio.  She was so excited to carry Katie's present into the party and although cautious at first, she spread her wings and had a great time. 
 
I just love it when they hold hands. 

 Ella stayed close to her brother and followed his every move.

Once they showed the kids what to do at each station and let them loose, the creative wheels started turning. 

I love how hard she was concentrating on her work.  (Just like Avery used to do, she sticks out her tongue when she's working hard.)  Thanks for such a great time Jenkins family!

Pool is Open

Oh my, last week it was Spring and this week Summer is here! That's ok, the neighborhood pool is open as of April 1st so you know where to find us every weekend when we're home. The kids got some practice a few weeks ago swimming in Aunt Shelly's hot tub. No need to turn on the heat anymore, Mother Nature has it covered. Have a wonderful Easter weekend everyone!

Champion Award

Avery received an award for perfect attendance for the 3rd 9 weeks of his 1st grade year and also the Champion Award from his teacher Mrs. Morris.  The Champion Award is given to 1 boy and 1 girl each nine weeks who displays all the qualities of being a "champion" such as a good leader, respectful and helpful to others, etc.  We couldn't be more proud of this young man.  It was a rocky start for everyone when Avery was moved into Mrs. Morris's class after the first few weeks of school due to overcrowding.  It goes to show that everyone did a lot of growing over the past few months and I am not surprised that Avery was able to win her over with his charm.  Her statement about seeing him as a 30 year old questioning things in a 6 year old body couldn't be more true. 

Yay Avery!

Catching Up

I can't believe it's already mid March and this is my 1st post in 2012! Spring is here and I like to think it's not only my favorite time of year; trees and flowers are budding and when the sun is shining it is almost hot outside (mid 70's!). It's hard not to want to spend every minute you can outdoors. This week is Spring Break which means that daddy is home with the kiddos, showing them a great time. As always, I wish I could be with them at the park, exploring San Antonio and the surrounding areas. Look at how much fun they are having! Over the past couple weeks Avery has discovered neighborhood friends, lots of them! Every day after school he can't wait to go outside and play, running up and down the street from house to house. Ella even joins in on occasion; trying to keep up with the boys and keep a close eye on brother. It's been an interesting time as a parent cautiously letting your children spread their wings. Deep breaths. Loves her new Minnie Mouse scooter from Josh and Mandy. The "wolfpack" in our backyard.