Reunion Weekend

Obviously I'm back, I think I caught up with everyone. Didn't necessarily post but I am caught up. I tried to keep up while at my mom's but realized nothing was really sinking in so gave up.
Thursday we left after Ken got home from work. Stopped at Longhorn in Hagerstown for dinner then drove on from there with a few stops here and there. The one that kind of frustrated me was when we switched drivers around 9:30. The rest area we stopped at on the Turnpike had a Starbucks and I really wanted a Mocha Frappichino but I wanted decaf because I knew if I had a regular one I'd be up until 4am. So I asked for a decaf one. "Oh we can't do those here?" They have decaf coffee, I know they did because I asked. She didn't get my hint. So I stalked off. I find pregnancy does not help me with my patience.

We had hoped Alex would sleep the entire trip after we stopped for dinner but no such luck. Stopped for a bathroom break outside of Grove City Pa and he woke. Was up the entire last part of the trip and was completely wired by the time we got to my mom's around 12:30. Took until 2am for him to finally drift off. He was of course up at 6:30. We took care of the real problem by nap time, which was the TV my mom has in the guest room. Unlike my sister's kids, the TV put them to sleep, it wakes mine right up. So we moved the TV into the closet. You should have seen the look on his face when we took him up for his nap and the TV was gone. He was in complete shock. Though after one story he stopped crying and settled down for his nap.

Once he woke around 3:30 we got going and headed out to BRU. I just have some little things to get, like mid weight sleepers and pacifiers. Even though Alex never used them I can't find more than two in the entire house. Replacement nipples for the bottles we have and nursing pads, that's what was on my list anyway. I ended up picking up a few more onsies in 3-6 month sicne I think I have enough little ones. I did find a cute Halloween sleeper, since the kid will be a month old at the most and a week old at the least once it rolls around. I still ended up spending about $140.

Came home and mom made Catfish and green onion potatoes. We got Alex to bed then headed over to the mixer for my reunion. It's funny how some people you can recognize immediately even if you've haven't seen them in 20 years and others you're just doing then dumb nod. "Yeah sure I know who you are" right... Of course the best intro of the night was one guy who came up to me. "Do you remember in 5th grade on our way back from out class trip to Toronto, I had a blister on my finger and you smashed it on the seat." Even if I didn't recognize him at first I knew exactly who that was. Now other people as soon as they said their name and I got a good look at their eyes it was "oh yeah"

Saturday we just hung out. Let Alex nap as long as he needed to that afternoon, almost 4 hours, then took him over to my sister's new house. Ken got a tour of the house. He's so happy they have a house now, then he doesn't feel like he should hide how well we're doing in comparison. (It was definately harder when they lived in a trailer) They got a great deal on it. It's in good condition, built in the 1920's, all the original woodwork around the doors and windows, as well as hardwood floors. It does need some fixing up but my sister's husband is looking forward to it. We stayed and talked until about 6:00. Then went back to my mom's to change and go to dinner. Alex stayed with my sister. I figured he'd enjoy spending time with his cousin's. I didn't think we'd end up staying for the entire dinner but had told her we'd call if it looked like we would and she'd take him back over to my mom's.

I liked the dinner alot better than the mixer. I got to spend more time talking to people and I'd say about half the people who were at the dinner hadn't been at the mixer and vis versa. Around 9:20 I tried calling my sister and got no answer, I tried again a little later still no one picked up, so I figured they'd taken Alex back to my mom's or had gone out. When the evening ended I called my mom and they weren't there so we went to my sister's to pick him up. The boy was so wired his eyes looked like saucers. He'd had his cousins to entertain all evening. He'd even tired Jessie out. I forgot to mention to Karen that TV wakes my child up not put him to sleep. He'd gone up with Jessie when she went to bed, she of course turned the TV on to go to sleep. Needless to say not long after he was traipsing down the stair to play some more.

At least he settled down pretty quick once we got him to my mom's. He even slept late for him anyway 7:30. We spent the early part of the day getting ready for the BBQ. We'd set up a lot of it the day before, like the tent and the tables and cleaned up the garage, so all we had to do was get down the chairs and prep food. Got Alex down for an early nap (he needed it) It was a nice afternoon. Just a few friends, Kris and her husband Scott, Patty, Sherri and her husband Chip, my mom and stepdad, and Karen and her family, and us. Good food, fun coversation and a huge surprise for my stepdad, people who help clean up as things wind down. Every summer my mom and Bill have a big BBQ/Picnic but the crew that comes is mostly family or friends of my stepbrothers Ray and Billy. Bill does a lot fo work to get things set up and usually no one helps with that, then he's at the grill all afternoon, and after everyone leaves him and mom are left with the mess to clean up the next day.

Needless to say I'm allowed to use my mom's house to entertain when I'm up visiting because we don't make Bill do all the work setting up, cooking or cleaning. My mom was glad we showed him that all he needs to do is ask and help is given. Maybe he'll make sure the boys help out next time he does something for them.

So Monday we planned on getting on the road by noon at the latest. It didn't happen. Around 9:00 I'd gone upstairs to get dressed and pack. I had pulled out most of my clothes and set them in the bathroom then went back to get a clean bra out of the dufflebag. I'm squating down and lean forward to search through stuff and a sharp pain shoots across my lower back. It took me a good ten minutes for me to be able to function enough to call for someone to help me. Ken helped me get dressed then ran down to tell my mom what was up while I brushed my teeth. By this point it was a dull pain except when I changed positions, say from standing to sitting. Mom called her chiropractor and got me in for a 10:30 appointment.

She was able to get me realigned and had me ice the muscles around the spot 15 on and 15 off until I could come back in at 2:30 for a second adjustment. She knew we were heading back home and made me promise to find someone once I was back home because, if it happened once it was more likely to happen again as my pregnancy went into the last stages. And I'd most certainly need another adjustment or two in the next week. At least at this point I was mobile enough that I could sit without too much trouble. It hurt a lot less when walking or standing that when sitting, so this was an improvement.

I was a bit stiff by the time we got home. Alex didnt sleep much this trip either, maybe about 3 hours. At least he's a pretty good traveler. Got home around 10:30 put him to bed then crawled in myself soon after. The boy actually let me sleep until 8am today. So I talked to my boss this morning about my mat leave then made an appointment with chiropractor down here. It was supposed to be at 3:30 but a certain some one decided not to actually nap and there was no way I was taking a whiny child into public. I think he was just so happy to see all his toys that he needed to play with all of them. I took him up around noon, it was quiet for a half hour, then I could hear him playing and chattering. Around 2:00 he opened his door ( I really need one of those knob covers) and came down to tell me he needed a diaper change. When that happened I called and rescheduled for 5pm after Ken got home.

I have a better understanding of why this will keep happening at least during my pregnancy. All the relaxin in my system keeps things from staying put once they are back in place, that combined with the baby getting bigger has put a lot of stress on those lower back muscles, so when they spasm my back goes out. She was surprised my sciatic nerve wasn't acting up since the kid likes to hang out so low. I'll see her again on Friday, in the mean time ice and heat as needed, no lifting especially Alex, and do some of the stretches she gave me.

I'll try and post pictures tomorrow. I've reached my sitting limit before stiffening up.