Merry Christmas

We have been enjoying these last few weeks spending time with our families for the holidays! Here are a few family pictures we took before Christmas! Hope you all enjoyed a Merry Christmas and are as excited for the new year as I am!

Adria Grace

It has been two weeks since Adria was born and I think I can maybe write this now without crying! When I was home 2 weekends ago Melissa was pretty sure that she was going to be in labor sometime in the next 24 hours. Contractions were closer together and more painful - you know the drill. We got a call from my brother about midnight Sunday morning that they were in the hospital and we could come whenever we wanted. Mom and I got back out of bed (1 hour of sleep) got around and headed over. Melissa had already had the epidural and my brother was surprisingly happy to tell us that he had definitely passed out when they gave it to her. He has always been TERRIFIED of needles/shots and this is not the first time he has passed out because of one. We were all pretty entertained. Around 5:30 or 6 they decided it was time to move things along and started her on Pitocin. That sped things up and by 7:30ish the doctor was there and they had her start pushing. We were all sent to the family waiting room until we had a baby girl or a baby boy Jump. The anticipation was absolutely dreadful. We had been sitting in there for over a hour with no word about what was going on. Katie tried to ask at the nurses station but she got yelled at and when I went and asked Dr. Sanders they said everything was fine and they were just monitoring Melissa and the babies heart rate. As it turned out every time Melissa would try to push the baby's heart rate would sky rocket into the 170-180s range - which is not healthy. So they stopped the Pitocin and just had Melissa relax which made baby Jump relax so they decided to try again. But the same thing happened so Dr. Sanders decided to move forward with a C-section. This is where my day really began... We had known that the baby's heart rate was getting pretty high when she pushed but weren't overly concerned. My brother came in looking pretty somber and sat down to tell us that baby J's heart rate was getting too high when they push and so the doctor had decided to do a c-section. Kyle lost his composure at this point as he told us that he would not be able to go into the OR with her because of the hard time he has with needles - this was completely his choice and I think it was one of the hardest decisions he's had to make. Kyle asked Melissa's mom to be there with her when she went into surgery and he let us know that Melissa wasn't handling it very well either. He was worried about her, she was worried about the baby and scared about the c-section. It was eating him alive and I couldn't stand to see my little brother so anguished. I couldn't stop crying because he was crying so I had to leave for awhile until I could get it together. They wheeled her down shortly after 11 and came back for Kathy 10 minutes later. Sitting there waiting with Kyle was nothing short of torture - he did nothing but check his watch and fiddle with Melissa's hair ties. My brother is not much of an emotional person much less one to talk about his feelings but if there was ever any question about how much he loved and cared about her and the baby - question no more. Thankfully we didn't have very long to wait before they were bringing the baby up to the nursery. The nurses and Kathy were all grinning from ear to ear and immediately reassured Kyle that Melissa and the baby were fine. They asked us to guess if it was a boy or a girl - we had all been saying boy from the beginning but sure enough we were wrong. A little girl - they hadn't decided on a name yet so she was still baby Jump for awhile. :) But in that moment, when we got to see her for the first time and she was just looking around and curious about her new environment, I fell in love. It was one of most amazing moments in my life and I will never ever forget it. Then getting to see as they handed her to Kyle for the first time - I can only imagine how that must have felt for him since it was pretty overwhelming for me. It was even cute when she was screaming bloody murder. She is a whopper - 8 lbs 14.5 oz and 22 inches. (As of this last Thursday she is at an even 9lbs!) The whole day was amazing - when I finally got to hold her for the first time she was perfect and I already have dreams of all the great things we'll get to do as she gets older. I have some amazing Aunts in my life and I promised her then that I will always be there for her. I spent a lot of time with Melissa and Adria while they were in the hospital so my brother could get some rest - which I did not mind at all. Well until I had to change Adria's diaper one morning when she decided the minute I pulled the diaper out from under her was the perfect time to poop. Little stinker. But just to watch her sleep or to watch her watching everything is wonderful, it is probably my favorite thing to do now. I hope Kyle and Melissa don't get tired of me coming home whenever I can and stealing her from them to hold and love. :) She is a beautiful little girl and is the daughter of my best friend and my brother - there couldn't be anything more perfect. Who knew 4 years ago when we worked together that she would marry my brother and start a family? I never would have guessed but I could not be more happy about it! :)

I'm back!

I can't believe it's been over 3 months since I've posted anything. I have so much going on but for now am just going to share some pictures of the last 3 months!

This was at Michelle's baby shower! Last month she gave birth to Caleb!









Melissa's getting closer to her due date too (September 25th)!













Melissa and I hanging out with the cute lil Miss Hailey after watching the crazy Round Barn Festival Parade!













Less than a month to go til baby Kaden or Adrianna!


















This was at Princess Hailey's 1st birthday party... The question here is if the two in the background are laughing at me or with me?












It's hard to believe my little brother is going to be a dad in less than a month. He was giving it some practice here by holding Hailey (I'm pretty sure this is the first time he's ever held a baby - haha!)

Allergies Shmallergies

If you think anything like my husband then you might agree that there is no one else with as many random medical issues as me. Which after 27 years of being me, I just might agree. If you get Kyle started he will tell you that he's been working out a deal with the IU med center to sell me as research. Apparently he figures they can do a lot more worthwhile testing while my body is still functioning. I say they can wait until I die.
Anyway. I have had some serious breathing problems these last few weeks. I can breathe and everything but it always feels like it's not enough - like my lungs are getting enough oxygen. Which makes me yawn constantly, which makes my jaw hurt because really I don't think it likes opening that wide anymore. Since the breathing issues have started my left side jaw has popped/cracked twice from all the yawning. It is painful and freaks me out because I'm terrified I will do something to mess up all of the work the dentists, orthodontist and surgeon have done (it would be my luck - seriously). And everytime it does that the surgeon instructs me to go on a soft diet (no chewing) for 3-4 days... Which makes me think that this causes him concern too. After the first week of this breathing weirdness that came out of nowhere and was causing me to be on the verge of breakdowns when it was really bad, I called the doctor. Went to see her and she immediately had me do a breathing test and then sad me down with a breathing treatment for 20 minutes. Then sat me down to talk about asthma... I had been told 3 years ago that I could possibly be slightly asthmatic after a specialist did some allergy testing. They gave me a rescue inhaler and I think I might have used it once in the last 3 years. Well apparently it is possible that my body has added a symptom to my allergies - asthma... Yay and I have a brand new inhaler to use regularly! "Sucks to your asthmar, Piggy." So I was told to make an appointment with a specialist again (ASAP) so they can do some more allergy and pulmonary testing. Joy. So I call said specialist on Friday and made an appt. for June 2nd. After we made the appt. the lovely secretary at the office says to me, now you will have to stop taking any and all allergy meds 5 days prior to the appointment so we can do the testing. WHAT?!??!!? It seems I forgot about that part... So in 2 days I cannot take any allergy products whatsoever for FIVE DAYS during the worst part of the year for me. I am pretty sure that Kyle can stop his negotiations for a live body...
As if that's not bad enough the memories of the testing are returning... Lots and lots of needle pricks to the back - I was allergic to 42 of the 50 last time - severely allergic to over 75% of those 42. Now they want to do it again... Lord help you if you see me between Thursday and Tuesday this next week and a half. :)

Susan G Komen Race for the Cure

I recently accepted the challenge to raise funds to support the Komen Indianapolis Race for the Cure on April 18, 2009 in the fight against breast cancer. One in eight women will be stricken with breast cancer in her lifetime and the more we raise, the more the Indianapolis Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure can give back to fund vital breast cancer education, screening, and treatment programs in our own community and support the national search for a cure.

With one out of every eight women being diagnosed with breast cancer there is a good chance that the fight against it means something personal to you. I know it does for me and this past week recently it became even more personal. Saturday March 14th was my Grandma Jump's 83rd birthday and she called me that morning to tell me that they had found a spot in her breast and it is cancer. As I lay on my bed listening to one of the most amazing women I know, a woman who has always been there for me, always knows the right thing to say and has just been a guiding light; I tried not to cry because I wanted to be as strong as she was being, but it was really hard. She lives in Florida on the beautiful Amelia Island and all I wanted at that moment was to be there to give her a hug and make sure she knows how much I love her and that I will be with her in spirit to help her fight! But you know what this wonderful grandmother of mine said to me; "Kira I wanted you to hear it from me because I need you to know that I am not afraid of this and I am going to get through it. And if I don't, I'm not afraid of that either." I heard so much strength and determination in her voice that I am sure she will fight it with every fiber of her being and she will win! All she asked was for my prayers (she will gladly take yours too) she will of course always have those but I knew as soon as she said it that I was dedicating my participation in this race to her. When I walked last year, it was my first time participating in the race and I was blown away by all of the people as well as the power and energy that came from everyone rallying together to say "Hey breast cancer, one day we are going to win!" So this year I'm walking for you, Gramma, in hopes that my contribution will one day help find a cure! Please help me reach my goal so we can help find a cure and hope that no more moms, grandmas, daughters, sisters, friends or anyone for that matter will have to fight this disease!

Please join me in the fight by pledging in support of my participation in the Race or contributing generously to Komen Indianapolis. Your tax-deductible contribution will fund innovative outreach and awareness programs for medically underserved communities in 21 central Indiana counties, and national breast cancer research. It is faster and easier than ever to support this great cause - you can make a donation online by simply clicking on the link at the bottom of this message. If you would prefer, you can also send your tax-deductible contribution to to me directly. Whatever you can give will help! I truly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress.
Thank you so much for your time and support in the fight against breast cancer! Every step counts!
Komen Indianapolis
1099 N. Meridian St.Suite 111
Indianapolis, IN 46204-1075
Phone: 317/638-CURE (2873)
Fax: 317/634-4980
Click here to visit my personal page.If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:http://race.komenindy.org/site/TR/Race/General?px=1313241&pg=personal&fr_id=1060&et=a8pXoW2_axYTbMURkNdImA..&s_tafId=15022 Click here to view the team page for MENTOR MarvelsIf the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:http://race.komenindy.org/site/TR/Race/General?team_id=26660&pg=team&fr_id=1060&et=Fh5lSBKzWKDX0Wpb9bhvMw

Only in my world...

So I woke up yesterday morning to my mouth feeling a little odd. So naturally I started opening and closing and talking to myself when sure enough my jaw cracked back in the left joint... WHAT?!! I thought this was all behind me, so at that point I figured that I was dreaming. Which is a common occurence for me to have extremely real-like dreams - so back to sleep I went. I continued to wake up every 20 or 30 minutes with an increasing amount of discomfort around the joint... So I decided to get up and go to the bathroom to make sure that it doesn't look weird or anything which of course it did not. But everytime I opened my mouth it popped or cracked in a very painful manner. So I sat by the phone until it was 8:00am to call the surgeon. The results - do not chew and talk as little as possible until Monday. Ice it as much as possible and take as much tylenol or ibuprofen as my stomach can handle over the weekend. AWESOME! haha. Something like this would only happen in my world - unexplainable symptoms for no good reason! So now I cannot chew or eat any of the Easter yummies that I'm sure my family will make! Boo Hiss! It already feels better today so I'm sure it's nothing, but still...
The doggies and I are making the trek to Rochester to spend the weekend with my mom, I'm excited but nervous at how they will handle a weekend in a different place. Should be fun either way! Plus I get to spend more time with my mom which is truly amazing because I have missed her soo darn much. I will not get in to details but as you might know she got married February 15th. After they got married it seemed like she was nonexistant or maybe I felt like I was non-existent to her anymore, either way it has been some of the hardest times emotionally for many reasons. Regardless, she left him last week due to some very horrible things and the last week and a half have been nothing but worry and chaos. Well I take that back it has been more than that. I went home last weekend as well and to see her laughing and being goofy again does more for my soul than I can even begin to explain. Just to be able to talk to her again about real life is a god-send. Anyway. I'm looking forward to spending the Easter weekend at home with the family! I hope you all have a terrific weekend celebrating Easter in whatever way you and yours choose to do so.
Oh if I may - please keep my gramma J in your thoughts! She had breast cancer surgery on Tuesday and while my dad says she is a trooper and doing well - I imagine it is not quite so easy.
Happy Easter!

Thursday Thirteen

This list is to help me get through the anger that I feel toward the weather here in Indiana as of late. 3 weeks ago we had the snow storm of the year that dropped a lovely foot of snow and shut down the city. It melted off a little bit and then last week we got about another 4 inches of snow. As for this week Monday and Tuesday it was in the 60s and now today we are under flood and wind warnings and it looks and feels like a hurricane outside. I just don't get it. So because the weather makes me mad and the fake spring weather gave me a false sense of hope this is my list of why I like Indiana to help me remember why I still live here.

1. The Colts. This is partly because we live in Indianapolis home of the Colts. It was fun being a fan and not living here, but it is so much more intense living so close to the action!
2. IU, Purdue, Notre Dame and Ball State. How many other states can boast that many powerhouse schools - both academic and athletic
3. Speaking of which we are a state that revolves around basketball and football. High school life revolves around Friday night football. College life in the fall revolves around Saturday afternoon games and tailgating. Then the winter is all about the basketball.
4. Hoosiers. What other states have cool names like that for the residents of their state? There could be other cool names but can you really match a Hoosier? Plus there are so many important aspects of Indiana associated with this name. For one the movie; it is the essence of how we here feel about basketball. Hoosiers are also of course those who attend I.U. and no one can tell me that when you see the word hoosier Bobby Knight isn't one of the first things that come to mind.
5. You know those emails that are all like "you know you're from _____ when..." I love reading the one about being from Indiana and the first time I saw it I was astounded to see how many of them I knew and made me laugh. My favorite is still "if you know what knee high by the 4th of July means" ok and the one that says something about not laughing when you talk about the town of French Lick.
6. I don't personally care or get into it but it is so entertaining to watch those who go nuts over Nascar. Hello brickyard 400...
7. As much as I complain about the weather I do love Indiana in the spring and fall. Both are beautiful especially the fall, so many pretty colors!
8. Home is where the heart is. My heart is here and so is my family - this is where I belong.
9. The Indy Children's Museum
10. ok ok. Sometimes I like the winter too. But really only at Christmas when there is snow on the ground. We used to spend every other Christmas in Florida with my dad and while I loved being with him on the holiday it just wasn't right to be outside playing horseshoes on Christmas day... PLUS we have the town of Santa Claus!
11. That hoosier hospitality
12. How about some famous hoosiers (at one point) we can all be proud of? Larry Bird was sort of a big deal and is also from that funny French Lick place... Like popcorn? How about Orville Redenbacher's? Maybe you like to laugh a little bit? David Letterman is from Indy. John Cougar Mellencamp who was born in a small town and his parents live in the same small town (Seymour).
13. Miss America is from Indiana!

Sick Day - not for the weak stomachs!

I woke up today thinking it was going to be a fabulous day and why wouldn't it? Yesterday was horrid, I could have killed a good 50% of the people that I work with and not had any remorse, at least for awhile anyway. :) So today I got up and got ready in my usual slow fashion, had to take the dogs for a nice long walk and figure out what to wear to look nice since I had 2 important meetings today. Not to mention figure out what eye shadow to wear since I got 9 new colors at sephora yesterday. That is important stuff, ya know. So I'm at work and my stomach is feeling kinda funny (I feel I should mention at this point that if you have a weak stomach do not continue reading) but I think nothing of it because I started back on a med that I had been off of during the surgery process. I just figured it was adding that one back into the mix that caused me to feel a little funny in the tummy. However, within 20 minutes I sure was in the bathroom emptying my stomach, at work even. I have never ever in my 26 years (so close to 27) gotten sick at work, it was horrifying. So I went to tell my boss that I had just tossed my cookies because I had been talking to her when I had to dart to the little girls room. I really thought I was better though but in short order knew that I was going to do it again and it was time to go home... So off I go driving as fast as barbie would drive me (it's a malibu - malibu barbie, get it) and about the time I get on 69 I knew that I was going to be cutting it really really close... As I'm pulling off on the 116th Street exit I was pretty sure that I wasn't going to make it home. But what do you do? I've never been much of a puker - this it's coming right now stuff is new to me, and I gotta tell ya, I'm not a fan. I didn't know what to do. I kept looking at the side of the road and wondering if I could just pull over on the ramp and get out to get sick right there for God and all of Fishers to see? I apparently thought too much about it because next thing I know I'm getting sick IN MY CAR on the floor of the passenger side... Not only am I getting sick but the next thing I know there was a very sudden JOLT and sure enough I had forgot to brake while I was vomitting and ran into the car in front of me. Go figure that puking while driving doesn't work out very well. Thank heavens that there was no damage to either car - or so the guy said - I didn't get out to look. I wasn't really sure what to do at that point, the thought crossed my mind to get out and look but I was a little bit mortified that I had just thrown up in my car while driving. I was also pretty sure there was a good chance there were remnants on my chin since I still don't have total feeling back and don't really know when things decide to drip and hang out on my face... When I got home Kyle was ready to take me to the ER but has handled the onslaught of vomit through out the day very well. He even called in sick to stay home and make sure that I was going to be ok. Such a sweet hubby I have. I called the doctors office to ask if I should be concerned, and the nurse, Melissa, let me know that Dr. Albright had the same symptoms the day before (Wed) and since I had been there on Tuesday I might have picked up the little bug there. What a scary thought it is that when you go to the doctor just for a routine check up and aren't even sick you come out sick! Another scary thought, while I was laying in bed all day I looked up some info on the internet about dehydration to help make sure I didn't get that way. When I went to Ask.com and asked Jeeves about it one of the first topics that came up on the side menu that says "related search topics" was "HOW TO BE BULIMIC" and the next was "HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF VOMIT". My question about throwing up and dehydration led to how to become bulimic? Seriously.... I was disgusted.
Actually this whole day has been disgusting and I hope that you are now just as disgusted as I have been after reading about my day! :)

Is it summer yet?

So I took the dogs out for a walk a few days ago and we decided to go a different way so I wasn't walking into the coldest wind ever the entire time. For whatever reason Winston was all about peeing on every light-pole that we passed which I found comical... On about the 5th pole he lifted his leg to pee and started pooping instead, much to both his and my surprise... It was all I could do to pull him away so he didn't actually poop on the pole, talk about nuts. Winston and Nallah are obsessed with the snow so we've been having quite a bit of fun at the park. They used to go nuts like this when we had our own house and backyard (sigh) and it's fun to watch them play in it again!
Let's see what else can I share. I start physical therapy on Wednesday, I 'm still pretty nervous about this and unsure of how our insurance is going to handle it, but we'll manage! I worked out for the first time yesterday since the surgery. I was feeling awesome until I was done... I opted for one of my biggest loser dvds rather than the exercise bike thinking I was ready for it, not so much. Within twenty minutes my whole head was throbbing and I was pretty sure that my jaw was coming unhinged. Yipes. I didn't give up on it altogether though, and rode the stationary bike this morning, which felt really good too! It has been really hard getting back into the swing of eating right and exercising since the surgery. I see my nutritionist tomorrow and I know she's not going to be very happy with me, hopefully she can help me find my motivation again. I lost 60 lbs in 2008 and would really like to lose the last 47 lbs by the end of September - that's 5 lbs a month, which is definitely attainable!! That will be about the time I get my braces off and I know I can do it!
Had dinner last night with Gess and Rick as well as my mom and Greg. They announced that they are getting married in a month!! Less than a month now, February 16th in Hawaii!! They are so excited and I am so happy for them both - still a big change and it's a lot to deal with - but as long as my mom is happy then I can't really ask for more. Speaking of a lot to deal with - I have a HUGE secret that I'm not allowed to share yet... I'm dying to be able to tell, but can't until I get the ok from the secret-holders... :) On that note I'm going to go find something productive to do so Winston stops gator-chomping me!
Sweet Dreams

Off to College

Since I wrote last night that I would share some memories about Greg today and throughout the week I've been thinking about some of the best and worst times with Greg and those 7 years of my life in general. I could tell you about when he taught me to drive and I nearly killed all 4 of us in the car, or when we went to washington dc for our first family vacation and I learned more about him because of the tears that he cried at the Vietnam Memorial. Or maybe how he always managed to embarass the hell out of me when I was in high school because he would get up at 11 every night to come out and smoke and never ever had on more than a tshirt and underwear. It was his house afterall, he could do whatever he wanted he said. So trying to make sure friends were either gone or in the basement by or before 11 caused some stressful moments. Anyway, all I can think about is the day I went to college so that is what I want to share with you all.
Picking a school to go to was a tough decision for me, it seemed like everyone from Rochester was going to either Purdue, IU or Ball State and I had no interest in any of them. I visited Purdue and knew that I would just get lost in the shuffle. The only other places I applied were Florida Southern in Lakeland, FL and Hanover in lovely little Hanover, IN. I also figured out pretty quickly that I couldn't move to Florida either and be so far from my home and my family. It was still a tough decision because moving to Lakeland would have meant getting to spend more time with my dad and Nancy. But Rochester is what I knew and where my heart was and so I opted for Hanover. Mom and Greg and I had gone for an overnight visit the summer right before my first semester and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to stay so I was sure that moving in as a freshman would be a snap! Nothing to it. I had already met Brent and Michelle during the time we stayed earlier in the summer and I didn't know it at the time but they both would become two of my closest friends during our years at Hanover. Meeting them also led to meeting several others that are still very important people in my life! We formed a pretty tight group over the years and no matter how hard the 4 years were it was always a good time when we were together. What's the saying, work hard and play harder? I think that could have been our mantra :). Anyway, back to the point. The week leading up to my going to hanover for good things were kinda weird around the house. There was a lot going on, I was stressing about starting this new life at college and making sure I had everything and getting to see everyone that I cared to see from Rochester. You know how it goes. I didn't notice for awhile but Greg basically stopped talking to me and it really started to bug me. So by the day that we went down to Hanover, I was all out pissed. Greg and I had come so far since he and my mom first started dating, well really I was the one that had come far. When they first started dating I didn't want anything to do with him - he was not my dad and no one was going to take that place. It took me several years to realize that I can share that place in my life and my heart without feeling like I was betraying my own dad. So I said something to my mom once we were at Hanover about why he wasn't talking to me and wanted to know if he was mad at someone. And she just said 'Oh Kira, he's upset that you're going to be leaving us.' Well I hadn't really thought about that and then I felt really bad for being mad at him, it was just his way of dealing with me going to college. Greg and I had gotten a lot closer especially my senior year and I felt like my family was finally complete. I had 2 moms and 2 dads by that point and together they all made me feel like my family was perfect. Of course, I still missed my dad and there were times I didn't want anything to do with any of the 4 of them but hey I was in high school, give me a break. So we had putzed around all day at Hanover taking our time unpacking and exploring and when it was time to go I knew that I wasn't going to cry. I had finally found my freedom, because let's be honest, I didn't exactly take many chances in high school. My brother had driven down seperately so he left - which was definitely not a big deal but then it was time for them to go too... Mom and I said our good-byes and she turned to leave and then Greg came to give me a hug and he started crying and just hugged me and told me how much he loved me and how he would miss my laugh and my constant talking. He always called me Gabby sometimes I wondered if he even remembered my name was Kira... haha. There was never another moment in all 7 years that I knew Greg that meant as much to me as that moment did. I felt like he really loved me and accepted me as one of his own - and that meant the world to me. Of course, I didn't know at the time that in only a year and half he would be gone and now where I sit he has been gone for 7 years - just as many years as he was a part of my life. What I cling to though is memories like this one and knowing that the last time I talked to him I got to tell him that I loved him. I can only hope that someday I will get to see him again because Lord Almighty do I have A LOT to tell him! :)
Miss you Greg.

Pity Party

Today has been insanely rough and let me preface this by saying that this week is the anniversary of when my stepdad, Greg, died 7 years ago. Each day of the week has a different memory and brings back different feelings and emotions. So with that said I woke up feeling really good and positive today, I didn't look at today as the tuesday that changed my life 7 years ago, I really didn't. I went to work with energy and ready to give today my all. And you know how when something goes bad and then maybe another thing doesn't go so well and everything just starts running together and it brings everything right back to the surface. That's how my day has been. I saw the orthodontist this morning and I was super excited to go, I love Dr. Hughes, he is one of my favorite people and always makes me feel good even with braces and a puffy face. But I gotta tell ya, it was not fun today. Since I started getting feeling back in my chin last Thursday I could feel quite a bit of what they were doing today - which was a lot. I got a new wire and went back to rubberbands instead of the wireties - which makes me feel less like a metal mouth since I don't have the extra hooks either. This probably doesn't make sense at all to anyone but me, so just bare with me. Anyway, when the wire was off I decided it would be a great time to flooss since I hadn't done so in 6 freakin weeks! However, it was excruciating to do so and I had to give up. Dr. Hughes came over and asked if I was ok, he actually thought I was going to pass out! Awesomeness. Anyway, I survived and went back to work and then had to go to the surgeon a few hours later. So off I go to the surgeon all excited because I get to chew starting tomorrow! WOO HOO. Not total freedom - very soft foods but still that's awesome! Last time I saw Dr. B I was able to open my mouth 24mm and this time he wanted me up to 31mm and I thought for sure I was there. Definitely not, made it to 25 and that was in near tears because of my right jaw joint. Dr. Buttram thought that was a little disappointing so he wanted to check how far I can move my lower jaw from side to side. And wouldn't you know it I can hardly move it either way - only 3mm - he said it should be between 8 and 10... So now I get to see a physical therapist twice a week for 9 weeks to work on my jaw movement. I've never had physical therapy before but I can imagine that it is not going to be a pleasant feeling. Now there are all these problems with my insurance covering it and it just hasn't been a good day. I also have to get some kind of special xray later this week too to see if there is anything worrisome going on... My teeth/jaw now hurt so much that I just want to curl up in a ball. I'm not looking for your pity either, just needed to get it out. But thanks for listening!
Tomorrow is going to be a better day and I've got some memories that I would like to share with you all about my stepdad, Greg. :)

Thursday Thirteen

Happy New Year!! I cannot believe it's already January of 2009! Are you kidding me? I spent alot of time last night reminiscing on what 2008 brought us and wow was it a whirlwind year! We moved to Indy in January, I started a new job, two of my closest friends had babies, Marie got married, we moved to a new home in November... AND I got braces (AGAIN) and had my jaw broken - but really aside from that Kyle and I have been blessed with being healthy! We are looking forward to a lot of great things this year so I thought I'd dedicate my list to that!

13 Things I Look Forward to in 2009!!

1. Getting my braces OFF for good!!
2. Being able to chew food again (February!!)
3. Having a new President!!
4. Losing the final 40-50 lbs to get to my goal weight!
5. Kyle and I will have been married for 3 years in April!
6. Kyle and I will also both be turning 27 this year! Not that turning 27 is fabulous but it's another year of life so why not celebrate?!!!
7. As much as I hate admitting this because it means I'm old - my 5 year reunion at Hanover!
8. All of the laughter that our crazy dogs will bring us
9. The possibility that Kyle and I might MAYBE get to take our first vacation since we got married!
10. My mom is getting married!!
11. Getting to spend more time with friends and family
12. Several of my friends from Geneva Center will be getting married this year!
13. I know this is ridiculous but the new seasons of American Idol and The Biggest Loser