Oh Baby!!

Lena Beth Crawford has arrived!

(a bit over a week ago!)

Stress

Apparently if you have at least 5 health problems that can be caused by stress, you're probably stressed, even if you don't know it.

Well, at least, I am. Who knew?!

Sure, I get stressed during midterms and finals and just sometimes when I take on a bit too much, but I LOVE taking on a ton! I LOVE staying busy. But apparently I'm more stressed than I knew.
And according to my doctor that may be one of the many ways my mind and body handles stress and that's okay, not even a bad thing!

But, .... I've had bladder/kidney problems my whole life. I had bilateral reimplementation of the ureters (I think?) when I was 15 months old. Over the past year I've had multiple bladder and kidney infections. Within the past few months I've had more supposedly unrelated health problems. I've been to a ton of doctors, on a bunch of different medications, and I've been fine. I have felt better, but just not ... satisfied. Everyone's been looking at things individually, according to their specialty (Why wouldn't they?)
So, Mother's know best, right? Yeah! Mine totally does. She referred me (and my sister, who's had a lot of the same problems) to a new specialist. (Ha, Yep, that actually worked! She had seen him before, so they took us.)
This past Thursday I saw a urogynecologist, Dr. Biller, at Vanderbilt. I LOVE him! Best doctor ever! A urogynecologist "has expertise in gynecology, urology, and bowel dysfunction in women. Due to the close proximity of the pelvic organs, there is frequent coexistence of problems in adjacent organs." Yes, I did just quote my brochure. :)

So, the diagnosis is ... Levator Myalgia, caused by (dun dun dun) Stress!! So, from my understanding of it, it means that my pelvic floor muscles are way too tight, constricting my pelvic organs (hence all the problems!).

It's caused by any type of stress, emotional, anything at all really, or physical, like my surgery when I was an infant. Whatever it was I apparently internalized the stress. (So, some people grind their teeth or tense their shoulders when they're stressed without thinking about it; its kinda like that, apparently.)  So, Who knows how it happened.

Doesn't matter! Time to fix it! I've been referred to a physical therapist and a pyschologist, to help me figure out and sort through my stresses, because I'm still in denial that I'm stressed. (hah, joking, kinda, okay, I'm coming around to it, but I'm not like a grumpy grouch stress or going to hurt you kinda stress, and I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing!)

After talking with my doctor, I reread all of my medical notes and brochures from my previous diagnosis, like IBS, GERD and all, and found that they're all caused by stress! (in addition to a ton of other possible causes). 

So, who knew?! It's all really fascinating to me and I'm super excited to have answers!

And now, I have yet another reason to be crafty, to paint, to exercise, and to bike ride! Stress Relief! :D

Home again, Home again, jiggity jig.

Camp Shekinah 2011. It was amazing and totally worth it, but crazy exhausting.

  This are my 3. They're adorable; don't be fooled...

 

It was great just to be back home, in Columbia for a week too. Mom and I visited a ton - We had a girl's day for her birthday (June 12th), lunch on the square, movie, ice cream from Bruster's, and manicures. I got to visit with the Crawfords, too! And reconnect with some amazing girls!!

Now, it's back to doing my own laundry and making up my own bed. (Mom said she wasn't used to not having control over her house and the messes in it, so she picked them up for me. Not that I wouldn't have on my own.) 

...And back to singing and dancing in the kitchen with Ryan while making dinner together (my favorite part of the day!) :)

Torn Between Two Worlds...

Overly dramatic? Yes. Indeed.
Still, I am torn. I have 2 different lives! My life in Columbia and my life in Memphis.
Here's just a bit of what I'm missing this week...

Hampton

 

Bennett, the youngest. I wanted a picture of him and his goggles that he has now decided he has to wear 24/7, but he decided to tell me his "bottom hurts!!" as I clicked... Oh, I love my job!

and Pritchard. I'm out of town all week. Their mom even put, "No Maggie" on the family calendar for each day I would have worked this week... 

I'll miss this lil' baby, too! (different family)                          












Haha, This helps me not miss him so much, jk- kinda. ;) He HATES tummy time







And it goes on...

Here's some of what I'm missing out on this week that you shouldn't be if you're in the Memphis area...And if you are missing out on it, then you're reallyyy missing out! (And if you're not in the area and bummed you're missing out, like me - let me know. I'm getting CDs of the God's Signature series and will be listening to them in my car for the next few weeks! (I have no cd player other than my car and my cd drive is on the fritz.))

But, It'll all be worth it once I wake up bright and early, head out into the wilderness that is Camp Shekinah (aka the Smith's backyard), and see my campers! :)

Summations and Conclusions

The lady that hit us in the wreck DOES have insurance.
They DID finally contact Ryan (about 5 days after).
Ryan DID get a rental car!!
Yay Yay yay yay! All of those were... very high up in the air and each prompted a bit (ha.) of stress towards the end of this past week.

So, his Focus was newer, nicer, and just better, but this one can be driven at the moment, so it's got something going for it. ;)

Ryan did have a great first week (3 days) at his new job! He's really into what he's doing and is actually talking about it voluntarily; if you know Ry, you know that meas he LOVES it.

This is after day numero uno. I picked him up because of the wreck and all. (Sorry, I need a carwash). 

Ryan and I did have an awesome anniversary celebration! I confess - We did nothing but eat at Dairy Queen the night of (with us being horrificly old, concerned about "worknights", extremely exhausted, and what not). We did go to Putt Putt on Friday night, though! :) Crazy kids.

And I'm in Columbia for the week now (to be a counselor at a day camp - more to come on that). To mark that, here's a picture of the mix Ryan made for my car ride. "Winders" The first song is Windows are Rolled Down, by Amos Lee and according to Ryan, people in Columbia would say, "Winders are rolled down"...

 And a picture of my cat, that is somehow still alive.... I love her.

I have the best family and best childhood friend - Shout out to you, right there, Anna, that any girl could have and I had one of the best nights visiting with them both, sitting outside under Mom's new patio umbrella eating grilled chicken and veggie kabobs last night, my first night home.

I have the best boyfriend .... and my boyfriend has the best family that any guy could have. (Haha, okay, okay, both families are the best). So, Ryans a working man in Memphis. Still, I spent this Sunday as I've spent every other Sunday (that I've been in Columbia) for the past 5 years, with the Crawfords. 

:D I am blessed!

So, there's some conclusions concerning the wreck week, and just some overall observations about my life...  :)

We've been through...

Everything together!!! 

Ryan and I, that is. Tomorrow is our 5 year anniversary, (facebook refuses to let me forget. I've been getting notifications saying that our anniversary is Thursday, and now tomorrow, since last Thursday. :))

I'm sure I'll make a sappy post with some of our favorite pictures and memories, tomorrow while I'm at work, and while he is working, too. But, for now I'm focusing on something a bit different....

5 years is a long time. It kinda freaks me out when I'm around a five year old and begin to think about it. Isn't that just weird?

5 years is a long time... we've both gone off to college(s) in that time, moved in and out of dorms repeatedly, moved into apartments, seen at least 4 different couples of friends and family get married (half of which, we've been together longer than... weird!), been there for each other through sicknesses, surgeries, hospitalizations (I'll admit - he's been there for me through all of those. Not that I wouldn't be there for him; he just doesnt get sick...), graduations from high school & college (for him), numerous new jobs (and finally a career-type job, for Ry!)... 

Yesterday was our relax day. It was his last day of freedom, before his M-F 8-5 job. We went out to lunch (at 5 guy's!!), planned to go see his new office building ...

Okay, okay, I don't suppose I can ever say we've been through everything, but... we've been through a lot and yesterday just added to the number.

On our way from lunch to his office building, we had a wreck. We're both fine. Just a bit bruised and scratched from the airbags, sore from the impact and whip-lash, and just tired!

Ry's car, however, isn't...fine. We're not sure if its totaled yet or not, because it's such a new car and is still worth so much. Yeah, it's the same car that his Grandmother got brand new this time last year as an early graduation gift (before that we were sharing mine and did so for about 2 years and it worked just fine and now, we are again...) 

Ryan was amazing, as always, through it all. He made sure I was okay and taken care of. He helped me out of the car and onto the curb and we sat and waited as the paramedics and police came. Then we called Lane, who is also amazing, to come get us and take us home. Lane treats me like a sister in the best and worst ways, he picks on me like crazy, yet makes sure I'm taken care of too. And, I mean, I may be the butt of his jokes sometimes, but they're still hilarious.

So, Ryan and I rested, iced our bruises and got ready for his first day! We did laundry, ironed new work shirts, and made his lunch together :)

He picked me up (I let him have my car for the night) at 7 ish this morning. I didn't even know people were awake at that time!! Okay, I atleast didn't know Ryan could ever be awake at that time! ;)
I dropped him off and his office building, and finally saw it.
He texted during his lunch break and said that it was "fine." That means its great for him. :)

I'll miss that little ford if he does have to get a new car. It helped protect us. All the airbags deployed, front and side. ...that was an ... experience. The windshield and the front 2 windows cracked and began to shatter, but we weren't scratched from that. Although, I did find glass in my clothes when I changed that night.  And we both had our seatbelts on.

Ultimately though, our Savior and Father God protected us.

Memorial Day Makeshift Curtain

I did it! I crafted! I made a makeshift kitchen curtain.
I did some spring cleaning this afternoon and found an old table cloth (from my small kitchen table in my old dorm). I love the fabric and the colors go well in my kitchen. Andd.. It was the perfect size for my window!

In reality, I tacked a piece of fabric to a window ...
... Ryan's Mom, Lanelle, made the table cloth.
I put two push pins in the top corners.
I cut ribbons and draped them over the top to tie it up.

But I tried, right? Haha. I don't have a sewing machine. It's on my wishlist (that and learning how to sew more than a straight stitch).
I don't think it looks half bad...
It was a spur of the moment craft with things I already had.

I doubt I'll ever leave it like this. I don't like how the ribbons just hang, plus I like the sun coming through!

 

Just to show how it's just rolled up and tied.

The finished product! At first I just had 2 ribbons, but the middle sank too much.

It does a bit, but not nearly as bad!

I hope to sew it and maybe even add a curtain rod (gettin' fancy! ;)), but for now it serves its purpose!