Neck Pain

Earlier in the year I was at work, going about my usual morning. I walked into the break room to open the freezer so I could enjoy my typical breakfast of Strawberry Whole Wheat Waffles with Peanut Butter.

Don't knock it until you try it!

Anywho, I reach out for the freezer door and WHAM!!! I feel this instant sharp, shooting pain, start at the top of my neck and quickly make its way down my spine to the base of my shoulder blade. One second I am trying to enjoy a harmless waffle, the next second I am in a sense, paralyzed. Any movement sends a sudden rush of pain and an urge to burst into tears.
The only thing stopping me from crying is the fact that it hurts to even breath, so crying would only be worse.

I need to go to a chiropractor, ASAP! My heartless co-worker sees the obvious misery I am in and has the nerve to ask, "Can you just wait it out and see how it feels?" Um NO!! Did you miss the part where it hurts to BREATH!?

My fiancé has to pick me up because I obviously can not drive without killing myself or another innocent person.

I get to the chiropractor, he takes an x-ray, and sure enough I pulled a great one. My neck was experiencing such extreme spasms that I had actually inverted the spine in my neck. The spasms had such force, my spine was curving the complete 100% opposite direction. Fan-freakin-tastic.

Even better, it's too swollen for him to do anything without making it worse. Solution? I must alternate between applying an ice pack and bio-freeze to my neck about every 15 min. Which lasted the next two or three days until he was finally able to adjust my neck. It took about two weeks to finally get my neck to move without serious pain.

This past Saturday, my now hubby and myself went to College Station to watch the last football game of the season. The hotel had the worst pillows ever!!! I wake up Sunday morning and that all too familiar neck pain is back.

It subsides as the week-days pass, but here we are, Thursday, and yet again, it's worse than ever! My sweet Hubby goes to get me some Advil and buys a lovely, large ice pack with its very own cushioned bag, that resembles a sleeping bag, for me to place on my neck.

Now at 2:30 pm in the afternoon, I am not as miserable or wincing with every breath, like I was this morning. I just hope it gets better quick because I intended on decorating our first REAL Christmas tree this weekend.

First things first, once I can fully move on my own, I am going to the mattress store and buying a damn good pillow!

Coincidence

     Ever since we got back from our honeymoon I have been in this funk. Struggling to get back in the swing of things. Struggling to be productive. Which is to be expected. I went from 3 weeks of "romantic" bliss, strolling beautiful allies, drinking wine, eating adventurous foods....to USA, working, and well, more working.

       While we were on our honeymoon in Santorini we stumbled upon a lovely restaurant that was run by a family. Grandma and mom were cooking in the kitchen, Dad catering to guests in his various fluent languages, and two sons helping here and there where their ages would allow. One little boy I wanted to steal away. He was unbelievably adorable. He had heard so many people say, "My name is..." while pointing to themselves that his understanding became pointing at something saying, "My name?" meant, "What is that?".
Points to my hair... "My name?"
"Hair."
"My name?"
"Jacket."
"My name?"
"Wedding ring. College Ring."

He went on over to a German family asking, "My name?" unaware of his meaning, and the family begins to introduce themselves. The daughter was Adalena....later we heard them again and understood it to actually be Annalena. Either way, they are both gorgeous names. Henry and I immediately loved the name. We have always said Claire Faye Johnson would be our first girls name. However, Adalena/Annalena Faye Johnson is now the favorite. there is something so elegant about those names.

We were talking to a friend today who was trying to pick baby names and we recalled the names from over a month ago that we loved and shared with our friends. Again, we are baby smitten and having major baby blues. Lol

I am not a big reader. My husband is. He reads an unbelievable number of books. It takes a good book to get my interest, usually something involving women's rights, such as the author Jean Sasson. She is a phenomenal writer. We went to half price books to purchase baby books with our friends and some for ourselves. :-] While there my husband points out a book titled Atonement. We watched this movie randomly one day about a year ago and it greatly affected me. I cried so hard after the movie because of the thought inspiring ending that made me greatly appreciate my love for Henry beyond comprehension. To see this great movie was a book brought me so much joy! I bought the book immediately.

When I got home, I opened the book. There on the 4th page was two words.

"To Annalena"

Coincidence?

Back In the USA

If you aren't aware, Henry and I finally tied the knot on October 13, 2012!! Whoop! The very next day we flew off to Greece, followed by Italy, and one unexpected night in London.

It has been almost one month since we've slept in our own bed and boy is it nice!

Needless to say, we have a lot of fun memories and experiences to share with everyone. I plan to blog about the bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner, wedding day, and the honeymoon one day at a time.

Some of the things I can't wait to share is the Red Sand Volcanic Beach, Dark Side of Rome Tour, and experiencing one of the highest record floods in Venice in 20+ years!

Get Ready.

XoXo

Baby Blues

Those who knew me before Henry was in my life knew that I did not want a baby until I was 30. I wanted to wait, get married by the time I was 23, enjoy being married, travel, THEN have a baby.

When I met Henry, he wanted to be married by the time he was 26, have kids by the time he was 28, two kids by the time he was 30. 

Henry is a year older than me. 

That puts me at 2, not one, TWO kids, by the time I am 29.

I remember meeting Henry in February of 2009. By June of 2009, I remember Henry bought us amazing Mavericks tickets and booked us a room at Hotel ZaZa in downtown Dallas. After the game, I remember laying in bed talking about everything. Then Henry blurting out that he already had the date he was going to propose to me. 

I was shocked. 

I tried to act all cool and non-chalant. I mean I had just gotten out of a 5 year relationship December 2008 - who had plans to propose December of 2009 -  I was extremely leery of promised futures. 

Deep down though I was squeeling with joy, and in the dark grinning from ear to ear!

Henry was not like any guy I had met. 

He was honest.

Brutally honest.

He would straight up say when he saw a hot girl. 

He didn't pretend he wasn't looking or checking her out. He brought her to my attention too.

 I admired that. 

The guy before Henry was a lying, cheating, good-for-nothing dog. 

Henry's up-front honesty, even though I didn't care to hear it all the time, was deeply admired. 

I even remember one of the first things Henry said to me was, "Don't expect me to be a gentleman. I am not going to open doors or pull out your chair." 

Again, honesty. 

So, even though Henry and I had only known each other 4 months - he had been nothing but an open book with me. 

We fully trusted each other. 

Something I was NOT use to, at all. 

Sure enough he proposed April 2010. 

He had actually purchased the ring with the help of my sister December of 2009.

Naturally, in a relationship you discuss kids. 

Now that we were engaged, Henry really stressed his love for kids. 

He is the youngest of 6, with each sibling having numerous kids. And let me tell you! Kids gravitate towards Henry!! They adore him. Babies don't cry when he holds him, toddlers belonging to strangers want him to play with him or pick them up, his nieces and nephews adore him. It is truly the craziest thing I have ever seen - his dad is the same way. 

Kids just can't get enough of Henry. 

Seeing how kids love Henry, and how Henry loves kids changed my perspective on when to have babies. 

Now don't get me wrong, my Andrology job did too. 

There were so many women coming in my age or even YOUNGER who were having infertility issues. All said the same thing, "Well, we wanted to get married, travel, enjoy married life....and here I am. Unable to have kids on our own." 

But regardless, Henry's affinity for children was something I couldn't help but love. It made me want our own kids and to see him with OUR children. 

I had never once before ever had this burning passion for wanting kids. 

It was like before it was something I knew would eventually happen, like just out of habit - meet a guy, get married, have babies, kind of habit.

Now that I was with Henry, I wanted a baby of our own more than ever.

 I wanted a little bundle of OUR DNA to have, to hold, to love.

Going to the A&M game this past weekend only amplified our baby blues. Sitting in the Alumni section with all the former Aggies and their kids was something that truly brought tears to my eyes.

 I wanted my own little boy to dress up in Aggie gear and tote around to games! Every child that was in plain site had us pointing, "Oh! Look at that baby!" "That little girl is the cutest thing!" "Look at those three sons and all their Aggie Jersey's! How fun!"

If all things go as planned, which I know God has plans of his own, we are hoping to be preggo with our own lil future Aggie by the end of January/February. Hoping for an October baby, like me. :-) 

I hope we end up with two wonderful boys!

Henry wants a boy and a girl. 

Odd? 

That I want all boys? Yea, people keep telling me that. 

BUT, I want two cute boys that I can teach to country dance, and take to football practice (or whatever sport, except baseball, BORING!). 

I want two adorable country boys, just like their daddy. :-)

This world honestly needs more men like Henry. 

He is such an amazing man. 

Even though he didn't start off as a gentleman, he sure has come around on his own. 

Needless to say, I have been pinning baby stuff like CRAZY!! haha

If you want, check out my Baby Board:

One Day...