Keeping Up with the Joneses: April 2013

Its been a month since my last post, which is crazy. I really do like to try and keep up with this blog so the boys (and me) can always look back on what we were up to. When I go on radio silence its usually because I don't feel like writing. And I usually don't feel like writing when I'm going through something I'm still processing. I've been feeling pretty horrible for awhile now. And going through test after test and even surgery to try and fix the issue. The last test I went through seemed to finally find the problem and bring along a diagnosis, Crohn's disease. When the doctor first told me this I was relieved. Finally, the doctors saw something (23 ulcers in my small intestine) and finally there is a diagnosis. We can write a prescription and I'll go on my merry way, feel better and all is great. But that's not really what's happened. We started off with a low dose medicine hoping it would bring relief. It did not. I have gotten really great at masking how I feel. I get through the days (mostly) okay with the boys and can try to be as good as a mom as I'd like to be for them. And then I leave their rooms after good night stories and kisses and many nights I crawl into my bed, curl up in a ball and try to zone out from the way I feel and eventually pass out before I have any quality time to myself or with Brad. It doesn't leave a whole lot of time for blogging and leaves Brad and I feeling awfully frustrated at my lack of being able to hang out with each other. Of course I have good days too, don't get me wrong. But I'm just so beyond ready to feel 100%. I went back to the doctor this week after being on my medicine for a month hoping for a change of dosage or medicine, but instead he told me to be patient, one of my finest qualities (sarcasm). He told me Crohn's is a lifelong chronic disease. (Yay.) That my case is actually relatively mild, which I know because my dad has severe Crohn's, but we need to be patient and try to see if this medicine at this dosage will do its job. The other medicine, a steroid, comes with not fun side effects and would much rather not have to go down that road with me. I agree with that. So, here's to hoping I feel better soon. Without stronger meds.
So back to the fun stuff. We've celebrated Passover and Easter. We've had fun weekends filled with outside time and soccer games and birthday parties. We officially potty trained Brady and celebrated with a pizza party. No more diapers in our house is a happy day. Blake's been busy with school and having fun with his friends. We've enrolled Brady for school in the fall because he's been doing so incredibly well with his health and enrolled Blake for KINDERGARTEN. EEK. Blake will be turning five in a few weeks and my heart is bursting with pride for that kid and breaking that he's growing up so fast all at the same time. We just had our first trip to the dentist. Brad and I have had a few date nights. Lots of life that's been living even in the midst of not feeling well. And I am grateful for that. So grateful for my family.

Passover