Happily Ever After: Free iPod Touch

This is a quick update about my previous post.  

Janson told the Genius Bar (IT guys at the Apple store) what was going on with my iPod.  The guy looked at Janson like there was no hope for the poor little machine and asked when we bought it. 

He then handed us a sparkly new iPod.  For free. No money or plastic exchanged.  Nothing. 

Because the iPod is still under warranty, I guess they thought it was easier to hand me a new one and eventually refurbish the old one.  Or whatever they do with the old ones.  (For the Apple interested folk, it is still a first generation version.  They are probably more willing to hand out the soon-to-be outdated hardware.)

I think it helped that the Apple Genius only had 10 more minutes of work on New Year's Eve. Hurray for him. Hurray for me!

  

Mobile Efficiency

It has been over 48 hours since my iPod Touch gave up on me.  I hold no harsh feelings because it was being used between 3-8 hours a day for the past 5 weeks.  It was also the occasional victim to Mari's drooling mouth and sharp teeth (I tried hard to avoid this, but alas, I am a mother with babies surrounded).  Before that it received months of use by Janson; in a more protective manner but daily nonetheless.

Since its leave of absence, I have sorely missed my:

• email
• calendar
• address book
• Facebook
• RSS feeds (blogs)
• recipe collection
• weather updates
• maps
• scriptures
• music
• grocery lists
• packing lists
• to-do lists

The anti-tech people out there may say, "I told you so."  I understand that.  I have paper or digital back-ups of everything, so nothing is lost forever.  Yet while transient and couch-ridden (oxymoron, I know, but still true) having all of these resources condensed into the palm of my hand has been invaluable.  It's also a wonderful alternative to hauling the paper book versions of these resources in a suitcase, or stacked around the couch.  

I watched the poor iPod turn itself on and off three times in a row.  It looked so confused.  After that I took off its rubber skin and water dripped off the machine.  Oh dear.  Results of Mari's mouth or a wet kitchen table, who knows.

Hopefully the warranty will cover my poor iPod, otherwise I know where my Christmas money is going.  I have experienced the wonders of mobile efficiency, and I'm not sure if I can walk away from that.

The Little Drummer Boy

For two years now this has been my favored Christmas book.  More often than not my throat clenches up when I read/sing this to the girls.

Come, they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
Our newborn King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
So to honour Him, pa rum pum pum pum
When we come.

Baby Jesus, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give a king, pa rum pum pum pum rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum
On my drum?

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The Ox and Lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
Then he smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.

When the drummer boy was told to "come... to honour Him" he quickly obeys.  In this holiday season this first verse quickly sobers me, as I question whether or not I am honoring Him.  

Often I feel like a "poor boy" too, with "no gift to bring, that's fit to give a king."  I am human and make mistakes.  Yet the drummer boy sees what little he has to give and offers, "Shall I play for you?"  

As I try to do what little I can, I know I am rallied with blessings and support just as "the ox and lamb kept time."  I hope that I can someday say "I played my best for Him."

Need more Christmas music?

It's that time of the season when my holiday music collection is getting old.  That's saying a lot, since I've got 190 songs.  Are you feeling that way?  Well, never fear, I have your cure.

Cubworld is giving away five Christmas songs.  Yup, you read that right: giving away.  His music is fantastic and clean.  Check out the site for the free downloads, you've got nothing to lose.  If you like it he has more albums out there.

Keep it coming, Jacob.

Fantasy Couch Shopping

I'm tired of my couch.  You would be too after months of couch-ridden life (verses bed-ridden).  I won't actually get a new couch (especially since Grace is still potty training), but I can pretend.  

Optimistic Couch

Literally has optimistic adjectives all over it.

Cadillac Couch



Dog Couch
There were more ornate ones, but I couldn't get the images. This one costs seven times as much as the one I am currently sitting on.


Lip Couch


Scrub Brush Couch



Flying Carpet Couch



Wall Climbing Couch



Vote for your favorite!

Dobie the Delinquent Disk

Miraculously, my friends haven't given up on me despite my recent transition to an anti-social recluse. Lately people have been asking for an update. If you haven't heard from me, it's because the redundancy is getting embarrassing. I'm embarrassed to keep saying, "No, my health situation isn't getting better. There's actually this new thing going on..."  But I'm not going to lie.  

I promise I am not someone always looking for a health condition. I find no secret joy in the extra attention and dependence. Every day I yearn for more independence; a time when I can pick up and care for my own baby. I've been served and I'm ready to serve.

Since that day is not near, and questions are coming, here's an update.

Facts

I was starting to do much better and loved being available to change a few diapers, make some dinners, and get off the couch. Quite suddenly, my sciatic leg pain has come back. My neurosurgeon estimates that another piece of disk has dislodged and is pressing against the nerve. For seven weeks after my original partial diskectomy (which took out the piece of disk pinching the nerve) I had no nerve pain. Yay! The problem was fixed and there was no permanent nerve damage. So we know this current pain is not just old nerve damage, there is something new going on.  Well, sort of new...

Ideas

Because an MRI image would be vague so soon after surgery (scar tissue), we can only guess what is going on. I didn't really want an MRI before Christmas anyways, in case they saw a need that would land me in the hospital over the holiday. YUCK. 

My guess (and my guesses are getting pretty good) is that my previous disk herniation made the disk go ka-put (aka damaged it so it's now a sickly little thing that can't do it's job). 

Let's name this dear little (L4-L5) lumbar disk Dobie.  Instead of being a cushy, little pillow between my bones, Dobie's squishing out, pinching my nerve, and causing leg pain more severe than ever.  If Dobie was damaged before, no wonder it's now falling apart. If that's the case, let's get that thing out of there so I can eventually get back to being a mother! Well, that's my completely non-medical take on it.  There were way too many if's in this paragraph.

Pain & Permanent Damage

I said that delinquent Dobie was causing me pain.  You might be thinking, "Ah, what's a little pain, be tough Lynn!"  If that was the only effect of the pinched nerve, I'd just say, "Give me narcotics, I'll live through it and take care of my kids!"  (Well, they have given me narcotics and my husband can attest to the fact that they are the only thing keeping me from being a complete scrooge.  To make an understatement: the pain makes me edgy.)  The pain, though, is a message.  Dobie's efficient little nerve pinching could cause paralysis and permanent damage of bladder/bowel functions, leg function, and who knows what else.  I really don't want to know.

Health & Motherhood

So, as I have made each decision about the care of my health and my kids, my top priority has always been motherhood.  I want to do whatever it takes to mother my kids.  In some instances I've said, "Hold off, I need a few days with my kids and husband."  Like now.  In the long run, though, I have to be cautious now so I can be the best possible mother later.  And by later, I mean the rest of my life and the lives of my kids.  

It would be irresponsible for me to throw caution to the wind, stay home with my girls and care for them at any cost, and then end up with permanent damage that will handicap my mothering abilities for the rest of my life.  

To sum it up

In a week I will probably have an MRI and know what's going on.  Until then, Janson, Grace and I are at home while he works, and Mari is up with my parents because I can't lift her.  We are determined to spend Christmas as a family, which means driving up to my parents house to be with Mari.  Luckily Janson's boss changed his mind and he now has Christmas morning off.  How kind.

The Doghouse

What women don't want for Christmas:

Beware of the Doghouse Video

Ironically, I did ask for a gym membership for Christmas.