Summary of our year 2014

So 2014 was full of crazy fun and some trauma and due to the unforeseen hard times, I stopped blogging. My last post was July 4th 2014 which now is over a year ago. Weeks after my July post, My oldest daughter and my oldest son and I headed to Columbus Ohio for the National AG Fine Arts Competition and Convention. (My daughter Shana had placed in the NC State AG Competition and won her "ticket" to the National competition for Female Solo Song Jr.  I was literally 3 weeks from my due date with Baby Boy Phoenix (#9) but I was determined that this bun was going to stay in the oven til I got back.  Luckily he did, but I had developed PGP (Pelvic Girdle Pain) and the 4 block walk back and forth sometimes 4 times a day to the convention center was taking it's toll on my alignment. My daughter did great but she didn't win her category and I can honestly say that the disorganization and mismanagement of funds by the leaders on this trip really left a bad taste in my mouth.
Upon our return, with 2 weeks left of my pregnancy, my hips and back were becoming increasingly out of line. My hips literally jutted out on my right side and I couldn't completely stand straight without excruciating pain. 2 weeks and 1 day later, my water broke at 8am in the morning. We rushed to the hospital 35 minutes away and I barely made it to the bed before the babies head was already pushing his way out. Total labor and delivery was 50 minutes and Baby Phoenix was a whopping 11lbs 4oz! HOLY MOLY!

Immediately after delivery I knew something was wrong with my right hip and back. I couldn't sit on my right butt cheek without excruciating pain and I also couldn't sit criss-cross style without my leg feeling like it was coming out of the socket. I spent the next 5 weeks hobbling around until I ruptured a disk in my back and had to have emergency surgery due to my right leg becoming paralyzed from an impinged nerve. After my discectomy, I spent a lot of time in bed and the rest of the time using a walker until feeling returned to my right leg and I could walk unassisted. During this trial in my life, I made a few good friends and reconnected with some old friends. I also wasn't able to continue breastfeeding Phoenix which was disappointing at first but I came to realize that although it would not have been my first choice, it was an alternative with an equal number of pros and cons. Phoenix although formula fed is now 14 months and has been just as healthy as my breastfed babies. The biggest difference I have seen is the bond between my husband and Phoenix. Most of my kids preferred me up until they were weened but Phoenix literally prefers Shane for everything. It's a huge contrast. Although that part was a little sad for me, I have experienced a different kind of freedom that having an infant attached to my boob at all time never allowed ;) So that was our year in a nutshell. Most of it, was not a joyride but we survived.