For Cousin Mary

This one's for Cousin Mary, who checks the blog every day.  I've been slacking off with the updates recently, so I've gotta get on the ball.  I didn't realize how much suspense I put people in when I don't update regularly. I'd hate for anyone to suffer physically or psychologically from my lack of blogging.

Basically, the last two days have been fabulous.  Yesterday, as I was lying on the couch reading Breaking Dawn again since I love the Twilight Saga tremendously, I got a surprise visit from Abby and Olivia!  Abby and I had been texting back and forth, and she asked if she could come see me, but I had told her to come later since I wasn't showered or dressed. However, she and Livi were already out to pick up some ice cream, so they stopped by and brought me a McDonald's sweet tea.  It was delicious, and I loved getting to see both of them and talk for a few minutes!  I'm hoping I can go to Olivia's birthday party tomorrow, if only for a little while.  At about 7:00 in the evening, Mumphy and I headed over to Gog's to visit Baby Edmund.  He's only the cutest child alive, I swear.  If his parents wanted to make some money off of him, they could totally make him a Gerber baby or the new face of Pampers.  People would pay big bucks for that kind of perfection.  You know how you tend to see ugly kids on diaper packages and baby items these days?  Edmund could easily change that, and he would be hired by all the baby product companies.  Anyways, it was absolutely killing me that I couldn't get on the floor and play with him or pick him up.  I can't be around babies and not pick them up, so it was almost physically painful to watch him throwing a ball around and not be able to stretch out on the floor with him and toss it back.  He's too precious, and he's such a happy baby.  He's the kind of baby that reminds me why I want to have five children.  There's no way mine will be that pleasant, though.  After a couple of hours, Mumphy and I came home, and I stretched out on the sofa again.  I was exhausted.

Today was also an excellent day.  I slept in really late, then got up to get ready for a family gathering an hour away.  I didn't know how well I would handle the ride there, but I really wanted to see everyone.  We were celebrating two graduations and several birthdays, including mine, which is tomorrow.  Mother made red velvet cupcakes for me, and I decorated them with details and facts related to my surgery in green and blue icing.  That was pretty fun, and everyone seemed to enjoy them.  I wore a new dress that Mumphy had given to me as an early birthday present, and it was amazing to look in the mirror and not see a hump on the right side of my back through the dress.  My back is perfectly straight, and my clothes look amazing on me.  I know I've said that before, but it still amazes me. We left the house around 5:00 in the evening, and the ride was not easy. I had taken my regular doses of medicine beforehand since I knew I would need them, but every pothole sent a jolt of pain through me, and some railroad tracks nearly killed me.  Luckily, I kept Marty's mantra in mind. "Lollipops and lemon drops."  That's what got me through the ride there.  Many thanks to Marty for that.  When we got there, it was wonderful to see and catch up with everyone.  We had a delicious meal, opened presents, and then enjoyed a scrumptious dessert.  I got two pretty new pop-over-the-head dresses, which are all I can wear these days, and money as my gifts.  I had to keep repositioning myself to get comfortable, and I don't think that I was as chipper as I usually am just because I was in some pain, but I hope I didn't come across as grumpy or boring!  I really did have an awesome time.  This pain just makes it difficult to be as energetic and as fun as I want to be.  Before we left, I took some extra painkillers for the ride home, and Marty took a picture of the cousins who needed care from Central Staffing - Poo with her bum leg, Meagan with her bum shoulder, Mary with her pregnancy, and me with my bum back.  I hope I get to see everyone again soon!  The ride back was hard, too, but my pillow helped out a lot.  It goes everywhere with me these days.  We just got home a little while ago, and I'm pretty tired now, but I know that I won't go to bed until after 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning, as usual.

So my birthday is tomorrow.  I'm gonna be 20.  Unbelievable.  I'm not ready for that!  I won't be a teenager anymore, and I'm just getting so old. I don't feel that old, but I doubt that I'll ever feel my age.  I'll always remain a child at heart.  It's too much fun, and I'm still not ready to grow up.  At least I got my surgery early enough in May that I'll now be able to actually enjoy my birthday.  It would be absolutely awful if I were bedridden for my birthday, so I'm thankful that I'm up and walking in time to turn 20.  As they always do, my parents will come into my room at 7:19 tomorrow morning, my exact birth time, and sing "Happy Birthday" to me, and I'll fall back asleep again after that.  It'll be a good day.  I don't have any concrete plans yet, but that's a good thing.  Things are going fantastically right now, besides getting so old.  Also, I can take comfort in the fact that I'm now officially taller than Cousin Catherine, as we discovered tonight!