Restore iPhone from older backup

Hello,

Let me start out by saying thank you for viewing and I hope you can help!  I have searched support and haven't found anything that has helped.

Last night I did a normal backup and sync with no problems.  Today I noticed that I lost all of my text messages.  I don't think it was from when I synced, I actually tried to send a mms and I don't ever remember it going through.  In support I have read that people sending mms have had the the screen go white and the text mesages disappear. 

I also read that I can restore from a backup.  I tried that and no luck, the text messages that were listed only showed 2 from last night and none from this morning so I know that the backup worked but the last backup must have been after this issue happened.  What I need is the backup BEFORE last nights.  I would much rather lose a couple weeks of text verses 3 years of text.

I wish it was as simple as "select the next one in the list" but it's not.  The other file names listed are my husbands iPhone and 4 other files that all have dates of 2009 and older.  I sync at least once a month.  Where are they and I how do I restore to one from at least this year?

Please help!

Thanks

iPhone 3GS 4.3.5