Two years ago today....

Two summers ago, I found a lump in my breast (what a way to start a blog entry, right??).  I had my annual obgyn appointment the week after I found it so I had the doctor check it out.  Breast cancer runs in my family so I was a little unnerved by the whole thing.  The doc checked it and wanted me to get an ultrasound on it just to make sure all was okay and to put me at ease.  I had my appointment for the end of August to get the ultrasound (they said I was too young to do a mammogram).

My mom went with me to the appointment and we were sure it was absolutely nothing, and everyone was just being overly cautious. 

The technician started the ultrasound and I noticed a frown on her face and I got a huge pit in my stomach.  She left the room and brought back a doctor with her.  He looked at the screen and said he thought I should get a biopsy on the lump.  uhhhh..... that was NOT what we thought he was going to say. 

I walked back to the waiting room where mom was and didn't say a word.  We went to the car and I just lost it.  I was terrified.  I didn't want to get Eddie worked up, since he can't handle me crying so I pulled it together to call him to fill him in on the outcome of the appointment.  Halfway through the call, I started crying (of course).  My mom took me back to school where I told the school secretary I was going to take the afternoon off to process all of this. 

Playing the "what if" game doesn't do a bit of good, but you really can't help it.  I kept thinking what if this is cancer?  What if I have to start chemo? What if what if what if......so morbid!

I had to call the cancer center to schedule the biopsy and it was a while before they could fit me in, so I had to sit and play the what if game for a couple of weeks.  It made for a quiet birthday celebration, that is for sure!  My whole family had it on their minds, but no one wanted to talk about the what ifs. 

On September 2nd, I went in to the cancer center and had my biopsy...had NO idea how much that one hurt!  Apparently, when you are young and your boobs are perkier and firmer it's harder to maneuver the needle around in there, as opposed to an older woman who has some sag going on (note: this was pre-baby.  I have plenty of sag now...). 

Anyway, to make a long story LONG, we left there and went to the Breast Clinic where I met a doctor who felt my lump and said right away, "that isn't cancer."  Uhhh....couldn't we have seen her first and had her tell us this??  She said she couldn't be certain, but that it didn't "feel" cancerous. 

She was the one who received the biopsy results and called me later that same day to tell me that yes, there was a lump, but that it was not cancerous.  yeeeehaw!  I called everyone in my family and we all cried the happiest tears.

Moral of the story......check your boobies, girls!  And don't take life for granted.   And don't freak out until you have to!

Birthday Fiesta!

It was SUCH a fun birthday party!  We had close to 60 people show up and I loved seeing everyone together.  Here are some pics from the party!  Can't believe I am 30!!!  (I am leaving tomorrow for 11 days in Texas and Tahoe so I don't have time to write too much, plus I have another blog entry to do later today.....)

Dear 20s,

Dear 20s,

Tomorrow I will be leaving you behind and joining a new decade.  I am not sad to turn 30, but I do thank you for all of the fun times being in my 20s provided.  The wrinkles on my face cannot be blamed on turning 30.  I am happy to be able to blame them on the fun times on the beach (where I didn't put on enough sunscreen....opps), on the hilarious events that kept me laughing for hours and sometimes days, and even on my frustration working with students (which turned into smile lines once they figured it out!).   Realizing that when I am turning 40, I will not enjoy those wrinkles nearly as much, right now, I wouldn't trade those days on the beach or those happy times for anything. 


After watching the wonder that is The Bachelor Pad last night, I looked at Eddie and said, "I may be turning 30, but at least I am happy with my life right now.  I could be 30 and a contestant on the Bachelor Pad participating in a kissing contest....".  A little perspective, no?


I love you 20s, but it's time to say goodbye!  I have got to rock this next decade :)

So we think he can dance

Cal and I love to play together.  We get down on the ground and roll around and crack each other up (okay, he cracks me up.  I just make him stare.).  Yesterday, we rolled over a toy and it started making some noise and Cal started dancing to it.  Over and over again!  He loves to push the button and then dance! 
(sorry to repost, the first one didn't load the entire video)

MILF's Retreat

Yes, the title of this blog is gross.  We don't care.

This past weekend I headed to the beach with some girlfriends, a big bunch of mommas, for a little girl bonding freedom :)  We thought the title of our weekend was fitting!  Everyone left Friday afternoon and since I was gone all last week, I left Saturday morning and only went for one night.  It was so funny-- by Sunday morning, we were all up and at 'um ready to get back to our babies!
We spent quality time on the beach and in the ocean, went for a booze cruise and had a fabulous dinner out at a great restaurant.  We all enjoyed just being girls!

Here are some pics from the weekend....

This about sums it up.....

Scrub Island

What a week!  We had a wonderful time enjoying each other's company.  Leaving on Tuesday morning was a bit tough.  Our flight was early so both of my parents came over early and my dad took us while my mom stayed and waited for Cal to wake up.  I cried on the way to the airport (I know-- SUCH a wuss), but then sucked it up and was great for the rest of the trip!  My mom would send us updates throughout the day with everything they were doing and it helped me so much.  That way, I wouldn't be sitting there wondering what they were doing.  Cal had a big time at Grandma's house, and I think they both really had fun together.  I do think, however, that they were both ready for us to get home!  I think Cal's business might have worn out my mom just a tad :)  We came home to him walking all over the place (for longer distances), and he looked like he had grown 4 inches!  We were amazed!

Anyway....the trip really was special and made us realize how much the time together was  needed.  Here are a few of the TONS of pictures we took.  The resort was the nicest resort I have ever seen.  We lucked out and got a corner suite and it was INCREDIBLE!  I couldn't believe our luck!  It was a smaller group, which proved to be a blast.  Everyone knew everyone by the end and it was one big party every night.  I could party it up too, because I didn't have to get up and take care of a baby the next day!

Enjoying the Wine Pairings Dinner

We did a lot of sitting in the water with a beverage

Sitting in the water with a beverage!

Going to dinner one night

Our bathroom.  The tub was HUGE!  And it had a TV too!  I was in heaven (the tv didn't work so I wasn't watching it!)

On an all day island hopping trip.  We snorkeled and then went to a few bars on different islands: so fun!

On our way to the next island!!!

Again, we had a wonderful trip, but we are both glad to be home with our little guy.  We woke him up (sorta) when we got home last night and he looked at us like he had no idea who we were!  We had a ton of fun playing today....and I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off playing catch up!  There are more pictures here if you are bored and want to see more!

11 Months Old!

I can not believe my little guy is 11 months old already!  He is going to be a year before we know it! Time is flying by and I swear to you, every month I think it can't get much better, but it soooo does.  Cal is getting more and more fun and we fall more and more in love with him every single day.  We are so blessed to have this little man in our lives.

Here are some updates at 11 months:

Height: I have no idea (we will get measured next month at our 1 year check up)

Weight: I would guess around 21-22 pounds.  He is slimming down now that he's so active

Eating: EVERYTHING!  He loves rotisserie chicken, ground beef, ground turkey, etc... he still loves cheese and cheesy toast.  He also likes spaghetti and his all time favorite food for right now is graham crackers.  He can't get enough!

Bottles: Coming from the kid who wouldn't take a bottle, he is LOVING his milk!  I stopped nursing on August 1st.  I was planning on finishing on the 2nd (just to have one more day of it), but that was the day that Grandpa passed away and I couldn't get home to nurse anyway, so it worked out well.  Cal hasn't looked back once.  He loves his bottle and the milk and I am sure would take 10 bottles a day, if we let him.   (side note: I thought I had completely....dried up....a few days after we stopped, but then a week to the day, I had these HUGE lumps form and they were SO SO painful....after I got through those, I was dried up :)  tmi..???)

Walking: Cal has walked, as I posted in the video, but he still prefers to crawl.  He will walk to one of us, and is walking more and more on his own.  It is so fun to watch him venture out on his own and walk away from whatever it is he is using as support.  Crawling is still faster, but I would imagine by next month, he'll be walking everywhere....YIKES!

Talking: We have a little chatterbox on our hands!  He doesn't say a lot, but he is passionate about whatever it is he's trying to get out.  It looks like he's preaching because his hands are waving and his face is real serious.  He will say dogdog while pointing at Hank, he says lighhhht, Mommmm and Daddad.  He says a few other things that we think are words, but we might be giving him a tab more credit because we are bias :) 

Tomorrow, Eddie and I are leaving for a vacation...just the two of us!  We are leaving Cal with my parents.  They are going to be FINE.  They are going to have such a great time together.  It's not them I am worried about!  Eddie had a golf trip this past weekend and he came home and said, "you are going to have a really hard time leaving him next week."  That is NOT what I need to hear!  We had a little *chat* after that about encouraging words vs. words that make me want to cry.  We both agreed to be positive about it all :)  It is going to be wonderful for us to have some alone time too.  I am taking 5 books.  As Zac Brown band says, I am going to have "my toes in the water, ass in the sand," and I am going to be loving it!

xoxox,

um, do I have anything on my face?

Bibs do not work anymore with Cal. At all. We have resorted to naked feedings. (I love this kid!)

Football predictions

Football season is right around the corner and Cal is making some predictions for his TCU Horned Frogs:

Balloooooons!

 

Cal is OBSESSED with balloons now, and loves getting one at Harris Teeter while we grocery shop.  I took him yesterday and skipped by the free balloons because I honestly wasn't thinking about them, and started shopping.  We got to the card aisle where they have the really nice balloons and Cal LOST it.  He was pointing and shouting/screaming something that sounded like BAHHHHHH!  (he wasn't crying or throwing a fit, he just got SO SO SO excited by the balloons there).  We pointed at the balloons and ohhh and ahhhed over them and then went to the next aisle.  Cal would not stop pointing and screaming BAHHHH, so I went to the front of the store where they have the free ones and tied one on to the cart.  He was in heaven! Two women came up to me and said they've never seen a baby get that excited about a balloon before... It was really hard to get a picture of this because he was waving it back and forth non-stop.... here ya go: