Time Flies June 22, 2008

I am nearing the end of my third (and final) pregnancy. We scheduled the C-section for July 22. I am so anxious about so many things. One of them is leaving my kids for several days. Last time it was only my daughter and she understood so much more than my son seems to comprehend. My daughter has always been a little better at me leaving her for periods of time than my son. I am sure that is because I worked for the first year and half of her life. With my son I only worked a small part time job for about a year and he was sleeping during my work hours. I know, I know, a few minutes after I leave he is fine. Just that I you know as a mother that no one knows your kids better than you do. No one knows just the way they like, oh say their pancakes made or how you have a nightly tradition of kissing both their hands before saying “Goodnight, I love you, don’t let the bed bugs bite.” No one knows Ellie the well loved stuffed elephant, your daughter sleeps with every night, makes sure only good dreams get through. Yes, it’s just for a short four of five days but still you sort of feel like you are abandoning them. I know they will be well cared for though by their father and my mother.

I am also anxious about the c-section itself. Last time I lost my ability to breathe or talk and that was pretty scary. I don’t panic easy but I did at that time and they knocked me out. I really would like to be aware this time to see our last child born-so here’s crossing my fingers on that. Of course, I have the usually anxiety about what if something happens to our baby. What if something is wrong…my first daughter spent nine long days in the NICU but is healthy as a horse today (THANK GOD!) I am writing all this so y’all can say after everything turns out just fine how silly I was to be so anxious-enough about the negative.

We have another ultrasound scheduled for July 3rd so I may have some new pics of the newest little princess after that. I really must get serious about getting ready-I really am not prepared at all. I gave away all of the adorable baby clothes I had from my daughter and I have to dig out the baby stuff I have left as well as make room in my room for her. There is some shopping to do as I gave away some important things after my son was born. So, that’s where my head is now.

By the way, Relay went well although a little too hot for me this year. Even though I was horribly lazy about collecting donations and everything else this year we manged to collect almost $1500. For a little family team I thing that wasn’t bad and I always think who knows maybe that $1500 will be the bit of extra $ needed for the research that blows the horrible Cancer Monster out of the water. Maybe it will be the bit of extra $ to help some cancer patients get transportation to their appointments that normally wouldn’t have because there wasn’t enough funding. You never know-whatever the $ is used for I feel assured it will be put to excellent use. Pictures will follow I am a little slow at getting the pics up these days. Thank you to anyone (again & again) who made donations and or participated.

Cancer June 12, 2008

One more plea for donations to my team Pop-pop’s Peeps for the Relay For Life (I made my first one back in January) American Cancer Society fundraiser this Friday and Satuday. Here’s our link: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/poppopspeeps . It’s hard to ask people to put out money and get nothing in return. The thing I have learned about cancer, after having added a couple names earlier this year and then 3 more names recently to our inspiration list (names are listed at our donation site) is that cancer is frighteningly random. Every time I turn around I hear it has struck another person I know directly. You could be next-I could be next. So I ask for donations, in any increment because every little dollar counts. I ask for you, for me, for everyone. I am not just asking beacause I am honoring people who have passed on because of cancer or for current cancer patients but for future patients too (really in hopes of avoiding more future patients.) We never know who will be struck next. I also ask you keep all cancer patients and their families in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for even considering the cause and make sure you get your mammograms and colonoscopies and check ups etc etc. All that unpleasant stuff can mean such a big difference in fighting cancer. 

Relay for Life January 18, 2008

Pop-pop and me back in the day )

2007 Banner

 A sketch my uncle did of my grandfather-we fondly call the fedora a “Pop-pop hat.”

Just putting a little plug in for the race for the cure. I participated and put together a team last year for the American Cancer Society’s 24 hour event. It was a very fulfilling time for me to put a posituve spin on something that feels like a constant negative looming over the heads of various family members and friends. I am proud of our survivors and very deeply miss a lot of people we have lost to this awful widespread disease. My initial true awareness came with my Pop-pop being diagnosed with cancer many years ago (he passed in 1998.) I can still remember the day we found out, sitting in my grandparent’s living room. We knew and he didn’t at that point. Obviously he had been to the Dr. and was waiting for answers. I remember we were talking about it, he came to the top of the steps, leaning on the rail one foot on the top step one on the step below, jingling his change in his pocket as was his habit. We got quiet and a flicker of reckognition that something was wrong came across his face-just a moment I can never forget and I am not sure anyone else noticed it. My heart sank at that moment and from that point on it was a slow painful decline that lasted for over two years. I was praying for his peace at the end-I think we all were. As the years have gone by there have been way too many incidents and death due to cancer that have hit too close to home. So I finally decided it was time to do something-anything. If you are so inclined please donate whatever you can-it helps people that are going through a time with cancer as well as for research for a cure. Here’s my site: Relay for Life it really is a great event and a worthy cause.