Check Up

I'm growing! I measure a full inch taller than my last annual checkup, which was prior to being pregnant (so probably spring of '06). I am 72 ¾" tall in my bare feet, or just over 6' tall.

By the way, it just took me 5 minutes to figure out how to write "¾".

I Voted!

Fall 2008

We took Valentino to the Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Ranch yesterday. Halloween last year was spent up the mountain, and we didn't do any decorating or trick-or-treating (he was 4 months old!), and I think he's still too little to really enjoy the holiday - but I was excited to see his reaction to all the people, the music, and the animals at the ranch. We made a morning of it, with our friends Dean & Kim, their daughter Lily, and Dean's mother Gloria.

The first time we took him into the tent with the ponies, Valentino cried. We didn't push it, went to choose our pumpkins instead, and checked out the petting zoo (baby goats! ducklings! bunnies! a camel (!?!)). After a while, we circled back around and got in line for the ponies. When I walked into the tent with him, he was calm, and he pointed to the pony he wanted. He had the best time! I showed him how to lean forward and pat the pony on the neck and stroke his mane, and he thought that was the most wonderful thing - he laughed and smiled the entire ride.

Feel Your Boobies

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I want you to feel yourself up.

Everyone agrees that early detection is the key to successful treatment, and that means that you must take responsibility for doing regular self-exams. I have been fortunate to have clean exams so far, but I did have a scare last month when I found a lump in my right breast. I got in to see my doctor as quickly as possible, but she believes that it was a remnant milk duct (I stopped nursing my son in May). My doctor advised that we check again in a few months, but she was confident that this was a "normal" lump.

Two of my friends were not so lucky. My very dear friend, "C", was diagnosed almost exactly one year ago. She has had a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and is now in the process of reconstructive surgery of her breast. She is hopeful for her future and has every reason to hope that the cancer won't return. Because they caught it early, and treated it aggressively.

My friend "M" also had a mastectomy, but further treatments were not indicated in her case. She has elected not to have reconstructive surgery right now, she wants to live with her breast as it is, almost as a daily reminder to be ever watchful. M was only 37 years old when diagnosed.

I wish I had more insight to impart, but the truth is that I'm woefully ignorant on the topic of breast cancer. It is not a disease that has affected my family to a large extent. That's why I think that campaigns like the one in the image above are even more important - so that no one ever ends up suffering because they didn't have access to help and information. Go read up, and then cop a feel.