Blogging Delinquency

I have been not so good at blogging lately.  Oops.  I have posts that I have started and not published.  I guess I will try to catch up.  Part of the problem I think is that there isn't a ton of stuff going on that I could write about.  So I guess that leaves me with writing mostly about the boys, which is fine, since they are pretty much the biggest most interesting parts of our lives right now.

Let's see, BJ has been playing tennis quite a bit this summer/ fall with his brother in law Andy and is looking forward to playing racquetball as the weather turns wet and cold.  He has also been playing a little church basketball.  He is enjoying the exercise he gets from doing that- it is hard for us to find the time to be active with little kids and busy schedules, but we try!
I have been working a tiny bit in the cancer screening clinic at the Health Department, and also spending time working on things for my craft blog, which will soon move from its blogspot address to its own, new address.  My favorite projects from the last couple of months would probably be making a regular shirt into a nursing (breastfeeding) shirt, sewing infant scratch mitts, and recycling shoe boxes and magazines to make great wall art.
I have also been going to Zumba classes for the past few months, and I love it!  I can only get away 1-2 times a week to do it, but it is amazing the difference it has made in my energy level.  I feel really good.
Gabe is just too cute.  He says the funniest things.  He often calls BJ "honey" or "buddy".  It cracks me up.  He also occasionally calls us by our first names, which is also funny (for now).  He has a slight lisp that is cute and he has some trouble saying certain short words, like "green", but has no problem pronouncing "dinosaur".  He loves Luke, and Luke obviously loves him.
Sometimes it is hard to nurse Luke because he just wants to watch what Gabe is doing.  He is very entertained by Gabriel's antics.  Luke is a smiley baby.  He takes great naps but is not doing so great at sleeping at night.  We need to figure something out to help him sleep better.  It has been hard because he has been sick for a couple of weeks, so we have a smiley but somewhat grumpy baby.  It is kind of a bummer to not be able to use medicine to help him, but some of the things that have helped us make him more comfortable are the humidifier, "Little Noses" saline drops to thin those nasal secretions, letting him sleep in his padded carseat (it keeps him more upright, which makes breathing easier), and The Nose Frida (a kind of weird but very effective tool for aspirating baby noses).  Luke hates tummy time.  He doesn't cry any more, he just rolls over onto his back as many times as I put him on his stomach.  He is getting stronger.  He can almost sit up without help- well, he can already do it, but not for very long.  It's kinda hard to do when your body is in the 20-30th percentile for height and weight and your head is in the 90th percentile, you know?  Haha.  Luke loves playing peekaboo and snuggling with anyone who will hold him.  His cousin Marissa had him laughing hysterically last night at our family Halloween party (thanks, Danielle and Kirk for putting that together!) just by talking to him in a cutesy voice and pointing out things on his and her costume.  I love how cuddly Luke is right now.  He is also very grabby and wants to put everything in his mouth!  He has been teething like crazy.  He has two bottom teeth which came in a few weeks ago.  He will be 6 months old in a few days. 

We took some pictures of the boys in BJ's parents' photo studio.  BJ did a great job photographing them.  Gabe knows the drill for picture taking.  Luke was tired and on the verge of tears the whole time, but did pretty well too.



Love those boys!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I posted this on my craft blog earlier this month, and it occurred to me that I should post it here too, so here it is, read on if you have a minute:


I have posted about breast cancer before, but as October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the information bears repeating, I am reposting.  A part of my life that I don't really share here is that I am a public health nurse, and I work in a women's clinic where I do breast cancer screening and education. Consequently, I have come to feel strongly about early detection/ screening and being aware of your body. I hope you will take a minute to read/ review and maybe make a few changes in your life if necessary.

Breast cancer is a frightening disease. Most women fear that they or someone they love will get it. Our fears may or may not be well- founded, but they are made worse when we hear statistics like:

• Over 40,000 people will die of breast cancer this year; about 400 of them will be men.

• 85% of all diagnoses have no family history.

• 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. (Source: http://www.breastcancerawareness.com/facts.php )

Unfortunately, not all risk factors are things you can prevent, but here are a few things that can help you lower your risk of breast cancer:

• Exercise and make wholesome food choices.  Make an effort to maintain a healthy weight.

• Limit alcohol intake and smoking.

• Be aware of your family history. Talk to your doctor if breast cancer is in your family. This may affect the recommendations your doctor has for you.

• If you are approaching menopause, evaluate with your doctor whether hormone replacement is necessary for you or not. (Source: http://www.cdc.gov/)

In addition, set aside a few minutes each month to do a breast self- exam. Women, if you are at least 20 years old, you should be doing this (as well as getting an exam at the doctor’s office once a year)! I know you may feel uncomfortable, or it may be difficult to remember, but do whatever you have to do to remind yourself! Put a note or sticker somewhere you will see it, or choose to do it on your birthday- date each month. If you are at least 40 years old, you need a mammogram every 1-2 years (every year after age 50). Men, please encourage the women in your lives to do this- it may save their life. When breast cancers are detected early, women have an excellent chance of survival.  If you need a reminder on how to do a self- exam, check out this link that has step- by- step instructions: http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/About-Breast-Cancer/What-Is-Breast-Cancer/Breast-Self-Exam.aspx

I like to tell the women I screen that doing a breast self exam isn't really about following a rigid set of instructions or searching for cancer.  Thinking of it that way can cause anxiety that may cause you to avoid even thinking about it.  I recommend being aware of your body- becoming familiar with what is normal for you.  Think of it as a way to have peace of mind.  If you do notice a change, whether it be a lump, a change in color or texture of the skin on your breast, a change in shape or appearance of any part of the breast, or anything out of the ordinary that persists and doesn't resolve, you should have it checked immediately by a health professional.

As women, we so often put all of our energy into taking care of other people that we fail to take care of ourselves.  If you are not making your own health a priority, please consider that you can best care for those you love by keeping yourself healthy and, well, alive.  What I'm saying is that there really isn't any good excuse for not giving your health the attention it deserves.

If money or lack of insurance/ underinsurance is an issue, there are programs that offer free or low cost mammograms to women over 40 each year if you meet certain income requirements. The clinic I work at is one of these programs, and there are programs like this all over the U.S. You can check out the CDC’s website to find out if you qualify.

OK- one more thing. Take a minute to check out this video. It is about a type of rare but highly dangerous form of breast cancer called Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) in which there may not be a "lump", but rather changes in the outward appearance of the breast.  This can affect women of all ages, so even if you are not 40 years old yet, check it out, okay?