What’s Up Wednesday

 Hi friends! Happy end of September!

What We’re Eating This Week: We have my favorite crockpot butternut squash soup:

Post Cancer/Chemo Update Month 2

 Hi there! I hope you all had a good week! Today I am here with a very happy update :) This week marked two months since I ended chemotherapy and I am very happy to report that I feel INCREDIBLE! Am I back to 100% of the old me? No. Am I feeling significantly better though? Absolutely. Not only am I feeling better, but I am starting to look like my former self again, which is a big morale booster!! Let's get to it:

Mentally/Emotionally/Spiritually

I cry happy tears all the dang time now. I'll be watching the kids play at a park, or snuggling Liam while we read a book, or listening to LG's imaginative play with her dolls, and all of a sudden I start tearing up. I cannot believe I almost lost this. When I got that call on February 8th that I had stage 4 cancer, my mind immediately went to "what if I die?" And I started spiraling, picturing all the parts of my children's lives I would miss out on. It is so easy to get caught in "autopilot" mode and just go through the motions of life without stopping to appreciate how truly beautiful the little things are. Not anymore. 

Physically

- I have hair!!!!!!!!!! It's super super short and gray, but it's hair!

 It is going to be a long time before it's long enough to be cute, so in the meantime, I bought another wig. Just like before, the pictures online were much different than how it looked when it arrived (why is this so hard?!?), but I ended up liking it so I kept it. It is much darker in person, I don't know why it is so light in pictures?

It’s different from my norm, but I really like it!

- I have eyebrows and eyelashes too! Check out those real brows and lashes! 

Woohoo! 

- I still experience muscle myalgia (pain) in my legs, but it is getting better. I used to need my Tramadol multiple times a day, but now I only take it three or four times a week. 

- I am still nowhere near being able to run, but walking has gotten much easier. I used to feel like I had spaghetti noodle legs and concrete feet, and that is dissipating. Hopefully within the next month, I will be able to start running again.  

- This is one I had forgotten to write about last month, but I have neuropathy. If you are unfamiliar, neuropathy is a loss of feeling, or a tingly feeling in your hands and feet. It is mostly in my fingertips, but has been improving significantly. I used to struggle with it a lot. It was hard to type, write, put on jewelry, open things like water bottles, etc. Now I am able to do most of those things again, although it is still harder than it was before.

I had another PET scan last week, and the results came back all clear. I loved getting this text message from my oncologist:

I am scheduled to get my port out next Friday, and I am looking forward to getting that over with. As Lily Grace put it this week, “Mommy, your port is the last thing. Once you’re done with that it’s really all over.” As far as I’m concerned, she’s right. Recovery might not be over, but the cancer chapter of my life sure is. 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Today I am linking up with Andrea and Erika for Friday Favorites.

Liam is 4!

 Hi friends and happy Monday! On Saturday our sweet boy turned 4 years old, and I won’t lie, I’m having a LOT of emotions about it. 

Our Weekend in Blowing Rock

 Good morning! Happy Friday! Today I am sharing about our Labor Day weekend in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. I had hoped to get this post up last week,  but the weeks have been getting away from me-- agh!

For those of you who don’t know, my parents have a house in Blowing Rock, and we go up to visit as often as we can. This past year we have not been up nearly as often as we would’ve liked due to my diagnosis. I am happy to report that I am feeling much better and we had a fabulous weekend there over Labor Day weekend. 

Not Just a Mom: Our Hobbies

 Hi there! I hope you had a good weekend! The kids seem to have gotten their first bug of the school year. Just a little head cold thank goodness. Luckily, nobody has had to miss any school, but we definitely rested on the couch a little more than usual this weekend. Luckily there was some good football to watch and both kids are finally at an age where they are somewhat interested in it--  woohoo!

Ya’ll, I do not know how you full-time working mamas do it!! I’ve only ever worked part-time since having kids, and I gotta say, this is an adjustment! All moms are superheroes, and I have a new appreciation for moms who work full-time. My bedtime isn't too much later than the kids!

What I’ve Been Priming August

 Good morning friends! I hope you are having a lovely long weekend! We took a quick trip to the mountains and it was wonderful. It felt so nice to get some time away to recharge. We got back last night and are spending today getting caught up on errands before another week ahead.