Catching Up, Again...

Random tidbits to bring the blogging world up to speed...

What do you do when you have a blog but haven't updated consistently lately? You agree to contribute to a 2nd one of course! I have been contributing to Parents2Parents, a blog started by my good friend Jen. It's just a bunch of parents sharing their parenting stories. Good stuff - check it out!

I'm officially at the half-way point in my effort to grow 10 inches of hair for Locks For Love. So far I've resisted putting it back into a ponytail, but with the summer heat coming around, I may have no choice. If the average growth of 1/2 inch per month holds, I'm looking getting my next haircut March 2009! My wife, who is also growing her hair out, has decided to donate hers instead to breast cancer victims. Obviously influenced by my mom's situation, but with the added benefit of needing only 8 inches. (If she cuts her hair short, she's at 7 already!)

Victoria continues to grow way too fast. She hasn't started walking yet, but has recently started taking steps. She has begun to say/understand the word "up" and even said my sister's name "Abbey" while we were up in New York.

I'm still working two jobs. Things have been slow lately at both, although there have been some real nasty computer viruses coming in lately at LCC that have been keeping us on our toes.

Tomorrow I get to go to Baltimore to see the Red Sox play the Orioles. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get to see Manny hit his 500th HR.

Reality Check

And just like that, the world changes forever.

The weekend before Memorial Weekend, I found out my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. My mom found out during a routine mammogram. (Smart woman, my mom - breast cancer runs in our family. Learn the lesson well, women of the world - it's worth the inconvenience to get checked.) Anyway, this past Friday she went in for surgery to remove it. The doctor removed the tumor, along with 8-10 lymph nodes, a relatively small amount, and part of her breast. The doctor was confident he got everything. She had to spend one night in the hospital, then was able to come home and relax. Next up is probably some radiation treatment.

Needless to say, my wife, daughter, and I made a last-minute trip up north. We felt it was important to be there as a show of support. Besides, what better distraction than a cute 1-year-old who my family absolutely adores? It was a worthwhile trip, as there were plenty of smiles and laughs all around.

Where things go from here, no one knows. My folks consider this a "bump" in life's road, and I can consider it nothing greater as well. I am however still getting used to the concept of my mom as an official "cancer survivor". "Mom" and "Busha" were and always will be more fitting labels.