The Girl with the Big Head

Well, I had a pretty amazing weekend!

I came downstairs and found the Sunday paper, a Starbucks coffee, and a cake doughnut with sprinkles sitting on the kitchen table. I asked my husband, "did you look at it yet?"

"It" was the special insert the Orange County Register added to the newspaper in support of the upcoming Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Sunday, September 26th. The insert featured several Orange County women and their stories of how they have battled breast cancer. And I was one of them!

Holy sh*t! That's a HUGE photo of me and Miss Thing on the cover! And then, in the centerfold, was an even bigger photo of me and my little girlie! And the dreaded double-chin photo! But, I didn't care. I was beyond proud to see my words in print!

I was giddy all morning. I received a ton of very nice emails, phone calls, tweets, and FB messages about my story. My husband joked that my head was getting bigger by the second!

I was so appreciative of the feedback and best message I received was a text from my Dad that said "It's amazing, it will help others!" I certainly hope it does!

If you haven't had a chance to read my essay about balancing breast cancer and raising a child, please click here to read it. I'd also like to say THANKS A MILLION to Erica at Mommy's Still Fabulous for the quickest proof-read and edit! You are tops in my book, girl!

Good/Bad/Fab

It's Friday! And though there are only three hours left in the day, I thought it was still necessary to post my Good/Bad/Fab for the week! What's yours? Head over to Mommy's Still Fabulous and link up tonight!

The Good

Last night was the Fall kick-off for Book Club with a group of gals I call the "Gymbo moms." We all met at Gymboree Play and Music when our kids were still itty-bitty babies. I hosted, which meant I also got to pick the book (Kelly Corrigan's "Lift"). It turned out to be a great evening! We sat around my outdoor fireplace, snuggled under blankets, ate, gossiped, and discussed the reading (that part was a very, small portion of the evening!). We gabbed a lot about preschool (many of our kids started last week) and midgets (er...little people) of all things! Great fun that lasted wee into the late hours of the evening!

The Bad

I went to the 2010 "You've Just Been Spotted" party at Pretend City on Monday night. My blog didn't win, as I predicted it wouldn't -- but that's not the "bad" for the week. The bad is, I turned into the biggest wallflower ever! I stuck like glue to a real-life friend/blogger and didn't meet hardly anyone as I intended to do. I'll be writing an in-depth post about how lame I was next week.

The Fab

This weekend, Sunday, 9/19, the Orange County Register will feature me and several other women who have battled breast cancer. The article is to support the upcoming Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure OC event on 9/26. Anyway, I got a call tonight that it's already available online! So, check it out here!

The Diva with the Double Chin

I wrote last week that I had been selected by the OC Register to contribute to a special breast cancer insert that will be added to the newspaper on the weekend of September 18-19.

A few days ago, the photographer contacted me just to get confirmation on a few details. I asked how the pictures came out from the shoot. I joked saying I hope they weren't going to use any with a double chin! She emailed me a sneak peek at one of the photos. Holy Double Chin, Batman! Thankfully, she offered to pull the photo, at my request. Serious diva move.

I'm still praying I'm not misquoted. We talked a lot about prioritizing during treatment and how I had to put aside my desires for a clean home and putting a hot dinner on the table for taking a nap instead. When reading back her notes, she said "so you put important things like cleaning and cooking aside to rest?" I'm not a '50's housewife! While I like to do these sorts of things, I don't think they are "important" for everyone and not even always for me!

Anyway, here's a spoiler from my essay that will run with the photos.

It’s now been nearly a year since I finished treatment and almost two since my diagnosis. I was encouraged to believe that cancer would “only” disrupt my life for six months and then things would be back to normal. Sadly, survivorship isn’t that easy. I’m reminded everyday I have had breast cancer. It might be the scars I see in the mirror and the medications I take every night or the incredibly achy joints and routine trips to have my blood drawn. But it’s the head games that keep me up at night. The constant inquiry of every head or backache or what the smallest changes in your blood work might mean.

And, finally I'll leave you with a cropped version of the infamous double chin photo.

Please be sure to pick up a copy of the Orange County Register next weekend and look for the special breast cancer insert! You can also see additional photos online at OC Register!

It's a Honor to be Nominated!

It was announced today that this very blog has been nominated for a 2010 "You've Just Been Spotted" Orange County Blog Award!

Like My Baby was nominated for the best Personal & Family Blog which is defined as a blog that is "an online diary originally meant to be read by people's personal family and friends." The competition is stiff! There are 50+ nominees in this category alone.

I don't have a chance in hell of winning. There are some seriously awesome blogs nominated, like, Rage Against the Minivan, Mommypants, Angry Julie Monday -- just to name a few.

But, hey...I'm thrilled to be nominated! And if you feel like giving this little blog some love then head over to Just Spotted and vote for Like My Baby!

Behind the Scenes - OC Register Photo Shoot

Two weeks ago, I got an email from the Orange County Register Health editor asking if I would be interested in submitting a personal essay detailing my experience with breast cancer for a special edition insert that will run the week before the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Orange County.

It wasn't like the editor randomly found me and had to have my story for her readers. I submitted my name and a few details through the Komen OC website but never imagined the O.C. Register would be interested in me.

48 hours later, a photographer was at our house taking pictures of Audrey and I that will run with the essay! I had a friend come over to help get my kid to smile for the camera - and thank God, because Audrey didn't want to have her photo taken..at first. Lots of tears but with a little coaxing she recovered nicely and was ready for her close up. She even told the photographer to stop taking pictures so she could go use the potty. Can someone say D-I-V-A?

I wish I had requested final sign off on the photos they use (now who's the diva?). I'm just afraid they'll use one taken from an unflattering angle (read: double chin, muffin top, flabby arms, etc). I won't know until I see it in print the weekend of September 18th.

Check back here on Monday, 9/13 for a few spoilers from my essay and an explanation of how I might be misquoted. Yikes.

What's Your Story?

If you haven't already seen it, today's Orange County Register featured a special section dedicated to several Orange County breast cancer stories from survivors and co-survivors.

All of those who participated in the story will be at this year's Race for the Cure in Newport Beach on September 27th.

I can't wait to stand next to these fabulous women during the survivor's parade: Debra Connor, Ann Gore, Linda Pruhs-Johnson, Melody Downey,and Cindy Golden!