I think he's naughtier with the hat on backwards...

Brady has a thing about hats lately - he loves to wear one, which is a change from the past 15 months of his life. His favorite is his Cubs hat. And, I've noticed a trend...if the hat is on backwards, the boy is naughtier. Of course, he doesn't have pants on either, and what little boy ever behaves when he doesn't have pants on?

Silly Daddy

I just love Brady's belly laugh!

Snapshots of the little man

Almost 16 months old now! Here he is playing in the "corral", climbing on the kitchen chairs, reading and having a snack at his new table, eating chocolate cake after dinner, wearing his Cubs hat, and using a fork! What happened to my little baby?

Quick Update and Prayer Request

Just a quick prayer request. I met with my doctor (Dr. Khalil) last week and found out that radiation is still a possibility for me. My oncologist (Dr. Simmons) is now "waffling" as to whether I should have radiation or not, and Dr. Khalil is pushing for me to have it. He says that he knows it might be considered "overkill" but with my age and the nature of the cancer, that is what he recommends. The decision is ultimately up to Dr. Simmons, but he confers with Dr. Khalil.

The reason why Dr. Simmons is now "waffling" is because when we originally met, a portion of my pathology report was missing from my patient file. He told me he still wanted to see that part of the report, and would follow up with me in a week or so, but he felt very strongly about me not needing radiation. We took that to the bank! He didn't follow up, so we figured no news was good news. Now I find out that he's been talking with Dr. Khalil and that's why he hasn't followed up with me.

One thing I found comforting is that Dr. Simmons studied at University of Iowa, which Dr. Khalil says is "one of the best head and neck cancer centers in the United States." Well, we all know that anything good comes from Iowa! ha ha! While I am not exactly a Hawkeye fan (at ALL) I wouldn't mind kicking this cancer in the butt, Iowa style! :)

I don't have an appointment with Dr. Simmons until December 1, so I have a while to wait. We aren't exactly on pins and needles here, but we would still appreciate your prayer. I am hoping this is much ado about nothing...and it will be confirmed that I won't need radiation.

Thanks for praying for our family, once again!

Scar Progression

I thought I would post a picture of how my scar looks six weeks post surgery, especially for my friends and family who are out of town. Overall I think it looks great; I am not self conscious of if at all, which is good because it is hard to hide! Feel free to gawk!

WARNING: I also posted the "before" picture that was taken one day after my surgery so you can see the healing. DO NOT scroll down if you are faint of heart or enjoying your lunch!

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"Before"

Blowing off some steam...

It seems like at least once a day, Brady needs to get outside where he can just run free. The fresh air is good for both of us. Most days we wait until after nap. Since the weather is cooling down, I decided to bundle him up in his new snowsuit. A little big, and the jester hood might be a bit much, but overall, isn't he cute??