Dragons and Pumpkins

Such a Little Man

Noah posin' for the camera - these were taken on Saturday. We were heading to Vipul and Smita Amin's fabulous party in DC! Noah was all snazzed up.

Race for the Cure

Komen Race for the Cure
Donate Here

Tomorrow morning I will be pariticpating in the 2007 Susan G. Komen for the Cure Race Event in the Hunt Valley/Sparks area (Maryland). I will run the 5K event in the morning at 8 with some local ladies that I met out here, including Brooke, the mom I am doing our nanny share with.

Yes, this is super short notice! Most things in my life operate this way it seems - making the most of every moment. If you have time and can swing it, this is a very noble cause to be a part of and donate to. Komen Maryland sponsor grants increase the number of women who have annual mammograms and clinical breast exam screenings. And, early detection is the best protection for breast cancer. More info here!

Thanks and Giving, and My Miracles

I thought it would be a good time to share a few of the biggest, most tangible ways that God has touched my life over the past few months and years. These are my miracles. He has given me so much, and I am so thankful.

1. My Son. My future.
April and May of 2006 were two of the most challenging and transforming months of my life. Since I have been old enough to burp a baby, I have known that being a mother / having babies was one of my life's greatest desires. In April of '06 my life was turned upside down and not only was this dream seemingly snuffed out, but so was my health and my future.

Walk down Memory Lane... Back in April of 06, a new-to-me OBGYN I saw in CA ran about 4 weeks of bloodwork on me in an effort to get a baseline hormone reading. The bloodwork came back with several super elevated, out of whack hormone levels. This doctor soon began testing me for a rare endocrine disease she thought I had based on these elevated hormone levels. This disease would have been life-debilitating. During a work trip in May of '06, when the final round of tests came back, she went as far as to diagnose me with this disease - over the phone. She told me I would need life-long drug therapy. This disease would have rendered me infertile, and much much worse. In addition to the testing / diagnosis, this doctor also did a biopsy and coloscopy on my cervix during this time for dysplasia she found(see #2).

Guess what. I was pregnant. In fact, when I finally found out, I was about 2 months pregnant! It was a very scary thing at first. I made an appt with an endocrynologist. He went through all my lab work, all my family history and answered all my questions. He additionally did follow up research on my all my bloodwork results and concluded that all my hormone levels were completely within normal limits for pregnancy. I have no disease, just a healthy pregnancy. I was FINE.

Just when you think there is no way out alive - and it is all over - God will create a brand new escape route for you to climb through. God has given me health and life - a future. It is beyond words how grateful I am for this precious gift God has given me. My Son.

Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.

2. My Health.

After the healthy delivery on my son and a move across the country, I settled into a new doctor's office that did follow up work on the cervical dysplasia uncovered in CA. Additional biopsies confirmed that I had CIN 3 (high-grade) cervical dysplasia. The doctor was very concerned and wanted to remove the abnormal tissue. She told me that this type of dysplasia would NOT clear on its own and would most likely turn into invasive cancer.

So, I underwent her recommended operation. When the final labwork came back on the biopsied tissue from this procedure, it did not come back with the expected reading of high grade. Or low-grade for that matter. It came back NORMAL. Healthy tissue! This was a direct and definite answer to prayer. He is so faithful!

417 Charles Street Ave: Our First Home

We purchased our first home! Since we moved out to the Baltimore area, we've had our eye on this one picturesque road. It is a winding, woodsy old back road, only blocks away from the quaint little downtown area of Towson. There is a rocky creek meandering down one side of the road and lodge-style homes set back up the hill, lining the street. You feel like you are out in the country, yet you are right downtown. It is a special spot!

There are a many, many below, but here are even more pictures!


View of house from front


Back deck and patio (where we will spend all our time)!

Stone steps up to the playgound.

Playground swings

Backyard

An old spring house in the back of the property - we are going to fix it up - add lights and benches!


Stream down the hill from the house


Backyard


Screened-in patio off dining room


Living room and loft


Kitchen