My little fashionista

This is what Miss Abby insisted on wearing to school today.

Back to school

This first week of school has been pretty hectic so far, but also good for the 3 of us. Evan seems to really like high school. He's taking French for his language requirement which is probably more exciting to me than him. I can't wait to be able to talk to each other en francais. Abby loves 2nd grade. I really admire her confidence and enthusiasm for school. She sees everything in a positive light. She must get that from her Daddy, because I'm always full of anxiety.

I like my classes and professors so far. I have had a ton of homework already, but yesterday I was able to do some of it (reading homework) while lounging at the pool. So that made it a little easier to deal with. I am looking forward to starting my remaining class tomorrow and meeting that professor. It's pretty exciting to think that this is the beginning of my last year as an undergrad. It is definitely a challenge for me to start off the year while hypothyroid. Anytime I sit down to reading homework, I wind up falling asleep. But I keep reminding myself that in about 2 weeks or so I'll turn the corner and start feeling like myself again. It's hard, but I'm not going to let cancer stand in my way anymore.

Anyway, some pictures of the kids from their first day!

Evan having an early morning cup of tea. He's so like Josh...they both love tea.

Miss Abby and her cool new hot pink backpack.




In front of her new school!

I think I'm ready...

Tomorrow is the first day of school for me and the kids. They are ready and maybe even excited. Well, at least the little one is. I think I'm excited about going back. It is after all, the beginning of my last year as an undergrad. It's also my 1st full time semester since I returned to school after Abby was born.

I have all of my supplies....

Staggering amount of textbooks? Yep!

Cute new school supplies? Yep!





Fun new tote bag to carry it all? Yep!

Crushing amount of student loans? You betcha!

But I'm still not sure that I feel ready. I am not really ready to give up lazy morning of snuggling and watching cartoons. I'm not ready to give up days of swimming and lounging at the pool with the kids. I'm not ready for the quiet house that comes with their return to school. Despite some of the frustrating days we've had, I will miss them A LOT.

I'm not ready to go back to class feeling hypothyroid. I don't want to have to explain to a fresh round of professors that when I fall asleep in class, "It's not that I'm bored, it's just that I don't have my thyroid and I can't help it". I'm not ready for all the things on my to-do list this fall. The start of the semester also means that I have to start preparing for my post-graduate life. Where am I going to study? What am I going to study? Can I even afford to go where I want to? Will they accept me? Eeek!

Nevertheless, I have my cute school supplies and my stack of books. So I guess that means I'm ready? Now, what am I going to wear?

Not just a cupcake, *the* cupcake

Awhile ago, my sister and I noticed this bakery for the first time in Sycamore. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It's in an older strip mall kind of tucked away. Once you open their door, you are transported to baked good heaven. Since that 1st time we sampled cupcakes from Sweet Dream Desserts, I've been back many times. I've tried the mini bread loaves, the cupcakes, the cookies, and the cinnamon roll. It was all heavenly. My favorite is the cupcakes though. Picture a Hostess chocolate cupcake, now imagine that cupcake tasting a million times better...that's a Sweet Dream cupcake.

New suit

Abby in her new bathing suit.

Yummy, yummy iodine

To celebrate the end of the 3 week long low iodine diet and my good scan, Josh took me out for dinner. The thing I was missing most during the LID was cheese so what better way to indulge than with a pizza. It was really nice to be able to eat pizza & beer nuggets....two things that there's no way I could even eaten on the LID.

Take that cancer!

After I had my scan this morning, the radiologist gave me the all clear that the pictures were good and wouldn't need to re-scan me. I was thrilled....if you've had to have a whole body scan, you understand why. It sucks to lie perfectly still, hands over your head with a big square machine like less than an inch from your face. Since I knew the scan was all clear, I felt pretty confident that the low iodine diet was over...after all I was expecting good results and not to hear that I needed treatment. So I celebrated with an iced mocha coffee from Burger King. I headed back over to the hospital to get my blood drawn and as I was sitting in the parking lot finishing my coffee, my doctor's office called with my scan results. Nothing showed up! I still can't believe I had results in under 30 minutes. Kudos to the radiology department at Delnor Hospital!!!!

I do still have to clear the hurdle of a good thyroglobulin test result but I am not worried. I had that tested not long ago and it was <.2 which is about as good as result as I can get.